#and i can understand and appreciate that fact

[darlingshecried]

First of all, I am so incredibly grateful that you decided to take my idea into consideration and made complete magic out of it ✨✨

And I will be writing in bullet points bc I have so much to say hehe

When I saw 'peace' by tay, I just KNEW you were going to eat. I love that song so much and I feel like you perfectly described it in the fic, so aligned with what Tay sings about

The way you created the initial atmosphere just does sth to me. Also Theo and hers dynamic from their childhood is so sweet and fitting

And aaah the delusion when they lay down in Matty's bed🤭🤭🤭 I am IN LOVE with how you pictured the relationship, so innocent, yet hopeful, yet alluring

And I love how you can see Mattheo's mental health and his self esteem ….."She just wants her brother. And I'm the next best thing." Bc I feel like there isn't enough emphasis on the fact that he actually isn't the most cheerful, joyous person on his own and I feel like out of the boys, he’s the most likely to have mental health problems

“Do you want a hug?" Yea so. I'm not really sure when, but somewhere along the way, my heart felt so safe and fulfilled it kinda overflowed 🥹🤍

“…at knowing that he was able to bring you peace.” Okayy I see you 😏😁🤍

The pace at which you were building their relationship was so beautiful and felt so natural, I enjoyed it sm <3 the quiet moments, his nightmare, how they lifted each other up, and the breakfast shenanigans 🤭☺️✨

Hihi and the way Theo found out exceeded my expectations. Ofc I imagined it but yours was even better. Theo basically beating Matty up was just phenomenal 😂

And I loved the little reunion, Teddy’s reluctance and then approval of them being together

Oh and the scene with the grumpy boys and ice packs in the infirmary was just priceless 😂✨

Overall, I liked it *being so nonchalant rn*

— GIRL THIS IS SUCH STUNNING WORK I CANNOT EVEN 🫶🫶

The wait was worth the while (while the worth, worth the wait?? I forgot to speak English for a sec lol).

I just hope you know we appreciate you so much in this community, and even if you had 0 fans, know that that’s a lie bc I’ll always be cheering for you on the sidelines 💗💗💗

… the silence that only comes when two people understand each other… 🎶

fears & fantasies - mattheo riddle

⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚ summary - mattheo is your brother's best friend and your biggest crush so surely when he offers you comfort it's purely platonic...right?

word count: 3k

soundtrack: peace - taylor swift

a/n: requested by the lovely @darlingshecried - thank you love for this fun and adorable concept ♡ and special shoutout to @cipheress-to-k-pop's mattheo fic beauty and the beast which inspired theo's gf's name (#thevangeline forever).

Your bare feet padded quickly against the cold flagstone of the dungeon floor.

You held your arms around yourself, shivering as you tried to avert your eyes from the long shadows in the corners that looked like ghosts, like dementors, like your nightmare.

You focused on putting one foot in front of the other as you swiped the tears out of your eyes. It was just a dream, it wasn't real, it was just a dream you repeated in your head, a mantra. But what you knew to be true in your mind and how it made you feel were two completely different things, and you weren't able to shake the cold terror from your bones. No, at this point you knew there was only one solution, one thing that could make you feel better, your brother, Theo.

Your entire childhood he'd watched out for you and tried to shield you from the darkness that had swarmed your family. But he was barely a year older than you, he was just as much a child as you were, and he couldn't defend you from everything all by himself; you were left riddled with nightmares, something he consistently blamed himself for.

He could hear them come in the thin walls between your rooms, the way you'd mumble quietly and then louder, panicked and fearful and you lost count of the number of times you'd woken up, just before the very worst of them to his gentle whispers, as he held you.

"Stellina" he'd whisper quietly. Little star. "You're okay, it's okay." And it would be, instantly. As long as he was there.

You pushed open the door to his dormitory and padded quietly past the other four poster beds, careful not to wake the boys that dozed beside him.

But when you got to his bed, your stomach dropped in dread as you realized it was empty.

No, no, no you thought as you looked around like the shadows would reveal him instead of closing in on you as you tried unsuccessfully to catch your breath, your panic rising.

"YN?" a voice whispered and you turned quickly, nearly tripping over yourself in fear.

"Whoa, hey, hey you're alright."

Through the narrow slice of moonlight coming in through the window you could see Mattheo leaning out from under his covers, curls askew, eyes barely open as he peered at you.

And your heart continued to race for an entirely different reason.

You'd known Mattheo since first year, since he and Theo became inseparable, because in many ways you'd become inseparable too. But growing up alongside him as he went from a reckless boy to a troublesome teenager to the unbearably hot guy in front of you was it's own sort of torture, because you knew he never looked at you as anything more than his own little sister.

"T-Teddy?" you asked shakily.

"He's with Evangeline."

His girlfriend. You nodded quickly, understandingly, even as your heart sank and you wound your hands together nervously.

"Right, yeah" you said shaking your head as you tried to calm yourself.

"Did you have a nightmare?" he asked patiently.

You met his eyes and nodded slowly as you gnawed your bottom lip, trying to bite back your emotions, even as you realized he might be the only other person to really understand you, knowing he had terrible nightmares too.

"C'mere" he offered, waving you over to him before making room in his bed.

You hesitated.

He had never once intimated anything with you. But then you realized that while your mind was running rampant at the vision of him shirtless in his rumpled sheets inviting you to sleep with him, he was only doing what any good friend, any older brother would do. Surely he didn't see you any other way.

So you moved to his bedside and crawled beneath the thick, warm covers.

It's the right thing to do.

It's the friendly, brotherly thing to do.

Theo would have asked me to do it Mattheo thought.

But Theo would not have asked him to stare at the dips and curves of your figure in your barely-there pajama set nor to selfishly revel at the idea of you in his bed.

No, for as careful and intentional as Mattheo was around you, if Theo knew half the things Mattheo thought, he'd push him straight off the astronomy tower.

He knew he was tempting fate, tempting himself to have you next to him like this, but you were scared, you were vulnerable and there was no way he was going to leave you like that, shivering, teary eyed, and alone.

She just wants her brother. And I'm the next best thing.

You met Mattheo's dark brown eyes that glimmered in the dim light.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, his voice gravelly with sleep.

You shook your head, gnawing at your lip again in a way that drew his attention there, that made him want to run his finger, his lips over it to get you to stop worrying.

"Do you want a hug?"

You paused only a moment before nodding.

He reached for you and gently pulled you into his arms as you wound yours around him, your head falling to his bare chest.

He held you gently but in a way that made you feel like nothing could touch you and it was like all of your shadows melted away as you let out a wobbly sigh.

He could feel you melt against him, could feel the way you physically relaxed in his arms, and he held his breath, overcome with the scent of your shampoo, at knowing that he was able to bring you peace.

His mind raced as he tried to think about anything other than the way he could distinctly feel every place your bodies touched, the way you always smiled at him big and wide and carefree, how you knew him better than nearly anyone else and still loved him unconditionally, the way you said his name with just the slightest hint of your Italian accent, the way the vowels rolled off your tongue in a way that let you taste every letter.

And subconsciously he squeezed you a little tighter as he reconciled those thoughts with the fact that even though he'd spent years pining for you, you were the only girl he could never have.

You were asleep instantly, exhausted by your emotions, and the way your fear was followed so quickly by the feeling of Mattheo's strong arms, the scent of his sheets, of him, evergreen and cedar, the smell so familiar and enticing it felt like home.

You dreamt of him, in shades of your own memories, of swimming together in the lake, of watching the stars on a summer night, of him giving you a piggyback ride, and handing you a messy bundle of wildflowers for your birthday. Theo was there too, of course, but he was blurry, faded in the background in a way that left just the two of you in focus.

Warm you thought, and smiled.

You were so warm and cozy and peacefully rested as you came to in a space tinged in shades of green from the curtains of the four poster bed around you.

And then you felt the pressure of a weighted blanket that you slowly realized was actually a very large arm around you and memories of the night before came flooding back.

You were tucked firmly in Mattheo's grasp, your back to his chest that you could feel rising and falling in time with his warm breath at your neck.

This is heaven you thought as you sighed, your eyelids fluttering, until you were surrounded by mumbled voices of the other boys waking up which in turn caused Mattheo to stir next to you. He slowly unwound his arm from you and you could have groaned at the loss of his touch as you turned to face him to see his cheeks pink.

"You alright?" he asked sleepily as he rubbed at his eye and yawned widely.

No, I think I am hopelessly in love with you you thought.

"Yeah" you mumbled. "Sorry about last night, I just–"

"–Don't apologize. I get it, trust me. The shit we've seen? Fucks with our heads" he said as he stared at the top of his four-poster before looking back at you with a resigned smile.

You smiled back as you heard the others shuffle out of the room, taking that as your window of opportunity to follow suit.

"Sooo, maybe we don't tell Theo about..." you started, gesturing between the two of you as you sat up to leave.

Mattheo's brow furrowed. You never kept anything from your brother... Unless...there was something more here than he'd thought?

"Wouldn't want him to worry!" you clarified quickly. "You know how he gets."

"Right, right, yeah no, understood" Mattheo agreed.

But he saw the blush on your cheeks, the way you averted your eyes as the covers moved to reveal his bare chest, his boxers and he couldn't stop himself as he leaned forward after you as you stepped out of his bed.

"M'always here if you need me" he said, smiling at you in a way that was both boyish and devastating and you were at a complete loss for words as you nodded and shuffled out of his room.

It happened three more times that week.

You wanted to be angry at Theo, but you couldn't deny that you craved Mattheo's comfort and were getting all too used to sliding into his bed, to fitting yourself in his arms like they were meant for you. Each time got easier, each time got more familiar, each time your defenses dropped a little more and each time Mattheo was convinced he was right, that maybe maybe his forbidden crush was reciprocated.

He knew he couldn't ask you outright, you'd deny it out of principle. But he was determined to find another way to confirm his theory.

It started small.

When you crawled into bed last night he'd reached and tucked your hair behind your ear and let his fingers linger at your cheek and he'd felt the way you squeezed him just a little tighter.

Then it was drawing lazy circles on your back, languid and slow against the soft cotton fabric of your pajamas that tortured him and he felt you hum in appreciation, the soft sound enough to make him strain against his boxers in a way that was about to make his efforts not-so-subtle. And he smirked, because he was certain he knew exactly how you felt, now he just needed to figure out what to do about it.

But then the unexpected happened.

You had drifted off to sleep in his arms, your weight heavy against him, your soft breaths a melody that caused his own eyelids to flutter shut.

And then he had a nightmare.

Of you, scared, screaming for him, but he couldn't reach you despite how hard he tried, his strides stuck in quicksand. He called for you over and over but he couldn't get to you, couldn't have you.

A soft voice responded, calling his name, pulling him out of the vision to see you, awake and whole, leaning over him, your hair curtaining your face which was fixed in tender concern for him.

His heart raced and he struggled to catch his breath as you cupped his face. 'Hey, hey, bello, Mattheo, you're okay' you murmured sweetly and he reached to place his hand over yours, holding it there as he breathed heavily and met your gaze.

"You're okay" he repeated after a second, as much to himself as to you.

"I'm okay" you replied slowly, smiling in confusion.

He scrunched his face and swallowed, eyes closing as he tried to gather himself. "Sorry, you–you were in my dream. S'stupid" he muttered as he wiped a hand over his face. A pause. "I guess I was just...worried about you."

"So you're looking out for me even in your dreams now, huh?" you asked teasingly.

He smiled before letting out a breathy laugh, the sound reassuring you enough to lay back down next to him as he turned to face you.

At this distance you were close enough to see every detail of his face highlighted in the sapphire blue of the night, the smallest freckles on his nose, the curve of his lips and the twinkle in his eye as he reached and brushed his thumb over your cheek in a touch so delicate you sighed and leaned into it.

He just wanted to feel you, to know you were real, that this wasn't part of a dream where you'd disappear in his grasp but then your eyes fluttered to his lips, lingering there, like you were lost in thought as you rolled your bottom lip into your mouth, and that was his breaking point.

He leaned in slowly, closing the distance between you and pulled you towards him as he pressed his lips to yours.

And thank Merlin you didn't pull back or hesitate, no, you reached for him, pulling yourself further into his arms as you kissed him fervently in a way that had him muffling a groan against your lips as his hands wound into your hair.

He pulled himself on top of you as your legs and limbs tangled and you grasped for each other, submitting to every temptation you'd had for days, for years as you immersed yourself in him, rolling your tongue against his as he squeezed your side, his fingers finding the warm skin at your ribs under your shirt and his hips rolling against yours until you let out the quietest, sweetest sound that had him pulling back in panic.

"Fuck" he sighed, slamming his eyes closed and turning his head at the sight of you beneath him, breathless and flushed.

"Don't say it" you cautioned. "Don’t you dare say it."

He paused.

"Theo's going to fucking kill me."

"UGH!" you replied, moving to cover your face with your hands. "Why did you have to bring him up!?"

Mattheo pried one of your hands away as he peered at you and you frowned up at him.

"He's going to kill me either way" he said as he laughed, "at least let me make the most of it."

You pushed his chest playfully.

"I'm serious!" he said. "Do you know how long I've wanted to do that?"

You moved your other hand from your face as you looked at him.

"Fuck YN" he sighed, shaking his head.

And just the idea that Mattheo wanted you perhaps a fraction as badly as you'd wanted him made the thought of Theo's wrath fade into the background as you strained to press your lips to his. That will be a problem for tomorrow you thought as you lost yourself in him again.

Tomorrow came far too quickly for either of your liking.

You'd agreed that you needed to tell Theo; you didn't keep anything from him and Mattheo didn't either, so when Theo plopped into his seat beside you at breakfast Mattheo caught your eye nervously across the table.

"Stellina" Theo said by way of greeting, as he reached for his food.

"Ciao orsacchiotto" Big bear you said, falling into your childhood nicknames for each other.

But regardless of how many times Mattheo nodded encouragingly towards Theo and tangled his foot with yours under the table you simply couldn't find the words to tell him what you'd done.

"Hey, I made out...and then some… with Mattheo for over an hour last night three feet from your bed." "Hey, I want to date your best friend who you've blindly trusted with me for seven years." "Hey, let me give you a mental image you can never unsee."

Yeah...

There was no good way to say it.

And before long, breakfast was over and you and Mattheo were trailing after Theo on the way to class.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he whispered nervously.

"I wanted to, I'm just ... scared."

"YOU'RE scared?!" he hissed.

"You're his best friend, you tell him!"

"You're his sister!"

"What's up with you two?" Theo asked as he turned to look at you.

You looked up at Theo and then back to Mattheo and cleared your throat.

"Teddy... Orsacchiotto" you said sweetly, smiling at him as his eyes narrowed, knowing far too well when you were trying to butter him up.

"I-I've been sleeping with Mattheo—"

And the moment the words left your mouth, you knew they were the wrong ones.

"—Wait! I mean!—"

"—WHAT?!" His eyes flashed to Mattheo. "What the fuck is the matter with you!" he asked, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and slamming him into the wall.

"No! Teddy! That's not what I—"

Crack.

Blood splattered as his fist connected with Mattheo's nose and you continued to shout, grabbing for Theo as Mattheo howled in pain, grabbing his nose.

"Teddy, stop!!!—"

"—She's my fucking sister!!—"

"—I didn't!! That's not!!—"

Theo tackled him to the ground.

Merda you thought. Shit.

You sat outside the infirmary between the two of them, one holding an icepack to his nose, the other to his knuckles, refusing to look at each other as you sighed and rubbed your temple.

"There wasn't any other phrase you could have used?" Mattheo asked, his voice muffled behind the bloodied ice pack as he looked down at you. He looked awful but he was smirking.

"I'm sorry, I just—"

He reached for your hand and winked at you, clearly teasing you as he wound his fingers in yours.

"I'm sitting right here" Theo mumbled in response to the gesture.

You moved to pull your hand away but Mattheo held onto it.

A few people walked by and you all quieted for a moment.

"My fucking sister, dude. Really?" Theo sighed as he carded his hand through his hair, still refusing to make eye contact with either of you.

Two minutes passed. Three.

"Look. If you hurt her—" he threatened.

And your face broke into a smile, giddy, knowing that that warning was the closest thing to a blessing either of you could hope for.

"—I would never" Mattheo said quickly, matter-of-factly, in a way you knew was true even before he'd said it as he pulled your hand to his lips and kissed it.

You glowed up at him, your cheeks pink with the anticipation of exactly what this would mean for the two of you before you turned and wrapped your arms around Theo's stiff shoulders.

taglist: @kenjikishimotoswifey @mattiesgf @sleepiibunniiii @darlingshecried @girllblogging777 @foivetimesacharm @clar2aa @broadwaybaby123 @slytherinscreamqueen @loverliner @smut-anarchy @locknco @wybieivy @itznotsophia @cipheress-to-k-pop @aur0ral1ghts

[soulgazingwithbucky]

why bucky has a blowout

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Wife!Reader

Summary: bucky would never take advice from valentina or any of the thunderbolts, let alone hair advice. but the love of his life? a different story

Warnings: fluffy ig?

Word count: 750

A/N: i never thought i would miss the unbearable itch to write, and yet!!! so happy i was able to make something, so i hope ya enjoy! If you find yourself enjoying this, feel free to check out my other works here <3

"Stay still, Buck," you murmur softly.

Bucky stifles a huff. He could stay still for hours--if he wasn't in front of the bathroom mirror, forced to stare at his reflection. Behind him, you cup a strand of his hair in your hand.

You release the strand, pleased at the slight curl that has formed.

"I'm not doin' anymore of these things, doll," Bucky says. "M'telling Valentina she can put Walker up there from now on."

"You tell her, love," you encourage, though you're a bit distracted wrapping the next strand of hair around the thermal brush. You've never met your husband's "boss," but you've heard enough to get a sense of her character. You doubted Bucky was going to be able to get himself out of press conferences.

"After this hairstyle, though? You'll be first in line for any media coverage," you tease.

This time, Bucky can't hold back a grumble at the thought. You giggle, but it's quickly stifled by a yawn. Bucky softens at the sight of your sleepiness.

"Thank you, sweetheart," he says sheepishly.

Valentina is a blur as she rushes past Bucky. But she pauses abruptly, taking a few steps back until she's planted in front of him. Bucky does his best to ignore her, staring straight ahead, but he eventually puts down his sandwich and slowly meets her eyes.

"This won't do," Valentina says, gesturing at his head. Bucky doesn't care much about what "won't do," but he has a meeting with Agent Taylor in twenty minutes. He very much likes the idea of enjoying his sandwich on the couch, sans the Contessa.

"What, Valentina?" Bucky says slowly.

"This hair," she responds, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I have been telling him that!" Alexei declares. Bucky pinches the bridge of his nose as the Red Guardian emerges from the kitchen. "I told him, my sponsorship with Drybar is at risk if--"

"Oh, Drybar? That's pretty good. Listen, Bucky, if there's one thing I know, it's hair. Wish you could ask that guy, am I right?" Valentina gestures in Bob's general direction in the next room.

"No," Bucky responds.

"I tell him, so flat," Alexei continues, "so lifeless! Bucky, hair care is so important--"

"Great talk, everybody," Bucky declares, scooping up his sandwich and taking it into the other room.

When Bucky recalled the conversation to you, he thought you'd laugh it off with him. Instead, he saw a glint in your eye that made him worried. Afterwards, he came home one too many times to you binge watching hair tutorials. Foolishly, he held out hope that you would lose interest, but then packages of hair tools started arriving at your door.

"You know," you said, holding back another yawn, "if we lived closer to the Tower, we wouldn't have to wake up so early."

"Not yet, doll," is Bucky's gruff response. Living far away meant that it would be harder for people to link you two. It wasn't that he would get relentlessly teased by his coworkers about being married--that was a given. But if they were on a mission, and one of them became compromised? He couldn't imagine what would happen if the wrong people found out about his life. About you. He already had to live with the fact that Sam helped you both find this house, and now--

"He's our friend, Buck." You recognize the distraught look on your husband's face, and you place a gentle hand on his shoulder, breaking him out of his spell. "He would never do anything to hurt us."

Bucky moves to place a kiss on your hand, grateful that he doesn't always have to talk for you to understand him. He opens his mouth to express his appreciation, but you interrupt him.

"All done," you say proudly. The wide grin on your face is almost enough to make Bucky forget that he is going to be sitting in a room full of journalists in a few hours. You comb your fingers through his hair to loosen the curls, then apply hairspray. Bucky makes a show of sputtering. He never makes a show of anything, but he loves the way you giggle at his antics.

He turns to face you, wrapping his arms around your waist. You wrap your hands around his neck, trying your best to avoid your hard work.

"My wife," he says, a phrase he will never get tired of saying. He plants a kiss on your lips before you respond:

"My hero."

[cautionwetfloor-png]

no contact au comic bc now im invested in it. a LOT more thoughts in the tags. also proship kys this isnt for you

first post about it

[trivialbob]

The last two days at work have been really good. I was in the office both days.

On Tuesday, the weather was nice, so I rode my bike to work. I feel wide awake when I get there. Going home is relaxing, even in traffic, because there are many bike lanes and paths. I pass by cars stopped in traffic. Sometimes I take more scenic routes in the afternoon.

There was heavy rain much of Wednesday. I don't mind riding the bus. I read or listen to podcasts. In fact, the more I travel, the more I appreciate public transit. Driving my truck or riding my motorcycle downtown is an option, but not one I prefer, because it costs $11 to park and I can get stuck in traffic.

Several managers came to town for a meeting. It wasn't a big deal. What it did mean though is most Minneapolis-based people all came to the office at the same time.

It was fantastic catching up with long-time co-workers whom I rarely see. Then, a lot of newer, younger people were there. Many of them I'd never met. It was wonderful getting to meet them in person.

I'm exempt from having to come to the office at all. Newer employees and anyone who changes job positions are required to come in two or three days a week.

I understand why upper management wants people in the office together. I had lunch with someone, and we talked work for a bit. In ten minutes, we accomplished more than we could with a dozen emails sent over four days, six instant messages, and one phone call. For me, meeting in person (one on one, not in a group) is really productive.

Unfortunately, even if we all came into the office several days a week, we still wouldn't all pick the same days. Plus, there's the challenge of people spread across a dozen states and even more cities. I could be in the office at the same time as the guy in Phoenix, but we're still not meeting face-to-face.

[temis-de-leon]

Shy gn!reader who has never dated anyone before the Demon Brothers

Characters: Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus and Beelzebub (x reader, separately)

Main Masterlist

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Dateables version

Requested by: Romance Anon

A/N: I know I said requests will be posted from July on, but I literally remembered this one two days ago and I think it got requested last year, so...

.

Mammon

Since the very first moment he saw you, there has been no one else in his mind, including those he’s already dated or fooled around with. Why would he look at anyone else when you’re right beside him? Why would he think about previous heartbreaks when you make him feel so light-hearted?

Okay, sure, he’s most of a ‘casual, noncommittal fling’ type of guy, and perhaps calling his failed relationships ‘heartbreaks’ is an exaggeration, but some of them did hurt at the time, you know?

There weren’t many souls that loved him despite his gambling addiction and his kleptomaniac tendencies, and, while he understood why they eventually broke things up with him, it always left a sour taste in his mouth.

So, not only you are the first one to insist on seeing the best he can be, but he also seems to be unable to succumb to the temptations of greed when you’re around.

He doesn’t yearn for more because you’re already more than enough, and for the very same reason, he doesn’t think about what he used to have and lost.

Surprisingly, Mammon isn’t especially insecure about your relationship history, even when he doesn’t know nothing about it. After all, if you don’t reminiscence or wonder about anyone, then why should he be worried?

Competing with his own brothers and that nasty human sorcerer for your attention is enough of a headache.

There isn’t any particular reason that pushes you to tell him about your lack of experience other than you wanting him to know you better.

He’s playing a new game (more like constantly dying) while you’re sitting right next to him eating some takeout food, and the words blurt out of your mouth before you can even register them, like is just another fun fact about your favourite animal.

At first, Mammon frowns when he hears you, because how could anyone not have shown interest in you before, and then smiles with the usual superiority he carries like a shield.

“Well, who cares who you did or didn’t date? You’re with the Great Mammon now, right? And there’s no one better!”

He sounds arrogant and cocky when he says it, but there’s a hint of truth in his words.

Now that you’re with him, does anything else really matter?

Plus, there’s something sweet in knowing that he is your first in every sense of the word.

Leviathan

Telling him about your lack of previous partners is actually an act of mercy towards his sense of self-worth and the insecurities born out of your feelings for him and the relationship you’ve created together.

It is obvious, even to an outsider, that Levi isn’t used to real life romance and fully believes is not made for it either.

He states himself as a shut-in who finds comfort and sensibility in 2D animation and carefully programmed intelligence and social interaction. The media he consumes is based on the buyer’s preferences, so his views on the world beyond his bedroom door are drastically black and white. That is, although he appreciates the morals of friendship and heroism, he’s quick to categorize strangers based on pure actions; like contemptuously calling you a normie when he met you even though he really didn’t know you at all.

Of course, there is a need of escapism in what he does.

He doesn’t feel like enough compared to most of his brothers or others around him (he still can’t believe he shares interests with Diavolo, who willingly wants to spend time with him), so he traps himself in his comfort zone, dresses up and role-plays, and creates passwords to keep those who don’t respect his passions away.

Taking that into consideration, Levi still doesn’t completely understand how he managed to end up with someone so admirable as you.

Your relationship isn’t based on romance or lust, so, despite being in love with you, your friendship is what he values the most. You are kind to him, patient and attentive, and you never make fun of what he likes even if it isn’t a particular interest of yours. He looks up to your bravery, and how you’re willing to try new things.

He really, really can’t comprehend why you chose to be with him, so the moment you share the fact that he’s your first partner, you rock his entire world.

You mean to tell him that you could’ve had anyone in the three realms, yet he’s the one that ended up dating you? Is that it??

His eyes start to sparkle and he smiles like the world finally makes sense to him.

He finally believes he deserves good things.

Satan

Before he met you, Satan didn’t really understand how far love could go; how limitless it could become if paired with the right person. He acted, more than you could ever imagine, as an obvious “matter of fact” type of guy: what it was, was, and it always had a reason to be.

Still, his intellect and charisma made him easy to like and love, and he had connections with all sorts of people, so he got to have a partner every now and then. Normally, they were established, formal relationships, but he didn’t reject casual ones if the occasion took place.

Most of the reasons for his breakups were normal: lost feelings, different directions, disagreements…; but there were others that… honestly? Took him by surprise.

And not in the good way.

The reason some of his ex-partners used to leave him that infuriated him the most was that he didn’t love them enough, or at all; and no matter how much he insisted on his feelings for them, they didn’t believe him.

The root of their conclusions?

Satan loved cats more than he loved them.

He cooed at them, made entire photoshoots, and spent copious amounts of money for the sake of feeding and playing; his cheeks reddened in uncontained excitement whenever he saw even the smallest hints of pointy ears and a long, sinuous tail; and whoever looked at his eyes each time a cat was involved could swear that he had stars in his pupils.

But could anyone blame him?

They were cats.

Besides, the love he felt for his feline companions was not comparable to what he felt for his partners, and, if they felt threatened by it, then perhaps it was never meant to be.

Once you started dating, though, Satan couldn’t help but wonder if you went through the same struggles in your own relationships as he did in his. Being accused of not giving enough while actively trying to do what you thought was best.

Even worse, would you end up having the same insecurities?

He figures the best course of action is sharing his worries, instead of letting them build up to something that could damage what you have, and it is then when he learns that he is your first partner ever.

He’s surprised, obviously, but also glad and excited. Of course, unlike his idiotic brother, Satan doesn’t find comfort in being “your first”, but now you have the possibility of exploring your relationship together.

You make him feel hope about all the love he can give you.

Asmodeus

Although perhaps not the best at relationships, he’s certainly the most experienced. Thankfully, you knew what you were getting into when you starting dating him.

His powers are born from lust, a feeling he represents with his whole being, so his behaviour nurtures from it as well and he nourishes in its abundance. The search for pleasure is, for him, as natural as breathing air or drinking water, and the result is involving himself with all types of people.

From angels to demons, including humans (and perhaps some more), Asmo has flirted and spent more than time with anyone who has shown an active interest in him and revered him as the precious jewel he is. He is a beautiful demon who deserves to be looked at and finds satisfaction in being perceived as extraordinary.

However, don’t think everything he values in a relationship is physical.

While, yes, sex plays a big part in his life, that’s not what pleasure is all about.

There’s a deep satisfaction that comes from sharing your time and thoughts with a special someone; the feeling of complicity of vulnerability that only few people can provide.

Contrary to popular belief, Asmo has been in love before. Either monogamous or polygamous, relationships aren’t unknown to him, and he has enjoyed every single one of them.

Sadly, though, for one reason or another, all of those met a mournful end.

If he had to bet on a reason, he would blame it all on his ex-partners’ insecurities.

There are downsides to being superior to all around him, after all.

And then he meets you.

Being immune to his charming powers was what made him truly notice your presence as worthy to be appreciated, and not just as a body to be cut open and ravaged, but it was the way you loved him what truly cemented the emotional pleasure he felt around you.

You don’t need to tell him about the lack of previous partners because he already knew from the beginning.

He could see that your shyness wasn’t just an adorable trait that defined you, but also a result of ignorance and inexperience.

Honestly? He thinks is incredibly cute, but nothing to be ashamed of. And why aren’t you more excited? You got the best teacher possible!

Beelzebub

Most students at RAD think he’s simply uninterested in relationships because he’s never been known to have one. Sure, various students have gloated about sharing a bed with him every now and then, but who is going to ask him to make sure those stories are true? Or any of his brothers, for that matter?

Out of all Avatars, he’s probably one of the most unapproachables and one of the easiest to fall victim to.

His sheer size and his monotone voice are enough to put people in their place, but what actually discourages others to talk to him is the moment they hear his empty stomach or see his drooling mouth. His gaze seems lost and hazy, and, the more they look at him, the less safe they feel.

Of course, those are extreme situations, and none have happened in a long time, but some things are difficult to forget.

Although Beel has had sporadic relationships, none of them have been serious or sentimental enough to be taken seriously or remembered fondly. Instead, his focus has been set on his family, his (literal) personal growth through eating and exercising, and, lately, you.

It wasn’t until you came into the picture that others outside of the family and their group of close friends finally saw him in love, blushing out of nowhere and smiling like life made sense whenever you entered the room. His bottomless stomach grew quieter.

He never gave any particular thought to the possible ex-partners you could’ve had.

You are with him, now, aren’t you? He’ll treat you right and he’ll love you more than anyone has ever done before. That’s what’s most important.

He only learns about being your first boyfriend when you’re both walking home after fangol practice, holding hands. For some reason he can’t truly understand, maybe pure curiosity, he asks you if any of your previous partners was an athlete like him, and that’s when you tell him.

Beel raises his eyebrows for just a second before shrugging, and that’s the only response he gives.

It really doesn’t matter to him, besides being a reminder that he has to make things a tad bit better just for you.

He doesn’t plan on being the current boyfriend that set the standards too high, but still; you deserve the very best.

.

.

Taglist: @ilovecandys2010 @ollieoven @kingofspadesdelusion @whimsybloom @mia4gotcookiez @tinyweebsstuff

[nohara-rin-dot-mp3]

It is a beautiful day, and Nohara Rin is planning a murder.

It is not a hard thing to plan. Humans die so very, very easily. A little too much pressure or a cut in the right place will leave a person emptied of personhood within second. It's astounding how easy it is to reduce a human being, complex and beautiful and alive, to a horrid, wretched, rotting pile of meat.

Generally speaking, when one plans a murder, one also plans a way to avoid being identified as the murderer. This is not something Rin needs to plan. The entire point of this murder is to be known as a murderer.

To be known for what she is.

It's easy to empathize with the soon-to-be-corpse. Rin, too, is horrid, wretched, and rotting. She is a shambling mess of meat dolled up in the pretty package of a girl. The main difference between them is that people will know that the corpse is a corpse.

Despite that fundamental disparity, she has reached an understanding with her victim (or rather, an understanding of her victim). She is sure that they will not mind dying. Being murdered is hardly the worst thing that can happen to a person: Rin would know, because she is experiencing worse.

It really is a beautiful day out. It's a shame she's having a hard time appreciating it.

Before long, her accomplice arrives. He is an unknowing one, but vital to the plan regardless. A poorly timed murder could be read as accidental or a simple fact of war, but the addition of an accomplice adds both witness and testament to the intention behind her actions. She needs to prove beyond reasonable doubt that she is guilty. She needs to prove that her actions were driven by spite, rage, and underneath it all, an unbearable emptiness. That there was no noble intent behind this murder that could change the definition of it to sacrifice, justifiable, or-

"Rin," says her accomplice. "We need to go."

This is step one of her plan.

They run through the rain, aimless and un-moored. Their destination, allegedly the village, does not matter. The world narrows to rain, feet on packed dirt, and the complex decision of where to commit a murder. Rin has yet to decide the exact location of it.

Her accomplice makes a helpful suggestion by skidding to a sudden stop. Rin looks over the clearing, generally not unhappy with the scenery, and decides that it is a perfectly suitable location for a murder. The branches block out the sky, leaving the stars unfortunately non-visible, but it's hardly the time to be picky.

From there, the only thing left to do is the murder itself. This is easy, easier than anything else Rin has ever done. Humans die so very, very easily, after all. The only hard part will be ensuring that it is clear that she is the one responsible for the murder, and that she did it because she is terrible and for no other reasons.

But even that seems easy, in the heat of the moment.

Rin drifts forward, rapidly untethering from reality as the moment approaches. Something giddy and light is building in her chest, unlike anything else she has ever felt. How horrific is that? Her first moment of joy arrives only in the face of homicide!

Kakashi lunges forward, and she see the face of her victim reflected in his eyes.

The murder happens like this: Rin throws her victim onto Kakashi's hand and satisfaction writhes through her guts. Her guts, also, coincidentally, fly out of her, organs mashed to paste against the unbearable force of reality. Her heart twitches once, twice, and then stops. She falls forwards, onto his outstretched arm, impaling herself further. She does not cry.

"Kakashi..." her victim rasps. All facades fall away. There is a corpse in his arms.

Rin does not die at the same time as her victim, on account of having died long before them, but everyone realizes that she is dead at the same time as they realize that her victim has been murdered. This is unfortunate. When preforming an autopsy, a mednin on the scene thought to check if the one half of the deaths were recent, and it was. No further investigation was made.

The problem with sharing a body with your murderer is that the reason behind your death will often be mis-defined as suicide.

[blackcatxmagic]

Luckily Jamie didn't ask Vale about his accident, and it helped Vale move past the uncomfortable (for him at least) moment. If he explained to Jamie what had happened, the man would understand why this was a sensitive topic, sure, but it would also kill the mood, not to mention open himself up to a lot of questions he didn't want to answer. So Vale just nodded and agreed, "Yeah, it does." Jamie understood the importance of discretion, that much was clear, and Vale appreciated that about the guy.

Shopping with Jamie was fun. Vale had never been much of a shopper, but he thought he might enjoy it more if he did it with a friend. "I wonder what it's like, looking like him," Vale said as they moved away from the deli counter, though he glanced back at the man, admiring the view one last time. "I mean, I wonder if people are just constantly throwing themselves at him, you know?" They moved through the aisles quickly, not that Vale was in a hurry because once their shopping was done, that might be the end of this fever dream of an encounter. Vale had gone from nearly breaking his own car window to shopping with a cute boy while checking out other cute boys. The day had certainly taken a turn for the better.

Vale couldn't help it: he started laughing at Jamie's comment. "I'm definitely not a rancher," he responded. "I live and work on my brother's ranch, but I'm..." Vale trailed off, trying to think of how he wanted to word this. "I'm...sort of a fish out of water there. My parents thought it was best I leave Seattle for awhile, and I didn't really have anywhere else to go." Vale didn't present this like some sob story - he didn't want or need any sympathy. It was just a statement of fact. "My brother is more of what you'd expect a rancher to be like," he went on. "Maybe I should get a cowboy hat. Do you think I could pull it off?" As he took the basket, Vale laughed, smiling at Jamie. "I only do this for the really cute guys, just so you know," he teased.

There was something about the way Jamie answered Vale's question that felt...well not dishonest, but like he was leaving parts out. But that was fine - Jamie didn't owe him anything, and Vale had left some of his own backstory out too. "So are you happy here now?" Vale asked Jamie. "Or are you still looking for your place? I can relate to that." Vale liked Cardinal Hill, but it didn't really feel like he belonged - here or anywhere else for that matter. "I'm good," he answered, "though I want some Nerds while we're here. Those are probably at the counter, right?"

Jamie had been ribbing him playfully, but he sensed the shift in Vale's demeanor when he talked about having gotten into an accident in the past and being careful since then. He was quiet for a moment and nodded. "Sorry to hear that. That sucks," he said, not pressing too hard into the matter. Maybe it was something hard to talk about, or maybe it wasn't. Jamie wasn't there to pry into the matters of someone he'd only just met.

When they hit the deli counter, Jamie smirked when he noticed Vale checking out the guy behind the counter after the comment he'd made. "Anyone with eyes would be hard pressed to pass him up, I think," he mused, moving past and continuing to grab the things he needed. It wasn't a lot, really. Mostly basics so he wouldn't starve to death at home. Bread, lunch meat, cheese. He was a quick shopper too, picking up everything without too much fuss.

It wasn't surprising to learn Vale was from Cardinal Hill. A lot of people Jamie knew were locals, or local-adjacent. "You're a rancher? You don't look like one, but then again you're the only rancher I've ever met, I think," he teased. Jamie always envisioned grizzled cowboys. When Vale asked to hold the basket, Jamie handed it over without fuss, glad that someone else wanted to hold it for him. "I could get used to this," he joked. Then the question was turned on him, on what brought him to this place.

"I kinda closed my eyes, threw a dart on a map, and it landed here," he said. "I wasn't happy where I was from. Decided to go make a life somewhere else." It wasn't a lie. It wasn't the whole truth either, but it wasn't something Jamie was ready to talk about to Vale, or anyone else for that matter. "I think I'm all set with this. You need anything else?" he asked, feeling like he was ready to head out.

[mechawolfie]

i understand it's ok to feel my feelings, andi know a lot of these feelings are a result of my upbringing, but I really do wish I didn't feel this crushing loneliness at seeing my friends have fun without me

[frodo-a-gogo]

Let us be brutally honest with ourselves and with eachother for a moment. If he weren't obese you motherfuckers would be capable of percieving evrart claires sexy sexy moral ambiguity and complex charms

[moongothic]

Seen a few people too many discuss the concept of Dragodile Baby 2 and my hot take is that there's no way in hell Crocodile would ever detransition just to go through nine months of horrible dysphoria again, let alone go through pregnancy ever again (or allow Ivankov to even touch him, what if they died and weren't able to trans Croc's gender again afterwards? Hell naw, ain't worth the risk)

But this leaves an opportunity for a Funnier Option:

Dragon wants another baby? Sure, but it's his turn to carry it >:)

[nullfier]

annoying conversations happening on twitter this week about dazai and his canonical whoreness .... very ableist delivery of people treating him like a tiny 22 yr old minor who clearly doesn't know what sex is and its getting weeeeeiirrrrd ...........

[wellfine]

Hey I found ur art uncredited on tik Tok

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMreQSnaw/

They said they "found it on Reddit" so they just decided to steal it and post it ig?? Ugh!!

Wow, that's a whole other repost to the one I thought it was going to be, lol. It's been reposted to TikTok once before, and I'm also not surprised this person got it from Reddit, where I doubt I was credited either.

At the end of the day I appreciate the heads up but there's nothing I can really do about it. The most helpful thing anyone can do is to leave comments on the reposts to provide credit,* because if artists ever try and comment then we pretty invariably get attacked. Don't be mean or aggressive, that just builds their animosity towards the artists, but I do think people respond positively to outside pressure to do the right thing 🤷

*Remember to make sure there's enough context - eg. something like "art by @ landegart on Twitter" is more searchable/useful than "artist is Landeg" to someone on TikTok who has no idea who I am haha

[age-of-moonknight]

“Pathfinder,” Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu (Vol. 2/2024), #3.

Writer: Jed MacKay; Penciler and Inker: Domenico Carbone; Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg; Letterer: Cory Petit

[taniushka12]

cinematic parallels

[matteoberrettini]

bringing positivity for once: today at work i was told that my coworkers said i'm good at tutoring 🥹 and yesterday one coworker sent me a message himself thanking me for my tutoring 🥹 and then my therapist told me the others in this group thing i'm taking part in all like me 🥹😭😭

[fisheito]

You know who you remind me of? Helga Pataki.

Please tell me you (or somebody else) gets the reference 😂

anon u turned my world to static with that namedrop

on the list of things i did NOT expect to happen ,because hUH??: someone dragging [hey arnold] into my tiny nuca inbox