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sortofanobsession · 2 years

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To Cry for the Moon Part 10 (Moon Knight x Female Eternal!Reader)

Author's Note: The one is going to be tough, but I promise it will pay off. We actually do have a plan for this story.

Please do not take, copy, or translate without talking to me first. Reblogs, likes, and comments are encouraged. But anything else please message me first. I work really hard on these, I was a writing apprentice for a comic book writer and learned this craft despite having issues I had to overcome, like essential tremors, a mild reading disability, and aphantasia. I put my heart and soul into everything I write. Thank you.

The story idea, and most of the voicemails to Steven & Marc were written by @jupitersmoon167 (the original post I saw is here!) Also realized I should probably add content warnings, so I did and tagged them. If you think I missed a warning please send me an ask. I try to tw tag even the tiniest thing so no one has to suffer if I can help it.

Y/N = Your Name. Y/N/N = Your Nickname. Reader pronouns She/Her. Story is 3rd person POV. Italics are the reflected alter talking.

Tag Requests are Open just message me.

Tagged: @rosaren2498, @yuugenmomo, @faefanatic, @urlocallsimp @assassinsasha23, @queenariesofnarnia, @rmoonstoner, @crypticruler, @animelover18, @philiasoul, @distinguishedmakerpandapatrol, @22carolina08, @preciousbabypeter

Primary Pairing: Steven Grant x Eternal!Reader, Marc Spector x Eternal!Reader, Khonshu x Ma'at!Reader

Content Warning: Mental Illness, Injury, Death, Violence, Fighting

Word Count: 2k+ (for those curious the whole fic wc is 17,332. And it is nowhere near done lol)

WIP Series Masterlist

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 11, Part 12

Part 10: Seemingly the End

After getting off the plane painful memories came rushing back. Y/N had not been back here since the Eternals separated. It was a painful memory but she pushed through it. After taking a short trip to a small city, Y/N pulls out her phone. She makes one last call before they venture too far from the jungle-surrounded city to have signal. She calls Steven and isn't surprised to hear his outgoing voicemail again.

“Screw the theatrics, I don’t even know if you’re even going to get this. We’re in the middle of the god damn Amazon because Druig thought it would be a grand fucking idea to place his cult here of all places. He’s a stubborn bastard, but if we’re gonna pull this off we need him. I'm sorry, Marc, Steven. I am so sorry. Osiris can tell you what is happening, all Khonshu has to do is ask. Khonshu was more right about me than he could have ever known. And well, I meant it earlier when I said you should talk to your dad, you uh, never know when he’ll kick the bucket, so to speak. I miss you guys, I wish I could talk-” she lost signal as they got further from the city. She hoped enough of the message went through. She put her phone away and took to the air to attempt to narrow down Druig's commune location.

Her feet touch the ground as they near the modest commune. She could feel the people around them. Their hearts are kind and welcoming. She watches the people around her as the others talk. They all feel like good people. She can feel their loyalty. It's quiet and content. Her focus is drawn and she feels herself truly smile for the first time since leaving London when Druig finally walks out.

"Please," Druig says with a smirk, "Make yourselves at home."

He studied Y/N as she got closer. "Who do I need to control off a cliff for taking the stars from your eyes?" Druig asks as she finally near him.

"Wouldn't kill him, or them, if you did, but you'd probably still enjoy it," Sprite told him. Druig raised a brow.

"Doesn't matter," Y/N says, knowing it was so much more than her issues with Marc and Steven. "It's good to see you." It wasn't a lie. She always missed Druig. He was more her brother than the others. Druig could always understand how overwhelming her powers were. How being surrounded by people was a blessing and a curse. He could feel the minds around him like a constant buzz. Y/N always felt the same thing but instead of minds, it was hearts. Having to sit back and watch the wars and conflicts as time went on weighed on her heart as it did his mind. They had an understanding of things that the others just couldn't comprehend. The heart and the mind were vital to human existence after all. The only difference was he could control minds, she had to judge hearts as is. And honestly, he thinks he was given the easier task.

Druig rolls his eyes but hugs her, he didn't need to read her mind to know how broken she was. "Told you that you should have come with me. They would have loved you. No one would have broken your heart." He gestures to the members of his commune.

"Ask me again after you talk to everyone else," she tells him.

"I might just hold you to it." Druig grins.

"I might just let you." Y/N hugs him again.

Druig chuckles as he pulls away, and goes to the main hall with her just behind him.

She knew he was stubborn but she had hoped he wouldn't resist them so much. He gets under everyone's skin so easily sometimes. And Ikaris made it easy. It didn't help Sersi's phone went off. It made Y/N want to check hers, but she knew she wouldn't have anything. Marc didn't want anything to do with her. No need to waste the battery. Instead she reached out with her powers to feel the community Druig had cultivated for years. They were so content. It wasn't easy knowing if the team failed, these people would die. Her attention was drawn back by Ikaris saying Druig was wasting their time. Druig hadn't agreed to join them. She wasn't really surprised. She had been hopeful, but not unrealistic.

Y/N follows Druig out. "You told me to ask you to stay again," he says.

"I did," Y/N replied.

"Would you?" He asks.

"Not if it means I'd just have to stay here and watch them all die without trying to stop it. Osiris and Isis believe we can stop it. I have let them down enough ready, I have to try."

"And you're here to convince me to help," he states.

"I'm here because I missed you and I would feel better if you were there. Is it so bad I wanted to see one of my best friends one last time before we all might die or get reset? Yes, I was hoping you would help us, but I'm not going to make you."

"You still wouldn't join me, would you? You love your human too much, the one that broke your heart. You could always bring him."

"His mind would drive you up a wall. They have at least 3 personalities and Khonshu in their head."

"Sounds crowded," Druig admits. "But does sound amusing. Haven't had a new challenge in centuries."

"If you want a challenge then join us, forcing a celestial to sleep, I don't think you could find a bigger challenge."

"I see what you did there," Druig says, shaking his head.

"And you know me too well to know I can't just let humanity end because of Arishem's lies. I've always been willing to die for the truth, only this time I genuinely might."

"Try not to," he says. Before they can say much more, they hear Sersi shouting. Deviants. Deviants had found them. Y/N takes off running, summoning her wings as she did. She flies and joins Kingo in trying to buy the others enough time to get the villagers clear of the fight. As Kingo focuses on keeping one of them busy, Y/N tries to keep them away from where Sersi is leading the people. She shouts for Sersi when the other Eternal is hit while trying to fortify the building. Y/N immediately launches a round of feathers at the beast to draw it away from her friend. Her attacks are joined by rifle fire and her heart sinks when she sees a number of villagers under Druig’s control shooting at the beast. She goes to volley another attack when Druig jumps over the deviant and shoots at it.

“Seriously?!” She shouts as she drops down to block the creature's tail as it swipes at the humans. Her wings took the brunt of the blow. She hopes that Druig is paying enough attention so that she doesn’t end up with a bullet in her back while trying to defend his people. She doesn’t even have enough time between blows to get a hit in. She focuses everything she has on staying ahead of the deviant's tail. She was starting to think that splitting her powers may have actually been a mistake when she feels herself losing her footing. Unable to get into the air was limiting what she could do. She tries to summon a blade but the deviant shifts faster than she can, wraps its tail around her leg and slams her into the dirt, before she can get her wings back up to protect herself, the jaws of the beast latch onto her side. Ripping a scream from her as it does.

The only reason it doesn’t kill her is that Sersi traps it in a metallic tree and Druig pulls her out from the shocked creature’s gaping maw. She pushes him away. She doesn’t have the energy to tell him how stupid he was being. She left Sersi to talk sense into him. Y/N took to the sky to get a better chance for an attack. The pain in her side was unbelievable, but she focused on attacking as the deviant broke free from its improvised cage. She’d never been so glad to see Ikaris in her life when he shows up to take on the deviant now heading for Druig. He took the beast out swiftly with his eye beams, before going after another. She tried to give him aerial support, but it was becoming harder and harder to build up enough energy for an attack. She feels water hit her as Sersi battles a deviant by hand. Y/N is just as shocked as the rest of the group when Sersi transforms the deviant into a tree.

Y/N begins to feel her wings fade and flicker, and her vision grows fuzzy around the edges. She knows she won’t last much longer. Her heart is beating too fast and the bite on her side has already soaked her shirt and jacket in blood. She knew her phone was probably smashed in her pocket. There went her chance at telling Steven and Marc goodbye. She tries to lower herself gently to the ground but her knees buckle and she falls. She hears shouting and feels hands on her. They move her and she stares at the tops of the trees. She wishes she could see more of the sky. She loves the sky. She loves flying. It felt natural. She wishes she could see the moon, one last time. To know that maybe, just maybe she'd get to say goodbye. She tried, but all that came out was a choked sob. She wanted to tell them all that she would see them in the next life. It wasn't until hands gripped her face and brushed back her tears that she focused on the figures now blocking small bits of the canopy.

She tried to reach for them and her blood-soaked hand was pulled into Sersi's own. She shook her head at Druig as he tried to help her. Her other hand gestures for them to come closer. They do. She summons up as much energy as she can. "Save them for me."

"We will," Sersi says.

She leans her head up with the last strength she has and bumps Druig's forehead earning a sad laugh. Her head drops back down but he returns the gesture.

"You've got nothing to worry about now," he says. Her strength is gone, she closes her eyes and knows it's over. A fleeting thought of goodbye and then darkness.

Druig was on his feet as soon as he knew she was gone. He looked at the destruction around them and the blood on his hands. Sersi squeezes the limp hand in hers before she stands up. She needs to think. She has to call Steven. Sersi feels another piece of her heart shatter. But before she can do anything she's called because Y/N isn't the only loss. Gilgamesh had fallen defending Thena. And Thena was inconsolable.

Egyptian Underworld

Osiris hears shouting. He approaches the scales as the chains of the plate holding the feather break. He picks up the feather and it feels wrong. Very wrong. Too much like a normal feather and the ethereal glow dims slightly. That was not good. He gently sets it aside. "Time to intervene," he says and gestures for Anubis to follow him as he opens the gates and they pass through. Summoning their avatars he opens the path to Y/N. "Oh little feather, what did you do." He nods at Anubis who has his avatar carefully lift Y/N and they return to the temple. "Fix her up as best you can. Her master may have forsaken her, but we shall not. Teach those Celestials that they have no more power over death than we do."

Osiris was quick to retrieve the feather of truth, encouraged by the slight glow that it still held. It was her, she had told him. Now he would use it to put things back the way they should be. A devoted goddess like Ma'at deserved at least that. If she was too far gone and beyond his reach, he would have Anubis do what he was best at, what he was worshipped for. But Osiris felt it would work. They would not be saying goodbye to Earth. It was not their time yet.

Ruins of Druig's Commune

"Where is she?" Kingo asks as he goes to retrieve Y/N to place her alongside Gilgamesh.

"What?" Druig pushes past him to find Y/N's body gone.

"You're sure she was dead?" Ikaris asks and earns a vicious glare from Druig.

"Yes," Druig spat.

"Maybe an animal-"

"Don't-" Druig warns.

"Druig," Kingo starts.

"Then we have to find her," Sersi says.

Sprite and Thena stay with Gilgamesh while the others search and find nothing. No signs of tracks, no trace. Nothing. They eventually decide that they had to give Gilgamesh a proper send-off. And Sersi still had something she needed to do.

Once Sersi was able to clean her hands she found her phone and found Steven's number. She calls it. They don't answer, though she wasn’t surprised. They probably thought Y/N had borrowed her phone to call. So she left them a message she knew would destroy them if and when they do get it.

"Steven, or Marc, it's Sersi, I…I hate having to do this in a voicemail. I would rather do this in person, or even in a real phone call, I…if we had more time I would do this in person, but we lost Y/N. Part of me hopes Khonshu knows, she always found it annoying when he boasted about knowing all that happened under the moon." Sersi let out a shaky laugh. "She…well, she fought to the end. She loved humanity, she loved you all. She loved you, both of you. She would want you to know."

Sersi hung up and just hoped the message got through. But she would find a way to reach them, to save them, and all of humanity. Druig was onboard now. They would end this for all of them. Their deaths would mean something.

Temple of the Gods

The first thing that registers to Y/N's mind is the cold. She feels cold, the cold stone beneath her makes her shiver.

"Welcome back, Ma'at," the voice of Isis' avatar says. "The goddess will be glad you pulled through." Y/N goes to speak but is hushed. She hears footsteps approaching followed by a whispered conversation she cannot process. Y/N finally opens her eyes but puts up no fight as she is lifted. The avatar of Anubis sets her back down but this time on a soft blanket that the goddess' avatar gently wraps around her. "You have been through quite the journey, and you need rest. Sleep now."

The next time she wakes Osiris is there, his avatar looms above her as he updates her on what has happened. Her family had lost another soul. Gilgamesh had fought and earned a warrior's death and were it up to Osiris he would be rewarded in his afterlife. Sadly, Gilgamesh, like Ajak, was beyond his reach.

"But your feather saved you," he told her. "Your commitment to serving humanity in this life and the next is what brought you back. Your strength will hopefully return with time, but your heart beats again, and when the time comes you will show the Celestials that we gods are not to be underestimated. He sat the feather gently beside her, the faint glow although weaker than before still shown. "You have earned more time, feather. I know you will use it wisely."

She wakes again in a bed with soft light shining through the open window. "You are safe," the voice of Osiris' avatar spoke. "You will find everything you need in this room. Bathroom, if you feel like you have the strength is through there." He gestures to an open door. "You are safe here. Osiris will summon you when the time comes."

"I need to call my family, to call-"

"If you wish to help them you will not waste your energy," another voice spoke. She recognized the avatar for Horus. "You wish to join your friends again to fix things, do you not?"

"I do," she admits.

"Then do not waste your energy or tax your healing system with concerns that won't matter. You do not yet know if you can join them or if they will succeed. Why make them suffer your death twice?"

"And Khonshu has not graced us with his presence, even Taweret is surprised, but no need to worry the old bird over things he cannot change. Heal first, then you can right your wrongs."

#To Cry for the Moon Fic #eternals!reader #moon knight eternals crossover fic #eternals x reader #egyptian gods x eternals!reader #marc spector x eternals!reader #marc spector x y/n #marc spector x female!reader #marc spector x reader #steven grant x y/n #steven grant x female!reader #steven grant x reader #khonshu x reader #tw: death #tw: violence #tw: fighting #tw: injury #tw: mental illness

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gigantic-spider · 1 year

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That Colossal Wreck Dev Diary 1

Inspired by Luke Gearing's recent post on birdsite, I'm going to try to work out loud on this game that may or may not get picked up for a collection of games about death (fingers crossed, entries close on June 1).

This entry will focus on a touchstone for this game: Ozymandias by Mary Shelley's husband Percy Bysshe Shelley.

My primary association with Ozymandias will always be Leonard Nimoy reading "And on the pedestal these words appear: 'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!' Nothing beside remains." from Civilization 4 (popped up after you research Construction). The poem does a great job at expressing the arrogance/optimism of humanity that what they do matters, that they're important, that they're not just a little speck of dust on a rock hurtling through space.

But there's an irony there too! Because some of his works did remain, and he is immortalized all over again in this poem, albeit at a further distance and in a way that he probably wouldn't have wanted.

The aspect of the poem that I really honed in on though is the sculptor.

"Near them, on the sand,/Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,\And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,\Tell that its sculptor well those passions read\Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things"

Someone had to make this sculpture, because it sure wasn't Ozymandias, and it is in no small part because of their effort that he survives. So what's the story with the sculptor? What was their life like? Who were they? And how much of that could you tell from what remains of their work? These are the questions that I really started to dive into and helped the game take the shape that it's currently in.

Next time: a 13th century boy from Novgorod creates another touchstone!

#ttrpg #ttrpg stuff #ttrpg design #indie ttrpg #tabletop role playing game #tabletop roleplaying

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liminalpsych-in-teyvat · 9 months

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Notes for A Matter of Duty - Chapter 10 - Raindrops of yesterday

Whew! Okay, taking a longer break before chapter 11. I wanna play the 4.0 Genshin release! Also I have a short story to write for the Hidden Akasha Records Discord’s Summerfest by September, and two larp proposals to submit to a convention by September as well, plus stuff for work, plus I have to figure out a bit more detailed outlining for the next chapters… so as soon as I’m done with all that, I’ll get on chapter 11. Expect it ~mid September, most likely.

And it looks like I'm really committing to that Kushiel's Impact tag for chapter 10. Maybe Thoma needs a red mote in his eye. Welp. I didn't expect it to go quite like that but here we are.

Thanks again to the fantastic PancakeBeast for beta reading!

Notes and references:

In case it wasn't clear, Ayaru is the name I'm using for Ayato and Ayaka's father. Who doesn't have a name in canon yet. If we ever get a name for him, I'll go back and edit it in.

Modern Inazuma (when the Traveler arrives) has some Meiji era influence which is visible in Ayato's outfit in the game. Inazuma of a decade ago should theoretically look more like early Edo period based on correlating events, and depictions of the Kamisatos when Ayato and Ayaka were young show them in more traditional outfits. So I'm going to assume Ayato is wearing more Edo period clothing in this fanfic, and probably the hitatare, which I'll just be calling a kimono for simplicity's sake (and because it is technically a type of kimono, based on what I've read). It still has the long sleeves of his outfit in game, too.

Sentaku washing in Edo: Washing kimono and related garments seriously involved unstitching them entirely.

How do you wash a kimono: I couldn't find how often a silk kimono might get washed, but unlined clothing was washed every 3-4 days.

The Art of the Bedchamber and Jin Ping Mei: The book Thoma buys from Yao Publishing House, The Way of Loving, is a play on the Tao of Loving, a term for the Taoist sexual practices of the Han and Tang dynasties of China, texts on which mostly survived on in Japan. It probably has a bit of Su Nü Jing, [Yu Fang Zhi Yao](), and Secrets of the Jade Chamber (I kid you not, that's the translation). It likely also contains some shunga art. (A couple resources I found mention that sex manuals circulated amongst aristocracy of the Edo period, covering everything from positions to hygiene, so probably there's something similar in the Kamisato library. But Thoma might not realize that, and definitely wouldn't want to ask anyone about it.)

Short history of Japan's bathing culture: I saved several of these links multiple chapters ago, and now I finally get to use them! A history of baths and bathhouses in Japan.

Honami Enya creates detailed cross-sections of sentos: I don't even know how I stumbled across this but it's amazing. Loads of illustrations of the floorplans of Japanese bathhouses with people shown doing bathhouse activities in them! (Appropriate bathhouse activities, as opposed to Thoma's. Tsk.)

Ofuros, sentos, onsen – Edo etiquette of taking a bath: An etiquette article from the 1980's.

Were public baths used for hookups in Edo period Japan? Hard to say, but they probably weren't the primary way to do so. They are used that way nowadays by some people, though it's highly discouraged, and there are certainly "bathhouses" specifically for gay hookup culture in modern times as well, but Aisa Bathhouse is almost certainly not one of those.

Mizuame is "water candy", a sweet syrup made from glutinous rice starch or sweet potato starch.

Kagara suzu are Japanese bells used in Shinto ritual.

Summary of the fic itself with content warnings, tags, etc so you can decide if you want to read it or not before you click on the link.

A Matter of Duty https://archiveofourown.org/works/47604337?view_full_work=true

A year after the death of Ayato and Ayaka's parents, the clan succession is contested from within and without. Kamisato Ayato will do anything—anything—to ensure the safety of his family and the stability of his clan.

But powerful supporters come at an unimaginable price. When Ayato's own sacrifices aren't enough, he is forced to involve Thoma in a web of intrigue and exploitation that will push them to the breaking points of their bodies, their minds, and their very hearts.

or: Kushiel's Dart meets Genshin Impact in a quick-scorch-to-slow-burn romantic drama of court intrigue, sexual politics, and sacrifice.

Note: Mind the tags. More specific content warnings will be given at the beginning of each chapter, and the story tags will be updated as needed. All characters in sex scenes are adults.

Rating: Explicit. It's porn with plot. Porn as a vehicle for plot, or plot as a vehicle for porn, you can interpret it either way. (I prefer: porn and plot as a vehicle for ~feels~)

Tags that I'm not actually turning into tags here, but it gives you an idea of what you're in for: Kamisato Ayato/Thoma (Genshin Impact), dubious consent but not between Ayato and Thoma, slow burn, sex ed, first time, self-sacrifice, humiliation, exhibitionism, oral sex, anal sex, bdsm, bad bdsm etiquette, rough sex, breath play, impact play, bondage, service kink, abuse, sadism, codependency, shame, guilt, jealousy, possessiveness, trauma, ptsd, dissociation, political sex work, or sex work for political maneuvering, or political survival sex work if that’s a thing, exploitation, blackmail, political machinations, political intrigue, no aftercare, maybe someday some aftercare, hurt/comfort, mostly hurt for a long time but eventually comfort, oblivious disaster gays, for such socially savvy people they are terrible at personal relationships, dominant Ayato, submissive Thoma, top Ayato, bottom Thoma, Ayato is incredibly parentified, Thoma has no sense of self-preservation, self-sacrifice isn't a contest but don't tell Ayato and Thoma that, it's like the snipe-the-check game at restaurants but with sex and politics, Kushiel's Impact, no really this was in my drafts for the longest time as Kusheline Thomato Fic, everyone's an adult in this timeline except Ayaka, she gets protected at all costs, original characters out of necessity, finding appropriate existing Inazuma npcs for some of these roles was impossible

Full fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47604337?view_full_work=true

Chapter 10 - Raindrops of yesterday: Thoma explores the possibilities of service, and gets some much-needed advice.

Chapter contains: Humiliation, shame, fear play, breath play, choking, poorly/partially negotiated kink, no aftercare, power dynamics, sex work, sex for favors, anal sex, minor orgasm denial, begging, allusions to semi-public sex

#genshin fanfic #kamisato ayato #thoma #a matter of duty #my writing #amod #amod chapter 10 #kamisato ayato x thoma #ayathoma #thomato #kushiel's impact

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eccentric-nucleus · 2 years

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So, to continue the conversation, I do want to say that in Mark of the Fool, there has been regular progress to this point. From what I see, the main plot has been: Alex wants to be a wizard but gets the Mark ->Alex escapes Thameland and gets dungeon core questions-> Alex secretly analyzes dungeon core ->Alex creates golem with dungeon core ->Alex uses results to convince Baelin to have expedition -> Alex works with Heroes to find secrets of dungeon core. There are also the attacks from the hunters, as a bit of more driving force. So, while slow, I think the story has been chugging along. And it's not like really good books, like the Name of the Wind, don't take forever to resolve main plot points. Think of the Harry Potter series. Isn't Voldemort a plot point that wasn't resolved for 7 books?

Also, Baelin is obviously pan. He's tried everything.

What stories/ books/ authors have you enjoyed? I'm a big fan of Drew Hayes' novels, like his Spells, Swords and Stealth series.

i mean i think harry potter is a good example? in the first book, voldemort is introduced as part of harry's "actually, you're secretly rich and famous!" backstory, and to set up the tension that there might be voldemort followers who might want him harm, leading to the book-long narrative tension about snape wanting to kill him, etc. the reveal at the end that quirrel is possessed by voldemort is a end-of-story reveal, rather than being introduced at the beginning of the book. that sets up voldemort as a recurring antagonist who can drop in for later books. each book after that (well until jkr got famous enough to refuse editing) has a more-or-less self-contained plot with lower stakes, but that usually touches on some aspect of voldemort rising as a threat, until he becomes the actual primary antagonist at the end of book 4.

mark of the fool, meanwhile, sets up immediately that there's this centennial war with the ravener, chosen heroes, weird mystery around 'the fool' as kind of a cursed/useless figure. and alex's motivation to just get out of there & ignore it is totally reasonable from a character perspective, but still, the next time this plotline really gets touched on it's when alex returns to thameland around chapter ~280. i mean there are the three ravener hunters, but... like despite being the inciting incident for everything, the whole mark of the fool thing is more-or-less ignored as a story beat for a really long time and instead treated as a protagonist cheat power.

(so royal road says that mark of the fool is 3k pages long, which isn't fully correct since it has some removed chapters for publishing deals. but assuming that is correct, and... i'm gonna say a 'page' here is 250 words because i have no clue what royal road considers 'page length' but that's a decent average number, and that every chapter is more-or-less the same length, that would mean that it's currently in the rough ballpark of 750,000 words long, and that chapter 280 would be roughly 515,000 words into it. using harry potter as a measuring stick, that would be like halfway into book five, order of the phoenix. imagine if harry potter brought up voldemort as a present, looming threat in book 1 chapter 1, and then aside from him sending three flunkies after him he's first mentioned again four books later.)

plus there haven't really been a lot of plot arcs between that? like i'd chunk it up into "introduction/getting to genesari" (roughly the first 70 chapters?) -> "magic school junk" (to about chapter 280) -> "more magic school junk + return to thameland" (to now). like, sure, tournament arc, demon invasion, but i didn't find those super compelling. they end up not really mattering much, in the sense that they don't really present credible threats to the protagonist and you could skip them entirely and you wouldn't really be left with big holes in your understanding of plot developments going forward.

i'd say a lot of stuff like making the golem, investigating the dungeon core stuff, are goals, because they don't really... fundamentally change the character, right? alex wants to make a cool golem, alex makes a cool golem. now his amount of Progression has increased. "what's up with dungeon cores" hasn't really gotten a lot of advancement, i don't think? like they were introduced as mysterious magical artifacts of the ravener with incredible power, and now we know... they're powerful magical artifacts with a handful of practical applications! the only real development aside from finding out that the magic dust is really powerful is the 'only followers of uldar can do this' thing, which happens 360 chapters into this thing. several full-length novels later!

like, the whole thing where the golem might be becoming sentient b/c of the dungeon core dust in its core is more of an 'arc' b/c that would fundamentally change the relationship between alex and the golem & introduce a conflict for when, you know, your war-machine gains independence and maybe doesn't want to be your war-machine any more, or maybe is psychically connected to the ravener and thus compromised, but, claygon gets made around chapter 130 and here we are in chapter 400+, nearly 500,000 words later, with the only development there being "idk sometimes he's maybe looking at me" "once he raised his arm without my consciously ordering him to" "i'm trying to read kids books to him but it's impossible to say if anything is being absorbed". this is glacial.

one thing i've noticed is that due to their serial nature a lot of progression fantasy books have a lot of plate-spinning? the main character will have a bunch of Projects, implicitly being worked on in the background, and a lot of the time the narrative will dip down to be like "hey this thing is still on the table being developed", like each mention of the thing gives the project Advancement Points. and once a project has gotten enough advancement points there's a scene where the project is resolved and now the main character has a new cool power, or whatever. it's kind of a 'level grinding' approach to narrative, where you have to invest enough words into a side plot before it can rank up. it was kind of funny to read the first time i saw it (in, i think, 'retrograde motion', which was maybe my first exposure to progression fantasy though i didn't really recognize it at the time. see how many times the wood release jutsu plant pot thing gets mentioned just to remind the reader that yes she's still working on it but no there's no progress yet!) but it's rapidly outstayed its welcome as a writing technique. but all the claygon sentience stuff falls solidly into that realm: let's bring it up for a paragraph or two every dozen chapters so people know it's still on the table, but let's not actually do anything with it yet.

(anyway i'd agree that baelin has been fairly well characterized as like, having personal interests utterly beyond the capacity of the narrative to express & that including the romantic, it's just a little obnoxious when the first on-screen romantic interest he's expressed has been to a sexy female demon. like oh was it actually just that he's into scorpion pincers on women all this time. by specifying they've dramatically cut down the fun ambiguity of "probably literally everything including sex you couldn't even comprehend" into like, "women w/ chitin plates". it's like that star trek episode where they're like, oh this alien species has three genders, we're gonna have a forbidden romance! and then they cast the third-gender alien as a woman so johnathan frakes can kiss her without it being Gay. i'm not saying baelin has gotta fuck a dude onscreen, but, having him flirt with the demon who's just a scintillating octahedron or w/e would have been much better imo.)

aaaanyway

let's see.

i liked the first book or two of beware of chicken, but now that it's firmly slid from being an isekai xianxia parody to just being an isekai xianxia novel so that's less interesting.

i really liked the essence of cultivation, probably in part because it's short. and also the magic system is fun to think about. i have a file on my computer that's me trying to figure out what some of the magic spells valiance groups would look like. a lot of progression fantasy stories have good openings but then somewhere in the hundreds-of-chapters slog they all just turn into the same grindy power fantasy mess, so probably the fact that this concluded one arc and then went on hiatus forever does a lot.

i've been enjoying godslayers! fun premise, not afraid to have characters utterly fail at things, & i genuinely don't know how it'll resolve its various plot threads, but it's proceeding at a steady clip and producing more and more disasters as it goes so that's a plus in my books.

like i've been reading a bunch of other things also (uhh memoirs of your local small-time villainess, yagacore, surviving the succession, fated to fall, jackal among snakes, soul of the warrior, etc) but i wouldn't say that i'm really enjoying them. i mean 'soul of the warrior' is very funny in how overtly it's just like, the main character is super cool and super powerful and nothing is ever going to even fleetingly gesture at being an impediment to his meteoric rise in power level. pure distilled power fantasy. 'fated to fall' is actually kind of funny also in that the author has talked about scrapping an entire 'turning evil due to cursed amulet' plotline b/c people got real mad, which seems like it would radically change the plot, but, really who knows. i guess maybe not fated to fall after all! but it recently also hit a "and then the characters go to magic school for years" section of the plot after wrapping up what had been the primary narrative tension (evil stepmother constantly trying to assassinate her) so maybe i'll stop reading it.

#progression fantasy junk

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ratingflavourtext · 2 years

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Storytime: Fallout 4: Arlen Glass

"We made toys. We made children happy. That's all that mattered."

(For Setting Specific Terms, which you will find bolded, look at the glossary below)

In a refuge for ghouls tossed out of Diamond City, there is a ghoul named Arlen Glass. This man was the co-founder of Wilson Atomatoys, a toy company that turned to make material for war during a year of lost profits. Arlen strongly disagreed with this choice and was tossed out of the company.

Arlen would try to convince the new head of the company, Marc Wilson, to back out of the military contract. When this didn't work, he drove home, only just in time to find his home and family a smoking crater when Nuclear War had begun. Arlen lay in the crater and this is what led him to transform into an immortal ghoul.

We meet him nearly two hundred years later in the Slog when he gives the player a minor quest to recover some spare parts. But the players can also bring him a holotape made by his dead daughter Marlene. Once we do this, he will finally finish the toy he has been working on and will start wandering the wasteland, apparently having made peace with his past.

Analysis:

I was worried there wouldn't be much to analyze when I first chose Arlen's questline and interactions, but there are actually a few themes that this story plucks at beyond the pathos of the story itself.

Fallout is a series that is critical of US capitalism and commercialization, often with a glib sense of humor but also sometimes with seriousness. The former can be seen in Nuka Cola, which had such a disregard for the health of their customers they made a drink that was literally radioactive. Atomatoys is an example of the latter.

There are few ways to make an anti-corporate message blunter than a literal toy company enrolled in a secretive defense contract, that led to the firing of one of its founders because he didn't want to make weapons. However, it becomes somewhat sadder if you look at Arlen Glass specifically.

In your conversations with him in the game, you get the sense the man's primary motivation is making children happy with cool toys. The man is making toys even after a nuclear apocalypse, which shows his dedication to it has little to do with money. There's something sad about the fact that he was thrown out of the company unceremoniously for objecting to a military contract.

But I think the other theme this story touches on is perhaps more interesting: regeneration. Arlen is still going. He's still making toys even after the apocalypse. In fact, he ends up leaving a Giddyup Buttercup toy to you, with a note saying "For a child who needs it."

The Fallout series is about devastation and collapse, but it's also about the reliance on humankind. Compared to other apocalypses, it's quite crowded. Fallout has been a game with hundreds of NPCs you can talk to and get to know, and I've always found that comforting.

My thoughts:

Fallout 4 is not the best fallout game, not even the best I've played, in terms of story. There's a lot about it that feels half-baked. The dialogue is often very awkward and poorly written. The factions feel quite hollow and the overarching story feels lacking. New Vegas wasn't perfect, but it felt a lot more cohesive and well thought out than 4.

Still, this is honestly somewhat irrelevant to me when I play fallout games, and to an extent the Elder Scrolls. I play more often for the littler stories, often told mostly through environmental storytelling or things you may not have ever found otherwise. Fallout 4 does still know how to do this trick, where you come across something while wandering the wasteland that you never thought you would find.

Arlen Glass' story is not very complicated, nor particularly subtle. It is a sad man who lost everything, his work, his home and his family. Yet is speaks to me, because this is someone you can help in a way that matters, that you can feel. I wish they didn't give you any reward for giving him the tape because the act of helping someone should be enough.

The way this is done is also masterful. It's easy to miss. If you don't go down the right dialogue path or remember that this Arlen Glass is the guy from the Atomatoys offices, then you could simply end up handing in the spare parts and then going on your way, or passing by him completely. But it rewards an attentive player with a nice scene and it rewards people for considering the needs of others in a sense other than just questlines or stats.

I feel Arlen Glass is important to learn from for those interested in narrative design. Players are more likely to respond to NPCs' needs if you present the decisions not necessarily as quests or ways to move some arbitrary relationship meter, but as ways to meet their needs.

On a personal level, I nearly cried when I got to give Arlen his daughter's holotape. it's one of those moments that tugs on your heartstrings unsubtly, yet somehow artfully.

Glossary:

Ghouls: Irradiated humans who become a form of immortal mutant. Often persecuted and distrusted in the wasteland.

Diamond City: A city in what was once Boston. One of the major settlements of Fallout 4.

Nuclear War (The Great War): A global nuclear war that scoured the world in 2077.

Literally Radioactive: The Nuka Cola Quantum

---

Sorry for being late with this one! But I'm glad to get this series rolling! To make up for my lateness, I'm gonna see if I can get another one of these done in the next two to three days, then maybe a Christmas Special flavor text review? That sounds fun.

#video games #The Storytime Blog #lore #writing #narrative #Fallout #fallout 4

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nashibirne · 3 years

Text

Where The Wild Roses Grow - An August Walker Story - 3

You can find the previous parts on my masterlist

Pairing: August Walker x OFC (Fern) Summary: Don't screw the crew? This doesn't work for August Walker Warnings: Smut, Sex, 18+, NSFW, unprotected sex, rough sex, slapping, kinda soft August Unbeta'ed! English is not my mother tongue, so please be lenient with me

Disclaimer: I don't own August Walker (but he owns me...)

Pics for the header taken from Pinterest.

Taglist: (let me know if you want to be added or removed)

@lunedelorient @inlovewithhisblueeyes @willkatfanfromasia @hell1129-blog @mis-lil-red @agniavateira @kebabgirl67 @omgkatinka @legendarywizarddetective @summersong69 @taebfada @xxxkatxo @madbaddic7ed @artandotherdelights

~~~~

Chapter 3

Fern

So, today's the day. I'm going on a date. The first in I-don't-know-how-long. Two years, three years, I don't remember. After my long time relationship with Max went down the drain I didn't want to date and here in London there was just no opportunity. To be honest I'm quite nervous. I mean, I don't know much about Lucas and I haven't interacted with a lot of people since I'm in London. Actually just with my neighbor Sloane and her wife Jackie, who are very nice and we have a little chat from time to time and with Peter and August and our clients of course. But that's it. That's pathetic you say? Yeah, maybe you're right but that's just the way it is and it's okay. Basically I like my life the way it is, I love my work, I enjoy my affair with August but deep down inside I crave intimacy, tenderness and a life outside the office. So I'm really looking forward to this date and to getting to know Lucas a little better.

I'm sitting in my car right now. I'm ten minutes early so I have enough time to check my make-up -I think I look alright- and to straighten my clothes. I get out of my car and check my reflection in the metallic paint of my Classic Mini Cooper. I'm wearing a light blue summer skirt, a plain white sleeveless shirt and white loafers. I considered wearing the blue dotted dress but I can't wear it without thinking of August so it wasn't really an option.

I lurk around the corner and there he is. Lucas is waiting for me at the entrance of the museum, checking his watch repeatedly. He looks good with his blond hair and the blue eyes, not extraordinarily handsome like August but attractive. A John Doe but in a good way. Okay, guess it's time to go. Wish me luck!

There was really no reason to be nervous, Lucas is really nice and charming, the perfect gentleman. He knows a lot about art and I love how he shares his knowledge with me but never mansplains. He's not a bit arrogant or bossy, unlike many other men. August for example. Speaking of which, I think I spend too much time with him. When Lucas and I were walking around the museum I thought I saw August from the corner of my eye. Twice! I must be hallucinating or something.

Right now I'm standing at the souvenir shop waiting outside for Lucas who wants to buy a present for his son Milo who lives in Liverpool with his mum, Lucas' ex-wife. We're done with the exhibition and he asked me if I want to have a coffee with him in a cafe nearby. I said yes. I really enjoy his company and it feels so good to finally do something that has nothing to do with my work.

A loud noise suddenly startles me. It sounds like someone has dropped a glass that's smashed to pieces. I spin around quickly to localize the noise source and that's when I see him. It's really him. August Walker in the flesh, standing behind a pillar, watching me.

I stare at him, surprised, or to put it more precisely, stunned. What the hell is he doing here?

He gives me a nonchalant smile and strolls in my direction as if it was the most natural thing to meet me here.

"Fern. What a lovely surprise."

Is he kidding me? Lovely? He never uses words like this, they are not part of August Walker's vocabulary.

"August. What are you doing here?" I don't feel the need to exchange polite phrases.

"Enjoying the exhibition."

"Oh really?" I cross my arms in front of my chest.

"Yes. Why would you doubt it?" He smiles innocently and it makes me mad.

"Because you're not interested in art."

"Well, I am now."

"I took both tickets because you said you didn't want to go." I point out.

"I changed my mind and bought a ticket."

I take a deep breath and roll my eyes. I can't even explain why I'm so annoyed by the fact that he's here.

"So? Where's your date?" he asks en passant.

Now it dawns on me.

"Is that the reason you're here? Are you spying on me?"

August's face hardens and he looks at me with a frown. "I'm not spying. I'm just keeping an eye on you."

"I don't need a babysitter, August."

"You don't know anything about the guy, Fern. He could be dangerous."

He comes one step closer and is standing right in front of me now, our bodies almost touching.

"He's not dangerous. He's a teacher at a primary school."

"That's what he says." He almost whispers. It's ridiculous.

"Why would he lie to me?"

"Because maybe he wants to cover up his true identity."

I laugh out loud. "Like what? Like an undercover agent or something. You think he's after you?"

August gives me a death stare, his lips pressed together to a thin line. "Exactly. And he wouldn't be the first." His voice is only a low growl. "I mean, come on, Fern. He sees you for what -5 minutes maybe?- and asks you out? Can he really be that smitten by you?"

I stare at him, his words cut right into my heart, and I try to hide it by being even more sarcastic than usual.

"Oh, you mean you find it more likely that he's a spy, sent by the government to get to you, than the simple thought that he's attracted to me and therefore asked me out? Wow, I mean, that's flattering, August. So basically you're saying I'm so uninteresting that it's not a realistic scenario that a man meets me and wants to date me?"

"That's not what I meant, Fern. All I'm saying is…"

"Hi." I freeze when I hear Lucas' voice. I step back to bring a little space between me and August and turn around.

"Lucas. Did you find something for Milo?"

"Yes. I did." He gives August a funny look and things are getting pretty awkward. I clear my throat.

"Um, Lucas. This is my boss. August Walker. We just bumped into each other."

"Lucas Bellingham. Nice to meet you." Lucas gives August a nod and August gives him a forced smile in return.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you."

I can't believe he used to be an agent, since he's such a bad actor.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. Fern, see you on Monday."

"Sure."

He leans in, grabs me by my elbows and kisses me goodbye french style. Two times. Right. Left. Mua. Mua. What the fuck? After the second innocent peck on my cheek I feel his breath hot against my ear. "You look hot in that skirt. Be a good girl and wear it on Monday."

His soft words sent shivers down my spine and at the same time I'm fuming with anger.

All he can expect from me on Monday is a cold shoulder and a lecture.

August

Okay, that monitoring operation on Saturday didn't go exactly as planned. I guess I'm a little out of practice. Of course Fern wasn't supposed to see me nor was her date. Lucas Bellingham. A boring name for a boring guy. I checked his record, of course I did. How, you ask? I'm sorry but I can't tell you. If I would I'd have to kill you.

Hey, don't be so shocked, I'm just kidding. Really. Relax.

Anyway, I have ways and means to do a background check on someone and Lucas seems to be legit. On first sight that means. I told Pete to dig a little deeper, just to be sure. He has his ways and means too. I promised Fern she'd be safe with me when I hired her and I'm a man of my word. I'm not going to expose her to any kind of danger. And no matter what she says, it definitely is possible that someone is sending an undercover agent to spy on me or Peter. Could be the US authorities or the MI5 or someone from my past, there's no lack of enemies, I've pissed off a lot of people and I know one day I will regret it. You know what they say. Karma is a bitch.

Well, here she comes.

"Good Morning, Fern."

"Morning."

Okay. A look that could kill and no skirt. Tight black jeans and a turtleneck sweater. All buttoned-up. Okay, woman, I get it. You're mad at me. She goes straight to her office and I follow her and sit down on the edge of her desk. She doesn't even look at me but starts typing something into her computer.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course I am."

"Really? You don't even look at me."

She takes a deep breath before her eyes meet mine.

"Just stay out of my way today, August."

I know I should take the hint and leave her alone but I can't. I don't take orders. Not from her, not from anyone anymore. I'm the one in charge, she should know that.

"What if I don't want to?" I give her a smug smile.

"I don't care what you want. Just fuck off."

"Woman." I growl. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm still your boss."

"Then let me do my work. Boss." She holds my gaze and I know I'm going to lose any kind of staring contest with her so I decide to change my tactics. I hop off her desk and sit down in a chair.

"I just don't get why you're in such a bad mood." I try to smile and I have a feeling that it makes me look like an idiot. Fern furrows her brows. "Oh really. You have no idea?"

"Is this about Saturday?"

"Yes, you bloody genius, of course it is. Your behaviour was beyond the pale."

"My behaviour? I was visiting an exhibition. Just like you."

"Don't give me that, August."

I stare at her. What does she want from me? I did nothing wrong goddamn.

"I was just trying to protect you, Fern. You tend to trust people too easily."

Her eyes shoot daggers at me and god, that's so sexy. Why the hell isn't she wearing that bloody skirt like I told her?

"People like you, you mean?"

Ouch. That hurts.

"I don't need you to protect me, okay? Not in a situation like this. Fuck, August. It was just a date with a harmless guy in a public place. What was he supposed to do? Kidnap me? Murder me?"

I don't know how to respond to this so I just shrug it off but the way she looks at me tells me she expects me to say something.

"I was just trying to keep my promise, Fern. You know I guaranteed your safety and I guess you have no idea how many people want to see me dead. You never know what they are up to and when someone new appears on the scene I get suspicious. This has nothing to do with you. It's just me and maybe I overshot the mark." The next words are the hardest part but I know if I want her to wear a skirt or dress ever again I have to say them. "I'm sorry."

Her face softens a little.

"Just don't do it again, August. My private life is none of your business."

I nod and I really want to know if she's going to see him again but I don't ask.

The next few days totally suck.

Tuesday: blue jeans and a cold shoulder. Shit.

Wednesday: skinny jeans and distant behaviour. Goddamn.

Thursday: A jumpsuit and a little smalltalk but not much more.

She's driving me crazy and she knows it. If she keeps on acting so stubborn she must not be surprised if I don't want her anymore. Ah fuck, who am I trying to fool. Truth is I want her more than ever. I want to fuck that distant look off her face. I want her to moan my name. I want her to obey. To give in. To acknowledge that I'm in charge.

On Friday I don't expect much, but to my big surprise and relief she shows up wearing the blue dotted dress she wore when I took her for the first time. I give her a glance when she walks past my office with swaying hips and she returns it. She even smiles at me.

Okay, I have to get rid of Peter. Asap. I go to his office and close the door behind me.

"August?"

"Peter. Go home."

"Excuse me?"

"Leave. Work from home today."

He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms with a frown.

"Why?"

"Because I say so."

He snorts and turns to his laptop again.

"Fuck off, August."

I roll my eyes and sigh.

"Please." I say through clenched teeth. "I need some time to talk to Fern."

"Talk, huh?"

"We had a little fight the other day and now it seems she's willing to forgive me." I know I sound desperate and Peter looks at me again. "Yeah. I know about your visit to the museum. And you think you can get back into her pants today."

She told him about it? This takes me by surprise. But I don't say a word and he knows me well enough to interpret it as a yes.

"You know my opinion on your little affair."

"I do and you know it's none of your business."

"Right." He hesitates and scratches his chin. "Well, do what you think you have to do. I'm going to have breakfast in the little cafe around the corner and try to get the number of the hot waiter. You have an hour." He gets up and grabs his wallet and his phone.

"Thanks, Pete."

"I'm not doing this for you, August. I'm doing this for our business and my future. If you and Fern don't talk you can't do your job properly and this could ruin everything we have built up yet. So get your shit together and return to normal. Whatever it takes."

He leaves and I can tell he's pissed but well, he's gone and that's all that matters. I go straight to Ferns office and now that I'm standing right in front of her I'm so aroused and full of anticipation I feel like I'm about to explode with lust and I'm sure I look like a predator. She looks at me and slowly stands up.

"You've been a really bad girl." I growl.

"Is that so?" She bats her lashes innocently. Oh, her audacity.

"Yes." I murmur. "You kept me waiting for four days."

"You deserved it." Heavens, she's really a challenge.

"I'm gonna show you what you deserve, woman."

Two wide strides and I'm standing right next to her. I grab her by her waist, spin her around and bend her over her desk before I lift her dress and rip her panties into shreds. I press her down with one hand between her shoulder blades and unzip my trousers with the other. My dick is so hard it hurts. I don't waste time. I enter her without any kind of preparation or the slightest hint of foreplay. I wanna punish her by being raw and ruthless but she won't let me. She is wet. So fucking wet and she takes me as well as usual. Sighing with lust when I stretch her pussy. Moaning when I start to fuck her deep and fast. I let out a moan too. "You're so wet. You've been looking forward to this." I hiss into her ear while railing her so hard that the desk moves under us. "I've been all wet since the moment I put on the dress." Her voice is dripping with desire. "I've missed your dick so much."

I keep on fucking her with long, deep movements and when I slap her ass out of the blue she cries out my name. "August." She likes it, oh yes she does. She likes it a lot. I can tell by her moans that get even louder. I've never done this before though I wanted to, but I was scared she might not like it or think I'm a perv and tell me to fuck off. I move faster and we are both gasping and panting like never before. I'm close and so is she. I can feel it.

"Again." She begs. Oh how I like the sound of it.

"What did you say, pretty?"

"Again. August. Please."

"Do you think you deserve it?"

"Yes."

"You want it?"

"Yes."

"Say it."

"Slap my ass, August. Please."

She's a whimpering mess now and I slap her again. Harder this time. She shrieks and it sounds incredibly hot. I go on and on and after the fifth slap I feel her come. Her walls clench around me and her legs shake. "Fuck...oh god. August…" Her sweet little cunt milks my cock and when I cum too I throw my head back and sigh her name softly till my orgasm is over. I press a kiss on her back and give her ass a few gentle strokes to sooth the pain. I bet it stings, her cheek is crimson red. I pull out reluctantly. I feel the strange urge to stay inside of her but I fight it. She turns around and looks at me with a smirk. She licks her lips and it's obvious how much she's enjoyed this.

And so have I.

I enjoyed it and I've missed it.

I've missed her.

#august walker #august walker smut #smut #august walker x ofc #august walker fan ficiton #henry cavill #henry cavill fan fiction

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mimisempai · 3 years

Text

Home is where our story begins

Summary:

Mobius and Loki will finally move in together, will the cohabitation be as natural as the rest of their story?

Notes:

Still not having the real name of Hunter B-15 and the story taking place post canon, I found it odd to keep calling it that. But I didn't want to invent a name for hher, so I chose HB, if Marvel were to give him a name later, I would change it here of course.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32628412

2871 words - Rating G

"So, soon the big day? I hope you're happy about it, even if it's new for you."

Mobius sipped his Josta, wondering what the best answer was. Yes seemed too restrictive, but it wasn't as if he wanted to go into details about his new living arrangements with Loki. Yes, he was happy to move in with Loki, of course, but...

"Mobius?"

"I'm... cautiously optimistic. You know me."

HB nodded. "For you, it's practically effusive." Chuckling, she took another pretzel. "I'm happy for you and Loki." Her smile faded briefly, "If our variant condition has taught me anything, it's to take happiness where it lies. I'm glad you decided to give your relationship with Loki a chance."

"There was nothing to decide because everything happens naturally between us," Mobius mumbled.

HB frowned. "Hm?"

Mobius cleared his throat. "It's nothing. I've talked too much."

"Talked too much?" HB laughed. "When it comes to explaining the logic of a mission strategy that sounds crazy, yes you could be accused of talking too much, but when it comes to your personal life... but I understand what you mean and to me who has been watching you a bit since the beginning of this relationship, it is clear that things are natural between you. Although I am curious about one thing."

"Which one?" Mobius prepared himself.

"How will you manage living together, as you both have your single habits, not to mention your lifestyles which were rather... different".

This question kept going round and round in Mobius' head. He was ready to compromise, but he wasn't going to change who he was either. With the personalities they both had, it might seem insurmountable from the outside, but Mobius had a deep conviction that it could work.

"I guess we'll see as we go along," he replied confidently.

"You know where to find me if you need to talk."

The friendship he had formed with HB, was one of the surprises that had come with Loki's arrival in his life.

Before they were just colleagues who worked well together and had the same dedication to the TVA and now having shared the same experience of losing everything, a real friendship was born.

"Thank you. But let's stop talking about me, how's it going with the new recruits and training?"

The TVA, purged of old influences, had returned to its primary function: to monitor realities across the multiverse and attempt to reduce temporal interference as much as possible. Mobius was the leader. Loki, Hunter B-15, now HB and other agents formed the core team.

They had completely restructured the organization, recruitment and training.

"Well, there are several young recruits who are promising, and I must say Mobius, that Loki is not only a very good teacher but also very well liked."Loki had volunteered on his own to handle the training of the newbies on the field.

Mobius, however, was not surprised at his success. As he had told LOki in the early days, he could be anyone he wanted.

Once HB left, the afternoon passed without surprise for Mobius, who was eager to get home. He found it hard to concentrate, looking forward to the changes that were coming.

**********

Loki was waiting in Mobius' living room when Mobius returned home.

"Mobius!" he exclaimed happily as he stood up and walked over to Mobius to kiss him. Mobius thought he wouldn't mind this kind of action if it became part of their routine in the future.

As is often the case when they haven't seen each other in a while, things heated up quickly between them and they were both panting when they parted.

"How was your day? HB told me she told you about my work? Is everything okay?"

That, too, was something nice -even if he found it annoying at first, this talkie-talkie thing, this incessant stream of words from Loki. He had realized that Loki's questions were always sincere, his lover expected answers and never asked them out of politeness.

"A lot of paperwork as you can imagine, I miss working in the field, fortunately once this is over I will be able to accompany you again and see the excellent work you provide with my eyes, if I believe what HB told me", Mobius said quietly while pushing aside a strand of Loki's hair that was falling on his forehead. "What about you? How was your lunch with Casey?"

Another unexpected relationship, for who knew Loki. He had formed a bond with Casey, an ordinary administrative employee. Loki had told Mobius that it was nice to have a friend whose reactions he didn't have to weigh, because Casey was spontaneous and naturally trusting.

"Fun. He's excited for us, well for me because I'm going to live with the great Mobius." Loki chuckled before continuing, "I expected the opposite, but you're his idol, I'm just the god of mischief who taught him what a fish was."

Mobius raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes, I swear." Loki smiled. "He even offered to help us move our stuff in once the apartment was ready."

Mobius shook his head. "He's really supportive."

"Absolutely," Loki smiled, "He always surprises me with his candor."

Loki pulled Mobius to the couch and sat him down. Then he lay down in his favorite position, with his head on Mobius' lap. Mobius, as always, couldn't resist the impulse to put his hand on Loki's silky black hair and began to stroke it gently. In response, Loki made a sound that closely resembled a purr.

**********

Turning his head to Mobius, Loki asked, "Are you really happy that we live together?"

"Of course Loki," Mobius murmured as he ran his hands through Loki's hair, enjoying sliding the strands between his fingers. "I am, but you know it won't necessarily be easy right?"

"Hmm." Loki nodded and smiled sheepishly. "I know I'm not easy to deal with."

"Hey Sweetheart! That's not it at all." Mobius protested. "I just think we're from two different worlds and it's going to take a little adjustment and patience."

Loki nodded.

"Besides, we're going to be together a lot. Between work and home," Mobius said.

"Yeah." Loki looked up and smiled at Mobius. "This is going to be great!"

"We'll see," Mobius said, finally realizing that it wasn't he who was afraid of being disappointed, but that he was afraid of disappointing Loki.

After a few moments of silence, he decided to put his fears aside and enjoy the moment.

"Now, have you thought about what you want for dinner?"

"No." Loki pressed himself against Mobius, "But I know what I want for dessert."

"What a coincidence," Mobius muttered as he slipped his hand under Loki's shirt, "I think we both have the same idea.

These kinds of little moments between them, these little habits, made Mobius think that maybe he didn't need to be anxious about their future shared life.

**********

A few days later, Mobius was up to his neck in paperwork and couldn't take it anymore. He threw his pen away and leaned back on his chair.

"Mobius?"

"I'm here."

When Loki entered and saw the state Mobius was in, he locked the door behind him. He walked up behind Mobius, put his arms around his neck and kissed the top of his head. Mobius leaned back even more and closed his eyes.

"It's going to be hard to keep working if you make a habit of doing this," he whispered.

Loki's hands slid over Mobius' shoulders and he began a firm massage. "How about this?"

Mobius sighed, "It's not good for concentration either... " as Loki's skilled fingers had encountered a particularly knotted muscle.

"Oh, is that so?" Loki rhythmically pressed his thumbs into the back of Mobius' neck and it felt so good that Mobius moaned, "It doesn't seem to bother you that much."

"You and your distracting hands mustn't be around too often," Mobius said, "or I'll never be able to work properly, a massage like this, on the other hand, is... effective. I didn't know you knew how to give massages." Mobius was always happy to learn new things about Loki.

At Loki's silence, Mobius turned his head and was surprised by the sad expression on his face.

"Loki?"

"Um... this is something my mom used to do for me and my brother..."

"Oh Loki... I'm sorry." Mobius reached for the hand that had remained on his shoulder and squeezed it.

"I miss her..."

"I know, sweetheart, believe me, I know." replied Mobius gently.

After a moment of silence, Loki kissed Mobius' head again, "Sorry, I didn't mean to distract you. It's just so nice and strange to have you just a few steps away from me all the time."

"Why strange?" Mobius turned in his chair to look at him.

Loki shrugged, "I usually store all the things I want to tell you later in my memory, but now that we're in our new home, and we both work together a lot, I feel like I have access to you all the time and it's..."

"Different."

"Yeah. And tempting. And distracting." Loki licked his lips. "I want to see you all the time, not just talk to you, if you know what I mean..."

"Yes, I know exactly what you mean" Mobius cleared his throat, fighting the mental images that Loki's words evoked. "However, I think we're going to have to set some rules, no matter how nice it is, we're both still at work."

Loki nodded, "Yes, we really should, if only for my sanity." He bit his lower lip, and when Mobius saw him do it, he thought that it wasn't just for Loki's sanity that some rules had to be set.

"Maybe later, if you want Mobius? Or tomorrow?"

"Why tomorrow?" Mobius raised an eyebrow. "Why not now?"

Loki smiled "Because I'm excited now, and you're tired of paperwork and I think you need a good distraction."

Mobius rolled his eyes "You're insatiable."

Loki pretended to walk away, saying, "I can leave, I wouldn't want to distract you from your duty..."

Mobius grabbed him and pulled him against him. "You think you can light a flame and not blow it out?!"

"And what about rules and work?" asked Loki, raising an eyebrow.

"That can wait until tomorrow." replied Mobius, pulling Loki's head to his and silencing him in the most effective way he knew how.

**********

For some time, Mobius had been catching scrutinizing glances from the recruits, some even giggling after running into him.

"I feel like they're staring at me," Mobius said one night as he sat on the couch with Loki in their usual position.

"You can't blame them for being curious. After all, the God of mischief and the famous Agent Mobius, we're legends. And also... um... I may have been showing off a bit for a moment or two about your... prowess. Nothing graphic, just little details," he hastened to add when Mobius' mouth opened.

"Little details," Mobius repeated.

"Oh, but nothing, just that I'm satisfied, that's all."

Hiding his face in his hands, Mobius groaned, "Loki, tell me you didn't discuss our sex life in front of your students!".

"Uh... you want me to lie?"

"Loki!"

"Mobius, people think I'm not mature enough for you. That you're too serious and I'm not enough, that you have more integrity and I don't. Personally, I don't care what other people think. But I want people to know that you are as good to me as I am to you."

"And that requires you to tell them the intimate details of our sex lives..." Mobius mumbled.

"No, no, you don't understand," Loki said, clearly struggling to express himself. "I tell them little things that humanize us. That you like my cooking, that you like jet skiing, that I think you're sexy in the morning when you wake up, nothing too intimate..."

"Only in the morning when you wake up?!"

Count on Mobius to have kept only this part of Loki's answer.

"Even sexier than usual."

"Aaaah, that's the reason for these morning quickies," Mobius replied.

"You don't like it?"

"That's not the point, Loki."

"I know what the point is. The point is, I just want people to know the real you. Let them see you the way I see you."

"And for that, you have to tell them we screw every morning?"

"It was just one time, and it was Casey's fault. He said he didn't picture you as a sex beast."

"It gets better and better."

"Mobiuuuuus. I didn't say anything more than what I just told you, I promised! Now they know why we're perfect together."

"Because I give you satisfying orgasms when I'm barely awake."

"Because you're brilliant, and caring, and yes, incredibly sexy."

Lifting Mobius' hand to his lips, Loki kissed his fingertips and whispered, "And because I love you."

Just like that, Mobius' irritation disappeared. He took Loki's face in his hands and ran his thumb over his lower lip. "And I feel the same way. But Loki, I also wish you wouldn't talk too much about our intimacy, even with your closest friends."

Loki replied with his most mischievous smile, "You think I want to tell them how perfectly your lips fit my mmph."

Mobius had just closed Loki's mouth with a kiss and after that, Loki wasn't articulate enough to list Mobius' bedroom qualities and Mobius unapologetically left his book aside.

After all, it was important that he lived up to his reputation.

**********

"You're looking fine, Mobius. I guess everything is okay with you and Loki? I feel like the cohabitation is going great," HB said as she walked into his office.

Nodding his head, Mobius couldn't help but smirk, "Everything is going very smoothly, yes."

"Clearly." HB smiled. "You look... satisfied."

Mobius' eyes narrowed.

"However, given the bags under your eyes, may I recommend that you rest tonight?"

Mobius widened his smile. "I'm sure I'll rest... someday, even if it's not tonight. As I told you before, Loki can be... enthusiastic, and we're enjoying a bit of a second honeymoon right now."

Chuckling, HB shook his head. "And like I said, enjoy the moment. Even the enthusiasm of youth is wearing off."

"Indeed, it is." He paused before continuing, "Do you need anything?"

"Do I need a reason to visit a friend?" asks HB.

"No, of course not. I even enjoy our little early week dates. You know I like talking with you. After all, you and I have pretty much the same background. We've done well."

HB nodded, "Yes. You're right, but I admit I also stopped by because I need you to validate the latest new recruit evaluations."

Mobius chuckled, "I'll look at those afterwards, and send them to you when I'm done."

"Take your time, you can return them to me next week.

They chatted about various things, then HB got up to leave.

"I'm going to start reading these evaluations, unless my insatiable partner decides to show up...I'd hate to disappoint him you know...."

HB shook his head. "Lovely. And since I'll see you Monday to pick them up, You can give me all the details then. Don't let him tire you out too much!"

"That' s not up to me..." Mobius said, and smiling he pulled the first evaluation toward him. He raised his head and looked at the door, aware of a presence in the room.

Loki, standing in the doorway, was grinning from ear to ear.

"Aha! So it's not just me. You do it too!"

Mobius raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Reaching up to him, Loki touched Mobius' chest with his index finger.

"You also tell your friends intimate details about our relationship!"

"I certainly don't."

"Oh, I think you do. I just heard HB teasing you about my 'youthful enthusiasm' and telling you to rest because you look tired." Loki's eyes danced with joy.

"I-" Mobius sighed, "Okay, I guess I told her a couple of things about our life together - Hmph!"

Loki threw his arms around Mobius and kissed him deeply. Mobius, surprised at first, put his hand on his cheek, answered the kiss with the same passion, carding his fingers in Loki's hair. Once things calmed down, they parted, breathless.

"What was that for?" asked Mobius, tucking a strand of hair behind Loki's ear in a gesture so familiar now.

"You're talking about me to people, bragging about me." Loki's eyes glowed. "That means you're proud to be with me."

Mobius blinked. "Of course I am. How can you doubt it?"

Loki pressed another kiss to Mobius' mouth. "You can be quite a hard man to read sometimes."

"Not at all," Mobius whispered, as he gently patted Loki's butt. "I'm an open book."

"You are..." laughing, Loki rolled his eyes. "You're not at all." His expression softened as he looked Mobius in the eye. "But I think I can read you."

"You're the only one who can do it," Mobius acknowledged softly.

He wondered how long it would take Loki to see in his eyes the infinite love he had for him, and if he would be able to surprise him with the ring he had in his pocket.

________

Whole series of one shot here : Together, for all time, always

As always, bear with me as it is not beta'd I hope you enjoyed it 🥰

#lokius fic #lokius #loki series #loki #mobius m mobius #moki #wowki #loki x mobius #time husbands #timeforst #established relationship #moving in together

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redjaybathood · 3 years

Note

If Jason had died due to that, it would have absolutely destroyed Bruce. He def would have quit Batman at the very least.

Would he though? The man is obsessed, the way Leslie, Alfred, Bruce himself, the narration are talking about this, makes me concerned for him more than usual. This is not something he seems to be able to let go. At least, not voluntarily.

And I was talking extensively before about Bruce's ability to rationalize his fault away, making it always another's responsibility. Now, I am not talking about not saving Jason from Joker. And not even that the Joker is still alive. I am talking about re-writing Jason's history to make him the primarily responsible person for his own death, like neither Sheila or Joker existed.

I am talking about Dick struggling in Bludhaven on his own, while suffering from the effects of very serious brain injury, memory loss, lack of housing or money, under attack, both mental and physical, of villainous enemies he made while he was under Bruce's care. Bruce's enemies, to be clear, as Crane and Joker's primary motivation for going after him wasn't his work as Nightwing. And that's not the first time that happened either. I am not an avid Nightwing reader but even I remember how in prelude to the wedding Dick got targeted by Hush. And back to his Ric days, if not for Bea, a total random stranger for Dick, i am honestly doubting he would have made it. And Bruce just stood by and looked - though not that often. You could say he would have done something if things got really but yet how worse things should have been for him to step up? Should he have waited until Dick literally died or been on the verge of death? Could have Batman swoop in at that critical time even, or would he have been late again?

Or how he explained hitting Tim?

He would have totally justified getting back out there for himself.

That said, it's not outside of a possibility he will be experiencing some consequences other than manpain.

Think about it. Your kid dies overseas? Gotham Police doesn't exactly have jurisdiction there. Who knows what exactly they even think about what happened and who's responsible. And another thing if your kid dies in a clinic for criminals and drug addicts named after your father. From a gunshot wound.

Whether Hatter or any other rouges put two and two together, it doesn't even matter. What does it mean for Bruce matters. He has to make up a story how Jason came to be shot. Or, you know, maybe he wouldn't. He obviously the first suspect: when an adult dies, it's probably the spouse, when a kid dies, it's probably the parent, or so conventional thinking goes. Cops wouldn't find any direct evidence, of course. Seeing as Bruce wasn't the one who killed him. But.

I bet people would divide in two groups: the first ones think that the street rat kid was doing what street rats do and got himself killed. And the second ones would be thinking he did it himself.

Now, i think that potentially that might interfere with Batman.

How bad that could be, I don't know. It might be nothing because Bruce Wayne always gets out of his messes scot free. It might be as bad as in Bruce Wayne: Fugitive. Only there's no other killer that could be blamed for Jason's murder because doing so would out Bruce as Batman.

So I think rather than Bruce leaving Batman there's a better chance he will be doing it full-time.

#bruce wayne #jason todd #asks

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fireflake-art · 4 years

Text

HC: Dumbbell

Remember Dumbbell, Rainbow Dash's old bully? He's a main parent in Harmonyverse, the bo of not one, but two of the Mane Six.

[[MORE]]

Throughout his foalhood, he took his frustrations out on pegasi runts, because his father had repeatedly told him he himself was a runt. That doesn't excuse Dumbbell's actions, of course, but that's where the seed of poor self esteem was planted, resulting in Dumbbell being a chaotic bully figure. He was the kind of bully that was sometimes your rude friend too; the type you invite over for a game of baseball or something every once and awhile. Basically he was a Buford from Phineas and Ferb-esque bully.

Dumbbell is a mountain of a muscular pegasus. Despite his job at the Weather Factory, which he was forced into taking as a teen after his cheating father ditched his sick mom, Dumbbell never truly have up on his life goal; weightlifting. He wanted to become a famous sportsman, so he could have the money to take care of his mom, brothers and sisters.

The "Boy Bullies" are all brothers, only a few of their numerous siblings. He was the oldest boy, so it fell to him to be the breadwinner until their mom recovered from an illness. Hoops had too much riding on him with the basketball team, and Score was already an intern for an Equestrian Hoofball company. It made the most sense for Dumbbell to quickly snag a full-time gig at the Weather Factory. Score and Hoops managed to get part-time spots.

As an adult, Dumbbell quite likes his job and the world of meteorology. He still hasn't given up on bodybuilding, and one day wishes to hold the world record for lifting weights.

That's where Dumbbell met Lance Barbell, better known as Bulk Biceps. Cloudsdale was holding a weightlifting competition that Dumbbell caught wind of, only by his co-workers complaining about the Oatstrian rock of a pegasus that kept winning. Dumbbell got his bros to cover for him, determined to prove himself against this loud stallion... And thus, a rivalry was born.

Dumbbell was baffled by the sheer strength of Bulk Biceps. Bulk kept one-uping him, and Dumbbell was well pissed by the seventh time that dumb stranger won over him.

Like the idiot he is, Dumbbell ended up spraining his back. Thankfully, Bulk Biceps is also a physical therapist, and offered to fix Dumbbell right up, free of charge. Reluctantly, Dumbbell took the offer. He was basically just insulting Bulk Biceps the entire time... and didn't seem to notice when the insults became playful banter.

Afterwards, Dumbbell kept running into Lance at the gym, day after day, until eventually, the two started waiting for the other to show up. Their rivalry was soon filtered in friendship.

Bulk Biceps, very nervously, cracked up the courage to sing Dumbbell a song he had wrote about him... a love song, that is. Dumbbell turned into a stammering beet red dork, of course, so the only way to answer his friend's love declaration was to kiss the shy stallion.

They married young and quickly, Bulk opted to have a child, twhich Bell agreed, after some convincing. Their only son is one Featherweight. Dumbbell festered a lot of fear over parenthood, hating the idea of ruining his kid or becoming his own asshole of a father. When Featherweight was very young, Dumbbell kept a distance, and started taking up more shifts at the factory. Due to his absence, Bulk Biceps started to become lonely and clingy towards his husband. This only drew Dumbbell farther away, as he was uncomfortable with how dependant everyone was on him...

Bulk and Bell struggled for a long time, until he missed Featherweight's nineth birthday party. Featherweight had waited all day for his Pops to come. Then he waited until midnight. 1 AM. 2 AM. Soon enough, it was 6 o'clock in the morning. He ended up falling asleep in Bulk's arms, with snot and tears coating his fur.

Dumbbell finally arrived home at seven. He had forgotten about the special day, since a crowd of pegasi were trying out for the Wonderbolts and he had wanted to watch. He had been with one try-out all night... He swore to Lance nothing happened despite the signals that mare was sending him, but Bulk couldn't forgive Dumbbell for missing their son's birthday, just so he could flirt. "Maybe, if you don't plan on showing up for your son's birthday... you shouldn't show up at all."

And so, the pair divorced. Bulk Biceps took primary custody of Featherweight.

Dumbbell threw himself into his work after that. He climbed the ladder until he managed his own team of employees. He was doing so good that when the Wind Rider took a tour of the establishment, he offered to set the chap up with his daughter!

Fresh off a divorce, but Dumbbell couldn't refuse a date with a celebrity's kid, espiecally when that celebrity kept joking about ending Dumbbell's career if he hurt Wind Rider's daughter. So, a blind date ensued.

Wouldn't you know it, the mare turned out to be that try-out flirt, a miss Lightning Dust. Their relationship was always rocky and filled with arguments and pettiness, but they did genuinely love each other. When Lightning Dust came up pregnant, Wind Rider pressured the two into a shotgun marriage. From then on, they had even more things to disbute over. Wind chose the name of their first son, Thunderweight.

The first big chip at their love was when a colt Thunderweight attempted a dangerous flight trick that Lightning Dust had promised was harmless. A baby could do it, she insisted! Well, little Thunder landed right into the hospital with multiple broken bones and a concussion. Their house was brimming with fights over the past few days, until Dumbbell threatened to take the matter to court (and take Thunderweight away, permanently). Lightning Dust eventually agreed to dismantle the Washouts and join a different team, the Shadowbolts; a group of quick pegasi racers.

They had three more children-- Phoenix Ashes, and the baby twins Hailstorm and Whirlwind. Dumbbell finally had enough of Lightning Dust's smooth manipluations when it was discovered that Phoenix had a personality disorder caused by her mother's "tough love", aka how Light would only give Phoenix attention if she did what she wanted. If not, Lightning Dust acted as if her eldest girl didn't exist. What Dumbbell hated more was how Lightning Dust just shrugged and dismissed this, thinking her race was more important than this "dumb little visit".

Dumbbell divorced and convinced the court that the children would be better off with him. Even Wind Rider couldn't muster up the lawyers to get custody for the kids.

Dumbbell tried being a very present, very good single dad. He had to give little Phoenix a bit more care than the others, stirring up some resentment among her siblings. Thunderweight became her ruthless bully, as he blamed her for the divorce, and even roped a child Hailstorm into preying upon Phoenix Ashes. She became terrified of her brothers and stopped leaving her room. Dumbbell was so exhausted caring for all of them and working full-time... it was so, so hard; he didn't know how his mother had done it.

In her mid-teens, Phoenix Ashes ran away from Cloudsdale. Dumbbell was beside himself with worry and was a shade from a mental breakdown, when Whirlwind suggested that maybe if he found someone new to love, he might be happier. He didn't go out right away; he waited frantically until he got a call from Featherweight, claiming that Phoenix was staying with him for a while.

Dumbbell hadn't talked to his first kid in so long. They talked for hours and hours, simply exchanging life stories. Turns out, Featherweight was now a professional sports photographer and the hotshot Editor In Chief of the Ponyville Newspaper. The scrawny pegasus was even about to be a father himself! It felt so nice getting to know his son again. Dumbbell promised that they would talk more. To Featherweight's delight, he's kept it.

Knowing his daughter was safe gave Dumbbell a chance to relax for a moment. He had been scaring himself with nightmares and terrible daydreams of what might've happened to her. He took a few weeks to breathe and reconnect with his family.

Dumbbell knew that Thunderweight and Hailstorm, though a surly duo, were just scared kids deep down, missing their mother terribly. Dumbbell tried to get closer to them, and encouraged their special talents, beauty and art respectively. He even got his boys to workout with him, sometimes. That's not to say their behavior went unpunished-- Dumbbell refused to let Thunderweight tryout for the Wonderbolts and he took away Hailstorm's art supplies. ("You can go back to whatever you're doing when you learn some manners, colts. You're not children anymore, so stop acting like it! Phoenix Ashes is your /sister/, your flesh and blood, and you drove her away. Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves!")

Thank Celestia his youngest wasn't an asshole. Whirlwind had been cooking up some date for a while now, and she was so happy when dear ole dad finally accepted to go. Whirlwind couldn't help spilling her idea.

Whirly wanted him to go out with a girl he had briefly dated in his teenage years... Rainbow Dash. Reluctantly, Bell gave her a call. He was surprised that he actually heard back from her; and even more so when she said yes.

Dumbbell scrambled to the date, nervous but cocky, and was a bit shaken up when he found out Rainbow Dash had brought her wife to the date.

The Earth Pony was very excited to meet him. Her name was "Pinkamena Diane Pie, but all my friends call me Pinkie Pie!"

Dumbbell was very confused and very awkward. He went on with it nervously, but ended up having a great time. Pinkie Pie was so upbeat, energetic and funny, and Rainbow Dash was still a proud showboat dork. They had another date. And another. And another. And another.

Eventually, Dumbbell was the wives' official boyfriend. They didn't mind that he had kids, seeing as they had their own herd nicknamed "the Quad Squad", consisting of Airhead, Creampuff, Starburst and Jawbreaker.

After Thunderweight got his own place, Dumbbell soon moved to Ponyville. He lives with Pinkie, Rainbow Crash, Crash's parents, Whirlwind and Hailstorm.

Dumbbell's parenting skills have definitely improved, but he still doesn't think himself that great of a dad. He tries to be there for all his children now, and that's really all he can do at that point. He's so sorry that he missed so much of Featherweight's life, or how he didn't see how severe the bullying was on Phoenix... He slightly hates himself for not being a better father sooner. But he can't change the past, so at least he can be there for them in the present.

Other notes~

- In the Humanverse, Dumbbell comes from mixed background, but is mostly Brazilian. He is a hybrid of vague horse breeds in Ponyverse, but is very tall, muscular, and fluffy. His design is partly inspired by Lopoddity's art of him, and his father walking out on him was her idea too.

(Design description; his fur turns the color of his mane at the uncolored parts, the darkness on his ear tips and shoulder blades resemble the hue of chocolate, and the color of his hooves match that of Hoops' pelt color. I imagine his eyes as more of an icey blue than moderate azure.)

- Featherweight is the father of Apple Bloom's daughter Candy Blossom. The four prominent adults in her life share her; Feathers, AB, AB's girlfriend Diamond Tiara, and Feather's bf Pipsqueak. Dumbbell is always ready to visit his wittle granddaughter, yes yes

- Dumbbell's mother did recover from her illness after a hassle of years. It was hard, but they got there.

- Bulk Biceps enjoys a quiet, if not distant, friendship with his ex-husband. He's happy that he's a better pony now, but he wasn't going to wait for that to happen. Instead, he remarried to a strong mare by the name of Maud Pie. Featherweight's half-sibling is called Smoky Quartz.

(Since Maud is no longer with Starlight and Trixie in my verse, I've moved them around a bit. Trixie is now the wife of con-artist Flim and nature enthusiast Mudbriar, carrying their two children Willow Wisp and Wildflower, the minions of Prince Janus. I haven't decided who Starlight Glimmer is with yet- suggestions are appreciated!)

- Dumbbell's brother Hoops went onto become a local sportspony, a celebrity in Ponyville. His main gig is basketball, which to the ponies translates to punching the ball with your head or chin instead of hands. Hoops is a confident, secretly insecure boyo, that also turns into a beet red dork at the notion of romance.

Hoops is married to ex-single mother Ditzy Doo (nicknamed "Derpy Hooves" by Ponyville), and is stepfather to her daughter Dinky Doo. Hoops had his own son with her named Butterhoof after adopting a young teenage Screwball.

- Score is a tubby, socially awkward fella with social anxiety and shyness over his stunted size (he's rather short and chubby for the stallions in his family). He was the push-over type; he wasn't ever really /the/ mean bully, but the one that would encourage him and repeat what he said. He still doesn't speak up often, but is more outspoken than he was as a child or in his early to mid 20s (which is when the show takes place to me).

Score would take a paying job in Appleloosa for a small business interested in teaching sports to the youth. There Braeburn would charm the socks off Score, impressing him with shows of his Apple strength, community influence, bravery, and the flowers he kept sending his winged co-worker. Score just couldn't refuse that daring smirk when Braeburn asked him out.

Their relationship would go strong for many years... And they still are. They're that pair that argues like a married couple before they're married (they are btw), while simultaneously they're those lovebirds that can't stop snuggling each other. The two have tons of pet names, and even more embarrassing nicknames for their son Snapple.

- Dumbbell and Rainbow Dash love to shit talk Lightning Dust together. It's one of the many things that ensured their quick romance. Other reasons include endless banter, shit talking literally everything, routine workouts where they pushed each other to the limit, racing competitions, competitions in general (they hoof-wrestle a lot), flustering the hell outta the other, etc. In short, they're jerk jocks in love.

Dumbbell's relationship with Pinkie isn't as sweetly bitchy as his with Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie loves snuggles, kisses all de time, and is a big fan of physical contact. Her love language consists of touch and/or verbal affection. Dumbbell is thankful he found someone who is always trying to teach him something new and exciting.

She likes laying on Bell's back, teaching him how to bake, helping him through his daddy issues, encouraging his pre-existing passions, and using his shadow as shade. Dumbbell is patient with Pinkie the most of all; she is a bipolar, autistic dwarf-- though she may fall hard into depression, or may not understand something right away, it doesn't mean that's bad. It just takes bit more time, and her partners are willing to give it.

- Jawbreaker and Dumbbell box all the time. Pseudo father/son bonding time

- Dumbbell's full name is Buck Dum Belle. Pinkie calls him Bucky. Rainbow Dash calls him Dummy.

And that's all folks, my dumb hc for this one-off character that I've grown attached to, hope you enjoyed ✌️ don't take my headcanonnnn or y'know also my art. I actually redid the drawing (the other was completely different, undetailed, plain, and bland) and I'm so glad I did. This one is sooo much better you don't even know. (Yes, I did upload this on Pastelglitchesxx, but I didn't like the format so I changed it up.)

HC: Screwball; https://www.deviantart.com/gayswillrule/art/HC-Screwball-815984452

HC: Derpy Hooves; https://www.deviantart.com/gayswillrule/art/HC-Derpy-Hooves-notes-818998776

#mlp #mlp friendship is magic #mlp headcanons #mlp headcanon #dumbbell #dumbbell headcanon #dumbbell head canons #mlp dumbbell #mlp dumbbell headcanon #mlp next gen #harmonyverse #pastelglitches19 #dumbdash #pinkiedashbell #pinkiedash #pinkiebell #poly #next gen #peace ✌️

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frosty-the-killer-doll · 5 years