#with zero care and concern for the things they are destroying

[astracora]

People blaming fandoms for corporate decisions is actually crazy. Complaining about a game you bought on tumblr dot com isn't going to sink a developer you absolute waffle.

You should be blaming corporate leadership, and the general gaming industry.

[haine-kleine]

after sitting with my thoughts about the epilogue for some time, I think the thing that broke the story had started right after Dabi's dance. said thing is LOV' utterly out of character treatment of each other and Shigaraki specifically.

them just standing there and passively observing the scene makes absolutely zero sense, if you use anything from their previously established relationships within the organisation for reference. especially with All for One's creepy comments. Spinner even points out shortly before this chapter that AFO!Shigaraki seems nothing like his normal self and this person is not the one he had chosen to follow.

and yes, Spinner does approach screaming Shigaraki and tries to help him, and his concern later leads him to seeing Shigaraki's mutated form in the cave, and on its own this development for Spinner is in line with his character and all around fine. pretty reminiscent of Toga and Twice, too.

(except Spinner is not allowed to really help Shigaraki in any way, unlike Toga was allowed to help Twice, and this entire thing between Shigaraki and Spinner only ends with Spinner's regrets and survivor's guilt instead of anything good or meaningful that isn't meaningless angst porn)

it isn't Spinner approaching Shigaraki that is the issue, it's the other's complete lack of action or even reaction besides appearing mildly disturbed. this is simply out of character for all of them, just judging by Twice's example who had similar breakdowns and wasn't plainly ignored by the others until his fit stops. this reaction makes even less sense, when you take into account the current state of the League. Twice had just been murdered by Hawks, the double agent who had infiltrated the League via Dabi, and Mister Compress had just sacrificed himself to give the League a chance for escape, and was sent to Tartarus immediately after his condition was no longer life threatening. Kurogiri is also being held captive by the heroes. there are only four of them left, with two dead and two captured. and none of them even mention the dead or the captured outside of the context of Kurogiri and his quirk.

this straight out makes no sense if you look back to the Overhaul arc and remember how far Shigaraki and the rest of them were willing to go to avenge Magne's death and Mr Compress' destroyed arm. this was important.

the event had motivated Shigaraki to be a better leader, because he had realized these people depend on him, and he won't let them be hurt under his protection. it had started the seed of self-doubt in Jin which would eventually grow to the desperation that allowed him to overcome the mental block against his quirk in the MVA arc, because he wanted to do everything he possibly could to help the League. it allowed him to make his clones despite the crippling trauma, because he saw Toga's hurt, bleeding body, and he didn't want her to die.

even fucking Giran, a broker whose very profession requires him to care about himself and his own well-being first and foremost, had sacrificed all of his fingers to prevent Redestro from getting his hands on the League. because he wants to protect them, to save them. and then we never actually see his mutilated hands or hear anything from him ever again.

and when Twice actually dies? all we get in response to that are two upset faces from Dabi and Toga's fury. that's it.

i really want to stress how out of character this barely-present reaction is, because Magne's example is right there and when Overhaul had killed her, the League knew each other for no longer than a month. this League has been together for at least half a year, had been through thick and thin together, had spent months on the run, homeless, having no one but each other to rely on, has defeated the Meta Liberation Army, quite literally, with the power of their friendship. they all cared enough about each other and Shigaraki specifically to stay with him during those months they had to fight Gigantomachia with barely any breaks for rest, still homeless, barely scraping by. it was imperative that they all survive through this together, especially for Shigaraki, who had went on this quest of getting stronger at least partly so that he would become a more reliable protector for the League. and when Twice falls victim to the hero who had murdered him in cold blood, because no one except for Dabi was there to save him, Shigaraki doesn't even get to react to Twice's death, and possibly never even learns about the fact.

on topic of Dabi, his reaction being exactly two frames of sad expressions and including the footage of Twice's murder into his broadcast, and ending immediately after that, also makes no sense. Dabi is someone who holds himself accountable and despite his declarations, cares about the League, it's the very reason he was keeping Hawks from the League and sprinted to Twice as soon as he realized Hawks' intentions with him, to protect him. Dabi's unsuccessful attempt to save Twice is another iteration of Overhaul, a combination of Shigaraki and Twice's roles in the tragedy. but unlike Shigaraki, who had steeled himself into taking care of his subordinates and becoming a responsible and strong leader, or Twice who had never forgotten about his role in the incident, Dabi just somehow forgets about the entire thing as soon as the first war is over. Toga is the one whom the narrative allows to actively react to Twice's death and express her grief. it makes sense that her reaction would be the strongest, as she was the closest with Twice, but why are two LOV members no longer allowed to care about the same incident at the same time? why aren't they allowed to protect each other anymore, when Giran, who is not even in the League, had made that sacrifice for them?

These are pretty small things, but it's these instances of Toga and Dabi preventing Machia from being injected with the sedative, protecting the League that are sorely missing in the second war.

and the biggest act of devotion and protection to the League, which was the last time we saw anything like this for them, Mister Compress' last moments with the League.

Mutilating his own body just to buy them five seconds to possibly escape. Because he loved the League, because he wanted all of them to be happy and achieve their dreams, to be free, and to live.

and in return for the favour, not only do they not come back for him like they did for Kurogiri (because his quirk is important for the plot, while Compress' isn't), but none of them mention Compress ever again. same with Twice (with the exception of Toga), same with Magne. from this point onwards, none of them are allowed by the plot to even care about the League of Villains. the interpersonal relationships between two individuals still shine through, occasionally, like Spinner's devotion to Shigaraki (and him alone), Dabi and Toga's pyromaniac trauma lane visit to her house and him giving her Twice's blood, Kurogiri reaching out to Shigaraki in the very end. but what about the League? ahd what about the dead members of the League, or Mister Compress?

somehow, at the point of the final war it boils down to the generalized conflict of heroes vs villains and the morality gymnastics involved in the concept. on its own, this would have been an okay development, if the examples the story was using to prove its point weren't people who had become very close friends and who had lost four people to this war against the heroes.

if the individual conflicts, like Toga's desperation to be acknowledged as human being deserving of affection, Dabi's familial abuse trauma and Shigaraki's lifelong manipulation by All for One not giving him any chance to be saved at all, were the finishing line of the villains' story development, why join them within the League at all? LOV is a separate concept functioning as a collective uniting all these villains, giving them a place to belong and people who give a fuck whether they live or die. except not anymore, because for some reason after the first war this concept is scratched completely.

so why not make them mere acquaintances who sometimes collaborate to bother the heroes together, if the bond between them got in the way of the story and wasn't the point of the story? why prove the depth of their bond with the Overhaul and My Villain Academia arcs? why make Shigaraki develop relationships and a sense of responsibility for these people at all, if in the very end his desire to save these people is denied by the author himself?

the previous arcs have spent a great deal of effort establishing that the villains are human too. they have human feelings, human desires and human relationships. so why is it that in the final arc their ability to experience human emotions towards each other is turned on and off manually by the author? at the very end even the author stops pretending like anything happening to the villains is evaluated on the scale of human experiences (unlike the heroes, whose injuries and deaths are talked about and mourned in great detail) and Kurogiri and Shigaraki are wiped out like plot inconveniences rather than important and well written characters.

honestly? it's ironically meta that the story ended up proving the very point it has spent 400 chapters arguing against.

[wildemaven]

strangers : fog | dave york

pairing: dave york x f!reader word count: 5208 chapter warning's: 18+ blog: established relationship, workaholic Dave, soft Dave, miscommunication, Smut (slight exhibitionism, dry humping, orgasms, keeping kind of vague for the sake of not giving things away), implied/alluding to infidelity (there is none, reader just doesn’t know this), Dave’s phone makes an appearance- shocking, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, conversations with bestie, reader is mentioned wearing lingerie and a bathing suit- but zero description features, no age given but it’s implied she’s at least over 30, no y/n, this is au- no Carol (at least not canon Carol) or kids, if I missed anything let me know notes: I kind of struggled with the end of this one. It felt very flat and blah, but thankfully @gnpwdrnwhiskey Is a gem and helped me, and it feels good now. So grateful for all of you who’ve been following along. Xoxo

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It’s sweet. 

But not the kind of sweet that aches and destroys your addiction. 

It’s perfect. Just enough. 

The kind of sweet that falls somewhere in the middle. Satiating that deep seeded craving that burns through your every fiber. 

Like a glass of ice cold tea under the Texas sun, sweetened to perfection. Each tantalizing drop coating your tongue, idly encompassing every single taste bud with refreshing pleasure. 

You're greedy. Reveling in your consumption. Take. Take. Take. Because it’s all you want and everything you’ve been needing. 

Finally.

You feel him everywhere. The weight of him is substantial, pressing you into the side of the pool. A secure grip onto the ledge, the swell of his biceps flexed as he does his best to keep you both suspended and unmoving from your secluded spot. 

He’s a blistering summer heatwave, one you’re fully hydrated and prepared for, but still stunned by its sultriness. 

“You think they’re watching us right? All of them so fucking jealous at how good I’m makin’ you feel.” You don’t bother to take a look when he says it, your head angled back and eyes closed as his lips work their way up your neck, your only concern at the moment. 

“Mmhmm— I honestly don’t care. Let them watch. Let them see how good you’re taking care of me— fuckbaby!” Your train of thought derailed when his hips jerk up with a little more eagerness than you expected. 

The cool water laps rhythmically against you both. The tiniest of splashes to your exposed skin as it surrounds your bodies, relieving the heat that’s burning through you. 

“Ahh!” You gasp at the sensation of his teeth sinking into your bottom lip. Nipping and pulling. The gentle glide of his tongue soothing over the pleasant sting. 

“Sorry—“ He manages to get out. “Didn’t mean to be so rough, but also been wantin’ this so fuckin’ bad.”

His lips seal over yours again, groaning where he can feel you grinding against him, discreetly hidden below the surface of the water. Your legs wrapped tightly around his narrow waist, holding him as close as possible. 

He’s unbelievably hard. Cock nudging against your aching core, the water aiding in the flow of your hips moving over him in search of relief. 

“I’m definitely not complaining in the slightest. If anything, I’m entirely enjoying the roughness— wouldn’t be opposed to more of it.” You say smiling against his swollen lips. 

Your words lure him back in, driven by a deeper sense of want forging beneath the water. Lashes fluttering shut as every bit of him consumes your senses. All tongues and teeth, tracing over every ridge and fleshy surface. A sweet delicate dance of unbridled emotions. 

It's a slow building, intensely breathtaking. Your body ignited by self-indulgent energy, so hell-bent on seeking out unrivaled satisfaction, but you don’t seem to care. Focused solely on how each and every nerve lights up because of him, desperately wanting a release. A natural response to the way he’s holding you, kissing you, his determination to bring you closer and closer to the edge. 

“Fuck— that feels so good!” Breathless and anchoring yourself to his warm body. 

“Yeah? You think you can come like this?” One of his hands settles on your hip, helping your unfaltering movements, hitting that ever so desirable spot just right. “There you go, gorgeous— just like that.”

“ohmygod!! I’m so close— don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.“ Your grip secure on his taut shoulders, unmoving even under the wet conditions. Your head falling onto his forehead, noses nudging, exchanging desperate wordless breaths. 

“I’ve got ya.” He whispers, nodding softly as your body writhes against him. “Come for me, Baby.”

“Oh fuck! oh fuck! oh fuck— I’m coming!” Everything dissolves into pleasure. Tense and blissed out as your cunt contracts around nothing. 

“Open your eyes, Baby. Let me see you come undone.”

You pull back just enough to see him. He’s beautiful, framed in a hazy white vignette. His patchy beard is both rough and soft beneath your fingertips, tracing over every little detail of him while you still can. His rich brown eyes now a golden hue as the light hits them from the reflection of the water.  

“Fuck— Joel!”

You’re floating. Further and further away. Every detail of him slowly dissolving into nothingness. 

Your body jolts awake, Oh god, That felt so fucking real. Quickly sitting up, your hand to your chest feeling where your heart is frantically pounding. 

The dry air from the vent billows out from above you, cooling as it skims over your tacky skin. 

The remnants of last night's headache still remain. Though it wanes in intensity, the throbbing pain continues. Rubbing at your temples, the added pressure doing absolutely nothing. 

There’s a faint familiar ache that catches your attention from below the sheets, prompting you to throw them off, finding a pillow still tucked tightly between your legs. The experimental squeeze of your thighs around the pillow sends a fresh ripple of pleasure from your fading orgasm, causing you to inhale sharply. Your palms clamping over your mouth, breath more constricted than the last as a strong feeling of shame begins to surge through your veins. 

The hotel room feels paralyzing, especially with Dave sleeping beside you. 

The beach. 

Needing some fresh air and some time to collect your irrational thoughts, away from this confined space where everything seems to be closing in on you. Hastily, you manage to pull on some warm clothes and sandals while throwing your wallet and phone in your purse without waking Dave.

You know the minute he wakes up to find you gone he’ll panic. It will take only minutes to have all his agent buddies pulling maps and running background checks on anyone who lives within a mile radius of the hotel. You’re already annoyed with his distant behavior, you don’t have it in you to deal with the added disgruntlement that will ensue. 

Grabbing for the monogrammed hotel stationary, you scratch out a note to leave on this nightstand for him to find when he does wake. 

Good Morning, Babe Couldn’t sleep. Went for a walk down to the beach. I have my phone. Will be back in a bit.  Love you Xoxo

You two his phone screen, noting the time at the bottom— 8:00 am —a little tactic Dave had ingrained in you for matters as such, giving a starting point in the case anything were to happen to you, taking the guessing game of when out of the equation. 

A New Message glows on the screen, came in sometime last night after you both got back from dinner, he must have fallen asleep before seeing it. 

Double checking, you peek over the mound of blankets that is Dave’s solid body— still sleeping. The side of his face buried into his pillow and his plush lips parted. No worry lines etched across his forehead. No tension pulling at his jawline. His perfectly groomed hair, all disheveled and twisted in all directions. 

Your heart blooms at how handsome he is, his truest self on full display. A running joke between you, how others would be disappointed to find out his grumpy exterior is all a show, only reserving his softer side and big heart for you. 

Refocusing back to his phone, you tap the message to preview it— a message from his mom. 

Mom: Did she find out? Call me when you can, we’ll talk about it then. 

Did she find out? Find out what?

*

The beach isn’t far from the hotel. Grateful for only a few hellos and forced smiles exchanged on the shared path on the short walk.

The air is crisp the closer you get to the water, a light breeze blows over the shoreline bringing tiny bits of sand crystals through the air. You can feel the salt already crystallizing against your cheeks. 

The lingering fog adds a bit of gloom to the atmosphere as you look out over the horizon in front of you. The white caps of the waves slowly roll over into the next, pushing their way through until they’ve reached the shore. The water fanning out as it moves, blanketing over the sand as it reaches where feet are planted firmly, now surrounded by the frigid sea water. Then it slowly slinks back out, leaving you numb as you wait for it to return. 

Good Morning! Are you busy?  No. Are you okay? Yeah, I’m fine. I just need someone to talk to.  One sec!

It takes a few flicks of the small metal dial for the flame to ignite, cupping your hand around to shelter it from the light wind threatening to squash your attempt at some sort of relief. 

It’s instant when it hits the back of your mouth, swirling and stinging about as it creeps up the back of your throat. That burn is all too familiar, no longer a regular occurrence, but definitely not forgotten. It takes the edge off momentarily, it always does. You imagine blowing out all your pent up anger as your release the smoke into the oceanic air. 

The cigarette sits between your fingers with ease, secure against those first knuckles as you bring it back to your lips for another desperate pull. That dedicated drag of your favorite menthol smokes had once been a regular part of your daily life in your college days. Getting you through long days of studying and working late hours, barely keeping your head above the water. Pack after pack. Light, smoke, tension gone, repeat. 

Eventually it was downgraded to a social practice before finally kicking the habit all together. Something Dave never pushed for, but was proud of you nonetheless. 

Your phone screen illuminates and buzzes simultaneously, a picture of Jacey double fisting some beers at last year's Fourth of July party pops up. The image alone already makes you feel better. 

“Mmm… Hello?” You can tell she just woke up by the way she garbles her words into the phone. 

“Hey, Jacey. I didn’t wake you did I?”

“Mhmm— Kind of but it’s okay— had a bit of a late night, but it’s fine. How are things going?”

“Fine. Good. Things are good.” Trying hard to keep your voice even without giving away too much— but she knows you too well. 

“I’m calling bullshit. You’re seriously the worst liar ever. Spill.” 

“Ugh. Where do I even start?” You tell her, audibly groaning into the brisk pacific air. 

“I’ve got some time.” 

Jacey has always been this way. Available whenever you’ve needed her, at a moment's notice. Connecting with her in college, your friendship has been a steady source of support and encouragement through the years. She stood by you when you married Dave— having her now makes you feel less alone. 

“Well, if it’s not one thing it’s another. There were some high hopes for sex when we got in the other night,  then he passed out— which is fine ‘cause traveling and what not. But I got in my head, questioning shit about myself and our relationship. Like maybe it’s me or something. He did try to initiate the next morning but I just kind of wasn’t feeling it— so we didn’t. Plus he had phone calls he needed to make so he wasn’t worrying about them the rest of our time here.”

“Hey, it’s not you at all. Don’t ever think that. You’re a catch— Dave knows that too.” She says, her reassurance firm but delivered sincerely. 

“Thank you. I mean, we kind of fooled around at the pool yesterday.”

“Ooooh!! I love this for you.”

“Well, then he ran off right before I— you know.”

“Fucking men, I swear.”

“Only to find him on the phone when he said he wouldn’t be. Then he was all jealous over this stranger I was talking to. We got back to the room, things seemed a little tense— we still went to dinner. Don’t really remember much after that, because I kept ordering dirty martinis at dinner.”

After hearing the beginning of his phone call, the shower didn’t do much to help. You didn’t want to make a scene, deciding to just leave the hurt bubbling inside of you back in the room and make the best of the rest of the night. 

Dave seemed pretty much his normal self going into dinner. Conversation was lighter than it was earlier in the room. You both caught up on things that you hadn’t really talked about in a while— details about his latest assignments (within reason), your own latest work projects, random tidbits about things —things felt normal.

There was a slight shift in the evening, when he was checking his phone more often than usual. Glancing at the screen between bites of his steak then trying to figure out where you left off in the conversation. 

You hadn’t even planned on drinking, but the chilled cocktail in front of Dave had been taunting you, begging to help obliterate your lingering thoughts. Then it was I’ll have another, Maybe one more, Suuuuure another sounds grreat. The dim restaurant turned into hazy fractures of light. The steady buzz of alcohol had you feel giggling and sleepy, slumping back into the velvet cushion of the intimate booth. Dave cut you off before things turned into a wild evening, shifting from your introverted self into a very lively and friendly drunk. 

You don’t even remember getting back to the room, just brief glimpses of Dave undressing you and helping you into one of his shirts, then tucking you into bed. 

“Hold up. Rewind— you fucking hate martinis! What the hell happened?!” She knows you so well. 

“Jacey, you’re my best friend. Someone who will be straight with me no matter what. I think— Do you think Dave is cheating on me?” You ask meekly, inhaling another minty pull from your nearly finished cigarette. 

“What?! Babe, why would you think Dave is cheating on you? Did something happen?”

““No— I mean yes. I think so. Fuck! I don't know what to think. We got back to the room after the pool yesterday, talked for a little bit then I went to get ready for dinner. I guess he thought I closed the door or something but I could hear him talking to someone—“ You try to keep your voice steady, finding it hard to blink the tears away as the wind whips around you. 

“Okay. Well, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s cheating on you. It could have just been more work shit he said he wasn’t going to do. Maybe he figured he could squeeze it in before dinner— not wanting to upset you.” Jacey is all about layout the facts and details before jumping down dark rabbit holes. 

“Ashley— Her name is Ashley. I heard him say her name.” 

There’s a beat of silence on the line before you hear her sigh. 

“Oh— what else did you hear?” She says, sounding a little more somber than before. 

“Nothing. My brain kind of went blank after that and I just got ready for dinner like I didn’t hear anything. Hence the abundance of martinis I drank my way through. Which also explains the slight headache I woke up with this morning.”

“Okay. So whoever he was talking to—“

“Ashley.” Details Jacey. 

“Right, Ashley. We don’t really know much, aside from that. So it could be anyone. Could be work related— Ashley could be a last name too. You know how they always do that last name first thing for whatever reason.” Somehow she always finds a way to get you to back away from the cliff, especially when your feet are over the edge. 

“Yeah, probably.” You say softly in agreement. A flock of birds catching your attention, their wings moving in unison as they fly overhead. 

“Look, like you said before— I’m gonna be straight with you. I don’t think Dave is cheating or would ever cheat. That man loves you. Sure, he’s kind of been a little too invested in work, which is affecting things with you. I don’t think there’s someone else. I promise. But I do think you both need to talk instead of this weird dance you both are doing, that way you’re both on the same page.”

“Okay. Yeah— you’re right. Thank you, Jace. Last thing— Does it make me a bad person if I had a dream about another man last night?” You ask, feeling a bit embarrassed as you voice it out loud. 

“I have those all the time— especially with that cute actor from that narcos show we love. Dreams don’t equate to real life.” She only slightly laughs at your confession. 

“What if it was with a guy I met at the pool who’s staying in the hotel, who listened to me spill my life away about how I’m not sure if my husband wants kids or not now— and how marriage feels like a mess.” 

“Oh! Pool guy was cute— No, I don’t think that makes you a bad person. Your thoughts are just all over the place right now. It was a dream. You’re fine. Hey, I hate to bail on you— but I’m umm, getting another call. We will chat soon, then you can give me more details about the cute pool guy. Love you!”

“Love you too, Jace. Talk soon. Bye.”

The call clicks out. Waves crashing onto the shore brings you back to the beach. Your cheeks cold and feet stinging as the water recedes again. 

It's nearing 10 am now, deciding to head back before Dave does in fact worry that you’ve been gone for too long. You snuff out the smoldering cigarette in the wet sand and stick it in your bag to dispose of later. The added nicotine now mingles poorly with your lingering hangover, body in desperate need of water and a strong pain reliever. 

On your way back to the hotel, you take every bit of what Jacey said and truly let it sink in, even as hard as it is to not let your mind wander into dark territory. She’s right though, it doesn’t do you any good to dwell on situational events if you have zero proof of anything. That doesn’t mean that you’ve written off your uneasiness completely, just simply tucking it away for the time being. 

The sweet bellmen welcomes you back with a friendly smile and a wave as he holds the door open for your return. The lobby now bustles with more guests than earlier. Some checking in for their stay, others enjoying the picturesque ambience of the hotel. 

In the time that it takes to get up to your room, you’ve run through several different scenarios in your head. All feeling immensely overwhelming at the thought of talking with Dave about how you’ve been feeling since he hasn’t seemed to pick up on the subtle inklings that there’s been a definite shift in your relationship the past few months. You’re not really sure you even want to have the conversation now, let alone here— not wanting to ruin the rest of the vacation in the chance things don’t go as smoothly as you want. You ultimately decide to wait, once you’ve settled back in at home, finally address everything with him.

You can hear Dave’s voice muffled outside the door of your room as you search for your key card in your bag, sounding as if he’s talking to someone on the phone. 

The room is bright as you enter, the curtains pulled open allowing the sun to shine through the large windows. The bed is somewhat made with the pillows stacked neatly and sheets straightened in an orderly Dave manner. 

Food had already been ordered and delivered, set out on the small table on the balcony. Your favorite breakfast of eggs benedict and toast along with a fresh pot of coffee. Dave’s usual eggs and bacon sit untouched, waiting for your return to enjoy breakfast together. 

Dave’s standing in front of the window, looking out at the scenery with his phone to his ear, but the sound of you entering the room has him turning towards you. 

His hair is freshly washed, combed up and out of his face. Wearing his favorite blue jeans snug around his hips, a white patterned shirt just barely buttoned to reveal enough of his slightly burnt chest to make your mouth water. It’s his beaming smile, arguably his best accessory, that makes your chest flutter, drawing you in closer to where he’s standing. 

“It’s my mother.” He whispers, covering the phone with his hand as she continues to talk into his ear. 

Did she find out? Call me when you can, we’ll talk about it then. Still wondering what her vague text message meant. 

“Yeah, Mom. She just walked through the door.” You hear her mention your name through the speaker. “My mom says hi.”

“Hi, Carol.” You say sweetly, kissing Dave’s cheek before turning to place your bag on the ground near the dresser, leaning back on the wall, watching Dave as he finishes the rest of the conversation. 

“Okay, sounds good…Tell dad hello for us and we’ll talk to you later… Love you, too… bye.” The screen of his phone goes black and he tosses it over to the bed. 

Grabbing a glass and some small pills resting on the dresser, closing the short distance to where you’re standing and holding the water and pain reliever out to you.

“I figured your head is probably killing you this morning.” Dave says smiling at you, no sign of annoyance in his face. 

“Thanks— Sorry about last night. I don’t know what got into me.” Tossing back the pills back, gulping the water down quickly, your focus on the remaining drops of water sliding down the side of the glass, pooling together at the bottom. 

Dave takes the glass from you, setting it over on the top of the dresser. One of his hands settles on your hip as the other tilts your chin up so your gaze is now directed at him. 

“Did you have a good walk?” Dave asks. One of his warm hands now cupping the side of your neck, surely he can feel the way your pulse is quickening, elevated just by a simple touch from him. 

“Yeah. It was nice— foggy, but beautiful. We should go again before we leave.” Your hands migrate to his shirt, fingers absentmindedly toying with the top abandoned buttons and soft silky fabric.

“Umm— I can smell the smoke on you. It’s fine, I don’t mind that you were— but is everything okay?” He knows, senses something is off, because he knows you don’t just smoke to smoke these days. Senses there’s something that triggered your need for your old vice, something to dull out whatever is silently bothering you. 

Yet somehow you have almost forgotten about the cigarette until now when he asks. Feeling a bit of shame for the second time again this morning, though you don’t pick up on any sort of judgment when he does ask about it. 

“Everything is fine. Just sounded good so I bought them on my way to the beach— don’t think I’ll even finish the pack though. I’m good.” Liar. You hate the way Dave winces at your answer. He knows there’s something simmering below the surface, but he doesn’t push for more. 

“Okay— okay. There’s breakfast here and I was thinking afterwards we could go to some shops or something. I made reservations for tonight at 6, I thought you might want to find something new to wear. Maybe we can grab some lunch near the beach too.” He tells you, brushing off the small specks of sand cemented to your face. 

You find yourself on the brink of tears, swallowing the little lump that started to form in your throat. Certain the next few days would be filled with worriment and noiseless vexation. There’s almost relief in hearing how he’s planned out the day, something he hasn’t done in months. Work and meetings always at the forefront of his planning lately, leaving little to no time for dinners or regular weekend getaways. 

“Or we can stay in if you want.” His head tilts a little, brown eyes scanning over every detail of your face as you mull over his plans a little longer than he expected. 

“No, that sounds nice. I brought some dresses that I can wear though, we don’t have to buy anything.” You shake your head in response. Pushing a few loose strands that had fallen out of place, his eyes closing at the sensation of your fingers combing through his hair. 

“We can just look, and if you find something you like we can get it.” Dave suggests— a nice middle ground. 

He leans in, his nose knocking against yours, humming as you continue to play with his hair. 

“Okay.” You breathe out, his intense eye contact starting to ignite something within you. 

“You’re sure everything’s okay?” Offering you another opportunity to bare it all out for him. 

His lips graze over yours when he asks, just enough to have you wanting more. 

“Yeah. Everything is fine— promise.” 

“Alright. Let’s get some food in you and then we can get ready to head out. And there’s coffee—” His thought abandoned, his lips crashing into yours in a passionate kiss. 

You eagerly respond, wrapping your arms around his neck as he presses you further into the wall. Your head swirling with want, thrilled at the fact that he’s so keen to give you exactly what you’ve been craving. The scent of his cologne mixed with the musky smell of him fills your senses, making you weak for him even more.

His tongue explores your mouth, tangled together in a heated dance as your bodies grind against each other, arousal growing with each passing moment. 

His hands roam freely over your body, stopping at your hips to pull you in even closer has you gasping into his mouth.  

“Fuck— Dave!”

“Yeah— that feel good, Baby?” Dave’s hard almost instantly, pressing against you as you slowly grind on him. You're scorching from the friction of your bodies, the coil already winding in your lower abdomen, shivers tingling up your spine.

“Yes!! Oh god, yes!! So good, Dave!” You cry out. The heat between you unbearable, the need for release is all consuming—- more more more. 

Dave’s lips fuse to yours again, dragging one hand down between your bodies. He slips under the waistband of your leggings, deft fingers finding the damp fabric of your panties, a sticky mess because of him. He’s enlivened by the way your body writhes as a result of his touch. Fingers circling over your clit in a deliberate frenzied manner, causing you to release a breathy moan into his mouth.

“You think you can come right here? I’m not gonna last much longer.” He says breaking the kiss. His eyes are filled with a burning desire as he looks at you. You nod, encouraging him to continue his ministrations, before he’s capturing your lips again. 

You whine at the loss of his fingers moving over your aching bundle of nerves, your body in dire need of his touch now that he’s giving you all of it. 

Dave’s hands slip under your top, fingers trailing over your pebbled skin as he pulls it up and over your head. You help him, tossing it aside, leaving you in only your lace bra and bottoms as you lean back against the coolness of the wall, chest heaving with need.

“More— pl-please, I’m almost there. ohfuckyesyesyes!.” His hands explore your body, memorizing every curve and dip with a new surge of want and urgency, his fingers trailing down your back to grip your ass and pulling you closer— sparks of pleasure blazing through you nearing a fiery release. 

‘I know baby, I’ve got you’ murmured against your neck, his words riddled with assurance as he sucks on the sensitive skin there. 

Your hands grip his shoulders as he continues to explore you with his mouth, caressing every inch of you as he makes his way down to your chest, pulling the fabric of your bra down, his fingers gliding over the tight skin. He cups the weight of your breast in his hand, taking one of your hardened nipples into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it, teeth gently nipping as you moan louder and louder, while his other hand fondles and twists at your other side. 

“Oh fuck! Baby, I’m gonna come—“ You gasp, arching your back, your nails digging into Dave’s shoulders has him clamping down harder on your overly sensitive nipple. The pleasing painful sting shoots straight to your core, your velvet walls pulsating, your climax within reach.

A pleasurable ache builds for the second time this morning, except this time it’s because of Dave. All your pent up emotions forging together, building into the most magnificent wave of arousal you’ve felt in a long time. 

You pull his face up to meet yours, lips messily crashing against his in another bliss driven kiss. His hard cock straining behind the tightness of his jeans, tilting your cunt at the perfect angle while hoping Dave is reaping the benefits of your euphoric pursuit as you grind down on the rough seam of his denim that helps careen you over the edge. 

It’s like a dream— except it's not, it’s better. Real and satiating. Your orgasm is forceful as it rips through you, taking every bit of residual tension along with it. 

Dave’s movements become faster and more charged. His hips moving in a stuttering pattern— fuckfuckfuck —then stilling as a deep groan barrels through his chest. You wrap a leg around him as he collapses into you, his face nestled in the crook of your neck, holding him tightly to your body. 

A breeze blows through the open balcony door, diffusing the layer of sexual haze wafting through the room. The air is welcoming, enveloping your bodies in the crispness that comes with being in close proximity to the Pacific. 

It feels lighter. Less suffocating— even with the weight of your husband holding you against the wall. The low lying fog no longer a dense cloud looming over you, allowing the brightness to fully shine through. 

The turbulent thoughts have settled, replaced with a mildness that seems more manageable for the time being. Your headache becomes a subsiding dullness, overpowered by the replenishment of a compelling desire. 

“Shit— I came in my fucking pants like a goddamn teenager. Couldn’t even make it to the bed.” He says, post sexual vibrato etched into his voice, pressing a soft kiss to your collarbone as he lifts himself up to his full height. 

Dave’s skin is glowing, a sheen of sweat glistening in the morning light. His cheeks flushed with a tinge of pink, the muscles in his neck flexing as he worked to control his breathing. The silkiness of his shirt now damp and stuck to his chest. 

“Hmm. I feel too good to even care. You have no idea how bad I needed that.” You smile at him, drawing your bottom lip between your teeth, brushing a few fallen strands of hair away from his face. 

The corner of his eyes crinkle. He’s beaming, infatuated with you as he leans in, resting his forehead on yours and whispers, “Do you have any idea how much I love you?.” 

“Love you too, Dave.”

[cookie-nom-nom]

Reading Barrayar I felt trapped in Cordelia’s head. It’s incredibly effective for the dread of war as a civilian. Plans and machinations happening beyond you, with no input. Hearing of things happening that seem far off and like yeah that’s awful but then suddenly it dominoes in a way that destroy your life and it’s not your fault and you could've done nothing at all to prevent it. Especially the tension of being hunted in the Dendarii mountains with no idea how the war is going, if they’ve already lost, if it is already too late. Cordelia is doing actively important things in service of the war by sheltering Gregor, yet there's this pervasive feeling of helpless lack of control. She spends most of the book with this dread of not knowing when the next threat to their family will come, and I don’t think it could’ve been done so effectively if we had access to the information Aral had. I found it frustrating at times, since it felt like Cordelia was swept up in events with little agency (at first; obviously our dear captain didn’t remain there). I wanted so badly to be with Aral seeing and knowing and making the decisions.

But that’s the point! Most people have absolutely zero agency in those situations and little information and it’s terrifying. Barrayar captures the feeling of being a civilian in war where so many narratives narrow in upon the heroes and 'men of history' that control conflicts. That's what readers expect. I think that’s why I loved the ending so much. After so long trapped with Cordelia, just trying to survive the larger machinations of Barrayar’s bloody politics, it felt so, so good to finally be on the offensive, to have information the opponents don’t, to finally have power and the means to control what happens. It's a relief to the constant tension of having no agency in a giant conflict that frankly Cordelia had no business being affect by, yet was swept up in because of her love of Aral.

Which is the second thing I deeply enjoyed in Barrayar. I love how the war is made so human. A messy tangle of human relationships control it. I can’t stop thinking about the hostages. There are just so many children being used because the war holds the future hostage. Tiny precious Miles utterly incapable of comprehending how large a pawn he is. Young grieving Gregor vital to the plans of both sides whether dead or alive. Elena, who should be of no importance but she is because that's the kid of an unimportant soldier, just like every other hostage is another piece in the web of the war. I keep thinking about the relatives of Aral’s men caught in the capital. The hostages that Aral refuses to take. Everyone just trying to take care of those they love, and the points where they must put other priorities over their relationships are heart wrenching.

Barrayar looks dead on at how little people try to survive a civil war. From the mountains where the fighting seems so far, and information is slowed to a trickle of the singular mailman. The invasion of forces that disrupts people who may not even know there’s a war yet. The scientists and the genius lost in a single blast that goes unnoticed. The urban populations trying to sneak in food and people and keep their heads down. Random citizens debating who to sell out, weighing risks and bounties, if it will get them the favor with the occupiers that will help them survive. All so small in the grand scheme of things, and yet they are who Barrayar concerns itself with.

Cordelia’s uncertainty and fear would’ve been undermined if we were allowed to see in the heads of people driving the conflict, because Barrayar isn’t about those people. It is the desperation of two mothers, powerless and kept in the dark, that topples the regime.

Addendum: Cordelia’s relationship to Aral firmly places her in an upper class position that is important to note when discussing the role of civilians/‘little people’ within this analysis. But as a woman on Barrayar she is extremely limited in the power she is allocated, especially compared to someone like Aral, which would be the military leadership POV that novels more focused on the grander scope of war would utilize. Again not to say Cordelia has no agency or power, but it is not to the degree of the people in charge. Thus I place her alongside the average people swept up in a war outside their control. Still, her position as a Vor Lady gives her some access knowledge and connections that she turns into power, which while limited are far more than the average citizen. Her significance to Vordarrian is exclusively viewed as yet another hostage, an underestimation that Cordelia readily exploits, but still afforded only due to her status. Cordelia occupies a position of importance but not power beyond the scope of the people she’s formed direct relationships with, which only further ties into the essay's thesis.

[andreal831]

If you could add just one haylijah scene into canon, what would it be?

That's so mean to only give me one. So much of loving haylijah is searching for their interactions in the background because the show really gave us very little after Season 1.

Like when Cami died and Elijah is just standing protectively behind Hayley's chair. Same way he stood protectively behind her at Jackson's funeral. So many of their sweet interactions get 0.05 seconds of screen time and if you aren't paying attention, you miss it. Thankfully I pay too much attention.

But one scene we don't even get a glimpse of is in Season 3 Episode 13. In back-to-back scenes Elijah is shot with a white oak bullet and Hayley almost has her heart ripped out by the Strix. How did we get zero interaction between Elijah and Hayley being worried about each other?

Yes, Hayley is still recently grieving Jackson, but that doesn't mean she can't be allowed to worry over Elijah. I feel the writers were so concerned about creating that love triangle tension that they didn't let Hayley just feel her emotions. She is allowed to grieve her husband but also be concerned about another man she loves almost dying. And how did we not get a scene of Elijah absolutely destroying anyone who harmed Hayley? Elijah never gets to actually feel his emotions. Anytime anything happens, he is just expected to move forward with the next steps of the plan. One scene of them simply checking on each other would have been beautiful and been consistent with their characters.

They were constantly checking in on each other in Season 1, even just asking how they were doing. How did we get almost no scenes like that in the later seasons?

And you know what the worst thing is, they deleted multiple scenes from Season 3 of haylijah caring about each other which really helps flesh out their relationship.

Like this deleted scene of Elijah checking on Hayley after Cami dies and before she has that whole conversation with Klaus about Elijah:

Also this deleted scene in 3x14, where we actually get to see Hayley having complex emotions:

Or even just this scene of them just having normal emotions and a conversation about it:

Essentially the writers hated us and were so focused on constant tension that we hardly got to see them experience emotions and support each other, which is why I love them so much in Season 1.

I love Klamille, but we get a whole episode devoted to her death and another to her funeral. Same with Kolvina. Marbekah is shown throughout the show even though Claire Holt was hardly there. Yet, Haylijah hardly gets to interact as a couple, even when they are a couple or at least close friends/family for the entirety of the show.

So just more of all of that!

Thanks for the ask and hope you enjoy the deleted scenes! I love them <3

[comicgeekery]

More Like The Three Gay-bles, Right?

The Three Gables

This was a fun reset into the regular Sherlock & Co. adventures. Something low stakes that also gave John space to show that he’s still grieving for Mary. And Sherlock and Mariana had time to hang out, just the two of them! I was hoping for that!

The mystery was interesting, with the questions about what could be hidden in the hospital that someone would spend decades obsessing over obtaining or destroying. (Though I found the solution a little underwhelming. Yeah, the woman covered up a murder, but you don’t need to out her as a cougar!) Thinking about it now, I really wonder why it was so hard for her to get that evidence. Hire some burglers! Give the hospital a big donation with the condition that you get to dig something out of an unused chimney! There were options!

But this adventure was clearly much more about the characters. John is in mourning and Sherlock and Mariana are doing their best to support him through that. It’s sweet.

But it’s also time for me to once again pull out my Johnlock conspiracy board!

Ok, so one thing I didn’t mention about The Sign of Four was the queer clues (qlues) I found there. I wanted to focus on the objective story and give Mary her flowers. But there were some important elements to note!

Sherlock seemed jealous at the idea of John dating someone. Could just be friend-jealousy, but it was there.

“You have a lovely face. Very warm.” Sherlock to Watson in The Sign of Four, part 4

John pointed out (also in SoF, part 4) that Sherlock had done a case with a romantic interest before, Victor Trevor from The Gloria Scott! And Sherlock acknowledged it! As a reminder, Victor Trevor was an old friend of Sherlock’s from school and the only explicitly gay man we’ve had so far. I knew they had a flirty vibe!

So we know that Sherlock & Co. has an explicitly queer version of Sherlock Holmes! That’s fantastic! It still doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll get together with John, but honestly I’ll stay thrilled either way!

Knowing he’s a queer character also made his interaction with the drag queen really interesting. First of all he knew her, but he also seemed comfortable with the drag performance and her club in a way that felt like he’d been there before. Sherlock isn’t just queer, he’s had experience with queer culture. I doubt that gay clubs are his preferred scene, but I love the implication of a journey of self-discovery. Maybe it was something he experienced while in school with Victor.

Now for some bits that are more theory than evidence-based. I suspect that Sherlock has a big crush on John and has for a while. Not a surprise, as John has repeatedly been so kind, supportive, and actively interested in Sherlock’s passion for crime solving. I also think that Sherlock currently has zero intention of pushing for any romantic intimacy. Even aside from the fact that John only expresses interest in women and now has shown heartache from two major straight relationships, I really doubt Sherlock would be willing to take that sort of risk. He’s been deeply lonely for a lot of his life and John’s probably the best friend he’s ever had. Definitely not something worth risking when it’s much more likely John would be really uncomfortable.

(Doesn’t stop Sherlock from making a big effort to make a good impression on Ma Watson though. That was worth a minute of masking.)

Sherlock would certainly be SUPER concerned about any abilities he might have to be romantic anyway. Romance is a minefield for anyone, with all of the careful dancing around each other’s longings and vulnerabilities. Unassisted, Sherlock’s plans for a date would probably be a stressful mess. Maybe he’s even already experienced it.

But there’s also the issue that Sherlock is actively hiding things from John. In The Three Gables, we learn that Sherlock is super secretive about his family. I was relieved honestly, because I had thought that John had lived with Sherlock all this time and never asked about his past. It’s good to know it was just off-mic non-answers.

Obviously Mycroft is going to come up at some point, in some form. I still think he might be high-needs autistic, brilliant at government sorting, but downright unable to socialize or go anywhere besides work, home, and the Diogenes club. Maybe he’ll even be a sister in this version! That could be fun, and it’s not like Mycroft is an especially gendered name. But I’m sure he’s still going to have a significant position in the British government. Not the puppet-master he was in BBC’s Sherlock, but someone with some power and influence. I also still think he might be involved in cleaning up a few legal messes resulting from Sherlock’s cases and John’s obsession with uploading accounts of all the crimes they’ve committed.

We may also meet the extended Holmes family. I’d like that. Ma and Pa Holmes, maybe a Sherrinford (also a sister?). Hell, give Sherlock aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, whatever! Give us all the family and all the Sherlock background!

However, whoever his family is, I’m certain they’re a big deal. I think they’re super rich and paid for Sherlock to go to a bunch of different schools, to play around as a detective, and to have servants/caregivers. And I think Sherlock is very worried about how John would react if he knew, given how often John has expressed disdain for wealthy people. Sherlock doesn’t want to lie to his best friend, but he also can’t tell the truth. So he’s just saying nothing for as long as he can.

(Sherlock was definitely the one to buy or arrange for Tonga getting those football season tickets in the hospital.)

In conclusion: I continue to think that Johnlock is a real possibility on Sherlock & Co. If it’s going to happen it’s clearly going to be a hell of slow burn, but we’ve got some important groundwork now!

[undertheorangetree]

How to Improve HOTD S2

This is truly just me feeling frustrated with the second season and screaming into the void. Feel free to ignore it I wrote it at 10pm in a hater spiral and probably have some information wrong

1. Shift away from the Alicent vs Rhaenyra thing and highlight Aegon vs Rhaenyra. It would be hard when zero relationship had been established in season 1 but after Jaehaerys’s murder it would have been SOOO easy to shift the focus of Team Green on to Aegon and make him really want to take Nyra down.

2. Speaking of Nyra I’m begging them to give her some agency. Her son was MURDERED. She spent TEN DAYS SEARCHING FOR HIS BODY. She should’ve been ready and raring to go to war at the end of episode one!! She should be doing everything she can to destroy those who took her baby boy from her!! Instead they had her crying about going to war and no one taking her seriously for 5 episodes. Let her be morally grey I’m begging you she is not a saint nor should she be

3. Introduce Ulf and Hugh WHEN they claimed their dragons. No one cares about their lives yet. Regular viewers don’t know who they are. They can talk backstory once you’ve shown why they’re important

4. While we’re introducing characters GIVE US SOME TIME WITH DAERON. Non book readers have no idea who he is. Establishing his place in Oldtown, the fact that he has a dragon, the dichotomy between himself and his brothers all would have been GREAT to see before they started throwing his name around.

5. More screentime for the younger generation! Helaena lost so much of her arc due to them removing her fall into madness (which I’m not mad at btw) but showing her grief would’ve still been nice. Baela is ride or die for house targaryen and that’s about all we’ve seen from her, plz give my girl some agency. Rhaena is angry about being cast aside and that’s got so much meat for character motivations but EVEN THE WRITERS ARE IGNORING HER AND GIVING HER ONE 30 SECOND SCENE EVERY OTHER EPISODE. Jace is also being done dirty, they should be establishing reasons why we should care about him and why he’s such a good heir before the battle of the gullet (which in an ideal world would’ve been where we ended season 2 but).

6. ENOUGH WITH THE HARRENHAL ARC!! The first few scenes were fine but now it’s just repetitive. Daemon wanting to be king in his own right came out of nowhere and will have zero consequences when we all know Nyra is just going to take him back when he’s done pouting. He’s literally just wandering around Harrenhal like a freak. That arc needed 3 episodes at the absolute max to establish the castle and Alys and the river lords and then he should’ve come back. I hate him but they’re wasting his character.

7. Aemond turning into a super villain?? After we established he regretted what he did to Luke?? Trying to take out his own brother for power is fine and I support you if that’s what you want king but maybe give us some more context other than “brother bullies you in front of his friends”?? Maybe my sister was just mean but that’s an average sibling experience as far as I’m concerned. It would have made more sense with the characterization they had already given him if Aemond had been given no choice but to burn Aegon in order to save him and take out Rhaneys and Meleys. The 180 into anime villain felt way too abrupt (like dany going mad sorry)

8. Alicent and Cole………… as much as I fly the Alicent is gay flag it could’ve made sense if they didn’t just immediately beat us over the head with it. We were immediately thrown in the deep end of them having a sexual relationship with zero context other than “everything you feel for me… as your queen” PERHAPS GIVE US SOMETHING MORE. I actually would have loved Alicent reclaiming her sexuality after 20+ years of having to fuck her rotting old husband but they went about it the wrong way.

9. Speaking of Alicent, I feel like they truly do not know what to do with Alicent. They took away every ounce of agency she could have had in order to make her a victim and now they don’t have anything for her to do. They just keep taking everything from her in a way that just shoves her character in a box while also trying to maintain her as one of the main characters?? It’s just all very odd to me

10. In that same vein, I feel like they don’t really know what to do with ANYONE honestly. Game of Thrones also had a big cast following multiple locations but somehow juggling between them all felt much cleaner than it does here. It’s as if they lose track of their characters and forget about them so they throw in a quick 30 second scene to be like “btw they’re still here!!”

11. I need more character interactions. Aegon/Helaena. Daemon with his children. Just people you expect to have some kind of relationship. I don’t think any of those characters have ever actually had a significant interaction with each other which feels absolutely WILD to me but

12. STOP WITH THE TEAMS!!! STOP IT!!! There is no good guy and bad guy here and there shouldn’t be. It’s a monarchy, a whole ass empire that has its roots in an even worse empire. None of the Targaryens are good. They aren’t gods. Rhaenyra has been completely screwed over due to the patriarchy but being a victim doesn’t make you a good person. She’s still sacrificing the country for her birthright. Let her be evil, morally grey, ANYTHING is better than her pushing against common sense in order to seem like a good guy. Aegon and co as well shouldn’t be portrayed entirely of super villains and victims. They’ve also done a shitty thing but at the very least give us some nuance no one is entirely good or bad.

13. This is nitpicky so it’s at the end but it’s called house of the DRAGON. I wanna see more rider/dragon interaction. I shouldn’t be introduced to a dragon the same episode it’s maimed (Sunfyre). You shouldn’t be telling me one of the main characters has a dragon when we haven’t so much as heard her speak about it (Dreamfyre). If a bond is so important between a dragon and it’s rider I want to see that bond

• IN THAY SAME VEIN why was vermithor letting nyra and daemon get all up in his grill?? They’re bonded dragonriders they’ve got their bestie, he doesn’t. Shouldn’t he have lit them up for that?? What makes them so special?? He’s barbecuing Targaryen bastards left and right but these two get a pass?? Why??

And now for some general overall complaints🫶🏼

1. Fix your pacing I’m begging you. They could have made 8 episodes work if they had let us move through the plots faster but instead there’s so much dead air. After Jaehaerys was killed we should’ve been FLYING through plot points. Two child murders are enough to declare a war started, but we still hadn’t seen any battle until episode 4 and then it stalled out again. Harrenhal doesn’t need this much screentime. You don’t need to hint at Rhaena claiming Sheepstealer for 3+ episodes. We don’t need to hum and ha about going to war for 4 episodes. There should be fewer long shots of the actors faces simply reacting and more SPEAKING. More PLOT. MORE OF ANYTHING TO MOVE THE STORY FORWARD

2. Stop repeating information. Characters constantly beat you over the head with the same information over and over again. One character will tell a person something then a second character tells that same person almost the exact same thing an episode later it’s like no one proofread the script.

3. Why are you having your actors use giant words in order to sound more period accurate?? You don’t need to repeat lickspittle every five seconds. You don’t need to use gainsay or comportment. I promise your audience knows it’s a medieval setting, put the thesaurus down you sound like an idiot

4. It’s almost totally inaccessible for non book readers. I watch with my mom and sister, neither of whom have done any research about ASOIAF but have seen GOT, and I’m constantly explaining shit to them. The showrunners rely too much on people having read them that they don’t explain anything. I know Helaena has a dragon, but they don’t because NO ONE HAS MENTIONED IT BEFORE!! BY THE SECOND SEASON!!

5. This is just a me thing but I would’ve LOVED more regional costuming. We got a hint of it with Sabitha Frey wearing a headpiece when treating with Jace and I love the idea of each region having their own specific fashion trends. The costumes are fine, some are even great, but most are lacklustre and feel too fantasy to me. I’m a history girly I want to see more hoods and headpieces and different shapes in the dresses etc etc.

Despite all this there are still some great scenes!! Aspects of this season were awesome and I think the first two episodes in particular were really strong, there is just so much lost potential this season and it has been really disappointing. I’m still gonna be sat for the finale this week but I hope that they really up their game in season three

[nicedeviledhamrightthere]

if i fall

Summary: Neal gets hurt during a case and his found family checks up on him. He's not used to that.

Words: 1.9k

Notes: This fits in at the end of the episode "The Original", and fulfills the square "broken ribs" for my hurt/comfort bingo card and also "regret/guilt" and "tricky" for my White Collar bingo card which puts me at a bingo! Zero plot, just some found family feels. Super simple, written over the course of two discord sprints.

===============================================

Marble everywhere. Peter stepped over the mess carefully, crumbled bits of brown and beige dust crunching beneath his shoes. The sculpture is ruined. Decimated. Nothing but an indoor landslide. Peter didn't mind that much, he didn’t care for it in the first place and proof or not...he trusted Neal when he said it was a forgery. Nothing on the floor means anything to him except Neal and he’s slow to get up, favoring his right side when he stands. Peter watched him press one arm against his chest, discretely feeling out the source of obvious pain before correcting himself and forcing his features into something that reads as neutral. He made a show of catching his breath, and it was hard for Peter to tell if he was actually hurt or if he was playing it up to give their suspect another charge for his dance card.

Neal isn’t exactly a Federal Agent but it’s still assault.

“You okay?” Peter asked and Neal nodded quickly. He would never say otherwise anyway. Peter watched as Neal crouched to pick up the scroll, carefully controlling his features as he bent down, coming up totally preoccupied by the forger’s signature. Peter missed the way Neal held his breath, and anyone else watching might think he was just nervous that he’d destroyed a multi-million dollar sculpture.

Neal was not concerned about that in the least. He was certain that it was a fake that had been destroyed. A half-ton of marble that caught his fall without doing a thing to cushion the blow. His chest hurt, every breath screaming agony. He wasn’t sure he was a good enough con man to get away with this injury but he was going to try.

“We’ve got him,” Peter said, patting Neal on the back. He held firm even though he wanted to squirm away from the rough display of affection. “A little unorthodox, baiting someone into breaking their own work by making them want to kill you...but I’ll give you points for creativity.”

Neal winced and nodded. He might not put this tactic in his repertoire after today. “Thanks Peter.”

“You in the mood for a celebratory drink? First case won for the new ASAC and it’s about as high-profile as it gets. Can’t help but put us in her good graces for a while, huh?”

Neal glanced around the room and shook his head. He only wanted one thing: to go home and lie down. He didn’t trust the new ASAC and he didn’t care about being in her good graces. He did care about the deepening pain in his ribs that time was doing nothing to alleviate.

“Rain check.”

“Yeah. Sure...okay. Have a good night, Neal.”

Peter watched Neal leave helplessly, hoping that he was alright. He wouldn’t push, though. Pushing only made Neal bristle and retreat. All he really knew was that if it had been him that fell full force on top of a hunk of marble, he’d be on his way to the ER.

By the time Neal arrived home, he was barely taking full breaths in. Every single movement made his chest ache like he’d just been attacked with a sledgehammer.

“Neal,” June called as he ascended the staircase slowly. He tried to look casual and was glad for the brief respite provided when he stopped to talk with her. “Would you have dinner with me tonight?”

He thought it over. What he really wanted was to pour a large glass of wine and lie in bed, not moving a single muscle until morning. But June looked so hopeful and he’d put her off now three or four times for various reasons, none of which seemed important now.

“Absolutely,” he replied in spite of himself. “What time?”

“Seven. I’ll have it brought upstairs, we can eat on the roof. It’s supposed to be crystal clear tonight, not a cloud in sight. I do love getting to see the stars.”

Neal nodded, glad not to have to use the stairs again if nothing else. “That sounds wonderful.”

June had several employees who brought the meal up in pieces, multiple courses spread over an hour of conversation. She never once asked him if he was alright but he could tell she was thinking it, she was watching him closely. Every move he made under scrutiny. The looks she was giving him, the fact that she’d had dinner brought up to him...he hadn’t lifted a finger all night.

“June,” he said finally as dessert was laid before them. “Did Peter put you up to this?”

She feigned offense for a moment, but quickly let the guise drop. “He was worried about you.”

“And you?”

“I think you got hurt today, but I think you’re alright. Are you alright?”

“I am pretty sore but I’m alright.”

“You’re a tough cookie. Eat your dessert. That always helps.”

“Thank you for checking on me.”

Truth be told, he still wasn’t used to having people around who cared about his well-being. He’d been so many people over the course of his short life and he was so lonely. June sitting beneath the clear night sky, eating a meal with him, it was as close to heaven as he thought he might ever get. He hadn’t exactly earned his way into the pearly gates, but he finally had people who loved him and wanted to keep him around.

People who cared that he might be hurt.

“I’m not checking on you, I’m having dinner with a friend,” she replied with a soft smile. “If I happen to notice that you got hurt today, that’s hardly cause for all of this trouble.”

Neal said goodnight to her after a final glass of wine and made his way to bed. June’s call to Peter did nothing to assuage his guilt at letting Neal leave without insisting he be checked out. Why had he? Any one of his agents and he wouldn’t have taken no for an answer, it was protocol, there was paperwork, but not with Neal. Not for a CI. But that only served to make him feel worse, and more than that...he felt responsible.

“Hon,” El said as she lounged in bed. Peter was brushing his teeth. “He’s okay.”

“June said he’s obviously uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable isn’t dying, but if you’re so concerned why don’t you go check on him?”

“He could have a broken rib, a punctured lung…”

“That seems unlikely. He ate an entire meal with her.”

“He would never say so. He’s so used to doing things on his own, El. He’s practically been alone his entire life.”

“I know. You’ve told me.” She smiled and put her book down, knowing that her husband wasn’t about to let this topic drop. He would have to talk his way through it, reason out the pros and cons, come to his own decision after so much back and forth. Her job was only to wait it out.

“Did I tell you he grew up in WITSEC?”

“You did.”

“I can’t imagine. From what I understand, his mother was...not much of a mother. He was on his own so young, it’s hard for him to ask for help.”

“Well don’t make him ask then, hon. Go over there.”

“And do what, exactly?”

“I don’t know Peter. Just go check on him. Make sure he doesn’t have a punctured lung.”

“Now you’re making fun of me.”

“No, I’m just…” she started but he leaned down and gave her a kiss, stopping her in her tracks. “Call me if you need help.”

What he found was Neal sitting hunched over an easel, great pulsing colors gashed over the canvas. The door was unlocked, not uncommon but it still made Peter a little wary.

“Hi Peter,” Neal said quietly, setting his brush down. He didn’t turn toward the other man, just sat still. Moving would have given him up, and frankly, he just didn’t want to deal with the pain of movement.

“You’re hurt.”

“Yeah,” Neal admitted. “It’s worse than I thought.”

“Do you need to see a doctor?”

“No. No doctor.”

“Alright. Can I help?”

At that Neal made the effort to turn in his seat and Peter could see the pain in his features. “You could open that bottle of wine for me. I’ve tried twice but I can’t.”

“You need some pickles or a jar of jam opened too?”

“Nevermind.”

“No, no, I’ll get your wine open. I presume you intend to self-medicate.”

“Something like that.”

“May I see?”

“If you get the wine open and pour me a glass, you can do whatever you want.”

The cork slid out with little effort, and Peter poured the glass a little heavy before handing it to his friend. Neal took it gratefully and sipped. It was not a small sip, but not quite a gulp. He wasn’t that bad yet.

“So, this an original Neal Caffrey?” Peter asked, leaning forward to examine the painting.

“It wasn’t supposed to be, but…”

“I’m not much of an art connoisseur but even I can see this is a painting of pain.”

“Well, when you try to paint with broken ribs…”

“Let me take a look.”

Neal sat still while Peter lifted his shirt and gently ran his fingers along mottled splashes of bruised ribs, pressing slightly where he thought the most damage might be. “This is gonna hurt for a while.”

“How long?” Neal asked, and Peter saw a flood of innocence and a little fear in Neal’s eyes. He shrugged.

“A few weeks, at least. It shouldn’t be so bad after a copule days, but you’ll want to be careful. I should probably…”

“No. That’s why I didn’t want to tell you Peter. You’re going to bench me.”

“It’s for your own good, and for everyone’s safety.”

“Please Peter. I don’t want to be stuck at my desk.”

“How about the van? There are a few stakeout requisitions on my desk. You and Diana can sit in the van, but you have to promise you won’t do any of the leg work until you’re feeling better.” Peter paused, trying to get a read on Neal while his defenses were still down. Before he started formulating a plan. “And I can tell if you’re lying to me. You know that. I let you get away with things more than I should, but I always know.”

“I know you do.”

“So why try?”

“Because it’s fun. And I don’t know who I am if I don’t.”

Peter smiled and pulled Neal’s shirt back down before walking toward the freezer to find an ice pack. There wasn’t much in there, but he did have a malleable gel pack so Peter brought it out and placed it against the worst of the bruising. He held it there for a moment, before Neal managed to lift his arm and place his hand over the ice.

“Thank you.”

“You should go lay down. I’ll close up.”

“Yeah...okay…” Neal whispered, staring at his angry canvas. It did look like pain. He didn’t mean to paint that, he’d been going for something a little less personal but lost it after the first missed stroke.

“Take tomorrow off,” Peter said as Neal shuffled stiffly toward the bed with his ice pack pinned to his side and a glass of wine in hand.

“Okay,” Neal said. Peter felt awful pushing him aside, and even worse that he wasn’t arguing much.

“If you have Italian roast...I’ll stop by for a cup of coffee on my way in. We can discuss the plan for you coming back.”

“I always have Italian roast, Peter.”

Peter grinned. “I know. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Peter…” Neal groaned, trying to get into bed. “Thank you for checking on me.”

“Of course.”

[yourtoradorasextendedwarranty]

So this should have been an ask rather than a message. But I'll hide your name so there's no claims of doxxing.

Ok so first I'll address the last claim.

Gaza is extremely anti LGBT. Most of the Muslim world actually is. Because in miss countries that practice Islam have a few practices to deal with gay people. Castration, jail, or death. It's extremely common to find in most nations. Gaza isn't an exception. The region has it's own laws, specifically that of jailing people whom are gay. For 10 years.

The second claim revolves around the fact that scholars have made pretty definite claims that most all the Philistines are fundamentally gone. Sure it's likely you'll find traces in your blood line somewhere but no that land area has not been occupied by "Palestinians" for a long time. It's actually rather recent.

Also I can separate the people who support Gazan people from people who suppose Hamas, except you all give me on reason to. You lie about hostages, beheadings, and rapes. Most all of you call the Jewish people colonizers when historically almost ALL of that land is their land. What's more while there isn't a voting system in Gaza, Hamas was supported into a position of power through bribery etc by the current people of Gaza.

Believe whatever you want. But don't pretend that one of the most traditional conservative (to an extreme) religions on earth is actually pro LGBT. They aren't. You are all a disposable pawn in their quest to purge the world of every faith not their own. What's more, I'd treat most of you in better faith if most of you were not liars who believed in propaganda. News comes out of a bomb or rocket blowing up a hospital by hamas. Then mainstream leftists do nothing but cover that Non-Stop. Then come to find out it was actually a rocket fired by Hamas that misfired fell back down and blew up a parking lot.

I would treat you all in better Faith generally if y'all didn't believe the mindless propaganda of people who want to see the Jewish people wipe from the face of the Earth. Because it's been pro hamas people and pro Palestinian people who have torn down missing persons signs from the October 7th attack. It's been pro Hamas and pro Palestinian people who have said that Hamas did nothing wrong. It is pro Hamas and pro Palestinian people who have shouted a genocidal term which is from the river to the Sea. Except again historically that land never belonged to them.

I hate taking sides on these wars and other things across the world because it always gets polluted by bleeding heart leftist who think brown people good white people bad and y'all consider Jews white which is the only reason most of you are even upset. I would honestly treat most of you and better faith, if I did not see leftists and progressives harass Target and threaten none Israeli Jews around the world because of a fight going on in a different country that these people have nothing to do with.

If you have zero sympathy for the people who got raped beheaded murdered or kidnapped on October 7th you are pro Hamas. And people who say that their pro Palestinian will never ever get an ounce of Mercy from me. And if you want to know why it's because those same people absolutely never care about the victims on the Israeli side. They either say that they deserve it they call them colonizers or they excuse it because they are "not human".

Having said that, if you are one of the people who cares about both sides in this fight especially all of the innocent people. I will treat you with some level of good faith. But if you have no care for the Israelis that were hurt killed or brutalized. Then I absolutely believe 100% you are pro Hamas. Because as far as I'm concerned you all take pro Hamas propaganda at face value which is a group of people who want Jews wiped off the Earth and everything that comes out of Palestine news wise is almost completely Hamas propaganda in their quest to destroy Israel. That land in mass does not belong to the current residence of Gaza. Almost unilaterally that land belongs to people of Jewish descent. And the fact that they gave that land to the current people referred to as Palestinians should show that they actually care at least a bit. Because honestly if they wanted genocide like everyone claims they could glass Gaza and every other place with Palestinian residents overnight. And I mean glass in the literal sense.

Because the fake before and after photos we keep seeing of Gaza show that it was extremely high-end. They were rich. We're all Palestinians rich? Probably not but a lot of the before and after photos showed a lot of really really high-end housing hotels and businesses. And yet the people who are pro Palestine insist that it was an open-air prison and that they were just treated to the worst atrocities. Sure.

[skyward-floored]

.... I'd love to see Hyrule's perspective on that whole scene, if you ever want to write it 👀 (absolutely ZERO pressure tho!!!!)

- hero-of-the-wolf

I didn’t want to fight my way through an action scene, so I actually skipped to a bit later, while their parents are being yelled at interrogated for their version of events. So it’s not the exact moment. It’s technically not even in the movie. But I think it’s good anyway.

For people who haven’t seen the second movie in a while, this is right bear the beginning, when the family tried to stop the Underminer and kind of failed, then get sort of arrested because they’re supers and that’s still illegal.

(tw for discussion of guns, and implied past child abuse)

————————————————————

Hyrule chewed on his thumb nail, pressed into a corner of the small room in the police station they’d been herded into. There was a single table and two chairs in here, no windows, and what was obviously a one-way mirror on the wall. Four and Legend had already claimed the chairs, so everyone else was on the floor, or leaning on the table.

The rest of his siblings were mostly milling around the small space, though Wind and Wild had started a rock paper scissors tournament. They were trying to drag Legend and Four into it, with limited success.

Hyrule maybe would have joined them, but his thoughts were too loud, his hands too shaky for the game. Mom and Dad hadn’t come with them in here, they’d been pulled away to some other room while they’d all kept going. And while Hyrule hadn’t been able to see much, he’d seen Impa around, and the man in the suit who’d followed his parents into the room had looked extremely annoyed.

Were they okay? Were they just getting yelled at, or worse?

Were they going to be put in jail?

Hyrule bit down harder, rubbing his tooth along the pad of his thumb. He used to just suck on it when he was smaller, but he’d had the habit more or less beaten out of him. He knew his family wouldn’t care now, but it still felt safer just nibbling on the tip.

“Hyrule?”

Hyrule jumped at the hand on his shoulder, and looked up at Twilight, who was sitting next to him with a concerned look.

“Are you okay? You weren’t hurt in the fight, right?” he asked, and Hyrule shook his head.

“No. Just some little bruises,” he replied quietly, and went back to chewing on his thumb. “Are... do you know what’s gonna happen?”

Twilight breathed out, and leaned against the wall, watching Wind pump his fist as he beat Legend in a match. “Not exactly, no. But Mom and Dad will be okay. And us too. There’s a reason the whole superhero protection thing exists.”

Hyrule swallowed, and looked away as one of his worries came to the forefront of his mind. “Is there... an adopted super protection thing?”

Twilight blinked, then looked at him, understanding crossing his face. “Oh, Hyrule, is that what you’re worried about?”

Hyrule gave a tiny nod, and Twilight scooted over, putting an arm around his shoulders.

“They can’t take you away from us,” Twilight said reassured, eyes sharp. “They won’t. I remember Dad reading all kinds of laws about it, they can’t do that. And even if they tried, we wouldn’t let them. I’m sure the protection program covers that too, don’t worry.“

Hyrule nodded, relieved at the assurance, but still feeling unsettled. This room was oppressive, and the concrete was starting to dig into his spine. Not to mention... other stuff.

“...Something else bothering you?” Twilight asked after a minute, and Hyrule shrugged.

“I just haven’t had a gun pulled on me in a while,” he murmured, remembering just how many weapons had been pointed at them earlier today. He’d completely frozen at the clicks he’d heard. “I mean, at the island yeah, but that was kinda different. I guess I just forgot how sc—...startling it could be.”

Twilight went very still.

A few feet away, Wild crowed in victory as he destroyed Wind’s rock with his paper.

“Hyrule,” Twilight said in a voice quiet enough that only he could hear it, “how often have you had a gun pulled on you?”

Hyrule went back to his thumb again. He had a feeling Twilight didn’t actually want to know the answer to that question. Especially since Hyrule didn’t really... know the exact number. So he kept his mouth shut, and merely gave him a little shrug.

That was obviously the wrong answer though, since Twilight’s face screwed up, and his jaw tightened.

“Twi, it didn’t happen that often, it’s just bad memories, don’t worry about it,” Hyrule begged, suddenly nervous Twilight would do something. He wouldn’t yell at a police officer, would he?

“It’s not just— you—” Twilight struggled for a second to speak, face tight. He pressed a hand to the bridge of his nose, looking a lot like their father as he took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “...you know how messed up that is, right? That you’ve had guns pulled on you by people who were supposed to take care of you?”

“I do. It’s just not a huge deal, Twilight,” Hyrule sighed, going back to nibbling at his thumb. “It is what it is. Or was. Whatever.”

“It’s still messed up,” Twilight muttered, and squeezed Hyrule a little tighter. “...All of this is.”

Neither of them said much after that, and Hyrule set his head on Twilight’s shoulder, relieved at something other than concrete for a cushion. The rest of their brothers continued with rock paper scissors, and Twilight and Hyrule watched in near-silence, Twilight lightly rubbing his shoulder.

The worry for their parents and the situation at a whole sat over the room like a shroud, dampening even Wind’s smiles.

But I’m not alone, Hyrule thought, a brief wave of relief sweeping over him. He leaned a little more against Twilight, and his brother squeezed him in return.

At least we’ve got that.

[kivaember]

Umbra in 1999 fic wip

Because I wanted to get this out of my system, a rough little wip of Umbra's thoughts on the 1999 situation...

I initially was thinking of doing a quick little oneshot about it but ya know, maybe I could make this a multi-chaptered fic of like, ten chapters or smth of not only the Hex warming up to Drifter, but Umbra begrudgingly accepting Drifter befriending the Hex. It's a fun thing to explore anyways :ua I'll have a think about it hmmm

Anyways, hope you enjoy lmao

-

There were few things Umbra held an active dislike towards.

Ballas, for example. Though he was long dead and buried, his corpse tossed into the sun to become nothing more than meaningless ash, Umbra still nurtured a little ember of seething hatred for the bastard. Death in this system was never all that final, anyways, so it was wise to keep that flame going, for the possible day where Ballas somehow slithered out of whatever hell he was rotting in to cause more problems for everyone. Umbra wouldn’t be kind enough to make his third death quick, in that scenario.

The Void was another one. Aside from being tormented by it whenever the Conjunctions swept across Lua, the Void was the cause of so many problems plaguing the Origin system today - a constant source of pain and misery for Operator-Child and Drifter both. A threat Umbra was helpless against, could do nothing to mitigate or even slay the source of it. Umbra despised being useless - trapped - and to know that these things had been set in motion long before any of them had been pieces on the board was nothing short of infuriating.

Ballas and the Void. One dead, one an abstract entity unable to be destroyed by mortal means. Two constants always rolling about in the dark spaces between its thoughts. Umbra disliked other things, of course, but only in a passive way: an idle sting of irritation at feeling a blade or round pierce through its tough-as-steel hide, a capture target fleeing effectively, its ammunition running a little low… little, petty things not worth thinking much on.

Then Umbra was given a vital task - to assist Drifter in 1999 - and it added one more item to its list of actively disliked things:

Time travel.

Or rather, the complications that come from time travel, and the fact that Umbra’s charge was required to team up with a group of Infested humans whose interpersonal relationships were in danger of becoming as dysfunctional as Deimos’s Entrati family. It was a disaster in the making and Drifter was standing at Ground Zero for it - and there was nothing Umbra could do about it, as always.

Drifter wanted to fix it, of course. Fix them. Save them. It was their kindness - their strongest trait, in them and Operator-Child - and as much as Umbra could never fault them for it, it was, admittedly, a source of intense frustration at times.

Go back in time to 1999 and stop the Man in the Wall - somehow. That was their shared task. Umbra’s top priority, however, as given to it by Operator-Child, was to protect Drifter: not only from hostiles, but from themselves where “The Hex” were concerned. Drifter was lonely. Drifter will care, like Drifter cared about Lotus despite the risks it brought their continued existence. Drifter will get too attached and Umbra will have to be the pragmatic one between them.

Umbra failed on the very first day. Because of course it did. Drifter initiated a never-ending loop. For the Hex. And to stop the Man in the Wall, but mostly to save the Hex. Just like how Operator-Child and Umbra predicted. An act of kindness that Umbra couldn’t fault them for, but despaired over anyways because - its priority will always be Operator-Child and Drifter. This threatened to be a major detriment to Drifter’s well-being - mentally, mostly. Emotionally, definitely.

So.

Umbra actively disliked time travel, and by proxy…

It disliked the Hex, too.

[tgrailwar-zero]

There is no need to worry about our convictions. They are as powerful as ever, having allowed us to eventually break out of a powerful sealing and even bring us back from what should have been certain death. But we have lost much in the process. Among that, an amount of our power, memories, and our authorization token for this and other facilities. For now you can aid us with that last one so that we may join the other agents that have been sent here in ripping this place apart with the best possible capability.

(If the tablet gives us any sort of mental connection to Gil, send across the feeling that we’re bluffing just in case).

You had a feeling that GIL was smart enough to tell whether you were lying or not.

Mostly because if he felt like you meant it, you probably wouldn't be… well, alive right now.

[ I am not concerned with the status of your 'convictions'. My priorities have shifted. ]

[ I have stopped caring. ]

Her tone was polite, but blunt.

[ Report that to another one of us. I can imagine a few individuals that would be pleased to hear that. However, your vengeance does not matter to me. There are more important things to discuss. Namely: the status of your doll body. ]

[ No. ]

[ No. You do not need to apologize. If it was destroyed, then it was a failure. ]

[ I failed. I need to improve my next set of schematics. ]

Her tone was calmer, more lucid for a moment, before shifting back to that erratic, stilted tone after a brief moment of thought.

[ You will help me. This is how you will make up for your failure. As far as I am concerned, this is high priority. If you have complaints, you may levy them elsewhere. ]

[ You want authorization? Very well. ]

[ Zero-Two. Record and present me with the data of the strongest attack programs present. ]

[ Understood. ]

[ I am sending encoded data for augmentation. Enhance the chosen programs to my specifications as best as possible with the resources available. ]

[ When said program is destroyed. Raise Thymomorphos' Authorization Rank by one level. Grant them access to the locations of the additional laboratory locations. ]

There was another flash of light that consumed you, that faded.

[ Map data analyzed and updated. ]

[weaverpop]

Nezha being pregnant would probably be the best opportunity for mk, Jing and azure to really bond more closely.

I'm sure mk is really anxious because he really wants to help but has zero experience with pregnant people. He's concerned he's not doing enough or helping in the right way, books and the internet are super confusing with conflicting results. Tang and pigsy can only help so much since they adopted mk as a toddler. So yeah he's got a lot of new parent anxiety.

Jing being a nurse can teach mk about pregnancy stuff, what to expect and such. Azure can offer moral support helping me talk threw his worries and offer advice and talk about his experiences. Both let him help out more with the kids and help prep him on baby stuff.

Tw mentions of pregnancy

Once the initial honeymoon excitement over the initial reveal is over, the anxiety def hits mk hard.

Mk has little experience, since Azure was kinda more of the hover for Jing’s pregnancies, and Erlang/Syntax spent most of their time being waited on by macaque and Wukong. Like you said, Jing and azure would help him out in a lot of ways, and he often goes to them when Nezha gets particularly prickly.

I imagine to help with the experience bit, Wukong would allow mk to help with his babies/the FFM orphans. But babies are one thing, hormonal preggo partners are another.

Nezha’s morning sickness makes him extremely sensitive. Emotionally and in the senses. He cannot stand the smell of tea (sorry Sandy 😭) or coffee, and any form of chicken makes him vomit. Mk also learns that Nezha can’t stand even petty arguments, and has had to comfort a hysterically sobbing emperor on many occasions. Even minor inconveniences get to him.

Mk forgot to kiss him good morning? Tears. Nezha accidentally burned his toast? Waterfall. Advisors being more snippy than normal? Hides himself in his office and cries on the phone with his dad.

Of course this also means that the other celestials learn he’s preggo pretty soon. Nezha is NOT a crier, so it’s a major red flag. On the other hand, they are much more careful afterwords.

Random villain demon: “Monkie kid! I have come to destroy- er. Bad time?”

Mk, tired and disheveled while holding a bunch of food combos including but not limited to strawberry iceream, grape syrup, pickle juice, and grilled shrimp: “You have no idea.”

Then, One night, Nezha wakes up to mk whispering to his belly. He wasn’t even that far along yet, and goes to say something when Mk starts talking.

He tells the small bump how loved they are, how excited he is, how amazing their mama was gonna be to them. Nezha has to hold back tears as mk admits he has no idea what he’s doing, and is terrified of messing up, but that he’ll always be there for them. No matter what.

[syn4k]

list of hermits and empires characters who would do drugs and/or smoke cigarettes, ranked from most to least likely

that hermpires chainsmoker poll thats been going around kickstarted a discussion in my discord so i'm compiling the ideas here because honestly its hilarious

list under the cut. warning for... discussion of drugs and cigarettes. obviously

Fwhip: Definitely a chain smoker. Always has a pack in his pocket.

Iskall: that man's radioactive. she does not fear cigarettes. smokes regularly and is not bothered by it.

Cub: does so many weird drugs. high off something or other almost if not constantly i think

Ren: doesn't smoke but has the best weed on hermitcraft and you KNOW he uses it often

False: not exactly a chain smoker but smokes pretty often i think

Wels: maintains that he does NOT do anything of that sort thank you very much. Actually does. inhaling anything destroys him but he likes the taste and the high so he keeps going

Hypno: smokes everything but is pretty chill about it

Beef: also smokes everything and is even more chill about it

Stress: smokes poisonous mushrooms and is entirely unaffected.

Zedaph: definitely does some sort of drugs

Pearl: has a cigarette every now and then

Pix: also has a cigarette every now and then, not really his thing but he'll take one if offered (for esmp s1: i hold that pixandria has at least one hallucogenic that they keep for spiritual purposes but as the resident pixlriffs expert i also hold that pix got really stressed once, horfed an edible out of sheer desperation, and zoned back in in the middle of the night floating on his back in the river anxious out of his shit. he never touched anything of the sort ever again)

Joe: smokes only weed but does not smoke it often, only sometimes when offered

Katherine: smokes weed

Cleo: was a chainsmoker before s2, after that they got their act together

Impulse: not affected at all by anything (weed fumes give him slight headaches) and only does it when everyone else does because why not.

Bdubs: doesn't smoke (takes edibles very rarely) but rolls the best blunts

Lizzie: partakes sometimes but doesn't care for it

Joey: does drugs and smokes cigarettes in the presence of others just to look cool but actually gives zero shits about them

Xornoth: is always so smug about the fact that they smoke what they call "Evil Weed". fwhip steals some and tries it and it's literally just normal grass.

Mumbo: only smokes cigarettes and only when iskall's around. too anxious for drugs- tried weed once and saw the hat man and was shaking for three hours ljke a small dog afterwards

Joel: doesn't give two shits

Grian: nah

Hels: not interested

Sausage: can handle it pretty fine but stopped after he and joel had hermes because he didn't want to set a bad example for his kid

Scott: definitely some sort of drug dealer but i don't think he ever. does them himself?

Gem: doesn't because of concerns for her health, however in esmp s1 she smoked wizard weed (like gandalf) when the academy's paperwork piled too high for her to handle without help

Shelby: smoked weed but it made her really sick and after Katherine got mad at her for it she stopped. she's actually completely fine when it comes to everything else but she swore off trying so she never knew

Evil Xisuma: never did drugs or vaped with nicotine because the things they learned about addiction at school kept them up at night however they did vape water vapour.

Xisuma: has asthma

Jimmy: would quite literally die. Mans gets nauseous if there's a whiff of weed in the room he's in.

Jevin: eats cigarettes just to piss everybody off

[just-a-freak40]

incorrect Pokémon quotes

Nemona : My future partner must be brave, strong, intelligent, successful and organized. Connor: *steps on a Caterpie and proceeds to drop to their knees and sob while apologizing profusely* Nemona : That one. I want that one.

Nemona : Valentine’s day is just a consumerist holiday that holds no real value other than drive people insane buying heart shaped chocolates for their significant others and pos- Connor: I wrote you a poem. Nemona , already crying: You did?

Arven : Penny, you love me, right? Penny: Normally I’d say yes without hesitation, but I feel like this is going somewhere I won’t like.

Arven : Hey. Nemona : Hey? Arven : I can't sleep. :/ Nemona : I can. Goodnight.

Penny: Nothing feels better than winning Monopoly. Not love, not sex, not free pizza, nothing! Connor: I’m sorry, have you tried pizza? Penny: Yes, and it doesn’t compare to owning half the board and watching the light die from your friend’s eyes as you take their money and feel your friendship slowly deteriorate. Arven : I like you.

Nemona : Please pray for Connor. Arven : What happened to them? Nemona : Nothing, they’re just very stupid.

Atticus: Oh, they left the bowl out? Atticus: It says, “Take two pieces of candy.” Ortega : Nobody around though… *Ortega grabs the entire bowl and runs off with it* Atticus: NO—

Penny , singing: ~Hush, little laptop, don’t you cry.~ Penny : ~Mama’s gonna find you some more Wi-Fi.~ Penny : ~And if that Wi-Fi doesn’t work…~ Penny : ~Mama will destroy the fucking Earth.~

Ortega : So don't panic but one of us is possessed by an owl.... Giacomo : .... Eri: ..... Atticus: ...... Connie: ..Who? Ortega : That's the thing we don't- *Everyone stares at Connie*

Mela: We can bake these cookies at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or 4,000 degrees for 1 minute. Connie: No, that's not how you make cookies. Ortega : FLOOR IT!! Mela: How about 4,000,000 degrees for 1 second?!? Connie: yOU'RE GONNA BURN THE HOUSE DOWN- Mela: I'M GONNA HARNESS THE POWER OF THE FUCKING SUN TO MAKE COOKIES! Eri: DO IT! Connie: NO-

Ortega : Mela, is that legal? Mela: When there's no cops around, anything's legal!

Mela: I need life advice. Giacomo , sipping Gatorade and eating cookie dough: You came to the right person.

Connie: *Screams*

Mela: *Screams louder to assert dominance*

Giacomo: should we stop them?

Ortega: No, I wanna see how this ends.

Atticas, Eri and Penny: *are all concerned*

Mela: Are we fighting or flirting? Connie: I'm pinning you against a wall with my hand around your neck- Mela: Your point?

Connie: We’re getting married, bitches! Mela: And we're about to make it everybody else's problem.

Mela: You are the love of my life and I would do anything within reason to make you happy. Connie: I would be happy if you ate, stayed hydrated and got a reasonable amount of sleep. Mela: I said within reason, Connie. How about I murder that guy? Connie: So murder is in reason but proper self care isn't? Mela: Well, duh. What kind of question is that?

Connie: Two gals! Mela: Chillin' in a hot tub! Connie and Mela: Zero feet apart 'cause we're GAY AS FUCK!

*Mela comes home absolutely drunk, undresses, and stands in Connie’s bedroom.* Connie: Babe, are you.. coming to bed? Mela: No thank you, I’m sure you’re lovely but I have a girlfriend. Mela: *Lies on the ground and falls asleep* Connie: ...

Connie, throwing their head into Mela's lap: Tell me I'm pretty! Mela, lovingly stroking their hair: You're pretty fucking annoying, that's what you are.

[jadeleechisagoodboy]

Spoilers for Jack’s lab coat vignette and Silver’s fairy gala vignette! (As well as a reference to Trey’s lab coat vignette)

I put off reading vignettes for quite awhile, so I just recently read Jack’s lab coat story, and it gave me a lot of thoughts about Jade!

In the vignette, Jack accidentally destroys Jade’s mushroom log, and obviously has to do something to make up for it. But the thing Jade suggests he do, is work at the Mostro Lounge for a week.

The question that raised for me is: How does Jack working at the Mostro Lounge benefit Jade in any way?? It certainly benefits Azul, and based on how excited Azul is about the free labor, I can’t imagine he’s giving Jade any of the extra profit generated by Jack’s work.

Jade says himself that the work Jack is doing doesn’t even come close to actually covering the cost of the mushroom log that got destroyed!!

And yet, Jade seems fine with that! Mr. “I’d make anyone give back what they embezzled, even family” is okay with not getting any real repayment for the loss of his beloved mushrooms!!!

I can only see this as a small glimpse of his more lenient and dare I say, even kind nature, and it just makes me adore him even more!!

Also! It baffles me how some people can say Jade only cares about personal gain, with absolutely zero regard for the people around him (including Azul and Floyd), when he essentially used Jack’s debt to him to get something that benefited Azul instead of himself!

And this isn’t the only time we’ve seen him help Azul without any concern for personal gain! His wish during the star sending event is an obvious example, but also in Silver’s fairy gala couture vignette he uses the opportunity to fix the broken cookware for the Mostro Lounge (and by extension, for Azul). And the only thing he got out of it was… a chance to see a real fairy up close? Which, yeah, is pretty cool, but he could’ve just as easily broken something of his own to have the fairy fix and he didn’t. He specifically remembered the broken cookware in the Mostro Lounge and basically thought, Oh, Azul will love this!!

You could point to the fact that Jade has said himself that he only helps Azul because he has fun ideas and Jade likes the entertainment, but that only explains why he helps out with the contracts! It doesn’t explain Jade’s apparent loyalty to the Mostro Lounge and Azul himself.

I always like to think that when a character’s words and actions don’t add up, it’s their actions that are more honest, especially when the character is known to be a liar, like Jade.

Conclusion: Jade genuinely cares about Azul and considers him a friend, even if he refuses to admit it out loud!!!

Me repeatedly poking Jade’s arm while giving him a smug look: You caaaaare about himmm!!!

(I don’t personally ship them, because I like their dynamic more as friends, but I can totally see why people ship them lol)