#yes both of those things have just happened

[wolfgirlcoven]

Technically Theriomythic, but I prefer the term Were. When it comes to my Werewolf, Kitsune/Multi-Tailed Fox (or maybe a multitailed Enfield?), and Ambigous Big Cat types,

My Primary theriotypes are Werewolf, Kitsune (or some kind of multi-tailed fox or Enfield, which to be fair is basically a fox with wings) and Winged-Lion I think. Still figuring out the feline self, and I'm pretty sure both types are winged for me.

Im pretty much in a constant state of phantom shift at any given moment in time. Lately it's been wings, tail, and fangs. I do get the occassional horns and ears, but good gods THE WINGS ARE EVERPRESENT.

My alterhumanity is inherent to who I am as a person. If i were not a Were, I would not be me. Simple as that.

I don't really involve myself with the community as much as I wish I did tbh. Mostly due to some shitty experiences and toxicity within it.. I have a lot I could say about the community BUT i wont spill it here. Though a lot of it boils down to the definitions of words getting muddied, alterhumanity treated as a trend rather than something integral to oneself, and general toxicity.

Honestly my Phantom shifts are what make me the most comfortable and euphoric in my alterhumanity. The fact they're there is a reminder of what I am, what I TRULY am.

Honestly yes, I do experience species dysphoria. So much so that I do genuinely have to fight the urge to fall back into the P-Shifting community, as I started out as a P-Shifter back in 2012-2015. Obviously P-Shifting cannot be done, but the urge to try again JUST IN CASE is strong.

Please please PLEASE Do Not get involved with P-Shifting groups or anything adjacent, such as Supernaturals or Mythicals. I know because I WAS ONE. I was a proud Mythical back from 2013-2015. The sheer amount of damage it did to my very impressionable formative teenager brain was horrendous, and it lead to some really messed up shit happening.

I have gear! Though my collection has shrank over the years unfortunately due to going through multiple moves. I need to rebuild my collection.

Im honestly unsure as to the cause of my wereness, but I do theorize it could be one of, or a blend of, the following: A) I was meant to incarnate into a timeline where things like p-shifting and mythicals exist and as such was meant to be a winged werewolf. B) Generally having an animalistic soulform or something along those lines. The main thing I know about my Therianthropy is that it's spiritual in nature, HOWEVER my brain operates in a way that is more animal than human, with my neurodiversity strengthening it.

Not tagging anyone but if u see this and are alterhuman itd be cool to see ur answers

If you are a alterhuman, reblog and answer these questions!

(don't be afraid to write a lot, do what you want ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯)

1/ Which category of alterhumanity do you belong to?

2/ What/who is/are your type(s)? (if you have any)

3/ Do you experience shifts? If so, can you tell us your most common shifts and your strangest cameo shift (if you've ever had a cameo shift)?

4/ How do you experience your alterhumanity in everyday life?

5/ What do you think of the community?

6/ What are the things that make you most comfortable and euphoric in your alterhumanity?

7/ Are you experiencing species dysphoria?

8/ What advice would you like to say to a young alterhuman who has just awakened?

9/ Do you have/want to have gears?

10/ Do you know/have any theories about the origin of your alterhumanity? If so, tell us! (all beliefs are legitimate)

11/ Tag someone/a creature to answer these questions!ㅤᵕ̈

[heavyhitterheaux]

Good Intentions

See Me Through You Fic

Synopsis: An argument between you and your twin ultimately leads to an argument between you and your fiancé who calls you out about your actions and tells you how being overprotective isn't a good thing

Pairing: Fiancé!Joe Burrow x Fiancée!Reader

Series Masterlist

Requested by: by boo @hoodharlow 💕

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

AN: This takes place during Ja'Marr's rookie season. You are still at LSU and taking summer classes

The last thing your twin ever wanted to do was hurt your feelings, but all in all he had had enough and had reached his limit when it came to you being overprotective.

At this point, it was honestly suffocating.

It had been this way since the two of you were born and although Ja'Marr was grateful to be able to get along with his sibling since he knew not everyone did, something had to give. Yes, the two of you would talk to each other multiple times a day, but it seemed as if his phone had been ringing nonstop since he landed in Cincinnati.

As soon as he was going to text you and tell you that he wanted to talk about the situation, his phone was ringing indicating that it was you….

Again.

Taking a deep breath, Ja'Marr answered.

“Yes, Pebbles?”

“Bam Bam! Are you okay? How's everything going? I miss you. Did you eat breakfast already and take your vitamins?”

“I'm fine. I was fine when you called me two hours ago too…. at six in the morning. I miss you too. And yes to both of those questions.”

“It's just so weird not having you here and I hate it. I'm so proud of you, though. I always knew you would make it to the NFL because I saw your potential and how good you were. What do you have planned for today?” You asked as you were currently at the nail salon trying to decide on the color that you wanted.

You would be reunited with both your brother and fiancé in three weeks and you had been counting down until the last minute.

“Same plan that I had two hours ago. Just trying to get settled. Go explore the city a little bit.”

“Okay, well I guess I'll let you do that. I like how you're still getting an early start.” You told him as it was still barely eight in the morning.

“Wait, Pebbles can we talk?”

“We'll talk later when I call you back. I'm at the nail salon. Give me like an hour or two. They're ready for me. Love you!”

“Love you too.” Ja'Marr quietly said before the two of you hung up and he quickly looked up at Joe who was sitting across from him and half asleep himself since you had requested once again for him to head over to Ja'Marr's to check on him.

“You have got to tell her because this is insane. I feel like I've seen you more in the past week than I did my whole two years at LSU.” Joe told him as he shook his head.

“I just… I don't want to make her feel bad because I know she means well.” 

“But this cannot keep happening. I'm surprised she hasn't told me to make you move in with me so I can keep an eye on you. That's probably going to happen by the end of the day.”

“I'll talk to her once she calls me back later.” Ja'Marr replied, but if he was being honest he was actually dreading this conversation.

“You mean in five minutes?” Joe asked and Ja'Marr couldn't help but to laugh.

“I should time it and see how long it takes for her to actually do it.”

“Well in the meantime, I'm going back to sleep. But I know I won't be able to sleep for long before she's calling me back too.” Joe said as he got up and grabbed his keys making his way towards the door.

“I just hope she doesn't take it the wrong way.”

“I think everything will die down once she's actually here in person.”

—

When you had finally gotten out of the nail salon after admiring them and taking multiple pictures and had got settled in your car, you called Joe to see what he was up to and to also check on your brother. It was hard not being able to be with your brother as well as your fiancé since you had gotten accustomed to having both of them. 

You were taking a few summer classes which delayed you spending time with him in Cincinnati. Luckily, you only had a few weeks left until you would be able to.

“Hi baby! My nails are pink! I took a picture and sent it to you.” You proudly told Joe as he had you on speaker and was looking at the picture as you were telling him.

“I love them. Can't wait to feel them scratching down my back.”

“I… behave yourself!”

“I am behaving! I can't help that I miss my girl.”

“Aww, I miss you too. I just wanted to take this class so it will lessen my load come next semester. Anyway, babe, can you go and check on Ja'Marr?” You sweetly asked and Joe couldn't help but to roll his eyes and was thankful that it wasn't a facetime call. He knew that it was only a matter of time.

“Baby, I was literally just over there three hours ago. I'm not going over there again.” Joe told you as he was trying to make himself a smoothie and started to get ingredients out of the fridge.

“But I have to know if he's okay!”

“Y/N, are you going to let him be an adult or…?”

“He's my baby brother! And you told me that you would look out for him once he got to Cincy. And since when is he an adult?! He is still three in my eyes!”

“Princess, I am looking out for him, but you are being extremely overprotective and Ja'Marr is scared to say anything because he doesn't want to hurt your feelings. How long are you going to try and hold his hand for? And he became an adult the minute that he turned eighteen.”

“If he had a problem with me calling him so much, he would tell me. He tells me everything.” You said and Joe scoffed.

“Uh? What was that sound for? See, you're the youngest so you probably don't understand! I have been looking out for him since forever! I have so many responsibilities on my shoulders being the oldest.”

“Older by three minutes. And you need to calm down and let him be. You are in the wrong here, but won't admit it. Nothing wrong with checking on him, but babe this is borderline obsessive.” Joe explained to you as he was now cutting up the fruit he wanted to put in his smoothie.

“Joey, what the hell!? He's the only sibling I have.”

“I'm your fiancé and I'm always going to be honest with you. I don't care if it's something you don't want to hear or agree with.” 

“There is literally nothing wrong with what I'm doing.” 

Joe couldn't help but to roll his eyes once more. 

“Okay, baby. Since you don't think it's bothering him, hang up and call him. Then call me back and tell me what he says.”

“Fine, you’ll see.” You said as you shrugged even though Joe couldn't see you.

Once you hung up with him, you called your twin and he didn't even give you a proper greeting before he started to go off on you.

“Y/N, what could you possibly ask me about now?”

“Whoa, what's the attitude for? And I thought you wanted to talk to me? You always want to talk to me.”  You asked as you were caught off guard.

“Don't you have class, or practice, or SOMETHING that you can occupy your time with instead of calling me every five minutes?”

“I… Ja'Marr I just want to make sure you’re okay. You're my baby brother and my twin. Only one I have.”

“Yes, I know and you will NOT let me fucking breathe. Like got damn. I've only been here a damn week and all of my calls are basically from you every two minutes. Yes, Joe is checking on me and making sure I'm good. But I don't need a babysitter. He's also getting annoyed because you tell him to come and check on me ten times a day!” Ja'Marr told you unable to hold back any longer. 

“But… you turned your location off. I need to know where you are. You never turn it off. What's up with that?”

“NO YOU DON'T. I'm good, that's all you need to know. All you have been doing ever since I got drafted was be extremely overprotective! Mom and dad aren't even this bad.” He told you as he was being completely honest.

It was quiet for a few seconds before you decided to say anything, obviously hurt by his reaction.

“If I'm bothering you, I'll stop. I just miss you is all. But I can see that I'm causing more harm than good. So I'll hang up now.” You said with tears threatening to fall from your eyes. 

“Wait, Pebbles, I just…” Now Ja'Marr was regretting his approach because he now knew for a fact that he had hurt your feelings which he was trying to avoid doing.

“Bye, have a good rest of your day.” 

You didn't give him a chance to finish as you quickly hung up and wiped away the tears that did end up falling. Figuring that you were also probably bothering your fiancé just as Ja'Marr mentioned, you decided to send him a text instead of calling him again.

You- I'll stop asking for you to check on him

Joey- Baby, I don't mind checking on him. Just tone it down a little bit. I promise you that he's okay. If he wasn’t, you would be the first person I told.

You- No, I'm not asking anymore at all. If he wants to talk to me, he will and I'll leave it at that. I guess I'm bothering you too so I'll let you be. Talk to you whenever.

Joey- Princess, stop being ridiculous. You aren't bothering me.

You- Ja'Marr said otherwise so goodnight

“Shit.” Joe muttered underneath his breath before typing a response back to you.

Joey- It is literally 11 in the morning and you're being petty

You- I can tell time, goodnight like I said

For the rest of the day, your phone had been blown up by Joe but you weren't budging. Ja’Marr had been eerily quiet, but you definitely weren't about to say anything to him.

He wanted space so that was what he was going to get. 

If he felt like you were being extremely overprotective and also bothering Joe with your antics, you were simply going to keep your distance.

About a week had passed and Ja'Marr honestly felt weird.

He hadn't talked to his big sister and since it was out of the ordinary, when certain things happened he didn't have anyone he would immediately run and tell about it.

That person had been you.

He had been leaving you messages here and there with no response from you.

Joe wasn't any better and you would be sending him one word answers to his text messages while declining his facetime calls despite him wanting to call a truce.

He came to the conclusion that you were obviously still hurt by the argument that had taken place, but he needed to fix this before you came to see him in two weeks.

Well, if you still wanted to see him, that is. 

Because as of right now he wasn't so sure. 

It was now around six in the evening when you and Erin had just gotten back from going shopping and you had begun to put away your clothes in your closet when you heard Erin's phone ring as she was sitting on your bed.

“Oh no.” She breathed out and you looked at her in confusion.

“What?”

“Your baby daddy is calling me.” She told you and you quickly rolled your eyes.

One thing about Joe is if he knew you were mad at him, nine times out of ten he's calling Erin to check on you because he knows that you'll keep ignoring him.

“I'm not talking to him right now.”

“Wait, didn’t you tell him goodnight at 11 in the morning the other day?” She asked while laughing.

“Yes, and I meant it.”

“Let’s see what he wants.” Erin replied as you quickly shook your head no before exclaiming it.

“NO!”

“Too late. Hi Joey!” Erin said as she waved at him with you quickly rolling your eyes.

Great, it was a facetime call too.

“Hey Erin, where's Y/N?”

“In front of me and I told her to call you so that the two of you could make up but she's being stubborn.” She told him and you promptly rolled your eyes.

“Can you pass her the phone?” He politely asked and she quickly nodded. 

“Sure.”

It took a minute for you to take the phone from her, but once you did, you didn't greet your fiancé but simply stared at him.

“Baby….”

“What? What do you want?”

“Lose the attitude. And I’m just checking on you, have you talked to your twin at all?”

“Nope, and I don't plan on it. He asked me if I had something to occupy my time with instead of bothering him and here we are. And I thought I told you goodnight already?”

“Princess, he wants to talk to you and apologize but you wouldn't know that since apparently you've been ignoring him. And you told me that damn near a week ago. We communicate with each other in this relationship and this needs to end tonight.”

“Okay, can I get back to watching my shows now?” You asked as you had now moved from your room to the living room and turned on Netflix with Erin behind you.

“No, talk to him first and then we need to talk.”

“Well I don't know how that's going to happen because I'm not calling him.” 

“There's no need to, he's right here.” Joe told you and quickly passed the phone to Ja'Marr.

“Wait, what?”

“Pebbles….”

“Wow, the minute I say I'm going to stop calling you, look who decides to come crawling back?” You told him and Ja'Marr quickly rolled his eyes.

“You need to shut your petty ass up so I can apologize.”

“I will jump through this phone and tackle you. Fuck a D-line.” You shot back and he let out a deep sigh.

“Like I was saying because I am ignoring that last statement. I never meant to hurt your feelings and it did come out kind of harsh.”

“Kind of? That's putting it lightly.” You muttered as you were deciding which show you wanted to catch up on.

“Y/N!”

“I'm just telling it like it is.”

“Anyway, I'm sorry but we have got to come to a compromise because we can't keep doing this.”

You sighed before answering him, but quickly nodded in agreement.

“I'm sorry too, but the only way I'm forgiving you is if you door dash me some food.”

“Already done. Honey old bay wings, all flats. Should be there in the next ten minutes.”

“Oh, you are definitely trying to get back on my good side. But on a serious note, I promise to give you more space and I never want you to feel like I'm suffocating you. I just… it's kinda lonely here now. I do have Erin and Alisha but…. I have literally never been away from you.” You confessed as Ja'Marr nodded.

“I know and it's going to take some time for us to adjust. But we'll get there. We good now?”

“Yes, we're good.”

“Now stop being a petty ass fiancée to my best friend.” Ja'Marr said as he eyed you and handed Joe back the phone.

“Babe?”

“Yes, princess?”

“I'm sorry and you know I love you. And yes I need to work on my communication when it comes to you and stop shutting you out.” You told him while you got up off the couch to grab a drink from the fridge.

“I don't know how many times that I have to remind you that I'm not him. I care about how you feel and am always willing to meet you halfway. I asked you to marry me for a reason. I love you too.” 

“Sometimes I swear I don't deserve you.” You whispered and Joe simply shook his head.

“We deserve each other and we're going to continue to make our relationship stronger because once I slip that ring on your finger next summer, that's it. You're mine forever and whatever problems may arise, we simply have to figure it out together. We're a team, okay?”

“Okay.” You quietly said as you smiled at him.

"See you in two weeks, princess?” Joe asked with excitement dripping from his voice.

“Two weeks and not a day more.”

[kumkaniudaku]

Caught

Summary: When their guest is away, Terry and Patrice will play.

Pairing: Terry Richmond x Black!OC

Word Count: 3,067

Warnings: Smut (18+ content)

Recommended Reading: Spoiled

Author's Note: Spoiled, Back Up, and Caught all happen on the same linear timeline. Consider them present day events. Hopefully that helps pull things together because you'll need the context later. Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

"Mommy, the recipe for the hand pies is so good. Thank you for finding it for me." 

"Oh, of course, baby. One day, I gotta get you to help me put all your Nana's recipes in a book or something. I'm tired of digging through all these scraps of paper." 

"I didn't wanna say anything, but that's insane. I can barely read her handwriting." 

Rosalyn scoffed on the other end of the phone line. "You and me both. I have to call Sybil every time or end up making up what I think goes there. I cook. I don't decipher chicken scratch."

Patrice laughed along with her mother as she passed a piping hot meatball over her shoulder to satisfy her taste tester for the night. He hummed his approval of her gift, providing a thumbs up as his rating before returning his hand to her waist and swaying them in time with the slow rhythm of Christmas music playing in the background. 

Christmas Eve brought preparation for the big day on the other side of a wake-up and a smaller get-together to celebrate Imani's and Jesus's birthdays in one evening. Patrice had offered to continue the tradition at her house to accommodate her cousin's request for loud music, liquor, and good, grown folks' fun. In a few short minutes, she and Terry would have a house full of adults gorging themselves on party food and fighting fits of giggles during a drunk game of Taboo. For now, she'd enjoy the calm before the storm with her shadow attached at the hip.

"The cinnamon smell for the apple version was way too strong, though. I almost skipped those altogether." 

Rosalyn responded with a sound of cautious curiosity. "Really? You usually love the smell of cinnamon." 

"Right," Patrice exclaimed. "Maybe I had a bad batch or something. It doesn't taste bad, but it smelled awful."

"Hm." Rosalyn filed the information in her head for a later moment of privacy, preferring not to stress her daughter with the questions buzzing around in the mind of a mother who knew her child better than anyone in the world. Instead, she continued. "Terry, did you like the hand pies?"

"You don't know if Terry is even in here, mama. He could be anywhere in the house," Patrice answered, her face screwed in confusion.

"Child, don't insult me. If you're in the kitchen, Terry is in the kitchen."

She wasn't wrong. A few too many glasses of Patrice's special holiday cocktail mixed with his ever-present desire to feel his wife at all times had Terry sticking to her like glue. Even after she'd given in to each of his kisses and allowed him to taste her the moment Imani stepped out to run a few errands, she still couldn't shake him. Whiskey was in control. Terry was only along for the ride.

He chuckled into the crook of Patrice's neck before confirming his presence. "Yes, ma'am, I loved the pies. Treece made a few on the side for me so I wouldn't have to share." 

"She still got you spoiled, I see."

"Nah, not too bad. You know she gets sweet once a week. I caught her on a good day." 

"Oh, hush."

Patrice's attempt to get out of Terry's grasp came up empty, prompting him to hold her tighter and press wet kisses onto the back of her neck. She was sadly mistaken if she thought she could get away from him that easy while Uncle Nearest was pumping through his veins. 

"Well, let me let you two go," Rosalyn started with a small laugh. "Tell me how the chicken salad turns out. I might throw some together as a little snack for your daddy tomorrow. You know how he gets when he's ready to eat." 

"Mhmm. Just like somebody else I know."

Terry patiently waited for Patrice to wrap up her conversation and safely end the call before resuming his handsy approach to PDA. His hands slid up and down the fabric of her cotton pajama pants, the pair matching his at her request. Full lips attached to her neck, creating a light suction with every open-mouthed kiss. 

His wife rolled her eyes as she loaded a pita chip with dip for his culinary opinion. "You are insatiable, TJ. Taste this." 

He obliged, opening wide as she slid food into his mouth and waited for a response. Instead of a verbal assessment of her work, he kissed her cheek twice to signal his approval, then returned to his shameless groping.

"How long before Imani gets back?" 

"I don't know. Fifteen minutes or so. She only went to grab some more cups and water." 

Terry's eyes flickered to the digital clock on the stove before sliding his hands up Patrice's torso and leaving a trail of kisses on her shoulder. "Think you got a few minutes to get back to what we started?" 

"Haven't you had enough of me yet? We've been going at it every day since New Orleans."

"What you think?"

Having enough of her touch, the feeling of her body against his, or her attention was a foreign concept for Terry. If he could quit his job and be totally devoted to her pleasure, he would do so without a second thought. Fortunately for him, though, extended absences from the slough of office life due to the holidays provided the closest opportunity to spend the whole day in it. 

Patrice smiled to herself as Terry slowly removed the serving spoon from her hand, bringing her delicate palm up to the back of his head. Coarse hair grown into a short tuft of curls and shaped by his barber tickled her fingertips as she closed her eyes, officially caught up in how Terry caressed her with the care afforded to precious works of art. 

A low purr slipped past his lips as his hands slid beneath the hem of her camisole to rub her stomach, filling her ears and mind with filthy sounds and images from earlier in the hour. Had he had enough of her? She wasn't sure she'd had enough of him. 

His fingertips inched higher, further intoxicating Patrice until a full squeeze on both breasts at the same time made her hiss and wince in pain. 

"Easy, baby," she complained as she gently pressed down on his arms to direct him away from the sensitive area. "They're super tender right now. I'm not sure why." 

Lust was quickly replaced by concern as Terry dropped his hands and turned Patrice to face him. "You okay?" 

"I'm fine, Pooh. It's probably the tattoo healing. 

"Yeah, but it shouldn't be making the entire area hurt. Especially not on both sides. Let me look."

"Terry, you never just look."

His attempt to slide the thin straps of her tank top down her arms was quickly cut short as Patrice brushed off his contact to save herself from what she assumed would come next. Her aching was a serious matter. Terry getting a look at her bare tits was not nearly as high on the list. 

Terry softened his eyes in unmistakable sincerity. "I'm serious, Treece. I know what it should look like. Come here."

Patrice didn't protest as Terry led her to the kitchen table. She stood perfectly still until Terry was comfortable in one of the chairs and then placed her between his legs. 

He gingerly pushed her tanktop straps down her arms before bunching the thin fabric at her waist to free her breasts, watching for any sign of discomfort.

"You don't think you're like…sick, do you?" 

"I think it's just tenderness," she quickly retorted, wanting to push the thought of more grave explanations for her discomfort far from her mind.

"Okay, okay. I'm only asking." 

Her brows furrowed as he lifted the right side to get a look at the moment from a charged few days in his family's old stomping grounds. 

A day alone and nothing to do but explore had them wandering into the same shady tattoo parlor where Terry got his first piece for matching ink. Terry opted to tat their wedding date on his ribs after having to be talked down from plastering her name on his neck. Patrice, however, was set on making her first experience one to remember. 

Slanted script crafted from his handwriting spelled Terry's full first name, curving just under the crease of her boob and the spot that he liked to grip in the depths of passion or simply at his leisure. Terry ran his thumb along each letter to check for abrasions or abnormalities. 

He looked up at Patrice to gauge her reaction. "That hurt?" 

"Not really. It's more here," she added, gesturing toward her areola. "Anything rubbing against it is so uncomfortable. I can barely wear a bra." 

"I noticed. They've honestly been looking a little bigger. Do they feel heavy to you?" 

"Not heavy. Mostly…full? They look great, though. I'm not complaining about that part." 

She joked, the attempt sounding silly once it received no reaction past Terry blinking as he used the pad of his thumb to ghost contact over her pebbled nipple to test her pain level. It was challenging to stay present, with a third of her upper half unnecessarily exposed in their kitchen for no real reason. The entire ordeal felt like a farce. Terrence wasn't a doctor, and him holding her titties in his hands like fleshy snowglobes was as much an actual check-up as WWE was real wrestling. 

When she giggled like a teenager learning about sex for the first time, Terry looked up at her with a quizzical expression, and his left eyebrow lifted high. "What's so funny?" 

"You, Doctor Richmond," she laughed. "How can you tell they're bigger? I couldn't even tell until the other day." 

"I spend a lot of time with my girls. I better notice when they change. Been looking at them since I was sixteen." Terry answered, a boyish grin making his cheekbones nearly touch the corner of his eyes. 

"I knew you used to look!" She exclaimed, finally feeling vindicated in her suspicions from childhood. 

"Looking was the least of what I was doing." He shrugged as he gently pushed both breasts together for his own viewing pleasure. He kissed the small crease they made two times over, then looked up at Patrice through long lashes. "Unfortunately, ma'am, I couldn't diagnose you, but I think I have some treatment available if you're interested." 

Patrice bit back a smile to play along. "Oh yeah? How much is this gonna cost? It's the holidays, and I ain't got it." 

"I offer payment plans that we can discuss in that room back there later tonight." 

"I like the sound of that," she answered, previous problems vanishing into thin air as he roped her back into his web of liquor-charged desire. 

"I knew you would," he winked. "Don't move."

Tingles rippled across Patrice's skin while she listened for any indication of Terry's secretive treatment plan. The soft crack and subsequent rush of cool from the freezer created goosebumps on her bare chest, making her nipples jut out proud from the sensation. Next came the cupboard opening and shutting in two seconds time. From the direction, she could tell he was grabbing a glass from over the sink. 

Ice cubes clinked against the cup like little masters of whispers attempting to give Patrice the scoop on what to expect. Terry quietly shut the freezer and took heavy steps back to his seat, smiling at how Patrice truly hadn't moved a muscle in his few minutes away. 

He placed the glass on the table behind him before tugging her hand to guide her closer. "Cold hot therapy. I sprained my knee once, and this got me back up and running in no time. Ice for the cold…" Terry's voice trailed as he plucked a piece of ice from his glass and pressed it to her nipple. He watched her jaw drop with a sharp inhale, intently focused on the way her eyelids fluttered closed at the sudden shock of frozen water. When a single drop began to make a trail down the swell of her breast, he pulled the ice away and brought his mouth closer. "And I'll take care of the hot."

"Oh…my God." 

Whispers of unexpected pleasure sent Terry into a far-off place where he was only concerned with running a flat tongue across supple skin. Patrice rushed to steady herself by bringing her hands to the back of his head, cradling him while he went to work. 

Ice cold. Soothing warmth. Ice cold. Soothing warmth and a light suckle. Again. And again. 

He eyed her like a lion watches prey, taking notes of every little sound and twitch to know that he was fulfilling his job. 

"Good job, baby," Patrice whispered, her head tossed back and praises spoken to the ceiling. "Good fuckin' job."

Terry ran his hands up the back of her thighs to roughly grip her ass. He groaned at the affirmation before pulling away to retrieve more ice. He held a small cube between his teeth to multitask, running it across her left nipple and areola until it had melted enough to fit both in his mouth. 

Was it fixing her tenderness issue? Not really. But Patrice would be damned if his subtle slurping and moaning with her backside firmly in his clutches wasn't sufficiently taking her mind off things. So far off, she'd lost all concept of time and space. 

While Terry pulled Patrice into his lap for a more intensive inspection, Imani entered the house high off the exhilarating freedom that can only come for night drives with a carefully curated playlist blasting from the speakers. Being stateside for the first time in a year was the perfect opportunity to experience one of life's simple pleasures. 

Grocery bags rustled and knocked against the wall as she hummed along to the fragmented lyrics from a song on her Spotify playlist still coursing through her brain. A short pause in her personal concert to lock the door left space to hear a string of curious noises. Muffled half-sentences and a sort of trembling sigh made her quirk an eyebrow. She thought to herself that Terry and Patrice left the television on far too often for a pair of people who claimed to not spend much time in front of the tube, but quickly found that they'd taken to making a scene the old-fashioned way. 

She stood in the open space, a perfectly shaped eyebrow pushed high on her face and an impressed smirk tugging at the right corner of her lip while she watched her baby cousin makeout with Imani's newest family member with a ferocity she didn't know Patrice had in her. 

Patrice held Terry steady by his jaw, slightly hovering over him while she had her way leading a sloppy kiss. When she moved to push his head back toward her chest with a string of words filthy enough to make a pornstar blush, Imani cleared her throat to finally announce her presence.

"Oh shit," Patrice yelped, rushing to tap Terry's back and end his check-up. 

His head popped up to survey the room, then slowly found a home on top of Patrice's once she pressed close enough against his chest to cover her naked breasts. The vibrations from his concealed chortling made Patrice pinch him in frustration. Nothing was funny, at least not to her. 

Imani held her hands up in faux surrender. "No, please. Don't stop on account of me," she laughed. "Y'all were just getting started." 

"We are so sorry, Moanie. This isn't what it looks like. Well, this part is exactly what it looks like, but I promise it didn't start like this. Terry was looking at my boobs to check on my tattoo and -" 

"Girl, you do not have to explain anything to me. This is your house! Honestly, if I had those big ol' mommy titties, I'd want them in somebody's face too. And you got them for free! The girls gotta go under the knife or get pregnant for those. How does it feel to be God's favorite? Terry, can you help me get the water out of the car when you finish?"

Terry looked down at his visibly distressed wife and then back at Imani to save face for the both of them. "Yeah, I got you. Gimme a minute." 

Moanie didn't notice how she'd launched her cousin into an internal spiral as she pranced off to busy herself with getting ready in her room for the week, but Terry did. He carefully sat Patrice up and helped redress her, careful to ease into conversation. 

"You alright?" 

"I had my cycle this month," Patrice rushed out, her gaze far off as Terry lifted her arm to put it back in her camisole strap. "It can't be that. I had my cycle." When her focus returned, her eyes snapped to Terry's for confirmation. "Right? I did, right?"

He nodded, unsure of how to proceed to quell her fear. "You did, baby. But, maybe…"

Sure, it was lighter than usual, but she'd had a cycle. Her body functioned like it did every month, on time and without pomp and circumstance. There was no cause for concern. 

But…maybe. 

Patrice looked down at her belly then back up at Terry, searching for answers in his sympathetic expression. He leaned forward and held her head with both hands to give her a kiss she couldn't return before he spoke. 

"Don't drink tonight. Just in case. We'll figure it out in the morning. Okay?"

"Okay." She whispered back without truly processing the gravity of his instruction. 

Terry slowly lifted Patrice from his lap to fulfill Imani's request for assistance, leaving her to stand perfectly still in the kitchen. She counted backward in her head, retracing her steps and important dates until a headache sent her to take a seat. 

It was just tenderness. It'd go away by morning, and all of this would be a silly story to tell whenever they got together in the spring for their European honeymoon. She'd drink an entire bottle of wine over heaps of pasta, turning the whole situation into a fond memory before raising her hand to call the server for another round. All water under the bridge, right?

But…maybe.

------

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[himluv]

The Intervention

Here's the next chapter of Say My Name (Say it Twice)! Enjoy some more Neve and Bellara, and of course Lucanis and Spite.

Lucanis sat on the cot in Neve’s study, one arm over his chest, the other gently swirling a steaming cup of coffee. That was his only defense against the women staring him down. Neve sat behind her desk watching him with a little smirk on her lips, while Bellara leaned against the front of the desk with both arms crossed and a frown on her face. 

Spite sat perched on one of Neve’s bookcases, swatting at wisps like a cat after fireflies.

Lucanis bit back a smile at the demon’s antics, then returned his attention to Bellara. “All right,” he said. “You wanted to talk.”

Neve rolled her eyes. “To be clear, Bel wanted to talk. I’m just… facilitating.”

“Right,” Bellara said, nodding. Then she scowled at Lucanis. “What’s going on with you and Rook?”

He sighed and fought the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Nothing,” he said. 

Neve raised an eyebrow at him. “So, we just imagined all those heated glances over dinner the other night?”

Lucanis shrugged. “I guess so.”

“Then how do you explain what happened in the Crossroads the other day?” Bellara asked. 

He shook his head. “You’ll have to ask Rook about that.”

“I did.” She frowned. 

“And?” He could tell from her face that she hadn’t liked Rook’s answer. 

“She told me not to worry about her and that she was handling it.”

Neve shook her head and gave him a wry smile. “Sounds familiar.”

“It sure does,” Bellara said. “Must be all that time she spends with you, Lucanis.” She glared at him. 

Lucanis took a drink of his coffee. “I told you, Bellara, it isn’t any more time than she spends with anyone else.”

Neve snorted. “And you believe that?”

“It’s the truth,” he said.

Both women just stared at him.

“What?”

Bellara rolled her eyes. “We have eyes, Lucanis.”

“And ears,” Neve said. “You’ve hardly been subtle.”

Lucanis went still, panic bubbling in his chest. “What do you mean?” Was he sending signals he wasn’t even aware of? Did the whole Lighthouse know how he felt about Rook? If they did… did Teia and Viago know, too? If they knew, then Illario surely did. 

Was Rook in danger because of him?

“You and Rook,” Neve said. “The banter, the heated looks when you think no one’s looking–”

”– the way you watch her back more than anyone else’s,” Bellara added. “And how you’re both so careful not to touch in front of anyone?”

Neve nodded. “That was a big tell. No one is that aware of another person if there isn’t something going on.”

Bellara laughed. “I know, right?” She turned back to Lucanis and her smile faded. “Oh.”

Lucanis felt the blood drain from his face as he realized that, yes, everyone did know how he felt about Rook.

Neve looked at him with surprise. “No,” she said. “There’s no way you thought that was subtle!”

“There’s nothing to be subtle about,” he said. “We’re just colleagues.”

Again, the women stared at him. 

“Friends,” he admitted. 

NO! Spite said from his perch. Rook. Is. More.

Neve and Bellara looked at him with such disbelief that Lucanis knew he was only trying to fool himself. “Fine,” he said. “I…” he sighed. “Like Rook.”

Neve smiled. “Now, doesn’t that feel better?”

He glared at her, but her smile only widened.

Bellara’s grin could outshine the sun. “How long have you two–”

“–We haven’t,” he said. “We aren’t…” he cleared his throat and knocked back the rest of his coffee, then set the cup on the floor between his feet. 

Bellara’s face fell. “Wait. What?” She and Neve shared a glance. “Why not?”

His mind spun with all the reasons. He was an abomination. He was damaged goods. He didn’t know the first thing about love, real love that wasn’t part of a romance novel. His cousin might be trying to kill him. He could barely sleep and when he did manage it, he still dreamed of the Ossuary. His hands knew only death, how could he trust them to cradle her heart?

Lu. Can. Is. 

He blinked, rousing from all those terrible, spiraling thoughts. Neve and Bellara were watching him, waiting for his response. “Rook deserves better.”

Neve sat back in her chair, packing her pipe. “And you get to decide that for her? Hardly seems fair.”

“The world isn’t fair,” he said. 

“True.” She lit her pipe with the snap of her fingers. She inhaled then breathed out a plume of fragrant smoke. “So, why do the world’s work for it?”

“I–” he ran a hand over his face and took a deep breath. “I can’t,” he said, his voice trembling.

“Ah,” Neve said. “The truth at last.”

Bellara looked between them, her brow furrowed. “You can’t what?”

Lucanis gave Neve a pleading look. A look that Bellara interpreted just as well. 

“But, Rook likes you!”

He couldn’t look at the elf. “I know.”

“You could be together!” Her voice hit a new pitch in her confused frustration. 

“I know, Bellara.” Did she think he didn’t know that? That he didn’t fantasize about holding Rook, about kissing her whenever he pleased, about sleeping in her arms?

“Then why won’t–”

“–Bel,” Neve said, her voice low. 

Lucanis felt pinned to the cot, his heart racing against his suddenly too-tight ribcage. He couldn’t breath, everything felt constricted. His blood thundered in his ears, he knew it was his blood, but it sounded like water. Like he was underwater. 

No! Spite seethed. Get out. We had a DEAL. Get out!

That familiar chill climbed up Lucanis’s spine. He shook his head, rolled his neck. “No,” he whispered. “Not now. Please.” He focused on his breath, controlling it as he cataloged the sensations around him. The aroma of coffee and pipe smoke, the rough brush of the linen blankets beneath him. The chatter of the wisps that floated around the room, oblivious to the turmoil inside him. 

“Lucanis?” Neve’s voice sounded far away, but firm. Real. Like a place he could land. 

He opened his eyes, only then realizing he had closed them. The first thing he saw was Neve, her dark eyes wide with concern. 

“I’m all right,” he said. His voice sounded far from all right, shaky and thin. He glanced at Bellara, who looked frightened. He gave her a fragile smile. “That is why,” he said.

“I’m sorry, Lucanis.” Her chin quivered and her eyes welled up. 

Lucanis didn’t think he could handle it if she cried. He held up a hand to ward off her concern, but said, “You’re doing my dishes for a week.”

She let out a surprised laugh. “I’ll do them for a month.”

He chuckled at that. “Even better,” he said. He glanced between the women. “Can we agree to leave my personal life be for awhile?”

Neve and Bellara both winced. “I think we can consider this case closed,” Neve said.

Bellara nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “I am sorry, Lucanis.”

He nodded and picked up his cup. “I know, Bellara.” He stood and tilted his chin at them, then left for the dining hall. He needed the dim, close comfort of the pantry. He needed the smell of roasted coffee beans and wax candles. And though he knew the risks, Lucanis needed to sleep, even if just for an hour or two. 

Maybe then, with a little distance, everything that had just happened in Neve’s study wouldn’t seem so terrible.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Sometimes I wonder how Eric Venue would react when he finds what happened to Vil. His son has overblot, got kidnapped not so long after his overblot, got involved in fighting another overblot, and he got old. How is he going to think about all of this?

Based on what we've seen and heard of Eric, he generally presents as very charismatic and easy to talk to. I'm sure a lot of that comes from his career as a celebrity--he has to have good camera presence and communicate well with those in his industry + fans. However, Vil tells us that while Eric is usually amicable, he can be a very different person when it comes to work and business. We the players never get to view this serious side to Vil's dad; it's only ever alluded to or mentioned in passing. I'd imagine that this is the side of Eric that comes out when he learns that his precious son, the apple of his eye, went through so many grueling experiences.

As a father, Eric must know how hard Vil works for his beauty and his career. I don't see him as the type of person to go and blame others for Vil overblotting; I think he would always have had that worry in the back of his mind. That's why he actively tries to make time for his son, even with both of their busy schedules--because otherwise, Vil might not have those reminders to take time for himself. Learning that those fears have become a reality would have Eric worry even more. Anger and upset would be secondary to that; I genuinely don't see Eric as a belligerent/vengeful person or someone who would blame others for something ultimately Vil (and his spiraling emotions) did. (Yes, Vil is the result of people labeling him as something he's not, but you cannot truly blame a system or reasonably be mad at a vaguely defined group of people/the public.) I feel like he would be more upset that whoever's in power (probably Crowley, lol) didn't take more preventative measures or didn't intervene sooner. Maybe Eric would be sitting in a meeting with Crowley and demanding to know what steps the headmaster intends to take next to keep his son safe. Like, not shouting at Crowley but moreso directing a very cold, stern anger toward him. I don't believe Eric would do something scummy (such as threatening to leak this to the media) in order to make Crowley take action. Such a thing would be disastrous for Vil's reputation, and I believe Eric would want to respect his son's boundaries and not act in overprotective ways that encroach on those boundaries.

Everything that happens to Vil in book 6 would still cause Eric to worry, but I think this time there would be a more positive spin on the events. Yeah, he is still very concerned about Vil being kidnapped, fighting an OB, and then losing his youth in the process. However, I do think that Eric would be less upset about the kidnapping since no harm really came of it and Vil did consent to being studied. Ultimately, Eric would be proud of his son for surviving those ordeals and especially for being so heroic that he was willing to throw himself into literal Tartarus to save a classmate. I just see Eric smiling from ear to ear as he embraces his son, welcoming Vil back and telling him that he truly is the fairest of them all, both inside and out.

[softestqueeen]

just a kiss

pairing: aaron hotchner x afab!reader

summary: a kiss under the mistletoe with a certain casanova makes your boyfriend, aaron hotchner, question himself.

warnings: 18+ MDNI!! smut, p in v, fingering, jealous!hotch, hurt/comfort, jealousy fucking, slight breeding (i’m just a girl guys), unprotected sex (guys, don’t do that)

wordcount: 1990 words

a/n: better late than never guys, i really wanted to write something for christmas! I’m thinking about writing something short for spencer as well, but i don’t know how much time i will have. But anyways, merry christmas to those who celebrate! enjoy <3

“Oh oh, a mistletoe. You know what that’s means mama, come here and give me a kiss,” your good friend and colleague Derek was already rubbing his hands together before holding them out to you.

You decided to humor him, taking a step closer to him, definitely not expecting him to pull you in and tip you back. Letting out a surprised squeak, you tell Garcia, who was watching the spectacle with wide and curious eyes. “Don’t look Penelope, you don’t wanna see this.”

It was the last thing you said before Derek pressed his lips to you, pulling away with a loud smooch. He lifts you back on your feet again and lets out a laugh, quickly matched by your own laughter.

He gently pats your hip before leaving to join the others in their festive activities around Rossi’s mansion. Garcia immediately lets out an excited squeal which you only answer with a dismissive wave of your hand before following Derek into the heart of the party.

You don’t mind the kiss anymore, until you are alone with your boyfriend Aaron Hotchner. He was standing by the fridge, beer in hand and a frown adorning his handsome face.

Looking around to see if anybody was nearby, you step closer to him, going in for a kiss, which he tried to avert by moving his head. He gives you a tight lip smile before quickly leaving the kitchen, leaving you with a heavy heart and even more confusion.

Why was he acting so weird all of the sudden? Did you do something wrong the last time you saw each other? Yes, your relationship was secret, but you both agreed to keeping it from the team. So, what was wrong?

Following a harmless Christmas tradition under the cheers of Penelope already slipped your mind. You didn’t think it was that much of a deal.

A little while later, while Aaron was still avoiding you like the plague, the two of you unknowingly found yourself under another mistletoe. (damn you, Garcia)

You looked at your (secret) boyfriend, while the team cheared you on. “We don’t have to kiss in front of everyone, if you don’t want to, it’s fine.”

“No, it’s alright. If they want a show, let’s give them one,” Aaron answers you, a rare smile slipping through. His answer confused you, why was he suddenly talking to you like nothing happened?

Leaning up, you place a quick peck on his lips, briefly placing your hand on his arm. As quickly as it started it was already over again. You didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, knowing he was never one for PDA.

“Show’s over guys,” you announce before going to the kitchen to fulfil your actual plan of getting a refill for your drink.

Aaron silently follows you, even though he just left the massive kitchen. After watching you for a moment, he asked you the question that had been on his mind since you kissed Derek some time ago.

“Why did Derek get a real kiss?”

“What do you mean?” The confusion was written all over your face.

“Just now, under the mistletoe.” Oh, so that is what this is all about. He continues “I only get a small peck, but you kissed Morgan like it was the last time you would ever kiss someone” in a smaller voice he added “It almost seemed more real with him.”

“Aaron, are you jealous?” You almost let out a small laugh, but his almost pained expression made you hold back. In that moment he looked so small and vulnerable, avoiding your eye.

Stepping forward, you take his hands in yours and tell him “Listen to me now, Hotchner. You’re the only one that I want, yeah? I need you to know that.” Your hands now move to cup his face, his dark eyes meeting yours again, the uncertainty in them slowly fading again. “I only gave you a small peck because of the whole ‘we don’t want to tell the team about us” thing. And of course, when Mr. Flirty himself tips you back for a little smooch under the mistletoe you can’t really say no that easily. And why would I, a seemingly single woman refuse to kiss my very good friend Derek Morgan. But that doesn’t matter now, because you Mr. Aaron Hotchner are it for me, I don’t want anybody else. You understand me?”

Hearing you talk like this made Hotch almost feel a little bit silly. Of course, he loved you and knew that you loved him too. And deep down he knows that he never doubted that, but you kissing Derek made something ugly and green sprout in his mind and he was foolish enough to let it overshadow the love you shared.

“I’m sorry, of course I know. I love you like nobody else but seeing you with somebody younger and more charming made me question myself.” It pained you to know Aaron felt hurt by this.

“No, don’t be sorry. I promise I won’t kiss any more colleagues under the mistletoe. Ok, I think that’s a lie, I have the feeling Prentiss is just waiting for her opportunity.” Your joke had the anticipated effect, making you both laugh. Without thinking you lean up, meeting his already waiting lips in an almost passionate kiss. After parting , you both share a knowing look before departing and joining the party again.

++++

The party continued everybody – even you – oblivious to Aarons inner debate. Of course he knew that you were stable, especially after you reassured him, but something still didn’t let him enjoy the time, especially when you were talking to Derek or as as silly as it may sound, Prentiss. He couldn’t get your comment out of his head, even if it was a joke.

Thankfully there was not just the team at Rossi’s Christmas party, but also a lot of his other friends and fbi people, so it wouldn’t be noticed that the two of you were missing.

He quickly found you and thankfully you weren’t talking to anybody at the moment. Closing the distance, he leaned into you and whispered in your ear. “Meet me upstairs, the first bathroom to your left. You go ahead, I’ll join you in about five minutes, darling.” With a quick kiss to your cheek, he left you alone and went back to the party.

Even if you questioned his behaviour, you also trust this man with your life, so you went upstairs and waited. After almost exactly five minutes you heard a knock and a quiet it’s me, making you open the door.

The moment it was closed again, Aaron connected your lips with his and kissed you like his life depended on it. His hands immediately went to your waist, his grip never faltering for even a second. You let out a surprised squeal but weren’t unhappy with how things turned out, so you immediately returned the kiss with just as much enthusiasm, your hands wandering over his arms before letting them rest on his muscular chest.

The unit chief lead you backwards to the sink, turning you around and pressing you against it. The cool tile made you shiver, your thin dress making you feel every dip. You were quickly distracted though, now feeling Aarons massive body against you, his hard cock pressing against your back.

Feeling his length made you gasp. You boyfriends hands rested against your hips again, his lips trailing over the back of your neck and your shoulder.

“You look so beautiful in that dress; it almost kills me to act like I don’t care. Especially when I see everybody looking at you, but you’re mine, aren’t you?”

You were again surprised by his words. Was he really that jealous? Your only answer was a whined only you, before Aaron let his hand wander underneath your dress.

He started stroking your wet cunt through your wet panties, the kissing and his behaviour already having an effect on you. Pressing your ass against his erection, you let out a small moan.

Aaron wanted to be inside of you as fast as he could, so he didn’t hesitate to push your panties to the side and let his finger glide through your folds.

“Already so wet for me, baby. Do you want my cock?” As he was saying that, he slowly pushed one of his thick fingers into you, slowly pumping in and out of you while waiting for an answer.

After a moment you realised he was waiting for an answer, his fingers on you making it hard to concentrate. “Yes, Aaron, need you so bad.”

He swiftly added another finger, now slowly curling them inside of you, preparing you for his length. Letting out another string of moans, your grip his hand, signalling hm to go faster.

“Please Aaron, I’m so close.” It was more of a whine, your head dropping back against his strong shoulder.

Aaron reached forward, hugging your torso against him.

“Let go, come for me, now” it didn’t take more for you. With a breathless call of is name you came undone, your whole body trembling. Aaron supported your weight, his fingers slowly coming to a halt inside of you before pulling out, making you whine.

The unit chief placed a kiss upon your shoulder, before using his now free hand to open up his fly and pull out his rock hard cock. He gave himself a few slow pumps, spreading your remaining wetness over his length.

He properly bunched up your dress to your waist and pulled your panties to the side again, before lining his tip up with your hole. Slowly he buried himself inside of you, his hand now going to your mouth to muffle your moans.

Your eyes closed, you already anticipate the heavenly feeling of him rubbing against your walls and moments later he starts moving. First slowly, giving you a moment to adjust to his length, and then he starts pounding into you, as if to get you both to your release as fast as possible.

The only sounds in the small bathroom were skin slapping against skin and your mixed moans and groans.

Aaron moves his hand, gripping your face and directing it to the mirror in front of you. “Look at you, so pretty. All just for me. I’m the only one who gets to see you like this, huh?” His possessive words make your pussy throb and your walls contract around his cock. You’ve never seen your boyfriend act like this, but you weren’t complaining.

“Only you Aaron, only you,” you breathed out, already feeling your release, the coil in your stomach threatening to snap.

“Please Aaron, I’m so close. Please cum with me, fill me up,” was all you could get out before your whole body started to tremble again, your second orgasm hitting you even harder as the firs. If it wasn’t for your boyfriend holding you up, you would have already slumped forward.

“Fuck,” was all Aaron could get out before his cock twitched and released inside of you. He halted his movements and buried himself to the tilt, now using both of his hands to hug you close to him.

Once you’ve both calmed down, he pulled out and moved your panties back and your dress back down.

“Don’t wipe it away, leave it as a reminder as to who you belong to.” He told you gentle, before adding, “I’m going to go back to the party, follow me after a few minutes.”

He placed another kiss against your lips before pulling away completely to leave the room, leaving you breathless and satisfied.

You were both sure about your relationship now and even when Prentiss eventually gets you under the mistletoe and leaves a very passionate kiss on your lips, the wetness in your panties is a gentle reminder to who you belong to.

a/n: i hope you liked this, if so please leave some notes, likes, reblogs and comments! feedback is very appreciated! i’d like to write more with criminal minds characters, so if you have any ideas/requests lmk!!

please also consider supporting my ao3: @ softestqueeen

requests open!

taglist: @silvermagnolias @milywatermelon @bigbananaa

[makabray]

okay so i know that this is something that at least a few other people have already talked about, but if i may put my own two cents in: i feel like mouthwashing as a game is a lot less narratively impactful if you treat curly as an enabler and nothing more. he is not blameless, that is for sure, but to act like he was a willing (or even enthusiastic) accomplice to jimmy's crimes is doing a disservice to both his character and the overall message the plot is trying to convey.

curly's role in the plot isn't to point out that some men will disregard the feelings of women to prioritize their male peers (though that is something that happens, don't get me wrong) as much as it is to highlight that even the best of intentions can lead to absolute ruin. curly cared about anya, he cared about the entire crew, and yet it was this same compassion that he had for jimmy in particular which inevitably lead to their downfall. i really do believe that he thought he was doing the right thing, but because of his personal attachment to jimmy and the larger forces at work (those being late-stage capitalism and rape culture), he couldn't see him for what he really is until it was too late.

it's this kind of "good-intentioned enabling" as i saw someone else put it which makes his role as one of the two player characters so significant. like everything else in the game, the choice to set part of the story from his point of view is entirely deliberate, but i think the reason for this is to encourage the player to reflect on their own place in perpetuating the things that allow this kind of shit to happen. much like curly, you too probably want to believe that kindness and good intentions are enough, but that just isn't always true. sometimes, it's those good intentions that make things so much worse before you can even realize it.

mouthwashing isn't about if curly or anyone else on that ship is a good or bad person, and it's not about if curly or even jimmy deserved their fates, it's about responsibility. it's about the difficulty of knowing what to do and when to do it, and it's about whether or not you, the player, would be able make things right.

after all, if you were told that your best friend had done something terrible, what would you have done about it? would you take responsibility? it's easy to say yes, of course, that you'd do anything. but would you really, before it's too late? and if you couldn't, would you be able to admit that to yourself? to others?

that is what mouthwashing is about.

[bladefuck]

It had been weeks since the incident. The two best friends had gotten drunk after a Rebel Mission together. It was all a bit hazy to Dylan, honestly. They almost wrecked someones car, laughing and taking pictures, before just managing to bolt back home before anyone could spot them. Wouldn’t want a repeat van incident, after all.

Eric had asked to stay the night at his place, seeing as it was the weekend and they had nothing else planned. After much begging, Dylan’s mom had said yes to the two and given them control over the house as she left to stay with a friend.

This meant the two could get freely drunk, and drunk they got.

The most Dylan remembered was the two stumbling down to the basement after nearly half a bottle of vodka had vanished into their systems. The feeling of skin against skin, rough hands grasping him, the desire to take and take and the lust for more and more.

So it was no surprise that, in the morning, the two both pretended they remembered nothing from their drunken stupor. And though Dylan believed Eric and Eric believed him, the two both knew themselves that those memories and lingering feelings never would vanish.

That wasn’t the only problem, however. Dylan frequently found himself harshly woken up in the morning with swings of nausea and forced to hunch over as he retched his insides out.

The mood swings didn’t help, either. He thought he was going insane with the stress of knowing what he had done, his mood swinging faster than a drunken man on a nightclub floor.

He tried his best to contain them, but it didn’t help when he saw who he blamed for all this nearly everyday, Eric. He had slipped up once, and yelled at the other harshly. But once again he felt the swinging of the pendulum and a familiar wave of despair befall him at the sight of Erics widened eyes and his legs taking a few steps back. He tried apologizing, but nothing came out.

He eventually decided to get to the bottom of it, researching online whenever his mother wasn’t home. But the only answer he found seemed so rediculous he felt himself laughing until there were the formations of tears in the corners of his eyes.

Yet as he continued with these bouts of nausea, mood swings, even odd cravings here and there, he got more and more desperate.

So he tried clearing his thoughts and ignoring the dread gnawing at his heart and frontal lobe as he stood at a pharmacy section of a local store, package in hand as he walked away as quick as possible.

All this had led to him not having much time for Eric, and when factoring in his sudden session of yelling at the other boy one day as school ended, he had expected the other to be pissed with him. Though Eric normally seemed pissed about most things these days, it seemed.

So it came as a shock to Dylan when Eric asked to come over one saturday, weeks later. Though the two could pretend nothing happened, the anxiousness of being near the other remained constant.

As Dylan put the home phone down after giving him permission, he couldn’t help but smile despite the crushing sense of anxiety that fell over him.

Dylan couldn’t stop the pacing he found himself doing as he awaited his best friends arrival. Eventually, he forced himself to stop. He marched into the bathroom nearby, taking out the package and tearing it open.

“Better get this over with before he gets here,” Dylan said to himself. He made sure the door was fully locked despite the fact he was, as of now, the only person in the house, the rest of his family gone at some dumb restaurant outting.

…

The blonde haired man looked deeply into the mirror, as if daring it to stop looking back. When it stayed the exact same, he sighed and pushed back with the palms of his thin white hands.

“Shit, how will I ever tell him?,” he murmured to himself. He knew he could tell his best friend anything. … Right? Yet at the same time, the eternal fear of judgement and abandoment crept over him, its shadowy claws grabbing his body and feeling as if it would tear him to shreds.

“You okay in there, dude?”

Dylan jolted at the sound of the other males voice. He had been so caught up in his own little world he entirely forgot that he invited the other over just now.

“Yeah! Just, uh, give me a second!”

He yelled back. This seemed to be an acceptable answer, as Eric didn’t respond.

He slipped the item he had just finished using into his pocket. Dylan looked up, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, and stepped out.

His shorter friend smiled at the sight of him. Dylan saw he already made himself at home in his room, but he supposed it made sense, what with the two being almost inseperable.

Dylan casually sat down at the edge of his bed, which Eric was sprawled out across.

The older man must’ve saw his expression, as his eyes narrowed.

“Something’s up. I can tell,” he put simply. Dylan smiled nervously, but he knew he couldn’t just talk his way out of it like he did with others.

He took a deep breath. He knew Eric better than anyone, he knew he could confess this… he just knew it. Like a pull in his gut that drove him to the man.

“Just- Just promise not to get mad,” he said tentatively, carefully watching the others expression for even a hint of malice in Erics face.

“Okay, fine, you fuckin’ anxious wreck. Promise.”

Dylan smiled at his sarcastic remark and smirk.

“So, you remember how we got drunk a few weeks ago and, uhm, well…”

Dylan trailed off. Those memories were still fresh in his mind like an iron press ingrating it onto his brain. Eric tensed. He expected the other to have forgotten all about that night, with how often he got drunk off his mind. He looked away from the younger man, but after a few moments looked back.

“… Yeah. Why?”

Short and simple, he told himself. Don’t freak Dylan out or anything, don’t scare him off after they’ve already come so far.

He paused when Dylan gulped and fumbled with something in his pocket.

“Whatcha got there, V?”

Eric sat up as he asked this, looking curiously. Dylan sighed. Standing up and on the side of the bed, he looked down at Eric.

In his hand lay a pregnancy test, its sleek white design unmistakable. On a small screen lay two lines, forming the shape of a cross like object.

“Do you want a boy, or a girl?”

Dylan asked meekly, grinning

[hopelesslygaysstuff]

totally get it! that makes perfect sense, thank you for telling me :)

that sounds like a fire fic! i seem to have missed a whole chapter cause this is like the first time i‘ve heard about you writing this fic but apparently you‘ve mentioned lots about it already? 😭 where was my brain when i was going through your blog smh

ohhh how did you like wicked?

sooo i sm kind of having something i‘ve labelled christmas depression and wanted to ask if you maybe could write some headcanons?

wanda has a big family and every christmas they have these big gatherings you always see in movies. since reader is her partner she wants them to tag along. reader is a little reluctant to go, because their family never had these big gatherings, because everyone kind of hated each other. christmas was never something special for them, just a random day like any other, just with sone presents. wanda is determined to get them to like christmas.

reader had always yearned for these dreamy family gatherings at christmas, so their just anxious that they’ll fuck something up or something.

cause this is what happens in my family, and i am fucking YEARNING for one of those big gatherings from christmas movies. just ONCE IN MY LIFE PLS. it’s kinda pathetic but because i don’t have that, i hate christmas movies cause they make me get emotional idk

x🧡 omg this feels like the weirdest ask i’ve ever send. feel totally free to ignore idk

ofc! and LOL yes i've mentioned it a few times but dw i talk about a lot of things on here it's okay that you missed it!! and yeah... hopefully it should be done for you guys but idk how to continue the story to get to the smut part idk i'm losing motivation and creativity

I LOVED wicked omg i cried it was so good and i just love theatre in general so seeing that musical on screen in movie format was really exciting for me

I gotchu, darling.

Wanda is super gentle with you, but not in a condescending way, more of a romantic i-love-you sort of way

She makes you wear a matching sweater with her, yours is dark green and hers is dark red, and she puts peppermint mocha in your coffee with whipped cream on top

Wanda makes sure to include many presents for you, both for your own private celebration, and presents for you to open with her family.

She also ensured that her family members (who you've met many times before, and they absolutely adore you) get you presents

You were very nervous about buying presents for them, not wanting to pick the wrong type of gift, and Wanda helps you, assuring you that her family will love anything you get them

Wanda and you spend the day before the family get together watching Christmas movies and making cookies and sweets to bring over

She holds your hand the entire car ride over, singing along to the Christmas songs on the radio as you begin to relax, your matching red and green nail polish shining

Her family is as wonderful as ever, and you gratefully accept some peppermint schnapps in your hot chocolate as Wanda's mother winks at you and pours some in her own mug

Wanda prefers mimosa's, and her family does a huge toast before lunch to thank everyone for celebrating with them

The meals are delicious, candles lit everywhere and faint Christmas music playing the entire day, and the laughter and conversation never stops

You get overwhelmed a few times, your heart swelling with happiness and a slight longing and sadness that you'd never gotten to experience this before, and Wanda's father hugs you and tells you that you're already part of the family, of course you're going to be welcomed to every celebration

Of course, you cry after that, happy tears of course. Wanda hugs you right after her father lets go, and her mother comes up to rub your back gently (I fear I may also have family issues oopsie)

You can't believe the amount of presents you receive, and you blush at the gratitude her family displays when they open your gifts to them

The day ends with the little ones all put to bed, and the cookies and milk to Santa and carrots for his reindeer all set up by the fireplace. You and Pietro giggle as you take careful bites from the cookies and carrots, and he swallows half the milk before grinning at you with a milk mustache

You sleep over that night in Wanda's childhood bedroom, after watching a Christmas movie with the rest of the adults who were still awake, your heart full as you thank her over and over again

Wanda assures you that you're family, and you'll always have a place in their home for Christmas ♡

[obeymeshallwedateaddict]

Alright so I've been working on some Christmas headcanons with the brothers and MC. What are they doing during the holidays? Well go ahead and find out. Enjoy! And Merry Christmas to everybody!

Contains: Brothers x GN!MC

You can find more of my work here: Masterlist

Christmas activities

1. Decorating the Christmas tree

The living room of the House of Lamentation. Boxes of ornaments, tangled lights, and garlands are everywhere. The chaos has already begun.

MC: "Alright, everyone, let’s decorate the tree together! No fighting, okay?"

Lucifer: "Yes. Let’s try to behave like civilized beings for once. This tree should look elegant and—"

Mammon: "Aw, pipe down, Luci. It’s Christmas! Elegance is overrated!"

Lucifer: glowering "How many times must I tell you not to call me ‘Luci,’ Mammon?"

Mammon: grinning "Relax, Luci. It’s the season of joy, remember?"

Lucifer: clenching fists "Oh I am very joyful. Now stop before I throw you out."

Leviathan: hugging a star topper "While you two fight, I’ll be putting the Ruri-chan star on top of the tree. Everyone knows it’s the best choice!"

Mammon: "Not a chance, ya nerd! The Great Mammon’s gonna top this tree with somethin’ shiny and gold!"

Satan: rolling his eyes "Can you both stop shouting? I’m trying to hang these enchanted book ornaments."

Asmodeus: hanging ribbons "Oh, Satan, let me help with those! And look at these pink ribbons, MC—don’t you think they make the tree look fabulous?"

MC: laughing "They definitely make it stand out, Asmo."

Beelzebub: munching on popcorn garland "Do we really need the garland? It’s better as a snack."

MC: "Beel! At least save some for the tree!"

Belphegor: sprawled on the couch "I vote we just leave the tree half-decorated and call it minimalist."

Lucifer: pinching the bridge of his nose "Belphegor, get up and contribute. You too, Mammon, before I lose my patience."

Mammon: "Lose yer patience? Ya already look like yer about to blow a gasket, Luci."

Lucifer: glaring "Mammon…"

Satan: smirking "You’re holding up surprisingly well, Lucifer. But I wonder how long that will last."

Satan and Belphegor exchange mischievous looks as they string up the lights, clearly plotting something.

MC: "The ornaments are up, the ribbons are set, and the garland… well, Beel ate most of it. Time to light the tree!"

Lucifer: "I’ll do it. It’s safer in my hands, considering the incompetence of the rest of you."

Mammon: "Oi! I could do it just fine!"

Lucifer: ignoring him "Here we go—"

POP! The lights explode in a burst of sparks, plunging the room into darkness.

Lucifer: visibly shaking with anger "…What. Happened."

Mammon: snickering in the dark "Nice one, Luci! Ya fried the tree!"

Leviathan: "This is why I don’t trust anyone with technology!"

Satan: barely holding back laughter "It’s a real mystery. Who could have predicted this?"

Belphegor: grinning "Yeah, who could’ve guessed Lucifer would mess up something so simple?"

Lucifer: voice rising "Satan. Belphegor. What. Did. You. Do."

Satan: innocently "Us? Nothing, of course. Why would you assume we had anything to do with it?"

Belphegor: smirking "Just a harmless little spell. It’s Christmas, after all. Gotta keep things exciting."

Lucifer: furious "You call exploding lights harmless? Do you have any idea how close you both are to being punished?"

Mammon: laughing "Oh, this is great! Ol’ Luci’s about to lose it!"

Lucifer: snapping "One more word out of you, Mammon, and I’ll string you up with the lights!"

MC: stepping between them "Okay, everyone, calm down! Lucifer, let’s just fix the lights and try again. No more spells, no more pranks, and no yelling. Agreed?"

Lucifer: taking a deep breath "Fine. But this is your last warning, Satan. And you too, Belphegor."

Satan and Belphie exchange smug looks but stay quiet as the lights are repaired. When they’re plugged in properly, the tree lights up beautifully.

MC: "Wow! It actually looks amazing. Totally worth the chaos."

Mammon: "Yeah, all thanks to me."

Leviathan: "No way! The Ruri-chan star topper deserves the credit."

Asmodeus: "Excuse me, but it’s my ribbons that make it sparkle."

Beelzebub: "Or the snacks."

Belphegor: "Or the hilarious prank that almost made Lucifer explode."

Lucifer: glaring "Belphegor, you’re testing my patience."

MC: laughing "But we all came together in the end, and that’s what matters. Merry Christmas, everyone!"

Everyone: "Merry Christmas!"

2. Building snowmen gone wrong

The brothers and MC are outside in a snowy courtyard.

MC: "Let’s make snowmen! I bet I can make the best one."

Satan: rolling snow "Mine will be the most refined. Like a true work of art."

Leviathan: "I’m making a snow Ruri-chan!"

Mammon: "Heh, mine’s gonna look like me. Everyone’s gotta see the Great Mammon in snow form!"

Beelzebub: stacking snowballs "Can I make one shaped like a burger?"

Asmodeus: "Mine’s going to be the cutest snow angel you've ever seen."

Belphegor: lying in the snow "I’ll just make an impression of myself. That counts, right?"

MC: "Actually, I’m going to make mini versions of all of you!"

Lucifer: raising an eyebrow "This I have to see."

Time passes as everyone works on their creations. MC’s miniature snow brothers are surprisingly accurate.

Mammon: "Hey! My snow version’s smaller than Lucifer’s. What’s the deal, MC?!"

MC: laughing l "You’re still taller than Belphie."

Belphegor: smirking "Barely."

Asmodeus: "Look at mine! It even has a stylish scarf."

Satan: "And my snowman is reading a book, naturally."

Beelzebub: admiring his burger snowman "This is making me hungry…"

Lucifer: "At least this is one activity where no one caused any—"

A snowball suddenly hits Lucifer in the face.

Mammon: snickering "Oops. My hand slipped."

Lucifer: wiping his face, glaring "Mammon…"

MC: grinning "Looks like it’s a snowball fight now!"

Leviathan: ducking "Wait, what?! I wasn’t ready!"

Snowballs fly in all directions as the brothers start pelting each other.

Satan: laughing "That’s for saying my snowman was boring!" throws a snowball at Mammon.

Mammon: "Oh yeah? Take this!" throws a snowball at Levi, but it hits Beel instead.

Beelzebub: grinning "You shouldn’t have done that, Mammon." lobs a giant snowball at Mammon.

Asmodeus: "Not my face! I did my hair and make up fabulously today! Don't you even dare ruin it!!!"

Belphegor: from behind a fort "Perfect for a target!" nails Asmo with a snowball.

MC: giggling "Lucifer, you’re not joining?"

Lucifer: grabs a snowball "If I must. Brace yourself, Mammon."

Mammon screams as Lucifer expertly pelts him with snowballs.

MC: "This is the best snow day ever!"

Everyone: laughing and dodging snowballs.

3. Wrapping Presents

The brothers and MC are in the dining hall with rolls of wrapping paper, ribbons, and tape scattered everywhere.

MC: "Okay, let’s divide the presents and start wrapping!"

Mammon: "How do ya even do this? This paper won’t stick!"

Leviathan: watching a tutorial on his D.D.D. "Mammon, you’re supposed to fold the edges first."

Mammon: "Yeah, well, why don’t ya fold your face, ya useless piece of junk?!"

Satan: wrapping perfectly "It’s not rocket science. Just follow the instructions."

Asmodeus: "Look at mine! I added a bow and some glitter. It’s fabulous, right, MC?"

MC: "Very festive, Asmo."

Beelzebub: holding an unwrapped box "Is it okay if I eat the cookies I was supposed to wrap?"

Belphegor: "You weren’t supposed to eat those. They’re for Simeon."

Beelzebub: "Oh���" sheepish grin "I’ll make more."

Lucifer: "How is it that every simple task turns into a disaster with you all?"

MC: "Relax, Lucifer. It’s Christmas. The mess is part of the fun."

Lucifer: smirking "If you say so."

4. Opening Presents

Christmas morning in MC’s room. The brothers are piled onto the bed, presents in hand, with wrapping paper already scattered everywhere.

MC: "Alright, here’s the plan! I’ll open your gifts while you open mine at the same time. Ready?"

Mammon: "Ya better love mine, MC! It cost a fortune—well, kinda…"

MC: opening Mammon’s gift "A gold bracelet? This is so beautiful!"

Mammon: blushing "Yeah, well, shiny stuff suits ya." opens MC’s gift "Wait, ya got me a new leather jacket? This is amazin’! Look, everyone, it’s got ‘The Great Mammon’ stitched on the back!"

Leviathan: "Move over, Mammon. It’s my turn now!"

MC: opening Levi’s gift "A Ruri-chan plushie! Levi, this is adorable."

Leviathan: opening MC’s gift "A limited-edition Ruri-chan figurine? This is peak gift-giving, MC! I can’t believe you found this!"

MC: laughing "I know how much Ruri-chan means to you."

Satan: handing over his gift "Here, MC. Unlike Mammon’s, mine didn’t involve a shady deal."

Mammon: "Oi!"

MC: opening Satan’s gift "A first-edition book of Devildom poetry? Satan, this is incredible. Thank you!"

Satan: opening MC’s gift "A leather-bound journal with enchanted ink? This is perfect. I’ll have to hide it from Mammon."

Mammon: "I ain’t gonna steal it—probably."

Asmodeus: dramatically placing his gift in MC’s hands "Now, darling MC, prepare to have your life changed!"

MC: opening Asmo’s gift "Skincare products? My skin’s going to look amazing thanks to you!"

Asmodeus: opening MC’s gift "A custom-made mirror? And it says ‘Most Gorgeous Demon’ on the back! You really get me, MC."

Beelzebub: grinning "Here’s mine, MC. I didn’t eat this one, I promise."

MC: opening Beel’s gift "A box of gourmet chocolates? Thanks, Beel. Oh, wait… there’s one missing!"

Beelzebub: avoiding eye contact "Uh… quality control?" opens MC’s gift "A custom apron that says ‘King of Snacks’? I love it! I’ll wear it to lunch today."

Belphegor: yawning, handing over his gift "Here. Don’t expect much. I was too tired to wrap it properly."

MC: opening Belphie’s gift "A fluffy blanket? It’s so soft! Thanks, Belphie."

Belphegor: opening MC’s gift "A pillow with my name on it? Perfect. I’ll take a nap to test it right now."

Lucifer: holding out a neatly wrapped package "Here, MC. Something worthy of you."

MC: opening Lucifer’s gift "A silver locket? This is gorgeous… and it has a protection spell?"

Lucifer: "Your safety is my priority." opens MC’s gift "A set of antique quills and ink? This is… exquisite, MC. You’ve outdone yourself."

Mammon: "Alright, but who got the best present, huh? It’s obviously me!"

Leviathan: "Uh, no. Mine literally has collector’s value!"

Asmodeus: "But mine makes MC even more radiant. Clearly, I win."

Beelzebub: munching on a chocolate "If we’re judging by snacks, I win."

Satan: "This isn’t a competition, you imbeciles."

Belphegor: smirking "It is now."

MC: laughing "Guys, stop! You all win. I love everything."

Lucifer: smirking "At least no one tried to re-gift something from last year."

Mammon: sweating "Yeah, uh… who would even do somethin’ like that?"

Belphegor: "You literally tried to wrap a pair of your old sunglasses, Mammon."

Mammon: "Shaddup, Belphie!"

MC: "Merry Christmas, everyone. You’re all ridiculous, but I wouldn’t trade this for anything."

Everyone: "Merry Christmas, MC!"

[transformers87]

How does Orion Pax learn the truth (of both the dead of the Primes and why Sentinel raises him the way he did) and how does he manage to defeat both Sentinel and his fear towards him?

Does D-16 still become Megatron?

Yes D-16 still becomes Megatron…. This is still an ongoing process!! I am still at the rough draft of the whole story plot!… i just dunno how to piece it together yet.

Sentinel did told him a half hearted truth about the deaths of Orion’s older siblings and about the energon being cut and bots being born without cogs etc…. And he told Orion that he does not know where their bodies have been buried… and told him that no bot cogless or not is ever allowed in the surface…

Orion would then question his father as to why they had to close of the whole archives from the mass public… and he would ask why does the cogless mech have to mine for more energon if they are far more vulnerable than those who do have cogs… why is everyone not allowed on the surface?….where does his father go whenever he, Archinid and his followers go to when they arrive at the surface?

All those questions Orion kept asking… had boiled Sentinel in anger and he snaps… “i am your father and u will do as i say”.. and he storms off leaving a scared Orion behind.

This both bothers Orion by the lack of info from his father and the wanting to know more… but can’t due to the more guards escorting him from whatever task his father saw fit for him to do while Sentinel goes to wherever the hell he pleases.

When nighttime came Orion found a secret passage that was hidden within his room/chamber…. Another secret that the original 13 had made in case the enemy tried to invade Orion’s room when he was still a newborn sparkling…. Back to the present… Orion now uses this as a way to sneak out at night and to the closed off archives to learn as much as he could bout the war… and about his lost siblings…. Anything to know bout the matrix and to finally show poof to Sentinel that he’s not a little sparkling anymore.

During all of this… in Orion’s fourth or fifth attempt in sneaking into the archives he again crashed into D-16 who was also wanting to find answers… D-16 was caught by the security drones and was in hot pursuit when crashing into Orion again… this happened before the race mind you.

Seeing this Orion helped Dee escape and avoid the drones and help hide Dee into his chambers… in hopes to let things cool down a bit before he could help Dee find away back to the mines and other miners.

From there… and from Dee’s words.. Orion learns that his father was not in line with the truth… and wanted to know more… so he made a deal with Dee that he will use his ability to help Dee and the others as best as he could.

When in the cave.. or the tomb of the primes is where Orion learned the actual truth… the group found Alpha Trion and woke him back online… after being disoriented and locked eyes with Orion he tackles him in an embrace calling him Optimus and yeah… a huge shocking family reunion between Orion and Trion… and a heavy truth bomb….

That Sentinel killed Orion’s siblings and took their newborn sparkling as a way to find and control the matrix… and yeah

Orion was too filled with grief, and betrayal that he doesn’t know how to feel… even when being caught by the high guard and later by his father’s followers…. He was just in a daze like shock… just what do i do? Sorta feelings when all of it hit him

Sorry bout all that rambling… 🥲😅

[v0dkasrighthand]

It had been weeks since the incident. The two best friends had gotten drunk after a Rebel Mission together. It was all a bit hazy to Dylan, honestly. They almost wrecked someones car, laughing and taking pictures, before just managing to bolt back home before anyone could spot them. Wouldn’t want a repeat van incident, after all.

Eric had asked to stay the night at his place, seeing as it was the weekend and they had nothing else planned. After much begging, Dylan’s mom had said yes to the two and given them control over the house as she left to stay with a friend.

This meant the two could get freely drunk, and drunk they got.

The most Dylan remembered was the two stumbling down to the basement after nearly half a bottle of vodka had vanished into their systems. The feeling of skin against skin, rough hands grasping him, the desire to take and take and the lust for more and more.

So it was no surprise that, in the morning, the two both pretended they remembered nothing from their drunken stupor. And though Dylan believed Eric and Eric believed him, the two both knew themselves that those memories and lingering feelings never would vanish.

That wasn’t the only problem, however. Dylan frequently found himself harshly woken up in the morning with swings of nausea and forced to hunch over as he retched his insides out.

The mood swings didn’t help, either. He thought he was going insane with the stress of knowing what he had done, his mood swinging faster than a drunken man on a nightclub floor.

He tried his best to contain them, but it didn’t help when he saw who he blamed for all this nearly everyday, Eric. He had slipped up once, and yelled at the other harshly. But once again he felt the swinging of the pendulum and a familiar wave of despair befall him at the sight of Erics widened eyes and his legs taking a few steps back. He tried apologizing, but nothing came out.

He eventually decided to get to the bottom of it, researching online whenever his mother wasn’t home. But the only answer he found seemed so rediculous he felt himself laughing until there were the formations of tears in the corners of his eyes.

Yet as he continued with these bouts of nausea, mood swings, even odd cravings here and there, he got more and more desperate.

So he tried clearing his thoughts and ignoring the dread gnawing at his heart and frontal lobe as he stood at a pharmacy section of a local store, package in hand as he walked away as quick as possible.

All this had led to him not having much time for Eric, and when factoring in his sudden session of yelling at the other boy one day as school ended, he had expected the other to be pissed with him. Though Eric normally seemed pissed about most things these days, it seemed.

So it came as a shock to Dylan when Eric asked to come over one saturday, weeks later. Though the two could pretend nothing happened, the anxiousness of being near the other remained constant.

As Dylan put the home phone down after giving him permission, he couldn’t help but smile despite the crushing sense of anxiety that fell over him.

Dylan couldn’t stop the pacing he found himself doing as he awaited his best friends arrival. Eventually, he forced himself to stop. He marched into the bathroom nearby, taking out the package and tearing it open.

“Better get this over with before he gets here,” Dylan said to himself. He made sure the door was fully locked despite the fact he was, as of now, the only person in the house, the rest of his family gone at some dumb restaurant outting.

…

The blonde haired man looked deeply into the mirror, as if daring it to stop looking back. When it stayed the exact same, he sighed and pushed back with the palms of his thin white hands.

“Shit, how will I ever tell him?,” he murmured to himself. He knew he could tell his best friend anything. … Right? Yet at the same time, the eternal fear of judgement and abandoment crept over him, its shadowy claws grabbing his body and feeling as if it would tear him to shreds.

“You okay in there, dude?”

Dylan jolted at the sound of the other males voice. He had been so caught up in his own little world he entirely forgot that he invited the other over just now.

“Yeah! Just, uh, give me a second!”

He yelled back. This seemed to be an acceptable answer, as Eric didn’t respond.

He slipped the item he had just finished using into his pocket. Dylan looked up, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, and stepped out.

His shorter friend smiled at the sight of him. Dylan saw he already made himself at home in his room, but he supposed it made sense, what with the two being almost inseperable.

Dylan casually sat down at the edge of his bed, which Eric was sprawled out across.

The older man must’ve saw his expression, as his eyes narrowed.

“Something’s up. I can tell,” he put simply. Dylan smiled nervously, but he knew he couldn’t just talk his way out of it like he did with others.

He took a deep breath. He knew Eric better than anyone, he knew he could confess this… he just knew it. Like a pull in his gut that drove him to the man.

“Just- Just promise not to get mad,” he said tentatively, carefully watching the others expression for even a hint of malice in Erics face.

“Okay, fine, you fuckin’ anxious wreck. Promise.”

Dylan smiled at his sarcastic remark and smirk.

“So, you remember how we got drunk a few weeks ago and, uhm, well…”

Dylan trailed off. Those memories were still fresh in his mind like an iron press ingrating it onto his brain. Eric tensed. He expected the other to have forgotten all about that night, with how often he got drunk off his mind. He looked away from the younger man, but after a few moments looked back.

“… Yeah. Why?”

Short and simple, he told himself. Don’t freak Dylan out or anything, don’t scare him off after they’ve already come so far.

He paused when Dylan gulped and fumbled with something in his pocket.

“Whatcha got there, V?”

Eric sat up as he asked this, looking curiously. Dylan sighed. Standing up and on the side of the bed, he looked down at Eric.

In his hand lay a pregnancy test, its sleek white design unmistakable. On a small screen lay two lines, forming the shape of a cross like object.

“Do you want a boy, or a girl?”

Dylan asked meekly, grinning

DYLRIC FANFIC DYLRIC 😩

[venstm]

I want to preface this by saying that I am holding myself accountable for not stepping up and either breaking off the friendship sooner or defending myself properly. As it stands even now I am not someone who copes well with confrontation and would rather stay as far away from it as possible. I’m speaking now because other people are coming forward with their stories and experiences. Whilst I have very few actual screenshots of conversations please understand that the interactions I’m discussing impacted me quite a lot mentally. It’s up to you to decide if you think I’m overreacting but by the end of those six months I had basically decided I no longer had a place in the rpc where I was welcomed after losing that friendship. I’ll be putting this under a read more so look at your own discretion. I won’t be speaking about this again after this.

If terios / ty sees this and decides they wish to unblock me and speak about it in order to see these feelings discussed and resolved im okay with that and if anyone else who has been in a similar situation needs someone to talk to or discuss it with in also open to that.

At the beginning of our friendship things were pretty intense and feeling like you were the main writing partner for someone who had already established themselves a place in the rpc was such a good feeling ? It’s like you really belong and you have someone who is so invested in your portrayal that you feel really important. There were many times where this once good feeling became tarnished by negativity, bitterness and what to me, felt like being bullied or belittled.

I’ll touch on a few things I really do remember quite clearly and be understanding that my adhd / ptsd and other things impact my capacity to retain information all the time I try to be very clear with this when talking with mutuals to avoid them becoming frustrated when I don’t remember everything all the time. they would tell me I wasn’t listening or paying attention when I tried to explain this.

there was a lot of time monopolising that I ended up enabling, this one in particular was mentioned to me by my partner who ended up feeling like I really distanced myself from them and even when I did want / try to spend time with them terios�� reaction would always be to change their tone to speaking bitterly or giving off this change of energy and if you recognise it you know it’s the sort where you’ve done something wrong and you need to fix it immediately.

There were also times where other friends became an issue, terios had problems with someone I was interacting with on dash. At the time I wanted to be in their corner because we were really close, they were my closest friend but these people had also been nothing but nice to me and I didn’t have issues with them. This tension went on for a while until terios let me know that I was two faced for not taking their side fully and I ended up blocking them which I thought was the right answer to appeasing someone who was upset. Yes, this was my fault I should have said no but they were a really important friend to me and I wanted them to feel like they were heard and understood. In the end I lost both of those friends and another friend who told me that if I continued to always take terios’ side in arguments like that I would have no one else left but them in the end.

It also happened when I mentioned that I was watching things with my mutual, we had only just started writing again after not speaking for a long time and terios was instantly making comments about it, usually vague and never good and when I finally said hey you know this isn’t cool to be saying this their response was just that I should have told them that sooner.

They were always unpleasant about Gepard ships that weren’t ours and I don’t know if that was because they just had a bias or not but I remember plotting an almost au verse with a firefly writer and dropping it because they were telling me when and how would that happen why is this something you’re writing ? basically implying that I owed it to some how justify what I was deciding to write for my muse ?

This also happened when I was creating an au for Gepard around being a vampire hunter I was so excited about it and I wanted to tell them and their response was to pick it apart reminding me oh this doesn’t make sense for Gepard’s canon age or this doesn’t make sense for his family and whilst I get caring about canon it really made me feel ? like my spark had just been squashed something I was so excited about just being torn to shreds completely and I never spoke about it again, tobias was there when this happened I had just came home from the gym in tears because I was so upset about it.

As those who interact with me know I am someone who is always earnestly trying to expand my vocabulary and learn new ways to incorporate cool stuff into my writing and there was one time one time when I used a word wrong and I did apologize for it and they ended up bringing it up over and over again for three months and whilst it was a joke in their eyes I don’t doubt it really just made me not want to try to improve my writing anymore and minimised myself to be someone they would approve of.

it also felt like anytime I began to get the confidence to bring up how I was feeling that it was turned around to make me feel worse or shit and like the whole situation was my fault rather than looking at it and both taking accountability and working to find a solution. I found this so challenging because so many times I left feeling like I was truly in the wrong because they had told me I was.

The last thing I will mention is that they will jump between gepard writers quite frequently. I wasn’t on the receiving end of this but I do know that when they blocked me only a day later then were dming a mutual and friend of mine who they had all but ghosted for those six months asking to write again. While this isn’t the worst thing ever I can only imagine how shitty that must feel and I know when they spoke to me and I said this it really hit home for them that they had been second best for those whole six months despite being there before me. This has happened with other Gepard writers too not just me and that person.

In the end a lot of this shit could have been amended if I told them your behaviour is shitty and it’s making me feel like shit but who wants to be put in a situation with a friend or writing partner where they feel like they have to make that choice.

I still do think terios is a good writer and they’re committed to the sampo they’re shaping but there are ways to interact with people that are kinder and not always with this undertone of being nasty or mean or spiteful. Again, if they or anyone else does want to talk to me about this they can and I trust that everyone can decide who they want to write with themselves. I just want my feelings and story to be heard and others to know they can speak up too.

[justinssportscorner]

Nancy Armour at USA Today:

It’s been a bad couple of days for the racists and bigots who thought Caitlin Clark was one of them. First Clark said she recognizes there is an element of white privilege to her stardom, that the Black women who laid the foundation for this current explosion in interest in women’s sports were never afforded a spotlight as bright and intense as the one that shines on her. Then, when conservative crank Megyn Kelly criticized her for saying that, Clark doubled down. “I feel like I’ve earned every single thing that’s happened to me over the course of my career. But also, I grew up a fan of this league from a very young age,” Clark said Wednesday when asked about Kelly’s comments. “My favorite player was Maya Moore. I know what this league was about.” For those unaware, Moore was transcendent when she was running roughshod over the WNBA, leading the Minnesota Lynx to four titles in seven years and winning MVP honors in both the regular season (2014) and WNBA Finals (2013). Add in her Olympic gold medals and her titles and player of the year honors at UConn, and she’s quite possibly the best there’s ever been.

[...] Few athletes, especially at a young age, can be as thoughtful or as direct as LeBron James and the U.S. women’s national soccer team in calling out hate and the marginalization of minorities. That seemed during the season to include Clark, whose criticism of the racism and homophobia spewed at other WNBA players by some people claiming to be her fans often came only when she was asked directly about it. But if those lowlifes, like the woman who wrote Clark’s number on the paper talons she wore to a playoff game to mock Black players, thought they had Clark’s tacit approval, they are now seeing just how wrong they are. So, too, those who thought Clark was too naïve to understand why what was being done and said in her name was so problematic.

She saw it. All of it. And she wants no part of it. “I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege,” Clark told TIME in the player of the year story. “A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important.

“I have to continue to try to change that,” she added. “The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.” This isn’t “self-flagellation,” as Kelly sneered. This isn’t “condescending” or “fake.” This is a young woman recognizing that while, yes, she’s worked her ass off to get where she is and deserves every bit of the spotlight she commands, she is also the beneficiary of an American society that continues to give white people primacy. People like Kelly, and unfortunately there are many like her these days, seem to think it’s a character flaw to acknowledge that. That if they recognize privilege exists, it means they aren’t deserving of what they’ve accomplished. That if they say privilege is real, they aren’t as exceptional as they think.

Glad to see Caitlin Clark speak out on how white privilege has played a role in college basketball and WNBA stardom.

[writingdevil]

Tongues and Teeth PT.5 (STP)

(Broken is the second voice I'm afraid I'll write incredibly wrong,more so than Cold,and I'm so sorry for that.Also,I apologize if the sneak peek in chapter 3 made anyone think it was Skeptic with Stubborn with the line 'listen to reason'.I didn't think about how that was more of a Skeptic than Hunted response.Sorry about that and I'll try not to mess up again.)

*

"This is bullshit!"

"You just need to think about it logically-"

"This isn't what we're here for."

"Alright,fellows,let's calm down now-"

"Fuck that!"Cheated exclaimed,grinding his teeth as he glared at a composed Skeptic.The inquisitive one had his hands on his hips,frustrated with Cheated but still somehow keeping a level of collected calmness about him,sharp eyes that glowed brighter than the stars now in the sky.

"Look!I'm just as worried about Hero as the rest of you,but we saw Stubborn chasing Hunted,so shouldn't we follow them first?"

Skeptic sighed,as they had had this conversation a million times since finding each other in the forest. He gestured with his hands as he spoke,"No, because they're not going to give us the answers we need."

"The answers to what?"

Skeptic started counting on his fingers."Why are we here?Where is here?What happened to the Long Quiet and the Shifting Mound?What are those monsters?How-"

"How can we get back to our beloved Princess?" Smitten dramatically cut in,and Skeptic sighed,but nodded."Yes,that as well.Hero is who will give us those answers,not the others.You and I both know that he was the closer voice to Him,so if anybody knows what's going on,it'll be him."

"Yeah,but we shouldn't ditch the others just because of that!"Cheated argued,"Hunted looked terrified back there."

Smitten smiled at him in reassurance,one hand motioning theatrically about, while the other was busy petting Broken,who was pressed against Smitten's chest."We shouldn't worry about Hunted-I have faith in our most resilient friend and his abilities."

"Yes,Hunted will be fine,"Skeptic said,only making Cheated roll his eyes."The others all have a means of survival-"

"You think Contrarian has survival skills?"

"That's not the point.The point is,we should be focusing on what's really important-"

Cheated groaned in frustration,which grew into a full on yell.He glared at Skeptic as he snapped,"He isn't fucking here right now!There has not been a single Princess in sight!I want to understand what's going on as much as you,but I also want to find our flock,because they're the only thing that makes sense right now!"

Smitten's soft and loving smile finally dropped,and his feathers that puffed up around him and made him look more large and eye-catching seemed to wilt with his mood."Do not say that,"Smitten quietly pleaded,"do not say such harsh things about the love of our life.She was the only one that was with us to the end.What could be more important than reuniting with her?"

"Literally anything else,"Cheated bluntly said,not missing the flash of hurt in Smitten's shiny eyes,but he couldn't help it."Do you know who else was with Him until the bitter end?We were.We were there in His head,every step of the way,through whatever crap was thrown at us.But we're not in His head anymore,so-"

"Yes,but why is that?"Skeptic interrupted,only looking to get more invested the more questions were left unanswered."There has to be a reason for it all!"

"Who knows!"Cheated threw his hands up in the air,"Maybe one of the others know a thing or two. Let's go ask them."

"We just need to ask Hero.He'll know what to do."

"Yes,"Smitten added,his dramatic flare back in his voice,if a little softer now."Our chivalrous knight will be able to lead us back to our beloved."

Cheated sighed,giving both of them a heavy look of irritation.He could understand wanting to know what happened and where He went,but Cheated just didn't like the thought of simply abandoning the others for the sake of answers.

He looked down at Smitten's chest,then softly nudged Broken."Hey,what about you?What do you have to say about all this?"

Broken twisted his head just enough so that Cheated could see half his face,with an eye shining with disbelief,and Broken opened his mouth to speak,but then Smitten gasped loudly,wrapping his arms around Broken's head and shoving his face back into his chest.

"How dare you!Of course he wants to find the Princess just as much as we do!There was no one more devoted to her than him!"

"Yeah,I'd like to hear that from his own mouth," Cheated said,and motioned for Smitten to release him.Smitten only eased up on his hold,letting Broken take a step back,but keeping his arms slung over his shoulders.

Broken looked down at the ground,smaller than all three of them.His voice was low yet firm as he finally said,"She's not here anymore.She doesn't need us anymore."Cheated wasn't expecting this, but he was happy to hear the other's thoughts. Smitten and Skeptic though,looked less pleased.

"We're not worthy to be around her anymore," Broken shook his head to himself,"so who's going to protect us now?"

"Are you saying that...you don't want go find Hero?" Cheated asked,and Smitten looked appauled at the notion,trying to bring Broken closer as he said,"But what of the Princess?Don't you miss her?"and Broken actually glared into Smitten's chest,before firmly shoving himself off of him.

Broken ducked his head low,refusing to look anyone in the eye."I loved the Princess because I loved her power.I miss the safety.She chose the Decider over us,so I want to choose what will protect me the most now."

Cheated hadn't expected this response,but he's glad he asked now.He sent Skeptic a triumphant smirk,who just frowned at Cheated with a disapproving look in his eyes.

"See?"Cheated pointed out,"Not everyone cares about what the happy couple are up to now.Some of us just want to see our flock again."

Skeptic rolled his eyes."Neither of you are thinking about the biggest picture."

"Oh fuck your bigger picture!"Cheated snapped, taking a step towards the taller bird.Broken flinched,and Smitten reached out to embrace him again,but Broken stepped away from his grasp, hugging himself and inching closer to Cheated.

"All you two care about is getting back to what you used to know,and not the people around you who actually care about you,and that's not fair on them! So have fun chasing nothing-we're going to find our flock."

With that,he turned to Broken,nodding his head towards the distance as he said,"Come on little guy, let's get outta here."He turned around,marching away from Smitten and Skeptic,feeling Broken keep close as they walked,almost pressing up against Cheated's too small wings.

He felt Broken try to grab his elbow and he stopped,looking down at him softly.Broken tried not to look him in the eye,and Cheated held back his words of comfort,knowing that would only piss him off after the way Smitten coddled him.

Instead,he sighed and glanced over at Broken's wings,or lack of,he should say.The appendages were missing the majority of its feathers,leaving them bony and naked,and with Broken unable to fly.

"Would it make you feel more safe if I carried you?So that I can get us both out of danger if something happens?"Because Cheated couldn't fly either,because what was more unfair than just not having wings?Having wings that were too small to actually carry you.

Broken looked up at him in surprise,then seemed to be deep in thought about it for a few minutes, before asking,"I won't weigh you down?"

Cheated smiled."You could never weigh me down."

Broken quickly ducked his head again,but then nodded in acceptance,and Cheated easily hoisted him onto his back,giving him a piggyback ride.

Cheated didn't miss how Broken melted against him or how tightly he clung to him,but he didn't mention that.Instead,he said,"Great,now let's go find our flock."

*

"Hey Jitters,long time no see."

Jitters smiled tiredly as Opportunist approached, sitting down next to him on the makeshift beds that Hunted made.

After Hunted had calmed down,he was quick to fall back into his instincts and habits.He suggested that they make camp here for the night,and nobody objected to that,too tired after the events of today. Soon enough,they had a fire going,and beds made of grass and leaves to sleep on.

Opportunist's gaze wandered around the camp. Hunted was crouched low,staring into the fire,but whenever someone moved,his head was instantly turning in that direction,alert written all over his face.

Cold,who Opportunist hadn't expected to stick around-but when Jitters had come out of his chant, he gave Cold an almost defeated look and said, "Well,I suppose you'll leave,now that you've seen it." But Cold merely shook his head and replied with, "No.I don't think I want to right now."

Opportunist had no fucking clue what they were on about,but at least Cold was with them now.

The icy bird had merely looked at his bed in boredom,and was lying down,limbs and wings glued to his sides,and if you didn't know who he was,you'd think he was dead.

Contrarian was on the other side of the camp,using his bed as a place to rest only his head,as he was sleeping upside down,his body leaning against a tree.Opportunist had no idea how he was comfortable,or how he could possibly be sleeping in that position,but he hoped he got dizzy from all the blood going to his head.That would show him.

He still hadn't forgotten how Contrarian pushed him out of the way as Hunted and Stubborn ran past them.His brain had stopped working,and all he could manage to think about was the fact that Contrarian helped him.He could've let Stubborn run him over,but he didn't,and that scared Opportunist because he had no idea what that meant.

He understood the meaning behind Jitters trusting him-he showed him his true self,for only a few minutes,and they both came to an understanding that finding everyone was the top priority.Did Contrarian see that as well?Or was this entire thing a joke to him?

"Hey,"Jitters whispered,nudging him with his wing and bringing him back to reality."What are you thinking about?"

"Contrarian."

"Wha-Why?"

"He told an awful pun,so now he has to die."

"Ah,understandable."

They both caught each other's gaze,and then they suddenly burst out into quiet giggles,careful not to wake the other two up.

It felt-nice,to just sit and laugh about nothing serious for once.Opportunist wasn't used to it,not familiar with talking without a motive or a reason behind it,just-chatting.

Was this why Contrarian talked such nonsense?Was this why he said that terrible pun?To make everything not be so heavy?

"Good job on getting Cold on board,"he whispered to Jitters,"I'm honestly surprised he's still here."

Jitters shrugged,looking over at the bird in question,watching as the icy breath left his mouth. "I'm just as surprised as you are,but I guess I just had something he wanted."

Jitters looked back at him and said,"I take it everything went okay with the monster?"He nodded,and Jitters smiled,but now he was hugging himself and nervously glancing around them."Do you think more will show up?"

"I don't know,but I'm pretty sure Stubborn is the only pain we have to worry about."But that didn't satisfy Jitters though,who kept fearfully looking around him,hugging himself tightly.

Opportunist sighed,scooting closer so that he could drape his wing over Jitters,who froze,but didn't freak out at the touch.Opportunist quickly looked at the fire in front of them,so that Jitters couldn't see the nervous look in his own eyes as he said,"You should give us more credit,Jitters.Hunted alone could probably protect us from ten of those things,and hey-that clown and I managed to escape without a scratch.So I dunno,just-have faith in us."

He knew that advice like that was rich coming from him,but he wasn't used to comforting someone and trying to mean it.Usually,all he had to do was reassure the Decider that what he was doing was the correct choice,and in the end,it didn't really matter.

Opportunist had no experience with trying to make someone feel better because he wanted to,but judging from the way Jitters relaxed under his touch,he must've done something right.

They sat there in a comfortable silence,just watching the fire glow in front of them,until Hunted caught Opportunist's attention again.This whole time,he had been scurrying around,making sure the fire had enough sticks to keep it going,and that Cold and Contrarian were okay.Although Hunted's face did scrunch up in confusion at Contrarian's sleeping position.

But then Hunted silently walked over to Cold again, and he just stared down at him for a few seconds, before leaning down to rub his face against Cold's neck.

Jitters stiffened underneath his wing,and Opportunist just shared a look of bafflement with him,as Hunted gently rubbed Cold's neck,who did nothing but lazily reach a hand up to ruffle Hunted's head.

"What's he doing?"Opportunist asked,but Jitters just shrugged with an incredulous smile,watching as Hunted then went over to Contrarian.He actually looked a little bit hesitant at first,before ultimately deciding to cautiously rub his nose against his face.

Contrarian giggled,and soon enough,he was falling over,making Hunted jump back in surprise.But as Contrarian flopped to the ground,he grinned up at Hunted,reaching his arms out,as if inviting him for a hug.Opportunist saw the way Hunted's eyes lit up,and then he instantly flew into his arms,holding the other bird tight and rubbing his face all over his neck,face and chest.

Jitters giggled at the two,while Opportunist was just trying to figure out what was going on.When Hunted finished doing whatever it was,Opportunist lifted a hand up and whispered,"Psst!Hunty!"

Instantly,Hunted stood up,body alert and in a defensive position,until he realised that it was just Opportunist talking,and he pinned him with a gaze so powerful that Opportunist actually felt a little in danger.

"Hunted,what are you doing?"Jitters asked,but Hunted continued to stare at Opportunist,until the next thing he knew-Hunted was running straight for him.

Opportunist scrambled on the spot,but there was no escaping Hunted and his speed,and he let a loud,"Oof!"out as Hunted tackled him to the ground,followed by the cackling of Contrarian and even the light chuckling of Cold.

But Opportunist couldn't focus on any of that right now.

Because Hunted was gripping him by the shoulders,rubbing his face against his neck,not rough,just firm enough that Opportunist's head was being moved slightly from the action,and he sighed deeply,as if he had been waiting for this.

"Need to scent you,"Hunted whispered,rubbing his cheek against him and softly petting the feathers that Opportunist tried so hard to keep in place,but he could feel them all puffing up now and sticking out."Flock needs to be scented-so I know where you are-and you know that you are not alone."

Opportunist couldn't think.His whole body was frozen,while still heating up at the physical affection,and he stared up at the stars in the sky with wide eyes.

His body was shaking and his mind was full of mush,and there was no sweet talking or charming that could get him out of this-and a tiny part of him secretly wished it never end.

His breath hitched as Hunted rubbed closer to his neck,and he felt Hunted whisper against his skin, "Good-you're good here."

Opportunist has never felt anything like this before. He's never felt this warmth that was blazing beneath his feathers,setting every nerve alight,as if his body had been starving for something like this. For what,touch?Was he that pathetic that a single bit of affection felt this good to him?It felt like an explosion of heat and sweetness was whirling around in his brain,and all he could do was crave more.

Warm.Everything was so warm and soft and oh God he's never felt like this before-

A giggle pulled his out of his spiral for a single second.

Jitters was gazing down at him,a fond look in his eyes as he simply said,"Cute."and that was when Opportunist truly knew he was fucked.

He didn't have a mask on.Everything that he was actually feeling was just on display for the world to see.There was too much warmth to even think about putting on an act,or pretending that this wasn't affecting him.Opportunist was stripped bare of his weapons.

What was wrong with him?First he was laughing at Contrarian's jokes,and now he was getting overwhelmed from some cuddling.This was not how this was supposed to go.This is not the way he should be acting,or how to get people to trust him. Back in the cabins with the Decider,there was no line that he wouldn't cross if it meant keeping Him safe.He would deceive and lie and take control, because that was what he was all about-taking advantage to gain the upper hand,because that would keep them all safe.

But the Decider wasn't here anymore,and all that's left is Opportunist,and he doesn't know whether that's a good thing or not.

[hyperpotamianarch]

So, I would like to offer my perspective - though I must (shamefully) admit that I didn't know of this particular public controversy, so my opinion may not be too relevant on this specific point. What I do know is how songs written by early Zionists about Hannukah are perceived by religious people.

Here's the thing: the Zionist movement was started by predominantly secular people. There was a small group of religious people who joined it, the Mizraḥi movement (which doesn't have much to do with specifically mizrahi Jews, that's just what it was called), but most religious Jews didn't like it all too much. One of the major reasons for that was fear of secular Jews influencing the religious ones to abndon their faith, which I'll leave to you to ponder how much basis this idea has in reality. And the dominant secular Jews loved looking at old stories of Jewish rebellions and uprisings and to draw inspiration from them - things like the Bar Kokhva revolt, the Great Revolt and of course - the Hasmonean revolt.

The problem starts with how those stories were told for decades. Bar Kokhva was largely forgotten by religious Jews, due to being a failure and most rabbis of his generation not necessarily liking him very much (Rabbi Akiva may or may not be an outlier, there was clearly pushback against him on that topic). That was how Levin Kipnis could make up the weird story in his children song Bar Kokhva - a story with no historical basis, but it gives us a nice hero who calls for freedom. The Hasmoneans, though, were well remembered for generations as the guys who had a miracle on their victory. Which is what Anu Nos'im Lapidim pushes against very directly.

Now, of course, it's supposedly talking about Israeli militery victories! ... only it apparently was written before anything of the sort existed. The point is it directly represents an anti religious streak in early Zionism - the Epikorsim, the people who very deliberately knew what the religion was about and didn't want it. I think it could be represented very well by the Passuk "כחי ועצם ידי עשה ל�� את החיל הזה", "my own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me" (Devarim 8, 17). While it's meant as a warning to not think so, the early secular Zionists seem to have taken that as a command.

Yes, I know, I'm phrasing that is a religious way. You, as a secular Jew, might think it doesn't matter. Sure, I don't want to hear things like Anu Nos'im Lapidim, or Yemei HaChanukkah (apparently it was translated from Yiddish, but the original version was religious so the change to Asher Ḥollelu HaMakabim is blatant), or even Mi Yemallel due to their anti-religious messaging, but that has nothing to do with public spaces and official state events. Our state doesn't have to bend before the whims of the religious population, right?

That point gets to Israeli politics, and I suspect we both know how often the state does bend a little to whims of religious groups (which isn't too often but it happens). I don't know if this is another such case, I can probably make the case for this song being very directly and blatantly anti-religious, which does mean that its inclusion in an official event is a little disturbing, but you do you.

TL;DR: the problem is that this song is very blatantly anti-religious and not just a secular statement, maybe that shouldn't affect state-sponsored events but here we are.

PS, Yemei HaChanukkah at least also has a more religious version, and people care less about the Mi Yemallel thing - I've heard it way too many times.

does diaspora jumblr know about the Nes Lo 'Kara Lanu (נס לא קרה לנו, a miracle didn't happen to us) controversy?