#archenemy dynamics

[arceespinkgun]

One thing I really love about the UK Marvel continuity is how it handled Decepticon leadership. All of the leaders were so unique and well-defined characters! There are so many civil wars among the Decepticons that I actually lost count. I think they each show different aspects of Decepticon culture, too. In this post I wanted to showcase the leaders and discuss why I really enjoyed the way they were portrayed!

Megatron: used to be the equivalent of an Olympic athlete. Started the War by preying on political unrest caused by preexisting tensions between the city-states, an aging Autobot council who wouldn't listen to their one radical voice (Emirate Xaaron), and a lack of resources. He started the War with a plan to equip giant engines to Cybertron to pilot it around the universe to conquer other planets lol Megatron is a dictatorial strongman at heart, and his major trait seems to be his indomitable will. No matter who tries to brainwash him or how embarrassed he ought to be by his defeats and stupid mistakes, he keeps going shamelessly.

Shockwave: used to be the ruler of Tarn, and constantly tries to take leadership from Megatron, probably missing the control he had over his city-state. Has a brains vs. brawn dynamic with Megatron, but tends to get extremely frazzled when things don't go his way and don't follow his twisted, self-serving idea of what logic is. However, that doesn't mean he doesn't emote.

Starscream: used to be a figurehead dictator of Vos. Generally tries to backstab whoever's in power, which is probably informed by the fact that he wasn't #1 in his own city-state back before the War. Also, props to Starscream for killing more people than Unicron (the majority get repaired, but still)! Something I find interesting is that Megatron preyed on the war between Vos and Tarn, but usually Starscream and Shockwave work well together in present-day, which suggests the whole war thing was entirely about power and not personal. They're both also ultimately cowards out for themselves.

Soundwave frames Wild Rider when, of course, Soundwave had been the real traitor the whole time

Soundwave: this continuity has such a good version of Soundwave... unlike Starscream, whose treacherous actions are big and loud, Soundwave's treachery is quiet. He serves under nearly every leader and never faces the consequences of blackmailing and betraying any of them, until eventually he is left as the ultimate leader in at least one future timeline. He is such a snake!

Straxus: initially was the leader of the Decepticons while Megatron was on Earth. Despite only being leader for a short time, he leaves a lasting impression with his absolute brutality in the way he melts POWs down to make ingots, beats his own soldiers, and is obsessed with taking over Megatron's body. He also has lasting impacts on the story overall because the identity of Megatron becomes questionable due to Straxus's attempts to subjugate his mind with his own.

Ratbat: originally kinda like Straxus's Laserbeak, Ratbat takes over and becomes one of the most intelligent leaders! He used to be an auditor and his entire philosophy surrounds being as energy-efficient as possible. He even gives Shockwave a negative performance review LMAO Interestingly, he's positioned almost as more of an enemy to the Witwicky family than to the Autobots at times. He also likes to use his own enemies as test subjects and slaves. Eventually, though, his string of successes leads to him being too arrogant for his own good.

Scorponok: wow, I don't even know where to begin. Introduced as the archenemy of Fortress Maximus, he becomes a Headmaster commander by teaming up with the evil Nebulan politician, Zarak. Scorponok begins as a complete mess, with hilariously idiotic plans like using bubbles against his enemies or humiliating the Autobots by having his soldiers defeat them in wrestling matches... and on Earth, he and his soldiers live in a dump. Literally, they live in a dump. He also has more truces than battles with Optimus Prime as he comes to know him, never having seen him until Earth. But Scorponok's ineffectual villainy and eagerness to team up with the Autobots actually leads up to something, as it becomes clear that he actually wants what's best for all transformers but needed to be inspired by Optimus Prime's compassion and support to become confident enough to risk losing the Decepticons' respect and aim for peace. Scorponok (and Optimus) show the strength that lies in choosing to give up conflict and try for peace. In some ways, Scorponok is more like Optimus Prime than Optimus is in this continuity!

Thunderwing: really fascinating. At first he kinda comes across like a generic distillation of what a Decepticon leader is, with all the traits you'd expect of one, and he even takes a test to become one... not the norm given that it's usually backstabbing and civil war that decides who comes out on top. He also thinks he fails the test because he gets distracted by revenge, but then he passes because that proves he's a true Decepticon!!! It's Thunderwing's relationship with the Matrix that is especially interesting. He's obsessed with it, but it's the Matrix's own desire to have new experiences that's corrupting his mind and eventually possesses him. Thunderwing is actually honorable and it's his goodness that allows him to temporarily fight back against it. By current TF standards, Thunderwing would actually be a Prime, since he opened the Matrix, but the Matrix isn't benevolent here. It's more like a little kid that wants to learn by acting out, and Thunderwing is a casualty of that.

Decepticon leaders don't look like this anymore!

Megadeath: the reason Thunderwing is like That™️, and the reason five specific prominent Autobots are the way they are. I mention him because he only appears in a single story in one of the annuals, yet his actions were so unspeakably horrible (the Autobots he traumatized certainly thought so) that he's one of the most sadistic Decepticon leaders ever.

Galvatron: such a multi-faceted and cool villain, that I already made a whole post about him! Notable for his cunning, his fears, and the fact that he was made from at the very least both Megatron and Straxus.

Bludgeon: introduced as part of the Mayhem Attack Squad, which is the Decepticon equivalent of the Wreckers. Specifically, he's introduced hunting down former Mayhems for fraternizing with Wreckers! Bludgeon hates the possibility of peace and loves war, to a religious degree. He thinks he believes in honor, but to be honest, he really doesn't. He's also incredibly fake in that he will pretend to be all for peace just long enough for the Autobots to let their guards down. I'm impressed by how much I love to hate this character given how short Bludgeon's time on-panel was.

There are a few other minor ones that appear as well, so there are even more! I'd like to say that while it probably shouldn't be given that this was like... the first continuity ever, as a fan who became introduced to TF during the Aligned continuity, the way the Marvel UK stories approach Decepticon leadership is so refreshing.

One reason is that Megatron is not portrayed as special just by nature of being Megatron. Yes, he started the War and founded the Decepticons, but he's not given more respect from his troops or his enemies automatically, and he gets his shit rocked constantly. Shockwave's intro was to immediately beat him up and take over, and Megatron embarrasses himself constantly. That's not to say that Megatron isn't worthy of being a Decepticon leader, no—but it means he's often shown clawing his way back up and constantly battling legitimate threats to his position. As a fan, it made me respect him a lot more.

Another thing I appreciate is the way the Decepticons are humanized. There are a lot of blatantly evil ones, but there also many of them who have a sense of honor and goodness, and it's clear that both many Decepticons and Autobots feel stuck and don't even remember why the War started at this point. And even the Decepticons who lack compassion or honor have very understandable struggles, such as facing trauma and trying to overcome it.

Along with the above point is the way the story of Scorponok is handled. I love that Scorponok is a Decepticon leader who always secretly held values that align with Autobot values, but then he ended up stuck in this bloodthirsty culture and endless conflict where he felt like he couldn't do anything, and I love how this is slowly foreshadowed throughout the comic. His friendship with Optimus is also excellent. I really enjoyed how they didn't meet until Earth and slowly became friends as they continually teamed up against greater threats. I appreciate that the Decepticon leader who's best friends with Optimus isn't like... Megatron, who started the War. I feel like a lot of newer continuities make the War center on the falling-out of two friends, which I think is a ridiculous way to handle the conflict.

Speaking of Megatron and Optimus, I appreciate how this continuity just doesn't have a lot of the dynamics that are typically present regarding these Decepticons. Megatron and Optimus are definitely each other's oldest enemy, but their conflict is de-centered in the narrative and they never had a falling-out. Instead, they always disliked each other from before the War. It's actually Shockwave who becomes the nemesis of both Optimus and Megatron for many issues! A lot of Optimus's deepest trauma was inflicted by Shockwave. Also, Megatron and Starscream still have a conflict, but that conflict is rarely present. Starscream causes problems for everyone and is mainly linked to Shockwave for a long time. And as I said before, it's Optimus and Scorponok who become friends.

I think a lot of the approaches this continuity took with the Decepticons should be used in the future!

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

Any thoughts on Whumper being obsessed with Whumpee? 👀 it's such a fun dynamic that I feel isn't explored often enough

whumper being obsessed with whumpee — especially if they both are archenemies — is literally one of the superior tropes. ever.

I mean… can you tell I’m a huge fan of enemies to lovers trope lol (but since my comfort ship is also 2 characters who are canonically enemies where one of them is actually kind of obsessed with the other, I’m a little biased here).

whumper spending every waking minute thinking about whumpee (and how they hate them, of course)

whumper coming up with plans to capture whumpee

whumper not actually wanting whumpee to die, thus they’ll never “go too far” whenever they torture whumpee, because they know their life would be without a purpose if they lost whumpee. and whumpee can’t live without whumper, either — so whumper and whumpee can’t live without each other

whumper being extremely possessive of whumpee, in the sense that whumper is the only one who can hurt this idiot aka whumpee — if anyone else ever hurts whumpee, whumper will suddenly become whumpee’s caretaker who will burn the world down just to make whoever was foolish enough to hurt whumpee pay for what they did

also…. the sexual tension between whumper and their archenemy that is whumpee >>>>>>>>

[anakinskywalkerisfave]

Danny Phantom + TFLN

This show has the most entertaining archenemy dynamic.

[lesbiansanemi]

Okay actually, here are the only Bleach romance dynamics that matter

Urahara/Yoruichi except it’s strictly a friends with benefits situation while Yoruichi and Soi Fon are Divorced(TM) and Yoruichi and Soi Fon would go back to each other in a heartbeat if they actually Discussed Feelings

Grimmichi + Ichihime but specifically in a “Ah yes, me, my husband, and my husband’s six foot tall Hollow archenemy” type of way

Queerplatonic Ichiruki and queerplatonic Renruki. Rukia has two hands but neither of them are for romance, they’re for holding onto Ichigo and Renji’s backpack leashes

Yumichika/Ikkaku but specifically Yumichika is a homophobic gay and Ikkaku is convinced they’re just “guys being dudes”

Harribel/Nel but Harribel’s lesbian harem (Mila Rose, Sung Sung, and Appachi) are deeply in love with Harribel and pine after her in increasingly wet and pathetic ways

Aizen/Urahara but Aizen is just pissed he’s in love with Urahara and Urahara is completely oblivious while Yoruichi is eating popcorn

Renji/Uryu wherein they started making out when they were left alone one time and have no idea why and will never tell anyone

Orihime/Tatsuki wherein they were together the whole series and everything was resolved much quicker with Tatsuki around because she actually has a brain

Gin/Rangiku and everything is exactly the same as in canon except Rangiku was given the opportunity to punch him at least once

Basically romance in Bleach only works if it, and everyone involved, is supremely stupid

[sankatsuka]

Takasugi really feels like the embodiment of a character who's literally the enemy of the entire narrative... The narrative painted him as Gintoki's archenemy who rightfully harbours anger and hatred for him for his actions in the past and turning a blind eye, but it turns out Takasugi was actually angry at himself and couldn't stand seeing Gintoki cry.

There's how Gintoki and Hijikata have strongly contrasting designs and compatible personalities, as if hinting at how their dynamic would likely have a strong role in the overall narrative... And Takasugi was just the toxic yaoi ex who Hijikata was meant to replace. Only for Takasugi to entirely take Hijikata out of the picture and leave Hijikata pathetically tailing the two of them in Silver Soul arc.

And if Takagin really is romantically implied... You can interpret "wait for me in hell" as Takasugi getting Gintoki to promise that the only person he would belong to and go home to is Takasugi alone. Tsukuyo had commented that Gintoki is the type who can't belong to one place and it's why there is no romance in the story - and Takasugi destroyed that.

Takasugi destroyed all the allegations and tropes against him that were established at the very start. The way this iconic line is unironically true... Takasugi is the troll to Gintama that trolls everyone. Takasugi is the enemy of the entire Gintama universe.

He's so terrible he won't even make his character clear to the audience... Best boy BTW.

[bhilasar]

I was thinking about how Henry/001/Vecna is foil to our protagonist trio in different ways. Will and El are more obvious, but he's also there to contrast with Mike.

Henry (the human) vs. Will

They have similarities, like being described as sensitive and creative kids, and how they were target since childhood for being different. If Will was indeed born with powers, that's on more similarities between them. However, they contrast each other with how they themselves and their families/friends dealt with their differences. Light Wizard vs. Dark Wizard.

001 (the experiment) vs. 011

They suffered on Brenner's hand but ended up choosing to use their telekinetic powers in opposite ways. El realized it's love that makes her the most powerful, meanwhile 001 uses hate to fight.

Vecna (the monster) vs. Mike

This one is more nebulous, but Mike has been ruining Vecna's plans since the beginning, so I think the connection is there. Since he's "the heart", "the leader" and "the paladin", I think they have kinda a pretty solid archenemies dynamic. Also, meanwhile Vecna target people by bringing up people's insecurities and darkness, Mike bring up the best in people to save them. (Maybe a possible parallel between the Wheelers and the Creels "perfect" nuclear family?)

That's why I think Mike being targeted next season is pretty likely. Will and El were already directly victimized by Vecna. Mike is the only one of the trio that wasn't targeted yet, and he is very important to the other two and to the Party as a whole.

In the end, the development and relationship of our three main characters will defeat and give closure to all the layers of our villain. Henry/001/Vecna is a non conformist who wants to destroy and conquer the world. Our main characters are non conformists who want to transform and find their places in the world.

[danothan]

it’s a shame that my arcane phase fizzled out so quickly bc the overlap between jayce and barry makes such an obvious pattern out of my favoritism for them

me when the audhd jocknerd has a lifechanging event in his childhood that drives him to become a scientist until a late night lab explosion in his mid-20s thrusts him into the hero’s call, putting pressure on his already earnest yet naive sense of justice, compartmentalizing tendencies, and overall selfish selflessness. also has an exes-without-dating dynamic w his archenemy

[transingthoseformers]

G1 2020s au: Shockwave is Elita's archenemy like Megatron is Optimus' archenemy (if canon doesn't want to do that, i fucking will).

Shockwave might not even consider Optimus relevant or important when he turns up alive later. If Shockwave even remembers the guy — it has been four million years.

You're very extra way right on that because it's a fascinating dynamic, and makes sense given the dynamic we see in canon which would've been so cool

[yanderes-galore]

I couldn’t decide on whom to request, but I’ll send the other one in very soon.

Platonic! Yandere! Russell Adler with Missing! Daughter who was missing ever since she was eight and turns out his archenemy, Perseus, took her in as his very own daughter and raised her to be one of his best soldiers. 18-year-old darling is just wondering why this scarred man is hellbent on getting her back, and occasionally had to ask him who the hell he is whenever they meet up, which is honestly very heartbreaking for him.

I sense the angst already... sure! Utilizing wiki info since I have not played the game itself, I watched videos (It won't work with me for whatever reason).

Yandere! Platonic! Russell Adler with Missing! Daughter! Darling

Pairing: Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Female Darling, Obsession, Angst, Possible mentions of real life events, Kidnapping, Brainwashing, Violence, Manipulation, Dubious companionship, Attempts at murder mention/Past murder mentioned, Blood.

I feel it's only more traumatic that he lost you when you were eight.

I do feel Russell Adler would be a good father to his daughter.

No one even knows the man has a family, or anything of his background really.

Your existence is a mystery to everyone but him.

Adler probably took care of you sometime before 1981 (Needs to be 18 years before Cold War's events), where he thinks Perseus is dead.

I'm a bit rusty on times where events take place but Adler takes care of you around when he's taken a position in the CIA.

You're a secret to most people and he loves you.

Maybe he adopted you or had you with a women no one knows before taking care of you alone.

Adler thought no one would learn of your existence since he never talked about his past.

Yet somehow tragedy still manages to strike.

Adler is a man who can go from charismatic to cold in an instant when talking with others.

It's hard to tell how he's feeling at times.

Yet I can just imagine the distraught desperation within him when he finds his home ransacked, his daughter gone in the chaos.

Adler is no doubt a changed man for ten years.

He may have been more laid back when he had you to look forward to.

But now he's dedicating his life work to finding you.

Although... is there anything he can find?

Meanwhile when Adler is left a broken man, Perseus had his men take you in.

Perseus becomes your father for the next ten years.

He may even brainwash you a bit to think you've always had him as your father.

You don't recall a man named Russell Adler, let alone think of him as your father.

Far as you know Perseus saved you and took you in as his own.

The next ten years are dedicated to training for you.

Perseus isn't the most affectionate man as a father but you never complain.

You're trained to be a soldier, a killing machine for his own personal use.

By the time you're 18 it's finished.

You're the perfect soldier while Adler still tries to find his long lost daughter.

Adler is a smart man so by the time of Cold War's events, or even before it, he suspects Perseus is the one behind your disappearance.

Imagine the pain coming back to Adler when he sees you for the first time in a decade.

He can tell you're his daughter but you've changed so much.

Your attire is decked out in Perseus insignia and it's clear in your eyes you don't recognize Adler.

Adler knows his next mission is to take you back, he even plans on disguising it as taking you as a hostage for interrogation.

No one suspects you're Adler's daughter but they do question why he's so insistent on targeting you.

It does indeed hurt Adler whenever he faces you only to hear you ask him who he is.

Any attempts to make you see him as your father again is pushed away.

You call him delusional and then proceed to try and kill him.

(If I'm being honest, this whole dynamic reminds me an awful lot of Splinter, Karai, and Shredder's story from TMNT. It's off topic but it would be exactly like that.)

Adler doesn't like the idea of hurting you but tries to tell himself it's for your own good.

Eventually Adler is going to snap and order the plan of kidnapping you.

To him it's more like reclaiming but... it's just to make him feel better.

Adler is careful of not letting his team know your origins unless he trusts them.

Once he has you in CIA custody, Adler does anything and everything he can to convince you that he's your father, not Perseus.

I can imagine that if you're biologically related he'd do a DNA test to prove things.

That would screw with your mind... but it wouldn't work if you were adopted.

Reversing your thinking is difficult because Perseus didn't necessarily use brainwashing on you.

He influenced you by taking you when you were young.

There's a slim chance Adler can get you back normally due to your age.

It's slim though.

The most likely option Adler would have to do to make you his daughter is brainwashing of his own.

He hates the idea of it but you may be unfixable in your current state.

By this point his crew is going to find out your connections with Adler.

Adler comes off hostile when they say you're now the enemy.

He wants there to be a chance.

You never deserved to be a soldier, especially one for Perseus.

Adler is definitely making it a goal to fill Perseus with lead when he finds him with Bell.

Perseus will choke on his own blood when Adler is done with him....

Don't worry, he'll fix his beloved daughter...

You won't have to kill anymore, you can just go back to how things were... how things are supposed to be...

Your real father will fix everything.

[steviesbicrisis]

I

I saw the sweetest thing on Reddit some time ago and I need to share with you! It was a girl telling that her boyfriend got a brain lesion and got into a coma for a week, so when he woke up he had to learn how to speak correctly all over again. The doctor was doing an exercise with him and she was there to know how to make it at home, the doctor says a word and the guy has to give a synonym or a definition of it, so he says "happiness" and the boyfriend points at her and says her name, the doc says "no, that's not right" and the guy was pouting not know why it was incorrect. Can you imagine this with Steddie? Initially I thought this with Eddie being in a coma after the S4 events, but I came to think of Steve in the boyfriend place because of his many head injuries, thinking he got one very hard and was out like light.

This ask really got me 🥺🥺🥺

I think this would make more sense if this happened after an hypothetical final battle! So, Eddie survives S4, gets together with Steve, they defeat Vecna but Steve gets badly injured (shocking) and gets into a coma.

The situation would be very tense, Eddie would blame everyone (for letting Steve taking too many hits in the head in the past) then himself (for not being able to protect him).

Robin and Eddie can only be around each other while they wait for Steve to wake up. They argue over the smallest things, but also laugh just by looking at each other at random times of the day. By the fifth day of being best friends and archenemies back and forth, they mutually agree they’re going crazy.

The worst part is that, in order to stay by Steve’s side, Robin pretends to be his girlfriend and Eddie his cousin, so the doctors tell everything to Robin first - another reason for their arguments. She’s the one who takes care of Steve, Eddie is nothing.

When Steve finally wakes up, things get better. They’re able to see him right away, he seems confused and unable to speak properly, but an exchange of looks is enough for Eddie to understand that Steve remembers him, and that he’s glad they’re both alive.

Once again, the doctors explain to Robin that Steve will need to do speech therapy multiple times a week, and exercises at home once he will get discharged.

“I’ll do it!!” Eddie jumps in immediately.

“That is very nice of you” the doctor says, but he sounds unconvinced “but I’m sure Robin here would be a better fit. We need someone that Steve trusts deeply, this is a delicate situation.”

Eddie knows that the doctor his talking like this just because, in his eyes, Eddie is just a cousin and Robin is the girlfriend, the one Steve loves. Maybe it’s the tiredness, maybe it’s the weird competitive dynamic he has developed with Robin, but he feels useless. In the end, why would Steve need him when he has Robin? When Eddie was supposed to protect him and wasn’t able to.

“Oh no, I think Eddie would be a better fit” Robin replies, getting two pair of surprises eyes on her.

“What? It’s true! I have to work - you know, since Steve won’t be able to for a long time” she adds, to save the appearances “and he trusts Eddie, they’re extremely close.”

When they get out of the hospital that night, Eddie hugs her impossibly tight. They stop fighting after that.

The speech therapy is challenging, Steve gets frustrated easily and Eddie can’t blame him: the doctor is very strict with him, gives him the hardest exercises and, for someone who does it for a job, he has too little patience in his opinion.

“C’mon Steve, last one of the day” the doctor shows him one of his card “happiness. Give me a definition or a synonym.”

Sometimes it takes him a few seconds before he can answer, but this time Steve lights up and points immediately at Eddie, saying his name out loud.

The doctor sighs “no Steve, h-a-p-p-i-n-e-s-s. C’mon, I know you can do it!” He tries with a little encouragement.

Steve huffs, points again and says “Eddie!”

Eddie, after the initial surprise, has to look away to hide his watery eyes from the doctor.

He only turns back when he hears the doctor getting out of the room.

Steve is pouting and looking down at his feet. Eddie melts.

“You did great sweetheart, don’t worry” he dares to come close since they’re alone in the room.

Steve looks unconvinced, still pouting. Eddie can practically hear his self deprecating thoughts, he knows him well enough.

He notices the doctor left his cards on the table. He lifts up the ‘happiness’ one in front of Steve, giving him the time to read it.

Eddie points at him “Steve.”

Steve blinks a couple of times, stunned. Eddie waves the card, points at him once again “Steve,” he repeats, firm.

Now it’s time for Steve to have watery eyes.

[cassain-head]

FNaF: “The Babysitter” ✔️

William Afton x GN!Reader

LINKS: rules/nav

A SFW & NSFW blog - do proceed with hesitation as some material may be too inappropriate depending on your preferences and/or your age

••• Always taking requests! Do inbox me if you have something you want done: If you’re unsure about something, feel free to PM (message me) and ask.

DISCLAIMER: Slightly suggestive themes, age gap, babysitter x parent, peculiar family dynamics…

The house loomed above you. The upper middle class family of four lived in a three story colonial style home. The brick exterior, dark red shutters and many windows felt like an old money machine, every person inside holding the potential to do something great.

A part of you wondered if William himself grew up here.. but then again - he’s British, if he were to grow up in south-west America, you would surely not expect his type of accent.

Your slightly overheating car sat in the driveway, cooling down after its straining drive over.

You made a mental note to yourself to start taking the bus here..

The cul de sac neighborhood was full of families and children running around, having drinks by their pools, and drawing with chalk on the street. The smell of burgers and hotdogs, the fresh clink of silverware at salad bars, and the laughter of parents who send their kids to play with their friends ring in the air.

Knocking on the door, as always, little [̷͍̗͍̳̜̠̀̍́̋͜͝ṟ̶̨͉͇̩͉͚̣̩̈́̀́͘͜e̶̬̟̝͉͉̍͛͑͘ͅͅḓ̷̗̺̮̠̖̎̀̀́̏̆̈́̅̀ͅä̷͍̜͉́͝c̴͈̜̹͙͍̊͐̉̔ṭ̶̢̨̨̩͓̹̎̔̄̿͒̎̈́̍̕ͅé̴̳̲̅ḑ̵̟͓͊̿̈́́]̵̧̲͉̭̺͈̪̩̫̥̀ opened it. His brown hair slicked back.

The small curl in the front gave him a mini greaser look, it reminded you of old pictures of your dad from his high school years. His eyes were puffy, yet he smiled at the sight of you - either because he liked you, or because this meant his older brother couldn’t torment him anymore for the night. The latter seemed more plausible - while you tried to bond with the kids as their babysitter, they each have their reservations.

As always, Elizabeth was in her room. Drawing her out of her little hobbit hole was never an easy task.

She didn’t like you.

And you didn’t know why.

It was the way her face would scrunch up in some strange expression - something of anger - when she saw you. William, always by your side, would laugh it off and say - ‘Oh, she’s just being bratty, don’t worry about her!’

But you couldn’t help but worry.

Worry, that you were doing something wrong.

Michael, your archenemy, would be there in house, or he’d slip out without your knowledge- always leading you to shakily call his father and state you have no fucking idea where is son went. William didn’t get mad. He never did. He merely told you that Michael was in an “era of rebellion” and often did this. He told you not give him any attention for it.

When he wasn’t trying to make your life a living hell, the 14 year old was often there for authority support. While he could logically babysit his own siblings at his age, his “maturity” and “attitude” prevented him from taking that role of leadership.

Whenever he did run off, William, at the end of the day, would always come home with him in the car and an envelope of cash as payment for your troubles.

Everything was good.

Just perfect.

At least… at least until you noticed. . .

the looks.

They were fleeting.

Rare.

Until, they weren’t.

Until, they became stares,

And glances turned to glares of unknown emotion.

It made your skin crawl. It made your face burn hot, yet your blood run cold. It was half of you being flustered and the other half being terrified.

This feeling of being watched, you not knowing where it came from, it made you feel like prey.

It was a constant battle between being watched and being paranoid that you were being watched - like you couldn’t escape no matter what you did.

It wasn’t until - the Touches, that you finally understood where it was all coming from.

•

An icy shoot of cold dread spread from the hand that placed itself so gently on your lower back.

You could breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t speak - all you could do was think about his hands.

William was a man beyond your years. He was a man well into his 40s, the exact age escaping you but you’d have to guess late 40s maybe even early 50s. Either way, he held a sense of … how you say— maturity.

He aged like a wine - the fine lines of his skin making him look, dare one say, better than many men in their 20s. However, this doesn’t necessarily say he’s an attractive man.

He’d been single for ages, possibly since his youngest’s birth. What happened to the mother, you have no idea. The divorce isn’t something he likes to speak of.

While him now; sharp features, a “dad bod”, yet skinny due to his accident. His eyes were dark, a light grey-blue with something deeper within. As if he knew something others didn’t. He walked the streets, among others yet he didn’t blend in. He didn’t belong.

His hair was graying and constantly brushed back, either as a personal preference or as a habit of OCD, his hand brushing back strands of hair when deep in thought.

Either way, whether you found him attractive or not, you flushed. Eyes wide and looking at anything but him.

His hand engulfed the small of your back as he laughed about something that happened that day - a mindless story told with no real ending, something to fill the air and hopefully distract you of the tension brewing between the two of you.

He felt it.

You felt it.

Your sure others did too, or, you were imagining it all.

With a shaky breath, you turned your head away from him and scratched your neck. His laugh faded, a smile on his face and his eyes crinkling in some emotion you couldn’t see.

He came closer, breath hot on your face and neck. His body pressed against your own.

You stared at the carpet at both of your feet. It was suddenly a lot more interesting.

The show on the television drones on, mindless sounds that became the natural background of your moment.

Moment.

How could this be a moment?

Your hand clenched the fabric of your pant leg, ‘He’s old enough to be your father—‘

You bit your lip.

The now side hug was soon abandoned. You were now cold, as he stood and stretched his arms above his head.

“Thanks for coming by, again, Hun.” He smiled and reached a hand out for you to grab.

And you did, his rows of teeth gleaming at you.

You only returned a shaky grin, cheeks red.

He handed you a white envelope and patted your shoulder, “Can you come by again tomorrow, I need some help with something.”

An offer so hidden in plain sight, you found yourself wide eyed and light headed.

Your eyes searched his never flinching face.

“U-uerm- alright, yeah-! Sure, Mr. Afton.”

•••🎀🎀🎀

Next of this Series:

NSFW for…

Male Reader

Fem Reader

GN Reader

Coming Soon! (Maybe 😰)

•••🎀🎀🎀

[rockybloo]

There's a lot of fun in writing Freebird is how he and Bitterbat have cat-and-mouse dynamic where no matter what stunt Freebird pulls, Bitterbat always outsmarts him.

It'd be hell on my brain cells to write Freebird and not have justice being served after every gross thing he says to or about Sweetheart under the belief she is just playing hard to get.

Bitterbat obviously wants that man dead. He hates him with all his heart and wishes the worse for him.

Freebird wishes the same. In all his years of knowing Sweetheart, he never had a single worry about her ending up with someone else. She was far above of the leagues of all the other heroes.

He was def concerned about Gabe but after learning about him being Delight's boyfriend, he eased up some. He def isn't a fan of Sweetheart having male friends...because of course he isn't, but he can live with it.

So the Freeheart ship survived for a good while as the top ship on the Sweetheart list...until Bitterbat showed up.

And that man flipped Freebird's entire world upside down along with his expectations for Sweetheart.

She was the most professional hero he knew, so imagine the surprise over witnessing her get all flustered and a mess because of this new guy on the block. A new guy who really isn't as new as Freebird thinks because he doesn't know about the whole history between the Beloveds and Flavor Four.

If he did, he would have been worried about Bitterbat since day one of meeting Sweetheart. But being a hero stationed primarily in mainland America means he typically isn't interested in hero lore outside of the first 50 states.

Truly an American hero, some may say.

So the second he sees that Bittersweet has over throned Freeheart on the Sweetheart shipping list, Freebird realizes he has a problem. He can't escape Bitterbat's name either because it follows very close behind Sweetheart. That bird lived in a blissful ignorance where he could enjoy only Sweetheart's name making headlines but now he's hard pressed to find a single thing that doesn't mention her new archenemy right along with her.

He makes his dislike of Bitterbat very clear and verbal. He disses him any chance he is brought up, especially during talk shows and interviews.

He questions his appearance, especially his taste in clothing. Freebird has very traditional western ideals of what he thinks a man should look like and hipless pants that let half your ass hang out along with earrings, nail polish, lipstick, mascara, and what Freebird falsely believes to be fake eyelashes does not fit those ideals. It's needless to say that Freebird thought Bitterbat was girl at first until he heard him speak.

And even then, that man struggled with figuring out if Bitterbat actually had boobs or pecs upon first glance during a live news recording of him battling Sweetheart.

I'd say hearing Bitterbat speak pissed him off even further because of the sass dripping off every sentence he delivers. It just finalized that Bitterbat was the antithesis of all Freebird's ideals of a guy.

So that man was at a complete loss when he saw Bitterbat flirt with Sweetheart and even manage to kiss her along with declaring his love and vow to steal her heart and make her his queen.

Bitterbat basically speedran becoming Freebird's #1 enemy and that bird was a squawking mess of fury after the battle. He tried everything he could to request that bat to be out on his official list of villains he could deal with because he was under the belief that Bitterbat was a weakling.

An idea that was soon stomped out after witnessing some of the leftovers Bitterbat liked to leave behind from previous confrontations with other cocky heroes and villains.

The first chance Freebird got, he flew to Decking City and did his best to talk some sense into Sweetheart, claiming that Bitterbat was too much for her to handle. She obviously rejected the notion stating she was more than capable of dealing with Bitterbat and she was the only one who could.

And when Freebird dared to bring up Bitterbat's more physical romantic advances on her, Sweetheart cut him off before he could tarnish Bitterbat's name by stating how bold it was for him to assume that Bitterbat's actions were unwelcome. She had even gone so far as to say they were far more desirable than his own.

There are no words suffice enough to describe how much Freebird's world and future shattered in just one week. And his world just continues to get shaken up again and again every time Bitterbat rears his bat-winged head.

The most merciful thing Bitterbat does to Freebird is keep his true relationship with Sweetheart a secret, playing into the act it's all one sided and he is merely a villain with the hots for his hero.

[hereforthefunnyguys]

Fragileshipping dynamic is really really good to me for multiple reasons but one of the most distinct ones I have is that Ryou is literally the reincarnation of Atem's immortal archenemy. How does that intersect with their modern relationship. Is Atem wary of Ryou? Does he feel an obligation to make sure he doesn't go the same way as TKB? Does he go to the length of separating the two entirely and simply Refuses to acknowledge their connection? Does Ryou have a sort of residual hostility towards Atem he doesn't quite understand? How do they move past it? Do you think it keeps Atem up at night that Ryou could be the same as TKB and, possibly even more worrying to him, that TKB could be the same as Ryou? They fry my brain like a nacho chip I love them so much you guys don't even know

[rise-of-arcadia]

Generally whenever I include Douxie in RotBTD-related things it's because I think he would have a fun dynamic with all the Super Six. But it's also funny to add him because of what would happen when you include Archie as well

Merida: why is your sister crying

Elsa: That is our dead father in the body of a cat

Hiccup would be torn between wondering what kind of species Archie is (never seen a dragon that can shapeshift like that) and wondering why does the dragon sound like his old (and also dead) archenemy

Bonus: Archie hears Hiccup talk for the first time and it is an IMMEDIATE on sight (somebody please understand what this is referencing other than RTTE. please)

[gcthvile]

Spider-boy, King of Thieves.

summary: the lines blur as rei stark, the king of thieves, and his archenemy, peter parker or spider-man, join forces against a new threat. their alliance sparks forbidden desires challenging longtime roles. as loyalties shift amid the shadows of a power struggle, will a deception unravel or ignite something far more dangerous in the city that never sleeps?

couple: rei stark (oc) x peter parker

warnings: slightly suggestive content towards the end

fandom: marvel

the streets of new york echoed with the sounds of conflict once more. web and repulsor blasts lit up the night as the familiar figures of spideran and the king danced their waltz of evasion and attack.

"giving up yet, your highness?" taunted spider-man as he flipped out of the way of a repulsor beam.

rei chuckled darkly as his armor hovered nearby. "not a chance, bug. i've only just begun!"

they launched back into the fray, exchanging blows both physical and verbal. over time, their fights had fallen into a practiced ritual - testing skills and wits without intent to seriously harm. the adrenaline rush and challenge was what kept drawing them together, time and again.

tonight, it seemed their dance was drawing to a close once peter disarmed rei with a well-placed web shot. "nice try, stark. i'd say your little heist attempt is a failure."

rei scowled up at him from the ground, but it lacked venom. a glint of amusement shone in his eyes. "you win this round, bug. though I'll be back to try again, so don't get too comfortable."

peter smirked behind his mask. "i look forward to it, your majesty." he shot a web and swung off into the night.

their little games were becoming dangerously entertaining. but neither could have predicted the high stakes clash just over the horizon that would force them to work as a team. and uncover hidden dynamics neither expected...

rumblings of unrest had been stirring in the underbelly of the city for weeks. a new power was rising, one far more ruthless and reckless than even the king. at first, it was little things - businesses "sold" under duress, territories quietly seized.

but then the corpses started appearing, bearing signs of savage brutality. anyone who dared resist this mysterious new force met grisly ends. word on the streets hinted at a shadow organization flooding the streets with highly dangerous weapons.

for rei, it represented the first real threat to his authority since taking the throne. spies reported this new gang, led by a man only known as vulture, aimed to topple all established powers to rule unchallenged through fear.

peter, meanwhile, began encountering vulture's weapons during nightly patrols. powerful, unregulated explosives and firearms unlike anything he'd seen before. bodies left in his wake told of a viciousness that made even seasoned criminals blanch.

both started piecing the clues together. they realized this was bigger than a simple turf war, and neither could hope to defeat such a relentless enemy acting alone. for the sake of the city, a temporary alliance may be the only way to ensure its survival...and theirs.

but first, they'd need to overcome their pride and distrust. a meeting would need to be arranged, despite the personal animosity between them. the fate of new york demanded it - if they didn't unite to stop vulture, he would destroy them all.

"to what do i owe the displeasure, spider-man?" rei drawled as peter swung into the deserted warehouse.

peter pushed back his growing annoyance. this was important. "we need to talk, stark. there's a new threat-"

"so I've heard," interrupted rei lazily from where he lounged. "this vulture seems to be moving in on my operations. quite rude of him, really."

"this is serious," insisted peter. "he's already killed dozens. we can't keep butting heads with each other if he means to destroy everything."

rei inspected his nails disinterestedly. "and why should I care what happens to you and this city? as long as my empire remains intact, what do I owe these people?"

peter balled his fists, struggling to remain calm. "we both know you don't really mean that. deep down you do have a code, as twisted as it is." he took a slow breath. "we need to team up, like it or not. It's our only chance."

rei arched a sculpted brow, finally deigning to look at him fully. "work with the itsy bitsy spider? I think not. give me one good reason I shouldn't leave you for the vultures, hmm?"

"because together we stand a chance," said peter, meeting that flinty gaze steadily. "but divided, we both fall. your call, stark. what's it going to be - ally or enemy?"

rei tapped his chin thoughtfully, making a show of considering peter's proposal.

"you make a fair point, as loathe as I am to admit it," he conceded at last. "very well, it seems we have no other choice. an alliance - for now."

"wonderful," said peter dryly. "now what's our next move against vulture?"

"patience, bug. strategizing takes time, not that a simpleton like you would understand." rei smirked, earning a glare. "vulture has been frustratingly elusive so far. we'll need to draw him out."

"any ideas how?" challenged peter.

a wicked gleam entered rei's eyes. "as a matter of fact, I believe I have the perfect bait...you."

peter blinked in surprise. "me? why would he be interested in-"

"you're the lone thorn in his side so far, spider. taking you out of the picture would clear a major obstacle." rei circled lazily, scanning leter up and down in a way that made him feel distinctly prey-like.

"and how do you propose using me as bait, exactly?" asked peter suspiciously.

rei's smile was all sharp teeth. "leave the details to me, bugaboo. all you need to do is play your part when the time comes. unless you'd rather I find...alternative motivation?"

peter repressed a shiver. working with rei stark was sure to be a dangerous game indeed.

the time for planning had passed. rei's elaborate scheme was primed, and now it was time for peter to play his part as bait.

"you're sure this will work?" asked peter, not for the first time. a lingering shred of self-preservation made him hesitant.

rei rolled his eyes as he fitted a tracer to peter's suit. "for the last time, yes. now stop fidgeting." his touch lingered on peter's hip, smirking at the sharp inhale it drew.

peter scowled, slapping his hand away. "focus, stark."

"oh, i am." rei's gaze gleamed with intention as he stepped back. "ready when you are, bug. go make yourself a tantalizing target for our feathered friend."

with an uneasy glance at rei, peter swung off into the dusk. he wasn't sure which role made him more nervous - bait, or whatever game rei seemed determined to drag him into. pushing those thoughts aside, he started stirring up trouble, making himself a noisy target.

it didn't take long before he sensed eyes upon him. a looming figure swooped down and attacks rained - but these he barely had to dodge. vulture had taken the bait, and rei was no doubt tracking their movement.

sure enough, when peter faked capture to lure vulture to a secluded spot, rei was waiting with weapons primed. their unlikely alliance sprang into coordinated attack, catching vulture utterly off guard between spider and thief.

in minutes, the fearsome villain lay defeated at their feet. peter grinned at rei in flushed triumph, surprised by how natural their teamwork had felt. but the king of thieves seemed far more interested in claiming his reward...

rei stepped closer to peter, a triumphant smirk curving his lips. "well done, spider. it seems our partnership was fruitful after all."

"yeah, i suppose teaming up wasn't so bad." peter felt a nervous flutter as rei's hand came up to grasp his arm. "so...i guess our business is concluded?"

"concluded?" rei laughed softly. "sweetheart, the night is young. and I believe a reward is in order for my invaluable bait."

before peter could react, rei tugged him into a kiss. his lips were firm yet surprisingly gentle against peter's astonished mouth. electric heat shot through peter's veins as he kissed back without thinking.

when they parted, peter stared wide-eyed. "rei, i...we can't. you're a criminal, i'm a hero."

rei only smiled wickedly. "and yet, did we not just work marvelously as a team? your morals seem rather flexible when it suits you, little spider." He nuzzled peter's jaw, drawing a shiver.

"maybe..." peter wavered, torn between duty and the undeniable spark between them. could he allow himself this, even if just for one night? rei made a compelling case, as always.

rei sensed his surrender. "come home with me, sweetheart. i'll show you pleasures unlike any good girl or boy could offer." his voice dropped to a sinful purr. "let's see how far that flexibility can take you..."

against all better judgment, peter found himself saying "okay." just for one night...

what began as a one night encounter blossomed into something deeper for peter and rei against all odds. somehow, their partnership in defeating vulture had unlocked an undeniable connection between them.

where once they were enemies, now they fell into an intricate dance - fighting crime during the day as their alter egos, only to come together under cover of darkness in heated embraces. rei continued his schemes, but turned his ambition towards less harmful targets at peter's insistence.

their relationship defied definition. they were allies in some ways, antagonists in others, and something altogether softer and needier when alone. rei's lust for challenge and thrill now extended to pleasing peter as much as himself.

peter knew he should end this dance with the king of thieves. but there was solace and pleasure in rei's arms unlike anything he found elsewhere. and for all his notorious deeds, rei proved fiercely devoted and protective of what was his behind closed doors.

somehow, against every expectation, their partnership worked. they pushed and challenged one another in turn, inspiring each to explore grey areas of their natures neither knew existed. new york's protector and its most cunning criminal formed an unlikely balance.

and so the dance continued between spider-man and his king, weaving a delicate equilibrium through the streets of their city by night while keeping up appearances as adversaries by day. their relationship survived through want and compromise - a testament to what could emerge when unexpected pieces aligned.

there we go, hope you'll like it!

@jackiequick @missstrawbs2001 @blueboirick @meiramel @cherrysft