#he ultimately thinks it's for the best and to not insert himself between them

[ragesin]

❝ it’ll be all right because we’re together. ❞ ( genshin verse )

► UNPROMPTED

         It's tranquil, peaceful. Grounded senses laid open to the world around him — the slight breezy currents fluttering against his skin, sweeping through his hair and clothes. Rustling of the undergrowth and leaves. The hints of wood, grass, a light graze of floral intermingled with scent of the bubbling creek. The air was almost disgustingly fresh, filled to the brim with a cloying sweetness that should rot teeth. Everything's clear in his mind, from the nighttime sounds of the sleeping forest they resided beside to the waves of ambient energy flowing free all around.

         Soft even breaths, the faint, slowing rate of a single heart beating echoing against eardrums. Hallmarks of a losing fight against the pull to the realm of sleep. It's a wordless melody interrupted by a drowsy yawn fruitlessly half stifled, a hand faltering in its rhythmic movements, confirming the state of his adventuring companion.

         Eyes opened, half hidden between the tanned cheek smooshed into a folded arm and a mess of flaxen bangs, piercing in the low light of the flickering campfire as they blinked up in silent question. A reassuring curve of the lips framed by silver strands, luminescent under the glow of the moon, was given in return to nothing asked. Emerald hues blinked back at cerulean, unmistakably smitten soft. Those dainty fingers of hers resume combing through his wild hair while he's occupied with recovering from the smile ( how something that simple still made hearts skip a beat was beyond him ), scraping his scalp with firm but tender strokes as pleasant shivers danced up and down his spine, and wow. It never ceased to amaze how Elizabeth wielded a knack for that, making nerves buckle under the weighty force of satisfied bliss bearing down on them and forcing tension wound in muscles to dissipate. Subtle warmth enveloped him in a soothing embrace. Safe, not yet like the cresting sun peaking at blistering light. He's a boneless wreck. The tide of lethargy pulled at him with laughable ease with her assistance. Tingling content weighed heavily upon hooded lids, deep set rumble vibrating in his chest. He hoped it would never cease... Hell, as if. Like all good things it did end sooner rather than later.

❝ it’ll be all right because we’re together. ❞

         As her hand slipped from gold locks, that sigh parted her lips as she drifted off with that endearing smile in place, feather light syllables wrapped in her refreshing touch, spaces between heartfelt and overflowing with care so inexplicably Elizabeth. It'd make anyone bearing some semblance of a soul melt at the sincerity packed away the words thoughtlessly, freely given away. It could end the wars if men knew how to look at it.

         A feeling emerged from the yawning emptiness situated in the hollow caverns of his chest. It's like when he was a fledgling, transfixed in odd fascination as fissures crawled along the wall after it weathered a hit, foundation shifting and crumbling, a web of deep cracks scarring the surface. It's the same now. Detached, Meliodas observed as the same happened inside of him.

         She's right. They're together. Hearts ached, jagged and wretched, stiffening relaxed muscles to a paralyzing and stringent degree. That's the problem, isn't it ?

         Illusion of normalcy splintered, fragmented. A heaviness settled into the pit of his stomach. It twisted, writhed like a den of hissing vipers, poison seeping into blood vessels. The horror stared back through the lucent haze of moonlight with invisible unblinking eyes, looming, consuming, cutting through the dark, all gnashing teeth grinding bones.

         ( i love you, it growls sickeningly soft from the depths of his cursed soul. i love you, elizabeth. forever and always )

         It'll be alright — a repeated falsehood without end the demon told himself every time, moment to moment, desperately willing it to be true so that one day perhaps he could lose himself within the lie and believe it. One spoken with such maddening intensity that for a brief window of time even he'd forgot the woes latent and ripe with unseen tragedy entwined between them.

         Her lingering words of comfort served as both the sweetest knife and the most horrific pleasure. Dulled blade sawing through dried blood and digging into worn, perfect flesh; a reminder he / she / they were alive, bound by their precious connection and shackles. An age-old agonizing cathedral of constant wounds, comprised of festering gore that never fully closed, pried open just a little more each time it began to heal. He always let her: tear him apart, break him to pieces, and stitch him back together good as new  ( because that's what she's always been good at, fixing, while his world encompassed little aside from violence, atrocities, and destruction ). They could do this song and dance together for eternity. He deserved it, Meliodas supposed. For selfishly holding on to what's his his HIS with a vice grip until they both bleed out, rivulets dripping from the punctures beneath his nails, a sea of crimson blooming beneath each flourishing step taken. His memories, his promise guided his quest, devotion cruel enough to push his soul to move forward and fulfill it no matter how he stumbled. The man's but a living corpse daring to thread fingers with hers, a corruption burying himself flush against her smooth neck and deliriously intoxicating scent, begging through perforated lungs filled with stagnant air and iron painted lips for it all to end / for more please give him more / for her to love him despite wary suspicion of falsified emotion the curse instilled into her soul each repetition.

         He wanted to tear out his hair until scarlet flowed and let the tears well up. To rage out against the injustices that befall her time and again, doomed the second they met. To scream as hearts squeeze and squeeze so tight he's certain they're going to burst.

         Meliodas remained an image of chilling stillness, curled upon the bed of grass, temple pressed into the crook of an arm with soundless breathing wavering every so often. He didn't know how long he stayed like that, resting like the dead.

         When was the last instance time truly imposed impassable consequences outside of the bounds of a three day grace ?

         It's a simple motion when he finally moved, the moon having crossed some distance in the blanket of stars above. Wordlessly, he reached to hold her sleep-slackened hand. Calloused fingertips pressed, traced, caressed lines crisscrossed along her palm. Some strokes were firm, as though seeking to engrave his memory upon her flesh via mindless shapes. Others ghosted a fleeting imprint of hopeless longing, phantom touches questioning whether he'd ever been present at all. The intimate brushes of skin did not betray the tremors roiling beneath the surface.

         Love. The core of every action. It's love that coaxed his fortified guard to statter to dust and expose his vulnerabilities. Love made him look at her with reverence and fondness in equal strokes despite himself all those years ago. Love's what loosened his sinful tongue to sing her name like a prayer and present himself at her altar, offering flesh while pleading forgiveness. Love allowed the memories and centuries of pain caked onto his skin to be washed away into sweet scintillating oblivion.

         They're together. Who cared if Meliodas already knew what awaited him at the end of their written path, the steep cliff she unfailingly pushed him down with each loss tearing the earth and sky out from underneath his shaky feet ?  It was of no import that whenever he awakened from this sweet dream the cold reality would unerringly slam him with a force thrice harder for his fool damned indulgence and forgetting to brace himself. She couldn't ever be allowed to know this fate.

         Gaze cut to the new presence in their midst, assessing the form standing over him, green clashing against gold. A grin bloomed to life, filled with beaming mirth he couldn't really bring himself to muster inside and stretched across his face from ear to ear. His free hand shifted, index finger raised to his lips, a reticent and wholly unnecessary gesture to keep quiet. The narrowed eye roll from the adeptus was a well deserved one.

         The demon and yaksha made an unlikely duo, a companionship unexpected  ( and close. are they close ?  something in his chest nudges in the direction of the affirmative )  after coming to these lands and yet it's welcomed all the same. He really really liked the guy, harsh and biting as his demeanor may outwardly seem. Weirdly enough, their conflicting personalities meshed better than he initially presumed might ever happen upon their first encounter. In any case, the demon's glad someone else had the strength and capability to protect Elizabeth in areas he may falter.

         Retracting his hand from Elizabeth's, Meliodas languidly propped himself up despite the numbing exhaustion and yawned, using it to make even more of a tangled mess of his hair as he ran it through the mused locks, dislodging accumulated small blades of green. As he did, Xiao took a seat next to Elizabeth on her other side, taking up the mantle of guard duty for the remainder of the night.

         A part of him — a dark wisp curled in a dark corner of his mind — demanded this emptying vessel of his to reach right out and close his hands around that slim, delicate throat. An animosity misplaced but it still screeched, begging to throttle the other man, dig in powerful claws, crush the windpipe and reduce pristine snowy skin to red pulp. This intruder, you invader, it snarled, an ugly blackness, you don't belong. But, the part in control mused, wasn't that Meliodas ?  Is he himself not the foreign entity in this equation ?  The odd piece out not meant to fit into the picture ?  He could see it. Crystal clear in the depth of the ardor pooled in her blue irises when set upon Xiao. The adeptus had known this Elizabeth far longer than he. It burned obvious and bright in the ease with which he slotted himself to her side — like it was where Xiao belonged.

         It's that final thought that spurred his body to stand up, a breathless heave chasing his step and perfectly concealed irritation / affection bittersweet on the tongue. Unsaid exchange passed between the two men, drops slipping through the tenuous cracks of the taciturn lull before Meliodas ignored the dagger of his own design slipped between his ribs that chafed and maimed and turned on his heel, walking off into the dead of night away from the light of his life and the pangs of envious rancor / painstaking relief toward his friend. They'll be fine until morning. He'll return to camp when the sun greeted a new day over the horizon. Elizabeth would not even notice his absence.

         ( wrong. something is wrong wrong wrong. everything is fine. this is right. she can't be elizabeth. she's been alive too long. your elizabeth. not your elizabeth. your hearts sing a lie when you touch. it's the only truth that matters in this damn world )

         It'll be alright. They're together. Whether they wished for it or not.

@triskeleyes

[bethdutten]

I Won’t Break

words: 1k-ish

summary: Just a few moments that reminded Bucky why he loved you.

a/n: a tiny lil drabble to get me back into writing lol

The thing Bucky loved the most about you, is that you didn’t treat him like he was breakable like everyone else.

He finally got why Steve used to get so upset when people treated him differently because of his illnesses and smaller frame. Bucky never did; that must have been why Steve kept him around even when he could be a jackass sometimes.

When Bucky got back from Wakanda and was accepted by (most) of the team after Shuri managed to erase all the HYDRA brainwashing from his mind, he hated how everyone acted around him. He’d been through this before; when Steve saved him in Azzano, he’d been tortured and isolated and drugged, yet he still went back into war with him. And he was good. But everyone treated him like he was damaged and fragile now.

Except you. The first time you met, he knew you were different. 

It was in the conference room, Tony sending death glares over as Bucky tried not to cower behind Steve, despite being terrified that any of these people with guns would shoot at him any second. Not that he didn’t deserve it. As Steve introduced everyone, they all stared at him with looks ranging from anger to curiosity to fear. He should be used to it.

What he was not used to was when Steve got to you, and you looked him up and down, whistled, and breathed out, “He’s hot.”

Bucky blushed, biting back a smile when Sam punched your arm.

“What? He is,” you hissed, shrugging. “Just because he’s a brainwashed assassin means I can’t think he’s hot?”

Steve glared, but you just send Bucky a wink, and he smiled for the first time in a very, very long time.

It wasn’t that you weren’t sensitive to his issues-- on the contrary, you always seemed to know what he needed before even he did. You held him through every nightmare, stayed up with him on nights he didn’t trust himself to close his eyes for fear of what he would see behind them, sat with him through all the times he got sick because the meds Bruce worked on to combat both his depression and anxiety needed fine-tuning to get past the serum-- he didn’t know what he did to deserve you.

 You pushed him, knew just where the boundary was, never forcing him too far into something he wasn’t ready for. He thinks most of his progress was due to you, encouraging him and supporting him even when he didn’t believe in himself. Like on missions, where Steve and Tony tried to hold him back, you did the opposite.

“I think we should send Bucky.” you inserted, tossing down the folder with the mission brief. 

Steve frowned, shaking his head. “Definitely not. This is HYDRA’s top guys, they could recognize him.”

You shrugged. “Exactly. Send him in there dressed as the Winter Soldier, he can infiltrate their group and take them down before they even realize he’s not on their side.”

“Fuck no,” Steve hissed. “I’m not going to put him through that, are you crazy?” You were expecting this sort of reaction from Steve, but it still earned him an eye roll from you.

Bucky hesitantly stood, looking between his girlfriend and best friend. “Uh, I’m with Steve on this one--”

You glanced over at Bucky, eyes softening immediately. “Look, I know this will probably traumatize you--” Steve went to interrupt, but you raised your hand and continued speaking, “Or... it could be a chance for us to use the Soldier for good. All that bad stuff about him? Use it to take HYDRA down. Only you can do that, Bucky. Make them regret turning you into the thing that would take them down.”

“I said no,” Steve interjected, looking at Bucky like he was waiting for him to back his captain up. It was his friend’s call, ultimately. Bucky glanced back to you, and you just nodded. He remembered the first conversation you had with him alone, before you’d even started dating.

“I don’t think you were ever the Winter Soldier, Bucky,” you’d said, voice low as an episode of The Office droned on in the background. It was past midnight, and the Tower was quiet. “I think you were always this talented, loyal, protective and smart soldier, but they convinced you to fight for the wrong side. If you took all those skills and used them for good, you’d be unstoppable. Bucky Barnes is unstoppable.” 

He searched your eyes for any signs of doubt, but only saw trust. You thought he could do this. You wouldn’t send him in there if you didn’t.

“Okay.” he agreed, ignoring the frustrated huff Steve let out. “But if something goes wrong, you take me out. I mean it, as many shots as it takes, doesn’t let me hurt anyone else.”

You just smiled, leaning up and giving him a kiss. “Won’t need to, baby. You’ve got this.”

And he did. After a slight panic attack after putting on the Winter Soldier uniform, he remembered what you told him, and talked himself down, then let himself slip into the mind of the Soldier. Except this time, he kept reminding himself he needed to come home to you.

He took down two thirds of HYDRA in one mission, singlehandedly. 

And if, god forbid, you do treat him like he should be handled with care, Bucky can get a little snarky. Like the one time you tried to spare him some anxiety and suggested skipping Tony’s stupid annual Avengers gala.

You zipped up your dress, giving him one more look before you picked up your purse. “Buck, we can just stay home. Really, I don’t--”

“Would you quit it? Stop treating me like I’m some fragile little kid, I won’t break!” he snapped, angrily yanking at his bowtie before giving up and throwing it down. 

You sighed, leaning down and picking it up before stepping in and wrapping it around his neck to tie it for him. “I’m not acting like you’re going to break, but I will start treating you like a kid if you don’t grow the fuck up.”

Bucky stared down at you in disbelief, about to yell at you when his eyes suddenly drifted to your lips. “Will you break?”

You paused, knowing exactly where his mind was going. Abandoning the bowtie and sliding your hands down the front of his tux instead, you shrugged. “Wanna find out?”

“Fuck,” Bucky growled, hitching you up in his arms and pinning you against the nearest wall without a second thought. Needless to say, you didn’t end up going to the gala after all.

You always reminded him how special and good he was. Even in ways he would have never guessed. Like winters in New York, right after you moved in together.

“Jesus, Bucky, your arm is freezing,” you groaned, shoving it off you from where he had placed it over your middle.

Bucky rolled his eyes. “What do you want me to do about it? I wanna hold my girl—“

“Then take it off.”

He froze, looking down at your soft form curled up beside him. “Take it off?”

You snorted, shifting over to stare up at him blearily. “Yeah, you can do that, right?”

Of course he could just take it off. But no one has ever asked him to. Or asked if he wanted to. He just assumed people would get freaked out if he didn’t have it on. Especially you. 

You watched him eyeing you carefully, before you rolled your eyes and gave him a fond smile. “I didn’t suddenly forget my boyfriend was an amputee, Buck. If it doesn’t bother you, please take it off and come cuddle me.”

It occurred to him that sometimes even he forgot he was an amputee. He gave you one last look, then reached over and pressed the series of buttons on the back of his shoulder then disengaged the arm, carefully unattached it and resting it on the chair beside the bed. 

“Usually when you tell me to ‘take it off’, this isn’t what you mean,” he mumbled, a quiet snicker coming from the pile of blankets you were burrowed in. He slid back under the covers, waiting for you to recoil or edge away from him, but you just tucked yourself in the space where his arm used to be and grumbled, “Much better,” before dozing off again.

God, he loved you.

[prettyoatmeal]

Please please pretty please 🥹 can you please write While You’re Dating with Soap🥹 I’m dying reading those and can’t wait to read one with my boy Soap😭🥺♥️

John 'Soap' MacTavish Headcanons While You're Dating & How You Got There

I will so gladly. Thats all I need to say.

I love this man more than I love life itself.

Masterlist here!

***************

How You Got There

You two would be like bread and butter, or two peas in a pod, perhaps.

There'd be a well established friendship and maybe even a situationship, though you wouldn't be able to tell due to his playful and flirtatious personality.

Whether you're civilian or a 141 member, he'll always try to be with you regardless of what you're doing at the time.

He'd notice this about himself, how he always wants to be around you but he'd never think too much of it.

If you're part of the Task Force, you bet your sweet ass he'd be staring at you non-stop. No matter what you did, his eyes would be on you.

He wouldn't care much for being professional around you since you two were a couple of jokesters together anyway so the constant flirting was just a given.

He'd soon realise 'Oh shit, I actually kind of like them.'

His stomach would fill with butterflies every time you laughed at one of his jokes. It would cause his confident attitude to fall a little and make him a little bashful.

Despite his naturally flirty demeanour, he'd be pretty nervous to ask you out once he realised he had developed feelings. He wouldn't want to lose what he had with you prior as he would consider you as one of his best friends.

Simon was someone he knew he could always go to, but you were different. You matched his emotional nature which Simon normally kept hidden from others. He appreciated that about you.

You would always be together, everyone had assumed you two were dating already dating so when you'd say that you were just friends they'd be very skeptical.

It was so extremely obvious that you liked him and he liked you, but you were so scared of making things awkward between you two that neither of you had said anything.

Didn't really have his mind set on getting a partner before you, so when he fell, he fell HARD.

He would go to Simon many, many times just asking him for advice. His advice would always be 'Ask them out' but really, Johnny just wanted to be there to gush about you.

"I just think they're really pretty and I like how they smell and I want to be with them and make them feel safe and and and-"

And it would always end in him sobbing to Simon because he likes you so much and Simon would just stand there like

-_-

Because this has happened so many times now.

At that point, Simon himself would go up to you like

"Johnny's into you."

I feel like he'd ask you out in a silly way and pop it really unexpectedly. Like half-joke-ish but only half-joke-ish because he doesn't want you to feel uncomfortable.

"Hey, Johnny, I didn't know what to get you so I got that takeaway you really like."

"No way! Kiss me right now."

"Bet."

"What-"

Insert makeout session.

Not even an official way to ask you, he's just silly like that.

No but genuinely, he probably would pull something like that so he could play it off as a joke or something if you found yourself uncomfortable.

Lucky for him, he didn't need to do that.

When It's Official

When you do make it official, Johnny would be the biggest sweetheart.

I feel like the honeymoon phase with him would never end as he'd always be so big on communication and talking things out that conflict and issues are sorted out before they've even begun.

Also because like

It's Johnny, no moment with him could ever be dull.

Early in the relationship there wouldn't be any awkwardness like there'd maybe be with other 141 members. Like I said, there'd be the pre-established friendship where you two were always together anyways.

John would be his same enthusiastic self.

Wouldn't 'take it slow' per se, but wouldn't rush into anything you'd ultimately be uncomfortable with.

The touchiness would become hugging, the hugging would become cuddling, the cuddling would become coddling.

Maybe not coddling, but he'd still be very protective of you. Can't have anything happening to his precious lover.

Would definitely buy you gifts and presents out of the blue.

"Dove, c'mere, look what I gots ya!"

And it would be the most beautiful pendant you've ever seen in your life.

"Johnny! How much did this cost you?"

"Oh, it was nothing, Darl! Let us put it on ya, hmm? Turn around."

One to spoil you, for sure, despite how many times you tell him to save his money instead.

"Nonsense!" he'd tell you.

Biggest pet names for him would be along the lines of Dove, Hen, Darling, Lass or Lad.

Big confident man so he loves showing you off to all your team mates.

Yeah, he scored YOU, the most gorgeous being in the world. How could he not show the world.

Not against PDA at all, he will so gladly hold your hand or wrap an arm around your waist, letting everyone know you're off limits.

In public, he's very confident, but in private, he's a very emotional man.

Can't keep his hands off you, has to be touching you 24/7. Like a clingy dog. This makes him become very interested in everything you're doing, whether it be the least important or the most important thing in the world.

"Hey, Love, whatcha doin'? Can I join? Lemme just pop a squat right 'ere next to ya."

"Johnny, look here. It's called Sudoku, so you see-"

He's very restless when you're not with him or out with friends. He knows you can protect yourself but still, he worries a little.

Can become very whiney when you're occupied for too long without giving him attention.

"Mmggggg..."

"I know, Johnny, I'll come kiss you in a second."

He loves loves loves loves loves being babied.

Will do anything and everything to have you pull his face into your chest and cradle his head like that, running your fingers through his mohawk (it's surprisingly really soft).

Very big on using you as a pillow. Whether it be your chest, boobs, tummy, thighs, shoulder, ass, he will find a way to lean his head on you no matter what you're doing together. Especially on movie nights.

Like a big dog, thats what he reminds me of. Doesn't realise he's so big and sometimes a big heavy on you. But thats okay because he'd be like a weighted blanket in a way.

He 100% snores like

honk shoo honk shoo honk shoo honk shoo

At least you know your boy is sleeping soundly and finally getting the comfort he deserves.

***************

Part two? Who knows. Goodnight <3

[gffa]

These two pages from Dark Victory have stayed with me ever since I first read it because they're visually hella interesting, I enjoy Tim Sale's art for how stylish it is, but also because every time I see it, I hear the click of a spotlight being turned on, almost like this is a play being acted out. It highlights the connection between the characters, but that it also is shutting everything else out. That makes sense in the moment, Dick just watched his parents die, there's nothing else in the world for him. Bruce is reliving his own trauma of having watched his parents die, as well as watching another child go through the same thing--but, in a way I can't shake, it almost feels like Bruce is intruding on this moment, too. That Dick's loss gets interpreted as a mirror of Bruce's loss--Dark Victory goes to great lengths to hammer home that parallel, it is not at all subtle about it:

But what strikes me about the moment of the Graysons' deaths is that it feels almost like a play being acted out, that Bruce becomes part of it because they mirror each other so strongly, that for all they grow as individuals and come to love each other as uniquely different people, they will always be rooted in this mirroring of each other. Bruce isn't just a bystander to Dick's loss and grief, it fundamentally connects them and defines them--that in many ways Dick understands Bruce the best because, as Dick says about himself, when he was Robin, he was smaller than everyone else, so he had to learn to read people better, to know what they were going to do, because Dick was with Bruce the longest, because Dick and Bruce often are the most similar. But it's also that Dick understands Bruce best because Bruce allowed him in because of this mirror, that sometimes it feels like Bruce only understands people through the lens of his own grief, that's why Dick's the closest to him, because Dick shares that same loss. This isn't to undercut that Dick was a bright, lively child who brought laughter and joy because that is also absolutely true and I will fight tooth and nail anyone who says otherwise. Bruce loves that kid because Dick refused to not be loved, because he's not the same as Bruce, he's brighter, he's better, he's more in so many ways. Bruce and Dick's relationship isn't just one thing or another, there are times when it borders on almost being kind of healthy and then there are times when it's toxic as hell, yet it's always underscored by how much they genuinely love each other, how Bruce keeps thoughts of Dick in his mind to turn to for solace just like he turns to thoughts of his own father, how Dick demands to be worth just as much to Bruce's parents even when they've traveled into the future to be directly in front of him, and Dick gets that worth from Bruce. But sometimes I think about that panel, I hear a spotlight clicking on in my head, I think about Bruce unintentionally inserting himself into this moment of Dick's loss and how Bruce sometimes holds him closer to his heart because Dick's hurt mirrors his own so much. How sometimes Bruce sees the world through that lens of trauma and only how much people can understand it, that the rest of the world drops away and is nothing but black, empty space, except him and the person who understands his hurt.

That I can look at that panel and see it as its meant to be--a moment of pure connection, "I understand what you're going through, I can't take it away, but I can be here with you." and how that saved Dick Grayson's life, how it allowed him to heal and grow and thrive. I can see Bruce's heart breaking because he would have done anything to save this kid from that pain. And sometimes I can look at it and see Bruce watching a horrific play unfold before him and relating to it through his own issues, rather than true empathy. Ultimately, it's really more that they're kindred spirits, that's what the follow-up pages show, that Dick goes through the same process that Bruce went through, he does the same things Bruce did, all while Bruce isn't there to influence him into that at all. Dick is his own person, Bruce couldn't make him be a copy of Bruce if he'd wanted to, he couldn't even win an argument with a nine-year-old about putting on a costume and fighting crime with him and absolutely not staying out of the line of fire. Dick Grayson did what he was going to do, Bruce had nothing to do with making him into that person. But part of the reason they're such an interesting dynamic is because they're not just purely one thing or another, that for all that at the end of the day, Dick and Bruce are naturally like each other in a lot of core ways, it's also possible to read them as unhealthy co-dependent on each other, that them being everything to each other comes with some sharper edges, especially when Bruce sometimes resents Dick for growing beyond him and leaving him, even while desperately proud of him at the same time.

It's a thing Bruce struggles with a lot when it comes to Dick and I think of this tangled web of emotions every time I see that second splash page above. That Bruce came to love this kid as a son, but also as someone who understood what it was like to live with that kind of devastating loss, and how hard Bruce connected with that--and then how hard it was to let him go, when Bruce can't let go of his parents. That it's hard for Bruce to see Dick grow beyond being the son who understood him best, who mirrored his tragedy best, and he'll do it, he loves his kid enough to keep climbing back up out of that desire to hold onto him as his reflection even if he falls back into it sometimes, that some part of him will always see Dick as the one who had that connection that blocked the rest of the world out and understood him in a way no one else could.

[paintingwhiteceilings]

Can you do Male Reader X EXO?

So, its basically when either Male reader or an EXO member is struggling with his homework.

❃EXO and helping with your school/uni work ❃

A/N: Heyyy, I am so sorry this took as long as it did. I had to take some time off of posting on Tumblr as I am about to start my graduation process for my RMA. In a way, it was super cathartic to write this prompt so it became a bit of a mix between school and uni work, I hope you don't mind :')

Regarding male x-readers: I try to keep my prompt as gender-neutral as possible, mostly so anyone can insert themselves regardless of whether they identify as male, female, non-binary, etc. However, I am totally open to doing any LGBTQIA+-specific prompts, so feel free to do so!

Xiumin/Minseok:

✾ Considering this man is rumoured to have a PhD (although not specified in what), you would think that he would be an amazing person to have around when you are struggling through your homework/coursework. However, being smart doesn’t always equate to being able to offer understandable explanations.

✾ His brain skips so many steps when he is tackling a problem or working on an essay. He knows why something is right or wrong, but he can’t really explain how he got to his answers. It comes so naturally to him that he struggles to dissect his thought processes and convey them to someone else.

✾ Ultimately, he will convince you to email your teacher/professor; they can explain it much better than he can, anyway. After having corresponded so often with professors during his own studies, he is more than capable of helping you with formulating your email in such a way that they would agree to help you out.

✾ Still, after having studied as much as he has, he understands the struggle of keeping up with homework/coursework. Considering he got his degrees whilst being an idol, he is incredible at planning his work efficiently. Thus, he instead offers to help you with creating a schedule, giving you a more healthy work-life balance.

Suho/Junmyeon:

✾ Well, considering that he has an MA in Cultural Management and talked at Stanford (plus it has been proven time and time again that Suho is incredibly intelligent), he is one of the best members to go to if you ever struggle with your homework/coursework. He strikes me as someone who, although they are incredibly smart, can explain his inner thoughts very well.

✾ Give him a whiteboard, and he will shine. Don’t ask me why, but I can totally imagine him being one of those people that is convinced that “you have to visualize things. Write it down to have more space in your head to think.” Does that work? Maybe. Is it annoying to be told time and time again to “just draw it”? Yes.

✾ If he isn’t familiar with the topic/class that you are struggling with, he will take time out of his busy schedule to familiarize himself with it. He will find a couple of sources or a handbook so that he can read up on it.

✾ A part of him enjoys studying and learning together, smiling the entire time as you do so. Despite your own stress on why you can’t seem to work through the problem/assignment, you can’t help but return his quiet enthusiasm.

Baekhyun:

✾ Another member who went to university to get his degree (although I can’t find out whether he has a BA or MA, sources are so incredibly vague) and is probably used to studying whilst being unbelievably busy. Furthermore, Suho has said before that although Baekhyun tends to be the mood maker of EXO on camera, Baekhyun is a deep thinker and has many philosophical conversations with him in private. Therefore, I can imagine him being another member who would be good at conveying his thoughts very well, offering you a coherent explanation.

✾ He would be an expert on making studying fun. Instead of having to cram a bunch of facts or read a long dry article for your next class, he would find a way to gamify it, turning it from a long boring study session into a fun competition. Although he might not be a huge help regarding the content of your class, he would help you to keep your motivation while studying.

✾ At the same time, I can totally see Baekyhun being a massive distraction while studying. You will be trying to solve a problem or work on that lengthy essay, and Baekhyun keeps trying to get you to pay attention to him, as he is too restless to sit still and study. He strikes me as someone who tries to convince you to do it tomorrow instead.

Chen/Jongdae:

✾ He has an MA in Media Advertisement so you can bet that he can sell a story. I am pretty sure Media Advertisement falls under either business or communication studies, so he will probably be not too shabby at statistics either. He will, therefore, not only sell you on why studying this particular subject is fun, but he will also be able to help you actually study the contents of most math-based subjects.

✾ Chen probably is too busy to delve deeply into the subject matter that you are trying to grasp, though. He will try, nonetheless, to work through it with you. He will sit next to you as you try to solve equations, and although he might not have mastered the theory himself, he will try to learn it with you, giving you a fresh set of eyes.

✾ I think rather than being incredible at explaining stuff, he would be an amazing person for emotional support. I can see him prioritize calming you down first and having you take a step back from studying to clear your head. He would make sure that you stay hydrated and fed while studying, preparing a bunch of snacks beforehand that he will hand out as a reward for making it through another chapter.

Chanyeol:

✾ Am I tired of repeating myself and saying “This member is smart because they got their degree”? Yes. Am I insanely impressed with most of EXO going to university whilst balancing their studies with a full-time idol career? Yes, and I will never shut up about it. Anyway, yeah Chanyeol went to university bla bla, making him, not just smart, bla  bla, but also hard-working, bla bla. You know the drill.

✾ Regardless of whether Chanyeol is well-studied in the field you are struggling in, nothing will stop him from becoming an expert. He is reading up on it as if his life depended on it, driven by his strong dislike of being bad at something. It doesn't matter whether you tell him it is okay and that you can always ask a fellow student or your teacher/lecturer; he is having none of it.

✾ At this point, he is more frustrated about not grasping a particular part of the theory than you. Even after you two manage to work through your homework/coursework, he will continue to read up on the topic until he fully understands it.

✾ He might be an overachiever and perfectionist who could’ve very well used the time that he spent on a piece of information he will never ever use again more wisely, but if anyone ever needs to know more about that specific theory, he can tell them everything.

D.O./Kyungsoo:

✾ Listen, I love him with every fibre in my body, and I will continue to do so until I turn to dust, but Kyungsoo has admitted, on several occasions, that he is not a big fan of studying. Sure, he got his degree, just like the others, and got his culinary license, indicating that he is more than capable of retaining a ton of information and working through difficult assignments/problems. But, does he enjoy studying? No, not really; he got it over with and seems glad to be done.

✾ So, when you ask him to help you with your homework/coursework, he will remind you, at least seven times, that he isn’t too good at studying and that there are better people to ask for help instead. He will try his best, albeit reluctantly, reminding you continuously to lower your expectations.

✾ In the end, he will try to help out in a different way, either by supplying you with a ton of study snacks or recounting how he worked through tough assignments back when he was in university, with the hope that maybe it works for you as it did for him. He makes sure that you are as comfortable as you can be, convinced he can’t do much more than that.  

Kai/Jongin:

✾ Listen, don’t get me wrong, I adore Kai. However, I have to say that he is not the brightest when it comes to academia (at least compared to the rest of EXO) or, like, his common sense. Yes, he had his moments of genius in New World, and I am sure that when it comes to memorizing dance and lyrics, he is insanely good. However, give him a math problem, and he will cry.

✾ Kai strikes me as someone who was exhilarated to be done with school, not seeing the point of going to university like the rest of his members. When you ask him to help you out with your home/coursework, something inside of him dies as he knows nothing that will be leaving his mouth will be helpful. He is too sweet to say no and will try his hardest to help you with whatever you are struggling with. Nevertheless, he is even more lost than you upon reading your assignment, confused by all the fancy words the assignment seems to be using.  

✾ Nevertheless, Kai would be an amazing person if you need someone to talk to without necessarily needing any advice/answers, just to get your own ideas out of your head. He knows exactly when to nod and say “hmhm”,  aware that you don’t necessarily want to get his input, only needing him to work through your thoughts and ideas on your own.

✾ Honestly, he gets an A for effort for me. Kai is good vibes only, and he would give you a hug for support.

Sehun:

✾ Another one who is glad he finished school and never has to go back. Again, don’t get me wrong, I love Sehun, but you can’t deny that he isn’t the smartest person in the room. As Suho said during EXO Ladder, “I think, they (the beluga whales) have the same IQ as Sehun” after noting they have an IQ of 60-90.

✾ Where Kai still tries to help out, he flat-out refuses. What do you mean you need his help finishing your work? He is so unapologetic about it too and slightly offended; why did you have to remind him about the horror that is school? He left that behind him and under no circumstances will he ever be dragged back in. He is rich, and he needs no degree.

✾ Such a bad influence on you as he tries to keep you from doing your work. “Well, if you are struggling with your homework you might as well take a break and go to the convenience store with me.” Funnily enough, it actually helps to clear your head. Sometimes the best thing to do is to step away and try again with a clearer mind. Sehun maintains that it was his plan all along; you doubt it.

✾ He will end up asking one of his members to assist you with your homework, calling in a favour with, for instance, Suho. They are all down bad for him, so you end up with the best tutors EXO has to offer.

Masterlist

[idontknowreallywhy]

WIP Wednesday

A longish one for a WIP but have been toying with this conversion for a fair old while and it contains one of my most persistent headcanons for Scott.

Set in mine and @sofasurf’s ‘Scott finds a friend he can talk to’ story but you don’t need much of the backstory for this part only that ten years beforehand he saves her in Bereznik but thought he’d failed and made things worse and got her killed.

Is fairly dialogue heavy and that might need some adjustment and it possibly suffers from not including the first half of the conversation but that is less well progressed is is more backstory dependent so I’ll leave it out for today and… <insert more disclaimers and self deprecating blathering here> eh… *throws words*.

If you read it me know what you think? Do you agree?

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

“So… we covered my fatal flaw and I think we’ve established I would be a very tragic but ultimately tedious Greek hero. Your turn… what do you think yours might be?”

“Probably the same as yours.”

“Uh uh no, that’s cheating, you don’t get to steal mine. Pick your own. Or… I guess you could pick Dare but I warn you I have some pretty evil ideas for those.”

He spun the question card between his finger and thumb for a few moments then placed it down carefully and picked up the cafetière and topped up their coffee cups in a transparent effect to buy time. Estera was surprised to see him absent-mindedly adding a lump of sugar into his. Scott never had sugar! She was about to question this deviation but he suddenly spoke up:

“Alright I’ll tell you but you have to promise not to freak out.”

“Why would I freak out?”

“Because I’m not good at explaining these things and it might sound like something it isn’t. But it’s not that. It’s just… people tend to panic.”

“At this rate you’re more likely to freak me out with the disclaimers, Blue. But sure, I promise.”

He emitted a short sharp laugh and then downed half his cup of coffee, his eyebrows twisting comically as he registered it tasting sweeter than usual.

“I live in the here and now.”

Not what she was expecting. Estera did her best to maintain a neutral expression so as to not give him reason to think she wouldn’t keep her promise.

“Ok. Tell me why you think that is a flaw.”

His lips twitched silently as he appeared to be about to speak then caught himself three or four times before:

“I mean I don’t have a very clear concept of anything beyond now. I don’t imagine my future like most people seem to… like my brothers do.”

She went to speak but held back sensing there was more.

“I’ve never really pictured myself as old, for example. Or with kids… I do love kids, you probably figured that out by now… but I figure I had my shot at parenting with Alan and Gordon and… well they turned out ok I guess so… you know… I did my bit there.”

“I think you’d be a be a great father.”

“Oh I don’t doubt it! Sorry that sounds weirdly big headed… um… I mean I think it would come naturally to me but I just can’t… see it? I don’t think I’m destined to see it.”

“Why not?”

“Dunno. Just always had the feeling I wasn’t here for the long haul? Live fast die young, you know? Had a bit of a hedonistic streak in my late teens which, uh, the less said about that the better I think. But then after… when I thought you…”

He paused and downed the rest of the cup and returned it to the saucer with a clatter than made them both flinch

“Sorry! Uh, when I thought you were dead, that I’d failed you by storming into a situation like the arrogant flyboy I was” he held up a hand to forestall her objection “And I still didn’t die out there against all the odds… Well, I figured that whatever time I had left I had to use it well. I wanted to make up for failing you by helping as many people, doing as much good as I could. Actually thought about training as a paramedic but then Dad came up with the Big International Rescue Idea and everything suddenly made sense.”

Estera was struggling to keep the promise about not freaking out.

“Are you saying you’re only planning to be here as long as you are useful?”

“No! No, see, that’s not what I mean. I would never… I have no desire to, stop. That’s not what it is. I know I’m needed. I can do good. I want to be here. I’ve not got a death wish, whatever Virgil yells at me down the comm.”

Estera suddenly had a vivid recollection of the voice in the cave, before Scott had cut him off. At the time she’d thought the almost-growl she heard over the comm had betrayed barely-contained irritation and had wondered a little at the professionalism of that but now she’d met Virgil… now she really thought about it she wondered if in fact the tension in his voice had been fear.

“So why would you say that is your fatal flaw?”

“I guess maybe it means when I have a decision to make in the moment I only make it based on that moment. Can I make a difference or not? Can I save them or not? I believe my brothers have other considerations, dreams they instinctively hold on to, which complicate those decisions.”

“I see.”

She sipped her own coffee and watched him slump into his chair.

“You think I’m crazy don’t you?”

“No.”

“But…?”

“But… nothing. I can see how your logic works and it matches what I’ve seen of your personality and your actions.”

“Mmmmm and you’ve told me off for it before.”

“I have.”

She nudged the last scone in his direction and then cleared her throat.

“The part I don’t agree with is that not being able to see past the short term means you won’t have… or don’t deserve a long term. I wonder if you’ve been telling yourself a lie all these years because you were afraid of not being able to predict every outcome of your actions. So you told yourself that if you don’t see it it doesn’t exist so it doesn’t matter.”

He frowned, but didn’t disagree.

“What future do you see for your brothers?”

He snorted “Oh, Virgil will have about twelve children if he has any say in it.” His shoulders relaxed as he smiled fondly “Gordon too would love a family I am sure of that. John… I think when space gets too much for him, academia will call. Alan… I don’t know yet. He’s a little too much like me” Scott’s jaw twitched slightly “but I’m trying to encourage his other interests, he likes racing cars and his gaming stuff. And he’s smarter than any of us so he could be anything he wanted. Maybe he’ll make incredible discoveries or be an explorer.” He chuckled affectionately “Or he’ll go entirely rogue and be world president or something.”

“I’ll remember to stay on his good side then!”

“Probably for the best.”

Scott chuckled and the smile remained on his face but seemed to leave his eyes. He had stopped eating the scone but was rapidly turning it into a pile of jammy crumbs. Estera reached over and took hold of one of his sticky hands, resisting the urge to pull out a wet wipe to deal with it.

“Ok how about this… can you imagine yourself watching them achieve these dreams and cheering them on? Being crazy uncle Scott who allows the kids to do all the dangerous stunts their parents would ground them for… buying John’s incomprehensible books to display in your bookcase and pretend you totally read and understood, and cheering Alan on as he’s inaugurated?”

The genuine smile crept back on to his face. “Yeah.”

“Hold on to that then. Next time you’re out. As a reason to stay. Until you find your own.”

He looked up at her in surprise and appeared about to say something when he was thrown nearly off his chair by a small human cannonball slamming into his side.

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

[dangermousie]

W Two Worlds is a rare drama that is even better on rewatch because now you know where it's going, you catch so much additional stuff.

Knowing YJ is the original creator of Kang Chul doesn't just answer the question of how she can be transported into that world but turns the narrative, as I mentioned, into a fight between two creators (YJ and Dad) about the direction of the story.

And in a way, it has a lot to say about fandoms and creators' interactions with it and attitudes in general - it is not insignificant that it's the middle-aged man who wants this story to be all bleak existential despair and end in "there is no meaning" and it's coooool for there to be an unexpected ending even if said ending makes no narrative sense - he wants to go art house!!!! And it's a young woman who wants this to be a story about justice triumphant and love found and hope and happy ending.

It's very much reflecting reality where the latter is often looked down on as inferior (and resented for being more popular) and just "nonsense young women like" (think of the degree of vitriol at worst and contemptuous disdain at best genres and works and things hugely popular with women get.)

And how much do I love that it's the young woman's vision that ultimately triumphs? Heck, one can view YJ as a self-insert/Mary Sue character and the fact that she ends up with the protagonist she created is honestly such a delightful nod to so many fandom things - and also that is perhaps why she triumphs. Because she loves the character she created, not resents him the way Dad does, and an author who loves the character (and by that I mean enjoys that world, that story, the characters - not necessarily like YJ fancies them) will always win over one for whom the act of creation is a resentful chore with no joy. (Side note - by choosing to live on that bridge, KC actually did a good deed for the Dad too - Dad himself admits this gave him hope in a really dark time; maybe that is why W universe rebels when he tries to kill KC - because repaying that with death is unjust.)

Also, as @aysekira and I talked about, it's really a religious parable too - because Kang Chul's mortal sins, sins his creator thinks he should die for are disobedience (ever since that moment on the bridge, he goes his own way more than once) and self-awareness - think of the expulsion from Paradise in the Book of Genesis - the sins worthy of that weren't murder or maiming or anything in modern society viewed as horrible but disobedience and desire to know things. You don't listen to God is n1 sin in that world and so it is in the world of W. The God of Genesis would probably experience some degree of sympathy for the Dad and his decision.

Ultimately, how much do I love this drama? It's a take on creative process, death of the author, and relationships with media we consume. It's a religious parable about free will and a discussion of parental relationships. And it's also a damn good story with chases and make-outs. It's basically a perfect rebuke to Dad's belief that a story cannot be deep unless it's dreary. W has so many interesting things to say but it's also a mad amount of fun!

[dedahblog]

Ichigo and Rukia in Memories in The Rain are two frustrating idiots

You just can't take them seriously.

For the first time, since his mother's death, Ichigo forgot about the upcoming anniversarry of his ultimate trauma.

You can pretty much guess by that simple fact how meeting Rukia brought joy to his life and "changed his world"

When she asked him why he became sad, he answered "nothing " and he could had stopped there. However, this is drama queen Ichigo we're talking about.

He had to add loudly "I see ... it's soon " keeping the suspense for Rukia (and us). He made her aware that something was indeed wrong.

Basically, "I'm acting as If I'm shutting myself off from you but not really I want you to know that something is really bothering me"

....

let's move on

Then later, Ichigo could have stopped at just informing Rukia what it was the anniversary of his mother's death but he had to add that she was killed dramatically under the moonlight.

Ichigo basically gave Rukia the greenlight to talk about his personal life. But when she pushed her luck and wanted to know more, he denied everything.

...

Local tsundere teen sending mixed signals to 200 year old emotionally constipated clueless as hell ghost.

Wonder what will happen

She was so worried that she eavesdropped on Tatsuki and Orihim's little chat at class. A behaviour that was totally unusual coming from her.

She couldn't hold back her worry when Ichigo told her he was taking his shinigami job off. She even revealed she had been stalking watching him all day long.

However, when Ichigo asked her, why she followed him to the cemetery, she said she was only there for her shinigami duties ...

Of course it is, why would anyone think of any other reason ...

Then Rukia came out as insensitive telling him maybe a hollow killed her.

Ichigo was pissed off mostly (I think) out of frustration that people were finding excuses instead of blaming him.

Their conversations ended shortly on a tense conclusion : Ichigo saw the girl he wanted to save the day the mother died, fell on his knees baring his heart to Rukia admitting his sin

When you think about it, there is no reason for Ichigo not to avoid talking to Rukia after so much tension, yet...

He slightly smiled greeting her and genuinely asked her if she wanted to continue where they left off

This proves something extremely important which is how lonely Ichigo was and how much he was yearning for someone to support him mentally

and he chose that person to be Rukia....

....

...

The person he met one month ago !!!

over any one of his friends, classmates family members. ??

(what's wrong with him ?!!)

And his prediction were correct

Rukia who knows about loneliness more than anyone. She tried to try to help Ichigo the best she could.

However, she could only offer him what she herself yearned for the most : not be alone

They both longed for someone they can trust and who won't give up on them.

Ichigo didn't feel surprised by her thoughtful words. It was like he was expecting her to say what he needed the most despite her previous bluntness

When Rukia promised she will be there for him as long as it takes, all Ichigo said was "yeah"...

Kubo being Kubo knows what he's doing, knows how those loser are being soft for each other and will die before admitting it

He basically self inserted himself/ the readers in Kon's place " stop acting so cool. I can't keep up with you guys!"

Remember when kubo was enjoying himself creating this manga and slandering Rukia and Ichigo ? Good times good times

I guess panels speak for themselves.

Rukia was begging Ichigo to stay alive, screaming at him to stop fighting, being so happy he survived and used all what remained of her power to heal him.

Yet when he thanked her for healing him, she acted as if it was nothing...

Last round,

it turns out Ichigo is the honest one between the two

Ichigo told Rukia he had to go and eventually had an emotional conversation with his father where he confessed his frustrations

Yet he isn't even bothered that Rukia was listening (without his consent )to his private talk.

That's because he wants her to be there

When Rukia offered to be there for him, he really embraced that offer. He wants her to know about every messed up part of him because he knows she would never give up on him.

...

..

Also I guess he doesn't mind Rukia being a shameless stalker

( that was the second time you're stalking him the same day Rukia wth !! At least be more subtle or feel a bit ashamed)

[ninjahiccups]

The Songbird of Asgard

Chapter 6: Fond

AO3 link OC Insert version Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Word Count: 6.5k Warnings: None, other than it becoming clear that I hc Heimdall as demi okay byyyeeee

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blurb: Your next task is to accompany Heimdall to Svartalfheim to have the dwarves repair the relic recovered on your most recent search. You end up working, Heimdall ends up with an internal struggle until it hits him. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Double posting because this ended up too long again. I'm actually not happy with how these next two chapters came out, buuuuuuutt it's been too long, so I'm moving on lol

Heimdall's legs carried him up the familiar hill, to the place he spent far too much time at now.

You weren't singing yet, your lyre was the only music coming from your spot. You caught sight of him and smiled warmly. He could feel how relieved you were that he chose to stop by after your last conversation, worried that you may have overstepped. Which you did, but Heimdall didn't feel the need to complain. 

You closed the notebook in your lap, taking your eyes away from him for just a moment. When they rose once more, you found Heimdall sitting next to you, instead of in his usual seat across the fire pit. You did your best to contain your surprise from him, and to ignore the spark of warmth his proximity brought. It was strange to you; so far Heimdall had avoided you for days after you said or did something that challenged his way of thinking. This was the only time he ever moved on without delay. A part of you hoped that maybe, just maybe, you were starting to ease the stubborn distrust and distaste that kept him at arm's length from everyone. Now if only you could curb that arrogance of his, but that was a completely different hurdle.

"Finished a bit late today, did you?" You asked, switching to a tune he liked. He never said which songs he liked, but you had learned which ones eased his stress after so many visits.

Heimdall scoffed, resting his elbows on his knees. "You can thank Baldur for that. The imbecile hurled himself off the wall to win a bet and I had to scrape his ragged 'corpse' off the ground."

You chuckled, "Yeah, that sounds like him." He had a reputation for doing reckless and insane things for the smallest reasons. It was sad, watching him do terrible things to himself just for the off chance that he would feel something. Whenever you breached the topic with him he shut down and refused to address it. He clearly didn't want to share his thoughts on the matter.

Your companion said nothing as the lyre strings filled the air with calming notes, lulling you both into your own little reverie that no one else could disturb. 

Heimdall was doing it again. He was accepting your company.

He didn't care, he decided.

Yes, that was his decision. He didn't sleep for a second the night before, after he dropped you off at home, pondering exactly what he was doing. Finding a "friend," devoting time to them for absolutely no reason other than he felt like it. It was so absurd, yet he kept doing it over and over again, and each time he did it became less absurd. He was coming around to the idea of…just spending time with you. 

Was that so bad?

His duties still came first, and that was something he would never forget. That idea was ultimately what convinced him that he should have no quarrel with his wanton choice to indulge himself in your presence. He was the watchman, first and foremost. His purpose was to serve Odin by protecting the realm that rose above all others. Even so, he had some time to himself, and what was the difference between spending it alone and spending it with someone who kept him on his toes? In the end, this was the most productive and enjoyable way to use his free moments.

He could do whatever he wanted, so long as his work came first.

His mind wandered, this time to his earlier emotions rather than his thoughts. A rare act for him. 

After you left him alone he paced around atop Gulltoppr for at least a couple hours. Regardless of how much he chastised himself for slipping, for letting himself fall prey to useless relationships that served him no purpose, he was still left with a lingering satisfaction. It was something he hadn't experienced before, at least not because of another person. He had similar feelings when he was reading, looking over Asgard’s plains from the wall, returning home after a day of hard and meaningful work. It wasn't quite the same, though. It was more potent, but just as comforting. 

What was that? 

"What are you doing?"

Heimdall's question was left unanswered. He returned to the present and glanced at you, keeping his eyes forward. "Does it look like I'm doing anything?"

"No, but you certainly are. The pensive look on your face tells me that." It was merely a fact, said with no taunting or mischief. You really had gotten to know him, hadn't you? Somehow he didn't mind.

"Just thinking," he replied.

"Thinking?" Your hand flies to your mouth in mock surprise. "That can't be, you never do that!" You had to hold in an impish cackle when he sat up straight just to send you his nastiest sneer. 

Heimdall boasted, "If I recall correctly there have been plenty of occasions where I've done more thinking than you."

"Not really, you just let the foresight think for you, and that's not the same."

His teeth clenched in annoyance. Odin had said similar things before, so he couldn't in good conscience refute that. "Do you have to be this insufferable?"

A giggle. "I'm just wondering if you might have learned something last night, hmm?"

He wasn't willing to admit that he did. Something that would be invaluable if it weren't so risky. At the sinking feeling in his stomach he found that he just would rather not tell you that your efforts were in vain. "Yes. That you’re the worst," he settled on.

"Oh, come on. You mean you weren't thinking that you should try that more often? To…see beyond your foresight?"

Again, a glare. This one incredulous.

"Okay, yeah. That was a terrible line, but my point still stands."

Heimdall rolled his eyes. You were still so adamant that his foresight was a hindrance. "My foresight sees plenty."

He felt the shift. Subtle, and hidden from the surface, but he picked up on it. Disappointment. You may have presented the subject as a jest but you were really hoping he saw value in "turning off" his foresight when it was overwhelming. "Aaaaaand you missed the point. Even though it was right there." Your hand gestured to the empty fire pit in front of you, plopping back into your lap sluggishly.

Before he could help it he felt the discomfort creeping into his chest. Gods, why did he react so strongly? It was so much that he dropped the confidence just long enough to be sincere for a moment. "I'll use it again if I need it," he replied softly. He hated how weak it sounded, but the flood of appreciation and the loss of your discontent overpowered it quickly.

You smiled, much more at ease. "Good. I'm glad it helped."

Said with care. Genuine, selfless concern for another, even after they hardly showed gratitude for it. It was still mind boggling how foreign it was. Not in a negative way, for once in his life. While that thought was in his mind he felt something else from you. Fondness. For him.

It made him speak without forethought. "Thank you."

Heimdall almost jumped at the choking stutter you spat out, looking like the wind had nearly blown you off the bench. "Excuse me?!"

Heimdall rolled his eyes and sighed, giving no indication that he was just as thrown off. "You can never again call me dramatic after that reaction."

You held back laughter while you babbled back, "I-I have never heard you say that before! I can't even tell if you're serious!"

"I never lie, you know that." Again, said without a thought behind it. Damn his impulsive tongue.

You looked down, smiling brightly to yourself. This was it, you thought. This was what it was all for. These little instances where there was no need for him to look at every detail with such a critical and condescending eye. All it took was kindness that he could never find. It almost felt like an honor to have torn down his barriers enough to make it so. "Wow, Heimdall. Now I'm really starting to think you like me."

He couldn't help but snicker. As foolish as the statement was, it made something stir in him. The same thing he'd been battling since last night.

It was something he'd had enough of for the time being. "So, you're trying to hide things from me now?" He questioned while pointing to your notebook, changing the subject before he could get lost in his head again.

You pursed your lips at the book. "No, I'm just not sure about this song."

"The piece you were playing? I haven't heard that one yet. Was it something you heard and you're not sure if you're good enough to recreate it?

"No, smartass. It's one I wrote."

Heimdall's brows raised. "Another?"

"Yes, I've written a bunch. This one is…" you trailed off, not sure how to describe it. "I don't know, it's just different."

He couldn't help the curiosity after that. "Then put it up to the ultimate test. Let me hear it. If I don't like it then you know it's terrible." Said like a haughty lord who was reluctantly listening to the gripes of peasants.

You scoffed at him. Nonetheless you complied, adjusting your grip on the lyre and bringing out the melody.

You were right, this one was different. Not as serene and quiet, but more mysterious. Something that would fit nicely with getting confused by one's own mind and wondering where their head was going. Even so, it was still a relaxing piece, just more…hypnotizing.

Your voice joined in. The lyrics were the jumbled mess of nonsense they usually were, but still added that extra level of beauty that no other had matched. He refused to say as much, but your knack for making every song you played into something magical was quite impressive, even to him.

The short excerpt stopped. "I don't know, it's not what I usually do. What do you think?"

Heimdall chuckled, so light that you almost missed it. The songs you always played never got old, and now you would have even more at your disposal? He was suddenly giddy, so pleased that you would keep him on the edge of his seat in the most calming way possible. You were truly a gifted musician. "Turning out to be quite the songbird, aren't you?" he mused. 

You saw the smile he wore, how soft it was paired with the admiration in his sparkling eyes. It left you incapable of maintaining eye contact. Your music helped him relax, that much you knew. It was seeing proof of just how much he enjoyed it that made you want to pick the lyre back up and sing again, just for him. You desperately needed to see this pleased grin more often. Your eyes returned to his as you muttered, "I like that a lot more than 'stray.'"

He agreed. A much more suitable title for you.

Bird's wings and a squawk sounded, breaking the content isolation. Huginn landed on the bench across the fire pit.

Heimdall shoved the moment aside. Duty called, and it was well established how much more important that was. "Back to work, then."

You stood with him, a bit disappointed that he moved on so quickly, but you couldn't blame him. Neither of you could keep Odin waiting. Holding your lyre and notebook up to the raven, you requested, "Huginn, do you mind helping me drop these off at home before I report to All-Father?"

The bird stared at you for a moment, almost like it was insulted that you asked. It cawed again in half-hearted agreement.

"I'll meet you there," you said to Heimdall.

"You certainly will."

He wasn't sure why he felt compelled to confirm it. Or say anything at all.

Heimdall waited in Odin's study until you made your entrance, stepping up to his desk while Huginn landed on his usual perch. Odin was still looking down at the papers on his desk, ignoring all others for a few more moments. You took a second to glance at Heimdall and gave him a smile, one that he returned eagerly.

An exasperated squawk rang through the study loud enough for Odin to acknowledge the raven. "What, Huginn?" He sighed, sounding every bit like an exhausted parent. Once the bird spoke again the All-Father looked between the two younger gods awaiting his orders, seeming suspicious. He then waved a dismissive hand at his pet. "Later." He didn’t elaborate on exactly what the bird was trying to say, moving on from its offended chirps without a second thought. 

"No spelunking or combat today, you two." He retrieved the cracked orb you found in Niflheim from a bookshelf behind him. "I've been experimenting with this piece here and it can definitely be fixed. All it'll take is some materials and bifrost." The old god opened one of the drawers in his desk, pulling out a pebble of silver metal and holding it out to you.

You took it, brow furrowed with bemusement. "It seems like ordinary metal. How is this going to repair it?"

"It's ordinary metal for now. But thanks to my investigating…" A wrinkled finger pressed down onto the ore in your palm, blue and pink light of bifrost seeping out from the point of contact. Both you and Heimdall could feel the magic being transferred from Odin and into the metal, remaining once his hand withdrew. For a moment you practically held a physical manifestation of bifrost between your fingers until the energy escaped and dissipated before your eyes.

"I discovered that certain ores can contain and blend with bifrost if handled correctly. It all depends on the metal, which I'm certain our friends in Svartalfheim will be able to figure out right away. You'll be going there, asking them for the appropriate material, and using bifrost to seal them together." He nodded to Heimdall, "Which you'll be doing as soon as they get what you need. I'd rather you take care of it there than take several trips back to Asgard until we find something that works."

Heimdall bowed with no hesitation. "An excellent plan, All-Father." 

You, however, returned the metal to Odin's desk with a frown. "With all due respect, All-Father, why do you need me to go? It sounds like Heimdall can take care of this himself."

For whatever reason Heimdall felt a mixture of pride at your recognition of his abilities and dejected that you were risking not going with him.

"A couple reasons. Main thing is insurance. If at any point you feel the binding magic within this sphere become unstable, stop the process immediately and return to me. And…" he glanced at Heimdall. "You're popular around here. The dwarves should be happy to help if you take the lead." An insinuation that Heimdall was feared in Svartalfheim. Based on the rebellion Sif had mentioned once, that made sense.

Odin wrapped the core of the artifact in cloth and handed it to you. "No dallying, we're too close to bringing this tool back from destruction to start now." 

Huginn enclosed you in the vortex of ravens. With Odin gone, you wasted no time. "Can I expect you to behave yourself while I do all the talking?"

Heimdall rolled his eyes. "Can I expect you to pay attention and not get swept up in the mundane sight of Nidavellir?"

A shrug. "Looks like we'll both be let down." You had learned how to handle Heimdall quite well. This may have been the first time you'd get to look around a new realm even if he was with you for it.

When the ravens parted, Huginn flew off to a high branch. Where exactly, you didn’t bother to follow. Your sight remained on the mountain in front of you, intricate patterns and scenes carefully carved into the surface. Paths leading to outcrops littered the mountainside, all skillfully crafted by the dwarves. Even with the bustling industry the tropical nature of the realm still made itself known, framing the mountain and every hut, workbench, and shop with lush green trees. It was such a far cry from the dust bowls and closely chaperoned gardens of Alfheim, or the flat greenery of Gladsheim that you had grown so accustomed to. The smell of burning coal burned your nose and the clunking of heavy machinery brought life to the air. The warm sunlight filtered through the winding leaves above the round square that you were dropped in the middle of, turning the light into a welcoming yellow-green. You spun around as you took in the sights. Everything was so new, even if a lot of it was artificial. 

Heimdall watched you with amusement as he strode towards the largest workstation at the edge of the square. "Don't get too distracted, now. We have work to do."

You were not dissuaded by him. "Oh, come on. This is probably the most pleasing sight we've gotten since we started looking for this relic."

A fair point, he said to himself while a dwarf in a white shirt and stained apron scurried to him. "L-Lord Heimdall! We've been expecting you," he greeted nervously, his brown cap almost sliding off his head when he bowed too quickly.

Your fascination with the environment had to be cut short. Heimdall had been there for a meager minute and he was already about to push his metaphorical weight around. You returned to his side just as Heimdall, while brushing stray ash from his tunic, drawled, "I am aware. Yet I don't see anything that we need. What is your excuse—"

You leaned down a bit to look at the dwarf that was only about two-thirds your height. "All-Father may not have been specific enough for you to supply us right away. Let me apologize for that by explaining what we need," you interrupted with an air of professionalism. The dwarf was blatantly confused by it, his eyes flicking between you and Heimdall like he only had seconds to memorize your appearances before you vanished. You weren't sure if he was more surprised that you had the bravery to interrupt Heimdall or that Heimdall let you interrupt him.  

The dwarf adjusted the thin monocle framing the bridge of his wide nose as if he needed to get a better look at you. "And you are, my lady?"

You gave him your name, then continued, "I promise I'm much more personable than my associate here." Your smile was sincere, though Heimdall was irked at the milquetoast insult directed at him. "And what is your name?"

"Oh…I am Halvar, the overseer of this establishment where we sort, distribute, and store the assets that All-Father requests." Despite the condescending sneer Heimdall was giving the dwarf, Halvar relaxed at the gentle sound of your voice. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady. What was it that you needed?"

You held out the blue sphere for Halvar to examine, keeping close enough to yourself to communicate that he did not have permission to handle it. "We are looking for an ore that can mend this relic without compromising its abilities. It needs to be capable of holding bifrost, which Heimdall will use to combine them."

Halvar stroked his chin in thought. "I see…that is quite an exotic order. Receptive to magic, soft enough to be malleable, has a low melting point…I have some ideas, but we may need to run some tests to narrow down our options."

Heimdall growled back, "You're the overseer, yet you do not even know which of your stock would work? Are you sure you're qualified for this?"

The dwarf shuddered at the implication that Odin would hear about his shortcomings. "N-no! I mean, I know enough about the ores we have, it-it's just—"

"Ignore him," You intervened again before looking over at Heimdall and muttering, "Heimdall, shut up." The god scoffed at you while you reassured Halvar that you had faith in his knowledge. Among the fear that made a home in Halvar's mind, Heimdall could feel a miniscule hint of shock. 

Halvar, much calmer with your comfort, said, "Well, we have plenty to see inside the storeroom. If you follow me I can escort you."

"If you wouldn't mind."

"Why, of course!" Halvar replied a bit too enthusiastically. "I'm happy to be of service, m'lady."

Heimdall almost sighed, seeing the same eagerness to follow your every whim that the servants in Asgard had, solely because you chose to spare them of the treatment befitting their status. As pathetic as ever. 

Halvar lead you towards the ginormous circular door into the mountain down the path from the square, moving fast enough that he wouldn't hear Heimdall lean over to you and whisper, "A few soft words and he's like a loyal dog," with an unimpressed glare boring into the dwarf's back.

"Oh really? It's almost like being nice to people makes them like you, huh? Maybe you should try it." He only replied with a mocking exclamation of shock, making you chuckle. The dwarven workers around you stared, wondering why the cruel Heimdall they feared so much had seemed to be fine with the sass.

You were stopped in front of the door that was well over ten times taller than Thor. Halvar signaled his crew to open the gate, the anxiety returning when he turned to Heimdall and said, "It will take just a moment to open."

He was right to hesitate. The statement was enough for Heimdall to complain about, which was unsurprising to you. "You knew we were coming. Why would you not have it open already? All you're doing is wasting our time."

Halvar had an explanation — the wildlife could get antsy in the area and it was not ideal to have them exploring around Odin's preferred merchandise — but you gave him no chance. "Honestly, Heimdall, I don't get why you're so upset about a door."

"It isn't the door, obviously!" He lectured. The dwarves nearby noticed the lack of anger and insults. "It's the principle of the matter."

You sarcastically parroted, "'It's the principle,' he says."

"Yes, the principle! All-Father gave them ample warning of our arrival and it is not a surprise that we wouldn't find what we need in one of the dilapidated, second-rate shops outside of Nidavellir. Saving the trouble of waiting would have been respectful of our time."

You weren't really listening to his rant, knowing his impatience was not justifiable. "It seems to me that your 'principles' are stupid."

Heimdall sighed in annoyance, not bothering to change your mind. When he looked away he caught a few dwarves staring at you in dismay. He shot them a warning glare, silently commanding them not to eavesdrop. They practically tripped over each other trying to leave his line of sight.

The gates finally opened and the rumbling cogs and bolts were silenced. Halvar waved you inside the torchlit tunnel into the mountain. It opened into a huge room with a hole dug out of the roof to let the sunlight into. The branching paths were so numerous that it was overwhelming, leaving you wondering how anyone could keep track of where everything went. Some tunnels held tracks for metal carts that were connected to the plentiful mines within the mountain, others went to rooms that held crates and barrels, tools and safety gear, and spare parts for maintenance. The view from the entrance was so vast that you couldn't see the other end, the darkness of the cave swallowing up anything that wasn't directly under the skylight. Your eyes ventured up to see stairs and ladders going into higher rooms, several stories of them. It was a wonder that the dwarves working there didn't get lost in all the caverns they had to traverse while manning the storeroom.

"This is incredible!" You exclaimed, twirling around to find every detail and tuck it away in your memory. "How is something this massive made in the first place?"

Halvar continued through the dark portion of the entrance and toward the sunlight, grinning at your enthusiasm. "Ah, that's quite a story, my lady. My forefathers were the founders of these caves, drawn here by the rich—"

"How interesting," Heimdall droned, reminding Halvar that this was not a tour.

Halvar shrunk away from him. "Oh, yes, of course, my lord."

You shot Heimdall an irritated glower, moving to lightly slap his shoulder. He dodged it, of course. "Pretend he isn't even here, Halvar. We don't need him yet."

Heimdall showed how appalling the statement was with his expression, prompting you to smirk while you followed Halvar towards the sunlight. From his right he could feel the confusion of other dwarves, locating the source. An entire group of them had stopped to gape at him, all wondering the same thing.

How did you get away with that?

Heimdal asked himself that, snarling at the dwarves to remind them that he did not suffer fools lightly. Worse yet was that he was more angry at them for doubting his prowess than he was at you for giving them a reason to. He wasn't mad at you at all, actually, despite the annoyance being your fault. Maybe if you were still in Asgard, alone and far from others, he wouldn't care. But this was business, and your friendship was nothing compared to his duty to Odin. Bringing whatever antics you used to kill time was not to be tolerated.

He ignored the feeling of other dwarves questioning him while he stalked over to you. He stopped short, the sight stunning him.

The skylight. You were beneath it now, having followed Halvar while he recounted the founding of the storeroom. The warm colored light landed gracefully on your hair, illuminating the strands and gracing them with a golden halo. Your eyes, ever brilliant, shined even brighter with the light illuminating your curious gaze. The smile you wore was full of life and joy, the manifestation of the gentle and kind soul underneath. He could have sworn you were glowing in this setting. 

You really are a beautiful woman.

Wait.

Heimdall shook his head and grit his teeth. No distractions, not while he was in the process of completing a very important task for the All-Father.

Halvar finished his tale and directed the two gods down a specific tunnel, with you gleefully following him. Heimdall caught up to you, intent on voicing his disdain for your casual behavior at such an inappropriate time. As soon as he was next to you and your eyes landed on him, all the frustration melted, and he couldn't control himself before he smirked at you lightheartedly. "Need I remind you that we are here on business?"

"Heimdall," you pleaded, slightly exasperated, "this may be the only time we don't have to traipse through snow or fight off ogres while we work. Don't you want to have at least a little fun?"

"Your 'fun' isn't welcome right now." He regretted the harsh tone as soon as he saw the hurt pass through you. "I much prefer keeping it elsewhere," he added quickly.

You paused, contemplating that statement, then nodded. "Alright, if you insist." You sounded too smug to him. Underneath that joking facade, he read something else. You were flattered, it seemed. Like you didn't mind that your friendly habits remained between you two.

He didn't feel the need to discourage it.

Heimdall intended to be stern and domineering, determined to criticize you whenever you were too friendly. It was just his thoughts that were a problem. They were so intrusive then, words and ideas popping into his head before he could regulate them. All of them had to do with you. Every single one.

He'd grown quiet as Halvar presented different metals to you and let you test magic on them, keeping his distance at times. He just looked at you, and it was when something made his gaze loiter for too long that the rogue thoughts would occur. When you were standing before a mine cart full of stones that glowed blue, he watched you, in awe of how the light danced across your features. Later on Halvar brought them to a forge to melt a piece of ore that you considered a worthy candidate. The heat rushed out of the furnace he opened, the hot air blowing back your tresses and making them flutter in the breeze. He watched every strand flit across your face. After that metal was deemed inappropriate for your purpose, Halvar guided you to a crate of a rare resource, freshly mined and still covered in soot. Heimdall tracked your fingers poking at the metals, staining your fingers with black dust. You wiped them off on your waist, and Heimdall's eyes were trapped in that spot, admiring your frame and the curve of your back until you walked away. 

He watched you go until Huginn cawed at him. The insolent bird had been staying closer than usual.

No matter how much he forced himself to focus and stay alert he kept drifting back to you, telling himself how gorgeous you were in the torchlight, or how sweet your voice was, or noticing how soft your skin looked, or how enticing your laughter was…

You had found a potential ore to use, one that passed all other tests and shouldn't interfere with the complex binding spell the relic created. All you needed was for Heimdall to see how it reacted to bifrost. "Heimdall," you called without taking your eyes away from the ore. "Can you test this out for me?"

Heimdall was too lost in thought, examining the gorgeous proportions of your profile.

"Heimdall?"

The second attempt shook him out of his mind. Your amused smirk was the first thing he registered. "Not even paying attention, are we?"

He didn't answer. He didn't want to, still wondering why he was so distracted.

The ore passed the bifrost test, and you deemed it would react well to the existing magic. He took the lump of ore in his hand, a rainbow glow emanating through his fingers. When he opened his hand the once black stone was a mass of swirling blues and pinks. Halvar was excited by the new idea, despite the fact that he knew Odin wouldn't give them any time to explore it. The dwarf bounced off to the forge to melt the ore and mend the crack in the relic.

"You've been quiet," you said once you were ignored by any surrounding dwarves. "Something on your mind?"

Heimdall shrugged, pretending that he didn't have the slightest clue what you were talking about. "I can't say any of this has managed to keep me entertained."

"Oh really? You seemed much more interested earlier, when you were whining."

"I do not whine."

"It sounded like whining to me."

Heimdall taunted back, "You have no right considering how much you whined when I wouldn't let you pet Gulltoppr after I dropped you off last night."

You harrumphed, "That's different. You were just being a jerk."

Heimdall laughed in triumph. The sound brought a wave of confusion through the bystanders. Every single dwarf within earshot was aghast that Heimdall showed not an ounce of viciousness or annoyance, and even looked content. He promptly reminded them who he was with a single scowl that sent them running.

Once again his mind went on a tangent fueled by you. His eyes went to your ear, where the gold cuff decorated the cartilage. He remembered the first time he saw it. He liked it, and considered taking it if he was given permission to kill you. This time he didn't consider having it for himself, or think about how it matched his picky taste in trinkets. All he could think was how nice it looked on you, how it brought out the highlighted strands among the hair around it.

His thoughts were interrupted by the gradual build up of anxiety coming from you, evident by your fingers fidgeting with your sleeves. "Is there any particular reason you're staring at me?"

"I'm not." Technically true, he was looking at your jewelry specifically, not your person.

You sighed. "I've mentioned this before, Heimdall. Your eyes glow. It's hard to miss."

Heimdall replied by rolling his eyes, using that to indicate that his denial stood strong. The nervous tension in you remained. 

"Are you angry with me?" Said in a whisper so that no one but him would hear.

Heimdall almost scoffed. "Have I ever had a problem with voicing my anger in the past?"

A shrug. "No…but you don't always have such an intense look on your face, which makes me think you're upset."

He had no idea how to explain himself while hiding the fact that he didn't really have a reason.

"If it's because I'm being too chummy in public, I can stop."

Stop? Stop doing the things you always did? Go back to that quiet, meek form of yourself that held back the flame he found so amusing? The idea itself felt like blasphemy. "Don't," he choked out, biting his cheek afterward. He still couldn't figure out how you managed to loosen his tongue.

A glimmer of hope peeked through the fear in you. "You aren't mad then?"

It was then it clicked. You weren't scared that he was angry. You were afraid that he was ashamed of your friendship. It made sense. He'd made it abundantly clear to everyone in the realms that the only part of him they'd see would only be his fiercest front, and no less. No one should forget his deadly skills, his lack of hesitation when it came to expressing his power. That was exactly why he chose to remain professional with you when he was called to action. Hearing that it made you think he was ashamed, though…He didn't like it. There were so many people he was ashamed of associating with. Thor, his sons, the mortal inhabitants in Gladsheim, the idiotic einherjar that were just barely smart enough to take orders, dwarves that he intimidated on Odin's behalf…but not you. You were the last person he would be ashamed of. The only person he could do more than tolerate, the reason this entire trip to Svartalfheim hadn't been a complete drag that drove him to the brink of unreasonable violence. If you thought he was ashamed, then there would only be one place — your little hideaway in Asgard — where you would continue to be yourself and show that fiery temperament of yours. 

The iron will to remain professional he had forged began to bend and crumple. "I'm not upset," he said after a few moments, struggling to sound as neutral as possible.

Even the indifferent sounding confirmation was enough, banishing the fear that you had crossed a line and broken his trust. "Really? Hmm…you definitely would have been if this was happening months ago."

The mischief he heard convinced him that abandoning his decision was worth it. There you were: the one that made things so much more lively. Why did he want to push you away again? Really, it was much more worthwhile to punish anyone who was foolish enough to think he was any less of a god when your friendship showed. Why punish himself for it?

His duties still came first, of course. But the opinions of anyone that wasn't Odin? Well, he never cared in the first place, and why would he start now?

He covered his rapid withdrawal with a confident smirk. "Well, we are still forced to tolerate each other. I've chosen to spare you my wrath for the time being."

You felt your stomach flip, knowing his words were more cryptic than they seemed. "To my understanding, you just said that you really have started to like me."

"The stupid language thing again," he mumbled under his breath. "You're wrong, actually, I despise you entirely."

You laughed, the wonderful sound like little bells. "Don't worry, I despise you too." Implying that you were speaking his "language," obviously. He chuckled at how ridiculous it sounded coming from you.

The conversation would sensibly end there, but Heimdall felt the urge to say a few more things — things he fought the urge to say. He wanted to emphasize that his declared hatred for you was sarcasm despite that you clearly knew it. He just hated the idea of you thinking there was even an ounce of truth to it, that his hatred for you hadn't long since passed and been replaced by…this. Whatever this was.

You snickered again, making him realize he had started gawking at you again, this time in plain view. "That reminds me. If you aren't angry, then what is it?"

He didn't know. He couldn't consider it either. The forge Halvar was working on grew brighter with rising flames. Their light highlighted your eyes and accentuated the forms of your face, all while warming your skin and adding color to the hair he was more and more tempted to reach out and touch.

All he could do was look at you. In that moment you were so, so breathtaking. It was the first time he'd ever been so entranced by someone. 

You're beautiful. He wanted to say. He fought it. So what? When did appearances ever matter? Why did he feel the need to say something so foolish and worthless?

Something inside him had the answer: it wasn't your appearance that made you beautiful.

He lost the battle. His mouth opened. The phrase was working its way through his tongue.

A hardy guffaw broke the scene. Halvar returned with the orb, hooting and hollering about his handiwork. "Lookie here! It's like it was never broken in the first place!" He held it out for you to see, much more inclined to show you rather than Heimdall. There was no exaggeration in his declaration, however. The sphere was as good as new, and there was no sign it was any less functional than before. If anything it felt more stable now that the magic was properly contained.

"That's amazing!" You cheered, asking how he managed such a feat on an object as delicate as that artifact.

Heimdall tuned out. There was one persistent thought in his mind, and it was taking all of his strength to drown it.

He established that he liked you the night before, and he accepted as much. Now it was starting to sink in.

He didn't like you. He was fond of you. Very fond of you. 

Huginn's black eyes never left him.

[viridian-artist]

Hiya!! for the s/i ask game!!!

🖋️ Pen, 🎆Fireworks, ☄️Comet, and 🎨 Palette!! For any canon you'd like!!

Hiiii!! Since I asked you about you, Jessie, and James, I'll be doing the same with myself and Guzma!! There will be a few spoilers tossed in here and there as I mainly go off of what happens in Ultra Sun as well as the anime.

This will be a bit of a long post::

🖋️ Pen: Say a fact about your lore or yourself/self-insert. It can be absolutely anything! Short or long-winded!

I wasn't actually raised in Alola! I moved there from Galar with the help of my mom once I turned 20. Hau introduced himself to me first and was the one who gifted me my Litten (now Torracat), who I named Lechuga ("lettuce" in Spanish), as a gift welcoming me to the region.

I was never too interested in going on my own Pokémon journey, even as a child, but Hau (and his mom, plus additional encouragement from Kahuna Hala) invited me to join him on his. He introduced me to Professor Kukui, who in turn introduced me to Lillie (and Nebby). While tagging along on his Pokémon journey, I also decided to help Lillie out with Nebby.

This all leads up to how I finally met Guzma. His grunts had told him about me helping Hau out with his journey...and maybe stretched the truth a bit here and there. Finding it completely stupid that some foreigner is helping out the kahuna's grandson and the professor's assistant, he just had to come down to Melemele to see what was actually going on. It was actually one morning when Hau and Lillie were out on Route 2 (Lillie was accompanying him so he would be out there alone) that I was getting malasadas in Hau'oli City with Lechuga.

While I waited outside the shop for my order to be ready, he sort of pulled me between the alleyway area between the malasada shop and the photo club (which is the start of a running bit where Guzma, and sometimes his grunts passing on a message for him, drags me away from any ongoing conversation or activity) to "talk". He mainly asked more questions and didn't give me much time to answer most of them.

🎆Fireworks: Do you/your self-insert have any powers or abilities? If so, what are they, and how do they manifest?

No, not really? Unless you count using Z-Moves, which I don't really like all that much considering that I don't really battle often enough to use it. Kahuna Hala gave me the bracelet needed to use Z-Crystals, though it was Kiawe that gave me a Firium Z following an incident before Hau was supposed to complete his trial that he had me help with.

☄️Comet: What was a moment where you/your self-insert really shined? This can be a badass moment, a moment where you felt important to the overall lore, or just a really cool and important moment!

When Lusamine, Lillie's mother tries getting close to her again. I could see that Lillie was uncomfortable with it and was trying to set boundaries that her mother was ignoring. It was when she tried taking Nebby away from her that I stepped in.

It reminded me a lot of my childhood (which ultimately led to me moving from Galar to Alola), and I wanted Lillie to know that when I said I promised to keep her and Hau safe, that I meant it.

Lusamine initially saw me standing up for her daughter as disrespect, but after some time, she grew to realize that I only ever had Lillie's best interests in mind. She eventually thanked me for looking after Lillie, and the two of us do establish a somewhat close bond similar to mother-daughter.

🌈Rainbow: What was the happiest moment in your lore for you/your self-insert? Who all shared that happiness with you in canon?

I think it would have to be when Lechuga evolved into Torracat (and again in the future when he eventually evolves into Incineroar). I was never interested in going on the whole Pokémon journey growing up. My Scorbunny I had back in Galar was given to a family member without my consent when my dad realized that I didn't plan on joining my friends on their journeys. I never got to see them evolve and missed out on that specific achievement.

So, while I didn't plan on going on a journey in Alola, I would still train Lechuga when I could. It was in a random field along Route 2 that he evolved into Torracat. Hau and Lillie were with me, and we collectively booked it for Kukui's place to show him. This was also a huge achievement because Lechuga, in particular, was considered smaller than other Littens. Kukui believed that even with me training him, it would take a longer time for him to be able to evolve.

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

it is interesting. the thing about christianity that christians most often tout as the reason why christianity is superior is the exact same thing that i always struggled with the most.

that "thing" is the concept of salvation. specifically, salvation from sin (especially original sin).

and i think one of the reasons why paganism appealed is precisely because it didn't have this thing. at least not in the same way.

it just always seems so convoluted to me. it seemed like a solution to a problem they invented. and it doesn't even make any sense.

one specific thing that always confused me was the immaculate conception. it's just strange to me. if god can make it so mary is immaculately conceived and born without original sin....why can't he do that for everyone? yeah i know it's mostly a catholic thing but still.

also, another thing is, i've never understood the significance of jesus' "sacrifice". like....he is god. how is that a sacrifice? he endures a day of suffering and then wakes up in heaven as the ruler of the universe? that suffering must be like stepping on a lego in the grand scheme of things. lmao. his suffering wasn't even unique either. romans crucified people all the time. there were literally two other guys suffering the same fate right next to him.\

also if it's essentially god sacrificing himself to himself....why all the melodrama? why do you have to go through all that to "wash away" everyone's sin? no one else seems to be involved in the transaction. couldn't you do it all without the suffering and the crucifixion.

also, most christians don't even understand how jesus dying is supposed to "save" us in the first place. there are all kinds of theories of atonement. but even among "scholarly" circles there's no real consensus. different churches will tend to one or another. but no one is really sure. ask yourself. how does jesus dying wash away your sins? is his death the devil's ransom? or was it to satisfy god's righteous fury? was it just a moral example? penal substitution? most people have never even really thought about it and took the "jesus died for our sins" refrain for granted.

and the questions continue. why is there sin at all? free will? okay well how can we have free will if god is all knowing? but sure let's grant free will. then why did he put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden of eden? why even insert that kind of temptation? was it a test? why? it's like i tell a child to not eat a donut i placed on a table and then holding a lifelong grudge against them when they inevitably do. it seems so petty and stupid and kind of fucked up and irresponsible. also, like why can't he just show up to everyone and perform miracles and outline the rules clearly to people? if the choice is between salvation and eternal damnation i feel like he should be a bit more clear and direct. why gamble with people's souls? more petty testing? is it all just a game or something?

and i can keep going. but you get the idea. this is so central to christianity and one of the biggest points christians bring up when we discuss religion but it's so convoluted. and it just reads like someone make it up as they go along. and that's fine btw. that's literally what i believe about all religions, even my own. no religion is static and they're all constantly changing and adapting and evolving. and that's fine! but christianity always pretends to be different and superior for that difference. if they were just like "yeah idk it's all just myth and tradition and we're doing our best to interpret it and its mystery ultimately escapes us" or something like that i could respect that. but most christians are like "no. this is the absolute revealed truth and it's why christianity is superior and if you don't believe it you're wrong and going to hell."

lmao.

[ifidiedinadream]

Can I request a reader insert with Allu where either he's helping the reader through a tough day or the other way around? Can be fluffy or smutty I don't mind!

i'm a pisces venus so ✨por que no las dos✨

reader is helping aleksi going through a bad day (hurt/comfort + some vanilla love making). i'm a having a terrible day myself and writing this helped me 🥺

Aleksi has disappeared in the bathroom for quite some time. He’s been off all day (jittery, distant) and when you see that the door to the bathroom isn’t closed but ajar, you make up your mind and peek inside. 

Aleksi is looking at himself in the mirror, an unreadable yet hard expression on his face. He doesn’t respond when you softly knock on the door, nor when you go in and appear beside him in the reflection. 

“What’s wrong, baby?” you ask quietly, gently taking his hand into yours and leaning the side of your head against his shoulder. He doesn’t meet your gaze, only shrugs. 

“I’m behind on a couple of projects so I’m stressing out and I guess I’m kind of spiraling,” Aleksi says, voice flat, rational as he always gets when he’s trying to keep his emotions under control. You step behind him, kiss his back and slowly wrap your arms around him. He tenses a bit before relaxing in your embrace. 

“Why are you staring at yourself?” 

He shrugs again, tone exceedingly casual given his grave eyes. “Many things I don’t like.” 

You tighten your arms around him, stroking his stomach and sides, wherever you reach. Pressing a kiss into his nape, you say, “You’re amazing. And handsome.” 

You feel him take a deep breath, preparing to object but ultimately giving up. 

“You’re talented, hard working, smart, sensitive, patient… the best boyfriend I could ask for.” 

Aleksi sighs. “I know it’s true for you, but I just don’t see it today.” 

You let go of him, move around him and sit up on the counter between him and the mirror, blocking his view. You take his face in your hands and finally he locks eyes with you. He almost looks like he could cry. 

“Your head is lying to you. Trust me instead.” 

Wordlessly, he rests his head on your chest. You hold it close, caressing his hair, and he closes his eyes. Your calm heartbeat seems to be slowing down his breathing. He lifts his face up to look at you after a small eternity and you kiss him slowly. 

“Can we - can we go to bed and make love? It’s okay if you -” 

“Shh,” you say, smiling against his lips. “Sure, baby. Let me show you how great I think you are.” 

Aleksi blushes a bit before letting you lead him to the bedroom. There, you lie down on the bed and soon he’s on top of you, kissing you hungrily and taking you out of your sleepwear. He’s already shirtless and your hands roam all over his warm skin as his kiss travels from your mouth to your neck, making you sigh and spread your legs reflexively. He lowers his lips even more, reaching your breast and finding your nipple. You groan, sending your head back, your hands pulling him closer to you. Sucking at your nipple, he slips his hand down between your legs, grunting when he sees how wet you are. 

He raises his face then, looking down at you, suddenly calm. His lips are parted and his gaze is intense and you reach your hand to cup his cheek, guiding him down to your mouth, kissing him again, slow this time. He breaks the kiss to enter you, your lips still touching as he does, your eyes rolling back at the intense feeling. 

Your arms wrap tightly around him and he doesn’t move immediately. You’re left contemplating how perfectly he fits inside you, his chest rising and falling against yours, his breath hitting the side of your neck where his face is now buried. You can’t help but smile to yourself, complete and content. 

You groan softly when he finally starts rolling his hips, leisurely and without urgency, raising his head and meeting your gaze. He’s breathing through his mouth, eyes half-lidded yet attentive. You look inside them, feeling bare but not uncomfortable, until the slowly but steadily building pleasure forces you to close your eyes. Your hands on his back grow disperate, stroking and grasping at as much of his flesh as you can. This prompts him to slightly pick up his pace, and even then, his eyes are heavy on you, the expression on your face and how the feeling twists it. You don’t restrain your moans and Aleksi is breathing heavily, his hand firm on your hip transmitting warmth. He allows himself to lose a bit of control then, his thrusts now erratic, irresistible as he gets closer to his release. You beat him to it, though, coming with a full body shudder and a loud moan which has him grunt in turn. Your nails sink into his back to have his skin merge with yours and his rhythm is even faster now - the orgasm hasn’t been his focus tonight but now he can’t seem to hold back, and you hold him closer than ever when you feel him spill, stilling on top of you with a deep growl. You cup his head and caress his sweaty side, and when he re-emerges (his face was pressed to your collarbone) he’s panting and his eyes are still closed. You lean in and kiss him softly, making him smile tiredly against your lips. You smile back. 

Aleksi pulls out but stays on top of you in a sweet, intimate embrace. Before you can drift off, relaxed as ever, Aleksi rolls off of you to lie down beside you, stealing a kiss on your cheek. With gentle fingers, he delicately tilts your face in his direction before telling you he loves you.

[none-prob]

I write about a character per day

Day 15: Hunter

(Don't worry I'm not abandoning this yet, I'm just very tired)

Hunter Deamonne-Clawthorne-Noceda-Park-Wittebane-insert-whatever-you-want-here is an interesting character to say the least. He has arguably the best redemption arc throughout the show that was unfortunately sacrificed by his best friend and palisman. This boy can contain so much traumatic experiences.

A character that was only introduced in Season 2, yet having so much depth than even some main characters. From an annoying brat to completely traumatized kid that need intensive therapy. My god, so many things cramped into this child in 21 episodes.

Hunter before and after Hollow Mind really was two completely different people, despite trying his best to be the same, so I want to go for it first. Everything built up for Hunter before Hollow Mind was intense. Complete alienation from the life outside the castle, starting to doubt his "uncle", actually truce and cooperate with Luz in Hunting Palisman, and even doubting himself. And then Hollow Mind came like a trainwreck.

Belos was too good of a manipulator, he made Hunter completely trust him, even at doubt times inside his real mind. Only when he witnessed the graveyard of Golden Guard, all hell broke loose. Nothing Belos said is true anymore, all those masks used to be like him. And in a moment of desperation, fleeing away is the solution he considered, which to me is reasonable. That moment when you started doubting everything, the moment of ultimate betrayal, definitely had a toll on him. From a kid with only one purpose, he's now panicking, disoriented, and traumatized beyond recognition, trying to be strong for Gus in Labyrinth Runners but still seems shakingly anxious inside. This poor boy was starting to recover when in the Human realm, only to be traumatized again by Belos, with the loss of Flapjack on top. He is only related to Belos as a grimwalker of his brother, everything else Belos used this kid like a puppet. You don't need me to repeat the bad things Belos did to know that part.

Considering Luz and co missions were being meddled the most by the Golden Guard, it truly is a heartbreaking moment when she considered Hunter a family member. Look, compare all you want about Steven Universe being too "merciful and forgiveful", that is an incredibly kind act of her. Communication is so important. Acceptance and forgiveness is not forgetting what they did (that's revisionism), but to acknowledge their desire to change and get better. The person who just a few episodes ago were yelling at her for keeping them trapped in Belos' mind, was crying next to her, the tears of acceptance and relief. A person who followed every imperial order, now fights back the imperialist to his life. Luz changed Hunter's life in such a drastic way that changed this boy forever.

It's honestly really funny that the community thinks Amity and Hunter just despite each other. They have one episode fighting each other and probably some small fun-awkward-look from Amity. But really, after that dreadful day at Eclipse Lake, they got along really well, I just think it's funny to point it out.

One of the greatest dynamics of the show is Hunter and Willow, between the captain and her best player. Huntlow is an incredibly fun couple to watch, with the rapid rate of clues about them being canon, to Zeno Robinson's trolling on twitter about "advanced friendship" (I mean, yeah it's very advanced indeed I guess). The fact that one was always there when the other was at their lowest is amazing to me. She made him feel accepted for the first time, he got her out of her immense breakdown. Through the entire time in the Human realm, Willow was so supportive to Hunter, and that genuinely made him happy. It's just so beautiful.

Gus is a great friend/teammate/brother for Hunter, and they really only started interacting at the last quarter of Season 2 (yes you can see how the cancellation affected the show, so many interactions were robbed). The times spent in Camila's basement is priceless, bonding them with a mutual interest in Cosmic Frontier. Labyrinth Runners was a great episode, as Gus indirectly helped Hunter getting accepted in Hexside.

No other character in the show had a stronger bond with their palisman than Hunter and Flapjack. Flapjack was the only friend in the castle for Hunter, and so many times Flapjack just decided to do things for Hunter's good. Flapjack just can't stand Hunter being too closed towards everyone, he loved pulling Hunter's hair to make him talk. Just no one understands Flapjack more than Hunter. The scene Flapjack sacrificed himself for Hunter is truly the saddest scene throughout the show. Hunter still can feel Flapjack in his heart, but it just doesn't feel right anymore, which reminds me of the first Stevonnie experience. My poor boy was having the first glimpse of happiness only to be traumatized again.

Honestly I am not the biggest Hunter fan, nor is he my all-time favourite, but Hunter's redemption arc is so good, and I wished we had more scenes of this boy being happy.

[toschiworlds]

5 comfort characters & 5 tags

Thank you so much for tagging me @sonderlativ​

I put this under a cut because it ended up being a litter longer and I don't want to just put a wall of a post on someone’s dash. So, in no particular order, my comfort characters are:

Nero (Devil May Cry)

It was a head to head race to the finish line between Nero and Vergil but I ultimately picked Nero simply because I can relate to him more. Absent fathers, not a whole lot of friends growing up, more or less ignored/disliked by most people around you, wacky uncles. I just like him a lot. And if I keep talking, I might dive into some very personal stuff that I’m not necessarily comfortable discussing openly.

Princess Zelda (Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom)

*quick disclaimer: I won’t mention anything about TotK here because it’s only been out for little over a week and I don’t want to spoil anything for people who haven’t completed the game yet*

Boy, where do I even start? Zelda spends the majority of her childhood and teenage years under extreme pressure to awaken her bloodline’s abilities and while she understands that it’s important, she just wants to study the ancient Sheikah tech. She wants to do what makes her happy but can’t because the entire world depends on her. Which leaves her severly stressed and if that isn’t a mood and a half I don’t what is. Wanting to do something you love but not being able to. While this is not my favourite incarnation of the character (that honour goes to Skyward Sword Zelda), she is definitely the one I understand the best in terms of stress and heavy expectations.

Erik (Dragon Quest 11)

Words cannot express how much I love Erik. He’s literally the best character in the entire game. His arc is amazing and heartbreaking. He is there from almost the beginning and stands with the main character without question, leaving behind his life of crime for not entirely altruistic reasons at first but staying because he really does want to help. I love how he rolls with the punches, looks at all the weirdness of a JRPG and goes ‘this is so weird, you know that? But we’re doing it anyway’. And he is a real doofus at some points. 

(I also happen to ship him with the MC).

Natural Harmonia Gropius (Pokémon Black/White, Black2/White2)

Ok, here we are. My OG blorbo. The one I’ve had for far longer than the others. This man has been living in my head rent free ever since I first played Gen 5. At the core of his being, N just wants to do good and help pokémon, protect them from abuse but the man who raised him just uses him for his own gains and made him think that all pokémon who are not living in the wilds away from humans are being mistreated. Over the course of the first game, he begins to understand that this might not be as true as he thought it was through his friendship/rivalry with the player character and seeing how much their team loves them. Then years later, N is able to stand up to his father and not only saves the new protagonist from being killed but also helps to end Team Plasma’s plans for good (more or less anyway, his arrival did enable part of the climatic battle). Also, he can literally talk to pokémon and understand them. I just adore his development over the games so much.

And last but not least, I’m gonna cheat a little and include an OC of mine because you can’t stop me

Morgan Julian Hale (D&D, and so many other things at this point)

Morgan started out as my very first dnd character and has since then cemented himself as a personal favourite, having been put into a lot of my favourite worlds over time. When I wrote his original backstory, I didn’t realise how much a self-insert I made him. I only figured that out when a friend literally pointed it out to me. Morgan was raised by a single mother, is a social outcast and not really a people person. Give him a book and he’ll be good for the rest of the day, leave him around people and he’ll shut down faster than you can blink. The last part being incredibly funny when considering that he’s a sorcerer, a class that uses the charisma stat primarily. He’s also being hunted by a cult that wants his magical dragon blood. I don’t know what part of my psyche is represented by that and at this point I’m too afraid to ask. (Also, the picrew didn’t have an option for pointed ears but just fyi, he’s a half-elf)

Honourable mentions: obv Vergil who just barely didn’t make it, Byleth from Fire Emblem - Three Houses and Dorian Pavus from Dragon Age Inquisition.

As for tagging, @queenmuzz​ and since I don’t know anyone else well enough to feel comfortable tagging them I’m just gonna open this up to anyone who wants to jump in.

[spamtonology]

any tips for writing spamton in a fic where the overall tone is more lighthearted? im writing an x reader and my writing style tends to be more lighthearted and sort of silly, plus its ultimately a fluff fic so yknow

since it focuses more on spamton and his inner thoughts, i am adding in references to his insecurities, sort of comparing himself to the trash hes surrounded by, not feeling good enough for the love interest, deciding he still needs the neo body if he wants a chance of winning them over, things like that

i have another one in progress where i portray him a lil differently. the idea in this one is that readers just got those Good Vibes and it lowers his guard a bunch, where in the other one he still takes advantage of their kindness to become neo and doesnt even recognize them as a friend until its (almost) too late

he has a similar revelation to ingame but instead of "youre giving me freedom even after everything i did to you?? maybe the real freedom was the friends we made along the way" its more like "you sacrificed everything for me and in the end nothing even came of it. maybe you werent stupid, maybe you were just Nice"

I'm afraid I don't think I understand your question too well, my apologies.

By lighthearted do you mean something with little conflict (which your description does not sound like) or something especially humorous? Even with the latter definition if you wanted to focus on Spamton's own insecurities and self-worth issues, it'd be hard to keep that simply humorous without suddenly swerving into dark comedy or even just depressing territory. While I can write comic scenes now and then, I'm definitely not the best at writing more lighthearted and sillier works, I tend to overthink things and take it too seriously.

I could give you tips about writing Spamton, or at least writing how I would interpret him in a specific scenario. For something more "lighthearted" you want to focus on his goofier side, with some of his sillier adspeak and behavior reflecting his odd, meme-y charm. Songs like One Weird Tip and classic Youtube Poops are often the source material for his bizarre sense of humor and style. Spamton does naturally come with dark humor, it is a part of his personality, but try not to overdo it.

You could create a scenario where Spamton's mind is continually fighting against itself, but the outside world of Cyber City and the activities he partakes in are quite pleasant (such as going out for dinner). It's still not exactly lighthearted, but it does provide an interesting contrast between two different perspectives.

You could also have him argue with his own psyche in there about his self worth. One part of him thinks he's the greatest salesman that ever lived and he's still wildly successful, but another part of him knows the truth, and finds him to be about as worthy as the trash he sleeps in. This study of his own self-contradictions seems like it would be a lot of fun to read about!

As for the NEO body, did his goal change after he met this self-insert? Initially, his motivations are purely selfish and for power, and he's not a sentimental person, so it would take something especially drastic for him to change his mind like that. I won't tell you to change your story or say you shouldn't do it, go for it if this is the end goal for your story! It's just my opinion that I don't find it very believable for his character.

I apologize again if that isn't the answer you were looking for, feel free to ask me again or come off anon. Remember this is YOUR story and you should focus on how YOU want to make it, not necessarily listen to a stranger's interpretations of a character they could be wrong about.

[wrestlezon]

liveblog containment zone for aew dynamite 8/3/22

i wasnt going to do this, i was just gonna casually sit back and watch but then the undisputed elite promo started and i decided to get invested today

best friends trenchcoat bit good. just as janky as it went in pwg lmao. i love them when chuck came out to save orange-- he has a sleeveless tiedye shirt?? GUNS OUT??? love lookin at your arms king keep up the good work HELL yea (insert further wolf barking and catcalls here)

ricky starks video bit-- i wonder how powerhouse hobbs is going to justify his turn

oh its adam cole? we doing this now? ok. i thought i'd see hobbs are these dang dudes finally going to arrive at the firework factory lots of talking. ive been waiting for this whole thing to blow up in adam cole's face forever (in true heel fashion) hmm... they wouldnt have kenny omega come back yet right... wowww youre just going to force them not to fight? lmao?? who made you the boss WHOAAAAA he finally did it!!! he played his hand!!! who is going to save them <:( THE POP FOR HANGMAN!!!!!!! ohhhhhhhhh the pickup...

oh its christian cage... lmao you can hear the crowd laughing "HE BROUGHT UP MY PERSONAL LIFE I WOULD NEVER DO THAT" ok LMFAO christian cage is so fucking funny HOLY SHIT THAT CAR WAS MOVING FAST

hello??? britt baker team vs thunderstorm!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW wasnt expecting this ooooohhhhh new outfit jamie hayter?? fancy rebel reminds me of xena warrior princess... maybe its the hair holy shit that thunder rosa kick from outta nowhere looked like it hurt whoa!!! hayter and baker won with the pin on toni storm

sammy tay marriage? ok i guess. cringe EDDIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! eddie is the realest. ultimate face. i agree with everything he is saying SO TRUE BOO THIS WEDDING eddie may have lost the cagematch (i didnt like that result) but he does get on all the ppvs

TEAM TAZ IS OVER.... GOLLY... lmao makes sense tho. poor taz. he is just like literally if idk whats going on in my own team then i just WONT HAVE ONE. TEAM OVER. DISBAND powerhouse hobbs match its starks! he practically teleported past the camera going so fast LMAO omg he was also obscured by smoke and fog and im blind

oh!!!!!!! miro video promo MIRO ARE YOU GOING TO GET AN EVIL BAD GUY EYE TOO...

commercial

oh its darby allin doing a video promo against brody king hes giving himself a tat and the buzzing is quite annoying and distracting

jim ross alert

oh! its the christian cage match. who is he fighting again oh!!!!!!!!! matt hardy!!!!! matt hardy and his penance mullet im distracted thinking about all the laundry i have to do. but i am appreciating this match between two ogs table! table! table! table! ohhhh!! dodged and a win by christian cage strangely normal win for evil badguy cage wait i spoke too soon hes breaking out the steel chairs huh! LUCHASAURUS....... BY HIMSELF???? I FEAR... oh!!!!!!!!!! distraction fakeout for jungleboy! LMAO HIS SHIRT? IN LIKE DEFAULT ARIAL? LOWERCASE IMPACT FONT???

Christian is a pussy.

hey its daniel garcia doing a backstage promo

kip sabian return?? shall he come back and fight pac???

ethan page is wearing an excellent shirt today. he is so fashionable ethan page bitching and moaning in the ring promo stokely!!!! stokely TAKE ETHAN PAGE AWAY FROM DAN LAMBERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!! YESSSS ETHAN PAGE LEAVE THE AMERICAN TOP TEAM PLEASE YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oh boy! and now its 2point0 backstage promo time!!! hell yes DO YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT GETS DADDY MAGIC'S NIPPLES HARD ok i love anna jay's insatiable need to choke someone out. she needs her fix stu grayson isnt around anymore so now she is just choking out whoever whenever

oh its the acclaimed vs gunn club dumpster match now!! LMAO NICE off to a great start with the trash cans oh and we get a rap too? max caster is spicy today wow in the dumpster already that was fast is austin gunn wearing a croptop and overalls is someone gonna pop out of the dumpster on the ramp... maybe not. but itd be a good hiding spot oh on top of the tunnel? buddy.... caster!! OFF THE TUNNEL ONTO A TABLE... GOLLY omg ziptied. theyre locked in now lol wait are they gonna just roll the dumpster out now. kidnapping? OH... WHOA JEEZ

matches were announced! waow

its wheeler yuta vs jericho time! who will win!? i honestly dont know. i'd want yuta to win but i think jericho would end up winning regardless... through bluster or shenanigans EJECTED lmao the crowd pulling off the whole goodbye song??? nice there is wrestling occuring. and also slap fights i love that yuta's thing is his insane german suplexes. its always cool and charming to have a Signature Favorite Move oh no! walls of jericho!!!! THE YUTA CHANTS FROM THE CROWD!!!!!!!!! yuta DOUBLE TOPE???? TRIPLE??? YUTA CONTAIN YOURSELF oh no!!!!!!!!! yuta codebreakered! KICK OUT... wait i looked at the clock and spoilered myself. i can rest easy for a few more minutes the bat! THE DISTRACTION!! NOT HIS DICK AND BALLS SEATBELT AGAIN????? nooooo!!! submission held!!!! yuta tapped....

killing him!!! moxley to da rescue