#THEY HAVE A FUN DYNAMIC AND IT’S MUCH DEEPER ON BOTH SIDES THAN THE OTHER REALIZES

[mya-valentine]

Headcanon: Alhaitham x Teasing but Competitive S/O

Alhaitham’s calm and composed nature makes him the perfect target for his S/O’s playful teasing. They love to provoke him, whether it’s through subtle jabs about his stoic demeanor or challenging his intellect with witty banter. While Alhaitham usually dismisses such antics with a sigh or an eye-roll, deep down, he secretly enjoys the playful energy his S/O brings into his life. It’s a refreshing contrast to the academic world he’s so immersed in.

Their teasing often turns into friendly competitions. Whether it’s a debate over the meaning of ancient texts, a sparring match, or something as trivial as a board game, Alhaitham’s S/O constantly challenges him, pushing his patience and competitive side. Although he pretends to be indifferent, his pride won’t let him back down from a challenge. His S/O loves to see the rare spark of determination in his usually composed expression.

Alhaitham is a strategist by nature, so he always approaches their competitions with a methodical mindset, trying to outsmart his S/O. His S/O, on the other hand, is more spontaneous, relying on quick wit and instinct. This contrast often makes their battles unpredictable and exciting for both of them, with each pushing the other to be better.

Despite his calm exterior, Alhaitham has a low-key competitive streak, which only comes out in full force when his S/O gets particularly smug about a victory. He doesn’t openly admit defeat, but he’ll work silently to improve and win the next time around. His S/O loves this about him, often teasing, “Oh? Didn’t think you’d care about losing that much.”

Their dynamic is a perfect balance between intellectual stimulation and playful banter. Alhaitham respects his S/O’s intelligence and enjoys the mental sparring, even if he doesn’t always show it. His S/O, in turn, loves to push his buttons just enough to get a reaction, finding amusement in his subtle responses, whether it's a raised eyebrow or a rare smirk.

Despite their teasing and competitive nature, they have a mutual respect for one another. Alhaitham values his S/O’s drive and independence, while they admire his quiet confidence and vast knowledge. Their relationship thrives on this push and pull—each trying to outdo the other, but ultimately growing together as they challenge each other’s limits.

Alhaitham’s S/O loves to poke fun at his more solitary habits, teasing him about how he’d rather be reading than spending time with them. Alhaitham, in return, might quip something like, “At least books don’t try to distract me from my work with ridiculous dares.” But, when he gives in to their playful demands, it’s always with a small, begrudging smile.

In moments of downtime, Alhaitham and his S/O enjoy a quiet companionship that speaks to their deeper connection. The teasing may take a backseat in these moments, replaced by a comfortable silence as they work or read together. But the competitive spark is never far, and all it takes is a smirk or a sly comment to reignite their playful rivalry.

[crocodilenjoyer]

see i would love to cook up the accidental drinking buddies zoro and tashigi fic and sprinkle some grief and Gender and discussions of morality over the top like garnish. but somebody broke into my house and rearranged and now i can’t find a damn thing in this fucking kitchen so i won’t be making anything

[fawnnpaws]

it would kind of be so fun to be part of a codependent polycule where everyone’s making everyone else worse and there’s so many overlapping relationships and dynamics within it… like yes toxicity and jealousy and mess but also so much romance and obsession and INSANE sex.

and if there’s one thing i love to do it’s cause problems on purpose mhm mhm 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

feeding the jealousy in the dynamic, letting yourselves be utterly codependent on each other. if one person is upset, everyone feels it, there’s no avoiding it. but when the dynamic is working it fucking works. you’re all so utterly obsessed with each other that the moodiness and jealousy don’t always matter. the sex is on a level none of you have ever felt before because you’re all so in tune with each other in different ways. you have a relationship with patrick that is completely different from your relationship with art, so the two of them get jealous of each other like cats forced into the same space, but their relationship with each other is so obsessive and love driven that they often end up fucking their frustrations out on each other or sharing you to compete with each other. sometimes when they fuck you they make you tell them who you like more, but you’re so brain dead on their dicks and tongues your answer changes every couple minutes, which is fine by them - they get to keep one upping each other. then you throw tashi in, the original object of their affections, who spends more time pampering and babying you than she ever did with them. it started off as you being jealous of her because art and patrick both still bicker over their relationships with her. eventually though, you become her little girl - she sets the rules for what you do and when, the deeper you get into this dynamic the more you need her to function. so jealousy blooms on the opposite side with how tender she is with you and how harsh she is with art and patrick. art especially finds it unfair, given she’s his fucking wife, but at the same time, he can’t hold it against you because he’s just as soft on you, if not more so. you, sweet perfect can-do-no-wrong you, fill a deep void for love that gnaws at his chest. he idolizes you like he idolized tashi, but instead of being an authority figure, you’re someone he takes care of and controls. patrick, on the other hand, sees the bratty side of you. he starts fights with you, pulls at your pigtails like a kid on the playground because he wants to see what’s underneath that sweet exterior. he wants to break you down and prove you’re no better than him, even though he’s just as in love with you as he is with art and tashi. just….. ugghhh complicated relationships because you’re all so fucked up in your own ways and will always love each other more than you love yourselves.

[jjkeremika]

Goofy (pt4)

description: levi summons you to his office to teach you an important lesson

(pt1, pt2, pt3)

levi ackerman x fem!reader; levi x you

warning/disclaimer: NSFW/MDNI; hair pulling; biting; tying up (rope); grinding; throat fucking; power dynamic; choking; derogatory

“hold the rope out,” levi demanded for the second time, rolling the thick rope between his palms. Paired with an eye roll, he tightened his grip, yanked the rope taut. “are you fucking serious?”

you stayed put, a rope loosely held in your palm. matched his raging stare. your lip twitched at the furrow of his brows, the squinting of his eyes, the darker intensity in his irises.

you stayed on your aching knees, pulled yourself onto your palms, your set of ropes loosely in your hand. “you swear too much.”

the interface of the rope and his skin turned pink from the friction. levi’s knuckles turned white, his nostrils frozen from holding his breath.

you bit your bottom lip, tried to refrain from enjoyed him hot and bothered, tried to avoid blatantly gawking at the growing erection directly in your eyeline. “nobody will take you seriously if you keep cursing like that.”

the taut rope loudly slapped against the floor, reverberating throughout the room. you jumped at the noise, slipped off your calves onto the floor. “next time i’ll wrap this around your throat.” he was seething, reminiscent of the first time he growled orders at you.

the warmth was building in your gut. you thought of his hand around your throat. “is that a threat or a promise?”

the pink appeared on his cheeks, highlighting the vein near his temple. he was thinking the same thing. he ignored you. “tie the fucking knot.”

his tone was steady and even. the tension wrapped around every muscle like an overgrown vine.

you stopped breathing. “aren’t you supposed to teach me?” it was generous to call it a question. it was more of a shotty breath. you crossed your arms across your chest, the rope dangling off your forearms, accentuating your breasts. “i asked you a question.”

he stepped closer, crouched until his nose was level with yours, made sure you could feel the the hot breath on your cheeks. he curled his lip as his voice deepened.

“and i gave you an order:” you saw him glance at your chest. you subconsciously rounded your back, made your breasts seem larger.

you sighed and picked up the rope, loosely tied it into a pathetic knot and draped it around his neck. you couldn’t hear his heavy breathing over your aching heart beat, the pounding in your ears.

you inhaled slowly as you matched his stare, cheekily raised a brow and tilted closer until your lips were frustratingly hovering over, teasing you more than him. “there’s your fucking knot,” you said slowly, accentuating the end.

one end of the rope fell to the ground as levi’s grip flashed to your wrist, his thumb and fingers meeting on the other side.

“stop fucking around,” he hissed. a raging flame burning the calm facade, heating him up inside to an unmanageable level. “why can’t you ever just do as i say?” levi leaned forward, sank his teeth faintly into your neck once he finished.

you were surprised, but wasted no time in stretching the organ, giving him more estate. “it’s more fun this way,” you murmured softly, distracted by the soft sense of his tongue, the light tingle from his teeth stimulating your spinal cord as they bit harsher down.

“eek!” you squealed and flinched as his teeth sank deeper and deeper, held you in place like a limp animal as both hands harshly gripped your wrists and outstretched them before you.

with the rope in one palm and your wrists in the other, he tied them together. the movement was so quick and skilled you were mesmerized, and the budding question of if he’s done this before settled into your brain.

each touch of his fingers to your wrist left a hot mark as the rope dangled flimsily. a fire burned inside your belly. you didn’t want him to have done this before, but you were thrilled by his experience. “there’s my fucking knot,” was all he said, the tight cinch around your wrists tugging at the skin, putting pressure on the vessel.

you felt the beating in your wrist, felt the scratchy material restrain the pulsating artery. “wha—”

captain levi pulled away, placed two fingers in the gap between the rope and your wrists, tugged hard enough to knock you off balance. the knot stayed intact, a slight burning left behind.

levi smirked, a dark glint in his eyes. “good enough.”

the tendons in his forearms flared as he picked you up by the knot, the veins near his wrist sticking out in a rare greeting. he had the advantage of surprise and you lost your footing, your body weight relying and tugging on the limits of his knot.

“very good,” he purred, admiring the sight of you beneath the ties, dangled by your reddening wrists, of your silence and stunned obedience.

you collapsed to the floor when he let the cuff go, onto your palms and knees and shins. you tried to bring your hands to fix the hair strands on both sides of your cheeks, but the taut rope barely folded and your wrists were forced back together.

levi’s finger swiped under your chin, raised it to look up at him. “were you watching?” he asked, his voice low. his eyes narrowed.

he licked from your neck to the base of your ear, nibbled at the skin near the lobe. “mhm,” you absentmindedly answered in a moan, your eyes squeezing tight. couldn’t open them again even if you tried.

your spine shivered at the proximity to your ear, the hand tightening in your locks. levi tilted his head, leaned in even further. his teeth lightly grazed your back upper shoulder, glided the bone up the stimulated skin until his cheek was less than a centimeter from your own. “were you learning?”

your head moved in an immediate nod, a bold lie as your body flushed with an obedient craving to do as the captain commanded, mixed with a taste of the unpredictability that coursed in your blood.

you didn’t pay any mind to the knot keeping your wrists clasped together, didn’t pay any heed to his lecture. couldn’t spare any thoughts from the mouthwatering muscles in his forearms, the tense veins popping through.

levi pulled back. “good.” he glanced to your lips then back to your eyes. wanting. needing. he held the other rope lightly in one palm, lifted it to your eye level. “do it again.”

you matched his hearty stare, felt the heat of his attention prickle the hairs against your spine, spurred the tiny hairs at the back of your neck to dance.

“but i—” the rope burn at your wrists screamed for release, with each move of your arms tugging it into an impossibly tighter hold to cut through the nonsense.

levi raised an eyebrow, his expression lifting into a suppressed eager astonishment at your insistent denial of his order. it’s like you were incapable of learning through lecture.

he released the hold of your hair in favor for your neck, the strands loosely falling after his fingers clasped around the tendons. a tighter hold, like he were scuffing you still.

“honestly.” it was a rough exhale, paired with an incredulous mix of emotions in his eyes that left you both anxious and horny, the fire in your pelvis triple-folding.

levi’s pupils were dark with an ambitious glean. you were a never-ending challenge. a difficult task that spurred frustration and anger and rage at your meager protests to his command. an admirable foe of different skill and stature—one that captured levi’s mind; one he could never take his eyes off.

then the captain’s thigh forced itself between your legs, and he angled your neck with his fist so his nose was just above yours, lips above lips. hovering. yearning.

your knees bent without order, and you gasped at the mere contact between your blood-hoarding crotch and his strong and muscular thigh. you kept his stare as you grinded fabric against fabric, provided yourself the perfect friction.

your indulgence stunned levi into silence. his body reacted before his brain could process the sight, loosening the choking hold around your neck, lifting his thigh to match your desperate movement. you could feel the erection, and you blushed furiously as the memory resurfaced, as you wondered if he’d show it to you again.

he pushed his thigh upwards, paired it with a downward grind of your hips to rub against your clit. you moaned, and your heart stopped beating with the tiniest upward curve of his lip.

“get on your knees,” captain levi commanded, practically salivating as he watched you grind your clothed clit down to his knee. obediently dropped to your shins. matched his gaze the entire time.

the smile stretched deeper on his face. he couldn’t deny it. almost as if it had to match the fervent rage ignited by your denial and outbursts, he fucking loved your selective obedience.

he audibly gasped at the sight of you peering up at him expectantly, patiently and quietly awaiting further instruction.

“unbutton your shirt.” the intrigue and lust was starting to infiltrate his steady tone, the order sounding more like an intimate suggestion than an authoritative command. “good girl,” he praised as your fingers immediately caressed each button, awkwardly struggling with the rope holding both wrists together.

the praise sent relief and ecstasy through your bloodstream, culminating in the electric storm in your pelvis.

levi’s hands mindlessly fiddled with his belts as he fixated on the exposure of your chest, the paler skin from lack of sun more titillating and daunting than staring at the celestial object itself.

with your wrists still tied you awkwardly shrugged the shirt off your shoulders, couldn’t even begin to feel insecure at your open and accessible bare chest with your focus on levi’s pants dropping halfway down his thighs.

his erection was eager, and your eyes doubled in size and mouth watered at the large organ. levi admired your indulgence, preened at the liberties you took as you poked your tongue out and inched closer.

you maintained eye contact, stared cautiously as you leaned closer to the still growing erection at your eye level, lifted your bonded hands to hover below the shaft.

without dropping your gaze, you licked the tip. actually tasted the bitter precum between each lick. one hand traced up his thigh as the other dragged behind, felt the prickle of untouched hair and silky sensitive skin as your fingertips neared his balls.

levi exhaled sharply under your touch, closed his eyes to no avail because the view was still pristine in his mind. “you can suck it,” he gasped needily, a surprising switch in his demeanor as felt himself melt into your touch.

“don’t tell me what to do,” you responded cheekily before rounding your lips and welcoming the tip, greeting the slit with a swirling flick of your tongue, felt the twitch of the shaft from the retort against the roof of your mouth.

his hand found home back in hair for stability as the air felt sucked from his lungs. like you sucked all oxygen straight from his cock.

his pupils tripled in size, dilated to absorb every detail—every strand of hair out of its usually perfect place, every tear drop welling on your eye-line at the burning friction, every dimple and wrinkle in your pretty face as you suck and take his cock in your mouth like it was built to be there.

his hips shifted, pushed more than the tip inside the warmth wetness of your mouth. thrusted in to feel the constriction of your esophagus as you swallowed around him, gagged on the extra length.

you almost pulled back—tried to—but levi kept your head pushing closer, until your nose was barely hovering over dark pubes and you could taste the bitter insistence of levi’s leaky cock overriding your gag reflex.

he could feel your resistance, that fiery instinct that hated being told what to do. the one that screamed that you were in the wrong line of work. the one that kept you in the forefront of his mind all day, the one that kept you as his most admirable adversary.

you gagged with a particularly rough thrust into your throat, but you hollowed your cheeks and teasingly sucked. smiled despite the burning resistance of your lips at the loud guttural groan he released.

levi pistoned into your mouth, bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from drowning out obscene noises caused by you obediently sucking on his thick cock, taking his length and thrusts so fucking well he was about to burst.

he muttered, “fuck,” under his breath and yanked your hair back, held you still as he pulled his hips back and exposed his cock to your eyeline again. the organ shimmered with a salivary shine, and you blushed deeper knowing somehow, this long and thick organ was capable of being stuffed into your throat.

levi was rapidly flicking his wrist along his slicked cock, did it in full view for you to absorb and memorize before he aimed to your chest and released onto your bare breasts.

you gasped in surprise at the hot viscous liquid excreted against your chest, felt a shiver down your spine at the slow and sticky trails it forged to your belly.

you glanced up from the mess on your skin, met levi who was already staring intensely at you. his chest was pink and heaving, his cheeks were flushed. he was already hiding his cock back in his pants.

“now clean this fucking mess up,” levi demanded breathlessly, gesturing vaguely towards you. he corrected the belts for his gear and walked towards the door while you remained breathless on the floor. “ten minutes and get back to work,” he quickly regained his composure, but he couldn’t make eye contact with you anymore. couldn’t crumble again. “don’t make me think of another punishment.”

he left you alone in the office, and you smiled knowingly at the light pink sheen embraced on his cheeks as he spoke.

[valentine-writes]

Hello!! I absolutely adore your spot HC!

I was wondering if you could write something pre-collider accident? When he was working for alchemax ^^

I would adore more content about him and reader being coworkers, maybe this is way too self indulgent, but I crave some good enemies/rivals to lovers with this man. I think the dynamic would be so fun ^^

competitive

「 tws + notes: possibly ooc, no tws, unedited, rivals to lovers (which i hope i do justice), pre-collider johnathan ohnn, reader and johnathan are petty,,, can u tell i like writing him mildly bitchy, plz forgive any conflicts w/ canon i researched but im like 99.9% sure there r still errors 」

「 gn!reader, romantic relationship <3 」

↳ ft. johnathan ohnn/the spot

author's note: ouughh i love this sooo much,,, thank u AUDHEWUFHEW o((>ω< ))o !!! im so excited to write more of pre-collider him,, ignore me as i feverishly research every bit of canon info i can get cuz i haven't been able 2 rewatch the movie yet i hope this is to ur liking! enemies to lovers is not my strong suit,, but OHOUWHUDHEWH RIVALS TO LOVERS!!! UNDERUTILIZED!!! might hafta make a part two tho,,, locked in on the rivals part,,, lovers part in progress. ok no more of my rambles

▸ ever since you had arrived at alchemax, you and johnathan just couldn't seem to get along. not a particularly useful thing, considering you both worked for the same research company where teamwork was vital though, you insisted you had no real spite for him, the second you had gotten the job, you just seemed to one-up him in every single way.

every. single. way.

▸ when given a deadline, you'd finish in half the time it took him. when completing research, you have the information compiled when he was just starting to organize his.

hell, you even succeeded in being more proficient socially. how had you made so many friends already?

▸ he had to admit you were terribly charming too– a trait he was particularly envious of– and from the few times he's seen you get coffee with one or two of the other scientists, he knew that everyone seemed to think the same

not like he was paying that much attention to you as he saw you laughing with another coworker through the cafe window. foam party? sounds boring anyways, whatever

▸ he wasn't mad because he was lonely, or saw himself as inferior to you. johnathan had friends and honestly didn't consider himself particularly bad at making them. johnathan knew he was intelligent and that with his work, he could accomplish something big.

no, this problem had nothing to do with him. it was you. besides you, all the things he worked hard for was just second nature.

how annoying.

▸ your sworn rivalry had been one-sided for the longest of time to any witnesses. grumbling under his breath while he passed you, making a great effort to speak curtly with you, and was certainly not beyond intentionally knocking his shoulder into yours when he passed the look you shot at him for doing this was enough to make him wither on the spot– unintentional joke. my bad.

but he knew you were just as competitive as he was. the way you acted just had to be intentional. some of your remarks towards him were too pointed to ignore– your smiles and your friendliness nothing more than keeping it as civil as possible in a workplace setting.

professionalism, masking a deeper intention: to outdo him.

▸ and once you had figured that your feigned innocence would no longer keep you afloat, that's when the true rivalry began. an ambition-fuelled climb to the top to be better than the other.

it manifested more childishly than you two cared to admit.

"you know, chewing on pens isn't great for your enamel." johnathan practically jumps out of his seat, your words effectively snapping him out of his completely focused state.

he grumbles, looking over at you while lowering the pen away from his mouth a habit that i have too... guys look away itz not projecting...

you only shrug your shoulders. "just saying, johnny."

"don't call me that." he retorts, trying not to roll his eyes. "are you here just to bother me with unsolicited comments about my habits and dental advice?"

you laugh and he feels his face heat up in annoyance. you and your stupid laugh. he's heard enough of it around the workplace while you chatted amongst the others. it was a sound he could live without.

"so hostile. we work together, y'know?" you grin. there's a glimmer of amusement in your eyes. you were getting on his nerves and you knew it.

"anyways, i just came to ask if you had a pen i could borrow. preferably not one with teeth marks." the last part is tacked on so briefly that johnathan didn't even have time to be offended about it before he replied.

he looks at you dead in the face. "sorry. i don't have an extra pen on me."

you glance at the completely untouched, unused, ballpoint pen on his desk and then back at him. he says nothing, staring at you silently, before you get the hint decide to go ask someone else.

▸ it gets pettier.

imagine johnathan eying up a coworker, getting all blushy and stumbling over his words around them.

and within a week, you've got their number– and he passes by the two of out in that STUPID FUCKING HIPSTER CAFE GODDAMMIT–

it's not that serious to him. he can move on from a workplace crush. he however, can't move on from the fact you swooped in before he even got a chance. you never care to bring up that on your little coffee date with that person ended up being a disaster– maybe it was for the better they stayed away from him

▸ of course, he was able to outdo you too. his biggest success?

"so," johnathan flinched away, about to walk out the glass doors of alchemax and head home for the day– only to find you with your back leaning against the frame, arms crossed. "heard you got put in charge over something pretty important."

he curses under his breath. "you can't just sneak up on people like that."

"i was literally standing here in plain sight the entire time."

"were you waiting for me or something?" he asks sarcastically. johnathan seems somewhat surprised when you don't respond, awkwardly averting your gaze from him for a moment hm. guess that's a "yes"...

"doesn't matter." you reply, shoving your hands in your pockets. "so... you're working on a portal thingy?"

"i'm one of the people overseeing it, yes." he huffs, trying to answer your questions quickly and just get the hell home. but as you figured, he had all the time in the world when it came to correcting you.

"and– the word portal is inaccurate."

you raise an eyebrow. "yeah?"

"it's a particle accelerator. you should know what that means. the goal of this project is to essentially create a passageway– a bridge, if you will– between two separate dimen–"

"so, a portal." you interrupt.

he glares at you and you swear his eye twitches.

"just wanted to know. congrats, ohnn." you say casually, before exiting out the door.

the next time he sees you, he discovers that head scientist, olivia octavius who just so happens to be fond enough of your work to hear you out when you asked her decided it would be a good idea to have you work on the project as well.

even though johnathan was still technically still ahead of you– he kicked himself for how quickly you were beginning to catch up. you flashed him a grin from your desk as you began to help out on the project– he forced one back through gritted teeth.

▸ after tirelessly working on the project together as a team still trying your very best to outdo one another he figures this feud of yours is getting nowhere.

you've both spent sleepless nights on this project you both equally cared for,, it was time to just give up and be normal coworkers. an odd conclusion for johnathan to reach as a notorious grudge holder. maybe the lack of rest was getting to him, too exhausted to even deal with you anymore. or maybe, he was satisfied where he was right now– on the verge of a huge breakthrough with him being one of the main contributors– he no longer needed the pleasure of being better than you.

"how did you even get this number?" you ask, recognizing his voice through the phone as he greeted you.

"well, funny thing actually. alchemax has all the employee information on files, so i just–"

the realization hits you. "snooped through mine to get my phone number?! you're insane!"

he's desperate to explain, just trying to get to his point without getting a headache from you. "no, no, no– wait, i didn't come to fight or anything–"

"then what do you want, johnathan? a little medal? a trophy or somethin? you're probably getting that anyways after this whole thing– so,, so– what? what is it?!" you snap.

this is the only blatant hostility you've ever shown him. both ends of the call fall silent.

"wow uh– that was a lot." he mumbles awkwardly.

"...'m sorry." the shame makes your ears burn up. it is getting childish. you can't deny it.

he blinks at his phone, before bringing it back up to his ear. "did you just apologize? have i got the right person?"

it's your turn to groan. "are you trying to get me to take it back?"

"no! no, no, no– sorry." he replies quickly, stuttering as he tries to get back on track. "i just wanted to talk...."

the words hang in the air for much longer than needed.

"just spit it out already." you inturrupt.

"we should truce." he blurts out. "you know... maybe we should calm down. start over."

johnathan pauses for a moment, waiting for a reaction from you. you give him absolutely nothing. he takes a deep breath before speaking up again.

"i just thought it'd be better this way. this is getting ridiculous. and i think we're both mature enough to move past it so–"

"no, thank you."

he falters momentarily, processing what you had just said. "i'm– i'm sorry, i think misheard you."

"no, you heard me," you repeat, your smile clear as day in your voice, "no. thank. you."

"i like what we've got going on. keeps me motivated." the sweetness in your tone makes him cringe.

"you can't be serious." he rubs the bridge of his nose, fighting off the urge to lose his mind.

"oh, but i am." you lean into your phone's mic, voice dropping to a whisper. "just give me time. i'll catch up with you eventually."

your stubborness was truly something else.

"nope. can't do this, not today, nope–"

you laugh to yourself, hearing him hang up. you secretly hoped he'd at least keep talking to you a little longer. probably just a result of being a tad sleep deprived too.

▸ the collider is almost finished. ever since the phone call, you and johnathan hadn't talked for days.

and now, there you were, at his desk.

"need a pen?" he asks, looking up at you, expecting you to bother him again.

you shake your head. "actually, i came to ask for something else. i've been thinking about what you said..."

the words catch in your throat. you stare at the ground, the humiliation of what you're about to say causing you to fidget with your hands. he's never seen you like this– timid and anxious in his presence rather than smug and confident. it's a sight that he thought would bring him joy– but he's far beyond that now. instead, he looks at you curiously, not unlike the way he observes specimens.

"go on..." he says, leaning in slightly.

you meet his gaze sheepishly. "yeah. maybe a truce doesn't sound so bad."

he smiles back, cautious but hopeful. "you mean it?"

"this isn't me surrendering." you're quick to say, though your defensiveness falls flat, only causing his smile to fade for a moment. "i'm growing bored of it. we can just move on." it's not what he had in mind– but he'll take it.

"okay. sounds... good?" he replies awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

"mhm. so, you still have my phone number, right?"

he freezes. "yes... but– um– i can just delete it from my contacts now if– if you want. that was weird of me to do. really sorry 'bout that. just wanted to talk."

"nah. keep it." you say with a slight shrug of your shoulders. he tilts his head slightly at your reaction.

"i'll text you when work's done so we can grab a coffee or somethin." there's that smile he's grown so familiar with. this time it has no undertones of aggression– something which he finds more unnerving somehow. he can't tell what you're up to.

"i– uh– what–" he stammers.

you await the rejection.

"i mean– sure... but... you want that?" he asks, his tone careful, like he expects this to just be a scheme of yours. never in a million years would he think that you'd want to actually resolve whatever conflict you had going on. much less, spend time with him outside of work.

" i mean, i just offered, didn't i?"

"right– ...so uh– after work then. okay. it's a date."

he mentally kicks himself for the last part. "i– not like– a date, date, but–"

you don't give him time to stumble over his words and make a fool of himself.

"great." you turn to leave, but glance over your shoulder before walking away. "see you later, johnny."

▸ you failed to acknowledge this earlier, and maybe he had too– but over the course of your mutual rivalry, you found that you admired him. his brain, his work, his sheer tenacity– and he admired you too.

perhaps you didn't have to be better than one another.

"here's to new beginnings." you mutter to yourself, shooting him a text while waiting at the cafe.

[summer-nights19]

Hey author, can I get a request for GOM who have a S/O who can be really mean and Blunt on the outside but kind secretly (On the outside, they can act like Jade West or Karma Akabane but to those who are close to them, They can be gentle, kind, caring, and funny).

Hii Erina :> I love this concept so much omd (and it's so fun to meet another knb writer)

GoM x S/O who's like Jade West

Akashi

When he first met you, he was intrigued- most people respected or feared him, so he was shocked when you were seemingly unintimidated. While it bothered him, it also made him feel indescribably linked to you

Now, he loves that you have a softer and kinder side that you only show him and a few other people. He's quite possessive, and it makes him feel like you're his

Because he knows how rare that side of you is, he treasures it even more, though he doesn't tell you often

It was definitely an enemies/rivals to lovers kind of relationship

Appreciates how blunt you are- he despises fake people and sees it as a strength of yours (plus it means guys don't usually try to hit on you - it's very clear you're not interested)

Definitely tells you to watch your attitude jokingly

Aomine

Another enemies to lovers - you'd always argue over the stupidest things

Over time however, you realised you had more in common than you thought and you understood each other

Opening up to each and developing trust other took time - he appreciated it even more knowing you don't normally let people in

Teases you about how different you act when you guys are alone, but he actually kinda likes knowing you so deeply compared to everyone else (also, he's the same-)

You guys definitely spend hours laughing together and bitching about people that piss you off

If you have a goth/alt aesthetic like Jade, he's secretly into it

Kise

Definitely tried to hit on you from the start. The fact that if didn't work only made him more resilient

Initially, you found the way he tried so hard to get to know you and always hung around you very annoying, and you made that painfully clear

However, over time, he showed you he was on your side and genuinely cared about you, so you gradually behan to open up and show him the softer side of your personality

Now, you two do everything and go everywhere together

Teases you about being an "emo kid" (he loves your look really)

Is secretly entertained when you pick fights with his groupies

Sunshine x grumpy kind of dynamic

Thinks your rare smiles are everything and does everything he can to make you happy

Midorima

You met when you were paired up together for a class project

It was very painful at first - you were both stubborn and unwilling to compromise, so you spent hours insulting each other

But, with the deadline looming, you managed to figure out how to work together and ended up getting an A* on that project

You started respecting each other and seeing each other's good qualities (although neither one of you admitted it)

Takao probably realised Midorima liked you way earlier than Midorima himself and teased him relentlessly because of it

Definitely a slow burn, but when you guys became close, Midorima completely fell in love with your soft side

At the start of the relationship, communication felt awkward and difficult at times, but the deeper your bond got, the easier it became as you grew less guarded around each other

Gets flustered very easily around you, especially if you compliment him

Your flirting looks more like insulting each other

Murasakibara

Friends to lovers - you guys would just chill together because you found everyone else's company intolerable

Will insult the hell out of each other but fight anyone who insults the other one

At first, he just saw you as funny and sharp tongued. But, when you grew closer and began to trust each other, he saw the other side of your personality and grew to adore it

Took him months to realise why he loved your company so much and he remained in denial for ages after that

Very possessive/jealous (you tease him a lot because of it)

Becomes a sweetheart when you're alone

You guys mostly do chill things together like relaxing at home while eating snacks and watching TV

Masterlist

[overdressedcarp]

Aventurine, Dr. Ratio, and Ruan Mei for the character ask! (Love ur Aventio fic btw).

Thank you for the ask! I had fun doing these. (Also I'm glad you're enjoying the fic! I am sitting in my authorial hobbit hole with a big smile on my face.)

Aventurine

Clarifications (yellow boxes):

I don't see as many bad Aventurine takes as I do for Ratio, but I do think his rough edges often get watered down in a way that either justifies or ignores his canonical flaws. So "they got done dirty by fans" and "wow! they are a horrible person" both get soft nods because I think his character deserves to be both sympathetic and kind of an ass sometimes. (The other issue I see is people acting like he's vulnerable and helpless, which is just. fundamentally not true? He's not as secure in himself as he pretends to be, but he is a ruthlessly competent strategist, and he knows how to read people and give them what they want to see. He's a member of the Ten Stonehearts for a reason.)

"If they were real I would be afraid of them" alright let me explain. The 2.1 story did a masterful job of humanizing Aventurine, but his first impressions in 2.0 were fine-tuned to be unnerving, and it was really effective for me as a player. For a while I couldn't articulate why it made me uncomfortable, but @starcurtain did a great analysis on female influence in Aventurine's life, which touched on how his early interactions with the Trailblazer are designed to be intimidating and off-putting in a way that channels the sort of masculine dominance Aventurine has historically experienced at the hands of other men. Suffice to say: if it served his plans for me to be afraid of him, he knows how to do it, and it would work.

Also I forgot to mark "why do they look like that" on the bingo but I do think Hoyo should have given him more melanin considering how deeply Romani-coded his culture is. Everything else about his design slaps though.

Ratio

Clarifications:

"Wasted potential" is subjective because I've loved every moment we've gotten of Ratio onscreen, but damn do I want the game to delve deeper into his backstory and his dynamics with other characters (I'm still sad that so far Aventurine is the only character that has a voice line about him).

"Deeper than they seem" and "not as deep as they seem" exist in a paradoxical state for me because I do think some folks stop at the surface reading of "arrogant asshole" when he's got way more going on in his character stories and his actions in canon... but I also think some people err on the side of taking him too seriously, in a way that likewise takes something away from his character. Like, this is the guy who plays chess with himself and trash-talks from both sides of the table like a goddamn cartoon character. He owns at least one rubber duck and takes a bath with it every day. He likes all of Aventurine's social media posts and replies "Heh." to anything he finds vaguely amusing. This is not a serious man.

"Why do they look like that" okay I need to clarify that this is not a criticism. I love Ratio's design. The neoclassical vibes are impeccable. But it's also extra in a way that I feel morally obligated to call out, considering how much he rags on Aventurine for dressing like a peacock. Sir, you walk around in robes and sandals with an alabaster bust on your head; you have no room to talk about subtle fashion choices.

Ruan Mei

Clarifications:

Ruan Mei gets both "they are so cool looking" and "why do they look like that" because I love the theory behind her design (the DNA elements, the embroidery and floral imagery, the qipao paired with the pearl necklace) but she also has the unfortunate distinction of being a female character in a Hoyoverse game, so the more unique details fall prey to the homogenizing force of the male gaze.

Another case of "they got done dirty by fans" and "wow! they are a terrible person" existing in tandem, but in Ruan Mei's case I think some people reduce her down to her worst qualities without acknowledging the more complex aspects of her character. Her unchecked pursuit of knowledge leads to her doing Objectively Bad Things, but I don't think it's a fair (or particularly interesting) reading to portray her as heartless.

I thought about marking "wasted potential" because imo 1.6 wasn't nearly enough to delve into Everything Going on with This Woman, but it seems like they're setting up something for a future patch, so I'm content to wait and see what the writers have planned. I'm really excited to find out what she's doing with those leviathan fossils and Tingyun's wrecked ship.

Link to the character bingo template

[gloomzi]

A Little Death

PAIRING sam riordan/emma meyer/gn!reader

WORD COUNT 743

SUMMARY (Y/N) comes back from class to find their partners, Emma and Sam, have started having fun without them.

WARNINGS sfw despite what the summary might sound like, reader is somewhat more dominant in the relationship, they/them pronouns for reader

NOTES this is my first fic on this blog + my first x reader in many many years, pls go easy on me 😭😭 i don't think this is my best work by any means but i wanted to write something gen v so here it is! title is from a the neighbourhood song btw :p that being said, hope yall enjoy!

Sam's hands rested gently on Emma's waist, fingers rubbing small circles over her hip bones as she kissed down his neck gently. Though he was mostly distracted by the sensation of her lips ghosting over his adam’s apple, he could just faintly hear the sound of (Y/N) entering the room, his eyes opening slowly to meet their gaze, a smile tugging at his lips as he watched them stand stock-still, bag slung over their shoulder. Emma had stopped briefly too, glancing over her shoulder to smirk at their partner before picking up where she left off, sucking a bruise right under Sam's jaw.

"Why do you guys always start having fun without me?" (Y/N) whined, walking over and forcing their way between them. Emma laughed, shoving their shoulder gently before allowing herself to be pushed out of the way, watching fondly as they pushed and pulled at Sam until he was sat in their lap. Though Sam was much taller than (Y/N), they were always eager to dote on him, this position becoming common between the two. From an outsider's perspective it probably looked silly, but Emma found it sweet and loved seeing the dynamic her partners had fallen into.

Sam huffed, crossing his arms, "We always start without you because you're always late,” He pouted.

Emma giggled, “Like seriously, do you just chat with everyone on your way back from class, or…?” (Y/N) rolled their eyes, ignoring Emma’s comment to squeeze Sam’s face lightly.

“Whiners, the both of you.” They muttered, kicking at Emma’s shin lightly.

Groaning, Emma moved closer to the pair, her legs propped up on either side of Sam’s, chest pressed into his back. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but she wanted to be close, so she’d deal with it for the moment. Wrapping her arms around Sam’s waist, she placed her head between his shoulders before loosening her grip so (Y/N) could maneuver him as they pleased. Using the hands that were already on his face, (Y/N) pulled him into a soft kiss, gentle and slow, his eyes fluttering shut as a hum of content slipped from his lips.

(Y/N) smiled slightly into the kiss, enjoying the feeling of the other boy's fingers sliding up the sides of their neck and settling behind their head. Sam nipped at their lower lip, smirking when he felt their fingers flex against his cheeks before trying to pull him in deeper. Emma watched them continue to kiss for a few more seconds before latching her own lips onto Sam's shoulder, biting lightly. The boy's breath hitched as he pulled away from (Y/N), a strand of spit following him back as he gripped Emma's thigh tightly in his left hand, his nails digging into her skin. His other hand held a handful of (Y/N)’s shirt, who watched the pair with half lidded eyes, their hands falling to Sam’s sides as Emma moved up his neck slowly, small bruise's starting to form a trail.

(Y/N) huffed a laugh, squeezing the boy’s waist lightly before smacking Emma’s knee, "First you start without me and now Sam gets all your attention," They pouted, though the lilt in their voice made it clear they didn’t actually mind.

Emma snickered, shaking her head, “Ohhh, poor baby! C’mere, I’ll give you all the attention you want,” She said, pulling away from Sam to lay beside the pair. After a moment of shuffling (Y/N) had been pulled into Emma’s lap, Sam’s face pressed into Emma’s collarbone, a barely noticeable smile on his face as he stared up at them. (Y/N)’s face had gone red, arms crossed tightly over their chest, still unused to the switch in position. Sure, they could appreciate being the one on the receiving end of the doting from time to time, but it wasn’t common, especially from Emma. Still, Emma cooed at their awkwardness, finding it cute as always, uncrossing their arms quickly and linking their hands together.

“Better?” Emma teased, swinging their hands with a grin. Sam chuckled besides them, muttering something about them being cute into Emma’s neck. 

“Just kiss me already!” (Y/N) whined, pulling their hands loose to slip into Emma’s hair, tugging lightly.

Sam giggled, rolling his head out of the way slightly, “God, you two are ridiculous.” He smiled, reaching behind (Y/N)’s head to push them together, “Just get it over with.”

[cooco-ren]

Hi...if you don't mind, can I ask something from Blue Lock? What do you think are Nagi and Reo’s greatest personality strengths and weaknesses? Why? What do you love about their dynamic? Sorry if you've answered these questions before.....

Hihi and thanks for the ask, really don't think I've answered that here before, but I wanna keep it quick since, for how much I love them, it's so hard for me to put the emotions and feelings I have towards them into words that isn't a story about them.

For Nagi, I really think his greatest strength is how calm he's willing to be in most situations, I wouldn't say for any reason that his steady or emotionally intelligent but I think it's nice he's able to balance out Reo's hyperactivity. His dedication to Reo is definitely something else as well, many Reo haters that claim to be his fans really like to belittle that or make it a weakness where as I really think it's one of his greatest strengths; for someone who used to be so unmotivated by the world around him its amazing to see him grow to cherish someone and their wishes even if it means changing parts of himself that person has already accepted. My feelings for him shift constantly in time to how daft and goofy he can be but every time I remember he's truly experiencing the world for the first time because he chose to follow Reo, i can't help but love the complexity of his character even more.

For Reo, I feel a whole spectrum of things but I believe his greatest strength is his adaptability and charisma; he changes in time to his environment no matter how long it might take, like Isagi to some extent, he's emotional and inspirational but in such a raw way it feels almost unreal. He has everything one could ever need or want, so on the surface many wonder why he tries so hard, why he has to hang on and take the spot of those more in need of it because clearly if soccer doesn't work out for him he has better chances than 90% of of blue lock participants. The thing I think many people that like Reo can relate to his his search for fulfillment and excitement. To Reo, I believe soccer isn't just about the world cup, its what it'll prove once he gets it, what the road to it entails. I think that's beautifully encapsulated in him calling his notebook 'Road to the World Cup with Nagi'. It's wholesome, its beautiful and its such a teenage girl move that its adorable. For all his faults and how I know many can't relate to a rich boy's first world issues it think its safe to say many long for his charisma and wanting to be fulfilled. To feel like you've worked for something and earned the best result while having fun with it.

For both their weaknesses, on both sides I'd have to say it's a lack of communication. We can easily chalk it up to boys being bad at talking but for both I feel it stems much deeper. Nagi's never really had to communicate and Clearly Reo has always had to filter his words to appeal to the masses, he's been raised that way and his more direct side mostly comes out in Blue Lock as far as I've noticed (I could be missing something tho). They both struggle from lack of being as direct as they should with each other, expecting that since they work so well, the other should understand, they're partners after all, right?

Dynamic-wise, I think they can both be detrimental and empowering to each other. in the soccer sense, it's hard to put into words since I'm not much of a sports person but its definitely clear if one depends too much on the other they're plays will become stale and predictable. Nagi from when last I read still greatly depends on other's passing and Reo though a progressive all rounder, is very easy to see through because clearly, seven times out of ten he will pass to Nagi. I love that they plan to evolve and battle together but it's pretty hard for me to see how they will.

Romance-wise, I think they'll do well enough for each other. Reo's personality urges him to seek adventure and i think that's something Nagi can benefit from. Outside that, Nagi's dedication, calmness and optimism will definitely help keep Reo grounded when his mind tends to warp and tell him the worst. Every now and then they might tend to bring out the worst in each other or even have big fights thanks to poor communication but after realizing nothing is done out of malice and learning not to repeat mistakes, they'll surely grow into the most disgustingly clingy couple. I hate them so much ugh.

Well hope I kind of sated your curiosity and sorry it took me a while to get to this. Some time before I wanted to my phone got stolen and losing lots of the ngro fics (and other important stuff lol) on it made me a bit sour towards seeing the characters and ship. I'm doing better now and working on getting a replacement soon.

thanks for reading, hope there aren't typos and bye <333

[saveraedae]

What is The Mark Side?

★ THE MARK SIDE follows the life of MARK REED— an unconventional and flawed protagonist navigating a drama-filled life while pushing everyone to their limits in the meantime!

Filled with angst, complex relationship dynamics, LGBT characters, and comedy! A story with a deeper meaning than you'd think!

Throughout the show, I aim to tackle a lot of serious issues like mental health and abuse with morally grey characters.

Here's a new and improved TMS introduction thread!

Featuring some new information for TMS's returning audience! ★ Happy Indie Animation Day! Make sure to follow me for updates on the show and fun community stuff! Go to @ask-tms for fun ask blog shenanigans and check out themarkside.com for more!

Help boost by reblogging to support the show. :)

See below the cut for more!

Show premise:

The Mark Side centers around titular character Mark's strained relationship with his childhood best friend Benjamin, who due to years of communication issues now absolutely despises him. Mark however, seems blind to the obvious deterioration their relationship has had, as he harbors major unrequited romantic feelings towards him.

Mirroring the two are Jonathon and Kenny, the other half of the friend group who through their years of knowing each other have communicated and helped each other through hardships, presenting as a strong, healthy couple today because of it.

After a summer of not being on speaking terms, Mark manages to wiggle his way back into the friend group again only to find a new guy has 'replaced him'— Ash, Benjamin's new boyfriend.

It takes place in the fictional town of Ohwell, Texas in the late 2010's!

Season 1 will showcase the arc of Mark struggling to maintain his place in the friend group despite his jealousy whilst also dealing with a plethora of emotional and complex family issues.

The main takeaway theme is that most scenarios are less black and white than one may assume at first glance, showcased by the characters being the antagonists of themselves instead of portraying one character as the villain.

All while maintaining a good balance of humor through an expressive and cartoony style! Humor and style draws lots of inspiration from 2000's Cartoon Network and Disney XD shows!

★★★★

The characters:

Mark Reed —

Master of chaos and making people hate him! He is voiced by Collin Weiler!

Benjamin Washington —

Mark’s aggressive former bestie who’s not afraid to speak his mind! He is voiced by Andre Grandpierre!

Jonathon Washington —

He thinks everyone deserves a second chance… Even Mark! He is voiced by Kruyo!

Kenny Peterson —

He navigates life with a smile even amidst his friends' chaos! He is voiced by XephThePanda!

And much to Mark's dismay...

ASH POWYRS —

Benjamin's boyfriend! ...May or may not be Mark's replacement! He is voiced by Jaden!

Wanna read about Mark's family?

They'll get character sheets soon, don't worry! I'll update this post when they get them!

But for now, you can read about them on the website! Darcy is voiced by Katherine Black, Boss is voiced by Josh Portillo, and Leon is voiced by DarkMage!

And that does it for season 1 info!

If you want EVEN MORE info, and to learn the extensive history and development of the series, give the wiki a look!

Beware of both spoilers and outdated content!

★★★★

YOU MADE IT TO THE END!

Thank you sooo much for reading to the end! You're a real one!! Again, follow me, the series' showrunner and creator for updates and information regarding the series, and follow @ask-tms to get involved YOURSELF by submitting to the character ask blog!

The merch store and support tiers will launch sometime soon! For now, the best way you can support the series is by GETTING THE WORD OUT! SPREAD THE WORD! HYPE IT UP!

WE HAVE SO MUCH PLANNED FOR THE MARK SIDE AND CANNOT WAIT TO SHOW EVERYONE WHAT'S IN STORE!

[bandtrees]

Also Mingus. Of course

SEND ME A CHARACTER!!

MINGUS!!!!!!!! OF COURSE. under the cut lol

Sexuality Headcanon: bi :] it's ourple just like her. i don't think she especially cares for romance or ponders her sexuality much, but in less of an "arospec" way and more of a "forming human connection with her is a losing battle" way. i usually love arospec hcs and do see aro mingus somewhat often but it's just not something i really see myself.

Gender Headcanon: generally cis woman but i feel like if she learned what being nonbinary was she would try and release and trademark her own neopronouns and make people pay to use them. i do also see her being interpreted as transfem sometimes and i think that's a really interesting reading but not one that i actively subscribe to.

A ship I have with said character: ghghnmnnormingus. it's been really fuckin funny watching the tides change in the fandom on this ship - for a while i'd pondered it but never said anything, and then there was the time period where it was considered a weird cursed minority and i got vagueposted about it, and THEN mich came and singlehandedly pilled the masses and now its just, like, a ship. funny how that goes. but all of that talk aside, i just think they have so much potential in, like, every stage of their dynamic. the timeframe where norm's consumed by his completely one-sided obsession (/neg) with her is SO fun to think about, as is the idea post-canon of them forging a more normal relationship and possibly more. they're two of dialtown's most intricately-written characters imo, and it really shows in how layered all of their interactions are :'] there is so much baggage between them and simultaneously so little (with the point of "norm cares way more about her opinion of him than she even thinks about him") and it just makes the final confrontation of ch3 pay off so damn well. listen to nemeses by jonathan coulton it's THE normingus song to me. ⬇ SOOO ch3 norm @ mingus to me

A BROTP I have with said character: god her dynamics with all the mingling are so funny, i could listen to that group of people babble on literally forever. i wanna hear them talk about non-green related issues i want to hear what this room sounds like when its time to argue about, idk, taxes

A NOTP I have with said character: dialtown does not have that many options for edgelord proshittery but i have seen efforts at the one(1) they have. Unfortunately .

A random headcanon: always has some kind of headwear on, whether it be her trademark little hat or other ones she has made for her, or headbands or headscarves or whatnot. it's mostly cuz her head looks really off to me without the hat so i work in substitutes when im drawing or imagining her in more casual settings

General Opinion over said character: the height of dialtown's writing, her and everything to do with her. dialtown is already a good game but it goes from good to great when mingus takes center stage, imo. she's so interesting and also funny to watch - i think "seems silly but actually has deeper stuff going on"-type stories are best when the silly and the serious are tightly interwoven and you can't really distance them from eachother, and mingus is a great show of that as an inherently super tragic but also super funny character. there's not a word of dialogue she speaks where you don't get the impression of how pathetic and overcompensating she is, and that works both for humor and for sadness really well. i also like, in general, when typically "sympathetic" character flaws are played to be difficult or dangerous - in mingus' case her insecurity and desperation to follow in her grandfather's footsteps, and her compassion in wanting to be one of the only people left who still really care about him, it's objectively very noble- but less so when it becomes everyone else's problem rather than just hers. she has this in common with her grandfather 👍

[zmediaoutlet]

dean/crowley and sam/crowley

ahaha well --

dean/crowley

technically you don't have to 'ship' things that are canon. :)

that said: I mean, come onnnn. D/Crowley has mUch more canon basis than just about any other "okay, I guess they didn't technically show us kissing" ship in the show. I mean the fivesome alone! But also the obviously canonical pining from Crowley, the way Dean threatens a lot but you can't ever actually imagine him really going through with killing Crowley (because he's soft with guys who've fucked him <3), the way Crowley always Gets what's going on with Dean in a way deeper and more fucked up than anyone else -- even Sam -- even maybe Alastair. The spectator sees more of the game, as they say, and what's interesting about Crowley is that he would never, ever expect to be #1 -- but what he can get at as #2 might be just as useful.

what's also fun about D/Crowley is like -- while it's obviously a mistress ship to the side of the main canon event, it's very... free? Dean doesn't have to pretend to be anything other than what he is. Of course he does, because he wouldn't be Dean without a little gloss of pretense, but like -- Crowley knows him. Crowley knows his worst shitty parts. Crowley probably has a spreadsheet with how many souls Dean shredded in Hell and has polite comments arranged for every one, which he Will Not Say but they both know he could. Dean's guilt encompasses the whole planet but Crowley doesn't give a shit about that guilt, except how he can manipulate it to his own ends, and they both know that, and it's like... all the cards are on the table, you know? In that way it may be a little bit of self-harm for Dean, sure, but he's going into it with eyes wide open and knows exactly what he'll get out of it and it's. Well, 'free' is the only word I can think of. A little corrosive maybe but lots of things have been worse.

also the dude died for Dean, which we should always appreciate as the ultimate simp move. Dean's got a bodycount stacked much higher than Sam's dick. Why isn't the meme about Dean's murderous puss?

sam/crowley

would Crowley attempt to seduce Sam? Sure he would. Would he try to get him into a place where Sam might really consider saying yes to it? Of course. Would Sam actually say yes? lolno, not unless LITerally every other option (potentially including his own death) were wasted, because--

unlike the previous ship in this ask, Sam has self-respect. rip Crowley but Sam already learned his lesson with skanky demonsex and like. He's just not that sad. Plus there's zero zero zero interest or closeness from Sam -> Crowley, and Sam's a lot of things but I really don't think he's a 'self-punisher with sex', and he obviously just finds Crowley fucking irritating, lol. He's also never gonna kill Crowley because the network wouldn't let him, but where with Dean you can hear the shouted threat as very empty, with Sam you can hear that he would REALLY LIKE TO and keeps getting thwarted. Crowley might be useful but he's not Sam's friend, and---while I fully believe that Sam can have hatesex---Crowley doesn't feel like an option he'd ever choose. Not least because he knows Crowley would try to use it as a card against him, and he's smart enough to not let that happen.

As an interesting codicil to all this, I also sorta suspect that Crowley respects Sam more than he does Dean. He'd still use the opportunity if it were given, but where with Dean it's a fun way to needle him (we'll ignore his subsequent schmoopy pining, the dope), with Sam, it feels like Crowley would really just find it a disappointment. Like, he expects better. Adds a cool element to their dynamic.

[beatricebidelaire]

if olaf and esme bonded over betrayal over beatrice, georgina couldn't ever really much relate or sympathize because she never cared for beatrice much, if at all. in a way the mutual hatred over beatrice is what made esme and olaf get each other, understand each other, beneath the committing crimes together, beneath friends with benefits, beneath the fun. it's something deeper that they both get, both understand. it's a side of esme that's been hurt by beatrice, more vulnerable. and esme doesn't really need georgina to get this, sort of is satisfied that georgina doesn't see how deep the cut is, because she doesn't want to seem weak in front of georgina.

here's the twist though.

georgina was never betrayed by beatrice, but it's possible - if going with netflix - she'd been betrayed by olaf. water under the bridge - that's where you left me. my feelings wrt georgina/olaf and what netflix did was kind of complicated, in a way i'm not sure i like georgina's portrayal in the dynamic, as they seemed uninvolved in the books, no past romance or betrayal, and she's so competent and sharp and confident etc, but in another way i do kind of can see it, see how exactly it's this personality that led to that ending (talked about in this post)

from georgina's point of view, from georgina, who doesn't get olaf and esme bonding over beatrice's betrayal, who doesn't get why esme is actually, in a way, friends with olaf, that it was more than sex in a way. for her, esme's involvement with olaf, a man who once left georgina to die, a man who once betrayed her - how does all that look, from georgina's angle?

and how would esme know this history? georgina would hardly want to mention it, mention exactly what happened, mention her vulnerable and betrayed - she wouldn't want esme to know this about her. she would be unlikely to simply just bring it up. or at least, she might not tell the whole story. she could just say they had a history but then broke up, without going in the details. so georgina does not tell esme, but she sees esme's relationship with olaf, and how does she feel about that? if we go with the eswell angle of it all? she likes esme, maybe, it's fun with her. but esme's cozying up with olaf. esme can flirt with a lot of people, G's not jealous. but she may feel betrayed, the way esme is so close with a man who hurt her. but how could esme know, if georgina never mention it? but on the other hand, could it be counted on that olaf never said anything? even if he mentioned something, how much would he distort the story, or leave something out?

anyway im just thinking about eslaf having a bond that georgina can't relate to and how adding in olaf's betraying georgina and how that plays into the eswell dynamic, how that affects esme and georgina.

(side note: nothing happened between them in the books, but it could be said that olaf showing up to get georgina involved in his scheme did lead to her death.)

(side side note: i do think a lot about the post about how it made sense to kill georgina off early because she's too competent a villain, and if DH let her stay around on olaf's team, the baudelaires could never stand a chance, so it made sense, for story's continuity sake, that she had to die.)

[man-down-in-hatchet-town]

Karma Police

IT'S THE MID-SEASON FINALE BEFORE THE HIATUS! As always, spoilers for The Case of the Greater Gatsby episode 14 under the cut!

So, after the information onslaught that was the previous two episodes, "Karma Police" was a little bit of a breather—at least up until the end. Just lots of cannibalism jokes and character moments as both Ford and Fig start to show the strain of the case in their own ways (Ford’s increasingly surfacing anger, Fig’s anxiety and fainting spell). Which means that you guys get a relatively shorter essay after the absolute monster I posted earlier.

To start with, Fig’s line about the stress of working multiple jobs and how they keep you from keeping up with life events? Too real. Really, Fig’s whole unraveling physical and mental state throughout the entirety of this episode was the perfect encapsulation of my experiences over the last couple of months.

Meanwhile, either TD is way smarter and more conniving than we’re giving him credit for (possible; after all we have yet to receive confirmation of his admittedly convincing alibi) or he is innocent. His issues with blood certainly don’t remove him from the suspect list, but if he had known that Fitzgerald didn’t bleed a drop he probably wouldn’t have passed out thinking about it. But then that brings us back to the question of Mo and just who he’s reporting to. If Mo was on the lot telling Mel about Fitzgerald’s death, wouldn’t her husband/assistant know the details? Or did she kick him out? Regardless, I continue to be fascinated by the Hammermeister marriage. I have so many questions I don’t think I actually want the answers to; you know those two have either never taken so much as a sock off in front of each other or else are the kinkiest bastards you could ever possibly meet.

On the Ford side of things, what fun to get Dylan again so soon! But Shipwrecked better not think I didn’t clock Donald not telling Ford where he was on the night of the party. I’m pretty confidant that Donald did not commit the murder—on a meta level he’d just be a strange choice—but his obfuscation and successful derailing of Ford is suspicious, though that might not have even been intentional. After all, he didn’t know that Vivian was about to show up.

Speaking of Vivian, the PHIGHTINGALE OF IT ALL! Ford’s anger at her lies feels deeper and more personal—you can just taste how strongly he resents their inescapable attraction and connection. And Vivian continues to walk all over him. Her story makes good enough sense, I guess, but I’m still not sure she’s telling the truth, as it’s a little too early in the story to conclusively point the finger at Barnaby. Though I suppose he could have shown up without actually being the murderer…. Meanwhile, after a whole episode of being grilled over his use of the word “grill,” Ford learns that Vivian uses it too, and judging by her tone has met many of the same reactions as her favorite employee. I love everything about their toxic, magnetic, inescapable dynamic. It’s noir perfection. Or, as @its-short-for-jackalope put it, “I think Ford & Vivian are actually soulmates 😂.”

Which sucks for Ford, because Viv’s pulled a fast-one over on Bixby! Whatever his other designs with Mel or Fitzgerald’s murder are, this plot against Bixby seems to a major card up Mo’s sleeve. But while I can see why taking over Bixby’s would benefit Mo, but what does Vivian get out of it? Higher pay? Let’s not forget that Mo made up her alibi on the spot for the night that Fitzgerald was killed. Was he protecting her as part of his takeover? Or is blackmailing her with knowledge of the night Fitzgerald died as part of his coup? I have so many questions about these two and why Vivian’s chosen to tango with this cop in particular.

And a moment of applause for Matthew Mercer’s evil laugh at the end of the episode! What a way to go out. Matt is absolutely incredible in everything he does and Greater Gatsby is no exception. I’m so happy that MK’s brought him into the fold.

Well, that’s it for the time being! I hope Fig and Ford come back soon (have they announced how long the hiatus will be?) but in the meantime I will be re-listening and you can bet your ass I will blog any new revelations that come to mind.

This is man-down-in-hatchet-town, reporting from Tinsel Town, signing off (from these responses, not from the blog).

[swifty-fox]

I apologize in advance for this seeming jumbled; I haven't been in the closet for ten years as a thirty-one year old but love your work in the Bucky/Buck fandom. I like that, depending on what story you wish to tell with them, either Bucky is out first or Buck is and was curious on your opinion on that and why you chose that. Bucky is only seemingly closeted in KFAK and in every universe you've written Buck has clearly been with men even if he feels conflicted about it.

I love this question!!!!

The long and short of it is, I just like playing with them like Barbie Dolls. It's fun slapping them with different lived experiences across aus and seeing how that affects their personalities and their dynamics.

In my eyes Bucky is so gregarious that the only way he wouldn't be out is if the time period demanded he not take a deeper look at himself. For Buck....it's more complicated and comes out of spite tbh.

In my Very Long Time in fandom i find that people love to pick one side of a ship and completely woobify them into this blushing tiny dainty virgin. They heterosexualize the ship and (generally, I'll buy anything if someone can sell me on it) I hate that shit.

And i see it with Buck a lot. Because he's 2 inches shorter than Callum and has a trim waist or whatever.

Gale is a man, he's an adult and he has wants and desires and he's not this sweet innocent thing. I do think he's deeply repressed for sure, but I like giving him some experience with men because it makes him feel more like a Real Person and not just this blonde twink to project your fantasies onto. Thats why I emphasize so much in Little Beasts especially that he's broad and strong and masculine and has body hair and has desires and he's submissive to John because he's SHY and REPRESSED and not because he does not also want to bend that boy over.

Spoiler: he will be bending that boy over in the future <3

For Kingdom for a Kiss my goal was to as accurately as possible, without sacrificing drama, paint a picture of what a gay man might really have lived like in the 1940's. There's some idyllic-ness to it for sure because there's only so much whump I can pule in KfaK Gale until even I have to say 'okay that's enough'

But it's a reflective story of so many experiences, and yes he had to live carefully but people were living and being gay at that time. It was risky and terrifying but they were doing it. And I didn't want to deny Gale that.

There's a great book i'm reading that's a firsthand account of what it was like being gay and in the community in the 1940's and during the war. It's a quick read but it really solidifies a lot of my assumptions about what Gale would have experienced as a (technically*) out Gay man.

My ultimate goal as a writer (debatable title) is to make the characters feel as real and grounded as possible. I want nuance, I want realism. I want quirks about them and things that don't matter to know except it shows you that they are complex individuals. Nobody is made for someone, there is no one person who is right for you. So to lock Buck into only being this thing that Bucky alone has seen and experienced in a sexual manner like yeah it does sometimes happen and I do find when done well it's enjoyable to read Gale exploding and discovering his sexuality, In my own work I like to explore them both as fully realized sexual beings coming together.

And you'll find in KfaK in the future that John is going to have some lived experiences that Gale does not :)

*he's not publicly out of course. But he is to marge and john and irene and he acknowledges what he is and he engages in intercourse with other men.

[fanfic-inator795]

Maybe this is just me but- for as much as it is very much a for-funzies crackship, I feel like the idea of Ansel/Marcellus could either be really surprisingly wholesome and sweet or just really funny depending on the day.

On the one hand, you have the fun surface level Opposites Attract dynamic of Flamboyant Upper Class Guy meets Lovable Trash Man (and also they're both just so silly) that can then develop into something deeper and more poignant - where they find things to genuinely appreciate and admire about one another (Marcellus appreciating Ansel's style/showmanship/passion, Ansel appreciating Marcellus' bluntness/honesty/secret soft side - especially when it comes to Arlo despite Marcellus supposedly hating kids - and both of them being able to sympathize and relate to each other's rough pasts) and are just able to, at the very least, build a solid friendship and rapport with each other.

...On the other hand, you have "Boyfriend who can literally afford anything they want/need for a date" VS "Boyfriend who is more than happy to steal anything they want/need for a date". Like those couples who constantly bicker over who's going to pay the check but more chaotic (which makes it even better)

Either way, whether for silliness or wholesomeness, short-term or long-term, I'm pretty down for it (and the fact that Marcellus is canonically attracted to Ansel at the very least just makes this even more fun to think about asdfghjkl)