#i guess it's kind of a bad thing i got agency out of that. a forced kind of agency

[recent-rose]

damn not to be negative on main but hotd s2 feeling a lot like got s8 rn

[erraticroses]

.

[inkskinned]

it is totally okay to be hurt and tired and fed up with the american schooling system but i need you to understand that we need to be better about loudly and routinely defending public education.

yes, many teachers suck, many schools utterly suck. i also got bullied and was absolutely not given the right support for my needs. i am not defending public education because it was kind to me. i am defending it because it needs to exist.

right-wing republicans do not want an educated population. they want kids to be homeschooled or in private school. there is a huge religious undertone to this.

the most common argument is that despite high costs, the "result" is not "good" enough. they point to failing schools as proof that public education is just never going to work out. there will be arguments made here that you actually agree with: that teachers can be bullies, that we taught online for 2 years and still charged the same amount of tuition, that we have no recourse for students to actually have agency or a voice, and that schools are now unsafe for kids due to risk of illness and gun violence.

these are all placing the blame in a fraudulent way, one intended to get your parents to homeschool you. the less kids in a school, the less federally-awarded funding for that school, the less any school succeeds. they will not mention the fact it is their legislation that takes away important funding opportunities, that teachers are living at or below the poverty line, that buildings are not kept up to code, that administration is overpaid and forces specific curriculums, that corporations like (my personal enemy) Pearson Education control certain classroom goals because teachers can't afford other options. they pretend to be ignorant of the gun violence and say "oh just get a gun" - but these are the same people who will be sending their child to a private school with a bulletproof backpack. they don't care if your kid dies, though. they "don't believe" in covid, but they did get their kid vaccinated, because of course they did.

it is a closed loop. conservative parents hear the fearmongering and remove children from the system. frequently these parents are also deeply religious. the kids are raised without access to other media & learn to parrot their parents. you have now created a new generation of conservatives. additionally, one of the parents/caregivers must stay home and homeschool the children, usually for free. i will give you 1 guess which parent tends to stay home to homeschool the children. these parents are encouraged to have many, many children. those children are most likely not getting access to safe sex ed.

we might laugh at fox news suggesting teachers are forcing children to use kitty litter but: first of all, there is kitty litter in the classroom. it's part of an emergency kit in case children are locked in due to a shooter. so that's fucking dystopian, and the fact they've completely reimagined the scenario to somehow make the teachers look bad when it's instead a fucking huge symbol of our failure as a country to protect our children.... it feels a little intentional.

secondly: don't just dismiss the situation. because, yeah, obviously, no teacher is encouraging kids to be a catboy. but the actual undertone that fox news is trying to sew is an outright distrust of teachers and of public education. they rely on the dehumanization of trans people as a common touchstone to hide the fact they're pushing two agendas at once. (which is ironic. because the thing they accuse teachers of. is pushing. an agenda.)

whenever someone tells you they want you to read less, you should be suspicious of that. when someone tries to separate you and your education, you should be suspicious of that. i don't even like incel rhetoric nor would i want my kids exposed to it - but i would not take away my child's (age-appropriate) access to the internet. i would just provide more educational materials, not less. the difference here is that i believe we can resolve ignorance with knowledge; whereas conservatives believe that ignorance is bliss.

they misappropriate funding and demonize teachers. they pull the same trick each time - the same thing we are seeing with anti-trans rhetoric. they do not want you to have access to safe sex ed, so they act horrified, claim sex ed teaches you how to thrust deep, claim that we have no idea what "age-appropriate" means. since the mid-nineties, the united states has spent at least 2 billion dollars on abstinence-only education, even though to quote the above link: "a preponderance of studies has found no effect of abstinence education at reducing adolescent pregnancy". conservatives want you to think less of any person struggling with addiction so they can continue their racist "war on drugs", so they spend up to $750 million dollars a year on the DARE program which has absolutely no effect. acting like teachers "must" be "grooming" children is just the same thing - so they can demand that funding either goes to their causes or the funding doesn't "exist" ("i'm not paying for our kids to learn that thing!")

and they want you to feel uncaring about this. they are aware that you will hate some parts of your school experience. pretty much everyone does. they want to lean into the parts that you hate so that you don't put up a fight about it when they take it away for not being "good enough."

i know i maybe sound like a conspiracy theorist. but truly. truly. it is beneficial for conservatives to reduce your faith in the american public schooling system.

one of the explicitly stated campaign promises of the conservative party: to axe the Department of Education in 2024.

i know we are all tired and burnt out and there is so much else wrong with their entire platform. but maybe just - pay attention to this one.

[vanishingstarrs]

twenty something

katsuki bakugo x reader, established relationship, just soft and pure vibes, down bad bakugo

( it was my bday on friday and i wanted to write something short and sweet, self indulgent for sure )

You didn’t care for birthdays.

You had never made a huge fuss over your own, anyway.

The last birthday party you remember having was back when you were still obsessed with fairy princesses and only spoke in broken sentences, likely only five.

Since then, it had really only ever been small dinners and hardly any presents. Your family never really had the means to do anything huge and you told yourself you never minded, that all you ever cared for was the acknowledgment of the day. And that was never skipped or glanced over, there was never a lack of love and you always felt grateful for another year.

It was true, you did feel that way and after the war those feelings only grew. You were more appreciative than ever, even more so for all the new friends and loved ones in your life.

Your boyfriend, Katsuki, especially.

And though you weren’t expecting anything, your boyfriend had other ideas. He’d come over the night before to make you dinner and give you a few gifts he’d gotten you. You swooned over his attention to detail, he cooked your favorite meal and got you things he knew you’d love.

“Katsuki…”

“I know.” He sighed,“You might not wanna accept it, I know how you are, you think it’s too much, but I’m not returning it.”

He stood up, walking behind you and pulling the intricately detailed locket from the box you had just opened, he unclasped it and moved your hair aside to secure it onto your neck,“Open it.”

You listened, opening the locket and feeling your heart swell.

Your boyfriend had not only gone through the trouble to get both your initials engraved on the back of the necklace, but he’d already gone ahead and selected two of your favorite pictures. One was just your favorite photo of him and the second was one of you two together from the first date you’d gone on together. It’d taken you so long to convince him to take that picture with you and as a result was now one of your favorites.

“Thank you, my love.” You looked up and kissed his cheek,“I love it very much.”

“Just thought you should have something, just in case…”

You gave him a look,“We don’t think like that, love, but I appreciate the sentiment you were going for and I’ll cherish it, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, baby.” He gave you a small smile,“Alright, you can open the rest, this was the only major one, don’t worry.”

You smiled and shared another kiss before proceeding to go through the rest of the gifts he’d gotten you. You worked in the hospital and he’d gotten a few things that would be useful; a few cute pens, a new pair of comfy shoes you’d been wanting to try out since your feet were always killing you, and a brand new water bottle (your last one got crushed after you accidentally ran it over with your car) and with it he’d also gotten tons of adorable stickers to decorate it.

You smiled big when you pulled a Hello Kitty plush out of the next bag and he rolled his eyes like he hadn’t been the one to purchase it.

“Don’t think I’m feeding your addiction to that weird ass cat.” He scoffed,“Just thought this one was actually kind of cool.”

Cool was an understatement.

Hello Kitty was known for lots of collabs with many of your favorite shows and characters, but this one? This plush was dressed in your boyfriend’s hero costume and the tag on it had his hero agency’s name on it so it was definitely official and not just some knock off.

“Didn’t even know they made these.” He explained,“Don’t remember approving that shit.”

You blushed,“I might’ve seen the papers on your desk one day and signed for you…”

“What?!” He stood up, shocked.

You shrugged,“I didn’t know they were actually going to go through with it, Sanrio teases lots of collabs so when I never saw it in stores I just guessed they went a different route.”

“When were you even in my office?” He asked, curious instead of upset.

“About a month ago, baby, remember? You were asked to patrol last minute because Eijiro’s wife went into labor and we had planned to have lunch together so I ended up dropping off food just in case you got a chance to stop and eat. I think your assistant, what’s his name, dropped off the papers and since I saw the logo on it… and well, I couldn’t help peeking.” You told him the story, feeling slightly guilty.

He rolled his eyes,“You’re lucky I don’t give a shit about that kinda stuff, otherwise I’d—”

You gasped suddenly,“Oh. My. God! Baby, what if they ask you to do a photo shoot with Hello Kitty, herself?! Wouldn’t that be amazing?”

Your boyfriend couldn’t help chuckle at your excitement,“I suppose it would be, a little bit, and I promise if that happens you’ll be on set with me that day, don’t worry.”

“Thank you, sweetie.” You gave him a big kiss and he handed you one final bag.

“Last one.” He said.

You rose an eyebrow at him as you peeked inside,“A dress? Do we have an occasion?”

“Only the best day of the year.” Katsuki took your hand and pulled you up to give you a hug,“I wanted to celebrate with you today because I’m a selfish bastard and I like having you to myself.” You felt him check his watch,“It’s officially midnight and officially your birthday.”

He pulled away slightly, holding your waist with one arm and placing his other hand on your cheek, making you immediately lean into the warmth of his touch. The kiss he gave you was gentle and full of so much love, you already knew this was your favorite of all birthdays just for the fact that you were spending it with him.

You opened your eyes and his gaze gave you butterflies, you felt like you did on your first date.

“Happy birthday, my love.”

“Thank you, Katsuki.” Your cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much.

“And I lied.” He said,“I do have one more thing for you, but it won’t be until later. We’ll sleep soon, and I’ll have a few more things to take care of before it, but I’d like you to take my card—”

“Baby, no…” You began to deny, he’d already gotten you enough.

“Yes.” He insisted,“You have a dress, all you need to do is find some accessories. Get some shoes, buy a new purse, hell buy yourself the whole store, baby, go fucking crazy. I’m asking nicely, and I’ll make sure you get something, trust me. And I want you ready by three, got it?��

You knew arguing with your boyfriend was pointless, that was one bad thing about the both of you, you were equally stubborn and fighting only ended when you got tired of it.

“Fine.” You relented.

True to his word, you went to bed soon after the gifts. Your boyfriend brought an overnight bag and you were happy to have him hold you in bed. When you woke up, however, his side of the bed was empty and in its place lay a birthday card.

You picked it up, smiling at the design he’d gone with and pictured him standing in front of the display for a long time before deciding. You opened it and out fell your boyfriend’s credit card, you rolled your eyes and set it aside to read the contents of the note.

Happy birthday, my pretty girl. I know you’re new to celebrating, but I plan to change that soon. You deserve the world and more, and I’ll do my best to make sure you get it.

P.S. Please enjoy this breakfast (see nightstand) and be dressed by 9! Mina will be stopping by to ensure you shop for all your needs.

P.P.S. I love you.

You quickly turned and found the aforementioned breakfast, a cup of hot coffee, and a beautiful bouquet of tulips decorated your nightstand. You smiled and snapped a photo, sending it to your boyfriend along with a thank you.

He must’ve just left to take care of whatever he was planning.

You tried not to think about it or your nerves and overthinking would definitely kick in. You ate your food and sipped your coffee in bed while checking and responding to any birthday messages, picking up immediately when you saw your parents calling. You almost teared up when they started singing happy birthday and laughed along with them, asking if you’ll see them later in the week for your annual dinner. They agreed and you finished the call with ‘I love you’s’.

By the time nine rolled around, you were ready and right on time was Mina’s knocking on your door. You opened it and got greeted with a hug.

“I heard free shopping trip and here I am!” She cheered,“Ready to do some damage?”

“Not quite.” You blushed,“What do you know about his plans?”

She shrugged,“Sworn to secrecy, dude, sorry.”

You scoffed and laughed as you said,“Whatever happened to chicks before dicks?”

You’d met Mina as a result of dating Katsuki and ever since then you’d hit it off with her as much as you had your boyfriend, you never really had too many close girlfriends and she was a very welcome surprise into your life.

“Doing this for my chick.” She elbowed you teasingly,“So grab ya bag, girl, we have places to be and money to spend!”

You listened, grabbing your purse and reluctantly taking your boyfriend’s card as per his request.

It didn’t take long for Mina to decide which stores you should head into. It did, however, take more than a few for you to actually want to buy anything. It wasn’t that you didn’t see things you liked, but it was hard for you to accept your boyfriend was paying for you.

You’d been brought up to be independent and though you knew the importance of being taken care of, it was hard not being the giver for once.

A pair of shoes eventually caught your eye and Mina caught on quick, calling over an associate with a mischievous smile,“My friend would love to see these in a size seven, please.”

“Right away, miss.”

The woman left to find them and you sighed,“I don’t know, Mina.”

“Girl, please, your man literally is begging you to spend some of his money and you’re hesitating? These shoes are to die for and he explicitly stated you should get some to match your dress. We already got a few cute pieces of jewelry, I think these would match perfectly to those.”

In the end, Mina convinced you. Or the saleswoman did, when she revealed the shoes you were trying on would actually go on sale next week and that she’d be happy to adjust the price for your special occasion.

For once, you’d been happy to reveal it was your birthday and you walked away even happier with your bargain made.

“That was so nice of her.” You beamed as you followed Mina around a purse store she liked.

You definitely didn’t need one of those, but your eyes wandered aimlessly to pass the time.

“Mhm.” She agreed before holding up a bag,“And how hot is this bag?! C’mon, Bakugo would want you to have this.”

You regretted turning around as you actually really liked the one she’d been trying to show you,“Nope, got a bag, but thanks.”

“And you have shoes and jewelry, babe, the whole point of this trip was to treat yourself.” Your friend countered. She was right and you hated it.

You sighed,“I know, but I bought stuff already…”

“A few inexpensive sterling silver rings off that lady’s booth outside and a pair of shoes marked way down from the original price, this would be an actual treat.”

“Yes, but… I mean he already got me this nice necklace and the dress and all the other little things, plus he’s planning who knows what, I don’t think I need a new purse, mine may not be designer but it’s held up and it’ll be fine for a while longer.” You explained.

“He has the means to,” Mina walked up to you and pulled your current bag off your shoulder to replace with the one she was trying to convince you on,“Plus no one ever needs a new purse, it’s a want and it’s okay to have those, you know.”

You remembered the birthday card. You deserve the world and more…

Looking at yourself in the mirror, you sighed. Mina walked up behind you and wrapped her arms around you, smiling and raising her eyebrows,“So…? Whatcha gonna do?”

She drove a hard bargain.

“You need to consider you might be in the wrong field.” You pushed her playfully as she looped her arm through yours and led the way to the cash register. Your heart might have actually broken while swiping your boyfriend’s card across and your fingers were definitely shaking as you typed in the pin for it.

You knew your boyfriend received alerts for any purchases, especially big ones, and you were just about ready to turn back around when you heard your phone ping, assuming the worst. He had to be pissed at that one.

my love: Glad to see Mina’s doing her job, don’t you dare feel guilty. You deserve this and more 🧡

You looked up to find Mina glancing at you and smiling,“Told ya.”

The last purchase you made was with your own money as you’d run out of your favorite blush and needed to replace it. You enjoyed lunch with your friend and she drove you back home where she proceeded to stake claim on your bedroom floor to get herself ready with you.

“You’re really not gonna tell me?” You asked your friend as you applied a light layer of foundation.

“I’m sure you could guess…” Mina shrugged as she curled her eyelashes,“But I really can’t say, all he told me was to take you shopping and keep you busy until three. He’s having a car pick us up.”

“You don’t even know?!” You turned around, shock written all over your face.

Mina snorted,“No, I’m trolling you, I totally know.”

“Ugh.”

You got ready in silence, save for some music Mina decided to play from a small portable speaker she brought with her.

Once the clock hit three, you were officially an anxious wreck. Your phone pinged.

my love: Your carriage awaits.

You made sure Mina was ready and that you weren’t forgetting anything before heading out, finding your “carriage” was your boyfriend’s car and he stood by the passenger door, holding the door open for you with a lazy smile. He was wearing nice clothes too and your eyes stuck to him like glue,“Wow.”

“Wow yourself.” He gave you a quick kiss, careful not to smudge your lipstick.

Mina fake gagged,“You two are disgusting.”

“Shut up and get in.” Katsuki told her before turning back to you, eyes soft,“You ready?”

You released a deep breath,“I guess so… I mean what am I even ready for?”

He smiled,“Don’t stress, just go with it. You’re about to find out anyway.”

It was hard not to, and you were sure your palms were sweating more than his as Katsuki always held your hand while driving.

You were quick to recognize the drive back to his house and relaxed a little bit, deciding he was right. Enough was enough, why not just go with it? You had amazing friends and an even better boyfriend, you deserved to get treated nicely. And he would never plan anything you weren’t ready for or wouldn’t like, as proven by the night before and the morning of shopping.

You didn’t see any cars or anything parked outside his house and you narrowed your eyes at him,“What’s going on? Seriously.”

He said nothing as he got out and opened your door for you, extending a hand out and helping you out of the car in your fancy new clothes and accessories. “Close your eyes.”

“For?”

“Please.”

Mina nudged you from behind and you obliged quickly.

He held your hand and led you with one hand on your lower back as you dutifully kept your eyes closed, you heard the jingling of keys and figured Mina must be unlocking the door for you.

“Watch your step.” Katsuki warned you and you felt him help you regardless as you stepped into his house.

Not one second of warning was given before it happened.

“Surprise!”

You opened your eyes immediately, hands going up to your mouth as you found your entire group of friends in your boyfriend’s living room, wearing party hats and blowing noisemakers. Streamers and balloons littered the room and a cake with your name on it sat on a designated dessert table. You almost cried when you spotted your parents and two brothers in one section.

“Happy birthday, baby.” Katsuki whispered in your ear before you were tackled by your family first, then your friends, and even some of your work family had shown up to wish you another happy year.

You felt a little overwhelmed at first, but slowly you relaxed. It hit you how happy you were, how much joy had been brought on by everything your boyfriend had done. You hadn’t experienced this type of celebration in a long time and it was nice to be seen by those who you held dear. Your boyfriend hardly left your side as you spoke and got around to saying hi to everyone. “Don’t let him go.” Your mother even whispered into your hair as she hugged you tight and gave you kisses,“Good ones are hard to come by.”

“He’s the best.” You agreed with a huge smile.

You eventually split up as you spoke with a few of your friends and even some of his, happy to catch up with Kirishima’s wife.

You held her son and spouted baby nonsense to him as she spoke your ear off about how her husband and Katsuki had been thick as thieves planning the day months in advance, and how she’d even been roped into calling people and checking on their availability. You thanked her for being part of it and looked up to where the two men now stood away, somehow still looking mischievous. You didn’t doubt they might even already be planning the next thing.

The night went by in the blink of an eye.

You saw friends you hadn’t seen in a while, learned the hard truth of standing awkwardly in front of a cake while everyone sang happy birthday to you, ate amazing food and cake, had a couple drinks, and lastly opened a few more gifts from those who had brought one. (You may or may not have received a few more Dynamite x Hello Kitty collab items).

Katsuki held you from behind as you watched your and his friends mingle together,“Did I do a good job?”

“I don’t know how I’ll top it for yours.” You said back, turning around in his arms, placing yours around his neck,“You did amazingly, I never thought I would have this one day.”

“For the rest of your life, I promise you will.”

You didn’t know why, but it felt much heavier when he said that. Like he wasn’t just promising you a lifetime of birthday parties, but like he was promising something else. You thought back to the way he smirked at you across the room when you saw him talking to Kirishima and your heart skipped again. There was no way. You’d only been together for a little over a year…

And yet…

Nah.

You pushed those thoughts away and allowed yourself to be happy in the now.

In his arms.

You kissed him,“I love you.”

You really couldn’t have asked for a better day, surrounded by the people who loved you— or for a better boyfriend, who made you feel seen in both little and big ways. Who went out of his way to ensure you were always happy and loved. You might just have a new favorite day of the year and it was all thanks to him.

“Happy birthday, gorgeous.”

Yup, you officially loved birthdays.

[seat-safety-switch]

"You know, ice cream flavours are entirely artificial," said the sorbet heiress who, at this time, had tied me to a stake above a pile of cartoon dynamite sticks. The fuse was lit, as those things are, which put a limit on our conversation.

When I first signed up to be a private detective, I figured it would be like on the TV. Sleeping at your desk in a dingy office. Shooting people for reasons that the audience barely understands. Confusing triple-cross plots, explained in excruciating detail for the last quarter of the book by a character who mostly acted as a stand-in for the author. And driving a pretty bad-ass classic hot rod.

Unfortunately, what this job actually ended up being about was getting tricked into being implicated in the murder of a frozen-yogurt tycoon. I have to admit that I was told by the temp agency about this particular risk in advance, but I was caught up in my zeal to pick up a shit-box 60s Mopar with a loud exhaust and kind of forgot about it.

I'll save you the details of how I got out of that particular jam, and the exploding-mini-golf-emporium, because they don't really matter. What does matter is that I eventually tracked down the heiress, and got my name cleared. This, even though I have been proven structurally incapable of remembering names, faces, patterns of speech, accents, what people actually said, the whole lot.

I got lucky. It turns out one of her goons drove a 1996 Plymouth Neon coupe. How did I know it was a '96? Because it still had colour-matched hubcaps, but without a dual-overhead-cam engine. After I explained this to the cops, and went back to get my copies of the relevant documentation, they immediately punched it into their little license plate computer for "plymouth neon" and found the only running example still registered in the country. I guess I didn't really need to know the year. Dude confessed immediately, but the fuzz wouldn't let me keep the car, since it was evidence. Professional rivalry, if you ask me.

[general-cyno]

ehh it's just me musing but. I do find it a little curious that (depending on who likes whom I guess) cora is usually either seen as some saintly flawless goofy figure or a brainwashed cop who got killed because he refused to try and save his brother. I do think his character is not exactly easy to pinpoint, considering he appears for a very short time and in a flashback nonetheless, plus the fact that he's dead means no further fleshing out of his character - broadly speaking - outside of the people who knew him and are willing to provide insight on what he was like, though that'd still be kinda biased.

however I believe there's actually a bunch of things that were straight up shown and some that can be pieced together from what little panel/screen time he had: ie how he's seemingly more bad tempered, impulsive and violent than he's portrayed as in fanon at times, albeit motivated by his own priorities at the moment (trying to kick the shit out of law to stop him from exposing cora to doflamingo) + his sense of what's right and wrong and to whom it applies (punching medical staff and setting hospitals on fire for mistreating law, whom he'd been trying to help).

specifically about the navy and doflamingo part... it irks me a little, tbh. partly because it removes what little agency cora had during the flashbacks and sort of waters down his motivation to stop his brother. it's not just whatever crimes doflamingo was committing or planning to back then and the navy wanting to put a stop to that - the thing is that cora was influenced, at least to an extent, to oppose doflamingo based on their childhood experiences with (ofc) the more negative ones, which include doffy murdering their father right in front of him, overshadowing anything else. as he tells law, cora can't fathom how their kind parents could've borne someone as evil as his brother. and yet. that's the other thing. cora was very much a child, and younger than doflamingo at that, when the elder DQs chose to leave marijoa and all that it entailed after. between all the traumatic events he lived through and later being raised by a marine (sengoku of all people), I'll be the first to say his perception of those events, of their parents and doffy himself is not really the most unbiased or reliable. we don't see him questioning the existence of celestial dragons (beyond warning law he's in danger when cora finds out about the D) nor the nature of the WG/the marines and the antagonistic role they play in OP's universe. we didn't have him long enough for those things to be put to question deeply anyway, especially not wrt to doflamingo, so imo it makes sense that his focus wasn't on "saving" but stopping him.

that said... he does witness the worst of it, kind of. through law. law is the very reason why I don't agree with the idea of cora being simply a brainwashed cop. this guy watched how people (those who should care) mistreated, dehumanized and demonized a sick child over prejudices caused by the lies the nobles and WG itself relied on to sweep their own corruption under the rug. he saw first hand how all those doctors ran to call the WG to kill the child and how they answered to do that. and what did he do? he lied and betrayed the organization he'd been part of (presumably for more than the years he spent undercover) and the man who'd raised him like a son just to save the kid that everyone, even the so called justice, had turned his back on and would've gotten rid of if given the chance. heck, when he first brought up the topic of law with sengoku, the man basically told him not to favor him too much for it could jeopardize his mission.

but perhaps the biggest proof is that he lied to law about being a marine when the latter directly asked if cora was one. as he later admits, cora lied to him about this because he didn't want law to hate him - and knowing all law lived through (flevance), seeing some of it himself (their hospital shenanigans) and what law told him as well, cora knew he had plenty of understandable and justified reasons to hate anyone ever slightly associated with the marines or the WG, including cora. to me, someone who's completely blinded by the navy/WG propaganda and follows their every order to the letter without thought wouldn't have denied his own affiliation nor been so determined to ditch being a marine and make an enemy out of those institutions (even if that also meant betraying his father figure) just to save, protect and do right by a child who'd been clearly failed by them. at no point did cora ever try to argue that Not All Marines, much less express any other sentiments of that sort to law.

on a similar vein, despite insisting doflamingo was evil and an agent of destruction - law is also the proof cora was somewhat aware that his brother (and people like doflamingo) normally don't pop out of nowhere and do Terrible Things just because. that maybe in other (better) circumstances, doffy might've become someone different and/or made different choices. after all, cora is the one who points out the similarities between doflamingo and law, and eventually does his best to turn law's life around so that he won't follow the same path. should he have tried to save doflamingo as well? when? how? would it have worked? who knows. and if you ask me, regardless of their similarities at that moment in time, doffy was already a grown ass man compared to law and cora himself was just an even younger kid when shit hit the fan in their childhood. I'm not sure doflamingo (as an adult) would've been particularly receptive of "help" either, considering his disdain for the kindness in cora and their father that he saw as a weakness. not to mention waaay too many other factors that come into play also (trebol and co's grooming and influence for example). still, one of them did pull the literal trigger in the end and it wasn't cora, so there's that.

all in all, for a character with such a short lived amount of time in the story - cora is quite the complex one and so very compelling. characterizing him as just strictly one thing or the other can be a little reductive but the fact that his character can be explored beyond that in the first place (once more, despite his lil bit of alive and onscreen moments) is what's fun and says a lot about the writing itself.

[fxckn-sxck-fr]

hihi! can i request a romantic yandere scott summers x fem (can be gn too) reader who is just naturally obedient and easy to manipulate? maybe reader's submissive personality is how scott's obsession and need to protect them started?

(and if you want, you can add smut on how scott rewards reader for always being so good while reader is oblivious to his sick nature 👀)

love your works <3

𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆…

!!! 18+ THEMES, GN reader, compliant reader, Scott is a control freak, slight manipulation, brief hint of a forced relationship(?), mentions of pet-play, mentions of leashes, mentions of collars (back at it again), this honestly isn’t really too NSFW-esque but there is mentions of sex, I fucking forgot how much I hate writing warnings.

*Digs myself out of my 50+ WIPS (I’M ACTUALLY NOT FUCKING WITH Y’ALL, IT’S 56) on yan X-Men content* Hi.

I really like this dynamic in the worst way possible. Scott likes having control over every aspect of his life. I’ve already briefly touched this, but I’ll say it again; bad things happen when he’s not in control. So, naturally, he’s in leader mode 24/7. This man has no idea how not to be in leader mode — the very notion is absolutely terrifying for him — and he’s not about to hang it up for his romantic endeavors.

Should he ever have a lover as vulnerable and obedient as you? Yeah. He’s in heaven.

You listen to him. You do what he asks. You don’t talk back, or question his authoritative presence. It’s like the two of you are made for each other, entwined by a sick and twisted thread of fate; a thread he has wrapped around your neck like a leash. It wouldn’t take long for Scott to pick up on this, the dark voice in his skull he dares call a conscious screaming at him to protect, protect, protectprotectpro—

You’re unwavering, almost worrying (to anyone but Scott, that is) loyalty is something he treasures deeply. Many other people call him a control freak, which he’ll begrudgingly agree with (he’s not that dense to his own behaviors), but it still rubs him the wrong way nonetheless. It creates a weird sense of ownership over you in his head. Not in a way that objectifies you; though he may feel a sense of pride that you actually listen to him, it’s not something he parades around. Rather, it’s the same kind of ownership that one has over a pet. One that strips you of any agency or — god forbid — control. You’re too fragile for control… why don’t you let Scott take over, yeah?

I swear I’ve mentioned this before, but Scott doesn’t really go out of his way to manipulate; it just kind of happens. His main tactic — albeit a subconscious one — is his authority, and since you already follow that to a T… well, shit. Guess he doesn’t really have to do anything, huh. God, aren’t you just perfect? Too perfect for this world… and that scares him. Just a little, of course. As long as you remain a controllable variable in his life, he can keep you out of harm’s way. Nothing will go wrong because he’s a leader. He dictates the terms and executes the strategies. Everything is under control.

Everything has to be under control.

This man is obsessed with you. He inserts himself into your life as a sturdy pillar for you to lean on, offering soft affirmations that he’s here for you and always will be. It’s okay… he’s got everything covered… he can protect you, keep you safe from anything that could possibly hurt you. Don’t you want that? An unwavering constant in your life that will never let you down? Scott can be that for you… all you have to do is fall into his arms. In the most literal sense, if you can help it.

Well, you might not be willing to completely surrender to him at first. That’s okay (he thinks to himself with clenched fists). You’ve proven time and time again that you’re practically incapable of insubordination, so your hesitance must come from a place of bashfulness; he actually thinks it’s kind of cute. This can be dealt with. You’re a dependent variable, and he knows how to manipulate those. He can easily put you in a scenario that requires him to swoop in and save you, cradling you to his chest as he softly mutters, “I’ve got you, you’re okay” in your ear. Sure, he absolutely despises the idea of you getting hurt, but the ends justify the means, and he had the situation under control.

Everything is under his control.

Including your new compliance to finally fall in his arms. Again, in the most literal sense.

It wasn’t manipulation. Not in his eyes, at least. It was just a strategic move to push you in the right direction, and it worked remarkably well. He’s your reliable leader-turned-something-more, and you’re his most treasured darling he’d easily kill for. It would take a while for your relationship to actually be labeled, as Scott’s too emotionally constipated to decern his desires over the overwhelming urge to protect and have you. But after his caring words and affection touches garner the teasing of those around you — the ones that don’t find your dynamic concerning, that is — and he eventually gets comfortable enough to think of you as his partner. There’s no conversation between you two about it; he’s in love with you, and surely, you’re in love with him.

Because… why else would you be so obedient for him? You would’ve mocked and ridiculed him for being a control freak long ago, just like the others, but you never did. You listen to him. You do what he asks. You don’t talk back, or question his authoritative presence. The two of you really are made for each other, and this is what love is.

You love him enough to relinquish your control.

And that definitely doesn’t go unrewarded.

When it comes to the more sensual side of your relationship, Scott handles you with just as much care as he does outside of the bedroom. It’s all praise and delicate touches, and while he’s the one with the proverbial — or literal — leash, he does let you set the pace. Should you be more on the shy side, he’s careful to take things slow and reassure you that everything’s okay. He’s got you covered… he’s the sturdy pillar in your life, after all.

“I’m right here, love… everything is alright. Yeah, that’s it. Good (boy/girl/pet)… let me take care of you, alright?”

Like with everything else in Scott’s life, he approaches sex with strategic planning. He takes notes of what makes your back arch and pupils dilate, utilizing your preferences even outside of the bedroom to further incentivize you to behave (not that you have a history of rebellion; just remember that Scott “plan B implies we only have 26” Summers is a man of many precautions, and that includes romantic precautions). Is it generally frowned upon to get a little frisky in public spaces? Maybe. But have faith in Scott’s judgement, as he would never risk anyone finding out.

He’s got it all under control, remember?

Scott’s kinks are pretty limited, as sex is mainly centered around you, but we’d all be lying to ourselves if he wasn’t into at least a little bit of pet-play. I mean, come on. Obedience is literally the central point of this ask. What did you expect. Yes, he has a collar for you. If you’re not into it, that’s too damn bad. He’ll convince you that it’s a symbol of how much he loves and desires you. And, hey, if you wanna be the coolest person ever, wear it as an every day item. He also likes it when you kneel at his side, even in a non-sexual context, where you just have your head resting against his thigh as he goes over paperwork.

If you’re chill and funky, you’ll know to get on all fours for him the moment he says something along the lines of, “you’ve been so good today.”

But, again, sex mainly centers around you. It’s your reward for being good, so his pleasure takes a backseat to yours. It’s his responsibility to make sure you’re properly taken care of, after all. He’ll be sure to fulfill all of your desires as long as you promise to stay by his side.

[x0x0josephinex0x0]

touch-starved | min yoongi

we are going to ignore how every single one of my writings has nightmares in them, i personally experience very vivid nightmares on occasion so i guess art imitates life or whatever. also we're gonna ignore that this is the second bodyguard imagine i've written, this one was a request so it's a little less embarrassing but still is a little but not enough that i won't post it on the internet because i know y'all shameless too. here we have bodyguard!yoongi x celebrity fem!reader. warnings: stalking/stalkers (not yoongi this is not a yandere situation sorry), mentions of loneliness, a nightmare (obvs its me writing duh), horror movie mentioned...........idk if there's anything else but please do lmk

There is a soft knock at the hotel room door. You check the peephole to see Yoongi standing there, tapping rhythmically on his leg as he waits for you to let him in.

“Well, as far as I can tell, you’re not being followed,” he says as he enters, shrugging off his jacket and throwing it onto the chair by the sofa.

You sit on the sofa, rubbing your temples. “Well, that’s a relief,” you say tiredly.

“All this trouble for a guy you’re not even dating,” Yoongi says mildly, but he’s looking at you with his curious eyes, trying to gauge your mood.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever even talked to him,” you agree, flopping listlessly onto your side. “Remind me never to smile at anyone in public ever again.”

He smiles. “Or wear similar outfits, or go to the same places,” he adds, his eyes gentle. Then he leans against the sofa, facing the wall. “It’s not your fault, though.”

“I know,” you sigh. “You know, I kind of wish it was real,” you admit.

“Why? You like the guy?” Yoongi asks sharply.

“Not really,” you muse. “I mean, he is handsome. But it’s really that if I were in a relationship, it would mean that someone got close enough to me to like me.”

“I know you,” he responds indignantly. “And I like you.”

“You’re my bodyguard. You are paid to like me, so it doesn’t count,” you protest.

Yoongi shakes his head, annoyed. “On a good day,” he says scathingly, “I’d like you even if you weren’t paying me.”

“That’s the nicest thing you ever said to me,” you say, and the tension in the room dissolves as Yoongi gives you a smirk. “Who knew it would be so lonely to be a celebrity,” you say lightly, unable to escape a twinge of bitterness in your voice.

“It’s not all bad,” Yoongi reminds you, nodding out the massive windows at the spectacular skyline view.

You smile at the setting sun. “True,” you allow. “This part I like.” You watch for a few minutes as the sun sinks almost imperceptibly lower. “You must think I’m so spoiled.”

Yoongi shrugs. “I can see how there would be drawbacks. Personal privacy is a luxury that only poor people can afford.”

You tsk at him. “You’re talking in riddles again,” you scold. “It’s a condition at this point. You should really have it checked.”

He grins. “Just say you aren’t smart enough to understand,” he shoots back.

You chuckle, loving the back-and-forth. “Just say you have to pretend to be smart by using big words,” you retaliate.

He bows, his grin wider, as if to say, “you won this round”. “So,” he says, going to the mini fridge and popping a can of soda open. “What shall it be tonight, madame?”

You crinkle your nose in disgust at his butler-like tone. “Something spooky. In honor of fall,” you tell him, handing him the remote.

When he had become your bodyguard two years ago, at the recommendation of your agency, you had learned that he was required to work long into the night at your side. Feeling bad, you had started to watch movies every night when he came around so that he’d at least have something to do. Your relationship had come a long way — he had started out watching the movies from the back of the room, standing by the door, to now, sitting beside you on the sofa. This was representative of your relationship as well — when you had first met he was cold and professional, but now the two of you bantered back and forth in a way that was comfortable and easy. You really couldn’t remember ever feeling so comfortable with anyone, in fact.

It was hard to know when your less responsible feelings for him had begun. Truthfully, you suspected that you had just developed an unhealthy attachment to the only person you spent time around, but there were nights when you’d watch him writing in a little pocket-sized notebook, his long hair falling in front of his face, and imagine how it might have been if you’d met in a normal way — at a college somewhere, where he’d bring you a juice every day and help you study for exams. Now, there was barely a way to tell if what you felt when you saw him — that accelerated heart rate, that quiet thrum of energy in your mind — was real, or if it came from your own foolishness.

You watch him now — his face in the dying sunlight is so pretty you’re almost jealous, and the feeling in your chest pulses in a way that is almost painful. He turns on the TV and scrolls through shows until he finds a promising title: some horror film about an old woman in a spooky old house with a mysterious secret. As you begin the movie he has his arms folded, watching with veiled interest. But he notices the first time you flinch.

“Scared already?” he teases.

“You don’t miss a trick,” you say ruefully. “Pay attention.” You gesture to the screen.

About fifteen minutes later, there’s a knock at the door that corresponds perfectly to a jump scare in the movie, and you yelp in fright. Yoongi gets up, brow furrowed. “Are you expecting anyone?” he asks.

You shake your head no. He looks through the peephole and curses. “It’s your stalker again,” he grumbles, pulling out his cell phone. “Hey, Harvey,” he says, and his voice is calm, but you can tell he’s angry. “I need you to come up to the room and grab something. I was hoping it had already been taken care of.”

The voice of the hotel security team lead says something unintelligible, and Yoongi thanks them before hanging up. He slides the two chains into their places on the door and takes a door jam from his pocket, wedging it between the door and the floor. He grins at your wide eyes. “Don’t worry, milady,” he says, “he can’t get in even if he figures out how to unlock the door.”

“But what if he did get in?” you whisper, spooked.

He shrugs. “I’d kill him,” he replies.

“For real?!” you squeak,

“No,” he says with an eye roll. “But I would incapacitate him in record time. That dude is a wimp.”

He seems to notice you’re nervous, and his eyes soften. “Don’t worry,” he says quietly. “I’ll take care of you.”

When he sits back down, he sits closer to you than normal. Your legs are touching. You look at him quizzically and he smiles. “It’s a small couch,” he says, throwing an arm up over the back of the couch — not around your shoulders, but close enough that you’re blushing.

You try to focus on the movie, but you find that despite your anxiety, you’re beginning to nod off. Almost automatically, you find yourself leaning toward Yoongi’s warmth, and your head finds his shoulder. Giving in to the exhaustion, you find yourself in dreams.

It’s not long before the dreams turn dark. You have been prone to bad dreams as a result of your overactive imagination, but these are more solid than your usual nightmares — stealing from reality and stretching it so that teeth are too long, smiles are too wide, and the hands that reach for you are too strong. You wake up with a gasp.

You’re in your bed. You flick on the bedside lamp and put a hand to your chest, breathing deeply, still anxious. When a soft voice calls your name, you nearly jump out of your skin. Yoongi has poked his head into your bedroom, and is now looking at you in amusement. “It’s just me,” he says, stepping inside. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” you say, trying to recover, although your voice still shakes. “I just had a bad dream.”

He grins. “No more falling asleep to horror movies,” he says in a fake-stern voice. “Do you need anything?”

“I think I’d like if you stayed with me a minute,” you confess, your voice quiet, looking at your hands. You are more nervous he’ll say no than you are about the dreams.

When you finally meet his gaze, his expression is unreadable. He walks silently to the side of your bed and sits down beside you. You can’t help but admire how the lamplight casts an alluring shadow on his face before he does something unexpected.

He reaches out, and without looking at you, slips your hand in his.

You stare at him. He has never done this before — never touched you when he could avoid it. You’d always been grateful and a bit disappointed about this. You knew he should keep his distance and simultaneously wished he wouldn’t. To say you’re startled wouldn’t even begin to cover it.

And yet, holding his hand is soothing. You feel your fear fade away, and in a moment of boldness, give his hand a shy squeeze.

He looks at you, then at your interlocked hands. He takes a deep breath. “Well, I need to quit my job.”

This revelation is shocking. “Why?” you ask, suddenly panicked. “If I did something — I mean, I’m sorry if I crossed a line —“

He puts a finger to your lips. “You haven’t done anything wrong,” he says gently.

“Then stay with me,” you say, knocking his hand away from your lips.

“I can’t work for you when I feel the way I do about you,” he explains, almost in a pleading tone.

"What are you talking about?" you ask.

"I love you," he blurts.

You gape at him. "What?"

He blushes. "You heard me."

You look at his hand in your hand, and then back to him. "Are you serious?" you ask him, unable to keep a smile from your voice.

He rolls his eyes. "If you're just gonna make me keep repeating myself, this conversation isn't going to go anywhere." He stands up and places your hand back into your lap. "I'll give you some time to process."

You leap out of bed and follow him. "Wait a minute," you say, grabbing his hand. "How do you know you love me?" you ask him, your eyes searching his.

Yoongi blushes, but he looks a little pleased that you've grabbed his hand. "Well," he says, slowly digesting your question, "I think it's pretty easy to know. Of everyone I've ever met and spent time with, I've never enjoyed being around anyone the way I like being around you. Nobody makes me smile like you do, and nobody makes me crazier."

You blink. "Well, I feel all those things about you."

He raises his eyebrows. "You do?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I don't have many real friends," you explain, "but I'd rather stay in with you and watch movies than go out, or go anywhere really."

"You would?" he asks.

You give him a pointed look. "Now who's repeating themselves?"

He shakes his head. "I'm just shocked. Are you saying you love me back?"

You look at him, trying to find the answer yourself. Your heart is pounding harder than it did at any scary movie, and the heat of his gaze is making you feel flushed and squirmy. You struggle for words. "I --"

Yoongi throws his jacket and keys onto the couch, and in one swift movement he pulls you into his chest. He places his hand on your cheek. "What do you feel right now?" he whispers, his lips inches from yours.

"It's hard to know," you whisper back. "Completely crazy, but somehow calm. Entirely safe, but terrified. It's like I'm on top of something very high, but wearing a harness."

He gives you a tender smile. "That sounds like love to me." And then he kisses you.

You cling to him as he presses a kiss to your lips, then your cheeks and jaw and nose and forehead. Sighing in relief, you melt into his arms, enjoying the feeling of being adored. After he finishes kissing you, he holds you in his arms for awhile, running his hand down your back in soothing motions.

You carefully monitor your feelings as he holds you, realizing that after all this time alone, you could be a bit out of touch with them. You feel a lot of things -- wild and alive and a little dizzy -- but the undercurrent of your feelings is peace and quiet. It feels right.

"You do need to quit," you say suddenly.

He pulls back. "Why?" he asks, shocked.

"Because I do love you back, and I'm not about to pay my boyfriend to hang out with me," you say. "That's pathetic, even for me."

He laughs, tucking your hair behind your ear. "As you wish, love."

"You can hire your replacement in the morning," you say, kissing him again.

[rynrising44]

Danbeau vs. Valcarol: There is no competition. They both mean the world to me.

At around 6am while on my Zoo med rotation, I was running treatments and ruminating about Carol Danvers, as I normally do. I started thinking about Carol and Valkyrie, and then Carol and Maria, and then Carol and her relationship with Monica. I was thinking about a few posts I've seen regarding Danbeau vs Valcarol with some discourse over which one is right, and which one is wrong, and I found myself asking the question, "Why do you write about Valcarol so much? Why does their possible relationship mean something to you, when Carol and Maria literally started raising a child together, before Carol left?" and then it kind of hit me.

Carol died.

I knew this. It's something that drives a lot of my works, but I really just let it soak in:

Carol Danvers- the hot-headed, stubborn woman who never thought twice about doing something she knew was right- died. The light speed engine killed her. The Kree stripped her of her memories, revived her for the sole purpose of weaponizing her powers for their racist genocide, and then shaped her into a murderer. In the end, she beat Yon-Rogg's ass, saved Earth, and re-united with her family, but her memories were still gone. She left, not truly realizing what Maria and Monica meant to her; and then- due to a variety of poor decisions and an overwhelming sense of guilt- she never came back. She never really remembered, either.

Monica grew up.

Maria moved on- became a hero in her own right with SWORD. Kicked ass as a mother and as director of a freaking intelligence agency.

Fast forward a few decades, and here you have an anxiety-ridden, effectively immortal, still half-amnesic Superhero with a shit-ton of guilt and a self-sacrificing complex. Maria is dead, and Carol refuses to reach out to Monica, for fear of roping her into all of Carol's mistakes. She's running from planet to planet in a chaotic pattern of, "I need to make up for Hala. I need to make things right," and self-isolating herself as a form of punishment.

Enter Brunnhilde, a woman who literally self-isolated for like a thousand years on a murder planet. A woman who knows loss, who is extremely long-lived, and who drank to shove away her past, because she couldn't handle the memories. She's got a shitty history as well, filled with regret and poor decisions.

While Carol has no memories, Brunnhilde has too many.

Carol latches onto the past, Brunnhilde tries to ignore it.

While Carol is a nervous wreck of, "I have to fix it. I have to do better," Brunnhilde was the, "Maybe if I ignore everything, it'll go away," variety, that has now turned into the, "I am responsible for literal warrior children and a country full of theme-park goers. Oh gods, what have I done?"

They're both utter messes in their own right. They're both foils of each other: soft and hard, dresses and suits, expression and repression, patterns and solids, past and present, and to me, they just... fit. Maybe it's a combination of my own trauma that draws me to them. Maybe it's because I love a good tragedy, I don't know, but the thing I'm trying to get at is this:

I love Maria and Carol for who Carol was. For that fireball of a woman who never second-guessed herself. The person before the Kree, and Hala, and space- whose biggest concerns were proving the Air Force wrong, changing diapers, and finding a babysitter for Monica on date nights. Bars and alcohol and baseball caps. First loves and long drives with the windows rolled down. Two women with an equal lifespan, who could live and die together like normal, beautiful humans.

And I love Carol and Valkyrie for who Carol has become. An immortal PTSD-ridden warrior. Someone who second-guesses everything. Whose concerns now involve about a hundred planets, Titans, gods, Accusers, etc. She's nostalgic for the 90s. She wears god-awful crocs and yells at her cat. She's in a fake-relationship with a random Prince because she "felt bad" and hooks herself up to fracking pods every night because she clings to the past like it's all she has. Valkyrie tethers her to real life... shows her that healing is possible and encourages her to open herself up to others again, even if it hurts.

To me, both pairings are beautiful. Both are valid. Both have their place in discussions, fanworks, and canon, and in everything I write, I aim to treat them with love, respect, and devotion.

Because these three women absolutely deserve it.

[whitetulip25]

Can we talk for a moment how the writers butchered Rhaenys' character from the beginning till the end?

Like, she's presented like this type of a bored wine aunt being done with everything and everyone in her life, existing solely on purpose of throwing in "cool" pretensious girlboss one-liners. She's stripped down of any agency and power in her life. "My husband pimping out our 12 years old daughter to my decomposing cousin who happens to be king? Nevermind. He's trying to pass over his seat to Rhaenyra's bastard instead of one of our trueborn granddaughters? Guess I should obey. Oh, yes, and I will support her bastard's unexisting claim just because my lord husband wishes so, despite the fact of me having suspicions Rhaenyra had a hand in the death of my son. Oh, yes, and I will support Rhaenyra's claim to the throne because she's so noble and wants to prevent the war, unlike all these stupid men around us."

She was the voice of reason when she said that the war started with the eye incident, but other than that she's painted as a dull and hypocritical woman with no actual desires in her life. Instead of exploring political reasoning of the Velaryons being team black she supports Rhaenyra because "girl power, yay" kind of nonsense.

And let me tell you the funniest thing. All of her inspiring speeches about disgusting men lusting for a war were just for the fact that she went on the suicide mission just because.... she got emotional over Corlys' cheating? Like, really? The woman who'd been constantly yapping about poor women being oppresed by evil men and calling out Alicent of all people for being a the service of the latter basically died because of feeling rejected by her husband. Like, I don't know if it was the intent, but it looked exactly like this.

Also, I'm not a huge fun of f&b, but book! Rhaenys' death and the character overall was so much better. She fought fiercely, knowing perfectly well that there's no going back and perished honourably because she believed in her team's cause. And yes, she wouldn't give a flying fuck about Corlys' and Rhaenyra's bastards and certainly wouldn't promote the pseudo-feministic narrative "men bad, women good".

Also I just love how every single character and event is represented in the way that absolves Rhaenyra of any guilt. Peak feminist writing strikes again, yeepee.

On top of that this kind of character assasination is simply offensive and disrespectful to such an amazing actress as Eve Best, glad she's free in the end of the day.

[orbital-obvious]

Some Thought on the Second season (the parts I watched, anyway)

In no order in particular, really.

=> The scene in the first episode of Jace trying to report Rhaenyra about the forces he aquired but breaking down in tears due to Luke's death was amazing. It's the conflict between being royals/rulers and being people/family. It also gave us more info about the state of the upcoming war, and showed us the relationship between Rhaenyra and her son.

=> Could have done without the "Rhaenyra looking at the distance" scenes, though. There must be a better way to explore her grief.

=> We got to see Lord Stark!!! And get some Winterfell lore!!! and go see the Watch!!!! The North is my fav I'm so glad to get that little glimpse. Also Cregan Stark is the most Stark dude I've seen on this show(s). Hopefully we'll see some fun wild blood of the wolf moments from him.

=> "I want Aemond's head" *leaves* ok girlboss but maybe come up with a plan

=> Jace hair is just.... So much better. I love character development.

=> We were robbed for not getting the Green's reaction to Aemond's kinslaying, especially since they'll have to manage the fallout from this act.

=> I don't like sexual turn in Allicent/Cole relationship. Not because I blame Allicent or whatever, I just really liked how their relationship was not grounded in romance/sex (in a way, they were respite to one another from sexual pressures) but I guess "she was a woman, he was a man" writing logic wins.

Edit: you know what? I thing that the criston -allicent thing could have been really good if we saw them get to that point. They were boinking out of nowhere . Was there something I missed in season 1?

=> I can go off all the ways this show strips women of agency and the ability to want anything, and perhaps I will (once I finish the season), but for now I don't like how Mysaria was "poor unfortunate soul forced to introduce Daemon to B&C for her freedom" and not, you know, an active perpetrator in this.

=> LOL not Daemon confronting Rheanys about the dumb scene in the dragon pit from season 1. Yes. Rheanys could've ended this war with minimum casualties. It's not her fault she didn't, the writers just decided to blow up a meaningful scene in the dumbest way ever.

=> Also there is a lot of talk during this season about the smallfolk and how their opinion can sway who wins the war, which is good, but it's odd that Rheanys' dragon stomping, killing and maiming all those smallfolk doesn't ever come up.

=> Daeron's existence being confirmed in an offhand remark after not even being MENTIONED in the last season is the FUNNIEST moment in this show for me.

=> It feels really odd to me that Aemond is still visiting the women who essentially was forced on him as a child. Like. It's the same kind of logic of "Larys has foot fetish becasue his disability is based around his foot" and I don't like it.

=> A lot of people say "They killed the boy" was Heleana not caring about her son dying, but for me it was a perfect encapsulation of her unable to handle the immense pain she's in and trying to distance herself from reality. This and the funeral scene later show Heleana trying to process her grief through her neurodivergence.

=> Real talk: why did B&C have a dog?

=> Daemon in Harrenhall is my favorite storyline, sitting there having indie horror game esque visions and phasing in and out an unfortunate reality of having to do diplomacy. Chef's kiss.

=> Daemon saying "have you considered kinslaying" to a Tully boy whos motto is "Family, Honor, Duty" is so fucking funny. He is so freaking bad at this.

=> ALYS RIVERSSSSSS MY FAVVVVVVVVV "you will die here", refuses to elaborates, leaves. Yes brew blood cocktails to give Daemon nightmares. Yessss gaslight him into thinking its the bed.

=> Ok the plan of Rhaenyra to sneak and meet with Alicent was so... Cartoonish. Also highly irresponsible for the ruling queen to dissapear without a trace during a WAR. Worse of all, it was kind of boring, and cost us valuable time we could use to expand upon other characters.

=> Like I know Cole sent the twin with a similar plan but at least that was acknowledged as stupid by the narrative, and also had an explosive and emotionally satisfying conclusion.

=> LMAO at Otto complaining about Aegon as he was fired, alll the way up to and including when he was packing to go back to the Reach.

=> What team am I if I think Aegon is a legit Usurper but Rhaenyra is kinda boring?

[mychlapci]

I think ageswap au Prowl was definitely passed over by, like. MOST of high command until Sunstreaker and Sideswipe picked him up. Command is hearing about Prowl a lot more than most cadets and it’s never good. He’s mouthy, asks too many questions, won’t do what he’s told (or will seem to do it, but actually do whatever the fuck he feels like)—and it’s driving his sergeants insane. None of the other cadets seem to like him and at least a part of that is him getting them all in trouble, but even when Prowl tries his level best to connect with them he’s just. Transparently Other. He won’t go drinking period. Seems like he abhors parties. Lashes out easily and when Prowl apologized it’s usually Badly. The mech does like to race, but nobot actually wants him there and while not great with social skills, Prowl can tell. He’s a problem mech. Autobot High Command’s general consensus is that he’ll either wash out of training or scrape along and never accomplish much, no matter HOW good his test scores are.

Except Sunstreaker and Sideswipe go to actually observe this Prowl before writing him off. And what do you know, a lot of these behaviors are awfully familiar to two former, feral children turned gladiators. Prowl is… maybe the same age as his fellow cadets, but he’s YOUNG is the thing. Prowl claims to be a cold construct, but with Praxus destroyed there’s hardly any records left. That processor and the specialized hardware leaves mechs wondering, for certain. Whether or not it’s true is anyone’s guess, but no matter the case he definitely onlined right at the ugly end of Sentinel Prime’s reign. Destined for war with no other real choices. Frustrated and afraid and trying to find some kind of identity, only to routinely be told that said self is just not what anyone is looking for. It’s a familiar and very bitter pill for the twins to swallow, so they pick him up just to prove everyone wrong. Because if they deserved their chance, then this half feral mechling deserves one too.

I think even the twins are surprised at how well it works. Prowl’s never going to be a social butterfly, and he stays blunt and somewhat awkward no matter how hard they try, but he does better with a small group of concentrated “adult” attention. Much, MUCH later into their acquaintance Prowl will admit that much of his lashing out and mouthiness was just a poor attempt to seize any amount of control he could over a life where he was constantly afraid and had none. That he had convinced himself that if he could just control EVERYTHING then he’d finally feel okay. And also he’s sorry. Which, of course, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had already guessed. But they only pet and fuss over their trainee and say oh, how brave you are.

Of course, the twins toting Prowl around has exposed him to most of command. Who have found out that, actually, he isn’t a bad egg. He’s got plenty of potential, and just needs one-on-one attention he wasn’t getting before. Like, the second most of the old-timers met him, they went “Oh, he’s a KID.”

And that’s how it all got started (with kinky sex along the way)

You said it much better than I have... Prowl just needed a chance, a guiding hand. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe saw so much of themselves in his struggle for attention and power and agency. They were determined to prove that he's not "just a bad kid", he just needs a push down the right path!

[cosmiccowboystuddies]

the sunshine court notes

first things first riko needed to be brutally beaten to death, a shot was too quick

renee talked like a fortune cookie and it was pissing me off

i wish we got more of Wymack and Jean, it was very nice of him to get on the plane with Jean

jean immediately getting annoyed with basic life is really funny

jean is also really sassy and hilarious

also something weird happened in jeremeys house

my personally theory is that he had a sibling who died and his family thinks its his fault

like maybe an accident or maybe the sibling overheard something that they weren't supposed to and his sibling had to die as a result

whatever happened the butler knows about it and is trying to protect him

and whatever happened had to be bad because the act of dying his hair had his family ban him from the dinner table

neil believing his relationship with andrew as a strength his really good for his character, considering his mom was so keen on him not forming any connections

the fact that jean actually considered reaching out to his sister, only for him to learn that she was dead breaks me every time

and neil using her to force him into a belief that he doesn't deserve to belong to anyone but himself was a necessary cruelty.

i also like that Jeremey was the one who telling him about Rikos death was good

jean has no agency in the entire 1st act of the book, he is taken from the nest and basically held captive, then he is forced to go to the sunshine court, which he doesn't like but has to

the foxes all hide info from jean for his own good

and jeremey being the one to tell him is nice because jeremey is his first taste of freedom

jean talking about his abuse in such a casual manner is horrifying bc he thinks its so normal and its horrifying

" i didn't ask" broke me in so many ways because Jean doesn't particularly trust jeremey at the time, nor did it slip out while he was angry, he just said it so casually like it was normal

At first i felt bad for Lucas, but not so much anymore.

he was a sympathetic character who was trying to straddle a thin line of having faith in his captain and who he belives is a violent stranger and his brother who is not the same boy he know

but bringing Greyson to jean was soo fucking stupid it pisses me off

and the fact that jean wasn't even really fighting back, just trying to protect himself is upsetting

also the imagery of him punching the keypad over and over again just trying to get out is gutting

jean isn't a dog who bites, he's a dog who puts his foot to the fire because he believes that he is supposed to do

the water scene was sad as well because he was trying so hard to behave but physically could not

also Jeremey and really most people on the team meet his violence with unflinching kindness is really sweet

i also appreciate how jeremey doesn't force jean to talk about his trauma or even takes the notes from him, jean has had little to no control in his life since he was 15 and forcing him to talk about it when he wasn't ready would have made it worse

and jean asking jeremey to pretend was sweet and what was even sweeter when he did

jean learning to cook is nice as well because he needs life skills

theory for book 2: jeremey buys jean his freedom and jean becomes an exy coach ( more of a pipe dream i guess)

i also think Greyson will kill lucas

jeremeys saving grace being the thought of his sister deserving better is horrifying

i wish we got more of his relationship with Zane

neil is a real one because Jean compared Greyson to drake once, and Neil took care of it for him

jean being afraid of sleeping alone is so sad because he's basically been trained to sleep next to someone

and the fact that he has nighmares, but they are hardly mentioned, and jeremey is the one to bring it up is so sad

also kevin should have tried harder to reach out to jean

jean pushed away the foxes because he knew they would eventually leave him too

jean being steadfast in the idea that if he plays a good game he will have momentary peace is heartbreaking

jean holding onto his talent despite people thinking he slept his way to the top is also upsetting

i hope we get a zane and jean reunion bc i think they truly cared for each other

maybe kevin sends jean a postcard and a magnet and they can reconnect

also him realizing his very limited possesions have been destroyed made me almost cry

and the magnet scene with jeremey is very sad, but him realizing the magnets are broken make him realize that he is

kevin and jean still both being afraid of riko is telling bc riko is dead

let me know what yall thought... always willing to talk about all for the game.

[giggly-squiggily]

Ahh, does it make me cringefail if i talk about Franky twice in a row? Can you blame me? (You don't gotta write anything if you don't wanna! Just figured since we're sharing and all.... (ノ´∀｀*))

Considering his history with finding a partner, once he (somehow) sweeps [Y/N] off their feet, you bet he's gonna be boasting about it! EVERYONE is hearing about how awesome his partner is, how sweet they are, how skilled they are, etc etc..

ESPECIALLY Loid.

He tries to make it a competition between the two of them against Loid and Yor, but nobody else in either party really cares...

~💫Forgetful Anon (i guess we're sticking with that!)

(Headcanons to Dabbles: OFFICIALLY CLOSED)

Forgetful, my friend, my ally, my Franky-centric dabbler who brings me and the Fuzz so much joy; you are the farthest thing from cringe and this HC is truly precious! I love Franky both being so stupid in love and also just ridiculous it's a hilarious combo and I'm happy! I've gotcha covered! :D

“Hey there, Forgers! Have you met (Y/N)- wait, of course you have! They’re my partner now!” Your boyfriend announced with such glee- like a child who got their dream toy on Christmas morning. It was utterly adorable, if not a bit embarrassing.

“Yes, Franky. You’ve told us that- repeatedly.” Loid tsked with a small sigh, no real malice in his voice as he gave you a smile. “It’s always a pleasure to see you, (Y/N). I hope the trip here wasn’t too bad in this weather.”

“Oh no, it wasn’t bad at all! I’m used to this kind of thing.” You laughed as Anya ran over, taking your hand and bringing you to Yor. The three of you went about to the living room as Franky puffed his chest with pride.

“Aren’t they just amazing? Tough as nails, but sweet as candy! How’d I get so lucky to meet them?”

“Through me. And the agency.” Loid reminded, softening as he watched the informant swoon, head over heels in love. “You really do like them, huh?”

“Like? I’m so in love, Loid! I’ve never met anyone like them! They’re talented and smart and considerate of my time-” He paused briefly on that one, side eyeing Loid before continuing. “They always make me feel like I’m important, even when their plate is full.” He leaned in his arm as he watched you chat with Yor and Anya, laughing and smiling without a care in the world. “I owe you one.”

“You really don’t. I didn’t expect this to happen, but I’m happy for you both. Truly.” Franky eyed him suspiciously, but found no lie. He smiled after, lightly punching Loid’s arm.

“Say- we should do a double date soon. Maybe I can teach you the ropes on how to properly woo your lover~”

“No thanks.”

“Come on, I’m basically an expert on romancing people now!”

“You really aren’t, and I think I’m doing just fine with that.”

“I-” Franky raised his brows, not expecting that. Loid seemed to stiffen at the accidental confession. “No way, you’re-”

“Fuzzy head! Papa! Come play with us!” Anya’s cries of joy reached out to them, a pack of Bondman playing cards in her hands. “(Y/N) brought me a present!”

“We’re gonna play old Bondman! Is-is that what it’s called?” Yor asked as you grinned, lifting a shoulder.

“Sure- let’s go with that. Franky, you’re on my team.”

“Be right there, gorgeous! Winning couple reigns supreme!” He cried, laughing like a gremlin as he ran over. Loid shook his head with weary amusement, joining the party as Franky kissed your cheek.

He might be a bit of a show boater with this kind of thing, but his feelings were true. Franky clearly loved you, and to Loid; that was worth putting up with his informant’s antics.

[alice-the-brave]

“I guess,” Harrington shrugs, “I just – my parents, you know? They like to have things to brag about. Sports are about the only thing I’m good for.”

He says it like it’s easy, like its fact. Like he’s heard it a million times and it doesn’t bother him.

Billy thinks about him dropping out of the swim team, about the way he loiters about the pool, watching his kids and staying as far from the water as he can. Thinks about that last season he had on the basketball team, lackluster and disappointing. Cut short by a concussion that benched him for the last game of the season. The last game of his high school career.

A concussion that Billy gave him.

He remembers, too, the way he had talked about the kids, the way he said ‘people who care about me’ like he didn’t have anyone else. Like there weren’t any other options. Like they were all he had in the whole world.

            “Well, don’t forget about that pretty face of yours, Harrington,” Billy says, looking away, watching the kids, trying to see them the way Harrington might.

Harrington laughs at that, throwing his head back, and Billy can’t help but turn slightly to watch him.

            “Yeah, well, I guess I’ve got that going for me, huh?”

            “Sure,” Billy agrees, leaning over to pass him a coke bottle, “Popeye’s turning green with envy, man.”

Harrington snorts at that, reaching out to punch lightly at Billy’s shoulder before he takes the offered drink. 

“Listen man, it’s not that bad if I ditch the hat,” he says, leaning back against his seat and twisting off the cap, oblivious to the way Billy can’t help but watch the flex of his bare arms as he does, “It’s company policy, but, c’mon, Robin’s my manager and it’s not like she’s gonna call me out.” 

“She’s definitely gonna call you out,” Billy argues, “She likes to watch you suffer too much to let that slide. Besides, isn’t that unhygienic or something?” 

“Dude. You really think a dog bowl shaped hat is keeping any of our hair out of the ice cream?” 

“Hmm, yeah, maybe you should get a hairnet.” 

“A hairnet?” Harrington says, scandalized. “You want me to wear a hairnet? Seriously?” 

Billy can’t help but laugh at him, at the suburban house-wife outrage on his face. 

“Listen, man, it’s not about what I want, it’s about safe business practices.” 

“Does Scoops Ahoy seem like the kind of chain that cares about ‘safe business practices’ to you? Dude, Ballast Bubblegum is radioactive, I swear on my life. Nothing approved by the FDA should be that pink.” 

“Since when have you known what the FDA is?” 

Harrington’s smile turns a little wry at that and he takes a long sip of his coke, throat bared and bobbing. Billy adjusts his sunglasses just to make sure they’re still hiding him. 

“Been reading up on all those government agencies lately,” Harrington says, glancing at his kids again, eyes watchful behind his shades, smile placid, “Kind of required reading at this point. What’s with all the letters, anyway? Couldn’t they just name them something that wasn’t a pain to say in the first place?” 

“They’ve got to keep the uneducated masses from asking questions somehow,” Billy shrugs, “Making everything a pain in the ass to tell apart helps.” 

Harrington turns to him with raised brows, lowering his shades to look at him, expression delighted and surprised. 

“Billy Hargrove, are you telling me you don’t trust the American government? How unpatriotic.” 

Billy snorts at that, fishes a cigarette out of his shorts and lights up. 

Billy doesn’t trust the government for shit. He’s not stupid. Korea, Vietnam. The crazy shit that’s still coming out from the earlier days of the Cold War. He’d have to be braindead to trust the feds. The whole thing’s rotten from top to bottom, from the three letter pigs to Tweedledee and Tweedledum sitting at the corner shop in their cruiser. 

Neil had some cop friends back in California. They didn’t do shit about anything if it wasn’t a bank robbery or pushing someone around if they looked like ‘trouble’ – the criteria for which changed depending on the day of the week. Neil hadn’t even cleaned up his act around them all that much. More than that he knows the kind of laws they keep, the kind of things they do to people like him. The cops might not have been able to arrest him just for existing since ’76 but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t beat him to death for it if anyone ever found out. 

So, no, he’s not particularly a fan of Big Brother or whatever. 

But Harrington? He’s the kind of upstanding member of society that volunteers at the police station or on election campaigns. With his parents’ money and reputation, it wouldn’t be strange if he grew up to be some kind of small-town politician. 

Hawkins is the kind of place that really buys into the whole American Dream shit. Working husbands with stay at home wives and two kids with a dog kind of stuff. Wholesome, normal, respectable stuff. They trust the government here. Buy into that ‘serve and protect’ crap Billy’s always known better than to believe. 

But Harrington looks delighted by Billy’s casual rejection of it all, looks like he’s been dying for someone to agree with, someone who wouldn’t laugh nervously or call his mother. Someone who isn’t in fucking middle school. 

“I’m patriotic as hell,” Billy says, blowing smoke up to the sky, “I love beer and a hot dog as much as the next guy. Just would prefer if Big Brother wasn’t watching me take a piss.” 

“Yeah, okay, a real Yankee Doodle,” Harrington says, rolling his eyes, “Big Brother? That’s uh, from that book, right? With the eye.” 

“1984.” 

“Uh,” Harrington says, brow furrowing, “No? ’85? June 15th, it’s – it’s a Saturday?” 

Billy stares at him for a long moment, cigarette dangling from his lips, blinking slow. 

“The book, Harrington. It’s called 1984.” 

“Oh.” 

Harrington flushes, turns back to the water, fidgeting with his bottle. He’s got that same blush he had when Billy was bothering him at work, before Kathy ruined it, like he’s embarrassed. But not – not in a bad way. The line between embarrassment and humiliation is thin as a knife’s edge for him, but Harrington seems to walk it effortlessly. He knows how to be embarrassed without being particularly ashamed, knows how to not let it hurt. Not let it slip and cut too deep. 

“It was written in the 40’s or something,” Billy explains, “as a warning. About government overreach and war and shit.” 

“Yeah, well, that guy was on to something,” Harrington says, shrugging. 

“What, the FBI giving you trouble, pretty boy?” 

Harrington pauses, bottle halfway to his mouth, and cuts Billy a look over his still lowered glasses. 

Suddenly Billy remembers himself. Remembers that the FBI probably should be giving Harrington trouble. Billy knows that he’s an accessory to murder, at least. Knows that he didn’t seem too bothered about that. The kind of unbothered that makes Billy wonder if he’s been more than an accessory. 

Just because Billy doesn’t want to know doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t. 

They’d buried Neil in a patch of dirt somewhere up north, closer to Roane than Hawkins proper. The only Catholic cemetery around for a while. There had been a few graves there, fresh, dates ending in ‘83. The year before they moved here. The year Will Byers died and was resurrected, a cornfed Christ figure that no one seemed to rejoice except for his mother and his gang of nerdy apostles. 

Billy hadn’t asked about the strange number of corpses that cropped up that year.  

He doesn’t want to know. 

[shieldofiron]

Okay, so, following on from my ask yesterday, and after reading the wonderful, perfect fic you wrote, I was just wondering...

What if Billy mentioned to his good friend Eddie that he'd hired an escort to play out a fantasy about his high school crush and that he could give him the number of the place he used if Eddie was keen to revisit his fantasy about a certain blonde boy he knew in high school.

Of course Billy knows about Jason from talking to Steve and somehow (totally unexpectedly on purpose) Jason is the one that gets hired for the special job.

What then?

(see what you're doing to me? now i'm thinking munver stuff!)

This is a sequel to my Sex Worker Steve fic, you can read it on tumblr here and ao3 here for the full Boyfriend Experience. Sorry it was so late Guin, but I added this fic to ao3 too, here.

Folie à Deux

Eddie had never done this before.

Well.

That wasn't true.

He'd kind of paid a guy his first time, but he'd been too chickenshit to go through with it. Like it wasn't bad enough he was gay, he also believed in true love, believed in the moon and all the stars.

And so he'd moved to California. Found his moon and all the stars. Got dumped. Found him again. Got dumped again.

He'd run into Billy again, and it was like nothing had changed. Billy had a bit, he was a bit bigger, a bit softer. He'd been a pencil pusher then, working for a company that made home computers. Even hooked up Eddie with one, though all Eddie did was play games.

"Games..." Billy scoffed, "It can do so much more than games."

"I know. But games are why people will buy it," Eddie shrugged.

"Huh. Is that right?"

Now, Eddie didn't need to work at a diner any more. They'd sold their first game a year later to rave reviews, a fantasy action adventure game. Eddie'd written the story, and Billy had coded it. They'd made several more, and now he could buy that diner if he wanted, maybe ten times over.

And so this was his celebration. Or at least that's what Billy was calling it.

Billy, who was now suddenly all secretive, blowing off late night coding sessions.

"I got something off my mind," He grinned at Eddie over coffee in their office, "And I feel about 18 again."

"Yeah, what was on your mind?"

"High school crushes," Billy's grin widened. "You ever think about high school crushes?"

"Sure, I guess," Eddie shrugged.

"You ever think about Carver? What he's up to?" Billy's voice had that teasing lilt to it. Once upon a time Eddie had thought Billy was his moon and all his stars but they were too good as friends. Even when Billy was being an annoying ass.

Eddie rubbed his chin, "Sure. He's probably got a couple a kids now."

"So you have," Billy's eyes lit up even more. God, he was exhausting. "Thought about him."

Eddie shrugged, "Yeah, here or there."

"I gotta tell you, Eds, I did something kind of crazy last weekend, but I'm like... I feel so great."

Eddie frowned, "Was it cocaine? Cuz you're starting to freak me out, man."

"No. I kinda..." He laughed, "I hired an escort."

"What?"

"To pretend to be Harrington."

Eddie furrowed his brow, "You can do that?"

"Shit, yeah you can. You call and tell them what you're looking for. He even dressed up."

Eddie really wished he'd called Billy, because this conversation would be so much easier to have over the phone. A mix of humiliation, fascination, and reluctant lust washed over him like steam from a scalding cauldron.

"You can tell them... anything you want," Billy grinned, "Like... a school play."

Eddie exhaled shakily, "So that's what has you in this weird mood?"

"Kinda," Billy shrugged, "You want the number of the agency?"

Eddie swore he can hear himself begin to sweat.

"Because it got me thinking about what you said the other day," Billy picked up a donut and waved it in the air, "About how you wished you had the same creative energy you had in high school when you wrote like five thousand words a day or whatever you said."

"Eight..." Eddie croaked.

"Eight thousand a day," Billy raised one brow, "You owe me the final levels of Maze Crawler."

"I'm working on it," Eddie turned away, "And I didn't get laid in high school. That's how I was able to write eight thousand words a day."

Billy smacked his lips, "I'm just saying. It might change your life."

Eddie didn't say anything, but there was a post it stuck to his desk at the end of the day that said, "Ask for Angel."

And it wasn't like Eddie had to tell Billy that he got lonely a few nights later and called. This could be just for him.

"Hiya!" The girl on the other end smacked her gum.

"I'm looking for uh... Angel."

"Speaking," He could hear her grin through the phone. "What can we help you with?"

"Um... I..."

"Girl or guy, honey?" She asked pertly.

"G-guy."

"Okay," She giggled, "You got any preferences?"

"Um... yeah, I'm looking for a blonde. Kind of... maybe... like a jock type?"

She hummed.

"And I... my friend said you all take special requests?"

"Sure do," She chirped.

"Do you have a fax machine?" He asked.

"A fax....? Obviously not. But I got just the guy for you. Jackson will fix you right up," She snapped her gum, "Now you just tell me what you want, and go slow, I just painted my nails, I can't write so fast."

And so that's how Eddie found himself sitting on the edge of a hotel bed, rubbing sweaty hands against his jeans.

Jackson, apparently, was running late but he'd left a message at the front desk for his "brother" which is what they were apparently.

His stomach fluttered uncomfortably when he heard the key in the lock. He wasn't sure if he should sit or stand. He'd worked over the evening in his head like a million times, and still he hadn't thought of this moment.

And then the door opened, and everything drained out of his mind.

Blue eyes stared back at him, over a familiar sloped nose, the one that had always been so hard to draw. But Eddie had tried. Over and over.

"Hey babe," Jackson was supposed to say, but it came out in Jason Carver's voice, "You didn't have to wait up."

Eddie fumbled, embarrassment and confusion and lust and humiliation sucking him down like a tidal wave, "Ja-"

Jason shut the door, his eyelashes fluttering as he tossed a bag on the ground, and walking in, sure and steady, "You miss me?"

Eddie blinked, trying to remember his own script. But his head was blanking out.

Carver's face flashed panicked, and then smoothed out, "A gift? For me?"

This was when he was supposed to present the cash, lay it down on the dresser across from the bed, all smooth. He'd wanted to give it early, so 'Jackson' could relax. He hoped that this wasn't a hard night for him. That is he hoped, Eddie hoped, that he wasn't so ugly that the guy would have to grin and bear it too much.

But all of his confidence drained out of him, and he just shakily laid the envelope on the table, wincing.

"Thank you, babe," Carver said softly, just looking at it a moment before he shook his head, "Come. Get into bed with me, and tell me about your day."

Eddie feels so raw, so ripped open hearing that. Like Jason just burned off a layer of flesh and he could see deep inside Eddie, where all the rot lay just under the surface.

Because the script that seemed so clever in his mind with a stranger, the practice, the comfort of it... it was too much in the hands of the real person. Too powerful, vulnerable, obvious.

"You can cut the lines," He whispered.

A little steel shows under Jason's soft gaze. "Get in bed. Babe."

The last time they saw each other was at graduation. It was subdued, two of their own had died under the most suspicious of circumstances. But Max Mayfield was in the back of the crowd waving her cast in the air when Eddie crossed the stage, and that was because of Jason.

Jason who'd come to confront him, and ended up getting confronted by a newly undead Billy Hargrove and a panicked Lucas Sinclair. It had been Jason's idea to sing to her, and he was the reason Max was still alive.

Eddie moved towards the bed cautiously, his mind awash in the past and the present. He recalls so vividly Jason’s face that night, when they regrouped after the final battle and he’d come out of the house looking at Lucas and Max with such sadness but also such hope.

He always, just, believed in things. Eddie had lived forever on shifting sands, parents that wouldn’t show, promises that had been broken. He wanted to believe in things. And he had believed that Jason was back in Hawkins, happily married to a woman.

“How are you here, right now? Do you need money? Like for school or something?” Eddie asked.

Jason’s face flashed with annoyance, “Uh, yeah. Sure. I need money for school.”

“Because we don’t have to do this, ok?” Eddie cringed.

“You know, for someone who wrote a whole script for me about being your boyfriend, you sure are fickle,” Jason crossed his arms on the bed, “Not being a very good boyfriend.”

“We’ll, I’ve only ever… sort of done it before. So,” Eddie shrugged, “I was just imagining.”

“Sort of done it?” Jason frowned, shaking his head a little.

“My last boyfriend was married, so…” Eddie shrugged, “And the one before that… well, I called us boyfriends. He didn’t.”

Jason kicked off his sneakers, propping his little socked feet on the bed.

“I’ve never had a boyfriend either,” Jason said simply.

“How is that possible? You’re like… god, everyone’s wet dream,” Eddie muttered.

Jason looked more startled than flattered, even though he must have obviously known that from Eddie’s embarrassing script.

Jason frowned, “It’s hard to date. With my job.”

"Right."

Jason shrugged, "Now where were we?"

"Look, I really..." Eddie actually felt like he could cry, "Really don't wanna do this."

"Why? Just because you know the prostitute, suddenly you're too shy?" Jason said with a shrug, his face hard and unforgiving. "Look. It's fine. Though I kind of don't believe that all you want is this soft stuff."

"No because it's about you. So, obviously, I don't want to squirm in embarrassment all night." Eddie's voice shook. "Doubt I can even get it up."

"Me?" Jason snorts.

Eddie just shakes his head, "Look. It's fine. I know. You know."

Jason's eyes just flutter, and he looks down at his hand. "Oh. I'm Jason."

Eddie could only throw his hands in the air.

"I used to have this client, he wanted to call me by his exes name. So Jason's really common, I didn't..." Jason shrugs, "I didn't know. I thought I just... massively turned you off."

"You? Turn someone off?"

"It's been known to happen," Jason's lips twist into a smile.

Eddie's breath dries up in his lungs and he tries to say something, very unsuccessfully.

"So... Me huh?" Jason brushes a hand over his khakis. "After all this time."

Eddie's heart took another hit, but it's mired in confusion when Jason smoothly mounts his lap.

It confusing, arousing... it's awful to look up into those sky blue eyes. Like looking for the moon and all the stars on the brightest day of summer.

"Was this how you imagined it?" Jason whispered.

"No," Eddie admitted.

His clothes are quick work apparently. He feels almost paralyzed, even though he nods along with Jason's questions.

"Is this ok? Blowjob?"

He nods feverishly, yelping when Jason swallows him to the hilt in one go, his perfect pink lips resting against Eddie's pubic bone.

"Holy fucking shit," Eddie gasped.

Jason just hummed in response, swallowing around Eddie's cock.

He had his hand resting hesitantly on Jason's shoulder, his heart in his throat as Jason handily sucked all of his brains out through his dick. He's using his teeth just a little, and Eddie was gasping and panting like he was dying.

"Fuck... Jason... please... please..." He doesn't know what he's pleading for, he's lost the plot, and Jason's eyes glow neon. He has the thought that Jason's some kind of incubus, that he was stealing something from him.

Jason popped off with an obscene sound, "Can't stop."

Eddie coupld only moan in response, yanking Jason up and pulling him into a kiss before he can consider that he's crossing a line.

He slammed Jason into the bed and covers his mouth with Eddie's and... celestial bliss. Every bit as wonderful as the big bang, and just as terrible because it wasn't real.

Fireworks detonated up Eddie's spine, ten times as potent as the blowjob. He cradles Jason's face in his hands and pours all his heart into this.

Jason melts into him, throwing his arms around Eddie's shoulders and curling his hands into Eddie's hair. Pulling.

And then Eddie gets one single brain cell back and pulls back, panting, "Sorry. Is it ok? To kiss? Sorry. Sorry. FUCK! I'm sorry!"

Eddie turns away, sitting on the edge of the bed, with his stupid dick out. Jason doesn't move, still lying on the pillows.

"It wasn't like I imagined," Jason said softly.

"What?"

"I thought... one day you would see me on the street. Like... wow, how are you? How've you been?" Jason's voice was as soft as the whisper of sheets like... everything Eddie wanted but better. "And I'd ask you out. Or you would ask me out. And it would just be... nice."

"Me?" Eddie says softly, turning over his shoulder.

"You. After all this time," Jason had his eyes on the ceiling, but he there were tears dripping down his cheeks. "Not like this. Not..."

"Hey," Eddie reached out hesitantly, brushing their hands together. "It's okay."

"I'm not l-like Steve," Jason jerked his hand back, and Eddie doesn't even know what that means.

"Okay. Listen, Jason."

"I didn't want you to see me like this," Jason buried his face in his hands.

"Like what?"

"Like... this," Jason mumbled.

"Is something... I mean... Jason. Just look at me, can you?"

It took a moment, but Jason slowly drew his hands back, looking up at him with red rimmed blue eyes.

"I don't care that you do this for your job. Clearly, I would be the worst sort of hypocrite if I did," Eddie said. "And I don't understand why you keep talking about Steve? Do you mean Steve Harrington? But... Jason. Jason."

He wrote for a living for fuck's sake. So why couldn't he think of any word to say other than Jason's name. Reached out and cradled Jason's jaw, whispering his name to the space between them, whispering against Jason's lips.

"Jason," Eddie whispered, "How've you been? How are you?"

Jason looked raw when he pulled back, his normally cocky face open and vulnerable.

He swallowed, and Eddie could feel his throat move under Eddie's hand. They stayed like that a long moment, hands grasping each other's faces, just staring.

"Okay. I'm not sure I like my job though. But I love my roommate," Jason whispered. "Steve. He started dating this guy from school, you remember Billy Hargrove?"

Eddie chuckled, brushing their lips together, "That bastard. I should have known when he started talking about how I should call up this escort and do this... roleplay thing. They set us up."

Jason's breath shivered against Eddie's lips.

"Really?"

"Yeah. He knew I had..." Eddie swallowed. "The worst crush on you. The most... astronomical crush."

Jason curled his hands into Eddie's hair, "Keep saying things like that."

"This isn't... like... this... this isn't a part of it right? All of this?" Eddie said, terror striking his heart for a moment.

Jason snorted. "I kept on script better than you. I just... no this isn't a part of it. I'm good at the boyfriend experience, usually."

Eddie hummed. "I bet you are. Look at you, so perfect."

Jason shook his head. "Perfect. J-Jesus, no way."

"You said to keep saying it," Eddie shrugged. "I like you. Think you're perfect. Get the fuck over it, Carver."

A scowl that Eddie remembered all too well flashed across Jason's face, but Eddie kisses it away.

"So... this isn't a part of it. It's real... right?" Jason whispered, stroking Eddie's hair.

"It's real for me," Eddie whispered back. "We don't have to..."

"I'm all prepped. And I'm," Jason coughed. "On prep. Tested. I'm absolutely religious about testing."

Eddie smiled. "Religious, huh? I bet I can get you praying again."

Jason's smile was slower, like night falling over a bright blue sky.

"I bet you can. Eddie."

Eddie closed his eyes. It wasn't like he imagined, not at fucking all. But it was Jason, still. Eddie'd built the sun and moon and all the stars on much less than this.

It was a little awkward, fumbling with Jason's khakis and belt so he could finally get his hands all over his perfect body. It was a little older, pale stubble dusting his cheeks. Eddie nervously pulled his shirt down over his own small ponch, but Jason ignored him, tugging it over Eddie's head and smoothing his hair back into place, hands sure and steady.

"You're so stunning. Feel so... perfect," Eddie mumbled, stroking Jason a few times and watching the flush spread across his face.

"Want me to do anything-ahhh- special-don't stop," Jason squirmed.

"No, I want it just like this," Eddie pulled Jason's knees up, digging in his pocket for the condom and rolling it on.

"Missionary?" Jason frowned.

"Not like you imagined?"

Jason shook his head and Eddie leaned in, rubbing his cheek against Jason's ear, "Next time, I'll fuck you hard and rough. Slide you across the bed, push your face into the covers... and afterwards tell you you're perfect, show you just how much I've been thinking of you, just like this. But for now, Jason, Jason, let me see you. Wanna watch your eyes when I fuck you."

He was heaven to enter, eyes widening, nails clawing, knees trembling.

Eddie does lose his mind a bit there, squeezed into scalding heat, blue eyes like an incubus's stare. He fucks Jason up the bed until they slam into the headboard, until Jason's screaming, red faced, coming across his own belly with stuttering gasps.

And afterwards, big blue eyes trained on Eddie's face, so trusting, so soft and open.

He was everything, everything. Jason, the sun, the moon, all the stars, after all this time.