#both are wonderful and both are important

[hairmetal666]

Steve has done interviews before. Like, a lot of interviews. YouTube, podcasts, print, TV stuff. Not as a brag, or anything, just. He's been an influencer for a long time, for better or worse, and it's part of the deal.

Usually, he's comfortable in front of the camera. Usually, he's poised and well-spoken. But today, this time, sweat pools under his arms and beads along his hairline, the lights beating down on him in a harsh glare.

"Steve Harrington," Murray Bauman crosses his legs, smiles big for the cameras. "It's been a while."

He smiles too, tries to seem like he's not about to have a panic attack. "I've been a little busy."

Murray laughs and it's then that Steve understands how screwed he really is. Murray's show, it's all glitz and glamour on the surface; mixed drinks and hijinks until the celebrity guests lose their inhibitions, admitting things they probably wanted to keep secret.

It's just that, before, Steve didn't have any salacious rumors to worry about, and now--

"You've had a rough year, Steve, yeah?"

"Not my best, for sure." He leans back, tries to seem calm, unbothered.

"I was sorry to hear about your divorce. I think that announcement really took a lot of people by surprise."

His hands clench, but he manages not to shift or bounce his leg. "Thanks for, uh. Yeah. We were also sorry it didn't work out."

Murray nods, face full of sympathy. "You and Nancy, you'd been together since high school? That's almost--what? 15 years?"

"It's--" he clears his throat. "About that long." Steve takes a sip of the drink next to him, an apple martini that's both too sweet and too strong.

"Am I right to assume that you didn't see it coming?"

And isn't that a question? Sure, now in hindsight, he can see the fractures that lead to the end, but six months ago did he--it's all so--what if all along--

"All marriages have rough patches," is what he says. "We just couldn't come out of ours as a couple."

"Do you know what I've found really remarkable about this phase of your life? The content and tone of your videos in the midst of the maelstrom of rumors and gossip didn't change at all. 'Your kids' as you call them, are still as bright and vibrant as ever. You're laughing, dancing, cooking, having a great time."

"I needed that--that normalcy you know? And the kids, they're such an important part of my life, having them around helped."

"Including Nancy's brother, Mike?"

Steve laughs and it's not fake. "Totally including Mike. My relationship with Nancy has nothing to do with my relationship with him."

"He's kind of an antagonist--would you say?--in your videos, though."

"We have conflict sometimes, but it's never serious. We know how to play it up for laughs."

"So, nothing's changed between you?"

"Not at all."

"The cheating rumors." Murray's smile is soft, but all the air still leaves the room.

"What about them?" It's more combative than he means, but--

"Did Nancy cheat on you with Jonathan Byers?"

He swallows and it hurts. She did cheat, is the thing. It's not public information, still only speculation, but--

"You can't believe everything you read, Murray."

"So, she didn't cheat?" There's a glow to Murray's eyes that tells Steve he already knows the answer.

"Like, I said before, marriages are hard. We spent a lot of time apart because of our jobs. It took a toll."

"And she was traveling with Jonathan, yes? He's been her photographer for the past decade, from what I understand."

"They were co-workers, but we're all close. And those rumors didn't help our relationship, for sure. It's--not easy to hear that a bunch of people think your wife and close friend may be having an affair, that people 'ship' them. Even when it's not true, it creates--"

"Tension? Distrust?"

"Both, probably." He takes another drink as he nods. "After a while you do start to wonder if there's truth to it, and you're too ignorant or too--too trusting to see it."

"And it eroded the relationship."

"It certainly didn't help." He takes another drink.

"And how about your relationship with Jonathan's brother, Will. Has that been impacted?"

"Of course not. Never. Whatever happens between Nancy, Jonathan, and I, it has nothing to do with the kids. They know that.

"You talked about it."

"Yes. Extensively."

"I know there's often speculation on the relationship you have with them; if you're really close or it's all for the cameras."

"Murray." He leans forward. "We've talked about this before. I met Dustin through Mike, and the whole group followed. I've known them all since they were 8 years old. They're--I mean, not to be cliche, but they're my family." He sips the last bit of martini.

"And where does Eddie Munson fit into that family?"

The question shouldn't be a surprise, but he almost does a spit take, has to fight to keep it together.

"Eddie?"

"Yes." Murray's smile is chilling. "Your close friend Eddie Munson. Musician. Plays Dungeons and Dragons on YouTube. You made out with him in a music video. Ringing any bells?"

"I'm familiar with Eddie," his grin is rigid. "I don't know what that has to do with my marriage ending."

"Well, the rumors weren't all about Nancy, were they?"

"Eddie and I have--we became mutuals online years and years ago. I used one of his songs in a video and the kids are obsessed with his dnd stuff, so. We've become close."

"Friends?"

"Isn't that implied?"

"After that music video, I don't think so."

Steve rolls his eyes, lets the irritation show for the first time. "He asked me to be in his video. There's nothing scandalous about it."

"What's your relationship with Eddie right now?"

"Like I said, friends."

"Do you want it to be more than that?"

"Eddie's really important to me."

"Is that all?"

"Not really sure what you want me to say here, Murray."

"You were married to a woman for years, but now there are questions about your sexuality."

He grits his teeth. "My sexuality isn't anyone's business aside my own. People can say shit on Twitter all they want, that doesn't mean they know me. But--the end of my marriage--it definitely gave me the space for self-discovery, I guess? In a way I hadn't had before."

"And is Eddie a part of that self-discovery?"

"Yeah, as one of my closest friends, he is."

"Do you have feelings for him?"

"That's--that's not--I'm going through a divorce. My focus isn't on starting another relationship right now."

"You, famously, tattooed your initials on the inside of his thigh during an Instagram live. That's pretty intimate."

"We were just having a little fun."

"Huh. That seems like more than 'a little fun' to me. So, how's Eddie doing with the increased attention?"

It takes Steve a second to track the change of subject, mind still stuck on the tattoo, on how the ink had looked on Eddie's pale skin.

"It's hard." Steve eventually answers. "Of course he enjoys bringing his music and dnd to a wider audience, but the focus on his personal life is--it's a lot."

"Well, he should have thought about before letting you tattoo him for your 850,000 followers. Does he want a relationship with you?"

His throat is dry, burning, he wishes he had more martini. He wishes he'd never taken a sip. "You'd have to ask him. I'm just taking it day by day, you know? That's what I need right now."

"We're getting to the end of our time, but you know I have to ask. Your best friend, Robin Buckley, she very famously unfollowed both Nancy and Jonathan on all social media when news broke about your divorce. Can you tell us why she unfollowed them?"

"I have no control over Robin's accounts. I didn't even know she followed Jonathan ever, and she and Nancy have a relationship outside of me, you know? I can't say what happened between them."

"She's been in your videos with Eddie. She like him?"

"Very much. It's kind of annoying actually. They keep ganging up on me."

"Much to everyone's delight, I'm sure. So, what can we expect from the newly single Steve Harrington?"

"There are a couple things in the works, but only time will tell."

---

He walks through his front door an hour later, and Eddie's sitting on the couch, playing a soft melody on an acoustic guitar. He stops when he sees Steve, setting the guitar aside, and standing.

"How'd it go, baby?" He asks. His soft smile is so beautiful, Steve gets a lump in his throat.

"As expected." He crosses the space between them, lets Eddie pull him close.

"He ask about us?" Eddie's breath tickles his ear.

"Of course."

"And you--"

"I want--it should be just for us. We should be able to announce when we're ready. Not when Murray-fucking-Bauman asks."

Eddie kisses him, then, sweet and slow, making him lose his breath.

"Whenever you're ready, I'll be right by your side."

"You sure? All my mess--"

"Is mine too. Afraid you're stuck with me for the long haul, Steve Harrington."

[nasa]

Student Experiments Soar!

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get a technology ready for space? The NASA TechRise Student Challenge gives middle and high school students a chance to do just that – team up with their classmates to design an original science or technology project and bring that idea to life as a payload on a suborbital vehicle.

Since March 2021, with the help of teachers and technical advisors, students across the country have dreamed up experiments with the potential to impact space exploration and collect data about our planet.

So far, more than 180 TechRise experiments have flown on suborbital vehicles that expose them to the conditions of space. Flight testing is a big step along the path of space technology development and scientific discovery.

The 2023-2024 TechRise Challenge flight tests took place this summer, with 60 student teams selected to fly their experiments on one of two commercial suborbital flight platforms: a high-altitude balloon operated by World View, or the Xodiac rocket-powered lander operated by Astrobotic. Xodiac flew over the company’s Lunar Surface Proving Ground — a test field designed to simulate the Moon’s surface — in Mojave, California, while World View’s high-altitude balloon launched out of Page, Arizona.

Here are four innovative TechRise experiments built by students and tested aboard NASA-supported flights this summer:

1. Oobleck Reaches the Skies

Oobleck, which gets its name from Dr. Seuss, is a mixture of cornstarch and water that behaves as both a liquid and a solid. Inspired by in-class science experiments, high school students at Colegio Otoqui in Bayomón, Puerto Rico, tested how Oobleck’s properties at 80,000 feet aboard a high-altitude balloon are different from those on Earth’s surface. Using sensors and the organic elements to create Oobleck, students aimed to collect data on the fluid under different conditions to determine if it could be used as a system for impact absorption.

2. Terrestrial Magnetic Field

Middle school students at Phillips Academy International Baccalaureate School in Birmingham, Alabama, tested the Earth’s magnetic field strength during the ascent, float, and descent of the high-altitude balloon. The team hypothesized the magnetic field strength decreases as the distance from Earth’s surface increases.

3. Rocket Lander Flame Experiment

To understand the impact of dust, rocks, and other materials kicked up by a rocket plume when landing on the Moon, middle school students at Cliff Valley School in Atlanta, Georgia, tested the vibrations of the Xodiac rocket-powered lander using CO2 and vibration sensors. The team also used infrared (thermal) and visual light cameras to attempt to detect the hazards produced by the rocket plume on the simulated lunar surface, which is important to ensure a safe landing.

4. Rocket Navigation

Middle and high school students at Tiospaye Topa School in LaPlant, South Dakota, developed an experiment to track motion data with the help of a GPS tracker and magnetic radar. Using data from the rocket-powered lander flight, the team will create a map of the flight path as well as the magnetic field of the terrain. The students plan to use their map to explore developing their own rocket navigation system.

The 2024-2025 TechRise Challenge is now accepting proposals for technology and science to be tested on a high-altitude balloon! Not only does TechRise offer hands-on experience in a live testing scenario, but it also provides an opportunity to learn about teamwork, project management, and other real-world skills.

“The TechRise Challenge was a truly remarkable journey for our team,” said Roshni Ismail, the team lead and educator at Cliff Valley School. “Watching them transform through the discovery of new skills, problem-solving together while being driven by the chance of flying their creation on a [rocket-powered lander] with NASA has been exhilarating. They challenged themselves to learn through trial and error and worked long hours to overcome every obstacle. We are very grateful for this opportunity.”

Are you ready to bring your experiment design to the launchpad? If you are a sixth to 12th grade student, you can make a team under the guidance of an educator and submit your experiment ideas by November 1. Get ready to create!

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[avastazyana]

What do you need that small waist for, Optimus? For other mechs to grab it?

[maskedbyghost]

idk why but i keep thinking about that book 'the hating game' and how you and simon share an office on the base. you’re both lieutenants, top of your game, but forced to work together because price picked you two as his best, and you hate each other.

i mean, hate hate.

constant fights, never agreeing on anything important, always butting heads. you’re both so damn hot-headed, it drives you fucking crazy how much he frustrates you. so for months, you're stuck like this—sitting across from each other doing paperwork, prepping for missions, always competing, trying to one-up the other.

then one day, you overhear someone saying how simon rarely shows his face to anyone, and you’re thrown off because… he always takes his mask off in the office with you. wouldn’t he hide his face from his biggest enemy?

but, hey, you’re not complaining. you’ve gotten used to reading his every expression—especially that look of pure annoyance when you say something snarky, and he runs a hand through his hair, and… oh.

you start wondering what else he'd do with his hands, like how he’d grip your hair if you were on your knees, hands wrapped around his d—wait, what? no no no, you hate him. sure, he looks ridiculously good, but that’s not the point. he drives you insane.

but the thing is, simon’s not doing any better.

he loves being in the room with you, hearing your voice, even when you're bickering about something he said. watching your cheeks flush when you get mad… yeah, he’s obsessed, but he’s convinced you’d rip him apart if he ever acted on it.

and then, after months of this push and pull, it all breaks one night. you're arguing about something stupid again, standing way too close, and suddenly, he snaps. his hand is on your neck, and he’s kissing you. hard. expecting the worst from you. but instead, your arms wrap around his neck, slowly, like it's second nature, pulling him even closer until there's no space left between you, the heat of his body sinking into yours, and you can feel the roughness of his breath against your lips, as if you’ve both been waiting for this moment, for this closeness, all along.

---------------------------------------------------------

should i make this longer maybee?

---------------------------------------------------------

@daydreamerwoah

[kyri45]

✨ShadowPeach Bio Parents Bio AU Q&A! 20/09✨

Welcome to the Q&A! A space where I can answer related or similar question about the Shadowpeach Bio Parents AU! If you submitted your ask anonimously, then you’ll have to check the whole post if it’s answered here, if it’s not, worry not! Your asks might have been used for a future comic or just in the queue~

@funnybadger868 ha chiesto:wait so if mk can hear macaques past can he hear wukongs for example the circlet and the spell

Yeah he could. It's now just a matter of if he wants to use this power ever again

@cryptic-theseus ha chiesto:you're paying for my therapy btw, the bill is on the way

Blame it on the gay monkies not me. It's bc of them that my life is ruined/hj

@ayrza ha chiesto:Hey!I have an important question, where do you get your sources for the AU👉🏻👈🏻p? I mean, I just recently entered the LMK fandom and I see that there are parts that are not mentioned much in the series and it frustrates me because I feel like I only watch the anime but I'm missing the manga 🫠I love your art and your work, it's amazing 🫰🏻✨

Hi! Well I' finishing to read Journey to the West (im at chapter 80) and if I need extra info or just check I go to the fandom wiki.

@feyqueen91 feyqueen91 ha chiesto:A question for your Shadowpeach Bio Parent AU (btw, I just saw your recent post for More Than A Successor Arc & I thought something light hearted was needed to even out the Angst), is Macaque able to summon something like what Red Son did with the Samadhi Sprite, and he teaches MK to do it too?

Wait what exactly? I haven't understood what you meant by sprite.

@og-glitch-punk ha chiesto: Honestly I expect this to be hidden but i also love your work on both comics, keep it up!! I forgot their names but dude- how would the lotus prince and our moon chef feels about wukong and Macaque being MK's parents? HELL. WHAT ABOUT THE TRIO? YELLOW TUSK, PENG AND THE LOIN (CANT REMMEBER HIS NAME EVEN IF HE IS TECHNICALLY DEAD/GONE). Hell even this chaotic snake man may even use MK to his advantage with the fact he is the child of Wukong and Macaque. So many possibilities and guesses, so many twists and turns we will never know bro

Oh he absolutely woud. Also about the others. They would probably act like protective aunt/uncles to that poor traumatised boy.

@thenerdnico ha chiesto:Oh my GODS that last bio dad's chapter broke me, your expressions are always amazing. I'm going to assume that at the end of Wukong's and Macaque's fight, Wukong realised Macaque wasn't moving and ran up to him, and ended up sobbing and screaming when he realised he was dead??? If that is the case, do you think MK listened to it long enough to hear that as well?

Oh for angst reason yes. He did.

@shadowpeachera ha chiesto:AHHHH YOUR SHADOWPEACH BIO AU IS SOO GOOD!!!! I SCREAMED AT THE LAST UPDATE!!! I have a question though. You know in the series i think season 3 epsiode 5 where Wukong goes into a deep mystic monkey meditation, yeah. Well i was wondering if Mk has ever tried that but got disrupted and lost his memories or started acting strange infront of his monkey parents. It would be hilarious i can imagine him shouting, “TUDI, TUDI!”KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, no pressure though! HAVE A GOOD DAY!

Lmaooo ok ok I don't think I'll go witha small amnesia arc in the AU but this doeß sound adorable.

@sakuralotus03 ha chiesto:It will probably be quite heavy, but I suggest that after Wukong saw the monkey like that he had a huge attack of guilt and anxiety and ended up injuring his left eye with his claws

Poor baby!! Nono don't worry his eye is fine.

@raylamoongirl ha chiesto:question for macaque: what was the hardest thing to teach Mk?Lmk bio parents Q&A

Mmmm so they tried really hard to teach him shadow teleportation, but he seems to not be able to do it.

@lmkobsessedmoth ha chiesto:For the Shadowpeach Bio Parent AU What if macaque and wukong go on a date and wukong doesn’t know it’s a date because he’s as dense as the rock he hatched out of

He truly would be. May the gods give him a clue or smt otherwise we wont end up nowhere here

Anonimo ha chiesto:Hey!I love your Shadowpeach bio Parent's AU But I Wonder,Does Wukong and Macaque already dance together before?

Danced??? I think so?? When they still were lovers friends I think (i think i m missing something)

Anonimo ha chiesto:I am on my knees, heart giving out, HOW IS BABY MK SO CUTE AND SHADOWPEACH SO ALLERGIC TO JUST KISSING ALREADY LIKE COME ON YOU TWO Anonimo ha chiesto:When I read the other part where swk and mac where talking about wanting MK to view them as parents at first I thought swk was proposing having another kid with Mac and I went “WOAH HEY- HOLD UP FOR A SECOND THERE U NEED TO GET UR SHT TOGETHER FIRST” and thank god it wasn’t that I thought swk was JUMPING AND ACCELERATING THEIR PROGRESS LMAOOOSo I’m actually glad they are taking baby steps, they need them

This slowburn is gonna be so slow-burning you all are gonna die when they actually kiss (will they kiss? Oh that's just for me to know ahah)

Anonimo ha chiesto:Since macaque is called mama by mk does that mean macaque is like a mother figure to mk in your au mama macaque is adorable and he gives off motherly in his character

Anonimo ha chiesto:Whos mom if there is considered a mom by MK or only dads? Is it Wu or Mac? My headcanons is Wukong basically the mom cuz he gives off mom and dad vibes together and Macaque just gives off dad vibes to me

He gives more motherly vibes, yes (Mamacaque and DadWukong forever)

Anonimo ha chiesto:Hi in you bio parent au for monkie kid how were monkey king and macaque as teenagers when they had a good relationship were like they a romantic couple or had secret crushes on each other and never told each other or were they just friends love this au it's amazing

Oh I think they were definitely lovers once. And that makes their past and what happened even more tragic honestly.

@ayrza ha chiesto:I don't know who is more adorable: Baby MK or Macaque and Wukong blushingPsd. I love your AU and your art 💖

Both. Both is good

@diamondwolf23 ha chiesto:THOSE TWO BETTER KISSSSSSSSSSS-I’m gonna miss Baby Mk ;-

Me too. Me too.

Anonimo ha chiesto:You could say Wukong is a...... simpian?(like simian but yknow >>)

LMAO YES

@scififeather21 ha chiesto:You can't believe how much I love your Shadowpeach AU comic series that last part made me grin so much. Mostly because my husband and I have done that exact thing when our kids were small babies and the looks and smiles were the same too. OMG it such a nice thing to see after a long day at work yesterday. :)

THAT'S THE- SWEETEST THING?????? LIKE IM SO GLAD I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE???? TO HEAR IT'S THE SAME THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IS THE SWEETEST THING EVER

@snsp6 ha chiesto:I love ur bio dads au! I wanted to ask what would happen if smth similar to the baby mk incident happened to the immortal monkeys.Like either they were de-aged to their youth or had an amnesia rules type of situation!(I am in love w the world building in this!!! And ur art is delectable!)

I don't thing the world would be ready for non-reformed Wukong#like-#not really reformed but the guy killed so many people bc of impulsiveness#until he learned that murder is not fine

Anonimo ha chiesto: This might be a stupid question, but for your bio parents, AU is MK just always in his monkey form, or is this just how he permanently looks now?

He's on his monkey form when he trains / stays at the weekends at FFM or when he friendly duels/train with Mei and Red Son.On weekdays he's constantly in his human form

@meisawkwardashecc ha chiesto:Is Wukong potentially shorter than Macaque? 👀🥺Avatar

Yes

@miraclecactus ha chiesto:Can you show us what's going on in the Freenoodles house? I'm looking forward to knowing how they manage to calm MK down :( Puedes mostrarnos que es lo que sucede en la casa de Freenoodles? Estoy ansiosa de conocer como ellos manejan el como calmar a MK :(

They used Wukong and Mac advices until he feel asleep.

Anonimo ha chiesto:I like how Wukong asks Macaque how he knows MK won't hate him after this. Like my guy, you literally killed Macaque, and he still hangs around I think he knows a thing or two

True. Although let Wukong be the dumbass he is.

alizardonfire ha chiesto:I love the idea of macaque being wukongs *rock* if that makes sense? It gives so much character to him.

Aaaahh ty! Yeah I feel like he's pretty good at understanding when he s just out of his mind and bring him back to earth.

Anonimo ha chiesto:If this isn't to much spoiler will the next lmk comic be angsty

This will be answered too late but I will always warn you in advance if there s angst coming.

Anonimo ha chiesto:I love your art! Lighthearted question since your about to bring the pain- do you think Mac and Wu fight over who gets to be little spoon/big spoon or are both of them 100% happy with Mac as big spoon and Wu as little spoon every night

So as for now, they are good with Wukong being the little spoon. Both bc Wukong is the the one who constantly craves for touch amd bc Macaque feels more comfortable in a position of "control" let's say. He can decide how much closer or not to get to Wukong.

Then in the future they would be more comfortable to switch (and the bicker about who should be the big or small)

@sallyvanna ha chiesto:HAIII FIRST OF ALL I LOVE YOUR BIO PARENT AU it makes my day every time I see a new page postedI was just wondering, why was macaque kinda nervous when he summoned rumble and savage? He was like 'ah shit I didn't want that-' 👀

It was because the kid would be afraid of them! Of course he wouldn't. But I guess Macaque still feels like his powers are a threat to him.

@redwrathroit ha chiesto:Hey, note this is something you can completely ignore but I wanted to know if you had a ref sheet for your monkey Bois, I'd love to take a try and drawing them plus I had made an Oc character of my own but I did it once and then art block hit me like a train and said; nah, never again. So it would really help me out if you have a ref, if not ignore this and have a nice day/night

Unfortunately I don't. I have a lot of panels where you can see them full body in various stances though.

Anonimo ha chiesto:Wukong being the little spoon is too cute, he spends years being the big spoon platonically to everyone that someone finally gave him what was needed, to be protected instead of being the protector

Yesss he iss!!!!!!

@froggyofdeath ha chiesto:Question abt Shadowpeach bio parents! Sooo, who kills the spiders, who screaming abt them, who the one who picks it up and try to scare the screaming one?🫠✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️☕️☕️☕️☕️

Mk is screaming, Wukong picks it up, Macaque kills it.

Anonimo ha chiesto:Can we see exactly when they decided to prepare the courtnapping room? Like when exactly did they know oh we need to prepare that our son has apparently followed in our footsteps

Unfortunately in this AU for now I don't plan tp draw a full spicynoodle arc as well. There will be moments for the ship as well but more like extras and side stories.

Anonimo ha chiesto:Your shadowpeach bio au reminds me of something..... I remember you saying to someone that they should Read a Son of Two Dad's. Have you read the entire thing? and the sequel?

Yes I did! Also the sequel, but i think it s in hiatus.

Anonimo ha chiesto:In you newest update for the shadowpeach parent au, that one scene of Macaque looking at Wukong as MK holds his finger kind of reminds me those flashback scenes in movies of the dead lover/wife that is looking at the main character from under a flowing blanket. I have no clue why but the image popped up in my head when I read that part of the comic lmao

I bet when they are back together they will re-create this exact image eventually

Anonimo ha chiesto:I love that Macaque is initiating contact with Wukong. Hugging him, holding his hands, cuddling with him. It makes my heart melt 🥹🥰 And Wukong is giving him opportunities to do so

He is opening the door for Mac to come closer, so that it's his choice how much he can get closer. The last thing Wukong wants is to rush things or do something that would make him more uncomfortable.

Anonimo ha chiesto:Omg! I love your art especially your shadowpeach parent bio au, it's adorable! Although I'm terrified for the next page. Anyway, my question is, why won't you let the monkey trio breathe from the trauma? 😅🥹

Bc apparently chat asked for it

[its-avalon-08]

it all fell down (ln4)

part11

multipart story! part1 part2 part3 part4 part5 part6 part7 part8 part9 part10

✦ pairing - lando norris x female reader

very important note at the end - pls read it

summary : lando norris and y/n were friends for 20 years, fell in love and dated for five. until it all fell down. they left each others lives abruptly and never spoke again, until they met again in the most unexpected way. can they find their way back or will certain scars never heal?

Y/N and Lando walked back to her apartment in silence, the cool rain still falling lightly around them. Their hands were entwined, the contact grounding them as they made their way through the quiet streets. Every step felt like a promise, every glance a reassurance that they were finally on the same page, ready to confront the past that had haunted them for so long.

As they entered Y/N’s apartment, the familiar warmth of the space enveloped them. She flicked on the lights, casting a soft glow over the room, and dropped her keys on the counter. For a moment, they just stood there, the weight of what had happened between them settling in the air.

Lando took a deep breath, breaking the silence. “We should talk.”

Y/N nodded, her heart pounding. “Yeah, we should.”

They moved to the couch, sitting down with a cautious distance between them, the tension from before replaced with a more vulnerable kind of anticipation. The kind that came from knowing that the next few minutes could either heal them or break them all over again.

Y/N was the first to speak, her voice trembling with emotion. “I never wanted things to end the way they did. I was just… scared, Lando. Scared of how much you meant to me, scared of losing myself in you. I didn’t know how to handle it.”

Lando’s eyes softened as he looked at her, the pain of their breakup still fresh in his memory. “I get it, Y/N. I was scared too. But the way we both handled it… the things we said…”

His voice broke slightly, and Y/N reached out, her hand finding his. “We hurt each other so badly,” she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’ve never regretted anything more than the way I treated you. I thought pushing you away would make it easier, but it just… destroyed us.”

Lando squeezed her hand, his own eyes glistening with tears. “You said dating me was a mistake, and it killed me, Y/N. I kept hearing those words over and over, wondering if you ever really loved me at all.”

Tears spilled down Y/N’s cheeks as she shook her head, her voice cracking. “I didn’t mean it, Lando. I was so angry, and I just wanted to hurt you because I was hurting. But I never, ever believed that. You were the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Lando’s breath hitched, his own tears now falling freely. “It wasn’t just you, though. I said things too, things I can’t take back. I was so hurt by what you said, I wanted you to feel the same pain I was feeling. But all it did was tear us apart.”

Y/N leaned closer, her voice breaking with emotion. “I hated myself for letting you go, for saying those things. Every day, I missed you, Lando. But I was too proud, too scared to admit that I was wrong.”

Lando’s hand came up to cup her cheek, his thumb gently wiping away her tears. “I missed you too, more than I can even explain. But I was so angry at you, and at myself. I felt like I wasn’t enough for you, like I couldn’t make you happy.”

Y/N shook her head, more tears falling. “You were everything to me, Lando. I was just too blind to see it at the time. I let my fear control me, and I lost the most important person in my life because of it.”

Lando’s voice was thick with emotion as he spoke. “I felt the same way, Y/N. I lost myself in the anger, in the pain of losing you. I started acting out, trying to forget, but nothing worked. Nothing made me feel better.”

The air between them was heavy with all the unsaid words, all the pain that had been bottled up for so long. Y/N’s heart ached as she looked at Lando, seeing the hurt in his eyes, knowing she had put it there.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “For everything. I wish I could take it all back, Lando.”

Lando shook his head, pulling her closer. “We can’t change the past, but we can start over. We can try again, if you still want that.”

Y/N’s tears flowed freely as she nodded, her heart swelling with hope. “I do, Lando. I want that more than anything. But I don’t want to hurt you again.”

Lando pressed his forehead to hers, his voice a soft, broken whisper. “We’ll figure it out, Y/N. Together this time. No more running away, no more pushing each other away. Just us, facing whatever comes together.”

Y/N let out a sob, the weight of the past finally lifting from her shoulders. “I love you, Lando. I never stopped.”

Lando’s own tears fell as he pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her as if he would never let go. “I love you too, Y/N. And I’m not going anywhere.”

They held each other for a long time, their tears mingling as they finally let go of the pain that had kept them apart for so long. The world outside faded away, leaving just the two of them, wrapped in each other’s arms, ready to start over.

Y/N and Lando sat on her couch, the heaviness of their earlier conversation giving way to a lighter, more playful atmosphere. The weight of their past had been lifted, leaving space for something new—something familiar, yet fresh.

Y/N curled up, tucking her legs under her as she sipped on the hot chocolate Lando had made. She glanced at him, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “So, tell me… how many dates did you go on while we were broken up?”

Lando raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “Me? Dates? Nah, I was just too busy being a ‘man of mystery’ or whatever the tabloids were calling me.”

Y/N chuckled, nudging his shoulder. “Oh, come on. You know I kept tabs on you. You weren’t exactly subtle about it.”

Lando grinned, leaning back against the couch. “Okay, fine. I went on a few dates… but none of them ever felt right. I’d be sitting there, trying to make conversation, but all I could think about was how you would have rolled your eyes at the things they were saying.”

Y/N laughed, a soft blush creeping up her cheeks. “Well, for the record, I didn’t date much either. I tried, but every guy just felt… off. They weren’t you.”

Lando’s smile softened as he looked at her, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “So, we were both equally terrible at moving on, huh?”

“Pretty much,” Y/N admitted, laughing. “I even went out with this one guy who was super into cars, hoping it would make things easier. But all I could think about was how much you’d love to debate him on whether Ferrari or McLaren was better.”

Lando snorted, shaking his head. “That poor guy didn’t stand a chance.”

Y/N giggled, the sound light and infectious. “Nope, not at all. And every time I’d see a photo of you with some model, I’d convince myself that I was totally over you… but then I’d stalk your Instagram and see your stories, and I’d realize I was just lying to myself.”

Lando chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, I may have done some stalking myself. I’d see you posting about all the new things you were doing, and I’d try to convince myself that you were happier without me. But it only made me want to reach out more.”

Y/N shook her head with a smile. “It’s kind of sad, isn’t it? We were both trying so hard to move on, but we couldn’t stop thinking about each other.”

“Sad?” Lando repeated, raising an eyebrow. “I think it’s kind of sweet. We’re both just hopeless when it comes to each other.”

“Yeah, hopeless,” Y/N agreed, her voice softening. “I guess that’s what happens when you fall in love with your best friend.”

Lando’s expression grew tender as he reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I missed you so much, Y/N. No one could ever compare to you.”

Y/N’s heart fluttered at his words, and she placed her hand over his, squeezing it gently. “I missed you too, Lando. Every single day.”

They sat there in comfortable silence, their fingers intertwined, both of them reveling in the warmth of their reunion.

Lando glanced at her, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “You know, if we’d just swallowed our pride a little sooner, we could have avoided all those awful fucking dates.”

Y/N laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “True. But then we wouldn’t have these funny stories to tell.”

“Fair point,” Lando conceded, grinning. “And, hey, at least we know now that no one else stands a chance.”

Y/N smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder. “No one ever did, Lando. It was always you.”

Lando wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer. “And it was always you for me, too.”

As they sat there, cuddled up on the couch, the weight of the past fell away entirely, leaving only the warmth of the present. They were no longer two people trying to move on from each other—they were two people who had finally found their way back home.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------avaspeaks - hi lovelies! im so sorry for being gone for so long, exam prep threw me for a toss and i was so occupied and busy. but now im back for good and ready to update the blog. i felt so awful for not updating because i know the frustration when a series is just left unfinished. but worry not because your girl is back and ready to finish all the requests and series!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

taglist ---> @misspygmypie @kol67-t @sltwins @f1fantasys @sarx164 @imboredway2much @demandealalune e @elz-xo o @bellelovesharryy @hey-there9-its-me @marauders-wife @itsjustfranzi @l-sofiamia-l @ironmaiden1313 @01rrdbull @avni-sarai @maddy27

comment to get added to the taglist

[sulumuns-dootah]

Can I request headcanons for Barbatos, Gusion, Bael, Ronove, Glasyalabolas, and Amon reacting to gn crush accidentally confessing to him please?

Accidentaly confessing your crush to WHB demons III.

⟡ Masterlist ⟡ 

Characters: Barbatos, Glasyalabolas, Bael, Amon, Ronove, Gusion

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Immediately lights up and quickly looks around if Leviathan is in your vicinity

"Aw, I thought you'll never sound off. Still, are you sure it's safe for you to be saying it out of all places here?"

Seriously though, the castle of the king of envy himself isn't the best place to be confessing your feelings - despite it being accidental

You're both in the clear though

Looks like Leviathan won the bet with Glasyalabolas over who will confess first

       ༺☆༻

He can't deny that the thought of your limp body hasn't crossed his mind here and then when he saw you serve Leviathan

If he remembers correctly, he should have a free spot for something living in his life for now

The towering height of him above you doesn't really help your horrified state

In your mind the only options are him rejecting you or, worse, him feeling the same way and these moments being your last ones

To your horror he moves closer to you with a smirk on his lips

Oh, don't worry, he's just about to kiss you and give you some of that paralysing venom :)

       ༺☆༻

Wait, you actually meant to tell that to him? and not Beel?!

His eyes dart around the room for anything remotely reflective to check if he didn't forget to turn back after being Beel for some important event

But nope, he actually looks like himself

So it was actually meant for him?

That's a wonderful feeling, but then the guilt hits him

With all the work he has to do instead of Beel, he won't have much time spare for you unless you offer to help him out

This whole silent freakout is watched by one of Beels flies and he's making sure to remember all of it so he can tease him later about it

       ༺☆༻

His tired eyes slowly open as he's lounging on your sofa - his favorite spot to crash on

You what?

Ah, okay....

Wait, you're being serious?

He searches your face for any sign of humor in your face, but all he finds is your flushed cheeks from embarrassement

Amon lazily smiles and pulls you down on him, hugging you

       ༺☆༻

The fact Ronove's insanity-inducing power doesn't work on you already makes you special

And then you go and drop those words and start getting adorably flustered?

That's it, you're going into the collection

Alive for now and then, when you die, Ronove'll get you preserved so he can keep you for the rest of his days

Hope you like cats, because you'll have to get acquainted with them and remember all their names

       ༺☆༻

"Oh, is that all?"

"Well, that certainly explains why you always stare at me so much."

"No, you weren't sneaky."

Not really sure on how to lead a relationship, but he'll give it a try

Just make sure to communicate your needs

He's actually pretty happy that you like him for him and not only bc he can solve all your problems

Expect a lot of complaining about demons who do, tho

[elysiansparadise]

I was wondering your thoughts on sun square sun in synastry?

How to deal with Sun-Sun square in synastry?

In general, this square tells us about different personalities, approaches and ways of expressing themselves. Many establish that there may be a clash of egos and priorities. Personally, I consider it to be one of the easiest squares to deal with.

As for practical approaches, I can mention the following:

🤍Maintain an accepting and open environment: This is with the main reason of knowing the other better, understanding each other, allowing yourselves to express yourselves truly and communicate well in case of differences or disagreements. It is important that you work on making this relationship a space in which you work together and try to understand each other before jumping to judgment.

🤍Accept the other as they are: It is important to accept that the other person has a different views and approaches to life and the different areas of it. Instead of trying to change the other, it is better to respect and value these differences as part of the diversity that each person brings to the relationship. 

🤍Look for common points: It can help to find areas where you can both agree, look for opinions or things in common that help you connect better as a couple/friends. Although there are differences, there are always aspects where we can find a middle ground.

Some aspects in astrology that can help with this are the following:

🩶The harmonious aspects between Sun-Moon make both feel comfortable with the presence of the other, coming to find these initial differences something attractive, striking or even interesting. They understand their differences more easily and make the other feel safe enough to be themselves without feeling judged. They feel attracted to the other and easily arouse the sympathy of the other.

🩶Similar to the previous one, the conjunction, trine, sextile or opposition between Moon-Moon makes you feel emotional comfort. They may have different personalities, but despite this, the other provides them comfort, security, attention and care. They have a facility for understanding each other at a core level and can easily intuit the needs of the other. They get along quite well and may have similarities in lifestyles, emotional needs or may find comfort in the same things.

🩶When the planets fall in their 7th or 5th houses, it is very likely that these differences will be what most attracts and likes each other. They may perceive the other as charming in their own way, they may have an innate ability to understand them and it is difficult for their different ways of acting or seeing things to harm the relationship. You can help each other consider perspectives you haven't considered before. In addition, these overlays indicate affinity and compatibility.

🩶Saturn aspecting Sun harmoniously causes a feeling of admiration, as well as loyalty and dedication to the relationship with the other. These aspects ensure that you do not back down with the other, that there is support and understanding between you as well as that willingness to work with the other. There is a deep respect for each other's personality regardless of the differences that arise, because they know how to appreciate and love each other's virtues.

🩶The positive aspects between Moon-Venus cause there to be a deep adoration between you, you feel happy and delighted with each other, you love the way in which the other expresses affection, love and in general emotions. They feel that the other shows genuine affection, mutual adoration is evident and they can awaken in each other the sweetest and most loving feelings. All this sweetness is not superficial, because they genuinely love every little thing about each other.

🩶The conjunction between Sun and the angles can be something in favor for this relationship. If it is conjunct the rising [1st house], both may have many similarities and approaches to life, as well as some traits in common, from the way they express themselves to behaviors. If it's conjunct the IC [4th house] you are likely to feel warmth, appreciation and comfort with the other, you will feel at home and you will feel familiar with some traits of the other person, there will be understanding and patience. The conjunction with the DSC [7th house] will cause intrigue and curiosity like the other, you will perceive the differences, yes, but that will draw you more to the other, you can see the other as a potential long-term partner and you will feel delighted with some traits of his personality. And, if it is conjunct with the MC [10th house], it is very likely that there is deep admiration and respect for the other, they may have common goals and aspirations, as well as ethics and values ​​that allow them to find a middle ground. It is likely that there was even some attraction at the beginning and you caught each other's attention easily.

🩶If Mercury makes a conjunction, trine or sextile with Jupiter, both can learn a lot from each other and be curious about what makes them different. They can help each other see the world differently, they will share many things together and they will show each other new perspectives. They will feel attracted to the idea of ​​being able to learn many new things from the other and thanks to the other. 

🩶The aspects between Venus-Mercury can help them feel a strong intellectual attraction for the other, likewise, they can love the way in which the other communicates or expresses themselves. Communication will be fluid, they may have common interests and similar visions on topics related to relationships or love. Difficult conversations can be handled with more tact and understanding.

🩶The positive aspects between Saturn-Moon or Neptune mean that both can overcome obstacles of all kinds with ease. Their appreciation, devotion and empathy towards the other is so genuine that it drives them to work and strive to understand the other in their entirety, and not only that but that is even more reason to fall in love, adore or support the other. These aspects give durability to the relationship, as well as reliability and acceptance.

[lisbeth-kk]

Sherlock fandom

A Delicate Flower

Martha Hudson may seem frail and vulnerable to people who don’t know her. Those who have made her acquaintance in one capacity or another, retracts their claim quite quickly. Even the British government has a secret appreciation for her. She’s a force of nature, just like her two tenants upstairs. Speaking of…

“NO! Absolutely not!” John shouts.

Martha picks up on Sherlock’s protest but not his exact words. Therefore, she hurries to grab a tin of biscuits to bring upstairs. It’s been silent for weeks, and she has begun to wonder if John has tamed Sherlock into a boring adult. 

When she emerges in the doorway to 221B, she regrets that she didn’t bring popcorn. Sherlock’s tantrum is at least a seven on Martha’s secret scale. (Mind you, not only consulting detectives have those.) 

“It’s my blog, John!” Sherlock exclaims. “To do with as I please. You’ve said it yourself that it’s too scientific. Adding you into the equation, will make it much more interesting. People want to know things about you too. I don’t understand why it bothers you to this extent.”

His hands have done significant damage to his curls. He looks like a mix between a deranged scientist and a petulant child. In Martha’s book he’s habitually both.

“Well, it does,” John counters defiantly.

The good doctor is childishly stubborn sometimes, but he rarely budges if the topic is important to him. More often than not, it’s the delicate flower of a genius that gives in when he realises that the battle is lost. And then, he craves the physical closeness only his army doctor can provide.

Martha looks around, trying to discover what the argument is about. When she realises what it is, she’s glad she didn’t choose the popcorn, or John would’ve needed to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre on her.

She stifles a laugh and Sherlock stares daggers at her. He actually stomps his feet like a toddler, and a choked sound escapes her throat.

Petri dishes with different ash samples are placed on the kitchen table. Each item is carefully marked. Martha only glimpses a few that are in her field of vision.

John’s shoelaces – Wool from John’s favourite jumper – John’s pants (the red/sexy ones)

Martha leaves the biscuit tin on the table and descends to 221A to indulge in her herbal soothers. 

Murmuring voices half an hour later tell her that peace has been restored. For now.

----------------------------------------------------------

@flashfictionfridayofficial @totallysilvergirl @keirgreeneyes @calaisreno @helloliriels

@raina-at @meetinginsamarra @safedistancefrombeingsmart @gregorovitch-adler @topsyturvy-turtely

@jolieblack @peanitbear @phoenix27884 @bs2sjh @brandiwein1982

@meandhisjohn @a-victorian-girl @221beloved @ninasnakie @shy-bi-letsfuckingdie

@lhrinchelsea @missdeliadilisblog @salmonsown @oetkb12 @jawnscoffee

@gay-ass-bitch @acumberlockedgirl @williamholmeswatson @whatnext2020

(Tell me if you want to be tagged or removed from the list)

[demonstars]

wanted to paint these properly but got lazy SO. dnf dancing cueca chilena 🇨🇱 and polca montuvia 🇪🇨. in the first dream as china, jorge as huaso, and then them both as montuvios from the ecuador coast once again infodumping under the cut!

la cueca chilena has a complicated origin which i will not get into right now because i mostly forgot everything about it. oops. what does matter is that it is the typical dance around las fiestas patrias (as a fun fact: september 19th is the day of military glory which is. well. whatever it's a holiday yknow. yesterday was day of independence.) what is important to note here is that, as a courting dance, there are many variations of coquettish and cute movements to be done as a couple as they dance. the idea is to mimic the courting of a chicken and a rooster, funny enough

they're both using napkins, which are an important part of the dance, worn in the right hand and which serve to decorate the dance. there's a great (and sadly dying) tradition of weaving these napkins. dream is thus "hiding" himself from george's "courting" as a way to get him to insist more, and hopefully earn himself another dance so they spend more time together on the dancefloor :3

cueca is a dance that allows a lot of freedom to the dancers, with only three "stages" that they must pass do. there are many subgenres, such as cueca brava (angry), chilota (from a particular island), de salón, rock, and genres created to protest, such as cueca sola (lonely). THIS HAS NO IMPORTANCE TO THE DRAWING I JUST REALLY LIKE THE DANCE AND WHAT IT REPRESENTS.

now with polca montuvia, it has a more direct origin, being brought from spaniards colonizers and all of that not fun stuff. there aren't particular roles as far as I'm aware (aside from. men/women. yknwo). it is a very fun dance!!!

this is a musical subgenre that emerges from the ecuadorian coast, and it is a reclamation from the fancy vals dances that used to occur in the center of the city. by transforming the melodies, rhymes and steps of the general polka, a new version was created. it is often danced in the same parties in which amorfinos, villancicos or alzas are sang/danced.

there is a lot of negative perceptions as to who montuvios are or what their celebrations where, considered "drunken, messy people". this has resulted in a lot of degrading comments of these dances, but I find them absolutely wonderful :(((

according to the local mythos, this particular dance was created because the orenses (people from the "los oros" province) wanted a dance for themselves. it has evolved past this point by now, but the fight for identity is still present in many of the songs in which you would dance polka montuvia.

[mariyekos]

New DMC Anime Trailer Breakdown, Part 1

Okay so thoughts on the new DMC Anime trailer, which you can see here:

Putting things under the cut!

First things first, it's definitely going to at least take a few things from the DMC3 manga.

Second: It at least uses CGI in part....but more than that, on rewatching it... Are those Agni and Rudra!? Which means it also covers DMC3 in part.

Other fun things to note- I'm not sure if Dante's plate is a reference to anything, but he does have New York plates, so we can assume this DMC takes place in the US, even if the games are ambiguously sort of British/European based on architecture and director commentary.

Going to be honest- I'm not sure if these guys are a reference to anything. If they are, it's going over my head, but I could definitely see them just being generic bad guys/hunters.

Rebellion looks nice here! Also, looks like we're continuing the tradition of Dante getting attacked at his shop, because with a Pool table, jukebox, and the posters on the wall, I'm pretty sure this is supposed to be Dante's shop. Fun that we get a shot of him without his coat too, though he must put it on at another point since he has it in the above shots.

Then we have the exploding plane scene, which afaik is new but also feels very DMC. RIP the other people in that airplane though. Still, I like how wacky and over the top it is!

We also have a demon in the background of this shot...

And someone I'm preeety sure is Enzo (from the DMC3 Manga and Bayonetta!) Although on second glance, this guy looks like he might be blond, which Enzo is not. Still, it could just be a design choice they went with.

Following that is a shot of....probably not Jester because of the short nose, but something I'm sure is connected to Arkham in some way. I want to say they wouldn't get rid of his face scar, so I'm banking on there being a plotline related to Arkham having multiple minions Dante has to take down.

The giant hell portal in the sky isn't super special. We see it in both DMC3 and the old DMC anime, after all.

Then water guy...who I also don't remember as an enemy tbh. Could be new, could be my bad memory showing face. But he's a cyclops with axe hands which is interesting.

Dante's bullets are engraved with Jackpot which I find hilarious but also cool. Just imagining him using magic/demonic power to carve that in is great. I do wonder if they're going to have him reload though? Ebony and Ivory generally use magic bullets as far as I remember, but I know Coyote-A ejects shells. This bullet is shot from Ivory though.

EDIT: Looking at it again, these guns aren't Ebony and Ivory. They're both white/grey. Assuming this isn't them being lazy/an animation error, it might be that this is a real bullet...that he engraved using magic or just special gun stuff instead of just making the bullet itself from magic. I am not interested in guns in real life, but I think guns are supposed to have a function where they leave a mark on the bullets they fire so you can identify which gun shot the bullet? So it could be a human-made modification too.

Then there's the demon he shoots, which I think is a reference to Alice and the demons from the DMC3 manga (and a nice reference to the Sin Scissors and other beings that you can get the kill on with a bullet to the mask).

Not totally sure what the thing Dante shoots is, but it looks to be some sort of pendant. Is it some possessed thing that the girl has? Not super important though, because WHY IS ECHIDNA FROM DMC4 HERE?! Not upset, just surprised. Didn't notice this in my first watch.

After that we get Dante saving a girl from a... car? train? Something getting thrown into a diner that reminds me of the one from the old DMC anime, so here's me hoping we might get some fun downtime scenes like we did in that show. Maybe we'll see a strawberry sundae :)

Actually wait-

STRAWBERRY SUNDAE IDENTIFIED! Also I don't have a picture of her on hand, but is this maybe the waitress from that anime? A younger version? I'll look for a picture later, but for the sake of getting this out earlier than later, I'll just say I'm pretty sure she was a redhead too.

EDIT: Rewatching the trailer, the blue cyclops demon from before is in front of a sign that I'm pretty sure is supposed to say Freddie's Diner like in the OG Anime, so I'm going with the waitress being the same woman or otherwise related.

After that we get what looks to be a human that turned into a demon. My bet is that this guy was always a demon who was pretending to be human, but I think it could be interesting if there was a plotline about Arkham transforming humans into demons while trying to achieve godhood.

And hey look, Dante has what looks to be a stab mark through his chest and a hole in his shirt :) i bet this boy is getting stabbed through the chest, let's gooooo!

EDIT: Back, so I'll continue.

On second glance- wait, these guns are both gray, which means they aren't Ebony and Ivory. I'm putting my money into the DMC3 anime including Dante meeting Nell rather than this being an animation/coloring error.

Aaaand I hit the image limit, darn. Part 2 can be found here.

[malfiora]

I'm rewriting Jason's resurrection and reconciliation with the fam for my own sanity:

Jason dies tragically and horrifically at age 15

A year later, Superboy Prime punches through universes, collapsing two realities onto each other: one where Jason dies, the other in which he survives. Jason comes back to life but is semi-conscious. Talia finds him and takes him to the League

Jason regains full consciousness after a dip in the Lazarus. For two years, Jason trains and slowly regains his memories. Once he's 18, he decides to return to Gotham, despite Talia's wishes

Quickly becomes clear that Gotham hasn't changed much, which disappoints Jason. He decides to put his League training to use and control crime as a harm reduction tactic, and he goes back and forth on contacting Bruce, especially after he hears rumors of a new Robin

Joker pops up with a new scheme, and this is the last straw. Jason concocts a plan to kidnap and finally kill Joker and confront Batman about all the ways he's failed him and Gotham. When Batman refuses to kill Joker, Jason feints like he's going to kill Tim to "save him the trouble" since Batman clearly cares so little for his sidekicks. ("Hey, kid, at least I'll make it painless.") This gets a reaction from Batman, who incapacitates Jason and rescues Robin. Jason retreats to lick his wounds and reconsider everything

Jason takes time to ruminate on all of this. He's still hurt that his death meant nothing in the grand scheme of things but thinks about Batman's reaction to Tim being in danger and has to wonder if that's how he acted when Jason was in that warehouse

Out of morbid curiosity and a little bit of fanboyishness, Tim monitors Jason. Jason knows this and eventually confronts him. He feels bad for scaring Tim but has to maintain his edge so he tries not to be too scary. At some point, Tim speaks his mind and tells Jason that he has no idea what things were like while he was dead. "Batman was a mess, he almost killed people. That's why I became Robin. I had to put him back together, so you don't get to act like you know everything that happened the past 3 years because you been back a couple months." Jason takes this in. They part ways. (Jason: "Don't die." Tim: "Don't change.")

The Chemo incident happens. Jason rushes to Blüdhaven to make sure Dick is alive and okay, thus revealing he's alive to the Titans. After the dust settles, he and Dick talk privately so that Dick can react properly. (Dick: "No, Batman didn't tell me." Jason: "Yeah, he has a habit of doing that.")

Jason gets to ask if Tim's claim of Batman being a mess is founded. It is. He asks Dick if it's worth doing things the same way. "It is." That doesn't help.

Eventually Jason and Bruce have their equivalent of a heart to heart. Basically they both go, "I love you even if I think you're wrong."

Jason forms the Outlaws, but the moment he gets the distress call from the fam, he comes rushing back to help. He's offended that Bruce is surprised (Tim is hopeful, Dick isn't remotely shocked)

When Dick "dies," Jay comes back to take his place as Eldest Son. He sticks around through the end of the Robin War

Other important events that definitely happen but just don't fit neatly into a timeline:

Barbara and Jason team up on a mission shortly after Bruce tells Barbara that Jason is back. She's happy and immediately falls into big sister/mother hen mode and chides him for not seeing her sooner and makes him promise to stop by the clocktower regardless of whatever is happening between him and Bruce. She promises to help him upgrade his tech if he does. (Barbara has always been more lenient with killers and believes wholly in second chances.)

Cass stops Jason from killing someone who "deserves it," resulting in them fighting. Cass is better trained but she refuses to kill Jason, who won't stop. Eventually, they call a ceasefire and talk a bit. "All life has meaning," Cass says. Jason scoffs. "Even the Joker's?" "All life," she insists. Jason quietly disagrees but he respects Cass's determination. This starts a back and forth of him testing her anytime they're grouped together. ("Even this lowlife, Cass?" or "She's worth your own life?" or "They wouldn't spare you, why bother?") Each and every time she sticks to her principles.

Jay and Steph grab food together after a patrol one night and bond over being the family outcasts (i.e. the ones Bruce doesn't implicitly trust). Jason vows to make Steph his Robin if he ever becomes Batman. She laughs but is secretly touched

***I can never decide what to do with Damian. On the one hand, it's hilarious if Jason knows about him and keeps quiet about it. On the other, I don't see why Jason wouldn't tell Bruce about Damian's existence. Maybe once he's on speaking terms with Bruce again, he does tell him about Damian, which then prompts Jason to encourage Talia to let Damian meet Bruce. This is accelerated by Talia discovering Ra's' plan for Damian and wanting to get Damian away from the League

[bicheetopuff]

Grill I have a sudden thought. Epiphany if you will.. Call it curiosity even!

Kirishima is kind of a parallel torwards Izuku in some way when being friends with Kats (just more, confident and less bullying and Kiri being a rock)

But what about Iida?

like, For some reason- Iida does seen Izuku as a rival and kind of want to prove himself that he can be more with or without izu-

I am- I'm not sure how to word this. I am not good with words, but I think what I want to say that Izu and Kats kind of have a type when befriending others

Iida & Katsuki (Similarity)

Loud

Studios

Prideful

Not chill

Goal minded (I'm stupid maybe)

Rule binding (Kats is just very chaotic in responding to rules)

Both probably sleeps at 8 PM

I'm not sure anymore I think you can list it better than I do-

Help this is not even remotely a coherent thought, so please just ignore it if it doesn't make sense

Have Izu for your troubles!💞

bkdk is the only ship I ship, just- thoughts

Don’t worry, bkdk is constantly on my mind too, I get it.

I actually really love the way Izuku and Iida’s relationship parallels Katsuki and Kirishima’s and it makes me kinda sad that people stopped talking about them.

I wouldn’t say that they parallel in dynamic very much, but they parallel in a sense that Katsuki and Izuku are so obviously jealous of each others friends. Well… not jealous, but there’s definitely a feeling of, “I’m glad he found a friend who treats him the way he deserves to be treated, because I am in no place to be the one to give him that no matter how much I want to,” kind of mutual insecurity. And it’s made so blatantly obvious (even being confirmed in an interview) that I genuinely wonder what Horikoshi was thinking when he decided to do it. Like, what were his intentions with that? Outside of obvious yearning?

Like, I feel like Iida and Kirishima is who bkdk wishes the other could see them as. Kirishima has that same overly positive spirit and self sacrificial heroic attitude that Izuku has that Katsuki hates so much. The difference is, Izuku’s self sacrificial attitude isn’t healthy while Kirishima’s is, because Kirishima’s quirk is literally a shield which makes it nearly impossible for him to inflict injuries onto himself deliberately like Izuku does. Kirishima is Izuku without the fatal flaws that worries Katsuki so much. Now with Iida, he’s an organized goody two shoes with a tendency to let his emotions spill over in a scary/somewhat violent way, just like Katsuki. However, Iida is also missing Katsuki’s fatal flaws. Iida is stubborn but he’s able to let people into his life and he doesn’t have an explosive temper, nor does he have an extremely inflated ego. He has a similar social pressure that Katsuki had growing up with his family and other adults in his life pre-projecting him to be a great hero and having him set a standard for himself that he isn’t able to reach until realizes his weaknesses, which he’s able to do a lot faster than Katsuki was able to.

They don’t just parallel in their relationships, but they parallel narratively too fairly often. I touched on it a bit in this post [x], but I’ll explain it a little more since I find it fascinating.

Since Izuku views Kirishima as Katsuki’s ideal friend, and Katsuki views Iida as Deku’s ideal friend, they kind of act on it in a way that ended up setting up the whole narrative about hand holding in the story.

With this,

Being a clear call back to this:

(I also wanna point out that the memory of Ochako saying that “he’ll think it’s disgraceful to get rescued” being recalled in both of those chapters)

I feel like both “You’ve always managed to outpace me!!” and “I probably shouldn’t be the one…” are proof of that insecurity I mentioned earlier. They truly don’t believe that they’re the most important people to each other, and their mutual belief in that just kind of proves them wrong ironically. These two scenes is them indirectly extending their hand through someone else, because they think that someone else would do it better.

There’s way too much emphasis on them being scared to hold hands for it to be considered platonic, IM SORRY BUT IM NOT BUYING IT

I’m sorry if this wasn’t coherent, it’s literally 2am where I am…

[crimeronan]

“Blights don’t apologize” is so telling, and Amity panicking because she has nowhere to go… i’m pretty sure Hunter (and Luz) already know Amity’s homelife isn’t exactly *the best* but I wonder if now Hunter’s suspicions are like no it was worse than I thought.

MMM, YEAH.

i think hunter has already extrapolated that amity doesn't Like her parents (or at least one of her parents) because she has absolutely NO interest in seeing them. we can safely assume that luz's edicts about the scouts' workload included more time off to spend with family & i'm 100% sure amity has never taken advantage of that.

when he says "blights don't apologize?? that honestly explains so much about you," he means it. both because 1) oh, yeah, of fucking course you've been taught you're too superior to ever need to apologize and 2) oh, no one important has ever apologized to you In Their Life, have they. wow.

whether he's clocked how abusive amity's home life was by now or not, he and luz Are about to get some specifics about odalia that neither of them are happy about. at all.

rip amity but more importantly. rip odalia <3

[avianyuh]

Boring | Min Yoongi

{Chapter One} {Chapter Two} Chapter Three

Summary: Friday morning comes and you do as Yoongi asks. But what exactly did he want to ask you in the first place?

Word Count: 3k

And so here you were. Friday morning, nervous and standing outside of Min Yoongi’s door. You came in early, just as he did. So early in fact, that even his assistant hadn’t even arrived. You paced outside of his door for a minute or two, before building up the courage to just bite the bullet and knock on his door. “Mr. Min, it’s Y/N.” You see, the reason why you were so on edge was because, you now found yourself very attracted to Yoongi. Well, to be fair, you always found him attractive, but now it was for other reason. You genuinely found him intriguing. You were up most of the night grappling with if you should try to make any moves with him. BUt though you wanted love, you also enjoyed having an income and what was mainly stopping you was the fear of Yooni rejecting you and potentially firing you for putting the moves on him. And because you weren;’t entirely sure if you were both on the same page, you decided to continue to feel him out for as long as possible.

As you placed your hand on the doorknob, you felt a force against the door. Yoongi swung the door open, which took you aback. Normally, they give you permission to come into an employer's office, not necessarily opening the door for you. It was just a little surprising. “Y/N”, Yoongi greeted you, smiling and looking frankly, quite energized. A sight you never thought you’d see of him. “Wow, I said I was was coming in early, I hope you didn’t think I expected you to show up early too?”Yoongi joked as he sat down on his couch, the same one the two of you had your dinner on two nights ago.

“Oh, actually sometimes I come in early if I have extra work to do. And since you said you had an assignment…Well I just thought it’d be the best time to come in.”, you tried to cover for coming in so early. You didn’t think he’d mention it. Truthfully, you were just so excited to get more one on one time with him. All you had on your mind as of lately was him.

“Please”, Yoongi gestured towards the empty seat next to him on the couch, “Sit”, he smiled. You sat next to him, positioning yourself so you were facing him completely. You took note of the way he looked today. Just as always, he was wearing a suit, except this one was gray and the tie was navy blue. His hair was growing out a bit, since his bangs were starting to cover his eyes just a little. But to you, it gave his face more charm and it made him seem even more human to you. I guess even CEO’s neglect making hair appointments too…, you thought to yourself.

“So”, you started, staring into his eyes, which were already locked on your own. As Yoongi continued to stare at you, you couldn’t help but notice that he seemed distracted. Yes he was staring at you, but he didn’t seem fully there despite his good mood. You wondered why he wanted to speak to you if he had other matters to attend to in the first place. You could’ve used that extra half an hour before work to watch some TV, but you rushed over to the office thinking he had something important. “Uh, you said you had an assignment?”, you questioned. He looked at you, his lips were in a tight line and he seemed nervous. You wondered why, and of course with you being the pessimist you are, assumed that you were about to be fired for god knows what reason.

“Yes, I uh, actually got another call, this time from another client of ours, Yamamoto? Do you remember that group?”, you pondered for a minute, recalling if you had ever worked on anything for them in the past.

“Hm, I don’t think I’ve gotten any work assigned in regard to Yamamoto…”, you stated, shrugging your shoulders. “Weren’t they recently acquired?”, you questioned as you waited for Yoongi’s response.

“Yes, last April. And you’re right, you haven’t been assigned anything from them but I did just hold a meeting yesterday over the phone with his company and they also have some last minute changes they need done to their files. We have about 10 files that we’ll be using next week, Tuesday I’m pretty sure. I checked your work schedule, it seems that you’re clear today…I was thinking you could work on it with me today in my office? Of course, if you have other things to do, I completely understand…” You were shocked at the proposal. But were appreciative of the fact that this time, instead of being given an ultimatum, he seemed to genuinely want to work with you and had left the ball in your court.

“Mr.Min? Are you sure, I mean, I haven’t done any work for the Yamamoto group, I just don’t want to mess anything up.”, you explained to him. He smiled at you and placed his hand on your shoulder.

“That’s why we’ll work together. I wanted to ask you because…well, I think we made a great team on the Smith file. Plus, we don’t have to rush, whatever we can’t do today, we’ll finish on Monday. Also please, it's Yoongi. ” You felt reassured by him and just like always you felt that giddy feeling brewing inside of you. A whole day, locked in Yoongi’s office with him. You didn’t know how to feel about it.

The morning was pretty tame. Yoongi set up a spare desk for you, placed diagonally to his own. The morning was spent working on the first four files, with a little small talk here and there. It wasn’t until you heard people moving around outside that you realized it was lunchtime. And that was when you heard a knock at the door. Yoongi was sitting at his desk, black framed glasses on his face as he held up a piece of paper, looking focused on what he was reading. He didn’t even glance towards the door, just casually saying, “Come in.” In walked his assistant. She didn’t even look at you, though you still smiled at her. She never seemed to be overly friendly, maybe that’s why she worked so well as Yoongi’s assistant?

“Mr.Min, it’s lunch time, do you want me to bring you up your usual?”, she asked as she intertwined her hands behind her back. She was tall, had long hair that was pulled back into a low ponytail. She wore heels which gave her location away any time she would walk around the office. Yoongi looked up from whatever he was reading, and turned his attention towards you.

“Do you want something from the cafeteria? Or do you want to go out for lunch?”, he questioned. You were surprised he would offer to take you out to lunch. But you didn’t want to get unfair treatment so you tried to decline.

“Oh the cafeteria’s fine. I’ll run down and get something quickly…”, you said, standing up from your chair. Yoongi stood up, murmuring something to the assistant. She turned around and walked out, still not acknowledging you.

“Nonsense. Friday is always the worst day to eat down there. I’m not exactly sure how fresh the food is by Friday…but you didn’t hear that from me.”, he joked. “No one should be out there, let’s go out for a few minutes, get some fresh air?”, he stated, grabbing his coat.

“Well, if you insist.” you surrendered. Following him out of his office door.

30 minutes later you were sitting at a table outside with Yoongi. You had finished eating and were now just talking. “When I was a kid, I used to be on my school’s basketball team. My mother always wanted me to do something more academic, but at that age, all I was interested in was sports.” You listened intently as Yoongi reminisced about his childhood. The topic came up when you had asked him about his hometown. He told you a little about his family, and how he got homesick some days.

“Do you still play?”, you questioned. You had your head resting on one of your hands as you waited for his response. You found him so intriguing. You wondered how someone so quiet could have such an energetic hobby.

“Truthfully? No, I wish I did, but whatever time I get out of work, I’m usually just home.” He sat with his arms folded across his chest as he stared back at you.

“I’d like to see you play one time…See if you still got it.”, you joked as you watched him look down and smile.

“Well, that could be arranged. But what about you? Where’s your hometown?”, he questioned, giving you a concentrated look.

“My hometown is here, but my family moved a few towns over three years ago, so it’s just been me ever since. It gets pretty lonely. But I’m the same way, after work I just go home. I’m friends with two of the people I work with, so sometimes I go out with them.” He hummed understanding.

“Were they the two women you were walking out with last night?”, you nodded. “Which one looked like she was minutes away from punching me?”, he questioned.

“Ah, that would be Gina”, you laughed. He smiled at you again, and that’s when you fell into a comfortable silence. The two of you were just staring at each other. Under the table you could feel your shoes touching his own. You stayed like that for another minute or so until the waiter approached the table. That was when you both seemed to come back down to earth. Yoongi checked his watch, before explaining that the two of you should start heading back. You reached for your wallet, pulling out your card to pay. “What are you doing?”Yoongi questioned you with a puzzled look on his face.

“Oh, um, I’m paying for my meal”, you explained.

“That’s not necessary, I invited you, I should pay.”, You thought the offer was nice but didn't feel right about letting him pay for two of your meals.

“No Yoongi, I let you pay for takeout on Wednesday, this is the least I could.”, you tried.

“I invited you on Wednesday to order something too, please just let me pay”, he pleaded as he placed his hand on top of your hand as he moved your hand off the table, the same hand that was holding your card. You made a tsk sound as you shrugged your shoulders. You watched as he gleefully handed his card over to the waiter, giving you a smirk. You playfully shook your head, you couldn’t believe that this was the same man you had been watching around the office for 8 months.

Back at the office, it was a few more hours of boring work. However, you found it becoming increasingly harder to focus on your work, as you couldn’t help but notice Yoongi taking sneaky glances of you from the corner of your eye. And when you thought he wasn’t looking, you were doing the exact same thing. “I might stay an extra half hour today, just to make sure I finish this last one for the night”, you murmured, not looking up from your desk.

“Then I might as well”, Yoongi replied. You tried to conceal your smile. But you found yourself overjoyed when he was around. Around 5:10, after the office seemed to quiet down from people gathering their things, saying their goodbyes for the weekend and heading for the elevator, Yoongi looked up from the file on his desk, and seemed to squint at the door. You watched as he maneuvered his head to look towards the door, almost like he was checking for something. After another few seconds, he looked back down at his desk. After another half hour, you finished the last page of the file and started to put everything back together, a signal that you were done and packing up. Yoongi watched you as you stood up from your chair, and watched as you glanced at the clock. He stood up and walked over to where you were standing, which was right in front of the door. “I want to thank you again for doing this with me. On my own, this would've taken a week. And if I had asked Taehyung, he would’ve talked too much and it still would’ve taken a week”, he joked. You laughed, thinking back to the time when you had first started working there. Taehyung had been assigned to work with you and you distinctly remember getting off track way too often because Taehyung had a story for everything.

“I don’t blame you for asking. I had fun, which is unusual at work.”, you looked up at him, looking into his dark eyes. He had been inching closer towards you throughout the conversation, but you hadn’t noticed until now. Your breathing became faster as you leaned into the door. You weren’t sure if you were misreading the situation. To be clear, you wanted to kiss him. Badly. But you weren’t a mind reader and didn’t want to make any stupid decisions. “Um”, you whispered, “So, I guess I’ll see you Monday”, you questioned as you reached for the doorknob. He inhaled sharply before stepping away from you.

“Fuck”, he murmured as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Yoongi?”, you asked, “What’s wrong..”, he turned away from you, looking out of his window instead.

“What’s wrong? I can’t stop fucking thinking about you. And I have no idea if it’s just in my head or not. I probably shouldn’t have said anything at all.” At the sound of the confession, you felt your body temperature rise and your heart rate increase. You walked up behind him, taking one of his hands and holding it in your own. He tensed up for a minute, before turning around to face you. He looked down at you, his eyes darting anywhere but your own. He raised his free hand to cup your cheek, and you leaned your head into it. “Can I kiss you?”, he whispered. You bit your lip and nodded silently. And with that, he was cupping your face with both hands now as he crashed his lips onto yours. Your hands traveled from his shoulders to his hair as your bodies walked backwards towards the door. He pressed his body weight into yours. The kiss was deep and it was about a solid minute before either of you came up for air. His tongue made its way into your mouth, and you couldn’t help but moan at the sensation as his hands traveled down your body to your hips.

His fingers pressed into your skin as his lips made their way down to your neck. Your eyes were closed as your breathing became labored. The kisses got wetter and hungrier as Yoongi cupped one of your breasts. His other hand started to play with the buttons on your blouse. He briefly glanced up at you, seemingly asking for silent permission to start unbuttoning your top. In response, you undid the first one before letting him continue. You didn’t know how far this was going to go. And you couldn’t believe that this was happening at all. You wondered if he would regret this come Monday morning when he’d have to see you in your 10 o’clock meeting? A small part of you thought it’d be best to stop him now and get your thoughts collected, but the larger part of you couldn’t imagine telling him to stop.

By now he had half of your blouse undone. Everytime he undid a button, he left a kiss as a replacement. But before he could unfasten the last one, you pulled his face back up towards your own as your lips locked again. The kisses were impatient as he traveled his arm back towards your bra to undo it. You felt it fall as you yourself started to undo his tie and the buttons on his own shirt. And before you knew it, you were both topless. He lifted you up and carried you towards the spare desk you had been sitting at 10 minutes ago. Luckily it was empty as he laid you down on it, before positioning himself on top of you. You felt a bulge in his pants as he continued to cover your body in his kisses. You trailed your hands up and down his back as you closed your eyes. His lips were hot against your skin. But as he traveled further down towards your skirt, you knew it was time to ring him in.

“Yoongi”, you panted, “Not here…”, you said as you pushed him away from your thighs. “I think we should stop until we talk about this…”, he sat up as he pulled you onto his lap.

“What do you want to talk about?”, he asked, moving your hair away from your neck so he could start leaving a trail of kisses.

You let out a sigh, “You’re my boss…I mean, we were about to have sex in your office? What is this, just a one time thing?”, at the mention of the last question, Yoongi halted his movements, before adjusting you so you were completely facing him.

“No, this is whatever you want it to be.”, he stated firmly. “Do you know how long I’ve been watching you? How long I’ve been trying to ignore the fact that you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve set my eyes on. I want you. And I’ve seen you eyeing me the past few months. The last thing I would’ve wanted from you was something temporary.”, he said, caressing your cheek with his thumb.

“Yoongi, what if someone finds out?”, you questioned, worried that you might get him in trouble.

“We’ll have to figure it out. For now we’ll act normal. But tonight, please just come home with me?”, he pleaded as placed a tender kiss on your lips. Your lips danced with his as you hummed against them.

“Okay”, you whispered as you placed your forehead against his own.

~

Note on AO3: OMG, I never write such detailed scenes like that, I hope it seemed convincing. Anyways, not sure if this is the last chapter or not. If it is, I'm happy with the way I ended it, but if not, stay tuned...Summary is lacking this week, but I was trying to not give too much away.

~

My A/N on Tumblr: So I posted this yesterday on AO3 to test out the waters and people really seemed to like it over there. People on AO3 were asking for another part, so I'll probably put out one last chapter to wrap things up. Anyways, you know the drill, have a good day, night, whatever. I love you guyssss.

[honeygrahambitch]

Hi, I'm new to the fandom and unsure who to ask my questions. I recently joined Tumblr and came across your posts while browsing the Hannibal meta tag. I have a few questions: What are Hannibal's feelings towards Bedelia and Alana? I remember Mads once said that Hannibal is in love with everyone on the show to some extent, so what exactly does love mean to him? Also, I'm having trouble understanding the line by Will: "You will only do that if I rejected you" (sorry, I paraphrased). I apologize if these are too many questions. Thanks in advance!

Hi anon! I am in a yapping mood so here we go.

1. What are Hannibal's feelings towards Bedelia and Alana?

They are absolutely women that he appreciates and respects to some extent. Hannibal does not engage with people he doesn't respect. Bedelia is his colleague and...friend? Depends who you ask cause Hannibal did say that he considered her his friend. He doesn't love her, but she matches his freak to some extent. She is a beautiful woman and she is intelligent and most importantly, she probably knows him better than anyone (up until the point he meets Will at least).

He was also very genuine towards Alana. He did use her as an alibi but I stand my ground when I say that he offered her to run away genuinely because he cared about her. She is also intelligent and beautiful, what's not to like about her? (i won't start ranting about Alana now, I have many thoughts ahhhhh). Tbh his feelings towards Bedelia are deeper. Alana did not see him for who he was. She didn't know him intimately enough. He has never wanted to eat her. Hannibal wants to eat people if 1) they are rude and 2) they mean the world to him (because how else to express your adoration). Bedelia did end up for dinner in the end. What he had with Alana was not that deep but it was enjoyable for sure. Alana is more submissive than Bedelia.

So I guess to sum up, both Bedelia and Alana were very convenient both as partners and as pawns for the bigger picture. But his feelings toward them are nothing compared to what he feels for Will.

2. What does love mean to Hannibal?

My take on what Mads said is that Hannibal is an individual who is genuinely in love with life. With every aspect. Life gets complicated? That's entertaining to him. Will did something unpredictable? Entertaining too. Rude people or people he loves are having dinner with him? Wonderful. Murder? Mesmerizing. He loves suits, he composes, he draws, he cooks, he is so full of life all the time. He is a little bit in love with everyone because he finds everyone a source of entertainment and that's really important to him.

Will actually making him suffer is however something he did not find so entertaining. Even if he did find some beauty in all that pain, I am sure he wasn't very entertained. It was a rare occasion where he was really in pain. He is not the same as in the first two seasons. He is more reckless, more impulsive. His little happy narrative was shattered because of a situation where he had no control over. Part of his life satisfaction and entertainment are explained by his need to control how all the subplots develop.

3. What did Will mean when he said "you'd only do that if I rejected you"?

Honestly this is one that I struggled with for a long time and I guess you can interpret it in many nuances. It's meant to be interpretable.

You can either see it as a) "I manipulated you to surrender and you fell for it. I knew which buttons to push. You can't handle rejection. You did exactly what I expected you to do" or b) (my favorite) "I had to say all those things because it was the only way to make you surrender. I knew that you wanted me to know where to find you. While what I said back then does not reflect my true feelings, I had to make you surrender."