#and the solidity of his ideals

[uncharted-constellations]

~You were just a kid too, huh~

Again, I refuse to make adult mm link edgy sorry.

[lunarriviera]

"I just want to be one of you guys, I don't want to be left out. It feels really bad!" [Fei Du, imitating Lang Qiao except making it deliberate amateur-hour sajiao]

[persistentplums]

Brock being domestic is funny but also it comes from discipline that he obviously has as someone with his job/profession/life that works great. For Doc who definitely doesn’t have that but decided I’m going to have kids and do Christmas cards and all these family stuff makes me think Doc entertains the idea of domestic life while Brock is actually like more than okay to do it under the guise of work but I think out of the two Brock enjoys it (eventually, ik that family photo must’ve been hilariously annoying to get done)

I always think how Brock before leaving them goes “I’m not your family, I’m your body guard” and it’s the one time Rusty and him overlap in a single trait of lying to themselves. For all of good Brock has there’s still a reason though never said why he sticks to Rusty which is boggling to literally everyone and I think that it’s because Rusty is a person who gets the nasty part of everything including who Brock is and in turn the one thing Brock has shame about Rusty could really not care about.

I think Brock and Rusty entire ability to exist together so well is that in actuality they have more things in common, they take turn entertaining the idea of super scientist and hero for each other and it’s not such a wild thing to entertain because it is fundamentally true. Brock does hero agency stuff and Doc does super science it’s true, but they get something about each other that all that time shows itself to: the stuff people tell themselves to get thorough life, prideful traits, insecurities, that deep deep down want of something you’re ashamed of

I just think it’s so silly how these two weirdly are each other exception sorta ride or die bc they get each other and are the same

[riddlesnap]

Let's be honest here - being in a relationship with Edward would be rough even at the best of times, not just because he's a raging narcissist but his subconscious aversion to love and intimacy in general what with having received so little of it growing up. As a child, there was no such thing as "unconditional love" - friendships were more akin to bartering chips with both parties using one another, cordiality lasting only as long as the other was useful. Almost all of Edward's relationships have played out in the same way. His father was at best gruff when Edward was quiet and stayed out of his way while praise from his teachers came only when he'd succeeded at some task or test. Other children were only nice to him when they wanted something and in time Edward took it all in stride, learning to treat others the same. In an actual relationship, Ed probably wouldn't be sure of what he even wants. He's been alone for as long as he can remember and honestly, he's alright with that. It's worked out well for him so far but on the off-chance somebody does attract his attention, there is a lot of possibility for things to go horribly wrong, for Edward to take things the wrong way. He'd be hesitant and mistrusting for the longest time, just waiting for that other shoe to drop, to see what it is that somebody wants from him now. It's the greatest riddle for him really, why somebody would want to be close to him of all people when all love seems to do is get people hurt, when it's transactional as all hell. He much prefers his riddles and games; they're a lot more logical and play out as you'd expect them to.

[katoska]

If Conrad hadn't been lying in Lucky Day and had just been mentally unstable, how do you explain his treatment of Ruby during his "reveal"? How do you explain the "ha, gotcha" at UNIT? Conrad and his friends sure acted like it had all been a big prank to use Ruby to get at UNIT, and I doubt they are all insane, so what was that? Though, tbh, I don't really understand what the rubbersuits were supposed to prove, anyway. UNIT very obviously did not fake these aliens.

I'll agree that Conrad seems a bit erratic, but that could just be bad writing because DW likes dramatic villains. It doesn't follow that he's just misguided.

Thank you for your ask. I'm gonna assume you've caught up with my previous posts about Conrad being a real conspiracy nutter, not a grifter (I ought to tag those). Not sure if this is going to make sense if you haven't.

I actually had some thoughts about that scene because the rubber suits tripped me up, too. I think I found an interpretation that works, but let's first get to Ruby:

tldr: The rubber suits were meant to cause doubt about UNIT/aliens in Ruby because Ruby seemed brainwashed, and then when it became clear that Ruby had a direct line to Kate and was on first-name basis with her, Conrad flipped.

I think Conrad's sudden cruelty to Ruby actually makes more sense under the reading that he genuinely believed UNIT was an evil organisation who faked aliens to scare people so the people in power remain in power, than if you believe that he was a grifter who faked a weeks-long relationship for his podcast, got his friends in on that plan, sort of admitted this live on camera and then was mean to his fake girlfriend still live on cam, while his ThinkTank friends are in the background wearing rubber suits.

As long as you don't believe that plan had really been about exposing UNIT to the world, that is.

Grifter or genuine conspiracy theorist, this plan wouldn't make him - or Think Tank - look good, has some massive holes, and is too morally shitty even as ends-justifying-means for me to believe that he'd get a whole friend group in on it. Which is why I think that that - it being a big, planned stunt - was a spontaneous lie to save face after a prank went wrong. It worked as accidental PR because Kate made the huge mistake of arresting them, and that arrest got backlash and got more people thinking that aliens could be faked, but I don't think it was planned that way, because the plan, frankly, would be dumb. If they thought UNIT was faking aliens bc aliens aren't real, they'd have assumed UNIT wouldn't show up for other people's fake aliens. If they thought UNIT was legit - which assumes that whole friend group is grifters - they all chose to mess with the Men in Black for a stunt with uncertain payoff and very real risk of getting hurt, so that'd be a terrible grift.

What I think happened is, Conrad and his friends did play that prank on Ruby, but it was to disprove aliens to Ruby by showing her how easy it is to convincingly fake those. Same as when Harry Houdini went around showing people the mechanics of doing a "seance", except Houdini afaik didn't pretend to be a medium and went "sike! Do you see now how fake this is?" to vulnerable people who believed they were going to talk to their dead spouse, cause that would be a bit fucked up.

I assume Conrad was supposed to play innocent to the end since the goal was to make Ruby doubt in aliens/UNIT without breaking up the relationship. Which, again, still fucked up, esp the "I can be the Doctor for you" part (which again does not fit the Big Planned Stunt narrative), but what can you do to deprogram someone if you can't trust The System? Fuck knows what "the Doctor" gave her, or what normal doctors would do if she went in for therapy now that most people seem to believe UNIT's narrative.

Cause, look, going by conspiracist!Conrad's POV, Ruby would've seemed extremely brainwashed. Conrad came into contact with a substance, next thing he sees a monster, then sees Ruby complaining about getting the same goo on her and hears her talking about monsters (and having visited the Beatles). He sees "the Doctor" give her some other substance to keep the monster away. Conrad spent alot of time researching UNIT, going as far back as the Yetis at least (1967, different "Doctor", different "friends" of the Doctor; we know some of his friends are never seen again), and then weeks listening to Ruby about her Season 1 adventures, about Goblins and Space Babies and getting trapped in a bass and about Gods, and how the Doctor is wonderful but she feels traumatised by her experiences, and he nods along while looking disturbed, because she sounds delusional. Like, even by Doctor Who standards, Ruby's adventures were bonkers. Conrad then literally stops his friend from interrogating Ruby about UNIT because Ruby was so upset in that scene, which doesn't fit at all with the mean dickhead - whether grifter or deeply unethical "journalist" - he later seemed to be.

The dickhead only came out after it became clear to him that poor, apparently brainwashed Ruby had a direct line to UNIT, could get them to ride in guns blazing, and was on a first name basis with Kate Stuart. This, to a paranoid alien-disbeliever, would not have looked good. It would have looked like she'd been In On It with UNIT all along, and had been dating and lying to the leader of anti-UNIT ThinkTank to throw him off their scent. Was Conrad or ThinkTank actually so important that UNIT would try to honey trap them? Ofc not, but try telling a conspiracy theorist that. I mean, a part of him knows that he's not important enough for them to take notice ("You don't even remember me, do you?"), but little logical inconsistencies like that would get in the way of his delusions of grandeur. So I think his evil monologue was basically a "Aha, you think you were tricking me by lying to me, pretending to like me to spy on me, but I was actually tricking you to spy on you! I never liked you anyway!" But I think him telling his friend in the pub to leave Ruby alone shows that he had cared about her, I don't see another explanation for that scene, cause it fits neither the "fake dating as unethical journalism for a good cause" nor "lying grifter" theories. It looks like he saw Ruby's pain as genuine - albeit misinformed - and didn't want to add to it.

If we go with the grifter interpretation, otoh, I'm supposed to believe he faked a weeks-long relationship (even the early clumsiness and the awkward moment after "if you have time for a quick one"??? Masterful manipulation, that one /s) for more subs and that he assumed that admitting on cam to faking the relationship wouldn't lose him fans. I'm supposed to ignore that he didn't take a medicine that he allegedly believed would work as advertised (anti-vaxx grifters still get their shots), and that he stormed UNIT HQ by himself even though grifters wouldn't do that. I'd have to take the obviously forced confession as true, and hand-wave multiple signs that the guy is not quite right in the head ("Did I imagine that?" re: being in the Tardis). Oh, also, I'm supposed to side with his abusive Mum and take her view that her son keeps making shit up as proof that he was always a pathological liar, even though we saw that little Conrad was being truthful and we saw him bring proof because he was clearly used to not being believed. Which is not surprising, because he was a kid, growing up in the Whoniverse, before aliens were acknowledged to exist.

And don't even get me started on what else people see in him based on the "grifter" interpretation. (Well, tbf, Wish World is repressive and conservative, but that's bc it's meant to invoke doubt in the Doctor specifically, so he gets shoved in the closet and has a boring office job and has to listen as Conrad taunts him on his way to work that UNIT employee Jo Grant the Doctor's companions leave him and his adventures behind to get married and have babies. And yet, when the Doctor himself said "you'd be saving [Kate by marrying] her", it did not cause a slip for him, cause yeah, he does consider a domestic life safer, at least compared to some jobs).

[rosykims]

wrote up that whole last post bc i got distracted thinking abt the ethical quandry of warhammer and forgot to post the thing i actually wanted to talk about which is that leda's approach to the iconoclast route and empathy is very much akin to a modern day liberal who's trying to go vegan but also fucking just LOVES cheese. like ok its worth it and she's going to put in a concerted effort but ohhhhhh its hard. its so hard. and killing people/eating pre-grated cheese is sooooo easy. and so what if she has a cheat day here and there. its fine. she can pick it up again tomorrow.

[limelocked]

yknow i think the orv mahwa really missed a great chance to be very funny from jyhs pov

in the toon kim dokja is like conventionally attractive but like imagine your yhj in the book and youre surrounded by impossably good looking people because thats how books work and then suddenly on the third regression fucking kyle from accounting who really wants to but cant for the life of him grow a beard is just There and he wasnt there in the first turns

and hes fucking Obsessed with you but also with beating you up

[beeapocalypse]

scenario. caharas the one to get the girl out of her cage but theyre split up at some point (demanding she run from the guard encounter that ends up w him locked in the cell u can recruit him from) and the girl runs into d'arce who brings her along to free le'garde. eventually They get separated (crow mauler ? idk. le'garde and the girl end up together) and have a very awkward (+uncomfortable in le'gardes case as he sees the direct impact of his actions on the girl. hes still got his resolve and all but it feels shitty to see his own daughter so resigned to the dark) while journeying thru the dungeons together. eventually run into d'arce AND cahara (the knight freeing him from the cell). tearful reunion between cahara and the girl while le'garde watches from the side and is torn between annoyance (who is this strange man wearing a leather crop top d'arce brought back with her. what the hell) and irrational indignation (how DARE this man act like a father figure towards the daughter i dumped in the dungeons of fear and hunger)

[coconut530]

Surfing tidal waves, on my word vomit

Where’re you now? Don’t hold me down

I’m not your yellow Jesus, I can’t just turn my cheek in

‘Specially since I’m drinking, you can’t keep my name out your mouth

What the fuck am I chasing, watch as I blow my paycheck

Can you buy booze with food stamps? I need to

blah Blah BLAH BLAH

Private Island: Tito’s Grand Adventure

[aphantimes]

i love love love vincent tong's knuckles so much can he stay forever please 😭

[cryptidcalling]

Bit of Vesper posting before I go to bed. Putting it under a cut in case it gets long, just talking a bit about Vesper's history as an officer and how Panza came to pick him as a general. Head's up, Vesper and Panza are not always The Best People so. Keep that in mind pls.

I don't have all the numbers worked out (probably never will) but I want to say that Panza's been the emperor for about 6 to 8 years now, and Vesper was his first general. They probably started working together a bit before Panza came into power, so I'll say they've been working closely for maybe 8 to 10 years. That means that through a lot of Vesper's military training and work he was actually operating under the rule of Panza's mother, which I think he found somewhat frustrating. Not because of her specifically, but because he started to feel frustrated and held back by his lack of ability to actually DO anything. Dealing with petty crimes felt like a chore, and having to go through mountains of legal paperwork to actually get anything done was pretty irritating. Vesper managed to rise through the ranks due to sheer effectiveness, but he's always been,, "controversial" among fellow officers due to how lax he is about procedure when he decides he knows better. Mainly, he's pretty fucking lethal, and he doesn't really care about collateral damage (that being property, not innocent people) if it's for the sake of completing his mission. To be fair, Vesper's not collateral-prone. He's swift and stealthy, he doesn't cause much destruction. But he's definitely one of those "This stupid piece of paper is preventing me from doing my JOB" type of ppl. Still though, like I said Vesper was highly effective, and generally he's credited with the collapse of multiple large gangs as well as rescuing many kidnapped/otherwise endangered victims. He's also, somewhat surprisingly, very in favor of expanding the Empire's alliances and territories without the threat of going to war. He's not a good negotiator so he can't really do that himself, but as an officer he was fairly vocal about how constantly needing to be ready to be deployed for war drew time and resources away from helping the citizens they're already in charge of protecting. Deeper down (deep enough that he's not really aware of it) he also empathizes with the leaders of smaller nations and territories. He can't imagine how angry he'd be if someone showed up and demanded he relinquish his title and never raise a finger to protect his citizens again. That's HIS job, they're HIS responsibility, and there's a lot of shame in giving that up. So, over all, Vesper was dedicated to being an officer and didn't plan to quit, but he was discontent with how things were being run. This is a big reason he caught Panza's attention. See, Panza's whole Thing, his whole Mission, is to bring massive changes to the Empire. An era of progress he calls it, one where their current people take priority over expansion or economic gain to the throne. And Vesper's "controversial" actions and statements, as well as his skill and effectiveness on the job, made him a wonderful candidate for Panza's vision of the future. So after a bit of discussion, though very little actual convincing was needed on Panza's part, they became a team. As much as I call it Panza's Empire, it really became what it is today thanks to the collective work and ideals that Panza and Vesper brought to the table. They made MASSIVE changes to how things ran. This meant more socialist programs and more peaceful negotiations. It also meant stripping back a lot of the rules that kept officers from just doing whatever they want, but also creating much more severe punishments for abusing their power (as well as harsher punishments on crime in general). Panza also chose to be the first Emperor who really became a public figure/celebrity politician while Vesper worked in the background. In the past it's been the Acting Grand General who gave speeches and did press releases, allowing the current ruler to maintain a sort of mysterious, all-powerful, all-knowing air about them. Panza stepping into the spotlight made him feel more trustworthy and approachable, especially since he's the first of his kind.

[designernishiki]

I will maybe make a bigger post at some point about other characters’ dnd classes but. thought about it. kiryu would be a battlemaster fighter multiclassed into oath of vengeance paladin. end of statement

[lasarcasticpanda]

tlou season 2 ep 1 thoughts!

So I'm kinda glad we got a set up episode, similar to what we got in season 1, though I do think it was less effective. I like that Joel has a connection with Dina, that's cute and if she was hanging around all the time, makes sense.

Unsure how I feel about how Joel is talking about himself in therapy. Joel in-game doesn't consider himself a good or bad guy, he's a survivor, whatever that means at any given time. He doesn't really spend time on concepts of good or bad, doesn't really see that he has that luxury, and I haven't decided if I think he's just saying what he thinks Gail wants to hear or what, but he's never really been a character in denial of what his actions are?

Like, him asking Dina "what did I do" - boo, Joel knows what he did. Now I do think that might be him playing dumb, since the core of what he did is tied to Ellies immunity, which he will not reveal, so better to play the Clueless Dad then risk anything, but unsure if I'm right lol

I love that we didn't get the porch scene. That needs to be an end-of-story reveal, it's where that will be most effective imo.

Kinda surprised we got so much of Abby so soon - not against it, not for it, just surprised. Won't really have an opinion until we see how her story plays out, but thought it was interesting.

And to piggyback I have no clue where this season is gonna end. I know there's gonna be at least one more, so I assumed (if they decided to stick with the same story structure of the game), that this season will end in the theater. But we've seen Isaac with Seraphites in the trailer so....not sure? Might get more Abby backstory this season regardless?

The stalkers were done excellently! They never mentioned them in the first season (iirc) so I figured it wasn't a thing yet, cool to get confirm. Which honestly tracks for my own experience with the games - stalkers were so similar to runners in the first game, I had no idea they were even in the first game until I looked them up after the second cause they scared the shit out of me lol

Roots in the drains - honestly, I was kinda surprised they didn't like. Burn or remove those? We've seen the growths on the ground before, that's not new, but maybe it's not considered to move through roots or anything similar?

Won't lie, I'm game for almost any story changes or alterations (almost lol), but I'm not really here for a Jackson destruction so uh. Not sure how I feel about that yet - heard spores are gonna be a thing and if this is how they introduce it, Jackson's gonna have some issues. Jackson is the one solid example of possibility to rebuild that we get and you need to have some level of hope in these stories to keep them going, so really not here for a destruction of that.

I LOVED Dina, what a great casting choice. Same with Jesse and the introduction of Gail, solid choices there.

Solid first episode, I wasn't sure how it was gonna start so I was honestly prepping for the worst lmao good to know that's holding off next episode or the one after (most likely)

[buckiverse]

☆ warnings: mdni, this is literally just a cock analysis for sylus, zayne, and caleb

☆ a/n: SYLUS HOLD MY HAND—CALEB IS ABOUT TO DRAG ME AWAY!

rafayel and xavier ver.

S8GSBTV - #b0685a

As we all know, Sylus is tall, with a broad, muscular frame and an imposing set of shoulders. He’s strong—insanely strong. The man boxes, for god’s sake. I would hate to take a liver shot from him; he might accidentally send me straight to the afterlife. He’s in phenomenal shape, with stamina to match—because, of course, it’s a requirement for his sport.

And his cock? Well, it follows suit. A solid eight inches (20.32 cm), and yes, he’s a shower. I mean, have you seen that perfect print in his pants??? He doesn’t even know where to put all that. It’s big—long, thick, girthy. No wonder he has a size kink. And let’s be real, so do you. The stretch is delicious, always leaving you working to take him all the way.

The head? A deep, rich brown (go look at the hex code <3). His pubic hair? Trimmed, but left a little longer—just how he likes it. And side note? He loves when you do the same. Says he wants to "explore the jungle." Oh, and let’s not forget: it’s straight and a slightly darker gray than his hair. Perfection.

And the veins—the veins. His cock is thick with them, pulsing, prominent. The most sensitive part? That sweet little slit. Run your tongue along it, and he will hiss, grip your hair, and growl something like, “Don’t do that unless you want me to come in your mouth, kitten.”

And, of course, you’ll keep doing it anyway. Hehehe.

Z7LSLCGBPLT - #9C524F

As we all know, Zayne is tall, with a lean yet well-built frame and broad shoulders. He’s strong—moderately muscular—but more refined in his strength. Being a doctor, he has a natural responsibility to stay in shape and take excellent care of himself.

And his cock? It follows suit. A solid seven point three inches (18.542 cm), and he’s a grower. The print in his pants might be deceiving at first, but don’t be fooled—it’s big. Not just long, but with an ideal girth. The best part? It leans slightly to the left, and when he’s inside you, he knows how to move his hips just right, angling to hit that perfect, sensitive spot.

The head? A beautiful brownish pink. His pubic hair? Trimmed low—because he understands the importance of keeping some. He’ll never go completely bare, and honestly? He prefers when you don’t either. And yes, it’s perfectly straight.

Unlike some, his cock isn’t overly veined—but what it lacks in texture, it more than makes up for in sensitivity. The head? Insanely responsive. Pull back his foreskin, drag your tongue along his frenulum, and just like that, he might lose control—maybe even come all over your face.

C7GGPTV - #DF9796

As we all know, Caleb is tall, with a lean yet powerfully built frame. He’s easily the most muscular of the bunch—his body honed to perfection. Being a fighter pilot demands peak physical fitness, not just for endurance but for absolute control in the cockpit.

And his cock? It follows suit. A solid seven inches (17.78 cm), and he’s a grower. The print in his pants might not always give it away, but trust—it’s big. Long, with just a bit more girth than average, making every inch of it something to savor.

The head? A gorgeous pink. His pubic hair? Trimmed low for convenience, though he’ll go completely bare if that’s what you prefer. Naturally, though, he keeps it neat, with a slight, loose curl to it.

And let’s talk about that vein. A single, prominent one that runs up the length of his pretty shaft—one he loves when you trace with your tongue. Oh, and let’s be clear—he’s uncut. Don’t care, won’t argue on that point <33

☆

btw this is what the codes mean (excuse my behavior because now that I actually typed it out i realize how crazy i look rn):

S8GSBTV: sylus-8inch-girthy-shower-brown-trimed-veiny

Z7LSLCGBPLT: zayne-7inch-left slant-long cock-grower-brownish pink-light trim

C7GGPTV: caleb-7inch-grithy-grower-pink-trimed-veiny

[killishin]

— ♡ my pretty neighbour.

PART 01.

PAIRING: jason todd x witch! reader

CONTENT WARNING: afab reader, blood, violence, alcohol, mention of assaults, more to be added.

CATEGORY: shit ton of fluff and sfw, maybe angst?

SUMMARY: a witch trying her best to lay low and live her life, while being out of every gothams vigilante's radar. turns out red hood had been her neighbour all along. also they have cute little pets.

WC: 4k

A/N: another jason fic yep. i didn't really have a solid idea but i just really wanted to write something so.... enjoy!

fic masterlist. next.

dividers by @cursed-carmine

gotham is filled with all kinds of criminals, masterminds, lunatics, druglords— you name it. each has done such horrible deeds that it has scarred hearts and souls of every innocent, each has a certain level of craziness in them that requires insane amount of intellect to even catch them. and despite the vigilantes giving their utmost best, everyday having to push themselves to think better, be faster... criminals still hide in those dark alleys, unbound and free.

so you can't really blame the protectors of the city, as they like to call themselves, to be cautious of every activity that goes on in the city. they are understandably hostile to superheroes who try to help, a bit too hostile sometimes in your opinion, but maybe the massive workload makes them snippy.

being a witch and living in gotham is a bit tough therefore, you not only have to hide your powers from the normal people but also from the vigilantes. you do not want to be evicted out of the only city where you can afford the rent, that too without any dignity since witches are sort of still discriminated by the myths and fake stories. still, its understandable, mankind has always been afraid of what they can't control or understand.

you had been ridiculously meticulous in your choice of residence, not like you had much choice to begin with. but you had scouted out the area as best as you could to your needs, and upon confirming that there wasn't much vigilante sighting in the neighborhood, you had finally settled.

a barista's salary didn't really help much, but you didn't really have much needs. your only goal was to live a drama free, quiet life where you could experiment with your little spells (harmless ones.. of course) and, the most important, provide for your little gentleman, alfred, a cute little doberman (he's huge). that was your goal, the ideal life you chased— should chase. but often a heart's desire overwhelm the logic of mind.

you have a penchant for getting into trouble. having promised to never get involved in anything that might shed light upon your existence, you strayed from that promise more often than not. all for good deeds, mostly.

"this is the third time this month. i have got to practice some self control." you sigh as you nudge the body of the man on the ground, groaning and coughing up blood. your brows furrow in mild annoyance as you kick his thigh this time.

"i didn't even use a strong spell! come on you wuss!" you softly groaned to yourself before sighing as you looked away for a moment, scratching your brow with your nail. the blood wasn't a problem, to be honest you wouldn't give a crap if he died. he was assaulting a sweet old man, punching him to death— you just had to step in.

...maybe you stepped in too much. now his arm is twisting at an odd angle, you were supposed to teach him a simple lesson. just give him some scare that'll scar him for life. now he got a bonus broken arm.

you've left one too many mens like that lying and crying, and it'll only be a matter of time before they lead those pesky vigilantes to your doorstep.

you put on a spell that altered his memory of your face, in case he saw it, before turning around to be on your merry way. but cue gotham weather's shitty timing, it starts pouring hard.

"mother nature you're really teasing me today..." you murmured sarcastically to yourself, yet sauntering off unbothered, rain never bothered you much anyway. you just hate how the clothes get all damp and clingy, weighing down your body.

by the time you reach your place you're visibly drenched to the bone, humming some tune under your breath, totally not seeing the man walking ahead of you. and so consequently you bump into his back, eyes widening for a moment as you stepped back with an apology right on your tongue.

but they die on your lips when you see the most brilliant bluish green eyes glance back at you, bitter and hostile. but you've always had a weak spot for pretty things, and when the man turns fully, you note he is the most prettiest man you've ever laid your eyes on.

you're far too lost in admiring him that you fail to notice the slight shift in his demeanor. after all, jason was already in a wretched mood and the next second he turns around to see an absolutely drenched women staring back at him. he isn't that easily fazed, your skin glistens, the damp and dripping hair clinging to the side of your face, that makes you look gorgeous but he's seen gorgeous. your eyes though— they seem unreal. feel unreal. there's just something otherworldly about it— ethereal even. and he's not among those to be poetic.

you realise you've been staring for a second too long and the silence becomes awkward real quick, you blink and step back with a polite smile. "sorry. i uh— wasn't looking where i was going." his brow raised slightly at your politeness, seemingly even more sweet due to your low and honeyed voice.

"no problem." he murmured casually, his voice even more grumpy and rougher than usual, a tough night and patrol hasn't even started. he then turned around and ascended the stairs, and so did you, lagging behind by two steps. you couldn't make the pretty man uncomfortable after all.

but he noticed you following him floor after floor, stopping right when he did at his floor before your steps softly followed behind him again. when he reached his door he turned around, and found you looking back at him with the same confusion.

"...hi neighbour?" you jokingly whispered with a hesitant smile but he didn't.

"how long have you been living here?" that came out more as an interrogative question than a confused one and it made your brows raise in amusement. this one's got a feisty side.

"a few months. wasn't aware anyone lived there." you replied back coolly with a smile that bordered serene yet sultry. his eyes dropped down to it for a small second, narrowing slightly as if the smile irritated him. it indeed irritated him because of the shiver that ran down his spine at the sight of it.

"I've lived here for more than a year. never seen you before." he retorted like he's insinuating an accusation and your lips pull to a slow grin.

"you're awfully stingy for a pretty neighbour." you remark, your nose scrunching up in fake disappointment as you unlock your door.

stingy?

"pretty? " he didn't know what of those words baffled him more, yet that was the one that had to come out of his mouth.

"and interrogative. are you in the gcpd or something?" you asked as you leaned your weight against your door which was slightly ajar.

"no. you're the one interrogating now." he scoffed quietly as he turned around, fetching his key out his pocket.

"seems like you don't know the difference between making conversation and interrogation." you lightly chuckle and thats when he realised its your voice thats the root of the irritation being caused in his already irritated mind. its irritatingly sweet and honeyed— addictive may be the right word.

"that's your version of making conversation?" he scowls as he opened his door and stepped inside while your grin widened, he finds your amusement at his expense really insulting.

"only with pretty, grumpy neighbours."

"and is that your way of flirting? cus its not effective."

"slow down, pretty boy. if you think this is flirting then clearly you haven't been properly flirted with before. how sad." if he can't handle your teasing, he'd be a downright mess when you actually flirt then. and those reddened embarrassed cheeks simply intensify the want to flirt with him.

he gives you one last scathing glare before shutting the door on your face. a chuckle quietly escapes your lips as you call out a loud "goodnight!" which you're probably sure he heard and frowned even more.

you step in your apartment and close the door, flicking on the candles with a swish of your hand. you could just switch on the lights but you secretly love the theatrics. a quick spell could dry you but a warm shower would probably help you more.

and it does help you, you're more relaxed and less tense. your muscles feels like mush just like your head. and yet, as you lay on your bed, your eyes are open wide and awake. you're a bit of an insomniac. its a bother and inconvenience but just like ever other nuisance in your life, you've gotten used to it.

just like always you get up, grab a grimoire and your reading glasses, learning a spell or two. it usually takes you more than an hour to understand and practice and most nights it ends up with something getting on fire or your own self. you suppose that's the fun part.

and again, like always, you get bored and lay back on your bed. this time the pretty neighbour occupies your mind, beauty aside, it is a question that you met him just today when he claims to have been living for a year. why didn't you bump into him before?

you hoped for no trouble, yet something tells you he'll make you be neck deep in one.

"again? " jason frowned as he dropped to the ground with a muted thump of his boots, not a noise at his landing, its like second nature to him.

"third this month." oracle spoke through the comms and jason crouched infront of the little blood that was splattered across the gritty pavement, the rain had washed off most of it yet some stayed, seeped into the earth like a taint.

"some random person reported it almost an hour ago and he was taken to get treated." oracle continued and jason scoffed sarcastically, "you're telling me the cops beat me to it? that's a first."

she simply rolled her eyes at that, "i checked his background. a typical small time thief, arrested quiet a few times for mugging and burglary."

he grunted as a response and looked around but nothing else was amiss. with a sigh he got up, "someone's doing our work here. unfortunately for us they're pretty good at it."

"not for long." Jason's brows furrowed a bit on reflex as bruce's voice came in, "they're bound to slip."

"they haven't for the last two month. maybe they might never." course he agreed with bruce, but where's the fun in agreeing?

"they will. and we have to catch them. they're a threat to the city—"

"times like these, wish i was deaf."

"what was that?"

Jason's not that worried about the mysterious person on the loose beating up criminals, he's sure they were probably in the act of committing a crime to deserve this. but bruce's worry has a point, they need to know who it is. not everyone's a protector. they may be saving right now, but is that all they're doing?

jason knows first-hand how times change, how fast people change. how deceiving time could be, how deceiving humans can be.

his mind is immediately pulled to you at that thought, someone who looks pretty harmless, eyes that are both innocent yet alluring like a siren's. you looked even more helpless and naive in your drenched form. yet all it took was for you to smile and that image shattered.

that smile was a warning in itself, an omen as if. innocence might be something of a past to you, your eyes held no fear, no apprehension. your smile was steady and dangerous, he's a man who has fought back death, rendered men almost lifeless with just his fist— and still his gut told him you were not to be taken lightly. harmless you might be, for now, but not innocent.

he returned back at his place at dawn, grunting and groaning at the sore muscles that ached here and there.

"at this point im gonna age faster than alfred." he murmured to himself with an almost pout. a quick shower and some television were supposed to really tire him out, but sleep escaped him. insomnia the trouble of yet another person.

and he doesn't really leave his place much, but today he felt like it. maybe a walk might help him. its still early so he doubts the streets to be that busy.

he really should have thought this through.

"hey pretty neighbour." he gave a deadpanned stare to that same amusing smile of yours.

"ooh you don't seem like a morning person." you pretend to frown, still locking your door before turning around with a wink, "i know you for less than twelve hours and we already have something in common. is this destiny's sign for something more? " you said dramatically, taking huge delight at his annoyance.

"no, but my headache's a perfect sign for nothing ever." he quietly snapped as he slammed his door shut a little too hard tugging on his hood over a bit before walking away.

"so you do have sarcasm." came your voice not too far behind him, but he knows you're not following him. he saw your clothes when he stepped out, formal and perfectly ironed for work. maybe it really was the rain that gave him the innocent illusion last night.

he sighed as he started descending the stairs, shaking his head as he immediately regretted his decision for this walk.

"you talk a lot." he called out and heard your quiet chuckle in response, "you talk too less." his steps became hurried and your grin simply widened.

"would you tell me your name if i ask you?" you asked him, your smile barely contained and he rolled his eyes, "think you already know the answer."

soon both of you stepped out on the pavement and you turned to face him with a teasing smile, "guess I'll just call you pretty neighbour then."

you waved at him goodbye before he could turn the other way, and yelled "bye pretty neighbour!" as loud as you could, making sure it'll turn heads.

his eyes widened for a moment before he glared at you in disbelief, then swiftly turned around to walk away from imminent embarrassment. maybe it was better if he never knew he had a neighbour next door, no matter how beautiful you are. he sighed to himself as your smile flashed in his mind, unfortunately you really were beautiful. damn you.

you loved your barista job, after all it involved brewing and you were, not to brag, quite the master at it. you kept your conversations with the customers at a minimal, there's no need to involve in idle chatter with them. your coworkers though are a bunch of sweethearts, mostly, so its never a headache working there.

but sometimes some assholes walk in, harassing the workers, some be rude to you about the order even when its made just like they want— but you do what you gotta do to survive.

when you're returning on your way back home, your mood's sour than usual. you don't have it in you to even smile. all anyone would want after a shitty day at job, is the damn bed. even if you can't sleep.

but, the world always tests you on your worst days.

you stop dead in your tracks just a few steps away from your unit, whose door is wide open by the way. your senses heightened and every spell on the tip of your tongue. you didn't have to worry about all your witchy things being stolen or affected since they're all safely locked in a cupboard bound by a spell, unseen by anyone other than you. your important things are also spell bound to your home so no thief can take them out of your apartment.

no, what you're worried about is alfred.

you peaked inside in your own home, the lights were on. you slowly pushed the door without making a sound, a little proud at the creaky door to not give you away today.

suddenly your eyes caught the top of someone's head peaking from behind your dining table— alfred's there too! your eyes widened and your brows furrowed into an angry glare.

"step the fuck away from alfred!" you extended your hand, about to cripple the hell out of whoever that is— but then you see your pretty neighbour straighten up fast and alfred perk up before rushing to you, all smiles and happy.

"woah woah chill— wait who??? " his initial shock subsided to one of pure confusion as he stood there with his hands raised.

ignoring him you crouched down to alfred's height, checking him for any injury because heaven knows if there is one, then that pretty neighbour might not leave the world very pretty—

"he's fine." he said as he slowly rounded the table before stopping short at the sight of your glare. it was... a change, different. he had the impression of you being as much of a nuisance as dick is, if not more. but right now all your eyes hold is hostility and distrust.

"i'll be the judge of that." you snapped at him before plastering a helpless smile for alfred who, suddenly, very surprising of him, trotted back to your neighbour. and you just stayed rooted to your position as your mind errored because what the fuck????

alfred barely ever lets anyone touch him. he had a difficult time when he was just a puppy in an abusive household. he only trusted two people, one is you and your best friend.

you look up at the neighbour with the same dumbfounded expression and for the first time he found it in himself to smile, it was a bit cocky but a smile nonetheless.

"you... what.. what did you do to him? and why the hell did you break into my apartment?" you questioned as you rose to your full height, regarding him suspiciously.

he gave you an unimpressed look at your immediate assumptions before sighing, "i was in my apartment when i heard him growling. loudly. then he started barking. turns out someone was lurking outside of your apartment."

"what?"

"yeah. he had already picked the lock actually, acted like he was opening the door and claimed that he lived there. if i hadn't met you last night, i might have been given him the benefit of doubt. when i confronted he said he was dating you. but i knew that was bullshit." he shrugged like it was no trouble.

you were a bit stunned. yes you thought of him pretty, maybe a nice man but you never expected him to be nice, you never expect anyone to be nice. the world had taught you time and time again that humanity is scarce and kindness is a luxury.

"oh." you murmured before lightly shaking your head, "oh that's— thank you. i- where's that man now?"

his lips slightly tugged up in amusement at your stunned look, feeling maybe a teensy bit of pride to wrong whatever misconception you had of him. "he lives two floors up actually. don't worry i made sure he will be kicked out."

"....thanks." you mumbled out before rubbing the side of your face, you hated being in the wrong, and awkward and embarrassing situations like this. how the hell did you miss an asshole like that? you thought you knew everyone from the apartment as a safety measure.

"i- um sorry i assumed and accused you." you took his words as final because alfred was literally sat near his feet. alfred's a great judge of character.

but this time he didn't scoff or smirk, instead there was a soft smile on his face. he understood your anger after all. "s alright. i understand i also have—"

you froze when you felt something brush by your feet, something very soft and— "meow."

you looked down and there it is, a very adorable, very extra soft siamese cat, who is now staring down alfred like he wronged all her ancestors.

you look up at him with raised brows and with a tired sigh he points at himself, confirming your assumption.

"sorry-"

"can i pet?" you asked softly, looking up at him with such hopeful eyes that all he could do was nod. you crouched down and approached the cat carefully, extending your hand. the cat inspected a little before rubbing against your hand.

"who's this beautiful little baby?" you mused, grinning wide as you scratched the cat.

"... miss pearl." he mumbled too quietly but you have good ears, and unlike how he expected you to laugh at that, you simply smiled in great approval.

upon remembering something his brows furrowed again, "um sorry what did you say his name was?" he pointed at alfred and you looked up at him with most proud smile. "alfred."

"huh." that's a really funny coincidence and a small laugh started spilling out his lips slowly. you looked up at him with furrowed brows, "what?"

"no. nothing. great name."

"are you making fun of him?"

"you really think i would?"

"...hm."

you got up finally and smiled at him, it didn't have that sultry undertone— just a smile.

"again, thank you." you said and he nodded suddenly finding his cat more interesting to look at, his ears reddening.

"uh your place. great aesthetic huh." he said, diverting the topic and you looked around. it didn't look that much like a typical witch's home, but there were too many candles everywhere that normally, normal people don't really have.

his eyes narrowed a bit as he smiled amusingly, he did find that... eccentric.

there was a beat of silence as you looked at candles at literally every flat surfaces.

"i just really like candles. they're scented." you said with the most convincing smile you could conjure up. he didn't buy it, but didn't question it either. gotham is filled with every sort of weird after all.

slave to your habit you still ran your eyes around your apartment, while he picked up miss pearl, but everything was at its place. you really gotta put a spell on the damn door now, the lock had already been weak.

he was almost in his unit before you called out behind him, "all this help and you still won't give me a proper introduction?" that teasing tone was back in your voice.

he sighed in exasperation as he turned around, but weirdly enough, to reasons unknown to him, his ears felt warm again.

"jason."

"jason.." you grinned wide and replied back with your name before winking at him. he simply gave a deadpanned stare before shutting his door.

he let pearl go from his arms, while staring off at a distance, his eyes a little hazy as his mind repeated the way you said his name. shaking his head he scoffed, you were nothing more than just a weird little neighbour.

come next morning he's about to head to bed when he heard a knock. his brows furrowed as he wondered who the hell is bothering him this early. but there was no one when he opened the door, nothing but a small little tin box on the floor with designs engraved on it.

he picked it up suspiciously before taking off the lid, in there were some... tea bags? there was also a note, in there was a little message written in neat words.

this helps with insomnia. its my personal favorite too. hope you do know how to brew some tea.

your pretty neighbour ;)

now he realises what exactly feels weird when he sees you, its his silly little heart.

reblogs are appreciated! :))

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