#half the time i feel like i've connected some dots and the other half i feel like people will disagree with half of the fic

[mabelstone]

Why would you be loved?

hozier x f!reader

part two of lullabies <3 | part one | masterlist

cw: teeeeeny bit of violence at very beginning ... also 18+ ok if u are unfamiliar with me... this is my thing. this character is FICTIONAL before u attack me for sexualising THE hozier

word count: 3.2k

*i've decided i'd like this to be a slow burn... but don't worry! i will add things to keep u interested (or attempt to)

The sticky slap of their skin echoed through the room, my heart thudding loud enough in my ears to deafen the noise.

I lurched forward, grabbing the leggy blonde from the bar by her hair, yanking her off of Joe and slamming her naked body into the wall. She gasped loudly, falling onto the ground where she watched on in horror. I grabbed the nearest object I could reach - his bedside lamp - smashing the ceramic over his head, screaming in his face about how he's fucked this up for good.

Except that's not what happened.

I opened the door to the same scenario, except I didn't lose my temper and tear the two of them to shreds. My heart still pounded harder than ever, but I simply backed out into the hall without a sound. My eyes must've been something of a Tim Burton character as I walked back outside, leaving the front door wide open. I didn't even grab anything as my handbag was still over my shoulder. I dug around for my phone, finding nothing but an old gum packet, some lipgloss, and some loose change.

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath, running my hands through my hair. I had my phone in the bar. Did I leave it in Andrew's car? Fuck, did I leave it at the bar? I began to panic, frantically walking down the street. As if I could walk all the way back! It was at least 15 kilometres from my place. I didn't care though, continuing to pace in the cold in clothing more suited to warmer weather. I kept replaying what I saw over and over in my head. I'd usually call my mum, but...

The way his hands were digging into her skin, the way she kept repeating how good he was making her feel. I felt sick to my stomach, and the alcohol wasn't helping. I'm not sure they even saw me, but once he finished (judging by the sounds he was making, wouldn't be too long) he'd see the doors open and connect the dots.

I turned my head as I heard someone whistle from across the street, inexplicably grateful to see Andy's car. "What're you doin'?"

"Do you have my phone?" My voice sounded foreign to me, robotic and desperate at the same time. I crossed the street, heading straight for the passenger side.

"Your lifeline is right here, hence why I am," he laughed, holding my phone out to me. I just stood at the door expressionless, and he probably thought my drinks had been spiked or I'd gone mad. "You... alright?"

"Joe is cheating on me," robotically sounding again. Though saying the words out loud made it suddenly real. Joe is cheating on me.

"What?" His eyebrows shot up, dipping his head to see my face better. "What? When?"

"Like, literally right now," I laughed. I began to laugh hysterically, having to rest my hands on the top of his car to steady myself. I laughed so hard, tears began to stream down my face and my stomach hurt.

The next thing I knew, that familiar warm hand was on my back, followed by a soft, "c'mere". I turned to face Andrew, immediately bursting into tears. Real tears this time. He pulled me in close to his chest, one arm easily wrapped around my shoulders, the other cradling the back of my head. I sobbed into his shirt, likely accidentally digging my nails into his back as I clung to him. If I did, he didn't comment on it. He held me tight, rubbing soft circles into my spine with his palm. I don't know how long we stood there for, but when I pulled away, his shirt was soaked and covered in mascara.

"I'm so sorry," I gave a half hearted laugh, gesturing to the stained cotton. "I will wash it for you, I'm good at getting stains out."

"Don't be ridiculous," he smiled that poor you smile he always did, but this time it felt like a comfort as he shook his head. "You can come back to mine and shower. Then we can figure this out."

"No, no, I don't want to put you out." I protested, wiping under my eyes, undoubtedly smudging the black into my hairline. I sniffled, wiping my snotty nose onto the sleeve of my cardigan. If Joe was right about Andy being infatuated with me, I definitely just destroyed that in one simple, snotty gesture.

"I insist," he smiled, leaning against the side of the car. I was exhausted, and a nice shower in a house that didn't reek of infidelity sounded too good to reject. I nodded and climbed into the passenger seat for the second time tonight, switching on my phone to see no new messages. Maybe he didn't see me after all.

I slipped into an oversized hoodie of Andrew’s after my shower, steam on the mirror and condensation on every surface from the amount of time I was in there. I felt guilty using his water, but time slipped away from me by the time I realised. He had real shampoo and conditioner, not that pathetic 3 in 1 bullshit Joe used. I stole a hair tie and hid my messy curls in a bun. I honestly looked like a mess, but it was definitely an improvement from before. My eyes were bloodshot and puffy. Most of the alcohol had fleeted my system, so now I was just exhausted and forced to bask in the reality of the situation.

I walked into his living room where he was sat, one arm slung over the back of the couch while the other flicked through Netflix. It was strange to see him in his space, so comfortable and… domestic. No, we’re not doing this. Yet.

I looked down and saw a black border collie mix strewn across his lap. “Oh my goodness!” I swooned as I headed straight for the dog. Andy mustn’t have heard me, jumping slightly and cursing under his breath. “How rude of me. Who’s this little angel?”

“The breaking of my heart,” he began, hand over his chest as he stared lovingly down at his dog. “Elwood.”

“Elwood? Really?” I quirked an eyebrow, looking up to Elwood’s owner.

“It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful boy, I don’t understand the issue?”

I rolled my eyes, going back to snuggling the dog, kissing his face all over. “He is beautiful. Yes you are!” Elwood wagged his tail excitedly, slobbering happily all over my hands.

Andrew chuckled down at us, averting his eyes back to the TV, a soft smile lingering on his lips.

“Thanks for letting me use your shower, Andy,” I smiled, sitting beside him on the lounge, feeling like the human embodiment of the calm after a storm.

“Oh, that’s no problem at all," he grinned earnestly, playing the pilot of Breaking Bad softly in the background. He lulled his head to the side, eyes glistening in the soft golden lighting of the lamp in the corner of the room. "Want a tea?"

"Please," I nodded, Elwood now snuggled into my lap. The moment he left the room, I was left with the crushing reality of what'd just happened. The horrible sound that plagued my phonic memory, as if it were played through headphones at a deafening volume. I tried to focus on the TV, Breaking Bad had always been my favourite. It was no use, the gut wrenching ache within me only multiplied by the minute, tears welling in my eyes, daring to fall.

"I wasn't sure how you take it so I bought everything with me," he placed two tea cups onto his coffee table, along with a carton of milk and a canister of sugar.

"So adorable, you remind me of my gran," I teased, desperately trying to blink away any trace of sadness before he had a chance to see. I didn't need to burden him with any more tears.

"You know, I've been called far worse," he shrugged, taking his tea black, sitting beside me on the couch. "So I'll take it."

I hummed in response, mixing in my milk and sugar.

"So... maybe a redundant question, but, how're you feeling?"

"Well," I chuckled bitterly, sipping from my tea. "Probably feeling as you'd expect. Actually, that's a lie. I don't know how I feel honestly."

His eyes studied my features, and I deliberately avoided his gaze. His dog snored away in my lap, the TV just loud enough that any amount of silence couldn't be awkward.

"Has... anything like this happened to you?" I asked, despite the voice in my head telling me not to.

"Ehm, yeah. Not too long ago, actually," he sighed, running a hand through his hair, his chocolate curls flicking up at the ends, framing his face beautifully in the light. "We were together for three years. She was sleeping around with a friend of mine. She broke it off with me when she decided she'd rather be with him."

"Her loss," I mirrored that same pitiful look he always gave me, the slight drop in his expression making me feel guilty for even asking. "You make a mean cup of tea."

"If only she could appreciate the art of English Breakfast," he sighed, a sad smile lingering on his lips despite the sarcasm in his tone.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Andy," I sighed, tempted to reach out for him but deciding against it in fear of breaching some unspoken boundary. "I'll get out of your hair soon."

"You can stay- only if you'd like," he offered awkwardly, eyes flickering to mine as he fiddled with the handle of his cup. "There's a spare bedroom."

"No, no. You've been so kind tonight, I don't want to push it," I shook my head, misjudging the height of the coffee table, my cup hitting it with a sharp clank. Elwood startled, throwing his head back to look at me. "Sorry, buddy."

"You're not pushing anything," he laughed, shaking his head now. "It's late. The decision's all yours. But I must say, that bed might be nicer than my own."

"Quite persuasive, aren't you?" I grinned, throwing my head back against the couch, weighing up my options. Well, I can't go home. "Okay. I'll stay... if you're sure that's okay?"

"Well, because you're twisting my arm..." He joked, that bright, happy smile making its glorious return. "I'll get you a spare toothbrush and a bottle of water. You've had a big night."

"Yeah," I breathed, rubbing at my burning, no doubt bloodshot, eyes. "I am exhausted."

"Come, I'll show you to your room," he got up from the couch, extending his hand to me. I took it in mine, warm and calloused; so large, his fingers reached my wrist as he helped me from the couch. I followed behind him, the soft padding of our feet up the stairs slowly becoming the only sound audible. Elwood trailing close behind, of course.

He showed me to the guest room, nothing special, but somehow a massive comfort. A navy blue, fluffy duvet with a bedside table, a simple lamp and a copy of Inferno by Dante Alighieri atop it.

"Oh, I'll grab that toothbrush," he waved his hand as if he were finally able to dismiss the thought. I chuckled at the way he hurried out of the room, the exhaustion rippling through my body as I sat on the edge of the bed. He was right. This might be the comfiest bed I've ever had the pleasure of sitting on. I zoned out, staring at the carpet as I finally sobered up. These past few weeks had been fucked, and I knew they'd only get worse. My phone started buzzing rapidly as Andy came back into the room, a bottle of water, a toothbrush still in the packaging, and a sheet of panadol in his hands. He silently placed them onto the bedside table, both of us just watching my phone ring. It was Joe.

Against my better judgement, I picked up on the last ring, raising the phone to my ear.

"Where are you?" His voice was hoarse, unsuspecting. Idiot.

"Doesn't matter," I sighed, nauseated at the sound of his voice.

"Well, it does. I've been worried sick about you, you're meant to be home now. How would I know you hadn't been kidnapped or gone home with some creep?"

"That is ironic," I laughed, though there was no humour in my tone.

"The fuck are you on about? Get home right now." He was getting angrier by the second. Andrew could hear every word, his brows knitted together in disgust as he listened on.

"I did come home. You were a bit busy," I swallowed harshly, my voice failing me, beginning to shake.

There was silence on his end for a good thirty seconds, all air in Andrew's small guest bedroom thinning at once. "...Babe. We will get through this."

"I don't think so."

"Don't say shit like that. I love you, Y/N. We'll get through this stronger than ever. Just come home, baby. I'll make it up to you," he was speaking fast, panicked almost.

"I need some space," I replied weakly, eyes filling with tears again.

"No. I love you. Come home. Please, babe, pl-"

I hung up on him before he got the chance to manipulate me straight back into his arms, Andy watching me with a frown. Suddenly, it was all too real, and I was breaking down in front of him for the second time tonight.

He didn't say anything. I felt the bed dip beside me, his warm arm wrapping around my shoulder, pulling me in close. We stayed like that for a while - my head leaned against his shoulder as I cried, his head atop mine - until I felt like there was no water left in my body. I heaved a massive sigh, sitting up straight again.

"Oh, Andy, I'm so s-"

"You've nothing to be sorry for," he hushed me, sincerity written all over his face, kind emerald eyes revealing that he wasn't doing anything for secondary gain; he was just a beautiful soul. "Get some rest."

"Okay," I agreed, pulling back the covers with his help. I wanted him to stay, I didn't want to be alone. I wished he could've just laid with me, no meaning attached, but just to have the warmth of another to occupy the cold, empty bed. Instead I thanked him again, pulling the covers up to my chin.

"You know where my room is. I'll be there if you need anything," he smiled earnestly, flicking off the light before walking out.

Goodnight, Andy, I almost said, but sleep washed over me quicker than I could form the words.

I woke early, bathed in velvety caramel coloured sunlight, slowly beginning to register where I was. I made my way down to corridor to Andy's room, his bedroom door barely ajar. I put my ear to the door, not wanting to wake him if he were still sleeping. I heard soft pants escaping his lips, letting my curiosity get the best of me.

I gently pushed the door open, revealing the glow of his milky skin in the same light. His beautiful halo of curls sticking to his slightly sweaty forehead, his face contorted in pleasure and concentration as he worked himself beneath the covers. I couldn't suppress the noise of surprise that escaped my lips as he whimpered my name.

"Fuck-" He gasped, pulling his hand from under the cover. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Keep going," I encouraged, slowly making my way to him. Confusion plastered all over his face, he obliged, slipping his hand back under the cover. I sat before him, our eyes locked on one another as he picked up the pace. "Gooood, that's it."

His brows furrowed as he continued to worked himself, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat with each swallow. I slipped into bed beside him, my hand replacing his. His breathing pattern grew irregular, every vowel of my name dripping off his tongue, igniting a fire deep in my core. I began placing wet kisses along jawline, making my way down to his neck, then his chest, then-

And then I actually woke up, heart beating at a million miles an hour. What. The. Fuck. Shame immediately coursed through my veins, burying my face into my pillow as I replayed the dream over and over until it was committed to memory. Am I an awful person?

I could vaguely hear Andrew singing along to Let's Fall In Love by Ella Fitzgerald in the kitchen, cautiously making my way down the stairs. I was disgusted in myself for even thinking of him in that way, let alone loving every shame filled second of it.

"Mornin'," I made myself known, sliding onto one of the stools at his breakfast bar.

"Good morning," he chirped, sliding a cup of coffee toward me. He had his glasses on this morning, his hair pulled back into a bun. "How're you feelin'?"

"Good," I lied through my teeth, concealing it with an enthusiastic nod. "Better, yeah." I just gave you a handjob in my dream and now I want you to pin me to the couch and make love to me all day. Oh, and I'm supposed to be grieving a near 6 year relationship, but now I'm just really fucking confused. "How are you?"

"Hungry. And I hope you are too," he grinned, revealing a big stack of pancakes he'd just cooked for us, as well as a bowl of chopped strawberries.

"I am, that looks lovely," another lie. I had no appetite. But I also couldn't say no to a man so sickly sweet. He sat beside me, soft jazz serenading us from his record player.

"What've you got on today?" He queried, plopping a pancake onto each of our plates.

"Might visit my ma, update her on... everything, I guess. Then I've gotta get my car. Maybe some clothes. Fuck, I don't even know what to do," I laughed awkwardly, taking a sip of my coffee. "You performing tonight?"

"Hoping to," he nodded, taking a bite of a strawberry. "You know you're more than welcome to spend the night here again."

"I couldn't possibly burden you for another night," I deflected, mirroring his actions and popping a strawberry into my mouth.

"You actually don't have to fight me each time, you cay just say no," he chuckled, shaking his head at me.

"I love spending time with you," I confessed, resting my hand on his arm, then retracting it just as fast. "I just don't want you to think I'm using you."

"Nonsense," he waved me off, scoffing. "It's nice to have some company. Plus, Elwood has taken a strong liking to you."

"The feeling is mutual," I laughed, breaking off a piece of my pancake for the dog happily wagging his tail by my feet. "I'm sure you have lady friends come and visit."

"Only ones who ruin their tea with milk and barely touch their pancakes," he remarked with a wide grin. I felt my cheeks turn hot at his stupid comment, finally digging in to my breakfast.

Maybe things weren't going to be so bad after all.

i don't love this... but this desperately needed an update. feel free to send requests of some stuff you'd like in the next chapter xx

[writerscall]

bruises.

spiderwoman!hazel au. she's known about hazel's little secret for a while now and she's done giving her excuses a free pass.

author's note/s: 1.2k words. trigger warning for talk of injuries, switched to the use of 'you' here for reader cause third person wasn't working for me

It's routine for you to replenish the contents of the first-aid kit in your bedside table's drawer now. You even keep one in your locker and have had many silent debates with yourself on keeping a small one in your bag, just in case. For the past four months, Hazel Callahan has been climbing up to your window to ask for your help with treating a bruise or two. Because of that new women's self-defense club - the "fight club" that started up at school, she said.

Which was incidentally formed about a week after the first news headline came out about some masked vigilante swinging around the city. Fighting crime and saving civilians and beating up bad guys and all that.

Now coincidental rather than incidental for you though, since the day you saw Hazel rushing into her house then saw the infamous Spiderwoman spring out of her bedroom window mere seconds later. You were stunned, but it wasn't hard for you to connect the dots. Your already had your suspicions about some of the bruises Hazel supposedly got from her club; you doubt any of the girls there could actually land a hit that could damage her that badly.

But it's not an easy thing to bring up or just ask about, so you've kept quiet about it. Until that night, however.

You're half-asleep when you hears the incessant knocking at her window. You try not to groan as you throw back the covers and get up, knowing exactly who it is, but whatever irritation you have is gone once you see Hazel's face in the moonlight.

"Jesus Christ," you mutter as you pull her inside, hurriedly moving across the room to switch the light on. "Are you okay?"

"Pretty sure I've been better." Hazel smiles, actually smiles with that joke. But you can only sigh at her in response. Hazel literally looked like she got her face smashed into a wall or to the ground repeatedly - considering the people and things you've seen her fight against, that might've been what happened. There was a bruise along her jawline that you were sure you wouldn't be able to help cover up with make-up the next day and a cut on her forehead where a previous one just healed.

"Let me guess. It's from fight club again?" You manage not to make air quotations at 'fight club' but can't help the disbelieving tone when you say it. There's no way she expects you to believe that.

But as usual, she does. "I was just caught off guard cause we were practicing 'til late at night today and... and I was tired, cause you know, we had a whole day of school earlier and," Hazel stumbles out. The tone you used clearly got to her. "And when I fell it was to the ground and not the mat cause Sylvie got in a really, really good punch. You should've seen it actually."

You say nothing as you let her sit on the side of your bed and take the first-aid kit out, still quiet as you start wiping her face gently. She watches you intently, mouth opening and closing a few times before finally saying, "Don't be so worried. It's not the first time you've seen me like this and I'm always fine after."

"Yeah, sure." Until it happens again, you want to add. You get up to throw the wipes and tissues away and you can feel her eyes on you with every step. Hazel's never been good at dealing with friends being angry with her; you knew how sensitive she could be, which was why you were always quick to reassure her whenever it seemed like she was taking something to heart. It's why you've been patient for so long with her keeping the whole Spiderwoman thing a secret, but you didn't know how much longer you could take seeing her all beaten up and hear one lie after the other on how she supposedly got them.

"Please don't be mad—"

"When are you going to stop lying to me?"

Something shifts in the air at your question. You don't have to look at her to know how her eyes have widened and how her mouth was probably hanging open in shock, or how her mind was definitely racing at what you could possibly be talking about. Even though deep down, she knew.

You turn back around, sighing. "I know, Hazel. About your secret web-slinging life."

Hazel sits up straighter at your admission then stands up abruptly to pace the room, a panicked look on her face. "When did you— how did you even—"

"Does it matter? Why didn't you tell me?" You walk towards her and grab her by the arms, forcing her to stop. "You know you can trust me. I would never, ever tell anyone."

"That's not the point!" She shakes out of your grasp. "That's not the point," she repeats in a softer voice, continuing with, "You can't know. Nobody can because anybody who knows gets put in danger, and they'll come after you eventually to get to me, and I can't let that happen. Not to you, not to my mom, not to any of the girls in fight club. Especially not to you."

Your chest tightens at that. Quietly, you ask, "Why?"

There's a resigned, expectant look on her face when she says, "You know why."

And you do. The two of you have always been great friends but there's always been something else there, something a little more that neither of you were brave enough to acknowledge in fear of ruining what you had. You'd be lying if you said you never noticed the drop in her energy and expression every time you so much as made a passing comment that one of your classmates was cute, and you'd also be lying if you said you never thought anything about the weird feeling you got in your stomach when you saw how much closer she and Stella-Rebecca have gotten since joining the fight club together.

"I need you safe," Hazel says after a moment.

"You'll keep me safe. You'll protect me." You walk towards her again, reaching out to hold her roughed-up face in your hands. Almost instinctively, Hazel leans her cheek into your left palm. "I know you will because you would've done it whether I knew your secret or not. Because you're a good person and a fantastic superhero, Hazel."

Hazel just looks at you for a moment, clearly having some internal argument with herself, before she surges forward to kiss you. You press your lips firmly against hers, kissing her back soundly in case she'd panic and pull away too soon. But Hazel only pulls you in closer, a relieved sigh escaping her as she tilts her head to the side for a different angle.

If a kiss between the two of you was ever going to happen, then it was bound to be in some big reveal moment like this.

Reluctantly, you push her away after a moment because you couldn't let her or yourself get carried away; that first-aid couldn't be put away just yet, plus, your parents might've been dead asleep but they were still home. Both of you would have to put a raincheck on... whatever could've come next.

"Can I stay over tonight?" Hazel asks breathlessly, still eyeing your lips. You smile at her fondly and let out a chuckle, pushing her bangs away from her face.

"Yeah. I still need to fix up that cute face of yours, you know."

[mangomonk]

edit: here's the full fic based off this drabble! pt. 1 and pt. 2

an idea about goodie two shoes!remus that's been bouncing around in my head

remus is straight laced — he follows the rules to the t, tries his best in his studies, is polite and diplomatic to the teachers and the other students — all because he feels he can't afford to stray from being a good citizen. he's exhausted but he's afraid that if he does something wrong, the other students will look at him and if they look at him for too long, they'll know. he's dry and sarcastic and himself around the marauders, but outside of them, everyone only ever has glowing words for remus. polite. helpful. charming. remus prides himself on his princely behavior.

the only thing is that recently, he's begun to hear murmurs. "why doesn't remus lupin have a girlfriend?" he overhears one hufflepuff fourth year ask her group of friends. He knows they're really only whisperings, but remus, afraid of being seen as other, can't help but fixate on them, especially when he hears similar sentiment. "he receives plenty of confessions, but he only ever gives a vague rejection."

before he can even help it, remus is stuck into a spiral of anxiety. though he knows it's foolish, he can't help it. he's sure that everyone will connect the dots. first it'll start with the question of why he's never accepted a confession after all these years, and then soon, someone will guess that there's something wrong with him. and then everyone will see right through him.

after a particularly rough full moon, coupled by his growing anxieties, he accidentally snaps on a random girl. he doesn't even really remember her name or what he said or what even led him to snap at her, but once he does, he feels a strange mix of guilt and pure relief, as if the burden of holding up this princely facade has been lifted off his shoulders. and then he feels horror. she's staring back at him in pure surprise and all remus can think is, she's going to tell everyone what i'm really like. paralyzed in fear, all remus can do is mumble a half-assed apology before turning on heel and high tailing it out of the library.

"if you're so worried about this, why not just get a temporary girlfriend?" james suggests later at dinner, mistakenly taking remus's silence as anxiety about the girlfriend rumors, and not how he had blown up on some girl — remus didn't tell them, he was still panicking trying to figure out a plan for damage control. he couldn't help but keep watching her across the great hall, on edge every time she said something to a friend. if only he could keep watch.

"it's not that easy, prongs," remus says, forcing his voice to be even. if i get a girlfriend, she'll find out easily after i disappear each month. not to mention remus in general not wanting to subject someone to his lycanthropy.

"seems easy enough," sirius says, nodding past his shoulder. "you have another confession lined up."

"er, remus," a ravenclaw girl says from behind him. he recognizes her from his potions class, but all he can feel is a sense of dread as he notices a few other students turn around in growing interest. "i've fancied you for quite awhile now, and i was wondering..."

remus has a hard time listening to her as his nerves grow. if he rejects her in front of all these people, are the rumors going to spread? out of the corner of his eye, reflexively, he spots the girl he had blown up on earlier leaning to whisper something to her friend. "i'm sorry," remus says, forcing on an apologetic smile. before he can question himself, his nerves gets the better of him. "i actually have someone i like right now."

"oh," the ravenclaw girl squeaks, disappointed. "sorry, i didn't know—"

"that's okay, i haven't made it very clear," remus cuts in hurriedly, his gaze fixating past her. the ravenclaw doesn't even have a chance to ask — she likely wouldn't have asked anyways, but remus points to the girl from earlier. "—that i like her."

ANYWAYS can you imagine the hurt that would ensue if they eventually start dating (fake on his end, real on hers... he picks her because 1) he never expects her to agree to date him after that incident, 2) he can keep an eye on her or blame his behavior on having a crush) and eventually he grows comfortable to not have to put up this goodie two shoes facade but she finds out it was just to cover his ass yeah... im hurting

EDIT: full fic below pt. 1: i thought that i was dreaming when you said you loved me pt. 2: i've been dreaming

[partyanimal167]

A Win-Win Situation PT 2- Rayleigh x F!Reader

Part One

Hello~ I've been chilling all day, and I wasn't sure what I was going to write on my days off, but I got a request for a continuation! So how could I saw no especially considering it's Rayleigh 😊

CW: modern au, black fem reader, age gap, suggestive, daddy kink, half-assed jealousy trope, brat taming, spanking, established relationship, MDNI

Things were certainly different now. Your car was always in perfect condition even though you rarely drove it. Your boyfriend was sweet and always considerate of you. Life was good, so you were a bit surprised to see the man react the way he did.

It took you over a week to realize that Rayleigh had been courting you. Sure, the way things turned out wasn't necessarily common, but maybe all those orgasms fogged up your mind since mechanics don't normally drive you home after leaving your car at the shop.

You were a bit confused when you arrived a few days later to a car that certainly had more work done than originally planned: tires rotated, new catalytic converter, washed and waxed, and an oil change. You were further confused when the price for the repair was certainly less than what you were quoted.

"Come on now sweetheart, you thought I wouldn't keep my word?" Rayleigh had winked.

You didn't know what to think, but the dots finally connected when the man showed up to your house with a fresh bouquet of flowers and asked to take you out on a date.

"Told ya, I'd fix that boyfriend problem."

And things just came so easily. You two got along great, and it was kind of nice learning about the older man and all his journeys. He always beamed at you when you talked about your day or your plans for when you were off next. Rayleigh always made sure to spoil you no matter what.

Even now, he was all smiles from a corner as he watched you play pool with Shanks, Scopper, and some of the other rascals he had known over time. It wasn't an upscale bar, but the neighborhood joint had seen their patronage for years. People came and went to enjoy a glass and have some fun.

Your shot is getting better, Rayleigh thought to himself. He hummed away in admiration until he saw a hot-shot your age approach you. The young man smiled and shook your hand before placing a peck on it. Rayleigh could tell you didn't think much of it since you went on talking with the man animatedly, and he showed you a couple of trick shots.

You decided to take a breather and joined Rayleigh at his table. "Having fun, sweetie?"

You nodded as you hugged onto the man's arm. "Yeah! I was just talking to this guy over there. It seems like we ended up going to the same school."

Rayleigh hummed. "Oh really? Did you know him?"

You shook your head. "Not really. We just-,"

"Here's a tequila sunrise from the gentleman at the bar." the drink was placed in front. You both looked up, and the man winked from afar and waved.

"Oh jeez," you chuckled nervously.

"Go ahead and enjoy it, princess. I don't mind."

"Really?"

"Mmhm."

The two of you sat and chatted away, but Rayleigh couldn't get over the slight glances in your direction--the ones you were totally oblivious to with your back turned. Rayleigh laughed at a joke you made and took a deep breath.

"Oi! We startin' another game! I'm feeling lucky," Shanks waved you over back to the pool tables.

You finished off your drink and looked up expectantly at your man. "Wanna come with?"

"In a minute," You went off across the bar, and Rayleigh couldn't help but watch the way your hips swayed with each step and the peek of skin just above your belt. Rayleigh polished off his beer.

"I'm shocked she'd be into an old geezer like you. You must be rich."

Rayleigh turned and looked up to see the cocky young man standing in front of him--peering down. "I don't like what you're implying, young man. You don't seem to have a problem spending some change on her." Never mind, that the drink had top shelf liquor. Rayleigh could get you that and more if you just said the word.

"Hey, there's nothing to be ashamed of. I hope I can be pulling baddies in my golden years, but I'll take her off your hands for now."

Rayleigh knew he had to keep his calm. He wasn't really concerned about you ditching him. You two had a good thing going. More so, with Shanks and the crews here, things could get messy quickly. Rayleigh didn't feel like being banned from this bar again.

"Just watch." So Rayleigh did uninterestedly as you played on with the boys and laughed and smiled. A competition of sorts started with you and Buggy against the young guy and his friend.

In between turns, you sipped another free drink and cracked jokes. Rayleigh was hot under his skin, but he felt his eye twitch when he saw the man "squeeze" by you and placed his hand on your hip for a brief moment. Rayleigh rolled his eyes. How corny.

So he stood up to join the group and caught you in a hug as you cheered. "We won, babe!"

The old man chuckled as some of his hair moved into his face and placed a kiss on your forehead. "Good job sweetie. I told you you'd get better."

You giggled before grabbing your things. Rayleigh watched as you realized something. You grabbed pen and scribbled on a napkin. "So cool to meet you again! Hopefully we'll run into each other soon." you handed it to the guy and kissed his cheek.

Rayleigh felt the last strike tick, and he caught Shank's glance while you said bye to everyone. Rayleigh knew he probably looked the same, but Shanks knew. He grinned with amusement and mouthed, 'Be nice to the girl.'

Rayleigh smiled as he helped you into your jacket. He smiled as he walked to his car and opened the door for you. He smiled as he drove and you both sat in comfortable silence.

You had no idea.

~~~

"Say it again."

"I'm sorry, daddy!"

"What are you sorry for, dear?"

"I'm sorry for being a slut!" you wailed as you the spankings finally ended.

"Mmm, I don't know what you mean. I'm a good girl." you pouted and chuckled.

Rayleigh smiled too sweetly as he flipped you onto your back and trapped you from above. Tears peeked out of your eyes, and you looked all soft and innocent. But the grin was telling a different story. "Tch, you should be nice sweetheart. You shouldn't go leading another man on just to anger daddy." he chided.

"Oh, you're lying now too?" Rayleigh shook his head as he kissed his teeth. "I've spoiled you too much. Seems I need to fuck the brat out of you. Give me my good girl back, slut." Rayleigh. grunted before bringing your lips together.

Rayleigh knew you weren't sorry now, but by the time he'd be done with you, you'd know not to try his patience again. But no matter, you had the fun of teasing the old man and the roughed up sex that came after.

Easy win-win

I was this close 🤌🏾 to making this a threesome with Shanks lol, but I couldn't get my brain to do it. So we'll hog ol' Rayleigh for ourselves.

@dannie-pooh28

[taboo-delusion]

So, I just discovered something interesting.

This is a bit of a long one, so bear with me. It's important. Seriously.

I just woke up a few hours ago. My meds are starting to kick in. I was having a very serious and genuine, deep conversation (in-head) and it was... beautiful. It wasn't happy, but it was beautiful. Not the point.

Point is:

I had not had a single fucking intrusive thought today until someone made a noise in the other room.

I am so fucking PISSED OFF

Why my brain refuses to realize that intrusive thoughts CAUSED the good feeling to go away, I have no fucking idea. I've known that for almost a year now, yet my stupid fucking subconscious refuses to change anything it's doing

Before I snap my fucking android phone in half and yeet somebody's face into neptune, I thought I'd share the discovery!!!!

Basically:

MY INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS DID NOT START UNTIL SOMETHING STARTLED ME OUT OF FOCUS

AS I TYPE THIS, I REALIZE THAT INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS -AT LEAST FOR ADHDERS- ARE A SURVIVAL TACTIC.

Elaborating:

When you fall asleep and your heart slows too much, your body does the falling thing to make sure you're still alive.

It's not that intrusive thoughts are *Just* because your brain gets too quiet, It's because your life has never been completely quite before, or -like me- the few times it is quiet, something interrupts. And even if it doesn't piss you off, even if you don't jump like I do, your brain still registers it as not safe.

--

Falling asleep, heart slows a lot-

Body: *Sends adrenaline just to make sure it still actually works.*

Drowning, even mostly unconscious-

Body and brain: *Hold onto that last half-breath even if it feels like you're head is going to explode.*

Going grocery shopping or talking to someone you think is cool-

Brain: *Remembers what it felt like the first time your guardian was indifferent or mean about something that made you happy or calm.*

Things around you actually get quiet-

Brain *Sends a thought you hate just to make sure you're prepared for a sudden problem.*

TDLR 1: Your brain isn't mean on purpose, It's just paranoid and still has a will to live.

Listen. I know I'm just some random dude from a weird blog. But I'm trying to translate, to assist. Maybe somebody else needs this realization as much as I do. I apologize for the yelling earlier. I'm still just as upset, but only at my dumbass subconscious. Now some time has passed, and I have regained self-control.

(I also apologize for the above paragraph, my brain nags for me to do this, but I can't remember why. So:)

I am no psychologist. Here are my qualifications (why you should listen to me):

As my friends call it- "Disturbingly self-aware at all times."

Paranoid Schizophrenic with actual (unrelated) OCD, with years of experience dealing with it- more healthily in recent years.

Philosophy and deep thinking is simply my default. I use metaphors, but everything in this post is entirely literal, ...except the angry threat. (*begrudgingly accepts disappointment*)

I am a fiction writer. I don't know about healing people/first aid, but I know a LOT about how anatomy works, with many deep-dives on the psychology/evolution side.

People irl generally consider me a genius? Idk how to gauge that, IQ tests are irrelevant with this type of... smart?. I've been compared to both Da Vinci and Einstein. So, ...actually that's pretty fuckin' cool- (I AM NOT TRYING TO BRAG! I APOLOGIZE IF IT COMES OFF THAT WAY! I've never put it all down like this, and I'm just surprised and questioning my reputation.)

(Also, I love playing detective, so naturally I call myself Batman XD.)

Autistic; I experience the world, and every situation, from a view without any context.

ADHD: My brain automatically -As a guardian I hate describes- "Can watch three different movies at the same time, all in fast forward, and can keep up with all of them." ... Well, yes, but technically no. Idk if other ADHD people do this, but my brain "connects the dots" so quickly, I end up laughing at jokes I've never heard before the 'punchline', because I've already figured out what you're going to say next.

Now combine all that. I am kicking depression's ass and now I want to help you do the same.

I have only mentioned the relevant things. Please keep in mind that ALL of these have both advantages and disasters. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I am running on four hours of sleep. For the love of whatever, I hope this actually helps someone other than me.

Qualifications are noted because: This is all stuff (and stuff like this) that I am just always casually aware of.

TLDR2: Even if I wasn't trying to help people feel better, Apparently I was born with a nat 20 perception/insight check, so please don't argue that I truly understand what I'm talking about here.

[vay99]

Mikey x reader

You are-?!

Anime/Manga: Tokyo revengers

"Okay what's up?" Draken asks his friend, hw has had enough of Mikeys behavior. 

"What do you mean?"

"You're attending school. Like a normal kid. For a whole month now? How did that happen?" 

"Just thought that education might be useful." the shorter one shrugs his shoulders. 

"Bullshit." he doesn't believe a word he says, noticing that Mikeys attention has switched to a (h/c) girl passing them in the school hall. "She's the reason ain't she?" 

"We have sports together and she's sooooo badass." 

"Ask her to join Toman if you like her that much." 

"I would love that." he keeps his eyes on you the whole time, smiling. 

"Our Mikey is head over heals~" 

*Loads of teasing later*

Mikeys favorite subject has finally arrived. PE. Oh and you're playing baseball. But you're on different teams which upset Mikey quite a bit. 

Standing at the second base you're waiting for the ball to get hit, which it was a few seconds later... quite unlucky. The ball hit you right on the left eyebrow, causing it to bleed immediately. And Mikey to panic. He wants to send that guy to hell that hit the ball so badly but also want to help you. He's half frozen and half on fire. 

"Someone needs to help (y/n) get to the infirmary." the teacher says, your class gathering around you. 

"No worries, it's just a cut, I need a plaster and that's it." you wave it off but your teacher doesn't allow it, she wants you to get checked up. 

"I'll take her." Mikey yells once he reached you. His anger taken replaced by worrying as he walks you to the infirmary, keeping a close eye on you. 

"Thanks but this isn't necessary." you chuckle once you've reached your destination. 

"Have you seen your wound!?" 

"I've done kickboxing for years, I'm used to such injuries." you wave I off, being greeted by a nurse. 

"That doesn't mean that you don't feel pain or are invincible." his eyebrows furrow whole he stares at the ground. 

"You're right but after some injuries you know what you can handle." 

The nurse tells Mikey to wait outside while she treats your wound. 

"Will she be okay again?" he jumps up after a few minutes, still overreacting. 

"It's just a cut, her head got hit at a fast speed though so she should take it slowly for the rest of the day." 

"I'm relieved to hear that, I'll drive you home." Mikey offers to you. 

"You've got a good boyfriend right there, take good care of each other." the nurse leaves you two alone, equally confused. 

"Boyfriend?" you say in unison, both pointing at Mikey. 

"Thanks for the offer, you're a great boyfriend." stressing the last word you start walking towards his bike while Mikey hides his blush behind his hair. 

"Here we are." you announce after a short ride, taking off the helmet. 

"Are you sure you're alright?" the concern in his voice and his furrowed brows are the softest expression you've ever witnessed on his face. 

"Yes, and thanks Mikey, I appreciate your help." you smile at him "If you want to you can come in and eat something." 

"How could I say no to you or food?" he smiles, following you. "Why does this house look so familiar?" 

Mikey assists you while cooking ramen, he never cooked before but he tries his best. He was very confused when he saw the uncooked noodles "What are those?" and was highly embarrassed when you started laughing. It turned out really delicious. 

"I should learn how to cook." 

"I can help you with that." 

"Really?" his eyes sparkle with joy as you nod and take another bite. 

"I'm home!" a voice interrupts, coming from the front door. 

"Hey Keisuke!" you great the boy walking in. 

"Oh, Mikey what are you doing here?" Baji asks his friend who's currently busy connecting the dots. 

"Wait?" 

"Yep." you two say in union. "We're siblings." 

After staying silent for two minutes he finally speaks up again. "Should've guessed you're both hella pretty." 

"Yeah I hear that a lot." you roll your eyes. 

"People swooning over your brother?" 

"I can't tell how often girls tell me 'Your brother is so hot, he's such a daddyyyyy'. Like, girl. He can't even look straight into a girl's eyes without panicking. Also stop thirsting over my brother what the hell is wrong with you."

While Mikey dies laughing. "Sounds like Baji." Baji is mad and confused at the same time. 

"They see him beat someone up and fall immediately, how weird are they?" 

/I fell for you because you did the same, so I won't say that, noted./ Mikey thinks to himself while he calms down a bit. 

"If girls really say that how come I'm still single?" 

"You can't talk to a girl without becoming a freaking mess. Get your shit together." you clap your hands at the last sentence while Baji grumbles to himself. 

"Why are you here anyways." he refers to Mikey, ignoring your comment. 

"(y/n) got hit by a baseball and I drove her home." 

"Oh, I see." Baji nods, you both get into fight in a regular basis so a wound is no shocker for him. Then there's Mikey. 

"Are you dizzy? You're still alright?" 

"Yes Mikey." you reassure him once more. 

"Our Mikey is worried?" Baji immediately catches on. "Have fun I'll just grab some snacks and leave you two alone." 

"So you think Kei is hot?" you ask after your brother left the house. 

"Huh???" 

"Just asking if you want me to set you two up~" 

/Wrong sibling/ Mikey thinks to himself as he follows you into the kitchen with the dishes. "I'm not into Baji." 

"Which one?" 

Took him a minute to get what you're hinting at. 

"Keisuke." 

"Ah, so you're into me." 

"How did this conversation lead us to this point!?" 

"Well the nurse called you my boyfriend, I like the sound of that." you answer honestly, placing the bowl in the dishwasher. 

"You do?" 

"Yeah. Do you?" 

"I nearly died out of worry for you after you got hit by that ball. And I fully died after being called your boyfriend SO YES!" red ears and puffed cheeks turn Mikey into the most adorable person you know. 

"Please don't." you wrap your arms around his neck, resting sour forehead against his. "It'd break my heart if you'd die. What can I call you instead of boyfriend, so you don't die?" 

"I don't know." he mumbles quietly, one hand slowly holding onto your shirt. 

"Babe? Future husband? Cutie? Love?" 

"You're killing me with all of these." Mikey whines, hiding his face in your neck. 

"Mikey?" 

"Mhm?" 

"Can I call you mine?" 

"(y/nnnn)." 

"Okay okay Mikey it is then." you giggle, kissing his temple. 

"You're unfair, I should take care of you." 

"I'm not stopping you." 

Still slightly flustered he carries you bridal style into your bedroom so you can rest, doctors orders, and Mikeys heart can recover from the roller-coaster it has been threw. Cuddling up in your bed you're the first one to drift off to sleep, happier then ever. 

Bonus:

*A few days later*

Mikey wanted to see how strong you are by himself. And damn you're enjoying how that went, his joy... well... 

"The invincible Mikey, laying underneath me, I could get used to that~"

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Do you need some type of reward to get serious?" you tease him, while he struggles to escape your grip. 

"I AM SERIOUSLY FIGHTING YOU! YOU'RE JUST TOO DAMN STRONG!"

"Adorable~" you continue, still fixing him to the ground.

"I'm not adorable." 

"Yes you are~" you peck his lips which cause his face to erupt in a bright red. "See? Adorable~" 

[gffa]

Hi :)

I'm a pretty new SW fan, not because I didn't like the movies/hadn't seen them but because I grew up thinking it was extremely nerdy and would often feel awkward trying to bring up anything related to SW.

Fortunately I've finally reached and met awesome people who love SW just like I did but I feel like I lost A LOT of important stuff and there's so much content to the saga that it's extremely overwhelming for me to even think about diving into the whole SW universe and catch up.

I've been following you for a bit and your posts are just extremely interesting to me but again, sometimes I'm a little confused about certain things and so I wanted to ask you if you had any recommendations about where to start catching up (besides the movies which I will be binge watching soon hehe)

Hi! Welcome to Star Wars fandom, I hope you're having a good time! And around here we embrace being as nerdy as possible--I mean, fandom is such a mainstream thing these days, but I still like to embrace being a nerd about things because it leads to a lot more happiness, to just be silly and having a good time with the thing that tickles our brains.

But, yes, it is pretty overwhelming when you're first arriving, I still remember when I first came back to SW several years ago, having really only watched the movies as a kid, and there was All This Stuff and it seemed impossible to ever reach the deep end of the pool, and that was before the last seven years of books, games, movies, comics, etc. came out! I will hopefully set your mind at ease with this, though: The vast, vast majority of content that Star Wars puts out isn't anything I would consider "essential". It's wonderful, fantastic stuff! But a lot of us have just been around so long that we're combing through the finer details of supplementary material, rather than those being absolute Must-Read/Watch To Get A Feel For Star Wars.

My recommendations for How To Get A Feel For Star Wars is basically, start with the animated series and the live action series, they're the second layer of foundation in the Star Wars building, all the comics and novels and such will be built on them, and in this order: - The movies, this is the foundation on which everything else will be built. - The Clone Wars, season 1-6 are part of George Lucas' story and they're pretty essential (at least in this corner of SW fandom) to understanding wtf anyone is talking about or even watching many of the live action series. (Season 7 is fine and should be watched! It's just not part of Lucas' Star Wars.) - Star Wars: Rebels, starts off light-hearted but really is one of the best developed shows and does a lot of connective work between the prequels and the original trilogy. - The Mandalorian, set 9 years after Return of the Jedi, this show just massively blew up and while each season is slightly less well-done than the previous one (imo), it's well worth watching for wtf fandom is talking about half of the time. (The Book of Boba Fett is somewhat optional in this corner of fandom, but imo worth the watch. Generally, it should go Mando s1-2 --> TBOBF --> Mando s3.) - Obi-Wan Kenobi, because this corner of fandom lost our goddamned minds about it and still haven't gotten them back. - Andor, which is a really great show and, as long as you've watched Rogue One first, you'll follow along just fine. Does some solid connecting the dots between the prequels and the originals, but not as much as Rebels did. - Jedi: Fallen Order, you can look up a "movie" version on YouTube for the story of this game, which is a really good plot, has some great new characters, has some genuinely effective cameos, and will be referenced fairly often in other materials/in fandom.

If you're not feeling overwhelmed by All The Star Wars You've Consumed, I would personally suggest going for the comics next, over any of the novels. The novels are great! But the vast majority of them are self-contained and meant to be supplementary material even more than the comics, which get to tell bigger, more connected stories. I always suggest starting with: - Star Wars 2015 by Jason Aaron + Darth Vader 2015 by Kieron Gillen, both of which are really, solidly fantastic stories about the timeframe just after A New Hope, like there are so many absolutely banger lines that came out of these comics. I won't spoil them, just know that I think these were legitimately good comics, not just legitimately good Star Wars comics. (The first six issues of each series are meant to be read concurrently, but after that, you can just pick one and read in that specific title.) - Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 2017 by Charles Soule, which is set in the immediate aftermath of Revenge of the Sith. If Gillen's Vader keeps the mystique of the originals Unknowable Darth Vader, then Soule's Vader is more about the absolute BATSHIT DRAMA that is blending Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. This series is BANANAPANTS in the absolute best way. - Obi-Wan & Anakin 2015 by Charles Soule, which is a five-issue mini-series set between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones and is both stunningly beautiful art and a solidly good plot that survives fairly serious analysis of. It's got some great worldbuilding details, but even more I like it for the look at why a young Anakin chooses to stay with the Jedi Order.

The one book I will recommend--for a list aimed at getting you caught up on what fandom is referencing--is the Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover, that book is quoted constantly, and I'm not sure any other SW book has ever been as good as it is.

I feel like this is the best set of reading to get you familiarized with the source material that tends to come up the most! There's lots more that's really good, but once you get through the above, you can let me know what era or characters you're most interested in or if you have a specific question about something and want to see where it comes from!

But there's one thing to address and you're kinda going to have to figure out how to approach it on your own. 😂 There is a ton of stuff in SW fandom that's ostensibly from a book or a comic, but the version in fandom often comes from those who never actually read the books/haven't read them in a long time or are just picking them up from other fic and meta.

For example, the AgriCorps or Melida/Daan get referenced in fic and in posts all the time, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend reading the Jedi Apprentice series (I mean, I'm not your mom, feel free if you want to!) and often times how they're used in fic is not how they were used in the source material. Or the clones speaking Mando'a comes from the Legends books by Karen Traviss and she is a whole big can of ugly worms (both what she wrote and her IRL politics), as well as much of what she wrote was overwritten/discarded when The Clone Wars came out, but fandom likes the idea and so they put that into their fics (as they should, if they like it!). The idea of Mace using the lightsaber form of Vaapad is from Legends sources (the best source probably being the Shatterpoint novel by Matthew Stover, I'd guess?), same for his ability to see "shatterpoints" in the Force, which aren't part of Lucas' continuity or Disney's continuity, but fandom enjoys using them to flesh out Mace's character. This will get you started and, if you're looking for something more specific, feel free to ask, I enjoy these kinds of question--and don't feel you have to stick with any of the above if they're not fun for you. This is meant to be enjoyable, it's meant to have a good time, there's no wrong way to consume Star Wars media! <3

[speaker-of-the-void-cats]

"You must learn to tease apart the hues of your own heart." —Parables of the Allspring.

Hey all! I'm a Warlock main named Matt and I've been posting my scattershot Destiny musings, ramblings, and theories since Lightfall's release. In that time, I've really enjoyed exploring the mysteries of the lore and honing my thoughts on Destiny's story through various posting styles. Particularly, I've loved exploring topics like the nature of the Darkness and the Veil, and their place in the story, as well as the generally rhyming, looping, spiraling structure of the game's narrative. I also love Eris, Drifter, Savathûn, and Osiris!

Sometimes I get a little all over, especially in those early posts, with big leaps and a lot of my own writing connecting the dots in an attempt to see a bit into the future. You'll have to pardon some of them, as I'm sure a few have aged pretty poorly or are just straight up bad. But as we've gone through the seasons and learned more, I've tried a sort of variation on web-weaving and assemblage by using lore entries, images, video, and sometimes song lyrics and poetry in a particular order and context to evoke specific moods or convey big, hard to articulate ideas and speculation. Sometimes, I just explore a theme or specific lore nook that fascinates me. It's a weird little practice in meaning-making I really like and the process has helped me unearth possible connections between things I've never considered in my many years following the lore.

As we move through The Final Shape, I wanted to finally compile a list of links to all my posts. Pardon the amount of repetition and, probably, off-the-wall speculation, but I hope you find something interesting if you decide to check them out! Also, keep an eye out for links. Sometimes it's simply the source text on Ishtar, other times.... something more. Please keep in mind that all these are products of the moment in time they were posted in, so topics I explored in early ones may have questions answered in the seasons since, or theories may have been proven unequivocally wrong. The list will largely go from earliest to most recent, and I'll put a * next to my favorites!

The Veil, Nezarec, and Jakob Bohme

Seeing the murals above the Veil enclosure

EMBRACE THE DARKNESS

Thank You, Verse 154i:4 - Call the Thrall

MCXLLII-I, forthcoming.

The EDZ saw paracausal conflict long before the Collapse

Pattern is system and system is sequence, but what is sequence?

Forsaken Lightfall

Deterministic Chaos

Eight

SALVAGE THE TRUTH

Aren't they beautiful?

"What is this feeling? I do not want it."

"They desired meaning. A Winnower to shape the garden."*

"How many legends of katabasis do we have, Ikora?"*

The Sundial

The Dreaming Cities

Not Light, not Dark: Power.*

Chiasmus*

Conspiracy Theory-D

The Truth in the Darkness...

Have you ever been afraid of your own Shadow?*

[I could be wrong. Is it possible the Black Heart will beat again?]*

©0RrUptIôN.*

Prismatic Hearts*

"We are unique emanations of the same shared Light."

Kugelblitz

Final attempts to understand before the Shape is unveiled*

[The following posts contain entries, imagery, and spoilers for the Final Shape and Echoes]

Paradrome

Speaker's Sight — Study the voice. Gaze into the heart.

"Focus. The Pyramid distracts. Nothing more."

It all means one thing

DECRYPTION KEY: 3136664202-777

Ruinous Effigy

There is only SUFFERING

SPOILER ALERT

Hope for the Future

It's not over

Echoing

Echoes of Deep Hidden Truth

Solipsism

Anima Mundi

Caught up in a web

II. Theory**

Gardener|ɿɘwonniW**

Cipher**

Eclipse**

"What is 'OXA,' and who was 'MSund12'?"

I know you're not afraid of a little dark...

How do I live?

Half-Truths**

!lettinggo*

Abyssus abyssum invocat***

THE POINT***

Eyes up, Guardian

"The road ahead is unknown, but time tells us many things. The moments that become past in turn become blueprints for the future. In this space, there is no right or wrong. "We find a contemporaneous merging of what is known and what is unknown here. Somewhere between the knowns and unknowns lies the real. The tangible. "There is a weight to it; a feeling that tells you what you hold is true. "But what if the truth hasn't been told? What if the truth is a lie? "New paths present themselves. Blueprints change. We walk the line of truth every day. "But now, the line that holds the gentle balance has been crossed. "The truth is, this won't be the last time."

—Excerpt from the Symmetry pamphlet, "A Place Between"

Reading for world-building is a skill. I have seen brilliant people, laureates, inventors, Ph.D.s, try to read fiction with deep world-building and fail completely, looping back, rereading, never following events, trapped in a sense of muddled wandering. Reading for world-building requires retaining information without context: a term, a place, a coin, a category comes up once and we know what that is—a puzzle piece—and that our task is to gather up these pieces as the author drops them, and to slowly assemble the whole. This is not easy. Human memory needs hooks for facts: a mnemonic, a story, context, something; grueling textbook rote-learning fades quickly, but a story of the statesman or the king, that's what makes knowledge stay. To retain puzzle pieces that don't connect, dropped without context, is a skill that not all have. All had it once: it is how children read, every book, poster, and headline a stream of unknown terms, far too many to ask about them all, but the child retains them, trusting that they will connect to something someday. Kids collect Earth's puzzle pieces every time they read, but as we move to grown-up books they all use the same picture, and define immediately those terms they fear a reader may not know. Thus the skill of keeping puzzle pieces fades, unless we read books set in other worlds, new puzzle pictures which make us retain the skill, as frogs sometimes retain their tadpole tails into adulthood. This—many have observed—is why most F&SF readers come to the genre young, it's hard to start in adulthood when one's puzzle memory skill has sat atrophied. We find dozens of other puzzle pieces—creatures, buried engines, monstrous plants—but they don't connect either, no explanations, no recurrences. We trust. We ponder. We wade through the clutter of clashing technologies, tales of degeneration, glories lost, but there's no fall-of-space-Rome story to connect it up. We can guess at one, as we can guess the missing end of the story of the strange plants, as we can guess at several ways rats could gain language if time passed and—click—we see it. These puzzle pieces do not fit together—rather this puzzle-maker trusts that we are puzzle-masters and know the archetypes that must fill in between (a rise, an age, a destined king.) So we spread our disconnected puzzle pieces out, not assuming that the strange creatures come from one origin, the ruins from one era, and as we spread out, looking not for direct connections but for fragments of arcs and colors, our 100 puzzle pieces let us glimpse an image so vast it would take 100,000—an image large enough to capture true Deep Future, years numbered in millions, where contours that do connect do so at scales which make the layers of Freud's Rome appear shallow as coats of paint.

—Excerpts from The Path of the New Sun by Ada Palmer, introduction to The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

[justin-chapmanswers]

hello there! love your work :) i'm wondering how much you personally contributed to bot's backstory, and however much that may be, what you think of it - why do you think the decision was made to have bot be created by test tube and fan, as opposed to some other entity? the pair had already gotten an arc in ii2 about learning not to project their desires onto a child figure (fan's egg) so it's interesting that the same was done with them again in ii3. my love of the season is not really diminished by that decision (i still absolutely love ii3!!!) but it has bugged me haha :'D but anyway, i hope you're doing well!! thank you and have a lovely day <3

- clover anon

Hihi, love the question. Honestly, while I did contribute a bit to the Bot backstory, I'll say I had a lil less to do with it than a couple other writers. It's an element I've been excited about since we got some momentum on it conceptually, but since it's not my baby I can't give suuuuper definitive answers here.

We started with the character's existence before the backstory. "Bow has the votes, what now?" The initial thought was "welp, Purgatory Mansion'd, that's that. Who's next-up on the list?" I wouldn't wanna meddle with her s2 story by suddenly making her able to be a part of the competition. There was strong-enough pushback on this that we decided to consider our options and come to a fun compromise. Robot was pitched, and it opened up a lot of options, and we wanted to have a fairly firm grasp on which we'd run with before we wrote episode one.

To your question, there was debate on what element of the world Bot would fall under. Meeple-made was considered. Contestant-made was considered. And some additional options. Ultimately, we landed on the direction that'd keep Invitational's story a little more grounded and character-focused, which was an early goal, and kept it as a personal story between the contestants.

The Meeple option was, of course, very alluring. So-much-so that half the community was guessing that Bot was Meeple-related. Might've been the obvious conclusion based on how we've set up our lore thus far (not that I think this would necessarily be a negative, so long as the execution is strong). Besides this, we still have a lot to hit on with Meeple and we weren't looking to complicate it. It felt like a breath of fresh air to us to explore a mini-mystery that didn't tie back to where our past ones have.

While, again, I didn't add as much to the story of Bot's creation as others, I do think it's nice to let Test Tube take a lead in the story as opposed to Fan. In season two with Egg, it was largely a Fan story that Test Tube would step into. Here, it was fun exploring Test Tube get so caught up in the excitement of creation for the sake of creation that she didn't connect the dots on how her creation may not experience that same excitement. It felt like a nice evolution of where we left her off, now that she's better-equipped to empathize, while also giving her a story that directly hinges on everything she's prided herself on since the start of the show. But I totally get how the parallels to season two's story with Baby Shimmer could lead anyone to feel that we're treading similar ground.

I think that one of the most notable differences is that the story of Bot is Bot's story. I enjoyed the lil mystery and all, but to me the element I've been most excited about has been allowing Bot to have a pleasant time being themself and existing in a way that feels freeing to them. I had made some pitches early-on in the conceptualization of Bot that were more baked-into the pre-established lore, and would tie them more closely with Bow, but honestly I couldn't be happier with where we landed, because my originally route wouldn't make it easy to tell a story about Bot NOT being Bow, and this has meant a lot to me.

More to come!

[mvshortcut]

AO3 Tag Game!

Starting a new post because the old one was getting a bit long!! I was tagged by @mahpotatoequeen <3333

How many works do you have on AO3? 21! Mostly oneshots and one long(ish) fic.

What’s your total AO3 word count? 137,409

How many fandoms have you written for, and what are they? One! Two if you count the book and the show as separate fandoms. But it's always been The Mysterious Benedict Society so far. I'd love to write for other fandoms someday, probably Good Omens, but this is where I feel comfortable with for now, both in terms of knowing the characters/story and the tight-knit fandom :D

Top five fics by kudos:

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Epistolary Bullying Campaign (because of course it is. this was my first crack fic and I wrote it at 1AM when I had an exam the next day. sigh)

5PM Every Evening, On the Dot

46 Fairview St. Apartment 2A, Stonetown

Thank the Stars Above

Time and a Half

Do you respond to comments?

In theory. I love chatting with people about fics - best way to make friends honestly - and I love when authors reply to my comments on their works! In practice I haven't replied in a while, which upsets me but it's more of a time/spoons thing. If I have time and energy I'd rather spend that commenting on one of my friends' fics rather than replying to comments on one of my own fics.

What’s the fic with the angstiest ending you’ve ever written?

I really don't do angsty endings! They're not always happy, but they tend to be bittersweet or open rather than angsty, and even if everything isn't resolved, I usually try to get across that the fic is ending in the middle of a situation and that everything will be okay later (like this snippet). I think the three that come closest are Let Steep Ten Minutes, Keeping Time with Curtain's +1 section, and 46 Fairview St. where it's kind of left open whether SQ will ever go back to visit his father. But again, those don't really feel angsty, just somewhat bittersweet with the hope that things will grow and get better.

Do you write crossovers? I haven't yet, but I'd be open to it! I think it's really challenging to write a good and cohesive crossover and I'm not sure where I'd start.

Have you ever gotten hate on a fic?

Nope! Perks of being in a small fandom. I imagine it does happen but I know y'all would have my back

Do you write smut?

Definitely not for mbs. I'd be open for other fandoms but it's not really what interests me the most.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of! I suppose someone might have fed a fic of mine into an AI writing generator which I'd personally consider a form of stealing, but I haven't heard of that happening. Please don't do that :)

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No! I've thought of trying to translate some of my own for funsies, but I'm definitely not at that level yet! Although the lovely @sophieswundergarten has made a few amazing podfics of both my fics and some other excellent fics in the mbs fandom, which I'd consider translation of a sort!

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

For mbs I'm more interested in platonic/familial connections, but I suppose I'd say Milligan/Moocho if I had to pick one? I really don't care if they're romantic or not though, I just like them together in any form that takes. For all-time I suppose I'd say Aziraphale and Crowley, though again I'm really not too picky about the nature of that, romantic or otherwise. Perks of being aroace spectrum baybe

What’s a WIP that you want to finish, but don’t think you ever will?

Never say never! But I do have a longer Curtain Wins AU buzzing around in my brain where Reynie and Sticky "join" him at the end of Book/Season 1 and then work to bring him down from the inside, without getting caught up in his manipulations. That might end up being comparable to Time and a Half in length, so maybe someday when I have an abundance of free time.

What are your writing strengths?

I think I write some banger first sentences :D especially in crack/funny fics

What are your writing weaknesses?

Too many adverbs! Also I get very easily stuck on exposition/beginning/ending/filler parts. I tend to write down the most tense/exciting moments for the fic and then the writing process stalls for the next three months.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fics?

For a real language, I think it can be a great opportunity to showcase a character's backstory/culture. It can also be immersive for the audience - if a character is in a foreign country where they don't speak the language, including pieces of dialogue in that language can help the audience understand how lost they're feeling (assuming the audience doesn't speak that language either)! If you're using a translation source though it can make for some pretty hilarious errors and mistranslations.

I think made-up languages absolutely fuck but I could never include one in my fic because I'd nerd out creating an entire writing, grammar, and vocab system and forget to write the actual fic.

What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

take a wild guess

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written so far?

absolutely not. top 5:

Time and a Half

46 Fairview St

And Without It One Cannot Start Over

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Epistolary Bullying Campaign

Keeping Time

Tagging: @binnudacademy (consider this a tag for your main, sorry about the shadowban. free molly 2k24) @ragecndybars @bi-demon-ium @trentcrimminallybeautiful (you pick which <3) @oflightningandstars and anyone else that wants to!!

[galvanizedfriend]

2023 WIP List

I saw a writer I really love doing this here and decided to respectfully borrow the idea.

I'm feeling really bummed about writing lately, can't seem to find the least bit of motivation and have jumped from story to story without adding anything of substance over the last month or so. Nothing seems to spark joy. And yet I have thousands of words in half-written stories I'm not sure what to do with. Ideally, I'd like to finish them, but at this point, who knows 🤷‍ So this is a way for me to take stock, do some soul-searching, try to find where my heart is writing-wise at the moment and see if I can manifest some inspo.✨

These are not even all my WIPs, just the ones I have opened at least once in the last year.

▪ Speed Dating 3/3 Klaroline, friends/roommates-to-lovers

Started in June 2022

The final part to my Speed Dating sequel, which is much longer than the original story because I have no self-respect. Klaus and Caroline are roommates and idiots. The OG one-shot had them going on a round of speed dating and failing to connect the dots and realizing that what they really should be doing is sucking face with each other. The sequel is kind of an expanded universe situation, where I wanted to show a little more of their roommie chemistry and push them into situations where they are finally confronted with the reality of their feelings. But that only happens once they start seeing other people because of course.

I have maybe 60% of the final part written but for some reason, after word-vomiting non-stop for a while, I got stuck on a kind of major point in the story. I've tried to start it soooo many times and it just won't go. 🙃 I think I'm looking at a good 6 to 8k words more before it's finished.

▪ Random Fic (not the real title) Klaroline (duh), sorta exes-to-enemies-to-lovers I guess

Started in May 2020

The start of my romantic comedy phase. This predates even my coffee shop AU. It's Caroline and Klaus having a fling that ends very, very badly, but then having to come together again a year later to marry their common friend (and Caroline's ex), Tyler. I wanted it to be quick, witty and light-hearted and then at some point it got some very emotional bits in the middle and turned into something else completely. I guess it's still mostly light-hearted, but it has some ~~substance, whatever that means. I think it's an okay fic, and it's 55k words, which is not too bad, but then does anyone still read 55k all at once these days? lol

The fic is finished. I think I wrapped it up in April last year, so a year ago. But I haven't been able to go back and read it again. I've tried, and I've started it so many times, but then I always stop and never pick it back up. But like. 55k words of finished fic here. 🤷‍

▪ Pendulum Klaroline, soulmates!AU but make it sad

Originally in January 2019, started rewriting in July 2020 (lol)

I have issues with this story. It's the saddest damn thing I've ever written, but it's also my favorite storyline I've ever come up with. It got some hate at the time, I don't know why, but also some of the most heartfelt comments/responses I've ever received on any story (and I still keep them all!), so I think this is one where you either love it or hate it. But because I feel so protective of it, I have problems (of the personal brand) leaving it out in the open, and I don't want to repost it until I'm absolutely sure it's ok. As you can see, it was one of my first ever fics, so the writing wasn't the best. But I still love it, I don't care. I keep wanting to make the writing match how much I love the idea, and I don't know if that's possible. 🙃

It's the rare AU I write entirely from Klaus' POV, which is something else. I'm not sure I'm that good with Klaus. It's also an AH, but it has a little magic twist. Every time Klaus dies, his life just restarts from the exact same point. He's born on the same year, at the same place, to the same parents. Except he remembers his previous lives, and so he accumulates the knowledge of hundreds and hundreds of previously lived years each time he's reborn. And then shit happens.

First time I posted this, it was 57k words long. I have successfully finished rewriting the first of three parts, which is around 14k words, but as you can see, I have been in this process since 2020 (!!!), so I need to go back and tinker with that as well. May God have mercy on my soul.

▪ Mystic Tours (not the real title) Klaroline, friends-to-lovers but also fake dating

Started in January 2023

This was inspired by Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison, except it's not a Christmas story, and it doesn't actually have any farms. It has Klaroline fake dating to try and win a contest that can potentially save Caroline's failing business, and also loads of side-characters Sound of Settling style (including a horde of Mikaelsons and Bonnie and Enzo as Caroline's co-workers). I really like writing stories where I can fit a bunch of side characters and make the whole thing sorta absurd. But I also wanted to try to make something quicker, more dialogue-oriented and with shorter scenes. AND YET. I just can't seem to make it work, the writing kinda sucks.

I have some 6k words of this, but can't tell you how much of that is actually usable. And it's maybe 10% of the story. 🙃

▪ Friends that Ruin Your Life (may or may not be the title, undecided) Klaroline, Klefan (!!), affairs, fucked up people, angst

Started in March 2023

The five minutes during which I decided I wanted to go back to my origins and write something angsty and filled with complicated situations, a bit like Gasoline. It features Klaus and Stefan as a couple, and Caroline getting sucked into their messy marriage. So yes, Klaus is having an affair. In his defense, so is Stefan. Caroline's moral compass gets all out of sorts and she realizes the world is a lot less black-and-white than she'd previously assumed and sometimes you do get judged by your one-offs, even if your heart is in the right place.

I got super excited about this one and churned out the entire plan for the whole story, with all the scenes and most of the dialogues and the document alone is like 60k words long. I wrote that in like three days. 🥲 I don't think I could make it a one-shot, and I think that left me bummed because I didn't want it to be a multi-chapter. And then I'm not sure the writing was coming along fine enough, it wasn't flowing, and I started to question whether it was actually good or if I was totally tripping when I had this idea and this was actually insanely shitty. lol Leaning more towards the second right now.

▪ King Arthur AU (not the actual title) Klaroline, magic, fantasy, King Arthur

Started in March 2021

This is very high fantasy, and very intricate. It would be a multi-chapter, but I have no idea how long. I think I was leaning towards 10 chapters. I have four written. And the writing is fairly decent, if I may say so myself. But as it usually happens with me, I get to a point where I start wondering why am I even writing this, and then I stop. 🥲🥲 I also think I was having some doubts about how to wrap it up. It had maybe more plots than I wanted to work with. King Arthur was actually Elijah, and Klaus was Mordred, and Caroline was Guinevere-ish, a witch undercover in "Orleans" (I'm so creative!!).

Only reason this is even on the list is because I recently read the four chapters I have and thought they were pretty decent, but I haven't written anything in almost two years, so maybe I've swiped up on this one already.

▪ The Wolf III and IV 🤡

Started in October 2020 (!! when I tell you guys I've had this written for years lol)

I have technically written The Wolf 3. It's in my "headcanons" format, which is honestly a joke, because clearly I don't know how to write headcanons. 🤡 But as you can see by the starting date, it's very, very old, and it requires full rewriting and lots of editing. Chapters are 15 to 20k words long (some are longer). TW4 is a different story. I never actually wrote it down, all I have is a full, detailed plan of all the scenes and shit. My idea was to not split the two stories into two different fics, but rather continue on with TW4 in the same AO3 "document" (???) as TW3 and make it 34 chapters long instead of 21. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but also I don't have it in me to start another separate story.

But here we are, stuck on S03E17. 🤡 Gonna be honest with you, my dudes, it's been rough to find the motivation to open that document. I think I have half of 17, maybe, but I haven't touched that in over a month. Laely, I have been often sent into thinky thoughts that you really shouldn't have when you're writing fic just for the hell of it, you know. Like, this is in no way meant to be a great piece of writing, I shouldn't be worried about that. It's the fan service of the fan service. But I start to think about the real quality of it and whether it even makes sense to be writing it, I realize I wrote one fic that was good, a second one which I personally think was even better, and then I made the classic mistake of having one too many sequels. This is Jurassic Park III. It's not as crappy as Jurassic World, you have Sam Neill, but should it exist? I just want Klaus and Caroline to be together for a change, and I love adding random final scenes in every chapter where it's just the two of them being married, but - should this be written? Or rather, should this have been posted in the first place? Do we really wanna see them being domestic? Doesn't that kind of kill the vibe? I don't know, man. I don't know. Chapter one was a blast, people seemed so into it and I wrote five chapters at once and got maybe a little over-excited, and then which each update I feel like there's less and less readers and it really gets me thinking. These thoughts are sabotaging my will to write. I need to get back on my fuck it horse.

It will come to me at some point, though. I'm sure it will.

Anyway, these are all my current WIPs! Comments, ideas and positive energies are all welcome! ✨ Let's return to this in december and weep at how little progress I've made 🥲

[emryyyyyss09]

Alright so I'm a huge marauders era fan (obsessed) so and LOVE the Pantheon (Slytherin Skittles) so here are my:

DORCAS MEADOWES HEADCANONS

I love Dorlene, first of all, and think that they are so perfect. I also find it weird that the fandom looked at two random dead characters and were like "ship", but I'm here for it.

Blaise Zabini's aunt. This is my personal headcanon-that-I'm-working-to-make-canon, and I feel like this connects her a little more to the original book series. This will be explained in the following dot points:

Dorcas is a hundred percent a half blood, which pisses so many people off, but after making an example of some dude in first year, nobody messes with her. Especially after becoming friends with both Regulus AND Sirius Black.

Blaise Zabini is definitely a pureblood Slytherin, but trust the process, this is a little bit all over the place.

So Selena Zabini (Blaise's mother in this thing I've got going on in my mind) is the daughter of this other Zabini guy, and is about the same age as Narcissa.

This Zabini guy had an affair with this muggle Meadowes lady, so she gets pregnant and whatever, having Dorcas. The Zabini guy takes Dorcas, as the Meadowes lady doesn't want her and is poor-ish. The Zabini guy says that Dorcas is a cousin sent to live with them from Germany.

For about 3-5 years, Dorcas grew up with Selena and the Zabini's (angst potential), before Selena's mother finds out who Dorcas is, and gives her to her mother before disappearing.

Dorcas and her mother do not have a great relationship, and Cas grew up a lot like Blaise did, taking on her mother's last name and having to see her mother go through boyfriend after boyfriend.

However, Meadowes the elder gets rich through all these men, employing a variety of techniques like blackmail, manipulation and getting sugar daddies. So, yeah. This means Dorcas gets a nice big house for when her friends run away from their homes in AU's. :D

Anyways moving on from that thing that I just did.

My fancast for her is Stacey Dash but in Clueless. This is just one of them, there are others but I can't be bothered to name them. Picture below.

Reluctant fighter for Dumbledore, being a Slytherin, she spots his manipulation from a mile away, and is still hurt by his favouritism.

Hates dogs, hates Sirius, in honour of Reggie. She eventually warms up to him though, in spite of Reg joining the Death Eaters, but feels like a traitor whenever she laughs at one of his jokes. He feels the same.

Her and Pandora's friendship becomes tense when the boys join the Dark Side, Pandora refusing to help Gryffindors who have hurt them all their lives kill her friends, and Dorcas feeling so hurt that her friends would help kill people like her.

She loves anything shiny or sparkly, and has a huge chest for jewellry that she collects.

Drinks coffee with no sugar but a spoonful of chocolate and half a teaspoon of vanilla.

Gaslights like a pro.

So many toxic relationships before finding out she was a lesbian. Spoiler alert, she was the toxic one.

Brushes Marlene's hair when they get time to themselves while Marlene rambles on about some random Quidditch team.

Obsessed with the radio, no matter what is on it, whether it be talk shows or music.

Dresses up as old witch and spies for the Order in Knockturn Alley. Hates it, but she's good at it.

Severely underestimated by everyone, no matter what side their on, except for her old friends.

Luna's godmother!!!!

Denies being an animal person, but is obsessed with foxes. Has fox jewellery, stickers, pens, anything fox related.

That's all for now :). Next is Pandora headcanons. After I do Slytherin, I'll do the Marauders. And then I'll do extras.

[that-rackin-frackin-varmint]

i really love to read your essays and thoughts!!! whats your opinion of the portrayal of daffy in duck dodgers? have you watch it? what are your favorite shorts? (old or new it doesnt care)

Aww thanks!! I enjoy writing em!! I've watched all the Duck Dodgers shorts and the show so I can cover my opinions of his portrayal in each of em.

Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953):

I think Daffy's portrayal here is quite typical for Jones' Daffy shorts in the 50s. This one seems to stick out among the other 'hero-complex Daffy' shorts in terms of longevity for reasons that don't reach me. It's no Duck Amuck, but I do appreciate Daffy's assertiveness (albeit it being the standard of the time). All in all, I've watched it numerous times but the gags and lines don't stick to me tbh. (The backgrounds and music have had a lasting impression on me though).

Duck Dodgers and the Return of the 24½ᵗʰ Century (1980):

I distinctly enjoy this one scene where Daffy has a cheerful conversation with Marvin and took a moment to process that "blowing up the Earth" wasn't something he'd want. And then immediately following that, doesn't connect the dots on why that wasn't something he'd want. Daffy is particularly airheaded in this one, going so far as to abandon his mission after Porky pulls one too many fast ones on him, and letting Marvin blow up the Earth. It acutely conveys the x-axis duality of Daffy's capacity for friendliness and hostility, as well as his y-axis duality of self-awareness and obliviousness. Initially since the voices weren't properly pitched up, I was kind of put off by it. But the more I watch it, the more I can appreciate the longer duration time, and character portrayals.

Marvin the Martian in the 3rd Dimension (1996):

This short... I am astounded by the stage presence of it. Iirc, it was produced as a part of an attraction at WB's Movie World. Also to show off the wonders of 3D. Which, for something produced in the 90s, still stands the test of time. As for Daffy's portrayal here, I can't understate just how much I find Joe Alaskey to be THE definitive interpretation of modern Daffy. The modulation, the delivery, the animated quality of it-- it boosts the residual charm of any media he stars in. But aside from quality voice casting, I find Daffy's portrayal in this to be entertaining, engaging, and an evolution from the simpler characterisations of his classic shorts (warning, I might say this in a lot of my future rambles). What the 60s-80s seemed to lack with Daffy was his impassioned, boisterous determination to a void cause. So I feel very endeared by the garish, plucky charm of this portrayal. It also does something that a lot of shorts in the latter half of Looney tunes' near-century neglected to do -- which was letting Daffy retain his cunning. I enjoyed that last scene where his beak came off and he tricks Marvin into taking him out to space for "world conquest".

Superior Duck (1996):

Tbh, I blindsided myself with this one. While checking on the titles of all the Duck Dodgers sequels, I tripped into it. I didn't see this one until the time of answering this, so my thoughts are subject to change. I found this short to be more bogged down by the pacing and a lot of character cameos that only serve to progressively get on Daffy's nerves. His portrayal is diminished by the nature of having to be reactionary to all the mayhem. Some of it was funny, but overall, since it wasn't character-driven, it'd be insincere to say I enjoyed it for his participation in it.

Attack of the Drones (2003)

For a rare instance where Daffy wasn't voiced by Alaskey in the 2000s, I adored this portrayal. Like T3D, Daffy retains intellect when he figures out how to systematically defeat his robot clones. And his plan to use clones to defeat the enemies at the start was successful. His unorthodox thought process and freedom to perform with minimal pushback make for a fun spectacle for the entire runtime.

Duck Dodgers (2003)

The first two seasons were tightly written with only a few episodes where Dodgers felt way too unlikeable (like that one episode where he self-admittedly sold Cadet's sister to the sausage factory). However, the third season had a noticeable drop in quality. It was noticeable with how s2 ended with promising development with Dodgers' character, only to drop it on the first episode. If you haven't noticed already, I've been praising the shorts for adapting Daffy's proactive nature. This is specifically because this show pulls at my hair with how reactive, lazy, and incompetent they made Dodgers. His moments of ingenuity and valour are few and far in-between. So for a show that has Daffy as the main lead, it's frustrating to know that his portrayal is this... rudimentary.

And for that second question, this post is loaded enough so I'll just answer within the perimeters of Duck Dodgers shorts/episodes.

My favourite shorts are Marvin the Martian in The 3rd Dimension and Attack of the Drones for the reasons above. And my favourite episodes of Duck Dodgers off the top of my head are:

Trial of Duck Dodgers (S1) Pig of Action (S1) Shiver Me Dodgers (S1) The Fudd (S2) Of Course You Know This Means War and Peace Part 1 (S2) Of Course You Know This Means War and Peace Part 2 (S2)

Thanks for the ask!!

[modern-day-bard]

Worth The Feeling

Content Warning: 18+ This series contains explicit smut, intimidation, and an age gap relationship. Minors, do not interact.

Chapter 23

I take a few calming breaths before pulling back to look into his glazed over eyes.

"I haven't even gotten started with you," I smirk, despite the fact that my voice was still breathless.

Javi returns my smirk, and competitive embers take flame within me.

"You think I'm kidding?" I challenge.

"I think I'm the only one still fully clothed, and you're still out of breath."

I draw one finger down the middle of his chest, and even the thickness of his sweatshirt is useless against the shiver it pulls out of him. "You're right. We should fix that."

I tug up the hem of his hoodie, and he assists me, dragging it up the rest of the way. He has a crisp white t-shirt underneath and the motion releases a new wave of his scent, making me sigh. My face flushes, and I hope it doesn't connect those particular dots.

I shimmy off of his lap onto the floor, propped up on my knees in between his legs, which earns me a protest from Javi. "Let's move to the bed." He reaches for my arm, but I playfully smack it away.

"I like the view of you here," I run my hands up and down his thighs and his jaw tightens. Continuing my smirk, I unbuckle his jeans feeling giddy. My giddiness spills over into a giggle when I have to ask him to help me pull down the fabric where I need it to be. My laughter gets caught in my throat when I take in the size of him once again. Due to the nature of our filming schedules and jet lag, Javi and I hadn't taken our time with each other before. We usually wanted to be with each other and spend the rest of the time getting to know the other better. Though we left plenty of time for sex...I still hadn't performed this aspect yet, nor him on me. I have butterflies in my chest, and though most are from excitement and anticipation, some are from anxiety. John was incredibly particular about oral. So much so that it took all of the fun out of it. It usually felt like a lesson, and I always seemed to be failing. But I have been dying to do this with Javi for weeks, if not months. Lessons be damned, I want to taste him.

Javi makes one final, half-hearted attempt to say that I don't need to, and we should move to the bed. I just shake my head. "If you don't want me to, I won't," I say, wrapping my hand around the base. His hand grips onto the armrest. "But I've wanted to taste you for so long." At that, Javi groans, leaning his head back. I take it as my sign to continue.

I keep my hand firmly wrapped around the base as I slowly lick the head in a smooth circle. He's already hard as stone from my grinding on him earlier, and I feel a new wave of pleasure that getting me off had turned him on so much. The thought brings me to take him in my mouth, causing a multitude of curses to cascade out of Javi's mouth. I look back up at him, and he's staring at me now. His swollen lips are parted, taking in sharp, quick breaths. And there is the slightest tint of pink on his cheeks. My chest swells with pride, and I take him in deeper.

"God, you're incredible," He whispers, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. The intimacy of the gesture only encourages me further, bobbing up and down now on his length. I use my hand in the same rhythm, occasionally taking it so far back that I nearly gag. Even still, I have no shame staring into his eyes the entire time. The typical chocolate brown of them seems to have grown impossibly darker, and he's looking at me with a possessiveness that causes throbbing between my legs yet again. I can't help but move my free hand to try and ease my own ache, and heat flares in Javi's eyes. He starts stroking the side of my face.

"My needy girl. Taking me so well," His rough, dark voice sends a shiver down my spine, "How good does it feel knowing you take me like no one else ever has? How wet does that make you, Ava?" In one quick movement, he leans forward and spanks me. I moan around him, quickening my movements both on myself and him. He twitches in my mouth, but suddenly he pulls me back by my arms, and I frown as he stops me.

He chuckles hoarsely at my expression. "If you don't stop, I'm going to come way too soon. And I have other plans for us tonight." He guides me up so he can plant a hard kiss on my lips. "Go over to the bed," He orders.

I stand up on wobbly knees and walk as fast as they'll take me over to the bed. When I turn around to sit, I see that Javi is not far behind me. He left his jeans by the couch, discarding his t-shirt as he stalks over to me. I drink up the sight of him, my eyes unabashedly scanning every inch of his body.

"Take off your shorts," he says, only a foot or two away from the bed.

I obey, wordlessly hooking my fingers on the waistline and tugging them down. My face grows impossibly hot at the fact that I'm not wearing any underwear. But any thoughts of embarrassment have been taken over by pure arousal. I lean back on my elbows, knees apart, enjoying the way his breath hitches at the sight.

"Come to the edge," his voice is no higher than a whisper, and no darker than the night.

I scoot towards the edge, lying backwards as I do. I jump a little when I feel his hands meet my thighs, gentle, calloused hands exploring all of my exposed skin. I watch him inspect every inch of me before he looks into my eyes again.

"Spread your legs."

My heart hammers in my chest, and I want to curse at him for taking so long. My legs shake as I separate them, and I nearly choke on my breath when he lowers himself to the ground in front of the bed. I have a half-thought to object, knowing first hand how desperate he must be for release at this point. But something about his grip on my hips keeps me there without saying a word.

Javi picks up one of my ankles first, kissing at its base before moving all the way up my calf. He repeats the action on my opposite ankle, moving all the way up my calf. Thankfully, this time he continues all the way up my thigh, spending a significant time on my inner thighs, nipping and sucking gently. I bite down on my palm, my other hand gripping the sheets. He traces circles on the outside of my right thigh while he keeps sucking on my left. Every time I think he's moving closer to where I really need him, he moves back down just a few inches. It's driving me beyond thought, beyond reason.

"Javi," I moan, trying to find the words to tell him what I want.

I feel him chuckle against my skin.

"I need you," I near gasp as his hand wraps around my hip, keeping me in place. "You're going to make me pass out again if you keep doing that." I half-chuckle, but it's breathless.

Suddenly Javi pulls back, slapping me in between my legs, almost enough to be considered forceful. Much like he had in the pool. The memory and the sensation make me moan louder.

"Not funny," He scolds, glaring up at me from where he is still kneeling on the floor.

Regardless, he finally leans down and licks a strong swipe where I have been craving. I whimper, bucking my hips up for more. Then his hands around both of my thighs, holding me to his mouth that now covers me completely. Delivering a mixture of slow, tender strokes and fast, harsh ones.

"Yes," the words rush out of me, "God, yes." One of my hands releases from the sheets to grip his soft brown curls. I tug lightly, and he groans at my pull. His groan sends shivers down my spine as I feel its vibration run through me.

Soon I am a whimpering, panting mess as he changes to only fast and harsh strokes with his tongue. He occasionally repeats the same sucking he was performing on my thighs, and it feels ten times as delicious now. My stomach tightens and I know that I'm close. I try to tighten my muscles, not wanting to let go of the pleasure he's giving me yet. Javi notices.

"C'mon, baby. Give me another one." He says against my skin. My knees shake. "Be a good girl and come for me." He delivers another perfectly aimed slap, and I tumble over the edge, gasping his name over and over again.

As I finally come back down from my second high, I take a full breath and look down at Javi's smug, satisfied expression. He slowly crawls over top of me, kissing my neck soothingly as I continue to catch my breath. Gently, he pulls my arms and helps me scoot up toward the pillows as he stays hovering over me. I'm only half-aware of him retrieving a condom that he must have brought over as I was removing my shorts. He puts it on and lines himself up with my entrance. Javi gives me one last look of confirmation, as if I could ever resist the feeling of him inside of me. As if it wasn't the only thing I've thought about since he showed up at my doorstep tonight. I nod, perhaps too enthusiastically, and his cocky smile fades into slack-jawed bliss as he slides all the way to the hilt. I inhale a sharp breath, pinching my eyes shut.

"Fuuuck," Javi groans, dropping his head to my neck. I wiggle underneath him, needing him to move. "Not—Not yet, Ava." Javi grinds out through his teeth. "I need a minute, or I'm going to put myself to shame here." He huffs out a staggered laugh. I try desperately to give him his minute, stroking his forearms lightly with my nails. He gives me a glazed-over smile, "That's not particularly helpful, either." I blush, releasing a shy smile despite how exposed I had already been.

Slowly. Way. Too. Slowly. He begins to move, throwing his head back at the feeling of me. Of us moving together. My fingers arc inward, digging into his broad forearms instead of trailing gently as they had been before. I need more of him, and less of the stillness. Maybe I'm simply greedy, after already finishing twice tonight–but I don't care. I feel that if he does not start to give me those hard, fast thrusts that I miss so badly that I could burst into flames.

"You're killing me," I mewl beneath him. That got his attention as he opens his eyes again.

"You want me to go faster?" He asks, his tone suspiciously earnest.

"Yes."

Javi smirks that cocky, knowing smirk that I usually adore. But right now I want to smack it off of him. "This is payback, baby." He nearly growls the words.

I dig my nails deeper, right as he slips out almost all the way. He leisurely fills me again, and I give him a look of confusion, the feeling of him too sweet for me to speak again.

Javi chuckles, leaning down to kiss my earlobe before he whispers.

"Do you know–" Thrust, "How worried I was?" He thrusts again, finally picking up the speed just a bit.

My legs begin to shake for the third time tonight, that familiar pull already beginning in my lower belly.

"I'm sorry," I choke out, bringing my legs to wrap around his waist, hoping it will stop the shaking.

"Didn't I tell you," he gives me two sharp thrusts, making me cry out, "To take care of yourself? To make sure you were drinking water?" Javi pounds into me several times in a row, and I'm near tears at the sensation, at his words. His possession, his care. It's all so good. It is so. Good.

He slows again, and I can't help it anymore.

"Please," I beg. "Please, please give it to me."

Javi gives me a soft kiss on my forehead, contrasted with a harsh grab of my left breast. His eyes are so sincere that my heart could burst.

"Are you going to listen to me this time?"

"Yes. God, yes."

"Good girl."

My eyes widen and he chuckles darkly. He grabs both of my hands, placing them above my head, securing me tight. He presses a fierce kiss to my lips and begins to incrementally pick up the pace. I can feel my arousal dripping down my inner thighs, and the harder and faster he moves, the more I groan into his mouth. Javi sets a steady rhythm, pulling all the way out every single time before snapping back into me, hitting that sweet spot that consciously makes me cry out. The sound of him slapping against me makes the swirls in my lower belly increase, and myself tighten around him. He moans, slipping his tongue into my mouth to overtake me completely. My eyes roll back, as I resist his hands holding my arms in place. I don't want him to let me go, but this thrill throughout my entire body is too great. I don't know what to do, and I don't want it to ever stop. His warm, slicked skin should stay on top of mine forever. I dig my heels into his ass, needing him even closer.

"You said you were going to listen," His voice is breathless, and has a desperate edge to it despite the teasing tone. "So you're going to come when I say."

I arch my back off the bed, pressing my breasts up harder against his chest, trying to gain back an ounce of control. I crane my neck up so I can tug his earlobe with my teeth.

"Yes, sir," I whisper.

I feel his cock twitch inside me at those words.

He releases my hands from their previous confinement above my head. I immediately trace my fingers down his back, feeling him shiver against my touch. Javi reaches behind me, though I'm not for what until he says, "Lift your hips."

I do as I'm told, barely registering the pillow he places underneath them. The new angle makes me gasp. The spot he was hitting before felt good, but this felt otherworldly.

Javi is holding my gaze, and I can see the soft dusting of sweat on the side of his brow. I've never seen him so assertive, and it's driving me wild.

As if to prove my point, he says, in the most gravelly I've ever heard his voice, "Touch your clit."

My blush creeps back on my face, but I try to copy his smirk as best I can as I reach between my legs. My jaw goes slack as I rub slow, tantalizing circles on the most sensitive part of my body.

Javi is transfixed, eyes completely glazed over now, watching me add to this already impossible pleasure. With his eyes locked on where our bodies met, he grabs my hips, and picks back up to that same, insane rhythm he had moments ago. My shaky hand can barely keep up, and I no longer have any restraint on my moans that turned into sobs of ecstasy.

Javi is now shaking with me, and I can tell by his increasingly sloppy thrusts that he's close. I've been teetering on the edge for far too long. And thankfully, mercifully, he opens his mouth to groan out, "Come for me."

He barely gets out the last word before I shatter around him, legs turning to jelly as my vision spots with stars. I desperately gasp in air, and I keep heavy lids open just enough to see Javi's gorgeous features contract with pleasure just a moment later. He calls out my name, over and over again like a mantra. After several breaths, he rolls off of me and immediately grabs my waist, pulling my back to his front. He leaves soft, lazy kisses on the side of my face, my shoulder, my neck.

"I might have mentioned this already," He breathes against the back of my neck. "But I really missed you."

Whether it be the culmination of all of today's emotions, or the sincerity that coats his tone, my eyes prick with tears all the same. I remain silently grateful that he can no longer see my face.

"I missed you," I murmur back. I think I hear him whisper something in return, but sleep has taken hold of me. 

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[coeluvr]

Part 2, and yes, I used a little of lyrics from Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish:

Helios carries his belongings across the crowded hallways as he gets himself sorted. His morning hadn't started out great and potential, but that doesn't include the rest of the day.

Crown Academy is a private boarding school for kids like him, yet the majority of students are kids from normal family, so even though the hierarchy means a big deal here, not many bother to care actually.

Still, he belongs right at the top. Along with Hunter, Fadiya, Vincent, and Soarine. He wouldn't say he likes the distance put among him and the other students, then again, he never likes them much either.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Come in." Said the voice inside the headmaster's room, and Helios walks in as soon as he's given permission.

Apparently, Headmaster Lancelot's busy as ever. He keeps on singing the pilling files next to him, and put them just next to him once he's done.

"Helios, long time no see," The headmaster greets Heliso, it brings a smile to his face. "Sorry for calling at such moment, but I figure that you'll be right for this job. Thus, I call you."

"What it is about, sir? I'll make sure I'll get it done." Helios can't help but smiles boarder as he detects the approval of one of the many person he admires the most. Whether from his past life or now, Sir Lancelot is still the same. "What do you need for me?"

Headmaster Lancelot smiles as he put down his glasses, and pats the boy in front of him, but withdraws it as he begins to speak.

"I believe Soarine has told you that a new student will be joining your dormitory." He continues as Helios nods, trying to explain the situation. "They're the child of a friend of mine. Apparently, someone's trying to hurt them. They barely had the time to escape, but not their twin brother."

A certain feeling of dejà vu begins to surrounds Helios's mind and hearts.

"Their twin brother is currently in coma. To protect their safety, my friends decide to enroll the other half here, but there'll be suspicions. One that I'll hope you and the others could deal with it. And I believe you all can do it."

"Their name is MC. If I'm not wrong, they are currently waiting for you in the school garden. Give them a tour, will you?"

He should've see it coming. Helios picks up his pace as he ran across the school grounds, a few students cursed at him as he bumps into them. But he doesn't care.

He needs to find you. He needs you in his arms. Right now. It makes sense all sudden. Of why you've been appearing more and more frequently in his visions.

You're telling him you're coming, and that he needs to fulfill his promise to you. The one you made him promised to you.

And there he saw you. You're sitting next to Fadiya. The latter looks up to Helios, as if telling him that you're here. But he needn't to be told, he can see you. He can hear you.

The most shocked one is obviously not him only. Vincent and Soarine, as well as Hunter are now all behind him. Processing their minds, trying to connect the dots.

And that's when you look at him.

You look up to Helios, with confusion. You don't know why so suddenly, but a girl appears next to you immediately as soon as you walks in the courtyard, where everyone is. Your mind is still about your twin, even though your brother promises to you that he'll come the sooner he feels better, you would rather him to lay low and stay safe until the right time.

And that's when your eyes glance upon his. Pale blue-grey eyes that reflects your entirety, and you're drawn to him, almost, immediately.

I've been watchin' you for some time Can't stop starin' at those ocean eyes Burning cities and napalm skies Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes Your ocean eyes

Before you knew, you're pulled into his arms. And for some reasons, you never retreat from him. You look at his name tag, and you call him by his name.

"...Helios."

No fair You really know how to make me cry When you gimme those ocean eyes I'm scared I've never fallen from quite this high Fallin' into your ocean eyes Those ocean eyes

Call me by your name. I dare you, darling.

Helios, the boy in front of you, burries you in depth of his arms as you rest yourself in his necks, not caring of those eyes around you.

Your heart flutters the way he calls your name.

"MC..."

This was cute. Can't imagine how confused MC is tho like "why's this random guy being like this?"

[technovillain]

post game loboto how quickly do you think oleander or the others find him after he makes a break outta the motherlobe to find his supposed child (and subsequently do you think he has a kid for real or was he just fuckin with raz)

UM so...was thinking about this and I think it would be funny if it went like.

Raz has been through like an unthinkable amount of like. stuff. in the past week and he um, kind of forgot about Loboto leaving, at least for a little bit! (Considering the fact that he just lets him go and you can continue to play the postgame after that.) So I think that Raz absolutely just took him at his word and let him go and just forgot to notify anyone because he had a billion other things on his plate.

I think definitely within the day Sasha goes to return to his lab, sees. Nothing. And is just like "There are notably less dentists in this room than there should be" and starts to freak out and heads to the Nerve Center and tries to subtly explain the situation without drawing too much attention to himself so he doesn't seem neglectful. But Oleander hears and starts hollering about it immediately because of course he does! (He had plans to go and talk to him after the whole mole thing died down -- he didn't want to seem suspicious and was going through a lot when he got rejected by Hollis)

They review the security footage and see Loboto exiting through the secret tunnel system and .... Raz just letting him go? Sasha is just thinking like "Damn it, how many times do I have to have the 'I expect more from you when it comes to important things like this' talk with Raz this week?" (Forgetting that he only met him this week.) (Forgetting also that he's literally 10 years old.)

So they talk to Raz who is just sort of like "Oh...yeah...I meant to tell you. He said he's a reformed man and he seemed like he really meant it, so I let him go-- It felt wrong to try and keep him like a prisoner." And some of the adults get understandably frustrated because it could mean a dangerous man was on the loose but others (like Milla) believe Raz for trusting Loboto's word on the subject.

Speaking of Milla, I think that Milla would think about the fact that Loboto mentioned that he had a kid on the way out. I'm pretty sure that once the mental construct dissolved in his mind and the threat of his "Boss" was gone, a lot of Loboto's previous mental blocks would sort of start to break down and he would be able to think more clearly. (Thus, why he would suddenly think clearly enough and care to think about his kid)

I am a huge fan of the "Bobby Zilch is Loboto's kid" theory and can see a lot of ways it would work and a few subtle ways that I'd say it's even hinted at by the first game. In this case, I think that Milla would be able to connect the dots from things that she had learned about the campers. I feel like Milla, being the way that she is and being so empathetic, would have a good idea of what the kids' home situations were like. Bobby had always been a bit of an anomaly in this way, he used to be raised by his grandparents but left them and their mistreatment and had been "taking care" of himself for a short while now. Milla connects the dots of what she put together about Bobby's grandparents, his lack of parents, Loboto's memories of his parents and his strange and dark on-the-nose last name likely not being a real one, the clear resemblance between the two. She considers it as an option.

So I think that Loboto probably saw Bobby when he was removing his brain and was sort of half-aware and like "Hm. You seem so strangely familiar. Oh well, I can process that later, when I've taken over the world." And that Bobby is probably just hanging around the camp still, and doesn't have anywhere else to go. And Loboto goes back to camp to look for him. And that it's probably due to Milla's effective dot-connecting (which is totally a reach but also she's right, so...) that they're able to find Loboto after all of the mess that his absence caused. Sasha probably thinks the whole situation is so stupid lol.