#''why won't you talk about the drawbacks of relationships like this?''

[even-more-pro-fiction-jellicle]

Very firm believer and defender of "indulgent fiction doesn't have to be realistic or acknowledge any of the downsides of what would happen if this played out in real life because this isn't real life, it's an imaginary world"

[forgeofthenine]

So the tiefling Batchelor trio who's s/o turns out to be a blood hunter. What would their takes be on that?

Hi Anon, this was a very interesting request and I actually had to look into blood hunters as I've never heard of them before! For anyone like me that's never heard of them, I highly suggest taking a few minutes to read up on them. Hope everyone enjoys :)

The bachelors with a blood hunter partner

Dammon

Dammon is easily the one most accepting of his partner being a blood hunter

This man talks about how he misses working with infernal iron, a dangerous and underesearched material that he learned to wield while in the hells

He's in no position to judge you for your abilities and he realises it

Honestly, I feel like he'd be pretty curious about what you're able to do and why you do it

Once you too are quite far into your relationship there are more than a couple nights where you two stay up having deep conversations

You talking about your life as a blood hunter and what drove you to it, and him talking about his time in Avernus

If your abilities or past alter your physical appearance in any way you already know this man is telling you how good you look and how much he loves you

Dammon is always your number one hype man

Zevlor

To be honest, Zevlor thought he'd seen everything already, but seeing you use hemocraft in fights is new for him

He's honestly shocked, especially if you haven't already told him about your abilities

It takes a while for things to settle in for him, particularly when you tell him about the drawbacks of your fighting style, he's particularly worried about you giving up your own health to fight

Zevlor comes to terms with it with a bit of help, despite initially being unsettled

To be honest, the fact blood hunters are often driven away by unsettled people or seen as 'devilish' strikes a cord with him

After years of living through that same hell, there's no way he's letting you go through it anymore

If anyone dares insult you in front of him Zevlor will be throwing hands

You can take care of yourself, but that won't stop your paladin from taking the reins sometimes

Rolan

Now Rolan isn't superstitious, and he's a smart man, but blood magic unsettles him

He's cautiously curious but keeps a certain distance when he first finds out

At least give him a week or so to scour his library for relevant books so he can research

Once he's done, he'll come back with an apology, but don't ask for him to repeat himself lest Rolan tease you for being greedy

Over time he'd like to learn more about how you do what you do, hemocraft in particular being a secretive and misunderstood type of magic

Rolan would want you to help with teaching his apprentices, he'll happily start breaking down the stigma that he unintentionally perpetuated

He's completely unbothered by any changes your magic may make to you physically, as long as you're healthy he's happy

Though, Rolan will still tease you about how you're a 'big, bad blood hunter' and yet you're snuggled up against him reading a book he's picked out for you

[safyresky]

So I've only watched this last week's (this has been in my drafts for WAY too long) episode once (I usually do it twice but have yet to do a second watch and feel a rewatch will be in order at some point) but I have been rotating it around in my head since tscs mutuals first started posting their thoughts and I have SO MANY thoughts because this episode ONCE AGAIN packed soo many things in one go. Why don't they understand how PACING works? My GOD.

Anyway~

My initial thoughts before even watching the episode were "this is whack". Here's why.

This is episode 3.

Of 6.

We are halfway through. And our antagonist (Mad Santa) and Protagonist (Santa Scott) have yet to cross paths. And post watching S2E3, Mad Santa only JUST got his hands on some North Pole magic.

THREE EPISODES IN. HALFWAY THROUGH.

Do you know how much stuff is going to be packed into the next THREE EPISODES? Let me make a list (bc I LOVE lists)

Mad Santa getting back to the Pole

The obligatory "I've failed ):" from Santa Scott when Mad Santa gets to the Pole

Mad Santa GETTING to the Pole

The Council giving Scott 3 months to get Cal shipshape, and episode 3 starting with Olga saying IT'S BEEN THREE MONTHS.

(ALREADY????)

So we still have THAT to look forward to, assuming they even LISTEN to their own boundary, since we know this show's track record with continuity is. Bad.

PLUS we still have a Sandman cameo coming! And a big old snowball to be thrown in Scott's face! (I have my clown shoes on)

Carol is STILL trying to find the missing nutcracker. She has gotten no closer; her trail is so cold she's looking at JACK as a suspect (yes I saw the cameo too, absolutely delightful for us Jack stans on main)

(pun absolutely intended)

Cal and Sandy are only JUST talking to one another about how their magic training is going, and are only JUST like. Diving into the drawbacks of being raised up North AND NEVER GOING ANYWHERE as well as the trauma that must be there from experiencing life in the real world, ENJOYING IT, and being yanked back to the Pole for the "family business"

Befana and Sandy. So THAT is a thing that was lovely then fell apart for no good reason--it was ONE MISTAKE and could've been handled better Befana, come ON girlie!

Easter Bunny being turned back into his EB form (tho tbh we should keep him as a bunny. Sorry not sorry, I have always been an EB hater on main)

Cal dealing with A) first heartbreak over Riley (which was stupid, more on that later) B) not wanting to be/do the Santa thing BECAUSE of a MULTITUDE of reasons he has NOT shared with Scott and C) the fallout when he realizes the vest is gone. He is NOT going to tell his parents at ALL. His whole existence practically rides on "I gotta make Dad proud!" and this deffs won't do it, but HEY! Maybe the writers will surprise me and he'll be OPEN and HONEST with his Dad!

Bc let's be real, ALL OF THEIR PROBLEMS COULD BE SOLVED WITH OPEN COMMUNICATION

I am off topic. Deep breaths. Whew. SO. We have all THAT to focus on.

PLUS Sandy's powers! She's apparently more powerful than Befana thought? Sandy now has to deal with that SANS her mentor and I DOUBT Carol will be helpful with that. She WOULD'VE BEEN in the MOVIES. But SERIES CAROL? APPARENTLY NOT FUCKING LIKELY SINCE ALL OF HER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT HAS GONE OUT THE DOOR FOR TOKEN FEMINISM THAT IS IMMEDIATELY CHECKED OFF A LIST AND MADE IRRELEVANT WITH THE PLOT OF "One woman is jealous of another woman"

Oh my god off topic again. SORRY. RIGHT. So, we have Sandra's magic to deal with still. Her mentor/mentee relationship with Befana. Cal's own magical struggles and his relationship with his Dad in terms of Mentor/Mentee. These kids need THERAPY, SOMEONE CALL NEIL

SO ALL OF THAT. IS GOING TO BE JAM PACKED INTO THESE LAST THREE EPISODES. AND I JUST KNOW (based on last season) THE RESOLUTIONS WILL NOT PAY OFF.

So yeah, thems the opening thoughts (with some watch thoughts leaking in, admittedly).

AS FOR THE EPISODE ITSELF.

OH BOY.

It's still very mid. It gives a lot of good bits but either A) contradicts them or B) gives them not enough time to flourish (see: Carol and Befana for A, and Cal and Sandra for B). It is also STILL ignoring its own continuity, and not just from the movies, but from literally the first two episodes of the season!

Did Cupid not say. One to two episodes ago. "Hey Santa, we, the Council, aren't really sure about this Cal thing? So uh. You've got three months. and if it's not working out. We're calling it."

And did Olga not say. At the start of this episode. "It's been THREE MONTHS since we escaped and we are NO CLOSER" yadda yadda yadda.

So THREE MONTHS have passed between THIS EPISODE, AND THE LAST ONE?

SO WHERE THE HELL IS THE COUNCIL? HELLO???

I actually thought that that would be like, the big crunch time thing for the series, you know? THE plot motivator. Or at least, one of many. Like I was expecting a montage and for each episode to have a month packed in and for the final episode to involve resetting everything to Scott's ideal status quo and defeating Mad Santa and Olga. Needless to say, I was SHOOK when they opened with THAT.

Olga and Magnus are fucking hilarious, full stop. I kinda want Olga to do a stab ngl!! Their whole dynamic has been interesting lol.

The Judy cameo was a fun Easter egg, but it's a shame they didn't give it a bit more hype, you know? That would've been fun. The Jack cameo (if we can even call it that) was ALSO a fun Easter Egg, tho I am much too mad at Carol's writers rn to be like WOO JACK. But you bet your ASS I saw that lil easter egg, lol. It's kinda frustrating? They keep throwing these lil cameos/easter eggs at us like it's an attempt to placate us or smth. Idk, I am tired and JADED and Don't Trust Like That.

Right so what else. Going in for round two. Wish me luck:

Agree with ALL OF YOU about the poor elves being used as reindeer stand ins 🙄🙄 AWFUL. SOMEONE KNOCK THIS GUY OFF A ROOF FOR GOOD! DAMN! (Santa not Cal)

Sandra and Carol. GOD. So much cringe! SO MUCH! BECAUSE OF BAD PARENTING. HOW DO THEY SUCK SO MUCH AT BEING PARENTS? WE ALREADY HAD 3 MOVIES OF THIS AND CAROL WAS NEVER A W F U L

(RIP spider on Carol's shoulder)

Carol and Scott talking about the kids was just. They are SO OUT OF TOUCH. AND SCOTT HAS A SISTER??? I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS PERIODT. He has only child energy, and wow did he EVER suck at reassuring Carol. Anyone else sick of Old White Men? Anyone?

Sandra reading the transformation spell and then accidentally doing it is deffs foreshadowing. She's gonna transform the SHIT out of Magnus, calling it NOW

EB HAS APPEARED! KIDNAPPED BY OLGA! ICONIC! And they were PALS??? Magnus I am so intrigued. Who Are You

And obligatory "BLERG BLAH CONTINUITY" re: EB being there all the way back then

NTS: There is an Easter Gopher too. I am taking notes.

Scott being an undignified, pathetic name: GET HIS ASS (count: 9)

EB is so wrong about Peeps. He is falling lower and lower on my list of Legendary Figures. Him laying the egg. Cool EB magic, disgusting execution. I am 99% sure bunnies don't even LAY EGGS

Where tf do they get the eggs from???

OKAY CAL AND SANDRA

Love that they're having sibling bonding. "doing it for everyone but yourself" GET HIS ASS, SANDY. (GHA Count for Cal: 1). Hate how short the scene was and how it boiled down to a sort of silly joke (being a crossguard instead of Santa). Like. They could;ve axed the dinner with Noel scene, cut tight to Santa training Buddy (Cal), and after that debacle moved on to sibling scene and having them bond. Like. There is substance and it is there but it is not being well executed. LET THE KIDS HAVE ROOM FOR GROWTH! (but dani! we have 3 more episodes to go! SEE MY FIRST LIST! THEY DON'T HAVE THE TIME!)

Santa asking for a jetpack and Carol being like "don't force your son up there to get over the heights thing" and then telling him to just say "I love you and I'm proud", GET HIS ASS (GHA Count Scott Edition: 10. And we're not even halfway through the episode). GOD. I wish Carol would take her own advice re: Santa and Cal and apply it to Sandra and Herself, come the fuck ON guys. DO BETTER.

DINNER WITH BEFANA (Scott: can't make it Carol: Gonna kill him. GET HIS ASS)

Cool idea, HORRIBLE execution. I am not a fan of how Carol was like "woo! ladies being ladies!" and them immediately we get a plotline of her being jealous of another woman. It's very. Token/preformative feminism. It's like they are checking items off of a list. I dislike how SHALLOW most of these subjects are in the series. Like, if you don't know how to handle something like that, THEN DON'T WRITE IT. GOD.

Like. When Sandy lifts the salt with magic, SUPPORT IT. Don't be like I NEED TO ONE UP IT. Also, interesting that Mrs. Claus. Despite being Legendary by marriage. Doesn't have magic?? I think she should. GIVE CAROL MAGIC 2k23. Carol overreacted and then so did Sandy and I just think that this whole La Befana/Mrs. Claus plotline could've been done better!

Especially Befana inviting Carol over and then Carol promptly asking if she should bring a broom, something something, witch stereotypes being a thinly veiled allusion to magical racism something something

I BET IF BUDDY HAD GONE WITH CHARLIE TO THE "CLUB" HE WOULD'VE GOT IN JUST FINE

"Are you talking to the float or me" I am SO angry for Cal/Buddy. The poor kid thinks his Dad is super not proud of him, his whole existence seems to hinge on his dad's approval and I am so upset about all the implications of this I'm gonna explode things with my MIND

"Hare to the throne" Cal you are so stupid. And my GOD the Hare vs Heir argument being the reason Sandy explodes things like I just. That could've been done better.

This whole SCENE could've been done better! Befana didn't need to be so mean! It was an ACCIDENT. She explains it loud and clear and what do you MEAN something else entirely I'm SCREAMING. Befana being like we're stepping back? Like. UGH. And then the jealousy thing? Oh wow! More pitting ladies against ladies! GOD. I'm so upset about this whole thing it's unreal ):<

OKAY. SO THE SLEIGH STEALING SCENE AND WHERE THAT GOES.

WE LOVE TO SEE BUDDY AND SANDRA BONDING! STEALING THE SLEIGH! (not to get all OCs on main but JACQUELINE APPROVES). I love to see them working together to be delinquents, but my GOD the Riley thing

UGH

Like. I know we're supposed to feel bad for Buddy but like, the whole romance between him and Riley has been so ick and the way their breakup went. It was like. You KNOW. It was written to be poignant with lines like "you're always busy with your dad" and "I want you to dust me so that you never met me" which would have worked if. You know. They weren't FIVE. (16-18). It just didn't work :\. I haven't had time to like, enjoy them and they made Riley very, very. Unlikable tbh.

ALSO. Cal from CALGARY? As a Canadian, THERE ARE A BUNCH OF OTHER PLACES YOU COULD'VE PICKED! VANCOUVER? TORONTO? YOU WENT WITH CAL FROM CALGARY? I can't with y'all. ALSO. THEY DID SCHOOL TOGETHER FOR A YEAR. I FEEL AS THOUGH THE KIDS SHOULD KNOW WHO HE IS. OH YEAH THAT WEIRD EXCHANGE STUDENT WE HAD FOR A YEAR. Y'ALL ARE DOING LONG DISTANCE? SUPER! LIKE. HELLO???

Kudos to Sandra for being the funniest bitch alive with the creeping in the corner like "That was rough af bud." It's giving

ehehehe.

And FINALLY Mad Santa has his magic back. Here's how I'm guessing the next episode is going to work:

Mad Santa practises using his magic to make Santaopolis all fancy smancy

Manages to make it up north by the end of the episode

Cal has a fallout with his Dad over the Santa vest thing

It becomes a bigger deal than expected

Sandy cameo probably bc EB is missing and he was last seen THERE (Man Santa, you're really getting on the Council's radar in all the bad ways, huh? Putting Jack to shame! 273 counts of attempted upstaging of Santa vs how many billion counts of magical exposure? And an EB kidnapping? Bc I bet that'll be a thing posited next episode)

As if La Befana can't undo a spell (I AM ROLLING MY EYES)

They will make ZERO progress on figuring out who Mad Santa is and they will be very confused when he makes it to the North Pole next episode

I also tho wouldn't be surprised if they stretch Mad Santa getting to the Pole to episode 6. That seems on brand for how they treat pacing (as if it does not exist).

tl;dr: too much preformative stuff. very mid. Cal and Sandy are fun but I wish they were given more time to shine! Pour one out for our boy Noel who is having a rough go of it tbh and Kris too who's gonna get back from Costco very, very confused

[sadaveniren]

Do you still think the alycia follow and like won't amount to another full bearding relationship?

Yupppp. I’ve been saying Elounor have been over since… at least August or so. Right after Glastonbury. So my take about Alycia or any other new beard has always taken the idea of Louis being “single” into account.

I actually have said that I think he’s leaning heavier into BG specifically because he won’t have a long term beard. Maybe he’ll randomly get linked with people in the tabloids (can’t stop that and it’s a drawback of being single and famous) but I think (and Louis and his team have said) that Louis is going to be going the full indie route which includes not talking about his personal life at all. To maintain his closet in that scenario, which I think he is going to want to do, having a son is much more effective than trying to maintain a long term beard. Especially because again, I don’t think he’s going to be doing stuff publicly with Freddie in the coming years. I think Louis is going to disappear when he’s not touring/doing promo, or his public sightings will be with his band/Oli/the lads.

Of course I could be wrong! But my thing is, if he still wanted a beard why get a new one? Elounor was insanely easy to maintain, and with Eleanor spending 2022 doing more independent stuff it proved she could be very separated from him and elounor fans were still completely satisfied. The hecticness of a new beard - especially going to someone who fandom knows was the other choice to Danielle - would be… hilarious honestly. But ultimately unnecessary especially considering what has been said by Louis and his team about Louis’ plans for his public life.

[itstimetodrew]

Can we get more NWH Goblin thoughts?

Can you?? CAN YOU???

yeah I always want to talk about him :)

I guess I will just...expand on my feelings of why I do and don't like him in the movie lol

SO!! I think there's a big difference between a choice being "out of character" versus a choice just being a different path for a character. I think his character makes sense, it's just less compelling to me personally. The conflict for him in the new movie is cool because it's about him (Normie hehe) realizing he doesn't have any say in this partnership. It's gone too far but he can't stop it. The thing he thought would help him gain control has instead taken it from him. Sad!

The downside to that though is now the movie just takes a black-and-white approach to 'Norman is good and the Goblin is bad' which is just...idk it's boring for me, sorry. Like I don't disagree with the themes that everyone deserves help, and even if you offer help that doesn't mean they will accept it or go along with what you think is right for them. But this is also where the complaints pop up from people who think this movie is too sympathetic about a power-hungry guy who makes his money off supplying weapons to the military and like...they aren't wrong lol

And while I like that whole 'out of control' aspect, him not having any personal stakes isn't as interesting. Like okay sure, he wants power, but why here? The MCU world is so much larger, he's a small fish in a big pond now instead of a big fish in the small pond that his original world is. Like I guess to try and fix it a bit you could have Norman/Goblin trying to get home because he wants to bring that tech back to his world where he'd get an even stronger foothold with it. Could further complicate the conflict of some villains wanting to go back while others want to stay...idk

And the family aspect isn't there either. A lot of OG Norman/Goblin's fixation on Peter/Spider-Man is out of misplaced paternal feelings be he has an actual son right there that he's ignoring lmao. I think one issue with the handling of multiverse stuff in these movies is they try to take a shortcut of 'well they're enemies because they're Spider-Man and the Green Goblin' but I need more! They just kinda keep the theme of Goblin trying to be an influence on New Peter without that underlying relationship to explain why it would even matter to him. I won't discount the justification of 'it doesn't have to make sense, he's being irrational' because sure, I do love a 'because I want to' self-sabotaging villain, but it's still a pretty half-assed excuse 😭

On that note, another drawback I see with the trend of franchises bringing back old characters is that they have to straddle a line of reminding viewers of The Thing Before but not being SO prominent they overshadow The Thing Now (imo this also happened with Pokemon at the end rip). It usually leaves the targeted fans coming back for nostalgia still unsatisfied anyway. Some reference is thrown out, or there's a hint of some interesting new take on an old idea, but that isn't what they're trying to market right now so it's not pursued. I'm still annoyed we got a fight scene of OG Spider-Man vs Green Goblin to the filming stage but by the final movie it's cut and they don't exchange a single word. 😒 The defense I usually see is 'that would be too much fanservice, move on from those characters' as if this isn't Fanservice: We Know You Can't Move on From These Characters - The Movie smh (and we had time for that stupid meme line AGH!)

OKAY now I'm complaining too much uhhh more good things lol I like his new little junk food habit. That's cute! :3 This would have killed in 2013...memes of this dude with little donuts and burritos everywhere...I want to see this self-important man asking high schoolers to explain what a crunchwrap supreme is and then making himself sick after downing 4 back-to-back. AND THE DILF SHIP!!! Yeah. Yeah that was an excellent development. I love their dynamic of 'SHUT UP I HATE YOU I HOPE YOU DIE AGAIN 🤬' vs 'huh??🥺..I thought we were friends...😢💔' swapping sides. It made me write like 30 years of lore in my head for them... 😔 (<- me, burdened and crazed with copious old man yaoi thoughts and lore for comic book movies)

Long story short he's gonna be the same case as my other favorite characters. Wish he was getting new material. Except I don't wish that because I don't think it would be very good. But I miss him so much. I will instead find satisfaction making stories in my mind and pouring over the bits of characterization I have from decades ago...my one true skill, my passion!! 💪

[twinhood-2dot0]

Psychology of Superheroes

Good evening Alex , I forgor and now i'm pressed for time and have no idea what to write :(. Luckily, I've been reading the New 52 Batgirl series so that gave me this idea. So, people have this weird thing where they think comics are for kids. Sure, they may have started off as a kids' thing, but the comics nowadays are much, much more mature, and I'm a DC fan, who're called the darker franchise, which I get, but more so because of the Zack Snyder movies (which I love, but WHY THE HELL IS MAN OF STEEL SO DARK??? SUPERMAN IS THE BEACON OF HOPE AND THE CHEERY GUY ON THE JUSTICE LEAGUE although Henry Cavill slays the role, okay, back to the topic) and TDK trilogy, and DC has, like, so many R-rated movies and series, but DC does have it's comedy, like Shazam!, The Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn and such, anyways, on to the psychology of the comic book characters.

Batgirl

As my favourite character, I'm gonna be talking about her first. Barbara Gordon had a relatively mild childhood, uncharacteristic of a Bat, but, she did have a psychopathic brother and her mother left early on because of him. Being the daughter of the commissioner has it's drawbacks as showcased in the highly controversial graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke. One of the issues people have with the comic is the crippling (and much more I really don't want to talk about) of Babs by the Joker just to further Batman's character. She did not let it get the best of here though, and took the role of Oracle, an information broker to the Batfam and the Justice League. She also mentored Cassandra Cain, the new Batgirl, which I also loved, relationships in comics just hit different for me.

Come New 52, DC's reboot of the whole franchise in 2011, controversially, gave Barb the use of her legs back with a neural implant. She was an icon for the differently-abled community, and fans were understandably upset at DC for backpedaling on it. However I think Gail Simone handled it pretty well as she did not just erase her history, she's shown with survivor's guilt for being able to walk again, and doubting herself as Batgirl again, but, that's just my two cents, I'm not the best person to comment on it. The comic was relaunched in 2014 however, which I'm not a big fan of, so far, I've only read 4 issues though, but I don't know, it just didn't feel like a Barbara Gordon storyline to me, here's to hoping it gets better. Also, in the Rebirth relaunch, she's Batgirl for a while, before going back to the role of Oracle and mentor to the new Batgirls, Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain (yeah, after New 52, Cassie was never Batgirl, so she's the new Batgirl, again. If you think this is confusing, oh boy, DC's timeline is just plain broken). Funny story, fans of Steph sent waffles to DC HQ to get them to bring her back.

The rest of the Batfam

Everyone and their grandparents know Bruce Wayne's backstory, so I won't be getting into that. Dick Grayson, I've talked about before, but a few events I haven't talked about: Batman's (apparent) death in Final Crisis and the dilemma of the Batman legacy, Damian Wayne's death, who he saw as a brother, Jason Todd's death, also brotherly, Barbara's crippling, his on-again-off-again girlfriend and 2nd best couple in all of comics, his identity being revealed to the world in the Forever Evil storyline which I absolutely loved, one of the first comics I ever read and never understood anything then revisited recently and makes a ton more sense now. Oops, sorry, I'm bad at staying on topic. After Forever Evil he was forced to pretend to be dead and go undercover in Spyral, a, you guessed it, spy agency. Not really undercover, since everyone knew who he was, but he was there to report back to Batman. Also, don't ask me how no one connected the dots and wondered who Batman could be when the identity of Nightwing, frequent collaborator of Batman, and whose adoption lined up with his appearance as Robin, was revealed.

Jason Todd was a juvenile delinquent who was unfortunate enough to stumble upon Batman when he was depressed after Dick left. He also uh, died and was brought back to life, and resented Batman for not killing Joker and avenge him.

Tim Drake's parents were deadbeat and his father and girlfriend ended up dying. I'm really sorry, I've read like 3 comics featuring him lmao, I know very little about him. Even DC seems to forget him sometimes, and his secret identity is a mess. He was Robin, then he became Red Robin when Batman died and Damian became Robin, and, I'm not kidding, Drake. Yep, master detective, shown to be smarter than Batman, chose the secret identity of Drake. Sure, that's a bird name, BUT THAT'S ALSO YOUR LAST NAME YOU DOLT!

Damian Wayne was raised by an assassin to be an assassin and his dad dies very soon after he met him, and he also dies. Strong correlation between Robins and death.

Stephanie Brown's father is Cluemaster, a C-list supervillain who spent most of his life in jail, so, deadbeat and villainous dad.

Cassandra Cain's father was David Cain, master assassin, who raised her to be an assassin, poor girl can't even talk because her speech center is a body language center so she can react to moves before it's made.

Kate Kane was in the army, kicked out for being lesbian, idk anything else about her except she has a complicated relationship with Batman.

The Flash

Barry Allen's mother was murdered by Reverse Flash who swore to ruin Barry's life for being The Flash, and his father was sent to jail for her murder because the police can't arrest a time traveling speedster from the future. Barry grew up to become a CSI to absolve his father when one day he was struck by lightning and doused in chemicals which made him lightning fast. Eobard Thawne was obsessed with The Flash and tried to live up to his legacy when he got superspeed but failed and decided to ruin his life instead. So Eobard caused Barry to become The Flash which caused Eobard to become the Reverse Flash and so on.

Wally West is my favourite flash WHO DC HATES FOR SOME REASON. Wally had abusive parents, got his speed when visiting Barry's lab in the same exact way. After Barry's death in Crisis on Infinite Earths, he had to take up the mantle and deal with his grief and settling into his role. Okay, now for the sad part. In 2011, DC rebooted everything ,as stated before. Wally was one of the casualties of the reboot. He was replaced with another character, whose name was, Wallace/Wally West. Not joking. He's pretty much exactly the same person, but biracial and less fun, for diversity reasons I guess??? I'm all for diversity but come on, don't do it by erasing a much beloved character. He's brought back 5 years later in the Rebirth relaunch, and Wallace's story is retconned. Wally is the only one who returned and his wife and twins are erased, but he still remembers them, and his wife exists, but their history never happened, so Wally has to deal with the loss of his wife and kids. His friends in the Titans also forgot that he existed, but remember him after uh, shock therapy. And then, Heroes In Crises happened. God, how I hate this story. This is the only story I've ever read concurrently and the wait was painful and each issue got more and more controversial. I won't go much into it, but in brief, Wally accidentally kills a bunch of heroes from overload of emotions from the trauma he experienced and he tries to cover it up. First of all, Wally is the last person who'd do something like this, given all that he's experienced, and second goddammit I hate how the story treats him. He's sent off to Iron Heights Penitentiary at the end of the story. He does get his wife and kids back later on, but this is where I'm at now. I have to read the New 52 batfam because Dick dies and I need to know his whole story and also Barbara's story, and then I need to catch up on Rebirth Batfam and Rebirth Flash, I read most of Rebirth Flash, but I'll need to re-read. Okay, that's it from me today, catch you later. - Alia

[zodiactalks]

Love Life with Scorpio Woman & 5 Brutal Truths

Scorpio women are some of the most controversial signs out there, permanently inhabiting that spot between love them or hate them.

They're outspoken, argumentative, domineering, independent, and demanding; They're also seductive, passionate, charismatic, capable, and piping hot.

Scorpios may not be a fire sign, but they're still perfectly capable of burning you, which is one of the reasons why this controversial sign can be so misunderstood.

A relationship with a Scorpio woman may be an incredibly tempting thing, but it can also be a very challenging experience.

However, there is good news. A solid and healthy relationship with a Scorpio woman can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. You just need to work to get it.

And how does one achieve it? By knowing these brutal truths about Scorpio women.

#1. You can't control them (And they'll try to control you.)

You can't control Scorpio women, that's just a fact of life. Any attempt at imposing your will or controlling their choices will result in an argument if you're lucky, and in the end of your relationship if you're not.

You can have as many different opinions as you want, but the moment she feels like you're trying to impose those opinions on her? It's game over. Not only will you lose the argument, but you'll probably lose their respect too.

Scorpios value their independence more than most other Zodiac signs, which alone could explain why they're so opposed to being controlled.

However, that's just half of the picture. The other half comes from Scorpio's desire to control.

While some signs are perfectly okay with you doing whatever you want as long as you let them do the same, that's not the case for Scorpio, and that applies to both men and women.

Scorpios will try to be in control at all times, and more often than not, they will.

They're cunning and charming enough to know how to be in control without you even realizing it, tipping the power balance until it rests firmly on their side.

While this can sound intimidating, if not downright scary, you'll be surprised it often works for couples.

When a Scorpio woman feels secure that she's the head of a relationship, she'll pour all of her efforts and energy into making that relationship work.

Scorpios are tremendously committed to their relationships and will try their best to make them work. They just know how to do it in their own terms. Not only because they're control freaks, but also because they do their best work when they feel secure in their position.

#2. They'll leave you out of many aspects of their lives.

Scorpios are very private individuals, and they'll try their best to keep the world and others from looking too closely at their private businesses, regardless of whether they have something to hide.

Simply put, they believe that some things are better kept private, and they rarely go around advertising it to others, be it in person or on social media.

This desire for privacy tends to extend to their family and love lives; though Scorpios are more likely to share their life with their loved ones, this doesn't mean they will.

In fact, they tend to operate on a strict need to know basis. If they feel like it's crucial for you to know how their day went, they'll tell you; If they know you'd like to hear something, they'll tell you.

If they don't feel like it's something you'd care about or don't feel like talking about it, though? Then they'll keep it to themselves. Period.

This particular trait can make a Scorpio woman come off as aloof and disinterested and can make their partners feel excluded. However, it's important to recognize that this lack of sharing doesn't mean your Scorpio lady doesn't trust you or doesn't love you.

She just doesn't want to bother you with things that don't involve you, and yes, you might think that anything that involves her involves you, but they literally don't see things that way.

They'd rather save their words and energy to tell you the things they know you need to hear.

#3. They're very demanding.

Scorpio women know what they want and when they want it, and they'll never settle for less than what they've decided they deserve.

When it comes to relationships, it means they'd rather be alone than to settle.

Scorpio women have a list of characteristics they want in their partners, and will carefully go through every item with their possible suitors, who will then be quickly discarded if they don't make the cut.

Yes, Scorpio women aren't likely to waste time in a relationship and "hope for the best." They like to place their bets when the odds are in their favor.

Rest assured, however, that while it may seem like Scorpio is asking too much from their possible partners, they're more than willing to give back exactly what they're asking for.

Most Scorpio women don't fool around when it comes to dating. If they choose to date, they commit to it, and if they choose someone they want to spend their life with, they'll move the earth and the sky to make that relationship work.

Scorpio women are some of the most loyal and dedicated lovers out there. They just need to make sure their efforts will be worth it, and to ensure that they're as picky as they come.

#4. They're scarily passionate.

While Scorpios are often described as cold and aloof, that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Yes, if they don't care about you, they won't give you the time of the day, but if they do love you, and they want to spend the rest of their lives with you?

You'll be in for an extremely passionate relationship.

They're seductive, they're incredibly sexy, they're sensual, and they live to love their partners.

Remember, Scorpio women don't choose their partners lightly, so when they've found "the one" for them, they tend to cut loose and become a loving, adoring, devoted person.

Of course, all that passion does have its drawbacks, as Scorpio women can come off as a little too intense at times, and they're definitely a jealous bunch, but a relationship with a Scorpio woman is one that will never lack passion.

#5. They hold grudges forever.

You know this, we know this, they know this; Scorpio women can hold grudges forever, and it even seems like they enjoy doing it.

Let's be clear, this isn't a trait exclusive to Scorpio women, this is a Scorpio trait in general, but Scorpio women have elevated it to an art form.

If you're on their good side, it can be an absolutely hilarious thing to witness; Scorpio women are sharp, sarcastic, and brutally honest, so hearing them talk about the people they dislike can be an incredibly funny experience.

If you're on their bad side, however, you better beware.

While Scorpio women tend to be happy just holding a grudge and badmouthing others, if they see an opportunity to strike, they will.

Luckily, it's very hard to piss off a Scorpio woman, but if you've managed, or worse, if you've betrayed their trust, you can bet they'll never forget it.

[loveofshows]

Flustered

Day 11; secretly dating

A big thanks to my sister, @folded-wings for helping me out with this.

ao3

---

Being a hero was what Hitoshi had expected and more. It was exciting as he imagined but it was also boring. Paperwork was boring and he understood why Aizawa always left it until the last minute.

Though being a hero was great and everything, it had some drawbacks. Being an underground pro hero, Hitoshi had to keep a lot from the public, which meant that his boyfriend had to keep their relationship from the public as well.

While Izuku didn’t mind keeping his life private from the public, sometimes it was a little bit frustrating that he couldn’t tell the people he was taken. Especially to the ones who keep trying to flirt with them.

Hitoshi didn’t have a problem with this, not really. In fact, he enjoyed watching Izuku get flustered on live television. Sometimes, when he’s out and he happens to be near Izuku while he works, he likes to go up and talk to him.

And that’s what Hitoshi had in mind when he was given a day off. Instead of going to their apartment to sleep, he found that Izuku was fighting nearby.

By the time he arrived at the scene, the fight was over and Izuku had just finished giving his report to the cops. A bunch of fans were near, and some were standing a little too close for comfort, evidenced by Izuku trying to politely step back or push them away.

Now, Hitoshi wasn't the jealous type, far from it, in fact. With a boyfriend like Izuku, he could understand all the fanboys and girls, and of course, Hitoshi trusted Izuku to never cheat.

However, what kind of boyfriend would he be if he didn't help out?

So, making sure Izuku's back was to him, Hitoshi snuck his way forward, and snaking his arm around his boyfriends arm, Hitoshi began to flirt.

"So, you come here often?"

Hitoshi had to stifle his laugh at Izuku's jolt. Izuku looked at him, his face switching from nervous, surprised, flustered to annoyed all in the span of a second. Impressive.

"Well, only when villains are near," Izuku replied, trying to stay professional.

Hitoshi smiled at that. This was gonna be fun.

"You should drop by more often than. I know a great coffee shop just down the road, I think you'll love it."

The fans had gone quiet, watching the pro heroes like they were some drama show on TV.

"Well, uh, I'm pretty busy with work, so I'm not sure when I'll get the time. And I know you're an underground hero, so it'll be kinda difficult for us, ya know?"

"True." Hitoshi used his free hand to start rubbing Izuku's arm, giving his muscles a not so subtle squeeze. "But I think we can make it work, don't you?"

Hitoshi was pretty sure he broke the fans. But, it's only fair they get to see a flustered Izuku every once and a while too.

---

"Why did you do that?!" Was the first words out of Izuku's mouth the moment the door closed behind them.

Hitoshi could only grin at himself as he walked towards the kitchen, not feeling an ounce of regret.

"Don't you walk away from me! Hitoshi!"

"What, you clearly needed help." Hitoshi got the coffee pot started before rummaging through the fridge for something to eat.

"Now you're gonna be all over the news. Ugh, I can hear it now: Pro Heroes Deku and Mindjack Dating, more at seven. And then they'll make up a bunch of stuff about us because they always do that. And your face will be everywhere!"

"But, you won't have to worry about people flirting with you left and right."

Having found what he was looking for, Hitoshi tossed the leftovers into the microwave before making his way to Izuku, wrapping him in a reassuring hug.

"I get that you're worried, but c'mon, we're both pro heroes. We'll be fine. And besides, it'll only be a rumour, since we didn't actually go anywhere together."

"...I suppose."

“One day we’ll let the world know about us. But for now let them speculate. There’s no harm in that.”

”Yeah okay. You’re still in trouble though.”

”Mm, okay.”

[kamyru]

Why MC is out of their league? (Headcanons)

It's canon that every LI in Her Love in the Force thinks that MC is out of their league. So, I made a list of headcanons and canons about why they think like this.

Jin Namba

He is too old for her.

Namba had a relationship that failed. Of course, he knows how it feels to lose someone because of your actions. So, he doesn't want to make MC go through something like this.

MC's feelings are so genuine that he knows he can't give them all they deserve. Jin puts work before everything else. In his eyes, MC needs someone who can put her in the first place, as she deserves.

He is afraid he won't be able to protect her.

Hideki Ishigami

EMOTIONAL DAMAGE. Emotional damage. Emotional damage. (Though, I can say the same thing about everyone.)

She has more experience in human interactions than him. She isn't supposed to teach a grown-up man how to act in a relationship when she can do so much better.

Everyone has been telling him how he doesn't have emotions and is a machine. He has always been intelligent. Though, in his eyes, MC is the emotionally intelligent one.

Hyogo Kaga

Emotional...ly constipated. She is bubbly and cute and deserves someone to show her how fantastic she is. I think that we share the same idea about words and actions, though, just like me, he has problems showing this. That's what I'm talking about: You need actions to prove your words and words to prove your actions.

Okay. Okay. I'll give you that. Emotional damage. Emotional damage. Emotional damage.

His dad. Not having good parental figures in his life made him afraid to become the same monster his dad was.

Guilt. It is eating Kaga alive, and he can't live with the fact that he can't protect those who are important to him. MC is too pure to be dragged in something like this. And he is too weak to keep her away from damage. So, she needs someone who can do it.

Shusuke Soma

MC didn't do a single bad thing in her entire life, while Soma lives with a heavy sense of guilt.

She is cute, naive, devoted. Soma isn't. Or, at least that's what he and others may think.

He is afraid to lose her. He lost an important person in his life. History tends to repeat itself. So, he doesn't want to put her in any danger. Because he is so absorbed in his work, he thinks she needs someone to take care of her more often.

Soma knows that he can be pushy or too much. He doesn't want to make her decide things she will regret later.

Takaomi Tsugaru

You all know what I'm going to say. EMOTIONAL DAMAGE. EMOTIONAL DAMAGE. EMOTIONAL DAMAGE. EMOTIONAL DAMAGE.

He has suicidal ideas. And having them makes it hard to create new connections and have a stable relationship. Because why start when you know that it ends up soon?

She is more naive than an average human being. So, he wants to protect this part of her. Though, a relationship with him means dealing with his demons. And his demons are worse than average demons.

The guilt that is eating him alive. When you're feeling guilty, you tend to think that most of the people are better than you, that you will hurt them, that they deserve someone better.

MC is so much more courageous than him. Or, at least, in his imagination. I bet he thinks she needs more courage to love someone as damaged as him than he needs to love someone as fantastic as her.

Seiji Goto

Like Ishigami, Goto thinks that MC can find someone better at interacting with people than him.

He thinks he is just the average boy next door, while MC is more than that. So, she needs someone better.

MC has more than just basic knowledge about being a functional human. Goto is on the verge of being eaten alive by a T-Rex that somehow hatched from an egg he thought was from a chicken and got buried into a pile of papers. Who in their right mind will be willingly deal with him?

His modesty may be a charming point, but it's, at the same time, a drawback. Seiji is so in love with MC that he can't accept that he can be enough for her.

Ayumu Shinonome

He has loved Sachi for so long that he has no idea how to love someone else. MC is too important for him to do emotional experiments on her.

He has Tobio Kageyama's "Knife, nuff, nice." syndrome. He has no idea how to compliment people, even if he wants to. MC better find someone who can tell and show her how wonderful she is.

He is a rich kid. Of course, at first, it wasn't like this. Though, I think he has a hard time connecting and understanding people that aren't as lucky as him, especially if those people are important to him. And I think that that's one of the reasons why he is so close to Kaga and Kurosawa. Because Soma, Goto, and Ishigami are just simple human beings.

Also, Shinonome has an imposter complex. MC may not be the best detective in the world and lacks basic knowledge, but she worked, works, and will work hard to achieve her dream. While Shinonome's dream is what...? He feels that she is more suitable than him for being a detective.

Toru Kurosawa

Let's end these headcanons with what we started. Emotional damage. Emotional damage. Emotional damage.

He is the typical red flag that people must avoid at all costs. The only thing is that he understands it. So, when he falls in love with MC, he doesn't want to make her dirty with the sh*t he has to deal with daily.

Toru may be good at sex and seducing people. But he isn't good at keeping his relationships. Just like Ayumu, he doesn't want to make experiments on that human being who understands and loves him regardless.

He has to deal with things that are too dangerous for entering a relationship. He doesn't want to worry MC because he hurt himself or died.

Toru lacks confidence. Every single mistake he makes instantly becomes a big problem in his eyes. Of course, he doesn't want to make MC deal with his "dumbness".

[kittycatchan16]

How will Vanitas die? And why?

The first part of question is easy to answer. Vanitas will die because Noe killed him. That much we get from the first chapter of manga (and episode 1 in anime).

"That was the beginning. This is the tale of how I met Vanitas and how we walked toghether...Of all we gained and lost...And how at the end of that journey...I would kill him with my own two hands" ~ Noe, chapter 1

It seems that this is it. We have our answer. Noe will kill Vanitas and now the question is why?

And yet in chapter 11 we learn this:

"Even now I vividly remember the color of the rising sun I saw then. And all too easily the memories of the beginning summon memories of the end. The things that slipped through my fingers...The regrets of that day when I didn't grab your hand- [and in the background the picture of Noe's bloodied hand reaching Vanitas's]" ~ Noe, chapter 11

Is Noe talking about same situation? Or two separate events? One leading to another.

Also what does Vanitas mean here:

1) Vanitas calls Noe

2) Then in the next panel we see him say: "I won't die...Noe. Even if I'm no longer here..."

Does Vanitas mean to say it as reassurence? Now, I don't mean that kind of reasurance: " Even if I died, I'll forever be in your heart/memory", I meant it literally; remember chapter 6 when Noe and Dominique where crossing borders and Vanitas joined them? Noe was furious becuase Vanitas could have gotten stuck between them and remain there forever.

Maybe that's what Vanitas mean. That he'll be stuck in a place like this but still alive. Noe couldn't/wouldn't grab Vanitas's hand and so he is stuck.

I don't think that Noe would willingly not help Vanitas, even considering the current events of chapter 52. Future-Noe seems to genuinly regret not helping him so even if currently their relationship is rocky it will (at some point) return to what they had previously-maybe their relationship will get even better. (I hope so at least)

But back to the topic. As to why Noe wouldn't save Vanitas-it won't necessarily be his choice. Either he will be: a) too late (won't be present during the situation, will come only for the aftermatch), b) manipulated and not thinking straight in that moment, c) forced to not help Vanitas (circumstances or maybe even the oath he is under- thanks to Lord Ruthven).

And Future-Noe while writing "Les Memoires de Vanitas" is thinking about the possibilities of what could have been done diffrently, so that Vanitas could live normally. (And is generally blaming himself for the outcome).

Of course, there can be other interpretation of those clues.

1) In the panel where Vanitas says that he won't die, we can see someone; there is a smirking person with long white hair- hair that reminds me of Luna /Vanitas (The Vampire of Blue Moon)- so they could be connected to the whole situation.

2) Noe is speaking metaphorically about not grabing Vanitas's hand- he didn't help Vanitas or he let Vanitas go/do something alone which led to his death.

Now, taking those points into account, here's my theory: Vanitas wasn't himself before his death. He was either possesed or on the verge of losing himself.

You see, ever since Vanitas reavealed that he was just ordinary human being and that he had inherited name and the Book of Vanitas from the original vampire (how exactly it happened is a theory for another day) I was curious how exactly is it possible for human to mendle with formulas (even with help from the magic book). Then the ball from chapter 7 happened and we got answers. Because of the bite mark Vanitas got this powers.

But as we know with great power comes great responsibility (or drawback in this case) and something was supposed to make Vani's life harder.

Through the course of story Noe points out that for the revenge on V!Vanitas (for helping those vampires really) Vani must have given up on something (at least that's what Noe read from Vani's expression).

And Noe was right. Because in chapter 42:

Vanitas will be rewritten beacuse of that power.

We don't know exactly how. Does it mean he will become a vampire? Maybe. We don't know how Luna transformed Mikhail into one.

But I think that Mikhail turning into vampire and Vanitas remaining human was the result of two different courses of action being taken by Luna.

1) Mikahil wanted to be turned into vampire (the only thing that could save him)

2) Vanitas refused (even if that meant dying).

Luna didn't want Vanitas to die and so she found another way that would both save him and allow him to live as human (which is why she/they died and Vani blames and hates himself).

Vani can use his powers but there are limits and once he hit those there is no turning back.

Luna stated that because of Moreau's experiments Mikhai's and Vanitas's condition was unstable. They were neither human nor vampire. Now Mikhail is safe because he got transformed. Vanitas did not and is not safe.

I'm guessing that because of those medlings Vanitas (after hitting limits) can't remain human but also can't become a vampire. Maybe something similair to what happened to Luna(her name was probably corrupted- that's why she/they look(s) like Naenia, she asked Vanitas to kill them so most of her/them had died before turning into Naenia) will happen to him(he will also be become corrupted somehow). And that's why Noe will kill him. That's why Vanitas said that he wouldn't die (part of his conciousness will be alive but stuck between realms).

And Noe is blaming himself because he hadn't noticed that Vanitas was not well.

[katedrakeohd]

A Very Merry Birthday (6)

[Masterlist]

Rated: Mature 18+

(3 🍋s on fire, because we're talking threesome here.)

Characters involved: (TRH)Drake & Kate Walker, Preston Davis the bodyguard.

Content warning: Sexual situations (dubcon, masturbation, threesome), swearing, angst, fluff.

Word count: 6000+ (buckle up, get your popcorn and prefered beverage ready)

Prompts included: From Wacky Drabbles- ( they appear bolded in story, but not necessarily in order)

#82 - I didn't realize I needed your permission.

#84 - Just keep moving.

#85 - Do you want me to leave?

::

Tagging:

@darley1101 @sfb123 @mom2000aggie @fluffyfirewhiskey @jovialyouthmusic @sirbeepsalot @kingliam2019 @no-one-u-know @nikkis1983 @glaimtruelovealways @texaskitten30 @bbrandy2002 @marshmallowsandfire

Drake leaves Preston alone in his room to get changed. Standing in the silence of the hallway all he could hear and feel were the sound of his blood rushing through his ears and the thud of his heart in his chest and throat. 

Being alone with Kate was his favourite way to spend an evening, and now he had invited another man over to participate. He was still unsure how this night was going to go. The thought of watching his wife touching another man in a sensual way was outside of his comfort zone. He had to trust Kate to not take this too far. He also had to keep himself from wanting to murder Preston for taking pleasure out of touching and kissing his wife. And somehow he had to find pleasure of his own if he was to perform adequately to please Kate. Fuck, this feels all kinds of wrong. 

He sees Preston come out of his room with his hair combed, dressed in trousers, but in bare feet. Drake gives him a wry grin and runs his fingers back through his own hair to fix it. Preston's rakish good looks were already exaggerated by the thickness of his mustache and the scruff of his stubble, making Drake feel less masculine with his shaven cheeks and neatly trimmed hair. He suddenly understood how Maxwell felt about Drake showing off his chest hair at the beach, or when he rolled up his sleeves to do a strenuous task. Drake's stomach was suddenly in knots and he wished he had some whiskey to take the edge off his nerves. He doesn't know what to say to the mountain of a man standing next to him, so he just acknowledges him with a nod and then knocks at his hotel room door.

"You don't have your key?" Preston asks, keeping his voice low.

Drake shakes his head, speaking softly, "No, I gave it to her."

From the other side of the door they can hear Kate ask with a playful sing song tone of voice, "Who is it?"

Drake leans against the doorframe and then says, "Room service."

The door opens and Kate looks them over with a smile on her face, "Hello."

Drake grins, "I believe you ordered the two for one entertainment special."

Kate steps back to allow them to come into the room. "Yes, yes I did. Come on in."

After Kate closes the door behind them there's a brief awkward moment as the two men glance at each other and then toward Kate expectantly. With a gentle smile, Kate walks over to Drake and stretches up on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. He wraps his arm around her back to hug her to his side and she rests her hand on his cheek, whispering in his ear. 

"You've done well, my love. Why don't you go off to the bathroom, brush your teeth, and freshen up a bit while I talk privately with Preston for a moment?"

Drake looks quickly to Preston and then lets go of Kate, keeping his voice low, "Are you sure? Maybe I should stay."

Patting him gently on the chest, she grins, "Don't worry. We'll be fine. I'm not going to start anything while you're gone."

Drake looks between Kate and Preston, trying to fight the uneasy feeling in his gut. Walking over to the bed he keeps an eye on them as he sits down to take off his shoes and socks. "No funny business, Preston. I know very well how irresistible Kate can be."

Preston smirks at him, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I promise to keep my hands to myself, sir."

"Good."

After Drake disappears into the bathroom, Preston breathes a sigh of relief, relaxing a little. "Is he always like this?"

Kate grins at the bodyguard, leading him further into the room. "Drake's complicated."

She sits down on the end of the bed and he settles down into the comfortable armchair opposite. 

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

Kate shrugs, crossing her legs and arranging her skirt around her knees. "You can ask."

"What's it like to be married to a guy like him?"

"It's interesting, sometimes infuriating, definitely intense, and absolutely incredible."

Preston chuckles, "That's a lot of 'I' words to describe someone."

Kate glances toward the bathroom, wondering how much Drake can overhear.

"Trust me, Drake's the whole alphabet. The only drawback is that he just won't shut up about his feelings."

Preston chuckles again, "Good one. I know I have some 'a' words to describe him too. But I'll keep those to myself."

Kate nods, "Considering that he's your boss, I think that's smart. I want to apologize again for hurting you. I was afraid if I hadn't stopped things that Drake might have hurt you worse."

Preston looks down at his lap, "You could have just slapped my face again."

"Yeah, I know. So are you still sore?"

Preston leans forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees, "A little tender, there will probably be bruising tomorrow, but not my first time taking a hit to the groin."

Kate appraises him over again, lifting her eyebrow, "So you've gotten handsy with an unwilling date before? You don't strike me as that kind of guy, Preston."

He shakes his head, "Nah, nah. I've just been dumb enough to play backyard sports without a cup."

Drake returns from the bathroom, "Oh yeah? What kind of sports did you play?"

Kate interrupts before Preston can answer, "Don't tell me you two would rather discuss sports, than play with me. If so, I'll just send Preston back to his room and you two can chitchat on the drive home tomorrow."

Drake shakes his head, placing his hands on his hips, "No, after all the trouble I went through to get him here, I'd rather see what kind of play you have in mind."

Kate glances between her two men with a smile, "Before we play we need to set some rules."

"Ok," Preston says, sitting back in his chair.

Drake nods, "But, don't forget about my stipulation that I brought up earlier."

"Which is?" Preston wants to know.

Kate sighs giving Preston an apologetic look, "Drake insisted that no part of you was allowed inside of any part of me."

Preston frowns, "That kind of reduces any sort of fun for me in this situation doesn't it?"

Drake folds his arms across his chest, "Well yeah, sorry to burst your bubble but I'm just trying to protect my marital relationship here. I don't want this, whatever it turns out to be, jeopardizing my marriage by turning into some future affair between you two."

"You know I'm the one who is supposed to be in charge here right? One night of fun isn't going to ruin anything. Trust me, Drake." Kate insists. "We've already been over this."

Preston digs into the pocket of his trousers, pulling out a foil condom packet, "And if you're that worried about what might happen in the heat of the moment, I did bring protection."

"See? There you go, Drake. He came prepared. Now let's get this party started. And as the Duchess in Charge, I am deciding our party games."

"Sexual party games, seriously?" Drake grumbles, rolling his eyes. 

Kate gets up from the bed, "Oh come on, Mr. Crankypants. I know you'll enjoy them, and besides I'll be explaining how we play each game as we go."

"Mr. Crankypants. I bet you were a barrel of laughs at birthday parties when you were a kid," Preston laughs.

Drake shoots him an angry glare, and Preston smirks back at him, "Speaking of name calling, that brings up an issue. If she's directing the action, I need to know how I'm supposed to acknowledge you both. In my job I use, 'Your Grace, Sir, and Ma'am.'  And I don't know if that works here, considering how intimate we're all about to be."

Drake breathes an annoyed sigh, jabbing his thumb in Preston's direction as he addresses his wife, "If I hear him saying your name in any sort of passionate or seductive way I'm seriously going to lose it. I'll kill him with my bare hands."

"Ok, fine. To safeguard Preston's life, and my husband's precious ego, I'll allow Preston to call me 'K'. Is that neutral enough?"

Drake nods and so does Preston. 

"And so he'll be 'D' then?"

Kate shrugs, "Works for me, but I'm still using both your proper names."

Drake folds his arms, "Ok, so what's happening first?"

"We undress of course, and I'm hoping neither of you are shy. Because I want you and Preston to undress each other. But I want everyone to keep their underoos on for now."

Drake sticks his hand in his pocket, grabbing a handful of Kate's panties. "Um, but you aren't wearing yours."

Preston swallows, "Sh..she's not?"

Drake pulls the lacy undergarment out of his pocket, "Nope. I took these off of her earlier."

Kate holds her hand out, "I'll take them back now."

He dangles them off his finger and then drops them into her hand. "So who is the lucky guy that gets to put them back on you?"

"The first guy down to his underwear gets to slide mine back on, but here's the catch, the other guy gets to take my dress off of me," Kate says with a grin. 

Preston pushes himself up out of the chair, an amused twinkle in his eye and a smile tugging at his mouth, "So one of us gets to touch you from the top down, while the other gets to touch you from the bottom up? I like how you play games K. Fun for everybody."

Drake steps forward to place his hand on Preston's arm, "Curb your enthusiasm there, cowboy."

Preston shakes his arm out of Drake's grasp. "If you're gonna get grabby then help me out of my clothes, D."

Drake turns to face Preston, staring him down as he untucked his dress shirt. The olive that Kate threw at him earlier falls out and bounces off Preston's foot. He looks down, "Is that an olive?"

"Don't ask," Drake mutters, undoing the buttons on the cuff of his sleeve, "I'm gonna help you out here, since you're dressed a lot more casually than I am."

Preston laughs, grabbing Drake by the sleeve to stop him from undressing further, "Hey, stop cheating. I'm supposed to do that for you."

Drake looks down at Preston's simple t-shirt and dress pants, and sees that he isn't wearing a belt. Damn, I want to be the one putting her panties on. Maybe if I take my time he'll get me down to my underwear first. Shit, that means he gets to touch her first. Damn you Kate. You're determined to piss me off with these party games.

Kate twirls her panties around her finger, "Come on you two, get with the baring of skin already. Don't make me take this dress off myself."

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Drake mutters, as he undoes the button on Preston's dress pants and then plucks at the fabric of his shirt to untuck it.

"Watch it there, D... I'm ticklish," Preston smirks as he works on the last two buttons of Drake's shirt. 

"Shut up, Preston," Drake grumbles, as he hears Kate giggle. 

"I didn't know watching two guys undress could be so entertaining. Keep going."

Preston undoes Drake's belt and dress pants next, staring him in the eye as he pulls down the zipper. "Lemme guess, your underwear are black too."

With a frown, Drake brushes Preston's hands aside. "Hands up, Meathead. I'm gonna pull up your shirt."

Preston's protest is muffled by Drake's yanking of his shirt up toward his head.  "Hey, the name calling isn't necessary. And ouch, you pinched me."

Drake makes sure to mess up Preston's hair as he tugs the shirt off of him and tosses it aside. 

"Hah, you're just jealous of my hair," Preston laughs as he brushes his back into place with his fingers.

Drake barks back, "Hardly, and your mustache looks ridiculous."

Preston shrugs, "Whatever you say, babyface."

"Hey! I'm fully capable of growing whatever beard I want. I just chose to shave before my date, and get a haircut. I..I wanted to look good for Kate," Drake argues, catching his wife's eye briefly, and then squaring off in front of his bodyguard again.

"No arguments here, Honey, but you're still overdressed. Preston, be a dear and even the playing field by taking off my husband's shirt. Then you'll see he has no trouble in the hair department."

Preston unbuttons the cuff on Drake's other sleeve and then peels back his shirt, letting it slide down his arms to the floor. Drake places his hands on his hips. The motion, combined with 

the weight of his belt and the phone in his pocket makes his dress pants fall down around his ankles. "Whoops, looks like I'm down to my underwear first."

Preston turns toward Kate, "He did that on purpose."

While Drake steps out of his pants, Kate shrugs and tosses her panties at him. "Here you go."

Drake tucks the edge of the lacy waistband into his mouth, mumbling as he relieves Preston of his pants, shoving them down over his ass. "There..ffinsh the rest of tht yrself."

Slipping Kate's panties over his wrist, Drake steps over to his wife. "Before I hand you off to him, and I'm forced to watch as he strips you naked, I want something first."

Kate licks her lips as he reaches up to cup her face in his hands, tilting her head back. "Oh, and what's that?"

As he leans in for a kiss the firm pressure of his mouth against hers almost hurts, making her whimper. He was determined to remind her that no matter how Preston touched her, he was the most important man in her life. When he finally pulls back, her lips are tingling.

He whispers a soft apology against her cheek when he sees her pained expression, "I'm sorry. Just please promise me something."

"What?" She whispers back, as he leans his forehead against hers, softly stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. 

"Make sure he asks your permission before he touches you anywhere. If he's rough with you in any way I'll never forgive myself." 

Stepping back, he sees her nod. "Okay," she whispers.

Turning away he glares at Preston, "She's all yours, but I'm warning you that I'm watching your every move. If I see your hands treating her with anything but the greatest of respect, I'll break your fingers and then I'll break your face. Understood?"

Preston nods, "Yes, understood. I promise to be as gentle as possible."

"Good. Oh and Preston?"

"Yeah?" He asks, as he steps out of his pants. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest, it was pounding so hard.

"Make sure she enjoys every second of it."

…

Drake's underwear weren't black afterall, they were blue. Preston's were grey. Kate's were black silk and lace. Drake was currently running them through his hands, and occasionally wrapping them around his fist. He watched Preston approach Kate, hoping he'd chicken out, or at least trip and fall on his big mustached face. His feet were big enough, but no such bad luck. Staring at Preston's back, with its broad shoulders and defined muscles made him feel small. Glancing down at the other man's large hands, he felt an ache in his gut over the thought of them being capable of touching Kate with tenderness. The way Kate's eyes traveled over Preston as he smiled at her, made Drake feel sick. He didn't want to watch Preston undress his wife, but at the same time he couldn't look away. He knew the satiny fabric of her dress wouldn't need much encouragement to slide down off of her, and after being tempted all evening by how great she'd looked in it; he was just as eager as Preston to see her naked.

Kate sized up Preston as he stood before her. Physically he wasn't much taller than Drake, barely an inch, but his posture was straighter. He seemed to tower over Kate, and her line of sight was mostly filled by the wall of his chest covered nipple to nipple by a golden mat of curly chest hair. When she looked up, his lip curled upward in a smirk, making his mustache twitch.

"I'm going to touch you Preston, are you okay with that?"

He sucks in a nervous breath and nods, "If it means I get to touch you back, then go right ahead."

Kate tries not to focus on the significant bulge in his underwear as she looks down, but it wasn't easy. She wasn't going to touch him there, not yet. She starts by stroking her fingers slowly up his arms beginning at his wrists. His fingers twitch, and she can't help noticing his chest rising and falling as his rate of breathing increases. 

"If you're affected this badly when I touch your arms, then what's going to happen if I touch you somewhere else?"

 

"I..I..don't know."

The amount of meat on his limbs was slightly more than Drake's but it was definitely more muscle than fat. Kate knew Drake's measurements off by heart because she helped him pick out his suits. If Preston were to put on Drake's clothes by accident, one flex of his muscles would split the seams. 

When Kate's hands make there way up to rest on his shoulders, his hands are still hanging by his sides. She pouts up at him and the desire in his eyes as he gazes back is obvious. 

"What's the matter Preston, don't you want me?" Kate asks, lowering her lashes and then slowly looking up to search his face.

His eyes widen momentarily in surprise at the unexpected seduction she was laying on him, "Is that a trick question?"

"No."

"You're either trying to kill me, or get me killed, asking me something like that."

"Well, answer the question."

Continues here ..>

[zodiactalks]

Love Life with Sagittarius Woman & 5 Brutal Truths

Sagittarius women are widely considered one of the most attractive signs in the Zodiac, and we're inclined to agree.

Their passionate and magnetic personalities, their commanding presence, their intrinsic charm, and their adventurous spirit makes Sagittarius women virtually irresistible.

Everything about them demands attention, and it's incredibly hard not to give it to them. It's much, much easier to simply give up and let yourself be swept up by the force of nature that are Sagittarius women.

However, just because falling in love with them is easy, it doesn't mean loving them will be. The positive aspects of this Zodiac sign also come with a heaping dose of negatives, so you need to be prepared for both the good and the bad.

Here are five brutal truths about loving a Sagittarius woman.

#1. They're huge jokers.

Sagittarius women love laughing, and they love making others laugh even more. Their wit and smarts allow them to find humor in almost every situation, and they'll use that humor to charm others and interact with the world.

While this is, undoubtedly, a positive thing, the truth is that it also comes with its drawbacks.

Sagittarius women love joking so much that they often end up joking when they shouldn't or, even worse, they'll joke instead of taking things seriously.

While humor can make almost any situation better, there's a time and place for it, and Sagittarius women aren't always capable of identifying it. Plus, it's always annoying when you try to have a serious conversation, and the other party keeps joking around.

The best course of action is to enjoy her jokes when you can, and just ignore them when it's time to get serious. She'll get the message. Sagittarius women are many things, but dumb isn't one of them.

#2. They don't want to spend too much time with you.

Some couples just can't get enough of each other. They like each other so much they carve to spend every waking hour together. They travel together, eat together, hang out together, and might even commit the capital offense that is having a joint Facebook account.

While that relationship might seem idyllic to some, it's torture for Sagittarius women.

To put it simply, Sagittarius women are plain ole loners. They treasure their time alone, and though they're happy sharing their life with their loved ones, they also require copious amounts of time away from them.

They need time alone with their thoughts, and how much they love you has precisely zero impact on that. Sure, they'll be more willing to sacrifice some of their alone time to be with you, but not if it means you'll expect her to do it every single time.

Sagittarius women can't deal with clingy people, which is one of the first things you need to understand if you want to be happy with them.

By the same token, Sagittarius women can get over people frighteningly fast. No matter how much they love you, they're perfectly content living life on their own, which means that if they decide they're done with you, then they're done with you, period.

#3. They like to talk about deep things.

Sagittarius women aren't fans of small talk. In fact, most of them hate it.

What's the point of talking about something no one really cares about just to fulfill some obscure social convention? Why speak at all if it's not about a subject you're interested in?

Because of this, Sagittarius has the tendency of diving right into deep subjects, and philosophical conversations without as much as a "how do you do," which has the potential to freak people out if they're not prepared for it.

Sagittarius women won't talk to you about the weather; they'll come up to you to talk about the impact the weather has on current politics. They don't actually care about how your children are doing in school, but will happily discuss the deficiencies of the public education system even if it's the first time you talk to them.

They're intense like that.

This isn't as much of a downside as something you need to watch out for and prepare. Sagittarius women will ambush you with an incredibly deep and philosophical question when you least expect it, and if you want to impress her, you want to have an answer ready.

A real answer, not just something you parrot because you heard elsewhere.

The goal of choosing a complicated or deep subject to talk about, after all, is to get you to open up and talk about yourself in a way cookie-cutter questions don't allow, so don't be afraid of sharing your opinion.

#4. They're all over the place.

Sagittarius women are unpredictable when it comes to their interests and their goals, even though they're relatively open about them.

Their unpredictability comes not from being secretive but rather from their ever-changing list of hobbies and favorite activities, which follows seemingly no rhyme or reason and makes it impossible to truly "get" Sagittarius women.

One week, they want to practice Karate, the next, they want to be a cartoonist, the following month, they're composting like their life depends on it, and just a few days later, they'll forget about that activity entirely.

There's no denying this keeps things interesting, as sometimes it might feel like you're dating multiple people at once, but it can also be utterly exhausting and, let's face it, annoying.

Changing interests, hobbies and opinions can be a good thing if they lead to something productive, but if it's just changing for changing sake and nothing ever gets achieved... well, let's say it becomes a lot less endearing.

Word of advice, though Sagittarius women can be incredibly committed at times, it's best not to get too attached to their passing interests. Enjoy them while they last, and don't expect her to stick to them for long.

#5. They're unbelievably honest.

Sagittarius women have no time for niceties or little white lies. They believe “being as honest as possible” is the best course of action and will often trample people feelings even without meaning to.

The phrase "brutally honest" describes this sign to a tee, and though Sagittarius women might not mean to be hurtful or rude with their remarks, the truth is they often are.

Annoying, or even hurtful, as this might be, this particular trait is one of the best things about Sagittarius women for a variety of reasons, chief amongst them the lack of guesswork when it comes to dating them.

If they need something, they'll let you know. If they don't like something, they'll make sure you know it. Passive-aggressiveness is nigh unheard of when it comes to this sign, and you'll never wonder where you stand with them.

Of course, no amount of honesty will make up for how hurtful some of the things Sagittarius women say are, so if you think your Sagittarius lady is going overboard, or if you'd rather she wasn't so honest about a specific subject, make sure to let her know!

Remember, more often than not, she doesn't want to hurt you; she just hasn't stopped to consider how her words will be interpreted or how they'll affect you or others.