#that he'd be someone safe to talk to when you get scared or angry or upset with the world

[bitchface24-7]

Hear me out. Viktor getting angry at reader and taking it out on us (m or gn reader)

I have vik brain rot..

DO I LIKE THIS? NO…MAYBE?…YES! - VIKTOR X READER

synopsis: Viktor is angry. He’s frustrated. Things haven’t been going to plan and his temper is a very thin string right about now. You accidentally break that string, and he takes it out on you. You’ve never seen this side of him before… you’re really into it.

warnings: dom!viktor, misdirected anger, talks of safe-words/signals, oral sex (m receiving), boot humping, under the desk blowjobs, almost caught (you’re in the lab and someone walks in), teasing, dirty talk, degradation/praise, throatpie, Grammarly is my beta

genre: m/f or m/m

p.s. the libido I have revolving around Viktor is insane. Like lock me up I need help. I’d drain that man dry if I had the chance and I’d also have hearts in my eyes the entire time I’m with him. He’d be scared, he’d also love it immensely.

Viktor’s life has never been easy.

Throughout his life, he’s had to push and shove and climb his way to the top, even if it meant bruised knuckles and ripped-off fingernails.

You'd think he'd be a pro at this. He's not.

Especially when it feels like this whole month has been nothing but valleys, and he's desperately craving a peak right about now.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

It’s another day in the lab, another day for failure, Viktor can't help but think. He's been at this for minutes, hours, days, now leading into weeks of work. It’s like his brain decided to take a vacation.

He feels helpless. Useless. He can’t figure out basic equations, his prototypes keep failing, Jayce is constantly out doing council duties, and you're not by his side.

He doesn't want you near him anyway. He's miserable like this, he's snippy and snooty, even downright mean. He doesn't want to subject you to that, and he knows you will be; even if it’s by accident.

So he already has an idea of how this is going to go when he hears the lab doors open and smells your signature scent.

Hopefully you forgive him for what he's about to do.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

You quietly enter the lab, seeing Viktor hard at work. He's constantly playing with his hair, twirling the pieces at the nape of his neck, running his hands through it, even gripping the silky strands angrily.

He looks like a mess. A very attractive one, but a mess nonetheless.

You almost flinch when you put a hand gently on Viktor’s shoulders, his forgotten blueprints in the other by your side.

He whips around to look at you, a sneer on his face and a glint in his eyes you've never seen before, you lightly gasp as the blueprints in your hand crinkle a bit. He's mad, he's furious.

You've fucked up somehow and you don’t even know what you did.

“What do you want?!” Viktor snips, his tone sharp and snakelike, “Can’t you see I'm in the middle of something?! I almost solved that equation until you pestered me, now I'm back to square one!” His gaze is dark as he looks at you and you wince lightly, you know work has been hard lately but you didn't realize how bad it was until this very moment.

“I’m here because you told me to come at three o’clock, you forgot your blueprints at home and asked me to bring them so when you talk with—”

Viktor cuts off your explanation, “You didn't have to bother me to do that. You could've left them by the door and let me be. No. You had to pester, and now I've lost all my progress.”

You quirk an eyebrow at your lover. He's snippy, he kind of reminds you of a angry cat. All sharp teeth and hisses. You purse your lips and put the blueprints onto the desk, running your free hand through Viktor's already messy hair.

“Anything I can do to make it up to you?”

The lab is left in a tense silence for a bit before Viktor chuckles darkly, “You can put that mouth to good use instead of pestering me.”

Your eyes widen a bit at that but Viktor pays you no mind, he rolls out a bit from his desk and casually unbuckles his belt, unzips his pants, and lowers them just enough to get his cock out. He's already half hard, and you feel yourself gulp subconsciously.

He just says one word and you obey him. Like a god and it’s devotee.

“Kneel.”

And you do.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Viktor sighs through gritted teeth as he continues to work on his equations. A light moan escapes him when a wonderful firm suck encompasses the head of his cock.

He looks down and sees you there, eyes glossy as you look up at him and take his cock without question, without hesitation. He can feel all the anger and frustration leaving him with each pass you make. Maybe this was all he needed, he's been pent up.

Viktor puts his pencil down and groans, a long silky note escaping from his throat. Luckily for him he's gotten an updates wheelie chair that now has a back to it, so it helps him with his posture and comfort.

His posture isn't the best right now as he slowly slides down the chair in ecstasy, his ass on the edge of the chair as his head leans back on the headrest. The long stretch of his throat is all you can see and you take him deep.

Viktor startles when he hears footsteps approaching the lab. He looks at the clock and his eyes widen.

The reason why you came to bring the blueprints has finally arrived.

He forgot he had planned to talk to Jayce at three-thirty. It's currently two-fifty-five, and his partner is going to see him with his cock shoved down his other partners throat.

Viktor lightly kicks you to hide under his desk as he frantically pushes himself to slide forward. You're caged in, unable to be spotted due to the plank of decorative wood at the front of the desk. It’s cramped, with Viktor's long legs, the legs of the desk chair, and the plank of wood keeping your dignity intact.

You can minutely see Viktor trying to get his appearance in check. Running a hand through his hair, adjusting his tie, making sure the wrinkles that formed on his clothes are patted down, and touching his lower back, to ensure his ass isn't out.

Just as Viktor deems himself acceptable, the lab doors open, and in walks Jayce.

God damn it.

You can’t really hear their conversation that well, it’s a bit muffled under the desk, but you can hear tones. Jayce is happy, Viktor is a bit tense.

Let’s make him more tense, shall we?

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

“Viktor, hey! I was able to leave that mind numbing meeting early. So, how’s everything going? You said you had some updates you wanted to show me?”

Viktor can’t help but smile lightly at Jayce’s exuberance, it’s been a while since Viktor has been able to work with Jayce in the lab; so this is nice.

Even though his cock is out and shoved down your throat. He just hopes Jayce doesn't notice.

“Ah, yes. I re-calculated the density necessary for—hnn.” Viktor goes to explain but grunts as he feels a harsh suck. There's no way, you wouldn't…

There it is again.

Viktor grunts a little louder this time and Jayce looks at him in concern, “Are you okay? Do you need any help?” His eyebrows are furrowed as he chews on his lip. Oh Jayce, you're so sweet. Please don’t notice.

“I’m— I’m okay Jayce. My leg is just sore, that's all.”

Jayce jolts a bit, his spine stiffening up as he looks over Viktor's form hurriedly, “Are you sure I can't do anything to help—” his sentence is cut off by Viktor waving his hand around quickly as a small grimace overtakes his face. He's lightly biting his lip as his face flushes. He must be in quite a bit of pain, but Jayce relents.

“Truly Jayce, I'm fine. You know how everything gets. After our talk, I’ll head home. Get some rest for once. My body’s hnn… my body’s telling me to relax.”

Jayce purses his lips a bit and nods. Througout the conversation Viktor looks a bit desperate. He grits his teeth, groans lightly in pain, quirks his neck to the side, taps his foot. Jayce doesn't feel any anger or frustration at Viktor, he understands he has chronic pain and he's going through what seems to be a massive flare up.

They talk quickly but deeply. Getting all their ideas and thoughts out before Jayce smiles over his shoulder, and exits the lab, “We’ll talk more later Viktor. Take a break. Get home when you can, I’ll see you tomorrow hopefully.” with that, the lab doors shut and Viktor holds his breath for a minute as Jayce's footsteps slowly but surely get farther and farther away from the lab.

When the footsteps disappear all together, Viktor growls as he pushes back his seat, dragging you alongside with him from the harsh grip he has in your hair. You whine at the pain but Viktor ignores you.

“You slut. You couldn't wait and be good for me. No. You had to suck my cock under my desk as Jayce and I have an important discussion. Did you want to get caught? Did you want Jayce to see how much of a whore you are?”

Your whine is garbled as Viktor forces your head up and down over his cock, his head leans back as he moans deeply from his chest. The sound rumbles out deliciously.

“I’m going to fuck your face since you need it so bad. If you want me to stop, hit my thigh three times, if you want me to slow down, hit it twice. Do you understand me?” Viktor yanks your head off his cock to hear you verbally say yes. Your eyes are watery and your lips are puffy, but a raspy yes escapes your throat before its filled again.

Viktor's ruthless, he forces your head up and down, like his own personal pocket pussy. All you can hear is the wet sounds of your throat, skin hitting skin, and Viktor's desperate growls and moans.

He somehow speeds up even more, lightly thrusting as he pushes your head down. You can’t help but squirm a bit, desperate for some tension to be released from your own body. You inhale sharply when you feel the polished tip of Viktor’s shoe nudge your centre. A jolt of pleasure rushes over you as your eyes flutter. Viktor’s dark chuckle tells you all you need to know.

“So desperate. Look at you, grinding against my shoe. Keep going darling, I want to see you fall apart as I cum down your throat.”

You can’t help but do as he says. He keeps using your throat like his own personal toy as you grind helplessly against his shoe. Eventually a loud groan is what you hear as Viktor shoves your head down, your nose brushing against the light auburn curls at the base of his cock. As you swallow his cum down, cock warming his dick in your throat, you thrust messily and frantically against Viktor’s shoe.

A shaky moan escapes you as you finally orgasm, your underwear becoming sticky and wet at the intensity. Viktor carefully pulls your head back, you lightly cough and breathe in shudders to catch your breath. Viktor smiles lovingly at you as he comes down to kiss you on your forehead. 

“How you spoil me my love. You did amazing. You’re incredible, thank you for that.” His tone is sweet as he cards his hands through your hair as he sporadically kisses your face.

You can’t help but giggle at his show of love. He’s not a fan of physical displays of affection, but when it’s just you two, he’s so undeniably sweet.

A groan of pain escapes you as you slowly get up off your knees, Viktor is fixing himself as you lean against his desk as an abrupt opening of the door startled you both. It’s Jayce.

“Sorry! I forgot my notebook— hey! When’d your get here?” Jayce asks as he walks back to Viktor’s desk and grabs his notebook, a blinding smile directed towards you.

“Uh— not too long ago.” You state, your throat dry and voice raspy due to the abuse it suffered. Jayce looks at you in concern, “Wow, you don’t sound good. You two should probably go home, you sound sick and Viktor’s been in physical pain.”

Viktor looks off to the side as he lightly scratches his cheek, you smile at the sweet man, “Good idea Jayce. C’mon Viktor, let’s go.”

Before anyone can move, it’s like a lightbulb goes off above Jayce’s head, “Oh no— no. You didn’t. Tell me you didn’t!”

“Didn’t what Jayce?” You ask as Viktor snickers lightly, “For your sake, we didn’t Jayce.”

Jayce groans in pain as Viktor lightly laughs and you just look at the two of them. Then you realize what they’re tip-toeing around and feel your face heat up.

God damn it Jayce. Why’d you have to be smart. Oopsie daisy.

Y’all my libido is 100% tied to Viktor and minutely Jayce, it’s so bad 🙃 hope y'all liked this! ❤️

[jimmyspades]

[timkontheunsure]

"and if he's only here as a prisoner, what kind of monster does that make me?"

Ok think I've finally worked out what was bugging me with them miscommunicating when Blitz yells.

"Would he want me if he were free?" Stolas' starting premise is if Blitz wasn't ok with the deal, and didn't like him; then he's a monster and an abuser.

If it's was only sex to Blitz, then he's just like Stella.

It's why he gives up, saying he has his answer; when Blitz assumes the crystal must be a prop for more of their deal.

"tethered to someone in such an unfair way". Ok this bit had my mind immediately go to the divorce.

The marriage was arranged by someone must more powerful than Stolas, to someone he'd never choose for himself. An "entire life's been written in stone" in fact; he thinks he's done the same thing to the man he loves.

While it is perfectly reasonable for Blitz to get angry, feeling blindsided and dismissed; asking for a "fucking minute", the next bit reads very differently to both of them.

"You spring this feeling bullshit on me. Are you fucking kidding! *Kicks open the door* Can I get a Fucking minute to think after everything you put me through! You pompous rich Asshole! *Stolas' flinches the same way he does when Stella screams at him.*

"Treat me like one of your little butler imps. You can't just Dismiss me like that. I mean you royal Fucks think you can think you can do this every single time. Like you can just play with our feelings, because we're smaller and not as important. Well I'm Not letting you bitch. *Flinches again* Let's Go!".

Blitz is telling Stolas that he doesn't want to be sent away, and that he wants think about it. His abandonment issues are fully kicked in.

He's trying to force Stolas into a fight, to get him to engage with him. Likely a repeated pattern from his last serious relationship with Voroskia.

Trying to pick a fight, to get to make up sex, to get them back to 'normal'. Because that's how he's been dealing with their "complicated" for a while now. If it's about sex he knows how to deal with what they have.

(Blitz is word perfect on the fight with Verosika after all; so they probably got back together a few times after stealing from her).

Blitz immediately goes to "I can do better", and try give it back; when he thinks Stolas doesn't want to see him anymore.

"you royal Fucks think you can think you can do this every single time."

But that's not what Stolas is hearing right now. Stolas hears is 'your all the same. All royal are as bad as eachother'.

It's very close to Striker explaining how the world works during his torture.

And now he thinks that the only man he's ever loved hates him because what he is.

That's what he meant by "think so of low of me".

And he's not exactly wrong. Fizz even calls Blitz on hating that Stolas is a prince.

And Blitz does say "They're all the fuckin' same". (Blitz isn't wrong for calling out Stolas on how he treats his staff either)...

Then there's the bit that seems fairly contentious. Stolas portaling Blitz out.

Stolas is a domestic abuse survivor, only a couple of weeks out of the hospital, because his wife tried to murder him. He's going freak out at loud voices, angry swearing, and doors being kicked in.

He going assume that this is Blitz getting a few kicks in on the way out; not him genuinely trying to talk through their problems just because of the format.

They are both stumbling over eachothers trauma landmines here.

Neither is wrong.

Not Stolas for walking away, or making the shouty person leave.

Not Blitz for getting scared, upset and feeling abandoned. Thinking Stolas isn't giving him a chance to think it through.

Blitz is going to get that time he wants to think it over. It's not an all or none thing.

He now has his business safe and secured in his own hands, and knows that Stolas likes him too. Those are biggys.

It's entirely up to Blitz what he wants to do now.

[tobi-smp]

I don't want to hold anything against this specific person, because I Remember the discourse that lead to this and I know exactly how it could get passed around and warped (either through telephone or someone's own memory shifting with time).

that said, I never liked that discourse specifically Because it was a clear misreading of the text, and what better opportunity do I have to talk about it now.

the context was the bench trio therapy stream. tommy had been beaten to death by dream, sat in limbo for months, and then revived and told Explicitly that dream was planning on escaping prison and tormenting the rest of the server.

the mindset that tommy is in is that he Has to do something, but he's deeply traumatized by what's happened to him. he's Scared to go back to the prison, but he has no choice but to do it for the safety of everyone else in the server.

the "therapy stream" was bench trio Trying to do exposure therapy on tommy to help him work through his trauma in the lead up to attempting to infiltrate the prison. and the entire point is that they Absolutely Were Not actually helping.

what they were Actually doing was triggering tommy by exposing him to things that he was traumatized by, because they didn't actually know how to do exposure therapy and what they were trying to do wasn't healthy in the first place.

so the Context of this conversation is tommy desperately trying to just, Get Rid Of his trauma (something that is absolutely not possible) while entering a worse and worse mindset because he was intentionally triggering himself.

Likewise, the context for Tubbo's half of the conversation is that he Very Intentionally represses his own trauma, both from Himself and from other people. he puts himself in a little box that he buries under the floorboards and asks people to ignore the way the boards creak when they walk on him.

there's a million ways you could cut Why he does this. part it is his people pleasing, willingly pushing himself down for the sake of everyone else no matter how painful. seeing Himself as an accessory to the people he cares about, rather than a whole complete and important person. and in part because it feels Safer, it's Safer to pretend that nothing hurt him.

and Why that is is complicated. part of it is External. he doesn't Get to be angry about what he's been through, because the people he's angry At will just hurt him again. and if he thinks about how he's hurt then he Will get angry, so he just Won't Think About It.

and part of it is that I don't think he wants to process his trauma any more than tommy does. because it's painful, because he doesn't have the tools to actually work through it, because they aren't Safe so he can't afford to break down now (trouble is, there never Seems to be a "safe" time to think about himself).

they're the Repression Brothers. the difference being that tommy's at a different stage of it. not a Healthy One, but different.

tommy spent months not being able to put into words what exile was, what pogtopia was, was the final control room was. and he still won't be able to put it in plain words for some time from here.

but he's reached the point where he Can't ignore it anymore, but he still doesn't know what to Do about it. he's still frustrated with an (to an extent) Ashamed Of his trauma. he feels Lesser Than he was before and wants it to all just go away and go back to Normal.

he's doing this because he Has To, because he Has to be strong enough to fight dream. because if he's too scared to do it then he'd be sacrificing everyone else's safety.

he and tubbo are doing the Same Thing in different fonts, sacrificing their well being for the people Around Them, including Each Other.

so, lets go back to that moment that started all of this.

the exposure therapy was on the final control room section, with tommy working through having been killed by dream.

tubbo mentions that he died that night too, and tommy says something to the effect of "you did, but you have thicker skin."

this has been taken out of context to mean "you did, but I have it worse than you," when IN CONTEXT it means "you did, but you're stronger than me," or more accurately "you did, But I'm Worse Than You."

tommy does not see his trauma in the context of stupid apologist discourse. he sees his trauma as something that makes him Worse, as something he Shouldn't Feel. as something that makes him Weaker than everyone else, who Obviously are so much more put together than he is.

when he says this he's not saying that he's more important than tubbo, he's putting himself down in comparison TO tubbo.

and this is absolutely still harmful ! This is legitimately one of tommy's character flaws ! but it is Not the selfishness that people make it out to be.

it's tommy accidentally hurting other people by seeing Himself negatively. it's an unhealthy relationship with mental health, and a Realistic one considering the circumstances and setting.

likewise, it's Just As Much born from tubbo's own unhealthy coping mechanisms. tommy assumes that what happened didn't bother tubbo the way it did him because Tubbo wants him to think that.

Tubbo doesn't let tommy see how much he's hurting, which in turn feeds into this cycle.

tubbo assumes he Has to shove his trauma down for tommy's sake (for the sake of Everyone he cares about), and so tommy assumes tubbo was just Stronger than him and wants desperately to just shove his own trauma away the way tubbo seems to be able to.

this moment IS tragic, it IS an example of the two of them hurting each other. but it's BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH THEY CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER !!!

Both Of Them are trying to be strong enough to protect the other, and it's Hurting Them. it's unhealthy, but it 's not Malicious. it's self-sacrificial not Selfish. it's not something they've done to each other but what's been done To Them by the world they live in. what they've done to Themselves trying to live in it.

this shouldn't have been a discourse moment, it should've been clingyduoers tearing each other apart in the street at the tragedy of it

[slasherx]

Thomas Hewitt relationship HC's

Content: Thomas Hewtt x gn!Reader

Warnings: Canon typical violence, manipulation from Hoyt, possessive and jealous behavior, brief mention of sex but no actual NSFW, so 17+

Notes: My first slasher fic! Pls be nice, it's my first time writing for our boy Tommy

Lets skip over meeting him for now. If anyone wants to know how I think Thomas would meet and fall in love with his S/O, just shoot me a request!

Thomas would be very cautious at first. Not because he doesn't trust you, nono, he'd HAVE to trust you before getting in a relationship first

He's cautious because he doesn't know how to control his strength around you, and doesn't want to cross a line. You're his first and likely his only partner in life, so he doesn't want to lose you

Thats another thing - he's super scared that you'll end up seeing how much better you can do and leave him. If not for how ugly he thinks he looks, then for the fact that his family are cannibals.

This leads him to be very jealous and possessive. If another man comes near you, he's behind you in an instant if he can be, glaring them down and practically tearing them apart with his eyes

If he finds you flirting with another man, he'll be angry with you beyond belief. Would probably give you the silent treatment for a week, and he's already mute, so that's saying something (I tease)

Probably wouldn't be super touchy, he's been hit his whole life, and I believe the Hewitt's would use physical disciplinary methods growing up, which means Tommy would've most likely been hit by his family too. Nowhere is safe for this poor man

He wouldn't mind if you were touchy though, it would just take him a while to get used to it

He doesn't mind if you don't get along with Monty or Charlie, that's kind of a given, especially if you're a woman or fem presenting, but he wants you to get along with his mother so BADLY

He definitely would not say "I love you" first, he would wait for you to say it, even though he'd most likely fall in love with you first

He'd do anything for you. He'd kill for you, beat someone for you, talk shit about someone for you, etc. He'd basically drop anything for you. Aside from his family, you are his first priority.

This can lead to fights between you and Hoyt. Hoyt doesn't think Tommy should be loyal to "a good for nothing slut like you" above certain members of his family, since you're technically still an outsider

Tommy will butt into these arguments and have your back, but the first time this happened, Hoyt had managed to get into his head and make him doubt you. Yeah, safe to say that never happened again

Tommy wouldn't feel comfortable sharing a room until you were farther into your relationship, and it would take even longer for him to take off his mask around you

When he does finally take his mask off around you, he expects you to yell and scream, to call him ugly. But when you don't, and you even call him handsome? Oh he is melting into the floor

That's when he starts to develop an unhealthy obsession with you. He was in love with you before, but now that he's shown his rawest form to you and you still loved him above all else? Oh he's in LOVE love

He refuses to leave you alone, and this is probably around the time you guys first have sex. He wanted to wait until you were married like his Mama asked, but he just couldn't help himself.

This is getting kinda long, so if you guys want a part two or something, be sure to request!

• ───────────────── •

Here's my masterlist, in case you like what you see and want to request more!

[ooffmlsorry]

One Piece Men Dealing with a Dangerously Reckless S/O

context: by dangerously reckless I mean someone who never has a second thought about throwing themselves in harms way and doesn't care what it does to them

t/w: passive suicidality, self harm? (better safe than sorry) angst. Mentions of blood, injury, and death

LAW

It'd probably lead to a big argument where he threatens to kick you off his crew because losing you would legitimately be the death of him. He can't lose anymore people he loves to violence. When Bepo tells Law you didn't even hesitate to plunge into a thicket of razor wire to help your crew mates escape, it doesn't read as admirable to him. It reminds him too much of himself on Spider Miles. After he gets your side of the story, which pretty much confirms it, he doesn't talk to you at all while he cleans the mud and blood from your skin and stitches the slashes that cover you from head to toe. Normally, even if you've fallen asleep, he talks you through your treatment, but not after your stunts. He's that...scared? Angry? Distraught might be the right word. Every time you do something like this, he's speechless because his thoughts are racing with the reality of losing you. He feels sick to his stomach. On nights like these, he doesn't know whether to sleep far away from you or hold you so close to him you can't breathe.

LUFFY

At first, Luffy doesn't care. He has the utmost faith in his crew, and they put themselves in harms way all the time! Getting injured is just being a pirate sometimes! That's pre-timeskip. Post-timeskip Luffy still has a lot of faith in his crew and a lot of faith in his ability to protect his crew, but he's...different. He believes things are always going to work out no matter what and if they don't he'll make them, but sometimes he wakes up in the middle of night and stares at you, tracing all the scars you've gotten from one fight or another. And then the what-ifs begin to creep in and the nightmares start. After literally diving into a sea king to retrieve Nami's log pose and Chopper has patched you up yet again, you wake up to Luffy calling out for you in his sleep, sweat dampening his hair and his face twisted in fear. You soothe and shush him until his breathing evens out, but he holds you tighter still. It's not in his nature to "bench you" or doubt your strength just because he's in love with you. That would be controlling and doubting you, and he would never do that. But that doesn't mean Zoro and Sanji don't take notice, even if Luffy won't say anything they make it extremely hard for you to pull off any careless "heroics."

ZORO

Much like Luffy, Zoro doesn't think much of it for a while for the same reason. This is the guy that was completely ready to cut his own legs off, after all. But that doesn't mean it doesn't concern him, especially because you don't seem to have a rhyme or reason for all the shit you pull. And he would say something to you about it. Maybe not directly after you jumped straight into Marine gunfire to cover a little girl, he just wants you to be alive at that point. But after days of taking care of you as your wounds slowly heal, after he's certain you're not going anywhere this time, he'd make sure the two of you are somewhere alone and quiet to talk. As far as Zoro's concerned not going down without a fight is completely fine, dying for your dream isn't considered giving it up, but acting like it isn't a possibility is stupid. And he'd tell you as much. For most of this he wouldn't be able to look at you, just because if he does fear is going to take hold of him, but for that last bit he would. Zoro would search your eyes hoping you understand what he's saying. He'll tie you to the ship if he has to, he'd do anything if it saves you from being so stupid as to forfeit your dreams.

SABO

Dying for the cause is par for the course. It's a grim reality that Sabo begrudgingly accepts, although he does have a bit of youthful naivety that it won't ever happen to anyone. He won't ever believe the revolution isn't worth it, but you do make him question it for the first time. He loves you so much he has to compare you to the whole world for a moment, and that's one of the worst thoughts he's ever had. Because the whole world still wins. The guilt would eat him alive until he blows up (somewhat literally) at you for drinking the last of a rare poison to keep it out of the enemy's hands. Angry tears roll down Sabo's cheeks. When he yells at you, he's shaking with anger and fear. It's not up to him, but he doesn't object when you're completely benched while you recover and for a little longer after that. It takes a while for him to no longer angry and scared out of his mind, but once he is he's back to himself. If can visit you every day he will. He has hope for the world's future, and hope for yours too. He's not leaving either behind.

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

How do the tokyo revengers boys act around their crush????

Not counting the guys who've seen around a crush, this is how I think they would act!

Mikey- Tries to get your attention a lot and insists you come and hang out or "play" with him. He wants your attention on him and will do whatever he can to get that. Will pout if you ignore him too much and complain to Draken. 

Baji- He plays it cool, pretends that he isn't romantically interested and instead tries to see you as a friend. Still keeps you close to him but tries not to act on any feelings (at least not without a push).

Chifuyu- Blushing sm whenever you're around, almost drives himself crazy with how much he thinks about you. Reads his manga for advice and even asks Baji despite Baji having 0 experience with this himself. 

Mitsuya- Focuses more of his attention on you. He tries to get to know you more and spends more time with you. He's just a lot more interested in you.

Hakkai- Not only can he not talk to you but he can barely be in the same room as you, leaves very quickly if you approach. He admires you from afar until he works up the courage to say something. 

Smiley- Hangs out around you more often and basically becomes your guard dog, threatening anyone who seems like they'll cause you trouble. He hasn't really figured out how to talk to you properly yet so he tries to let his actions show how much he cares instead. Tries hard to not blush around you.

Angry- Starts off very slow with just saying hi to you everytime he sees you, then starts asking how you are and tries to engage you in further chats. He's caring to everyone but seems to give you extra attention. 

Mucho- He observes you a lot for awhile, trying to figure out his own feelings and what he really wants. He's a pretty straight forward guy though so when he's ready he'll approach you and ask if you want to accompany him to a cafe at some point. 

Sanzu- He also observes you but in a different way, he wants to know everything about you before he makes his move. Also has a habit of leaving gifts for you in your post box. Also wants to make sure you're safe and no one messes with what he finds precious. 

Naoto- Always does little things for you to show his crush, like getting you an extra bottle of water after he buys one and helping you with whatever you need.

Hanma- He finds it very amusing that he even has a crush. He actually kinda tries to scare you away, well not scare you exactly, more like he shows you his more extreme side as a test. He figures you might as well see the real him now before anything happens between the two of you (his way of avoiding you breaking his heart if you change your mind). He's serious about his feelings when they're this strong. Once you get that over point though then he's constantly teasing you and casually touches you a lot.

Kazutora- Worries a lot about this and actually tries to avoid you to get rid of the crush. He hasn't exactly had a lot of healthy examples of relationships in his life so this concerns him a bit, thinks you're too good for someone like him. However the feelings are too strong so he does eventually confess, he figures you can turn him down then you'll all be done. He'd be pretty surprised if you actually said yes though. 

Inui- Finds the crush to be troublesome. He straight up asks you out on a date, so the two of you can go out and he can realise he doesn't actually like you (he's in a lot of denial)

Taiju- He has 0 doubts about you wanting to date him or at least that's what he tells himself. Is a bit unsure deep down though. He tries to make himself look better to you.

Izana- Also wants your attention to only be on him, he sees you as being his so you should focus on him. Actually gets a little flustered when you do focus on him and praise him though. He likes it but freezes up a little since he's not used to it.

Kakucho- Tries to do small acts of kindess for you, he wants you to trust him and love him too. He's just so caring and gentle towards you, always offering you soft smiles.

Ran- Straight up flirts with you, he kinda makes it hard for you to know if he's being serious or not though. He hides behind his wit and charisma. Touches you casually a lot too, thinking nothing of getting close to you. 

Rindou- Is a lot more unsure then Ran, he tries to flirt with you too but frequently gets too flustered or accidentally messes up his lines. It kinda works in his favour though since it feels a lot more genuine. 

Mochi- Shares a lot of things with you, both verbally and physically. He tells you a lot about himself and asks you a lot of questions. And is always sharing food and drinks with you (blushes slightly at every indirect kiss)

Shion- Follows you around like a lost puppy, he tries to make you laugh a lot too by telling jokes. Will sometimes boast about himself as a way to impress you. 

South- Is more gentle with you then anyone else, always asks you about your day and how things are going. He really want to sing or play the piano for you but hasn't quite gotten the words out to ask you yet.

Wakasa- Always wants to hang out with you and will conveniently "forget" to invite the others so it ends up being just the two of you. Will also lean on you a lot or casually lay his head in your lap for a nap. He wants to be close to you even if he hasn't gotten around to confessing yet.

Benkei- Always complimenting you even when you're not around, all his friends know how much he likes you because of how much he talks about you. 

Shinichiro- He uses so many cheesy pick up lines on you, he found a big book of them and is convinced he can win you over with them. He also invites to the shop a lot to hang out (and as a way to impress you with his bike skills).

[thezombieprostitute]

The Arrangement - Part 11

Summary: Jake's done a lot of things to keep his sister, and then his niece, safe from his parent's influence and manipulation. If he wants to keep them safe, he has to marry you.

Warnings: Anxiety, Bad parents and siblings, Talking about abuse. Let me know if I missed any!

Part 10 -- Part 12

Series Masterlist

That night you managed to sleep a little easier than before. While Jake had not given you any indication he'd go back on his word, a part of you was still waiting for him to show his angry side again. For him to start putting his foot down and starting things out on you. He wouldn't be the first that betrayed your trust.

It helped that you'd decided to sleep with your light on this time. If it was truly your room, you were allowed to do that, right? You'd always been afraid of the dark, especially since it was Travis's favorite for scaring you. Or "pranking you" as he would often say for his excuse. You'd been told, time and time again, that it wasn't proper to have a nightlight; that you shouldn't need one. Well, it's your room, you're going to have a light on.

And it did help. Every time you woke up, you didn't have to try to search the darkness for someone that may or may not be there. You could just see, calm yourself down, and get back to sleep. In truth, though you continually woke up, you did feel a lot more well-rested than you have for a while.

When you decide to go ahead and wake up for the day, you're noticeably calmer than yesterday. You're able to relax a little under the hot shower, though you do still need to regularly double check your surroundings. Overall you feel less frantic and paranoid. For now.

To your surprise Jake is awake already and started cooking breakfast.

"Oh, hey," he smiles. "Great timing! Breakfast is almost ready! It won't be anywhere near as good as yours but, a deal is a deal."

"Deal?"

"You remember? Whoever wakes up first makes breakfast?"

"Oh," you blink. "I thought that was just for yesterday."

"That makes sense," he nods. "But I woke up first, so I started up some breakfast." He pauses what he's doing. "Wait, is it okay that I did this? I hate to think I'm stepping on your toes or invading your space."

"I...I think it's okay," you shrug. "It's just a minor miscommunication, not the end of the world, right?"

"Do you...do you want me to stay out of the kitchen? To not cook? It's okay to say either way. We're partners in this so I just want us on the same page."

You're frozen up. He seems to be presenting you a choice, and his demeanor certainly indicates sincerity regarding acceptance of your decision. But what if it's actually a test? What if he gets angry because you don't want him in the kitchen? He's already given you the master suite for yourself, can you really demand more? The more you think, the more you spiral.

"Hey, Sharky, hey," Jake's voice breaks through after a bit. He's stopped everything so he can get your attention. "Are you okay? What happened?" He wants to wrap you up in a hug but knows he's has to ask for permission first.

"I'm...I'm so sorry..." you start sniffling. "I...I can't...I don't know what answer you want. I'm so sorry!"

"Hey, hey, it's okay!" Jake insists. "You don't have to decide anything right now. Just take a deep breath for me, okay? Please?" You do as he asks and it helps a little. "Can you give me another?" You oblige with another deep breath, feeling a little more in control.

"You're looking better," he nods. "Are you willing to go sit at the table?"

You nod and start moving. Jake brings over the food and coffee and you start eating if only to keep yourself from saying something wrong.

"Like I said, it's not as good as your cooking," Jake mumbles. "But if you want me to keep at it, I absolutely will. At the same time, if you want me to stay out of your kitchen, I absolutely will as well, minus the need to get the occasional beverage or snack."

Your breathing gets a little shaky again as your anxiety starts getting control again. "You already gave me the master suite."

"And?"

"I...I don't want to overstep. Take too much. Be ungrateful." Your brain is replaying words your parents have thrown at you.

"You're not," Jake shakes his head. "I asked, and I promise to respect your choice. I know the importance of having a safe space and well, while it's not anywhere near as secure as I'd like," he says, eyeing the front door, "I want it to be a safe space for you, too."

You start to tear up at that and distract yourself with a sip of coffee that you almost immediately spit out.

"Shit, I made it too strong, didn't I?" Jake winces as he rubs a hand on the back of his head. "I'm so sorry!"

"It...it's okay," you're quick to reassure. "I'll still drink it."

Jake gives you a concerned look, "you know it's okay to say you don't like something, right?"

You start and stop several times but ultimately can't bring yourself to answer.

"I'm going to guess your family wouldn't support you going to therapy?" You shake your head to confirm his suspicions. "Clay's girlfriend, Aisha. She has a lot of experience with abuse survivors. Maybe, after they've relocated my family, I could ask them to visit? She's more about action than talking, but maybe she could give us some pointers?"

"I wasn't abused," you rebut. "I was just...always too thin skinned. It's my own fault. But they never hit me or anything like that."

"Just because it wasn't physical doesn't mean it wasn't abuse," Jake argues. He's trying to keep himself in check, keep his tone soft and encouraging for your sake. "Please know, I really do want to hear your opinion on things. I want you to be your own person. And yes, it'll be good for you, but there is a bit of a selfish reason for my wanting that." Your brows furrow and you look up at him. "I'll be honest, it'll be a lot easier to survive all of this if I have a partner helping me out. I've learned from having a team for so long that a lot of crap is much easier to get through if you're not alone."

"And I'm not much help in that area," you sniffle. "I'm so so--"

"You don't need to apologize," Jake interrupts you. "Given what little I've seen of how your family treats you, it's understandable. It's why I want to get you some help."

"I shouldn't need it."

"Is that you or your mother speaking?" You don't answer. "I know it'll take time. A lot of time. But I do hope you'll believe me when I say I want to help you, that I want your honesty, that I want your help but not at your own expense."

"Can...can you hug me again?"

Almost before the words are out of your mouth, Jake has his arms wrapped around you, holding you tight. You cry into his shoulder again. He must be getting tired of your tears by now but he's giving no indication of it. He's even whispering encouragement as you cry out your anxiety.

When you finish crying you gently pull yourself away and his arms release you. "Thank you, again," you whisper.

"Anything to help."

Part 10 -- Part 12

Series Masterlist

Tagging: @alicedopey; @ashdoctor; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn; @irishhappiness

@jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @lokislady82; @ronearoundblindly; @thiquefunlover63

@embarrasingmf

[ghostsforghosts]

Restless Night

This is the second part of the COD AU: Beauty & the Beast, the first part can be found here. Reminder, this Reader is male.

You couldn't sleep. You kept tossing and turning in your bed, so unused to the feeling of a soft mattress beneath you.

Everything around you, while kind of dusty, was far luxurious than anything you'd have ever seen in your life before. You suddenly has a room with a huge wardrobe, a bathroom that connected to your bedroom, and so much more.

Eventually, you grew too restless and you sat up in bed, pushing the duvet off and down the bed until you could swing your legs over the side of the bed. Your feet promptly dropped to the ground, you standing on the cold floor.

You walked out of the bedroom and down the halls. You didn't know where you were going and suddenly, your feet were taking you to a nearby balcony that wasn't connected to a bedroom on their own accord.

Opening the doors that led to the balcony, you stepped outside, barely shivering from the cold of the fresh air. Your eyes scanned the stars above you as you walked until your abdomen gently hit the guards of the balcony, your hands resting on said guards.

Suddenly, a dark and large figure dropped down onto the parapet above you. You were so startled that it took you awhile to recognize the brown eyes staring down at you, those same eyes being framed by the wolf skull mask he always wore around others.

"Ghost." Your voice was full of awe, not yet used to the monster—the man above of you. Still clutching your garments tight, your awe faded into pretend annoyance. "Did you have to scare me by dropping down onto the parapet without warning me?"

Ghost huffed in amusement, knowing your annoyance was fake. "Perhaps you shouldn't be out in the open, if you didn't want to be scared." He dropped down from the parapet and onto the balcony, his long strides bringing him to be beside you quickly. "You're lucky it was just me and not an actual enemy. You should be asleep."

You shrugged off his words, unclenching your hands from your garments and letting them fall back down on the guards. "Couldn't sleep." That was all you said, not really wanting to talk about what was keeping you up.

"You can't sleep either apparently," you added, changing the subject onto him.

Staring at him, you noticed just how on edge he seemed. You could see the slightest trembles of his muscles, poised and ready for when/if he needed to jump into action.

"Someone has to make sure no one storms up to the castle with an army of angry villagers," he replied, trying to act nonchalant as his eyes scanned your surroundings. He leaned his fur-covered arms against the guards of the balcony, imitating your stance. "Don't worry, I get sleep, eventually. Just a few more hours of patrolling and making sure everything's safe, then I'll sleep."

Your instinct was to protest and to keep pushing for him to go to sleep now, but you remembered that you barely knew him and thus, it wasn't your place to protest what he was doing with himself. So you simply nodded, hoping he'd make good on his statement about eventually sleeping.

You turned away from Ghost, staring to at the scenery before you again. "Thank you again, for allowing me to stay," you said, feeling as if you hadn't thanked him enough. "I don't know what I would've done if I had to go back to the people who sent my father to you as a sacrifice. I probably would've gotten myself into trouble."

Ghost surprised you by setting his large paw on your hand, his warmth seeping into your skin and warming you. "No need to thank me, {Name}," he murmured in reply, his paw gently squeezing your hand. "I'm just happy I can give you a safe place to be yourself like I've given the rest of those who dwell here. No one deserves to hide themselves."

"You don't deserve to hide either, Ghost." You didn't hesitate to look up at him, keeping your eyes locked with him.

All your life, you were told horror stories of the man in front of you. How much of a beast he was, how much of a monster. How he ate people for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. How he was so bloodthirsty that the people of your little town had to sacrifice someone, for their safety. How it was for everyone's good that they stayed away from the woods surrounding Ghost's castle.

"You're more than the monster they made you out to be," you added, your voice soft. You gave his paw a squeeze, turning your hand so your palm pressed into the underside of his paw as you held it.

Ghost looked down at where his paw was being held by your hand, memorizing the way your palm felt against his digital paws and the metacarpal pad of his paw. The way the touch was gentle, like you would be cradling him gently if you were to cradle him.

No one, not even those who had been with Ghost the longest, willingly touched his paws before and he had accepted that. After all, he couldn't retract his claws and that made a lot of people scared of being accidentally scratched by him. It was a valid concern and that didn't fade with how nice he was to others or how many people he took in.

But here you were, touching him and letting his paw engulf your hand. And it was mesmerizing the way you didn't flinch at the feeling of his claws on your forearm.

You were mesmerizing.

He quickly realized how close you two were and he instinctively (but gently) pulled away, clearing his throat. "I'm sorry to abruptly leave you," he said, trying to hide how flustered he had gotten. "But I've taken a longer break than I meant to. I must get back to patrolling. I hope you can sleep soon."

With those words, he continued to pull away from you until he was close to the parapet and he climbed up onto the parapet again to go to the nearest battlement on the castle. He started to patrol again, you only hearing the paws on his legs patter across the battlement.

You stood there, enjoying the fresh air before you yawned. You decided to go back to sleep, giving a quick glance upwards to try and see Ghost before you went to sleep.

You hoped he was okay.

Banners made by @/cafekitsune & separator made by @/dollywons

[hw4-l1z]

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Ot6 reaction to having an intimidating/dominating bf

Sub!xdinary heroes x dom!m!reader

Cw: manhandling// spanking// pet play(both reader and jungsu dress up)// size kink// choking// brat o.de// hair pulling//scratching// reader is described to be tall and muscular// biting

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Gunil

♡ He loves that you intimidate people only because nobody would even dare flirt with you being too scared to approach you which meant he had you to himself.

♡ Since he is the leader of his group he really enjoys being told what to do by you, it was new but exciting. He was a very good boy and always listened to your commands, mostly cause he didn't want to see you angry.

♡ Loves being manhandled by you. Loves when you just bend him and push him around into whatever position without you even asking him. Loves how strong you are and how your spanks on his ass sting in the best way. The way your hands pin his down, unable to move and your piercing eyes that burn through his soul.

Jungsu

♡ Loves how big and scary you are, calls you his big guard dog. Honestly pet play is his favourite thing to do with you. You didn't think you'd like it since you prefer subs dressing up for you but you didn't mind since you still had complete control over him. He would love if you wore a harness and a spiked collar with a leash attached and maybe some black wolf ears whilst he had white cat ears with a white collar with a bell on it and maybe pretty white lace lingerie.

♡ He'd have a hold of your collar as you pounded him from behind and growled in his ear. He loves how much bigger you are than him so having the big bad wolf and pretty petite kitten dynamic would turn him on so bad.

Gaon

♡ Clings onto you all the time. Sometimes likes to just climb on you like a climbing frame cause why not, you're big and strong so you can easily withhold his weight. Would absolutely crumble if you had him held up against the wall whilst fucking him.

♡ Loves when you choke him, depriving him of air. The way your veins pop out on your arms and hands drive him insane. Can't get enough of how strong you are and how intimidating you gaze is. Always shies away when you look him in the eyes when you're fucking him, forcing his face back and telling him to look at you. If he fails to do so you give him a harsh smack across the face making him look you with teary eyes.

O.de

♡ He likes to be a brat just to see you angry. He loves your rough aggressive side so he'd try his best to bring it out, disobeying you or talking back to you, mocking what you're saying or even sticking his tongue out at you before walking off. Before he even has the chance to walk away you're grabbing him by the back of the neck and pulling him back into you. Staring him down and telling him to quit being a brat.

♡ Loves laying across your lap whilst you spank him, pulling his head back by his hair and spanking his ass and thighs. He likes when he feels small under your, his small little waist compared to your big hands wrapping around him almost completely.

♡ He loves when you fuck him in doggy, he can feel your big strong hand gripping his waist tightly as you rail him from behind. Pushing his face into the pillow as he screams your name, gripping his hair, growling in his ear as he goes dumb for you.

Junhan

♡ You're like his bodyguard, he takes it to his advantage to go out for walks at night. Usually he wouldn't since he was a little scared going out during the night but having you with him makes him feel very safe.

♡ You may be intimidating but he knows you'd never hurt him, you're his safe place. He loves that even when your being rough with him you always check to make sure he's alright, you know that your grip can become a little too harsh and could hurt him a little or that your thrusts can become too hard and become too much for him to handle so you always make sure that he's fine.

Jooyeon

♡ Uses your scariness to his advantage. If someone decides to be a dick towards him then he'll just threaten to get you to come beat them up, you have to keep telling him that your not going to beat somebody up cause you could get in trouble but he still insists on doing it.

♡ He never thought he'd like you being rough with him but oh my he loves it. The way you grip his hair and fuck into him at such rough pace, his eyes roll back as he claws down your back. Loves when you bite him, not too hard to draw blood but enough to leave red marks on his skin. Loves the way your arms wrap around him so tightly too, just holding him close to your body whilst you fuck him.

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[thehollowwriter]

Warnings: Blood, child abuse, unintentional misgendering/deadnaming, bullying, implied sexual harassment (not to Timo tho) Word count: 3554

Summary: A story about Timo and his life and how he came to work for Silas

(Pls reblog and leave a comment ♥️)

Renege

Timo Byun hated empty promises. Words that were just there to fill the air, to provide a sense of comfort and hopefully, get you to leave and drop whatever topic brought up.

Empty words and fake sympathy were a constant in Timo's life. For as long as he could remember, he was given endless assurances and comforts, all of which meant absolutely nothing.

What would you do if you saw a child lost and alone in the streets, wandering aimlessly? Offer your sympathies, whisper your pities? Spare an uncomfortable glance and pretend you don't see him? Give him a glare and wonder what idiot parent lost their noise machine?

Timo was met with all of these in different forms and stages. The sight of a tiny cuttlefish swimming without direction, teary-eyed and hunger stricken, tugged at many a merfolk's heartstrings. But they never did anything, no, that would just be too much effort.

This wasn't a surpise to Timo. He'd been through this song and dance enough times. Most of his early memories were wandering the streets, digging through trashcans or trying to catch fish that swam by, and dealing with strangers ogling him.

"Are you lost?" Asked an elderly lady, her bright purple tail flicking back and forth in concern.

Timo spluttered something incomprehensible and cried harder.

"Oh, poor dear." The lady muttered, then swam away.

A merman talking on his phone drifted past. He locked eyes with Timo and quickly looked away with an uncomfortable expression

A family came swam past, whispering, glancing, sighing.

"Oh, isn't it sad what this city has come to? Children on the street... back in my day, this would never happen."

"Should we help? Give some money or something?"

"I wish we could, dear, but some horrible people send children out to get drug money. It's best we don't risk it."

A couple stared at Timo as he cowered in an alley, one with their phone camera pointed at him.

"Okay, seriously though, should we help her?" Asked one after laughing about how he looked like a scared animal.

"We don't have the time," said the other. "Don't worry, someone else will."

Nobody else did.

"Where's your mama?" A passing stranger asked before taking note of his dirty, hungry appearance and shuffling off before Timo could answer. It didn't really matter. Timo wouldn't know anyway.

It was always the same. Words, words, words, almost nothing done.

Sometimes, people would pity Timo enough to give him food, but it wasn't enough for him to live off of. When he was lucky, he could get his colour changing to work well enough to draw fish to him, but his sequence of flashing colours and lights was quick to fade, and the fish would swim off again.

Sometime bigger, older merfolk would steal his food, threatening Timo with a fate far worse than hunger if he didn't let them. How they kept finding him even when he tried to hide at night, he didn't know.

Neighbourhood kids would try to play with him and give him sweets, only to be dragged away by angry, worried parents giving him dirty looks.

The routine was the same. Wander, scrounge, rest, maybe eat, sleep, repeat.

That changed one day, when Timo woke up and he wasn't in the corner of an alley anymore. He was in a clamshell bed, blankets crafted from seaweed carefully wrapped around him.

"Oh, you're awake." Said a stranger, smiling at him with perfect teeth. "Don't worry, you're safe now. You'll be staying with us at Atlantica's Children's Sanctuary."

Timo was scrubbed clean, and his and dirty, knotted hair was cut short so it could start growing cleaner and healthier.

"It'll grow back," Timo was assured. "Don't worry."

"But I like it short," Timo wanted to say, but he kept his mouth shut.

"What's your name?" A kind lady asked, and Timo couldn't give a true answer. What was his name? Someone called him Byun once, when he was rushing down the street with some food in hand.

"Byun." He said, and she shook her head.

"Oh, that just won't do." She said. "How about I call you Saira? Byun can be your last name. How's that?"

Timo didn't really like that name, but he nodded anyway. He didn't want to risk angering these strangers looking after him.

Once he was cleaned up, he was given a bowl of porridge, which seemed more like slop than anything, and some fish to eat.

The porridge tasted like carboad, and the fish had a tang of crude oil, but he kept quiet. He didn't want it taken away.

"One day, someone's going to adopt you." He was told. "That's what this place is for. You'll have a family."

Empty, useless words.

Timo was introduced to his roommates, the other little kids he would be sharing a tiny room with.

They all looked sad and tired, and muttered a short, disinterested greeting before going back to what they were doing before.

When Timo's hair finally grew long enough, they were done up in pigtails with big pink bows.

"You must catch our customer's attention," He was told. "We can't have you looking scrappy."

His claws were filed down once a month until they were nothing but short nails.

"Nobody wants a feral child," He was told. "If they wanted to be scratched up, they'd buy a pet."

The other children avoided him. They didn't like him because of his mouth. The squirming tentacles that shot out whenever he ate made them cry, made them say he gave them nightmares.

"Scary Saira was in my dreams again!"

"They'll get used to it." He was told. "They'll play with you."

They never did.

Timo's bed was crammed into the back corner of the dorm room, a little further away from the rest. He spent most of his time lying on it, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The others were usually either playing in the playroom or outside. Timo didn't join. He stopped trying a while ago.

"We don't let weirdos in," said Aria, the de facto leader of their dorm room. "Go away."

Possible parents came and went, arriving with happy smiles and high expectations Timo could never live up to.

Only once or twice did anyone express any form of interest in hi. When that happened, an employee would rush to do the usual song of dance of, for lack of a better word, advertising him.

"This is Saira Byun," They would say, smiling. "She's a lovely little girl with a big imagination."

'I'm not a girl,' Timo wanted to say because he was a boy and he was sure of it, but what would the point be? What would they say?

'I'm sure you are." They'll say, and then ignore him because nobody at that god forsaken place cared about what he had to say.

Timo hated that orphanage. He hated it with a passion that burned like the sun.

The building itself was old, very old, and used to house nobility. It was ill-suited for children or, well, anybody.

The stone chipped and cracked, and there was algae blooming in places it shouldn't. It was slowly detoriating, but it was never fixed up.

Due to the historical value of the building and the attention sad little orphans got online, volunteers were often influencers wanting to get some extra views.

They would come in, these people, recording Timo and the others and spouting their sympathies. They weren't so nice when they turned the camera off.

Many were mean, others were creepy. Looking at the Timo and the others weird, talking about how cute they were.

"You know you're very mature for your age," one of them said to a girl not much older than Timo. "It's admirable."

Timo wasn't sure why, but that sentence made his skin crawl.

The staff weren't much better. They seemed to hate the place as much as Timo did, though they also hated their tiny tenants.

"Stop crying." Timo once heard the dorm warden say to a young boy. The "slap" sound was loud and piercing. "If you're going to be a brat, you can leave."

And didn't that just sum up this place perfectly? Be quiet and obey, or you'll either be going to bed with bruises or you won't be enjoying a free bed and food for much longer.

Don't complain, even if the same meal every day for three meals a day is porridge that tasted like cardboard and fish that had clearly been exposed to oil spills. Don't complain, even if you're being recorded by random strangers. Don't complain, even if you think some of the staff are too handsy with you to be comfortable.

It was hell there. Sometimes, Timo even felt that maybe he would be better off on the streets before perishing the thought. He can at least eat food here.

Timo stayed on his behaviour, afraid to get hurt, to get tossed out. He listened and obeyed, did what asked of him, and put on a good show for people looking to adopt.

Timo tried so hard to listen to the staff in the hopes he got adopted. It never mattered, though. Pretty him up with big bows, seashell hairclips, and trendy hairstyles, it. Didn't. Matter.

The potential parent or parents, if they were interested in him at all, eventually lost that interest and moved on to another, better child.

It didn't take long for Timo to realise why. Claws, sharp teeth, creepy mouth tentacles... those weren't desirable. Those weren't cute or good or innocent. It was wrong. It was monstrous.

"What are those?" A person screeched at horror when they saw Timo eating a snack.

"Those are her tentacles. Saira needs them to eat. All cuttlefish merfolk have them."

Then the adults huddled together, whispering amongst themselves and underestimating the sharpness of Timo's hearing.

"Those are just sitting there in her mouth? Are they always so... obvious?"

"When she's eating, yes."

"...Can you not get rid of them? Like, cut them out? Some merfolk do that, you know. Remove unwanted parts."

"No, I don't think so."

Timo was, for once, very glad this couple didn't want him.

As Timo got older, the number of familiar faces dwindled, and new faces came in to replace them until, eventually, Timo was the only one of the original group still there.

"Nobody wants teenagers." An older kid once told him, drumming her fingers against her bedframe. "They want cute little boys and girls, all bright-eyed and easy to control. Teenagers are too old, too set in their ways. Once you hit thirteen, you might as well give up. Nobody will want you, and once you turn eighteen, they'll kick you to the streets because you aren't their problem anymore."

The idea of winding up back on the streets terrified Timo. He would be back at square one, but even worse off than before.

At eighteen, he would no longer have the small advantage of being a cute little kid people could take pity on. He was no longer helpless, no longer "abandoned" or "lost."

No, he would be old enough to be a druggie, a crackhead failure that couldn't get his shit right and ended up on the streets. He would be old enough to be a disappointment, a screw up.

"That's what will happen if you don't work hard and get good grades." They'll say.

"Some people don't realise there are consequences to their laziness." They'll say.

"That's why you shouldn't do drugs." They'll say.

And all Timo would be able to do iss ignore them and bedazzle some fish to get a few scraps of food, and then hope it wouldn't get stolen.

Timo began trying even harder to impress the adults who came to visit. He concentrated hard until his skintone was no longer pink and yellow but instead matching the more human-ish skintone of whoever was looking to adopt.

He couldn't hold it for long, though, and eventually, he would shift back to his original colour and hang his head in shame.

On the rare occasion he was considered, the nightmare that resided within his mouth convinced those people that yes, a normal child would be much easier to deal with.

Not to mention, this child partially mimicking their appearance probably made it worse.

"Aren't just an angel?" And adult cooed to him once. "I promise you'll be coming home with me."

Empty promises. Useless words. Timo found himself very much unadopted years after that conversation.

The staff would comfort him, mostly trying to get him to stop looking so sad and smile for the next volunteer with a camera.

"It's alright, Saira."

"You'll be fine, Saira."

"Someone will love you, I promise."

Talk talk talk.

"You'll need money." That older kid from before told him. "Do chores for pocket money, try get a job when you're old enough. Steal, if you have to."

Timo listened to her. He tried his best, tried to get some madol from the orphanage staff. Some humoured him, giving him the minimum possible amount they could, and others rolled their eyes and scoffed.

"What we give you isn't good enough, is that it?" One hissed. "If you're going to be greedy, you'll never get adopted."

When Timo turned fourteen, he began looking around for small jobs. He applied to as many as he could and was turned down by every single one.

"We'll get back to you."

"I just don't think you're suited for customer service."

"You're far too young. Do some chores for your parents or something."

"Sorry, you don't match our company values."

After yet another rejection, Timo curled up in bed and silently cried through the night, all the way until the faintest slivers of sunlight began streaming through the windows.

He peeled himself out of bed and drifted down to the front entrance, hoping that at least fetching the newspaper would earn him a madol or two.

Timo looked through the newspaper, flipping past advertisements and celebrity drama and political news and then-

And then something caught his eye. In a tiny column at the very back of the newspaper was an advertisement for a business currently hiring.

"Hunter?" Timo mumbled out loud as he read through it. "They accept fourteen and older..."

Timo wasn't much of a hunter. He could put sea creatures in a trance with his colours, sure, but his poor control rendered that ability useless.

He was also clumsy, skittish, and shy, lacking in confidence and prone to crying. That's what the dorm warden told him, at least.

Well, he'd give it a shot anyway. Better than accepting his fate.

Timo soon found himself hovering in front of the dense kelp forest at the edge of the city, feeling more afraid of being rejected than possibly being eaten, like he was warned.

"That man is dangerous, Saira." The warden told him when he told her where he was going. "Have you forgotten all you've learned about those those types? Go, if you really want, but don't act surprised when he clamps his teeth around your throat."

Timo tried not to think about how, besides that brief warning, nobody even bothered to stop him from leaving.

In the end, it didn't matter. Silas Clearcove did not, in fact, try to eat him. Instead, he subjected Timo to one of the strangest job interviews the cuttlefish had ever sat through.

Silas, a frankly terrifying looking man, briefly looked through Timo's CV but didn't seem to actually care about it all that much.

He barely spoke, spending most of their time together staring at Timo. It didn't feel like he was judging him exactly... more like... analysing. In some weird way.

Timo was only asked three or four questions in total. If he was old enough to be hired, how fast he could swim, if he had any knowledge about the butchery business, and if he could handle viscera.

There was no question about Timo's values, no prodding about his work ethic, and nothing at all about his desires for the future or the state of his health.

It was surreal, and yet it was also a breath of fresh air. Though there were still some issues Timo was concerned about.

"I dunno how to hunt, sir," He admitted after a long, awkward bout of silence. The intensity of Silas' gaze made him feel like he was confessing a murder. "Like, catching fish and stuff. And my colours are useless. I can't control 'em."

"I'll teach you." Said Silas after a brief pause, his quiet voice not betraying any emotion. "You don't have to know. You can learn. Come tomorrow if you can."

Timo left in an almost daze, snapping out of it briefly when he bumped into who he would later learn was Silas' husband, Morrigan.

"Aw, did he scare you?" He asked, patting Timo's head. "Silas does that. Don't worry, I'm trying to get him not to freak out his interviewees as much. He's really nice, I promise. Well, sort of."

Timo arrived at home, bewildered at the strange interactions. What an odd pair. But the main thing on his mind was Silas' words.

"I'll teach you." A bold statement. A promise. And for once, they weren't empty. It wasn't a lie.

Silas, Timo soon came to learn, was a man of action, not words. His silence was not some scare tactic to use against Timo, but rather just one of the many facets that made up who he was.

Timo almost couldn't believe it when he returned the next day to find Silas patiently waiting for him, ready to go.

He hadn't lied. He hadn't replaced Timo. He actually did what he said he would.

This was a constant when it came to Silas. He did not ever make false promises. If he said he'd do something, he would do it, no matter how difficult the task seemed to be.

Spending time with him made Timo feel like he was in a fever dream. Someone so scary looking, someone who seemed to have been dragged through hell and back, spoke in a soft but firm voice that gripped Timo's attention like vice, and instructed Timo in a way that oozed nothing but patience.

When Timo made a mistake, he would freeze and expect to be yelled at, to be hit, but Silas simply corrected him and let him try again.

Morrigan would join them from time to time, though he was mostly there to observe and giggle a bit when Timo screwed up.

"It's ok," He said, always more talkative than Silas ever was. "I did that too when I was first learning. You got this."

They were both so.... strange. Especially as a couple. From what Timo knew, romance was going on dates and bringing each other plants and chocolate and kissing.

They were very aggressive with each other. Timo was worried and nearly had a heart attack when he saw them wrestling across the sand one day.

"It's fine," said Silas, wiping blood from his mouth.

"We're not actually trying to kill each other," added Morrigan, sending Timo a bloody smile.

Everything Timo had been taught seemed to tell him to quit, to stay away from these odd people and try somewhere else. But he didn't. He stayed. He liked these two. He liked them a lot, even if he thought they were weird.

They were both good teachers. Silas taught him how to hunt and make traps, and Morrigan assisted him with controlling his colours.

It took a long while, but he eventually found himself able to control them. His body finally began to obey him, shifting to whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. The fish were drawn to him like moths to a flame.

Timo would stay much longer than intended, preferring his time there over even a second in that orphanage.

Once, when it was lunchtime, Silas slid a huge plate of several crustaceans, fish and seaweed towards him, and stared at him with those large amethyst eyes.

"Uh..." Timo stared at it, then at Silas, and blinked. "Huh?"

"You're not eating enough." Silas said. "Eat."

Timo, wondering if maybe he'd gone insane, mumbled an "Okay," and started nervously nibbling on it, bit by bit. It was probably one of the best meals he'd ever had.

By the time he'd turned seventeen, Timo was a full-fledged hunter working for Silas, helping stun prey as well as prep it all.

He got far closer to the two of them than intended over those three years, becoming, as the other staff put it, "Silas' little protégé."

He supposed it wasn't all that incorrect, especially since he began helping Morrigan pick up on the hunting after they decided to have children.

The news came a bit out of nowhere, and Timo didn't ever think they would be parents... but he was happy for them.

He was allowed to stay with them when they learned he couldn't afford an apartment even with his pay. All they wanted was that he kept his space clean and helped them out.

When Timo told Silas and Morrigan that he was a boy and his name was, well, Timo, Silas seemed very confused but accepted it, and Morrigan gave him a thumbs up.

And... they listened. They called him Timo and didn't call him she. And aside from that, they treated him the exact same as before, with just as much compassion.

Timo never said it out loud, but to him, it felt like they were a little family. Silas and Morrigan taught him to hunt and look after himself, taught him important life skills, and how to control his colours. They showed careful care for him, too. They acted like... well, they acted like parents. It was nice to imagine they actually were.

Morrigan was wonderful, but it was Sillas that Timo utterly adored. Silas, who made a promise and kept it. Silas, who was careful and understanding and kind to Timo, even if it was in a bit of a weird way. Silas, who saved Timo from absolute hell.

Silas was the best, and Timo would do whatever he could to make sure he was happy. No matter what, he'd stick by Silas Clearcove.

...........................................

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this juicy bit of Timo lore! Please consider this a sort of PSA as well, as I did research on orphanages for this, and the situation is pretty dire. Orphanage tourism is a thing, along with many other issues. Most of my info came from here. Please check it out. I absolutely accept constructive criticism as, although it isn't the main focus here, Timo is the first trans character I've written a story for. I hope it's OK! Sorry if the ending seems lackluster, I wasn't sure how to end it 😭

Tagging: @distant-velleity @br3adtoasty @rainesol @theleechyskrunkly @jovieinramshackle

@galaxies-and-gore @cyanide-latte @cynthinesia @officialdaydreamer00 @krenenbaker

@offorestsongs @kitwasnothere @elenauaurs @boopshoops @inotonline

@1dont-really-know @kazumify @minteasketches @elysia-nsimp @skrimpyskimpy

@casp1an-sea @offorestsongs @tixdixl @poisoned-pearls @the-trinket-witch

@ramshacklerumble @ghostiidasponk @thegoldencontracts @the-banana-0verlord @cloudcountry

@skriblee-ksk @twstinginthewind @lumdays @theolivetree123 @natsukishinomiyaswife

@authoruio @jewelulu @raguiras @honeynclove @moonyasnow

[pomplalamoose]

Master Luke Skywalker headcanons🩵✨

In my other headcanon posts I already mentioned a few ideas of mine of Luke as Master Skywalker (find a summary of them here) but I wanted to do an extra post because I have a ✨thing✨ for authority figures

• I'm totally biased in saying so but in my opinion Luke would be (or is) a great Jedi Master 

• he's kind, empathetic and patient; in my opinion the most important traits to have as a teacher 

• his own Jedi education isn't as long ago as it would have been if he had grown up in the Jedi temple, so I think he's easily able to put himself back into the shoes of a Padawan

• especially if some of his students are quick tempered, impulsive and easily frustrated when they don't progress as fast as they'd like to, just like he once was 

• he is able to successfully handle a wild assortment of personalities, finding ways to engage a rambunctious crowd just as well as the shy and more withdrawn individuals 

• likewise he matches his behavior accordingly 

• he's very well attuned to his surroundings, good at reading the room and deciding whether a more strict or calming approach is necessary

• he is stern when he needs to be, although I don't think he particularly likes it 

• he doesn't want to raise his voice either and I don't think he has to often except to get his student's attention from time to time

• just like in other parts of his life he always wants to understand why there is a conflict in the first place and will gladly act as negotiator if it means resolving a fight 

• or avoid having to take more drastic measures 

• if he gets angry though even the birds fall quiet

• it's like the life gets sucked out of everything 

• I said before that making him angry is not easy, so congrats to anyone who manages and also my serious condolences 

• even then he won't grow unrestrained though

• he'd never expose or punish someone in front of others

• he'll remain fair and will ask the person or group responsible to have a private conversation with him 

• that's what's so absolutely terrifying though

• his quiet anger is worse than if he'd just scream at them instead

• I don't think that anyone would be able to get used to this, not with how slowly and silently his anger approaches 

• you don't see it coming until it's too late 

• those who end up alone in that room with him never speak of it

• you see them leave looking pallid, many with tear stained faces 

• they never act up again after that

• of course rumours are going wild, the theories about what happened are endless

• yet everyone is too scared to find out for themselves and very happy to stay in their Master's good graces 

• he takes time to get to know every one of his Padawans very well and thus can tell what they might need from him at any given moment or in specific situations 

• do they need a compliment, so as not to loose faith in themselves? 

• a little joke and a gentle smile to lighten the mood? 

• reassurance to ease their mind? 

• maybe a little motivational speech?

• a pat on the back?

• or a hug?

• carefully voiced questions about their well being; do they need anything? Someone to talk to?

• do they need a break, some time for themselves?

• an offer to repeat any exercise after the official lessons of the day are done?

• a tease or a little bet to rouse their fighting spirit?

• a stern reprimand?

• a time out?

• generally I see him slightly differentiating not only in his demeanor towards the children, the teenagers and the young adults but in the way he structures their varying lessons as well

• he allows himself to be more relaxed and laid back with the kids 

• he wants them to feel safe and at home, so he makes sure they see him as a kind of parental figure in addition to being their teacher 

• also I think he'd teach them about the Force and their connection to it in a way that comes natural to them

• many children don't have a long attention span yet, so it's important to be engaging and let them have fun too

• I see Luke trying to keep his inputs short and simple to then make them discover what they just learned in a game themselves 

• like for example: being able to reach out, to feel the Force and all living beings surrounding you doesn't sound as cool as "learning a new trick to beat everyone else at hide and seek"

• likewise he wouldn't jump straight into meditation with them

• you can't force a child to meditate when it fails to sit still for longer than two minutes 

• Luke is aware this would only lead to them viewing meditation as negative, maybe even something alike to a punishment 

• so to avoid that I see him introducing it in a slow and careful way 

• like telling them stories that get increasingly longer over time 

• or making them color in pictures 

• really, any activity that includes mindfulness in some way is a welcome strategy 

• I think he'd be more strict with the teenagers and young adults 

• many of them haven't been with him since they were little and often need firm guidelines 

• not necessarily because any of them are especially rebellious or going through a phase™ but because it's easier to adapt to a new way of life with set rules 

• Luke knows that some of them come from a difficult background or had a hard journey to find him, so he wants to give them clear framework conditions to work with 

• a daily routine leaves less room for uncertainties and lends a sense of safety 

• still he welcomes a more personal approach in their shared free time if they are comfortable with it

• he's very interested to hear about their former lifes

• about their interest and hobbies

• their favorite dishes 

• the customs of their people

• their friends and family 

• and their favorite music 

• he'll share stories of his own as well, often involving his own struggles as a Padawan 

• nobody is supposed to feel like an outcast or a special case because they're older or somehow "different" from the others 

• still they are more prone to giving him an attitude than the kids are and Luke definitely isn't above paying them right back 

• he leans towards Yoda in that aspect; his patience may seem endless but if he can have some fun as well, he'll take the chance 

• repeating phrases that used to drive him mad when he was younger is his favorite thing to resort to

• the best example for that is probably "Don't try. Do!"

• alternatively he likes to come up with ridiculous sayings or advices that make no sense at all

• if someone is especially annoying he'll make them mediate in stupid positions, claiming that this particular pose is immensely important for their development

• even if someone should realize what's going on they don't have any prove to go by, so who are they to deny their Master?

• Luke thinks it's hilarious 

• I don't think it's uncommon for his students to be very intimidated by Luke though

• some of the newly arrived may even fear him 

• while he's beloved as a person and greatly admired for his skills, nobody can quite forget who it is they're living and sharing their meals with 

• especially those who haven't been around him for long yet and can't quite believe that, he too, is really just some dude 

• of course he's not just some dude but I feel like that's what Luke would like to be perceived as 

• to him it's important to be approachable no matter the circumstances

• he wants everyone to know he's always there to help and not just a teacher but a friend as well 

• the children don't struggle with this as much as his other students 

• everyone enjoys spending time with him but then he has these moments where he doesn't seem fully human anymore 

• his eyes are just a tad too bright, too piercing

• they see more than just his immediate surroundings

• when he looks at you it's either like he doesn't see you at all or too much, like illuminating even the last corners of your very being and turning you inside out 

• he's eerily quiet and his presence a mystery 

• not even the best of his students are able to sense him in the Force when he closes himself off

• he could be standing right in front of you and you wouldn't notice if that's what he wants 

• likewise his Force signature is often overwhelming for those still inexperienced

• often he appears out of thin air like a spectre and vanishes just the same 

• he senses whenever he's needed and will let himself be found but nobody knows where he goes to and what he does when alone 

• does he even sleep? 

• are we sure he's really eating and drinking or is that an illusion?

• seeing him tired or crumpled is such a rarety that nobody can remember if it ever happened before

• he doesn't always react the way one would expect him to

• sometimes he's smiling to himself, like he's listening in to someone not visible to everyone else 

• on some occasions his students find him unresponsive for hours 

• is his body still inhabitated? Where did his mind go?

• he never shows any signs of exertion 

• he always looks impeccable no matter the weather and circumstances 

• he seems to simply exist beyond external influences 

Quick authors note before we continue: 

I see Luke as a very responsible and trustworthy person and don't think he'd actually pursue one of his students in a romantic or sexual way; he's aware of the power imbalance and probably not comfortable with it.

While I'm sure there are some mutual attraction situations from time to time, he doesn't act on his feelings.

HOWEVER let's be really delusional and ignore that 

• Luke is usually very direct but in this case I'm sure he'd take his time 

• having a passing fancy is nothing out of the ordinary and he will make sure he's genuinely interested in you before risking to overstep his line as a teacher 

• even then he'd proceed with utmost care

• he does not want to make you uncomfortable in any way and should he find that you don't return his feelings, he'll withdraw immediately

• so he'll carefully start testing how far he can go and observe your respective reactions closely 

• to everyone else this won't seem suspicious at all 

• Luke often takes one or two of his students under his wing to keep them close by when he believes some extra support is needed 

• his innocent touches will linger a little bit longer than necessary though

• your shared eye contact, even during short conversations, is strangely intense 

• his smile suddenly more inviting 

• he often offers you his hand now

• it seems that his attention is always on you 

• are you imagining things?

• of course Luke would never invade your privacy to a point where he'd take a look inside your mind 

• he picks up on clues otherwise 

• for example, if he notices you are growing nervous or flustered around him more easily than usual, he'll take that as a good sign 

• he'll find reasons to ask for your opinion or makes up tasks that require you to help him

• he's adamant about you having one-on-one lessons with him 

• he's very aware of the effect he has on you and likes to tease mercilessly

• he'll lean down to whisper in your ear, reveling in the way it makes you shiver 

• will he outright tell you about his feelings though?

• I don't think so

• this last step he will leave up to you 

• it's important to him that it's what you want too

• he'll definitely continue to flirt but if you don't confront him about it, he won't go any further than that 

[royboyfanpage]

Hello I really like your page. It's nice to see so much great Roy content and thoughts!

I was wondering your thoughts and opinions on Roy's relationship with Mia.

!! You're too sweet, tysm!

As for the ask:

Short answer? That's his little sister.

Long answer?

I'll be honest, I haven't seen all that many interactions between them in canon. I do have my own thoughts and feelings about them but, upon looking through some comics I've read, I haven't found many where they're actually talking. I have managed to find panels which show they *have* talked and have a good relationship in canon, but I've only seen them actually interact a few times and have definitely read more content with her and Connor, so if you have any reading recs I'd appreciate that :)

Because of this, my point is gonna be a lot more based on symbols and my own interpretation than actual sources, so some of my opinions may be disputed by canon content.

To start with, Roy's fiercely protective of Mia. Even from the beginning, he expressed his dislike of the thought of Mia becoming Speedy-

-because he knows first-hand just how detrimental that role can be to a child's mental health. Speedy, to him, meant a lot of bad things. I have a whole lotta thoughts on how the original sidekicks, particularly Roy and Dick, view becoming sidekicks, but I'll try and summarise. To Roy, Speedy meant losing any chance of a normal life. Keep in mind Roy was 13 when he became Speedy- he absolutely was not old enough to decide what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, and yet once you're *in* the hero business it's extremely difficult to leave.

And when Ollie first tells Roy that he's gonna make Mia Speedy, Roy's reaction is essentially that.

He's angry at Ollie for making Mia become Speedy, not because of "It's my name", it's not, Roy hasn't been Speedy in years at this point. He's angry because that is a seventeen year old who Ollie wants to throw in there, a seventeen year old who'll be making the choice to, in his eyes, throw away the rest of her life before she can even vote. And Roy's absolutely right about the world being different- Roy's teen years were spent in the gold and silver ages which were definitely a lot less dangerous than the 00s. And I think there's definitely an element in that fear of "look what being Speedy did to me" in Roy's fears. While it's likely Roy was an adult by the time Snowbirds happened, considering the amount of drugs he had experience with and the different connections he'd built it's safe to say that Roy was already an addict by the time he was Mia's age. But what I don't think Roy understands is that Speedy isn't that for her. She's already gone through the shit Roy's scared of her going through and more, having been a child prostitute and meth user by the time she was fifteen. To Mia, Roy isn't a cautionary tale but rather an inspiration- someone who'd gone through a similar situation to her and come out the other end.

After this, their relationship definitely progressed. Roy comes to trust Mia and her identity as Speedy, as well as letting her have things (that he kinda shouldn't have had in the first place, but all vigilantes are criminals it came free with the independent delivery of justice) that could help her as Speedy-

-and trusting her with Lian who he's always been fiercly protective over

And their relationship in the few times I have seen them together is incredibly sweet, with Mia reassuring Roy that he's a good dad and that it's not his fault that life gets in the way of his time with Lian.

So yeah. I really hope that they get to interact in the ongoing series because the Speedys should absolutely talk more. I think that Roy naturally has a great instinct with younger heroes, and he's absolutely someone Mia respects and looks up to.

Anyway I think Roy should take Mia and Connor to a theme park for sibling bonding time <3

[outlandish-dreamer]

hihihi! if your requests are open, could you please do hades from hercules as a cg with a super sensitive little? thank you so so so much and i hope you have a lovely day!!!! 🩷🩷

Absolutely! I'm sorry this took so long, but I hope you like it!! :D

Caregiver! Hades Headcanons🔥💙 (with a sensitive little <3)

-Protective. Like "won't let you out of his sight for even a minute" protective. It's not to be strict or hard on you, it's because the Underworld isn't safe.

-Honestly, he can be quite...scary at times. Intimidating at times yes, but when he gets mad, he gets mad.

-It's never really at you though. Mainly just the Fates, demons, gods, etc. Really anyone else who lives in the Underworld except for you.

-He tries not to lose his temper as much, especially when you're around. He has his moments sometimes, but he's working on it and reassures you that he's not upset with you.

-Aside from that, he adores having you around. He's not typically one for anything that isn't evil/cynical or associated with mortals, but you're the exception. He finds it fascinating and honestly endearing that you regress, although he'd never admit it.

-He already doesn't have a filter and isn't the most kid friendly. Because of this, he tries to watch what he says and does around you, but it's not easy.

-Despite his cold demeanor, he really does care. Especially when it comes to you and how you're feeling. Someone was mean or just an ass to you, he won't hesitate to smite them. Angry and just not sure how to feel? You can rage all you want, even at him. He encourages it! But, he makes sure you don't do too much that you end up hurting yourself.

-Isn't really strict on rules other than not to go anywhere without him. For obvious reasons. Other than that, most of them are just about taking care of yourself like remembering to drink water.

-So many dad jokes. (Never at your expense, shockingly enough.) They're not always funny, but you laugh nonetheless. He just wants to make you smile.

-Talks to you about everything. He doesn't mind if you don't respond or don't understand, it's just out of habit. (However, he does try other forms of communication when you're overwhelmed or nonverbal.)

-Doesn't really baby-talk at you. He talks to you the same as he would normally, just a lot nicer.

-"Look at that constellation! Do you know which one it is, Sunspot?" "P..pegasus..?" "You are learning! Good job kiddo!"

-Definitely uses his powers to his advantage. If you need a quiet place, want or want to go somewhere special, or if you just want to be with him, he'll do it in a heartbeat.

-Very gentle surprisingly. He knows there's a time and place for everything, so he tries to be softer when he can. Especially when you're going through it.

-"Hey hey...it's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of, I mean, other than myself, but you don't have to be scared of me. I'm here for you, kid. Do you wanna talk about it? Oh Sunspot...I'm sorry. That must've been really hard to deal with on your own, hasn't it?"

-When you want to be alone at night, you have your own bed and plenty of room, so he won't bother you. But most of the time, he falls asleep holding you. Not just for you, but because it comforts him to know you're there. He likes having someone there. Especially when that someone's you.

-As odd of a pair as you might be, an all-ruling god and a little, he wouldn't change it for the world. You make his days brighter and that means more to him than you could know.

[annymation]

for the asks requests:

1: DARIO BACKSTORY NOW

2: I wanna hear abt bravo

3: Florian reaction to everything

4: SYMBOLISM. PLEASE. 🍽️

Oh I actually didn't expect for all of these to be asked all of the same time, as they're kinda long answers... Specially number 3. But I can work with that :)

I think you guys might really like what's down here:

1- What Did Dario Not Tell Them At The Campfire

So when asked if he had any bad experiences with the king, Dario just answered he'd rather not talk about it. The reason isn't because Magnifico did something to him directly, but rather indirectly. See, Dario's dad is the royal announcer and his mother is a singer, both jobs that require their voices, and they value their voices a lot, while Dario was born with a speech impediment.

One day, Dario overheard them talking in their room, and they said how they hoped when Dario turned 18 he'd wish for the king to give him a voice.

Now, to some that may seem like a good wish, "who wouldn't want to have a voice?" you may ask, thing is that most disabled people don't want to be changed, what they want is to be accepted. Obviously though I can't speak for the whole ASL community, however I did study the basics of sign language in college, and my teacher, who is deaf, taught us about deaf culture, and how you shouldn't assume someone WANTS to be like you, to be "Fixed".

Dario didn't want to change himself, but in that moment he felt like his parents saw him as someone broken and hoped the king could fix him...

So yeah I didn't have him explain all that because it's way too depressing even for me.

2- Where Did Bravo Come From

A more wholesome little story with our faaaaaaavorite evil duo! Yay!

So, Amaya often goes to the woods to get ingredients for her potions, mushrooms, herbs, animal parts, you name it. She goes alone, just wearing a hooded cloak so she's not recognized.

One day, during her foraging, she heard a sound coming from behind her:

"Miirrrau!"

It was a quiet, growly meow

And she kept hearing it over and over, like it was asking for help. Now although the queen has a heart as cold as ice, she felt moved by the tiny cries, so she followed them into the woods.

And here's what she found:

"Awwwwwwwn~" Her iced heart melted at the sight of what she thought was a little kitten "Are you lost, little one?"

"Miaurrr!" the kitten had a weirdly growly voice, but still high pitched like any kitten, he seemed to be scared and lost, looking for him mom

"Don't fret, you're safe now" she takes him and puts him in her basket full of mushrooms "I'll take you to your new home. Heh heh heh my love will have quite the surprise when he sees you"

So she goes back to the palace, Magnifico is busy changing some wishes when she arrives

"Daaaaarliiiiing~ Look what I found in the woods today!" She says showing him the kitten

Magnifico looks quite surprised, although he has seen Amaya do some REALLY messed up things, he never thought she'd use a whole kitten as a potion ingredient

"Hmmm... How nice dear, but uh- If you don't mind me asking- What kind of potion requires a kitten sacrifice?" He asks smiling, trying to be supportive of her weird hobbies

"SACRIFICE???" She holds the kitten close to her, looking very offended that her husband would imply that "I don't want to kill him! I want to keep him!"

"OOOOOH I see, I see. That makes more sense" The king says kinda relieved

(They have murdered and ruined the lives of millions, but they draw the line at killing a kitten)

"Well then, if that's your desire then he's all yours, my beldam. But don't expect me to take care of him as well" He said

And that basically went like one of those "Dad said he didn't want the dog" memes, because Magnifico really liked the cat and took care of him just as much as Amaya.

They named him "Bravo" because it's both what you say to cheer for someone after a performance, and their whole thing is that they're constantly acting to their people, and also means angry in Spanish, and the kitten often looked grumpy.

But as time went on, and Bravo grew... They noticed he just wouldn't stop growing. And soon enough they realized... That wasn't a cat, that was a lynx.

And thats how the situation went from good to GREAT!

Like, they just raised their own killing machine without even knowing it was a killing machine, they were beyond ecstatic, they were running around like "YES YES YEEEES!!!" ya feel me?

3- How Florian Reacts To Everything

Now, to answer this one, I'll tell you a story... About something that happened in the chapter "Into The Eye Of The Storm".

Something that happened from Magnifico's perspective... After he got struck by lightning.

So let me set the scene.

...

He felt excruciating pain he never imagine possible course through his body, and light was all he could see.

Until it wasn't.

Everything went black.

Magnifico shot his eyes open, and all he could see was a dark emptiness surrounding him, and feel water beneath his feet.

The king looked around completely lost, one moment he was in the storm with that star, and in the next he was here... His staff wasn't with him, he was powerless.

He hears a voice

"Huh... Took much longer than I would've liked, but oh well, looks like you finally got what you deserved."

Magnus gets startled by the voice coming from all around him, but tries to hide his fear by masking it with anger "Who's there?!" he demands to know

"Really? After just 25 years you've already forgotten my voice?" The youthful but voice says, bitterness dripping from his tone. Magnifico's eyes widen as he indeed starts to recognize the voice... The voice he celebrated he'd never would have to hear all those years ago. The figure starts to manifest itself in front of him as it says "But then again, you never were the type to listen much, were you, Mag?" Florian calls him by the nickname he used to affectionally call his older sibling.

Magnus sees his younger brother floating in front of him, but the expression on his face is one the king has never seen before. Florian was always happy, always kind and sympathetic, innocent, he was like the personification of sunshine itself. Now? Now his expression was so full of hatred, hiding behind a mocking smile, like Florian has been waiting for this a long time.

"See you grew a beard heh heh you look just like dad" The spirit jokes

Magnifico is staring at the apparition before him with wide eyes, his mind is racing, trying to make sense of any of this, how could he go from fighting with the star to thi-... Wait... He remembers something he read about wishing stars, they have the power to give people dreams... He must have been knocked out and the star is trying to play a trick on him... Yeah, that's gotta be it.

He smiles thinking he just figured this all out "Hahah guilt tripping? Really? Didn't think that was your style, Aster, I'm almost impresse-"

"You died." Florian just gives it to him straight.

Magnifico freezes.

"You flew too close to the sun brother, or rather, too close to the storm." The spirit explains, and starts to float circles around his older brother "And soon, your soul will completely leave this plane, and I will finally rest in peace knowing MY people are free from you." The spirit speaks almost spitting on Magnus face, emphasizing how the people of Rosas are his people, his kingdom that Magnus stole.

But the older brother is almost blocking out the sound of his voice, too busy processing that if what he's saying is true then... "Amaya... It can't end like this, I can't leave her no-"

"HAH! That's what you worry about? That wretched witch?!" Florian now has a mocking smile on his face, it's a smile Magnifico has never seen from his caring little brother in life... It doesn't even look like him anymore.

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL HER THAT!" He yells, now starting to accept that yes, that is indeed his brother's ghost, and he's enraged to see him again.

"Pretty sure I get to call the woman who poisoned me whatever I want." Florian says nonchalantly

"Tsk not our fault you made it so easy" the older brother smirks, trying to come out on top of the situation "I mean, a random mystery woman shows up out of nowhere, and you just invites her to be the royal potion maker? What did you think was gonna happe-"

"I thought you'd finally be happy." Florian interrupts him with a serious expression, Magnus stops talking and stares at him confused, so Florian continues "When you first locked eyes with her, I saw a spark in you... A gleam of happiness you never shown in all the years we lived together... I knew you were in love with her... THATS why I let her stay." He explains with every word dripping with bitterness "I thought "Finally, my big brother won't be so lonely and angry all the time! Love will surely make him move on from the fact he wasn't meant to be king!"" Florian makes a slightly more high pitched and cheerful voice as if to mimic how he used to sound like when he was alive "Hahah It's quite the tragic comedy, ain't it? I helped in your union... Unaware I was digging my own grave."

"... And do you think I care? We would've ended up together regardless. And I would take the crown that is RIGHTFULLY MINE regardless of whatever you did!" Magnus exclaims. If he's really dead and this is just the limbo between the land of the living and the after life, then he might as well take this opportunity to let out everything he wanted to tell his little brat of a brother all those years "The throne was MY RIGHT! But he said "NoOooO son! You must learn magic! So you may grant their wishes" WELL what if I don't WANT to grant all their whiny little pleas, like I'm some kind of SERVANT?! I wanted to follow my own path! I dreamed of being a good king! But then YOU showed up!"

"Sorry for being born, I guess" Florian says sarcastically

"YEARS watching them give you everything I ever wanted... I was pushed aside like I was NOTHING." Magnus sounds more and more deranged as he begins to smile sadistically at his brother "WELL GUESS WHAT! Now I "grant" more wishes than YOU and all of those old fools EVER DID! The people ADORE ME! And no one even remembers you!" Magnus spats out like he just won this argument, Florian is raising one eyebrow, looking at him like this is quite pathetic. The older king walks closer to him with a grin "So, how does it feel huh? Knowing your legacy will forever be "Just King Magnifico's little brother that fell ill and died""

Florian looks at him serious for a moment, before smiling confident again "I never did it to be remembered, I did it because I wanted to make my people happy, and I can rest easy knowing I did just that... While you lived a meaningless life, trying soooo desperately to make everyone love you, hoping that would make it up for the years you were ignored... Did it work?" Magnus looks shocked by those words, he tries to respond but Florian doesn't let him "Of course it didn't, you'll never be satisfied. And now, as if making my people suffer all these years wasn't enough, you try to steal the magic of a star, but oh-oh that didn't work, it got you killed in the most foolish way possible!... Now it won't be long until people find out the truth, then NO ONE will "Adore you" nor "Remember you"." Florian smiles widely as he asks "So, how does it feel huh? Knowing your legacy will forever be... Nothing."

Magnus has no words... His brother had never spoken to him like that... No one has ever spoken to him like that.

Florian looks satisfied, but he already know that... Unfortunately, Magnus time hasn't come just yet

"*sigh* Karma really does work in mysterious ways... Looks like the witch comes to your rescue, Mag... Again." Florian says with his arms crossed.

Magnus doesn't understand what he's talking about "Wha-"

"When you get back, if you even remember any of this... Tell Amaya that I lied, her tea tasted terrible." He says with a cheeky grin while waving his brother goodbye.

Magnus feels him sink into the water beneath his feet. He screams and-

His eyes are shot open.

He gasps for air.

Amaya brought him back from the dead with her kiss.

...

So yeah, that's dead Florian, his personality is waaaay different when he was alive by the way, but I enjoyed writing someone that can spit some facts on Magnifico's face.

4- Symbolism

I've wrote a whole lot in this, so I'll just end on a simple note:

I like the symbolism of Asha's family always being with her, from her wearing her mother's cloak and her ability to draw being what saved her, to her singing to inspire the people like her father, and playing her grandfather's mandolin, it really feels like even though they weren't THERE they were essential characters in her journey. And I'm proud of this little detail.

There's more juicy symbolism but now I'm exhausted from writing because MY GOSH Florian was intense, I really got into the mindset of a 20 year old that got murdered by the brother he once admired and I don't feel well. OOF. Imma take a break lmao

Thank you for the ask and

Thank You For Reading!

[shion-yu]

Just The Two of Us

In his feverish haze, Shu couldn't tell whether it was someone he loved or someone he was afraid of at the door. Ft. Shu's boyfriend after Julian: Paul. (Not Sick Love AU) 2,879 words, TWs: Past domestic abuse, PTSD.

Written for the @whumplovers-collaborate 2024 Winter Exchange event and posted on AO3! Author reveals aren't technically until 3/1 but I don't think anyone will notice. There are TONS of amazing works in the collection (INCLUDING AN INSANE ART OF SHU/JULIAN!!) so I encourage you to browse it!

"Shumei? Answer me!"

Shu could hear someone yelling and banging on his front door. In his feverish haze, he couldn't tell if they meant well or not. Vaguely he wondered if he should call the police, but he lacked the energy to follow through on this idea. He felt as if his couch cushions were swallowing him, like he was sinking deep into a very dark and cold place. 

"Answer before I break it down, Shu!" 

It couldn't be Alex, Shu thought to himself. Alex had a key to the house. His son would come and go whenever he felt like it, usually without warning. Sometimes Shu would come home from work to find Alex sleeping on the couch or in his bed, in the latter situation the only indication that he was there at all being his shoes and coat by the door. Shu told Alex he should let him know when he wanted to sleep over, but secretly he enjoyed these surprise visits. Shu missed him now that they lived separately, and although Shu called him frequently his son was successful and busy in his career as a musician and didn't always have time to answer. They'd never gone more than a day not talking though, except when he was with Julian. Was it Julian at the door?

The sound of heavy thumping repeated over and over again. Julian was here to kill him, Shu thought weakly, fear rising in his throat like bile. He'd come back to finish the job he'd started. Doubtless he wanted revenge for what Alex had done to him. Shu's leg ached from where Julian had broken it that last time they’d been together.

There was a jarring cracking sound and suddenly Julian was there, hands on Shu's shoulders and shaking him. Shu felt frozen, too horrified to move a muscle in response. His throat felt bone dry and he couldn't get any words to come out. He heard the person in front of him speaking with insistence. "Shu, honey? Look at me. C'mon... Shit, you're really hot."

Julian did think it was hot when he was sick, Shu thought in terror. He liked it when Shu cried too, and when he bled. He liked to hit Shu in places that Alex and the people at work couldn't see because they were easy to hide underneath his clothes. He liked when Shu had to rely on him because he was too weak to do anything else.

One time he collapsed at work. He had been leaning over Mathias’ shoulder and showing him last month’s data when he just went down, entirely deadweight and without warning. Shu woke up on the ground to Mathias over him and shouting his name. He had a terrible fever, just like now, except it was because Julian had locked him out of the house last night in the rain when he was already ill. He couldn’t even remember what he’d done to make Julian so mad. Mathias had asked Shu why he had even bothered showing up to work with such a high temperature. 'Because it's the only place I'm safe anymore,' Shu remembered thinking.

If Julian was back, he’d do all of that terrible stuff to Shu all over. And even though Shu had promised Alex that he’d never hide something from him again, he was afraid to tell Alex. Alex was no longer a minor like he was the first time around; if he hurt Julian, he might end up in jail for real. “Don’t hurt me,” Shu begged. “I’ll be good.”

“Hurt you? I’m not going to hurt you,” the figure above him said. He sounded worried, but Julian was never worried. He didn’t worry about Shu’s well-being or about getting caught. No, he would just get angry.

Shu was too scared to look up at the person in front of him. He was too scared to face the person he'd spent years trying to completely forget about, but failed. Julian was always there when he least expected it: in his dreams, hiding in the shadows, even in the corner of his eyes if he turned around too quickly. "Don't hurt me," Shu repeated. "I-I didn't do anything."

“No, no. You're okay. Open your eyes, hun.”

Shu obeyed and realized it was not Julian above him, but Paul. Sweet, caring, lovely Paul who had indeed had never hurt him, even when Shu made mistakes like forgetting they’d made plans or leaving the oven on. Shu’s eyes filled with tears and he reached up towards Paul's face with one shaking hand. “I thought you were him,” Shu said, voice wavering. “No one else is here, right?”

“No, it’s just us,” Paul said, sitting next to him and rubbing his cool hands through Shu’s messy hair. “You’re really ill, that’s all. Alex called me, said you hadn’t answered your phone in days.” Oh, that’s right, Shu thought to himself. Alex was on tour and his mom was on vacation with her girlfriends. 

“...Did you break my door?”

Paul laughed, sounding relieved that Shu was at least aware enough to ask this. “A little bit. I’ll fix it, don’t worry. I’m going to look through your cabinets and find meds, okay? Do you have a thermometer?”

“Bottom left cabinet in the bathroom,” Shu mumbled. Now that he was more awake, his head had begun to ache fiercely. Paul nodded and left him on the couch. Shu coughed; it sounded very wet and wheezy. He wondered vaguely where his rescue inhaler was, but he hadn’t used it in quite a while. Paul came back in two minutes holding the thermometer, a wet washcloth and a bottle of Tylenol. He took his place back on the edge of the couch and held the thermometer up to Shu. Shu felt like his arms were way too heavy but took the small instrument in his own hand and placed it under his tongue, closing his eyes while it worked. His eyes throbbed and felt extra hot inside of his skull. 

It beeped about thirty seconds later and Shu handed it blindly to Paul, not bothering to look at it himself. "Oh man. 103.1. That’s really high, honey. Maybe we should go to the hospital.”

“I’ll be fine,” Shu grunted, which made him cough again. Paul helped him sit up a bit higher, hoping it would help Shu breathe. Shu coughed until he gagged on all the disgusting phlegm that came up. Thank God he had nothing in his stomach, because he was absolutely sure he was too weak to make it to the bathroom right now. Paul handed him one of the already very-used-up tissues from the couch, which Shu spit into.

“Here, at least take some Tylenol,” Paul said, holding out two extra strength tablets and a glass of water. Shu felt pathetic and old, but let Paul place the pills on his tongue and tip a sip of water into his mouth. “Good,” Paul said, helping Shu lay back down. “Let’s just see if that works first, alright? I’m going to go call Alex, let him know you’re okay.” He neatly placed the cold and wet cloth he’d brought on Shu’s forehead and stood up to go to the kitchen. Shu caught his wrist just before he took a step away.

“Just you and me here?” He confirmed again, ashamed but worried enough to ask. “You promise?”

“Just us,” Paul promised. He took Shu’s hand and kissed the back of his fingers. “Get some more rest and we’ll check your temperature again in a bit.”

The Tylenol seemed to only help a little. Shu’s temperature didn’t drop less than a degree and Paul was too worried to leave him alone. Shu was talking a lot in his sleep, Paul noted. A lot of apologizing and pleading. It broke his heart.

Paul didn’t know a lot about Julian. He knew that Shu had dated the guy for a bit over a year and it had ended very badly, with Alex having to step in and protect Shu. He knew whatever Julian had done had landed Shu in the hospital, and this was why Shu walked with a limp and had a very large scar on the left side of his abdomen. He didn’t know the specifics of how this all went down or what things Julian had done that hadn't left a mark. He could tell it was a sensitive topic from the way Shu seemed to awkwardly laugh and change the topic whenever it came up, though. So he hadn't asked, but through bits and pieces Paul was slowly begun to put the picture together. He understood the bottom line: that Julian had been a bad person who had treated Shu very poorly.

It pained Paul to imagine someone voluntarily hurting Shu. Shu was so nice, so mild-mannered. Not only would he never hurt a fly, but Paul was sure it would never even occur to him to do so. Shu had raised Alex as a single father entirely voluntarily starting the day that he’d gotten a call from CPS that a very distant relative had died, leaving their child in foster care and needing a home. “I had put my name down as someone interested in foster care at some fair, just once,” Shu had told Paul fondly. “I had no idea my contact information was still floating around as a potential parent. But when they called me, I said yes right away. I didn't know what I was really saying yes to, but it's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

According to Shu, raising Alex had been quite the challenge. He was thirteen when he arrived, Shu said, and already had all the bad habits of a child who’d been neglected and forced to raise himself in the face of his unstable and drug addicted parents. The people who were supposed to protect him never had, and going from that to Shu who wanted to give him everything was a harsh adjustment for both of them. Alex had gotten into fights, he’d smoked even at thirteen, and he was academically testing far below what was supposed to be his grade level. “Somehow, we figured it out. We learned to trust each other and went to a lot of therapy and it worked out.” Shu said this with a clear air of pride. Paul was aware that Shu would always love Alex the most out of anyone in his life, and he was okay with that. He respected it.

All of this goodness in Shu that Paul could see made it so much worse to imagine Shu being beat down by someone else. Paul had seen pictures from that year, and in retrospect it was easy to see how ill Shu had been back then. Even though there was no visible evidence of bruising, he was gaunt and pale and his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He looked nothing like the caring and easily contented person Paul knew him to be. Paul didn’t know what Julian looked like, but Alex had said if he ever saw him again he’d “bash the guy’s face in.” 

He could hear Shu crying out now from the couch. Paul quickly set down the mug of tea he’d been drinking and hurried out to see what was the matter. Shu was flushed and sweating, mumbling something that sounded like, “If you break my glasses again Alex is gonna notice.” Paul felt a sharp pang of pity in his stomach and shook Shu’s shoulder gently.

“Honey, it’s just me, Paul. He’s not here anymore. You’re safe.”

Shu’s eyes slowly focused on Paul, fighting to come back to the present. “Paul?”

“That’s right. There’s nothing to worry about. Why don’t we go to bed?” He felt Shu’s cheek and frowned at the unhealthy heat coming off of him. The Tylenol wasn’t working. “Let’s sit up honey. There you go. Can you walk?”

“I think so,” Shu said weakly. He let Paul help him stand and then mostly drag him to his bedroom. It was a good thing Paul was strong from his years of dancing as a career, because when Shu's knees buckled he quickly caught Shu and carried him the rest of the way to the bedroom. Shu tucked his hot face into the crook of Paul's neck.

Paul tucked Shu in and sat next to him on the other side of the bed. He stuffed an extra pillow behind Shu’s head because his boyfriend sounded like he could barely breathe. “Can I get you anything?” Paul asked worriedly. He didn’t like the wheeze he could hear in Shu’s chest. “It’s too early for more Tylenol but... Where’s your inhaler?”

“Pocket... my jacket, I think.”

Paul quickly found the inhaler and brought it to Shu, helping him take two puffs of it. Shu coughed harshly after each one. Paul winced at the damp and congested sound. When Shu sounded no better an hour later and was groaning in pain from his fever again, Paul decided he needed to push harder. “I really think you need to see a doctor,” he said.

Shu’s eyes flew open in panic. “No doctors,” he said quickly. His chest was heaving with the work of breathing. “No doctors, no hospitals, that’s where he works, Paul.”

Paul didn’t need to ask who he was. Julian, who was actually in prison from what he understood, but now wasn’t the time to fight. He took a deep breath. “How about urgent care?”

There was a long pause. Shu seemed to be deeply considering this question. “Can Alex come?”

“Alex is on tour, honey. But we can keep him on speaker phone, if he’s not busy. How’s that sound? Deal?”

“...Deal.”

One very long appointment later, Shu was back home with a diagnosis of pneumonia but doing much better than when they’d left. They’d given him a liter of fluids, a shot of solu-medrol, and antibiotics and steroids to take at home in pill form. Paul had stayed with him the entire time, even when he got scared because Alex was driving through a dead service area and the phone call dropped for a few minutes. Paul tried not to listen to the things Alex was saying too closely as it felt intrusive, but it was impossible not to overhear much of it. Alex was using such a soft and gentle voice that Paul had never heard before - usually he was so stoic and sullen, minus the times he was threatening to kill Paul if he ever hurt his dad. 

It wasn’t until they had gotten back through the (slightly broken) door into the house and Paul had herded Shu into bed that he took the phone and said to Alex, “We’re all set, if you need to go.”

“I don’t need to go,” Alex said irritably, but Paul could hear the bustle and noise of what he knew to be backstage. Alex would have to get on stage and perform any time now, pretending everything was okay for the sake of the audience. A voice called for him in the background and Alex sighed in frustration. “Okay, fine, I’ll go, but text me every hour,” he ordered. Then he added at the end, “Please.”

“Will do,” Paul said, unbothered by the sharp tone. He was used to it from Alex, plus he knew he’d be a wreck too if he were in Alex’s situation. “I’ll take care of him.”

“You’d better,” Alex said, and then he hung up. 

Paul sighed and looked back at Shu who had already fallen asleep on the bed. He’d given Shu the first antibiotic as soon as they’d gotten through the door, and now set an alarm for Shu’s next doses of that, the steroid and more Tylenol. Shu was eleven years older than him and Paul was worried that pneumonia could quickly turn much worse in someone of Shu's age. But he was on the correct medications and Paul wasn’t going anywhere until Shu was doing better.

Shu stirred and his eyes fluttered open momentarily. “Paul?” He croaked weakly.

“I’m right here,” Paul said, immediately leaning over Shu with what he hoped was a gentle expression. In reality he just looked worried. He didn’t understand why a smile flickered over Shu’s lips. “What?”

“You look stressed,” Shu said. “I’m sorry I worried you, but I’ll be alright.”

“I know,” Paul said. “But I’m still worried. You thought I was... well, not me for a while.”

“Did I?” Shu said, smile dropping. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Paul said. “But whatever he did, I’ll never do it to you. I’m not going to hurt you. Do you know that?” He was worried to hear the answer.

To his relief, Shu said, “Yes, I know it. I really do. I’m so glad I met you.”

Paul smiled tiredly. “I’m glad I met you too. Now go to sleep, you need a lot of rest. I’ll wake you when it’s time for your next meds.”

“Thank you,” Shu said. “Love you.” Then his eyes fluttered closed and he fell asleep again. Paul watched him all night to make sure Shu didn’t have any more nightmares.