#I haven't gotten very far yet but I hope I get to see these little guys again soon

[pichiicake]

[etheries1015]

Hi Entheries!

Been following your TWST works for a litttle bit, which are so much fun, especially the MC kicking ass one, and can't wait to see what else you come up with 💜

Wanted to let you play with an idea that's been tumbling around in my head for a bit, thought you might do a better job of exploring/making it into a blurb or headcanon.

It would be a Malleus x GN or Fem Reader who would be Yuu/MC (whichever makes you happy)

Reader loves working with pottery/ceramics mostly making teapots and mugs that are themed around the person they are making them for. Maybe making a surprise mug with a dragon or gargoyle inside for Malleus or a teapot that looks/functions like a gargoyle. How would he react/what would his thoughts be?

Hope you have fun with this!

-💜

I absolutely love this idea!!! Its so cute. Thank you for submitting it!

Malleus X reader - An apology mug!

Notes: Gender neutral reader

General warnings: None!

Tw: None!

When you had joined the gargoyle studies club and began using your talent of pottery and craftsmanship, it came rather natural to you when he had taught you to create your own. Most of them would be bigger and more akin to a regular sized gargoyles you see on buildings in order to present them more accurately for the club, but this had given you a grand idea. Making a tiny gargoyle, and merging it into designing a mug (your specialty) for malleus after a little.. "Misunderstanding" for lack thereof better words.

Malleus was only acutely aware of your endeavors and affections for pottery and creating little mugs and teapots, you had briefly showed him a few of your works when you had made an entire set for the heartslabyul dorm. You gifted Trey, Riddle, Cater, Ace, and deuce personalized teapot set that you had spent your free time between classes creating. Malleus noticed as of late you had been commissioned by Azul to produce a decent amount of these little tea sets in order to help boost business in the Monstro lounge.

"You have been working very hard lately, Child of man," Malleus pointed out during a session of creating gargoyles, "Are you sure you are alright? You haven't been overworking yourself? Ashengretto has a tendency to-"

"Malleus," You cut him off, "I am okay! I love my art, I enjoy that people like my teacups, and I'm grateful for the opportunity from Azul. He even paid me rather generously," You pointed out, working your hands on the statue you were occupied with. The tall green eyed fae pouted ever so slightly, unable to share the real reason was in fact the lack thereof time and attention you have been giving him while you were busy making these tea sets for Azul. He would attempt to study with you after classes, yet you have given the excuse that the deadline was coming up shortly. It had gotten to the point in which you were soon canceling days in which you would show up to the club. He was feeling...alone.

Because of this, you noticed the influx of items he would leave on the doorsteps of ramshackle. He enjoyed collecting little rocks and stones and knickknacks he found fascinating to give to you, gifting you necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets...things that you may not normally put on yourself, yet shiny things that seemed rather expensive made its way to you more often now that you were no longer spending time with him. You were aware that Its his biggest love language, yet the extremes he had been going through to try and get your attention has gone rather far.

One particular day whilst you were in the middle of finishing up the task given to you by Azul, a knock upon ramshackles dorm interupted your intent focus. Opening the door, you were greeted by a man hanging upside down and a sly smile upon his features.

"Lilia!" You gasped excitedly, "good! I'm glad you're here!" You quickly invited him in before exiting into a different room, returning with a handful of treasures that Malleus had given you. "Please," You begged, "I can't keep taking all of these things! I understand it's his love language but-" Lilia interrupted your sentence with a hearty laugh, before sitting on the couch and leaning forward, the amusement glinting in his eyes telling you he had something to say.

"Well, I suppose that explains some of his current behavior back at the dorms," Lilia pointed out, "It seems that our prince has been sulking as of late. When I try to probe him, he simply gives me the cold shoulder. My assumption is he misses a certain human," He teased. You furrowed your eyebrows and slumped your shoulders, setting down the items you had carried in gently on the table in the room. You sat next to Lilia and turned to face him with worry in your eyes. He began to explain to you of Malleus' off behavior, how he would become easily irritated when the topic of your duty to Azul came up, or how your absence would be promptly noticed by others who had gotten used to you being by his side. Guilt began to creep up onto you, your heart aching imagining how it must have seem you had brushed Malleus off, and how lonely he must have felt when you had skipped out on activities with him, and how you simply ignoring the amount of items he had piled up for you had probably been seen as another blow to his pride.

"Thank you for telling me, Lilia...I think I have an idea of how I can make it up to him," You chuckled softly, waving the fae goodbye parting ways and returning to your station. You sat down and interlocked your fingers, stretching your back and returning to your work.

A day had passed and neither you nor Grim had shown up to classes. Texts messages sent to you by classmates were left unread, and worry began to fester upon your peers. Ace and Deuce were the most worried, and decided to be brave and ask the one person you were consistently with..... Malleus.

"What do you mean (y/n) did not come to classes?" He had asked with his green eyes wide in shock, "Are they not feeling well?"

"I thought you would know, Malleus," Ace shrugged, "You're always with them. But...maybe we should visit ramshackle ourselves-" Before he could finish making a plan, Malleus had already disappeared in a cloud of green.

He hadn't bothered to knock on the door, instead immediately popping up in the lounge of Ramshackle. He called out your name and walked around a few rooms, until he stumbled upon you sitting in front of your pottery/ceramic station with the door wide open. You were hunched over, your head laying in your arms with your hands littered with clay and paint. Seeing as your back was raising up and down indicating you were breathing and simply sleeping had allowed Malleus to breath out a sigh of relief, a kind smile upon his lips as he gazed upon your sleeping body. He walked towards you slowly, using a hand to gently pat your back in an attempt to gently wake you, when something in particular had caught his attention.

Next to you was a rather large mug, it was a deep forest green and well decorated in contrast with what looked like a black dragon tail that shaped into the handle spiriling around the outside of it (almost as if it was holding onto the mug). He picked it up and began to examine it further, noticing on the inside was a miniature gargoyle standing atop of a small Cornice. The gargoyle was very well detailed despite being so small, it was in the middle of the inside leaving a trench around it for the liquid to still enter the cup and be used as a regular mug. He was enamored with it, his eyes lit up with pure admiration and affection. the paint was sparkling in the reflection of the light, the tail that decorated it looked eerily similar to his own...however he didn't put much thought into it until he looked underneath the mug where he saw a few words.

"To my beloved Fae, Malleus Draconia" The words were small and fit just well enough for the width of the mug, it was obvious it was written by hand using what he could tell was a thin permanent marker. He couldn't stop staring at it. He read those words over and over again with wide eyes that sparkled with joy, finding that he couldn't control the wide grin that followed ear to ear. He read it about 20 times before he heard you begin to rustle around, before you groaned out of your sleepy state. Your eyes began to open slowly before gasping in shock seeing Malleus there, your eyes wandering to the mug he was now holding in his hand.

"No!" You gasped, "Nooo, Malleus! That was supposed to be a surprise for you-" He ignored your exasperated comments and engulfed you in a hug. He sat the mug down on the table and lifted you up with ease, nuzzling his head into the crook of your shoulder with his grip around your body so tight it felt as if he was afraid of you escaping. You let out a little "Augh!" Before slapping gently on his back, "M-malleus- can't- breath-" You choked out. Hearing your plea he loosened his grip however still did not let you go. 'Well', you thought, 'he already saw it, so... ' You gently hugged him back, holding that pose for what seemed almost like an eternity.

"Thank you, (Y/N)," He finally broke the silence, "I shall treasure it forever, trust me when I say no harm shall ever come its way," Malleus smiled down at you. Those were the words he had said, however his mind was running wild. He had always been the one to give and give, yet he never thought anyone would gift him the same. Words of affection bursted in his mind, baffled by this humans kindness. You. You gave him this kindness, and he couldn't be any happier than this moment. He felt so alone for so long, however you had opened doors to him that nobody else gave him the chance to walk through. You invited him to things, you treated him as a normal student, you had been there for him in ways he never thought he would have the pleasure of experiencing. And now, his precious favorite human had given him a treasure. A normal mug to you and others, perhaps, but a treasure you had made by your own hands with Malleus in mind. His heart was warmer than it had ever been before, no amount of words could he express the gratitude he had for this moment. Suddenly he forgot his woes, and all he could see in his line of sight was you, no longer the feeling of jealousy and sadness he felt the past week you were occupied. You gave a little giggle back and replied,

"Even if it breaks, I will re-make it for you in a heartbeat. I'm sorry I haven't been around lately, this I guess is my apology...I'm done with Azuls set, so now I have plenty of free time to commit to gargoyle studies club-" Malleus started with surprise in his voice.

"Did you think I was upset you were not attending club sessions? Silly human, simply being by your side is enough for me." Your cheeks lit up a light shade of pink, turning your gaze back to the mug trying to change the subject out of embarrassment.

"A-anyway..." You walked over to the table gesturing towards the mug, "I had some left over of this magic paint that Azul gave to me," You said, "The gargoyle seems black, but if you fill it with liquid it glows a bright green," You smiled, "Want to test it out?" Malleus could not hold back his excitement, you chuckled at the thought that you could practically see his tail wagging behind him as the tall Fae replied with graceful enthusiasm and a hand tenderly holding onto his newfound treasure,

"I would love to."

----

I hope that was satisfactory! It wasn't the most put together plot in my opinion, so if you have any other suggestions and ideas about editing it and making it better, please don't be afraid to let me know!

And check out my masterlist for more works like this!

as for Grim in this situation...he took you not going to school as an excuse to also not go to school, and slept in all day.

[irishhorse-blog]

A few things to say this morning.

Rumor (ETA: INCORRECT RUMOR) has it that Jimin was sent to another base for special training related to his new post in FDC. I don't know if it's true or not, but I find the coincidence very funny that the weekend Jimin was supposedly sent elsewhere was when JK surfaced on TikTok commenting on one of Jimin's TikTok dance challenge vids. If Jimin was briefly away from him, and he chose to spend that time watching Jimin videos, that would be spectacularly on brand for him.

I love J-Hope beyond my ability to express it. I love RM beyond my ability to express it. I love Jin (D-77 vid was awesome) beyond my ability to express it. I love Suga beyond my ability to express it. I love V beyond my ability to express it. Obviously, I love Jimin and JK beyond my ability to express it. I just keep trying to express it, that's all.

Is it 2025 yet?

Is it June 2024 yet? Poor Jin - he's going to be coming back to millions of thirsty, famished ARMY and he's going to have to babysit us all by himself until Hobi comes back in October. Poor guy. He's going to be love slammed into oblivion (which, of course, he deserves).

I was just wondering, considering how much flak JK has gotten for recording in English - why haven't I heard anybody shitting themselves because "Fri(end)s" is in English, too? (Fab track, BTW.)

I watched and thoroughly enjoyed the first two eps of Hope on the Street, and I can't wait for the rest. It was nice to see JK's cameo as well. My copies of the CDs and whatnot are about to be shipped, and I cannot wait to hold them in my hot little hands.

Just a friendly reminder that the Jikook travelogue is still on its way.

There is no number 8. There is no number better than 7.

The K-drama based on HYYH is officially going to be released in April on a platform I can't get. I hope I can count on ARMY to be both larcenous and share-y. ;)

HYBE and BigHit put out a statement today/last night about proceeding to get jail time for some idiots who thought they were the main character in Fuck Around and Find Out starring BTS. More on the way, apparently. Good. I hope they all get what's coming to 'em. Maybe the horrible online comments and the death threats can finally be ended.

More later. Here's a reward for putting up with me and reading this far. OT7 all the way, baby.

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

as much as i love buggy, i’m gonna request sanji for the fluffy alphabet!

let’s go foooor… C, D, N, U, and Y please! (my goldfish brain forgot if you said five at the most lol)

i love your work sm and i really wish you all the best!

Yay flirty chef!! Most of the requests for the Fluffabet have been Mihawk so far, which I am NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT I love him a very abnormal amount; but Sanji is just so precious and writing for him just

*melts into a silly giggling puddle*

Aaaaanyway. I very much want to thank you for requesting the letter U, I've kind of been looking forward to it, since it gives me creative freedom to brainstorm further and deeper into the characters and their quirks/psychologies, and I always love doing that.

Thank you for the request, and I hope you enjoy!!!

Also feel free to come back and make requests for Buggy, as I've gotten none for him yet at all. Sad clown noises.

Also also, since someone else asked, requests for the Fluffy Alphabet will remain open until all letters are claimed for all characters; and I'll still accept requests for other characters I haven't listed if I feel I can write them and do them justice, I just listed the ones I did because they're the ones I've written the most. Until I state on my Masterpost that requests are closed, they are very much open!!

C is for Courtship (How would they court you?)

“The heavens must be dull these days with their most beautiful goddess stuck down here.”

Firmly believes it was love at first sight, and Sanji is absolutely determined to win you over. As much as he wants to pull you in by your hands, wrap his arms around you, and tell you he’s loved you since the moment he first laid eyes on you; he also doesn’t want to overstep any boundaries and risk blowing his chances.

Flirty, flirty, flirty. He can’t help it, it's just what he does—but he’s respectful about it, dropping silly little lines designed to make you giggle, hopefully make you blush a little. Beyond that, though, he’s going to make every effort possible to legitimately get to know you; your likes and dislikes, your goals, your dreams, everything, wanting to ensure that you know he’s interested in you for more than just being a pretty face that happened to catch his eye.

If you flirt back, you’re never going to be able to get rid of him, he’s your responsibility now, basically a lost puppy that followed you home, end of story.

He’s bent on impressing you, so your first date he’s going to insist on cooking for you, just the two of you—meeting you with a bouquet of your favorite flowers (he made sure to ask in passing about your favorites at some point beforehand), with a light kiss on the cheek and a soft touch at your waist.

D is for Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning and other such household chores?)

“No, no, you sit down and relax, I can handle this, love. Really.”

Settling down with you would be a dream come true. He does have his dream of finding the All Blue, but if you’re willing to come with him on that adventure, then the journey there would be just as much of a dream to him as the destination itself.

It doesn’t take him very long at all to decide that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you, and he’ll do anything to make that happen.

He’s quite cleanly and organized in general—having spent the better part of his formative years working in a professional kitchen, it’s become a force of habit. If something needs to be cleaned, to be tidied up or organized, he’s going to do so automatically, without even really thinking about it. He would much rather just see you relaxing, will probably protest a bit about you “doing too much” if you lift a finger to so much as sweep a floor.

You already know that cooking is handled. Cooking, kitchen maintenance in general. That goes without saying. Even if you enjoy cooking as well and you want to cook with him (absolute bonus, he loves cooking with you), he’s going to be right behind you wiping down the counters, washing and drying all the dishes as you go before you even have a chance to drop them in the sink.

N is for Needs (What do they need in a healthy relationship?)

“I don’t know how I ever survived without you in my life, sweetheart.”

Sanji can be a bit on the needy side. It isn’t that he lacks confidence, or that he absolutely requires constant reassurance—he just adores you, and wants to spend every minute possible with you, making sure that you know how precious you are to him.

If you’re near him, he needs to be touching you in some capacity. Whether it’s subtle, his hand resting at the small of your back while he stands next to you, or his arm curled around you and touching your waist; or if he’s pulling you back against him, arms around your waist or hands at your hips, resting his chin at your shoulder and pressing a kiss to your cheek, he always wants to be close to you.

Constantly telling you how much he loves you, showering you with praise for every little thing you do. If it gets to be too overwhelming he will back off—but you’re still going to catch him out of the corner of your vision with his own eyes glued to you, smiling and sighing as if you’re the single most incredible thing he’s ever laid eyes on.

That being said, if you argue about anything at all, he’ll be an absolute wreck, apologizing incessantly and begging your forgiveness; and he might need a fair amount of reassurance after the fact that you aren’t upset anymore. He can’t stomach the thought of upsetting you, because losing you would utterly devastate him.

U is for Unique (What’s something unique about them that no one knows but you?)

“It’s fine, just couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d get a head start on breakfast. You can go back to bed.”

Cooking is of course his passion—but it can, and sometimes does, double as a coping mechanism. He has a deeply troubled past, and every so often it might plague him in the form of nightmares.

In which case you’ll often  wake up to find his side of the bed empty; to find him in the kitchen in the wee hours of the night or morning, while everyone else is asleep, either prepping meals for the day or experimenting with new recipes to set his mind at ease.

He’s happy to accept if you offer to help, or if you just decide to sit up with him and offer your company. He’ll probably try to convince you to go back to bed, that there’s no need for you to lose sleep, but he’s not going to turn you down if you insist. It’s a gamble whether or not he’ll talk with you about what’s bothering him, or if he’ll keep a bit more quiet than usual while he immerses himself in his work. Either way, he appreciates your presence and your support more than you could ever know.

The menial, repetitive task of preparing ingredients in particular offers a pillar of stability and structure that helps him to breathe a little easier, to sort through that turmoil and make better sense of it; while the act of experimenting with something new helps steer his mind back to the present rather than dwelling on what woke him in the first place.

Y is for Yearning (What’s something that they yearn for when you’re separated?)

“Oh, no, love, I assure you, I definitely missed you more.”

It would be better to ask what he doesn’t yearn for. He simply can’t stand being apart from you, for any length of time. It isn’t that he doesn’t trust you, that doesn’t even cross his mind. He knows you’ll come back to him. He just can’t stand the length of time that you aren’t there.

Your touch, your scent, your face, your eyes, your body—your smile, your laugh, your voice, your embrace, your kisses—whether it’s minutes or hours or days that you happen to be apart, you’re the only thing that he can think about, having you back by his side, in his arms, safe and sound.

Life on the sea isn’t the safest, and he’s going to spend the entire time you're apart worried that something might happen to you. Even if you’re capable of handling yourself, he would feel much better being with you, knowing that he’s there to keep you safe.

And when you are together again, he makes it very clear just how much he missed you, all but literally gluing himself to your side, incessant in his insistence of how much he missed you, how he doesn’t ever want to spend that long apart again.

Even if it was only five minutes. Doesn’t matter, time is irrelevant, any amount of time away from you is far too long.

[ethereal-blossom]

izaya, dazai, and mori reacting to their s/o experiencing a major burnout to the point where they needed extensive medical attention due to their overall health plummeting due stress and fatigue. this is me rn ;-; im so overworked yet so underpaid lmfao thank you so much in advance! 💗

A/N: Hi, thank you so much for the long wait! I hope your situation has become better :( give my dear their rest and money🔪 I'm sorry Mori's part is a bit short compared to the others, but I hope you like it💖

Izaya:

Izaya loves all humans equally, but you're the exception as his favorite one and Shizuo being his least favorite.

With Izaya's special interest in human beings and his well-crafted observation skills, it didn't go unnoticed by him how you were becoming more tired and less happy step by step. The part of him that loved to observe humans was fascinated and wondered how far you could be pushed, but then again- you are his favorite.

Izaya only realizes you need extensive medical treatment after he returns from an underground job. If you haven't moved in with him already, Izaya will throw all his charm (or manipulation skills, really, who cares about the details?) into convincing you to stay at his place. Being an information broker and professional chaos lover has provided Izaya with enough money to spoil you rotten.

The question is whether he'll let you go back to work. And if you manage to convince him to let you go back to work, he's going to do a full background check on the company and its people.

Izaya has a hard time admitting this to you, himself, or anyone really, but seeing you become this fragile scared him. It's a feeling he immediately tries to shove away, but it only leads to him being more protective of you.

During your assigned recovery, you'll catch Izaya chuckling to himself. There are just so many fun possibilities to ruin your boss' life! Should he destroy it brick by brick? Or should he wreck it in one go? Whatever it is, it'll be cruel and twisted and fun. Your boss didn't think they could get away with treating his favorite little human like this, hm?

One thing is for certain: no matter how Izaya is going to destroy your boss' life, it'll be done through cyber damage. Izaya would rather not leave your side. He has been very cheery and confident around you, never giving you a sign of the fear he felt when he saw you turn into a burned-out version of yourself. But he has you tucked in bed and you just have to say it and he gives you anything you want. Izaya has Namie assist him in taking care of you, too.

Izaya does drop hints here and there about how he's going to be responsible for your boss' life taking a bad turn. If you try to confront him about this or prevent him from doing so, Izaya is going to ask you for a good explanation as to why not. It may even lead to a discussion, however, no reason will leave him satisfied. You've already gotten hurt, so the damage is already done and there's nothing the boss can do to make up for it except pay for it with his sins. Izaya can say he'll let it go, but you know he won't. If anything, he's more excited to start. Nobody messes with his favorite human except him.

Dazai:

Dazai puts great value in the one he gained but would never want to lose. It's one of the reasons he pays so much attention to you; he knows things about your behavior that even you are unaware of.

That's why Dazai is the first to observe how you're slowly burning out. He encourages you to copy his work ethic (lying on a couch and letting your partner do all the work), but he never convinces you no matter how much he tries to tug at your strings.

But when Dazai comes home from a mission he had to travel for and sees you so burned out to the point of needing extensive medical care, he was livid and scared. From the inside, that is. From the outside, he'd be calm and reassuring, even cheery once you feel better.

Dazai would insist that he stays home with you to become your personal nurse. He would cling onto you whenever you want to leave the bed, claiming you were on bed rest, which automatically meant he was on bed rest, too.

He'd take care of you in his own silly way. He makes you laugh, distracts you from the tiredness, buys you the biggest teddy bear you've seen in your life, and prevents you from doing anything.

Nonetheless, there's going to be a time you need to get back to work. Once you do, you notice something strange about your boss. It's like they are a whole new person. They offer you tea or coffee the minute you step in, push out a nervous chuckle that's supposed to sound friendly, and say you can take a break whenever you feel like you need one. It wouldn't take long for you to realize there was something off... and you could tell who was behind it.

When confronting Dazai though, expect him to be packed in denial. "Me?" He answers with doe eyes that scream innocence and surprise, which means he was definitely not innocent nor surprised. "Do I look like someone who would threaten your boss? I was taking care of you all that time!" Yes Dazai, you look like that type of person. But the latter was true since you cannot point out a moment he must have had a talk with your boss. Dazai had taken his role as your personal nurse very seriously to the point he rarely had been out of your sight.

Dazai knows you'd have to let it go eventually because you have no evidence against him. Even if you did find the courage to ask your boss if your boyfriend had talked to him, the boss wouldn't slip up. The only evidence you have is the fear in your boss' eyes when mentioning your boyfriend and the sly but satisfied smile you caught on Dazai's face when he knew he got away with it.

Mori:

Being the boss of the port mafia is a time-consuming job, especially when you're almost at war with another underground organization. It's why Mori, who is always eager to spoil you rotten, wasn't there to see how work was affecting you for the worst.

Mori made sure the upcoming threat was nothing more but forgotten dust, and one look at you after he came back made him want to do the same to your boss. You could see it in his expression, how it changed from excitement to surprise to deadly and back to soft but cheery in the span of a few seconds.

Absolutely takes this opportunity as an excuse to spoil you rotten more than he already does. After all, who can take better care of you than himself, the doctor who loves you the most?

The doctor in him comes out; checking your vitals, making sure you eat and drink, assigning you time to rest but also to go out and make a little walk with him. And oh, look what a cute thing he bought for you the other day! Yeah, it wouldn't be Mori if he didn't take this opportunity to buy new clothes for you and to doll you up as much as you let him.

Mori will offer to bring harm to your boss as if it's a sweet declaration of love. Whatever your answer, he makes sure your boss learns their lesson.

[ronearoundblindly]

Dominance & Sleepy Sex for Fools Rush In Steve! <3

Loved your most recent one with Curtis btw 😘🖤

💜💚💜

Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed Curtis's dirty headcanon (for the legit-dirty man).

Now to FRI Steve, the tricky and ever-growing love of my life! Prompts from this dirty ask game.

While there are several stories in the Fools Rush In series that are suitable for all ages, this headcanon is not. MINORS DNI, please.

D - Dominance

This is a story of a very slow evolution. Steve develops excruciatingly over months and years in the FRI series--which I do love, for the record, I love to detail every little thing that makes him understand his body, his love, and how to show it--but that's for a reason.

He has the specific problem of his senses. It makes him a better soldier to feel less, be more immune to pain, and be affected very little by those hormone fluctuations in response.

Throughout Do You Two Fondue? and This All Day, we see him come into his own as a sexual partner. That blossoms further when he's finally married to Keeps (unlocking his first kink, sorta, when he gets to call you 'Mrs. Rogers' and 'my wife'), and throughout his isolation in Dignity of His Choice, Steve realizes he's not terrible for having fantasies and wanting sex.

He's...slow to initiate anything.

What I haven't gotten to write yet is Steve being exposed to a Hydra gas (sex pollen) that reduces him to his basest, most animalistic desires, and it takes a lot of therapy and talking to shake his learned-shame. He's been conditioned to believe things like dominance and anal can only ever be wrong/disrespectful to the one he loves. (It's important to specify that Steve holds himself to this standard and no one else.)

So, please enjoy a snippet where our soft!boi admits that he might be interested in more than his so-far-pretty-vanilla intimacies.

excerpt from Not A Perfect Soldier But A Good Man

“It’s still you and me, Steve. Doesn’t matter where and it doesn’t matter how. I feel just as safe and loved now as I did before. I know you think you hurt me, but I can’t watch you hurt yourself anymore.” “But I remember it.” His voice is so quiet you think he can barely hear it, but you’re so focused. Your hands cup his face and raise his jaw, but Steve won’t look at you. “We remember a lot of things th—“ “You don’t understand,” he interrupts, the words wet from his closing throat, his long lashes shimmering with tears he’s straining to keep squeezed in. “I…”  There’s a beat before Steve sobs one huge release and reins it back in just as fast. The whiplash of keeping himself together forces him to his knees, planting him right at your feet.  He grabs your legs, pressing his forehead to your closed thighs. “I liked it,” he whispers, likely hoping he’s too far away and too quiet for you to hear. “God help me. I liked it.”

FRI Steve never becomes what I would classify as a Dom, however. He gets better at initiating and steering sex in a way he's excited about, but I can't see him regularly and entirely taking the lead in bed.

S - Sleepy Sex

The short answer: yes.

He gets much more comfortable with the slow and easy enjoyment of morning sex.

Please enjoy another snippet from the upcoming tale about soulmarks:

excerpt from Something Wrong Is Something Right

He drags a light few fingertips across your arm, making you shiver and snuggle into him more. There’s another faint whine before you bury your head in his pec and breathe deeply. Your heart rate increases. So does his. It’s a testament to how in-sync you two are now that before you even say a word or look up at him, your arm slides down his abs and you rock your hips closer to him. Ok, now Steve’s just plain excited. He loves morning sex. Tired-You turns into a rag doll in his arms and gets loud. He feels powerful and a touch controlling, but really it doesn’t take much to get both of you off even lazily when it’s this early. You let out that little sigh, the one that pairs with the perfect hug, but as Steve has learned over the years, it really pairs with any genuine embrace between you two. It’s contentment and freedom and the invitation he’s all too willing to receive.

(I couldn't fit it in because the snippet would be too long, but one thing I just melt over is that he's categorized your scent between three levels of arousal...which, I mean, oh my, fucking swoon, am I right??? No? Ro's a perv? Ok, yeah, that checks out.)

Steve does not usually wake you up already between your legs or anything; that's a bit aggressive for him. Like, he'll rub on you but won't put his tongue or cock in you until you're aware enough to look at him.

He's been given consent to, several times, but he enjoys the participation--sharing the experience--more than just the act of getting off.

Since in FRI, Steve is a super soldier, it's unlikely he's ever completely asleep if you are significantly moving around, so you can't surprise him with a blowjob. He is finicky about those. Again, that feels impersonal and distant compared to having his arms around you.

He goes for runs so early that Steve's amazed you two have as much morning sex as you do. It turns out that's a great way to make you tired enough to fall back asleep, and you can spread out happily on his still-warm spot while he heads to the gym. You can even shower with him when he returns! Yay!

Thank you for asking!

[Main Masterlist; Dirty Asks Masterlist; Ko-Fi]

This completes the TWENTY-SIX dirty asks from the past week. WOOHOOOOOO, we did it, gang!!! Now right back to the drawing board/notebook/multiple scrivener projects...anyway, you get it. Thanks for reading 💕

[schmorpthe]

I see a lot of debate on this fandoms found family obsession and I want to add my two cents and headcannons that no one reaaaallllyyyyy cares about.

I think there's a balance of it that's good. For example, I think interpreting Maya and Phoenix as siblings is just as valid as best friends. Siblings can be best friends, my own sister is literally my best friend. It works with the dynamic of them both feeling like they're taking each other in after Mia's death, and I see their banter and can relate it to how my sister and I treat each other.

On the other hand, I don't like it when people give Phoenix and Apollo the father-son dynamic. I think there is a level of protectiveness from Phoenix, coming from seeing some of himself when he was younger in Apollo, as well as knowing he's Trucy's brother. But Apollo is an adult who looked up to Phoenix when he was younger, just his trust betrayed. At first it's a case of never meet your idols for Apollo. He also finds him irritating. I think there is a point where those two can get on good terms and Apollo forgives Phoenix, but they aren't family. It's a different type of love and care. They are mentor and mentee. Apollo will always find Phoenix annoying too, he just gets used to it and that irritation no longer is from a place of resentment, just Phoenix pushing his buttons.

As far as Athena goes, I haven't played much of DD yet because I started as the new trilogy got announced and decided to wait, but I think it's another case of Phoenix being protective but not quite in an adopted kid sense. He sees a young girl who needs some love, care, and guidance. You can love and care for someone a bit like a daughter without going all the way into they are my daughter territory. Trucy and Athena? Best friends. You know how so many of us have best friends that are basically like a sibling but we don't literally feel like siblings? That's them. They are an unstoppable duo.

As far as Edgeworth and Kay goes, I haven't finished AAI but I do see a little bit of adopted father-daughter dynamic, but not as intense. Kay is very self sufficient and made it through her teen years without her own dad or Edgeworth in her life. They are bonded over the shared trauma of losing a parent at the courthouse and Edgeworth is protective of her and his door is always open for her in the good and the bad. The paternal instinct is there and he would help her through anything. I feel like Kay called him Dad by accident one time and that did make them more like family, but apart from emotional times or jokes, he is Mr Edgeworth.

On the note of Edgeworth, I'm not keen on the adopting basically the entire prosecutor's office. I just don't feel like that's Edgeworth. I do think he softens yes. I do think he cares about his employees, but it's the vibe of a good boss being on professionally friendly terms. They can go to him for help, sometimes not work related. He can be a mentor. But he's their boss first and foremost, and in a more Edgeworth sense than Phoenix. More by the book. So yes he cares about them and can sometimes be protective, but not in a family way.

I do like Edgeworth eventually becoming Trucy's other Dad, but it takes time. For a long time he's Uncle Edgeworth and it takes him a long time to adjust to that even. Eventually he starts treating Trucy like a daughter, Phoenix pulls him up on it, he has a bit of a crisis. This is after the 7yg when Phoenix no longer has to live in the shell he did before getting his name cleared, therefore being able to officially be with Miles. Point being it's not immediate. He does immediately live Trucy but his instinct isn't familial for a while.

Honestly me explaining this hasn't completely gotten what's in my head across about I hope you get what I mean.

Also, at the end of the day everyone can have their own interpretation of the game. People will make it what they need it to be and that's okay. As long as what you are going with isn't illegal or straight up gross, go ahead. These are my own conclusions I've come to and it's these interpretations I look for in the media I consume, but whatever fuels your love for this series is what matters ✨

[sparkanonymous]

Let me ramble about my ship opinions real quick. I gotta say something to somebody while my siblings procrastinate watching what's available.

⚠️ Total Drama Reboot Season 2 Spoilers ⚠️

We're gonna talk about the canon ships this time. It makes it easier to talk about.

Caleb x Priya

They might not have gotten together yet, but Millie said that Priya has a crush on him. I really don't see this one. She showed no interest in him the first season - probably didn't help that he was only in one episode - so the first sign of interest from her was when Priya had mentioned looking him up on social media. I don't like Caleb as a character very much; I think he's kind of boring. Plus, it still feels like the writers don't really know what to do with him since he's barely done anything yet, besides literally carrying his team in the third episode. The writer's paired them up as the strong couple and haven't really gone beyond that yet. I personally would've wanted Damiya because there was a more interest last season and because Damien is just a better character, in my opinion.

0/10

Raj x Bowie

This relationship is by far one of the more nuanced ones we've gotten out of Total Drama as a whole; Gwent and Duncney were great in their first season, but after that, they made it so painful for me to like them. If you look at my profile, you can tell Rajbow is one of my favorites. I think they're cute, and I hope that we get to see them be assholes to other people together at some point. Maybe even with Wayne included. Hell, I'll just take fanfiction if the writers don't provide. I like that they're spending more time together doing various things and that Raj isn't afraid to scold Bowie when he thinks he's doing something wrong. I think they have an easier time discussing things, even if Bowie is technically lying to Raj right now about not cheating. A lot of their bonding felt a little rushed last season. There was the scene where they were going to talk by the lake, right before Julia found out about the video posted on her social media account (does she still have that account?). That was only a ten second scene. There were so many quick moments, blink and you'll miss them. They're more obvious now, longer too. I like that.

10/10

MK x Julia

I know I said canon ships, but... but COME ON. This is canon. I'm not taking any other opinions. Anyway, I did notice when people started shipping these two last season, and I'll be honest; I didn't see it. This new season, though, has made me see a new light. I think the writer's felt like they had more leeway and like they had a better grasp on these two's personalities. MK was always a bit of a troublemaker and thief, and she would definitely take the easier way of winning than to actually try if she had the choice. Julia doesn't want to get voted off, so she'll take cheating to win, knowing that she's always on the chopping block when Bowie has both Raj and Wayne on his side. The writer's are really playing up their flirting, too, so whether they actually get together in the season or not, their relationship will not be forgotten.

9/10

Ripper x Axel

I'm gonna be so for real right now; this caught me so off guard. Out of all the characters they wanted to pair up, I didn't think Ripper would be an option. I do like him more this season, but he still makes me kind of uncomfortable, especially in the second episode where he butters himself up while only wearing his swimsuit. I cringe. Axel being into him? For why? I don't know what's going on up in that brain of hers, but this is awesome! I didn't expect to like their relationship as much as I do, and when I found out it was canon, I was buzzing. I don't know why I was so excited, but I was, and that's all that matters to me. I don't like poetry, and neither does Ripper, but the fact he put that aside to impress Axel is really sweet to me. Ripper has officially gotten himself good points and is no longer my least favorite character. I hope these two get along well and don't do the thing Emma and Chase did, where they constantly try to get a rise out of the other and break up every twenty minutes. I do believe we should've gotten more interest in them last season, but I think the only interaction they got was when Axel kicked Ripper off the ship.

7/10

I do feel bad for the Axel x Nichelle shippers, but just because it's not canon doesn't mean that you should stop shipping it. Both Axel and Ripper are a bit fruity anyway, so even if they hadn't gotten together, they would've been shipped with other characters by the fandom regardless.

[gunilslaugh]

Hi hellooooo~ how do you think xh would react when their crush kissed their lips/cheek out of nowhere? ❤️❤️

Helloooo, here's your request. I hope that you enjoy :)

All Members *˜^_^˜*

Summary: Xdinary Heroes reaction to you, their crush, randomly kissing their cheek.

WC:~1.9k

Warning:grammar

photo not mine credits to owner.

Gunil

Gunil and you were hanging out together. The two of you sat on your living room floor playing a card game. Your phone lit up with a notification, it was a notification about your grade being posted. The grade was for a major project that you had to do for a certain class and it was worth a large portion of your overall grade. 

“They posted the grade,” you told Gunil. 

“What did you get?” He asks very interested. 

“I don’t know. I haven't checked yet, I’m scared,” you replied with a small laugh. Covering up the nerves you felt bubbling up in your stomach.

“I’m sure that you did well. Check it,” he urged and reassured you. You went to check your grade with shaky hands. Even going as far as closing your eyes before looking at the screen, which causes Gunil to laugh. Once you opened your eyes you saw your grade. “A 98%”, the score showed right next to the assignment. 

“I got an A!” you shouted excitedly, pulling Gunil in for a celebratory hug. Before you knew what you were doing you pressed a quick to his cheek in excitement. Gunil’s cheeks blush immediately upon your lips making contact with his cheek. He puts his arms around you in a hug trying to compose himself, hoping his cheeks won’t be red by the time you pull away from the hug. He feels all too giddy about it. Meanwhile you’re too lost in your excitement to even register what you did. The two of you finally separate. 

“I told you you’d do well,” he smiles at you. Then you both returned to your card game. Gunil’s mind keeps replaying the moment of your lips meeting his cheek for the rest of the day, which means he keeps smiling like an idiot. He plays it off as just being happy for you though.

Jungsu

Jungsu had gotten a small cut on his cheek. You were currently cleaning with some disinfectant. Jungsu hissed a bit, jerking away from the q-tip you were dabbing against the cut.

“Sorry,” you quickly apologized. You blews gently at the cut to help with the stinging. 

“It’s ok,” Jungsu reassured you. Jungsu was already feeling a bit flustered by your close proximity. His heart rate was running rapidly. His eyes avoided looking at you, knowing that if he did it would only affect him more. After you finished disinfecting it you got a bandaid and carefully put on it cheek, covering the cut. You don’t know what came over you when you leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss over the bandage. 

“I’m sorry! I don’t know why I did that,” you flushed with embarrassment. However you weren’t the only one flushing. Jungsu too had become a bright shade of red at your action. 

“You mean you weren’t kissing my injury better?” Jungsu played, despite his heart still fluttering. 

“I guess I was,” you answered bashfully, looking at your feet. 

“I think it could use another one, just for good measure,” Jungsu doesn’t know where this new found confidence came from. “Unless you don’t want to,” he adds, not wanting to pressure you.

“I’m ok with it,” you stated with a smile. Your cheeks are still slightly pink. They grow a little pinker as you lean in again. Resting one hand on his shoulder, once again you carefully brought your lips over the covered cut, placing a peck on it. 

“Better?” You asked once you pulled away. 

“Much, thank you,” he tells you. Throughout the rest of the day Jungsu thinks about the kiss(es) you left on his cheek whenever he touches or sees the bandaid adoring his cheek. This moment will help fuel his courage to confess.

Gaon/Jiseok

The moon, the stars, and other lights of the city illuminated the night as you and Jiseok stroll aimlessly through the streets. There weren't many other people around due to it being the late hours of the night, when most people are sleeping. You however could not sleep, so you sent a text to Jiseok. You weren’t really expecting a reply, but much to your surprise he responded right away. That’s how you found yourself where you are now, walking alongside Jiseok.

“Maybe it’s the night’s fault for being too pretty,” you randomly say, looking up at the starlit sky.

“What?” Jiseok looks at you confused. 

“Oh, I meant maybe I can’t sleep because the night is too pretty,” you clarified, turning your attention to Jiseok. “Like if I was sleeping then I would miss out on it,” you further explained, putting your attention back to the twinkling night. 

“I can’t sleep because you’re too pretty,” Jiseok mumbled under his breath, while staring at you. 

“Did you say something?” You questioned him. 

“Just that you’re right it is pretty. I’d be a shame to miss out on looking at such a pretty sight,” Jiseok spoke with a double meaning behind his words. The two of you walk around for a while longer before heading back. 

“Thank you for keeping me company tonight,” you thanked Jiseok upon you two arriving at your doorstep. 

“You too, it was nice,” Jiseok said. “You should go in now, try and get some sleep,” he nodded towards your door. 

“I will,” you replied. Right before heading inside you turned towards Jiseok and placed a quick kiss onto his cheek. “An apology for my prettiness keeping you awake,” you told him. Then you rushed inside, not giving Jiseok time to say anything. Jiseok stands there processing what just happened. He walks back home with a dopey smile on his face.

O.de/Seungmin

“Y’know when you said you needed my help with something I didn’t think I would come to find you surrounded by piles of socks,” Seungmin announced, standing in your doorway. You were currently going through your sock drawer. It was long overdue. You texted Seungmin asking for help, so that the process could go a bit faster. 

“Be quiet and come help me sort please,” you patted for him to sit the empty spot next to you on the floor. Seungmin shook his head, yet still came over sitting beside you, knees brushing yours. “This is what needs to be sorted. That pile is for matching pairs. This one is for socks with holes aka throw away pile and this one is for single socks,” you explained, pointing at the different piles.

“Shouldn’t the single socks pile and throw away pile be one pile?” Seungmin raised a brow at you.

“No, why would I get rid of perfectly good socks?” You stated like it was obvious. “Now get to sorting,” you ordered him. Seungmin lets out a mix of a scoff and a laugh, reaching towards the pile socks.

“Finally done,” you sighed, closing your sock drawer.  “Thanks for helping me,” you tell Seungmin. 

“Do I get something as a reward? For literally organizing your socks,” Seungmin says.

“This is peak friendship. I don’t know what you’re trying to imply,” you said. Seungmin’s heart pulls a bit at the word friendship.

“Peak friendship is weird then,” Seungmin uttered. Just then an idea pops into your head. You stepped towards Seungmin. 

“What are you doing?” He asks you.

“Giving you a reward,” you answered. You closed the distance between you, your lips meeting his cheek. “How about it being peak domesticity then?” You piped. Seungmin blushes briefly.

“That’s better,” he answered, even being bold enough to peck your cheek back. Now you’re the one blushing.

Junhan/Hyeongjun

Hyeongjun and you were currently in a music store. It was a pit stop you made coming back from hanging out together. Hyeongjun needed to buy some strings for his guitar. 

“Jiseok told me to grab him more guitar picks while I’m here,” Hyeongjun informed you. You bursted out a short laugh, but you weren’t surprised to hear it.

“If I had a nickel for every guitar pick he lost?” you began. 

“You’d be rich,” Hyeongjun finished. The both of you snicker. Hyeongjun bought his guitar strings and grabbed Jiseok his guitar picks. The two of you then left the music store and started to head in the direction of your home. The walk back was quiet, beside the sound of your footsteps hitting the pavement. 

“Y/n, long time no see,” the tranquil silence was broken by an obnoxious voice. A voice you thought and never wanted to hear again. It belonged to a douche that you used to share a class with. Sensing your mood shift and the annoyed look in your eye, Hyeongjun stepped up.

“Babe, who’s this?” He questioned you. A sense of relief washed over you.

“Just an old classmate,” you told him.

“Babe? This dude is your boyfriend?” Your old classmate asks, pulling a disgusted look.

“Yes, this handsome cutie is my boyfriend,” you leaned up kissing Hyeongjun on the cheek. Hyeongjun broke out into a smile immediately. He stared at you adoringly, which only sold the deal more.“Now we’re on a date, so if you excuse us,” you brushed past your old classmate. “I’m sorry if kissing your cheek was too much. I just really wanted to get away from him,” you apologized once you were out of earshot. 

“It’s ok, I was your boyfriend anyway,” Hyeongjun tells you. He wishes that he could be your boyfriend for real. Maybe one day.

Jooyeon

Controllers occupied yours and Jooyeon’s hands as the game you were both playing occupied the t.v screen. You and Jooyeon were having a little game night with just the both of you. Both of you were clad in your pajamas. Snacks littered the floor around you. 

“Yes!” Jooyeon cheered after beating you once again for the, you don’t know anymore, time.

“You only keep winning because you’re playing dirty!” You complained. 

“I’m not playing dirty! I’m playing to win,” he defended. You sighed, falling back onto the floor. “Come on, don't be a sore loser. The next round is starting, sit up,” he taps your shoulder. Fine I’ll just beat you at your own game you thought, reluctantly pulling yourself up. You waited patiently as you played the round. Waiting for the perfect moment to activate your plan. Jooyeon was leading, but you were gonna change that soon. Finally you found the opportunity that you were waiting for. Quickly you shot yourself over towards Jooyeon’s side, pressing your lips against his cheek. Your action causes Jooyeon’s brain to short circuit and he drops his controller, allowing you to take the win. 

“Yes!” you cheered, bringing Jooyeon back to reality.

“Aye- that’s not! You just- That was playing dirty!” He accused you.

“No, that was playing to win,” you retorted against him using his own words. 

“But I never-”Jooyeon started to refute.

“Come on, don’t be a sore loser. The next round is starting,” you patted his knee. Jooyeon couldn’t focus though. All he could think about was the feeling on your lips on his cheek.  The way it made his heart skip a beat and clouded his mind. You ended up winning this round too. 

“Did you finally learn to stop playing dir-” your sentence cut off as Jooyeon lurched forward and kissed your cheek, leaving you stunned.

[0bianidalas]

“𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞”

2.8K, explicit, post China Sprint

Read on AO3 or bellow the cut

He’s still fuming even when the roar of all engines has shut off. Absurd move, and for what? Fucking out of the podium and pole again. He yanks the balaclava as he seizes the ‘55’ of the garage, each step he’s taken has slowly made the anger subside but still sits in his gut like lava.

Everyone turns to him with their eyes wide and unblinking and Charles breathes. So, they’re waiting for a scene. A screaming match or maybe blows but it’s not the stuff he and Carlos are made of— apparently. He bites his tongue in his mouth when Carlos comes, eyes deep and gone.

“What the fuck was that?” Charles repeats himself, but his tone is far lighter than he intended it.

“Not right now, okay?”

And just like that, he flips the switch. Just like that, Charles’ fire dies and he thinks anyway. He thinks whatever. He thinks good riddance.

Because it’s always been like this with Carlos. Always half-measures and stolen glances and mixed messages and never enough. He should’ve known better than to hope their last year would’ve been different.

If anything, this might just prove to be the worst one yet.

By the time he’s done with the media circus, smiling in the absurdity of his frustrations, he’s ran out of fuel to keep him fired up, and when Carlos approaches him –fucking finally– he’s only greeted with a tired, heavy sigh. “I have to speak to the stewards because of the shit with Alonso, listen—if I was too aggressive—”

Charles taps his chest and through the layers of fabric, he can still feel the heat coming off Carlos, the steady pumping of his heart and the hard carcass that surrounds it. “It doesn't matter. I've been there, too, haven't I?” he relents and it's pathetic. He knows.

But Carlos squeezes his fingers and looks at him puzzled, as he's often done lately. Half-here, half-somewhere else. One foot out, Charles remembers.

And he doesn't say anything else before he disappears from his grip again, Charles also doesn't stick around to listen.

Instead, he replays the sprint idly in his mind after he's showered, revisiting all the missed twists and turns and convincing himself that his fight with Carlos didn't fuck up his chances for a podium. Maybe it did, maybe it didn't. What counts is tomorrow, anyway.

But then a flash and he's pushed out of the track like nothing but a bug and his head is spinning and it's a hundred degrees but his gut is boiling with more than just that. His heart is racing for more than just racing. Fucking see me, I'm right here.

I'm yours to push and shove.

He doesn't have to open his eyes and look down to know what he knows already. His shaft's hardening as he lies and overthinks, great. It's not the first time he's gotten hard after a fight on track, it's not even the first time he's gotten hard after a fight on track with Carlos. But it'd been a while, and it'd been a while since the race, too.

He bites his lower lip and eyes his problem. His cock is nestled only somewhat uncomfortably inside his briefs. He could leave it there, he's only halfway into hardness. But then it's also just 10 p.m. in Shanghai so he's got a few more hours to kill before he's ready to rest. Social media seems like a good idea for a minute until he watches one too many videos of the race and his minor issue goes right to considerable.

It's starting to itch, the fabric. But when he moves his hips a little bit the constriction provides friction and Charles' interest is piqued, then. Fine, he'll stoop lower. It's one sprint video that leads to interviews with bullshit excuses that make Charles lose himself in brown eyes like he's done for the last three and some years that then lead him to a myriad of Sainz footage and he's gone.

And Charles could call him up, could get the whole actual show. But Charles was weak enough already to turn down his apologies when Charles very much deserved them, Charles was weak enough already to just let him fucking push him over, he'd been weak enough lately.

This was still weak, of course. But it was at least between him and God. Did he mention he was the bigger man earlier already?

He throws the phone to his side when Carlos' smile begins spinning in his head after three or so photos. It always took so much of his face, but Charles noted that it didn't matter because his laugh was contagious. A lot of aspects of Carlos were like that, could make you feel whatever he wanted in just a flick.

Charles palms himself, just a press of the heel of his hand to his bulge and he breathes heavily. Inhaling deep as his teeth trap his lower lip. He turns over and pushes a pillow between his legs, just to keep the pressure subsided.

Except that Carlos' fingers earlier linger on his, in his mind, and Charles eyes his hand like it's foreign to his body. He's washed off, it's been hours already; there's no trace of Carlos' smell or his heat at Charles' fingertips but it doesn't hurt to imagine. It doesn't hurt to rub himself softly, index finger moving from his clavicle to his chest to his navel until Charles breathes heavily again before he pushes down the briefs and ends the charade that he's wishing this away. He squeezes the pillow harder between his legs to keep his cock from flinching at the cold of the dead darkness of his room. The nearly dead emptiness of the life he carries. And his finger draws faint circles on his body again. Aimless, odd-shaped figures across his arm and his torso and his shoulder just like Carlos would. Touch and graze him like Charles was made of the most precious marble.

And kiss him. Carlos would kiss him breathless. Would kiss him like his life depended on it, would kiss him like he'd fight him on track. Like he did today.

This is all that I've got— can you take it?

Charles bucks into the messy lump he'd already made of the pillow as a yes echoes in his head, chanting, nearly. Yes, I can fucking take it. You want to fight me harder than the rest? I'll meet you halfway there. I'm no coward. Crash into me if that's how bad you want it. We'll give them a bloody show.

He grunts when his tip grazes the silky fabric of the pillow just slightly enough to sting and he comes to think that maybe he ought to just get on with it and use his hand, instead, but the rough friction is good. The rough friction reminds him of calloused, big hands, tanner than his. Musky smells and hairy wrists that always manage to twist right how Charles needs. It's unbearable, really. How perfectly they piece together.

And now Carlos wants to fight me.

All because they have left us in these ruins.

It's not my fault they didn't pick him.

He whimpers as his rhythm picks up, back arched as he's shifted to topple the pillow that's now under his belly. He no longer worries about the cold because his many efforts now got him glistening in sweat and panting, just like he was inside the car earlier.

Riled up because of Carlos fucking Sainz, albeit in two entirely different ways. Or were they? Wasn't their predicament the entire cornerstone of Charles' current frustrations?

They couldn't love each other, they could never love each other. They couldn't even have each other, because they didn't have a say in that.

And they couldn't hate each other, either. They couldn't go at each other's throats.

Well, at least that's what I thought. But he didn't give a shit about that, did he? Maybe that could mean…

“Merde,” he moans when he starts rocking his hips easier because he's started leaking. The moist spot he's made gets slicker with each roll of his hips and soon he just thrusting wantonly into the misshapen lump.

He supports himself a little on his elbows on the mattress, back arched just enough to make room for him to thrust back in, and so he repeats in a frenzy dance. He imagines himself squeezed into nothingness like the pillow, and bucks harder, relentless. Carlos wouldn't lose the pace, not at least until the very– very end. But he wasn't Carlos. He was only the mess Carlos had made of him, whimpering and moaning into his mattress and about to come untouched like a fucking teenager.

I bet he's smiling. I bet this is what he's wanted all along. To see me lose my damn mind like this.

He curses and he can nearly taste the bleach they used to clean the sheets; his tongue dries in the cotton as he lets go of the fabric, and adjusts himself a little. Legs a little spread, this time just pressing on his knees and he moves his hips in circles. Charles breathes at the slight change of pace but his mind provides more reasons to keep him going. Flashes of Carlos meaty lips dropping wet kisses all over his back before he claimed him, the way his bushy eyelashes would flicker before he came, mouth slacking in a soundless ‘o’ that Charles always needed to stick his tongue into.

Carlos' breathy laugh and silly jokes and big hands, crowding all of him both in public and private. Did he even know? How easily can I be undone under his fingers? He picked up his pace again as frustration started filling him once more.

“Charles?”

Yes, he'd fucking say. Sharl all soft like nothing's ever been wrong in the world. Like they're not caught up in the shittiest situation. Like Charles isn't absolutely dreading the end of the season. Like Charles doesn't lo–

He freezes when a hand wraps around his nape and Charles feels like an exposed wire, ready to electrocute. But the hand holding him knows him all too well, and it is as firm as it is tender. So Charles breathes and leans back into it.

“Vai avanti,” Carlos whispers in his ear and Charles wants to kick him out, kind of. He also wants to turn around and kiss the living daylights out of him.

It's always a bit complicated after a race, anyway. Carlos is the one he has to beat all the time, no matter what, but he also needs to have Carlos do good.

And they can't fight, so they don't fight. They make love instead, which is its own kind of fight, if you ask Charles.

He moves slowly — slower than he was a second ago— and the hand at his neck is so hot suddenly the pillow is too cold and rigid and Charles is no longer interested in it. He twists his face to see him, but the room is pitch black and the angle isn't right anyway.

“Carlos…” he whispers. It's not a plea, he wouldn't call it that. He's still got some dignity left in him.

But Carlos answers like he's made to answer, and Charles reflects on how bad he's been to him for the last two or so hours, until he reflects that he's in fact been soft. They both have.

“Shh, keep going. I got you,” Carlos says, and the hand around his neck rolls down his spine slowly to sneak under and wrap around him and Charles moans louder this time because it's what he's wanted the whole fucking day, since that stupid stunt he pulled.

Touch me the way it fucking matters.

“Venga, amore,” he prompts again, in the weird mix of Spanish and Italian he can muster, just towering over Charles somehow. Here and there and all around and Charles is dizzy in lust and something as intoxicating. He pushes himself up, pressed fleshed against Carlos, who's still gripping him loose and Charles knows this is what he'll give him this time. Just this, not more.

You get one piece of me this time. You'll never have me whole.

Charles loves a good challenge.

But he wasn't aiming to win this particular battle, so Charles just moves against the hand holding him firmly, Carlos rubbing his thumb on his tip so the precum would make the grip pleasant while Charles lost himself to the sensations and soon he was bucking erratically into Carlos' fist before spilling his release all over it.

Carlos supports him through the wakes of his climax, holding him to his chest as he stands just right near the edge of the bed, dropping soundful kisses on Charles' shoulders that make him shudder while he's still coming down from his high, Carlos still milking him through.

After the lights have stopped sparkling, Charles finally looks up at him. “I’ve been texting you,” Carlos says at the side of his face, but he sounds amused.

Charles half shrugs, before turning around fully, arms thrown over Carlos' shoulders. “I've been busy.”

“Clearly.” Carlos' right hand is sticky on his hip.

“How did you get in here?” Charles inquires, after he finally gains some clarity.

“Asked Nicolas for a spare key. Told him that if he's gonna tell the media you and I kiss then he might as well help me give it a shot,” Carlos says but there's a trace of amusement in his tone.

Charles still frowns. “Seriously?”

“‘Seriously’ did I ask him for the key or ‘seriously’ did he tell the press we kiss on the mouth?”

Charles rolls his eyes because he didn't really care that much about the answer. The world wasn't burning, so, who cared if his manager joked on international TV about something that may not be a joke? Who cared if Carlos outed them to his manager in response?

He leans forward slowly and drops a kiss on Carlos' lips only to realize he still smells like gas and sweat and tastes like their energy drinks. “Are you still dirty from the race?” Charles blurts, almost absentmindedly.

Carlos slaps his cheek in response and it makes a slick sound cause it's still covered in cum. “You're one to talk about being dirty.”

He chuckles, head falling on Carlos shoulder and trying not to giggle too much but the embarrassment is slowly getting to him. When he stretches his neck again, big brown eyes are looking up to him like he hangs the moon every night.

It's hard to imagine this is the same Carlos that would force him out of the track. The same Carlos that will fight tooth and nails this year to prove Ferrari that they should've chosen him instead of Charles. But, then again, they were all different people once the lights went off.

Charles could never begrudge him.

“Wanna take a bath with me?” he offers. “You can do your hair routine on me so I can have amazing hair after a race like you do,” Charles adds, playfully.

“Anything for Lord Perceval,” Carlos jokes in the same nature.

“You know it isn't personal, right?” Carlos asks after they sit in the tub for a while. His fingertips are drawing circles on his scalp and Charles lives, however long this moment lasts, in a world where none of that matters.

For this fleeting, miniscule moment, he's just having a bubble bath with the most beautiful man he's ever been near.

“I know.” Does he wish it was? Does he wish Carlos wasn't lying?

“It's not easy, though. It's not what you and I are used to,” Charles says, honest, too. Carlos is the longest teammate he's ever had so comparisons are dull. But, still…

Carlos stares at him unblinking as he does, and his eyes sparkle with sadness and wonder alike. It's a weird mixture that only Carlos can pull off, Charles reckons. “I'm afraid we're heading into territory that's gonna have us outside of what we're used to, amor.”

Was it a threat or just a bad omen?

“I can't say I won't be aggressive again for the rest of the season. You know why this one is more important than most to me, Charles— but… but I can promise that I'll come back to you still after. And we'll sort it out.”

The corner of Charles' mouth draws up as he looks at him. Yes, he knows. Ever since Carlos joined him, three years and so ago, Charles has known.

The only place Carlos would ever serve him is the bedroom and the only way Carlos would ever be gentle with him is like this.

[theinstagrahame]

This is the post where I show off the stuff I've gotten in the last month-ish. And it's been another good one!

(I mean it's always a good one, I have excellent taste)

Coffee and Chaos: I'm tickled by the concept of a coffeeshop AU, and I know that this game isn't explicitly for that. But it's also not *not* for that. Comes in a like conference-style folder, with all the bits you need to play tucked into the sides, which is also a great presentation that I felt deserved a shout-out!

Far Horizons Guide to Cults: I'm friendly with some Far Horizons folks, but wanted this book because it's awesome. A book containing notes and pre-made cults that have goals and drives beyond just "Be A Cult". I am intrigued by the occult, and I hope this gives me more nuance.

Neurocity: Picked this up on vibes alone, but I'm hearing more and more rad things about the creator. It's dystopic, a little cyberpunk, and the book is dripping with style. Can't wait to dig deeper.

You're In Space and Everything's Fucked: Station and Struggler's Guides: The title alone sold me, but I like what Dinoberry Press puts out in general. This is a solo survival space horror game with a cool respawn mechanic. I also splurged on the fancy version because the covers are very cool.

Dead Belt: The pleather folio for this honestly is what sold me, but the game itself is really cool. Salvage ships by laying out cards, exploring, and managing your air and tool resources. Try not to die. I haven't really succeeded at that last part yet...

Exquisite Corpse in the Maggot's Keep: Technically, this isn't a TTRPG, but it's go so many TTRPG folks in it that it might as well be. It's a choosable path adventure written by a variety of people in (if I remember the pitch) exquisite corpse style.

Best Left Buried: Throne of Avarice and In Calamity's Wake: As we already know, I'm a SoulMuppet fan (as in, I've written for their other big series, Orbital Blues). The main book, Throne of Avarice, was written by a creator whose work I've been trying to get more of. I haven't read Best Left Buried as fully as a game, but I am really excited by the excuse to dig in.

Between Clouds: I like air islands and big monsters and found family. Partially, I grabbed this because a friend got really excited about it, and it seemed like it could be fun to run a campaign with them, but I'm also curious about the Year Zero Engine, and glad to see people using it.

Kitchen Knightmares: Grabbed this as an add-on for the You're In Space crowdfund, but I'm glad I got it because it's loosely inspired by This Discord Has Ghosts In It, and that game rules. I might be able to pitch this to my friend group, who enjoyed Discord Has Ghosts.

In a Mirror Brightly/Handbaskets: First off, plug for the RTFM podcast, because it's very good. This two-games-in-one book is created by the two hosts of that show, who are great designers and seem really lovely. But, two wildly different vibes in a single volume is a great idea.

You Meet in a Tavern, You Die in a Dungeon: I've been following the creator for this since some of my earliest days in the RPG scene, so I was happy to help make this a reality. Feels very tropey, and I mean that in the best way possible.

In Other Waters: Tidebreak: Honestly, I have barely scratched the surface of In Other Waters, the PC game this is based on. But this is a Mothership solo hack that returns to that world, and it had me curious based on that pitch alone.

Aaand because I'm a doofus who forgot to include it, here's one more book! PLUS A guest appearance from my new desk mat.

Teeth: Been into Forged in the Dark lately, and as much as I enjoy Monster of the Week, the pitch for this seemed like it was more my speed. You're monster hunters, trying to keep the occult under wraps, while keeping secrets of your own. Plus, horror comedy!

The mat is the cover art from Friends at the Table's current season, Palisade. It's an Armor Astir campaign following up on some of the characters from their Partizan series.

[cuephrase]

Of the DC comics you've read so far, what would be your top recommendations for people to check out/what have you enjoyed the most?

when i tell you i have been thinking about this all day- i have been thinking about this. all. day.

so disclaimer, as of writing this, i have only read 31 runs from start to finish and 18 arcs/events outside of those runs. on top of, everything i've read so far has been strictly robin-centric, so dick, jason, tim, and damian. (i have read all of steph's robin appearances lol, but i haven't gotten to reading material for her, like say batgirl 2009, yet.) i've also decided not to rec from any run i'm currently reading, so for example, you won't see any batman: gotham knights recs here. because i'm most well-read on the robins, i'm only going to rec for them.

also, i'm going to operate under the following assumption: you've got a basic knowledge of the robins. none of these are where i would necessarily recommend anyone start reading about the boys, but i do think they'd be pretty interesting if you're already somewhat familiar with them and don't want to commit to reading whole character backlogs. does that make sense? i hope that makes sense.

alright, let's do this!

DICK GRAYSON

oh god. this one is actually so hard because he has so much great stuff, but then also i have like a love/frustrate relationship with so much of it. like for instance, i really enjoyed The New Teen Titans, but also lowkey can't stand space adventures so whenever that went down i was like 😀👍. but okay. hmmmm.

i have two preboot recs, with explanations + caveats.

devin grayson's mob!dick arc, so Nightwing 1996 #99-100, 107-117. caveats: it doesn't really get to finish playing out/wraps up weird because of editorial changes/infinite crisis. but!! it's a super interesting look at how dick handles...failure. how he values himself in light of that failure.

tomasi's run, but specifically #147-153. (listen, i love the dick and tim moments in 'freefall' but the whole eternally pregnant lady thing was too weird.) this is classic, hyper-competent dick, okay? he's such a bad-ass. and an idiot- bro literally flops his severely injured ass over the bars of his glider and rides it UNCONSCIOUS back to the batcave. i can't with him. poor alfred. anyways, he deals with two-face, always a good time. and then at the end, as a treat, he cries because bruce is dead. so fun!! what was my caveat here? oh yeah, he has a girlfriend. i don't remember her name, she serves like...very little purpose, the whole relationship is very minor/background okay, but like it was so unnecessary. he can be single, dc, it's okay.

for post re-boot, just read tom taylor's run!! it's the best thing ever!! zero complaints!!

HA. yeah, just kidding. that run is very like/frustrate for me lol. oh man i'm struggling here. it's not all bad okay, i'm just really picky, and i haven't re-read any nightwing n52 and onwards since my first foray into comics (8 months ago) so my memories of these are the foggiest and i'm not sure how i feel about all of it in light of what i've read now. yk what, i'm just going to...not rec anything. sorry!!

JASON TODD

his comics either go so hard or they're absolute ass, why is there no in between. istg, i can't figure out why writers struggle with him so much?? well. i mean, i do have theories. but you didn't ask for those!

pre-boot:

detective comics #569-574. robin!jason in the hands of writers who like him is so much fun. which, don't get me wrong, i don't flat-out hate how starlin writes him, but i think you get a more well-rounded view of jason as robin when you also see him in 'tec. jason and bruce tangle with the joker, scarecrow, + mad hatter, and all of those adventures are...idk if they were intentional foreshadowing okay, but reading those and knowing where the story goes? oof. especialllllly #574. caveat: #572 is pretty light on jason, but he is great when he's on panel!

reboot:

probably a very basic answer but rhato rebirth (2016) #1-13, annual #1. i abhorred n52 rhato so i almost skipped rhato rebirth since it was still written by lobdell, but i'm really glad i didn't. i really enjoy jason's relationship with bizarro + artemis, but especially with bizarro because i think jason struggles a lot with feeling like a doomed creation, so yk, parallels. i want to say more but i know i'll get too wrapped up in discussing jason so i'm just going to stop myself.

i actually really enjoyed task force z, too. i think about tfz #8 so much, jason is such a manipulative little shit and i love it. he's so- i can't. i can't get into this rn, it deserves its own post(s).

overall for jay, i need people to read something other than utrh/lost days/b:ul 1-6. i love those, i do, but they aren't the only good pieces of jason content!!

TIM DRAKE

MY BELOVED!!!!!!!!!! in my heart of hearts, i just want to rec his whole robin run lmao. dick was my intro, okay, he is why i decided to start reading comics, but tim, specifically his robin solo is why i'm still reading comics. hooked me fr. and young justice 1998, ugh love. but it has been a minute since i read these as well, so hmm. okay okay okay

pre-boot:

batman: prodigal. short version, tim is robin to dick's batman. super fun. there's a solid amount of dick and bruce angsting too, which, love. tim is honestly just thrilled that jpv is out of the batsuit and even happier to working with dick. very cute.

robin #46. listen. they're all superheroes okay, they all feel pressure to save people. but tim...losses get to him. the amount of times that he gets shoved to a breaking point and then...gets back up. keeps going. *screams*. anyways!! this is not tim getting back up, okay? this is him being shoved way, way down. it's so good.

teen titans 2003 #20. tim's dad has died. he shows up for his weekend at the tower anyways. he is not okay. that's it, that's the pitch. i did not like...mmm at least 80% of this run okay, but a few of the issues HIT and this was one imo.

reboot:

*deep sigh*. look. tim is not tim for like basically all of n52, although there are moments here and there were he feels like himself. i did not like his 2023 solo, the best parts of young justice 2019 imo are the character designs, (except for his drake costume, what was that omg), and i haven't read any rebirth batman/'tec yet. except for zdarsky's run. which. tim is good there! but yeah, not really a whole lot of material to work with + very limited reading experience atm.

DAMIAN WAYNE

god, i love this kid. nature vs. nurture fascinates me, and so much of his story digs into that on top of trying to figure out who he is apart from all of that. i will say, i'm not a huge talia fan and by that i mean, i have no idea who she is "supposed" to be, like i have no frame of reference for that atm, so if you are a huge talia fan these recs might not hit for you because from what i've observed from her fans she is not well portrayed a whole lot since becoming his mother? i think one of the things that is normal is dick absolutely disliking her though, which cracks me up. there's this older batman story (batman #322-335) where bruce works with talia and dick goes running to selina and i was so entertained. what were we talking about? oh! damian!

preboot:

batman and robin 2009 #10-12. damian is struggling, with a lot of things. the fact that bruce might be alive, what that means for him and dick, and his mother's puppeteering. there's this line that kills me: "can't you just love me for who i am? not what you want me to be?" and the thing that gets me, is the use of who vs. what. because he could have said, "not who you want me to be", but he doesn't

reboot:

batman: shadow war. this is post-alfred's death, and honestly, most damian stuff post city of bane is pretty juicy, but there's this specific moment in shadow war: alpha #1 that had me speechless. just like 😧 i love bruce, but that man has some of the most chronic foot-in-mouth disease. oh but fair warning, for whatever reason they don't draw dami's mask connecting?? it's so- it drives me nuts.

JUST FOR FUN

these are just two issues that i enjoy for the brother content!

nightwing 1996 #25. dick and tim's relationship makes me ILL. *ahem*. this issue is mostly just super cute and fun, (there's like 0.2 seconds of angst when tim asks dick if he ever thinks about jason 😭) and i adore it sm. fun fact, it's actually one of the first comics i ever bought!

batman 2016 #16. unfortunately, tim is not here for this, but duke is! jason and damian's interactions in the background of bruce's Very Serious Speech are excellent. bruce is so dramatic and his kids are so unserious.

what i've most enjoyed

i've enjoyed the majority of what i've read, even titles/events i wasn't particularly looking forward to but had on my tbr for whichever character. i'm going to break down most enjoyed into two catergories, arcs that i loved top to bottom and then the guilty pleasures. this is not an exhaustive list, just what immediately came to mind.

top to bottom

bruce wayne: murderer?/fugitive. shocker, ik. but it's just, it's just so frickin good. i've said before, and i'll say it again, gotham war could NEVER. this right here is peak batfamily drama. the tension? the mystery? the angst? i knew nothing going into this okay, and truth be told, when i started it i was like "oh joy. another event." because i was just trying to read the 1996 nightwing run, but i'd committed to reading in full all the events it crossed over with. but i was invested so quickly. and like, i loved how the narrative supported the possibility that bruce was the murderer, because like, you know there's no way, but the more that comes out the more damning it is, and so you're like really dying to know what actually happened and i feel like the reveal was satisfying.

batman: city of bane. i'm going to cautiously put this here, because there might have been something i didn't like but i cannot recall it for the life of me right now. something about me is i love when the heroes lose. infinity war, empire strikes back? love. and ik bruce takes back gotham, but they lose alfred, okay, they lost. i also didn't expect to like this arc, i decided to read it because i wanted to know how alfred died. and first of all, i was shocked, even though i knew it was coming because i expected it to like happen towards the end. but nope. just *snap*. and then later when bruce is back in the manor and is confronted with alfred's body and his good-bye message? oh. my. god. i was bawling. despite my penchant for sad narratives, i don't tend to cry that much, but this got to me so bad. like i had to pause because i couldn't see. amazing.

red robin. his cowl is so ugly, but i really do love the run. i see a lot of discourse about it and also a lot of...interesting fanfic takes, so i don't really talk about it a lot here because it feels like most people are kind of tired of hearing about this run, which fair. i really enjoyed it as a sequel to his solo robin run. tbh, i almost put this in the guilty pleasure catergory, because there are a couple things i don't totally love, but like if the others are 10/10, this is 9/10.

young justice 1998. i love this comic so, so much. i don't even know what to say, i get so overwhelmed with joy when i think about this comic. nothing has hit the same way with this group since either, which is a crime. i need a title with this team so badly.

guilty pleasures

these are all runs/events i know some/most? people cannot stand and i totally get why, and i have problems with them, so i'm probably never going to rec them in good conscience but also like i can't lie and say i don't like them. these are not recs, okay? okay.

robin war. is it a hot mess? yes. but there is not a whole lot of canon content out there with all the boys working together, okay? so much of that event had me banging my head into a wall, but for me, there were a handful of pearls in there. i mean honestly, if i listed out pros and cons the cons list would be way longer but those pros are very precious to me.

batman and robin: eternal. very similar reasoning overall to robin war. plus cass finally came back!! i missed her. i love robin!dick and batman content, and the kids working together. this is probably my least favorite guilty pleasure though, okay, it's on thin ice.

grayson. listen, i love janin's art sm. i'm pretty neutral about spy stuff, so like i don't engage with it a whole lot. meaning, although i've heard it's tropey af in regards to the genre, i'm not familiar enough with the genre to be like trying to dig my eyeballs out with blunt spoons at the cliche of it all. the constant sexualization of dick got old super fast, and her name may have been helena but she wasn't- my list of dislikes is lengthy. but idk, i had fun with it. and imo it does have some genuinely great moments, i love dick in the desert with the baby, the ache i felt when dick wanted to come home and couldn't get ahold of bruce, issue #12 stabs me in the heart- the dick and dami reunion? stoppppp. i feel like this run and the ric grayson era are dick's most out there lmao

so yeah!! thank you so much for this ask, i had sm fun answering it. if you have any recs for me, feel free to drop them :)

[theminecraftbee]

sorry. okay. things from joe's episode alone that delight me so far, i have literally only watched their episode, i haven't gotten around to anyone else yet this one is just rotating too much:

joe spends the entire first five minutes of this episode trying to come up with as many ways to misinterpret the very little information she has from the compass and grian's base as possible

i actually. hadn't seen the little circuit banners in grumbot' before, or at least hadn't noticed them, thanks for showing them off

joe is mesmerized by the cube.......

the transition between hermitcraft and empires is IMPRESSIVELY smooth actually

grian: "don't look at me!" joe, immediately: "everybody look at grian"

SCATTERED AU REAL?

joe noting that the two most important things about stratos are the neo-classical greek architecture and also that it is floating

joe punching a tree

joe managing to FAIL to punch a tree because he has litematica installed but doesn't know how it works. he broke his arm guys it doesn't punch anymore :(

OLI ORIONSOUND???

oli and joe interacting is EXACTLY everything i had hoped it would be. it's so funny. they're two normal weirdguys interacting in normal weirdguy ways.

joe is just vibing but he gives off such a confused and overwhelmed vibe this whole time (in like, roleplay mode) and it's really funny he's just. nodding along here. sure why not that makes sense

joe and pearl both instantly being like :D I KNOW THAT GUY when they see each other

pearl in scott's hat...

everyone on this side of the pov keeps on repeating to joe that the sheriff here is really corrupt and that's like, very much going to come back and bite them later, isn't it

they go to stratos and find grian and he's just. stealing things. and insisting he's borrowing

grian is WEIRDLY TOUCHED that scott just gives him food and stuff he's like. wait i... don't have to steal? madness

scar and cub are hanging out with joel and in that time scar has discovered that joel is a "chiseled god" and declares he may have better abs than he has. grian thinks this is blasphemy.

scar does in fact wear the hat better

grian and scar IMMEDIATELY die to the gaps in the paths in upper stratos

scott showing pearl the farming goddess temple and badly mispronouncing pearl. pearl being like "wait is this me" but then just like. entirely moving on. pearl, honey,

it's really clear that they did not discuss how canon the life series should or shouldn't be because impulse recognizes scott, scott doesn't recognize impulse, they play it off as impulse not having a beard, lol.

joe just getting increasingly overwhelmed and confused and being like. right that's enough. there's too much happening. i'm just going to leave now. and then she does

he puts a sign on the inn door in chromia... @/joehills do not disturb...

the episode just ends? IMPLYING FURTHER CROSSOVER SHENANIGANS?

THIS ISN'T EVEN EVERYTHING THIS EPISODE JUST HAPPENS TO BE PERFECT FANSERVICE FOR ME SPECIFICALLY,

[fennelwrites]

Part 2 of reader who can talk to Pokémon please!!!!!!!

(a/n: HI HELLO I'M NOT DEAD i say despite having said exactly that last time oops

but um. yeah idk i wanted to write again and i had the bug so i'm here now oopsie! idk if i'll ever have a consistent schedule again but i did finish something for the first time in a while so here you get Content

also. thank you all for your patience with me. i am sorry it has taken me literal years to get to requests but i promise you they are in progress and i have not given up on them, so i hope you haven't either!! i still love this little scrinkle scrunkle and i hope he hasn't faded from your consciousnesses yet

anyway enjoy the fic uwu)

You leaned against the smooth surface of the Mossy Rock, waiting for a familiar head of blond hair to appear. Around you, the Buneary gave you a wide berth, but you heard them gossipping about you from afar. You rolled your eyes and tried to ignore them, even as they snarked about Volo’s outfit.

Your visits to the Mossy Rock had almost become weekly occurrences at this point. At first, you thought he might not come back, but lo and behold, he’d arrived with his Pokemon in tow. Now, you spent most of your time here. You weren’t sure what it was, but there was something that drew you to the place. Drew you to Volo. Perhaps it was the fact that you’d felt understood for the first time in years, the first time you’d felt like that weight was lifted off of your shoulders.

You knew it was a little foolish, but you hoped Volo felt that way too. 

Sure enough, a few moments after you’d gotten yourself settled in the grass, the gentle, delicate chirps of a Togekiss heralded Volo’s arrival. He smiled at you as he approached, the angelic Pokemon flying low over his head. “I hope you weren’t waiting too long,” he greeted, sitting down next to you. “I wasn’t,” you replied, smiling softly. “How was the trip?”

As time passed, you talked about all sorts of things, from the weather in the Highlands to the Starly passing overhead. Volo had made a little home for himself just outside the Obsidian Fieldlands, far enough away from Jubilife Village that he wouldn’t be seen but close enough to take advantage of the region’s naturally fair weather. He’d given you the rough location so that you could come see him when you next had time off, an outing you eagerly looked forward to.

Ever so slowly, the sun made its way across the sky, and it painted the Heartwood in soft dusty pinks by the time you came to a natural pause in conversation. All around, you could hear gentle whispers and chirps of the forest Pokemon, going about their lives with their usual hustle and bustle. There were many of them, but you’d gotten used to tuning them out so they weren’t overwhelming.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Volo’s slate gray eyes locked onto you, and you turned. “Something the matter?”

Volo was silent for a moment before looking out to the forest. “You’re hearing them, aren’t you?��

You nodded. “Nothing special. Just…them going about their lives, you know?”

“Right…” Volo trailed off, finding something transfixing about the dirt.

You furrowed your brow, looking at Volo with concern. “Is everything okay?”

He didn’t respond right away; for a moment, you worried you’d overstepped some unspoken boundary. Then, finally, he spoke. “Did…my Pokemon ever say anything about me?”

This caught your attention as well as Togekiss’s; the avian Pokemon chirped once, looking at her Trainer with a concerned look that matched your own. You hummed, thinking about it. “Well… I always remember them being very grateful when you made them dinner.”

Volo laughed, the sound a little bitter as it left his lips. “That’s it?”

“I can’t remember right now, I’m sorry,” you replied, suddenly feeling quite sheepish. 

“No, no, it’s alright…” Volo sighed, looking back at you. “I was just curious to know…how they felt about me.”

There was something nervous in his eyes, something desperate. You recognized it from his expression at the temple, when he shouted questions into the silent heavens. This expression wasn’t nearly as intense, but it carried the same undercurrent; Volo wanted to be seen. Recognized.

No, more than that. Volo wanted, desperately, to have someone care about him.

You sat up, looking at Togekiss. “Well, let’s ask, then,” you said simply, drawing Volo’s attention. “Togekiss, how do you feel about Volo?”

Almost immediately, Togekiss launched into an animated spiel about her Trainer, almost too quickly for you to keep up. You were able to catch most things, though; she talked at length about how well Volo cared for her and her teammates, how passionate he was about everything he did, how he spoke, how he walked, everything. Volo gazed at her with wide eyes, darting back to you for interpretation every so often. You did your best to translate everything she said, trying to catch sentence fragments and missed words as much as you could.

Finally, Togekiss tired herself out, and you and she both let out an exhausted sigh. Volo simply stared between the two of you, not saying anything for a long while. Then, finally, he looked at Togekiss with wide, watery eyes.

“You…really think all that?”

Togekiss’s firm nod needed no translation; she nuzzled up against her Trainer with a soft coo. Volo held his Pokemon tightly, and you saw a few tears glistening in the early evening light. You watched the scene with a smile on your face, a warm feeling blossoming in your heart. To use your ability for good like that… It felt fulfilling. Inspiring. Like it was more of a blessing than a curse.

Volo turned back to you, his eyes still glistening with a few unshed tears. “Thank you… I’d been doubting how my Pokemon felt about me recently. I wasn’t sure they actually liked me, or if they wanted to be my allies…” He smiled at Togekiss again, who chirped happily. “Now I know, though.”

You nodded. “I’m happy to help. Besides, seeing you smile like that makes it worth it.”

Volo’s face flushed, and he glanced to the side. “Oh, surely you don’t think that…”

You shook your head. “I’m serious.” And you were; you hadn’t thought about it for a bit, but you’d only ever seen a real, genuine smile from Volo once or twice. Almost everything prior to the temple had been behind a mask, a façade designed to keep you guessing. But this…this was real.

You didn’t think you’d ever tire of it.

Volo gazed up at the sky, one of those rare genuine smiles gracing his lips. The sun had just about set, and the sky seemed to glow with soft purples and blues. “It’s getting late,” he mused. “I should be heading back… And they’ll probably be wondering where you are, too.” 

You nodded, going to stand up before offering a hand. He took it, his grasp firm and his smile one of renewed confidence. You smiled right back at him. “Same time tomorrow?”

Volo nodded firmly, and Togekiss chirped happily.

“Same time tomorrow.”

[acourtofthought]

Me again and on the same day, so... I hope I'm not being annoying...

But what do you think about ccity3? (if you have already read it)

I may end up releasing some spoilers, so if you don't want to risk it, don't continue reading!!

I mean, more specifically what do you think about the shadows of Az, Ruhn and Comarc?

Today I saw an E/riel girl saying that the shadows disappear when they (Ruhn and Comarc) are comfortable, so they insisted again that Az's shadows disappearing with Elain is a good sign... I don't believe it's the same thing, definitely.

(But I don't have much context from Ccity, I haven't read them yet. Well, just the third one to see my girl Ness and Az)

And if you've already read it, what did you think of the Bryce&Az&Ness extra, the ending in particular; from shadows dancing to Az humming; of the exact words "could have sworn" being used in both of Az's extras twice;

And the song "Stone Mother"; Do you think it has a "meaning" for the future? I've seen people saying this is about Elain, I particularly agree with something I read about it having some connection to his mother (who was briefly mentioned during the extra)

They distorted a part claiming that the shadows danced with Bryce's cell phone, but that doesn't happen. I've never met an Elriel who played fair, they're always trying to change what was said. (Some said they were very confident after Ccity3, and I honestly didn't understand why)

Well, maybe I'm just super paranoid, looking for a little Gwynriel in every line... lol

I actually feel special to have gotten two asks in a day from you so thank you!!

I think if we were to compile a list of everything Az's shadows have ever done from start to finish in series, we'd find conflicting information.

I imagine there was a time where SJM did not truly know what she was doing with Az's shadows or what she wanted them to do for a particular love interest because she wasn't even sure that Az was getting a book early on.

And I think it's also a bit difficult for us to compare them to Cormac because the way Az's shadows came to him is unique. We're told that they came to Az while he was born in the dungeon, an airless, light-less prison where he learned the language of the shadows and it's difficult to say if the relationship he developed with them is equal to that of those with similar powers. Ruhn and Rhys share similar powers however it's evident that Rhys is by far and away much more powerful.

Az's shadows aren't exactly "him". They seem to be a bit sentient when you consider that he tells us they keep him company, that they whisper to him. He is not fully in control of his shadows at all times, they told him to sleep and he thought on how he wished he could.

I'm not saying we'd want Az's shadows to be swarming and ready to strike like snakes at all times, that's clearly not a good thing for either Az or the shadows. But having them tend to vanish around someone when he tells us they've been his companion would be like a friend who you grow up with start disappearing anytime your girlfriend came around. Wouldn't it be better if his shadows remained but were at rest or calm?

That's not the narrative SJM put out there for his shadows around Elain in SF though. They skittered away from her, he says they tend to vanish when she's around. It's clear that in SF Az is not in a great place so for E/riels to say they disappear around her because he's calm and that's a good thing is a complete contradiction to him thinking on how he's been ignoring her because he's bothered by her bond. She clearly does not bring him peace.

In the same book we're told that his shadows are afraid of the Sun and in HOFAS, we get more evidence that they don't hold up to light very well.

When you consider how SJM often connects Elain to light and sunshine it seems pretty obvious that she's telling us Elain's penchant for those things is not going to compliment what we know of Az's shadows.

She also could not have made it more clear that the shadows responded to Gwyn in a way they never did with Elain. They danced and twirled with her breath, they were content to sit on Az's shoulders and watch when before the shadows were trying to get him to bed, they sang in response to her song (just as they sang in response to Az's humming). Saying they vanish around one female while having them curious and a bit playful with another, even if it's only in relation to her powers (as E/riels like to claim) is still better for the shadows......which are a part of Az but not fully him. They don't need to love Gwyn because the shadows are not possibly mated to Gwyn. But if Az is mated to Gwyn and his shadows have a bit of a thing for her song then is that not an extremely symbiotic relationship for all parties involved?

I'm not even sure Azriel understood the lyrics of the song because Nesta says she couldn't understand them so maybe it was truly just the melody that captivated Az. And the way the melody was described is a lot like the music of the priestesses service.

As likes music.

Gwyn is a singer.

Az himself began humming once the phone stopped playing.

They share a common interest and that's a valid thing to comment on in regards to a ship.

If Az was aware of the lyrics and the lyrics had to do with the Stone Mother legend than I'd hope no one would be trying to turn the words into anything ship related as the legend is Native American and Elain and Gwyn are white. But to your point, it could have something to do with his mother as she is Illyrian.

[fridayth13]

Hey! Can I ask for platonic (Obey Me) Diavolo x child reader

Whether he adopts them or it's just a random child he has to take care of is up to you, I like seeing people interpret this ask :D

i'm getting tired of worrying about you.

↳ diavolo × child!gn!reader (platonic)

↳ fluff | 900+ | notes: i imagined reader to be about 10-13 or so but the age isn't explicitly stated so you can read it however you want, reader is described to be smaller than diavolo and is referred to as 'little one' at one point

↳ hi!! thank you for the request, it's very sweet hdshkhshhdsgj i ended up making it established relationship so im not entirely sure if it's what you were asking for, but i do hope you like it

The first word people came up with when they saw Diavolo was probably 'prince'. Or 'king' if they were feeling generous. Maybe 'regal', or 'uplifting', or 'bright'. What most people would not think is the first word that popped into your head when you saw him that morning—

Exhausted.

Sure, he was smiling (Diavolo was almost always smiling). But he wasn't even standing straight, instead leaning his forearms down against the lectern to keep upright.

"Good morning, Mammon!" He greeted the latest newcomer as he drowsily stumbled into the council room.

"G'mornin'.." Mammon yawned. He slumped into his designated seat and proceeded to fall back asleep.

"Haha.." Diavolo chuckled softly, then leaned down to whisper to you. "Everyone seems to be quite tired, huh, Mc?"

"Yeah." You agreed, staring pointedly at his eyebags.

"Then again, it is quite early. It's been a while since we've had meetings before class starts.."

"You seem pretty tired too."

Diavolo raised his eyebrows, surprised. Like you haven't been telling him that for the past month. But he soon brushed it off, pulling his shoulders back as if to stretch.

"It's not so bad. I'm just glad the exchange program is getting another green light after all the.. unfortunate incidents last year. All the nights preparing for the meetings and making arrangements were worth it."

"But you still have more meetings to prepare for." You frowned. "And more paperwork back at your desk. It's like an entire mountain."

Diavolo laughed, again, like your nagging hasn't already gotten stale, and placed a hand on your head, as if petting a grumpy cat. If that's what you were, he seemed something like a big teddy bear.

"Thank you for worrying, little one. But really, I'll be fine." He said. "Just a few more weeks."

You huffed. "You're gonna end up collapsing in the hallway or something. Like Belphie."

Diavolo laughed.

—

You were surprised no one seemed to see what you did, and how intimidated they must be to not speak up about it directly. You never understood why they did that. Diavolo was their friend! Why couldn't they act like they were his friends too? It's not like he ever tried to stop you for it.

It's been months already of the House of Lords and the Celestial Realm diplomats and the Sorcerer's Society and mountains and mountains of paperwork practically glued to Diavolo's desk. Were you the only one who was seeing this?

Yeah, sure, whatever, he smiled a lot, but you were pretty sure everyone missed the fact that his exhaustion was precisely why he was smiling too much. And frankly, you were a bit (a lot) annoyed.

Even Diavolo insisted it was fine, which annoyed you even more. More and more often, you've had less time to spend with him that wasn't following him around RAD to help him carry his work around. And he wouldn't even listen to you.

At least, you had Barbatos to shake his head in disapproval with. Which is exactly what you did.

"He's always been stubborn as a ram, hasn't he?"

As Barbatos poured tea into your cup with his knowing smile, you harrumphed into the fist you leaned against your cheek. Nonetheless, you took a delicate, angry little sip of the hot drink.

"He needs to sleep. He's acting like Lucifer."

A small laugh slipped from Barbatos's lips. "Now, now, I don't think he's gone that far yet."

"He doesn't even like work.." You muttered, slumping down until your cheek was against the table.

"No. He doesn't." There was that all-knowing, secretive smile again. "But perhaps the fact that he is working so hard should speak for itself. He's quite set on furthering RAD's exchange program."

"Yeah. Because it's his dream. And stuff."

The demon's eyes softened despite your eyeroll.

"I'm sure the Young Master appreciates your concern, Mc."

"He better." You muttered into your sleeve. "I'm gonna wrestle him back to bed tomorrow."

—

As it turned out, you did not need to do that, after all. Several hours later, you bid Barbatos goodnight and left to go to bed. But not without stopping by Diavolo's room to check on him.

Which was where you found him lying facefirst on his bed, limbs sprawled out, uniform still on, and a few sheets of paper on the floor like they fell from his open hand.

With a drawn out sigh, you shut the door behind you, tutting quietly to yourself.

"Told you you'd collapse like Belphie."

Thanks to Diavolo weighing as much as a giant boulder, you settled on just taking off his shoes and fixing his papers.

He mumbled a lot while he slept. A lot about Lucifer. A lot about Mammon. Some about you and Barbatos. Occasionally something awful about pickles, to which you couldn't help but try to reply to. It took you all you had not to laugh too loudly as you draped his blanket over his back.

Regardless of his odd pickle nightmares (you assumed they were nightmares. It was Diavolo you were talking about, after all), you found that his face looked.. serene. At least. You could relax in that.

You took a seat, leaning back against his headboard with a hand carding through his rust-red hair.

Eventually, Barbatos came into the room, chuckling to himself as he found the both of you fast asleep. At some point in the night, you fell sideways against the pillows, your small frame curled protectively around Diavolo's head.

dividers from @clutteredfun