#when i tell you he is my inspiration to persevere

[lvnesart]

oh to be loved

[cocteaucherry]

another silly gojo thing I wrote with pregnant reader (I was inspired by Kali’s pregnancy announcement 🩷)

a/n- (I promise pt 3 of LTLM is coming out later today or tomorrow)

cw- pregnancy, talks of sexual situations, gojo being gojo :p

The day Satoru found out you were pregnant was a day you’ll never forget.

It was a freezing morning in January and you had just finished taking down the Christmas decorations (yeah it was a few weeks after Christmas but you both were lazy) you let out a huff wiping your hands as you stared at the old cardboard boxes that housed the glittery decorations, it made you feel more emotional than usual seeing yet another year pass.

You heard the door burst open and you turned to find your husband dragging in a bunch of wires and lights, “ six hundred twinkling lights taken down by your one and only!” He exclaimed, dropping the lights and using his foot to close the door, “you sure? I could’ve sworn I heard you on the verge of using Hollow Purple.” You said playfully as you gazed lovingly at your husband.

“What?! No! I was of course gonna take you out of the house first!” The blue eyed male chuckled as he walked towards you immediately wrapping his arms around your waist, “I think I deserve a kiss for my bravery and perseverance.” He hummed his hands running over the slight pudge in your stomach, “Do you really?” You peered up at his face to be met with a very shocked expression, you chuckled nervously staring at his over exaggerated face.

Gojo could tell something was off for the past few days, frequent bathroom trips, slight nausea in the morning and your missed period. (He might be the strongest but he’s not the smartest) and now your cursed energy was changing he sensed it when he walked in it was almost doubled. “I mean this is the BEST way possible, let me stress BEST, are you somehow maybe- just a little bit ermm.. pregnant?”

Your mind went blank at the question, “Maybe?” You shrugged your shoulders, “it would make sense..” your mind tried to calculate the last time you and Gojo were intimate but Gojo calculated for you, “Christmas.” He said his mouth was still wide open, “yeah , maybe wrapping myself like a present wasn’t the best idea.” You giggled and Satoru was quick to retort with a red face, “you practically had nothing on! You can’t blame me!” Gojo pouted, rubbing the back of his neck, “can we go buy some tests to confirm your theory?”

About seven tests later it was confirmed, you were pregnant.

Of course tears and hugs were shared and you wanted to share the news with your friends but Gojo stopped you claiming he wanted to see how long you both could go unnoticed, he also opted to buy a camcorder to track your happy moments. It was more of a nostalgia thing. (Even while you're pregnant he’s still dramatic.)

By the time you were breaching your second trimester a lot of things changed, for worse and better, the spare room in your house was converted into a full baby room, all constructed by gojo himself since he was terrified of you getting injured. The baby room was filled with expensive baby materials and toys, “Satoru.. are you sure this isn’t too much?” You stared at the room in disbelief, your hand stroking your bump, He grunted, placing a heavy box with more materials down, “What? Think I can go bigger?” He winked and opened the package.

“We don’t even know the gender yet? you yelled walking down the hallway to lay down.

Everyone in Satoru’s life knew something was up, he walked with more pep in his step and glowed even more than he already was.

“So does anyone know what’s up with Gojo-sensei?” Yuji questioned sitting on his bed, Kugusaki and Megumi on the floor visibly not listening. “Don’t know, don’t really care either.” Megumi deadpanned which earned a grin from Kugisaki, “Not sure Yuuji, have you tried asking his wife?” she asked, peering from her phone. “She hasn’t been around here in like months!” The pink haired boy exclaimed failing to connect the dots but Megumi did for him.

“Maybe she’s expecting.” He shrugged it off going back to type on his phone, “What?! You mean they-they-“ yuuji stuttered.

“Yuuji they are adults, plus it would make sense right after the holidays too. So she’d be about.."Kugisaki counted in her head, “second trimester?”

“You guys are taking this a little too well?!” Yuuji exclaimed, “oh Kugisaki and I made our own theory a few weeks ago-“

“And you didn’t tell me?!-“

Later that day you had a teary eyed pink haired teenager yapping at the door about how you didn’t tell him sooner.

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️Reveling in Richonne - TOWL

#13: The Recovery (1.02)

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Rick and Michonne’s journeys are always so similar to the point that they both endured their most awful year at the same time. Rick spent the year officially being the walking dead away from family and Michonne spent that same year recovering in a mall from a brutal attack away from family. And once she's healed physically, Michonne still has to navigate so much heartbreak as she finally makes it to Bridgers Terminal🥺...

After the CRM's attack, that group of travelers is then reduced to just two - Michonne and Nat. They spend a year recovering in a mall and there's a montage of how they got through the time, which includes a lot of oxygen, slow healing, and inspiring determination.

I know this time in the mall had to be so painful for Michonne because she wanted to find Rick and get home ASAP and now she literally has to just stay put and fight for her life until she heals up for an entire year.

gif cred: @nerd4music

But never one to take anything lying down, she works hard at her recovery, attempting to still exercise and strengthen her lungs, which is a big challenge at first. Yet another reason Michonne is a commendable queen - because working out is hard enough when you haven’t been bombed with chlorine gas.

Michonne is willing to push through the hardship as we see her slowly but surely get better. Seeing her perseverance is always so inspiring. I also like how the push-ups tie back to the way she would work out and stay fit in the prison. 

Michonne watches the seasons change and gathers food and I guess the one good thing about being hunkered down at a mall is you get to sleep in those comfy display beds.

gif cred: @richardgrimes

There’s a moment where she and Nat eat and she stares at Rick’s boots, a sign that she’s not losing sight of her mission to find her husband and bring him home. Nat also talks about the importance of knowing when to go and knowing when to give up as he feels he learned the hard way.

gif cred: @taiturner

But Michonne is hope personified and so she brings up Nat’s stepdad Danger and says, “He didn’t give up, right? Didn’t give up on you. Gotta think it was cause of your mom. You gotta think it was cause of love.”

As she says this we see she’s holding the phone she found with the image of her and Judith and Rick’s name. I think they pair those lines over that phone image because Michonne knows wherever Rick is he hasn’t given up on his girls, (even if he’s given up on reuniting with them he hasn’t given up on them) as he clearly still kept images of them as reminders to keep going. And if he hasn’t given up because of his love for her then you already know Michonne isn’t giving up because of her love for him.

gif cred: @nerd4music

She also looks outside and sees birds flying which is indicating that the air is getting safer. (Side note: I love her outfits in this mall montage and how she really did bring more pops of color to the show. And the music is great too. 👌🏽)

As Michonne gets better at the push-ups I love how you can see the ring hanging from her neck. It feels symbolic of how Rick is still with her and motivating her to regain her strength. 

gif cred: @nerd4music

So then Michonne and Nat sit and eat and she gives him a map to go to Alexandria because she knows he’s strong enough to travel now. Nat says, “I go to your home and you go to Bridgers Terminal? It should be the other way around.”

Michonne says the s8 ep title from when Carl reveals he was bit as she tells Nat, “This is how it’s gotta be.” But Nat begs to differ and says no.

gif cred: @richardgrimes

Michonne tries to convince him again but Nat passionately cuts her off and emotionally declares, “This is all I got. Okay? You. That’s it” And my heart. ☹️ And then he does his signature thing of playing with his lighter as he more tearily says, “That’s it.” I love that Nat values Michonne this much. 🥲

So Michonne agrees to have him go with her in the morning and also she looks so pretty in her outfit. 😊

gif cred: @nerd4music

Nat says they need to make one stop first for his wagon and I love their little teasing exchange as Michonne asks, “What, you’re expecting me to pull it?” and he’s just matter-of-factly like, “Yeah I am.” 😋

Michonne asks if he’s coming along to see how it ends but Nat gravely says, “Nope. I know how it ends.”

Then without even making a big show of it, I appreciate that they pay homage to Michonne’s signature ability to make the walkers work for her as she and Nat arrive at Bridgers Terminal with a walker pulling their wagon. You just know that was Michonne’s idea and she and Nat have being inventive people in common. 

gif cred: @nerd4music

Michonne is super eager to see what she can find when they get to Bridgers Terminal but all that’s there is a giant shipwreck and the horrific sight of several piles of scorched bodies nearly impossible to identify.

gif cred: @richardgrimes

Michonne’s teary-eyed response to seeing this hurts my heart. 🥺 Like it’s painful to think for a moment she had to seriously wonder if this is the horrible fate that her husband met.

gif cred: @richardgrimes

And then in another act of immense love for her man, Michonne is shown searching every pile of burnt bodies into the night hours to try and see if any of them are Rick. If that ain’t love. 🥲

gif cred: @chaoticroad

The fact that the burned bodies all don’t have shoes makes things even more complicated. But again the resilience of Michonne Grimes is on display as she meticulously checks each one, even with knowing that they might bring her no answers or worse a devastating confirmation that Rick really is gone.

She checks until it’s literally too dark to see anymore and then we get a heartbreaking scene by a fire. 

It’s sad because earlier in the ep she was cozily by a fire with friends and laughing and now she’s by a fire and coming as close to losing hope as she’s ever come in years. 😢

But she still tries to hold onto some hope as she takes out Rick’s boots and hugs them. Just end me now, that sight is so heartrending. 😭 She loves Rick so much and would give anything to be holding him instead right now.

gif cred: @nat111love

Also, now knowing that she only feels safe with Rick, it feels like this moment of hugging the boots is her way to self-soothe as she’s feeling really lost and devastated and it’s like these boots are giving her at least a little of the comfort Rick gave her when they were together. They’re reminding her that somehow his story didn’t end on the bridge and she’s not crazy for still feeling he’s out there. 

I adore seeing Nat take care of Michonne in this state and wrap a blanket around her. 🥹 Just exactly the type of friendship Michonne needs and deserves.

Nat acknowledges the reality of the situation and how it’s likely a dead-end ever knowing if Rick is among the bodies. But Michonne says with conviction, “I felt him. I still feel him.” And I know that’s right. 👏🏽 That’s such a beautiful and powerful sentiment.

gif cred: @nat111love

I love the way TOWL really affirmed Richonne’s soulmate status. Like their souls are in every way connected and so of course even miles and miles apart she can still feel him.

And I bet she knows the way she feels Rick's presence is different than the way she feels Carl or Andre's. In s9 Michonne told Negan she sees Carl in everything so she obviously still feels his presence but in a way of someone who is no longer with her. With Rick, you can just tell that she feels him alive and breathing and walking the earth.

Again, with the immense amount of love Rick was still emitting to her while with the CRM it makes perfect sense that she can still feel him.

Nat tells Michonne that the Japanese on her phone means “believe a little bit longer” and Michonne silently reacts with tears in her eyes, knowing that's likely what Rick has been doing all these years.

gif cred: @nat111love

Michonne then notes that Nat has been telling her to go home. Nat says she should go home but she can still believe that Rick is out there. And then knowing that Danai is an incredible actor with even just her eyes and expressions alone, they zoom in really close as Michonne sheds tears and entertains an idea she’s fought so hard for years to not entertain.

She vulnerably says, “It’s been right in front of me, hasn’t it? All this time, it’s been right in front of me. It’s been so long. If he were alive…he would’ve found his way.” Ok that has my soul sobbing everytime. 😭 It’s so beautiful to see how much she loves him and so painful to see her voice break as she says this.

gif cred: @nat111love

And it’s touching because it again shows how much she believes in Rick. She knows if he could have been home by now he would’ve. But the thing is...Rick needs her in order to truly find his way and without her, he’s too lost to find his way on his own.

I love the way she says this line with so much love, belief, and care for Rick. Almost like she just wants to know even if Rick can’t be with her that he’s okay out there and that he’s found his way somehow, just as a person she loves and wants the best for.

gif cred: @nat111love

All and all, it just really moves me to hear Michonne say this. She knows that Rick Grimes would fight tooth and nail for his family so, considering he's been away from them for years, it might mean he’s not alive. And honestly, that's correct in a way because Rick isn’t alive. When the chance to see her again was taken from him, he lost himself and decided to die.

At this very moment, Rick is living life as the walking dead without her and so that’s why he hasn’t found his way. He lost his compass when he lost Michonne so he can’t get home without her. But I love how Michonne believes Rick would have found his way no matter what. 

Nat is comforting saying Michonne doesn’t know for sure if Rick is gone and then gives her a balanced perspective as he beautifully says, “You can believe he’s out there, that he’s not gone. You can believe a little longer and still go home to your kids. You can know when to go. You can do both.”

gif cred: @nat111love

And then I appreciate his supportiveness in letting Michonne know she doesn’t have to do it alone as he says, “I can do it with you. I will.” He’s the best. 🥹 And how I wish Nat could have gone to ASZ with Michonne and Rick. You just know he would become a beloved uncle to Judith and RJ. 🥲

Nat then tells Michonne something that she really needs to hear as he says, “It’s not giving up.” I think for Michonne, heading back home feels like failing and giving up on her true love when she knows and feels that Rick needs her, and she needs him, and her kids need them both.

Like for someone as loyal and determined as Michonne, going back without finding him would be such a hard and painful defeat. And you see that on Michonne's face as she sheds tears and seriously wrestles in her mind with how going back home now could feel like giving up on the man she loves.  

gif cred: @nat111love

Nat turns on the walkie and as they listen to the static Michonne let’s it all out as she bursts into tears and Nat hugs her like the good friend he is. That was such a raw vulnerable moment. 😭 I love that Michonne got to just release her emotions over everything by this fire because there’s clearly so much weighing on her.

gif cred: @nat111love

I know when hearing that static she’s longing to hear her children’s voices and be back with them. She’s longing to see her husband and be back in his arms too. She's been put through so much in mind and body after the CRM attack and put through even more before the CRM attack in her six or so years as a single mom and head of security.

And in this moment by the fire, you see her just bring all that emotion to the surface and finally know it’s time to go home, even without Rick as much as that breaks her heart.

gif cred: @nat111love

This scene by the fire was stunningly acted by Danai and Matthew. 👏🏽

And then - the episode cuts to "Now" as Richonne’s epic reunion is so close you can feel it in the air…literally. 😌👌🏽

[heal-the-ashes]

i'm thinking about pl and—like always—i get emotional after anything regarding this series. these stories. the ebb and flow of cherished laughs and pained expressions, the give and take of funny dialogues and heartbreaking reveals. when the end credits songs just wash over the entire experience with additional thoughts (usually angst-y in my case). when you've realized the story you just witnessed and the story that you felt apart of will stay with you for times that seem ephemerally immemorial...

[Slight Miracle Mask and Unwound Future Spoilers near the end]

these games don't show happiness and sadness. they don't show the positives and negatives of how a scene should flow. they don't just have dialogue and action and tone and intonations. 

they have perseverance amidst tragedy, the rose within the thorn, the sun within the bleak clouds. they show that everyone in this series is human. they somehow made me feel—and not in some type of pity way—for those npcs who were stuck on what i thought was the easiest puzzle in the world. there was no humiliation, no real sense of judgement. there was respect and patience and... and there was disappointment, only in one's self. there was no invalidity of emotions. yes, there were invalid actions, but i don't have a single memory of anyone saying another character was stupid for feeling a certain way. there was passive acceptance all around and across the series, there was no stuck-up sounding laughter; no one (to my memory) ever called another stupid for messing up.

and hershel layton is one of the most human characters i have ever seen. 

i saw a fanart that consisted of hershel in different stages of life. it made me emotional, because: 

in each stage of his life that was depicted there… it wasn't growing up. it wasn't milestones of age, it wasn't certain accomplishments in his character. it showed each time he has lost someone. and god does it break my heart to see and realize that he. is still. here. the amount of pain PL characters have gone through just breaks my heart.

and i am so glad and so honestly inspired to know that. and i feel so awful for thinking my problems are bad when i look at the greatest person to ever exist in media ever, who was shaped by traumas far beyond my own. and that is not an understatement: i genuinely believe professor hershel layton is my favorite character in any media. because he and his games tell you that there is more to life than pain. and it is a lesson that i am so glad that i can finally see someone else tell.

miracle mask and unwound future are two of my favorite games because they're the games that tell the audience that he is human. it reveals how he despises—he loathes, he hates—… not emotions. no, not sadness, not regret, not remorse, not disappointment, not pain. no, none of that. 

he hates certain parts of himself. he hates how he dealt with grief. he hates it when he's shown with "proof" that he's gone and done the very thing he swore not to ever do. he doesn't even hate anyone else even though he has so much right to. he should've cussed out bronev off screen. he should've yelled at bill hawks. he shouldn't of saved clive but god what did he do. he saved clive. he saved randall. 

oh, how love is a weapon. this is it. this is one of the greatest examples of how love is a weapon in storytelling. it's not even platonic love between the characters, its the love the audience has for the characters. stories like these twist this and they do it well. but, anyway—

when i was younger, i thought hershel layton was foolish. i thought he was stupid. i used to think: "what is he doing? someone hurts him, why doesn't he want to hurt them back? what's wrong with him that he doesn't want revenge?"

i couldn't of been more... wrong about how he sees the world.

no, he's the one of the greatest persons i've ever seen in media. i've learned so much from him and the PL series as a whole. i've learned something from each and every character. [what i learned from bronev and bill hawks is just to not be them.] 

layton is the kindest person i've seen. there is no earned malice anywhere near him. he doesn't purposefully aggravate others. he isn't mean, he's not one you'd call angry. he's patient and understanding, and he was made from pain. 

if every person was at least a little bit like him, i think the world would be a better place. a place where no one has to be made from pain.

[jonathantaylorthomas]

ED: People are saying they're inspired to shoot their shot with their crush because of Travis. Recently, you said you’re happy he shot for the stars. How do you feel about him having this impact?

DK: It’s awesome. You’re never going to achieve your dreams, do what you want, or find that person that you really care about unless you open up and you’re vulnerable. And it’s so important to try to find that person or find that career that you really want. You’re not going to get it if you never ask for it.

When I was at work, women would come up to me and ask me, “What’s the one piece of advice you could give me to become a vice president in a bank?” And I said, “If you want something, ask for it. Don’t expect anyone to ever give it to you. You have to let them know that that’s what you want.” And that’s what he basically does.

ED: Do you have any advice for shooting your shot?

DK: If you truly believe that you can be who you want to be in life, I think it’s important that you persevere because perseverance and hard work trumps talent any day.

ED: Similarly, Drew Barrymore said she was re-inspired by how much Travis and Taylor are putting their romance out there in public — like Taylor changing her song lyrics to “Karma” to reference him. What do you think about that?

DK: They’re telling their story how they want to, and I think that’s important to let them do that.

ED: What’s your advice for dealing with being in the public eye?

DK: Be yourself. Don’t try to put on any airs. Just be who you are, and I think people can relate to you.

ED: You previously said you loved the Eras tour movie. What did you love about it?

DK: I’ve listened to a different genre my whole life. So I went to the movie to find out what it was all about and how important it was for me to understand the type of music that she sang. What inspired me was that it was very artistic. She’s just amazing. As an entertainer, she can command an entire stadium, and she can reach out and make them feel like they’re special. And I think that’s a special person that can do that.

[pocketpennytm]

INESCAPABLE

The story where everyone is doomed from the start. (Ft. FATEBREAKERS) Chara (they/it) - SOUL of Pain Plaster (he/they) - SOUL of Patience Omlet (she/they) - SOUL of Kindness Talon (he/him) - SOUL of Bravery Oxalis (they/them) - SOUL of Justice Sonata "Breve" Stardust (she/her)- SOUL of Integrity Litany (he/him)- SOUL of Perseverence Frisk (they/them) - SOUL of Pain Bear witness to my takes on the six fallen humans! I love these silly lil fellas. My main focuses have been envisioning "UNDERTALE: Open Wound", of which Plaster is the protagonist, and "UNDERTALE: Simmer Down", of which Omlet is the protagonist, but I've got ideas for everyone else too. Which I will detail down here lets gooo; Plaster is an anxious overthinker, thinking that they're always doomed. His patience manifests as analysing his enemy's patterns and behaviour, waiting for the right moment to strike... Either emotionally or physically. Omlet is a rude, abrasive person, who thinks the kindest, most selfless thing they can do to people is tell them exactly what she's feeling. Though she seems distant, she does have a warm and caring side- expressed through their cooking. Talon is a very plucky individual, whose bravery manifests as completely pushing down all fear and pretending that he's fine when he's really not fine. He projects outwardly a very cool, calm and collected persona, never breaking a sweat at anything. This trait of his just might be the death of him, as he moves on ahead with reckless abandon- never asking for help, when that just might've saved him. Oxalis seems unemotional at a distance, but they do have occasional moments of goofiness that break through the cold facade. They play as a cowboy embodying justice to cheer themselves up, but it's really only made them seem slightly scary from a distance. Sonata "Breve" Stardust doesn't take shit from anyone. She stays true to herself, no matter what- with her rough-and-tumble-yet-oddly-elegant style. Though perhaps being unaccepting to changing the path one is barreling down is as much of a strength as it is a weakness. Litany is a caring and nurturing person, playing out the fantasy of being a doctor with a clipboard. Always writing down notes on his "clipboard" (journal), clutching onto it for dear life. He only really wants to help others, and he keeps going to achieve this goal no matter what. MISC NOTES: Sonata's form of "game" would likely manifest as a rhythm game sort of thing, justifying it in-universe as this "bizzare trend going around the underground." Stay with the groove, or die! (metaphorically) It's been my headcanon for nearly two years now that the "Red SOUL trait" is PAIN. It is not all too logical. I am sticking by my guns.

NAME LOGIC: I was inspired by Clover from UNDERTALE: Yellow being named after the fact that once pacified, the gun fires clovers. So, I extended this philosophy to everyone else- while also seeking to capture that odd jank the names "Chara" and "Frisk" have.

Plaster is named that because the knives turn into bandaids, and plaster is an alternative term for a bandage, or something that patches up a wound. Omlet is named that because the fire turns into omelettes, and I decided to shorten it for some reason. I think it's charming like this, though. If anyone else mentions how they "aren't really omlettes", i will sob. Talon is named that because that's the most convoluted way I could reference the concept of hands. Which is what the bravery soul phase attacks with. Oxalis is named that because Oxalis Tetraphylla is the official name for a four leaf clover. Though she probably uses Alis as a nickname. Sonata "Breve" Stardust is named that bc the musical notes eventually heal you. a Sonata is a form of music, a Breve is a type of note, and she attacks with some stars. it's also sort of an Equestria Girls reference whoopsie. She's the only one with a lastname bc I feel like "Breve" captures the sort of janky charm I want, but Sonata is a name that I just found legitimately really pretty Litany is named that because that's the most convoluted way i could say "words", in reference to how the soul phase... attacks you with words. It means a funeral procession recited for the dead, but also something that's overly long and needs to be practiced several times- exactly like the cycle of the fallen humans. Or a long and lengthy ramble, like an indecipherable journal.

DESIGN NOTES: I really wanted each of the fallen humans to use their trademark items in an unusual fashion- or just generally "break the mold" a little, ie having Omlet be a rather rude seeming person, while most personify kindness to be a gentle little angel. So, I'll go into that just a smidgen more here. Instead of wearing the Faded Ribbon like an actual ribbon in his hair, Plaster wears it like a bowtie. Omlet wears the apron around her waist, since she's outgrown it but it still holds quite a lot of sentimental value. Most people just?? forget that the worn bandanna is supposed to go around your neck?? since it's got abs drawn on it, and it's like, the whole joke is that it's supposed to look like you have abs- It's a hat. Sonata was such a fun design to make for me. Everyone always chooses to make Integrity a dainty little ballerina girl, so I chose to give Breve a whole-ass varsity jacket. She looks like she'd beat you up and I love it. My logic for Litany's design was entirely "okay... who wears glasses... and takes notes- DOCTOR". So that's what I did. Chara and Frisk were difficult for me to redesign. My friend Cacote suggested Chara be wearing an oversized sweater alongside messy hair, which I quite like. Plus, their hairstyle is a partial reference to Chara from Fanontale, which is always cool. They look adorable. My friend Cacote suggested Frisk be wearing some bizzare fashion, somewhat akin to futuristic clothing. This manifested as me... giving them a weird suit/trenchcoat combo. And a sticky bandage on their nose. They look kind of like a huge asshole, and I love it.

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

Nisha, did you know I would step on some legos barefooted for you? Anyways can’t wait to read for another fandom I have never stepped foot in and would probably never engage with the canon in just because you decided that’s what to make, and I’ve decided to read it anyways. Home cooked meal. -Rotten Anon

The opening line of this message made literal cartoon anime hearts appear above my head, just so you know <3

Also you have inspired me to post a rundown of my WIPs because I am really excited about what I have been working on. And for two of these fandoms, I know you have said you know nothing about the canon, but for the third, I am not sure, so we'll see.

My Current WIPs April/May 2024

Heaven's Gate (for The Walking Dead) - Daryl Dixon x GN!Reader. Strangers to Lovers/Soulmates/Lovers Reunited. Angst, Fluff, Hurt and Comfort. Set during Season 1 to Season 5. 17k in counting (will be a oneshot). You can find a preview here. In this fic, you and Daryl get separated when the Governor attacks the prison, and though you both believe the other person is dead (or long gone) you find each other at the most unlikely time, in the most unlikely place.

I am super excited about this fic, and the themes of hope that I have woven into it. Because yes, I unironically love writing about hope and how the human spirit can persevere - which is something that my favourite moments in The Walking Dead show. This is first draft complete and just needs to be edited.

The Jaws of Life (for DC Titans) - Jason Todd x GN!Reader. Sequel to Emergency Contact. Lovers Reunited. Extreme Angst, Smut, Hurt and (some) Comfort. Set during Season 3. 21k in counting (will probably be a oneshot - if it needs to be split up, it will be put in two parts, but I hope I can get away with a oneshot). (I highly recommend that everyone go read the original in the meantime, because it is one of my best fics ever.) In this fic, you and Jason struggle with the new meaning of your relationship after what happened with Deathstroke - only for this tentative change to be harshly disrupted by the Joker. And you're still heavily mourning when a red hooded stranger breaks into your apartment one night, seeking medical care because apparently - you owe him one.

Everyone give Jaycen @nctzenkane a big fucking round of applause for this one, because he was randomly talking to me about Jason Todd today (we were having the 'some characters are only fuckable in costume' discussion) - and I got talking about how this version of Jason from Titans makes me so passionate to write about the character. And it is solely because of him that I opened up this fic and took a good look at it - I have been thinking about this fic for months, wanting to finish it because I know I am gonna be proud of it, but I kept hesitating because I thought I had a way bigger mountain to conquer with it. But the conversation I had with Jaycen really inspired me and I wrote 5k on the fic just today, and I realized that with this momentum, I could have the first draft done by the end of this month. So I am promising myself that this is gonna be done soon.

Speaking of which - when The Jaws of Life is first draft done, I wanna host a poll so you guys can decide which of those two ^^ fics goes through the editing process to be posted first. Both will be posted (hopefully) by the end of May, but I do wanna know which one you guys wanna see posted first. Which leads me to:

Nasty (for Stranger Things) - Sub!Eddie Munson x Dom!Fem!Reader. Established Relationship. Smut/PWP. 3k (this is gonna be a shorter fic lmao). In this fic, you and Eddie have been dating for a while, but you don't like that all of his attempts to have sex with you have him taking on a (seemingly fake) dom persona. When you finally tell him that you prefer to be more dominant in bed, he isn't disgusted like you thought he might be - he loves it.

This is one I have been sitting on for a while, and right before it was ready to be posted - my brain lost interest in it like tiktok does micro trends. But I think this is gonna be really great to post while the poll for those other fics is cooking because it's short and sweet and for the past few days, whenever I have seen the cover for this in my drafts, I have gotten excited about it again. So I am excited to finish it and show it off to everyone!!

[cantsayidont]

Something that bugs me a little about the reactions to LORD OF THE RINGS is the way that fans pointedly overlook the sometimes uneasy class politics that are involved in the relationship between Frodo and Sam.

This is in no way denying that it's a homoerotic relationship, which is something that comes through vividly even in the weird, truncated Rankin-Bass RETURN OF THE KING animated adaptation from 1980. However, it's important to understand that until the last few pages of the novel, Sam is literally Frodo's servant.

Tolkien is quick to stress, as stories from class-conscious societies often do, that Sam is happy and eager to serve Frodo, and willingly does so even when there's nothing in it for him, but the story emphasizes throughout that Sam is not the social equal of Frodo, Merry, Pippin, or Bilbo. When Sam calls Frodo "Master," it's not a D/S thing; Sam is Frodo's household employee (and in a sense his batman, which Tolkien said was the inspiration for their interactions), having essentially inherited that role from his father, who was Bilbo's employee. When, in the final chapter, Frodo tells Sam to marry Rosie Cotton and movie her into Bag End, he isn't proposing a menage à trois, he is offering to hire Rosie so that Sam can combine his marriage with his full-time duties. It isn't until Frodo tells Sam, on the way to the Grey Havens, that he has made Sam his heir that Sam becomes Frodo's social equal and the master of Bag End rather than the head of its staff. (Tolkien implies elsewhere that this caused Sam some legal trouble, since there was no indication that Frodo was dead or permanently gone — and if Merry and Pippin hadn't been there to witness Frodo's departure, people would have wondered if Sam did away with his master to try to steal his estate.)

Moreover, Tolkien expressly links Sam's perseverance, loyalty, and ability to resist the power of the Ring to his knowing his place. Toward the beginning, Sam's father recalls telling him:

‘Elves and Dragons! I says to him. Cabbages and potatoes are better for me and you. Don’t go getting mixed up in the business of your betters, or you’ll land in trouble too big for you, I says to him. And I might say it to others,’ he added with a look at the stranger and the miller.

Later (in "The Tower of Cirith Ungol"), Sam is tempted by the Ring, which shows him wild fantasies of his overthrowing Sauron and building a garden in the vale of Gorgoroth. However:

In that hour of trial it was the love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart that he was not large enough to bear such a burden, even if such visions were not a mere cheat to betray him. The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own hands to use, not the hands of others to command.

The word "free" is doing a lot of work here, since Sam is, back in the safety of Hobbiton, quite literally a hand for others to command; he tends Frodo's garden, not his own. But the point is that he recognizes his humble, inferior position in society and accepts it "freely," and that that choice gives Sam what Gandalf might have called the strength and good purpose to heroically resist a temptation that more noble and lordly types like Boromir could not.

My point is not that Sam doesn't love Frodo, which obviously he does, or the reverse, which the narrative makes plain. However, if you are not so reflexively comforted by classist fantasies of this kind, it's hard not to periodically stop and wonder, "Is this sexual harassment?"

[silverskye13]

(sorry if this got sent twice, internet is very spotty at the moment) Rotating RnS Helsknight in my mind. I keep debating what dnd paladin oath he'd swear. Glory is fitting but also seems TOO obvious. I almost want to say Devotion just for the irony/contrast of it, and since he genuinely wants to make Hels better, and it would make RnS Wels lose his entire mind if he found out

Oooo I have a soft spot for this, because in my Curse of Strahd campaign right now, my paladin Ashborne is just beginning-of-RnS Helsknight. I couldn't think of a good character so I just built Helsknight as a fire genasi, except instead of Tanguish he has a shadow god sitting on his shoulder telling him to kill people, and instead of a crippling fear of death its a crippling fear of never being used to his full potential by his god.

........ Anyway.

DnD Paladin Helsknight rambles under the cut!

In my opinion, I kind of have to agree that Helsknight best matches Oath of Devotion. The oaths especially line up almost perfectly with his knightly tenets:

Courage. Never fear to act, though caution is wise. [May you meet every obstacle with courage, for just as all that emits light must endure burning, all the courageous must make a brother of their fears.]

Honesty. Don't lie or cheat. Let your word be your promise. [May your word be binding as chains.]

Compassion. Aid others, protect the weak, and punish those who threaten them. Show mercy to your foes, but temper it with wisdom. [Any sword raised to the innocent or unarmed in cruelty is blackened by its shame.]

Honor. Treat others with fairness, and let your honorable deeds be an example to them. Do as much good as possible while causing the least amount of harm. [May you respect the honor of your fellow helsmet, that none may know you cruel or slave to vice.]

Duty. Be responsible for your actions and their consequences, protect those entrusted to your care, and obey those who have just authority over you. [May you persevere to the end of any enterprise begun, for the folly is theirs that, through unfinished business, never gain wisdom from deeds done.]

There's also stuff that hasn't been breeched in the plot yet that are... Eerily similar to plot points I have planned. Holy Weapon, for example, I think in the Colosseum Helsknight uses a flamed sword, which is functionally the same as enchanting your weapon with holy damage for the coolness factor [Channel Divinity: Sacred Weapon]. And if you outright asked Hels if he was inspiring, he would probably say no. But anyone within 10ft of him probably wouldn't be charmed against him by someone persuasive like the Demon [7th level Aura of Devotion]. Given how handily I think Helsknight fights Welsknight, and how I think he negates Wels's... For the sake of DnDing I'm going to say fey energy and persuasiveness, Purity of Spirit is a good match.

[Don't have a lot to say about the Lvl20 Holy Nimbus, because tbh that's one of the weakest level 20 paladin boons I think there is. Flat 10 radiant damage every round for enemies within 30ft of you is handy, but the saving throws only have advantage if the spellcasters are fiends and undead, and there are many, many big angry critters in DnD that are neither of those two monster types.]

I do think a Helsknight with access to the spell Flamestrike would be absolutely terrifying though lol.

On a more vibes level, when I started the story, I thought Helsknight was a lot closer to Oath of Conquest, with how he treated Welsknight specifically [which is, incidentally, why my CoS paladin Ashborne is Oath of Conquest]. The tenets don't match Helsknight's too terribly well [they're mostly to the effect of "kill all your enemies so dead that everyone is too terrified to stand against you."] However the Channel Divinities of Conquering Presence [everyone you can see is terrified of you now] and Guided Strike [I'm so pissed at you specifically that I will kill you supernaturally easily] align well with angry chapters 1-8 Helsknight. And one could argue every time he's angry, Tanguish is cowering under the Aura of Conquest [anything scared of you is now too scared to move and takes psychic damage.] And I think in text Helsknight does Scornful Rebuke on the regular [anytime something hits you, they are psychically punished for their audacity up to your Charisma modifier.]

[Level 20 Invincible Conquerer basically turns you into a barbarian paladin, which is badass. Helsknight can't do that, but that's so so cool.]

For the spells, Armor of Agythis as Helsknight's thorns armor is compelling to me, and Command, Hold Person and Fear are just things Helsknight can do to people when he's angry enough [also Compelled Dual, but all paladins get that].

If anything, I feel like Helsknight started RnS as Oath of Conquest, and then when he became friends with Tanguish, switched immediately to Oath of Devotion.

[Meanwhile if I had to make Tanguish a paladin, I think he would be Oath of Redemption, but I'll save that rant for some other time.]

[bonesart]

My pieces for Dimension Disability, a zine I organized for this year’s @d20zinejam

Imagine the respite of being able to sigh in relief and not be charged for the breath. To weep with joy and know that your tears cost you nothing.

When Elaine Lee created the world of Starstruck she asked us to imagine a world where humanity has achieved faster than light spaceflight space travel, invented cybernetic consciousness, and found sapient alien species, but is still ruled by a crypto-fascist hyper-capitalist corporate plutocracy. It’s really not all that hard to imagine really.

For people like me, who live with disabilities in a nation that neglects to give us free healthcare, or even universal insurance, Gunnie’s opening vignette rang a little too true. We know what it’s like to hate our bodies for how costly they are, to be haunted by the debts they accrue.

I’m not paraplegic, and I’m fortunate enough to have been raised in a household that never went uninsured. But I find myself resonating with Gunnie far more than any other disabled D20 character. He is emblematic of many of the truisms of the Disability Rights Movement: Anyone can become disabled at any time, and it is one of the only minority identities that you can gain at any point in your life. One second Gunnie was able bodied, one second he was not. His life was forever changed by an accident. None of us are immune from these catastrophes.

But he also lives in a world of medical miracles. If it weren’t for the cost of his cybernetic body, if it weren’t for the systems that imposed his debts upon him, would we still consider him disabled? Personally, yes. I think a life that requires accommodation is a disabled life. But I also recognize that the medical model of disability is flawed. There are many social forces that disable Gunnie, that disable me. If the two of us didn’t live in capitalist hell worlds, we’d be able to do many things we currently are not. Not to mention the culpability of capitalism in creating dangerous situations that lead to naive navigators being ejected into space without protective gear, or medical systems that leave chronic pain undiagnosed and untreated for over a decade (eh-hem). Gunnie’s story tells us that disability rights won’t be achieved until we shrug off the repressive systems that demand that profits come before people. But it also tells us that we need to be willing and able to care for each other and accommodate many needs even after we ritually sacrifice the execs of Eli Lilly to the Night Yorb, condemn Bezos to a life of sharing a bunk bed with Bazathrax and the Jersey Devil, and nail Elon Musk to a giant metal X before demolishing it with a classic Operation Slippery Puppet.

And Gunnie’s story tells me one more thing. There is joy to be found in a disabled life. Maria Town, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities, once said, “Everyone will become disabled if they are lucky enough…Disability is not necessarily a sign of weakness or a sign of a lack of competence. It is instead a sign of survival and resilience and strength.” There are things Gunnie only does because of his experiences with disability, only because he lives in a disabled body. He counts cards, he ejects his torso from his legs in a wild gambit to get to the ship in time, he longs to free the universe of debt. I think if nothing else, my disabilities have given me determination - to fight invisible oppression, to advocate for my disabled siblings, to make it another day because fuck you migraine, fuck you OCD, you aren’t my mom- and compassion - to love everyone even, the people with minds I don’t understand, to find community with those very different from me, to help where I can.

This has been a long rambling rant (maybe my roommates’ suspicions I have AuDHD and not just the ‘tism have merit), but I hope to leave readers with the inspiration to persevere and to research and fight for disability rights. In the United States, a growing fascist movement seeks to rob us of our rights and it is suspected that the Americans with Disabilities Act is the next target. Non-Americans should also be wary of increasing encroachment of capitalism into your medical system. We all deserve an All Debts Cleared moment. Fight the good fight; the ball is not rolling up, WE ARE THE BALL!

[ID: A digital painting of Gunnie, shown from the shoulders up in profile. He is a bald, Black man with a gold and bronze cybernetic body, and a gold and bronze ring around his forehead. He is smiling, covering his mouth with one hand in disbelief, and crying out of his visible eye. A screen on his neck reads "c-0" in small green analog text. Behind him is a star-scape of indigo and magenta. Above his head, a blue panel bordered by green reads "All Debts Cleared" in green, analog, capitalized text.]

[learnfromali]

Muhammad Ali's Legendary Boxing Career

Oh, you know what time it is! We're talking about the greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali! This man was a boxing machine, and he knew it. He had the speed, the power, and the quick wit to take down anyone who dared step into the ring with him.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "Yalla Papi, why are we talking about boxing? This is supposed to be a blog about learning from Muhammad Ali!" Well, my dear reader, let me tell you something. Muhammad Ali's boxing career was about more than just throwing punches. It was about determination, perseverance, and fighting for what you believe in.

When Ali refused to be drafted into the Vietnam War, he knew it could cost him his boxing career. But he stuck to his principles and stood up for what he believed in, even if it meant sacrificing everything he had worked for. That takes some serious guts, my friends.

And even when he was stripped of his boxing titles, Ali didn't let it break him. He continued to train, to fight, and to inspire millions of people around the world with his dedication to his sport and his beliefs.

So, let's take a page out of Ali's book, shall we? Let's be determined, let's persevere, and let's fight for what we believe in, no matter the cost. That's what it means to be a true champion, inside and outside of the ring.

[softlighter]

Pass Through Fire

rewatching The Legend of Vox Machina season 2, episode 5, "Pass Through Fire," and having some Thoughts.

Every time I rewatch this episode, start to finish, I can't help but pay attention. I rewatch tlovm quite frequently, but this episode is goddamn gift and a spectacular feat of animation, script, everything. From the start, with the meta-theme of the voice of Korra the Avatar as Keyleth's mom's voice actor, and the setting of the episode theme and how it's not just about power, it's about her mom, this episode just starts and it doesn't stop. It might honestly be my favorite episode of the whole series, for so many reasons, but to specifically analyze in regards to Kiki, it's a goddamn gift.

So, let's talk about it! Let's talk about the score and the motifs repeating from during her last conversation with her mother into Keyleth then hearing the wind and then transforming into a fire elemental. I'm not qualified to discuss musical score as a factor, I really am musically illiterate, but you can hear the repeated notes and sections throughout the episode, which makes the final "Pass Through Fire" score all the more powerful. You hear it in "Wind" on the soundtrack as well, which is what plays during her goodbye with her mother, and which is beautiful but ends with this emptiness, this solemnity. You hear the motif on the wind, calling her to Pyrah, but the final "Pass Through Fire" is triumphant and powerful, above all else. It's not this just major triumph in battle as a victory, it is a personal triumph, it's Keyleth recalling her mother's last lesson to her and being able to finally actively internalize it. It's self-actualization and self-acceptance after so much self doubt. It's empowerment, not just power. It is her mother, it is the memory of her mother, and it is Kiki herself.

And, on every rewatch, this effect only becomes more pronounced because you notice the repeated motif, even if only unconsciously, and it's staggering. This past rewatch, the scene of Keyleth transforming and passing through fire genuinely brought me to tears, which I do not say lightly! Even before this, I always got chills when watching this episode, and so much of that, for me at least, is from the thematic impact of the score.

But enough about music which, again, I am not qualified to talk about, let's talk about character analysis!

Keyleth as a young child, an Air Ashari. Her mother's final lesson to her is that it only hurts if you let it, and let's examine that. Fire needs air to live, pain needs us in order to be felt by us, but it only hurts if you let it. Her mother is saying, you are not wood or timber, you were not meant to be consumed by pain, you were made to continue through it, to persevere. And then when we look at Keyleth at the end of campaign one, in the smallest nods we see in campaign two, in the published books from CR, and now in campaign three, I think we can definitively say she is someone who perseveres. She goes on, however painful it is. Keyleth is endurance, Keyleth is inner strength.

Throughout the episode, we see her fighting. Not just physically, but fighting internally, finding the strength. She's fighting to follow the wind, fighting to go to Pyrah and help, fighting to tell her father that her mastery is not where she thinks it should be, but she ends the episode having completed the fire trial. What does this say, what does this tell us? Keyleth is a surviver. She's a fighter, and she's a qualified one. Marisha has said she was inspired by Avatar The Last Airbender, and I especially see allusions to the Book One, episode fourteen, "The Fortuneteller," in this episode and its effect, specifically as to when Sokka says he forgets what a powerful bender Aang is.

Keyleth, mechanically, is a prime choice for considering who is the most powerful member of Vox Machina, and I'm not saying she is or isn't, what I'm saying is this episode was a reminder to her and to us the audience how powerful she is. She carries the heaviest burden out of Vox Machina by the end, save perhaps for Vax, in that she has to lead for the thousands of years that she will live, and she will see everyone she loves die as she barely ages. She is powerful, she perseveres, she continues onward.

This episode brings to tears to my eyes because Keyleth is strong. Her strength is not her druidic might, although that is one path for its expression. She's strong because she perseveres, because she passes through fire, because she has the inner will to continue on.

[uncaaj]

Fanfic: Turnabout Union (DuckTales 2017 x Ace Attorney)

Inspired by THIS post by @ravenconspiracy and @georgiarose

READ NOW ON AO3!

“Ah, Mr. Crackwright,” said the secretary, tapping away at her dated computer. “They have you in Courtroom No. 4 today. I’ll call a bailiff to escort you.”

The lawyer in the blue suit nodded. “Thank you.” It suddenly dawned on ace attorney Fenton Crackwright how much this felt like the first time, despite it being the hundredth time.

Opening the door to Defendant Lobby No. 4, he saw the first defendant he ever saved, a poor unlucky sap by the name of Drake Butz.

Fenton straightened his magenta tie and waved, “Good morning, Drake,” he said in a warming voice.

His client was slumped over the firm leather sofa, head in his lap, hands gripping his shaggy hair. “What good is it, really? She isn’t here, and once again, I’m the guy they pin it on.”

Fenton shook his head and walked over to his lifelong friend. “It doesn’t help when you have a history of breaking and entering, however noble it is.” He held his hand out.

“You know he’s gonna bring that up, first chance he gets!” Drake whined, taking Fenton’s hand and letting the attorney hoist him to his feet.

“I’ve handled Donald Payne before,” said Fenton, brushing down the wrinkles in Drake’s purple jacket. “There’s not a claim he can make that the Court Record can’t refute.”

“Or that you can’t bluff your way out of,” Drake pointed out.

Fenton brushed his long hair back with a nervous chuckle. “Or that.”

He never intended saving his case at the last second and bluffing on everything to be his signature strategy, but Fenton Crackwright’s cases required the kind of tenacity and perseverance that only he was capable of.

Fenton set a hand on Drake’s shoulder. “You know I believe in you to the end.”

Drake straightened up and smiled. “Thanks, Fen.”

Fenton backed away from Drake as his attention wandered around the room. The mahogany furniture, plain walls decorated with stuffy landscapes, and two bailiffs standing at attention carried an aura of importance. This place could make or break a person, entirely at the hands of two lawyers passionately presenting their facts to sway the judge. 

“You know,” Fenton remarked, “I can’t help feeling some semblance of deja vu. It’s been such a long road to get here, with hurdles and detours, and grueling battles. Every murder is horrific, but somehow a murder case involving you almost feels normal.” Fenton turned around and flashed a nervous smile. “I hope you don’t think I’m minimizing your case.”

Drake shrugged. “I know my reputation precedes me. ‘When something smells’ and all that.”

“If you feel this is normal, Crackwright, I would suggest rising from your laurels.”

Fenton startled, sensing a ghost in the courthouse with a voice he hadn’t heard in months. He turned toward the lobby entrance and took a step back, eyes widening at the sight of what might as well have been a ghost. A tall lanky rooster in a magenta suit with a frilly cravat hanging from his neck walked gingerly inside, hands behind his back. His cold, tired face carried years its owner had not earned in the tradition of time, but had been burdened with through unfortunate circumstances.

“Fenton,” greeted Gyro Edgeloose.

Fenton cleared his throat, words sputtering in his bill. “Gyro! Y-you’re back!”

Drake’s bill dropped open. “Edgey?! Well, whaddaya know, the gang’s back together!”

“Wh-when did you get back into town?” said Fenton to his long-time rival.

The demon attorney looked away. “Last week.”

Fenton was knocked off his feet from shock. “And you never thought to tell me? Tell any of us?”

“I’m surprised Detective Launchpad didn’t shout it from the precinct steps,” Gyro remarked.

Fenton jumped up. “…you told Detective Launchpad first?!” His feet pulled him closer to Gyro as the words poured out of him. “Y-you disappeared for months! I could barely sleep most nights wondering if Edgeloose might turn up tomorrow!”

Drake shook his head and sat back at the bench. “I feel like I’m watching one of your mamá’s soap operas, Fentonino.”

 Gyro crossed his arms and looked away, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, but you had no need to worry so rashly. I was merely undertaking some self-discovery.”

“That’s not what someone says after they disappeared without a trace,” said Fenton, slipping into his pressing voice.

Gyro rolled his eyes. “You’re being ridiculous. Have you learned nothing since I’ve been gone?”

Fenton was tiring of this. “I would sooner ask you the same question! What self-discovery journey leaves you just as closed off as before?”

“And you are still as emotional and distracted as before!” Gyro exclaimed, “We’re on opposite sides of the law, Crackwright! We have to face each other in five minutes time!”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t still care about you!” yelled Fenton, pointer finger outstretched. “Why can’t you open up to me?!”

The world flashed negative for a split second then all Fenton saw was the rooster, his enemy turned fellow truth seeker that abandoned him. Fenton knew what was coming next. The warmth of the jewel around his neck told him so. It just never failed to catch him off guard, at his most vulnerable. The chains only he could see whipped past him and wrapped around Gyro. Fenton steeled himself as the last piece of the puzzle slammed into place.

The Psyche-Lock he had yet to crack. That was why.

Fenton rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You frustrate me, Gyro. We’ve known each other forever…we put the people behind both our demons behind bars…and yet you still remain closed off to me.”

Gyro rubbed his arm, looking away. “Then why don’t you? Get it over with and break me down like I know you want to?”

Fenton paused. He had never been more sure of what he needed to say than this moment. “Because I don’t have the evidence I need right now. In court and in life, it’s all we have to change minds. But I swear to you that whether you want it or not, I’ll be there for you. We’ll meet in these walls and outside until I have what I need to truly understand you. However long it takes.”

The air between the two lawyers hung there for a moment. Fenton much preferred this over flying by his seat in the courtroom. He didn’t need to grasp at straws, didn’t need to flounder above water to maintain his case. Here, with Gyro, the pressure was off and they could just be.

“You helped me find the truth,” Fenton said, “You can’t go through life alone anymore.”

Gyro adjusted his stance with a long, wet sigh. “Once again, you’ve saddled me with unnecessary feelings…feelings that I can’t deny or admit I dislike. Feelings that are against all I’ve been taught to believe. The truth isn’t human like we are.”

Fenton smiled and closed the gap dividing them. “That’s what’s beautiful about it, about us. Truth changes us.”

“You may be right, Fenton,” said Gyro, “How did you grow so much unlike me?”

“You rubbed off on me, Gyro,” said Fenton. “You changed me. Maybe I can return the favor someday.”

“Defendant!” 

The wood of the defendant lobby returned to view. Both lawyers blinked and turn to the source of the voice. 

“Court is about to begin,” barked the bailiff. “Please make your way inside the courtroom.”

Returning their gaze to each other, they realized how close their beaks were from meeting with a start. Fenton stepped backward with a nervous chuckle.

“Think about it, Gyro. It can start as simple as you’d like. With burgers, even.”

Gyro chuckled despite himself and returned the smile that continually served to humanize him. “I will consider your offer.” With that, the prosecutor took his leave.

“Good luck, Gyro!” Fenton called. “But not too much.”

Gyro chuckled as he opened the door. “Same to you.”

+++

“All rise!” echoed the bailiff’s voice. All voices quieted down and each member in attendance rose to their feet. “The Honorable Judge Scrooge McDuck presiding!”

A duck with sideburns emerged from a door placed high above the courtroom floor. The only sound bouncing around the hallowed walls was his footsteps, hidden by his flowing black robe. He took his seat and took hold of his gavel.

“Thank ye,” he said, “Be seated, everyone.” With the crack of his gavel, all in attendance returned to their seat, except for the two lawyers placed at either side of the foot of the judge’s pedestal

“Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Drake Butz,” said the judge. “Mr. Edgeloose, I understand you were brought in at the last minute to replace Mr. Payne. Are you ready for what’s to come?”

Gyro cleared his throat and addressed the judge. “Nonetheless, I am happy to be back, and you can rest assured…” He looked toward Fenton, features hardened with determination. “The prosecution is ready, Your Honor.”

That look told Fenton everything he wanted and needed to know. His new adventure with his former rival was now under way, and he was prepared to face whatever it would bring. As long as Gyro Edgeloose was by his side, the path to truth was always clear.

“Very well,” said the judge. “Are you prepared, Mr. Crackwright?”

Fenton nodded. “The defense is ready, Your Honor.”

[ugh-yoongi]

inspired by your post about your husband lol, what random things do each member of bts do that make them a new level hotter to you

this is such a cute question!! well, maybe not cute depending on the response, but. u know. 🤷🏻‍♀️

seokjin — i think people are expecting me to say his brat taming thing, bc it is objectively hot, but if this is a safe space and we’re oversharing together on a stormy friday night, i think it’s kinda hotter if he… doesn’t? like, knows you’re being a brat but goes along w it and “lets” you act up. so that’s not my answer, obviously.

so, to me, it’s his perseverance. i think it’s very hot to straight up say, “hey, i’m not all that great at this, but i’m gonna do it and try my best anyway.” i am a person who gives up the second i’m not good at something right away or as soon as it gets hard, so. yeah. very attractive and hot quality.

yoongi — cop out answer, but anytime he does anything with his hands. it almost put me in the ground when he made all those cutting boards. add on him playing guitar and i was donezo. he has really nice hands and he knows he has really nice hands and it’s sick. he’s sick.

hobi — idk how to explain it but hobi emanates this absolute freak aura and it’s, like. very hot. like you can just tell he’s comfortable and confident in himself and would be down to do anything and get a lil weird with it, and that kind of energy is powerful.

namjoon — this is where parasocial relationships come in handy bc this is something i find so hot hypothetically but would make me wanna strangle him irl, but: his petty streak. my god this man is SO petty and i find it SO hot, but if it was directed at me i’d cry so bad. like, hickeygate??? closer pt. 2?? kill me.

jimin — his absolute disregard for gender roles. really fucking hot. talking abt how much toxic masculinity sucks? hot. drawing the bigender symbol on himself? hot. being described as having “gender neutral charm”? hot.

this is not me trying to assign him a label. it’s me as a person who does not necessarily feel all that connected to their gender (hard to describe what i mean by this but: i’m cis and know i’m cis but i still don’t know what being a woman means to me personally, and therefore i feel disconnected from it sometimes) seeing someone look at what society expects them to look and be like because they’re a man, and say, “yeah, nah.”

taehyung — how messy he is. another trait that might drive me bonkers irl, but from a very far distance? love it. it’s similar to what i said about jimin in the sense that, as an idol, there are expectations for him. and he just waves them away. like, there are not very many idols who are gonna go on weverse and threaten to shoot someone in the neck for violating their privacy, but taehyung will, and that’s very hot of him. those pictures from that club in paris? also very hot of him. he just sort of does what he wants and in an industry that’s so rigid and boxed-in, i can’t help but love a rebel.

jungkook — idk man. fucking everything. i had an embarrassing and public meltdown over him last year in his calvin klein era and now i can’t look him in the eye. if you put a gun to my head and made me pick one, though? it’s the way he’s got this overwhelming sort of fuckboy energy but you also know you could make him cry. we love a man with duality.

[l0t4n]

HOW DO THEY TALK TO CUSTOMER SUPPORT???

a/n Inspired by my own terrible experiences recently trying to claim a warranty replacement… I didn't realize until just now that I forgot to add Solomon pretend it's because he's died or something. Rip old fart

Includes the brothers + dateables, minus Solomon. Luke is there too, rare mentions of gn mc for good luck :)

LUCIFER

-doesn't bother emailing or using any kind of text communication ever, always calls

-claims that it's because they brush you off easier when you aren't on the phone

-on the phone, they need to hang up on you, which is rude, but in text they can just say they aren't going to respond anymore

-this is his logic

-nobody questions him because he is an absolute customer support expert

-has to force his brothers to contact customer service themselves, otherwise they will always ask him to do it for them

-is relatively polite to the person on the other end of the phone

-but will not hesitate to raise his voice and make demands

-and yet.

-even he is not immune to spending hours on hold, waiting in queues, and trying to communicate issues in a way that will not void any kind of warranty or contract

-frequently is not patient enough to actually undergo all that, but will endure if the situation is dire enough

-when he is capable of reaching the end of a call, he is always victorious

-even if he is lacking necessary documentation or proof

-probably just as terrible as doing paperwork for hours anyways

-he's bothered by it less than he shows

MAMMON

-exact opposite of Lucifer in his approach

-also believes that any customer support system that isn't calling is built to turn people away, but that's where the similarity ends

-even then, he learned that from Lucifer

-by default, yells at the other person on the phone

-once they show signs of not wanting to help, he will only then backpedal and act polite

-because of this he hardly ever gets anything done when contacting customer support

-either bails the moment he's put on hold or complains about how long the call is from the second it starts until the moment it ends

-always ends up spending many hours on the phone when he does persevere, substantially longer than anyone else because of how demanding he can be

-let's be honest though: he hardly ever calls customer service for real reasons

-he's always trying to scam his way into a fake warranty replacement or refund

-on a blacklist for multiple different companies, gets angry and acts shocked when they tell him this

-despite how bad he is at it, he will jump at any opportunity to call customer support for mc when needed

-may even act very polite on the phone at first

-that will not last long

-mc will witness the worst in him by the time that phone call hits one hour and it's only downhill from there

LEVIATHAN

-does not call customer support

-does not call people period

-he will never ever pick up a phone call from an unknown number. Hates being on the phone with strangers more than anything

-usually forces Lucifer to make important phone calls for him

-or spends hours freaking out over a call to the doctor's office because Lucifer said he has to make the appointment himself

-so, obviously, he never ever calls customer support

-might email them or otherwise communicate over text, although still does not like going through the hassle

-if it's majorly important - a figure that arrived damaged or a forgotten password and email - he is actually very patient and thorough in making sure he can get it fulfilled

-otherwise it's too time-consuming and boring, he'll just fix the issue himself or avoid it entirely

-one time though

-his limited edition ruri-chan figure, of which only 50 were produced

-arrived BROKEN

-he didn't think twice about calling customer support. Paced his room like a businessman in the midst of a serious deal the entire time

-all his anxiety gone the second ruri-chan was on the line

-came out victorious with a replacement

SATAN

-strict protocols for how he must approach contacting customer support

-after many an incident, Lucifer put him on a step-by-step plan for how he must go about making any sort of contact with people in customer relations positions

-he must run the issue by Lucifer first to prevent him from making any rash decisions in the spur of the moment

-then, he must create a script outlining exactly what to say to maximize the chances of the interaction staying friendly

-only then can he contact support

-obviously though, since this was a plan made by Lucifer, he never follows it

-as time passes, and he becomes more and more capable of managing his anger, he hardly even sees a reason to contact support outside of rare incidents anyways

-when those rare incidents pop up, however, there are MANY parts to the customer support ladder that lead even the regular individual to anger, much less the avatar of wrath

-has to do silly shit to calm himself down

-mc comes home one day to find Satan pacing the living room, visibly pissed

-wearing his emotional support cat ears

-about as successful at getting what he wants as the average individual

-when he fails, though, the house of lamentation will suffer

-learns how to send curses over phone lines for this exact purpose

ASMODEUS

-will call customer support every time. No emails

-not because he prefers the phone or anything it's just easier to charm the person on the other end that way

-will physically go to an establishment to complain if it's an option

-if it isn't, will settle for the phone

-none of his brothers ask him to call customer support for them, because they think his methods are embarrassing, but there is absolutely no denying they work insanely well

-never gets put on hold, never gets told no

-always ends the call with exactly what he wanted to begin with

-for that reason he will, however, occasionally delay making the call for a number of days to really consider what he wants

-would a refund or a replacement work best? Does he want to change his username too when he calls to reset his password?

-it's not like he's actually bound by any contract or protocol, he can surpass all that easily

-probably the best option if mc needs to call customer support regardless

BEELZEBUB

-the most normal one

-prefers calling to text-based communication because he thinks it frees up his hands to eat while on the phone

-always forgets the most important appendage for speaking: mouth

-the support people must learn to decipher what he's saying inbetween mouthfuls of food

-frequently has no real reason to contact support, unless he happens to swallow a piece of technology whole

-they don't even listen to him in those cases, just redirect him to a poison control center or a doctor

-he knows well enough by now though that he can handle it, he just needs to claim warranty

-either doesn't exactly enjoy lying about the nature of the “damage” or has a very complex script the others helped him compose

-maybe both

-sometimes will make a call for Belphie since he can't stay awake during holds

-frequently gets what he wants by being mild mannered and reasonable

BELPHEGOR

-yea. You will never catch him bothering with that shit

-cannot stay awake at all

-both text and call won't work

-only thing that would ever work is email, since there's no immediate demand to reply

-even then, he has a track record of waking up, typing an incomprehensible email in response, then immediately falling right back asleep with no memory of events once he's fully awake again

-then needing to go back in and correct himself to the person on the other end

-but anything instant messaging, or God forbid, a phone call, which will likely put him on hold, he gives up on immediately

-it's probably some faulty state of the art pillow or something, he'll just buy a new one

-beel may go through the effort of calling support for him if need be, although Belphie almost never directly asks him to

-in the absolute most dire situation arises and he needs to contact customer support, he will need someone else there to monitor him and keep him awake, almost always beel or mc

-of the one or two times he's bothered, he's had so-so luck getting what he wants

-he doesn't actually care about what the other person thinks, so doesn't have the patience to make up lies to maximize the issue being taken seriously

-for this reason he already knows most things he may have a reason to call for won't be covered by warranty

DIAVOLO

-wants so desperately for the rugged experience of customer support

-the getting put on hold. The getting put in a queue. The lying to representatives

-just the thought makes him excited

-it's the same romantic approach he has to the dmv

-he wants to experience the shared commoner suffering of bad service systems

-a part of that is a genuine desire to know the issues and fix them

-but more than anything he just sees how other people bond over their hatred of things like this and he wants in on the regular person experience

-sadly, Barbatos does not let him

-even he hardly contacts support, just the slightest nudge by the demon king’s estate will have any company scrambling to accommodate any request

-rapt attention when hearing lucifer complain about needing to lie to get what he wants out of customer service

-needing to lie! Imagine that! Barbatos is just honest with what happens over the phone and they will always receive a replacement or gift for their troubles regardless

-lucifer does not enjoy engaging in diavolo’s silly whims so instead he just bottles it all up

-while Dia pesters him for customer service stories like they're some kind of freakish, bland version of bedtime stories

-if the day ever came that he got to call customer support all on his own, he would not get the issue fixed

-he would just ask the support person unrelated questions the entire time

BARBATOS

-of course his overworked ass is highly familiar with making customer support calls

-hates them because of the massive wrench they tend to throw into his carefully planned schedule

-the privilege of having direct contact to company CEOs instead of the lowly regular support lines largely cuts the call time down to a fraction of what it would be otherwise, however

-makes calls for castle staff more than he does for diavolo himself

-shipments of cleaning supplies that arrive damaged, or the wrong grocery order sent out

-but when he does need to make a call for dia, the ability to namedrop the devildom prince himself usually earns him even more special privileges

-always gets what he wants and more

-hates when the calls get long but persists nonetheless, as long as he can leave with more than he started with

-a call getting “long” for barb is usually about half an hour anyways, nothing compared to the multi-hour ordeals of regular service lines

-may mop a little while holding the phone in the crook of his neck

SIMEON

-can hardly even navigate to the call app, much less use email, or web messaging

-can text marginally

-in the event of contacting customer support through text, he will either be full grandpa or professional author about it

-”help . ComputEr brok”

-”Hello, to whomever it may concern, my personal computer appears to have gone out… “

-no inbetween

-he's so polite though they usually let him get what he wants

-doesn't mind the waits, will only have good things to say about his support people after the fact

-”oh well their jobs are just so hard… “

-lucifer got tired of reminding him he can be a bit firmer with service workers centuries ago

-Simeon won't have it

-he will die before he yells at someone whose job involves heavy exposure to the general public

-learns this doubly so after running the café

-on the bright side, that experience did, in fact, give him just a bit extra confidence to get firm with strangers

LUKE

-Simeon tries to get him to make a call himself once so he can earn the experience

-it scares him so bad, can't do it

-going forward he's afraid Simeon will make him go on the phone again though, so he always opts for text-based customer support options instead and just doesn't say anything

-sometimes goes behind Simeon’s back and gets his stuff replaced/refunded when he sees him struggling a bit too much with how a certain customer support system is structured

-finds out that people sometimes lie to customer support to get what they want

-or worse, finds out about the sort of scams Mammon runs with regard to warranty fraud

-is so horrified by the idea of both

-has a nagging fear in the back of his head whenever he needs to talk to anyone who works in customer service that he'll accidentally lie to them or scam them without realizing

-has nightmares about it constantly

[chirp-a-chirp]

Devour and Delight: Roy’s Wedding and Wedding Night

Fandom: Court of Darkness (Roy X MC, MC named Carla)

Rating: First third PG/Sugary sweet; last 2/3 R/Sweetly Spicy (Minors/folks under 18 do not interact please!). The spicier section is in dialogue format.

Description: Roy and MC get hitched—and clearly enjoy their first honeymoon night. Part One to this story here: LINK HERE

Word Count: ~2700

Tags: Wedding; wedding night; fluff; sweet and spicy; soft smut

…

A private ceremony takes place in a garden near the Invidian royal chapel. A little girl clutching a basket marches down the aisle, the frills of her dress bouncing energetically. Roy smiles indulgently as the girl curtsies to him at the altar.

“You performed admirably, Nica.” He adds. “Your excitement mirrors mine.”

“Yay!” Nica runs to her older brother, Rio, who serves as Roy’s best man. She had practiced her flower girl routine diligently for a week. No one had the heart to tell Nica that, in her excitement, she forgot to drop any of the petals.

“Sorry about that mate,” Rio says quietly to Roy after ushering Nica to her seat.

“There is nothing to apologize for, my friend.” Roy eyes Nica’s overflowing flower basket, grinning. “I have a better use for the petals this evening.”

“What use could that be—“ Rio stops himself. Roy’s gaze is transfixed upon seeing Carla.

King Klaus walks Carla down the aisle. “I thought I’d only get this honor with Sherry,” Klaus murmurs, his voice choking. Carla can’t help but be moved that the King is reacting like a proud parent this day, his emotions clearly etched on his face.

The audience witnessing this wedding is small—some palace staff, Rio, Lynt and their immediate families, Sherry, Grayson, and Roy’s parents. The Invidian people and other foreign princes will be present for the public ceremony—and all the royal trappings along with it—in a week’s time. But this day is for Roy and Carla.

Carla can hardly contain her emotions as she grasps Roy’s hand.

“No escaping now,” Carla whispers jokingly, her eyes drinking the sight of him in his suit.

“Escape was never an option for us, Heartspell.”

King Klaus makes a gracious escape and sits next to his wife and daughter Sherry. He’s all but sure from Roy’s lovestruck stare that his son did not remotely register his presence.

“Roy’s brimming with passion. It just took the right woman to unlock it.” Roy’s mother notes fondly to King Klaus.

“If he can keep it unlocked until the ceremony ends!” Sherry giggles.

The officiant intones some very poignant and meaningful words—of which Roy would confess later to not recalling much of at all. He does recall every word of his and Carla’s personal wedding vows. When that time arrives, Carla turns and places a gold ring with an etched rose motif on his finger.

“The world is comprised of darkness and light. For years, I struggled in the dark, seeking a life worth living. But then, you arrived. Thank you for being my light—my source of inspiration and joy. I vow to spend every day giving you the same love and happiness you’ve gifted me. To ease the burdens you carry. To lift your spirits in times of sorrow and doubt.”

A beautiful smile forms on Roy’s face from Carla’s words. He places a diamond ring on her finger before clasping her hands.

“The world may be comprised of light and dark, but you brought color into my life. I love you with all that I am. My soul has transformed from knowing you—your goodness, your kindness, your perseverance. I vow to cherish you for eternity, to be the one you can turn to when you require. To comfort, soothe, and protect in times of need.”

The officiant asks if there are any objections. Carla withholds a giggle when Roy scans the crowd and briefly narrows his eyes as if anyone would object. Her thumb caresses his wrist to soothe his nerves.

The officiant pronounces them man and wife. Carla represses the urge to leap in Roy’s arms due to the audience. Roy senses her hesitation and pulls Carla to him in a tender embrace. As their lips touch, Carla whispers on his lips.

“I love you…husband.”

Time stops briefly. Affections overflow as they gaze into each other’s eyes.

“And I love you...wife.”

There’s a joyous celebration at the Castle. The festivities blur in a series of dances, feasting, and good natured ribbing of Roy and Carla being unable to keep their eyes off each other. The moment King Klaus and Queen Charlotte leave, Roy makes his excuses, picks Carla up in his arms, and dashes away.

Carla: Roy! So impatient! Her voice echoes the hallway. What will people say?

Roy: Patience would be rather unusual at present. It is not as if tonight’s plans are a secret. Roy smirks while carrying Carla towards their chambers. Upon feeling her cheeks blaze, his voice lowers. I have the most beautiful wife in my arms. All I desire is to spend time with her.

Carla: Define spend time. Carla nuzzles her nose against his neck as Roy opens their chamber door. I have some ideas…

Roy: Roy chuckles at her coyness. His eyes close briefly at feeling of Carla’s breath against his neck. He steps inside their chambers and locks the door.

Well then, please enlighten me.

Roy puts Carla on the ground. His thumb traces her jawline before lifting her chin towards his gaze. His eyes reflect adoration, love, and rising heat. Carla’s thoughts scatter at his look.

Carla: Roy…She is overwhelmed. A part of her wonders if she closes her eyes if she’ll find this day, nay their entire relationship, nothing more than a dream. She grasps Roy’s free hand. It’s real, solid, radiating warmth. His fingers curl against hers on instinct.

Allow me to burn this beautiful image of you in my mind. Please.

Roy: His eyes widen with surprise—he has been called fair of face by many, but none have mattered before meeting Carla. His expression softens.

Take your time. The corner of his mouth quirks. Please inform me if I pass your inspection.

Carla: She walks a full circle around Roy, eyes roaming up and down from the tips of his shoes to the top of his head. Roy breathes heavier at her examination.

It’s not everyday a girl marries the most handsome prince in Saligia—inside and out. Her voice trails as her arms wrap around Roy’s back.

Roy: He embraces Carla softly, resting his head on top of hers. You understand you've completely melted me, yes?

Carla: You’re standing upright, so not ALL of you has melted. She kicks off her heels and nuzzles against his chest.

Roy: He is determined to make this a night she’ll never forget. One of joy, of gallantry—

Carla: How about we unwrap our…wedding presents? Her fingers untuck shirttails from Roy’s pants so she can caress his sides.

Roy: …gallantry be damned.

Carla: Her hands wander to Roy’s shoulders as she removes his jacket. Carla hums in approval as Roy’s hands travel up her back and slowly undo her dress.

I REALLY despise buttons. Her hands shake as the top three buttons of Roy’s shirt are undone. There is an innate satisfaction in unveiling one another’s skin with their own hands versus using magic—even if their wedding attire consists of the tiniest most cumbersome buttons in existence. Her lips lap Roy’s chest as more skin is exposed. Carla’s wedding dress falls to the ground in a pool of fabric.

Roy: You are exquisite. Beyond exquisite. Heartspell. I love you.

There are more eloquent ways to express these overflowing emotions. But, those are the words that matter.

Carla: Though they’ve come together many times before, this feels different. Her skin is covered in goosebumps as Roy’s fingers trace her curves. His touch is revenant yet burning. When Carla finally gets Roy’s shirt off, she gasps as she’s lifted in his arms. Her legs wrap around his waist, their kisses quickly becoming ravenous. Roy walks to the bed and lowers Carla down, his lips never leaving hers.

Carla’s hands drift to Roy’s waist to take off what remains of his attire. Despite their passionate sounds, Carla can’t help laughing as Roy kicks his shoes off with serious impatience.

And YOU may hate shoes as much as I hate buttons! Even as she laughs, her lips seek Roy’s body vigorously.

Roy: He half laughs, half growls in impatience. His hands finally remove the few articles of clothing clinging to their bodies.

Believe me, you’re well worth the effort of unraveling, dear wife. Roy groans as their lips devour each other, caressing said and unsaid desires.

Carla: Her fingers dig into his rose gold locks. Oh God Roy…

Roy: He moans at her touch, her body, her heart—it is pure heaven. His hands travel up her thighs, tracing every inch, seeking her heat.

Carla: This…this is a problem. She murmurs softly against his lips and neck. I want this moment to continue, but your fingers…oh, just like THAT.

Carla’s fingers dig into his shoulders as Roy’s fingers concentrate on her most sensitive spot, lightly at first and then encircling intently.

Roy: He laughs softly as she murmurs against him. Roy’s touches become all-consuming, her reactions driving him wild.

Just like this…yes? Roy feigns his questioning tone. He knows Carla loves it.

Carla: Her legs quiver from the sensations of Roy’s fingers in her. Carla feels rather than sees Roy smirk as his head is buried against her neck.

Roy, I…her eyes close as she becomes undone by his touch.

Roy: You already need me this much? He grins at her body’s quivering, the lurid wet sound of his fingers loving her. While he wants to savor his Carla, the wanton desire on her lips fuels a need to make her delirious with pleasure. Roy continues to twirl and pump his fingers the way she enjoys it until he brings Carla to her peak.

Carla: Her body convulses against Roy, her mind going blank. Carla clinches his shoulders and cries his name, lips pressed against the top of his head. Her body sinks in the bedsheets in the aftermath.

Roy…though her limbs still shake, Carla pulls Roy closer to her. She should not be the only one delighted this night. Plus, Carla wants to replace the slightly smug look on Roy’s face with another expression. She whispers in his ear.

Your turn. Her hands slide towards Roy’s waist, tracing light circles on his hips and upper thighs.

Roy: He groans softly in anticipation, his mind clouding as Carla pulls him closer. Roy’s breath is shallow and short, Carla’s fingers sending his body into overdrive.

Carla: I’m not the only one in need it seems. Carla purrs against his skin. One arm encircles Roy’s waist while the other tantalizes his length. Her lips press a wet trail across his upper chest and neck.

Just like this…yes? Carla mimics Roy’s previous teasing tone. Her face is flushed, but seeing Roy slowly come apart is an absolute treat. Her tongue swirls on his chest as her hand moves faster on him.

Roy: He groans as Carla’s tongue and fingers perform wonders. Carla’s name falls from his lips, as if it’s the only thing he can utter. Roy is certain his heart will explode from Carla’s ministrations. His hands clinch the bedsheets, his vocalizations intensifying.

Carla: And now to test how soundproof our chambers are.

She nips his neck, stroking him faster still until he comes undone. Carla takes her other hand and glides her fingertips across his whitening knuckles until they relax into her touch. Light kisses now cover bite marks in soothing pecks as Roy recovers.

Roy: Her actions send him to a point where he doesn’t care if the whole Castle hears him. His voice cries out and his body shakes and slumps. A towel is magically summoned to their bed.

It appears we both need this, Heartspell. Roy chuckles ruefully, wiping their bodies as he catches his breath. Carla rests her head on his chest. A smile spreads across her face when Roy drops a kiss on her forehead.

Carla: It appears so.

Carla breathes in a mingled scent of sweat and roses—Roy always smells sweet Carla thinks. She drapes an arm across his torso and lets a comfortable silence remain between them before speaking.

I said you were handsome in your suit Roy. But I prefer what you wear now. Carla can’t see Roy’s face from her position, but she can easily imagine his cheeks turning pink.

Roy: Is that so? Even when I am all...sweaty like this?

Carla: Yes. It’s you in your most natural state—no political trappings, no formal words, no masks. Just you and your heart exposed. Her speech is a bit sentimental so she tacks on an addendum. And no one else gets to see your pretty body and reactions but me. I rather like that.

Roy: He responds back in a teasing tone. You just had the best view then, did you not?

Carla: Carla buries her head against Roy’s chest and laughs heartily. Cheeky man.

Roy: I can never resist teasing my gorgeous wife.

Carla: You couldn’t resist teasing when I was your consort or fiancé, you know.

Roy: Well, you make it so easy. How am I supposed to ignore teasing someone as beautiful as you?

Carla: Carla sits up, looking down at Roy in mock indignation. Oh, so it’s MY fault?

Roy: Of course it is. Who else's could it be?

Carla: Perhaps, JUST PERHAPS, the rascal prince I’ve married!

She throws a pillow in Roy’s direction, but then notices rose petals on it. She scans her surroundings and sees the bed and most of the carpet sprinkled with rose petals, the room cast in a golden light from numerous candles.

Roy… Carla gestures to candles and roses. You sweet man…. Her cheeks turn pink.

Roy: His eyes catch Carla’s glances at the room. It’s a cute reaction he’s compelled to play with. Roy sits up, grabs another pillow, and tosses it towards Carla. Oh, did you just notice the candles and flowers?

Carla: YES! She deflects the pillow.

Roy: You can thank Nica for supplying the petals. A much better use of them I dare say. Roy smirks and tucks a strand of hair behind Carla’s ear. Too bad you didn’t see them until now. Were you distracted?

Carla: I was as distracted as YOU were! Or were our moans not indicative of this?

Roy: You do inspire quite the response from me. His fingers caress the back of Carla’s neck. And here I thought I was a good, quiet boy.

Carla: HA! She launches herself so Roy’s on his back and she’s lying on top of him. You’re good in another context though…

Roy: And what context is that?

Carla: The “your wife wants to pounce you” context. Carla straddles Roy’s hips enticingly and presses her lips to his.

Roy: Her playful desire envelopes Roy. Their kisses grow intense, thorough, and ravenous. They crave without hesitation or restraint. Roy twines his fingers in Carla’s hair and uses momentum to flip their positions. His hips move against hers, entering her in one smooth powerful stroke. They gasp at the instant fireworks unleashed.

Carla: She is mesmerized—his lips, his touch, the way he yearns for more intimacy, the blaze of Roy’s golden eyes as they give into the moment of being husband and wife in every sense of the word.

Roy…Carla hopes he can feel the passion she has for him. More.

Roy: Roy calls out to her, eyes aflame, skin on fire. He presses further into her, their rhythm increasing rapidly.

Feel me. With all that I am.

Lips devour, seeking her everything—her cries, her sighs, the words she tries to express. Roy tries slowing their pace to prolong the moment, but it’s no use. Carla matches his pace, digging her fingers against his back as the pounding pressure crescendos. Roy encircles one arm under Carla’s waist and tips her slightly upwards, pressing further until they hurdle over the edge together, their voices crying out.

Carla: She feels Roy collapse on her shoulder. They roll onto their sides, clinging to one another. Carla maneuvers her position slightly. She closes her eyes and slowly massages Roy’s scalp, his head resting between her breasts.

Ahhh, so this is what happens when we pounce each other.

Roy: Yes, and your claws are truly sharp.

Carla: What would people say if they knew WHY their prince was so tired now? Her words are soft.

Roy: He murmurs. They would understand it was due to our constant pouncing. Very constant.

Carla: Carla yawns, her fingers slowing to a stop.

Roy: Roy moves back upwards, gathering Carla in his arms. Rest up Heartspell. There’s still the rest of the honeymoon to enjoy. He runs his fingers through her hair, savoring her presence, until they both succumb to slumber.