#he maximized everything he could as always

[wejustvibing]

thee overtake.

thee reaction.

very brave, very brave driving from lewis hamilton. he's not lost anything, has he? - brundle

uh you think?

[luv4fushi]

thinking about arguing with husband!gojo. it’s funny because he’s the strongest sorcerer alive with several other, more wicked enemies harboring one sided hate for him, yet he’s anxiously glancing at you every now and then as you hiss at him. you’re the only one who can make him doubt his strength.

he usually finds you cute when you’re mad, but right now he doesn’t really appreciate the way your face is scrunched up and how you’re yelling at him.

it’s not his fault. he thinks you’re being so dramatic.

“you’re laughing at me,” you deadpan. “why do you never take things i say seriously?”

“because i honestly don’t think it’s that serious,” he fires back, and your eyes narrow. oh, fuck.

arguing with your husband is never fun. it’s probably because the both of you are stubborn; you’re stubborn because you’re simply right all the time, and satoru’s stubborn because if you’re not right, then he is.

you pause for just a second, but it’s enough to sprout a moment of extreme tension between you and your husband.

“right,” you scoff after you inhale sharply. “you just don’t care, do you?”

“don’t fucking say that,” satoru snaps. “i do care. that’s why i’m here.”

it takes everything in you to not shoot him another death glare. “so i should be thankful for the bare minimum?”

satoru blinks. he would’ve flinched, but he refuses to let you have that sort of power over him. “i’m not giving the bare minimum.”

“yes you are,” you argue back, voice straining as you swallow a lump of anger down the back of your throat.

the both of you are still. it feels like an eternity passes before the anger in you wanes. you’re exhausted and this fight with satoru is surely going to make the both of you upset enough to not talk for the rest of the night.

“i’m sorry that i’m not good enough,” satoru says, breaking the silence. you’ve never heard his voice so small, so pathetic—he’s never, ever shown you this side of him, and you’re starting to feel that dreading pit of guilt tug at your gut.

“that’s not what i meant,” you force yourself to say, sighing.

“but that’s what you’re thinking,” satoru mumbles. he avoids looking at your face.

“no it’s not,” you deny. “it’s never been about that.”

satoru gives you a wary look. “then what is it about? because i’ve done everything i can.”

“everything? really?” you sneer. “do you even love me anymore?”

silence. satoru swears he can hear your heart break.

“baby, don’t say that,” he groans, “c’mon, we were ten points away from three stars. that’s a single plate—one you didn’t turn in because you somehow forgot how to dash!”

you whip around to glower at satoru, your face twisting into an offended expression. “you set the kitchen on fire! how could i do something like serving a dish if the kitchen is on fire?!”

“baby, it’s the same button that it always has been this entire game!” he whines. “and you set the kitchen on fire! you keep forgetting to take the rice off the stove!”

you sigh exasperatedly, crossing your arms to act like some sort of shield between you and satoru’s (truthful) words.

“but you don’t chop up your stupid fish!” you protest. “so i end up doing five things at once!”

satoru opens his mouth to speak, but he knows you’re in the right. he opts to click his tongue instead.

“and every time i asked for help,” you add, frowning, “you just kept bringing out more of the dumbass cucumbers! we don’t have counter space for that!!!”

“that’s for prep to maximize our sushi making! throw it on the floor!”

“are you kidding me? that’s so unsanitary!”

“it’s a game!”

you’re both panting by the end of the fight. you’re biting down on your inner cheek and satoru is scratching the nape of his neck awkwardly.

“… sorry,” he mumbles. “i won’t bring out cucumbers anymore. and i’m also sorry for being mean about you not knowing how to dash.”

“good,” you huff. “‘cause i was seriously not gonna play anymore.”

“and…?” he prods, nudging you in your ribs. you can tell what he wants just by the sound of his voice.

“and i’m sorry for getting mad at you even though you’re doing you’re best at carrying me in this game…” you murmur, rolling your eyes.

satoru’s face brightens and he places a wet kiss on your cheek. “you’re forgiven.”

“love you, dummy.”

“love you too, baby.”

“no more cucumbers unless the ticket calls for them,” you remind him pointedly.

“yes, chef!”

[i-am-distressed]

Mai mad at noritoshi and says y/n is getting read for a date with itadori or fushiguro and this man springs up like “helll no” and runs in her dorm begging her not to go and y/n is like… what?

Que Mai running for her mfing life

BELOVED NORITOSHI ANON- SO UHM this inspired me so much I actually just went ahead and wrote a oneshot BHWJBFJEHFBJKEK I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT CAUSE THE PROMPT WAS TOO GOOD NOT TO TURN INTO A FULL ONESHOT

Character: Noritoshi Kamo x female reader

Warnings: none

Mai didn’t know why she did the things she did. 

Perhaps it was her upbringing, or maybe her strained relationship with her sister, or she supposes it could’ve just been that she liked causing mischief. 

Whatever the reason- she really didn’t know what made her do what she did, something that will very likely cut her life short. Did she regret it?

Absolutely!

…not.

“Hey Noritoshi, are you doing okay? What with the news and all…”

Mai wandered into the common room Noritoshi was currently reading in. She had a fake look of sympathy on her face, her eyebrows downturned and her lips set in a frown.

Her voice was uncharacteristically worried for someone she’d hardly consider a friend, but she knew he wouldn’t suspect a thing.

Noritoshi marked his page before he closed his book as set it on his lap, looking up to mai with an eyebrow raised. 

“News? What are you talking about?”

She gasped as a hand went up to her lips, “You didn’t hear? I’m a little surprised she didn’t tell you…” 

Noritoshi’s eyes narrowed, who was ‘she’? Was she talking about Y/n? But Y/n told him everything- for better or for worse actually. 

“Tell me what?” 

His voice had taken on a bit of a bite to it now- it was clear he knew who Mai was talking about and was less than happy about it. Perfect.

“Y/n’s getting ready for a date with Fushiguro…” 

She had more planned to say in order to maximize the damage, but as soon as he heard date Noritoshi stood up, forced out a rushed “excuse me” and speed walked/borderline ran towards Y/n’s dorm room.

His mind was going wild. Had he been too late? He had been developing feelings for her for well over a year now, and he had been planning on making a move soon- oh how did this happen?! 

Where did you even meet Fushiguro?! Well, at the exchange event..and on various missions…but the two of them seemed like such an unlikely pair- then again it wasn’t like what Noritoshi and Y/n had between them was anywhere near normal. 

Did they even have anything between them? Noritoshi had thought they did but perhaps he was wrong?

His heart was pounding, his feet brought him to a sudden halt outside of your dorm room. He didn’t know what he was doing, he was on autopilot at this point. Rationality had long since been thrown out the window. 

The only thing going through his mind was ‘I have to stop this, I can't let her go on that date! She needs to know how I feel about her I-’

He was pounding at the door when he snapped out of his reverie. He could hear his heart thumping in his ears and he could hear her respond to his brash knocking. Her footsteps grew louder, and with it so did the sound of his heart beating.

The door swung open and before he could second guess himself or she could ask him what he was doing there, the words had already left his mouth.

“DON’T GO!”

Spoiler alert- Y/n was not getting ready for a date. 

In fact, she wasn’t doing much of anything when her peaceful evening came to an abrupt halt. 

She had been sitting on her bed scrolling her phone for the better part of an hour, music going on in the background as the stress of the day melted away.

She yawned and stretched, phone dropping beside her as she flopped back on her bed and contemplated taking a nap. Maybe she would go and bother Noritoshi, that was always fun. 

Though he always tried acting bothered, it was obvious he enjoyed her company as much as she enjoyed his. Well- she at least hoped he did anyway. 

He had remained her good friend for nearly 3 years now and had only temporarily blocked her number once- something she considered a win seeing as he had blocked Todo for nearly 4 months during their second year. Good times.

She rolled over to gaze out the open window. The sun was getting close to setting but it was still fairly early considering how late she was probably going to stay up. 

*Knock knock knock*

Her head shot up at the aggressive knocking that assaulted her door. Were the dorms on fire?? What was with the urgency of the knocks?!

“I’m coming!” She slid off her  bed and walked towards the door, opening it and-

“DON’T GO!”

Her eyes widened in shock. 

For one she had hardly expected the erratic knocking to come from Noritoshi. Secondly- don’t go…to what? It was Friday, and she hadn’t planned on leaving the dorms again until Monday and that’s only because they had school.

Her eyes shifted from shock into confusion at his disheveled and out of sorts appearance.

His chest was heaving- had he run here? His eyes were open, and had the situation not seemed dire she would’ve gotten lost looking into his gorgeous deep blue eyes. 

She cocked her head to the side as her eyes narrowed, “..are you okay?”

He huffed as he ran a hand through his hair, which had been freed from its usual constraints and was falling from behind his ear and into his face. 

“No, I’m not okay. Listen Y/n, I am aware I have no right to tell you how to live, or- or who to date, but-” 

He sucked in a breath before he exhaled a tense breath and his shoulders slumped a little.

“If he truly makes you happy then you should go, but before that I beg you to reconsider.”

Her heart rate was picking up speed. What on earth was happening? He seemed obviously distressed about some date she knew nothing about. Wait…he would be distressed if she went on a date..?

Obviously there had been a miscommunication somewhere, seeing as the only date she had was with the series she had just started. But she couldn’t deny she was incredibly curious as to why he seemed so upset at the idea in the first place. 

“Why?” Her voice was quiet, gentle in a way because of how vulnerable he seemed in this moment.

He paused, his mouth opened before it snapped shut and his hand ran through his hair again before he gripped it out of frustration.

“Because, I- because..” 

His voice was tense, and his brows were furrowed as his jaw tensed.

He huffed, deep blue eyes looking up intensely into hers,“Because if you’re going on a date, I want it to be with me.” 

The second part of his statement was quiet, but she had heard it. She had hardly been able to believe it but she had heard it. She felt her heart bursting with excitement at his confession, her eyes lit up as she was filled with an unimaginable amount of warmth.

“So please, if- if there’s a chance you feel the same, I ask that you reconsider-”

“Noritoshi…I’m not going on a date.” 

Her tone was genuine but it held hints of amusement in it as well. He was obviously not doing well at the moment and she wasn’t going to laugh at his pain, but the situation was a little humorous. 

“...”

“...”

“..you’re not?”

She shook her head with a smile though she tried hiding it by pursing her lips.

“I don’t know who told you that but- the only person I’m interested in going on a date with is standing across from me.”

She watched as he blinked and blinked again before his face twisted in confusion. He looked down as he tried to collect his thoughts. 

The second part of her statement going completely over his head for the moment  as the sheer relief of her not being on the way to a date (with a comrade/friendly rival at that) set in.

He let out a sigh, hand rubbing over his face as his heart beat returned to its normal pace.

“You’re not going on a date…that’s….certainly nice to hear..” 

His voice filtered off as the reality of the situation was finally setting in. He had basically just confessed…and wait- had she just reciprocated?! 

His head shot up and his eyes met hers once again. The earlier panic had faded, the excitement from the current situation greatly outweighed the nervousness he could still feel in his stomach.

“I- you’d want to go on a date with me?!”

She could no longer hold back her laughter. 

She looked at him with a gaze so sincere it’d be impossible to misinterpret her feelings for him. Her shoulders shrugged as a bit of playfulness mixed in with her tone and expression.

“That depends- are you asking?”

His cheeks flushed a bit before he cleared his throat, “I am.”

Her smile widened as she slowly nodded, “Alright then, now I have a date..”

He smiled, laughing under his breath at the absurdity of the situation. All that trouble and she wasn’t even going on a date…

Wait

“Excuse me, there’s a classmate of ours I need to speak with.”

She smiled as she watched him jog down the hallway, Mai’s teasing comment and shriek as he began to chase her echoed down the halls.

[lyney-s-bitch]

how about headcanons about some of the genshin boys‘ reaction to you squirting? I’d like to see diluc, tartaglia, kazuha, cyno, xiao, tighnari, alhaitham and scaramouche ;)

hello luv~

I will split my Genshin writing debut (aka this request) into two parts due to the amount of characters, so enjoy pt. 1 for now!!

EDIT: pt. 2 is up!!

————————————————————————

Genshin boys reacting to you squirting for the first time (nsfw) || pt.1

Diluc

• mans is dumbfounded (and kinda in awe)

• he looks up at you and blinks a few times, parts of his face covered in splatters of your slick

• "Well.. That’s new" he remarks, still processing what just happened while absentmindedly swiping his thumb across his bottom lip

• and you can bet your ass he’s going to make an effort to recall and memorize exactly what he did to get you there

• might even ask you what it was that you especially liked this time (he’ll wait until you’ve calmed down from your high before interrogating you though, he’s not a monster)

• and once he deems you ready for more, he will put his new hypothesis to the test right away bc he definitely wants you to do it again

• he’s a clean man and generally prefers not to get too messy, but in this case he doesn’t mind putting in some extra work for the cleanup after

—————

Childe/Tartaglia

• this man did it on purpose, 1000%

• not surprised in the slightest, but visibly elated at the fact that he finally got his sweet, innocent (on the outside at least-) girlie to squirt for him

• yes, he had been working towards it ever since you first started getting intimate with each other

• he’s an ambitious guy, training and practicing to get better at everything he does, and sex with his girlie is no different

• he can be a huge jerk, both in the streets and in the sheets, but in the end your pleasure and enjoyment is definitely top priority

• and what will he do now that he’s achieved this goal? why of course he’ll keep adding onto it to keep maximizing your pleasure

• meaning overstimulation all the way baby, now even more than usual

• he always enjoys your whining and begging, even more so when you’re crying because everything is just too much

• but he will always just shush you with a smile, kissing away your tears and cooing "I know baby, I know… but you’ll need to bear with it for just a while longer, yeah? Do it for me angel"

—————

Tighnari

• "Oh? I didn’t know females could do that too. You must’ve enjoyed yourself a lot just now, darling" the man with the fox ears purrs, visibly fascinated

• he assumes you didn’t know you could do that either, else you surely would’ve told him before, right?

• meaning he’ll have to find out himself how to please you in a way that gets you this ecstatic again

• like Diluc, he’ll inquire what it was that you particularly enjoyed

• he’s more… detailed with his inquisitions though, and very prone to experiment

• he’ll be trying out variations of "methods" and techniques on you, curious to explore the various reactions he is able to draw from you

• and yes, he does take notes. actual notes.

• so congrats, you just managed to become the Forest Watcher Academic’s #1 test subject and are in for a LOT of fun (and work😭😭👋🏼)

—————

Kazuha

• "Mmm such a good girl for me.. You did so well my love"

• a very humble man, not smug about being the source of your immense pleasure (ofc he’s still somewhat proud tho)

• will thoroughly lick you clean and then scoop you up into his lap to pull you into a deep kiss, letting you taste yourself on his sinful tongue (quite the generous gesture, seeing as he himself loves the taste of you so much)

• will try to get you to squirt for him again in the future, but doesn’t make it his main goal

• he prefers to just enjoy the moment and the emotional intimacy between the two of you, a "goal" such as this would only sully the act for him

• he’s an extremely attentive lover in general, picking up on every little reaction you offer him upon his touch, so you will enjoy yourself to the fullest every time, whether you squirt or not

• on a side note: if you were to specifically ask him to make you squirt again, he will. he now definitely knows how, and who is he to deny his love the pleasure she wishes for?

[littledead-ridinghood]

sorry if this is a weird question to drop on you you were just the first person I thought of who might know but do you know if it's canon/canonically-based evidence that jason is physically stronger than other bats because I always see people say jason is the one with "brute strength" and I can't remember if that's based on anything besides people saying that as a nicer way to call him a brute(maybe it was on lobdells stuff? but I wiped most of those out of my memory)

You thought of me first? <333333 I'm blushing. And it's not weird at all! Even if it was, I love answering weird shit.

Anyway:

So part of Jason being considered "the muscle" of the bats comes from the fact that Jason's currently the biggest of the robins. (Adult!Damian is usually drawn as the tallest of the kids when all is said n' done (that's vague for "age")).

Well, how big then?

I always go with this chart which was released while UtRH was being released:

(I Love this! I wish DC still did little info things like this within their comics. Or maybe they do and I'm just blind. But Look! Canonical Information!)

So canonically speaking, at least when running around pre-crisis, Jason is 6 feet tall and 180 pounds. (Also note criminal mastermind and put a pin in it)

But you've probably heard 200 & 220 thrown around a lot. Those numbers are specifically pulled from two different DC character encyclopedia books which I don't trust at all because there notoriously filled with false information and are dubbed as not canon all the time.

Personally, I use the 6', 180-195 pound range which estimates for fluctuating weight, the passage of time, muscle mass, and minimum bulk & cutting (which I assume is part of most superheroes' training to stay in fighting form, but please recognize that vigilantes are more athlete than bodybuilder) because it's from a canon source (Canon is "king" and all that). No shame to people who use the other numbers or even headcanon something completely different, but again, vigilantes are predominantly running all over cities day after day, not stagnant weight lifters. Cardio vs weights body compositions are quite different even if both are healthy. (And it's not all "swimmer's body illusion" either (they have that body because they swim? No, they swim because they have that body.)

How much muscle mass a person can maximally obtain is up to your genetics. But that max only comes with constant maintainment. It's not feasible for Jason to be doing all that cardio and also have that much muscle mass and fat. Cardio burns "fat" (calories), weights build muscle. We constantly see the former and former-adjacent workouts more than the latter with him. Jason is running across rooftops, flipping off them before falling into a shoulder roll onto the next roof over chasing after bad guys every night. The number of calories he'd have to eat and time put into lifting weights (too many reps a week lead to damage, not growth) to maintain his max (max being what a lot of weights category athletes try to achieve which Jason just hasn't been shown to be (except in his jailbird phase where he could literally only lift weights, read, and avoid being killed to pass the time)) isn't possible.

Using comic art to "prove" how much he weighs doesn't work either. Firstly, because everyone wears weight differently. Two people can be the same height, weight, and sex and look completely different. This is due to different body types, composition, genetics, diet, (what kind of) exercise, and many other factors. Assuming someone thinner is automatically "super light" doesn't factor in different body compositions (fat, muscle, bone percentages). (yes, I know it's stupid to apply science to comics. There's my digression. let me live). Secondly, Jason (just like everything else about him) isn't drawn consistently at all. Sometimes he's pretty damn massive, but we also have Twink and Twunk Jason (DC can't even decide on hair color? Do you think they're gonna decide on his body?).

So, comic book art isn't super reliable as evidence unless we want to theorize if, how, and why he seems to fluctuate between weights all the time (<- Which I have a whole headcanon about if anyone's curious), especially in comparison to the others because, seriously, it's totally a Jason thing. Most characters are pretty consistent in body type. Anyway, someone could argue "See! he is 210!" but it's also not for a long enough period to stick around :/ Again, hard to consistently maintain that much weight as a 6-foot-tall, cardio-based athlete.

Also note: DC is horrible when it comes to weight-to-height lineups. A woman hero can be ~5'7'' and then we're told she's 110 lbs which Fact 1. is considered underweight for this kind of height-to-sex ratio, Fact 2. probably isn't factoring in the fact that muscle is heavier than fat, she just "looks thin", and 3. Usually, totally, absolutely is just blatant sexism.

Really, the numbers don't seriously mean anything of actual substance because their comics, are unreliable, and also usually just...scientifically wrong. But Jason's perception on page, as well as the information we've been told, is one reason he's considered "brute strength first and foremost."

Furthermore, Jason has been shown repeatedly to be on par with Bruce (even when Jason, most of the time, plays defense in their physical fights) but many people chalk this up to him and Bruce having similar physiques making it "easier". Again, counter-productive argument because Bruce and Jason have been drawn very similarly before in stories as well as completely different from each other in others. Also, this purposefully, blatantly ignores Jason's actual skills. No one chalks Dick Grayson or Cassandra Cain beating Bruce up to their body types. Moreover, when Bruce and Jason are drawn similarly in body, no one refers to Bruce as "Brute Strength" either. Bruce gets to be tactical, strategic, clever. (Also Also: In Pre-Crisis, Bruce, Dick, and Jason are deliberately drawn to look similar (height, mass, looks, etc.) to get that Brothers in Blood effect. Still, No one chalks the formers up to all strength. Just Jason)

And that brings us to your question, Anon: Is there canonical evidence for Jason being stronger than the other Bats?

Remember how I told you to put a pin in that "Occupation: Criminal Mastermind" note? Well, first off, Jason creating jobs for his community. Go off, king. Second off, and more importantly so, "Mastermind": a person who supplies the directing or creative intelligence for a project (Merriam-Webster).

When Jason was first re-introduced, what made Jason dangerous was that he was highly skilled and smart. He was playing with both Black Mask and Batman like a cat batting a toy mouse. He orchestrated an entire "slow-growing" takeover of Gotham's underworld (he was actually very quick about it). Jason controlled the situation and planned so well that he had the villains and heroes who were both after him fighting each other so he could slip away and do what he actually needed to do.

Throughout Jason's history, he's always had tools with him when he fights. To the point that Bruce says to Jaybin "You won't always have this" cutting his utility belt, insinuating he relies too much on it, which Jason returns the favor to on his return and fights B hand to hand <3 Love a cocky callback. Furthering this, he knows many, many different fighting styles and techniques both from life experience and from extensive training. Jason's a quick learner by nature and is incredibly adaptive. Guns; knives; swords; pens; sets bombs to specifically implode, not explode; makeshift gadgets; a baseball bat just laying around; a tire jack that one time; brains. I could go on. Jason doesn't just hit things. He uses what he has as a means to an end. He's canonically known as one of the best strategists in-universe and is incredibly creative with his surroundings. Jason isn't just great at extensive, long-term planning either. Bruce himself has remarked on the fact that Jason thinks incredibly quickly on his feet, he's really good at improvisation. Concisely, he has plans A-G and if all those fail, he can pull something out of nothing. Contrast this with Bruce who needs to have a plan for everything. Even if it doesn't look like he's following a plan, Bruce is. Opposed to Jason who can go with the flow and figure it out along the way.

Jason even said this in present-era in TFZ:

And that's the whole point, isn't it? Jason is strong. Incredibly so. He's big and tall and has gorgeous thighs. Not to mention, has a mean right hook. But just because Jason's strong doesn't mean he isn't a bat first and foremost who relies on his brain before anything else. He died 4'6 (on his death certificate, his height varies depending on what source you pull) and famously had to defend himself his entire life ever before being Robin. Being young and small and forced to survive shaped Jason into a quick thinker who could either get away or take enemies 10x his size down. Nowadays, he just has a longer reach.

In Event Levithan when Damian says: "Jason Todd is one of the Great Master fighters of all time" He doesn't say strongest because Damian doesn't mean strongest. Damian means adaptable, smart, capable, and well-rounded in skill.

While I don't doubt that Jason is most definitely one of the strongest Bats due to his size, what makes Jason dangerous is not his body, but the fact that he knows how to use it. It's not "Brute Strength" as many people like to say, it's Strategic Strength. He knows just because he's stronger than someone doesn't mean he'll always win. A la see panels above. Jason knows throwing his body around won't do anything of real, long-term substance. That it's just blindsided and stupid.

I'm sure if I looked I could pull panels where other bats and/or vigilantes refer to Jason as the muscle, brute (strength), all brawn (no brain), other such implications, etc, but whenever people do, it's always to undermine Jason's skill. Because it's not actually about his strength. Jason, with his taller, more built form, makes walking quiet seem easy. And it looks easy because he's good. Jason himself knows his skill set, it's everyone else that undermines him time and time and time again. (Again, Event Levithan, Bruce doesn't agree with Damian's statement even though Jason just outsmarted the six or so people who all just tried to take him down (for something Jason didn't even do, mind you))

But, again from Damian, Jason's not known as "the muscle," he's "the emotional one" also usually used to...degrade Ja--We can't have anything nice apparently is what I'm saying. But yes, when people refer to Jason as "Brute Strength" it's usually them trying to find a nicer way of saying Brute or "thinks with his fists" or "Jason hits first, asks questions later." It's in the same vein as when people say "Jason likes books" as short-hand for "see, he's smart at something" rather than acknowledging that Jason achieved a degree's worth of knowledge in comp-sci by age 13.

Anyway Smart and Strong Jason, my beloved. I wish DC & others loved you as much as Rosenburg and the teams of artists he's been working with do.

[oh-stars]

Topps

Love is secretly studying up on the nerd shit he’s into.

a @steddielovemonth prompt | 2249 words | CW: N/A | Rating: T

--

It’s not often that they all make their way to Indianapolis. It’s no Chicago and getting everyone together to make a big trip of it is getting harder and harder every month. But Will’s birthday falls in line with the grand opening of a new collectibles store that promises shiny new dice and rare items among their comics and board game memorabilia. How could anyone deny his pleading eyes to make it a part of his birthday celebration: to go see the store and find a place to eat, a day trip that’s on the simpler side. 

Eddie’s just as excited as the boys are, but he’s more surprised to find Steve is practically vibrating out of his skin with how eager he is to get to the store. He’s just not showing it in the same way the others are. It’s all vibrant eyes and small smiles, bouncing knees and one too many questions. 

Eddie’s still trying to figure out what he’s excited about. 

Over the last year, Eddie’s learned how to read Steve Harrington. The man may think he keeps an even, cool composure about everything, but Eddie’s an expert in the minor details to figure out how Steve really feels. When he talks to Hopper about some sports thing, his hands will have a small tremor and he stumbles over his words sometimes, always playing it off as some headache or not getting enough sleep if you point it out. Eddie knows better, he knows Steve gets so excited that he can’t contain it and is embarrassed at how eager he is to share it, about his interests all together. 

The kids don’t help, he knows. Outside of Lucas, the others just tease him for being a meathead jock or some other bullshit insult – pulling the same shit they get bullied with, the same shit Eddie encouraged. He’s trying to get them to see how fucked up it is, but it’s a work in progress. 

They’re driving separately so Eddie doesn’t get to watch Steve’s excitement build other than the glimpses he gets in his rearview mirror of Steve, Robin, and the girls singing along to whatever mundane Top 40 shit they’re blasting. He’d listen to the shitty music with Steve over Dustin and Mike arguing over D&D editions any day, though. At least he can control the volume of the music… 

“I’m this close,” Eddie holds up his pinched fingers, “to leaving you on the side of the road,” he tells them. 

Dustin rolls his eyes. “Steve wouldn’t let you.” 

“I think I can convince him,” Eddie says with a smirk. Only Robin knows about their relationship, even now after it’s been a year, but that doesn’t mean the kids don’t know they’re close. They know they’re inseparable and good friends. Just not… naked in bed, touchy-feely ‘friends,’ ya know?  “We’re nearly at the store. Can you at least pause the screaming match until you have the editions in front of you for proper comparison?” 

That buys Eddie a few minutes of just his music as the boys have a more reasonable discussion to figure out how to split their small funds to maximize their haul. They may be turning sixteen this year, but they’re not exactly loaded. It’s the same shit he and the guys used to pull, and sometimes… still do. It’s nice seeing them like actual kids for a little while longer. 

But he’s still happy to climb out of his van and meet back up with Steve and the gang. 

He slings an arm over Steve’s shoulders, feels how keyed up he is and how his muscles are tense despite the relaxed looking posture. “Are you mortals ready to blow your minds?” Eddie asks, voice rumbly as he leans in to stare at the girls. 

Max rolls her eyes as Erica levels him with a stare of her own. 

“Let’s go already!” Dustin calls back as the guys are already booking it toward the store. 

Nancy and Jonathan have only just pulled up as the group passes. Robin, Jane, and Max wait for them, happy to hang back from this particular stop on their day. Or maybe they’re scheming about Will’s surprise that the rest of them have been left in the dark about. 

Either way, Eddie doesn’t drop his arm from Steve’s shoulders until they reach the door. 

The store’s packed with nerds of all ages, shuffling here and there as they browse the small space. It’s like nerd paradise, with walls of collectibles and big crates of comics and books, and big displays of art and promotions everywhere. It even has that musty book smell he loves so much! 

Eddie squeezes Steve’s shoulder before he completely drops his arm. “Permission to go feral?”

Steve rolls his eyes, but shoves Eddie lightly. “Go. Have fun,” he says. 

“You could always follow me, you know. Don’t want you getting lost,” Eddie says, getting back into Steve’s space even as his eyes flickered around the space. 

“I’ll come find you, okay?” Steve says, then he walks away with his hands in his pockets like he’s just strolling through the store. But Eddie can see the sharp way his eyes are searching the space, hunting for something. It’s enough to have Eddie trailing behind him, eager to figure out this mystery. 

Okay so Eddie gets briefly distracted by a wall of dragon figurines, but he manages to pull himself away when he sees the price tags are dangerously close to having commas. He stumbles his way around, only getting swept into conversation with Will once about the variety of figures they have and able to dodge Dustin’s badgering about the new Justice League comic. 

He finds Steve hunched over a glass case that’s near the cash register, at the far end where people aren’t huddled around looking at trading cards or the pricer collectibles. Eddie tucks himself partially behind a bookshelf so he can see Steve from the side. He watches as Steve’s eyes squint and he squats lower to look at the case from a new perspective. It takes a lot of effort to not let his own eyes wander to how his ass puts his Levi’s to the test, but Eddie’s stronger than that (sort of).

And because of that strength, Eddie gets the rare experience of seeing Steve’s eyes light up as his jaw drops. He looks… in awe of whatever he’s found, like someone just showed him the Holy Grail. 

Eddie can’t help himself as he walks over. Steve’s so entranced, he doesn’t even notice. For a split second, Eddie feels that familiar panic creep up his throat before he hears a soft “holy shit,” from Steve. 

On this side of the case are… sports cards. Trading cards of different sports people in various conditions, some are in little wrappers, some in packs, and others loose in the glass display case. Huh. Go figure. 

He’s kind of surprised, if Eddie’s honest with himself, he never would have taken Steve for a collector of any kind, much less trading cards. But here he is, so amazed at whatever he’s found that he still hasn’t noticed Eddie’s presence. 

Eddie squats down beside him, knees popping with the movement, and rests his forehead on the glass. “Which one is it?” 

Steve curses under his breath as he jumps, snapping out of it. “Jesus, Eds,” he says, standing up. 

“Sorry,” Eddie says with a grin. “Seriously, though. Which is it?” 

His face is red and he looks almost ashamed to be caught staring at the cards. “Find anything cool yet?” Steve asks, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

Eddie frowns. “Steve…” 

Steve just shakes his head and turns his back on the glass. “Looks like Lucas found something,” he says with a forced laugh as he points to where Lucas is struggling to carry a few different boxes of figurines as he searches for the others in the busy store. 

“And so did you,” Eddie says softly as he stands beside him, shoulders touching. “Trading cards, huh?” 

He just shrugs. 

“I think it’s pretty cool,” Eddie says. “I don’t know anything about them but,” he glances back at the rows and rows of cards, some with tiny words and charts, “those stats have to mean something. And you know how I am about stats, Stevie.” 

Steve rolls his eyes. “They’re player stats, Eddie. It’s from their games and shit.” He sighs. “You don’t… don’t have to pretend it’s cool, man. Just sports shit, right?” 

“Hey,” Eddie says, a little more forceful, “I don’t mind sports shit, remember? We had fun watching that basketball game the other day.” 

“You were just being nice,” Steve says. 

“No,” Eddie counters, “I was a little confused on the language and how it works, but I love seeing you get passionate about something you love, Steve. Even if it means seeing how angry you get at whatever the refs are saying.” 

Steve’s face darkens as he grumbles out, “It was a shit call.” He hasn’t been able to let it go since they watched it. 

“C’mon,” Eddie says, turning back to the case, “will you just show me which one you like?” 

“It’s not necessarily about liking them,” Steve starts, turning as well, “but the players themselves.” 

Eddie hums. “So which player did you find?” 

“Nolan Ryan,” Steve breathes out, pointing at the card, “he’s a pitcher for the Astros and that,” he lets out a whistle, “is a rare 1985 Tiffany.” 

“What makes it rare?” Eddie asks. 

Steve waves him off. “Don’t worry about that–”

“No,” Eddie insists. “I told you, in detail, about my Lord of the Rings theories and you listened to every word. Let me hear about your Tiffany card.” 

“It’s not mine,” Steve reminds him. 

Eddie nudges his shoulder. “Steve.” 

Steve lets out a breath and runs a hand through his hair. “Okay, so the cards are printed here, right? Like it’s one of their things? But the Tiffany cards aren’t, they’re printed in Ireland. And you see how that one is a little brighter than the one next to it?” He doesn’t wait for Eddie’s response. “They printed the Tiffany sets on white cardboard instead of gray. And they only made a limited run of the sets, right? So to just… find one,” he says, voice soft and light, “and Nolan Ryan’s card at that?” He whistles. “Kind of a big deal.” 

“So you’re getting it, right?” 

Steve shrugs again. “Maybe I’ll drive up later for it. I don’t want to deal with the kids–” 

“We’ll put it in my bag. I haven’t even really started to look, but you know I’m emptying my wallet in here, right?” Eddie says, smiling. 

“Why haven’t you looked?” Steve asks, brow furrowing. “We’ve been here for twenty minutes, Eds, what have you been doing?” 

Eddie feels his face soften as he tilts his head and plays with a strand of his hair. “There’s this guy I’ve got a thing for,” he whispers, “and he was really excited to come to some nerd store, but wouldn’t tell me why. So I had to figure it out myself.” 

Steve’s blushing again as he looks away. “C’mon,” he says, grabbing Eddie by the elbow, “show me what you want to look at.” 

He allows Steve to change the subject and does look for himself, but he doesn’t forget the wistful look in Steve’s eyes when they end up by the case again for check-out. 

“Hey,” Eddie says, mostly to Nancy and Robin who have joined them in line, “should we send some of us down to the restaurant?” 

Nancy looks at her watch, then at the line. “Yes, that’s not a bad idea.” 

Steve nods and hands Eddie some cash. “Just in case the kids need help. Nance, Rob and I’ll go check in at the restaurant. See you there?” 

Eddie lets the three of them walk out the door before he steps out of the line. Sure, he’ll lose his place, but it’s worth it. 

“Excuse me,” Eddie says to an employee behind the counter, “I need to get this card.”

The guy knows his shit, so while the line dwindles, Eddie takes the opportunity to ask some questions. He even gets a few more card packs from the newest run, card holders and sleeves to put them in, and a booklet that explains the set. There’s even a book on the history of the game that the cashier suggests; Eddie doesn’t hesitate to buy it all. Sure, he had to put away a few figures and the new dice set he found, but it’s worth it. 

He hides all of his new goods in with his other nerdy shit and carefully puts his bag in the glove box so it doesn’t get mixed up with the kids’ bags. “You guys ready?” Eddie asks, arms draped over Mike and Will’s shoulders. 

As they walk to the restaurant for the next stop in their plans, Eddie listens to the kids share about their hauls and what they want to come back for. It all goes in one ear and out the other, too busy mulling over the information he learned from the cashier. He’s kind of surprised by how excited he is to read the materials he bought, but he really can’t wait to give Steve the card. 

Now if he can just get Steve to admit he’s a nerd, too, it’d be icing on the cake.  

--

Thanks to @lady-lostmind for betaing!

Ao3 Link

[delululand]

hihi could you do what makes enha jealous & how will they act on it?

hiii, I got about 5 messages asking about enhypen jealousy so I think this is a really long awaited post hahaha

I’m incredibly grateful to the engine who asked those questions at the fansign because now we have not just guesses, but literally their answers about the limits

heeseung

actually I was a little surprised that it would be okay for him if his girlfriend went out to dinner with a male friend and talked on the phone, he seemed a little more jealous to me. but okay, we know that texting every day, going to the cinema with male friend and going to an idol fansign would not be okay for him. and if you look at his answers, he is literally the only one who allowed this. and to me he seems like a guy with a calm type of jealousy. like if this was not some kind of open provocation or something rude, he would simply take you away from that guy and would of course be outraged, but rather just grumble like “oh did you see how he flirted with you? fucking asshole…”

jay

first of all, I want to note how thoughtfully I approached questions about this and how carefully tried to answer. I always thought he’s a super protective guy and my suspicions were confirmed. he answered no to literally everything, he is against his girlfriend and male friends talking on the phone, texting every day, going to dinner together, going to the theater, any physical contact (he said that giving a high five is okay and maxim pat on the shoulder) and even when answering about patting on the shoulder, he said something like “probably if she has a lot of male friends, she’s used to it, so ok” and actually I think he's not really ok with it. he's struggling with a kind of protective boyfriend inside and respecting/understanding the other person's personal boundaries like on the one hand he'd like to keep his girlfriend out of it completely, but on the other hand he realizes he can't push and forbid anything. and in a situation that could make him jealous, he would initially try to behave persistently but tactfully, not because it is normal for him that that guy is flirting with you, but because he does not want to make you feel uncomfortable or awkward, however, if the situation were not changed even with his appearance, he absolutely would not have remained silent and showed that guy his place

jake

ohhhh jake my sweet jake…. his playful puppy vibes and even the way he answered these questions... we won't even talk about his tendency to induce jealousy, but okay, the concept of jealous sex in real life always seemed a little strange to me, but JAKE... based on his answers to the questions, he also answered no to everything and if it was something serious, he certainly would not be happy, (but in fact I don’t think that he would really swear or get angry, he would rather be annoyed and discussed this situation asking you don’t communicate with that guy more). however, if it was something like a light momentary flirtation with a random guy, and especially if he knows that you are doing it on purpose to annoy him, I don’t know if you will understand what I mean, but with what intonation he says 이게 뭐야 (what's this) even out of context from his lips it sounds so flirtatiously seductive hahaha. and thinking about this situation, he would absolutely come up to you as soon as you finish the dialogue with that guy and, taking you to a secluded place, pressed you against the wall with the words «oh baby what was that?” and we all know what will happen as soon as you return home

sunghoon

as expected of him he answered no to everything and he answered with such confidence and enthusiasm hahaha. definitely the type who gets jealous easily and kind of shows it right away but not in an aggressive manner. for example, seeing you with another guy, he immediately comes up with a murderous look at him, but smiles sweetly at you and, as if by chance, puts his arm around your shoulders, but if that guy turns out to be dull and continues to flirt with you, then sunghoon would not remain silent and explain to him in a calm commanding tone that you are his girlfriend and what will happen to him if he doesn’t leave now

[darlingmisa]

No Days Off | Abby Anderson

cw... pure fluff

wc... 954

The day had already started wrong, Abby woke up to loud banging on the front door at 6 AM, on what was supposed to be her day off. She slowly wiggled her way out of your tight grip on her bicep, glad whoever was obnoxiously knocking didn't wake you up. 

All it took was a small peak through the crack of the old door for Abby to see that the person who seemingly had no patience was none other than Isaac, who'd come to tell her that it was in fact no longer her day off and that someone had called off last minute and he needed her to take their place. 

Abby loved patrolling, so this wasn't exactly what set her off. What did was the person she was paired with. She had a feeling things wouldn't go well and they didn't. Her partner seemed to need to correct her on every little thing she did. Whether she was 'walking too loud' or 'not searching thoroughly enough' they were up her ass every moment of their 12-hour patrol. This is when her mood started to dampen. 

When they'd finally reached back to base, Abby's partner was quick to blame their lack of supplies found on Abby, saying she was working inefficiently and got them into dangerous situations many times, neither of which were really true. At this point, all Abby wanted to do was go home to her girl, and relax like she'd promised to do. But nothing could ever be easy for her. It seemed like everywhere she went someone was waiting to talk to her, needing to ask a question or some favor. 

You, on the other hand, had a plan from the minute you woke up to the other side of the bed being empty and cold. You'd found a small note on your bedside table, explaining how she got called to patrol, and that she was sorry and would be home for dinner. You knew Abby looked forward to her days off, seeing it as a chance to finally relax and really spend time with you. She'd planned things for the day, and you were sure she wasn't happy to have to cancel and work instead, so you did the first thing you could think of.

The first thing Abby always did when she returned from patrol was eat. There were days when she'd choose to not eat on patrol and maximize the time she had to really search for things. To her, this was a great idea, as she always came back with bags full of supplies. To you, however, it wasn't your favorite method she had. She would come home hungry and grumpy, not wanting to talk until she had at least two servings of something. This is where your plan came into action. 

You figured Abby had rushed out with no breakfast, so you prepped her favorite meal to come back to. It was almost her comfort meal, her go-to when a day went wrong or something was really on her mind. She claimed it was "so good it distracted her", and showed you how to make it just the way she likes. And that's exactly what you did. 

You'd prepped everything, and about an hour before she'd return, you began cooking. Abby loves her food fresh whenever possible, so you chose to try and time it perfectly so that it was ready right when she got home. And that plan seemed to work because as you put the lid on the pot to keep the finished meal warm, you heard the front door swing open. 

You practically jumped in her arms as soon as she walked through the door "Abby! God I missed you so much." You could feel her arms tightening around your waist, almost lifting you off the ground. 

"I know I know, I missed you too and I'm sorry it was supposed to be our day off and...that smells so good" Before she could even finish her apology the savory scent of what she can only describe as heaven hit her nose. "Did you..?"

You nodded as a smile spread across your face "Mhm..it's your favorite!" Grabbing her hand you practically dragged her toward the kitchen. "I just finished so it's nice a fresh. I figured you'd be pretty hungry so I made a lot"

"You really didn't have to babe" Abby was in complete shock. You had spent most of your day making something just for her when you could have simply relaxed like the two of you had planned to do together. She simply couldn't wrap her head around the fact that you would go out of your way to do something so simple yet sweet and meaningful for her. 

"But I wanted to! Come on let's eat." You were quick to load a large plate full of food and slide it toward Abby. "I hope it tastes okay, I tried to do it the way you always do." 

It didn't take long to realize you must have done it right, looking over to see your girlfriend almost inhaling her entire plate before mumbling a small "It's great honey." 

So for the rest of the night, you two sat and ate. Abby told you all about her annoying patrol partner and you told her all about the little adventure you had to get ingredients for dinner. And when your plates were both empty and there were no thirds to grab, the two of you curled up in bed with the soft sound of the old radio humming in the background slowly falling asleep in each other's arms. 

[mondaymelon]

the first time you hold hands.♡

(liyue genshin impact x gn!reader)

written headcanon style! enjoy✩

(a/n) gift for @lume-nosity ♡ feel free to comment or reblog characters you want next!! (the xiao part took so much out of me i cant stop fucking squeeallinggg please hoyo give us soft xiao interactions next lantern rite pleaseee)

˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚

xiao ♡

he never was an affectionate person, but he tried to change that for you.

it was common knowledge that the adeptus was cold and typically uninviting to mortals, but to you, he was a completely different person.

he was never harsh to you, never yelled at you, not even when he was raging mad, because he didn't want to scare you. he never told you anything differing from kind words or praise, because he knew that doing so would make you happy.

and it did.

recently, xiao had agreed, albeit reluctantly, to come with you to liyue harbor to have a small meet up with you. it wasn't often that you got breaks from your job, but when you did, you would spend them at wangshu inn, excitedly conversing with the dark-haired man as the moon rose and shone overhead. This time, you had invited him to come to you instead, and that you would show him around modern liyue.

he never liked mortals, but you were different.

"xiao! there you are!" you gave the male a wave from where you stood, beaming. above, the sky was just beginning to get dark, the horizons tinted with hues of violet and crimson.

you could see him clearly from where you stood, the adeptus walking at his usual brisk pace. as he reached you, he paused and hesitated. "what do mortals call these things again?"

"dates?" you giggled, laughing at xiao's innocent and silly nature.

"that's it." the dark-haired male nodded, before glancing at you and then downward with his warm amber eyes. "then... can we hold hands?" he stares down at the ground, face and ears tinged red from embarrassment. xiao extends a hand toward you slowly, waiting for a response.

and you gladly take it, intertwining your fingers with his gloved ones and smiling. "of course."

the night is cold, but with the two of you interlocking hands, suddenly, everything seems all the bit more warm.

childe ♡

"comrade" had always been his title for you.

and the two of you had always been close. you had been childe's friend, advisor, and companion for longer than you could remember. the two of you had braved the harsh winters shneznaya, and when the male had received orders to head to liyue for some unsettled matters, you were more than willing to pack everything and leave with him.

after all, without childe, nothing could be the same.

you watched silently at the interaction between the northland bank receptionist and the familiar ginger, before making a quick motion to childe to mention that you were heading out. it was just too stuffy inside, and you needed some air. it had been a busy past few weeks, and the times where you did have rare solace, you decided you maximize the most of.

pushing open the heavy door, the cold night breeze greeted you. it was chilly, but it did help clear your head. the moon is full tonight, you note to yourself, staring up from where you're leaning on the side railings and smiling.

then there's the sound of footsteps behind you as low and behold, tartaglia himself comes out to check up on you.

"hey, comrade. what are you doing all alone out here?" his voice is nonchalant, but you could decipher the worried undertone in his words.

"i needed to clear my head." you glance back at him, before gesturing to the empty space beside you with a grin. "the view is great here, childe. come take a look."

and he does, stepping over to your side gently with the ghost of a smile still lingering on his face. he follows your gaze quietly, up at the round, shining moon and glittering stars that light up the night sky. then he turns to look at you, and his gaze softens.

then warmth shoots through you as he grasps your hand, fingers brushing yours before he clasps them tightly.

"it's okay if i do this, right, love?"

kazuha ♡

it was in his notebook that you saw his true feelings, displayed for you to see, and you knew how much it meant for him.

you hadn't meant to stumble across journal - really. it was by complete chance that kazuha had decided to go for a walk and you hadn't realized, and so had gone into his room to speak to him only to find him gone.

thinking that he might be holed up somewhere in the space, busy writing something, you searched high and low and only found a leather bound journal with a red maple leaf on the cover that had clearly been stitched on. opening it, you were astonished to find pages on pages of endless haikus, poems, all sorts of rhymes and tales, all written in kazuha's graceful, flowy handwriting.

a smile upon the breeze, cruelties done out of fun. that out of so many people of these my lover is none.

the rising sun brings forth new morn still, the memory fades yet, for even though your face was forlorn, your smile i shall never forget.

for as long as we play this game, i wish our paths will never part. would you say you felt the same? if i told you what lied in my heart?

the poems and easing verses run ceaselessly from page to page, and you can only feel your eyes widen and face burn as you keep reading, albeit a bit guilty for going through his personal things like this. but as you turn the page to read the last poem, you can hear footsteps resounding from somewhere down the hall.

someone's coming.

immediately, you hastily scramble to place the journal back where it was and then dive on top of kazuha's bed, hoping that no one would spot you underneath the covers. the steps stop at the door, and you can hear the hinges squeal quietly as the door gets pushed open.

"hello?" kazuha's voice is confused and quiet, and you already know that he's suspiciously scanning the room. heart racing, you hear him walk closer to the bed, pausing before-

"what-" the male threw back the covers, and you can glimpse his startled expression from where you're pressed flat against his mattress. "what are you doing here...?"

"uhm... surprise?" you sit up awkwardly, scooting off the bed and getting onto your feat nervously. "a-anyway- don't think about this too hard- let's just..." you clasped kazuha's hand in yours, smiling frantically. fingers locked together, you tugged kazuha to and out the door. "let's just forget about it, okay?"

poor kazuha's so embarrassed, he can't even say a thing except mutter a quiet:

"o-okay."

ganyu ♡

working overtime was something ganyu was accustomed to. however, she was still unfamiliar with many concepts, namely you, and your seemingly endless affection.

you were a peculiar person, in ganyu's eyes. you always, no matter how late she got off work, waited for the adeptibeast patiently, usually handing her a gift or drink of some sort before walking her back to her house.

the evenings the two of you spend together at what ganyu considers the best moments of her days.

The warm evening glow reflecting off of your face, the lanterns lining the streets, the hustling murmur of excited in the background only convinced ganyu that she cared for you more than she would ever let on.

"ah..." ganyu turns to you, and you blink at her questioningly in return. "speaking of which, was there anything you wanted?"

"huh...?"

"well, you're always waiting for me after work... and bringing me all sorts of things too... so i wanted to pay you back for all of the effort." ganyu glances away, deciding to look anywhere but you, glancing at the food stalls, buildings, and the stone path the two of you are walking on. however, her efforts were fruitless, as you were able to see a clear view of her flushed face.

"aw, that's so sweet of you!" grinning, you let out a little giggle at her mannerisms. "but i didn't give you those hoping for something in return. its because i care about you!"

i care about you.

those words rang in the blue-haired girls ears as her warm eyes widened. "then..."

she walks closer to you, tugging at your sleeve with red tinged cheeks. as you turn to look at her questioningly, she takes your hand in hers, intertwining her slender fingers with you.

"can i do this?"

shenhe ♡

she had never really understood humans, nor wanted to, until she met you.

no one ever called shenhe a human. it was only ever adepti this and adepti that. maybe it was her lack of present emotions, or maybe it was just her cold demeanor, but her words fell upon deaf ears whenever she tried to explain.

"eh? you seem pretty human to me, shenhe. it's pretty hard to get it wrong, honestly." you glanced up at the white-haired girl curiously. the two of you were seated at liuli pavilion, upon your request to share lunch together.

"hard... to mistake me?" shenhe smiled airily, an expression that was seen by few. "just as i thought. you're different than everyone else. in a good way."

"...th-thanks...?"

shenhe merely let an relatively amused expression cross her face. "let me ask you something. to you, what makes a human human?"

you thought about her question for a long pause before answering. "i'd like to say... emotions. humans are egotistic and greedy, i'll admit to that, as i'm guilty of it myself, but humans also are thoughtful. they're kind, caring, genuine and understanding. that's what makes communities so powerful too. it's because everyone as the mutual trust and belief in each other that they can do great things." you grinned at the girl. "you have emotions too, they just don't get shown as often as the emotions of others. but that doesn't mean you don't have them."

the white-haired woman stayed silent for the count of three, her multi-colored eyes sparkling as she stared at you with a level of affection you didn't know was possible.

a light blush began creeping across her face as well, although she didn't seem to notice her red cheeks and ears. instead, she just beamed at you.

"caring, you say? then, tell me, is this something a caring human would do?" with that, she reached down at took your hand with hers as a faint smile began to form on shenhe's face. her slender hands were cold to the touch, a pleasant feeling in the warm liyue heat as she intertwined her hands with yours.

"yes, it is."

"good."

prev masterlist ✩ next

[samsm2mstories]

Thomas the straight gymer

Thomas is your typical gymer influncer, he has so much confidence in everything he does. Being prime age at university everyone always envied or wanted a piece of him. You knew he was the one to be with for that social media hit and buzz.

This morning he walked in full of energy and knew that the janitor was checking him out so he gave a cheeky smirk and flexed as he was enjoying the attention.

The janitor had other ideas, what Thomas didn't realise that this janitor was in fact possessed by a fellow student who happens to be your typical nerd. The guy was eyeing up Thomas as he wanted that life for all himself and wanted to add his smarts with Thomas body.

Thomas had no idea what was coming to him as the gym was quieter as normal, this was a trap laid just for this life changing moment.

In the changing room doors, you could see a flash of light beaming through the door framework.

Thomas came out looking extra sweaty and that boner showing in his sweatpants. You could sense Thomas is now the sexy gay jock of the gym. The aurora was different, the confidence was still there but Thomas seemed to navigate everything better. The smarts are now inside the body of Thomas. It was a perfect combination as Thomas went for a selfie and knew exactly how to maximize the stats.

This is the life of Thomas as the hottest jock who is not also smart and gay!

[romirola]

Headcanons for the Shaw Pack’s Travelling Styles at the Airport 

David: David likes to be prepared, which leads him to overpack, just in case. Half the time, it pays off, though all the time it means his bags are way heavier than he wants them to be, not that he’d ever admit it. Although David considers himself a pretty patient guy, he dreads the idea of waiting in line for security, to board, to purchase a coffee/snack, to exit the plane… He has no direct airline experience, but honestly, he’s pretty sure he could streamline the whole process. 

Angel: They are an expert packer and they know it. Not only do they manage to arrange everything they need into the most condensed way possible, but they also know how to pack light. Angel is always one to be ready with their boarding pass, ticket, and anything else they’d need, though what they most look forward to is exploring their destination (whether it be for leisure or business) and getting a firsthand feel of the entire experience. They often indulge in arriving at the airport with plenty of time so they can people-watch with a latte.  

Asher: As a child, Asher often flew with his family to visit his grandparents, with one set in Belfast and the other in Galway. Because of that experience, he associates travel with adventure and fun, even if it’s due to work. Asher can make himself extremely comfortable in any airport, somehow intuiting the best place to find a seat, charge a phone, or search through a carryon for missing headphones. Asher can even nap in the most bustling of airports, but amazingly, he wakes up on time and never misses a flight. 

Babe: Babe is a nervous flier (check out this oneshot if you want to see that in action), but they are an absolute master at logistical planning. Booking deals, loyalty accounts, membership discounts… You name it, Babe has it and knows how to use it. Once, they even managed to get paid by the airline to fly to their cousin’s wedding. Babe also likes to select their seats ahead of time to maximize comfort and space.

Milo: Milo is probably one of the luckiest travelers ever to set foot in an airport. Although he never asks for any sort of special treatment, he never fails to get it. Every staff member feels compelled to give Milo all the bonus miles, first-class upgrades, or expedited services they could possibly give him. The restricted lounges welcome Milo even though he's not a member. During the flight, the flight attendants give him extra snacks, blankets, and anything he could ever want. No one, not even Milo, can explain the phenomenon. He loves every minute of it.

Sweetheart: Sweetheart’s poor sense of direction means that they require lots of extra time when it comes to travelling. They need to factor in inevitably getting lost to any movement they might make. That could include getting to the airport, finding their gate, or refilling their water bottle at the fountain a few steps away. They can and will manage to get lost, no matter how diligently they study the airport maps before they go. Despite their inability to orient themselves, Sweetheart will insist that the best way to spend any length of time at the airport is to keep active, since they will have to sit on the plane, so they will most likely be found walking laps, back and forth, across a space where they can always have their gate in sight. 

Darling: Darling honestly prefers to drive or, if possible, to take the train. Not because they are afraid of flying. Certainly they will fly if needed. But for Darling, there’s something inextricably exciting about watching the world go by like that. Darling also has quite an affinity for the cafe car, or, whenever they take a lengthier trip, the dining car. They can’t exactly say why, but it’s such a treat to partake, almost like a step back in time, and yet, a surreally modern amenity.  

Sam: Sam has always seen the airport as one big scam where every decision is meant to squeeze out more money from travelers. Pay to check a bag, pay to buy food, pay for leg room, pay to breathe air, basically. It’s a total racket, and he loathes every iota of the whole experience. If only vampires could learn how to rift like d(a)emons… He does, however, find himself more willing to shell out some money for a few gaudy-but-fun magnet souvenirs lately. After all, Sam’s never had a pack (and yes, Vincent and Lovely are included) for whom to purchase travel gifts. He still thinks everything is overpriced, but he looks forward to giving out the gifts upon his return. 

[solaireverie]

Solsplaining Lestappen Gate 2023: Motivations

(aka i spent a full day psychoanalyzing rich white men who drive fast cars for a living)

I'll be the first to admit it: the recent rumors of a move to Red Bull for Charles / news involving him that is just as shocking, affectionately known as Lestappen Gate 2023, is likely delusion. (Or in the words of my beloved sister, "silly season didn't deliver this year, so we have to find something else to obsess over")

However, one common misconception is that one of the main reasons why a deal like this would fall through is the perception that Charles is, and will always remain, loyal to Ferrari, and would never move to another team. However, I actually think that it's very possible for Charles to want a transfer.

Charles is a professional athlete. You don't get to the level that he's at without being dedicated, hardworking, and incredibly competitive. (You can even see his ultra-competitive nature outside of the car — just take a look at the Ferrari driver challenges on Youtube.)

Every single Formula 1 driver (with the possible exception of the man, the myth, and the legend that is Yuki Tsunoda) dreams of winning the World Driver's Championship. Charles isn't going to stay with a team that promised him victory yet keeps failing to deliver (see Silverstone 2022, Spain 2022, Hungary 2022, etc), especially when he's already proven that he can challenge for the title when given a competitive car and decent strategy.

In fact, Charles has already told us the circumstances under which he would be open to leaving Ferrari: when he no longer believes in their "project" and he doesn't feel like he's maximizing performance. (He states clearly that he won't leave at the moment, but the most reasonable estimate for a move has always been 2025, after his current contract expires.)

Now, what could possibly qualify as not maximizing performance? Maybe Charles' past four years with Ferrari?

It obviously isn't all Ferrari's fault. Charles has made his fair share of mistakes and he's paid for them (ex: French GP 2022), but at the end of the day you have to admit that Ferrari seems to make an inordinate amount of mistakes for what should be one of the most prestigious teams in the sport.

Also, not directly related to Charles going to RBR, but it's been said that Ferrari only want to keep one of their current drivers for the future due to concerns about car development since Charles and Carlos have different driving styles. They would prefer to retain Charles, and that's why Carlos has been having difficulties with his contract, but at the end of the day I think that may be another concern Charles may have.

Red Bull have proved time and time again that they are currently on top in terms of car development, pace, strategy, etc. etc. It truly cannot be stressed too much the insanely dominant season they're currently having, and it seems probable that they'll continue this streak into at least the next two to three seasons.

(And even if they do fall off after the 2026 regulations are introduced, they've shown that they can remain competitive and fight to get back to the top. Red Bull have had two periods of domination in the past decade-ish and Ferrari haven't had a WDC since Kimi in 2007 or a WCC since the year after.)

If Charles wants to leave Ferrari to get a better shot at the WDC, Red Bull would be one of his best bets.

On the other side of the equation is Max Verstappen, who has consistently praised Charles' racecraft and has even said that he thinks that they would work well together (mind you, this article is from 2019, which was waaaaaay before their relationship reached the stage that it's at now, and Max was already floating the possibility.)

Red Bull is currently Max's team. He would definitely have a significant amount of input should they decide to change his teammate. Everything he's said so far about and around Charles, as well as the way he acts with him, points to Max not being opposed to the idea. (I'd even go so far as to say that it's possible that he wants to race alongside Charles... *cough* those comments about putting Charles in a better car *cough*)

Red Bull as a team would also benefit greatly from signing Charles. Firstly, he's a great PR asset. He's a media darling and at least one of the top three most popular drivers in F1. For a team that's basically a glorified marketing campaign, that's incredibly important.

Secondly, he and Max have similar driving styles. They're both aggressive and prefer borderline "undriveable" cars. Red Bull have the same issue as Ferrari currently in that their two drivers don't necessarily share the same style, which makes car development difficult. This results in the car suiting one driver (usually the faster) over the other, which then leads to the other driver performing abnormally substandard (see post-Miami 2023 Sergio and McLaren 2022 Daniel).

There are, of course, people who think that Checo might keep his seat or Daniel/Liam/Yuki will replace him.

Checo hasn't been able to achieve a 1-2 in the championship despite having had two dominant cars. This year, if he does get it, it would be by the skin of his teeth (fingers still crossed for Lewis!!!), which if you look at Max's gap with him in the points is simply ridiculous.

He's been decent for getting in the points, but a car like the RB19 shouldn't just be "in the points". Of course, it's not exactly suited for him, but less Q3 appearances than Oscar Piastri, a rookie who had a bad car for a third of the season? Sergio has always been a driver who excels in midfield teams and dragging decent cars higher than they should go, but I don't think he's built for championship contention in a dominant team like Red Bull.

I hate to say it, but realistically I don't see Daniel finding his way back into a RBR seat. He's still a good driver, but he's getting older and his stints with Renault and McLaren really hurt his reputation. The main reason that I think Red Bull would keep him now is for marketing but they've already achieved that by first making him their third driver and then sticking him in Alpha Tauri. Moment of silence for Nyck.

Let's take a look at Red Bull's history of choosing drivers: they've always leaned on the younger side. Sebastian Vettel, Max himself, Pierre Gasly, and Alex Albon were all brought in to replace an older driver. (Which again proves my point about Daniel: Why would RBR replace Checo with a driver older than him? This sentence pained me to write. RBR Daniel you will always be special in my heart!!!)

On the other hand, both Pierre and Alex have shown Red Bull that promoting a rookie too soon can hurt both of them. Yuki, perhaps, but he's not the most stable driver, and he doesn't have the raw talent that Max possesses to make up for the mistakes he makes occasionally. (Personally, I think he'll go to a midfield team eventually.)

For Red Bull, Charles would be a fantastic addition. He's already proven himself, is a publicity powerhouse in his own right, and can compete with Max. Just... no Brocedes ending, please.

Red Bull and Ferrari are incredibly similar in the sense that they are both, at the core of their existences, a mythos, albeit in vastly different ways. Red Bull Racing is a marketing scheme that chases success above all. Scuderia Ferrari is the years of history that looms behind the name.

They're both trying to sell you something, it's just that one is an energy drink and the other is the legend of the Prancing Horse.

Eventually, when Charles is no longer buying into Ferrari, he's going to go looking for another team to put his faith in, and plenty of signs point to it being Red Bull, who in my opinion has shown that they would be more than happy to accept him.

This still doesn't explain why Ferrari would also be posting Lestappen and it's entirely possible that it's all just a ✨ coincidence ✨, but in the meantime I will choose to be delusional!

If you've read to here, I salute you for reaching the end of my ramblings. Please drop by to let me know what you think! Have a nice day and stay hydrated <3

[seeingivy]

speak now! 

satoru gojo x f! reader

in which you stop your best friend, satoru gojo, from marrying someone else - after realizing you had feelings for him while he’s standing at the altar

**part of my satoru as taylor swift songs series

- 

as the party roared on inside, you found yourself with gojo, lying face up on the patio, staring up at the starry sky. your stomach was settling, still feeling slightly buzzed from the beer pong you played a few hours ago. as fun as geto’s parties were, you both found yourself needing a breather after having too much to drink. 

shoulder to shoulder, you could feel your heart thundering in your chest, your face warm. satoru’s fingers were tangled with yours, his cold fingers intertwined with your warm ones. 

“hey, marry me?” 

“shut up, you pervert” 

as you guys finished up your masters degrees, the pressure was rising on gojo to take over his father’s company. you couldn’t imagine this buffoon you had been best friends with since the start of undergrad really being responsible for anything important, let alone an entire technological empire. the two of you very recently found out that an addendum to taking over the company was marrying someone else in the industry, so as to maximize the profits that could come from a business deal like that. 

“we would make sexy babies.” he said, squeezing your hand hand in his, his eyes boring into yours. 

“objection. I could have sexy babies with anyone, gojo. plus, my empire of organic chemistry exams to grade will most definitely take your company to the next level.” you said, removing your hand from his. 

he’s quiet. you felt you went too far. while you and gojo had been friends for years now, his family showed a clear distaste for you and your line of work. you knew it wasn’t personal, since they weren’t big fans of geto either. plus, convincing gojo to raise megumi with you halfway through undergrad left a sour taste in their mouth. and geto was reckless in more ways than one, so you couldn’t really blame them. 

“do you think you’ll really do it, gojo?” you whispered. 

“maybe. but trust me, i’ll be thinking of you the entire time mama.” he says, winking at you. 

never serious. you punch him in the shoulder, rolling your eyes at his words. he blows you a kiss in response. 

“you really are a pervert.” 

“you have to barge in and stop the wedding, you know. confess your undying love for me” 

“for sure, gojo. it’ll be a big dramatic moment, tears flowing, full cheese and everything. about how it’s you and it’s always been you.” 

the two of you stare at each other before you burst out laughing into the night, your hands intertwining once again. you smiled over at him, silently wishing the two of you would be hand in hand, friends forever. 

“then we’ll get to work on those babies that night.” 

you slap him straight across the face. 

- 

your feet were glued to the floor, fighting down the bile that was rising in your throat. 

“welcome to the wedding of satoru gojo and hina soma!”

  shoko walked up and laced her fingers through yours, with geto, nanami, and megumi slowly trailing behind you. her hand in yours and the presence of your three greatest friends would hopefully prove to be enough to get you through this wedding. 

at some point, though you’re not sure when, his cheesy pick up lines started to make your heart race. his willingness to come to your aid, to pick you back up when you were down, to back you when you needed him all added up to a hopeless, disgusting, big crush on him. you were sure if you could have the chance, you would love him, the real way. how you ended up in this mess, at his wedding to another girl, was lost to you entirely. he slipped away so fast. 

as the five of you headed towards the open bar, shoko, nanami, and geto greeted hina’s family, having met them at the rehearsal dinner in shoko’s backyard the night before. notably, you and megumi were not invited to the affair. in all honesty, you were shocked hina had even let the two of you come to the wedding. she shared gojo’s parents distaste for the unusual situation you and gojo had with megumi. 

you reached down to fix megumi’s tie, still horribly made from earlier. gojo was always better at this than you. as they all exchanged pleasantries. you tried to swallow the lump forming in your throat. he’s just getting married. keep it together.  

he promised he would still come around, promised you and megumi will always be his family. you, nanami, geto, and shoko would still be the people most important to him. that’s all that mattered. you held onto the thought, as you settled into the pews with megumi. 

megumi slides his hand in yours, effectively stopping the shaking in your hands. as more and more people moved to the pews, you could tell the wedding was about to start. you cursed gojo for picking shoko, nanami, and geto as part of his wedding party, wishing they were here to hold you down through the vows. 

gojo saunters in, looking nothing short of the perfect. his normally messy hair is styled, not a platinum hair out of place. his brilliant blue eyes were on display for once, with no sunglasses or bandana in sight. he feigned a serious look, nodding in acknowledgement to yaga, who was officiating the ceremony. as he takes his stance at the altar, the two of you make eye contact. 

you and megumi shoot him a smile, the two of you discreetly waving at him. he waves back, sticking his tongue out at megumi. megumi rolls his eyes in response, clearly annoyed by gojo’s unseriousness. as he turns to look at you, he shoots you a glittering smile, accompanied by a wink. 

“he has no shame. flirting with another woman at his literal wedding.” said megumi, fidgeting with his collar and slumping into his seat. 

you ignore the pounding in your chest, silently cursing the ache in your heart, trying to ignore the fact that this is the moment you’re letting him go. letting him get away. the music started up again, with hina flowing down the aisle, accompanied by her father. she looked beautiful, her fifty foot beaded train following behind her. as she joined gojo at the altar, he looked at her in acknowledgment, the gleaming smile from earlier absent. 

as yaga starts the ceremony, you can’t help but ruminate over the wink. of course gojo winked at you. in the most infuriating, gut-wrenching way, you loved it. it was so…gojo. of course he would do something stupid like that. 

you love him. you love satoru gojo and he’s marrying someone else. you fight the tears rising to your eyes, as yaga starts the ceremony. you feel megumi squeezing your hand, trying to ground you in the situation. 

how could you let this happen? when did it get this far? it was only yesterday you guys were drunk on a patio, giggling with your hands interlocked. could you still stop this? 

at that moment, yaga’s voice rose over the hall, the words ringing in your ears. 

“if you think this couple should not be joined together, for whatever reason, speak now or forever hold your peace.” 

speak now. speak now or forever hold your peace.

forever

. 

speak now, y/n! 

you stand up, your hands shaking at your sides. the side of your face was still wet, the tears from earlier sticking to your face. you feel necks craning back to glance at you, horrified looks plastered on their faces. 

your eyes meet gojo’s, his blue eyes boring into yours as his hands disconnecting from hina’s to face you. you find your voice, fighting the shakiness overtaking your entire body. 

“i’m not the type of girl who…does this. i don’t usually barge in on white veil occasions. but you..” 

you look at gojo, the look on his face searching for something on yours. the moment on the patio flashes back, his words echoing back to you. 

“aren’t the type of boy who should be marrying the wrong girl.” 

you hear a commotion, people whispering and talking in their chairs. hina looks positively upset, her bridesmaids ready to kill. you look over, geto, nanami, and shoko who nod at you to go on.

“please don’t say yes. don’t say a single vow. i

love

you satoru.” you said, the tears streaming down your face, messing up the perfectly placed eyeliner shoko had done hours before. 

an outrage. people whispers turned into loud rage. gojo’s parents looked furious, rising up from their chairs to speak to him. 

“if you ever cared about me, in that way, then meet me. back door, satoru. I’ll be waiting.” 

and with that, you storm out. 

- 

you sit on the roof, with your silver heels placed next to you. shoko’s backyard was decorated, the tables from the rehearsal dinner still in place from the night before. 

shortly after your big outburst, shoko and geto came out, with megumi in tow, saying the four of you should probably leave before people came to find you. he didn’t come. he wasn’t going to come. 

the four of you left in her car, megumi’s hand curled in yours as you silently cried the entire way home. 

weirdly enough now, looking at the sky gave you peace. you laid back, staring up at the sky, and ruminated on the moment. you spoke your truth, with the stars bearing witness, but to no avail. but now you can move forward. satoru gojo, who’s plagued your mind and your heart for the past six years, can finally be left behind. you close your eyes, banishing the thought of him from your mind. 

you dig your fingertips into your temples, trying to banish the headache left behind after you drained yourself of all your tears. you hear small footsteps on the roof, annoyed at the presence all together. 

“leave, shoko.” 

you shut your eyes closed. you can’t talk about this. not yet at least. 

“hey, marry me?” 

cold fingers intertwined with your warm ones. you turn over to see gojo, shocked at his appearance. his hair is unruly, his left cheek pink. he’s still in his wedding suit, but his tie is missing. you stare, unsure if your mind is playing tricks on you. 

you grab the side of his face, examining the pink mark on his cheek. you run your fingertips along the side and he winces at the contact.

“what happened, toru?” 

“hina..slapped me.” 

“oh, sorry.” you say, turning to face the left so he couldn’t see your cheeks burning with embarrassment. 

“not your fault. you weren’t the one who said you wouldn’t marry her.” 

you turn back, staring at his eyes. the gleaming smile from earlier has returned. he wouldn’t marry her. he didn’t marry her. he’s here, sitting next to you, and he didn’t marry her. 

“can i ask you a question, y/n?” 

you nod in response, your heart finding its way to your throat. 

“marry me?” 

you laugh, the tears springing straight to your eyes. you reach for his arms, burying yourself into the crook of his neck. the tears flow straight onto the collar of his shirt, your mascara smearing the crisp white collar. he laughs in response, running his hands through your hair. 

“y/n, they’re waiting.” he said, running his hand nervously on the back of his neck. 

he points at the backyard and you look down to find shoko, nanami, megumi, and geto smiling up at the two of you. nanami stands at the center of the flower set up, with megumi and geto on his left and right. shoko stands near the front of the backyard, a tiny makeshift bouquet she verly clearly pulled from the neighbors yard in her hands. 

you turn to satoru, his blue eyes staring into yours. you nod, a response to his earlier question and you follow him down to the yard. as he makes his way down the makeshift aisle, you link arms with shoko as she runs her fingers under your eyes. 

“you look like a racoon. why did you even wear mascara to that wedidng in the first place?”

she rolls her eyes and tears return once again. your feel your heart bursting with joy, unable to contain what was about to happen.. shoko curses your dramatics and walks you down her patchy backyard. 

as you reach the front of the altar (shoko’s grumpy neighbor’s fence), satoru reaches out, his fingers reaching for yours. as you look over, he looks better than before. his messy hair, sunglasses perched at the end of his nose - he looked nothing short of perfect. 

“we’re going to make sexy babies right after this” he whispers. 

nanami, shoko, geto, and megumi all groan at his vulgar words. as they all settle down, nanami starts the ceremony. 

“do you, satoru gojo, take f/n l/n to be your lawfully wedded wife?” said nanami

“there’s no way this can be counted as lawful.” 

satoru rolls his eyes, shooting a joking glare at geto. he turns back to you, squeezing your hands three times. 

“i do.” 

“and do you, f/n l/n take satoru gojo to be your lawfully wedded husband?” 

you gleam at him, squeezing his hands three times back. 

“i do.” 

gojo looks around, in confusion. he releases your hands and pats the pockets of his pants and shirt, looking for something. 

“um, was anyone able to find any rings?” said gojo, looking around. 

megumi looks up, two twisted berry blast ring pops in his fist. the two of you laugh, bending down to take the ring pops from him. you both plant a kiss on his cheek, much to his dismay. 

“perfect, gumi.” said gojo, unwrapping his ring. 

the two of you slide the ring pops on each other's ring fingers, sharing a kiss to seal your everlasting marriage. shoko and namami popped handheld streamers into the air, covering you and gojo in confetti. that was immediately followed by geto throwing a handful of rice at the two of you, convincing megumi to do it with him. he was not amused. 

as the four of them joined in on your hug, you felt yourself being squished into gojo, feeling his heart thumping in his chest. as they all separated, running inside to get the cake, you looked up at him, still clutched in his arms against his chest. 

“overcome with your undying love for me, mrs. gojo?” he said, smirking down at you. 

you roll your eyes, sticking your fingers into the side of his cheek.

“only because you were thinking of me the entire time” you whispered. 

the two of you laughed, your foreheads resting against each other. he leaned forward, his soft lips pressing against yours. your husband, lover, partner, from here on out. 

- 

the satoru as taylor swift songs series masterlist

[wlwinry]

could i know more of your thistlecaster thoughts/any hc’s??

YES sorry ive become insufferable about them im gonna list off everything off the top of my head

classic example of fell first/fell harder. after the breakup w zelda gorgug sorta gradually spirals into being in love w fabian but he's very much like "im not gonna put my crush on him, i'll tell him at some point but i don't wanna mess things up" and he's very...not casual but not constantly freaking out about it. meanwhile fabian gets hit by the metaphorical "in love with gorgug" bus and proceeds to be so uncool about it to the point where everyone BUT gorgug notices his crush. it's the "leans against a vending machine and breaks it" scene w mazey but 10x worse

they spar A Lot, because they're the two main melee fighters/the ones who don't rely heavily on spellcasting in combat, which means they work together on the field A Lot. as such they're very good at reading each other's body language

PDA couple alert. not to trackerbees levels there is no 69ing on the battlefield but fabian is constantly holding gorgug's hand or leaning against his side and gorgug is constantly hugging fabian from behind or resting his chin on his head. fabian is touch-starved (hallariel isn't exactly the cuddling type and bill's physical affection tends to come in random bone-cracking bursts) and just sort of melts into gorgug

he also melts into gorgug bc gorgug is very earnest and sweet and fabian "expressing genuine vulnerability is dangerous" does not know how to process this other than by becoming a ball of deeply enamored mush

you've never seen someone give as many gifts as fabian does. even if it's just smth like a coffee or tea when they meet up before classes bc fabian knows that he needs the extra energy. there's big gifts too, like the giant workshop and lab he converts one of the multiple training rooms in seacaster manor into for gorgug to artifice (state of the art, ofc), but also things like a special holster for drumsticks, pillows enchanted to maximize restful sleep, etc.

gorgug retaliates by making fabian Many Things. often accessories. several with tin flowers on them (he also makes the engagement and wedding rings, when it eventually comes to that. and it does. to me.)

fabian gets a little emotional whenever he's offered another flower

fabian is also big on terms of endearment and pet names but "darling" is very specifically never one of them. gorgug's favorite of the bunch is "flower"

gorgug loves watching fabian dance. fabian also loves watching gorgug artifice. there tends to be an admiring onlooker in their various workspaces

the hangman fully offered to throw itself into a ditch so gorgug would come fix it again if that would help fabian flirt w gorgug. fabian refused. the hangman kept asking and was only effectively stopped when reminded that gorgug owns the hangvan

speaking of the hangvan. good makeout spot.

idk i just think they're so in love and they match up so well i think about them always. fabian also goes to so many cig figs concerts with big ol glittery signs covered in hearts and gorgug is always flustered when he sees him in the crowd, much to fig's delight. when gorgug mentions wanting to write fabian a song she is immediately on board and insists he has to do it

fig needs to know details immediately and gorgug is. so bashful about giving them. meanwhile fabian WANTS to gush and riz is like ily im so happy for you i dont need to know all the details. this does eventually mean fig bugs fabian for details and fabian eagerly gives them

unlike his mother fabian knows loving someone with a human lifespan when you're going to live well beyond one means you have to treasure every single moment with them. so he does. and gorgug knows he will love him no matter what plane he's on, living or dead

i have more this is just. what i've got off the top of my head rn. thanks for letting me be completely insufferable

[in1-nutshell]

Bot Buddy the single parent with Optimus Primal, Rattrap, and Silverbolt

SFW, Platonic, Familial, Cybertronian reader

BW

Buddy needed a break. They had been running on fumes for the past couple of days. From the stress of the Predacons to their regular duties as a parent and teammate, everything was becoming too much. And if they didn’t do it soon their team was going to have an intervention. They didn’t want to go through that one again like last time.

But the world doesn’t stop when one is a single parent. Luckily, they had help.

Optimus Primal

The second-best babysitter on this list.

He has a calming effect on the sparkling so they don’t cause too much trouble.

Primal while he is the leader of the Maximals, he also wants to help the others when they need it.

He is glad that Buddy has finally decided to take a break, he is more than welcome to take care of the sparkling.

“Are you sure that this isn’t a problem? I could always ask Silverbolt.”--Buddy

“Yes, ask Silverbolt!”--Silverbolt

“No, you’re on patrol duty today with Blackarachnia—”--Optimus

“Never mind, patrol duty it is!”--Silverbolt

“Anyways, thank you Primal. I’ll see you in a little bit.”--Buddy

“Take your time Buddy, we are here to help.”—Optimus

If the sparkling is restless, there is a good chance that Primal will bring them on a small trip outside the base in his jetpack. That always gets the kid giggle and tuckered out.

As the sparkling gets tired Primal will hold them close to his chassis as he continues doing his work. More than likely the sparkling falls asleep with a death grip on the leader’s arm.

Primal refuses to move the little one so he finishes the rest of his work with one arm.

When Buddy comes back to take the sparkling Primal tells them that they weren’t trouble and to remember that if Buddy does need to take another break, he and some of the others are more than willing to help Buddy out.

“Thank you again Primal. I hope they weren’t that much trouble.”--Buddy

“Not at all, and remember don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it, okay?”--Optimus

“Noted Primal and thanks.”—Buddy

Rattrap

He is the last on the list. Not that he is the worst though, he is a good babysitter. One of the best on the team, he just falls short on this list.

The only reason he volunteered to babysit was to make sure Buddy was rested enough so he didn’t have to go on patrol with Dinobot again.

That’s the story he tells everyone at least.

He is glad Buddy understands their limitations and is willing to help his pal.

“Now while I like the Tike and all, why me? Why not ol’ lovesick puppy over there?”--Rattrap

“Yes—”--Silverbolt

“Silverbolt you are recovering from that ambush from yesterday. There is no way I’m letting the little one potentially undo your progress.”--Buddy

“But—”--Silverbolt

“No ‘but’s’ Lover boy. Now give me the kid.”--Rattrap

Now Rattrap knows that smaller bots can cause a ton of trouble. He has caused the Predacons tons of helmaches from his antics. So, he is preparing for the sparklings arrival. The sparkling keeps him on his toes the entire time he is playing with them.

When the sparkling gets tired Rattrap, after he makes sure no one is watching, rocks the sparkling back and forth until they fall asleep.

Rattrap takes this time to catch some z’s himself.

Does the sparkling escape his grasp while he is taking a nap? Yes, yes, they do.

But he made sure that his room was sparkling proofed and had a silent alarm that would alert him of the sparklings movements. He is up and ready to catch the little one.

When Buddy comes back to get the sparkling, Rattrap has most of the sparklings this ready. He keeps some of the stuff in case he has to babysit again. He makes sure to tell Buddy to let the little tike take a nap before babysitting duties again.

“The kids gonna be a natural escape artist when they get older.”--Rattrap

“Part of me hopes not.”--Buddy

“Yeah… but I do have the placed decked with cameras if that gives ya something to think or something...”--Rattrap

“Thanks Rattrap. I mean it.”--Buddy

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get soft on me. You owe me some patrols to make up for the one’s with Scalebelly.”--Rattrap

“Sure thing.”--Buddy

“I am right here!?”--Dinobot

Silverbolt

He is number one on this list.

He is ready for the sparkling.

Silverbolt almost takes the sparkling from Buddy’s servos when they ask him for help.

“Hey Silverbolt, do you mind looking after—”--Buddy

“FINALLY—I mean of course!”--Silverbolt

Silverbolt has everything ready for the sparkling.

They want to play a game? He knows the sparklings top 3 games they like to play.

They want to get out of the base for a bit? He already knows the perfect places to fly around.

They want a story? How about the time he met Blackarachnia for the first time, that one always puts the to sleep.

When the sparkling does start falling asleep, he has his room with soft blankets and pillows for the sparkling to take their nap while he watches them vigilantly. That sparkling is not leaving that room without him knowing.

When Buddy comes back to take the sparkling, Silverbolt is laughing with the sparkling who is in a mini carrier strapped on his chassis. For the sake of both, Buddy takes a longer break.

“Hey I’m back—”--Buddy

Silverbolt and the sparkling laughing and just having a great time before noticing Buddy in the room.

“…I don’t want to spoil the fun, but if you want to have them for a bit longer—”--Buddy

“YES—I mean if you don’t mind.”--Silverbolt

“Not at all. I think I could go for a longer break.”--Buddy

[nd-of-a-manatee]

I know this isn’t quite how ranks work in Psychonauts canon, just go with it.

[Image ID: The following is rendered in fuzzy digital pastel. Razputin Aquato–in his late teens, tall and skinny–lies breathless on his back on the ground, covered in sweat. He’s wearing sweatpants, a striped undershirt, and sneakers. His hair is disheveled, pushed back by his signature goggles. One of his eyes is a little higher than the other, now that he’s older. He stares upward with eyes wide, at his wit’s end. He lies in a white space, his colors graded dull blue. The foreboding cyan shadow of a three-digit number is projected over him: 206. End ID]

Raz has a problem.

He trains so hard to rank up his prowess as a psychic. He’s been training since the day he learned what a Psychonaut is. Now that he’s one of them, he sees diminishing returns for his efforts. That’s normal, they say. It gets harder over time. But he’s only 15, and it hasn’t changed in months. He’s way behind the other cadets his age, all approaching the 300s in their psychic specialities. Here he is stuck at 206.

This isn’t normal.

It’s not just about the number. There isn’t supposed to be a ceiling. A person can always improve, always extend themself to reach closer to their full potential. His mentors–his heroes, all well into the 1000s themselves–gave him a chance to be a Psychonaut because they saw so much of that potential in him. They were impressed that he picked up his first set of powers so quickly and used them to save the day nearly by himself–twice. What if that was the trick? He picks up a new discipline right away, then can’t advance it past a certain point. Hydrokinesis should be what he’s good at, but he’s barely better with it than anything else. That’s it. This is his potential. It was all a trick.

He lies awake at night, frantically weighing in anything that could be related to why. Anything he could do about it. He has often looked back on himself and thought that autism or ADHD or both could explain whatever being an enthusiastic little psychic nerd couldn’t. What if this is part of that? What if he can’t change it? His heart sinks.

He can’t hide it. They’ll all find out what he really is. What will they do if he can’t live up to the position he’s been awarded?

An old anxiety stirs. He doesn’t belong here.

Suddenly, Raz can’t concentrate. His performance falls below even his mediocre rank in practice, in study, in everything. He can’t even walk without tripping. His peers and mentors notice, though he insists that he’s fine.

It reaches a point where a couple of his teachers stop in their busy schedules and call him to sit down with them. That’s when the truth comes out. He tells them everything.

He waits nervously for their response.

They answer easily and say that he’s already proven his worth as a Psychonaut beyond any kind of rank or measure of raw power. His sense of duty, determination, willingness to learn from his mistakes, inventiveness, and compassion are what maximize the effectiveness of his psychic abilites–not to mention his unique skills as an acrobatic. If strength were all that mattered, none of them would be worthy of the abilities they wield.

[Image ID: Raz sits up. The hole in the zero makes it look like the shadow has retreated until it’s almost all the way off of him, lingering at the top of his head. His eyebrows are raised, but he’s calmer–having made an epiphany. End ID]

He hadn’t thought of it like that.

After some rest, Raz goes looking for new psychic sensitivities–not in a desperate attempt to find the thing that will bring him up to par, but with all the curiosity of an adventurer in search of new discoveries. By the end of the year, he has achieved adequate command of a wide, wide range of disciplines and has begun experimenting with using them in tandem. “Power juggling” is a difficult art for most psychics. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and lose control. As it turns out, Raz thrives in that kind of chaos and is able to compartmentalize his focus enough to practically create new powers unto themselves, if for a very short time. He shakes the dust off of his acrobatics. It’s no longer a grueling requirement to please his family. It’s his now. Fun and challenging, a test of dexterity and flow. He quickly renews his skills and finds new ways to wrap his powers around them. The other cadets come and watch him practice just to see what wild shit he’s up to that day.

He feels alive. He feels like himself, now more than ever.

[Image ID: Raz sprints out from under the shadow, turning to raise a middle finger at it with gleeful disdain. End ID]

[Image ID: The story shifts to a comic book sequence, also graded blue-green. Morceau Oleander has a green psychic shield raised to protect him, Milla Vodello, Adam Gette, and Norma Natividad from blue psychic needles that threaten to skewer them from above. The others use their own powers to try to fight the needles off, but it doesn’t seem to be enough. Someone talks over them. “Miserable fools.” A lanky white woman in a housecoat, plain shirt, sweats, and slippers with long billowing silver hair commands the scene from the center of some kind of pump room. Her arms are outstretched like a conductor. Her needles press buttons on control panels and hover menacingly over tied and gagged hostages. “I’ve had to devote my life to perfection to get this far,” she declares with triumphant superiority. We see her up close. She’s in her late 50s with sharp facial features and a high hairline, and she’s wearing a small earring on each ear. Her teeth gleam in a wicked smile as she shouts. “You have no idea of the sacrifice. The fortitude. I alone am qualified to correct the modern world’s failure to compete. Content weaklings like you don’t stand a chance. Just look at you.” She turns to face a shadowed corridor within a tangle of pipes behind her. “You can’t even sneak up properly.” Someone with angular shin-high boots runs down some steps deep in the corridor. That person– wearing black gloves and Sasha Nein’s old green jacket–uses orange psi power to draw water in the shape of a hand from a pocket-sized bottle. The hydro hand leaps forward toward the woman with its fingers outstretched. A coil of orange lighting snakes around it. Then, the hand freezes into an electrified claw. The hand is suddenly shattered on a horizontal needle that pops into existence. The woman sneers. “Ha!” The person uses the needle to swing forward and lunge out from the shadows feet-first. It’s Raz in his cool spy mission outfit. His boot folds the old woman in half by the stomach. She makes the dumbest surprised face, having been caught in her most confident moment. Raz looks determined and focused. Ice shards tinkle in the air around them. Raz then has her pinned on the floor. He has produced a helmet that looks like a Geodesic Psychoisolation Chamber from his jacket and plunked it on her head. “Did I break anything?” he asks, deadly serious. “My worldview is shattered,” she answers, bewildered. Raz pops into his excitable mode. “Oh! We can help with that.” He takes out a psi-portal. She turns to him and says, “Ok.” End ID]

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

I keep rewording my commentary on this idea, so here’s the jumble:

I love the idea of protagonist syndrome. Main character kiddo is the specialest one of all who overcomes impossible odds or has a big cool unique ability. You see it all over magical/superhero kid cartoons. And then, that all collapses when they get older and change or can’t measure up and have to learn how to detach from the initial self-image and explore who they want to be (Steven Universe & Future, Venture Bros, my actual life experience if you can’t guess). I know it’s a little weird to poke holes in fun kids’ media and should be done with care. But I’m super interested in how protag syndrome applies to real life post-straight-A/sports star/Good Kid TM imposter syndrome. I wanna use this kinda thing as a framework to explore ways to be kinder to and happier with ourselves.

And just look at the boi. He’s doing so good.

Special guest appearance by the Noodler’s mean aunt, the Needler.

[Image ID: The Needler–the woman described before–is depicted in an initial sketch in black and white. She looks annoyed, standing with her hands and fingers splayed out in an “evil wizard” kind of gesture. The image is a little simplified. She has no nose. End ID]