#but i'm still gonna write something

[eggy-the-boy]

*poking my blorbos with a stick* 

[cerise-on-top]

what if the 141 boys had a ridiculously tall husband. like. a little bit taller than konig, probably. and he's really scary to people, actually!!!! but not his s/o , nuh uh, he's disgustingly sweet to his beloved.. sorry i'm rambling, i think (jokes and idiocy aside i adore your headcanons <3)

Hey there! Thank you, that's very kind of you! Also thank you for sending in a request for a male reader, you're one of the first ones and I was very excited to write about a male reader for once :D

TF141 With A Very Tall Husband

Price: He didn’t really think he’d ever be dating someone much, much taller than him. Sure, he doesn’t particularly mind, but he’s not short either, with him standing at 1,88m himself. It makes him feel small at times, especially if you’re pretty muscular too. He doesn’t get insecure about it in the slightest, oh no, but it’s weird to be so much shorter than your loved ones. However, he’s pretty used to scary people by now. Ghost isn’t exactly a delight to have around at first when you don’t know him either, so he knows how to deal with scary people. Might ask you to tone it down a little bit when you’re scaring other people too much, he doesn’t particularly wanna attract attention like that. But you being a sweetheart towards him? It melts his heart. He knows what you’re like towards people that aren’t him, so it makes him smile that you’re willing to do just about anything for him just to spend some time with him. You wanna trim his beard? There’s a good chance you’ve got some experience with that anyway, so he really doesn’t mind it as much. Hell, he probably trusts you more than his own barber at times. Besides, it’s a nice little bonding activity. If you have a beard then he’ll offer to trim it for you as well. Price isn’t really opposed to being the little spoon, or just being held in general. Quite the opposite, you being this tall sometimes puts him in a cuddly mood where he just plops down into your arms. Gently scratch his scalp and there’s a good chance he’ll even fall asleep on you. He’s so used to being everyone’s protector, it feels nice to be protected for once. But he won’t always settle for being held either, it’s his job to make you feel safe and sound as well, and thus he will take on the role of cuddler as well. Will fight you for that role, actually. Price is a real sweetheart towards his loved ones as well, so I think the two of you would fit well together. His mere presence demands respect in the right people, which can sometimes scare others. So, from time to time, you might both scare other people together. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally.

Gaz: He makes so many jokes about you being this tall and feigns being hurt about being much shorter than you are. You’re his behemoth, his leviathan and his ziz. Loves calling you the names of monsters that are said to be pretty big, it’s endearing to him. Besides, you’re scary enough that some people call you a monster anyway, if just for your height. If anyone ever were to call you that in front of Gaz, then they’ll end up with a black eye. No one gets to call you a monster but him. While he won’t always approve of you scaring everyone, Gaz does have a few friends that he wants you to get along with, he won’t particularly do anything about it either if that’s just what you’re like. Might try to make you seem a bit less scary by being a bit more affectionate with you in public. Holding your hand, giving you a peck on the cheek, giving you a hug. Those kinds of things. He actually loves you being this tall since that means you can pick him up and spin him around. He’s not been picked up ever since he was a little boy, so he definitely wouldn’t mind you showing off to him just how strong you are. Is also always looking for an excuse to hold your hand. Oh, seems like he forgot just how big your hand actually is and how much it engulfs his. Remind him for a moment and hold his hand, will you? Gaz is a sweetheart towards his loved ones anyway, if you look past the fact he will sass anyone to show his affection, so he loves that you’re so sweet towards him. Though, sometimes he wishes you were about the same height so you could actually share each other’s wardrobe. But hey, at least he gets to wear your extremely oversized shirts and hoodies, one of his favorite things to do. Another thing he also adores is just sitting in your lap when you’re home together and will also place your hands so that you’re holding him in your arms. If you’ve got really warm hands then he’ll place them atop his thighs to keep himself warm. Gaz isn’t the warmest person out there, but that just means you get to warm him up yourself. Is actually a lot cuddlier because you’re this tall and will become your personal blanket.

Ghost: He feels kind of perplexed about you being so much taller than him. Ghost is 1,95m, he towers over pretty much anyone, so how dare you be so much taller than him. Pretends to hate you being this tall, actually loves it. Sometimes he dreams of sparring with you under the moonlight to assert his dominance, even though there’s really no need to since you’re such a sweetheart towards him. He probably just needs to ask and would get anything from you. He really doesn’t mind you scaring pretty much everyone off, he has the same effect on people he doesn’t know. That just means there’s less people to worry about in his life for the time being. You’ll be spending a lot of time alone with each other that way, which he really likes. Though, maybe don’t scare his teammates too much, he genuinely likes them and wants them to be well too. Though, it’s kind of hard to properly scare them anyway. Ghost is usually a pretty quiet man when there’s no need for chit chat, but he doesn’t mind hearing your voice. In fact, he might get worried if you suddenly stop talking and will ask you what’s wrong. If you’ve got nothing to talk about then he’ll ask some questions so he can continue hearing your voice. He also blushes from time to time when you suddenly give him some sugary sweet compliments. He’s a grown, scary military man, he really shouldn’t be, but it’s just so endearing, especially when you, even bigger and scarier, call him your little honey bunny. It actually motivates him to do house chores. Not that he won’t do them anyway, but you calling him embarrassingly domestic names makes him just a tad bit soft, which leads to him trying to be a good husband. You may cuddle him since he trusts you, but he will also want to hold you from time to time. Life is a constant give and take, so prepare to be cuddled. Won’t particularly ask for cuddles, though, since he’s kind of too embarrassed to admit he’s touch starved. To you it’s blatantly obvious, though, which is why you initiate those cuddling sessions. Ghost appreciates it and sometimes hides a smile in either the pillow or your neck. As long as you don’t see him being silly, all is good.

Soap: He used to hate you being this tall. Soap may “only” be of average height, but he’s the tallest in his family, which he was actually pretty proud of. He towered over his father, even. And then he joined the military, where quite a few people were taller than him. And then you had the audacity to introduce yourself to him. You, the tallest man he’s ever met. It hurt his ego. Ever since you got together, though, he slowly got over it. You’re just such a sweetheart, how could he hate you over something as trivial as this? However, nothing could ever stop him from trying to pick you up and spinning you around. Soap is a pretty strong lad too, he’ll make it work somehow. You will feel tiny and cared for too. There’s a good chance he can’t reach your lips to kiss you. Yes, he could just ask you to bend down, but where’s the fun in that? Climbs you like a tree instead. He’s also always thinking of that one post where, instead of asking their boyfriend, the person should just punch him in the stomach. He won’t do it, but he remembers it every time without fail. He doesn’t mind you being scary either. Hell, Ghost is also a pretty scary guy to have around when you don’t know him and he’s one of Soap’s closest friends. Besides, he knows better anyway. You’re a total goof and the biggest sweetheart this world has ever seen. You being scary towards others just means that he’s got you all to himself all the time. Soap is a clingy guy, so you can expect him to cling to you like a koala from time to time. Actually, that was a lie, you should expect him to jump at you and hold onto you very often. Cuddles over safety. You’re likely also one of the only people on the planet willing to hear him out when he’s talking about his passions. And he could go on for hours every time. Explosives, weapons, whatever show you’re watching together, all is fair game. See, you’re one of the biggest sweethearts to him because you actually listen to him, despite him going into great detail about it all. You may not always be able to understand him when he’s talking chemistry again, but you hear him out anyway, and for that alone you’ve won his heart. He also sits on your lap while talking. You’re his little throne now that he takes immense pride in.

[cordeliawhohung]

sometimes i worry so much about how i need to write more and then i look at my 2024 writings document and realize i've written 120k words so far since the beginning of 2024. and that's only counting the works i've kept track of. there's def a lot of ps!gaz and mafia!141 i haven't put in that document. and that's not counting the at least 5k words of wips i haven't posted or counted yet.

i've been writing so much yet hardly realized how far i've come, and yet i still allow these "part 2?" "when are you coming out with the next part?" "will there be a next part" asks to get to my head as if i haven't written a whole novels worth of shit for people to read lmao. sometimes i forget just how much work i'm actually doing, and i need to be easier on myself when i'm still trying to make myself write after a busy ass 10 hour shift at the clinic.

ANYWAY i love you guys and i will hopefully have a surprise price x reader one shot out tomorrow as well as some pornstar!gaz stuff this weekend <3

[gemisbored]

The vessel did not understand time. How long ago had it been sealed inside the temple? How long ago had it crawled out of the abyss? How long ago had She cried out Her last scream? How long ago had the vessel's half-sister found it laying pathetically on the ground of the temple? It simply did not know.

What it did know was that its half-sister had dragged it out of that dreadful place, up through a forgotten road and through a well to a little town. What it did know was that now it had tilted its head up to look at the strange ceiling of a seemingly infinite cavern. The vessel wasn't even sure if it could trust its eyes, vision damaged by Her burning light. The swirling-soft patterns up above seemed to move, but the vessel wasn't sure if that was even possible. Maybe it had stood there next to that well for millennia, enough for even stones to twist and curl into new shapes. Suddenly, its half-spider half-sister cut its thoughts short with her speech:

"I suppose you haven't been to the surface before. This is where the known ends and the endless begins."

The vessel turned its head to her. It had learned from Father that looking at the one speaking to you was considered polite.

"The clouds seem to interest you. I wasn't all that different when I saw the sky for the first time."

Ah. The surface. They were now standing above the kingdom, below the clouds. Surface. It should've remembered this from the numerous maps it had seen growing up. How shameful of the not-bug that sacrificed itself for Hallownest to not know its caverns like the back of its hand.

The vessel turned its face upwards, this time aware that what it was seeing were clouds. It stared at the sky until Hornet told it to go to one of the abandoned houses to rest. It did not want to disappoint its half-sister, so it followed her. The vessel was not used to resting, but it trusted her when she said it would make it feel better. She, if either of them, would know what's best for healing. She was not so fundamentally broken. Maybe next morning it would not hurt so much.

[bluepallilworld]

✨Surprise! ✨

I'm launching a new story for my dark cream ship kids and co ^^

I usually don't warn before the first part is done but I thought Mimosa's birthday was a good day to announce it!

A Tear's Soul!

I already showed that drawing (hehe it's the cover) but now I can talk about it ;3

The project is gonna a mix of comics and writings (because I'd burn myself out trying to do full comic when I'm not very experienced in those... They're hard, ok?)

Sooo it's gonna take me a while........................

Even if I try to shorten it as much as possible (10 parts unless problems)

I think the ones who'd be interested all know how my projects usually go, it's not gonna be a cute, fluffy story uwu. It'll have some fluff tho promise, but angst is part of the journey here! I'll give warnings each time I feel it's necessary :P

So!

If it interests you and you wish to be tagged on it, tell me now and you'll be tagged in each update :D

[I had to compress that gif, it was too big XD]

[fiepige]

Okay guys, hear me out:

Sea Serpent Hobie!!!

Sea Serpent Hobie who sinks any superyachts he comes across!

Sea Serpent Hobie who uses harpoon spears meant to kill him as piercings! And old anchor chains as jewelry!

Sea Serpent Hobie who attacks big commercial fishing boats that are destroying the ecosystem by overfishing

But also benign Sea Serpent Hobie, who aids those lost at sea!

Who helps smaller local fishing buisnesses with sustainable fishing

Who looks out for this small fishing community and in return they warn him whenever hunters show up in the area!

Sea Serpent Hobie who is huge but still manages to hide perfectly in the kelp forests!

Who has bioluminescence and uses it both to terrify enemies and as a way to calm down people in distress, as a way for him to signal goodwill - and to show off when he feels like it!

Who can change his pigmentation similarly to octopi to communicate his mood and feelings! Or just to blend in with his surroundings (also as a nod to the way he changes filters in the movie!)

Sea Serpent Hobie who's frequently seen swimming with whale pods- Orcas being his favourites to hang out with (they sometimes go on yacht sinking trips together)

Sea Serpent Hobie who likes to give people a show and will show off by breaching right next to unsuspecting boats

DO YOU SEE MY VISION?!??

SEA SERPENT HOBIE!!!!!!💙💙💙

[cuubism]

Derivation

followup to Complex Mathematics

----

“Dream,” calls Death, coming through the front door of their flat, “it’s two in the afternoon, if you’re still asleep I swear to God—”

She skids to a stop in the kitchen, grocery bags swinging in her hands.

“Oh, hey Death,” greets Hob, casually, from where he’s standing at the stove… cooking? He’s barefoot, hair unkempt, t-shirt and jeans loose and rumpled.

“Uh,” says Death, then collects herself enough to keep walking, depositing her groceries on the counter. “Hi, Hob?”

Death doesn’t really invite people over to their flat. Dream doesn’t like it and she does try to respect at least some of his wishes. It’s because of her he doesn’t live alone in the first place, so it’s the least she can do.

(Although if he could get it together enough to manage even a semblance of a functional human life without continual supervision, neither of them would have this problem in the first place.)

So someone being here is… unexpected, to say the least.

Hob looks up at her with a smile, but there’s some tightness to it, as if he’s not sure if she’ll be upset with him being here. She isn’t, of course. It’s not like Hob is some stranger.

She is confused, though.

“Need any… help there?” she asks, sitting at the kitchen table. What is he cooking, anyway? It looks like… crepes?

He chuckles, shoulders relaxing. “Nah, almost finished. You want some coffee? Tea?”

Still feeling knocked askew, Death says, “Sure. Coffee’s great.”

Hob hands her a mug, black, because of course he knows how she takes it. He’s just… like that. How someone like that actually managed to squirm under her brother’s defenses is still a mystery, but Death is glad of it.

She’d had the fleeting thought, the first time Hob had mentioned running into Dream, before he’d even known he was Death’s brother – “met the weirdest bloke the other day, why is it always the weird ones that are the most compelling?” – that there might be… something. That his sheer determination to be fascinated with Dream, despite Dream’s continued efforts to make sure no one got close enough to become fascinated, might at least get her brother to socialize and get out of the house.

Hob and Dream were complete opposites, of course. Hob’s interests were varied and diverse – he and Death had met by bonding over obscure historical trivia that no one else knew nor cared about, after all – while Dream was myopic to the point of fault; Hob got out and socialized and engaged in activities while Dream kept to himself unless he was forced to be somewhere; Hob was cheerful and engaging and Dream was… well… Dream.

And yet.

“Sorry for just… being in your flat,” Hob says with a tiny laugh.

“I’m sure you have your reasons,” Death says sagely, and Hob flashes her a caught-out sort of look, but not without amusement in it.

Death isn’t blind. She’d sussed out Hob’s developing feelings for her brother pretty quick. He was quite possibly the only man insane enough to have feelings that got stronger over time, instead of fracturing the first time Dream sent a withering glare his way. Whether Dream would ever get with the program had been the real question.

She hadn’t thought in a million years that Hob would get him on the same page this fast. Clearly, he has Dream-whispering powers she hadn’t thought possible.

Except.

“Wait, is he—”

“He’s fine,” Hob says quickly, and Death lets out a relieved breath. It’s the only other reason Hob might be randomly in her flat in the close-to-morning hours. If something had happened. “Still sleeping, though. Creature of the night and all.”

Death laughs. “He’s not a vampire.”

“No?” Hob says with a grin. “I’ve never been totally sure.”

The door to Dream’s bedroom creaks open. Oh, Death thinks, sipping her coffee. This will be interesting.

“Hob,” Dream groans, voice still rough with sleep. Death hears him coming irritatedly down the hall before she sees him. “It is early and you are being loud.”

“It’s two p.m.,” says Death, just as he reaches the kitchen, a horrible, gleeful grin on her face.

Dream stops just at the threshold of the kitchen doorway, swaying forward with the force of it. He stares at her, and Death sees the minute thought of fuck flash behind his eyes.

It only makes her laugh. “Come on. I’m only going to make fun of you a little. What are big sisters for, if not that?”

“For leaving me alone,” Dream grumbles. Hob steps over and presses a cup of coffee into his numb hands, then wraps his arms around him, swaying him a little with it, kissing his cheek. Death thinks she hears him murmur good morning into his skin. He gets a tiny smile out of Dream for his efforts.

Death watches with wide eyes. Is this… her brother… allowing a hug without being bribed into it?

Oh, oh, this is excellent, this is delightful.

He crumples into a seat beside Death at the table as Hob returns to the stove, plating his crepes, or whatever they are. Dream’s hair is flattened on one side by his pillow, and a complete mess elsewhere. He’s wearing a sweater that definitely does not belong to him.

It’s the best thing that Death has seen in her entire life. She’s going to buy Hob dinner for weeks.

“So,” she says, with barely restrained glee, leaning on the table and propping her head in her hands. “This is a development.”

Hob shoots her a smile. Dream shoots her a murderous glare.

Hob sits down at the table, passing them both plates of crepes. Death digs into hers. They’re delicious, layered and full of strawberries and cream. Dream, meanwhile, stares at his plate like the concept of food personally offends him.

Hob pokes his arm.

Dream picks up his fork.

Death grins around her next bite of crepes.

“So…” she starts again. “Seems like you two had an interesting day yesterday.”

“Yeah, Dream solved an iconic maths problem,” Hob says, sidestepping her real query with a shit-eating grin. “How many years did that go unsolved, Dream?”

“Eighty-five,” Dream grumbles around a mouthful of crepes. He slants a look at Death. “Please, do not ask.”

A startled laugh jumps up the back of Death’s throat. “Did I just hear a please come out of your mouth? Have I stepped into an alternate universe?”

Dream just keeps staring at her, gaze hard, but with a pinch of anxiety at the corners of his eyes. Wow, this really matters to him, enough that he wants to protect it from even Death’s good-natured probing.

This thing with him and Hob, whatever it is, is new and fragile, at least in Dream’s eyes. And Death knows well the way emotions challenge and weigh on her brother.

She relents, laying her hand on Dream’s upper arm and meeting his eyes in reassurance. Come now, you know I’d never truly try to upset you. “Talk to me sometime soon, yeah?”

He nods, relaxing, and turns back to his crepes.

Hob watches them, bemused but fond, not questioning them. But he takes Dream’s hand on the tabletop, running his thumb back and forth over his knuckles.

Death takes a sip of her coffee and smiles into the mug.

------

She corners Hob in the hallway as she’s on her way back out to work. He leans against the wall, hands in his pockets, casual and easy.

“Is this where I get a shovel talk?” he asks.

Death scoffs. “If anyone needs that, it’s Dream.”

Hob laughs, sharp and surprised. “Well. I guess I’ll count myself lucky. I can imagine your kind of shovel talk, and it’s terrifying.”

It’s sort of gratifying to know she can be intimidating when needed. “In that case, we definitely don’t need to have that discussion. I’ll let the imagined me do the talking. But in all seriousness, Hob, it’s not needed. I know you.”

Hob tugs at his ear, fidgeting under the compliment. His gaze drifts automatically back towards the kitchen, where Dream is still sitting, out of earshot. Then he flashes Death a guilty little grin and whispers conspiratorially, “I’m kind of obsessed with him, you know.”

Death smiles. “I’m aware.”

Dream is categorically obsessed with him as well, Death has heard about it at length – but she’ll let him admit that to Hob himself.

------

When Hob returns to the kitchen, Dream is still sitting at the kitchen table, deliberating whether he should eat the rest of the crepes. On the one hand, Dream is not generally in the habit of eating regularly. On the other hand, it would certainly make Hob happy if he did so.

This, his feelings for Hob, this… relationship, such that it is – it is a far more complicated problem than any mathematical proof.

Dream is not… good at relationships. But it’s already becoming far too tempting to let himself pretend this one won’t end in fire like the others.

Hob wraps his arms around Dream’s shoulders, tucking his face into the crook of Dream’s neck. He’s very physically affectionate now that he feels he’s allowed to be so. Dream can’t help but soak it in like he’s been out in the cold and Hob is long sought-after warmth. He tips his head into Hob’s temple.

“Is it really so horrible for your sister to know about us?” Hob murmurs against his skin, stubble scratching Dream’s jaw.

“No,” says Dream. Death cares, he knows, and he trusts her – a rare thing. It’s just— “I merely want to… think about it. For myself, first.”

Hob is… Dream had meant it when he’d said Hob was stymying. He is hard for Dream to wrap his mind around, and his own feelings for him even more so. He’s not like Dream’s previous romantic entanglements. He makes Dream feel… settled.

“Ah, keep it in its little bubble, I see,” Hob says, and Dream nods. More teasing now, Hob adds, “Keep the problem in your head until you can solve it.”

Unlike so many others, Hob understands. But not because he feels the same. It's because he listens, and believes what Dream says about his own feelings, whether they make outward sense or not.

“Yes,” says Dream. “You know I do not care to work aloud.”

Hob steps around the chair so he’s facing him, and holds Dream’s face between his hands. He looks softer and more rumpled than Dream is used to seeing him, and an echo of the heat of Hob’s bare skin as he held Dream through the night flashes through him. Dream tips his face up to meet his gaze.

“This matters a lot to you, doesn’t it?” Hob says, thumbs stroking back and forth over his cheeks.

Dream hesitates, then nods. The admission is worth it for the way a brilliant smile spreads across Hob’s face. He has a mesmerizing smile; his eyes literally sparkle. It’s completely unreasonable.

Hob kisses him, still smiling. Dream doesn’t know how to reciprocate that kind of outward expression of feeling, so he doesn’t try. He just kisses Hob back.

“God, you’re so pretty,” Hob says, when they’ve separated. He runs a hand through Dream’s hair and it flies up in all directions.

“Am I?”

“Mmhmm. Your eyeliner’s all smudgy right now, though.”

Dream pouts, and Hob laughs. “Don’t worry, it’s cute.”

Dream studies him. The scattered swoop of his hair, still disheveled from sleep, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes, his broad shoulders, the grounding warmth of his hands where they still hold Dream’s face.

“Pretty is not the right word for you,” he decides.

Hob laughs so loudly, just pure shock and glee, and— ah. This is another one of those instances when Dream has said something unintentionally insulting. Hob never seems to take true offense to it, though.

“What is the right word, then?” he asks, when he’s calmed down.

“Vital,” Dream tells him. “It has two meanings, as you know. Full of life. And—”

“Important,” Hob says, smile softening.

“Necessary,” Dream corrects. “To me,” he adds, in case that clarification is needed.

Hob keeps smiling at him like that, and Dream ducks his head. Hob kisses his cheek. “You’re just a sap deep down, aren’t you?”

“I resent that,” Dream says, but doesn’t move him away.

“You resent everything,” Hob replies. “Kiss me.”

Dream lets Hob drag him to his feet and into another kiss. Hob holds him in his arms, swaying him back and forth. Which one of them is the sap, exactly?

He lets Hob do it, though. Pulling away from Hob’s touch is an effort Dream’s not capable of at the moment.

“I think we should keep working on this problem,” Hob says. “Give you some more time to figure it out.”

“Oh?”

Hob tugs him backwards, grinning. “Didn’t make enough progress last night, I don’t think.”

Dream follows him with slow steps, raising an eyebrow. “You are very mathematically inclined at the moment, Hob.”

“Oh, love, you have no idea.” Hob smiles at him, warm and teasing, eyes crinkling at the corners. It’s far more effective at getting Dream's heartbeat to tick up than any attempt at seduction would be. “You have no idea just how mathematically inclined I am right now.”

“Perhaps not,” Dream admits, voice low. He squeezes Hob’s hands. “But I would like to find out.”

[flownwrong]

[paellegere]

so skin is an episode about being hurt by your loved ones. the allegory is told through the literal torture and murder of girlfriends by a shapeshifter wearing the face of their boyfriends. the psychological aspect is just as important as the physical aspect for this shifter—it's a betrayal, something that will destroy both parties involved and ruin their relationship (if the victim makes it out alive of course).

the shapeshifter takes dean's face: he becomes the boyfriend-murderer, and sam is therefore the girlfriend-victim. it's the first time an episode has itself had an incestuous lining on a thematic level since the pilot (interesting too that the episodes that focus on sam have placed sam and dean in the position of lovers, whereas the dean-focused episodes until now have been more platonic in nature).

throughout the episode, the emotional B story depicts both sam and dean hurting (betraying) the people who trust them. sam, for one, is trying to maintain a relationship with his college friends, but he's lying to them. it also seems like he's not being very communicative with them in the first place, since most of his recent messages are people asking where the hell he even is:

(side note, i love that sam is apparently friends with two people named john and mary. feels weirdly psychosexual)

he hurts rebecca, and zach by proxy, later in the episode by lying to her and contaminating the crime scene. his lying, through the lens of the allegory, is framed as a betrayal of trust—metaphorical abuse and torture.

the shapeshifter also brings up another betrayal: sam leaving for stanford, betraying his brother and stealing his life away by forcing dean into a difficult position where he has to abandon his own dreams so that sam can pursue his.

this is victim blaming. the shifter is hurting people because he thinks they deserve it, because he's the true victim here, because he was shunned from society and treated as a freak. this episode portrays the monster as imprinting on dean, rather than sam or dean imprinting on another character. it's the second time a parallel has been drawn between the monster and one of the brothers, the first being pilot.

the shifter speaks for dean: dean is jealous because sam has friends, a life—and dean is just a freak. the B story of the episode starts with dean telling sam that it's for the best if he cuts his ties with people, and up until this point in the episode dean is portrayed as being unilaterally correct, because sam keeps hurting people as a result of his lying.

but now it's given a different framing. even if what dean has said isn't incorrect, we can see it through a lens of selfishness and jealousy. does dean want sam to give up his life because it's truly for the best? or is it because dean wants what sam has, and he'd rather neither of them have it than watch miserably as sam achieves what he's given up on?

misery loves company.

dean apologizes for what he said at the start of the episode at the end of it, but the shapeshifter dug dean's memories and feelings out from somewhere. because the shifter is imprinting on dean, it's likely that his own experiences are intensifying the secondhand feelings he's receiving from dean, but even if that is the case, there's still something there—it's possible that right now, dean still isn't fully aware of it himself. it's possible that he is and is just trying to bury it.

regardless, we're still getting a rare glimpse into dean's true feelings here, however biased they may be. as dean's fear of abandonment unravels, dean himself is slowly coming undone, and this begins to take on a more prominent part of each episode. the ending scene of phantom traveler, too, is revisited in this same conversation:

if episodes 1-3 are introductory to sam, dean, and john respectively, then episodes 4-6 make an interesting trilogy about dean's fear of abandonment. phantom traveler introduces dean's fears and then reveal a scene at the end where dean perceives john as betraying him. bloody mary, too, includes a scene where dean perceives sam as betraying him by not being open and honest with him about his secret. these events are synthesized in this episode and elaborated on, and the fears that have been underscored through the past two episodes are finally given voice.

anyway, tangent aside, all of this culminates in the blurring of lines between the shapeshifter wearing dean's face and dean himself: there's very little difference between sam's big brother and the monster they're fighting. it helps that they share the same sentiments and anguish toward the world, the same jealousies, the same fears. where does the shifter end and dean begin? how much does the shifter speak for himself, and how much is extrapolated from dean's secondhand feelings?

is dean the real monster in this story?

skin is an episode about being hurt by your loved ones. the shifter takes on the likeness of various women's boyfriends/husbands. there's also an implication toward the episode that the shapeshifter uses this setup to have sex with women he finds attractive:

there is, of course, no real point for the shifter to undergo what appears to be the rather painful process of transforming back into dean after shedding rebecca's skin once he captures sam. except that this episode is about betrayal. the psychological torture is just as important as the physical torture for this shapeshifter. and the shifter finds girls he likes and uses their lovers' faces to destroy them.

dean is the lover. sam is the girl. the lines are clearly drawn here, made stronger by the sheer amount of overlap shared by dean and the shapeshifter. it's important to the shifter that dean is the one who is going to hurt sam, because the connection between sam and dean makes the violence that much more painful.

he says that sam should "appreciate" dean more than he does. it adds to the idea that dean feels "all alone" and that he wants someone to love him. dean's core desire is for family: dean wants his family to love him. he thinks sam doesn't love him, but sam should love him. again sam is blamed for a perceived betrayal, dragging up more and more of the minute details across the last several episodes that point to the emotional distance between them. dean wants those gaps closed, and sam is trying to keep them apart. skin is an episode about being hurt by your loved ones.

just like in the pilot, sam and dean are thrust into overtly romantic positions via the allegorical A story. a monster who has victimized girlfriends is assuming the role of dean and victimizing sam. like in the pilot, the character onto which sam and/or dean imprint is the antagonist, the monster. two lines are crossed in both of these episodes: the boundary between hero and villain, and the boundary between family and incest. doubt is cast on the roles they occupy, and that doubt breeds the gothic anxiety which allows for the nature of sam and dean's relationship, both to each other and to the world, to be questioned.

perhaps then it's only natural that shortly after this episode is where the integral running gag begins and sam and dean start getting mistaken for gay lovers. they stand within the liminal space that separates the acceptable from the taboo, and in doing so they become both, neither, everything all at once: brothers, lovers, boyfriends, girlfriends, tempting and unfaithful and desiring of something they can't have.

sam wants to go home. dean wants someone to love him. in the end, all they have is each other.

(fascinating, i think, how this is the episode where the idea that they're "freaks" is introduced, not only once but twice. very peculiar language)

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

"What's your favorite thing about me?" he'd asked that jokingly, expecting you to laugh or blink confusedly at him in that sweet way you always did, and he'd get to savor your flustered expression. but instead you tilted your head, thinking for a moment before you lit up with a smile. "Your hands" then it was Childe who laughed in surprise, curious and intrigued with your answer. his hands? what were so special about his hands? he didn't particularly like them, with how much blood they've spilled and how many scars litter the skin, only hidden by the gloves he always wore. so he asked you why, playful grin hiding keen, genuine interest, then wavering slightly when you intertwined one of your hands with his. "Because I can hold them!" oh, how his heart had melted, your gentle hold on his fingers softening even the most battle-hungry of the Harbingers, and he'd thanked his lucky stars that he'd been blessed with someone like you. now his claws shiver from chill and fear as you stand before him, unable to meet your gaze as he's filled with shame. it's his fault he's like this- how could he be so careless? how could he become stuck in this form, it's as bad as throwing away your love because obviously no one can love an Abyssal monster like him, and Foul Legacy whimpers, hiding his hiccupping sobs behind his talons. delicate fingers wrap around said talons, pulling them carefully away from his face, and Childe looks up into your soft, worried eyes. with two hands you cradle one of his, gently massaging the back of his bruised knuckles, trying so hard to not let your tears of concern fall. "See...? I can still hold your hands..."

[muirmarie]

~3.5k; Leonard McCoy/Spock || Leonard McCoy & Spock (can be read platonically or romantically, but either way it's. romantic.)

_________

"Didn't know you cared,” he says gruffly. Spock lifts an eyebrow, and McCoy flushes, ducking his head a little. “All right, all right,” he says. “Didn't know we were saying it out loud.”

“Until now, I wouldn't have thought it needed to be said at all,” Spock says, his voice slow and thoughtful. “I'm beginning to wonder if I was mistaken on other points, as well.”

_________

AU The Empath/The Empath tag: Humans don't have katras, but why would something like that stop Spock from trying?

[meownotgood]

chapter one word count = 34k, chapter two word count = 36k

that means finally, 70k word count in total 🫡

[franeridan]

i KNOW that oda is aware he's drawn some extremely gorgeous ladies since he obviously does that on purpose (though i believe he's unaware of just how beautiful some ladies he's drawn that stray too far from his usual model are), but I'm, like, pretty much convinced he has absolutely no clue he's also drawn some of the most good looking manga dudes out there. I'm sure he has no idea. He puts down lines and then he's like "???? why are people so obsessed with this guy he has barely shown up ever????" while we're all sitting here going heart eyes or whatever. It's been twenty-six years maybe it's time for him to get on with the program. It's like his experience with benn and ace in the very beginning taught him absolutely nothing

[tswwwit]

By this time tomorrow I will be deep in the Zelda Oubliette, so before that....

Here's some WIP snippets!

Confessing It Epilogue:

“No. No, absolutely not.” Dipper waves his hands in front of himself rapidly, leaning on the arm of the couch. “We don’t eat our young, or.. That other thing.” He squints down at the… mouth . “I think you’re thinking of hamsters.”

“Small, mammal, hairy,” Teeth responds, counting the traits off on its fingers. “It’s basically the same thing, right?”

Oh, come on. “You’re small,” Dipper retorts, glaring now. Big jaws or not, the guy’s short - 

And goes ‘glrk’ as he’s hauled up by the back of his shirt, stumbling to his feet. Meeting Bill’s bright, golden, *irritated* gaze. 

Whoops. Dipper feels his face heat up. He starts tapping two fingers together, ducking hsi head, even though he’s braced on his toes on the floor. God, he’s *got* to get out of the habit of automatic retorts, it’s nowhere near the same *here*.

“You’re way smaller though,” He adds quickly, before Bill can do more than open his mouth. Pinching his fingers together narrowly, barely apart. “Just the tiniest-”

“Hmph.” Bill’s shoulders lose some of their tension, and he lets Dipper drop, shaking his head.. “Now that’s just factually untrue, sapling! You’re such a liar.” While it’s sharp and dangerous, he’s grinning again. “In fact…” His hand goes down to his fly. “I could prove it right now!”

“Hey!” Dipper jerks Bill’s arm back by his wrist, getting right up in his face. “Don’t flash your henchmen.”

Roleplay Thingie

“That was a hell of a chase, lamby.” Bill presses down on Dipper’s lower back, a grin in his voice. “Now a sheep like *this*, you don’t eat all at once.”

“Bastard.” Dipper glares at him over his shoulder, squirming under the pressure. Bill’s other hand is busy undoing one of the ribbons. A minor relief, though he almost wishes Bill would do more; this outfit’s ridiculous. Whenever he moves, the bells chime lightly; both embarrassing and tugging at his-

Dipper draws his shoulders up, teeth gritted. “You’re not going to get away with this.”

“I already have! You’re the guy who failed to get away from *me*,” Bill says, sounding amused. “And I’m gonna take my time with you.” His voice lowers as he nudges Dipper’s legs apart, seizing him by the hip. “Eating you up. Bit. By. Bit.”

Bonus entry, provided by: A Cat On the Keyboard

trfgggggggggggggggggggggggp0m-

[morporkian-cryptid]

I'm getting overwhelmed again with wanting to rewrite the entirety of Lupin III - Goodbye Partner as a fic my own way, because I am still salty about how Jigen's betrayal was handled and I am pretty sure I could do a better job than TMS did (hell, they handled that same premise better in Seven Days Rhapsody, and it was a B plot!!)

Except I can't do that because 1) I have to finish writing Hanafuda and 2) I have like. zero plot for it right now (but I know if I put my mind to it I could)

In the meantime please have this song that makes me think about what that movie could have been, while I daydream about magic tricks and lighters and proceed to chew at my walls 👍

[encrucijada]

okay this wolf book is so fun actually