#it's like a bare minimum and they still failed it so he's baffled

[luffyrose]

Dc x Dp Blurb #3

It's late, I'm tired and on my phone so it's weird writing here but I must share this one instantly.

So, I saw a Trans Danny AND Trans Jazz thing earlier and I lost it. The idea that they both are is so good to me, and I have so much angst for it.

Just, neither of their parents even REMEMBER that they're trans. Like Danny's their son, Jazz is their daughter....but only because they know they have one daughter one son and clearly that was correct, not because they remember they're both trans. Acceptance through negligence basically.

Also side note but totally an au where the kids at school know and are like "Hell yeah you go!" About the trans stuff. Dash will push Danny into a locker but if he hears someone deadname his nerd friend he's taking a note from the ghosts and breaking shit.

Now the crossover aspect that's been invading my brain. Danny is visiting Gotham temporarily for something and is just like not hiding that he's trans, he's got a lol pin of the flag on his bag. Class trip with the Fentons being some of the supervisors, they came along to see if Batman was a ghost, and Danny us just very tired at this point. He's king of the realms, come to a midpoint with his 'rogues' after realizing it was more a ghost thing than a hate thing for 99% of them, and finally become friends with most of his class even if Dash still liked to mess with him.

Walking through the museum they're touring with Lancer, and a class from the local high school, Danny ends up near the edge of his classmates group next to the other school group. They're not avoiding one another but also not really talking, but this one kid just goes, "nice flag pin," before showing off the bisexual and polyamorous ones they have.

It's Tim. Because he saw the flag and went :O friend time. And also no one he talked to was with the group he was in, so he'd rather talk to this stranger who probably won't treat him differently since he doesn't know him.

The two talk as they are going, some of the other Casper high students chiming in since hey if a kid is nice to their weirdest classmate they're pretty okay in the books. (50/50 if the class know Danny is Phantom but they totally know he's different from all the osha violations in his house and most of them are so worried after really paying attention after they became friends).

Randomly Jack and Maddie come out of nowhere and grab Danny talking about something to do with ghosts, much to the apparent tiredness and even slight distaste on their kid's face, which they didn't even notice. Tim is unsure what is happening but seeing the dislike on the whole class's faces and some worried looks Danny got he's now wanting to go all detective on him because hey Danny's fun to talk to! Totally not because he's very very gay-

So after they leave, he causally tries to learn more about the two and why the class seemed to hate them, even why Danny himself didn't seem to want to be anywhere near his parents. Of course he tries to be subtle.

"So you're parents seem pretty accepting of you being trans, that's good!"

Maybe not so subtle, in his defense, he hasn't slept recently. Danny tried to smile at it though but completely failed, just giving up and slouching as he shrugged.

"More like they don't even remember."

So now Tim is concerned and confused, but much to his luck, the tour is over and the Casper students are leaving. He's worried about his new friend, even if they exchanged numbers, so he goes down a rabbit hole. Not only does he find suspicious stuff about this small town that was heavily deleted from many things, but he finds that Danny has a sibling. It's evident to him they're also trans from the few pictures before and after but the sibling's name isn't anywhere to be seen so he tries to dig deeper.

He pauses before going further down though to respond to some of Danny's messages. But his sleep deprived brain decided 'let's just ask'. So he asks a bit of questions about Danny. Like what's his town like? Any other family? Are they fine with you being trans, because he'll totally beat anyone who's not, etc. Danny answers them and in turn asks about the Waynes, mainly because Danny is not entirely convinced Bruce himself isn't weird like Vlad, but he does acknowledge that he's at least not evil.

Eventually Danny offhandedly mentions Jazz is trans to, and Tim being the detective he is is like "huh..." and asks if his parents were accepting of Jazz too. It's a while before he responds but Danny just says;

"They don't remember we are trans...so no problems or anything with it..."

Tim doesn't get the chance to say anything about it as Danny asks about something about him being poly and what his dad and siblings thought. Of course he replied but his mind was also reeling from the fact that Danny's parents literally don't pay attention to their kids enough to not realize both kids are trans.

They keep in touch and Tim puts investigating on the back burner some since while kinds neglectful they seem to be decent enough parents.

He regrets that though as Danny doesn't message him for nearly a month. It worries him enough to put that investigation back to the forefront. Of course he finds osha violation city in the Fenton's house, as well as the actual paranormal activity happening. What concerns him the most is that apparently the town hero, a ghost boy, is missing...from around the same time Danny stopped messaging.

It's a week into trying to find Danny that he gets a message from his number, except it's not Danny. It's Jazz. She asks Tim if Danny had gone to him, she was trying everyone since no one knew where he was. This sparks a big ol search.

Danny meanwhile ended up with a hero (any but Clark or Bats cuz we want some rarer family dynamic, the good juice) after crash landing, most literally, right by em. The hero, I'm thinking Hal or Barry idk, is too busy trying to help this random powerful teenager who was bleeding way too too much to not have some regeneration ability.

After some drama of trying to find Danny, and Jazz, Tucker, Sam, and Tim knowing identities(Danny's included) because Tucker accidentally hacked around and found out, hero parent of Danny shows up with said boy closely in tow to a meeting after their surprise break from league work and Tim just jumps up and doesn't even remember that Danny doesn't know his identity.

Danny panics initially but quickly realizes it's Tim and finally gets back in contact with Jazz and all of his friends/classmates who had most definitely stormed a GIW lab in his absence. The league is confused and it's a whole mess before Danny trauma dumps on em and Tim as RR just admits this all started because he saw the trans pin.

My brain is rambling too much for this now, but basically lotta trauma, the league appalled and Danny getting a good family after everything is settled. His classmates so visit him and Tim, Kon, and him date because I feel like Danny would meet him, learn he's a clone (after being very gay for a moment) and just be like "heck yeah, my younger sister is a clone" which also caused more panic but like gay trio.

I'm gonna go sleep now, enjoy the angst and randomness this blurb is-

Remember these are free to take and do whatever you please with them, it's just random ideas/thoughts that I have but don't plan to do anything with for the foreseeable future!

[kuromochimi]

“please babysit our baby for me” w/ jjk husbands

Nanami Kento, Suguru Geto

Content warnings: none, fluff!!, not proof read btw

Nanami Kento

Nanami was nothing short of being the perfect husband and the perfect father. The man literally lacked absolutely nothing at all. Having him as your partner was a billion times better than winning any lottery. He also loved your daughter very much. Loved braiding her hair and picking out cute little outfits for her and unexpectedly, you were the bad cop in this family because nanami could never help but spoil your precious princess that you sometimes have to scold him for buying too much toys or feeding your daughter sweets right before bed. Your schedules also worked perfectly together so that your daughter always had a parent with her most of the time and today just so happened to be nanami’s free day. A few moments before leaving, you gave nanami a kiss and a hug as you said

“Babe, can you babysit our princess today? Sorry to drop the responsibility on you but I’m going to be busy til tomorrow”

you said apologetically, with a small teasing giggle that you were able to suppress enough for nanami to not notice. Well, he wouldn’t have noticed it anyway because the man was baffled. Almost appalled even. “Sorry love, say that again?” Nanami said, clearly confused. “I said… can you babysit her for now?” Your sweet sweet husband’s mind was a mess. Did he do something wrong? Say something wrong? Acted out of line? “I- babysit? Love, love why would I have to babysit OUR daughter?” It was getting harder to not react to your husband’s response. “Oh did you not want to? I can take her to my mom’s place.” Nanami stood up to gently hug you “no no, that’s not what I meant, I’m just- baby why would I have to babysit a child that’s MINE as much as she’s yours? It’s the least I could do. You carried her for 9 months, went through birthing her and provided her with everything. Caring for her is the least I can do. Bare minimum. My responsibility as much as it’s yours”

It was meant to be a joke but you soften at that because nanami just never fails to sweeten your world and you couldn’t be more grateful.

Suguru Geto

Though it had to happen at a very young age for both you and suguru, adopting mimiko and nanako was something you would never regret. Honestly, you were a tad hesitant to agree when suguru first suggested the idea. In fact, he lowkey gave you an out by adopting the girls by only him at first since you two weren’t married yet. You were still in highschool at the time after all. But a couple years down the line, you eventually got married and legally adopted the girls as well. Having an addition to the family happened later on and now you were a family of five with a precious little baby girl as the newest addition. Having had mimiko and nanako, caring for your new baby girl wasn’t as difficult anymore. However, nowadays, your schedule and as well as your husband’s schedule made it so that it was hard to have days off together. It still is kind of in your favor as you can both take turns caring for your baby.

On some random day, the idea just popped out of nowhere. You approached suguru while he was getting ready for work. “Suguru?” He looked your way while he was buttoning his shirt. “Do you mind babysitting our little princess tomorrow? I know it’s not your day but i have plans in the evening” if a question mark could have a face, it would be how suguru looked at the moment. “What do you mean babysit?” He asked, bewildered. “Oh but no worries, if you don’t feel like it, I can always ask the twins to take care of her” you replied nonchalantly. Suguru took note of the difference in the terminologies you used. With him it’s babysitting but for the twins it’s taking care of the baby? Why did you even have to ask in the first place, it’s not like you had a strict schedule for watching the baby anyway. He was rambling in his head. “Baby, my love” he calmly called out. “Hm?” He sighed before speaking. “Did something happen? Did I say something to upset you?” and then you burst out laughing. “Baby I think something is wrong for real” he gave you a worried look which pushed you to stop laughing. “Sorry love, I was just pranking you. Love you” you spoke in between little giggles before giving your husband a back hug. “Jesus baby you scared me” he sighed with a gentle laugh.

[lizzy-williams]

❝𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚠𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 & 𝚌𝚒𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚜❞

ღWarnings: SMUT (18+ please!), language, rough sex, unprotected sex (wrap before you tap), sexual situations.

ღMasterlist

ღRequest: Can you do the most dirty hard good sexy lovely spanking doggy position french kiss smut EVER please PLEASE with tom 🙂🪓

ღSummary: You’re been in a mood almost all week, Tom having to leave right on Valentine’s Day for filming. The day before he has to leave, you’re the meanest you’ve been, and Tom’s had about enough. 

ღA/n: ANON YOU DIRTY BEAN I LOVE YOU. This will be the first thing I’m posting since I came back, So I hope you guys enjoy, feel free to send in more requests. 

𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 in a mood the entire week. More specifically at your boyfriend, who chose a job that somehow, someway got him taken away right on Valentine’s Day. 

Even worse, this would be your 5th Valentine’s Day together, which you saw as a mile stone. You knew you were being irrational and a bit selfish, but you were too blinded by your anger to realize it. 

For the time being, you were giving Tom hell, inside and outside your small flat. On Monday, you and Tom went out for coffee, but of course, being the little minx you are, you teased him right then and there, in public, and you managed to turn Tom into a needy, whiny child with only a few touches.  

But when the two of you got home, you did a full 180, becoming completely distanced and untouchable, evading every advance Tom tried to make on you. You just kept all your attention on Tessa for a majority of that day. 

At first, Tom was clueless, the sudden distancing confusing the hell out of him, but it only escalated from there. 

On Tuesday, you had some things to do for work, and there you sat on the couch, typing away on your computer before Tom, still flustered and needy from yesterday, came waltzing into the living area and plopped down right next to you, resting his head on your shoulder. 

Yet you sat there, still typing away, acting as if Tom wasn’t there at all. Tom adjusted himself a few times, seeing if his movements gained any attention or reaction from you. Still. Nothing. 

Now he resulted to sighing loudly, and due to where his head was, it was right in your ear. It was erotic or teasing, it was just straight up annoying and childish. 

You finally pried your eyes away from the screen and turned to look at him, “Do you want something?” was all the response he was going to get, and even then it was a grumble. 

“I wanna cuddle.” 

He sounded so much like a kid, and in any other circumstance, you would tend to his request. But no. You were mad at him. 

“I’m working, Tom.”

That’s when Tom knew something was definitely wrong. No usual ‘bubba’ or ‘bub’. Not even honey. Just his first name. Not even his full first name. Just Tom. 

You felt him recoil and slip away into the other room. 

Tom: 0, You: 2

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Wednesday rolled around, and Tom was talking to Harrison on the phone. Once again, you had been giving him the bare minimum all day, but when you kissed him, it was long, passionate and lingering. And Tom was, to say the least, baffled. 

“I dunno, man, she’s been like this all week.” 

You happened to be in earshot, and slipped behind a doorframe, listening in on what Tom had to say. 

“No, I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong. I’ve even been making an effort to put the toilet seat down, and somehow she keeps being so distant. I even tried hugging her from behind this morning and she just brushed me off.”

That one was true. You were making yourself lunch when Tom, who woke up late as usual, came into the kitchen and wrapped his arms lovingly around your waist, but staying true to your previous attitude, you brushed him off, using the stove as an excuse. But instead of reassuring him, like you normally would have, you turned and gave him a purple and red hickey on his sweet spot before turning back around and acting as if nothing had happened at all. 

“No, it’s not that time of the month, she already had it. I kinda know these things.”

That was also true. Because you and Tom had such a frequent and vibrant sex life, he made it a personal mission to know when your period came so he could work around it and comfort you. All things aside, he truly was a good boyfriend. 

“Ohhhhh,” he made a sound of realization and it made you perk up a little, wondering if he truly understood why you were so evasive. 

Wait, did he?

The sound of his footsteps clamoring down the hall made you frantically look around for something to look busy with. 

“Darling?” he called out. 

“In here!” you called out, trying to sound unbothered. 

“Ah, Darling,” he seemed giddy, as if he had just solved the worlds biggest mystery, “I know why your angry at me.”

“Oh?” you questioned, as you kept fiddling with whatever you were doing, acting as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. 

“You were upset about the paparazzi pictures. The ones with Ciara.” 

“What?!” you seethed, now not caring about acting like you didn’t care. 

“Th-The other day, when I went out to lunch, you knew about it...?” he was terrified by the look in your eyes. 

He was being honest. He did say he was going out with the female co-star, and you were okay with it. You trusted him. But what you didn’t think about were the tabloids. The gossip sights that would no doubt leak into Twitter, causing an un-needed uprising in Hollanders and shippers. 

Immediately you pushed passed him and went straight for your phone, looking up news sight after news sight. 

Ciara Bravo and Tom Holland: New Hollywood Couple???

Tom & Ciara, A Valentine’s Day Miracle

Did Y/N and Tom SPLIT? Ciara and Tom Spotted!

At this point you couldn’t stand to be in the same room as Tom. Despite him and you understanding there was nothing going on, the outside world put pressure on the both of you, and you needed to breathe. 

Tom didn’t say a word when you got your coat and left with a ‘I’m going out. Don’t wait up.’

By time you got home, Tom slept on the couch, and you slept in the bed. 

˚｡⋆୨୧˚˚୨୧⋆｡˚

Tuesday was quiet, nothing happened. The two of you didn’t speak to each other, a day going by silently, but when you were going to bed, that’s when things got interesting. 

“It isn’t my fault.”

He stood in the bathroom as he spoke, and you were on the bed reading a book with Tessa at your side, sound asleep. 

You gave a small, unbothered sigh, “I know.”

Tom perked up, “What do you mean, ‘you know’?” he asked irritably. 

“I mean I know it isn’t your fault about the media. I don’t care, it’s fine.”

“Then why are you so mad at me?!” he was annoyed now, making you raise a brow. 

“You really don’t know?” you hissed, closing your book, not caring if you lost your page or not. 

“No, of course I don’t know!”

“You’re leaving me! On Valentines Day!” you snapped, standing up, Tessa’s ears going back. 

“Are you serious??? That’s it?” he questioned with wide eyes. 

You glared at him, giving him an expression that only meant one thing, slipping out of the room without a word. 

Needless to say, you slept on the couch that night .

˚｡⋆୨୧˚˚୨୧⋆｡˚

Friday. The day before Tom leaves. The day before Valentine’s day. 

And as always, you woke up before Tom, hearing Tessa scratch at the bedroom door from the inside. You walked down the hall, turning the bedroom door handle slowly and letting Tessa out the door, but not before catching a glimpse of your sleeping boyfriend in nothing but boxers, holding onto your pillow as he slept. 

Thats when the idea popped into your head. You were going to make a lovely Valentine’s day themed breakfast. For yourself.

If there was any way to get Tom back, it was with food, your food more specifically. 

You immediately got to work, prepping the veggies for the omelette, mixing the batter for waffles, and washing the strawberries, planning on using them for a garnish.

You worked for a good hour, almost everything done, the last thing being cutting the strawberries when you suddenly heard the bedroom door open. 

Tom walked out, his curly hair all a mess on top of his head, purposefully not wearing anything except for his Calvin’s, and you shamelessly checked him out, in hopes that would get him going. 

Before he got too close, you whipped back around and began slicing in the berries in front of you. Just like he did the many mornings ago, he let his arms wrap around you right before you felt him leave a small peck below your earlobe, and you had to bite back a smile. 

“Good morning, darling.”

Fuck. His morning voice. It was rough, deep, and gravely, making your stomach do summersaults and slick glisten between your legs. 

“Morning.” 

The sexual tension was palpable, so thick you could cut it with the knife in your hand. But you needed to stay strong. You were mad. You were still mad....

Right?

“Are those for me?” he questioned, motioning to the breakfast platter you had spread on the kitchen island, complete with a glass of OJ. 

You did a silent self-pat on the back. 

“Nope,” you smirked, before popping a strawberry in your mouth. 

His demeanor switched, “That’s it-”

You squeaked as he took the knife from your hands, throwing it into the sink before sweeping his hands across the counter, knocking the cutting board aside, roughly grabbing your hips and putting you on the counter. 

“I’ve just about had it with your attitude,” he growled, pulling his semi-hard-on out of his boxers before grabbing the back of your neck, pulling you into a messy, lustful kiss, his tongue diving in the instant that his lips touched yours, making you whimper out, trying you best to regain control of the situation but failing quickly. 

A sudden smack to your ass made you quit your pursuit of control, a whine finding it’s way out of your throat as you felt him smirk into the kiss. His tongue prodded around your mouth as you held onto him desperately. You wrapped your legs around his hips, pulling him closer, his member pressing right up against your clothed clit, daring him to do whatever he was going to do next. 

Suddenly, he picked you up off the counter, breaking the kiss and pushing you down to your knees, harshly, shoving his member against your cheek. 

“Suck. I’m not gonna ask nice again,” he grunted, and you knew that he would keep his word with this one. 

You hesitantly took him in your hands before stocking him slightly, sticking your tongue out and licking a strip from his base to his tip, before taking it in your mouth, using your tongue to tease the angry veins and ridges on the underside of his cock. 

“Oh - FUCK - you’re so fucking precious.” he hissed, his hand weaving in your hair before pulling you down on his cock, going so deep it touched the back of your throat, praying that your gag reflex was on your side. 

Suddenly he pulled you back, before pulling you all the way back onto him, tears welling up in your eyes as he repeated his movements, using your face and whispering obscenities into the air around you, harshly fucking your mouth. 

“My bratty girl, shit, you sound so much better choking on my cock,” he grunted, his pace suddenly faltering, cock twitching, signaling he was about to release. 

He looked down and his eyes widened as he caught sight of your hips moving slowly and gently. You were so cute like that, humping the air like a little bunny, Tom taking immense pride in the fact that he made you like this. 

Without another warning, you felt his cum fill the back of your throat, making you whine as you had no choice to swallow it all, knowing he wouldn’t take his cock out of your mouth until you did so. 

Tom watched tentatively for the bobbing of your throat. The one indication that you swallowed. You shivered slightly as you felt the salty substance make it’s way down your throat, and he finally, finally, pulled himself out, and you gasped for air. 

Tom admired your fucked out state, tears wetting your cheeks and your lips swollen, hair ruined from his grip. He could have you looking like that...

He used one hand to stroke and caress your cheek, the other smoothing out your hair the best he could before standing you back up, your eyes dazed as you looked at him with pleading eyes, your past angers forgotten as you were desperate for his touch. 

“Go to the bedroom, strip, lay down, ass up darling. Wait. You touch yourself and I’ll leave you there for the rest of the night, understand?” he hissed before you nodded, scampering off down the hall.

˚｡⋆୨୧˚˚୨୧⋆｡˚

 You waited on the bed as you were told, your back arched as you put your ass in the air, your head resting in your arms as you scowled slightly impatiently. It had been 5 minutes since Tom promised he’d be back, and yet there you were. 

You began to play with the sheets between you fingers as you sighed quietly to yourself. But your head propped up slightly when you heard the sound of the door swinging open, a now completely nude Tom stepping through, a small box in his hands. 

“I was going to wait until tomorrow, but now seems like a much more... fitting time,” his smile was devious as he opened the small box, pulling out a thick, bullet shaped piece of equipment. 

Right as he twisted the bottom, you heard it buzz softly, and the realization hit you like a ton a bricks: the realization that this was going to be a long night. He stalked around you like a predator trying to catch pray, and you felt the bed dip behind you, and you heard him let out a sigh of content as he looked at your completely wet pussy, courtesy of the events earlier in the kitchen. 

“Fuck, you look so pretty all wet like this for me... this is for me, right darling?” he kneaded your ass in his hands before you could answer, “Who am I kidding, of course it’s for me.”

You knew what was coming next, knowing how much Tom loved your ass, and jus as expected, you felt his tongue lick a long, rough lick from your clit to your rim, making you jolt forwards slightly. 

Soon enough you felt two of his fingers plunge inside of your pussy, making you moan sweetly into the open air of the bedroom. His movements made the coil inside you tighten and spark, your need for release becoming more and more apparent. 

But the sudden buzzing on your clit made you lose your mind, release coming sooner than expected, your cunt squeezing around Tom’s fingers like a vice as you moaned out, breathless as his pace never faltered, his speed, (if anything), increasing as your body shook. 

Even after your high was ridden out, he continued, making you gasp. 

“T-Tom, I can’t, I can’t I- AHHH!” your babbling was cut of by another sudden shock through your cunt, making you scream out in such quick pleasure. 

“Holy fuck, so wet-” Tom was in awe of your actions, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out what just happened. 

You just squirted. 

Tom wasted no time getting down there and sucking your clit harshly, his movements driving you crazy as you tried to collect your thoughts and make a complete sentence. 

He was so high on you, so drunk on your taste as he continued to taste and tease every part of your most sensitive place. 

“P-Please Tom,” you begged, shifting. 

Please what? Please keep going? Please stop?

“Please fuck me,” 

It was a soft whimper, oh so soft, but he heard it, and it drove him crazy. He sat up and positioned his newly hardened, throbbing member up to your entrance. Without a second thought, he pushed in the tip with ease. 

You silently thanked god for the slick of your cunt as he drove in farther, and to your surprise, he waited. Waited until you were ready. He knew that no matter how many times he fucked you, you would always be tighter than hell. So he waited. He always did. 

But as soon as you nodded, his demeanor flipped again like a light switch, drawing himself out and slamming himself back in. Soon enough he set a rough and punishing pace, throwing you back onto him like a rag-doll as your body went limp, letting him use you. 

You jerked when you felt him land a slap on your ass, knowing he enjoyed the way it move after he did so, before kneading the flesh, planning on repeating his actions. 

You were whimpering and keening at his movements and pants, the feeling of him pounding into you taking you over, and the only thing you could think about was him. 

Him, him, him.

Not the fact that he had to leave the following morning, or the fact that the tabloids were a nuisance. Just that fact that you were completely fucked out and it wasn’t even noon yet. 

“Shit, darling, so. Fucking. Good,” he grunted, punctuating his final words with harsh, long, hard thrusts, accompanied with slaps to your already sensative ass. 

His pace was faltering, dick twitching, his pants getting more frequent and louder. You knew he was getting close, the sight of you so out of it only spurring it on. 

“C-Cum for me, Tommy,” you whimpered, making his thrusts almost come to a full halt, “Cum inside me, please,”

Tom knew you were on the pill, and it was always for other reasons, and he usually pulled out, more as a personal preference to you. But now that you wanted him to claim you, so intimately and so passionately, his movements went from 0 to 100, before he felt himself snap. 

This of course made you plummet backwards off the cliff of ecstasy, the both of you coming together as a symphony of moans and whines and growls filled the air around you, your body feeling as if it were floating as your ears rang. 

˚｡⋆୨୧˚˚୨୧⋆｡˚

You both fucked like rabbits till noon, the both of you feeling drunk off each other’s touch, just not getting enough. You were both starved all week after all. And it took it’s toll. 

By time you two were done, your body was weak, your muscles completely spent and you heartbeat doing it’s best to settle down. You felt Tom’s arms help pull you up, laying you on your back and disappearing into the bathroom. 

When he came back, it was with a warm, wet washcloth, and be began slowly wiping up his mess, whispering praise and words of admiration while doing so. You found your eyes closing as you basked in the attention and after-glow of orgasm. He was completely in love with you, he couldn’t stop if he tried. 

Tossing the rag off the the side, you felt the area beside you dip before you were greeted with Tom’s arms, once again, finding home around your body, and you immediately leaned into his touch, laying your head softly on his chest as he played with your hair. 

The both of you enjoyed the silence. His other hand drifted up and down your arm, making goosebumps erupt in its wake, the space to think being larger than life. 

Finally, you spoke. 

“I’m sorry.” you muttered, holding him just a little bit closer. But Tom being Tom, you knew he would milk it as much as he could. 

“For?”

You sighed, embarrassed that you had to admit it out loud, “For being a bitch all week. I was just angry. It wasn’t fair to you. Ergo, I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted. But you’re buying me coffee on the way to the airport tomorrow morning,” he insisted. 

That’s when your senses finally took in the fact that it was still light outside. The clock on your bedside table read a shocking 12:23 pm, and you let a small smirk creep across your face at the Valentine’s Day sex you were truly going to be missing out on. 

Sure, it still made you sad that he was leaving. But knowing Tom, you knew he would do something special for you, no matter how far away you were. Besides, there was hours of Facetime sex to be had, and you couldn’t wait for that. 

“Do you want lunch?” you questioned quietly, your hand gently gliding up and down Tom’s abs, which always felt like you were touching marble stone. 

“Yeah. You’re buying though,” he contested, and you smirked. 

“Nope. I’m making. I was thinking tomato soup and grilled cheese,” 

You knew it was one of Tom’s favorites, one of the few things on this planet that Tom would die for, (besides you, of course).

“That would be lovely, darling.”

˚｡⋆୨୧˚˚୨୧⋆｡˚

“I’m gonna miss the fuck outta you,” you whined, standing at the gates, your doe eyes peering up at him as you held his hands. 

“I’ll be back before you know it, love, and you can text me and call me at the end of every day. I can even fly you out to visit if you want.”

Tom was doing his best to soften the blow of him leaving; it was hard on both of you, and it was supposed to be for 2 months. 8 weeks. 56 days. You hated it. 

“Love you,” you grumbled like a child, before hugging him with all your might, trying to remember this feeling to keep you company. 

“I love you most,” he challenged, making you pull back to rest your chin on his chest before leaning up and giving him a kiss, but it turned heated quickly. 

Before it could get any more hot and heavy (because the paparazzi are VULTURES), you pulled away. 

“I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you more,” you replied. 

Suddenly the lady on the overhead speakers began to talk, “All first class passengers on flight 32-B to Atlanta, Georgia, is now boarding.”

“That’s me,” he sighed. 

Tears pricked your eyes unexpectantly, and before Tom could see them, you gave him one last, rib crushing hug. 

He pulled back with a smile, waving a wordless goodbye, walking away, but not without giving you one last look, mouthing the words:

‘Happy Valentine’s Day’

THANK YOU FOR 1K!!!!! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING AND I LOVE YOU!!!

[maychild]

spoilers for ep. 12 of Be Loved In House: I Do below, and a rant against the whole character of Yi Zi Tong

okay so yi tong might’ve helped shi lei/yu zhen get together but i still hate that smarmy arsehole. Like what was the point of him even?? gang could’ve just locked them in a closet together and not let them out until they communicated. did the show really have to go this route? i just—the more i think about the plot, the more my head hurts. (like he might have been confident in predicting how yu zhen would think & act but…what if yu zhen decided to step aside?? did he think it through if he failed??? or was he just so confident in himself that the idea of failure never crossed his mind??)

also unpopular opinion but… i def do not want a second season focused on zi tong (or his boyfriend Golden). like why is his character good or deserving to be the main focus in this hypothetical second season???

like he never apologized to yu zhen for just, apparently, packing up and leaving. and i know the coma thing wasn’t his fault and maybe he showed some concern when he heard about it, but his character reeks so much of self-centeredness that i can’t help but want to throw the whole character in the trash. like start over with a likeable character who doesn’t make me go ‘ughhh this guy again’. like how are u just going to leave that pure ray of sunshine and dorkiness and THEN HAVE THE AUDACITY TO SHOW UP SEVEN YEARS LATER as if nothing happened and with a new boyfriend in tow??? methinks zi tong didn’t take the relationship all that seriously which is the true reason i hate him. u don’t deserve that man and thankfully he has someone new to appreciate him, so u can just leave again, sir, preferably somewhere very far away, like maybe the Arctic.

are we supposed to like him??? why??? just bc he didn’t, in actuality, end up a homewrecker??? i’m sorry i’m gonna need more than the bare minimum. he isn’t all that fleshed out either which is the fault of the episodes themselves, so he can’t be fully blamed for that, unfortunately.

i just wish the show had the courage to make him a true villain. like someone who kicked puppies for fun and stole candy from little kids…just go all in on the evilness. don’t hold back, make him a true Bond villain, at least then it’d be entertaining, not whatever this was.

(look idek what it is about the character but he makes me irrationally angry…i can’t apologize for my feelings; they are what they are. if some ppl like the character, then they like him. i’m just baffled as to why.)

[proherostories]

img from this post

I hope it was worth the wait!

Ao3

Ages - Always 18+ Pair - Alpha!Izuku x Reader

WC - 6159

Warnings - Biting, Bonding (which leads to mild blood), First Times, overstimulation, multiple orgasms, knotting Notes - Izuku goes through great lengths to make sure consent is unmistakable. He’s also very...thorough. To anyone who reads this and also likes Kirishima, there’s set up about Fated Pairs that applies to a KirishimaxReader in the future.

-----

It was totally, utterly, completely rare for two alphas to get together. Alpha females weren’t as common, but your parents were not only lucky enough to have the right personality mesh for it, but be a fated pair. Which...baffled so many people, but it made their lives so much easier.

What sucked? Somehow somewhere along the line Fate decided you were not going to be an Alpha like your mom and dad. Which meant as soon as your body settled as an Omega, the complete and utter opposite, not even a Beta, your life was designated to not be easy.

Suppressants up the wazzoo to keep it hidden and save yourself the embarrassment, feeling like a disgrace. People still found out somehow and gave you grief. Bullying. Your mom not being someone you could go to for advice because she had no clue. Each time your ‘heat’ was supposed to hit you the medication just went up for a time to hold it back. Being told to just deal with it, no one to turn to, no one to listen.

Then you reached eighteen. The suppressants were failing. You begged and prayed to your body and any deity to listen, needing the medication to last just a little longer. Until you graduated, until you could move out and have the right of body and mind to do what was best for you and not those around you. To finally take control of yourself, to maybe feel healthy. Man, wouldn’t that be a dream?

Somehow, someway, you survived. You made it. You were in your own apartment, you had landed a job through a friend from school with a super understanding owner. Said friend was able to go shopping with you after your first paycheck, get you nesting items, different meds to help with the pain you could only hope would work. Also helped you get...toys. The idea didn’t thrill you, but your friend was hyper concerned. Honestly, what did you do to deserve her? Part of you wished you could just be gay for her, but sadly she wasn’t interested and as much as you tried, you just wanted her cuddles, not her bond.

Then...nothing happened.

It was a relief and also a red flag. Maybe you were a late bloomer because of the suppressants? Oh dear. Your doctor did say it might take a few months to a year for your body to regulate itself. It didn’t help your body’s growth had also been stunted, so basically if it could go wrong it was.

That...also applied to a villain crashing into the shop one day. Yay. Fantastic.

Oh...oh no, but then there was that...really cute Pro Hero, Deku...there was no way. Impossible. He wouldn’t look twice at you…

Then he did.

He looked at you again and again, actually. It started with him apologizing profusely about the shop; he always did his best to keep damage to a minimum but that one had been quite a handful. He even offered to??? Help pay for repairs via his agency??? Which was...Who was this angel of a man?

Then he came back...over and over. He really liked the shop, he said. The owner called him out on buying things to help fund the place, but as soon as he blushed so bad his freckles stood out your friend giggled to you later that that was but wasn’t the reason.

It was? You?

At one point he came in with some friends, showed them around the place, and then one of them...Red Riot? Slapped Deku so hard on the back he stumbled forward in your direction. His friends laughed when he turned beet red.

He asked you to call him Izuku...Izuku Midoriya was his name, and he...he...asked you out for coffee. It was so dumb and so cheesy but…

You said yes.

That’s how you ended up here...several months later after officially dating. You two were laughing, having a great time walking into the theatre chatting about the movie you were going to see. You’d been feeling...warm all day. Part of you thought maybe you were coming down with something? You didn’t pay it any mind, but damn did Izuku look fine as hell. You had always appreciated his body, of course. Thick, muscular, his hugs were amazing the way they wrapped around you. He made you feel so safe. His scent was delicious, too! Ugh, he literally smelled like a cinnamon roll it was so unfair but today it seemed...so much more intense. You wondered why that was? Why did your body feel so tingly, too, every time you looked at him, and your breath caught with how the sunlight was washing over him.

Even Izuku had noticed you were red in the face, but you waved him off. You were fine. You’d go to the clinic in the morning, but you would at least last your date night. That satisfied him enough. Only...you barely managed to survive a portion of the movie. You were squirming in your seat the whole time…Had Izuku always looked so...sexy?

“Hey...sweetpea, are you sure you’re alright?” Izuku whispered low and frowned at you. He reached out and put his hand on your thigh...and when you let out the beginnings of a moan his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. He slapped his giant, scarred hand over your mouth, “Oh no...damnit, I’m so stupid!” he muttered, this time mostly to himself, “I’m so used to your scent now I didn’t even...shit…” He inwardly promised himself to either bring you here again in the future or buy the DVD when it came out, but he stood abruptly and hauled you out of your seat. He didn’t even pay attention to the other people there, gathering both of your things and ushering you out of the row as fast as possible.

“Zuku, what are...what’s wrong?” Your brain was too hazy. “What’s wrong with my scent?” you didn’t even understand why you moaned.

“No time. C’mon, sweetpea, I’m driving.” He barely contained his vibrating body, his hand possessively at the small of your back. His touch was always so friendly, even if you two had been dating for a decent amount of time. This felt different, and it made your body feel hotter. Ignoring the people giving him stares was a lot harder now they were in the lobby, but at least the majority of people were inside enjoying their movies.

Once outside is where your mind finally cleared with the fresh air, “Zuku, what...what’s happening?” you asked, voice small and a bit scared. You were alarmed with yourself now, let alone the situation. “That happened so fast, I was fine half an hour ago!”

“Shhh, baby, it’s okay,” he looped his arm completely around your waist now. It felt so out of character, being on the edge of too tight, too close yet not enough. He was doing his best to let out calming pheromones, but your frightened scent made him dizzy too and his stomach twist. You didn’t belong to anyone, and oh no, his jaw was starting to ache… He took a deeeeep breath in as the wind blew by and ruffled his emerald locks, “I got you, if you let me. Let’s keep walking, it’s all downhill from here. I’ve done a lot of research, okay? I won’t let you down, I promise. I swear. I’ll be right here for you at least until we get you home. Just...leave the window down when we get to my car?”

“G-Got it…” his reassurances were a mixture of comforting and concerning and it was enough of confusion for you to follow him without thinking twice about it.

So now here you two were, on the road, on the way back to your place. Your head was pressed to the window of his car with it halfway down. It was cooling and helped what felt like a fever. “Izuku,” you finally speak up, scared and the silence was too much. His scent was also being sucked towards you...it was also distressed, but there was something...deeper there. What was it? “Please talk to me…”

“I’m sorry! I don’t mean to make you worry!” He immediately apologized, “Everyone used to make fun of me for rambling my ideas and stuff out loud so I was just thinking internally about what to do, how to do it...Ah, aah...um...your...your heat is hitting you, baby...that’s what’s happening. I was so focused on thinking ahead I forgot the now...Is it okay if I...ask you some things? Reiterate stuff we’ve talked about before?”

That explained everything. It was simultaneously a good thing and a problematic thing that your heat was hitting you. “Now’s a good a time as any, while the air from outside helps me think…”

“Yeah...yeah that’s what I thought. You love me...right?” he asked first, of all things.

“I…” your face turns as red as Kirishima’s hair, but for a completely different reason than hormones, “Yes I do. I love you very much, Izuku...why?”

“You...believe in Fated pairs because of your parents, right?”

Oh now that was a very pointed question now wasn’t it? You were pretty smart yourself, and you caught on, “Do you...think that we’re…?”

It was his turn to blush furiously, “Y-Yes...it’s my theory that because of being on suppressants so long, you were never able to really tell if you were a Fated because everyone made such a big deal about you being an Omega. Then you’ve been off of them for a while now, at least a year...and you’ve just been thinking you haven’t had your heat because your body needed to figure itself out, right? Well...I...I’ve never really been interested in anybody. I didn’t really know why. I mean...I’ve been able to appreciate that my friends have awesome bodies and stuff, but it never really did anything to me. No one’s scent has ever done anything to me...until you. I met you and everything changed. I disappeared for two weeks in the middle of us dating...you know how I said I was on a mission long-distance? I...I lied. I was going through my first real…ah...rut. I felt-feel! So bad about lying to you, sweetpea, but I didn’t know how to explain it! Now here you are, hanging on by a thread and...what did it start with?”

He talked so much and so fast. Usually, you could keep up with him, pick apart his muttering, but it took you a moment to even register his question. Even longer to think back to the beginning of your day. Now it was hard to tell if the blush you had was from embarrassment or from your heat. “I...was...admiring you. Your...your body. You’ve smelled so amazing all day, too...cinnamon sugar and vanilla...like a cinnamon roll and I just…” you caught yourself before you said ‘want to bite you’. That would sure as hell have implications in several ways. You jumped at the sound of his steering wheel creaking.

“You smell...really good to me, too, baby…” his voice was strained, his expression pained, but his eyes bore a hole through his windshield with how hard he was staring at the road. God, somehow his nostrils flaring was hot, too.

“I want to talk to you about so much...but...while you can still think, baby, do you...do you...want me to...stay with you? Help you through it? I-I-I mean! I’mavirginsomaybeIwon’tbeverygoodbutI’lldomybestand-”

“Izuku!”

Izuku whined but shut up. You worried for the steering wheel, but he was pulling into a gas station. “I’m sorry…”

“I’m...a virgin too, so I mean at least we’ll be in the same boat, but I figured as much after you mentioned you had your own first real rut.” You said as calmly as possible as he parked. You bit your lip, shifting nervously, “I’ve been...wondering why you haven’t wanted to...have sex with me…” you told him honestly, quiet and upset, “I thought you didn’t...want me...that way…”

“No, no, baby, please!” Izuku waved his hands frantically and he reached out, placing one hand on your shoulder and the other touched your cheek, making you look at him, “I do...God do I want you...I’m going to go grab some protection, okay? We’ve only been dating for a couple months and I don’t want to force anything on you-”

“What if I want it?” 

He sputtered, completely taken aback, “W-What?”

“D-Does time really...m-matter if we’re...if we’re Fated? Like you think we are?” you asked him, blushing.

“No...but...I don’t know if you’re ready for babies, if I’m ready for babies...it may seem like we want it, your scent driving me up the wall and mine doing the same to you, but I want to talk about it all when everything settles down. Is that okay, sweetpea?” he carded his fingers through your hair, petting it, his eyes so gentle and loving that it made you fall head over heels for him all over again, “Bonding with you is different than the prospect of kids. Just because I go get protection doesn’t mean I can’t mark you…” the purr as he stroked over your neck made you shiver and squirm, “Can we compromise on that, baby?”

“Yes,” you whine this time, leaning in to kiss him but he jerked back, making you whine again at the loss, “Please…”

“Five minutes, tops,” he promised, “I want you, don’t you worry about that.” He pressed the button on the driver’s side to bring the window up, “I’ll be right back, my pretty little omega,” he soothed her, pumping a fresh wave of his sugary-sweet scent into the car to keep you satisfied, and then popped out of the car, using the button on his keys to lock it.

You watched him zoom towards the door of the store using his Quirk and it amused you. Even when he was out of sight, you were bouncing happily at the fact he’d called you his omega...this was going to be amazing! Even if neither of you knew what you’d be doing, you trusted him. He was such a sweet person, five steps ahead of everything. Fated? That explained so much. How you two were able to click on a whole other level. Growing up seeing your parents so in love even while they were both Alphas made you want your own Fated. It seemed like such a childish dream, but now it was happening!

Other things started to click in your mind, too. Namely how you two had really crappy school lives until high school. Bullying until a friend was able to boost you up...or in his case, friends, but they had become your friends, too. Ochako was the sweetest and sometimes Tsuyu’s blunt attitude helped you think more clearly. You never, oddly enough, felt jealous of them now that you looked back. That was good, you didn’t want something like that to come between you guys.

Like he said, before you knew it his scent was invading your senses again as he got back into the car, but hearing his pleased rumble made you coo in response. “Looks like your mood has improved. I’m so glad.” He stroked your cheek with the back of his knuckles, causing you to purr and nod your head. 

“I couldn’t be happier, Zuku,” you agree, and this time as the drive continued you couldn’t help but watch him with an openly dreamy expression. You were so smitten it would probably embarrass you later. For now? You could care less. 

Finally, finally, you were home. 

You weren't nearly as shaky as you thought you might be. Izuku's soft and sweet smile as you opened your door had you feeling like you were on cloud nine. Absolutely floating! It was hard not to notice the darker smolder to his viridian eyes. That's what it was, in his scent that you hadn't been able to pinpoint before. 

Lust. 

It made shivers run up your spine and you took his big hand in yours, dragging him into your apartment with a giggle. It was here as you two took off your shoes, where your scent was the strongest, that Izuku finally released a long, loud groan. Immediately your own body heat spiked and you were thankful he was quick on the ball, reaching behind to lock the door with a sharp click. "This is really happening…" you breathe, a little in disbelief.

"I'm sorry it had to be like this," Izuku finally dipped his head to brush his nose along your cheek, "I wanted to be more romantic...god you smell amazing, baby…" his body pressed closer, his hands featherlight on your hips but you could feel how he trembled. 

"I would...ah...say I'm not going to break, but…" your breath caught as he lapped at your scent gland, making your legs buckle and you looped your arms around his neck for support, "I know how strong you are...that's why...oh, mm...that's one of the reasons why I admire you…" damn he was assaulting your neck so good.

"Perfect Alpha material? I get that a lot...I always got so embarrassed, but with you…" he growled low, and you suddenly realized you never heard him growl before. If you weren't soaked, you were now and he definitely noticed with the way he inhaled and his nostrils flared, "Fuck, baby...does that do it for you?" He purred, "With you, I'm so glad I can be a good, reliable Alpha for my sweet, perfect Omega…" 

When he growled this time it was very deliberate and when your legs gave out completely he scooped you up with ease. With your legs around his hips, and for a split second you worried your first time would be against the wall. He coaxed you to kiss him; searing, needy, desperate, burning...your mind slipped so hard and fast it didn't matter where you did it, as long as you did soon. "Zuku…" you whine and whimper.

He was quick to shush you, swift powerful steps towards your bedroom echoed off the walls as his heels thumped on the hardwood floor. Thankfully, even as you were losing your mind Izuku realized that while yes, still lust-addled, he was able to keep his head on his shoulders and not go feral. It didn't keep him from grunting and growling as you bit his lip or rocked against his growing bulge, but he could still think which was a lot more important right now.

It had to be because his rut had been over a month ago, which meant you were out of sync. That was lucky in this case. It also made him groan thinking about the future. You two had so much to talk about and it made him giddy, a bounce in his step that resulted in the two of you to literally tumble in bed. Your giggling laughter was music to his ears, making his heart flutter and a wide grin split his face. "I'm going to take such good care of you, sweetpea," he cooed against your lips in a much sweeter kiss, helping push you up against the pillows. He took the tiny bag with the box of condoms and a few snack bars plus a bottle of water from around his wrist and put it on the nightstand. 

His attention to detail made your chest ache with love and adoration. "I believe you, Izuku. You're already being such a wonderful Alpha to me, I love you so much. C'mere...help me take off my clothes? I'm so warm, I feel like I'm overheating…"

"Yes, right, of course!" Izuku also got a little ahead of the game, whipping off his own shirt and tossing it into the abyss that was outside the perimeter of your bed. Fuck, he was littered with scars but he looked so delightful it made you want to drool. 

Reaching behind your back, impatient and your heat not making you nearly as shy as you could have been, you easily unclasped your bra as his scarred hands landed on your thighs. "You know...I'm starting to feel like I'm drunk and on liquid courage…" you muse.

Izuku laughed softly, "It seems like it, doesn't it? It's only going to get worse, but I'm glad you're still here with me, baby…" he scooped his fingers under your top and you sucked a breath in. How did his hands feel even warmer than your body felt but it was still so good? He locked eyes with you, watching every minuscule detail of how you reacted as he danced his fingers up. When his thumbs hooked on your bra, he yanked it all up and off in one swoop. 

For a moment, it was like time froze. He was looking at you as if you were the most beautiful being on the planet, and you took the opportunity to also openly ogle him. It helped distract from any embarrassment you might've felt while you were enjoying how his abs dipped and how the curve if his Adonis belt disappeared into his pants. "Wait...is that a little happy trail?" You giggle and reach out unthinking.

Izuku sucked in a sharp breath. It was apparently your turn to smooth your fingers over his tummy and play with the smattering of green hair that also disappeared into his pants. "We'll get to that," he chuckled, voice strained but clearly amused in spite of it, "You're such an adorable little Omega, aren't you? So innocent and curious." He crowded your space, forcing you to lay down flat on your back, your hair splaying on the pillow. The way you bit your lip and looked up at him with big doe eyes made him grasp your chin and a slow smile lifted his lips, "Yes, just like that. So beautiful and yet so cute. Tonight is all about you, baby. Let me have a good time learning your body, yeah?" He leaned close enough to brush your noses together, "Make you a wonderful whimpering mess, begging for more, begging for me…"

"Yes, yes, please take good care of me, Izuku," your needy whine made him shiver, "Show me more, need more...touch me, touch me all over…" 

"Like this?" Izuku repeated his earlier action, starting at your hips and working his way up. He grabbed your breasts firmly but kept his strength in check. He was experimenting, after all. That included dragging calloused thumbs over already perky little nipples. Since he was now seated between your thighs, he fully expected you to start rutting your crotch against his. The warmth of your core radiated through his jeans, and he watched with fascinated dark eyes as your own rolled back at the friction, "That's it, baby, go ahead and use me...the more you orgasm tonight, the easier it's gunna be…"

"Mm...you learn that through your research, Zuku?" It was meant to tease, but you panted as he rolled your mounds in languid circles, kneading the flesh like a cat, massaging and then pinching your buds which made you gasp.

"Partially, but the other part is speculation. Your slick is going to be plenty of lubrication, but not only is it good to have more...you'll also, uh, be more relaxed...I'm not…" he blushed enough it practically glowed in the dimness of the room, "I'm not exactly small...and my knot could hurt you. So I gotta work you up, baby. Last thing I want to do is hurt you."

You nodded, trusting his intuition. Whatever he had planned you would roll with as much as possible. Still, your mind was growing hazier as both of your scents filled the room and you were surrounded in his cinnamon sweetness. “Please…” you breathed, not exactly sure what you were pleading for. Him to grab and massage your breasts more? To feel him more fully and not through the confines of his jeans? At this point you simply even wanted him to touch you…

“I got you,” he soothed and leaned down. At first, he kept his tongue flat, rubbing it over one of your nipples before closing his lips around it to give the bud a good suck. With the way your back arched he knew he was on the right track, swirling and teasing it next before testing the waters by lightly grazing his teeth. That certainly caused your breath to catch in a gasp, and he tugged on the nipple with it pinched between his pearly whites. With the other nipple, he rolled and twisted it between his thumb and forefinger, pinching and tugging on it at the same time. 

“Izuku!” you cried out, needy and slowly becoming delirious. Your hands gripped his shoulders, your head tossed back and flipping from side to side in pleasure as you ground your hips down hard. The teasing of your nipples, the squeeze of his palms on your mounds, and the way his dick through his jeans throbbed had you going out of your mind within minutes. “If you keep doing that, I’m…”

“Didn’t I already say?” he rumbled and your whole body shook, “That’s what I want...go ahead, Omega, whatever you need…” as he said ‘Omega’ with a growl he rolled and bucked his own hips into yours, ripping another cry from your throat. Fuck, he really liked that sound, so he continued what he was doing with your breasts, switching it up and doing the opposite. He really drove you up the wall this time, and now he did it once he started humping into you, his jeans rough even through the fabric of your own bottoms and it all drove against your clit. With his ears peeled, he kept track of how your breath hitched, what made you gasp, how you whined, filing it all away for later use. If he wasn’t careful, teasing you might become his new favorite pastime...but somehow he doubted you would mind.

“Zuku...Izuku...oh god, Alpha, Alpha, I’m...hnn…” you couldn’t even think now, blabbering with need, and with a few more good ruts of his hips into your core you wailed, back arching and body locking up.

“That’s it…” he breathed heavily and took his hands off your oversensitive body. He started removing your bottoms and all the while he skimmed a kiss over your lips, and then down your neck. Flicking his tongue over each nipple he smooched your sternum, across your belly and then pulled back to strip you completely naked. Now you did blush, biting your lip as you looked at him, completely out of breath. He didn’t want to leave you feeling vulnerable by yourself, so he started doing away with his jeans. As soon as you caught sight of his thick cock your breath hitched, causing him to blush bright again.

Wanting to touch him, you sat up a little and tried to reach for him but he caught your hand. With a shake of his head and pushed you back down, “Next time,” he promised, kissing your knuckles. He kept his hips away from you now, but that didn’t matter because the idea of ‘next time’ had you whining and moaning. “I’m not done with you, pretty Omega.” That had your eyes going wide. What...what else was he going to do???

You were about to find out, but first he kissed you hot and hard as he decided to lick into your mouth and toy with your tongue for a little bit. To you relief, but slight disappointment, after he broke away from your lips he settled himself on his stomach between your legs. Immediately your eyes bugged out while he put your thighs on his shoulders, hooking his thick arms underneath you. Hunter green hair, curly and wild, disappeared between your legs as he went to town. 

It was like nothing you had ever felt before. Eyes rolling back, your sensitivity from your first orgasm of the night had you already keening and trying to buck against his hands holding your pelvis down. He had to have anticipated it, locking you into this position, and it was clear you had no escape. It was so odd, having barely an inch to rock forward if he did something good or jerk back against the bed if he did a little too much. “Zuku, oh god…” was the best thing you could breathe out.

Your coil was tightening fast, and he must’ve heard your breathing pick up because he shifted his arms, using one arm, only one, to keep you in place. Everything changed as soon as you felt the tips of scarred calloused fingers prodding your entrance. This was really happening and you wanted it, “Yes! Yes, yes, please Alpha, fill me up…” you heard his muffled groan against your center and you nearly orgasmed all over those digits because of the way they slid inside with ease.

Mouth latched over your clit, Izuku pumped his two fingers in and out of you slowly but surely. He could feel his cock leaking against your bed and he whimpered himself, the vibrations causing you to jolt and gasp. Ooooh...letting a growl out he couldn’t stop the smirk and started stretching his fingers in a scissoring motion, opening you up as good as he possibly could. Could he wiggle a third in? You were taking two so nicely, and with his knot later… “Mmph…” he moaned, jerking his own hips against the sheets. He decided to try it. 

“God, fuck...yeah, baby, such a good Omega, taking three fingers for me...I’m going to stretch you out the best I can, alright? So good, so perfect, just for me, all for me…” he blabbered, practically vibrating with anticipation. Your answering mewl pulled at the already fraying edges. He couldn’t last much longer himself, “Just one more, baby, my sweetpea...then I can give you what we both want...you want me to take you? Nice and slow and deep? Your slick tastes so good, baby, can’t get enough…” 

You didn’t take Izuku one for dirty talk, but you supposed you were both lost in the moment and each other the words were tumbling out of his mouth much like his usual ramblings. It was endearing, and what he was saying was definitely working. “Yes, Izuku, I’ll be so good for you...you’re taking good care of me, Alpha, sweetheart, oh god...I feel so full...I’m close…”

“I know you are, I can hear it, the way your breathing changes...god I can even feel how close you are right now…” his cock twitched. He was doing good. He was making her feel this way. “Gunna make you feel even more full...you want that? You want me to fill you up with my knot?” he pumped his fingers a little faster and curled them upwards.

“Yes!” you practically screamed in response, stars exploding behind your eyes for a second time in no time flat. “Right there…” you moan wantonly.

That was it. Rearing up, your leg going limp on the bed as you turned into a puddle, he surged towards the nightstand for the convenience store bag. He practically tore the box to shreds trying to get to the condoms, causing you to giggle breathlessly. The sound distracted him long enough he blushed shyly and went slower, making sure to pinch the tip and roll it on properly, nice and snug especially over the slight bump of his knot until it was flush against his groin. “Are you ready, baby?” he cooed, leaning his body over yours and with his dick in hand he rubbed the tip against your core.

“Yes...I want you, Izuku, I need you, so much. I love you, okay?” you smile at him sweetly, reaching up and wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling him down until your nipples brushed against his chest, and you forced your jelly legs up onto his hips, “Take me, make me yours.”

Jittery, nervous, he nodded and kissed you to distract you from any discomfort as he pressed into you. Oh, this man. All yours, too, your Fated, your Alpha, your Izuku Midoriya. He was right, though, even if it was dirty talk he did, in fact, fill you to the brim, until you believed you couldn’t take anymore. Stuffed so full of his cock, of him in your heart, tears brimmed your eyes. When you saw him about to fret over you, worries filling his eyes, you shushed him by petting his hair and his face, smiling with so much love and adoration that his own expression morphed from concern into a matching one, “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, sweetpea,” he kissed your nose, your cheeks where he licked at your stray tears, and then your lips, “I’m going to move now, okay?” at your nod, he shifted his hips and you both whimpered at the loss, only to moan when he pushed back in. He even lost his balance on one arm and dropped down even closer, allowing you to koala yourself onto his body. He chuckled and repeated the soft thrust, this time with a bit more purpose, a bit more force. “Good?”

All you could do was nod into his shoulder, eyes rolled back, “More…” and he complied. Again and again. He was big enough and even curved naturally that with one more shift of his hips he was hitting your g-spot both in and out. “Oh, Izuku…just like that, baby...don’t stop…”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” he huffed into your shoulder, groaning along with you, “So tight…squeezing me so much…” Your heat-soaked scent was right under his nose. “I won’t stop until you cum again, baby. Gunna give you...such a good time…” he pumped a little faster, but more shallow. He couldn’t stand pulling out of you all the way.

Somehow, his grinding and bursts of his hips were what you needed. “Right there, just like that!” he was pressing into your cervix, you could feel it. Part of you was massively disappointed he wouldn’t be filling you up with his cum, but you also understood why. You couldn’t think clearly enough to talk about it. All you knew you wanted was this, this burning heat, the way his panting filled your ears, his scent in your face. You were trembling and whimpering, unsure how to even handle it all. “I’m gunna…” off you went for the third time.

He still didn’t stop.

Your mind was barely able to comprehend that he was kissing you with bruising force because you were nearly screaming bloody murder. His mouth swallowed everything as you thrashed and writhed against him, your nails digging into the skin of his shoulder blades. That made him groan hard into you next, and he was plowing into you now. A fourth hit you without warning and it was like a continuous one from there, but he silenced your screams with his kisses.

“Ready for my knot, baby?” he growled between your sobs. He didn’t know how long he was going to hold out. It was his first time, too, after all. You were clamping down on him so hard his knot that was swelling was catching on each pass. He could hardly think now, either. “Can I bond you? Baby, can I?” he pleaded and you didn’t know why.

“You promised…” you managed to gasp.

“Ha...I did, didn’t I?” he was too breathless to chuckle, but now his jaw really ached, his fangs coming out. Yours were as well. “So close...Omega, baby...oh…” he kissed you again and along your jaw while his hips kept snapping, his hands creating bruises from his fingertips, and when he grazed where he would bond you he yelped. It hit him so suddenly his hips jerked and stuttered, slamming all the way inside. Latching onto you, his fangs broke the skin as his knot inflated, his cum filling the condom as your blood touched his tongue. Not even a second later your own managed to bore through his neck, but he didn’t even flinch.

It all came together, and it felt like everything snapped in place as your Bond formed between you. His chaotic mind was at peace. Your aching hearts were calm. Everything was still, beautiful, as you were lost in each other’s embrace. You both found who you had been waiting for all this time.

Fate had decided to be kind.

[darkpoisonouslove]

@supersonichero1 asked:

if you were to write the trix' fight scenes for the show post season 3 how would you show their powers further developing and them having complete mastery of them. With them having been seniors in cloud tower in the first season and subsequently working with pretty much every high ranking villain since and receiving power ups and then losing them do you think they trained enough to make up the power difference in losing all their forms like gloomix, disenchantix, dark sirenix etc. Basically is their regular witch form through training making up the difference? Because they have unfortunately lost all their power ups once the villain that granted them were defeated. In season five tritanus actually blasts the trix 3 times: once to grant them access to their powers again because while they still had them they were blocked as they were in underwater jail (which if you think about it is a really messed up way to punish someone because they were surviving underwater through their own magic because their signature colors and auras were active making me believe that the guards for this prison somehow figured out a way to block a magical person from using any offensive and defensive part of their powers while allowing prisoners to still use and feel their magic but only to breath underwater which would also probably constantly drain them of magic if they have to focus on channeling limited magic just to not drown). The second blast from tritanus was to strengthen the trix base magic so it was a power up without a costume change and the third and last blast was to give them dark sirenix. However they do still have access to their dark witch forms from season 6 because they gave themselves that. (Regarding season 6 transformation I absolutely live their glow up clothes wise and also that no one can take this power away from them)

I’m gonna start this backwards because it will be easier that way.

I think that they not only still have the season 6 “transformation” that they gave themselves but also their dark Sirenix because that was never taken away from them either. They still had it in 6x01 even though Tritannus was gone (twice if you count the third movie) and I think that can only be taken away from them if it gets sucked out like Tritannus did with Daphne. However, since their season 6 form is more powerful, they just keep using that.

I noticed the thing about the underwater prison as well. It was my first thought when I saw them underwater that it’s kinda fucked up that they are imprisoned where they need to use their magic non-stop in order to just be able to breathe. But then they said that they don’t have their powers anymore and I was just absolutely baffled. Like... how?????? So I have two possible explanations for that. Either everyone that gets imprisoned is put under a spell that allows them to breathe underwater (Layla has that one) but that doesn’t make much sense because what is the source of that spell? And besides, I highly doubt anyone would bother. Also, in order to be a threat big enough to be imprisoned there, it is highly likely that you have your own magic so it is much more probable for them to be using their own magic to breathe. Which, like you said, means that their ability to use attack spells was taken away in order for them to be unable to escape but they were still left something to allow them to breathe underwater. That and the color of their magical auras suggests that it is their own magic that keeps them breathing. And yes, I think that that would be draining aka they probably have their magic reduced to the bare minimum so that all they have left is exhausted in the spell for breathing and they can’t do anything else. That is very fucked up indeed since what happens if their magic fails for whatever reason? They’re gonna die. But it doesn’t look like anyone gives a damn about that because they’re evil.

Regarding the power-ups, I don’t believe that they put that much effort into developing them themselves post season 1. They simply didn’t have the time. At the end of season 1 they were imprisoned in Light Rock where they didn’t have magic. Darkar instantly gave them Gloomix when he freed them and they had that for all of season 2 until it disappeared between seasons two and three (it was still on the MegaTrix after Darkar was destroyed and Realix started falling apart so it was probably removed by an outside force once they were collected from there to be sent to Omega). Valtor was shown to boost them but only enough for it to be helpful to his plans. There must have been some development in season 3 because they were trying to impress him and Icy noted that Stormy has improved her abilities to open portals. So perhaps they did some developing for their powers back then. Then Disenchantix was an actual joke that lasted for 2 minutes tops. After that they were sent back to Light Rock in 3x25 which means their powers were taken away again. I believe the Ancestral Witches freed them from there because they needed them to conduct their plan. That was when they might have again had the time and chance to develop their powers, which I believe that they did because they knew Winx were stronger with Enchantix (even if they didn’t know about Believix) and I doubt that the Ancestral Witches could or would give them a boost. So they must have developed their powers back then because they were almost holding their own against Winx at the beginning of Magical Adventure and it was 5 against 2. They must have boosted their powers and, like I said, I doubt that that could have possibly come from the Ancestral Witches. After their defeat at the end of the second movie, however, they were sent to the underwater prison where they were stripped of their powers and that I believe really set them back a lot when it comes to power level because it happened immediately after they were possessed by the Ancestral Witches, which I think weakened them in another way as well. And then they got their power boosts from Tritannus which leads us to their own power-up in season 6. So I don’t believe that they really had that much time to develop their own magic except for those moments in season 3 and between the first and the second movie. However, that seemed to have been undone by the time season 5 started either way.

As to how I would write their fights, I would actually make them rely more on strategy. Post season 3 it has become clear that they are at a disadvantage towards Winx because they always lose. So instead of trying to power through so that they can overcome the Winx in the power of their magic, I would have them develop a different approach to their fights. I would have them studying their past battles against Winx so that they can figure out where they fail and where the Winx succeed and adapt a scheme on how to increase their own efficiency while decreasing the Winx’. They are basically made to charge at Winx like mindless bulls instead of actually trying to figure out a way in which to beat them after it has become that the power advantage lies with Winx and that is just ridiculous. They know better than that. Or at least the first three seasons of their selves would know better than that since seasons 5 and 6 Trix just keep doing the same thing and expecting different results (aka the definition of madness according to Einstein). Also, I would have tried to come up with a more diverse ways for them to use their powers. In that regard season 5 was actually pretty good to Darcy especially and Icy (not so much to Stormy). They got new powers that looked cool and weren’t the generic beams and blasts. I loved that and wish the writers would have tried to be more creative with their powers. Those are the two major principles on which the battles between Winx and the Trix are built and that is where they fail. So touching that up a little and mixing things up could have made for more interesting and original fights with higher stakes when they are based on personal approach against any and all Winx girls.

[ccatskies]

flashspruce | ❝chirkut❞

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MF @smallcrystals

★━━━━━━━━

— CHIRKUT is bengali for passing notes during class aka the mischievous shit we all do :)

Timber swallowed his lip, staring down at the paper on his desk. It was torn — from the back of his Science notebook — and half of it stuck out from the corner while the rest of the half was neatly tucked under the hard cover. It was small, blank and so ready to be smothered with a bunch of jumbled words that he'd have to cut out and go over again.

That's exactly what he's been doing for the past twelve minutes. Trying to process words. He was usually good with it — speaking was his specialty, so he was really smooth, but not now. Of course, not now. Not when he really needed to get his shit together and tie a few random words together.

He suppressed a groan, tapping the head of his pen over the desk, the noise almost inaudible yet as pestering as a ticking time bomb. He looked down, hand stilled over the surface, letting the pen slip through his fingers down to his lap. Silence. He blinked at the blue pen lying on his thigh.

The boy tilted his head, eyes trailing up to the person right in front of the guy next to him. His powerful brain sending him mixed singles.

Pause. Should I? He poked his tongue against the inside of his cheek. Well, at least he'd look at me.

Timber grinned, leaning in a bit and aiming his pen at an angle — definitely ignoring the skeptical look the guy next to him was shooting him every now and then — and oops.

It landed right where he needed it to be. 

Timber mentally prepared himself for the moment. He had it perfectly planned out (even though he usually didn't need to) — how he was gonna smile at him, tell him that he dropped the pen on purpose and swiftly sneak in a pick up line that no matter how cheesy it was, it'd definitely make his crush giggle. He was so ready to see his adorable pink cheeks and shoot him his signature charming smile and then—

He malfunctioned.

Flash turned around, that cozy glow around him never seeming to fade, eyes blue and pretty, cheeks soft and squishy, hair slightly messy from their PE session earlier this morning — nothing new. Just him stealing the Resident Tease's breath away.

For the third time today and they hadn't even reached lunch break.

Flash had initially turned to the student behind him — next to Timber — with the most delicate smile, "hey, did you drop something?" He reached out to the pen prior to gripping it between the gap of his fingers and waving it mid-air.

Fuck, he sounded pretty. Maybe, it's just the way his voice was as soft as jazz tunes. The top of his nose aglow as if someone had put a slight pinch of glitter on it. His hair was a radiant blue, just like his mesmerizing eyes. Blue, smooth, silky — Timber was dying to learn the hair routine — and irresistible to touch.

The guy cleared his throat, awkward in a way, "n—not really."

"Hm," the shorter boy's smile lightened, before he turned to Timber, "you?"

Timber's breath hitched as he bit on his lower lip, fiddling with his fingers. Wait, what was I gonna say— ?

"N—no." He blurted out.

Flash tilted his head to the side, eyes blinking twice, mouth pulling into an unintentional cute little pout, "huh? It's not yours? Then—" he was about to turn away.

"WAIT no, it is!" He instantly corrected himself, voice a little high pitched.

"Then, take it—"

"No, wait, I—" he cut himself off mid sentence, cheeks burning red, "uh, um."

Flash blinked twice, wetting his lips, "I'm really confused." 

God, God, GOD, what is wrong with you all of a sudden? He mentally slapped himself three times in the face, and physically pinched the fabric of his pants, holding in the will to cringe at what he just put himself through.

Timber lowered his head, pulling himself up and reaching out his hand to retrieve the item.

Flash chuckled, his eyes forming crescents underneath as he stretched out his body a bit to put down the pen on Timber's desk, brushing his hands against his.

The green haired boy blushed as the simple touch lingered on his pinkie finger, the feeling of butterfly kisses hugging his skin tight. Timber also noticed how small Flash's hands were for his jacket sleeves as the hem of the cloth extended to only a few centimetres under his knuckles. Ugh, cute.

Flash retracted his arm, tugging onto his sleeve and pulling it back to reveal his hand. He got back to writing whatever he was writing on his notepad, pausing for a moment to think before getting right back on it.

Timber muttered something under his breath. Today's failed attempt #7.

The last six weren't even this unnerving.

He wondered why he was at a loss for words every single time. He's seen Flash around. A lot, actually. Internally cried over how beautiful Sentry was and freaked out as well although he wouldn't openly admit it yet. But still, why is it that every time Timber tried to make the lead move on Flash, did his mind, body and flirting hacks give up on him? — he'd never know. He wasn't even this nervous around his last crush.

He was so sure his confidence wouldn't fail him.

And. . . well shit, he stupidly believed he'd wing it with this one.

He stole a glance at the corner of the classroom, choked, and instantly regretted it as he found twilight's eyes on him, a smirk on her face. She must've seen it.

Timber squeezed his eyes shut, puffed his cheeks out and wondered how he turned into such an A Class Dork around him—a fumbling mess even. He remembered being just as much infatuated with Twilight before they broke up, but Flash had a strange way of luring him in, considering they had barely shared a proper conversation before.

After all, it was his job doing the charming, not being charmed by a pretty boy doing the bare minimum.

Timber played with the edge of the paper he had torn previously, a little scruffy around the sides, and took a deep breath. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. His eyes lit up at the thought. Maybe, this could work.

He sucked in his lip, concentrating on the blank piece of paper, before writing down the first thing that came to his mind. He let out an easy grin, feeling the little rush of courage surge through him.

He folded the paper into a tiny note, letting it rest on the table as he drew a itsy bitsy tiny — very miniscule — heart over the top.

Timber turned to the boy next to him, an innocent smile on display, as he whispered, "hey."

"I seriously have no idea what you've been up to for the past twenty minutes." Micro Chips let on, "or should I say, three hours because I've literally had every single class with you."

"Well then, you should know what I'm doing."

"Trust me, I've been trying." 

"Okay," Timber heaved a sigh, a little shy, as he passed the note to him, "here. To Flash Sentry please."

Micro blinked.

"Please?" Timber bit his lower lip, puppy dog eyes on show, to which Chips' eyebrows shot up.

Micro exhaled, doing as told. He tapped on his friend's shoulder and let out a cough to grab his attention. Flash had turned around for the second time, oblivious, while Micro slipped the paper into his palm, mouthing "for you" and then getting back to his work — work that didn't involve Timber's continuous attempts at trying to make a move on the guitarist.

Flash had already caught onto the hint but made sure not to assume anything just in case. He smiled amusingly, eyes twinkling at the cute heart that was impossible to go unnoticed, and opened the note.

He stared at the paper, baffled.

তুমি এত সুন্দর কেন? আমি তোমার জন্য পাগল হয়ে যাবো  T^T

— timber :)

Huh?

Timber hooked his chin over his clasped hands, a content smile on his face while he watched his crush squint at the paper in confusion. Flash turned to him, blinking twice. Timber giggled.

He got back the note.

What does that mean? :0

Ahh, he was so cute.

Timber folded it back, licking his lips before flying it back to his crush.

It is directly demanding you to sit in lunch with me. You in? :D (A lie, that's not what it meant).

Flash chuckled, sparing him one last glance before writing down his answer. Sure, I guess.

━━━━━━━━━★

[emachinescat]

The Neglected Neckerchief

A Merlin Fan-Fiction

by @emachinescat ​

@febuwhump ​ day 21 - torture

Summary: A group of bandits torture Merlin in front of Arthur for their own entertainment, using Merlin’s beloved neckerchief against him in the cruelest of manners.  Now, Arthur must struggle to come to terms with a traumatized Merlin, whose neckerchief has been replaced by a ring of bruises.

Characters: Merlin, Arthur

Words: 4,730

TW: strangulation, panic attacks

Note: Based on my drabble series from “Moments” by the same name. Sorry for no cover/header picture today. I'm sick and doing the bare minimum. I will add one later when I feel up to making one!

Keep reading here, or on AO3!

If you enjoy, please consider liking, commenting, or re-blogging, and you can follow me for more content like this! :)

Arthur had never understood his servant's attachment to that ratty triangle of fabric he wore around his neck. When he had first met Merlin, in fact, Arthur had downright hated it. He'd pestered his servant about it on many occasions, questioning the practicality, the fashion, the function of the neckerchief. Of course, Merlin never failed to follow up with a clever retort, but he never really answered the question, and eventually, Arthur got bored of teasing Merlin for his clothes and moved on to something else.

As the years passed, however, Arthur's derision for the odd neckwear faded, and before long, he found himself associating the neckerchief with Merlin himself. It got to the point where seeing Merlin without the accessory felt strange, and before he knew it, the prince realized that he actually liked that stupid scarf – though he would die before he admitted it to Merlin.

Now that he was older, perhaps a bit wiser than he had been as a young prince, King Arthur had a feeling that it wasn't so much the neckerchief that he'd grown to like, but the person who wore it. And since Merlin and his neckerchief were one and the same, it stood to reason that the king would have grown fond of it as well. Not that he would ever admit his affection for his servant out loud, either, of course. Not in so many words – or any words, really. That just wasn't how his relationship with Merlin worked.

Indeed, somewhere along the way, Merlin's neckerchief had become as much of a staple in Arthur's life as the servant himself. And yet, in the span of one bandit attack during a morning hunt, that all changed.

It had started off, as these things often do, as a normal patrol. It was a beautiful day, bright and warm, the sort of day where you would never expect anything horrible to happen. And yet –

It had been a week since the hunt turned to hell, and Arthur could still recall it so vividly that he might as well have been experiencing it all over again. Those five minutes of torture had branded themselves so deeply into his mind's eye that every time he fell asleep, he would go back – back to the forest, to the bandits and their laughter and their hands holding him back, holding him down. Back to the sounds. Oh gods, the sounds. Gagging, choking, panicked breaths, a mouth gaping open like a fish's, searching desperately for air that wouldn't come. Blue lips, still chest, and laughter. And, of course, in the center of it all, Merlin's beloved neckerchief.

***

One Week Ago

"Looks like we got a fine catch today, gentlemen!" The short, ugly brute of a bandit grinned at Arthur, half of his teeth rotten and the other half missing all together. "Is this a knight of Camelot we've stumbled upon?"

Arthur was relieved that they hadn't recognized him to be the king, at least. He tried to be as inconspicuous as possible on his outings, having Merlin hold on to the royal seal if they were going anywhere outside of the citadel – bandits generally ignored servants and focused on the more important looking people, after all. It was a clever trick, provided Merlin didn't lose the seal. So far, he'd kept up with it well enough on their journeys, and this time, it seemed to be paying off, as these bandits thought they were playing with just another knight and his servant.

But that didn't change the fact that Arthur and Merlin had been taken off guard, ambushed, and tied hand and foot by a band of ten morally bereft, muscle-heavy monsters who wouldn't know hygiene if it crashed into their thick skulls. Arthur had been shoved to his knees and held there by four men, who still struggled to keep him still. Two other men had done the same to his servant, but other than the usual bumps and bruises from fighting a losing battle, neither Arthur nor Merlin were hurt.

Arthur may not have been injured, but he was angry, mostly with himself. He'd known it was a bad idea to go on a hunt without any of the knights or guards to accompany him. He'd let Merlin come along because he knew that the obsessively loyal servant would have followed him anyway, and he'd much rather have Merlin by his side so he could keep an eye on him instead of being forced to listen to him thrashing around in the undergrowth making a racket while trying to be stealthy. As Athur had been reminded by his council many times, he was king now, and he had a responsibility to think not only of the safety and well-being of his people, but of himself as well. That meant no more running around in the forest on hunts or patrols without a guard. That meant telling the council where he was going to be at all times so that they would know to send someone after him if he didn't get back in time.

But Arthur had had enough. It had been a month since his father's death, and he was stifled in the castle. Even when he wasn't in Camelot, people still surrounded him on patrols and hunts, and even when those people were some of his closest friends – the knights – he often felt like he was being smothered, and his skin crawled at the thought of having to sit through one more council meeting or supervised hunt. He'd needed to get away. He'd told Guievere where he was going, of course. And then he'd grabbed his servant, all but dragging him out of the castle at the break of day, and they'd passed a pleasant enough morning, with Merlin scaring away half the prey. But as with most good things in King Arthur's life, this too had to end. The ambush had been unexpected and swift, and Guinevere wasn't expecting him back until evening – they were on their own.

As casually as he could, Arthur implored the bandits, "You have me, a knight of Camelot. My servant is of no use to you. Let him go."

The short, stocky bandit who seemed to be in charge considered this for a brief moment before crossing his tree-branch arms across his chest. "So he can run back to your coward king and bring a rescue party? Not likely."

"We're miles away from Camelot," Arthur pressed. "You could be long gone with me before he brings anyone back."

From the corner of his eye, Arthur watched Merlin frantically shake his head. Arthur ignored him, and prayed that the idiot would stay silent. All it would take would be Merlin saying "Arthur" one time, and the bandits would realize their mistake – and quickly seek to rectify it. Thankfully, Merlin seemed to be aware of the situation, and for once, blessedly, kept his mouth shut.

The leader ambled forward, brow creased as if thinking were incredibly painful for him. "You seem awfully keen to protect that servant of yours. Most knights don't give a damn about the help if their own lives are in danger. What's so special about that one?"

Arthur maintained eye contact with the brute before him. "I care about all those I have sworn to protect as a knight."

"Oh, that's rich!" A chorus of laughter from the surrounding bandits grated at Arthur's nerves. "Nah," the man continued, casting a glance over his shoulder at the skinny servant who glared defiantly back. "With those pretty blue eyes, I reckon he's more than just a servant."

"Yeah," called one of the bandits forcing Merlin to kneel. "The knight's consort I'd wager."

The leader swivelled back to face Arthur. "Is that it, Sir Knight? Is he your consort?"

Arthur didn't answer.

"Oh, now you clam up." The bandit leader seemed genuinely disappointed that he didn't get an answer. He peered at Arthur through slitted, suspicious eyes for a few charged seconds. Then he threw back his head and laughed.

"Well, lads, why don't we have a bit of fun before we head out?"

Arthur glanced at Merlin, and saw the servant looking back at him with wide, uncertain eyes. To Arthur's surprise, Merlin didn't look scared. In fact, Arthur thought that his servant appeared to be more conflicted than anything, like he was trying to make a difficult decision. Baffling as that was, it was hardly the most important thing on Arthur's mind at the moment.

The leader signaled to the men holding Merlin, and then everything went to hell.

One of the men lashed out with frightening speed for someone of his size, landing a devastating blow in the center of Merlin's back at the very second the servant was released. Arthur watched the kick connect, heard the pained cry, felt the thump as Merlin sprawled face-first onto the forest floor, hands tied behind his back, unable to move, barely able to breathe. Arthur had received similar kicks before, and he knew all too well the terror-inducing breathlessness that accompanied such injuries. He'd rarely wanted to kill someone as much as he wanted to kill the bandit who had inflicted such pain and panic on his servant.

But they weren't done yet. It got far, far worse.

The leader of the bandits stepped forward then, and squatted at the feebly stirring Merlin's side, still facing the king. Every muscle in Arthur's body tensed; his heart pounded deafeningly in his ears. Something very bad was going to happen, he could feel it in every fiber of his being. He'd seen enough violence and war and bloodshed, enough monsters, to know that this was far from over.

The bandit leader reached over and fingered the fabric of Merlin's neckerchief – he'd worn the blue one today. Arthur watched the idea form in the man's head even as Merlin began to recover a bit of his breath and attempted to squirm away from the bandit's touch. "Interesting fashion choice," the leader commented, sarcasm slathered generously on each word. "Makes my job easier though."

He clenched his meaty fist around the back of Merlin's scarf, and, keeping his eyes trained on the knight before him, slowly pulled up.

To Arthur, the world had slipped into slow motion. It was like the minutes just before a storm, when nature held its breath, birds forgot how to sing, and all of creation readied itself for the violence to come. He watched, horror coursing through him, as the first waves of realization and then panic dawned on his servant's dazed face. Blue eyes bulged wide, mouth opened in a soundless scream, and still, the bandit pulled.

The bandit took his time. He was in no rush. Arthur could see from the wild, glassy glint in his beady green eyes that he was relishing the control he had over the situation, over the man he was strangling. He never looked away from Arthur, not even when the agonized choking, coughing, gasping, hacking sounds began in earnest. Arthur, for his part, tried to ignore the man, and, as much as it hurt him, tore at his soul and twisted his stomach, the king kept his eyes on Merlin, trying to offer him comfort, reassurance, anything. Until Merlin's eyes started to dim, and his eyelids drooped as if a heavy weight had been tied to them, and the frantic heaves of his chest grew weak, and he knew Merlin was dying.

Despite his resolve to remain strong and unaffected, and despite his hopes that the bandit leader would grow tired of his cruel game if he thought Arthur was not emotionally invested, Arthur lost control. It had become clear to him that the man torturing Merlin did not care if he elicited a reaction from his other prisoner. He was tormenting – killing – Merlin because it was fun for him; the pleasure had written itself into his bright eyes and twisted smile. And Merlin was going to die.

Arthur lunged forward, a feral yell bursting from the deepest part of himself, and even with his hands bound behind his back and his ankles tied together, he nearly managed to shake off all of the four men holding him – and then three more added to their number, and Arthur found himself face-down just feet from Merlin, who was all but unconscious, barely fighting to breathe, and the pressure of the bandits on top of him was crushing. Arthur barely felt it beneath the weight of his failure.

The bandit leader now loomed over both master and servant, and to Arthur's surprise, he eased up pressure, releasing his grip slightly on Merlin's neckerchief and allowing the servant to drag in desperate, halted breaths, his eyes now bulging. Merlin coughed, deep, raw sounds grinding out from a shredded throat. Arthur could see a terrible, angry red line circling Merlin's neck, just beneath the neckerchief.

"Merlin – are you all right?" Arthur kept his voice low, hushed.

Tears were streaming down Merlin's cheeks, whether from fear or lack of oxygen or pain, Arthur didn't know. He tried to speak, and his voice hurt to hear; he sounded like his vocal chords had been slashed. "Aarrrrr…"

"Shhh," Arthur soothed, partially out of concern for Merlin's health, partially out of fear that Merlin would reveal Arthur's true identity. "It's okay, it's okay. Just breathe, okay? I'll find a way out of this." And Merlin looked at Arthur with such unmitigated trust in his gaze that Arthur felt like running himself through with his sword, because he had no plan. He had no hope. Surely, Merlin could see that, even in his state. Arthur had seven bandits piled on top of him, holding him motionless. The guilt crashed into Arthur with all the force of a battering ram into a fortress door. This was all his fault.

"S'not … your … fault," Merlin heaved out with great difficulty, and Arthur's blood ran cold. He was certain he hadn't said that out loud. How had Merlin known? It hit him – Merlin had known that Arthur was blaming himself because he knew Arthur.

The moment shattered as the bandit leader butted in, voice loud and abrasive, sending chills of fury across Arthur's flesh like an attacking army. "Now that you've got your breath back, Merlin, let's start from the top."

Arthur watched Merlin's eyes go wide with fear, and Arthur must have been giddy with it himself, because he could have sworn he saw a tiny bit of gold swirling in their depths right before the neckerchief was tightened and the imagined flame died out, and only terror remained.

The second time was just as slow and measured as the first. The bandit applied pressure in the tiniest increments, and this time, Arthur got a front-row view of the light leaving his friend's eyes. The noises were even worse up close, the coughs and gasps taking on the helm of death rattles. Merlin thrashed at first, trying to escape, to breathe, to do anything, and his lips lost color and turned blue, and now he was barely moving, barely breathing, and this time, the bandit leader had no intention of stopping.

Merlin's head and shoulders were now being held aloft by only the fabric around his neck, and his struggles ceased completely, his chest stilled.

Arthur squirmed desperately beneath the hold of the seven bandits, but even the adrenaline screaming through his body was not enough to throw them off. He could fear hot tears on his cheeks, knowing that if Merlin was not dead now, he would be soon. Arthur had been tortured before – it wasn't a common occurrence, but it had happened. And yet, nothing had prepared him for the kind of torture he had endured – was still enduring – in watching his closest friend die slowly and painfully, terrified, right in front of him. Arthur wanted to rip the men who were doing this limb from limb. He wanted to slowly squeeze the life out of the one strangling Merlin.

He wanted them to be strangling him instead.

All seemed lost – and would have been, if a Camelot patrol hadn't heard the commotion from a distance and come to investigate. There were six men, and they had the element of surprise. One moment, all was anguish and torture and the gut-clenching quiet that came at the end of life. The next, a short, fierce battle raged all around him. As soon as the bandits loosened their grip on him and Gwaine cut him free, Arthur joined the fight, catching the sword tossed at him by Elyan.

He ran through the man who had tortured his servant personally, with the same level of twisted glee and intimacy with which the man had strangled Merlin. It was so much more than he deserved.

Once the bandits had all been slain and lay scattered on the forest floor, Arthur raced to Merlin's side, slamming to his knees beside the servant. His hand shook so badly as he felt for the beat of Merlin's heart that Elyan had to take over, and his dark eyes were grave as he looked back at Arthur and shook his head.

"No," Arthur said simply, refusing to believe that Merlin was truly gone, that he had watched his friend die terribly before his eyes. "No, check again."

"No time for that," Gwaine snapped, falling to his knees on the opposite side of the servant and bending over the prone body. The blue of Merlin's lips was almost as vibrant as the color of the neckerchief that had so cruelly been turned against him.

The next few minutes passed in a blur of anxiety, disbelief, and finally relief, as Gwaine breathed for him, Arthur pounded on his chest, and Percival carried him home.

***

Merlin hadn't worn his neckerchief since that torturous day. He was sullen and nervous, jumping at small noises and avoiding Arthur, and refusing to wear anything to cover up those ghastly bruises.

He hadn't been able to talk for nearly a week after he'd woken up; Gaius said he was lucky that his windpipe wasn't crushed. But even after, Merlin barely spoke.

And gods, those bruises.

They encircled Merlin's pale neck like a grotesque mockery of the very scarf that had caused it. They had reached the stage where the very edges had started to yellow, but the inner ring was black, mottled with red and blue. Just looking at it hurt, and it was a constant reminder of the torture Merlin had gone through … and that Arthur had gone through, watching him. Arthur could not fathom that Merlin would prefer to walk around with those bruises in plain sight – surely they had to trigger bad memories as much as, if not more than, the neckerchief?

It was stupid, but Arthur couldn't stop himself thinking that when Merlin wore his neckerchief again, it would mean things were back to normal. That he was okay.

And so Arthur had a neckerchief made out of the finest material Guinevere could procure in the market. It was silk, so soft to the touch that Arthur wouldn't have minded falling asleep in it. It was a deep, Camelot red, and so light it was almost weightless.

When he presented it to Merlin, yesterday morning, the servant's eyes had twitched down to it, and where Arthur had thought he'd see gratitude, maybe even a hint of a smile, he saw only trepidation. Merlin had rasped a pained, "Thanks," then grabbed the scarf by one corner like it was a serpent poised to strike and shoved it into his pocket, out of sight. He hadn't worn it since.

"I don't understand," Arthur said to his wife over dinner, distress clear in his voice. "I replaced it."

"He's just not ready," Gwen soothed, though her brow was knit in worry.

"It's of a much finer material than his old one," Arthur insisted, as if he were trying to convince Gwen that Merlin should wear it.

"You have to be patient with him, Arthur. What happened to him was… traumatic. He has to come to terms with it in his own time."

Arthur scrubbed a hand over his face. "I just can't stand looking at his bruises."

Gwen squeezed his hand, her eyes sad and wise and more beautiful than anything that Arthur had seen. "I know it hurts," she said, "and I mean no disrespect, but… Arthur, this isn't about you. It's not about your discomfort, it's not about the pain you went through seeing Merlin be hurt like that."

Arthur opened his mouth, unsure of what he was going to say, not even knowing if he was going to argue or agree with her.

Gwen held up a hand. "I'm not saying that what you went through was unimportant. I can't even imagine watching…" She trailed off, shuddered. "But you can't expect Merlin to wear something that causes him so much pain and fear, just because it makes you uncomfortable."

Arthur knew she was right, and told her so. He would have to find a way to look past the bruises, for now.

Merlin was avoiding Arthur – there were no two ways about it. He got to work early, woke Arthur, and then ran off to do the rest of his chores. Finally, at the end of week two, Arthur cornered him in the armory.

"Merlin." Arthur's face was serious, his eyes uncharacteristically concerned.

"Sorry, Sire, I have work to do," Merlin said stiffly. His voice still sounded as if it were being painfully squeezed from him. He tried to leave, but Arthur caught his arm, pretended he didn't see Merlin flinch.

"For the love of… if I give you the day off, will you stay and talk to me?"

Merlin's eyes were wide and his scowl looked more pathetic than annoyed. "I suppose I have little choice in the matter."

Arthur's heart constricted. "Merlin, I—"

"Look, I'm sorry I haven't been wearing the neckerchief," Merlin blurted, avoiding Arthur's eyes. "I just… I know you we retrying to help, but… Hold on, I'll go get it right now," he flustered. His cheeks were red and his eyes bright.

"Merlin, stop."

Merlin stopped.

"I realize I haven't been fair to you," the king said slowly, carefully. "I haven't been patient. What happened was… wrong. Do you need to talk to me about it?"

The dam broke.

Arthur had never seen Merlin cry like this before. He'd seen tears in his friend's eyes on various occasions, but never had he witnessed the choking, uncontrollable, full-bodied sobs that were now wrenched from the depths of Merlin's soul. At first, Arthur stood, uncertain, terrified that he was going to say or do the wrong thing, but then he thought of Merlin, and tried to imagine what he would do for him if the king were in this situation. A strange calm descended over him, and he gently took Merlin by the arm and guided him to the nearest chair – Arthur's chair, the most comfortable one in the room, the one he never let anyone else sit in, not even Guinevere (she had her own, anyway).

He eased Merlin down, knelt beside him, and wrapped one arm around his servant's shoulders, and just held him while he released all of the pain and frustration and fear and trauma he'd been skirting around for weeks. Arthur felt the hot sting of a tear mark a course down his own face, and he didn't brush it away. He felt, like Merlin was feeling – felt the pain of the torture inflicted on them both, felt the violent sobs shaking Merlin's wiry frame, and finally, felt the tremors ease and stop all together, but he didn't withdraw his arm. He might have even squeezed a little bit tighter, as if assuring himself that his friend was still there, still breathing, despite how hard those bandits had tried to kill him.

Finally, Merlin shifted awkwardly, and Arthur became acutely aware of the fact that his arm was still around the servant's shoulders, and he withdrew with a start, backing away with haste.

Merlin turned to look at him, and his eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, the bruises on his neck still visible and angry, and tear tracks streaked down his face. Arthur watched him apprehensively, afraid that Merlin was going to say something emotional that Arthur wouldn't know how to respond to, or worse, openly acknowledge the unusual level of tenderness that had permeated that moment. Instead, Merlin quirked a watery half-smile and simply said, "Thank you."

Relieved, Arthur smiled back. "You're welcome. Feeling better, are we?"

Merlin gave a small, almost timid, nod. "A little bit, actually. I think."

Desperate for some return to normalcy, chest warm with the hope that Merlin really would be okay, someday, Arthur folded his arms across his chest. "Then get your scrawny arse out of my chair."

Merlin actually laughed then, and settled in deeper to the comfortable seat. "Sorry, sire," he said. "I think my scrawny arse is stuck here until further notice."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. Merlin blushed. "I… I don't think I can stand right now," he admitted, and Arthur noted with concern that Merlin's knees were indeed trembling. Merlin was trembling.

Arthur rolled his eyes like it was some great inconvenience. "Fine," he said. "Laze about like the useless servant you are. I'll fetch Gaius."

Merlin surged forward at this, almost fell flat on his face. "I don't need –" He broke off as Arthur shoved him back in the seat. "Gaius."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "You were saying?"

Merlin had never looked so much like a sullen, scolded child.

***

When Arthur returned, Gaius not far behind him, he was shocked to find that Merlin was still where the king had left him. Even more surprising was the fact that Merlin held the silk neckerchief that Arthur had gifted him, almost reverently, gazing down at the fabric with a faraway look in his eyes.

"Merlin, where did you get that?" Arthur asked.

"My pocket."

"You've been carrying that around all week?"

Merlin didn't answer, but he didn't need to – it was obvious that he had been.

Arthur heard Gaius shuffle through the door behind him, but did not turn. He kept his eyes on Merlin, who continued to contemplate the scarf like he had never seen anything like it before. "Merlin, you don't have to wear that," Arthur said in a rush. "I just thought–"

"I know," Merlin interrupted, and that's when Arthur knew his servant was on the mend, because a Merlin who lacked all decorum and propriety was far more normal than one who was actually good at being a proper servant. "But, it's nice. And I was thinking, I've never owned anything so fine." He paused. "But I think I'll leave it at home when we go on hunts and patrols from now on." He gazed up at Arthur imploringly.

The king felt Merlin's eyes on his front and Gaius's on his back. He looked Merlin straight in the eyes and said, "You don't have to wear anything you don't want to, Merlin. If you never wear a ridiculous triangle scarf again, that's completely fine. Don't do it because you feel like you have to. You won't hurt my feelings."

Merlin grinned – a full, mischievous smile that Arthur hadn't seen in far too long. "When have I ever given you the impression that I care about protecting your feelings, Sire?"

Arthur tried to look stern, but ended up laughing out loud. "Fair point," he conceded.

He and Gaius watched with bated breath as Merlin tied the new neckerchief very loosely around his neck. A moment of tense silence, then –

"Does this make me look like a prat?"

"Merlin!"

Arthur knew that the ordeal wasn't over just because Merlin had put on the neckerchief. There would still be nightmares and anxiety and days where Merlin couldn't stand to have anything touch his neck. But this was progress. This was hope.

For this one moment, this was Arthur and Merlin, as they had always been, and all was well with the world.

For now, that was more than enough.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: General Hux

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Oh boy.

I think that Hux is a character who, more than anything, is emblematic of every single problem the prequel trilogy had. He had a great setup and first appearance, followed by one where he was just made a complete ass of, and then finally haphazardly thrown into a story where his entire character was betrayed for no apparent reason other than the writers just seemed to forget what the hell they were gonna do with him.

Motivation/Goals: This is where Hux really falls apart, and why he utterly fails as a villain. Ostensibly, Hux should be the loyal space military man we’ve seen done well before in characters like Tarkin. It’s a simple character type we’ve seen a lot in the franchise, but it’s tried and true. And to his credit, he seems to follow that in The Force Awakens, where he is actually set up extremely well, as most things in that movie were.

But then came The Last Jedi. This film marked the bumpy slide downward for the sequel trilogy, but Hux had smooth sailing all the way into the pit. In this film, he is treated less like the high-ranking official e is, and more like a complete and utter JOKE. He gets dragged across the floor and just belittled by his superiors at every turn, and by the film’s end it is abundantly clear he hates Kylo Ren. So this is going to set up some awesome internal power struggle in the First Order, right? WRONG. All that ends up happening is there are a few scenes where Hux looks pissy at Kylo, then it’s revealed he’s betraying the First Order to the rebels because he hates Kylo Ren that much, and then he is unceremoniously blasted away in the very next scene.

Literally nothing about his betrayal makes any sense because if nothing else, Hux has been established as loyal to the First Order. Much like everything in The Rise of Skywalker, they might have been able to pull this off if they bothered to explain anything, but his pouty, whiny little bitch-boy response of “I don’t care who wins, I just want Kylo Ren to LOSE!” is such an utterly demeaning and pathetic excuse that it just tanks his entire character and makes it a relief when he is blasted away.

Performance: Domhnall Gleeson is a good actor, and at least in The Force Awakens he’s really giving it his all, bringing a terrifying intensity to that scene where he gives a speech to the gathered First Order before Starkiller Base is activated. But after that first film, his performance just feels… almost phoned in. Hux is just a very dull, worthless character after that.

Final Fate: Hux’s death is fitting, seeing as he is a cowardly bastard with no dignity whatsoever; Pryde just immediately executes him on the spot without a second thought a single scene after Hux has revealed he is the mole in the First Order. It honestly saved the Resistance the trouble, because there’s no doubt Hux would be executed for war crimes after the war was over anyway. Kinda makes you wonder what the point of him being a mole was in the first place, to be honest.

Oh, right, there was no point.

Best Scene: The solitary moment where Hux manages to achieve greatness is during his terrifying Nazi-esque First Order speech in The Force Awakens as he revs up the Starkiller Base to blow up the Hosnian system. In fact, Hux really is only as bad as I think he is as a character because not a single film afterwards even attempts to try and emulate or match how Hux is portrayed in this scene. If they had ran with this characterization, we could have had someone on the level of Tarkin, Pryde, or Krennic instead of the idiotic slapstick punching bag who gets crapped on by his superiors every scene.

Best Quote: Just turn the subtitles on for his speech up there, that’s his unironic best quote. In an ironic sense, his petulant, whiny little reasoning for betraying literally everything he stands for despite being an unrepentant war criminal who would be executed at war’s end is hilarious for how absolutely stupid, awful, and juvenile it is: “I don't care if you win. I need Kylo Ren to lose!”

Final Thoughts & Score: Hux is, without a doubt, one of the worst villains ever, and unlike Palpatine he doesn’t have much to fall back on. Yes, Domhnall Gleeson is a good actor, but he is no Ian McDiarmid, that’s for sure, and he is entirely unable to salvage the character when things go south. It doesn’t help that, unlike Palpatine, who has three or four movies under his belt where he was hilarious and awesome as well as several other appearances in stuff like the animated shows or that one Kinect game where he straight up gets off his throne and busts a move (which is totally canon, I promise), Hux really just has three films where he just steadily gets worse as the series progresses, culminating in a third appearance that just cements him as one of the most dumbass characters conceived for this franchise.

It’s really baffling to think what they were trying to do with him. They set him up as a really cool and threatening military villain in the first film, then have him survive unlike his betters Tarkin and Krennic, and then just spend an entire film treating him like a complete and utter joke only to have him, in his final film, pull an utterly nonsensical and counterintuitive betrayal out of his ass that completely spits in the face of everything that was established about the guy up until that point. A 1/10 almost seems too nice for him, but let me tell you something: a 1 isn’t merely for a villain who sucks, that’s what 2 is for. 

No, a 1 is a villain who has utterly botched potential AND ALSO sucks. Malekith could have been cool, as his comic counterpart shows, but they squandered him; Dudepeel could have been an awesome cinematic Deadpool as the Ryan Reynolds performance earlier in the film showed, but the character was intentionally sabotaged; Rowan from Ghostbusters could have been an actual fun and funny villain while still being a jab at whiny entitled dudebros if the writing was any better; and Hux could have been a cool and threatening military villain if they didn’t just turn him into an utter joke and then totally mischaracterize him for no good reason. It really just is a fact that everyone who went in to The Rise of Skywalker came out infinitely worse; maybe I should be glad that Phasma was killed in The Last Jedi, because instead of being disappointing wasted potential she could have ended up like Hux.

But hey, while we’re here, let’s talk about the character in The Rise of Skywalker who is Hux done right:

Psycho Analysis: Allegiant General Enric Pryde

He’s ruthless. He’s efficient. He sees through lies and he gets things done. Enric Pryde is an utter badass and the exact sort of evil military commander Star Wars deserves as a villain.

Motivation/Goals: The Rise of Skywalker keeps things really vague since it is a film incapable of expanding on any idea, no matter how good it is, in a satisfying way, but what we do get is that Pryde is as loyal as they come, having served the Empire back in the day under Palpatine. He is just here to execute the will of the First Order and then the Final Order, no matter what, be it under Kylo Ren or Palpatine. Sweet, simple, effective, and never once betrayed by the story. Take that, Hux!

Performance: Richard E. Grant portrays Pryde, and he is just completely and utterly dead serious. There’s no jokes at his expense, nothing to mock, he is completely and utterly committed to his evil actions. I really don’t think I could possibly say it better than TVTropes did:

Final Fate: Of course, he gets blown up when that whole random CGI fleet that showed up with Lando comes in. Characters either went into The Rise of Skywalker and came out crappy or they died. There’s really no in between.

Best Scene: When he kills Hux, of course! It’s just a perfect showcase of his character, and it rids us of one of the sequel trilogy’s biggest embarrassments.

Final Thoughts & Score: Pryde is not the most deep or complex villain, nor is he utilized to his fullest potential; his past with Palpatine is largely unexplored, and he was just created for this movie, meaning he had absolutely no buildup whatsoever. Despite all that, though, he still manages to be cooler, more efficient, and more ruthless than any other villain in the whole sequel trilogy. He’s got limited screentime, was made entirely for this film, and is pretty much the bare minimum for what a great evil general should be in the franchise, but Richard E. Grant’s stoic and dead serious performance combined with the character’s crowning achievement – killing Hux – makes him a 7/10 in my book. 

The sad thing is that he’s probably the best major antagonist in the sequel trilogy, which is frankly kind of pathetic. And even more sad is how utterly he outdoes Hux, simply by being what Hux should have been all along and what The Force Awakens was clearly building him up as. 

[thrandilf]

Paternity Leave

Post Crimson Flower fluff, but no storyline spoilers

-

It took a lot to shock Edelgard. She thought, as Emperor of the Adrestian Empire, that she’d seen most everything.

That is, until a baffling notice from Hubert landed on her desk.

“Pardon my sudden absence Your Majesty. I am urgently needed at home and must go on paternity leave effective immediately.”

She read it aloud twice, staring blankly at the parchment. She clutched her chest and sank into the chair in her office, questions swirling in her head. Life, it seems, was more wild than she’d ever imagined.

“With WHO?!” How had she not noticed Hubert having a child? Was such information so secret her, his longest friend, his lord and majesty, wasn’t allowed to know? “Dorothea? No, she’s my wife.” Edelgard scratched her head, furiously gazing at the word ‘paternity’. “Bernie??? Doesn’t feel right, although it would explain the secrecy. Ferdinand??? I don’t even know! Petra- doesn’t even live in Fodlan.... ugh!”

Edelgard was going to have to go to the Vestra estate herself. It was all she could think about all day until she could finally take her leave. There was too much tension and confusion in her mind to warrant sitting still for a carriage ride and opted to take her wyvern instead. She ran through different congratulation messages in her head, trying to imagine Hubert with a baby and simply failing. She WAS happy for him- she’d just have to keep the annoyance and betrayal of not being told of Hubert’s son or daughter to a minimum.

She had regained her composure by the time she alighted on the front pathway of the ancient estate. A servant ran up to her and bowed while taking the wyvern’s reigns. “I’ll secure him for you, Your Majesty.”

Edelgard nodded. “Where’s Hubert? In his study?”

“Oh- not in the study, Your Majesty. Lord Vestra in the stables.” They paused. “He might be napping.”

How many more times was Edelgard going to be rendered speechless that day? She strode to the Vestra stables with purpose in her steps, wondering what on earth could possibly lead Hubert to have a baby and then sleep in his own stables. She scanned every stall in the barn, looking back and forth until she got to one on the very end and her mouth fell open with surprise.

Hubert was indeed napping on a bed of hay- with a baby pegasus snoozing right next to him, head laid in his lap.

A pegasus.

[[MORE]]

Hubert had never let go of his minuscule soft spot for them.

“Oh.” Edelgard hadn’t meant to let the noise escape her, but at least it meant she could talk to him.

Hubert stirred tiredly, hay stuck to his all black clothing with a few straws sticking out of his hair. “Ah, Lady Edelgard. This is...” he trailed off, looking at the large horse stall and then up at her over the door, “the least presentable you’ve ever seen me.”

Edelgard covered her mouth and laughed, relief washing over her. “It’s alright- I- haha- wanted to say congratulations and offer my confusion upon reading your memo.”

“Apologies if I am not permitted on leave- I didn’t know how else to phrase it in a rush.”

“No- no, it’s okay.” Edelgard held back from saying it was adorable. The pegasus woke up from its nap and, to Edelgard’s amazement, nuzzled Hubert’s chest affectionately. “How long have you been in here?”

“Feels like a full day, almost.” Hubert diverted his attention to the pegasus foal, giving it a rare smile and petting its soft coat. Even for a foal, it looked skinny. He reached off to his side and grabbed a bottle of milk, kneeling up on the hay as the pegasus stood up too. The soft expression on Hubert’s face was foreign to Edelgard as he bottle fed the pegasus. “She’s a rescue- abandoned by her mare and, it seems, barely taken care of in the past couple weeks before I got her. She wouldn’t eat anything at first, but I haven’t left her side. She’s already doing much better.”

Edelgard had to say it. “This is adorable.”

“I am the only one I trust to properly socialize her and take care of her. I’d hate to have to dispose of any of my servants for failing to nourish such a delicate creature.”

Edelgard could easily read between the lines and translate, ‘I love this pegasus more than I love myself.’ “So, I suppose you’ll be getting over your fear of heights with your new friend?”

“Hmmm.” Hubert eyed the pegasus as she drank. The pegasus was pure white and covered in a well groomed coat, although not quite as thick as it should’ve been. Hubert had spent so much time with her he even had a few tufts of baby feathers stuck to his black shirt. “Perhaps. Never into combat, though,” he said softly, as though promising his beloved pegasus that she’d never be in danger.

Edelgard knew firsthand how protective and attentive Hubert could be, and also that she couldn’t remember an animal loving him this much in all the years she’d known him. “Well, congratulations are still in order. I was racking my brain trying to figure out who you’d had a secret child with.”

“Oh dear,” said Hubert faintly.

“Yes. I’m relieved- no offense.”

“None taken. I suppose Ferdinand will finally get a chance to prove that he’s better than me, while I take care of Mire.”

“Mire?” Edelgard smiled at the cute, innocent pegasus as it stretched its wings while it nursed. Even as a baby under a month old, her wingspan was impressive. “Alright, no one will ever doubt she’s yours.”

Mire finished the bottle of milk and Hubert patted her neck as praise. The pegasus licked Hubert’s face and all he did was grin, looking back at Edelgard. “I suppose she had to do that while you were here to see.”

Edelgard couldn’t stop feeling elated as she watched Hubert and the pegasus together. She evidently only got to see the soft, blackmail worthy side of him only once every twenty years. She wasn’t in a rush to leave. A warm presence around her ankles made her look down at a bright orange cat purring at her feet. “Do I want to know the name of this cat? Is it Dark Spikes?”

Hubert huffed with amusement. He busied himself with helping Mire preen, fingers gently running through her feathers. “Is it orange? Linhardt gave me a kitten some time ago, and by gave me I mean set it loose in my house without telling me. The name is his fault.”

Edelgard swept the cat up into her arms and checked the collar. She instantly lost all of her composure, laughing and gasping for breath. “PURRDINAND?”

“Yes- he’s been keeping Mire company too.”

Edelgard unlatched the stall door and stepped inside. She set Purrdinand down and let Mire approach her. The pegasus sniffed at her and then immediately went back to Hubert for more grooming. “You’ve made a loyal friend.”

“A miracle, isn’t it?”

Edelgard could probably count on one hand the number of times she’d seen Hubert receive affection of any kind. He was head over heels for the baby pegasus, even if he’d never admit it directly. “I’m happy for you.” Hubert still looked exhausted, the grey under his eyes more prominent than usual. “Remember to sleep when your baby sleeps.”

Hubert sighed, tired but undeniably happy. “Oh, I know.”

[shawnsvalentine]

business + pleasure : one

description: shawn’s always been into older women but sloan is the exception that drives him wild

warnings: language, failed attempts at humor [2.6k]

It was a rarity for Shawn not to get what he wanted when he wanted it, and she made the mistake of adding to his perfect record as soon as she saw the white cylindrical box engraved with CHRISTIAN DIOR PARIS. There was an elegant note card attached at the top that had been sealed with a golden Giorgi Armani sticker. She made sure to open it while Cassandra was out with a client, knowing that the box wasn’t a care package from her mother.

For your collection. If you have one.

— Shawn xx

She couldn’t stop herself from gasping at the gift inside, the beautiful silk feeling foreign against her finger tips. The Strength mitzvah scarf, that she knew costed more than the thrifted one she was wearing when Shawn first approached her, every bit as gorgeous as it looked in the pictures. She knew that it was no coincidence that he’d chosen the S scarf, but she had no idea how he’d came across her name; she certainly hadn’t told him.

“Good afternoon, Sloan.” Her head snapped up to see him, just as alluring as usual in a plum button up and tight slacks. His eyes darted to the Dior package and he smiled, his whole face brightening at the sight of it opened. “I wanted to get you the whole ABC collection, but I figured you’d think it was excessive.”

“The only thing I thought was how odd it was for one of the board members of Giorgio Armani to gift me a Christian Dior scarf. Something you’re not telling us about your brand?”

He shook his head, his teeth glistening as a smile broke out across his lips. “Our scarves are just fine, you just struck me as a Dior woman.” Shawn wanted the next few moments to be scripted, for Sloan to wrap the scarf around his neck and pull him in so close that he could smell her signature fragrance personally. For her to mold her lips around his and grab onto his arms, moving on to moan sweet nothings into his ear. But of course, all she did was smile at him, thanking him for the gift. “Why don’t you wear it to dinner tonight?”

“Dinner?” What about Cassandra? was the subtext that both of them knew was written in invisible ink.

“A friend of mine just opened a restaurant about a month or so back, it’s in Brooklyn. Neither of our circles run in Brooklyn.”

She smacked his chest playful, taking note of the hard muscle underneath. “Excuse you, I live in Brooklyn.”

“Even better, we’ll be in your borough.” He knew he was playing a risky game by reaching out for her hand across the glass top mahogany desk, eyes fluttering up to catch her reaction. “Just one date. And if you genuinely think we’re nuts for sneaking around, then I’ll leave you alone. But at least let me buy you dinner before you turn me down.”

She laughed lightheartedly, using her free hand to point back at the color splashed creme scarf. “You already bought me a two-hundred dollar accessory,” He pouted, completely unprepared for her to shoot him down. “But yes. Dinner sounds nice. Pick me up at nine.” Sloan scribbled her ten digits on a loose sticky note, stuffing it in his pants pocket before sashaying her way to the break room for a cup of coffee.

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t positively giddy at the thought of spending a few hours with Shawn in public, completely uninterrupted by her boss or one of her colleagues. It meant actual conversation and not hushed whispers in between meetings and body language of strictly platonic professionals in case anyone barged in while Shawn was paying a visit. It meant getting to kiss him for the first time.

Sloan blinked back to reality as the Keurig began brewing her coffee, the black liquid filling up her boob-outline mug that she got on sale from Urban Outfitters. “Isn’t this like your third cup today?”

“What can I say, Kimmy, I love coffee.” Whenever Kimmy added her two cents where she didn’t bank, Sloan wanted to roll her eyes so far back they could get stuck. She couldn’t even drink coffee safely.

Kimmy disregarded the snark and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, glancing through the door as she sipped from the ice cold bottle. “Aren’t they just the cutest thing? Cassandra’s so stinking lucky, I’d give my right arm to date Shawn Mendes.”

“You’re left handed.” Sloan grabbed her mug and tried to return back to her desk in peace, but the sight of Shawn cozying up with Cassandra in the middle of the department’s floor had her sick to her stomach. They looked far too sweet giggling over nothing with one another, him practically nibbling on her ear, and all Sloan could do was wish that it was her. She hated feeling like a side piece, and even though she knew Shawn’s angle, she still felt like one. The girl he had to keep hidden.

Maybe: Shawn: It’s Shawn. I saw you watching us. I’m sorry. Will try to keep the office encounters to a minimum. SM.

Sloan: No, it’s not your fault. It’s on me

           Besides, if you stopped showing up I’d never see you

Shawn: Fair point. I’m still sorry though. Going to try to wrap up this deal as soon as possible. SM.

Sloan: What the fuck is sm

Shawn: My initials. I initial all text messages, force of habit. SM.

Sloan: You didn’t have to— nvm. SS.

Shawn: SS?

Sloan: Sloan Spelman

“You have a shoot tomorrow morning and you’re texting? It better be with your Gucci connect to secure that cowboy hat.” Cassandra. Most everyone has complained about a fatal flaw of their boss, but Cassandra Rosen? She was all flaws. Sloan often wondered how the hell she made it to where she was, the Editorial Director of the Vogue Magazine, talent be damned. How could anyone put up with one hundred and sixty pounds of pure mean just because she got things done? It was an answerless question Sloan had been asking herself since the day of her interview.

“Y-yes, I was just confirming it for the New Age Western shoot.” Sloan made a mental note to double confirm the hat for the shoot, otherwise she’d be out on her ass for telling such a boldfaced lie. She was still a bit baffled they were doing a shoot around a custom made Gucci cowboy hat for Lil Nas X all because he snuck it into one of his songs. It was kind of crazy how a guy younger than her had managed to wrap brands right around his finger, and he couldn’t even drink yet.

Shawn was practically staring her down from the doorway, fighting the urge to defend her against Cassandra’s sharp tongue. He knew his way around Cassandra by now, and saying anything to help Sloan would only increase her raging paranoia. It was just better to sit this one out. “I’m about to head out, I’ll see you tomorrow, Cass.” He wanted to say goodbye to Sloan but he settled on a polite nod as he turned to leave.

The rest of her work day was utter hell with Cassandra’s constant bitching about how Sloan’s first editorial shoot had to be perfect, as if Sloan wasn’t already stressing herself out. The only thing that kept her above float, aside from her coffee and Toblerone bar, was the reminder that her date with Shawn was mere hours away. She kept pushing aside the overwhelming anxiety surrounding getting caught and focused on daydreaming little scenarios about the two of them in some obscure underground speakeasy with total strangers. 

Sloan spent extra time in the shower, shaving everywhere just in case, and making sure she was fully lathered in her coconut meadowfoam body wash.  After a solid ten minutes of back and forth, she decided on keeping her curls out and wild, scrunching her bangs so she’d actually be able to see Shawn. She was still deciding between a tight black dress and a silk tank top with floral patterned bottoms when he texted her. It was longer than his normal and she was fairly sure he was nervous.

Shawn: I’m on my way. Took a while to decide on car or subway, but ultimately picked the subway because I wasn’t sure about the restaurant’s parking. He may have mentioned something about a nearby parking garage but those scare me. See you in about thirty minutes. SM.

She started to panic watching the minutes tick by and she grabbed the top and pants, letting her towel drop as she dipped into her body butter. Her underwear was barely on when her doorbell dinged, her hand reaching out to throw on her fuzzy purple robe before shouting out that she was coming. She figured it was her friend Alicia coming to hype her up before her date, but she couldn’t have been more wrong. It was Shawn. “Is that what you’re wearing? Bold choice.” He handed her the bouquet of peonies he was holding before kissing her temple. It gave her chills.

He looked absolutely... delicious. The maroon button up he was donning was showing off a bit of chest hair and his lucky pendant, and he’d rolled the sleeves up to the swell of his forearm. His hair was slicked back perfectly, his brown wavy locks framing his face in a way she thought should be illegal. She gulped at the sight of him towering over her, the urge to mount him oh so very real.“You said a half an hour? I swear it’s been only five minutes or so.”

Shawn shoved his hands in his pockets, his feet tapping against the welcome mat. “I had terrible reception at the terminal, it probably sent the second I resurfaced.”

“Well, come in. You can wait on the couch while I finish up.”

He shut the door behind him, showing himself around the coat rack to her living room. She followed a concise color aesthetic from room to room, the living room obeying the laws of pink and gold. There were plants surrounding her plush pink couch, and white throw pillows to match the rug beneath the golden coffee table. He felt like he was sitting in a Vogue interior design spread. “How long have you lived here?”

“Since junior year of college.” She kept her makeup to a minimum, light foundation with eyeliner and mascara, using extra caution so her outfit didn’t get stained. “It definitely beat paying that expensive ass room and board.”

She completely forgot about shoes as she left the bathroom, Shawn’s attention immediately on her and his jaw on the floor. Sloan tried not to pay any attention to it as she slipped into a pair of black pumps. “What? Is this not venue appropriate?”

“I-It definitely is, it’s just that I wasn’t exactly, I didn’t expect...” He rose from the couch, eyes still fixated on the way the silk clung to her body and how her curly afro graced her shoulder. “I don’t think I’ve ever been legitimately speechless in my entire life. Until now.”

They walked to the restaurant, taking advantage of the warm air and quiet street, using it as time to warm up to one another. The overwhelming lust wasn’t enough to make them fall for one another, but the conversation was. She led, and he followed, a dynamic neither of them were quite used to but most certainly suited them. He was chivalrous, almost too much so, but she basked in the unfamiliar feeling of being treated like royalty. She wanted to get lost in him.

The restaurant was fairly busy but not at all chaotic. Patrons stuck to their tables, keeping conversation at appropriate noise levels for the ambiance, and the staff floated about as if they defied gravity. The architecture was fawn worthy with its sleek modernity meets upper class design. “Your friend owns this place?”

“Maybe friend is too generous a term, but we went to college together. We keep in touch, get together every now and then for a drink. He called me when it opened.” He gave the hostess his name for the reservation and she led them to a staircase that led out to the rooftop. There were only two other parties up their with them.

“Shawn, this is absolutely insane. Semi-private seating?”

He waved it off, opening his menu as he pretended to browse. “It was nothing, I promise. Jalen insisted it was the perfect first date table.”

She watched him closely as he went off on a miniature tangent about how he and Jalen met. They went from hostile roommates to close friends who jammed out together on the weekends, and that sparked their years long friendship. He was quite the storyteller, animated and engaged, careful about each and every word he strung with the next. Her senses were in overdrive the whole night, watching him be absolutely gorgeous without trying whilst actually listening to every precious word that slipped past his lips: and he made it far too obvious that he was doing the exact same thing.

“I know I’m getting ahead of myself but… what about a nightcap?”

Sloan tried not to laugh at his obvious attempt at a different date night activity. “You? In my apartment? Drinking? Nuh-uh.”

“What? Why not?”

She searched for the words to sugarcoat we’re not in the same tax bracket, that their shred of a relationship didn’t need an introduction to class divides this early. “I live in a rundown brownstone that I most certainly wouldn’t be able to afford if my nana hadn’t left it to me. And I’m willing to bet you live in a two-story penthouse on the upper east side that you can afford because Armani treats you a little too well.”

He took a longer sip of his drink this time, placing it back down with a bit more conviction. “Alright, touché. But just because I live like a douchebag doesn’t mean I am one. I’ve already seen your place, what’s the big deal?”

She took a moment to think about it, twirling her fork in the last few noodles on her plate. Maybe she was judging him too harshly. Maybe she was the one who was uncomfortable with the class divide and he wasn’t even thinking about it. She shook it from her thoughts, going back to the good time they were having all on their own on the rooftop. How good her looked staring back at her awaiting her response, the faintest hint of a grin on his rosy pink lips as he shifted his weighted onto his forearms. “Admit it, you’re just trying to get in my pants.”

Shawn gasped, his hand flying up to press against his clavicle to feign shook. “Me? Try to get into your pants? We haven’t even gotten dessert.”

She rolled her eyes, tapping her fingers against the table as her leg crept up the side of his. “You’re such a dork.”

He was suddenly that much more aware of their proximity, her arm flush against his and her body heat radiating onto him. Shawn flagged down the waiter for the bill in a split second, reading between the lines of her body language as well as her hand that and snaked its way to his thigh. He’d never signed his signature as fast as he did right then and there, shooting up from his chair to help Sloan up. He leaned down to whisper in her ear about what the night held for them when the most obnoxious, ear-splitting shriek stopped him. 

“Sloan! This is so crazy, I was hoping us Fort Greeners would cross paths one day!” Her eyes were focused on Shawn the entire time, flickering back to Sloan only to shoot her an all-knowing smirk.

“K-Kimmy, hi.”

taglist: @shawnase , let me know if you’d like to be added!

[mrsstampede]

So I have thoughts on tlou2 I need to get out.

I haven’t finished watching the game but i've seen enough to feel a certain way Spoiler warning for those who haven't finished the game.

I genuinely cannot understand the logic behind the sequence of the game. Joel is murdered by Abby about an hour into the game. We get to play Abby for a short amount of time before it happens but at no point during that time are we made to feel anything for her. It's far too short of a time for us to care about her. Yet ND expects us to later feel conflicted about her actions.

We’re not stupid. We understand why Abby wanted Joel dead. The thing is we as players/viewers have years of attachment to Joel. We have bonded with him and care for him. So them expecting us to care about his killer just because they show us her life before she killed Joel and force the player to play as her is ridiculous.

The players view and feelings for Abby are tainted an hour into the game.Then you play as Ellie getting revenge, which imo is fine, I personally have no problems with a revenge story. Anyway you go through all this shit with Ellie, you take out these people who want Ellie dead, even before she kills anyone btw. We see the people who helped kill Joel and they’re assholes. So once again we see them as villains. Why shouldn't I cheer Ellie on?(besides the obvious of the effects it take on Ellie and her life)

Again I get there motivations but like Ellie says at one point, they're out to kill anyone who shows up in there area, not even making sure people aren’t in need of help. They are not exactly coming off as the nicest. They come off as bad guys yet were later asked to see them as people who are just like Ellie. They were wronged by Joel and so they seek out revenge. Its simple but it really isnt that easy. Even if them being standoffish is logical in this world people will still always associate the bad guys as the ones who kill anyone without giving them a chance. 

How many villains become villains because of revenge and are simply bad guys. Giving them a motivation isnt enough to make them interesting and much less make them sympathetic. Of course it's needed and helps but it's not all you need to make a interesting grey character.

Joel himself is a good example of a character that is not strictly a good person. He kills a bunch of doctors to selfishly keep a girl he’s grown to love and see as a daughter alive. He makes choices that you can argue are wrong yet we sympathise with him. Through the progression of the game we learn to care for him so when we get to the ending we now understand Joel. We fully understand how fucked up it is but we also get where Joel is coming from. We know the fire he’s playing with. The choice he makes and the lie he now carries. The first game does a wonderful job of giving us a flawed morally grew character.

Tlou2 does not. It fails miserably. It tries to force and manipulate the player by making them play Abby. It tries to manipulate you with pregnant Mel parallelling Ellie’s pregnant girlfriend, Dina. Using lazy tactics like flashbacks showing Abby’s loving dad being a cool dad who rescues animals and is playful with his daughter. Yet Abby is such an uninspiring character. She just isnt likeable. You have to be able to like a character to be able to sympathize with them, Just showing me that her dad was great and loving, isnt enough. Showing me Mel was pregnant, Owen was struggling, Manny was caring about his friends isnt enough. Yes it's good that they are being humanized but it all feels far to late and fleeting (even though her playable time is so long and god damn boring ass hell).

ND tells us these people are humans just like Ellie. They are flawed just like Ellie. Don't you feel conflicted? Don't you feel for Abby, who lost her father? 

but frankly I dont feel anything for any of them. I feel for Ellie who lost her father figure. I feel for Ellie who slowly loses herself. I feel for Jesse who loved his ex and his best friend and didn't care they got together. I feel for Jesse who died before getting to see his child. I feel for Dina who never got to directly tell Jesse of her pregnancy. I feel for Dina’s unborn child. 

Its laugable that ND gave us Dina and Jesse yet thought we’d be feeling things for Owen and Abby who have sex when Mel is carrying Owens child. Am I supposed to feel bad for them because they didn't get together when they were younger? Am I supposed to feel bad for Abby when Ellie killed Mel, when Abby betrayed her herself? 

Abby and friends where always going to have a uphill battle to be seen as more than villains yet it feels like ND did the bare minimum to them likable.

I will never understand why they didn’t introduce us to these character first so we could get to know them before our view of them was stained by Joel’s death. The game can only be so long so I get not having a lot of time to make us care which is why im kinda baffled they even went this route. Not that its impossible to do.

Then there's Joel’s death. Boy oh boy was it so underwhelming. I felt sad but honestly it was fairly fast and I felt like I had no time to really feel much. One moment he’s being beaten the next we’re with Ellie then we find him and bam he's dead in a few more minutes. I'm not saying it should have been some long drawn out sequence but it all happens to fast. I would have liked to get reacquainted to him before he died. See him and Ellie together more again. It would have hit so much harder then. Instead we see him a two(?) times then he’s dead. That's it. The main character of the first game is done. 

I know how it ends and what happens but im waiting to see it to. I want to see it and see what my feelings are but i'm not excited. What i've read sounds dumb frankly but we'll see i guess. 

I dont even hate the game or the plot. Fuck im not even mad about Joel dying. Hell I dont think id even be mad about him dying so soon if he’d have died in a better written scene. I just genuinely think the way it happened was so poorly written. It all feels lazy and badly put together. It feels like they think we’re stupid and would just like dark zombie movie like game with morally grey villain. That just because Its part 2 of a beloved game we’d just eat it up. It feels like ND got cocky and thought they were master storytellers because TLOU was so beloved and raved about.

Idk man I just want Abby dead and we dont even get that :/

TLDR; Bad bland unlikable villains that are supposed to be morally grey and sympathetic, bad story sequence, poorly written death scene. Oh and god awful cringy sex scene. Don't hate it, dont like either.

[lorajackson]

Sheltering in Place

What is the impact of sheltering in place! What will be the sacrifice for the American family on the front lines of the Coronavirus battle?

Courtney, a server in Las Vegas said “Casino’s are closed, the whole strip, all of downtown. Vegas is crushed. Tourism is non-existent and most of our city lost our jobs today.”

Jason, a bartender in Florida said he is terrified. Heather, a small business owner in Utah said ‘We have sunk all our money into our business. We live by the bare minimum and now with the threat of closure, it hits us hard. We do not qualify for unemployment although we pay for our employees it is not available for business owners. We cannot afford to close because of the virus.”

Jeff, a Chef in Georgia was sent home on Monday for an undetermined amount of time. “Even with unemployment, I cannot pay all my bills. I get by barely every month with a full paycheck.”

Sheltering in Place The Stories Across America

These are the stories across America. Americans terrified what the future holds in store for them. President Trump plans on bailing out the Airlines saying in a press conference on Tuesday, ‘Life was great for the Airlines, they have had three years of record-breaking sales. They are buying planes and building hotels and then all of a sudden, we close our borders and they are just devastated. Yes, we are going to bail them out, Americans need to travel.’

Okay, I get that, but how are Americans going to afford to travel when they cannot even pay their rent, cell phone bills or utilities? What about the chef, the bartender, the server who cannot pay rent in two weeks? Trump has suspended evictions until April. April is not going to do anything!

n Washington State, the first major outbreak in America, there are programs being put into place for assistance with those affected or infected to receive help with mortgage, rent, and utilities. However, not all will qualify. There are a lot of self-employed, and small business owners who will not qualify for any of these programs. There has been talked that the Government will send checks to ‘many’ Americans but there has been no information on if that will happen or who will receive these relief payments.

COVID-19 And N1H1

Now, let’s get to the really scary part! N1H1 was a relatively mild epidemic that broke out in 2009. N1H1 was not spread near as easily as the COVID-19, nor did it attack the lungs so severely or mutate as COVID-19. In 2009 it is estimated that N1H1 infected 1.4 billion people. If you take those numbers with a mortality rate of just 1%, Coronavirus will kill an estimated 14 million people in the United States alone. I am not citing these numbers to scare you. I am doing the math because suddenly- sheltering in place makes sense!

Yes, it is devastating for every family from coast to coast. Even if you have an awesome corporate job, the emergency savings in the bank, you are still impacted. No one is not affected in one way or another right now. Unfortunately, this is when we shine as humans. We are not near as divided as a nation as we were two weeks ago. Social distancing has in some ways brought us together in the battle. And yes, it is a battle and we know we have just begun in this fight.

What can we do to both battle this virus and keep roofs and food on the table for the millions of Americans that are now at home with no foreseeable income? How long will this really last? Even if we do our part to not spread the virus, what about the many who do not? Are we risking everything for the hope of creating a curb in the outbreak only to fail because so many refuse?

What is Going to Happen

People are buying guns and ammo; most Americans are not receiving paychecks. What is going to happen if the government is unable to provide relief? Is Martial Law plausible? Are people going to lose the humanity that we have recently found and succumb to fight or die for that last gallon of milk or the last package of toilet paper? (I honestly am baffled over the toilet paper.)

The government bailed out the mortgage companies, perhaps this is the time for them to bail out America? Cancel mortgage payments until we have got past the curve of danger? Landlords, in return, give a pass on rent. I can tell you one thing when you are living paycheck to paycheck, and your bills remain the same when that income stops or decreases: catchup is nearly impossible.

When we first reported about the Coronavirus had only been reported in six states with one death. THAT WAS TWO WEEKS AGO! Today, all fifty states have cases of COVID-19 and we have over 100 deaths. Yes, this virus spreads rapidly, is devastating to the lungs, and is a death sentence to our most vulnerable. We are in a very difficult position. The best that we can do is stay home and hope and pray that our government bails us out for our sacrifice. Just like the airlines, we were doing pretty good until…….

Please share your thoughts, stories and even ideas of solution. This is when we need to come together, work together and be indivisible.

The post Sheltering in Place appeared first on Land of Fathers.

Sheltering in Place published first on http://landofourfathers.com/

[ships-for-you]

For @incognitotheangel

I’m apologize for being idle for quite a while and this request might as well have been in my inbox for a year. Anyway without further interruptions, let’s get on with it!

For Black Butler, I ship you with Grell Sutcliffe!

The both you would have met under normal circumstances, or at least what was presumed to be normal.

You would have been a scholar from the western end coming from boarding school and was sent to stay with your distant relatives for a while. You’ve never heard of the Phantomhive’s having any sort of tie with yours and you remained skeptical, however, decided upon following your guardian’s wishes and got into a carriage with the coachman who was informed of your destination beforehand. Being from a family that was as well-off as your own, money has never hindered your family from achieving what they desired nor were you denied access of necessities. This had become blatant to mostly everyone from your section, especially on your account of dyeing your hair a color that was, and is, considered the most expensive and royal color. A rich purple hue that would have been sourced from a rare species of snail however you had discovered an alternative by utilizing the essence of a plant that gave a similar shade and vibrancy as you would from that specimen.

Once you arrived, nervous as nervous can be, you were greeted by a face mirroring your own anxious exterior, you immediately processed the supposed best approach to explain your presence at the front of the manor’s large doors as he did not seem aware of your arrival.

”Excuse me, however, I have bee—” ”I-I’m afraid we w-won't be entertaining any visitors.” he said quickly as the seemingly heavy doors slammed shut before you could utter any words of opposition followed by an unidentifiable scream of, what seemed to be, surprise and other odd sounds.

You were about to step off of the elevated platform when you turned around and saw a tall man with a mysterious aura, along with a child with an eye-patch across his face by his side, approaching you. ”Ah, Lady (L/n), you arrived earlier than expected.” the little boy had said as he moved forward to the door, which was initially open just a few moments ago. ”We have been expecting your arrival.” was all the boy had said as he merely motioned for you to follow him along with the tall man, whom you discovered was his servant, tended to your luggage and presumably brought it to your own private quarters.

”Perhaps we can settle this confusion over some tea?” he started and proceeded to open a door only to be greeted by a mystery red-haired woman, a Chinese man, and the butter you had seen prior. The boy’s face seemed to have shifted from confusion to distaste, to irritation upon seeing unwanted company ransacking one if his rooms.

You came to know that the unknown woman was his aunt, one was a Chinese trader, and the other was his aunt’s butler...with an extreme inferiority complex...

You soon found out that the ”unwanted company” consisted of his aunt, a Chinese trader, and his aunt’s butler. As soon as he made eye contact, his eyes widened and his pupils contract as small as they could and he immediately got in his knees, bowed, and apologized profusely once he found out you were a distant relative of the young boy and his own mistress as he made an attempt to jump off the nearest window.

Overwhelmed by being faced with a situation you had never imagined to occur, you immediately moved and hugged him from behind to hinder him from falling. He slowly turned his head to look at you while the others were either baffled or merely squealed in delight. You came to and removed your body from his with a light dusting of cerise upon your cheeks. He looked away and coughed awkwardly however apologized once more before taking his place by his mistress’ side, alternating between looking towards your direction and keeping his head down.

Needless to say, further interactions later had not been awkward although not necessarily the most pleasant situation to be in either. That first impression, your impulsive fashion of dealing with the initial situation, combined with your inability to prolong a meaningful conversation without overthinking, most interactions with him alone are kept to a bare minimum. He does find your intelligence quite fascinating and aside from the impulsive action you had executed on the day you first met, you have a very logical approach to problems and keep calm, you constantly ensured a well thought out plan and approach to any situation.

Because of your intellect and your fairly logical decision-making, Ciel had asked for your assistance to aid him with the investigation of the leather apron case or, as the killer refers to himself, the Jack the Ripper case. Even with your aid, it has proven your collective efforts were futile as all of you have received news of the infamous killer striking once more despite already having the primary suspect under close watch. You raked your brain, trying to find the flaws in yours and Sebastian’s deduction and found nearly no window for doubt. You were no fool, however you might be susceptible to letting your emotions occasionally drive your logic. It can't be, can it?

You went out into the garden to clear your mind, the cold wind nipping at your skin as you were only in your sleepwear. You stared at the roses then shifted your gaze to the bright moon. You closed your eyes, inhaled then exhaled deeply, composing your thoughts. It all seemed to be coming together...until you heard a twig snapping and a few leaves crunch perhaps as an accident. ”Hello darling!” A head popped out of one of the rose bushes, their hair nearly a direct contrast from the white roses me was surrounded by.

He removed himself from the bushes and neared his face to yours, all the while grinning ear to ear as he scrutinized your stunning face. ”Ah, I've waited sooooo long to reveal my true form to you!~” he said as pulled you to him and pressed your body to his as close as humanly possible to the point that you felt as if you would lose consciousness. He let you go soon enough and tilted his head to the side a bit. Only then do you notice diminutive scratches scattered upon the man’s face and a bit of blood staining his collar.

”A-And who might you be ?” you questioned and attempted to create distance between your bodies however failed as he did not intend to loosen his hold on you. He made a whining noise and pouted dramatically as he answered, ”I must say, you wound me though I do understand, I wasn't as vibrant I would have wanted. My, what a dull disguise that was.” he whined and mindlessly examined his blood red nails. You racked your brain in the attempts to identify the identity of the red-haired male that stood before you and came to only one conclusion. ”Grell?!”

You couldn't believe this...transformation. ”Oh, so you do remember!” he made a move to near his face more and more to your own as you struggled against his grip, all the while squealing ever so slightly. ”What happened to your face?” You examined. ”Just a little lovers’ quarrel between me and bassy.~” He lowered his head and grinned once more before inching his face near yours. Being inexperienced with intimate contact with other individuals and contact in general, you shut your eyes tight and stay as still as possible as you await whatever were to happen. You hear Grell laugh softly yet a mischievous undertone shone through. ”You really are a cutie.” he whispered into your ear and distanced himself. You opened your eyes hesitantly only to still be greeted by that cheshire grin that he seems to enjoy making.

”You definitely are an interesting one! Red will always be my favorite although I must say that purple suits you more than red ever could.”

For Diabolik Lovers, I ship you with Ayato Sakamaki!

I'd like to think that you and him, along with the rest of his brothers, would have met as minors. I'd also like to think that you would be one of the only unchanging variables in their lives and gave them a taste of humanity.

As cliche as it may seem, a person of your nature truly is attractive in nearly every aspect. Whether it be your naturally placid personality, your stunning brown hair, or your thirst for knowledge, you naturally seem to draw them in, much to their displeasure. This family is not known for holding ”affections” towards any individual and it became increasingly difficult for them to focus on their own distinct priority as you seemed to plague their thoughts, as if forcing your way into their care. Naturally, this had resulted in them denying you of their attention therefore, you distanced yourself from them as you perceived yourself as a burden.

You were very much aware of the situation they were in and their relationships with their mother and father or, occasionally, lack thereof. You were a naturally calculating yet feeling person and thus swore to yourself to protect them from further damage to their comprehension of ”human” emotions. The only hindrance? They grew up, and so did you.

Children cannot remain children for eternity, they will grow, become stronger, smarter, and more powerful than their opposers. Their relationships as brothers will begin to deteriorate and become independent of them. Their hatred towards their parents, guardians, each other, and themselves is inevitable and they will become emotionally distant. You had made efforts in the attempt to redeem your connection with them only to be welcomed half-heartedly. Allowing you access to observe their lifestyle however stopping half-way as they did not seem to trust you enough to address and entertain your questions. Of course, wanting to know more yet not wanting to stalk them, you insisted upon lodging at their own manor.

A few years have passed and coincidentally you would be attending the same academy as they did and you made it your small mission to merely be there and support them should they need help in any and every sense of the word. You handling given up on your intention to pry into their painful experiences and concluded to be there for them in the present despite being unable to do so in the past. You shared the majority of your classes with the two eldest brothers although you preferred the company of the second son as he would aid you with your studies and also seemed to enjoy your much-loved genre of horror and macabre literature.

Once you had come over to their humble abode, you were quick to approach your own quarters to organize your school works with the intention of finishing your load in order to create free time for you the following day. As much as you wouldn't like to admit you were distracted, you couldn't help but let your thoughts wander places and ideas that you know you wouldn't end up executing.

Once you had finished, it was still considerably dark however you needed to sleep (night school, remember). You quickly fixed your stuff and lied down on your bed but not before changing into what you deemed comfortable sleepwear. As you were about to doze off, you felt a side of the bed sinking a considerable amount indicating a presence behind you. The unknown company you had beside you slung their arm across your waist and buried their head into your neck as you heard a sharp but quiet intake of breath. You turned your body to face the perpetrator and were greeted with their bright green eyes that almost seemed to glow in the dark. The slightly frazzled look his face displayed invoked a sense of melancholy from within yourself as your hand unconsciously travelled from your side to his face in a gentle caress.

”Stop that, ore-sama demands it.” he took your hand in his and moved it off if his face however made no move to remove his hand from yours. You smiled softly and intertwined your fingers together, it was in moments like these where the vampire’s haughty exterior would crumble and render him almost defenseless and you could only admire his courage. A part of the reason as to why you gave up on interrogating them was the fact that they confided in you enough to allow you to see them in their most vulnerable state. You came to the conclusion that they will never truly be able to trust you wholly although you found that more than enough as, it may seem small from your perspective, it must have taken quite the risk to entrust you with their own little secret.

You snapped out of your small monologue as you felt his fingers slip through yours and felt his weight shift from beside you to above you. He hovered for a while before he muttered something incomprehensible to you as he lowered his head to your neck, to which you only turned your head to gave him full access to. You've had the rest of them drink from you before and this would be no different. You felt his breath fan across your skin only to feel faint but prolonged contact. His lips left your neck as he returned to his place on your side and pulled you to him. You felt warm blood creep unto your cheeks and calm your pounding heart. He hugged you tighter and nuzzled his head further into your neck. You, with your calmed and content heart, soon enough fell asleep, missing the words Ayato muttered under his breath.

”You belong to me and no one else.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I apologize if they are extremely out of character however, I do hope you enjoyed regardless.

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Spider-Force #2 Thoughts

The text at the issue’s end advertising issue #3 includes the phrase ‘what-the-heck-just-happened’.

All too appropriate for this series.

 In issue #1 there was a sense of...confusion on my part. A sense of ‘why is this happening, who are these people, what’s going on’. Not for the over all plot but for specific elements, such as regarding Charlie. I thought maybe the consequent issues will flesh this out.

But with issue #2 I doubt that.

Some things were answered but other things played out in head scratching ways. In fairness I think it’s less a matter of what happened so much as the presentation of it.

I think the key example here is Ashley and Charlie’s relationship.

The idea that Ashley would seek to connect to a version of her grandfather isn’t an uninteresting angle per se.

However having her open up to Charlie and encourage Charlie himself to open up to her whilst they are literally tumbling through space is a baffling creative decision. I’m wondering if Priest went that direction to be funny (he does lampshade it a little) or if he just needed to cram it in there.

This baffling use of presentation applies to stuff that is initially confusing but gets answered later, but isn’t presented initially as something that is posing a mystery or a question in the first place. One example would be Charlie’s initial recruitment and him saving the falling safe. Another would be when we get 3 flashbacks in a row from the POV of Astro-Spider, Ashley and Charlie. When you first see this it’s very confusing because they don’t seem to line up and it’s not clear that we are getting flashbacks to all 3 characters. The fact that Charlie’s past was being dived into was immediately made clear when he yells for Astro-Spider to get out of his head. But it isn’t until way later in the comic that we find out we also got to see Ashley’s past.

Granted maybe that’s on my end because I’m not overly familiar with Ashley.

This brings up a point of debate regarding presumed knowledge on the readers’ parts. I have read Old Man Logan but it was a while back and shockingly I was more focussed upon Logan’s story than anyone else’s. And yet knowing the wider world building and Ashley’s angle would’ve made a point of alienation in the story much more accessible, but I was never told or reminded of that aspect. In contrast though Astro-Spider’s origin is clearly connected to the cosmic rays that created the Fantastic Four. And at first I didn’t bat an eye at that because of course I know the F4’s origins. But then I got to Ashley’s character and it made me realize if you didn’t know the F4’s origin you’d seriously be baffled by Astro-Spider’s. So at the end of the day I feel very much it’s a failing on Priest’s part that he doesn’t have some kind of exposition or explanation that will be more inviting to new or unfamiliar readers. After all it’s maybe one thing to presume general knowledge about Spider-Man when you are writing a Spidey tie-in for a Spidey event but quite another when doing that to presume they’ve also read F4 and Wolverine comics.

Even putting aside the issue of presumed knowledge there is a certain...cheapness to the modest exploration of Ashley’s character and her relationship with Charlie.

Now I read Old Man Logan a while back (and wasn’t impressed at all) and don’t remember everything about it. I also didn’t read all of Spider-Verse and skimmed a lot of the stuff I did ‘read’. So maybe I’m forgetting or in the dark about something in need of enlightening. But I don’t remember Ashley being a sexual abuse survivor. I don’t remember Ashley having particular connections to her grandpa Peter Parker.

These elements to her are thrown into this and the last comic and then exaggerated in order to give her some kind of emotional angle through her connection to Charlie. Now first of all throwing in so casually an abuse backstory for any character is pretty messed up (not helped when pages later the Inheritors are framed as pedophiles when...they’re really not at all). Second of all if Ashley really felt this kind of connection to her grandpa...wouldn’t that have come up earlier?

I mean she is emphasising a familiar connection with a version of Peter Parker who doesn’t wear the regular costume, has a drastically different character and backstory, isn’t even called ‘Peter’ and is barely a teenager not an older man like her grandpa. Surely there were other Peter Parkers around more closely resembling her grandfather. IIRC wasn’t Otto in Spider-Verse pretending to be Peter Parker initially? What about Kaine even? You could argue she connects with Charlie due to a similar backstory of being a child victim and growing up fast, but other Spiders were tough too and even if you disagree again it’s just sort of thrown in there. It’s lazy development.

It isn’t even that these aspects couldn’t be explored or make for interesting angles on what is ultimately a rather bland character. But they sort of just show up they aren’t conveyed or developed organically at all. The same applies to her over all relationship with Charlie.

If I had to guess the root of this is that there is too much going on in this comic. Priest simultaneously needs to serve the plot of the over all event he’s tying into but also wants to dosome character stuff and develop and flesh out his original contributions. And in 3 issues it just doesn’t work.

A street punk 13 year old Peter Parker who HATES Uncle Ben is a great idea.

A post-apocalyptic waste land criminal, childhood abuse surviving granddaughter of Spider-Man, who wants to connect some version of her long gone grandpa who represents the few good parts of her life is a great angle.

An astronaught Spider-Man who is a familiar face and leader of human survivors in space is a great idea.

A Spider Strikeforce on a suicide mission on a radioactive wasteland working against the clock is a great idea.

A morally grey clone of Peter Parker with a bloody past making tough decisions to serve the greater good is a great idea.

A Spider-Hero who just wants to protect the world for her baby’s sake is a great idea.

A Regency dressed totem vampire on the hunt for a crystal containing her father’s essence in space...is a shite idea but they can’t all be winners.

However when you do these things all at the same time...it becomes an inconsistent rushed mess.

Let’s tangent briefly to talk about a few (the only few) positives of the comic. The art continued to be good even though the new artists doing a few pages aren’t as good as the regular artists and the switch is very noticeable. And Astro-Spider...is a great idea. John Jameson as Spider-Man is something I’ve always been intrigued by but can’t recall ever happening before. This is different to what I imagined because I was thinking he’d be more traditional as Spider-Man not an astronaut version of Spidey. But it’s still brilliant, taking the most famous angle of John Jameson, the F4 and Spidey and smashing them together to create something visually dynamic and fitting for the world we’re in.

Okay the positives are over now lets get back to the problems.

Last issue the recap page seemed at odds with the internal comic story. The same is true for this issue but bizarrely the recap page is now saying something different so it’s at odds with the last issue’s recap page and still at odds with the comic itself.

We’ve gone from a group of Spiders not afraid to die to Spiders who’re willing to do whatever it takes. But last I checked that wasn’t true. Correct me if I’m wrong here but:

a)      Was Charlie really established as being willing to do whatever it takes, which in context probably means killing people? He’s more rough and maybe more violent than 616 Peter but is he that extreme really?

b)      In the Clone Saga Kaine killed people but he had a rule about hurting innocent people (some exceptions applied). Preeeeetty sure in his solo book at minimum the same applied or else he was in fact more against killing. Didn’t he NOT kill Kraven the Hunter specifically because of that? He also wasn’t ever willing to sacrifice anyone for the greater good last I checked. In fact this is one point I’m 99% resolutely sure is aggressively NOT in character for Kaine. For Otto sure, but Kaine as the comic implies. No fucking way. I dare you to prove me wrong.

c)       I know Spider Woman has had spy and HYDRA associations, but is she really of the Wolverine school of thought when it comes to killing. I’m possibly wrong but I don’t think her morals regarding how hardcore you get are that different to Peter Parker’s

So what’s the deal here?

Wouldn’t it be easier to just say this is a team of Spider Bad asses who’re willing to get more rough and violent than the other hero’s?

Part of Kaine’s (meagre) characterization in this story is in fact connected to the ‘whatever it takes’ angle of the story. Like I said this is very out of character for Kaine but it also makes the story more inconsistent. The rationale for Charlie’s inclusion has seemed to be implied variously as him being rougher, him being willing to die (based on what?), him being willing to do whatever it takes (based on what?), him being willing to save people from a falling safe (just like...pretty much ever Spider-Hero here) and now we’re hearing it’s because he’s bait.

Because the Inheritors are sort of like pedophiles apparently and they like that young spider meat, like veal I guess. Um....again correct me if I’m wrong but I’m pretty sure that’s bullshit, pretty sure the youth of their targets isn’t that big of a deal to them. But then again I’m also pretty sure that they can only drain the life forces of totems yet Verna bafflingly can just take ANYONE’s life forces...wtf??????

Connected to this WTFness is the fact that Charlie out of nowhere seems to just know  the Inheritors have a preference for young meat. How and when did he figure that out exactly? He didn’t even know about the Inheritors until less than 24 hours ago.

Speaking of time...let’s do a rundown of everything that’s happened between their arrival in issue #1 to the end of issue #2.

So they’ve shown up, Kaine’ sabotaged their transport devices, they’ve battled Astro-Spider, he’s given them exposition and they’ve talked, they’ve located and boarded his space ship, then they’ve had an alert from his space station prompting another skirmish, then they’ve gone into space, divided their team, gotten to their designated target zones and whilst all this is going on Verna got into the station with her gang and had killed over 30 people and searched the place.

And according to issue #1 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall that...happens in under 15 minutes...

Fuck.

Off.

More than anything that time limit has irreparably wrecked the internal logic and consistency of this story.

Even moreso than the fact that the baffling fact that Solus’ crystal somehow ended up in space. I mean last I checked Mayday threw it into the radioactive world for Daemos to fetch. I’m not saying there is no way for it to have been lost and taken into space but no comic in the entire event has addressed that at all.

Skim Astro-Spider’s backstory and pages if you want but otherwise I recommend not reading this crap.

P.S. The explanation for the name ‘Inheritors’ seems inconsistent with the explanation given previously IIRC

P.P.S. Editing this in after the fact. But...

a) How and why does John have the ruby that turns him into Man-Wolf if he’s got Spider powers?

b) How and why does John know who Peter Parker is? It’s written as though he knows he was the hero Spider-Man but in this universe he wasn’t Ben Parker was. 

P.P.P.S. What was with all the PG swearing where they used safe versions of common curse words? It felt tryhard edgy to me.

[captainfawful]

 With the year coming to a close, that means it’s time for me to do my “Nobody Cares Awards” thing I like to do! Check under the cut for some hot takes I may or may not have!

Hello, hello! It’s me again! Third year in a row I decided to jot my thoughts down on the years various game. I decided to change things up more from last year, kind of eliminating most of the categories in favor of writing more about the games I enjoyed. I tried to write at least something about every game in the Top 10 this time, even if it’s the bare minimum. Let’s see how it goes!

BEST MUSIC

This entire thing was first created because I wanted to write about how good Death Road To Canada’s soundtrack was. So no matter what changes with my format on this, there will always be a Best Music category. I’ll be honest though, there weren’t a whole lot of games this year with amazing soundtracks. The only real contender for most of the year was Celeste, which OST is very good, and fits perfectly with the games tone and style, but it’s not... The Best music. They aren’t songs I’ll put on loop and listen to multiple times throughout the day. They’re not the hard hitting tracks I would typically put at the top of this category, despite how great the music is. That’s how I felt until about August, when The Messenger came out. Messenger is not a game that will be in my Top 10 by any means, but it’s a pretty good game nonetheless with a couple of really weird twists. But the OST is phenomenal. Easily my number 1 favorite of this year. Just about every track in the game is a total banger. But don’t take it from me, take a listen yourself! A little later in the year I played through Just Shapes & Beats. I have a personal stigma against saying a thing with licensed music should qualify for Best Music, which is why JS&B did not make it into my top 3, but rest assured that it is sitting comfortably in the 4th place spot. Almost immediately after I played JS&B, Deltarune suddenly came out. I don’t think I have to tell you why that’s on here, right? Toby Fox cannot make bad music.

SPECIAL MENTIONS

THE MISSING:J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories

It’s hard for me to talk about what makes The Missing so special without diving deep into spoilers. There’s a reason it’s in the special mentions, and not the Top 10: And that reason is because the gameplay isn’t great. The Missing is a side-scrolling puzzle game, in the same vein as Limbo or Inside. Unlike those two, however, the puzzles you have to solve are not that hard, and most of the difficulty around it revolves around how slowly and janky the movement is. However, the overall story and twist is what makes this game great. There’s not a whole lot for me to say about the themes this game presents, so if you want to play The Missing, play it. If you don’t want to play it, then maybe take a look at some writings from actual queer women who could talk about its subject matter in a way I never possibly could.

The Quiet Man

The Quiet Man is a terrible game. When I first saw the trailer during Suare Enix's E3 presentation, I was super interested. I've always wanted a game that transitions from FMV to gameplay with as few seams as possible, and The Quiet Man promised that. Not only that, it promised a compelling story told from the perspective of its' deaf protagonist. The way I saw it, this game would either accomplish what it set out to do, or fail miserably. Either way, it was a win/win scenario for me! Little did I know just HOW miserably it would fail.... Oooooh, how miserably it failed... The gameplay is absolute trash, the graphics leave much to be desired which makes the "seamless" transitions from FMV look unconvincing and bad, the story is needlessly complicated despite how generic it is, the acting ranges from decent to awful, and it requires you to play it twice in order to actually understand what's happening. And all of those problems are the LEAST offensive parts of the game. It's racist, misogynistic, somehow ableist against more than just deaf people, semi-incestual, and also kind of pro-abuse??? I mean, it doesn't take a stance to be anti-abuse, and certainly doesn't condemn abuse, so does that make it pro? Maybe? Probably? I have a headache. I've watched this entire 2-4 hour game be played 10 or 11 times, and I still don't understand how this exists. Square-Enix published this. They dropped Hitman and IO Interactive not even one year ago, yet threw money at this horrible abomination of a video game! Oh by the way, you might be wondering why I said you have to play it twice to understand, and that's because the first playthrough doesn't give you any sound. Yup, aside from the intro cutscene and the credits song, the entire games' audio is just muffled ambiance. This includes all of it's cutscenes, of which there are MANY, and they are LONG. Entire MINUTES of dialogue happening at a time that the game just doesn't want you to hear or have subtitles for. The only way to get audio is to beat the game once and replay it. Not only that, but the New Game + with sound and subtitles didn't even get patched in until a week after it's release!!! Who does that!!!!! And the version with audio has some ATROCIOUS writing. Just about every scene has at least one line of dialogue that makes no sense, almost as if the writers were only told about how humans speak, but never actually heard one themselves. I’ve heard a lot of people saying it’s The Room of video games, and I sort of agree. Much like The Room, it’s not the absolute worst of it’s form of media, the game is playable start-to-finish, extremely straight forward so you can’t get lost, no bizarre puzzles to figure out, the FMV cutscenes are at decently produced. Hell, I wouldn’t even say The Quiet Man is the worst game to come out THIS YEAR. Crying Is Not Enough released in June, and boy oh boy is that game a trash fire. But it’s just BAFFLING that this game exists. That’s the perfect word to summarize my feelings on The Quiet Man. Every single thing about it is just, baffling. I need to stop writing about this game. This whole paragraph is probably going to be longer than anything from my Top 10, which feature a few games I ADORE, but no. All my writing energy is going to how terrible this fucking video game is. Don't play The Quiet Man. Or do, fuck if I care. Maybe watch someone else play it, I don't know. I don't know anything anymore.

Ori and the Blind Forest

Back on the topic of good games, I finally got around to playing Ori and the Blind Forest! I played it for a little while after it originally came out around 2015, but it just didn’t stick with me at the time. There wasn’t any real reason why it didn’t stick, I just got bored and stopped playing, which isn’t that uncommon for me to do. But for whatever reason I decided to go back to it super late last year. It may have been the excitement for all the cool looking Metroidvanias slated to release throughout the year, I don’t know. But I played through it, and it’s fantastic! Most Metroidvanias tend to go with around a 60-40 split between platforming and combat. Different games have different splits, sure, but most of them tend to keep those somewhat even. Ori is like an 85-15, greatly favoring tight platforming over fighting enemies. Your main attack automatically locks on to nearest enemies, and boss fights are replaced with autoscrolling or stealth segments. The traversal is also super smooth and fun, making that 85-15 split much more favorable than others in its’ genre. Great controls combined with some amazing visuals and music, Ori is definitely a game I regret not playing earlier.

2019′S COMING IN HOT

Spelunky 2, Wargroove, Indivisible, Hypnospace Outlaw, Ooblets, UFO 50, Kingdom Hearts 3, Overland, Sea of Solitude, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and  Get in the Car, Loser!. These are all great looking games that are supposed to be coming out in 2019. I remember last December when I last did this, I couldn't think of THAT many games I was really excited for, and despite that I ended up with a pretty damn good list of games for 2018. So who knows what next year will be like?!

And now... The Top 10!

#10: Spider-Man

It’s been a great year for Spider-Man. His best buddy Venom had a pretty good movie, his new video game is good, and he has a new movie that’s fantastic! Yep, it’s been such a good year for Spider-Man in which nothing bad has happened to him or the people who created him.

#9: Megaman 11

2 > 4 > 3 > 8 > 11 > 7 > 5 > 6 > 9 > 10 > 1. Don’t @ me.

#8: Iconoclasts

Iconoclasts has been in development for a very long time. Officially, development for it began in around 2010, but there is a seemingly earlier game by Konjak that shares many similarities. Basically, Iconoclasts began development at least 8 years ago, and it shows, for better or worse. On one hand, the game is gorgeous. Grade A sprite work all around. The characters are interesting and well written with their own morales and arcs, and the story is surprisingly deep and compelling considering the type of game it is. On the other hand, the gameplay feels very outdated now. The combat is super simplistic, the puzzles aren't terribly challenging or rewarding, and the weapon/ability upgrades are very limited. The traversal can be sluggish and boring, which is a red flag for a game where you have to backtrack a decent amount. If Iconoclasts came out 4 or 5 years ago, I feel like it would've been at least a cult classic. But in 2018, it's a decent Metroidvania in a year of great Metroidvanias. Overall, I'm glad Iconoclasts finally came out. I just wish it either came out sooner, or got more updated for modern game design.

#7: Slay the Spire

For all intents and purposes, I shouldn't like Slay the Spire. I always hated card-based RPGs, and always hated RPGs with only one party member. And for the most part, the issues I have with both of those are still very much present in Spire. So why have I sunk 50 hours into it so far? Beats me! If I had to guess, I’d say it’s the similarities it shares to Darkest Dungeon, one of my favorite games, that ultimately drives me to it. Now, you might be asking why Slay the Spire, a game that came out in 2017, and won’t be in 1.0 until probably 2019, is in my top 10 for this year, but Ori & the Blind Forest isn’t? Well, I started Ori last year, and didn’t start Spire until the middle of this year! Also, they’re my awards, and I can do whatever I want!

#6: Just Shapes & Beats

Just Shapes & Beats’ concept is simple: A rhythm bullet hell. Certainly not the first of it’s kind, and not even the first one to use simplistic shapes as the obstacles/characters. But there’s a bit more to it than that. JS&B has some good personality to go with it. It has some fun characters, all of the levels are demonstrative of the areas you’re in on the world map, it even has a couple lightly emotional moments! It’s much more than you’d expect from a game about Just Shapes & Beats. When I was younger and had vague dreams to make games, I always imagined making one that was basically “What if a Windows Visualizer was trying to kill you?” and also be themed around a world and a story, and JS&B is basically that.

#5: Pipe Push Paradise

What happens when you take Pipe Dream, an iconic puzzler which has given inspiration to countless others, and mix it with Stephen's Sausage Roll, arguably one of the greatest puzzle games of all time? You get Pipe Push Paradise, of course! That’s all I really have to say, and all I NEED to say.

#4: Dead Cells

Go play Dead Cells. Really, it’s the closest thing to a perfect Rogue-like (that isn’t Spelunky) out there right now. It’s a game so good, Filip Miucin couldn’t look away from it long enough to write his own review!

#3: Subnautica

If I had the opportunity to become a Fishman and live underwater, I’d probably take it. As long as you take out the jellyfish that can kill you .0001 seconds after stinging you, I have no qualms with open water. In fact, the isolated feeling from it is really relaxing to me. That’s what initially drew me to Subnautica. Survival games are usually hit or miss for me, but the ones I like I really dive deep into (Heh heh), and Subnautica is one of those. Also, I was rewatching the Super Mario Bros. Super Show on Netflix as I played this, so now I’ll have those two permanently linked in my mind from now on.

#2: Into The Breach

I love tactics games, especially Advance Wars. While I do still love others in the genre like Fire Emblem or X-COM, there are some intricacies of the AW series that most of the others don't have. When I first heard about Into The Breach, I thought it would be exactly what I wanted, a true successor to the series I'd been waiting for. And it was not! But it's still pretty damn good. It's not so much a tactics game as it is a puzzle game, described by Waypoint's own Austin Walker as a "tactical dance". You know at the start of each turn where each enemy is going to attack, and it's your job to navigate and attack with your 3 mech units in the exact right way to minimize or even straight up prevent any damage that would befall you or the cities you're protecting. You aren't trying to advance a map during combat, or conquer any enemy bases. You are merely trying to avoid damage for a certain amount of turns and move on to the next level. And it's all super fun! I've let the game sit for 10, 20 minutes while I try and figure out every possible option I have after being backed into a corner, and coming up with the absolute perfect solution and getting through to the other side is super satisfying. The biggest gripe I have with Into The Breach is the same one I had for FTL, the developer's last game, which is I don't think the unlockable mechs/mech teams are as fun as the default ones. I played most of them once or twice and went "Yeah, that's a thing" and migrate back to the first mech team. All in all, Into The Breach is a fantastic game, it just doesn't scratch that Advance Wars itch I've been feeling. Oh well, at least there's still Wargroove!

#1: Celeste

Celeste is a game I got 100% completion in. For those of you who might not know me well enough to know how I play games, that’s something that never happens. I think the last time I purposely got 100% on a game was in Uncharted 2, and even that was only to get a skin for multiplayer. Despite that, it’s been really difficult for me to write up a whole thing about why I love Celeste so much. It’s just a compilation of everything. I love the look of it, both the sprite work and the character portraits. The music, as mentioned before, is fantastic and perfectly fitting for all of the levels themes which deal in different forms of anxiety or self-doubt. The levels are hard, but not too hard. The secrets hidden throughout the game are so satisfying to figure out and find, very reminiscent of Braid. I feel confident in saying that Celeste has cemented itself as one of my favorite games of all time.

Well, that’s all I can handle writing for this year. Thanks to the few of you who skimmed through all this, and extra thanks to the fewer of you who read all of it! I’m not 100% sure if I’ll do this whole shpeel next year or not; maybe if 2019 turns out to be an incredible year for games, and definitely not if I have to move to Twitter in the off-chance Tumblr dies out completely. Hope you all had a fun holiday season, and have a great 2019!