#the other three are hell and i actively think about how much easier it would be if i were dead rather than there

[batsythoughts]

Third up in the Yandere Baby Trapping, the one and only Dick Grayson!

Warnings: Possessive tendencies, manipulative behavior and actions, dubious consent, forced pregnancy (obviously)

Smut under the cut. Minors please do not interact with this post.

Dick Grayson was a bit more lovesick than the rest of his family when it came to your relationship

He had first meet you when he was taking Haley on a walk and she bumped into you

Dick swore he saw a halo glow over your head and flower petals flowing around you when he looked at you

He profusely apologized before asking you out with a bashful grin and dreamy eyes, how could you possibly say no to that face?

That's how the relationship with Dick had started. Now 5 months later, you were spending at least 4 nights at his place every week

He loved spending time with you no matter what was happening. Staying in for a movie, going to the dog park, even just going to the store with you was a beautiful experience for him.

Dick was already imagining the wedding bells as you would walk down the aisle to get married together one day

And hell, the two of you had a pretty healthy sex life that definitely helped him with expressing just how much he loved you

Dick's not even embarrassed to admit that he was the first one to say that he loves you to anyone who cares to hear it

And obviously Haley loved you as well. She got so excited every time you came walking through the door to his place

He was getting ready to ask you to move in with him to make it easier on you since you had quite a bit of your stuff over at his place

Dick had been talking about his plans with a few of his coworkers when one of the officers that was a few years older than him spoke up on his opinion

"I would hold off til the honeymoon phase ends. Me and my old girlfriend moved in too soon. Three months later, she got pregnant and started more fights than were worth it. Now I pay 900 bucks in child support every month. Word of advice, make sure the condoms you use aren't expired."

Most of the others dismissed what the guy said before telling Dick it was a good idea to at least try out

He smile while nodding his head before going about the rest of his shift with a small nagging feeling in his chest

He wasn't too worried about you moving in, you practically lived with him part time

But what did worry him was if a sudden change in the dynamic would pull the two of you apart. And the thought of you leaving him was terrifying to think about

That night when you had come over, Dick decided to just have the conversation with you about what would happen between you both if a baby were to sudden come into the picture

The both of you sat on the couch while putting the wants of the future you both wanted and thoughts for if the situation were to occur sooner than expected

"If we did happen to get pregnant at some point... I wouldn't give up on us, Dick. You're worth fighting for with something like that. But I also don't think it could be a problem since we aren't actively trying. But I it happens, then it happens."

Dick felt as though his heart melted at your words as he beamed while agreeing with you

He was so glad to know that the two of you would still be together if something like that were to happen and that you had already put thought into your response

He went to sleep that night happy as he held you close with Haley snuggled at your feet

It did take him another week to finally ask you to move in, which of course you agreed

Dick was ecstatic that he basically got the rest of your things moved to his place in two days of you saying yes

About a month after moving in together, Dick went to spend a weekend with his family for a new development project Wayne Tech was having

He excitedly told everyone the news of you moving in and how he would make sure to bring you along next time so everyone could see you

And with Dick being the oldest, he casually looked through his younger siblings' respective rooms to make sure they weren't doing anything dangerous or harmful

It was all going fine until he got to Jason's nightstand drawer and found not one but two boxes of condoms

That in itself isn't the problem. The problem was that the condoms were within a month of expiration and it seemed only a couple had been used

Instead of out right rushing out to lecture Jason about responsible sex and getting Bruce and Alfred involved, Dick waited until they were alone to talk

Dick carefully explained the potential dangers of using condom past their prime and that buying in bulk wasn't ever a good idea

Jason, though embarrassed and annoyed by Dick going into his room, said that he hadn't been active recently and forgot about the ones he had in his drawer

Dick relaxed at the fact his little brother wasn't engaging in unsafe sex

He gave Jason a couple bucks to get a new box while saying he would get rid of the ones he had so nobody accidentally used them

Dick truly did mean what he had said. Took both boxes back to Bludhaven with him and was about to throw them in the trash

Just as his hand was about to let go of the box, Dick's mind went back to the conversation at the police station and flashed to the agreement you both had about a sudden pregnancy

He took a second look at the boxes as the gears in his mind turned as he lightly bit his lip

He debated with himself the entire day over if he should throw the condoms away

It would be a waste to just throw them away, wouldn't it?

In an act of uncertainty, Dick put them away in his drawer from the time being

It was only when you came home and began guiding Dick to the bedroom that he saw it as a sign to keep them tucked away in the back his personal drawer to use at a later date

It only took him a month to figure out the time range of your cycle to accurately attempt to get you pregnant

He would always try to go through with it when you were ovulating, but he still pulled out to come when his nerves began to overpower his thoughts

It was three months into living together when you both got back from dropping Haley off for an overnight observation at the vet

Dick was just getting out of the bathroom after taking a quick shower. Wearing only his boxers as he tried walking to his dresser grab some sweatpants to sleep in

He stopped for a second when you both locked eyes and you gave him a relaxed grin

He returns the grin before going over to place a soft, lingering kiss to your lips

Dick pulled away to just have a calm night with the plan of doing nothing but sleeping and cuddling

When he pulled away and felt the breath you let out on his lips, Dick couldn't help as he leaned in for one more kiss

One kiss turned into three which lead to him on top of you in a passionate make out session

He guided his fingers over your body as he took off your clothes . Pulling away only enough to remove them from your body before returning his mouth back to yours

Dick pulled away for a few seconds to catch his breath before placing one more kiss to your lips until moving to reach into his drawer

He hesitated for a second as he grabbed the two boxes of condoms as he debated using them or the new box he had gotten last week

He didn't have the patience to open the new box when he felt your teeth teasingly graze his throat

Dick quickly got the foil packaging open to put the condom on before looking over your body with a look of awe

He teased his fingers over your entrance to make sure that you were ready enough to take him

He leaned down to trail his lips from your stomach upwards to the valley of your breast. Eagerly kissing both of them equally before gliding his tongue over each nipple with a soft groan

"You always look so beautiful, baby. No matter the outfit you wear or what you're doing at the moment. Always so gorgeous for me to love and appreciate."

A few more words of praise came from his mouth before trailing his lips across your collarbone, gently nipping the skin to feel your chest press against his when you gasped

Dick let out a sigh as he moved his head up from your throat before kissing you on the lips as he grinds into you

He pulled away enough to look down as he lined himself at your entrance

Dick couldn't help the moan that passed his mouth when he finally pushed inside, slowly inching himself completely in

He kept his thrusts shallow as he rests one arm beside your head as the other looped beneath your lower back to hold you closer

He took his time rolling his hips in the way he knew made your body tingle in the best ways

Dick smiled when he felt your arms wrap around him, one tangling in the hair at the base of his neck as the other rested in the middle of his back

The soft groans that came from the two of you filled the room as Dick picked up his pace just slightly

His hand clutched the pillow as he began lovingly kissing you again, his mouth barely getting an inch away from yours before diving back in

He felt your hand lightly tug at his hair as your back arched and you pressed against his chest

Dick could tell you were beginning to get close as you move your hand up his back as your nails dig into his skin

He moved away from your mouth before resting his head in the crook of your neck so he could hear all the noises you would make right into his ear

He let out a low groan as he felt you unintentionally rock your hips against his

He felt himself about to orgasm and felt himself holding back as his mind began to get hazy

He was about to pull out like all the times he had done before, but something just felt different this time

Maybe it was the way you held him closer from the back of his head, maybe it was the string of whines flowing from your mouth, or maybe it was the way you were squeezing down on his cock

Dick bit down on his lip when you both came together

He waited a moment before pulling out with a sigh while rubbing your side

He littered kisses across your collarbone, neck, and face while talking you back down from your high

After a couple of minutes before Dick got up from the bed to get you cleaned up and into fresh clothes before doing the same for himself

That night, Dick went to sleep with a smile as he held you close while drifting off to sleep

His mind finally came to the conclusion that he would finish the box, and if anything happened then he would live with any consequences that came along

After that, Dick wasn't hesitant to use the remaining condoms while knowing that things would work out eventually

It was about three months since he had began going through with his thoughts before something happened

You both were in the kitchen making dinner, just chatting away until you suddenly got quiet with your mouth agape

Dick asked what was wrong as your eyes looked down at the floor as you mumbled about how you were late

He felt his heart race while asking if you were sure, to which you gave a hesitant nod

He didn't even hesitate to grab his jacket and wallet to go to the drug store a block away

He went to the women's health section and scanned the option before settling on a digital test that said was 98% accurate

When he went to the register to pay, the guy who was the cashier gave him a weird look about how excited Dick was to buy it

He told Dick he hoped the results were the ones that he wanted in a sarcastic little comment

Dick didn't pay any mind to the comment before grabbing the box with a lopsided grin

"Dear God, I hope so."

It was less than 10 minutes before Dick was back at the apartment to see you finishing up with dinner with Haley sat next to your feet

He went over and placed a comforting hand on your shoulder while holding out the box for you to take

You took it from him and started to head to the bathroom, which Dick followed close behind with Haley trailing along

When getting to the bathroom, you tried to tell Dick he wouldn't want to watch you pee on the stick, but he said he wanted to support you through the entire process

Cue to Dick sitting on the floor with Haley on his lap as he holds your hand while looking at you with adoration

When you were done, you washed your hands before sitting down on the floor beside him

You both stared at the little stick while waiting for the results to come up in the small window

After three agonizing minutes, the blank screen displayed the bold word 'Pregnant' for all to see

Dick just stares at it for a moment with his mouth parted before turning his head to you

Your gaze remained on the test in your hand as you kept quiet

Dick hesitantly called your name before you finally looked away. Staring at him for a second before a joyful smile spread across your face

"We're having a baby."

The both of you start laughing while hugging each other, Dick pressing kisses to anywhere he could reach

It took a few minutes before either of you got up from the bathroom floor because of how exciting the news was

When you did finally get up, Dick began fussing over all the things that you would immediately need for your health as he got your plate ready with a little extra food

That night before going to sleep, Dick was eye level with your stomach while lifting your shirt up to rest his forehead against your skin while happily talking about all the things he would do as a dad when the baby got there

He kept rambling for about 10 minutes until he shifted back up to hold you close with one hand on your stomach

The next couple of weeks consisted of making the appointments you would need, getting all the prenatal medicines, finding a doctor that would be good enough for the both of you

Dick had even brought multiple of those custom made matching shirts that some expecting parents get as a way to announce the whole pregnancy to friends and family

He even got a couple for Haley so she could be apart of it

That's exactly what the both of you did the next time he went to Gotham and you were able to go along with him

He had went into the manor first with the bags wearing a sweatshirt that said 'Protecting Precious Cargo'

Damian and Jason were the first ones to notice him walk in and they began poking fun at Dick being so smitten to get couple shirts

The rest soon noticed and began inquiring about where you were to which Dick said you were just taking Haley out before coming in to see everyone

The door opened as if on cue as Haley came rushing into the room to excitedly greet everyone with a onesie with 'Precious Cargo's Big Sister' on the back

They all looked at Dick confused until you came walking into the room with a hoodie that was a few sizes up from your regular fit

On the stomach area of said hoodie read, very boldly, 'Carrying Precious Cargo'

It all goes quiet for a moment until Alfred goes over to give his congratulations

The others soon followed with their own happiness of the news as you give a nervous smile from the attention

As the other talked to you about a few things regarding the baby, Bruce went over to Dick while asking if everything was clear between you both about the commitment and responsibility that came with a baby

Dick nodded while watching you with a smile while saying you both had previously talked in case the situation were to arise like it had

His favorite moment of your whole pregnancy wasn't announcing it to his side of the family though

It came a couple months after that trip when you were laying in the bed while Dick worked on putting together the bassinet to use for the bedroom until moving into either a house or bigger apartment

You were working on making an appointment for the maternity photos with Haley laying down with her head on your slowly growing bump

Everything was quiet until Haley let out a startled whine while sitting up and looking at your stomach with a small head tilt

Dick quickly shoot up while asking if everything was alright as you took a deep breath while looking down

He was about to ask again until Haley gave a small bark before poking her nose against your stomach as her tail began wagging

You looked at Dick with a shocked look before looking at your stomach again

"I think... I think the baby's moving."

Within seconds, Dick is sitting on the bed beside you with a hand resting on your stomach as the three of you wait to see if it will happen again

He was about to give up after a few minutes of waiting until he felt the most beautiful sensation he would ever know

It wasn't too strong, but he felt a gentle movement under his palm

He looked at you as if you crafted the stars in the sky as he then felt a more prominent kick under his hand

The laugh you gave from the feeling was a beautiful melody as Haley gave another excited bark while jumping around on the bed before nudging your stomach again

Dick grinned while leaning down to give you a quick kiss before placing both hands on your stomach while moving to rest his head on the bump

"You had us scared, little one! Mama and Daddy weren't expecting you to start kicking up a storm so suddenly! Definitely wasn't expecting you to be so active just yet."

He laughed when he got another soft kick in response to his words before gently kissing your stomach

"I can't wait for you to get here, little one. Daddy will take good care of you and your mama until my last breath."

He felt your fingers entangle in his hair which led him to let out a small hum

Turning his head, Dick looked at you while still rubbing you stomach in a soothing motion

Yeah, Dick was confident that he made the right choices to lead you both to this moment

[goquokka00]

The Roomie Effect

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Summary: You're roommates with your friend Jisung and his boyfriend, Minho. The downsides? You're attracted to both of them, and they're a fairly...active couple. Little do you know; they're also attracted to you. And they want you to be in their relationship with them.

Pairings: Jisung X Reader (F!) X Minho

Genre: Fluff, humor, non-idol au but Stray Kids still knows each other, smut (MDNI)

Warnings: Mentions of sex and alcohol, "vaping" (reader uses diffuser sticks like pure and cloudy, so no nicotine), reader is a bit of a perv! at some points, anal sex (male x male), Sub! Jisung, Hard Dom! Minho, handjob

Word Count: 4.3K

You still remember when Jisung brought up rooming with him. It had been a pretty calm day, the two of you deciding to hang out because of that reason. You did as you both did, causing mischief, being unhinged, the works. After all, you two were really close friends. Sure, you both had your friend groups, but they weren't the same as when you two were hanging out.

Then again, both of your friend groups were more like one big friend group you two had accidentally created. But, everyone got along. And it was always fun when everyone decided to meet up.

Even so, you and Jisung still loved hanging out together, just the two of you from time to time. And that's what you two did that day, before deciding to grab some lunch. You both decided on that one cafe that you both always enjoyed, sitting down and ordering before visiting with each other.

It was your usual conversation. How classes were going, how life was going. You always asked how his relationship with his boyfriend, Minho, was going as well, mainly because you loved seeing how Jisung's face always lit up whenever he talked about him.

His face only seemed to do that for Minho.

While it stung, you always chose to ignore it. Sure, you liked Jisung, but you had accepted that he just didn't see you like that. And it's not like Minho was a bad boyfriend. No, no, no, Minho was an incredible boyfriend. Loving, considerate, loyal. It was everything you wished for in a man. Course, he was really handsome, too. Jisung deserved someone like that in his life.

But as the conversations went on, and after receiving your food, a new topic spurred on how you were looking for somewhere to live. You had previously been living in the dorms of the college you and Jisung were going to. You were a freshman then anyway, so living at the dorms was a requirement for first years. But you weren't about to live there again. No way in hell.

And the moment that you started complaining about how much you loathed the dorms and wanted to live anywhere else, but apartments were too expensive, Jisung hopped at the opportunity that he saw open right up in front of him.

"Why not just live with me and Minho?" Jisung offered. He had a bright smile on his face, eager to talk you into this idea.

"What?" You asked, raising a brow. "No, I can't do that to you two."

"You make it sound like you're going to burden us." Jisung responded, laughing a bit.

"Don't I already since I always bother you with questions on homework?" You asked again, Jisung shaking his head. While it was true you went to him a lot, since he was a year above you going for a similar major you were (He was going for Music Production, you were going for Music Performance), but it never bothered him.

"You already know I don't mind. And besides, wouldn't it make things easier since you'd have me just down the hall?" Jisung asked you, stuffing some more food into his mouth. "Just think about it. It would lower the rent payments for both Minho and I, and it would be low for you, too. You'd have your own room and bathroom, access to me who can help you with stuff right away, and you'd get to eat Minho's cooking. You'd have room to bake and people to eat what you bake, two people who could buy you alcohol, and you'd get to see me every day!"

"Oh god."

"Hey! Don't make me sound like a nuisance!"

"You kind of are though."

"No, I'm not!" That just made you laugh, Jisung just laughing with you. Once you two settled down, he continued. "In all seriousness, we'd be happy to have you. Especially if it'll make your life easier."

"I don't know..." You responded. You just didn't want to burden the two, especially since you didn't know Minho as well as you knew Jisung. "I mean, I don't want to intrude on you or Minho. Does Minho even know you're offering?"

"I can talk to him about it. I'm sure he'd be perfectly fine with it." Jisung told you, smiling proudly. "Besides, I'm pretty convincing when I want to be."

"So you're gonna let him fuck you, right?"

"NO!"

"You totally are."

"Y/N!"

Again, you laughed at his red face, finding how he hid it in his hands adorable. Jisung was always adorable in your eyes, though. But after he let out a sigh, he lifted his head, giving you a pleading look.

"Could you at least think about it?" Jisung asked, which made you sigh. He knew you couldn't say no to him.

"I'll think about it."

And think about it you did. You spent days deciding if it was really a good idea to move in with Jisung and Minho. Jisung had a lot of good points, but the fact of the matter was that you already secretly liked Jisung, you had for a while now. And you knew Minho was attractive too. So it would probably only be a matter of time before you caught feelings for him as well.

You also knew just how...active...the two were. Any time you and Jisung would drink together, Jisung would be a lot more open about him and Minho, which meant you heard quite a bit about their sex life. And it seemed that they did it often. And that meant that more than likely, you'd be hearing your friend whining and moaning some nights.

And you knew that would only make your little crush get worse.

But, after writing down all of the pros and cons on an index card, the pros that Jisung mentioned, as well as the ones you thought of, outweighed the cons. And so, you let Jisung know the following morning that you'd be willing to move in. So long as Minho was okay with it.

He was.

And so, you found yourself meeting with both of them a few days later to go over some paperwork, chores list, all sorts of stuff. You were actually pretty surprised when Minho asked you if there were any rules you'd like to have, as you weren't expecting that.

"Rules?" You asked, Minho nodding as he kept his arm around Jisung, who was currently scrolling through some form of social media.

"Yeah, y'know, like those terms and agreements you had to fill out at the dorms." Minho said, pulling out his and Jisung's agreement they had made. You were shocked they even had one. "Ji and I decided to write one when we first moved in together. We may be dating, but we both still have our boundaries."

With that, you took the agreement, reading over everything that was currently on it.

If you're gonna invite people over, make the other person aware and make sure it's okay first

If you make a mess anywhere, be sure to pick it up

If it's labelled with a name, don't touch it

Be sure to knock before entering

Make sure to turn lights off in the bathroom and leave the door open so others know it's available

Shoes stay at the entryway

Anytime there's finals week, apartment is to stay as quiet as possible

"I mean, I don't think there's anything I'd want to add." You tell him, smiling up at him. "It seems pretty fair."

"You sure? Nothing about privacy or needing us to tone things down?" Minho asked, pulling Jisung closer to him. He was pretty surprised that you didn't have much to say about that. "We do tend to get kinda wild."

"No, it's fine. I mean, I have noise-cancelling earbuds for a reason." You tell him, giving him a kind smile.

"She had a roommate last year that would always bring people in and would be loud, so she had to resort to that method of studying." Jisung told him, kissing his cheek. Minho then shot you a concerned look.

"Really, if you want us to dial down, we can--"

"Minho, it's fine, really. I'm the one moving in with you guys, you two don't have to change a thing. And if you get loud, I can just plug in. It's not the end of the world." You tell him. That was the end of the conversation.

And before you knew it, you were moved in and all set for the next fall semester.

Jisung could hardly wait for you to move in, so as soon as you were able, him and Minho helped you out. So you ended up moving in a few weeks before school actually started. That way, you could adjust to your new surroundings, as well as get to know Minho a bit better.

All in all, their apartment wasn't bad. Actually, you really liked the place. You had been inside of it a few times before, but usually just in the entryway to pick Jisung up before going and hanging out. But now that you'd be living there, you were really able to take in the beauty of their-well, your home.

They had a really nice sized window in the living room, which brought in a lot of natural lighting. Their kitchen was a nice size as well, having an island and two ovens. Perfect for baking. They also had a decent sized TV with a switch, a nice coffee table and coffee set up, and some greenery and blankets tossed over the couches.

Your room was really nice, too. You spent a lot of time on it, hanging fake vines on the wall of your desk, a nice whiteboard calendar just above your face so you could see the upcoming days. Pens and pencils and markers and all sorts of utensils were put into holders alongside your desk, as well as your laptop stand and a few other things to make it more home-y.

Your bed was made neatly with a few pillows with mushroom decor, an LED mushroom light hung near your own window, and a few other decorations were scattered here and there to really make the room feel like yours.

It was when you were just finishing up with getting everything on your bed figured out when Jisung knocked, getting your attention. You turned and opened the door, only to find Jisung and Minho carrying Jisung's old Clavinova keyboard.

"Hey! Thought you might want this to tie your room together!" Jisung said, carrying it in with Minho, setting it against a wall.

"Wait, are you serious?" You asked, looking at him in awe.

"Jisung bought a newer one over the summer, and he figured that since you always wanted a Clavinova, he could just give it to you for your birthday or something." Minho explained.

"But since you're moving in, I figured that it could be your move-in gift! So, do you like it?" Jisung asked as you gently scooted it up to your wall, admiring it with everything else.

"I do. I don't even know what to say." You said, smiling to Jisung before giving him a hug. "Thank you so much, Ji!"

You missed the blush that covered his face, as well as the big smile that he gave Minho, who smiled just as widely back.

||

"I told you that she'd love it." Jisung told Minho as they settled back onto the couch. They were waiting for you to finish up with getting settled, as Minho wanted to make sure you were done before cooking.

"I never said she wouldn't, Ji." Minho replied, pulling his boyfriend close. "I just thought that it might take up a bit of space, was all."

"But did you see the look on her face? She was so happy, Min!" Jisung told him, Minho just smiling as he moved Jisung to his lap. Jisung happily went into it, making himself comfortable.

"She was, yes." He said, kissing Jisung's forehead. "I'm still so surprised that she didn't have any rules against us messing around."

"Y/n's like that. She never really wants to make anyone mad at her, so she usually goes with what she thinks other people would like best. She's a people pleaser, I guess you could say." Jisung explained, moving Minho's hair out of his eyes. "It's why she compensated for the noise in her dorm rather than telling them to knock it off. She does voice her complaints, though."

"But I'm assuming it's to people who aren't involved?" Minho asked, Jisung nodding.

"Yeah." Jisung responded. "I heard about how much she hated her last living arrangements a lot, and when I brought up that she should ask them to tone it down, she just responded that she didn't want to make them mad, so she'd just put up with it."

"Hm." Minho turned back to look at your room, seeing that you haven't left it, yet. He turned back to Jisung, bringing his head down to kiss him lightly. "Then let's make a new rule. We can only fool around when Y/n isn't here."

"I was gonna say we should do that." Jisung smiled, kissing Minho again.

But something deep inside both of them knew that the rule wouldn't last.

||

It was the 2nd week of the fall semester. You were already stuffing your nose into books, listening to music to memorize it, doing Music Theory and pitch practice, everything that required your full attention. Then again, that's how college seemed to work. They bombard you with homework, drowning you so deep that it's hard to come back out on top.

But, in your time of living with Jisung and Minho, you had actually started getting more and more comfortable around them, as well as living with them. You and Jisung seemed to get impossibly closer, spending time at the counter working on homework, as well as in either of your rooms working on things for the one class you both shared that involved singing.

Your feelings also grew for him, as well as his boyfriend.

Minho, as you thought, was much more down to earth, but was kind and caring. He always made sure you had eaten, gotten good rest, and would always be willing to listen to you if you had to vent. He was also sarcastic, a little bit of a trickster, and would threaten to either stuff your mouth with tissues or stick you in an airfryer and cook you at 390° for 15 minutes.

Jisung had a setting, too. 325° for 20 minutes.

Minho was also very blunt. He said what was on his mind whenever he pleased, and he didn't care how it made others feel. Whether that be insulting certain people he went to class with or complimenting you.

It was one thing to be complimented by Jisung, since he did it so much and it was usually just as a joke-like way. Then again, you could tell when he was genuinely complimenting you, as he would always sound awe-struck, no giggles or funny looks coming from him.

Minho was a completely different story.

When Minho complimented you, it was 100% serious. How did you know that? Because it was fucking Minho, he never complimented anyone or anything unless he thought they needed to know.

And that only made your feelings grow for your friend's boyfriend.

It made you feel awful. For one, you liked your friend. And he was dating someone. You knew that, and yet you couldn't stop your feelings. You couldn't accept that he was your friend, for whatever reason. What's worse is you liked his boyfriend, too. You wanted to be with both of them. Really badly.

Sometimes, late at night, you'd think about it. What it would be like to be in a polyamorous relationship with the two of them. Sometimes, it really felt like that. But, you knew it wasn't true. They were together, you were just their roommate and friend. But most of the times, you'd table your feelings. Well, you tried to, anyway.

Such as nights like this, when you'd be working on your homework. Peacefully doing Music Theory, trying to figure out chord progressions and whether you could use a Contrary Motion or a Common Tone to change it. You were focused in, moving steadily along.

Until you could hear Jisung whining.

You knew you should've reached for your airpods, pop them in and ignore the sounds being made. They weren't for your ears. You knew it would make your feelings worsen. But...you couldn't help it. Hearing Jisung whine like he was, it made your chest tighten. He sounded so pretty, even if it was because he was whining for Minho to do something, anything to him.

You decided that you'd take a break then, just-just wanting to listen. Hear how things would play out. You wouldn't do anything, you wouldn't touch yourself, you wouldn't distract yourself with blaring music.

Jisung's whines turned into moans. A gasp, and then a long groan of satisfaction. You didn't know why he sounded so pleased, but you could assume some things. Perhaps Minho entered him? Maybe Minho was actually complying and jerking him off? You didn't know, but soon, Jisung's moans picked back up, sounding so beautiful.

You could feel yourself gushing at the sound.

God, you hated yourself. You felt like a pervert, listening to them like this. This was private, this was supposed to be intimate between the two of them. You had to stop. You needed to stop.

It was hard to, but you did.

You ripped yourself from listening, grabbed your airpods, and stuck them into your ears before playing Lofi as loud as you possibly could. You then reached for one of your diffusers, putting it into your mouth and taking a puff before breathing in and letting it out, watching the vapors leave your mouth.

It always looked so satisfying to you.

You repeated the process, leaning back on your chair and closing your eyes, taking the time to remove those dirty and perverted thoughts from your mind.

||

"Fuck, Min, I--mmph!" Jisung was immediately cut off by Minho's hand going right over his mouth. Jisung was folded in half, his cock being jerked off by Minho as he slammed into him, hitting right up against Jisung's prostate, making Jisung's hips buck.

"Shut it, unless you want Y/n to hear you." Minho warned. Instead of Jisung doing so, he just moaned louder. Minho could feel his cock twitch at the mention of Y/n being able to hear, his tight little hole clenching around him. "You like that idea? You want Y/n to hear how much of a slut you are for my cock?"

Once again, Jisung moaned out, tears going down his face as Minho continued to fuck into him. He practically cried out when Minho gripped his cock's head, gently applying pressure to it with his thumb. Jisung's hands shot up to Minho's hands, holding on tightly.

"God, I know you like her, but you know she's studying. You don't want her to get distracted with me fucking you so well, right?" Minho told him, removing his hand to hear Jisung. He knew full well that you could probably hear him, too. Well, unless you hadn't put your airpods in yet.

"Min--oh my god, Min, feels so-so good, you're cock...oh my GOD, your cock is so good, s' so big, it-it's...ugh it's rubbing my prostate so fucking well, Min--" Jisung's babbling was immediately cut off with a kiss from Minho. Their kiss was so sloppy, their tongues dancing as Jisung's drool dripped from the side of his mouth, but he didn't care.

Jisung liked things messy.

"P-Please, Min, y'gotta--gotta go faster...please, harder...M-Min, god, pppllleeeaaassseee!" Jisung begged, only to be met with a slap to his dripping cock, which wanted release so desperately.

"You're such a fucking brat, you know that? I'm giving you a good fuck and you can't be grateful?" Minho then gripped Jisung's cock, a tad bit roughly, but Jisung didn't seem to care. Instead, he wailed, his hips bucking as Minho kept a tight grip on him, not moving his hands. "Does Y/n know how much of a brat you are in bed? Hm? Maybe I should take a video and send it to her, see how she'd react."

"M-No, please, M-Min I--...s-sorry, please, I-I'm so sorry, just--I need it, please..." Jisung whined, Minho just smirking, slowing his pace, just barely pulling out before slamming all the way it, making Jisung cry out, a sob following when Minho didn't move.

"You're going to stay there and warm my cock while I jerk you, got it?" Minho growled. His hand slowly started to move, his thumb brushing over Jisung's cock, which made Jisung moan out loudly, his hips squirming.

"N-No, no no no, I--please...m'sorry, want you to move, p-please, Min..."

"Why should I? You've been a brat, thinking about your best friend while you're boyfriend's right here, fucking you good just like you wanted." Minho stated, pressing firmly onto Jisung's cockhead again, making Jisung cry out, bucking his hips up, only to be held down more by the weight of Minho's body. "Not to mention how you tried to order me around."

"I-I'm sorry, please, I just--"

"You just what?"

"Y-You've been think--ah...thinking about how it would be to be with her too...Oh, fucking--Min..."

He had been. Minho thought about it a lot, actually. Through the time he had gotten to know you, he couldn't help but notice how much he was attracted to you. Your laugh, your smile, your gorgeous eyes. The way you were so sweet, and while you were a people pleaser, you weren't scared to voice your opinions about certain things to those who were uninvolved.

He didn't even realize how his dick twitched at the thought of you under him until Jisung pointed it out.

"S-See? Minho Jr. agrees with me--Oh, fuck!" Before Jisung could even laugh at the joke he had made, Minho went right back to ramming himself into Jisung, which made him wail out. His hands flung to Minho's back, scratching him as Minho made sure to hit his prostate over and over, sending Jisung through the roof. "Fuck! I-I'm gonna cum, please oh please oh please, Min, gotta cum, need to--"

"Then fucking cum." Minho growled out.

And who was Jisung to disobey?

Jisung immediately wailed, his hips bucking up as his cum spurted out in thick white ropes, going onto his lower abdomen and chest as Minho rode him through it. The second Jisung's orgasm ended, Minho felt his quickly arising. He was quick to pull out, hovering his own cock over Jisung's as he pumped his hand over it, his brows furrowing.

"Oh my god, Min, please...cum on my cock, please, make it pretty just like you always do, want it so bad..." Jisung begged. And that was the last straw for Minho to blow, shooting his load onto Jisung's cock, just as he asked. And soon after, Minho fell beside Jisung, trying to catch his breath as he took Jisung into his arms.

"Don't...Don't EVER refer to my cock as Minho Jr. again. Ever." Minho growled, Jisung just smiling innocently.

"What, you didn't like me calling it that?" Jisung asked, looking down at Minho's softening cock, gently dragging his finger over it, making Minho hiss. It made Jisung smile.

"No. I didn't." Minho told him, before kissing Jisung's head. Jisung smiled at that too, going to rest his head on Minho's chest, his smile slowly falling. Minho caught that, which made him concerned. "What is it?"

"Are you mad that I thought about Y/n?" Jisung asked, looking up at Minho. Minho just sighed, pulling Jisung closer.

"I'm not mad, Ji. I'm about as guilty as you are." Minho told him. "My cock betrayed me as much as yours did for you. And if that didn't, then me constantly bringing her up sure as hell did."

"I feel bad, thinking about her while having sex with you." Jisung told him, nuzzling his plush cheek into Minho's chest. "But...she's so nice, and kind, and-and she's pretty. She's really funny, and she deserves everything that I'm getting with you."

"But you want to be the one giving it to her, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Would it make you feel better if I told you I was in that same position?" Minho asked him. Jisung lifted his head up, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Really?" Jisung asked, watching his boyfriend nod.

"I am, yeah." Minho told him, kissing his forehead. "It's like you said, Y/n is a people pleaser. And she does one hell of a good job if she caught you and I into her trap."

"So then, do we go Polyamorous?" Jisung asked. His eyes immediately shimmered with hope, wanting to do that so badly. Being able to be in a relationship with both you and Minho sounded like pure heaven to him. "I can go and ask right now, and--"

"Hey, calm down, baby." Minho laughed a bit, patting Jisung's head. "It's late. And as much as I'd love to go Poly with you and her, it's better we wait until I know her better, and we both know what she's comfortable with. We don't want to rush her into making any big decisions too quickly."

"Yeah, I guess you have a point."

"And we both know that I always give you wobble-leg whenever I fuck you like that."

"Minho!"

"What? It's true, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah, but--"

"Then you're gonna be patient, baby." Minho concluded. He leaned down and pecked his lips, before getting up, leaving Jisung confused.

"And where are you going?"

"To start a bath for you and new sheets. You can't sleep with jizz on you, and you already got a lot of it on the bed. Hot water also helps with--"

"With soreness, yeah, yeah, yeah." Jisung mumbled. With that, Minho smiled, going over to Jisung and pressing his lips to his, making Jisung hum contentedly.

"I love you, don't forget that. Okay?" Minho asked, Jisung nodding.

"I love you too."

Hey! Firstly, thank you so much for reading this post, and I really hope you enjoyed! If you did, please like, reblog, or comment so I can see how I'm doing with writing and getting feedback! I hope you have a lovely day! Sleep well, stay in good health, and eat something if you haven't! ❤️❤️❤️

[belphegorbillickin]

Obey Me! Love Languages (+Side Characters)

(CW!): Yandere-ish behavior in the Levi, Diavolo, and Belphie sections. Diavolo is the worst out of the three.

Lucifer:

Nothing makes Lucifer much happier than simply spending time alone together, especially in bed.

(He practically jumps you every Devilgram I swear.)

He's more than willing to keep chaste if that's what you prefer though. Lucifer cherishes any and all time you spend with him.

He prefers to go somewhere private with you, where he can let his guard down completely and tell you exactly how much he appreciates you, but he enjoys calmer, more "mature" dates as well.

You don't even have to talk to each other, simply spending time together makes his (shriveled, blackened) heart swell and tension ease.

Although if you'd like to completely remove his tension…

(Have I mentioned that this man is even more desperate than Mammon and Asmo combined? Give this ancient babygirl a hug and a back massage.)

You may or may not be as busy as he is, but he still sees you being willing to spend what little time you both have together as a big gesture.

It certainly is for him at least, as he's far too busy to entertain someone he doesn't truly care for.

It may sound odd coming from an effectively "ageless" being, but time is honestly his most limited resource.

Lucifer's too much of a perfectionist and control freak to let you do anything big, but he deeply appreciates anything you do to make his life easier.

Even something as small as bringing him breathtakingly bitter hell coffee or a pen he forgot brightens his day considerably.

Of course, being the Avatar of Pride, he's more than happy to receive any and all compliments you give him.

They're not exactly uncommon, but he feels they sound so much sweeter coming from your lips.

(Lips he would love to kiss if you'd just let him…)

You know you've made it when Lucifer allows you to see his vulnerable side and trusts you enough to ask for help with the more serious, complicated tasks.

Something no other human, demon, or angel, will likely ever have the privilege of experiencing.

Mammon:

It's canonically stated that whoever he loves is showered in riches, and I don't believe it's just from his latent power.

What better way for the avatar of greed to show he loves you than to be selfless and give you what's his?

Anything that reminds him of you is already in his hands before he can even think about it, paid for or not.

It can be something as simple as a pretty flower or a giant piece of furniture he thinks you'll look great relaxing in.

It's a shame it won't fit in your room, but that just means you'll have to come visit him in his more often. He totally didn't plan that though! (You know he did.)

He's also a huge showboat and always tries to go for the most extravagant options even if it doesn't actually add anything either of y'all would like.

Mammon was already pretty horrible at budgeting, but after becoming infatuated with you it's almost like he's actively trying to get into a ridiculous amount of debt with everyone.

It's only because he desperately wants to impress you and show how much you mean to him, by any and all means possible.

Of course Mammon would love to receive some gifts in turn, but I feel like, unless they were homemade or otherwise really special, he'd start to take it for granted and complain when it's not expensive enough.

It's not that he means to take advantage of you or doesn't appreciate it, but he is the Avatar of Greed after all, and you're feeding into it.

What really makes him feel loved is when you defend him publicly and happily turn down the others to spend more time with him.

He doesn't mean it in a nasty way unlike some demons, *cough* *cough* Levi & Belphie, but the way his brothers have treated him has worn on him a bit.

You know you've made it when Mammon finally feels secure enough to say he loves you with zero hesitation.

Alone, in front of his brothers, even in front of Simeon and Diavolo and the others. He'll scream it from the rooftops if you want him to.

Leviathan:

Leviathan is actually very generous. He's offered to buy things for his brothers and MC surprisingly often.

It makes sense in a way, as he doesn't really have to do much to maintain it. He can just drop the gift and run when he's nervous, rather than having to stay still while holding your hand or possibly tripping over his words and getting rejected when he tries to say something nice.

I bet he feels as though even if someone didn't like him they would at least like the gift, and then maybe they'll eventually like the source of all the gifts as well.

I could definitely see Levi trying to "buy" your love even if he doesn't realize it.

He's also very helpful when he wants to be, Satan even listed him as his most reliable brother.

It makes him feel good to do things for other people and again, he feels like maybe people will like what he does for them even if they don't like him the same way.

It's not as though he hates compliments and any other loving comments, but he's never really going to believe them until you've already "proven it" through your other actions.

If anything it has a very high chance of backfiring if that's your main way of showing affection, especially if you're a kind person in general.

Levi has got a nasty habit of twisting everyone's words against them and he's not gonna kick it anytime soon, regardless of any reassurance you give him.

His insecurities are far too deeply rooted and connected to his very existence as the Avatar of Envy to be soothed so easily.

Even gifts are a much better way into his heart, if you take the time to research his collection and support his hobbies that is.

Not only did you take the time to listen to what he says, but you spent all that time and effort tracking it down, waiting in line, or staying at the website refreshing repeatedly until you could buy it.

It shows him you're fully supportive and not embarrassed to be seen as a "weeb." That you won't pretend to not know him in public when he freaks out the latest Ruri-chan merch and proudly displays it on his person.

What really makes Leviathan believe you love him is getting jealous over him and turning down the others to be with him.

Especially if you made plans with them first and then ditched them for Levi when he threw a fit.

It's very mean-spirited, unlike Mammon who mostly wants reassurance. As Leviathan actually wants to feel them hurting, but again, he's a demon and The Avatar of Envy at that. Take the most jealous, unreasonable, and controlling person you know and multiple it by a thousand. That's what he has to deal with in his head 24/7, and though he does a very admirable job of keeping them as thoughts rather than actions, it's still a very heavy strain and things do slip out.

Levi will end up throwing a fit if you try to restrict his Ruri or TSL time out of jealousy, but any H-games and etc. are fair game so long as you promise to pick up the slack.

He'll even stop going to idol meet and greets for you, but it's only fair you start restricting your time with other people (including his brothers) in return, right? Right?

…Yeah, good luck handling that.

You know you've made it when Leviathan feels confident enough to regularly initiate physical contact and casually ask for your time and affection.

It's not that he doesn't like it, he's completely touch starved and has been fantasizing about initiating for a while, it's that he's completely sure he'll be rejected or mess it up somehow.

Or that it'll become overstimulating and he'll hurt your feelings by abruptly breaking it off when it suddenly becomes too much.

It means that you've brought his self-esteem up quite a bit, that Leviathan finally trusts that you won't suddenly make fun of him. That you actually like him for who he is and not in spite of it.

Satan:

Satan likes to show his love through gifts, acts of service, and the occasional sprinkle of affectionate words. Possibly even through poetry he wrote himself. He wants to show you that he's the superior choice. The reliable, practical, and in-the-know choice without being too stuffy and uptight, unlike some people. *cough* Lucifer *cough*

He also prides himself on his knowledge, and would be very eager to share said knowledge with you.

Feel free to ask him about any topic you want, chances are he at least knows a good book for it. If he somehow doesn't, then he'll gladly try to find one for you.

Just don't expect him to do your coursework or any other intellectual work for you. As much as Satan loves to be useful, he values self-sufficiency and growth even more.

He just can't understand wanting to cheat yourself out of a possible learning experience, and only wants the best for you.

What makes him feel loved is when you acknowledge his flaws but don't make excuses or demonize him for them.

When you don't push too hard for him to open up or spend all of his time with you, and instead set a schedule of sorts so the two of you always have at least some time together without it becoming too much.

He's not the biggest fan of physical contact though, as the circumstances of his "birth" meant that non-violent contact was rare until he finally calmed down and repaired the few relationships that he had. Truth be told, he also a bit afraid of hurting you. Satan's afraid that he'll instinctively lash out when you touch him suddenly, or that he'll hold on too tightly when he goes to touch you himself. You'd never know it now, the way he handles his centuries old books and week old kittens, but Satan is not gentle by nature. He won't shove you away or anything, but he will tense up and never initiate "pointless" physical contact even if he knows you love it until you let him approach it at his own pace.

You know you've made it when Satan finally opens up and doesn't avoid talking about his insecurities and weak points, or feel as though he's competing with Lucifer for your affection anymore.

When he feels free to act as he would like to instead of trying to compensate for his inexperience by imitating romance novels. When Satan doesn't feel as though he has to hide his purely demonic upbringing and everything that comes with it in fear of intimidating or scaring you off.

Asmodeus:

I feel like Asmodeus' love languages are pretty obvious, as in he absolutely adores all of them, as he's got so much affection to give and is plenty eager to receive.

He especially loves spoiling you and dressing you up. It's as much for his benefit as it is yours.

It's the same with all the pictures he takes of the two of you. He considers himself very generous indeed for sharing your beauty with the world instead of keeping it to himself, unlike some people.

Asmo will tell you as much himself, in fact, he never grows tired of describing your beauty in every possible way he could.

You can't go more than a day without him comparing at least one aspect of you to some beloved art piece or wonder of nature.

And of course, you can't forget the physical affection. Asmo lives for the chance to run his fingers along your skin and drape himself across you.

Platonically, romantically, sexually, it's all amazing to him.

He also finds testing out all sorts of creams and lotions on you incredibly intimate and relaxing, despite always preferring to be the one being pampered before.

You know you've made it when Asmodeus allows you to see him at his "ugliest," whether that be physically or emotionally, and trusts that you won't leave him for it.

When he feels like you would still be with him even if he never did anything sexual again.

It may or may not seem like that big of a deal to you, but Asmodeus is incredibly insecure deep down.

He can't help but feel like he'll never be as loved as he was back in heaven all those years ago, and certainly not for the same reasons.

What Asmodeus needs is someone who will prove that wrong, that sees him as something more than to look at and get off with.

Beelzebub:

"You didn't get me a snack? It's okay. I don't mind being stuck with you forever." (Slightly Used Handcuff Item - 2020 Valentine's Event)

Beelzebub makes it extremely obvious that what he wants more than anything is just to enjoy being by your side.

You don't have to do anything special or even talk, just showing that you're willing to spend time with him is proof enough of your love.

It's also how he shows affection. Like how even though he's not that interested in anime or video games, and Levi usually doesn't let him play (thanks to his messy eating and sticky hands,) Beel still goes into Levi's room surprisingly often.

Honestly, I'm not convinced part of it isn't at least partially from PTSD as well.

Beelzebub feels the need to stay by your side so that he can always be there to take the hit for you.

So that he can see you're still here with his own two eyes and not permanently gone the second he turns around.

What really makes him feel loved is when you look out for his emotional well-being and refuse to let him put himself last.

When you don't take his self-sacrificing ways for granted or come to expect them.

It doesn't matter how you show your appreciation, he's grateful for anything you give him, so long as you do it.

He is a bit insecure however. Both about his behavior and his appearance, as surprising as that may be to anyone who's seen him.

His demon form is associated with something most humans find disgusting after all. So he really appreciates any way you try to reassure him about it.

You know you've made it when Beelzebub is consistently willing to share his food with you.

Beelzebub arguably has the worst control over his sin and readily admits it. Belphie is the only other person he'd ever really share his own food with, and even then not all of it all the time.

But the ultimate test is when he's willing to go against Belphegor for you, even if it's just not immediately agreeing with everything he says.

Beelzebub feels very indebted to Belphie, no matter how many times he tells him it's fine Beel still feels like he has to do any and everything to make up for it.

So if he's willing to go against that, willing to risk upsetting Belphie, it means that you mean everything to him.

Belphegor:

Belphie's all about physical touch and quality time. Both in the sense of spending all of your time with him, and in the sense of not spending that time with anyone else, except Beel of course.

Not just cuddling in bed or taking naps together, but holding hands, letting him lean against you, and kissing are all things Belphie also really enjoys, and expects.

Despite getting embarrassed fairly easily by some of his brothers at times, it's almost impossible to ignore PDA when you lean into it like that, and he's desperate to stake his claim even in public. (Though his embarrassment quickly fades as he becomes more comfortable being vulnerable with you and his brothers again. His guarded, territorial behavior quickly turns into bragging and "tests of your loyalty" after that.)

Now, despite that he does expect you to respect when he wants his alone time, but Belphegor doesn't respect your boundaries all that well until you make him.

Not that he minds if you do try to force him to stop being as much of a spoiled brat though, he likes someone that can give as good as they can get so long as you do it with love.

He's another one that wants to watch you crush his brothers' hopes and dreams in favor of spending time with him. Not Beel though, never Beel.

Seriously, he likes to make out in public and actively fantasizes about his brothers getting jealous because of it in his devilgrams.

(He's also the most suggestive even after they started toning everything down. He gets implied sex and makes out several times a devilgram while other characters don't even get kisses at all sometimes.)

Belphegor is a Belphewhore when it comes to you. (Which is rather fitting, if you know anything about demonology.)

You know you've made it when this lazy cow gets up off his ass to do something for you, something usually only reserved for Beel.

Now, normally being compared to someone you're trying to date's twin brother would be a bad thing, but not in this case.

It just means the only one who will ever be equally important as his figurative other half is his twin, his literally magically and psychically connected other half.

The deepest form of trust is when he fully entrusts Beel's safety and happiness to you.

He may not seem as outwardly protective as his twin, but he is very much so, and he's become even more paranoid and codependent after being forcefully separated for so long.

Whereas Beel is more concerned with physical safety, Belphegor is more concerned with Beelzebub's mental state.

He knows his twin has a tendency to be self-sacrificing, full of guilt, and a bit too eager to take things at face value at times (despite being the emotionally intelligent out of all of them) for a demon. He also knows plenty of people would take advantage of that, intentionally or not.

Belphegor will act uncaring, but he's carefully monitoring your interactions with Beelzebub and paying attention to all of the shared feelings from their connection, intent on matching them up to see if you caused any of his poor moods.

Diavolo:

Lord Diavolo constantly puts himself into frustrating lose-lose situations.

He only really feels assured if you keep coming to him of your own free will, but he's so terrified of rejection and losing you that he rarely ever allows you to do just that.

He's always coming up with some brand new scheme or just outright forcing you to come to him, sometimes even physically, which only reinforces his bad habits and insecurities.

It doesn't matter how much you try to resist. Do you really believe you could do something to stop it when even several-thousand-year-old Lucifer and his strong-willed brothers can't? When even Barbatos couldn't? You'd need the power of God and anime on your side for even a small chance at that.

He'll literally pick you up or drag you if he has to, laughing all the while, refusing to take it seriously as you squirm even though he's really hurt deep down.

He tries to keep in mind that some people are "shy" and don't want to be dragged out all the time, but if you say, take the week in between his tiring plots to catch up on coursework and relax, he'll start to worry you're distancing yourself.

Diavolo's severe abandonment and boundary issues make it nearly impossible for you to challenge them without doing exactly what he wants, when he wants.

Who does he think he is, some kind of all-powerful demon lord or something?

Diavolo doesn't consider himself to be a big gift-giver, but he spoils those he appreciates regardless, and you receive his love on a completely different level.

He's just so used to opulence and never wanting for anything purchasable (easily or not) that he may overwhelm you with uncomfortably extravagant displays without even considering how the average human might react.

Want some chocolate? Diavolo will have Barbatos summon the most skilled chocolatiers immediately.

Can't find the perfect formal wear for yourself? He's calling in his personal tailors to make the most beautiful pieces of clothing you've ever seen in your life.

And yet despite all that it can still fall a bit flat at times.

Diavolo is the most flexible with this form of affection, but he can still be very inconsiderate in a sense.

He takes being told it's a bit too much surprisingly well, but he's fairly controlling about the gifts themselves.

You don't like the colors he picked? Too bad. It matches his own outfit and the color you want would match with the brothers instead and etc.

Sometimes it almost feels like the gifts are more for him than you, or that they come with hidden expectations rather than to make you happy.

Even though he really does want to make you happy, very much so in fact.

You know you've made it when Diavolo finally trusts you to come back to him on your own. Something that might take years and years of "absolutely perfect loyalty."

When he's not constantly sending you messages every time you're apart and doesn't try to force his way into every outing or private moment you have.

Quality time is still his main love language, giving and receiving, and he's still very aggressive in his attempts to spend time with you, but it's expressed in a (slightly) healthier way.

It does mean fighting against his very nature as a demon, even more so than he already does, but he's more than willing to try for you.

Barbatos:

Despite being quite powerful himself, people are often so used to taking advantage of him that they don't see him as much of a person compared to others.

He's rarely Barbatos and often "The Prince's Butler, who happens to be called Barbatos" instead.

Barbatos is targeted quite often by various groups of people, but few of them are after his attention specifically, instead of his power and connections.

He doesn't really allow himself to date in general. Besides not having the time for it, he's too worried about accidentally giving a spy or old Demon King loyalist an opening to cause trouble.

Whether that'd be because he's distracted or because he somehow ends up dating that kind of demon, Barbatos is rarely a risk taker when it comes to Diavolo's safety.

Even when he's liked it's usually for what he can do for other people, like Beelzebub wanting to keep him as his chef and Solomon eyeing his powers for example.

The only one who's really broke past that in the last couple of centuries has been Luke, who's come to be like an adopted son (or pet chihuahua) of sorts to him.

As much as the child loves to say he's using Barbatos, it's clear that the affection is mutual.

Now, a lowly human on the other hand? He'd worry about them being taken hostage or having loose lips, but otherwise they're fairly harmless. Barbatos has all the power in the relationship, just the way he likes it.

In a way, humans' short lifespans also helps to prepare Barbatos for the possibility of seeing your untimely death.

He knew what he was getting into, even if he's gotten far more attached to you than he ever intended to.

In a way, your presence eventually becomes synonymous with respite to him.

At first because of the physical aspect of entertaining you, but it slowly starts to be because of you specifically.

How sweetly you talk to him, really talk to him and not at him. The way you're so considerate in ways that even angels are not for a "mere butler."

Not much longer after that, it comes to be everything about you, even your smile becomes enough to make his day.

Besides being helpful, proving you're willing to "stoop down to his level" and "serve the servant" makes him much more willing to believe you're genuine.

In his (plentiful) experience, pretending to actually enjoy helping out in person is much harder to fake than anything else, especially for the snobbish nobles typically attempting to gain Lord Diavolo's favor.

Barbatos is another hardcore perfectionist who takes his work extremely seriously, who would rather die than let anyone else do it for him, especially since it would cause him to look as if he was "slacking." However, small things like drawing a bath for him, bringing him his favorite snacks, and giving him massages really helps him relax and feel loved.

He's also very fond of homemade gifts for similar reasons. The thought of someone going to all that effort for "just a butler" is very much appreciated.

Despite being such a perfectionist he'll accept the love put into almost anything you give him if it's made with care and free of the furry beasts he despises so strongly.

He'll have them all displayed properly in his room, in a way that will let them last longer, right next to everything Luke has made for him.

You know you've made it when Barbatos allows you to take care of him and ease his burdens.

When he'll allow you to wash his hair and pour tea for the both of you without stressing about how perfect it may or may not be.

Solomon:

Solomon's main love languages are gift giving and acts of service, and yes, you're gonna have to eat his cooking and you're gonna have to like it.

More seriously though, I'd argue it's quality time and acts of service, both giving and receiving.

He may have an excess of years left, for the understatement of the century, but he knows not everyone else does.

So Solomon really cherishes what little time you're willing to give him, especially if it means ignoring the demon brothers in favor of him. Asmodeus included. Solomon needs to know you're willing prioritize humanity, and him of course, before he can really begin to trust you and let you in.

He's also very fond of physical touch, he's close to Asmo for a reason after all, but that doesn't actually assure him your love is true regardless of how much he enjoys it.

You know you've made it when Solomon is fully willing to become attached and admit it to himself, regardless of any potential heartbreak he may suffer.

When he's ready to tell you so, to make concrete plans about the future with you, instead of for you, and commit to them fully.

But he also really does want to see you eating his cooking, that he infuses with all of his love just for you, every day.

Simeon:

Simeon is another tricky one, as he rarely allows people get close enough to see his more vulnerable side. Not even those that he was once brothers in arms with.

I believe one major indicator of Simeon being truly in love with you is when he's seeking out your touch.

When he's always brushing his fingers against your shoulders and grabbing your waist as he walks past, just to feel your skin.

Or even allowing you to come to bed with him, "just to cuddle, of course" he says, despite the major risks being that close poses for an angel already teetering on the edge. That's not to say that he doesn't express it through other means, like through the written word, but his playful brushes against you and sly smiles as he tells his white lies to get some alone time are something exclusive to your (not-so-secret) relationship.

He does however, always want to spend time with you. Even before he's ready to fully commit and be completely vulnerable around you.

You may or may not have that much time together after all, and he wants to spend as much of it as possible with you. Simeon also adores teasing the ones he loves, and that will most likely be the first bit of "personalized" affection he gives you. He just can't get enough of your embarrassed faces and mannerisms.

You know you've made it when Simeon is willing to trust you with all of his darkest thoughts and concerns.

When he can trust you won't judge him for his sins or try to guide him to any particular path.

When he's certain you'll stay true, and value and respect his guidance, no matter what form he's in or what he's done.

It's a common idea I know, but I got an ask for it literally years ago and I wanted to dump my reasons onto y'all anyway.

The draft date on AO3 said I started it in the middle of 2021, which should explain exactly why I feel bad about taking requests.

Also shameless self promotion, but I have a full Obey Me! rewrite fic out now!

Please do note that this is a fully realized fem OC with her own personality, not a gender neutral reader insert, and there are a lot of potential triggers involved.

So please make sure to read the tags fully before going in!

But don't worry, everything else will stay gender neutral and reader insert! Nothing is going to change about that here or on tumblr.

[prince-liest]

since you acknowledged vox and valentino as a uh. less than healthy relationship (lol) several times (going feral over what vox was implying in that latest 666 fic), do you think there's ever the chance of alastor feeling... probably not protective haha but maybe possessive over vox the next time he's a little banged up? alternatively, how else do you think alastor would react if whatever they were getting up to is halted by vox nursing some kind of injury from one of his and val's fights? - ✨

I think it really depends on how Vox presents the situation, to be honest! They, uh, bang each other up a lot themselves, hahaha, and Alastor doesn't really register it as problematic. A lot of writing 666 is balancing the idea that these guys are living an existence where the a real life normal-meter really can't accurately be applied, and also maintaining that they still do have personal boundaries and lines that might be crossed.

A reminder of some (but not all) of the fucked up things that Vox and Alastor have done to each other over the course of 666:

One murder attempt that Vox didn't draw a line in the sand over

Vox got annoyed and slapped Alastor across the face hard enough to knock him down, with no warning or prelude, in a sexual context

Vox slammed Alastor's skull into the ground, out of anger, several times until he was dazed and bleeding

Alastor literally tried to eat a chunk of Vox's shoulder, most likely resulting in the reverse of the scenario you're describing: Vox having to take it easier with Val because he has a gaping shoulder wound courtesy of Alastor and can't lift his arm

About three dozen bucketfuls of severely under-negotiated and sometimes not-at-all negotiated edgeplay (as in, not safe-sane-consensual) kink from both ends, including but not limited to: choking (via hands and via dick), fearplay, deliberate boundary-crossing wrt touch, hypnosis, painplay, bloodplay, wounding, and gaslighting for the purpose of humiliation

Like, Vox asking "I want to make sure I didn't cross any boundaries!" in the second 666 fic does not in any way absolve him of having deliberately crossed about thirty of them immediately prior, and the fact that Alastor enjoyed it is mostly just because Alastor is also fucked up. Some people seemed quite surprised at Alastor crossing so many boundaries in the wireplay fic compared to all the shit Vox had pulled prior to that point, and I think it's because he, unlike Vox, didn't pay lip service to it, though they both do about the same amount of actual "keeping an eye on things".

Them caring about each other does not mean that their concept of "boundaries" or even "okay things to do to another person in an intimate setting or otherwise" aren't very, very colored by them being demonic overlords who live in hell and haven't so much as waved 'hello' to a single healthy intimate relationship in the past hundred years.

Vox having to take a breather because he has some kind of injury from Val is, unless he's actively making a 'this is fucked up and I'm opening up to be vulnerable and unhappy about it' kind of deal about it, is not really going to ping on Alastor's radar as a problem.

And Vox isn't going to make that kind of deal about it because that isn't how he sees his relationship with Valentino. Yes, Val often treats Vox in abusive ways in 666. That is also colored by both of them being demonic overlords who live in hell, and Vox treats certain aspects of it as frustrating and upsetting (and often takes that out on Valentino - hence the frequent off-again-on-again nature of their relationship), but he doesn't actually, like, see their relationship the way that we do.

He loves Val. Val loves him. To him, the rest is either normal overlord behavior or their own damage, and they've found a balance where the general response to a shitty happening is, "Eh, we've worked through worse."

TL;DR: Valentino, Vox, and Alastor all need to have "DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!" stapled across their foreheads. To paraphrase Bay: They're in hell. The insane acts of violence are basically a love language at this point.

[fluideli123]

[IMAGE ID: User @yikes077 replied: Did Deadpool want to be a hero? He specifically spent 2 whole movies avoiding the x men, not wanting to be a hero, and actively being bad at being a hero / END ID]

I wanted to answer your reply in a separate post since I had a lot I wanted to explain! For those who want to know the original post this was asked on, here is a link!

For a short, precise answer: Yes, Deadpool wanted to be a hero.

But if you want an response that answers your curiosity and more? I'm more than happy to explain all three movies and how they build up and showcase Wade Wilson's Guide To Wanting To Be A Hero But Never Being Able To Achieve It.

It all started in the first movie in the very first act in which Wade threatens the pants off a pizza delivery man he was paid to make apologize and rethink his life choices. This was because there was a young woman who was being affected by the guys stalker tendencies. The young girl, looking at Wade's hard work for getting the job done, calls him her Hero.

Now Wade immediately deflects, refusing to be under that title because, "I'm just a bad guy paid to fuck up worse guys."

This explains how Wade originally viewed himself before he was forcefully mutated. He doesn't see himself as a hero because he's a bad guy. In his opinion Heroes are good, they don't go about things the way he does, which is threats, blood, guts, and stirring shit up at a merc bar.

Later on, when he discovers he has Cancer and is told he can not only be cured but become a Hero, he cries it out and than leaves in the middle of the night. Why? Because in his eyes being a Hero is saving the people you love and he was saving Vanessa by leaving her. To keep her from the ugliness he oozes with his terminal disease. He chose to do something he deemed Heroic for the reasons Heroes do.

It's seen very frequently that Heroes will sacrifice something they cherish in order to save something else, especially if that other person means more than what they sacrificed. Being Heroic is all about doing stupid shit in the same of love. Spider-Man did it, getting revenge for Uncle Ben. Hell, if you've ever seen The Crow (1994) Eric does everything in his power to bring a bunch of assholes to justice for the shit they pulled. Even Death Sentence (2007) applies!

Is it Spider-Man's finest moment nearly taking that shot to get revenge? Did Eric spend his time correctly instead of getting himself killed? Did the father really need to get the rest of his family killed for his prized son? You can have your own opinion on it, but at the end of the day when you do something for the sake of others, no matter how fucked up it is and how much it sacrifices everything, it is a version of Heroism.

Heroism isn't pretty and can't be fit into perfect boxes because that's just against not only human nature, but the very act of complex Heroing itself. To be a hero it's about being between a rock and a hard place 24/7, being the cause for lives lost and lives saved. And if you think Heroing is entirely selfless than Miles Morales would have to be kicked from the field. He does everything for the people he loves, to make the world a better place for them.

So, Wade goes and gets himself mutated. He does it for Vanessa, to make life better for her. He doesn't see her to make it easier on her and himself, because the thing is that Wade Wilson hates himself even before the mutation.

He doesn't think he's worth a damn and crawling back to someone he became a monster to save is like the hardest fucking thing to do. One, because you're scared shitless of their reaction because you care about it. But also just, because will you be hurting or helping? Wade dances around Vanessa not because he's being an asshole but because he is fucking paralyzed by the thought of hurting her, seeing the hurt he's already caused.

In the second movie because he was witnessed literally saving Vanessa's life which is blatant Heroism 101 despite still believing he isn't worth shit. Because, my beloved, dear, scrumptious reader, self hatred affects people a shit ton and when they place a title in high regard and believe they are so much more below it, unworthy to even reach it because he "is incapable" being the stereotypical hero. Of course he's going to deny it. It's like being denied you're loved, you don't feel like you should be because you feel like you've done nothing to earn it.

But Colossus hasn't given up on him, Wade has been trying but he isn't like the other heroes. He doesn't understand the No Kill rule, he doesn't know how to defuse situations without being an ass and he sure as fuck doesn't fit the public image of what a hero is in the MCU. So, yeah, you're right, he is actively bad at being a hero. But a specific label of hero. A specific ideal. An expectation he's incapable of reaching because it means removing half if not all of himself.

That doesn't mean he doesn't want it, though. Because if he doesn't than why try at all? Why try to help Vanessa? Russel? His family? He fucks up on the job in the second movie to PROVE he isn't worth the hero label, that his existence actively goes against it. Using my example from before, it's like doing something actively bad just to prove how much you're unlovable.

If you want further explanation on how this shows up in the third movie, I recommend this post I made.

But either way, I hope this explains how Wade wants to be a Hero but actively sabotages himself and doesn't believe he can be because he's aware of all his faults and so do others. Because, in the end, Wade cares and tries to do something about it. He genuinely does, and I think that's meaningful in a way he isn't able to accept as a character currently.

[some-beans]

Hey! I saw your gyomei post, and wondered if you could do one with Tengen? I feel like his flamboyant energy would be so funny with the twst characters.

jabdjshshs absolutely !! sorry it took a while to come out, life is crazy and the horrors aren't helping

✎...pairing: twisted wonderland x tengen!reader ✎...themes: chaos, flamboyant reader, can be seen as platonic or romantic, ace slander [ affectionately ] ✎...notes: can you tell which characters are easier to write for, male implied reader !! ✎...enjoy !!

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐔𝐋

𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄

riddle cannot catch a break from these tall ass people

truly

sure, you don't squeeze the shit out of him like floyd does, but you're probably just as loud

actually, scratch that

you are

BUT

at least you know when to shut up ― except when someone insults you or your wives

which btw, wtf?? three whole wives??

god, you're gonna make riddle have a heart attack

𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐘

tbh he kinda vibed with you

especially when you constantly tasted complimented his baking abilities

doki doki goes trey's heart

but overall, i do feel like trey would sometimes get tired/exhausted from you being loud ― typically when deuce or ace annoy the shit out of you

was bluescreening when you casually mentioned you had three wives back home, who you deeply miss

mans needs a moment to sit down

𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑

another person for him and his fans to simp for??

um yes pls !!

i feel like cater, alongside rook, would end up being your biggest fans

albeit platonic or homoerotic

you decided !!

but besides the simping, i feel like cater would 100% use you as a shield from riddle's or anyone else's wrath

mainly riddle tho

. . .

don't tell riddle that

i also feel like cater would love to just talk about your wives ― may have written some fanfics about you and your wives 👀👀

𝐀𝐂𝐄

oh ace

sweet stupid ace

he really tries to sneak up on you and fails every time, and then has the audacity to act surprised and call you a cheater

what part of you being a former ninja does ace not understand??

a lot apparently

also gets his ass folded a lot, yet he never learns his lesson

especially after finding out, you have three wives

mf is jealous as hell

goes all mopy and shit

𝐃𝐄𝐔𝐂𝐄

similar to epel, deuce idolises you but it's much more wholesome

he definitely goes to you whenever he needs help dealing with something

especially if doesn't want to ruin his model student imagine

the poor boy is lost whenever you talk rapidly

got his head spinning

definitely uses any chance he has to train with you

𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐖

𝐋𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐀

your loud and that's gonna fly with him

actively avoids you so he can nap in peace, but you always manage to find him

how??

he has no clue and he's starting to think you're somehow related to rook

grumbles when you wake him up for class

has hissed at you when you picked him up so causally, threw him over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and took him to class

he was pissed but also shookth

𝐑𝐔𝐆𝐆𝐈𝐄

he's on edge

why??

bc you always manage to catch pulling some sneaky shit

even with his unique magic !!

like how?!

quickly learns of your past and relationship status, and everything just clicks into place

you and your ninja ways, and stupid good hearing

. . . and stupid smirk and muscles

𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊

did someone say, training partner??

cuz that's what you turn into

however, jack was nervous to ask to train with you at first, but steeled his nerves and asked ― which received a quick up-and-down look from you before agreeing to train with him

jack has never been more excited and embarrassed as he tried to calm his tail down

𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄

𝐀𝐙𝐔𝐋

*sigh*

why did you have to be so muscular??

and good at detecting lies and shit

why couldn't you be another naive soul and sign his contracts??

azul is at a loss for words

however, he is thankful you can easily manage the twins and other students that give him grief

lowkey sees a halo around for that

𝐉𝐀𝐃𝐄

tbh i feel jade wouldn't bat an eye at you

for the most part

that was until you effortlessly hiked a mountain jade was on

great, now you have two eels on you

asks to go hiking with you whenever he's free

will talk your ear off about mushrooms on the hike

𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐃

a new jungle gym to climb??

*buzzer noise* wrong

has tried to squeeze but ended up getting squeezed instead

huh, so this is what it feels like??

n o i c e

bugs you every chance he gets for you to squeeze him

tad bit masochistic of you, floyd

𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐀

𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐌

kalim rinds of that kid with the demon sister back home with how goddamn cheery he is

will shower you with gifts, especially after seeing you wear jewellery and hearing about your wives

he doesn't really bat an eye at that

bby boi doesn't care as long as you're happy

loves giving hugs

just a very affectionate boi

you do allow him to hang off your arms when he's around

𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋

sure you're loud, but you're responsible

meaning, he doesn't have to worry about you

however, does worry when kalim's involved

it's like a sixth sense

somehow when you manage to occupy kalim, jamil uses this time to get chores done or relax

truly is grateful for this opportunity

will make you food as payback

𝐏𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐎𝐑𝐄

𝐕𝐈𝐋

at first, he thought you were annoying and brash

i mean, you loud as hell and for what??

however

that changed when he saw just how flawless your skin was, the tidiness of your painted nails and the flawless eye makeup you wore

and that you strive for flamboyance??

vil can see the appeal

but quickly gets whiplash when you announce you actually have three ― very beautiful ― wives back in your world

what in the great seven??

𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐊

homie here is quaking in his cadavers

but from excitement

because great seven, does he enjoy trying to sneak up on you

does he succeed?? no

does he still try?? yes

most definitely has a mini shrine of you ― along with some other students

. . .

don't tell vil

writes endless amounts of poetry for, even after you tell him you've got three wives, which he just loves bc obliviously you have so much love to give

and di―

𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐋

pls for the love of great seven. . .

PLS TEACH HIM HOW TO FIGHT PLS

legit idolises you

it's a tad bit concerning but it feeds your ego and annoys vil

also

gremlin epel is always on whenever you're around ― even more so when he can let his accent slip when it's just the two of you

however, his world pauses when you mention in conversation that you have three wives

tbh he doesn't know how to feel bc he grew up in a somewhat traditional household

and you having three wives??

w a c k

𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐇𝐘𝐃𝐄

𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐀

nope

nah uh

no way pal

idia cannot deal with another loud extrovert

especially someone who's tall as hell, muscular and someone who sparkles whenever they say flamboyant

almost had a heart attack when you managed to sneak into his dorm room

and how in great seven are you fast and quiet for?!

oh

you're a former ninja?

. . .

ok maybe you can stick around

listen, he's watched countless anime and read, if not more, manga to know how fucking cool ninjas are

surprisingly isn't phased when you say you're married to three badass women

idia's watched his fair share of shit, so you only having three is not a big deal to him

𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐍𝐈𝐀

𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐔𝐒

your loud nature and openness surprised malleus greatly

happily listens to whatever nonsense you spout

is curious about how you have such incredible hearing, considering you're magicless and a human

finds your relationship status also intriguing

may or may not be jealous

finds your jewellery very pretty

*cue dragon hoard noises*

𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀

you two definitely trade battle stories

may or may not have asked to join your marriage

what??

lilia may be a fae but that won't stop him

was not phased when you said you had three wives

that just made him even more intrigued by you

𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐑

may and may not have used you as a pillow by accident

he just gets sleepy

and you seem to somehow always know when he's about to fall asleep when you two are together

you tend to hang around him because his sound is the least annoying ― you told him this and silver just nodded

𝐒𝐄𝐁𝐄𝐊

look

y'all are both loud mfs

and 100% get into screaming matches

about what. . . probably something to do with malleus and your ego

he reminds you a lot of that boar kind back home

has tried to fight you

has lost every time

may or may not have gained respect from those fights

still salty tho

[duhragonball]

Chainsaw Man Ch. 67-70

Oops.

"Last time, Germany's Santa Claus sacrificed three children to send Chainsaw Man to Hell in exchange for a chance to eat the flesh of the Darkness Devil so that he could make a new body out of his army of zombie-doll creatures."

That is a sentence that probably should not exist, and yet it is brings us up to speed anyway. The upshot here is that Santa Claus is now some sort of eldritch horror who can convert any human he touches into doll creatures, and now the Darkness power has made him even stronger, and he plans to kill Makima this way. But she brought back everyone from hell, and Chainsaw Man seems to be in good shape, so he starts fighting Santa.

Meanwhile, two side characters kind of talk about it. Kishibe, the guy who trained Denji and Power a while back, had tried to bring Quanxi in on his secret plot to kill Makima, but that doesn't seem to be going anywhere. This other dude casually observes that this whole battle never had anything to do with protecting or killing Denji. Instead, Santa and Makima are fighting over some other objective, and Denji seems to be a pawn in their game. He also deduces that Makima can spy on everyone because she has the power to hear through various lower forms of like, like mice and birds.

So yeah, uh, Germany's Santa Claus, everybody! She's single, fellas!

It's unclear what happened to the other characters who got sent to hell. Makima and Denji made it back, and so did Quanxi... but she didn't return in one piece. Two of her fiend girlfriends were in hell with her, and apparently they're just dead. So a third fiend girlfriend finds Quanxi's head and pulls some sort of spearhead from under her eyepatch, and this somehow activates...

... uh, whatever this is. I guess Quanxi has the same kind of power Chainsaw Man has, but with knives or something. Also she's butt-ass naked in this form. She offers to team up with Denji, even though she was sent her by the Chinese government to kill him. She wants Santa dead more, because he's responsible for killing two of her skanks.

Their attacks damage Santa, but with her new darkness power, she can regenerate pretty quickly. I think it only works when she's in shadow, though. Anyway, Santa manages to stymie Denji pretty well by sending dolls after him who seem much more human than the dolls we've seen up to this point. They scream and beg for mercy, and Denji balks because he doesn't want to murder them. Quanxi assures him that they're not really sentient anymore, and they're just mindless automatons like the other dolls. How would she know, though?

Quanxi doesn't really answer that question. Her point is that they have to kill these dolls to defeat Santa, and thinking of them as beyond saving makes it easier to kill them. It's more of a coping mechanism than intel.

As the battle wears on, night falls, and Santa's darkness powers get stronger. She redesigns her body again and yikes.

Also, Santa seems to have figured out how to turn corpses into dolls, and she converts the two dead minions Quanxi was trying to avenge. They take the third one hostage and stab Quanxi. Santa considers turning Quanxi into a doll, but she forgot one thing...

Chainsaws can be set on fire. Wait, no, that's not badass, that's stupid as hell! I retract my earlier statement. Germany's Santa Claus did not forget one thing. No one would ever consider this possibility in the first place, much less forget about it in the heat of battle.

Basically, Denji's idea here is that if he attacks while he's surrounded by fire, then he can offset Santa's ability to regenerate in darkness. I'm not clear how her powers work, but Makima warned that attacks in darkness would be ineffective, and one could argue that cutting attacks are sort of hidden inside the thing you're cutting, so there's not much light to work with. But if Denji's chainsaws are a light source in and of themselves, that solves everything.

Also he remembers the trick with the chains from the Reze arc. Chainsaw Man wraps her up good and pulls her closer to the flames, while she sends in dolls to try to protect her. But she's no match for the mighty Chainsaw Man.

Soon, Germany's Santa Claus begins to despair, and wonders what the hell is wrong with Chainsaw Man that he just won't keel over and die. But the answer is the same as always. Denji wants something frivolous, and he can't have it unless he destroys his enemy, so that's all there is to it.

Happy Boxing Day, you weird-ass bowl full of jelly.

So Denji's won, right? Not quite. He defeated Santa's main body, but Santa still has a contract with the Doll Devil, which affords her control over all the dolls she's made, and they can make many more with a mere touch. Santa expects to continue evolving with the power of darkness and she can just come back with a new doll body and and send dolls to stalk and attack Denji again and again, indefinitely. Denji isn't too worried about this, but he gets his head cut off on the next page, so I guess this isn't his problem anymore.

Qwanxi confronts the burning remains of Santa and wants revenge for her dead skanks. To that end, she employs the fourth one, who we haven't seen much lately. She's the one who can only say Halloween, and on Qwanxi's orders she does a Kamehameha, but Halloween themed. Cute.

What the hell does this accomplish? Well, Santa finds herself in a vast library with this fiend, who introduces herself as the Cosmic Fiend. We're inside her mind, I think, and she can speak normally here. Santa isn't too impressed, because she thinks she can withstand a psychic assault, but tha'ts not what this is.

The Cosmic Fiend has cosmic awareness, for lack of a better term, and she can share that knowledge of everything with others, like Santa Claus. And once they receive this vast storehouse of knowledge and wisdom and enlightment...

You can only think of Halloween until you die. 🎃👻 💀🦇

I... I don't know how to react to that. I guess it explains Cosmic Fiend's appearance. I thought she was just supposed to look like some "cute" zombie, but I guess the real reason her brain is hanging out of her head is because she possesses such incomprehensible knowledge of the universe that her poor skull couldn't contain it.

Anyway, this neatly solves the problem of Santa Claus's doll slaves, because they're still alive, but now they're incapable of doing anything but shouting "Halloween" over and over again. I hope that deactivated the thing where they can turn other people into dolls by touching them, though.

Quanxi seems to have won here, since she decapitated Denji and defeated Santa Claus, but there's one more force to be reckoned with, and it's Makima. Kishibe and the other guy put on their blindfolds, because Public Safety has a rule that you're not allowed to see Makima use her power.

Quanxi immediately surrenders. I don't know if she just realizes she's outmatched, or she's that desperate to end the fight. She pleads for Makima to spare her two minions. But Makima won't accept any terms.

Quanxi and her entourage are suddenly decapitated, in a fashion that reminds me a lot of the way the Darkness Devil fought in hell. Maybe I'm reading too much into that. It's more likely that the comic is just depicting the effects of Makima's secret power without giving away the cause. It's also possible that Makima has one of her people nearby attacking these women on her behalf, like the way Angel Devil took out Reze from the rooftop.

One last loose end. Remember the Immortal Bros. from America? Remember how Aldo was the only one left, and he spent the whole arc trying to work up the courage to carry out his assignment? Well, he must have gotten turned into a doll at some point, because here he is chanting Halloween like all the other dolls in Santa Claus' hive mind.

So Makima has won. With Santa and Quanxi defeated, it's unlikely that the other nations would dare send anyone else into Japan to go after her or Denji. So everyone can take of their blindfolds now, but Kishibe leaves his own, because he knew Quanxi for a lot of years, and he has no great desire to see her dead body on the ground. Also, everything else that's happened is pretty fucked up too.

There's a two-page comic after Chapter 70 that shows the past relationship between Kishibe and Quanxi. She was the legendary "First Devil Hunter" and she had once been partnered up with Kishibe, who would hit on her and get punched in the face for his trouble. After about nine years of this, he finally admitted that he loved her, and she realized she was gay. It adds a nice touch to his refusing to take off his blindfold when she's killed.

[senespera-ffxiv]

also this is the only time I'm gonna post twice in a row but I finished up my thoughts about dawntrail in my media list so I'm posting them here completely unedited

//spoilers for like all of dawntrail

a more detailed rating is that this is like a 4.7/5. It’s a solid story, if a bit boring and cliche for some of the first half. I do enjoy how clear-cut the story is in terms of thematic content, though, and how through and through it is an exploration of differing cultures and the ways in which you can understand them

The second half was also an interesting continuation of said exploration as it gives you a culture that is in direct opposition to you with ways that are so alien, and yet continues to ask that you understand them while also criticizing the more inhumane effects of those cultural practices

making it about me again but it’s basically just my stance about criticizing China. A lot of the criticism becomes extremely sinophobic because it simply rejects the culture without first trying to understand it. It’s a bit easier for me since I’m deeply steeped in said culture, but I do think it’s possible for someone who isn’t Chinese to criticize China in a non-sinophobic way

Idk just a lot of the way Wuk Lamat and the others handled their reactions to Alexandria felt like a good way to do that to me

Like it’s nowhere close to being as insanely character-driven as shadowbringers and endwalker, nor is it as interestingly politically technical as heavensward, stormblood, and certain parts of endwalker, but it’s still definitely Good. Just not as good in comparison to the rest (and even then I’d rank it above Stormblood lmao I didn’t have any moments where I was actively annoyed at the characters for losing brain cells and shit jksdlfhskldjf)

My ranking for the expacs would be something like this

Shadowbringers > Endwalker > Heavensward ≥ Dawntrail > Stormblood > ARR

Gameplay-wise, though, oh my God this Fucks. This Fucks So Hard. Way better than Endwalker.

I imagine this is kind of what it felt like to play this game back in Stormblood and early Shadowbringers where things were much more complex and messy on the player side, except this time the complex and messy stuff has bled into the normal content boss design and I am enjoying it so goddamn much

(disclaimer: I started playing at the very tail end of shadowbringers so while I still remember some shit like old monk back when it had positionals on all of its buttons, I am mostly A Young'un. I did not have to experience the dreaded TP management, nor have I gone through all the stages of grief with Summoner getting reworked every fucking expansion lmao)

Part of the reason why I love doing EX trials is because at that difficulty level they aren’t afraid to do some just batshit things that would cause you to lose it in normal content

and now it’s bled into normal content hell yes

For reference my two favorite EX mechanics so far are the Biting Halberd combo from Zurvan EX (death puddle under boss → giant cone → baited aoes → tank cleave) and the add phase from Hydaelyn EX (both tanks get an add and have to pull them away from the glowing crystals while party dps’s them, rotate once the glowing crystals are dead)

Like obviously I’m biased cuz I’m a tank and those are largely tank mechanics (cuz yes if you forget to move properly in the Zurvan one as MT you just kill your entire party so I kinda count that as a tank mechanic) but more importantly I like them because of how dynamic the movement is.

And they’re dynamic in different ways, like Zurvan’s is extremely rigid. You will dance in this specific manner (back → tank right, everyone else left) or else you die. Hydaelyn on the other hand can be a bit looser and you have at least a bit of room to do different strategies (ideally it’s a “everyone focus down one crystal at a time” situation but the like three-five times I’ve done the fight the positioning has always been very loose as long as none of the glowing crystals are getting tethered).

And a bunch of fights in Dawntrail are doing stuff like this that feels like a dance

Like the first example I can think of is Ar1/R1/whatever we’re calling it when the boss flings out a sequence of like 8 aoes across tiles before hitting you with an uppercut that sends you flying into the air and in order to not die from said uppercut you need to position yourself so that you land on an uncracked tile

The second iteration of this where it’s the clone that does the uppercut and the main boss is hitting you with line stacks is my favorite because that’s where the amount of stuff you do starts to offset how slow the actual mechanic is to make it feel like you’re in a time-sensitive dance and if you step wrong you’ll fuck things up

Another good example is the final boss The Queen Eternal which just. aughhhh I love that boss. There’s so many fun ideas being thrown around in there lol. You can really tell that Zeromus from the Endwalker patches was intended to be a test run for some of the mechanics in this fight because both occasionally devolve into randomized Chaos as you try your best to just Not Get Hit by aoes can you tell I loved the mechanic when she deploys her drones lmao

LIke okay last thing to yell about but Absolute Authority is literally just a mini Relativity mechanic from E12S/Big Bang from Zeromus but more chaotic and I absolutely loved it

Plus the more chaotic nature of the mechanics in this fight serve a bit of a narrative purpose, especially when you consider how desperate Sphene is at this point in time

Like she doesn’t give a shit about keeping up appearances she will kill you as best as she can, “random bullshit go” included

And both of those mechanics also force you to do more dynamic movement, only now it's typically erratic and panicked compared to the more methodical and freeform dances of Zurvan and Hydaelyn EX respectively

We need more insane shit in the gameplay of the normal mode stuff keep doing it Yoshi-P

[crossdressingdeath]

*approaching hornets' nest with a baseball bat* it is 1:30 AM and I have opinions about Jason, Nico and Will's dynamic and what I want it to be in TSatS. But I will put them behind a cut (provided it works properly, I am on mobile).

First: Nico loves Will. I feel like this should be obvious all things considered. But I keep seeing people saying that Will's a rebound or a consolation prize because Jason (or occasionally Percy) was taken, and... no. Nico loves Will. He loves Will so much that when he looks at the personification of love itself he sees Will. That's not a rebound situation! Nico chose to be with Will because he wants to be with Will, not because "the better options were taken". I'd say at the absolute most Jason already being in a relationship made the decision easier, but Nico chose Will because he wanted Will.

Second: Nico also loves Jason. Whether you view it as romantic or platonic he 100% loves Jason. Personally some things in both he and Jason's POV chapters in BoO make me think that both of them had at least some romantic feelings towards each other, but what pushes me into really thinking that there was definitely something there is the bit in the excerpt where Nico is speaking to Favonius in his dream and (paraphrasing, I don't have the excerpt in front of me) he asks "Will Jason be there when I talk to Cupid?" and Favonius replies "No, he's gone, they all go eventually", because that last bit feels like it's referring back to Favonius's relationship with Hyacinthus and how that was an explicitly romantic relationship that could've been something other (and maybe even better) than it was but was ultimately cut off by the presence of someone else (and eventually death) and now they'll never know. Which to be clear is not me making a dig at Piper or Will, neither of them did anything wrong and it's a shame I feel like I have to clarify that (and it's not an exact parallel, obviously, Nico sure as hell wasn't responsible for Jason's death for one), but it does lead into my next point.

The dynamic I want here is that Nico loves Will and is so happy with him, but Jason is always going to be his biggest "what if". And importantly that does not in any way devalue his relationship with Will! You can be in love with two people, and choose one of them, and still wonder what your life would be like if you'd chosen the other without that lessening your love for the one you did choose! But there's always going to be that little niggling voice, sometimes easy to ignore and sometimes not, asking what if. What if Jason and Piper had broken up earlier, before Nico and Will really started heading towards a relationship? What if Nico had really probed his own feelings for Jason and considered what exactly it was he felt for the guy? What if he'd sat down with Will and Jason and the three of them had had a talk about feelings and romance and where they wanted to go (because polyamory is an option here, Nico has two hands and all)?

And the really fun and angsty question: If Jason had ended up dating Nico, would he still be alive? Because the impression I got was that he went to school in Pasadena to be close to Piper, so if he was dating someone who stayed at camp for the year... maybe he would've gone to school in Manhattan. Maybe he would've been out of Caligula's reach. Or maybe it was all inevitable and there was nothing that could've saved him, but they'll never know now. And it's that fact, the fact that they will never know what might have been and will never have the chance to explore it, that I think would haunt Nico. They could've been happy, it would've been good (especially with the aforementioned polyamory), and now that path is cut off forever and he will never know what they could have become.

Also: I really want the inevitable pre-ToA flashbacks to show Will and Jason interacting with each other as well as Nico. I feel like they'd be friends, if only in a "We don't actively dislike each other and this person we both really like really likes both of us and would be sad if we couldn't get along, so I guess we're friends now" sort of way.

[stillalittlelostngl]

Geto/Reader - Insula pt 1: Introductions

The geto/reader fic I've been talkin about is finally here ahhh 🎉🎉 I didn't think I'd ever end up posting it tbh so I'm happy I finally got this first chapter done.

This is gunna be a 21 part thing so buckle up i guess. This 1st part is reader meeting her fellow first years.

April, 2006

_

You blink blearily as your eyes shift in and out of focus as you stare at the wooden door in front of you. Rubbing the sleep out of your eyes and fighting back a yawn you can’t help but wonder if it was too late for you to bail.

Having to be up so early had you thinkin that perhaps you weren’t cut out for the whole sorcerer gig. How mad would mama be if she got a call from you now talkin bout how you were on the first flight back home? You don’t remember the time zone conversions off the top of your head and your brain is still too foggy to even begin trying to figure out what time it was for your mom right now. Too late or too early - either way, you knew if you called she’d be raisin hell and your name would be on a shirt by the time you cleared the baggage claim.

If you wanted to live to see 17, it looks like fighting creepy cursed spirits and dealing with weirdo sorcerers was gunna be your safest bet. And ain’t that some shit?

Your eyes travel along the pattern of the wood grain, committing it to memory. You trace over every curve and indentation as you buy yourself some time between now and when you have to step through the doorway. Even if it's just another moment or two.

There’s a nasty knotting feeling that’s settled in the pit of your stomach at the thought of what might be waitin for you on the other side. As painful as it is to admit to yourself it's undeniable at this point. You're nervous. It’s the only bit of information your brain is able to translate at this point.

You can already feel the cursed energy of the two other people beyond the door. Two distinct energies sitting close together and if you listened hard enough, you may have been able to make out bits and pieces of the conversation that they were having.

It was stupid. You were being stupid. You shouldn't be gettin this worked up over meeting a couple of strangers. You’ve met plenty of strangers in your, relatively, short life and it’d never been anything that had you stressin as much as you were now. Meeting the two boys you’d been told would be your classmates shouldn’t have been any different. At least that’s what you kept telling yourself.

It had been a few years since you’d been around people your own age for an extended amount of time and the last time you were it didn’t end very well. Between your mom and immigrating, you’d been unintentionally isolated for the past several years. Your curse technique was a fickle thing, especially when you were younger. Your mom had been so worried that you’d accidentally activate it around others so instead of spending time with your peers in school or going on play-dates you’d been stuck between dusty library shelves with your mother trying to track down any possible information that could make the technique easier to control. You’d complained to her on more than one occasion about having to learn all of the words and theories that would leave your head spinning. You could hardly pronounce them - let alone understand them.

People were more complicated than any of that though. You’re mama had warned you but experience had ultimately been the best teacher for that lesson.

And unlike the others from before the two people beyond the door were going to be constants whether you fucked things up or not. They’d be your classmates for the next three years of your life.

The two people behind the door in the classroom that you’re struggling to build up the courage to enter will be constants for, presumably, the next three years of your life. The thought is enough to cause your stomach to do that uncomfortable flipping you’d been trying to prevent.

A small, pathetic, part of you hoped things would go right this time.

You take a deep breath. There’s no such thing as a halfway crook and you’d made up your mind many months ago that this is where you wanted, no needed, to be. There’s no sense in turnin tail and running after you’d worked so hard to be able to be here to begin with.

You do your best to settle your rattled nerves, despite thinking of every nightmarish way this first interaction could play out, and slide the door open.

Unfortunately, in your eagerness to power through your internal turmoil you slid the door open a little too hard and the loud thunk of the wood caught the attention of the room's occupants.

One whipped his head around with a speed that almost had you concerned he’d given himself whiplash. He had dark hair and wide, bright eyes that crinkled a little at the corners as he met your stare with a broad smile. It was the brightest smile you think you’d ever seen and it matched the signature to his cursed energy. It was a steady and strong thrum with a delicate warmth about it that practically rolled off the boy in waves.

The other, a blonde boy made up of all sharp features, merely glanced your way with a furrow of his brow. You guessed the brunette had been talkin his ear off before and your loud entrance wasn’t really endearing him to either of y’all. But damn. He looked like he had nothin to smile about in his life. He was dead behind the eyes too - you're not sure if it was a sleep deprivation thing or just his general expression. His energy, unsurprisingly, was much more subtle than his counterpart. It was something soft - like a cool breeze.

You offered a mumbled apology for your loud entrance as you closed the door behind you and made your way over to your new classmates. You felt stiff and hoped your movements didn’t look as robotic as they felt.

“I didn’t know we were having a foreigner as a classmate," the brunette was practically vibrating with excitement as he jumped off of the where he was perched on the others desk - ignoring the blonde’s indignant muttering as he nearly sent the entire desk tumbling to the ground with his momentum. You couldn’t decide if his eagerness was endearing or off putting just yet, "I thought there weren’t any curse-users outside of Japan. Where’re you from? You’re a westerner, right?” The words came in rapid fire succession as if he’d been afraid he wouldn’t be able to get it all out quick enough. It nearly made your head spin.

You offered a timid smile - unsure of how to go about answering him. You hadn’t been in Japan for no more than a month but it looked like being a foreigner was going to bring about more attention than you were usually comfortable with. Nobody had been bad about it, but the stares you got from time to time would make you itch. Foreigners made up such a small portion of the population here and with your skin being a golden brown instead of the paler tones they were accustomed to you guess it was to be expected.

“Have some tact," the blonde grumbled after righting the desk, "you sound ignorant. Of course there’s curse-users and sorcerers outside of Japan, it’s just not as common.” His hair spoke to his own foreign background somewhere in his family tree. You wondered if he had to get used to stares and questions too.

You give a small hum in agreement. “There ain’t many of us back home and it just seemed like a better opportunity to learn in the thick of things,” you offer in explanation as you take the seat next to the blonde.

Japan was the epicenter of the sorcerer society you’d found yourself in after all. The Japanese sect had more resources and time to spend on developing curse users than whatever was left of the sect back home. You’d never been too heavily involved in sorcerer society back then - your mother had done her damndest to keep it that way - but you’d overheard enough whispered conversations about cursed spirits popping up left, right, and center and how overwhelmed things were becoming. It’s why the Japanese sorcerers had been called in to assist and how you’d come across the one who had scouted you. It was just your luck that he’d been able to sponsor you and get you into the Tokyo prefectural jujutsu high school.

You just weren't too sure yet if it was good luck or bad luck. You'd always seemed to have more of the latter.

You introduce yourself to the boys with a small bow of your head. “Please take care of me.” It’s not as formal of an introduction by Japanese standards that you'd been taught to give but seeing as how neither had offered their own names first you decided it would have to do.

Apparently formalities didn't matter all that much to these two.

“Soto, huh? Your Japanese is pretty good for a foreigner! If I closed my eyes I probably wouldn’t have even guessed you were the one speaking!” the brunette practically beamed and you had to fight down a small heat that started to warm your cheeks at the unexpected compliment. It had been a bit of a rush to learn the language and you imagine the lessons you got from your recruiter hadn’t been very by the book, “I’m Haibara Yu. How long have you been here? We should go do some touristy stuff if you haven’t been able to yet!”

You hadn’t been expecting their friendliness right off the bat but the boy’s smile seems to come to him as easily as breathing and he seems so painfully sincere in everything that he says. You can’t help the smile that tugs at the corners of your mouth. You go to respond but are quickly cut off by the blonde.

“Idiot, we’re not here to go sightseeing,” You’re not sure if the muscles in the blonde’s face knew how to do anything other than frown at this point.

“Don’t be such a buzzkill,” Haibara wrinkled his nose and brushed off the other boy’s annoyance with a childish pout, “we can have fun in between exorcising curses and training. Just cuz we’re here doesn’t mean we can’t live a little - you still need to introduce yourself too!”

There was a beat of silence as the blonde eyed the two of you as if he was thinkin on something and couldn’t quite come to a decision. With a tired sigh he responded. “Nanami Kento,” it sounded strained, as if the words physically pained him to say, “let's just focus on surviving the year first before we worry about anything else.”

You can’t help but raise a brow in response as your eyes slide over to meet Haibara's and you both share a look of understanding.

The Nanami kid is definitely a buzzkill.

-

You saw that geto/reader tag and got excited, huh? 🤪 he's not showing til pt 3, stink stink.

I actually have up to chapter 3 finished tbh - just doin some more edits. This chapter was going to be longer but i decided to just absorb the last bit into the next one cuz it'll flow better imo. Next one will be longer as an apology

Anyways, Soto's dialect and the way i'll be havin folks talk are gunna be very intentional choices based on their backgrounds.

Nanami is a lil bitchy here too & we aint get to see much of him or reader's impression - don't worry he'll have more time to shine next chapter. Remember this takes place before anything we see of nanami in the manga - the relationship is gunna develop.

[pagerunner-j]

So I've been reading -- finally, this damn thing came out in 2008 and was expanded in 2010 -- The Writer's Tale, which is basically an extremely long-form interview in the form of an ongoing email correspondence between Russell T. Davies and Benjamin Cook. It's about Doctor Who, of course, and the writing and production process thereof. It's a hell of a read. Really interesting insights into his approach to writing and how season 4 in particular came about. You can see how dramatically some things change along the way, partially due to evolving ideas and partially due to the roughly 97 million moving pieces involved in making a TV show. I still have no idea how anyone gets anything to the finish line in this business. It's absurd. Anyway, I'm going to be haunted by Penny (early companion concept for S4, before they had any notion that they could get Catherine Tate back) for a while. If she shows up in a fic of mine later, don't be surprised.

I do have to take a moment to get one brief rant off my chest: there are a few emails included here from Steven Moffat, since the showrunner transition was in the works at the time. That's all interesting to see. But he also went and poked right at several of my pet peeves, go figure. In one email, Steven dropped a metaphor about measuring for new curtains and then said he had to come up with more macho metaphors, and then two, three messages on, he's onto saying he's wittering on like a little girl, and I just groaned. You can feel the "ew, I can't act girly, I can't say girly things, ewwwww" wafting off of things. Dude, I have actively been trying to grin and bear it with you, but the toxic masculinity, it burns.

Meanwhile, off on the other end of "oh my god, men," Russell is blatantly, but at least in good humor, thirsting over every hot guy he casts. Part of me is sitting here like, "Honey, get a hold of yourself," and the rest of me is just laughing helplessly that he's still casting Russell Tovey in things to this day and I guess I fucking well know why, now.

ANYWAY.

Apart from all that: like I said, good read so far, insightful, sympathetic, etc. I read a chunk of this last night and then sat down and banged out a thousand words of something I'd been neglecting, because his struggles with procrastination were both relatable and weirdly motivating in an "oh, god, stop doing the same thing to yourself" sort of way. Also, I think I'd once known but had forgotten that RTD's really a very good cartoonist, and there's several drawings from him in here, which is charming. So: it's worth a spin. You can get it as an ebook at this point, of course, which helps. I suspect at the time it first came out, my only option would have been importing, and I didn't even really know to look for it then. Much easier now.

(If you get the Kindle edition, note that the periodic "see more" links are completely borked, but at least the footnotes work.)

[deusexlachina]

Wannabe Warden Part 12: Really regret my choice of transition goals

In which Aveline Hawke realizes she might have fucked up when she was named after the one most invincible woman she ever knew. (Even besides Other Aveline being still alive)

Other Aveline has an important mission for me, so I dutifully report to her. What is it this time, Other Aveline? Tevinter slavers? Demon summoners? Sister Petrice, the Priestess of Meanness (yet again)? No, this is much easier. I just have to deliver a box to her subordinate. No questions asked.

I nod and wink, understanding that this is clearly a bribe to cover up my numerous very very illegal activities. But Donnic opens it up right in front of me, and it's flowers. Made of copper. Is that a thing in Kirkwall? Apparently not, since Donnic doesn't know what they're for. He thinks they're trash, but they sure as hell aren't because I've personally collected every other piece of trash in Kirkwall and none of them are copper flowers.

While I'm wondering where Other Aveline got this strange artifact, Donnic shoes me away, saying that we both have various things to do...of varying import. He's got better things to do, like get attacked so Other Aveline can save him. (It's an excellent PR racket). To add insult to injury, he takes a page from Sister Petrice and calls me Serah.

Other Aveline then gives her direct subordinate the Hightown patrol, which she explains is a nice easy job, though only because I've killed the small army of powerful assassins fatally stabbing anyone in sight. Unfortunately, Donnic wrongly assumes this is an undeserved punishment instead of flagrant corruption and sexual harrassment in the police force.

At this point, Other Aveline decides she needs to send her direct subordinate a dowry of a goat and wheat (the "Settlers-of-Catan Special"). Merrill, doesn't follow, because she's autistic, from another culture, and also what Other Aveline is doing frankly just beggars belief regardless of how socially adept you are.

Other Aveline finds Merrill's innocence embarrassing. Honestly, Merrill. She's just trying to unilaterally marry her direct subordinate by sending him livestock and a unique but entirely worthless artifact. What part of that is hard to understand.

I ask her why she's trying to seduce her direct subordinate, and she explains that Donnic may not be the most attractive, richest, or even the best cook, but. Uh. He's. Something. And he's better than the other members of the Kirkwall guard, which, given that this is far and away the smallest scandal plaguing the force, is an extremely low bar. THE COMPHET IS REAL GUYS

I tell her I would rather not be complicit in this unethical and quite probably illegal scheme. This would piss her off significantly, but I have a way around that - the perfect gift, the shield of the one true Ser Aveline! (As an item it is called the "Shield of the Knight Herself," since it would be just silly to have three Avelines).

She receives this gift rather rudely, sniffing that she has a shield - Wesley's shield. This is because I equipped her with it to remind her it still exists. Otherwise she would get mad at me for selling Ser Wesley's shield, even though it's tucked away safe in my Storage along with all companions' starting weapons, which is more care than I give to most of my own keepsakes. She doesn't want this new one. When I ask her why her namesake wouldn't have a special connection to her, she says she didn't choose the name Aveline.

Because I sweet-talk her into actually keeping the shield, she's my Bestest Friend Forever and thus I can safely talk her into deciding to drop the stuff with Donnic. In a rare moment of my choices actually mattering, if you don't set up Other Aveline and Donnic, they really don't get together, which is good because I don't ship it.

Even without this shameless abuse of her post, Other Aveline is not doing a very good job keeping the city safe. She shows up at my house to tell me about a job investigating a lead from the templar Ser Emeric about a suspected blood mage serial killer. It's really just to stop people complaining. It's probably nothing. After all, her guard searched the place, and surely they would have found something if there was anything to find.

I then check the house myself, and as soon as I open the door we are accosted by numerous demons, which infest every room in the house. Other Aveline sheepishly mumbles that her guards probably hadn't "met that particular reception." I wonder whether her guards actually stepped through the door.

We also find now-redundant evidence that someone's been doing demon magic here - highly incriminating notes, vials of blood, the works. It's all over the place. It doesn't even look like the killer bothered to hide it. Aside from the dozens of demons infesting the house, there are exactly two people here, one of whom is a woman screaming on the ground and one of whom is a blood mage, Gascard Dupuis, who just forcibly took some of her blood. He says he's just trying to save his sister, which is one of few occasions in the series that someone outright lies to you yet bothers to make up a half-believable cover story. But the survivor, and all the evidence, say he's an evil wizard who tortures women, so I tell him I don't believe him, whereupon he summons even more demons at the drop of his favourite hat, which I loot off his corpse.

As soon as I report back to the templars, I learn that Ser Emeric has been lured away and, when I track him down, murdered. Dupuis had an accomplice, and an extremely fast-acting one, too, because I've done all the other main quests up to this point. As soon as I get home, my mom's missing. Other Aveline says her guards are on it, which, knowing her guards by now, means it's all down to me.

Fortunately, there's an extremely obvious trail of blood leading to a foundry. Other Aveline recognizes this as the place we investigated previously, back in Act 1. Well, Other Aveline. That was three years ago. And in those three years, none of her guards discovered a not-very-secret hatch into an evil blood mage laboratory where a serial killer is making women into patchwork monsters. "We should've known there was something else here," indeed.

We make short work of the blood mage and his minions, but it's too late. Mom's already just a head stuck onto a body made of numerous other women. Despite the fact that none of the numerous things you can do about this situation will save her, I find this part somewhat refreshing, just because it's the first time poor Aveline Hawke comes across as really distraught. Even Glib!Hawke is quipping only to try and comfort herself and her mom, and it's far from the usual Standup Routine voice.

Mom's dead. I grieve along with Uncle Gamlen. Two of my friends comfort me - Isabela, because she's my girlfriend now, and Other Aveline, because she was a family friend and partly responsible for the flagrant negligence that got my mom killed. The others give their consolations in ambient party banters.

We're truly orphaned, now. The only other surviving Hawke is Bethany, and each day she faces grave danger fighting darkspawn. More than ever, I need to join her. I need to become a Grey Warden.

[oldandkindasad]

Yet another uncalled for Red Dead Daycare AU because I'm sad....

Enrolling my kid in PreK am having a literal crisis about it....

The Dads Quiet Day In...

The first time they dropped off Arthur, they were stoked on the drive

Then a pair of aqua blue eyes looked up at his dad's in absolute terror.

The guilt tore them apart.

Dutch was biting the inside of his lip to keep getting emotional

Hosea was inwardly screaming the entire time.

Both ensured their son they'd be back later.

They drive home in absolute silence.

They open the front door, having made so many of Dutch's famous plans of what they were going to get down without a child underfoot.

Instead they just sit on the couch, don't bother with the TV, they just remain silent.

It's entirely too somber. Where they always this quiet?

Finally after realizing this is only for part of the day (he wasn't in a prison, it was Daycare for God's sake!) They finally begin to function like normal humans.

Until Dutch nearly trips in the hall over Arthur's trucks.

Or Hosea finds his sock hidden in with their laundry.

It seemed like every activity kept Arthur at the very forefront of their mind.

Was he okay?

Were the other kids being kind to him?

Were the teachers being kind to him?

And hell if they'd be able to squeeze blood from a stone easier than Arthur would tell them that something was wrong.

Hosea notices how often Dutch is checking his phone for an update, like he could will a phone call if he glared at it hard enough.

By noon they pick at their lunches, how the hell do parents do this? Because they wanted to climb the walls or go charging into that daycare and bring their boy home.

Which technically they could.

But the real question was would Arthur acclimate if they keep bringing him home?

The phone rings at one o'clock, Dutch is both impressed with his ability to will it to ring and terrified by what it could mean?

It's just a courtesy update, Arthur was just fine. He was stacking blocks and he colored them a picture he wanted to show them when he came home.

They have both never been so relieved and yet so heartbroken in their lives.

They had adopted him only a year ago, but he'd come to rely on them so much

Now...

Now he was handling the world all by himself.

Making his own decisions.

His own friends.

Soon he'd learn that Dutch wasn't the smartest man in the world (which Hosea would have gladly told him).

Or that Hosea wasn't the funniest (which Dutch would have gladly told him otherwise).

Now they weren't the center of the universe.

The house is quiet again as they both think about what that means to them...

By three they've violated just about every traffic law they could think of to get to that daycare and pick up their son.

He grins wide and rushes at them with the speed only a four year old can muster.

They wrap him up in their arms telling him how much they missed him. And how glad they were to see him.

He shows them his picture.

It's a..... ("What the hell is that?" "I don't know Dutch, just smile and call it masterpiece.")

Horse! It's a horse! Of course it is!

It hangs on the refrigerator for years.

Okay I swear unless actually asked for, I will not post another one of these. I just enrolled my son in PreK and I've been pacing around my house ready for a full scale panic attack. He hasn't even started yet. Ugh. Okay no more unless y'all have special requests. I'm just gonna "sit here and feel sorry for myself."

[carmenlire]

okay goddamnit, I watched the king: eternal monarch for the second time on the last friday of september and i have spent the weeks since completely and utterly consumed reading every fic I could get my greedy little raccoon hands on and I have things to say!

first of all, I think the sheer concentration of amazing fic for this fandom is unparalleled. I have read so many stories with an emotional depth and a dive into canon (before often diverging into the writer’s own plot) that has left me in awe. It’s been a month and I just read a series this morning that I absolutely adored. I’ve reread a few fics half a dozen times in less than a month. i’m unhinged and having the time of my life.

so saying, I don’t imagine that I’ll ever write my own tkem fic so I want to get my thoughts out somewhere on what I might have liked to have seen in the show or what I would want to do in my own fic because holy hell the source material is so rich and reading these fics has given me ideas and has helped consolidate what i love about these characters and relationships. So, going by relationship:

lee gon/tae-eul/jo yeong

1. the first fics I read on ao3 the day after my second rewatch were canon compliant with lee gon/tae-eul. then I read a few poly fics where yeong joins them and i really enjoyed the dynamic, with gon as the fulcrum for the three of them while tae-eul and yeong learn to meet each other on their own terms but, in the end, no less devout than their pull with gon. 

I would love to explore the idea of that further-- I particularly would want to play out either a) gon has been just as in love with yeong since he was eight years old but the pull with tae-eul and the badge was always in the background and as king, he chose the easier route (even with parallel universes lmao) of pursuing what the kingdom would expect. however, when shit all goes down, he’s forced to confront that it’s always been yeong and tae-eul and the three must navigate that.

or b) gon doesn’t realize how much yeong means to him in a romantic sense until he has tae-eul but something is still missing. it takes tae-eul? to figure it out and orchestrate things to her liking. we can go either full angst as gon agonizes over the worry that tae-eul will perceive she’s not enough (he doesn’t know she’s behind the machinations) or full chaotic fluff with her obviously encouraging him and him seeing tae-eul and yeong together and feeling how right it is.

lee gon/ jo yeong

guys. GUYS. the little snippets we get of the two of them makes my brain overheat with the possibilities. There are a few things that I would like to see more of/I haven’t seen yet with these two fated disasters:

1. I’m in love with the idea that jo yeong might have been in love with gon since he was too young to understand all that encompasses, but he has actively pursued other relationships and is experienced. I have a particular thing with gon discovering yeong with someone else:

a) maybe gon walks into yeong’s apartment just to find him in a compromising position

b) gon visiting yeong during yeong’s years at the naval academy-- only to see yeong and a fellow cadet in the shadows of a corridor

c) yeong, still a teenager, with a stable boy when gon decides to go for a ride one afternoon

d) the one time yeong decided to treat gon as hyung and not pyeha, the two of them “snuck out” (there was still a security detail, though gon doesn’t know it) and they both drink too much and gon looks for yeong when his best friend seems to have disappeared, only to see yeong in the middle of a dance floor dancing very intimately with a man before pulling said stranger closer and kissing him for all he’s worth.

the possibilities are endless. in all of the ones above, though, gon had no idea that yeong is gay and he is 1) betrayed that yeong didn’t feel he could tell him 2) immediately jealous and overtaken with the urge to say yeong is his. (in option d, gon feels immediate heat surge through him and is served with the awakening of his life). 

this of course devolves into years of mutual pining as, even when yeong comes out or doesn’t hide his preferences anymore, gon thinks yeong never feels that way for him and yeong has always felt like gon wasn’t into him and as king, nothing would ever come of his love for pyeha.

2. I think a compelling story definitely involves gon and yeong realizing their feelings and acting on them as children-- the adults around them allow it to happen up to a certain point (they’re only touchy with each other, they make it obvious each other are their favorite company, there’s a lot of talk of being together forever in the ways children do when they don’t realize life rarely works out the way it seems it should). 

however, there comes a point where gon is gently urged to pull away from yeong and set boundaries because he must think of the future and bear an heir. yeong is similarly talked to, with talk of how the king is unreachable and that he is the unbreakable sword and he must accept his duty. cue years of longing and angst.

b) equally as interesting to explore would be the two of them having a fling in their late teens/early twenties and it ends amicably as they both know nothing can come of it but both are hopelessly in love and it’s another ten years before they have the courage to say the other is it for them (i’m imagining gon ruthlessly researches each man gon shows an interest in and takes delight in threatening them behind yeong’s back. yeong, for his part, can never quite hold back his sneer or annoyance when gon mentions someone who’s caught his eye-- of course, gon only does so because it makes yeong so obviously jealous.)

3 Can we PLEASE talk about the ending of the show!! seriously, it struck me in the finale but reading the fics that mention it, I just need more exploration of the fact that in the end, it is YEONG WHO SAVES GON AS A CHILD! like i wanna talk about everything that means!!!!

a) after everything, yeong is gon’s savior. he is the one gon spends a lifetime looking for. yeong is the one who protects child gon and the loop of fate and destiny is sticky enough for me to choke on. i want to see them resolve their first timeline with that of the present day. with no tae-eul in gon’s past, i want to see gon realize what’s been in front of him all along.

(I love the idea of lady noh knowing it was gon back in 1994 and if i let my flights of fancy take off, i ADORE the image of gon carrying an unconscious, injured yeong out of the Cheonjongo just to be intercepted by lady noh. lady noh gains sufficient proof of who they are (decidely not lee lim’s traitors) and that makes the scene where they let four year old yeong interrupt the mourning rites even more significant and heartbreaking.)

b) the viewer is under the impression that yeong is fatally wounded after the second time at the Cheonjongo. I want to see gon 1) find yeong and see his world shatter at the price he thinks he might have just paid to fix things with his uncle 2) stay at yeong’s side at the hospital for days if not weeks and then he is there every step of the way for physical therapy 3) seeing yeong’s own reaction to nearly being killed and the aftermath of what must be severely traumatizing.

i) with this, i love the angst fest that is yeong deciding he’s given enough to the crown and gon and that he finally needs to live his own life. maybe he takes a step back, maybe he leaves indefinitely but i would LOVE to see gon finally being forced to realize how much yeong means to him and in what ways he wants him just for, at the same instant, yeong decides he has wasted enough time on gon and he needs to leave. can you imagine how delicious the angst and emotional journey would be as they find their way back to each other. my god.

ii) i would love to see yeong to be wounded and gon to save him, in a reversal of the bodyguard/king dynamic. in the show, we get eun-sop but gosh what if yeong had been the one shot? i wanna see gon’s reaction and see yeong treated with care.

4) I love outsider POVs and would enjoy the hell out of both yeong and gon being oblivious idiots in love but we see that everyone around them has known since they met the two of them that they would end up together: from lady noh to a tutor to an ex-girlfriend of gon’s to yeong’s parents, like everyone just being completely exasperated that these two just won’t make a move!

5) there are always rumors right? well give me a fic where they both play into it actively (while staying true to their characters). gon is always touching yeong, invading his space. those small hints of smiles we see when yeong is endeared or proud of yeong. there are whole social media accounts dedicated to tracking these small moments. neither gon nor yeong acknowledge why the rumors do nothing to make them uncomfortable, that they actually like it.

jo yeong/kang sin-jae

I didn’t even know this ship was a thing until I descended into the tkem tag on ao3 but I was immediately consumed! there are so many well written fics with this pairing and I just love the potential of it-- that in the first timeline, they are both men with a lot of baggage. two imperfect men meeting each other where they are and finding solace in each other. it soothes a corner of my brain that acknowledges that i’m a grown-up and i want to see messy people deserve happy endings too.

honestly, there are some very in-depth fics and i can’t think of many things i haven’t been lucky enough to read but i had to include this ship in this list because they ruined me. utterly and completely.

1) I wanna see sinjae/hyeonmin be at yeong’s side as the heir of the jo dynasty. he can go toe to toe with anyone no matter their title or influence and seeing yeong stand next to him, proud and in love at some gala or other is utterly lovely.

2) the two of them with kids! i love that these two people, flawed and a little dark, would be such good parents and would have that soft side for their children.

3) seeing how they play with gon. gon 1) being jealous and petty as a best friend to yeong 2) gon seeing how happy they are and absolutely doting and teasing them 3) exploring sinjae and yeong navigating the fact that gon will always be a man barely half a step below sinjae (which gets messier if you add in an element where yeong and gon have actually been in a relationship or slept together before).

Misc

with either sinjae or lee gon, i also love AUs!! rainhat has a bakery au with sinjae and yeong and i adore seeing their personalities in a different setting. give me rival teachers! an au where both yeong and gon are titled and on equal ground! a coffeeshop au! i love seeing the dynamics of these men and with either relationship, it would be so fun to explore outside of canon!!

[lamelycool]

Complex Conclusions

Data Soong & Geordi La Forge

Summary: (a fic HEAVILY inspired of the episode Eye of the Beholder) Data contemplates suicide and the reasoning behind it. Geordi does his best to explain.

Tw: talk of suicide and suicidal thoughts

"Geordi, may I ask you a possibly triggering question?"

"Oh um, sure you can Data. What's on your mind?" Geordi glances over his shoulder as he continues to do calibrations.

"Have you ever contemplated suicide? "

Geordi pauses and turns to Data. "Oh, wow okay. One of those heavy talks..." Geordi huffs out a breathy chuckle then continues, "Well um no, I've never... at least not seriously. Life gets hard sometimes. Especially growing up blind. But I have too much to live for. I could never can't even think about it. Why do you ask? Is everything alright?" Geordi asks with concern.

"I am simply trying to understand the subject better. Specifically, why would someone choose to willing terminate their life?"

Geordi pauses and thinks carefully of his to respond. How to explain in a way Data would understand? And how to explain it at all really? Why couldn't Data ask someone like Deanna or Beverly, someone more experienced... Just the duties of a best friend to a curious android though he supposed.

"Well uh Data, I don't really know. I mean there are many reasons someone might choose to. But I suppose it is overall to 'fix' something they believe is wrong or a problem? The best conclusion they see? I- I don't know Data it's complicated..."

"A conclusion? The conclusion being that death is the best solution?" Data tilts his head then nods. "Ah, I believe that I understand. I have been in a similar situation myself."

This grabs Geordi's full attention and he quickly turns to face Data and asks in shock, "Really?"

"Yes. My first months after being activated were a difficult time. And there were many problems that occurred with me becoming more sentient."

"Because of your nural nets forming? " Geordi offers.

"Yes, as I learned and acquired more skills my newly developed nural pathways took over less complex pathways. The process was very dissorienting. "

"I'd bet... "

"And as my systems grew in complexity, it became increasingly difficult to integrate new pathways into my neural net... I came to the conclusion it would be safer and easier to shut myself down and start again. In a way it would've been suicide. "

"Oh Data... What did you decide to do?"

"I decided against doing so and gained a new outlook. I decided to face my problems as challenges to be overcome. Not as 'road blocks' that stop me."

"That's a good way to look at it Data. Was that... was that the only time? The only time you thought of...committing?" Geordi inquiries cautiously.

"I have on three other occasions. That being when I first lost someone to death, when encounterimg a being that altered my thoughts, and during academy."

"Academy? Starfleet Academy? Why?"

"Yes Starfleet Academy. In academy I was learning how to interact with others properly. But my fellow students did not tend to like me because of my android nature. And the few who were kind tended to view me simply as an intricate piece of machinery that they wished to study. Not as a person or friend. It was overall a... confusing and isolating experience. Because while I cannot feel lonely or hurt, it is still not a situation I would wish to be in."

"That's terrible Data I'm sorry. You don't deserve that you are as much a person as anyone else is. Hell you're the kindest person I know!" Geordi exclaims angry that anyone could treat Data so poorly. It always makes him upset when people treat Data like he is not a person, just a computer, like he's less than.

"If I may ask... Did you contemplate then because of any particular event during Academy or? "

"Indeed. I was uncomfortable yes, but not enough to contemplate suicide. I did so after being in a situation which conflicted with my code. I was in a way ordered to do so. In fact it was the event that caused me to be able to choose to disobey. That if following a order is harmful or goes against my moral code I will not follow said order not matter from who. "

"That's terrible! Did you tell someone? Did you report it? How could someone say something so... so... so cruel?! Who said that? Never mind I don't wanna know. I'd have to have a word or two with the jerk...telling my friend to off himself... What a dick. " Gerodi rants angrily trailing off into murmuring.

"It is alright Geordi. And no I did not. I did not wish to risk their career simply because of their views. Aswell as in the end they did teach me a lesson which caused me to develope further. They taught me further free thought, that not all people are kind, and that not all think the same way I do morally."

"Yah... But still no has the right to talk you in such a way okay? You are no less a person than anyone else. Hell, you're one of the best people I know! Kind, loyal, helpful, and hardworking. Not to mention a great friend."

"Thank you Geordi... You are a great friend to me aswell. I'm sorry Geordi, I must pologize. "

"Apologize? What for?"

"I do not believe that I have expressed how grateful I am for you Geordi. You are in a lot of ways my first friend. And you have become more than that. You are very dear to me. My closest friend. My best friend. "

"Data... ", tears begin pool in Geordi's eyes and he out stretches his arms, "come here buddy!"

Data leans forward into Geordi's embrace and they hug tightly. Their hug is as tight as their bond with one another. They are the best of friends, brothers, and much more. Their bond is just too complex to explain with words. So simply they are more.

[redjaybathood]

You know, saw a "Battle for the Cowl should have been between Cass and Jason" post and it's a cool idea. Def check that out.

What comes to my mind, though, is - there's no way Jason going in this fight. Like, he sees Cass? He's out. Task Force Z answered this question for us, you know.

And I sincerely don't think he would have been against Cass as Batman if Cass wasn't against him as Red Hood. Batlle for the Cowl was a mess, alright? Jason was there solely to be Dick's foil, push him into the place the writers - and the DC comics in general - wanted Dick to be pushed despite Dick previously not wanting to be Batman. Like, I - and many others - have extensive headcanons making this work, and some people just, dismisse it from their memories (as you should). But that's what it was. If Jason wanted to be Batman - a better Batman than Batman - he was doing it with his Red Hood persona already.

And the last thing: no way in hell would a confrontation between them be a fight. It should be challenging to Cass if this is her story, so it should strike at her weaknesses. Like, an overly complicated plan that a fight, a physical defeat, or even imprisoment of Red Hood won't change anything for Cass.

A funny way to do it would be Jason setting up a voting poll to democratically elect Batman. Make Gotham Safe Again! and all that. The vote can even be, like, the telephone vote as a less on the nose reference to the telephone vote that killed him than what happened in Batman and Robin. The vote is not rigged or anything, Jason also wants to prove to himself as much as to Cass that his way is right and Gothamites share that view. He does campaign though, in some way, and pulls public to his side in short term.

And at first, Cass is like... I don't care. I'm already Batman, you can't fight me for it. What are you gonna do, helmet boy? And yeah, true. But - the public opinion does get to her, or interfers with her work in some way, and maybe she loses confidence in doing what she does. Like, not in the way that makes her consider whether killing is an option (I think it's better suited to her vs Shiva conflict, or another, totally unrelated conflict with Red Hood where they're both against the same guy). But in a way... is she doing enough? Is there any point in what she's doing? And she's coming up with no, it's not enough; there's a point and she's not doing any worse than Bruce did but it is still. Not enough.

So she does something, some... community outreach? Direct action? Something to tackle the three behemots: affordable housing, available jobs, and both available and affordable healthcare. With community building activities like food gardens, food banks, parks instead of parking lots, helping kids stay in schools, childcare for working parents...

And maybe she does use Jason Todd Foundation to bankroll whatever she's doing. And that's what works best. And that's what solves problems. And, you know, people of Gotham do see these efforts but they're still choosing Red Hood as the new Batman over Batgirl. Not sure how they would side if they knew that Cass Cain-Wayne is the Batgirl/Batman. I wouldn't bet my money on it? Because, yeah, The Cult. But it's not the point. The point is, Jason seeing the results, and seeing how the crime rate drops, and people's life getting easier, and being like. This is something that really would have made my life and my parents and the guys I knew, and their families', lives easier. I should also do something about that.

And he's like, calls this election thing off. And promotes (ironically) not himself but Jason Todd Foundation and Cassandra Cain-Wayne Initiative. And - helps, now, with whatever Cass is doing.

But also, he still kills whoever needs killing, because something tells me that people who're into child trafficing, for example, are not in it for affordable housing.

And Red Hood and Batman would need some level of coordination, you know. If it's possible to build a case against the worst offenders, Jason needs to keep them alive. If it's not - when what are you doing killing people, Jason, you can't kill people on not enough evidence! But if there's a trial, and the scumbag gets away because corruption or threatening jury or something else... Cass, just, backs off. Her time is finite, too, you know. She's not letting Jason kill people. She's just... being productive and efficient and using time-management skills an d... It's not like Jason leaves evidence... And... Look. Between saving people in trouble who can't save themselves, or saving people who are after people who can't save themselves from Jason? A girl can't be in two places at once, even if the girl is the Batman.

But also, the next case they're both on is the corrupt judge or cop or DA etc. So the amount of mistrials is dropping, which means next to none people Jason needs to kill.