#hey at least he won't be super effected all day like he was from the last visit... very reassuring honestly

[ambrosiagourmet]

Hey, Kabru and Mithrun spend some interesting time together, don't they?

With Mithrun having just officially premiered in the anime, and a lot of discussions swirling around about him, I've been thinking a lot about that section of the story quite a bit. These chapters - Roasted Walking Mushroom and 6 Days - are some of my favorites. For a lot of reasons, really. Not only are they are a huge turning point for the story as a whole, but they have some excellent character work, and represent an important shift in Kabru and Mithrun's individual arcs and relationship to each other.

The chapters are also kind of a fully contained story arc just on their own, which is an impressive bit of writing, and makes them super fun to analyze. So that's exactly what I'm going to do!

This will be structured as a close reading of chapters 61 & 62, with some asides for additional important context. I'm going to talk a little bit about a reading that I disagree with, but for the most part I just want to focus on how Kabru and Mithrun's relationship progresses during these two chapters. In particular, the ways they both grow from the time they spend together.

Also I just want to quickly note that this isn't written as Ship Content. It's meant to be an analysis of their relationship as presented in the text - layer whatever additional meanings and filters on top of that as you'd like, but please respect that my intent is not to talk about or champion a ship, or frame any of this content as romantic.

So, with that all being said:

How do Kabru and Mithrun help each other?

First of all, I think there are two important pieces of context that inform the Kabru & Mithrun Dungeon Adventure chapters. Both are related to Kabru's state of mind, and both are set up before or during the chapters in question.

The first is the context of what happened just before Kabru and Mithrun fell into the dungeon. Specifically, the events that led Kabru to make them fall.

Kabru, essentially, gives up his life at the end of chapter 55. When he stops Mithrun, and when they both plummet with the collapse of the first floor, he is okay with dying. Mithrun warns him that they will both die if Kabru doesn't let him go, and Kabru accepts this as a worthwhile exchange.

Why?

Well, because he doesn't want the elves to take over the dungeon. Throughout the last 3 chapters, the Canaries have been effective, but they have also been cruel in their efficiency, and they have made it clear that they don't care about collateral damage. They lured people into the dungeon specifically to provoke a violent reaction from it, without regard for who might get hurt by the violence.

What's more, they are keeping important information from Kabru, and he knows it.

He's not just looking for a solution, he's looking for the truth - a truth that he believes that he will only find through conquering the dungeon. With good reason, to be fair! The elves make it very clear that they aren't there to treat the other races on the Island as equals.

So Kabru uses the only tool he has available to him - his own life. It won't get him the truth, but it at least gives a chance for another person from a short-life species (namely, Laios) to earn it in his place.

This dovetails nicely with the more thematic context that's introduced in at the start of chapter 61: the room where he could eat all the cake he wanted.

This place, a place that Kabru never wants to go back to, is a place where he is safe, and a place where he is ignorant. A place where he is sheltered from danger, but also from the truth. The same place the Island would become, if the Canaries had their way. He doesn't just want to be safe, and he doesn't even just want the world to be safe, though he does want to be able to protect people from what happened in Utaya.

But he doesn't just want to entrust that safety to the paternalism of the elves (especially since he is all too aware of the ways they can fail, or the people they are willing to sacrifice in the name of that "safety"). He wants to be given the agency to seek safety and peace for himself.

He wants to understand. And he wants the chance to act.

This is the context we have, going into the arc of 61 & 62. But before I talk about how the chapters build on this context, I want to take a step back and look at what else the chapters establish early on, before delving into their exploration of Kabru's agency.

First of all, I kind of want to challenge the framing of Kabru and Mithrun's relationship as solely that of a caretaker and his charge.

Obviously, Kabru is forced into a caretaker position - at the threat of his friend's safety, no less. (Okay, it's actually Toshiro and Namari that are being held, but still. There are hostages involved in this) But I do think it's important that Mithrun isn't the one who puts Kabru in this position - Cithis is.

Before this conversation, Kabru and Mithrun are already exploring the dungeon together. Mithrun doesn't threaten Kabru, or force his hand. He kind of just assumes that Kabru will join him. It's rude, and not particularly respectful, but given the dangers of navigating a dungeon alone, I don't think that's really an unreasonable assumption. And it certainly isn't the same as Cithis' approach.

If they were left alone with no intervention, they probably would have ended up in a similar position to the one that Cithis leveraged them into. Kabru is smart, and he could have figured out the things that Mithrun needed help with. And, to be clear, those are things that Mithrun needs help with not because he is selfish or thinks they are owed to him, but because he is disabled. It's not unreasonable for him to need that help, and it's not unreasonable for Kabru to provide it, under the circumstances.

Besides, they both need each other down there. Kabru wouldn't have survived without Mithrun - he doesn't know enough about monsters, and isn't familiar with the deeper dungeon's layout. And Mithrun wouldn't survive without Kabru - he isn't able to notice his basic needs and would burn himself out without food or rest, making him an easy target for the monsters he could otherwise take care of on his own.

Aside from both needing each other, another interesting layer to their relationship, which is established right away, is that Kabru doesn't have to - and literally cannot - put on a mask of social niceties around Mithrun. He can't suck up. It doesn't work.

So Kabru, who spends so much of his time concerned with how others perceive him, and who compromises his own comfort in order to become the most appealing version of himself at any given time, has that tool taken away. He has to help Mithrun, but notably, he can only help Mithrun to a certain point. He cannot compromise his open and honest feelings to help maintain someone else's view of the world - or at very least, it doesn't benefit him at all to do so.

Instead, they sit together, in the same position, share the same shitty mushroom dinner, because they both have to:

And that's notable, too. They both have to. Cithis' demand is most specific about the need to eat. Three meals a day! But this is something they both need, not just Mithrun.

Still, their relationship at this point still isn't exactly supportive, or even respectful. Kabru may have realized that he didn't need to keep up an act around Mithrun, but ya know, he still turns around an immediately try to, with that shitty mushroom dinner.

(The 'badly drawn shapeshift Kabru' gag here isn't just funny, imo, it's also a reminder of the thing he JUST LEARNED. Mithrun is immune to the Kabru smile anime sparkles filter.)

Mithrun also doesn't tell Kabru any helpful information at this point, and doesn't really put much effort into helping him at all. He slaps him awake out of a Nightmare, and treats him with the same disregard he did at the start of the chapter, focused entirely on moving ahead.

But then Mithrun collapses, and the current structure of their relationship collapses with him.

I think it's interesting here that the shift in their dynamic also includes Mithrun explicitly noticing Kabru's desires. Obviously it's not actually like some kind of I truly see you and recognize your humanity moment shared between them, but I do still like the way that it pulls Kabru's internal wants to the surface. Kabru not voicing his desires doesn't mean they don't exist, and Mithrun recognizes that the same way the dungeon does.

And then Mithrun does, in fact, grant one of Kabru's deepest desires. He tells Kabru the truth.

Just like how they are working together in the first place, this truth is as much a necessary concession to survival as anything. But that doesn't mean it's not impactful for Kabru. This is the thing that every other elf in his life has kept from him. A secret foundational to his core belief that long-life and short-life species can never come to mutual understanding.

And Mithrun isn't just giving him the bare minimum information here. What he shares isn't just a truth, it's his truth. It's a level of complete and total vulnerability that few people share with each other. And again - some of this may just be coincidence and necessity. I imagine Mithrun is so open, at least in part, because he doesn't have the same barriers that other people do when it comes to sharing these things.

But, then again... we see Mithrun at his most vulnerable and empathetic when he is talking to dungeon lords & potential dungeon lords, and trying to convey to them the truth of the trap they are walking into.

This face:

Is very similar to this face:

These are some of the few instances that we see Mithrun emote in this way, and his story does come just after he notices the dungeon responding to Kabru's desires.

But, no matter if Mithrun's openness is in response to Kabru being tangled in the dungeon's hunger, or just part of his nature (or, maybe, a little of both), his story changes things for Kabru. It gives him the chance to make actual choices, now that he understands the truth. It gives him a chance at agency in the story.

And he immediately turns around and uses some of that agency in an interesting way:

When asked about why he can't sleep, Mithrun says he needs to be magically compelled. Being magicked to sleep is simple, and it is efficient, but he doesn't even just say it's the best option. He seems to believe it is the only option.

So much in Mithrun's recovery has been framed through how it will let him fight the demon. Recover so that you can return to the dungeon. Sleep so that you can return to the dungeon. Eat so that you can return to the dungeon.

But rest, much like eating, isn't just about achieving the bare minimum required for efficiency. And as Senshi would probably say, the easiest path isn't always the best.

I don't think that the Canaries are intentionally running Mithrun ragged or anything, but as I mentioned earlier, they are very focused on efficiency, with little thought spared to what is lost or hurt in the process.

And there is something different about Mithrun's time with Kabru in the dungeon. Lycion even notes it, when they finally connect back up.

I don't think it's a huge leap to say that how Mithrun falls asleep here is emblematic of that difference. When Kabru helps Mithrun to sleep by massaging his feet, rather then using magic, he is explicitly taking a step beyond the minimum. He is providing comfort to a body that has been given only necessities for a long, long time.

These two events - Mithrun sharing the truth of the dungeon with Kabru, and Kabru choosing to help Mithrun to sleep through a foot massage - shift their relationship. There's a clear difference in how we see them treat each other, and especially in how Mithrun treats Kabru.

Before, Kabru provides food that he has gathered himself (okay, it was a mushroom he put his foot through on floor one, but the point still stands that Mithrun offered no help at all with getting food).

Afterwards, they gather food together.

Before, Mithrun teleports Kabru towards a monster, using him as a weapon when he can't find anything else.

Afterwards, he helps Kabru escape monsters, and fights them directly.

Before, he slaps Kabru awake after 5 hours of uncomfortable, Nightmare-filled sleep. A rest which, notably, Kabru didn't even intend to take for himself.

Afterwards, we see Mithrun keeping watch while Kabru sleeps in a bedroll.

I don't necessarily think that all of these things are choices that Mithrun consciously makes. Like, after 6 days, Kabru would have to get some actual sleep eventually, and Mithrun would pretty obviously have to keep watching during that time.

Nonetheless, there's still a difference in how these scenes are framed, and the fact that it is these things that are used to portray their journey together. Kabru is not the sole person providing food and sleep and safety - they provide these things for each other. Kabru eats alongside Mithrun, hunts alongside Mithrun, and he sleeps in the same way we see Mithrun sleep, laying down and resting deeply enough to be groggy when woken up.

What's more, during their time together, there are even a couple of instances of Kabru being more willing to care for himself and accept care. The sleeping is one example - note how he is surprised at having slept "that long" when told he was asleep for less than even the minimum recommended amount of nightly sleep - but I think the pattern of his eating is even clearer. In making sure that Mithrun eats regularly, he is forced to eat regularly too.

And I especially like the progression with the Barometz meal. After Mithrun has fallen asleep, Kabru thinks about wanting to "give [Mithrun] something nice to eat," but also notes that Mithrun's lack of desire "means there isn't even anything he wants to eat." So what does Kabru do?

He makes Mithrun something that he wants to eat.

I've already talked a bit about the ways that Dungeon Meshi depicts people finding support through "borrowing" the desires of the people who care for them, and I think this scene is a great example of that idea. Especially in the way that it pulls an expression of desire from Kabru, who is so prone to ignore his own hunger and needs. The meal may not end up anywhere close to the flavor intended, but it's still a far cry from the roasted walking mushroom.

All of these pieces come together at the end of chapter 62, resulting in a pivotal choice that could only happen because of the ways Kabru and Mithrun have, at least a little bit, grown closer to each other.

As they are preparing to leave, Kabru hears a bell ringing in the dungeon, just as he hears Toshiro's matching bell on the other side of the portal. Realizing Laios is nearby, Kabru hesitates. He knows the truth about the demon, and how he has a chance to act on it.

Cithis, the person who extorted Kabru into taking care of Mithrun in the first place, pushes for Mithrun to follow along with the plan.

(okay a quick aside here I just want to say I do love Cithis and I'm not trying to bash on her here. I just think it's interesting that she is the one to establish the terms of Mithrun & Kabru's cooperation, as well as the one who tells Mithrun to leave the dungeon at the end of the chapter)

But Mithrun doesn't go along with her command. Instead, he does something unexpected:

He asks what Kabru wants to do.

In contrast to Milsiril's smothering comfort,

and in contrast to his Mithrun's own assumption that Kabru will follow him, when they first wake up in the dungeon,

Mithrun follows Kabru's lead.

This, right here, is the change between them. Not only that, but it's a shift in the entire balance of agency in the dungeon. For what might be the first time in a very long time, Kabru - a tall-man - knows the truth, and is acting on it. He makes a huge decision purely on his own judgement. He is not trying to appease or coerce anyone, and he doesn't win Mithrun over by hiding his true intentions.

Rather, it's the honesty between them that builds to this moment. Mithrun's honesty earns Kabru's trust, and Kabru's honesty earns Mithrun's respect. They bond not because they are forced to spend time together, but because they choose to spend that time giving each other more than the bare minimum - even when they are both people used to accepting the bare minimum.

It echoes Laios' argument with Toshiro, in a way. They eat three square meals a day (Cithis mandated admittedly), they get plenty of sleep, and in doing these things, they take each other seriously. They treat each other as more than just a means to an end.

I don't necessarily think it's a flawless, unbreakable bond that's built during this time - hell, they both kind of revert back to their old behavior, once reunited with the rest of the Canaries. People don't completely change their habits overnight, after all.

But it is a shift. It's a shift that gives Kabru the chance to steer the story towards the ending he has fought for all his life, and it's a shift that helps Mithrun find a way to move forward after he loses his own reason for living. They reach their goals, and then they step past them - facing life beyond the moments they thought defined their reasons for living. Facing life beyond the bare minimum.

And that is how they help each other.

[saintedbythestorm]

Lucifer went from laying on a bed on the floor whining til dad came and laid down beside him to running off and jumping up on the couch, kicking around happily and being super energetic.

Someone was nowhere near as tired as he tried to seem. 😅

[im-sleepdeprived]

do u think u can do a Peter Parker x reader where reader is gone for a while and has her phone off, and Peter gets super scared only to find out she’s alright?? I love ur work u’re the best xx

'No location found'

pairing: peter parker x reader

a/n: thank you for the request !!!! i had this written, then I decided to rewrite it lmao. I pictured college pete but Im not sure if I specified, also not sure if anyone saw my post abt writing a fic inspired by ‘peter’ by taylor swift but i think im going to start working on that and that its gonna be a mini series👀.... so stay tuned and request something in the meantime !!

warnings: none

masterlist, requests are open !!

“That’s not what I said!”

“Oh? Well, that’s what I heard.”

You two had been going at it for a while now. Peter had missed yet another date you’d both planned. It’d been a while since you both spent time together, and you thought he was finally going to change that. Until he just stood you up again. 

You’d thought after moving in together, you’d see him all the time. The opposite was true. He was always out, either on patrol, at Stark Tower, or wherever else his Superhero duties took him.  The problem was, that place never seemed to be with you.

“Y/N please-”

“No, Peter! I’m sick of it! I try to be understanding, I really do, I try to give you grace, but every time I do it’s like you just make it worse.” You sighed and ran a hand through your hair, “Honestly at this point, it feels like you don’t even care anymore.”

His face fell. “Come on baby. You can't seriously think that! It was just a mistake, I won't do it again.”

You nodded, “Right. Think I’ve heard that one before.” You turned around and walked towards your shared bedroom.

“Woah, hey. Wait a minute, where’re you going?” His voice was hurt, and you almost felt bad for turning your back.

Shaking your head and looked down at your dress. You’d gotten all dressed up, expecting a nice dinner followed by a walk in the park. You said, “I’m tired, I’m gonna change and get ready for bed. Sorry, but hey, at least now your schedule is freed up,” you gave him a weak smile, “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Y/N you know it’s not like that. Look you’re all dressed up,” he reached for your arm, “we can still go out. Please, let me make it up to you”

Looking into his eyes, it took everything in you to pull away. 

“Peter,” you whispered, voice so quiet, yet so full of emotion. 

“I don’t want us to fight,” he begged. 

'We’re not fighting, not anymore. I just want to be alone.”

“Okay.” He nodded, but still kept his hand on you, reluctant to let go. “I’ll sleep on the couch?”

You nodded, not trusting your voice right now.

He deflated. He wasn’t exactly expecting you to object, but still. It hurt that you wanted to be away from him so bad. 

“Good night,” he muttered, watching you walk towards the door with sullen eyes. “I’m right here if you need anything.”

You gave him the tiniest tip of your head, not even bothering to turn around, “Night.”

There was no way he was getting any sleep tonight.

You slept in that day. It was Saturday and you didn’t feel like doing anything. Even after you woke up, you stayed in bed scrolling on your phone, heart pounding a little harder when you saw messages from Peter pop up, before effectively sliding them away.

After a few hours of doomscrolling, you stepped out of the room. You could see a throw blanket neatly folded on the couch, you have no idea if he’d even used a pillow. Your heart thrummed with guilt and you decided that tonight he was definitely sleeping on the bed. Or at the very least, you’d sleep on the couch. 

Walking into the kitchen, you noticed a tray with a note sitting atop a covered plate. When you got closer, you saw that the note held a cheesy breakfast pun. So Peter.

I love you a waffle lot! With a bunch of hearts around it. You couldn’t help it, you cracked a smile. He was such a dork. And you loved it. 

You heated up your breakfast and had gotten well into eating when your phone started ringing. Was it Peter? You didn’t really want to speak to him, not yet at least. You’d kind of hoped you wouldn’t have to until tonight-

You picked up your phone and almost let out a sigh of relief when you realized it was just one of your friends, Maddie. Then you felt bad for feeling relieved. 

You answered the phone. “Hey Mads, how's it going.” 

“Hi Y/N! Good! I was just calling to see if you wanted to go out tonight? Listen, before you say no-”

“No that sounds great actually,” you cut her off quickly, eager for an excuse to get out of the house. You’d been canceling plans for way too long in hopes of spending even a moment with Peter, and it seemed as if even your friends had noticed. But no more.

“Really? Great! So there's this raging new club,” she went on, giving you all the details of who was going and who might be there and you listened but barely felt a hint of excitement. You weren’t sure if it was because it was a frat party, and those things rarely appealed to you, or if it was lingering feelings from your argument with Peter. Which reminded you why you’d wanted to go out in the first place. 

“We’re gonna pregame at my place though, so stop by here and I’ll take you!” She finished, making you smile. Maddie was always sweet, a little more wild than you, but that’s what made you like her. 

“Sure Maddie, thanks for the invite.”

“Of course, can’t wait to see you, I feel like it's been forever since we went out together.”

You let out a small laugh, “I know what you mean. But we’re gonna change that tonight. 

You said your goodbyes and hung up. You needed to start getting ready soon, despite you just eating breakfast, you’d stayed in all morning and it was pretty late already. 

You got ready quietly, only a playlist you’d turned on droning in the background as you did your hair and makeup. You walked over to the closet to pick out an outfit and felt a little sad. Usually, Peter was here during this part, helping you pick out something, annoying you when he said you looked beautiful in everything. 

“Peter! I need real criticism!”

“Well, I can’t help it if my girl looks stunning in everything!”

You picked out a nice outfit you deemed fit for clubbing before grabbing a pair of heels and stepping out of your room. Looking around at the empty apartment you realized you should probably let Peter know you weren’t going to be home tonight. You didn’t feel like calling him though, and if you didn’t want to open his messages from earlier either so you decided to take a page out of his book. 

Grabbing a sticky note, you wrote down the briefest of explanations, before sticking it on your fridge and leaving. 

He had sent texts saying Good morning!, Do you need anything?, and another explaining he’d be out for a while but he’d made you breakfast, all in hopes of you responding to him. You didn’t, but that wasn’t too shocking to him. It didn’t make it hurt any less though. 

He knew he fucked up. He knew he’d disappointed you again, let you down again. He knew he deserved this and more. He should be grateful you weren’t giving him the more. And he was! But he couldn’t help the small selfish part of him that just wished you would let him take you out tonight, or give him something else he could do to make up for it because there was nothing he hated more in the world than when you were mad at him. And he did not want to sleep on the couch again. Sure it was uncomfortable but that was the least of his worries. He hated not sleeping next to you.

That had been his favorite part about the two of you moving into your own place, that he got to hold you every night. After a rough night of patrolling, or working too long on his studies, or a new gadget, he got to go home and hold you, get lost in your touch, and that always made everything better. And it killed him to know you were just down the hall, and he wasn’t with you. 

He tried his best to rush everything, trying to get all his work done for the day so he could spend the whole night with you. He was planning a movie night, bingeing all your favorites. He was gonna give you a proper date, soon, but right now, all that mattered was you two spending time together. 

On his way home, he stopped at a corner store to grab snacks for the two of you, making sure to get all your favorite ones. He even stopped at a flower shop not far from your apartment to grab you a bouquet and his heart fell when he realized how long it’d been since he’d done this. He definitely deserved the more. 

He knocked on the door of your apartment a few times and his heart fell as he realized you were either dead set on ignoring him, or you weren’t home. When he pulled out his keys and let himself in, he realized it was the latter. 

Sighing, he set down the bags of snacks and placed the bouquet down as he ran a hand through his hair as he walked around. He entered the kitchen and felt a little better when he saw the dishes he’d used to plate your breakfast were washed and on the drying rack, meaning you’d eaten. 

He was about to pull out his phone to see if he’d missed a text from you when he saw something on the fridge. 

“Went out. Be home late.”

His brows furrowed as he read. He didn’t know you had plans. Hell, he didn’t even know if you had plans now, your note barely explained anything.

All he could do was wait until you came home to sort everything out.

Peter could handle the silent treatment (barely), but what he couldn't handle, was not knowing if you were safe or not. No. That wouldn’t fly. 

He’d sent you a text when he got home, letting you know he got your note and to have fun and be safe. 

An hour later, he sent another text. Just as a little check-in. Still no response. 

It had been about three hours since he’d gotten back when he noticed that his messages had lost the little mark that indicated they were delivered. Weird. 

He tried to call you, he’d refrained from doing so before because he thought he should let you have your space (which was why, he assumed, you’d left in the first place) but it didn’t even ring, he just got sent straight to voicemail. 

What made him really start to panic, however, was when he went to check your location, which he felt so stupid for not doing before, and it wouldn’t load. It kept saying ‘no location found’ making his heart beat harder.

This was worse. You were ignoring him, his messages and calls weren’t going through. Something was wrong, was your phone off? Were you mugged? Or even worse-

He stopped himself before he could spiral too hard. That wouldn’t help, right now, he needed to figure out where you were and if you were okay.  He knew you weren’t the kind of person who would go out to bars or parties alone. Maybe you went out with a friend? Or maybe you were at a friend's? It was a place to start. 

He started calling your friends, people he knew you might go out with, and on the fifth call he finally got answers. Or…something like that. 

“Hello?” Maddie yelled into the phone, making Peter pull his phone away. 

“Hey Maddie, it’s Peter.”

“Oh yeah, Y/N’s dude,” she slurred. 

“Yeah, yeah, Y/N’s dude. Hey listen, is she with you? She went out tonight but she forgot to tell me where, and now my messages aren’t sending.” His pulse was racing. It sounded like Maddie was out, if the blaring music in the background was anything to go off of, and he was desperate to know you were okay. 

“Sorry Patrick, what’d you say,” she asked making Peter’s brows furrow. They weren’t exactly friends, but he’d met Maddie a few times. Enough times for her to know his name was not Patrick.

He shook his head, that didn’t matter right now. “Y/N. Is she with you, do you go out together?”

“Oh!” She exclaimed as if she’d just remembered something. “Yeah, she is!”

Peter let out a sigh of relief. 

“Or, she was.” He held his breath again. 

“What do you mean ‘she was’? Where is she?”

“I dunno, she left I think.” Maddie let out a little hum as if to say ‘too bad!’ and Peter was sure she must be extremely intoxicated, otherwise there was no way she could be so casual about something like this. He could barely keep himself together.

He ran a hand over his face as he tried not to raise his voice. This was getting frustrating. “She left? Where’d she go? Where are you right now?”

“I don’t know…she was bored I think. She was off today. S’shame, she looked so hot.”

His heart clenched when he realized the reason you were off, was because of him. You didn’t have fun, so you left, now he had no idea where you were and it was all his fault. 

“Where are you, Maddie?” He repeated. 

“That new club on 27th! Get down here Paul, it's so much fun!” She gushed and Peter rolled his eyes. He didn’t have time for this. 

He hung up quickly, not bothering to say goodbye before he got up to put his suit on. He couldn't stand the thought of something happening to you because you were upset and distracted because of him. That you weren't even speaking to him.

There was no way he was going to let anything happen to you. 

You were walking outside, up and down the sidewalk. You knew it wasn’t the safest decision but you didn’t really care. The club was stuffy, humid, and way too loud. You just needed to breathe, and then you’d go back. Maybe. 

You considered hailing a cab and going back home right now. You’d send Maddie a text, but she probably hadn’t noticed you’d left in the first. She’d been having a blast, unlike you, drinking shots and dancing with every guy she felt like. You weren’t sure she remembered you stopping her to tell her you’d be gone for a bit. 

On second thought, you were kind of hungry. You hadn’t eaten anything other than Peter’s waffles for you that morning and there was an amazing smell floating from a food cart at the end of the block. You could help yourself to something before going home. 

Before you could reach the food cart, you were flying. Or rather, swinging. You knew who it was right away. 

Just as fast as he’d snatched you up, Peter put you down on an isolated rooftop, leaving just you and him high above everyone else.

You were about to reprimand him, about to demand an answer as to why he’d just done that, but there wasn’t a chance before he was pulling you into a bone-crushing hug.

“Pete?” Your voice was soft, you sensed there was something wrong and suddenly any anger or annoyance you held, from now or the night before, disappeared.

“You’re okay,” he mumbled as if that was his way of an answer. 

Your brows furrowed. “Well…yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

He pulled away then, taking off his mask, and you saw just how terrified he looked, scaring you as well. There might’ve even been a little red rimming his eyes, making you wonder if he was holding back tears. “I came home and I brought snacks and flowers and I thought we could spend the rest of the night together but saw your note. So I texted you and I get that you’re mad at me-”

“I’m not,” you said, and you meant it. You weren’t mad at him, especially right now, seeing him all shaken up like this. “But what's wrong?”

“My texts weren’t delivering, my calls went straight to voicemail, and I couldn’t track your location. Y/N, I got so scared something happened and you weren’t talking to me.” He sniffled and your heart broke a little. 

You reached into your bag and pulled out your phone, but when you tried to turn it on—dead. 

“God sweetheart, never do that to me again. Please.” He looked at you desperately, “Yell at me. Fight with me. But please never ignore me anymore, I can’t stand it.”

“I’m so sorry Petey, I had no idea my phone died. I would’ve said something I swear. I never want you to worry like that.” Your hands went up to hold his face. 

He brought a hand to hold your wrist. Gently running his thumb up and down your hand he said, “I always worry about you sweetheart, it’s my job.”

You shook your head, “You worry about all of New York, I don’t need to add on to that.”

“No,” he said quickly, looking offended you’d even say that, “No. Never think like that. You are the most important thing in my life, okay? You’re my first priority and I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, that I don’t show that or say it enough.

“But I’m going to do better, I promise. I’m going to make it up to you because I can’t lose you, I need you Y/N.”

You didn’t reply, instead just smashed your lips onto his. His hands slid down to your waist, holding you tight. It was a kiss of forgiveness, of second chances, and new beginnings.

He pulled away first, but not before pressing multiple kisses all around your face. “Heels off baby,” he said as he knelt down and started working on your heel straps, lifting each foot onto his thigh before undoing each one. You didn’t even realize how much they’d been hurting until they were off. “I’m swinging you.” He picked you up swiftly, one arm wrapping itself around your ribs.

You groaned, wrapping your arms around his neck, “Peteyyyy. You know the wind tangles my hair too much.”

“Don’t worry,” he said, leaning over to kiss you on the top of your head, “I’ll be careful, c’mon.”

You move your head to peck his cheek and then hug him tight, “I love you.”

He grinned, pulling you in closer. “I love you more sweetheart.” He leaned back and pressed a quick kiss to your lips. “Hold on tight, Spider Monkey.”

You burst into laughter, “You did not just say that!” 

“Oh I totally did,” he gave you the goofiest smile, making you laugh again. 

“Ok, just…don’t let me go,” you said as you wrapped your arms tighter around him. 

“Never,” he replied, and something in his voice told you he wasn’t just talking about swinging. 

[acewithapaintbrush]

I'm in love with @ashwii Celestial AU. I wanted to write something poetic and beautiful but instead it turned into silly shenanigans between astronaut April and the Disaster Twins. I hope you get a good chuckle out of it at least.

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

"Wait! Hold on! Rewind! Humans do what?" 

April grins and adjusts her grip on the outer hull. She briefly gestures with the screwdriver before plunging it back into the innards of the space station she is going to call her home for the next few years. 

No matter how much she'd trained for and anticipated this mission, the idea of spending years alone on a space station to research the effects of long term exposure to low gravity had been as exciting as it had been scary. All that scientific and psychological mumbo jumbo aside, she'd been convinced that 'going space crazy' would be a given and had noted it down in her mission log on the very first day (something Ground Control hadn't found very funny, weirdly enough). 

She thought the loneliness might kill her before any asteroid or technical failure could. But now here she is, floating in her super advanced space suit in the vast nothingness of space and talking to a floating humanoid turtle who is also apparently an embodiment of all the stars in all the galaxies and who is named like a renaissance painter even though April had to explain what a renaissance painter even is and… 

Maybe she has gone space crazy after all? 

Leonardo proves that he is not merely a figment of her imagination by tapping one of his fingers against the face shield of her helmet, an action that had scared the crap out of her the first time he'd done it. Not anymore though. Her new friends won't let anything happen to her. 

"Hello? Stars to April!" 

"Yes Leo, I heard you." She can hear him loud and clear. She wonders if he can too or if her voice sounds muffled to him through the helmet. "Don't know what to tell you, dude. It's just a silly thing humans do. There are websites where you can buy a star and give it a name and then give it away as a gift." 

"A gift?" Leo clutches at his chest like an old lady might clutch at her pearls. He floats backwards a few feet. The trails of his mask flare and tiny stars follow his movement, surrounding him and sparking briefly like small explosions before fading away again. 

Oh, how April wishes she could touch them. Would they be cold or hot? Would they pass right through her or settle on her skin like a thousand little fireflies?

They don't know if Leo and his brothers can enter the station without harm to them or the ship and April knows that they are too wary to try. Yet. 

Which, yeah. Fair enough. Maybe one day. 

"A gift!" he repeats. His voice cracks and he looks genuinely distressed. April would feel bad for him if she wasn't trying so hard not to laugh. "How dare you humans sell pieces of me as a gift!" 

"Hey hey, calm down. It's not real. No one can really buy a star. It's just… make believe." 

"That's besides the point!" 

In that moment Donatello joins them, alerted by his brother's shouting and gesticulating. He's been keeping an eye on the two of them from a distance. The moon turtle is the slowest to warm up to April, although her willingness to show and explain to him the various uses of her NASA approved equipment has gone a long way. April is determined to win the celestial being over with her charm and wit, just like she did with his brothers. 

"What's all this racket about?" Don looks and sounds tired. It's a waning moon and his arms are already more black than green, his eyes vaguely distant. The black mass traveling up and down his arms like the insides of a lava lamp should look creepy but it's actually quite mesmerizing. April could watch the dance of darkness and light for hours, but Donnie gets testy when he catches her staring so she refrains. Barely. 

"Donnieeeee!" Leo wails and throws his arms around his brother's neck. Immediately the stars on his skin brighten. It's fascinating: The darker Donnie is, the brighter Leo shines. The closer they are to a full moon, the more subdued Leo's glow becomes. Neither state seems to affect the other negatively. Rather, they seem to gravitate towards each other even more frequently during full and new moons. 

Donnie smiles softly in the face of his brother's antics and April catches herself thinking that it's probably a good thing both of them don't shine at the same time. That might just blind her. 

The moon turtle catches her staring and just like a switch being flipped his smile turns into a scowl and he pushes his brother away. 

April smirks. So predictable. 

"Nardo! What is it?" 

Leonardo waves his arms around. Streaks of light paint waves into the space between them. "April just told me that humans buy stars as gifts!" He shudders and hugs himself. "I feel so violated." 

Okay, that is so not fair. Now April feels really bad. And it's got nothing to do with the glare Don sends her. 

"Hey man!", she says and gently bumps her fist lightly against Leo's shoulder. It feels just like any other shoulder. Corporal and squishy. She wonders if it would feel different without the glove in the way. "They only do that because stars are beautiful. You buy a star for your loved ones, to show them how important they are to you and because you want to give them something unique and lovely. Gifting someone a star is like, the most wonderful thing you can do on earth, y'know?"

She is mostly talking out of her ass right now. April never got the whole 'gifting a star' business. To her it's mostly a scam, just a very expensive piece of paper. No one owns stars so no one can sell them either. But she does acknowledge that it's a cute idea at least and that lots of people are really digging it. 

Leo stares at her with, excuse the pun, stars in his eyes. "Really?" His attitude does a complete 180. He twirls in a circle, throws his glowing mask trails around and blows his brother an exaggerated kiss. "You hear that, Dee? I'm the most wonderful gift, ever. Humans pay lots of money for a piece of me. You all get my company for free, be thankful." 

Donatello rolls his eyes. "Oh, joy. Though I  wish I had paid some money. At least then I'd have a receipt and could return you for something cooler." 

Leo only laughs good-naturedly, but April mentally rubs her hands like a villain. 

She really shouldn't aggravate the guy. She does want him to like her, after all. But Donnie just offered her the perfect opportunity for some light teasing. And she did promise to teach the boys everything she knows about earth and human customs. She's got a duty to fulfill, doesn't she? 

Ah, well. They can become best friends later. After all, she'll be around them for many years to come. 

"Oh Donnie!" she drawls and floats closer to him. He eyes her with the usual distrust and she smirks in anticipation. "Did I ever tell you about this thing humans do, where they buy land on the moon?" 

[itsclydebitches]

CLYDE. I was thinking about the RWBY vs Ace Ops fight again because it's one my least favourite moments in the entire show and I realised that Qrow/Clover/Robyn weren't part of the conversation prior, nor were they ever acknowledged. Nothing of the effect that "Hey, maybe we should wait for Qrow/Robyn/Clover's opinion on this plan before moving onwards, considering their experience and leadership skills?" before being shut down that time is of the essence and they can't wait for them. It just feels illogical to have the Ace Ops leader, Mantle's primary representative and the leader of the Happy Huntresses and one of James' closest allies be completely absence from one the most impactful turning points of the Volume. It feels they were either purposely left out arbitrarily for the sake of two poorly conceived fights or the writers just forgot...which wouldn't be the first time. This show is very...frustrating to say the least.

YEAH. The other day I was thinking about RWBY and ludonarrative dissonance in video games. Specifically, the number of action/adventure games I've played that have a, "OMG COMPLETE THIS MISSION IMMEDIATELY TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE SOMEONE IS GONNA DIE!!" narrative paired with a "Look at all these fun side quests populating the map, you should totally spend a month of in-game time leisurely exploring them" gameplay. RWBY feels similar to me (minus the interactive elements, obviously). The narrative continually pushes the urgency of the situation, but what the characters do don't align with that. Waiting in the mansion is the classic, go-to example of this, but it's also seen in questions like, "If the group is so concerned with the safety of the Relic why don't they.... put it in the vault?" and "If Qrow needs to speak to Ironwood so badly, why doesn't he just... go to Ironwood in handcuffs rather than starting a fight that, unforeseen airship crash or not, is gonna SUPER delay him getting there." Importantly, these moments go beyond the characters simply making impulsive, fallible, human decisions. It always feels like the writers haven't thought through the situation, or are so focused on one (badly chosen) outcome that they'll ignore all logic to get there.

So, same idea with this fight. I completely understand Ironwood's position because there is a clear line of logic here. Salem is about to attack, the group has consistently lied/undermined him, ergo he is removing a potential threat by locking them up until this battle/escape is complete. No one has to agree with him, but I think the reasoning makes sense both in general and for his specific character. (Which is also one of the reasons why I think some fans are willing to hear consider his side: his writing, however messy in other places, is leagues beyond the group's, particularly in the first half of the Atlas arc.) The girls though? They're all over the place. They don't want secrets but they're going to keep them from Ironwood. But they're also going to spill them all to Robyn, someone they don't know and shouldn't trust. They want to save everyone but have no idea how and can't/won't troubleshoot an answer. They're determined to unite the people but are simultaneously determined to solve their problems with a fight. They start said fight and then Ruby immediately tries to talk her way out of it again. And, as you say, they ignore that unity/experience/help available to them by not looping the others in because, supposedly, there's just no time... but then we have long scenes where they just sit around the mansion, tearfully bemoaning the fact that they don't know what to do and getting angry that no one has magically shown up to help.

I can EASILY picture a better-if-not-perfect scenario where the girls' decisions in that fight actually follow their proclaimed intentions AND the not-actually-very-critical timeline they have (because remember, even after all this Salem just sits there for an extended time.) What if Ruby ordered the team to let themselves get arrested and then we got a cool break out of jail scene? (I mean... Ruby blasts through Ironwood's steel doors that are meant to keep people in + they sneak into Atlas HQ. Clearly this would not have been difficult for them.) What if they ran into Qrow and Robyn while in their cells? Or what if they escaped, realized they needed their uncle, and started a help Mantle/find Qrow dual mission? What if instead of broadcasting a horrifying and near incomprehensible message to the whole world, they spoke to all their allies in Atlas about the plan they'd come up with, calling them together? Maybe coded so Cinder wouldn't understand. Maybe bluntly honest like a gauntlet throw-down: we know you're here, but we're ready for you this time.

Instead Ruby forgets she exists...

There are just SO many things you can do with that fight/the aftermath that don't completely undermine the themes, the tension, the proclaimed desires, and the narrative expectations. If there has to be a battle of ally vs. ally when Salem is on her way and half our villains are roaming the streets (god I can't emphasize that enough), why is everyone with the wrong person? Why isn't Robyn fighting the Ace Ops, her political enemy long before the girls showed up? Why isn't Qrow fighting Ironwood, the guy he (stupidly) blames for Clover's death? Why isn't Clover with his team? Why isn't Ruby facing Salem? Why the hell would you have Qrow team up with Tyrian?

As a side note, I've seen a resurgence of discussion about Ruby's breakdown in Volume 9 and everything above re-emphasizes for me just how much she HAS demanded this power and responsibility. "Hey, maybe we should wait for Qrow/Robyn/Clover's opinion on this plan before moving onwards, considering their experience and leadership skills?" is one of MANY considerations when weighing the question of whether Ruby has truly been burdened with the unwanted expectations of others... because they've never been unwanted and she has never down a thing to lessen that burden. She doesn't wait. She doesn't ask. She doesn't lean on others' experience and leadership. And this goes all the way back to Ruby responding, "Yes, I want to attend Beacon and take on all the responsibilities of that despite not being old enough," but there is also a LOT in the Atlas arc - right before her Volume 9 breakdown, literal hours in-world - where Ruby stood her ground and said, "No, we're doing this my way and my team, whether they've disagreed with this decision, or suggested this course of action in the first place, will ultimately follow me because I am the leader." She told Qrow to stand down and let her continue fighting Cordovin. She made the decision to lie to Ironwood and talked the others out of coming clean. She made the call to attack the Ace Ops instead of submitting to arrest. Using the Relic and dropping Atlas was a group suggestion, but Ruby sanctioned it. Based on literally 8 Volumes of content, if anyone HAD said no to her Ruby would not have listened to them. That is an overt, consistent characterization of hers.

And then Volume 9 expects me to feel bad because she's going, "Everyone expects me to take the lead"??? Like sure, in a very general, "That's indeed stressful no matter who's at the helm" sense, but Ruby has spent years at this point loudly yelling, "I'M THE PERSON YOU SHOULD LOOK TO AND I'LL FIX IT. IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY PLAN I'LL FIGHT YOU :)" Not roping Qrow and the others in is a part of all that. Not overtly on screen - we don't have a scene where Ruby goes, "We don't need to talk to them" - but the story doesn't think their input is important. We get the closeup on her smiling face when she thinks of using the Relic and then the others just inform Winter of what is happening when she happens to call. Major decisions in RWBY have often been collaborative when it comes to suggestions, but the final call is always Ruby. Whether we're talking about "This is my fight too!" when Qrow warns her to stay back, or using the Lamp's question when Ozpin is begging her not to, or shrugging off Yang's concern that she lied to Ironwood, or telling the whole damn world about Salem when numerous people with more experience than her have said, "That's a terrible idea" for generations, Ruby forcibly takes the lead and will not back down no matter who is asking that of her, or how they're asking. In fact, I'd say that is the most OVERT and CONSISTENT way in which she displays agency in this show (which, ugh).

[roseapov]

Streamer

Idia Shroud x GN!Reader

Tw: stalking, invading privacy, being delusional, mentions of obsession, collarbones fetish

Povtober 2023, Day 13 [Masterlist]

You two met just by chance, getting paired up against each other, in a game you decided to play, as a game streamer.

You used a typical supporting character, with not much attacking capabilities, meant to be power and hp boost to your teammates, but even then you were making kill after a kill.

Idia couldn't believe it, you managed to kill him, him of all people! with a support character no less.

Someone actually managed to surprise him in a game? Are you serious? That can't be happening. That made him so enraged, focusing all his attention on you, to take his revenge.

After he and his team unexpectedly lose, he starts to look through your account, and sees in your bio your streamer name with a link, such a normie thing to do.

He starts to stalk through your social media, and with a pain in his heart admits, that his defeat was recorded on your actual live, it's nothing he can't take down anyway.

Hm? You're streaming with a camera? Oh, how bold of you, but don't worry, he won't stop hacking your phone camera and microphone even after you beg for it, falling into paranoia.

It's your unlucky day, he took an interest in you, slowly treating you as a character from his beloved games. Your merch on the shelf, his phone littered with your photos and edits, a special spying program made by him personally, to see your activity on your devices.

Soon you're the only one he can think about, you, your voice, your hair, your face and your.. collarbones. Such an exciting sight for this shutted in otaku.

If you're counting for a high donates from your newest follower, Gloomurai, then you hit the jackpot, literally.

Tons of money flowing into your bank account, each one of the descriptions more unnerving than the other, but hey at least you got the money. Yeah, no, you're terrified.

You started to wear blouses for your streams, afraid of more uneasy commenters on your donations, contemplating quitting your side job for good. Your sanity was worth more than some money.

Yet you still felt endangered, so to ease your worries you bought cameras and installed them inside and outside of your home, wrong move.

He, of course easily hacked into it, feeling delighted that you decided to do so, the fact that you liked him enough to make it easier for him to observe you, how thoughtful of you, he's so delusional.

If you like him this much, then he mustn't deny you his presence any longer, he may be afraid of humans, but you're an exception.

When he heard you talk with your friends about quitting, all hell broke loose. The next thing you know, you're in Shroud manor, not allowed to leave.

Yes, the thought of you leaving the media was enough to make him snap and be really daring, doing things he normally would've never done, the effect you have on him is insane. After all he loved your streams very, very much.

Ortho is super supportive of this as a cute sibling he is, after all his older brother finally took an interest in someone real!

You have no idea how relieving it was for him, maybe his brother won't have to be alone? Of course not, you two live together already, should he plan your future with Idia already? Maybe you can date, and later on marry his brother! He's so happy!

Don't you dare disappoint him.

Ugh, after my sickness I lost my enthusiasm and motivation to write even tho I had a lot of ideas😭(it's better since I added Roxana, but still). It's not fair, even more so since I am already way in the back of my Povtober writing challenge.😭😭 Not sure of how this one came out tho, I'm writing this at 3 am💀 I'm not exactly proud of this, I'll probably rewrite it in the distant future (he's so hard to write smh)

~roseapov

[kanmom51]

Good night interview Jimin

Ok then.

We saw JK's habits and preferences, now we have JM's too.

I can tell you there are many parallels going on there. Many similar or compatible habits and preferences.

So, let's get it.

JM sleeps shirtless, something we indeed witnessed, and prefers comfy pants with pockets to have his phone on him at all times.

Didn't JK tell us he too likes to sleep in comfy clothes, no pajamas?

JM - usually craves ramyeon before sleep.

Ah, that's why JK asked him if he wants some... now I get it. 😜 

JM sleeps with a super loud alarm (a song he sang with NJ)... unpleasant but effective. Unlike JK's I guess, lol.

JM scrolls his phone until he's tired enough to fall asleep.

Sounds familiar...

Do we mention yet again that was JK's most memorable moment from their trip to Japan???? I'd say there is more to it, but then, there is just so much you can say in a group interview...

Anyways, both seem to fall asleep right after using screens, one way or another. Did no one tell them that is exactly what might be keeping them up at night? Guys, screens off at least 30 min. before bed!!

If only I practiced what I preach...

JM tells us it takes him between 1-2 hours to 5-6 hours to fall asleep (JK told us that too...).

Well, heck, no wonder he can't fall asleep with JK's snoring right next to him.

Believe me when I tell you, trying to fall asleep with a heavy snoring person in bed with you is not an easy feat, lol.

Laughs aside, JK told us he also has issues falling asleep at times, thoughts running around in his head, including the day he had, if he was unhappy with something he did etc.. It's kind of funny how different those two can be all while being so similar to each other.

It's no coincidence this has become their moto...

More similarities:

Trying to sleep on their backs, but mostly failing to do so at the end, lol.

Hugging a pillow to sleep.

Do you see that big grin? We know exactly what pillow he hugs. A life size pig muscle pillow...

As for JK, I think we already established what he hugs at night...

Both have pretty dynamic dreams and seem to remember them too.

Both tend not to nap during the day.

In the sleep balance game we have them giving the same answer to the majority of the questions asked. 8 questions out of 10 to be exact.

Preferring sounds of nature before sleep.

Cozy and warm blanket.

JK was contemplating saying his body wants cool but he likes warm texture, so he then went with the cozy and warm.

Both prefer a plain and neat blanket design.

I guess that's why they do their bedding shopping together...

Although JM did say he will at times do an intense workout before sleep, just before bed he does basic stretching, same as JK.

JK is definitley not a reader, and his first instinct was to say neither, lol, but at the end out of the two he chose the novel, same as JM did (JM did say he would fall asleep reading both but if he had to read one it would be the novel) - so also both not book readers before sleep (well, JK not any other time of the day either, lol).

Both sleep with a blanket in summer, with the a/c on.

Both prefer heated mattress pad during winter over cozy fleece pants and socks.

Both prefer sound of waves over crickets, JK bothered by the sounds of crickets while JM likes both but the waves a bit more, telling us how when he went on a trip with friends or on a shoot he would listen to the sound of waves. The familiar sounds of home perhaps?

No doubt they are compatible. And the neoneun na naneun neo is no joke, not really. Like I said, two very different people but also so much alike.

As for the sleeping habits/preferences, must I remind that the two have been literally sleeping together since pretty much forever?

Hey, get out of your dirty minds.

They told us how when they all still slept together on one room, they used to take their blankets out to the lounge and sleep there on the floor together so they could wake up earlier than the others without bothering them to go practice. All very innocent.

We also have JM, back in May 2015 Sinchon fansign, telling us how JK hugs him to sleep, JK telling him he's weird, but not denying one bit.

Cr./In-Orbit.

So I guess they've had lots of practice.

[tokkishouse]

3 - 𝓢𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓗𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝓜𝓮!

It's the last day of leadership camp. Everyone has spent the past week practicing for hours in the sun, learning effective methods to guide the members of their sections, and overall getting closer as a team.

For you, this past week has been...interesting to say the least. On the first day, you ended up being paired with Diluc for trust falls. That ended up with you being unable to catch him and falling to the ground. It was embarrassing to have everyone's eyes on you as he hovered over your frame. Strong hands planted on either side of your head and eyes that were like flames bore into yours. He was the first to make a movement and help you stand up, leaving you with your cheeks warm and your brain unable to form words.

Mid-week you were practicing your baton twirling to help with warm-ups and accidentally flung your baton right at Diluc as he was passing by. You apologized profusely, assuring him that it was not intentional. He believed you-- he had no reason to not believe you. He returned the baton and wished you luck on warmups.

And now it was the end of the week-- the final day of having each other's company to yourselves before you were in charge of a 300+ marching band. The director had you all gather on the field for a special announcement. The energy behind his actions and words let you all know he seemed particularly excited. When everyone was settled, he began speaking.

"Let me just praise you all for your hard work. You've come together and made yourselves better leaders who have faith in each other. You've improved your skill and shown more confidence!" His eyes slid to Venti. "And you've become more on time."

Everyone breaks out into laughter as Venti shrugs, grinning.

"Hey, you elected me director!" The director shakes his head before continuing.

"The last thing I want us to do is to promote sportsmanship. While yes, competitions are competitive and we want to go to Nationals, I think it's important for us to remind ourselves and the band that rivalries are nothing to be causing fights for. All marching bands are filled with performers. We're all going for the same goal. So, I decided to invite the leadership members from Liyue, Inazuma, and Sumeru over so we can all meet each other!"

Noises of confusion and complaint spread across the field, with many members looking utterly confused.

"I'm sorry, you invited our rival schools?" Kaeya questioned, raising an eyebrow. "How did you pull that off?"

"Oh, this has been in discussion for months. After that last incident where Liyue and Inazuma band members got into a fight, I've been talking with the principals and directors of each respective school about coming together to assuage any tensions. It luckily worked out and they'll be all here soon," the director explained. He seemed oblivious as to why many of the students were opposed to this idea.

"It's a bit inconvenient to make a lot of the students of different regions travel all the way here for one day," Albedo comments, and many other members nod their heads in agreement.

More and more of the students started shouting out their concerns as they grew agitated. Director Jose is quick to calm everyone down, offering a sheepish smile.

"I hear your concerns but please try to take this in stride. We're trying to combat these agitations so we don't have a repeat of last year. Not to mention, it will be insightful to see how the other schools approach guiding a band-- it will be beneficial for all of us!"

Although most were still skeptical, everyone seems to calm down and accept it. Pleased, the director sends everyone off. You walk over to your friends, who all have mixed feelings about the situation. Amber is the only one who is optimistic.

"It won't be that bad guys! A lot of the members of these bands are super nice. And it'll be sweet to talk to everyone when we're not all in competition mode," she explains.

"I just think it's weird to do it in general. You've heard of any other schools doing this?" You ask, unscrewing the cap of your water bottle off. "It just feels unnecessary."

"W-well the director said it should be fun. And it would be nice to see how Inazuma does things. They continue to be top performers every year and no one knows how they do it," Sucrose pipes in. You shrug and turn your attention to your phone, trying to pass the time.

✦✧✦✧

"Look! The buses are piling in!" One of the members yells, pointing to the trail of buses that pull into the parking lot near the field. Everyone, including the director, rushes over to greet the incoming guests. The bus doors open on all three and the crowd of students backs up as the members from Liyue, Inazuma and Sumeru step down. The skeptic vibes from earlier disappear as familiar faces are seen.

Friends meet up and gush about the summer and their camps while others get reacquainted and friendly. You peek over everyone's heads, looking for the familiar blue hair of your friend from Sumeru.

"Y/N, over here!" You whip your head around and see Candace waving at you. You smile and raise your hand to wave, but stop in your place. Standing next to Candace was an all-too-familiar face.

"Amber, hide me!" You quickly duck behind your friend, who looks at you confused.

"What, why? What's going on?"

"I didn't realize Al-Haitham was going to be here!" Amber, gasps in surprise. She gets on her toes to see above the crowd, freezing when she recognizes the familiar gray-haired man.

"Your ex?!"

:)

Synopsis: It’s your senior year of college-- 4 years of slaving away during the summer heat in Mondstadt and practicing with the marching band, winning awards after awards, but never making it to championships. But this year was different! You were going to make Lead Majorette and bring your school to victory with...Diluc?! The Ragvindr recluse who’s been giving you the stink eye since freshman year? As fellow drum major? Just your luck!

𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕠𝕦𝕤 | 𝕞𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥 | 𝕟𝕖𝕩𝕥

Taglist; Open ❤️ ~ Submit an ask OR reply to this post to be added

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

@sugakookiessss​, @shayewrites, @lez-zuha, @baelloraa, @monaypo1, @n-i-f-y, @aixaingela, @jiminscarmex, @giggles8899, @simp4bakuh03, @deartoru, @kadorinn

[marvinthemillennialmouse]

Thoughts on Marvin Lore - part 8

Whenever you see something happening that's pretty strange and hard to explain--and you get to the thought "maybe it's aliens!" trust me... it's not.

For starters, we know how to evade all your detection technology. If you have anything that can spot us, you deserve to catch us. You just haven't yet.

We aren't interested in taking over your world. At least... not yet. Who knows what the corporate overlords back on Mars will decide is the next most profitable business venture?

No, we're not crash landing here and getting caught by the government, we've already set up a channel of communication for things like visiting groups, resident aliens (literally), and even permanent residents.

I'm on a B-15 master card (get it? visa? master card? it's a funny joke and if you're not laughing, check your pulse, you might be dead) which says that I'm allowed to live here so long as I don't try to influence society to my culture's way of life.

Pffff... right... like there's any chance of that.

If anything YOUR culture has influenced ME to influence YOU BACK to push you even more to the left because I'll be damned if I come to this mudball only to have it turn into MARS.

Seriously... y'all are kind of on your way to it. You need to fix the whole global warming situation pronto.

Anyway, the whole "IT'S ALIENS!!!" thing is so played out, boring, and tired. I wish the people pushing this nonsense would find another hobby because I'm tired of feeling like I can't tell more of my friends that I ain't from around here.

Y'all have a saying, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof" and damn is that a good saying. So when some dude sits in front of a panel of big spooky important people and gets asked a bunch of questions dancing around "WAS IT ALIENS!?!" and he basically says yes... maybe don't jump straight to "IT WAS ALIENS!!" because I've looked into it. I've even had a few folks at the Alien Affairs Agency drop me a line wanting me to vet weirdos like him.

It's. Never. Aliens.

Unless it is. Like me. We won't be flying around, getting shot down, getting captured by the military and having our technology and biology reverse engineered.

We're going to be sight seeing, visiting your theme parks and resorts and tourist attractions, maybe picking someone up at a bar and then taking them back to our spaceship for a night of dirty, nasty, core-memory-forming probing/sex.

Me, I run a second-hand bookshop where I kick out fascists and nazis on sight because fuck them. I also run a side-business that I only tell select few people about depending on their needs and if they can be trusted to keep a secret.

"Hey, that's a nice gender you got there, would be a shame if somethin' were ta happen to it... you want some gender insurance? For just a few bucks, I can get you set up with whatever gender you want and help you keep it that way."

If you can't make the hormones you want from scratch, storebought is fine, and mine are artisanal crafted or whatever the hipsters call it. Whatever, it's sweet magical super-science and it will make your day... just be aware it might be a really weird day... for a few days. Maybe a week. Still working on the side effects.

[fandomfluffandfuck]

hey its insta link anon um about that writing request,,,

i uh i .. i have an idea

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiYDiRKNJFp/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

so the idea is uh....

stucky as friends and they got like lotsa housemate like maybe nat, clint, wanda, etc2

and they set up doorbell camera like that for fun

but one day the cam got stucky making out (just like the one you can see in the video)

they were drunk

so the stucky part itself is like friends to lovers but in my hc buckybaby is like the shy est lil thing you could ever find so the dynamic goes with shy buck and sunshine golden retriever steeb

the next morning their housemates are like winking and making obscene joke abt the kith and buckybaby goes instantly red whereas steeb just laugh

and from then on its up to u!!

thanks for listening to my rambles,,, ilyy!!💗

Hi, sweetheart! I missed you and I hope you're doing good! <3

[link] to an Instagram video of a doorbell camera catching various people, friends, fumbling around and doing everything from pretending to pull their pants down and moon the camera to making out. Lighthearted and joking.

I love this idea!

It would be such a good long, drawn out fic. And it would be exactly as you said, friends-to-lovers and probably the type of friends-to-lovers where all of Steve and Bucky's friends - all the friends and roommates that live in the house with the doorbell camera - are trying to push them together because Steve and Bucky are entire idiots that think their crushes are unrequited when the feelings are most definitely NOT unrequited.

However, neither of them listen to everyone else, they can't bare to risk their best friend over confessions of feelings...

So these idiots just pine and pine and pine for each other, filling up a whole damn forest with all the longing looks, wistful sighs, and over-thought interactions. Until-!

Yup.

The drunken make out caught on camera.

It happens like this though-

For roommate Natasha's birthday they go out drinking all together. Except... Steve has a super low alcohol tolerance (the opposite of what you'd expect for such a big, muscle-y man lol) and Bucky doesn't enjoy drinking all that much, so when he does drink, he gets drunk quicker than someone who drinks regularly. Bucky's a bit shy, a bit reserved, and has never quite looked forward to the idea of losing complete control the way his friends that enjoy drinking have described to him over the years. So he doesn't drink much. Plus, ever since Steve's been old enough to drink, Bucky doesn't really want to drink around him, seeing as Steve, already a big golden retriever of a man, gets even cuter than normal when drunk. And who doesn't want to see the big blonde have only a few drinks and get absolutely sloshed? Giggling. Swaying on his feet. Getting all huggy. Blushing at absolutely everything. Talking too loud, too eagerly, and slurring his words. All of it is adorable. How could Bucky want to get drunk at the same time as Steve and risk forgetting a second of famously light-weight Rogers' tipsy display? That's usually how it goes. Not this time though.

This time Natasha insists that everyone at least have one drink. For her. It's her birthday, c'mon, pleeeease!

Bucky has one or two drinks, he matches Steve, knowing he won't have too many that way. He gets loose and flushed, not as effected as Steve is by the alcohol, but not untouched either.

And when nearing the end of the night, it's just Steve and Bucky together and not unintenitionally so. No, Natasha has enlisted the motivation of her birthday to make out a sure-fire plan with all her friends help to get the resident love-birds to finally confess to one another and actually get together. As more than friends. Hopefully via drunk confessions since nothing else seems to work. Or... maybe a drunk hook-up (not that they don't want it when they're sober 😏).

And how does Natasha ensure that Steve and Bucky have as much time alone when tipsy as possible? Well, it's actually really easy because-

Clint is impressively social when drunk, so he won't miss being at the home with the same people for a few hours. Instead, quickly, Clint gets himself into the middle of a circle of people (mostly ladies) that're alternately aww-ing and hysterically laughing at the colorful tales of his clumsiness; explaining what this scar is from, what caused that bruise, or what exactly is under one particular band-aid. Wanda split after an hour or so - still new to drinking as the youngest of them, barely 22 - with boyfriend Vision swinging by the bar to pick her up and take her to his own apartment where she'll spend the night. So, she won't be an issue. And Sam and Natasha have been making out in the back of the bar - squished close together in a booth - or making out the bathrooms, occupying their time. But they take a break from locking lips (or looking like they're two seconds away from it as they dance dangerously close to one another on the crowded dance floor, hands sometimes literally in each other's back pockets) to push Steve and Bucky's giggly, tipsy asses into the Uber Sam ordered when they annouced they were thinking of heading home. Earlier than Sam, Natasha, and Clint are ready to head back because both of them are grandpas that need to be in bed by 9:00 pm. They stand on the sidewalk, waving the Uber goodbye before tumbling back into the bar to dance and kiss and drink more. So, Natasha and Sam are on the same page of staying out as late as possible- give the boys space and get their party on. Clint probably won't make it home tonight in favor of a one-night-stand... so, just as planned- just as hoped Steve and Bucky are home alone for a long couple of hours.

And...

Well, nothing happens, or, Natasha doesn't think anything happens because when she and Sam stumble inside, finally home, Bucky and Steve are each in their own rooms. She knows because she goes and checks on them. Returning to Sam with a pout, telling him in a much too loud whisper that it didn't work!

Sam simply pats her on the head before drags her to their bedroom, musing out loud about how maybe they should resort to house-wide spin the bottle and rig it. Somehow. Do they make trick bottles for spin the bottle? They've got to, right? So we just get one of those and...

Additionally, Natasha doesn't think anything happens because once she's bounced back from her hangover enough to observe her roommates not through squinted eyes shaded behind her darkest sunglasses as she inhales greasy hashbrowns, Steve and Bucky are acting... normal.

Disappointedly normal.

Back to their standard weird scarily-close-but-also-avoiding-each-other dance. Close, close friends that are guarding their hearts and romantic intentions from one another. So obviously, nothing happened. Otherwise tension would've broken.

Right?

Really though-

It's not that nothing happened. It's that neither of them remember. Because, well, they were drunker than they thought. And they continue to not remember, living in blissful ignorance, until the house has a viewing party for their semi-recently purchased and installed doorbell camera! It's been a month of having it up and participating in shenanigans at the front stoop. And it's at this point that......

The footage of the drunken make out is revealed to all of them at once.

Jaws on the floor.

Sides aching from laughter.

Screams of FINALLY!

They all find out at once.

It's black-and-white, night footage of Bucky and Steve stumbling up the front steps, Steve fumbling for his keys, Bucky laughing at him for failing to get his keys then offering to get his keys out of his pocket for him, Steve telling him to do it already it's cold out here and he wants inside, and... one thing leads to another and they go from standing too close, practically cuddling against the cold while finding illusive, slippery keys, to full on making out. Grainy doorbell footage showing Bucky pressing an equally grainy Steve up against the door to their house. Grainy Steve gasps and then moans.

Actual Steve, sitting on the couch too close to Bucky, is silent but BRIGHT RED.

Natasha howls with laughter, Sam screeches right along side Wanda, shouting, turn it off! turn it off! I don't need to see this!!, and Clint does an actual real-life spit-take of his coffee watching as on video Bucky starts palming Steve through his pants. Or, no, okay, okay, good, this isn't about to be an accidental sex-tape-

Because Bucky isn't giving Steve a hand job.

No.

He's actually fishing Steve's keys from his pocket and...

Holding them up in front of Steve's stupid, love-drunk (and actually drunk) face triumphantly. And giggling, "got'em, nooow open th' door, idiot."

Steve laughs too, turning around and taking way too long to open the door. Putting keys into locks are tricky when you're drunk, okay? Then, Steve opens the door a crack and claims while looking at Bucky over his shoulder, "y-gotta giv'me a' kisss bfore y-you're allowed inside, 'kay?"

Bucky makes a grumpy noise but it's all for show. He kisses Steve on the cheek easily.

Steve grins, "'nother one?" He asks, slouched so he can look up at Bucky through his lashes.

Bucky nods, easily agreeing, "a g'night kiss."

"G'night, Buck," Steve slurs, leaning into another kiss, lips to lips, before finally letting him inside and shutting the door behind them.

And from there, Natasha knows they both just went to their rooms and crashed for the night. Not particularly juicy, not the confession with a BANG (😏) that she hoped for, but... it's still pretty damn funny. Especially when you add in the fact that they don't even remember and currently sit with their heads snapping back and forth between the TV and each other. Mouths wide open in silent shock. Faces and necks turning redder and redder still. Rubernecking. Trying to verify that that was real. That this is laid out in the open. And, to add onto the fact that their deepest secrets are out in the open- they're in the open, around their roomates and friends, and not having a very private, very romantic moment.

It doesn't take a damn SECOND after the drunken make out is off the screen and onto more night footage of Natasha and Sam rolling in from the bar for Sam to break into teasing song, "Bucky and Steve, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Bucky with a baby carriage-"

Bucky is the first to break his silence. Groaning loudly and chucking a pillow at Sam's head. Then grumbling quietly about how he is not thrilled to be mocked for the rest of his days in his own damn home as Sam catches the thrown throw pillow easily and tosses it back at Bucky mercilessly. But Steve follows quickly, not breaking with another object to throw but by laughing so damn loud that he has to slap a hand over his own mouth.

Which-

Their own reactions are foreshadowing for the rest of their lives when their friends tease them always and laugh hysterically whenever offered the chance to recount how their incredible, beautiful love story began 🤣 Via drunk making out on the front porch with Bucky all but literally tripping, falling, and landing on Steve's lips.

[sweetcherrymoon22]

You should write something where maybe one of the other boys gets sick and y/n is taking care of them maybe even letting them lay against her and Harry gets super jealous and y/n has to go and talk to him and he’s just acting like a straight child all like “Get away f’me.” and pouty ahahha.

A/N: I'm finally back!!! I had to leave for a while to focus on ending the year strong but I am now back and hoping to post every-other day until I am done with the requests in my inbox!

~~~~~

1.9k

Tw: sickness, slight angst, fluff at the end

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now anyone in or out of health care knows this one little fact. Men are absolute babies when it comes to being sick. By now I was used to it. The “y/n my stomach hurts, i'm going to die!!” and the *sniffle* *cough* “are you okay?” “oh my god, yes i’m fine why would you even say that!” To be honest most of the time I ignore fifty percent of their complaining, treat their symptoms and by the next morning they are fine. But every once in a while they aren't being dramatic.

“Mhhh” Even from the opposite side of the bus I could hear him groaning in his sleep.

“Niall?” no response. It couldn't be that he was sleeping and making those noises at the same time. 

“Uhhh '' Alright so maybe he was. We had been driving for about ten hours when Niall fell to the bug. I had been doing my best to keep it from the boys but somehow despite my best efforts, it made it through. He was the first so far, but probably not the last. If one boy gets sick, the others always get it. The bug had been moving quickly through the crew staff, hitting at least three people a week. My once solitary and quiet med bus was now full to the brim with groaning patients. The other unfortunate side effect of this; I couldn't no longer sleep in the same bed as my boyfriend. Well, at least not until this infection is out of the way and I'm not scared of him getting sick. 

I walked out of the back rooms to see Niall passed out on the med bay couch, face down and groaning louder than a truck horn in his sleep. I had seen Niall sick before. Hell I've had to wipe vomit off of his face before, but this shit was brutal. And I won't lie, the toll of not being able to escape it at all for the past few weeks has been getting to me. My sleep is constantly interrupted by alarms on my phone going off to remind me to check everyone on the bus, refill their fluids, check their temperatures, and administer medication if needed. I haven't been able to talk to my boyfriend in weeks for longer than five minutes. At this point I was almost praying to get the virus just to have a week off. Except maybe without the fever, and then sore throat, and the nausea. So maybe not. 

“Ni” I shook his shoulder lightly to attempt to wake him up. Nothing.

���Niall” Again, nothing. I could only be grateful that right now he was the only one sick. Finally with a big snort and a flip onto his back his cloudy eyes opened.

“Hey bud, how ya feeling?” He groaned once more and shut his cloudy eyes. 

“Nope. None of that. I know you're going to hate me but it's time for more meds.” Nothing but another groan. 

An hour or two later we finally found ourselves at a hotel, a wayside stop for a few days until everyones feeling better and the boys are able to perform. The second we got off the bus- me with several bags of medical supplies along with my actual suitcase, and Niall with a single backpack underneath the blanket he had wrapped around himself like a cloak- Harry came up to me with a frown on his face. 

“Long time no see love bug” He moved in to kiss me but I gently placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back a step.

“I will not get you sick. Remember how bad it was last time? No way. I love you, but no.” He pouted like a child being told no and hung his head. 

“Baby, I promise the second Ni is better we’ll be spending all day together, we just have to be careful, that's all” while his head was still facing down I thread my fingers through his hair and gave his scalp a little massage. After I was done speaking I gave him a light kiss on his head.

“Now come on, let's get inside so we can all get our keys and go to bed, Okay?” Still pouting, he nodded at me and continued in without saying another word. 

~~~~

Once we were all inside Paul was standing at the desk waiting with keycards in his hands to give us our rooms. He started with the crew and then once they had all filed off to their rooms he gave the other boys their room keys. Lastly, he handed one to me. The last one. 

“Sorry y/n they’d only give me one key for the both of you” Harry standing with the other boys around me walked forward. 

“Don't know what you mean Paul, I’ve got the other key right here?” I signed and turned to face him.

“Haz-”

“Oh. you'll be sharing a room with Niall then, won't you.”

“Yes. I need to keep an eye on him tonight make sure his fever doesn't come back-”

“Whatever” I took a step back, feeling the lash of his tone on me. Did he really think this was fun for me? This is my job, the whole reason I get to be here touring with him in the first place, it doesn't just suddenly disappear whenever he wants it to. I took a deep breath. It's fine. He's just frustrated, just like I am, that's all. This cant be easy for him either.

“We might not be able to share a room tonight but I do hope you’ll still come say goodnight before you go to sleep?” I tried to reach out a hand and was coldy rejected.

“Maybe. I wouldn't want to disturb the both of you.” I made a surprised scoff and looked over at Niall who was standing behind me with an equally surprised look on his face. Before I would even respond, he was off to the elevators without aso much as a look behind him.

~~~~

After a few hours of television watching and unpacking in our hotel room it was time for Niall's least favorite activity. Taking his meds. 

“Niall?” I found him again face down on one of the beds in the room, not asleep this time, just hiding from the light. 

“No. I won't do it this time.” 

“Hate to tell you but I have dealt with non-compliant patients before and usually it ends up worse for them than it does for me.” He dramatically flipped over and layed starfish on the bed for a moment before slowly pulling himself up to a sitting position. 

Twenty minutes after he had taken his meds, like always with Niall; he began to groan my name while I was attempting to take a shower for a moment of peace. Like any good physician I ignored the first two and after not hearing a third, went out to check on him. 

“Ni? Are you okay?” He was in a fetal position with his eyes closed taking deep breaths.

“Puke. definitely going to puke.” I cringed a little and grabbed one of the anti-nausea meds from my bag. 

“Here. Put it under your tongue, it should work pretty quick.” He did as I said and continued groaning. In a moment of pity I grabbed my book and hopped onto the bed beside him. 

“What-”

“If you're going to be miserable it's the least I can do to not make you be alone” I moved up on the bed and patted my lap with one hand. 

“Come on, you big baby”  He placed his head on my lap and I opened my book, beginning to read from the page I had dogeared. Not twenty minutes later Niall was fast asleep and I left him laying with his head on my lap as I read my book in peaceful silence. Peaceful that is until a certain someone knocked on the door.

“You can come in Harry, it's unlocked.” He stepped in and right away turned what looked like a sorrowful- even remorseful- look, into one of pure fire. 

“Really, y/n” 

“Haz- '' I didn't get the chance to say another word before he was out of the room and walking quickly down the hall. I carefully untangled myself from Niall- who by some grace of god was still asleep- and chased Harry down the hall. 

“Harry!” I grabbed his arm and he pulled away.

“Get away f’me” 

He continued walking down the hall, and I almost let him until I snapped. 

“Harry Edward Styles don't you dare act like a child and walk away from me right now!” He stopped in his tracks at the tone in my voice but didn't turn around.

“Do you think that this is fun for me? Not being able to see you at all for weeks, having to stay away from everyone and anyone just in case I could get them sick. Having to constantly be on call and working for days at a time?” 

Now he turned around.

“While you have been out there, acting like a pouting child with the rest of your friends I have been trying to make poor Niall feel even the slightest bit better!” I paused for a breath. “So don't you dare try and make me feel bad about comforting our friend. Dont. you. Dare!” 

I realized then that a few tears of exhaustion and frustration had slipped down my cheeks. I swiped them off and waited in buzzing quiet as he walked toward me. His head was facing the ground when he finally got over to me.

“Im stupid.” he finally said in a small voice. He reached out and put both his hands on my arms, still respecting the distance I wished to maintain, but allowing some sort of comforting touch for the both of us.

“Yeah, you have been.”

“Does it help if I say that I'm sorry and I never should have acted like a child because you were just helping Niall?”

“Of course it helps Harry” 

“Are you still mad at me?”

“I mean, a little. You acted like a douche.” he let out a disappointed huff, but still nodded in agreement. 

“Are you mad enough that we should talk about it more before we both go to bed?” I thought for a  minute but the second I looked up at his cinnamon roll curls I knew the answer. I let out a dramatic sigh and opened my arms.

“No. come here” after a hug that the both of us had been waiting for over weeks, he released me and gave me a short kiss on the top of my head.

“Goodnight love.”

“Goodnight.”

So finally I made it back to my room, turned out the lights and settled into my own bed. It was colder without him in it. 

~~~~~

“y/n/n” someone whispered in my ear and I jumped awake. Harry stood over me pale and looking half dead. 

“Oh no. oh god no. you've got it don't you.” he did a slight nod before throwing off his shoes and jumping into the bed with me. One part of my brain went warm, comfy. The other was screaming expletives at him and myself for not being more careful. He nestled up next to me and placed his head in the crook of my shoulder.

“Well, at least now you get to hang out with me

[tinyboxxtink]

"...So I Married A Monster" *Chapter 6*

Note I was going to put a 'rough sex' gif under the cut for Lewis's shot, but I don't know if people want that. So here's a scared Rafael for your...pleasure?

Chapter 5

Chapter 7

Alright SO I posted a warning post earlier, but obviously I'm gonna put one here too.

This is probably the most graphic, dark chapter I've ever written for any story. With rape.

Please read at your own discretion.

Also it's a pretty short chapter, but trust me-- you wouldn't want it any longer. But I wrote another sweet short fluffy chapter after this one to make up for it.

@madamsnape921

@lolliepopsicle

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@milkshqke

@wanniiieeee

@gibbs274

@sassyada

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@believinghurts

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

You did your best to keep calm and keep Billy happy as he aggressively groped at you with his hands, ripping off your shirt and then your bra before tossing you on the bed. Before all of this, you would have been super excited about the events transpiring. If there was one thing you and Billy were great at, it was sex. But somehow, this time it felt...different.

You didn’t know why, it didn’t make any sense to you. This was the same man, it was the same situation, he knew all your special places and you knew his. There were so many nights after he left you and the girls that you would dream about this moment, wishing for it so badly. But now that it was here, it almost felt...wrong.

“What’s wrong sweetie, you look like you’re somewhere else,” Billy stopped hungrily nibbling your neck to look into your eyes.

You used to look into those eyes and see such warmth and comfort, such lust and wanting. You had even told Rafael that you were still in love with Billy, so why didn’t you feel like it? Had they just been words? Words to hurt him because he hurt you by choosing Olivia?

Right now, that’s sure what it felt like. It felt like you were...cheating, on Rafael. Which was stupid, because you had literally just broken up with him. Didn't you? That’s what ‘done’ meant, right? Surely you had meant it in that moment; surely you meant it.

But now you weren’t sure.

“Hello, earth to Y/N!” Billy’s voice grew more agitated as he flicked you across the temple. He had never been so quick to anger before, you didn’t like this one bit.

“S-Sorry, baby,” You quickly put on a smile as your hand travelled down to his jeans, unhooking his belt. “It’s just been a day,”

“Oh, I know sweetheart,” He quickly changed his tune as soon as he felt you fondling with his belt. He helped you undo it and pulled off his jeans. You could feel his throbbing erection against your thigh.

“But daddy’s about to make it all better, I promise,” He gave you a sly grin.

You felt one hand wrap around your head and pulled it into his face even more aggressively than before. He began tugging at your hair as he attacked your neck and shoulders with hard, assertive bites. You remembered the sex between you two being rough, but you didn’t seem to recall it ever being this rough.

"Don't you like that, babe?" He asked as his mouth moved down your torso, pulling off your jeans this time.

"Mmmhmm…." You tried faking it as well as you could, feeling more and more uncomfortable the lower his mouth moved.

"Y'know, you used to be a LOT louder than this when we'd get down and dirty, baby girl," he observed while he moved to the end of the bed, ready to plunge inside you.

"Well Billy, the kids are in the next room," you thought of a plausible excuse as to why you weren't your "usual" self.

"Oh, makes sense," He nodded with a smile as he started chowing down on you like a sloppy dog.

You wanted to enjoy it, you tried to enjoy it, but you were accustomed to Rafael's sweet love making, he was so gentle with his tongue along your folds, taking time to enjoy every little moan and pleasure noise you made.You could often feel him smiling inside you while he gently lapped you up. You wished so badly you were with him right now. How had you fucked this up so badly?

Why didn't you listen to Rafael when he told you about Billy? Why had you not trusted him more? Why did you just react erratically just because you were mad at him? You should have thought it through, you should have heard him out. You should have--

"Alright now you're not even reacting Y/N, where the fuck are you?" Billy demanded.

"O-Oh I'm sorry Billy its just been--"

"A day. I know. You know I had a stressful fucking day too Y/N, having to deal with that prick ADA--- Wait," His eyes suddenly narrowed, he moved his face away from near your opening and looked you in the eyes, his glare in full effect.

Shit.

"Is that who you're thinking of right now? That fucking beaner?" He asked in an accusatory tone.

"He's Cuban not Mexican…." You muttered with a roll of your eyes.

"You really wanna get fucking cute with me right now, bitch?" He acted as if he was going to back hand you, but stopped himself.

"Billy!" You gasped. He had never been vulgar to you before.

"No, no Billy," He growled, pulling your naked body towards him.

"You're gonna stop thinking about that asshole right FUCKING now. I'm your goddamn husband, NOT him. I get to have you whenever I want and I want ALL of you. All of your attention, all of your fucking body. Do you understand me?" He snarled, practically drooling with rage.

"Y-Yes Billy," you tried not to start crying, now fully scared out your mind

"Good. Now flip over, I can't fucking look at you right now," He ordered you.

You flipped over to let him do doggie style but he started going in the wrong hole.

"Billy! What the fuck?" You tried not to yell.

"Well if you're gonna act like a whore thinking about other men than your husband, then I'm gonna fucking treat you like one. I'm gonna do what I want, and you're gonna shut up and take it. Got it?"

"B-Billy, please…." You pleaded with him. "Y-You know the last time we tried…"

"I don't give a FUCK, Y/N," He barked angrily. "I stopped last time because I didn't want to hurt you, because I loved you and you loved me. But now you've hurt me, so you're gonna hurt. REAL BAD," He barely rubbed some spit on his dick before he rammed it up your asshole.

You grabbed a pillow and screamed in pain, howling and trying to wriggle free from him. But he kept his hands wrapped tight around your stomach as he pumped rough and hard as fast as he could, getting off on the pain he was causing you, both mental and physical.

You tried to think of anything other than the pain, but it was so bad you could only cry and continue to scream into the pillow. It was worse than both times you went through labor, and that was saying something.

You prayed to God it would stop soon, he seemed to go on forever and ever. He was cackling softly as he felt you vibrating from the pain.

"Yeah, bet your fucking ADA didn't do you like this did he? What would he do if he saw you now? Hmmm….maybe we should find out,"

Your head snapped from out under the pillow at his threat. You saw him reaching for your phone that he had dropped next to your bed as he carried you into the bedroom.

"Oh God" You practically choked out, unable to speak from the pain. "N-n-no, Billy d-d-don't…"

"Oops would ya look at that I already did," Lewis shrugged with an evil smile.

----

Rafael was busy helping Olivia plan a rescue mission/battle plan when his phone went off. A FaceTime call request from you. He was absolutely terrified to answer it, but he had to answer it. He had to. As soon as he did, he wished he hadn't.

"Hey there Barba'' Lewis panted, a maniacal smile on his face. "You're missing all the fun!"

He could see Lewis had you pinned to the bed, shoving in and out of you forcefully. Your head was shoved into a pillow, to keep from screaming he imagined. He didn't know if he wanted you to look at him or not. He was watching you get raped, and he wanted to vomit.

Olivia noticed the horrified look on his face and stopped talking with the squad.

"Rafa are you-- ohmygod!" She instantly saw the revolting scene on his phone and immediately started pushing him into an interrogation room.

"Nobody needs to see this," Olivia started to shut the door but not before Lewis got to shout "NICE TO SEE YOU TOO DETECTIVE!!" At her.

Rafael was trying his best not to start sobbing; he didn't want to give Lewis the satisfaction. But the more he heard your muffled whimpers and screams of pain, the more he couldn't hold it back anymore.

"Lewis let her go," he begged. "Please I'll do anything you want, just let her go…."

"Well see Barba that's the problem," Lewis smirked. "I want Y/N to--" he suddenly stopped pumping you, feeling your body go limp. He angled the phone downward to reveal blood coming out of your anus and starting to cover the bed. You had passed out from the pain.

"Sorry Barba I'm gonna have to call you back, I have a situation," Lewis half laughed while wiping your blood off his dick.

"What the fuck-- LEWIS!!!" He screamed. "You better be calling a FUCKING ambulance!"

"Chill Barba, I'm sure she's fine. Just a little boo boo. I'll shove some toilet paper up there and she'll be good as new!" Lewis dismissed it, taking a pillow and putting it under your legs so the blood would at least attempt to stay in.

“Good ol’ RICE,” Lewis smirked, thinking of the old term they used in gym class back in the day. ‘Rest Immobilize Cold Elevate’.

“Now if I can get an ice pack from the freezer and tape it there…” Lewis thought out loud.

"Fuck you if you don't call one I will send one, I know exactly where you are" Rafael was losing his patience with him.

"NO, you're not," Lewis warned. "I'm not about to scare my girls by having cops and ambulances showing up here with all the bells and whistles,"

"She's going to DIE, asshole!!!" Rafael continued to scream. "You think your daughters won't notice THAT?"

"Look if she doesn't wake up in a few minutes I'll take her to an Urgent Care, tell 'em she liked it a little TOO rough, Kay?" He said flippantly.

"The fuck you will--" Rafael started to tell again but Lewis put the phone up to his face real nice and close.

"If you send ANYONE here Barba, she'll bleed out before you can touch her," He warned.

"Lewis…" Rafael was shaking. "Don't you love her? You told her you did, don't you care about her at all?"

"Of course I love her!" He snapped. "I'll always love her, she's the mother of my children. That creates a bond, greater than the two of you will ever have,"

"So why are you---"

"Because she needed to be reminded of that bond." Lewis explained. "She was thinking about you while WE were being intimate. I can't let shit like that slide, Barba," Lewis explained while gesturing to your unconscious body. He removed the pillow from your head so Rafael could the tear stained splotches on your face from screaming and crying so hard. Your face was almost white, he wasn’t even sure you were breathing.

"No…." Rafael's voice fell soft.

You had been thinking of him? Wishing you were with him? While Lewis was...having his way with you? He had caused this, he had caused your pain. You were being punished for simply loving him, and that broke his heart even more than it already was.

"You have a nice night there, counselor, ta!" Lewis's evil chuckle came through the screen before it went black.

The image of your body laying there unconscious and bleeding was going to be forever burned into Rafael's mind. He had to do something. SOMETHING.

He bursted out of the interrogation room where the team was still discussing strategy. Olivia immediately went to his side, knowing what he had just been through.

"Liv we--" he tried to stop from crying and compose himself. "We have to go there. We have to get her. We HAVE to,"

"Okay, Okay Rafa," Olivia tried to calm him down while the rest of the squad looked on in shock. They had zero idea what was happening.

"We'll go get her, it'll be okay," She assured him while trying to get him to calm down.

He hoped they wouldn't be too late.

[k0ra-kumori]

Cannibal!Jason Todd x Reader

so this is the first fanfic i write in english, i'm brazilian so sorry if there are any grammatical errors. ⚠️IMPORTANT⚠️: THIS FANFIC IS BASED ON DC SUPER HERO GIRLS 2019.

word count ; 2193

pairings ; jason todd x reader

genre ; fluffy / angst

warnings: none

It was almost 9:00 pm, and you were now in the wayne manor with five stallions named, jason todd, Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne and Bruce Wayne, and of course, barbara gordon the batgirl. You were the newest member of the batfamily, you were all at the dinner table waiting for Alfred to serve you the food. "I'm going to drown you in that pot of sauce if I don't remove what I said, Drake!" Said Damian, he was protesting something that Tim had said, and that apparently offended the boy, "Stop it, you two" Dick stepped in to stop that fight, Jason was laughing at everything, Barbara was beside him with a expression of "Send these animals back to the jungle" and Bruce was using his cell phone to distract himself from that discussion, otherwise he would lose his patience and would put all the boys grounded "Master Bruce, here's dinner" said Alfred "Thank you Al, are you sure you don't want to join us?" Alfred just gave a quick excuse and walked away, the butler knew that dinner time was the most disturbed and chaotic time of the day of the bats, so the butler preferred to eat alone or just with one member of the family. "Are they prawns?" You said excitedly "Yeah, if you don't want eat, I can eat them Y / N" Jason offered, he always tried to steal your food, but you always denied it with a bad-tempered or sarcastic answer, Jason was the weirdest among his brothers... "I'm going to eat them Jason, stop asking the same thing every time I sit here" Jason just snarled in reply, "All of you, be quiet please, I'm trying to take a photo of the prawns for instagram!" Bruce screamed, Dick just down his head like a puppy taking orders, Damian snorted and crossed his arms, Tim just rolled his eyes, you and barbara just looked at each other, it looked like Bruce was going to take the perfect photo, this until jason stood up and screamed "Take a picture of this, bitch!" So Bruce's dish was gone, Jason had thrown Bruce's plate away, the pieces of shrimp were scattered all over the dining room, now think of a chaotic family, a dirty dining room, and an angry Bruce, it didn't take long for Bruce to send Jason to his room, he put his adopted son grounded for 2 weeks, Jason is attracted to trouble "I don't know if I survive until after dinner" you said whispering to barbara "You get used to it, it happens at least 2 times a week around here" Babs replied with a little smile as Bruce passed by the girl, probably the man would go to the bathroom to get rid of all the food that his adopted son threw him a few moments ago.

It was almost 9:00 pm, and you were now in the wayne manor with five stallions named, jason todd, Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne and Bruce Wayne, and of course, barbara gordon the batgirl. You were the newest member of the batfamily, you were all at the dinner table waiting for Alfred to serve you the food. "I'm going to drown you in that pot of sauce if I don't remove what I said, Drake!" Said Damian, he was protesting something that Tim had said, and that apparently offended the boy, "Stop it, you two" Dick stepped in to stop that fight, Jason was laughing at everything, Barbara was beside him with a expression of "Send these animals back to the jungle" and Bruce was using his cell phone to distract himself from that discussion, otherwise he would lose his patience and would put all the boys grounded "Master Bruce, here's dinner" said Alfred "Thank you Al, are you sure you don't want to join us?" Alfred just gave a quick excuse and walked away, the butler knew that dinner time was the most disturbed and chaotic time of the day of the bats, so the butler preferred to eat alone or just with one member of the family. "Are they prawns?" You said excitedly "Yeah, if you don't want eat, I can eat them Y / N" Jason offered, he always tried to steal your food, but you always denied it with a bad-tempered or sarcastic answer, Jason was the weirdest among his brothers... "I'm going to eat them Jason, stop asking the same thing every time I sit here" Jason just snarled in reply, "All of you, be quiet please, I'm trying to take a photo of the prawns for instagram!" Bruce screamed, Dick just down his head like a puppy taking orders, Damian snorted and crossed his arms, Tim just rolled his eyes, you and barbara just looked at each other, it looked like Bruce was going to take the perfect photo, this until jason stood up and screamed "Take a picture of this, bitch!" So Bruce's dish was gone, Jason had thrown Bruce's plate away, the pieces of shrimp were scattered all over the dining room, now think of a chaotic family, a dirty dining room, and an angry Bruce, it didn't take long for Bruce to send Jason to his room, he put his adopted son grounded for 2 weeks, Jason is attracted to trouble "I don't know if I survive until after dinner" you said whispering to barbara "You get used to it, it happens at least 2 times a week around here" Babs replied with a little smile as Bruce passed by the girl, probably the man would go to the bathroom to get rid of all the food that his adopted son threw him a few moments ago.

(Time skip)

After the chaotic dinner, you and your adopted brothers would go to a movie, you wanted a comedy movie, Dick and babs wanted to watch romantic comedy, Tim and Bruce didn't care for the movie, Damian wanted to watch terror and Jason was absent because him was grounded, after a long conversation you decided, you all would watch action. "Can someone give me some popcorn?" You asked nicely, and Dick gave you a handful of popcorn to eat, you were enjoying the movie even though you didn't really like over-the-top action movies, you were on the edge of the couch and Tim was at your side with the laptop, this kid wouldn't never stop to work, "Tim, the light on your laptop is blinding me!" You protested "I'm sorry" Tim got off the couch feeling guilty, he sat on the floor between your legs, you blushed a little even though you know that bats get close to other (and new) members of the family. The movie was fine, until you felt a hand on your shoulder behind the couch, you jumped up and looked back only to find Jason with his bloody mouth, "Hey princess, did you see the..." You quickly left the couch, while doing this you accidentally hit Tim's head, worried about your brother you shouted "What is this ?! Why are you all bloody, someone hit you or what ?!" Jason replied "This blood is not mine" Suddenly, all the bats looked at each other (except you) with a look of concern, you noticed that and asked them "W-what was it people? Is there something I don't know about?" Silence, everyone was quiet, until babs dared to break the silence "So ... it may or not may have anything to do with the topic but, what do you think about cannibals?" You raised an eyebrow, what did this have to do with the topic? Oh no, not that...no, it couldn't be, you shake your head and answered a little confused "Cannibals? Why the question?" This time barbara did not answer, she did not want to be the bearer of the strangest news in the family, especially for a new member. you were confused now, they were all quiet and seemed to be hiding something, until you saw something red dripping behind Jason's back, and to break the tension you said "Do you menstruate now, jaybird?" Jason looked at you blankly, he wanted to get away from there now "Y-you know, I remembered that I have a thing, in other place now, I have to go" you knew there was something wrong in this conversation, and you also knew that men did not menstruate, so why was jason's back dripping red? Jason was getting farther and farther away and your question still hadn't been answered, so in the heat of the moment you shouted "Jason, there's a spider on your left arm!" Jason jumped up and started hitting his left arm, that was a bad move, because when him raised hus arm to see the supposed "Spider" a severed arm flew across the room, and as soon as it landed on the floor you shouted in despair "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT ?!" Jason changed his expression from frightened to amused and relieved, didn't you understand your adoptive brother's abrupt change in expression, why everyone are so calm about it? He are a fucking cannibal, dammit! "Listen princess, you already know my story ..." Jason was approaching you, but you were just backing up because he was intimidated by the man's size and his cannibalistic desire "But there is a part of the story, which I didn't tell you" Jason grabbed your arm tightly to keep you in place "The part where I was resurrected by Lazaro's pit, and his side effects are usually high cravings for human flesh, and of course, a nice pair of fangs" you were in shock, how could anyone die and come back to life like that? "You're crazy... cannibalism is a crime.", "J-Jason, you better stop" said Tim, while Jason, he was close to your neck, you could feel his hot breath hitting your skin, "If cannibalism it's a crime...so you're my next victim" enough, you got too scared, you pushed Jason and ran, but unfortunately he had legs longer than yours, jason grabbed you like a bear grabbing a little duck "Don't worry, I won't waste a drop of your blood" Jason opens his mouth, showing all

his frightening fangs, he gets closer and closer to your neck, you were already imagining what paradise would be like, and how the batfamily explain your death to the cops when...he started laughing? Did this crazy guy start laughing?! He had his hand on his belly with laughter, "Did you really think I was going to kill you? Hahahaha you should see your face now hahahaha!" A wave of shock and anger has formed within you now "Was that a joke?! You are an asshole Jason Peter Todd! NOW I SEE WHY YOUR MOTHER BETRAYED YOU!" You left the room quickly, Jason wanted to go after you, but his expression changed from fun to sadness, and he couldn't move, how can you say that? Damn, you were a horrible person now "It wasn't funny, Todd." Said Damian, as angry as the rest of the family, "You are going to apologize to her now," Bruce said, anger spelled out on his face" I don't want to, if she is going to live here she has to live with me, and I am like this", "So how? An idiot? Oh wait, a 17 year old boy who has no regard for his own sister's feelings!", Dick was as furious as Bruce. "SHE IS NOT MY SISTER AND WILL NEVER BE!" Jason said and ran off to his room, "Come back here now, we're not done Jas-" before Dick finished speaking, Jason took him by the shoulders and lifted him up to his eyes" I may not be kidding when i say i will eat your head now Dick Grayson, don't end with my patience and don't follow me. "Dick was dropped hard on the ground, everyone was in shock.

(Time skip)

You were in your room, processing what happened two hours ago, what if Jason had been telling the truth about pulling out your guts? What if he didn't like you and is just waiting for the right moment to turn you into a corpse? A thousand thoughts like these were going through your head now, until someone knocked on your door, would it be Jason? Or Bruce apologizing for his son's childish actions? You didn't know, so you got up from your bed and went to open the door, and to your surprise there he was, Jason pathetic Todd. "What do you want?", "I-I want to talk" you hesitated a little, you were now suspicious of Jason until... "Please Y / N, I just want to try to apologize", you let him in, even if it was against your will, you two sat on your bed side by side, Jason was looking away from all sides, he didn’t know what to say, "if you wanted to come in to observe the decoration of my room, go away", you said still angry, he looked at you with a little cute dog face without an owner, you almost felt sorry for being thick, keyword "Almost", " Look, I'm sorry for before, I didn't want to scare you, I really am a stupid cannibal, but it doesn't mean that I go around eating everybody, this is a sequela of the pit, I'm trying to control this sick addiction" you were listening carefully, and you had already forgiven Jason for the bad joke, but what upset you really wasn't even the joke, it was what Jason said about you minutes after you went to the your room, "Jason, I forgive you for the bad joke, but that's not why I'm upset... "I-isn't it?"Jason is blushing, he didn't talk about the feelings so easily, why he apologized if you had already forgiven him? "I'm upset because you will never see me as someone from your family, I've been trying to get close to you for months, but you only talk to me when you need something or when Bruce forces us to go together to patrol the city, and even so, you barely talk to me "silence. Silence took over the room, Jason knew exactly why he was being an idiot to you, he would talk now or he would shut up forever, "I'm sorry if I was an idiot for the second time, I don't feel exactly included in the family and I think that the decision I made was "is kill or be killed." You were confused now, what did he mean by that? "What do you mean?" Jason looked you in the eye, "Yeah, that a few years before I died, I tried as hard as possible to get close to everyone and to be as kind as possible, but it seems that everyone stepped on me, so I decided never to be so kind to not have my feelings hurts, I-I prefer to break the feelings of others than to have my feelings broken, but it doesn't mean that I like to do it, it's something about defense, you know? It's nothing personal, I'm not like this just with you... "Now it all made sense, so Jason ignored you or played bad jokes all the time, he was hurt and he had no one to bandage his wounds. "Jason, I didn't know, I just..." You didn't even have time to blink, when Jason got up from the bed and walked to the door, you thought you blew it, until the tall boy turns to you and says "Now that you know everything, the tension between us will get less, but don’t expect me to be the perfect brother or the charming prince from the movies, Little Sister" he gave a smile that was hardly noticeable, and he was gone, did you really hear that? Did he just call you a sister? You didn't believe it, you've been waiting for this moment for so long.

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About "Eda's Requiem" from The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who certainly won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

...

...

...HOW IS SEASON TWO SO GOOD?! WE'VE HAD SEVEN EPISODES SO FAR, AND EACH ONE OF THEM WAS A HIT!

Take "Eda's Requiem," for example. It's yet another episode where I have NOTHING bad to say about it! That's two weeks in a row where that happened! HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?!

HOW!

HOW!

...But anyways, "Eda's Requiem." It's another fantastic episode, and I'm about to dive into explaining how and why. Just keep in mind, it's gonna require spoilers to do so, so be wary of that as you keep reading.

Now, let's review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

Eda’s Checklist and Grom Photo: Within the first second, "Eda's Requiem" perfectly sets up Eda's central conflict in the episode. Despite spending years being on her own and looking after herself, she now has two kids that she's constantly caring over. Eda can try all she wants to say that she doesn't care, and I bet she has in the past. But given the hard work she's putting into getting King and Luz what they need and having a grom photo of the three of them together pinned in her mirror, it's pretty clear that those two knuckleheads wormed their way into her heart and are never getting out.

Eda’s Worried About King and Luz Leaving: And thus, that's precisely why something like this bothers her so much. Eda inadvertently adopted two rambunctious rapscallions (Yeah, I know. I'll get to it), so the idea of them not being around her anymore is going to be terrifying. That is a situation most parents, especially mothers, can identify with. It’s called empty nest syndrome and it proves just how much Eda loves Luz and King that she can't stand the thought of her babies leaving the nest. It's yet another well-made, wholesome, found-family moment that this series continues to excel at each week, making me extra excited for more like it to come...while also readying myself for heartbreak when one of them eventually does leave Eda.

Eda and Raine’s Music: Ok, I don't know the exact instruments that were played during this episode, but I also don't care because it was all (for lack of a better term) music to my ears. Every time Eda and Raine played resulted in melodies that are so beautiful and filled with so much emotion and feeling that I'm honestly tempted to listen to them again, multiple times, on repeat. Shows rarely do that for me, as background music doesn't always draw me in as much as lyrical songs do. Usually, it takes something so extraordinarily composed to give me the desire to listen again, and that's the case here. So huge congrats to Brad Breek for doing so. Seriously, the man's been killing it this season.

Eda’s Bard Magic Causing Things to Turn to Ash: This was assuredly a surprise side-effect of the curse. The fact that Eda can sort of do magic at all was its own shock. To then reveal that a specific type can do dangerous things to people and environments is...Well, it definitely brings up its own fair share of questions. Like, how can she do this? Will she do it again, one day? And are there other types of spells that can be negatively affected by Eda's curse? We don't get answers for any of these questions, and odds are, we never will. But that's alright with me. Because if a show makes me consider these many possibilities after a brief amount of time, it is a show that has to be doing something right. Even if I don't get the answers I want, the fact that it caused such a reaction makes me less willing to care.

Raine Whispers: Hey, would you look at that. Another fun, interesting, and compelling character added to the list of this shows' other fun, interesting, and compelling characters...how is this series so good at this!?

Joking aside, Raine's pretty good. I like Raine. They could have been this super serious leader who lost all their fun after years apart from Eda, but I'm glad that they're not. There are moments when Raine takes their job as leader of the BATs seriously, as one would, but I still prefer the fact that they kept a jovial nature despite how grim their situation is. It's an admirable trait to have, and it avoids the trope of making leader characters boring just because they're the ones who have to take things seriously.

Oh, and also, Raine's Disney's first non-binary character who has a stake in the plot. This is a tremendous deal, as you don't usually see that many non-binary characters in children's animation, let alone ones that hold importance to the story. So it's pretty cool for the writers to feature Raine, as it helps several kids feel as though they're finally seen and respected. And the fact that Disney of all companies gave the thumbs up is even more impressive. I hear people say that Dana Terrace should have pitched The Owl House to more progressive networks to avoid pushback, and while I absolutely see your point, I'll have to respectfully disagree. Disney is the largest entertainment industry of all time, so if you want to make LGBTQA+ representation normalized, you gotta stop making splashes and start making waves. Because if the same company that made three racist cats in the span of a few years manages to say that being gay is a-ok, then you know there's something wrong with you. Yes, Disney ended up screwing over the show anyway. But for that one moment, when kids felt pride after seeing a character like Raine, then, in the end, it's kind of worth it.

Also, if you're still having issues with more representation like this popping up in kids' shows, then allow me to redirect you to the complaint department.

...I made that post earlier today for this bit. YOU HAVE BETTER APPRECIATED IT!

Day of Unity is meant to be a Secret: At least, that's what I got when Raine stumbled over their own words. So if it's true, then I wonder why? Why does Belos want to keep the most critical change in the Boiling Isles a secret? Does he want to make it a surprise for his grateful subjects, or does he not want to spread worry and fear amongst the wild witches? It has to be something big if he doesn't want his followers to even say the words "Day of Unity." Whatever reason he has, we most likely won't know until the future. A future that I grow more and more afraid of each week.

Hooty Eating Echo Mouse: My heart sank in that brief moment when I thought that Hooty intensely screwed Luz over in getting back home. But looking back...it is pretty funny.

Just the suddenness of Hooty eating the poor creature that Luz desperately tried to earn its trust is priceless in how shocking it was. And also, Luz's expression.

That was the look of a young girl who immediately shoved her hand down an owl demon's throat the second the scene cut away. The Owl House may not always be a hit in the comedy department, but scenes like this prove that when it's funny, it is hilarious.

Luz and King Entering the Grand Prix: Not much to discuss here. It's just a cute subplot that adds frivolity to the intensity of what's going on through Eda and Raine's story. But I will say that I love how both stories occasionally interconnect with each other through the many moments of Eda being worried about King wanting to leave to find his father and avoiding any conversation about it. It helps both plotlines feel like they belong together, without being something like "Through the Looking Glass Ruins," whereas both stories could have been in their own episode. Which is neat.

How Bard Magic Works: I really love how this season is diving into how the other magic types work. More specifically, the ones that seem a little vague. I mean, stuff like healing, potions, and plants are easy to figure out, but what does it mean when a witch's talents are construction, beast keeping, and bard magic? We've been getting a lot of clearing up lately, with bard magic looking like a witch can control their environments and enemies through the power of music. Which is fair. Music is pretty powerful in the metaphorical sense, and I actually love that it's powerful in the literal sense when in the Boiling Isles.

The BATs: Not much to comment on these three either. The BATs have the potential to have an entertaining dynamic, but they do very little in this episode that I can't say much other than I hope they make a return in the future. But I will make this claim: Amber is my favorite. I'm sorry, but her screaming "You're not our mom!" to then go, "Bye, mommy Eda" is just too precious for me not to love.

I'm a simple man who falls for cute s**t. Leave me alone.

Raeda (RainexEda): Well, EdaxCamila, you were a fun crack ship while it lasted, but I'm afraid that this is now goodbye. The current canon has provided an incredibly adorable and believable relationship that I would be a monster not to support with my whole bi-heart. It's been real.

Ok, back in serious mode: I love these two together. Eda and Raine are grown-ups, and they still act all flustered near each other as if they were still Luz and Amity's age. It's definitive proof that you're never too old to get flustered near a crush, and seeing them interact adds a sense of wholesomeness when seeing them together as well as heartbreak when they're forced apart. Plus, we get confirmation that Eda's LGBTQA+! Whether she's bi, pan, or whatever, now that we know Eda can catch feelings for someone like Raine, it's yet another case that The Owl House is the most important series to the community. Because having the main character be queer is fantastic in its own right. But having the same apply to the motherly mentor figure? That's is an extra bit of normalization that anybody would be willing to appreciate.

Unique Guard Designs: Not many fans are going to appreciate this, primarily compared to everything else this episode does perfectly. For me, I actually like that you see a few Coven Guards looking differently from the others, as it helps make them less like clones and makes it seem like anybody of any body type could be a part of the coven.

Gus Looking Uninterested when Presenting Grand Prix with his Dad: I am positive that you didn't notice this (I didn't even notice it until someone else pointed it out), but there's something to dissect here. It hints that perhaps Gus isn't as interested in his father's field of work as one might think. If he did, he would look a lot less bored and much more excited to be helping Perry Porter present the race. It could just be the race itself, but judging from Gus' expression, it really seems like the kid would prefer to be anywhere but there. And why would he have that reaction to a race that his best friend is competing in? To me, this seems like an inkling of what Gus' relationship with Perry could be, which may not actually get time to shine, what with how little wiggle room the series has now (Thanks Disney). Regardless, it is interesting to notice, and it will certainly have fans thinking for a while.

Bump Being Smug of Luz Being in the Lead: That's it. Principal Bump looking smug as his human student is beating the students of his rivals is yet another moment that proves why Bump is easily the best cartoon principal.

Darius: First of all, this guy is f**king fabulous, and I love him. *Snaps*

Second, he is definitive proof that you do NOT want to f**k around with Coven Leaders. Lilith may have had her intimidating moments, but none of them compare to the guy who can turn himself into an abomination monster where only magic that hasn't existed before can take him down. It's genuinely scary to see Darius lose control, and I fear for the day when Luz inevitably ends up in his crosshairs.

With that said, Darius' still a ton of fun! He may be threatening, but he's just a flamboyant guy that hates the idea of getting his outfit the tiniest bit dirty. And I love that. I love that these Coven Heads have actual personalities instead of being generically evil. I consider it preferable to make villains entertaining rather than blatantly scary as I'll remember the personalities first and the villainous acts last.

Eberwolf: But this one's my favorite. I told you: I'm a simple man who gets easily swayed by cute s**t. And Eber? I mean, just look at her:

She's just a cute widdle rascal! I just want to pinch her cheeks, give her a belly rub, and--

...Eberwolf is not a cute widdle rascal. She is a strong, independent woman, and I will respect her as such from this moment forward...lest I feel her wrath.

That is all. Let's move on.

Eda and Raine Attempting a Final Performance: This was the best scene of the episode. It looked gorgeous, it shows the dedication Eda and Raine have for stopping Belos, and it says so much through so little. Go back and look at how Eda and Raine regard one another when performing Eda's requiem. Through their expressions and a few short words, you know they understand that if they complete the song/spell, they probably won't make it in the end. And yet, they don't care. They both know bad stuff will happen if Belos wins, so Eda and Raine put everything to the side, both their feelings for one another and the people they leave behind if it means putting an end to a tyrant. That level of dedication...Words can't fully describe how powerful that is.

Raine Sacrificing Themselves Instead: But in the end, Raine can't do it. Not when they know the life that Eda has and the people she'll be leaving behind. It's an extra bit of nobleness to the character seeing that Raine refuses to take away a woman from two kids who need her the most. A tad bit selfish, sure, knowing what Belos has planned. But when it comes to love, the romantic, familial, or platonic, the best decisions aren't always the logical ones.

Eda Crying: Luz crying tears me up, but seeing Eda cry is a whole different level of heartbreak. Like Lilith, Eda has her emotions locked up tight, with the closest she came to weeping were those two tears in "Young Blood, Old Souls." In "Eda's Requiem," she cries but almost quickly stops herself. As if she knows that doing so isn't going to save Raine. That is...even worse than seeing Luz break down after losing Eda. The fact that Eda refuses to give herself time to mourn losing someone she loved is tragic because crying is the most natural way of showing grief. Turning that off isn't healthy, and seeing her do it with little resistance is sad to me. It's sad to see a character I love can easily shut off all emotions despite how badly she may want to embrace them. It's one of those moments that, again, by doing so little, it shows so much.

“No one watches Crystal Balls anymore. It’s all about streaming.”: Oof. Even I felt that burn towards cable.

King’s Message: King's message was the pick-me-up I needed after the heart-wrenching sadness this episode put me through a few minutes ago. Seeing King say who he is and listing all the things he loves is nothing short of adorable. On top of that, I adore that Eda willingly recorded the whole thing. She may not want King to leave, but that doesn't mean she'll sabotage the one thing he wants. Especially not after Raine gave up everything so Eda could be with her kids. The opening scene may prove how much Eda cares about a rascal like King, but this heartwarmingly sweet moment reveals just how far she'll go to make him happy.

King’s Dad Reveal: ...ok, I'll be honest, I did not think we'd get that reveal this soon. Dumb of me to say, considering the number of times I've said that these writers don't waste time getting to the s**t, I know. But still, it's pretty cool knowing that King's dad is alive and well, added with the fact that we've got a fair idea of what he looks like. At this point, it's only a matter of time before we see him figure out where the Clawthorne residence is and witness the tear-jerking moments that will follow.

King Changing his Name to King Clawthorne: Not the official adoption I was expecting Eda to make...but DANG IT, is it still diabetes-inducing levels of sweetness!

Personally, I feel like the main reason why Eda breaks down this time is not only because she shouldn't be worried about King leaving her life, but also because Raine's sacrifice wasn't in vain. Her kids really do need Eda because no matter how far apart they'll be, she will always be a part of their life...dang it, I'm going to cry too!

What those Coven patches really do: Well...that was horrifying to see.

...Writers, if you kill off the best non-binary character in animation (it's a short list, I know), we are going to have PROBLEMS!

IN CONCLUSION

"Eda's Requiem" is--surprise surprise--another A+. The emotions hit hard, the representation hits harder, Raine is a fantastic addition to the cast, and it was all surprisingly cute at times. Season Two is currently on a hot streak, constantly winning with every episode that's come out so far. When a bad episode does eventually show up (IT'S GONNA HAPPEN!), I'll be sure to sing my requiem then. For now, I'm just gonna enjoy the ride.

[drethanramslay]

Perfect (Happy Birthday Bree!!)

Pairing: Ethan x MC (Leah Garcia)

Word count: 1500 words

MASTERLIST

Warning: None, this is just a load of fluff 

Author’s note: Happy birthday @jamespotterthefirst​, the most talented and amazing writer🎂🎂 Hope you have a great day and keep rocking babe❤

I have taken part in @wackydrabbles so the prompt will be in bold 

Title inspiration: Perfect by Ed Sheeran 

Forgive me if i make any mistakes 🥺

"Happy birthday, doctor!" A cheerful nurse greeted as Ethan stood at the nurses' station, signing charts at a break-neck speed.

"Hrm." He answered absent-mindedly, not even bothering to look up from the file and continued to look down at it as of it were the most interesting case but the fact is that Ethan did not care to celebrate his birthday.

But if Leah were to hear that, she would have him by his balls.

And Ethan wasn't one to go against a woman with a mission. She had said that they would do something in the evening and Ethan was low key looking forward to it, which is quite the growth from a year ago.

According to Ethan, birthdays were irrational. He couldn't figure out the entire hype to celebrate the day which is just a marker that you are one year closer to death. Sure it's a pessimistic way to see it but Ethan never promised to have a positive outlook on life.

No wonder Leah calls me the human equivalent of a robot.

The thought just whispered into his head which had him halting what he was doing and a small smile made its way on his lips.

Just her very name has his face splitting into a wide grin. Her very presence has this flux of endorphins in his system that he feels as if his heart is going to burst or a blush would sear through his cheeks.

She was his Kryptonite. Yes, Leah had taught him that reference when they watched that Super-boy movie.

Coming back to his birthday, Leah had wished him in the morning itself which comprises of affectionate kisses with a side of old man jokes.

Or you could say it was the other way around.

She then proceeded to give him a hand-knitted scarf which she made along with this gold plated bar set which he had been eyeing for a couple of months but never had the chance to buy it.

"I hope you like it?" She had asked in a tiny voice, watching his every expression.

"Leah, you are the best gift I could ever have. You didn't have to go all the way out for me."

And it was true. Leah just wishing him was the only thing that mattered to him. Nothing could compare to it. Just like the shine of glitters can't compare to the radiance of the sun. But Leah just pressed her lips in a soft kiss and said that he deserved the best of everything.

I am so lucky to have a partner like her.

He shut the file and submitted the last chart to the nurse. He lifted his left wrist to check the time and he noticed that there was only an hour of work left before he could head back to their home.

With a sudden burst of motivation, he turned down the hallway to visit his next patient.

It would be an understatement to say that Leah was nervous.

The pressure of this entire evening being perfect weighed down on her like a pile of bricks. She paced in the living room, digging tracks from her walking back and forth so that she could work off the nervous energy settling into the pit of her stomach. The posh, classical music did nothing to calm her racing heart down.

Will he like it? The doubt filtered through her head which had her gulping and smoothening the little black dress which Ethan liked a lot.

Jenner whined, sensing her distress. She trotted towards the stressed intern and nuzzled against her leg, stopping Leah in her tracks.

"Hey, girl... Guess I'm just overthinking huh?" Leah ran her fingers through Jenner's silky ears and scratched behind her ears which earned her a happy bark.

The sound of the door unlocking had the duo looking up. Jenner cocked her head before running to greet her dad. His familiar baritone voice echoed through the hallway leading to the living room. Leah ran her eyes around the apartment, just running a final check to see if anything was out of sight.

She had lit candles all around the house and turned the lights down low, to set the relaxed ambience of the place.

But that wasn't the main event.

She had come home early so that she could cook an entire extravagant meal for him. From butter garlic shrimps and stir fry vegetables as appetizers to Pastelon which is Puerto Rican version of traditional Italian lasagna as the entrée. She had used her grandma's recipe which has been passed down for generations on her Father's side of the family. Last but not the least, she had baked him a coffee cake which was the only flavour he liked.

She had set the table out on the balcony because it was a wonderful weather and nothing beats a candlelit dinner under a starry night.

"Leah?" His voice called out and she turned to face him with an incandescent smile which beautifully complimented against the dancing shadows of the lit candles. She walked towards his open arms and embraced him.

Hugging Ethan was something she thoroughly enjoyed, The way this man was all hard and soft at the same time often blew her mind away. The way his arms would tighten around her waist and the way he would tuck her head under his chin was her personal heaven. His cologne mixed with his manly essence was intoxicating, which blanketed her senses, making her feel safe and at peace.

Placing a soft affectionate kiss on her forehead, they pulled back just enough to see each other's face.

"Hi."

"Hey yourself, E."

"So what is this surprise you have planned for me?"

Leah chuckled, her hands looping around his neck. Her fingers played with the short hairs on his nape as she looked at him adoringly. "Eager are we?"

"If it comes to you? Always." He pecked her lips.

"Good. Go get fresh and meet me at the balcony."

Ethan and Leah were having fun.

They had popped open the champagne bottle which Ethan had stored for a special occasion and poured copious amounts into the sparkly glasses. And the food was amazing.

The way Ethan devoured the food and gave compliments every now and then made Leah smile with pride.

"Sunshine, you have to feed me more Puerto Rican dishes because this is delicious," Ethan said as he sipped on his champagne.

"I am not as good as my dad. He can make so many more yummy dishes than me. He actually hosts a cookout Sunday for the boys working at his security firm. I have only been to a few but they are super fun."

"You have already met my dad so I think it is about time I have to meet yours."

A rosiness settled on her cheeks as she smiled back at him. "Of course. I know he will like you."

Giving a smile which has his eyes glimmering like the stars, they went back to their meal. After a while, with their stomachs full and plates wiped clean, Leah rose from her seat. Ethan shot her a questioning look but she just kissed his cheek.

"I baked a cake for you. Just getting it out so that we can cut it, old man."

Ethan groaned as Leah chuckled. "I am not that old, okay? I'm a millennial!"

"Whatever you say, gramps."

She went indoors to take the cake out of the fridge, where she had placed it after icing it. A sudden thunder resounded throughout the penthouse, which had her raising her eyebrow.

Rain? But the weather forecast said it won't...

She placed the cake on the counter and headed out only to find Ethan standing there, with his eyes closed and enjoying the raindrops washing his face. The water seeped through his black shirt, making it cling to the hard planes of his chest. A small smile played on his lips.

"Ethan? Come in, you will fall sick." She said as she stood at the threshold. To be honest, there was a reservation in her voice because it had been so long since she has seen him so peaceful.

"No, I will be fine. Come, join me." His eyes smoldered as they fell on Leah and it felt as if she was hypnotized by his brilliant blue eyes.

She walked towards him and instantly Ethan settled his hands on her waist. Placing her hands on his chest they just swayed to a rhythm of their own.

"Are we really dancing without music?" She whispered as she looked up at him.

"What can I say sunshine... you make me want to dance even when the music stops."

The cool raindrops fell on her flushed face while Ethan smiled down at her gently.

"I hope you liked your birthday, Ethan."

She wrapped her arms around him and placed her face on his chest, this heartbeat lulling her into her own safe haven.

"I won't forget this. Ever. This was by far the best so thank you, Leah. I love you so much."

"I love you too."

I would have attached pictures but a bitch is lazy 😔✊

Taglist: Tagging separately because that seems so effective

[n7inky-fanfics]

Geth Dreadnought

CW: PTSD

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Why is it that when Cerberus built this damn ship they put the one window that doesn't have shutters above my fucking bed? I swear, it had to have been on purpose. Assholes. I'm supposed to be sleeping right now, but there's no way in hell to sleep because space is just above me, taunting me. I just need to forget about the vacuum of space long enough to fall asleep.

Well, just because they didn't provide me with a damned shutter doesn't mean I can't just cover it myself. Time to get creative. I throw on my N7 jacket and some cargo pants, then catch the elevator down to engineering. I cautiously scan the hallway, hoping to avoid encountering anyone else. Now that we're in the clear after dealing with the Geth Dreadnought, most of the ship is on sleep block. The skeleton crew to keep it running will likely be too busy to notice me, but it's still possible.

Everything looks empty, so I head down to the undercroft. If I'm going to cover the window, I need to be able to reach it. I could have sworn that I saw a ladder down here... Ah, yes! Here it is! I carry the ladder into the elevator and back to my room without encountering anyone.

Next, I need to find something to cover it with and some adhesive. I think there might be a large tarp in the cargo bay, and I could use the super-strength adhesive we keep around for random patch jobs. I sneak down to the cargo bay and gather the remaining supplies. It looks like I'm going to make it back to my quarters undiscovered until the elevator stops on the crew deck. The doors slide open and I find myself face to face with a surprised looking Kaidan Alenko.

"Ahh, Shepard... I was just coming up to ask if you would like some tea." he says.

"Oh. Raincheck?" I shrug, well as much as I can with two armfuls of tarp and adhesive.

"Sure, sure... Hey, is it alright if I come up with you? I've been wanting to talk with you about what happened today." His eyes are gentle and caring. All I want to do is drop my barriers and tell him everything about how I feel, about the fear that I haven't been able to shake since leaving the Normandy to board the dreadnought. I want to cry and have him tell me it'll be okay. I want to let myself unravel.

But I can't, so I just nod and plaster on a small smile, hoping he doesn't notice how fake it is. He boards the elevator, and for a brief moment the silence is almost deafening. Then, he says "So... What's with the tarp?"

"Did you know that was the second time we managed to sneak up on the geth because they don't use windows?"

"Joker explained it to me after he made that comment. What's with the tarp?"

The elevator stops and slides open just in time to save me from that question. I move quickly into my room and drop the taro and glue on my bed. Kaidan leans against the wall that separates my desk from the rest of the cabin while I grab the ladder and position it under the far corner of the window. Kaidan watches as I climb the ladder with the tarp and glue in tow. I spread adhesive as far as I can on both sides of the corner, then press the tarp firmly against it. I hold it in place and begin counting the 180 seconds it should take for the glue to dry.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Ele-

"Hazel, what are you doing?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I wanted to see if I could figure out why you're gluing a tarp to your ceiling. I'm stumped, but that's not the point. What are you doing?" Kaidan crosses his arms firmly.

I must be on twenty-five by now at least... Twenty-six. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Thirty. Thirty-"

"Hazel, why are you covering the window?" He moves closer to the ladder. I don't dare to look him in the eye, afraid that under his gentle gaze I might actually allow myself to break. Instead, I stare up at the tarp. What am I on? Forty? Probably.

Forty-one. Forty-two. Forty-three. Forty-four. Forty-five.

"Hey, look at me, Shepard." His voice is firm but kind, and I can't help but do it. I look at his face, into his caring and worried eyes, and I choke back a sob. He reaches up to me, offering his hand. "Come down from there and talk to me, please."

I could do it. He's giving me a chance to do it. I could step off this ladder and I could really, truly let myself feel it all. I could break down in his arms and stay there and let him make me feel safe. I want to, but... I'm Commander Shepard. I must continue to be Commander Shepard. I must stay strong.

"I'm fine right here." I say. My voice sounds hollow and foreign. How much time has it been? Maybe thirty more seconds? And I had been on forty before? No, forty-five.

Seventy-five. I turn to fave the tarp again. Seventy-six. Seventy-seven. Seventy-eight. Seventy-nine. Eighty.

"Please." His voice is soft, accented by a hint of sadness laced with concern. "Let me back in."

I'm screaming at myself internally. Don't drop your guard. Don't feel your emotions. Pack it down. Finish the job! Even as my mind is saying this, I feel my arms release the tarp. The adhesive hasn't had enough time to dry, so it simply falls away from the ceiling. Kaidan pulls me off the ladder and into his arms. For one, tiny moment, I fight it. I tell myself that I won't cry.

The floodgates open, and now I'm sobbing in his arms. My body is so racked by my sobs that I can't keep myself standing. Kaidan takes on my weight and gently lowers us both to the floor. As I cry, my lungs become more and more restricted. Soon, I can't breathe. I'm suffocating. Oh god, I'm suffocating in space! The Normandy is gone and everyone escaped and I'm left drifting in space and I can't breathe! I try to breathe in, but I can't. I'm going to die! No, I can't die! Not again!

"Hazel!" Kaidan shouts, shaking my shoulders. I open my eyes to see him staring back at me, worry etched into his face. Something in front of him is glowing blue, and the light from it is dancing along his face. What is that?

Kaidan gently takes my hand in his and kisses it. I watch him bring it to his lips carefully. A ring of blue surrounds my arm. I'm glowing. My biotics form a haze around me. If it had taken him much longer to get through to me, I probably would have flared them uncontrollably. As if he can read my mind, he gently pulls away and throws up a small but strong barrier around me. I release the energy. He waits a moment, to be sure it has dissipated, then drops the barrier and pulls me back into his arms.

"Hazel, do you know where you are?" he whispers.

"Normandy SR-2. It's 2186."

"Good." he says. He kisses my forehead softly.

We stay this way until long after I have stopped crying. Finally, he says "Almost getting blown up by the Quarian fleet wasn't easy."

I shake my head. "We were more likely to be spaced than blown up." My voice comes out barely above a whisper.

His breath hitches in his chest and he tenses slightly. "That's why you were covering the window." I nod. "Do you remember...?"

"Yes." He holds me just a little bit tighter when I say this.

"I'm so sorry." He says.

"Sometimes, in my dreams or if I let myself drift out of reality enough, I end up back there... Over Alchera. I can still feel..." I stop myself from completing that thought. I can't believe I'm telling him this. I need to be strong right now, for everyone. That includes Kaidan. I can't be falling apart like this. What was I thinking?

I pull away from him and stand up. "You know what, why don't we go have that tea?" He stares up at me inquiringly, but I brush his stare off and reach out for his hand. Finally, he takes it and I help him to his feet. I stop in the bathroom briefly to make sure I look fairly put together, then lead him out of my room and to the mess hall. I start making some jokes and soon we settle into a comfortable mood. We chat a little over our tea before we say goodnight and go out separate ways. Tonight, I sleep on the floor under my desk.

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

Two days later, I come back into my room after a long day to find a tarp securely attached to the ceiling and covering the window entirely. I ask EDI for the who, what, and how. She informs me that she granted Kaidan and Garrus access so that they could put it up while I was busy handling the Quarian-Geth situation. I can't help but smile as I crawl into bed. I sleep soundly for the first time since I died.