#we are dealing with the shiftiness of life

[momo-minomo]

Fic Fairy Friday: Batfamily Shenanigans

This week's fic rec post is dedicated to the Batfamily just BEING a family. The snark, the annoying nagging, the overprotectiveness, etc. I feel like we don't get to see the Batfamily together and friendly nearly enough. Some of these would fit in the comics, some are more Wayne Family Adventures coded, and some are full on AU. Enjoy!

The Fic Fairy Friday Masterpost

Code Bat by Listentothelittlebird

Summary:

Within Gotham, the Bats are a tight-knit group - family - that runs like clockwork. Outside of Gotham, none of their teammates know they’re related. This series explores the shenanigans that the Bats get up to, as well as how this distinction would affect canon.

Momo's Notes: This one is a series rather than a single fic and I love it so much. When Dick first decides he wants to break away from Batman's shadow Bruce agrees to keep their affiliation with each other secret, with one caveat. If either of them call a 'code bat' the other drops everything immediately and comes to help. As they add on to the family the secrets they're keeping from their non-Gotham friends and teammates piles up but it serves to keep the younger, less trained members of the family safe from the older heroes' enemies so they keep it going, each new family member agreeing to the Code Bat protocol when outside of Gotham, complete with entirely different hero names and costumes. It's interesting seeing a Justice League, Titans, Outsiders, Outlaws, and Young Justice that has no idea the Batfamily even a thing even as certain team members sometimes act super shifty when dealing with other teams or after getting a sudden, secret message.

I'm not a villain, I swear! by CoyoteFang1987

Summary:

Tim wakes up in a world in which Batman doesn't exist. And by consequence, the Robins never became heroes. Dick is a Talon, Jason is Red Hood (a villain), and Damian is a League of Assassins assassin. And Tim apparently is a hero called Draken, who, frankly, sucks at being a hero. And in this weird alternate reality, something big is brewing and Batman isn't here to keep the Justice League from tearing itself apart. Tim is really really done with everything. Dick, Jason, and Damian aren't helping. Tim really really hates magic as well.

Momo's Notes: Tim, Dick, Jason, and Damian all wake up in a world where Batman doesn't exist, Bruce Wayne might be the new Lex Luthor, and 3/4 of the Batfam appear to be villains working for various organizations. There's a lot of fun shenanigans going on in this one and all four brothers have good relationships with each other so we get to see them being effortlessly badass together. The Dick/Wally in this is also adorable.

You, Me, and the Humanity in Between by JUBE514

Summary:

Bruce doesn’t know what’s wrong with his child, but he’s pretty sure kids aren’t meant to work like this. From the day he had looked up into the tops of the circus tent and saw a frightened mirror image of a boy who had just experienced the worst day of his life, Bruce had instantly gone into emergency mode. The Gotham PD had wanted to pass the boy off into the care of the circus. The circus had mumbled underneath their breaths about superstitions, about not having a boy like that with them, about not being able to handle something like Dick. So GCPD, not knowing what to do, had started talking about one of the handful of overburdened boy homes that handles a majority of Gotham’s unlucky orphans. All the while, the camera lights flash bright and loud, wanting to know everything. Bruce couldn’t let that happen. Not then, not ever again.

Momo's Notes: This is one of the most unique cryptid AUs I think I've ever read. Bruce's only human child in this is Damian and the variety of magical creature the older 3 batbros are is really neat. The way their abilities and nature interact with each other is also really sweet. For anyone who's a sucker for good dad Bruce, this one is sure to make you happy.

Keep Losing Sleep by incogneat_oh

Summary:

“When’d you last sleep?” Jay asks, curious. “Eleven years ago,” Tim says, at the same time as Dick says, “Tuesday.”

Momo's Notes: In a family as traumatized as this, it makes sense that more than one of them would have trouble sleeping. This is super short but a lovely little glance into the family just being there for each other when sleep won't come.

Brightly Colored Adhesive Papers by LuminaStarCrest

Summary:

Tim liked to show people that he loves them by leaving around sticky notes. Or, 5 times Tim left sticky notes for others to find, and 1 time he found sticky notes that he didn’t write

Momo's Notes: Another one that's short but sweet! My favorite part in this is probably the pure sass between Tim and Jason but Tim doing his emotional support Robin thing and making Bruce get some damn sleep is a close second lol

Cannonball by SunnyBlue

Summary:

Why is it always Tim that disappears? If it was any of the rest of them, it would be a lot less concerning. It’s not like Tim can’t hold his own in a fight — he’s a Bat, after all — but the kid has a tendency to form the craziest plans out of all of them, which often ends up putting him in the craziest situations. When Tim goes missing, it usually means he’s in some deep shit, and Tim in deep shit means Jason scrambling every time. Without fail. This fucking kid. Tim is missing and his brothers track him down and bring him home. Also everybody loves each other and isn't so incredibly emotionally constipated because I just want them to be happy and because I'm the author and I said so.

Momo's Notes: I kinda love Jason's pov in friendly Batfam fics. This one is Jason and Dick terrified and furious as they rush to Tim's rescue with bonus points for the quick bit of Tim and Damian bonding the author added.

Loading and Aspect Ratio by JUBE514

Summary:

So, it didn’t start out like this. Alfred would scoff at the statement, about how Bruce was trying to justify the whole situation to himself. It had started out as a simple design, black everything with black outlines and black hood. It got a little more intense as the world went on, got wind of his ghost on the streets, and became scared of The Bat . So Bruce got a little more creative with it, Alfred and him had a good laugh over the name, the scare, and Alfred had a vicious streak of humor that he had passed onto his ward- So now the suit had a visible bat-theme, an insignia to drape in the shadows and to paint across the streets of Gotham. It only took a year into the whole charade of heroism for Bruce to overhear a conversation between some goons- some low level thug hired by the Riddler this week- about nothing at all pertaining to what the hell the Riddler was doing in the sewers but instead: “ The Batman can fly, you know, I’ve seen his wings.” -- A world where nobody has wings, but people think they do, and that changes everything.

Momo's Notes: This is another fun AU with lots of Batfamily bonding and badassery. Bruce makes his cape wing shaped to further scare the hell out of Gotham criminals but it's little baby Dickie, freshly adopted and traumatized, who convinces him to make them actual capable of flight. The Batfam never claimed to be metas but the rest of the world, especially the Justice League, decided that's what they were anyway. It came in clutch tho. The main pairing in this is SuperBat and they are freaking adorable.

The Waynes, Damsels in Distress by hitthedeck

Summary:

Roses are red, violets are blue, Bruce Wayne and his kids get kidnapped every other week. Some things are just universal, undeniable facts of life.Or, in which Bruce Wayne is still Batman and his kids are still Robins, but they keep letting themselves get kidnapped because they think it's funny.

Momo's Notes: People forget that Bruce Wayne raised Dick Grayson to be how he is and the two of them share the same warped sense of humor that let them shout puns while beating up criminals and put "Bat" in front of freaking EVERYTHING with a straight face. This fic is just the Batfam fucking with the JLA for their own sick amusement. I love them.

Here's a Reminder (That You Haven't Fallen Through the Cracks) by popsunner

Summary:

If it’s a salesperson, he’ll shove them a hundred dollar tip and tell them to go away, if it’s some religious do gooder, he’ll direct them to Metropolis. If it’s a Rogue, he’ll tell them he’s busy and to please get in the fucking line. If it’s one of his siblings-- “Hey, Tim!” Dick says brightly, forearm braced against the doorframe. Dammit.

Momo's Notes: Finally a fic that gives Cass and Duke some love! This is a short one where Tim's siblings drive him up the wall out of love and concern for their workaholic weirdo brother. The snark and sass is flowing freely and the JLA's best detective/spies are being about as subtle as a brick to the head lol.

To Rescue a Bat by Blueseabird2

Summary:

Batman gets into a situation during an alien invasion and could use a rescue. Unfortunately, Dick and Jason don't think the Justice League is up for the task. At all. So Dick lets the League know that he will be handling the situation and to expect Batman back by the end of the night. He even promises that he won't be going alone. No one should stand in the way of a Batfamily rescue, even if the Justice League doesn't know there's a Batfamily at all.

Momo's Notes: I love the closeness Dick and Jason share in this one. Jason and Dick are two older brothers who both struggle with the towering rage simmering just below the surface at all times and in this fic they've come to lean on each other for support. When most of the JLA's leadership is captured and the ransom video shows Bruce to be on borrowed time Dick decides it's time to let that anger loose a little and Jason is ready to back him up (with attitude of course, but still). With their fellow Batfamily members (both official and honorary) right beside them they decide it's the perfect time to reveal their affiliation with Batman to save their dad. Bruce is SO fucking proud.

Monolith by CharlesWaterloo

Summary:

Diana realised with a jolt that none of them had actually asked him how he knew Batman. And she was just as curious as the rest of them about the “we”. It implied Batman worked with more people. ‘How did you come to know Batman? Does he have any other friends?’ His mouth fell open, and he snorted, which evolved into full-out laughter. ‘I’m sorry. Oh my god - friends?’ Diana felt a little hurt on Batman’s behalf. ‘Are you not his friend?' He shook his head. ‘Did B really not say anything? I’m hurt. No, I’m not his friend. I’m his son.’ (An AU where the Justice League haven't met any of Bruce's kids.)

Momo's Notes: The Justice League isn't aware of Batman's identity or that he's a father. When Dick needs to sub in for Bruce at a JL meeting, though, and he realizes this? Cue the sibling shenanigans! Bonus points for Duke, Cass, and Steph getting some attention and praise in this one!

Batman/men? by Bumpkin

Summary:

Batman wasn’t a founding member of the Justice League, and isn’t known for playing well with other heroes. But he does end up joining, and he does try to get along while still keeping his secrets close. It’s a delicate balancing act. Then comes a mission that requires Batman to be the lynchpin for their success. Except there’s a problem with the execution of the plan, Batman would have to be in several places at once. He’s confident he can do it. The Justice League, for lack of any alternatives, can only go along and in the process learn more about their reclusive teammate.

Momo's Notes: Another fic that's short but fun where the Justice League isn't aware of the Batfam's existence and it's entirely in non-Batfam povs over the course of an important mission where Batman seemingly needs to be in several places at once and… succeeds? Easily?

[hadersversion]

king of my heart.

pairing: jj maybank x john b’s little sister! reader.

summary: y/n is described as "uptight" and known for being someone who plays it safe. but one night when her brother's best friend, jj maybank, challenges her to step outside her comfort zone, it leads to a night neither one will forget.

warning: 18+ minors dni!!!! smut, p in v unprotected, cursing, pet names (princess, sweetheart, honey), and praise kink

word count: 3.8 k

NOT PROOFREAD!!

i sat on the living room couch, reading a book, as my brother and his friends parade through the living room. they make their way to the kitchen looking for any scrap of alcohol left. they all say their quick greetings to me, walking right pass me. except for jj.

it was always jj that had something to say.

“hey princess.” he says, stopping in front of me. “whatcha up to?”

i sigh and roll my eyes. “what does it look like i’m doing?”

he throws his hands up in his defense and smiles. “hey, hey. no need to get feisty! just wanted to see what you were up to is all.”

this is what me and jj’s relationship was like. we bicker, we goof around or we tease each other. it’s been this way since john b brought jj into my life. did i have a big fat crush on him? yes. is it still alive to this day? also yes. as much as i wished to act upon it, i knew it was forbidden for so many reasons. number one, he’s john b’s bestest friend. which means, i am completely off limits.

or so i thought.

i put my book down and walk my way into the kitchen, hoisting myself onto the kitchen counter next to kiara. “so, what’s the plan for tonight?”

“we are heading to the boneyard tonight for drinks, you are staying home.” john b says with a smirk.

“no fair! what am i supposed to do all night by myself?” i ask.

“i have some ideas.” jj says, all of us whipping our heads towards him. john b and kiara shooting daggers into his head, pope trying not to laugh, and me with a blush painted across my face. “hey! it was a joke! c’mon, let the poor child come, jb.” jj says walking up to me, putting an arm around my shoulders.

i squint my eyes at him. “first of all, not a child. second, thank you but i can fight my own battles.” i turn to john b. “pretty please, with a cherry on top?” my puppy dog eyes go in full swing l, which i know john b can never say no to.

“fine! but don’t get too fucked up tonight, i don’t feel like dealing with your drunk ass all night.” he says, causing me to jump off the counter and hug him.

“thank you! thank you! thank you!” i squeeze him tight. “you will not regret this! i swear!”

little did i know, i would eat those words.

kiara and i walk onto the beach, the party is swinging. i see friends from school, neighbors, all the pogues i know and love. they all sport some sort of drink in their hand, joint in their mouth, and smile on their face. this is how i always want my life to be.

“is it all that it’s cut out to be?” i hear a familiar voice say. as i turn around, i see jj with two cups in his hand and a joint behind his ear. “i gotta say, this is probably the best party of the season.”

he hands me the cup and i take a sip, looking at kiara who’s giving us shifty eyes. “she’s loving it so far, right y/n?”

i look in between both of my friends and nod, sipping the drink. “oh yeah, definitely fulfilling all my expectations.”

silence falls over all of us and i see kiara smile like she has a plan. she’s setting me up. “oh shit, i see someone from work. i’ll catch up with y’all in a bit!” she says before walking away, turning her head back to me to wink.

jj digs his feet in the sand beneath and i sip my beer.

“so?” we both say in unison, causing us to laugh.

“no, you ca-” i start.

“you talk fir-” jj adds in, cutting me off. we both look at each other and smile. “you first.”

i smile and tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. “i was just wondering how everything has been with you? i feel like we only ever see each other in passing.”

jj looks up at the sky and back down to me. “same old, same old. nothing to complain about. just living my best life. well, trying to. how about you?”

“now that schools out, i feel more free. i’ve been able to do things that i wanna do.” i say with a smile.

“oh yeah, like what?” jj asks.

“well,” i start. “reading, going to the beach, working, and a-” jj laughs, cutting me off. “w-what’s so funny?”

“you’re such a dork.” he says with a sip of his beer.

i narrow my eyes at him. “and why’s that?”

“reading? working? c’mon, it’s summer! let loose a bit, would ya? i feel like you’re so wound up that your body rejects fun. always got your head in a book or some shit.”

i stand there, staring at him. was he right? kind of. but it was still an asshole thing to say. “fuck you.”

he scoffs. “what’s that for? i’m just telling the truth, honey.”

the stupid pet names, god he just made my blood boil and my brain foggy with wild thoughts. “i know how to have fun. how to ‘let loose’ or whatever.” i say, pointing my finger at him.

“needa see it to believe it, kid.” he nudged my shoulder.

i turn and look at him slowly. “is that a challenge, maybank?”

“it’s only a challenge if you want it to be a challenge, routledge.” he winks at me.

i stare at him with a smirk. “you’re so on.” i quickly down my cup. “let’s go get more beer, shall we?”

the night flies by with the more drinks i down. i was never usually a big drinker, per say, but with jj’s cocky smile and tone replaying in my head, i knew i had to prove him wrong. after a few rounds of drinking games, i look at jj and flip him off. pride was written all over my face. he grins at me, tipping his cup towards me in kind of salute. but when i look to my brother, it’s a different story.

“are you seriously fucked up right now?” he asks, arms crossed, sarah following close behind him.

my body seemed unable to take this situation seriously leading me to laugh in his face. “so it’s okay when you do it, but when i do it? oh, i’m the bad guy.” i slur my words. “i’m having fun! isn’t that what you want?”i hear my voice raising and people looking at me, but i feel invincible. “jeez, john b, i let loose for one goddamn night!”

he towers over me. “pull it together.” he whispers. “we’re leaving.” i watch as john b storms out, sarah shooting me an apologetic look before following after him.

“i’m not going anywhere! fuck you!” my voice drags out the ‘you’ as i flip the air off. i watch as jj and john b talk before turning around to get another drink. but before i can get it, i’m being lifted in the air and put over someone’s shoulder. “hey!? what-what the fuck!?” i look around and recognize the blonde hair under the backwards baseball cap. “jj, i swear to god! put me down!” i hit his back with my fists.

“no can do, missy. i made this mess, i gotta clean it up. excuse us.” jj maneuvers us through the crowd, his hand firmly resting on my thighs as he holds me. when i realize he’s definitely not putting me down, i stop fighting and rest myself against his back. “i hate you, ya know? i really do.”

he lightly swats the back of my thigh, causing a slight groan to come out. a groan that was a bit pornographic for my liking. “y/n routledge, did you just moan?” he teases me as he carries me to the van.

my face turns a bright shade of crimson. “no i did not, shut up.” i attempt to hide myswlf in jj’s back, wanting to disappear from the world.

“ya know, i’ve pictured you having your fair share of kinks but i gotta say, spanking wasn’t on that list.” he jokes, making me hit his back again.

“i hate you, i hate you, i hate you.” i keep repeating.

“are you saying that so i’ll spank ya again or?” he laughs menacingly.

i hit his back. “you’re the worst.”

“all in a days work, princess.” he says as we finally get to the van.

the ride was short but felt like an eternity. i felt jj’s eyes burning into me as i sat across from him in the van. the second he put me down, an almost uncomfortable silence fell over us.

once we pulled up to our house, i quickly rushed inside and hid myself in my room. i heard kie and pope calling my name but i was too flustered to even look back. my brain felt like it was going a mile a minute of thoughts about jj and his stupid mouth and stupid hands that i so badly wanted all over my body. “god brain, shut up!” i whisper to myself, the drunkenness still apparent in my body. i throw myself on my bed and cover my head with my pillow, attempting to drift off to sleep.

jj laid on top of me, kissing down my exposed chest. “fuck, i need you so bad, y/n.” he murmurs as i moan. he finally gets to my lower stomach, breathing heavily. “i wanna taste you so bad, can i taste you, please?” he begs me.

“fuck, please, jj. please.” i say. he lowers himself more, kissing the inside of my thighs. he moves my underwear to the side and-

my body shoots up.

a dream.

it was just a dream. a stupid, fucking dream. i feel beads of sweat pouring down my face and a light headache, probably from the drinking. i’m uncomfortable, mainly because of the wild sex dream i just woke myself up from but also because i’m dying of thirst. i reach over for my water bottle next to my bed but it’s empty. “for fucks sake.” the alarm clock blinks 5:36. everyone should be asleep and by everyone, i specifically mean jj. so the coast should, hypothetically, be clear.

i get up and contemplate my next move but my body is screaming at me that we need water. with a sigh, i open my door and sneak into the kitchen. i walk past kie passed out on the pull out couch with pope on the floor. no sign of jj, which is good. i quickly refill my water bottle and try to tip toe my way back into my room but that’s when i hear the front door open.

“why are you up?” jj asks, throwing his lighter down on the table.

i freeze under his stare, unable to form a coherent sentence. my brain is flooded with the images from my dream, the feeling of his hand smacking my ass, and just the overall existence of jj maybank.

“i just needed some water.” i say quickly before trying to walk back to my room.

i feel him walk fastly behind me, lightly grabbing my arm. “not so fast, i wanted to talk to you. are you all good? you kinda ran inside once we got home. i’m sorry if i-”

i cut him off before he could finish his apology. “jj, please! don’t apologize.” i say awkwardly, not being able to even look at him. “i’m fine, i was just drunk and tired. i swear, i’m good.”

i try to walk away again but he stops me. “y/n, please. did i do something that made you uncomfortable? or upset? i’m sorry i said your uptight or whatever, it was just a joke.” he seems freaked out, talking super fast.

“jj, hey, i’m alright. everything is good, okay? it’s not anything you said…it’s just….” i look down at his hand that’s still holding my arm, it’s now or never.

“what? what is it, y/n?” he asks with a pleading look in his eyes.

without a second thought, i stand up on my tippy toes and connect our lips. the kiss, at first, was a little tense. but once it started, i felt confident and slipped my tongue into his mouth. it caught jj by surprise because once he pulled away, he looked at me in shock, lips swollen. “w-what was that for?”

“trying to ‘let loose’ because if i do recall, someone said that my body ‘rejects fun’.” my voice is laced in sarcasm as i shoot him a glare. “but if you are too uptight to do that then i guess i’ll go back to bed.” i say with a smirk, walking away.

“damn you, woman.” he says before pulling me back into his chest, connecting our lips once more. the kiss feels needy as his hands paw up my body. he starts on my waist and makes his way slowly up, stopping at my chest. “is this okay?” he says out of breathe.

“jj?” i ask.

“yeah?”

“don’t fucking stop.” we start to kiss again. i grab his shirt and pull him into my room quickly. we don’t break our lips apart once, navigating my door through touches. once we’re finally in, we make our way to my bed. he stops just before hitting my bed, leading me to push jj down on it. “is this too much?”

“honestly? it’s not enough.” he smiles as i make my way over to him. i stand in between his legs and he looks up at me with that cocky smile i wish to just slap off. “if i knew this was your idea of letting loose, i would’ve told you a long time ago.” he says, making me laugh. we look down at each other as his hands slowly tug the bottom of my shirt. “c-can i?”

“please.” i almost beg. he takes my shirt off and i feel his breathe hitch. he looks at me in my bra, his hand tracing circles on my exposed stomach. “w-what?”

“you’re just fucking incredible.” he says as his hands go up to the back of my bra and unhook it. i feel all the air leave my body as he does this. he’s not real, he can’t be. “let me know if you wanna stop.” i nod quickly as his hands go up and cup my breast, causing a moan to escape my lips. “there it is, that’s the sound i wanted to here.” he squeezes them, pinching one of my nipples. “god, it’s like music to my fucking ears.”

he begins to pepper kisses up my stomach and stops to connect his lip to my nipple. “jesus christ, jj.” my hand goes to his hair. “fuck.”

he looks up with a grin. “not too loud now, don’t wanna wake anyone up.” he looks back at the closed door. i nod and he reconnects his lips, going back and forth between my nipples. once he’s done, his kisses go up my neck and focus on one spot, making me bite my lip to quiet myself. he continues up to my jaw then kisses my lips again passionately. “wanna fuck you so bad.” he groans, pressing his hard dick against my exposed stomach.

“please, jj, please.” i feel like putty under his touch. “please fuck me.”

he pulls away and looks into my eyes. “are you sure?” he asks me for reassurance, which i give a nod to. “i-i just don’t want this to fuck things up between us…or your brother. god, i’m an awful friend.” he says pressing his forehead against mine. “i broke like the number one rule ever.”

“jj, look at me. i’ve wanted this for as long as i can remember. i always wanted you. who gives a fuck what john b says? i need you, jj, please.” i sound awfully needy but it feels like i’m not even in control of my body at this point. it feels like i’ve been possessed by a more confident and hornier version of myself. i let my hand go down his clothed body and stop right before his hard dick. i lightly trace it with my fingers and smile innocently at him, looking into his eyes that he’s rolling back. “please, jj.”

“fuck, you’re gonna be the death of me, i swear.” he lays me back on the bed, throwing his shirt off quickly behind him. i try to work my shorts off but he beats me to it, sliding them down with my underwear. “if you want me to stop, just-”

“i know.” i smile at him sweetly. he nods and pulls his pants down, kicking them off to the side. his cock springs up and hits his stomach, already coated in precum. he climbs on top of me, his hip pressing into my center, causing me to moan. “fuck, jj.”

his hands travel down to my core, which has been aching for him all day. he slides his fingers into me and groans at the feeling. “jesus, you’re fucking soaked.” he says as he slides his fingers in and out of my hole.

“i had a dream about you.” i admit, quietly.

“w-what?” he stops and stares at me.

“i had a dream about you, right before i went out to get my water.” i say, squirming for any relief. “you were…you were going down on me. fuck-” he continues his fast pace in my soaking cunt.

“yeah?” he says with a sort of darkness in his eyes. i bite into his arm when he touches my clit, rubbing fast circles into it. “how it feel, princess?”

i nod, holding back my cries of pleasure. “f-felt so good, jj. you make me feel so good.”

he takes his fingers out of me and coats his cock in my slick, giving himself a few rubs before lining himself up with me. “r-ready?” he looks down at me.

“yes.” i barely get the word out before he sticks his cock inside of me, causing me to scratch down his back. “jesus fuck!” i exclaim, feeling my eyes roll back as he goes further and further in me. the pain stings, tears pricking my eyes.

“it’s okay, baby, i’ll go slow.” he says with a kiss to my cheek, wiping away the tears. his hips slowly start to move against me. once he’s fully in, he picks up his pace and brings his hand back down to my clit. he rubs it and looks at me. “how’s that feel?”

“g-good. fucking good.” i stutter out, my eyes closing to bask in the pleasure.

“yeah? look at you taking my cock so well, pretty girl. i knew you could do it.” he says out of breathe. “but, sweetheart, i need you to look at me while i fuck ya, okay? wanna see that pretty face when i make you cum.”

his words were so filthy yet so sweet, making me blush. i nod and force my eyes open, staring into his sparky blue eyes.

“there she is, my good girl.” his praise was enough to make me cum right then and there. i felt his movements get quicker and quicker as his cock slid in and out of me. “jesus, i don’t know how long i’m gonna last. you-you got me riled up, honey.” he bites his lip looking at me. i bite his arm again, trying to quiet my moans.

his fingers continue to work on my clit. i felt the pressure in my stomach building up and about to release. “jay….fuck jj. i-i’m gonna….i’m gonna cum.” i cry out in a whisper.

“go ahead baby, cum on my cock. i got ya.” my hands reached his back again scratching it up, i bite lip mip as i come undone on jj. tears leave my eyes as i ride out my high, a few curses leaving my mouth as well.

i look up at jj, who’s panting and staring down at my body. “fuck, i’m gonna cum. w-where do ya…where should i cum?”

“cum inside me, jj.” his eyes almost pop out of his head. “i’m on the pill, i trust ya. cum inside me, baby, please.” i flash him my puppy dog eyes.

he brings his face down closer to me, hiding it in the crook of my neck as he cums. “fuck, you are such a good girl.” i hear him whisper as he bites down onto my shoulder to hide his moan. his cock twitches inside of me. he goes slower and slower until he completely stops, collapsing on top of me. we lay there for a minute, tangled up with each other and panting for breath. he slowly takes himself out of me, a sharp breathe leaving my mouth as he does so. he grabs a towel off of the ground and cleans us both up. he’s gentle with it, bringing the towel slowly down my thighs and lightly rubbing my core with the cloth. he throws the towel on the ground and lays down next to me, we both look up at the ceiling, unable to speak.

“so?” we both say in unison, making us laugh.

i turn on my side to look at him. “you first this time.”

he turns to look at me, pushing a strand of hair sticking against my sweaty forehead. “you okay? you need anything?” i shake my head no and smile at him, god he was a dream. “t-thank you for that…it was…”

i laugh. “did you just thank me for having sex with you? and you say i’m the dork.”

he blushes and runs a hand down his face. “shut up, you know what i mean. i just…i’ve been wanting this for awhile. and not just sex i mean…like all of you. god, i sound so dumb.” he looks up in embarrassment.

“no you don’t, stop that. look at me.” he turns to me and i run a hand across his face. “i have to. you’re all i’ve like ever wanted, as stupid as it sounds. jj, you mean the world to me.”

he kisses my forehead lightly and pulls me close. “i feel the exact same way.”

we lay like and talk about everything and nothing at the same time until the sun comes up. my eyes are fluttering shut as i feel him start to get up. “mmm where ya going?” i try to hold him closer.

“need to leave before everyone wakes up.” i pout at him and he brings his hands to my face and kisses me gently. “believe me, this ain’t the last you’ll be seeing of me, sweetheart. i’m not letting you go that easy.”

he gets up and puts his clothes on, kissing me once more. “jj?” i break the kiss.

“what is it, honey?” he asks, looking me in the eyes.

“i won the challenge.” i say with a laugh, causing him to smile.

“shut up.” he flips me off with a smirk as he leaves my room quietly.

i lay back in my bed with a satisfied grin. so much for being uptight now, huh?

A/N: i just started obx so if y’all want some more fics pls request them!

[skxllz]

warnings; mentions of cancer risk, implications of abuse, implied homophobia

the rattling of steel clanged around, signifying that someone was climbing the rusted ladder of the fire escape. you were burning a cigarette on the side, hanging over the railing and looking down at the passing people that laughed, talked, and just so happened to be drunk.

it was eleven forty on a saturday night after all.

“ hey, y/n! ” mickey's voice caught your attention, causing you to look up and for him to grin — until he saw the wisps of smoke. he followed it, up until his eyes landed on your cigarette.

“ the fuck? ”

a frown instantly pulled at his lips. that's when ian climbed up behind ‘im on the ladder and pulled himself up, only to dust his hands onto his jeans. “ what is it? ” ian questioned, looking at mickey with raised brows — then, his head slowly turned to you.

they both had frowns on their faces after that.

you flicked your cigarette over the railing and to the ground below, ridding it from their sight, and yours, completely. “ I don't see what the big deal is with me smoking. ”

“ you promised you wouldn't anymore. ” ian shot back, face hard with emotion. “ y/n, lung cancer runs in your family and last time you were at the doctors- ”

“ I know. ” you scoffed, looking away. “ I know, they found cells and I was at high risk. i just... ” your eyes were darting back and forth as you thought, debating if you should tell your boyfriends about the trouble that's been going on in your life. it was difficult to decide.

“ you just? ” mickey mocked, waving his hands about, “ you just what? spit it the fuck out. ” he was irritated because someone he loved went behind his back and did something he shouldn't have. of course he'd let his anger get the best of ‘im.

you sigh, “ I've been stressed, alright? and angry.. ” tears gathered in the corners of your eyes, but you refused to let anything fall; holding them back with immense strength. “ m’ mum, she's... not supportive of my sexuality. that's why I never introduced her to you guys. ”

ian's brows knitted together at this new found out information. of course, him and mickey knew you had secrets —they had only known you around eight months—, but they never thought it'd be something like that. something they could relate to, of all things.

of course it was serious, but why wouldn't you go to them about it?

mickey glanced at ian, before approaching you slowly with a softening expression. he himself knew what it was like to have a parent that wasn't accepting. “ y/n... ” you flinched as he put a hand on your forearm, and that made him reel his arm back.

he was nearly offended — but then he glanced down, eyeing the arm that was covered by the thin sleeve of a hoodie. your mother couldn't have... could she?

even if he wanted to ask, he didn't, because he knew he'd kill the bitch. right now, you needed comforted — and as selfish as mickey could be, now wasn't the time.

“ baby, ” mickey's voice came out quieter, “ why didn't you come to us — to me? you know we wouldn't judge you.. ” he huffed a laugh of irony. “ hell, terry hates my fucking guts cause ‘m gay, man. ”

you wouldn't meet his gaze, but you nodded in acknowledgement to his words, letting out a shaky breath. “ I.. I know. I just didn't want to bother you guys with my problems. ”

“ bother us? ” this time ian scoffed, approaching the both of you until he was standing directly next to mickey. “ if you bothered us, we would've told you to beat it awhile ago y/n. ”

“ yeah, ” mickey eyed you, blue eyes taking in the sight of your own shifty ones. of course you were nervous. “ but you're not botherin’ us. so stop beatin’ around the bush about shit from now on, alright? ”

you were silent for a moment, thinking over mickey and ian's words — taking in the fact that yeah, they were telling the truth. these two don't keep people around, especially mickey, if they didn't like them. so in a way, you guess you were lucky.

that's when you lifted your head to smile slightly at the two, “ y’know I love you guys, right? ”

mickey smirked. “ enough to suck my d- ”

ian smacked him in the back of the head. mickey scowled in reply, rubbing at his head, but said nothing.

the red head turned to look at you with a sweet smile, “ what he meant to say, was he enough to stop smoking, right? ”

you were grinning widely, cheeks rosey from mickey's earlier comment. god you loved them. “ yeah... yeah, enough to stop smoking. ”

[vaguely-concerned]

I think the most defining thing about kremy as a person is that he desperately wants to be a man with a mustache -- while being physically, biologically incapable of producing hair follicles lol. like no wonder he takes to drag so much, that's basically most of what he's already doing with his outward identity! and the physical aspect of that is smaller, I feel, than what he's got going on psychologically. he's someone who doesn't want to be -- can't be? -- who and what he is, and who can't be what he wants to be because what he wants to be doesn't really exist, so he lives his life somewhere on the border between them. the almiraj might be no mirage, but the perfectly clever and charming and utterly untouchable version of kremy that kremy would like to be -- instead of the vulnerable neurotic mess of longing and fear and striving for control he clearly actually is -- absolutely is, I'm afraid. it's just a shadow on the wall with nothing real to cast it.

(all of this also goes into the many Gender and trans readings of him too, of course! men will say they’re fighting demons and the demons are trying to live up to a very specific brand of toxic masculinity they've sort of invented for themselves lol)  

the one deep down entrenched assumption we see kremy make again and again especially interpersonally is that if he's open with who he really is and what he feels or thinks at any given time, he would be revealed as fundamentally unacceptable and at best discarded and abandoned, at worst endangered. (it's literally spelled out with the cyclops in the witchlight carnival, but you see him go through this process all the time through the rest of the story too! being unable to lie or dissemble was a catastrophic event in this dude’s inner landscape. I’m sure that means nothing) and because he is also frequently kind of awful this assumption may not be entirely off base some of the time lol (deeply affectionate), but I think it comes from a much deeper place than that. kremy is ashamed of where he's from and who he's been -- that dirt poor wide-eyed kid from the swamp who saw all the fancy gentlemen in town and Wanted. wanted to be that, wanted to have that power, probably some confused sexuality want mixed up with it all as well for spice. wanted more than anything, perhaps, to BE something, because next to that he feels like nothing. which means abandoning the earnest kid who guilelessly loved unicorns and his meemaw and cooking without meaning to impress anyone and silly soft things in the swamp he came from while he went off to the big city and modeled himself after men like garou. (and his relationship with garou surely also had some effects on just how shifty he's become at intimacy too, aside from the building a facade of it all, that might be some secondary damage that was not his fault nor in his control at all)

even when he's acting seemingly shamelessly, he is fundamentally a shame-based psychology, is what I'm trying to get at. the only times he lets his thoughts and emotions out into the world unfiltered is when he's brought to a point of frustration where he throws up his hands and abandons manipulation or subtle machinations as an interpersonal tactic -- see: the several times he argues something with frost or gricko and then finally admits 'I literally don't actually care about this! you guys figure it out and deal with this if it matters so much to you I'm going to bed ffs' haha. his depression shines through when he’s too tired to hide it, especially in the later episodes. every open emotion is an admission he really didn't want to make and thinks is tactically disadvantageous for him. (and sometimes when he's being really for real he'll even admit to being worse than people gave him credit for, like when he admits he suspected mr. witch and mr. light were capable of doing something really really bad to torbek and handed him over anyway. kremy being that blunt and open is like. remarkable and also a sign that he's actually taking it seriously, for all that he's also revealing himself to be even more of an asshole than previously suspected lmao. that's not nothing, for kremy. BUT at the same time he is also the person who cried to see a unicorn broken and abused, and who saw something in gideon upon meeting him that no one else did or cared to at that time and offered him genuine companionship and support — as the story goes on he’s starting to admit to more things about himself, the bad and the good.)

all of which of course also is why he's having such a hard time being honest with gideon about how he feels (and the sheer immensity with which he feels it too, probably) -- that's incredibly vulnerable for a person who’s built himself up around the idea of never being vulnerable. ('i'm just a shadow, nothing you do can really touch or hurt me.') And yet if there’s peace and redemption to be found for kremy, if only within his own soul, between these versions of himself, I feel that discovering and accepting his own capacity for loving someone else so much that it transcends all selfishness or fear would be integral to it. (he loves gideon. So much it makes me a bit dizzy you guys)

[nixon-stars]

ooooooh you wanna yap about Clara so badddddd (please yap about her please please please please please)

HI YES I REALLY DO

I dunno how much I'll talk but I'm putting in the lil read more antway

HIIIIIII SO

For those not in the know, Clara is my sweet evil baby girl also the main antagonist for my oc world and story, rn going under the name 'Pakshapuram' (definitely going to change it tho, also 'paksha' coming from Sanskrit for wing and puram being a common suffix for towns in south india, like Kanchipuram)

She was born and raised in Pakshapuram, a city town thing that is one of a few cities around the area (this area is pretty isolated the only people that come through were born and raised or shifty guys working through black market sort of trades).

She was born the only child to Amara, who with no partner and no other kids and a big expectations on her, put everything into raising Clara. She's a pretty typical Indian mum though, rarely giving affection or praise, but it works, and Clara knows she's well loved.

She is also a bharatanatyam dancer!! Which doesn't help with the pressure but whatever, Clara's life is good, she has her mum, lots of friends, people all around her that want to help, and most importantly she has Xavier.

Xavier, I could talk about him forever, but what you need to know is that he and Clara are CLOSE. Always together, never separated, all the aunties look on and call them "heart and soul" (ഹൃദയവും ആത്മാവും) they don't leave each other's side right

But there's no good character without a touch 🤏 of trauma so, yayyyy

While dancers learn bharatanatyam, after they learn everything and stuff they get this big ceremony debut into their official career, it's called an Arangetram, and it's a bigggg deal okay?

Also like a year before this, Amara find out she's expecting!!!! Gives birth to a baby boy!!!! Very healthy!!!! Nothing will happen to him promise!!!!!!

Anyway on the day of Clara's Arangetram, she goes to her aunty's house to get dressed quickly in her saree (if you've ever tried to put on a saree you KNOW this isn't quick in the slightest)

She comes back and 😱😱😱 her mum is a statue wthhh?????

And her baby brother is gone?????? (It has nothing to do with amara's old wlw situationship that ended terribly and sourly and left a lot of unanswered questions and lingering feelings whattt)

She's confused af obviously and angry and WHO TF TURNED MY MUM INTO A STATUE y'know very justified, and she overhears some people talking about how Dragons???? might be responsible????

You need to know that dragons are heavily venerated in Pakshapuram, the religion of the city revolves around how important dragons are too the world right and how they shouldn't be touched or anything yeah

An old guy came up and said that he had known about a prophecy that something like this could happen and blah blah blah Clara's in charge now

But like she's sixteen so that's alottttt of pressure to put on a literal child you would think? NOPE they said make her queen now

So now Clara's in charge and also A GRIEVING TEENAGER and she is stressed

And woahhhjj perfect timing famine through the land!!!!!!!

Every one is really hungry and Xavier, who is now general, asked her what she wanted to do about it and maybe just maybe let's use the food we had stored just in case something like this happened????

Clara goes "no girl im using that"

And Xavier's like "what why we don't need to use those???"

And Clara like "yeah we do thats what I'm referring the troops I sent to go find a dragon for me to kill to get revenge for killing my mum"

And Xavier's like "you crazy bitch people are starving can you be insane later"

Clara throws a temper tantrum and exiles him woooooop #girlboss

Years pass and Xavier's making a under ground resistance against Clara because she has moved on from killing people with her ignorance to just killing them if they disagree with her which isn't cool

Clara goes very insane with the grief and stress and everything she's soooo unhappy and very evil about it she's talking to the statue of her mum and she's not doing well

And here's about where the main story starts, and I haven't even talked about the protagonists

Anyway I wonder what happened to that baby brother????? 🤔🤔🤔 I guess we'll never knowwwwww

[sl-newsie]

American Woman (Thomas Shelby x American OC) Ch. 53: Gambling Lives

Masterlist: https://www.tumblr.com/sl-newsie/739551758747090944/american-woman-thomas-shelby-x-american-oc?source=share

As dreary as this hospital might appear at first, it’s a freaking miracle compared to the gossipy office. As I strut down the hall I make a mental note to tell Thomas that I will no longer be submitting myself to working there. I am going to do as my job entails and make foreign business trips. If only this bloody vendetta could get cleared up! Not that anyone would tell me right away if anything’s changed.

“Hello, Michael,” I greet and shut the door. “Still sore?”

The young man waves from where he’s sitting at the table, reviewing records. “I feel better but they’re making me stay longer to be sure. Mum’s work, I imagine. How’s Tommy?”

The recollection of today’s planned luncheon draws out more dark thoughts. “In a bit of a pickle. Right now they’re-”

The door opens again and a nurse pokes her head in. She heads for Michael’s satchel.

Michael’s brow furrows and reaches to stop her. “What are you doing-?”

The nurse shoves him to the floor and in a split second I see the reason why: Michael’s gun. She wants to disarm him! I lunge to block her but she whacks me over the head with a medicine tray. In a dizzy state I look up see a sharp-dressed man in a fedora waiting outside.

Bam!

Who’s shot?! Michael’s not. I’m not. Then- The man from earlier is lying dead on the floor. Who shot the gunman? 

“Michael!” I gasp, holding my head and spitting out some blood as I crawl over to help him to his bed.

A new man stands guard by the door, while another one examines us with shifty eyes. It’s no secret that he’s part of the cause that wants us dead. Dark hair, olive skin, pointed nose, spiffy gray suit, black overcoat and fedora, a match in his mouth. Everything about him screams Italian- 

“Uh uh uh,” he tsks as he points to the hat lying on Michael’s cot. “Where I’m from, a hat on the bed… Unlucky. My family… Say it brings death.”

He moves closer and all I can think of is how quickly I might be able to retrieve my pistol before he can.

“Maybe that’s what happened,” the man murmurs, staring straight at Michael. “Last time my men were sent to you, you got lucky.” 

The memory of John sends anger pulsing through me. That son-of-a-! If I can just reach my- Oh God!

He pulls a pistol from his coat pocket and presses the barrel to Michael’s forehead. Thump! Thump! Thump! Oh God, how is this happening?! What can I-?

“Now… Your luck’s run out.” He cocks the gun and gives me a side glance. “Try anything and your brains will paint the wall too.”

Michael squeezes his eyes closed. “It’s over…”

This can’t be right!

Click.

Was that a misfire? The gun clicks, but no bullet is fired. The gangster slowly lowers the gun down Michael’s nose and away from his face. Michael, having just escaped death again, stands frozen in shock while the man backs out with an expressionless face.

“And tell your mother we have a deal,” he concludes before exiting along with his counterpart.

Deal? He made a deal... If a deal can be made to spare Michael's life then maybe-

“Wait. Wait! Michael, I will be right back.” I sit him down and sprint out to catch up. “Wait!”

The taller gangster goes to reach for his gun but his boss holds up a hand to stop him. He waits for me to reach them and looks me up and down, having an expression that looks much too friendly for someone who almost just committed murder.

“You must be Ms. Steenstra. Glad to finally meet you in person. What can I do for you?”

I swallow my nerves. Get it right. This is for your family. There’s no going back.

“Am I right to assume that I am in the presence of Mr. Luca Changretta?”

The gangster tips his hat. “Indeed you are. But I will not discuss the matter of the Shelbys with you.”

“I understand. I’m not here to ask about that. I’m here to discuss my own family.”

This surprises Changretta. Like I just asked him to forget about a small detail. 

“I’ve heard many things about you, Ms. Steenstra. You have quite the family ties.”

I bring my hands together and lower my head. “Please, Mr. Changretta, please cancel the hit on my family. I swear they have no part in the White Hand. None of us.”

Changretta hums. “Then how do you explain Edmond Colon?”

“He is family. But us Steenstras in America are not connected to his mob business.” I harness the courage to look up at him directly with my own determined glare. “I know you are proud of your heritage, as am I. Please just let my father run his brewery in peace.”

The gangster doesn’t answer. He, like Thomas, merely looks me over expecting me to demand more. When I don’t he looks down to play with a ring on his finger. A family ring, no doubt.

“When you first came here, did these Brits harass you because of our part in the war?”

I shake my head. “No. If they would have tried then I would’ve given them a piece of my mind.”

Changretta smirks and causes the match in his mouth to wave up and down. “You are a remarkable American woman, Ms. Steenstra. If only your Irish relatives weren’t giving us so much trouble. By the way, my condolences for Ragtime Joe Howard.”

The building hatred for this and all mafia business tugs at my heart. “His name was Joseph Howard. He made his choice to be in the mafia. Just like you.”

“And you,” Changretta comments and gestures to me. “Mr. Shelby mentioned you when I spoke with him. Why is an innocent woman like yourself caught up with the Peaky Blinders?”

I think that’s the question we’re all asking. A question I may not even know how to answer.

“Moral obligation. I owe them a debt.”

“I see. Then may I offer that we respect each other’s wishes and walk away. You fulfill your debt and I will lift the hit.” Changretta sees my confusion and explains further. “Meaning I will lift the hit on your family. But my arrangement with Mrs. Gray will continue.” 

His words to Michael ring clear as a bell. “What arrangement?”

“That is between Mrs. Gray and me,” Changretta says before tipping his hat in parting and following his partner to the back door. “Ciao.”

Did that just happen? Did I just single-handedly negotiate my family out of a vendetta? Thank God! I just had my first encounter with an Italian mob leader and no one died! There’s still the matter of Polly’s arrangement. But that can wait for now. What I know now is that I can sleep at night knowing my family is safe!

“Michael!” I gasp and rush back to his room. “Are you alright?”

He blankly looks between me and the floor. “What just happened?”

Thud! The door bursts open, letting in Thomas, Arthur, and Finn. They scan the room for threats, as well as examine the fresh corpse outside. 

“Michael! What happened, eh?” Thomas pants and looks anxiously between us.

“They heard you coming,” Michael says softly. “The gun misfired. They ran away.”

I frown at his explanation. Why is he lying? At the mention of the intruders, two Blinders race out the door and Thomas interrogates us further.

“You alright?” Thomas kneels next to me and feels me up and down, looking for any wounds.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” I assure him.

Do not think about how warm his hands are, Verena. Do not! Should I tell him about what just happened?

“Verena!” Finn cries and pulls me into a hug. “Thank God you’re safe.”

“I don’t know where they’re going-”

“Mr. Gold will take care of ‘em,” Thomas says, his eyes never leaving me. Almost like he's afraid I'll disappear. “I have to make a call. Stay with Michael, Verena.”

For the next hour I stay cooped up in the hospital room with Blinders guarding from all sides. I appreciate the gesture for safety, but… I’m in the clear. It feels so relieving! Should I tell someone? It’s not like Michael told the entire truth either.

“Why didn’t you tell them?” I ask him once Arthur and Finn leave.

“Why didn’t you?” Michael reasons back. “What did you do, Verena?”

“I- I… I made sure my family is safe.”

“And what does that mean?” A new voice asks. It’s Polly. Wonderful! Now we can figure out what this ‘deal’ is.

“I convinced Mr. Changretta that my family has no part in this. He believed me.”

The Gypsy woman lights a cigarette and smiles at me. “You have a gift, love. You know how to negotiate with even the most stubborn men.”

Michael clears his throat. “He spared me. He said ‘tell your mum that we have a deal.’ What deal, mum?”

Yes. We’re all dying to know.

Polly takes another puff. “A deal to spare your life.”

Michael is not at ease, and neither am I. “In return for what?”

“Men don’t have the strategic intelligence to conduct war between families. You saw this yourself, Verena. Men are less good at keeping secrets out of their lives.”

Michael puts something together. “You agreed to give up Tommy? To save my life?”

“You did what?” I bark and stand up to face her.

Polly keeps calm. “Tommy’s different. The rest need to be spared.”

“A life is still a life, Polly Gray! Family is family! We do not pick and choose family.” 

“You never forgave him, did you?” Michael asks darkly.

Polly leans in closer. “We’re out of our league.”

Michael shakes his head. “No. Verena’s right. We don’t do that to our own.”

“Think,” Polly urges. “If it wasn’t for me you’d be smoke blowing out of a mortuary chimney.” She looks at me. “And your family might have still been at risk.”

My eyes narrow. “I don’t need your help. I handled my family’s dilemma all on my own. And I did it without harming anyone.”

“What’s to stop us from telling him?” Michael asks openly. Yeah! What will stop us?

Polly points a finger at both of us. “You’ll do no such thing, Michael. You too, Verena. This is my business.”

Smack! I suck in my tongue and pivot to walk out the door. First Thomas keeps secrets, now Polly too? The Hell with this! Maybe it’s the confidence from my meeting with Changretta but I might have my own ace up my sleeve.

I reach the phone and pick up the receiver. “Hello. This call is to be kept confidential. May I please be put through to Edmond Colon, Blood Stoney Road?”

“One moment, please.”

A few more clicks and I hear a familiar laugh. “Hello, Uncle Colon. It’s Verena. I need to ask a favor.”

Time to take matters into my own hands. It’s time for some American reinforcement.

@meadows5

[normal-human-girl]

Sevika is CONSTANTLY working. In season 1 she's doing silcos bidding, fighting vi, dealing with jinxs antics, fixing her arm and putting up with finn. In season 2 she's organizing rebellions, helping break zaun out of jail, dealing with terf wars, fighting smeech, and fighting in a war. Her ending is becoming councilor, which in the end results in MORE work. The only time we see her relaxing is when she's drinking and gambling, which basically isn't even relaxing, just coping with her shifty life!!!! Sorry for the wall of text I just feel for my baby so damn bad 😭

[hgb94]

Nein in Hindsight: CR2E8

Real fun time for Caleb having everyone fixate on his reaction to burning a guy alive. (14:00)

Early Caleb and Beau banter fills my heart with joy. "You look like a nerd." (17:30)

Our first good Caleb and Beau conflict with her calling him out on hiding away the glove of blasting and not being forthcoming about shit. I feel like a lot of their conflicts spring out of a very fun clash in their responses to their personal traumas. Beau's experience of being betrayed or controlled by authority figures in her life gives her a strong resistance to anyone taking away control or choice or hiding things from her, and meanwhile Caleb's over here desperately grasping for control over his circumstances while he pursues the one goal he's got to live for, while also being shifty as hell trying to hide all the skeletons in his closet, and Beau's just like "What the fuck is your deal, man?" I'm so excited for Bowlgate again, that's one of my favorite moments of conflict I can remember in CR. (33:00)

Watching early Jester interactions with the Traveler is so fun with the knowledge that he's just Artagan getting way in over his head while he tries to be a god. (44:00)

Beau's mail fraud continues to lead Jester toward discovering the identity of her father. (55:30)

A fun case of Jester's "party first" morality. She'll happily pass off hyena ears as gnoll ears to get some extra pay and think nothing of the lie, why not? It's not hurting anyone and it helps her and her friends. (1:00:30)

"We are so excited over chump change to Vox Machina." I think one of the reasons why C2 grew into my favorite over C1 (outside of it just having the perk of being my first 'live watch' experience after I binged C1) is how much I love watching the low level hardscrabble life, rejoicing over the windfall of 150 gold, the edge of anxiety in every fight where resurrection magic still lies so far out of reach, the slow travel and lengthy night watches as they go town to town without the perk of teleportation magic to speed things up, idk, the vibes are just good. (1:03:10)

And the Mighty Nein are born. How much was Matt losing his shit with the Eyes of Nine rolling around in the back of his mind? (1:04:00)

Caleb's continual hunt for the highest quality paper and inks. Ah, the wizard lifestyle, it's an expensive one. (1:09:10)

"The Ruby of the Sea says hello." I love you, Jester Lavorre. (1:12:48)

Meanwhile, we have Caleb in the background petting Frumpkin to distract himself while they get Fjord a letter of recommendation to the Soltryce academy. (1:13:30)

I have a tragically shit memory for my own reactions during the first watch of this campaign (main reason why I'm documenting all of this for myself on the second go around), but I remember that Marion Lavorre was not what I was expecting from after this initial description of the most famed courtesan on the Menagerie Coast. (1:15:00)

Beauregard "Daddy issues" Lionett still making a very good point 'why do you want to live with your dad that you've never met?' 'sometimes father's are disappointing,' while Caleb "I killed my loving and wonderful parents and would like to rewrite time to undo that" Widogast is fully onboard and understanding of Jester seeking out this man she only knows from a story her mom told her. (1:23:00)

Very fun to see Beau interrogating Caleb about whether he’s got kids while the Secret Parent at the table is fully sliding under the radar. Also Veth fully bullshitting facts about her goblin age and history. Her birthday? Goblins don’t have birthdays, don’t worry about it. And Sam makes it all sound so believable, he lies to them constantly with nobody ever getting any idea. (1:25:40)

“This number (nine) coming up is so creepy, guys.” Yeah, Matt, I bet it is. (2:01:20)

“Oh man, did you see that? You thought you burned that other guy up, did you see how much you burned that–” Bless you, Jester. (2:23:25)

Caleb waking up screaming “Take them out, take them out!” Beau “One day we’re gonna have a real big talk about your issues.” Yeah, you are. Just give it about 10 more episodes. (2:29:00)

“The Dwendalian Empire kind of sucks, you guys.” Fun look at the three perspectives of the empire from the empire kids here. Caleb absolutely files away Beau’s negativity about the empire in response to Jester’s comment as a potential reason to trust her with his secrets in the future. (2:39:20)

Smh, Pumat Sol, you can't just be stealing a man's mud camouflage like that. (3:13:20)

[nevermorgue]

Hii :3

Do you have any headcanons for misfits if they were in steampunk/fantasy au?

I love your headcanons so much <3

Hi anon! Thank you sooo much, you don’t know how happy it makes me that people actually like my stuff LOL

Fantasy time? Fantasy time. Imagine your standard DND world with steampunk technology. Let’s see…

- Lenore is a human artificer. And in this universe we can actually KEEP her family’s influence with the railroad.

- Her family’s trains and steam powered machinery are more than just that- they use magical components to be more effective and better than competition.

- Lenore and Theo were still very musically gifted here. Can’t take away that sibling bond

- maybe in this universe Theo died under more mysterious/foul play circumstances? Giving Lenore a motive to go and form a party and all that

- maybe Lenore was present and got injured/lost consciousness and can’t remember what occurred that day. got her hip injury from it

- then her father keeps her locked inside not only to protect her from whoever did this to her and Theo, but because with her hip now permanently injured he doesn’t really see her as useful anymore (asshole)

- Speaking of which, she still sets fire to the mansion and ditches at night.

- Steals a prototype of a very fancy gun that her father was planning to make to her sold. Magic, of course.

- Also still resumes the identity of the fictional Leo Vandernacht.

- She fled on horseback from the house and to a small town. This is where the story of the party begins

- Lenore has a kinda shitty cane right now, forced to use a large stick until she can actually find a store that has canes.

- She comes across a small crowd watching a bard perform. A tall, elvan man using illusion magic to entertain while also somehow playing a floating lute without touching it.

- As she stops to peer over, she feels a hand poke at her “cane” with a clicking tongue sound

- “Goodness, how is this supposed to support you at all?”

- Lenore sees- the same man. Turns out he has his illusionary self performing while he goes around to loot the crowd for anything that looks valuable. A very shifty bard indeed.

- This is how Lenore meets Duke, an elf bard that uses his charisma and many skills to draw crowds and hopefully people careless enough to leave valuables unattended.

- oh speaking of Duke. So I can keep his French. French = Elvish here. Let’s pretend.

- Lenore makes a lot of jabs at him for what he does, but he insists that the performing is his main thing and that’s what he loves. He only does the ‘look around for things to take’ deal in richer areas where they won’t notice losing a few things. Think like…a better Robin Hood.

- He gives her exactly 5 gold pieces and tells her to get an actual cane. After some more banter and light hearted jabs, he just decides to go with her. They’re fast friends.

- Lenore ends up getting a nice cane that supports her hip far better than an oversized stick could ever do. She vaguely explains her circumstances in half truths to Duke, who then decides to take her to the tavern.

- The walk between the store and the tavern is where they meet Pluto…because he tries to pickpocket Duke.

- Duke doesn’t even seem phased. He just shakes his head in fake disappointment, lifting Pluto up by the scruff of his cape.

“Again, mon minou? How many times must we go through this?”

- turns out they know each other. Pluto is a human rogue who has lived underneath this town his whole life, using theft to barely scrape by. He tried to rob Duke once and now it’s like a little game. Duke finds it amusing, and Pluto honestly keeps trying just to see him again.

- Now the three are a trio!! Lenore keeps jabbing at them both for being thieves, even revealing that she stole most of the items on her person as well.

- Pluto and Duke doing the same thing for different reasons: listen. Pluto using theft to survive, barely holding on. Duke doing it to make a statement, someone who has plenty but takes anyway to very slowly make an influence on the world both through performance and helping others. Nice little “doing the same thing for very different reasons” thing.

- Tavern time. They meet an adorable Eladrin girl who is working there as a waitress named Morella (Paladin of course). She’s a student in town and this is her part time job.

- They also meet Berenice and Eulalie here. Berenice is a tiefling fighter, Eulalie an aasimar sorcerer. They’re actually part of the local adventurers guild and are celebrating a recent victory in which they took back a village from a raid.

- Lenore takes interest in the guild, which leads to them all sitting together with Morella frequently coming by to chat.

- Oh yeah Pluto definitely has met them before too. He made eye contact once with Eulalie while he was sitting on a roof and he nearly fell off.

- He’s seen Berenice underground. He doesn’t know what she does, especially watching her go between the dangerous underground and to the surface, but he watches her wrap her bleeding knuckles with concern.

- This is the start of something new for her, something she can tell is worthwhile. All of the people she’s met since coming to town have already started to mean something special to her.

I did WAY more than I expected i’m so sorry anon-

[strawberrystepmom]

is it a common thing for pisces to dislike vulnerability? i know so many pisces who hate being vulnerable but express themselves artistically

so my answer to this is two fold.

yes, Pisces hate vulnerability but also suffer from chronic heart on your sleeve-itis. every fuck ass avoidant Pisces you’ve ever met is just running from you bc they genuinely like you be it romantic or as a friend. we’re like children who have placed our hands on a hot stove one too many times and suddenly get some degree of caution that manifests in shiftiness. not in a bad way just…fluidity is always preferred and i’ll leave it at that. anyway….

the Pisces at their core an extremely gentle creature. we tend to see the world through extremely optimistic, perhaps naive, and childlike lenses. we see perfection where there is blatant mess. we frolic through the puddles and leave tracks behind us. we love to envision better where a foundation for good doesn’t yet even exist much less the best a person or situation or whatever can be.

now for the other fold lmao

I believe in my heart of hearts that all Pisces start off as vulnerable as people can possibly be during our childhoods. we are the “why?” kids. why can’t we do more? why doesn’t anyone care about this? why do i feel this way? why doesn’t anyone else see what i see? and a lifetime of this becomes very alienating. it makes you want to be withdrawn just to avoid these unanswerable emotional dilemmas every Pisces has 200 times a day because we are listening to other people’s emotions on an infinite loop.

we eventually close the critical parts of ourselves off because of this. we stop listening to others with our hearts as part of the active listening bit. we become withdrawn. we play games and put up smokescreens and avoid avoid avoid because it’s easier than being asked “why do you even care to start with?” the millionth time in life.

this is also why I’ll even take you one further with the art as expression statement and say everything a Pisces does is self expression whether it’s consciously decided or not. how we dress, the playlists we make, the books we choose to read - all of this is how we let people see who we really are. is it crazy? yeah. but also open your eyes and see the minutiae of self someone else is showing you because that takes trust and it’s their way of playing cat and mouse both, something Pisces loves.

I always used to wonder why it hurt my feelings so bad when people would laugh at/dog on songs i showed them or when I showed them a show or movie that stuck with me they just didn’t see the big deal and learned a valuable lesson about who does and doesn’t deserve access to things that reflect your soul. I wouldn’t say it’s a lack of vulnerability but rather just life and the way people behave that has shown me it’s okay to be selective with the pieces you share but to also not make that a standard of living.

so Yes, vulnerability hard. world mean. I will spare you my old lady rant about how everyone is fucking rude in this day and age too bc there’s no incentive to be kind when someone is sharing their goodness with you. I will sum this up by saying you will get to know your Pisces by looking at their details. what are they listening to? what’s their interest right now? what’s something they mentioned to you offhandedly recently? that’s where the real vulnerability is at.

[mariacallous]

At the climax of David Mamet’s masterpiece “Glengarry Glen Ross”—now at the Palace, in its fourth Broadway production since 1984—a motormouthed salesman in a shady real-estate office in Chicago lambastes his office manager for fouling a deal. As a gullible buyer starts to get nervous, the manager accidentally reveals that the salesman has been lying, torpedoing thousands of dollars in commission. “You stupid fucking cunt,” the salesman snarls at him. “Whoever told you you could work with men?”

A man’s work—in the swift, grim, aurally intoxicating “Glengarry”—is never done. First, there’s the machine-gun patter required to sell even an acre of what we gather is utterly worthless land. Then, there’s the fact that every slimeball in the office fancies himself a tiger, and any conversation can become a tar pit. The top operator, Ricky Roma (played here by Kieran Culkin), remains friends with his fading mentor, Shelley Levene (Bob Odenkirk), though he’s always looking for a way to siphon business away from the older man. And a simple chat at a Chinese restaurant, like the one between the dyspeptic Dave Moss (Bill Burr) and the weary George Aaronow (Michael McKean), might turn out to have been criminal entrapment. The minute you listen, you’re sunk. “We’re just talking,” Moss says, the play’s code for “You’re cooked.”

Life operates like the leaderboard in the office sales competition—everyone can always see who’s ahead. Of course, that Darwinian kill-or-be-killed ethic works for “Glengarry” revivals, too, especially when they’re held up against the movie, which was released in 1992: if you play Roma, you’re going mano a mano with Al Pacino at his reptilian peak; if you’re Levene, you’re battling memories of Jack Lemmon and Pacino, who played Levene on Broadway in 2012. I don’t personally think that theatre should be a competition, but these are the rules of the Mametian game. The “Glengarry” script is as dynamically notated as a musical score, and it offers little room for interpretation; an actor has to drill deep to make an impression.

In this handsome production—directed by Patrick Marber as an entertaining showcase rather than as a backhanded tragedy—McKean manages to sidle up to the part of Aaronow, infusing him with a lovely, understated air of collapse. The erstwhile standup comedian Burr, as Moss, takes a thrillingly berserk approach to Mamet’s syncopated cadences; his high, angry voice carries amazing momentum, and it hits like a glass in a bar fight. But the dynamic between the rising Ricky and the falling Shelley sits at the heart of the drama, and although Culkin and Odenkirk are strong, they’re never astonishing. Odenkirk’s portrait of failure is sad but not, as it needs to be, pathetic, and Culkin’s shifty insouciance couldn’t trick a baby out of a lollipop, let alone sell his character’s grandiloquent flights of quasi philosophy.

Why so many revivals of “Glengarry”? The answer usually seems obvious: it offers male stars wonderful parts full of stunning, serrated language. But I couldn’t help noticing, in the thickening air of 2025, that it’s the only piece on Broadway by an explicitly pro-MAGA playwright. As this “Glengarry” was heading into previews, Mamet, in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, wrote that Donald Trump is “returning the American government to decency, the rule of law and common sense.” I don’t get the feeling that the producers would like us to think about their writer’s politics too much, and it may be a mug’s game to draw a direct line from his imaginative work of forty years ago to his beliefs today. But, while watching the show, I did wonder what the young men sitting around me were absorbing from the play’s non-stop verbal aggression, which I’ve always believed was a razor-edged critique of blustery American masculinity. Could all this jocular, misogynistic vulgarity influence anybody? Surely not. All these guys onstage—they’re just talking.

Meanwhile, up at the Winter Garden, George Clooney is actually hoping that a male role model can make a lasting impression on his public. The Broadway adaptation of his superb 2005 film, “Good Night, and Good Luck,” stakes the superstar’s reputation on his ability to transfer his silver-screen magnetism to live theatre, and from there, I think, to real-world efficacy. “Good Night,” adapted by Clooney and Grant Heslov from their own screenplay and directed for the stage by David Cromer, takes place back when men were men, cigarette smoke made ’em all squint like cowboys, and the little ladies (mostly) didn’t come to the office. More important, it takes place in and around 1954, when Edward R. Murrow (Clooney), on his CBS news program, “See It Now,” took a stand against Senator Joe McCarthy, the Red Scare demagogue who used accusations of Communist subversion as a bullwhip against his enemies.

In the movie, which Clooney directed, the actor played the “See It Now” co-creator Fred Friendly, and David Strathairn gave an extraordinary (and Oscar-nominated) performance as Murrow. As Friendly, Clooney was charmingly diffident, throwing his lines away; as a director, he combined beautifully composed black-and-white glamour with an insistently voyeuristic camera, which peered through windows to discover characters in unguarded moments. Archival footage of the real McCarthy—sweaty and shouting on a subcommittee dais, say—gave the whole thing the feel of a documentary, as if it were an artifact from Hollywood’s golden age.

Stepping into Murrow’s shoes on Broadway, Clooney is certainly graceful. He looks just right in the elegant swing of nineteen-fifties trousers—Brenda Abbandandolo designed the costumes—and he excels, as he has for more than thirty years, at communicating a winning kind of weary resolve. But theatrical acoustics can be unforgiving, especially with an actor who tends to swallow his lines, however slyly. Accordingly, to capture Clooney’s charisma, the production relies on closeups, shot live onstage by a bulky CBS camera and projected onto a large screen near the audience. It’s a strategy with diminishing returns, though it does allow us to see the strain in Clooney’s eyes when Murrow feels the pressure.

Clooney and Heslov, movie creatures in their bones, are too accustomed to telling half their story through visuals, and some scenes needed more of an overhaul for such a different dramatic form. One entire story line, a secret marriage between two CBS employees, played by Ilana Glazer and Carter Hudson, comes off as downright foolish when we see the couple awkwardly snuggled up against the proscenium, and, despite many cross-stage entrances, Cromer fails to bring the film’s sense of bustling movement to the stage.

And so a finely made blade has become a blunter object. But we are in a time when a hammer may be more useful than a knife. Clooney and Heslov have chosen to change very little of their twenty-year-old script, which sounds as though it’s a deliberate allegory for everything that is happening now. When Murrow inveighs against convictions using sealed evidence, we think of immigrants being deported to El Salvador without due process. When employees consider signing a “loyalty oath,” we think of the government’s current screening of federal workers.

It’s been a season when the relative inaccessibility of tickets has been very much on my mind. The cost of a pair to “Good Night, and Good Luck” most likely means that the majority of folks watching it are executives, media types, or well-heeled business owners, some of whom might be thinking about if and when courage will be required. These, probably, are the very folks Clooney is trying to reach.

Near the end of the play, we see the famous footage of the lawyer Joseph Welch asking McCarthy, in 1954, “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?”—the inflection point for a country growing tired of McCarthy’s rough disregard for the Constitution. (I’m sure it’s a coincidence that Welch worked at Hale & Dorr, a firm now known as WilmerHale. Last month, WilmerHale sued the Trump Administration for its “plainly unlawful attack on the bedrock principles of our nation’s legal system.”) Look, Clooney seems to be saying. We did this before. We can do it again.

[fiannalover]

Fate Fic Recs

Because I read a lot of fics and am always rolling that ao3 gacha, so I felt like sharing a non exhaustive rec list under read more. Feel free to reblog and add more!

past the lingering smoke - Kadoc-senpai is best senpai! Post-ID. Hurt/Comfort.

For Want Of A Relic - Fate/Zero Servant Swap AU where Waver gets Diarmuid and everyone else swaps around too. The resulting team-ups are honestly delicious and you get very good Diarmuid out of it. The writer came back after 4 years of hiatus to finish the fic and write sequels, go give them a round of applause!

Fragments of Chaldea - stares directly at the camera

Café of the round - Reincarnation AU Coffee Shop. The Main Round Tale reincarnate within the Fate Universe and get together to own a coffee shop, meeting and remeeting other nasuvere people along the way.

AND GUINIVERE IS THEEEEEERE!!!!! 🎉🎉🎉 yaaaaaaaaaay

Multiple Case Studies of the Strange Concept of Love - a Servant is summoned to Chaldea, and spends her days looking at the romantic couples within it and analyzing the emotions she feels. Once you learn who is the main character you'll start crying. Also, RamaSita, yay!

Sunset Cocktail - BediGudao Valentine’s day fic. Bedivere saves Gudao from stalker of the day, takes him to Moriarty’s bar, on Moriarty’s suggestion. Bedivere regrets his trusting of shifty old men from the word go, more at 11.

a planet between your teeth - Drabble. The god asks if the fairy wants to eat him.

what name is there for what we have done? - Post-LB6 Fic where Mordred is, quite frankly, blowing up after Morgan and Baobhan are summoned to Chaldea, specially with how much the former looks like him. This takes him to Bedivere’s room. Hurt/Comfort, amazing Bedivere, amazing Round Table dynamic (author uses he/him for Mordred)

vignette 50 - Sieg & Guda farming at New York Event. Cute. Cute. Cute. CUTE! def a fic to read to warm up cozily at the end of the day, I get cuteness giggles everytime I read it.

Taste-testing - CharlieGudao baking fic. Pure, unaltered fluff. Charlie lays the sugar Thick.

Conversation by the bus stop - Bedivere talks to a fairy who is not there

But we stay silly - GudaCas. Guda shocks Artoria out of dissociation by barking like a dog. Adorable. I SWEAR this is cute. Trust me.

Sign here - Modern AU GudaCas stuff following on that part of the chocolate competition where Cnoc says the winner will marry Ritsuka. A lovely comedy drabble that will Not tear your heart apart at the last second, unlike fics made by other authors who followed up on that scene.

遅くの成人の日 (救った世界が必ず貴方を救ったくれる、どんな形でもそれは貴方にきっと届く） - I can only pray the title formatted well. Summer event fic of Ritsuka dealing gwith how long she has been at this, and the acceptance of her own aging.

And Thus Did The Leaves Fall - BediArthur. Bedivere as Arthur dies.

Look at me - GudakoBarth. Gudako, Bartholomew, their feelings for one another and how much one needs to fit another’s type.

She did not want to die - NitoSche fic and character exploration. Amazing Sche character exploration, accompanied by an equally amazing Nitocris POV version of the fic in Act As A Pharaoh. If you like either girl, you HAVE to read it.

Have I Made You Sad, Mom? - Post-LB6 Morgan has been summoned to Chaldea. Baobhan hasn’t arrived yet.

(Free from) Sin - Morgan!Aesc, Aesc!Morgan, and the many times she felt love, wretched, cursed love.

Atonement - Ritsuka going through therapy and readjusting to a normal life post-lostbelt, as the voices of all her Servants remain ringing in her ears.

Your heart in my mouth, bitter on the tongue - MashMorgan. Mash confesses, Morgan vaguely remembers what emotions are. I do love a good rule of three emotional discussion fic.

Bridal Ox - Asterios goes to Habetrot’s workshop to ask for a dress

Taking the bit (heh) to its natural conclusion - Modern AU GudaCas. Guda is face blind, Caster needs someone to help her run away from the cops.

the odds don’t look far - Avicebron and David bonding over being the only jewish Servants in Chaldea (and, post-Part 1, the staff as a whole).

[heyidkyay]

I guess I’ll take this pain, instead of your name |

Part Sixteen

A/n: Heyo:) Sorry for the lack on updates, been proper sick:// But hoping you enjoy this next bit! Also recommend rereading the last section of the part 15!

Summary: In life, things changed. The boys you'd once grown up with were men now, and famous ones at that. The type that toured the world and had millions of adoring fans.

The five of you shared a shit ton of history. But you also shared a lot of mixed emotions for one of them in particular, a certain drummer.

Warnings: Angst, just yeah...

Masterlist

--

“Maybe it’d be best if you two take a walk, yeah?”

I inhaled sharply at Ross’s words and tried not to grimace at the fire that ripped through my torso as I did so. Ross’s eyes darted back towards the fort for a very brief second and, even though I could barely form a coherent thought, I grasped what he was seemingly trying to avoid here. 

And I had to agree with him, so I tugged my dressing gown tighter around the t-shirt I currently wore beneath and glanced up with a tiny smile when Ross took my uninjured arm in his and helped me into my slippers.

“You gonna be alright?” He asked me discreetly, his mouth pressed into a thin line. 

I swallowed and casted a cautious look over towards George, who hadn't moved an inch from where he stood near the doorway. I took in his peaky expression and shifty eyes but ultimately gave Ross a small dip of my head. 

“Just, make sure Matty stays here, yeah?” I told him quietly, turning my face away, “And if Lee pops by, can you just tell him-” 

I stopped myself abruptly and was quick to shake my head, thinking better of telling Ross that I’d yet to take my morning medication. They could wait a while longer, I could deal with the pain a little while longer.

“What?” Ross prompted me but I just shook my head again, waving his worries off.

“Nothing, it’s fine. I’ll be back soon, alright?”

Ross’s expression tightened slightly but he didn't push me further on the subject, simply dipped his chin and pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of my head when he pulled me into a hug. 

I practically felt the chilly glare he sent George from over me, as if warning him not to fuck up anymore than he already had. And so I just patted the bassist’s shoulder softly when we parted ways and gifted him a small but grateful smile. 

As I turned back towards the door I tried to walk a little quicker than I had been as of late- mostly to appease George- but that was quickly cut short due to the splintering sting that rippled up my spine. 

Alright then. Fucking hell, I've got it! No more of that then.

It'd been a stupid move anyway.

I huffed inwardly at the thought and made it a point to ignore the worried gaze George casted me at the grimace I must’ve been making, his eyes bleeding into the side of my head as I stepped through the door, walking at a much more sedate pace now- even if it still killed.

I heard Ross mutter something shortly to him under his breath just before the latter followed me out, but with my ear still the way it was I couldn’t quite make out what it’d been.

I wanted to scream a little in that moment and the feeling only escalated when I found myself stuck with George, who looked almost as worse for ware as I did, in the ward’s silent hallway. Apparently it was still rather early and the nurses had yet to even switch shifts. 

I made a small noise in the back of my throat, mainly to break the tense quiet we’d been living in but also because it was as close to an actual cough as I was going to get this morning. I’d already resigned myself to it, in fact. The pain so far was utter torture- as I'd typically come to expect each morning now- and I only hoped that it ebbed sooner rather than later, but I supposed that’s why I wandered a bit away from my room and over into the next hallway so that I could take a seat.

Sitting was a whole lot easier.

George turned the corner just as I collapsed into the cushioned bench which rested against a yellow wall and looked out at a larger pane of glass. He doddled there for a moment before he finally hiked up his metaphorical trousers and braved sitting beside me. 

I would’ve rolled my eyes at him then but I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away from his face. The dark shadows, his scattered stubble, those chapped lips. 

He looked like shit, to be honest. And I told him so.

“You look like shit.”

George’s eyes darted away from where they’d been glued to the window and over towards me, I heard the audible sound of his swallow before his gaze skittered away again, he merely shrugged in reply. 

I clenched my jaw. Was this really what I'd waited over a week for?

“Almost as bad as me.” I added in hopes to get some sort of a rise out of him. He had yet to utter a single word, even when Ross had been stood there with us. “Smell a bit too, I reckon. When’s the last time you had a shower?”

His dark eyes, only made darker by the blueish hue sat beneath them, narrowed a tad. 

Still didn’t fucking answer me though, did he?

“You going to, I don’t know, say something?” I gritted out with a glare of my own. That anger and upset I’d been feeling for days on end now pooling in my heart before it finally flooded my chest. “Maybe give me an answer to where the actual fuck you’ve been this past week… Let me in on what could’ve been so important that you didn’t even have the time to shoot me a text to ask if I was still alright- alive even.”

George’s stare didn’t diver. He kept his hands completely still. But I saw the slight twitch in his neck. 

In truth, I really could’ve fucking screamed then.

“George.” I said, watching him.

“George.” I called again, sharper.

“George!” I all but shouted as I leant in closer.

And when he finally answered me his voice was a dry rasp, either from disuse or a prior screaming match I hadn’t been made aware of. But I didn’t make it a point to ask.

“What?”

I almost laughed at his one word answer. But I was too shocked. 

“What?” I scoffed at him instead, “What the fuck do you mean, what?”

He made a face, and oh God, fuck the screaming I wanted to smack him over the head. He still wouldn't even spare me the curtesy of a mere glance.

“Are you having me on?” I bit out, irritated now. 

“The fuck do you want me to say, Y/n?” George grunted at me before I watched his head fall lazily into his hands, harsh fingers pressed into either temple. The skin on them was what caught my eye though, all cut up and torn, his knuckles bruised too.  

“Well, first you can tell me what happened to your hands.” I replied, squinting a bit to get a good look just as he ripped them from view. He went back to staring out the window again and I huffed. “Alright, can you can tell me where the hell you’ve been then, Mike Tyson?”

He didn’t answer me, just chewed on the insides of his cheeks. 

In pain and questioning why he had even bothered to show if he was just going to give me the cold shoulder, I could only sigh as I slumped further against the wall.

If I angled my back a certain way my ribs usually didn’t act up, but even then, I had to be very careful- knowing my luck, I’d puncture a lung or something simply by moving.

I couldn't really guess as to how much time passed by with the two of us just sat there. Him burning a hole into the window’s thick glass and me only growing more nauseous by the second. But the sun had almost risen and the pain I felt had almost doubled. 

I found myself desperately wishing that I'd just taken my fucking meds.

I was tired. Tired of hurting all the time. Tired of waiting around. Tired of fighting with George. With the world, really. It was just one thing after the other with me. Always had been.

And besides, I think I had more than enough reasons to be tired. Wasn't as though I was giving up though, was it? Not just yet.

With a small huff, I let my eyes slip close as I attempted to gather my thoughts, trying my hardest to ignore the current agony I was in. I had to get back to the room before Lee did, or worse, before Matty woke up and came looking for me…

But having just had that thought, I supposed it would be that exact moment in which George decided he had something to say. Because why wouldn’t he?

I gave an internal sigh at the sound of his voice and lolled my head against the wall towards him, peering through lidded eyes.

“I’m being a right cunt, I know that.” He muttered to me, still staring away. And God, if that wasn't the truth... “But I just don’t know what to say to you, alright? How I meant to act.”

Exasperated I tried to keep a level-head. Even though I wanted to fucking wring the idiot's neck, I could sort of understand where he was coming from. If it'd been him, I don’t know what sort of mess I’d have been in. Though, I would quite like to hope that I wouldn’t have immediately gone off the grid and done a vanishing act. I had a little more composure.

“Like you usually would, please?” Was the reply I settled on, my voice quiet to keep from straining myself much further. “I mean, everyone's been so off with me since…”

George winced, but I didn’t question his reaction. I knew why, he’d seen the accident happen, or so I assumed. And it probably wasn’t something a person wanted to relive, whether it’d been a complete stranger that had been hit, or someone that close to you. 

It also felt a little weird talking about it right then. Maybe I just wasn’t ready to or… maybe it was because I didn’t want to talk about it with him. I didn’t want to have his pity, or even his disregard. I wasn’t too sure. But either way, I wanted to just forget it all. Right then, I just wanted to forget.

All of a sudden I hissed and my hand abruptly flew up to cradle my side whilst I struggled to keep the rest of my body absolutely still. My chin was now high up in the air and my jaw was tightened by the bite of my grinding teeth. I didn’t dare make another sound.

“Y/n? Y/n?” I heard George call out, but my eyes were already wound tightly shut, squinted in my torment to keep the room from spinning anymore than it already was. “Birdie? Babe, come on, what’s wrong?”

The pain I’d been feeling since having left my room grew so suddenly in that next moment, it radiated across the length of my torso and pulsed wickedly in my veins. It honestly felt like my blood was on fire, burning and blazing its way under my skin and destroying what little else it could of me. I was desperate to cry out, to bargain a plea, but I was too terrified to even breathe. Let alone speak.

“Birdie?” George’s voice stressed, now taking on a higher pitch, worry and anguish worming its way into his tone. I felt his presence right there beside me, the way his hands must’ve been reaching out to help me but too scared to actually touch.

He was in a frenzy, confused and bewildered. I wanted to tell him I was okay, but we didn't lie. Or we weren’t supposed to. So I kept quiet and bit down on my tongue.

“Nurse? Anyone?" He called out helplessly just before a fist pounded on the wall above me. "Fucking hell, we need some help here!”

I think that was just about the time I passed out.

—

“Are you shitting me? Or are you that much of a twat?”

I frowned at what could’ve only been Matty’s voice, shifting slightly in the darkness that now surrounded me.

“Oh piss off, would you? It’s not like I meant for it to happen!”

And that was definitely George. Guess, he’d stuck around then.

I wanted to open up my eyes, find out what had happened. But there was also a much bigger part of me that still felt a little out of it and was intrigued to see how this would play out without my interference.

“Maybe you two should keep it down, hey?”

“Shut up, Ross. Why the fuck did you bring him here in the first place?” Matty snapped back at Ross’s softer tone of negotiation, and I could hear the anger that fuelled him. It made me wonder what’d gotten him so worked up. “He’s been MI-fucking-A this past week, doing God only knows what! And you’ve just let him swan right back on in here without an explanation for any of it.”

“Well, I didn’t think it’d turn out like this, mate.”

Matty spluttered. “What did you think would happen?”

“Not this!” Ross retorted hastily, “Besides, we all wanted him here. I was just the one to drag him in.”

George had to be dragged here to see me? I mean, thanks to Ross and all- him carrying the ginormous twat in surely must’ve been a right sight- but what the fuck?

“Yeah, I wanted him here- days ago! But he was nowhere to be fucking found then, was he? Just pissin' it up and ignoring the lot of us- ignoring her, whilst she laid in a fucking hospital bed!” 

Matty seemed to pause then and I heard a slight scuffle from the right side of the room. “Matty…” Ross warned, but evidently Matty hadn't appeared to have even heard him.  

“She was in a coma, you know that? A coma, George.” His voice was like thunder, a total contrast to that of his usual lilt and I found it much harder to keep pretending I was still asleep. “As in, we weren’t sure when she’d wake up, if she ever would. It was touch and go for too fucking long and where the hell were you, G? Nowhere to be found when we had doctors and all sorts in here, day and night, just checking that she was doin' alright, to make sure that she wouldn’t crash again.”

There was a brief pause and the room suddenly felt so stilted. Even I startled at the admission.

“Crash?” Came George’s strained voice.

Matty simply scoffed at him. “You wouldn’t know nowt about that though- ran off before the ambulance could even pull away, didn't you G? But what a fucking guy! The best, our George! Gone before they could even give his missus a sodding hospital gown! Give him a round of applause everybody for doing absolutely fuck all!”

“Fuck you.” George spat right back at him.

I found then that I didn’t really want to hear much more.

“You lot just about done?” I questioned quietly as I sat up further in my bed, wincing when I found myself reattached to the IV I’d lost a couple days ago now. “What even happened?”

Matty was the first to rush towards my bedside. “You alright, love?” He asked me, eyes scanning and checking me over for any signs of discomfort. I rolled my own, but not unkindly.

“Peachy, Nightingale.” I replied cheekily, which made him crack a small, very tiny smile. His previous anger mollified and replaced by an immediate worry. Matty was now in full fretting mother-mode it seemed. “How is my favourite nurse anyway?” I quizzed, throat dry.

It was his go to roll his eyes at me then, but he was especially cautious when he took perch on the side of my bed. Though he tried not to make it too obvious.

“Peachy.” Matty mimicked me just as his fingers met my casted hand. “Gave us a bit of a scare though, dickhead. What were you playing at?”

I huffed at him and proceeded to ignore the question, instead gave the room’s two remaining occupants a quick glance. “Ross, will you tell me what happened?”

Matty went to answer the question but the look I gave him quickly shut him right back down, when I turned back towards the bearded giant I noticed him wearing an amused smirk.

“Pushed yourself too fucking hard.” Ross told me simply, his arms crossed over his chest where he leant against the windowsill. “Or in medical terms, you overexerted yourself, mate. Forgot your meds, didn’t you? Ended up feinting like a big wuss and pulling some stitches as you went down.”

My mouth pressed together as I internalised the information. But apparently that hadn’t been the end of it.

“Erm Lee also mentioned that they wanted to keep an eye on your blood pressure and hydration levels too.” Matty added in a know-it-all sort of way. “’S why you’ve got the drip again, darling.”

“Right.” My gaze skitted over towards the far corner then, to where George was still stood apparently. “Stuck ‘round this time then?” I couldn’t help but ask and the look of surprise that flashed across his face only gave me a very brief feeling of satisfaction.

Sadly, he didn’t offer me a reply. But that was also when Hann decided to make an appearance.

“The fuck’s gone on?” He immediately asked us all as he bulldozed through the door, appearing half flustered but mostly just agitated. “I had the hospital on the phone, telling me how your vitals have rapidly depleted and that I should probably get down here. Only to then see Lee in the lift on the way up and have him give me the rundown on what utter idiots the rest of you have been. I mean…”

Adam’s fatherly rant came to an abrupt end at the sight of George. And I guessed that Lee hadn’t filled him in on everything then. Though, that nurse and I would soon be having words.

“Why are you here?” Hann questioned George and I honestly think that it was the first time I’d ever seen Adam both so utterly bewildered and furious at the same time. He was typically so well-spoken, so levelheaded, but then, well let’s just say I’d hate to have been George in that current moment. “Well?”

“Came along with me this morning.” Ross stepped in to inform Adam as he kicked away from the wall to almost stand between the two bandmates. George just kept on staring straight at Hann though, unable to look away from the brunt of Adam’s full-focus. 

“Weren’t asking you.”

Matty and I shared a wide-eyed look at Hann’s sharp quip, and I didn't dare intervene. Matty though...

“Um, Hann mate?”

But his attempt was cut short by the hand Hann held up to him, eyes still honed in on George. 

I would’ve laughed, I really should’ve, but I’d been so shocked by it. It seemed like Matty was sailing in a similar boat.

“I think I asked you a question.” Hann spoke and everything seemed to dull then, as though it was only him and George left in the room.

George’s jaded eyes divered between Adam’s green iris's, left right left. His tongue darted out to wet his lower lip, a tell that let me know he was nervous.

“Got a lift with Ross, didn't I.” Was what he decided on, but to Hann it’d been the wrong answer.

“I didn’t ask how you got here, George. I asked why you were here.” 

A silence dragged between the five of us then, Hann had taken a small step forward and Ross seemed to tense at it. But George did nothing, not until his eyes fleetingly skidded over towards where I was laying. That’d seemingly been another wrong move on his part.

Adam all but jumped to shield me from his view and I felt my own eyes widen at his next words.

“Don’t, mate. I just wouldn’t.”

“Don’t what?” George prodded, eyes hard all of a sudden, and he clenched his jaw as he shifted closer. “Come on, Hann. Don’t what, mate- look at her? What, is that not allowed now?”

Matty’s hand squeezed the pads of my fingertips, but neither of us, nor Ross dared say a thing.

“Yeah. Exactly that, actually. Why should you even be allowed in this room? ‘Cause from where I’m standing, you’ve done nothing to warrant you even being here.” Hann ridiculed, and we all heard the blatant venom in his words.

Adam and I, we’d always been friends, close but not as close as me and the rest of the boys. We were just an awful lot alike whilst simultaneously being a total contrast to one another. It was a strange concept, yeah, but that was just how it’d always been.

Growing up, Adam had never really had much to say, to share. He’d come from a good family, did well in school, never got into much trouble, done alright with the girls. But he'd never liked drama, and me, I had drama woven into my DNA.

That’s why it was such a shock to have him, out of everyone, stand up for me. Especially like this. He was all fired up, exhausted and irritated, and clearly so done with George's bullshit, it seemed. 

“Piss off, Adam.” George grunted with a shake of his head and a scowl. “I don’t need anyone’s permission to see her.”

“Why? Why then do you get to just waltz back on in here after everything, ey?” Hann retorted, angling his head to further his point. “Oh, is it ‘cause you were the one who phoned the paramedics? Wait no, sorry, that weren’t you, was it? My bad, mate. But oh, you were definitely the one who jumped in the back of that ambulance, right? Ah, shit! No, that wasn’t you either.”

Adam pivoted just enough to gesture over his shoulder towards us, his eyes still trained on George even as he directed his next question to Matty. 

“Matt, who was the first one down here when we got the news? No actually wait, out of everyone, which one of us never left her bedside?”

Matty looked a whole lot more lost than he had a second ago, mouth agape slightly and alert eyes darting back and forth between the four of us whilst he struggled to find a suitable reply for Hann, “Me?”

Adam gave a strong nod. 

“Thought so, and who was it that fought all the nurses for information when she was in surgery?”

Matty blinked at him, “Um, me.”

“Right.” Hann pressed his lips together, “And who got us in here to see her even when we were told it wasn’t possible? Had to be the same twat that almost got themselves thrown out ‘cause they wouldn’t leave her by herself those first few nights, right? Who slept by her bed, night and day. Who had to watch her fight for her life. Who witnessed her seizing and code, again and again.” Adam looked over at us then, “Who was that, Matty?”

I squeezed Matty’s fingers as best I could, tears blurring my vision and stinging my eyes. I didn’t know how else to react, I hadn’t been told half of this. 

“Me.” Matty choked out.

And then Adam turned away from us and shrugged once at George. “Where were you?”

George said nothing, though his eyes were glossy and his face betrayed every emotion he felt.

“Where were you!” Hann all but shouted at him, and even Ross couldn’t come to George’s defence.

I’d never seen someone look so defeated. So wounded. I wanted to reach out and tell him it was okay, that it would be soon. But they wouldn’t, would they?

He’d messed up, bad. And he’d not only hurt me, but the guys as well. It was a scary thought to be reminded of how highly they all seemed to hold me, that they would call out one of their own for me. If the roles had been reversed I knew that I’d act the same, but to have proof of their loyalty, their love… That was something I knew that I would never find again. They weren’t just my people, they were my family.

Only, now I didn’t quite know where I stood with George.

And it hurt. He’d hurt me more than any car ever could’ve by not being here. By having left me when I needed him the most. 

But there had to have been a reason for it. For all of it. There had to have been. Because George, my George he only did what was best for me, even if it’d ripped him in two. And the look on his face, the tears that he wouldn’t let fall as I observed closely him from the other side of my hospital room… That look told me that he had a reason. A reason for all of this.

And I was stubborn enough to also believe that I’d get it out of him. One way or another. He’d tell me everything and we’d make things right again.

Because we had to. Because he was my George and I was his Birdie.

There was no other way this could work out. Right?

Part seventeen>

[waypointwebcomic]

Page 343!

This was inspired by an interview with a composer in Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. I have not read this book, but spotted it in this article which spurred the idea for this page of Waypoint. Hope my fellow Neurodivergents enjoy it!

Story time!

Back in the Xbox 360 days, McFarlane released a collection of 8 Halo themed Xbox 360 avatar figures. Either I missed out on them at the time, or they were hard to get outside the US. Either way, I am now a grown up and I want one. After managing to find one on ebay from a UK Seller, I ordered it and eagerly awaited my very grown up parcel. Royal Mail notified me it had been delivered to my storage box. However, the photo they provided as proof only filled me with dread, given that it was not my storage box. I ventured up and down my road, desperately trying to figure out where it could've got to. I knocked on neighbours doors and did my best not to look too shifty as I hovered in peoples gardens whilst looking confused at my phone. Exasperated, I zoomed in on the low quality photo from Royal mail and noticed the house number on the address label was off by 10 blocks. I went to the house to be greeted by a doorbell-camera. The chap who lived there said he had my parcel but was out at work and would deliver it to me that evening. Finally! I thought. I'll get my parcel this evening. When the neighbour popped round, he apologised profusely as he had opened my parcel. He had seen it was his address and didn't even notice the name. Continuing to apologise, he showed how he had taped the parcel up again for me. I kept reassuring him it wasn't a big deal- I was just happy to finally get it! Horror dawned on me once more as the parcel felt very non-small figure shaped. I opened the parcel to be met with three self help books. No wonder the neighbour looked so sorry for me. Apparently I was trying to lose weight, find God AND declutter my life! Were it so easy… After some back and forthing with the eBay seller, we worked out that two address labels must've been accidently switched with someone else's at the post office. Thankfully, the seller had a spare figure and just sent it to me. Again.

Anyway, I am now the proud owner of this little dude in golden Elite armour. Pretty sick! I'm currently going through MCC with my younger brother. Maybe i'll treat myself to one every time we finish a campaign- Or each time I do x amount of comic pages? The part I find the most hilarious about this story is that some poor person somewhere in the world was awaiting three books to try and change their life for the better and instead, has probably received a tiny Spartan. I hope it brings them more joy and peace than the books would have.

[margindoodles2407]

@seeking-elsewhither OHOHO YOU NEED TO SEE MY PROPAGANDA CHART

Okay so you know about the Fives Essay, right? Well in case you don't, essentially I am in the process of re-watching all of Fives's major arcs (the Rookies, Citadel, Umbara, and Chips arcs) and then using that information to write an essay combating common fandom mischaracterizations surrounding him, because that is my guy and I am tired of seeing bad and out-of-character takes. One of those takes is that he causes problems for no reason and/or doesn't take things seriously except in cases like Umbara and with the chips. Which is not true. I've gone into this before but that's the biggest pet peeve for me, especially cause I have to deal with similar stuff in my own life and how people perceive me, and I am tired of the two of us being sold short.

Anyway all this to say that part of that is that I absolutely, 100% believe that Echo is, in fact, the one who causes problems just to see what happens (and I'm so glad we had moments in TBB to back me up on this). And to make things even more fun (read: to cope with my seething rage at Fives's short end of the fandom stick), I put those two things into an in-universe context: Echo constantly causes situations just to see what will happen specifically because he knows he can blame it on his twin and everyone will side with him because he's a perfect angel who can do no wrong and Fives has shifty eyes. (And it's never in a serious context, like if there was any danger of anyone, especially Fives, getting hurt or killed or having anything actually bad happen to them, he'd immediately step up and take the blame and defend his brother, but if it's "we were hanging out in the mess hall and suddenly someone found a tauntaun eyeball in their soup" then you know he's gonna be badly hiding his giggles while the Captain chews Fives out and he just has to sit there and take it)

Also he was absolutely the one who first gave Hardcase that blasted kazoo

[beecreeper]

22, 91, 93! for all three >:3

Oooh this was a long one. I already answered 91 in a previous ask, but here's the other two under the cut.

22.) What is your Tav's first impression of the other companions (Astarion, Gale, Karlach, Wyll ...)

Briar's reactions:

Shadowheart -- "I'm so glad that she's sensible and isn't taking the whole "leaving her to die on the nautiloid" thing personally. She also doesn't do annoying things like "talk to me" or "ask about my past". Respectable."

Astarion -- thinks his charming schtick is a bit annoying and that he's a bit too much of a dandy, but DOES get a kick out of him threatening her with a knife straight out the gate. REALLY gets a kick out him trying to bite her, ESPECIALLY when he goes all puppy dog eyes "please" about it. She's like "oh he's kinda pathetic. I kinda wanna treat him like a pet."

Gale -- Haaaaaaates Gale immediately. Thinks he is the most annoying, pretentious, obnoxious man on the planet and the only reason he isn't dead is because other people were around and she didn't want to lose allies yet.

Lae'zel -- glad to have someone competent and ruthless around. Thinks that her bossing around Zorru is REALLY funny. But also finds her constantly preaching about the githyanki really grating.

Wyll -- tbh Briar feels kinda nothing about Wyll at first. She doesn't actively *dislike* how gallant and do-goody he is quite yet because it's like "fine do what you want as long as you don't get in *my* way", which he hasn't yet. Is a bit exacerbated when Mizora shows up because at that point it's like "we have to deal with ANOTHER devil are you serious. This is a pain".

Karlach -- her immediate reaction to Karlach was "oh this will be useful". Vibes with the part of Karlach that is boisterous and impulsive.

Molli's reactions:

Shadowheart -- WHY is she being so rude all the time.

Astarion -- is very caught off guard by him and falls for all his manipulation stuff really easily. Unfortunately for her she IS down bad right away and starts making excuses for him. Him being smug and arrogant and morally dubious but also doing things like flirting with her makes her head kinda spin.

Gale -- autism to autism connectivity. Doesn't vibe with him as strongly as some of the other companions but they definitely understand each other.

Lae'zel -- bossy competent scary lady I will not argue with her on anything yes ma'am anything you say ma'am

Wyll -- likes Wyll immediately. Loves his charm and his fairy tale hero demeanor and his stories and his wit and how he's also just a bit of a dork. When it comes to Mizora and the Karlach thing she can see that he's clearly been tricked and trapped and she feels kinda protective of him because of that. Like, you know that feeling like "I know that I struggle with this same problem and don't address it when it's happening to me, but as soon as it's happening to a friend I suddenly have the determination of a thousand suns"? It's that.

Karlach -- had a crush on Karlach pretty much immediately. LOVES how enthusiastic she is for everything. Look how much she loves life! Look at her smile and laugh and dance!!

Ferox's reactions:

Shadowheart -- "Hm. I don't like how cagey you're being about that artifact but I'm not gonna push it. Not my business but I AM watching you."

Astarion -- oh does not like Astarion pretty much at all. Thinks he's shifty and untrustworthy and disingenuous and also just annoying. Can you stop complaining for TWO seconds, Astarion.

Gale -- "you keep saying a lot of words that I don't know but you seem to know what you're doing with magic so I trust you." Low-key likes when Gale talks at him even though a lot of it goes over his head. I also imagine, out of all the companions, Gale is the one most likely to ask for help in camp and lean into the teamwork part of things, so Gale is good for giving Ferox tasks to do, like asking for help setting up his tent or cutting things for dinner, and Ferox is grateful for something to do. He likes to feel productive and useful and Gale facilitates that.

Lae'zel -- he immediately defers to Lae'zel as being in charge because she acts like it and also seems to know the most about mindflayers. He sees her as efficient and capable, if maybe a touch too abrasive but who is he to judge if it's getting the job done.

Wyll -- admires Wyll a lot and is very jealous of how he can just *be* like that. Like wow that guy is actually a noble hero

Karlach -- feels a lot of sympathy for Karlach's situation and is low-key jealous of just how upbeat she is in spite of it.

93. What do you think happens to the party, afterwards? Do they go for drinks? Do they go their separate ways?

Obviously it all depends on which ending they get so I'll try to summarize without getting too convoluted lol

Briar is easy because in both of her endings she doesn't talk to any of these people ever again. Either she uses them at thralls in her takeover or she just makes an active effort to never be found. She would have one last conversation with Sunflower before leaving for the wilderness forever. In that version, I'm sure Sunflower would be making deliberate efforts to keep the party in touch with each other, but Briar absolutely opts out.

In Molli's good ending, she, Karlach, and Wyll (because you KNOW Wyll is coming with us) all have to leave for Avernus really abruptly which interrupts any celebratory drinks they absolutely would have had if given the chance. They definitely all reconnect after they get back, though it takes a bit of doing to track everyone down. Everyone gets their good ending in this timeline though, so it all works out in the end.

In Molli's bad ending, I'm a little less solid about where all the companions will wind up, which will definitely change the post-brain vibe. In general, I think a lot of the companions will get the endings that take them all their separate ways. Molli would really want to try to kinda stay in touch, but Astarion would try to discourage it and keep her isolated.

In Ferox's good ending he's probably going with Lae'zel to fight Vlaakith BUT I would want to insist that they don't fly off on a dragon immediately like happens in game. They need a fucking breather, you know? And he wants to check in with all their other allies after the battle as well, check on the city and help with any immediate relief efforts. Then they can go to the astral plane and would probably lose touch with the rest of the party. I'd imagine communication between planes would be difficult and they'd only manage it pretty rarely, but he'd always be glad whenever he does hear from them.

In Ferox's bad ending everyone else goes out for drinks but he has to excuse himself and get the FUCK out of town because he feels Bhaal taking over his body (because he gets THAT ending. The "accept Bhaal + destroy the brain" ending)