#and was a deciding factor in how the story turned out

[mariacallous]

Arvind Narayanan, a computer science professor at Princeton University, is best known for calling out the hype surrounding artificial intelligence in his Substack, AI Snake Oil, written with PhD candidate Sayash Kapoor. The two authors recently released a book based on their popular newsletter about AI’s shortcomings.

But don’t get it twisted—they aren’t against using new technology. “It's easy to misconstrue our message as saying that all of AI is harmful or dubious,” Narayanan says. He makes clear, during a conversation with WIRED, that his rebuke is not aimed at the software per say, but rather the culprits who continue to spread misleading claims about artificial intelligence.

In AI Snake Oil, those guilty of perpetuating the current hype cycle are divided into three core groups: the companies selling AI, researchers studying AI, and journalists covering AI.

Hype Super-Spreaders

Companies claiming to predict the future using algorithms are positioned as potentially the most fraudulent. “When predictive AI systems are deployed, the first people they harm are often minorities and those already in poverty,” Narayanan and Kapoor write in the book. For example, an algorithm previously used in the Netherlands by a local government to predict who may commit welfare fraud wrongly targeted women and immigrants who didn’t speak Dutch.

The authors turn a skeptical eye as well toward companies mainly focused on existential risks, like artificial general intelligence, the concept of a super-powerful algorithm better than humans at performing labor. Though, they don’t scoff at the idea of AGI. “When I decided to become a computer scientist, the ability to contribute to AGI was a big part of my own identity and motivation,” says Narayanan. The misalignment comes from companies prioritizing long-term risk factors above the impact AI tools have on people right now, a common refrain I’ve heard from researchers.

Much of the hype and misunderstandings can also be blamed on shoddy, non-reproducible research, the authors claim. “We found that in a large number of fields, the issue of data leakage leads to overoptimistic claims about how well AI works,” says Kapoor. Data leakage is essentially when AI is tested using part of the model’s training data—similar to handing out the answers to students before conducting an exam.

While academics are portrayed in AI Snake Oil as making “textbook errors,” journalists are more maliciously motivated and knowingly in the wrong, according to the Princeton researchers: “Many articles are just reworded press releases laundered as news.” Reporters who sidestep honest reporting in favor of maintaining their relationships with big tech companies and protecting their access to the companies’ executives are noted as especially toxic.

I think the criticisms about access journalism are fair. In retrospect, I could have asked tougher or more savvy questions during some interviews with the stakeholders at the most important companies in AI. But the authors might be oversimplifying the matter here. The fact that big AI companies let me in the door doesn’t prevent me from writing skeptical articles about their technology, or working on investigative pieces I know will piss them off. (Yes, even if they make business deals, like OpenAI did, with the parent company of WIRED.)

And sensational news stories can be misleading about AI’s true capabilities. Narayanan and Kapoor highlight New York Times columnist Kevin Roose’s 2023 chatbot transcript interacting with Microsoft's tool headlined “Bing’s A.I. Chat: ‘I Want to Be Alive. 😈’” as an example of journalists sowing public confusion about sentient algorithms. “Roose was one of the people who wrote these articles,” says Kapoor. “But I think when you see headline after headline that's talking about chatbots wanting to come to life, it can be pretty impactful on the public psyche.” Kapoor mentions the ELIZA chatbot from the 1960s, whose users quickly anthropomorphized a crude AI tool, as a prime example of the lasting urge to project human qualities onto mere algorithms.

Roose declined to comment when reached via email and instead pointed me to a passage from his related column, published separately from the extensive chatbot transcript, where he explicitly states that he knows the AI is not sentient. The introduction to his chatbot transcript focuses on “its secret desire to be human” as well as “thoughts about its creators,” and the comment section is strewn with readers anxious about the chatbot’s power.

Images accompanying news articles are also called into question in AI Snake Oil. Publications often use clichéd visual metaphors, like photos of robots, at the top of a story to represent artificial intelligence features. Another common trope, an illustration of an altered human brain brimming with computer circuitry used to represent the AI’s neural network, irritates the authors. “We're not huge fans of circuit brain,” says Narayanan. “I think that metaphor is so problematic. It just comes out of this idea that intelligence is all about computation.” He suggests images of AI chips or graphics processing units should be used to visually represent reported pieces about artificial intelligence.

Education Is All You Need

The adamant admonishment of the AI hype cycle comes from the authors’ belief that large language models will actually continue to have a significant influence on society and should be discussed with more accuracy. “It's hard to overstate the impact LLMs might have in the next few decades,” says Kapoor. Even if an AI bubble does eventually pop, I agree that aspects of generative tools will be sticky enough to stay around in some form. And the proliferation of generative AI tools, which developers are currently pushing out to the public through smartphone apps and even formatting devices around it, just heightens the necessity for better education on what AI even is and its limitations.

The first step to understanding AI better is coming to terms with the vagueness of the term, which flattens an array of tools and areas of research, like natural language processing, into a tidy, marketable package. AI Snake Oil divides artificial intelligence into two subcategories: predictive AI, which uses data to assess future outcomes; and generative AI, which crafts probable answers to prompts based on past data.

It’s worth it for anyone who encounters AI tools, willingly or not, to spend at least a little time trying to better grasp key concepts, like machine learning and neural networks, to further demystify the technology and inoculate themselves from the bombardment of AI hype.

During my time covering AI for the past two years, I’ve learned that even if readers grasp a few of the limitations of generative tools, like inaccurate outputs or biased answers, many people are still hazy about all of its weaknesses. For example, in the upcoming season of AI Unlocked, my newsletter designed to help readers experiment with AI and understand it better, we included a whole lesson dedicated to examining whether ChatGPT can be trusted to dispense medical advice based on questions submitted by readers. (And whether it will keep your prompts about that weird toenail fungus private.)

A user may approach the AI’s outputs with more skepticism when they have a better understanding of where the model’s training data came from—often the depths of the internet or Reddit threads—and it may hamper their misplaced trust in the software.

Narayanan believes so strongly in the importance of quality education that he began teaching his children about the benefits and downsides of AI at a very young age. “I think it should start from elementary school,” he says. “As a parent, but also based on my understanding of the research, my approach to this is very tech-forward.”

Generative AI may now be able to write half-decent emails and help you communicate sometimes, but only well-informed humans have the power to correct breakdowns in understanding around this technology and craft a more accurate narrative moving forward.

[pwurrz]

“why is childe always associated with liyue” because that’s where his husband lives <3

[lizardsfromspace]

I do have to impress on anyone who wasn't around for it how batshit the reality boom of the 2000s could be. Especially on Fox.

Here are some 100% real 2000s reality shows:

Who's Your Daddy? A woman has to guess which of eight men is her biological father. One of them really is, and if she guesses right she wins $100,000. If one of the seven fake dads convinces her to guess them, he wins $100,000.

Black. White. A white family learns about racism by living a month in blackface, while a black family spends a month in whiteface. The black family was a real family, but the white family was just some actors hired to put on blackface to prove racism exists

Without Prejudice? Five strangers decide which of five strangers gets a cash prize based off clips and their answers to political questions. Cancelled when one of the choosers openly said he'd eliminate all black contestants

Welcome to the Neighborhood. Three conservative white families in a Austin subdivision decide which diverse family gets to move in. Unaired due to being literal housing discrimination

Seriously, Dude, I'm Gay. Two straight men try to pass themselves off as gay and whoever seems more gay gets $50,000. Unaired due to. Due to. Due to

Playing It Straight. A woman tries to find love among fourteen men, half of whom are straight and half of whom are gay, and she must eliminate two men she believes are gay each week. If she ended up picking a straight man in the end, they'd split a million dollars; if she picked a gay man, he'd win a million dollars

Boy Meets Boy. This was Playing It Straight but starring a gay man and he had to eliminate straight people

Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire? He wasn't a multimillionaire. He didn't even have a million dollars in liquid assets. He had a battery conviction Fox claims they didn't see. Because it was the 2000s, somehow this ended up with the woman he won being widely vilified and turned into a national punchline. How dare she complain about a massive corporation tricking her into marrying a lying abuser, good thing Matt Lauer's there to take her down a peg

The Swan. A "ugly" woman is given plastic surgery and wins a prize if she's the hottest at the end of the season. If she's not hot enough by the show's standards she's eliminated and called ugly on national TV

The Biggest Loser. Overweight people engage in competitive crash weight loss that often led to awful health complications. Studies showed basically everyone on the show regained any weight they lost once it was over and they didn't have abusive trainers demanding they take huge health risks to win a competitive weight loss competition. Like the others, this one was cancel-oh, it was a massive hit that ran for 18 seasons? Yikes!

Wife Swap and Trading Spouses. These were the same show and had a wife from one family go to another family that was different politically, racially, culturally, religiously etc. Most famous for the God Warrior

At the time people focused on the likes of Fear Factor but looking back it's wild how many of the worst shows toyed with politics. So many of these shows have a premise that's like "what if we exposed these conservatives to these people they hate?" or hyping themselves up as Important Experiments. Then they'd freak out when they got the kind of viral bigoted freakout they were trying to construct the whole time.

There were also a bunch of horrible reality shows, thankfully this time mostly unpopular, in the 2010s that based themselves around economic themes as a response to the market crash, but that's a story for another time

[ifeelfreewithoutmyshoes]

I am once again baffled by peoples bad takes online

[dunmeshistash]

Ryoko Kui Q&A (part of the Autograph event in Shanghai, China)

Here's the full Q&A copied from the post by Minute_Profession_34 on reddit

Original on weibo

About Ryoko Kui

Q: You have created a lot of interesting short manga in the past, do you have any favorite short manga by other artists?

A: A classic choice though, I think it's the collection of short stories by Fujiko F. Fujio. Other impressive works include "Hanshin: Half-God" by Moto Hagio, "Hanashippanashi " by Daisuke Igarashi, "茄子" by 黑田硫黄, "Skygrazer" by Ishiguro Masakazu, and "Tabi (The Journey of Life)" by Irie Aki. However, I haven't really read many short manga compilations.

Q: Do you prefer to create short manga or longer ones?

A: Long manga.

Q: Do you have a game that you highly recommend to fans?

A: Although not a game title, Steam Deck is the best thing I have bought in the last few years.

Q: What kind of music genre do you like?

A: I'm really not a music person and don't listen to music at all. Sometimes I listen to something like Tropical House.

About the creation & worldview of Dungeon Meshi

Q: Is the main storyline of the comics conceived at the beginning? Is the final ending adjusted during the serialization process?

A: I decided everything from the beginning. It may sound overly pretentious to say that, but I am the type of person who cannot move forward with each and every story unless I have decided on the main flow of the story. Of course, there are parts that I changed during the process because I thought, "I was going to do it this way, but it might not be natural," and there are parts that didn't work out the way I wanted them to. However, I think the story turned out to be roughly what I had in mind at the beginning.

Q: Will people outside of the dungeon incorporate the use of magic into their daily lives?

A: It would depend on the region. There are many sorcerers in elven and gnome cultures, but I don't think you will find many in dwarf and most short-lived cultures.

Q: What secrets of ancient magic are the elves hiding? Why would one be punished for doing anything related to ancient magic?

A: It is about the existence of Demon. They restricted that information because they didn't know what effect it would have on the world if the existence of Ddemon became known.

Q: How do adventurers know the time? Is there any dungeon having a different time flow from the normal world?

A: Some people bring things like clocks, but most only use their biological clock. There are also Dungeons where the flow of time is different from that on the ground.

Q: In the world of Dungeon Meshi, how do you deal with natural disasters, what would Laios or Marcille or Canaries do when there's a drought or a storm?

A: I don’t think it is so different from us.

About characters in Dungeon Meshi

Q: It’s about to give the new puppy a name again. Can Laos still beat Falin?

A: 7 out of 10, Laios will win. Or it may be decided by rock-paper-scissors or a raffle.

Q: Who will inherit the Golden Land after the passaway of Laios? The children and grandchildren of Yaad? Or the descendants of Laios? Or will there be a new Devourer?

A: Maybe the descendants of the Laios will inherit it, or maybe it will be passed on to someone with no blood ties at all. Or perhaps the monarchy will be abolished.

Q: Will Laios continue to eat monsters in the castle? And who will cook, maybe someone better than Senshi?

A: Many people in Merini are good cooks, but Senshi's cooking must be special to Laios. He may invite Senshi to cook from time to time.

Q: Where will Falin prefer to travel to?

A: She may prefer places where she can see landscapes and cultures she has never seen before.

Q: Would Marcille befriend a half-elf, such as Fionil? Since half-elves shouldn't think too much about longevity amongst themselves. Or would they not consider race as a factor to make friends but by fate?

A: Because mixed species in this world grow at very different rates and have very different abilities from person to person, there is often not much of a sense of sameness when you first meet them. They may or may not become friends as a result of interacting with each other as we would with any other human being.

Q: Is there any special meaning of Marcille and her mother's ribbons on the neck? And what about Cithis’s ribbon?

A: In elven culture, people with magic tattoos on their necks sometimes wear decorations covering their necks to hide the tattoos (mainly military personnel) This has spread to the general population, and many people wear decorations on their necks even if they do not have neck tattoos. Marcille and her mother's ribbons are just for fashion. While Cithis may have something special.

Q: Why wouldn’t Cithis wear a gorget? Or she’s not afraid of Dungeon Rabbits?

A: Maybe it’s suffocating or simply not liking it? The head-cutting Dungeon Rabbit is a fearsome monster, but it is not the first thing for the rear guard to be on the lookout for.

Q: How will Izutsumi and Falin get along with each other?

A: They may work together if necessary, but I doubt that Izutsumi will actively show interest in Falin (as she does with everyone).

Q: Itsuzumi has a beast soul mixed with a small amount of human soul, and does she shapeshift between a beast-man and a beast form like Lycion?

A: It can be done, but once transformed, she may no longer want to return to her human form.

*This Q&A seems to be strange

Q: What would Thistle do if he attended the former dungeon masters meetings?

A: Perhaps he would feel angry at the incompetence of other masters (their dependence on the devil).

Q: How did Milsiril accept Helki to stay by her side? After all, she hated elves and was bullied by her Canary teammates.

A: In the past, Helki was abandoned by his comrades for various reasons, and she could not leave him alone.

Q: Has Kabru ever had a real relationship with a girl? If so, what race or personality type of the girl was she?

A: I don’t think he cares about race, etc...

Q: What kind of soba will Mithrun make?

A: I hope he can make delicious soba.

Q: I would like to know the name of Mithrun’s brother or his brother’s crush!

A: His brother's name is Obrin (オブリン). I haven't thought of a particular name for his brother’s crush, so I'll name her appropriately now. Hmmm. Sultha (スルスハ).

Q: Since Mithrun used to assist Canary from behind, I wonder what kind of weapons he was good at using? Or was he good at using no weapons? (this is new info from the Korean Q&A)

A: He used a magic staff similar to that used by Pattadol. He was issued with the same one by the team. However, he no longer carried it because he lost it easily.

[phantasm-echo]

POV: you wake up in the middle of your own autopsy with force powers then immediately get brainwashed into falling to the dark side

I was reminded of the fact that I haven’t drawn inquisitor!fives’ autopsy scars in way too long so here I am, delivering a few too many Fives 💀

Anyway I know I don’t post much about the AU on here so props to anyone who knows what’s going on here even slightly, I’ve decided to nerf siren!echo (who WAS part of this AU yes I know quite random) but since him being turned into a siren kinda limits what I can do with him story wise he is now an AU of the AU.

That means the name I came up with for the au (dead mean walking/swimming or dmw(s) as I’ve been tagging it) is kinda irrelevant. I’ll just call this the inquisitor fives AU but if you have any AU name suggestions feel free to drop them.

Here are some of the major factors of the AU:

It gets worse before it gets better

(WARNING: there are quite a few heavy topics covered in the AU such as torture, dehumanisation and su*cidal thoughts, so pls read at your own discretion)

- fives wakes up in the middle of his own autopsy with force sensitivity, then gets brainwashed into falling to the Dark Side by Palpatine. As an Inquisitor, he does not remember anything about his life because those memories were blocked by Palpatine.

- Palpatine discovers that Fives is essentially immortal, and any injuries inflicted on him will heal no matter how bad.

- when echo gets rescued from skako minor, he is recalled to Kamino for experimentation, first of all so they can figure out what the Techno Union did to him, second of all to see how he survived his injuries. Nala se, who knows that fives came back to life, theorises that since he and echo were tube twins they share the “immortality”. He is kept on Kamino for VERY extensive experimentation where terrible things happen to him (cough vivisection cough lobotomy) and so never joins Clone Force 99 even if he did work with them on Anaxes.

- Fives in this time is sent out on many missions by Palpatine that involve him unaliving many people, and after the rise of the Empire he hunts a few Jedi.

- Fox, who throughout the war had experienced many blackout missions where he woke up afterwards covered in blood, is the last living Coruscant Guard commander. (Thorn dies, stone vanishes one day, Thire mistakes Vader for a Jedi and pays the price) Despite the best efforts of his son secretary Dogma (no way!?) Fox has very little will to live, is extremely depressed and borderline suicidal, he would like nothing more than to bite the dust, but still feels he has a duty to the very few remaining corries and so tries to keep it together (he is failing)

- one day Palpatine decides he doesn’t need Fox to do his bidding anymore since he has much better assets at his disposal (Fives), and decides it would be ironic to sic his pet clone inquisitor onto Fox. Fives still doesn’t remember anything, and only knows that Fox is responsible for the main scars on his body and believes fox is the reason he doesn’t remember most of his life, and so sets out to kill fox. They battle it out (ref to that one animation wip I posted) and fives is on the verge of killing fox (who didn’t really try to fight that much, like I said he would very much like to die and dying at the hand of the vod he “killed” seems fitting to him) when he gets a sudden vision of echo.

- all fives knows is echo is extremely important to him and must be rescued and that snaps him out of palpatine’s control. He knows he probably can’t rescue echo alone, and since fox has already been betrayed by the empire he decides “fuck it” and basically kidnaps fox and they run. They make a deal, that once echo has been found, Fives will put Fox out of his misery (fox feels that fives should be the only person to kill him, and only goes along with the plan because he refuses to let anyone else kill him)

- fox and fives proceed to go on an intergalactic road trip to “rescue echo” even though neither of them know how to do that. They become closer friends throughout, and fives slowly regains bits and pieces of the Before

- meanwhile during the destruction of Kamino, the bad batch stumble on echo and rescue him and he stays with them for a little bit before leaving with Rex

- meanwhile Dogma helps the rest of the remaining Corries desert, kills too many storm troopers, and tries to go after his buir fox and the bastard inquisitor who kidnapped him

This is the main stuff you need to know for the AU haha so if you’ve got new name suggestions I’m all ears ty!!

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

The Good Omens Musical Masterpost🎵❤

How it started :)

Some time before 2013: Vicki Larnach, the australian composer and lyricist, read the Good Omens book, imagined figures dancing on stage with brilliant music and thought, ‘Ah, I’m gonna ask Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman if I can turn it into a musical.’ and sent an email to the publishers. The next day she got an email saying, ‘We don’t want a musical but Terry’s coming to Australia, so come and say hello and tell us what you got.’

Rob Wilkins came down to meet Vicki and Jim Hare - Vicki's husband and writer - and took them to meet Terry. They spent an hour and a half with them where Terry asked ‘piercing questions’, had tea with them and they showed Terry a song that Vicki wrote (about the Chattering Nuns). Terry said to Rob, ‘Rob, write and email to Neil, “Dear Neil, this is Terry. I’m sitting in front of two hippies from Sydney and they want to make a musical out of Good Omens and I’m tempted to let them do it.”’ which was the best email they ever heard and then Terry said, ‘Okay, you have me curious.’ - it was because of the Nuns song which sounded like the book. ‘I’m gonna give you six months, come back with a first draft libretto and five songs.’

They then sent it to Terry who sent it to Gaiman. Terry said, ‘I really like it, you’re moving story, you’re doing all the right things, but where’s showstopper, where’s the toe-tapper, you know I need people to go to intermission just snapping their fingers with the song they just can’t get out of their head, and I haven’t heard that.’ - and they realized that they were so busy serving the story they forgot to do the wow-factor, but found it very encouraging from Terry that he wanted to make it better.

They went through the whole book again to find a centrepiece - and they found it  when Warlock is growing up and Aziraphale and Crowley are with him, and spent months working just on that one thing and called ‘All Living Things’ [the song at the start of this post :)] which is a line from the book.*’ Terry gave that song to a person he knew and asked him to play it to his wife with no context and when the next day the person said that his wife woke up still singing the song Terry said to Vicki and Jim: ‘Well, that’s what I asked you to do.’ 

* [“This here’s Brother Slug,” the gardener would tell him, “and this tiny little critter is Sister Potato Weevil. Remember, Warlock, as you walk your way through the highways and byways of life’s rich and fulsome path, to have love and reverence for all living things.” “Nanny says that wivving fings is fit onwy to be gwound under my heels, Mr. Fwancis,” said little Warlock, stroking Brother Slug, and then wiping his hand conscientiously on his Kermit the Frog overall.]

Vicki and Jim got the permission to being adapting it as a musical in 2013.

Vicki and Jim on it a couple of years ‘fumbling about’, took it as far as they could and decided to bring another person into it: Jay-James Moody

In 2015, Jay James-Moody joined the collaboration initially as a dramaturge and directorial eye, eventually evolving into co-book writer. Vicki, James and Jay have continued to evolve through countless more revisions and a number of private development readings with the support, time and talent of numerous wonderful Australian performers testing the material.

In November 2017, the musical was presented in its then-current form and entirety for the first time before an audience of over 500 eager attendees. The cast included Luke Joslin, Lachlan O’Brien, Nancye Hayes, Barry Quin, Brett O’Neill, Lauren McKenna, Nicholas Craddock, Paul Capsis, Rob Johnson, Amy Lehpamer, Debora Krizak, Blake Erickson, Nat Jobe, Ana Maria Belo, Jordan Hare, Bella Thomas, Anthony Abrakmanov and Samson Hyland.

Following a rapturous response to this reading it continued to be refined and developed.

In 2019, ten days before the show came out they did their last presentation, since then they’ve been to London and shown a videotape of that workshop to Gaiman and Rob Wilkins which was ‘a pretty heartstopping experience’.

Differences between the musical and the book

The ending of the musical is a bit different.

It opens with the burning of Agnes Nutter and Aziraphale and Crowley are introduced there. 

Act One ends with them ‘essentially breaking up’ because of a huge argument and they dissolve their friendship, Act Two starts with the first time they meet.

The Future?

What is the future for the musical: in 2021 they said that they need to work on some things and then they hope to do another run, initially in Australia.

There will be a CD of the soundtrack available when the show is produced in it’s full version.

In 2024 on insta they said that it is in "complicated process of rights to stage Good Omens" and "We appreciate your support and patience of the progress or seeming lack therof, of Good Omens the musical but we assure you, we will bring you the show in the next few years."

Videos

Vicki, Jim and Jay talking 46min about the musical (this video was shown at the Ineffable Con 3 in 2021 :))

Sizzle Reel 6min

Anathema singing The Perfect Place

Crowley calling Dagon to check on the hellhound

Shadwell and Newt

Aziraphale vanishing Hastur 👀

Links

Webpage

Instagram - a lot of more bts videos and pics :)

How to support?

Subsribe to the instagram page and like and comment that you want the musical on posts :)❤. If you want to be a sponsor or donor, there is contact on their webpage.

[pretty-weird-ideas]

Episode Seven and White Tears

The trial's allegory is not just a lynching, it is a lynching for a Black person entering a relationship with a respected White man, and proceeding to leave him. It's not a murder case, as seen through the show, there's actually very little emphasis on the murder in the episode in regards to Louis. The emphasis is on his "seduction", his "ungiving nature", and "refusing to give his body". It is a public humiliation and lynching for turning a respected white man down. The crime isn't hurting Lestat, it's hurting his feelings.

Lestat doesn't speak to the audience about the pain of his throat being slit. He speaks of loneliness, the audience chants and jeers about how cheating was justified if Louis isn't putting out. Santiago isn't talking about the murder, he's talking about how much of a sexual deviant Louis is the second he is introduced. The show is telling us what's important to the case, and what language hurt and stuck out to Louis the most. The deciding factor in the eyes of the audience, the story that Sam and Santiago are trying to tell, is that the crime is heinous because Louis turned down Lestat.

The audience isn't mad about the murder, they're mad about Lestat's emotions, they're mad about the betrayal, and they are mad that Louis and Claudia didn't put up with things. The case built against the two of them isn't based on violence, it's based on white tears. Louis isn't called a monster for slitting Lestat's throat, the audience member calls him a monster for turning down Lestat's advances.

The show is clear that the trial isn't really about the murder, it is about Louis not "giving enough" for Lestat. It's about Louis asking Lestat to turn Claudia and literally bargaining his happiness where he literally gets on his knees and says "I'll be happy for you, I will never leave you if you do this for me". It's never been about the murder, it's quite literally just shaming Louis for not "loving a good man who might be abusive".

At the end of the day, the trial as framed and written by Sam is building a case off of Lestat's tears, not actual physical harm.

Like my skin is crawling but also the show is so chilling with how it portrayed the "He's a good man so hold your tongue and endure! Lest you read as ungrateful".

Anyways someone take the laptop from me before this becomes my life.

[keferon]

Why’d monster hunter brainstorm timetravel to the specific era the story takes place?

Will the others ever see his alt mode?

The reason is the same as in canon - he wanted to save Quark.

Okay, I'll try and keep this short and sweet.

Brainstorm lives in the far future and is happy with Quark, until one day it turns out that Quark has a fatal spark disease that will kill him if nothing is done about it. They of course go to the hospital, but it turns out that only certain types of the disease are treatable and modern science still can't do anything about it.

Long story short, no one knows how to cure Quark's spark.

Brainstorm, as a true scientist and a good conjunx, naturally begins to research the subject himself and stumbles upon some strange information. All the sources, studies and records on the study of this disease go back a long fucking way. All that modern scientists have been doing for the last million years is just improving and refining the method of treatment, which was invented in absolute antiquity.

Brainstorm investigates further.

He discovers, all the original research records belonged to a mech named Perseptor, who amongst many other things was studying sparks. And it's when Brainstorm manages to get his hands on copies of these very original records that he finally realises why no one has been able to take this research any further. The records are very well structured, detailed and accurate, but half of the information is taken out of nowhere. The Perseptor specifies the types of sparks that certain substances affect in certain ways, but nowhere does he mention where he got this information from. He might, for example, write that certain types of sparks tend to develop internal micro-cracks when exposed to certain factors for long periods of time. And Brainstorm, having read that, can only stare blankly into space, because yes, micro-cracks in sparks is something that exists. But even in his time, there's no equipment that can detect them if they're INSIDE. So how the hell did an ancient mech with his primitive tools figure all this out???

His curiosity isn't satisfied. The research just cuts off in the middle, as if the mech that did it just abandoned it or died suddenly.

Brainstorm, like many scientists before him, tries to start his own research based on the information pointed out by Perseptor, but finds himself at the same dead end as all the medicine of his time. He just doesn't have the same mysterious way of collecting data that this...Perseptor had.

And Quark isn't getting any better

Eventually, Brainstorm comes up with a brilliant idea. What if, instead of trying to find a cure, he just (ha! Just.) went back in time and saved the dude who was definitely going to invent the cure but didn't have time? He decides it's genius and creates a time machine.

He goes back in time to find Perseptor and well, he gets a surprise. Turns out the dude who researched spark disease was a spark eater. And also on the verge of starvation, but Brainstorm finds a way to help him, it's all good:) It turns out that all this time, Perseptor didn't have any mysterious equipment to analyse the sparks, he was the equipment himself. In fact, he didn't specify the sources of his findings for the research, because the phrase ‘I figured it out because it tasted different’ sounds incredibly compromising and would have signed Percy's death warrant if his notes had fallen into the wrong hands.

Next, I'm not sure how it would have developed. I think as the story progresses, Perseptor and Brainstorm work together to invent a cure for Quark. And then, if you like to cry, Brainstorm goes back to the future and cures him, and Perseptor stays in the past.

If you want adventure, Brainstorm could take Percy back to the future with him. Quark would be really fucking scared and confused at first, but they'd figure it out quickly and conjunx Percy into their futuristic fluffy pairing. (Also, I have a lot of fun thinking about Brainstorm and Quark showing Percy the advances of future science, and the future world in general.

Also, I think Brainstorm would do a good job of hiding his alt mode while he was in the past, but a couple of times would use it to escape from someone. One time he'd also give Percy a ride, and I know Percy would be incredibly freaked out by the breakneck speed that jets can achieve ahahaha

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That…wasn’t as short as I wanted…..my inner fic writer took control

[bratzforchris]

Vampire-J.G. ·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*

Summary: A night exploring a haunted mansion with your best friend turns into you meeting your paranormal lover

Pairing: Vampire!Johnnie x human (feminine)!reader

Warnings: Horror/scary themes, blood, mentions of werewolf!Jake x Tara

Word Count: 2.2k

A/N: HIIII :) ya girl has been on a writing kick lately and this idea struck me late last night! Let me know if you'd like a part 2 or if you want me to expand more on werewolf!Jake<3

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*

“Do you wanna do something fun?” Tara asked you, looking up from her phone. 

You two were simply lying in your dorm on a Friday night, scrolling through your separate social media. In a rare occurrence, there were no parties going on in your college town, so you two had decided to have a quiet night in. That is, until your best friend looked at you with a gleam in her eye and asked her question. 

“Like what?” You rolled onto your side, propping yourself on your elbow. 

“Well…” she started, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. “What if we went to Harbordale Manor?”

Harbordale Manor was notorious in the town. It was an old, Gothic mansion that was situated rather deep in the woods that skirted the town’s edge. Legend had it that the family that had lived there in the early 1900s had died in a rather gruesome murder and that some of their souls still haunted the house today. You didn’t quite believe that part, mostly because vampires were not real and secondly because no one had been brave enough to actually venture all the way inside the house in the college’s history. 

“You’re kidding, Tar,” You snorted. “What are we gonna do? Go out there and make it to the gates just to say we went? Like literally everyone else?”

Your best friend shook her head, thick, black locks of hair falling down her shoulders. “No. I want to see if the vampire thing is real. I haven’t gotten laid in ages. I need the Edward fantasy to come to life.”

You rolled your eyes at your best friend antics, but pulled yourself out of bed, throwing on a flannel and your Converse. “Well, are you coming or not?”

Tara scrambled down from her bed, pulling on her shoes and grabbing her backpack and a flashlight. Luckily, the residence hall was nearly empty. It seemed like most of the inhabitants and even the RA had decided to have an early, quiet night, which worked in your favor. People would definitely want to join the two of you for the shock factor if they knew where you were going. 

The walk to the edge of the woods was quick and easy. The few students you two had passed on the street paid you no mind, too caught up in their own lives. The forest loomed in front of you, dark and twisted with the sound of animals and other creatures rustling underfoot. 

“This is it,” Tara hummed, flicking on the flashlight. “No turning back now.”

“If we get killed or die, it’s your fault.” You joked, nudging her shoulder. 

You had never been in the woods at night, and because of that, your stomach rumbled with unease. You knew everything you had heard were urban legends, myths, and stories, but that didn’t stop your heart from pounding every time a twig snapped. You and Tara had walked about 800 feet before her flashlight glinted across rusted metal. Shining it more thoroughly, you saw the wrought iron gates that stood before the stone mansion, held up by stone columns. ‘HDM’ was somehow strategically twisted into the bars, letting you know that whoever had once lived here was both regal and wealthy. Whatever path had once led to the house was long gone, and the only trace that people had been out here any time recently were the scattered beer cans. 

“How the fuck are we-” Tara didn’t have time to finish her sentence before you started climbing the gates. “That’s one way to do it, I guess.”

“Don’t be a pussy!” You giggled, landing with a thud! on the other side of the gates.

Tara rolled her eyes, following your path and quickly landing beside you. “Don’t forget this was my idea. I need that vampire boy.”

“Vampires are skinny, Tara,” You laughed. “Remember when you told that guy you wouldn’t go out with him because he only went to the gym three times a week?”

“Yes, well.” she huffed but blushed. 

You two walked closer to the manor, beaming the flashlight over the pure wealth. The mansion was a good three stories high, made completely of smooth, gray stones. The roof was of a black metal that sloped into sharp points that met gargoyles above the high-arched front door. Everything about the house screamed classic, Victorian-era Gothic. The huge, black front door had an enormous silver knocker that looked eerily similar to a human skull. The door handle was the same silver as the knocker and was in the shape of a bloodied dagger. 

“Damn,” Tara said. “The owner’s must’ve been hardcore Goth.”

You tried the door handle, only for it to swing right open. The years of decay on the house must’ve loosened the locks. You both stepped inside, examining the home. Despite falling into disrepair, the house was beautiful and quite literally clean. It had rich, black and white wallpaper with scalloped designs and a plush, blood-red carpet. The entryway swung into a huge foyer and ballroom, with a spiral staircase and enormous, crystal chandelier. 

“This is beautiful.” You murmured, twirling around the room in awe. 

Tara grabbed a silver candelabra off a circular table that was shoved into the corner, examining its white, wax sticks. “Think they’ll light?” she asked, pulling matches out of her backpack. 

“Worth a shot.” You nodded, going around the room and touching various things like paintings and the old books. 

Surprisingly, Tara’s candles lit, which cast the room in a fiery, orange glow. The ballroom was just as pretty as the entryway, with enough room for dancing, as well as some chairs and tables for eating and drinking. Everything was decorated with fine china, silver, and crystal that all stayed with the Gothic look. What truly caught your eye, though, was the fireplace area. The large maroon and black chairs had been sculpted expertly and they sat around a black, wooden coffee table and an enormous silver fireplace. The piece that tied it all together, though, was the portrait that hung above the fireplace. 

It was of a young man with long, black hair and piercing blue eyes. He had on a gorgeous black suit that appeared to be from the Victorian era as well. His skin was milky and smooth in the painting and he had a realistic somber look spread across his plump lips and strong nose. Although you had to stand on your tiptoes to read it, the tarnished plaque read ‘Johnnie Guilbert 1901’. The painting had been made shortly before the murder had happened here, which made you wonder if the man was the house’s owner. 

“He’s hot.” Tara nodded, coming to stand beside you.

“And like, one hundred and forty years old and, y’know, dead.” You snorted.

You two moved on, getting ready to go up the staircase when a sharp pain zinged up your leg. You looked down to see that a shattered piece of china had fallen to the ground and cut your leg, the blood starting to trickle down your shin. 

It all happened so quickly. One moment you were looking at your cut, and the next, Tara had been thrown to the side and you were wrapped in a pair of cold arms. And naturally, you struggled as your best friend looked on in horror. 

“Let me go!” You wailed, wriggling in your captor’s grasp. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” the masculine voice was icy, yet weirdly comforting in your ear. “Just relax.”

The man’s hands were practically subzero on your arms. Whoever he was, he had to have superhuman strength. Finally, in what you thought was a moment of weakness, but really his doing, the man dropped you and you tried to scramble away. Unfortunately, he grabbed you again by the leg. 

“I’m going to help you.” he hummed, waving  hand in front of your face and staring at you with blood-red eyes. 

You felt like you had been put in a trance, for you relaxed into his cold touch. It didn’t faze you that whoever this was had literal red eyes or the fact that he bent down and licked your cut with long, white fangs bared, leaving your leg looking like you had never been cut at all. Once he had finished, you seemed to fall out of your haze and stared at the man. 

“Who are you?”

“I’ve been a lot of things,” he whispered, cupping your face. “But I know who you are.”

The longer you stared at the man, the more familiar he became. Long, black hair, icy blue eyes, black suit. The only difference between this man and the painting was that he appeared to have modernized himself with tattoos and piercings. 

“You’re the man in the painting,” You whispered. “How are you…”

“Alive? Oh baby bat, you humans can be so clueless sometimes,” Johnnie shook his head with fondness. “Was the blood licking and fangs not enough?”

“You’re not a vampire. Vampires aren’t real.”

Johnni grabbed your hand and placed it on his chest where his button up shirt had been undone. His skin was cold and pale, and you felt nothing other than his soft breathing. There was no heartbeat, and he could tell you noticed this. 

“Believe me now?” he asked softly. 

“How?” You glanced to the right to see Tara being helped by what looked like another man, but you were too focused on the supernatural creature in front of you. 

“The legends of this house are true,” Johnnie looked rather sad for a moment, but his voice was unwavering. “My family was murdered, but I was the only one who was changed.”

Even though you were still slightly shaken up from the interaction, you felt at peace with Johnnie. He wasn’t scary like myths about vampires had told you, and he didn’t seem to want to consume your blood. You almost felt bad for him. Had he been alone in the house his family had been murdered in for over a hundred years? 

“I was the first born son,” the vampire gestured to the immense painting of himself. “My family was very well-loved in town. We held the biggest balls and my father was the mayor, but he made…a very bad deal. To be fair, he didn’t know the man had been a vampire. And so, the man came for revenge. He sucked my family dry, wanting me to join him in his business, which is why I was the only one changed. My mother opened the curtains before she died and…he died. But now, I’m the only one who still walks the earth.”

You were on the verge of tears as Johnnie finished his story. You threw your arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. His icy body relaxed into your touch, holding him close to you. There was almost a gravitational pull from your body to his, something that wasn’t quite human. 

“Do you…feed on humans?” You asked him softly, wondering why he hadn’t sunk his fangs into you and Tara yet. 

“I try not to,” he smiled kindly. “I only feed on animals. Unless of course, it’s someone who deserves it.” the man smiled, his fangs glinting in the pale moonlight. 

“Next question. Did you like, put a spell on me?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because,” You started. “I’m weirdly comfortable around a vampire.”

Johnnie smiled softly again. “Once a mortal is changed into a vampire, they’re assigned a soulmate. That person can be a mortal or a vampire. I am unable to love until I’ve met my person, baby bat.” he paused to see if you would get the gist. 

“So, I’m your person?” You asked him. 

He nodded softly, kissing your forehead with gentle, cold lips. “Yes, little blood flower. You’re my person.” 

You smiled, relaxing into his hold. Never in a million years would you have thought you would be hanging out with a vampire in an abandoned mansion on a Friday night, but Johnnie’s captivating pull kept you here, eager to relish in his love. Before you knew it, though, Tara had appeared next to you with another man. He was tall, much taller than Johnnie with long, brown hair and green eyes. He also had a variety of tattoos and piercings, but he wasn’t dressed nearly as proper as Johnnie was. Whereas the vampire had on a black and blood red suit, this other man was in more “punk” clothing and looked completely normal. 

“I’m not tripping, right?” Tara asked you. “They’re really a vampire and a werewolf?”

“Well, I know about a vampire, but a werewolf?” You looked to Johnnie for confirmation. 

“That’s Jake. He keeps me company. It gets a little lonely around here, so I need an immortal best friend.” he smiled. 

You smiled, realizing that although these men were technically supernatural beings, they were nowhere near the legends people had made about them. They weren't aggressive or violent  and aside from their physical attributes, they seemed fully human. They could think and feel and love. And as you and Tara spent the rest of the night getting to know your vampire and werewolf, you could tell that they would be in your life for more than just one night. 

[ilove-sexydilfsnmilfs]

-Star Crossed- chapter 1

Pairing- Oc!reader(afab) x Logan Howlett

Words- 1.9k (not proofread plz excuse any errors)

Summary- it’s been nearly 2 years since Cora(reader) and Logan both lost eachother in their own universe, both broken, angry and hated amongst their people, They would do anything to see one another again, little did they know that day would come sooner than expected, and shatter their hearts into pieces and drive their long hidden desires to the surface ….will they be able to forgive themselves for their past and finally be together? Or will the universe just tear them apart once again?

Warnings- mentions of death, blood, 18+ (smut) in some later scenes/chapters… tension!!!! ./trauma/ no use of y/n I will be using a name but I won’t be describing any appearances! / Logan is aged down to be atleast in his early /mid 30s in this story / will add more warnings when needed.

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You’ve been rotting in your bed for months now, you can’t bring yourself to do much…not anymore.. you feel so lost, so hopeless..all because he’s gone, and you blame yourself for everything that had happened , you blame yourself for losing Logan.

You stare up at the white ceiling, Logans dog tags rest around your neck, his old grey zip up wrapped in your arms, his scent slowly fading with each day that passes. You feel nothing but sadness, you’ve cried so much you genuinely don’t think you can bare to cry anymore you just want out. Out of this fucking world, out of your misery. But what can you do? Just leave? No…what would leaving do? You’d still carry the pain you’ve felt since the day Logan Howlett died in your arms. Sometimes you swear you can still feel the warmth from his blood pooling under you, his heavy body laying stiff in your arms…the feeling of absolute dread when he stopped responding to your pleas to stay with you a little longer, when his hand fell from your face, body going limp…thinking about it makes you want to end your own life sometimes but you know that’s not what he would have wanted for you…he would want you to live on, but how could you live when the only man you’d ever loved was gone …forever?

You rolled over on your side, your face sinking into your pillow while you held his jacket close to your body, your other hand clenching his bloodstained necklace it’s all you had left of him since you left the x mansion, you couldn’t be there anymore, not with all the memories and not with knowing none of your friends were there anymore either.. they were all gone, dead… you were the last one left, and you couldn't bear to be reminded of all the happy memories...not when survivors guilt was riddled in your body. when everyone had died, you felt like you at least had a reason to live giving you still had logan by your side, but then he got sick, adamantium poisoning....you don't know how it happened, but the adamantium inside of him started to break down, entering his blood stream, it weakened him, slowed down his healing factor...you hated seeing him in pain, it wasn't like him to show it so much, it broke your heart almost every day and that's when you decided to find a way to help him before it got too bad...but little did you know... that would be the very cause of his death.

You blame yourself every single fucking day for his death, sometimes you wonder if you even deserve to wear those dog tags he ripped from his neck and placed in your blood-soaked hands...."I'm so sorry Logan..." you whisper into the jacket, muffled cries echoed through the quiet dark room, cries that soon turned into loud gut wrenching sobs.. you stayed like that for hours, crying yourself to sleep, the way you did almost every night.

you were jolted awake the next morning by the sound of hard loud knocks on your apartment door. You look around frantically, knowing who it was already...it was them.. humans. Humans who hated you more than anything, more than any other mutant...why? because they blame you for the deaths of the other x-men, and they most definitely blame you for the death of Wolverine. "fuck...that fast??" you mutter stuffing your things into a bookbag that lay on the floor next to your bed, they had defintely found you faster than last time....fuck.

you tried to sneak out the window in your bedroom when the door was kicked open by a few bigger men, they ran inside trashing the place, calling out your name in a way that made your skin crawl "COME OUT YOU BITCH" one yelled like a raging brute "come out come out wherever you are Cora, we just wanna make you feel the pain we felt when you killed the x-men" another cooed, his voice was one you'd hear when taunting someone, it was fucking creepy.

"Fuck me!" you spit in a whisper, they seemed even more upset than before...to this day you don't understand why the humans decided to turn against you, I guess they just needed someone to blame for the deaths...and you were right there and unscathed. As you were trying to make your way out the small window, the door to your bedroom flung open and 3 men entered, a mob of people behind them, they grabbed you almost immediately, grabbing your hands and putting them behind your back, and covering your eyes knowing full well of all your abilities. "We got you; you bitch, you're not going anywhere" . Now this whole ordeal would be a lot easier if you could just use your powers against them, but you took an oath when Logan died to never use your powers to harm a soul ever again...and yea these people were horrible trying to kill you but they genuinely think it's your fault your friends are dead...and you know you'd feel the same way if you were in their shoes, so yea...you took an oath to never use your powers to harm these people...but no one ever said anything about using your combat skills...like cmon you were a fucking x-men...these people are really stupid.

you kicked your leg up into the air, uppercutting one person causing them to fall onto the ground with a loud thump. you then brought your head back to headbutt the man holding your arms behind your back and when you felt they were free you ripped the blindfold off and quickly grabbed a lamp that sat on your bedside table, bashing it against another's head. A few people came charging at you at once, but you dodged them with minimal effort, grabbing their heads and bashing them together causing their bodies to go limp and fall to the ground. your right elbow landed directly into someone's stomach making them gasp for air then you brought your knee up to bash it clear into their face, as someone tried to climb onto your back you stumbled from the sudden attack and fell back into a wall causing them to bring a knife right down into your upper abdomen "GET OFF OF ME" you screamed in pain , pushing yourself back into the wall again and again but the person still had a grip on you, that's when another person tried coming at you full speed to tackle you to the ground...you were getting exhausted, you hadn't properly worked out in months and this sudden fight was one you weren't expecting... you were annoyed, trying to fight all these people, finally getting the person on your back off you head someone yell "YOU MURDERER, YOURE KILLING US BUT WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THEY NEEDED YOU"

"ITS ALL YOUR FAULT WOLVERINE IS DEAD" those words, those seven words snapped something inside of you...and well that oath you took...it meant nothing to you now. you brought your hands up into the air, your eyes glowing a bright white, the humans looked at you with nothhing but fear in their eyes. they all stumbled over eachother in the small apartment, but none of them were fast enough, you brought your hands down with a swift motion and everyone in the room flung back, some hit walls, some crashed into furniture and others flew out of windows, an instant death giving you were on the 7th floor. "I DID NOT KILL LOGAN" you screamed, people tried getting up but you didnt let that slide, "I TREID TO SAVE HIM, I LOVED HIM” you swished your hand to cause the ones trying to escape to fling back to the ground. You saw the man that uttered those words that made you snap almost instantly, you had heard them so many times before but for some reason today was the last straw, you tilted your head to the side walking towards him slowly as you brought your hand up you balled it into a fist and watched as he was lifted off the ground, grasping hopelessly at his neck, he couldn't breathe and you only squeezed your fist tighter and tighter as you watched his face turn blue, you glared at him, your eyes narrowing until

'POP'

His head was gone within an instant, blood painted your clothes and face. You were in uncontrollable rage, and couldn't stop, matter of fact you didn't want to stop. you wanted them to feel the pain they have been putting you through when you were already going through enough.

The others screamed, but you quickly shut them up, you twisted your head to the side, and without really thinking about it you opened a portal...it was another one of your abilities you rarely used, but as you were throwing people through it, the screaming stopped....they were all dead and you began to come down from your high while the portal was kept open...you fell to your knees and watched as the golden sparks from the portal started to dim....but before the portal closed completely you saw it...him...a face you hadn't seen in almost 2 years....Logan Howlett.

you felt your heart skip a beat when you both locked eyes, his expression showing just as much shock and heartache as yours, ignoring the bodies you absent mindlessly had thrown before him, in his hand held a bottle of whiskey but it soon hit the cold ground, shattering into pieces. you absent mindlessly grabbed the dog tags that hung around your neck, shooting up to your feet before calling out, "LO-" you were cut off mid-sentence as the portal closed as quickly as it was made and once again you were left alone in silence. You fell to your knees, shaking, your mind raced thinking if what you saw was just your imagination paying tricks on you...logan was dead...there was no way ....you saw him die , you saw-..."no....that's not possible" you mutter to yourself, you stared blankly at the blood riddled floor....that's when your mind began to drift to something Strange said long ago to you...how your ability was one of a kind, how with your own mind you could create portals to other worlds without a type of device...at the time you thought he was just wrong...every time you used your ability you only opened portals to other places in your world...not any others, only he had the ability to do that and even so it was with an object... or...at least you thought. "How...I don't even know wh- I don't even remember what i did .... how?" you were at a loss for words. Did you actually do it... did you open a poral to another earth, one where...Logan was still alive? you felt tears swell in the rim of your eyes, soon falling down your cheeks and onto the floor...you felt sick, crazed and as you looked around...horrible...if what you saw was real, then Logan, The man you've craved to see , the man you once loved and still do love, the man you tried saving and the man that died in your arms...is out there and just in your reach.

(I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS, THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL HAVE MORE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BOTH CORA (THE READER) AND LOGAN. IT WILL ALSO BE FROM LOGANS POV FOR A LITTLE WHILE let me know if you guys liked it!! 🫶🏼)

[urdreamydoodles]

X-Men x Reader (Part.3)

You smacks their ass as they walk past (Part.3)

Each X-Man reacts with a mix of surprise and playful teasing when you smacks their ass as they walk past, leading to affectionate and mischievous moments.

Characters: Wade Wilson, Sunspot, Cable, Colossus, Charles Xavier, Hank McCoy, Lorna Dane, Magik, Domino & Dazzler

Wade Wilson (Deadpool)

Wade Wilson is the epitome of chaos wrapped in a red-and-black suit. You’ve been dating him for months now, and no matter how absurd or unpredictable things get, there’s one constant—you can always make each other laugh. Today, though, you’ve got something else in mind.

The two of you are lounging in his apartment—well, “apartment” is generous. It’s more like a collection of random objects held together by duct tape and a lack of responsibility. Wade, in full suit minus the mask, is rummaging through the fridge, muttering something about expired tacos.

“Damn it, even my healing factor can’t fix this,” he groans, pulling out a carton of spoiled milk and making a face.

You casually stroll behind him, biting your lip as you admire his figure. Wade may have scars that tell stories of countless battles and regeneration, but to you, he’s perfect. As he bends over to inspect the deeper horrors of his fridge, you decide to strike.

With a playful smirk, you swing your hand and smack his ass, a sharp, satisfying sound echoing through the room. Wade freezes for a split second, then slowly stands up straight, turning his head toward you with that signature Deadpool swagger.

“Did you just—” He breaks off, his eyes narrowing behind an imaginary mask. “Are you initiating some sexy roleplay? Because I am always ready for that.”

You laugh, giving him a sly grin as you cross your arms. “Maybe I am. What are you gonna do about it?”

Wade spins around fully, leaning against the fridge door with his arms crossed. His voice drops to a teasing whisper, but his grin is wide and wicked. “Oh, baby, you just opened Pandora’s box. And by Pandora’s box, I mean my pants. Wanna see what’s inside?”

You roll your eyes, but the heat between you is undeniable. His playful banter never fails to make your heart race, even in moments like this. He steps closer, his voice growing softer and more intimate, as if the whole world outside of you two didn’t matter.

“Careful, sweetheart,” he murmurs, his hand brushing lightly against your waist. “If you keep smacking me like that, I’m gonna have to make sure you pay for it.”

You raise an eyebrow, tilting your head slightly. “Is that a promise or a threat?”

Wade’s mouth curves into a dangerous smile. “Oh, it’s both.”

Sunspot (Roberto da Costa):

The sun was shining brightly over Xavier’s Mansion as Roberto da Costa strutted across the garden. Dressed in a sleek tank top and joggers, his toned muscles glistened with a faint golden glow—a byproduct of absorbing too much solar energy. You’d been dating Roberto for almost a year now, and one thing you knew about him was that he was as confident as he was powerful.

You were standing near the flower beds, watching him from behind as he headed toward the training grounds, admiring the effortless grace in his movements. He looked good, and you couldn’t resist messing with him a little.

Without thinking too much, you saunter up behind him, letting your fingertips glide along his back. Before he can react, you bring your hand down firmly on his ass, the sound of the playful smack hanging in the air.

Roberto stops dead in his tracks, turning around slowly with one eyebrow raised and an amused smile playing on his lips. His eyes smolder as they meet yours, and you can see the fire of his powers flicker briefly under his skin.

“Did you just slap my ass?” he asks, his Brazilian accent thickening just slightly. He looks equal parts shocked and entertained.

You grin at him, leaning casually against a nearby tree. “Yeah, I did. What are you gonna do about it, hot stuff?”

Roberto chuckles, his lips curling into a grin that could melt ice. He closes the distance between you with two slow, purposeful steps, his gaze trailing over your figure like he’s sizing up a prize. “Oh, princesa, you’re playing with fire,” he says, his voice a low, teasing rumble.

He steps even closer, his hand brushing against your hip, fingers gently squeezing your waist as he leans in. His breath is warm against your ear, and his voice drops even lower. “You think I’m just gonna let you get away with that?”

You smile, tilting your chin up to meet his eyes. “What if I do it again?”

Roberto’s eyes flash with amusement and heat. He pulls back slightly, running a hand through his dark hair before grinning at you. “You keep that up, and I’m gonna have to show you just how hot I can get.”

You bite your lip, enjoying the playful tension between you two. Roberto always knew how to turn a simple moment into something electric. His hand slips from your waist to the small of your back as he leans in once more, this time his lips brushing the corner of your mouth.

“Careful, meu amor,” he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper. “I might just burn for you.”

Cable (Nathan Summers):

Nathan Summers, or Cable, was a man of discipline. Everything about him was precise, methodical, controlled—even the way he moved through the halls of the X-Mansion was calculated. His towering frame and gruff demeanor had always been intimidating to others, but you’d gotten to know the man beneath the soldier—the tenderness hidden under the scars and metal arm.

He was walking ahead of you, carrying a stack of mission reports as you admired the way his broad shoulders stretched his worn-out tactical vest. His silver hair fell slightly over his brow as he made his way to the War Room, but you had other plans.

The idea strikes you out of nowhere. Without giving it a second thought, you quicken your pace and reach out, landing a firm smack on his ass. It’s a bold move—one that surprises even you—but the sound it makes is deeply satisfying.

Nathan stops abruptly. The air in the corridor feels charged, and for a moment, you wonder if you’ve gone too far. Slowly, he turns to look at you, his one good eye narrowing while the other—the glowing cybernetic one—flares slightly.

“Really?” His voice is a deep, gravelly growl, but there’s a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

You shrug innocently, biting back a smile. “What? Just appreciating the view.”

Nathan’s smirk deepens as he places the stack of reports down on a nearby table, his gaze never leaving yours. He takes a step toward you, and you can feel the shift in the air—the intensity radiating off of him. He’s always been a man of action, not words, and right now, you can practically feel his unspoken thoughts.

“You know, you just earned yourself some extra training,” he rumbles, his voice low and rough. His metal hand rests on your shoulder, the coolness of it contrasting with the heat that simmers between you.

“Oh?” You tilt your head up, grinning. “And what kind of training is that?”

Nathan leans in, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispers, “The kind where you won’t be able to walk straight tomorrow.”

You feel a shiver run down your spine, but you hold your ground, meeting his intense gaze with a challenging look of your own. “I’m not scared, Summers.”

His grin widens slightly as he straightens up, his large frame towering over you. “Good,” he says, his voice filled with a promise that sends your heart racing. “I’d be disappointed if you were.”

Colossus (Piotr Rasputin):

Piotr Rasputin was as gentle as he was strong. His towering, metal-clad form gave him an imposing presence, but you knew better than anyone that beneath the gleaming steel exterior was a heart of gold. Today, he was busy lifting crates in the garage, preparing for a mission with the X-Men. You watched him from across the room, admiring the way his metal muscles flexed with every effortless movement.

His back was to you as he carried one of the crates, and you couldn’t resist. With a mischievous smirk, you crept up behind him and gave his metal butt a solid smack. The loud clang of your hand meeting his metal hide was oddly satisfying, and you couldn’t help but giggle.

Piotr froze in place, the crate still balanced on one shoulder. Slowly, he turned his head to look at you over his massive shoulder, his silver face full of surprise. His steel-blue eyes blinked a few times, clearly processing what had just happened.

"Did you just… hit me?" His thick Russian accent carried a mix of amusement and confusion.

You grinned up at him, crossing your arms. "Sure did. What are you gonna do about it, big guy?"

Piotr set the crate down with a heavy thud and turned to fully face you, towering above you like a mountain of metal. A soft chuckle rumbled from his chest, and he shook his head, a playful smile spreading across his face.

"You are very bold, my love," he said, his voice deep and warm. He took a step closer, and even though he was metal, there was a tenderness in his movements. His massive hands reached out and rested gently on your hips, his fingers surprisingly gentle against your body.

"But be careful," he teased, lowering his voice. "If you start something… you may not be able to finish it."

You raised an eyebrow, meeting his playful challenge with a grin. "Oh, I think I can handle it."

Piotr chuckled again, his hands tightening slightly on your hips as he leaned down, his towering form enveloping you. His lips brushed against your forehead, a soft metallic kiss that sent a shiver down your spine.

"We shall see," he murmured, his breath warm despite his steel skin.

Charles Xavier:

Charles Xavier, the brilliant mind behind the X-Men, had always captivated you with his wisdom and charm. Though bound to his wheelchair, his mental prowess and calm demeanor always drew people to him, yourself included. You loved the quiet moments with him, where his sharp wit and gentle sense of humor made you forget the weight of the world.

It was a quiet afternoon in his study, the two of you enjoying a rare moment of peace. Charles was at his desk, reviewing files on potential new students, his brow furrowed in concentration. You watched him, a smile tugging at your lips as you admired the calm authority he exuded.

Feeling playful, you strolled up behind him. As you passed his wheelchair, you couldn’t resist giving his backside a light smack—just a gentle tap, but enough to break his concentration.

Charles’s hand paused mid-air over the files, and you saw the slightest flicker of surprise in his expression. Slowly, he turned his head to look at you, his sharp blue eyes filled with both amusement and curiosity.

"Did you just smack me?" His tone was calm, but there was a subtle smile playing at the corners of his lips.

You grinned down at him, leaning against the side of his desk. "Maybe I did. Are you going to reprimand me for it, Professor?"

His smile widened, and he raised a single eyebrow, the hint of a laugh escaping his lips. "That would require telepathic punishment, my dear."

You laughed, shaking your head. "Is that a threat or an offer?"

Charles placed the files down carefully, folding his hands in his lap as he looked up at you with a playful glint in his eyes. "I never make threats. Only promises."

He leaned back slightly in his chair, his gaze locking with yours. “But I should warn you—if you’re not careful, I may have to enter your mind and… change your attitude.”

The playful banter sent a thrill through you, and you bit your lip, feigning innocence. “You wouldn’t.”

Charles’s smile softened, and he tilted his head, his expression calm but full of affection. “No. I would never change anything about you, not even for a moment.”

His hand reached out and gently took yours, his touch warm and reassuring. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t get back at you in other ways.”

You grinned, knowing that even without his telepathy, Charles had plenty of ways to keep things interesting.

Beast (Hank McCoy):

Hank McCoy, was always buried in some kind of experiment in his lab. His brilliant mind and strong, furry blue body made for a striking combination, and over the years, you’d come to love both sides of him equally—the intellectual and the feral. Today, he was engrossed in yet another experiment, the scent of chemicals and the soft hum of machines filling the room.

You watched him from the doorway, his large blue frame hunched over a table, muttering to himself as he scribbled notes on a clipboard. His back was to you, and you couldn’t resist the mischievous urge bubbling inside you.

With a playful grin, you walked up behind him and gave his furry blue ass a firm smack. The sound was muffled by his thick fur, but the impact was enough to make him stop mid-sentence.

Hank straightened up immediately, his large, pointed ears twitching slightly as he turned his head to glance over his shoulder, his golden eyes wide with surprise. “Did… did you just swat me?” His voice held a mix of amusement and disbelief.

You crossed your arms and smiled sweetly at him. “Maybe I did. What are you gonna do about it, Dr. McCoy?”

Hank blinked a few times, his large, clawed hands still gripping the clipboard, before a slow grin spread across his face. He turned fully to face you, standing to his full towering height, and you could see the playful glint in his eyes.

“Well,” he rumbled, his voice deep and smooth, “I must say, this is certainly an unexpected interruption to my research.”

He took a step toward you, his large furry hand reaching out to gently cup your chin. “But if you wanted my attention, my dear, there are far more… civilized ways of asking for it.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, placing your hands on his broad chest, feeling the soft fur beneath your fingers. “And where’s the fun in that?”

Hank chuckled softly, his golden eyes gleaming with affection as he gazed down at you. “Ah, I see. A woman of action, not words.”

He leaned down, his warm breath brushing against your cheek as his voice dropped to a low, teasing whisper. “I should warn you, though… you may have unleashed a beast.”

You grinned up at him, biting your lip. “Is that a promise?”

Hank’s chuckle was deep and rumbling, and he leaned closer, his lips brushing against your ear. “Indeed, my love. Indeed.”

Polaris (Lorna Dane):

Lorna is in the middle of assembling something mechanical in the garage, her green hair pulled back into a messy ponytail as she concentrates on manipulating the metal parts with her powers. You watch her for a moment, admiring how easily she bends the metal to her will. With a mischievous grin, you decide to get her attention in your own way, walking by and giving her a light smack on the ass.

The metal pieces she was working on clatter to the floor as Lorna whips around, eyes wide with surprise. "Y/N!" she gasps, though there’s a growing smile on her lips. "Did you seriously just do that?"

You shrug, unable to hide your grin. "What? I couldn’t resist."

Lorna raises an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk as she steps closer, her fingers beginning to crackle with green energy. "You forget I can control metal, right?" she teases, playfully levitating a nearby wrench into the air, spinning it lazily in her hand. "I could trap you in a metal cocoon right now if I wanted to."

You chuckle, stepping toward her. "But you won’t," you say confidently, knowing she’s more amused than mad.

She narrows her eyes at you, her smirk widening. "Oh, really?" she says, her tone teasing but her powers very much under control. She playfully pulls you toward her with a slight magnetic force, her arms wrapping around your neck as she leans in close. "Just don’t think you’ll get away with that every time," she murmurs before pressing her lips to yours, the slight hum of her powers in the air adding a spark to the moment.

Magik (Illyana Rasputina):

Illyana stands in the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets, clearly looking for something. You watch her with a smile, enjoying her no-nonsense attitude that contrasts with her ethereal, otherworldly beauty. As she reaches for something on the top shelf, you can’t help but walk by and give her a quick smack on the ass, a playful grin on your face.

She freezes, her hand still in the cabinet, and you can practically feel the shift in energy as she turns her head to look at you, her eyes glowing faintly with power. "Y/N," she says, her voice low, almost a warning. "Do you really want to test me like that?"

You chuckle, shrugging casually. "Just thought I’d see what happens."

Illyana steps down from the counter and turns to face you fully, her sword suddenly materializing in her hand in a flash of light. "You’re playing a dangerous game," she says with a wicked smile, her eyes filled with mischief. "I could teleport you to Limbo in an instant, you know."

You step closer, undeterred by her threat, knowing she enjoys the back-and-forth as much as you do. "And yet, I’m still standing here."

Her grin widens, and the sword disappears just as quickly as it appeared. "Maybe because I like having you around," she admits softly, stepping closer until she’s right in front of you, her fingers brushing your arm. "But don’t think I’ll let you get away with that easily."

Before you can respond, she pulls you into a kiss, her lips soft but commanding, a reminder of just how powerful she is and how lucky you are to have her by your side.

Domino (Neena Thurman):

Domino lounges on the couch, flipping through channels with a bored expression on her face. Her luck powers have a way of making life feel a little too easy sometimes, but you’ve always admired her laid-back attitude and sharp sense of humor. As you walk by, you decide to spice things up, giving her a playful smack on the ass as you pass.

Domino’s hand freezes on the remote, her mismatched eyes widening in surprise before she slowly turns to look at you. "Oh, so that’s how we’re playing today, huh?" she says, her voice dripping with amusement as she raises an eyebrow. "You’ve got some nerve, Y/N."

You chuckle, leaning against the back of the couch. "Just keeping things interesting."

Domino smirks, setting the remote down and shifting to sit up straight, her gaze locked on you. "Well, you just made things very interesting, sweetheart," she says, standing up and sauntering toward you with that confident, swaggering stride that makes your pulse quicken.

She stops right in front of you, her fingers tracing lightly along your arm. "You know, with my luck, I could turn this around on you in a heartbeat," she teases, her smirk growing wider. "But I think I’ll let you off the hook…for now."

Before you can respond, she grabs the front of your shirt and pulls you in for a kiss, her lips firm and full of playful energy. "Just don’t get too comfortable," she murmurs against your lips, pulling back slightly to give you a teasing grin. "Next time, I might not be so nice."

Dazzler (Alison Blaire):

Alison is sitting in front of her vanity, adjusting her makeup for the show she’s performing later. Her iconic silver jumpsuit glitters under the soft lights, and as she hums quietly to herself, she’s completely engrossed in her preparations. You smile, watching her for a moment, before deciding to stir things up a little. As you walk by, you casually smack her on the ass.

Alison lets out a surprised laugh, her brush slipping from her hand as she turns around to face you. "Y/N!" she says, her voice a mix of playful shock and amusement. "What do you think you’re doing?"

You grin, leaning against the doorframe. "Just appreciating the view."

She raises an eyebrow, a smirk forming on her lips as she turns back to the mirror. "Appreciating the view, huh? Well, next time maybe you could ask nicely."

She finishes touching up her makeup before standing and crossing the room toward you, her hips swaying just a little extra as she walks. "But you know," she says, her voice dropping slightly, "I can give you something even better to appreciate."

Alison steps up to you, her hands resting lightly on your chest as she looks up at you with a teasing smile. "But you’ve got to earn it, babe," she adds, her fingers trailing down your arm in a slow, deliberate motion. "You think you can handle that?"

Her playful challenge makes your heart race, and as she leans in to kiss you softly, her lips warm and sweet, you know that with Alison, there’s never a dull moment.

[brucewaynehater101]

I have a spooky Tim au that I think you would like.

Tim is not human and has never been. He knows this. His "parents" know this. The rouges know this. However, none of the Bats but one know this. When around the Bats, Tim looks like a Normal Human. His skin is pale but does look like flesh and his eyes are weirdly pale but they still look like eyes. His hair has a weird texture but its prob just his shampoo, so surely the slightly off texture in how his skin feels is just his lotion, right? His teeth are a bit sharp but still human teeth and his movements a bit odd, but what Bat doesn't move strangely?

However when they aren't around, it is a totally different story. His skin changes to look like porcelain and his eyes are so very clearly made of painted glass. His hair is made of string and twine died black and when its fist or foot lands a blow it feels like being hit by a sand bag and not flesh and bone. His teeth are made of shards of broken glass and his movements are far to Jerry yet smooth, like a puppet on strings that glides through the air in a horrible mimicry of walking. This Thing that wears the Robin Suit is Not a human, as long as it isn't around Batman or Nightwing. When either are there, The Rouges can see the shift. The way it suddenly looks so *human*. But once Batman leaves it shifts back into being a *thing*.

Tim is only a Thing when he is either scaring the rouges or Truly Comfortable. Young Justice knows that Tim is not a human and he doesn't hide it from them. There is never any fight about his civilian identity because he freely tells them, "I am a Thing made from Glass and Sand and Fabric and Magic. He is not a Person nor has he ever Been A Person. He is not some poor sap who was transformed into a Thing, he is a Thing that was created and then given life with Magic.

As for how Jack and Janet acquired a Thing like Tim, well. They're archeologists. They dug up an old tomb, found a coffin that was chained closed and bolted to the ground and like every White Person In A Horror Movie, they opened it without a second thought. Inside they found an ancient, cursed doll. It came to life when Janet cut herself trying to clean off one of its broken glass eyes to get a better look and the blood fell on it. The pair then decided this was a lot easier than child birth and kept the cursed doll, naming it Tim.

My gods. I love the ending of this cause it gives off the same vibes as "humans will adopt anything" tropes in space travel fiction.

I have one caveat with the Bats not knowing. I hc that Cass knows. Tim's body language is too strange for her not to notice something.

Everything else? Beautiful. It would be hilarious if people keep trying to tell the Bats. Here's a possible scene:

Goon: *points finger at Tim* "That thing beside you isn't human!"

Tim: *fakes having his shoulders drop as he turns slightly away in dejection*

Dick: *absolute fury as he beats up the goon*

Tim: *decides not to get revenge after seeing what Nightwing does to the person*

or

Rogue: "I'm telling ya, whatever he is got string hair, porcelain skin, and doll like movements to him."

Batman: *hums, takes them out, proceeds to Batcave*

Tim: "What's up, B?"

Bruce: "[] said that you look different when we're not around you."

Tim: *tilts his head* "I mean, I like playing up the rumors that the Bats are cryptids, demons from hell, spirits, or whatever when I can. I add effects to my costume to increase the spook factor."

Bruce: *nods and turns away to end the conversation for now*

Tim: *makes plots to ruin that rogue's life for a bit as revenge and a message*

I'm curious how wounds and scars look on Tim's porcelain skin. How does he heal? Does he even have a spleen?

I'm also down for two avenues:

Jason doesn't know like the rest of the Bats. After they start to become close to each other, Jason retaliates against folk who try to demean Tim. He tries to hide the comments from Tim until he learns that the teen finds it funny and ramps up the rumors on purpose. Then he switches to pulling pranks on people with Tim to create more wild theories and gossip.

Jason finds out at TT, and Tim ensures no one actually believes Jason. Perhaps he even starts the notion that Jason was affected by the Pit. It drives Jason bonkers that no one is trusting him or accepting his words for what they are.

[diettwistup]

HALF OF YOU

PAIRINGS: tashi duncan x f!oc, art donaldson x f!oc, patrick zweig x f!oc

SUMMARY: No matter how bright Tashi Duncan shined, her best friend, Milan Mikaelson, wasn’t far behind. Though seeming to be second best, Milan would never let that define her career. Holding as much fame as Tashi, Milan encountered Patrick Zweig and Art Donaldson. Would this encounter change the trajectory of her life, and would her relationship with Tashi Duncan be completely altered from it?

WARNINGS: challengers spoilers, reader is milan mikaelson, sexual situations, potential smut, language, angst, plot alterations.

WC: 482

NOTES: hey! this is my first story, so pls be gentle LOL. still learning my way around posting on tumblr, so would love to learn tips and tricks! i decided to write this out of boredom and a severe hyper fixation. wanted to test the waters and just post the intro to toe the line! i hope you all enjoy! 💋

INTRODUCTION: NOTHING CAN BE KEPT FROM ME

CHALLENGERS TOURNAMENT, NEW ROCHELLE - 2019, 1:00 PM

The sun beating down brutally on my skin must have had a death wish for me. Sitting on these uncomfortable bleachers, my designer dress stuck to my thighs, and my feet burned in my red-bottomed heels.

The top of my head burned from both the sun’s rays and all the crowd members shooting feeble glances at me and the person sitting to my left.

Pulling down my expensive sunglasses, my eyes moved back and forth quickly at the match in front of me.

Patrick Zweig versus Art Donaldson. Never thought I’d see this again in all my existence.

Sighing, I brushed my hair out of my face and leaned to my left to whisper to the person sitting next to me.

“Tash, Patrick’s gotten pretty good…” I observed as I turned to her and stared through my tilted sunglasses.

She only responded by crossing her arms and curtly nodding, too engrossed in the game to give a damn about my observation.

Reaching my hand up to my mouth, I bit one of my perfectly manicured nails and turned my attention back to the match at hand.

Studying both boys' motions, my eyes stayed trained on the net separating them. I truly don’t know who I wanted to win. Too many factors were clouding my mind and inflicting my sense of judgment.

Sucking on my teeth I trailed my eyes over to Art Donaldson. My best friend's husband. Complicated situation there and I couldn’t be bothered to give two fucks.

Yeah, right…

Shifting my gaze, my eyes landed on Patrick Zweig. A forgotten piece in my and Tashi’s puzzle.

An untrue assumption.

“Fuck…” Tashi cursed under her breath and snapped me out of my thoughts. When I looked up, I saw Patrick had just scored a point on Art.

Nodding in acceptance, I kept my eyes trained on Patrick, who ended up sharing the same gaze, a small smile on his face.

Giving him a curt nod I looked back over to Art, who had resorted to pacing to calm his nerves. Typical Art.

“It’s fine,” I mumbled, patting Tashi’s thigh as my eyes focused back on the net.

“It’s not,” She snapped and reached down to grip my hand. “He has to win…” She trailed off before pushing her sunglasses fully up on her face.

The only thing I could do was hum at this. I would never open my mouth to defy Tashi when it came to tennis… or Art.

Especially Art.

Looking back at Art, I noticed he was already looking toward Tashi and me but was staring at the wrong person. He was looking right at me, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t observe.

I nodded at him, lips pursed, as my mind clouded with two things.

I know every single terrible thing Tashi Duncan has done to betray Art Donaldson, and Art Donaldson knows, too.

[latinasforace]

Hidden feelings

A/N: Update!!!! Finally!!!! So so sorry for the long wait on updating… i got rlly busy irl & hit writers block as well. I also want to mention how this chapter and the story from now on will change, I was getting sick of my writing style kinda and the personality I was giving Y/N, so i’ll try to slowly implant the change. Thanks!

warnings: curse words! & typical Mean girl Boa Hancock but i can’t help it ;; she’s so Regina George coded. ugh i love them both. also

pairing: Luffy x Fem Reader

w/c: 2.5k…. ik so short <\3

previous part: here

Chapter 3: Cruel

Time flew as you became more and more closer to Luffy and his friend group. Warming up to you and you to them as well. Not just was their influence impacting you and your confidence, you finally had a sense of belonging in this place .

After certain events last year, you serious considered transferring schools. Losing the few friendships and such an important person to you, just to be replaced by all of them in less than a month, teared your little heart. The only factor preventing you from asking your parents to transfer you, which they wouldn’t have minded at all considering you never bother them for anything ever, was the scholarship you were guaranteed to obtain if you graduated from Grand Line Academy.

The heart break was devastating but you also couldn’t allow yourself to throw all your hard work and efforts, making them be in vain for some stupid jerk who couldn’t appreciate you.

You were glad you didn’t make the decision to transfer.

For too long, you had been trapped in a cycle of loneliness and depression, hurting over the memories of your past relationship. It had been a dark period, filled with endless days of feeling isolated and unseen. But now, with Luffy and your friends, your life had taken on a vibrant new hue.

“Hey, Y/N! Catch!" Luffy's voice broke through your thoughts, and you looked up just in time to see a soccer ball hurtling towards you. With a quick reflex, you caught it.

“Nice catch!" Usopp called out, giving you a thumbs up from where he was sprawled on the grass.

“Thanks," you replied, tossing the ball back to Luffy with a little more force than necessary, causing him to stumble. You laughed as he regained his balance, shooting you a playful glare.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and you all began to gather your things. As you walked back to the school building, You felt a nice warmth wave in your chest. This was what you been missing,this sense of belonging, of being part of something more than just by yourself.

In class, Luffy sat behind you, occasionally poking you with a pencil to get your attention. Nami, who sat next to you, would roll her eyes at his antics but couldn't hide her smile at how cute you guys would tease each other. Even the most mundane classes felt more bearable with one of more of your friends around.

You had blossomed in this new environment, your confidence growing each day. You were no longer the quiet, withdrawn girl from before. Now, you walked the halls with your head held high, your beauty and charisma catching attention as time went by.

After school, your adventures continued. Whether it was racing to the arcade, lounging at the beach, or simply hanging out at the local café, every day was filled with laughter and camaraderie. Zoro and Sanji’s constant bickering, Robin’s quiet yet comforting presence, and Chopper’s endearing innocence added to the lively tapestry of their lives. As well as the chaotic actions of the others.

One afternoon, as you were walking to the park, you decided to have a little fun. You stealthily moved behind Luffy and tugged on his hat, pulling it over his eyes. “Hey! Who turned out the lights?” Luffy exclaimed, flailing his arms around comically. You stealthily moved behind Luffy, then, with a swift motion, jumped onto his back, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. “Hey! What the—” Luffy exclaimed, stumbling slightly under the unexpected weight.

“Gotcha,” You laughed, your breath warm against his ear. you held on tight, feeling the solid muscles of his shoulders and the warmth of his body.

Luffy grinned, his hands coming up to hold your legs for support. “You’re gonna pay for that, Y/N!” he declared, his voice full of playful threat.

“Oh yeah? How?” you teased, leaning closer, your lips brushing against his ear as you whispered.

Luffy’s face turned a slight shade of red, but he kept his grin. “Like this!” With a sudden movement, he shifted your weight, sending you both tumbling to the ground in a fit of laughter.

As you reached the park, the group spread out, some heading for the swings, others setting up an playing soccer on the side. You, still giggling from your little teasing on Luffy, felt a surge of happiness. You were becoming more known throughout the school now, not just for your looks, but for your lively spirit and newfound confidence.

“Y/N’s really changed huh,”Nami said, joining Robin on a bench, who was calming looking over some musical sheets.

“Yeah,” Robin agreed, her eyes on you and Luffy as he tried to balance on a seesaw. “She’s out of her shell.”

Nami smiled, squeezing Robin’s arm to regain her attention back. “So you will not guess what happened yesterday when Vivi came over…”

Their days continued—filled with silly hangouts, spontaneous adventures, and the normalcy of high school life. You knew there would be some challenges ahead, especially academic ones but with Luffy and your friends support, you felt ready. For the first time in a long while, you were truly happy.

The halls of the school were unusually quiet as you made your way back to class, having spent the past hour helping a teacher with some errands. You enjoyed the occasional solitude. Your thoughts were still on the fun had y’all shared earlier in the park, your mind filled with Luffy’s laughter and the warmth of his embrace.

As you rounded a corner, your peace was disturbed. Standing in the middle of the hallway, leaning against a row of lockers, was Boa Hancock. Known for her stunning beauty and equally sharp tongue, Hancock was probably the most known girl in the entire school, mostly for glamorous looks, destined for a future in modeling. Honestly you might’ve had a slight crush on her during your freshman year. You didn’t know if it was a sense of desiring her or having admiration for her beauty. Nethertheless, it went away as you silently noted her really rude behavior once or twice before.

She fixed you with a piercing gaze, her eyes filled with a mixture of disdain and something else—jealousy, perhaps?

“Oh my god! if it isn’t the girl who can’t keep her hands off my man," Hancock sneered, pushing off the lockers and sauntering over, her movements graceful and calculated.

You straightened, your confidence momentarily faltering under Hancock’s scrutiny. "Excuse me?” you answered back, trying to keep your tone neutral.

Hancock crossed her arms, looking you up and down with critical eyes. “You’ve been getting pretty cozy with Luffy, haven’t you? It’s pathetic how you throw yourself at him. You look so desperate.

You bristled at the insinuation but kept your composure. "Um. We’re just friends."

Hancock’s lips curved into a mocking smile. "Friends? From where I’m standing, it looks like you’re acting like a total slut. Especially since I’m dating him."

You felt a cold chill run down your spine at Hancock’s words. You opened your mouth to retort but found yourself momentarily speechless. The accusation stung, but what hit harder was the claim that Hancock was dating Luffy. You knew Luffy could be oblivious, but could he really have hidden something like that from you? And why did he always refer to Hancock as just a friend? You didn’t know whether that was true or not, but a wave of reality struck you and made you insanely guilty for having made moves or touches with him before.

“Don’t look so surprised," Hancock continued, her voice softening slightly but not losing its edge. "Luffy deserves better than some desperate girl who doesn’t know her place."

Your hands clenched into fists at your sides. You took a deep breath, steadying yourself. "I don’t know what you think you’ve seen, Hancock, but I’ve never thrown myself at Luffy. We’re just friends. And if he hasn’t mentioned you, maybe you should ask yourself why."

Hancock’s eyes flashed with anger, but before she could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the hall. You turned to see Nami and Zoro coming towards you, their expressions immediately hardening when they saw the two of your speaking.

“Hey Y/N, Hancock.” Nami greeted, stepping in, kind of protectively beside you.

“Just having a friendly chat," Hancock said smoothly, though her eyes never left Y/N’s. "Remember what I said, Y/N.”

With that, Hancock turned on her heel and walked away, her gorgeous long black hair swaying elegantly behind her. You watched her go, a mixture of anger and confusion churning in your chest. Why would Luffy not mention dating Hancock if it was true? And why did he always talk about Hancock as if she were just a good friend?

Nami placed a comforting hand on your shoulder. “Hey what happened? Was she bothering or something.”

“No, it’s fine. She didn’t do anything to me. But I’m so confused. Are her and Luffy actually dating?”

Nami and Zoro exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter. You frowned, feeling a mix of confusion and irritation.

“Seriously? She said that?" Zoro managed to say between chuckles.

Nami wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh, Y/N, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Luffy doesn’t give a damn about dating. He’s as oblivious as they come."

You bit your lip. "So, they’re not dating?"

“Not even close," Nami confirmed, still smiling. "Hancock might like to think she’s dating Luffy, but trust me, he’s completely unaware of it."

Zoro leaned back against the lockers, shaking his head. "Luffy’s got his mind on food and soccer. Romance isn’t even on his radar. She’s delusional and she thinks they’re dating because of this one time they—“

“And honestly, Y/N, you might be a little delusional too. Luffy friend-zoned Hancock harshly a long time ago without even knowing he did." Nami interrupted while slamming Zoro’s arm harshly

You were confused at the remark but felt a wave of relief and a twinge of embarrassment. "I guess I got a bit carried away," you admitted, your face warming.

Nami patted your shoulder reassuringly. "Don’t worry about it. Hancock likes to stir up shit all the time, just a drama queen. And honestly, Luffy’s clueless. He only thinks of her as a friend."

With that reassurance, you felt a bit more at ease. Whatever Hancock’s motives are, you knew you have your friends with you and that Luffy’s obliviousness wasn’t personal. It was just part of who he was.

Zoro nodded. “if she’s really dating Luffy, I’m a monkey’s uncle."

You managed a weak smile at that. "Haha, okay then.”

As you walked back to class together though, you couldn’t help but replay Hancock’s words in her mind.

While you do have a small (not really..) crush on Luffy, were you really throwing yourself that much at him?

Her words made you insecure. Is that what you look like? DESPERATE?

You sighed. You haven’t told anyone yet about your little crush on the particular silly dude, well besides your private small social media audience, but you were worried. Like, was it really that obvious?

You also noted Nami and Zoro’s words from before and their implications, “you might be a little delusional too.” and the “you got nothing to worry about.” Did they know already? You mentally groaned, trying to drown out the heavy embarrassment you felt.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. You couldn’t focus in class, your mind tangled in a mess of thoughts and the new insecurity of being interpreted as “desperate” and touchy. When the final bell rang, you quickly gathered your things and headed for the spot where you knew your friends would be hanging out with the rest of the crew. A little feeling of just distancing yourself and taking a different route than normal arising though. You felt a pang of longing mixed with uncertainty. You liked Luffy a lot but didn’t want to weird him out or come across as desperate.

You greeted everyone with a smile but found yourself lingering on the outskirts of the group. You laughed at their jokes and joined in the conversation, but you made a conscious effort to keep yourinteractions with Luffy to a minimum.

Luffy, as usual, seemed oblivious to the subtle shift. He glanced at you a few times, his brow furrowing in brief confusion, but quickly brushed it off, focusing back on the group’s antics.

Sanji noticed your quieter demeanor and gave you a concerned look. "You alright, Y/N?" he asked, handing you a snack he had saved.

You forced a smile. "Yeah, I’m good. Just tired, I guess."

Sanji nodded, though he didn’t seem entirely convinced. "If you need anything, I’m here for you.

As you continued their walk, you couldn’t help but feel the distance growing between you and Luffy, not physically but emotionally. It was hard pretending everything was normal when all you wanted was to be close to him. But you resolved to play it cool, hoping that, in time, things would fall into place.

-

Things did not fall into place following. Infact, they got ultimately worse. Your peace had been disturbed by cruel girls who didn’t have anything better to do with their lives than make other people’s worse.

With Hancock’s words creating insecurities and adding distance to you and Luffy’s relationship over the past following weeks, she took the initiative to get closer to him.

Although the rest of the gang weren’t particularly fond of her, especially Nami and Robin, whom Hancock felt threatened by for some reason. They still withstood her presence since she was a friend’s of Luffy.

Hancock didn’t even acknowledge your presence and even made mocking intimate moves on Luffy, you assumed it was to get a reaction out of you, and Luffy being completely clueless and instead, following along.

It really irritated you, especially with learning that they’re actually rather close friends due to Hancock helping Luffy in a very difficult situation involving his older brother, whom you also never heard about until right now.

After learning of those facts, you zoned out all other thoughts and continued your studying with Chopper instead of involving in conversation. Studying and being on top of your studies was the only way to distract yourself from the boiling, almost spilling over jealousy brewing inside of you.

You acknowledge that you and Luffy were just simply good friends, but it hurt, knowing that such a stunning girl, someone who you had no competition to compete with, also harbored the same feeling as you for him. Even more with the intimacy they shared, I mean she has had to already met his family if she knows his older brother. Meanwhile, you have no idea what his life is life outside of school, soccer and the hang outs. It’s almost like you had no chance now.

That wasn’t what made matters worse, however. It was the fact that you didn’t realize that Hancock Boa and another certain green haired snake bitch were good friends.

It was a few days ago when you were heading to the courtyard where you usually met up with the gang during lunch now that the weather’s nicer. You were looking forward to some of Sanji’s homemade dishes again until you noticed the 2 girls walking ahead of you.

Boa Hancock and Monet were walking together, attached to the hip, by the fountain, chatting animatedly. The sight made your stomach drop.

"Since when are those two friends?" you muttered under your breath, ducking behind a nearby tree to observe them. It wasn’t long before you pieced two and two together. Your stomach dropped coming up with the conclusion that Monet, whom was close friends with your ex-boyfriend , could possible have shared everything about your harsh and private situation with Hancock. The worst.

Your heart pounded in your chest as the realization sank in. If Monet had told Hancock, it was only a matter of time before it became hot gossip for the entire school.

As you approached the usual meeting spot, your mind raced with anxiety. What if Hancock used that information against her? What if she tells the others and they believe her without knowing your side of the story? What if Luffy thinks differently of you? thoughts were almost too much to bear. You were sick to your stomach, you headed out of the garden and on to the nurses office, where you skipped class and remained for the rest of the day in. Texting the others and apologizing for not being with them, stating you felt nauseous and puked earlier.

Those thoughts didn’t stop, provoking you and making you over think nonstop, even more. It wasn’t until you were at home, ready for bed, after hours of lying there staring at the ceiling that your eyes finally got tired, did the thoughts stop.

It was saturday morning, and no school to remind you of your previous overthinking from before. While the light stomach feeling was there, you brushed it off and continued with your morning routine of eating breakfast with your family and brushing your teeth.

You opened your phone with multiple texts from your friend’s Group chat and some seperate texts from Nami asking if you’re feeling better & if you’re gonna tag along with them as well as what you’re gonna wear.

Your friends had planned to meet up later at this new sushi place they opened up near the area. You felt bad for ditching yesterday during lunch so you gathered up the courage to get out of bed and fix yourself up to go.

Much to your dismay, Hancock was already there, sitting in the bus stop booth with a smug look on her face. You didn’t know who invited her since there was no notification or record that she was invited to the group chat, where all the details of the meet up are in, but you lightly cursed them.

"Y/N," Hancock greeted, her tone dripping with false sweetness. "I see you’re gonna be bothering us today."

You forced a smile. "Hey, Hancock. Waiting for the others?"

"Yes," Hancock replied, her smile turning sharp. "And it looks like we are alone right now. I was meaning to let you know something.”

Your stomach churned. "About what?"

Hancock took a step closer, her eyes narrowing. "About how you should be ashamed of yourself."

Your breath hitched. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on, Y/N. Don’t play dumb," Hancock sneered. "I know everything about what happened with your ex. You really think you deserve someone like Luffy after that mess?"

Your heart sank. So, it happened. Monet had shared the details of YOUR breakup with Hancock. You felt a wave of anger and betrayal wash over you. “That’s none of your business, Hancock."

"None of my business?" Hancock echoed with a mocking laugh. "Please. It’s everyone’s business when you’re trying to worm your way into Luffy’s life. You don’t deserve him. If you cheated once, you’ll do it again. and Luffy doesn’t deserve a whore.”

You digged your nails into your palms, struggling to keep your composure. "You don’t know the whole story or the truth.”

"Maybe not," Hancock conceded, "but I know enough. And so will everyone else if you don’t back off from Luffy."

At that moment, the rest of the crew started to arrive, their laughter and chatter filling the air. Hancock’s expression shifted back to its usual charm, playing innocent and unaware, leaving you fuming and on edge.

As the group gathered, Luffy noticed your tense demeanor. "Hey, Y/N, you okay?"

You forced another smile, not wanting to worry him. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just a long day."

But inside, you were reeling. Hancock’s words had struck a nerve, and now you had to figure out what would you even tell your friends, Luffy, if it is that they hear Hancock’s words without your explanation.

a/n: hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!! Would’ve been a lot LOT much longer but it’s rlly late rn for me and I have my first day of work tmr so…. I’ll try to update soon. Thank you

[twice-inamillion]

The Company

Interlude 1

Smut and Story Building 

1,185 Words

(A small timeskip. Will be introducing some new characters and imporant events) 

It’s been a couple of months since you and Jessica hooked up. The weekend was one of many nights that the two of you spent together. At first, she made the excuse of visiting IU and Taeyeon and would try to get a quick one before meeting them. You know her trick and obviously didn’t reject the offer. Instead, you made sure to pump a load or two before she left to meet her friends. 

————

With two confirmed groups for the company, you took some time to get to know them without exposing your position as CEO. You came up with a false position as a trainer/staff to better know some of the trainees before their official debut. 

Your assistants were fine with the idea since it gave you a chance to be involved in their bi-weekly evaluation process, but not most felt that way. There were some staff that were a bit stressed by your presence by having the CEO breathing down their back. You assured them that they could act normally and that your focus was on the trainees.

After the first week, their stress disappeared due to how involved you were with the trainees. They enjoyed watching you become a backup dancer, even cheering you as you took off your shirt. 

“Wow, such a hot body!”

You turned around to catch the person who yelled that but only saw the girls holding their laugh. 

“Alright, let’s end this here. Good job, girls,” says one of the female trainers. 

You return to the seats and grab a towel to wipe yourself off. Through the large room-sized mirror, you see someone eyeing you, biting her lip as you dry your face. 

“Jennie unnie, let’s go. We need to head out and get to class,” says the girl next to her. The girls gather their bags and rush out the door. 

“CEO nim, sorry for the rude comment the girls made. I’ll talk to them later today,” says the female trainer.

“Don’t worry about it. They’re just being playful. No harm done.”

“Thank you for being so understanding.”

“Also, what's the girl’s name again?” pretending not to know her.

“Her name is Kim Jennie, aka Jennie.”

Later that day, while waiting in the cafeteria line, you get a feeling of someone eyeing you and notice it’s Jennie sitting across the room with four other girls. You grab your food, take your tray to an empty table, and begin eating. That feeling of someone watching you continues throughout lunch, even as you pass by them to return your tray. 

You change your outfit, return to your office, and pull up the group’s file:

Group A:

Kim, Jisoo

Kim, Jennie

Cho, Miyeon

Park, Chaeyoung 

Manobal, Lisa

Group B:

Irene

Kang Seulgi

Son Wendy

Park Joy

You look at Jennie’s file and see numerous comments stating that she has an ‘It girl” factor based on her looks, language, rapping skills, and stage presence. Many state they have hopes for her in the group. You look at her pictures and videos from her evaluations and can’t help but want to get to know her. After much thinking, you decide to make her your new toy as you close her file.

————

You leave the practice room, walk towards the hallways, and see Irene. You stop, look through the window slot, and see her together with her future girl group. You watch as she stands in front of the group, plays the music, and gets into formation. 

“They’re good. Irene chose some good members.” 

You take out your phone and take a quick snap but forget to turn off the flash; Irene turns her head and sees your apologetic face. She runs to the door and opens it, yelling at you to go away. You run and turn the corner, laughing out loud as some of the staff members look at you with worried expressions, as they have never seen the CEO act this way. 

————-

Throughout the next week weeks, you notice Jennie throughout the company or calling you to move some furniture around when the rest of the members are not around, and you’re surprised by the way she talks to you so comfortably, “Oppa, can you move that over there? Is to heavy for me” as she pouts. “Sure, don’t worry about it” carrying some heavy boxes from one corner of the living room and into another. You tell yourself that you shouldn’t have played the staff role since you’ve been busy recently, but you can’t blow your cover, so instead, you suck it up for a bit longer. 

“Here, that’s it. Anything else?”

“No.” She comes close to you and touches your biceps, “You’re so strong, oppa. Do you work out a lot?”

“I do work out a bit here and there” as you flex your muscles. She claps and says, “Wow, does that mean you’re strong?”

You pick her front her waist with much ease, making her yelp from the surprise, and say, “Wait, what are you doing?” You spin her around once, then hear the door open and see the other four members enter the apartment. Immediately, you put her down, and the both of you pretend that nothing happened, but the girls see Jennie’s reaction and can’t help but laugh. 

“Alight, I’ll take my leave if there is nothing else for me to do.” 

“Jennie, don’t you want to say goodbye to oppa?”

Jennie turns red and covers her face from the teasing of her members as you exit their apartment. 

—————

You get a phone call and see that it's from Jessica. When you answer the phone, you can hear her upset, almost crying. “Jessica, what’s wrong?” There is a short silence and a cry until she finally speaks up, “Can you pick me up?” Worried you let her know that you’ll be there in a couple of minutes in front of her apartment. 

When you arrive, you see that she is waiting by the entrance of the building with a small suitcase and bag. She comes in a hurry, so you quickly open the door and load her items inside. You arrive at your apartment and settle her things down; you offer her something to drink as she sits on the couch. “Would you like something to drink?” She gives it some thought and eventually says, “I think I’ll go for a tea.” You’re surprised by her choice since she normally gets some wine whenever she visits. 

You hand over the drink and sit next to her, asking her what’s wrong and why she’s so upset. She breaks down and says repeatedly that it’s not fair. “What do you mean by it’s not fair? What happened?”

“The company and the girls are kicking me out of the group.” 

“What? Why?”

Jessica stands up and undoes her thick coat, revealing a small bump. In a panic, you say, “Are you…”

She nods and says, “Yes, I’m pregnant.”