#Didn't realize til I was finished but I think it's interesting how a few of the pairs ended up in the same category

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Nothing in particular prompted this, I just want to hear other people's thoughts.

(I don't know the Brazilian dudes well enough yet to add them to any particular category - with the exception of Cellbit who would definitely be in "Gets in", so please tell me where you think they'd go)

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

05/15/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Rhys Darby; The Cryptid Factor; Taika Waititi; Max News and Polite Menacing; June 3rd: Adopt Our Crew; Petition Status; Fan Spotlight; Mermay; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Today's Taika

Hey Lovelies, things got a little cut off cause my son decided to be awake all darn night so I didn't get to finish til this morning I know there's some stuff that wasn't included but I'll try to make sure it's in there tonight! <3

== Rhys Darby ==

Rhys and Dan are back on the mics doing more podcasts! There's a crossover podcast happening too!

Source: The Cryptid Factor Instagram

Also, new Cryptid Factor short Tiktok! If you've got Tiktok, please go over to The Cryptid Factor Tiktok page and send them some love! If you don't have tiktok, here's that video for you below:

Source: The Cryptid Factor Tiktok

== Taika Waititi ==

Pretty sure this picture has been out for a long while but it was recently reposted by Stephen Langdan on his Instagram so I thought I'd share it because it's a great photo of Taika.

Source: Stephen Langdan Photo

More Taika out and about with Rita <3

Source: VIP Magazine Albania

== Max "MakeItHappenHere" ==

In case you're unfamliar with what "Upfront" is (I certaintly was): "In TV advertising, the Upfront is the decades-old practice of buying and selling TV advertising time months in advance. Traditionally, these deals have taken place in the spring of each year, involving ad spots that would air in the coming television broadcast year." - Src: SimulMedia So yesterday Max was pushing for people to buy ads with them and as you can imagine, OFMD Twitter was not having it. I'm just including a few screenshots. Thank you to @neverleftpod and @singletureen on twitter for the polite menacing and capture of the WBD stocks not getting any better.

= June 3: Dont Stream On Max =

Adopt Our Crew is announcing June 3rd "An Excellent Day" to be another great day to push #DontStreamOnMax! (Just so happens to be that's the day that Stede plundered the infamous plant!) Thanks for continuing to fight the good fight @adoptourcrew!

Source: AdoptOurCrew Twitter

**More Under the Cut**

= Petition =

Hey all, we are getting surprisingly close to 89K on the petition... I know there are some newer folks to the fandom that have joined recently, would any of you be kind enough to sign it? I realize we're not sure how much it's helping at this point, but 89K would be a nice round number in case it does help David and the cast somehow :) Petition Link

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Cast Cards =

@melvisik I'm always impressed how you can track down all these cast members! I'm going to include your note since I realize it's less easy with Nancy Lantis below as it was a quick shot: "Tonight is a wealthy woman from the party boat, doomed for daring to insult the future husband of the Gentleman Pirate. I think she's the one giving Ed that devilish grin when Gabriel calls him 'Fascinating' and helps him to his feet"

Source: @melvisik's Twitter

== Because The Night FanZine ==

The new NSFW Gentlebeard Zine "Because the Night" opened preorders today! They'll be open until June 15th, and you can learn more on their post below!

== Mermay ==

More Mermay! We're half way through the month! I would love to bring some other artists in too, I've been trying to reach out on socials to see if anyone would like their submissions included but haven't heard back a whole lot-- if you're interested please shoot me a dm!

= erostheartist =

Day 9: Revenge / Day #12: Moonglow

= Hannah's Handmade Magic =

Day 12: Moonglow

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by hannahs_handmade_magic (@hannahs_handmade_magic)

Source: Hannah's Handmade Magic on Instagram

= Snejpowa =

Day 13: Roads To Moscow / Day 14: Orange / Day 15: Blind Man's Cove

= Blueberreads =

Day 14: Orange / Day 15: Blind Man's Cove

== Love Notes ==

Can I just say I love being weird? What is "normal" anyway? Normal can be weirdness, normal can be social norms, normal is based entirely on who's perspective you're talking about.

I have been "weird" my whole life and I love being weird! All it means is we're different than what people originally expected, and you know what?

That's fucking awesome!

It makes us unique and it's so nice to be a member of a community of other weirdos (said affectionately, I actually think it's a compliment).

Your weirdness is amazing, and I adore every inch of you for it!

Shine on weirdos! You got today and you're gonna kick it's ass!

Source: KatieAbey's Instagram

== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

Just really feeling in the mood for some Hunt For the Wilder People today.

Gif's courtesy of the ever lovely @bizarrelittlemew and @transjudas!

[doodlesdreaming]

Shin Megami Log 4(After Game Thoughts)

Finished SMT V during Christmas, and I have THOUGHTS.

I'm gonna put all that under the 'Read More' bit, so if any of you are interested in this game, then scroll past and no peeking.

Right then, final thoughts:

Brief history lesson first, I knew very little about the SMT series or the spin-offs like Persona. Of course, with how incredibly successful Persona 5 is, it's hard to miss any sort of info. But even then, my knowledge of the entire franchise was very limited. All I know is that it's basically the "Dark Souls" of RPGs with character driven stories that have of ingredients than a Final Fantasy title. At least, that was the vibe I was getting.

But even then, I never have been interested enough to want to give any of the games a try. I did get Persona Q2 back when I first heard of the 3DS dying out, but it mostly because I didn't want a Persona game with Joker's face on it to be forever lost. Weird I know, but that was my train of thought, at the time. But after clearing the first boss(and realizing that prior knowledge of Persona 5's story is an absolute must) I got bored and haven't touched the game since.

Fast forward a few years later, when Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne was announced with a HD port to current gen consoles. I was genuinely excited by the announcement. This meant that if I ever decided to give Nocturne a try, it'll be alot easier for me to do so now. Then after that came the biggest surprise of all; Shin Megami Tensei V.

Now this....this caught my attention. Though I can't really explain why. Was it the character designs? The gorgeous looking world? "D" all of the above? All I can say is that something 'clicked' and I was very interested. Even though it would take two years later until I actually got it.

And I'm so glad I did.

I was invested right from the start. From the silent "show don't tell" protagonist, all the way to Lufcier himself, the story, even with its swiss cheese holes in plot at some points, had me hooked from start to finish. The combat never got boring. I was constantly thinking of strategies and building up my demons that suited my needs and my playstyle. The world was incredibly fun to explore, even though the lighting choices, in some areas, made my eyes strain a bit. It would take me up til the big boss of the area for me to finally adjust.

And the bread and butter of it all, The Law and Chaos mechanics. A stable, I've come to understand, in the SMT series. Yet an important take away from all this is that nothing is as black and white as it seems on the surface. SMT is a franchise that makes you think. It makes you question yourselves and you inner most thoughts. And SMT V had me rolling in so many thoughts, that when I reached the 'alignment lock' of the game, I had to take a break because I was starting to get overwhelmed.

Of course, this could very well be a really weird quirk of mine. But when I get into a really good story, I REALLY get into it. And the choices I make would impact the ending I would get.

By all accounts, the Law ending would naturally mean the good ending, right? Well sure...if you can live with a Law that discriminates all other forms of thinking(a.e. free will), will not hesitate to punish they see as 'unfit' and the willingness to become corrupt yourself, just to prove a point. Sure. Law is the way to go.

The Chaos ending usually entails victory for the bad guys. And yet, there really isn't a clear "villain" in this case, other then the absolute obvious ones(f you Lamau). In Chaos, there is diversity, the freedom to choice your fate, to be yourself. And yet with so many possibilities, there will be disagreements, arguments of what is right and wrong, and power competing against power. No one really wins, and there is constant strife. But hope is just as abundant, with the capability that anything is possible.

The Neutral ending is well...the Neutral ending. You don't pick a side. You're that little kid that asks, "Why not both?" A balance of law and chaos. So understandably this would the best choice. Yes...except the neutral path follows a man who has been brought down low by both law and chaos. He lost everything precious to him, to the point where he belittles his fellow man if they show any sort of weakness. So the solution? Make humanity the leading power of the universe, but take away every viture and sin that exists in the heart and soul. And by extension, all the angels and demons in existence. Never to be even a story told by campfire light because it would never be allowed to cross through the mind. Humans would be free of woe and fear, and grow abundant in their everyday lives. But will it truly last?

You could probably guess which ending I ended up getting. And quite honestly, I'm satisfied with it. Plus it lines up perfectly with my ever growing headcanons of the Nahobino. So I'm taking it as a win.

I honestly can not recommend SMT V, especially if you're like me who enjoys a good rpg that I can sink my teeth into. It has it flaws, yes. But they feel so small that it doesn't really bother me. Some of them I can just 'fix' with good old imagination. And it's definitely inspired me to play Nocturne next, for sure. But first, I want to see if I can beat the Demi Fiend himself in combat....

There's so much more I'd like to talk about, but I think I rambled long enough.

The main takeaway? I LOVE THIS GAME. Definitely gonna be alot of fanart for sure. And I'm gonna get my hands on some merch when I can. It probably won't exceed my growing Darksiders collection, but it might come close in time, lol.

The other main takeaway from all this is that I get it now. I get the appeal and why this series is standing as strong as it is. HEE-HO!!!

[ftl-faster-than-life]

trick or treat!

You get something sweet pulled out of something awful! Straight up fluff below. Parent and child relationship between omega!Barry and a tiny Wally, mentions of past Iris/Barry. Iris is dead in this fic. Barry is the Flash, Wally is Kid Flash.

-- "Are you coming to the party tonight, Barry? You should--it'd be good for you to get out more. Can't spend all your free time with a five year old, you know."

"Oh, I don't know…it's hard enough to get a sitter with notice…"

"The company is providing free childcare!"

Barry hesitated. It'd be good for Wally to get a chance to socialize with other kids, before he went to school… And they had a point. He hadn't been a social butterfly before Iris died, but ever since her accident, he'd withdrawn almost completely. Maybe a few hours spent at a party where he could slip away whenever he felt he'd had enough would be good for him, too. "Well. In that case. How can I say no?" He smiled tentatively.

"Wonderful--we're all looking forward to seeing you let your hair down, ha."

"Hey, you missed a signature--"

"Oh! Sorry, Janet. I thought I'd filled it out thoroughly." He scrawled his signature across the line she indicated with a tap of her nail.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, the work day ending early to accommodate the celebration that evening. Barry was pleased that his pup seemed enthusiastic about the idea of playing with other pups, and he hoped as he finished getting them both ready that he'd find playmates and not antagonists among the other children. Barry got dressed, tying a bowtie around his own neck as a finishing touch, and gave his reflection a wistful smile. It was the red one that Iris had presented him with on their first date--when he'd been too oblivious to realize that they were on a date, and that the tie was a courtship present.

He'd never thought a beautiful, clever beta like Iris would be interested in an omega.

He felt a pang in his chest. He missed her--he didn't think there was a single hour when he didn't think about his mate. Leaving the mirror behind, he scooped Wally up and pressed a fierce kiss to his ginger hair, squeezing the pup tight and scenting him til Wally was squirming and whining in his arms. As long as he had Wally, he had a living piece of Iris--they might not have been related by blood any more than Barry was, but they were two of a kind and Iris had loved that child like he was her own. "I love you, Wally." Barry mumbled, and relented, setting Wally down next to him. He took the pup's hand and flashed him a bright smile. "Are you ready for a run, Kid Flash?" He was heartened by the way those big green eyes lit up, sparking with joy.

"We're running there, Daddy?"

"Uh-huh. Got your ring?" Barry asked, lifting his own hand with the band wrapped around one finger. Wally grinned and raised his own small fist, imitating the pose. In a moment, the two were dressed in the bright colors of the Flash--Wally a perfect miniature of Barry. Of course, he was far too young to help Barry fight criminals, but the boy was more than eager to do what tasks he was allowed to--things his overprotective Omega guardian deemed safe--and Barry was determined to make sure his tiny shadow was allowed to run and experience the joys of the powers they'd both been granted as often as possible. Usually, he wouldn't have run to Lexcorp…but he didn't own a car, couldn't rent one as an omega, and the train and shuttle he usually took to work wouldn't be running late enough. So he decided to make the run.

"Ready?" He asked his pup, and had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing when Wally struck a heroic pose. His demeanor was comically larger than life, with his small size. Barry's heart felt overfull of love and pride. Wally was going to be an amazing hero, one day.

"Ready!"

"Let's go!"

And with a giddy whoop from Wally, they were both off, trailing lightning behind them. The sheer joy of running--fast, untouchably fast, safe and fearless at long last--was only magnified by Wally's companionship, Barry had noticed. He kept his pace slow enough that the boy could easily keep up, and was rewarded with elated giggles from the child.

Even if the party turns out awful, this makes it worth going. Barry thought to himself.

[your--isgayrights]

Holy shit are you the one that wrote that really good orv soulmates au? You're killing it! Also do you ever think about Kim Namwoon? I do. I think it's cool how he's introduced as a chuuni with no moral code, but as the story progresses he somehow develops into this odd character that represents the lack of a divide between good and evil. At first, his actions in the train are shown as cruel and evil, but then you realize that in some ways, he's actually kind of right? Ima write an essay (1/??)

Ok so im back- so I can't put images in an ask, but Kim namwoon's monologue about killing that woman is actually really interesting. He talks about how they HAVE to kill her- If they don't, they're all going to die. And that's wrong (but only because of the grasshoppers- is Gilyoung wasn't there, He'd actually be in the right here) So, in the context of the first scenario, Kim Namwoon is 'evil'. but as you read more, you realize a lot of stuff which retroactively redeems him (2/??) For example, Everyone outside of car 3807 who survives is a murder, just like Kim Namwoon. And they aren't evil for it- there's a distinction made between murderers and monsters. There's a lot of this- The scene in the theatre dungeon on the boats (live no matter what), etc etc. and we see that Kim Dokja isn't opposed to them either. The main reason he let Kim namwoon die is because he hates him. which is cool! especially because it leads the way for future character development (3/??) Regarding their relationship- Kim Dokja has to come to terms with the fact that Namwoon wasn't actually all that bad, both by working with him in the underworld and meeting the ''him' from alternate regressions. This arc works for two purposes- 1) It relates to the theme of evil versus good- Kim Namwoon is neither, so it's unfair to treat him as one or the other. But the second is my favorite- Kim Dokja's opinion of Namwoon serves as a kind of metaphor for his opinion on himself. (4/5) We know from the text that He sees Kim namwoon as similar to him, and so it's interesting to see him stop hating him as he comes to terms with stuff.

Always cool to hear from someone who's read wall fic :). You reminded me that there's a few Kim Namwoon scenes in the next chapter I'm excited to write... but my writing anxiety has been acting up again on the end of chapter four and I have to finish sewing a l/eech be/anie b/aby from scratch this week, so it'll probably be a bit til we get there.

I think that your analysis is really interesting, mostly because going at it from the angle of "morality" of omniscient reader is a perspective i kind of lack on my own. Like good vs evil is one of The themes of ORV that they hand out to you in their list of themes they have written on some literal walls, but honestly its not something i really think about on my own. For me, like you mention, the big emphasis of KNW's character is what he represents to Kim Dokja, bc i think one of my favorite themes is the relationship of him as a reader to the WoS characters and the "impossible communication" theme.

I think that one of my favorite aspects of Kim Dokja is the way that he was able to empathize and see himself in the different characters in WoS and give them the specific comforts they needed at different times in the story (reaching out to LJY, SYS, YJH, etc) and fundamentally giving them someone who is on their side and their for them when everything is lost and they are alone, because that's something that he didn't have. All throughout reading ways of survival, the only thing by his side was this story. He sort of knows what the solutions to their problems are just cause he knows what he needed back then... so this really positive trait is coming out of his projection of his own thoughts and feelings from the past to these characters he loves. It's great that we have Kim Namwoon as an inversion of that, a character onto whom he's projected not the struggles he faced, but rather the traits that embarrass him.

This is mostly my interpretation but I really feel that there are similarities in the ways KDJ talks about himself as a child idolizing Yoo Joonghyuk and going through a chuuni phase and the way that he talks about KNW, and I think him being unkind to KNW is an extension of him being unkind to himself. Like at the beginning of ORV KDJ is in this place where his hero worship of YJH is at this crossroads with his view of his own self that he expects YJH to just treat him like a bug he has to exterminate unless he proves some other value. This perspective is interesting when you take into account that KDJ of the past would imagine being friends with the WoS characters and even used to pretend he was YJH, and that in fact the entirety of ORV was something he had continuously planned out since childhood when he wrote stats in his school notebook because it paints this picture of his daydreaming just being brutally beat down as he grows up and starts thinking about what would be really "realistic" with the kind of person that he believes himself to be... And then as that process is happening, Kim Dokja reads over and over again YJH just, at the start of every regression, picking up this annoying younger guy who's so desperate to impress him and somehow manages to get his attention while being embarrassingly chuuni and seeming to revel in the chance to kill someone... I think what you say is interesting about whether or not KNW was "right" to murder someone on the train, but honestly I don't think it matters as much whether or not he was right or wrong, just that Kim Dokja thought he was being an asshole about it, lmao. The whole thing of him killing Kim Namwoon is really interesting to me becaus it's a mix of a lot of great things. On one hand it's a big asset for the theme of a reader in the world of his favorite story because the premise of "My favorite book is real so I finally get to kill that character I've always hated," which is hilarious in its own right, gets turned into "wow I killed a 19 year old" when he's slowly starting to realize WoS characters are Real People, but it's also honestly a big piece of forshadowing for the end of orv before the epilogues and Kim Dokja's true character. Kim Namwoon's type of character is the kind that in most apocalypse stories is setting the tone of the edgey new reality, introducing the fact that people will die. He also represents the very idea of being forced into a situation where you must become a murderer or die; the jumping off point of WoS that Kim Dokja as a character fundamentally connects to. As a kid, he was forced to defend himself from his abusive father, and ultimately killed him. This is a central, scarring event of his childhood, and even though he represses and warps this memory into his mother's version of events, the concept is still something real to him and something that shapes his way of thinking. Obviously sometimes killing is necessary, but to enjoy it too much or brag about it on some level is associated with KDJ's past with his mother who wrote a book about murder and himself who once had to kill someone... It's obvious why Kim Dokja would hate a character representing this kind of narrative, that someone must be killed and because of that those involved are blameless, because Kim Dokja always pushes the blame of others' deaths onto himself... because in the world where everything is as Kim Dokja imagines and dreams it to be, KNW comes back as a spirit of vengeance to temporarily stall him on the bridge, there's an idea that KDJ deserves some retribution that he avoids to pursue his goals, which is consistent with what happens at the end right before the epilogues -

(quick digression: I've said this before and I'll say it again; I think that KDJ killing KNW is the reason that YJH tried to kill him in the beginning of ORV. KDJ dismisses it as YJH being an asshole for no reason, but I really believe that on some level YJH saw that KDJ just killed his chuuni little mentee and was like okay i want this guy to die. also getting into orv ending spoilers here ok)

-where KDJ tries to kill the kid version of himself by using disconnected film theory and stabbing himself. Like I genuinely think that KDJ avoids thinking about morality with the efficacy of "I know that I'm in the wrong, but I'm always wrong and terrible and regardless of what ever I am I have to get to the end of the story" and then after that whether or not he feels that he deserves salvation or damnation because to him the story that he loves is both...

gah, that was a tangent. I just mean that I think that part of killing KNW is Kim Dokja trying to kill a part of himself, the part of himself that dared to have the dreams that he had about the WoS characters being his family, just like he tries to kill the OD who still has those dreams... and is utterly baffled that those dreams could actually be realized in any universe. Additionally, the turn around KDJ has with KNW reminds of this in that he sees KNW in this constructive environment where he kind of just gets to be a kid and build gundams and realizes that these things that he hated about himself and KNW were just like... things that kids do. Like being chuuni about murder and the dark truth of the world is just a phase that teenagers go through sometimes just like building gundams... /hj... and like being cringey and having unrealistic ideas and desires isn't inherently malicious, like how we see KNW in the alternate dimension is just sort of a little brother character who has a crush on LJY and fools around with his mentor's stuff... It's similar to the kind of realization you want KDJ to have at the end towards himself when he sees the OD going with SP and crew to be a family lmao.

i wrote a bit lmk if i misphrased something or lost a train of thought somewhere

[falcqns]

𝖓𝖊𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖘 𝖑𝖑

☼ 𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰: Chris Evans x neighbour!collegestudent!Reader

☼ 𝔰𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶: you move in next door to Chris and a relationship blossoms.

☼ 𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔨𝔫𝔤𝔰: infinity war spoilers although I shouldn't really have to warn about that bc the movie came out like 5 years ago lmao, masturbation (m). fluff.

☼ 𝔞/𝔫: I hope you enjoy chapter two! chapter three should b up tomorrow or Monday!

it was a few weeks later, and you and your mom had fully moved into the house. your room was completely set up, and you were loving the bay window.

today was your first day of your sophomore year of college, and you were excited. mainly excited because due to the pandemic, you didn't have to switch colleges as your college went fully online. you were excited to sit in your pyjamas all day and do schoolwork in the comfort of your new amazing house that just so happened to be next door to your celebrity crush.

as much as you loved living next door to Chris, you were struggling with keeping your crush a secret.

you were setting up your room a few hours after meeting him, and that's when you realized that your bay window that you loved so much, looked right into his bedroom window, meaning that the two of you could see each other at anytime.

you were sitting on your bed and folding some of your clothes, Infinity War playing on your tv, when you saw a light turn on in Chris's house, the light reflecting into your almost dark bedroom, the only other light being your faerie lights that lined the wall behind you. from your bed which you had placed on the platform, you could see Chris enter his room, with no Dodger following behind him. Chris walked over to the closet, stripping the blue shirt and black jeans he had been wearing off of his body. he searched through the closet for a few moments before seemingly giving up and grabbing the elastic band of his boxers.

you quickly looked the other way, but not before getting an unintentional eyeful of his butt. your eyes locked on the tv, suddenly interested in the way that The Ebony Maw was torturing Dr Strange until the light's in Chris's room dimmed slightly.

taking a risky glance over once more, you were greeted with the sight of a totally naked Chris, fisting his rock hard cock. your jaw dropped open, and you bolted for the bathroom, embarassment washing over you as if he had caught you looking at him, which was totally plausible.

you didn't know how long you stood in the bathroom, staring and reading the label on your shampoo, but by the time you felt it was safe to exit the bathroom again, Chris had finished and turned off the lights completely, and Tony, Peter and Dr Strange were arguing about whether or not to turn the ship around.

you hadn't been able to get the image of Chris masturbating out of your head yet, so you had taken to avoiding him at all costs, which worked.

you pulled yourself out of bed, and headed into your bathroom. the house was completely silent, so you knew your mom had headed out for work for the day. her hours remained the same, working 8 til 6 like she had done your entire life, so she'd most likely bring home dinner since it was your first day of school and that was your tradition, ever since she was a newly single mom struggling to make ends meet when you were in the fourth grade.

you hopped in the shower quickly, and couldn't think about anything other than Chris as you washed your hair. he was much older than you, like MUCH older. you were 21, and he was 40, which gave the two of you a 19 year age gap. to some, it was creepy, but to you, it didn't bother you as much. you still couldn't get the image of Chris out of your head, and even though you knew he wouldn't ever fall for you or make a move, that didn't mean you couldn't have your fun and try.

you hopped out of the shower a few minutes later, and picked out your favourite summer outfit. a crop top that accentuated your breasts perfectly, and a pair of short shorts that barely covered your ass. you had never been more grateful that it was still summer time.

you grabbed your laptop, and headed down the stairs just after ordering Starbucks. you headed outside, and chose one of the lawn chairs that gave you a perfect view onto Chris's property, and plopped on your stomach. you logged on to your first class, but keeping your camera off. you were trying to turn on your neighbour, not the 15 college guys in your morning class.

you had been working for 15 minutes, and there was still no sign of Chris. the doorbell rang, and you abandoned your computer for a few minutes, in favour of your coffee and breakfast from Starbucks. when you exited the house, the Uber Eats driver was just pulling out, and you saw Chris crossing the street with Dodger, his eyes locked on you. you bent down and picked up the cup and bag, knowing full well that Chris was getting an eye full of your breasts, despite being on the sidewalk.

you bit your lip as you headed into the house, and back to your laptop as your teacher was rambling on about French verbs. as much as you hated French class, it was a mandatory class at your college, so you tolerated it.

you had only been back outside for maybe 5 minutes, when you saw movement at Chris's. he was in the kitchen, doing what looked like dishes, despite his eyes being locked on you. you made eye contact with him and waved, and watched with a small smirk on your face as he smiled back sheepishly and waved, red tinting his cheeks.

this was going to be fun, you thought to yourself.

[t0shii]

kirishima, denki and sero getting their feelings hurt by their s/o who didn't mean to hurt them and just said/did something mean in the spurt of the moment with happy ending?? i'm in the mood for angst and fluff lol, that's it, that's the tweet. </3

% you accidentally hurt their feelings

.! kirishima, denki, sero (sep) x gn!r

.! fluff (angst if u squint) / not proofread

.! ah tysm for the request! hope this fulfills your requests hehe

kirishima

- gives you the benefit of the doubt

- "they definitely didn't mean to do that" n ignores the sadness pooling in his heart :((

- but eventually he can hide his feelings anymore and it's obvious he's upset about something

- give him a big kiss pls :(

the both of you were just chilling in his dorm, having random conversations until the topic of quirks came up. "yeah i don't know my quirk is kind of, i don't know boring? it's not flashy like yours or bakugou's." he sighs "hm that's true, that's why i'm glad mine is cool." you chuckle and he basically deflates as your sentence progresses. "mhm." is all he says as he continues scrolling through his phone.

it's not til a little later you realize he's acting all gloomy and too quiet, "kiri? is something wrong?" you ask, sitting up to look at him properly. "and don't say 'no' because i can see something is wrong." he frowns, eyes turning glossy, "do you really agree that my quirk is boring?" he asks, looking down to his hands. "what? of course not! i think your quirk amazing. when did i say it was boring?" "earlier... i said my quirk was boring and you said 'that's true.'" you take his hand in yours, "kiri, i was agreeing that his is flashy. baby, just because your quirk is so flashy as bakugou's doesn't mean it's boring. i think your quirk is super interesting, plus it makes you look super manly!" you smile at him gently, "i never meant to say your quirk was boring, i'm sorry kiri." "you mean it?" "of course, there's not a single boring thing about you-" you press a kiss to his lips, "quirk included, my love."

denki

- sadly is used to people not really caring about his feelings

- so he just ignores it

- but isn't good at hiding his emotions, especially when he's sad so ofc you notice:(

- a big hug is needed

"denki, c'mon i just went over this." "i'm sorry y/n, i just can't understand it!" "yes you can if you'd actually try!" you'd trying your best to tutor your boyfriend in a subject he was struggling in but it was proving to be a waste of time, he wasn't retaining a bit of information. "i am trying y/n." he mumbles, "alright let's go over it again." you explain the problem again and help him work through it and though he has trouble concentrating because of what you said, he eventually finishes the assignment.

a few hours later, you're both laying in his bed. one hand combing through his hair while the other scrolls through your phone and his head is resting on your tummy you hear a soft sniffle. "kami? everything okay?" he feels like a fool for crying over something that happened so long ago, "yeah." he answers wobbly, "denki, baby, what's wrong?" you've already put your phone away by now, "it's nothing y/n, really." "babe, c'mon what's the matter?" you wipe a stray tear falling down his cheek with your thumb. "i was trying my best to understand earlier, i really was. i'm so sorry i can't be as smart as you or midoriya." immediately, you feel horrible for snapping at him earlier, "i'm sorry for saying that, and snapping at you. i shouldn't have and it was wrong of me. i know you're only trying your best to prepare for the exam, and i'm so so proud of you." "you mean it?" he sits up to look at you, "of course silly, i'm always proud of you! no matter what." you wrap your arms around his waist in a hug, "i'm sorry for hurting your feelings." "it's okay, if we keep hugging like this it'll make up for it."

sero

- is honest with you

- "hey babe, that kind of hurt my feelings."

- knows you wouldn't hurt him on purpose but is still upset ofc

- cuddles will make up for it, i promise

"babe, don't you think your hair is getting a bit long?" you ask, fingers running through sero's hair as he nuzzles his face deeper into the crook of your neck. "nuh uh, i've been wanting to grow it out," he answers arms tightening around your waist. "i thought you liked my hair long? i think it looks good" "i liked your shorter hair though." you mumble fingers twirling a strand of hair. "oh." "mhm" "so you don't think i look good with long hair? that hurt's my feelings y/n." he mutters, removing himself from your grasp, "no-" "really? i thought it looked really good." he frowns at you "no sero, baby, i think it looks good too! i thought you preferred your hair short though, so i always liked it too."

"but you think my long hair looks bad?" he crosses his arms, "not at all, i think you look handsome." now your frown deepens, "i didn't mean it like you look bad with long hair, i just said i liked your snort hair. you look good either way!" you sit up to face him, "sero, honestly i think you look good with your hair like it is, even if you had oh i dunno... a bowl cut, you'd still look hot." you nod, he chuckles and raises his eye brow, "oh really? so if i give myself a bowl cut right now you'd be all over me telling me how beautiful i am?" "of course i would." he sighs and nods, "i'm sorry for misinterpreting your words." he leans his forhead against yours, "no, i should've been more clear, i didn't mean to make you self conscious." you lean in to kiss him, "i'm not getting a bowl cut by the way." "that's fine with me, i like your hair how it is."

< reblogs appreciated >

[preciouspeterbparker]

i wish i were

inspired by conan gray’s “heather”

warnings: stepsibling incest (not yet but that’s the whole premise), underage masturbation, underage sex, angst. peter’s like 16 and a half, Tony’s almost 18

word count: 2.2k

summary: peter’s in love with his big brother. no biggie. (spoiler alert: it’s a big deal)

(A/N: okay this has been living in my head rent free for over a month. i've written more, but it's not fully fleshed out yet. 

i figured i would post this and see if anyone is interested in reading it before i put a bunch more effort in lmao. this is filth. most of the angst comes later lololol (and more filth).

i hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think / if you'd like to read more!

- bloo)

PART ONE

Peter stands at his locker, desperately trying to blend in and remain unseen as he switches out his English textbook for Physics. The school year is basically over, given that it’s the last week of May but he’s still not comfortable in the junior-senior hallway. He’s always been the youngest (and therefore smallest) kid in most of his classes, given that he’s been in the ‘gifted & talented’ track since middle school. (He’s on track to graduate next year, taking his last few mandatory classes and completing an internship for additional credit.) This year, Peter feels even smaller than usual; maybe because most of the seniors are already eighteen, while as a sophomore, he isn’t even seventeen. He doesn’t have many friends this year, because of it. Ned moved away last summer because his dad got a new job, and, well, he’d never really needed more than Ned before. 

“Hey Pete-squeak,” comes a voice from behind, making him jump. Rolling his eyes, Peter pivots slightly to face the newcomer. The infestation of butterflies that he's been harboring for the past few months begins to flutter immediately, tickling the walls of his stomach as his cheeks flush lightly.

The voice belongs to a tall (or, well, taller than Peter, anyway), ridiculously handsome boy with dark hair and dark eyes, walking towards Peter with his hands in his pockets. The cheeky smirk on his face is all but permanent, but the small, genuine smile it slips into is something that Peter holds close to his chest, something that is typically reserved for him.  

Tony, his older brother, is pretty much Peter's favorite person in the world. Technically, he’s Peter’s step brother. Maria, his mom, and Peter’s dad Richard got married when Peter was a year old and Tony was almost three. They’d essentially spent their whole lives together; neither of them could really remember anything before. They’ve always been close, but that’s changed a little bit this year.

“Hey Tony,” Peter chirps, reaching back into his locker to grab his physics binder. He tries to act natural, even though he feels anything but. His heart’s going a mile a minute inside his rib cage. He feels a little ridiculous, he has for the past few months. Swallowing, he manages to sound relatively calm. “You read the last 2 chapters of Beowulf, right? Mrs. Herrera gave us a pop quiz last period.” 

The older teen groans. Closing his eyes, he throws his head back, a metallic thunk sounding as it collides with the locker he’s leaning back on. “Fucking hell. The final paper is due in like four fucking days! Is that not enough?” It’s quiet for a moment as Tony pauses before he opens one eye, cutting it to look at Peter. “What were the answers?” 

Peter snorts in response, shutting his locker. “Not happening, T.”  He pulls his phone out of his pocket to check the time and lets the left side of his body rest against the cool metal. Three minutes til the bell rings, and Mr. Riley’s class is right across the hall. So he’s essentially got three minutes to indulge himself and the fuzzy warmth that’s running through his veins. He loves any time he gets to spend with Tony. “You’re lucky I told you at all, be grateful.” 

Tony wrinkles his nose at him. “Rude,” he scoffs in mock offense. “I know you can remember them,” comes his teasing accusation. (And he’s right. Peter can recall the entirety of the quiz, but he’s still not going to enable Tony.) Then he pauses and raises an eyebrow at his younger brother. “Is that my sweatshirt?” The garment in question is a worn and slightly faded black Led Zeppelin USA 1977 crewneck sweatshirt. Peter’s wearing it over a charcoal and white check button-up. The sweatshirt is one of Tony’s favorite pieces of clothing, he wears it all the time (hence why Peter...borrowed it...without asking).

Having mentally prepared himself to be questioned at some point, Peter’s reply is already on the tip of his tongue. “Yeah, it ended up in my laundry and once I put it on it was too cozy to take off. And it looks good with these jeans and the button-up. And my boots. Trying out a new look,” he finishes, smiling as he pushes his glasses further up his nose. Tony often teased him about the thick, clear-but-slightly-pink frames, but Peter hadn’t wanted glasses at all (he doesn’t need any more reasons to be teased, thank you), but he likes these. They make him look cute, more feminine. More like someone Tony could want. 

“You’re right,” Tony smiles. One of his hands comes up to playfully ruffle at Peter’s russet hair. “Looks great on you, kid.” There’s warm affection in his voice. 

Peter feels his cheeks go hot again, and he wills the flush to go away. He can’t take compliments from Tony, now- they make him ache and preen simultaneously. He knows that Tony doesn’t mean it the way he wants. Peter knows that Tony would never speak to him again if he knew what was really going on inside his little brother’s head. The thought makes him sick to his stomach. 

Speaking of stomachs. “Hey,” he starts as he fingers through the papers in his physics binder, attempting to find the problem set that’s due today. “Did you ever catch up on Hell’s Kitchen? I’ve been rewatching episodes trying to wait for you, but you’re taking too long. You saw the episode where Gordon-” Peter’s heart falls to his stomach and he abruptly stops speaking when he looks up to notice that Tony isn’t looking at him anymore, barely seems to be listening. 

It falls completely out of his ass when he sees just what, just who, has stolen his attention. 

“Sorry, Pete, gotta go,” Tony mutters once he realizes that Peter’s stopped talking, shooting him a hasty smile and shoving off the navy metal. He skirts past Peter, a slight skip in his step as he makes his way down the hallway. 

Peter's swallows and clenches his jaw as he watches his brother walk straight to her, the bane of his existence. The reason he and Tony don’t spend as much time together anymore. The object of Tony’s affections. Pepper. She's...everything Peter wishes he could be, honestly. Tall, somehow a perfect mix of skinny & curvy, bright blue eyes, long strawberry-blonde hair. She's perfect. And not only in looks; she's also ridiculously smart. If Tony wasn’t valedictorian, she surely would be. She even volunteers at the local soup kitchen every weekend, and Peter’s pretty sure she reads to dogs at the animal shelter once a month. He hates that Pepper is so nice; he hates that he can't hate her without hating himself for it. 

As if he didn't have enough self-loathing already.

***

Peter exits the bathroom that connects his bedroom with Tony’s after gently flicking the lock on his brother’s door to disengage it, the soft ‘snick’ ridiculously loud in the quiet of the house. He’s the only one home; Mom and Dad are at some sort of event for Dad’s law firm, and Tony went to a party at Rhodey’s house. (Tony had insisted that Peter was invited, but he had to know that the younger would never go- why would he want to be surrounded by drunk, horny, belligerent teenagers? The last thing he wanted to see was Tony and- )

There’s a dark gray towel loosely wrapped around his waist, so loose he has to clutch it in his hand to keep it from falling. He closes his own bathroom door behind him and drops the towel, digging through his underwear drawer to pull out a random pair of plaid boxers. 

After sliding them on, the brunette takes a deep breath and lays back against the pillows, arms behind his head. He tries to consciously relax his muscles, the tension of the day not having melted away during his shower like he had hoped. Time for Plan B. It’s never let him down before. Peter reaches for his phone and unlocks it before swiping through his apps to open Spotify. The sound of “Dazed and Confused” fills the air through his speakers, and he sets it to repeat on a loop. It’s a little fucked up, the way he’s conditioned himself to respond to this song, but- Peter knows the whole thing is fucked up; he’s fucked up. 

Closing his eyes, he does the only thing he’s been capable of for months: he thinks of his older brother. 

He’s growing fond of the new facial hair Tony’s trying out; he wonders how it would feel against his skin. Which areas would be the most sensitive to its touch? His thighs? His neck? Peter’s head tilts back and to the side as he imagines wet, warm lips and the scratch of stubble. Just the thought, the phantom sensation, makes a soft mewl leave his mouth. It’s a little ridiculous how easy he can get himself going, when he thinks of Tony’s touch, of his body. Of his love. In his boxers, his cock shifts against his thigh as it begins to fill out. 

The sensual, plucky bassline and wailing guitars of the song drag along, and so does Peter’s breathing as he brings a hand up to pinch at one of his nipples. He imagines the way Tony would tease him until he was whining, begging for release. He supposes it wouldn’t be dissimilar to his older brother’s typical manner of playfully taunting him. Maybe Tony would pin him down like he did when they were younger, climb on top of him and hold him there with the muscles he’s gained from boxing in the garage. The opportunities he’s had to see the older teen breathing heavy, shirtless and glistening with sweat, would be forever ingrained in his mind. The mental image sends more blood rushing south and his dick throbs as it quickly reaches full hardness, drawing a gasp from his mouth. 

Peter takes himself in hand, studying the details of his cock. He knows he’s not huge, but he’s at least on the larger side of average. It’s flushed a deep, mauve-y pink, and he traces the line of a vein on the side with the tip of his pinkie. A shiver shoots down his spine. He wonders how similar it is to Tony’s. Is he circumcised like Peter is? Is he bigger? Longer, thicker even? Sure, he’s seen him naked before, when they were younger changing or in the bath, but that stopped around the time Tony was seven or eight. 

(Tony and Peter had come home from school one day, and Peter’s head had been reeling over what he heard some older girls saying on the bus. He’d decided to ask Tony about it. His big brother knew everything. ...Mom & Dad caught them kissing in their bedroom. That was the end of bathing together, and Tony got his own room, too. Peter never forgot about the way his big brother’s lips felt against his own.) 

A bead of precum oozes out of his tip and Peter rubs his thumb over it, smearing the liquid over his cockhead. Robert Plant’s voice moans over the speaker and Peter echoes the sound as he slowly strokes himself with a loose grip, his hole tightening around nothing. Biting his lip, he hesitates before slipping his left pointer finger into his mouth, rolling his tongue around it sloppily. Once it’s wet, he reaches down and gently presses the pad of his finger against the tightly furled muscle between his cheeks. His breath hitches as the sensation; he’s only touched himself down here a couple of times before. 

The tip of his finger begins to breach his opening and a whine leaves Peter’s mouth. It stings a bit so he tries to relax, muscles fluttering, making a mental note to grab some lube next time he goes to the drugstore. He wants to be able to stretch himself out more, to imagine Tony’s fingers, Tony’s cock, splitting him open and stuffing him full. Fuck-

Tightening his grip on the base of his cock, Peter grits his teeth and grunts softly as he pulls his finger from his ass. He can’t cum yet- he’s not done. He reaches under his pillow, pulling out the balled-up t-shirt that’s taken up residence there. The black fabric has faded in some spots, and the Black Sabbath logo is cracked and worn; it’s one of Tony’s favorite shirts. Peter brings the soft cloth up to his nose, fumbling with it to find the area with the strongest smell. There are hints of Tony’s Old Spice deodorant mixed with a scent that’s distinctly Tony, a warm, masculine musk that has saliva pooling in Peter’s mouth. Delirious, fucking his hand to the beat, he wishes he had dug a little further in the hamper, pulled out a pair of Tony’s briefs. 

That’s the thought that does him in. Peter cums into his fist, gasping his brother’s name, the sound getting muddled in the maelstrom of guitar and drums. Thick ropes of jizz splatter on his stomach and chest, entire abdomen heaving with his breaths. 

He wipes the mess up with Tony’s t-shirt before tucking the fabric back under his pillow for safe keeping.

to be continued???

[filthycasualhobbies]

In The Rain (Dragon Age: Origins Fic)

A/N: This is from forever ago, but I -really- like what I wrote here and wanted to share ^.^ It was originally smutty, but I had a ridiculously difficult time finishing it so I ended it the way I did here instead lol As always, keep in mind I am a filthy casual hobbyist, and thank you for reading :3

________________________________________

Alistair could not sleep. His bedroll lay askew, his limbs spread to the four quarters in an attempt to increase exposure to whatever breeze might blow through his small tent. It wasn't working.

Muttering to himself about summer and worst time to travel and damn these canvas tents and their ability to retain heat, he pulled on the thinnest linen shirt he had, laced up his breeches and crawled out into the humid night.

It was Sten's turn on watch tonight. Alistair approached the stoic swordsman. "I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?" Sten asked in his usual slightly irritated tone.

"Wear all that armor in this ridiculous humidity! I'd have melted into a puddle of goo by now-" he paused. "I feel like I already have." As if to offer a little succor to the overheated Warden a slight breeze tickled his neck. Thunder roiled in the distance, a nearing promise of rain.

Sten narrowed his eyes, annoyed. "It is my watch. I must be prepared to face whatever threat may present itself."

Alistair couldn't fault the Qunari's practicality, but if it had been him and he'd had the whole place to himself he wouldn't have been wearing anything at all… which gave him a brilliant idea.

Alistair grinned as thunder seemed to clap a little nearer than before. "Well, hopefully that lovely sound means rain will be here soon. 'Til morning then" With that he trotted off to Elissa's tent to see if she was feeling just as sticky as he. Perhaps she would be interested in seeking relief as well.

"Elissa?" he whispered at the flap of her tent. "Elissa are you awake?" When there was no response he pulled back the strip of canvas… to find her bedroll empty. A moment of panic overtook him before he realized it was perfectly normal; she was probably just heeding nature's call. He left the tent and approached Sten once more.

"Have you seen Elissa? She's not in her tent."

"Yes, she left camp awhile ago. She was heading toward the creek-"

"Ah well, I'll just," Alistair started, when Sten continued. "-with the elf." Alistair's panic returned. "Why didn't you stop them?" he demanded, his tone rising.

"I did not feel the need. She has not asked that he be watched." Sten's calm was grating on Alistair's nerves which were quickly becoming frazzled. They'd only brought Zevran into the fold a few weeks before and while Elissa seemed to trust the elf's word, Alistair wasn't so easily forgiving. He -had- tried to kill them after all.

"Well if you won't, I certainly will." And with that he stalked off in the direction Sten had pointed out.

The creek was not far from the camp but the maze of trees between made it easy for Alistair to locate the pair, his lover and her assassin, without being seen. They sat on a fallen log at the creek's edge, a lot closer to each other than Alistair would have liked. "Elissa, what on earth were you thinking?" he whispered to himself, hands gripping a branch in front of him.

Thunder rumbled closer in the quickly darkening sky as Alistair watched them. For some reason he did not want to charge forward in a surprise attack and rescue his fair maiden. No, instead he decided to wait, watch and when the elf made his attempt he would burst forth from the trees and fight for her. He would also give her a sound talking to and an "I told you so" for good measure.

However, as he stood there watching, paces away and obscured by the forest, all they did was talk. The longer he watched the less he felt concerned the more another feeling crept up in his chest. When she laughed that adorable little bell-like laugh that he always heard when he made a silly joke, that feeling flared and he knew it for what it was. Jealousy. The clouds rumbled overhead insistently followed by a spitting of rain. Alistair braved a step forward. Zevran paused in whatever it was he'd been saying and looked up at the sky. Alistair's approach appeared to go unnoticed and he was now within hearing range.

"Well, my dear Warden I believe we should head back to camp before it begins to rain in earnest, yes?" Zevran stood and offered Elissa his hand, which she took without hesitation. Alistair nearly lost it right there, taking a step forward before he could restrain himself. He didn't see Zevran glance in his direction.

"Mmm," Elissa looked to the creek, "you go ahead. I'd like to stay here awhile. I don't mind the rain."

"Suit yourself," Zevran smiled, "but you know my bedwarming offer still stands should you catch a chill from the rain." He took her hand and placed a gentle kiss upon the inside of her wrist. He could hear the snapping of a twig somewhere to his left.

Elissa started. "What was that?" "Oh, I'm sure it was nothing. Likely a small animal skittering away." He smirked. "I'll leave you to the rain then."

Elissa blushed at the surprisingly soft kiss and she was grateful that the dying light would hide it from him. She didn't need him to be thinking that his charms were at all effective. As he pulled his cowl over his head and quietly left the clearing she turned her attention back to the creek and lowered herself to the fallen trunk once more.

Alistair wished his glare could pierce the elf's armor as Zevran passed by on his way back to camp. That was all he could do really, glare. Zevran had remained true to his word and hadn't tried to kill Elissa despite the ideal opportunity. Alistair had no grounds to gut him outright. He stood there awhile, fists clenched before resolving to approach her. With stealth no longer a concern he didn't care that he noisily moved the branches out of his way, stepping on the one he had broken earlier, announcing his approach.

Elissa whipped around at the sudden noise. "Who's there?" She drew her small dagger from her shirtsleeve. "Zevran? Is that you?"

"No," said a figure emerging from the trees, "it's me."

"Alistair?" She squinted into the growing darkness. "What are you doing out here?" The rain was falling harder now, a flash of lightning illuminated the striking form of the other Grey Warden as he stepped toward her. "I could ask you the same thing, Elissa."

Suddenly she felt defensive. There was a dark undertone in his voice she'd never heard before. "I needed some air. My tent was stifling and I couldn't sleep."

"You choose interesting company to keep in the middle of the night."

Ah, that was the reason, she realized. "Did you follow me out here, Alistair? Were you spying on me?"

"I-" he stammered. Andraste's flaming sword, she was out here in the dark with a trained assassin who'd been hired to kill her and she had the nerve to -accuse- him of spying!? "I was looking out for your well-being since you apparently don't give a whit about it. Why were you out here with the assassin? If you insist on giving him ample opportunity to -kill- you I suspect he'll eventually take you up on it!"

Sighing, she dangled her dagger from her fingers. "Have you had your head under a rock for the past few weeks?" Exasperated with his thinly veiled jealousy, she continued. "Have I ever appeared to be in need of rescue?" The sky lit up with another brilliant flash and revealed her fully to him. She was standing there, hands lifted at her sides in a gesture of irritated puzzlement, her loose linen undershirt clinging to her curves. Her hair, loose from its usual triple bindings was dripping with the rain and plastered to her neck and forehead. Her breeches were soaking and her bare feet seemed sunk into the soft moss of the clearing.

Maybe it was seeing her like that. Maybe it was the heat gone to his head or the power of the thunder that now clapped through the vault above. Or maybe it was his jealousy, his need to reaffirm that she was his alone, not to be shared with some uppity elf. Perhaps it was all these things that prompted him to stalk toward her, his eyes darkening. "You're looking fairly vulnerable at the moment."

She couldn't stop herself from snorting. "You do realize I'm holding a dagger, yes?"

He kept on his advance. "Yes. And?"

She really wasn't sure where this was going. Alistair usually wasn't so bold, he was all adorable awkwardness and misdirecting jokes. Even when they were intimate he was usually tender to a fault. Was he playing a joke on her now?

He was close. She could feel his heat despite the cooling rain. He was -inches- from her. "Elissa." Her name in that tone sounded like a dark incantation. He leaned in close and his breath tickled her ear. She held her breath. "Drop the dagger." For a moment there was no sound but the incessant dripping of the rain all around the clearing and then a sharp, wet 'thtch' as the dagger embedded itself in the moist moss.

Alistair's hands moved to cup her face as he brought his lips to hers in a crushing, possessive kiss. She let out a surprised yelp and his tongue darted into her mouth capturing hers. The rain pouring down her face sweetened her lips and he sucked on them as he withdrew. Her breath came in a gasp as she was pressed even tighter to him. "Alistair, what…?"

"I'm the only one who will be warming your bed," he growled, claiming her mouth once more.

Meanwhile back at camp, Zevran was sat at the entrance of his small tent watching the fire sizzle in the increasing downpour. His ears perked at the very audible cries of pleasure suddenly erupting from the trees. His lips curled in a knowing smile, his hand reaching to pat the warden's mabari hound laying at his side. "This is much more entertaining, no?" He fell back against his bedroll, sighing in contentment, the moans and exclamations mingling with the crackle of the dying fire. Sten remained on guard, unmoved. "I do enjoy listening to a good romp, but they were putting me to sleep with their polite endearments. I had to do something."

[magicalgirlfan666]

Alfea's Magical Girl Fairy School (Winx Club Reader Insert)

Chapter 1: First Day & Dormmates

This Winx Club Fanfic was brought to you by DragonStar sponsored by Winxwasmychildhood.org which was made possible by viewers like you enjoy 

Fair warning: not everything that's going to go down in this will be from the tv series since I like doing my own thing with fanfics that I write so just so you don't get confused I placed this here as a heads up. Now you know.

P.S this is a reader insert that means you are the Main Character of the story.

______: First name

(I will be giving you an eye color I hope that you don't mind ^^')

(h/c) Hair color

(Same with skin color again I hope you won't mind)

I will be giving you the last name this time.   

_______________________

Finally, I have now come of age to attend Alfea, it was something that I have been looking forward to going. In hopes of improving upon my magical powers and gaining what I need to be a good queen to my people. My Mother and Father also warn me to not only study but to be on look out for any royalty students attending as well so that I may make good relationships with them to help further prosper our kingdom.

But to only seek out royalty anything other than studying and bettering myself is unnecessary thus deserving no further attention, and I had no plans on going against it for nothing else piques my interest.

For I was taught to have nothing else to gain my interest other than my kingdom: Frozonia, if it prospers I prosper. Anything and everything I do is for it and it alone. No desires for myself no wants or needs for myself other than the want and need for a glorious kingdom.

It didn't take long for me to arrive to Alfea, there were a bunch of other girls at the front waiting for Griselda to finishing verifying if rather or not they belonged here. One girl was having a bit of trouble since Griselda was having trouble finding her name on the list and it wasn't til the girl told the older woman how her name was spelled did she finally spot the name and allowed her access.

The red head in front of me appeared to be worried as the two whispered about something, I saw the blonde female rip apart a letter for a reason unknown to me before approaching Griselda.

"Hello Ms. G this is Princess Varanda the princess of Callisto" I glanced to the redhead who was acting funny, I found it odd about how she was acting when being introduced but wrote it off as none of my concern, Griselda argued over the blonde who's name I now learned was Stella, return to Alfea especially after what she did to their science class to which Stella replied on how her parents did pay for some of the school's new stuff.

I was getting a bit annoyed at having to wait for the pair to finish their chit-chat, have preferred that they have this kind of personal chat when she doesn't have to allow access to a bunch of girls waiting to get in but since I have been taught to keep these sort of things in check so I knew not to voice this. 

Though I was also taught to offer my honest thoughts and opinions and to be blunt a queen as no time for beating around the bush since I was not asked there was no need. My people though blunt and truthful with what we say, we tend to be a silent and quiet bunch only speaking when spoken too or when necessary.

 I didn't deem now necessary, finally, they finished and I was finally next. "Name?"

"_____ Frosthart Princess of planet Crystria" I answered with a stoic face and a voice void of any emotion. 

"Ah yes I see your name right here, go right ahead" I wasted no time walking through the gates and into Alfea, soon the head mistress Faragonda showed up and give a big speech before we were allowed to go inside when she finished. I quickly located my room and it appears two of my dormmates where already here.

One was a orange-blonde hair girl with a bob-cut hairstyle and hazel eyes, the other a fair-skinned girl with long, chest length brown hair with neatly brushed bangs above her eyes, while she has a strand or two hang over her shoulders with sea blue eyes. Both girls appeared friendly enough as they greeted me.

"Hi I'm Amaryl and this is my friend Francine" The two offered a kind and friendly smiles as they stuck their hands out for me to shake. I stared for a brief second before accepting their kind gesture.

"So would you happen to be Looma or ______?" Francine asked, before I could respond another voice spoke up. All three of us turned to the entrance of the room where the voice originated from.

Standing there a was brown hair, green eyes girl with her hair styled into a tight bun and two braids in the front. Her eyes shone bright with kindness and excitement. "Hello" She greeted kindly, placing her right hand on her chest. "I'm Looma and it would seem that from now and we will be dormmates" 

"Ah so then that would make you _______" Francine said before returning Looma's greetings, as they started to converse I went to my room and used my magic to unpack everything. It wasn't long before Looma walked in still smiling.

"Looks like you already picked your side of the room" She said as she walked over to the other side and did the same as me with her magic as she unpacked I noticed she had a lot more clothes than I so it was safe to assume that she was really into clothing and fashion. She also had a few other things to make her own clothing.

"You weren't there when I told the others but if you ever need any clothing or some specially made feel free to ask all I need are some cool stuff to make them out of or if you want just buy some off me, it's really no trouble since I'm always making more than I really need" She gave an awkward laugh when addressing her lack of self-control on making clothing.

I don't really think that I will be needing any clothing specially made from her or to purchase any off her anytime soon but did make sure to keep note of it just in case. You never know when this knowledge might come in handy.

I nodded to let her know that it was acknowledged, she smiled in returned and started going over to the desk she unpacked and got to designing something that I can only assume was clothing.

I didn't have anything planned so I just sat down on my bed reading as my roommate hummed while drawing which I didn't mind since I would only tune it out once I get adsorbed onto the book.  And in no time at all I was soon lost into a land of my own.

That is until a rabbit came out of nowhere and hopped right onto my book and soon a girl's voice shouted out a name that wasn't mine or any of my dormmates. 

"Kiko!" She came rushing in and stopped once her blue orbs landed on the gray little bunny who was smiling sheepishly, they soon turned to me as she took notice that he was standing on my book. 

"I'm so sorry, I don't know why he went running off like that" She appeared to be genuinely sorry for her rabbit's actions as she stared into my icy blue eyes. 

I looked at her for a bit before turning my gaze to her rabbit and picking him up, the moment my hands made contact with his tiny little body he started to shiver but it wouldn't last too long since he would soon be in his master's hands as I handed him over. 

"It is fine any damage done I can easily fix but do try to be careful next time" She nodded as she took the little bunny in her hand's as he immediately started to warm up.

"Right it won't" She nodded as I returned to my book. She got the hint that I didn't wish to speak anymore and soon left as I picked up where I unwillingly left off. 

I finally reached the end of my book and was left wondering why did the main character make such a choice? Why did they choose to abandon their kingdom for someone else? It didn't make sense, no matter how many times I read books like this I could never figure it out. 

Since the day I was born I was told that the kingdom and the people's welfare were to be placed above all else which means doing whatever was necessary to make sure that our kingdom was prospering. 

So for her to make such a decision only leads to one thing for me to believe since it was the only thing that made sense, her tutors didn't educate her well enough at all, I just hope that other kingdoms in this story learn from this and never hire that person again.

I sighed as I placed my book onto the stand next to me and soon realizing that it was now night time, I must have missed lunch.... I look over to check on Looma and she was still drawing, I get up to tap her on the shoulder which startled her.

"Oh it's you, sorry you kind of scar-" Her eyes glanced around the room before landing back on me. "Um.. is it night time?" I nodded.

"Darn that means I miss lunch" She pouted before looking to me again. "Why didn't you say anything?" I pointed to my book.

"After finishing my book I was only now made aware" She looked over at my stand(no that's not a jojo reference) before nodding and then smiling. 

"I guess that means we are sort of alike only we get far too absorbed in different things" She giggled before yawning. "Well not that it matters now I'm far too tired to eat anyway" She stood from her seat heading over to her bed.

"I'm going to head off to bed, night" She hopped into the bed pulling the sheets over her as I soon deiced to do the same as well.

Closing my eyes I soon drifted to sleep, one that was dreamless as usual for me they normally were anyway. It happens so often that I can't remember if I ever had dreams before or maybe I just simply can't remember them... whatever the case it doesn't really matter all that much anyway.....   

___________

Okay so, this has already been posted on my watt pad and quotev, and is how it will be staying, the next parts will be drafts and possible outcomes

[movedtovervainbrokemyheart]

I would love a few plot please ideas for any pairing(s) of yours and mine you have an interest in or idea for if you don’t mind!

⤏ send me “plots please”

… and I’ll respond with  3  (or more)  interesting  plots / relationships / connections  I can think of for our muses!   There is  no pressure  for us to write any of them,   but it’s a great starting point for you to get a sense of how I think our muses might interact and what sorts of plots I’m most interested in happening between them  - so don’t be shy!

@redroomfcrged

im gonna do three. one for your clint, nat, and wanda. I don't know if you want more plots. I'm always able to think up random and wild shit so feel free to ask me for specific ship/pairings/dynamic plots!

Post Endgame, Clint ( who i think we discussed has no family in these verses? but if im wrong just let me know ) realizes that he wasted too much time and him and Natasha really never said things they should've said. Reasonings may vary, when it comes time for Cap to take the stones back, there's some debate about it. Steve's insistent that he's going to do it. But, Clint decides to do it instead and he does return them all as he was supposed to--to their rightful places. But in a Steve's choice scenario, Clint wonders if it would be so bad to go back to when Nat was still alive. Depending on where in the timeline he drops himself, and what events transpire, ( I did not finish loki so im just remembering what I DID see ), they could potentially create a branch reality. But what happens in that reality? Does Nat not die? Do Clint and Nat just leave the Avengers behind? Does Clint spare her but then they just take off. Much like most plots in this vein, he's burdened with knowledge of things that didn't happen yet, or might never.

Not sure how you feel about certain things, but what if in an AU, Tony didn't end up with Pepper. But with Natasha. Now, there's multiple ways we could go about this, we could do some sort of soulmate au where they have a shared song, or words on each other's bodies, or even something in the vein of you can hear your soulmates thoughts, or you can't see color til you lay eyes on them. There's actually a lot there if you go the soulmate route especially if when Tony or Nat die they lose the ability to see the color. It could also be some sort of drunken vegas marriage plot type deal if you wanted less seriousness about it and more hysterics and hilarity. We could also have it be a slowburn that doesn't pay off until that five year lapse between IW and endgame.

so with Wanda, we have a few options, there's Steve or Clint which seem most obvious to me given their mcu interactions or we could go a little less obvious in the way of Scott or Bucky. All in all, I think it would probably be a plot centering around WandaVision's contents or post the fall out from that sort of thing. I could see Steve or Clint especially showing up when she's having that entire thing and trying to snap her out of it. Although, there's something to be said for them showing up post everything and helping her manage her grief.

[akane171]

Yuup, I can only agree with your assessment😁 Blessed be fanfics😍

Ahh, yes... The chosen one trope does get VERY old VERY fast... Esp. if it never really gets explained...🙈 I just like to take Anakin's story as a slave boy  being taken from his mother and "freed" only for him to be told to surpress his feelings until he finally snaps and decides to tell EVERYONE (even innocents) "FU" 🙈 Like, if the focus is less on "being the chosen one" and more on the way his surroundings affect his actions, I feel like he's much more relatable🤔 (Like, who the fuck had the idea of NO EMOTIONS anyway, like, guys, Jedi, Jedi-Masters, THAT'S NOT HOW THE PSYCHE WORKS AND IT'S EITHER GONNA BACKFIRE BY EMOTIONAL EXPLOSIONS OR YOU RAISING A BUNCH OF MEGA-POWERED SOCIOPATHS!🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️) But HAHAHA, well, a full movie just about Obi? I'd be in, tho I'd still love early Master!Obi and Padawan!Ani most, just cause of all that psychological potential😍😍

Yeah, 99% of the time the main heroes kinda suck...🙈😰 Esp. nowadays...🙈 Side characters are usually SO MUCH MORE interesting and relatable😍

(Ohhh, a new song?😍 Thanks for the info, I totally need to check it out😍☺)

Ohh, what kind of tea?🤔😁

They won't, cause I did nothing wrong😁😏😌

My head is a very weird place and I have no controll of that one either, so nope, still won't take any blame😂🤣 (😫I really wanna do that, but I know I can't😭😔😖)

Aww, it was your first, too? Same!☺ And yeah, it WAS kinda weird and the fact you couldn't eaxtly choose all characters as tags was weird, e.g. charmed fanfics about Chris Halliwell were tagged with Eloise early on cause Chris wasn't a tag you could choose til later on 😅🙈

 Funny you ask now, I just finished reading Chapter 20 of Survivor a few hours ago 😍😭🙈 I knew it was coming, but uff, reading about the 75th Game's style and everyone's reactions to it was painful😭🙈

Ohhh, real life demons?😍😍😍😍

Yeaaah, it's a very weird scene thinning back now...😅😕

Haha 😂 But, aww, no, if their hermitness keeps them happy and safe, better not come out🙈🙈

Oh..Huh, okay🤔🤔 

Haha, omg, I didn't even realize it was that time of the year til I saw you post about it and I've been hooked on the giving the wolf a banana song ever since😂😂😂 IT'S SO CATCHY!

Thanks, you too! And have fun watching ESC!😁

XXX

Well, I guess, because I'm not that into the whole SW lore, that the no emotion rule were taken from buddhism aka the you can feel emotions, but you just let them go through you and let them go immediatelly. I don't remember 'how to deal with feelings' was ever explained in the movies? It was just like, feelings bad, don't have them, I think, but I'm not sure if I'm not murdering SW canon now xD

I feel like having emotions in the Jedi order was the biggest crime, while it should be dunno: shit, I had them, I acted beacause of them, did shit, damn, next time I will be better instead of FEELINGS BAD, SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! *kicks out of the order*

What can I say, i have a soft spot for stories when guys need to take care of kids and act like step dads.

Also, dunno, a thousands of years old order where a lot of intelligent, smart people were and they had no idea how to deal with a boy and his emotions? Like? Hire a fucking therapist or something?

And the villains are even better than the side characters. Also, sometimes I think the side characters are much better than the main heroes, because how not developed they are aka they are not screwed by too much author's attention.

Green tea!

This is your line of defence? ...

And still it's your head aka you are responsible (DO IT! even if you won't publish it! Do it! For soul cleaning!)

Yep. I didn;t have that problem, because like I read Gundam SEED fics and there were not that many, so i checked everything just to see if my ship was there xD On the other hand reading and searching Naruto fics was an... experience.

Yeah, this fic is a cold blood murderer. I just hope PP is going to finish it TT

Not demons, ONE specific, very powerful one.

Anything what amke sthem happy, I guess TT

GIVE THE WOLF A BANANA!!!!! I freaking love them xD

i had fun, as always xD Nothing funnier than complaining about ballads, pianos not set on fire and confusing usamericans xD

[spicycreativity]

Soft-Shoe Shuffle - Ch 2

Chapter: 2/12 Additional Notes: See Ch 1 for more information. Read on AO3 under "WizardGlick." Any formatting/italics errors are holdovers from AO3 that I was too lazy to fix. Chapter Content Warnings: Forgetting to eat, fainting Excerpt: "You can’t stand seeing Hot Daddicus Finch sad. You want to fix it for him. It’s funny, actually.” To illustrate his point, Remus gave a shrill, hyena cackle. "After all those nights complaining about his, what did you call it, 'saccharine simpering,' it turns out you --" he poked Janus in the chest-- "have a sweet tooth." “I--” All of Janus' instincts were screaming at him: deny, deny, deny! But shock stilled his tongue and left him staring at Remus as a horrifying realization dawned on him. Remus seemed to reach the same conclusion at the same time. "Holy shit, was I right? I was just teasing!"

Speak easy on the grapevine Keep shufflin' in a shoe shine Old tin lizzy, do it 'til you're dizzy Give it all you got until you're put out of your misery

A gentle tapping on his door interrupted Janus' fitful attempt at sleep. It couldn't be morning already, could it?

He chalked it up to sleep deprivation when the sight of Patton's face in the doorway actually made him smile. After all, irritation flooded in soon after. Janus had been trying (and failing) to sleep .

"'Morning!" Patton said, his own smile a touch strained.

Janus hid a yawn behind his hand and blinked slowly at Patton until his higher reasoning kicked in. "Good morning, Patton. I assume you need something from me? Or have you developed a magnetic attraction to my door?"

"What?" Patton stopped leaning on the doorframe and stood up straight. "No, I-- I was just about to make breakfast and I thought I'd come see if you wanted to join me."

Janus could practically feel the steam coming out of ears as he tried to come up with a way to decline that wouldn't hurt Patton's feelings. "I don't usually eat first thing in the morning," he said, only just managing not to stammer.

"Coffee, then? Black coffee."

"Like my soul," Janus said automatically.

Unfortunately, Patton seemed to take this as an agreement to join him. "Great!"

His smile wavered a little and his eyes kept flickering to the top of Janus' head-- "Just a moment." Janus ducked back into his room, put his hat back on, and followed Patton down the hall, surveying himself with distaste. His outfit was wrinkled after a night of tossing and turning, and that simply wouldn't do. Janus focused and watched in satisfaction as the creases receded from his clothing.

Then he did some mental math.

Even now, there was no chance that Janus was Patton's first choice of companion, and Patton would have at least had the good sense to warn him if any hostile parties awaited them in the kitchen. At the moment, Logan, Virgil, and Roman all counted as 'hostile parties.' This being the “light” side, Remus didn’t factor in. Ergo, Janus and Patton must have been the only ones awake or willing to come out.

The eerie silence lent credence to that conclusion. The Light side was usually full of such spirited bickering that Janus and Remus could hear it on the other side of the curtain if they listened.

It was a bit odd that Virgil and Logan weren't showing their faces. Virgil in particular couldn't have known Janus was there unless Patton had told him, but Patton had given no indication last night that he was planning on speaking to anyone.

It was quite the mystery, and Janus was more than happy to let it lie until he was better-rested. Last night's headache had returned with a vengeance and exhaustion clawed at the corners of his mind. His capelet may as well have been wet denim, the way it weighed down his shoulders.

"Black coffee," Patton handed Janus last night's ouroboros mug, "espresso-ly for you!"

Janus shook himself. He hadn't even realized they'd arrived in the kitchen. "Thank you," he said, for once at a loss for something sarcastic to say. He thought about much smoother his day would go if he didn't have this budding migraine to contend with and quickly swallowed down the aspirin that appeared in his palm.

"You're sure you don't want breakfast?" Patton asked. "I could make something light. After all, you should know better than anyone not to skip breakfast, Professor Self Care."

"I'm not skipping anything," Janus said, trying to keep a lid on his irritation. He leaned back against the counter and forced himself to take another long swallow of bitter black coffee. "Just delaying it."

"Okaaay," Patton said, sing-song, "but you're gonna feel icky later."

Janus almost responded that he felt pretty 'icky’ now and the nagging wasn't helping, but managed to keep his mouth shut. It didn't help that Patton was technically correct.

Now there was an uncomfortable thought.

Janus leaned against the counter and let his mind wander, idly watching Patton crack eggs into a skillet.

Janus had work to do. Now that Thomas was prepared to listen, Janus' subtler methods of suggestion would serve him no longer. He had thought patterns to dismantle and others to build, not to mention that he wanted to see Remus and find some time to take a nap if possible. And of course, he would have to find time to eat breakfast. Just not now. Not with Patton.

However… Patton's aversion to being alone meant that Janus would have to wait until another side emerged so he could pass off the baton.

Speaking of…

"Patton?"

"Yeah?"

"I understand Roman's hesitancy to show his face--"

"Hey."

"--but surely Virgil or Logan aren't scared of me. I'm a bit surprised Virgil hasn't shown up to try to run me off."

Patton bit his lip, his brow creasing. Janus hadn't been trying to upset him, but Patton looked like he'd just been forced to give his favorite puppy up for adoption. "Probably not." A beat. "Every time I try to talk to Virgil, he just says he's 'going through it' and won't open the door."

Janus hurriedly raised his mug to his lips so Patton wouldn't see his smile. That certainly sounded like Virgil. "Surely Logan has been more forthcoming."

"I knocked on his door a few times, too, but he won't answer at all. I think he's upset with me."

Now that was an interesting development. And problematic, because that meant Janus was going to have to babysit Patton until something gave. "I thought Logan didn't get upset."

"You heard him yesterday. He said we didn't care about him!"

Janus studied the seams of his gloves, feigning disinterest. "Yes, I did think he was being a little melodramatic. Of course I didn't hurt him."

"He wasn't being dramatic!" Patton insisted. "If Logan feels like we don't care about him… It must have been going on for a while, and none of us noticed. We're supposed to be his friends!"

"I'm sure he'll get over it soon," Janus goaded.

"I don't know, Janus." Patton fixed him with a sorrowful look before turning back to the stove. "I've never known him to get this upset about anything. It feels like everything got really bad all at once and I don't know how to fix it. I don't know what to do."

Janus downed the rest of his coffee and immediately went for a refill. Of course Patton couldn't fix it; the Lights needed more than nagging and platitudes, more than just the Band-Aid solution of superficial apologies with no changed behavior. No, they needed someone to help them introspect, someone smart enough to see through their self-absorbed nonsense.

"Penny for your thoughts," Patton said.

Janus didn't jump like he'd been electrocuted. "My thoughts are worth far more than that," he said, recovering smoothly.

"Can I get a friends and family discount?" Patton asked. He switched off the stove and carefully levered the eggs he'd fried onto a bagel.

"I was thinking about all the work I have to do today," Janus said. It was never too early to start dropping hints.

"Don't forget about breakfast,” Patton said. Nagged. “I could bring you something later, if you want."

Something in Janus' head clicked. Roman and Logan both seemed like the type to get caught up in their work and forget to eat. Patton had probably grown used to babying them. "Don't worry, Patton. Unlike certain other Sides I can actually take care of myself."

"Oh?"

"Yes, it would make perfect sense for the embodiment of self-care to forget something as basic as eating ."

Patton circled around the counter and hopped onto one of the barstools. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to be pushy."

He looked at Janus with an expression of earnest regret, his eyes sparkling in the overhead lights. Somewhere deep inside him, Janus' heart pounded. He set his coffee mug aside. Patton must have brewed it strong; it usually took at least three cups to get his heart racing like this and he hadn't even finished his second yet.

"Janus?" Patton looked at him over the tops of his glasses.

"Hm?"

"Did you hear me?"

"...Yes."

Patton smiled. "I asked if you wanted to work in the living room. You know, since, um. It's just gonna be the two of us."

"No," said Janus automatically.

"No?"

"Yes."

"Now I'm confused."

So am I, Janus nearly said. He schooled his expression behind the distraction of another sip of coffee. "I have business with Remus I need to attend to." Why was Patton's bereft expression so unbearably painful? "Maybe later we could," don't, "play cards again."

Patton's sun-bright smile was so dazzling that Janus nearly had to look away. "I'd love that!"

Janus tipped his hat and sank out before he could sign himself up for any more bonding activities.

--

The Dark Side was pitch black. Janus stood very, very still. "Remus?" he called tentatively, not wanting to interrupt if Remus was focused on a project.

A spotlight clicked on, illuminating Remus standing in the center of a stage. "Oh!" he said, glancing in Janus' general direction. "Hi!"

Janus looked down with annoyance to find that his sensible black oxfords had been replaced with pointe shoes. He changed them back with a concentrated effort. "What's this?"

"I was working on a nightmare for Thomas." In a blink, Remus restored the living room. He flopped down on the couch and kicked his feet up on the coffee table, revealing blood stains on the tips of his own pointe shoes. “Little early for day drinking, don’t you think?”

Janus realized he was still holding the coffee mug Patton had given him. He switched the contents out with water and took a long drink. The aspirin had barely touched his headache and the nagging, low-level pain invited in nausea and lightheadedness. Better to take care of that before it escalated into something worse.

He sat beside Remus on the couch and ran a hand through his hair, knocking his hat askew in the process. “You have no idea what it’s like over there.” He straightened his hat and squinted at Remus' shoes. “Wait. A nightmare about ballet?”

“You remember Black Swan?”

“Oh. Well. As much as I’d love to waste your time when you clearly have something better to do, I can always come back later.”

“No, no.” Remus changed his pointe shoes back into boots. “You look like shit. What did they do to you?”

“I do not!” Janus set his water down and summoned a hand mirror. He did look, perhaps, a little tired, but that was easily fixed with a small illusion. He sent the hand mirror back to his room and didn’t glare at Remus. “I do not.”

Remus’ smile shattered into a laugh. “Go on, what did they do to you? Wrap you up in a blanket and make you cookies? Wash your feet with scented oils?”

“Yes, right after the parade they held in my honor.”

"And then they all took turns sucking your--"

"Please put that image in my head."

Remus just gave an apologetic shrug and settled back into the couch cushions. "So what's really going on, hm? It hasn't even been a day and you're already running back to me to bitch about it. They’re not still fighting, are they?”

“Ugh, Remus.” Janus tilted his head back, pressing the back of his hand to his brow in an exaggerated swoon. Still, he was careful to keep his voice low in case anyone was listening. “They're all locked in their rooms pouting. Except for Patton, who keeps following me around like a lost little puppy. "It’s so…" A litany of words sprang to Janus' mind; to his horror 'endearing' was among them. "Ugh," he said, waving a hand vaguely.

“You like it.” Remus’ grin was positively demonic.

“Oh, yes, I do so enjoy having a nagging little tagalong,” Janus said, but it was too late. Remus had latched onto the idea like barnacles to a boat's hull.

"You like him !"

"Oh, yes, Remus, I've been planning out our wedding all day. I just love the sad little puppy dog look he gives me whenever I try to leave the room. It was love at first self-righteous lecture."

Remus' grin widened until it threatened to split his face (a very real possibility when he was involved). "The snakey doth protest too much, methinks."

" No, I--"

“What’s your plan?" Remus interrupted. "Going to seduce him? You going to write a love poem ?”

“Oh, definitely ," Janus sneered. "What rhymes with ‘exasperating’?”

“Masturbating? Kind of a slant rhyme, but I think you could sell it.”

“Charming.”

“Hey.” Remus shrugged. “You came to me for romantic advice.”

“Yes, that was why I came to see you. Not to complain about how The Great American Nag won’t stop following me around and sighing wistfully about how his friends are sad, boohoo.”

Remus’ eyes sparkled. “You do have a plan to deal with him.”

“One that doesn’t involve seduction via dirty love poetry, I’m afraid," Janus said, making an exaggerated pouty face with accompanying hand gestures.

“Boring," Remus replied.

“But you’ll listen anyway because you love me ever so?”

“Like flies love dookie.”

Janus held up a hand to stop Remus from actually summoning a cloud of flies. “If I can at least get Logan out of his room, then Patton will stop following me around and I can get back to--”

“Lusting over Daddy in the shadows?”

Janus took a long, measured breath. “I’m not lusting--”

“Face it, Snakehole."

"Ew."

"You can’t stand seeing Hot Daddicus Finch sad. You want to fix it for him. It’s funny, actually.” To illustrate his point, Remus gave a shrill, hyena cackle. "After all those nights complaining about his, what did you call it, 'saccharine simpering,' it turns out you --" he poked Janus in the chest-- "have a sweet tooth."

“I--” All of Janus' instincts were screaming at him: deny, deny, deny! But shock stilled his tongue and left him staring at Remus as a horrifying realization dawned on him.

Remus seemed to reach the same conclusion at the same time. "Holy shit, was I right? I was just teasing!"

If Remus were any other side, Janus would have thrown an insult at him and made a tactical retreat. Instead, he stood, fussing with his cape so he wouldn’t have to look Remus in the eye. “I have to go speak with Logan.”

“That means I’m right, right?” Remus cackled again, longer this time. “Careful, Jay, you’re getting predictable.”

“No, this was all according to plan,” Janus said, already walking away. “You’re just a pawn in my vast chess game.”

“I prefer checkers,” Remus called after him. “Good luck! Don't forget to wear a condom!"

--

Janus chose to appear right outside Logan’s door, the better to avoid an accidental run-in with Patton. Despite Remus’ taunting, Janus really didn’t want Patton to know what he was up to, and not because he thought it might hurt Patton's feelings, and certainly not because he feared the effect that Patton’s starry-eyed gratitude might have on him. He just preferred to handle his dealings in the dark, that was all.

Strategy remained something of an afterthought. Remus' teasing had left Janus too flustered to focus, and now he was outside Logan's door.

Well.

First, he had to get in. Then he could draw the details out of Logan and improvise from there.

Janus knocked on the door with the back of his hand. “Logan? It’s Janus. I had a question for you, if you’re not too busy.”

It was gentle flattery, but flattery all the same: Janus humbling himself before Logan’s intellect. It was also an appeal to Logan’s natural curiosity; surely he would want to know what it was Janus needed help with.

Sure enough, Logan opened the door a crack. His eyes were blank behind his glasses, his mouth a straight line. “Did I hear you correctly? You want my help?”

“No.” Janus couldn't help but roll his eyes. “I was hoping to have an intellectual discussion with Roman. Isn’t his door blue?” His head throbbed and he realized with some irritation that he had forgotten to eat something before getting on with his business. Patton had been right after all.

Logan didn’t budge. “What’s your question?”

“Logan, I’m surprised at you. I'd think you would know better than to leave a guest standing in the hall.” “I'm sorry, but I don’t desire company at this time.”

“Well.” Janus straightened up. “Maybe I will ask Roman instead. For all the good it'll do me."

It was an obvious bluff: Janus weighing Logan’s jealousy against his anger.

The scales tipped.

Logan opened the door properly and stepped aside. “Come in.”

Janus fought to keep the smile out of his voice. “Thank you.”

Logan shut the door behind him and crossed to the opposite side of the room. He neither sat nor offered Janus a seat, only stared at him with cold expectation. “Your question, Deceit.”

“Janus.”

“Excuse me?”

“Call me Janus.”

“Very well.” Logan stared him down. “Your question, Janus.”

“What’s that? ” Janus had never been the best at eye contact whereas Logan insisted on it. Janus had flicked his eyes away from Logan’s icy gaze and caught sight of a line of sickly blue bruises on the side of Logan’s neck. An instinctive wave of guilt made his stomach clench.

“They are bruises,” Logan said matter-of-factly, though his facial expression displayed an intense desire to talk about something else. “Bruises form when capillaries, small blood vessels near the skin’s surface, are broken, usually due to an impact with something hard.” He hesitated for a fraction of a second. “Something like a wooden shepherd’s crook, for example.”

Janus chose to avoid meeting Logan’s gaze; his capelet was sliding off his shoulder and he needed to adjust it. “You know as well as I do that injuries only affect us if we believe in them. Or have you forgotten Remus’ little throwing star lobotomy?”

“I’m aware,” Logan said stiffly.

Another dizzying wave of guilt threatened to knock Janus over. He took a half-step backwards to keep his footing. “Look. If it’s any consolation, Logan, I wouldn’t have done that if I had known it was going to hurt you.”

Logan’s face twitched with something that Janus recognized a split second later-- suppressed rage. “Janus,” he said, his voice somehow even. “I do not believe you.”

"Oh, yes," Janus spat, every word laced with venom, "You're right . I love causing unnecessary bodily harm to other Sides, that sounds exactly like me."

Logan gave a slight shake of his head. “You-- all of you --have made it abundantly clear that my presence is neither welcomed nor, in many cases, even tolerated. You would have done whatever it took to get me out of the way so you could pursue your agenda, and the others would likely not have stopped you even if they had known. Or rather, had they tried to stop you, it would have been in the service of doing just that: stopping you, rather than in service of assisting me ." Janus' defensive anger gave way to something very like concern, but Logan was still going: "They have given no indication they care about me; in fact, I believe they have grown to dislike me.” Logan broke off, breathing heavily. He didn’t seem to notice the way his fingers dug into his neck. "So, no, Janus. I do not believe you. Kindly ask your question and leave."

“I…” said Janus, for the sake of not making Logan feel judged while he came up with something of substance to respond. He hadn't been expecting that . “Didn’t Patton come check on you?”

“He left,” Logan said. “I waited, and he left.”

“You wanted him to apologize,” Janus guessed. “You wanted him to notice that he’d hurt you and apologize for it.”

Logan adjusted his tie. “I do not feel, and therefore I do not want.”

Janus didn’t even have to respond to that, only raise his eyebrows and look at the bruises that marred Logan’s skin (the bruises he had left).

“Janus, I do not understand what you stand to gain from this conversation,” Logan said. “I don't believe you would have come here just to watch me embarrass myself. Did you have a question, or was there something else you wanted from me?"

Janus ignored the question. He had just landed on his strategy. “Would you like to learn something, Logan?”

“Always.”

“Even though you might not like it?” “It is irrational to dislike knowledge.”

“So it doesn’t bother you that 85 is divisible by 17?”

For a moment, Logan looked like he might argue. Then he sighed, and might even have smiled a bit. “Go on.”

"You," Janus pointed at him, "have been derelict in your duty." He waited for Logan to look suitably offended before he continued, "Not as Logic, but as a friend."

Logan frowned, not offended, but puzzled. "I have?"

Janus thought it might be a bit too much to change Logan's room into a stage, but it was alright; he didn't need the physical change to feel the spotlight on him, to see Logan sitting, rapt, in the audience. “If you haven’t told the others how you feel, you have no right to expect them to just know . Patton and Roman especially have a difficult time intuiting how others are feeling unless you spoon-feed it to them. You cannot lock yourself away and expect them to come crawling on their knees, begging for your forgiveness. You need to communicate. You need to tell them how you feel .”

“How,” Logan said drily, “does one ‘spoon-feed’ emotions?”

“Please keep trying to deflect; you're so good at it."

“But you’re saying that I should explain to the others that my f…”

“ Go on.”

“Feelings are hurt.” Logan winced.

“Growth is often uncomfortable,” Janus said, adding a silent ‘ not that I would know’ for his own benefit.

“And you’re sure they’ll listen?” Logan, for the first time since Janus had known him, looked unsure. He adjusted his tie, which was already immaculate, and stared at Janus.

“One can only hope, since they claim to be your friends," Janus said to reassure him. "And you know, use ‘“I” statements’ instead of ‘“you” statements,’ you remember elementary school.”

A pause.

“Janus? Please elaborate on one thing for me."

"Yes?"

"Why are you helping me? Last time we were in proximity, you gave no indication whatsoever that you cared for me or my 'feelings,' nor for anyone else's. What changed?"

"It's complicated," Janus said, trying to evade the question.

"It's my job to handle 'complicated.' So tell me: Why are you helping me?"

Oh, Janus just loved feeling cornered. His eyes kept finding their way to the bruises on Logan's neck, tangible proof of all the pain Janus had caused. "Quid pro quo," he lied. "Patton misses you and I owe him a debt." His head swam and he forced himself to stand perfectly still to try to keep his balance. Blue bruises dominated his vision.

"Falsehood."

"Fine." Janus curled his lip. "Because I felt sorry for you--"

"Janus," Logan said in a tone of patient annoyance, like an irritated schoolteacher, "please."

Janus took a breath and tried to swallow down the sick guilt clawing at his chest. He wished Logan would have offered him a chair. Now was probably a bad time to ask. “It's because I’m sorry . I--” The room tilted sideways and he staggered in a bid to keep his balance, as there was nothing to steady himself against. “I’m sorry I did that.” He gestured at Logan's neck, fighting for breath. Every word seemed to require twice as much oxygen as usual. “It was wrong of me to silence you. And…” Deep breath. “Even though I thought it wouldn’t affect you--” Telling the truth didn’t usually hurt like this; he felt a little like he was going to be sick. What was going on? “It did, and I'm sorry."