#there is also so much to say about who the big guy is by how he treats himself aka how everyone in mentopolis treats each other

[gothwizardmagic]

god ok also gotta say as a choreographer, whoever did the superbowl choreo was a fucking GENIUS like. it manages to be so effective without ever being flashy or complicated & like. flashy & complicated are great but to do the basics this effectively is PHENOMENAL. the repeated motifs are so striking and so strong and so CLEAR in their meaning its PAINFULLY effective - the contrast of more relaxed dancers just vibin and having a good time at the beginning & end, when its just people being themselves vs. "what america wants" - disquieting, emotionless, rigid lines of soldiers throwing salutes while kendrick & sza are singing on stage in the middle, keeping the people entertained & distracted as the goose-stepping dancers circle like sharks

and thats not to even mention the SCALE - working with such crisp colour lines in such an ENORMOUS group is staggering to even fathom like. making sure all the reds are in the right place at the right time & you dont have someone who was a blue in one section but accidentally wound up in the white group somewhere in the shuffle....... the formations are UNBELIEVABLY complex & span such an enormous space, its mind blowing to think about. over a hundred dancers. over a HUNDRED people to keep track of at all times to make sure they're getting from one place to another in the right way at the right times in the right formations. over a HUNDRED.

the dancers executed FLAWLESSLY too - taking big steps and remaining PERFECTLY in line is incredibly hard & they made it look effortless. the amount of split-second transitions to nail and vibe-shifts to hit.... oh my god. also shot to the camerapeople who were working their asses off on those transitions just as much as kendrick & the dancers were

also thinking of scale like... arena choreography and stage/film choreography are VERY different things. on a stage or in a music video etc. you have ONE front. at most on a big stage the audience might wrap slightly around the sides but generally speaking, you're choreographing for the people or camera in front of you, and they're gonna have a pretty good view of your face the whole time. arenas are MASSIVE, and there are people on ALL SIDES. you can't pick A Front, you have to be entertaining people all around you simultaneously, which means completely rethinking how things are structured. you also can't rely on detail nearly as much, because the audience is Really far away. even if there are screens, you want to make sure that there's something to look at on the stage itself, so the audience doesn't feel like they're just watching a music video. it's still a live show & you want it to feel like one

so theres a balance to strike between giving the individual artist focus & acknowledging that they literally... can't face every direction at once. even if kendrick is facing away, there are always dancers doing something that'll be visually striking at a distance for the audience to enjoy. but at the same time because there ARE cameras, it also has to work for video & HAVE those detailed up-close elements, so the footage doesn't just look like a guy bopping around with people walking past him for the whole time. the most effective example i can think of is in peekaboo - the groups of white-clothed dancers in the X is visually strong from a distance - even if you can't see exactly what's going on, it's an interesting visual, whereas up close you have the strong music video feel of kendrick popping up out of nowhere; of all these different up close groups of dancers giving their full performance directly to one front while that front is rotating from one group to another, as opposed to the multiple surrounding fronts on the main stage. it transitions from an arena show to a music video (and then back when he walks out onto the main stage with that trail of dancers so the visual is most effective from above rather than up close) SO EFFORTLESSLY and makes absolutely brilliant use of the space

this is literally jsut stream of consciousness it could definitely all be phrased better & honestly i could keep talking for a Long time like i didnt even get in depth abt the use of colour in the costuming & the way every costume is slightly unique in the up close shots but when you pan out to the stadium they become lines of clones like. god i could go on!!!! i coudl go on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its a masterpiece choreographically fr its elegant its communicative its mindbogglingly complex ive watched it five times now trying to absorb as much as i can

[maskedbyghost]

When Angels Fall

Hello, my lovely people! Ready for some soul-crushing angst? No? Too bad—send your tears via mail. Love you! Also, all blame should be directed to the anon who requested this. Okay, thanks, bye!

Simon never believed in angels.

The world was too cruel, too ugly for something as pure as that. Wings were clipped, halos were tarnished, and heaven felt like a myth told to children who hadn't yet seen the things he had. He knew better than to believe in fairytales.

And then he met you.

You were 141’s guardian in the sky, an airman with a reputation that preceded you. Your callsign was Halo. It fit, he supposed, given how you watched over them, weaving through the air with a precision that impessed him since the very beginning he met you.

Your voice, crackled through his comms during every mission, would guide them out of hell and back home. You kept them safe, and God, if you weren’t the calmest person he’d ever known.

But it wasn’t just the security you brought that got under his skin. It was you—your voice, your laugh, the way you could turn a routine check-in into something that made him feel less like a ghost and more like a man.

“Wheels up in ten, boys,” you’d say, and Simon would find himself smiling under his mask, comforted by just the sound of you.

He didn’t know how it happened—how you managed to slip past the walls he had spent years building. Maybe it was the way you read him like an open book, saw through his hard exterior, or how you never once pushed him for more than he could give. Maybe it was because you still spoke to him like he was worth saving despite all the blood on his hands.

He didn’t know how, but he fell. Hard.

And the most terrifying part? You caught him.

It started small. You’d read off mission briefings in that smooth, calm voice of yours, and he’d listen like it was scripture. Then, you’d tease him about his accent and call him ‘big guy’ over the radio just to hear his exasperated huff. He didn’t even mind—not really. He’d never admit it, but he liked it. He liked you.

And at some point, it wasn’t enough to hear you only on missions.

One night, after a brutal mission, he found himself restless, the heavy burden of the battlefield clinging to him. He didn’t think—just grabbed his radio and switched to your private frequency.

“You up?” His voice was rough, and you immediately knew that he wasn’t okay.

There was a pause, then a soft chuckle could be heard coming from your side. “Simon Riley, calling me just to talk? I must be dreaming.”

He should’ve played it off and made some excuse about mission reports or logistics, but instead, he said, “Can’t sleep.”

A moment of silence passed, and then you said, “Want me to read to you?”

He frowned. “What, like a bedtime story?”

“Exactly like a bedtime story.”

He should’ve said no. Should’ve shut off his radio and suffered through another sleepless night like he always did. But he didn’t.

“…Yeah,” he muttered. “Yeah, alright.”

And so you did. Some book you had lying around, something about stars and the vast, endless sky. He barely remembered the words—just the sound of your voice, soft and lulling—until sleep finally took him.

After that, it became a habit. Whenever the weight of the world became too much, he’d reach for his radio, and you’d be there, voice soft in his ear, pulling him back from the darkness in a way nothing else could.

For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t alone.

But, he should’ve known happiness like this wouldn’t last.

The mission was supposed to be routine. Get in, retrieve intel, and get out. Simple. Clean.

It wasn’t.

Everything went to hell fast. Some kind of ambush, a miscalculation on their part, and the enemy waiting for them like they knew they were coming. The ground team was pinned and cut off from their extraction point, and Ghost could hear the tension in your voice as you called for support.

“Hang tight, I’m coming in,” you promised, your aircraft screaming through the sky.

He had no doubt you would. You always did.

You swooped in, raining fire from above, giving them enough cover to push forward. For a moment, it worked. For a moment, he thought they might actually make it.

Then the missile hit.

The explosion was deafening—a violent burst of flame and metal as your aircraft took a direct hit. Ghost felt it like a punch to the gut, his heart lurching into his throat as your voice crackled through his comms.

“Mayday, mayday! I’m hit—controls are—fuck—”

The world slowed.

He could hear Gaz yelling, could see Soap moving, but all he could focus on was your voice, filled with panic and your breathing ragged as you tried—tried so hard—to stabilize.

“Ghost—”

And he knew. He fucking knew.

“Eject,” he ordered, his voice steady despite his whole body shaking from the shock. “Now.”

“I—”

A choked sound. Static.

And then—

Silence.

They found the wreckage hours later.

What was left of it actually.

The ground was scorched, metal twisted and blackened, and the smell of burning fuel filled the air around them. There was no body, just fragments of what had once been your aircraft, pieces of you scattered like shattered glass.

He didn’t say a word. Didn’t move. Just stared at the wreckage, fists clenched so tight his nails bit into his palms.

Price placed a hand on his shoulder and murmured something meant to comfort. He barely heard it.

All he could hear was your last transmission, looping in his mind like a broken record. Your voice—his anchor, his safe place—reduced to a desperate cry for help he couldn’t answer.

That night, for the first time in years, he reached for his radio and switched to your private frequency.

Static.

He closed his eyes, gripping the radio so tightly it trembled in his hands. He waited, hoping—praying—that somehow, against all logic, you’d answer.

But you didn’t.

You never would again.

And Simon never believed in angels.

Not until he lost one.

-------------------------------------------

gonna go hide now.

@daydreamerwoah

[darlingdaisyfarm]

I love your blog sm, please never leave us 🙏 if it’s not a big problem, could I req headcanons or fic bout drunk!Ford and drunk!Stan x reader 👀 nsfw <3

∘˚₊· ʚ🍻ɞ ·₊˚∘ drunk!Stanley x reader headcanons

a/n: thank you for requesting this because i absolutely love this idea! so uhhhh ... i know you asked for both Ford & Stan but i kinda just got carried away with Stan lol, i love him so much. Ford's will come later i swear i just need to gather my braincells first 🥺 i also had no idea what pic to use but this one is pretty cool

nsfw

★ drunk!Stan rambles about marrying you every five minutes. and the problem is that he sounds so dead serious, even though hes glassy-eyed, he still mumbles about finding stealing a ring. he swears up and down that he’s gonna give you the biggest fucking wedding the town’s ever seen!

★ totally cries if you scold him. “babe, i’m sorry. i didn’t mean to!!” he doesn’t even know what he did :( he’s just clutching your hands, looking up at you with glassy, pathetic puppy-dog eyes. “do. . . do you still love me?” :((( “i promise i wont screw up anymore”

★ i believe that Stan is a fucking loud drunk. he’s the guy who starts yelling even though he’s right next to you. “BABE. BABY. SWEETHEART. LISTEN. LISTEN TO ME. I GOTTA TELL YA SOMETHIN’ IMPORTANT“ and he immediately forgets what he was gonna say

★ clings to you like a damn koala (i headcanon that it's his habit from childhood). one arm slung around your waist, his face buried in your neck, whining about how much he loves you <3

★ “YA SEE THIS?” he shouts, absolutely hammered, slamming his drink down and pointing at you. “THIS IS THE LOVE OF MY GODDAMN LIFE, EVERYONE PAY RESPECTS.”

★ turns into the biggest, neediest, whiniest bitch the second you start petting his hair. melts into your touch, groaning like you’re giving him a full-body massage

★ “hey babe, babe, listen. listen. i could still totally pick you up. no, i ain’t that drunk. watch.“ promptly falls on his ass :)

★ drunk texts you while you’re sitting next to him. “you look so good rn wanna make outtt”

★ gets real quiet for a second, then just grabs you, full-body clings, putting his head on your shoulder and absolutely refuses to let you go. “yer real warm. like. so warm. like. god, i love you. so much. like. i would fight god for you.” rubs his face against you like a big cat. “mmm. soft. mineeee”

★ grabs your hands, starts playing with your fingers. “how are yer hands so small!!! youre adorable, lookit this. we match!!!”

★ “i would sell my fuckin’ soul to eat you out on a casino poker table.”

★ loves to lean in, blabbering “babe. babe, we should fuck.” and immediately trips over his own feet and almost faceplants. “cmon, sugar, i still got it. promise. just. gimme a sec to stop seein’ double. . .“

★ tries to be smooth, but ends up being an absolute mess. he's so clumsy and his coordination is absolute garbage. “yer s’pretty. s’gorgeous. wanna—“ hiccup “wanna do bad things to ya.”

★ he is literally groping you in public, so u have to physically drag him home, but he stops you with “no babe, let’s do it right now. what d’you mean we’re in a bar? who cares? they should be honored to watch”

★ Stan tries to take you right then and there. against the bar wall, in the backseat of the car, pressed up against a damn pool table. does not give a single fuck, if he wants you then he wants you, that's it, he's just super clingy and needy when drunk

★ grumbles like a brat if you try to move away. “noooo, no, baby, stay, c’mon, lemme touch ya, lemme hold ya.“

★ during kiss he starts crying over something stupid. i see him as a big fan of animals so im sure hed let his sappy side shown “babe, i—i saw a dog earlier—he had such a lil face—“ then immediately changes topic and sobs into your neck, mumbling about all the things he loves about you. your smile, your laugh, your warmth, the way you always put up with his bullshit

★ he is fucking humping you. rutting against you like a goddamn teenager, grinding his cock against your thigh, moaning into your mouth and whiny as fuck. “babe—babe, c’mon, need it so bad, need ya, fuck, m’hard, babe, please“

★ so needy before he even gets inside you. you grind against him once and he’s whimpering, rubbing his face into your chest, muttering, "fuck—oh, fuck, babe, i can’t, m’gonna fuckin’ die”

★ he lets you do whatever the hell you want to him. has no resistance. tell him to lie back, spread his legs, let you take care of him, he’s doing it immediately. “shit, baby, you can do whatever ya want with me” his words slur when you push him down. Stan loves when you’re in control. he loves feeling helpless with you. “sweetheart, ya got me, got me so good, god, i’m all yours”

★ he needs to kiss you constantly so he kisses you through his own moans, muffling every whimper into your mouth. his lips are swollen, but he keeps going, but if you pull away he immediately whines, pawing at you, pouting. “nuh-uh, sugar, gimme another one, one more, just one more”

★ so goddamn eager to please. he’s already sloppy with his tongue when he’s sober, but when he’s drunk. . . “gonna“ hiccups “lemme eat ya out, babe, lemme—“ he trails off, just shoving his face between your legs

★ if he tries to be cocky, he 100% fails immediately. “y’know i could make ya come in five seconds flat, right, sweetheart?” now that's a bold statement, so you decide to tease him saying “oh yeah? prove it.” as result, he fumbles his belt, gets tangled and falls off the bed

★ the moment you’re alone, he’s all over you. hands grabbing at your waist, cupping your ass, pulling you flush against him. i bet groaning like a slut every time you move. “fuuuuck, babe, y’feel so good—jesus, lemme touch ya, so good for me”

★ literally cannot stop touching you, even after he’s cum. nuzzling into your neck, lazy fingers playing with your clit, begging for second round bc he just cant get enough

★ if you're not here with him when hes drunk, he would absolutely text you smth like “babe ya up? cause m’fuckin’ hard, thinkin’ bout ya” which leads to him sending a dick pic with his thumb in the way. “ffffuck. waitt lemme try again”

★ i love showing that this silly old man doesn't know how to use his phone so here's more: ofc he'd send you “thinkin bout ya. fuck baby, wish ya were here right now.” interesting and very tempting right? you smirk, typing back. “yeah? what would you do if i was?”

Stan: gimme a sec

and you wait, you wait a long time. then your phone dings again with message “FUCK. wait. fuckin camera’s flipped” you raise an eyebrow when suddenly another ding.

stan: HOLY SHIT WAIT NO

you open the picture and it’s literally just his forehead, his fucking forehead. you laugh typing “baby what am i supposed to do with it?”

Stan: jesus fuck i was tryna be sexy. whatever. just get over here n’ sit on my fuckin face instead

it came to my mind so suddenly and i think it's cute so i wanted to write it, can be mullet!Stan or our lovely old man Stan, doesn't matter, this man is clingy and needy as fuck when drunk

so. . . imagine you have to take care of his dumb ass :)

“okay, c’mon, big guy,” you grunt, dragging Stan toward the bed, but he’s completely deadweight. arm slung over your shoulder, mumbling absolute nonsense and you groan about his weight, damn hes so big

“babe,” he slurs, grinning all dopey, cheeks flushed. “babe, yer so fuckin’ cute. cutest person in the whole damn world.”

“yeah, yeah,” you huff, trying not to laugh. “cutest person currently trying to keep your ass from collapsing on the floor.”

“hell yeah, i would collapse for you," he says seriously what makes you snort, finally managing to shove him onto the comfy soft bed. but before you can step away, his arms wrap around your waist, pulling you right down with him. “nuh-uh,” he mumbles, burying his face in your neck. “yer stayin’ here. m’not sleepin’ without ya.”

“Stan.”

“shhh.” he nuzzles closer, his voice already sleepy. “jus’ gimme a kiss, babe.”

you sigh, pressing a quick kiss to his forehead. but apparently, that���s not enough. he tilts his head up and looks at you through half-lidded, lips parted.

“mmm. no, sweetie. real kiss.”

“Stan, you’re drunk.”

“m’not that drunk.” he smirks, dragging you down. ”c’mon, sugar. jus’ one.” how can you reject those brown puppy eyes? you kiss him, despite everything, you bring your lips to his, hoping for a light and absolutely innocent kiss, but of course, Stanley immediately turns it filthy, deepening it, groaning into your mouth, trying to pull you on top of him.

“mmm, babe, let's fu—“

“go the fuck to sleep, Stan.”

i could end it right here, but i think that both Stan and Ford, when drunk, will definitely tell you about all their kinks

so you were just trying to get him to bed, but oh no. he’s got something really, really important to tell you. and, of course, he’s whispering it all breathy against your ear. it starts off all sweet snd clingy though, hes saying things like “yer my favorite person ever. ever. fuckin’ love ya. best thing that ever happened to me. wanna keep ya forever. never lettin’ go. nope. yer mine now.” and smothers you in sloppy kisses, your cheek, your jaw, your lips and everywhere he can reach. his hands are wandering, gripping, stroking, but he’s just so damn lazy about it.

and it's not like you dont enjoy it, of course you do, so you let him touch you like that but then he whispers “baby i gotta tell u smth. y’ever think about doin’ real filthy shit?” Stan hiccups and presses his face against your neck. “cause, fuck, i got, like, so many things i wanna do to ya” he pulls back, gripping your face, staring at you all serious. “baby i wanna bend ya over every goddamn surface in this house. countertop. . . table. . . or fuck- fucking you against the wall. shit, babe—just. . . love it when you let me take ya from behind, love seeing that pretty ass bounce. f-fuck, and when ya moan my name like that makes me wanna breed ya.” OH. OH?? damn, your mouth drops open. “Stan—“

“m’serious!” he groans, dragging you onto his lap, rocking his hips up into you. “always wanna fill ya up, sugar. wanna see ya all full n’ dripping” he’s nuzzling into your neck now, biting, groaning against your skin. ”yer so soft, babe. wanna mark ya up. wanna ruin ya so bad. i love when ya pull my hair or when ya get all bratty. fuckin’ love puttin’ ya in yer place. . . or when ya get all sweet n’ beg for it, shit, babe, i’d do anything if ya begged real nice”

he’s rubbing his flushed face against your chest now, breathing heavy, a complete mess. “i love ya. yer the best thing that ever happened to me.”

you sigh, dragging a hand through his hair, smiling despite the fact that ur crazy heart is about to jump out of your chest.

“baby, you’re so drunk.”

he huffs, clinging tighter. “yeah? so what? doesn’t make it less true.”

[sheeple]

I wrote this at work today so it's small and not much but I had to get it out of my system and I thought it was cute. Part one | part two

You: sooooo remember when we saw my aunt while we were out for coffee a while ago? John <3: Of course. Why do you ask? You: she kinda told my mom and now mom's expecting me to invite you over for dinner. You: tomorrow You: like some inspection or smth :/ You: and I totally get if you're busy and can't come. It's kinda last minute John<3: Doll calm down. John<3: It's no big deal. I would love to meet them. You: Isn't it too much tho? You don't have to if you don't want to You: It's not like we're official or smth 🤷🏻‍♀️

You stare nervously at your phone as John types and stops and types again. While you and John have been going out for a while, you never really talked about what you two are. And you're not one to assume so unless one of you actually says something, you try to keep it casual.

Also, you're not totally freaking out that you like him a lot and he seems to like you a lot but nothing's happening.

Your phone lights up with a picture of John as he calls you. With a shaking hand, you press the call accept button.

"Hi", you say softly, gladly that you don't have to face him at the moment.

"I thought...", he clears his throat. "Wasn't I obvious with my intentions to you?"

You feel your heart drop at the slight insecure wobble his voice has. Great, now you feel bad...

Plucking at the hem of your jacket you answer, "I just didn't want to assume... What if you were just being nice?"

John sighs kind of relieved. "Doll... Who makes out with someone to just be nice?"

"I don't know!", you defend yourself, "I don't know how guys your age date." Dear lord you are digging a deeper and deeper hole for yourself.

John chuckles, a deep sound that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up in a good way. "Oh, how you wound me sometimes doll." You can hear the smile in his voice. "Fine", he sighs but it doesn't sound irritated. More... amused.

There's slight rustling and creaking from the other side of the line like he's sitting up straight. Unconsciously you do the same, pulling your legs towards you while you rest against the headboard of your bed.

"Would you do the honours of officially being my girlfriend?"

A wide smile spreads on your face and you nod, despite knowing he can't see it. "I would like that, John. Very very much."

[asdfghjklartblog]

Vermillion

Trans masc reader x yandere batfam

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (here)

Hello! Sorry this took a bit longer, but the chapter is also longer than usual so hopefully it makes up for it! So this is like almost exactly 7.4k words so take a little break, grab a drink and maybe some tissues because I cried while writing this one. I’m also generally an emotional person so that’s not saying a lot tbh. Anyways have fun!

Tw: Neglect, Slight gore, Obvious favouritism

——————————

There’s no other way to say it, Jason’s been following you around both in and out the manor. But considering you’re a homebody who does nothing but go to school, read and write fanfics, draw commissions and whatnot, it was pretty damn easy to just follow you around. At first you found it unsettling, even you, a daddy’s girl didn’t hang around your daddy that much. But he grew on you, like how ivy grows along the side of a building. You guys get to talking and you two realise that you lived close to each other before you were taken in by Bruce. Which is both a pleasant and sad surprise. You love Jason, he was your family just like Luke.

You don’t know what’s going on with Dick per se, but you heard through the grapevine that he’s studying to be a cop in Bludhaven. He comes back home sometimes, well more rarely than anything but whatever. It’s not like it’s your problem. The two of you still have nothing in common, and he still finds your doujinshi and your obsession with anime a bit… Weird but he doesn’t say anything anymore. And considering that the two of you are older now, you don’t out right avoid or fight each other anymore. Mostly because he’d kick your ass.

Bruce is… Different. Not in a bad way but, he feels more unsure? Whatever Dick and Bruce fought about, you could tell that Bruce was still grumpy about it. I mean who could blame him? Dick was his favourite, his golden child, the one he wanted, the one he chose. You try not to think about it, because it hurts. And then it hurts more as you start to spiral and if it gets too bad you start feeling sick. But it’s fine. You’re fine. This is fine. Bruce is getting closer to Jason, it kinda makes your heart clench as you see their relationship progress. Jason tried to invite you to spend time with them but you knew Bruce would be uncomfortable, and you’d probably be throwing up less than a minute in from anxiety.

However you started thinking about being trans masc, at least that’s what you remember it being called. ‘Cause Robin was probably right. She has a knack for sensing these kinds of things. She helps you look into where to get HRT and how the process works. However the problem was getting permission from Alfred and Bruce to get the treatment. You don’t necessarily think it’d be a big deal but Alfred was old. He doesn’t seem like the type of man to be transphobic but, you never know. But Bruce? You weren’t too sure about him. On one hand he’s a respectful and good man. On the other hand he is a man and a playboy, so honestly the odds didn’t look too good.

The first person you come out to is well, Robin. Obviously. Well I mean she already knew so was it really coming out? It’s more like she was waiting for you to come out of the see-through a glass closet. However the second person is by complete accident. You see, you were tutoring Eric in Algebra. You didn’t have a choice, you were volunteering as a tutor and you couldn’t just refuse a person without a good cause. You were explaining polynomials to him and he just suddenly throws his head back and groans. “Ugh, this is so fucking gay. What do we even fucking need this for.”

And you replied without thinking. You chuckle before saying. “Yeah just like me.”

The both of you freeze before he just slowly turns to you and asks. “Dude, you serious?”

You lean back against the chair’s backrest and sigh. “Yeah.”

He then waits a beat before saying. “So like, you like women? You like pussy?”

You almost choke on the laughter that just bubbled out which he just looks at you weirdly for. You catch your breath and try to clear up the confusion. “Sorry, I don’t know why but that was really funny to me. But uh, maybe? I’m not sure yet. But I mean that I’m a man that likes other men.”

You can see that Eric needed to connect the dots, and you know he’s got it when his eyebrows shot up and he lets out a little. “Oh.”

You nod and say. “Yeah, I found out like a year ago but didn’t have time to delve into it at the time.”

He then nods, letting out a small hum. He sits up straight before looking at you and just says. “I think I like guys too.”

Your neck slowly turns to him and you raise an eyebrow at that before sassily turning back to the textbook and replying with. “Ew, that’s so gay.”

He immediately turns to you with a flabbergasted look on his face. You try your best to keep your smile down but he can tell. He punches your shoulder playfully before saying. “Fuck off man, piece of shit gay boy.”

You answer back with. “Pot calling the kettle black.”

Eric rolls his eyes and the two of you chuckle before a calm silence fills the room again. After a few moments he gets serious and saying. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

You look at and you can clearly tell that he’s nervous about what you’re about to say. You let him stew in his anxiety a little longer before giving him an answer. “I won’t, I promise.”

He releases a breath that he kept down in his anxiousness. Eric then says. “Hey, if you ever want like help to make your body bigger or whatever, I can help. I mean I am on the football team and run defense!”

You smile at him in a way that looks like you’re playing around with him like a cat toying around with a mouse. “Yeah? You got any moves to show me?”

His eyes widen almost comically as he immediately turns red, the freckles on his face barely visible because of it. He then tries to laugh it off before saying. “Wow! I am beat! I think I’m gonna go now.”

You look at the time and you say in a confused tone of voice. “Eric we still have like more than hour of studying-“

But he’s already packing his things and rushing out the entrance of library. You sigh and start to pack your own things before you notice some blonde dude in a trench coat. You felt someone’s eyes on you before, and you kinda feel like it might be that guy. It’s pretty quiet in the library and despite there being more than enough seats, he sits right in front of you. He flashes you a charming smile and when you look at him, he reminds you so much of Daddy. He’s also got the scruffy stubble on his jaw and above his lips. He then says with a scouse accent. “Hello, my name’s John Constantin-“

You interrupt him and loudly say. “Sir, I am underage.”

A few heads turn and he sighs then chuckles before saying. “Cheeky little thing aren’t you.”

You shrug before starting to pack up. He then looks you up and down before asking. “Mind telling me about something kid?”

You groan and ask him. “What? What the hell do you want? Why are you, as the people from where you live would say, gegging in?”

He raises an eyebrow before he asks. “You know scouse?”

You reply with. “I looked it up and watched a couple videos on it late at night. Kinda stuck to my brain for some reason.”

He nods before saying. “Makes sense. Now tell me, you seen any owls lately?”

Your heart skips a beat but you’re able to maintain your cool as you finish packing up, you then reply with. “Not really, I mean owls are hard to find in gotham not many trees and all that.”

He eyes you up and down before saying. “Don’t lie kid, it won’t do you any good.”

You get up and glare at him before saying. “Go fuck yourself.”

He smirks before sarcastically calling out as you walk away. “We actually say ‘sod off’ but nice try!”

You rush out of the library and go home. What the hell was that, and how did he know about the owl in your dreams? You haven’t told anyone except Luke. Maybe you shouldn’t have just blown the guy off. You sigh as you think about it a bit more, but you’re tired from studying and just wanna have dinner and then go to bed. The dreams stop for a while after that, letting you sleep peacefully.

You start to do better in your classes for some reason, it’s definitely not the result of you now sleeping restfully and exercising with Eric. But after you start seeing the results, seeing the muscle on your arms and your back and whatnot, leaves you feeling amazing. It even gives you the confidence boost to come out to Luke who just says. “Yeah, I kinda guessed. Either that or you were some kinda freak.”

You pushed him playfully after he said that. He laughs and throws one arm around your shoulder and ruffles your hair. He sighs, as he goes back to lie down on the grass. The two of you are just hanging out on the grass as the two of you look at the stars. He then hums before saying. “You know, I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since we met. I still remember when you barely came to my waist, and now you’re just an inch above my shoulder! Absolutely insane.”

After he says that you sigh, you start to tear up as you say. “You know how I have trouble remembering stuff? I… I’m starting to forget my memories with my daddy. And I don’t want to forget. I try to write them down but, I can only remember general things. I can’t remember what was there, what we were doing-“

Luke interrupts you gently, and say in a low voice. “I know it’s scary. I had the same fears as you did when I started to realise that I couldn’t remember Monchi, my first dog. You want me to tell you about him?”

You close your eyes as you listen to him talk, he talks about how Monchi died when he was barely 6, and that he was a small pug that was also kinda fat. How the dog loved napping the most, and loved sleeping on Luke the best. How the dog loved those bacon treats you would always see on the commercials. You laugh and the two of you decide to keep a journal of your most precious memories.

One day you realise that you haven’t told Jason yet, and but figured that he probably wouldn’t know about any of that stuff so you put it off. However as you turn 16 you think that you should probably tell Alfred sooner than later. When you tell Alfred and he smiles gently as he says. “You are very brave for telling me. And I thank you for trusting me enough to tell me miss- no, master y/n. Excuse me but it will take some time before I ingrain this information into my memory.”

You nod and then continue as you say. “I was actually hoping that you could help me with something? I-I really want to get HRT, and I need Bruce’s consent to do that. I was really hoping you could maybe convince him? I just I’m scared of telling him myself.”

Alfred looks at you sadly before nodding and says. “How about we tell him now? He has an opening right now, and since he stayed home today, you can tell him face to face.”

You panic and reply with a stammer. “N-No that’s okay really I can wai-“

Alfred then starts to drag you towards the lion’s den and Jesus, this old man is strong, what the hell. He then knocks on the door, and you’re hoping, praying to god that Bruce says he’s busy. However you hear Bruce call out. “Come in!” When both you and Alfred enter, Bruce raises an eyebrow, he’s probably thinking ‘What did she do now?‘ Alfred then says to Bruce. “Master y/n had some news to tell you. Nothing bad, good news actually.”

You then blurt out a tad bit too loud. “I’m trans. A-And I like men. And I think I like girls?”

Alfred and Bruce stare at you in complete silence. Thankfully, Bruce interrupts the awkward silence with. “Congratulations. Is there.. Anything else?”

You take a deep breath and ask. “Can you sign the consent form for the HRT treatment?”

Bruce nods and then goes back to work. That was super anticlimactic. But at least you got permission! Over the next month you and Bruce fills out all the forms and you’re overjoyed! Everything is great you’re voice is getting deeper, you’re growing even taller, you started getting chest hair among… Other things. But overall this is great!

One day at school, you’re studying in the library in the little corner where nobody can see you when you overhear some people making fun of you. You don’t really care though, you’ve made your peace with how weird you are. However their topic then changes to Jason.

A boy says. “Have you seen that kid? He doesn’t deserve to be here, he’s alley trash! He should be back on the street with that slut of a mother he has.”

They giggles like it’s the funniest thing in the world, it grates on your ears. Another girl continues, saying. “Oh my god! Nick you can’t say that! But really, how is he getting good grades? Maybe his mom taught him a thing or two!”

You’re frozen in place, you can’t believe what you’re hearing. It feels vile, disgusting and you feel like tearing out the very throats that are assaulting your ears.

Another girl joins in and says. “We should get him to get kicked out of the school! Maybe we could make look like he’s harassing us or something? Oh! We could make it seem like he’s taking advantage of us!”

You get up. You’ve heard enough. As you walk to where the girls are, you feel red hot anger going through your veins. You get to where they are, and hearing their cruel suggestions laughter grates on your nerves. You walk right up to them, getting up close and personal before growling. “What the fuck did you say?”

The girls look at you as if you were a piece of gum on the sole of their shoe, the boy looks at you with a smirk as if to challenge you. The boy pushes you away and says. “Oh, look! It’s bloody mary, what are you doing here? Did you hear what we said? You’re lucky it isn’t you we’re targeting. At least half of you is worthy of being here.”

You glare at them before getting right up in the boy’s face again, you brush your hair back and stand up straighter and saying. “If you don’t fucking shut up, and mind your business. If I see any of you near my little brother, it’s on fucking sight. You understand me? I’ll fucking get teachers involved, the police, your parents, I’m dragging you all down.”

The guy scoffs and pushes you away before saying. “You and what army? Everyone in school knows that Bruce doesn’t care about yo-“

He doesn’t get to finish that sentence as you uppercut him. He stumbles a bit before he collapses onto the floor, unconscious. Then you look at the girls and hiss. “Either you stop whatever the fuck you’re planning, or I come back with more than just my fucking fists”

The girls look at each other and nod hesitantly. You leave them be as you go back to your little corner in the library. You then pack up your things and leave, way too angry to study. So you just go to the cafeteria, where you see Jason happily eating with his friends. You start to calm down and smile stupidly as you see him safe and happy, he notices you staring and mouthes the words. “Stop looking at me.” You chuckle as you turn away to scroll on your phone.

You were called to the principal’s after that, but there was no video evidence to prove that showed that you knocked out with whatever that guy’s name was. It’s not that it was edited out, it just messed up during the time you were there. Weird. But since there was no evidence saying otherwise you got suspended and this time it was put on record. Bruce was disappointed in you but to fair when wasn’t he? Jason heard what you did and spent the week you were just hanging out with you and giving you random hugs. Which didn’t really bother you, you liked the physical affection. And after so long of barely having any, it feels nice. You assume it’s the same for Jason. Not that his situation was the same as yours but you know.

You always try and let Jason come to you, like a cat. Cause sometimes he just gets really shy or standoffish about physical affection, probably trying to unconsciously defend himself or something. It’s a bit hard to restrain yourself though when he’s so cute, you even get cuteness aggression from just seeing him. And thank god for Alfred feeding this boy, because in less than a year he’s in the target weight for his size and age and now he’s got these cute chubby cheeks and you just love pinching them. He absolutely hates it though. And sometimes you have this urge to just… Sit on him though? It’s so weird. Like you wish you were a giant cat or something so you could lie on top of him so he’d be warm, toasty and safe under you.

Now you’re 17, and usually you don’t celebrate your birthday, but since Luke came back from his tour in Afghanistan, and Jason saying that it could be fun, led the two of you to baking your own cake in the kitchen. So with Alfred’s permission and under his watchful eye, you guys bake a cake. You brought out the ingredients you needed out from the pantry and fridge, Jason was in charge of mixing things together and Luke was making sure the oven was preheated and then started to make the (kind of frosting you like). You take out the cake molds and ask the two of them. “How many layers should we make and how big should we make it? And another question, what flavour of cake would you guys prefer?”

Luke shrugs and says. “I’m fine with anything. I ain’t picky.”

Jason thinks about it for a moment before saying. “Mango, or maybe we could make like an earl grey cake?”

You respond with. “We’re doing (favourite cake flavour).”

Luke rolls his eyes while he smiles, he looks to Jason and says. “Whenever I get a slice cake for him, he always chooses that flavour. I don’t even know why I bother to even ask at this point.”

Jason snickers at that while you huff and say. “It’s my favourite flavour. If you got a problem with it then take it up with management.”

Luke chuckles at that, and all of you continue to do the tasks you assigned each other. You guys laughed and joked around while making your cake. Then you guys put the cake mix in the oven, while it bakes the three of you go into the living room to play video games, you guys play (favourite game), and you let Jason play too. But he keeps making the wrong decisions so you and Luke end up backseat gaming and spoiling everything almost everything. While Jason is playing, Luke looks you up and down he notices something. “Shit, y/n. What has Alfred been feeding you? And where did you get all this muscle from? You look good, man.”

Your smile brightens up and you nod at him, saying. “Thanks, the HRT has been helping me build more muscle mass, I’m getting more hair too, but the mood swings are rough man. Like I switch from violently angry to violently…” You look at Jason and see that he’s still playing the game but decide to not say what you were thinking. “Excited.”

Luke makes grimaces and pushes your face away with one hand. “Gross. Did not need to know that.”

You chuckle and then you ask. “Is it normal to get butt hair?”

Luke shrugs and says. “I mean I guess, some of my friends back during my tour had ass hair. I accidentally caught a glimpse when I hit the showers a bit late from doing extra burpees the sergeant assigned for me.”

You nod and then ask him. “Was it because the sergeant was homophobic?”

Luke looks at you confused and says. “I’m not gay.”

Which makes you smile but you try to stifle it as you continue to talk. “Yeah you are, you’re so gay. You fuck dudes left and right.”

He groans and the replies with. “I am helping you with both your schoolwork and making your fucking cake, and you’re seriously gaslighting me into believing that I’m gay?”

You laugh at that and then school your face and with your best brooding face and Bruce voice, you say. “Fox. You are gay. You are-“ and then you do the gay limp wrist thing.

Luke busts out laughing at that, and then starts to cough as he says. “What the fuck.”

You smile back at him and then see Jason doing something that requires concentration you, then start to practically lay on top of him as you say. “Ugh, gravity is increasing on me Jason.”

He tries to push you off and he almost does because he’s actually pretty damn strong surprisingly. He starts to get annoyed and says. “No it isn’t!!”

You nonchalantly reply. “It is too, Jason. Same thing happened yesterday.”

He groans and growls. “NO!” After losing the concentration game. He lets out another groan before pushing you off and saying. “Get your fat ass off of me!”

You laugh as you get off of him but then before he can even move you pull him onto your lap and start hugging him tightly which makes him groan even louder before struggling to get you off. That made you laugh and you eventually pull away from him, he goes back to playing his game and you sit there and wonder as you look at both Luke trying to help Jason with the game. Do they even know how much they matter to you? Do they know you’d kill for them? That you’d get your hands bloody and bruised for them? Would they do the same for you, you ask yourself. Would they love you and protect you just as fiercely? You then turn back to the TV and decide to enjoy this little piece of heaven.

The three of you eventually get back into kitchen and ice and decorate the cake together. It’s a bit lopsided, but it’s yours. And that is what makes it perfect. You guys watch (fav comfort movie) while you guys eat the cake. You guys all sleep in your room that night, having a little sleepover together.

In the morning you see that Jason is gone, you yawn and get up to go find him. You see his bedroom light is open and for some reason, you have this gut feeling. It tells you to be quiet, to peek into Jason’s room. Your brows furrow and you decide to trust your gut. You gently move the door, and peer into Jason’s room. You see Jason is changing. Gross. But as you’re about to close the door you see scars and bruises littering his torso. You freeze and decide to keep watching, why the hell does he have those? You’re almost absolutely sure he’s not getting bullied. You’ve made sure of that. So where did those marks come from? It can’t be Bruce, he might not love you, but he definitely loves Jason. And he isn’t the person to do that, you know it. It can’t be Alfred, he’d rather chop his arm off than hurt any of us. So who?

You then barge in, making Jason jump. Before he can say anything, you march up to him and pointing at the large purple bruise on his ribs you growl out. “What happened? Why the hell are you this scratched up and hurt? I know it isn’t from school and it not from-“

He tries to placate you by looking up at you with apologetic eyes and gently saying. “Y/n-“

You glare at him and say. “Don’t you fucking,” You then mimic the way he said your name and then continue. “I asked you a question and you better tell me the damn truth. I can read you like a fucking book Jason Peter Todd, don’t fucking play with me.”

Jason looks at you in the eyes and then looks to the ground. He sighs and says. “I’m in an underground fighting ring.”

You raise an eyebrow and roll your eyes before snarkily saying. “Yeah? Why the fuck is there cuts and slash scars on your skin then.”

He replies scoffs and mockingly says. “There’s a reason it’s called underground, there’s no rules.”

Your eyes widen at his attitude and you glare at him as you continue. “Don’t take that tone with me, boy. I may not be your father or mother but I am still still an elder.”

Jason looks at you with an unimpressed look and says. “You are three years older than me you are NOT and elder.”

You respond with. “Who made you the elder expert.”

Jason crosses his arms before growling. “No one. You’re just so unqualified that it’s clear to everyone.”

You’re about to respond to him again when you realise he’s trying to distract you. You then take a breath to calm down before saying. “Okay. Whatever. That’s not important. I’m just. Tell me the truth Jason, please. I’m your older brother, if you can’t trust me, who can you trust? I love you, very much. I promise I won’t be mad. I just want to know.”

Jason looks into your eyes before he sighs. He looks around the room before he gestures for you to lean in close. You do so giving him your ear, he then whispers into your ear. “Go fuck yourself.”

You pull away and groan in indignation before growling. “Fine! Keep your secrets! But don’t come to me when you need help.”

You march out of his room and accidentally slam his door, unaware that you practically broke the door and the wall around it. Why the fuck wouldn’t he tell you? Especially if he’s getting hurt from it! You can help, you’d do whatever he needs. You stop in your tracks and you know, that if you walk away now, you’re giving him a chance to cover his tracks. You’re giving him a chance to shut you out from… Whatever he’s going through. You groan, being a good big brother is hard. You start walking back and gently knocking on his door. The door falls over and you let out a surprised little noise. You see he’s staring at you before he turns away and puts his chin in his hand.

You take a deep breath and go to sit next to him. You sigh and you hesitantly put your hand on his shoulder. “Jason. Just… Please? Please just tell me what’s going on? Are you being bullied or something? Are you really going to some underground fighting ring? If so I’m not letting you go, at least not alone. Jason you’re my little brother. You and Luke are the only family I have-“

Jason blurts out. “I’m Robin.”

You freeze. You look at him incredulously and ask. “What?”

Jason also looks surprised. He then looks away and then turns back to you. “I- That was a joke.”

You look closer at Jason and you absolutely know he was telling the truth just now. You stand up and start pacing around the room before you come to a realisation. “Bruce… Bruce is..?”

Jason looks away, and that tells you everything you need to know. Everything starts to click together. Bruce is fucking Batman. Fucking Bruce?! Oh my god that’s why Batman can get all those gadgets. It makes total sense! And that means Dick was… Oh my god Dick was the former Robin, holy shit. What the fuck. You look at Jason and you want yell, scream, punch, not because you’re angry at him, but because you’re livid at Bruce for allowing this. They’re just kids! Jason hugs you from behind, startling you from your thoughts and says. “You aren’t mad, are you?”

You turn to look at him and gently cup his cheeks before saying. “No. No, I could never be mad at you. It’s not your fault. But Bruce-“

He holds your hands and puts them down before saying. “Bruce is doing his best. He’s been helping us. You saw how angry and how he’d used to be so angry.”

You then argue with him. “He’s still angry!”

Jason rolls his eyes and continues. “And I’ve been learning to control myself. I just, please. I like doing this. I get to help people-“

You raise your voice, not at him, but because you’re trying to plead for him to see things your way. “You can help people in different ways! You can volunteer-“

He then shouts as he looks deep into your eyes. “You know that’s not enough! Look at us! Look at why we’re here. It’s because it’s never enough. Look at how they dismissed your dad’s murder so easily! They closed the case in less than a month! Something was clearly going on there!”

You turn away from him, putting one hand on your waist and using the other to pinch the bridge of your nose. Jason continues and says. “If that really worked, neither of us would’ve been adopted by Bruce-“

You try to walk away from him but he quickly blocks your path and grabs your wrist. “Y/n please, it’s for the good of-“

“But what about you? I know you think it’s good, but is it? You’re 13-“

He interrupts and says. “I’m turning 14-“

You sarcastically say. “Yeah because that makes a WORLD of difference, yeah, sorry I didn’t realise you could pay your taxes and shit Mr. 14 year old.”

Jason’s hold on your wrist tightens and he argues. “Whatever! Look this is my choice-“

You interrupt him this time. “Really? Because to me it looks like Bruce is being insane, carless and-“

Jason growls back. “You take that back y/n-“

“No! This is actually insane Jason, he is making you fight people like the fucking killer clown, that scarecrow dude with the fear gas-“

“It’s actually a toxin-“ He grumbles under his breath, but you hear it. All this back and forth is driving you up the wall. You finally snap and start yelling.

“WHO THE FUCK CARES JASON THE FACT IS THAT YOU SHOULD BE SAFE, YOU SHOULD BE HERE, HAVING FUN, BEING A KID, NOT HAVING THE WORLD OR PEOPLE’S LIVES ON YOUR-“

You then realise that he’s looking at you scared, his hands are even shaking. You remember what he said about his dad. How he used to yell and beat him when he got drunk. You know this. You promised him you’d never yell at him, that you’d always love and care for him. Listen to him. But right now you’re yelling. You’re yelling at your baby brother, it doesn’t matter what you’re saying, or whether you meant to or not. You still yelled at him. Guilt floods your systems and the anger in your chest has changes into a heavy weight in the pit of your stomach. You slowly reach for him as you gently call his name but he smacks your hand away and runs out the room. You feel awful, how could you do that to him? You were angry and frustrated but you know better. You’re his safe house, you’re supposed to protect him. You turn around and try to chase after him but you bump into Luke. Seeing your panicked state and wide eyes he looks at you worried and asks. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?”

You’re about to say exactly what happened but, it’s his secret. It’s not your place to tell. You’re angry, but you aren’t stupid. This isn’t a secret you can just tell, you might trust Luke but Jason doesn’t know him as well as you do. You sigh and just give him a general overview of what just happened. Luke looks at you sadly and says. “Maybe you should give him some time-“

In a panicked tone you trip over your words but manage to get out. “But I- I have to apologise, I need to- I need to fix this! Luke, I’m supposed to-“

He grabs your shoulders and says. “Calm down. I know you’re scared that this will drive a wedge between you two, and honestly it might. I’m not gonna lie, but I also know that you both love each other a lot. You two are like two peas in a pod, partners in crime, however you wanna say it. He knows you didn’t mean to hurt him, of course you should still apologise but… Yeah just. Give him some space. He’ll come around-“

You then pause and then weakly say. “And what if he doesn’t? What if he decides I’m-“

Luke rolls his eyes and then says. “And what if you explode tomorrow. Look, it’s going to be fine. I know it.”

So you wait. And wait. And wait. Two whole weeks passes of him avoiding you. You try to talk to him but he always leaves without a word. It hurts. The knowledge that you hurt him so badly that he won’t talk to you, makes your heart twist with frustration at yourself. You try your best to give him space, but as the days pass it gets harder and harder to stay put. Especially when you know what he’s doing at night.

You have a dream again, maybe because you’re stressed. But this feels worse. You wake up, lying down on the beach. You get up with a groan and see you’re at the same beach that your other dreams took place in. However this time you see foot prints all over the beach. Some of them bird like, some of them look like normal human foot prints. And some of them look… Unnatural. You stand there looking around before you hear a soft crying behind you. It has an owl mask, you kneel onto the floor and ask the kid. “Hey, what’s wrong-“

She mumbles something you don’t catch. You pause and try to ask her to repeat herself when she repeats what she says. You barely catch what she says so you ask again. She whispers. “It hurts.”

Before you can ask what hurts she repeats herself a bit louder. “It hurts.”

You start to see where this is going so you start to back off but bump into another child as you walk backwards. You recognise this one is a boy and at the same time they repeat the words ‘It hurts’. You try to back away from them but you only find two more children blocking your way. Every time you turn away, more of them appear. They’re all different, all shapes and sizes, the only common factor between these kids are the fact all of them seem to be under 15.

They keep repeating the phrase, and with every time they say it they grow louder. You try to cover your ears but it does nothing. They’re surrounding you now, they’re screaming, pleading for you to help them, to save them. You feel your pants being tugged and that’s when you see that more kids are coming up from the sand. But they’re not climbing up, no, they’re pulling you down. The sand beneath your feet start to loosen, making it that much easier for them to pull you down with them. You try to pry then off you but like a hydra every kid you pry off, three more take it’s place. You scream for them to let you go, but none of them listen. You start to see flashes of visions, of children and needles, of people in masks, of a dark ballroom and an altar on the other side of the room. The sand is up to your waist now, numerous small hand clawing at your skin, leaving trails of blood in their wake. Their hands start to reach your face, their hands covered in your blood as they clamour to drag you into sand, grabbing and scratching where they can reach. The sand is now right under your chin. You get your hand free to try to pry yourself out, but it doesn’t work. The last thing you see is an owl as your mouth and lungs start to fill with sand.

You wake up with a gasp and start coughing out sand, you run to your bathroom sink as you throw up more sand as well at last night’s dinner. You hear someone coming into your room, and in your panicked state you grab the soap dispenser. As the person tries to come in you swing at him, the person dodges and you let out an animalistic growl and follow the person. Your eyes are unfocused and you can barely see, it’s like you can see enough to move but not enough to recognise anything. You hear something, like someone’s talking, but it’s so muddled that it seems like distorted noise. You swing again and the person dodges again, but you catch them off guard as you throw it straight at their face which nearly hits the intruder’s, but instead it hits the wall behind him. You tackle the stranger but they use that force against you and throws you onto the ground. They pin you to the ground with great difficulty as you groan and growl like an animal, the intruder then jumps off you and makes a run to your bed. You follow and as you’re grabbing and lifting you’re the brown thing by a bigger thing over your head to smash into the intruder’s head, you hear your daddy’s voice.

You freeze and your eyes start to clear up, you can see again. You’re huffing and puffing, you the put your bedside table on the ground. You’re room is mostly okay, if not a bit messy because of the fighting. You look to your bed and see that Jason’s looking at you with wide eyes with your Oliver plushie in his hands. You start to piece together what happened and sigh before you stretch your body lightly. Jason then yells at you. “WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?”

You groan and then say. “It just happens sometimes-“

Jason’s eyes widen further and he continues. “SOMETIMES!? You were acting like some backed up rabid animal! And that’s normal?!”

You turn around and massage your temples before saying. “Really? And you’re so much better, Mr. ‘Boy wonder’? Look if you came here to judge me-“

Jason makes you turn around and is about to yell again but stops himself. Instead he lets out a sigh and pulls you into a hug. You’re a bit surprised but you hug him back you two stand there for a moment in silence. The two of you let go and you take a step back from him, he gives you a melancholy look before calming himself down fully. He takes another moment to think and then says. “I get it. We both have secrets. I just… I don’t know. I’m sorry for avoiding you, and I’m sorry for running-“

You interrupt him, grabbing his hand and try to assure him. “Jason, no! You had every right to do that. I’m sorry I couldn’t control myself I just, recently it’s been harder to. I’m not saying it to excuse myself, I’m saying it to explain myself. And I was so frustrated, I… Jason I want you to be safe. And what you’re doing… I can’t protect you from that. That made me angry and scared, and the way you kept brushing off my concerns just left me feeling more worried and scared. I love you so much Jason. We may not be related by blood, but you matter to me more than anyone else. Well not anyone else, you’re a very close third to Luke.”

Jason chuckles at that, he then brushes his hair out of his face before saying. “Yeah, I get that, I’m sorry about that. It’s just I… I know. It’s dangerous. Of course it is. You don’t have to tell me that. But I have to, cause if it’s not me, who will? Who’s gonna protect the kids that are going through the stuff we went through?”

You look at into his eyes and that’s when you know, he’s not gonna quit this. No matter what you say. You cup his cheeks and tear up, your baby, your little brother. It brings you so much pride, so much pain and tremendous amount of grief to your heart knowing that every night you’re going to bed, he’s going out there to fight criminals and villains. People who don’t care that he’s just a kid. That’s when you let out a shaky sigh and let the tears run down. You kiss the edge of his hairline and really look at him. You look at his hooded eyes with beautiful brown irises, like the sweetest milk chocolate, his fluffy black hair which you run your left hand runs through, his full cheeks, the permanent little smirk on his face, which makes you smile. You chuckle wetly as you squish his cheeks as he chuckles back. You exhale shakily before saying. “It’s like I’m sending you off to war. Is there any chance I can make you change your mind?”

He chuckles at that and shakes his head as he looks back at you tearfully. You nod and softly say. “I thought so.”

You let go of him and you get a tissue to wipe your face. Once your face is dry you go back to him and say. “I’m not gonna stop you. I don’t think I’d be able to anyways.”

You both chuckle at the before you continue. “But I want to help. Whatever you or Bruce want me to do I’ll do. Well less Bruce, more you. I want to do my best to keep you safe. Just because you’re a vigilante doesn’t change that. And I want you to promise me,” You say as you put up your right hand with your pinkie out. “No more secrets. Please.”

He stares at your hand and then at you before asking. “Are you serious-“

“Just take the damn pinkie Jason.” You say with exasperatedly.

He rolls his eyes and then takes it with his own pinkie. You then say. “Promise me, promise me that if there’s anything and I mean anything that is potentially life threatening or changing you will tell me.”

He pauses, thinking about it for a moment before saying. “I pinkie promise to not keep secrets that could be potentially life changing or threatening from you.”

You nod, and before you release his pinkie you quickly add in. “Or else I get a free punch.”

“Hey! That’s not what we-“

“Well I guess you should tell the truth then to avoid getting punched then.” You say with a smirk.

He then rolls his eyes before you pull him into a hug and say. “I love you. So much. You’re my one and only brother-“

“What about Dic-“

You then interrupt him with. “He doesn’t count.”

Jason laughs at that and then says. “I love you too. Until I take my last breath.”

——————————

Tag list: @simpingpandas @randomlyappearingartist @birbtweettweet @soulsire @crazycaoticsimp

I hope you guys liked it! And thanks for waiting patiently! Also I still need a beta reader, not to like edit or anything just to read it over and like critique my stuff. But yeah, this chapter took longer as well as like became longer than I anticipated. I was initially thinking this would be the chapter that I, well, you know. But it didn’t. We’ll also see either Kori and Barbara in the next chapter or so. And if you guys want to see like Ethan again let me know! Because this might be your last chance :)

[alphajocklover]

So I’m at my best friend’s house and something weird happened. He just told me how much he knew I love muscular guys with strong facial hair and said he had a really early birthday gift. He took a selfie then took a picture of me and now, I feel all weird and foggy in my head. I think I can see his big fat…dick through his briefs. I rubbed my face and, do I have mutton chops growing in? I just, please help me I’m not sure what’s going on, I don’t think I like it

First off, I’d like to wish you a happy early birthday! Turning 22 isn’t the most exciting thing ever, certainly not as fun as turning 21, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy it! And before you correct me and say that it's not your actual birthday yet, or that’s you’re not turning 22, let me just say this: give it a moment.

You feel that tingling across your body? The strange sensation that’s like a sunburn that somehow underneath got underneath your skin, or static electricity dancing across your muscles. That’s the app your friend downloaded doing its job. I’ve talked before about InstaJock, the app that turns people who use it into a jock, and how there seem to be people making knockoffs of it as well, but as the app has grown in popularity, some of the knockoffs have gained traction too. I’d even venture to call a few of them legitimate competitors. Most have done so by finding a gimmick and carving themselves out a place in the digital tf world. Fratbook, for example, is an app that works a lot like this InstaJock, except every more of a frat boy lean. SnapBack does internet fuckboys, Redsky does conservative men, etcetera. There are even some more far out ones, like Polygraph, which is kind of like Twitter (or X or whatever) except everything you post becomes true. But I’m getting way off track, we should get back to you.

I can’t be entirely sure what app your friend used on you, but I doubt the specifics matter anymore. By this point the burning in your muscles and the itch of hair growing across your face and body is unbearable, but it doesn’t remotely compare to the dull warmth that's spread through your head. You said that you didn’t think you liked the change at first, but right now it’s hard to think at all, especially with your friend's fat dick swinging in your face. You weren’t sure when he took out his cock, or when you got on your knees, but as the heat in your muscles calmed to a dull throb, and your new thick black hair has settled across your body, you find yourself just going with the flow. Why wouldn’t you bro? Everything just feels so fucking good!

Now I have good news, better news, and even better news! The good news is that whatever your friend has done is probably temporary. It was a gift after all, and he also transformed himself, so you’re probably both going to just enjoy being hairy hunks for a while. The better news is that you probably have a boyfriend now, if that's what you want. Your friend probably knew you would hook up, and this might have been your way of seeing if you’re also into him, while living out his fantasy. The better news is that, if you want, it doesn’t have to be temporary. Once you’ve turned back to normal, and you and your ‘best friend’ have had a little talk, reach out. If you guys want to spend more time in your dumb, beefy, hair forms, I might be able to help. ---------- Hey guys! So, I know most people skip over the little out of character updates I sometimes put at the bottom of my stories, but I'm hoping you guys take a second to look at this one because I have a bit of an announcement. I realized yesterday that on February 17th, in just five days, this blog will be a year old! I know I'm only just getting back into doing this, but I'm so proud that I've actually stuck with this for a full year! So I want to celebrate! So, I'm going to be temporarily reopening my ask for...

An Alphaversary QNA!

What makes this QNA special is that you won't just be asking me questions. You can ask a question to me, my character, or any of the characters I've written about in any of my stories! The answers will probably be shorter than my usual work, but will give you guys the chance to ask about anything thats confused you, dig deeper into the world building, or even check up on a character or concept that you're curious about. This will go until February 24th, the day I posted my first original story! Don't be afraid to ask away! Thanks for coming on this journey with me you guys! I can't wait for another badass year!

[tossawary]

I'm only on Episode 5 of "Teen Wolf" and it's hard not to think about Stiles/Derek due to the pairing's influence as a fandom juggernaut throughout the 2010s. It has, over the years, occasionally made me intensely curious as to what was actually in the source material to spark this, versus how much of it was the migratory slash fanfiction fandom stuff.

I don't have... super strong opinions of them from the source material yet? I don't really think they have positive or negative chemistry at the moment. Their interactions are hampered by the fact that I think Derek Hale is currently kind of incoherent as a character, apparently not allowed to actually talk to anyone due to contrived drama reasons, preventing him from connecting naturally on an informational or emotional level to Stiles or Scott. Derek's backstory is still murky and largely unknown. Derek's personal goals here are also a little unclear. Some of this will be cleared up as the season goes on.

I do think that I personally would enjoy Derek more if he had actually been only a few years older than Scott and Stiles, as Stiles says in the first episode, and actually looked it as well. I think that Derek being younger, being another "teen wolf" at 19, would have 1) put him on more even footing with Scott, and 2) made him come across as more of a scared, cornered animal, lashing out at the Argents and stumbling around lost without his family/pack. Like, the traumatized lone wolf thing is apparently what's happening with Derek anyway, but I do think all that would be better communicated to the audience if Derek looked younger and more pathetic and was allowed to snap at / talk to people more and with purpose.

If Derek was younger, I also think that he would function as a better mirror / foil to Scott. Here's this kid who was born a werewolf (unlike Scott), had a big and loving family (Scott has a single, loving mother and an apparently better-absent father), and is now orphaned and homeless and friendless (unlike Scott). It would also make Kate look even more vile and I'm good with that. I know the writers are going to absolutely miss the opportunity to have Scott and Derek's relationship have some more positive give-and-take. Scott has a lot to offer Derek! Scott's kind heart is one of my favorite things about him so far!

Anyway, back to the Stiles/Derek stuff. Yeah, I would also like Stiles/Derek or Scott/Derek more as concepts if Derek was younger. Right now, from the actual canon material I've seen, disregarding the knowledge I've picked up over the years regarding Derek's life, Derek is mostly giving me Angel from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" vibes. And I really did not like Angel and especially not Angel/Buffy.

One positive thing I will say for Stiles/Derek is that I can absolutely see where the ship originally came from. Stiles does have some very queerbait-y lines with the "am I attractive to gay guys" humor. Derek is conventionally attractive. Derek and Stiles are the only two people in on the "Scott is a werewolf" problem, helping him out, and there's maybe a dash of "pair the spares" to it, but these two people are actually interacting and cooperating to solve problems together. And "I got you arrested for a murder you didn't commit" / "you need to cut off my arm" is a hell of a starting point for a ship. That's honestly great stuff. That's a level of freak that might generally inspire me to invent chemistry for a pair of characters, just to figure out how to make that relationship work.

In conclusion, I don't personally ship it, but I get it. I totally see where it came from.

[kazbrekkerfast]

what instrument I think F1 drivers would play + reasons (from a cellist who is objectively correct)

(if you disagree that's fine please share your opinions I really want to know them)

Get ready cuz this is a LONG post. I also mostly stuck to the 2024 grid cuz I couldn't be bothered with much more

also please note that I wrote this whilst exhausted and avoiding practicing so if it has any spelling/grammar mistakes, you didn't see anything

1. Max Verstappen: percussion

ok so max is to me a percussionist through and through but also seems like the type of percussionist who learnt how to play the violin as a kid and hated it, so became a drummer instead. definitely plays the marimba like his life depends on it. also becuase I have a thing for them so ye 🥰 (I do however love a good fanfic where he's like a super competitive violin/piano player even if I can't really see him play them)

2. Charles Leclerc: piano

so he obviously already plays piano which suits him sm so I'm going to keep that because he has the correct vibes and everything for piano, but more on the late classical onwards stuff than the earlier music (I NEED to hear him play Debussy like omfg please)

3. Carlos Sainz: conductor

ok here me out but I can't see him playing in an orchestra BUT he would definitely conduct, and could probably play a string instrument/piano quite well but like it wouldn't be his passion if you get what I mean (I also feel like he'd be quite strict as a conductor but get super good performances out of the orchestra)

4. Daniel Riccardo: trombone (+bass trombone)

ok he's the reason I'm making this list because OMFG THIS MAN IS A BRASS PLAYER like defo lower brass too but I can't really see tuba player from him so trombone. he's also the kind of brass player to be stupidly good at percussion too so ye that too. also get this man in a big band. please.

5. Lando Norris: violin

ok so lando is always giving main character energy and like there's not much more main character than a violin, and also I can very much see him being a more romantic/lyrical player (he just has them vibes idk). HOWEVER broski has a MASSIVE hand span so he has to play piano cuz he can deffo reach them 10ths let's be real

6. Oscar Piastri: oboe (+french horn)

ok HEAR ME OUT!!!! tell me you can't see this guy play an oboe. I think he has the right sized face for it idk that sounds strange but I can see it please believe me 😭😭. Also french horn cuz it's my fave instrument except my own and I think he'd serve playing it idk

7. Lewis Hamilton: cello

I'm biased. he has the vibes. (not really but idc). also probably sings (he already does but shh). Definitely not a baroque player and probably plays more Dvorak era stuff (the things I'd do to see him play Brahms E minor) but this is all because I am spectacularly biased and want to see my fave drivers play my instrument. also producer vibes but that's unrelated.

8. George Russell: flute

ok so personally most male flute players I know are complete dickheads BUT I think George is the exception like he just seems quite flutey (also he kinda gives classical era piano player but that may be me being silly) but bro definitely doesn't like syncopated rhythms like let's be real if it's off the beat my guy would be completely lost. he does seem like the type to be able to read ledger lines tho

9. Yuki Tsunoda: percussion

I think he's another percussionist tbh but more cymbals and timps than tuned percussion. I don't have much more to say about Yuki because he's just cymbals in my head lmao

10. Pierre Gasly: euphonium

right. he gives wind because he's french BUT he probably is euf cuz like I can very much picture him playing it and also I can very much see him giggling at the back of a brass band or some shit with Yuki (yukierre nation what's good) so I've put him as a euf cuz why not

11. Esteban Ocon: clarinet

another biased opinion but I can see it like he just is a clarient I think. I think it's probs just the fact he's tall but like the stereotype of people looking like their instruments is real so he (he does give cellist a bit too but that may also just be because he's tall)

12. Fernando Alonso: trumpet

right this was a very tough one BUT he holds all the chaos and menace of a trumpet player (especially when he was younger), and I think it suits him quite well. he does give lower brass a bit but I think he has more trumpet vibes than lower brass so ye

13. Lance Stroll: clarinet

ok rich boi obviously would have been taught the violin and I think he'd be pretty good at it tbh BUT he gives clarient vibes so fucking hard like especially bass clarinet, cuz he's different like that

14. Nico Hulkeberg and Kevin Magnussen: trumpet

right. these two are together for a reason. these two are the two trumpet players in an orchestra who sit there yapping for half the rehearsal, play the 4 bars they have in a piece and then are done for the day. don't say you can't see it. you can.

15. Alex Albon: guitar

this one is quite specific but he gives like classical and jazz guitar vibes in a very specific way. also woodwind. idk he contains multitudes and I think we should celebrate that. maybe flute? I can see that. (I'm losing the plot here wtf even is an instrument)

16. Logan Sargent: viola

PLEASE DONT COME FOR ME I SAY THIS IN A GOOD WAY!!! he really has strings vibes to me but definitely is not violinist at all, therefore I think he'd be a good viola player. I'm sorry we all need one somewhere 😭. HOWEVER as he is American I will say get this man on the cheer squad and like idk have him throw people in the air while the marching band does it's thing I can see him doing that

17. Sergio Perez: french horn

sorry he's so far down I had actually no clue what instrument he has the vibes for at all. BUT I made up my mind, and I think he gives french horn vibes. don't ask me why I don't know it just is there

18. Valterri Bottas: tuba

HE TUBAS MORE THAN ANYONE HAS EVER TUBAD BEFORE also probs plays percussion on the side but in the sense that they didn't have enough one day so he volunteered to play for fun. I almost put him as a double bass but he really doesn't have strings vibes at all so I moved him to tuba

19. Zhou Guanyu: piano

this is going to sound weird af but don't take it that way but holy shit this guy's fingers are LONG like I think he could probs do a 9th or 10th easily (I'm so jealous) and I feel like he has piano vibes. also a bit stringy but also not idk I feel like he'd own a harp but not play it often so ye

20. Franco Colapinto: violin (?)

idk him that well and he has very similar vibes to lando (this may be due to the edits I have CONSUMED over the last few months) so ye I think he could be violin, maybe like leader of the 2nds kinda thing for the fun of it

21. Liam Lawson: guitar and drum kit

ok. this is a copout cuz he already does and posts things of him playing but like he just is guitar like that is what he is in my mind. also he gives the vibe of that one guitarist who decided to learn drums but hasn't got the coordination quite right yet so isn't great at keeping time but thinks he's great anyways (I love him really)

ANYWAYS IM DONE THANKYOU IF YOUVE GOT THIS FAR I WISH YOU ALL THE LOVE AND HAPPINESS IN THE WORLD

[je0ng1nn]

SHOW ME WHO YOU ARE (Pt. 2) — Hwang In-Ho

𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ PAIRING — Hwang In-Ho x fem!reader

𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ INCLUDES — basic Squid game violence, little bit spice, age gap (reader is mid 20‘s In-house is late 40‘s)

𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ NOTE — Seriously y‘all, i‘m so so happy that you love my works🤍 i really appreciate all the love.. waking up to over 100 of likes on just a short silly fanfic means a lot to me, i didn’t expect to grow this fast! As a thank you, here’s the second part ! (sorry that this part comes out this late, i have a big blockade 💔)

(PART 1) | (PART 3)

We just voted, it ended up being a tie, which meant there will be another one tomorrow.. I looked up at Young-il, i thought we‘ll finally be able to go home now.. but it wasn’t, i felt myself getting really uneasy. Not only because of the tie, but also because of what happened back in that room. I don’t know how to feel about the whole situation, he killed someone.. to save us? And the kiss too, it got my thinking.. does he like me the way i like him?

We all went back to our normal place to sit as a group, again i sat between Gi-hun and Young-il, like always. I didn’t plan on telling the others, i promised Young-il not to. „Young-il.. Can we talk?“ My head turned to look at him, the others were deep into their conversation.

He was a little surprised at that, but he ended up nodding. We went to my bunk, „What’s up, little one?“ It made my legs weak, he really knew how to make a girl feel good, but i had to focus on this one thing.

„Do you.. love me?“ I asked him, his cold eyes slowly turning softer. „I do, but you’re to you-” I stopped him mid sentence. I expected everything but that. My world broke together, but i couldn’t let this sit on myself, I won’t let go of a guy like this easily, especially not Young-il.

„I‘m not Young,“ I sighed out, he was about to say something but i wasn’t done yet. „I‘m 23, i‘m not a baby, i‘m an adult now. If i want to day a guy that’s twice my age, i will. You aren’t my father are you? I don’t want you to decided on my life like this, please.. Just give one chance! I really like you.“ My voice got a little louder each sentence, but i could care less, it got me angry.

I know, 23 and 49 sounds bad.. but it‘s my life, if i want to date a older guy i can, i‘m old enough, right? Young-il just chuckeled. „What’s so funny?“ I asked, my eyebrows furrow. „You. You’re funny, the way you defended yourself. It‘s cute, but also idiotic.“ His hand went to touching cheek, his thumb slowly caressing my face. „I don’t care if you‘re 30 or even 20. You‘re brave, and you don’t mind saying your opinion. I love the way you kissed me back in that room, it made me feel younger again.“

„I love you more than you could imagine.“

My heart stopped at this. My impulsive thoughts took overhand. I kissed him, not even caring if anyone saw this. Why should they care anyway? Either way, this was the best kiss ever. Full of desire and love, passionate. I let out a gasp and he took the opportunity to push his tongue in my mouth. Our tongues were fighting with each other, Young-il‘s clearly won this fight. After some seconds, we broke the kiss, panting. He leaned down to me, giving my forehead a little peck. „I can’t get enough of you, i hope you know that.“

We were about to kiss again, but suddenly the door opened, out of curiosity i looked in the direction. Players, blood everywhere on them. Player 333 looked like he showered in blood. Young-il noticed my surprised face, he looked into the same direction. „Looks like they killed some people in the bathroom, hm?“ His voice was low, he didn’t seem to like that we got carried away by this sight. He knew i probably wasn’t into anything after seeing this much blood.

And shortly after, the fighting seemed to begin again, both teams attacking each other, arguing about who started everything. Gi-hun called everyone to him from the X team, to see how much players we lost. Young-il groaned at this, i didn’t think much of it and went together with him back to our group.

G-hun started to count us. 47. The other team had 45 which meant we can go home tomorrow after the next voting. I was happy and immediately clung onto Young-il. But the euphoria didn’t last long.

Soon after, Gi-hun had a little ‚meeting‘ with a couple of X players. I sat in between Hyun-ju and Young-il, as we discussed a plan. „They‘re planning to kill us during Lights out.“ Gi-hun said, my body felt numb at that. „What do you mean?“ I asked, just to make sure he wasn’t joking. „They have 2 less than us, they have to kill atleast 3 of us to win the next voting. They‘d do everything to win more money, and killing some of us would bring money too.“ He said, it sounded logical. „Then we should attack first“ Young-il said. I looked at him like he was crazy. I didn’t want to die after all. „No, it would bring unnecessary deaths.. we should pretend like we didn’t know it. When they start attacking, we‘ll hide under the bunks. When the guards come in to stop the game, we will lay down on the floor and act like we were dead, when they check us to identify us, we‘ll grab their guns“

„Are you crazy? They‘d kill us!“ Hyun-ju called out. „It‘s the only way to stop these games.. We have to stop the frontman.“ Young-il tensed up, i shrugged it off, maybe he was just scared. „But they‘d easily overpower us, they‘re probably twice as much as we are.“ Young-il spoke up. „And after all, the other players would be suspicious if everyone of us hid under the beds.“ He continued.

„Not all of us will hide, only the ones that are here,“. Gi-hun said, I quickly looked up at him, in disbelief „So we‘re gonna leave people to die? Just so we‘re gonna end up in a bigger risk of dying?“ Young-il‘s hand went on my thigh, going up and down in a slow pace. He tried to reassure me. „Sometimes it’s important to have some victims to save everyone else.“

I sighed, „Trust me on this guys, two of us will watch out, as soon as we see movement, we‘ll quickly tell you all and all of you‘ll go hide under one of the bunks.“ Everyone agreed to Gi-huns plan. I just did because Young-il did. I didn’t flex right about this whole situation.

2 Minutes until lights out. I went to my bed, all of us choose the ones at the bottom, so we could hide quicker. Young-il‘s bed was almost next to mine. The 2 minutes went by fast, i tried to fall asleep, but i couldn’t. My mind kept me awake all the time.. I don’t want to die. Gi-hun and Jung-bae were patrolling. I felt unsure about all of this, so i went to Young-il..

I whispered as i lightly touched him, „Young-il..?“ He turned to me, his eyes were sharp, but softened when he realized it was me. „Baby? what are you doing here?“ He asked, he pulled me down to sit next to him. He started to caress my hair.

„I‘m scared.. can i stay with you?“

So… I decided i‘ll make a THIRD part, because i currently have a blockade for this story, and instead of letting y‘all wait for the second part i‘ll just make a mini-series out of it🤍 I hope y‘all enjoyed it!! (thanks again for the support y‘all omg)

TAG LIST: @slovesyouuu @squidgame-lover001

[alpaca-clouds]

How Media Taught Us a Wrong Image of Fascism

Okay, I have seen during the last two or three weeks a couple of posts of the argument going back and forth: "Is this fascism already? Or isn't it fascism? Isn't fascism when there is like people marching with weapons and what not?"

To which I say: No, the people who says this, what you see in America right now, is fascism. Let me tell you as a German. We have... a bit of history with this topic.

But I also can tell you why you kinda have expected some soldiers marching into your capital. And the reason is simple - but also complicated.

Are you ready?

Am I saying it is because of Star Wars? No. It is because of media in general.

See. Here is the thing: Even us here in Germany, we do not learn the real history of the Nazis and the Third Reich. Because... Well, people kinda have an issue confronting one aspect of it: The aspect of where the Nazis were put into power by democratic election. They won the election. They just then made sure that there would no longer be more elections. Something your parliament is working, too.

But there is another thing that kinda gets lost, because in some way we mythologize the Nazis way too much. And I mean, I get it. They are pretty recent, and what they did was so unambigiously evil, that they just make for really good villains in media. But... See, there is an aspect of this, that also gets lost.

Hitler was actually not that "great" in a lot of aspects. And with that I do not mean that he was an angry, evil goblin, I mean that he was also not a good politician, and not good tactician.

But there was one thing he was good at: Aethetics. I mean, what do you expect? He was an artist. And he loved cinema. Which translated into him having a very good understanding of how to construct propaganda.

When you think of the Third Reich, you will probably think of that Propaganda, and nothing else. Because yes, it looks visually stunning. Which is also the reason, why again and again we see that same visual language used in media to signify the bad guys in it.

But this gives us a problem: Our first thought when we hear "fascism" is this aesthetic, rather than any content.

Yeah, here we are again. My good old enemy: How we humans often hang onto aesthetics over the contents. And it is a big issue in this regard.

At the same time it also paints over one other thing: The fact that the Nazis were a bunch of fucking weird little losers.

You know, in 2019, when Jojo Rabbit came out, a lot of people were outraged about the fact that the movie made light of the Nazis. But the fact is: Yes, you should do that. You should make fun of them. Because they are insecure little losers with delusions of grandure. Especially as the movie did it right: It made fun of the Nazis, but not of the horrors committed. This is the right way to deal with it.

Especially as the movie also makes very correct fun of the propaganda. See, in the movie there are some really weird lines. Both of the anti-semitic propaganda, and the pro-Hitler propaganda. Stuff where Jews are described basically like some sort of DnD monster, while Hitler is described as some sort of superhero. But pretty much every one of those lines is actually taken out of actual propaganda. Yes, they were stupid like that.

If you compare Hitler and the Trump-Musk tag team... It is actually really, really similar. They are about as incompetent. Just as they have sadly about the same amount of flat out luck. (See: surviving assassination attempts.)

It is just that we do not talk about how fucking stupid Hitler was anymore. Because that in turn makes everyone else look even dumber. Both the other contries that have allowed that stuff to happen for so long, and then almost lost - and the people who actually voted for that moron and went along with everything without fighting back.

I will leave you with this good old clip from Horrible Histories.

[vivianbernadetteaurora]

Mars in pisces blurred lines . ♓️ 🐟 🐠

Here we go again with Mars in pisces because it didn’t let me do it last time well it didn’t let me upload it I put so much effort into it guys like I did with the whole Mars series and really went into detail but this time it is going to work believe me now when we talk about Mars in places we talk about boundaries and lines being blurred think about the song blurred lines by Robin Thicke. That song became such a controversy because of it um basically some people believed it was about rape and how lines are being played and who are seeing what’s going on and the ironic thing is that sounds like is 11 years old now nearly I wanna say it probably is 11 years old I think it came out at the beginning of 2014 so I remember when I remember the video of rodakowski and the lot. On the naked version with Pharrell but Robin more than places also and he did the song blurred lines his dad is somebody called Alan thick from a program called family ties .Anyway this song is about bloodlines as we know so here's some examples of people who have their Mars in pisces.

Starting strong Elizabeth Taylor now for me Elizabeth Taylor was always like my favorite old Hollywood person but here’s the big **** with Mars in pisces which people online on the discord that a lot of people do not like pisces placements I have noticed it could be because I have a pisces ex and it’s coming on my for you page I don’t know but it seems prevalent that people joke about Mars in pisces and we wonder why why is this. Well it could be little things or it could be big things so Elizabeth Taylor she had a big Hollywood career in the golden age of Hollywood they called it from around the 1930s to around the 1970s I believe. Anyway I think she was evil with MGM will golden mayor with the horrible leader of that Louis B Mayer. Who was very nasty to people like Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe. I saw online recently as well that she was allegedly jealous of Marilyn Elizabeth well Elizabeth had many marriages so this could be the deception part with pisces because with pisces it can be very sneaky they’re almost like covert narcissists some degree.

Now hear me out don’t hate me places cause I don’t hate you I’m just going through the Mars signs and like some signs works and others don’t and I particularly don’t like Mars placements in astrology anyway because I have a day chart and Mars transits are generally quite tricky for me and I just I don’t like my own Mars placement so right yeah she had a multiple places and she had a very extravagant lifestyle with a couple of her husbands her first marriage she got with one of the Hiltons I think anyway she had a very abusive first marriage that she had to escape she was very young I feel like she was about 18 years old maximum I think she might have had two boys with this man as well. Now the blurred lines here could be between marriages she was married to the Hilton guy then she was married to Mike Todd, eddie fisher, Richard Burton a senator Richard Burton again and Larry some Jewish name. I think she married him after she left rehab which was quite different for her because he wasn't her usual sort of type he wasn't executive so maybe she went for something different..... but somebody I think Barbara Walters even asked her was she addicted to marriage and I think she answered no she goes I think that’s just what you did back then you love someone you got with them you married and she was asked did you think it would work every time. Ohh yes you don’t get an A marriage not for it to work. she says. So I truly believe as a pisces she probably fell for it hook line and sinker excuse the pun... and they caught her like a fish but I don’t believe that she loved all these men the same she loved Mike Todd and Richard Burton the most and they at the time helped with our extravagant lifestyle, they bought her nice jewels took her on holidays they did drugs together they drank loads of alcohol all over the world went all over the world to different places had an extreme lifestyle and they were known for it. Harry and Richard where she fell in love with him on the set of Cleopatra now Eddie Fisher is a bit of a weird one because she was best friends with Debbie Reynolds who was married to Eddie Fisher and when Mike Todd died he came to comfort her where Carrie Fisher another Mars in pisces, said he went to my Elizabeth’s side and then to her front. Which was quite funny. But the themes of drugs in this placement is very prevalent even the ones who don't like to admit they're doing it to some degree and they can even shame other people for their addictions and fables I know my dad does certainly but that could be his Virgo moon Virgo moons can be quite cruel when they want to be too, he’s got very similar hook-ups to me and his chart. Like moon opposition Mars. Anyway I’m going off track here a little bit so yeah Elizabeth lived an extravagant lifestyle but she was the first person to go to the Betty Ford clinic who is a celebrity.... which was big back then she was also the first to do a celebrity perfume now Aries are always first to do things in situations and her Venus is in Aries. Her and Marilyn both have their Venus in Aries and Mars in Pisces. Now the deception there could be of the Jews the marriages etcetera etcetera.

Then you have Lisa Marie Presley who’s another person with their martin pisces who got with Michael Jackson who has a lot of pisces and ..,That’s what everyone else is saying at the time also... because she didn’t fit the type everybody thought he was a child abuser but personally I’m pretty sure Diana Ross did that to Michael Jackson.

Anyway more deception let’s go with Marilyn Monroe Mars in pisces now she’s in every girl’s bedroom across the world. Fears that one figure that men and women love alike where does the deception lie with Marilyn. Well the deception with Marilyn was the way she was treated by others I believe the Kennedys, allegedly Fidel Castro and many other powerful institutions so these were the blade lines between Marilyn they used her for sexual favours and in the movie blonde although it’s very disrespectful it shows how young Marilyn would have been treated in Hollywood so in a way it was very truthful people were hurt because it was painful to watch. So I think the deception with Marilyn and lies between drugs studio heads and the people who abused her those were the blurred lines between who she was as a person the full stop and she was such a wonderful person so likeable so beautiful so charitable she even set up her own company like.

Elizabeth Taylor did exactly the same with her aides found HIV and AIDS foundation, where she has had family members continue on I think with this. So a lot of these people people I know in real life as well like to give to charity and they like to help people less fortunate than them. Not all the time but look how Paris did it with Provo Canyon and we fell in love with Paris all over again in 2021 when she did that documentary and we realised that her mum is a cold hearted ditch and ironically her mum’s a pisces which really shocked me because she’s very cold. She must have a lot of earth in her chart I’m going to have I look at it after I’ve posted this for the third time.Let’s see where we get with this but like I said the deception with Elizabeth is with her marriages and her drug use and alcohol use with Richard Burton where the lines get blurred in fact this title should be called blurred lines.. because I know people in real life obviously my dad has his Mars in pisces and he.. be a covert narcissist well more of a malignant narcissist at times I fill with water placements in Mars you don't really ever get to know them. you don't know who they really are.. so this is me doing it for the third time it’s not as in detail because I don’t want to lose it all again and this is my take on Mars and pisces. I mean then you could look at Paris and say how she was made fun of a lot in the 2000s as well as having the perfect body she was also made fun of and people would do parodies of Paris and her songs but I actually think Paris is a really nice girl.. she was in her 20s when all that stuff was going on with Brandon Davis and Lindsay Lohan worried thought she was out of order for laughing but I would have done the same as the 20 year old girl probably. And here’s another bloodline with parish sex tape one night in Paris. By Rick Solomon who is a lot older than her and she says she thinks she might have either just been underage or only just legal and he was like bragging about it on Howard Stern yeah it was just sick so be aware when you watch that she’s underage probably when you just legal. With Paris I don’t actually think she set out to release it like Kim did so that’s probably where they’re fallout came from because for a Hilton that ruined their reputation but for a Kardashian it was a money maker .

[briarberrythornedhart]

Win Condition: True Love

Contains: fluff, Dustin and Eddie friendship, discussion of sex, boardgames, Eddie x fem!Reader

🦇 🎲 ♟️ 🎲 🦇

“So things are good with you, I take it?” Dustin asked, archedly, while he took his turn.

Dustin’s planned board game night FOR JUST THE GUYS was off to a rocky start because only Eddie had shown up. Dustin had brought out his dusty copy of Albion:The Land of Faerie which was 2-player.

“Yeah.” Eddie rubbed his new tattoo gently through its bandage. It was a black-winged-heart with some very special initials inside. He knew he could Not Stop Smiling lately and it was clearly noticeable to others.

“I didn’t think she’d be your type… not in a bad way, it is just surprising that you are together, no offense.” Dustin shrugged.

It was surprising to Eddie as well —and again -- not in a bad way.

He loved it.

He loved her.

“No offense taken, dingus. I don’t have a ‘type’.” Eddie laughed. “I mean, I do, but it’s about their smile, their eyes, their ... energy I guess… she’s really something special though…”

The way he’d catch her looking at him, a smile playing on her pretty lips - even when someone else was talking to her.

The way she tucked herself under his arm no matter where they were or who was watching.

The way she would wistfully ask for ‘just one more kiss??’ before she had to leave for work.

And also the way she was totally matching his energy in the bedroom.

And all the other rooms.

And even once outside in the shitty gazebo during a thunderstorm...

She’d suggested new positions. She’d dirty talk into his ear until he was basically melting. She’d be positively filthy with him. It was perfect. Was she Eddie’s type? Yes.

Eddie’s type was maybe... ‘a little slutty, but only for me”.

“It’s your move, Eddie.” Dustin was looking at him with knit brows.

“I’m just so surprised to be on the receiving end of this much…” Eddie waved his hands around in the air to try and conjure a word less crass than ‘horniness’.

Eddie was horny but she was -like- a sexy Angel for wanting him back so much, “ummmm… desire…yes. She is desirous of me. It’s fuckin’ great.”

Eddie spread his arms out wide and fell back into the recliner in Dustin’s living room, chuckled and sighed.

“I’m happy for you, can we focus…?” Dustin tapped the board and then gasped. “Oh shit! I’m totally gonna lose!! This sucks!”

“You know what she said yesterday…” Eddie huffed a laugh he couldn’t contain and rubbed his palms on his knees. “She said it’s stupid that people say ‘sucks’ for something being bad. She said it makes zero sense because most people like being sucked on somewhere and that it’s disrespectful to people who enjoy sucking on things.”

“Seriously??...” Dustin grumped. “… should I just concede now, because I’ve blown my win condition.”

Eddie put up one finger, “‘Blown’ is also a weird wording…”

“Eddie!! C’mon!!! The game????” Dustin was exasperated.

“Sorry, sorry, but, I have listened to you talk my ear off about the charms of ‘Red’ and Suzie, and more recently Lady Applejack- so be patient with me if I’m a teeny bit distracted just now by the charms of my... oh!? Well... shit.” Eddie looked at the board. Really looked. He wasn’t playing the best game of his life either. “...hmmm, let’s play Talisman instead?”

“Deal.” Dustin swept the chits off the table and into the box lid.

Eddie heard the others arrive - crosstalk, the shuffling off of coats and scarves and winter boots.

“Sorry for being tardy to the party, guys!” Lucas said, smiling and shaking a Surfer Boy box. “But we brought pizza!” He sang.

---

Eddie knocked on her apartment door.

She answered in her pajamas - which might as well have been lingerie with how good she looked to Eddie.

“Sorry I’m so late.” He said, scratching the back of his head and wincing.

Her smile was concentrated sunshine. “You can always just let yourself in with your key, ya’ big goof.” She had given him a key, and a whole drawer in her dresser, and put a few cute items into a milk crate in his bedroom and they were already talking about getting a place together and it felt right.

She tugged him by his waistband until he was pressed against her - her hands finding everywhere he longed to be touched. She buried her face in his shoulder, her lips kissing up his neck to reach his mouth. She kissed him like she hungered for him, biting, sucking (the good kind), devouring.

Eddie kissed her back like he needed her kisses in order to live.

She pulled back to ask. “How was Dustin’s boys-only game night? Did you win?” And then she took his hand and tugged him towards the bed.

“No, but I’m winning now.” Eddie realized out loud. “Win condition: met”

Inspired by @racoonboywrites

[creatingblackcharacters]

Hi! You've got an awesome blog here, I especially love having all the lessons linked in your pinned post. It makes browsing through it very easy! I have a handful of hairstyle questions about a Black OC of mine that I haven't been able to get answers to from general resources (you'll see why), if that falls within in your feedback scope?

So the character's name is Jaila, she's Black, transfemme & genderqueer, lives in New England, and she's in the zombie apocalypse. She and her former roommate, Cecil (who's White and a guy) are, as far as they know, the only people immune to the virus. They're wandering around looking for other survivors and running from zombies.

Jaila's hair is a bit of a pickle for me! She doesn't have access to her usual community to help her keep up with it (getting locs or braids redone, or help braiding), probably not many hair care products like oils/conditioner for a twist out, and only some access to running water. However, her appearance matters a lot to her, and especially her hair, because she learned to style femme hair as a late teen/adult and it was a big step in her transition. I'm thinking about braids for her, because they are relatively low-maintenance and a rest style. She has a bonnet and any appropriate combs. Other than lots of new growth and maybe uneven braids since she doesn't exactly have time to perfect each of them, what are some consequences of her lack of access to supplies? What might that look and feel like for her?

Also, is it okay if she talks about missing her more complex hair styles, and wishing she could do them again? (For example, a fancy twist out that she doesn't have time/product for, or extensions that would now pose a zombie-grabbing risk.) Or does that feel too much like saying some Black styles are "better" than others in a Euro-centric way?

Finally, do you have any pointers or things you'd like to see if/when she finally trusts Cecil enough to help with her hair? At the start of the apocalypse, he'll offer to help her with it (he used to help his various little sisters do their hair and doesn't really grasp that it's different yet; he's also madly in love with Jaila (it's reciprocal but still complicated)), but she'll reject him pretty soundly because he's literally just her weird roommate. But especially if she has braids, it's a lot of time to do them herself, and she gradually grows to trust Cecil very closely. Is it at all realistic that she would teach him how to help with her hair? Are there any details that for you as a Black reader would make a scene like that feel more real and embodied?

I'm sorry this ask is so long and I hope you're having a good day! Feel free to ignore any bits that aren't in your scope or that I've just missed a lesson on o7

So first: I know a Jaila! That's cool.

Answers:

1. So the thing is, braids are a protective style, but they don't last forever (especially if they're braids with extensions). So yeah she could leave it in the braids, but it's not just roots showing. After a while, the weight of the braids are just gonna start pulling on her new growth, (which she can't rebraid without taking the style down) which isn't as strong as the braids, and it'll thin. It'll also get dry, if she's got no access to oils or extra water.

2. Yes, that's fine. If your hair means a lot to your expression, and you lose the means to care for it, why wouldn't that upset you? That's not a Black or white thing. She can have preferred styles without being racist about the other ones.

3. It's not unrealistic, no. Especially in an apocalypse. Now I will say, I do think it's a bit wild to have a hair with extensions braiding or lots of small braids' lesson in the middle of an apocalypse, as that's gonna be real low priority and take resources like access to all the hair extensions, or water to make the style moisturized and neat. Braids don't have to be numerous; she could have a couple neat cornrows.

Me personally, I'd think something that'd be equally vulnerable and intimate would be having Cecil help Jaila learn to see her hair as beautiful as it is, with the resources that they have, without demeaning her mourning of her past styles. That should come after a lot of time spent together, with Jaila having shown and/or communicated how much her hair means to her.

Also, another thing: showing the honest frustration and mild indignity that you have to let a white person help you with your head 😅 like I would be a bit sick that I have to do that, especially when I value my hair so much. Things have become quite low. Being willing to show that this is hard for her, that he needs to show her gentleness and understanding, would be nice.

[timeclipsed]

This is a oddball question but can you name afew sonic fandom blogs? (just curious is all)

Hey anon! I'm not sure if you meant fandom blogs as in roleplayers or art accounts, so just I'll go ahead and list off a few of my favorite Sonic RPC mutuals!

@hiswrlds — First off, big blue himself! If you want a Sonic that's somehow simultaneously both canon compliant and creatively divergent, look no further than Peach's portrayal! Strive manages to be a vivacious, epigrammatic muse who always has you guessing what he'll say next, but there's still a pungent air of unresolved sadness and an edge of building rage in the way he presents. What you see might not be what you get in full, but a guy who loves adventure can also be tenderhearted, right? @tcils — For as little as we've interacted both in and out of character, I'm always clinging onto every word that Alcohol's Tails has to say! Strictly a movie portrayal to my knowledge, but he's the sweetest little guy around and Alc really hits the target straight on with how they write him! I think you'll find it hard not to read their posts without hearing Colleen's voice. @baymaxmuses — Baymax writes for a few different fandoms, but that's part of the charm when you follow for Knuckles! Titan, as he's named himself, is an amazingly fun iteration of everyone's favorite treasure hunting emerald guardian, especially with the recent event Baymax is running for him! For someone who manages to be so silly and fun in character, you'll be surprised how deeply emotional and articulate Knuckles' adventures can get, especially when he's contemplating solitude and eternity. @sweet-punch — Let's take a minute to talk about Nymphia's Amy! Mismashed with the quirky 2000s fangirl with a heart of gold and the independent free-thinking leader of her own crusade in terms of vibes, this Amy is worlds of fun just to watch in action! Even if you're not threading with her, you can always appreciate that she's trying her very best and the way she feels very in-touch and human about her flaws. (Plus, Nymphia drew the art in my icon for free without any prompting, so the mun is just as sweet as the muse!) @allcfme — Do you want a Shadow who will rip your heart out, stomp on it, then pick it up and eat it? Look no further than Kayden's Shadow! Honestly, what a cold and emotionally devastating take on the Ultimate Lifeform. I'm always gripped by the antics this wet little beast gets wrapped up in, especially the kind of in character connections/relationships with other muns' muses he mingles with. You love to root for him, but also throw him down the stairs when he does something silly (/aff). @psychokineticstarlight — You might know the wonderful mun of this equally amazing Silver better as the writer of Cats Don't Dance's lead, Danny! Bear's writing is always bouncy and exuberant, which works amazingly with Silver's optimistic and amicable personality! Seriously, as much as I love all the Silver writers I mutual with, Bear's sticks out to me as one of the most animated and fun portrayals! Although they're not too active on this blog, getting to thread properly with this sweet little starlight from the distant future is so totally and completely worth the wait to me!

Honorable mentions speed round, a.k.a. the people I never shut up about as is, go to the writers of Chronos' found family throughout the verses he's active in!

@scumbag-the-hedgehog — Missile's Scourge! He may be an uproarious jerk with a checkered past, but the slow climb to finding a better part of himself is apparent! Chronos worships the ground this guy walks on, and who wouldn't? Hail to the king, baby! @powered-by-prower — Leland's Tails! Mr. Part Time Horror Experiencer Part Time Teenage Dreamboat Heartthrob over here is Chronos' found/adoptive father in a few verses, namely the Tomorrow!AU we've been stuck on the last few weeks. How can you not love this guy? @red-eclipse — Vee's Blossom! The byproduct of Cosmo's sprout growing into a brand new seedrian and Chronos' little sister. Blossom's story will have you weeping with sympathy and rooting (pun intended) for her and her father to succeed in just getting by! (Check out their AU and art while you're at it!) @sorrowfulsidekick — Luc's Kitsunami! Chronos' beloved baby brother and arguably the most important person in his whole life through multiple timelines. Don't let yourself get fooled by the cuteness aggression, though: he's got a bite with the force of a few dozen angry attack dogs. Let your guard down, and he might just drown you in your sleep! (Chronos will help hide your body btw.) @multimusewonderland — Chex's Shadow! These tragically stupid, feral siblings may never learn how to coexist, but that doesn't mean we have to stop putting them in situations together to let them tear each other to shreds! Into The Alloy is a super fun AU and an even more interesting twist on the typical early era Sonic formula! @run-muse-dot-exe — T's Clutch! I may not be too familiar with the character on my own, or even read much of the IDW comics, but that doesn't mean Chronos won't unwaveringly support his beloved (asshole) uncle. Try to stop yourself from screaming as this iteration of Clutch both intrigues and infuriates the mind! @cxffeeshxp — Lastly, L's Surge and Kitsunami! The roles are practically reversed here in every way; Surge and Kit, now adults clawing their way to an easier tomorrow, have taken in a teenage Chronos. Aside from the dynamic duplicitous duo, L also has a variety of other different Sonic muses, all with their own lore and fun little backstories, and is always a riot to watch on the dashboard. If you follow, expect to cackle yourself into stomach pain from some of the things he posts.

Every other Sonic blog I follow should rightfully be on this list, but unfortunately we'd be here forever if I took the time to write them out. But don't discourage, anon! These amazing folks who must go unnamed for the time being are always here waiting for you to seek them out!

[dragqueenstarscream]

Having S3 Knockout/Starscream thoughts because auuuuu they’re so doomeeeeed.

Like, you’ve got Knockout, who needs his aftercare, (and like, yeah, everyone does, but Knockout is especially dependent on it, plus he’s used to Breakdown who was the aftercare master, and ofc those two facts both amplify eachother), and Starscream, who is almost certainly going to insist on domming because by Primus he is not ready to be vulnerable, and is probably gonna be giving no aftercare after because 

A: He’s never really received it himself that often if at all, 

B: Receiving it itself requires that level of emotional vulnerability that low key terrifies him, 

C: Given that aftercare is generally a foreign concept to him, his preference of what he prefers his doms to do once they’re done is to just leave so he has space to dissociate (why is this man so tragic), he probably on some level figures that’s probably also what Knockout wants him to do, so he thinks he’s doing him a favor,

and D: He probably still needs to go dissociate himself, which he didn’t expect would still happen even though he wasn’t subbing, the deeply traumatized fuck he is.

And given that they’re both catty bitches it’s not like they’re gonna talk about this afterwards and try and work through these problems, Knockout is probably gonna just say “yeah, this was a mistake, let’s not do that again” the next day and internally Starscream will be like oh thank Primus because he was just not ready for all that.

And the thing about them is that under non-toxic circumstances while they’d still probably be friends, they would under most circumstances probably never fuck, because they’re really not sexually compatible. They’re just not eachothers types, they both are mostly into big hunky mechs and the only reason they, being a pair of twinks, fucked is because at that point in time they were eachothers only non-actively-hostile relationships, and they were both desperate for the idealized version of a (for lack of a better term) human connection that they both were deeply craving but not ready to deal with the real, messy, complicated version of.

As decent as the sex itself might have been, the overall experience was deeply unsatisfying for both of them, so in the end this whole situationship gets filed away as an unfulfilling rebound fling, so it's really no wonder that when push came to shove the prospect of aimlessly roaming the galaxy with this guy didn't really appeal to Knockout.

and it's just this deeply tragic situation where while someone (Optimus, it's Optimus) could have "fixed" (read: assisted in the healing process of) Starscream, Knockout was under no obligation to be that person, even if it meant the end of Starscream's story was him getting tossed around by dragons. It's just so unfortunate.

anyways, just so this post isn't a complete downer, I do see a few circumstances where things could have worked out between them, I could see Starscream getting thrown into KO/BD working out well, maybe in some universe where Starscream succeeded in killing Megatron in S1 and ended up leader of the Decepticons with Knockout as his 2IC. Not only because Breakdown is just the absolute sweetest and as stated before, the master of aftercare, but also because Knockout still having his stability in Breakdown and not being high key depressed would probably make him more likely to want to take on a "pet project" in Starscream, so to speak. I also remember a while ago you made a post about a OP/KO/SS (sidenote, its so funny to me how the moment Knockout enters a ship the names just get reduced to letters) fic you wanted to write, I don't think I mentioned it at the time but I absolutely would read that if you made it.

So yeah, Knockout and Starscream aren't inherently doomed, but boy howdy did it turn out that way.

ohhhhhh man, these two are another guilty pleasure of mine, but yes. they are absolutely doomed with the way the narrative played out.

the way you said it pretty much sums it up. these two are searching for something in each other that neither of them will be able to find.

knock out needs someone to take care of him. he needs someone to really love him the way breakdown did. he needs someone who's willing to take care of him and make him feel like he's needed, even if he's not that open about it. it's why ratchet being grateful for him was one of the big tipping points which led him to join the autobots, the way i see it. whether or not he was into ratchet, that's up to you, but either way, he was needed.

and starscream needs to heal. this bot has been through so much, from leaving cybertron to losing his trine, and that's not even getting into all of the bullshit he's had to put up with concerning megatron. he doesn't have the strength to be emotionally vulnerable because he's afraid of the consequences of opening himself up. knock out can be a release for him, a way to just forget everything for a while, to not be himself.

so, these two, being each other's only stable relationship aboard the nemesis, sought what they needed in each other. of course this was never going to end up healthy. if they were just back on cybertron, away from the war, they probably would've been those catty best friends who are practically attached at the hip and love to judge everyone together. but in a sexual relationship? aboard the nemesis? in the middle of a war? this was doomed to fail.

it could work, though. i can see where you're coming from with ko/bd/ss, especially if megatron either stayed gone or straight up died. starscream wouldn't have to put up with megatron's shit anymore, and, since breakdown was still there, knock out and breakdown would be able to have that stability. this might leave knock out with a desire to bring starscream into their relationship, should the three of them be into that.

and i'm glad you brought up ko/op/ss or knockstarop, because it's an underrated idea and probably my ot3! the way i see them, optimus and knock out would probably get together first, but the both of them have expressed interest in starscream, so they invite him into their relationship and now they don't have to pick and choose between each other. more love to go around!

but yeah. as much as i enjoy ko/ss, they were probably never gonna turn out healthy with how canon went.

[tyrantisterror]

Wife Goals: The Princess, aka The Shifting Mound, aka Shifty

Alright, fuckers, we're finally at the end. After covering Karlach Cliffgate last time, there's one last fictional woman I'm going to profess my parasocial love for in this cringe display of emotional honesty. And our last lady here is, I think, the perfect one to end on.

Slay the Princess is, in my personal opinion as an eternally lonely deranged freak on the internet, the best love story ever told. And I love a lot of love stories! I know I don't talk about it very much, on account of me being a lonely deranged freak who's deeply ashamed of their own loneliness and all, but I do, I really do! I love Pride and Prejudice (the book and the Colin Firth miniseries specifically, not too fond of the Kiera Knightley version), I love Much Ado About Nothing, I love The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally and so so SO many Chivalric ballads and, like, I just love love stories man!

But they're all shit - ALL OF THEM, EVERY ONE, it's shit! - compared to Slay the Princess.

To talk about the titular Princess, I'm going to have to spoil, like... a LOT of this game, and while I usually don't give much of a shit about spoilers, I will admit that figuring out exactly what sort of weird supernatural nonsense is going on in this game's story is extremely fun, and since I imagine many of you haven't played it yet but REALLY SHOULD, I don't want to rob you of the opportunity to find it out for yourself. So I'm going to give a more or less spoiler-free pitch to begin with (in that what I'm going to describe is literally the setup of the whole game), and then give you copious warnings before I get into the guts of this whole ordeal, ok? Ok!

Our story begins with you, yes You, the player, walking on a path in the woods. At the end of the path is a cabin, and in the basement of the cabin is a Princess. You are told by a very much diegetic disembodied voice you call the Narrator that your job is to slay this princess. If you don't do this, the Narrator tells you, the Princess will end the world.

Ok, so, you probably have some questions. You're given a smorgasbord of ones to ask - who locked the Princess in the cabin, why and how will she end the world, why do YOU have to kill her, why can't we just leave her in the cabin, where are we anyway, how did we get here? To which the Narrator essentially says, "Don't worry about it, focus on the very simple and clear-cut task at hand, stop asking so many reasonable questions!" in the most condescending way possible.

Eventually a second voice manifests, called The Voice of the Hero by the game's interface, and asks you a question: "We're not going to go through with this, right? We're supposed to save princesses, not slay them." And, really, that's the first big question this game is forcing you to answer: are you going to hate and kill someone just because someone told you to, or are you going to try and give that woman in the basement the benefit of the doubt at the risk of ending the world?

This setup is more or less the story - there is You, the Narrator, and the Princess. Those are our three characters. You have a cabin in the woods. You have a task you're assigned to do: slay the princess. Everything that follows is about fleshing out these elements in as many different ways as possible, and you, the player, choose how you explore those elements. There are a lot of questions you'll want answers for, and a lot of questions the game will ask of you in turn. That's it, that's the pitch, and if you're like me, you should be quite intrigued.

Ok, so... to actually talk about the Princess I'm gonna have to, like, go through a whole playthrough with you guys. See, her characterization is so thoroughly tied with the story itself - the game is quite literally about exploring who and what she is, as well as who and what You are in relation to her, so it's hard to talk about her without also talking about the choices You, the player, make.

You get to the cabin. Inside there is a dagger, the Pristine Blade, which the Narrator tells you to pick up and use to kill the Princess. This is your first big choice - if you believe the narrator might be telling the truth, even just a little, you'll take the blade. But if you decide to truly give the Princess the benefit of the doubt, to believe she is a person who is entitled to be understood on her own terms, you'll leave that blade on the table to the Narrator's incredibly pissy protestations.

And, like, personally speaking, I never fucking touch that blade in my first run. When someone tells me to hate someone I don't know and refuses to give a reason beyond vague "Well she's Bad and Evil" bullshit, my gut instinct is that they are full of shit. This is a woman locked in a basement and a pushy asshole is telling me to hurt her, I know who the villain and victim is in that scenario and it's not the woman in the basement.

So You/I/The Player goes down into the basement without the Pristine Blade, and out comes a sweet, pitiful voice of a woman who has been trapped in a basement and is hoping for an escape. You go down and see she's just, like, a woman. A pretty woman, even - ok, maybe a kind of disconcertingly pretty woman, with eyes that are a bit too large and a button nose that's a bit too cute and a dress that's, like, the twee picture of what you'd expect a fairy tale princess to wear, but she's still, like, just a lady! She begs you to rescue her, but you've still got all these questions about the situation, and she's the ONLY character you've met so far who you haven't asked them to yet.

And while the Princess tries to answer as best she can, there are certain questions she struggles to come up with an answer to. Basic questions. You ask her what her name is, and she tries to dodge, "You can call me Your Royal Highness or just Princess if you like!" Continue to ask she'll admit she doesn't know her name, offering the explanation that she's been down here so long with no one to talk to that she must have just... forgotten it?

Which brings up more questions - how has she survived down here without anyone else? What does she eat? How long has she been down here, really? And she has no answers to them. You don't know if it's because she just doesn't know or if she's lying to you - and if she's lying to you, you don't know why, because yeah, it COULD be that she truly is a monster that will end the world, or it COULD be that she's a woman who's been trapped in a basement and approached by a stranger who, rather than free her immediately, decided to grill her with questions about her nature and purpose, and she's worried if she answers wrong you'll leave her or, worse, kill her. Because, really, can she trust you in this scenario any more than you can trust her? You're the one who was sent here on a mission of assassination, remember.

If you're me, you decide that the benefit of your doubt still lies with this woman. So you try to free her from the shackle holding her down here. It won't budge, so you go upstairs to look for a key - or at least, you try to, until the door slams and locks, leaving you trapped in the basement with her. The Princess, realizing you're now trapped, decides to do something desperate, and begins gnawing on her own wrist like a fox in a trap.

You hear a clatter on the stairs. The Pristine Blade has fallen downstairs, somehow. The narrator urges you to slay the princess with it. But if you're me, you STILL side with her, especially with how the narrator has gloated about how you've been trapped down here for Not Doing What You're Told. The Princess offers her wrist to you, and you help her, uh... cut her hand off... so she can be free.

It's a lot grislier than you hope, but you did it. You freed this woman. The Narrator is pissed, and demands that you kill her while her back is turned. Suddenly the only options in your user interface are "Slay the Princess" repeated over and over - well, almost, for nestled within the HUGE list of "Slay the Princess" prompts is one that says "Warn her." If you're me, you pick that one. The Princess sees you struggling against an unseen force that's making you try to kill her. The Narrator forces you to try again, with the same dirty trick - but once again there's a hidden option: Resist. The Princess realizes that you're struggling as best as you can, but you won't resist forever. As you hold the blade out in your hand, struggling not to stab her with it, she takes it, looks at you apologetically, and stabs the shit out of you instead.

Everything goes dark, and you die...

...then you're on a path in the woods again, and at the end of that path is a cabin, again, and in the basement of that cabin is a Princess, again, who the narrator tells you to slay, again.

BIG SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

You go back to the cabin and it's... different. The exterior looks the same, but the interior is nicer, more fairy-tale esque. And you've gained a new Voice as well - in addition to the Voice of the Hero, you've now got the Voice of the Smitten, who sounds and acts like a fairy tale Knight in Shining Armor who is oh-so, well, smitten with his darling, perfect, did-nothing wrong princess. You go down a cozy, pleasant set of Fairy-Tale style winding stairs into a dark but nicer basement than before, and waiting for you is... well, it's the Princess, but she's changed. Like, physically - she's cuter, her dress is fancier, her build is, uh, bustier, her voice is more high-pitched and giggly, and she regards you with utter affection, because you're her smitten knight in shining armor.

She is, as the chapter title that showed up right before you found yourself back on that path in the woods, The Damsel in distress.

She regards you as a savior, and in gratitude wants to repay you. You ask her about what happened after you died, and she responds blithely with what you already know: you died, then you came back. You ask her whether she destroyed the world, and she asks what you want her to have done. If you say you didn't want her to destroy the world, then she didn't destroy the world! : ) When you ask how you can free her without, you know, getting stabbed to death, the Voice of the Smitten argues that her dainty wrist will just slip out of that shackle easily, which it does. The Narrator tries to lock you down again, but the Smitten says you merely need to believe in the power of your love, and sure enough it opens, to the Princess's delight.

And it's all just too saccharine, isn't it? To easy, to inauthentic. It's even a bit distressing, actually, because the Princess you met before had a personality and will of her own, and the self-preservation instincts to question your intentions. This Princess, this Damsel, is acting completely dependent upon you - she's giving up her agency.

But maybe that's the solution? You consider if you could just stay in the cabin - that way the Princess won't "destroy the world," but you won't have to Slay the Princess. The Smitten agrees, but the Narrator doesn't - and neither does the Princess. If you try to explain why it works, she looks at you with fear for the first time and says the obvious - nice as you are, she doesn't know you, and asking her to stay with you forever and never see the world is fucked up, isn't it? Why can't she get to see the world?

The Voice of the Smitten freaks out at the idea that his love isn't enough to convince her to completely give up her agency, and that's really what this change has been for her, isn't it? She's given up her agency so You can become a Knight in Shining Armor rescuing a defenseless damsel. And as the new voice of your Chivalric Romance Fantasies flips the fuck out and tears your chest open to reveal your heart, you and the Princess both realize how twisted this seemingly pleasant fantasy is. Everything goes dark, and you die...

...and find yourself inside a castle. Not really a cabin, anymore, but a castle. No path in the woods, you've skipped that this time, just a beautiful castle with a new voice in your head to replace the Smitten, who's grown... oddly quiet. You go up the stairs this time, not to a basement but to a lavish dining room, where the Princess, now in an even FANCIER and more poofy fairy tale gown, sits at the far end of a long table. The Pristine Blade hangs on a chain over her neck, its sharp end pointing directly over her heart, and an ominous, bird-like shadow hovers above her, its talons over her shoulders.

You, your voices, the Narrator, and the Princess are forced to act out a Happily Ever After. You share a delicious feast, and when you're done you eat it again, and again, and again, until what once tasted delicious begins to feel like sand on your tongue. You play board games, again and again, until you grow utterly bored with them. You realize with mounting horror that this "paradise" is never-ending, a fact that breaks the Narrator more than anyone else - for some reason, seeing this never-ending Happily Ever After really destroys his morale. The Princess is clearly unhappy too, but feels too defeated to offer any resistance. She probably wouldn't even resist if you just reached over and shoved that knife into her heart...

But if you're me, you don't. Instead you make the choice you were trying to make since the beginning: you take her hand, and offer to get her out of here. The Narrator doesn't even complain this time - he's seen that there are fates worse than the end of the world.

The Princess stops you at the door and asks whether you still think you love her after you endured all of this on her account. You can in turn ask her what she really wants, and she explains that all she wants is to escape this cabin and dance under the stars. So you take her out, and she dances, free thanks to you...

And the stars go out. The world fades away. The Princess grows cold and still, and dozens of disembodied hands emerge from the void to pull her into it. The world, as you know it, is at an end. All there is left is you, a void, and a mirror.

You look in the mirror and see yourself - something that is very much NOT human, a bird-like figure with feathers and talon-like hands. Eventually you see a large mound in the void, and atop it is the Princess, her lifeless body held aloft and puppeteered by dozens of disembodied hands. Her corps speaks with a voice that both is and is not her own, and speaks of herself as a clearly inhuman entity - "an ocean that has been reduced to a small pond." She tells you how the Princess you knew, this Vessel, is but a fraction of her - perhaps, you might think, the way your own Voices are a fraction of you. After all, she says that she believes You are something akin to her, and notes that she feels drawn to you. If you bring her more vessels - different vessels, specifically, different fractions of her - she can become more whole, and perhaps the two of you can figure out what you are and what has been done to you.

That's right, fuckers, getting that girl out of the cabin was just STEP ONE in this whole ordeal.

You ask about the Princess - is she dead? The shifting mound gives her a eulogy of sorts, highlighting how this vessel was shaped by your choices, and tells you not to mourn her, because her experiences will live on in the mound and give her a warm and loving heart. Then she sends you back - back to the path, back to the cabin, back to make different choices and create a different princess.

That is the meat of the game - not just discovering the answer to all those reasonable questions the initial scenario gives you, but to shape the Princess and be shaped by her in turn. Your shifting perceptions of her reveal new facets of her personality and nature - different personas she undertakes that are made literal as a result of her actions. And in turn you gain new facets of yourself, new voices for impulses and beliefs you hold.

Let's say you decide to take the Pristine Blade down with you this time. The Princess's demeanor is immediately different - she regards you with more obvious suspicion, knowing that the knife in your hand means nothing good for her. You dilly dally, you splutter, and maybe you wait too long to make a choice, only to decide at the last minute, what the hell, let's try to slay her and see what happens.

And she kicks your ass so utterly that you never get a single strike in. As she stands over your broken, dying body, you can't help but think about how POWERFUL she is. Everything goes dark, and you die...

...Then you're on a path in the woods, and at the end of that path is a Princess who is immediately far more powerful than the one you met before. She's a giantess, her voice booms, and you barely come up to her knee. When the narrator talks she hears him for the first time, and forces him to first shut up, then to narrate the story she wants to tell. Your new voice, the Broken, demands you bow to your new goddess, but you find some strength to resist, and so she makes you kill yourself.

Dark, die, path, woods, cabin - you're back, but before you reach the cabin the ground quakes, and the Princess emerges, mountainous and godly in power, slaying the narrator outright and offering you a chance to be remade as her henchman. If you're me, you agree, you fucking simp, and watch as she tears open reality to find something beyond - beyond the cabin, beyond the woods, beyond the void, something strange and colorful and NEW. She reaches out to it, only to grow cold - disembodied hands emerge from the disappearing earth and begin to pull her down. Realizing her godlike power has limits, the Princess-turned-Goddess looks at you and apologizes for treating you unkindly when you "Are the only one who treated [her] with grace," and tries to let you, at least, escape into that great beyond - but unfortunately, neither of you make it.

Back to the mound. The pond becomes a lake, the mound apologizes for your strife and asks for another vessel. You return to the path in the woods.

You try slaying her again, still giving her warning, and the fight's more even - the two of you both get lethal blows. So you die, and return to the cabin, and now the Princess that waits for you is more aggressive, more boisterous, and explicitly monstrous, with horns on her head and a dragon's tail. You fight her, trying to use speed to your advantage against the advice of your newfound fightboi voice, and get killed for your trouble. Dark, woods, path, cabin, the Princess is bigger and more monstrous and draconic still, obsessed with fighting you again and again because conflict with you is what makes her feel ALIVE. You lure her out of the cabin, and the mound claims her.

Another vessel, please.

You go back, blade in hand, and you don't talk this time. You just go up and stab her to death before she can raise a hand. As you go back to the cabin, deed finally done, the Narrator congratulates you and informs you that your reward is, uh... being in this cabin. Forever. The world outside is still around, you just can't go back to it now. When you look out the door, the woods are gone, and there's a now-very familiar void. The Narrator insists this is a good thing, and you have no way out of it anyway.

Well, that's not true... there's a knife downstairs, after all.

Dark, woods, path, cabin. You find the princess's corpse in the basement this time, but that's not all - slowly an ethereal being rises from the floor. A ghost in a familiar dress with a familiar scar over her heart where you thrust the knife in. The Princess, now a specter, demands you help her escape - her old body is useless now, but yours is still intact, if you just give her a ride, and hey, you kind of owe her for killing her in the first place.

So you let her in, and she looks around the inside of your mind. There's all these shards of glass - your voices - and for the second time she's able to hear the narrator, though the specter is amiable enough to actually let him talk rather than trying to shut him up (though she still presses him to explain why he hates her so much and why he's sure she'll destroy the world when she has no desire to do so). You walk out of the cabin, and the mound claims her.

One more vessel, please.

You try to play hero again - you forsake the blade, you set her free, but because the Mound specified you must make NEW choices, you can't resist this time when the Narrator hijacks your choices. So you stab the Princess when her back is turned, and she fumes at your betrayal. Stab, dark, die...

Woods, path, cabin. You enter a basement that is more like a gnarled cave full of thorny vines, and find less a princess and more of a, well, Witch. She makes little effort to hide the fact that she resents your betrayal from last time, but you still want to play hero, dammit, so you apologize and offer the pristine blade to her as a sign of trust. She asks why on earth you'd do something so stupid, and if you're a simp like me, you tell her that it's because she's beautiful and you love her, because at this point you kind of do. She betrays you, of course, stabbing you as an eye for an eye, only to reel in horror as she realizes she has become everything she hates about you.

Dark, die, woods, path, cabin. The cabin is in ruins now, the basement is a tangle of thorny vines, and wrapped up inside them is the Princess, her body trapped not by a shackle but by the very thorns that prick and cut you as you enter. Her prison is also her best defense against you. She explains she has no idea what you want, or what she wants. You hurt her, she hurt you, why? What's the point of this? What do either of you want out of this relationship?

If you're me, you simp, you tell her that you just want out of this situation, and you want her out of it too, and that both of you deserve better, and that the only way either of you will get it is by working together. She lets you take the blade and cut her free, and, with the help of the voice of the Smitten, you finally, finally give this woman a kiss as a sign of your love - one that, to your GREAT satisfaction, the Narrator is forced to describe in exquisite detail.

She's claimed by the mound again, but for one moment, one beautiful moment, you two got to really figure out what this relationship you have is, to forgive each other for how you've hurt one another, to share some love and kindness, to define yourselves outside of this situation. And you kissed!

You return to the void, you meet the Mound, and both of you start to become what you really are: her, a goddess of death and change, you, a god of life and stability. The Shifting Mound demands that you embrace godhood, bringing out the vessels you've met to try and convince you to join her. But maybe that's not what you want - after all, you'd still be defined as something other than what you were, what you wanted to be.

The Voice of the Hero reaffirms that desire, and helps you find a more... well, human probably isn't the right word, but a more mortal core of Shifty, the Princess at the heart of the God.

You meet her in the basement of the cabin, and the two of you re-litigate the conversation you had with her previous incarnation. You don't want to hurt each other, you don't want to become gods. You just want to leave this all behind, but can you? What is there outside of this cabin - you've never managed to find it. If the two of you leave now, you won't be doing so as gods, and you won't know what lies beyond that door.

But you'll face it together. And after what you've faced together so far, what could really frighten you?

...

Slay the Princess is a game about the Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known and the Hedgehog's Dilemma and, like, the inescapable fact that to have relationships with other people you will be hurt and you will hurt them in turn. That's the inescapable price of being known - your vulnerabilities will be exposed and wounded, as will those of the people you wish to know, and the care that you feel for them will come with pain. They will misunderstand you, you will misunderstand them, and at times you will make monsters of each other.

Like, even in the Damsel route, the one where you most explicitly try not to harm her, you still hurt her by thinking of her not as a person with autonomy, but as a victim to be rescued - a damsel, an ideal that you place on a pedestal but fail to view as an independent person who exists for reasons beyond your own desire to play hero. No matter what your intentions are, you will hurt her, and no matter how she tries to avoid it, she has to hurt you to survive.

But it's worth it, it is so worth it, because when you work through that pain, those misunderstandings, and truly, truly know someone and let them know you in turn, they can help you through the worst ordeals of your life. And that's what you and the Princess can do if you play your cards right.

The Princess changes in reaction to how you treat her, and you change in turn as a reaction to her choices. But the way you two change, while influenced by each other, also reveals truths about you. You are, in the end, two people who were put in an extremely fucked situation against your will, and both of you just want to live your lives. By the end of the game, you're the only people who could possibly understand each other. You've hurt each other countless times, but you've also been the only ones to comfort each other through this ordeal. You can, if you want, commit to keep striving to be better, for yourselves AND for each other, and that is what your romance with her truly is.

There are SO many other choices you can make in this game than the ones I've outlined - like, to illustrate: I've described The Damsel, The Happily Ever After, The Tower, the Apotheosis, The Adversary, The Eye of the Needle, The Ghost, The Witch, and The Thorn, but there's also:

The Nightmare, The Moment of Clarity, The Prisoner, The Cage, the Drowned Grey and the Burned Grey, The Razor, The Wraith, The Beast, The Den, The Wild, and The Princess and the Dragon.

And each of these individual princesses, including the ones I described for you, has MANY different ways to take their routes - like, if you keep asking The Damsel questions about herself, her artwork will get more crude and simplistic until she dies of becoming literally two-dimensional in a moment that's both horrifying and hilarious. There are so many sides of this woman for you to uncovers, so many facets of her personality and relationship with you to explore.

And there are, of course, other endings to the tale. You can embrace godhood, or you can kill her forever and accept the eternal stagnation the Narrator offered you. You can, if you want, make this into a very tragic story.

But, to me, this is and always will be a love story. The love story, even, the best love story ever told. There are few women in fiction I feel I know as well and as thoroughly as the Princess, and I do love her in my own, sad, parasocial way. One of my favorite stock phrases in a love story is "You are worth Hell," and dammit, never has that been more true than it is with her. She's worth Hell.

...shame she's not real, though. Ah well, time to find something else to fill the void inside me with for a time.