#it's a site wide problem
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I think your writing is magical and heartbreaking and I know that it’s actually not real so I don’t have to be too in my feelings about it… but I actually hate BGAU Kate. And I found myself rooting for Yelena to stay with Jemma in that last update. I was like girl noooooo please don’t do it even though I fully knew the whole time they would get back together. I hope that isn’t offensive. I just like see BGKate as this fully-formed non Kate Bishop entity because she is so fleshed out by your immersive writing. And I think she is an aspect of Kate’s personality that I don’t really hone in on in other fics or canon stuff. And she is an entity that I cannot stand and who is a villain to me. But it’s still very messy and fun to read so thank you for writing it!
not offensive!!! "i see kate as this fully formed non kb entity" is unintentionally the best compliment you could've given me lol.
ive said it for the entire like...fifteen years ive been writing on here (and i coincidentally touched on it earlier with the ask about victorian au) but i don't think any of what i post on here ACTUALLY has any connection to canon. or those characters. at all. it's just a way into stories i want to tell. characters i want to explore because...would you read these same stories if it were just two random bitches called idk...marney and vanessa??? lol. using "kate" and "yelena" just eases people into a new world. and it gives me the added bonus of having images to reference.
i don't see any of these aus as LEGIT kate and yelena in any way. it's just the names i happen to type. but the names i choose to use could just as easily be "clarke and lexa" or like..."clara and eleven" or any of the other ships i love. yelena isn't a brilliant scientist. kate isn't a public defender or a single mom or a himbo. all the period aus are just me getting to write that period show i never sold in a fun low stakes way. i just write what i know will never sell as a show or movie to get it out of my system and make it accessible to a certain group of people by slapping on names they recognize and faces they can see.
another good example: in what real mcu scenario would canon yelena and that girl i chose to name her girlfriend after date? never. she just looks like dollar store kate. petite. pale. brunette. the name/face just helped you easily get to what i needed you to picture in your head/understand without me having to write ten pages of prose lol. does that make sense? lol
PLEASEEEE divorce any of them from canon. please don't feel bad that you don't see canon characters in these. you're not truly meant to :)
#but it is KINDA funny to me how everyone is always like MORE COMPLEX MORALLY GRAY FEMALE CHARACTERS#and the minute one is actually a complex morally gray female character people hate them#this isn't a dig at you!!!#I just genuinely find it amusing and interesting#because male characters are allowed to be deeply flawed and borderline unlikeable but female characters aren't#like y'all are legit MAAAAAAAD in my inbox right now#it's going tomato war vibes#also lol I counted and there's legit 23 angry asks in my inbox but the post only has four likes#and it's not because y'all are mad#this happens with every chapter#faaaaaar more asks than interactions#why did Tumblr become like this lol#ten years ago I could post 'I farted' and it'd get 160 likes and reblog lol#now people don't interact with anything#im not calling y'all out specifically#it's a site wide problem#it's a change in Fandom culture and I don't get it#kybgau#rants#anonymous
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adding to my tags because i’ve been thinkin a lot about the post i just reblogged and have more thoughts:
i’ll be real, the more i saw ‘hey adhd influencers are so annoying’ the more i worried that i was unconsciously contributing to the spreading reputation of adhd folks as annoying and over-pathologizing every symptom they experience
and then i realized. i am not a goddam influencer or life coach or representative. obviously i have some obligation as someone who cares about myself and the people that like my comics to not spread harmful ideology or blatant misinformation but i never intended myself to be a “’increase your productivity!!’ blog OR a ‘if you have XYZ you have adhd!’ blog. and i do this for fun, and originally started this blog bc i had a lot of internalized shame and self loathing about my adhd and thought if i could make it funny i might have less of that. let’s get real! and it worked!
i’ve obviously done this kind of thing— (hey these symptoms might be adhd!) a lot before in my life & on this blog, but there’s more to it than trying to be an “influencer” or whatever. a term that didn’t even exist when i started this blog!
i felt very isolated trying to find out if i had any mental problems & what have you originally because of large advice (etc) blogs with staunchly anti self Dx views at the time
so i overcorrected when i DID get dxed and tried to validate everyone who was like me. and of course. not the best course of action always for the ol mental health. tried to be the source of positivity and jokes that i didn’t see because the online adhd presence was near non-existent.
and anyway. i make a lot of fun of myself & the way m brain works in my comics obviously but it is not my obligation to... how do you say.... not be annoying online.
because if folks interpret MY little jokes as a strict guide to diagnosis. that’s on them, really, not me. i also believe “making adhd your entire personality” is a non-issue. so what if people find out they have it and get over excited with identifying as adhd. saying this as someone who DID do it. criticism of this gives the same vibes as people being annoyed that young queers make “being queer” their whole personality. im very obviously more than a guy with adhd, and id reckon other adhd comic artists are too. (im friends with a lot of them!) it’s fine to post about it online.
anyway. i just don’t take myself too seriously and i’m a comic artist for myself first! and you know what, i’ve been considered annoying my entire life. what do i care if a few more folks think i’m annoying. neurotypical or not
#i think the article did have some good points especially on the capitalism and marketing angle but i oft think it did venture into#being mad at individual folks who post jokes about adhd. which is literally fine thats what an opinion piece is for lol#i am just very tired of people pretending that a lot of reaction to online adhders is not in itself just an extension of the ableism#we already were facing#'adhd people are so annoying everyone does this youre pathologizing everything' ok and how exactly are you helping.#i hesitate to throw my hat in with hating on adhd tiktok because i am simply not on tiktok and have no way to back up my thoughts#that they may be annoying and oversimplifying a complex disorder on the 'drains your attention span' website.#and i think perhaps the value of each adhd resource varies widely depending on who made it and what theyre even posting.#sometimes its a joke made by a person with adhd. sometimes its sourced and cited research. sometimes its someone discussing their personal#experiences in depth. sometimes its someone talking completely out of their ass. sometimes its THINLY veiled ableism.#its up to the individual to research and determine the value of the memes and resources you seek#anyway. perhaps these points are tough to clarify on sites like insta and twitter. bless.#text#adhd#im punk now#oh and yeah i also agree lots of folks do not talk about the unsavory parts of adhd but rather the funnies and the sillies. but that is#once again a larger capitalism and marketing and ableism problem#r we not talking about them because we are actively trying to infantalize this disorder or is it because we collectively experience a lot#of internalized ableism and hesitate to talk about our worst symptoms for fear of the backlash#weve always gotten about them 🤔🤔🤔#much to consider#if youve read this far sorry for tangent number 56 about this. but also start being more unapologetic about your disorders. fuck it!#<3
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ok I would never have the courage to actually say this in the dropout discord or on twitter or something but. you should be able to make playlists. like there's the "add to my list" button, but that's too broad. i should be able to make my own separate lists of videos. or they should have a "like" or a "favorite" button or something. so finding videos you like to rewatch is easier.
#also for some reason my computer does not keep track of where i left off in videos?#like the things i watch dont come up on the 'continue watching'#but when my family does on other devices it comes up#but thats more of a me problem and less of a site-wide suggestion#anyway someone get this request to the people in charge of the website#dropout
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It’s still not showing up in the tags 😭 do I just give up on this fic?
#this happens so often#like 1/3 of the fics I post have problems with showing up on site wide tags#I’ve tried so many times and changed things so it might work but still no luck#radio static
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genuinely one of the biggest issues on this site is that people are determined to interpret everything in whatever way they can most piss themselves off with. y'all ragebait yourselves and it's both very funny and very sad
#personal#the litter box#i am not exempt from this for the record#but it's a very site-wide problem#piss poor reading comprehension etc etc
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can i be brave for a sec and wonder why people are So angry about the dash layout changing. it's not ideal but also it. it just looks like it did in 2018
#can we really act like we're the 'roaches surviving nuclear disaster' webbed site...#aren't there larger site wide coding and administrative problems besides this we could be like. yelling about.#anyone know if the xkit spin off still works?#jesse shitposts
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All of my tumblr problems have been fixed thank you tumblr I love you
#this is. my personal problems. for reference. the frequent site wide problems will remain#but I do like messaging
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Uuuugh i don't have the patience to tell some child not to tag their hate right now i'm just not in the mood for it but i'm soooo annoyed so now I just have to fucking stew lol
#danie yells at themself#you don't! need to tag!! the fandom and the characters every time you make a post about them!!!#people look through the tags to find things they like! people look through the tags to find (for lack of better wording atm) content!#not personal posts! not hate! not idk rp account status updates!#try finding actual content using some of the tags you put on everything and see how much of it is in fact related content as opposed to just#not being that! imagine if a newcomer to the fandom or a fan of a character or series or ship or whatever browses the tags/search do you#think they'll find what they're looking for? if you're contributing to tag spam consider like. not doing that lmao#it's easy to not understand how tags and search and tumblr itself work but when you tag something it isn't just for *your blog*#it's for the whole site and anyone who searches the tag or terms being used. so when you just put Whatever in there then whoever looks it up#will see it. and if you do that all the time then that'll be a big chunk of what's in the tags and search#it's like putting things on shelves in a store. if someone is going down a certain aisle and you're just shoving whatever in whatever place#then it's gonna be hard to find what you're looking for. except tumblr isn't like the supermarket nobody's going to clean up after you.#just. honestly as annoyed as I sound I know it annoyed *other people* way more than it annoys me. i haven't checked the tags manually in a#while. admittedly partially because it's difficult to navigate when a bunch of unrelated posts are in there and i just cba.#(the tags for most any fandom not just tdb lol this is a tumblr-wide problem)
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Tumblr’s Core Product Strategy
Here at Tumblr, we’ve been working hard on reorganizing how we work in a bid to gain more users. A larger user base means a more sustainable company, and means we get to stick around and do this thing with you all a bit longer. What follows is the strategy we're using to accomplish the goal of user growth. The @labs group has published a bit already, but this is bigger. We’re publishing it publicly for the first time, in an effort to work more transparently with all of you in the Tumblr community. This strategy provides guidance amid limited resources, allowing our teams to focus on specific key areas to ensure Tumblr’s future.
The Diagnosis
In order for Tumblr to grow, we need to fix the core experience that makes Tumblr a useful place for users. The underlying problem is that Tumblr is not easy to use. Historically, we have expected users to curate their feeds and lean into curating their experience. But this expectation introduces friction to the user experience and only serves a small portion of our audience.
Tumblr’s competitive advantage lies in its unique content and vibrant communities. As the forerunner of internet culture, Tumblr encompasses a wide range of interests, such as entertainment, art, gaming, fandom, fashion, and music. People come to Tumblr to immerse themselves in this culture, making it essential for us to ensure a seamless connection between people and content.
To guarantee Tumblr’s continued success, we’ve got to prioritize fostering that seamless connection between people and content. This involves attracting and retaining new users and creators, nurturing their growth, and encouraging frequent engagement with the platform.
Our Guiding Principles
To enhance Tumblr’s usability, we must address these core guiding principles.
Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.
Provide high-quality content with every app launch.
Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.
Retain and grow our creator base.
Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.
Improve the platform’s performance, stability, and quality.
Below is a deep dive into each of these principles.
Principle 1: Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.
Tumblr has a “top of the funnel” issue in converting non-users into engaged logged-in users. We also have not invested in industry standard SEO practices to ensure a robust top of the funnel. The referral traffic that we do get from external sources is dispersed across different pages with inconsistent user experiences, which results in a missed opportunity to convert these users into regular Tumblr users. For example, users from search engines often land on pages within the blog network and blog view—where there isn’t much of a reason to sign up.
We need to experiment with logged-out tumblr.com to ensure we are capturing the highest potential conversion rate for visitors into sign-ups and log-ins. We might want to explore showing the potential future user the full breadth of content that Tumblr has to offer on our logged-out pages. We want people to be able to easily understand the potential behind Tumblr without having to navigate multiple tabs and pages to figure it out. Our current logged-out explore page does very little to help users understand “what is Tumblr.” which is a missed opportunity to get people excited about joining the site.
Actions & Next Steps
Improving Tumblr’s search engine optimization (SEO) practices to be in line with industry standards.
Experiment with logged out tumblr.com to achieve the highest conversion rate for sign-ups and log-ins, explore ways for visitors to “get” Tumblr and entice them to sign up.
Principle 2: Provide high-quality content with every app launch.
We need to ensure the highest quality user experience by presenting fresh and relevant content tailored to the user’s diverse interests during each session. If the user has a bad content experience, the fault lies with the product.
The default position should always be that the user does not know how to navigate the application. Additionally, we need to ensure that when people search for content related to their interests, it is easily accessible without any confusing limitations or unexpected roadblocks in their journey.
Being a 15-year-old brand is tough because the brand carries the baggage of a person’s preconceived impressions of Tumblr. On average, a user only sees 25 posts per session, so the first 25 posts have to convey the value of Tumblr: it is a vibrant community with lots of untapped potential. We never want to leave the user believing that Tumblr is a place that is stale and not relevant.
Actions & Next Steps
Deliver great content each time the app is opened.
Make it easier for users to understand where the vibrant communities on Tumblr are.
Improve our algorithmic ranking capabilities across all feeds.
Principle 3: Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.
Part of Tumblr’s charm lies in its capacity to showcase the evolution of conversations and the clever remarks found within reblog chains and replies. Engaging in these discussions should be enjoyable and effortless.
Unfortunately, the current way that conversations work on Tumblr across replies and reblogs is confusing for new users. The limitations around engaging with individual reblogs, replies only applying to the original post, and the inability to easily follow threaded conversations make it difficult for users to join the conversation.
Actions & Next Steps
Address the confusion within replies and reblogs.
Improve the conversational posting features around replies and reblogs.
Allow engagements on individual replies and reblogs.
Make it easier for users to follow the various conversation paths within a reblog thread.
Remove clutter in the conversation by collapsing reblog threads.
Explore the feasibility of removing duplicate reblogs within a user’s Following feed.
Principle 4: Retain and grow our creator base.
Creators are essential to the Tumblr community. However, we haven’t always had a consistent and coordinated effort around retaining, nurturing, and growing our creator base.
Being a new creator on Tumblr can be intimidating, with a high likelihood of leaving or disappointment upon sharing creations without receiving engagement or feedback. We need to ensure that we have the expected creator tools and foster the rewarding feedback loops that keep creators around and enable them to thrive.
The lack of feedback stems from the outdated decision to only show content from followed blogs on the main dashboard feed (“Following”), perpetuating a cycle where popular blogs continue to gain more visibility at the expense of helping new creators. To address this, we need to prioritize supporting and nurturing the growth of new creators on the platform.
It is also imperative that creators, like everyone on Tumblr, feel safe and in control of their experience. Whether it be an ask from the community or engagement on a post, being successful on Tumblr should never feel like a punishing experience.
Actions & Next Steps
Get creators’ new content in front of people who are interested in it.
Improve the feedback loop for creators, incentivizing them to continue posting.
Build mechanisms to protect creators from being spammed by notifications when they go viral.
Expand ways to co-create content, such as by adding the capability to embed Tumblr links in posts.
Principle 5: Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.
Push notifications and emails are essential tools to increase user engagement, improve user retention, and facilitate content discovery. Our strategy of reaching out to you, the user, should be well-coordinated across product, commercial, and marketing teams.
Our messaging strategy needs to be personalized and adapt to a user’s shifting interests. Our messages should keep users in the know on the latest activity in their community, as well as keeping Tumblr top of mind as the place to go for witty takes and remixes of the latest shows and real-life events.
Most importantly, our messages should be thoughtful and should never come across as spammy.
Actions & Next Steps
Conduct an audit of our messaging strategy.
Address the issue of notifications getting too noisy; throttle, collapse or mute notifications where necessary.
Identify opportunities for personalization within our email messages.
Test what the right daily push notification limit is.
Send emails when a user has push notifications switched off.
Principle 6: Performance, stability and quality.
The stability and performance of our mobile apps have declined. There is a large backlog of production issues, with more bugs created than resolved over the last 300 days. If this continues, roughly one new unresolved production issue will be created every two days. Apps and backend systems that work well and don't crash are the foundation of a great Tumblr experience. Improving performance, stability, and quality will help us achieve sustainable operations for Tumblr.
Improve performance and stability: deliver crash-free, responsive, and fast-loading apps on Android, iOS, and web.
Improve quality: deliver the highest quality Tumblr experience to our users.
Move faster: provide APIs and services to unblock core product initiatives and launch new features coming out of Labs.
Conclusion
Our mission has always been to empower the world’s creators. We are wholly committed to ensuring Tumblr evolves in a way that supports our current users while improving areas that attract new creators, artists, and users. You deserve a digital home that works for you. You deserve the best tools and features to connect with your communities on a platform that prioritizes the easy discoverability of high-quality content. This is an invigorating time for Tumblr, and we couldn’t be more excited about our current strategy.
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They trained an AI model on a widely used knee osteoarthritis dataset to see if it would be able to make nonsensical predictions - whether the patient ate refried beans, or drank beer. It did, in part by somehow figuring out where the x-ray was taken.
The authors point out that AI models base their predictions on sneaky shortcut effects all the time; they're just easier to identify when the conclusions (beer drinking) are clearly spurious.
Algorithmic shortcutting is tough to avoid. Sometimes it's based on something easy to identify - like rulers in images of skin cancer, or sicker patients getting their chest x-rays while lying down.
But as they found here, often it's a subtle mix of non-obvious correlations. They eliminated as many differences between x-ray machines at different sites as they could find, and the model could still tell where the x-ray was taken - and whether the patient drank beer.
AI models are not approaching the problem like a human scientist would - they'll latch onto all sorts of unintended information in an effort to make their predictions.
This is one reason AI models often end up amplifying the racism and gender discrimination in their training data.
When I wrote a book on AI in 2019, it focused on AIs making sneaky shortcuts.
Aside from the vintage generative text (Pumpkin Trash Break ice cream, anyone?), the algorithmic shortcutting is still completely recognizable today.
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Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #16
April 26-May 3 2024
President Biden announced $3 billion to help replace lead pipes in the drinking water system. Millions of Americans get their drinking water through lead pipes, which are toxic, no level of lead exposure is safe. This problem disproportionately affects people of color and low income communities. This first investment of a planned $15 billion will replace 1.7 million lead pipe lines. The Biden Administration plans to replace all lead pipes in the country by the end of the decade.
President Biden canceled the student debt of 317,000 former students of a fraudulent for-profit college system. The Art Institutes was a for-profit system of dozens of schools offering degrees in video-game design and other arts. After years of legal troubles around misleading students and falsifying data the last AI schools closed abruptly without warning in September last year. This adds to the $29 billion in debt for 1.7 borrowers who wee mislead and defrauded by their schools which the Biden Administration has done, and a total debt relief for 4.6 million borrowers so far under Biden.
President Biden expanded two California national monuments protecting thousands of acres of land. The two national monuments are the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, which are being expanded by 120,000 acres. The new protections cover lands of cultural and religious importance to a number of California based native communities. This expansion was first proposed by then Senator Kamala Harris in 2018 as part of a wide ranging plan to expand and protect public land in California. This expansion is part of the Administration's goals to protect, conserve, and restore at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.
The Department of Transportation announced new rules that will require car manufacturers to install automatic braking systems in new cars. Starting in 2029 all new cars will be required to have systems to detect pedestrians and automatically apply the breaks in an emergency. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration projects this new rule will save 360 lives every year and prevent at least 24,000 injuries annually.
The IRS announced plans to ramp up audits on the wealthiest Americans. The IRS plans on increasing its audit rate on taxpayers who make over $10 million a year. After decades of Republicans in Congress cutting IRS funding to protect wealthy tax cheats the Biden Administration passed $80 billion for tougher enforcement on the wealthy. The IRS has been able to collect just in one year $500 Million in undisputed but unpaid back taxes from wealthy households, and shows a rise of $31 billion from audits in the 2023 tax year. The IRS also announced its free direct file pilot program was a smashing success. The program allowed tax payers across 12 states to file directly for free with the IRS over the internet. The IRS announced that 140,000 tax payers were able to use it over their target of 100,000, they estimated it saved $5.6 million in tax prep fees, over 90% of users were happy with the webpage and reported it quicker and easier than companies like H&R Block. the IRS plans to bring direct file nationwide next year.
The Department of Interior announced plans for new off shore wind power. The two new sites, off the coast of Oregon and in the Gulf of Maine, would together generate 18 gigawatts of totally clean energy, enough to power 6 million homes.
The Biden Administration announced new rules to finally allow DACA recipients to be covered by Obamacare. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an Obama era policy that allows people brought to the United States as children without legal status to remain and to legally work. However for years DACA recipients have not been able to get health coverage through the Obamacare Health Care Marketplace. This rule change will bring health coverage to at least 100,000 uninsured people.
The Department of Health and Human Services finalized rules that require LGBTQ+ and Intersex minors in the foster care system be placed in supportive and affirming homes.
The Senate confirmed Georgia Alexakis to a life time federal judgeship in Illinois. This brings the total number of federal judges appointed by President Biden to 194. For the first time in history the majority of a President's nominees to the federal bench have not been white men.
#Thanks Biden#Joe Biden#student loans#loan forgiveness#lead poisoning#clean water#DACA#health care#LGBT rights#queer kids#taxes#tax the rich
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Listen I love the ‘dicks being ostracized from his family and self destructs’ trope in fics however
I would like an inverse just once (I could write it but I want this fic to be good so I can enjoy it and I am not the greatest writer) where everyone blows up at him and flat out lays into him and he just goes… okay… if that’s how you feel?
Takes himself off of the patrol routes and rosters. He’s off the emergency calls and his ‘call for city wide emergency’ has been down graded to ‘call for world wide emergency’ he’s no longer on comms with oracle
He stops offering assistance to the other kids teams, doesn’t send info for investigation and doesn’t go within 100feet of Gotham.
Takes himself off the den-mother, baby sitter, trainer for all the younger teams lost that involve any and all bats
In the beginning he vacates his apartment and temporarily moves in with Donna in New York and things are good because of course they are. They’re Dick and Donna a world doesn’t exist where they aren’t okay.
And then his presence in New York leads to a lot of the og core five titans interacting and they realize that they miss each other like hell and start to work together more and more. Until news sites are like ‘teen titans grown up??’ ‘Original titans spotted doing hurricane aid in Florida!’
Because Dick loves his family but he knows when to bow out. And he chose the family he made in the new teen titans.
And then one day one of the bats track him down in nyc and breaks into what is now Dick and Donna’s apartment and are ready to argue that they need him back and need him there for a huge Gotham wide event.
And Dick says ‘sure okay let me get my stuff and we leave in half and hour’ as soon as the first sentence is out
No convincing or begging or asking for money (cough Jason cough)
Dick is patched into their comms and he’s working efficiently except he’s not… acting like himself.
He’s collaborating with whoever they tell him too, no problem, he’s discussing ideal plans and co-ops and teams and how to best get it under control.
But he’s talking to them the way he talks when he’s offering aid to teams he’s not a part of.
Like the hero version of an acquaintance and no one can call him out on it because he’s doing good work. Work that’s on par with his work before this whole fiasco. He explicitly isn’t letting their personal issues affect his work.
He’s speaking but not talking
And Bruce remembers this… he’s probably the only one who does because last time he was the only one included. The last time Dick acted like this is when he first visited Jason and him after he had been fired.
Whenever Bruce was in the room and Dick was forced to speak with him, the conversation never strayed past business casual especially around Jason.
Batman and Nightwing got into screaming matches
Bruce and Dick were strangers
And now they’re back to this, 7 kids later, a million ends of the world stopped, they’ve bled together, cried together and clung to each other in pure relief after they managed to clutch victory.
And Nightwing was treating Batman Inc like a new team stepping onto the scene.
Once they’ve secured everything and managed to keep Bruce from self destructing and making it worse. Dick just leaves and tells oracle that he’ll send over his debrief in 3-5 business days and it was nice working with them.
And then he’s gone
No cave, no manor, no Alfred, no med-bay because Dick doesn’t stay places he’s not welcome.
And after they all talk about that and how weird it was and Bruce reveals Dick did this before when he was Nightwing after Bruce fired, where Dick Grayson didn’t know Bruce Wayne.
And one of the kids asks when he broke and stopped the act and Bruce just says ‘the day he found out Jason died’
And the Batkids kinda freak bc what do you mean?? What is he only going to come back when someone dies? Thats not? There has to be another way?? And Bruce is like yeah no idea sorry (bc he’s helpful like that)
So then Steph the next day resolves to go visit him, Tim isn’t the only professional stalker. And she finds Dick and Donna’s apartment and well it’s daylight and she’s in civvies she’s if she climbs in through the window she might get reported to the NYPD and she doesn’t wanna get arrested or shot to door it is!
And so she goes and knocks and Dick opens the door and just lights up
Something something this is such a nice surprise something something it’s so good to see you.
Dick had taught Donna how to make some of his mother recipes when they were kids. So now whenever they’re together for a long time they cook together.
So Dick who is usually living in a cluttered apartment with no clean dishes and an exclusively grab and go food is now trying to force feed her some of his cooking.
Because he picked up the habit again since he’s the better cook between him and Donna.
And it’s delicious and he wants to catch up and hear everything that’s going on in her life, is she working with new people, dating anyone? How is her relationship with her mother etc etc.
It’s a nice day and she stays late and never confronts him on anything until she sees how long ago the sun set and she needs to get moving.
He hands her paper with his number and makes her promise not to give it to the others or she will lose access to it, he offers to help her on a conditional basis as nightwing but only her, she can call him about the rest if it’s an end of the world or they’re near death and need immediate aid.
And that’s like the fic because the key to winning nightwings assistance is like breathing (optional) but if you’re Dicks family you have to care or else. He’ll love you and help you, when you need it but he won’t tie his life up with yours, he’ll spend his time with people who value his opinion and the person behind the mask.
Anyway cue all the Batkids trying to do what Steph did and fail because they’re neurotic shits who think bonding involves doing casework together or a steak out.
(The next person to crack it is Damian, completely unintentionally he has a fight with Bruce and can’t ask him how the fuck he’s supposed to solve this equation in the new stupid way they’re teaching him no he can’t use the old method they’re supposed to show their work so he pulls up to Dick and Donna’s in a ratty ass hoodie like plz wtf do you mean you work top down explain Grayson- and dicks like awww no problem kid)
#dick grayson#batfam#AU#nightwing#batman#comics#bruce wayne#jason todd#tim drake#batfamily#damian wayne#the titans are family your honor#Dick Grayson and Donna Troy#they’re the besties#corporate wants to you point out the difference between these two photos#and it’s Donna Troy and Dick Grayson#it’s the same photo#titans
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Unfinished Business
Remmick x reader
Ask and you shall receive! After almost 500(!) of you responded to my poll, I had to keep writing. Enjoy!
REQUESTS ARE OPEN!
word count: 3.2k
Summary: After your parent's were killed when you were just a child, a secluded life in the Mississippi Delta has been all you have know. But when you stumble upon a stranger whose presence draws you in against your better judgement, you end up with more than you bargained for.
Warning: violence, blood, death, dub con elements!
Growing up, the Mississippi Delta felt like the whole world. The endless blue skies, forests that went on forever, rolling fields as far the eye can see, it was all you knew. It was home. Home to you, your friends, your family, your laughter, and your tears.
As a child, hot summer days and home-cooked meals was all you could think about. But while your mind was preoccupied with the beauty of the Delta, you remain completely unaware of the darkness that lurked deep within the trees.
***
“Do it again”! You demanded your father, who as far as you were concered, a magician.
He chuckled to himself as he began the trick again.
“Look at my hands.” His fingers were spread out wide while he turned his wrist around to show that there was nothing there. Then he reached behind your ear and took out a small coin.
You clapped giddily at the site. Being just 7 it amused you to no end.
“Give your father a break y/n”. You are going to bore him.” Your mother said, poorly suppressing a smile at the site of your glee as she placed the steaming meal in the center of the table.
“How about you help your mother with dinner?” Your father suggested. You ran over to the kitchen and carefully grabbed the plates from your mother’s hands. As you placed them in their proper position, a knock was heard at the front door.
It was unusual. Your family’s home was at the edge of town and 50 yards deep into the forest from the main path. Most people wouldn’t find it unless they strayed.
“Stay put.” Your father warned you as he cautiously approached the door. You ran to your mothers side, nervous at the coming of this stranger.
When your father opened the door, a tall man with dark hair and an almost uncanny wide smile greeted him.
“Howdy sir, I hate to intrude on this lovely night but I need someone to help crank-start my automobile. Would you be so kind as to help?” Being in a small town, almost everyone knew everybody. And even if you didn’t, you would have at least seen their face at the store or walking down the street. Even at your young age, you could pick out everyone in town from a crowd of thousands. But this was a face you have never seen before, and it unnerved you to no end. While his smile remaind, you knew in your soul that it was not true.
“It’s just down the road, it won’t take but a few minutes of your time.” For just a split second, you could have sworn the man’s eyes flashed a dark red color. But in an instant, it returned to their original icy color.
You wanted your father to say no, to shut the door, and turn back to you and your mother so your perfect night could continue; but kindness was always something that was preached in your household.
“It’s no problem mister.” Your father turned his head back. “I’ll be back in a moment.” He shot you and your mother a smile before leaving with the strange man, closing the door behiind him.
“Don’t you worry baby.” Your mother said coddling you. “Your father will be right back. Now how about some dinner?” Your mother served you some chicken and beans onto your plate, but just when you were about to bite in, an ear-piercing scream came from outside followed by what sounded like when the town's stray dogs bit into a carcass.
You and your mother’s eyes shot up from the table to the front door as the screams continued.
“You stay right here!” Your mother demanded as she went outside.
“Mommy no!” You tried to stop her. Whatever evil was happening to your father was sure to happen to her too.
But it was no use, she ran out.
You ran to the wall of the door being a chair. Hugging your knees to your chest in a desperate attempt to protect yourself.
“NO!” you heard your mother scream. Right after, the awful tearing sound continued. followed by silence.
By this point, your cheeks are completely damp from the tears you didn’t even realize you have been flowing. Who was this man? What did he want? Why did he come to your home?
“Come out little one.” The man yelled from outside. “I saw you earlier in your mother’s arms. I know you want to join them” he said, taunting you. His voice changed, from what it was before. Some sort of accent you have never heard before.
“Come on y/n, we both know you can’t hide in there forever.”
Your breath got caught in your throat. He knew your name. How, you didn’t know.
“Your parents were sure kind people.” He began. “It’s a pity that it turned out to be their undoing.” Suddenly, a fight lit inside you. Your feelings of fear and sadness were firmly swept away as anger started to course through your veins.
You shot up from your huddled position behind the chair and ran to the front door. Whoever this man is, you were going to stop him with whatever you had in you.
After swinging the door open, you froze in your spot. The darkness made it difficult for you to make everything out, but you saw enough. The man’s eyes glowed red and his clothes were damp with what could only be blood.
“Hello sweetheart” The man started, standing several feet from your pourch. “You can call me Remmick.” You shut the door, unable to confront the monster that stood behind it.
“Don’t you worry sweet thing. I’ll be back for you.”
The next morning, you discovered that your parent’s bodies were gone. Not even a strand of hair remained, leaving you with nothing but memories.
***
The years have come and gone and now you live in the middle of town working at a local apothocary shop. You have done your besst to suppress the painful memories of that fateful night. The blood, the screams. While you couldn’t escape the Delta, you could at least forget.
After all these year’s of waiting for Remmick to come back, you started to believe that he may have forgotten about you, and that maybe a normal life is actually possible. The thought that you will never have to encounter this devil of a man again makes you feel relieved, but also angry. That the closure, the revenge you so desperately want will never happen.
“Hello y/n, got any cough syrups?” Thomas, one of your regular’s came in shooting you a soft smile.
“Sure thing.” You went to the back to collect the bottles.
“Mighty warm weather we are having aren’t we.” Thomas said as you were cashing him out at the register.
“It’s always this warm in the Delta.” You teased. “Lord knows we could use some rain. I’d do anything to cool off.”
“Well if you need some relief from this heat, I’m more than welcome to accompany you on a night’s walk. The sun finally sets and the night air is rather refreshing.” Thomas flashed his pearly whites at you as you handed him his change. Almost every time he comes to the shop he comes up with some new scheme to ask you on a date, and while he was certainly a charmer (and not bad looking either), you couldn’t find yourself taking him up on the offer.
“Thank you, but I think I can manage this heat just fine.”
“Whatever you say little lady. Have a nice day.” He tipped his hat and left the store, the belle ringing merrily on his way out.
As the day was coming to a close, you finished locking up the shop. After storing away the aliments, soaps, herbs, and medicine in all their proper place, you locked the shop door.
“Hello miss.” The voice of a stranger startled you as you dropped your keys.
Bending down to pick them up, the stranger beat you to it. Standing up, a man with dark hair and deep blue eyes, held the keys in his hands.
“I believe these are yours.” He said with a small grin.
The man placed his hand on top of your palm to return the keys for you to then place in your dress pocket.
“Thank you sir.” You responded kindly, blushing at the brief touch of contact. Being a yong lady in a small town meant that if a man had the chance to firt with you, he would. But none were certainly as good-looking as him.
“Locking up shop all by yourself? It ain’t safe for a little lady like you to wander around after dark.” While he spoke with an air of caution, it came off more like a threat.
You smiled at his sentiment, Living alone, you were no fool to the dangers the Delta held, but you’ve learned how to grow thick skin.
“I promise you sir, I can handle myself just fine.” You rolled your shoulders back and straightened your spine as a puny attempt to show you are stronger than you look.
“Oh I have no doubt about that.” The man said, taking a few steps forward.
You stood firm in your ground as he approached you. Maybe you would’ve backed down before, but there was something in the air that night that told you to stay against your better judgement. He soon stood close enought in front of you that if you reached your arm out you could touch his chest.
“Is there something I can help you with, mister?” You uttered carefully, daring yourself to take another step closer. He was attractive, no doubt about it, but it was often the things most gratifying to the eye that ended up being the most dangerous. Even so, your practical side wasn’t the one pulling the ropes.
“Help me?” He spoke, brows raised. “A tempting offer, but I think I’m here to help you.” His voice became low and daring. “A lady like you shouldn’t be out all by herself, you never know what you may run into in the Delta.”
“Believe me sir, no one knows that better than me.”
“Aren’t you a firey one.” He said while cocking his head to the side. “May I have the pleasure to escort you home?” You considered his offer. Any other young woman would have sprung at the chance for a nighttime stoll with a handsome mysterious stranger. However, you didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.
“I think I can handle myself just fine.” Spoken firmly and final.
“Then I hope you’ll grace me with your presence some other night.”
“Maybe.” You cast your eyes down playfully, unresisting a smirk. “Only if the Delta’s dangers don't get to me first”.
The man let out a short laugh at your cheeky response. “Believe me miss, I wouldn’t let them get to you even if they tried.” The reply was strange, nevertheless, you let it pass.
“And does this gentleman have a name?” You asked, wanting to leave with at least something to remember him by.
“Let’s not be hasty now. All good things come with time.” Even more odd.
Any girl growing up in these parts knew when something, or someone was trouble. Even so, like a moth to a flame, you didn’t turn away.
“Well you have a good night mister. You know where to find me if you need anything .” You turned on your heel and strod off.
“Don’t you worry miss, you already gave me everything I need.” You turned around to respond, but the stranger was nowhere to be seen.
Odd.
Your walk home faced no difficulties. Nonetheless, you kept turning your head every minute, unable to shake the feeling you were being followed.
***
The next day came and went with no signs of the mystery man from before. As did the next day, and the day after that. Eventually, it got to a point where you started to believe that your loneliness… and your desire, was starting to make you hallucinate.
Just when you thought that the stranger was nothing more than a figment of your imagination, you ran into him once more.
“Well if it isn't my pretty little lady.” You were on your way home from work, just reaching the town's edge.
The man’s steps were loose and unhurried, salvaging the encounter.
“Good evening sir.” You answered politely. “I take it everything is alright with you?”
“Oh everything just became perfect right about now.” The stranger has haunted your thoughts for long enough, you deemed. It’s about time for your mind to be brought to ease.
“You aren’t from the Delta are you?” you challenged.
“What gave it away?”
“You get used to seeing the same faces after a while down in these parts. So where are you from.”
“A place far more ancient than you can imagine.” You scoffed at the answer. Who did this man think he was? This was not your first time dealing with disagreeable folk, and certainly not you last.
Your interrogation continued, “And what brings you to this part of the country?” The question brought a smile to his face. You knew you were dancing with the devil, but at this point in this deadly waltz, you had no longing to stop.
“I guess you could call it unfinished business.” The answer didn’t sit right with you one bit.
“And what would that be?” You’ve seen his expression before when you encountered hunters in the forest, one who’s prey fell right in their trap.
“Many years ago I came across this wee little thing in the woods. Before, I wanted her for… well let’s just say other purposes. But now, after seeing her again, I’ve changed my mind. I want her for something completely different.” His answer sent a chill up your spine.
He started to approach you slowly. “Come on y/n, don’t you remember me at all?” Your heart rate spiked up and your breaths became frantic.
“No.” It came out barely about a whisper. The memories of that fateful night, the one you have tried so desperately to forget started to break its way back in.
“Don’t worry, I don’t want to hurt you, at least permanently.” He laughed at his own joke. “All these years, and I couldn’t have imagined the pretty thing you would turn into.” And then, there it was, the flash of red. As he came closer, your survival instincts finally kicked in and you ran as fast as your legs could take you.
Your house wasn't too far, but you have never been much of a runner, and who knows what he, what Remmick, is capable of.
“There is no point in making this hard.” You heard him say behind you, speaking like a parent trying to make a stubborn child eat their veggies.
You didn’t dare to look back. All you could think of was getting home. And soon enough, there it was, your four walled sanctuary.
By some miracle, you made it past the pourch and into the home, placing you back against the wall of the door. You waited a moment to let your breathing die down. But your moment of relief only lasted just that.
“You can pretend all you want, but I could smell how badly you want it.” His southern facade has vanished into that foreign sound you heard before. “It is just in your luck that I can give it to you.”
You paid his words no mind. Shutting your eyes tight, you prayed to whatever God there was to make this devil disappear.
“I have to say, I feel a little dissapointed. Before you were a child, but I guess you were too weak then and too weak now.” And just like that, your eyes shot open. The fear inside you was replaced with pure rage. You knew enough folklore to know what he was, know his weakness. Grabing the silver kitchen knife, you ran outside screaming.
Remmick didn’t stand too far from the enterance of your house, and in an instant, you stabbed the knife to the upper left side of his chest. You stepped back after your attack, expecting this to be the end of it.
All it seemed to do was irritate him.
After he stumnled a few steps back, he pulled the knife slowly out of his torso and threw it aside.
“I knew you were going to take some convincing but you sure do know how to put up a good fight.” He sounded almost amused.
You stood paralyzed. Your only weapon now proving useless. In a flash, Remmick ran towards you, hand around your throat as the other pulled you close to him.
You let out a scream before he placed his hand over your mouth
“Shhh, we both know that won’t save you now.” Your eyes started to brim with tears. Whatever dark plan he has instored for you couldn’t be good.
“There is no need to be scared. I’m about to give you everything you could ever want.” Your fear turned into confusion, and soon enough, his lips were on yours. He kissed with longing, with need. Like it was something he was waiting to do for a very, very long time. For all you knew he was.
As the kiss deepened, he started to touch you in an area that in these parts was reserved for your husband, certainly not him. You couldn’t resist letting out a soft moan. It was hard to remeber the last time you have gotten such pleasure.
“There we go.” Remmick whisphered in your ear. Slowly, his mouth widened to reveal his fangs. Once your eyes opened, you remembered exactly what you were doing, and exactly who it was with.
You pushed yourself out of his grasp. “GET AWAY FROM ME!” You fell to the ground, picking up the discared kitchen knife and holding it in boith hands, pointing it towards him.
Remmick let out an exasperated sigh. "Just when I thought I had you, you had to act up.”
Your hands trembled while clutching the knife. He won’t get me. He won’t.
The devil in disguise took four long strides towards you before standing over you looking like he just caught your hand in the cookie jar.
He crouched down slowly, taking the knife from your grasp steadily as you sat powerless to fight.
He ran his finger up and down against your cheek. For a beginning as ancient as him, his touch was softer than expected.
“You’re perfect.” He stated.
Just like that, not wasting a moment of time, his fangs pierced their way into your neck.
You let out a scream, but soon, the initial pain started to fade, and in its place was something wonderful, something blisful.
After Remmick pulled away, you looked at him and felt everything he was feeling. His love, his hurt, his desire.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” You smiled foolishly at him. How could you have been so disagreeable before, when right here, right now, was the man who would give you everything.
@spikedfearn
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𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐍 𝐍𝐄𝐓 ꩜ paige bueckers ⁵



free palestine carrd 🇵🇸 decolonize palestine site 🇵🇸 how you can help palestine | FREE PALESTINE!
MASTERLIST
ᝰ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 | 2.1k
ᝰ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 | you were her rookie — quiet and a little in awe of paige bueckers. she was your star junior teammate with a backwards cap and too much charm. it started platonic until it didn’t. after last year’s final four heartbreak, everything shifted. now it’s april, you’ve just won a natty, and paige is drunk, high, and very, very in love with you at a team party. the only problem? you’re still supposed to be a secret.
ᝰ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 | college basketball setting, secret relationship, alcohol + weed use (crossfaded paige), fluff, heavy pining, touchy!drunk!paige, reader trying to be subtle and failing, teammates might be catching on, one kiss (hidden), a lot of love and a lot of chaos <3
ᝰ 𝒆𝒗'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔 | shessss baaackkk, i missed writing for paigey poo so here's a quick fic. this was requested by this anon, hope you enjoy!
It started out simple.
You were her rookie. A wide-eyed freshman dropped into the chaos of Storrs basketball, figuring out where to stand during stretches and how not to trip over the Gatorade cart during timeouts. Paige was already a phenomenon by then — two years in, all-world talent, face of the program, eyes-on-you-every-second kind of presence. She played with the pressure of a nation and still walked into practice with her socks mismatched and a bag of fruit snacks in her hoodie pocket. Somehow, she made it all look easy.
And you? You were just trying not to drown.
She took to you fast. Teased you early and often, slung her arm around your shoulders on your third day like you’d been teammates for years. She gave you nicknames that stuck. Talked to you during warmups. Waited for you after practice. It was friendly. Casual. She was just that kind of person — magnetic and warm in that disarming, dangerous way.
Everyone loved Paige. You just happened to love her a little faster.
Still, it was platonic. At first.
She was the sun in your solar system, but you kept your orbit safe. You watched her from across the locker room and let yourself be grateful for proximity. For inside jokes and shared playlists and the way she always passed you the ball when she didn’t have to. It was enough, because it had to be.
But things shifted after the loss.
Final Four. One game short. You still couldn’t say the name of the team that beat you without feeling your throat close up. The locker room had been silent after — just the sound of jerseys being peeled off and someone’s quiet tears. Paige had sat next to you, hair still soaked with sweat, knees bouncing in frustration.
She didn’t say anything that night. Just sat there until the room was empty and you were left alone with the noise of your own failure.
That offseason, everything changed — the team, the training, and the two of you. Paige was different. Not colder, just sharper. Focused in a way that felt like a countdown ticking in the background of everything she did. You became part of her routine — not because you were trying, but because she pulled you into it. Early mornings. Late-night shooting sessions. Recovery days where you lay side by side in the training room with matching ice packs and silence thick between you.
There was a night in June where you both stayed late. The gym was mostly dark except for the soft glow above the hoop. She was shooting free throws in a hoodie that swallowed her frame, and you were half-asleep on the sideline, watching her without meaning to.
She looked over. “You good?”
You nodded. “Always.”
And then she smiled — not the cocky, performative kind, but the rare one. The one that felt like it was just for you.
You don’t remember who moved first. Or who touched who. Just the dizzy, surprising closeness. The way your hands found her hoodie, and hers found the back of your neck. The kiss — soft, unsure, not yet brave enough to mean what it meant.
But it meant everything.
By July, it was official — just not public. There were no Instagram posts, no pre-season whispers. Just a quiet understanding, solidified by pinky promises and looks that lasted too long.
You wanted to keep it sacred. She wanted to keep it safe.
Mostly, you both agreed on one thing: no distractions.
Not this year.
You’d watched the trophy get handed to someone else. Felt the sting of a season ending in silence. Paige had told you, with eyes fierce and voice steady, “We’re not losing again.” And she meant it.
So the relationship — this thing between you — became a tucked-away part of your lives. Hidden, but not small. Private, not pretend.
Azzi figured it out first. She always did. She caught the way Paige looked at you during team dinners, like she couldn’t help it. Said nothing at first, just raised her eyebrows and smiled like she knew a secret. KK caught on later, after a particularly reckless scrimmage where you dove for a ball and Paige went full linebacker to break your fall. Geno — well, Geno walked into the film room one day and caught you both half-asleep on the couch, limbs tangled, her head resting on your chest.
No words. Just a long sigh. A muttered, “Jesus Christ.”
But he didn’t say anything to the team. Didn’t ask you to stop. Just stared at Paige for a little too long during the next film session and offered you a longer leash on your shooting days. You assumed it was his version of a blessing.
Still, you stayed quiet. For the team. For the goal. For the dream you’d both been chasing since the first day of summer workouts.
Now, the dream was real.
The championship banner was hanging. The nets were cut. The confetti had been swept away and turned into keepsake Ziplocs by the equipment staff. There were bruises on your knees and polish chipped from your nails, but there was a ring on your finger and a medal around your neck.
And there was Paige — across the room in a backwards snapback and a net draped around her neck like a trophy chain.
She looked like every bad decision you’d ever want to make.
Loud. Wild. Free.
She wasn’t drinking (yet) — none of you really were, not officially — but she had the swagger of someone who’d just stolen a whole city and didn’t plan to give it back. She was running the beer pong table with Azzi, yelling Drake lyrics and calling herself “Champagne Papi” like it was her God-given title. Every time she made a shot, she shouted “Wet like I’m Book!” and turned to look for you.
Your stomach flipped each time.
You tried to play it cool. Sat on the kitchen counter with KK and a cup of something citrusy, talking about nothing. Let her do her thing. Let the adrenaline run its course.
But you could feel it in your chest. The pull.
She caught your eye once through the crowd and tilted her chin in that way she always did — subtle, but claiming. You. Mine. Us.
You ducked your head before anyone could see you smile.
It was still a secret. But it didn’t feel small anymore.
It felt like something breaking open. Something bright. Something inevitable.
It was all fun and fire until Paige got her hands on the alcohol and weed.
You weren’t even sure when it happened — one minute she was steady-handed, sharp-eyed, yelling over music with her usual borderline-annoying charisma. The next, she was laughing so hard she was folded over a beanbag, clinging to a bottle of vodka like it was holy, and insisting to anyone who’d listen that “net necklaces are gonna be, like, a THING. I'm starting a movement.”
You were sitting on the floor beside her, back against the couch, letting the night pulse around you. Someone was playing trap edits of early 2000s bangers through a Bluetooth speaker. Someone else was trying to stack red solo cups into a pyramid on the kitchen island. Azzi had long since disappeared upstairs with a pack of shooters and a speaker under one arm.
You were just hoping no one noticed the way Paige’s thigh was pressed flush against yours. Or the fact that her fingers had found your wrist twenty minutes ago and hadn’t let go.
Not that she was being subtle.
“Baby,” she said suddenly, leaning into your shoulder with a weight that was more affection than balance, “tell them about how I scored nineteen in the second half even though I got kneed in the stomach. Tell them. You were there.”
You blinked. Swallowed a laugh. “That’s not exactly how it happened.”
“Okay but—you saw it. I was limping. I was, like, emotionally bruised.”
“You literally waved off the trainer and flexed at the camera.”
“Yeah, after I cried internally.”
She was completely serious. Glossy-eyed, flushed cheeks, cap still backwards and askew like she’d forgotten it was on. The net around her neck had frayed slightly at the bottom, and she kept absentmindedly fingering the knots while she talked. It felt like the perfect metaphor — tangled, over-the-top, a little frayed, but absolutely her.
She shifted again, resting her head against your shoulder now, her voice dropping to something quieter. “You looked real pretty after the game. Like, the prettiest. Even with your mascara on your chin.”
You stiffened slightly. “Paige.”
“What?” Her voice was sing-song now. “I can say that. We won. You’re my good luck charm. My... talisman.”
“Talisman?” you echoed, eyebrows raised.
She grinned, loopy and pleased with herself. “My enchanted girlfriend. It’s giving fantasy novel. It’s giving—we ride at dawn.”
Someone snorted nearby. KK, probably. You didn’t turn to check.
Instead, you glanced down at Paige, her legs stretched out across the carpet, the hem of her shirt hitched up slightly from where she kept fidgeting. Her arm had migrated from your wrist to your waist, loose and lazy, and her fingers were now hooked in one of your belt loops like she was anchoring herself to you. Every now and then, she’d give a gentle tug, like she was making sure you were still there.
You were fairly certain she wasn’t aware of how obvious she was being. Or maybe she was. Maybe she just didn’t care anymore — not after the trophy, the press conferences, the adrenaline still wearing off in slow waves.
“I think everyone’s too drunk to notice,” she whispered after a moment, cheek brushing your jaw.
You inhaled sharply. “That’s not the point.”
She looked up at you, blinking wide, adoring eyes. “I love you.”
Your stomach flipped. “Paige.”
“I do. I love you and I don’t care if people know. We won. You can’t get mad at me tonight.”
You glanced around, suddenly hyper-aware of every movement, every sound. KK was across the room deep in conversation with one of the managers. Someone was shouting over a game of flip cup. Azzi was still upstairs. You leaned your head closer to hers, trying to sound stern, but your voice came out softer than intended.
“You’re not in trouble. Just… maybe stop yelling that you’re in love with me across the room.”
“I didn’t yell,” she said indignantly.
“You absolutely yelled.”
“Fine.” She nuzzled into your side. “Then I’m whispering it now.”
You sighed, but you couldn’t stop smiling.
She stayed like that for a while — curled up beside you, tipsy and affectionate, talking in circles about the game and the after-party and how she was convinced her net-chain idea was actually kind of brilliant. She leaned into every touch. Her fingers brushed your knee, your hip, your collarbone — innocent spots, but familiar, unthinking. Like she was trying to memorize you all over again.
Someone passed by and clapped her on the shoulder, offering a half-hug and a “Hell of a game, Bueckers.” She smiled and thanked them, but didn’t move away from you. Didn’t even blink.
Eventually, the party thinned out. The music quieted to a low pulse, and the chaos of earlier mellowed into a lazy buzz of laughter and half-finished drinks.
You were still on the floor when Azzi returned, holding a bottle of Gatorade and one eyebrow arched.
“You two good?” she asked, not even bothering to hide the smirk.
“We’re great,” Paige chirped, already half-asleep against your shoulder. “Better than great. We’re champions. Did you know we’re champions?”
Azzi snorted. “No way.”
“Deadass.”
You shot Azzi a look — somewhere between pleading and I will kill you if you say something. She raised both hands in mock surrender and drifted off toward the couch.
Eventually, you helped Paige up — a slow, giggly process that involved her pretending to be a baby deer on ice skates and you dragging her by the elbow.
She looped both arms around your shoulders once she was standing, the net bouncing against your chest.
“We did it,” she whispered, her lips brushing your ear.
You pulled her closer. “Yeah. We did.”
And you let her kiss you then — just for a second, just tucked into the corner where no one could see. It tasted like orange Gatorade and celebration and something that had been waiting for months to breathe.
You didn’t know what came next. Didn’t know how much longer this secret could stay secret, or if you even wanted it to anymore.
But for now, there was only this.
The win. The night. The girl in a backwards cap and a fraying net, clinging to you like a lifeline.
And love — loud, wild, inevitable — beating out its rhythm against your ribs.
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This man can't help but turn his sappiness up by 100% on valentines day. He already worships the ground you walk on, but on valentines day? Expect everything he does in tenfold.
You awake to the smell of breakfast cooking, and not just any breakfast.. your favorite meal. He must have turned off your alarm, because you had planned to wake up early and make him breakfast.
A little hum leaves your lips as you walk into the kitchen to see red decorations covering every surface, hearts galore, the whole nine yards.
When did he have time to do this? The house looked normal before you went to bed.
You don’t even make it into the kitchen before he’s scooping you off your feet.
“Morning, lovely.” He says peppering your face in kisses.
“What’s all this?” You ask, kissing him back.
“Oh y’know. Just Valentine’s Day stuff. To show just how much I love you.” He says setting you down onto the counter, gingerly.
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
After breakfast he’s treating you all day, not giving you the time of day to do anything by yourself, and it has nothing to do with power or feeling dominant, he purely loves you so, so much!
He takes you to all your favorite places, and when you complain about your feet hurting, he decides to carry you everywhere, no matter how embarrassing it may be.
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
And then there’s dinner. In the past he may have taken you out to a fancy restaurant, but this year he decided to cook all of your favorites. And he ordered your favorite dessert for later.
“This looks delicious baby, thank you.” He’s pushed in your chair at this point, still standing behind you. You lift your head to kiss his lips and he reciprocates quickly.
“It’s no problem, honey. This is the least I could do.” The least?? Man you’ve definitely won in life.
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
What came after dinner had to be your favorite.
Once you were full, and satisfied, he carried you to the bed, kissing every inch of your beautiful body.
“God, I fucking love you, sweetheart.” He says, as he gets his fill of you. He thinks you taste so sweet, and he’s addicted.
After making love to you, he runs you a bath, (with flower petals, essential oils, once again the whole shebang) helping you in when it’s done.
As the two of you bathe together he massages all the spots where you’re tense.
“I love you.” He hums quietly.
You smile widely, you know he really means it, not just on today, but every single day, he loves you with his whole heart.
“I love you, too.”
BOKUTO, osamu, hinata, KITA, ushijima (hq)
NANAMI, yuta, choso, TODO (jjk)
keigo, aizawa, MIDORIYA, iida, KIRISHIMA (bnha)
RENGOKU, giyuu, GYOMEI (kny)
JEAN, levi, ARMIN (aot)
KEN KEN KEN!!!! (draken), mitsuya, hakkai, souya (angry), BAJI (tokyo rev)
banner by: cafekitsune !
©𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐊𝐄𝐘𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈 All works are written by me! Please do not copy, translate, or upload onto other sites thanks!
#adding levi and Aizawa were indulgent but idc 😞#bokuto x reader#osamu miya x reader#hinata shoyo x reader#kita x reader#ushijima x reader#haikyuu#haikyu#hq#haikyuu x reader#nanami x reader#nanami kento#yuta okkotsu x reader#choso#choso x reader#todo aoi#todo x reader#keigo takami x reader#hawks x reader#aizawa x reader#izuku midoriya x reader#kirishima x reader#iida x reader#rengoku x reader#rengoku kyojuro#giyuu tomioka#giyuu x reader#draken#draken x reader#levi x reader
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Reader visiting pogue!rafe and wearing the tiniest sundress to thank him for taking such a good care of her and for coming to midsummer. She would give him the sloppiest nastiest blowjob because she is so grateful
˙✧˖° 🐬🛼🎀 ⋆。♡
it was one of those really hot days. the type where your clothes stick to you, even the hot breeze serves as no relief and you just wish to be left alone.
it was rafe’s day off from the building site, which he’s grateful for — as he’s not sure he’d be able to manage under such harsh conditions. the pogue lounges on his beat up couch infront of his shitty tv with a beer, legs spread — the rickety oscillating fan by his side offering no solace from the thick muggy air. just as he starts to find the energy to be irritated with this, there’s a knock at his door. the last thing he needs.
“jesus—what, i can’t have one god-damn day…” he mutters away to himself like a grumpy old man as he storms to the door, swinging it open. lo and behold, there you are in the tiniest, flimsiest sundress holding a crate of beer, looking a little clammy but excited to see him nonetheless.
“hi rafe!” you chime, totally unaffected.
“the hell are you doin’ all the way out here, s’not a nice part of the island, alright—”
“i come bearing gifts. may i come inside?” you ask so sweet and politely, leaving rafe only able to blink at you for a moment before you’re shuffling past him anyway without an answer, humming to yourself. “i know these ones are your favourite. they’re probably a little luke warm by now ‘cos i had to carry them here but if i stick them in the fridge they’ll probably be good to go in another ten minutes or so.” you chat away happily, walking right through to the small fridge on the ground in his kitchen, absentmindedly bending all the way over to shove the crate inside, giving rafe a real show of the delicate panties beneath your dress.
“really you — you walked all the way here for some beers, alright— okay.” he shakes his head in exasperation, turning and flopping back down onto the couch, closing his eyes for a moment at the unbearable heat. suddenly, you were right there.
“not just that.” your voice is softer now, closer. he can feel your breath on his face and it’s cold somehow— like you’d been sucking on an ice pop before coming in. the feeling isn’t unwelcome. his eyes flutter open, and it’s like someone had turned a switch inside of you because suddenly you’re all hungry eyes, wet mouth, hands that fidget for him.
“…no?” he drawls lazily, barely making an effort to shove an eyebrow up in questioning.
“wanted to thank you specially. for looking after me so well after midsummers. you’re a really good guy, rafe.” you’re so sweet it’s sickly and rafe shakes his head, averting his gaze with a lick of the lips and an eye roll.
“look i was just doing what anyone would have done alright — no need to make it a whole thing—”
“please… can i just show you how grateful i am? i’ve been practicing.” you practically groan, hands clenching into the fabric of his shirt.
rafe is starting to realise he has a real problem with saying no and standing by that— because soon he’s got you between his legs, drool leaking down onto his couch from the sloppy way you mouth at his cock, making out with the tip and taking breaks to ease him into your throat until there are tears on your cheeks. you seem as happy as anyone could be, little pleased moans and mewls leaving you periodically.
“the hell did you mean you’ve been practicing?” rafe asks between winces, a sharp pain in his abdomen at the thought of you getting in your blowjob rehearsals with another guy. he didn’t like that, and more importantly he didn’t like that he felt that way.
you reply to him, but it’s all garbled and spitty because his dick’s jammed half way down your throat so he pulls you off by the jaw, furrowing his brows curiously urging you to repeat yourself. you swallow, blinking wide wet eyes up at him.
“dildo.” you hum, before pushing his hand off and getting back to work. rafe relaxes back into the couch with an amused scoff.
“shit. your parents have got no clue, huh? no clue that they’ve got such a dirty little girl.” he spreads his legs a little wider, resting a hand on the back of your head.
you pull your mouth off to pull his cock to stand upright to access his balls, sucking and massaging them. “m’your dirty little girl too.” you respond in a shyer tone, almost like you were asking for permission. rafe blinks at you in zoned out analysis, wondering just what your father wasn’t providing you in order to make everything that came out of your mouth so wrong and freudian. rafe was just some construction working pogue — that’s how he saw it anyway. what it was about him that made you latch onto him so tightly and rely on him of all people for emotional validation and nurture was beyond him. you must’ve been a total masochist.
as you continue sucking he realises he didn’t so much mind the comment. everyone was ‘little’ to him at such a height so he’d let you have it.
“uh-huh. that right?” he entertains it, repositioning your mouth over his tip forcefully and feeding it back down your throat. “gonna let me in that throat now? huh? lemme cum baby? thought you were grateful. show me how thankful you are that i was nice to you, c’mon.” he pants, feet planted to the floor now as he lifts his hips — impatient. each little wet gag fuels him, and he chuckles breathlessly at the way you squeeze your eyes and fists closed to endure his manhandling.
“yeah not — not being very nice now am i? nah… s’what you get for messing with us nasty pogues. savages, baby.” he’s actively teasing you, making fun of the kook rhetoric as he pushes himself toward release. he knows those aren’t your views, but it’s satisfying to poke fun at you all the same.
˙✧˖° 🐬🛼🎀 ⋆。♡
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