#yeah 90% of the time when i try to figure out something on a computer myself i just break the damn thing im trying to fix

[eggedsaladnotlickbait]

ok i started rambling in tags as i usually do but im just gonna make a post because for once ive actually got some things to add to the convo

all this is really relevant to keep in mind. im 17 and i dont even know what a BIOS even is, and i BARELY know any command prompts. half the time i forget what the hotkeys to opening the command panel are. hell, i didnt even know the temporary folder on a computer even EXISTED until last year. the poor thing had LIKE. 100000+ FILES IN IT IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY?? IT WAS BAD.

the problem is people seriously just never teach this shit to anyone, not even to some of the older folk in this age bracket like me. its less so "the youngins just dont know how to operate their computers because theyre on their dang phones", its more so "people just magically expect them to know how to technology which means No One Ever Teaches Them The Basics"

for reference, i RARELY use my phone. i pretty much just use it for a few time-waster games when im bored or fidgety. i dont even really message people on my phone. i find the screen too small and typing too annoying, i like the portability of a phone but it comes with a lotta drawbacks. even then, i barely know how to operate my laptop.

im someone who regularly uses an actual laptop, not one of those chromebooks but a laptop that lets you access files n shit, and i STILL barely know how to operate things. my pictures file is plentiful and well-sorted, sure! im an artist and a fiend, i gotta keep my many memes and arts organized. but anything past just basic image file management is completely lost on me. hell, if it werent for minecraft mods, i wouldnt even know how to access game files.

so, whenever you see someone younger-ish struggling with something on the computer that you think is commonplace, help em! teach em how to do things, how things work! just going "what?? how do you not know how to do this, this is basic computer knowledge??" is really discouraging, kinda shuts the door on things n makes them feel defensive, meaning its harder to latch onto things actually being taught. especially since a lot of people who struggle with this are teens who, saying this as a very emotional teen myself, tend to be stubborn as hell when they feel talked-down to.

so yeah. teach ya kids how to computer well. chances are that no one else is gonna teach em anything.

this can't be true can it

[matrixbearer2024]

I currently have two AUs that I don't exactly know what to do with or what to properly call them LMFAO- I'll probably write something on Ao3 for it eventually since there's a ton of BillFord and FiddStan in there but yeah-

1st AU: Timelord Stanford (Dr Who what if)

This case was inspired by an RP I had with someone's Bill Cipher on @gftimelord where the triangle starts to be on the mend with Stanford after their ruined past. This to me makes sense because the Doctor is inherently very lonely despite the savior god complex. In that AU where Ford is functionally immortal and Stan and Fidds both at some point die due to his complacency and arrogance— he searches for a companion that can actually keep up with him.

So when Bill visits him during one of those window hours set by the Theraprism, they talk about the triangle's impending demise with their plans to essentially erase him from existence. It's not an outlandish idea given that any inpatient seen as a lost cause would or could be disposed of when it comes to cosmic entities. It's simply the easier option.

The doctor(Ford) is more impulsive, nonchalant, and egoistic compared to his counterparts because he does have the walk to back his talk(this man has been broken by the nightmares and guilt he carries from the deaths he caused; also time war) problem being he doesn't fear death as much as he fears being alone. He's had a fair share of close calls with the grim reaper, but always like some horrible twist he survives. After all, it is a saying that we covet the most what we don't have.

So yeah, he jailbreaks Bill essentially and whatever power limiter is stuck on the triangle get tied to his sonic screwdriver instead and they simply go around the multiverse doing whatever. Most of the reason why Ford isn't caught yet largely has to do with how scared most entities are of him. The doctor is never armed, but it doesn't mean he won't kill.

2nd AU: Modern Era AU (Set in 2024)

This one is more of a shitpost thanks to the young trio I drew a little while back, I'll draw more of them for this at some point while I also try and figure out a decent human Bill design that I like in my artstyle.

But this AU heavily features these four idiots as Undergrad students fucking about college life as they would. This AU is supposed to feature like a more cultivated genius Stanley based around my own dynamic with my brother since I do like me some happy Stan twins.

It just so happens that Ford is also a very much EQ negative idiot and falls for an upperclassman(one year his senior) in BSSE[Software Engineering] who is a close friend to Fidds. He goes by 'Cipher' as an alias since he's a prodigy for his age and very young ethical hacker.

So yes, that's where Bill comes in. Haven't figured out what I want his full name to be yet shoot me some ideas! Ford is very shy when it comes down to talking with Bill whereas Stan is completely chill.

Both Stan and Bill get along very well in this AU because they're similarly chaotic the same way that Fidds and Ford get along because they're the ones holding the other two back from doing something undeniably stupid for shits and giggles.

All of them share some fundamental subjects together(i.e. Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics, Research, History, etc.) or take elective courses just so they could chill together. Stan is typically the one who adjusts to the schedule of the other three since he takes BSBA[Business Administration] and is the odd one out when Ford does BSCMB[Cellular Molecular Biology] and Fidds does BSEE[Electrical Engineering].

The FiddleStan in this AU is gonna be c r a z y mostly due to Fidds in this AU is the heir to his family's computer company, so lowkey spoiled nepo baby but also on a very tight leash with his parents. Stan is the kid where 90% of his childhood was parents either forgot him or straight up did not give a flying fuck. So these two kinda work as complements and it's why I decided to pair them together after chatting with a friend about the group dynamics.

So yeah, simpy and adoring Ford and silently aware but shy Bill + rebellious Fidds and supportive Stan. All the more when I actually plan for this AU to have some typical gravity falls shenanigans anyway thanks to a place on earth called the Oregon Vortex.

[I'll likely make fics and comics of these AUs, reply to this post if you want to be tagged for whenever I post something]

Yeah I need to properly name these AUs.

[callmearcturus]

a bunch of Mission Impossible fic recs

hi, i'm sorry for conning so many people into this fandom. here's some reading material.

Easy Open, by helenish

“So you and Hunt are a package deal these days,” Bryson says. “Uh,” Benji says, jerking his head up from his computer, ballpoint in his mouth.

Ethan/Benji. Definitely the first thing you should read after watching the movies. This is my favorite kind of one-shot, the kind that manages to convey the weight of history like a 60k fic in such a compressed space. When I talk about using sex scenes to convey something about the characters, perfect example is the set dressing around the one here where the title drop happens. Way to say so fucking much about the characters through sheer implication.

in the details, by helenish

Ethan: We have an even bigger problem. Ilsa. Benji: Ilsa. Our Ilsa? —Mission: Impossible — Fallout (Paramount Pictures, 2018)

Ethan/Benji/Ilsa. This one is so fucking dense and amazing. I love the way Ethan is just so fucking in love with both of these people and keeps imagining them fucking and feels terrible about it, you just want Benji and Ilsa to put Ethan out of his misery, but ALSO this is hardcore physicality porn. The scene with Ilsa on Benji's shoulders is better than any sex scene I've read this year.

I'm With You, by fictionallemons

Luther's getting married again at a private resort on a tropical island. Only there's a mixup with the rooms and Benji and Ethan have to share. No big deal, right? One bed. Two friends. No problem. Ha.

Ethan/Benji. I keep rereading this one because it just has such intense longing and familiarity in it. The way it portrays Ethan and Benji as a unit, a foregone conclusion even they themselves haven't quite figured that out, is perfect. Also I love the way Ethan handles the bed situation, the low grade annoyance he has at the repeated question. Benji, get a clue, my man.

Someone New, by fictionallemons

After Fallout, Benji thinks Ethan and Ilsa are together and he only wants to be happy for them, even it kills him to see Ethan with someone else. He's got to try to get over Ethan. But some things are just impossible. Mutual jealousy, mutual pining, cute texting, and a happy ending, of course.

Ethan/Benji. LOOK, THE WAY TO MY HEART IS ETHAN BEING JEALOUS AND NOT HANDLING IT WELL. Also the fact this fic acknowledges Ethan's emotional growth from Fallout, chef's kiss. But really the moment when Ilsa's like "Seems we missed the show" and Ethan says "I wish we had" ETHAN OH MY GOD. Also the subtle way Benji is needling Ethan a little, subconsciously at least-- it's good!

it takes a lot (to know a man), by thistableforone

"So I just… want to remind myself that we're alright." He says it like that, with a general we that sounds more like a specific you. And because Ethan does know what it feels like, he doesn't question him any further. If Benji needs to spend time with him to feel better, he won't deny him. Takes place after Fallout. Ethan is recovering and Benji goes to live with him to help

Ethan/Benji. A longer one, hell yeah. This one truly wallows in the aftermath of Fallout, which is where my brain lives 90% of the time, so I appreciate it. Also Ilsa pointing out why the fuck did Luther give her that speech but not Benji-- finally someone said it. But really this fic is about Benji and it breaks my heart.

magnetic field being a little too strong, by oopshidaisy

“This is strictly recon,” Ethan says. It’s maybe the seventeenth time he’s said words to this effect since they arrived at the party. “We can’t do anything that’ll raise suspicion. Understand?” Post-Rogue Nation. Benji and Ethan go undercover and find themselves in one of those spy jams that only surprise kissing can solve.

Ethan/Benji. This is the one with the INCREDIBLE passage about Benji realizing why Ethan's never been slapped for pulling the fake kissing thing on missions. Also I love how... this feels like a date. To Ethan, this is a fun mission with his Benji, and it feels like it. Benji's voice here is pitch perfect, feels like its right out of Rogue Nation.

The Missionary Position, by matchsticks

Ethan and Benji have to pretend to be a married couple for a mission. Well, Ethan and Benji are already a married couple, but now they have to pretend to be pretending to be a married couple for a mission, and the rest of the team has to help them keep their secret. It'll definitely all work out fine. Probably. Hopefully.

Ethan/Benji. Listen. This one is hilarious.

THERE, there's some stuff to get you started, folks! and you can always hit up mine. I have periphery (in which everyone Benji works with is a little in love with him and Ethan just doesn't deal well), all i need is a certain trigger (in which Ilsa and Benji are in the Syndicate and Ethan trips into romancing them both), and the big AU you'll need a new name to survive this (in which Benji is Ethan's physical therapist and a lot of things start to change)

Looking over all this, it seems my favorite thing is when Ethan is just unhinged and Benji is unfortunately into that.

[afutureworththinkingabout]

Appendix A: An Imagined and Incomplete Conversation about “Consciousness” and “AI,” Across Time

Every so often, I think about the fact of one of the best things my advisor and committee members let me write and include in my actual doctoral dissertation, and I smile a bit, and since I keep wanting to share it out into the world, I figured I should put it somewhere more accessible.

So with all of that said, we now rejoin An Imagined and Incomplete Conversation about “Consciousness” and “AI,” Across Time, already (still, seemingly unendingly) in progress:

René Descartes (1637): The physical and the mental have nothing to do with each other. Mind/soul is the only real part of a person.

Norbert Wiener (1948): I don’t know about that “only real part” business, but the mind is absolutely the seat of the command and control architecture of information and the ability to reflexively reverse entropy based on context, and input/output feedback loops.

Alan Turing (1952): Huh. I wonder if what computing machines do can reasonably be considered thinking?

Wiener: I dunno about “thinking,” but if you mean “pockets of decreasing entropy in a framework in which the larger mass of entropy tends to increase,” then oh for sure, dude.

John Von Neumann (1958): Wow things sure are changing fast in science and technology; we should maybe slow down and think about this before that change hits a point beyond our ability to meaningfully direct and shape it— a singularity, if you will.

Clynes & Klines (1960): You know, it’s funny you should mention how fast things are changing because one day we’re gonna be able to have automatic tech in our bodies that lets us pump ourselves full of chemicals to deal with the rigors of space; btw, have we told you about this new thing we’re working on called “antidepressants?”

Gordon Moore (1965): Right now an integrated circuit has 64 transistors, and they keep getting smaller, so if things keep going the way they’re going, in ten years they’ll have 65 THOUSAND. :-O

Donna Haraway (1991): We’re all already cyborgs bound up in assemblages of the social, biological, and techonological, in relational reinforcing systems with each other. Also do you like dogs?

Ray Kurzweil (1999): Holy Shit, did you hear that?! Because of the pace of technological change, we’re going to have a singularity where digital electronics will be indistinguishable from the very fabric of reality! They’ll be part of our bodies! Our minds will be digitally uploaded immortal cyborg AI Gods!

Tech Bros: Wow, so true, dude; that makes a lot of sense when you think about it; I mean maybe not “Gods” so much as “artificial super intelligences,” but yeah.

90’s TechnoPagans: I mean… Yeah? It’s all just a recapitulation of The Art in multiple technoscientific forms across time. I mean (*takes another hit of salvia*) if you think about the timeless nature of multidimensional spiritual architectures, we’re already—

DARPA: Wait, did that guy just say something about “Uploading” and “Cyborg/AI Gods?” We got anybody working on that?? Well GET TO IT!

Disabled People, Trans Folx, BIPOC Populations, Women: Wait, so our prosthetics, medications, and relational reciprocal entanglements with technosocial systems of this world in order to survive makes us cyborgs?! :-O

[Simultaneously:]

Kurzweil/90’s TechnoPagans/Tech Bros/DARPA: Not like that. Wiener/Clynes & Kline: Yes, exactly.

Haraway: I mean it’s really interesting to consider, right?

Tech Bros: Actually, if you think about the bidirectional nature of time, and the likelihood of simulationism, it’s almost certain that there’s already an Artificial Super Intelligence, and it HATES YOU; you should probably try to build it/never think about it, just in case.

90’s TechnoPagans: …That’s what we JUST SAID.

Philosophers of Religion (To Each Other): …Did they just Pascal’s Wager Anselm’s Ontological Argument, but computers?

Timnit Gebru and other “AI” Ethicists: Hey, y’all? There’s a LOT of really messed up stuff in these models you started building.

Disabled People, Trans Folx, BIPOC Populations, Women: Right?

Anthony Levandowski: I’m gonna make an AI god right now! And a CHURCH!

The General Public: Wait, do you people actually believe this?

Microsoft/Google/IBM/Facebook: …Which answer will make you give us more money?

Timnit Gebru and other “AI” Ethicists: …We’re pretty sure there might be some problems with the design architectures, too…

Some STS Theorists: Honestly this is all a little eugenics-y— like, both the technoscientific and the religious bits; have you all sought out any marginalized people who work on any of this stuff? Like, at all??

Disabled People, Trans Folx, BIPOC Populations, Women: Hahahahah! …Oh you’re serious?

Anthony Levandowski: Wait, no, nevermind about the church.

Some “AI” Engineers: I think the things we’re working on might be conscious, or even have souls.

“AI” Ethicists/Some STS Theorists: Anybody? These prejudices???

Wiener/Tech Bros/DARPA/Microsoft/Google/IBM/Facebook: “Souls?” Pfffft. Look at these whackjobs, over here. “Souls.” We’re talking about the technological singularity, mind uploading into an eternal digital universal superstructure, and the inevitability of timeless artificial super intelligences; who said anything about “Souls?”

René Descartes/90’s TechnoPagans/Philosophers of Religion/Some STS Theorists/Some “AI” Engineers: …

[Scene]

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

Read Appendix A: An Imagined and Incomplete Conversation about “Consciousness” and “AI,” Across Time at A Future Worth Thinking About

and read more of this kind of thing at: Williams, Damien Patrick. Belief, Values, Bias, and Agency: Development of and Entanglement with "Artificial Intelligence." PhD diss., Virginia Tech, 2022. https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/111528.

[ageless-aislynn]

Okay, I think I finally have actual proof now that I did NOT cause my computer issues. I found a forum where other people with the same make/model and two make/models right next to it all have had similar issues from day one with their PCs. Then Dell revoked all of the previous driver updates they'd been pushing and yesterday, here comes 3 marked critical: BIOS and the Nvidia and Intel graphics drivers, all brand spankin' new (literally released that week or that day in Intel's case) and with the purpose of "fixing bug checks and providing system stability." Bug checks being the official term for a Blue Screen of Death, that is. Normally I wouldn't update on day one of a new release but, well, my computer crashed this morning when I just turned it on and it was sitting idle after about 5 minutes of up-time so I figured that was my sign.

All 3 updates are now applied. If you pray, I'd appreciate it. If you have time to spare me some kind thoughts, to put some positive energy out there in the universe, just whatever, I appreciate it. I didn't realize how much I truly rely on my computer to deal with my anxiety, depression and panic attack issues until not only do I NOT have access to the things I use to try to get through them all, but the computer's switching off at random times has made all of them so much worse.

Yeah, Halo's just a game but it's truly helped me redirect if I'm struggling with anxiety or a panic attack that's looming. Getting really involved in Mass Effect: Andromeda's various romances, making GIFs of them, learning to craft weapons, that sort of thing, it's helped me focus on things other than worrying about RL stuff. I really could use all of those things back, you know? Plus, I was looking forward to so many of the new games I've added to my Steam library. Learning something new can also help redirect my brain when it's spiraling out of control.

And this isn't even to touch on doing creative things like making GIFs, vidding and writing. I'm still working on my "15 Minutes" ch7 by hand but it's so much slower than being able to type it. I was really hoping to have at least this chapter up before Halo s2 starts but I'm not sure if I can, if I'm just scratching away with pencil and paper, not even certain how I'm going to get those words on the Internet anyway.

I mean, just imagine how frustrating it would be if whatever device you use would just blink off with no rhyme or reason, no way to predict when whatever you're doing will just be gone. Sometimes it does it a couple times a day, sometimes 8 times an hour. You can't do 90% of what you usually do online anyway and the other 10% feels like you're walking through a minefield, just waiting to take one wrong step. And nothing works to fix it. Nothing. You spend hours researching, desperate to find The Thing That Will Work and it's just not out there. That's been the past few weeks with this computer.

Considering that my previous computer is ALSO in this make/model line, just back several years, makes me wonder if the issues it began to have out of the blue in October, 2023 are related. I've seen a LOT of mentions in that forum of people whose computer suddenly went bad in Oct, 23. That seems like an awfully big coincidence, doesn't it?

Anyway, just wanted to check in. Hope you're all doing well and here's hoping that I'm now on the road to getting to just... do things on the computer and the Internet again like I used to. I miss it so much and I really miss all of you. Love to you all. 💖

[steve0discusses]

Ep 44 Pt 2: Name Hunt

We start this half of the episode at the card game that is currently just kinda stalled. It’s more like a D+D session at this point, where everyone is separated, random enemies are appearing in random rooms, and their biggest issue is that they were balanced to work as a team, and as a solo fight they’re gonna freakin die.

Or Bjork will come back in the time it takes for the team to reassemble.

Sorry his name isn’t Bjork, it’s Korn. Or...well it’s something from the 90′s. Zork. It was Zork. But with a c. Bjorc Necrophades.

So as Yami dumps on Bakura about how boring this game is for him, Bakura reminds him that because Pharaoh shoved his memory in a puzzle piece, Pharaoh is dumb as a sack of bricks. Which like, relatable.

I STILL don’t quite get it.

I know that Seto kills Yami in the OG timeline, they have been saying that for 4 seasons. But if Yami had to put himself in that puzzle to put back Zorc...does this imply that the fight with Seto was to resurrect Zorc? that Seto was a pawn of Bakura even in the original timeline?

Wait is that it?

(read more under the cut)

Have I finally figured out the paradox that’s been bothering me all season, where before it looked like Yami died 2 separate ways in two separate timelines? I mean, while I am much better (not fully, hence the slow update schedule but am getting much better) Long covid for like an entire year removed so much of my memory, that I was able to play Undertale again like it was the first time. Which is incredible because it’s the most memed game and y’all, I forgot nearly every line that Sans said. Which I’m not gonna lie, kind of rocks. But also kind of difficult when I’m trying to remember the plot of this show.

Bro did offer to write the blog in my stead, but when he attempted to use Photoshop he could not figure out how to leave the text editor. Making these caps will one hundred percent crash my computer if he’s doing the driving. Photoshop crashes my computer about 4 times on a normal day, if you don’t know what you’re doing, Photoshop will seal you in a demon dimension before crashing your computer, and yet, still charge you 12 dollars a month. You cannot turn your back on photoshop, just like Zorc.

Anyway, back to the show:

I mean that’s my personal gamble. I will always gamble Tristan on who’s gonna die. And him being Bakura right now is just...ooo ripe to die this season, yeah?

Bakura took a moment to try and remind Yami that this is all a simulation and all of these pieces on the board were in fact not real people, to which Yami reminded Bakura that he himself is a ghost in a box and is only loosely defined as a “real person” himself.

👁👄👁

And then Karim, who’s name I had completely forgotten, so I’m glad the show reminded me, was like “Oh no! I’m dying!” PS he’s been “dying” for like 3 episodes, so I was very surprised he actually fully died.

Like Egypt Grandpa is going to outlast this stack of bricks down there, and that’s like a lot to take in. Modern Grandpa breaks his butt like constantly but Egyptian Grandpa is built like a truck.

Isis was very upset by this, and like I don’t blame her, look at the FEATURES on that man. True tragedy right there to lose that block of cheese right there and just be left with freakin Shada. Who, in case you forgot, has a motorcycle tattoo on his entire forehead. I too would be crying my eyes out, Isis, this is looking grim for you.

It only just now as I was writing this cap realized that when Bakura was like “who would you bet is going to die first?” he wasn’t talking about Yami’s high school friends, but was in fact foreshadowing the truly tragic death of Karim, who I totally remembered the name of.

Anyway, it’s still gonna be Tristan because for real, Karim doesn’t count.

Bit of a baby manger vibe to this shot, not gonna lie. Nice nativity we got going there. Baby jesus, Mary and Joseph, a shepherd, a wise man, and uh...Shadi. Shadi could be an Angel I guess, he isn’t technically alive. There. Print this out and put it above your grandma’s Christmas tree, instant nativity.

Speaking of the kids, Joey was really testing my gamble by walking headfirst into a trap that spits daggers into your feet.

Inside of this maze is step by step the same as the story of the tomb we saw with the hot version of grandpa that opened this arc.

Including this room, where Grandpa got betrayed by a very silly slingshot.

This was the show spoon feeding us Yugi’s character growth, since he was just a barrel of nerves and sinew when we first met this boy. He is braver this season, I will give him that, but it feels like it’s more that he’s the only person who’s fully aware that none of this is real. Yugi is inside of his own mind puzzle. It’s literally the only place he’s got full control (ish).

At the end of this little walk across the fear pit that literally no one here had any problems with (like Tea walked across this narrow fear pit in 5 inch heels!) The little box that carried Pharaoh’s puzzle isn’t here, instead it’s a bunch of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Reminder that even Season Zero Yugi, who is the most pile of nerves Yugi, would have kicked your ass even without the puzzle. Like this is mostly my own interpretation, but without the puzzle......Yugi would have straight up stabbed that guy, right? Like straight up? Yugi is a menace to society. Sure, he was nervous about having to defend himself, but Yami wasn’t a Pharaoh yet, he was Yugi’s dark side, who was backed into corners so hard by people with literal whips and people with yoyo’s with spikes on the end, he pretty much always had to choose violence in order to survive Freshman year.

Like yes he walked across a bridge without fear. Makes sense, the bridge doesn’t have spike yoyo’s, fire shooting out, a guy holding your girlfriend hostage with a gun at a burger restaurant, and whatever capitalist nightmare Seto has come up with that month. But we can still call this bridge character development, as a treat.

After Joey tricked the switch that opened the garage door to Yami’s secret name, the episode ended.

can’t wait to see Tristan hold up some fingers and have the show convince me it’s a gun.

Anyway, here’s a link to read these from the start, which I keep giving you although I need to reread my own blog myself, haha.

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

[theshippirate22]

Lyn's been doing this shit long enough that she should know better than to assume that if the day started out normally, it would end that way.

It had been a relatively typical day. She'd been yelled at by a mom who needed amox-clav for her son, and Lyn had to explain a whole three times that her son was allergic to penicillin and yes, amoxicillin was the same thing, and no, they couldn't give it to him anyway, and then by some guy that very obviously was growing physical dependence on his benzos that he was not allowed to pick up early.

Hunter and Rich had gotten into a mental-stimulation argument about why DC had gone so far downhill and how Marvel was about to follow the same pipeline, Caleb had showed Lyn all the pictures of his and Alissa's new puppies, Missy had explained the latest thing Kelly had done to piss her off, Hunter and Elijah had a competition to see who could drink a Monster faster (Hunter won), and Heather from the front came to tell everybody that Corporate was no closer to cracking down on the opioid thief.

So, yeah, it was pretty par for the course.

Hunter drank the protein shake he'd left open on the counter for a few hours and then got the audacity to complain about the taste, temperature, and texture while Lyn rolled her eyes and tried to count through the massive stack of leaflets left on the filling counter.

"I'm serious, taste it!"

"Gross!" She swatted him off. "I don't want your spitty drink! Why don't you do something helpful? Here," She pulled a leaflet from the pile and quickly tri-folded it before holding it out. "Go get me this from over the counter."

He snatched it from her. "You know we've got aspirin back here, right?"

"Yeah, I was just trying to keep you occupied for longer."

He laughed, drained the rest of the protein shake, and disappeared between the shelves to find it for her.

He got distracted talking to Caleb, who was crouched back there doing out-dates, which was fine with Lyn because it meant he would let her count in peace for a minute. He, of all people, should know how annoying it was when someone tried to talk to you while you were in the middle of counting to 90.

She managed to get through four whole fills- although one was a suspension she just had to slap a label on- before Hunter remembered he had a job and he was actively at it. He deposited the aspirin in a boat with the leaflet and slid it down the counter to her.

"Thanks," she murmured, concentrating hard to remember if she was at 25 or 30.

He decided to work through the prescriptions stuck in F1, tapping his deliberate rhythm on the Formica. Tap-tap tap tap-tap-tap.

That didn't bother Lyn. If anything, it was more helpful because it was familiar and not numerical, and helped her keep her focus. She slid fives with the beat of it, counting through a particularly staticky 180 that had to be done in three 60s so she didn't get lost.

That should've been the first sign something was wrong- the way Hunter got off beat with his own idiosyncrasy. She couldn't figure out why she suddenly couldn't count without extremely deliberate thought, until she watched the erratic movement of his hand and felt the new, complicated vibration of the rhythm.

Then he stopped, altogether, and squinted at the computer like it was taking conscious effort to procure a thought.

"Fuck," he mumbled, scrubbing his face beneath his glasses.

"You okay?"

It took him a second to answer. "Wh- uh, yeah. Just light-headed, all of a sudden. Low blood sugar or something."

"Weird, it's like you have to eat actual food, and not just a Monster and a handful of Lee's grapes."

He didn't laugh, or play along with it at all. "I'm... I'm gonna sit down," which was one way to describe the ungraceful fall that occurred as his legs went out and he slumped against the counter.

Lyn frowned. "Do you need some water?"

He looked up at her with glazed eyes, and muttered, "Catch my head..."

The next bit happened too fast to process. Lyn lurched forward at the same moment that he collapsed, which promptly knocked her down like a domino when she met the momentum of his dead weight. In an effort to catch both of them, she groped at the counter and managed to grab only a handful of amber bottles that instantly came loose and simply fell with her, clattering against the carpet.

"Help," Lyn called lamely.

Caleb looked around the shelves. "Is he okay?"

She looked helplessly at his head knocked against her stomach, glasses askew and gaped with her mouth open in some sort of shock.

Caleb came quickly, crouching down, and grabbing at Hunter's shoulder. "Hey. Hey, come on, wake up."

Missy turned from the drive-through window to grab a prescription from the bins, and caught sight of them. "What happened?"

"He just went down," Caleb answered quickly. "Hunter, dude, wake up."

Even with the shaking, Hunter didn't so much as stir.

"Hunter," Lyn echoed, manhandling his head. "Hunter, you're crushing me. Come on!"

Rich chuckled sort of nervously. "That's what he gets for drinking all those goddamn Monsters. He's put himself into cardiac arrest."

"He's probably just dehydrated," Caleb reasoned, seemingly for Lyn's sake more than his own. "He'll come to, just give him a second."

He did his best to wake him still, but Hunter remained absolutely dead to the world.

Lyn, not sure what possessed her to do it, felt along his neck. He didn't seem fainted. Usually when she fainted, she still had some vague perception of things happening around her and she usually woke up if someone shook her or called her name enough times. She rested her fingers on either side of his Adam's apple and felt carefully despite the pounding of her own pulse in her hands.

"Missy," she mumbled. "Come here."

Missy set down the phone and came over. "Still nothing?"

"Can you find his pulse?"

She cocked an eyebrow, but got down on her knees and felt the same spot on his neck. Finally, she said, "Rich, call an ambulance."

Caleb pulled her hand off and felt. "God, there's almost nothing. It's so slow."

Rich instantly dialed 911.

Lyn looked over Hunter's limp body. He didn't look like he was asleep- this was weirder. He was all clammy and sweaty- it was soaking through her scrubs- but he was so cold, and his lips had started to turn some weird blue-purple color against his ashen face.

"Hunter," she tried again, panic growing quickly. "Hunter, come on. Wake up, you're freaking me out."

Elijah peered around the counter. "He won't come to?"

"Something's wrong," Caleb decided suddenly, getting back to his feet and undoubtedly aching from the duration of his squat.

Rich was explaining everything to the dispatcher. The drive through chimed. Elijah's register chirped.

Lyn felt like she might join Hunter in unconsciousness. She wasn't breathing nearly deep enough and her whole body was shaking with the start of a panic attack. Still, she had enough mental grasp to figure out why the list of symptoms Missy was relaying to Rich sounded so familiar.

"Oh god," she gasped. "He's overdosing."

[thattimdrakeguy]

Hey, I've been lurking on your posts, definetly agree with a lot of your takes, but one thing that always bother me is your depiction of Tim Drake's skills. Like, making him out to be really weak and downplaying his strengths. That's not saying he's this super awesome dude who can do anything. He was described as not as natural at combat stuff as Dick and Jason, but he worked hard to overcome that and became someone that stands as an equal to them. He wasn't the weakest Robin, he was equal to them because he put in the work. That's what makes him relatable. The talk of forever weak Tim, like Damian saying he could never lose to Tim, and Tim agreeing and using trickery to take the win, it stinks of genetic superiority. Considering Post-Crisis, where he was depicted as pretty buff actually. He was about as big at 13 as Jaso was when he died at 15. It was only after flashpoint that you see talk like this. And I agree, that sometimes fandom exaggerates his intelligence, but his Robin and Red-Robin runs show that he is pretty equal to Bruce and Dick as a detective, that in Gotham he is second only to Barbara in computer work. It's not that Tim's weaker and less skilled than everyone, and it's not that he's so much smarter than everyone either. I'd take 15 year old Tim and put him equal to 15 year old Dick and Jason. I'd put Red Robin as close to an equal to Nightwing, and equal to Red Hood. People do forget he's also won against Red Hood in canon, as well as lost. They've fought a couple of times. So yeah, I don't vibe with Tim being considered the weakest Gotham vigilante, and with 14 year old Damian being considered top 3, with Cass and Bruce. I'd buy it when he's older. Sorry for being long-winded, I was kinda venting. I'd love to hear your opinion. No hate either way, reply to this or not, it's your choice.

That was very difficult to read. So I'm gonna briefly write, what I think is a summarized version of it, and I'll answer what I gathered out of it, and if I'm wrong, I want you to send me another ask so I can answer this right.

"Why do you make out Tim to be really weak? Art depicts something different from what you said. Comics have said he's better in this and that."

Basically, the answer is, the art style in the 90s made everyone really big and buff, look at the Marvel cartoons at the time, most action figures, and it even went for most comics. BUT, the way Tim was written, and shown in his brief time before the 80s and that bit of time when that fad ended shown Tim wasn't meant to look like a steroid abuser.

Tim was constantly talked about as being skinny, and small. Well, skinny in what he seemed like when he had civilian clothes anyways. He was lean.

So, yeah, what he looked like a lot didn't match up.

In the 90s and I'm sure other eras, and art styles. You gotta learn to accept the sensibilities at the time, and not let it trick you into thinking something the intention wasn't.

Also 13-year-old Tim definitely isn't meant to be seen as the same size as 15-year-old Jason.

Here's how they're depicted by the same artist in the same story:

While Jim Aparo does have a same face problem, there's a lot of panels where Tim looks entirely generic, and does make Tim more buff in the costume compare to civilian clothes, which is an inconsistency. Not counting how his sizing of Tim is off compared to how George Perez, the guy to draw the proper first appearance of Tim as we know him. He still makes sure Tim is seen as softer, smaller, and far 'cuter' compared to how he depicts Jason on a regular enough bases, that you can tell what Tim is actually meant to look like, when he's trying harder.

(Ignore the Robin in the upper left corner, that is Dick not Jason.)

Jim Aparo was also the artist for most of Jason's Robin run on Batman (The Jason we know, not the Dick Grayson copy.) Which includes Death of the Family, where he's still depicted as being larger than Tim.

While Jim has a clear love for the ever large, imposing Batman. Jason is still taller than Tim, and has quite the mature look to him.

While a bit inconsistent. Jason is just under Bruce's shoulder. While Tim is basically at Bruce's belly button. And Jason is consistently buff while in costume and not. There was even a panel (that I don't have now, but I did once. I have a large Jason post you may be able to find) that showed Jason working out with bar bells. The intention clearly being that he's meant to be a more of a brawler compared to Dick, and later Tim.

So within the art, and the writing, no, Tim is meant to be quite small, and Jason is meant to be quite large. Jason just wasn't allowed to make Batman seem less imposing when around him, as it'd look silly. Certainly in that ridiculous original Robin costume.

Also I just don't care for Red Robin. I think it just wrote in stuff that felt more like sudden changes to validate a sudden decision, more than it did depict Tim in a new chapter of his existence. Therefore I don't like it, nor do I care for what it says.

Chris Yost is more often than not a great writer.

Red Robin to me, is not one of those comics where he is a great writer.

Lot of great ideas, but more executions I don't think work than anything else.

I don't think all comics are equal.

Canon is very weak even when they tried to maintain it.

So for my sake I go purely off of what I interpret to be the intention, and only care for stories that I personally think do a good job at continuing, and developing narratives that feel in-line with the intention.

Because a writer can write what ever they want as long as the editors, and publisher, and who ever else allows it to be released.

If I were to treat every comic as equal these character's personalities and skills would be so inconsistent you'd have to be a world class mental gymnast champion to bother finding reason for it.

I don't personally bother with it, because why would I? If I don't think a story is well written, then I simply don't think it's well written. I don't get anything out of forcing myself to think I like something I don't.

Also I never said Tim is very weak. I don't think he should be very weak. And if I have said something like that, I likely meant it within a context.

I just like it when writers remember that his way of winning fights, is his wits, not his brawn.

You can be talented, and a winner, without being great at everything. Tim isn't relatable when he's great at everything. Do most people practice so much they become great at everything? No, because that isn't realistic. Not that Batman characters are realistic. It tends to go against Tim's point is all, in my eyes at least.

Tim somehow becoming Dick's equal within 3 and a half years, when Dick has been at it for a decade or more, is insanely hard to believe. Especially when Dick is a natural talent, and Tim is not.

If everyone is depicted as talented in the same exact ways, that is extremely boring to me. So I don't care for it.

Why bring up a character being this, this, and that, to never use it? That's pretty lazy, boring writing to me. So when a writer acknowledges how Tim is supposed to win fights, and actually puts the effort into depicting that, I give it praise, because I think it deserves it.

Also, within the specific example you gave: Damian is a genetically altered super warrior, trained from birth, with (I don't know if this is canon anymore, or was ever much of a thing past one story) enhancements grafted into him.

It's way more interesting to me, to have Damian be able to best Tim at normal combat, 'cause of their immensely different upbringings. Rather than simply saying "Tim is older, so he should win". That's not very clever, or fun to think about.

Although proper power scaling in comics is nonsense as well, in my personal opinion, because really, who ever wins is up to the writer. Any writer can have a character can find a way to beat another character. What makes it well-written or not, is if the writer goes through the effort to make it believable within what's established.

Which is why I liked Zdarsky writing Tim to use his wits to best someone who has far more experience and natural talent in one on one combat. It let's Tim beat someone, he probably shouldn't be able to, in a way that's interesting, and true to character.

However you are entirely free to enjoy buff, Red Robin, as talented as the rest of them Tim. I'm not meaning this as anything in the form of disrespect, or anything like that. You're entirely free to enjoy whatever you want.

All I'm saying is, I don't buy it, and I don't think it SHOULD be how Tim is depicted, because it makes him a lot more generic and typical, when I think he's a lot more interesting when writers follow the intentions of him.

I'm not asking for him to be identical to how he is before he even properly starts being Robin.

I ask for consistency, and writing that cares about maintaining what was the charm, and likability, and uniqueness of a character, even through out their developments, so they don't become lost, or lose their identity, a fate that can infect a lot of characters that get writers without those sensibilities.

'Cause a LOT of stuff is considered canon that doesn't match.

And I'm not one of those people that tries to act like "Oh you can't ignore that just because you don't like it' because everyone does. I've never seen someone say that, and not have some complaint about it. I'm a man of honesty, even in times of disagreements.

All respect to you, though.

I'm mainly hoping this doesn't read like a strongly worded letter. When really I'm casually saying all of this. I'm just insanely Autistic and long winded in my own right.

[where-we-pause]

If I miss anything about working in an office it's been the music I'd share with coworkers. "Hey Peg, we heard you're coming in to work in the back” pot shop employees outside smoking flagged me down as I walked into the little shop and cackled to themselves. "Hi guys, yeah I am. Why, what's the deal?” "Well you're going to work with T. He's negative." "That's it?" "Yeah, he’s a cranky guy. Good luck!" I ignored them. I'm from Florida guys, being abrasive like a cat at first is common. I went in. There's T, an older man with a focused face on what he's processing for edibles. "Oh it's...you," he says in a monotone voice. Could be worse? "Hey T!" I settled in, setup where I needed to work. I see the computer sitting in the middle of the room. He is good at darting his eyes away and overall is annoyed at the number of people that come through the shop. I need to figure this man out, and quickly so we can get to work. "Hey T, in the '90s were you into Nirvana or not?" This should work, I've learned there are specific opinions about this since living in Seattle. "Fuck no, FUCK SUB POP. I love... The Ramones!" he said like a badge of honor. Oh, he likes The Ramones? Well, this should be easy. I load up The Ramones for him, thinking I can keep DJing, working, and talking through his interests on this like a... therapist. We listen to a range of music, usually falling into a routine most days of The Ramones and having woven in The Detroit Cobras and The Dirtbombs now to his delight. We have a good routine with the music and production happening. When an extra person tries to jump in the mix, they're trying to suggest music or they come in changing it right away. T's body would tense up, creating waves of negativity in the space and releasing a low groan. I couldn't have that, so I’d relocate said people trying to play their music away, set them up with dabs, make sure they were filming for their Instagram so people know, take a dab myself, and then I'd sneak back to my desk. Then one day, I was going through some other tracks to see what T might like. I put a song on, walked away to get something, came back and sat down. T's face for the first time had lit up like a child on Christmas. "What? What is it T, what is it?!" "Peg what is that song.. I've heard it before.." He recognized the song but couldn't place it like when it took me a good month to track down This Charming Man by The Smiths. "T are you serious? You don't know what this song is?" Now, I am excited realizing my power. "This song is called The Sign by Ace of Base! It's a classic!" T didn't just like the song. He loved it. We played it so much, other people coming through would be annoyed about the routine. Oh cmon Peg and T, no more Ace of Base! It became an instant mood pick up when starting to play it. We'd close up, always playing that stupid song, splitting a joint, and leaving while still singing along to it.

[cyberloops]

So I bought a decent multi-effects pedal after I got the new bass. Basically the bass version of the one I had for my guitar.

But then I kinda went down the rabbit hole of cheap, affordable pedals and decided to waste a few bucks on the cheapest of cheap multi-effects pedals that I could find. I narrowed it down to three options, and decided to go with the Donner Multi-Pad100. Partly because the reviewers I saw were all pleasantly surprised. Mostly because it's shaped like an SNES controller, and I'm easily influenced.

This is what it looks like compared to an 8bitdo SNES gamepad replica. It's a little wider, and it's a chunky boi. It has to be to fit a 9 volt battery inside for when you don't have access to an outlet or a USB charger.

I started it out with a tremelo effect, mixed with some heavy reverb and light delay. Then I switched from tremelo to a heavy chorus effect at the end. It's pretty easy to use. The dials on the right control the basic effects, the dials on the left control an amp emulator to try and make it sound like you're running your guitar through one of several classic amps that would probably cost more than my monthly paychecks to buy in real life.

The build quality is kinda crap, I could barely get my headphones to plug into it. But the sound quality is... not bad? Maybe even slightly good? This is me playing a sub-200 dollar electric guitar through a 50 dollar multi-effects pedal and recording it directly into my computer. After only poking around with this pedal for a few minutes. Just long enough to figure out how to make the built-in drum machine work for backing.

It also has a clip on the back, so if I wanted to literally clip it to my belt or my guitar strap while I'm playing, I totally could.

As for the guitar I used, my guitar is a Dean EVO XM that I've had for... twelve? Maybe thirteen years now. I'm pretty sure that's literally their cheapest model. And I bought it right when they dropped the price, whenever that was. (I suppose I could look up when the price dropped to figure out exactly when I bought it.) There are knockoff no-name-brand guitars out there that are more expensive.

So yeah. For this thanksgiving, I think I'm thankful that we live in a world where a cheapskate like me can still get my hands on musical instruments and equipment to keep making music, even I've only got a part-time job.

If anyone is curious, the other two that I was debating getting were the Mooer PE100, which usually costs around 90 bucks but was on sale for 60 bucks while I was looking. It has more features and is definitely worth more, but the way it worked was basically the same as my nicer Zoom G1X pedal that I already have, so I decided there was no point in just getting a cheaper, crappier version of something that I already have. And the other alternative was the Cube Baby. Which apparently isn't sold under the name of the company that makes it, they basically just license it out to other companies who can brand it themselves, so there's like 5 different branded versions of it on Amazon. And it seemed nifty, and maybe even a little better in some ways than the one I got. But I looked at a whole bunch of reviews while things were slow at work, and eventually made my decision. For better or for worse.

[ilyelan]

𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡

𝑜𝑘, 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒��! 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑖 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡, 𝑖’𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑝𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑦, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖’𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑠. 𝑖 ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑢𝑦𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦 𝑖𝑡!

you were sitting in front of your computer setup after a day full of farming stuff to finally ascend the last character you had to level 90, and you decided you’d fight the hypostasis one last time before logging out for the night. but once you got to it’s arena, you saw that something’s wrong, it was gone, even after you had waited an hour for it to respawn after fighting it last.

“weird” you thought to yourself, before deciding it was a sign to log out and get some sleep. getting out of your chair, you quickly change into your pajamas, and go to bed.

what. the. hell. you could’ve sworn you went to sleep in your bed last night. definitely not in some random, snowy, freezing cold cave in the middle of nowhere! you haven’t even been somewhere like this in your entire life! as you stood up and took in your surroundings, you realized this cave has an almost uncanny resemblance to dragonspine.

no. no no no no no. you aren’t going to somehow convince yourself that you’re in a video game. that’s not something that’s gonna happen. you’re probably just getting confused from the whole situation, and are trying to find something familiar about it. yeah that’s what it is. you’re just going crazy from the cold and confusion.

deciding that you wouldn’t get any answers if you just sat around waiting for hours, you started walking around and looking for an exit. you still don’t believe that you’re in a video game, but you followed the same path you would take to leave dragonspine in genshin. if you imagined hard enough, you could almost see the map in the corner of your eye, which definitely helped with finding the way out.

you had been walking for what you could only assume was hours, judging by the position of the sun, when you finally saw what looked like a camp set up in a small cave on the side of the mountain. realizing this could be your chance to finally get some answers, you ran the rest of the way despite the ache in your muscles.

once you made it the rest of the way, you couldn’t see anyone near, but you did see a pot and some ingredients, and decided you deserve some soup, and maybe a nap.

gathering up some broth, meat, carrots, and potatoes, you lit the fire with a lighter you kept for emergencies, and slowly mixed it all together.

after you finished eating, you washed everything you used, and lay down to try to get at least a little bit of sleep.

it took what felt like hours of tossing and turning for you to finally be able to sleep, but you still couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching you.

𝑎𝑙𝑏𝑒𝑑𝑜’𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑣

he had just finished the last preparations to finally bring his true creator into teyvat, when a random flash of lighting hit the machine before he could gather everyone to greet the creator upon their arrival. the machine was broken beyond repair, but after the smoke cleared he saw an angelic figure emerge from the ruins of his life’s work.

“your grace! i can’t believe the machine worked! i have to take you to meet the others right away!” he exclaimed, to caught up in the excitement to realize the figure didn’t give off the correct aura of warmth and comfort.

“ah, of course, i cannot wait to meet the rest of my loyal acolytes, i hope you all have done well with the gifts i’ve given you.” the figure calmly said, as she slowly reached out and cupped albedo’s cheek. “but first, i would like to know more about you.”

your twin’s grin only got more triumphant when albedo stuttered around a description of himself while cuddling into her palm. after he was done, he took her by the hand and lead her out of dragonspine, where the others were waiting for his signal.

after a long day of teaching his creator all there is to know about teyvat, he, somewhat hesitantly, made his way back up the mountain to his campsite. once he got there however, he saw some impostor wearing his god’s face, and daring to sleep peacefully in his campsite!

he decided he would tie up the impostor and bring her to his god, he knew she was far more merciful than him, and wouldn’t want anyone to die without a reason.

he reached over for the chains he kept for when he had to restrain particularly disobedient test subjects, and roughly tied your wrists together, without a care for your comfort or safety.

once he was sure you wouldn’t be able to get out, he grabbed you by the waist and threw you over his shoulder, still not caring about your safety.

[bbysamu]

Helloo, could I request another part of the asking hq boys for their credit card while sleeping but with Sakusa, Atsumu, Kenma and Osamu?

#Haikyuu boys when he’s asleep and you ask for his credit card to buy something ridiculously expensive pt. 2

featuring:: SAKUSA Kiyoomi, MIYA Atsumu,  KOZUME Kenma, MIYA Osamu 

genre:: TikTok

warnings:: none!

inspired by:: @noelleagcaoili’s tiktok

⤷ PART 1 

a/n:: thanks for requesting, I hope like pt.2! 

❥ SAKUSA Kiyoomi 

⤷ You peek over at the peaceful figure of your husband and try your best to hold in your giggle. “omi?” You gently caress the curls framing his face and internally coo at his adorable-ness. “baby. please it’s an emergency, I need your card.” You whisper. He finally opens his eye, peeking out at you. “what’s going on?” He sleepily whispers back. “There’s something I've always wanted on sale right now, can I have your credit card please?” He rolls over to his side, “you know where my wallet is, just get it yourself.” “thank you baby,” you press a little kiss to his cheeks before running off as Sakusa smiles to himself and falls back asleep. About an hour later, he emerges from the bedroom, hair deliciously ruffled, “so what’d you get?” “it was the best thing ever. You know how I've always wanted a trampoline? I saw one on sale on Amazon!” He wraps his arms around you and you hear the smile in his voice as he asks, “I'm happy for you princess. How much was it?” “$2,500! including tax!” Sakusa’s arms falls from your side and you turn around to a usually composed Sakusa, suddenly red in the face as he sputters, “$2500?! Y/N are you serious right now? FOR A TRAMPOLINE?” You look down, putting on your saddest expression, “but I finally waited until it went on sale to buy it. I thought you wouldn’t mind.” He softens and sighs, “fine, fine. Whatever. Thanks for at least waiting for it to be on sale. but I think I need another nap.” He turns around, “good thing I’m a rich pro volleyball player. Can’t imagine any husband in the world who would indulge his wife with a $2500 trampoline.” “I love you, Omi.” “I guess I love you too.” 

❥ MIYA Atsumu

⤷ You untangle yourself from your husband’s embrace. “five more minutes...” he mumbles as he tightens his arms around your waist. “Tsumu, I need your credit card. The annual sale at Sephora is going on right now.” He opens his eyes and reaches out his wallet, “oh it is? why didn’t you say it sooner? get me some of the masks we used last time please.” You press a fleeting kiss to his lips before running towards your computer. Twenty minutes later, you crawl back into the bed and hands him his card. “did you get a lot of goodies?” You hum in happiness as he throws his arm around your waist, “yup! a YSL lipstick set that was a total steal, some skincare, and I got you a pack of those face masks.” He kisses your shoulder, “good job, princess. How much was the total?” “with the sale discount, it came out to $3,100?” Atsumu freezes in place. “what’s wrong babe?” “you said $31.00? wow, that really is a steal.” “no I said $3100″ He stands up and leaves the room, muttering to himself, “wow, $31.00. Sephora is so generous.” You laugh at his denial before calling out, “it’s just a prank babe, the real price was like $500.” “don’t talk to me anymore.” “I love you.” “no cuddles for you tonight.” 

❥ KOZUME Kenma

⤷ “Kozume Kenma, wake up.” At your words he opens his eyes. “yes. What do you want?” You put on your sweetest smile, “may I get your credit card please? I need to buy something.” He rolls his eyes and mumbles, “why'd you have to call me by my full name then, I thought I was in trouble or something...” before handing you the card, no questions asked. You skip happily into the living room, inputting the card numbers before returning back. “that was fast.” “yeah, I already knew what I wanted I just needed your card to check out.” “what’d you get?” “a limited edition beanie babies from the 90s.” He looks at you deadpanned, “seriously? you’re a grown woman still collecting beanie babies.” You smack him lightly, “those are worth a lot of money you know?” “how much did you buy it for then?” “$4200.” Kenma looks at you in shock, “are you serious?! $4000 for a toy?” You nod as he suddenly becomes serious. “are there more?” “what do you mean?” “can we buy more? this sounds like a good investment.” “yeah it is, if they really sell for 4k.” He narrows his eyes at you, “what do you mean?” Your smile tells him it’s a prank. “Goodbye.” He says he leans back in bed, his back turned to you. “did you find it funny, baby?” “no. goodbye.” 

❥ MIYA Osamu 

⤷ Osamu stirs awake as you run your hand through his hair. “Samu?” “mmhm?” he hums quietly, back still turned to you. “can I get your credit card? there’s something I really wanted to get and I think it might be on sale now.” He sits up and reaches into the drawer before pulling out the shiny card. “yeah of course you can. but can I get a kiss in exchange?” You lean down and he pouts when you pull away. “I'll be back in a bit okay?” “okay, I'll be here waiting.” An hour or so later, your husband leans against the frame of the door and watches as you carefully type the credit card number. “what’d you get, pretty girl?” You pretend to click the confirm button before replying, “yay! I got it now. It’s this jujutsu Kaisen voice actor signed t-shirt.” “oh that’s cool. Did you get one for me?” “of course.” “how much was it?” “for two it was $2000.″ Osamu stands up straight, startled by your words. “two thousand dollars!? babe that's too much! can we get a refund?” “yeah...but I really like it.” He sighs, looking torn before finally answering, “I mean, we can just return one and save $1000.” He looks at you, suddenly a little shy, “but we can share the shirt right?” You laugh and walk over to him, wrapping your arms around his torso, “of course, babe.” “okay, now can I get my kisses.” You stand on your tippy toes, “do you even have to ask?” 

stay fetch, xoxo 

[magpietoriches]

LockDown Part XV: Forget the Rest

Summary: An old “friend” of yours arranges a meeting with a mysterious figure. 

Setting: 2018 in an alternate timeline where Loki made it to Earth after the events of “Thor: Ragnarok” and Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton, and Scott Lang are still on the Raft.

Pairing: Loki x Reader (First Person)

Playlist ~ Masterlist ~ Next Part

************************************************

0:30:00 until the Bomb goes off

     “Yeah,” I said. I had my phone resting between my shoulder and neck, ensuring that my hands were free. “I’m just opening the link you sent me.”

     “It should take you to a private chat room,” Logan instructed. 

     I looked at the website with uncertainty and switched the phone to my other ear. “It says I need to enter an access code?” I was starting to fucking hate access codes.

     “It’s 0982.” 

      I entered each digit as Logan spoke. The chat room looked like a website designed in the 90s, complete with cheap graphics and neon text. The second I entered the passcode a text box appeared. “The Power Broker will see you soon. Please have your web camera ready,” I read. “How soon?” I asked Logan as the website morphed into a white canvas. In the middle of the screen was an 8-bit-cartoon man, in a suit, who kept taking his top hat on and off. Each time the hat was removed a speech bubble would appear over the man’s head saying, “The Power Broker will see you soon. Please stand by.”

     Loki tilted his head to the side, seemingly mesmerised by the looping cartoon. “What is your friend telling you?” Loki asked. I held up my hand impatiently to get Loki to be quiet and he blinked at me in surprise, his mouth fell open in shock. 

     “Whenever they’re ready,” Logan told me, “The Power Broker is a busy person. You don’t call The Power Broker. The Power Broker calls you.” 

     I turned away from Loki and lowered my voice. “I just assumed when you said you could connect me...“

     “That’s not what I said. I said I could maybe arrange a meeting.”

     I returned to where Loki stood and took a seat across from the laptop, still perched on the kitchen island. The built-in webcam, on the computer, had a piece of scotch tape over it, which had been coloured in black. The tape began to fray as I peeled it off. The cartoon man was replaced by the image of my face and of Loki standing behind me. Due to Loki’s height, all you could see of him was his torso. I winced when I saw myself. I looked every bit as horrible as I had imagined. I pulled out the hair-tie that had now become lost in my mess of curls and attempted to brush out my tangles with my fingers. I looked more like I had survived an explosion than someone about to have a virtual meeting with a prestige broker.

     “You’ve used the Power Broker’s services before, right?” I asked, rubbing my hands along my thighs, nervously.

     “Mmm,” Logan responded, “No, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting them.”

     “WHAT?” I shouted in shock. Loki’s look of concern did not go unnoticed. His hands clenched into fists as he stepped towards me in a manner that could only be described as protective. 

     “I was going to hire them, but Charles died. What would have been the point?” Logan explained. 

     The last time Logan and I saw each other was when he returned to New York for Charles Xavier's funeral. He and I spoke about Charles for hours. I discovered the infamous mind reader and I had something in common; a love for paintings. Logan mentioned he had been trying to purchase a painting for Charles before he died. It was the first time I had learned of the Power Broker. 

     “I’m sorry Logan. I know how much Charles meant to you. I just- when you told me you were going to purchase a painting for him, I assumed you had already met the Power Broker.”

     “I haven’t met the Power Broker but I’ve met a lot of people who have. Let’s just say the Power Broker deals in more than just paintings.”

     “Are you still trying to live out your X-Men days? Logan, if the government finds-“

     “Yeah, yeah, if the government finds out I didn’t take the mandated cure I’ll be arrested. I heard the speech. I’m fine in Madripoor. You shouldn’t worry about me.”

     I lightly shook my head. “How dangerous is this Power Broker?”

     “Dangerous?” Loki asked, panicked. “No. I’m not letting you connect with anyone who is dangerous. Tell your friend the plan is off.” Before I had time to react Loki grabbed the phone from my hands. I stood up and tried to retrieve my cell, but it was to no avail. “Hello, this is Loki,” he greeted with a forced smile. Loki’s tone was even despite the fact I could see him brimming with anger. When Loki mentioned my first name a familiar shiver ran down my spine at the sound of it. The last thing I heard Loki tell Logan, before he handed the phone back to me was, “If you put her in harm's way I will find you Logan, and I will rip you limb from limb.” 

     I gave Loki a disapproving glare. “He was kidding,” I told Logan when the phone was back in my hand.

     “Tell Loki, I’d like to see him try.” I rolled my eyes and made a mental note to associate myself with more mundane people. “If you’re worried about the Power Broker being dangerous, don’t be,” Logan told me. I put my phone on speaker so Loki would be able to hear. “The Power Broker is only as dangerous as you need them to be. So, some words of advice; Don’t mention you’re working with the Avengers. The second you do, the Power Broker is going to end the call.”

     “I’m not working with the Avengers, got it. I’ll just explain that my friend was given an original painting and I was wondering if they may have brokered the sale and, if so, with who,” I replied, giving Loki a thumbs up.

     “That’s a horrible plan,” Loki chastised. My thumb immediately fell down.  

     “No, it's a great plan,” Logan responded. I nudged Loki’s stomach. “Great if you want the Power Broker to never speak with you again. Do you know what kind of clients the Power Broker has?”

     “No?” I said, unsurely. 

     “Exactly. They’re good at their job because of one reason and one reason only, discretion. You can't ask who their clients are, you need to approach this as if you’re a potential client. Trust me.”

     “Is there anything else I should know?”

     “There is,” Logan revealed and I held my breath in anticipation. “I hope everything works out.”

     “That makes two of us. We all can’t be immortal,” I smiled.

     “I’m not immortal,” Logan replied in a serious tone, “No one is.” 

     “Yeah,” I replied, staring at Loki, “That’s what I’m afraid of.” 

     “I thought you said you didn’t have any friends,” Loki said after I ended the call. 

     “Oh, Logan. He’s more of an acquaintance.”

     “How do you know each other?”

     “Have you ever heard of mutants?” I asked and Loki shook his head. “They’re humans born with a gene that gives them superpowers. They’ve always been hated. Seven years ago the UN developed what they called a cure to get rid of the X gene for anyone who wanted it. A lot of people thought the cure should be mandatory. I wasn’t one of them. I was 22, fresh out of journalism school and I got assigned my first big story. I was going to write a piece on the X-Men. They were a team of mutants that lived at a school in New York. They weren’t unlike the Avengers, except they were actually friends with each other. Anyway, I was hoping my story would show the X-Men in a new light. Get people to sympathise with them.”

     “Did it work?”

     “I don’t know. My editor rejected the story. A few months later the UN signed a bill, making the cure mandatory. Now there are no more mutants. Well... there are a few, Logan being one of them, but you aren’t supposed to know about that.”

     “Seven years ago,” Loki said to himself. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

     “If it wasn’t for the cure the X-Men would have fought you in New York,” I said, confirming what I guessed Loki was probably thinking. 

      “The humans must have regretted their decision.”

      “You’d think. The earth needs more than just the Avengers, but a lot of humans can’t get past their hatred of mutants.”

     “Why?” Loki asked, sounding baffled. 

     I found Loki’s naivety refreshing. “Humans hate what they can’t control, or understand. Basically, they’re racist.”

     “Humans hate what they can’t control or understand,” Loki repeated sombrely. I could see the worry in his eyes, and I could imagine the weight on his shoulders. “I guess I’ll never find a place where I’m accepted, then. Humans loath me for being the God of Mischief and Asgaridans loath me for being a Frost Giant.”

     “I don’t,” I revealed. Loki opened his mouth to argue but I cut him off. “Not everyone is going to accept you. But not everyone hates you. You just have to surround yourself with people that love you, for you, and forget the rest.”

     “I’m afraid I don’t know who I am anymore.”

     “You said you wanted the freedom to choose who you are. Besides not being a monster, who do you want to be, Loki?”

     “I want to be worthy of love.” 

     Loki’s words shattered my heart. “You are worthy.”

     “Have you ever been in love?” Loki inquired. 

     I took a deep breath. 

     “Besides with me of course,” Loki teased when I hadn’t answered his question.

     I wish I hadn’t said I loved him. Not because it was a lie, but because it was the most honest thing I had ever blurted out in my life. Loki promised he would never hurt me, and I believed him. But now I was making it nearly impossible for him to keep that vow. 

     “I told you to forget I ever said that.”

     “Maybe I don’t want to forget it.” 

     Earlier in the evening, I told Loki that he never gave me the false hope that he might love me. What I never accounted for was that I might fall for him. But how could I not? When the asshole goes and waits outside the closet door for me, and dances with me. And kisses me because it makes me smile. 

     “I’ve been in love before,” I said, deciding to answer Loki’s question. “The problem is people don’t love me back. I tend to ruin things whenever I get close to people. I let my mask slip and no one ever seemed to like wasn’t underneath.”

     “What’s underneath?”

     “Where do I even begin?” I snickered, “I try to maintain this facade that I have any idea of what I am doing, but I’m just hanging by a thread. Underneath it all, I am depressed and filled with anxiety. I’ve gone days without getting out of bed. I neglect to love myself and then people forget to love me. I’m not okay, Loki. And people resent that. And I don’t blame them, cause deep down I’m not good company. I’m broken and I’m afraid no one is ever going to love me.”

     “You’re allowed to not be okay around me,” Loki said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear, “I won’t think any less of you.”

     “Yeah, but it’s different. You don’t love me. You just care about my well being and knowing that I'm hap-“ I stopped, my eyes widened. Loki couldn't be in love with me. People don’t do that, and yet...“Loki, a few minutes ago, were you going to kiss me?”

     “You’re not afraid that no one will ever love you. You’re afraid that someone will love you.” Loki leaned down and whispered in my ear, “And yes, I was going to kiss you.” 

     “Why didn’t you?” I frowned. 

     “I could tell you didn’t want me to. I would never force you to do something you didn’t want to do. You just need to find someone that is going to love all parts of you, bug. And forget the rest. Once you do it won’t be so scary.”

       “Okay, but if I cut out those who don’t love every part of me, who would I have left?” I argued.

     “You’d have me.”

     “You’re wrong,” I proclaimed, “I did want you to kiss me.”

      Loki breathed a sigh of relief and stepped towards me.

*******************************************************

Author's Commentary

Thank you to everyone that liked my last chapter. Comments and reblogs really keep me motivated. This chapter was going to be Loki and Reader meeting the Power Broker, and it was going to be twice as long. I’m saving all of that for later. 

Tag list is still open. If you want on it, please message me or leave a comment on the most recent chapter. 

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[spencerreidslove]

Hi! Do you know that one episode where the unsub froze his victims to death? I think they were meant to survive to join a cult or something like that, but yeah. I was wondering if you could write something like that (doesn’t necessarily have to be based in that ep) but the reader is kidnapped or something by the unsub and he starts to freeze her or idk and then the team arrives? Could it also be Platonic!Bau x reader, but spencer and reader r together? I hope that made sense. Thank you!!

A/N: I tried to stick to this episode as much as I could, but it’s been a minute since I’ve seen the episode so I probably went off from the actual plot. Also, sorry this took me 80 years to write!

————

Spending nearly a week in some random town in the middle of nowhere, Ohio was not how you wanted to spend time.

But that came with the job. The BAU has orginally been called in due to bodies that had been frozen to death. No new bodies had turned up and the team was facing a dead end.

You placed a hand on your husband’s shoulder as the rubbed his eye so hard you thought it might pop out.

“Spence, honey, look away from the board for five minutes.” You said.

“I need to finish this geographical profile.” Spencer muttered.

“Spencer. It’s nearly midnight, Hotch told everyone to go to the hotel nearly an hour ago.” You said, leaning into Spencer’s side and wrapping your arms around his waist.

“You go ahead. I’ll stay and work on the profile.” Spencer said.

“What did you say when you married me?” You asked.

“Huh?”

“Spencer, what did you say when you married me?”

“Lots of things. Be more specific.”

“About always being there. Be there by coming back to the hotel.”

Spencer laughed a little bit. “I think you’re twisting that a little bit. Look, go ahead and I’ll be there within half an hour.” Off your look he said: “If not, then I will owe you. Seriously.”

“Fine. Half an hour. I’ll be counting.” You said, grabbing your bag. You waved at Spencer as you made your way out of the precinct.

The hotel was nearby so you decided to walk. You were almost at the hotel when you heard someone call out from behind you.

“Excuse me? Ms?” The voice called out.

“Yeah?” You asked, turning around. Years at the FBI had made you cautious, so you kept your distance and crossed your arms so your hand was over your gun.

“Can you point me in the direction of 48th street?” The man asked.

You made a rookie mistake. You turned away from the man and looked at the road behind you. “I think it might be-“

You felt a sharp pain in between your shoulder blades; maybe a needle. Before you could figure out what it was your vision started to cloud and you felt yourself falling.

“Spencer.” You muttered before your eyes closed.

-

“Kid...Kid!” Morgan shook Reid’s shoulder.

“I wasn’t sleeping!” Reid cried, shaking himself awake. Morgan laughed. “Sure you weren’t. Did you sleep here?”

“I must’ve.” Spencer said, looking around at the table in front of him. “I was working in the geographical profile. I fell asleep.”

The rest of the team funneled into the room, and Spencer excused himself to the bathroom to splash some water on his face.

When he returned to the room, something was off. “Where’s Y/N?” He asked.

“We thought you knew.” JJ said.

“No, she left for the hotel late last night. I stayed here.” Spencer said.

“She wasn’t in the lobby this morning.” Emily said.

At that very moment, a uniformed officer walked past the room, holding a bag that looked very familiar.

“Sir.” The unie said, sticking his head in the room to talk to the detective in charge. “I was out canvassing and I saw this bag on the ground. You said it’s by where this guy’s looking.”

He held out the bag, handing it to the detective. The detective opened it, looking through the wallet. “This purse belongs to one...Y/N Reid.”

The world was falling from below Spencer’s feet. He must’ve fallen back into a chair because the next thing he knew he was sitting with his head between his legs.

“Breathe, Spencer, you need to breathe.” JJ said, rubbing small circles on his back.

“I-she was supposed to go to the hotel-and she-“ Spencer knew he was hyperventilating but he couldn’t stop.

“Reid, we’re going to find her but in order for that to work you need to calm down first.” Morgan said.

“I can’t-she...she’s gone.”

-

Cold.

It was the only thing you could feel. Maybe Spencer had turned the thermostat down again and had taken all the blankets with him.

“Spence...blankets. Hand ‘em over.” You mumbled, rolling on your side.

You tried to reach out a hand to grab them, but you couldn’t move your arm.

You furrowed your brows as you slowly opened your eyes. Then you remembered. You weren’t at home in bed with Spencer.

Man. Needle. Falling.

The thoughts came back to you slowly. When you finally opened your eyes you looked around, seeing you were in some sort of dark room.

It was freezing.

“Freezing...” you said. “Oh shit.”

You rolled your head back and looked down at yourself. Your hands and feet your tied together, explaining why you couldn’t move them.

The door to the freezer opened. “Good, you’re awake. It’s always so much more fun when they’re awake.” The same man who got you said.

“Let me go.” You said.

“No.”

“Look, you don’t want to do this. I’m in the FBI. You know what will happen if you kill me?”

“I know. I only took you because you’re a Fed.”

The man stepped closer to you. Grabbing you roughly by the rope, he made you sit up. He punched you. And then again. And then again.

-

“He has to have some sort of industrial freezer.” Hotch said, putting his hands on the desk.

Spencer still hadn’t fully calmed down. He had now swung the way of throwing himself into work. He stared at the same geographical profile he had been working on the night before.

Every time he looked at it, all he could think about was you telling him to come back to the hotel with you. And him refusing.

“Kid. Step away from the map. Let someone else take a look for a moment.” Morgan said.

“I can’t do that.” Spencer said.

“Fine. Then come with me to eat something. You need it.”

“I can’t do that either. Y/N is missing, so I’m not going to stop working.”

Morgan left his side for a moment. Then, he returned and took the pen out of Spencer’s hand.

“Hey!” Spencer called.

“You can get this back in five minutes. Take a break, pretty boy.” Morgan said.

Spencer sighed and followed Morgan out into the hallway twoards a vending machine.

The pair stood in silence for a moment. “It’s my fault.” Spencer muttered.

“Reid, what?” Morgan said.

“Y/N-she kept telling me to come back to the hotel. I said she should go ahead without me and I’d be there in half an hour. If I had just gone with her she wouldn’t have been taken.”

“Spencer, you can’t blame yourself for that. If you would’ve been there, you might’ve both been taken. You you could have been killed. We can’t go back and change last night, but we can work to find this son of a bitch. And to do that you need to be present, not nearly passing out.”

Spencer sighed and took the bag of chips Morgan was holding out to him.

A few minutes later they returned to the room, where the group was huddled around a table.

“We might have something.” Hotch said.

“Garcia, taking into account Y/N’s abduction site, how many people in that area have industrial freezers?” Rossi asked.

“Just one. A Stewart Hull. Sending his home and work to you now. Go get out girl back.” Garcia said.

-

You had been left in the freezer alone again. The man had punched you several more times and turned the temperature down. You were 90% sure there were icicles on your eyelashes.

The door opened again. “Well, Little Ms. Fed, our time has been fun. But I think it’s time to end it.” The man said. He was wearing a full snow suit and was holding some sort of machine.

“Time for the freeze.” He said.

This is it. You thought. And I’m never going to see Spencer again.

You closed your eyes, preparing for the cold to hit you. But, just as you thought it was going to happen, you heard a familiar voice.

“Stewart Hull, step away from the freezer.”

JJ? You thought. You opened your eyes again to see her standing across from the man.

Afterwards, when asked to recall what happened, you won’t remeber much, other than the feeling of cold, the man yelling, and then gunshots.

Soon, JJ was beside you, calling for a medic, and untying you.

“Y/N, it’s going to ok.”

“Cold...” your teeth chattered. “Spence...”

“He’s here, he’ll be here any moment, just hold on.”

Then the cold took you.

-

You woke up to beeping. As you’d lowly opened your eyes, you realized you were in the hospital.

You blinked a few times and turned your head to the side, spotting Garcia sitting in a chair next to your bed, typing away on a computer.

“Penelope.” You muttered.

She looked up from her computer, jumping out of the chair.

“Mrs. Dr.! Don’t ever scare me like that again!” She cried, wrapping you in one of her signature Penelope Garcia hugs.

“How long have I been out?” You asked.

“2 days. They said you had early stages of frostbite.” Garcia said.

“Spencer?” You asked, looking around your hospital room.

“The Boy Wonder is down the hall getting some food. Morgan practically had to drag him down there. He hasn’t left you.”

“Could you got get him please?” You asked.

“Y/N?” Your husband’s voice said from behind Garcia.

“I’ll give you two a minute.” She said, leaving the room.

Spencer looked like a mess, you probably did too. “Hey.” You said.

Spencer dropped his bag and came up beside the bed, wrapping his arms around you. “Please don’t ever leave me again.”

“Not if I can help it.” You said.

“I’m so sorry.” Spencer said, his shoulders shaking a little bit.

“For what?” You said, holding him tighter. He was crying, you realized.

“I should’ve left with you.” Spencer said.

“Never mind that. We’re both here now.” You said.

You both say like that for a while, Spencer and you embracing.

“However, I think you were more than half an hour late to the hotel, so you do still owe me.” You said, trying to make a joke.

“I owe you for the rest of my life.” Spencer said.

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

Tags! (Open)

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[mochegato]

Hope on Board

Chapter 12 – Pretending to Be Functional Adults

 Chapter 1     Chapter 11

“Oh my God”

“What?” Dick came running out of the bathroom, his hair still dripping from the water in the shower and a towel around his shoulders and waist.

“Did you buy every pregnancy book in the bookstore?”  She gave him a teasing smile.

He rubbed the back of his neck before pulling his soaking wet hand away and drying it and his hair with his towel.  “Yeah, I um… wanted to be prepared.  I’ve only gone through a few.”

“I can’t believe you’ve gone through two already.  I haven’t even made it through one.”  She made her way over to him and took the towel from him, using it to gently dry his hair for him.  

He looked at her adoringly and wrapped his arms around her.  “I just want to know what to expect and make sure I’m giving you the support you need.”

“90% of parenting is being there and supporting them.  You are going to be a great father,” she assured him gently.  “I can see it in the way you interact with your family and talk about the kids you teach, how you interact with Rachel when you visit.”

“I really hope you’re right. And I can’t wait to see you as a mom. I know you’ll be amazing but I still can’t wait to see you rocking our baby and cuddling our baby, putting our baby down for the night before coming to bed…” he pulled her closer and leaned down suggestively as he said it.

Marinette squeaked and covered his face with the towel before he could see the deep blush that settled on her cheeks.  She wasn’t fast enough though, judging by the way Dick’s chest rocked with laughter and the way his arms tightened around her.  He gave her a peck on the lips before going back to get dressed.

Marinette turned back to his bookshelf with a quiet, “Should have grabbed the other towel too.”  To distract herself from her mind going down that road, she continued looking over the books, movies, and cd’s on his shelf.

When he returned a few minutes later, she glanced up at him quickly before looking back at the CDs. “I didn’t realize you had such an extensive Jagged Stone collection.  Oh, I still have your shirt too, don’t I?  I’ll return it next time I see you.”

“Keep it,” he grinned at her and waggled his eyebrows.  “I’d really like to see you in it… and nothing else.”

She blushed and looked down to collect her thoughts.  Instead her focus got caught on something else.  She started giggling and looked back up to Dick.  “Are those your slippers?”  She eyed the fuzzy bunny slippers on his feet.

He grinned back.  “They are.  I love these slippers.  They are extremely comfortable.  Maybe if you’re really lucky, I’ll get you a pair too.”

She rolled her eyes at him, “Be still my heart.  So romantic.” She giggled and wrapped her arms around his waist.  “Did you want to go with me to his concert in a few weeks?”

“You have tickets?” He exclaimed louder than he meant to.  “I mean, sorry.  How did you get tickets?  I tried to get tickets but they sold out before I could get to a computer.”

“Yeah, well kind of.  I have backstage passes,” she answered shyly. “My friends are coming to visit that week so it would be going with all of us.  You’d be meeting my friends at the same time.”

Dick gaped at her. “I’d love to meet your friends, but Marinette, how did you get backstage passes?  And you just happen to have an extra one?”

She cocked her head to the side, confusion clear.  “I… Tim didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“Do you know the name of the artist you liked who does all his album covers and some of his costumes?”

Dick looked at her suspiciously.  “Yeah, kind of.  I know they go by MDC.”

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng…” Dick stared at her dumbfounded.  “That’s what caught Tim’s attention for the partnership in the first place.  I can’t believe he didn’t tell you.”

“No.  I asked him not to.  He did a background check on you before the partnership and…” he cringed as the words left his mouth, “a more thorough one after the pregnancy.  Sorry.  But I asked them not to tell me anything.  I figured we should learn that stuff together.”

She beamed up at him and pulled him down for a quick kiss.  She stayed cuddled in his arms and looked up at him with a mischievous smile, “So is this a bad time to mention I was given a full briefing on you and your history after my friend discovered who you were?”  Dick looked at her for a few moments unsure how to react.  

Marinette giggled. “I’m kidding.” Her face suddenly turned serious.  “It was actually two friends, coming from two very different perspectives.” Dick opened his mouth to say something and shut it again, uncertain if she was serious or not. Marinette smiled shyly.  “Or at least they wanted to.  I had the same reaction you did.  I thought it was unfair and we should get to know each other on our own.  Although if there was anything I needed to know, they could tell me that.”

Dick nodded.  “That makes sense.  I’m pretty sure that was the deal with my family too.  Even if I didn’t want to know, if there was anything extremely concerning, they would have told me.”

Marinette cocked her head to the side and studied him for a moment.  “And my best friend and current roommate’s father being a supervillain terrorist wasn’t considered concerning or you were just waiting for me to mention it?”

Dick furrowed his eyebrows and rested on the arm of the couch, examining her in an attempt to figure out if she was telling the truth this time or teasing him again.  But the earnestness and nervousness in her eyes told him it was the truth.  “It wouldn’t have been considered concerning unless Adrien showed signs of having helped him.  Since nobody mentioned it, I have to assume he didn’t.”

Marinette shook her head frantically, her eyes now pleading.  “He didn’t.  He… it was a really big blow to him to know his father had done that to not only all of his friends but him… that he cared that little for him.”  She looked away as if trying to steel herself for something. Dick tensed in anticipation for what she was going to say.  

“That’s one of the reasons I think he is so excited for the baby.  He is so excited to be an uncle, to shower our baby with so much love and acceptance.  Even before we knew he was Hawkmoth, Gabriel was a crap father.  Always judging, always cold, always putting Adrien down. His only value to him was what he could bring to the brand.  It was a completely loveless life.  He wants to make sure our baby has that.  It would kill him if he couldn’t see the baby or if we didn’t trust him around the baby.”

Dick reeled back in realization.  That was why she was so nervous.  She was afraid when he found out about Adrien’s father, he would ban him from hanging around his child.  He smiled gently and pulled Marinette closer until she was standing between his legs and wrapped in his arms.  “I would never blame the child for the sins of the parent,” he assured her.  “Remind me to tell you about Damian’s mother sometime, when he’s comfortable with me talking about it.  And Stephanie.  Her father is Cluemaster.  He’s one of our rogues.  He’s done a lot of damage, responsible for a lot of deaths.  I have never thought less of Steph and I won’t of Adrien.” His voice was gentle and comforting.

Marinette looked up at him tears falling out of her eyes, so filled with appreciation, it pushed the tears out.  She lunged at him in a desperate hug, causing both of them to fall onto the couch. Dick chuckled affectionately, but kept his arms tight around her.  After a few seconds his face became serious again.  “Is that… is that why Adrien doesn’t like me?”

Marinette pulled away from him just far enough to cock her head to the side as though confused, but the sudden tension in her frame confirmed his suspicions.  “What makes you say that?”

“He just seems slightly hostile toward me.  Not really welcoming.” Dick shrugged as though it was a small thing.  She could dismiss it if she wanted to, or they could talk.  He was letting her decide.

Marinette sighed and leaned her head back on his chest, staring out the window as she started to speak. “He… he takes his role of protector very seriously.  During those attacks, we were usually right by each other.  We had a main group of four through most of it. Nino took care of Alya, they were dating back then, I mean, they still are, but… yeah, anyway.  So that left me and Adrien to watch each other… and for some reason a ridiculous number of akumas targeted either him or me.” She fumbled for the words.  She did not want to lie, but she couldn’t exactly tell the truth either so she settled on a half-truth.  

“So we watched out for each other.  We protected each other.  We’ve saved each other’s lives so many times.  We died for each other.  Him… him more than me… a lot more.  And now, he still has that mentality.  I’m his family.  He needs to protect me like his father never did for him.  And you just kind of snuck in.  He thought he’d get the chance to have an opinion on my romantic interests and now you’re in my life, our lives for the rest of our lives because of the baby. So it doesn’t matter what he thinks of you, it doesn’t even matter what I think of you, one way or another, you are in our lives forever.

“And he’s just worried about you walking away or being like his father.”  She worked her arms under her chest so she could angle her face to look at him.  She looked at him, sincerity clear in her eyes.  “He doesn’t know you.  When he does, he’ll relax.  I’m sorry he didn’t make you feel welcome.”

Dick reached up and tucked some hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear.  “That explains why you understood Damian so well and were so comfortable with his attitude.”

She chuckled and leaned into his hand.  “Yeah, a bit of similarities there.”

Dick nodded.  “I can accept that.  I have to earn his trust.  We’ll have to hang out more and maybe you with Damian.”

Marinette smiled and nodded. “I like that idea.  Maybe we can make a plan for it while we eat?  I’m starving.”

Dick grimaced and looked toward his kitchen.  “Yeah… maybe we should go out for breakfast… unless you’re a fan of cereal… but I’m not sure if my milk is still good.”

Marinette blinked a few times.  “You have no food in your apartment?  How do you… eat… like not even snacks?  Last time I was here you had food.”

He shrugged sheepishly. “I asked Steph to bring food over while you were sleeping last time.  Probably going to need to change that before the baby comes, huh?”

She pushed off of him to stand up and offered him a hand.  “How are you considered a functional adult?” She shook her head affectionately.

“I never made any such claims.  That’s on you for assuming.” He grinned at her.

She laughed and pulled him toward the door.  “Come on, we’re going to get breakfast then get you some groceries and I’m going to teach you to make at least one dish.”

He grimaced.  “I should warn you, I’ve been banned from the kitchen by Alfred more than once.  It might not be as easy as you think.”

She gave him a cheeky grin. “I’m a very good teacher.  I’ve already taught one hopeless, rich boy to cook, I can teach another.  Just make sure to pay attention.  There’s a test at the end.”

Dick stopped and pulled her back into his arms.  He lowered his head so he was barely a few centimeters from her ear, his warm breath brushing against her ear.  “And what do I get if I pass,” he asked huskily.

Marinette took a deep breath and slowly let it out, hoping to calm her thundering heart.  It was unfair he could affect her like that with just a few words.  She looked up at him from under her lashes.  “You get to not starve.” He pouted but quickly morphed into a smile when she pulled him down so her lips were now just centimeters from his lips. “But, if you’re a very good student, I might give you a reward.”  She smirked and started walking away.

Dick stared after her in a daze.  He waited a few seconds for his heart to calm down.  “Okay, but it isn’t the same reward you gave your other student, right?” he called after her.  “Right, Mari? Mari?”  She giggled and kept walking.

After a few hours of getting to know what Dick liked and might like to try, and buying the essentials for a functioning kitchen, they finally returned back to his place.  They had just gotten everything put away when Dick’s phone started ringing with a very distinctive ring.  “Damn it,” he cursed under his breath.  “Give me just a second.”  He gave her an apologetic look and walked back to his bedroom to talk.

He came back out a few minutes later with a deeply guilty look.  “I’m so sorry.  Something came up at work, an emergency they need my help with.”

Marinette gave him a concerned look.  “On a Saturday?  Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.  No.  It’ll be fine.  I just need to take care of a few things.  I should… I should be done by dinner if you wanted to stay here.  I don’t think we have time for a lesson today, but maybe you could do it tomorrow?  And tonight we could go out and get something.”

Marinette smiled. “That sounds like fun.  Are you sure you’re okay with me staying here while you’re gone?”

“Absolutely,” he assured her.

She nodded and beamed at him. “Okay.  I might run home to change though.  I wasn’t exactly expecting to spend last night here and might want new clothes.”

He looked down at her clothes, making no secret of him checking her out as he did it.  “Or, you could just walk around naked.”

She giggled and pushed his face away.  “Not while you’re not here.  Where’s the fun in that?”

He nodded in agreement. “Good point.  Here,” he rummaged through a drawer in his kitchen and pulled out a key.  “Take this. You can run home and come back and hang out here while I’m out.”

She looked between him and the key a few times.  “Are you sure.”

He shook his head and pulled her into his arms again.  “About you? Absolutely.  Now I have to go or I’m going to be late.”  He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and ran out the door.

<><><><><> 

He hated the Court of Owls. He hated them.  They never made things easy or straightforward.  Whatever they were planning was going to be big and it seemed like he and the other Titans couldn’t get any insight into it.  Every time they got a hint, something happened. He couldn’t figure out if the Court figured out they knew and backed off that plan or if his information was wrong or if he was just misinterpreting it.  They couldn’t get a foothold into it and it was driving him crazy.

He unlocked his door and threw his keys on the counter, freezing at the sight at the table.  There was an amazing looking plate of food, probably ice cold by now, waiting for him.  “Fuck,” he cursed quietly and ran his hand back and forth through his hair, mentally berating himself for being such an inconsiderate, thoughtless asshole.  He had completely forgotten Marinette was going to wait here for him.  It looked like she had even made dinner for him before giving up and going home.  He was going to have to do something huge to make this up to her.  And God, Adrien was going to think he was right about him.

He moved over to the couch to collapse and call Marinette, but found her there instead, fast asleep on his couch, her empty plate of food on the coffee table.  At least she hadn’t waited for him, he bitterly mused to himself. That would have made him feel even worse than he already did.  He watched her as she laid there in the shirt she had borrowed after their first night together, hand protectively placed over her tiny baby bump.  She looked so peaceful and sweet and perfect.  He looked down and huffed out a quiet laugh seeing his slippers on her feet.

He lightly traced her cheek and jaw, feeling his heart swell.  He still could not believe he was somehow lucky enough for her to come into his life in the first place, but the fact she wanted to be there with him was overwhelming.  He furrowed his brow as a thought occurred to him.  Whatever the Court was planning, it was going to be big.  What if it was something in Gotham?  What if Marinette got caught up in it?  He didn’t think he could survive losing her and the baby. He had given her his key for a reason. He hadn’t planned on asking for it back. He already couldn’t imagine his life without her there in some capacity.  He didn’t know if it was love yet, but he knew she made his days brighter.

He needed to protect them. He needed to work harder.  He had to figure out the Court’s plan and end it before they could get started so they would never have the chance to hurt her or the baby.  He needed to double his efforts and stop messing around.  He needed to… “Dick?” the sleepy mumble brought him from his thoughts.

He gave her a soft, apologetic smile.  “Hey, beautiful.  I’m so sorry. Things took so much longer than I expected.  I should have called.  I’m sorry.”

Marinette yawned as she shook her head.  “No, it’s… you were working.  I’m out later than I expect for work all the time.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to fall asleep.  That’s kind of creepy.” She sat up and looked groggily around.  Her eyes found his food on the table.  “I’m sorry.  I meant to put your food somewhere so you could reheat it when you had the chance to eat.”

“Marinette,” he let out a frustrated sigh.  “You didn’t do anything wrong.  It wasn’t creepy.  I asked you to stay here.  It’s fine. You have nothing to apologize for. I do.  I let you wait for me without giving you any updates.  I’m so sorry.”  He looked around quickly, trying to formulate a plan.  “Hey, do you want to sleep here again tonight?  I can drive you home if you want, but if you want to stay here, we can just cuddle tonight?  I need to take a shower and eat something really quickly, but you can go to bed now and I can join you when I’m done?”

Marinette looked at him unsure, her eyes still not completely open.  “Are you sure?”

Dick smiled at her and gently ran his thumb over her cheek again.  “I would love it.  I like having you in my apartment.  It makes it feel more like a home.  And I love waking up to you.  Here,” he picked her up in a bridal hold, “let me carry you so you can go back to sleep quicker.”

Marinette smiled sleepily and snuggled into his chest, resting her head in the crook of his neck. “This is a good way to travel.  We should do this more often.”

Dick’s smile widened at the idea.  “That’s a promise.”

Chapter 13

Tags:

@dickinette-february @demonicbusiness @ichigorose @iloontjeboontje @ladybug-182 @toodaloo-kangaroo @dast218 @golden-promises @trippingovermyfeet @emimar7 @laurcad123

[gtpgrima]

Have you ever wondered about 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

"How the Brothers will react if they accidentally deleted an important file from their computer...?"

👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻 because this catastrophic event happened to me a about a week ago(?) (with my original blog of the same name. I will forever thank everyone who responded to my request. I love you all so much! 💖) and I pulled a Jesus Christ maneuver: I died and rose up from the dead on the 3rd day; I started asking people to follow me baaack! 🤞🏻😂✨

Yeah, this is a collection of my actual reactions with the untimely demise of my original blog represented by the Obey Me characters! Lmao.

Levi is the goat in this one! 💪🏻✨

Warnings? Nah, probably funny? Technology illiteracy, maybe.

Lucifer

Lucifer won't make this mistake UNLESS he's on the brink of death, which is when he's sleep-deprived the 6th night that week; and it happens often, this is that night too.

He can't see anything clearly anymore. Okay, he can still "see" what seems of the letters, numbers and symbols now mimicking the waves of the darkest seas, or simply the rejected stroke of calligraphy; really, he could be between seeing a spot or a smudge of print and he'll still insist they're readable.

His pride won't let him admit the fact that he can no longer differentiate the icons of "save", "undo" and "delete" so when he pressed that click button, it took him a few moments of dizzying silence to realize his mistake.

He roars like a beast in boiling rage. He nearly decapitated Mammon who unfortunately slipped by his door at the time, and making Leviathan hesitate to respond to his calls.

Mammon

With Mammon, this happens often. He's naturally clumsy and often would recklessly abuse the abilities of his devices, computer included.

So when he realized his mistake he's cool with it. He probably haven't been on the second paragraph, honestly; he can start again or just plagiarize 90% of the internet.

He'll probably just shrug it off and lay down to nap or leave to resume his money-grubbing schemes, and ask Leviathan's assistance if it's so important and worth risking his eyeballs out later; the third-born wouldn't be happy helping him out at all, after all.

Or he'd just figure out it himself, he's the Great Mammon for a reason, right? Nah, he downloaded a deadly virus and made the problem worse.

Leviathan

This ain't a problem to him at all. It's not even worth blinking twice at. He'll just click his tongue in irritation at the minor inconvenience.

Okay, rare instances it causes him panic, he'll recall all the codes and tricks he memorized or written down so he can recover the file successfully.

He's always successful, and literally became the "lost file rescuer" of the House of Lamentation because of this.

He doesn't mind. However, if he's dealing with Lucifer or Mammon's computer problems, it gets chaotic to the point he's triggered to summon Lotan riding a tidal wave.

Satan

Considering his being the Avatar of Wrath, he's SURPRISINGLY calm when it comes to mistakes like this.

Well, it's because Leviathan taught him the basics; to which escalated quickly to at least 50 texts of differently phrased "threat" of strangling the life out of him if he destroys his computer instead of sending it to him for inspection.

Satan wouldn't like to admit he's scared of his brother's murderous passion over electronics so he tries to be careful all the time.

He's the least to make this mistake. In fact, he's too careful with his computer (D.D.D. and everything else) otherwise he'll unleash Leviathan's wrath which might actually strip him off from his title.

Asmodeus

He's mostly using his D.D.D., so such an occurrence is pleasantly rare with him.

However, if it actually happens, he'd quick to try and recover it on his own; and he's got 50-50 chances.

If he needs Leviathan's assistance he's always the one to offer something in return. If he refuses his dazzling self as payment (because he'll gladly offer himself above everything else of course), he'll probably give him an expensive facemasks or lotion.

It's always nice to help him out, he asks nicely and tries to learn while at it.

Beelzebub

Beelzebub is more than capable of handling this problem. He might actually be proficient with computer science but not on Leviathan's level.

[I picture him to be capable of more than one skill, not just eating, lol.] He'll not break a sweat recovering lost files at all. With enough motivation, he'll probably be able to retrieve the ones from years ago.

He'll help anyone if he's asked to but since Leviathan's already there and greatly more helpful, he's mostly overlooked.

In fact, files are not at risk of disappearance with him at all. There was once he accidentally ate a piece of the printer instead (because the ink smelled nice, he reasoned) and Leviathan saw the stars as he internally struggled so hard not to kick him to the next universe.

Belphegor

He'll just sleep through the pain. HAHAHAHA- (insert evil laugh here)

Okay, he'll be the most nonchalant about it. It's just a lost file. He can do it again, right?

He'll just ask Leviathan or Beelzebub's help. He won't really make a fuss out of it too. He'd straight up say he lost a file and can't retrieve it on his own, so help.

If he can restore it on his own, he will. It's such a hassle getting up from his comfortable zone called the bed, you know.

I will now start working on the asks... 😳💞