#the ‘well now you can’ is a stupid joke

[livefromtheelephantsfoot]

I've had this sitting in my drafts for over a week bc I AGREE and I have SO many thoughts abt this.

I think one of the underlying reasons is a failure to engage with the fact that, to a lot of people at least, eugenics makes intuitive sense. I remember as a kid when I first had natural selection explained to me, and it didn't take much for me to wonder "huh, what does that mean for humans? does that mean it's a bad thing that we've insulated ourselves from stuff like disease?" (Obviously 8yo me wouldn't have said it like that, but I did wonder.) I'm almost afraid to point it out, but I really don't think it's just a me thing.

Later I learned abt Eugenics, that it was this bad evil thing that lead to genocide, and I was horrified. If I could empathize with the proponents of it, at least early on, what did that say about me? But it didn't actually answer my question. So now I had this first idea, evolution, that was obviously true and explained so much about the natural world, and this second idea that still seemed to naturally follow from it but was Bad. And I didn't know what to do with that.

And I started to notice how common the second idea was, too. The most pervasive thing I noticed was how common "Darwin Award" jokes are-- the joke, of course, being that people who die doing something stupid are making a positive contribution to the human gene pool. I don't really like those jokes. I ended up with the impression that eugenicists were right abt the human gene pool being a thing that we ought to be concerned about damaging, but they just went Too Far. You'll notice people who think this way disagree on where Too Far was. It made me uncomfortable that there could be an idea that was right, and if ignored would cause problems down the line, and at the same time acting on it was morally wrong, and everyone agreed it was a bad idea but only when called by a particular name--otherwise it's just common sense.

I don't think it was until high school that I started to understand that eugenics was, in fact, bad science. It makes sense with a surface level understanding of evolution, but the more in-depth you go, the more it falls apart. Artificial selection in dogs is such a great way to point this out. "It worked so well in dogs, why not try it in humans? Oh, wait..."

Eugenics requires the assumption that natural selection is at once a great and powerful force worthy of abandoning all morals in order to worship, while being so fragile that human civilization is at risk of overthrowing it within a couple hundred years.

Of course, the truth is that eugenicists weren't and aren't abandoning their real values in favor of what their understanding of natural selection would suggest. Eugenics was built on racism and ableism, and there is no escaping that. People latch on to ideas that validate their preexisting beliefs. You know what we can say, pretty confidently, about what's "healthy" genetically, for dog breeds and for humans? Variation. You'll notice that you don't see a lot of eugenicists advocating for interracial marriage. Even setting aside the (very important) ethical considerations for their methods, if eugenicists had their way, humanity would be barreling toward an artificial bottleneck that would REALLY fuck us over genetically.

Even that is missing nuance, though-- we're still in the realm of stick figure drawings. Genetics are really complicated. All this requires you to pretend that we fully understand what all of our genes even do, and we just don't. And that's ok! We do not, in fact, have to base public policy on whether G exists!

Natural selection is still happening to us, and if its slown down lately then I'd chalk that up to a global civilization mixing up our gene pool (which, again, is unambiguously a good thing from a genetic perspective) more than modern medicine helping disabled people have kids (which is not a new thing! we have been helping each other for millions of years). The human genome is not at risk of collapse.

We haven't even touched on poverty being a structural issue that requires people to exploit (ie, if all the poor people disappeared poverty wouldn't end, the next group up would be moved into their place) or the question of what mental health issues even ARE (I'm a proponent of the idea that, of the disorders/cases that are primarily caused by genetics, most are just the extreme ends of traits that are necessary to the general population and can't actually be removed-- extremely simplified example: everyone needs a sprinkle of neuroticism to function, sometimes someone gets a heavier dose and winds up with clinical anxiety, and every once and a while someone gets way too much and had OCD. even if environment weren't a factor at all, and even if anxiety were such a simplistic trait that we could track it with a very high degree of confidence, keeping the person with OCD from having kids wouldn't stop OCD from existing. they might be more likely to have kids with OCD, but them not having kids does nothing to the fact that OCD is a product of inherent variation that it would be a VERY bad idea to try to eliminate), or delving into IQ [even longer rant redacted].

I think sometimes people think eugenics is bad but its still true, like thinking that if people with certain traits have children it will change society for better or worse based upon what traits are promoted. I think its important to emphasize that eugenics is not only wrong morally it's also fake and stupid bullshit

Like eugenics was supposed to be based on the idea that "If it works with animals to select only the best ones to breed, why wouldn't it work with humans?"

well it doesn't work with animals, that's the thing. applying the eugenics ideas to domestic breeds of animals hasn't made better animals it's just made animals with more extreme expression of certain traits. turns out that when you decide which traits are the "best" and become obsessed with the genetic purity of the animals that have the "best" traits, you might well end up with some sad suffering creature like a Pug, or the Persian cats with the smashed faces that are in constant pain because their teeth and airways and brains are getting crushed by their skulls, or those meat chickens that grow so fast they can hardly even stand up after a few weeks old, or inbred race horses with tiny feet and fragile toothpick legs

like almost all traits are neither "good" or "bad" they're way more complex than that. a long tail or a long snout or a stubborn, independent personality can be good or bad depending on the situation. Who gets to decide what is a "good" trait or a "bad" trait? It's arbitrary and selecting for traits that are "good" in your opinion will often have both "good" and "bad" outcomes because the "good" and "bad" are part of each other and not separate its just part of being alive

Obviously oversimplifying everything but you get it. we did eugenics with dogs and how did that go? not very well

[dixonsbrat]

── .✦ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐎 𝐔 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐃? ┆ 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 ; after weeks of visiting the video store in the hopes of catching steve’s attention, it seems that your efforts weren’t entirely pointless.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 ; steve harrington x fem!reader , fluff , steve being oblivious and robin on her queen shit getting things done.

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 ; 1.8k .ᐟ

𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 ; love me some ditzy nervous stevie <33

“y/n, hey!” robin waves the second you enter the small video store, the smell of freshly cleaned carpet and plastic invading your senses. you and the other girl were quick to become friends, getting on over your shared love for certain movies. "what are we in the mood for today?"

“i’m not sure, but... i do need to return this.” you smile, gesturing to the tape in your hand, and she bounds towards you, leaving behind her trolley of already returned tapes.

“follow me and i will get steve to take care of you… as always.” a roguish grin takes over her features, and she leads you towards the counter where steve was currently on the phone.

it was no secret to robin that you had been fawning over the boy for some time now, even going as far as to make extra trips to the store just to see him, but she swore with scouts honour that she wouldn’t tell him. it didn’t come as much of a shock to her though, most of the girls that came in just wanted to stare at him, but not you — you actually wanted to get to know him.

for weeks you had been trying to get his attention, trying to figure out if he was the least bit interested in you, but to no avail. sure, he would joke around and act flirty, but he did that with most of the girls that would come in. you were no different.

however, what you didn’t know was that every saturday afternoon, steve would purposely sit by the front counter just in the hopes that you would walk through the door. he would tell robin that it was his turn to take over the returns and man the phones, but she knew better than to believe him. he just wanted to make sure he was the one that got to serve you if, and when, you decided to come in, and every time that you did, he did.

as you approach the counter, you can’t help but admire steve as he’s visibly lost in the conversation he was having. he was certainly a sight for sore eyes. what with his chocolate locks brushed out of his face as a few loose strands fell across his forehead. he was wearing a sweater that was unbuttoned at the top, giving the smallest glimpse of his chest and the mound of hair that now grew upon it.

the phone was tucked between his ear and shoulder as he leaned over the counter, idly fiddling with a silver slinky. he was yet to look up at you, but you didn't mind, it gave you a few extra moments to admire him.

“oi, dingus!” robin pulls the cord far enough away to fly back and hit him in the face. “we have customers, you know?”

“robin, what the f-” he retorts, his face scrunching with annoyance, but the second he sees you standing beside her, he wastes no time in hanging up the phone.

he couldn't believe he had missed you walk in. he had been so distracted by dustin talking about his stupid club that he had completely zoned out.

“y/n, hey. what can, i, uh, d-do for you?” he smiles, but it falters for a ghost of a second, and he swallows hard.

ribin snickers, rolling her eyes as she walks away, “okay, that’s my cue to go take my lunch break.”

you chuckle softly at the girl, knowing well enough that she just wanted to leave the two of you alone. when you look back at the boy, he's already staring at you, and he stammers for a second, “just returning this for today.”

“fast times…” steve’s voice fades off as you place the tape on the counter and a breathy laugh escapes him.

“yeah... and don’t worry. i didn’t pause it at 53 minutes and 5 seconds.” you narrow your eyes at him slightly, referring to the inside joke robin had told you about, as a smirk plays on your lips, and you lean across the opposite side of the counter.

steve opens his mouth to talk, but nothing comes out other than an incoherent mumble as his mouth forms an 'o', before he says, "okay."

he continues to check the movie back into the system, his eyes grazing over you every few seconds as you gaze around the store. the sun was shining in through the front windows, illuminating your features as it danced across your skin. steve was at a loss as to how someone so beautiful could ever exist.

you truly were an enigma, and he so desperately wanted to be the one to figure you out.

the first time he saw you, you were standing in the third aisle, wearing a deep green sweater and browsing the horror section. he was intrigued by your choice of movies, bringing ‘a nightmare on elm street’ and ‘baby it’s you’ to the front counter. you were smiling, but it wasn’t animated like most of the girls he had to deal with.

you were the breath of fresh air in the tainted town of hawkins that he had been so desperately looking for.

“you're not hiring another movie today?” his brows pinch together with confusion. you’d never not choose another movie to take home.

you shake your no, “uh, no.”

he shakes his head, and says, “what? you’re not impressed with what we have in stock?."

“oh, no. it’s not that.”

“good. because i was a little worried we were losing one of our favourite customers for a second there.” the words come out so fast that steve doesn’t acknowledge what he had said until it was too late, and his eyes widen with realisation.

“favourite customer, huh?” you rest your chin in your hand and gaze up at the boy, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of your lips.

you watch as he shuffles awkwardly on his feet and then laughs nervously, "yeah. robin! she, uh, she's really fond of you."

a small silence ensues as he continues checking in your movie, and your heart begins to thrum loudly in your ears. so loud that you were finding it hard to remain calm as you watched him type away on the computer.

was he being extra flirty, or were you just imagining it?

"alright, you are good to go," he turns back to you, placing his hands on the counter and leaning forward. "though, there is one slight problem."

"yeah? and what’s that?"

"it's just... i can't have you leaving here empty handed, can i?" he cocks his head to the side, brows raised as a devilish grin dangled on the corner of his lips.

"well, then..." you heave a deep sigh, eyes fixed on him as you pull back a little. "what would you recommend?"

his face lights up, and he gleams at you, snapping his fingers as he backs away to head toward the shelves. he immediately starts rummaging through the array of videotapes in search of something he thought you would enjoy when he pulls out 'the breakfast club'.

scrunching up your nose, you shake your head, "seen it."

"yeah, you're right. super popular movie." he nods and returns to his search. his fingers hover over 'risky business' but the second he starts to pull it out, he puts it right back. "how about this?" he hands you a tape, your fingers just grazing one another's and the sudden contact takes you by surprise.

the already rapid beating of your heart fastens as your breath catches in your throat, and you quickly take the tape. pulling your eyes away, you scan over the video to see it was another you had seen and hand it back.

disappointed, he nods and places the video back on the shelf, but instead of returning to his search this time, he knocks his fist on the top of the shelf for a second and then exhales deeply. he was tired of constantly second-guessing himself, wondering if there was even a slight chance that you liked him too. it had been driving him crazy not knowing, and he was at his whits end.

"steve, are you okay?" you ask, apprehensive as to why he was suddenly acting a little weird now.

"i, uh, i just-" he gets cut off when something flies at his head and a grape falls to the floor in front of him. screwing up his face, he turns to see robin sticking her head over the shelf a couple of aisles away. "what the hell, robin?"

"would you please just stop wasting the girl's time and ask her out already!" she exclaims and shoves a couple of grapes into her mouth.

"robin!" he proclaims, his jaw tensing as he closes his eyes momentarily.

"what? i'm doing you a favour. she likes you too!"

"robin!" this time her name leaves your lips.

"oh my god, seriously the two of you are so oblivious it’s driving me crazy.” she groans, and throws another grape in your direction.

inhaling deeply, steve slowly turns back to you with softened eyes as your chest fell and rose with rapid breaths. he looked almost apologetic as he now met your gaze, and your body stiffened.

"is that true?" he asks with disbelief.

"i mean... yeah..." you shrug, removing your gaze to look at the ground, and when you look back up, his eyes are boring into you. "you really think i kept coming in here just to rent movies?"

steve lowers his head and scratches at the back of his neck nervously. he couldn't believe the words that had just fallen from your mouth. sure, he had hoped that you felt the same way about him, that he did you, but to have you stand before him and practically admit it, he was over the moon.

"really?" he asks softly, brows upturned with hope.

"yeah, really. i know that makes me a total loser, but-"

"no. no, it doesn't." he starts to laugh, his shoulders shaking as he does.

jutting your bottom lip out, you say, "then why are you laughing at me?"

"because you're so damn cute," his remark causes the air in your throat to catch once again, and he takes a step toward you.

though before he can get so much as a syllable out another grape hits him in the back of the head, "ask her out already!"

"can't you see that that's what i'm trying to do?" he lifts his arms in irritation, shaking his head, as he turns back to you once more. "let's try this again," he rolls his eyes. "would you... like to go out with me some time?"

you pause with bewilderment, a nervous smile causing your lip to quiver slightly before nodding, "j'd like that, but only if you promise no more movies!"

"deal."

[lacydollette]

Lol, this is from my own current personal angst in my life but I was thinking it can be used for an angsty Rafe x Reader. I have very low self esteem, I don't think I look pretty so I have a hard time accepting that a guy could be interest in me or find me appealing, especially cuz guys have called ''mid''. Right now I'm talking to THE sweetest guy. THE most greenest flag of all. Super respectful, mature and kind. I had a freakout and pushed him away, wanted to stop talking. He got super upset, send me a drunk text basically being like ''I'm so attracted to u and your everything I've ever dreamt of. I just wanna make you happy and make you smile. Your so special to me. I keep saying that your beautiful, amazing and gorgeous but you won't hear it. Please don't let your insecurites get in the way of us. I fkn miss you'' I mean...hey feel free to take whatever inspiration you want from that, change it, build on it, whatever you want! We just want a sappy head over heels Rafe who is heartbroken being pushed away (but with a happy ending)

a/n tysm for sharing this with me! and please don’t let your doubts get in the way of your happiness. you are BEAUTIFUL and you MATTER ❤️‍🩹 i hope u like this little piece.

warnings rafe cameron x fem!reader, reader with low self esteem, situationship, angst, fluff, rafe being a sweetheart

Rafe couldn’t really tell when it started, but he could feel it in your forced smiles and short responses. He tried to convince himself it was nothing, but the ache in his chest told him otherwise. Every attempt to figure out what he had done wrong was met with your dismissive shrug and a short, “I’m fine.”

But what Rafe didn’t know about was the chaos in your mind. You liked him—really liked him—but your insecurities were keeping you from letting yourself fall completely. You couldn’t ignore the way girls seemed to flirt with Rafe at parties, the way people whispered that you weren’t pretty or cool enough, to be with someone like him. It didn’t matter how many times he told you that you were beautiful—the doubt in your mind drowned out his words. So, you began to pull away, convinced it was only a matter of time before he realized you weren’t what he wanted.

And that’s why Rafe ended up going to this party alone, although it should have been a night that you two spend together. You had promised to go, only to back out at the last minute with a stupid excuse about not feeling well. Rafe knew you were lying. Obviously he didn’t want to go without you, but after Topper wouldn’t stop begging him, he gave in.

He spent the first hour trying to lose himself in the crowd, nursing a beer and pretending to laugh at Topper’s jokes, but it was useless. Every girl who tried to flirt with him only reminded him of you, and every drink made the knot in his chest tighten. Eventually, he escaped out into the yard, needing space to think—or maybe just to breathe.

The cool night air sobered him slightly, but not enough to stop him from pulling out his phone. His fingers hovered over your contact before he finally hit call. It rang three times before you picked up.

“Rafe?” You said softly, voice trembling slightly. You winced at how vulnerable you sounded.

“hi, baby.” he said, his voice breaking slightly before going right in. “What’s going on with you? Please, just tell me. Did I do something? Did I hurt you somehow? Because if I did, fuck I swear to God, I didn’t mean to.”

Your throat tightened, guilt twisting in your stomach. He sounded so desperate, so unlike the confident, self-assured Rafe you knew. You didn't know what to say, how to explain something you couldn't even fully understand yourself.

“Talk to me, y/n,” he pleaded. “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep guessing what’s wrong. I care about you too much to lose you like this.” His voice cracked, and he raked a hand through his hair, his frustration spilling over. “I’m completely crazy about you. I don’t care about anyone else. You’re it for me. You’re the only one I want.”

Your heart shattered at his words. He cared about you, really cared about you. But how could he? How could someone like Rafe Cameron, with his perfect smile and effortless charm, care about someone like you?

"Rafe..." you whispered, unsure of what to say. “No,” he interrupted. “You have no idea how much you mean to me. I think about you all the time—when I wake up, when I go to sleep. You’re all I want, y/n. And if there’s even a part of you that feels the same way—then please, stop pushing me away.”

The silence that followed was unbearable. Rafe leaned against a tree, his heart pounding so loudly it drowned out everything else. Then he heard you breathe out, followed by muffled sobs, which you tried so hard to suppress by pressing your palm over your mouth. You wanted to believe him, wanted to let his words sink in and erase all your doubts. But the fear was still there.

“I didn’t think I was enough for you,” you finally whispered, voice trembling. “You could have anyone, Rafe. And people keep saying I don’t deserve you, and maybe they’re right.”

“Are you kidding me?” he said, his voice rising as he couldn’t believe that you’d actually think that. “Baby, you’re more than enough. You’re everything. Don’t let what other people say get in your head. They don’t know you. They don’t know us.”

Your sniffle came through the line, and he could picture you wiping your tears, head bowed like it always was when you were upset. “I just… I didn’t want to hold you back.”

“You’re not holding me back,” he replied softly. “You’re the only thing keeping me sane.” He paused. “Please, just let me in. Let me prove to you how much you mean to me.”

The sincerity in his voice was undeniable, and you believed him. Believed that he was serious about you two. “Okay.” You said. Relief washed over him, and he exhaled shakily. “Okay,” he repeated, his lips curving into a smile. “I’m coming to you right now.”

Your eyes widened, “No, Rafe, you don’t have to—”

“I want to,” he said firmly. “Stay where you are. I’m coming to you. We’ll figure this out together.” And with that, he ended the call, his heart pounding with determination. He didn’t care what anyone else thought. You were his, and he wasn’t going to let you go.

[hypernova-writes]

What does she see? [Scout x Reader]

Synopsis: Once this beautiful lady graced their presence, all of the mercs were confused, especially Spy, at why the hell she went for a guy like Scout—

Pairing: Scout x 10 Class! Reader

Pairing name: Speedy Recovery (Scout/TheNurse)

A/n: I HAD THIS IDEA OF A JESSICA RABBIT LIKE ROMANCE BETWEEN SCOUT AND THE NURSE! I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!! NEXT SHOULD BE MEDIC!!!

"You did such a good job out there Darling.."

"Couldn't have been without your healing Dollface..you treat me right everytime.."

Some of the others didn't understand what Y/N saw in Scout. The two ended up attached at the hip from when she first started here.

Scout was...Scout, brash, vulgar, doesn't know how to talk to women (in Spy's opinion.)

So how could he end up with this beautiful belle wrapped around his finger. All he had to do was call out her name and no matter where she was in the field, it was like she would magically appear next to him.

She was taller than him, more..mature than him, yet all she could is swoon over him when he would make some corny joke, or flex his barely there muscles.

Sniper called Spy jealous (to which he was NOT). While yes, she was a fine young woman, it was obvious she was...interested in the buffoon.

So one day, Spy decided to ask her himself.

Y/n was cleaning her syringe after a day of battle, She had asked Scout to get his room ready since she was sleeping in his room tonight so he was free to question the belle.

"Y/n. Do you have a minute? I would..just like to ask you something."

Y/n looked up with a small smile, setting her weapon to the side. "Hmm? Lay it on me, then Spy, you know I love questions~" she said in a teasing tone.

Spy sighed as he leaned against the table. "What do you see in zhat...Man Child? You're such a woman of class, two medical degrees..and you choose...zhat?"

Y/n paused for a bit before she broke into a giggle, she turned to Spy fully and crossed her legs.

"Well for starters he makes me laugh..He's such a funny guy, and I love a guy who can make me break out into a fit of giggles, keeps the romance alive..you would know that..right Spy?" Y/n says as she moves to stand up.

"But besides that, My darling Scoutie means the world to me, so what if he's a little stupid..all of us are. We don't know everything, well unless your name is Dell Conagher–" She joked before she continued.

"But..he's the first to ever, ya know..look past the persona I put up. And I love him for that..He's such a sweetheart to me." She finishes with a small sigh. Spy stares at her with a tilt of his head. He'd never heard another woman speak so...highly of Scout.

Usually they called him every word in the book for annoying..but never Sweet or thoughtful.

"Oi! Ya Shape Shifting Spook! Are ya borin' ma girl to death ova there?"

Right on cue, Scout walks back from the task that Y/n asked him to do. He wraps his arm around her waist before pulling her close, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Rooms all straighten' for ya..just fa me to mess it right up when I get ahold to ya.." He whispers in her ear making her giggle and a blush comes across her face.

She then waves to Spy, as Scout easily picks her up, his hands on both of her thighs, making her wrap her legs around him. "Have a goodnight Spy!"

"Yea..cause I know we sure are~, God you are so sexy~! Im such a lucky guy."

Spy watched as they walked down the hall before shaking his head, before turning to see Engineer standing there.

"What do you want, Hardhat."

"Nothin', just admirin' the young love." He comes up and stands next to Spy, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Stop bein' such a worry wart. She's gonna treat him fine." Engineer says before guiding Spy to the rec room.

"Now c'mon, the rest of us are playin' cards."

Spy sighs, rolling his eyes as he crosses his arms as he follows Engineer.

"I hope she does treat him right...He deserves zhat.."

He says to himself before finally leaving the hallway to join the others.

BOOM SUPRISSSEEEEEE another fic in this little series I decided to do with the Mercs x The Nurse! I'm coming up with cute little names, like how the rest of the mercs pairings are. Feel free to drop some below!! Next is medic i promise!!

[spookyrea]

For Years to Come (maybe even more)

After revealing to Loki that you two are soulmates (in an admittedly less-than-ideal fashion), the two of you finally discuss your matching soulmarks.

Chapter 2 / 3 - read on AO3

A soulmate-identifying mark AU - heavy petting involved in this chapter (kinda *shrug emoji*) - epilogue will contain smut

(chapter one) -- (epilogue)

If Loki was going to avoid you, you decided that it was well within your rights to avoid him, too.

You spent the last week of December on Natasha's couch, pretending to help her knit by unwinding her skeins of yarn while watching whatever wintery drivel you could find on television. She never asked you what was wrong but you suspected that she already knew, between her super-spy attention to detail and the compromising position she had found the two of you in on Christmas Eve. There was a decidedly Loki-shaped hole in every conversation, a vacancy that she would open to you with a side-long glance. Thor and I are going to go look at the lights before they take them down, she might say. His brother will probably join, since they're attached at the hip.

You never took the bait, which she respected (if sometimes with a rolled eye). Inevitably, by virtue of there being twenty-odd people living in one designated tower, more people were folded into your menagerie of distraction, and you made it all the way to the new year without having to think about the letter burning a hole in your kitchen counter.

That wasn't to say that Loki's absence wasn't festering inside of you; you hadn't realized how large a role he played in your day-to-day until he was gone. You had been so hyper-aware of his presence every time he entered a room, and now you could only focus on the emptiness where Loki should have been. On the churning discomfort in your chest that one day he might finally enter the room and not come sauntering up to your side to try and vie for your attention. Occasionally, you would catch the low hum of his seidr in the buzz of a fluorescent light, or in the twinkling sound that preceded snowfall, and would yearn for the sweet kiss of magic against your cheek.

“You have to tell me what happened,” Wanda insisted, eventually. She laid beside you on your couch, her feet propped up at awkward angles to avoid smudging her still-wet nail polish. “Or else I’m calling Steve and then you’ll really be in for it.”

You weren't in the mood for one of his pep-talks, though, so you pulled your blanket down from your head and sighed. “Loki is my soulmate.”

That must not have been the answer she had been anticipating. You watched one foot slowly drop, then the other, and then Wanda was turning on the spot to look at you, her black-rimmed eyes blinking over at you. “You’re joking.”

“He kissed me.” It felt good to tell someone else. It made it all real, somehow. “We got into an argument because he likes me and I’m so awkward around him that I can’t look him in the eyes, and then he kissed me.”

“But you like him.”

“Yes.”

“You got in an argument because he likes you and you like him.”

“I wrote him a letter.” You scrubbed your hands over your face, trying to will the hysteria away. “It’s stupid. It’s so stupid. What a mess.”

“Was he any good?”

You laughed, watery, your eyelashes a little damp. “Yeah. Yeah, he was.”

“Okay.” There was a sincerity to her voice that was uniquely Wanda. As if she had approached the world upside-down and somehow come back with exactly the right thing to say. “Imagine if he was a bad kisser. Then he’d be nothing but a pretty face.”

“You can teach someone to be a good kisser.”

“He’s ancient. If he hasn’t learned how to kiss someone by now, it’s hopeless. And also – Loki. He would see it as a personal attack. He would kiss worse on purpose.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

The television droned in the background; two men were making intricate sugar cookies decorated to look like disco balls. They had an easy kind of camaraderie that spoke of years of work together. You watched in a companionable silence until an advertising break broke the spell. “So are you two… together now?”

“Um… no. No, I don’t think we’re going to be together.”

“You know he goes a little,” she spun a finger through the air, flashing red for extra effect, “when you’re around?”

“The seidr thing?”

“I was thinking about the ‘I'm-the-coolest-guy-in-the-room’ thing but sure, that too.”

You sighed. “Why couldn't you be my soulmate? I can talk to you.”

Wanda was a pragmatist at the end of the day. She was a little like Steve in that way -- fiercely empathetic in a practical way. “How does ‘talk to your soulmate’ sound as a resolution?”

“It sounds like a start.”

“Mine is to learn how to cross stitch.” There was a plan forming behind her eyes; she took you by the wrist and hauled the two of you off the couch before stomping off in search of her coat. “We need to go get you a new outfit.”

“We do?”

She nodded. “A dress. A pretty dress. A dress that says ’sorry I was so awkward but you’re really scary and hot and I’m only a puny mortal’.”

“You just want an excuse to go shopping.”

“I am a woman of many interests.”

You bit back a smile. Linking your fingers together, you gave her hand a long, strong squeeze and let her pick the first store on your agenda.

You were running a little late; there was a shoe malfunction, and a missing eyeliner pen, and before any of you realised it was almost ten o’clock. You took the train; in New Year’s Eve traffic, it was a tight fit – each car was full to bursting, humid and smelling of sweat and cologne – but you only had to make it three stops. You held onto the rail and Natasha, Carol and Wanda held on to you, giggling, sidled up close.

The bar Tony had rented was, mercifully, only a few feet from the subway entrance. The three of you picked your way through the snow while Natasha, ever the pinnacle of grace, somehow glided across the sidewalk in her five-inch heels.

The place was dingy in a homely kind of way. All exposed brick and wooden beams, the walls were covered in sports memorabilia and framed Playboy covers, and a net of twinkling lights was strung up along the ceiling. A low drone of chatter and jazz hung in the air, a nostalgic sound that reminded you not of winters passed, but of years from now when you would look back on this moment. Outside a snowstorm howled, blanketing the city streets in a navy haze, but for now you were warm and dry and a little lovesick.

Natasha kissed your cheek before slipping away to find Clint, who no doubt had already turned his hearing aids off and was nursing a beer in some secluded corner. Wanda clung to your elbow for support while she scanned the crowd, balanced on her tiptoes. “Do you see him?”

“No. Hey, wait–” You caught a loose bobby pin, hanging on by a thin curl, and smoothed her hair back in place. “Ok. Better. Have you found him?”

“Thanks.” She had that look in her eye, that fit-to-bursting expression she got when the whole extended family got together. It seemed the entire Avengers rota was in the room. “And yeah, there, with Thor and Steve.”

A long table – which you suspected was actually three or four pushed together, based on how haphazardly the chairs were scattered around it – sat slightly askew near the back of the bar. Your team had congregated at one end, grinning, a few clearly inebriated.

Loki was tucked away at the very opposite edge, rolling a glass between his hands. His perpetual rain cloud seemed to have given way to a veritable storm because a few of the lights overhead were sparking, glowing green around the edges. Some pretty creature hovered by his side, twirling her shiny blonde hair and batting her eyelashes. 

Her neck was exposed; her mark was a stark thing made up of sharp geometric lines, and you admired how bold she was to approach him knowing she wasn’t a match. She was leaning over the back of an empty chair, tracing a neatly manicured nail down its woodgrain. Her comment had Loki smiling, rolling his eyes good naturedly, preening a little under her attention. She tilted her head toward the dancefloor; though you couldn’t see her face, the question was obvious. 

“You look great,” Wanda whispered.

“Thanks. So do you.” 

You watched Loki consider her offer. He enjoyed company, of course; Loki was seldom alone, even if that meant hanging around crowds who weren’t very fond of him, or that he was fond of. Maybe it was survival, or loneliness, or some combination of the two, but Loki liked to be included in the joke, even at his detriment.

Yet his eyes scanned the crowd, seeking someone else’s attention. Everything felt right when they found yours.

You took your time rounding the table, lingering by Steve and Rhodey so you could watch Loki unwind to a petulant slouch. When you reached the end, Darcy leaned over to give you a kiss on the cheek, smearing her lipstick a little in the process, and pushed a drink into your hand. “Happy new year!”

It was a short distance but a long walk to the empty seat next to Loki. The closer you got, the more excited his seidr seemed to grow; it whispered sweet nothings in a language you couldn't understand, crowding up against your cheek like an affectionate cat. Ushered you close so it could kiss you so tenderly while Loki looked on with cool disinterest. He waved the girl away.

“You looked lonely,” you hummed. “All the way over here.”

“My ill mood was making our colleagues’ devices malfunction.” He tsked, taking a long pull from his glass. “I’m afraid you have the same effect. On my seidr, I mean.”

“You mean it doesn’t… play with other people?”

His expression was unreadable. “What was it you said? ‘You make me nervous because I’m attracted to you’?”

“The other you didn’t seem all that nervous. Ginger-Loki.”

“You do like him better, then.” It was meant to be a joke but the mirth didn’t quite reach Loki’s eyes; he watched you a little despondently, like a man who had spent his entire life just shy of perfection. 

“I told you before. I like this Loki.”

“He’s not very nice.”

Your right hand tiptoed across the table to lay over his wrist. Now was not the time to be shy. “I’m sorry about the letter.”

“I’ve been called worse in languages older than you.”

“Maybe so. I wasn’t done, though. It was supposed to say something like ‘You’re vile and–” Something about his expression made you pause; Loki’s gaze had gone far-off, fixated on the snow accumulating on the windows. “...It was supposed to be a love letter.”

He snorted. “Charming.”

“I’ve had a crush on you for forever. I could barely stand to look at you sometimes because I thought you would notice. I wanted to put everything down on paper but then I just… couldn’t.”

“So you attacked my character. Delightful.”

“Loki. Look at me.” It was his turn to avoid your eye, it seemed. You pressed on his cheek until he was looking levely into your eyes. “Have you been trying to hit on me?”

“‘Hit on’. No, I was not trying to ‘hit on’ you. I’m a prince. I was trying to woo you. Or at the very least, manufacture conversation.”

“How many times have you tried?”

“How many times have you run away, kitten?”

There was a great commotion across the bar. Steve called your name, hands planted on his hips. “Tell the kids they have a curfew.”

Peter, Ned and MJ began to complain all at once. They had commandeered one of the overhead TVs to play someone’s Nintendo Switch and were passing the controller back and forth to beat a boss. Morgan sat in Wanda’s lap, too young to understand the mechanics but eager enough to cheer on, and each of them wore a knitted cap that Natasha had made for them.

It came over you all at once. You were sure that Scott and Sam would join them in a few minutes to help beat the boss. That Clint would come by and take Morgan somewhere quieter when she started dozing off. That Bucky and Steve would pick people at random and swing them around to club music that didn't match the sock hop, just for the fun of it.

You had a soulmate but it didn’t really matter, at the end of the day. All the anxiety, the fear and loathing and stoicism -- none of it was necessary. You would pick these people no matter their marks, and they would pick you because love was an innate but fickle thing; there was no use trying to control it, only to appreciate it when it happened.

“Let them stay, Cap," you called back. "Until the crowds die down.”

Peter and Ned whooped. Steve smiled like he never intended to run them off, anyway.

Loki tugged on your shirt sleeve; how he loved to do that, to commandeer your attention. Like a dog not yet done playing fetch – look at me, he demanded. I’m starved of your affections already. His fingers threaded through yours.

“I’m not running away this time, I promise."

A single curl was snaking free from his short ponytail, falling across his forehead in a little crescent shape. He pushed it aside with your linked hands, like letting go was out of the question.

“Why are you here,” he blurted out. “If it’s pity, or some self-sacrificing sense of duty, then I would advise you to leave.”

You watched him watch you.

“I think… We’re finally on an even playing field. And I owe you another letter.”

“You could call me despicable this time. Egregiously egotistical.”

“I could call you ‘mine’.”

Loki’s seat was askew, not quite tucked under the table, and he turned sideways to face you, one arm dangling over the back. He finished his drink in one long pull, tilting his chin just high enough to strain the crisp collar of his shirt. “Do not pretend. I have to warn you, I’m well versed in wanting.”

It was perhaps the first time since you met Loki -- before even being hired, back when you were a street-level hero who got roped into conflicts too big to comprehend -- that neither one of you was trying to fill an awkward silence. Loki played with your hand, puppeting your fingers open and shut with the same meanness that one might pet a beloved cat, while you sipped on your drink. You found that you liked the silence; when neither one of you was anxiously prattling on, you seemed to get along quite nicely.

“What does, um… Ket– kettlina? What does it mean?”

His other hand threaded through the elastic in his hair and snapped it free, vanishing it elsewhere with a flick of his wrist. “Ketlinkr? It’s a diminutive.” He shrugged. “‘Little cat’.”

Magic hummed – maybe his, or maybe the inherent magic of love – in the air, kissing your cheek so sweetly. Loki, seeming to sense it, traced the spot with the tips of his fingers.

Every breath you drew was heavy. You wanted him to lean in so badly that it hurt, worse than a pang, worse than an ache - there was a pain inside your chest that you felt only his mouth could soothe. “Kitten.”

He smiled – shy, almost. “Yes, but affectionate. T’eta minn ketlinkr. My kitten.”

At some point, his hand had crept over the back of your chair. In the half-circle of his arms, it was as though every dream you had ever dreamt had secretly been about him. Like every moment of déja-vu, every time you heard someone call your name and found no one there, every inexplicable instance of strange magic in your mundane life - it all traced back to him, in that moment. “Ketlinkr,” you tested the word. “I never did agree to the nickname.”

He drew the pad of his thumb over the lipstick smudge on your cheek, blinking uninterestedly down where his thumb came away red. “T’eta hverr, ketlinkr. Minn minikla ketti.” 

“Why not, um… Ben…” 

“Bendr,” he hummed. “Would you like to be my mortal wound?”

He knocked at one of your chair legs, tottling you backwards, then forwards when you overcorrected. You collided inelegantly with his chest, giving him the perfect opening to slide his arm around your waist and ‘catch’ you before you tumbled out of his lap. The new proximity pressed his cheek to yours. “Terribly sorry, kitten,” he spoke against the shell of your ear. “You’ll have to excuse my manners. All the alcohol I guess. I don’t know my own strength.”

You clutched at his collar. “You did that on purpose.”

“You have no proof. It’s your word against mine and I am excellent on the stand.” He held you tightly, winding his other arm around your back like a snare. You felt his cheek tip up in a smirk against yours, your shared giddiness seeming to overwhelm.

“I thought you were going to be nice.”

“That was the red-head. This is your Loki. Loki-Loki. He’s vile. ”

“Good evening, New York!” Tony had clambered up on the stage and commandeered the microphone. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, so many buttons deep that you could just make out the lines of scar tissue around his arc reactor. “Just a reminder that you have two minutes until midnight. So if you haven't found your soulmate yet, you’d better pick the hottest person in this room and settle for second best. Or hope! You never know.”

The crowd cheered. Loki deposited you on your knees, precariously balanced on his lap. “Hottest person in the room?”

“You’re supposed to kiss someone at midnight. Something about ringing in the new year and good luck in love.”

“Oh. Well, good thing I’ve already snatched you up. It would have been a blood bath if I had to find you with a minute until midnight.”

You tipped your head back and laughed. “My blood, more like. You should see the looks people are throwing you.”

Indignation glanced off his eyes; his hand rode up the length of your back, the heel of his palm slotting just under your skull to cradle your head. “I would never let anyone hurt you.”

“It’s less about ‘letting’ and more about a dozen peoples’ personal journeys to find out what’s under your collar.”

The televisions mounted to the ceiling flickered; a thirty-second countdown began ticking down overhead. You tested your weight against Loki’s chest, curling your fingers around his shoulders.

“Well, if it’s tradition,” Loki started, his voice coy but eyes burning hot, “then who are we to deny?”

 “You’re right. Tradition to uphold. It would practically be illegal not to.”

“Exactly. And I’m a good guy now, right? A hero. I am bound by duty to respect the law to the letter.” He paused. “That sounds horribly boring. Forget I said that.”

The crowd started counting at fifteen - a few stragglers at first, snowballing until the entire room was chanting. It was infectious, so heady that you felt as though your chest was fit to burst any second; you turned your face down to meet Loki’s, hardly able to stop yourself from just leaning in and sealing your mouth to his. 

“I like it when you look at me,” Loki murmured.

You slid one hand over his cheek and traced the lines carved by his smile. “I like it when you look at me, too.”

Five, the room chanted. Loki tilted his head, his lips parting with an inaudible sigh. You moved your hand back down to his shoulder to steady yourself. Four, three– 

You didn’t make it to one; Loki closed the distance early. Time slowed to an endless stretch that consisted only of his thumb, tracing a long, slow line down your ribs; of the amorous sound of your breath catching in your chest; of the weight of his legs pressed against yours. Though it seemed impossible, he drew you even more securely against the solid wall of his chest, so that you had no choice but to unfurl, winding both of your arms behind his neck.

The room must have been alight with noise and celebration but when you pulled away, you were only aware of him. His heavy-lidded eyes tracked your lips with a liquid kind of want, something that seemed to spill from him with every shaky breath. 

He kissed you again.

“Why don’t you bring me back to your room,” he whispered, “and I’ll show you why they call me Silvertongue.”

You crammed yourselves in the backseat of a cab with the middle seat yawning a respectable distance between you. The driver greeted you with a grunt, his eyes resolutely fixed ahead; at just past midnight, you had a feeling he wasn’t in the mood to listen to drunken drivel or to sit through a peep show.

The streets were chaos; why you thought this would be easier, you couldn’t comprehend. Later, you would blame it on the dizziness, or the lovesickness.

You blinked out of your reverie when something brushed against your wrist. Loki’s hand had crossed the distance between you and lay, palm facing upwards, next to yours. He’d wiggled his index finger under your pinky.

With every block that you crossed, your giddiness was melting away to something else entirely, something hot and wanting. Something like honey, or maybe whiskey. At three-and-a-half blocks away from the tower, the two of you tumbled out of the car with a lacklustre happy new year, which the driver waved off. You paid him with too many bills, not willing to wait a second more.

The tower was deserted; even the lobby, which was usually lit up all hours of the day, was dark. The security guards had all left for the night, waved away by Tony with the insistence that FRIDAY could vet potential intruders while they enjoyed their evening. Your footsteps were painfully loud in the empty atrium.

Loki followed you up to your room like a spectre. By the time you got to your door, your hands were shaking so badly that you could hardly get your key into the lock, too distracted by the way Loki was mouthing at your jaw, breath hot and humid on your skin, his hands riding up your sides to tangle in the fabric of your dress.

“You have to stop for a second,” you gasped. “I can’t– I can’t think with you like this.”

His tongue traced a line over your pulse point. He turned you around and plucked the key from your hand before crowding you against the door, the open curve of his mouth a teasing pressure against yours. You heard the key grind against the little pins, then turn; Loki caught you at the last second when the door swung open underneath you, laughing, equal parts arrogant and aroused.

Loki leaned against the doorframe, his arms bracketing it on either side, and watched you back away. His head tilted; his eyes pulled you apart like a butcher pulled pork. You continued until the backs of your thighs met your couch, your bag and coat forgotten to the side in a sad heap. 

The deadbolt slid into place with a click. 

You beckoned him forward for a quick kiss. Hardly more than a peck.

“Oh, I think I deserve a little more than that.”

You hummed. “Careful, ben.. .”

“Bendr.” He reached up and toyed with your bottom lip, then leant down and licked where his thumb had been. “Your accent is infuriating.”

“I’m trying,” you gasped. One of his legs slotted between yours so he could lean his weight on the couch, effectively pinning you under him.

“Loki–” You were cut short by a sharp roll of his hips against yours. A truly evil grin shaded his handsome face before he tipped his head to kiss you again. You squirmed, turning your cheek; undeterred, Loki pressed his mouth to the highest point on your cheekbone. “Loki, really–”

“It’s fun. We’re just having fun, kitten.” He punctuated his sentence by working his hand over your body, palming one breast upwards with a turn of his wrist.

“Stop interrupting me.”

His mouth closed over your pulse point, dull teeth scraping over your skin with purpose. The hand not groping your chest slipped under your skirt, hiking it up so he could toy with the waistband of your underwear, drawing a featherlight path along the edge before occasionally sliding his thumb under, admiring the soft skin of your hip. Any coherent thought fizzled and stuttered until your mind was a blank well for him to pour his desire into. Don’t I make you feel good, he asked. Imagine what I can do with my hands. With my tongue.  

He cooed at you, licking a long, flat stripe up your neck. The hand around your hip slid even higher, slotting nicely under the jut of your ribcage. He pressed his face into the dip between your neck and shoulder and sighed, his chest filling then draining to a terrible, shaky emptiness. He pretended to smile. “Humour me. Use me.”

Using the hand in his hair, you twisted his head to the side and kissed him, pressing all the things you couldn’t say into his lips. How sorry you were for not speaking sooner. How you hoped there might be a future left to scrounge. "Have I ruined it?"

His mouth twisted to a funny line. You got the impression that he wanted to continue pretending, to slip into a caricature of himself where your words hadn't hurt him. Maybe it would be easier to act as if the two of you had organically fallen in love and not stumbled, face-first, into a strange, unconfident dance. But then -- Loki had made many mistakes in his lifetime. Had fought losing battles until the end of days in the name of spite, or pain. He couldn't fault you for a mistake he would have made ten-fold, had he been in the same scenario.

So he kissed your knuckles for the simple pleasure of kissing you.

“Loki." You would write him a hundred love letters after tonight. “Look at my neck.”

His hands drew away slowly, though the ghost of them lingered; his seidr smoothed up and down your sides, as if Loki was committing to memory the feel of you unconsciously.

He twisted the top button from its buttonhole, then followed the placket all the way to the top of your belly until your dress was limp and wide open. It slipped down your shoulders; you would have expected him to be ogling you, or to make some lecherous comment now that you were exposed to him, but his eyes stayed neutral, his hands shy where they traced your upper arms.

“I’m going to turn around now.” You disentangled your legs and twisted, drawing your feet up and over the back of the couch so you were seated on the back. 

He was silent for a while. “Have I developed your mortal hysteria? I must have conjured you up out of lust.”

“No, Loki. It’s just a… a cosmic prank, I guess.”

Silence yawned and stretched, a creature warmed from a long slumber. Eventually, Loki rounded the couch so he could kneel on the cushions between your knees. You wound him in by the collar of his shirt, fisting it until he was close enough to be kissed, whereafter he met you in steps – realization, that you were kissing him; elation, that he might get to kiss you; and desperation, to keep you there forever.

"What else could you call me?"

"Duva. Ljufi. Ah, ja, minn ljuflinkr."

"Ljufi?"

"Love." The stereo system under your tv picked up, crackling with static. The air grew thick with ozone and magic, which settled like humidity over the back of your neck and whispered nonsense. “Alright, my skittish kitten… What do you call me?”

“Hm... Love, maybe? Um, sweetheart? My soulmate?”

He nodded gravely, hands on either side of your face. “We have weeks to make up for. Again.”

You threaded your fingers through his belt loops, urging him to lean his weight on you. He followed gingerly, drawn by your voice like a dog on a lead. “Soulmate. My soulmate.”

He couldn’t ask you a third time. He was too busy committing to memory the curve of your mouth against his.

The picture was uploaded to Twitter on January 1st at 3:47 AM – It was terrible quality, taken in a dimly-lit bar only a minute after midnight. You and Loki were perfectly framed in a sea of lovers, so wrapped up in the other that you weren’t aware of the flash. Darcy’s lipstick was still smeared on your cheek; few stray curls hung in a curtain in front of Loki’s eyes; and his right hand was balled up in the fabric of your dress, the tension just right, so that the top few dots of your soulmark peeked out.

You were both beaming. 

[out-there-tmblr]

Young zaundads wip (20)

***

At the end of the month, Silco forgoes a day's pay to line up with Vander and withdraw money. It's the same as always: a long snaking queue across the courtyard, two Piltie bookkeepers sitting with their piles of folders and the cash box between them; six bored looking enforcers standing behind them, with their masks and goggles, hands loose on their guns.

It's the same as always, but Silco keeps his arms crossed and his scowl grows meaner with every shuffling step forward. He looks like he's about to start ranting about the unfairness of having to beg for wages they've already earned.

"Stop looking at me like that," Silco hisses at him, which feels unfair given that Vander hasn't said anything. "I'm not stupid enough to say something in front of enforcers."

"I'm well aware you're not stupid," Vander says gently, but it doesn't work. Silco only glares at him. "I mean it. Sharp as a fish hook, my Ma would say."

"She really was a riversider," Silco mutters back and Vander will happily take the edge of mocking rather than that tightly-held anger.

"Got something against riverside? Going to tell me we all smell like chum?"

Silco raises an eyebrow in challenge. "That you can't walk straight on land unless you're drunk?"

"That a freshly washed riversider only has silt between their toes?"

Silco snorts in amusement as they shuffle forward another step. "And the only way to get their attention is to dress in canvas and bring rope?"

Vander laughs at that one. It's such a stupid fisherman joke, but it's not the sort of joke anyone makes around a guy Vander's size. "Yeah, that's us. If it doesn't float or have fins, we're not interested."

Silco tilts his head, his expression becoming thoughtful. "Why didn't you join a boat? Better than being here."

"I get seasick," Vander says, like stepping onto a boat doesn't make him think of his father every damn time. Wonder if he should be mourning or fuming.

"You grew up by the river. How can you get seasick?"

"It's a skill."

"Not a very good one," Silco replies and they shuffle forward another step.

It takes another hour of standing in the electric lights of the courtyard, but eventually they get to the bookkeepers. There's no true privacy in the mine – too many people and not enough space. From his spot in line, Vander hears Silco requesting a balance, and pulling out his notebook. A large folder is opened on the table, the bookkeeping looking up Silco's name.

He reads out the figure and Silco copies it down, while Vander looks on, stunned. It's over twenty thousand bronze. Vander has to cunt on his fingers to translate that debt to gold, but two thousand four hundred gold sounds even worse. Three hundred gold is an impossible figure. Ten times that…

But Silco doesn't even blink at that figure. He just nods and then says, "I want to withdraw coin. How much am I allowed to withdraw on credit?" He withdraws the maximum amount and then asks for half of it in silver.

Vander gets waved over to the other bookkeeper as the coins are counted out.

Vander has nearly eight hundred bronze owed to him. He withdraws most of it, even takes some out in gold just to hold the sparkle in his hand.

He finds Silco waiting for him with a pouch of coins. "Sixty. We didn't agree on interest, but five seems fair."

"For the wood?" Vander stares at the pouch, at the seven bronze lect in Silco's palm. "You don't have to pay me. I don't need–"

"There's nothing free down here," Silco talks over him. "You pay now or you pay later. I don't like building up debts."

"You owe them over twenty thousand!"

Silco looks up at Vander, not backing down an inch. "To be precise, twenty-one thousand, five hundred and eighty. I won't owe you as well."

"Look," Vander says, wrapping a hand around Silco's arm and tugging him away from the others. "I'm sleeping there too. Every night, I'm saving money because I don't have to pay for a bunk. If we're both gaining from it, we should go halves in the costs."

Through narrowed blue eyes, Silco considers it.

"And no interest," Vander adds. "Not between us. We're better than the damn company."

Silco gives one sharp nod to that. "Fine. Halves. That's twenty-seven bronze."

Vander hands him back the pouch. "And the bed too. We should go halves in that."

Silco glances down at his coins, and quickly realises he'll have just enough. "I could have waited until next month, Vander. I don't need charity."

"The isn't charity. This is us working together and improving life for both of us." Vander leans down, low enough that he can whisper right into Silco's ear. Boice pitched carefullylow, he adds, "And this way I don't have to wait to fuck you in a real bed."

***

[thebaldursmouthgazette]

For all their screaming and crying about how Solas deserves compassion I feel like a lot of S/lavellens lose their credibility when they bend over backwards to defend Solas's every flaw but do not extend any of that grace or sympathy to characters like, Vivienne, Blackwall, Dorian or Sera, whom they tend to boil down to being arrogant, a liar, pro-slavery and racist. It's really telling that it's about their romance and nothing else. Like, girlies, your man has all 4 of those qualities going on at once and is, if anything, less justified because given any opportunity to grow or change he says "no". I do not want to see you in the Blackwall critical tags after you wrote a 1000 word essay on why Solas should be redeemed.

Yep. I think sera is a particularly good example of this (though they’re all fair examples), because their actions are so similar (though with wildly different reasons) and the reaction so different. Sera expresses her disconnect from elven culture due to being raised by humans and only really having it acknowledged she’s an elf when someone is being racist to her or bothering her about why she’s not elfy enough, and gets almost no sympathy. She’s called racist even though, if you take five minutes to actually listen to what she’s saying, it becomes clear that it’s internalised due to how she grew up. She is also literally like 20.

Solas, meanwhile, belittles and demeans modern elves literally just because he’s an asshole. There’s no childhood trauma here. There’s no internalised racism. He just doesn’t think modern elves are people and thinks the culture they lovingly cultivated and insisted on keeping, despite constant efforts to wipe it out, is stupid. But he’s not called racist, no he’s oh so wise and insightful, please solas bless us with your wisdom while we kiss your feet.

Solas committed a genocide, created the blight, treated his victims with contempt for continuing to exist, killed multiple people, used people as tools, killed trusted allies for so much as questioning him, arranged major attacks killing swathes of people, denied those people personhood to justify it, lied, manipulated, gaslit and betrayed everyone in more ways than you can count, and it is less acceptable in some areas of this fandom to criticise him at all than it is to act like the 20 something lesbian dealing with internalised racism is an evil racist witch with no redeeming qualities, or to act like the black woman who is trying to work within a system to protect her people as much as she can is an evil oppressive witch with no redeeming qualities (they’re comparing Vivienne to Mythal now. I wish I was joking. Apparently having a flawed but well intentioned approach to protecting innocents who are discriminated against is comparable to running an empire fueled by slavery).

Like lots of these characters have flaws, but none of them are approaching Mr Genocide, yet they’re attacked and given no grace while if you say one critical thing about mass murdering pookie bear you get called a slur.

[stuffeddeer]

Idk if your like still taking asks since your last one was 2 whole weeks ago but i really just wanted to talk about 15!Dazai cause i miss my pookie and i reread your first kiss hc’s and ughhh being Dazai’s first ever crush, hes so smitten with you and doesn’t even understand why, maybe also forces Chuuya to be his unwilling wingman because he deadass uses cringey one liners on you and chuuya is sick and tired of it.

15!Dazai deserves to be a giddy infatuated teenager and kicking his legs like a schoolgirl when you give him your attention 🤧

Smitten 15!Dazai needing a wingman | Bungo Stray Dogs | Dazai x reader

nearly 8 months later i am here to complete this request!!! hope this is what you wanted (and was maybe worth the wait lol)

Chuuya doesn't really get the whole "Demon Prodigy" thing. Oh, Dazai is just soo smart and soo scary - what a joke. Chuuya has seen him spend ten minutes trying to figure out how to open a cereal box. Sure, the ginger didn't know either, but he figured it out quickly once the brunet gave up.

On the battlefield, Dazai can be quick-witted and ruthless, a foe worthy of his title. Yet right now, Chuuya watches with his arms crossed as the man beside him stumbles over his words while trying to talk to you about the weather of all topics.

It's sickening, almost - seeing the "genius" Dazai so blatantly ignore every signal you're sending. It's true, of course, that the brunet teen is exceptionally off-putting and non-socialized. The bandaged kid with unruly black hair and one emotionless eye (the other bandaged up and hidden away) is the type of weird befitting a title such as Demon Prodigy. While he is a mere 15 year old, his presence rouses unease wherever he goes.

Or so Chuuya was told. With him, the 15 year old is just that: a 15 year old. Dazai is bright but childish, boisterous and witty, ready to spar verbally until Chuuya has to walk away to calm himself down. The Dazai that Chuuya had come to know during their relatively recent partnership would never falter like this around someone his age - someone of equal standing. He isn't one to falter with those of higher standing, either.

Lackeys fear him, new recruits find him off putting and so on. But there are a few in the mafia - Chuuya and yourself - that are privy to see what he can really be like. Or, Chuuya, more exclusively. You... get an interesting version of him, to say the least.

“So that’s why it’s actually bad that it’s sunny out,” Dazai finishes, cheeks dusted an embarrassed red and hands wringing together. Is that… sweat? Dripping down his forehead? The man is always annoyingly cold, usually shoving a freezing hand onto Chuuya’s neck just to laugh while watching him recoil.

Jeez. Chuuya already knows how smitten Dazai is for you, but this is a new low he wasn’t expecting.

You politely smile, trying to act like his rambling made any lick of sense. “Well, I suppose I like flowers enough to concede. A little rain is good now and again.”

“We both like flowers!” Dazai points out. You idiot; everyone does.

Chuuya takes one hand out of his pockets to readjust his hat. “Dazai’s been tryin’ to get me to go to some flower garden on the other side of Yokohama,” he decides to lie. As if it wasn’t clear before, you pretending Dazai’s argument held any merit only proves that you like him back. Helping you is all he’s trying to do, because that stupid mackerel will never make a move on his own. “But I keep tellin’ him I’m not interested. Would be nice if you took my place.”

Eyes widening ever so slightly, you turn to Dazai with a timid expression. “I didn’t know we had one.”

“Wait, I— “

“It’s free admittance. Paid for by the government to clean up our city or somethin’ - Kouyou told us about it,” which is true, minus the part where Kouyou told Dazai as well.

The excited smile you give causes Dazai’s usually-controlled heart to leap into his throat. “That’s super cool! I totally wanna go, if you’re still up for it, Dazai.”

He doesn’t reply. The stupid, idiotic strategist that supposedly has been bolstering the Port Mafia’s defenses is left defenseless by a pretty smile. Seriously? This is what Chuuya has to put up with? He should just smack Dazai and take it all back. He’s never helping this lost cause again.

With one gloved hand, Chuuya slams it against Dazai’s head to force it into a nod. The slam is hard enough for Dazai to snap out of his stupor, but soft enough that you don’t notice how rough the ginger is being. “Say yes, idiot.”

And Dazai quickly follows through. He swats Chuuya’s hand away with an “I was gonna do that,” before clearing his throat. Looking back at you clogs it up once again and he gives an awkward smile back and a nod of his own this time. “Y-yep! I wanna go. With you. Well! Not like with with you, but like, with you. So, not like a date, just— I wanna go and you should come.”

Chuuya did his part. Can he leave yet? God, remind him to never help Dazai ever again. This was embarrassing for Chuuya and the short man is just a bystander. Though, the flush on Dazai’s face and the excited grin on yours helps to keep Chuuya’s annoyance at bay. At the very least, now the two of you can finally move on from this awkward crush stage and he won’t have to see Dazai metaphorically drown himself in every conversation with you.

And when the two of them got back a week later out of breath from running, Dazai’s hands covered in dirt and you holding an uprooted bouquet of fresh flowers, Chuuya realizes that maybe he chose the wrong location.

[gothamite-rambler]

Rose asks her crazy father for a favor to help her secret boyfriend (future ao3 fic)

Rose sat on the couch in her duplex apartment, her mouth agape in disbelief as she listened to the story of how Jason had died and then been revived.

She had always been curious about the details but was hesitant to ask, worried about stepping on a landmine. Their relationship was still new, and she wanted to ensure Jason didn’t feel pressured to share anything he wasn’t ready to discuss.

Yet, as he recounted everything he remembered, she could see that, despite the pain of the experience, he didn’t resent reliving it. He seemed to find a certain catharsis in sharing his story, and she felt honored that he chose to open up to her.

Rose (stunned): That's… how you died?

Jason nodded quickly recovering from retelling the story by chuckling.

Jason: The craziest part was stepping out of the Lazarus Pit covered in—wait, why do you look mad?

Rose (fixating on one detail): That bitch egg donor sold you out to the Joker to save her own skin?!

Jason (laughing dryly): Yeah, pretty much. She’s not around anymore. She wasn’t exactly the best mom to the bitter end. Honestly, it was stupid of me to even go see her that night.

Rose frowned softly, covering her mouth in disbelief.

Rose (reassuringly): Jace, it’s not your fault you were deceived by someone so terrible. I’m sorry for insulting her, but that infuriates me—along with the fact of your death itself. The whole situation makes me so mad.

Jason chuckled, rubbing his forehead.

Jason: You’re fine, trust me. It’s crazy to think about dying, but I’ve managed to adjust to this new life pretty well.

Rose (sincerly): You really have.

She exhaled, gently rubbing the top of Jason’s hand. He smiled in response.

Rose (holding back her anger): But the Joker is still… alive and walking? Not okay with that.

Jason: That’s a whole different mess. I don’t want to think about him right now; sorry for unloading so much on you.

Rose (smiling softly): It’s fine, I asked. I showed you my missing eye, and in return, you gave me a detailed account of your death. And if you want, I can take care of him for you since Batman won’t.

Jason chuckled, quickly pressing a kiss to Rose's cheek.

Jason: Nah, his misery is enough for me.

Rose (with a mischievous glint in her eyes): His misery is enough? I like the way you think.

She leaned in closer, kissing him passionately as she pushed him down onto the couch.

Jason (sly smile): That turned you on?

Rose (whispering near his ear): Are you turned on?

Jason (blushing): I definitely am now.

Rose smiled, deepening the kiss as she felt the chemistry between them simmer. With a carefree motion, she tossed aside his shirt and kissed him again, all while her mind began weaving a plot for revenge against the Joker.

Later That Night

Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, sat in his prison cell, engrossed in Shawshank Redemption.

Slade (towards the end of the book): Huh, he dug a hole in the wall? Amateur.

He chuckled softly, continuing to read when his prison cell phone rang. Without bothering to check the caller ID, he answered.

Slade: Go for Deathstroke.

Rose (whispering): Death—Sla—Da—Nope… Father, yeah, that works. Father, I have a request that you definitely won’t turn down.

Slade's interest piqued as he continued to read.

Slade: I’m listening.

Rose: The Joker’s in Arkham with you. I need you to beat him to a bloody pulp. He probably won’t die easily, but avoid killing him. I want him to suffer, but live. I’ll bring you muffins when I visit next week.

Slade snapped the book shut, excitement coursing through him as he stood up.

Slade (pumped up): I’d do that regardless of a reward! Regardless! You’re not joking about him not dying, either. I saw someone push him off the railing near the stairs, and that clown jumped to his feet while laughing. I will smash his face to a pulp regardless! Guard! Bring me my brass knuckles! Code J!

Rose (sighing happily): Thank you.

Slade: No problem, Jeri— No wait, he can't talk. Which child are you?

Rose paused, recalling who her father was and recognizing that this behavior was just typical of him—even during her time as his loyal, brainwashed agent. She mentally noted to bring this up during her "sucky dad" contest with Raven later.

Rose: It's Rose.

Slade fell silent as he slipped on his brass knuckles, genuinely unsure who this was, even though this was his other child that was alive.

Rose (pinching the bridge of her nose): I cut my working eye out for you.

Slade: Oh! The one who proved her loyalty to me. Got it… Daughter? Right, Rose is my daughter. Just remember to bring me blueberry muffins on visitors' day.

Rose: You don’t want to hear the reason behind—

Slade (with a hint of hatred for the Joker in his tone): Rose, regardless!

Rose: Cool, thanks. Loyal to ya.

Slade (with a cocky grin): I know you are.

With that, he abruptly ended the call and strode out of his cell.

Slade: Hey, jester man! Get over here!

Meanwhile at Rose's House

Rose ended the call, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

Rose (whispering to herself): Thank God he hasn’t realized I hate his guts. I really am such a good person.

Jason: You done with the call? I’m getting cold in here; come back to bed.

Rose smiled as she let her robe fall to the floor and headed back to her room. She closed the door quietly behind her, determined to keep her plan to punish the Joker in prison a secret from Jason—until the moment felt just right to reveal it.

[chrollocism]

the blue lock brainrot is getting to me

itoshi sae x f!reader (wc: 4.2k) — angst, unrequited love… reader tries to stop her feelings (spoiler : it’s not going well), reader is shorter than sae, blissfully unaware sae, rin is a brother figure to reader, making out (not sae and reader…), suggestive?, jealousy, crying, and what not. NOT PROOFREAD

a/n : do i continue this or do you guys like the burn… masochists. I’M JOKING fr tho

itoshi sae really is cruel. you learned that from the beginning but you couldn’t help yourself. it got to the point not even rin—your bestfriend and younger brother to your crush could snap you out of it.

days where you would go ages without crying about your stupid boy problems were days when sae would some-what acknowledge you in his presence. cloud nine is what you felt like, floating with and above the clouds in the silly imagination in your brain.

it hurt.

hurt to see how popular he really is with the girls in school. to his credit, he barely entertained their advancements. keyword : barely, there was a time when he look like he got swept off his feet with a really smart girl.

she was beautiful, no wonder he loved her. she lived for herself, respected his decisions between her and soccer, and never got too much in his hair. a quick realization that sae was into low-maintenance girls.

but now, he never entertained any other girl. it was pretty obvious they were starting to get serious about it—have you seen the way he looks at her? thanks aika, i haven’t… i have, and i’m jealous is what you really want to say but you never do because you weren’t about to be some home wrecker.

walking through the halls felt different at this point in time, probably due to way you were already only a school year before becoming a senior… maybe also because you’re still crushing on itoshi sae.

5 years deep and it’s like you’re not even remotely close to getting over him. but what’s it to you when you can’t have him anyway? however, it doesn’t stop a feeling bubble up within you when you see him and his lovely girlfriend, hana.

never took a genius to realize sae wasn’t the biggest fan of physical touch but judging the way he holds her hand—ever so slightly squeezing it—in the hallways during break, looks as if at least 3 years of dating cracks his nonchalant shell.

you didn’t even realize you were staring that hard when rin snaps you out of your jealous daze. “you’re so… lukewarm.” he deadpans at the pitiful frown that’s resting on your face, he knows what you’re staring at.

if rin was going to be honest with you, he isn’t the biggest fan of hana for no particular reason (part of him says it’s because of you, but really, he’s jealous too. ever since his big brother got with her, sae became colder). but he wasn’t cruel like his brother, he wasn’t going to hate a girl like that.

not to be mean but why was he friends with you in the first place? you were 2 grades ahead of him, weird, and in love with his brother. he didn’t have an answer to that but it’s been too long for him to let go.

the hate within you was irrational and you were afraid you might snap. you didn’t want to hate the girl, it was clear she was head over heels for him as well, she just confessed first, right?

meh, if you confessed in her place, you would’ve gotten rejected. now you were moping again. “has she ever been to your house?” a sudden snap of your voice and rin was looking at you again, an annoyed expression appeared on his already annoyed face.

“weirdo. she has, though. big bro doesn’t have training today so either he’s gonna go to her house or she’s gonna come to ours.” he answers, you were now on the verge of tears, as if your heart isn’t already broken…

“can i come to your house…?”

it was a quiet question. not that it was that weird because you’ve stayed over after school. albeit, sae was never around, never. today was a rare chance you might see him there (with his girlfriend). “you’re hopeless.” and he’s already off to God knows where.

he didn’t object to it so you might as well try later after classes. by the time you focused your eyes back to where you last saw sae and hana together, they’ve disappeared. another lonely lunch, great.

twenty minutes was more than enough time for you to finish the small meal you packed yourself earlier this morning but when you’re sitting on a bench in one of the most secluded and quietest (and beautiful) places in school, your mind starts to wander again.

sae never actually addressed you by your name before. when you think about it, you’re only ‘rin’s friend’ to him, nothing more. can’t be mad because it is fair. you never had the courage to talk to him either because he’s so dry.

almost like you’re afraid of him.

why?

why you’re afraid? simple, he’s dry, he’s scary, he probably thinks you’re weird, he has a girlfriend and you’d be a bad guy to disrupt anything, you don’t know what he’s thinking because he’s quite literally unreadable, he’d smart, he’s still popular with the girls but he spares them no time, hana probably flames you online, and he’s a-

no.

huh?

why do you like him.

now you were at a loss of thoughts for someone who believes her mind will never shut up. it’s a great question, why do you like him? is it because he was athletic (you love athletic people…), because you have a thing for your friends’ siblings? it was something deeper in you that you couldn’t dig up.

most of your friends knew about your crush because you would not shut up about it but when he got with hana, you actually shut up for once. the hype died down after you stopped talking about it. but of course, there is someone who still knows—rin.

before you could squeeze another thought in, the bell rings. the first bell rings 5 minutes before class actually starts so students can start packing up to go to their respective classrooms.

did you really spend fifteen minutes on a date with your thoughts? yeah. you looked down at the food that was still rested peacefully on your lap, uneaten and cold. it was unavoidable, you were sad.

funny, you thought you’d be sadder because of the thoughts of sae just now but the real reason was because you weren’t able to eat. even so, you weren’t going to be late to class and you took the cover of your bento box off the side of the bench you weren’t sitting on and closed it.

walking back into the school’s building wasn’t particularly joyful but you managed.

when you sat back in your classroom seat, the first thing you did was reach over to your schoolbag that was hung beside your seat to stuff your untouched lunch into and took out your notebook.

the notebook was boring by itself. a plain front and a wooden back. the contents of the book weren’t much interesting either, notes that varied from being extra neat to being an absolute train-wreck. of course, little doodles of madness appeared in some pages.

there was a pen that was snug on your id lace so you took that. it was a cute pen, the top half was clear for the most part with designs of chibi maruko-chan being splattered randomly. that sounds really weird but to be fair, you did love chibi maruko-chan before knowing sae liked her too.

sadly, the totally random remembrance of the muddy red-head being in the same class as you clicked in you. awkwardly shooting up from being nose deep into writing your notes to look at where he was seated. thank whoever made the seating arrangement… if he wasn’t seated in the front with his back turned to you, he’d probably notice your staring almost immediately.

not saying he didn’t notice. as soon as you went back to writing you could see him slightly turn around to look at you, you truly felt like you dodged a bullet.

the remainder of the school day wasn’t eventful, except for the last class, science. normally you don’t mind the subject but when your teacher mentions something about a pair-work, you perk up.

you know your teacher meant no harm when she used counting off to pair people up. forty divided by two would be twenty so the first half of the class would count up to twenty before it restarts back to one. you’re already beaten up by math so you decide to skip doing your calculations on what number you’d be, sae counted sixteen.

after the twentieth count of the first half, your half began. “ten!” “eleven” “twelve” “thirteen…” “fourteen!” you snickered when you realized one of your class friends got paired up with the guy she’s been eyeing. “fifteen” oh it’s your turn, “sixteen.” oh shit what?

no way you were just paired up with itoshi fucking sae the one time you don’t care. the assignment was to write a research paper about the earth (nature, humans, animals, etc.) but by the time the teacher was done explaining it, the last bell of the day rang, signaling the end of school—you almost cry because it’s finally friday.

it was only natural for you to head out of the classroom before sae did because one, you didn’t have much to pack (actually, neither did he), two, you were closer to the exit, simple as that.

who prayed for you? because as soon as you stepped outside of the border between the room and the corridors, a voice calls out to you. “hey.” it was a simple word that almost made you fold because of who said it.

you turned around and saw the man with ridiculously long bottom lashes looking right back at you. standing there in front of him made you feel like a twelve year old girl again but you suppressed the urge to act like it.

“hi.” you respond back, thankful for the time you took to get ready, being able to pat on some blush because you could feel the heat come up to your cheeks. he takes one more step forward and you had to stop yourself from taking a step back. “you’re rin’s friend, right? you can come over to our house but hana is gonna be there too so i doubt we’ll be able to do anything. feel free to come, anyway.” he said, no hidden intent behind it either.

“yeah. i was planning to go anyway.” you show a smile that isn’t reciprocated. you tried to stop yourself from saying anything else but you couldn’t stop. “hana?” you dumbass. “girlfriend.” was all he said back before walking past you.

stunned.

wow, what manners… it’s cool, though… he respects his relationship and doesn’t entertain you either. still, are you really just his brother’s friend to him? what classmate doesn’t know everyone’s name, wouldn’t matter if it was early in the school year but it’s like a few weeks away from summer… you knew he didn’t bother to care much for school but damn okay…

you walk to the front gate, the afternoon sun warm on your cheeks when you walk outside. surprisingly, rin was actually waiting for you, unlike most times. a creepy smirk is shown through your face.

he’s already looking like he’s going to run away from you. “stop that, you look weird.” he rolls his eyes and you giggle because you know that’s how he normally greets you.

the walk was mostly of you blabbering about whatever and him just slipping in comments, you were like a ransom note that could not be deciphered. of course, you told him about the english thing but he didn’t say much about it, only nodded.

he really only knows me because of you.

“be glad he even knows you.”

i don’t get math

“i’m two grades below you and i can assure you, we already learned that.”

does sae talk to you?

“what question is that? he’s my brother, obviously”

does… does he talk about hana to you?

“…”

the response you got was silence. without a verbal answer, you couldn’t know for sure and honestly, you didn’t have a single idea in your mind. “hello?” you asked like you were in a haunted house, waiting for a response from a ghost. “i guess he does. it rarely happens anymore, he was a lot more open when they first made it official. but whenever he does talk about it, feels like he’s still fifteen.” he actually gave you an answer.

a cheeky grin from you and he was staring at you while walking. “what’s that about?” he’s puzzled and points towards your face and very obvious happiness. “he really loves her.” you sappily say, a tug at your heartstrings has you looking away from him to look at the beach nearby.

sae still makes you feel like you’re an immature twelve year old girl again who first became hopelessly in love with him.

hana makes him feel like a fifteen year old teen again where he knew he had eyes for her, and her only.

you’re an idiot.

and it fucking hurts.

‘i guess so.” was all he had to say before the tears you were trying to hard to blink away came spilling out and went down your cheeks. what a sad way to cool you down from the heat. rin isn’t great at reading emotions, he isn’t great at comforting either but you can feel that he tries.

grabbing the tissue from his bag’s hygiene kit, he hands it over to you and you accept it with a stuffy ‘thank you…’

this is new. you cry over boys all the time but never when sae acknowledges you. he talked to you directly, yet why are you crying? the thin paper in your hand soon becomes unusable after soaking up the tears on your face.

the door in front of you was uncomfortably familiar. it was the door you could open and run into open arms whenever you had family problems at home. you’ve become quite familiar with the itoshi family (except sae because that man is something!). rin fiddles with the stupid keychain (you gave it to him) that holds his home keys and unlocks the door.

rin led you to his room, opening the door and you followed behind him, shutting it. the click of a switch opened the room’s lights. you smiled at the scene. you weren’t the only one who cried. you remember there came a time where rin also had problems with his parents, always choosing his brother over him.

he’s always had some resentment towards sae but they were still brothers, nonetheless.

“do you know when sae is coming home?” you ask but he shrugs. “dunno, ask him. you have his number don’t you?” he sighs and he’s off to his desk and on his phone. you opt to plop down on his bed.

in any other situation, the roles would be reversed but apparently rin had something to do. but hey, a win is a win.

you mentally cringe at his solution, remembering the first time you got his number…

you : hey! just wanted to say good luck on your game tomorrow :)

[seen]

you’re so over it now (you aren’t). he wasn’t with hana at the time of the text yet he didn’t respond, not even bothering to react to it either, jeez he really hated you.

twenty minutes pass and you hear the jingle of keys and a twist of the lock from the front.

the voice you really want to hate announces that they’re home and you hear a girl’s giggle follow quietly. it isn’t long until there’s a knock on rin’s bedroom door. “you there?” it was undeniably sae’s voice.

“yeah.”

the doorknob carefully turns and is swung open.

he’s standing just before the line that separates with the door. even if his stature far exceeds yours, you can still see the very clear figure of a girl behind him, flowing light brown hair, she’s pretty.

you can’t see her clearly but you can imagine how she looks like right now. puppy eyes with gleaming love spread across her cornea, looking up at the back of sae’s head with uttermost nostalgia. you don’t want to think about it again but it’s possible sae makes her feel like she’s fifteen all over again too.

sae is just standing there, scanning over the room before he spots you, splayed on his brother’s bed with your head turned the opposite way, looking at your phone mindlessly (you shifted to this position before he saw you.)

there’s an awkward silence in the room and you don’t want to be the one who breaks it. an eye starts to twitch when someone clears their throat, it was hana. “soo awkward… let’s go to your room, sae.” she giggles lightly. it was like she wanted to egg you on, like she was trying to tease you.

a low hum from sae and the door is shut.

“isn’t he supposed to be your english partner?” rin finally asks, spinning his chair towards his bed. “mhm. but he said we probably won’t get any work done today.” you respond. “you’re hopeless.” and you laugh.

it’s not a lie, you are. as much as it would delight you to lie through you teeth, you’d be lying to yourself too. plus, rin knows already. “yeah.” you admit in defeat before lifting your back to sit. “at this rate, you won’t have a chance.” rin doesn’t hide his disappointment when he says it.

“c’mon rin, did i even have one in the first place?” you scoff sarcastically. the stupid shrug of his shoulders shuts you down completely, you’re tired of chasing a goose you can’t catch, why has it taken you this long to get tired?

you know your parents aren’t worried, would they ever be? because you already told them you’d be at the itoshi house, only getting a thumbs up. it’s quiet again but it isn’t tense.

rin is engrossed in whatever he was doing

you were still mindlessly scrolling on your phone.

don’t think about, don’t think about it, don’t think about it, don’t think about what sae is doing with hana. are they kissing each-other right now? cuddling? holding hands? you don’t know and you don’t want to know… okay you do want to know.

and like some kind of mind reader, rin groans. “thinking about stalking? me too.” he’s already getting up from his chair and the corner of your lips start hurting by how wide your smile is, he really is your best friend.

as stealthily as you guys can, you tip toe towards sae’s room.

kind of like old times when rin would accompany on your sneaky peaks (sae knew what you guys were doing).

something is off. the red head is usually—no—always a private who keeps to himself most of the time so why is his bedroom door slightly open? well, enough for both you and your friend to peak into the room. it’s odd, not only to you but to rin as well, both giving each other a raised brow.

there’s no wrong in kissing your beloved. but something wants you to pop a blood vessel, you’re almost clawing at your palm until you realize how weird you’re being, you calm down slightly.

they’re kissing. who are you kidding? they’re full on making out.

if you were sae’s friend, if you didn’t fester feelings for him, if you didn’t want to cry, you’d probably be there singing the ‘kissing in a tree’ song right now.

but you aren’t his friend, you do have feelings for him, and you do want to cry.

lips already in a fine line as you continue to watch. they’re on his bed and it looks like hana is the one taking the lead. it’s quite a scene to watch, sae is holding himself up using his free hand while the other is on her, snaking around her waist.

hana has her hands all over sae’s chest, knees sucked in by the bed underneath her. it’s weird to watch, they’re entangling the mouths together while also trying to catch their breath, looks painful. you’re already covering your face with your hands, all you could ‘say’ was that you weren’t breathing and you were really flustered.

“ew.” rin utters a bit too loud and you can hear the odd sound of lips smacking stop and turn to silence. rin’s hand gripping your wrist and away from your face to run back to his room is all the conformation you need to know that they caught you guys.

you’re all flustered in the room, wanting to scratch your eyeballs out and erase whatever the fuck they were going to do after that out of your head—damn whys your head in the gutter. rin is almost the same, instead looking less flustered and more of a ‘please rip my eyeballs out, holy shit i need holy water.’ type of look.

that was really really super duper dumb of you guys, and you’re older… why’d you let some stupid curiosity get the best of you, you’re a bad influence.

chest heaving and back against the door, you snatch your water bottle away from your bag that was right next to you. big gulps of water drained down your throat, now you’re out of breath.

“God, that was horrifying.” you breathe out and rin silently agrees with you.

something in your chest is tight again. the fuck?

after that, you don’t plan on lingering in the house too long, knowing damn well sae will probably talk to both of you about it if you’re still there and you do NOT want that. it was a rare moment where rin actually whined about you leaving. he’s normally grumpy pants and does not give a shit but he doesn’t want an awkward talk with your brother.

however, you sheepishly tell him that you don’t want to either and that you’d probably break down anyway. he understood, quietly leading you to the door.

the effort was there but sae also. he was standing close to the entrance with his arms crossed and that ever-so nonchalant look on his face. a small squeak escapes you and you mentally kill yourself right there.

“about earlier.” his voice always has some type of sternness to it, it’s still there but you can feel his sympathy. you wanted to kiss him too. you want to blurt it out and you probably will if you don’t book out in the next ten seconds. looking at an invisible message from your parents ‘come back home’ it read.

“looks like my parents are waiting on me!” you nervously say before opening the door and rush out the house. they can’t even react before you’re off running with crazy speed, adrenaline hits you like a truck when you need it.

the brothers both look at the open door in disbelief. sae is already sighing and walking to close the door. aw shit, you ran away before rin could give back your water bottle. the cute handle, decorated in randomness is still hanging off of his pointer and middle finger. “…her water bottle.” he said and sae is looking at it too.

you wish it was darker in your room. but you hate the dark.

it was the dead of night, phone tucked under you and you’re just hugging your elongated cat plush like you’re going to die if you let go. despite the vibrations from your phone that went off hours ago and is still occasionally vibrating, you ignore it.

maybe you had yourself to blame, you were curious, you snooped, and got hurt. but you know you’re a dick for snooping around, evading some guy’s privacy for your curiosity? ew.

don’t tell your younger self you did that of else you probably wouldn’t be here right now (your younger self would’ve DIED on the DOT) perhaps that is what you want, you don’t need another voice yelling into your ear.

deep down, you know you’re trying to stop their relationship from getting too real for you. it’s always been real, you just need a slap back to reality, you hate it.

really, you hate it so much.

tears dripping down onto the plush and wets the rest of your face along with it. you reminisce about how you lost so much of your youth chasing him, a chase he wasn’t even aware of. grimacing at how many men you turned down because they weren’t sae.

why must he treat you like this?

treat you like he isn’t treating you.

it isn’t his fault he’s in love with ito hana. yet you’re blaming him for your misery, he has you wrapped around his finger, willing to do anything for him, without his knowledge. loving him isn’t ideal, loving him for five, almost six years is miserable.

the question still stands, would he have loved you if you were first?

you’re a cruel man, itoshi sae

he can’t help but think of his phone, him typing nonsense into the text bar before deleting all of it. he wants to apologize, for making you and rin uncomfortable but when his girlfriend is clutching onto him so tightly, he gives in.

[opheliachoi99]

¿ The Villain ?

MICHAEL KAISER X READER ( as Elisse Noa )

ABOUT : a story taking place within the field itself. Whereas Michael Kaiser, and you compete end-to-end over a stupid bet that the emperor made himself. Who would conquer the game? The blue devil or the villainess herself?

PART 1/? ¡Stay tuned!

— The crowd goes wild as Bastard Mūnchen's star player scored their final goal, that kick echoed the whole field.

"GOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL" Ness screamed as his most praised person scored "Tch, I should've scored that goal.." Kiyora scoffed "Hey, at least we won" Hiori added.

Isagi ran towards Kaiser as he was grasping for air after that goal he just executed "Well, that was "our" goal you just did there! Give me five—"

"Yeah you helped me, but who scored? ME. So who's the clown now?" Kaiser interrupted "Rude much- but at least we are the official team to match up for the world cup, I will surely score during that moment." Isagi smirked.

"As if"  Kaiser said as he ran his hand through his hair.

— Timeskip —

"Congratulations Bastard Mūnchen, you devoured the field out there, I am impressed.." Noel praised.

"But.."

"Can you absolutely beat the team you are against with the World Cup?" He finally paced his intimidating look. "Of course we will, right team?" Yukimiya confidently spoke which everyone agreed.

"Especially when our dominating striker is on our team!" Ness proudly stated, which Kaiser just scoffed, "What do you mean "dominating", are you making a joke out of me?"

"No never!" Ness nervously defended himself. "Enough with that." Noel said in a serious tone "I'm being critical here everyone! Because.." He sighed.

...

"I know one person playing in that team.." 

"You "know"? If so, who is he? We're ready to crush him." Isagi fearlessly said. "Yeah? What's so critical about it?" Kiyora questioned.

Kaiser was just observing his team curiously asking questions towards Noel. "Yeah, why bother Noa?" Kaiser drastically added.

"ENOUGH!" Noel slammed his fist on the table, everyone became silent. "I know her because she's my SISTER!"

"Her—!? Sister?! What in the fuckery is this!?!" Kaiser furrowed his eyebrows "Noel... What do yer mean sister?" Hiori curiously asked.

Noel sighed, "My sister is playing against you everyone. You might be wondering "why is there a woman in soccer?" Excuse you! Soccer is for everyone. I mean EVERYONE. I've been waiting for this moment to come." He said with relief in his tone.

Kaiser couldn't understand the situation, and thought of it as a joke, so he let out a loud sarcastic laugh "You're joking Noa. There's no way, we're competing with a girl in the field, what is this? Practice mode?"

"Enough Kaiser. You don't know how me, and my parents raised her. I cannot even imagine—she's a whole different person on field.."

What's with the hype? Tsk.

"Wanna bet?" The first words Kaiser sput out. "If we could win, your sister will never ever, play soccer again."

"Kaiser, that's.. T-too far.." Ness stuttered.

"And what do you do if her team wins?" Noel raised his brows. "One question, is this a women's team?" Isagi asked.

"No. She's the only female in the team."

Shit.

The word that synced with everyone's alter ego.

"Even Anri, and Ego knows. Supposedly she was going to enter Blue Lock. But, due to personal reasons, it was best she wasn't here." Noel stated which send shivers down their spine.

"Fine. If her team wins, I'm asking her out." Kaiser bluntly spoke "I'm sorry?" Noel leaned closer "You? Dating my sister? I don't see it. She's way out of your league kid."

Kid. Kaiser snapped "I can show you we can beat your sister, old man. I don't see the hype here anyway. I'm going to train, I don't wanna hear stupid shits about this woman." He spoke with arrogance and left.

Noel's phone suddenly rang.

"She's calling, everyone, take breaks, we'll have intense training tomorrow, we got two weeks to prepare until the world cup tournament. Dismissed."

— Timeskip —

The same noise surrounds you as people were chanting and cheering from the arena all the way to the inner arena.

Ahh, it feels so good to be back.

As you were doing some stretches before the game starts, your brother Noel suddenly called you. You groan since you hate being disturbed during your warm-ups.

"Bro? What now? I'm stretching." You spoke with annoyance on your tone.

"Sorry 'bout that, I just wanted to say 'good luck' to my one and only sib y'know?" Noel chuckled on the other end of the call "What are you on? We're basically rivals in this game-?" "Oh come on kleine Schwester, we're family! Of course I would support you more—"

"Cut it with the act bro, get straight to the point."

He sighed. "Fine, look.. Someone, ugh! Someone from my team made a bet.. About you, and I HATE IT!" He continuously explained the bet Kaiser made.

"Oh? Why bother? Simple task. Don't worry, I'll handle this "Kaiser" dude you mentioned. Leave it to me." You boldly stated.

"Good luck indeed." You ended the call and proceeded with your stretching with more determination now.

Michael Kaiser, you're going to be ruined as fuck.

To be continued..

[purpleprincessonfyre]

Liane Pissing Off Ji-Hoon and Vice Versa 🔥❄

A tale of two frenemies, featuring @calmbeforezero and cameos from @ask-missparker

WARNING: May contain ice puns, snow jokes and general frenemy fuckery. And mild threat.

Ji-Hoon: This stupid game! How do you keep winning?

Liane: Years of practice...no seriously years.

Ji-Hoon: Dammit!

Liane: Hey Ji...

Ji-Hoon: Don't you dare...

Liane: You could always just...Let it Go...

Ji-Hoon: *leaps up* That's it! I will turn that smiling face into an ice sculpture!

Liane: *runs away laughing*

🔥

❄

*Ji-Hoon showing off a potential new suit*

Liane: You look really stupid.

Ji-Hoon: *grumbles* I feel it.

Mia: He doesn't.

Liane: You look like an absolute tool.

Ji-Hoon: Mia will you tell her?

Mia: Stop it, Felton.

Liane: You look like one of The Incredibles..

Ji-Hoon: *sighs*

Liane: Frozone!

Ji-Hoon: Right if you make one more comment about me in these suits, or just about me in general- listen to me! I am taking those shiny Louboutain heels- you hear me, and I will shove them up your ass! Okay?

Liane: *goes silent*

Mia: Yeah it's just a case of tweaking it here, lengthening the sleeve here, we'll do that of course.

Ji-Hoon: Yeah. It's not bad, is it?

Liane: Yeah it isn't actually. *pause* Jack Frost.

Ji-Hoon: Right c'mere!

Liane: *squeals, running away*

❄

🔥

Mia: Dinner's ready. Liane go get Ji-Hoon from his room- oh wait no-

Liane: Too late! *runs to his door* Ji-Hoon? *knocks five times rhythmically* Do you wanna build a Snow- *gets hit in the face with a lot of snow*

Ji-Hoon: *smiles through the door* Now what did you actually come to say?

Liane: *her eyes glow purple through the snow, melting the snow to vapour with her fire* Dinner's ready...

Ji-Hoon: Excellent.

Mia: *from the kitchen* WHY IS THE SMOKE ALARM GOING OFF!?

Ji-Hoon: She started it.

Liane: Ooh you-

🔥

❄

Ji-Hoon: See, the problem is, Liane, you’re playing 3D chess. I’m playing 4D.

Liane: I’m playing checkers. I don’t know what the fuck you’re playing.

❄

🔥

Liane: We should normalize not loving family members.

Ji-Hoon: You can just say: “I hate my dumb fuck brother” or whatever. Talk like a normal person!

🔥

❄

Ji-Hoon: Are you alright?

Liane: Short answer or long answer?

Ji-Hoon: Short?

Liane: No.

Ji-Hoon: Long?

Liane: Nooooooo.

Ji-Hoon: You skipped therapy again, didn't you?

Liane: I- ugh!

❄

🔥

Ji-Hoon: I think you're still suffering the effects of the party last night.

Liane: All I drank was Redbull!

Ji-Hoon: How many?

Liane: Eighteen.

Ji-Hoon: I will freeze you if I have to.

🔥

❄

*Ji-Hoon and Liane are texting*

Ji-Hoon: Who are you? Someone changed the names in my phone.

Liane: What did they change my name to?

Ji-Hoon: Chosen One.

Liane: Don’t change it back.

Ji-Hoon: BUT WHO ARE YOU?!?!

Liane: I’m the chosen one.

❄

🔥

Ji-Hoon: What the hell is wrong with you?

Liane: I have this weird self-esteem issue where I hate myself but still think I’m better than everyone else.

Ji-Hoon: Pretty sure that's genetic...

🔥

❄

Liane: Why is it so hard for you to believe me?!

Ji-Hoon: ...

Liane: Oh, right. The lying.

Ji-Hoon: And the incessant teasing, the inflated ego, the...pinkness.

Liane: Alright! Geez, just give me the cold shoulder already.

Ji-Hoon: *glares*

Liane: *beams* You love me really.

❄

🔥

Liane: *venting endlessly to Ji-Hoon about their week*

Ji-Hoon, every once in a while: *in a monotone* Wow, that is so wild.

Liane: Are you even listening?

Ji-Hoon, deadpan: Absolutely.

Liane: Okay good. So anyway-

Ji-Hoon: *puts in earphones*

🔥

❄

Liane: *playing Into The Unknown over JARVIS speakers, singing along*

Ji-Hoon: Could you be anymore annoying?

Liane: Yes.

Ji-Hoon: Ask a stupid question...

❄

🔥

Liane: Hey, can you do me a favor?

Ji-Hoon: Sorry, I have to go do literally anything other than this.

Liane: You don’t even have a legitimate reason?

Ji-Hoon: Oh, no, I do.

Liane: Well, what is it?

Ji-Hoon: You see, I simply don’t give a fuck.

Liane: Dammit!

🔥

❄

Ji-Hoon: I'm going to say this very slowly in the hopes you understand. Felton, you can't do this without supervision.

Liane: I am a responsible adult!

Ji-Hoon: *raises brow*

Liane: I am an adult.

Ji-Hoon: You are a problem.

Liane: I'm your problem. For the next forty-eight hours.

Ji-Hoon: Right.

❄

🔥

Liane: *softly singing Frosty The Snowman*

Ji-Hoon: Enough! How dare you mock me in such a manner!?

Liane: Well. How would you like me to mock you? I take requests.

Ji-Hoon: No references to Elsa, Jack Frost, Frosty the Snowman, Frozone or The Snow Queen.

Liane: Well, dammit.

🔥

❄

Liane, peeling a banana: May I take your jacket, sir? Hahahaha.

Ji-Hoon: Do you think other people can’t hear you?

Liane: Do you think you're cool when you act all brooding and snarky?

Ji-Hoon: Yes I do.

❄

🔥

Liane, carrying a box: What would you say if- if I, hypothetically, came home with 7 kittens one day?

Ji-Hoon: …

Ji-Hoon: What’s in the box?

Liane: What woul-

Ji-Hoon: Liane, what’s in the box?

Liane: I think you know.

Ji-Hoon: Felton! You are not a childless cat lady!

Liane: I could be!

🔥

❄

Liane: No, this is not a mess. You know what I consider a mess?

Ji-Hoon: Your life?

Liane: I- well yes, but- shut up!

🔥

❄

Ji-Hoon: Are you tall enough to play basketball though?

Liane: Are you calling me short?

Ji-Hoon: I'm calling you vertically challenged.

Liane: Bite me, Elsa.

Ji-Hoon: Oh you're going down.

❄

🔥

Liane: Good morning!

Ji-Hoon, checking their watch: Barely.

Liane: It's morning somewhere.

🔥

❄

(Liane and Ji-Hoon go undercover)

Ji-Hoon: This is Liane, she's… not my assistant, some other word.

Liane, smirking: I’m his carer.

Ji-Hoon: Yeah, my carer. She cares so I don’t have to.

❄

🔥

Ji-Hoon: Your problem is that you’ve got no common sense.

Liane: I’ve got plenty of common sense!

Liane: I just choose to ignore it.

Ji-Hoon: That's the most coherent and honest remark you've ever made.

Liane: Aww thanks! *hugs him*

Ji-Hoon: I hate you.

Liane: I know.

🔥

❄

Hope you enjoyed! And yes the long one is an adapted version of a scene from Britcom Gavin and Stacey.

Tags: @askstevella @ask-starrk @marvelsfavoriteuncle @ms-tiana-xoxo @rickb-chaos @luna-d-marsh @wizzzardofoz @ethan-lensherr @elzabeth-stark @afterhours-witheli @therealdaydreamstark @spotted-ac-richards @sadiesadieagentlady @trulysummersprivate @jackiequick @gcthvile @blueboirick @aidanxsophxoxo @meiramel @thechoooooosenone

[yourgamemasterthewhiterabbit]

I don't go here but the more I hear about how it works the more I am tempted to write some that outlines how it's basically an alien parasite that functions kind of on top of normal human sexual variance. Like there's some level of symbiosis but like also largely it's aliens finding compatible human hosts for their mating and the various combinations of their sexual variance overlapping with ours. Betas are just incompatible or weren't infected at the right age. I feel like there's something to work with there.

Like the alpha is their "male" and the omega is their "female". It explains away the evolution of it. It explains away the changes to anatomy and addresses the birth thing... If you are a beta you don't KNOW if it's because you are uninfected or if it's because your alien is dormant, or immature, or waiting for -your- hormones to shift.

It leaves open the possibility that the alien could change its sex under different hormone balances, which for some people can change over time or with who they're around. There's fun possibilities because of intersex and trans humans in combination with intersex or bisexed aliens. What if you were an alpha your whole life but being around the wrong guy or girl too much has you getting baby fever? What if you were a beta but being around this one guy is unexpectedly making you horny as hell? You thought "I want to get that man pregnant" was a joke online...

A symbiotic alien could be killed or stolen, a person could be infected with one, they could have theirs changed out on them. Can they body hop voluntarily? There are rumours. Is someone trying to control them or who has access to which ones? Some people have more or less control over what that alien is doing. Some aliens have more or less control over what theirself is doing. Some people are basically mentally one with theirs, others are less willing, others are just less integrated [like you would expect from a human system]. Some aliens are just kind of stupid and hormonal and some are really clever, maybe varies with the alien's age or experience with hosts letting it develop its own awareness. Some humans communicate with theirs in various ways [out loud or mentally]. There are certain physical marks you can get from being infected, as well as the extra anatomy but it's more individual. Maybe the aliens are only fertile at certain times or can control when they are [but are always horny because it's a sex thing... or not! Some human people don't have libidos either!].

An alpha might be compelled to try to infect other people around them with the symbiot or something, maybe only if they sense they are too alone, or have reached a new environment, which could have interesting implications. Maybe that's what some suppressant drugs are about. Some people are straight or gay, or bi or whatever, the same as now.

Maybe whether you were born that way or infected impacts how much control you have or whether you are mentally integrated with yours? Maybe it can only be spread person to person if the potential host is receptive/willing?

It could have some minor other physical impacts like being stronger or having better senses which might make people compelled to tolerate them in the human population or even make them drawn to specific fields or environments or ways of life. Maybe there's a cure so only people motivated to keep them do, because it's too complicated otherwise. Maybe they can save you from certain illnesses or disabilities. Maybe they let you see in the dark. Or breathe in weird environments. Maybe they are trying to take over or maybe we have diplomatic relations with them. It could have werewolf vibes responsible for people likening it to a/o/b from fiction which might even exist in the universe, or that make some people want to keep their parasite around. The aliens could be weirdly similar to how we conceptualize werewolves or vampires when they are combined with humans as a host species. Don't tell me this wouldn't appeal to a lot of people. Maybe the government is trying to keep it under control but no one is listening [we were here for corona yeah?].

It explains how human society could develop basically how it currently did and then suddenly there's all this omegaverse shit slapped on top. The ship/comet whatever got here. We got to the right part of space. No needing to explain how human constructs about sex and gender survived the way they currently are in a world with extra sexes. Character previously uninfected? Too bad!

The potential chaos of it. The potential business as usual and "get back to normal :(" we have seen humanity is capable of... The "don't keep having casual sex while this potentially deadly virus is spreading" we know that no one is capable of, apparently...

What about the period of adjustment when no one knows what the fuck is happening but some people are starting to act like sex-crazed zombies intent on infecting others? [especially if it's a bunch of newly spawned symbiots (I can't call them that if it isn't set in marvel though I don't think, workshopping that) instead of older ones]

Imagine your husband of 5 years starts pestering you about kids when he agreed to not have any when you got married because you don't want to be pregnant, but oh look, you woke up an alpha and he's suddenly questioning the children thing again because he feels decidedly like you could impregnate HIM now. What if shit anti-abortion laws just got passed? Does that apply to all the male pregnancies that are washing over the rich and powerful? What if suddenly people can trans their own gender with the right alien?

I think maybe I'm officially going to develop this alien variation on omegaverse. That sounds fun. I need fun. I don't know. Everything hurts.

I just need to figure out whether I want to do original fiction or set it in an existing universe with scifi elements... The hard part will be getting any feedback from my followers or audience about it that isn't asking for more of one specific good omens fic I don't really want to put the closing chapters on until season 3 is out. This could easily fit into Marvel. It could be at home in star trek. It writes itself in, in many such cases.

saw a tiktok where people are clowning on the concept of a female alphas in het omegaverse. “the biology just doesn’t make sense” yeah okay and leaking donut smelling pheromones out your ass doesn’t make sense either. none of you have the sauce i swear to god

[anxiouslowercase]

sas rh: let eoin survive the fall au » the astronomer philosopher, the earth and the moon

[hauntingblue]

Rewatching act 2.... yeah ISHA WATCH OUT FOR THE CYCLE ISHA!!!!! NOOOOO

[nerime]

my coworkers are being turbo transphobic and literally refuse to listen to answers to questions they fucking ask argh!!! I can just tell you!!! I can just answer you!!!!! I have answers!!! to the ridiculous questions you ask in a mocking way!!!! if you listen for one second I can just fucking explain!!!! 😡😭😡😭