#i haven't gotten much reception about them

[bokettochild]

So the thing about a lot of Prince! Legend reveal fics is that they miss out on all the juicy bits of the aftermath. Warriors thinking of Legend as like this secretly honorable, noble person who should be protected as he carries the precious blood of Hylia

And then Legend tells Warriors to piss off and wins a battle competition for best trick shot kill and Warriors has to reconcile both images of Legend in his head

Legend meanwhile sees Wars treating him differently and is paranoid about waking up with a knife in his back bc he's a stain on the Royal legacy due to being a boy/raised as a commoner/rude

And then Sky wants to connect to Legend as family and Legend wants to stay away from any reminders that he's royalty

And his Hyrule! Have the guards gotten over the mind control and respect him but he doesn't trust them still? The royal knights he grew up knowing and trusting until his first adventure? Do the villagers of each town acknowledge him? Do they know there's a prince but not that it's Link? Do they think of him as a rags to riches story or as a class traitor?

There's so much good shit I don't see explored a lot in the prince!legend headcanon that I would love to see and so I'm excited about you seemingly want to focus on this rather than just the shock value

I'm so glad you're excited! I actually haven't seen the poll results yet, but the reception in the comments/tags has been overall very positive and encouraging, so i think i'll probably be writing this thing LOL

There is a lot of change I want to explore with the fic, but while fluff is a must, I probably will touch on the heavier aspects of what Legend's being a prince would mean for him, Hyrule, and the systems in his world in general.

I sort of like the idea of his lineage being an open secret to those who knew him growing up because he's a dead-ringer for the late queen, and since he never knew that, he's never made an effort to hide it. While there might be some who think of him as a class-traitor, I don't think it would be that many of them, since he does work for a living, doesn't live like a prince by any stretch of the word, and never puts on airs or treats the people of Hyrule like they're below him. He's hard working, helps anyone who asks, and generally is a decent guy, so the people who are most affronted at his existence would probably be other nobles/religious folks.

Wariors and Wild will probably both be having a lot of conflict with trying to reconcile the ornery vet to a prince, especially when he is still very much a teenager, but I think, since Sky and Legend are pretty close already in cannon, they'd come out okay.

My take on Sky probably doesn't care much about the royal part of things, just that Legend is family, and considering most of Legend's family was killed by Ganon, I think he'd enjoy having that.

Anyways, the shock factor will probably play a role, at least at the start as everyone finds out, but yes, I want to go beyond just the initial realization we all like playing with and actually dig into the world-building and dynamics and how Legend's being a prince effects all of that!

[kiyaedits]

I might not do those color palette challenges for a while either... I did 5 so far and wanted to do another but...

[arklay]

MR. & MRS. WESKER 🤍

i was able to commission the lovely @rcehb-art on twitter for this piece of diana and wesker during their strange after-the-fact reception for their very private wedding. i am just so in love with this and how it turned out, and i can't thank rc enough !! she is so kind and amazing to work with and i can't recommend her enough if you're looking to commission artwork ♡

[imfinereallyy]

Steve always tells people "I love you" before saying bye to them. Maybe it's the years of Upside Down trauma, worrying that these words could be his last. Maybe it's the fact his parents never say it before leaving (if they even bothered to say anything to him at all). Maybe it's because each time his parents were away he thinks that this might be the time they never come back, and he isn't even sure if they love him. Maybe it's due to his years of King Steve, hurting others more than loving.

It doesn't really matter though, the why. What matters is that Steve has made it his mission to always do it before his goodbyes (especially after round three of the Upside Down). Always making sure to even say a quick "Love you! Bye!" as he is rushing out the door.

At first, everyone is a bit put off by it. Especially Nancy who at first thought it was a love confession until Steve turns to Jonathan and says the exact same thing. The kids think he's being gross and mushy, even an exasperated "mommmm" is thrown in his direction every once in and while. Robin is the only one who is receptive to it right away. A soft, "love you too dingus" she says to him, no matter if they are attached to the hip or in a screaming match that day.

Eventually, though, everyone accepts this as Steve's new normal. Gentle smiles, light snorts, and bruising punches (thanks max) are the responses given. But then after round four of the Upside Down, everyone seems to now embrace this part of Steve. Never forgetting to say "I love you too" in return.

Steve's heart comes a little closer to healing each time.

Steve only begins to realize it's a problem though when it comes to Eddie.

Steve finds that Eddie is the only one he has to resist saying it to. See, Steve over the years has become better at providing verbal affection. Note, his "I love you's" had blossomed into "I am proud of you" and "I'm worried about you" and so much more. He has grown out of the years of repressed emotion (well, he was actively learning to at least).

What Steve hasn't gotten better at is touch. Steve yearns for it, craves it in fact, but can't find it in him to reach out. His fear of rejection is too great. And Steve's friends don't really give out touch to those who don't actively seek it.

Eddie though may be the touchiest person he has ever met. It's small stuff at first.

A shoulder brush.

A clap on the back.

A poke in the ribs.

But then it soon turns into bigger stuff.

A boop on the nose.

A tug at his hair.

A goddamn hug from behind.

It's overwhelming, it's intoxicating. Steve can't really tell if it's good or bad for his health. And Steve knows if he asks Eddie to stop he will. Despite his touchy tendencies, the guy understood boundaries. But the problem is that Steve doesn't want him to stop.

The problem is that Eddie's constant physical affection is starting to collide with Steve's need to express verbal affection. The problem is Eddie is starting to fill the rest of the void in his heart. The problem is Steve...

The problem is Steve has to stop himself from expressing his normal "I love you's" because he knows it will mean something different, something more this time. He knows everyone will notice the difference after their years of hearing him say it.

So, Steve never says it to Eddie.

It's no biggie really. Or so Steve thinks until Eddie corners him in the kitchen during one of their game nights.

"Steve, do you...do you have a problem with me?" Eddie asks shyly, staring down at his boots. It was an odd look on him as Eddie was normally larger than life, commanding a room. It hurt Steve to see him like this.

"What? Why would you think that?" Steve asks shocked.

"Not really a no, Harrington." Eddie chuckles darkly, "And don't think I didn't notice but you kinda have a hangup about saying I love you to everyone except me. And ya know, I wouldn't really be offended really if it was cause we haven't known each other very long and ya know, cause I'm a guy. But then, I see you saying it to Argyle. Real easily in fact. And it wouldn't bother me if it was because we weren't close, but Stevie—" Eddie's voice cracks a little, as he slips into his nickname for Steve. Steve knows now, how serious Eddie is being. "—you've gotten to know me better than anyone in this whole stupid state. And that's including Wayne. Hell, you might even be my best friend even though I'm not yours. I'm not delusional I know no one can knock Robin from that spot." Eddie is rambling so hard that he gives Robin a run for her money. Steve thinks for a moment, that the two have been spending too much time together.

Steve stays silent as he walks towards Eddie to stand directly in front of him. Eddie continues without noticing. "Then I worry, it's because maybe. Maybe it's because you found out that I am gay. And that, you had a problem with that. That you have a problem with me." Eddie's voice starts off shaky but then turns into steel as he finishes. He makes sure to keep direct eye contact with Steve, driving his point.

Steve first thinks, wait Eddie's gay? Then Steve processes everything, panics, and loses his filter completely. Throws his worry about losing his best friend (don't tell Robin, but she's his soulmate so she'll forgive him) out the window, and throws his heart on the table instead. "Jesus, no Eds. I—shit. It's not that at all. Like I don't care about that stuff. You know that. I love Robin regardless."

Eddie gives him a look that screams, we both know why it's different. Steve pushes forwards anyway. "And it's not that I don't want to say it to you. It's just, it's different okay. Like with everyone else, I don't have to worry about it being bullshit. And god that sounds bad, but I don't know how else to say it. And I just know if I say it, if I say it you'll just know it's different, and then you'll hate me and it's one thing for the others to not say it back at first, but I think it might kill me if you didn't. And that's not fair to put that pressure on you." God, now Steve could give Robin a run for her money.

"Sweetheart—"

Steve cuts him off, he knows if he doesn't say it now he won't say it all. "God Eddie if you knew how much I cared—if you knew how much I worried every time you leave. If you knew how much I worry about how I don't say it to you when you leave, how I might not ever get to say it, it would terrify you, Eddie. This isn't a normal amount of affection. This is like—what's the word—astronomical amounts of affection. Cause Eddie, it takes everything in me every single time you walk away to not say I. Love. You."

Steve hears it, how he says it. He knows how it's going to sound before it comes out. How it's different. How it's more. Steve closes his eyes in shame.

Eddie's hand cups Steve's cheek. "Baby."

The hush, but the firm tone makes Steve open his eyes. Eddie has gotten so close they are breathing the same air. Steve's heart stutters.

"Baby," Eddie says again, before giving Steve the one affectionate touch he hasn't gotten yet.

A kiss.

A soft, heartstopping kiss. A kiss that has Steve's soul bursting at the seams.

Steve leans his forehead against Eddie's, feeling content for the first time in weeks. Knowing this was Eddie's way of saying it back.

Though, the delicate "I love you too." that Eddie whispers against Steve's lips doesn't hurt either.

Not even a little bit.

—

sometimes I set out to write a quick little thing…and sometimes that little thing turns into a big thing. enjoy :)

p.s. I apologize if there are any tense changes, I wrote this at 1 am lol

[honeipie]

plsplsplspls make the toast a series 😭

NATURALLY

izuku midoryia x reader

synopsis: going somewhere old to start something new

authors note: your wish is my command! i’ll probably make one more part beacause of one line i specifically wanna use LOLL

one | two | three | four

"izuku" inko's voice was light, but stern as she carried two mugs over to the small coffee table in her apartment. the same apartment that he had grown up in. of course, he had tried to buy her a house as soon as he received his first paycheck, but she refused. insisted that she didn't need much room for just herself. plus, she loved the little bursts of nostalgia she would get every so often from doing simple things. like making izuku's favorite cookies in the kitchen, or even walking by his old room which she kept perfectly intact. if someone walked in there they might've thought that he was still a teenage boy, but he wasn't.

there in her living room sat her son in his early adulthood. he almost took up half of the loveseat due to the growing muscle on his body. though even due to his increase in size, he shrunk down hearing his mother say his name.

she sat down next to him placing the mugs right on the coasters he had set out "you haven't answered my question"

izuku brought his two fingers up to rub the bridge of his nose "no, we're not together anymore" he mumbled in embarrassment and shame. it never felt good to tell anyone a relationship they invested time and money into didn't end up working out.

she frowned placing a hand on his back to rub slow circles "you got divorced after one week? izuku that can't be right.."

"no, no we didn't get divorced. we were actually, um" he was trying to figure out how to word this correctly to where he didn't sound insane "we were never officially married"

she stopped rubbing giving him a skeptical look "izuku what do you mean you were never married?"

he sighed leaning his elbows against his knees "we were supposed to sign the official marriage papers during the reception in front of everyone then send them in the next day. after that fight though? we just decided to not do it anymore"

"how did the press take it? i haven't seen anything"

"the press didn't know about the engagement or the wedding thankfully. we wanted a peaceful time to plan the wedding. they’re posting a breakup message for the both of us later today though. better to nip it in the bud now”

she nodded her head going to resume in rubbing his back "so when did you officially decide to call it off"

"yesterday"

"any specific reason? or a buildup of many?"

he paused for a moment, mulling over the answer "she would say one specific reason. i would say it built up over time" he shook his head in disbelief "couldn't even agree on that"

"what would she say the one reason was"

a lump caught in his throat at the question. such a simple fucking question that he didn't want to answer. but he knew if he didn't she would be a pain about it.

"y/n"

inko hummed at the very familiar name. you had been over mulitple times in the past years with and without her son. the two of you had grown close and she was like a mother to you. honestly, she had wished that izuku had gotten with you in the first place. would've saved a lot of time and trouble.

"well.. was she a strain to your relationship"

izuku scoffed, almost offended she even asked.

"she was never a problem for me-"

"well of course she wasn't a problem for you. that was your best friend"

"exactly! if uraraka couldn't understand that then it couldn't have worked between us. y/n was one of the first people to believe in me. i owe her a lot and i can't just let her go like that"

inko moved her hand from izuku's back and went to hold his hands instead "face me honey" izuku shifted his body so he was now facing his mother. growing older everyday, but still the strong woman he remembers when he was younger "i just wanted to apologize. for not bring able to give you a normal childhood with two parents in the home"

izuku's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion at her sudden apology "where is this coming from? mom it's fine. you did the best you could and i appreciate that more than anything else you could've done"

she patted on of his hands with a smile "i know you do sweetheart. but i'm mostly apologizing because you couldn't see what a real marriage consists of. the person you marry is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, but the easiest at the same time. love isn't enough to hold a marriage together, you need to be best friends before that. when you love someone on a surface level all you want to do is make sure they're happy. they won't tell you if something is bothering them. they'll follow you blindly into anything. when you marry your best friend you hold them accountable because you want to see them succeed in all that they do. it might make you fight sometimes, but at the end of the day it's worth it. because you have someone by your side you know that will stick it out with you for the rest of your years to come. that's what a marriage should be like"

".. so you're saying i should marry y/n?"

"i'm saying give it time. you don't need to jump back into another relationship immediately after this. what you should be doing is taking time to reflect on what you want, and when you're ready, how y/n makes you feel. and if you do feel something? let it flow. what happens will happen naturally”

---

the smell of hot glue filled your senses as you picked up a seashell from your pile. currently, you were at inko's house doing your monthly crafting sessions. who cares if you hadn't talked to izuku in four months? at least you had his mom.

last month the two of you had went to the beach to crochet, and ended up walking along the beach picking up seashells as you talked. that's when she let you know about the unspoken details of the breakup. you tried to hide your feelings with a stoic face and a simple 'wow'. though inko wasn't buying any of it.

she was currently letting you in on all the work drama she was currently having "i don't know why they want to get in my face like i'm the problem. ma'am, you have an STD, i'm a pediatric nurse. please let me do my job"

you threw your head back in laughter which drowned out the sound of keys jingling in the door.

"hey mom? i got those vegetables you were talking about. don't these tomatoes look fake?" he stopped mid-sentence seeing you sitting there on the floor with the same expression.

"oh no, i must've double booked you two" inko got up taking the bag from izuku's hands "you see every month y/n and i do crafty stuff together and it happened to land on the same day i told you i would make the stir fry"

you gave izuku a quick smile before turning from his lingering gaze "it's okay okaasan. i'll come back another day so we can finish it" you started to gather your things, but inko shook her head "you are staying for dinner. this recipe cooks for four and i am not eating all these leftovers"

you wanted to argue, but knew it would fall onto deaf ears "okay then"

“izuku honey. finish mines while i start on dinner”

“alright” he went to sit on the couch, knee almost brushing onto your shoulder. izuku watched as you placed one of the shells onto your frame carefully. getting the idea he started to do the same exact thing.

you could cut the tension with a knife. silence wasn’t something you were particularly used to with izuku.

“heard you and ochako broke up”

and at this moment he could start listing the things he loved about you.

1. you weren’t afraid to be blunt with him

both of his eyebrows raised and he blew out a puff of air “you don’t hold anything back”

“never did, never will”

he chuckled at your words glancing over at you. there was a slight smile on your face he could tell you were trying to hide. there was a slight slump to your shoulders though as time went on.

he continued with the project figuring he would wait until you spoke again.

like clockwork you turned looking directly into his eyes “can we talk?”

2. you made room for open and honest communication

he nodded placing the picture frame down carefully “yeah, unplug the hot glue and we can go in my room” you nodded unplugging the glue guns and heading over to his old room. he followed after you but not before turning back to his mom “we’re gonna talk”

she gave him a nod, but then quickly turned around when it finally registered “talk? like the talk? the talk so that you two can get together so i can finally have grandbabies talk?-“

“if i say yes will you stop it with that?”

“yes”

“then yes that talk”

she shooed him off into the room as if it was him holding them up. he rubbed the back of his neck while walking inside. with the other hand he closed the door with a soft click.

“how much of that did you hear?”

you shrugged going to sit on the bed “i didn’t hear any of it if it makes you feel better”

“it does actually” he sat himself down next to you with a huff. kirishima would probably kick him right now for how unmanly he’s being. forcing you to step up and take charge of the situation. he just wanted to test the waters out and see how you felt first.

“i guess i just wanted to catch up. really see how you’re feeling. cause i know you posted on the media you ended everything on good terms, but is everything really okay? i mean you broke up with the woman you thought you’d be spending the rest of your life with. it’s okay to be upset”

3. you genuinely cared for him no matter what

“i-“ he cleared his throat from the unexpected voice crack that had arose “sorry, i’m pretty fine now actually. i just feel guilty for making ochako feel embarrassed about the whole situation. other than that.. i really don’t think we were meant to be anyways”

“what do you mean you didn’t think you were meant to be anyways? why’d you propose in the first place then?”

he shrugged taking off a loose strand on the all might themed duvet “i don’t think i knew what marriage was about. but i was informed very recently on what it is about and my vision changed” he watched as you turned to look at him with eyebrows raised.

“oh yeah? changed to what?”

“you”

your playful demeanor dropped immediately. his words truly sinking into the both of you. he attempted to scoot closer to you, but you backed away hesitantly.

“izuku we can’t do this. where you break up with ochako and come running to me? i’m not a second choice you know that right?” this is what you had always wanted, but at this moment it didn’t feel that way. with the current circumstances how else were you supposed to feel?

izuku’s eyes widened when he heard that and redness quickly creeped up his neck. he held both hands up shaking his head “that’s not it i swear! you were never my second choice. in fact, you were always my first. i could just never admit it to myself that maybe, maybe we could make it work romantically. i- i am attracted to you and everything like that! maybe i was with uraraka for so long that i didn’t notice what was right in front of me”

your throat had gone dry. was this really happening? the boy you’d been crushing on for eternity is finally asking you out after leaving his longtime girlfriend. totally normal, and totally not a chance you were willing to give up.

you wasted no time grabbing both of his cheeks and pulling him down for a kiss. startled was an understatement as he felt his lips connecting to yours. though as he realized what was truly happening, he wasn’t complaining. he shut his eyes moving one hand to your cheek and the other on your waist.

despite the quick start, the kiss was soft and slow. tongues gently brushing together in steady movements. when you pulled away, there was a goofy smile on your face. izuku trailed more kisses from your cheek, to your jaw, right down your neck.

4. you were a damned good kisser

“you’ve got a lot of work to do. i hope you know that”

izuku hummed nodding his head “i’m willing to work for it”

“hm.. izu?”

“yeah” he mumbled clearly not wanting to your time be interrupted.

“i’m not saying this doesn’t feel nice, because it does, but can we save it? for one your mom is on the other room. and two? all might is staring dead into my soul”

he pulled away face bright red turning to the poster you were talking about. there he was in all his glory. all might standing there in his signature hero suit, beady blue eyes staring directly at the viewer. izuku turned back to you not being able to contain his laughter. you were right behind him leaning your head on his shoulder in a fit of giggles.

5. you were his best friend

taglist! @sagejin @crybabyl0l @yoihoshi-maki @reads-stuff-quietly @aejabba @valenspuppy @v3n7s 🫶🏾

let me know if you want to be added!

[yayakoishii]

Hello, I’ve loved seeing all of your One Piece content recently! Could I request a Sanji and a fellow straw hat reader who recently got married? I saw something recently about how once Sanji gets married, there would come a moment where someone would call ‘Vinsmoke’ and both would turn their heads and it would just cause Sanji to get emotional because he finally shares a last name with someone who doesn’t see him as worthless. Someone who instead looks at him like he single-handedly placed every star in the sky. If you don’t end up writing this that’s alright, I at least wanted to share this little scenario.

Vinsmoke | Sanji x Reader

Fandom: One Piece

Pairing: Vinsmoke Sanji x Reader

Word Count: 600

Genre: Fluff, minor angst?

A/n: *laughs in still haven't read past Ch. 526* Hey there requester <3 Firstly, I'm happy to hear you enjoy my writing! Thank you so much for this absolutely lovely request. You actually requested it when they were closed but I found it too cute and wanted to write it– even though I haven't reached that part in the manga yet. But, I wrote based on the things I learnt from fanfics (and whatever I got spoiled about, lol) so this might be inaccurate? I would have loved to expand but I need to know the entire backstory properly before I could do that TT Still, I had a fun time writing this cute drabble! Hope you enjoy it ♡

also available on ao3!

Sanji woke up to the most beautiful sight in his entire life– you lying next to him, curled up against his chest from where he could see your hair spilling over the pillow and your relaxed face. This was the sight he was going to wake up every day to, from now on, and the thought of it made him feel like the most blessed man on Earth.

You shifted a little, burrowing closer into him, as if you two were already sticking to each other. He could feel your skin on his own, reminders of the night before but all he could feel at the moment was overwhelming love. He couldn't hold back when he saw your hand with a ring come up to lie above his heart. The choked off sound he let out woke you up, and you looked up at him with sleepy puffy eyes.

"Sanji…?" You mumbled, humming in contentment when he wrapped you up in his arms. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, my love," he said quietly, gathering you into his arms, his own wedding band grazing your back as he did so. You shivered at the sudden cold touch but looked at him with dopey eyes full of so much love that he felt blinded. "Just thinking of how lucky I am."

The two of you eventually rolled out of the hotel bed and got ready to leave for your trip. You were on your honeymoon, a week long trip to a famous vacation island that had a lot of fun activities. Sanji had gotten ready first and gone down to the lobby to discuss something with the staff. You hurried up and joined him there after you had made sure that all the marks he left on you were hidden well under your clothes. You were not embarrassed by them – but you were also a private person who preferred to keep certain things to yourself. The love Sanji made to you was something no one else has to see or know. It was something just for you to experience.

You checked out at the reception since you had the room key and were about to make your way to Sanji when the hotel staff behind you suddenly called out, "Vinsmoke-san?"

"Yes?" You turned around automatically, feeling a little giddy. You had been preparing for this ever since Sanji proposed to you. To be called by his name, to be called his…

You didn't notice Sanji's reaction because of your own thoughts. The blonde had turned to answer the call only to be left dumbfounded when he realised the staff had called for you. You, who were now Vinsmoke (Y/n), had replied back with so much ease, like you had been answering to it your whole life.

And it was like someone had pulled his heart out of his chest and clenched it– it was both painful and pleasing to him that you were a Vinsmoke now. The first one to always be by his side, the first one to protect him even though he was clearly no longer the weak boy he once was. The first one to look at him like he hung the stars in the sky, the first one to love and accept him for who he was– you were now his first, real family. The family he had chosen and started. The family who loved him.

"Sanji?" Your concerned voice jolted him out of his thoughts and he blinked, feeling his eyes wet suddenly. His face was cradled gently in your soft hands as you looked up at him, silently asking him why he was about to cry. "What got you like this?"

Sanji swallowed the heavy lump he could feel in his throat, like his emotions had turned into a ball and were trying to come up his throat. He blinked away the last vestiges of his tears, instead wrapping you up in his arms again.

"You being mine now," he whispered, knocking his forehead gently against yours. His clear blue eyes looked straight into yours as he added, "In heart, mind, name and life."

°•❀•°

[ftmtftm]

I've been scrolling through your blog, and I saw your post about discussing the racialized nature of gender. As someone who has several transmasc POC friends, and someone who's a nonbinary POC themself, I wanted to give my 2 cents.

It's important to understand that "woman" in the "man vs woman" gender binary is a colonialist, white supremacist construct, especially in Western countries where you are the numerical minority. My trans friends aren't on T, they haven't gotten top surgery, we are all quite young. But they all have numerous stories about being addressed as "sir" which brings them euphoria but as one person said, while we were making fun of the amount of white people in our club, "Due to my race and skin color, I get masculinized."

And again I'd like to emphasize, that since we're young, none of us really have medically transitioned due to financial and familial barriers. Their hair is long, our binders we definitely have notable chests, and even if they dress masculine, it's notable that no one in our communities would ever gender us properly. It's often white people calling them "sir." Again, I think this reflects how gender performances in mainstream queer communities are deeply White. Like, trans boys talk about having haircuts, but only one of my friends has that wavier, more manageable hair that will help them pass. When you've got curly/kinky hair, the standards are different. For a white person, what's the difference between a "girl" Afro and a boy "Afro"? White cis people have a harder time identifying us, and literally talk to any black girl, and they'll tell you about being mocked, dehumanized, and called "manly".

I don't have much else to say. These are just my personal experiences. But if you want to be an ally to POC in the queer community, this is why it's so fucking important to bring in colonialism/imperialism/white supremacy into discussions of queer liberation. My biggest gripe with ignorant white queers is when they ignore their white privilege, and act like "cishets" (AKA the patriarchal system regulating sexuality and gender) is the only enemy. Because cishet POC deal with plenty of shit with being infantilized, masculinized, feminized, seen as brutish & dangerous, the list goes on. Doberbutts had a post saying, "Believe me, your family's going to care more about me being black than my queerness." towards his white partners. Acknowledging and creating a framework that centers these intersections of queerness and race into your beliefs is true allyship. This is why if you're not anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, ACAB...I do not think you care for queer liberation. None of us are free until all of us are free.

Please don't view this post as an attack. But this is my perspective, and I thought you'd be receptive to me sharing my lived experiences.

Oh I absolutely don't view this ask as an attack, and I really appreciate you bringing these things up because you're right! Like, just very plainly: You are right and your and your friends lived experiences are extremely important to the conversation on the racialized aspects of gender.

It gets me thinking about where Misogynoir and the social White Fear of Black manhood intersect for Black trans men in particular. Because Black women and Women of Color in general are masculinized by White gender standards and the ways in which Black trans masculine people are gendered in alignment with their identity is absolutely not always done with gender affirming intent. In fact, it's often actually done with racist intent or is fueled by racist bias when it's coming from White people or even from non-Black POC.

That's kind of restating things you've said but differently, it's just such a topic worth highlighting explicitly since it's extremely relevant to the conversation that's been happening about Male Privilege here the last few days.

I do think I know exactly what @doberbutts post you're talking about and yeah. It's just truth. It's something Black queer people have been talking about for ages in both theory and in pop culture (my mind immediately goes to Kevin Abstract and "American Boyfriend") where Black queer/trans identity is both materially different from (neutral) and is treated differently from (negative) White queer/trans identity in multitudes of ways and those differences are worth sharing and exploring and talking about.

Genuinely, thank you for sharing! I try really hard not to lead these kinds of conversations outside of explicitly referencing back to non-White theorists because I don't particularly feel like it's my place to do so, but I will always provide a platform for them because they're extremely important conversations to be had.

[cutielando]

not so happy reunion | r.c.

synopsis: in which the reunion in the Cameron family is a disaster

my masterlist

From the moment you and Rafe got engaged, you had left the Outer Banks.

Not because you were keen on doing so, but because Rafe wanted to escape from the hold his family, specifically his father, had on him.

You moved into a beautiful mansion on the mainland, both of you had stable and high-paying jobs, so you were living comfortably.

You had also gotten married after a year and a half of moving, only with a few close friends, Wheezie, Sarah and your family. Per Rafe's request, Sarah and Wheezie hadn't told their parents why they were visiting the mainland, using the excuse of a much needed girls' trip.

Even though you had advised Rafe to at least let his family know about the wedding, he vehemently insisted that you didn't tell them anything, claiming he didn't want them to ruin his perfect day with you like they did everything else.

However, Ward didn't want to accept the fact that Rafe didn't want to have anything to do with him or his family anymore, hence always sending you an invitation to the annual Midsummers party.

Every single time, Rafe would come up with an excuse as to why you couldn't make it. You were either busy with your jobs, you were feeling under the weather, you missed your flight, the excuse range was very wide.

However, now that you were also pregnant with your first child, you figured it would be time to pay the old OBX a visit, for old times' sake.

Rafe, even though he agreed on your behalf, was very much not excited to be back.

"Have we got everything?" you were finishing up packing your bags, making sure you had put everything you would need for your 2 day stay.

"Do we really have to go?" Rafe asked from where he was sitting on your shared bed, pouting like a small child.

You sighed and chuckled, amused because he was still trying to convince you not to go when you were literally minutes away from leaving for the island.

"Baby, we haven't been back there in almost 3 years. Don't you think it's time we do go and show people we're still alive and happily together?" you moved your hands so they were resting on his shoulder, his eyes at a level with your growing bump.

He sighed and leaned forward to kiss your bump and cradle it in his hands.

"I don't want her to be in that environment" he mumbled, speaking about your unborn daughter.

The moment you had found out you were having a girl, Rafe couldn't stop dotting on you. He was so excited to have another little princess running around, a mini-you. He was doing everything to make sure he got the hang of it all, from reading books to taking some daddy-and-me classes, watching videos and grilling his co-workers about advice.

He was the most prepared father-to-be ever.

"Baby, everything is going to be fine. She's safe in there, nobody is going to do anything to her, or me, or you. We're just gonna see some old friends, have a little fun and try not to get into arguments with your father. We're leaving as soon as we can, okay?" you were running your hands through his hair, twirling his dirty blonde locks around your fingers.

He nodded and kissed your bump one last time before getting up, taking your bags and hauling them to your car.

The ride to the OBX was quiet, Rafe's hand consistently resting on your bump as he drove and yours resting on top of his.

As you observed Rafe for the whole ride, you noticed how much he started tensing up the closer  you got to the island, full on freaking out by the time he had parked his car.

"Okay, let's get this over with" he muttered as he got out of the car and jogged to your side, opening your door and taking your hand in his, interlocking your fingers.

You slowly made your way to the reception, more and more of your old friends recognizing you and stopping to chit chat.

At first, Rafe's hand was tightly holding yours tensely, but his grip slowly became more tender and less tense as he finally managed to calm down and enjoy seeing his friends.

"Rafe?" Ward's voice boomed through the party, making everyone around you stop to observe the interaction.

Rafe cursed under his breath but turned around, coming face to face with his father.

"Dad" Rafe nodded and said, his grip on your hand tightening slightly.

You started caressing the side of his hand with your thumb, trying to keep him grounded and calm.

"Oh, it's so good to see you, my boy" the man pulled his son into a tight hug, squeezing him like never before.

Rafe coughed and just patted his father on the back, one of his hands still linked with yours. You could only imagine how uncomfortable the situation was for your husband.

"And I see you brought your girlfriend as well" Ward said once his eyes fell on you.

"Wife, actually" you proudly corrected the man, your other hand now resting on your clearly visible bump.

Ward's eyes followed your hand and once he saw the wedding band on your hand holding your baby bump, his jaw went slack and he was at a loss of words.

Rafe cleared his throat and let go of your hand, instead opting to wrap his arm around your waist and pull your body flush against his.

"I can't believe this. Congratulations. When did this happen?" his voice was now back to his usual icy tone, surely figuring out the fact that he hadn't been invited to his son's wedding.

"Almost 1 year and a half ago. Found out we were expecting a couple of months ago" Rafe's gaze on his father hadn't let up.

Ward nodded, biting the inside of his cheek visibly.

"And you didn't think to invite your family?" he bit back.

"Wheezie and Sarah were there. The only family I needed with me" 

The music had now stopped, everyone concentrating on the brewing tension between the two Cameron men.

"What are we and Rose then? We raised you!" 

"With all due respect, you didn't do shit. You left him to fend for himself his entire life and didn't give a shit about his well-being because you were too obsessed with Sarah. You don't get to do that anymore. We didn't want you there because you didn't deserve to be there, just like you are never going to be a part of our child's life" you burst, not wanting to let Rafe deal with this by himself.

Ward's eyes widened as they shifted from his son to you. He had remembered you as the calculated one from the couple, always trying to keep the waters calm and Rafe under control. He didn't expect you to talk back to him like that.

"We're clearly not welcome here, so we're going to leave" Rafe said.

On your way out, you bid goodbyes to some of your friends and gave Ward one last look before getting into your car and driving away.

"I'm sorry, I thought it would be a good idea" you said once you had made it home, now safe and sound in the sheets of your bed with your husband.

"Don't be sorry, it's not your fault. At least we managed to catch up with people before disaster struck" he teased, kissing your shoulder and hugging you from behind, his hands cradling your bump.

You laughed and settled in bed, drifting off to a peaceful sleep with the two most important people in your life: Rafe and your daughter.

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[rosekasa]

58 for the kiss prompt??

HI ILY THANK U FOR THIS

58. “It’s been years since we’ve seen each other and I didn’t know what happened to you because of secret identities” kiss from this list by @kisspromptsforthelovesquare

The train of her dress catches in the jamb when she slams the door. "Are you fucking kidding me?" she says.

Adrien looks down at his loafers. The floor has been freshly polished. This room is probably booked for another wedding later today. After Marinette finishes taking her vows at hers.

She takes a step forward, fingers clutching so hard at her bouquet that the stems start to split. "Adrien," she says. "What did Tikki mean when she said you're Chat Noir?"

Music floats through the corridor from the other hall. He knows no one's going to wonder where he is, but what about the bride?

He swallows, still looking at his loafers. "...You weren't meant to find out today," he says quietly.

She scoffs. "So after the reception was your idea of good timing?"

Adrien says nothing.

She reaches her hands up, like she wants to scrub them down her face, then thinks better of it. They still haven't even gotten around to the actual ceremony yet -- she can't ruin her makeup.

"God, Adrien, I just--" She sighs. "How could you not have told me before?"

"...There was never a good time," he says.

"Never?" she repeats. "You came back to Paris six months ago!"

He bristles. As if he didn't think about it back then. As if he wouldn't have told her at the airport on the very first day, when she'd outrun Alya and Nino and jumped on him when her engagement ring brushed against his neck.

Does she feel differently about that hug now? Now that she knows he's Chat Noir, her ex-boyfriend, the boy who disappeared as soon as Hawk Moth was arrested?

"I don't know what you want me to say," he says. "It's not like it would've changed anything."

Her eyes cut towards him. "Adrien, do you really think I'd be getting married today if I knew who you were?"

The words hang in the air, reverbing in his ears long after it stopped in the empty room. She can't possibly mean what he thinks she means. She's been with that guy for two years, they have an apartment together, he's pretty sure she's mentioned adopting a cat soon--

"That's not--" He struggles for a moment. "Of-- of course you would, I mean, you love him--"

"Then what stopped you from telling me in the first place?"

He swallows hard.

He knew. He knew full well what would've happened if he'd told her.

Her eyes are moist behind her mascared lashes. "I can't go back out there," she says.

"What?" he says. He steps forward, edging around the skirt of her dress. "Marinette-- no. You have to."

"I can't, I--" Her voice cracks. She turns her eyes up, holding back tears.

"Marinette." He grabs her hands, almost desperately, and squeezes. "Marinette. This is your future. Your life."

"It was my life," she says. "When I thought I wouldn't see you again." Her gaze shifts back to his face. "How can I promise myself to someone that isn't you?"

Her ring feels like a blade against his thumb.

"You kind of already did," he whispers.

She sighs. Her head drops to rest on his chest. Her veil looks like a white tulip petal, spreading across the floor behind her.

Careful not to dislodge her bun, he cups her head. Leaning his face down, he kisses her hair.

"You'll be okay," he says softly. He takes her by the arms and helps her straighten. "You'll be more than okay. I mean, he has much better hair than me anyway."

She laughs wetly, dabbing at her lashes with a finger. "That's impossible and you know it."

He cracks a pained smile.

He wonders when the next flight out of Paris is tonight.

[rose-pearls]

Little Bob all grown up

Some of you have maybe read the story of little Bob on my blog, if you haven't you can find it on my Top Gun masterlist before reading this story!

Ice and you had always called your son Bob, but his real name had always been Robert, after your father’s name. 

When he entered the Navy, you couldn’t help yourself but feel emotional at the idea of him following his father’s footsteps. 

The first few weeks had been hard without your son there at home, but you still had your two daughters that were taking most of your time anyway. Ice had come home one day with a shy smile, and you couldn’t help but look at him questioningly. 

“I had to go see the recruits today, like I do every year and instead of saying Robert I said Bob.”, you can’t help but laugh at his words while Ice glares at you, but a smile appears on his lips.

“What happened then?”, Ice sighs before sitting down at the table and looking at you with eyes filled with laughter.

“His squad started calling him Bob, so I’m guessing that it will be his callsign.”, you can’t help but chuckle at the words of your husband, he looks at you awkwardly, like a kicked puppy.

“It isn’t that bad. It could be worse.”, you say after a moment and Ice sighs.

“I know, I just didn’t want to get in the way of his call sign and everything.”, he says while looking at the black screen in front of him.

You let out a sigh as you look at him, looking dejected. Bob and he had always had a close relationship when he was little and it stayed like that as they grew up. But sometimes Bob felt the pressure of having a father as the Commander of the Pacific fleet and he would get into his own mind. He had also been on the shyer side, which he had gotten from you and that meant that he didn’t have the big ‘Iceman’ aura that your husband did. The two still stayed close but you could see that they were a few cracks, just like Ice did when he thought too much about it.

“I’m sure he didn’t saw it like that, you know Bob.”, Ice nods slowly and before you can say anything the phone rings.

“Kazansky household?”, you hear Ice say, his Commander’s voice at the ready. But as soon as he hears the person on the other line his postures relaxes, and his ‘Bob’ smile appears. He always had a certain smile for each of his children and that one was the one reserved for Bob.

You left the two of them talking, enjoying seeing your husband smiling again.

--

Your two girls were trying to find their brother, he had just received his wings on stage, and they had told the families to wait in the reception room. Ice had given Bob his wings, pride in his eyes and just emotional enough that you could see it. Slider was waiting with you and the other uncles were somewhere talking with old friends.

“There he is!”, Slider says, and you turn to see your son arriving, red cheeks from the loud yell that had attracted attention.

“Hi everyone.”, Bob managed to say before you took him into a strong hug, having missed seeing your son and holding him. 

“There are other people wanting to see him mum!”, one of your daughters says and you let out a chuckle at her words, letting go of Bob who is smiling brightly at you.

“Well, would you look at that Bobby is all grown up.”, Tiany teases before bringing her brother into a tight hug, having missed him even if she tried not to show it. Emma takes her turn next, and the two of them talk a bit. 

An arm wraps around your waist and you turn around to see a smiling Ice, looking at the three children talking about what has happened recently.

“How are you feeling?”, you whisper under your breath and hear Ice let out a sigh.

“Old but proud.”, you can’t help but chuckle at his words and nod, the two of you had always been proud of your children.

“So, Bobby, did you decide what you were going to do?”, Hollywood asks while everyone looks at the man in question. Bob looks at Ice quickly, to make sure of something and you can’t help but feel worried.

“I’ve decided to become a WSO. My Captain told me that he could see me becoming one of the best WSO’s.”, so that is why Bob was worried, scared that Ice would be disappointed that he wouldn’t become a pilot. Slider whoops loudly before bringing him into a hug, the fellow WSO’s starting to chatter about the added team member. 

“I’m sure you’ll do great, I’ve read the report and I know you are going to be one of the best.”, Ice says while smiling proudly at Bob and you had the feeling that he already knew the choice that your son was going to be making.

The night was loud and filled with laughter and as you came back to the house, leaving Bob to get ready for his first deployment you saw Ice sitting down at the front of the house.

“Everything alright?”, you ask softly, while sitting down next to him.

“You remember how he used to hate eating carrots?”, the memory of a pouting Bob makes you laugh, and you hum in response.

“The first time we played in the snow with him.”, Ice continues whispering memories, and you get closer to him, holding him a bit tighter.

“It’s gone by so fast. And I guess I’m just scared that with him leaving for deployment I will lose that relationship that I build with him.”, Ice whispers after a moment of silence and you look at him for a moment, his eyes are misty while looking at the garden.

“It’s not because he leaves for deployments that he won’t remember all the times you had together Tom. You will always be his father and I know that he adores you, he wants to make you proud. And even if we always joked about it, we both know that he is a daddy’s boy since he was little, he adored you from the moment he was born.”, Tom sniffles and you take him into your arms, holding him tight.

“Thank you.”, he whispers, and you just hold him tighter.

“You don’t have to thank me.”, you tell him, the two of you staying there for a moment.

“You know I’m the Commander and yet I feel scared at my son leaving the nest.”, he chuckles, and you join him, knowing that he is feeling better already.

“Don’t worry he will always need you.”, Tom nods slowly, holding you tight and the two of you stay there for a moment just holding each other.

--

It was a dangerous mission; you knew that but that didn’t make it any easier to hear that Bob was in the hospital after a ‘training accident’ as they told you. The man himself had told you countless times that he was fine and had only asked how his pilot was.

“You know I am starting to think that he is more worried about her then his own health.”, you tell Slider, and he laughs softly.

“Young love.”, that makes you look at him and he looks at you with raised eyebrows.

“What? Common you see it too, right?”, you think for a moment and understand what he means, Bob had never been as excited to talk about one of his pilots as he was with Phoenix. His admiration had made you smile, and Ice had been too worried about the mission to pay attention too it. 

“What doesn’t she see?”, Maverick asks while coming down the hall looking exhausted.

“Bob and Phoenix.”, Maverick’s smile turns into a smirk.

“Oh, there is definitely something there.”, the two start to talk about what they saw, and you can’t help but laugh, in the corner of your eye you see a female figure entering Bob’s room and you smile while turning back to the two men next to you.

--

“Common everyone! Get ready for it.”, you yell through the backyard, and you see everyone getting in line at your words.

Ice comes quickly to you to kiss you, ignoring all the whistles and disgusted noises from the others making you laugh, before joining the rest.

“Rules are clear. No tripping the others, Mav!”, the man in question argues before huffing at your glare.

“Next, you have 15 minutes to find the eggs. There are eggs with cash, some with chocolate and others with alcohol.”, some of the Daggers perk up at the words and you can’t help but smile at the sight of them. 

“Get ready? Set, go!”, you can’t help but laugh at the sight of the Dagger Squad and the fly boys running around.

Bob had quickly gotten multiple eggs; he had always been the quiet but fast one and you can’t help but smile knowing that he was going to win again. Everyone was running around like headless chickens, while Bob picked up his eggs and Phoenix joins him after a moment the two of them smiling at each other lovingly.

The two of them walk around chatting while picking up eggs and laughing at Hangman trying to steal eggs out of the other baskets. Just as you get ready to yell that time’s up you see Bob taking Phoenix’s nearly empty basket and giving her his.

“Times up!”, you yell quickly before the woman can argue with your son, you knew that she wouldn’t be able to convince him to change. But she was looking at him with a warning glare while he leaves smiling happily.

Bob comes up to you, joined by Hangman who teases him about his lack of eggs, and you see Ice looking at Bob with wide eyes. Usually, Bob and he would be the two with the most eggs but as you discretely show him Phoenix slapping Bob’s shoulder before bringing him into a short kiss he understands. 

“Let’s count people!”, Phoenix has joined you and all of you start counting and laughing with Hangman yelling loudly in disagreement when Rooster gets the small vodka bottle.

Bob is quickly done with his counting and looks around while smiling. Phoenix seems to still be counting and you can’t help but smile as Bob helps her figuring out what is what. Just as she arrives at the end of the basket she stops.

“Well, are you going to take all day or what?”, Hangman asks impatiently, and Rooster slaps his head, while Phoenix looks up towards a shy Bob.

“I know it was probably not how you would’ve wanted me to do this, but I know you have always loved this egg chase and I thought it would be the perfect time to do it.”, you feel confused for a moment before Bob takes something out of Phoenix’s basket and you see the engagement ring.

“We met each other two years ago and I don’t know what I would do without you Nat. You believe in me, and I know that you will always be there for me. I’m so happy I met you and I know that I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”, he says, and Phoenix looks emotional, everyone around the table is looking shocked, emotional or mushy in Hangman’s case.

“So, Natasha ‘Phoenix’ Trace, will you marry me?”, there is a few seconds of silence before Phoenix answers, and it feels like a lifetime.

“Yes, of course!”, she says before bringing a relieved Bob into a passionate kiss.

“Alright, there are children here!”, the Dagger’s argue at Maverick’s words, but Bob and Phoenix don’t listen to them, looking at each other lovingly as Bob puts the ring on her finger.

Ice has a knowing smile, and you know that he was in the secret, making you smile. You quickly take Phoenix into your arms, welcoming her into the family and the rest of the squad joins making everyone laugh.

--

“Hi!”, a tired looking Bob says as he leaves the hospital room and all of you turn to look at him expectantly. 

“It’s a boy.”, Bob says with a large smile and all of you cheer in answer before a nurse tells you to quiet down as it is 5 in the morning.

“You two want to meet him?”, he asks Tom and you and the two of you nod quickly, excited to meet your grandson.

Phoenix is in the bed, looking exhausted but an emotional smile is present as she looks lovingly at her son.

“Hi, there.”, you whisper and Phoenix smiles at you.

“Ready to meet the little guy?”, Tom looks scared for a moment, and you remember the first time he had to hold Bob, absolutely scared to hurt him.

Bob takes his son softly into his arms before bringing him towards us and smiling shily towards his father.

“Meet Tom.”, Bob whispers and you can’t help the emotions that come up at the words, Ice looks shocked before a teary smile appears as he takes his grandson into his arms.

The two men coo over the baby and as you look at a smiling Phoenix you know that everything couldn’t have gone better. 

[ennas-aesthetic]

Retired!Dream as a Librarian AU part 2

I am SOOOOOO glad that the reception for the retired!Dream as a Librarian AU was so enthusiastic and sweet! Thank you so much for that (and if you haven't seen part 1 one yet, click here). More snapshots of the AU will be added as we go, because a retired!Dream experiencing the full range of human emotions in a place of community has brought so many stories to tell.

Anyway, a good friend on Twitter asked what happens when Lucienne finds out that Retired!Dream has become a librarian (or at least, a library volunteer) in the Waking World. I DO, in FACT, have a headcanon locked and loaded for that, so here we go:

Sometimes Dream wonders how on earth he has gotten here.

It wasn't like he hates the job. Dream LOVES the local library - loves the staff and the stories and the people. It's the best outcome he could have ever hoped for, really. Like someone has given him a second chance, a renewal. A new purpose where his existence could transpose into a life worth living.

But, OH, the circumstances that it took for him to get here. If only his former subjects could see him now. If only LUCIENNE could see him now.

Dream understands, more than ever, how much painstaking effort goes into even MAINTAINING a functioning library. Running the vastest library he knows in existence WHILE managing the Dreaming when he runs off to brood must have been a herculean feat. Morpheus resolves to be more appreciative of her work over the millennia, if he ever sees her again.

And see her he does. Lucienne comes to the library one day, on the guise of looking for a mislaid book. Her face is wreathed with smiles, looking sharp and dapper in her suit.

"Greetings, my Lord," she beams, eyes alight with fondness and mirth. "You look to be in good health."

"Please," he says, and surprises himself by laughing out loud. Laughing comes easier to him now, he notices. (The first time he did this in front of the library staff it was in response to an incredibly macabre joke he found hilarious. Dream had slapped a hand to his mouth, but the damage had been done: the library staff looked on in ACTUAL suprise, and then they cackled in earnest, delighted that their strange new colleague had a fucked up sense of humor and an absolutely ridiculous laugh. So many more attempts to make him crack up started since that day. Not that he minded.) "Call me Morpheus. I am your lord no longer."

"Hmm," Lucienne says. "Very well. Hello, Morpheus." And all of a sudden she envelops him into a bone-crushing hug.

"That was not a breach of protocol and conduct, I hope," she says, mischievous, as she lets a rather staggered Dream go. "Seeing as I am your librarian no longer."

Dream smiles wide. He does not think he has ever smiled this frequently in his entire existence.

He gives her a tour of the library, introduces her to the people behind the counter. After a few conversations the staff has agreed on one thing: Lucienne may be the BEST librarian there is. Some of them had already asked her to stay. Dream has to interrupt quickly, saying that she is already a hotshot librarian somewhere else, before steering her away from her new admirers.

"They adore you, it seems," he tells her. Lucienne rolls her eyes. Even as his librarian she had always been frank with him, but seeing her be openly candid with Dream, without the barrier of his Nobility and his Lordship between them, pleased him to no ends. If any outsiders could have seen them, they would have thought they are just extremely close friends (and they are. They are.)

"And they are COMPLETELY enchanted by you," she shoots back, grinning, "which is honestly quite the miracle."

She teases him about finally being able to handle his books, and jokingly chastises him about not doing it sooner. Dream, to her (non) surprise, takes this seriously, and admits, rather abashed, that most of his bookkeeping skills are only existent because of her. He concedes that she is still the better librarian between the two of them. Lucienne is very smug over this confession (as she should be.)

"I am forever indebted to you," Morpheus says, and finds himself a little choked up at the last syllable. "You have given me a lifeline, in more ways than one." He shakes his head. "I do not know how I may ever repay you."

Her eyes are overbright, but when she speaks her voice is steady.

"Just live, Sire," she whispers. "That's repayment enough."

It's a blessing, almost. An anointment of old, except his birthright is now renewed. Just live. Dream nods, determined to make the boon stick. To keep the oath for as long as he can.

Before Lucienne leaves she hands him a gift. "To complete the librarian regalia," she winks. And just like that she's gone.

Inside the box is a compilation of all the "Sandman Stories" he has adlibbed for the kids during Story Time Tuesdays. A note taped on the book: 'Matthew is gloating because he gets to be a dragon. Name a raven after me, will you?' Dream laughs out loud.

(Sure enough, on the next Story Time Tuesday a new character -- Lucienne the Raven Librarian -- was introduced. The kids instantly fell in love with her, and the book feverishly codifies the stories Morpheus comes up for her.)

But that's not all. In the box is another pouch - he opens it, and a pair of spectacles tumble out. Another note: 'from one librarian to another.'

Morpheus wears those spectacles till this very day.

---

Want to know more about the Retired!Dream as a Librarian AU? Read part 1 here and part 3 here.

[unabashedly-so]

😉 SDV Elliot HC 😘

Flirting.

Content warning: does get a little naughty post 10 hearts, still SFW.

everyone's entitled to their opinion, even if they're wrong, and since i can't be wrong in my own hc post

📣 Elliott is the biggest flirt of all the bachelors.

...and bachelorettes, I feel confident in that too.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say in the whole valley maybe.

you don't see it much in his actual in-game dialogue, but tbf you don't see much of it in anyone's dialogue. The game's not really written like that.

BUT IF IT WAS!!!!! ☝️

I'd hang my hat on this. Elliott's flirt game would be 🔥✨🔥😩😩👌👌👌

he's self-assured, he's foppish and aware of it, and heck SOMEBODY's gotta hear all the GREAT one-liners and colloquialisms he's got bouncing around in his head all day from writing.

once he gets to know someone (mainly knows that they're okay with playful, meaningless flirting), he's just shameless.

he's complimentary: "that shirt really brings out your beautiful [color] eyes!"

he's self-aggrandizing: "did you miss me already?" (<--narrator voice: it's been <10 minutes).

he uses pet names and terms of affection so much you almost think he's forgotten your name but it's too late to ask now. "dear," "darling," "love," "light of my life," "sunshine," "lovely," "beautiful," etc.

he's also self-deprecating, or the damsel in distress, "oh, if only there was someone strong and dashing who could save me from my misery!" (author's note: his misery is an unopened wine bottle.)

✨ D R A M A T I C . ✨ calm down, sir. (read: don't.)

then the praise. oh the praise. "bless you, you kind and radiant soul. My world would be so dark but for your captivating light."

he's probably not one to use a lot of physical touch in his flirtations because, y'know, boundaries. But with a receptive 4-7 heart farmer, he might make some exceptions, particularly if it was farmer-led, and so long as it wasn't genuinely romantic or sexual. Like dancing, brief hand-holding, kisses on the hand, hugs of most kinds, etc.

and if there was something he wasn't comfortable with, he'd first deflect playfully. ie, holding hands for too long, "I haven't gotten my cooties booster this year."

he'd only use pick up lines if he came up with them himself. a man has to have standards, y'know.

so, he'd basically be like this with ANYONE with whom he has a decent enough relationship with (and he knows it wouldn't make them uncomfortable)

But. BUT.

Here's where it gets really interesting. Follow me down......

after a farmer gets his 8 heart scene... he shuts it down.

he stops flirting with them. cold turkey.

for those of you who think graphically like i do, see below for a representation:

so what the heck is going on between 8 and 10 hearts???? why does it actually get WORSE than before he barely knew the farmer????????

aliensfeelings.png

he's not thinking much about any kind of relationship beyond friendship (with anyone, really) while he's working on his novel because he's So Close and that's really invigorating and it kind of overshadows all else.

then the book reading happens, and he hears himself say out loud that he dedicated his novel--his ENTIRE BOOK, arguably his LIFE'S WORK up to this point so far--to the farmer that he only just met a few seasons ago

(not to mention he canonically made it at their behest?!??? (2 heart scene picking the genre))

most authors dedicate first books to, like, their spouse or parents, or childhood best friend, sibling--someone MEANINGFUL, who has STAYING POWER, and has impacted the trajectory of their LIFE..........

🎵oh no.

🎵oh no.

🎵oh no no no no no.

talk about a fucking tidal wave of realizations that come crashing down on him. Things that he was too swept up in his own head to really realize or fully acknowledge. Like how, oh no, he's actually been putting some heat (and hope) behind his recent flirty interactions with the farmer. y'know, a more sophisticated of "hahaha... unless.....? 👀" Or how, oh no, did their lips always look so kissable? Or, oh no, was that story arc in his novel just an allegory for his subconscious pining? Oh, you mean the one he just READ OUT LOUD to the entIRE TOWN?????

the man's about to go jump into the sea with cement shoes.

and here's the thing: he's very SELF-assured. His confidence comes from knowing his own worth separate of extrinsic factors. But his confidence when it comes to relationships with other people??? Far less assured. He knows he can be intense in some ways, and not everybody wants that all the time. That stung, having to figure that out the hard way. And now it turns out all the sweet nothings he'd been saying to the farmer are actually emphatically true, but now how's the farmer to know that he's being serious when he says them??? And wouldn't it be so weird to say them with the fervor and hope of it being received genuinely while also having to acknowledge he'd said all those things ingenuously before, but he means them fr now??!?

he's too passionate about his adorée to want them to feel that he was being facetious with them, but was he not???

Oh, Elliott...

Despair(TM)-2

so he stops all flirting with the farmer. He doesn't ice them out, he just... acts a little differently. Where once he might have greeted them with a melodramatic tale of how he missed them so... instead he says, "It's wonderful to see you again."

it's almost like he treats them warmly, but professionally. The friendliness, warmth, sincerity is all still there but the jokes have faded away and he's a little more... stilted. It's about as subtle as he can be (ymmv), but the change is definitely... perceptible.

it's even worse when you take into consideration the bouquet, omfg. it DOES grant him a sense of security, but this is man is a ROMANTIC who is INTENSELY PASSIONATE. He's got a foot in the door, but doesn't want to scare them away by suddenly becoming overbearing. 8-10hearts is a bit of a tightrope walk for him, as he navigates getting closer to the farmer and being aware that not everyone can (or wants to) handle all he has to give (which is fine!).

he tries to give little tastes here and there but..... subtlety is not his strong suit, and he knows it.

and maybe the farmer has to confront him about it at some point, ymmv. it could very much be a "it's not you, it's me" conversation that leads to ???? or in this hc post, it leads to the 10heart event, where Elliott knows he has to let go of his fears and commit.

Despair(TM)-2_final_FINAL

It's just so hard because apparently this farmer really, really means a lot to him.

whoops how'd that happen *sweeps mountain of duck feathers and pomegranates under the rug*

without getting into the 10heart scene too much, I'd just also like to point out how fucking funny it is because you KNOW this romantic ass man has day dreamed so many different scenarios of expressing his love and adoration and when the moment finally arrives he just... totally flops. poetic.

but anyway once that's all established and good, the flirting comes back with a vengeance.

a saucy, naughty, 🌶️spicy🌶️ vengeance.

now that he's figured out where the new boundaries are, he's unafraid to use any opportunity (within reason) to express his adoration for them and reaffirm his commitment to them.

example, farmer teases him over a glass of wine, "wine on your tongue got you slurring, El?" To which he smirks, and lets out a low hum. "It's the wine now and you later, my love."

sometimes it's stupid, like stage whispering to Leah as you join them at the Saloon, "don't look now, but a ten just walked in. Should I talk to them? Do you think I have a chance?" (you're married, btw.) Leah's heard this before and says, "No."

sometimes if you're holding hands, he'll just start spontaneously pull you into a wrap in and dance with you, murmuring some lines of spicy poetry he writes and shares only with you. Sometimes this happens at home or on the farm, but not always.

but one way he NEVER flirts with you again is with anything that would put his adoration of you into question for even a moment. You may as well hang the moon and stars for him, and he'll never once let you forget or doubt that. 💖

sometimes it's just so infuriatingly cocky. "I hope you'll still love me when I'm so old and senile that I forget my own name."

"Of course I will."

"You make me so happy, dear. I just hope I can maintain the stamina needed to properly ravish it out of you."

[eris-eveningstar]

I just read the new chapter of As you fall to the depths of desire and let me tell you that I am completely fascinated by the way you write and the direction this story is taking. 😍 It's been a long time since a story captivated me so much. I know it's a Tomarry fanfic, but I'd like to know if we'll also get more Drinny scenes (especially spicy scenes).

Well this is some fantastic timing. I was arguing with my sister over the quality of my fic (she doesn't realize how well I wrote, and I won't ever tell her what I write) and then I saw this ask haha. So I read it out to her lol. Thanks for that.

So anyway, thank you so much! I put a lot of love and effort into this fic! It's the first one I've published in years and I love the reception for it.

So about Drinny....yeah we'll get some Drinny scenes. I haven't exactly written super spicy scenes yet for them, but I haven't gotten to plotting that part of their romance. Sorry not sorry but Drinny is a sloooow burn compared to our Harry and Tom, but I do have some really good ship progression plotted out in chapter 24 and 26, about.

And just for you, I'll keep in mind writing spicy scenes for them! I haven't really figured out where I want them to go, but I do know they'll get together. I just need to figure out the journey.

[authorautumnbanks]

A Thousand Days With You (16)

Series Master List

Kagome said she was not working today and wouldn't be at the school, so why is she here? Suguru plasters a smile on his face, though inside he is dying. He needs to turn this around somehow. He looks up at the sky for a moment. It is truly a beautiful day out. A wonderful day to declare war on Jujutsu society, but Kagome is here when she should be at home or doing anything but helping Jujutsu today.

This complicates things just a tad.

"Geto," Satoru greets, sticking his hands into his pocket. Suguru rolls his eyes. It's cute how Satoru is trying to downplay their relationship. Kagome pushes past Satoru, who tries to grab her arm, but Kagome pins Satoru with a look so fierce that Suguru takes a step back.

"Suguru, what are you doing here? You didn't tell me you were stopping by."

"About that..." he trails off. Well, she certainly doesn't look like she is working today, or does she always fight in a skirt? He wets his lips and then clears his throat. Maybe he should have pushed for more last night? Then she would have been too tired to work today.

"Hold up!" Satoru exclaims. "Suguru? You call him Suguru?" His nostrils flare and then Satoru is advancing on him. He presses a finger on Suguru's chest. "Was it you?" he asks, lowly. "Thought I smelled you in her apartment."

"Did you smell me on the sheets, too?" Suguru grins, flashing his teeth. His heart skips a beat. After all this time, Satoru still knows what he smells like?

Satoru freezes. "Is this how you want to do it?"

"You tell me." Suguru leans forward, though he gets blocked by Satoru's stupid ass infinity. One of these days, he will find a way around it and kick Satoru's ass.

Kagome gets in between them and pushes her hands out. "Okay, you two. Enough."

"Suguru started it," Satoru grumbles. "He isn't even supposed to be here."

Is he pouting? Suguru squints. So Satoru drops his infinity for Kagome.

"Huh? Why?" Kagome turns and looks at him and if it were possible, Suguru would throttle Satoru. "Is it because you don't work for the school?"

"Work for the school? He defle—"

"I defeated a bunch of curses on my way here and this is the reception I get?" Suguru brushes away an imaginary tear and pouts. "I came here to put our differences aside."

"WHAT?" Everyone except for him and Kagome shouts. Suguru clucks his tongue. Honestly, why are his people reacting like this? They should have some decorum. Go with the flow.

"Geto-san," Manami says, "What do you mean, put our differences aside?"

Suguru wraps an arm around Kagome and beams. "Kagome has shown me the light."

"... I have?"

"And I see now how much we have failed fighting one another when our fight is with the vermin. If we want to make a change, then it starts with us." He makes a fist. "Too many of us have died because we aren't showing the younger generation a new path. A new way of living."

"So, you're done being a curse user?" Satoru questions, his tone dubious. "Because Kagome talked you into it?"

Kagome shrugs out of Suguru's arms and scratches her head. "I haven't done anything other than give Suguru a massage like everyone else..." Kagome sucks in a breath and then leans forward. "Do they turn you on?" she whispers. Suguru chokes. She's asking this now? "Oh Kami, that's a yes." Kagome leans away and presses a hand to her mouth.

"Wait." Suguru reaches a hand out, but Satoru slaps it down. "Really, Satoru?"

"You're up to something."

Suguru rolls his eyes. Yaga cracks his knuckles and Nanami is staring at him strangely. Suguru frowns. Why is Nanami looking at him like that? He follows Nanami's eyesight, and a flicker of anger ignites in his blood.

Oh, so Nanami has gotten a massage too.

That's too bad. He kind of liked the guy.

"He's right," Suguru sighs, pressing a hand to his forehead. He sucks in a breath. "I am declaring war."

"On curses?" Kagome looks at him expectantly.

"No, on everyone here that has received a massage from you." He crosses his arms and grits his teeth. So... everyone here has received one, except for his family. Lovely, turns out he gets to declare war on Jujutsu society after all.

"WHAT?"

"Oh, this is rich!" Shoko chimes. "Someone go make a bag of popcorn."

"Now is not the time, Shoko," Yaga says.

"You're right. And bring a chair too!" Shoko slaps Ijichi on the back and then turns back around to look at Suguru. For his part, Suguru stares in bewilderment. Is this a joke to them? He just declared war and Shoko is asking for popcorn?

"Suguru be for real," Kagome scoffs. "Honestly, you and Satoru are on one today." Kagome rolls her eyes. "And Kento too."

"Kento?" Suguru's eyebrows shoot up. He looks to Satoru for confirmation.

"Yeah, he keeps losing his pants around her." Satoru jerks a thumb back at Nanami.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?" Nanami's face goes bright red. The students turn to look at him. "Ahem. I mean, that was one time."

Suguru's vision goes red. He blinks. Not only has Nanami received a massage from Kagome, but now he's also taking his pants off in front of her too? Oh, no. This will not do. Suguru chuckles. "Nanami, come here. We can settle this like men."

Nanami glares at him. "You deflected ten years ago. Where do you get off showing up and trying to run things? Kagome doesn't want you, and she doesn't want you, Satoru."

Satoru stops mid-laugh.

"Oh shit," Shoko says, pulling out a cigarette. "Yaga, we're getting to the good part."

"I can't believe I'm allowing this," Yaga mutters.

"You keep calling me by my name, Nanami," Satoru snarks back. "What's with that?"

"Once again, you are delusional. Just as delusional as Geto-san to think Kagome would want him."

Suguru blinks. Oh? "And what makes you the expert on what Kagome wants? You can't possibly think she would want you."

"You know who is the expert?" Kagome interjects. "Me! And I'm getting real tired of you three talking over me as if I'm not here."

Nanami's face falls. "That wasn't my intention."

"Yeah, this is all Suguru's fault. No one told him to come here. You're not invited." Satoru cracks his neck. "Kagome, don't you want to get out of here?"

Kagome rolls her eyes. "You know what? I have had it." She points a finger at Nanami. "You, come here." She taps her foot as Nanami, to Suguru's amazement, walks over with his shoulders slightly slumped. He stands next to Satoru and makes a point to not look at Satoru. "Suguru, come here."

He raises a brow. Did she just command him? And yet his feet move as though her words have power over him. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was a part of the Inumaki clan or something. Kagome rolls her eyes again and holds her hand out.

"Hands," she commands, only sighing when Satoru smacks Nanami's hand out of the way, so his hand touches Kagome's. Suguru sucks his teeth and his nostrils flare. Is he really placing his hand on top of theirs? What is this? He glances over his shoulders. The twins stare at him in bewilderment. Manami keeps looking at her notes and scratching her head, and the others gossip among one another.

Yeah, he's gonna have to do damage control when they get back.

"Suguru," Kagome says sharply, drawing his attention back to the matter at hand. He smiles, though it is a tight, and places his hand on top of Nanami's. Surely, he should get a reward for not crushing Nanami's hand. "Good. Now everyone is going to learn how to work out their differences." Kagome smiles, but there's nothing serene about that smile. Their hands glow pink for a moment. Kagome takes a step back and plants her hands on her hips.

Okay. He isn't sure what that was about, but he is over this hand-holding. Suguru goes to take his hand back and gets stuck.

What the fuck?

"Kagome!" Satoru whines, holding up his hand, wrapped in some kind of sutra. "What is this?"

"You all want to argue like children, then you can be stuck together until you figure it out."

Suguru makes a choked noise in the back of his throat. "Wait, what does that mean? We aren't stuck, stuck, right?" Is he sweating? Maybe they can break or cut this seal?

"Geto-sama!" the twins yell. Suguru holds up his free hand to calm them down. This is fine. This is nothing. He tugs right as Satoru and Nanami do the same... shit, they really are stuck together.

"Like I said," Kagome says. "You three need to get along and you will not talk for me." She gives all of them a look. "Keep it up and I will not go with you this weekend, Satoru."

This weekend?

"And I will not go on another date with you, Suguru."

Satoru's face turns slightly red, but for once he keeps his mouth shut. Nanami looks as though he just ate a bag of lemons. Suguru opens his mouth and promptly closes it.

Damn, an angry Kagome is hot.

He squeezes his eyes shut. This line of thinking is what got him into this mess. Suguru opens his eyes and tries to put on the same smile that puts those monkeys at ease, but the smile falters under Kagome's glare. She gives them one more look and then turns her back to them.

"Does anyone else need to be put in the... what am I calling this?"

"Sibling shirt?" Panda says.

"They aren't siblings though," Maki says.

"Tuna with mayo."

"No," Kagome says, shaking her head. "We can't call it Gojo. He's only one part of it."

Suguru squints. How did she understand that?

"Are we fighting them?" Miguel asks. Suguru turns his head and gives a quick headshake. "Why not? They bound you and we're here to declare war."

"But that's Kagome-san, the woman Geto-sama went on a date with," Mimiko says.

"When did you have time to take Kagome out?" Satoru asks casually, though he slides his blindfold down with his free hand. Nanami inhales sharply and Suguru bites his tongue. What kind of reaction is that? Satoru tilts his head in Nanami's direction and then scoffs. "For the last time, Nanami, I'm not fucking you."

"No one wants to sleep with you," Nanami hisses. "This is a misunderstanding."

"Excuse me?" Suguru interrupts, "What do you mean, you want to fuck Satoru?"

Nanami splutters. "NO ONE WANTS TO SLEEP WITH HIM!"

"What on earth are you three going on about now?" Kagome asks.

"Well, Kento has a thing for Satoru," Shoko quips. Nanami chokes. "And he kind of has a crush on you," she continues, despite Nanami's less-than-subtle head shaking. "And then Suguru and Satoru go way back. Those two were always up to something in their dorm room."

"Excuse me?" Satoru exclaims.

"On campus grounds!" Yaga yells. Suguru rolls his eyes. Please.

"Oh please, like the no girls allowed sign wasn't obvious." Shoko rolls her eyes. "Yeah, these two, messy." Shoko takes the bag of popcorn from Ijichi and pops some in her mouth. "And then there's you, Kagome."

Kagome presses a hand to her forehead. "This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. The last thing I wanted was to get in between someone's relationship."

... Relationship?

They all tug and try to break free, but the seal doesn't budge, and they are still stuck together.

"How long will they be stuck like that?" Yaga asks, crossing his arms.

"Until they can get along and work out their differences," Kagome replies. "Speaking of which. Satoru, shouldn't you all be doing missions now?"

"You expect me to fight like this?" Satoru asks.

"Aren't you the strongest? You can't exorcise a few curses with one hand?"

Satoru chuckles. "I can do a lot with one hand."

"Turn off infinity," Suguru says. "So I can smack you."

Satoru scoffs.

"What about the war?" Manami asks. "Are we not going to war?"

"Why do you keep going on about war?" Kagome cocks her head to the side. "Aren't you all sorcerers? Why are you fighting with one another?"

"Suguru is a curse user," Yaga says. "And those people are his new family."

Kagome frowns. "Suguru, you came here to declare war on curses and not your fellow humans, right?"

"Well..."

"Because I would hate to have to take you out."

"On a date?" He cracks a grin.

Kagome sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "I'll have to find someone else. This isn't going to work."

"What?" they shout. Nanami looks off to the side, though his cheeks are dusted pink. Satoru sucks in a breath and looks up at the sky for a moment and then exhales.

"Find someone else?" Satoru says, though it comes off like a question. "Who did you have in mind?"

"I'm not telling you, so you can pester them."

Satoru sniffs and then scratches behind his ear. Suguru coughs and scratches his ear as well. Nanami gives them a, are you two serious right now, expression. Suguru shrugs one shoulder. Just because he hasn't seen Satoru in a decade, doesn't mean they don't know how to read each other's cues.

"... So we aren't going to war?" Manami asks again.

Suguru sighs. "No, there will be no war." At least not right now. He needs to get unstuck from Satoru and Nanami first, and then figure out who the hell Kagome is thinking about going for, so he can kill them.

Kagome walks past them and heads towards the twins. They look at him for confirmation. Suguru nods, though he isn't sure what Kagome is doing.

"Would you like to join us for training? I wasn't planning on working today, but I think since we're all here, it'll be good to work on some barrier techniques again."

"We don't know about... that one," Nanako says.

Kagome looks back over her shoulder and then back at Nanako. "She has done nothing to you. The only one hurting is you if you continue to carry all this hate in your body."

"But Geto-sama—"

"Is going to lead by example," Kagome finishes. She turns and addresses them. "The girls are going to join me and the other students for training. You three are going to take care of Satoru's and Nanami's missions today.

"Tuna," Inumaki says.

"Yeah, Kagome-sensei is scary," Yuta says.

The twins walk over to the other side where the students are. They glance at him for a moment and then focus their attention on the others in front of them.

Kagome smiles and then heads over to them. "The longer you delay, the longer you three will be stuck."

"How are we supposed to all get in a car like this?" Nanami asks, clearing his throat.

Kagome doesn't drop her smile. "It's a good thing Satoru can teleport." She takes a step back and waves at them.

Satoru stiffens, as does Suguru. What the hell is that?

Kagome blinks and looks down at her feet. Blue flames. Hands emerge from the hole? A portal? They run toward her, though it's awkward. Nanami trips, though neither Satoru nor Suguru stop. Those hands wrap around Kagome's legs and pull her.

As quickly as the flames appeared, they die down.

"Kagome-sensei!" the students yell.

Satoru glares at the spot Kagome was just at. "Is this your doing?"

"No," Suguru says, tensely. "I don't know what the fuck that was."

"Funny how you showed up today, and she just disappeared."

"Funny how you couldn't even sense it," Suguru shoots back.

"Enough!" Nanami yells, rubbing his side. "Arguing isn't going to bring Kagome back." He lifts the hand connected to them and shakes it. "We'll gonna have to work together."

Suguru inhales.

Lovely. All he wanted was to declare a little war today.

***

A/N: Happy Sunday! Hope you are having an awesome week and wishing you an amazing upcoming one. Poor Kagome is going to get so many questions when she comes back lol.

Stay healthy. Drink plenty of water! It's going to be in the 90s over here, so make sure to stay cool and don't overwork yourselves.

[thewertsearch]

AG: And for the record, I was going to do this anyway! I was just trying to make him a 8etter player first.

Does she really, honestly think that this was making him a better Player? Is she really that deluded?

Tavros is the only 'passive' troll that Vriska has interacted with, so we haven't seen how she treats Gamzee or Nepeta yet. If she doesn't feel the need to harass them, then her worldview is just a convenient excuse to hurt Tavros.

Finally, everyone was working together. 

Tavros has been busy. I sort of assumed he'd only be able to control a few Underlings at once, but I count at least forty. He's not exactly struggling, either, so his upper limit is presumably quite a lot higher - if it exists at all.

Has Tavros ever really tested his limits? I've seen people do some wacky fucking shit with animal communication powers.

We've heard about Sburb's 'puzzles', but this is the first one we've actually seen.

Seems like a simple 'find the pieces' game, like you might see in a 3D platformer. I bet what you're supposed to do is gather the Frog Shards as you explore the dungeon, but Tavros presumably sent his minions out to sweep the place.

This is a very Vriska approach - and I can see her fingerprints on the 'Underling swarm' strategy, too. For better or worse, her training is bearing fruit.

AT: tHEY ARE NECESSARY TO SOLVE, aREN'T THEY, AT: tO FIND NEW MAGIC ARTIFACTS AND THINGS, aND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LORE OF THIS LAND, AG: Tavros, let me let you in on a little secret a8out the lore of your land. AG: It's 8oring!!!!!!!!

Vriska doesn't care about Land-level lore. Land Quests are tailored to their Player, and Vriska has a million better things to do than listen to a fairytale about how cool and important the Page of Breath is.

The trolls, in general, don't give a shit about the game's lore. They'll learn the basics, because they need it to help them win, but they don't really care about the metaphysical implications.

Honestly, I think this is just because of how it's presented. Trolls think fashion is stupid, and they're primed to be dismissive of anything flowery, or poetic - anything that looks too much like art.

Disregarding the game's riddles is, I think, a mistake. The trolls have been thrust into a confusing new world, and they don't know the rules. All information is valuable - especially information that the game has earmarked as important. We don't have to trust the game, but we should be paying attention to what it wants us to believe.

Kanaya, at least, might be more receptive - she doesn't share her society's disregard for aesthetics. Plus, Terezi seems to have been taking notes. I wonder how her Quest went?

AG: The minds of your consorts are very soft and impressiona8le. AG: As easily manipul8ed as all those imps you've 8een 8ossing around. AG: I have picked apart their tiny little lizard 8rains and seen through all the smoke and mirrors of their riddles.

You can read non-surface thoughts?

Vriska's psionics just keep getting stronger, and to be honest, I'm fairly confident that both she and Tavros are mutants themselves. Troll psionics can't all be this strong, or Alternian society wouldn't be able to function.

AG: I have gotten to the truth they are guarding. The great 8ig mystery 8ehind this planet. And you know what it is, Tavros? AT: nO, AG: It's 8ullshit!

If she's referring to the Ultimate Riddle - and if, as I've theorized, the Ultimate Riddle is the game's hidden objective - then this reaction makes perfect sense.

Vriska would hate that the game's goal has been obfuscated, because that means wasted time. She wants the game to stop screwing around, and get to the goddamn point.

AG: Real gamers cut to the chase. They power through all the nonsense and go for the gold. AG: They cheat, Tavros. AG: It is time you learned to start cheating.

What does it say about me, I wonder, that I’d play Sburb the same way Vriska does? 

[littlewestern]

what did the goddesses do at IRM before the arrival of Pilot?

Short answer: Not much! They arrived at the IRM the same year Pilot was purchased in 1968 but for Reasons, Pilot did not arrive on the IRM property until 1969.

Since they were purchased so close together, I think the intention was always to unite them. It wasn't a coincidence that two pieces of Zephyr ephemera were bought by the same proprietor within months of each other. I actually think the Goddesses being bought was part of the reason Pielet Bros was amenable to Pilot being allowed to leave the scrapyard in the first place. That the IRM had concrete, actionable plans for the engine meant that it wouldn't just be sitting around as a public eyesore. (That happened anyway, but it was due to a variety of reasons outside of anyone's control.)

Since the idea was always to have the full trainset with an engine to match, I think the Goddesses were probably told, "We're planning on making you one of our regular service trains, a proper Zephyr." and that would have made them very excited. That's good news if you're a beautiful, dignified train such as they are. I doubt they were told too many details because I think the common wisdom is to keep engines only as informed as they need to be, lest you compel them to cunt-dorkery, but the Goddesses have been around for a long time, and they're quite smart. They'd realize that if they were intended to be put into operation, but haven't been yet, that must mean they're waiting on a new engine. An engine designed especially to make them a proper Zephyr. A Burlington engine!

They probably sat outside for weeks speculating about who they might get and when and raising each others' expectations in the way that happens when you let excitement run rampant through a group of people unchecked. Venus, though, she might have had some lingering doubts, even if she never voiced them to the others. Venus is the head coach, the one with the most contact between the engine and the train. She'd probably have heard about any Zephyr engines being going into preservation or being restored to working order, but she hasn't gotten any news to that effect. Granted, she's been retired for three months and so has been totally out-of-the-loop, but it gives her just enough pause to be cautious.

Of course weeks turn into months with no word on their new engine so they're cranky and sore about it regardless. An engine in perfect condition could have rolled up to the IRM and still have been met with a cool reception. It's not nice to keep ladies waiting! That Pilot arrived at the IRM looking like something the cat dragged in... well, they got off to a rocky start, needless to say.