#i just think there's more to it than what we're seeing

[gyeomsweetgyeom]

[2:14 pm]

(cw: cursing, reader is a lil teensy weensy bit toxic but it's fun!!!)

"Did you still want to go get food?" you ask from your position on gamer!Haechan's bed. The same spot you'd been in for the last, wow, almost 3 hours.

"Fuck off! Get my 6 motherfucker!" Haechan yells, before answering softly, "yeah, of course, baby."

You rolled your eyes, he wasn't even listening to you. He had been listening to you when you showed up 4 hours ago when he was very calmly showing you all the changes he made on his Animal Crossing Island. Then, and this was smart, he slid his Switch over to you and told you to make any changes you'd like. So you spent about an hour on his Switch, placing decorations and buying clothes to send to your own island before you realized he was keeping you busy so he could play Fortnite.

Just like he'd been playing last night when he insisted you call him to talk. That casual, and some might even call it cute, conversation lasted all of 20 minutes before he was screaming so loud, you heard him across the room even when your phone wasn't on speaker. Since he'd been so adamant about playing last night and played for so long, you thought today he'd be over it. WRONG! Apparently, there had been some update or something and that reignited his Fortnite obsession.

"Well, do you want to go out like we planned or do you want me to order something?" You asked, turning to lay on your side.

"Of course, my love- oh you stupid fuck! Get back here!" Haechan groaned as the keyboard clacking got even louder.

You pulled a blanket over your face to muffle a groan of your own. A groan of annoyance an frustration more than anything. You'd give him 10 more minutes and then you'd take drastic measures.

You checked the time, 2:14, perfect. You figured you could have at least a little fun while you waited.

"I think it would make you totally ugly if you shaved your head, but why not do it anyway? What do you think?" You asked with a smile.

Haechan nods, "Totally agree, babe. Someone come get this stupid ass little 10 year old that tried to steal my loot."

"And you should pay for our food! And dessert!" You added.

"Of course, baby! Oh, oh, dude! Dude! Headshot! That was a headshot! Holy shit! That was gold!" He exclaimed excitedly.

"And I was thinking maybe after dinner we can go sell your whole set up. Maybe to the first guy we see for like a dollar even less!"

"Yeah, definitely. Dude, I'm out. Fuck, I lagged. Let's join a new game, I'm tired of playing with these fucking kids," Haechan groans, running his hands down his face.

Perfect, you stood up and quickly moved to his computer, pulling at some random plugs until the screen shut off. You placed your hand over his mouth with a sickeningly sweet smile, "We're going to go eat now. Then, because you agreed, we're going to shave your head, you're going to pay, and then we're going to sell your little computer and the whole set up."

You could feel his lips moving beneath your hand, "But-"

You tsked with a fake pout, "Baby, you agreed."

"I wasn't listening! I don't remember what you said!"

"You don't listen when I talk?" You ask with an arched brow.

He opened his mouth and quickly closed it to take a second to think. He hummed, "I promise, the next time we have plans I won't get distracted by games." You gave him a look as if to ask, and? he cleared his throat, "and I won't try cheap gimmicks to distract you. And I will pay for dinner and for the rest of the day all my attention will be on you and no one or anything else. But I won't shave my head or sell my set up."

You smiled, "I was joking. I just wanted to see if anything would catch your attention. Now, let's go, I'm hungry."

You were both on your out when Haechan asked, "do you think I'd look good with a shaved head? Is that why you asked."

You couldn't even look at him, choosing instead to focus on the sidewalk beneath your feet, "yeah, baby. Of course..."

[kymerawrites]

"You're such a bloody drama queen," Simon grumbled under his breath, smoking a cigarette as he watched her pace back and forth. He didn't move an inch from his spot on the couch, arms crossed over his chest. It was always like this with her; they argue, they make up, they argue again. It was a vicious cycle they couldn't seem to break free from. He took a drag of his cigarette before blowing out a stream of smoke, eyes still locked on her

"Can't you just sit still for a bloody second?" Simon snapped, his irritation getting the better of him. "You're giving me a damn headache with all that walking around." He tapped his fingers impatiently on the armrest, his gaze following her every movement. He couldn't help but feel frustrated by her constant need for motion, like a caged animal.

"I could if you'd stop being such a controlling arsehole," she shot back, stopping in her tracks to glare at him. "Sorry if my pacing bothers you, but I have the right to move around in my own home." She crossed her arms, her defiant stance mirroring his.

"Your home?" Simon echoed, a mocking edge to his voice. He snorted, extinguishing his cigarette in the ash tray. "Last I checked, we share this apartment. And believe me, I didn't ask for a fidgety partner who can't sit still for two seconds."

“God for fuck sakes Simon, you make me pace this way. Can’t you see that?!” I said irritated

He rolled his eyes, clearly unperturbed by her retort. "Oh, and it's all my fault that you're pacing around like a maniac?" He leaned back on the couch, his gaze sharpening. "Maybe, just maybe, you should try taking some responsibility for your own actions instead of blaming everything on me. Ever thought of that?"

I huffed in annoyance, not backing down from his gaze. "And maybe you should stop making me so bloody irritated that I can't stand still! You're always bossing me around, like I'm some sort of property and not a person with my own thoughts and feelings."

He stood up abruptly, his tall frame towering over her. "You know damn well that's not true," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I don't treat you like a bloody object. I care about you, even if you can't see it. And if I come off as controlling sometimes, it's because I want to bloody protect you."

“Oh no, it’s you and your fucking lieutenant, commander whatever the fuck you are act in my space.” I scoffed

His eyes narrowed at her sarcastic remark. "Watch your bloody tongue," he warned, his tone more menacing than before. "You know damn well what I do for a living, and I don't appreciate your tone. But while we're on the subject, you could learn a thing or two about respecting your partner. Maybe if you weren't such a bloody pain in the arse all the time, I wouldn't have to step in and take charge."

That comment hit me, just a little to make me shift from mad to confused “so, if I’m such a pain to you, such a..liability why not leave me?”

He gritted his teeth, his frustration mounting. "Because goddamn it, I care about you," he snapped. "Despite all your attitude and stubbornness, I can't just walk away. Believe me, I've bloody tried. But deep down, I know I can't let you go. Even if you drive me mad with all your whining and dramatics."

I turned around not to face him “you can also just say you love me.”

He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "Bloody hell," he muttered under his breath. He walked closer to her, his movements slow and deliberate. "I do love you, alright? But love doesn't make this any easier. It complicates everything. Because even though I love you, you still piss me off like no one else can, and it drives me bloody insane."

He grabbed my waist and hugged me from behind I just smirked “and yet I think you love all the sass and drama I give you don’t you?”

He let out a scoff, his fingers digging into her waist. "Bloody hell, you know me too well," he muttered. "Yes, there's something infuriatingly addicting about your damn attitude and all the drama you bring into my life." He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent.

He chuckled softly against her skin, his breath warm and tickling. "Bloody hell, you drive me wild with it. Part of me wants to strangle you, and the other part..." He trailed off, his hand roaming higher up her body, tracing her curves.

“Finish that sentence si..” I whispered

He nipped at her earlobe, his voice low and gravelly. "And the other part wants to do things that I can't even say in public." He spun her around to face him, his gaze dark and intense. "You have no idea the effect you have on me, how you make me feel. It's maddening, it's intoxicating and it's all your damn fault."

He pushed her against the wall, his body pressing against hers. His hands gripped her wrists, pinning them above her head. "You know what else is maddening?" he growled, his face mere inches away from hers. "How bloody irresistible you are when you're all defiant and stubborn like this. It's like you're begging for me to put you in your place."

He dipped his head, his lips brushing against her neck, leaving a trail of warm, open-mouthed kisses. "And the worse part is, you know damn well you have me wrapped around your little finger. Even when you're infuriating me, I can't get you out of my head." He nipped at her skin, his teeth grazing her sensitive spots.

He dipped his head, his lips brushing against her neck, leaving a trail of warm, open-mouthed kisses. "And the worse part is, you know damn well you have me wrapped around your little finger. Even when you're infuriating me, I can't get you out of my head." He nipped at her skin, his teeth grazing her sensitive spots.

He shifted his body, pressing his thigh between her legs. "You push my buttons on purpose, just so you can get a reaction out of me. And bloody hell, you always get the reaction you want." He pinned her even tighter against the wall, trapping her in his embrace.

His lips found hers in a hard, possessive kiss. He dominated the kiss, his tongue delving into her mouth, claiming her in a way that was both rough and passionate. He pushed his body flush against hers, his hands roaming down to grip her thighs, lifting her up against the wall.

“You’re too good for me si..” I laughed as he lifted my legs on the wall forcing me to embrace them around his waist

He grunted with the effort, his muscles straining as he pressed her against the wall. "Bloody hell, you're a menace," he growled, his lips finding her neck again, sucking and nibbling on her sensitive skin. "Bloody menace with your damn legs wrapped around me like this. Drives me wild to have you like this, all vulnerable and pliable in my arms."

He ground his hips into hers, his arousal evident against her core. "And you're damn wrong about that. I'm not too good for you. I'm just bloody addicted to the way you make me feel, like you're a poison I can't get enough of."

I rolled my eyes “just kiss me already lovebird.” I smiled

He chuckled at her cheeky remark, his eyes dark and intense. "Bloody smartass," he murmured, before capturing her lips in another fierce kiss. He devoured her, his tongue delving into her mouth and dominating the kiss. The kiss was rough and passionate, full of pent-up desire and frustration.

And ofcourse they kissed and made up just for the cycle to continue

[abiatackerman]

Everything for peace, for humanity

Warnings: Angst

"You look.... Nice."

You smile sadly as you watch Levi in his wedding suit.

"You'll scare the guests off if you're gonna keep that scowl on your face. Try to smile. It's your wedding day. Don't ruin your soon to be wife's day at least."

You say as Levi’s eyes flicker to meet yours, his usual stoic expression unwavering. That is a look you know all too well. Still, you know you are right, he has to at least try to look the slightest bit happy, even if he clearly doesn’t want to.

"I actually didn't want to come here today... To your wedding."

You chuckle as you speak even though your heart is bleeding.

"But we're colleagues, we've been working together for a long time. As a member of the Survey Corps, I had to come."

You smile as you look at him dreamily, leaning on the door.

Oh how bad you imagined that how he would look on his wedding day. You knew he would look handsome. And he's looking handsome too. More than you imagined.

But the difference is he's marrying a beautiful girl from a powerful family of Marley instead of you. To make a truce between the Paradise island and Marley.

For peace. For humanity.

Levi slowly takes a few steps closer to you, his eyes fixed firmly on yours, his voice is low and rough.

"And yet, you still came here."

The sight of you leaning against the door, smiling at him with that look in your eyes, is too much to handle. His heart is pounding painfully in his chest, a feeling he knows all too well.

"I just wanted to see the grumpy-rude-scary captain, who is known as humanity's strongest soldier, to get married."

You say still smiling as your eyes tears up.

"Anyway... You didn't want me to come?"

You say blinking your eyes as Levi’s expression hardens. At the sight of the tears beginning to form in your eyes, his jaw tightens. He can practically feel his heart beginning to crack.

He can’t stand the sight, nor can't he stand the thought of you thinking he didn’t want you here. Which is true... He didn’t want you to be here. It hurts to see you.

"Of course I don’t want you here."

He says, his voice is cold, harsh. You chuckle sadly.

"Don't worry, I'll leave before you get married then. I was just hoping to see you in your wedding dress actually. I wanted to take a peek at you."

You try to sound funny like you always used to. You point at his tie.

"You're used to wearing cravats. You shouldn't be wearing a tie. Look, it's messed up."

Levi’s eyes flicker down to look at the messed up tie, the tie that his fiancé and her family had insisted he wear for the occasion. He hates it. He hates the way it feels around his neck, he hates the way it looks like it is being strangled around his throat, he hates to wear it. He lets out a quiet scoff.

"I’d much prefer to wear a damn cravat but apparently this is what she wanted."

You feel jealousy hitting you like a brick of a truck. You never once told Levi to change his appearance or anything just because you thought he'd look good in that way. You never wanted him to change. Now he's already changing himself for another girl... Who's not you?

"You should have told her to teach you how to wear it then. It's messed up."

You say in a jealous tone as Levi's chest aches in response. He knows this is difficult for you, he knows you are unhappy with his decision, but what can he do? The deal had already been done. There is no going back now.

Everything is for peace. For humanity.

"She did teach me, but it doesn’t matter."

He says, his voice comes out as a grumble as he undoes the tie, tossing it on the nearby desk instead.

"I hate these damn things. Stupid useless pieces of fabric."

You smile softly hearing his curses.

You'll miss it. You'll miss his grumpy behaviours, his rude-insulting words... His glare to the every male cadet who wanted to be close with you. His scent, kisses, touches, bites, thrusts, whispers, "I love you"s.... Calling you doll, Y/N, brat...

You'll miss him... Everything about him.

"I have one final request."

You clear your throat to prevent your voice from cracking and speak professionally.

"And that is?"

Levi looks at you, his expression is cold and stoic as usual but his eyes are filled with pain.

A part of him is selfishly happy to see you suffering, the other part of him wants to pull you into his arms and never let you go, to tell you that he wants you, he loves you. But that isn’t something he can't do now. He has to watch you walk away.

"I want to be your child's godmother. And I want your wife to be my patient when she gets pregnant. I want to be the doctor and the first person who'll pull your child out of your wife's ovary into this world."

You say calmly as Levi’s eyes widened. Not only do you want to be the godmother of his child with another woman who isn’t you, but also you do want to be the one to deliver his child.

A pained expression crosses his face as he realizes what you are asking for. He takes a step towards you, his eyes searching your face.

"You’re asking me... To let you witness me having a happy family... With another woman?"

You roll your eyes, desperately trying to stop your tears from falling.

"I just want to see your kids growing up and want to be the first person who'll see your kid's face. That's it."

Levi is silent for a few moments, his eyes never leaving your face. Despite how badly he wants to lash out, to be angry, he can’t. The way you are looking at him, the raw emotions behind your words... He can’t be angry at you. With a sigh, he takes another step closer to you and slowly reaches out and grabs your waist, pulling you closer.

"You’re masochistic. You know that?"

You pull yourself back from him, pushing his hand away.

"The last thing I want you to be a cheater, Levi."

You say with a soft tone as you look up to him. Levi’s eyes flicker over your face as you pull his hand away from you, his fingers slightly curled as he tries to reach out for you but manages to restrain himself. He wants to reach out for you, to take you back into his arms but he knows he isn’t allowed.

"Watching me raise a family, watch another woman have my children, you truly want to subject yourself to that kind of torture?"

He tries to keep his expression neutral, but the coldness of his eyes fades slightly. You shake your head.

"No... It definitely won't be painful for me to watch your kids growing up."

You smile softly looking up at the ceiling as you lean on the door completely.

"I just want to be a part of their life. That's it. Though it totally depends on you to accept my request."

Levi’s gaze softens slightly at your response, his eyes watching as you look up to the ceiling, he wants to reach out for you, to grab you and pull you into his arms, to lean his head down and press kisses along your neck and whisper soothing words in your ear.

But he can't....

He lets out a soft sigh, his expression darkens again as he spoke.

"Of course it depends on me to accept your request, you idiot. And you’re crazy if you think I’m going to say yes to you basically being the third wheel in my family."

You feel his words stabbing your bleeding heart making you hurt more. Bleed more. Third wheel? Your face twitches at his insults.

"Ok... As you wish."

You smile fakely as you open the door.

"Congratulations to your marriage, Levi Ackerman. I hope you'll have a happy life."

You say smiling softly as you take your last look at him again. Last look at him as "Your Levi" And everything starts to flash in front of your eyes.

Your first meeting, funny fights, him saving you from death, you treating his wounds, your first kiss, first confession, first time making love, the amazing time you two have spent with each other.

Tears start to fall on your cheeks as you close the door slowly. You sigh as you start to walk away with heavy breaths.

But if you would have looked back once again.... Maybe you could have seen the drop of tear falling from his dry eyes.

Just like you, he's not happy with his marriage. He never will.

But both of you are the previous members of the survey corps. You guys know very well what the pain of sacrifices is... You all have sacrificed a lot. And that's why neither Levi or you opposed to this marriage.

Because humanity means everything to you. If peace will be ensured by sacrificing love... You both will gladly accept that. No matter how much that's gonna hurt you both.

Everything is for peace.... For humanity...

Masterlist

[pseudophan]

what’s so crazy is with straight famous couples it’s usually sooooo obvious when they have breaks, rough patches, see other ppl, etc. throughout the years. But with dan and phil I feel like that is just completely nonexistent???? Like do u think they EVER had some sort of break or rough patch?

i mean i wouldn't know! based purely on optics i'd say no, but based on the facts we know idk how they could possibly have gone through all of that without it being too much at some point... idk. we don't know! and we'll probably never know. and that's fine. i think we're better off going by the assumption that they've been together and mostly fine the whole time, if anything else happened that's their business and it doesn't really affect us at all now in 2024.

we as phannies very much romanticise dan and phil's relationship because we only ever see the good parts, but i think that's a good thing. there is no reason why we as an audience should know the exact details of their day to day lives, but we know they wouldn't portray anything they don't want us to believe. dan and phil are always very calculated. they know what they post, they curate the info they give us, by all accounts they're more than good now, frankly they're kind of gross atp, and all the things that did or did not happen in the past do not matter at all what so ever.

all that being said they definitely lowkey wanted to kill each other during lockdown lmao

[cbrownjc]

The Talamasca and the publishing of the IWTV book (EP 2x06)

My eyes raised at what "Raglan James" (whom I still haven't ruled out actually being Marius yet) said about that. But the fact that they want the book published has me thinking . . . they might be a bit more involved in the working of this book than we've realized.

Because we know Daniel's research assistant is a woman. And I thought this when their gender was given last episode, but I'm thinking it even more now, that Daniel's assistant is actually Jesse Reeves.

We already know The Talamasca are getting their own show. Setting up Jesse's character now would be a perfect time to do so, especially given that -- in just one or two more episodes -- the show is going to be bereft of (living) female characters. Sure, we're going to get Gabrielle in Season 3, but we don't know if or when we'll see her in the present day. I think bringing in one of the female characters from the book into the modern-day part of the story would help to offset things in the modern-day part of the story too, and Jesse is the perfect character for that.

So yeah, I think Daniel's assistant is Jesse. She's helping with the research for the book -- and if you know about Jeese's reaction to the IWTV book in Queen of the Damned, that would be a little twist, but also a setup for later wrt her character too. But yeah, I think this is a small setup for Jesse, and I'm going to think that until proven otherwise.

[whiskeyskin]

Educating Gale: an intro to hatefucking

Thanks to @waterdeepwhiskey for this especially juicy piece of eye fucking 👀😫

Inspired by a lovely anon from @naughtybg3confessions.. behold dear ones!

Well fuck. This came out real fucking quickly - ha ha. Literally within an evening so apologies for any mistakes!

Premise: (See picture for prompt)

Gale x gn!tav • 18+ • MDNI • E rating

Tav POV, gn!tav, intro to hatefucking, mean, teasing, insults, cruelty to wizards, descriptions of rough sex/overstim/anal/etc, handjob, gn!description of genitals, no kissing, hot and heavy, mild choking, two fingers up to Mystra, consent, checking in

1.3k words

"Just stop fucking talking." Tav growled through their teeth, pushing Gale's robes down his arms as his back hit the wall.

"Excuse me, I think you'll find that one of a Wizard's greatest talents is their comprehensive lexicon," Gale objected, fumbling with Tav's belt, "but our mouths are good for more than just conversation." He added with sinful grin, leaning in for a kiss.

Tav flinched away, scruching their nose as his robes hit the floor, "Uh, no kissing. That's not what this is, Gale." They sneered at him, "We're just letting off some repressed emotion. Pure and simple." Tav stepped out of their camp trousers and swept them out of the way with a flick of their leg.

"I don't understand, then what exactly is this?" Gale asked, breath huffing out unevenly, as Tav attacked his belt buckle, "I thought this was to bury the animosity we've been harbouring for each other. We're clearly not the best of friends, Tav."

They sighed exasperated, apparently hatefucking was not a thing taught in his esteemed Blackstaff Academy.

"This," they began, sliding a hand down the front of his pants and gripping his thick, throbbing cock. Gale gasped and bunched their sleep shirt in his fist, "is just sex, Gale. Nasty, hateful sex."

They began pulsing his tip with two fingers, lightly squeezing against the sensitive part on the underside. Gale moaned and looked down to see them touching him.

"This is "I don't like you and you don't like me, but I still want to fuck you despite that" sex. Because of that sex. Because because I don't like you, I'll do things to you that I wouldn't do to someone I liked."

Precum began leaking from his slit; it hit Tav low in their belly. Taking it as a non-verbal cue, their grip tightened on his member, and increased in fervour.

"The kind of things that I couldn't do to anyone else."

Gale shuddered and bucked against their palm, consciously bringing desperate hands to push his trousers further down his thighs, to afford Tav more room.

"Like?" He asked, breathless and trembling, his hold returning to the hem of their shirt.

Tav flicked their tonuge over their bottom lip and roughly gripped his jaw with a swiftness that made him gasp, bringing him an inch from their face.

"Like trapping that pretty, never-ceasing mouth between my thighs and riding it until I was satisfied it wouldn't start talking again." Tav purred with a dagger-sharp edge.

Gale moaned and pressed against their grip on his jaw, trying again to kiss them. He dug his fingertips into their hips deep enough to potentially draw blood, rocking them against him. They swallowed his gruff pants against their lips, as they worked him faster.

Fuck this was hot.

"I'll fuck your face to almost suffocation and I wouldn't care beause I despise you, Gale of Waterdeep."

Gale grunted and huffed, "I detest you.. you.. arsehole." He managed with great difficulty.

"Once more with feeling, dear." Tav jeered, "You can do better than that, surely? With your large.. vocabulary," Tav squeezed his thrumming length and Gale hummed, "I'm sure you can."

They slowed their rhythm against his cock to gently palm him, occasionally swirling the tip.

Gale scowled and twisted his face, gasping for words.

"You're vile and selfish.. and you do things for all the wrong reasons. You'd rather see a reward than do something philanthropic for your fellow man." He threw at them, curling his lip.

Tav scoffed, "Pathetic. I can already see that look into your eyes, Gale." They wound their fingers around his aching member and began pistoning once more. He let out a sharp yell he tried to silence and thud his head back against the wall.

Tav hummed in smug amusement, a wide smirk on their face.

"You're enjoying this. You know you've never felt anything quite like this before. That even though this is wrong and it feels dirty, it feels really. fucking. good." They punctuated their point by firmly pulsing his head in their grip.

Gale nodded desperately, leaning forward again, trying to press his lips to theirs. Tav gave him a withering look and he stopped, looking embarrassed.

"I can't wait to see the look on your face.." Tav snaked their hand to palm into his long hair, and pressed their wet mouth against the shell of his ear, "when you realise just how much you hate yourself because I made you come so hard your Goddess heard you scream my name."

"Fuck you." Gale spat, gripping a fistful of hair and yanking their head back. Tav moaned through their teeth and cackled.

Gale's body gave him away, even if he tried to deny it; the orb was glowing a radiant amethyst through his white, cotton undershirt. He was sweating and gasping, he was so tense and coiled to explode, he wouldn't take 30 more seconds to come in their hand.

Tav roughly grabbed onto the back of his neck, sweat slick from exertion.

"I'll make you cry from overstimulation.. from too much pleasure because you're nothing but an arrogant, self important arsehole that thinks he's a God's gift. When in reality, you're nothing but a picked over little slut who had everything and lost it all. Now you're just a sad, shit-eating, glorified Librarian who couldn't take care of a Kobald without help." Tav ridiculed and dropped his cock, sharply pushing off his stomach, stepping backwards to the table they knew was behind them.

Gale stood breathing heavily, utterly dumb-founded and painfully erect.

A sheen of sweat clung to his muscular frame, reminding them of how Gods damned tasty he'd looked in the Grymforge. What they wouldn't have given to licked, bitten and sucked every single inch of him.

Tav sat against the table and tilted their head to the side, leaning back to expose themselves fully to him.

Gale swallowed thickly, his erection twitched with desire, as his mouth hung open.

"Now you," They proffered with a gesture, "or do you need some more lessons on what it is we're doing here?" Tav smirked, narrowing their eyes at him.

It took a few seconds, before thoughts eventually flashed behind his eyes.

"So, by these new measures, I could.. push you against a window and fuck you against it from behind, so that everyone could see what a disgusting, lecherous whore you are?" He spat, a darkness across his face.

Tav grinned wide and filthy, "Now you're getting it."

"That I could spread your arsehole wide and fuck you raw and unyielding until your sobbing underneath me?" He rumbled, his brown hair falling in curtains to shade his beautiful face, as he stalked towards them.

Now it was Tav's turn to swallow hard.

"Give it your worst, Wizard. Make it hurt." Tav snarled though a rough whisper, as they lay back flat against the table.

Gale's luminous chest heaved as he seized the collar of their shirt and ripped it apart, buttons scattering, pattering to the floor. He loomed over them, placed a hand on their throat and began to squeeze, "Oh trust me, I intend to." He threatened, as Tav's nerve-endings buzzed.

A deliciously, disgusting smile erupted between the two of them, the tension between them electric.

Gale bit his bottom lip and groaned, as he bent down to gather the back of their knees in the crooks of his arms. He spread them aloft and viciously spat on their eagerly awaiting hole. He blindly rubbed his cock against the length of their saliva spattered sex and threw his head back, growling a whimper to himself.

He snapped his gaze back to theirs, uncertainty in his eyes, "Are you sure? You're sure you want this-want it like this?"

Tav softened - just a little bit, "You have my most enthusiastic consent. The safe word can be Elminster." Tav grinned, reaching up to pat his head, "That should kill the mood enough, right?"

Gale rolled his eyes and laughed, "Undoubtedly so. I mean, even before his unbidden visit to camp begrudgingly delivering Mystra's missive to use the orb to end myself and the Absolute. I can assure you that-"

"-Gale.." Tav began reaching between themselves to align his cock to their pleading entrance, "Do shut the fuck up."

•°•°•

[thewertsearch]

TG: oh so this is the trollplanet TG: pretty cool not really what i pictured AA: what did you picture […] TG: a bunch of trolls flying around in little grub pods constantly screaming at each other through bullhorns shaped like buckets AA: thats very silly and a little perverse […] AA: but actually that sounds like what it might have been like on some parts of the planet sooo

Aradia lived out in the boonies, so she's not much of an authority on cosmopolitan life in Alternia. Sollux is the city boy, and I wouldn't be surprised if this was what his area was like.

TG: so what am i supposed to do now that im dead […] TG: where are the fucking hauntoffs at is what im asking AA: i dont know about hauntoffs AA: but there is plenty of time to satisfy various curiosities you might have about existence and whatnot

I guess even this neighbourhood has a Janet.

... man, I miss The Good Place. I’ve been rewatching clips from the show this week, and it's actually got a lot in common with Homestuck. They're both character-driven stories with enormous scope, centered around a bizarre institution which governs all of reality.

AA: there are all sorts of friends to meet AA: ones you already know and ones you dont

Is Aradia referring to members of her own team, or are there ghosts from entirely different sessions floating around the Bubbles?

Feferi was prophesized to unite only two races, something she's achieved through the Horrorterrors. This implies we won't be seeing any other alien species, but we could see other human Players. Technically, it also means we could see other trolls, but that's pretty unlikely. As far as we're aware, Alternia only spawned a single session.

Anyway - the more I think about these Dream Bubbles, the more I'm starting to realize how much strategic potential they have. Affinity for the Furthest Ring is a genuine boon, and being a Derse Dreamer is more advantageous than I thought.

AA: time is like a game […] AA: and games are fun but sometimes you dont realize how much fun you were having until theyre all over AA: and sometimes you look back and realize for some stupid reason you werent having any fun at all!

What an interesting sentiment that I’m sure is not at all autobiographical.

Aradia spent the entire session as a robot with zero agency, and never got to use her powers for her sake, instead of the timeline's. It makes perfect sense that she didn't have fun with her Aspect.

Tavros! My man, Tavros!

Alright, this is actually fantastic. Tavros died before he could reveal Vriska's batshit plan to the team, but Aradia has handed him a second chance. All he has to d-

AT: lOOKS LIKE i FOUND ANOTHER POINT IN TIME TO BOTHER YOU, AT: wHEN, i GUESS, AT: yOU ARE MORE EMOTIONALLY SUSCEPTIBLE, […] TG: are those sick fires youre packing there TG: you best not be bringin that fire into my bubble less you plan on dropping that shit

-he's just here to rap, isn't he.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Worried About Traction/Why Write?

Anonymous asked: Okay answer me this, so I've read how trad publishing is going to shit, but self-publishing I doubt I could gain any traction with. Then why fucking write, ya know? People say, "write for yourself," which sounds like a lot of goody bullshit. I want people to love my writing, I need some type of validation. So, how the hell do I get anyone to care about my stories?

Just a quick note that this ask came in off Anon, and I wasn't sure if it was meant to, so I put I'm posting it Anon to be on the safe side.

So, I don't want to get too much into the "is traditional publishing dying" debacle, because it's a conversation that's complex and nuanced and outside of my energy reserves at the moment. What I will say is that the traditional publishers--the Big Five in particular--still dominate the market, especially where print books are concerned. And although self-publishing can respond more quickly to trends and shifting tastes, traditional publishing continues to evolve.

Having said that, even if traditional publishing was stronger than ever before, that wouldn't guarantee you a book deal. Even in the best of times, the odds of being traditionally published are between 1 and 2%. Even if you get a book deal, that doesn't guarantee your book will be a best-seller. Hundreds of thousands of books are traditionally published every year, and far fewer than 1% of those books will become best sellers. Being traditionally published doesn't even guarantee your book will be sold in brick and mortar bookstores. I can point you toward traditionally published books that have been out almost a year and still have fewer than 10 reviews on Amazon. I can point you toward many more with fewer than 30.

And, while we're on the subject, I can show you self-published books with thousands of reviews (positive ones, btw...)

The point is, it doesn't really matter how you publish. What you write, how you write, and how you market is far, far more important. But the reality is, most of us aren't writing the kinds of books that are going to be best-sellers, BookTok sensations, Oprah's Book Club selections, or get optioned for film rights before the ink on the book deal is even dry. So, when you say you need validation, what does that look like for you? Does it mean seeing your name at the top of the NYT best seller list for five weeks straight? Seeing your book on eye-level shelves at an international airport? Hundreds of fans showing up to your book signing? A-hundred thousand followers on Twitter eagerly awaiting news of your next release? Or, does it look like someone... anyone... enjoying your book enough to leave a 5-star review... someone calling you their favorite writer, several fans re-posting your cover reveal because they're so excited for your upcoming book, or someone writing to say your book got them through a difficult time in their lives? Because, while I would never tell you not to dare to dream of achieving the former list of expectations, I will absolutely tell you the latter list of expectations is well within your grasp. So, if that's validation enough for you, write for those people. If it isn't, and it's not enough to write for yourself, then I think all you can do is try. Write the best stories you can write. Get them out there. Promote the hell out of them and see what happens. Maybe you will be one of those lucky few who see their book at the top of the NYT best seller list for five weeks in a row. Or, maybe you won't, but you get a two-page e-mail from a fan who says your story changed their life. And maybe, after all, that's enough. Here are some posts that can help you start building a following ahead of publishing, whatever route you end up choosing. Building a buzz on social media ahead of publishing and consistent promotion afterward can make a big difference. Even if you publish traditionally. Guide: Getting Your Writing Noticed on Tumblr Guide: Author Platforms-What, Why, and How? Guide: How to Promote Yourself as a Writer/Author via Social Media 12 Sites for Sharing Original Fiction

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep6 Musings - Loumand's Power Imbalance: RANT (Spoilers)

I'm seeing so many trash takes in the tags and it's driving me nuts.

Armand 👏 Made 👏 His 👏 CHOICE! 👏

The show said it TWICE, and yet I still see a plethora of braindead takes about Armand/Arun being "forced" by "Maitre/pimp!Louis" to do things. 🤦

Like, ISTG we're clearly not watching the same show, y'all.

Since when did Louis being a pimp or asserting "dominance" or other delusions of grandeur get him anywhere or give him anything that wasn't immediately taken away again by people with ACTUAL power? Louis NEVER had any real power to begin with!

Lou couldn't even convince some schmuck art dealer to buy his effing photos! He couldn't even convince his own boyfriend/companion to make a dang baby with him! Come on, y'all--what POWER (control, influence, effectiveness, coercion, sway) has Louis ever actually had!?!?

Sure, Lou owned all those businesses--and every single one got shut down by the government's Ordinances (via the city council the Alderman & Tom Anderson were board members on). Sure, Lou had money & paid all the bills at DPDL Estate, but his mother had the power to badmouth him so bad that his own nieces never wanted to be around him, and Levi took his place as Florence's son--"you're not welcome in this home!" Sure, Lou's a big bad vamp w/ super strength "remember what I did to that door, Grace?," but Grace was the one who told him to "get out!;" "mah sistah buried me aliiiiive~!" Sure, he was "Daddy" Lou, but when Claudia ran away he couldn't do eff all to stop her or make her come back till SHE decided to come back. Sure, Lou said he was "equals in the quiet dark," but Lestat always had the final say--he's even testifying to an entire judge & jury in the court case that's gonna get Claudia killed & Louis LITERALLY buried alive--cuz ARMAND MADE A DEAL WITH SANTIAGO & THE COVEN & LESTAT! Everyone's making moves w/out Lou having a EFFING clue.

Y'all really think Armand just stood there & let Santiago kidnap Lou's family cuz LOUIS turned Armand into his slave!; or cuz LOUIS had some unfair advantage over Armand?!

Episode 7 was given its title for a frikkin REASON, y'all.

Armand claimed he "couldn't prevent it." Armand. The 500 year old vampire so powerful that HE was the only one in the coven who could set vampires on frikkin fire, and was the ONLY one who could freeze entire rooms full of people AND VAMPIRES.

Somehow, Armand's suddenly SO powerless, SO helpless, SO DOMINATED, that couldn't stop those SAME vampires from abducting his beloved companion ("I want you more than anything in the world") and his daughters? PLEASE.

Coven Master Armand CHOPPED OFF NICKI'S HANDS when he got TIRED of dealing with a mentally ill guy whom LESTAT left him with! Sound familiar!? Only this time it's not Louis' HANDS--it's his DAUGHTERS!

ARMAND WANTS THOSE TWO WENCHES GONE GIRL! He sold them down the frikkin river; and in return was able to guarantee that Louis wouldn't be killed right alongside them, merely buried alive so Armand could dig him up later; "eternity in a box."

Armand passively shut the door and stood by as the coven burned Claudia (after Armand had chopped her HEAD off & sewed it on an adult's body)--and only made his move once all the sentences had been meted out; cuz in classic Armand fashion: HE LET IT HAPPEN.

ARMAND WANTED THAT WHOLE COVEN GONE, GIRL! He's done this crap before! WITH LESTAT!

And Armand was busy wheeling & dealing with Lestat, too!

Lest only complied--COMPLICIT--cuz he'd been starved, delirious & hurt; and Armand tricked him into thinking he could/would help. Les threw Claudia under the bus to protect Lou, but was still horrified that she'd been killed, cuz ARMAND could've prevented it--his fledglings shouldn't've been held to the Great Laws in the first place!

This is a MASSIVE game Armand's playing--the whole point of his gaslighting's that he throws the same thing he does back in ppl's faces to throw them off his scent, "to protect me, from YOU, Mr. Molloy...from my shame...my cowardice." He hides behind illusions--not just with the Mind/Spell Gift, but also through the veneer of innocence: a black-winged devil with the innocent face of a cherub.

People are SO blinded by the mean Black man (whom they don't even like ANYWAY) Dom'ing Armand (FOR SHOW, btw!); and equally distracted by their failure to even parse Armand's birthname Arun (I don't see any of y'all saying Amadeo was book!Armand's "slave name," and I DEFINITELY don't see any of y'all saying ANDREI was his slave name, either!); that they've totally missed how Loumand plotted TOGETHER to concede power to Santiago and "give" him the Theatre--thoroughly ignorant of the fact that Santiago was already being called Maitre by the whole effing coven--he'd already won his coup!

You can't give someone something you never had, Louis!

And their plot was for ARMAND'S BENEFIT; so they could get rid of Santiago, destabilize/dismantle the coven so they'd scatter (just like Lestat caused them to do); and so Armand could decide if he wanted to stay Maitre or not--LETTING ARMAND CHOOSE what HE wanted to do with HIS coven and THEIR lives. Lest we forget: vamps don't just LEAVE covens--in the books, after Les ruined the Paris coven, Armand didn't just LET them leave--he set them on FIRE and KILLED THEM; just like Louis would do--as Armand sat back and LET IT HAPPEN.

He knew Lou'd go ballistic; AMC!Armand even TAUGHT Louis the Fire Gift; literally handing Louis the tools with which to destroy his coven for good!

This show constantly emphasizes the POWER Armand held over Louis & Claudia (& Madeleine)'s lives; and his autonomy, agency & authority over them; despite the roleplay Loumand was up to as they SWITCHED positions; cuz Armand FAILED at running the coven.

All Armand wanted was to be with Louis, but Lou kept dragging Claudia (& Lestat) with him. So Armand was tryna get rid of them--he's Sleeping in Claudia's coffin, cuz he wants to take HER spot; "it's BLISS!"--and he overplayed his hand.

Louis couldn't even kill himself in peace without Armand interfering--cuz at the end of the day, it's not up to Louis what he wants or does. Armand PRETENDS to be Louis servant, "Rashid," his subby bottom boy, cuz Armand WANTS to go along with it all--too shameful for his COMPLICIT culpability; and too scared to live alone.

I saw people saying "the victim became the victimizer; cycles of abuse; etc etc," like omfg--how is THIS man Louis' victim!?

I've said it before though: Armand genuinely loves Louis, and has good intentions. But let's not pretend Armand's some innocent bystander to Louis' schemes, ffs!

[pedripics]

Charlando con PEDRI en la EURO 2024 | xBuyer - Translation

JAVI: Guys, we are here, as you have seen in the title, the thumbnail, nothing more and nothing less than a little chat with Pedri. Pedri González, my friend...

ERIC: How are you maestro?

JAVI: Brother of a former xBuyer team player and most importantly, Spanish national team player.

ERIC: By the way, first question, why did you change your number, man?

PEDRI: Because I've taken it. The truth is that it goes by internationality. I mean, when you arrive you choose the one with the most caps or whichever one you get.

ERIC: Whichever one you get.

PEDRI: They gave me a choice and I was the 26 again, but I said so to change. ERIC: He has stolen it from you. PEDRI: No, I changed it. I mean, I have more internationals than him, so I chose before him.

ERIC: It has a bit of personality.

JAVI: Well, have you seen? (pointing to his jacket)

ERIC: I was going to say Pedri. What do you think of my brother's jacket?

PEDRI: It's fine, but this has changed already.

JAVI: Yeah, but all you've done is criticize me.

PEDRI: Because it has changed.

JAVI: But a little bit of retro, man, this.

ERIC: But, listen, but this is one of the last collections they did retro.

JAVI: First question. Did I put the mic on?

ERIC: I put the mic on. First question was...

JAVI: How are you?

PEDRI: Good, good, here.

JAVI: Sunny. The facilities are really good.

PEDRI: Sunny??

JAVI: Second question. How are you? I know you're fine, but everyone knows you're from Troncos.

Clip Pedri: I became a Troncos. They had never asked me which team I was from and I didn't have a team, but of course when they asked me I had to say one and I became a Tronco because of Verdú, man.

Clip Ibai: Very good, but you watch the Kings League a lot.

Clip Pedri: Yes, I watch it, so I don't miss a game, but yes.

JAVI: We explained it well to your little team. We didn’t just beat them, we burned it.

PEDRI: Well, basically the Troncos let them win because, of course, they didn't want to win.

ERIC: They let themselves win from the first minute, no.

JAVI: We're going on holiday early and that's it.

ERIC: It's OK, it's still Troncos. Verdú. The same, he's not going.

PEDRI: If Verdú doesn't continue, I'll have to reconsider.

ERIC: Who would you say you have a face from Móstoles?

PEDRI: I used to like El Barrio at the beginning, but now I don't like it at all. I don't know who I would go to.

ERIC: Dude, he doesn't say the Buyers (their team)

PEDRI: Let's see, no, the Buyers too.

JAVI: I don't even want him to say it anymore.

PEDRI: The only one I like among the Buyers is Beguer.

ERIC: And Fuad?

PEDRI: Well, he's good too.

ERIC: That's good eh.

PEDRI: But Beguer is very top.

JAVI: Let's see if we can keep him.

ERIC: What about my penalties?

PEDRI: Pff, what a blast, eh?

ERIC: But I've scored 3

PEDRI: Yeah, but how many have you missed?

ERIC: Three

PEDRI: 50%.

ERIC: How many penalties have you taken in your career?

PEDRI: One

ERIC: Have you scored?

PEDRI: Yes, against Betis in the Super Cup.

ERIC: Good, good

PEDRI: I have 100%.

JAVI: I'm not saying anything because that's where I'm shitting myself.

PEDRI: But why don't you shoot?

JAVI: Because he does it well. I give him his share... (pointing at Eric)

ERIC: Of course, but I do it well. I mean, I don't shoot badly, but I don't score. So, ee have to look for something.

JAVI: I only commit myself that, if there are shootouts, I'll shoot them. And I'll score them.

PEDRI: Yes, but the shootout is more complicated.

JAVI: No way, it's very easy if you are left-footed.

ERIC: (laughs) It's very easy if you are left-footed. But it's the same thing.

PEDRI: It's the same.

JAVI: You'll see. The truth is that I have a lot of little things. I have secret weapons.

PEDRI: So tell Geri to do shootouts.

JAVI: That's going to be done.

ERIC: He tells us that if you get shootouts, it's two goals.

PEDRI: So you can choose between a normal penalty and a shootout? Is it worth double?

ERIC: It's double if the president takes it.

PEDRI: That's not a bad one.

JAVI: It's not bad.

PEDRI: It's not bad.

JAVI: And that's where I'll come in. Clack.

PEDRI: A double goal, but you have to score it afterwards.

JAVI: But okay, Eric, shoot it, shoot it. Question. We're fucking around.

ERIC: You were the best young player at the last European Championship, who will it be at this one?

PEDRI: Lamine

ERIC: Are you sure?

PEDRI: Yes.

ERIC: (at Lamine off-camera) Lamine, are you going to be the best or no?

JAVI: And who are you sharing a room with?

PEDRI: Nobody. Alone.

JAVI: Alone?

ERIC: No shit.

PEDRI: Everyone is alone. Everyone. Everyone. The XB guys shared, right?

JAVI: Team and he shared. Pablito Beguer with Roger Carbó.

PEDRI: Well, Roger also scored goals.

ERIC: You have a powerful squad. How do you approach this European Championship from what you learned from the last one? What do you think you can change to win it?

PEDRI: Let's see, the last one. The truth is that we did a good job.

ERIC: We did a good job.

PEDRI: To be honest, it's difficult to beat it, but...

ERIC: You have to give it your all.

PEDRI: That's why overcoming it is complicated, but I think we have a good team. There are also young people who help us (smiling at Lamine off camera). And above all we have a good vibe, man, which is important at the end of the day.

JAVI: It's funny that Pedri says ‘we have young people who help us’.

PEDRI (getting very defensive lmao): Well, yes, I look like a veteran.

ERIC: You've been with us for five years now, haven't you?

PEDRI: I've been at Barça for four years.

ERIC: You've been to the Spanish national team, you haven't been to the youth teams, have you?

PEDRI: Well, I went to the U16 World Cup (it was U17 lmao) when I was at Las Palmas and then I went twice, I think, to the U21 or U19.

ERIC: I though you didn’t when you were younger…

PEDRI: Yes, I was with De La Fuente, I was in the U21s. Well, and the Olympic Games.

ERIC: But there you were already playing for Barça. Right. Okay, good.

JAVI: Then a little question. Today I went for a couple of rounds while you were training in your facilities.

PEDRI: Do you like it?

JAVI: You have lots of little things.

PEDRI: They are nice, eh?

JAVI: This year's facilities are strong. What do you do most to pass the time? Because I've seen that there's ping pong, that there's everything.

ERIC: Don't say Play, that's clear.

PEDRI: Let's see, the Play, I play tennis. I'm there playing a lot.

ERIC: Some other people who also play?

PEDRI: Dani Olmo. Well, we'll each play one of them.

JAVI: Of course, so that you don't share a screen, otherwise it gets buggy. The one on top gets buggy.

PEDRI: And I play darts the most, I play quite a lot.

ERIC: Darts. I saw that you were throwing darts. Against whom?

PEDRI: With Ferran, Vivian, he's not bad, and Remiro is a spectacle. He's the best at darts.

JAVI: Incidentally, not long ago I had an interview with Lamine and he said that at table football (foosball) he's the best, that at foosball no one beats him.

PEDRI (pointing at Lamine): He said that I am his goalkeeper, so all good.

JAVI: But is it true that he is very good?

Clip Lamine: Pedri, my goalkeeper in table football.

Clip Javi: What do you mean, he's played as a goalkeeper by himself?

Clip Lamine: Goalkeeper.

Clip Eric: What are you playing? Four against four?

Clip Lamine: Two against two

Clip Javi: Who is the best foosball player on the team?

Clip Lamine: Oriol. Top two me 100%

PEDRI (directed at Lamine): He dribbles even in foosball.

ERIC: The best in the team?

PEDRI: Well, foosball is a one-legged game here, you know?

ERIC: Yes, of course, you can't hold the ball.

ERIC (at Lamine): You lose your potential.

*Lamine complaining off camera*

PEDRI: You play with the two-legged one and the one-legged one gets complicated.

JAVI: Okay, Eric, any questions you have there, like quick ones. Player to follow from this EURO, not from Spain?

PEDRI: To say one from Germany that we are here, Wirtz.

ERIC: Food from Spain that you're going to miss, even though we've seen that the cooks bring a lot of Spain? Do they put sweet potato in it?

PEDRI: Yes.

JAVI: What's wrong with the national team?

PEDRI: They always put it in, and I tried it one day and I really like it.

ERIC: How many kilos of sweet potato did you say you ate? Two or three?

PEDRI: Crazy. Well, there's sweet potato in every meal.

JAVI: You've always been particular about food.

ERIC: Do they let you eat croquettes here?

PEDRI: No, I wish. No, but nothing. What I eat most... I don't know, fish anyway. I don't know, like sea bass.

ERIC: Oh, they put sea bass in it?

PEDRI: Whatever they put in. I mean, I can't order whatever I want.

ERIC: The day we went to lunch anyway you asked for a sea bass.

ERIC: Promise if you win the EURO?

PEDRI: I was going to say I'll do my profile picture, but of course you haven't seen my profile picture.

JAVI: What's your profile picture?

PEDRI: I don't have my phone here. But it's me, bald and with a moustache. I mean, shaved and with a moustache.

ERIC: You don't have the balls to shave your head and grow a moustache.

PEDRI: Yes.

ERIC: Imagine showing up for the pre-season with a bald head.

PEDRI: No, I will let them shave me in the locker room.

ERIC: Do you like being bald?? (valid question lmao)

PEDRI: I will let them shave me in the locker room. But not zero, eh. Buzzcut.

ERIC: You get in here with a buzzcut. Okay, I like it. I was going to say the same thing, but is Pedri Prime coming to the Euro?

PEDRI: I hope so.

JAVI: I'm a betting man too. I'll tell you one thing, if you score five goals in this Euros…

PEDRI: You sell the xBuyer Team.

JAVI: I'll sell it now.

ERIC: That depends on how much you give us.

JAVI: I'll shave my head.

ERIC: But listen, the one you put the fifth one in, you have to dedicate it to him, you have to do something like this

(they proceeded to show him what celebration to do)

JAVI: I don't know whether to be happy or cry.

PEdRI: If that happens. But I don't take the penalties myself, in theory.

JAVI: In theory.

ERIC: Yeah, but Javi, you think that if Pedri scores five. We've come a long way.

JAVI: And now I'd like to ask you a little bit of a trickier question: any argument or something that the coach said to you in anger? I mean, something that you've said to yourself, ‘Wow, I remember this one all my life’?

PEDRI: I mean, any coach? Well, I haven't had many arguments myself. No. But I'm also a good guy. I'm quiet, I don't get into trouble.

ERIC: Because he doesn't miss much either. Pedri catches the ball, passes back, whatever.

JAVI: I think there's Lamine who's going to answer me.

PEDRI: Lamine, Lamine. (directed at Lamine) What are they going to say to him if he's been here for a year and they only say good things?

JAVI: But surely, he's had some in the lower categories.

PEDRI: Lower categories? (laughs)

ERIC: Next one, also a little bit tricky, but chill. Who is the worst dressed player in the national team?

PEDRI: (laughs)

JAVI: You know it

PEDRI: No, let's see, I haven't seen many, but Unai Simon.

ERIC: Unai Simon? Does he look like...?

PEDRI: Dressed very badly.

ERIC: Unai. I see him in a polo shirt, jeans... I mean, he doesn't get complicated.

PEDRI: Yes, Unai Simon (looks at Lamine) or Nico Williams (laughs again).

ERIC: No, Nico has style.

PEDRI (pointing at Lamine): He knows why I say that.

JAVI: You get along good with Nico, don't you?

JAVI: And any new nickname from this squad?

ERIC: Do they still call you what you used to be called? Pepi, right?

PEDRI: No, yes, but nobody calls me that, only my brother, man. My brother is the only bastard who gives me a nickname. And a nickname like that? Buah, none. (looks at Lamine) Well, there was one, but it's gone.

ERIC: So let's leave him, let's respect him.

ERIC: And in the national team there has always been Pepe Reina. But who is the soul of the national team now?

PEDRI: Morata :)

ERIC and JAVI: Morata?????

ERIC: Morata is shy, isn't he?

PEDRI: Morata telling stories is the best there is.

ERIC: I like it.

PEDRI: I think Morata would take the microphone if there's a celebration.

ERIC: And now, the penultimate one, when we win, if we win the Euro, where are you going on holiday?

PEDRI: Tenerife.

ERIC: Tenerife. But you’ve seen it a lot already?

PEDRI: But I like to be at home, quiet, with my family.

ERIC: You're not going anywhere else?

PEDRI: Well, first to Madrid to celebrate and then to Tenerife with Lamine. (laughs) I'm not taking him on holiday.

ERIC: I'm a bit scared of Lamine in Tenerife.

PEDRI: He's already been there. He was there. Ask him about it later.

JAVI: And finally, you know that there is a teammate who has not been able to come, at Barça, Gavi, which is hurting us. Do you have any message you want to leave him in this video? Because I'm sure he sees it.

PEDRI: Now he is starting to run. He's doing very well. Keep it up, we are waiting for him with open arms. Me too, I want to humiliate you/ beat you at ping pong.

JAVI: I saw the video.

PEDRI: He plays well right?

ERIC: Table tennis, darts, tennis, everything.

PEDRI: Anything that involves sport and passes the time, I'm all for it.

JAVI: And keep an eye out because soon we'll be uploading a Pedri vs Lamine. Let's see who knows more about EUROs players.

ERIC: Any questions you want us to ask him (Lamine)?

PEDRI: (laughs again) How was it in Tenerife?

[krirebr]

I Could Feel at the Time

Pairing: Ransom Drysdale x female Reader

Word Count: 650

Warnings: Explicit language, references to forced marriage and forced pregnancy, angst, drinking, sads

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

A/N: Hello! So, with Part 6 of More Than This, we're coming to the end of what I've been thinking of as the first arc of that story. To celebrate, how about a super angsty ficlet of Ransom's POV of their first meeting???

Ransom sat in his car across the street from the restaurant. He watched you exit and get into a town car. He knew that from this distance he couldn’t actually see how upset you were. What he knew in his bones was just projection. But still. Your car drove away and he stayed where he was.

He’d spent the last week angrier than he’d ever been in his life. He’d sort of thought, as he’d kept getting older and no arrangements came to fruition, that he’d managed to avoid the whole thing. But now, at 35, his time had finally come. It was how condescending they’d been when they told him, his mom and granddad. “It’s time for you to grow up and settle down,” she’d said. “This will be so good for you, exactly what you need,” he’d said. And then they’d told him about the baby.

He should count himself lucky, he supposed, that he even knew. What kind of assholes must your parents be that they didn’t even tell you? Especially since it’d be your body doing the work. They’d left that dirty work to him.

He’d fucked it up. He knew that. But he was just so goddamn angry about the whole thing. He was mad at everyone involved for forcing the two of you into this. And he was mad at you for lying down and taking it. For being such a good girl. He chuckled to himself. Like he was any better.

He finally put his car in gear and pulled out onto the road. He drove for a mile or two before he saw a sign for some shitty chain steakhouse. Sure. Why the fuck not? He was hungry and wanted to keep feeling like shit. It was perfect.

He went in and sat himself at the bar. Everything was neon. It exacerbated the migraine that had been building all day. Fucking good.

They didn’t have any scotch and their best bourbon was some midtier piece of shit, so he just ordered the rail. A glass of shitty, watered-down sadness. Perfect. He also ordered the porterhouse, although that’s not what it was called here. It had some cutesy name that he forgot the moment the menu was taken away. And it came with too many sides. Everything was bullshit.

He’d lied when he told you he had other dinner plans. The plan had been for him to eat with you. But something had happened, sitting there with you. It was like everything was suddenly more real than it ever had been before. This arrangement. This marriage. This life. It was real. It was happening. He wouldn’t be able to get out of it. So as he looked at you, he couldn’t even bring himself to open the menu. And then you’d asked if he knew what he wanted and he’d panicked. It’d just fallen out of his mouth. A way to get himself out of there. 

But then you’d looked so hurt and he’d mocked you for it. Fuck. He was such an asshole. 

His food came. A rubbery steak and two different kinds of lukewarm potatoes. He’d left you at a five-star restaurant. He ate it silently while drinking his “bourbon”.

He had your number. He could call or text, apologize. But that wasn’t something he did. He wasn’t sure he fucking knew how. No. What would it help, anyway? Every time he thought about you, or the wedding, or the baby, there was this tightness in his chest that just wouldn’t let go. Whiskey sometimes helped. The real stuff, not this fucking swill he was currently drinking. Ignoring it helped a lot. So that was what he would do. He’d do what he told you to do, live the next three weeks like none of this was happening. What else was there?

And for now, he’d finish his fucking steak.

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[drizztdohurtin]

Can you write headcanons for Nere (or drow men in general) about pursuing a relationship with a human and becoming more comfortable at being submissive with no pressure or violence from said partner? Basically I just want that bratty bastard to get a chance at healing

Hey anon! So I tried writing this so many times and ended up deciding that I'm going to answer this request here by talking about drow men in general, and then do a separate post for Nere that will be up tomorrow!

There's so much nuance when talking about Drow! I'm so obsessed with writing about it, I end up discussing so much that I have to break everything up for organization and simplicity. So let's go ahead and start with this idea in general.

I know you asked for it to be with a human partner, but I'd like to make it more broad because in the end, it's not going to matter what race their partner is if they're not a drow.

This isn't going to be super specific either, just a big accumulation of my thoughts about all this! <3

Thoughts on Drow Men and Submitting to a Non-Drow Partner

[ masterlist ] [ wip list ]

pairing: Drow Men x gn!Reader

Content Warnings: NSFW concepts under the cut (non-explicit), discussion of noncon activity in Lolthian cities

What to expect: above the cut: nuance and Surface drow exploration below the cut: brief NSFW discussion, this is where the CW comes into play, brief talk about dom/sub dynamics

Please check out my post about Drow lore, specifically the sections about Lorendrow/Aevendrow/Udadrow and under the cut about Lolthian society. It's helpful to understand their lore before going into this stuff.

Let's get some considerations out of the way first:

All udadrow no matter their gender or who they follow are taught that they are superior to other races and even other drow communities - and I think this is an important piece when talking about this request. Here, I'm only going to focus on udadrow men, as only the drow men of the Underdark will have the sort of upbringing and understanding of society that this request is concerned with.

I also think it's important to mention that only Lolthites grow up in a matriarchy and are taught that women are far superior to men, who are considered to be near-worthless. The only people that a Lolthite man would see as superiors are Lolthite women - not women of any race - or possibly other drow men in higher positions/stations than them.

The udadrow men who leave their respective societies are not all going to be doing so for the same reason, and they're not all going to have the same attitude about it. However, I do think that the ones leaving to come to the surface are almost always going to be good/neutral-aligned and no longer following the evil members of the Dark Seldarine - a more evil-aligned drow would have no purpose on or interest in the surface because none of their kind dwells there.

Take the famous Drizzt Do'Urden versus Nere, for example: Drizzt flees Lolthian society because of his disdain for it, he (a very well-aligned character) doesn't agree with how the society runs and the cruel things people are subjected to. Because he's so well-aligned, the teachings of superiority and gender inequality do not stick with him as a belief (to summarize him to an absurd amount). Nere, on the other hand, still has a lot of those cruel tendencies and a general sense of superiority over other races even though he no longer follows Lolth during the events of the game (same with Minthara, actually). He likely was offered more power when he was recruited to the Cult of the Absolute, more power than he'd ever have while following Lolth.

So when we're talking about this request within the context of the game, it's far more likely that any drow men you meet are going to be similar to Nere - power-hungry udadrow who were promised greater things if they left their Dark Seldarine god behind - because the entire gameplay revolves around an evil cult, so we're going to find evil people.

However, if we're talking about Forgotten Realms stuff outside of the game, I'd imagine the drow men you're most likely to meet on the surface are ex-Lolthites who are more like Drizzt - leaving the society they grew up in to find a better, more peaceful life on the surface.

Since this is the "drow men in general" post, I'm going to stick to this idea that the drow men you meet are almost always ex-Lolthites who came to the surface for a better life. With that in mind, I'd imagine that the chances of them already being a better person than an average udadrow are going to be really high. They're far less likely to let the taught prejudice against other races follow them out of the Underdark and into their new lives where they know they'll be heavily outnumbered by other races like humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings.

I think another important note is that drow receive a large amount of discrimination and nasty comments from other races, including (or especially) other elves due to their history, and the general notion that drow are evil and come to do horrible things to people. While people on the surface could use common sense and realize that a lone drow on the surface going about their daily lives is probably not evil nor associated with an evil god, that's not always what happens.

Combining all of these thoughts, it's my opinion that it would be highly likely for a drow man you meet on the Surface to be good/neutral-aligned and open to being with all different types of people as long as they're treated well by them! I think what matters the most is what energy this person gives to them, and how well their alignments and beliefs match up.

Assuming that being submissive is not something they're already sure they're into when they meet you (bc who knows, maybe some of them come to the Surface already into the idea of being dominated by their partner), becoming comfortable with it might happen a bit quicker than you'd expect.

Like with any relationship that's going to have dom/sub dynamics, trust is important. Once trust is established between you two it should be fairly easy to move into something like that. However, it might be the hardest thing for your partner to overcome, as drow are taught not to trust anyone - so if they spent a long time under those ideas and teachings it may be harder to overcome, even if they've spent a long time on the surface

In Lolthian communities, men are used and disposed of by the women, their enjoyment is not taken into consideration (many of the women get off on the men's torment, actually) - so I think for some of them there'd be considerable pleasure and relief in you taking a real interest in their pleasure during sex, especially when you're being dominant over them. Ensure they know their enjoyment is as important as yours (bonus points if sometimes their enjoyment is more important).

Another thing to take in mind is consent, especially for the ones who might've not been given a choice in their past before leaving the Underdark. Actively asking for consent and checking in on him could go a long way, especially at the beginning of the sexual relationship. Starting things off this way with him could allow him to eventually become comfortable with some of the harder/rougher things you may be into.

There isn't much else to say because I think the majority of it just has to do with communication and respect from both sides. And, of course, it always depends on the person and what their life was like before coming to the surface. Some might be ready fairly quickly to try submitting, but others might take much longer to feel comfortable and will require more building of trust and mutual respect.

Thanks for reading and letting me yap about more drow stuff! The Nere addition will be posted tomorrow :)

[vulpixisananimal]

Carrion!Sif AU, Chapter 1.

ACT 1, The Hunger.

(Au origonaly by @traumaboyexo. it's so cool. I'm 100% going to do more of this.)

"Siffrin!"

(You're lying down in the field near Dormont. You had a weird dream about eating a star. You smell cherries, Mirabelle was calling your name.)

". . . Siffrin?" (She's looming over you now, your Housemaiden.) "Good morning! Or, well more like good afternoon I guess. Were you taking a nap? That's just like you. . . Only you could sleep peacfully at a time like this, hee hee."

(You're too sleepy to talk, you close your eye again.)

"You're still half asleep, aren't you. I'll let you sleep a bit longer, but not too long!!"

(. . . Ugh. You can't stay here, like this. The sun was nice, and you could smell the birds in the air. The people in the village. The faint and distinct smell Mirabelle carried with her. But you were getting hungry, really, really hungry.)

(Wake up, Siffrin. You have a country to save.)

>>>

(Statues, big and small, all with different faces. Some jump up and down, some are sad, some are happy. The Change God, Deity of all of Vaugarde, stands before you.)

(So much has happened over the last few months, since you met Mirabelle. You helped save them from a sadness, and you were here to defeat the King. They were nice, they were your familly.)

(Mirabelle, Isabeau, Odile, Bonniface. Each of them had been your best friends, or at least allies. You hoped you were friends, at least.)

(Mirabelle once asked if you were ok with following them on your journey. You truthfully answered that this had been the happiest you'd ever been. But, that just made her look upset.)

(You cringe just thinking about it, truth be told.)

(You're still hungry.)

>>>

"Don't worry about a thing, then. Can I get you anything on the house? A croissant, maybe? . . . Incredible, incredible. I've never seen someone give such a look of disdain when offered croissant."

"A Pain Au Chocolate, then. Only monsters don't like Pain Au Chocola."

(You like those! You nod!!)

"Ha, one Pain Au Chocolate, coming up."

(You got the Pain Au Chocolate!! Yay!!)

(You know they're really, really bad for your stomach. But it's still warm! Smells of butter and chocolate. You try and restrain yourself with one small bite. But you're so hungry, it smells so good!! You take one bite, and another, and another!!)

". . . Not gonna lie, seeing a tiny one like you eat like a rabid beast. . . That was distrubing, but also weirdly satisfying."

(Haha, this was future Siffrins problem.)

>>>

(The Favor Tree looms above you.)

(You look around for a good leaf, one to represent you. You need it for the Favor Tree, after all.)

(A wish, a wish. . . Favor Trees must be popular around Vaugarde, these days. Everyone must be wishing for the same thing. So, why should you join them, then? What's one more wish on the pile. Something small. . .)

(You wish for. . .)

>>>

"Phew, Bonbon! That was DE-LI-CIOUS!!"

(It was really, really good!! You ate every bite on your plate! It was sooooo tasty, but now your tummy was feeling upset. Damn you, past Siffrin!! But, you could still eat more!!)

"Aw Siff, are you still hungry?" (Isabeau asks.)

"Frin, you ate a lot, huh!! You liked my cooking a lot, huh!!! Here, have some more food since you're so hungry and like my cooking so much."

(Bonnie gives you one (1) carrot slice. It smelled tasty!)

(Chomp.)

"Won't that give you a stomach ache? Nevermind that, how can you still eat after all that food?" (Odile asks, concerned.)

"I'm a growing kid!" (You reply, cheekily.)

"A growing kid that drinks achohol?!?"

"You're older than most of the people here?!?"

(You wink cutely.)

"I suppose we're lucky to get some meat for you all the way out here." (Odile sighs.) "What a strange diet you have."

(You shrug. You've always been like this.)

>>>

(You step into the House of Change. It feels. . . Wrong. You have a tingling on the back of your neck. A tingling you'd always get when something was "off.")

(A house frozen in time. A faint smell of sugar slicing through the air. It was strange, but still you were confident. You could smell your companions following you, step by step. Each as distinct as the next.)

(You're hungry again.)

(You smell a sadness ahead.)

>>>

(Huh?)

"Is something wrong, Siffrin?" (Asks Odile.)

(You look around. There, behind you, there was a flickering white. . . Star?)

"Did you see that light?" (You ask.)

"A light?" (Mirabelle looks concerned.)

"Something wrong, Sif?" (Isa adds.)

(You walk over to the light and point to it.)

". . . . . . ?"

(So they can't see it? It smelled of sugar.)

(You reach out and touch the light.)

>>>

(Traps? Traps?)

"A job for me then." (You say, cheekily.)

"It is your job."

"Protect us, trap master!"

(Not the first time you had to reassure Mirabelle. Time to look around.)

(You look around the room. Checking each wall, checking the floors, checking the pillars. You felt the brickwork for anything, a hidden switch, a pressure plate, anything. It all smelled of... Sugar, and old stone. Well maintained, it smelled of people too. You could smell. . . Fear, worry, no, no that was Mirabelles. She smelled of fear, it smelled. . .)

(You're hungry again.)

(There's nothing here. You can't find any switches, so. . .)

"So? So are we safe?? We're not safe, are we!! This is the death corridor!!! There must be a trap--"

(Oh come on now.) "There's nothing weird in here."

"But there must be!!"

"Aw, Mira. . ."

"Belle, Belle, don't worry about it. Frin isn't good at many things, but they know stuff about traps."

(Hey. . .)

"Right, if we can't trust the one who's supposed to lead us THIS early, this wont bode well for later."

(HEY--)

"But! But!"

"We're not dead yet." (You say, stepping through the hall.)

"W-well, that's true. . ."

"We HAVE been in this room for a while. . . And Siffrin has been walking everywhere. So if it was weight sensitive, it would have gone off by now."

"Exactly! It's all fine!!"

"Oh. . . Yeah, yeah okay! I'll believe you! Sorry for worrying, I'm a little on edge."

(You smile at them.) "We're good, Mira, see?" (You walk to the center of the room.)

"Everythings fine!"

(. . . . The back of your neck tingles. Somethings-)

(CRACK.)

(THUD.)

[victoria-rostu]

i still think nina and momoka aren't officially dating. they're obviously going to be a couple and everyone can see it, but i don't think momoka has given nina a proper answer for the confession yet.

she obviously didn't do it immediately in the truck, because nina didn't want her to. it was important for nina to tell momoka her feelings, but she knew it was the wrong time for momoka to answer. that's why she turns up the music and looks away, so momoka doesn't have to give her an answer.

(then in the deleted scene later that night, if you accept that as canon, the confession doesn't come up again)

you could say that between that point and episode 9, they got together off screen, but i think we're seeing more of their relationship develop on screen than some people are giving the show credit for.

in episode 9, their relationship has changed and they're a lot more comfortable around each other, but nina is trying to back up everything she said before. she wants to be momoka's equal before they go any further.

when they're alone together later, there's this sweet moment where momoka is listening to nina practice. when nina asks "what do you think", momoka acts surprised and doesn't respond until nina clarifies she means about her playing. momoka's still got the confession on her mind, and she isn't ready to answer yet.

in episode 10 when she asks nina to write the song, she's nudging things along a bit more directly while still letting nina take the lead. she's offering another way for nina to grow and prove herself (and this way, momoka isn't waiting years for her to improve on the guitar before she can kiss her).

(the rest of togetoge know something is happening here but they haven't seen the other scenes so they don't understand how intricate the rituals are)

so in episode 11 i think nina's first/final line to momoka is given so much emphasis is because she's ready now. everything that was set up at the end of episode 8 with the diamond dust rivalry has come back around. the tear rolling down her cheek even calls back to the exact same shot after her confession in the truck!

if we do get an onscreen confirmation of their relationship in the finale, i think the stage has been set for it here. and if we don't, i'm just going to assume they spent the rest of the night making out in the van after the festival.

[intuitive-revelations]

Legend of Ruby Sunday live notes

Obviously spoilers below, recorded as I watched. Definitely gonna watch again though. I think I might do a seperate write up about 'what to take away' because oh my god does this episode throw a lot at you!

"Uncle"!!

We're definitiely getting a UNIT spin-off aren't we? I recognised the soldier guy straight away (tbh, when I first saw the 60th trailers he looked so odd in the shots used I thought he was cgi/deepfaked). If we do get it, I do hope they go for the military vs science conflict like I imagine - he'd be a good 'antagonist' for Kate in that regard.

Ooh... just pointing out the anagram in-universe....huh.

"TARDIS technology." Oh she's doomed this episode, I can feel it coming.

Oh! And we're doing the Susan mention?! Ok?!

AND THAT'S THE END OF THE PRE-TITLES WHAT? WHY?

Must be a redirect, though, surely? 'Susan' is not much to go off. It's silly they're jumping to this straight away in-universe, even with the TARDIS anagram.

"Well, except the obvious." "We'll get him." Is that a Musk slam?

Mel!

"Call me Sue" that's a bit of evidence against. Though if it is somehow Susan, her actually being 'really nice' would be cute.

Ruby Rose besties! Ruby Rose besties!

Hm. If this is somehow Susan, we are so going to dissect that thing about Sue Triad's parents.

Donna mention. :)

Oh my god, I've just realised. The TARDIS is a central part of this mystery, and that's exactly what Mrs Flood claimed to recognise...

Uhh.... what's up with Flood?

"HE WAITS NO MORE."

We're really settling on the Susan thing, huh.

"He never mentioned a granddaughter." Five Doctors fans keep losing.

"If you've got a granddaughter, that means you've got kids." "Well, not quite. Not yet." OMG WE'RE DOING THIS?

(Also...he definitely HAS had kids before - and not just Jenny and Miranda. But wild that we're implying Susan isn't the child of one of them.)

"I bring disaster. What if I go back and ruin her?" Hmm... so far kinda compatible with To the Death?

"Especially the Prime Minister." lol.

"N-dimenionsal time", thanks, I'll absorb that into my interpretation of time, time tracks etc. in the whoniverse.

Mel lost her family. Is that a reference? Doesn't immediately bring something to mind.

I like the way the lights are fading up and down, very TARDIS-y.

Ooh, the VHS-y environment.

"The greatest power of all: memory. Time is remembered. Memory is time." MEMORY TARDIS MEMORY TARDIS.

"What is the memory of a time machine?" No way.

Ok, getting ready for a twist. RTD said where people were is important.

...or not?

The one who waits?!

Well there goes the colonel. No surprise.

Hmm... the description "it's everything" sounds a lot like the Void ship from Doomsday.

"It's the Beast." Not that 'Beast' surely?

"It's so old. It's been waiting. It's been waiting for so long." So those "one"s are the same, confirmed?

"It's the TARDIS" AHHHH.

It's groaning again! "It's made that noise before."

"What if it exists around the TARDIS now and we just can't see it?"

I don't think this is our Susan, but if she somehow is I'm really enjoying her dorkiness.

...that's two "no more" drops so far. Hmm...

"AND I THINK WE CAN SUCCEED" Hello?!

It's woven into the TARDIS? Some sort of parasite maybe? Didn't RTD say something about the splitting in The Giggle being important?

"He has hidden in the Howling Void. He has hidden within the tempest." WAIT I WAS RIGHT?! It's Void related. The Eternals called it the Howling didn't they?!

"All this time, he whispered and delighted and seduced, and the vessel did obey. For none should be more mighty and none should be more wise than the King himself." UHHHHH.

HARRIET F*CKING ARBINGER (and she said she was born for this... of course)

WAIT THAT'S SAXON'S THEME WTF

"I dream of worlds with orange skies." HUH? I guess that could be from Boom, but you know what I'm thinking

"There is the Toymaker: the God of Games. There is Trickster: the God of traps." I f*cking knew it. The 'Pantheon' is the Pantheon of Discord!

"There is Maestro: the God of Music. There is Reprobate: of Spite. There is the Mara, the God of Beasts, and the three-fold deity of malice and mischeif and misery." Ok Mara mention... BUT also, "three-fold" that's deliberate right?! Like the Six-Fold God?

"The mother and father and other of them all."

SUTEKH!

"Did you think I was family, Doctor?" Phew...

And it's Gabriel Woolf voicing him! That's good.

Wait... he also voiced the Beast... huh. What does that mean with the reference this episode?

[rocksibblingsau]

I personally love the hc that country trolls still have a traditional and kinda conservative idea of dating, but in a genderless way, just is just purely based on vibes.

Like if Branch dates idk Holly he better be a good country boy and take her to an age appropriate fair and bring her the best flowers in the valley, but if he's dating Hickory or maybe even Poppy, they better bring him home by 20:00 sharp or their heads are going on the fucking wall.

Is mostly a silly thought so there isn't a lot of hard logic behind it (like most trolls canon if we're being honest) but if I had to give it some, I say its a combination of who began the "courting" process (who asked who out basically) and vaguely based on societal statues; age/maturity; and/or how you contribute to the community (like Branch is a beloved community member plus the deputy, so most who want to date him have to show the community and his ma that they are law-abiding, respectable and hard-working trolls who will treat him right if they want to even have a chance)

Maybe if its two country trolls is a two-ways system, I like this alternative, bcs is very funny to think that after Delta gives Holly the 'treat him right and come home before sundown' speech, they have to swing down to her place so her parents can give Branch the exact same talk lol

Yeah, I try to have Classical and Country keep the 'conservative' viewpoints they're known for but not based in any irl biases like gender inequality or classism. While there is 'treat her like a lady' in the Country tribe, there's also 'treat him like a gentleman'.

There's a lot of factors that come into play over the whole thing, like you said. The person who made the first move does tend to get laid into more of 'you better treat them right' than if they had been asked. Maturity can also come into play as if you're known to be immature their parents may worry you're not seriously interested. Contributions can count but it may vary. Someone who is known to be a bit lazy versus someone who genuinely can't contribute much are two different ordeals so it's more about intent. As long as you're trying to be the best you can be, that's what affects how a Country Troll sees you.

Overall it's mainly just what kind of parents you have. Delta Dawn is pretty protective given that she's The Law so she will be Very strict about how her Branch is treated.

So it can and does go both ways. You're expected to say SOMETHING, even if it's just a basic 'You treat my kin right, or I'll be mighty disappointed'. It doesn't have to be a call to violence it just has to be a reminder that actions affect other people. A bad break-up can split the entire town into two sides, and considering how that affects work you can understand why it's a priority.