#i feel a bit sad i guess? like an afterthought

[honeysuckle-s]

ok autist sense check here … is it rude to plan an event with a group of ppl then invite someone after the fact bc you need a “co-host”? bc i have a feeling this is a bad thing but im kinda used to it at this point

[denileisariver]

pairing: batman aka bruce wayne x f!reader

summary: you move into wayne manor, but not everything is as it seems. pt.2

warnings: smut, some non-con/dub-con but not really, doggystyle!, creampies ♡, mentioned babytrapper!bruce but nothing happens (or does it 🫣?), some anal play but also not really, unprotected sex, descriptions of male and female genitalia, bruce is not the best father unfortunately, age gaps, uses of the word(s) 'baby' and 'daddy' like once or twice, non-consensual recording?, reader is described as dating girls in the past.

a/n: i guess this is a small continuation. i'll still be tagging as yandere due to some slightly darker undertones kinda. i'm not sure how i feel about this one but oh well :).

bruce never believed that he was a good man.

he could care less for all the praise he received throughout the years. fundraisers and charities, his image as a loving adoptive dad who took in struggling and orphaned children, or as batman. deep down, he knew he was selfish.

everything he did, he took too far. whether it was to fulfill a pipedream he realistically knew would never come true at the expense of others. or even with love, using the people he cared for the most just so he could gain something out of it. he considered himself lucky that all the little vigilantes he collected over the years stayed. and he was even happier you decided to stay as well.

bruce knew fear like the back of his hand. he could easily recognize it in your eyes whenever your eyes met his. whether it was subconscious or not, something in you knew that you should be cautious around him, and for good reason.

he couldn't quite pinpoint when his infatuation with you started. the only thing he knew was that it had crept up on him slowly, and it had been far too late until he realized its claws were sunk deep and he wanted you wrapped around his finger.

his mind would drift off sometimes, wondering if it's because of how closely he's been able to keep tabs on you over the past couple of years. you were strong and independent, more than able to take care of yourself, and others if given the opportunity. he admired that you were bold and selfless, driven. and he wanted to control that.

he stood by on the sidelines for far too long, watching you be strung along like an afterthought. he hated seeing your pathetic dates that always turned out horribly, pitiful men who only wanted one thing from you and girls that led you on because they were 'experimenting'. he hated the sad puppy look in your eyes whenever you hung around dick, before he invited you into his family, even if it was unintentional.

whether you believed it or not, bruce truly wanted what he thought was best for you. and if that meant keeping you under his surveillance, where you were at arms length 24/7, then so be it.

bruce wanted to train you how to be obedient for him. you were already establishing your own place in his household, practically marking your territory there, and he enjoyed every bit of it. for the most part, at least. there were still some challenges he needed to overcome, but you'd always been a good girl for him. that much he knew.

you tried to be grateful for him as much as possible.

even after his creepy behavior and even weirder training, you wanted to trust him. it felt wrong not to. everyone had been kind and did more for you than anyone else in your life had, and bruce set the foundation for all of it. you'd finally got a taste of being part of his family like you always wanted, and you weren't willing to let it go just because of eccentric assumptions and silly feelings.

you did find all of it a bit extreme, though. the excessive amount of gifts, the kids were attentive as ever, and alfred practically babied you. but it was normal. completely normal. at least that's what you chalked it up to, living under the roof of a well renowned billionaire, and you weren't about to complain about it either.

being around all the other wards put you at ease. regardless if you truly saw them as found family or not, you considered them your best friends. whether it was helping alfred around the manor as much as possible, burning pastries in the kitchen with the girls, playing video games with jason (which grew to be one of your favorite pastimes), you found yourself letting your guard down. like you could finally breathe and be safe in your own home, which was basically never while you were still surviving on your own back in gotham.

speaking of jason, you think maybe you are beginning to like the boy. sure, he had always been attractive, but you never actually got to interact with him longer than a short conversation here and there before dick decided to butt in. he had always been protective of you like that. you figured whatever you felt for jason might've been weird at first, but considering tim and stephanie dated for a little while, and they were still here, that it was okay.

you tried to subtly spend more time around jason. sitting close by during dinner or while catching a flick, offering to be by his side during patrol. maybe you were a bit more obvious than you would've liked, but jason took it well, much to bruce's disdain. the boy started to talk to you more often, more lively around you than ever, staring at you from across the room, making physical contact. and you greedily accepted it.

and of course dick would be the first to pester at you about it. he'd snuck up from behind, startling you when you were too engrossed in a romance book that you'd discovered while exploring the ginormous library.

"so you and jason are a thing now?"

the sound of his sudden voice makes your body jolt, damn near dropping the precious book you were reading that probably cost more than your entire life. the only people in this world that could make you flustered the way you are now are all living underneath the same goddamn roof, and you've successfully trapped yourself in it, willingly.

"what're you talking about?" the blank look on dick's face makes you cringe. in all your years of friendship, the two of you never really fought. the thought that he'd be mad about you being with jason was almost enough to make your heart sink. but the truth was, you weren't really actually with him anyway. things were just.. different.

all of his rigorous training with bruce had apparently worked off, because almost right on cue, dick notices how anxious you are right now. he shifts his body language to a more lighthearted demeanor, no longer as stiff. his voice is soft. "listen, i don't care, kind of, but.. just be careful." the way he says it almost makes you feel better, like he cares, and of course he does, but—

"what's that supposed to mean?"

your defensiveness is no surprise to dick. the look on his face let's you know he expects it, and you almost hate yourself for being so predictable.

"i don't want you to get hurt, that's all i'm saying." he tries to reassure, but it does nothing but the opposite. hurt you? you never expected much to come out of your tiny fondness for jason, and even if it did, you knew better than to think it'd be something that'll last forever. "I won't get hurt."

you say it like it's a sure thing. there's this unreadable look in dick's eyes. something that you don't think you've ever seen before, and it almost scares you. like he knows something you don't, but you can't tell what the hell it is. he curtly nods, forcing back that charming smile to his face, but you're no idiot, especially when it comes to him.

"i don't doubt it." and with that, he's gone.

☆☆☆☆☆

it's been a couple of days since your little talk with dick. well, more of a warning than anything, so that's what you take it as. you started being more mindful, not just around jason but everyone. more observant and aware of how you interacted with them. and after a while, you deduced that whatever dick was thinking is just part of his overprotective nature, both as a brother and as a friend. that he'd grow accustomed to you and jason just like everyone else was.

that was up until you noticed your possessions were starting to go missing. it started with just panties, then a bra or two, eventually your sweaters or jewelry. at first, you thought you were going crazy, just misplacing and losing things, but it was happening way too often. bruce spoiled you enough so that everything was replaceable, but still. was dick right?

was jason some sort of pervert or stalker?

well, you think all of them had the stalking part down, getting it from bruce, but you aren't completely oblivious to the fact that jason harbored reciprocated feelings for you. but to go as far as stealing your stuff? even dirty panties? there's no way. it couldn't be. if it was true, you were daring enough to confront him about it. you'd just have to wait for the right time to do it, but that proved more than difficult. there seemed to never be a perfect moment.

bruce had been more rough than before during sparring. and honestly, you didn't mind. at first, it scared you. but with the emotional turmoil you were suddenly experiencing, you almost liked it. those damn hands in your hair, a tight headlock cause his bicep was wrapped around your neck, a muscular thigh between your legs. it felt better than you would ever admit, and you found yourself almost looking forward to it. it was just because you needed some stress relief, right?

bruce intimidated you more than anyone you've ever met, but that didn't stop you from checking him out occasionally. the older man was more than attractive, and no one could deny that, not even you, regardless if you thought he was a bit peculiar.

if you hadn't been so enamored in your thoughts, trying to convince yourself that you weren't just another perv, maybe you would've felt bruce's growing hard-on accidentally poke your ass. or that he's held you in this same position for too long, admiring how you looked bent over for him like this and wanting nothing more but to make you take him right then and there. but he was upset with you.

you were getting too close to jason. on a fatherly note, he knows he should be happy. jason always had trouble around others, and he was probably just another reason for you to stay. but a larger part of him wanted to spank your ass over his knee, gag your tiny mouth on his cock in front of everyone so they knew who you belonged to.

he has to be more careful. he'd barely gotten ahold of you, and if he pushed too much, he'd run the risk of you trying to escape. but he couldn't bear to just stand by and watch while you and jason tried to pursue a relationship. no.. that couldn't happen. jason would have a knife at his throat if he caught bruce just now, that he'd hate him even more if he found out that the girl he was crushing on was being lusted on by his father figure.

but bruce could live with that.

that's why he doesn't say anything when he gently bounces the leg that's slotted between your thighs, your clit grazing against him through the thin fabric of your workout shorts. he only gauges your reaction to it, waiting, expecting you to fight back but you don't. the movement was soft enough for you not to notice it at first, but when the rubbing gets repetitive and you finally realize just how long you've been in such a comprising position for him, a flood of both excitement and anxiety goes straight to your core.

it almost feels like a betrayal to jason, even if you owed him nothing. you couldn't even remember the last time you hooked up with somebody, and it was actually good. you'd been stuck with making yourself cum, and that got old very quickly. on one hand, doing this with bruce could potentially ruin your relationship with his other wards if you were caught, and on the other hand, you were horny enough to not be thinking straight. even if bruce was a weird fuck that you didn't trust fully.

you manage to let out strained whimpers, hoping to appeal to bruce so he'd let you go. the arch of your back had become strenuous, but even then, you found yourself yearning for more. if this is what he wanted, you couldn't bring yourself to stop him. your hips move on their own accord, rutting and pressing the plush lips of your cunt along the thick muscle, face contorting slightly in pleasure whenever your sensitive bud received the attention it craved so much.

he allowed you to hump his leg like an animal in heat, his hips jutting out forward and now fully pressing a heavy cock against your ass, the clothed tip resting by the lower half of your back. whether you fully wanted this or not, it didn't really matter to bruce. the arm that was wrapped around your neck moves down, then squeezing a handful of one of your tits, appreciating its weight and how squishy it was in his grasp.

the differences in sizes made your body appear tinier than it really was, and bruce thought that was cute too. his other free hand wrapping around your body so he could feel both of your pillowy breasts in his hands, his groping making you squirm. even if you encouraged this more than you probably should've, you wonder if this is moving way too fast. he's your best friends dad for christ sake. jason's dad. (as much as he liked to deny it). and you were already living in his mansion.

all while these thoughts swirl through your head, bruce is slipping his hands beneath your shirt and moving the cups of your bra out the way, twisting and pinching at your pert nipples. his teeth find your neck, biting, a tongue licking the sensitive skin. you felt helpless to how quick and overwhelming all of it is. it doesn't take long for it to feel like his presence and touch is suffocating you, and bruce is even more greedy than you are.

"can i touch you baby?" the grufness of his voice sends chills down your spine.

you don't know why he even asks. you stupidly nod your head in agreement, even though rough pads of his fingers are already eagerly shoving themselves into your shorts and cupping your tiny pussy through cotton panties. he hums in content, noting the warmth of it and the gentle rhythmic pulses. your heart races, resisting the urge to hump his hand just like you were on his thigh.

much to your disappointment, he slips his hand out of your shorts, whining at the loss of contact. that is up until your bottoms are being pushed down your legs, and suddenly, you're conscious of how anyone could walk in on the two of you. and you still can't bring yourself to protest.

bruce bends you over once more, your face down and ass up for him. his cock aches in its confines, throbbing and begging to be released, but he holds it off. he stares at your exposed cunt, making you feel subconscious for a bit. your lips are soft and glistening, tiny clit shyly hiding beneath the hood. his thumbs spread your cheeks a bit, your slick holes on display for him.

your arousal drips down, dripping a bit onto the sparring mat in the process. your openings wink at him a bit with small flutters, and bruce leans down slightly, using his own spit to lube up your asshole and rim it with his thumb, even if he wasn't going to use it yet.

your body jolts, yelping a bit in surprise. no one had ever touched you there, and you certainly weren't expecting it just now. your hands move to try and cover yourself. "wait— i've never—"

bruce interrupts you with low shushes, kneading the soft flesh of your asscheek in his hand. he decides to feel your clit instead, his thumb working its way down your slit and easily finding the tiny nub. the constant and steady movement ties a knot in your tummy, instinctively pushing your cunt against his hand, soft moans emitting from you. fuck, he was good at this.

you were no stranger to playboy bruce wayne. ever since you've met him, he always had a litter of lovers that followed him around like lost pets, people that he'd never commit to always at his beck and call. you think you might understand why, now. he was a provider, strong, handsome. and even though you hadn't felt his cock inside you yet, you feared you might not ever want another one again after this.

your pussy fluttered desperately, needing something inside you, an impending orgasm building up but frustration was still there. one of his long, thick fingers offers you grace, gently pushing into your cunt. it was almost comical how easily he got you to gush and make a mess of his hand, the digit rubbing and pushing at that sensitive and spongey spot deep inside of you.

"fuck!— bruce—" you cried out, back arching even further, hair sticking against your forehead due to your sweaty state. you pant quickly, trying to regain composure, but your heart only beats more wildly, like a tiny prey animal, the sound of bruce's clothes being removed filling your ears.

you twist your body and head a bit so you could look at him, the sight making your mouth fall open slightly, practically drooling while you oggled him. regardless of his age, the man before you was built like a damn sculpture. hand-crafted to perfection. he was still toned in all the right places after all these years, even if his body had grown softer during his time as a father. coarse hair that led down to a fat cock that was standing up at full attention.

you whimper a bit, unsure if you were really prepared for this. you assume that whatever this is will have an unspoken agreement to be kept secret, at least you hope so. bruce was sometimes unpredictable, but if dick or even jason found out, you'd imagine you and bruce would be killed.

"don't worry baby," bruce grunts softly, as if he knows exactly what you're thinking. the head of his cock teases your entrance, before moving his hips in a mimick motion of thrusting into you, fucking himself in between your thighs and cunt. the tip of his cock smears pre-cum along your stomach, a thick vein protruding from the shaft, and you worry your guts are about to be rearranged, not knowing if you'll be able to walk without a limp tomorrow.

you haven't been able to catch a good look at his cock yet, but you're sure he's gonna have the biggest dick you've ever had. it's proven to you quickly, the air being knocked out of your lungs when he fully sheaths himself inside, bottoming out without warning.

bruce grins above you, his hand resting on your lower back, just above your butt so he could watch the delicious jiggle of your ass bouncing on his cock. he keeps a slow pace at first. judging by your reaction, he knows the stretch hurts you a bit. your baby pussy was so taut around the meaty length, lips struggling to open up for him, even after playing with it.

soft ah ah ahs spill from you, body quivering ever so slightly. it would've been unnoticeable to anyone who wasn't watching you as closely as bruce was. you wanted to take it. you wanted to be good for him. you didn't want to disappoint him. you needed to take his cock like a big girl, even if you didn't fully understand why you wished to please him so much. maybe it's just cause you were sick of feeling like a child in front of him. like you had something to prove even if it wasn't needed. he'd adore you either way, but you didn't know it yet.

bruce was surprised you even succumbed to him as easily as you did, an adorable determination in your eyes, he presumes for a number of reasons. you were deprived just as much as him, which sometimes led to some questionable decisions. which meant he also knew you'd regret this later. but those were problems for another time.

one of his hands finds your wrists, keeping your arms pinned behind your back. bruce imagines the dainty fingers struggling to wrap around his thick girth, how pretty you would look with a cock fucking down your throat. he had fantasized about this happening for too long.

he fucks you with consistent movements, cherishing this moment in case he wouldn't be able to get it back. you were a kind girl. he knew all about the conflicted feelings that were settled deep in your heart because he felt them too. the teary look in your eyes, not knowing if you wanted him to stop or fuck you even harder, but he'd do the latter. with or without your permission.

bruce snaps his hips with more ferocity, keeping his focus on the recoil of your ass, his cock getting getting increasingly wet with creamy white slick, a ring of cum forming at the base of his length. you shudder a bit, his heavy balls slapping against your clit, and you shift your hips to fuck him back, needily chasing your own orgasm.

"that's it— use that little pussy on daddy," bruce hisses through his teeth, his nails digging into your supple flesh, all the filthy sounds that you and that sweet pussy made had his cock pulsing.

you could barely register a word he said, completely forgetting about anything other than the persistent pounding your weeping cunt was receiving. tears prickle your eyes, spit spilling out of your mouth. you looked a damn mess, barely coherent other than the small chanting of 'daddy' just like a prayer, mindlessly accepting the title.

this was something that bruce could get used to. everything about you was just so damn perfect. he shamelessly hoped that you were ovulating, wishing to fill your womb with his seed and make your belly full and round with his child, then you'd have no reason to leave. even if you tried, he wouldn't allow it.

your toes flex and curl, legs trembling from a wave of ecstasy. your poor cunt spasms uncontrollably around his cock, a strangled but sweet moan forced out of you while you rode out your climax. bruce stuffed you full, plugging himself deep inside of you. he stayed there for a moment before fucking you with slower but unmerciful strokes, skin slapping against you with a force that made your breasts bounce harshly.

your pussy squelches, juices leaking all over him. you struggle to crawl away from him cause of the overstimulation, aching and already sore due to the ceaseless strech. but he only pulls you back, growling at your disobedience, swatting your ass with a calloused hand. bruce cums with a raspy groan, a bruising grip on your hips, the sticky substance painting your velvety walls.

the mat below you is drenched in a mixture of yours and bruce's fluids, sure to leave a stain unless poor alfred was stuck cleaning your mess, and you had a feeling bruce wouldn't do it. you'd be willing to clean it yourself to save the embarrassment, but your weak limbs had other plans.

you think he's finished with you until you're hoisted up, forcibly turned around so bruce could see the rest of your naked body. he wastes no time to latch his mouth onto one of your nipples, swirling his tongue around the stiff peak. he wasn't going to allow you to leave here without leaving his mark on you, claiming you by filling up and covering your chest with his lovebites.

he could care less if anyone had seen how effortlessly he managed to corrupt you. all it took was to turn you into his perfect little cocksleeve. it'd be damn near impossible to avoid him after this. even if he wasn't around, the memory would be forever ingrained into your mind, and you wouldn't be able to look at dick or jason or any of the other wards without the reminder that you fucked their father.

you gently try to push at bruce's broad shoulders, the effort not doing much other than making him bite down on your tit, then moving along to the other. you guess the post-nut clarity had hit you, and a tinge of guilt welled up in your chest.

your brows furrow a bit in a feeling of discomfort when bruce glides two fingers through your folds, then gently massaging the swollen button above them. but your heartbeat picks up again, cunt clearly working with a mind of its own.

strained whimpers spill like honey from your lips, now finally shaking your head and attempting to push yourself away in defense when it's what you should've been doing since the beginning. bruce let's you break away from him though, his lips pulling off of you with a pop.

stern eyes meet your lustful but ashamed gaze, a state of displeasure evident on bruce's face. it's something that worries you, unsure of what that might entail. you don't want to make him angry, and you also don't think you're ready to leave the manor just yet, but you also don't know if you can act indifferent around bruce and the others.

maybe if he wasn't around as often, things would be easier, and you'd be able to pretend like this wasn't a mistake. your throat bobs, swallowing your anxiousness, wanting to reevaluate yourself, preferably alone.

you kneel there and wait, half expecting bruce to just fix himself up and leave without much regard for you, because you assumed that's the type of man he would be after fucking someone, but he doesn't. instead, he let's out a small disgruntled noise, collecting your panties and shorts that he had pulled off of you earlier.

his cum is still seeping out of you, a thick load slow to ooze out of you when bruce had emptied his balls inside your abused pussy. he doesn't ask if you want help or if you wanted to be cleaned up, simply raising the fabric up your legs and thighs till the most precious parts of you were covered again. the cotton becomes damp, your wet core coating them with the evidence of yours and bruce's sex.

he shortly cups the tiny cunt in his large hand, gently swiping his thumb over your mound. a small sigh leaves his lips, almost as if he was sad to be leaving the warmth and tightness of it so soon. you're not sure if you're comfortable with how easily he assumed he should have access to your body, but you guess it's also partly your fault, so you allow it for now.

his lips find yours, surprisingly gentle and loving, a stark contrast to how hard he was pistoning his dick inside your belly. but it's pleasant, so you welcome that also. bruce's tongue is smooth and soft, gliding along yours for a moment before he breaks away, a hazy look in his eyes. something you don't think you've ever seen there before, and you swear he's so dreamy to look at.

it's when you remember he's still undressed, eyes shifting below between your bodies and honing in on the massive cock that bruce endowed. even if it was gradually getting softer, he was still semi-hard, his blood pumping to that area just in case he needed to go another round. he'd be more than willing to stuff that tiny hole for you again, and he wished you'd ask him to, but you don't.

but maybe you will someday.

he let's you stare at his cock unabashedly, his breathing heavy and shaky. he slowly moved his hand, gently jerking the long length since you were gawking at him. you let out a cute squeak, suddenly remembering you were about to leave.

bruce doesn't seem to care that it's getting late, or that the rest of the family would be heading down to the cave sooner or later, his focus purely on what was in front of him. but he can see the look of worry written all over you, and it deters him. he stands up to his full height, your eyes widening slightly, his cock dangled in front of you shamelessly, and a small smirk forms on his face.

he has to refrain from grabbing your hair and prodding his dick between those pretty lips of yours. he moves to tug his joggers back on, his cock slapping a bit against his thigh from the movement. you never break eye contact, and neither does he, your thoughts plagued by bewilderment and amorosity.

you stumble over yourself while picking yourself up off the ground, barely reaching bruce's shoulders. you have to tilt your head up just to look at him without straining your eyes, uncertain of what to say or how your relationship with him will be like after this. it's distressing for you, but you're even more concerned with how you're gonna be able to look dick or jason in the eyes again afterwards.

you push away your apprehensiveness, chewing on your bottom lip so you can find the right words. "this— this never happened," you stutter out, your voice coming out more frail than you intended.

bruces lips curl a bit in dismay, his jaw clenching. out of everything he wanted to hear you say, that was certainly not at the top of his list. his hands ball into a fist, his nerves tensing up. he would never think about hurting you. not physically, at least. but you didn't know that. bruce scoffs lightly, almost amused that you actually thought he'd let you off that easily.

you scramble a bit, trying to get your point out before he can get a word in. "if anyone found out–"

"who i fuck is my business only," he cuts you off, already knowing what you'll say next. it's something he's thought over plenty times already. dick had been suprisingly compliant with bruce thus far, so he wasn't an issue according to bruce, and it was easy to get to him anyway. but he didn't foresee his other sons feelings coming into play, or yours. "and you're not an innocent little girl either, so don't act like one."

shit. you were practically digging yourself into a deeper and deeper hole since you moved here. you stare up at him with pleading eyes, and he can't help but soften up a bit. if you were more smart, none of this would've ever happened. how the hell are you gonna be pining after jason now? and bruce.. he seemed less than pleased at the moment. and your gut told you that he wouldn't be letting this go anytime soon.

but he was at heart, a family man. everything he did was out of love, and a desire to protect others so they didn't have to experience the pain he felt when he lost the people most important to him. at least that's what you liked to believe. after jason's passing, they worked so hard to rebuild their relationship, and the trust between them had slowly begun to resemble what it used to be, even if there were some slight changes.

there was no way in your mind that bruce would destroy all of that just for you. you were just some girl, who occasionally hung around his son, but that didn't mean you held as much value in his life than his adopted children. he wouldn't go as far as breaking down his own home, again, just for you, would he?

"if this ever happened," you gesture between the two of you, shaking your head, already gathering how he must've felt about this based off his demeanor. you were no master detective like he was, but being able to easily read body language, sensing people's energies, and intuition, you were good at. "it would ruin everything."

"we're not going to argue about this." he rebutted, taking on a more stern tone, his voice raising above yours. like he was already making the decision for the both of you, and you weren't having that. you want to say more till the sound of footsteps catch your attention, a familiar voice resonating from the stairwell.

"master bruce, is everything alright?" you silently thank whatever higher power that it's alfred instead of someone else. alfred has had his fair share of catching bruce in.. less than favorable circumstances. but the look of surprise on his face isn't something you can miss, even if it's only there for a split second. you'd been caught.

alfred's eyes wander down to the floor below you that's still wet with juices, registering what it was quickly. his eyes meet yours for a moment, smiling at you weakly, then taking a step back from you and bruce. "sorry for the interruption, sir." the older man says formally, turning on his heel to leave, but you do the same before he can.

"actually, i was just leaving." you glance at bruce whose eyes haven't left yours since even before alfred entered the cave. and then you were back to feeling small and helpless around him, back to square one. you sigh and roll your eyes at his poker-face, trying to rush out the cave to escape the awkward interaction.

alfred's eyes follow you with worry, only turning to bruce with a vexed expression once you're gone, shaking his head in disappointment. bruce stared at him blankly, already knowing he was about to get a scolding. "i'm a grown man—"

"precisely." alfred cuts him off, sass in his voice. "she's over a decade younger than you, your sons friend. you have no right to take advantage of her." he argued, pointing a finger in bruce's face.

"she can make her own decisions." bruce seethes, unwilling to hear him out. he hates himself for knowing deep down the butler was right, but he didn't force you to do anything. not really. he knew this wouldn't be without repercussions, but alfred wouldn't say anything either to avoid suspicion.

everything would blow up in bruce's face, and maybe he'd take some accountability for once in his life, but alfred highly doubted that would happen anytime soon.

bruce faced away from him, dragging his tongue over his bottom lip. he hated how easily you turned this around on him, turning into a little cock-drunk slut while having sex and then turning around to be angry at him, but it was something he'd seen coming. bruce huffs out a heavy breath, ignoring alfred's smoldering expression. "just get out, i'll clean this up."

"and what of the girl?" alfred asks, side-eyeing the man he raised. he cared more for your safety and how you felt rather than getting on bruce's nerves. "that isn't your concern. i'll take care of it."

alfred was less than enthusiastic about what that could possibly mean, or what any of this would result in. his heart ached for you and jason, even occasionally eavesdropping on the time you spent together, and the friendship had blossomed. maybe it could have turned into something more, but he isn't so sure now.

he turns back into his more reserved and neutral state, giving bruce one last judgmental stare before leaving him to tend to him thoughts. there was no point in trying to reason with him, so he wouldn't waste the energy. he'd only watch you like a hawk now. and bruce included.

with alfred away now, bruce makes quick work of his computer. he searches for the camera he placed in your room upon your arrival to the manor. there's a weird feeling in his chest that he can't quite explain, unsure of what it even was, seeing you curled up in bed, staring off into space. this was one of the rare times he wished he was meta, just so he could read your mind, pick your brain, even if just for a little bit.

you didn't seem sad or angry. just more confused by what he could tell. your eyes shifting like you were thinking up all the possibilities and outcomes of this, and he hated to see it wrack your head. he wished he could say something, or hold you, anything that would give you comfort, but it'd probably just have the opposite of his desired effect.

he had hoped to dwell on the fact that he finally got to penetrate that pretty little cunt of yours more without having to stress over issues that were nonexistent for now, but that wouldn't be the case. there was always something there to bite him in the ass and humble him if need be.

now he could only dream that whatever emotions you possessed for jason would alleviate. that he was an option you didn't know you had up until today. he hoped that he could make you his. and he would. just one day at a time.

he makes sure to save the footage that the security cameras all over the cave had captured, for later usage. he didn't think he'd get an experience like that again anytime soon, that he had just gotten lucky this one time.

but you were almost too eager to fuck him back. bruce wondered if maybe he had more of a chance than he thought, but he didn't know the extent of the loyalty you held for jason or him. or if you would want to avoid the situation completely and decide to leave the mansion. he was never a religious man, but if there was anything for him to pray for, it was you.

he didn't know what was worse. his eyes narrow, analyzing you for a quick moment before shutting off the computer, his head almost beginning to hurt due to the frustration.

just one day at a time.

[thatmooncake]

What is your opinion on the books hinting that Moon shouldn't have existed but the Faz-pads most expensive menu items is moon themed? And the posters, plushies, and the infamous sphere? I loved your other 'rant' (for lack of a better term in my sleep deprived mind) and it got me thinking...

I’m guessing you mean the Moon that appears in The Bobbiedots who was originally built to be the “dark side” of Sun and once worked as a theatre animatronic?

Okay spoilers for The Bobbiedots, Somniphobia and Security Breach and some rambling thoughts ahead:

In short, I think the books’ canon (even from one book to another like say Bobbiedots and Somniphobia) and the games’ canon are more like AUs of each other than anything else, so basically different explanations will be given in different stories to fit that book or game in particular. So, Bobbiedots Moon wasn’t meant to exist in the daycare, but it looks like Security Breach Moon was. That said, I LOVE exploring the different versions of Moon and how he’s used in different stories, so if anyone wants to take the long scenic route with me, here we go!

Bobbiedots Moon

Theatre kid extraordinaire. A little too committed to the bit. Bobbiedots Moon doesn’t fit in his world - not in the daycare anyway. In The Bobbiedots, they’re busy dealing with an evil apartment. They don’t have time for poor Moon, no matter how badly he wants them to sleep.

Bobbiedots Moon feels like a bit of a throwback to the animatronics in Sister Location who had all these “interesting” design choices, like a stomach hatch for storing children (which totally wasn’t going to be used for evil, come on guys …).

In Moon’s case, he’s so good at being a pantomime villain (which is what he was made for from what we can tell - who bets he got booed because the kids wanted the sun to come back up and when the lights went out they’d fake snore and he’d go hunting down the naughty ones who couldn’t help but laugh?) that he’s no good in the daycare (personally I think the staff just weren’t imaginative enough in that universe to do naptime, or to appreciate the charm of a weird clown telling off wobbling toys for not sleeping when his recognition sensors inevitably failed him because they couldn’t be bothered to fix their broken animatronics). And he’s easy to exploit because he’s so committed to his role.

I don’t think Moon was evil by default when he worked at the theatre - at least not beyond his villainous role. He had an audience of probably more people than he could grab, and I’m guessing Freddy’s wanted repeat performances so their customers would keep coming back. Did he kidnap a child or two when the lights went out and everyone was confused? Maybe, if he was virus-riddled enough. Did he become a lot more unstable when he and Sun were moved to the daycare? Probably, but it’s not his fault he was an afterthought in a cheapo organisation that seems to think using precariously-placed backup generators is a better solution to their problems.

Security Breach Moon

Meanwhile, the Security Breach version of Moon has a TON of merch, a dish at the restaurant (Masa-Moondrop curry, yum! 💖 By the way, I totally recommend checking out this recipe ), and even his own little candy adverts. He’s on a statue, balloons, plushies, and even on the daycare pass right next to Sun. It would take a LOT of accidental advertising to put Moon all over the place if he wasn’t supposed to exist in Security Breach.

I think that, unlike the Bobbiedots Moon, Security Breach Moon was supposed to exist. Like you said, he’s got merch everywhere. It’s a big deal. And Moon’s merch matches all of Sun’s merch, so to me it makes sense that in the backstory of the game’s universe they both had a friendly role to play (I can’t imagine why they’d make a Moon plush with no one to hug him. The thought makes me sad. It also seems like a bad business move on their part so I’m opting to believe he was originally meant to be a friend to the kids).

But it looks like things took a turn at some point (as they so often do in the FNAF universe), as Security Breach also has the cheapo lighting in place, and Sun is pretty adamant that we don’t wake up Moon. And in this case it’s pretty clear that Moon has been infected by the Afton virus. He sounds like a bot with just one thing on his mind: putting you to bed at all costs.

Moon is a major player as far as the evil Afton operation goes in the game too. They picked a perfect bot to do their dirty work. He’s super strong - he knocked out Freddy and dragged him away with no problems. He’s also super agile - he can navigate all the tight twists and turns in the Daycare with relative ease (I pointedly ignore the version in my game while I make this statement as he seemed to spend most of his time getting stuck in the tunnels and slides kekeke). And he always seems to know where you are - the Glamrocks wander until they have you in their sights, but Moon makes a beeline for you the moment he can get his hands on you even if you’re inside Freddy’s stomach compartment. He works in the dark when no one can see him coming. He’s basically the perfect replacement for the night staff and makes it a million times easier to capture wayward kids.

There are also a lot of hints in the game that suggest that Security Breach Moon might have actually been reprogrammed to respond this way, and/or that he was used to reprogram the others.

The back areas with the endos are FULL of Moon merch, advertising, and so on. There are also a lot of posters teaching the animatronic endos how to behave, as well as a little room that looks a LOT like a little replica of the daycare play area. I’m pretty sure that this is where the animatronics (or at least the virus-riddled endos) were reprogrammed to capture children - maybe including Moon.

(There are a million things I could say about this poster and how it bears a strong resemblance to a bunch of things from earlier games but that’s for another time and another ramble …)

Somniphobia Moon

Meanwhile, over in Somniphobia, we have Moondrop’s dream sphere, where Moon ponders his orb, or perhaps his new friends who are now trapped inside it forever since it seems like he’s been stealing more than a few souls over there.

The dream sphere is not mentioned in The Bobbiedots or seen in Security Breach as far as I can tell. Whether it exists or not in those universes is open to interpretation, but it serves a clever purpose in Somniphobia. In this book, our favourite uncanny night jester spends his time luring unsuspecting victims into the dreamscape slowly without them realising. The protagonist actually has a few opportunities to escape the pull of the orb, but he just can’t put the dream sphere down because it takes him back to his favourite memories with his (now dead) father, and it makes their time together feel so real.

The dream sphere is advertised as a study guide, and it’s popular with older kids and teens. (Moon has the range). Our regular chase-you-down-and-force-you-to-sleep Moon is nowhere to be found in Somniphobia (whether he exists at the plex in the daycare or anywhere else in that universe is anybody’s guess) and instead we have sweet little Moondrop from the dream sphere who doesn’t speak but will let you see your wildest dreams. At the cost of your mind, which is now going to live in a sphere I guess or be harvested.

Can you befriend the little Moondrop from the dream sphere? Does he know he’s part of a creepy soul-stealing operation? The book doesn’t really say, but if he’s anything like most of the other animatronic/AI characters in the FNAF universe, I’d be willing to wager he’s just doing his job (showing people what they want to see) and being used as a prop for more nefarious soul-snatching schemes. (Curse you Fazbear Entertainment for giving us this funny little guy in a magic snowglobe and making him steal our souls along with our hearts!)

Conclusion

Essentially, I think Moon is being used in basically all the universes he appears in because he’s so perfectly built for capturing and retrieving wayward souls, but the way he’s being used differs a little between universes. In some universes it’s just not as convenient to have him showing up in front of a large audience thanks to his programming, but when the lights inevitably go out he has a tendency to show up nonetheless!

[showmey0urfangs]

I agree with you when it comes to Claudia's writing this season. I could have even accepted all the changes to her character if they were motivated in the text of the show. But the thing is, Claudia imo has so little screen time that those changes are never really motivated and fleshed out. I guess I just expected this season to be much more Claudia centric than it is... It would just make sense. Instead they had time for everything and everyone but her it seems. (Her and Madeleine story especially is pathetically diminished practically to one single episode.) It's actually crazy but I feel like Claudia had more of a voice in season 1...

When it comes to the writing in season 2 in general: say what you will about Maven but she hit the nail on the head when she said that the show has a hard time reconciling the new stuff they are doing in the story with the main book!story bits. Because with the new characterization and events book!plot points don't necessarily make sense, and vice versa.

Hi there! I'll combine both of these if you don't mind. 😊

Claudia's was 100% relegated to the background this season. She's a plot device, acting in whichever way the story needs her to regardless of whether or not it aligns with her character. In ep 1 she's strong, competent, driven and relentless. She's the one leading them through Eastern Europe, feeding both herself and Louis and keeping them safe as Louis wanders around clueless, hallucinating his dead ex. But in episode 2, these hard-earned life skills suddenly vanish, and she's once again a naive little girl, oblivious to danger, waltzing through a hostile territory unguarded, leaving her extremely damning diaries around for anyone to find. The coven would have condemned her regardless. The "vampire laws" are just a convenient excuse. But still, her behaviour boggles my mind. The storyline with Madeleine is also given very little time or development. As beautiful and touching as it was, it felt more like an afterthought than an integral part of the story.

Armand's characterization is also odd. His motivations don't make any sense because he is whatever the story needs him to be at that moment. One instant he's a helpless sad pathetic little boy who's easily outsmarted by a human journalist and the next he's an all-powerful ruthless coven leader who carefully controls everything around him, with little to no explanation or transition in between. Instead of fleshing him out, we got 30+ minutes of screentime dedicated to his fanfic rendition of TVL, which added very little to the main story and only served to piss off the very Lestat fans it was meant to service. Oops! 😂

To your last point Anon 1, I'll always disagree with anything Maven of the Eventide says on principle because her entire schtick is that any deviations from the books are inherently a negative, which is simply not true. The changes work wonderfully in S1, to make the story fresh and exciting for a modern and more diverse audience, and to give depth to certain characters that were flat and one note in the books. If the story this season had been equally as coherent and cohesive on its own, and the characterizations as consistent, I would have no issue with the fact that it deviates from the books. If anything, I think it hampers the show to insist on shoehorning in book plotlines when they no longer make sense in this new context.

I'm all for letting that tale seduce me, but at this point, we're 2 seasons and roughly 15 hours of story in. I expect there to be some definitive answers to the questions that were raised at the very beginning. I expect to have some sort of satisfactory conclusion to this specific chapter i.e. Louis's story, before we move on to the next one. I don't want to be told that everything we are seeing now is all a misremembering and we have to wait yet another two years to get the answers. Because then what the fuck was the point of these last two seasons if none of it was real? The memory is a monster thing only works to a certain extent.

[imamotherfuckingstar-lord]

no wish needed

steve harrington x reader, fluff

summary: your birthday is december 24th, which means sharing your special day with a major holiday. your birthday has always been an afterthought, but steve harrington wants to change that.

a/n: commission for @girl-next-door-writes 💕

It was the same every year; your birthday was surpassed by one of the biggest holidays in the world – Christmas. Technically your birthday was December 24th, but that little detail still didn’t make it easier. A day where, unselfishly, was about you, never was.  Who could even attend a birthday party on Christmas Eve? No one has time when people are too busy getting ready for their families to come over or traveling out of town. It had been a lifetime curse and as a child, it had been hurtful and quite annoying, especially for a little kid to be given one gift for both Christmas and your birthday. Again, you were an adult now – well into your twenties and your birthday just marked another day on the calendar. It didn’t bother you as much and oftentimes, you made plans for friends and family before the holidays. You had learned to adapt and that was it.

Except, you were in a fully committed relationship with Steve Harrington now – and he was a different kind of boyfriend. He not only doted on you constantly, pouting when you had to go to work or even more when he had to, he had always made sure to make you feel special. It was going to be your first birthday and Christmas together, and he knew you weren’t expecting much. He remembered you telling him how you never had a birthday party but were given gifts for Christmas. Your facial expression left an impression on him that day – not overtly sad, but he could tell it upset you at one point in your life.

That’s why he had made a plan.

“I can’t believe Family Video’s open on Christmas Eve.”

Steve shrugged, running a hand through his gorgeous hair. “Yeah, I guess people want to watch movies on Christmas. I volunteered so Robin could spend time with her folks…”

God, he was so sweet.

“You’re so nice, Stevie,” you teased, and his chuckle echoed through the phone receiver. He asked if you were going to be with your folks for long and you said no. “I was just helping my mom bake some cookies for tomorrow - everyone’s coming over and spending Christmas morning here. Are you sure you’ll be able to come? What about your folks?”

“Eh, it’s fine – they decided to spend Christmas somewhere tropical. Left me a hundred bucks in a Christmas card on the kitchen counter for me.”

“Nice,” you sighed. “Well, my parents love you…so they’re more than happy to have you over.”

“Good,” Steve paused for a moment. “Sorry, babe, gotta go. Oh, and happy birthday.”

You smiled, because he had already stopped by your apartment earlier to drop off roses – he had promised to come by after work and the two of you were going to watch movies and eat take out. Earlier in the day, your parents had taken you out for lunch and had given you a nice sweater as a gift. Steve groaned into the phone, and the two of you exchanged ‘I love you’ before hanging up. You hung up the landline and looked down at the box of decorations at your feet – the cookies were finishing up and you were going to put some tinsel around the main living room. You picked up the box and glanced around the room, imagining what it would look like decorated as a birthday party and you frowned.

“I hate this time of year,” you murmured, putting a smile on when your father walked in. He asked if you needed help and the two of you spent the rest of the evening getting the house ready for tomorrow’s guests – while snacking on baked cookies and apple cider.

…

The apartment complex looked a bit lonely as you pulled up, no sign of Steve’s BMW – meaning he was getting off work later than expected. Parking, you gathered the sweater and container of cookies your mother gave you before leaving their house and walked to your front door. The doorknob turned and when you strode into the living room, rushing in from the cold, you were hit with a handful of confetti.

“Happy Birthday!”

A horn sounded, loud and startling, rang in your eyes; the living room was decorated in birthday streamers, balloons, and even an obviously plastic Christmas tree. Your heart settled down from the abrupt loudness and your eyes found Steve in the center of the room – beside him were all your friends. Even Erica, who stood in between her brother and Max. Everyone had birthday hats and blowers in their hands, and when Steve walked up to you with a homemade yellow birthday crow – they all clapped when he placed it on top of your head.

“Happy birthday, babe,” Steve smiled proudly at your shocked expression and kissed you gently on the lips before leading you further into the living area. Your apartment was modestly small and having everyone over filled it to the brim, but all you could do was smile as everyone took turns giving you a birthday hug. Eddie squeezed you too tight and Steve smacked him on the back, and you laughed, asking how everyone was able to escape their holiday plans.

“Easy,” Robin shrugged; her response made it seem like it was effortless, the idea of celebrating your birthday on the eve of a major holiday. As if they all didn’t have plans with their families – as if it wasn’t a huge inconvenience to come here, to give you a birthday party. Your lips trembled; eyes watered as Dustin pointed out the massive display of gifts under the white plastic Christmas tree – the lights around the tree shined down on the presents. It took you a moment to notice the different wrapping papers. Some were decorated with birthday cakes and balloon prints, while others were Christmas themed, and the thought that your friends had given you two different gifts had you choking back tears. You felt a warm hand on the small of your back and Steve was guiding you into the small kitchen, while the others talked over music and munched on appetizers Robin and Max had prepared.

Your eyes were watery, and Steve chuckled, a desperate laugh – he wasn’t sure whether what he had done was a good or bad thing, but he held your face in his hands and kissed your salty tears. Your hands came over his forearms and you smiled against his mouth. The kiss was quick but sweet and ended with his forehead against yours. His hands fell to your waist, and he asked if you were okay.

“God, I’m fucking great,” you choked out sincerely, and Steve smirked, reaching up to adjust you crown.

“You look fucking great,” he smiled, his hands finding their place on your face once again. His eyes were soft, and he told you he loved you. “I do – and I just wanted you to experience a real surprise party on your birthday, everyone deserves that.”

Tears fell from your face as you told him how much he meant to you. “I love you, and this is amazing. Thank you.”

Your boyfriend engulfed you into his arms and for a minute, the two of you stood in the middle of the kitchen as music streamed in from the other room. Then Eddie shouted for Steve, asking about beer and he rolled his eyes, giving you a kiss on the shoulder before pulling back into the living room.

“It’s in the fridge, get it yourself,” Steve grumbled playfully, hand around your shoulder; his fingers rubbed at the fabric of your jacket, and he quickly helped you out of it. “Alright, alright, let’s see what horrors Max and Robin brought.”

You smacked him on the chest and Max thanked you, beckoning you over to the couch; sitting next to her, she pointed out a small birthday present under the tree and she gave Steve a glance before whispering that the small square gift was from him.

“He wouldn’t let anyone touch it – I think it’s an engagement ring…”

Your eyes lifted from the gift to the young girl, and she smiled because when it came to Steve, the fiery redhead had a soft spot for him. You thought it was because he filled the need for an older, loving brother and you glanced over to Steve. He was munching on a brownie and chit chatting with Robin, nodding to Eddie when he tossed him a beer. His eyes caught you looking, and he smiled at you; a smile that sent soundwaves through your heart. Max watched as you looked away from Steve and glanced around the room, taking in the picture laid out in front of you – all the people you loved, celebrating your birthday, because they wanted to. Because they made time out of your lives too and it was all because of Steve that you were having your first ever birthday party.

“Are you going to say yes?”

Max’s question brought you back to reality and you looked at her; a bewildered smile appeared on your face, and you nodded, holding back a childish giggle. She smirked and the two of you looked over to Steve, who looked utterly confused by the grins on your faces. He stared for a long moment before making his way to the couch, taking a seat next to you. Max quickly made herself scarce and you leaned into Steve’s side, his arm around your waist.

“Do you like your party?”

You watched as Lucas argued with Erica and Dustin about something – Eddie sauntering over to join in. The living room was warm and the music low, as your head dipped back to look at the one responsible for making this the best birthday you ever had.

“I love it,” you cooed, reaching up to touch his chin. He captured your hand and kissed it lightly and nodded to the white Christmas tree.

“It’s a birthday tree,” he explained, pulling you closer. Resting your head on his shoulder, your eyes closed as he explained the idea to use it for every one of your birthdays and his plans for the future of the tree made you believe Max’s theory on the small gift. You pictured it then, the small, white plastic tree in the living room in your home and Steve Harrington being the one to set it up every year – his hair grayer as the years and years go by but his smile, always soft and loving.

That same smile looked upon you and he grinned. “Happy birthday.”

Your heart swelled, just as Max and Robin appeared from the kitchen, holding a birthday cake. Steve squeezed your shoulders and helped you off the couch just as the group surrounded you with smiles, and you looked to the man you loved as everyone started to sing ‘Happy Birthday’. Holding back a laugh at the off tone singing, you looked at Steve and mouthed a thank you - he grinned and moved behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist. When the singing came to an end, you felt his warmth surrounding you in love as you blew out the candles - not making a wish, because you had all you ever could want. 

[amc-iwtv]

What did you think of Claudia x Madeleine this episode? I find it pretty strange that we are mid season but we still barely even know what attracted Claudia to her. I feel like they now don't even have enough time to develop. Also, I expected Madeleine's story to be a bit deeper, about what women went through and had to endure during the war. But she just kinda decided to fuck a nazi..? I mean he was sad and wet I guess and she just went why not. Well, I can think of a lot of reasons why not. I don't think she should be treated quite like Marshal Pétain you know, but I can see why people are less than charitable. We'll see what they'll do with their story next but so far personally I am unimpressed.

We are on the same page, I'm turning over ideas in my head of why they are making these odd choices. Sometimes we love or fall for horrible people? Is that what they are trying to say? Claudia x Madeleine has been lukewarm, and feels like an afterthought. I don't get their attraction. I think they should have had Madeline lose a lover in the war, when she was younger, probably a victim of the Nazis, and being so stricken with grief she wants someone eternal, and powerful enough to protect themselves (seemingly). This is easy, makes sense, and has even the slightest connections to themes of the book. I get why she's being mistreated, like a mixture of Nazi sympathizer with regular old slut shaming, but I don't get why that's important to Claudia unless it means She's fine with loving and humanizing monsters? She sees through their monstrousness? Claudia gets mocked and bullied, so does Madeline? More odd comparison that feel uninspired and yes, not impressive.

[toruvi]

Are you ready for the ending? I want to know how you feel about this. Personally, I am not okay.

(dw i saw your other ask fkdjghdfgjk)

I'm so torn lol. Part of me is hyped purely to just have some content even if it's just for a bit. The other part of me remembers the shit that happened when the manga ended and I wonder if it'll repeat especially with the dudebro aot fans, hate them actually LOL (then again I no longer look at r*ddit) and I've already seen another influx of terrible aot takes specifically on the clock app but I'm trying to distance myself from that app anyway, now feels like the perfect time.

I guess another thing I think about is how annoyed I've been with how the final parts of AOT have been handled. I'm sure it's going to look gorgeous, but to me it feels like AOT has been a complete afterthought in favor of boosting JJK. Which I get it, JJK is MAPPA's real baby and money-maker, so of course they're going throw all their funding into that. It just sucks that it's ending with these extra long episodes instead of a regular season. Mostly because I wanted to live out the hype over weeks at a time instead of everyone exploding over it for a week and then it's just... done. I don't like this new trend of seeing everything all at once just to enjoy it for shorter periods of time. It doesn't feel satisfying to me at all. (Which reminds me of how Haikyuu ending is gonna be handled and UGH. HORRIBLE)

I'm also just sad because, in a way, aot ending almost feels like I'm saying goodbye to an entire decade of my teenage years/20s, it's really weird. I know the fandom will always be around, even when it's been slow to have new content provided for fans I've never had a problem finding a community here/on AO3/at conventions. But it does make me a little teary-eyed knowing we most likely won't get much new stuff (aside from the upcoming side story that was announced). To be honest, I loved the characters of AOT WAY MORE than the story itself and for me, I'm happy writing them into other universes, making new fanart of them, even if it's for a smaller and smaller community.

Anddddd the show ending more reminds me of a lot of people I knew who were into aot just...either not being around or moving onto other things. which is totally fine! it's bound to happen with all things, just a bit of a sad moment, you know?

but yeah gfjkfgjdh I don't really know my entire point but this has been what I've thought about recently with it all ending!

[myckicade]

Mayans M.C. - 05x05

*pounds head on work desk*

Fuck. You. EZ.

While we're at it, fuck you, too, Sofia.

Anyway.

Conspiracies first. (Second? Third?).

Updated Guesses of Who's in the Coffin:

Angel

Marcus

Creeper

Heroin - I had this feeling after a good, long think, and... Yeah... It tracks. So to speak.

*ahems*

I genuinely loved a couple of things about this episode, and I would like to get right into those, if I may.

I have been loving the Big Brother Miguel vibes since the start of the season, and it's only getting better. (I mean, if I didn't know what I know, I would have almost thought that he was hitting on Angel, BUT. He must have studied that boy damn close if he knows his body from a security camera. Y'know what I mean?) *ahems* It might just be me, too, but I felt this sense of... reluctant longing in Miguel's tone, when he agreed that he didn't know Angel. Kinda' broke my heart, a little bit. Here's this guy who has family he clearly wants to protect, but also refuses to acknowledge beyond that. While he and EZ have some ugliness between them, he and Angel - minus the warehouse - don't have that much on-screen history to work with. ** This is why I firmly believe that something terrible will befall Angel, and Miguel will have to take it up with EZ. Something is going to tip Miguel's hand on this secret, either his or Filipe's. I just really kinda' hope I'm wrong about what that something is. **

I did enjoy that little Not-Fight-Club scene. I need to re-watch, because I want to know why Isaac said, "It really is you"?? Did I mishear that?? Because, if so, that sends me down a whole winding path of questions and conspiracies. (Again, I need to re-watch a few things, at least, because I have zero idea whether I missed something, and now look like an idiot for having these thoughts). Neeevermind. I found my answer. I just love JR Bourne, and while I haven't been... in love with Isaac, he's doing a fabulous job with the role.

Bishop holding a baby. Need I say more? I mean... C'mon. That was sweet as hell.

His storytelling, as well. The man may have the Short and Angry down, but he definitely knows how to play Big Fish.

Izzy laying down the law. Once she got out of the car, I was shouting, "YEAH, BITCH!! I love you, dude, but, YEAH, BITCH!!" It's about time Marcus hears the words. -_- . That he took Santi out for some Father-Son Time afterward? *sobs* MY HEART!!!! <3 <3 <3 . Marcus has been such a dick for so long, it was good to have him put in his place, and reminded that he has more to live for that the damned Club. P.S. Have they mentioned the baby's gender yet? I wanna' know. >XD.

Hank getting to help his Mom gets me. Every time. I don't care. Anything concerning that man is emotional. I swear.

Gotta' say... I kinda' loved that ending... Things - storylines - are FINALLY beginning to feel like they go together. I have a little bit of faith back.

Very briefly, there were a few things that I disliked, as well. (As usual).

Fuck you, Ez.

A supplementary 'Fuck You' to the following folks: Sofia Emily EZ Potter Katie Everybody Who Ignored Kevin's Widow EZ

I hope we get to see Elio again?? I like the dude, and I'm sad that he and Bottles got split up. :( .

Not enough Bottles. Damn. I didn't think I'd end up liking that kid so much. I can't help it. Alex Barone is adorable.

I could have done without Letty and Hope scream-singing for, what was it? Two, three minutes? It felt that way, anyhow.

While I'm glad we still have Nestor around, I'm pretty damned bothered by the lack of use of his character? If that makes sense? I mean, here's a dude that's capable, trustworthy, honest, dedicated, loyal, and he's tending the fucking bar?! Prospect was... just not where I expected him to land, I guess? And, for so damned long. In bed with the enemy, sure, I get that. He just feels like such an afterthought to the series, at times.

EZ's little speech to SAMDINO was a nightmare. It was like being on the phone with Xfinity's automated services. I felt for Isaac on that one. I would have lost my temper, too.

Consider this my Weekly Complaint about Emily, if filed a day or so late. Ugh. Her little speech about Motherhood - though valid - made me roll my eyes. While Miguel is certainly no prize in the marriage department, I wish he would have just cut bait a long, LONG time ago.

Beyond that? I pretty well enjoyed this episode. The preview for next week didn't thrill me to my core, but... We shall see.

Until next week, Y'all!

-Mycki

[piduai]

what are your thoughts on konatsu from rakugo and her relationship with miyokichi?

i feel like it was a bit under-explored in the story itself, or maybe they failed to show it in the adaptation? i remember seeing a manga panel where an adult konatsu sees miyokichi's ghost and thinking whoa. konatsu in general comes across as an afterthought in the great scheme, seeing how her story wrapped... but maybe it's just me.

divorced from the storytelling aspect and conceptually i do like their relationship. the four of them (konatsu, miyokichi, sukeroku, kiku) are stuck in a loop of resentment and love between each other. konatsu resented her mother for abandoning her while alive, then abandoning her in death; for not loving her, or for not loving her enough. and yet her ghost haunts her like she haunts kiku. her shadow looms over her, and as her child she is living proof that miyokichi was there. she was her mother... konatsu only saw miyokichi's resentment towards herself (for being sukeroku's child, for making her life the way it was) and not the lingering regret on miyokichi's part of being unable to treat her better. and nevertheless she carried miyokichi's image into adulthood. it's a sad story.

as for konatsu herself, she is one of my favorite characters but it always felt like her treatment was a bit... :/ rakugo is one of the central themes of the story and sure there IS a subplot with her having an invested interest in it (she loves rakugo, has a talent for it, and doing it reminds her of her beloved father and his legacy) and wanting to pursue it despite kiku's misogynistic opposition but it's sort of shoved behind the veil in favor of her having a gross kid and the mystery of his 🤢🤮 parentage, her being the other mc's love interest and so on and so forth. this story is about a lot of things, and person vs art is one of them... where is her self-exploration through her art? where is konatsu's struggle as a performer? there's none, she's good at rakugo but her surrogate dad slash 🤢🤮 said nooo women can't do that. well ok she can teach some guy then i guess... but then that guy gives his blessing before he dies so she can perform yaay <3 the end

before s2 dropped i used to be obsessed with konatsu & kiku as a dynamic i saw it as so beautiful and so tragic... he resents her because she's the living proof that the two people he loved betrayed him, and she's the only thing left after their death. she resents him because she blames her parents' death on him, and he's the only thing left after their death. and yet they only have each other. so much going on here... but then the end of s2 came and i will not talk about it further

but aside from the shortcomings in her writing and her disgusting fate i love her a lot, i loved her from the very first scene because she's voiced by kobayashi yuu... similar to her mother she's just a woman trying to get by with whatever cards life dealt her, and again similar to her mother there's an alluring darkness about her

[ariadnewhitlock]

Lost in the Supermarket || Andy & Ariadne

TIMING: Last week LOCATION: A grocery store in town PARTIES:  Ariadne @ariadnewhitlock & Andy @declinlalune SUMMARY: Ariadne and Andy are both shopping, when they suddenly end up somewhere that is… not home. CONTENT WARNINGS: none!

She’d told her parents that she would run and do a grocery shopping before their family dinner. It wa something that had been tradition for years, and despite her lack of needing to eat, it was still something that brought Ariadne comfort, and made her life feel at least partially normal, despite the fact that nearly everything else felt entirely strange.

Ariadne had grabbed a few items and was pushing a cart around the store - trying to not grab too many more sweets (though, thankfully, her parents were exceedingly understanding with her newfound extreme sweet tooth) than were needed. She spotted another figure by the salad dressings. “I - excuse me, I’m between the Italian dressing and the honey mustard - do you have a favorite? Also open to other options.”

Andy needed to pick up a few things on her way home from work, and it made the most sense to stop at an actual grocery store rather than the corner store, or even the pharmacy. If she brought home more peach rings, Kaden may actually kill her. The bottle of wine– not as expensive as anything Kaden would deem good wine, but more expensive than what she and Alex had presented him upon his arrival, was an afterthought. The velveeta block– a stance against Kaden’s cheese-monger ways, a forethought, and the bottle of Italian dressing a means to redeem herself for being called unhealthy. 

As she went to grab a packet of croutons, Andy heard a voice amongst the dull radio that played over the speakers. “Uhhh…” She looked back towards the dressings, then pointed to the one she’d thrown in her cart. “I hear it’s healthy, but usually we just eat chunks of lettuce if we think we need greens.” It wasn’t entirely a lie, but maybe a small exaggeration. “What are you making? Might determine what’s better and what’s shit.” 

“Some sort of mixed greens salad. I think my mom’s going to just throw like, lettuce and tomatoes and lots of carrots. Cucumber, maybe?” Ariadne offered the other woman a small smile, “I think chunks of lettuce sounds pretty fantastic, personally.” She glanced down at the floor, “personally, I’d rather have a bag of gummy bears, but I do at least sort of like salad. I like that you can put lots of different dressings on it.”

“You just - you seem like you probably know stuff, and you’d think I’d know better, but I guess - I don’t know. Long day of classes makes me less sure of myself.” As well as the whole recent undead thing. Ariadne bit her lip, “thanks a lot, for talking to me.”

“Cucumber is good, goes well with Italian dressing.” Really, Andy wasn’t a fan of thick dressings like ranch, which, if one were to look at her other dietary choices, would be a surprise. She hated that she’d become the woman in the aisle discussing salad dressing, but that’d been her sad reality since things had slown down. The lack of running meant a steadier lifestyle, and somehow, that meant discussing dinner plans. 

“Gummy bears are good, but peach rings are where it’s at.” She smiled kindly at the younger girl before grabbing another pack of croutons, deciding that she could use a snack for the ride home. Andy’s brows arched at the blonde’s clarification that it seemed like she knew stuff. She couldn’t help but laugh, and with a shrug, she turned fully towards the younger woman. “Sure, whatever. Take my word on the peach rings though, they go above and beyond gummy bears.” 

“Ooh, that’s true! I don’t like the dressings that feel all soupy or whatever - if you’re going to have soup, you might as well have that, right?” Ariadne made a face.”Anyhow, thanks. I think I’ll go with that one.”

Another pause, and, “I’ll have to maybe get some of those before I leave.” Even though she’d decided not to get much candy this time, she couldn’t resist trying something fun and new. She wasn’t entirely sure how she’d missed out on trying peach rings before, but that could all change today. Ariadne was just about to thank the other woman again when she heard a small crash. “Should we go and make sure everyone’s okay?”

“Haven’t thought about it that way, but sure.” Andy smiled at the young girl, pushing her cart to the side so that somebody else could pass through. As much as she wanted to sit and discuss salad dressings, it was about time she started to head home. 

At least, it would have been. The crash was loud and disorienting, but there were no screams that accompanied it. Maybe something had fallen off of the shelves, or maybe somebody ran their cart into something. Andy couldn’t be sure, but it didn’t hurt to go and check it out. At the young girl’s question, Andy nodded slowly before turning on her heel, leaving the cart behind. Andy rounded the corner, immediately taking note of the door that had driven itself into the ground. Except there were no cracks at its base, and nothing else was disturbed. Andy’s brows pulled together and she looked behind her at the blonde. “Did you notice this before?” 

At least the other woman was being nice to her. Ariadne was certain that she didn’t make any sense, and so the kindness was even more appreciated than usual.

Except that the red-head had taken off quickly and Ariadne couldn’t help but follow her. Even if she probably shouldn’t have. Curiosity undoing various animals’ lives and whatnot. There was a door in the ground. A door, in the ground, in the middle of the aisle. It sounded like the beginning of a questionably written children’s book. “I - no. I mean, I don’t think so, but I also am pretty sure I’d notice that, no matter how distracted I was. Did you?”

“No, I didn’t.” Andy looked at the door apprehensively, knowing well enough when to leave things alone. She thought about the painting that she and Metzli had gotten sucked through and knew that if something like that happened again, she might not be smart enough to get them out. That’d been Metzli’s doing, and Metzli wasn’t here. Instead, Andy’s company was a kid, probably around Alex’s age. 

“Just don’t touch it.” Andy turned her back on the door which might have been her first mistake, because it flung open and an undetermined force of energy began to suck her through, as well as the cookies on the opposite shelf. “No– god dammit, no!” She tried to grab onto the edge of the door, but it was no help. Instead, she was being flung through, encapsulated in darkness. 

“That’s super weird.” She made a face again, turning her head to look at the door. “I’d say it’s maybe some art installation, but I - don’t think it’s that.” Ariadne sighed. Which meant it was something else, and probably not something she’d like. Not that she was entirely opposed to new things, but new things that weren’t supposed to be there did a number on her anxieties.

“I won’t.” Except just as she said that, the door opened by its own accord and pulled the both of them in. Which Ariadne really didn’t like. She balled up her fists as they both hit the ground - though it was a few minutes before she opened her eyes - to what looked practically identical to where they’d just been. Except black-and-white. She looked over to the other woman, “uh. I’m not imagining things, am I?”

Maybe Andy had been too afraid to open her eyes for longer than normal, or maybe she’d taken a minute to adjust to the fact that they were back in the grocery store, but it was void of any color, aside from herself and the young girl beside her. Why the fuck did this keep happening to her, and why were portals decidedly opening up to suck her into some other dimension? 

At least there didn’t seem to be any fog. Andy looked over at the blonde as she spoke and gave a short shake of her head before she got to her feet. She reached out to help the girl up before turning in a slow circle, taking in their surroundings. Definitely no fog, no lake. Maybe the door was the stupid painting’s cousin. “Just stay next to me, ok?” She cast a glance over at the blonde, offering a small smile. She took a step forward and glanced down the aisle, noting that the cereal boxes which were often in an array of colors looked like something sad out of a catalog that’d been discontinued. “What do they say about Kansas?” She couldn’t remember the exact quote, or the movie it came from, but she knew she was right on the nose with the reference. 

“You don’t have to tell me that twice.” Ariadne nodded, trying to do her best to catch her breath. Whatever version of breath she had, anyhow. She wasn’t exactly thrilled - which was an incredible understatement, but still. “I’ll stay right by you.” The woman mentioned something about Kansas – 

“Oh, like from The Wizard of Oz?” She looked over to the other woman, “there’s no place like home? Except this is sort of a reverse of that movie, ‘cause in that one she goes to the colorful world, and we… didn’t.” Again, stating the obvious. Ariadne was grateful that the woman didn’t seem to put put off by Ariadne’s utter lack of ability to string together anything remotely coherent. “You didn’t fall asleep, did you?” This wasn’t some awful nightmare she’d created, was it? “Sorry, just trying to wrap my head around all of this.”

Andy wasn’t sure what was happening, or why the door had appeared in the first place, but if it were anything like what had happened at Metzli’s gallery, then there was definitely a way to get out. She took a deep breath and tried her best to center herself. There was no use in freaking out, especially when anxiety was written all over the girl that’d gotten pulled into this mess. 

“Maybe? I’m not sure, I’ve never actually seen it.” She wasn’t well versed in pop culture– that was more of Alex’s thing. Though, she wasn’t sure if the movie being referenced was much of an impact to pop culture as it stood. “What?” At Ariadne’s question, Andy shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. This isn’t a Freddy Flintstone situation is it?” She hadn’t taken the time to realize that wasn’t the correct reference, but did it matter? “No, I’m awake, and you are, too, I’m pretty sure.” She bit down on the inside of her cheek as she took another step around one of the aisles, then realized quickly that each had a door. “So I’m guessing you’ve never seen anything like this?” 

“That’s fair. It’s not my favorite movie, I just watched it when I was little once or twice.” They couldn’t be trapped forever, could they? Ariadne certainly hoped not. “I don’t know who that is, but no?” Again, she hoped not. She’d been more optimistic as a child, able to try and convince Chance into trying new things (albeit with limited success, but still). “Yes, I’m awake.” I can’t sleep held back on her lips, because that wasn’t something you said to strangers. For all her failures, that was one thing Ariadne had been fairly good about. To prove it to herself, she bit down hard on her lip, and the wince was proof enough.

“Uh, no. I mean, I’ve seen the grocery store, but not in black-and-white, and I’ve never gotten pulled through a magic - is that the right word to use? I don’t know - but still, a magic door. Have you?” She couldn’t have, could she? Because things like this didn’t happen. Except that clearly they did, given the situation that the two of them were in at the moment. Ariadne looked over the other woman’s shoulder. “Uh - I think I see another door?”

“Huh.” So maybe she and Ariadne had more in common than Andy had originally thought. Where the blonde was all nervous energy, Andy felt like she was going to bolt through the ceiling. Maybe that was because of the nerves, but she had to get them out of here– wherever here was. She cursed herself for already having been in a similar situation. She looked for labels, but everything seemed to be a mish mash of words, not really forming any coherent sentence. 

At her question, Andy looked over her shoulder at the younger girl and shook her head, then thought for a moment. “Got pulled into a painting once. Had some evil fog, but I got out.” She left Metzli out of the story, not wanting to out them for their cursed paintings. “But a grocery store turning black and white and a bunch of doors popping up? Nah, this is new.” The subject of magic should have been a touchy one, because that in itself had ties to the supernatural. But Ariadne seemed to know about it, so Andy didn’t bother trying to convince her it was something else. That wasn’t her job anymore, anyway. She wanted to protect people, but not by lying to them.

Once they came upon another door, Andy’s brows pulled together. She opened it and felt herself being pulled in again. Darkness, and then– the same environment. Black and white– void of any actual words on the packaging, and more doors. “What the fuck.” At least this time she hadn’t landed on her ass. “Hey, kid?” Andy called out, quickly stepping out of the aisle and looking down at another. 

“Come on, I thought art was safe.” The words spilled from her mouth involuntarily, “sorry. Sorry, that was rude of me. I just - I’m so sorry you had to deal with that. Glad you got out.” Ariadne nodded. “It’s a very weird - no offense to the black-and-white store - situation - and I mean, getting lost in the store is one thing, but this seems to take that a few steps further.” It was all very confusing, the whole magic doors thing, but since apparently vampires and werewolves and what she was were real, it only made sense for magic to be, too. Maybe. It was giving her something of an awful headache, but she could focus on that later. Not now, when she wasn’t even in town. Or in the real town.

Ariadne watched as Andy disappeared into another door, only to fall out of another one moments later. “What the heck is right.” She glanced up at the door. “Why does it have a number on it?”

“I said fuck.” Andy squinted at the door, but prematurely shook her head at the blonde for what she had said. “Sorry. I’m just. Frustrated.” She grit her teeth and looked at the door that the other had been drawn to before glancing down the aisle, noticing that there were several different doors, all with different numbers. It took her a moment, but she got it. 

“The doors. We need to open them in order.” This wasn’t as easy as just finding words carved into trees, but at least she felt like she had it figured out. “It’s like a maze, I think.” She and Alex had gone to a maze in one of the Carolinas after getting back to the states. It’d been an attempt on Andy’s part to impart normalcy into their lives. 

“Yes - well - I’d prefer to probably not use that word, if it’s okay with you.” Which wasn’t even the point right now, but Ariadne wanted to make sure that Andy had heard her correctly. “No - I’m sorry. I - you’re obviously allowed to be frustrated, I am too, I just - also confused”

She followed Andy’s gaze. “Order?” She shook her head. Well, of all the people to get lost with, at least it had been someone who was apparently very good at problem solving. If they got back, Ariadne figured it would only be the polite thing to do to offer to buy Andy something, or at least make her a thank you card. “In order. Okay.” She could do that. “Like from 1, or from the highest number?”

Andy ignored her comment about not wanting to curse, deciding that explaining she hadn’t meant offense by it was not important at the moment. The black and white was beginning to merge into itself and it was getting harder to remember what colors actually were, save for the ones she was wearing already. Even her own skin seemed to be dulling out. 

“I–” She bit her lip and chewed it between her teeth. “I’ll try to go from the highest. If that doesn’t work, then we know it's the lowest.” Hopefully nothing would happen by doing that. So Andy trotted off, yanking open the door with the number 12 above it. It spat her back out and a shuddering sound vibrated above her head. Slightly disoriented, Andy rubbed her temples, squinting past the aisle she’d been deposited into. “Let’s try for lowest. We should do it together, in case something happens.” 

“Okay. Highest first, and then lowest, okay.” Ariadne figured that made sense - as much as any of this did, right now. They had to try something, because if they didn’t try anything, then they’d be stuck here forever - and given that apparently she was going to live forever, Ariadne found the prospect of that extremely unappealing. That and she’d be responsible for Andy’s death, even if not on purpose.

“Together works for me.” She looked over at Andy. “I guess we should just… go for it? On three?” Ariadne began counting, hardly waiting for an answer - which she knew wasn’t polite, but she also knew that if she thought too much, she’d get all up in her head about everything and then nothing would be accomplished. “One… two… three.” She stepped into the door, hoping Andy was with her, only to find herself back in the supermarket. Her head was spinning. “Okay - well - that didn’t - should we find number 2, then? I don’t know if that did anything.”

The only reason Andy felt confident in any sense of the word about their situation was because of what happened with Metzli. While she didn’t necessarily want to thank them for the experience since they’d been the one to get her into it to begin with, at least she knew what patterns to look out for here. 

Andy followed her through the door and nothing happened. Instead of being spat back out, they simply walked through as if it were a normal door. Her head felt a little fuzzy, but nothing like before. She blinked rapidly, trying to regain some composure, before looking above her head. “Wait. No, look! None of the doors changed. We have to go find number 3 now.” She didn’t wait for Ariadne to follow her. Instead, she headed towards the aisle with the giant number 3 on it, holding onto the knob, waiting for Ariadne to arrive. Once she did, she pulled it open, and she felt herself stepping through, just like before. “Number 4 next.” 

She wondered if her technical inability to feel fear was the only reason that she wasn’t completely panicked right now. Even so, Ariadne figured that she wasn’t exactly doing as well as she might have wished.

“Okay, okay.” Andy knew what she was talking about, and Ariadne was extremely grateful for that. “Yes, number three sounds good.” She did her best to follow Andy as quickly as was possible, only slightly flinching this time when they made it through the doors. Which was an improvement, given that she still felt wholly and entirely overwhelmed by the situation at hand. She waited until the other woman was near her, and then ducked through door four, only to once again be spit right back out. Which meant it was working, right? “I think I’m going to need to lie down after this. I never thought of it as so much effort going through doors.”

“I’m feeling a little lightheaded, too, but come on– we’ve got this.” Andy gave the blonde a reassuring smile before she led the way to door number five. The same thing happened to them. They arrived on the other side with no numbers above their heads changed. 

She refused to get trapped here in this colorless world. Her own skin continued to desaturate, so much so that even her freckles were barely visible. Andy wondered what her hair looked like. Hopefully she wouldn’t find out. Andy motioned for the girl to follow her towards door number six, and again towards the next few doors before they arrived just below eleven. “Okay, this, and then we’ve got twelve left. Hopefully it… well, you know, lets us out?” Andy’s laugh was anxious, but she pressed on anyway, pulling the door open. As they came out of the other side, just like before, nothing changed. “Are you ready?” 

“We’ve got this.” She repeated, barely audible. But still, saying it felt like maybe somehow, that would make it more real. That there would be more of a chance of them actually making it out. Not that Ariadne was entirely sure that she believed in luck in that sort of way, but half an hour ago, she also would’ve said that she didn’t believe in doors that transported you to totally different but the same sort of place, so she figured she couldn’t really speak on the subject.

She looked down at her hand, alarmed to find that it was starting to blend in a little too well with the black-and-white grocery store. Ariadne pressed her fingertips against her temples, doing her best to calm her nerves as quickly and efficiently as possible. Which, of course, was far easier said than actually done, but the thought had to count, right? “We - I’m -” she held up her hand, graying as it was. “What?”

“We do.” Andy wasn’t sure how time worked here, or if it were any different than in the real world. It all still felt like a dream. She wasn’t sure how she was keeping it so together. Maybe it was the fact that the kid next to her was just a kid and needed some guidance. Or, at least, Andy thought she was a kid. She had half a mind to ask how old the blonde was, but was interrupted by her plea. 

She looked over and noticed the way that blonde’s hand had begun to meld into the backdrop of the store, fingernails and skin black and white. “Shit. Okay, it’s okay– we just gotta get out, alright?” Andy did her best to give the girl a reassuring smile before she tugged her along to the next door. She wasn’t sure if this was magic or what, but it was fucked up. Once they were below door number twelve, she looked at her and gave her a firm nod. She opened it up, pulling the blonde through with her. When they came out onto the other side, they were transported back to a world of color. Music poured over the speakers and Andy winced at the sudden noise. “We got out.” Thank fucking god. “Your hand– look at your hand.” 

“We just gotta get out.” She repeated, both to assure the woman that she’d heard her and to reassure herself. Which Ariadne figured that she might have needed even more than the other woman did. At last from outward appearance, she figured it never hurt to offer kindness to someone else. Especially someone who was literally saving her life.

“We gotta, yeah.” She gratefully let the woman pull her through the door, and she took in a huge gulp of air, half-crumpling down to the floor and leaning back against a shelf. “We got out - I - my hand.” Ariadne looked down. “I - thank you.” She shut her eyes for a moment, trying to re-center herself. “I - I’m Ariadne, by the way. I don’t - I don’t think I ever told you, before.” She stood up, pressing her hands together, as if to make sure that they were actually, really still there. “I’m officially a super not fan of random doors.”

Even though Andy didn’t think that the air in the other grocery store had been any different, it felt like she could actually breathe now. She steadied herself by grabbing onto a nearby shelf, then looked over at the blonde. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she showed that her hand had come back into focus. “Must mean we’re actually back and uh, okay.” She looked down at her own arm, relief flooding through her. 

As the blonde gave thanks, Andy shook her head. “Don’t thank me.” It had a double meaning, and maybe she should drive it in a little more, but she got distracted by her name. It was pretty. “Andy.” She smiled fondly at her before pushing away from the shelf. Where the hell was her basket? “Oh, me and you both. Never going to go into a random one again, that’s for sure.” She exhaled sharply and ran her fingers through the end of her braid. “Glad we made it out though, glad you’re in one piece.” Knowing Wicked’s Rest, it could have gotten a lot uglier than it had. “Do you–” She paused, then sighed, “you need a ride home or anything? After you’re done shopping? I can give you one.” If there was anything lasting about the black and white grocery store, then maybe Andy should take Ariadne home. 

“Must be.” Ariadne refused to let herself think otherwise. That wasn’t a possibility, it just wasn’t. “It - I’m glad we’re back.” Glad was an exceptional sort of understatement, but it was all that she could manage right now.

“But - I -” she caught her tongue in her mouth, fighting the urge to dispute the comment, to say that she wanted to thank the woman and that she couldn’t stop her from doing so, but refrained. “Sorry. I’m glad you were here to help.” Ariadne nodded. “Belated nice to meet you, Andy. Glad you’re in one piece too.” Which was really not saying nearly as much as she wanted to say, but she supposed it’d have to suffice for now. “Uh - if you don’t mind, sure, that’d be great. I could walk, I like walking, but if you’re offering…” her voice trailed off as she grabbed a box of Cheez-Its off the shelf, before shaking her head and putting them back. Too much salt. A bag of Cheetos instead, in part to see what Chance would say about that. “I - I’ll be ready whenever you are.”

“Mmm.” Andy smiled at Ariadne, and this time it reached her eyes. The blonde was far more polite than anyone else she’d met in Wicked’s Rest, and really, she was pleasantly surprised. She had held her own in the weird black and white world, too, which made Andy curious as to why. It wasn’t her business, and she knew that, but if Ariadne hadn’t freaked the hell out in the weird alternate dimension they’d been thrown into, then what else had she been victim to? Concern ran parallel to paranoia, but she pushed it away, expression neutral aside from the smile. 

“No, it’s no big deal, I can drive you.” Andy patted Ariadne’s shoulder hesitantly before passing her by. “I just need to find my basket. Grab whatever else you need and I’ll meet you at the front.” She headed down the aisle before pausing. “And no more doors, except for, you know, the front one.” Andy winked at the blonde before heading off to the next aisle to find her basket before returning to the blonde’s side. 

[knowltonsrangers]

lawless

Thomas Knowlton x reader

[a/n: this is self indulgent but I was sad- I wrote this a while back, so I decided to edit it for some sappy fluff. graduate school has been really hard, and I’m finding it difficult to navigate through it with other things weighing me down. I’m no stranger to disappearing on this account, and I really am trying my hardest to find my way out of that habit! thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement. you are all friends that I hold very dear to my heart ♥️ we will persevere! I hope to be back to regular requests and posts by the beginning of next week. much love, always, Sul 💕]

He could see it in your eyes, even across the room, the finite look of disappointment that overwhelms your features. His own brow furrows, eyes locked onto yours, as if willing you to look his way.

“Somethin’ the matter?”

Thomas knows, you know he does, but still he walks inside to whisper the mentioned sentence in your ear.

Immediately shaking your head no, you press forward with the fakest smile he’s ever seen, lips pursed tightly as if you were holding in tears.

“Ima lil bit of a dummy when it comes to some things, but not to yer own self, doll.”

Blinking wildly, your grip tightens a little bit harder on the object in your hand.

“I can read ya like a book. And I don’t appreciate the fact that yer lyin’ to me, either.”

Thomas is still in your ear, but a hushed whisper, gruff tone floating in and out of his words.

“Who said what?”

It’s almost amusing that he knew exactly what happened without having to say anything.

“I’d rather not talk about it Thomas,”

You turn, tossing the book on the table to your left, and then to fully face the man now. He’s got a frown on his face, nothing much different, except the way his brown eyes narrow, and stare you down with a look of worry.

“You sure?”

“I’d…rather not.”

“Whatever you say, darlin’.”

He holds his hand out, to which you loop yours in his. The situation, although upsetting, was something you should handle alone-you could handle alone. Besides, all it did was make your skin crawl. Thomas showing up at your door after a good while of radio silence from you was nothing a stranger.

“You didn’t have to come, Thomas.”

You’re talking to avoid the tears, and it was working, until Knowlton gone and went and found a shovel and brought it all up again.

“y/n, doll, why the hell would ya do somethin’ like that, if ya well knew it was gonna happen.”

He’s referring to the despondency.

“I…I don’t know.”

It’s the truth. Why would you do such a thing, if you knew you were just going to be upset?

For the small chance it wasn’t going to happen, possibly?

“I don’t like the fact that ye forced yourself, either. S’not good, you should want to go to things, not just ‘cause you think ya have to.”

He’s right, you know he is, yet the fleeting feeling of chagrin doesn’t seem to go away just yet.

“It was nice to feel included. I…guess I just didn’t think about how much of an afterthought I was.”

True, the room spoke louder than anyone could.

“You ain’t an afterthought to me.”

The night air was damp, and while the fresh breeze did help your mood, you couldn’t help but feel bad. Yanking him from his plans just because you didn’t feel like calling for him from the wretched place anyways.

You knew he’d come and pick you up in a heartbeat, but you didn’t have the heart to face the man in tears.

“Y’know that, y/n, don’tcha?”

You hadn’t heard him.

“Know what?”

“That yer not an afterthought. Not to me, not at all,”

The man’s laying his heart out to you, holding in it his steady hands. He’s being truthful, being honest—it’s something that you can’t help but sniffle at.

“Yeah, I—“

“No, say it.”

“Say what?”

He stops, nudging you with his elbow. You stop as well, peering up at him curiously, watching as his arm comes to unhook from yours.

“Ya need to tell me that y’know.”

Thomas’ hands are large, warm, and full of callouses, but they are soft. The pads of his thumbs run over your rosy cheeks, holding your face, forcing you to meet his gaze.

“Tell me ya know it.”

“I know.”

You smile sadly, blinking back tears that have managed to well back.

“You aren’t to me either, Thomas. You’re my favorite thought.”

Your hand raises to brush aside the tears, but he beats you to it.

“I know that, darlin’. I jus’ needed to know that you knew,”

He insists, going to pull away, but your hands come to clasp over his, holding them in place.

“Don’t go.”

You whisper, feeling the warmth of the palms of his hands.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

[wiretchings]

memory log #84

thursday, february 13th, 2025 -- 3:08 p.m.

i worked my first shift yesterday since everything that’s happened. i didn’t really sit and think about it ahead of time, i just woke up tuesday morning and felt ready to go back. i texted sherry, “what time do you need me there tonight?” and she responded, “oh? 8 p.m. is good, i’ll be there too ^^”

it went fine, things don’t have the same vibrancy they used to right now. i think that’s on account of the trauma i’ve experienced, or whatever. i said that to elli this morning and he told me that i should think about seeing a therapist. in that moment, it felt like my mind was splintering into a dozen pieces and i almost got out of bed and walked out the door. i don’t want to fight, because i’m scared that’s going to make him leave somehow. when i said this, elliot held my face in his hands and sighed. his eyes did that thing they do when they get big and glossy, glazed over with love and sadness. 

it’s difficult to talk about these things without making him feel like he has to apologize for it. because i know he blames himself for everything, and i don’t want him to. i could have walked away at any point in time, it was my own obsession and choices that lead us here. and although i’m struggling to find peace with the static in my head and the way my hands look when i stare at my lap, i feel a wave of calm when i look over at elliot, wiping down the coffee table. ironically, i wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“i’ll think about it,” i reassured him, and his eyes soften a bit. “only because i don’t want this to result in me doing something stupid,” even though doing something stupid feels like it’s just on the horizon. it’s at my eye-line, staring me down every morning at the corner of my vision and i try my best to ignore it. 

when i came home last night, elliot was in the shower. i entered the bathroom to brush my teeth, only for him to start humming. “what are you doing?” it came out muffled from the toothpaste taking residence in my mouth. 

“just... humming a tune..” he hesitated, then continued mimicking the unknown melody. 

“you weren’t doing that when i first came in,” i spat into the sink a few times, until the water ran clean. 

“can’t a man be struck by inspiration due to his muse finally coming home?” he said in an exaggerated tone. it was silent for a moment before he suddenly broke it. “can i ask you something, dean?”

“sure, shoot.” i cleaned my toothbrush and returned it to its’ spot, next to elliot’s neon pink atrocity he calls a toothbrush. 

“so the wings...” i felt them twitch at the acknowledgement of their existence, “they work? i mean, obviously they had to have worked for you to save me that night... but did you know that was going to happen.”

i leaned against the sink, staring through the steam that had fogged up the bathroom. “honestly, i didn’t really think. i know that somewhere in the back of my mind i had remembered that my wings saved me once before when i was in danger, but that was more of an afterthought.”

elliot paused, “...so we both could have died.”

i shrugged, never having really thought about it since that day. “it was a chance i was willing to take, i guess.” 

“you’re so nonchalant about it... how very badass of you,” he chuckled, the sound of the water coming to a stop. 

“more like reckless, i put both of our lives in danger going on that walk.” the steam was beginning to clear and i tensed, realizing that elliot was possibly going to exit the shower any moment now. not that i haven’t seen him naked before, but it hasn’t happened since the first time we slept together, back in november. hazy memories of our limbs tangled together and the sweetness of sweat flicked through my mind, but nothing concrete. we were both drunk, after all. 

he stuck his head out of the shower suddenly, arm reaching out towards me. i took a step back, feeling a blush creeping across my face. elliot smiled, then motioned behind me, “could you hand me that towel?” 

i nodded silently and gave it to him, focusing only on his face when our eyes met again. “you know, when i was falling to my presumed death, all i could think about was that i was happy i joined you on that walk. i don’t think i could have lived with myself if i had to find you, i wouldn’t be able to stop myself from thinking about what could have gone differently if i were there.” he looked down, his usual wide grin replaced with a shy smile. “and regardless of the outcome, i was comforted by the fact that we were able to share that view together.” 

i didn’t know what to say, tears didn’t even have the chance to swell in my eyes, they were already rolling down my face. i was gripping the sink with my left hand and trying to wipe at my eyes with my right. elliot quickly wrapped the towel around his waist and exited the shower, cupping my cheek and wiping the tears away with his thumbs. “oh, baby... i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to make you cry.” 

still unable to get a word out, i shook my head and rested my forehead on his bare shoulder. his wet hair was dripping onto my shirt, causing it to stick to my back. i began to sob, completely unable to control my body at this point. he took me in his arms and held me tightly, and i didn’t care how uncomfortable the wetness of his body felt pressed against mine. 

after i was done crying, i helped him dry his hair and applied the ointment his doctor prescribed him onto his left eye. as i was taping a fresh piece of gauze over the wound, he began stroking my hair. “sweet thing,” he whispered. 

we didn’t talk much after that, we were both tapped out emotionally and went straight to bed. i drifted from consciousness with my forehead pressed against his chest, swept away by the rhythm of his heartbeat. in the morning, i woke him by peppering kisses along his temple, down to his collarbone. when elliot’s eyes fluttered open, he looked at me with a confused look on his face, cheeks flushed. “good morning...?” 

“morning,” i leaned in to kiss him deeply and he reciprocated, pulling away gently with an arch in his eyebrow. 

“i thought you didn’t want... this..” he waited for a response.

“well, i’m not very interested in receiving... but i can be generous sometimes,” i grinned, hiding my face in the crook of his neck out of embarrassment. “how do you feel?” i murmured into his deep red curls. 

elliot grabbed my face, his eyes bright with excitement. “of course,” he kissed me briefly, “let’s make this a morning to remember!”

i shoved him and laughed, before lacing our fingers together and nodding against his forehead. i leaned in for another kiss, then another, then another. 

[imissanthonybourdain]

I’m going to complain about my love life on christmas eve under the cut sorry don’t read this

I’m not single but I feel like I am LOL idk what to do bc my gf has told me explicitly why she hasn’t been present for weeks now but I’m still like. hi. what am I supposed to do??? I understand it’s depression but I feel discarded and like I’m not being given enough attention like I know I’m a lot and a demanding lover but man I feel like an afterthought. anyways. I’m still a little bit manic and now a bit tipsy and I’m sad I want attention soooo fucking badly like embarrassingly I realized how much I miss sexual attention from people because of how it makes me feel wanted and I’m not getting anything rn and I feel like I am in limbo 🤕 kind of shitty to bring this up to them on xmas eve though so I’ll just rot and die I guess

[onyx-roses]

Aight so this is little overdue since I finished the game awhile ago but I need somewhere to vent lol. So...Bayonetta 3...where to start??

Ok so for starters, even by Bayonetta standards I feel this game's story is a clusterfuck. Like the Bayo series story has always felt confusing to me due to there being time travel and whatnot (or maybe im just a dumb dumb who doesn't get it) but at least I feel Bayo 1 and 2 attempted to have a cohesive story. This one feels because of the whole multiverse thing, they must've felt like they could just retcon shit and do whatever they wanted Idk. I get that with this series, gameplay is the initial concern for the devs, and story is an afterthought but c'mon. The final boss is the wackest by far. Not only design but everything in general. And I felt the other multiverse bayos were wasted potential. They all got done so dirty. The multiverse was built up so much and then you rarely to get to see them and then they all die...like wtf. I'm especially still gagged at how chinese bayo died. In such a stupid fashion. She had more than enough time to react but no she stands there a few seconds too long and dies. This is Bayonetta we're talking about!! Her reaction time and reflexes are pretty much always flawless and she has witch time for fuck's sake! At least kill her in a more believable manner! And then Jeanne....my poor girl Jeanne. I feel killing her was so unnecessary. For what?? For fucking what?? Instead what I would have done was keep her alive and have her mentor Viola.

Now the ending....I admittedly didn't hate it like everyone else but it wasn't really stellar either. The final act of the game was overall pretty sus. Tbh, what I hated more than the ending itself was the fact that it is insinuated that Bayo 1 and Bayo 2 are two separate Bayos. That to me, not only makes things more confusing but makes the journey you take with Bayo 2 a little less meaningful? This whole time I thought we all played the sequel thinking we were seeing more of OG Bayo and her character development and what she had been up to but no. It was a different Bayo the whole time? Idk, I feel that lessens and cheapens everything we saw in Bayo 2. To think there was a direct connection between the two and nope. I will admit tho, it was pretty dope from a gameplay perspective, teaming up with the other two bayos was amazing. Not to mention when you take control over bayo 1, omg the feels. The fact that mysterious destiny is playing and her lifebar and magic mimic that of the first game.....just ugh amazing. I wish they would have let us switch between bayo 1 and 2 in that fight but oh well. At least at the end of the game, I was pleasantly surprised to see they brought back the 'let's dance boys' dance sequence. I rly missed it back in Bayo 2.

Ok so now admittedly imma nitpick some more minor things but they bugged me enough to mention them lol. First off why THE FUCK can't you play as Jeanne in the main story???? Y'all did it in the last two games! Just treat her as a skin/costume like in the previous games! I get her not being playable in Viola chapters but Bayo's? Nah son. Wtf. And they didn't giver her costumes either. Not. One. Like, the egyptian one is right fudging there. I'm not asking for 10 different outfits but c'mon. Or bare minimum they should have let us change her colors. Was also upset Viola got the same treatment too. Would have loved to have seen in her some different outfits or colors. Them getting rid of Umbran elegances made me sad. Nintendo costumes were also absent this time around which is a damn shame since those were a blast to use. This might be dumb but the lack of different taunts was a bit disappointing too. I would always look forward to choosing different weapons and seeing what taunt she had. I guess those got traded in for idle animations this time around. Now moving on to enemies, fights and bosses are bombastic as ever but man, the enemy design in this game is seriously lacking. The angels and demons are so memorable, they have character, they are brimming with originality. These white/green blobs ain't cuttin' it. I felt like I was fighting the same enemy over and over again. I think they may have exhausted all creativity into the demon slaves and masquerades. This next complaint is me being whiny bitch I get it lol but I REALLY don't understand why they changed the sounds for the platinum and pure platinum medals. Those are iconic sounds for the Bayonetta series. So why change them? Like, I'm seriously asking. Cause it seems like a random change to make? Now they are barely noticeable and sound like generic forgettable ass chimes. The camera in this game could get god awful at times too, which considering the high action pace of this game is a big problem.

So I could keep going but this is long enough lmao. Overall, I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy playing through Bayonetta 3. It's just as over the top and chaotic as previous titles. I genuinely had so much fun with this game. I don't really have any complaints of the gameplay mechanics off the top of my head. But everything else...my god, platinum has some 'splaining to do.

[anonymousisnotavailable]

I am hundred percent sure, that ending things is for the best. I asked to see him yesterday, but he was going to see his mom and he wasn't sure, when he would be back home. Totally fair. But later in the evening he told me, that I was welcome to come over. What annoyed annoyed about his message was: 1) he was expecting me - as always - to come to him and not the other way around and 2) the other reason for asking me to come over was, that he did not feel like getting drunk or high last night. What I got from that was, that only was I more or less an afterthought, on another day I might have come second to drinking and smoking weed. I already felt, that I might end up feeling used. Now I know for sure, that I would have. Well, earlier today he asked to see me. As always it would have been me going to him. Yesterday I told him, that was welcome to come to my place. Just like every other time, he wasn't willing to make the trip. We are talking 15 minute with public transport and 20 on bike. But to get back to the point: I was willing to make my way to him, even though I was getting fed up with it. I was, and I still am, so ready to have a conversation with him about, what is going on. But guess what. I tell him, that there is something I would like to discuss with him. It takes him quite some time to reply, and I end up dissapointed. In the time it took me to reply to his original message, he had somehow managed to get drunk. This meant that despite him agreeing, that we need to talk, he is to drunk for that. He just replied to my last message, but I feel anxious opening it. It cannot be too bad, but at the same time I worry he might somehow get the conversation started unintenionally (I just checked it, and it seems like we have had similar thoughts). All I want is for him to get back to me, when he is sober. There is no reason to be dramatic about it. Not really. I just want it to be over with now, that I am sure, what I want. It helps that we are seemingly in agreeance. Once it is done, we can both move on. Whether that be us meeting up for coffee once in a while (thought that would probably stop eventually) or not seeing each other at all. I do not think I will be grieving our "relationship" per se, but I will be a tiny bit sad. This is me fully accepting, that this is the way things are. That I thought things would develop differently does not change anything. Maybe that is what makes me a bit sad. That and the behaviour he has been exhibiting lately. I hope getting this out of the way, will make me feel less stressed. At least a little bit.

- L

[chubbymonstah]

Well, it's Juneteenth and I'm having a high pain day. If anyone wants to help out a non-binary disabled black person with a relatively fresh baby(they're almost 6 months old!) feel free to follow the link to my vmo. Below the cut is a vent post so please don't worry about reading the rest of this.

I'm kinda struggling with feeling like my partner(not my NP but the father of my kid) doesn't really care about my needs or the things that are important to me, like today, which is kind of a big deal for me/my people. I asked him and his other partner for help with our child today and was told no, and he hasn't even mentioned Juneteenth. He ruined my mother's day and promised to make it better but hasn't. And I'm anxious about bringing it up because every time I try to voice an issue it becomes this huge, stressful event. I just feel neglected a lot of the time. He doesn't really make me feel special. He rarely makes me feel loved. I kinda feel like an afterthought at best, and an inconvenience or nuisance most of the time. If I don't ask specifically for it, he never thinks to bring me a treat when he goes out. Like, no he's not obligated to bring me anything, but you'd think if he thought about me ever, he'd do it because he knows it makes me happy(Which is funny because his ex wife goes out of her way to bring me little treats, just because she knows how happy it makes me)? Even just like, a little candy bar or something? Or he'd find a way to help when I'm in pain? But I feel like I'm just a bother. He gets to be fun dad when he shows up, and I do the rest of the parenting except for the two days kiddo's at his place with his other partner. Though I guess I should be happy, since the last time I asked for help, he did come, but scolded me for asking in the first place and it blew up into this horrible thing that I have occasional nightmares about. So now I try to tread carefully because I don't want to go through that again and potentially lose my baby their father. But it still hurts. Not as much as my arms/chest/back/shoulders do rn(you know, the bits needed to hold a baby), but it does make me sad. Like, he went into this with me willingly. He knew that I'm disabled, he knew that I'd need help and up until I got pregnant I had been reassured that that help would be there when requested. I guess I don't feel appreciated? He says that he's working hard and needs the time away to be able to support us financially, but other than some food and a $200 visa gift card, I haven't seen much of that support yet(though he did pay for the plane tickets and come with me to my uncle's funeral, so there is that)

Anyways, I'm just feeling some type of way, and since I can't talk about it with him without expending so, so much emotional labor that I don't have the energy for, I'm just venting here.

But! Huge shout-out to @corpsegods for being an absolutely amazing partner. He came to the rescue today and watched Babycakes for/with me so I could get a bit of a break. He brought me food and painkillers, and rubbed salve into my back and shoulders. He took baby when I was starting to get overwhelmed and got them to stop crying. Even though they're not genetically his kid. Even though he's disabled too, and has sensory issues up the wazoo, even though he's getting over a bad kidney stone. Even though he's never really interacted with children before mine happened. He came when I called, and is doing everything in his power to help me right now, and has for years now. He always gives me a blanket that smells like him so that he can even protect me in my nightmares. He always, ALWAYS kisses me goodnight and tells me he loves me. Every. Single. Day. He makes me feel as special as my child's biodad doesn't. He seeks me out. He actively wants to be close to me. He asks me how I'm doing regularly, helps me remember to eat and take my meds, he's just so consistently //there// for me. He's the best partner I've ever had. I never feel like a burden with him. Yes we both struggle with various aspects of life, but we're absolutely dedicated to being there for one another regardless. I love him so much. If I had gone into this whole thing without him, I don't even know where I would be right now. Sometimes I feel like I should have written his last name down instead of my other partner's on the birth paperwork.