#dr d you said you would go i'm holding you to it

[fire-lizard-ro]

Hi Roro, hope you’re doing well! Let me start by saying your Sunday stuff is MAGNIFICENT, oh my gosh this MAN-

I’ve come with a request for you…

Dr. Veritas Ratio x fem or gn reader. Bathtub. Sex. Like most of the time he’s only interested in reading in the tub, rejecting reader’s advances. But one day, idk, he’s in a MOOD but he doesn’t want to admit it, so he lets reader go a little further than normal with her advances, but he’s still being petty about it, kinda denying and still trying to read his book or whatever and it just Escalates eventually…

Aaaa thank you so much if you decide to do my request! Remember to take breaks and stay hydrated!

I'm ILL over this man jfc-

Dr. Ratio here to prescribe you with a dose of vitamin D-//SHOT

Veri, my love, please just one chance I'm begging just a crumb oisego-

But yesssss gimme the bathtube sex I want it- I wanna do all kinds of wild things to or with this man. Crazy.

But hehehe I know what you are. 👁️👁️

A s i m p . 🫵 (Like I'm any better.)

And thank you!!! This took a While, but I did it. I had lots of fun with it so feel free to request again~

CW and writing under the cut:

CW: vagina and cock (gasp), PIV sex, cockwarming, rough sex, hair pulling, choking (+some breath play), cumming inside (wrap it before you tap it folks), spanking, degradation+praise, objectification, kinda sorta human furniture thing???, name calling (ex:slut), use of words like "cunt" (wow that feels weird writing here-), marking, ignoring you during cockwarming, doggy position(?), cum play, holding your hands behind your back, discussion of safe wording (check-ins), kinda cum as lube?, funishment, d/s aspects to the relationship (though you are dating for romantic reasons as well), slight pussy slapping, talking to your pussy (I know this man a freak <333), crying during sex (+dacryphilia), dumbification (ofc this was gonna be here), ruined orgasm, edging, slight cum eating, a liiiiittle bit of gagging (w/ fingers), usage of "pet" exactly once

Reader gender: fem (I talked with anon separately and they decided on this when I asked for preference- I also only have one fem reader ask. If people want, I can write another version tweaked to be gn or AMAB/male reader~)

Disclaimers:

>>>Dr. Ratio will be referred to as Veritas here since reader is dating him.

>>>This was written and almost finished before 1.6 release.

Bathtub sex, surprisingly, probably isn't the norm for you two. After all, Veritas (oml it feels weird calling him that after so long of calling him Ratio-) enjoys his down time in the bath where he can relax with you and read his books. I like to think that it's one of the few times when his ever racing mind is a bit quieter. So when you are finally pent up enough at just the right time to want to pounce on him in the tub, he's a bit surpised at first. But the surprise would soon melt into mild annoyance. "Can't you just stay still? Quit it- I'm trying to read."

Of course he says it in that ever dramatic way of his while not even glancing up from his book. Speaking of said book- "You're going to get my book wet, darling-" (Yes, he's a "darling" kind of guy. It's sophisticated as he is. And you know he'd say it with that drawl of his and drag the word out. Sometimes in those more intimate moments, it sounds almost like a sultry purr with the way he says it, commanding all your attention.) "And if you do that, you know I'm going to have to punish you, hm?" You almost want it if it means he'd touch you where you want him, but you know that his punishments aren't necessarily fun. Yet still you like them all the same.

(They're more of funishments than punishments in this case- Please do know that funishments and punishments aren't the same, my dear little kinksters~ Since the reader actually enjoys these "punishments" a lot and they are done for their and Veritas' mutual gratification, it's a funishment. These are normally for bratting behavior while actual punishments are for serious things and are meant to actually discourage the behavior that earned you the punishment. Hopefully I explanied it well, lololol-)

But of course you continue to try and rouse his interest, touching him here and there. It reaches the point where you manage to wiggle your way between his arms, in front of his book. Not only does this block his view, but you're dripping water all over his book! (It was all of one or two droplets.) If you listened close enough, you'd probably have heard the sound of his reason breaking in that moment. Like you had poked a sleeping bear one too many times. (And some little part of himself that knew it was also partly because he also was getting into a mood was squashed. Of course it was just because you needed to be disciplined.)

"That's it. You want my attention, darling? Well now you have it.” There was something dark in his voice that sent a shiver down your back and made your nethers tingle in anticipation. He snapped the book closed and set it on the table by the bathtub almost gently, a stark contrast between how his voice sounded and how he was looking at you. He'd tilt his head and consider you, seemingly thinking about how best to punish you for your transgressions. "Hands on my shoulders and do not move them. Color?" Veritas was launching right into it, huh? "Green." "Good."

With hands on his strong shoulders, you watched him with eyes darting around his form to try and figure out what he'd do. Your question was answered by a hand gripping your hip and another dragging down between your breasts, then over your belly, then stopping on your mound. He didn't move any lower, fingers thrumming there just above where you wanted him. Teasing. "I can see your cunt drooling from here. Was she just so hungry that you couldn't be good and hold it until we were out of the tub?" Heat bloomed in your cheeks as he spoke. "Should I punish her? Hm?" Veritas gave your wetness a few light slaps, just enough to make you jolt but not enough to do more than just barely sting. "No- It isn't her fault she's so empty and wanting. But it is your fault that you couldn't be obedient and wait. Isn't that right, my cute little slut?" He whispered in your ear, leaned forward to curl possessively over you while his fingers slipped down to trace around your twitching hole as it tried to suck his finger in.

"Mmmmm..." he hummed lowly, the sound vibrating against you where your chests were pressed together. He kissed the spot beneath your ear before his lips marked a path down your neck, sucking and nipping marks into the tender flesh there. Just as he reached the junction between your neck and shoulder, he suddenly sunk his teeth in and thrusted two fingers into you at the same time. Veritas had sneakily wrapped an arm around your waist to keep you still right before so you weren't able to squirm away from his teeth or his fingers that now plunged in and out of you, agonizingly slow after that fast, rough entry.

The man pressed a kiss to your new bitemark before sliding the hand of the arm around your waist up your back to latch onto your nape and hold you still for a kiss. He chuckled into it as you attempted to fight him for dominance, your tongues clashing. Ultimately, he won and was now devouring your mouth, licking into it with fervor.

At some point, his fingers began to speed up. Veritas was fingerfucking you with his palm slapping against your throbbing clit. And right as you felt yourself begin that climb- He slowed down, his thrusts going back to a leisurely rhythm. He swallowed the whine that left your throat, smirking into the kiss you were still locked in. As he pulled away, he looked incredibly smug. "Thought it would be that easy? Of course not. This is a punishment.”

He did this another time, bringing you close to the rise of pleasure (not at all that close to your peak, though) before going frustratingly slowing. The third time, however... It didn't seem that he was going to stop, and you felt it build and build inside you like a white hot flame. And right as you were reaching the end... He spanked you and ripped his fingers out, sending you over the edge but ruining your orgasm. It had tears beading in your eyes. Fuck did that make him want to fuck you absolutely stupid, but he had more control than that. Your punishment was far from over.

He soothingly ran his hand over your back as you leaned into him, body shivering. "Color?" Through your panting breaths, you managed a weak, "Green." "Good girl." He didn't let you rest any longer, manhandling you into a new position. Now you were leaned over the edge of the tub with your hands keeping you from falling out, Veritas behind you. "I'm going to fuck you now, and you're going to take it all like a good girl, right?" At first you thought he was talking to you, but then he caressed your slit and cooed at it. That mixed sense of shame and arousal shot through you and had you clenching around nothing, making Veritas laugh condescendingly. "So honest..."

Again he started out slow, the sensual slide of his cock inside of your pussy making you close your eyes to focus on the pleasure he was giving you. But he was faster to ramp things up now that he'd already edged you and ruined one of your orgasms. It may or may not have also been because he was quite ready to slake his own lust with your body.

The only reason you didn't slam your face into the tub's edge or fall out was Veritas' grip on you when he grabbed both of your wrists and pulled your arms behind your back. You felt a hand slide into your hair and then he was thrusting into you hard, the slap of his hips slamming into your ass loud in the confined space of the bathroom. It was obscene the way you could even hear the wet sound of his cock going in and out of you amplified by the natural acoustics of said bathroom. "You like hearing how well you take me, slut? I certainly do. It's filthy. Fitting-"

Your hips are bruising from them being pressed onto the edge of the tub, bumping into it with almost every thrust. It hurt but fuck did it all feel so good because he was pressing against your sweet spot every time he fucked into your wet hole.

The hand pulling your head back by your hair let go only to wrap around your throat and pull you up so your back pressed against his chest. "Fuck you sound like such a whore right now. Are you my good little whore? Just for me?" Of course you couldn't answer because your mind was blank from his hand pressing just right to cut off some of that blood flow. Oh and because he had also just tilted his hand to cut off your air. He held for a bit, waiting until your vision was a bit fuzzy at the edges before letting you breathe, the feeling of the air rushing back into your lungs making you dizzy. You felt so close you could scream- And then you nearly did when he pulled out and stopped your orgasm.

His hands let go of you and you nearly keeled over, but he caught you. With an arm around your waist, you couldn't tell what he was doing behind you until you heard the slick sound of him fisting his cock. Right as he began cumming, he slammed back into you to fill you with it while biting down hard on the back of your neck. Another bite to mark you as his.

Veritas then pulled out so the last few spurts of cum would paint your labia in white, marking you inside and out with his spend.

You could feel the frustrated tears pouring down your face as you felt your burning arousal festering in your belly and the mix of embarrassment and thrill at his actions. Fuck this man would be the end of you. He unlatched from your neck to lean forward and lick the tears off your face with a hum. "You look so pretty like this..." He patted your ass before that same hand was sliding down to open you up using your pussy lips as he leaned back to watch as the cum he poured into you began to slip out.

Scooping up the cum that had dribbled out, he fingered it back in, purposefully tapping at your gspot a few times. He then pulled the white covered fingers out and petted your clit, playing with it a little before bringing it to your face. "Clean them off." Your tongue kitten licked some of it off before he was shoving them in your mouth. You gagged a little, drooling over his fingers while weakly sliding your tongue over them to clean them of the cum clinging to them.

"Good girl," he praised with a kiss to your jaw before he let out a sigh. "I'm going to sit you on my cock and finish my reading. Color?" "Green, fuck-" "That's a good pet."

Warming his cock while leaned forward to rest your arms on the lip of the tub while your head rested on those was hard. You desperately wanted to cum, but you now were willing to be obedient to get what you wanted. You weren't sure how much more punishment you could take. It didn't help that he had an arm resting on the back of your hips, slung over them as he leaned on you a bit while his other arm rested atop the other one. That hand was holding up his book. He wasn't touching you besides that and your ass resting in the cradle of his hips, cock deep inside your pussy which still fluttered around his thickness occasionally. Every time you squirmed he would spank you with a pointed look before going back to his book, ignoring you entirely. Any whining or talking would be met with the same treatment.

He checked in on you after a bit. "Color?" "...yellow." His demeanor changed immedately. Petting your side, he eased you back to lean against him once more. "What's wrong, baby?" He typically saved that endearment for intimate moments alone together and times like this where you might need reassurance. "I wanna see your face... wanna hold you." It seemed you might be a bit sensitive, now, after being punished for a while and needed that from him. "Of course, baby. Your punishment is almost over. I'll let you come soon and we can continue in the bedroom, hm?" You loved this man. "Okay." He kissed your forehead. "Good girl."

He slipped out, making you whine. It was met with a chuckle and he helped you turn around to slide into his lap again, this time facing him.

Veritas pulled you to rest against him, tucking you into his neck as he wrapped an arm around your waist. Once you both were settled in, he went back to reading. He still ignored you, but it wasn't so bad this time.

You knew he was done when he set his book on the table again.

He settled his grip on your hips before going straight into fucking up into you hard and fast, what cum was still left in you from his cock plugging it in you aiding the slide of dick in and out of you. He fucked you and played with you until you felt like you couldn't think straight. Even when he asked you questions, knowing you couldn't answer, you weren't quite sure what you said. Whether it was even coherent or not.

"Such a cute, dumb girl for me."

As you came around his cock again, you moaned as you felt the warmth of his cum in you. "Did so, so good for me. Such a good girl." Veritas gave you some time to come down from your high before asking. "Do you want to continue in the bedroom or are you finished for the night?" "...m' done." "Alright, baby." He gave you some more time before cleaning you up and draining the tub. Another kiss was pressed to your forehead, then your cheek, then your lips. "Let's go to bed, darling. I'll take care of you."

Lololol hopefully you like it. 🙏

If there’s any typos or if it doesn’t make sense somewhere… Your honor my client claims “oopsie daisy”. It’s me. The client is me, your honor-

[chris-prank]

What do you think of a scenario where after Dr Seraph is completely defeated by the Vigilante reader, the doctor curses the reader calling them brute and savage and then the reader holds Dr Seraph's chin and smiles maliciously saying something like: "If You think my way of fighting is wild, how about trying what I'm like in bed?"

You don't have to do this if you don't want to, and in fact the reader can be gender neutral or whatever you want.

Warning: NSFW (like Reader and Dr. Seraph are going at it)

Since it’s GN, I made it vague enough so you can choose if the reader has a dick or a strap-on. 

DOM READER SUPREMACY RAAAAAH

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“W-wh— I mean… I… em—”

“I need a clear answer.” You rubbed your thumb over his lips, making him spiral even more. 

Dr. Seraph was stunned. Surely, you were making fun of him. You were waiting for him to say yes just so you could laugh in his face. Then you would go around, telling everyone how desperate and pathetic he was for believing you. 

But in a way it’s not like he wasn’t used to being ridiculed… How worse could it be this time? And there was still a minuscule chance that you were being serious... 

Fuck it. He had wanted you for some time now, and he wasn't going to ignore this opportunity. 

“Y-yes… I want too try…”

***

You were not in fact playing with him. 

That couldn’t have been made more clear as you ram yourself into his ass. He was so cute with his face all red and the fact that he had a hard time keeping himself straight, letting you move his body like a rag doll. 

You’ve seen him flustered before, thanks to all the little flirty comments you said to throw him off during confrontations, but this was completely different. His eyes were half-lidded, his mouth slightly open with saliva threatening to leak down and tears rolling down his cheeks. All that paired with his flushed face made it a unique sight to see. 

The most enjoyable part was that you knew his tears came from pleasure, so hearing him trying to deny it was adorable. He kept making small complaints, saying how mean you were, at least that’s what you think he said. He wasn’t making very complete sentences after all. 

“Really? It seems to me that you’re really enjoying it, if not why don’t you use your safe words Mmm?”

Just in case, you slowed down so he could have the opportunity to speak up if he really wasn’t feeling it. At the same time, it was perfect teasing material if he did like it. 

“N-no, d—don’t stop…” Vincent whimpered as he hid his face with his forearm. 

You chuckle, making him whine in response. You lifted him up slightly and bucked your hips into him once again. Your fingers accidentally grazed a bruise on his hips that you had caused during the fight earlier. The scientist winced and rested his head on your shoulder. You could hear him trying to say something. 

“H—hug…” He mumbled, almost inaudible. 

“Of course baby, but you need to keep moving, ok?” 

You released his hips and pulled him flush against your chest, your hand reaching each other behind his back. You whispered gentle praise into his ear as he proceeded to bounce on your member all on his own. His cock, now trapped between your two bodies, twitched. You swore he made even more moans now that you were holding him so lovingly. 

“K—nghh” He whimpered before he could even get the chance to say anything. 

“It’s ok, show me what you want.”

While still hugging you, Vincent leaned back to be face to face. He closed his eyes and slowly leaned in once again, but this time for a kiss. You accepted it gladly. 

His mouth was so warm and wet against yours that you melted into it. He was undeniably a good kisser, despite being a bit washed out by all the action going on. In this state you were both a bit sloppy, but it made it all the more intoxicating. He didn’t even forcibly push his tongue into your mouth, instead gently licking your lips as a way to ask for permission. You’ll absolutely reward him for that afterward. 

When you pulled away to breathe again, Vincent had still his eyes closed and was kissing into the void, expecting you to come back. You took that chance to go to his neck and nibble at his skin, making sure to not bite too hard. The man gasped and his body, including his inside, shuddered at the sensation. Between kisses, nibbling and licking you mumbled how good he was being. One of your hand creeped down to grope his ass cheek as he was still trying to move up and down your shaft. 

Vincent was definitely not regretting having accepted your proposal a few hours ago. Despite his mind being clouded by pleasure, he silently hoped this wasn’t going to be the first and last time for you two to do this. 

***

Back at the secret lair, Vincent could feel the gaze of the henchmen fixated on his body. It’s not like he was in very good shape, every bit of his exposed skin was covered with red marks! One of the big guys couldn’t keep his mouth shut anymore and walked over to the mad scientist. 

“Is that a bite mark?!”

Dr. Seraph simply opted to vaguely nod as he sipped more of his coffee. 

“Wow they really went rough on you this time… it’s making me a bit worried not gonna lie.” 

All the goons shivered in fear. Their imagination coming up with scenarios all more gruesome than the last, as they tried to explain the state their superior was in. 

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So I don’t know if you were expecting smut…so em sorry it’s that not where you thought this scenario would go 😅. Either way, I hope you still liked it! 

[lovelynim]

Bad day

Honkai: Star Rail - Aventurine x Dr. Ratio

A/N: HAPPY (LATE) BIRTHDAY @fluffy-ami!! I'm sorry for being such a horrible friend and only noticing the date has passed me by almost two weeks later. I hope this humble mess can make up for my delay. Love you, *mwah*

Summary: Ratio had a bad day, so Aventurine came to the rescue!

Word count: 1153 words

Ratio looked down at the hands wrapped around his chest, pondering whether he should question it or not. He was nearly sure he did warn that idiot gambler about the risks of pestering him tonight, so why, of all things, were Aventurine holding (or, at least, trying to) him down?

“Let go, gambler,” Ratio sighed, tapping the back of one of Aventurine’s hands with the vain hope it would be enough to convince him. “I’m not in the mood for your foolery.”

The only answer he got from the other man, however, was something suddenly pressing on his back. The doctor looked over his shoulder and could tell that the gambler was… leaning into him? Without moving his arms a single inch, Aventurine pressed his forehead on Ratio’s back, nudging slightly. “This isn’t ‘foolery’, I’m trying to be nice here, doc”.

“Then do it to someone else, can’t you tell I’m busy?”

“I can also tell you’re in a bad mood, doc,” Aventurine spoke softly, his words almost muffled by Ratio’s body. The doctor sighed, looking up to the ceiling. Oh Aeons above, what did he do to deserve this idiot in his life? “I thought someone as smart as you would be able to tell what a ‘hug’ is,” Aventurine teased, tightening his embrace.

Ratio wasn’t exactly restrained, but he couldn’t properly move either. Aventurine’s arms kept his won from moving all the way, leaving him in a quite difficult position. “Sigh, I’m serious, let me g-”

“So am I, doc,” Aventurine mumbled, leaning into the other as he tried to get closer to his face. The gambler stood on the tip of his toes, but still lacked a couple inches to properly reach Ratio’s. “What happened? Did you have a bad day?”

“Gambler,” Ratio warned, tugging at the back of Aventurine's wrist with a messed up grip, his fingers barely managing to graze at the other’s arm. “...why are you so clingy? Are you even sober?”

Aventurine couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, planting his heels back into the ground. “Did you just hesitate?” He said smugly, tilting his head to the side to try to peek at Ratio’s expression.

His attempt to fend the other off with snark didn’t seem to work, Ratio noted mentally. Maybe it was the tiredness from work, but responding to Aventurine’s teases seemed to be a more difficult task than he first anticipated. “That was just another of your delusions, I’m afraid. Now, care to let me go?”

“Not until we work on this bad mood of yours, doc,” Aventurine insisted, pressing his forehead on Ratio’s back again.The scholar gritted his teeth, regretting not keeping in mind how persistent the other could be at times. “My mood will improve greatly once you let me go, gambler.” 

Against his expectations, what followed the short conversation was absolute silence. Almost as if he was actually pondering the matter, Aventurine only hummed quietly, making the doctor feel somewhat… uneasy.

Aventurine could be pretty unpredictable - an aspect of his that Ratio always despised utterly. Bold moves, careless thinking and an awful attitude, yes, that was Aventurine. On top of that, the fact that things always seemed to work in his favor only made it worse. 

The moments in silence seemed to drag on for hours and were making Ratio more anxious - to not say “curious”. The room was so quiet that he could almost hear the gears inside Aventurine’s head turning, plotting his next flawless plan. 

“Alright, that enou-ugh!” Ratio widened his eyes. If looks could kill, Aventurine would already be a better place by that time. “Gamb- ah! G-Gambler, don’t you d-dare.”

Aventurine laughed sheepishly, nuzzling the tip of his nose between Ratio’s wing bones. “‘Dare’ to do what, doc? I’m not sure if I’m following.”

Before Ratio could voice another retort, he felt those pesky fingers digging into his sides again. An electric sensation ran across his body, not to mention the fact that Aventurine kept his arms tightly wrapped around him, preventing him from moving. Damned gambler.

“Y-yohou know what I’m tahahalking about!” Ratio giggled against his will, moving his torso as much as he could inside the gambler’s hug, but his efforts were all in vain. If anything, whenever he moved, Aventurine would poke his sides again in an awfully tickling manner that would make him jump in place. 

The gambler pressed the tip of his fingers on the spot, taking advantage of Ratio’s fashion choice to rub small circles on the bare skin. “Come on, you’re too handsome to be frowning like that ~”

Ratio wasn’t sure if it was an extra measure to keep him moving away or something else entirely, but Aventurine was suddenly leaning on him again while his hand wrecked havoc against his half exposed side. Now, besides finding a way to deal with the annoying tickling, Ratio also needed to be careful to not make Aventurine fall to the ground or, worse, be dragged along in the other’s fall.

“Gahahambler! S-stop it!” Ratio hissed, his hands desperately trying to dislodge Aventurine’s, but he always seemed to be out of his reach. “You ihihidiot!”

“Ehh? How mean!” Aventurine chuckled, vibrating his fingers under one of Ratio’s ribs, making the scholar let out an uncharming, loud laugh. “I’m very worried about you, doc! N- now, could you squat a little?”

“W-whahat?!”

Ratio had been tickled by Aventurine before, yes. He also returned the favor a few times. And considering the history of episodes regarding this matter, this particular request became even more odd. It wouldn’t surprise him if Aventurine teased him or threatened him with more tickling, but… squat?

“I c-can’t reach your face, you’re too tall…” The gambler muttered shily, almost innocently, but his hand didn’t stop - not for a single moment. The contrast between his acts and his attitude annoyed Ratio even more. “C’mere, please ~”

“H-how cahahan I move with you hohoholding me, yohou imbehehecile!”

“Agh, fine,” Aventurine groaned, deciding to take the other’s requests in consideration and, at last, letting him go. 

Ratio gasped, quickly reaching for his abused side and trying to rub off the ticklish sensation. “You d-damned gambler,” he panted, turning around to face Aventurine, who wore that handsome stupid smirk he always used to.

“Nah-ah, before you scold me…” Aventurine ordered, pointing towards the ground as a reference to his demand. Ratio usually would’ve denied but, just this time, he decided to oblique.

Slightly bending forward, Ratio’s eyes were almost at the same level of Aventurine’s, waiting for the gambler to take action. “So, what did you want?”

“This, doc,” Aventurine muttered, gently wrapping his arms around Ratio’s neck and planting a kiss on his cheek. “I hope you have a better day tomorrow,” he whispered close to Ratio’s ear, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

“...gambler,” Ratio called softly, letting out a pleased sigh.

“Yes, doc?”

“Thank you.”

[emelinstriker]

{Eternal Servants AU} Red Son ♡ Offering

Art drawn by me + the AU itself is mine.

It's still my birthday (November 14th) in my time right now, so might as well post it since it just fits- Peeps voted for fluff, and I wanted to make something with Red Son's cooking, and boom, idea. :D

[TL;DR] Red Son bakes a cake for you.

♡ ~ Fluff ~ ♡

"Maybe this one..? No... This..? No..."

Red Son was flipping through the pages of a book for a recipe and hadn't even started anything. Just because he couldn't decide on which type of cake to bake. It needed to be perfect. It was his Master's birthday after all. He wouldn't be worthy of his title as one of your champions if he managed to fail at such an important task. And he'd rather not be a disgrace to his Master and the other servants.

He did think about asking another champion for some input, but he also didn't want to tell anyone he wanted to bake a cake for you. And he was aware that some champions, which shall not be named, weren't exactly the most quiet about keeping plans for their Master a secret. So putting his trust into the others wasn't much of a safe option... Though, maybe he could ask one of the more quiet ones for help, such as MK.

The red champion hummed in thought before letting out a rather tired groan. He wasn't tired of doing this for you, he was tired about possibly having to rely on another champion again and splitting the work credit. Much like Macaque, he enjoyed your full praises, but having to share the credit would only give him half of your attention and affection.

Suddenly, he snapped his fingers with a little smile as he exclaimed, "I've got it!"

Red Son then flipped through the book for a recipe on (Favorite Cake). Upon finding the page, he read through the required ingredients and grimaced... He knew for a fact he was missing some things from the list. The palace's kitchen was big but was usually low on ingredients after. Half of the palace didn't need to consume food after all. The kitchen was mostly there for their Master if they enjoyed cooking or wanted to try out cooking without the fear of setting anything nearby on fire. And now it was mostly occupied by Red Son so he could develop his own cooking skills more.

Sighing, he decided that he would have to actually go out and collect said ingredients. He wrote down the items that were missing before he closed the book and carefully hid it away in one of the cabinets again. It was best if he kept his plan a secret.

The red champion then picked up the list he wrote with his left hand and quietly made his way out of the kitchen. He had to be quiet yet also casual about how he moved, otherwise Macaque or someone else would-

"What are you up to, Bull Boy?"

...Oh, for fuck's sake.

He grumbled in slight annoyance as he turned to face a certain pink celestial. However, he seemed to be accompanied by MK. "I'm... Just taking a stroll. That's all", he replied.

Nezha crossed his arms as he raised an eyebrow. "Really? By rather suspiciously observing the area while walking, as if you were being hunted?"

Red Son's pursed his lips as he tried to hold back from saying any sassy comment that could trigger the celestial's anger. Instead, he awkwardly cleared his throat while looking away from the other two champions. "...I suppose so, yes."

The yellow champion next to Nezha tilted his head, humming as he noticed the folded up piece of paper in the bull demon's hand. "What's that?" He asked, pointing at it. Red Son nervously took the piece of paper into his right hand, hiding it behind his cape.

"That- That is none of your concern. Just... a shopping list, I guess."

"Then you wouldn't mind if I-" Suddenly, Nezha swiftly flipped up the red champion's cape before snatching the paper from his hand. Due to Nezha's speed, Red Son couldn't even comprehend what was happening until it was already over. And once he saw the celestial open the list, his heart dropped in his chest. There went his chance at getting extra affection from you.

The pink champion skimmed through the list's contents and blinked in surprise. "Wait. You weren't kidding. But then why were you so sneaky about it?" He then handed the list to the yellow champion.

And before Red Son could come up with any excuses, MK spoke up. "Isn't this a recipe for Master's favorite cake? For today. I can't forget today."

Nezha did a double take as he looked over MK's shoulder and at the list again... After re-reading the ingredients listed and confirming the young monkey's suspicions, he gave Red Son a rather offended look. "...Were you seriously trying to bake a cake behind our backs? And for Master's birthday nonetheless!"

The celestial glared daggers at the young demon. But before he could scold him or physically harm him, MK stepped in front of him, blocking him. "Let's help. It's Master's birthday. No fighting on Master's birthday."

Pausing, Nezha thought about his words and reluctantly let out a sigh to calm his anger. "You're right", he said before turning back towards the red champion, still seemingly annoyed at this form of betrayal, but he's holding it all back quite well. "Do you perhaps need help retrieving those things on the list?"

Red Son slowly shook his head. "...Uh, no thanks. I'm... I'm pretty sure I can just get it all quickly for Master's cake by myself-"

Suddenly, a shadow portal opened next to the red champion, startling him. And out popped Macaque with an excited grin on his face. He was practically vibrating as his tail happily swished around behind him from what he just heard. "I heard about a cake you're making for Master's birthday from the other side of the palace! I wanna help too!"

It wasn't noticeable, but the others could tell Nezha had a shit-eating grin beneath his mask as he spoke. "The more the merrier, right? Bull Boy over here could have us get the ingredients he needs so he can bake." At this point Red Son could most definitely not talk his way out of it. And he hated this fact.

He cursed a little under his breath, which probably only Macaque caught but brushed off, before reluctantly agreeing to it. "Fine. You can help me. I know you wouldn't stop asking me about it."

"Wonderful! Now, what's on the list? What do I get to collect for Master?" Macaque asked eagerly as he clasped his hand together.

Nezha snorted as he eyed the purple champion. "Better give him an item he won't have to get lost over. Or one where he can't accidentally piss off every demon in the vicinity like last time."

Macaque huffed as he placed his hands on his hips, giving the celestial a little glare. "Listen. I'm not that reckless when it's not a task Master told me to do."

"But it's still a task for Master's birthday", the celestial retorted. "So I hope I can trust that you won't get caught up in a random side task again and vanish for longer than needed. Not on their special day." 

While they kept arguing about Macaque's inability to keep things simple without doing extra work and getting into trouble in the process, Red Son was already assigning MK to grab an item. The yellow champion gave him a happy salute despite his blank expression before walking away to get said item. He wants to make his Master proud!

Macaque and Nezha very soon noticed the young monkey's absence and they turned back towards Red Son, who was seemingly trying to sneak away.

The pink champion scoffed as he crossed his arms again, "Where do you think you're going, Bull Boy? You still haven't given us any ingredients to look for."

Red Son was most definitely rolling his void-black eyes before turning around to face the remaining two champion, who have been trailing after him to catch up. "Will you leave me alone if I let you each pick an ingredient to get?"

The dark-furred simian nodded with a happy expression. "Yes! I just wanna help make Master's birthday the best of the best birthdays for them!"

"...Fine. Here, just take the whole list. There's only two ingredients left anyway since MK already went off to find one of them", the red champion said reluctantly as he shoved the list into Macaque's chest. And of course, Macaque quickly took the list, ignoring the way Red Son shoved it into him. He finally could help with Master's special day, which was all that mattered.

The two of them then noticed Red Son walking away, looking like a deflated a balloon. Nezha felt a bit of sympathy for him since he knew how much this meant to him. But he genuinely wanted to help the younger demon. Meanwhile Macaque didn't feel such sympathy. The monkey in purple was all too busy being eager helping out, but just to get pets and kisses from you.

The red champion soon returned to the kitchen, leaning with his back against the now door as he sighed in disappointment. Now he had to share that credit with three other champions. Fun. And all he wanted was some extra attention from you just this once...

And of course, considering who all was given the task of retrieving the ingredients, it didn't take long for the three other champions to return and bring the missing items to the kitchen. It was most certainly surprising to see MK actually return with his task complete since he usually forgot things. However, Red Son figured he remembered this task since it's a task for their Master's comfort. And while he usually forgot about what he did, he never seemed to forget about given commands and objectives. He would only question what he did afterwards.

However, thanks to the other servants' work, Red Son was able to focus on his own task of baking a birthday cake. But this time he would not have another servant take his credit. So he told the others to get out and let him work on it himself. And despite Macaque's persistence in helping him further, the red champion wouldn't budge and wouldn't start anything. At least until the monkey left the kitchen through a portal while pouting. And he knew Macaque didn't know how to bake a cake, so Red Son was confident that the simian wouldn't dare try baking one unless it was absolutely perfect on his first try.

And finally, due to Red Son's skills in the kitchen, the bull demon was able to create the perfect cake. Which was also your favorite cake. Just to top it off, he added a birthday candle and lit it up with a little flame in the palm of his hand. He smiled as he proudly glanced over the cake. There was no way you wouldn't enjoy it, he was sure of it.

But then of course another servant just had to startle him by standing behind him without even saying a word. He turned and saw a certain blue champion, just standing there, yet his presence was menacing.

Shit. Macaque probably told him about the cake.

"Oh- Wha-... W-What is it, Wukong? Did you also w-" Red Son tried to question him, but quickly cut himself off the moment he witnessed the quiet simian just casually taking the cake's plate with his hand and walking away. He didn't even bother giving the red champion a second glance.

Red Son just watched silently in disbelief as the monkey walked away towards presumably their Master's bedroom. He could feel his eye twitch in frustration at how, again, yet another champion was stealing more of his credit.

But whatever.

At this point he was already convinced that he'll be pushed to the side again just so the others could get more love and attention from you. Wouldn't be the first time. He groaned a bit before following Wukong. The simian was indeed headed for your bedroom.

Upon reaching your bedroom, Wukong gently knocked with his free hand on the door while still holding the cake in the other. When he heard you tell him to enter, he opened the door and bowed his head. Red Son moved past the simian in blue and also bowed his head. Then he looked up and saw you in bed with Macaque, MK and Nezha already present either on or around your bed. Macaque was the one in the middle of receiving pets from you. Meanwhile you looked very much tired, as if you had just woken up about a minute ago.

Wukong held up the cake in front of him as he said with a little, rare smile, "Happy Birthday, Master."

Which was soon followed up by the other champions wishing you a Happy Birthday. Including Macaque, whose wishes were muffled due to him snuggling into you. You smiled tiredly, still seeming very much confused for a moment before you realized what was happening. "Aw... Thanks, guys", you said. Then you looked at the cake in Wukong's hands. Your eyes lit up a bit at he sight. "Is... Is this (Favorite Cake)? Did you guys make this... for me?"

Red Son remained silent, knowing the others would just claim all the glory and- "Actually, Red Son made it, Master. We didn't do much this time", Nezha quickly responded with a genuine smile underneath his mask. "We just helped out a bit, but the idea and execution was all his doing."

Red Son slowly turned towards him with his void-black eyes wide open in shock. Did... Did Nezha just make up for earlier? And knowing your attention was no longer on your pink champion, but on your red champion instead, the celestial gave the bull demon a knowing wink. Which made the red-haired boy smile with gratitude. He was given the spotlight for once.

Wukong seemed to have understood what Nezha was doing and decided to chime in, which seemed to encourage the bull demon again. "It's true, Master. He did most of it himself."

Your mouth formed an 'o' as your head turned towards Red Son, who was now blushing a little in embarrassment. You reached out your arm and pat your leg, which was still covered by your blanket, beckoning him over while Macaque scooted a bit away to give the bull demon space to sit on. "C'mere, Red. I wanna thank you properly."

His blush only became more noticeable as he approached your bed, seating himself on it. Then you pulled him a bit closer towards yourself and placed a little kiss on his cheek. This only resulted in his blush becoming worse, and you could swear his entire body began to heat up as his tied up hair turned into flames for just a moment. You gave him another kiss on his reddening cheeks once again before smiling at him.

"Thank you, Red."

He smiled back despite his embarrassment as he nuzzled into your chest.

"You're welcome, Master... Happy Birthday..."

.

.

.

"...Hey Master, where is Mink?"

"Um... I'm not sure actually. Probably still with the Oracle. He came in last night and wanted to borrow the scroll for something involving some lion, I think...? But he said he'll bring back the scroll some time later today."

[ Masterlist ]

[reidfucker]

two left feet

dr. spencer reid knows how to dance. keyword, knows how to — not that he's any good at actually, physically performing it.

or dr. spencer reid asks you to waltz with him.

an itty bitty reid drabble as i try to familiarize myself with tumblr. no beta or second thoughts at all !!! i typed all of this out experimentally. (update: edited it a tad :–D)

oh, and spencer is a trans man. it's not explicitly stated or dwelt upon, but i hope you know.

once reid gets into something, he gets into it. lately, he's been reading up on dancing: in particular, the waltz.

in his silently agreed on corner of the couch, with his feet in your lap as you sat beside him. you see him reading the waltz book, whatever that entailed.

it wasn't uncommon for spencer to be interested by things he completely hadn't dabbled in the past. he usually accumulated facts on a multitude of topics, storing each trinket of knowledge for later use. though, he hardly ever applied those skills after getting familiar with them.

this time, he closes the book, thinking to himself. you can't help but giggle to yourself and wonder, what is so thought-provoking about the waltz? but reid finds something to ponder on even in the most mundane things, so there's no need to question.

"hm." reid hums, getting your attention.

"spence?" you can visibly see his train of thought derail.

"oh– um– i was just wondering if..." he considers his words, "i was just going to ask if you'd like to dance with me."

you grin, "aw, of course. who am i to decline you?"

"um... i'm no good yet. but hey, what's learning without trying?" he gives a shy smile, getting on his feet pushing up his reading glasses, instead of taking them off. you told him he looked cute in glasses, and he'd look cute nonetheless, but you noticed he wears them more often now.

"what songs go well with the dance you have in mind?" you say, browsing through your cd collection.

"would it be cliché if i said 'cant help falling in love' by elvis presley?" spencer stands slightly behind you, sort of waiting for you.

"yeah... very cliché. but it's okay, i'll play it anyway." you can't help but grin at how anxious he is about nearly everything.

"well, it's because my mother loves that song. well, used to, now she can hardly remember things."

you turn to him once the cd is in place, "you don't need to explain yourself to me, spencer. i like the song." you reassure him, "now... shall we dance?" you hold a hand out.

spencer gladly takes your hand, gladly taking charge. you've never danced before, and it's evident that spencer hasn't either, but strangely, you feel like the ceramic couples spinning together inside a music box.

he closes his eyes, following the rhythm, visualizing the images from the textbook.

what a mind, you think. it would be nice to live inside his brain: to know every thought before it's fully processed, to see what images flash through his mind, to watch the connections between lines from books and quotes an unsub dropped.

on the other hand, you don't know what you're doing. spencer's eyes flutter open and closed every once in a while and he oh-so-softly laughs whenever he commits a mistake. you consider kissing him, but you don't want to interrupt this brilliant mind at work.

once he's comfortable enough with the pace, he leans his forehead on your shoulder, transitioning into slow dancing. you wrap your arms around his waist, and you just melt together.

rocking you back and forth just in time with the rhythm, he whispers in your ear, "you know, waltzing was considered... scandalous back in the day. couples danced in what they called 'closed position,' they were practically, uh, pelvis to pelvis."

you chuckle, giving him a nod. he feels you nod and takes it as a sign he's good to continue.

"yeah, up until the waltzes of strauss, it was deemed inappropriate. i get that, 'the blue danube' is such a beautiful song, it's hard to pass up the opportunity to... y'know..."

reid rambles on, whispering to you all throughout, as if he were professing his love for you. and in his own little way, you knew he was.

he takes a few (many) awkwardly timed steps, and even you can admit your bodies don't flow together seamlessly. but really, it isn't half-bad.

[ofstarsandvibranium]

My Sweetheart: Part 2

Fandom: Marvel

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Summary: You purchase a vintage sweetheart bracelet from an antique store and with it, comes the spirit of the woman who owned it. Through her, you go on an interesting journey to find out what happened to her old lover.

Part 1

It's been two days since you've basically taken a ghost back home with you. Said ghost named Dot who was attached to the sweetheart bracelet you bought. In the few days since discovering her, you've discovered that she can be pretty powerful. She'll open doors, knock things over, stuff to grab your attention. While she does have a lot of energy, communicating with you can take a lot out of her sometimes. Now it's day three and you're at your computer with a pen and paper beside you to see if she can give you the name of this Jamie person.

You watch as the pen moves a bit but doesn't lift. You're sure she's trying her best, but it kind of frustrates you. You want to help Dot so she can move on and so that you can get back to living your regular life, completely alone without your newfound ghost roommate.

Ways to talk to ghosts

You type the words into google and click on the first link you see: ouija board, a spiritual medium, pendulums, rods, voice recorder, or a spirit box.

Out of all the options, you felt like the ouija board would be the best bet to communicate with Dot. So later that day you go to your local Target and purchase a ouija board, because, yes, they do sell those there. The board being considered as a game.

Later that night, after you've had dinner, you sit in your living room. You have the ouiji board set on your coffee table. The lights are off in the room except for a few candles you lit. You place the sweetheart bracelet beside the board, hoping it'll bring as much of Dot's energy as possible. Beside that, is a pad and paper for you to jot notes

You take the planchette, sliding it over to HELLO.

You take a deep breath, "Dot, are you here?"

With your fingers lightly touching the planchette, they slide towards YES on their own.

"Alright. What is your full name?"

You watch at the device slides over each letter to spell out D-O-L-O-R-E-S-M-I-L-L-A-R-D.

"Dolores Millard. Okay. Nice to meet you, Dolores. But I'm assuming you prefer Dot?"

YES, she says as it slides to the upper left of the board.

"Alright, Dot. Who is this Jamie you want me to look for him? Why do you want me to look for him?"

J-A-M-E-S-B-A-R-N-E-S

"James Barnes? Uuuhh, is there anything else you can give me? Does he have a middle name? It'll make things easier to looking him up."

B-U-C-H-A-N-A-N.

"James Buchanan Barnes. Alright. Give me a second," you pull out your phone and type in James Buchanan Barnes as well as 1940s.

You went through a list of men, Dot either telling you YES or NO. Then it hit you, "Wait. Hold on."

You type in BUCKY BARNES to google and tap on a picture captured of him and Sam Wilson, "Is this your Jamie? Is Bucky Barnes your Jamie?"

YES.

"...well shit!"

_______________________________

Bucky didn't expect things to go this way. He didn't think he'd find himself working beside Captain America again. However, he did find it therapeutic in a way. Sure, he still went to therapy, just not with Dr. Raynor anymore, but this was a different kind of therapeutic. This was him doing good, to make up for all the bad he's done as the Winter Soldier.

The newly renovated Avengers Compound in upstate New York was where Bucky stayed a majority of his time. He still had his place in Brooklyn when he needed to get away from Sam and the newbies, but, for the most part, this was where he can be found.

"Uh, hey, Mister Barnes?"

Bucky looks away from the tv to see Kamala looking at him confused, "What is it, kid?" He asks the young Avenger.

"So there's this lady in the main lobby asking for you. She said it's important?"

"Define important."

Kamala shrugs, "I don't know. Something about a bracelet and a lady named Dot."

Bucky's brows raise in interest, "Dot?"

"FRIDAY?"

"Yes, Bucky?"

"Bring up the CCTV footage of the lobby?"

"Got it," a holoscreen appears and you're seen sitting in a waiting area. Your leg is bouncing, your fingers are tapping on your lap.

"Is she someone you know?" Kamala asks.

Bucky shakes his head, "Nope, but she's mentioned someone that from my past. So I guess I'm gonna talk to her."

Kamala excitedly asks, "Need backup?!"

He chuckles at her eagerness. Even after working with Carol and Monica, Kamala is always wanting to jump in to help, "I think I'll be okay. You can watch the live footage if you want, just in case."

"OKAY!" Kamala plops herself onto the couch where Bucky previously sat and watched the holoscreen eagerly.

It takes a few minutes for Bucky to get to the lobby. The new Avengers Compound is much bigger now after Thanos destroyed the first one.

His brows furrow as he thinks about Dot. It's been literal decades since he's seen her. He knows she's long passed away after looking her and several other of his loved ones up on the internet. She ended up marrying another guy, had a few kids, and a few grandkids. She died about a decade ago.

When Bucky entered the lobby, you spotted him immediately. One of the security guards rushed to stop you, but Bucky held his hand up, "It's okay."

He then looks at you, "Do I know you?"

You shake your head, "No, sorry, um...can we go somewhere private?"

It's Bucky's turn to shake his head, "Sorry. Since I don't necessarily if you're a threat or not, this is the best we can do."

"Alright," you sigh and pull up your sleeve to reveal a bracelet, "Does this look familiar to you?"

Bucky looks down at your wrist and gestures, "May I?" You slip it off and place it into his metal hand. He looks at it and suddenly remembers, "Dot. I gave this to her before I was shipped out for the war."

"Right. Okay, so, um...do you believe in ghosts, Mr. Barnes?"

He snorts, "Call me Bucky, and, I mean, I've fought aliens, super soldiers, died and came back a few times now, so, sure, I guess ghosts are real. Why?"

"Soooo it seems that Dot's spirit is still connected to this...realm...? Anyway, she's attached to this bracelet and her spirit asked me to find you. I think, maybe, for some closure?"

"Is Dot here now?" Bucky asks, a bit, weirded out by this whole thing.

You shrug, "I don't know. I can't see her."

"Then how'd you communicate with her?"

"She wrote on my steamed up mirror the first time and then it's been primarily through ouija board."

"Those things actually work?"

"Seems so. Anyway, I'd really appreciate it if you helped me give her spirit closure so I can start living a normal life again, sans my new ghost roommate."

Bucky snorts. You're very interesting. It seems you're also very determined and a little desperate to solve this Dot situation out. Bucky's not busy. Sam's away on his own mission, so that leaves Bucky to some free time.

"Yeah. Sure, I guess I'll help."

"Thank you!" you fist bump the air, "Should we start now?"

"What exactly should we do first?"

You slip off your tote bag that you've been carrying and pull out the ouija board you've been using, "We can make contact with Dot?"

"You're...efficient," you shrug and Bucky chuckles, "Yeah. Sure. Okay. Um, we need to get you clearance first so, uh, come with me." You follow him to the desk and watch as he discusses your clearance badge to one of the security. You never thought buying a pretty vintage bracelet from an antique store would lead you to meeting an Avenger.

[benevolentbirdgal]

Is it appropriate for non-jewish authors/designers to take inspiration from jewish mythology and writing? I’ve seen a lot of media that does that especially in fantasy.

That's a loaded question, and while I certainly don't Speak For All Jews Everywhere - I am Not The Jewrax, I basically hold that it'd be fine in theory but in practice, it's almost always problematic because few gentiles bother to engage with Jewish perspectives on what they're using.

I'm not 112% sure on what you mean by mythology and writing, nor am I 112% sure what you mean by inspiration, but I'm going to make some educated guesses and invite both you to DM me or ask again and other Jews to float other possibilities.

I'm imagining you mean something to the impact of the use of Jewish folklore, theology, and stories in non-Jewish media, like art and literature, so I'm answering in that context. Specifically, I feel like you might be asking about angels and demons, Lillith, and golems, although that is very speculative and just because Those Are The Things Gentiles REALLY Want To Use.

The TL;DR is that I think while in theory, it's fine for gentiles to incorporate elements of Jewishness into their story, in practice they usually screw it up pretty badly if not veering into antisemitic trope-age altogether. There are a few factors that make this the case.

On the one hand, I want to see more representation of Jewish stuff, and not just the same three stereotypes ad nauseam. I legitimately do want more Jewish elements in stories, and I recognize the quantity I want would heavily benefit from, if not outright require, some contribution from the 99.8% of people globally who are not Jewish.

With that said, I think that gentiles tend to fuck up Jewish representations, both from a folklore perspective and a Jews Are People That Exist perspective. It's not some fatal flaw to view other cultures through your own lenses - it's only human, but it is challenging to address and something to be aware of. I see Christianity, Islam, and other religions (and atheism, for that matter) through the view of a Jew who was raised in and lives in a Christian-dominated society. Gentile writers see Judaism through the lenses of their own backgrounds and the backgrounds of their society. For reasons that merit their own post, gentiles tend to forget that Jewishness exists independent of and predating many of their own lenses. For many of the same reasons, many gentiles have no interest in actually consulting Jews or Jewish sources on Jew things - we aren't regarded as minority enough or different enough or whatever to merit research, even among many gentile creators who normally research cultures they are not part of. Without getting into it, a lot of people also A) really can't handle the idea that Some Things Are Just For Jews (like Kabbalah) or accept closed and semi-closed say what they mean on the tin and B) have (at the very least) implicitly supersessionist attitudes in their approach to Judaism - applying other religious and cultural contexts backwards even if they're directly at odds with the original Jewish ones. They learned about Jew Stuff in their Christian, Wiccan, Muslim, Unitarian Universalist, Atheist, etc. spaces, and how those spaces approached Jew Stuff (and the attitudes inherited from those spaces) are prioritized over what the Jews think of their own Stuff. This often results in Jewish "representation" being filtered through the eyes of the dominant culture group (i.e. Christian), even if that's not the intent. This happens a lot with depictions or appropriations of Kabbalah, Lillith, and the Golem - specific cultural and theological biases are superimposed to the detriment of original context and meaning.

If you want to represent or take inspiration from a group, you need to understand that group. It doesn't mean you have to know EVERYTHING (no one does) but it means engaging with and researching the community beyond this One Cool Thing You Liked. The degree to which you do this depends on what you're using, but you want to be able to use stuff without stripping it of its original context.

Writing, mythology, and folklore are broad categories. If you want to use the zayde from Something From Nothing or make Sammy Spider real, that's way less loaded than taking traditional folklore and going Mine Mine Mine a la the birds in Finding Nemo. Good questions to ask when determining if you want to use a thing: is it explicitly closed or semi-closed? Has it been used to cause violence against its community of origin? Is it and its uses considered sacred?

Specific topics that you just shouldn't use because they are closed and/or have been used against Jews to cause us great pain: Lillith, Kabbalah, Golems, anything that implies or uses the blood libel, any kind of Jews-and-horns thing, or anything leaning into antisemitic conspiracy theories. I'd also tread very lightly and get sensitive readers on anything to do with angels and demons, circumcision, and kosher. [above list is def non-exhaustive, other Jews please add stuff]

Also stay away from any "this is the SECRET meaning of this Jewish Thing And The Jews Are Wrong And This Proves My Religion/Conspiracy Theory/Worldview." Even if it does not promote a specific worldview, there's some major ick in saying "no this is what your holiday/beliefs actually mean/imply." Don't Da Vinci Code us, basically.

If you are wanting to write or make something with Jewish elements, consult Jews on the specifics! Seriously, most of us are SO happy to help you workshop.

Again, I do not speak for all Jews, but this is my personal take, and the kind of stuff I've heard a lot of other Jews opine as well.

[forbidding-souda]

hi! i was wondering if you could do korekiyo, rantaro and kokichi with their s/o being the ultimate librarian? but with librarian being more of a broad term, like they also know all about books (specifically classical literature?)

its okie if not! bye!! :D

Korekiyo Shinguuji and Rantarou Amami with their S/O being the SHSL librarian

my greatest apologies that I didn't include Ouma, which is something I like never do, but he is so complicated to write for me since I'm just barely starting to write DR again and I have to study him again so give me a second (all of you)

But ooooooo you guys missed me so baddd

No promises that i'll post more but I'll put in minimal effort and not just none. ^ Like with Ouma. Sorry.

-Mod Souda

Shinguuji Korekiyo

❤ Beautiful and certainly perfect. He was the one that noticed you first. He knew you from school. He would visit your library, checking out many books and though he knew all of the information within them, seeing you was worth it—the only thing he cared about learning was you.

❤ He saw you reading in the time between people coming up to your little info desk. When he went to check up yet another book, he looked over the desk and saw you reading Aristotle. His heartbeat quickened and he felt a smile form from under his mask.

❤ ^ He made a small reference to the book and you instantly let out an 'oh!' and leaned forward.

"You read that stuff, don't you?" You smiled. "You look like the type." "I study history." Matching your body language he put his books on the counter, letting his hands rest at the front. He noticed how your eyes light up. "Ah, we are rather similar. That's amazing, thank you for entertaining me today, it's been getting rather boring here." He doesn't respond and instead fidgets, picking up one of his books once more. "I'm finished with this book," his eyebrows lift as if he wants you to be impressed, "Have you read it? It's one of my favorites?" When you peer at it, you read the title: "The Blind Owl" by Sadegh Hedayat and it is in the original language. You nod and tried not to seem as impressed as you were: "Well, you might be my favorite customer." And then he started tapping his fingers until your eyes went to somebody behind him. Your voice quickly turned into customer service. "Well," you look up at him, "You can put that book in the drop-box over there thank you very much."

❤ He learned that you are the one that decorates and organizes the interior. The building itself is dark wood so you did everything you could to make the bookshelves and the tables match the brown shade.

❤ The first time you saw him in a romantic sense was when he was helping you with decorating for Valentine's Day. It was a bit funny when he tried to put Freud on the front display.

❤ "NO."

❤ The Sunday morning that you two started decorating for it had peaceful weather. It put you in a positive mood, which ended up being contagious. You were grinning as you hang up ribbons and strings with plastic hearts on the walls. When you moved to the bookshelves, you saw him browsing for the display and you realized you had never seen him in between these shelves before. He is beautiful, mystical when concentrating: you watch his eyes glance up and down.

❤ ^ From where you usually sit in the front, you only get rare glimpses of him when he reads, and the time you get to see him are only when he checks things out. For this Valentines Day, your gift is seeing him in his natural state: how he looks when he thinks nobody is looking.

❤ But when he looks up at you, your stomach drops. You are frozen, not looking away and forcing yourself to be brave and hold the eye contact.

❤ "Look at you," he said.

❤ And after that day, he started inviting you to go out to historical exhibits with him as dates. He showed you all the artifacts he adored and constantly looked over to see if you were listening. You never stopped paying attention, and you looked at him with such admiration that he almost stuttered.

❤ The next time he walked into your library he saw photographs of the artifacts. They are near the history and culture section, and the old-style coloring of the portraits match the aesthetic of the place. He adored you more than anything. He found somebody who perfectly admires his interests.

.

Rantarou Amami

"Intelligence is admirable," you say while looking out the classroom's window, "I like anybody who is willing to read and learn." Amami listens intensely. "When I travel, there are so many people who are willing to tell their stories... that's when I learn the most." You smirk, "Are you trying to impress me?" When you look back, you see the casual smile on his face. "How so? But would you say that you are impressed?" To hide your smirk, you put your chin in your palm and look out the window again. "Try again next time."

❤ When you two started dating you'd hand him books that have small print as well as complicated sentences, sometimes with the big books you'll obnoxiously drop it on his desk.

❤ "Do you want me to write a book report?"

❤ You hum, "ooh." And after clapping your hands together, you give him sarcastic puppy eyes, "I'll give you a kiss if you do!"

❤ "Okay," he chuckles at you, "I'll consider."

❤ ^ The words made him hesitate a bit. He has always been patient with romance. He liked you for your random bursts of excitement with it came to book. Of course, with the SHSL Librarian it should be expected, but still, he had never seen somebody as passionate of history and knowledge as you.

❤ He wasn't desiring immediate romance or short-lived love, and you didn't even go into his house until around 5 months into dating.

❤ Though, he always read what you gave him (and esp the things you let him borrow) but sometimes it would take at least a week since you would purposely give him some complex texts just for your own amusement. With humor, he really would write a book report sometimes.

❤ The main thing you love about him is how he takes your interest seriously. He doesn't brush you off or half-ass it. He holds your love for books at the top of his list.

❤ If you ask him if he likes the book then he will give an honest review but focus on the positive parts.

❤ And sometimes... he will give you book suggestions. Which you read in half a day and he's like ??? bro.

❤ ^ Then you info dump about the author's life and their process with writing the book LOL.

[rxzennia]

On Aventurine's Cooperative Eidolons

– an unprofessional dissection

✎𓂃 Namely E1 (Prisoner's Dilemma) and E6 (Stag Hunt Game). I don't doubt that this could just be pure coincidence, but this is Hoyo we're talking about. Properly capitalized work on my blog? More likely than you think. I am not eloquent enough for this. On a side note, I got a deep ass papercut from trying to dig through my bag a while ago, then I hurt the base of my finger 'cause I smacked it into a drawer. Ouch.

Context

See the Etymology section of Aventurine's trivia on the Wiki. There are further Wikipedia links to everything for all you nerds out there (I'm one of them, don't worry). This Reddit post is also good enough, methinks.

If you don't want to read all that, here's the TL;DR:

Prisoner's Dilemma has prisoners A and B who committed, say, arson together. They're interrogated separately (i.e., no communication between them), and there are four outcomes – if neither of them confess (both serve 0 years), if A confesses and B doesn't (and vice versa – whoever doesn't confess serves 20 years), and if they both confess (both serve 10 years). The best individual outcome for each side, then, is to snitch ("defect").

Stag Hunt Game has hunters C and D who must decide whether to hunt a rabbit or a stag with no knowledge of the other's decision. The stag will feed them for a week, and the rabbit will feed them for 2 days. To hunt the stag, they must work together. Otherwise, it could end in three ways: D goes for the stag (D will then starve) and C goes after the rabbit to feed themselves (and the other way around), or both C and D go for the rabbit and each respectively gain 2 days' worth of food. Both hunters are, therefore, more likely to cooperate to get the best outcome (the stag).

On Aventurine's Cooperative Eidolons

What catches my eye is how these two are sequenced. With the Prisoner's Dilemma at E1, and then through E2 to 5 until Stag Hunt Game appears in E6, it's more than just a representation of Aventurine's life up to this point. I wonder if this is a reflection of how his beliefs have changed, or if it's a reflection of what the individual departments of the IPC means to him, or if it's both.

As that Reddit post has already said, the PD applies to Aventurine and his owner. However, if we consider the game as between him and the IPC (or specifically the Marketing Development Department in this case), then the PD takes on a completely different meaning. When the Second Katica-Avgin Extinction Event took place, the Avgins were expecting the IPC to come to their aid, so they went ahead with the festivities on the day of Kakava. This was the worst possible outcome for the Avgins, and honestly I think I died a little inside when I came to this realization halfway through writing this. Sure, it's uncertain if the Avgins would've called off the festival were they aware of the IPC's plan, but I think that's just a bandaid on a broken bone.

The Avgin clan cooperated, and the IPC defected. The IPC acquired the optimal outcome – they effectively ensured the elimination of the Avgins and the Katicans from the politics in Sigonia – while the Avgin clan found themselves facing extinction. While there has been communication between the IPC and the Avgin, it's untrustworthy communication – basically equivalent to having no communication (the PD may still hold when there is communication, granted that it is ineffective; for explanations see here). Logically speaking, the Avgin clan should know this; the IPC did have an indirect hand in their banishment to the desert, which would then be reasonable to say that the IPC has no interest in resolving the enmity between Avgins and Katicans. The rational action here for the Avgins, then, would be to defect as well, but this isn't a world where every player is rational.

What all of this implies is that in such a situation, where a rational player in the Avgins' position would choose to defect, the Avgins in the story chose to bet on that non-existent chance of cooperation in a Prisoner's Dilemma. How desperate must they be to take that chance in cooperation, to wilfully ignore all the signs that point to defection by the IPC?

If you hear sobbing in the distance, you'd better join me. Well played, Hoyo. Well played. Okay, let's move on.

A Prisoner's Dilemma (PD) can become a Stag Hunt (SH) through eliminating the factors that contribute to the "every man for himself" sentiment in the PD. Suppose there is a scenario where the PD applies. What makes both sides equally wary of the other, and what prevents them from working together as they would've in a SH? Uncertainty. Incomplete information and trustworthiness – if you don't know what move the other side is going to make, you have to look for the best move for your situation.

In the real world, incomplete information is generally addressed by institutions. Information is made transparent by various institutions at various levels so that there is less guesswork for the players in the dilemma. It reminds me of the IPC Strategic Investment Department, since they are providing information for Aventurine to make decisions for his next move, and simultaneously trade information with the Marketing Development Department. It's less that they do it willingly, but because they're both departments under the IPC, there is a certain level of transparency between them. 

Trustworthiness is essentially how one convinces others of their intentions. How else can anyone look at your past actions and determine that you're likely to cooperate if you have nothing vouching for you? Aventurine went from being a slave to a Stoneheart, and so with his current position and connections comes a certain degree of trustworthiness. Therefore, the IPC, too, have to honor deals made with him, as they have an image to maintain to everyone else in the cosmos – all because of Aventurine's position. It's a real shame that only now that the Marketing Development Department can't walk all over him again. A real shame.

By E6, Aventurine is playing the Stag Hunt Game, as opposed to the Prisoner's Dilemma. Is he collaborating with the Strategic Investment Department to achieve some mutual goal, where both will benefit? Hell, is he playing the Stag Hunt with the Astral Express, too? What is his desired outcome, then? 

If we look at this in terms of how Aventurine's beliefs have changed, he's gone from a lone player to someone with a lot of cards. He's intentionally put himself in a position where cooperation becomes worthwhile, thus ensuring his interactions all fall under the "Stag Hunt" category. This doesn't mean that his life is free from betrayal, given how he seems to expect the dirtiest tactics in the execution of an interaction; rather, he expects that the outcome of any action would bring him a net benefit that offsets the price of being betrayed. 

This means he's learned from the Second Katica-Avgin Extinction Event, where the defection of one player and the cooperation of the other resulted in the optimal outcome for the defector at the expense of the cooperator. I'd like to think he is where he is now because he wants to be well equipped to turn any future interactions that would land him in a PD into a SH; he sees the value in cooperation, the benefit of being able to play his cards with the expectation that his opponent would play into the outcome he wants because of a shared goal. 

If we examine this as two distinct interactions with the IPC departments, we have the Prisoner's Dilemma and the Marketing Development Department on one hand, and the Stag Hunt and the Strategic Investment Department on the other. This interpretation brings up a very familiar notion: Aventurine and the Marketing Development Department are never going to get along. With the PD, there is no way both sides would cooperate, and so there we have it. Even if Aventurine doesn't know about the role that the Department played in Sigonia (as there is no canon confirmation as of yet), he isn't going to get along with them as someone of the Strategic Investment Department. True to the political climate within the IPC, there is barely any trust, nor any expectation to cooperate beyond what is absolutely necessary.

Aventurine's association with the Strategic Investment Department is a SH game in and of itself. Diamond gets a new Stoneheart, and Aventurine gets to live. I have no doubt that he manipulates every mission into a SH situation by revealing just enough of his cards; it's highly unlikely that he's able to achieve the Department's goals with no assistance. 

Overall, well… This goober is still living in my head rent free. Thanks, Hoyo.

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to Tsunami Creator's Chapter 167

TL;DR - Array spells everywhere. Cale saves Dokgo Chang. GoD in crisis. Invasion plans.

Soos? LSH = ✅ CJS = ✅

Array Spells Everywhere Much of the chapter was about these array formations/spells. They're the murim version of magic circles. These array spells covered the entire Yunnan Fortress, so no one could see what was inside.

However, our Raon also learned how to create array formations, using the statue of Jungwon as a medium something. As expected of our smart and great dragon! 😊

Cale Saves Dokgo Chang If you remember, Dokgo Chang was the one that first clashed with Elder Ho about Sword Demon. The Dokgo Clan had said that CJS was their benefactor. And they lived in Yunnan Province.

With the Blood Cult taking over Yunnan, the Dokgo clan got captured, and only Dokgo Chang managed to escape. Fortunately, Cale's group found him and treated his injuries. And Cale got a lot of info about what happened in Yunnan from him.

God of Death In Crisis?! Cale tried to contact Jungwon and GoD again. Jungwon did not reply, but GoD's reply was strange:

<I'm evacuating due to a sudden situation> <Reason for emergency: An outbreak of tyrants due to the strike declaration> <Jungwon did something.> <As expected, he's a fox too.>

Okay, let me interpret this... Jungwon rallied several worlds (that had hunters harassing them) and something happened, so they went on a strike? As for the sudden appearance of tyrants, I don't know... I'm as confused as Cale is. 😂

But GoD complimenting Jungwon as being a (sly and cunning) fox though... Ah, what happened to our innocent Jungwon?

Invasion Plans The rest of the chapter was about Cale's plans for the GED to invade Yunnan. HD would lead the Demon Cult's troops tomorrow. Sword Saint would come with the Namgung Clan forces. Sui would accompany the murim people in Sichuan. Good and Evil Factions would also arrive soon.

Which means that Cale will be creating a tsunami soon! Water AP is very excited, and I am excited to see if Cale will cough blood again... hehehe. 😄

Ending Remarks RidiBooks announced that we'll finally get ebooks for TCF on August 21. Of course, it's in Korean... 😒However! In celebration of that, Ridi is holding an event where the author will answer the questions of fans!

The author Q&A is from July 31 to August 2. The author will post her answers in a special feature to be released on August 21 too.

I had to use google translate to translate my English question to Korean. I asked about what Mary's hair color was. I mean, if author answered a certain hair color, that would disprove the Mary is bald theory, right? 😂

Oh yeah, what's the difference with 'dangsuk' and 'samchon'? I know they both mean 'uncle', but I don't understand why CJS differentiated that to call CH. I'm asking because there was a line where CJS stuttered, "I'll go with Raon and d-da-dangsuk, no, s-sa-samchon-" Cale used the samchon word to call CH though.

[ggomos-maribat]

Menace

As I said in the AO3 this was a fic that I had drafts for but never got around to completing. Thought it would be a waste not to post it anyway :D Do bear in mind that these were drafts, so the pacing is choppy and can skip over some things.

--

I

"Marinette? Can you help me change the curtains?"

"Coming, maman!" The girl zipped down the stairs, only to be greeted with an overfilled table. All sorts of delicacies decorated the top, with an elaborate centerpiece that Sabine only brought out when special guests were over. She chuckled and got the lace curtains from her mother.

"This is too much. You know we can't finish all of this." Marinette climbed on a stool and began putting on the newly washed curtains.

"Oh come on, you haven't seen them for a long time. Let me throw a feast." Sabine patted her back before moving back to the kitchen.

"No, you haven't seen them in a long time and now you have an urge to spoil them," said Marinette.

She hadn't expected that day to come quickly. For a rare time, her childhood friends had the chance to visit Paris, France, courtesy of Bruce Wayne's lavish spending. The boys would be flying over from Metropolis, Gotham, and Fawcett City and were staying over for a few days.

Sabine blew out a breath. "The ice cream shop texted me. Their delivery man isn't available today. I'm sorry dear, but can you go pick it up before the boys arrive?"

"Of course, maman. I'll take my scooter."

Marinette grabbed the money and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek before dashing down the apartment. She was peacefully driving on her scooter when she heard an ominous thump from the side of the ride. Skidding to a halt, she gaped at the mutated dinosaurs trampling over the city, sending Parisians into a panic. On the widescreen attached to a building, Nadja Chamack warned the public about the third akumatization of Dr. Anne-Jeanne.

"Not today!" Marinette groaned under her breath. From her half-open purse, Tikki sent a sympathetic look.

She took the next right to find a spot to transform. But she found herself speeding up, going too fast, only to be hit with a sudden impact on her side as she was knocked over by one of the villain's creatures. Marinette's breath fell short while she laid on the road, clutching her head. A few feet from her, she saw a familiar car pull over.

---

She regained her consciousness, but was cursed with a splitting headache. Marinette whimpered and burrowed deeper into the arms of whoever was holding her. When she tried to open her eyes, the light stung her vision, making her shut them tight again. She had no idea where she was or who she was with, but the smell of asphalt and the voices clued her in.

"This is a bad idea, Dames. We can't be seen in Paris—"

"Do you want us to sit back and let that thing wreak havoc in the city while Ladybug's nowhere to be found?"

"But the Justice League promised Ladybug they won't interfere—"

"The League promised. Not us."

"Wait, so technically, Billy's the one breaking the rules here—"

A snort sounded. "Wait a minute, I was the one who saved Marinette."

Marinette felt herself being shifted around. Billy . . . but the one talking didn't sound like Billy. It sounded like—She tentatively opened her eyes a little to see a lightning emblem on a broad chest. Captain Marvel. He was the one carrying her.

Her eyelids closed again. Head hurts. Dami. Jon. Billy. What . . .?

"Oh look, the cat can't even handle the villain himself," Damian (or Robin?) huffed.

"Even if we interfere, we can't purify the akuma without Ladybug," Jon argued.

"We can always stall until she arrives," Captain suggested.

The akuma! Chat! Marinette stirred, pretending to wake up for the first time. She squirmed and groaned, opening her eyes. Captain Marvel placed her on the ground but she swayed as  she tried to stand up.

"Ma—!"

Robin sharply nudged Superboy on the side.

Superboy cleared his throat. "I mean, citizen! Are you okay?"

Marinette clutched her head. "Hurts."

Robin's lips thinned to a line. Marinette knew his irises must be blazing behind his mask. "You probably have a concussion. Captain will stay behind with you while we fight the akumatized villain."

Marinette swallowed thickly. No, I have to get away from here. Transform. Get the akuma. Get the ice cream. Get back home.

"Why do I have to stay?" Captain Marvel asked.

"If you're spotted here, how will you explain that to the League?"

"Fine."

Robin rolled his shoulders. "At least our fathers are used to us getting into trouble."

Superboy glanced back at her worriedly as he flew up while Robin grappled away. Captain Marvel led her to a hidden alley for safety. Scratches and aches were scattered around Marinette's body, adding to the throbbing in her head. She braced herself on the wall just as more of the dizziness kicked in. I'm in no state to fight right now. Besides that, she wouldn't be able to concentrate because of that sudden revelation.

"Ladybug's cure will heal you right?" Captain Marvel fidgeted next to her.

"It should," she mumbled.

She waited for a time when the hero wasn't looking and removed her earrings to give to Tikki. The kwami immediately vacated her purse to hand the Miraculous to her partner.

Marinette slid down to a sitting position, holding her head with both hands. My best friends are superheroes.

---

She had arrived back home before they did. Marinette sped up the upper floor to drop off the ice cream, meeting Sabine's worried expression.

"Marinette? Are you okay? I saw the akuma attack in the news." Sabine's eyebrows furrowed. "I shouldn't have let you pick up the ice cream."

Marinette forced out a smile of reassurance. "I'm okay, maman. I went to a safe spot as soon as I could and Ladybug—err, the heroes fixed everything."

"Do you think the boys got caught in the attack too?"

"I'm sure they'll be fine." She waved the thought off. "I'll text them to check."

Without giving Sabine a chance to respond, she dashed up to her bedroom, saying that she had to change to a better outfit. Marinette practically threw her purse on the chaise as she steadied her breaths. First, she let her mind run. Damian. Robin. Jon. Superboy. Billy. Captain-freaking-Marvel who hadn't even revealed his identity to the rest of the League. The rest of the puzzle pieces fell into place. The Wayne family. The Kents.

Marinette groaned and held her head again. It had been so obvious. They were right in front of her the entire time! And yet she had never stopped to think that they were like her, living with two identities. She sat upright, stiffening. She would have to control her heartbeat around Jon. No. She'd have to be careful around all three of them. Jon was a walking lie detector. Damian was a detective. And Billy was perceptive and had the Wisdom of Solomon. She shuddered, thinking how many times she could've come close to letting her alter ego slip while not knowing about it.

She jolted when she heard her phone ring. Putting a hand on her chest, she answered the call. The frantic voice of Adrien bombarded her ears. "Mari? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm okay." She sighed. "The cure fixed everything."

"Are you sure? Tikki said you had a concussion. I have to send the earrings back—"

"No, wait!" The words tumbled out of her lips without much thought. "I think it's better if you keep the earrings and Tikki for a while."

"What? Why? Is it not safe in your house?"

Marinette stood up and opened a mini drawer on her desk to retrieve a pair of extra earrings that looked like her Miraculous. "No, not like that. We're having guests over later. I won't have time to meet up with you and it's too dangerous for you to drop in. I'll get the earrings tomorrow."

"Oh, okay." Adrien muttered a curse. "I have to sneak out for sweets."

"Don't feed her too much." She laughed a little, easing off the tension in her body. "Thanks for covering for me today, kitty. You did so well."

"Yeah, but the other heroes suddenly showed up . . ."

Marinette gnawed on her lip. "I—I saw them too. Did they interfere too much?"

"They helped save some civilians," Adrien grumbled. "But Robin won't stop nagging my ear off."

"Marinette!" Sabine called out from downstairs. "They're here!"

"I'll talk to them next time," she promised. "I have to go. Thanks again, kitty."

She took a few more seconds to fish out the Mouse pendant from the box as temporary protection. Fortunately, the pendant in camouflage matched her outfit perfectly. She bounded down the stairs to see the three boys, not a hair out of place as if they hadn't donned capes not more than an hour ago. Jon wore his usual sunny smile; Damian was his usual broody self, arms crossed and posture rigid; and Billy was tucked in a thick coat and black beanie.

Marinette put on a grin of her own as she hugged them one by one. "Are you guys okay? The akuma attack hit downtown and . . ."

Damian scoffed. "We're not foolish enough to get caught in an akuma attack."

"The dinosaurs looked pretty cool though," said Billy.

"I'm glad." As if nothing happened at all.

"Are you okay? Maman Sabine said you were outside during the attack too." Jon frowned.

Her voice raised an octave as she side-eyed her mother. "Fine! I'm fine. Why don't we eat now? You must be starving."

She gestured towards the living space. The coffee table had been pushed to the side to make room for cushions and pillows. "You guys can put your bags over there."

"It's a good thing you boys weren't harmed," said Sabine, placing the plates neatly on the table. "I heard some . . . foreign heroes were around as well."

Only Jon seemed to have a split-second reaction, Marinette noticed. Damian barely batted an eye when he replied, "It seems that they've been called in since Ladybug was missing in action."

Marinette wrinkled her nose. We didn't 'call them in'. Adrien would've been offended to hear that. "That happens sometimes," she piped up. "But Chat Noir always saves the city whenever Ladybug's out of commission."

"Dunno, he looked like he was being cornered back there," Billy recounted, sharing a look with Jon. "Um, we were watching from the car."

"Chat Noir's capable of handling things by himself." Marinette raised an eyebrow.

Jon poked her side. "I forgot you were such a fangirl."

"I'm not a fan—!" She sputtered out, face heating up. "Okay, I am, but not that kind. I just hate it when people don't appreciate Chat. He and Ladybug are partners. They're equals."

They took their seats around the table. Marinette's thoughts momentarily flew elsewhere. It was strange knowing their identities, and she knew she had to tell them. But the consequences of doing that were unpredictable. They might become overprotective of her, since knowing their secrets would make her vulnerable. Or they might also push her away in fear of exposing her to danger.

She absentmindedly sipped on her drink. It would be fair if I told them about me too but . . .

She watched them carefully. Billy and Jon were both scarfing down their food while Damian was talking with Sabine. They're the same . . . but everything is so different too. She wouldn't fault them for hiding those secrets from her since she carried one of her own. But since she found out about them, another invisible weight added to her growing pile.

She shook herself out of her daze.

"I can finally beat you in UMS properly," Billy grinned with a mouthful.

"Properly?" She pointed her fork at him. "You've never beaten me at all."

"Hey, I've beaten Eugene a few times. I can beat you."

"Please. You're leaving out the real champion here," Jon chimed in. Marinette threw a napkin on his face, telling him to wipe the pasta sauce on his chin.

"If you beat me once, I'll buy you ice cream tomorrow," Marinette wagered. "Damian, you should play too."

"Tt. It's a childish game."

Jon rolled his eyes. "It's a fighting game. You like fighting."

"Not with hunks of steel."

"Mechs," Marinette corrected. "But if you want to sit down and brood for the rest of the night, be my guest then. I'll make you our food errand boy."

"Oh, he's gotta practice his scowl." Billy smirked.

"The threatening aura," Jon added.

"Fine.” Damian crossed his arms. I'll join you for one game."

---

All the words she could hear were garbled, echoing in the white wasteland. There were hands choking her as she clawed at anything she could touch. 

Icy blue eyes. 

Sharp teeth. 

A feral grin. 

He morphed into an image of Hawkmoth, who sent her flying from the top of the Eiffel right after seizing her Miraculous.

Marinette's breaths grew ragged. 

It's not real!

She woke up in a cold sweat, realizing that she'd been holding the sheets tightly. Painfully. She'd fallen asleep nestled between Damian and Billy, and Jon had moved near her, hand positioned by her shoulder.

He must've heard my heartbeat, she guessed.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

She sat up and nodded numbly. "Nightmare."

"Want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. Not wanting to wake the others, she moved to the kitchen with Jon trailing behind her. "Sometimes I have trouble sleeping," she murmured. "It's nothing too serious. Don't worry."

Jon looked at her sympathetically. To him, she was probably a traumatized innocent, someone who had witnessed too many akuma attacks. But the truth was something deeper, something that she wouldn't be able to tell them.

"Want a cup of . . . tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate?" Marinette offered, filling up the heater with water.

"Whatever you'll have," Jon said. "Does it happen often?"

"Not too often," she responded hesitantly. "I . . . I get used to it?"

He raised an eyebrow. She winced. That doesn't sound any better, does it?

"But I'm okay, really. I just have to wake myself up before an akuma slips in or something." She shrugged. "It's a burden every Parisian has to carry."

"Why can't the heroes deal with Hawkmoth already?" he said bitterly.

Marinette's fingers twitched as she handed him his cup. You don't know anything. "They're trying their best. It's just a matter of time before he breaks."

"But Ladybug and Chat Noir are just kids themselves. Won't it be easier to pass the responsibility to someone else?"

She clenched her jaw. And get amnesia? No thanks.

"Hey, I believe in trusting them both." She half-smiled, taking a sip of her drink. "Don't let other Parisians hear you say that. They're protective of their heroes." 

II

“You’ll be joined by Ladybug for this mission,” Batman told him. “And Captain Marvel will accompany the three of you.”  

Robin froze in the middle of sheathing his sword, only dwelling on the fact that his father had nearly uttered ‘babysit’ instead of ‘accompany’. His face hardened, eyebrows knitting together and lips pulled into a thin line. “Ladybug? We can do fine without her.”  

Though Bruce’s cowl was pulled up, Robin knew he was silently saying ‘ no room for arguments on this one’. Batman turned back to the computer. “Sources say that the location has some strange . . . signature. You need someone with magic expertise.”  

“Captain Marvel is magic.”  

“You know what I mean, Damian.”  

Robin clicked his tongue softly. Ladybug. It wasn’t that he disliked her, it was just that her behavior was too closed off. Always insisting that she’d handle Paris on her own, along with her team. Always saying she’s not a part of the Justice League. Never allowing anyone else to research or even see the other Miraculi.  

He supposed that Batman agreed on her terms about Paris being a no-touch zone since the Bat himself understood that a turf was a turf. Like Gotham was his own miserable little city to protect. Damian, on the other hand, didn’t appreciate her lack of openness. Acting like she could handle independence from superiors or mentors when she wasn’t any older than him.  

Not to mention she’d been actively avoiding the JL in the past few weeks. 

“I’m leading the team,” he said indignantly.  

“ All of you will work together,” Batman ordered. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Ladybug usually doesn’t work closely with the League. We shouldn’t waste the opportunity.”  

He scoffed. “So you decided to put her with the other kids, huh.”  

“Damian. ”  

“I will ‘behave’, Father.” He signed air quotes with his fingers. “But I can’t say that she will too.”  

That was what brought Robin, Superboy, Ladybug and Captain Marvel to the borders of Russia to infiltrate a cave which was pinpointed to be a base of a mysterious group. Robin, bundled up in a thicker suit, couldn’t help but side-eye the French heroine. Another thing that irked him was that the three of them would have to hide their identities from her, which meant there would be little casual conversation going around.  

He clenched his jaw, putting one hand on the cave’s entrance. She’s the intruder around here.  

“Do you think the cult has something to do with the Miraculous?” Superboy hovered nearby, squinting at the darkness to search for potential dangers.  

“Won’t be the first time,” Ladybug muttered under her breath.  

“What do you mean?” Captain Marvel asked.  

“The knowledge about Miraculouses isn’t exactly . . . hidden throughout history,” she explained, opening up her yoyo to use as a light. “When people find out about the power they hold, they tend to go extreme when they try to look for the Miraculouses or their holders.”  

“So that’s why you’re keeping the Paris thing under wraps.” Superboy stepped on one of the rocks leading down the cave. “I think it’s safe. I’ll stay at the front so I can keep an eye out.”  

“Part of the reason,” Ladybug followed behind Robin as they ventured into the deep hollow. From the corner of his eye, he saw her shiver.  

“I thought your suit protected you from the cold,” he said.  

She matched his scowl with a deadlier one. “Ladybug instincts. I don’t do well in cold weather.”  

“And yet you still accepted this mission.”  

“I need to be here in case Miraculouses are involved.” Her voice raised slightly.  

“So if it wasn’t, you’re just dead weight?”  

“Okay kiddies, break it up,” Captain Marvel butted in behind them. “Forward now, and look where you step.”  

Robin withheld a sigh. Ladybug fell quiet behind him.  

III

“I’m worried about them,” Jon sighed as he stepped over to another platform. The damp smell of the cave permeated in the air, making him wrinkle his nose every ten minutes or so. 

“Of course you are,” Billy said, “It’s Damian we’re talking about here.”  

“He’s a bit . . . abrasive towards people he doesn’t trust yet.”  

“Abrasive,” Billy repeated, snorting, as he nearly slipped on one of the wet rocks. “The guy punched me when we first met.”  

Jon laughed. “You know that was an accident.”  

Damian Wayne was obviously a tough nut to crack. He was harsh, blunt, and stubborn through and through, only letting a few people slip past the gaps. But Jon also thought the same of Ladybug. She hid behind her mask, blocking everyone with her walls the second they tried to get close to her. Maybe she was afraid of getting hurt. Maybe she was paranoid.  

Consequently, both her and Damian’s spitfire personalities clashed, manifesting as heated arguments and opposition.  

Then there was Jon’s other worry. Marinette.  

“There’s something I’m thinking about too,” Jon began, “I . . . I think I want to tell her.”  

Billy stopped for a minute to catch his breath. “Mari?”  

“Yeah.”  

“I’ve been thinking too. We . . . we pretty much dealt with our shit separately at first, right? Damian and the League. You and your powers. Me with . . . you know.” Billy pursed his lips. “But then we got to tell each other in the end. Except her.”  

“How do you think she’ll react?”  

“Mad. Really mad. She probably won’t talk to us for days.” Billy laughed a little.  

Jon pictured it in his head: Mari would be devastated. Confused. Angry. Expectedly, there’d be a rush of emotions involved. Knowing her, she would probably accept the truth in the end, but the journey to that point wouldn’t be pretty. But he found comfort in the fact that they could confide in her someday.  

“You know how the heroes have civilian aides? Like Dad has Mom and Uncle Bruce has Alfred?” Jon raked his fingers through his hair. “I kind of want Mari to be like that for us. I know we can’t force her but—but—”  

“But she’d be qualified to help us. She’s that smart,” Billy continued. 

He nodded. “I just thought that maybe if she’s one of us, we won’t need to worry about hiding and keeping secrets.”  

“I get that. Do you see us telling her anytime soon though?”  

Jon’s shoulders sagged. “No.”  

[not-poignant]

Hi hi :D Hope you are having a good day!

I was rereading UtB and I got to chap 24 and there was this part:

"‘Jesus,’ Dr Gary said."

And at first I was like 'huuuhuuhu I wonder if Jesus is an omega, beta, or alspha in the Underline-verse'

But then I was like 'gaaaasp, what if he was a peak alpha!' And I started thinking about the influence of peak alphas on things like religion, as religious figures. I know they're very rare, but I also remember Augus saying that it should be illegal for Ash to be a lawyer as a peak alpha. So then I started thinking about how would peak alphas would impact religion. Or cults! Or royalty! Or politics! Or just the course of history in general! Maybe they would stay the fuck away from it, or maybe they would crave having that control? I spent a very enjoyable hour daydreaming about it, which felt a bit like splashing around in the paddling pool of someone elses worldbuilding, which was maybe a bit rude lol, sorry if it was. And maybe Gary saying 'jesus' was just a throwaway expletive, and you didn't even mean much by it, but I was wondering about your thoughts! <<33

Hi anon!

This is something I've thought of. It's hilarious to me to low-key imagine Jesus in this world as an omega, though I haven't invested too much thought into it because I don't really care much for religion in general.

But generally speaking I liked the conflict of omegas being treated as second-class citizens and how that gets justified against Jesus being an omega etc. And then I was like 'I don't care about this enough to keep thinking about it, it's just amusing to me.' And that's about where I'm at. Enough to be sacrilegious and not enough to have fleshed it out further because I'm very idc about that stuff.

So then I started thinking about how would peak alphas would impact religion. Or cults! Or royalty! Or politics! Or just the course of history in general! Maybe they would stay the fuck away from it, or maybe they would crave having that control?

Oh no they totally crave that control. A tiny percentage of the world's population is peak alphas but they're overwhelmingly likely to be found in positions of power.

Tbh this is... intentional. I was trying to think of how to account for the absolute fucking monsters that end up as all-powerful billionaires in the world. Utter twats like Elon Musk, who you just know are too pathological to have hold of that much money, and yet no one on the planet is holding him (or the Zuck etc.) accountable.

And to me it gave me some comfort in my omegaverse, to imagine these asshats as being peak alphas. People who attain their power not because the governments have no regulations to stop them (which they should), but because they just have too much ardolphogen influence / power for anyone to stop them from getting this powerful.

And just like it's a huge issue in our world, it's a huge issue in this world too. The millionaires but especially the billionaires in this world are likely to be peak alphas. Generally speaking it's frowned upon for them to become Presidents and Prime Ministers, but they are found in other levels of court and parliament, as royalty, etc. They're less likely to make cults and more likely to go into business where they can control a lot of people at once.

It is a huge, huge issue. And it was planned for as part of the dystopia in advance.

Peak alphas crave controlling communities, not individuals. With the exception of Augus, the peak alphas we meet all have significant control over large amounts of people, whether it's Crielle and Fenwy Laboratories, or Temsen and Gary and Hillview, etc.

They don't need intimate relationships or love, because they form a bond to a much larger group. Historically that would have worked for small micro-communities - one person drawn to controlling and looking after the community while alphas were drawn to omegas. But in a globalised society and runaway exploitation re: billionaires, it's just become completely dystopian and it's partly how you end up with a world that favours alphas so much in the first place.

[rand0mfangurlstuff]

I'll Look After You - Part 5 - Bucky x Y/N

The next few minutes after their first kiss was filled with many more. Nose kisses, cheek kisses, forehead kisses, just about every inch of Y/Ns face had been kissed. She giggled, his mustache tickling her. 'I have to go now, I have to work remember?' she said between giggles. Bucky thought it was just about the sweetest sound he had ever heard,he never wanted her to stop, and he certainly did not want her to leave. He spoke to her between kisses. 'No (kiss) dont (kiss) leave me (kiss) yet (kiss) I'm not (kiss) done.' Y/N had never had someone treat her so adoringly before. She could get used to this. But for now she had to obtain some sense of decorum. She gently pushed him away by his shoulders until he was lying back on the bed. The look he gave her was absolutely sinful, until she backed away from him. Then suddenly he looked like a five year old who just had his lolly-pop stolen. 'I'm sorry. But I have to go get ready for work. I'll see you soon.' With a smile she blew him a kiss, smart enough not to get too close to him again incase he grabbed her and stopped her leaving again. She walked away as he smiled back at her 'I look forward to it.'

A few hours later, Bucky was bored. He had waited as patiently as he could, but Y/N still had not come back to his cublice. He knew she was near. He could hear her lovely voice as she spoke to other nurses and patients. He's certain he heard her walking with another soldier, helping him with his physical therapy. 'That's fantastic Lieutinant, you're doing a lot better since yesterday.' 'Thanks Nurse Y/N.' 'Lets try with me just holding one hand, you can do it.' He could imagine her sweet smile as she held the young Lieutinants hand, encouraging him to take more and more steps. Bucky again felt that little flame of jealousy. He knew she wasnt interested in the young soldier, but he was jealous that he got to hold her hand and see her smile while Bucky just lied there in his bed bored. When's my physical therapy. I need a lot of physical therapy. He thought to himself.

Another hour went by and still no Y/N. Bucky was giving up hope when his curtain was pulled back and there she was. She wasnt alone though, Dr. Andrews was with her. 'Good afternoon Major Egan.' the doctor reached to shake Bucky's hand. 'Afternoon Doc.' He looked to Y/N, she smiled while walking towards him. She stayed quiet as she checked his vitals while the doctor read Bucky's chart. Finally Y/N spoke 'Everything looks good Dr. Andrews.' 'Fantastic. How are you feeling Major?' the doctor asked still never looking up from the chart in his hands. 'I'm okay, ribs still hurtin' though' Bucky said. 'Well that will take some time. Usually 6-8 weeks until full recovery. But I'm happy with your progress. I see no reason to keep you here any longer.' The doctor finally looked up at Bucky with a smile. Before, this would have been great news to Bucky. But that was before her. Now the thought of being discharged was worse than crash-landing in occupied France. 'What? Really? I thought I'd still be here -' 'I'm not saying you can get back in a plane, but your typical Air Exec duties should be manageable. We will have you back in two weeks for a check up. Nurse, you'll get the discharge papers ready please?' 'Yes Dr. Andrews.' With that the doctor left.

Y/N was suprised. She thought Bucky would be delighted to get out of here. She was delighted for him. Sure she'd miss seeing him every day, but it was better for him and his mind to be away from the infirmary and the sick, injured and possibly dying. But the look on Bucky's face was not excitement. If anything, it was sadness. 'Isn't this good news? I thought you would be delighted. Yes its a shame you cant fly yet, but the weeks wont be long going by.' She figured that was what was bothering him, being at a desk. She tried to get him to look on the bright side. 'You can still work just take it easy.' 'It's not that I dont want to go back to work,' he said eyes boring into his hands. 'I just don't want to leave here.' 'Why on earth would you want to stay- oh.' she realised then. As he looked up at her with his baby blues, she realised he didn't want to leave her. He would willingly stay in this hellscape of an infirmary, just to spend more time with her. Nobody had ever liked her that much before.

He felt awfully vulnerable. He didn't like showing people he cared. 'I dont even feel it' being his frequent go to catchphrase. But he did feel it. He felt it for her. He needed her to know that he cared about her and didn't want to leave here. For fear of not seeing her enough, for fear that she would forget about him when he was no longer her patient, he wasnt sure. He just wanted to be near her. She made him happy, and happiness was in shrt supply these days. She walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. She placed her hand on his cheek and he leaned into the touch. 'It's a pity you want to stay in here, with you out of the infirmary and no longer my patient, I thought maybe you'd want to go out sometime. But if you dont want t-' 'Yes!' he almost screamed, making Y/N jump in suprise. He quickly composed himself. 'I suppose that would be nice, I could take you on a real date, not like that terrible excuse of a date you had with Croz.' Y/N lightly hit his shoulder. 'Be nice! And besides it wasnt really a date, not like he picked me up or brought flowers or anything. We were just two people at the same place at the same time having a drink together. Besides I'm almost certain he's married.' 'Well I'll still show you a better time than he ever could, no doubt about that doll.' With a teasing glint in her eye she smirked, kissed his cheek and got up and walked away. 'We'll see.'

When Bucky was discharged around an hour later, he wanted to come find Y/N again to discuss their date. Their date. Bucky still couldn't believe it. He was going to go on a date with Y/N. He found her at the nurses station. 'Hello there gorgeous.' he leaned against the desk. Another nurse standing near by heard him and started giggling. 'Hello Bucky, finally ready to get out of here?' she smiled while giving daggers to the giggling nurse. 'Not quite. We have to discuss our date first.' 'What date?' What date? Had he dreamed it all? Was he sicker than the doctors thought and his mind was running away from him? 'Didn't we say when I leave here we-' 'You never actually asked me out. You just said you could take me out. And said it would be better than a date with Harry. But you never actually asked.' She was teasing him. Making him work for it. He admired her for it, and he liked playing this cat and mouse with her. 'Well, I'm sure I could find the time in my schedule to take the lovely nurse who helped my recovery out to dinner.' he smiled his most seductive of smiles, making butterflies appear in her stomach. But she had to play it cool. 'I'm sure you're awfully busy Major, don't worry about me.' 'Well I do have some extra time on my hands now that I'm unable to fly.' 'Well I would have to check my schedule, and I'm often booked up far in advance.I work long hours and of course there is all the special attention I like to give to my patients.' Her smile was sinful. The way she looked up at him from her desk, pencil between her teeth, it was sending Bucky wild. 'Ah yes, your special assets are very important to the patients here I'm sure of it. Perhaps they would survive without you for one night though? Maybe Friday?' It was then her expression faltered to one of geniune dissapointment. 'I'm working the night shift on Friday.' 'I'll swap with you!' It was Nurse Giggles, had she been listening the whole time? 'I'll work your Friday night if you work my Saturday night? There was actually somewhere I was hoping to go on Saturday night so you would be doing me a favour.' Nurse Giggles was suddenly in Bucky's top five list of favourite people. 'Are you sure?' Y/N said. 'Absolutely!' Y/N turned to Bucky, seductive smirk back firmly on her face. 'It looks like my schedule is now clear Major. What did you have in mind?' 'You leave that to me doll. I'll pick you up at 1900.' With that he winked at her and walked out the door. He was going on a date. A date with Y/N. All he had to do was plan the date. He had to plan the most wonderful date in the history of dates. Bucky's hear sank to his behind and his stomach did several backflips. Oh shit.

[noyasaur]

hi, can you give me some advice on my problem? i feel like i am so far from my dr. not in the sense of not being able to shift but i find it hard to imagine myself having those things. it actually comes from my low self-worth, i don't see myself worthy of having those things. i have just realized this today and i think it's why i haven't shifted yet, bc i don't align with my dr. i can visualize well but not really "feel" it. just this morning i was thinking of smth im gonna do in my dr(my dr and cr goes at the same time) in a week and i tried to feel the excitement of the upcoming event only to realize i cannot see myself having it so that's why im not there yet. i have manifested to not have doubts so they have increased so much so i decided to manifest aligning with my dr as well. for the past 4-5 days my 4d has been mostly my dr and it helps, i feel close! but i was hoping you could give me some advice on this, good thing i was able to realize what was holding me back tho :0

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

hihi! first of all, i'm super proud of you for working out what you think was holding you back! that's amazing progress and your one step closer to your dr :D i think you're already on the right track, since you said you've been manifesting to not have many doubts along with manifesting being aligned with your dr, so i would also say to continue with that. especially if you said it's working, which is great to hear!

however, i do have some further advice and tips you could follow, to help you feel closer to your dr!

however, one thing i do recommend for you to do maybe look into, is improving your self-concept/self-esteem. your self-concept is basically the way you see yourself: your identity, what you're capable of as a person, what makes up you as a person- basically, how YOU see yourself as a person. improving your self-concept can get you into the habit of being kinder to yourself and seeing yourself in a more positive light. thus, in turn, being more confident and seeing yourself as a person who is worthy of experiencing their dr! the first step to improving your self-concept is obviously being kinder to yourself; start rooting for yourself and realise that you need to be nicer to yourself! why do you think you're undeserving of shifting? why do you feel this way? find the cause and work on improving your mindset towards yourself. not only does it help with shifting, but also will greatly improve your life and self-esteem too.

i also do have some ways to feel more aligned with your dr that personally love to use. one thing i like to do is when i'm going about my daily life as usual, i like to take a moment to pause and envision and act like i am already in my desired reality. to make this make a little more sense, for example, i could be just brushing my teeth at night like i usually do, but then i take a moment to really feel everything around me. i take in the moment and envision myself being next to a person in my desired reality. like me in this moment, brushing my teeth next so somebody from my dr. just in the moment- i don't close my eyes and visualise, i just try and form and visualise the person being next to me right in that moment while i'm doing the action i;m doing in that moment. i even sometimes go further and imagine their voice, or imagine their touch. it helps me to not only realise how real experiencing another reality is going to be, but also helps me be able to envision myself in my dr more, as it's just like it is in this reality. (i'm not sure if this makes sense so i hope it does 😭)

another thing i like to do is script or write down memories from my desired reality. scripting memories or even trying to channel memories from my desired reality helps me so much. it doesn't matter if the memories you write down are 'made up' or memories you've actually gained from your dr, because no matter what, in that reality you've already experienced these things regardless. it also helps me form more of an emotional connection to my desired reality. you could even do this while listening to subliminals that help you gain memories from your dr!

although, you could also do some of the more commonly suggested things to help you feel aligned with your dr such as guided meditations, affirming, listening to music that reminds you of your dr, make subliminals, manifesting (what you're already doing so i think you should defs continue doing that if it's already helping you!!), etc.

anyways i hope this helped! good luck on your journey and you got this! and remember that you are so so deserving of shifting and experiencing your desired reality. you found shifting for a reason, and you deserve it and to experience your dreams and desires.

- saturn ♡

[revenantghost]

Hi Rev, I hope it's not too awkward to ask, but I really really loved how you organized bookclub and the tristamp watch party and love all the discussions and analysis it brought on in the community here (I wasn't an active participant, but I participated in my heart and head every day with full excitement, enriched by the community).

To that end, I wanted to ask if you would ever consider hosting a trigun98 watch party, or if you'd have any tips to follow, since I think it's also an adaptation that did a lot of unique things to match the trigun essence and themes while having next to none of the official material as a reference. I'm personally find of building my own master doc analyzing the osts and the differences in each trigun iteration, and it fascinates me how they all diverge and reconverge on their themes. 98 is an adaptation that has a lot of depth to it if one scratches the surface to see how these unfolding events affect the characters differently, create new dynamics, and is arguably a lot more grim than the manga at times with how personal it becomes for our main characters. Despite that it holds a lighthearted attitude and outlook towards life.

Ah- that is me going off topic. I just thought I'd love to see what trigun lovers would think of it if we got a community event to look deeper into the series and discuss it, maybe even pointedly raise comparisons between the other adaptations.

I know that tristamp watch party is going to be active until the date the last episode aired, so I understand if this might be too much, or if the overlapping events might be too much. I just wanted to throw this thought out there, and also to give my thanks for all the positive energy you've built and spread through the community here.

Oh man, I'm so happy that you enjoyed them!!! Honestly, they were a blast to run. I didn't know what to expect going into either of them--I'm really just so shocked and kinda giddy that so many folks participated, had fun, and found friends through them. :D Regardless of if they created things or just read along!

I think a '98 watch party is a great idea! Unfortunately, I'm probably not the person to do it--I'm dealing with quite a bit and it's gonna be a rocky few months, bookclub 2.0 will be on the horizon at some point, and the other two Trigun iterations are more my bread and butter. (This isn't me shitting on it btw; it's exhausting scrolling through hate in the tags. Sure, I have criticisms for each version, but it's a very three-cakes scenario for me.)

But, like I said, this is an awesome concept for an event!!! I'm honestly a bit of a newb at running events, I've been on the fringes of mod teams before but these were the first ones that I actually ran, so I'm probably not the best to ask for advice given how much winging I do lol. I'd recommend looking at events you've enjoyed and emulating what they do, and getting the community involved as much as possible.

TL;DR: I can't do it, but if you or someone else wants to do it, go for it!!!

[tv-girllover07]

Something metal🥁

Kevin schlieb × fem!reader

Movie: Metal lords

Part 4

Blue italic= there thoughts

Green italic= Kevin narrating

Scene skip ⏭️

I’m at hunters house with two other people playing D&D “And the Slippers of Spider Climbing go to Malmsteen of Gorgoroth.” He said and painted at Hunter, I hear Mr Sylvester laugh “What kind of girlie name is Malmsteen of Gorgoroth?” He asks

“I don't know, Dad. Why don't you ask one of your real housewives while you’re shoving water balloons into there tits” Hunter snaps back at him, I look at the other members around the table “Plastic surgeon.” so they would understand what they were talking about. I understand, dungeons and dragons even less then metal but it’s a chance for us to hang out with new people, especially for people who can be in our band, if he joins Skullfucker, then we’re a band, right? So then we can play in the Battle of the Bands. If people like us, then maybe they’ll ask us to play at some parties. I hope Hunter likes this guy. Sometimes he’s not so nice to people when he’s uncomfortable and being around, his dad makes him-- “Well, Malmsteen just can't believe that a halfling rogue would be dumb and ungrateful enough to try and rip off a half-orc barbarian who just saved him from five ice toads. But he thinks he'll show mercy.

“Until he remembers that mercy is for the weak. Malmsteen pulls out Hell Slinger his +3 great sword...” ”Hunter” I cut him off “...And he tells Auriac Stormhollow to shut his glory hole before he starts his first attack.” Hunter drops the dice’s on the table making a loud clack “Plus ten, that's a hit-- “Hunter, don't be an idiot.” And Hunter continues to ignore me “He runs the blade between the thief's ribs. Second attack. Uh-oh! There goes the leg. And for the final attack...oh shit! ,Head over to Dr. Sylvester's for some post-op implants, because I just chopped off your dick.” Hunter said that while holding the guys arm and making it look like he was chopping his dick.

“Sure, sure” Mr Sylvester said laughing, “You just remember that those implants are what paid for your guitar, your incel action figures, and all your dumbass Satan-worship T-shirts!” Mr Sylvester yelled “I'm gonna go play tennis! Have you see my American Express?” Hunter just shrugs and drinks his Mountain Dew and I look at him. The guy I asked to come over gets up and grabs his bag “Where are you going.” Hunter asks “Leaving. This sucks compared to Call of Duty. Kevin, see you in class.” And he leaves “Hunter, we were going to ask him to play bass for us. He says he's pretty good.” Hunter shakes his head “It's for the best. We can never trust a guy like that.” I look at him pissed why can’t he just except the fact that we really need a bass player.

(Scene skip ⏭️)

“I’m telling you, she’s really good.” I said to Hunter but he disagreed “We need a bass player. A metal bass player.” He told me as we turn down a street “She can be metal.” I kept trying to persuade him “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Why? Why is that the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard?” I asked him “Because a cello-playing girl is so non-metal that even thinking about it is evaporating my balls.” He said and I look at him confused “A lot of the time, Hunter. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Metal, not metal…Uh…Maybe I’m just not right for Skullfucker.” I said and looked at him before looking back on the road.

Then he stops the car and unbuckled his seatbelt “Okay, switch places with me.” He said and I turn to him “What?” And he looked at me “Just do it. Slide over. Open the door, but don’t get out.” He told me as I unbuckle my seatbelt and he got out of the car, and I open my door and see Hunter walking towards Skip and I start yelling at Hunter “No! No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no” but he kept walking then Hunter reaches Skip and gives him the middle finger “Suck it, cunt.” Then flips him in the chin, and runs to the car while Skip chases him “Go, go! Fuck! Go! Fuck! Fuck! Go, go, go, go, go!” so I get in the driver seat, and Hunter gets in the car and slams the door “Why? Why did you do that?” I asked him getting worried “Truth to power, bitch! Drive!” And I step on the gas “Why?” I asked myself quietly and start driving faster due to Skip driving after us “Drive. If he gets close enough, you’ve just as fucked as I am.” He told me and I duck down in the seat “You slow down, you die. That’s metal.”

“That is a dumb Keanu Reeves movie!” I yelled at him and continued driving and trying not to hit any cars “Watch out. He’ll see you in the mirrors if he gets close enough.” So I adjusted the mirror “You’re an asshole” I told Hunter and he laughs “Okay. We can shake him. Turn left on Aspen” and I turn the car but we almost get hit “Don’t slow down. Keep going straight.” I feel like I’m losing my mind “To where? Where?” I yelled “There!” Hunter pointed to the narrow alleyway “I…We will not fit in there!” I continue yelling “I know this car!” Hunter yelled as we got closer to the alley and he put his hand on my knee “Fucking do it!” And I start to scream “Whoo!” “No, no, no!” I yelled and Hunter screams maniacally and we finally exit the alley and Hunter turns back to see Skip trying to go through the alleyway, but crashes into the wall.

I understand now. Metal is commitment, and speaking truth to power and sticking it to the man, and speed. “That was fucking awesome” I said to Hunter and let out a sigh. Metal is taking the wheel.

(Scene skip ⏭️)

“What’s this” I ask “Homework” he said well we all look around the room, looking at all the different posters “Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth, Motörhead, Guns N’ Roses, Rage Against the Machine, Pantera, Emperor, Tool, Dio, Mesguggah, Opeth, Slipknot, Mastodon, Lamb of God. This is your history now. Learn it, live it, do lines of it in the bathroom” Hunter then finally hands me the sheet of music and I look at it. It’s a list of different songs by different artists. “I’ll be working on this. It’s a solo to “Machinery” it fucking shreds. I had these made up” he hand me guitar picks with the words Skullfucker on it, and I put them in my pocket and I say to Hunter “I’ll start working on this” We do the band handshake. And I walk up the stairs i hear Hunter mess up a note and yell “Cocks! Fuck me, okay.”

(Scene skip ⏭️)

I’m in the practice room and I’m writing down the same songs Hunter wrote for me and rewrote them on a separate sheet for Y/n. Once I’m done writing everything down I fold the piece of paper and start walking towards the room Y/n was in, then I look at the paper in my hand put, From: Kevin ! On it I don’t want to interrupt this time so I slide it underneath the door as soon as I slide it underneath the door I hear her stop playing the cello and I walk away.

Part 5 🥁