#there something about a drama *twin* that is so funny to me

[callme-dickmaster]

Headboard

summary: eddie buys a headboard (and frame) for his bed but there's something... off about it.

pairing: eddie x fem!reader - no use of y/n

cw: 18+ (minors dni) this is obnoxiously long, established relationship, L-bombs, pet names, mentions of nosebleed, accidental injury, small abuse mention (nothing bad), mentions of sex, funny shit, teasing, wayne being an icon, eddie being a goofy dork, -I think that's all-

author's note: hey y'all 😩 I've been gone for a bit lol. All I've had time for is scrolling and not being able to write has been so depressing tbh. That with all the holidays and family drama I got going on rn has been so stressful omg. But I'm heree I'm writing now that I have a free minute to myself. Soo thanks for being patient love you! <3

(NOT PROOFREAD)

Eddie huffed, putting his hands on his hips as he glared at the bed frame and headboard sitting on his bedroom floor. Wayne hummed, tilting his head to look at the picture on the white headboard.

"Well, son, I didn't know princesses were your style!" he chuckled. Eddie rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair. "They're not! Dude didn't tell me it was his daughter's headboard!" he whined.

Wayne laughed, clapping a hand on Eddie's shoulder. "Look, I'll run down to Melvald's and get you some paint. What you think? Bubblegum pink?" Wayne asked before busting out laughing.

Eddie crossed his arms, glaring at his uncle, "Oh, you think you're so funny. Well, I'll just put it on backwards so no one can see it. How about that?" he said. Wayne snorted and put his hands up in surrender. "Suit yourself!" he said before walking out of the room. Eddie sighed, grabbing a hair tie sitting on his bed, and pulling his hair up into a bun.

The only reason he got the damn thing was because of you. There were too many times during sex when he couldn't catch himself on the wall in time before falling on top of you. One trip to the ER after giving you a nosebleed was enough for him. So, he searched until he found a guy that was getting rid of a bed frame and headboard for a twin XL which was perfect. Only he didn't realize until he brought it home and took it out of the box that it was his ten-year-old daughter's headboard that had Disney princesses all over it.

Eddie sat on his floor, screwing together the bars that made up his bedframe until it came time to face the princesses. Eddie turned the headboard so it faced the wall and tried to screw it in backwards like he said. "Don't look at me like that. I didn't ask for you," Eddie snapped at Snow White. He rolled his eyes and continued his attempts with no such luck.

"Hey, boy. Your girl's here and I'm gonna go get you that paint. And don't worry, I won't get pink I promise," Wayne chuckled. Eddie snorted and thanked him, "Black, please. If you don't mind. If the pink is cheaper go on ahead," he joked. Wayne saluted him, grabbed his keys, and left. He ran into you on his way to his truck and he just had to tell you what was going on.

"Eddie got a bedframe and it's... not what he wanted. So I'm getting him some paint. You want anything while I'm out, dolly?" Wayne asked. You smiled and shook your head, "No, I'm alright. Thank you though! I'll go see what this dork is up to. I'll hold up the fort while you're gone. God knows what Eddie'll do alone," you laughed. Wayne laughed and ruffled your hair before hopping in his old truck and driving away.

You walked into the trailer and kicked off your shoes before wandering into Eddie's room and laughing at him sitting criss-cross on the floor trying to screw on a headboard the wrong way. "You look goofy," you snickered. "Jesus! Baby, you scared the shit out of me!" Eddie exclaimed, putting a hand on his chest.

You smiled and flopped down on his bed. Eddie gave up on his project and leaned down to kiss you instead. "Got a headboard so I can't abuse you anymore," Eddie snickered, bopping your nose to prove his point. You laughed and rolled your eyes, "It was one time 'ya goober!" you giggled, bopping him back.

"Still! At least now I can do that super hot and sexy headboard maneuver when we do it," Eddie said, doing air thrusts and pretending to smack someone's ass. You smacked your hand to your forehead, but you had to laugh anyway. Eddie snickered and flicked some stray hairs out of his face. "Wayne tell you he was getting paint?" he asked, sitting on the floor in front of you and rubbing circles into your calves. You smiled, playing with his hair as best you could in its bun. "Yeah. What's wrong with it anyway? Looks like a normal ass headboard," you asked.

Eddie sighed, going over to the stupid thing and turning it to show you the problem. You covered your mouth before bursting into laughter.

"Don't laugh!" Eddie grumbled, pouting and squinting at Cinderella's mocking smile. You giggled, wiping an imaginary tear from your eye. "I'm not laughing at you! I just think it would be fucking hilarious if we were doing it and Snow White was staring you down!" you laughed.

Eddie curled his lips in, trying to pretend like that wouldn't be funny. "Look, just- when Wayne comes back will you help me paint?" Eddie asked, "I'll make you popcorn and we can watch a movie after?" he offered to sweeten the pot. You hummed and faked having to think about it before you smiled and agreed. Eddie cupped your cheeks and kissed you as a thank you, planting tiny kisses all over your face after.

"Okay! Okay! Don't smother me, goof," you giggled.

"I just love you."

"I love you too, but you're squishing my cheeks, dear."

--

"I'm so sorry, baby," Eddie breathed, holding a handful of tissues to your bleeding nose. You side-eyed him and sighed. "I thought you said the headboard was gonna fix this problem. I think it might've broken this time," you said. Eddie winced, reaching over to the tissue box the hospital receptionist gave you two.

"I'm really sorry. I tried to catch myself! I just... missed?" Eddie said, cringing. You snickered and sighed, tossing your clump of tissues away and grabbing more. "It's okay. It'll be a funny story to tell the kids someday," you said.

"We're not telling the kids you broke your nose having sex!"

small a/n: it's been a while lol but hopefully this is alright :)

[venuslarkspur]

Teen Hero Shenanigans

(like running away and stealing your pseudo sister’s costume and then your brothers bsf decides to come with you, young feelings are complicated yall)

Pairing: Damian Wayne x Twin!Sister reader (platonic) Jon Kent x Reader (romantic)

Picture me this, Reader is Damian’s Twin Sister who gets discharged from being Robin (She says fired, Bruce says discharged) shortly after Damian is brought back home after running away. Reader kind of feels guilty for wanting her twin to reject the role so she can stay as the Girl Wonder, but no he takes back the mantle, (which is like being left in the desert without water), her other siblings and batfam high key felt this was a bit cold of Bruce (especially Steph since she herself was also fired from being Robin)

The rest of her siblings just walk on eggshells cause they know what’s happened and try and comfort her but Reader gets so fed up of all the smothering and being fired being shoved in her face, so she literally just takes her phone and a couple essentials and whilst everyone’s asleep sneaks into the Batcave and steals one of the Batgirl costumes (specifically Barbara’s old purple and yellow one, as she was now going back to her identity as Oracle) and flees deciding she’s going to prove her worth by setting up post elsewhere and becoming the newest Batgirl. (While simultaneously sending her family into a worry)

(Not at all comic book canon but instead of Tim reclaiming the role the reader comes along costume ready since Tim needs to do something else besides being Robin 😭)

I thought about it and I thought it would be so cute for reader to have Jon Kent as a love interest, (there’s not enough Twin!Batsis x Jon Kent) like imagine being friends with Y/N Wayne and she announces she’s running away to go lead the rough life but you don’t want her to leave so you come with her and create double trouble together. (Would create so much drama considering his friendship with Damian) also I would age up Reader and Damian to be about 16 (since Dc aged Jon up and we can’t have nice things so they leave Damian the same)

It would be even funnier if Bruce and Clark connected the dots and both desperately want to be wrong until Oracle taps into the security footage of Metropolis where you were last seen and you and Jon are coming out of your little operations base and the whole Batcave is like “oh hell.” (Damian is convinced you kidnapped Jon and that the Lazarus Pit madness is getting to you, he’s still going to pin it all on Jon like your his only twin pff)

Reader won’t and will never kill again, yes she’s pissed at her father but even when her and her brother were with the League she never particularly liked the killing, now she’s grown to become very verbal of the no killing rule. Reader isn’t worried though, if things get too out of hand and she accidentally nearly slips up Jon will be there to put her back on track and bring her back to reality.

This all probably ends with them getting caught and turning themselves in because at the end of the day they are both just kids who miss their respective families. (Even Reader)

We also need more Cass x Batsis love (platonic) so I’m going to include some of that. But yeah. I need to write this shit now.

This is gonna be so dramatic but so funny at the same time.

(The prologue is currently in the works, if you want to be tagged let me know)

[kazz-brekker]

hotd episode 2 thoughts

aegon screaming hysterically and smashing up viserys's model of old valyria…alicent unable to get through a sentence without sobbing…helaena staring blankly at the wall and clutching jaehaerys's blanket…i love acting but also that all kind of broke me.

genuinely i am enjoying tom glynn-carney as aegon SO much, he's quickly becoming one of my favorite actors on the show and gives his character so much nuance.

otto using his grandson's horrific death as a pr stunt…truly that man never stops working, he's always on the clock.

i also LOVED the big blowout fight scene between rhaenyra and daemon, it's about time someone dragged that man to hell and back. "the darkness you sheathe within yourself like a sword" and "i don't trust you" and "you're pathetic" go OFF rhaenyra!

criston please don't send someone else on a suicidal assassination mission because you were slacking your duty and banging alicent while the heir to the throne got decapitated. oh, who i am kidding, that man has never had a normal reaction to anything in his life.

i'm so glad we got an actual scene with baela (and the promise of more with her and moondancer in future weeks!) since she and rhaena have been horrendously underused so far.

aemond you have so many issues please go to therapy not a brothel. also i've blogged about this before but the idea that he really thinks he's an equal threat to daemon honestly is so silly.

alyn AND addam of hull spotted, we've got the complete set, and a little teaser of seasmoke as well!

the scene between corlys and rhaenys where corlys was like "if daemon would just submit to rhaenyra and enjoy being a bottom as i do on occasion" made me laugh so hard my sister asked me if i was okay.

i'm very intrigued by the scene between rhaenyra and mysaria (especially the mutual bonding over being exasperated by daemon) since they're technically on the same side but very much at odds in the book and i'm curious to know if this will continue in future episodes.

i really like that this season is emphasizing the perspectives of smallfolk like the hull brothers, hugh hammer, and the brothel mistress, it's something i felt was missing in season 1.

this really was an episode of targaryen men getting absolutely dragged by others for their poor political decisions. can't say i support otto's decisions most of the time but he was 100% correct about aegon.

also the moment where otto realized he had schemed for 20+ years to land a total idiot who just fired him on the throne…delicious, but rhys ifans played it so well i honestly still felt bad for him.

daeron mention! at this point i was honestly starting to think they had cut him from the show so that was a surprise.

as an identical twin i very much enjoyed the erryk and arryk drama but i must admit that i ALSO could not tell the twins apart when they were dueling. someone please revoke my twin card.

alicent walking into a room, seeing aegon crying, and just walking out was kind of funny ngl.

i really didn't expect criston and alicent's dynamic this season but i'm honestly enjoying it a lot. the mutual self-flagellation over their affair, alicent repeatedly slapping him and criston allowing it…really fun honestly.

caraxes is properly coming back next episode and it's true, i HAVE missed that noodle boy <3

also it looks like our first proper looks at harrenhal, moondancer, and a bracken vs. blackwood fight!

[sergeant-angels-trashcan]

Bestie I NEED to hear your thoughts about Harley and Bruce possibly being secret twins 👀👀👀👀👀

Been thinking about this for WEEKS i fear!!!! This came right as 'rona dragged me down I'm sorry this took so long!!!

I don't know or care about how secret twins happens, what happens in the bedroom of Thomas and Martha and Alfred Pennywayne is NONE of my business unless they invite me which is fine btw

since they're fraternal twins they COULD TECHNICALLY have different dads. am I saying Alfred is Harley's bio dad perhaps and the clown is going to have empty space where his head used to be but I digress. This explains SO MUCH I feel but also we should in no way think that the parents know this. They don't know nor care because THAT IS THEIR BABIESSS. it would probably be Bruce and Harley finding out when they're forty or something because someone needs a kidney. They purposefully forget the information. They don't need it.

And as insufferable as Thomas is with Baby Brucie can you IMAGINE how AWFUL he would be as a Girl Dad tm. I am thinking of your "if you detain one you detain both I KNOW MY RIGHTS" post but with two children!!. Also Thomas would be THEEE cattiest mfer amongst the other dance moms. My god Alfred and Martha would never know peace. Also a million zillion pictures of each parent konked out while holding 2 sleeping toddlers, THINK on it I beseech thee it's so cute. (But then, Thomas accidentally saving/kidnapping Harley from the park and Bruce and Harley INSISTING they are identical twins. Everyone is like no you really aren't until Thomas gives them the most murderous look known to man over their tiny heads. VERY funny when Jason and Cass also do this)

Maybe Harley was very very sickly as a baby and they kept her a secret to keep the press away. I can see family not talking about Martha's pregnancy AT ALL particularly if it was high risk in any way like she would be visibly pregnant due any day and someone would ask her if she was excited about the baby and she would deadass say 'what baby'.

The ideal scenario the Pennywaynes have for their offspring is that they keep the bambini hidden. as far as the press knows one day 18 year olds pop up outside the Wayne Manor as fully formed scions to the empire. You've never heard of them before? GOOD. That was the point.

Also the DRAMA, the ANGST, I think this makes sense with Bruce's weird dynamic with the Joker (though this could work with just siblings ig)?

Bruce doesn't want to kill the person his twin loves because it would hurt his twin, who HE loves. And killing the Joker could result in Harley hating him! Bruce trying so hard to be supportive for Harley and just be there for her so when she finally decides to leave the Joker she knows Bruce has her back.

Bruce knowing all the stuff about what support systems do that helps and hurts victims of intimate partner violence so he's always playing this balancing act of what he feels like he can say/do about him before it affects Harley. And it being his self given job to stop the Joker from doing HIS self given job. If he helps Gotham he hurts Harley. If he tries to help Harley, he hurts Gotham (does very interesting things to the brainworms when thinking about Jason's murder! about why Bruce feels like he can't or shouldn't go after the Joker--because he's proven he will kill a child and use their mother to get them, that is not a man above using his partner to hurt his nemesis!!! and that would be a whole thing for Bruce, he doesn't act because he's genuinely terrified, worried that if he fails he'll lose harley too

idk if the Joker would know about Harley and Bruce being related or Bruce being Batman but I could see this being the turning point for how Harley views the Joker. Like, she'd been going over to the Manor to help Jason talk through his feelings every month for years. Would it have mattered if the Joker knew he was her nephew?)

Also makes the weird sexual tension Bats has with the Joker even weirder if he IS aware of their relationship. He'd be so gross about it. Yes the Joker wants the Wayne twins. He flirts with them in front of the other to piss them off, mostly Harley. Would highkey lie and say Bruce was flirting with him to drive a wedge between Bruce and Harley oh my god I went such a not fun direction with this

Identical twins could be very funny if they were separated at birth no i do not know why they would be separated just roll with me. the one that does not transition is like "why do you have a picture of me as a kid this is creepy what do you mean that's you' . Everyone at college is like ha ha you two look like you could be related! You do the same icky face when you eat pineapple. They dOn'T sEe iT

Maybe she was kidnapped (by like a very young deathstroke or something idk) and SOMEhow Oswald Cobblepot winds up with this feral toddler in his possession. A goon made a terrible life choice perhaps? And Ozzie is just an up and coming crime lord, still settling into the family business, how tf is he supposed to know the Waynes are missing THIS child? if he knew don't you think he'd be extorting people??? I think they could have some very fun and adorable Stacker Pentecost and Mako Mori vibes this man has NO idea how to raise a child but by god!! He will do it right!!! Literally nobody knows about her, he would have people killed for suspecting her existence.

But also take your daughter to work day??!? Harley yelling at incompetent goons in a sweet baby voice. Ozzie is SO PROUD of her, he wouldn't have minded her going into the family business but she's going to be a doctor!! He is just a proud papa!!! Fearsome crime lord The Penguin with sparkle pink nail polish and bows stuck to his head having a tea party with Lil Harley.

I think this is ALSO interesting with the Joker!! I would love if the only reason his dumb ass wasn't taken out the moment he stepped foot in Gotham was because he's Harley's Boyfriend. The only thing stopping the rogues from turning on him is that Harley likes him!! Is he the Gotham version of a crypto-finance bro?

What if it's an older Harley who is kidnapped? Like post Thomas and Martha shooting. It's part of what cements Bruce's notoriety as the Last Wayne. (Everyone asks if he can sense her through their Twin Bond and he gets sooooo mad that's not a real thing!!!! He feels so guilty because if that was a real thing, shouldn't he be able to find her? Shouldn't he know????)

Cut to Batman and Joker in a showdown and there is Harley and Bats CAN'T STOP STARING?!??? why does she seem so familiar? The Joker notices of course and starts saying some very crass things but the IMPORTANT part is that at some point Harley mentions not minding beating up on Batman because she once had a baby brother who was terrified of bats, so she's doing this for him!!! And Bruce is like wait I once had an older sister and I'M afraid of bats?!?!

Harley looks at him REALLY HARD and all of the sudden she's screaming "BABY B????" and roundhouse kicking the Joker into some metal oil drums. NOBODY beats up her baby brother!!!!

The rogues go fucking insane

(the age thing. Harley is technically a day older than Bruce. She was born at 11:50 PM and he was born at 12:05 AM. They make older sibling/younger sibling jokes all the time and think they are very funny. The Batkids would disagree)

[dangermousie]

A danmei lover's biased and incomplete het web novel rec list

@mercipourleslivres thanks for inspiring me!

When it comes to Chinese web novels, I mainly read danmei. I tend not to care too much for OP heroine with a hero who dotes on her for no reason as she fights with 14 year olds narratives, nor inner courtyard fights. BUT!!! There are some het web novels I like and so here is my biased and incomplete rec list. Most of these don't have OP heroines, and very little to none courtyard fights.

Before I start, my favorite het web novel authors are: Gong Xinwen, Mo Shu Bai, Peng Lai Ke, and Jiu Lu Fei Xiang. I have yet to read anything bad by them.

Anyway, rec list:

1000 Miles of Bright Moonlight - one of my ultimate favorites, this would make such an epic drama! A smart as hell heroine, a hero who is a monk and a warrior (but also terminally?) ill and such a vivid world and amazing secondary characters (heroine’s brother is possibly my favorite supporting character of all time) and so much angst and happy ending. This has an amazing romance but it’s not romance-centric if it makes sense - ML doesn’t appear for a while. But once he does, it’s worth it!

Accompanying the Phoenix - the one that just got adapted into The Legend of Shen Li, this is high adventure and cottage core and funny and tragic and powerful ML being putty in the hands of capable FL and just EVERYTHING.

Apocalypse Arrival - Gong Xinwen’s novels are made just for me. Her heroines are always powerful as fuck and rescue abused MLs. In this novel, our heroine who lives in the post-apocalyptic world, wakes up right before that apocalypse happens. She forms a survival crew and also rescues ML who has miraculous blood and has been drained of it and is now hunted after the rescue for it. SO GOOD!!!

Black Moonlight Holds the BE Script - so fucked up, so good, with monster hero who learns to love and be human and heroine who learns to love and be human (but from the other side, her tower of perfection.) Much better than the drama which I did enjoy.

The Blue Whisper - the drama was so-so, but the novel is a bona fide angst masterpiece, which really delves into what it feels like to be imprisoned or to love.

Counterattack of the Cannon Fodder Chambermaid - I remember starting this and loving the realistic feel and the heroine and wanting to stab the hero and @mercipourleslivres telling me to be patient. She was right, by the end I was on board with both the hero (who was abused and is rather autistic-coded) and the OTP. Anyway, heroine is a servant who was a concubine in the last life and got killed as part of a rich family’s harem intrigues. In this life, she just wants to keep her head down but her life gets derailed anyway. She gets sold away and eventually made a servant in the household of an exiled prince who takes a fancy to her and she endures it because what choice does she have? All she wanted was to serve out her term and become a small time merchant. This is quite realistic about lack of options for women, especially lower class women or upper class male attitudes (ML is never vicious or mean to FL but it does not initially occur to him to wonder if she fancies him or enjoys being his concubine or w/e.) It is a DELIGHTFUL slow burn tho as they grow to love each other and grow together and become one of the most wholesome cnovel couples out there.

Dandere General and His Lord - hi there, Gong Xinwen! God, I love this one. Heroine transmigrates from modern world into a brutal slave-holding world at war (think something like Warring States era.) Our heroine transmigrates into the body of a noblewoman who just hung herself. When she comes to, she discovers that woman’s twin brother was the ruler of a city poisoned by a rival claimant and the besieging army of said claimant is about to take the city and original occupant of the body and the rest of the family chose suicide as a way to avoid dishonor. Our heroine refuses, schemes with advisors to pass as the brother and rally the troops. Once the invaders are defeated, she keeps on the masquerade and rides off to one of the never-ending wars “she” is summoned to. Our hero couldn’t be farther from this. A slave and a son of a slave, he’s escaped a horrific, starving childhood during which he narrowly avoided being murdered or raped, and ended up in the army. When the story opens, he distinguished himself in battle and as a reward, he and a few of his fellow slave warriors are invited to a banquet, where they are given some alcohol and to be playthings of any nobles who want them. One of them does not survive this but ML is lucky - heroine feels terrible and so “claims” him for herself. Instead she just tends to his wounds and sends him back. She does not fancy him or anything, she is just a human being with a conscience. And the story goes from there.

Demon King's Repayment - another delicious Gong Xinwen tale with a powerful ML dedicated to capable FL. This one is a great fantasy plot (I keep imagining it as an animated series) and a sprawling cast of amazing secondaries (and secondary OTPs - there is, I swear, an OTP that is Dong Hua x Feng Jiu done thru GXW lens) to boot.

Doomed to Be Cannon Fodder - I hesitated to put this one on the list because by the end I was not keen on how misogynistic novel got to original female lead but it was one of my earliest novels and I loved it for 90% and it’s fucking hilarious at times. Heroine transmigrates as bit villainess into a novel, all she wants is not to die, but her new attitude of “pls stay away” catches the attention of her terrifying general husband. Honestly, imo still worth it.

Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir - my n1 novel on this list, smart and fierce and don’t really read this for romance because it does not start until really late, but ice cold heroine x ice cold hero both of equal brains and ruthlessness is everything. I went from loathing the ML to finding him fascinating to adoring him (and yet he softened around the edges only for FL, he never became “nice”) and loved FL throughout; secondaries are epic. If you read only one non-danmei web novel, make it this one.

The Emperor’s Beloved Ugly Girl - my n2 novel on this list. Our heroine is the unlucky laundry maid A’Chou. She is a di daughter of an upperclass family but her family got destroyed in one of the political upheavals of the time and A’Chou, only a small child at the time, was the only survivor and was made an enslaved laundry maid. Due to various events, at the start of the novel she is a laundry maid in a minister’s household and the minister’s beloved daughter is having a fit because she’s supposed to marry the former Crown Prince which may have been great a few years back but Crown Prince had since been deposed, tortured, imprisoned and now is living in the middle of nowhere under conditions that are too meager to be called house arrest. And he’s seriously crippled too. Understandably, the young lady doesn’t want to marry him! She’d rather kill herself and so she does. And so, a desperate plan is hatched - why don’t we pretend the laundry maid is the di daughter of the minister’s household and send her off? And so A’Chu is sent as the bride. She arrives to discover a broke, seriously injured man on the verge of death…and we go from there. This is so gorgeous and tender and slow in just the right way and like AAAAAA! Secondary OTPs (one of which is MM) are also epic.

Futu Tower - the drama (Unchained Love) was a mess but the novel is such a lovely, dark exploration of coming back to life, for the ML from his dark revenge-strewn path and for heroine from not being allowed wishes of her own. She is a tribute bride, he’s a (fake) eunuch, they are both servants who use themselves to achieve goals and find peace and happiness together.

The Grand Princess - a tale where both members of the OTP reincarnate as their younger selves after killing each other in their 50s, and get a new start, this is smart and slow and so good in portraying old souls in young bodies. Their rediscovery of not just each other but themselves and their passion for living is just AAAAAA!

Heroine Saves Gentleman - Gong Xinwen novel so we have a tough martial artist lady saving a very upper class scholar and it goes from there. If elegant gorgeous ML being saved and protected (and lovingly dommed) by awesome FL is your bag, pls come right in.

Husband Be a Gentleman - schemer meet schemer. He’s an idle prince she’s perfect daughter, in reality both are wolves out for blood. Mmmm. Very OTP gets together early and is us against the world.

I’ll Be the Male Lead’s Sister in Law - one of my all time favorite novels. Heroine is made to marry a disabled nephew of the emperor. He used to be a victorious god of war but went mad and now is basically locked away and kept as a beast. GOD I LOVE THIS NOVEL SO MUCHHHHH! So much hurt/comfort and awesome OTP and after he eventually recovers, all he wants to do is to fight and murder things and dote on wifey. MMM. He’s honestly one of my fave MLs.

I Married a Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating - if you have a Florence Nightingale complex, this is for you. Heroine wakes up as tribute bride to an almost dead dragon lord and slowly nurses him back to life as his rivals try to murder him. They are both utter adorable babies!

Let the Villain Go - another Gong Xinwen novel, this and Apocalypse Arrivals are AUs of each other. Heroine is surviving in the apocalypse, ML is the “bugbear” of the world but in reality just reacting to all abuse and torture and after she accidentally saves him, devotes himself. Fun fun fun!

Long Wind Crossing - Amazing ML and FL who grow together, clever plot, arranged marriage to love etc etc. Oh, and one point he feeds her his blood to keep her alive, what’s not to love? (Adapted into Chang Feng Du/Destined)

Lost You Forever - this is a short but delicately wistful tale of trauma and loss and love, wrapped in a high fantasy setting but so relatable despite it.

Love In Another Life: My Gentle Tyrant - so so fucked up in the best way! ML cannot live with OR without heroine. It opens on them banging in jail night before her execution (ordered by him) with corpses of men he killed for trying to defile her cooling nearby. If you want healthy relationships with respectful boundaries, gentle and considerate male leads who are modern men in period clothes, OP heroines who have everyone help them and are OP to the max, fluff and wholesomeness, that is about the worst book for you.If you want complexity, dysfunction, darkness, pain and an absolutely lyrical even if fucked up story, come right IN!!!!I am so fucking in love with the melancholy heroine, with ruthless psycho hero and the endless regret and devotion and paaaaain!

The Marquis Is Innocent - our heroine is a beautiful woman married to a warlord who hates her family. (Yes, this was gonna be The Prisoner of Beauty until SZE tax scandal.) Except she's a transmigrator from the future who knows how it ended last time around and has no interest to end up this tragically. This is in my top 5 - FL is smart but believably so (and doesn't have super battle powers) and ML is a believable period warlord. The way their relationship develops so gradually and the way his character changes so gradually as well (and the way they slowly fall in love, her slower than him) is just amazing. It is such a smart, nuanced, gorgeous slow burn. With some gonzo sex scenes :P

Mulberry Song - you like tragic endings? Come right IN! This is short and heartbreaking and wistful and very what-if.

Nightfall (Ever Night) - so long but also so smart and unusual and bloody and tho it’s not primarily a romance, you will never see another ML who loves his FL as much as Ning Que does his Sang Sang. 

Offering Salted Fish to Master - in some ways, this novel is a mess, but I am recommending it because this is a rare example of "nope he's 100% a villain and murderdude and odd, but he does love the heroine" that the author commits to.

Pihanjin - yet another awesome PLK novel, this is once again, like with Marquis, a ruthless man and a beautiful woman getting a second chance on a second go-around. FL is a lot more wounded this time around though. If you LOVE watching ML grovel and slowly, gradually win FL over, this one is for you.

Princess Agents - a dark tale with an incredibly competent and militarily powerful/ruthless heroine and two terrifying men who love her (but neither is as terrifying as she is.) There is an OTP switch halfway through that shockingly makes sense and it's just SO SO GOOOOOOOD

Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage - this is probably the one “typical” novel on this list, heroine is reborn as her youngest self and gets revenge on those who wronged her last time around. It is really really well-written and heroine is competent, hero is doting and powerful etc. It’s not a trope I tend to love but I do when it’s done THIS well.

Rebirth of the Tyrant’s Pet: Regent Prince is Too Fierce: Borgias cnovel style! Our heroine was empress in last life and put her husband on the throne tho he did not love her. However, he had her executed and had his half-brother carry out the orders and heroine died horrifically. She opens her eyes and she’s a little girl again. The OTP this time around is heroine and half-brother executioner. Why do I love it? Heroine is smart and tough but also this is a rare rebirth novel where heroine does NOT decide to seek revenge for past life wrongs because they haven’t happened yet! In fact, she sees ML abused and stands up for him because he’s a kid and no kid should be mistreated and this go around he hasn’t done anything wrong. She also gets and likes her former life husband. Anyway, this is fakecest galore because she’s supposed to be their half-sister and while she knows (from past life) she is not, they do not and fall for her anyway. ML is especially gonzo, at one point carving chunks of his flesh to save her. He’s feral and unhinged and she’s the one person he worships because she protected him and like - it’s all awesome. (I love secondary ML too.)

Reborn to Love Lord Qiansui - yes, this is a eunuch novel! If you like gender tropes reversals, this one is for you. Heroine is a tough martial artist, hero is a smart as hell and powerful eunuch. A real eunuch. Heroine finds out she owes him her life and decides to protect him. This is a total delight and an awesome love story between two really scarred people. And yes, there is sex - heroine literally reads manuals on pegging :P

Return of the Swallow - so freaking long! But really good. Heroine is neither transmigrator nor reincarnator, just a smart period woman. She is a lost family daughter taken back in. Her father is a minister in a dying empire (father-daughter relationship is one of the best things in this novel), her OTP is enemy general, and the smartness and the awesomeness of this all knows no bounds.

Seven Unfortunate Lifetimes - probably the wackiest JLFX novel I read, this is quite different from Love You Seven Times drama that was adapted from it. Our deity protagonists go through a bunch of lives figuring out they fancy each other. It's light like a souffle but just as delicious.

To Be a Virtuous Wife - some people prefer 8 treasures trousseau but I never warmed up to that one. This one is so good, with smart people (who actually enjoy sex, a ratity) and a perfect mix of plot and romance.

Transmigrator Meets Reincarnator - my very first web novel. A lot lighter than a lot of the ones on this list but a total delight. Heroine transmigrates into a novel as the heroine; she has no interest in drama or chasing true love, she just wants to live a nice life with her nice husband. Too bad for her, her husband has reincarnated into his younger self and remembers how she betrayed him, so is not interested. This one is funny and light and romance doesn’t start till late on but a total delight!

Wishing You Eternal Happiness - this is tied with Dreamer as my favorite het web novel ever though it couldn’t be more different from Dreamer, with its hard-edged and hard-souled protagonists ruthlessly cleaving their way to the world and, eventually, each other, its smart cynical air. Except in one thing - the world of Wishing is just as bloody and dark. Its two protagonists are gentle, deeply wounded souls who may find salvation in each other but even something as basic as safety almost seems out of reach.

Jliafu, our heroine, is neither a modern-day transmigrator, nor some exotic princess or demoness. She is very much a period woman of her time, from a weathy merchant clan, whose beauty is her curse. You can tell the novel’s tone from that utterly bleak opening chapter where she, a favorite concubine of a capricious dying emperor, is ordered to be buried alive with him and is not even given the “grace” of white silk but slowly suffocates in the coffin, scrabbling at the lid. There is no grand threats of vengeance on her part, not dramatic opera events. Just despair and death. The whole introductory chapter is haunted by emotional ghosts - the empress’ unrequited love for the monster on the imperial bed (turning into desire for Jiafu’s suffering after he dies), the emperor slowly dying in his prime after waging too many wars, and his fear of being haunted by Pei Youan, a brilliant if sickly minister who died of illness long ago on one of imperial campaigns. There is no triumph for anyone, only loss.

When she wakes up as still a young woman, all she wants is to escape the same fate. There are no plans for power or revenge, only a desire for survival. And so she latches on asking for help from Pei Youan, the only man in her past go-around who showed any consideration and desire and ability to protect her, though he barely knew her. Pei Youan is probably my favorite het web novel ML. Despite his brains and ability, he drifts through life. In modern terms, he clearly has depression. One of the biggest, best joys of the novel is watching these two very good, very quiet, very wounded people discover happiness and love with each other. I sort of want to cry just thinking about it, tbh.

The Yandere Came During the Night - a bit of fluff that’s oddly delightful. Heroine is reborn as a (fake) sister of ML, she hurts her legs saving him and the “siblings” form a bond that ends up in fakecest delight. They are both smart and efficient and he becomes a sexy marquis etc.

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

FANFIC POLL TIME!

Descriptions (because i NEED to explain things haha-):

CHOOSE WISELY

Of Bridges Built & Burned: Based off this clowning between me and @moodyseal

BUCKLE UP THIS GETS WILD READ THE LINK ABOVE FOR A MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION

TD;LR- Commodus and Apollo get to both scream about their relationship (because it's usually only Commodus who does that), Commodus goes off to sulk/stew over it while Apollo completes his trials, then post-ToA they meet again and have a Much Needed Talk

...and *sobs* go separate ways... *ugly sobbing* DON'T MIND ME-

you know you love the ship when you write them breaking up in the most heart-wrenching scenario possible.

but shh...i have another idea to do with this but that's for another time😈

The Art of War: I've been DYING to do SOMETHING with Apollo (Favorite Son™) and Ares (Failure Son™) and I have 3 whole scenes in different points of time now!!!

First is when Apollo's young and new on Olympus. He's been shoved onto Ares for the time being because in Ancient Greece, boys were raised by their fathers and girls by their mothers, and when the father was unavailable, it was the eldest brother's job to watch his younger brothers.

Second scene is during/post Ares's kidnapping by the giants! Some Apollo angst, Zeus being the best dad ever (not), and Ares not having a good time.

Third and finally, is a little conversation post-ToA between them :3

The Sun's Rise: At last! Out of the vault! The moment we've been waiting for! Starring our boy Apollo, Prometheus being Prometheus, and a guest star you all should know by now :3

Hyapollo Multific: YEAH YOU HEARD IT. FIVE CHAPTERS OF HYAPOLLO, WITH SIDE DISHES OF APRICITY, HYARICITY, AND ONE-SIDED ZEPHYRUS PINNING FOR HYAPOLLO. COME GET UR FLUFF-DRAMA-ANGST FEST

@hyac1nthus i know you'd want to see this >:3

Koios ToA: What the hell was Koios doing during ToA? This fic will play like a snapshot of what our favorite titan was up too. Questions will be asked, answers will be found, and oh boy Phoebe and Koios are gonna have a bit o' long-overdue marital strife.

Drunk Twins: literally what is says on the label. the twins get drunk and the Hunt has to call in the mama wolf for backup lmao

The Conspiracy of Rachel Elizabeth Dare: based on this post by @hogoflight and expanded upon here by me! Rachel Dare is a conundrum to her friends, and they put their detective hats on to solve the case!

ToA BuzzFeed Unsolved: The Queer Capers of Lester Papadopoulos and Meg McCaffrey: BUZZFEED TIME! We need ToA buzzfeed fics so here I am making one :3

Apollo V Orion fight (with a side-dish of Jupiter & Commodus): Exactly what it says on the label lmao I had three oneshot ideas and then I went "COMBINE THEM!!" so here is a oneshot with three different things in it making a cohesive story :3

A Radiant Light: Did I make up an entire backstory for one background character? Yes. Is that character Phoebe the Hunter? Also yes.

how to get your daughter to divorce your brother and marry your nephew: a guide by demeter: funny fic about Demeter trying to get Meg, Nico, and Will to help her convince Persephone to divorce Hades and marry Apollo. Based off one of my headcanons haha

👀 lookin' forward to a lot of these, hehe!

Tag list: @txny-dragon @solahflare @fuzzystudios @apollosothertwin @peishathebookity @reuben-7991 @allylyrac @the-summersun

[starberry-cupcake]

This is a one chapter update because this chapter was 25 years long and I don't want my post to be also that long, even though you're all being super nice about it (thank you ♥).

previously, in harroweena the ninth:

this happened

now, chapter 6:

harrowbean wakes up and is taken somewhere in a wheelchair

we get no sleep in this ship

we get no face paint, no black robes, no sleep, no security from people who wanna suffocate you in your sleep, no explanations

lyctors need a union

as in unionization, not as in a combination of people, that they did when slurping their cavaliers

the person carrying her is very upset at everyone

turns out, she's a lyctor

her name is mercysomething

we have an ortus 2, a mercysomething and an augustine

harrow mentions eyes again and says that Lyctors "kept their own faces, but the eyes they stole from someone else. You had been lucky that your own transition was not as startling"

Lucky, you say...

I don't know about that

anyway, this mercysomething is supposed to be the saint of joy

I'm assuming lyctors are given their names through the ancient art of sarcasm

on that note

harrow: "if you had not of late become the Saint of Emesis"

me: wait, I gotta look something up real quick

me: yeah, that's funny

mercysomething is angry and in a hurry

a bunch of time is spent with mercysomething being angry and treating people like crap and being unpleasant

she's arguing with everyone she comes across and takes harrow to a hangar

yandere twin is sitting on a crate watching a necromancer make a ward with blood and bleeding to death in the process

harrow sits next to her and they are like sportscasters of blood-painted wards

according to the necrocasters, it's a ghost ward

yandere twin updates harrow on the fact that they're at war and they've been attacked and they're down to three Old Lyctors and two Baby Lyctors

it would explain why mercysomething is upset all the time

mercysomething wants to take the emperor somewhere else and the guy commanding the ship doesn't want to let him leave

emperor guy comes in and kind of does this to mercysomething

yandere twin and I are LIVING for all this pute/salseo/gossip/however you wanna call it

harrow isn't as interested

I complained in gideon because gideon wasn't interested in things I wanted to look into and now I'm gonna complain about harrow not being interested in Drama

emperor the fool says: "I know exactly who is behind this terrible blow, and they were fools to show their hand"

yandere twin and I

when emperor guy sees the necromancer bleeding out he goes "for fuck's sake"

it's a quote, not me being funny ha ha

remember when I said this guy is a mess?

that's becoming exponentially more evident

I want to punch him in the face at all times

I don't know how people can be respectful to this dude

the reason there isn't any face paint for harrow in this ship is that the emperor uses it every morning to paint on his clown face

they've been alive like 1000 years or whatnot and they're all a fucking group project going off the rails

so emperor guy, mercysomething, not!dulcinea (now in a coffin package), yandere twin and harrow get in a ship inside the ship

a smaller ship inside the big ship where the emperor has been for the past bunch of years

the small ship has the blood ward for the ghosts

but, before going in, emperor the fool fixes the necro that's bleeding to death

I honestly think she would have preferred to just die

which, same, if he was my boss

necros also need to unionize

cavaliers more than anyone tbh

if cavaliers unionized, idk if there would be any lyctors

emperor guy and mercysomething argue about people they know and we don't yet know

and mercysomething was telling harrow previously that the former ninth was prettier than her (anastasia, heart don't fail me now, courage don't desert me) and telling yandere twin the former third was prettier than her (cyrus? cyril? something like that)

which, absolutely juvenile behavior for someone who's like a 1000+ years of age or whatever

why would we care who she finds prettier????

ANYWAY, throughout this I was once again thinking

nobody here has G & P initials

it's been driving me mad this whole time

gideon and harrow found that former lyctor quarters

and it said "ONE FLESH, ONE END. G. & P."

that was before the note with gideon's name in it was read

and all this time I was thinking those were a set of necro-cav from the previous lyctors

but nobody here has those initials

the only P is the cavalier of Ortus 2 and there's no G

which is DRIVING ME MAD

if the G is the previous Gideon, the one not!dulcinea mentioned, it would explain why there was a note that mentioned a Gideon in the quarters

it would not, however, explain who the fuck that other gideon is, who P is and why they aren't in the list with the other combos

augustine is a former fifth because his cav's last name is quinque

mercysomething's from the eighth because her cav's last name is oct, and because she's annoying to be around

ortus 2 is from the second, because his cav's last name is dve

cyril cyrus whatev is from the third because the cav is trinit and mercysomething mentioned him to yandere twin, who is from the third

ulysses is from the fourth because the cav is tetra

not!dulcinea is seventh because the cav was heptane and because it was a very important thing in the previous book, as we've established

anastasia (dancing bears, painted wings) is from the ninth because the cav is novenary and she was mentioned to harrow

cassiopeia must be sixth, because it's what I have left, but I don't recognize the root of the last name to make a clear parallel from the top of my head

the emperor's guardian is A.L.

I'm taking note of an emperor's guardian who isn't around anymore

could it be ice cube barbie???? idk fam, she's looking at him a lot

giving me magic knight rayearth vibes again

this but with backstabbing instead of love

ANYWAY, all of this to point out that there's no G & P and it's driving me up the wall

now, to a very important thing

VERY IMPORTANT

for me, maybe it's just me

the enemies or whatever are called "remnants" and their leader apparently has been gone for "nearly 20 years"

this is me desperately making timelines with gideon's mom and gideon's birth and the 2 details I know about gideon's mom and her birth

you know what, I'm gonna quote, since I went to fetch it

"One day eighteen years ago, Gideon's mother had tumbled down the middle of the shaft in the drag chute and a battered hazard suit, like some moth drifting slowly down into the dark. The suit had been out of power for a couple of minutes. The woman landed brain-dead. All the battery power had been sucked away by a bio-container plugged into the suit, the kind you'd carry a transplant limb in, and inside that container was Gideon, only a day old."

I'm gonna just...put a pin on that that in the cork board

I don't know you guys, I'm just gonna

let me pin that

I'm probably being wrong a lot more than what I'm getting right but I'm just telling you what goes through my mind, if I'm making a fool of myself, it's too late to act like I'm not a fool

I am also putting my clown paint on like the emperor

MOVING ON

harrow thinks the emperor talks in plural about her at one point and idk if that's the case tbh

we then get emperor guy explaining how they need to go to their safe space base with a name I can't remember

a fancy name very lord-of-the-rings-y

let's call it emperor's mojo dojo casa house

and to get there as quick as they need to, they have to cut through the River

the one with the ghosties and ghoulies

that's what the ward was for

if they went through regular means, it'd take too long and, doing it this way, they could be there super fast, but they need to get in the River and come out the other way in the right spot

and intact

so it's this situation

so, in order to do that, they have to hold on to their souls and their cav souls and whatever they've got using the skills from the first test

I want to point out, once again, WHO PLANNED CANAAN HOUSE AS A TOOL TO GET LYCTORS TO LEARN THINGS?????

THEY WERE NOT DOING ALL THE TESTS

THEY WERE FIGHTING FOR THE KEYS

SOME DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WERE TESTS TO BEGIN WITH

JUDITH WAS LIVING IN LAW AND ORDER

we didn't even get to all the tests, people started dropping like flies

because the emperor had one loose lyctor who thought she was in a telenovela

ANYWAY

the point is, if they drift too far while crossing the River, something else can come into their bodies

we did learn that, because it happened to duracell bunny nephew back in canaan house

but we learned it because mayonnaise uncle thought he was tough shit and ruined it, not because of the tests

harrow, doing her best, thinks "you felt alone in your head"

WHICH IS GREAT for our gideon notes

also, no camilla mention or appearance in this one

(I'm having a lizzie bennet theme going on for Reasons for the time being)

so, we're leaving harrow and yandere twin trying to learn for the first time how to not die by crossing the River because the emperor plans things terribly and mercysomething is too preoccupied being upset at everything all the time

[matrixbearer2024]

Since the poll is practically over and the outfit's largely been decided, I'll be dropping the first post to the strip challenge in a couple hours on my Ford Blog @gftimelord to christen it HAHAHHA- (psst go bother him it'll be funny HAHHAHAH) Thanks for the interaction everybody, I only hope to deliver. Here's the first drabble to start it off with since I am pairing every drawing with a story sequence as promised. You could probably think of this as my interpretation for some kind of continuation to Ford's route in "Swooning Over Stans" by @gfdatingsim since I've genuinely been non-stop playing that game since it's recommendation to me. I will balance med proper and my delulu if it's the last thing I do HAHAHAHA-

Reply to this post as well if you want to be pinged for whenever this challenge updates!

I Accept Your Challenge!

(Stanford Pines x Reader)

After you heard a new challenge becoming trendy among couples you decide to try it on a certain Stanford Pines; just... you didn't exactly explain to him what the challenge was.

Maybe his competitiveness was a good thing in this case. You at least got a bloody good show out of his cluelessness.

Another slow summer day and you were in the living room of the mystery shack alongside the Pines as they went about doing whatever. Navigating your relationship with a certain scientist definitely somewhat of a learning curve but you digressed. Similar to Dipper and Mabel, you'd receive post cards from the twins about their seafaring adventures; your mail just came with additional special letters from your beloved. All of which you'd neatly stowed away in a bag that you always had with you, no use keeping it at home when you were rarely there.

Often traveling for a nomadic lifestyle was serene and fun at times, but you found yourself missing this place. It felt more like a home to you than your own place did in the couple weeks you'd stuck around after your car got smashed into the side of the log cabin.

Who knew that the same man who totaled your car one day would be the same adorable nerd you now called your lover?

It felt a bit like those romance dramas Stan liked to watch but you quickly dismissed that thought. Fairytales weren't real, fate isn't exactly something you believed in either. Stories of princesses finding their prince charmings were mostly smoke and mirrors, things you'd tell a child to give them hope of a better world than reality.

In gravity falls however... you quickly learned that nothing was truly impossible. Never say never in this small town of Oregon.

You sat on the floor next to Dipper and Mabel as they boredly flipped through TV channels; books, papers and crayons littered about around the three of you. The glass danced with colors from the rapidly flipping images while the twins struggled to find anything even remotely entertaining to watch, you couldn't help but allow your mind to wander from the boredom.

You and Ford spent quite a bit of time since you'd arrived at the beginning of the week, frankly you'd made the trip as soon possible when Stan shot you a message that they'd finally docked to spend the summer with the kiddos. You hoped it wasn't all that obvious how much you missed Stanford, but you didn't really need to worry when he was the one who immediately swamped you up in a hug the second you were out of your car. It's only been two years thus far since you've known the man but Stanley and Mabel insisted that you stay with him in his room, you didn't know why they were so adamant until you saw the state of the man's living quarters.

A whole day was spent with the both of you furnishing and cleaning the said room because of that but neither of you complained, most of the time was spent goofing off anyway.

Now... you were wondering where Ford was, not to mention what he was doing. Was he down in the lab tinkering again? You didn't want to disturb him, but you really wanted to find him. Any time spent apart didn't feel like time used to it's full capacity, even if you did enjoy the company of the other Pines; it just wasn't the same.

At some point, you were bored enough to not necessarily care whether you'd be disturbing Ford's work or not when you went down to the lab. It was just last summer when he taught you how to get down there, as well as spilling more about his past. All of which you simply listened to unless he asked anything; it was better to listen and attempt to understand than say or do something that would make it worse.

Seems like he really wanted to get it off his chest too, be transparent with you; something you appreciated.

You were shaken out of your headspace when you heard the rustling of boxes from the lab, as well as some hushed but frustrated cursing. You didn't really recall a time Ford swore unless he was legitimately ticked off, the man made a valiant effort not to compared to his twin.

But they both had sailor mouths anyhow even if it was fitting.

"Ford? Are you down here?"

"Ah-! [Y/N]! What- what are you doing down here?"

You moved closer to him in an attempt to see what he was doing, even if the man looked a bit rattled to be found like this by you.

"What are you doing?"

"I asked first my dear."

Ford chuckled, shifting to hide something behind his back. You pouted at him and crossed your arms. He couldn't help but smile at how cute you looked doing that.

"Was looking for you, Dipper and Mabel are bored watching TV upstair anyway... sooooo- what are you doing?"

You smiled when Ford returned your inquisitiveness with a small laugh, showing you what he held in his hand. A pair of goggles?

"What's that for?"

"I was attempting to sort through which of my belongings I could still use among the ones I wish to discard. Inadvertently I ended up finding these, I think I could still make use of them."

You tilted your head at him as a silent prompt to continue, it took every bit of control from Ford not to laugh again. You looked like a curious puppy, though he figured he shouldn't say that outright.

"It's simply among the items I collected and kept with me through my time in the multiverse. Protective eyewear can be useful for many things."

"Huh, if you have that— does it mean you still have the rest of the outfit?"

Now it was your turn to think Ford was being cute, he just wordlessly blinked at you in surprise. Was your request really that odd? You'd barely seen him in any other outfit combinations, of course you'd be curious.

"I—... I think I do? Why do you ask?"

"Do you think you'd still be able to rock it like you used to?"

"'Used to'? Excuse me?"

"I mean, it's been a couple years... why don't you try it on again?"

Ford laughed once again from your teasing, the way you sassily tried to goad him on was entertaining in it's own right. He was a bit on the fence about the whole outfit however, especially due to the memories associated with it.

It's not that bad compared to some things he'd found though... maybe he could indulge you.

"Hm..."

"I-I mean, if you really don't want to—"

Your panicked stammering was cut short when a warm palm cupped your cheek, meeting Stanford's eyes as he pressed a chaste kiss to the crown of your head. He could feel your skin heat in up in his hand, hiding a cheeky smile in your hair as he held you there.

"I'll show it to you... as soon as I can find the rest of the outfit."

Ford couldn't help but smile wider when your cheerful laugh rang out; it's the best sound to ever have graced his ears in the time he's been alive. A bit surprising given how many things he's been exposed to, but he couldn't name another chime so pleasant.

"I'll hold you to that Ford."

"And I accept your challenge my dear."

YEAAAAH HERE IT ISSSS- TEXT THING CUZ WE NEED INTRODUCTION-

[jellybelly-may]

❝𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐑𝐞𝐯 𝐒𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬!❞

Kawata Twins (with a younger sibling!) [platonic!]

"gah! stop it nahoya! souya help me!!"

cw: smiley being smiley

✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.

General Hcs:

If you think the Haitani’s were protective

Think again

The twins will need to know your whereabouts, locations, or heck even escort to wherever you wanna go

As the youngest sibling, you’re the precious baby sibling of the Kawata twins, and they take their role seriously

always on high alert when it comes to your safety

calls you “Squirt” because you’re the youngest and smallest

The twins will play harmless pranks on you like switching places to see if you can tell them apart

You’ve gotten so good at recognizing the subtle differences that you can always tell who’s who, much to their frustration and to your delight

ofc there’s always some sibling rivalry between the three of you

video games, racing bikes, or even who can eat the most ramen 

You name it, you’ve done it

movie nights! the three of you have a tradition of watching movies together on weekends

Smiley always picks action movies, Angry prefers emotional dramas, and you’re stuck in the middle, trying to find a compromise

In the end, you usually end up watching a mix, with lots of popcorn and commentary from Smiley and loud yips from your pet dog pomeranian (check smiley’s official character book about the dog)

Matching accessories!!!

The three of you have matching bracelets that Smiley insisted on getting.

it’s a silent reminder that your brothers are always with you, even when they’re not physically around

✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.

Nahoya/ Smiley 😆

teasing galore from this a-hole

loves to tease you endlessly, especially about your height or how you look up to him (literally and figuratively)

despite his constant teasing, you know it’s all in good fun

if someone else tries to tease you, he’s the first to step in

definitely has a soft spot for his siblings

shows it through his protective actions, like checking in on you more often than needed

probably forces you to learn how to ride a motorcycle “in case of emergency!” he says :D 

laughs at you when you stall the bike 

also probably teaches you how to fight 

“for fun!” :D 

✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.

Souya/ Angry 😡

the one to patch you up! surprisingly good at it too!

when nahoya is teasing you, souya tries to defend you

but ends up getting teased as well

like nahoya, souya is protective of you too

he may not be most talkative compare to his brother

angry quietly leaves snacks or small gifts in your room when you’re feeling down

or he will silently sit with until you feel better 

souya’s has a knack for fooling people too!

especially you 

“who ate my ramen? :c ”

“probably ‘hoya, saw him going through the pantry >:c ”

with his serious expression, you always fall for it 

until you notice his minor gesture he does when he lies

asshole

don’t be mad though! he buys back more snacks for you to replace the ‘missing’ food

✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.✧˖°.

Bonus scene:

Movie nights at the Kawata household were always...lively.

The three (more like two) are in full-on bickering mode as you all scramble to prepare snacks and argue over what to watch. In the middle of it all, PomPom, your family's Pomeranian sits on the couch, tilting its head in curiosity at the chaos unfolding around it.

Nahoya grins widely, holding up two action DVD's.

“C’mon, let’s just watch something exciting! This one’s got explosions!” He waves the DVDs at you and Souya, clearly excited.

“I mean, who doesn’t like a good explosion?”

You roll your eyes while searching through the pantry for snacks.

“Yeah, 'hoya, but we’ve seen that one, like, five times already! Besides, it’s my turn to choose, and I want to watch something funny.”

Nahoya groaned at your response.

Souya softly mutters while carefully pouring popcorn into a bowl.

“Anything but horror, please. I won’t be able to sleep for a week…”

Nahoya laughs and ruffles his twin's hair. “Afraid of ghosts, huh? Fine, no horror.”

He pauses, looking at you with a mischievous grin. “But we’re still watching something action-packed. No arguments!”

Grabbing a bag of chips, you narrow your eyes at Nahoya.

“Who made you the boss of movie night?! I’m picking comedy! PomPom agrees with me, right?”

You glance at the small Pomeranian, who simply yips energetically from the couch, clearly excited but having no idea what’s going on.

With a rare smile, Souya offered PomPom a piece of popcorn. "PomPom’s vote doesn’t count. Besides, I��d rather watch something calm, not too loud.”

Nahoya snatches the remote with his trademark grin. “Too bad! Action it is—majority rules!”

He gestures dramatically toward PomPom. “Me and PomPom, we’re a team!”

You chased after him. “Not fair! PomPom just wants snacks!”

Souya sat on the couch with PomPom by his side, his expression serious but soft.

“How 'bout this? Action-comedy. No explosions, just funny fights.”

The peach-haired boy pouts slightly but shrugs. “Fine, fine, I’ll allow it. As long as there’s a little action.”

You grinned and tossed a chip at Nahoya.

“Deal! Let’s finally settle on something before PomPom falls asleep waiting.” With a truce in place, the three of you settle on the couch with snacks in hand.

The movie starts rolling and for once, the chaos subsides as you all enjoy the night, occasionally laughing or teasing each other during the best scenes. PomPom snuggles into a blanket, letting out a content sigh, clearly the happiest with the arrangement.

[anki-of-beleriand]

Bad Liar ch. 13

Summary: Life is about lessons, and Wanda has been learning some harsh facts that had define her life and taken her to a place in which she was given a second chance. Then, all of a sudden, she meets you, and she realizes why it's easier to lie to yourself than to accpet what's right in front of her.

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff/ Female!reader - America/Kate - Mentions of past Vision/Wanda - past Natasha/Reader - Some Female!Reader/Carol Danvers

Warnings: Slow burn - slightly Enemies to friends to lovers - Mentions of abusive relationships - Toxic relationships - angst - drama - mentions of abuse - idiots in love - homophobia - more tags as the story progress.

Author's note: Reader and Wanda had started building up a life together, Billy and Tommy are getting to terms with the relationshp, and darkness lurks around them without noticing.

Guys I hope you have an amazing Happy New Year! That all your wishes, needs, and dreams become a reality on this 2024.

As always, English is no my mother tongue, so please forgive the grammar, spelling and funny mistakes!

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Chapter 18

Chapter 13

Building up a family

There was not a single sound inside the room.

At some point during the night, Wanda had turned around nuzzling her face on the crook of your neck relaxing into your scent and the warmth your body provided her. The morning had progressed slowly right outside the window, with a heavy snowstorm lashing against the house while the twins slept peacefully on their bed, with you still being out cold to the world. 

The young woman mapped out your jawline, down to your ears and your nose, her lips breaking into a soft smile when you crunched up your nose letting out a snore. She chuckled letting her fingertips travelled down your arm to your hips, closing her eyes while enjoying the memory of the night before.

She couldn’t quite shake the taste of your lips, or the softness behind your caresses, or how perfect she fit in your arms. Wanda was not used to the level of attention, or to the loving care in which she was being treated the night before; romance was something she had stopped believing in, never thinking that she deserved to be happy or to be treated with such tenderness. Last night, her soul trembled under your attention, and she wished this would never end.

“Too early to think so much,” you didn't open your eyes, your voice drowsy dragging the words while your hand sneaked inside her tee caressing the skin of her back. 

“I can't help it.” Wanda sighed leaning into you, she was about to kiss you when she put a hand on her mouth, her eyes going wide before she jerked around almost leaving the bed. 

After such a sudden movement, it was almost impossible for you to be sleepy. You too sat down with your eyes wide open and your heart rate increasing looking around trying to identify the source of such a sudden scared. Wanda put a hand on her mouth, her cheeks completely red while she looked everywhere but at you. 

“What happened? Are you okay?” You knitted your brows together, concern flashing in your eyes. 

“Yes, I just thought, we woke up and my breath…” as she said this out loud, Wanda winced with her hand firmly in place right in front of her mouth. 

You gaped at her, your eyes going from her hand to her eyes then back to her hand before you dropped back in the bed laughing. Wanda huffed never losing her blush while you put a hand on your stomach laughing as if she just said the most amusing joke ever. 

“Are you joking?” It was a rhetoric question, by the way she had reacted you knew she had taken this as a serious business. Your eyes twinkle resting on your right side your wandering hand placed on her knee. 

“You mean to tell me, after we spent the night together you're not going to greet me with a kiss until you brush your teeth?” 

Wanda stiffened her eyes lowering to your hand, she bit her lower lip while dropping the hand on her mouth. 

“No?” She could see her resolution crumbling under your intense stare. 

You raised an eyebrow lifting your weight on one arm before grabbing her by the pj's short and pulling her to you. Without meaning to, Wanda let out a whimper her hands soon falling on your shoulders which made you lose your equilibrium falling back on the bed with Wanda on top of you. You smirked kissing her back pressing her body to yours, the bad breath totally forgotten and Wanda completely enchanted by the kiss. 

Everything was perfect, her lips against yours and the trembling of her hands exploring your arms and the sides of your body. Her weight on yours accommodating to this new position. Wanda cupped your face deepening the kiss, your tongue brushing against hers teasingly… 

“Mommy?”

The knock on the door accompanied by the soft voice of a boy stopped the kiss. Wanda was completely flustered with a hint of disbelief in her eyes and her hands still on your face. You and her were breathing hard, unable to look away from one another; there was a hint of regret in Wanda's eyes when another knock on her door shook her away from you. You merely smiled sitting up while pecking her in the lips. 

“Mom?”

The door opened revealing Tommy right in front of his mother's room, he was holding a blue blanket with sleep still visible on his eyes and a big yawn a sign that he had just woken up. His eyes took into his mother's form and then went to the figure behind her, his head tilting with curiosity just as a tiny smile show on his lips. 

“Hi, Y/N.”

“Hey, Tommy, are you okay?” You stepped past Wanda kneeling down in front of Tommy, the boy nodded still trying to process your precense in his mother's room. 

“I'm hungry.” 

“You and me, pal.” You picked him up in your arms turning to Wanda who was still flustered thinking about the kiss. 

You glanced into those green eyes, your features softening as they glance reassuringly to the other woman. 

“What do you say if we make pancakes, eggs, toasts and orange juice while mommy goes to see how Billy is doing?”

“Okay.” Tommy agreed brightly leaning forward until his head was resting in your shoulder. 

“Thank you, I will be down as soon as I can to help…” Wanda trailed off almost stepping back when you close the distance between the both of you, she lifted her face parting her lips ready for another kiss but you brushed your lips on her forehead. 

“Take your time, Wands, Tommy and I have breakfast covered and Billy needs your attention.” You then winked at her, your hand sliding slowly down her arm, grabbing her hand while squeezing tenderly. “You can even wash your mouth… You know? For the bad breath you were so worried about a moment ago.”

“You're impossible.” Wanda replied covering her face to hide the blush forming there. 

You chuckled turning around and leaving Wanda dumbstruck to the spot, Tommy frowned but soon his expression changed when you asked him Billy's favorite fruit for his pancakes. Wanda lift her hand to her lips, her fingers caressing the skin with a feather like touch, her eyes closing to make the memory more vivid in her mind. She had kissed you. She kissed a woman. She spent the night with a woman, and now that woman was making her weak on her knees with her heart almost leaving her chest. Wanda smiled wrapping her arms around herself before making her way to the twin's room. 

She was finally feeling the happiness she always thought was not for her. 

_______________

The house was silent. 

Your keys fell on the bowl resting on the table beside the door. You could see America's keys there as well indicating your sister had already arrived with firm strides you made your way back to the kitchen only to find her sitting on the counter chairs eating ice cream while playing with her phone. She lifted her eyes as soon as you enter the kitchen, the smile on her face told you everything you needed to know about the night before. You sat beside her, your own lips curling into a content smile she only questioned by lifting her brow at you. 

“Good night?” America followed you with her eyes, you could tell she was holding back her smirk and the obvious curiosity to know what you did.

You poured some water in a glass while grabbing the coffee maker to prepare a cup of coffee while still trying to hold onto the memories of the night before. You sat down remaining impassive for a moment, America snorted playing with the spoon full of ice cream.

“That good, eh?” America chuckled enjoying the flush on your cheeks, you leaned forward placing your arms on the table with your eyes wandering around.

“Nothing happened,” your fingers played with the mug, drawing circles around the edges before you turned the tables on your sister, “how about your night? Any good?”

America faltered briefly, shifting on the stool while shrugging nonchalantly. You chuckled taking a sip from your coffee.

“That good, eh?”

America offered a single smile but nothing else was said, silence soon filled your kitchen and it was a moment in which both of you found yourself thinking of the night before. You made your way to the coffee maker serving another cup of coffee while nodding towards America.

“Come on, kiddo, I think we need to talk.”

America sighed grabbing the bucket of ice cream and following you to the basement. The sound of the TV soon echoed through the room while the action sequence played in front of you, you sat down placing your phone on the table leaning against the chair while setting your eyes on America.

“You want me to start?” America huffed taking another spoon full of ice cream.

“Come on, you have been pinning after Kate far longer than me pinning over Wanda, so spill.”

America arranged her position on the chair and soon her mouth opened to start narrating the events of the night before. You could see the happiness radiating off of her, the softness in her voice when talking about Kate and how the night went on and on until she took Kate back home with the promise of a date the next day. America didn't stop on the kiss, but you could see how deeply affected she was by the kiss, she treasured every moment, and you couldn't help but smile at her happiness.

“We are going out today, you know? Nothing fancy, just a movie and ice cream,” America cocked her head biting her lower lip thoughtfully, “I think we are just going to take it slowly.”

“How mature.” You teased narrowing your eyes at the flush on your sister's cheeks, there was something else she was not saying and you waited for a moment before speaking.

“You're still afraid, aren't you?”

America winced, looking away, “she is my best friend, we know everything about each other, I'm just afraid we will get bored so fast that…what if it doesn't work?”

She hadn't said this to anyone, her friends were so invested in Team America/Kate that even though they had contemplated the possibility of the future, none of them understood the root of America's fear. She had been in love with Kate the best part of her childhood and teen years, but being in a relationship with someone was far more complicated than love. America lifted her eyes, finding yours easily, and then something inside your head clicked. 

You and Shuri had been best friends, you had danced around one another until one day you just couldn't take any longer and kissed her. Your relationship with Shuri had been a rocky one, friendship and love mixed up and there were moments in which you didn't know if it was worth breaking up a friendship for having a romantic relationship with Shuri. But you risked it all,the good and the bad, the multiple breakups and the multiple reconciliations. 

“You're not me, America, and Kate is not Shuri.” You stated firmly. “Your story is different from mine,and as such, you should live it. Take your time, get to know a part of Kate no one has met so far, one day at a time, kiddo and the answers will come on their own.”

America smiled hugging you tightly, she knew she could count on you and your words. It had been so long since they sat like this to discuss their lives, America really missed you in ways she never thought possible. America knew that changes were inevitable and the both of you were going through a moment in your lives that seemed to define the future you would share. 

The sound of an explosion called your attention, the world crumbling on the TV. America turned to the TV as well, waiting for you to start talking.

“We kissed.”

It was a simple confession, you furrowed your brows thinking about the kisses you shared with Wanda, the warmth from her body, the sight of her smile. Your heart fluttered inside your heart,a glimpse of hope shining in your eyes, something that didn't go amiss from your sister.

“How was it?”

You chuckled, dropping your head before resting it on the back of the sofa.

“It was soft,” you chewed on your lower lip before turning to look at America grinning at you, “I mean, I'm used to the passion, you know? Like this wild meeting of lips and the need…but with her it was…soft.”

America lifted an eyebrow, she could see the kiss had shaken something inside you. You fixed your position on the sofa, sitting with your legs crossed as you continued.

“I am the first woman she is with, and we also are taking things slowly.”

“Slowly?” America furrowed her brows, a teasing tone leaving her words. “But you spent the night with her.”

“Well, yeah,but we just slept, nothing else.”

“You slept? Like falling asleep?”

You rolled your eyes, America snorted lifting her arms with a disbelief stare corssing her eyes.

“Just sleep.”

“Shut up.” You threw a pillow to her,America chuckled, grabbing the pillow and pressing it against her body. “We just slept, I made her breakfast, helpedwith the twins and then came here to get a shower and a change of clothes.”

“You really like her.” America declared with a sigh. 

“I do.”

“Doesn't it scare you that she has children and we'll…”

“Yes, it scares the hell out of me. I know that in a way I'm playing with fire.” You dropped your eyes frowning. “I know that at some point she may said I am not what she wants or needs…god, she could even go back to her husband or find a man…”

“No, she won't.” It was the resolute tone America used what made you looked at her with a scowl.

America's lips draw in a thin line, her brown eyes gleaming dangerously while her fist clenched tightly.

“She won't go back to him, and she won't go back to anybody,Y/N.” America held your eyes for a while before shaking her head.

“What do you know?” You narrowed your eyes waiting for an explanation but America just shrugged.

“Just that you are the best thing that has happened to her and those kids, and that it may take some time but I know Professor Maximoff likes you more than she dares to admit.”

“So I take it, you approve of her?” it was supposed to be a teasing comment, but a part of you waited for the real answer.

America snorted but it was not necessary to say anything at all, it was quite obvious she approved of Wanda as much as you approved of Kate. Yet, there was a part inside America that feared for you, it was strange, but something had been bothering her for quite some time. She was afraid you would get hurt, that this newfound relationship didn't end up the way you wanted it to.

“What are you going to do today?” America could guess the answer, but she was curious either way.

You shrugged resting your head on the back of the sofa.

“Billy is still sick, so I think I will spend the afternoon with them.” You pointed to America then back at you. “but right now, I was hoping I could spend some time with you. What do you say if we take a bath and then cook something for lunch?”

“That sounds good, I'm dying to get your meat rolls and some smashed potatoes.”

You chuckled standing up, you wiggled your eyebrows grabbing your sister's hand in yours.

“Then, let's go, kiddo.”

___________

The room was comfortably warm, you had made the chocolate with marshmallows and Wanda had arranged the living room for her children to be comfortable enough for movie night. 

The day had been strange, yet it was everything you and her were hoping for. 

After spending most of the morning and midday with America you got to Wanda's place ready to help her out with the twins and spent a nice afternoon with her. The boys had been happy, with Billy feeling a little better and wanting to be completely healthy for Christmas. 

With the Winter holidays ready to be enjoyed, Billy and Tommy were eagerly helping Wanda decorated their home while pouting for the lack of Christmas tree. 

It was not something you gave much thought to, in all honestly Christmas was not a festivity that your family paid attention to. Of course, this was unthinkable in the Maximoff household, so Wanda and the twins decided to teach you about Christmas by selecting a couple of movies you were sure to enjoy. 

“I can't believe you don't celebrate Christmas.” Wanda was fixing the mugs on a tray, selecting the smallest marshmallows. 

You rolled your eyes smiling, “it was not a huge holiday for us, decorations and trees and everything else was not something we did.”

“Any reason at all?” Wanda asked curiously, you shrugged helping her out with the chocolate. 

“Not really, my dad was not the religious kind, and while I always received gifts on Christmas Eve well…He and mom enjoyed taking us out to see the lights and decorations everywhere instead of staying home.” You tilted your head in contemplation, “you know? Sometimes we were not at home, so I guess they didn't thought it make sense to decorate if we were not going to be there to enjoy.”

Wanda placed her hands on the counter, her brows knitted together while she mused over your words. She could see the topic was not something you feel entirely comfortable with, but there was nothing but honesty behind your words. With a surge of courage running through her veins she made her way to you. You tilted your head placing your hands around her waist while she placed hers on the back of your neck pressing her body closer to yours. 

“Well, we do like to celebrate Christmas here, so as long as you are…” here Wanda trailed off, her face completely red while her eyes locked warmly with yours, “as long as you are here, I will make sure you get the spirit of Christmas decorations.”

You chuckled closing the space between the both of you, you drank in the soft sigh leaving Wanda's lips while her fingers played with he baby hair at the nape of your neck. 

“I think you are a little late for decorations, then.” You whispered against her lips. “Christmas is a week away.”

“Hence, movie night.” Wanda explained nuzzling her nose against yours, she closed her eyes softly with a tiny smile decorating her features. “We could always try it out next week, and invite Kate and America over.”

“Now, that would be fantastic.” You pulled Wanda towards you teasing her with a brush of your lips, your fingers tracing circles on her skin, your hands finding a spot under her sweater. 

“I can't…”

“Mom!” 

Wanda jumped out of your arms so fast she crashed against the closest wall hitting her head. You hit your back against the counter while Tommy and Billy stood innocently at the entrance of the kitchen, both boys frowned confusedly while Wanda massaged the back of her head and you stood frozen on the spot. 

“Tommy!” Wanda rushed to them trying to hide her blush and the guiltiness shinning in her eyes. 

“Mom, can we have the chocolate now?” Tommy asked glancing at the mugs. 

“I want to see the movie,” Billy pouted narrowing his eyes at you before turning to Wanda, “you're too slow.”

You chuckled behind Wanda hearing the sputtering and the stutter of an explanation before you clapped your hands. Wanda closed her eyes mortified when she felt your hand on her lower back her body reacting to your touch by leaning in. 

“We're sorry, guys. Mommy,” you started leaning closer to Wanda who shiver under your voice, “was explaining to me how you guys used to decorate and we were talking about getting some decorations for Christmas next week.”

Billy and Tommy lit up at this, they turned to you the to Wanda. The excitement was quite evident, and you could tell for the kids this time of the year was really important. 

“Really, mom? Can we make the tree and… And the socks?” Billy asked smiling. 

“Yes, of course, baby.” Wanda softened hearing the excited chatter of her boys as they went back to their spots on the living room. 

A shadow of the past crossed Wanda's face for a moment, you approached her placing two fingers under her chin tenderly. 

“Hey, are you okay?”

She nodded though her face never changed, and the shadows turned into a souless stare. You cupped her cheek leaning over while placing a kiss on her forehead. 

“Christmas was a time of joy, and gifts for them.” Wanda mumbled shivering under the weight of her memories. 

“Was it?” You asked, and Wanda let out a bitter smile. 

“It was the only time he was nice with them.”

You didn't need to ask who she was referring to, your face hardened and Wanda could see the subtly change in you stance. She leaned in placing a kiss on your lips. 

“It's just a bad memory.” She whispered trying to shake away those thoughts, you stopped her putting her closer to you. 

“Was he…” the question was at the tip of your tongue, Wanda looked away. 

“I'm divorcing him, Y/N, he is no longer part mine or my children's life.” 

Wanda said this with a conviction that surprised you, the young woman was looking g resolute and she was easing out your worries as much as she was comforting herself with the reality she was living at the moment. You were curious about the whole business, but seeing how Wanda was shaken out by the conversation you decided there would be time for that conversation at another time. 

“Then let's make you and the twins happy, shall we?”

Wanda broke into an easy smile, nodding while you went for the tray and got the chocolate mugs in there. Soon the four of you were sitting on the sofa and the chairs watching one of the Christmas movies selected by the twins. 

You heard the excited chatter coming from Billy and Tommy that decided to explain the movie to you while laughing. At some point during the afternoon, Wanda found a spot between your legs resting her back against your chesther head falling comfortably on your shoulder snuggling closer into your embrace while answering her children's questions. You nuzzled her hair and face, your eyes falling from time to time on the little forms of the twins that took this sudden changed as something familiar. Only Billy would gave you a light glare from time to time, only to be eased out by his brother and his mom. 

Wanda fluttered her eyes open, the screen was showing the options for the movie you just watched. The room was silent, with Billy and Tommy snuggled up on the sofa fast asleep. The young woman stirred letting out a sight when she felt your hands wrapping protectively around her mid section. 

When Wanda tilted her head up she could see you were asleep. Your mouth slightly open in a position that would certainly give you beckpain at some point.

“Hey, love,” Wanda caressed your face trying to wake you up, the loving term leaving her lips without her notice, “love, time to wake up, you're going to hurt your neck.”

You groaned wrapping your arms around her, she yelped falling right on top of you while you grunted opening your eyes to see Wanda completely red in the face with her body pressed against yours. 

“What time is it?”

“Time to wake up and let me up?” Wanda struggled pressing her hands on your shoulders ready to stand up, you chuckled helping her up while following soon after. 

“God, my neck.”

Wanda chucked, turning off the TV, she hesitated before standing behind you and allowing sweet messages on your shoulders up to your neck. 

“You fell asleep in a very uncomfortable position,” Wanda leaned to the side, her eyes drifting from you back to the twins. 

“But it was worth it if I got a chance to sleep with you.” You turned all of a sudden letting your arms sneak around the woman's midsection bringing your lips to hers. 

Wanda gasped giving into the kiss until she remembered her sons sleeping so close by. She was still trembling, gaze glazed over while her lips couldn't stop the smile from decorating her features. You returned the gesture, but understanding her hesitation you stepped back. 

“I'm sorry, they…”

You nodded, “I know, and I understand. Let me help you put them to bed and I'll be out.”

You turned around surprised at the fingertips caressing the back of your hand. Wanda stood there, biting her lower lip with her brows knitted together. 

“Are you leaving so soon? I'm still trying to figure out some things, Billy and Tommy…”

Her words surprised you even more, you tilted your head turning to face Wanda hearing her explanations, the nervous tapping of her fingers while the doubt filling up her eyes. You knew even though the boys had seen you that morning in Wanda's bedroom, and they had known something was up, they were still in the dark about their mother entering a new relationship, trying to navigate strange waters. And Wanda found herself torn in pieces because of this, because of her need to want to be with you, or the fluttering of her heart when she kissed you. She was just trying to live the day by day while also holding onto you, and it was scary and messy. 

You let your body relax, your lips breaking into a half smile. 

“Wands, if you want, I can stay,” you kept your distance but never let go of her hand, “I know you need to talk to them, and that for now it would be better if they don't catch us, and I can wait.”

“Why?” The question left Wanda before she could stop it, you sighed snorting while shrugging your shoulders. 

“I just think you are worth the wait, and wouldn't it be amazing to discover how amazing we could be together? As a family?”

 Wanda didn't have any words after such a declaration, but you stopped whatever she could say was stopped by you leaning in to kiss her cheek. 

“You, Billy, Tommy America and I…I just think, how crazy would it be if everything fits in the end?” You leaned back winking at Wanda. “So, I'm willing to wait and to try.”

Wanda pressed her lips together, her heart fluttering in her chest while her soul melted under your words. Wanda was certain that never before had she experienced the overwhelming emotions you woke in her. For the very first time she felt safe, and she even dared to say loved: and this new experience scared her, but excited her all the same. Whatever happened, Wanda Maximoff knew that you were already taking a special spot in her heart, and it would be a matter of time for Wanda to give in and fall in love with you. 

“You can help me with Tommy and I take care of Billy.” Wanda said as an answer to your words, you nodded happily leading the way to where the twins were fast asleep.

In the end, both of you decided that the best option was for you to go back home. America was waiting for you, and you had spent so much time out that you had missed the time alone with your sister a of late. Wanda for her part was also exited about the random invitation she had received from Natasha and Maria to spend Sunday with them; the new friendships she had started building were something Wanda was dying to cultivate and thus, the decision was easy just like that.

The goodbye came along with a kiss, and Wanda linger in your embrace long enough to offer you the sweetest of smiles that you treasured that night just before going to sleep.

The future look brighter, and the new year approaching offered just the best of possibilities to you and her. What could possibly go wrong?

_________________________

He remembered the first time his eyes fell upon Wanda Maximoff.

She was standing in the shadows during one of the meetings his father held at home to gather some business partners. Jarvis had always been taught the right ways to make business, and his father had set his eyes on a recently arrived man from Sokovia that brough great money and new opportunities to get connections.

She was shy, quiet, and almost invisible standing behind her mother while letting her green eyes wandered around the room. Jarvis felt attracted to her, and the moment he started speaking to her he found himself drawn to the girl.

It was easy to path the way to her and actually get what he wanted.

His father was happy to make the deal, and her father was happier knowing he not only got himself a pretty sweet deal but someone to take his daughter off of his hands. His attention to the oldest sibling, Pietro, who had a brilliant future as a sports prodigy.

As time passed by, Jarvis knew he had a long road ahead of himself, trying to shake off the idea of studying and having a job inside Wanda’s mind was not easier, more so if her mother encouraged her to be one of those filthy harlots that thought themselves above men. But Jarvis had been taught patience, and he waited while working on Wanda getting her away from her mother first, then her brother…

And then, something magical, something amazing and beautiful happened.

Pietro and his mother died.

An unfortunate accident, but enough to finally get Wanda under his full control.

Jarvis tried to really get Wanda into the right path, to be the loving and just husband she didn’t deserved, but the young woman had always been stubborn and quite impossible. He had taught her the hard way, the soft way, how she should behave and while it did work for a while, well…Jarvis thought having brats would make it easier but if anything, it made her impossible to deal with.

Even in sex, Wanda was not even good at, and having to go with someone that struggled far too much lost its charm after a while.

Still, Wanda was his.

He had the paperwork that placed her under his property, under his name, and thus the woman and those children were his.

The beep coming from the computer broke his concentration, Jarvis lifted his eyes to see the files had finally been transfer to the USB he brought with him. He smirked. This company had enough material that he could sell in the black market, but he already had a couple of buyers that were trying to get their hands on nanotechnology and biotechnology for military applications.

Jarvis would be more than happy to have the change to destroy Y/N Y/L/N.

The memory of your filthy hands on Wanda, of her behaving like a slut clinging to you while kissing you. Jarvis clenched his fists closed; he knew Wanda was broken. H thought he had forced that sin out of her after so many nights together, after breeding her…but of course, once rotten…

Jarvis took a deep breath.

He had everything planned out already, it was a matter of time.

One more week, and he would be able to not only destroy you and your company, but also get what was his under his control once more.

He smirked, the bluish light coming from the computer reflecting on his face; one more week, and he would have his family with him once more, and then everything would be over.

The light disappeared leaving the room in complete darkness, Jarvis stood up and left the office humming to himself a familiar song while his fingertips tapped fast on the screen of his phone.

I have the files, there is only one more set of blueprints and this will be over. Do you have something for me?

They’re visiting Santa at the mall. She is not alone, of course, it seems her lover is everything you are not.

Jarvis narrowed his eyes, almost broking the phone and losing his footing when Agatha sent over a picture of Wanda and the twins, right beside her smiling face was Y/N standing contently with her hands on her waist. Jarvis scowled shaking his head while returning to the keypad.

Find out when would be the best time for me to pay them a visit, Agatha. I would like nothing more than to give my wife and my children a visit they won’t forget.

I will, don’t worry. But I expect my reward once I’m home…I can barely wait to have you inside me…

Jarvis chuckled darkly closing the phone and entering the lift.

He smirked once more, though his face was a mask of pure rage.

Soon.

____________________

Christmas Eve was just three days away.

Wanda and Kate had made it their task to bring over the joy of the season by taking you and America down to the mall to get some decorations while also picking up a tree. The last week had been strange to say the least; you and Wanda started getting closer while also spending time with your family and friends. It was strange, at first.

You longed to be beside Wanda, to perhaps grab her hand in yours and take her on dates and spend the nights with her. You yearned for Wanda, and whenever you two were alone you could tell the other woman felt the same. But there was something stopping you and her.

It was not that difficult to discover what it was, Wanda was not only afraid of the relationship but also about her children’s reaction and you being a woman. For her it was quite evident everything was new, and while sometimes you wished it was easier, you were quite ready to wait for her.

So, for the best part of the week you two had spent some quality time with friends and family, and just give one another a couple of minutes or hours at night to just talk and continue with the routine you had stablished before Winter break.

“I think we can get the tree from the emporium right around the corner from Olympia.” Kate put a hand on her chin, her eyes narrowed while she counted her options out loud.

Wanda grabbed some lights nodding in agreement, her brows knitting together while facing Kate.

“I didn’t know there was one nearby.”

“Oh, you know? It’s only for the season, usually they have a parking lot there.” Kate grinned when her eyes caught sight of America, Billy, Tommy and Y/N walking towards them.

“So, Professor…”

“Wanda, please, we’re not in school at the moment, Kate.” Wanda offered a half smile to the young woman who smiled pleased.

“Well, Wanda, you and Y/N,” Wanda tensed lightly her smile dropping into a nervous grimace, “are you guys dating or something?”

Wanda grabbed a couple of lights, turning to the group before facing Kate.

“I think we are trying yes, are you dating America?”

“Finally! God, those two are almost impossible to get, but once you do, they can be the best thing that had happened to you.” Kate then stepped forward leaving a thoughtful Wanda behind.

America lifted her hands, both of them carrying two ice cream cones.

“I think I got the right flavour, but if I did not you can have mine.” America blushed hard when Kate came over to kiss her hard on the lips before taking one of the cones.

“Don’t worry, baby, whatever you choose I bet I would love it.”

Billy and Tommy made faces, putting their hands on their mouths to cover the giggles. Kate smirked satisfied at leaving her girlfriend dumbstruck, you rolled your eyes extending the cup to Wanda.

“I got you Jazmin tea, honey, no milk, right?” You offered the other woman a teasing smile, Wanda grabbed the cup letting her fingertips brushed against yours.

“Thank you, that’s perfect.”

America and Kate watched the interaction a little confused, though Tommy and Billy had also paid close attention to what was happening. Billy frowned crossing his arms while never taking his eyes off of you. Wanda bit her lower lip and then, all of a sudden, leaned in to kiss your cheek.

“Thank you.” She repeated, you grinned at her winking the moment however was broken by Billy who decided to get in the way pushing you away while standing in front of his mom.

“Mom! I wanna go home!” Billy stomped his foot down glaring at Wanda then at you crossing his arms while pouting.

You could tell Wanda was really shocked by this reaction, but in all fairness, you had guessed this would happen sooner or later. It had been not a secret for the best part of the week, that Billy Maximoff did not seem overly found of the closeness you shared with his mom. You had decided to not get in the way on how Wanda talked to her children, and you knew this conversation was something they should deal with but you couldn’t help it when you saw the hurt crossed Wanda’s eyes at the outburst and the glare Billy was sending her way.

“Hey, Billy, what do you say if we go see Santa and…”

“SANTA DOESN’T EXIT! YOU…YOU DOOFUS!”

“Billy!”

Billy opened his eyes wide shocked at his scream, Tommy stepped back hiding himself behind America and Wanda just stood there frozen. Billy’s lower lip quivered and he just took off down the hall towards the exit of the shop.

Wanda lifted her eyes at you, and you nodded to her.

“Go, I’ll stay with Tommy.”

Wanda went after her son without looking back, her heart hammering against her chest at the sudden flashback she got from those times Vision would scream at her and the twins. Tommy shifted glancing back at his mom, before going to you and hugging you tightly.

“You’re not a doofus, Y/N.” You knelt ruffling Tommy’s hair.

“I know, Tommy, don’t’ worry.” You softened lightly when you realized this outburst had affected greatly the other boy.

“Santa is not real, but that’s okay…” Tommy shrugged hugging you tightly. “You’re the best gift mommy could have.”

You frowned though you returned the hug, America and Kate glanced at one another wincing when you sent an inquisitive stare their way.

“Thank you, Tommy.” You leaned back tilting your head, “what do you say if we go to Santa either way? I’m pretty sure that out there, somewhere, the real Santa can hear you out and perhaps we can ask for a nice gift for Christmas.”

Tommy crunched up his nose, his eyes narrowed before he shrugged nodding.

“Okay.”

You chuckled grabbing his hand in yours, “then, Kate, America lead the way, we’re going to see Santa!”

*****

Wanda caught up with Billy just right around the corner leading to the bathroom.

Billy was sobbing pressing his arm on his face, the tears rolling down his cheeks hiccupping. Wanda dropped to her knees, her own tears glistening in her eyes. She didn’t know what the scene was about, but she knew there was something bothering Billy greatly, and his reaction had scared him as much as it had scared Wanda.

“Billy?” She asked tentatively, a hand placing itself on his shoulder.

Wanda gasped almost falling over when Billy wrapped his arms around her crying against her shoulder. It broke her heart to see just how hurt he was, how much he was feeling at the moment without being completely sure as to why he was experimenting those emotions. The young woman picked him up in her arms and took him inside the hall leading to the restrooms, never stopping the waved of comforting words from leaving her lips.

The bathroom was empty, Wanda took Billy to the counter sitting him down while going over for some paper towels to clean him up. 

The boy was sulking, his arms crossed while the tears rolled down his cheeks, some snot coming out that he kept sniffling. Wanda couldn't keep the frown off her face, she was still wondering what had actually happened to make her son react in such a way. Wanda hated how alike Vision he had been at that moment, and watching him right now only made Wanda think that she wasn't the only one in need of therapy. 

“Let me clean this up,” she smiled, drying the tears tenderly, her own eyes gleaming with unshed tears, “and here, you can blow your nose.”

Billy winced, dropping his stare when Wanda poked his nose. The young woman sighed, she opened the tap washing her hands while taking a couple of paper towels to the water. She lifted Billy's face, never missing the chance to smile reassuringly to her son. 

“Now, you want to tell me what happened?”

Her words were soothing, more like a concern inquiry than a reproach. Billy winced, his lips quivering just as he tightened the hold of his arms around himself. Wanda didn't press the matter, making sure to freshen up Billy's face while cleaning him softly. 

“Is it me? Perhaps, Tommy?” Wanda kept her questions casual, as if she was just naming people as they came in her mind. “America? Or, Y/N?”

The boy tensed, lifting his face to glance at Wanda in the eye. Wanda could feel her heart shattering, a revolting emotion twisting her stomach as her son looked away pouting. 

“You don't… You don't like her?”

She held her breath waiting for an answer. Her heart fluttered with Hope to get a negative answer from her son; when she left Vision she promised herself to put her children first and her own needs, fears and wants, on the background. She would never submit her children to an abusive relationship, or to someone that might hurt them or might make them feel uncomfortable. That was the reason she had held back with you, she knew what she was feeling with you was something she had yearn but her children came first. And she loved you even more for understanding. 

“I don't want mommy and Tommy hurt.” Billy whispered, dropping his arms down, he lowered his face sniffling some more. 

“Oh, baby,”  Wanda hugged him tightly, and after a moment of hesitation Billy hugged her back, “I would never let anyone hurt me or you or Tommy ever again.”

She leaned back offering a soft smile, her eyes seeking out those of Billy. 

“You and Tommy are my main concern, if you think Y/N is hurting me…”

Billy shook his head frowning, he opened his mouth before closing it again. Wanda waited until the young boy spoke. 

“You were happy with daddy.” He mumbled, Wanda's blood ran cold and she tried to hold back her expressions thinking how to continue with the conversation. 

“Do you miss daddy?” Wanda winced at the last word, Billy scrunched up his nose shaking his head. 

“No! Daddy hurt you and Tommy and me! But he made you happy and then…”

Wanda knew right there and then that her children had seen enough to take upon their shoulders a responsibility that was not theirs. She knew they had heard them, she knew at some point they had seen Vision hurting her as much as they had heard the words and insults he screamed at her; but Wanda thought, quite naively, that her children had not been completely aware of this. 

Now that she was at the gates of a new relationship, of finding someone nice and loving and someone she was dying to give a chance to, their fears of history repeating itself came into play.

“Do you think Y/N is capable of hurting me or you or your brother?”

Billy opened his eyes at such a question, and his first instinct was to shake his head until he just stopped and shrugged. If he were to contemplate the last couple of days and weeks, he would have to say no. She had taken care of Tommy when he was sick, and she made Wanda smile, she made Wanda laugh and relax and be so happy that Billy had been bothered about it at some point. He had been waiting for the screams, and the punches, and the tears…but they never came, and then…today, mommy had kissed Y/N and Billy had been afraid. What if they kiss and then everything changes? Billy had seen how daddy kissed mommy and then he would start teaching her a lesson; how they had been a happy family only to go back home and be afraid all over again.

But you…

“No.” Billy answered softly, then he shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Oh, Billy, I know that we have had a rough experience before,” Wanda reasoned, cupping her child’s face in her hands, “that won’t happen ever again, I promise.”

Billy nodded believing her words, he chewed on his lip before asking in the same soft voice.

“Do you like Y/N?” Billy gauged his mother’s expression, his words piling up in his mouth, “Balder said you like her and that soon you will kiss like Kate and America, and that will be so gross, but it’s what mommys and daddys do when they love each other but you will be a mommy and Y/N would be a step-mother, and we have to make sure she is not like Cinderella or Snow White’s step-mother…”

Wanda stood there gaping at her son, her cheeks tingling with the blush forming around her face while her heart skipped several beats at such detailed explanation. She certainly needed to have a serious conversation with Loki and Balder’s education. Billy sat there narrowing his eyes at his mom waiting for an answer that Wanda was trying to organise internally. 

“Okay, I…I like her, Billy, and I like her a lot.” Wanda started measuring her words to make sure Billy understood, the boy tilted his head with his eyes gleaming strangely at her, “she makes me happy, and we decide to just see what happens, but for now she is just…”

Wanda trailed off not knowing how to put into words what she wanted to convey, Billy furrowed his brows helping his mother who was having some difficulty in talking.

“Girlfriend? Like Kate and America?” Wanda closed her eyes, mortified, before nodding.

“Yes, she is not…I mean, stepmother is such a strong word, right now I just…” Wanda let out a heavy sigh placing her hand on top of Billy’s head. “Do you like her?”

Billy pressed his lips together; it took him a minute to answer but when he did a weight lifted from Wanda’s shoulders.

“I do. She makes you so happy.” Billy then threw himself into Wanda’s arms, “I love you, mommy, I’m sorry I screamed at you.”

“It’s okay, baby, everything is going to be fine.”

___________

The line to meet with Santa was a long one.

You lifted your face to see Wanda coming closer, Billy holding her hand tightly while smiling at her. Wanda sensed your eyes on her, she lifted her face and soon found the comfort of your stare on her; you raised a brow in a silent question the other woman understood perfectly, she nodded and Billy furrowing his brows followed the line of vision of his mom to you. He hesitated but soon went to Tommy hugging him tightly.

“Are you alright?” You kept your distance, though your tone of voice dripped with concern that Wanda found endearing.

“I am.” She then stepped closer wrapping her arms around you, her body relaxed when you returned the hug though you couldn’t keep away the confusion of this sudden reaction.

America centred her attention on the twins, Billy was still serious but Tommy was smiling happily while dragging his brother away with the stories he just heard from you about Santa and his secret allies that helped him make wishes come true.

“It seems everything is alright now.” Kate whispered, America shrugged turning to where you and Wanda were still pretty closed.

“Seems that way.” Kate pecked her on the nose winking at her.

“Come, I think they need an alone time and we can watch over the twins.”

You closed your eyes for a moment, the weight of Wanda in your arms soothing whatever worries you had sewn the moment she went after Billy. It was a moment of only the both of you, with the laughter and conversation of people happening around, she leaned back offering you the most beautiful smile she could put on at the moment.

“Everything alright?” You asked brushing her hair out of her face, she nodded leaning in to place a peck on your lips.

This made you opened your eyes, you glanced at the twins then back at her, but Wanda didn’t move an inch away from you nor did she shy away from the kiss.

“Everything alright.” Wanda offered you a pearly smile, her eyes dropping to your lips then back to your eyes. “What do you say if we go get that tree and, if you’re not averse to the idea, we can decorate your home? I mean, I don’t want to pretend…”

“I would love to spend Christmas with you, and the twins.” You returned the smile, tilting your head you could see everyone discussing right at the end of the line. “So, they really don’t’ believe in Santa?”

Wanda winced shrugging, “their father…he beat it out of them.”

She was afraid of looking into your face, and when she did she could see the silent anger going through your expression. The change in your eyes, and the tension building up in your muscles your jawline clenched tightly and your hold on her tightened into a protective stance.

“He…He beat it out?” Your voice was cold, and it sent a shiver of fear down Wanda’s back.

She stepped back not liking the sensation, she merely nodded and you took a deep breath to tried and keep under control your emotions. You stepped closer to her, tilting your head to capture her eyes in yours.

“Did he do something else?”

Wanda offered a bitter smile, her arms around herself and you knew your reaction was not the best to reassure her about your feelings for her or the information she shared with you. You let out a heavy sigh, putting a hand on your head before relaxing your expression.

“A lot of things but, it’s not important now,” Wanda hoped this could at least give you some light of what she had lived before, on why her children had been so introvert at the beginning and why Billy was so overprotective of her and Tommy.

You opened your mouth but didn’t know what to say, the words did not come as easily as you expect them to. Wanda waited for a reaction, for you to say that you couldn’t continue with the relationship, or that you really didn’t want to get into something so mess up. What was worse, she was waiting for you to ask for details, to feed on the stories of a past she wanted to forget.

She closed her eyes melting under the kiss you pressed on her forehead.

“Whenever you are ready,” your lips lingered for just a couple of minutes more, “I know it may not be a lot but, I won’t let anything bad happen to you, to Billy and Tommy.”

“I know.” Wanda whispered back grabbing your hand and squeezing comfortingly, “now, about that tree and that Christmas decorations…”

You chuckled winking at her, “okay then, let’s go!”

____________________

The last couple of days had been a complete rollercoaster for you and America.

It had been so long since the both of you enjoyed the family festivities you had almost forgotten about the family and friends you two had out there. Stephen and Christine had prepared a little gathering for New Year, once they heard of you and America decorating your home they decided it was time to continue with the traditions.

“It’s just a light dinner, everyone is going to be there and you can bring a plus one.” Christine winked at you while nodding towards Wanda who was laughing at Stephen while the twins, America and Kate worked on the decorations on the tree.

“Gods, you guys are not gonna let me life this down, are you?”

“Nope, and you better get used to it, missy.” Christine placed her hand on top of yours softening while offering you her motherly smile. “You look happy, and this woman and her children they had come into your life at the right time.”

“They are amazing, you know?”

“I know.” Christine took another sip from her chocolate, “I know you want to spend Christmas with them, so that’s why I told Stephen we could change our plans this year for New Year’s Eve.”

“You guys are awesome, I think we will do it, I know America misses you and your food and I guess…well, it has been a while.”

“Exactly! You won’t regret it and if, by any chance you can’t get back we still have your old room fixed.”

“Oh, you haven’t changed it into a gym?”

Christine chuckled winking at you before standing up, “Stephen tried to make it into one, I didn’t allow it.”

You laughed shaking your head while putting the dishes on the dishwasher. Christine joined in the fun in the living room, she commanded Stephen to bring in the gifts they had brought and the twins soon lit up at the word gifts. Wanda winced trying to placate them and not let them get their hopes up.

“Guys, I think they are referring to the gifts for America and Y/N…”

“You are wrong, Mrs, Maximoff.” Stephen interrupted offering a half smile, “we brought gifts for everyone, I will be right back, dear. America can you help me out?”

Wanda blinked in confusion, something that Christine soon waved away.

“Oh, Wanda, you and the boys are family, of course we brought gifts for everyone. Even Kate.”

Kate perked up at the mention of her name, “really?”

“Oh, dear, after you and America were pinning for one another all these years, it was the least we could do.”

Kate rolled her eyes hiding away her flustered cheeks, soon Stephen came in with many packages and America following behind with some boxes. You stood in the distance, enjoying the scene developing in front of your eyes.

Your family was represented in all the people gathered in your living room, the sound of laughter and conversation reached out to you while the kitchen filled with the smell of food. You never thought after so many things happening in your life, that you would spend Christmas with a woman and her kids.

Wanda Maximoff had become the light of your life lately.

Her green eyes, and her beautiful smiled was something you treasured every day. The story about her past, and the fears about the present and the future was something you wished to soothe out. The young woman stood up trying to calm her children when those beautiful green eyes found yours across the room. Her smile never faltered, and you melted into the sight while patting the spot right beside you. She chewed on her lower lip flirty, tilting her head while letting go of the lost fight with the twins and joining you in the kitchen.

The kiss, as always, made your heart fluttered in your chest.

After that visit to the mall, Wanda became more open in her demonstrations of affection towards you. It was as if everything around you and the family eased out, and now there was nothing more than to keep building up the relationship you had with the redhead.

“So, what do you think about Christmas now, missy?” She waved her index finger at you, a faux frown of reproach adorning her forehead.

“I think I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world as long as it is with you.” You smirked, but Wanda rolled her eyes stepping back.

“You’re such a sweet talker.”

You chuckled wrapping your arms around her placing your chin on her shoulders while looking into the living room.

“You fell for the sweet talking I did.” Wanda tensed lightly, her smile never faltering.

“I think that I’m still a work in progress.”

You laughed shaking your head, “if you say so.”

“I know so.” Wanda turned in your arms softening slightly.

“I have something for you, but I don’t want to wait for tradition.” Your words piled out one after the other, Wanda shot her eyebrows up into her hairline surprised by your words.

“You do?”

“Yeah, I just…” You smiled sheepishly scratching the back of your neck, “I saw it and made me think of you.”

Wanda placed her left hand on her right elbow, she cocked her head with a tender smile drawn on her lips.

“I got you something as well, just…” She then smirked, “I do want to wait for tradition.”

You huffed tickling her until she was against the counter giggling trying to sweep your hands away from her.

“Come on! I want my gift!”

She ran as soon as she could, almost bumping against Tommy who had a set of Jurassic Park Lego on his hands. Wanda blushed when her son frowned grabbing the set tightly, you chuckled behind her shaking your head while kneeling in front of Tommy.

“Tsk, Wands, really if you want your gift so much I could tell America or Billy to bring it over, right Tommy?”

“Yes, mommy, look! Mr. Strange let me open mine!” Tommy lifted the set grinning, “if you ask Y/N nicely she may let you open yours.”

You laughed falling on your ass when Wanda pushed you playfully she ruffled Tommy’s hair ignoring the confused frown he was still wearing.

“That’s so nice, sweetie, what else did you got? What did Billy get?”

“Oh, he got one from Harry Potter!”

The rest of the afternoon went by with laughter, conversations, and a nice dinner.

Stephen and Christine soon discovered the changes happening around you and America, how your lives were completely different to what they were more than a year ago. The memory of your parents was still present, but you did not carry with the responsibilities as if it was a burden imposed to you but as something you were ready to take upon yourself.

You were finally happy.

And America was finally able to relax a little.

Stephen wouldn’t say it was all thanks to Wanda, but he certainly would say her sudden apparition in your life was a great factor on what you had changed in your life. The man was really happy, and finally he could put at rest his worries about you and America and go back to his best friend to tell him his daughters would be okay.

Christine grasped his hand under the table, she offered a confident smile that Strange returned nodding briefly.

“Well, I guess the time has come for us to go back.”

“What? Why?” America lowered her eyes to the watch on her wrist wincing. “Oh, I see.”

“Don’t worry, kiddo, you and Christine already got that shopping date on, right?” Stephen stood up wrapping his arms around America.

“Well, yeah, that’s true.”

“And you guys still have to go to the New Year’s Party.” Christine left no room for argument, her stern glance went from America to Kate, then to Wanda and finally to you, “it has been so long since the whole team was together, I think it is only fair if we do it this year.”

“I know, I know, don’t worry, we will be there.”

You went to say goodbye to Stephen, the man offering something to you while speaking in hush words. Wanda sensed someone behind her, and here stood Christine with her eyes softened by the sight.

“She has been through a lot, Wanda.”

“So I heard.” Wanda shifted nervously under the stare of Christine; the old woman pressed her lips together before speaking again.

“For what I heard, you have done so as well,” Wanda opened her mouth to speak but Christine shook her head, “no, there is no need to say anything. I just want a few words with you, if you allow me.”

“Sure.”

It was not as if she had any said in the matter, the woman standing before her while gently, kind and completely easy-going was in all reality a force to be reckon with. She had been the director of the paediatric department back in the Stark Hospitals ever since she finished her master’s degree, and her knowledge as well as her iron determination earned him the love of her patients, friends and family. Wanda had seen and heard the affection in you and America whenever talking about the woman, and she also knew that in the absence of your family she and Stephen were the closest thing to parents you had in your life.

The night was freezing with just a few snowflakes falling to the ground.

Inside there was no longer any sound, the twins were about ready to drop on the floor and Kate and America were helping around the house to clean up everything.

“Y/N and America are the closest people I have to me, the ones I dare to call my children,” Christine started never bothering to explain how she and Stephen never got a chance to have children but how they had fallen in love with you two and with Morgan, and with all the children their friends had.

“And when their parents died, they had some rough months in which their roles changed.” Christine snorted lowering her gaze to the ground, “America has always been the mature, responsible one, while Y/N has always been the heart and the determination in the family. She sacrificed herself in order to give America happiness while also keeping up the dream of her parents. That’s why she took the position as a CEO in the Alchemax Industries..”

“I heard something about it,” Wanda shivered under the cold, but her eyes never left the form of Christine, “she really is something else, and I found myself…attracted to her.”

“I know.” Christine’s lips quirk upwards, “I know you like her, and I dare to say love her. She deserves happiness, as much as you and you boys do, so my only advice is to always be honest with one another, and don’t break her heart. She may not look like it, but she really is as soft as a marshmallow and she loves without thinking of the consequences.”

Wanda knitted her brows together, dropping her glance for a moment.

“I don’t want to hurt her.”

“I’m glad you two are taking things slowly, and if you allow me to say it, she really is very lucky to have someone like you.” Christine winked at a surprised Wanda, she relaxed under the woman’s gaze. “Take your time you two, get to know one another and…well, perhaps in a year’s time we will talk about this moment again, and you two would be a real family.”

Wanda’s heart leap at those words, her image brought right away an scene in which you two were sharing a bed, with the twins sleeping down the hall, and America right next to them. Family dinners, and family outings and in all of them Wanda was smiling longside you with her children and America in the background.

It was a beautiful dream.

“Just a word of advice, if you want it, fight for it, dream it and ask for it…in the end you will get what you desire, but don’t forget that it is not by magic that it comes to you, it si with perseverance, hard work, and good communication.”

“I won’t forget, thank you, Christine.” Wanda stepped forward hugging the woman, Chrstine smiled hugging her back.

“No, thank you Wanda, for loving my children.”

Wanda melted under those words, her first thoughts went directly to you, the one that had done nothing but love hers since the first day.

______________________

Billy and Tommy had fallen asleep as soon as the clock struck 11PM.

You stirred on the spot on the sofa, your gaze Fallin on America and Kate that were snuggled up together on one of the chairs. You smiled at the sight, America looked happy with her arms wrapped protectively around Kate. They really made a cute couple, with America being a dreamer, determined and at times stubborn having someone like Kate who was easygoing, bubbly and calm was like a combination mdenin heaven. 

You really wished all the happiness America could get out of that relationship. Your mind soon drifted to the woman in your arms, Wanda was snoring lightly snuggled closer to your body. You sighed contentedly wrapping your arms tightly around her while pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

When you started the new year, you never hoped or even dreamed about entering into a relationship or even getting to know someone like Wanda. It was not in your plans, and coming across her in that supermarket marked the beginning of a new chapter in your life. 

Your heart fluttered tightly, sending shivers of need all through your body. The wave of affection that came through your body changed slowly to a form of deep love for Wanda Maximoff and those kids that were sleeping in your room. 

You brushed her hair, wondering what would happen next. If perhaps Wanda was experimenting the same wave of emotions you were going through. Wanda stirred in your arms, her face lifting lightly nuzzling your neck while her eyelids opens slowly. 

“What time is it?”

“I think it is past midnight.” You answered amusedly when the young woman sat up and leaned lazily to place a kiss on your lips. 

“Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, love.”

Wanda smiled brightly at you, dipping her face bashfully before standing up. She stretched out, glancing around until her eyes fell upon America and Kate that were happily sleeping on the other sofa. 

“They look cute.”

“They do.” You agreed following Wanda who had stretched her hand towards you. 

“Come I'm going to give you your gift.”

“Really?” You smiled happily with Wanda dragging you right behind her. 

“Yes, but only because I want to see mine.”

“Of course, you do.”

The house was dark, and there was really no sound but that of your footsteps on the wooden floor. When you two reached the tree that Wanda had chosen and dressed herself with the help of the twins, the lights they had select gleamed in colours that brought a smile upon your face. The young woman knelt looking around until her hands found that middle size box she was looking for.

“I thought about this really hard, you know?” She stated grabbing the gift in her hands while looking at the tree, you approached her slowly seeing the lights of the tree shinning in her green eyes.

You sat right beside her, waiting with bouncing legs until she gave you the gift. Wanda snorted tilting her head while rolling her eyes.

“This year has been strange for me, you know?” Wanda had thought about this speech all night long, and even the moment she knew you had welcomed her inside your house and family. It was a speech she had prepared ever since that confrontation with America.

“I know. It has been a weird year for me too.”

Wanda sighed caressing the gift, her upper teeth playing with her lower lip.

“I never thought I would experiment these emotions I’m experiencing at the moment, you made me feel so much sometimes its overwhelming,” Wanda lifted her face to the ceiling, her voice soft and filled with unwavering emotion, “Whenever you’re close to me is as if my whole world is shaken and I feel safe.”

You couldn’t help the smile on your lips, Wanda chuckled taking your hands in hers.

“My marriage was full of abused and bad moments; I have to run from him because sooner or later he was going to destroy me and my children.” She waited patiently for the changes that were sure to come, she could feel the tension growing in your body, the trembling hand and the darkening of your eyes showing rage beyond anything Wanda had seen in you before.

“Wanda…” You tried to say something but she shook her head intertwining her fingers with yours.

“It’s in the past, and Natasha has been a great help, I just…”

“When you’re ready, love, I’ll be heard to listen to the complete story.” You lifted your free hand to clean up the tears Wanda was shocked to feel on her cheeks. “Are you alright?”

Wanda laughed humping so she could be closer to you, “I’m better now.”

You lifted her face, leaning in to kiss her slowly tenderly to show her what you could not put into words yet. How much you were starting to love her, the need she built up in you day by day. Wanda leaned into the kiss surrounding to your tenderness and teasing, her body melting right away giving in until breathing was necessary and the both of you parted ways only to press your forehead against hers.

“You have become a great part of my life, and my children love you and I just…” Wanda sighed, “I just hope I’m enough and that I won’t disappoint you.”

“Never, you are enough Wands, and I love them too.” You replied shying away for the real confession. “I am more than happy to be with you here, in this moment, in this place…Now, how about you give me my gift?”

Wanda laughed out loud shaking her head, she handled the box to you shaking her head amusedly.

“Here, I hope you like it.”

Wanda sat with her back completely stretch, she tapped with her fingers the floor you two were sitting on glancing at her gift and then at your face as you struggled with the enveloped and the box. Your heart hammered against your chest, trying hard to keep the moment professional and not as an anxious child that wanted his favourite toy to be inside. You opened it up and your breath caught in your throat.

Inside was a leather jacket all in black with silvery zipper and buttons around the sleeves. The sweet smell of the leather reached your nostrils, and when you touched the material you knew right away that this was an expensive gift coming from her. Wanda was licking her lips chewing on her cheek while waiting for your answer.

“Did you…Did you like it? I could always change it, and the lady at the store told me the size could fit you well but…”

Wanda trailed off feeling your lips on hers.

“It’s perfect.” You mumbled against her lips, “how did you know this was the one I wanted?”

“America.” Wanda replied shrugging, “I just wanted it to be special and well, this was what she wanted to give to you but I convince her to let me gift it to you instead.”

You chuckled putting it out of the box and admiring the handy work on the item.

“It’s beautiful, thank you.”

Wanda beamed proudly, she poked you on the side smiling happily at you.

“Now, what about mine?”

You laughed shaking your head, leaning in you looked for the small square box you had left there early on.

“This one I asked Tommy and Billy for.”

“You did?” Wanda looked shocked at this, you nodded presenting the item to her.

“They told me a story, about a Christmas, long ago.”

Wanda tensed up, her hands were trembling while grabbing the box. She didn’t dare to hope, and she certainly couldn’t look up to see your face. Your voice reached her out, and she was afraid to see what she would find there.

“Your brother, Pietro, and your mother.” You continued, “I remember you telling me about them, but never about this…so I just…”

Wanda couldn’t see clearly through her tears, her fingers trembling as she opened the wrapping and her breath caught in her throat when she found the velvety box under it.

Inside she found a single necklace with a single pendant in the form of a butterfly.

“Tommy said you lost it, and that it was something you liked a lot.”

In all honestly, the boy had mentioned Wanda lost the necklace after she and his father fought. Billy remembered it was something she always wore, and they even showed you a picture of the woman wearing it from an early age. Wanda caressed the necklace softly, her eyes welling up with unshed tears, disbelief filling up her heart when she lifted her eyes to face you.

“It´s beautiful.” She snorted wiping away her tears, “I wish I didn’t cry so much, I feel so foolish…”

“Nah, it’s okay, you know.” You smile sheepishly at her, Wanda presented the box to you the deep emotion she couldn’t hide after receiving the gift still shining on her face.

“My brother and I, we both had the same necklace. It was a gift from my mother.” Wanda softened her expression, putting the necklace out. “Butterflies were her favourite animals, it was her gift for us before leaving school.”

“She was a special woman.”

“She was, she loved me and Pietro so much…” Wanda trailed off furrowing her brows, “perhaps if she had been alive…”

Wanda sighed shrugging, “can you put it on me?”

“Sure, turn around.”

 Wanda turned around lifting her hair in a ponytail while presenting her neck to you. You shivered, your hand grabbing the necklace passing your hands around her neck and clasping together. Wanda left her hair fall, shivering while pressing her fingertips on the pendant.

You leaned forward, putting her hair away and placing soft kisses on the length of her neck. The young woman shivered tilting her head to the side, your hands sneaking around her midsection until you were holding her against you.

“Merry Christmas, Wanda.”

“Do you think we can stay like this for a moment?” She leaned back, closing her eyes for a moment.

“Sure.”

Wanda wrapped her hands around yours, letting out a heavy breath before speaking.

“I want to tell you how I got the necklace, and then how I lost you…I just…It is painful and I don’t want to…scare you.”

“You could never scare me, Wands.” You fixed your position on the floor so your back was resting against the sofa and Wanda rested between your open legs. “I would love to hear whatever you are ready to tell me, you know that.”

Wanda let her fingertip touch the butterfly once more, the pain of losing her brother still pulsating through her soul. But soon her words filled the space in the living room, and you were hearing her deepest memories of her family, her mother, her twin brother, and the shattering reality she had to suffer years later.

In all that time, your arms wrapped protectively around her, the rage you felt forgotten to give way to sooth her worries, and to promise her with whispered words that if she allowed it, you would protect her and the twins for as long as she wanted you.

And just like that, you and Wanda got the best Christmas ever.

The snow fell upon the land, and the darkness was completely forgotten.

_____________________________________________________________

Next chapter: Vision gets his vengance, Reader and Wanda never got a chance to have a lone date, and Maria and Fury save the day.

[katyspersonal]

Hi there, I hope you don’t mind the random question but in your mind which fanbase would you say is worse, Elden Ring or Bloodborne in terms of annoying fans. I used to think Bloodborne fans could be bad but holy shit ER fans are something else when it comes to lore discussions. As someone who is pretty active in lore talk with both games do you find one side to be more exhausting to deal with than the other? Obviously feel free not to answer this if you think it might start drama

Honestly? I can't hate Bloodborne fandom enough.

Bloodborne was my first Fromsoft game and one keeping me hostage in terms of fixation for over three years, like I said! And yes, it has incredibly bad, toxic people in it - Maria fans who kept slandering Gehrman despite all the info against their takes, honestly believed there is anything problematic with Gehrmaria, had mental breakdown if anyone dared to see Maria as bi or straight despite her not having canon sexuality, believed that the whole story is either about man bad woman good OR was incredibly misogynist, no between. Close minded, toxic people who would deliberately bait anger and pain with placing their hate in the tags and then play victims when those hurt fans snapped back. Oh, I hate them, and revealing that Gehrman's "creepiness" and "misogyny" was completely and fully translation mistake, as well as pointing out how comes why nothing is wrong with how Doll is dressed with facts, is forever my most valid contribution to the fandom. More so than my ugly childlike fanart or convoluted theories could ever be. But, not THIS is why Bloodborne fandom is worse in my opinion.

Elden Ring fandom introduced not one but SEVERAL annoying and exhausting topics to deal with! I "affectionately" titled especially rabid Malenia and Miquella fans 'Twin Cultists' because this is exactly what their behavior is and have always been! Funny enough, a person who got mad at me for this one was someone who got alienated on Discord server for Miquella fans because owners started to insist that only their headcanons are valid AND admitted to me on feeling unsafe for not shipping Finlenia. I am dead serious! Malenia fans are strikingly similar to Maria pseudofeminist fans in toxicity, Miquella fans are like if you removed all likeable traits of Leda and replaced them with even MORE of undying vitriol for anyone who dares to interpret him as anything but perfect pure radiant sunshine. Mohg triggered a pretty awful discourse between those who insisted he was rapist molester whatever and if you interpret it differently you are insensitive and media-illiterate victimblamer and people who defended him "becoming the very thing they sworn to destroy" as well as also exhibiting cult-like thought control in their circles (they know who they are -_-).

But the DLC has changed things a bit, right? Some Twin Cultists are still spilling vitriol, except now they also claim that writers are bad, not only fans that disagree with them! Still, blessed, deserved vindication finally arrived! But what about others, whose situation never changed? Vitriol towards Godrick is ABSURD. You know how common fandoms L is that they judge and hate female character for something, but when male character did the exact same thing it is humored or justified? Godrick is this, minus the gender difference, yet everyone who points out his actual characteristics and the hypocrisy of his haters gets ridiculed. You thought that his fans would flock together to support each others? No, turns out that pocket are loosers who think people who don't headcanon him as trans are childish and ridiculous and loathe cishet Elden Ring fans in general. Fia and D are caught in the weird discourse loop where one is always simplified and idealized and another is demonized to Hell and beyond, when they both are strongly caught in religious brainwashing of sorts but also are sympathetic in their own right. Ranni's fans and haters both do not know the term of Machiavellian (aka "Ends justify the means" philosophy). She is the worst most evil character in the setting over what crimes she committed in order to protect the world from the problem of potentially anyone being able to grab the laws of nature itself and shape them according to their bigotries and preferences, OR she is a perfect innocent fighter against oppression and people who dislike her Just Hate Women TM. And of course we cannot forget the one above them all! The radiant, omnipresent, eternal!...

Marika truly brings out the worst of discussions! She has been before SOTE, but you YEARN for pre-SOTE times if you hate OR love her! Not because things changed, but because now discussion can't be avoided. She is THE Elden Ring character who is only ever demonized and idealized. Before SOTE, she was only ever just a tyrant who loves genocide OR simply a puppet of Greater Will (or rather Two Fingers claiming to speak for it as it turned out) who never meant to do that shit and finally heroically rebelled. After SOTE... hahaha, oh boy... we started to deal with the issue of excusing genocide. Her fans will claim into essays and more essays why Hornsent are all fundamentally dangerous race and Marika is merely trying to rid the world of filth that ruins it by sending Messmer. However, demonization didn't quite go away either, and her haters are so angry at writers humanizing her a bit more that they say WRITERS are pro-fascist!

So, why? I've described such horrid discourse, when Bloodborne fandom sounds like it simply has a few bad apples in comparison! What can be worse than Elden Ring fandom, after a description like this? Yeah, you see... Elden Ring fandom is thorn by awful arguments and discourse, it is hostile and dangerous for your mental health if you are invested into fandom beyond just "consuming content" and advertising your art for sale. Yet, it lives. It lives in the same sense as a land torn by earthquakes lives. It lives in the same sense a volcano that won't stop smoking lives. It lives in the same sense sea lives during the storm. But it LIVES.

Bloodborne fandom is a fucking Caelid.

If you question whether I'd be scared of "drama", I assume you are new here and don't know my epic lore. I am not afraid of anything because society made itself clear on what I am for it. In the most condenced way possible, one OF those toxic Maria fans didn't like me thinking for myself too much so they went out of their way to slander me for various -ists and -phobias. Their ableist friend that doesn't take racism seriously joined in. I was a victim of stalking, harassment, slander, witch-hunting and cult-like shunning for over a year, and so was every kind fool who treated me like a human - friend or mutual. I can NOT speak of Bloodborne fandom experience from personal standpoint because obviously it is not an objective experience (though someone who also got unfairly slandered by Maria fans too contacted me, so I question whether it IS a trend..?). Still, it isn't about me or my friends, we are an oddity. Bloodborne fandom for me was just a bunch of gullible, weak sheep who are okay with witch-hunt because letting just a few people get harassed is not worth souring their fandom experience. And I do not wish to turn back or even try to mend anything. I caught my stalker and exposed their crimes, I made everyone who believed they were innocent feel stupid and ashamed, it was all I wanted. I don't wish to "befriend" the fandom afterwards.

YEAH YEAH "THINGS ONCE BROKEN" WHATEVER

But I was still posting and drawing and playing and talking and writing, right? I was still present. So, I was at least observing what was going on. And what truly soured Bloodborne fandom was actually happening afterwards, what was not involving me or any friend or enemy I knew. The worst thing happened, worse for fandom than any amount of discourse. I call it "centralization", for lack of better term.

Bloodborne is a niche fandom, yet it had a sudden zoomers burst. And that led to dynamics of "fandom leaders", and stupid fucking Discord community that are akin to elite club in which if you are not invited you might as well not exist. It ALL became about stupid "web of mutuals" nonsense. It ALL became about some cool kids deciding what will be the ship or the take of the week/month, and soon you'd see NOTHING but this thing posted. Always through the exact same lense, too. Only to then be forgotten, because it was just a trend. Rom x Caryll comes to mind as a FAD of similar vibe. Micolaurence too.

I just hate this. The fandom stopped LIVING. I saw genuinely absurd things happen! Like someone drawing Mariadeline, one of the most popular ships in the fandom, yet they get completely ignored because they've failed to grab a beer at the bar with "leaders" of this ship who "hold" the distribution of that approval and love. Even worse; over a year ago, a very talented, fun, energetic and creative fan of Mensis Trio and Byrgenwerth squad showed up! They were SPAMMING art and writing, and all of that was good! So good that..... all of that barely got over 20 notes, maybe 30. Why? Because, again, you can't just post about blorbos and expect to be liked and approached. You have to get on the "good side" of "holders" of love for characters like Micolash, Laurence and Rom, or else they'll just side-eye you! But imagine this with literally everything else. I have been watching it happen all the time, to people that were not even targets for cult-like shunning by Alfred, Eugene or Anna for associating with me. You keep to yourself, you are shy, you are not on Discord with them, your headcanons are a bit different? Too bad, you may rot, because it is not about you! People look up to a few popular artists with shallow takes and so much creative liberties they might as well make OCs to know whether this or that person should be liked and reblogged, instead of JUST liking and reblogging them!

THIS is why Bloodborne fandom is Caelid. Not for toxicity, but because it is rotten. It used to be far less "organized" when I joined in. There were no trends to define fandomry for next few weeks decided on a party where ignored creators were not invited to. There was not hegemony of certain ships, designs and headcanons. There was no "web of mutuals" and pressure to either assert yourself by the good side or vanish. Everyone were doing their things and coexisting, nobody could determine who flourishes and who rots, diversity of headcanons and interpretations were celebrated. Oh, what's a matter? You really dislike that popular artist who infantilizes Marika and stripes her out of any agency over her actions? Well, so do like 500000 other people! Every popular take is ALSO popular to hate on in Elden Ring fandom! But if you dislike a popular take in Bloodborne then sucks to be you, because diversity of interpretations, opinions, preferences and takes just doesn't exist in it. Not anymore. Unless you "asserted" your novel idea to the "court" on some stupid Discord server and was "approved", of course.

Look. Elden Ring discourse annoys me to no end. I always get my headcanons and interpretations "corrected" in the worst condescending fashion. My friend posted a very well made lore post and got harped on because his take contradicted someone's idol's headcanons (with that idol approving of that harping) and I am still mad. I don't want to post my GEQ takes to be reminded that "aktualy" she is Melina. I dislike seeing claims of Miquella's nonexistent character assassination or Radahn hated just because some sexist Redditors were using him as a mascot. Nonetheless, deep down, I am THANKFUL. Because even really annoying debates end up being entertaining. Because people here TALK about things, REVISIT things, ARGUE about things, CARE about things, HAVE OPINIONS on things. They will annoy you in the comments or reblogs, but they SPEAK to you. No take is so popular that it defines all art and fanfics because every popular take is also popular to hate on. Things are disorganized. No fandom leaders, no elite club ignored blog wasn't invited to, no "web of mutuals" that should get sucked into a vacuum cleaner and never be seen again. Elden Ring fandom is a battlefield, but also free market minus the money.

To be honest, Bloodborne fandom was done for me when based people started to vanish. Fishbowlcarnage deactivated everywhere, Cuddlefish mysteriously disappeared and I worry whether they are even alive to this day, user Molluscock got bullied away... It felt like a bad omen, it happened before my drama, and I've never seen users like this before. Except I have been, but they all are now ignored because of this stupid high school dynamic taking over. Had Elden Ring hyperfixation not happened, I'd probably just end up blocking many Bloodborne accounts and never care for trying to make connections again, just post art and vanish to draw the next one. I did end up blocking some Bloodborne mutuals, after all. After it hit me, what was bothering me so much. Appreciate Elden Ring fandom and it's earthquakes, because shaking earth can't be bigger evil than stagnation. Bloodborne fandom no longer breathes, they are champions of not feeding the sparkles that were meant to become fire hoping they die down, and I hate every looser that benefits from that "system". In Elden Ring, ALL things flourish, whether graceful or malign.

[soshadysoquiet]

TUA S4 thoughts.

Below, spoilers.

Okay. Lord gonna need some strength to get through this coherently.

Basics first:

The Music: Maybe 2-3 good songs. Dissapointing. Let's talk of a mo about Baby Shark: to me it wasn't funny, the song being such a social media present one in this world really took me out of the show. Yes sure the funnies of parents having to listen to kid music and them being stuck that way but I really wish they'd taken the time to make an original annoying jingle. TUA is usually such a delight for the ears that this hurt me bad! Plus they then kept changing whether the song was on or off, seemed like Diego could control it somewhat, but then why would he turn it back on for them riding into the final battle?

The Dialogue: Felt forced and cheap in places. They can use the word 'fuck' now and seem to therefor have decided they don't need to make the characters have witty insults for each other.

The 'Themes' of the show: Why has my quirky family drama been turned into a 90's romance film. Who asked for this. No.

The "Plot": When your own characters don't care about the plot for the sake of shindigs you think will be more entertaining then you know you fucked up. It made sense the first 2 series them having side quests. Less so in the third. Even less so now. Literally at times they had to say to each other 'oh yeah shouldn't we find Ben?' I'll be here in the corner raisining. Also they came up with these 'stages' for the apocalypse but had one guy throw up, a couple things go boom and then they merge, it was one of the least threatening depictions of apocalypse I've seen - though that could be that it wasn't shot in very interesting ways.

Also side note for why there were so many shots that started upside down and rotated? Like I get if Klaus is upside down, and yeah the umbrellas are inside out, but it (plus the Bennifer monster) gave me too many stranger things vibes.

Now the sub-cast:

Jennifer: Love that for 1/2 the protagonist of the apocalypse she had little to no love put into her character, I legit kept forgetting her and Ben were part of the storyline. I loved that she was birthed from the squid, but why put something eerie and cool like that in and make it have meant nothing? Such a waste.

The villains [Gene, Jean and Abigail/Psy(sp?)]: Whilst I liked the idea of memories infecting the timeline, literally all of these guys was Tell don't Show. And for a series with only six episodes I do not want my time wasted with some side-character villains getting a dance number over the main cast. Despicable. Also there were WAY too many villains here especially if you then also count Reggie as one. Literally make Jennifer be trying to link up with Ben and coercing him (then Viktor could break through to him briefly from past experience of a similar relationship - the symmetry is nice) and have Abbigail be pulling the strings. There were so many side characters of no import that I lost track of the main cast. Hell, make Kenny's Mom be the bad guy I'd have loved that! Also, I like that Abigail was somewhat evil, but then they tried to make her good too? No thank you. Pick a lane not everybody needs redemption.

Special RIP to Diego and Lila's twins that Never Even Got Names 💀 fucking hell that's lazy ass writing.

Now the main cast:

Viktor: He deserved better, why bother to introduce that he's had a girlfriend, slept through the entire town, and owns a bar when you then don't talk about any of it. He's told to 'grow up' it's so specific, what does it mean? Also since last we saw he was the sort of ride or die for his love type (with both Leonard and Sissy) this is a frustrating turn with no explanation. Also his whole fight with Reggie and getting things off his chest arc felt forced and not as well written to me. And his character seemed to have been given zero changes from the last 6 years. I miss when his powers actually had a sound element to them rather than just, Havoc from X Men hands. You're taking the Viktor out of my Viktor.

Allison: We have no explanation of how she and Klaus found each other and fell in together. No info of how she and Reggie parted ways. We only hear that 'Ray left her' and nothing else. She says no one wants her at the party but then seems to know Gracie? Has she talked with Any of them since? Nothing was addressed from the end of last season, or even referred to being addressed in the past. I don't see the point of her new powers, or any of them having slightly off or new powers when then some of them don't? Either way, her rumours are so classic and now she's floating people? I see the link and if they'd been developing new powers over 6 years fine but no. You're taking the Allison out of my Allison.

Luther: Praise be, I did like Luther this season. He mentioned Sloane (shock horror, a love interest from a time gone by being brought up?!?! In TUA!!??) he was cracking me up and was really being Best Boy. Although I felt a lot of his dialogue was flat, and it seemed really out of character for him to start attacking the piñata? I don't think we've ever seen him physically lash out unless angry? It looked to me like 'oh yeah here's another silly gimmick that will be a haha. Diego, sure. Luther, no. They also decided (not surprised but always so disappointed) to make him getting ape-i-fied again humorous and not the soul destroying thing it would be. Also, why was he ape-i-fied??? His ape-ness came from the serum not the marigolds? Generally though, I really did enjoy him this season.

Diego: Love that we're throwing every over used marriage-in-pieces trope in the book at these two. Love that. Especially as they seemed to have sorted out some of their communication issues. I get their trajectories but was so deeply, Deeply bored watching it. Diego was sadly pretty dislikable for the whole season, which was real sad because I had grown to love him. There were some funny moments don't get me wrong, he's got too much personality to be a boring character, but whilst they didn't have to have a perfect marriage it was so dull and in hindsight such an obvious set up for the bleh that was to come. Plus they threw in a 'don't make me turn this car around' type moment to show how 'he's a parent now look wow' but I can't imagine any of the siblings hearing that and not laughing at him.

Lila: Again, marriage and wrong-conclusions and it was so boring. She's such a fun character and she was reduced to 'ooo how can we make her be a cheater and with Five' Why do you even need to do that? I just feel sad about it. And it doesn't help that we Don't Know Two Of Her Kids Names and neither her nor Diego seem to think of them for however long they're on the road, and she mentions them only once in the 7years of subway hell and both of them seem relatively undistressed without them. Sure, parents do need a break, but if you don't care about the kids visibly you know for sure I the audience member ain't gonna. Also why the eye lasers save for again a brief gag? It makes no sense when she then also has mimics abilities?

Claire: Let's give Claire a side note at this point. I do so hate it when shows decide to make children their parent's brains and moral compasses, take little to no time to show any bond between parent and child until the last 2 episodes, and instead choose to spend that time showing us how naturally fractious a relationship they have. Love that, so much. Never seen it before really. I get it's normal, but when ever other part of the show is cookie cutter predictable I don't need this too. Give her an actual personality that isn't "the wise old rebellious teenager"

Ben: Wow. So glad that A) I had to hear a character explain crypto currency for me, so glad we wasted precious time of a 6 episode series on that. B) Ben had changed 0%. C) that he had Even Less input and impact at the end emotionally than in any previous season and this one was About Him! And do you know why? Because D) they basically used star-crossed-lovers-can't-help-ourselves and made him use every creepy stalker OTT moving way too fast line in the books especially when Jennifer at a lot of moments was verbally saying she wasn't into it.. Also why does he talk about her like he's a 12 yr old and, idk, it was a shame to have no real impact from him until the end when he's suddenly scared and pushing Viktor away to save him but we see no connection from him and Viktor previously as to why he'd listen it would make more sense if it had been Klaus or Luther at this point.

Klaus: Now, I know a lot of his storyline this season came from the comic, and sure it's good material, that should probably have been used Throughout the seasons rather than crammed into 1 day. But let's chat for a hot mo: Now I like that we got to see him be nasty rather than the precious uwu Klaus that I've been guilty of perceiving at times, and that we see some of the negative effects of addiction on the family for the first time. Great moments, important. BUT. I'd have felt his rage out at Allison and turn to drugs would have been a lot more impactful if they'd bothered to show him waking up to the sound of being screamed at, barely able to hear his siblings, struggling to focus on them and wanting to drown it out. But we don't get that, the horror of what this means for him. Then we proceed to got through this whole let's have him want to get shot by a drug dealer (don't quite get why - or how Claire knows he's immortal now? did the powers back thing ever come up??) have him kidnapped and forced to prostitute himself, take more drugs (but still use his powers?) Develop a new power though without using the comic's fun quirk that he has to take his shoes off, and then bury him alive. Wow. this guy had plenty going on, but sure. Then -he can save himself, I thought this might become something poignant - he's able to conjure the dog to Go to Allison and lead them there, but no, he just gets rescued again. Gee I wonder what grave he's in Mom? All I don't know Claire, how about the Only One That's Been Dug Up? I thought it was really interesting to see his moments as a teen with Allison, and how he was living with her and thought they handled the worry about death/germs etc thing well tbf. Though also how the hell did he get home from being 13 hrs away and why nobody cared to go with him was pretty low.

Five: Dear lord that moustache was awful and I'm glad they all called it creepy and he had no concept. I despise 2 things they did here: made it canon that he gets romantic with Lila. Made going back into the literal apocalypse that he spent time having flashbacks about barely if at all affect him - it's unsure if his hesitation going back into it the second time was hesitation to go in there, and that's what I hoped they would do, but then, no. no. Please, Pleeaasse don't take away this nice, safe space I had in this nice, safe 'you literally can't sexualise him with anyone it would be so problematic' character and say 'they held out 7 years but yeaaahhh they hook up.' don't see why it was needed. It didn't 'heal' him, it was a plot for conflict but I've got plenty of other conflict plots that can end with Lila and Diego fighting without having to make every damn character have a god damn love interest! I loved their bond before, it was so fun and special to see a male and female not have to fall in love, and they ruined it. And it was for nothing? And they didn't have time to make the 7 years feel like 7 years and it was lazy writing for cheap conflict in my opinion. I hated it, I hate that it's "canon". I don't think I can describe just how awful I found it and unnecessary. I also don't buy that Five would be willing to not drink the marigolds as much as the others, or that there would be a timeline full of given up fives that sit around a diner. It was fun to watch though. And up until they started the montage in the subway and we knew where it was going I was enjoying Five in this season. that boy has had such a shit life and this is how it ends?

I will say that the flashback to them as kids was my favourite part of this series. It's always good to have a little deeper insight into how they interacted as children but I do have some Opinions here too of course: Reggie saying 'you look ridiculous' to Viktor, no, he made their outfits? I felt that was lazy writing when Reggie in the past has laid into Viktor's insecurities much more keenly: 'That outfit is only for your brothers and sisters / we've been over this, you're not special take it off / I will not have you wasting time with frivolity when the Academy has important work to do, leave us." etc. Also I thought there might be something different about why they all forgot their Ben memories. It was brutal yes, which I appreciated, but I can't believe that these guys wouldn't see their father kill their brother and not One of them flip their shit? Idk, it was a little... good and bad I guess.

I think that's it for now, if anyone read this far then well done! I might write a fix it post in a bit for my own entertainment.

[inchidentally]

also like, as I always say I love the carland0 and dand0 content SO much like it got me into f1blr and I rewatch some of those every week to make me smile <3

but whenever Lando was with those guys - or tbh with any driver older than him - there's always this reverting to baby brother thing where he lets the older guy answer everything more seriously or in detail and then Lando just pipes in w something funny or cute or getting flustered and everyone being like oh that's classic Lando etc etc. and it's always great content lbr!

but him and Oscar being on that freakish wavelength together and automatically sharing responsibilities based on individual strength to do w knowledge/skill (and Lando's mood that day) means we actually get to see Lando's competence and knowledge way more than we used to. bc it's always been there as much as the other guys it's just the ~divergence~ brain making certain environments or certain pressures shutting parts of his brain (and literally do I relate to that).

and not to get too deep but it parallels the fact that when Oscar showed up and everyone was saying how he was Lando's rookie and his protégé etc it threw Lando for a while bc openly said he didn't feel comfortable being in that role to someone else/not having someone older and more experienced to lean on. which I think if Oscar had actually needed that himself it would've not worked at all well - fortunately Zak and Andrea both knew enough of Oscar to know that wouldn't be the case.

BUT !! Oscar knowing cough so much about Lando before joining McLaren meant that even though he rly never needed Lando to be in that guidance/leader role for him, he picked up on Lando genuinely wanting to try and like - that's where the wavelength was established. bc Oscar did put himself in the role of following what Lando chooses and learning Lando's preferences and behaviors which in turn ! fulfilled Lando wanting to do the team and himself proud and be there for Oscar as basically the existing face of McLaren and the popular driver who was able to win over fans and media to Oscar who were not only reluctant to like Oscar at the time, they were actively rooting for his downfall and reveling in McLaren's tough start to 2023. because Lando pushed for such solidarity and included Oscar so much in his social media back then, Oscar returned the favor by learning and copying from Lando how to engage w media and fans on the F1 level of scrutiny. and because Oscar went so unusually quiet and observant with Lando compared to Oscar with the guys in F3 and F2, Lando kept complimenting how "calm" Oscar was and how it was rubbing off on him.

like I know there's the rpf of it all but it's why I feel like we all latch on so hard with landoscar as it exists just in reality bc there's been the opposite of bromance and convenience for them that their dynamics w other drivers have had (similar personalities, interests, being invested in PR - or not, in Oscar's case) and they also didn't even have fans rooting for them to be friends or even be great teammates bc of Alpine drama and being bitter about Daniel AND add to the fact that Lando himself was resistant to the idea of being the older guy. yet despite having that uphill battle and their personalities in superficial/social ways being diametrically opposed, they're the teammates that are known for their freakish mind-reading/twinning and they naturally form to the same car requirements and preferences and after just one season together have the narrowest margins between them on track. and Lando was truly one foot out the door at points last season and while most of him being swayed was loyalty to McLaren, I think if Oscar had been just as competitive as he is BUT wasn't as perfectly matched for Lando as he is then... idk drivers have left teams that felt like 'home' for less reason than that !!

idk Lando twice catching himself referring to Oscar as if they've been teammates for years instead of barely even a season and a half and Oscar having this metamorphosis that's been visible on camera based on using Lando as his pole star for coping with the leap from F2 success->languishing at Alpine->F1 in a rollercoaster season for McLaren. to now watching them in all their content easily swapping duties with unspoken agreement and picking up the middle of each other's thoughts seamlessly (and Wired deciding to have both of them do it instead of just one like usual) and Lando looking to Oscar every time he forgets a word bc Oscar will have it for him immediately. they sit back together and enjoy watching every other team and driver go through chaos bc they've both committed to their team already and don't have to worry about all that for a good while.

sure a lot of us would prefer if they had the shared outside hobby to ensure hanging out even when they're one day no longer teammates but askgsajfglafg honestly for me that's a future concern that idc about !! there's something so we didn't just become teammates against the odds we became one of the best teammate pairings against the odds about them that's compelling in a sports/competition sense but also in the way they hold something fairly special between them as drivers - and undeniably at least in part as people - and them not choosing to advertise for fans when they travel together or hang out or have their own little debriefs and decompresses together - like them being so proud of their new privacy door to their drivers rooms and emphasizing how it's their own place to be private private and away from everyone (even Jon and Kim!) but it's so shared between them that Oscar still hears all of Lando's music

it's such a massive, conscious commitment to each other in a career that is basically most of their lives every year and it's just so !!!! all on it's own as it is for me <3<3

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - I'm finding rankings difficult, there's a lot of middle of the pack action and some serious top contenders

Organized, in each category, by ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Dec 2023 Wk 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

Last Twilight (Fri YT) ep 5 of 12 -  I love how they’re slowly revealing bits of their past to each other. It parallels the slow burn of them falling in love with each other. Knowledge + understanding = affection. I cried during the part with his doubles partner, of course I did. As has been mentioned many times in this blog, I am a sap. Also I’m realizing that there is something particularly clever about this show: Because Day is blind, there must be a ton of physical touch. And physical touch is something that Thai BL does really well. 

(I gotta say, while I ADORE JimmySea in these roles, a small part of me wonders how JoongDunk would have handled these parts.)

The Sign (Sat YT) ep 3 of 10 - Phaya is SO DAMN SMITTEN. It’s great. Have I mentioned recently how glad I am Billy got this role? This was the: “it’s not a date” date ep. 

I gotta say these 2 BLs are neck and neck favorites right now.

Cherry Magic (Sat YouTube) ep 1 of 12 - Uh oh. I like it a lot. I think I was always going to because I have a soft spot for TayNew on screen. It is such funny to watch Tay play such a stiff character. I like it. This is very fast paced for a Thai BL I wonder where they’ll take it with this speed, are they’ll following the manga more closely? 

My Dear Gangster Oppa (Thurs iQIYI) ep 7 of 8 - Wait, no. Wahl you’re such a problem. The pacing of this is very KBL. I’m not mad about it but it feels odd in Thai. Still enjoying this one the most as my "early in the week" offering.

For Him (Thurs iQIYI) ep 2 of 10 - The booty call flirting is next level with these two. Like Bed Friends but with less pain. I love that Nail is such needy evil wild child - the story gets all its tension from that.

Baby boy gives off so many danger signals I wouldn't tap that with a 10 ft… pole. Him is a braver queer than I. I do like how the high heat is being used to drive the story. It stands in stark contrast to Playboyy. Which is using high heat to drive, well... piles apparently.

Twins the series (Fri GaGa) ep 6 of 10 - I'm enjoying it again, the main couple is getting more BLish. 

Bake Me Please (Mon Gaga) ep 3 of 6 - Shin and Peach flirting is very cute. Although they got into that sack swiftly. Guy leaving was contrived and reactions overwrought but okay babies. 

Absolute Zero (Weds iQIYI) ep 11 of 12 - Now I'm mostly just confused.

Which timeline are we in?

Do they know each other in this one's past or not?

Have they met yet?

Who has which memories of what?

I feel like I’ve been through a lot for the show.

I’m not saying the reunion scene in the theater was worth it, but it was a really spectacular reunion scene. I’m terrified that there’s one more episode. I wish it had ended here.

Cooking Crush (Sun YT) 2 of 12 - I’m just not that into it. 

Pit Babe (Fri iQIYI) ep 4 of 14 - A new ship has been set afloat, we are now Team #WayKim / #KimWay and if you're not with us, you're against us. Trash watch happening here.

Middleman’s Love (Fri YT & iQIYI ep 5 of 8 - oh look, it’s everybody’s favorite big brother!

That was a kind (and kind of lovely) coming out sequence. KingUea being the worst best Gay Advice Dads is awesome. Mai is SO SWEET. And we end on some good old miscommunication / misinterpretation, so that Jade can behave in an even more unhinged manner next ep. Our brief respite from absurdity has ended. 

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) Fake Love ep 16 of 24 - They cute fake bf but it’s oddly unappealing. I mean most us queers have slept with each others exes, that’s swimming in a small pool, for ya. In my experience, only hets get butt hurt about it. (Hets never use enoug lube, they butt hurt about everything.) So the whole drama just felt confusing to me. Or maybe that's just my experience with swimming in lube? 4/10 whatever... not recommended

Playboyy (Thurs Gaga) 4 of 14 eps - I’m seriously considering dropping this. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

VIP Only (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 4 of 10 - They cute. Are aquariums now gay? That’s not the definition of fish that I grew up with. 

Sahara-sensei to Toki-kun (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 2 of 8 - I'm suffering from terrible second lead syndrome. Glasses guy is new Best Boy. Also, Rise is trying to earn the Namgoong Award for Best Wingman. 

It Finished But...

SHADOW (Thai Gaga) 14 eps - completed it's run. Reports are:

It's pretty good horror but not BL. Ending is unresolved.

Given that info and this review here, it's not for me. DNF

It's Airing But...

Behind the Shadows (Korea movie) - a historical I'm interested in (if it's BL) but have no idea how to find.

The Whisperer (Sun ????) 10 eps - Thai horror BL that ALSO involves cheating (what joy is mine). I don't think even the perfect single dimple can motivate me to watch. Word is... it's terrible.

7 Days Before Valentine (Weds WeTV) 10 eps - Giving me Luminous Solution vibes. I'm waiting to binge if it's safe.

Beyond The Star (Weds iQIYI) 8 eps - House of Stars meets Boyband. I was NOT impressed with ep 1. Been told I shouldn't bother.

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - I find this series more fun to binge, so I'm waiting until after it completes its run next week.

Next Week Looks Like This

12/14 Dear Kitakyushu (Thai/Japan movie) in theaters in country only, I know nothing about distribution.

Still coming:

12/23 Dead Friend Forever (Thai horror) iQIYI

Original 2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED). With the end of the year upon us I'll do an "announced for 2023 but never happened list" soon.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Of course I loved all the little language moments. I am here for the kinkification of phi.

That request for a shirt was v sexy phi+na. Thank you Jimmy.

Last Twilight bringing the pronoun and particle game to play hard.

It was a nice kiss. (Absolute Zero)

This as a perfunctory flirting kiss, I anticipate we still have The Kiss to come.

I love that Phaya's personality seems to be spin doctor, just accuse the boy of doing that you are already doing to him (or want him to do to you).

Boyfriend shirts!

And a meta reference.

The Sign is basically made for me.

(Last week)

[joesanrio]

Hiiii can I request a Jey uso X female reader where jey sees a post on social media saying reader is messing with Jimmy and it’s not true. But Jey still gets hot headed and stuff thank you ☺️

This!! I love this. I feel like I took this and ran with it- so please forgive me 🩷 a bit angsty :))

All over Twitter | J.U

Summary: Jey never liked how quickly he was bothered of something on social media, but he can’t help himself… especially when it comes to you.

Pairings: Joshua Fatu {Jey Uso} x fem!reader

Warnings: social media drama, delusions, arguing, cursing, stubborn!Jey, crying, bad angst (first time), rumors, mentions of cheating, not edited

Word Count: 1230

Ratings: Angst | 16+

———————————————————

Jey scrolling through his social media was starting to become a daily thing, especially since the Bloodline storyline was starting to pick up. As much as he hated how people depicted him and his talents based on the 30-45 minutes they saw him a week, he never reacted. He kept any bad energy they sent towards him to himself, and pretended like he didn’t even see it. That was until he came across a tweet that had to do with you and his twin.

The tweet had about 92k views already, and 40k retweets. It was a video of you and Jonathan meeting up late at night, hugging before entering a random building. There was no context about what was happening except the obvious comments of;

Nah imagine thinking your girl safe from your own twin 💀💀

I CANT- poor Jey 🥲💔

No cause what abt my girl Trin?!?!

That Y/n? Do she not know how Trin can get down…😬

He couldn’t help himself but to keep scrolling through the comments, looking for some type of reassurance that it isn’t what he’s thinking. Jey always thought he knew where you were and what you were doing, maybe he was too blind by a false sense of trust. “Y/n!” He calls for you from the living room.

Your delicate footsteps making their way downstairs to the man sitting on the couch, you couldn’t help but smile at the gorgeous man in front of you. “Hi Baby.” Your lips plump and glossy as always, wearing Jey’s shirt with your little shorts. He looks away as he can feel himself getting flustered by your appearance, remembering the things he just saw not even a minute ago.

“You want to tell me anything.” His voice deep and stern before he lays back against the couch, your hips swaying a bit as you go to sit beside him.

Your freshly groomed eyebrows now in a confused furrow, “I like your haircut… I mean they could’ve faded the sides better but—” Jey’s head immediately snapping towards you.

Going silent as he rubs the side of his hair down before adjusting himself in the chair. “It’s cute!” I reassure as a small smile forms Jey’s lips before the smile drops quickly. “Appreciate it but that’s not what I’m looking for.” His eyes boring into yours, uncomfortably. Your hands starting to fidget together under his intense gaze, shaking your head ‘no’.

A loud sigh coming from his mouth as he picks up his phone, Twitter immediately popping up on the screen. “Look.” He hands you the phone before crossing his arms aggressively, your eyes falling onto the dim screen. Playing the small clip of you and Jon, not understanding the big deal until you scroll down to the comments.

A small scoff leaving your mouth as you go speechless by all the assumptions, “Those people are so miserable.” You hand the phone back before looking at Jey’s serious face.

“So, it’s the people now? Not the fact that you and my damn brother sneaking around at night?” He sits up almost giving himself whiplash. Feeling your heart drop at his demeanor, you couldn’t believe that the man you left everything and everyone for is accusing you of. “Joshua. You’re kidding…” Trying to understand what he’s getting at, this had to be some type of prank.

April Fools was a couple months ago though, and we did forget about it. “This is a joke. Ha-ha so funny babe.” A sarcastic laugh leaving you forcefully as you notice Jey’s gaze not changing.

Noticing the deep breaths, he’s taking is starting to concern you, “I’m not joking, are you screwing around with my brother? My twin at that.” He speaks calmly. Your eyes going wide at the audacity, “Joshua. Don’t be fucking delusional- if I was going to cheat do you really think that I would go to your twin brother?” Your voice high-pitched unintentionally.

His head shakes before wiping his hands on the edge of his knees. Jey loves you too much to believe this, he knows you wouldn’t, you couldn’t do that to him. Something subconsciously is saying otherwise, the fact that he no longer knows where you were and what you were doing is making him upset.

“Do you know how fucking embarrassing this is for me. To find out that you going behind my aback through social media.” He says out loud, hands rubbing down his face in a stressed manner. “I didn’t go behind your damn back! They’re clearly just making stuff up.” Your voice in a defensive tone,

Jey’s gaze on you turning into disappointment making your heart drop. His heavy footsteps leaving you in the living room as he goes upstairs assumingly to your bedroom.

The tension surrounding you, sitting in the now quiet room alone. Heart racing and head spinning, you felt like you were going to cry at any moment. The fact that he wasn’t listening to you just hurt worse, never did you think that complete strangers would have that much of an impact on you and Jey’s relationship.

The loud slam of a door snapping you out of your trance, “Joshua! What are you doing?” jumping from the couch and heading up the stairs quickly. His figure passing by with a suitcase, not bearing a glance towards you. “I’m going to stay the night with… well damn I don’t even know because I can’t go to my own brother!” Jey shouts before throwing the suitcase onto the bed.

He always tended to be overdramatic especially in disagreements, but never to the point where he was leaving. “You’re fucking crazy! Nobody did anything, it was clearly taken out of proportion. Stop acting like that!” You could feel the tingly feeling of anger starting to spread through your body. “Y/n, then what the hell were y’all doing? Because I didn’t even know about you going to see him? He didn’t tell me either!” He shrugs his shoulders as he waits for your response.

“I- nothing! We weren’t doing anything.” You stutter knowing that he can’t know the real reason you were meeting with Jon. Not liking the answer, he heard, he goes straight to the closet and starts ripping shirts off the hanger, “I’m so tired of being second place. So tired of looking like a fool! You say you weren’t cheating but you can’t even tell me what you were doing?” His hands flying as he shouts angrily. Going completely speechless as you watched him continue throwing things into the suitcase, chest heavy, before breaking completely.

Tears streaming down your face uncontrollably, this is ridiculous. Multiple solutions rambling through your head as you stood behind the fuming man. “I can’t tell you. But I promise I wouldn’t cheat on you.” The words practically forming together as you can barely speak while trying to control your breathing. Jey turns around to see you looking like a complete wreck, his eyes softening.

“Then imma go until you can tell me. Simple as that.” He says as he zips up his suitcase, your eyes looking in a panicked manner as he grabs his wallet. “Joshua! Don’t you think this is a bit dramatic?” You sniffle as he rolls his eyes at you.

“Hell yeah. But rather be dramatic than sitting and looking like a fucking clown.” He exits the room without even looking back.

[aihoshiino]

chapter 157 thoughts

Chapters Since The 143 Kiss Happened And Went Entirely Unacknowledged And Unaddressed Count: 14… IN THIS CHAPTER OF ALL CHAPTERS…????

Aqua Hoshigan Status: White

Congrats to 157 for taking 144's crown as the Oshi no Ko chapter that has vexed and confused me the most. Taken entirely in isolation, it's a sweet, lowkey, calm before the storm moment… but it's entirely because it stands in such stark isolation from the events surrounding it that it feels so baffling. It's like an amped up version of the issues with 156 - when viewed in isolation, you can't strictly say there's anything wrong with it, but as a part of the sequential storytelling of Oshi no Ko it just feels off. I'm reminded of the weird, off-kilter pacing of the Movie Arc, where story beats fell at weird places as if the story was falling out of tempo with itself. Because of that, this chapter review is probably going to be a bit disjointed but tbh besties i am fighting for my life on this one

I will say at the top of things though that it's darkly funny to me that we're fastforwarding through so much of the B-Komachi tour lol. Offscreen no Ko strikes again!

Honestly, this chapter in general kind of defies any attempt at a beat by beat analysis though that does seem to largely be by design. As the chapter title suggests, this is simply some pagetime spent on letting us stew in what a calm, ordinary day looks like for the twins and for what it is, it's sweet and chill. Taken on its own there isn't really a ton to pick apart, other than just pointing at what moments I found cute which was like 90% of them. I want a 5 chapter mini arc of AQRB goofing around at the grocery store and squabbling over the cooking together.

I also really like that Aqua is the one to suggest doing something nice for Miyako and that he joins Ruby in waiting up for her to get home and see it. It feels like a sweet and warm acknowledgement of the subtle shift in their relationship after 155, with the two of them properly stepping into their roles as parent and child.

As nice as this chapter is though, it does kind of feel like too little too late. One of the major complaints across the series (that I do largely agree with) is that Aqua and Ruby's day-to-day dynamic is for the most part underbaked and that the two of them don't really feel like people who grew up in the same household for 16+ years. I think a few more moments like this properly threaded through the manga would have helped but… well, considering OnK's pacing, do I really want to encourage much more downtime…

Moving on from the things I liked, as cute as this chapter was it's also just kind of weird that so much of it feels like the framing device is a recap episode lol. I guess it isn't the worst idea in the world to have one as we're heading into the final stretch of the story but… well, again, see my point above about weird pacing.

It's also just baffling as fuck to see Ruby frame these events in a way that distinctly did not happen lol. Like, sure, she was definitely having fun doing idol stuff for a lot of it but seeing her so warmly gas up stuff like Tokyo Blade when the anime airing right now is reminding us that Aqua was going through the SpongeBob horror hallway the entire time is so jarring - especially when Aqua (and thus, implicitly, the narrative) agrees with her. I mean, fuck, even putting Aqua aside it's WILD to see Ruby framing "Dig Deep" as having been fun for her when her major contribution to the show was manipulative drama stirring for the purposes of chasing clout that she herself said was having an impact on her mental health. I've criticized the story for the ways Ruby's black hoshigan arc amounted to nothing but there's a special kind of infuriating in seeing it specifically call back to that arc and still fail to actually acknowledge any wrongdoing on Ruby's part.

This is part of a much bigger trend in OnK right now of Ruby being super coddled by the narrative and coming off in some really unpleasant ways as a result. I didn't mention it last chapter but something that's been percolating in my brain since after I wrote my review is just how fucking bonkers Ruby's total non-respose to Mem's situation is. "Oh, you're getting stalked by the press? Sucks to be you, thank god I'm Miyako's special little favourite tho 🙏". Not only is this just kind of a shitty response to begin with but it feels insane coming from a person like Ruby who, you know, saw her mother's life blighted and then ended by this kind of treatment. No concern for Mem, tho!

Idk. I don't want to dislike Ruby but man. A lot of the ways Akasaka has been playing favourites with her lately has the effect of Ruby coming off, in universe, like a deeply self centered and callous person in ways I don't think narrative intends or even realizes and thus fails to interrogate in a satisfying way. But that's a rant for another day. And I'm pretty sure you guys already know what today's rant is gonna be. Which is to say, uh…

HEY. AKASAKA. ARE THEY GONNA TALK ABOUT… ANY OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MOVIE ARC?? ANYTHING AT ALL????

This is what I meant when I said this chapter utterly fucking bamboozled me. The way the story has contorted itself into knots to avoid letting Aqua and Ruby have a conversation even when they're literally in the same room is already insane, but giving us an entire chapter of them alone together with ample opportunity to have any sort of meaningful discussion as to the gigantic elephant in the room looming over their relationship and……. literally nothing happens???

This is made even more insanity inducing by the fact that this is, as stated above, more or less a recap chapter and not only does Ruby talk about the movie specifically but we even SEE a flashback to the HikAi kiss…. but not the one Ruby jumpscared him with at the end of 143!!!

What the fuck is even going on anymore? Was it retconned? Resolved offscreen?? Did we collectively hallucinate it??? Is Akasaka gaslighting us????

If nothing else, this chapter has proved to me once and for all that whatever goes on with Aqua and Ruby, that resolution is going to come entirely at the speed of plot, as and when Akasaka decides to do it and not when it would be natural and organic for development to occur. This is an issue that has plagued Aqua and Ruby's r/s from the start, where Akasaka simply refuses to let them communicate, seemingly for the purposes of drawing out the drama rather than because of any narrative justification. So I'm giving on predicting what direction their relationship is going in and what the outcome is going to be. The inner machinations of Aka Akasaka's mind are a mystery to me.

To pre-pick some nits before I leave off… I've seen some people calling this a 'Tanabata chapter' and insisting this is intentional/foreshadowing aquruby end/etc and uh… sorry to be that guy but no it's not lol. Even accounting for the differences in calendars that scatters Tanabata celebrations across July and August, August's Tanabata falls on the 10th this year - and even in the anime world, celebrations across Japan took place on the 'official' date of 7/7. And while there is a Tanabata festival being held in Sendai today… that's just in Sendai, which is all the way up in northern Japan, nowhere near Tokyo where the series is set (and which itself had its Tanabata celebrations on the weekends surrounding 7/7 as per usual.)

There's also just the fact that this chapter… has nothing to do with Tanabata? There's no imagery or iconography and it takes place in the middle of December lol. I simply don't think it was intentional at all on Akasaka's part. It's a cute coincidence, sure, but still just a coincidence.

break next week. i love biweekly manga, oshi no ko.