#it's the way connie says ''i don't have your power but....''

[hey-hey-j]

god SU Future HURTS but it hurts in such a good cathartic way

[cherry-romper]

When They're Injured

+ Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Marco, Jean, Connie, Sasha, Levi, Erwin, Hange, Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, Porco, Pieck, Zeke

Eren; • He either pretends to be fine or cries like a baby, there's no in-between. • Most of the time he doesn't even acknowledge your presence in the room. He thinks it's a waste of time watching over him. • Tells you to grow up if he sees you crying over him. • "I have the power of the titans, I'll be fine. Just stop your crying already, it's making me uncomfortable." • Still thanks you for caring though, in his own little way - probably by asking you to be his sparing partner instead of actually saying thank you.

Mikasa; • Unfazed by her own injuries and cares more about you taking care of yourself. • Stays in bed for a day before she's back working out and doing chores, no matter how bad her injury is. You have to physically restrain her and put her back to bed (it never goes well). • Asks if you've eaten and slept well before you get the chance to ask her. • She's grateful for everything you do while she's recovering. • She picks you some flowers afterwards to say thank you. She even cooks you food.

Armin; • Upset. You console and reassure him a lot because he keeps crying about being weak. • You read to him though, and even play chess while he recovers. • You promise to train him some more when he's able bodied so that he feels better prepared next time. • You bring him food but he refuses to eat it. You end up doing the "here comes the train" thing with him to force him to eat out of embarrassment. • You brought him flowers and he loved the gesture so much that he now uses one of the dried flowers as a book mark.

Marco; • Grateful to be alive. • He sometimes panics and has nightmares that he's back on the field where he was injured and you have to calm him down. • He sometimes gets annoyed at you for always being beside him because he knows you're not looking after yourself properly. • Forces you to leave so you'll finally wash and eat. • Jean also visits often and you all share stories about your childhoods. The duo never fail to make you laugh.

Jean; • Dramatic. Does the whole "don't look at me, I'm hideous" thing, and refuses to let you into the room. • You have to physically stop him from covering his face and reassure him that he's just as beautiful as before. • He switched up real fast after that and pretended he wasn't even injured to try and impress you. He went from being a cry baby to trying to work out with a broken arm. • You gave up trying to stop him because he wouldn't listen to anything. • Cries when he's alone because he doesn't think he's strong enough.

Connie; • Doesn't change a thing. He's still just as idiotic as before. • Laughs it off. He keeps telling jokes so he won't think about it and if he's laughing then he's happy. • Wants you by his side always, and get upset when you need to leave. •"Y/N, I'm telling you, I'm immortal." • He doesn't really cry, he had a few tear when he was alone, but he's more focused on training when he's better so it doesn't happen again. • Secretly likes being injured because you're particularly nice to him.

Sasha; • Dramatic. She thinks the worlds is going to end. Gathers you, Jean and Connie around as she says her "last goodbyes". • It only takes you waving some meat in her face for her to snap out of it and start acting normal again. • Sobs into your arm. She's more worried about if she'll be able to eat and hunt again than her actually injuries. • Food works better than medicine.

Levi; • Sleeps it off. He'll be fine the next morning. • Hates when you baby him. Even if you're just being nice, like bringing him food, he'll think you're being condescending and gets pissed off. • It really doesn't take long for him to recover, but Erwin orders him to take time off to be sure - you're happy Levi will always have Erwin looking out for him. • You leave him little notes instead of actually staying with him. He smiles to himself when he sees them, he adore the little things.

Hange; • Refuses to stay in bed. Levi knocks them out to force them into bed. • They get bored very easy. Erwin doesn't let them work while they recover, so most days they just sit and stare at the ceiling. • Gets a little dramatic and starts crying because they can't visit their titans. So you visit them yourself and draw them for Hange - even if you're bad at drawing, they are overjoyed. • Cries when you bring them flowers.

Erwin; • He's appears fine externally, has a strong mentality and is sure he'll heal in no time. • No matter what he's still working, you have to physically pry the papers from his hands so he'll actually rest for once. • He gets kind of annoyed at the babying. He just wants you to see that he's okay to work, but you have none of it. • You buy him flowers and other little trinkets - like a little girl was selling knitted teddy bears, so you bought him one. He got emotional after that because he realised how much you meant to him.

Reiner; • Goes through a crisis. He's used to being injured, but not this badly. • It takes him a lot of willpower to not just heal it in front of you. • Spends most night debating if it would be easier to just die. • Some days he doesn't know who he is and acts like a soldier and others Bertholdt has to remind him that there are bigger things out there and he has to pull through so they can go home. • On they days where he's a warrior, he pushes you away, only letting Bertholdt and Annie in the room with him.

Bertholdt; • Pushes everyone away, aside from Reiner - not even Annie can see him like that. • Gets unnecessarily angry. Debates just turning and finishing the mission right then and there, and he was about to when you turned up. You made his whole world stop and he just stared at you. • He cried into your arms that night, and most nights after. He'd never felt so vulnerable. He thought you were the one who came to save him. • You knew he was feeling better when he went back to his "synchronised sleeping," as you called it, and you'd find him with his head nearly on the floor.

Annie; • Stoic, as per usual. • Hates when you make a fuss. • "It will heal. Please, give me some space." • Doesn't push people away, just kind of distances herself. For example, she doesn't spar with people when she's feeling better, she uses a training dummy instead. • Only happy when you're with her. She wouldn't admit it though. • She wants you to stay, but would never go out of her way to ask you too.

Porco; • He gets dismissive. Uses the word "whatever" like it's going out of fashion. • You try to reassure him but he just gets defensive. "Stop it. You're acting like I'm going to die. I'll just heal overnight. You're so dramatic." • Secretly enjoys the attention. He's not used to people willingly caring for him. He normally bullies people into following him around, but you do it out of the kindness of your heart. • You praise him for being so brave and it makes him blush.

Pieck; • She loves that you stay with her. She thanks you everyday. • Holds your hand a lot. • You talk about whatever but most of the time there's just a comfortable silence. • For some reason, she thinks the best when she's injured. Meaning she still attends strategy meetings, but asks you to go with her for support.

Zeke; • Refuses to stay in bed, no matter how bad the injury. • He sleeps for about 3 hours, and heals in that time. After that he just walks around like normal, still doing his work like he wasn't floored a few hours ago. • You barely get the time to worry about him. He appreciates the sentiment though. He likes when you worry about him, it makes him finally feel cared about. • He does spend more time with you after that. After seeing your reaction he realised how much he actually likes you, how much he cares for you.

[chiriwritesstuff]

The Girl in IT - 7. The All Hands Meeting

A Boss! Joel Miller x IT Specialist F! Reader AU

The LIST │ Series Masterlist

Chapter Rating: E (18+, MDNI)

Chapter Summary: A look into a typical day at Miller Construction Group. Chaos ensues (naturally).

Chapter Warnings and Tags: No outbreak AU, Boss x Employee Relationship, Sugar Daddy Lite, Smut, SO MUCH SMUT, Age Gap, Older Man/Younger woman, So much dirty talk, Office sex, Desk sex, Inappropriate usage of PowerPoint, Tommy fucks around and finds out, No Beta we die like men!

Word Count: 4.4K

A/N: And the hijinks are back! I wanted to try something new this week, and it was the perfect opportunity to showcase all of our fun supporting characters in 'The Girl in IT'! I thought what better way to introduce everyone was to include their commentary, like an episode of 'The Office'! This one is a doozy, and I hope you all enjoy!

#MCG ADMIN 50 members Sarah (HR) Good morning, Team! I hope you're all doing well. I'd like to announce a mandatory All-Hands HR Meeting today at 11 am in Conference Room A, co-facilitated by Tess and me. We'll have a brief presentation, and for those working remotely, please log into Zoom to join the meeting. Following the session, thanks to Bill, we'll have lunch and refreshments provided. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Looking forward to seeing all of you soon! Tommy  Sarah, are you gonna bust your Papi's balls in front of everyone for posting that naughty photo? 💀☠️🪦 Frank (Interior Design) Will there be an opportunity for discussion following the presentation? I'm eager to delve into the minds of SlackGate and understand the motivations behind their actions the other day. Connie (Reception) It's clearly because they're fucking, Frank. 🍆🍑🦪 Frank (Interior Design) Who is? Our fearless leader and our shy girl in IT? Until one of them makes it official, it's just hearsay! Is this meeting a hard launch for a new power couple? 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Sarah (HR) Yes, there will be an open-forum discussion after my presentation but NO, we will not be talking about the events of the other day in detail. Connie, this is a professional space and we will conduct ourselves as such. Connie (Reception) Why am I always being singled out?? Frank started it! Frank (Interior Design) Did I not professionally conduct myself? Geez Connie, I'm not the one sending nudes to our Boss when clearly, he has a girlfriend. Wait. Oops? (Sorry Connie 🤡) Bill (Civil) Frank! What do I have to do to get you to behave for once? Frank (Interior Design) Oh, I could think of a few ways... Why don't you come and find out once you're done handling your bratwurst out there? Sarah (HR) I don't get paid enough for this shit.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming together at such short notice. While I'm aware this all-hands meeting was abrupt, recent events in the past few days have made it essential. Tess and I genuinely appreciate your presence as we address these important matters," Sarah says with a bright smile, handing out materials. "Here's an updated Employee Handbook with a few edits. I thought it would be beneficial for us to go through it together. Are there any questions before we begin?"

"Yeah!" Tommy exclaims from the back of the room, his feet casually resting against the edge of the table. "How long until we get to the part of this meeting where we discuss just how much of a bad boy your Daddy was the other day?"

Tommy Look, I love my brother, I do. He's always so serious, so noble, providing for everyone and all that, making sure we have a roof over our heads. Shit, he's gotten me out of a lot of binds in my life- [He looks a bit uncomfortable and clears his throat, nodding.] ... anyway, it's a rare thing to see my brother slip up like that, you know? Didn't think he had it in him, honestly. It's been a few decades since I've seen his twig and berries, but shit, I know he's packing! He's a Miller, for fucks sake!  [he puffs his chest out a little at that, chuckling to himself] But Sugar? She's been a fucking godsend! Never in my life have I seen my big ol brother act a fool, especially over a woman! What can I say? It's great to not be the fuck-up brother for once! I'm gonna milk out SlackGate til the end of time!

"Tommy," Joel warns through his teeth, glaring at his brother. "Cut it out."

Sarah rolls her eyes in response as she fiddles with her laptop, the projector behind her illuminating with her PowerPoint presentation. "Like I was saying, this presentation is just going to go over the changes we have implemented in the last few days, including proper Slack etiquette and conduct. You would think that as grown adults, we would know better than sending inappropriate images and messages through company property and time," she clears her throat, glancing over at Joel, then to Tommy, who winks in her direction knowingly. "...including those who decide to engage and participate in unsanctioned secret channels-"

Frank's hand suddenly shoots up, his face awash in mock outrage. "I'll have you know, the watercooler channel serves a purpose, folks! When I caught wind of this 'secret channel' gossip circulating among the Nosy Nancies in the breakroom, I was appalled! Who would dare to stoop so low—"

"Frank, you invited me to the chat just this morning," Jesse remarks, casually holding up his phone as evidence. "It's titled 'Frank's-secret-slack-chat.' I thought it was some kind of exclusive club or something."

Frank Hi, [waves to you] is this on? Yeah? Hi. I'm Frank.   Listen, Sarah was getting a little too vigilant about monitoring Slack ever since Tommy sent us a little treat last year [he laughs] so I had to do something about it, you know? [It pans out to Frank leaning against his desk chair, typing away on his secret Slack Chat.] The chat started as an open forum for discussion on the everyday going-ons of Miller Construction Group. Do we just so happen to discuss the private lives of our peers? Maybe. Do we mean any harm by it?  [He gives you a wicked smile] Maybe.

"You guys, you know, the longer I keep getting interrupted, the longer we're all going to stay here in this conference room, and the longer we have to wait to eat Bill's food. You know how he is," She looks outside of the window, the smoke from Bill's grill swirls like a plume as he flips over a juicy steak. "He hates it when he has to serve his food cold. As I was saying, it should be obvious that we shouldn't be sending inappropriate images or photos to one another through Slack or e-mail."

"Hey! It was just one time, and it was an accident!" Tommy retorts, "Besides, it was hardly inappropriate, I was just only trying to show Maria this weird rash I got-"

"What does that mean, anyway?" Connie cuts in, casting a glance your way. "Inappropriate photos? And is there a difference between accidentally sending them or doing it on purpose?"

"Yeah," you shoot her a pointed look. "Sending nude photos to someone who doesn't want them is actually considered sexual harassment," you say, raising your voice a bit and turning in your seat. "I mean, you could get arrested for that, Connie," you add with a sing-song tone, a smirk playing on your lips as you glance at her. "You have nothing to worry about though, right?" you challenge, rolling your chair towards Joel, and taking his hand in his. "Not unless you did send naked photos to my boyfriend?"

Connie Look, I didn't know that Mr. Miller and Sugar were boning. I know how this looks- like I don't believe in girl code or something. I am a girls girl! If Sugar was just forthcoming about who gave her those damn hickeys before SlackGate happened, I wouldn't have sent her boyfriend nude photos of myself! A girl's gotta try, you know? I was only trying to shoot my shot! [She looks a bit uncomfortable, picking at a hangnail.] ... but you have to admit, Mr. Miller is H-O-T hot. God. I love me a graying man in flannel. I always thought to myself, there must be a story here. How does a millionaire who looks like that be single all this time? does he have anyone? is it a sugar baby? does he have a secret love child? I mean-  [she looks over her shoulder where Joel is, arms around his chest as he winks at Sugar. There's a hint of jealousy in Connie's eyes.] Is it true, though? Is it really sexual harassment if I send unsolicited photos of myself? Do you think he's gonna press charges? 

"It's true. Sending unsolicited photos of yourself to unsuspecting parties is sexual harassment, Connie. Not to mention creepy," Sarah winces, shooting you an apologetic smile. "So please don't be sending any photos of that nature to anyone that you work with, especially not in the admin group Slack."

"Yeah, Joel!" Tommy chides. "Keep that shlong in your pants, brother!"

Sarah You would think that working for my family is a cakewalk? Please. I've been diagnosed with IBS and GAD since I started working here five years ago. I sometimes take half an edible just to make it to lunchtime.   [Her head rests on her desk, and as the events of SlackGate unfold, an endless barrage of messages from the admin Slack channel floods her monitor. She can't help but groan in response.] Listen. I love my Dad. I've never really had to worry about his behavior at work before, not like how I have to with Uncle Tommy... but what the hell was he thinking? I can't unsee that! What if Ellie was on that chat? Could you imagine the trauma? My trauma?

"Okay, let's turn to page 12, where we'll go over all the recent updates," Sarah announces, clicking through her PowerPoint. A collective gasp echoes in the room as the slide projects onto the screen, revealing an image – the image of Joel. However, where his exposed package would be, an eggplant emoji tastefully takes its place. It resembles one of those generic memes easily made with a phone app, complete with the semi-imposed words 'Keep Calm and Shlong On!' in big bold letters.

"Shit!" she exclaims, hurriedly pressing the ESC button as she tries to close out her PowerPoint. She slams her laptop shut, the tell-tell sound of a crack echoing throughout the conference room. You hear Tess silently scoff in the distance, and Sarah closes her eyes in embarrassment as the room falls silent.

... and then, all hell breaks loose.  

Tommy is beside himself, his face red, and his eyes filled with tears as he doubles over in laughter, clutching at his middle. "Shit, Henry! When I asked you to do this, I honestly didn't think you had the balls to go through with it, but I so owe you, my man!" he exclaims, enthusiastically high-fiving his nephew-in-law. "This is the best fucking day of my life!"

"Henry?!" Sarah exclaims, her face flushed with rage. "This is what you needed to do in the office at 6 am this morning?!"

Henry's expression crumbles as he witnesses his wife's ire, suddenly realizing that he's just dug himself into a deep hole. "Sarah," he stammers, attempting to regain composure. "This isn't what it looks like—"

Henry Yeah, Tommy asked me to put that meme into Sarah's PowerPoint last night. I would have done it at home, but Sarah doesn't like to bring her laptop home, you know, work-life balance? So I had to make an excuse to come to the office this morning. Was it a dumb ass idea? Yeah, probably. Did I kind of want to get back at Sarah's dad for making my life a living hell? [He looks at you awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.] Honestly, when you're like five beers in, drinking with Tommy- everything seems like a good idea. He dared me, you know? Said that I'm such a simp, trying to always please Joel. Called me a fucking pussy and everything! What else was I supposed to do? Sarah's going to kill me, huh? Do you think that she's gonna ask for a divorce?

"It's a meme. A meme of my Dad's dick pic with AN EGGPLANT EMOJI?!?! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME??! WHAT DID YOU MEAN FOR IT TO LOOK LIKE?!" she screams, pulling at her hair. "AND YOU, TOMMY MILLER!" she points at her uncle furiously, "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK??!"

"Baby," Henry replies, his hands raised in an attempt to calm her down. "It's just a harmless prank, look—"

"No, you look, Henry! Does it seem like it's just a harmless prank?" she gestures to the room, her eyes wide. "Don't even think about coming to bed tonight. I can't even look at you! How dare you collaborate with Tommy, do you really want to go this way? Because I see you fucking around, and you're about to find out-"

"Oh come on, Sarah! you know these all-hands meetings are dull as fuck, I don't even know why you even bother, no one ever listens anyway!" Tommy exclaims, looking around the room. "Isn't this fun you guys? Come on, lighten up! It's not like y'all haven't seen my dick before! Your Papi's gonna live another day, I think we should all feel as comfortable as we want, fuck the rules!"

"...but Joel's is much bigger than yours!" someone yells amid the chaos, laughter, and banter echoing through the room. Sarah looks around helplessly in a panic, trying to grasp the situation unfolding.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I ain't small!" Tommy yells in retaliation.

"Do you think that this is helping, Uncle Tommy? I'm beginning to believe that the only reason why people don't take me seriously is because of all of the shit that you pull!" Sarah groans, looking like she's at the end of her rope. "I could mention that Tess is helping me facilitate this meeting to scare everyone but she's just off to the side, pretending to not be drinking under the table!"  

Tess [She is sitting off to the side, smiling to herself as the chaos ensues, shaking her head.] I am drinking, because who else thinks it's appropriate to call an all-hands meeting first thing in the morning? I don't even want to be here. It's so fucking pointless, trying to get these shitheads to conform to a set of rules.   [She witnesses Joel storming up to Tommy, his face full of rage and irritation, finger pointed right at him.] This is the consequence of hiring friends and family, isn't it? I tried to tell them it was a bad idea, but who's listening to me? I get it, everyone thinks I'm a bit of a bitch, and well... yeah, I am. Alright, time to rein this in— [She suddenly stands from her seat and walks over to Sarah, who appears to be disassociating into madness.]

"HEY!" Tess bellows, clapping her hands together. The room abruptly falls silent, Joel's hands frozen mid-grab on Tommy's flannel. Forty-eight pairs of eyes pivot towards Tess, a blend of shock and embarrassment spreading across their faces, reminiscent of children caught sneaking cookies from the jar by their mother. "Okay, that's enough!"

Her eyes are narrowed, hands on her hips. "This is what's going to happen. You're going to stop sending each other dick and tit pics through Slack, because as much as it is amusing," she smirks, winking at you, "I would really rather not have to deal with the fallout that comes with it," she shoots a pointed look at Connie, whose eyebrows shoot up to her hairline.  

"The next time someone tries to fuck around and find out? I'm going to take that dirty photo, print a thousand fucking copies of it and stick that shit all over the office. Every fucking inch, every fucking nook and cranny is just gonna be dick and tit central," she paces around the room, placing a warning hand on Frank's shoulder. "As for this secret Slack chat, I'm going to give you all one chance to come clean. If you don't, and Sugar's report doesn't match who outs themselves right now," She scans the room, a smirk on the corner of her mouth appearing in satisfaction. "Yeah, you didn't think that we were monitoring that shit, huh? Well, I'll throw you all a bone: raise your hands if you are in this secret group chat, and I'll consider not docking your pay for insubordination. Your choice."

Frank [Looking at Tess as she slightly stumbles from where she's standing.] Yeah, she's toast.

The majority of the room begins to raise their hands, except you, Tess, Joel, and surprisingly, Frank.

Tess scoffs. "Really Frank? Really?"

"I have no clue what you're trying to imply, and seriously Tess? Are you really going to play that card? Are you going to dock your pay too?" Frank retorts. "I mean, just last night, you were drunkenly telling me that you heard Joel and Sugar-"

"If you utter another word, I'll fire you on the spot, Frank!" Joel shouts from across the room. "I mean it this time!"

Joel and Sugar [Joel wraps his arm around your waist, leaning in to kiss your forehead while gently pushing a strand of hair behind your ears.] There, that's better. Don't hide your face, Mami; you're too beautiful to be hiding all of that, okay? Right, [he clears his throat.] You would think that people would be a little more professional around here, show me a bit of respect— [His gaze shifts to Tommy, who's engaged in laughter and banter with the team, his chest puffed out in triumph. Joel glares at him, shaking his head.] I'd like to think I try really hard to be a good boss. I pay fairly, I allow remote work, and damn it, I take pride in offering the best employee benefits in all of Austin. We even take a company trip to Hawaii every year, for fucks sake! [You squeeze his hand, pressing a kiss to his temple as he takes a frustrated breath.] Papi, if it means anything, I think you're the best boss any of these folks could ever ask for. They don't deserve you. [Joel nods.] Look, I don't know what to tell you. I got the ride of my life that morning, my sweet Mami riding my cock just right, you know? I would have been okay, going into my meeting with blue balls, just as long as Sugar got hers. Your pleasure is my pleasure... but I was just so fucking horny! I started to work out, yeah? Wanted to keep shit tight for my baby, and fuck, I was... what do they young kids say?   Feeling yourself? [Joel nods again, smiling at you.] Yeah, 'feeling myself' or whatever. Anyway, I was in the meeting, and you messaged me, right? saying that you weren't going to be in for lunch? and I don't know if was the disappointment, or if I was just too horny, but fuck. I quickly excused myself and took a quick dick pic in my bathroom. I thought I was in the right Slack channel... so I sent it, and then the guys at The H Group asked me a whole bunch of questions, and then an hour later- Chaos. The messages kept flooding in! Frank was asking about how long I was, and Connie was sending me nude photos of herself- in my fucking office! Wait, what? [Your gaze meets Connie's, nervously seated as Frank goes on and on beside her. Her hands twitch like a possum that just got run over by an 18-wheeler. Yeah. Squirm for me, you think to yourself.] Yeah! And I just sat there, in shock, you know? Like this is the kind of shit that Tommy pulls, and I couldn't believe that I was so fucking stupid! Can you imagine the kind of therapy Sarah's gonna need? What if Ellie saw this?

"Who's up for some snacks?" Tommy calls out to the team, holding a basket filled with rather sizable cucumbers, bananas, and eggplants. "Help yourselves, compliments of Joel!"

Ellie  [at the job site across town, hard hat fixed crookedly on top of her head.] Yeah, I saw it. There is not enough bleach in this world that could ever erase that image from my existence.   [she glares at Sam, who just shrugs.] Thanks a lot, asshole!

"Alright, you degenerates!" Bill booms, bursting through the conference doors wearing a 'Kiss the Cook' apron, tongs in one hand, and a tray piled high with thickly cut steaks in the other. "This steak isn't going to eat itself!" 

The team swarms Bill like seagulls spotting a tasty piece of bread on the boardwalk. Tommy grabs a t-bone with his bare hands, biting into it with the enthusiasm of a caveman.

"Hey," Joel whispers to you, his shoulder gently bumping yours. "Want to help me with something?" You nod eagerly as Joel swiftly guides you out of the conference room, heading towards the executive offices. You giggle as Joel ushers you into the room, pulling you into a kiss, his foot playfully kicking the door shut.

He moves the both of you over to where Tommy's desk is, pushing aside its contents off the tabletop in one fell swoop, the items clattering onto the floor. "Papi, what are you doing?" you ask cheekily as he bends you over the desk, lifting your skirt.  

Joel growls and shoves you down onto the desk, his hands harshly grabbing onto your hips. Your arms scramble to find purchase as you knock over a framed photo of Tommy and Maria, watching helplessly as the image of their smiling faces falls onto the floor. His palm travels across your back, pinning you in place as he fiddles with his zipper with his other hand. "Line item 6," Joel murmurs as his hands begin to travel across the globes of your ass, squeezing and spreading and slapping them until you're so wet you can feel it dripping down your thighs.  

Joel hums in appreciation. "Thats right Mami, get nice and wet for me, okay?" You can feel him pump his cock against you, notching his head at your entrance. "You gonna make a nice mess for me, baby?" he asks through gritted teeth as he strokes through your folds with his dick.

"Yesss," you moan, pushing your ass back toward him.  

Joel pushes into you to the hilt in one brutal thrust as you cry out, grabbing onto the edge of the desk as he begins to pound into you in earnest, his thrusts so hard and punishing that the desk begins to rattle. You squeeze your eyes shut as Joel gathers your hair in his hand, pulling you back towards him. "Fuck baby, I'm gonna come so fucking hard, fill this pussy up and watch as it drips out of you, maybe fuck you again if we still have time-"

You gasp, taking a deep breath as his thrusts become so erratic it pushes you up the desk, lifting one leg onto the surface as Joel angles himself higher, hitting a spot so deep within you that you bite your lip from crying out, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention. You squeeze around his cock as you chase your high, hoping that Joel can maintain his composure long enough so you both can finish together. "No Mami, stay with me, come with me-"

He leans over you, pressing you onto the desk as he grabs onto your shoulders, pounding into you, his breath hot against your neck as he buries his face into it, huffing from exertion. "I'm so close Mami, I'm gonna... Fuck!" He bites your shoulder as he cums in one last brutal stroke, his hands harshly grasping your thighs as you feel his hot spend flow deep into your belly. You rock your hips onto him as his hand goes to your clit, rubbing until you are weak in the knees, your body trembling beneath his. "Fuck Joel," you say a little breathless as you slump onto the table as Joel pulls out of you, his finger probing into you as he pushes his leaking cum back where it belongs. "Come on, lets clean this up and head back before they notice-"

Joel just snorts as he zips up his jeans. "No," he replies nonchalantly as he catches his breath. 

"No?" you ask as you straighten yourself up, frowning at him.  

"Line item six says I bend you over his desk and leave a little souvenir," he motions to the mess on the floor, pens and papers scattered about.  

"He's going to fucking murder you, Joel," you chuckle, pulling him into a kiss.  

"Yeah? Well, he shouldn't have fucked around, because he's about to find out." He simply replies, taking your hand in his. "Come on, little Mami, quickly now, before he realizes we're gone..."

You share a laugh as he guides you back into the conference room. Bill raises an eyebrow at both of you, handing over a plate with steaming steak, as if he just finished cooking it. "I thought I'd save your lunches for last, figured you guys needed some extra time," he says, clearing his throat and nodding towards Tommy, who seems entirely oblivious to your brief disappearance. "You know Tommy, can't resist a good piece of steak," Bill continues, gesturing at Joel. "It's like everything around him disappears for a moment; you could rob him blind, and he wouldn't even notice," he adds with a small smile, placing a hand on Joel's shoulder and giving him a knowing look. "Enjoy your lunch, you two."

Bill Look, I wouldn't call myself a nosy person, but I am perceptive.   [He glances at Frank whispering and giggling to Connie off to the side, rolling his eyes.] Look at them. They think that they're the eyes and ears of this operation, but what they don't know, is that I. Know. Everything. I am a survivalist. I gather intel on all of my surroundings, even if I am surrounded by absolute morons.   [Bill takes another sip of coffee, subtly glancing around him before making eye contact with you, the reader, once more] So if you want to know the real scoop, the real ins-and-outs of this company, and not have to deal with the lunatics in Frank's not-so-secret shit talk club, come to me, I'll set you on the right path. At least I have snacks.   [He looks off to you and Joel, giving a curt nod as he starts to cut into his own steak.] As much as I respect Tommy, he's not the one signing my checks at the end of the day. If there's anything that I value more than anything, it's loyalty. I don't like to play around, hate it when people bite the hands that feed them. People like that need to be taught a lesson. Joel's a good man, and sometimes, we fuck up... but it's how we handle ourselves after the fact that matters. If that means I help out an old friend, well- [he smiles as Tommy walks towards the conference room doors, heading back to his office. Bill smiles out into the distance.]

Taglist: @sarcasm-theotherwhitemeat @gwendibleywrites @brittmb115 @joeldjarin @drewharrisonwriter

@littlebunnybigheartfics @missladym1981 @auteurdelabre @quicax3 @casa-boiardi

@amyispxnk @untamedheart81 @paleidiot @laurrrra @la-vie-est-une-fleur29

@bbiophiliaa @thewiigers (I apologize if I missed anyone, but if you are looking for any of my fic updates, please feel free to follow my updates blog @chiriwritesstuffnotifs!)

[3lder1ch-l0verz]

Hi! Could I request a Steven (Steven Universe future) x reader, where he feels lonely and asks to come over to the reader’s place? Bonus points if they cuddle together and the reader comforts him 🥺

Of course honey! Thank you for the request, I love this prompt! I apologize if its late, work and school have been keeping me busy! Sorry if it's short!

A listening ear...

It had been a long week for Steven. He had been dealing with all sorts of things. Bluebird trying to hurt his dad, his gem powers acting up, Connie rejecting his proposal. He felt on edge, and he needed company outside of the crystal gems.

Who better to go to than you? His best friend, and brother figure! He remembers the first time you two met! He was 12, and you were 16. He was walking on the beach when he saw you, a tall teenager dressed in a grunge style. You were new to town, almost everyone recognized you as the new kid.

Steven was lured in, he was really curious about you! Who knew that one simple introduction would've lead to years of friendship and bonding.

He remembers all the times you stood up for him, protected him from corrupted gems, cared for him when he was sick. Yeah, he had the crystal gems to do that too, but it was different with you, you were pretty much his brother!

In fact, your the one he felt like he could unload his problems with. He remembers the first time he was overwhelmed with the things in his life. You comforted and listened to him for as long as he needed.

Safe to say he trusts you, and needed you now.

With all the recent things in his life, he needed your comfort. So, with shaky hands, he called you, nervous about your response.

When you pick up the phone, he smiles, still feeling a bit nervous.

"Hey (Name)...uh...could I come over? I just...i really need to talk to someone right now..."

He hears your chuckle on the other side of the phone, and that seems to ease his nerves.

"Of course you can Steven! You don't have to ask, I'm always there for you when you need me bubs."

He sighs with relief and informs you he'd be over in a few minutes. True to his words, he arrived at your house in a few minutes. The stressed 16 year old quickly hugs you, needing the comforting warmth of your embrace.

"Hey bubs...tough week huh? Wanna talk about it?"

You rub his back, hugging the youngster back. He briefly nods, and lets you sit him down on the couch. He watches as you put a blanket on him, make him his favorite snack, and provide him his favorite drink.

"Alright then, let's talk. What's wrong Steven?"

He takes a sip of his drink and rests his head on your shoulder.

"... Everything. Everything is wrong. I feel so overwhelmed, it's like I'm a kid again. I don't know if something is wrong with me, or, or if I'm doing something wrong. It just feels like I can't talk to anyone. I'm so used to letting others talk to me about their problems, that I've forgotten how to talk to them about my own problems."

You nod and frown, not because of his words, but out of empathy and pity.

"Nothing is wrong with you Steven, you're still a kid, and you've been through so much. It's okay to feel how you feel, and I understand how it feels like everyone doesn't understand what you're going through. And in a way... you're right. You're the first being to do the things you do, be a mix of a gem and a human. You've experienced things you shouldn't have had to experience at that age, and for that I'm sorry. But, despite all of that, you'll always have people who care about you. People who'll listen. I may not understand what you've been through, what you're experiencing, but I will always listen and try to help out."

Steven goes quiet, and he smiles softly, feeling a bit better. For the next few hours, you listened to him talk about his problems. You listened intently, and occasionally gave suggestions to help with the problems. Eventually, he fell asleep on you, and for the first time in a few weeks, he slept without having a dream....

[goodnightmemes]

THE CRAFT (1996) SENTENCE STARTERS

❛ I can't stay home and watch daytime TV for the rest of my life. ❜

❛ The almanac says today will bring an arrival of something. ❜

❛ We need someone to call out the corners-- north, south, east and west. ❜

❛ I am sorry. My defenses are up. People here have been really rude to me. ❜

❛ He comes on to anything with tits. ❜

❛ Everything in nature steals, you know. Big animals steal from little ones. ❜

❛ Maybe you're a natural witch. Your power comes from within. ❜

❛ I had a dream about you. In my dream, you were dead. ❜

❛ Man invented God. This is older than that. ❜

❛ Do you guys worship the devil? ❜

❛ Sometimes I will want it to rain, and a pipe will burst in my room and it will just get flooded. Or I will want it just to be quiet, and I will wish for it, and I will go deaf for three days straight. ❜

❛ Nothing makes everything all better again. ❜

❛ Maybe he was just trying to save face then... because... he's going around the whole school saying that... you're the lousiest lay he's ever had. ❜

❛ Why'd you lie about me? ❜

❛ Look, I don't want to go out with you again. Okay? Please stop begging. It's pathetic. ❜

❛ She's gonna cry, and then I am gonna cry. We're all gonna cry. ❜

❛ You girls watch out for those weirdos. ❜

❛ We are the weirdos. ❜

❛ Did you tell your friends? That you're a lying sack of shit. ❜

❛ Did you ever play that game, light as a feather, stiff as a board? ❜

❛ I think she doesn't want to be white trash any more. And I told her, "You're white, honey. Just deal with it." ❜

❛ Ever since I was a little girl I said, “All I want in life is a juke box that plays nothing but Connie Francis records.' ❜

❛ It's just that I can't stop thinking about you. I don't know why, but I think I love you. ❜

❛ I don't know what's happening to me. I can't eat. I can't sleep. ❜

❛ When you open a floodgate, how do you undo it? You unleash something with a spell. There is no undoing. It must run its course. ❜

❛ You should let him suffer. ❜

❛ It's not for you to judge suffering. ❜

❛ True magic is neither black nor white. It's both because nature is both. Loving and cruel, all at the same time. The only good or bad is in the heart of the witch. ❜

❛ Whatever you send out you get back times three. ❜

❛ You want to invoke the spirit? You must be experienced to do this. It's very dangerous. ❜

❛ You know, the serpent is a very powerful being. You should respect it. ❜

❛ Listen, all I am saying is I think it's enough already. ❜

❛ I know you think we're getting what we want now, but it's going to come back to us threefold. ❜

❛ Are we actually having a theological conversation here? ❜

❛ I mean, it's fun, it's scary. I mean, who gives a shit? ❜

❛ Stop trying to win them over, because it won't work. ❜

❛ How do you know what I look like? We're talking on the phone. ❜

❛ I disagreed with them once, and they turned their backs on me. That's not friendship. ❜

❛ Sometimes it's like we're one person. Know what I mean? ❜

❛ You should have seen the look in his eyes. It was so weird. They seemed empty, like it wasn't even him. ❜

❛ You're a witch! They were right. ❜

❛ The only reason you're in love with her is because she cast a spell on you. Sad, but true. ❜

❛ You don't even exist to me! You don't even exist. You are nothing. ❜

❛ The only way you know how to treat women is by treating them like whores! ❜

❛ He's sorry? Oh, he's sorry! He's sorry! He's sorry! Sorry, my ass! ❜

❛ Don't touch me! Everything I touch turns to shit. ❜

❛ You know, in the old days if a witch betrayed her coven... they would kill her. ❜

❛ I know I don't know you very well, but I just didn't know where else to go. ❜

❛ And now, it's like everywhere I turn, they're all around me. No matter what I do, ❛ they're still there. I don't know what to do. ❜

❛ She's inside my dreams. She knows what's going on inside my head. She can read my mind. ❜

❛ I can't control it. I always end up hurting somebody. ❜

❛ You must invoke the spirit. ❜

❛ If it isn’t real then why are you still bleeding? ❜

❛ Run! Run back up to your room like the little coward that you are. ❜

❛ What's going on? Why aren't you dead? ❜

❛ He came to me. Saved me. And he wanted me to give you a message. You're in deep shit. ❜

❛ By the way, what happened to [name]? They rushed out of here without even saying good-bye. That's bad manners. ❜

❛ Relax. It's only magic. ❜

❛ Look. I know I am a little crazy. I don't mean to be. ❜

❛ It all got out of hand, and I am sorry. No more games, okay? ❜

❛ We were just wondering, do you still have any powers? Because we don't. ❜

❛ Hold your breath until I call. ❜

❛ Be careful. You don't want to end up like [name]. ❜

[moonspirit]

Hello Moon,

One thing I am keenly interested in your ideas on the Media depictions of Armin and the gang post-rumbling, I have some ideas I’d love to get your insight on

I think a lot of depictions of the events of the rumbling would always play Armin off as this l altruistic figure thrust into greatness. Eren in contrast would be depicted as a Richard 3rd style villan, plotting and scheming.

As Armin and Annie’s relationship became more public knowledge playwrites would really eat up the “star crossed lovers” separated by warring nations angle.

Unfortunately I think Annie and Pieck would often be the victims of some era typical sexism in their depictions as they would have their cold demeanor and tactical abilities respectivly toned down drastically. And I think a lot of times Hange would have them depicted as a man

Reiner and Connie would be depicted as comic relief charecters with Reiner depicted as a lumbering oaf and Connie as a constant jokester while Jean is portrayed as a dashing if not vain Casanovaesqe figure.

And in a bitter sweet way for Armin, Mikasa would often not be mentioned.

I would love to hear your ideas on this.

P.S. my apologies this is the lunatic in me going off again.

Hello anon!

I agree for the most part, given that the way things ended was how Eren chose for events to play out, hoisting the Alliance up on a pedestal as heroes to the world for stopping him. I believe that is the perception that will stick in the hearts of what remains of humanity. He came as a devil to finish the world and the Alliance saved them all.

While Eren couldn't have known what would happen after Mikasa killed him, Mikasa heading back to Paradis and Armin presenting himself as the man who killed Eren Jaeger basically seals Armin's fate. By taking on that title he kills several birds with one stone: in calling for and establishing an immediate ceasefire on Fort Salta, in shifting the balance of power and public favour over to the Alliance, in shouldering the weight of Eren's death, and most importantly, in keeping Mikasa's role and whereabouts a secret. We also cannot forget that he's still the Commander of Survey Corps, which only catapults his "status" in the eyes of the people. All of this might place him on an incredibly high up and important position in the political scene post-rumbling. It goes without saying then, that his altruism and empathy for the people of the post-rumbling world will not go unnoticed. He may be lauded even, for being a leader of a different ilk, and I see him as someone who makes sure he does a good job even if he doesn't enjoy what he's doing (but that's for another post).

So, right, I think Mikasa would live quietly and peacefully on Paradis because that's what she chose for herself and the world will not know of her role in the Rumbling at all.

Coming to Aruani... oh if their relationship is made public, there will be a hue and cry over it lol. I imagine the identities of the Alliance become public knowledge in due time, as in, that Armin, Jean and Connie come from Paradis; that Reiner, Pieck and Annie used to be Warriors from Marley, the titans they wielded, their past missions, their roles and etc. In light of all that, if it is known that Armin and Annie are in a relationship, then as you said, the press might do their best to inject the "star crossed lovers separated by a wall" fantasy (and tbh I don't blame them lmao xD). In fact there could be many headlines haha xD "Lovers who followed each other into the Rumbling", "The first public wedding between a Paradisian and Marleyan" and etc lmao.

(it wont be pleasant for them but my romantic heart loves it xD)

Interesting point about the sexism, btw. People have varying thoughts on when exactly the post-rumbling world is set in, (I personally hc the early 1930s), but irrespective of that, sexism has existed throughout history hasn't it? I'm no expert on period-typical sexism really, but I have no doubt Annie and Pieck are at the receiving end of some of it anyway. I think @annawayne can offer more insight on this, she knows a LOT!

As for Hange... since they die early into the Battle, the only way the world knows of them is whatever the Alliance makes known. I've spoken about this before, but I personally think Armin would speak very highly of Hange after their death, publicly and otherwise. Whatever he and the others and Levi too (if he ever comes into a situation where he cannot make a run from the spotlight and has to say something.... tho the poor man deserves to be as far away from the limelight as possible imo) say about Hange is what the world at large will know.

Jean is definitely a casanovaesque figure in the public-eye haha xD He pays too much attention to his looks to think otherwise. But I think he would present himself as such intentionally, it was always his desire to live a comfortable and luxurious life; he should get to live it too. (Tho sometimes I like to think Pieck and the others are always one step away from exposing his very loser vibes).

As for Reiner and Connie, I think it's easy to see them both as the cheerful types, especially the latter. Connie's always pleasant and grinning, with lighthearted conversation and terrible jokes to go with every situation. But Reiner was always forced (by none other than his circumstances and himself) to be a tough leader figure when in reality, he just wanted to be someone who could protect others. I still believe his cadet years on Paradis were some of his happiest, that persona of his was something true to his heart, and so I'd like to believe this side of him finally has a chance to exist freely in the post-rumbling world without any reasons to inhibit it. I think that together with his history of being the Armored Titan and the fact that he's older than the others, public perception would swing into the "He's really the protective big brother in the Alliance" direction.

Just don't let the press find out about his letter-sniffing habits.

xD That was long, but well, I hope you got something out of it!

[bish-plz-haha]

Hajime Isayama is a genius. And here's why: a tangent

The fourth season of Attack On Titan (AOT/Shingeki No Kyojin) is the epitome of

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Keep that in mind as you, if anybody, reads this.

Eren's villain arc makes total sense. Don't get me wrong, the ending was fucked. But it made so much sense.

With the entirety of the series being about freedom and him having the Attack Titan's power to "see" the future, Eren—as dumb and idiotic as he can be—realised, I think, that in order for the world to stop seeing Paradis as their foe (for the world to stop seeing Eldian's in general as their foe) and for them to have the freedom he so desperately dreamed about from the day Armin showed him that book, they needed a common enemy. But there wasn't one: there was just hatred and violence towards others who were just a little different. So he realised that, in the end, he had to become that. He had the strength and power, and he knew that. He could be that for the people. He could be the reason that the people of Marley and Paradis unite and fight side by side instead of fighting each other. He honestly even told Armin as much.

ARMIN: It was all to push us away from you... and make us into heroes who save humanity from extinction by taking you down?

EREN: Yeah. You guys will become saviors to all that's left of humanity. You turned your backs on Paradis in spite of being "Island Devils," and sided with humanity to the end.

Eren became what no one else wanted to. What no one thought he'd become. For the sake of the people that meant the world to him: Armin, Mikasa, Connie, Sasha, and even Jean (side note: I loved their rivalry. It made things light and fun even in dark times). He says that in order for things to go the way they needed to, future him sent the titan towards his mother instead of Bertholdt. Eren had to do the hardest things of his life towards the end: one being becoming someone he's not for the sake of the greater good (poor babies. Honestly, he was convincing as the villain: he had all the justifications to be that person. But he wasn't, down to his core, mean and cruel as he so convincingly portrayed himself to be. He even had his best friends fooled. Up until Armin heard about the eradication plan. At that point, Armin called his bullshit—which is fair).

He showed his father memories, fake and real, of what's to come to make him convince Zeke, which was very clever. He controlled Yimr enough—with Zeke's help of course—to make her attack his friends with titans from the past to put on a good show, not knowing whether or not they'd make it out alive (he hoped and his hope and knowledge that his friends—no, family—were skilled enough to stay alive). He definitely knew his death was coming, and he knew he had to continue on, even if that meant causing his loved ones pain; the pain of his death moreso than anything.

Eren made Marley team up with Paradis. To fight an enemy they both had in common instead of each other. To make Marley and the rest of the world see sense (though as Historia said: "The fight will not end even after the Titans have vanished. Eren told me everything about the future he knows. Even if he can't see the future past that point, he was able to see this future vividly. I'm sure this outcome was not just the result of Eren's choices. This world is the result of the choices we all made. We must fight. So we won't have to fight anymore. Even if it means to live a living hell devoid of peace...")

Hense the reason I say that the fourth season is the epitome of "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." He knew that if they had a common enemy, they'd unite and fight together, not against each other. There was no need for senseless killing. He didn't want that.

Oh and don't even get me STARTED on the symbolism. My GOD that struck me like a fucking truck. Like, the shot of the scouts saluting Levi as he sat against that bolder only for the camera to pan to the Wings Of Freedom on Erwins back as he disappears along with them. UGH.

And then the biRD PULLING AT MIKASA'S SCARF ONLY TO FLY AWAY. LIKE, WHY WOULD YOU SHOW ME THAT??? Im CrYiNg!!!!!

Eren is finally free.

[nectardaddy]

Foolish [Jean Kirstein x reader] 3

language, (of age) drinking, drunkenness

-- Tunes: Everybody Talks ; Neon Trees High Enough ; K. Flay Come Get Her ; Rae Sremmurd (Not even ashamed about the last one, it fits the vibes.)

As the night continued on, as did your growing intoxication; the effects of the drinks Jean made you hit you in your now swimming mind. Your eyes were blurry and your cheeks were hot, but you tipped your cup back and took yet another sip of the drink that made you woozy. "You should go ask Jean to dance, (Y/n)!" Sasha yelled, causing the other woman next to you to gag.

"Bruh- that's disgusting," the women groaned out. "Please don't tell me you actually like that man," she said with a grimace.

"She practically drools over him, Ymir!" Sasha stated with a laugh, to which Ymir let out another groan.

"Jean Kirstein? The guy that tried to kick Eren Yeager's ass last year, that Jean Kirstein?" She asked, "girl he's a dick. Please have some sense and do better."

"Hey! He's actually really sweet when you get to know him," you defended. "Plus, he's not hard to look at either, he's actually pretty hot."

"He is a pretty nice guy," Sasha shrugged. "He's a ride or die type of friend."

Ymir let out a laugh, "ok, ok- so he's nice, got it. But, Billy Ray Cyrus over there, mullet and all, is hot to you?" You rolled your eyes as she pointed him out, glancing over to see him speaking with someone else.

"Yeah," you doubled down with a laugh. "Pretty fucking hot to me."

"So hot that you'll finally grow a pair and ask him to dance?" Sasha mused, to which you bit your lip. "Be so fucking for real, I know you made out with him on Halloween. I know you have it in to shake some ass."

"You what?" Ymir yelled, grabbing your arm in disbelief. "You told her you made out with that loser, and not me?"

"I didn't even know she knew about that! I was going to take that to my grave," you answered honestly, a nervous chuckle leaving your lips. "How do you know about that?"

"He told me himself," she chuckled. "Said he almost pissed his pants from excitement," Ymir let out a laugh as she continued. "Which is why I'm telling you to dance with him, dumbass."

Putting the cup in your hands to your lips, you downed the rest of your drink. Swallowing harshly at the taste, "fine." You forced out and glanced back at the man. Even drunk, you found yourself second guessing your decision immediately. You often wished the man would like you in the same regard as you to he, but now that it was right at your finger tips it felt too good to be true.

"He's been ogling you all night," Ymir chuckled. "If he says no then there's something severely wrong with his little man brain."

"That man is obsessed with you, he won't say no," Sasha groaned. Nudging you away from the group, "go shake some ass! We'll be right here." You felt your breath steady at the word 'obsessed,' a word so silly it made you calm alongside the liquor you drank. Emphasizing it as much gave you a confidence you truly needed, and pushed past your thoughts as you turned to walk away.

There was a higher sense of confidence filling your chest from the alcohol in your system and your friends words. But you thanked a higher power you had liquor in you at the moment, knowing you would rather die than have the guts to dance with him sober. Haphazardly making your way through the sea of people to the opposite side of the building, you rolled your eyes at the amount of people would bumped or fell into you.

Next to the man you sought out was Connie, looking completely spent as he held himself up against the wall. Chuckling to yourself as you maneuvered around people to finally see him fully: his head hanging but his hand still latched onto a bottle. He was still coherent, but incredibly too drunk for his own good, as he didn't even register you were in front of them until you started speaking. "Fuck, dude, you look like shit."

"I feel like shit," he spoke with a chuckle.

Glancing up at Jean, you took the cup out of his hands without a word with a cheeky smile. Watching as he rolled his eyes as you sipped the drink and returned it. It was a silly gesture, but one that made the man look you over. A drunken haze over his eyes as he shamelessly drank you in. There wasn't an ounce of worry in the man anymore, the alcohol whisking anyway any anxiety he had before.

"Ugh- barf," Connie groaned. "Fuck each other with your eyes somewhere else, I feel like I'm dying."

A laugh left your lips at the man, flickering your eyes over before returning them to Jean. "We should move then," he spoke with smirk pulling at his lips.

"Or you could come dance with me, and problem solved," you suggested with a drunken smile on your lips. Liquid courage now flowing through your blood stream, you simply couldn't imagine yourself asking so casually sober. You also couldn't imagine asking without the conversation just minutes earlier; grateful for Sasha's inability to keep her mouth shut.

Taking your hand in his own as an agreement, he leaned over to speak to you. "Does this have something to do with the two idiots over there staring at us?" He asked, now leading you past people through the crowd. Your eyes flickered over to your friends, and you rolled your eyes to see them shamelessly staring. Both women smiling and laughing upon seeing the both of you notice them.

Your eyes flickered back up to him as he stopped, now standing in the midst of a sea of people. A smirk pulling at your lips from the words that clung to your tongue, "it has everything to do with Sasha telling me you were obsessed with me, actually."

Usually, Jean's façade of charm and arrogance would crack at such a revelation - but it did quite the opposite. His false confidence merged quickly with his real confidence, concocting another smirk as realization slapped him right in the drunken face. Sasha spilled a secret, yet here you stood willingly and openly. He couldn't tell if it was from the alcohol or her words alone, but gladly accepted the result you gave him with open arms. "I'd say obsessed is an understatement."

His voice was low and drawled from the effects of intoxication, making you take a small breath to ease yourself. The man alone made you melt, but his touch and voice so close to you made you want to boil over. You could feel you confidence slip and grasp at straws to stay afloat, but ultimately yank itself up at his next statement. He didn't need to say much as you felt his hands touch your hips as an invitation, "should we give them a show?"

Dancing at a party like this was far from decent; if someone wanted classy they wouldn't find it in a frat house, even in the smallest of corners. Even drunk, your vision blurring as lights melted into streaks, you felt scandalous; even more so as the man gripped your waist which an intensity that made you want to catch your breath. You didn't care that you felt vulgar or obscene, if people wanted to watch - fuck it. All cares were thrown directly out the window the moment you felt the man's hips on your ass.

Everything around you was hot and sticky, a humidity that hung in the air from sweat and liquor. Your skin felt scorched as you finally turned around, putting your hands on the chest of the brunette you danced with. It had only been a few songs, but enough movement and alcohol to make the world feel like it was spinning around you. The man looked down at you in a daze, but understood immediately as you tried to take a deep breath. "Let's go outside," he offered.

With a quick nod, you felt him take your hand and lead you out. As soon as the door opened, you felt yourself groan in relief at the fresh air that hit you. While you weren't at Connie's level of sloshed, you certainly almost reached it as the other drinks you had hit you while still inside. "Fresh air at last!" You yelled with a laugh. Jean's strides were larger than your own, but you usually kept up if you were sober, being so inebrietated you stumbled as you walked with him. But you truly didn't mind, nor even notice, as you continued to follow the man with a laugh. Eventually slowing to a stop, you looked up at him without a word but a drunken smile pulled on your lips.

Unbeknownst to you, the man was near the same level of intoxicated as you; he could handle his liquor better though. His cheeks were red from the heat and he pushed back loose hairs that framed his face with his free hand. His surroundings were wobbly and distorted, only being able to see clearly directly in front of him. He looked down with heavy eyes and chuckled, "I can barely see shit and you are still so fucking beautiful."

Letting a laugh bubble from your lips, you felt a heat rise to your cheeks. "Are you trying to flirt with me right now, J?" You teased, but your already tossing stomach did flips at his words. Sure the alcohol helped ease your racing thoughts but the man had the unique ability to make your heart thump faster in your chest by words alone.

"Am I that bad?" He asked rhetorically with a chuckle. "I thought I was doing pretty well for myself. It got you out here with me tonight at least."

"I bet you say that to every woman." You mused, but you felt a pull at your heart. Your fingers squeezed his hand that still held yours tightly and released. You didn't want to let go of the man's hand, wanting to hold it for as long as possible before he eventually slipped away. He would always leave at this point of the night, would slink away and not be seen again until the next day. And neither of you dared to speak about events from the prior night, even if you both still remembered. It was a reckless cycle you continued despite your feelings, all for the charm the man reeled you in with.

"Nah-" he shook his head. "I saved that one just for you."

You rolled your eyes at his statement, "well don't you know how to make me feel special." Sarcasm dripping off every word, he matched your energy with a smirk.

"You're still here," he quipped, "so I'm doing something right." He felt his tone teeter, knowing he toed the line a bit too far and hoped he wouldn't live to regret it. "I saved another line just for you, y'know?" He began with a chuckle, leading himself down a path of conversation that there was no turning back on. If he was sober, he'd be coherent enough to spin it back to fight his anxiety - but he was far from sober. He walked himself down this path and he walked it with the confidence he truly couldn't believe he even had.

"Oh please," you rolled your eyes again. "Enlighten me with your terrible pick up lines."

"Do you want to come over?" He asked nonchalantly, the question falling from his lips effortlessly as he didn't think before he spoke. He didn't mean for his hand to squeeze yours tightly, but he did anyway as the realization of what he asked hit him point blank. He wanted to recover his statement, but taking it back would make him look like an ass. And fixing it would make him look like a cowardly fool.

"Really?" You posed, taken aback by his question despite how much you eagerly jumped to say yes. Intoxicated or not, the man hadn't had the gumption to ask of your company after a party before. Although this was exactly what you wished for, you felt yourself get nervous regardless.

The man paused a moment, wrapping his drunken mind around the conversation at hand. Letting his swimming mind decide his next move as he looked over your features to find an answer. You wanted to. The way you held his hand desperately in an attempt to have him stay, and your features spoke those of pleasantly surprised than disgust and down right rejection. But his mind only thought in extremes in his current state, and he shrugged off the darkness as he thought it was now or never. "Hell yeah," he said with a chuckle.

Your stomach did flips at his offer, which made you swallow hard as you tried to tame it. Semesters you have craved every aspect of the man in front of you, right down to his very essence. Sober you would pussy out, and think of a lame excuse to further push your own feelings down. So far from sobriety, all you could do was lean into the notion of wanting what was directly in front of you. "Fuck it," you mused with a smile. "I'll come over."

[remidyal]

Favorite D20 Villains

Just for some positivity on this, and because it's been a minute since I did a tier or ranking list, have my ten favorite Dimension 20 villains! I'm not going to include anyone from Junior Year since it's still running, and I'm going to go ahead and mention that I'm not including Ragh or Aelwyn who could both easily make this list otherwise because they've spent as much or more time on the Intrepid Hero's side as they did villains.

Obviously, there are potential spoilers in this list, so proceed at your own risk! I'm putting a read more link here just to save people who haven't seen a lot of seasons.

10. Galfast Hamhead, Escape from the Bloodkeep.

Okay I know this one is cheating because the party are the villains and Galfast is, like, the one actually good figure on the opposing side, but I'm still counting her. Just an absolute tour de force in the parts of the series she appears in, and gets away even though she technically loses to the party.

9. Natalia Cicero Connie Lee Carter Bajar, A Starstruck Odessey

She's not the most threatening villain in ASO, but there are really three fronts where villains can work for me: They can be hammy and fun, they can be actually threatening and scary, and they can be someone I desperately would love to see get taken down. Natalia scores all her points in the first and last of these categories; she's not scary, but her entire concept is just so stupid that it makes me laugh every time.

Bonus points for being the target of what I think is the best joke in ASO - high praise - the "My fiancee doesn't really do art" - "I agree" by Ally.

8. Robert Moses, The Unsleeping City.

I believe the only actual person to ever be a main villain in Dimension 20. Genuinely a monster of American history; I was familiar with him prior to watching The Unsleeping City but I would wager that I was in a fairly slim minority. There's some problems with the presentation here and the details of it - I am guessing they would have just made him a powerful vampire if this season was more recent, for one - but I can't say I wouldn't want Robert Moses' plan thwarted. Probably the closest we'll ever come to actually having a campaign fight Ronald Reagan directly.

7. The Stepmother, Never After

Never After for me has a structural problem in that there are too many ideas stuffed into too short a season, and so quite a lot of it feels extremely half-baked. The Stepmother isn't immune to this, but she's also an actual imposing figure for much of the series that feels like a true threat to the party even after they prove that a TPK isn't enough to stop them. The scene where Ylfa looks before they head to the Lines Between is maybe the best Never After has to offer, for me.

6. Madame Loathing, Mentopolis

Honestly, this feels like a more full version of the Stepmother in many ways even though there are only six episode. This is probably because she's not competing with like five other factions in her villainy. The moment where she turns is great, and there's something very satisfying about landing a twist where the villain was someone so obvious that they were dismissed by many as too obviously evil to actually be the main evil.

5. The First Stoats, Burrow's End

Here I'm referring to the four that remained at Last Bast; I think the series in some ways peaked with fighting them, though certainly there were some highlights still to come. I don't think Aabria necessarily meant for this fight to go down at the time and place that it did, but genuinely creepy designs with a creamy layer of fascism on top.

4. Tony Simos, Unsleeping City 2

Remember those three categories? Tony here scores real, real big in the "I wanna see him die" category. He's not the worst person on this list (that's honestly probably Robert Moses), but he's the one I most wanted to see get crushed, and ultimately was in an extremely satisfying way. TUC2's villain duo was overall incredible - we'll revisit that in a moment - but I cheered more when Tony dropped than any other villain D20's ever had.

It is what it could be, asshole.

3. Calroy Cruller, A Crown of Candy

Do you know what I've always hated about you, Amethar?

There's a lot of people who would have this guy at the top of their lists, and I really don't blame them; the main thing holding him back for me is that he really doesn't do very much after that crowning monologue until he goes out like a chump at the end of the steamroll that is ACoC's last battle. (Those of you calling JY's last fight easy should rewatch that one). It is, admittedly, the most satisfying of any of the villain deaths of that finale, especially with Liam's baffling last second resurrection of broccoli pope and captain carrot. Scores very well on all three fronts, and honestly if Amethar had actually died there or if he'd just been front and center at the end then he'd maybe be number two for me.

2. Null, Unsleeping City 2

A dip into real eldritch horror, and does it better than Never After in part because it stands out more against the backdrop of New York. Null scores great on the threatening front; a monstrosity of apathy and depression and lack of connection is a hell of a villain. The world where Pete doesn't roll that crazy banishment check and vanishes partway through the season would have maybe robbed us of some of the insight into this, so I'm glad we got the one that we did.

Kalina, Fantasy High Sophomore Year

This was never going to be anyone else. Kalina's getting points on all three fronts, but conceptually is just an incredible concept for a villain, feels like a real threat throughout the season until the moment they dispel her, and you can feel the amount the players both want to take her down and are in fact worried about her throughout the season. Because of her nature she's able to show up repeatedly without a fight without that not really making sense, which is kind of hard to pull off - most of the villains on this list aren't met much after their villainy is revealed. We'll see if she's back at the end of Junior Year and what kind of state Cass ends up in, but either way we'll always have spring break.

[bpdstevenuniverse]

Could you tell me more about your opinion on Steven and his BPD?

Hi, thanks for asking!

I think a lot of people in the fandom agree that Steven deals with PTSD - or C-PTSD if you count the multiple traumatic experiences he went through as a kid. But after I was diagnosed with BPD a couple years ago, I realized Steven might also fit some of the criteria. Disclaimer, I am not a doctor, I'm only speaking through my own experience with BPD.

I think his possible BPD is more notable in Steven Universe Future, where Steven is more prone to anger, impulsivity, and he's extremely terrified of abandonment. He'll go through lengths to avoid it, to the point of trapping his friends in a dome, or him insisting on the Camp Pining Hearts rewrites in his dreams just so Peridot wouldn't leave, or him proposing to Connie so they would fuse and Steven could be with her forever. Steven also has trouble facing rejection, as he's unable to even speak to Connie after she turns him down. You might as well say he split on Greg in "Mr. Universe", because he used to think the world of his father, but once he learned about Greg's backstory and how similar he is to Rose, Steven stops looking up to him altogether.

But you might already see some of these signs in the first show - Steven already showed episodes of anger even if they were less common, and as Steven was regularly emotionally neglected by his parental figures, he had to prove himself over and over again to be considered a Crystal Gem. Even early on in season 1, Steven is afraid the gems might not "hang out with him anymore" if he doesn't have powers.

Steven constantly pushes his own feelings aside for the sake of others. He has a lot of repressed anger towards his mother, but it ends up targeting himself. And in some way or the other, Steven is punished for having "selfish" feelings, even when he has the right to feel angry sometimes, especially at how the gems treat him. In Steven Universe Future, Steven thinks of himself as a "fraud", because he isn't this pure hero everyone sees, he's hurting and he's done reprehensible acts (such as shattering Jasper).

I find it sad that this headcanon isn't very discussed. The character I see the most being coded with BPD online is Spinel, which makes sense since she also meets a lot of the criteria, and I support it! However, I personally dislike the fact most BPD-coded characters are villains/antagonists. It's so rare to find heroes/main characters being diagnosed with BPD and other similar disorders (especially personality disorders which are wrongly associated with "evil"). Besides, Spinel and Steven have quite some similarities, but you don't see many people supporting BPD Steven.

I am a bit glad that I found more posts talking about BPD Steven recently, but they're less common in comparison to BPD Spinel (and maybe other SU characters that might be BPD-coded). I really want to see more BPD representation that isn't limited only to villains.

[asktheghosthost]

Some scattered thoughts on the 2023 HM movie

Maybe I'll do something more in depth later after the wide release and when I'm not so exhausted

But for now, here's some notes. There are a couple of minor spoilers, so I'll still put this under a read more. Be warned.

I really enjoyed the Easter eggs. I'm looking forward to getting the blu ray and pausing it every five seconds to see what I spy in the background.

Our mortal crew is very likable. Ben is definitely the stand out character for me. His arc is lovely and sympathetic and he almost made me cry.

I liked how the film approaches grief and loss and love. It felt sincere. And it was handled in a way that I think most kids would get, too. If anything, it may help open up conversations for some of the younger audience.

Lots of character cameos, and multiple new ghosts created just for the film. Really appreciated the new spirits. They fit right in. The extras and supporting cast playing these quirky ghosts were great. ... Pay them. Pay them what they're worth. You couldn't have this massive menagerie of the macabre without them

I've seen a lot of reviews say the jokes can fall flat. Most of them hit for me. "It'll cost you... three dollars," still made me giggle.

Hatty... I'm so glad Disney finally made a proper outright villain again. Not a twist villain. Just a straight up murderous, power hungry, manipulative, absolute asshole. It's been way too long. Pay your writers, and pay them well so we can get more of this.

The way the Mansion would change and rearrange itself was great. I love that the house is a character all on its own. It has a backstory. It's its own entity in a way. Love that. Properly pay your animators and special effects team, because their work is the only way that kind of thing is accomplished so well.

William Gracey is a total sweetheart and I love him. His backstory is actually super similar to Edward's, so that might bug some people. But he's different enough in his demeanor, I think, that maybe it won't be really obvious if you're not thinking that hard about it. But, yeah, there are a couple of things that feel repeated from the 2003 movie. I don't know how much of that to chalk up to tropes, or if it was some intentional reworking. This isn't a remake, it's still its own thing, but it's easy to see some inspiration from the previous film.

Loved Connie. No thoughts in that head except "WHACKITY-WHACK!" She's chaotically vicious for the sake of it, and that's fun. My perfect Constance is Debbie from Adam's Family Values. Or a slightly sympathetic schemer, for a more grounded route. But I'll take maniacal seriel killer Connie, too. One moment with her actually got the biggest laugh from me.

Thinking about it, it also borrowed plot elements from the 2003 video game, too. But did those elements better. For the most part.

That's all that's coming to mind right now. Might talk more about it later. I had a good time. I do recommend it. Are there things I'd do differently? Well, yeah. I still want something where the ghosts are the focus. But I guess I'll just provide that myself. And the IDW and SLG comics also give us that.

I look forward to discussing it more with the fandom once the film has been out a while longer. I think there'll be a lot of different opinions on it.

[vendily-blog]

Mario & Luigi: Brothership Announcement Trailer Analysis

Okay okay, I'm done with making gifs for right now. I still can't believe it's real. And releasing in November too.

As per usual, everything goes under a read more.

So first things first. The Brothership.

It seems to be a floating island, and brings to mind the Starship Mario (the "Faceship") from Mario Galaxy 2.

At the front of the ship is the cannon, which the brothers use to launch to other islands, as you can see the sail and the cliffs behind it in this shot.

I wonder if this means we'll get a slightly less linear adventure, since there's clearly a selection for islands using the telescope mounted to the cannon.

If so, I wonder if it'll be a world map type thing, where completing an island gets you the path forward to more islands (Galaxy 2 style), or a central hub style, where you upgrade the ship to reach farther islands (Galaxy 1 style). It could go either way honestly, and there's not enough evidence either way to say yet.

What I do have evidence of, is the selection screen for different overworld Bros Moves! The Japanese trailer is very slightly different from the English one, and we get a much clearer view of the icons before they use the UFO spin one.

So it seems that Bros. Ball is back! It doesn't quite look like Ball Hop from Dream Team, it has little speed lines, so I think it really is the version of the move from Partners in Time!

We can also see there's at least 1 more action yet to be unlocked. Maybe it's a burrow action?

Speaking of UI, there's a few shortcuts in the corner. Interestingly, the top two options, a thinking bubble and a golden pipe, don't appear in the middle screenshot, which may be from early game, given the low coin counts (2201 coins, 98 coins, and 476 coins respectively). A hint system, Return to Brothership, and your normal menu to adjust gear and use items perhaps?

Speaking of currency, there's 2 of them in the game.

Seems like magic sparkles, and standard coins.

Sparkles might be used to upgrade the ship? We see in other shots that Connie seems to be a gardener of sorts and the ship is partially organic.

She has this seed or lightbulb shaped symbol on her head and there's other garden equipment here, like the trowel.

Speaking of important characters, Princess Peach being here is a fun surprise!

It seems the the Princess also ended up in this otherworld too, but not at the same time as the brothers, as she's picked up her own crew, and Dorrie. I wonder if she'll join along on the Brothership once you find her, or if she has her own adventure during the course of the story (sort of like Minion Quest/Bowser Jr.'s Journey from the Superstar Saga and Bower's Inside Story remakes).

It's also interesting that Bowser's here. He might not be behind this plot if the princess is here, he's not one to go sending Peach to alternative dimensions. Maybe he's followed them here because the Princess disappeared.

And perhaps a bit of fighting with the bros for good measure. It seems he fires upon the Brothership here, but he might not be working with the Extension Corps.

They share the same electrical theming as the other NPCs we've seen so far and their plot seems to revolve around these odd generators, which we can also see in the pre-bossfight intro here.

I suppose their plot might involve powering something. Or maybe they're taking something from these generators, given they seem to be spread out.

On the topic of battles though, either we get stat upgrades through food items, like the various coffees from Superstar Saga, or we get random rolls back (maybe both) because there's some variation in the stats of the bros at times between the JP and EN trailers.

Left is from the English video and right is from the Japanese one during the Headphone Jack Corp Boss. Which is odd, because every other part of the videos has tried its hardest to be identical save for the language change.

Same deal for the Gorumbla boss. Left English, Right Japanese.

It just seems like a rather odd decision to do the boss on different levels for the video, so that's why I think the fluctuation is from random rolls. But there could still be a cooking system, as we have this shot of the brothers and they may be in a kitchen of sorts?

I have other questions for the battle system too. We never see any battle action selection so it's hard to say in any particular way, but all the attacks we see seem to be duo attacks.

This Hammer move has an extra effect, "Kaboom Attack" but I don't know if it's an effect of the Bros. attack (it'll always do this) or a special effect of an equipped hammer for instance (much like how you could equip gear that allows you to stomp on spiked foes or spawn a spike ball to do extra damage afterwards).

On the overworld, it seems like Luigi is the one to come up with ideas? The Exclamation mark that denotes Luigi interaction is slightly shaped like an L, both in the animation and in the overworld afterwards.

Luigi retains this green glow whenever he's currently doing a Luigi action for lack of a better term.

It visually reminds me of Luiginary Works in Dream Team. I'm not sure if it's specifically a mechanic in the plot (Much like Dreamy Luigi was), or just a tool to show you Luigi is preoccupied.

(Also yes, Hammer on X and Y again, I missed that so much.)

Anyway rapid fire random thoughts before I stop.

I like the Mario Odyssey inspired Mushroom Kingdom, with the towers around the main castle.

I suppose the plot starts because they're just such good bros to each other, but that doesn't quite explain why Princess Peach and Bowser are here? I also don't see much involving this odd sparkle hand power outside the intro, but it just seems too important to ignore.

I like the one off movement abilities, just like how you had climbing pipes in Superstar Saga or the bike pads/gonzola.

[c-atm]

A gems djinn: chapter 7

"So..." Connie rubbed her nape bashfully, "If you guys have no reservations...I kind of was hoping to stay here with you." Connie asked Amethyst, Garnet, and Pearl.

Pearl stayed silent at first as she folded her arms. "It's not my choice. I don't live here," she spoke, her voice full of mistrust but a bit of guilt. "It's up to you two." She turned to Amethyst and Garnet.

"Well, if that's the case. The little fusion said, jumping and catching Connie in a glomp. "I say stay, Nini." Garnet smiled up at the Djinn.

"Well, not like we don't have the room or you don't have a room yourself. We can change it to be more than a chest temple," Amethyst stated before joining Garnet in hugging the Djinn. The three friends reunited after centuries.

"They're really close, aren't they?" Steven stated, looking at the three.

"They were old friends, hell, Kahanni...Connie and her parents were basically being crescent gems themselves," Onyx stated with a sad smile, "except for not being gems, but you know being friends and all."

Steven hummed at that before stretching. "Guess we should make our way home then."

"Aww, you don't wanna stay for a bit, Stevie!?" Amethyst asked, rubbing his head like an aunt or a big sister, "Today was a victory for the Crescent gems. We should celebrate."

Pearl hummed, unsure of that as well, thinking that the return of Connie was a bad omen. 'Who sent Kanaraka after Connie's chest, and who even knew about her,' Pearl wondered internally as she rubbed her chin, her black sclera and lightly gray Iris eyes narrowing a bit.

"Well, we can't ignore the fact that those Kanaraka was after Connie's chest," Pearl finally spoke up, her tone still reserved. "We need to be cautious. We don't know who is behind this or what their motives are."

Amethyst and Garnet exchanged glances, understanding the gravity of Pearl's words.

"You're right, Pearl," Amethyst acknowledged. "We can't let our guard down just because of Connie's back. We need to be vigilant and protect her."

Connie pursed her lips in a thin line of annoyance. "Hey now, I'm quite the powerful Djinn, you know? I don't need to be put under house arrest."

"No one was thinking that, Nini." Garnet assured her before turning to Pearl and Amethyst. "Right?"

Amethyst nodded, rubbing the small gem head. "Of course not. Though, Ni' here been out of commission for the better part of a millennia. She needs to accumulate to this new world."

Onyx looked at Pearl, who gave a curt nod before facing away and seeing a slight hidden sneer on her face. She sighed, knowing her old friend well enough that she could see what was going through Pearl's mind.

'Of course, she would be suspicious.' Onyx rubbed her eyes, only feeling the conversation that Pearl would want to have with her over Kahanni... Connie's return and Steven's new role as her 'lamp'.

Onyx looked over at the Djinn and how she was sitting down with crossed legs as Garnet, Amethyst, and Steven spoke with her, explaining what a tablet was seeing the Djinn's eyes widened in amazement. It was difficult to see anything more than a curious nineteen-year-old girl.

'Definitely hard to see her as an envoy for the Arcana.' Onyx thought as Pearl tapped her shoulder, getting her attention.

"Can I talk to you?"

Onyx pursed her lips, humming in slight discomfort. Pearl's tact could still use work after all these years.

Onyx nodded before turning to the four younger residents. "Steven, gonna speak with Pearl a bit before going. Be ready by the time I'm back."

"Come on, Ma. I'm Eighteen, you can trust -"

"Not today I can... remember, your new bond is still very unstable, and the increase need to be with Connie it brings," Onyx reminded her son, causing Steven to blush a bit. "Besides, school starts back in a couple of days. Take the time to relax and study a bit during your last days of spring break."

"Mom, I'm fine, and I-"

"Study!?" Connie called with a smile as she changed into a blue wisp and floated from Amethyst and Garnet to appear behind Steven, hugging his neck gently as she hovered behind him, "Studying what?" She asked, an excitable and ravenous look in her eyes.

"You ok?" Steven questioned, chuckling a bit at the Djinn's excitement

"I love learning new things!" Connie all but bounced in mid-air, "I've been dead for so long, and despite our bond giving me enough knowledge to operate socially, I still want to learn about this new modern world."

"Maybe I should let you go to class in my place then." Steven joked with a laugh while Connie's eyes widened at the thought, a look of excitement on her face.

"I can do that!" Connie nodded, " I can shapeshift into you and go in your place."

"Wait, can you do that?"

" I'm a Djinn, I'm magic! That ain't nothing!" Connie smiled.

"I'll never miss a day again," Steven whispered in shock.

"You can up your Crescent gem training while Connie goes to class in your place," Garnet added excitedly.

Amethyst smirked, saying nothing as she rubbed her chin in thought. "I mean.. that's not a bad idea... Would definitely help you get more use to the magic side of the world if you had a few more field missions and excursions."

"Hey, no. Don't even think about it, Steven," Onyx chuckled, her heart warming at the sight of their antics. "Don't renege on our deal now, Nero," Onyx reminded her son using his middle name.

"You do remember our deal, right?"

"Yes, mom." Steven sighed, "Have to balance normal life and magic life."

"and." Onyx urged her son, who muttered the next part, "I can't hear you."

"gotta maintain at least a B average in school."

"right and you can't maintain that if Connie goes for you." Onyx gently reprimanded him. "Besides, wouldn't you want to impress her with your knowledge and dedication."

"I guess that's true."

"Awww!" Connie moaned disappointed, pouting a bit, "How am I supposed to learn about this new world?"

"Same as you always did. Exploration and discovery, sure Garnet and Amethyst would love to show you around." Ony smirked as the two gems nodded

"Me too," Steven announced, squeezing the Djinn's hand.

Connie giggled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Fine, fine," she said, releasing her hold on Steven. "I'll let you have your precious school days. But you better teach me everything you learn!"

"Deal!" Steven exclaimed, a broad smile spreading across his face.

"Just don't forget your studies," Onyx reminded him again, "last semester or not, you can't just jump to being Connie's full-time tutor."

"Aw, come on, Mom," Steven protested. "It'll be fun! And Connie's really smart. Sure, she could teach me a lot as well, and we could teach each other a lot."

"I'm sure she could, and you two will." Onyx agreed with a nod. "But that's not the point. Connie needs to learn how to live in this world without relying on you." Onyx relented a bit. "and you both gotta learn to live with your new pact you two are in, making sure you balance your individuality and independence while nurturing your bond naturally." She reminded the two.

"We know." Steven and Connie spoke simultaneously before looking at each other.

"You're doing it again."

"Me, you're talking when I'm talking."

"See!"

Steven and Connie glared at each other before their eyes narrowed, chuckling and giggling, respectively.

As they continued to chat and laugh, Onyx smiled at the sight of her son and his newfound companion. Despite the lingering concerns about Connie's return, she felt a sense of hope and optimism.

She turned her attention to Pearl, who was waiting patiently by the door. "Let's go."

As they stepped outside, the sky was ablaze with a thousand stars. The air was crisp and cold, a welcome respite from the warmth of the house.

"Pearl," Onyx began, "I know you have your doubts about Connie's return. But she's changed, Pearl. She's not the same naive girl she was centuries ago."

Pearl remained silent, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"I understand that you're worried about Steven," Onyx continued. "But we need to trust that he knows what he's doing. He's not a child anymore. He's growing into a young man, and he's quite capable as he showed today and time again and again." Onyx proudly stated.

"but"

Pearl's lips parted slightly, but she said nothing.

"We can't keep him sheltered forever," Onyx said. "He needs to experience the world and make his own decisions. And he's doing so in a fantastic way. Today events alone are a testament to that."

"You mean when he all but chewed us out."

"He was going to attack me while we were in the room. After seeing me 'kill' Connie." Onyx told Pearl, rubbing her, "he has definitely harnessed his power as Connie's lamp."

Pearl's gaze softened slightly. "I suppose you're right," she said. "But I still have my reservations."

"I know," Onyx said. "But I think we need to give Connie a chance. She deserves it."

Pearl nodded slowly. "Very well," she said. "But I'll be keeping a close eye on her."

Onyx smiled. "As expected from Gracia Forest's Black Shogun."

Peael let a small snicker, "The old epitaph, trying to butter me up?"

"Just a bit." Onyx teased as They walked in silence for a few moments before Pearl spoke again.

"So," she said. "What's the plan, we can't ignore the fact that Kanaraka was after Connie's chest," Pearl spoke up, her tone still reserved. "We need to be cautious. We don't know who is behind this or what their motives are.

"That's true," Onyx said. "We need to start searching some of our channels, maybe their loose lips that are willing to spill some information."

"agreed I'll put out some feelers," Pearl said. "but we need to be careful. I doubt it was the Kanaraka plan. "

"Right, they are usually the odd-jobbers of the magic community," Onyx said. "Someone knew about Connie's chest and sent someone to get it. We should assume they knew about Connie and the Djinn as well."

Pearl nodded, "I hope this doesn't turn out to be something world-changing."

Onyx's mind raced, considering the implications of Pearl's words. She hated the thought but the Kanaraka's presence could very well be a sign of an advent, of something momentous that would affect not only her son and Connie (while paramount in her mind), but so too was the well-being of the entire magical community.

'I hope I'm being paranoid.' Onyx thought as they headed back to the beach house, hearing the joyful commotion as they opened the door.

Meanwhile, on a city street a ways from the beach house, A Kanaraka was struggling to get away from her attacker. Stumbling into an alley and leaning on a green wall. Their body littered with burns as they heard footsteps coming.

"STOP!" They pleaded as saw their attacker, "Let me leave, I Finder, beseech you!" the Kanaraka pleaded.

"Hmm? Finder what are you looking for in my city. And why do you smell of magic, not of earth?"

"I...that Is to say..."

"You were fighting those aliens weren't you, that how you got those cuts and whip marks to think I'd be cleaning up after them."

"I....we were sent to capture the half-breed!"

The attacker let free an animalistic snarl as her eyes glowed, her silhouette cast by the evening dimming black sun changed as something sprouted behind her.

" no...You're a..."

The Kanaraka's words turned to screams as a bright orange consumed them, leaving no blood, no bone, no ash.

"Hmm... what have you got wrapped in, Nero?" The attacker spoke in a gentle concern to herself.

"Seem you've finished up." A man who looked 21 spoke from behind her, a staff in his hand. "come on, let's go home...We got school in a couple of days, treetop."

The woman hummed before leaping towards the man her body bursting into flames as she turned to a fox sitting on his shoulder and licking his cheek.

At the click of his staff, the colors of the world return to normal, Gray graffiti walls and a reddish setting sun.

no normal humans the wiser as the duo made their way home, preparing for the next day.

[pokemoncryptids]

[You have been transferred 5000 Pokédollars]

Psychic readings, huh? I suppose I should try it at least once in my life.

...Just me though. Leave Thea out of it

~Connie @lovenpeace-pkmn

Thanks for the Poke. I can afford some decent food tonight because of this.

I can tell you're quite skeptical of this. I can assure you I'm not trying to con you. Simply trying to live.

You're hard to get a good read on. You keep things close to yourself, hidden away from even me. Especailly things that could burden others. You still fear being a burden- don't you?

You're kind sure, thats easy to say, but you're kind in spite of what has happened to you, not because of it. Many others would've turned bitter, turned their backs against the world if they were forced to fill the roles you were. But you stayed kind, in a way that is more powerful than before. Bright in the way that doesn't falter, doesn't dim for another brighter star.

I don't see anything dark and dramatic in your future. Life isn't always easy for you, but there are no monsters to slay, no people to save, you just keep on going, through the ups and downs.

[stevenblueniverse]

Steven BLUE-niverse Chapters 13-16 ( the lapis mini arc) since the current fic is over 100 chapters now ill be posting some of the mini arcs here but not the whole fic. Since these are earlier chapters my grammar probably sucks and the writing is much worse.

Chapter 13 a fly around earth

"It's sad these won't last forever", Steven said, he was sitting with his mother and eating some of the remaining cookie cats he had left."Hey mum?", Steven said, lightly tapping his mother's hand to get her attention, "didn't you say there was some way you could preserve these with technology from your homeworld?" He asked. Blue looked back to him and smiled, "I'll try and find a way but I'm not sure", she said.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, pearl went to see who it was and opened the door, Connie came running in, excitedly yelling, "I'm so happy my parents said I could come over again! I have a awesome idea!", she quickly ran to steven and blue. "Miss Connie, we did not know you'd be here", pearl said, following after her, "I'm sorry it was unannounced I just really wanted to see blue diamond!", she replied very quickly. "Why?", blue asked, raising an eyebrow.

"OK ok you may call me crazy but please listen to this idea I have" Connie said, "so my parents are super strict and I barely go anywhere, Steven and you are my only friends and I'm wondering if, with your cool water wings, could we explore a bit?". Steven loved this idea and quickly started also telling blue he'd love this, "mum please do this! Me and Connie can fly on your back or in your arms and you can show me and her all sorts of cool gem things!", he said.

"My diamond, I don't think this will be safe" pearl said, blue looked at pearl and said, "I'm a diamond I'm very sure I can do it", pearl started to become quite scared of blue's tone of voice maybe she angered her diamond, "n-no I don't mean you can't my diamond I just-I am not sure they could both fit" pearl explained but blue's harsh tone and expression didn't change, "their sizes won't matter if I don't stick to this small form of mine" she said, this interested Connie and she asked, "Mrs universe what do you mean? Is this not your real form?", this finally changed blue's mood and distracted her from pearl and and she said to Connie, "do you want to see the real blue diamond?", Connie quickly nodded back, Steven also yelled "yes!!" Not long after.

"Well, miss maheswaran, for us to travel around the world and see the remains of gem life here and witness the true form of me you must do one thing for me!" Blue said, laying back in her seat, Steven sighed and complained "awww come on mum!", but Connie stopped him and said, "what is it? I'll do anything". "It's simple. Can I try your glasses?" Blue said, giving Connie a goofy looking smile. Connie quickly gave blue her big, purple tinted glasses and blue started to wear them and pose in many ridiculous positions. Steven and even pearl laughed at these poses and steven took photos with his phone, while pearl made sure to memorise them for future art.

"So miss how do I look?" Blue asked Connie, as she posed laying on the couch, "I'm sorry I can't see without them", Connie said, trying to look at her, her eyes looked so small without them. Blue moved the glasses above her eyes and onto her forehead and stopped posing, "I can help you with that!" She said but blue pearl quickly wispered to her, "my diamond are you sure you can heal a human?", blue looked down at pearl and said, "of course I've healed animals and all sorts,this girl won't be magically unique and immune to my powers and if i cant heal her steven can try!".

Blue sat Connie down and stood in front of her, "ok miss this will seem weird but I promise you will see perfectly after this", she also kept Steven next to her, she wanted to show him how to properly use healing powers. "Watch me very carefully" blue said to steven, preparing to heal connie. She put her hand over her gem and it started to glow, soon her hand over the gem was covered in a wavy blue energy, blue stuck two fingers out and slowly moved the glowing hand onto Connie's forehead, Steven watched closely, he wanted to try and test this out later but was scared of what would happen if it went wrong.

As blue's 2 fingers touched Connie's head the energy soon covered blue and connie's entire bodies, blue's eyes began to glow white and bright, Steven had to step back and cover his eyes as the light was so bright. but not long after,the light faded and everything seemed to have gone back to normal. "Alright you should be ok after that", blue said, moving her hand off Connie, Connie nervously opened her eyes and looked around the room, then to steven and then to blue, "can you see me well?" Steven asked Connie, getting close up to her, "give her some time" blue quietly said to steven, moving him slightly away from her.

"Woah...my eyes, I...I DONT NEED MY GLASSES ANYMORE!!",Connie yelled, hugging blue and nearly starting to cry, "Wow mum you did it!" Steven yelled, "I hope I can learn this soon!". "So connie, now that you don't need these glasses anymore I guess I can always wear them?" Blue asked Connie, winking at her and putting the glasses over her eyes again. "No" Connie sighed, "my parents must not know about this". "Why not!?" Steven asked, "won't they like us!?", Connie looked worried and said, "Listen they'll think all this gem magic and stuff is weird and they may not let me see you again!", this shocked Steven and hurt him, he couldn't imagine never seeing connie again. "I understand" blue sighed, "I think it's for the best that most of this is kept secret, for now, but when the time comes I'll explain to your parents, now lets go travel this planet", she said, putting her hand on Connie and Steven's shoulders.

They quickly ran outside the house and steven and Connie jumped on blue's back at almost the same time, "you sure you can handle us?" Connie asked blue, "when I get into the air, I'll show you my true size!" Blue said, preparing to summon her wings. pearl looked out the window and waved to blue and blue waved back and right after she summoned 2 ginormous water wings and quickly flew into the sky above the clouds, as they flew higher and higher blue's size began to grow and she had become almost double her size from before. "mum! I thought you were gonna show Connie your true form!" Steven said, crawling up to be close to her face, "I say this is big enough!" Blue replied, flying across Beach City, "Wait, this isn't your true height?" Connie asked, tightly holding onto to blue, "I'm much taller, but I don't need to show you that height right now, maybe another day I will show you it" blue replied.

"So, where do you guys want to visit?" Blue asked Connie and steven."What about some cool gem places? Steven has told me about some, " Connie said. "How about we visit that sea spire! The place I helped fix!" Steven said, Connie quickly agreed with this, steven had told her some stories about the places he went with pearl and his mother and they seemed so interesting. "The sea spire it is!" Blue proclaimed, flying to the direction extremely fast.

As they got to the sea spire, Steven and Blue quickly realised something was off. "What the!? Is it falling apart again!? What's going on!?" Steven confusedly asked, looking at the condition the spire was now in. It had started to crumble once again. It looked like they had never even been there to restore it. "it can't break if the statue is still there unless...someone took it" blue said under her breath, flying to the top of the spire to check the statue was there and it was gone, this made blue's eyes widen and she looked back at Steven shocked, "the statue...its gone!" She said, Steven gasped and yelled, "WHAT COULD'VE TOOK IT! IT MUSTVE BEEN THE CRYSTAL GEMS!!!", Connie was confused but kept quiet. She was kinda scared of this place and starting to regret asking Blue to take her anywhere if she was just going to be taken to these creepy abandoned places.

"Alright, that was a disappointment and a shocking suprise but I know a place that definitely won't be a disappointment!" Blue said, suddenly flying across the long ocean. Under them a strange monument in the water appeared and blue flew towards it, "those look like warp-pads" Steven said, "that's because they are!" blue said, landing on the ground and making Connie and steven get off her as she shut off her wings to look around. "These warps lead to all different planets and this one," she said, walking to a much larger warp than the others, "lead to our homeworld," "WOW!", Steven yelled, running around to look at all the broken warp-pads.

"What are these?" Connie asked Steven, "oh sorry you've probably not seen them before! They're called warp-pads, they're bascially like portals! They're so cool, they can basically take us anywhere we want!", as blue watched Connie and steven talk she felt something, touch her foot, "that's strange" blue thought, looking down to see whatever it was. It was a mirror, laying by the warp that led to her home planet. Blue picked it up and looked back at her reflection, wondering why it was here. "Mum, what's that?" Steven asked, running to his mother to see what she was holding, "I don't know I just found it" blue said, giving it to Steven, "it could be many things, but I think it's just an accessory a old aristocratic gem left here when fleeing" she said.

"Connie, I think it's getting late, I'll fly you home, sounds good?" Blue asked Connie, Connie agreed and they flew to her home extremely fast and dropped her off there. before Connie's parents opened the door for her, Steven noticed she put her glasses back on, he didn't tell blue but it made him feel weird, he didn't like her living almost a second life. As Steven and blue flew home alone, Steven kept looking at himself in the mirror, then he decided to turn it around wondering if maybe there was some cool alien details on the back but he then discovered something shocking.

"MUM! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!", Steven shouted to his mother, scaring her so much she nearly made her wings disappear."WHAT!? WHAT IS IT!?" Blue yelled back, angry he scared her, "the mirror....it has a gem!" Steven said, showing blue the back of the mirror, somehow she didn't notice this before but in the middle was a large blue cracked gem, blue looked at the gem with shock in her eyes and quickly grabbed it from Steven, "we will see what we can do with this, when we get home" she said, looking at the gem more closely.

Chapter 14 in the mirror

Pearl looked into each detail of the mirror, and especially at the type of gem stuck to the back of it with great detail. "so what do you think it is?" Steven asked, "it seems to be one of the gems that worked under your mother" pearl said, this shocked Steven and he immediately ran up to pearl and took it out her hands, "so a person is in here!?", he said, looking at his reflection, "it seems so" pearl said.

"EVERYONE I HAVE A DISCOVERY!", blue suddenly yelled, running from down the stairs, "oh what now? Last time your discovery was you finding out raw potatoes are not good food for babies!", Greg complained, "I've learnt how to do a human thing Steven has taught me!" She excitedly exclaimed "I've learnt how to fart!... With my mouth!" And right after proclaiming this discovery of hers the once almighty diamond put her hand over her mouth and started to blow, creating a very loud fart sound, making Steven laugh and copy her.

But when Steven and blue where making the sound together the mirror started to Copy them, even when Steven stopped the mirror played the reflection and sound of Steven blowing, this was funny at first but started to scare Steven, "let me have that!", blue said, snatching the mirror away from Steven, "What do you think is in here?" Blue asked pearl, "it seems to be a member of your court" Pearl replied. Blue's eyes went wide and she looked back at the mirror.

"Are you conscious? Yes or no?" Blue asked the mirror. The mirror replayed her saying yes, blue was very shocked. "do you want to be let out,?" She asked the mirror, and once again it replied yes."my diamond I don't think this is a good idea, we don't know what type of gem could be in there" blue pearl said, trying to take the mirror off blue as politely as possible, "pearl you said she worked for my mum right? She won't do anything bad as long as my mum is here!", Steven said, taking back the mirror from the both of them.

"So miss mirror gem, how will we take you out?" He asked the mirror, "the gem...take.. out" the mirror said, using words cut from sentences said to it. "You want me to pull the gem out the back?" Steven asked, turning the mirror on the back then quickly on the front to see the response, the mirror responded "yes". "MY STEVEN DO NOT, WE DONT KNOW WHO IS IN THERE!", pearl pleaded but she was stopped by blue, "as Steven said, she's a member of My court she won't do anything as long as I'm here, Steven! Pull the gem out!" Blue commanded.

Steven quickly ran out the house and by the beach, thinking maybe there would be an explosion when the gem came out, so he kept away from the house. Blue diamond and pearl followed after him, with pearl calling his name. "Alright, I'll be gentle!" Steven said, beginning to pull the gem out the mirror, water started to surround him as he pulled, as he ripped the gem out, the mirror shattered into pieces and the gem flew out his hands, forming into a blue being.

The blue gem fell to the ground and pearl ran to check up on her, "Thank you" The blue gem said, as pearl helped her up, because of the cracked gem on her back, her form was damaged, causing her eyes to be completely blank and reflective. "Are you ok?" Steven asked, "You freed me... Thank you, I'm lapis lazuli, "she said. as blue walked up to lapis, she quickly saluted and said, "My diamond! Why are you on earth? Did you take back earth after the war?".

"A lot has happened," pearl said, "but sadly, earth has not yet been freed from the crystal gems", this made Steven pout, "Aww, come on pearl! She's just been freed she doesn't need to know about those stinky traitors!" He said, this made blue laugh. "So..my diamond, why are you here and who is this nice human boy called steven?" Lapis asked, blue walked up to lapis, looking at herself through her mirror like eyes. "there's a lot to explain but first I must fix your gem", lapis immediately smiled to blue and turned around showing her the cracked gem, "mum can I have a try healing her", Steven asked, "not now, this is very serious but this lapis could help you master one of your strongest abilities when she's healed", blue said, preparing to heal lapis lazuli.

Lapis knelt down, blue put her hand over her gem, her hair started to flow and shining energy quickly appeared, covering the both of them. "It's so cool when she does this, isn't it pearl!" Steven said, "Yes, a beautiful power only a diamond can truly control, " Pearl replied, the bright blue energy causing her hair to fly up, revealing her rarely seen eyes. As blue's glowing hands touched lapis' gem the crack started to close, "lapis lazuli, I understand you probably want to go home but for the time being please stay with me, pearl and Steven, you could really help us" blue said while she healed lapis. As the light faded,lapis turned around and looked back at blue, her eyes now fully restored, "Of course, my diamond! I'll do anything for you!" She said, standing up to salute again.

"Thank you, lapis," blue diamond said, shaking lapis' hand. Steven ran to lapis and hugged her, "You look so beautiful!" He said, "I'm so happy we were able to free you!", she smiled at steven and hugged him back, Blue also joined in on the hug and beckoned pearl to join in. "Where did you guys run off to!?" Greg yelled from over a hill, "Oh no, I forgot about Greg he must've been so surprised to just see us run away with that mirror!" Blue exclaimed. Pearl quickly went up to Greg to explain to him what was happening. The fact she did this without blue even asking her was quite surprising to everyone. "Who is that?", lapis asked, "ok this is a long story and kinda awkward but his name is Greg, he's a human and I have a kid with him", blue awkwardly explained, "a....kid?" Lapis said, confused, this made blue more uncomfortable, "erm...its how humans make other humans, so Steven over here is half human but also half gem and has My powers!".

Lapis looked down to steven, she somehow didn't notice this before but he looked very similar to blue diamond, he had the same blue eyes with diamond shaped pupils and his gem could be slightly seen peaking out his shirt. "You are another blue diamond, Steven?" Lapis curiously asked, "Yes! I will grow up and become a great leader of gems!" He proudly replied, posing, this made blue laugh, she quickly put her hand over her mouth and made farting sounds by blowing, "pfffff..this is what I think of you becoming a diamond right now kid!" She laughed, Steven blushed and lapis laughed at him.

"Well, of course not now! I gotta train, I gotta learn to use my powers and grow up into a great leader!" Steven said, blue put her hand over his shoulder and looked into his eyes, "the fact that you can already summon your weapon is a great sign, you'll be a great leader in no time, and our friend lapis here can help us!" She said, gesturing to lapis, "Of course, my diamond, I will help Steven!" Lapis said, "You have the same water powers as me. You use them to change planets, you'd be a great teacher to my son", blue said to lapis.

As they where talking a loud man on a megaphone distracted them, it was mayor dewey, he was running for re-election on the beach, standing on top of his van and doing a speech, "ugh", blue said, covering her ears, "this loud idiot, first invades my house and now the beach" she complained. "Don't worry My diamond I've got an idea, Steven could help me with it too!" Lapis said, Steven was quickly excited by this and asked "wow really how can I help?".

"Hello, beach city, my friends!" Dewey yelled over the megaphone to the small crowd under his van. After making their plan lapis quickly grabbed Steven with her arm and summoned water wings similar to blue's and stealthy flew behind the van, both Steven and lapis where trying to keep as quiet as possible and stop themselves from giggling. As dewey began his speech, the two made loud fart sounds with their mouths that interrupted him and made the crowd laugh, they where so loud he could barely be heard and no one was even paying attention to him now. "We all look forward to the sound of the summer season-"PFFFFFFF" the smells of the busy boardwalk-"PFFFFFF", "the hot, wet ocean winds-"PFFFFF".

blue diamond could hear all of this and was nearly dying of laugher, laughing so hard she fell over, "My diamond, are you ok?" Pearl worryingly said, running over to blue after explaining all she could to greg, "its just....steven and this new gem are so funny!" Blue laughed, "you had me so worried then, my diamond!" Pearl said. Soon, dewey became angry at all the laughing and stopped his speech, this made lapis and steven quickly return to Blue, who was still hysterically laughing on the floor. "Did you like that, my diamond?" Lapis asked blue, "it was amazing, please do that more to that annoying mayor, I couldn't thank you more lapis!" Blue thanked lapis but struggled to speak as she could still not stop laughing.

Chapter 15 water friend

"YOU FOUND ANOTHER GEM!?",Greg exclaimed, looking at lapis. first pearl explained it to him then blue tried but still nothing could calm Greg down. "She's pretty cool dad!" Steven said, "her name is lapis lazuli and she has water wings just like mum!". Greg sighed, "blue-blue I knew by being with you I'd be getting into some weird stuff but I didn't expect you to just pull random aliens out of nowhere", Greg complained, this seemed to anger blue diamond and she harshly replied, "lapis has suffered on this planet enough, as a member of My court i am supposed to look out and protect her, did you want me to leave all my fellow gems here to rot!?" She sounded very offended by Greg's words.

"So miss lapis, since you've got mum's wings what other powers do you have?" Steven asked lapis, "i can do all sorts of things with water, wanna see?" Lapis confidently replied, Steven quickly agreed and was so excited to see all the abilities the new gem had. Lapis and steven walked away from blue and Greg and to the seashore that was over some hills, pearl noticed this but couldn't get blue's attention as she was having another one of her infamous rants.

"Alright! watch this!" Lapis exclaimed, from the ocean she summoned a giant hand made out of water, she was able to move it around by having it Copy her hand, this amazed Steven and he asked her to show more of her powers so lapis created small waves and threw large amounts of water into the air and dropped it back down as Steven cheered her on, "so cool!", Steven called, "thanks! But this is cooler!", she raised her hands as high as she could and the water started to form into the shape of steven, she made the little water Steven clone dance for a bit then go back into the ocean, "WOAHHH!!!", Steven cheered.

Steven's cheers distracted blue and she stopped her rant completely and forgot what she was talking about to see where her son went. "You're so cool lapis!" Steven said, "my mum has powers just like you!". "Thanks!" Lapis said, "I got my powers from blue diamond, most gems of her court have powers from her". "soooo cool", Steven said, looking up to lapis,amazed. Blue looked over the hill to see this and was pleasantly suprised to see Steven's interest in this gem, pearl was not, "how do you trust her so easily My diamond?" Pearl wispered to blue, "I've said this before do I need to say this again? She's in my court she won't hurt anyone as long as I'm here!" Blue replied.

"Great to see you getting along with Steven lapis!" Blue said, lapis looked at blue slightly worried, fearing her diamond wouldn't like her running away to show her son her powers. "Thank you, my diamond, this Steven is very nice" lapis said, doing a small bow. Steven ran up to blue and pointed out to the ocean, "mum! Mum! Can you show some of your ocean powers?" He asked, "I just saw some of lapis' and they reminded me of you, can you try some?". Blue smiled at steven and said, "I've got a better idea, how about instead of me and lapis just showing off, we try and teach you how to use these powers?", Steven loved this idea and immediately agreed.

Steven had some water powers, but not enough for them to be useful, the most he could do was move water into or out of cups and make rain move before touching him so he didn't get wet, blue knew he had a lot of potential with these powers and saw lapis as a great way for him to learn how to use these powers in their strongest possibe way. "So how much can you already do?" Lapis asked Steven, Steven thought before replying, "I can move a bit...", he said, he was quite embarrassed with how inexperienced he was with this power, especially compared to lapis. "Alright, ill first test how much you can move, can you do this?" Lapis said, moving up a amount of water about as big as Steven up and above them, blue soon did the same after with a amount the same as lapis'. Steven watched each of their moves carefully and prepared himself before he'd try and copy them. He looked at the water, raised his left hand and tried to pull up as much as he could, as he pulled,a huge chunk, much bigger than what lapis or blue had pulled out came out of the water.

"Steven, you're trying too much, only try this small amount, don't push yourself over your current limit", blue said, walking behind Steven, "and don't just do this in public, people will see", then she slapped down Steven's hand, making all the water fall where it used to be. "Wow very good Steven, was that you trying all your power?" Lapis asked, "yeah..sorry I didn't expect I was able to use that much I'll try a small bit like you guys", Steven said, lightly out of breath because of all the energy he used up lifting all that water. Blue watched carefully this time, making sure Steven didn't use his power up on too much water and accidentally raised the entire ocean into the air, thankfully Steven used just the right amount of power and lifted a perfect sphere of water from the ocean.

"Wow you're so good at this Steven!", lapis congratulated him, giving him a light pat on the back. "You're doing great, just don't be too worried about thinking you're weak and use up all your power again.we don't want people noticing us as the crystal gems are here" blue warned, this sent fear and chills all over Steven's body as he imagined the face of the evil rose quartz. "I'll never do that again mum!" Steven replied very quickly.

"Hmmm" blue thought, "if only there was a place where we could test out all our powers to the max and truly allow all your potential to be released without those crystal gems being a risk", she paced around the beach wondering if she knew any places where she, lapis and pearl could help train Steven. "I remember Mr universe saying his family owned an abandoned barn not too far from here" pearl said, she had barely said anything in a while and was just watching over them so her suddenly speaking up lighty scared lapis and steven. Blue looked back at pearl with a big smile, "That sounds amazing! I'll ask Greg straight away!" She said, running up the hill to try and find Greg who had gone back into their home.

"A barn? What is that?" Lapis asked Steven, "it's used on farms its usually got animals in it! This one my dad's family owns is completely empty though i I think", Steven explained, he hadn't really heard of it before pearl said it, he thought maybe his dad had mentioned it once. "It sounds good enough" lapis said, "I can't wait to see it, I can train you a lot there!"

Chapter 16 barn training

After blue begging Greg for what seemed like forever, he Finally drove them to his old family barn. The barn was owned by his aunt and uncle originally, they where pilots and old chunks of planes still littered the inside of the barn. "What do you guys plan on doing here?", Greg asked, showing them around, "will this be a home for this new friend of yours?", he gestured to lapis.

"Erm dad, we actually went here to trai-, Steven's mouth was quickly covered by his mother before he revealed their true plan to Greg, "no! Pearl just remembered hearing about this place and it seemed interesting!", blue lied, sounding nervous as Steven fought to get her strong hand off of his mouth, but it was too late, greg had heard what Steven said. "To what?" He asked blue, she became nervous and gulped, "erm.......this was his idea not mine!", she studdered, she was a terrible liar, always has been. lapis quietly laughed at this but was lightly elbowed by pearl to stop. Greg put his head in his hands and sighed, "fine, no one uses this place anyway, I guess you can use it for stuff as long as you don't throw it at people or destroy the whole thing."

Greg drove back home and told Blue to call him if they wanted to be taken back home. Before their training, lapis looked around the barn, and at what was inside, pearl followed after her, wondering if she was planning something. As lapis looked at all the abandoned and old plane parts with curiosity, pearl came up behind her and said, "what are you doing over there?", her voice was quiet but sharp and strict sounding. Lapis quickly turned around, noticeably nervous, "n-nothing!" She said, "just looking at this weird place, there's so many odd things here". "Yes, these are old human machines used to create vehicles that fly" pearl replied, still sounding harsh.

Blue called everyone to stand outside the barn with blue standing with the barn right behind her and the others facing opposite to her. "Everyone there is a water tower over there! This is perfect for our training!", she said, moving everyone's attention to the large, tall water tower that stood near the barn. "We are going to be practising a lot today, Steven are you ready?" Blue asked, Steven triumphantly walked forward and summoned his scythe, pointing it in the air "as ready as I can ever be!" He proudly replied to blue.

The first lesson was using water for defence in a fight. blue made pearl summon her weapon, a long blue rapier and rush to steven, Steven would quickly summon a bubble around her to stop her touching him. The first try, instead of summoning a bubble he used another power. He caught pearl in a lazer and flew her away, this was seen as a success still as he still used one of his powers. After about 3 tries and many demonstrations by lapis, Steven finally was able to properly catch pearl in a bubble, but the bubble was difficult to move around and easily broken by pearl.

The second lesson was the easiest according to blue. Steven was supposed to take some of the water from the tower, fly it over everyone and release it slowly in drops, making rain. In the first try Steven nearly dropped it on everyone, before blue quickly catched it and demonstrated, after working together with lapis he was able to successfully make rain and on other tries he was able to do it alone.

The third and final lesson of today was similar to the first one, but Blue said it was slightly easier. blue wanted lapis to do a very long demonstration before Steven tried anything. This lesson would be picking up all sorts of objects, first lapis picked up stones of all sizes, this seemed easy, Steven quickly copied, then lapis picked up large, deep chunks of the ground and lifted them high, Steven tired to Copy her by lifting a tree.

"Good! but can you this!" Lapis said, summoning her wings and flying up. She raised her hands, and water started to surround the barn, pearl looked up in horror but Steven was amazed, cheering her on while also looking for something bigger for himself to lift. Lapis lifted the barn up into the sky, creating a shadow over them all like it was a cloud. Steven cheered lapis on and she laughed and joked with him while above the air but Steven's jokes distracted lapis, too much, because of their talking she didn't put enough energy into lifting the barn and so it fell, right onto blue diamond.

There was a extremely loud crash sound. Somehow, Steven and pearl where missed and unscathed, lapis flew back down to earth, she looked horrified. "My diamond? I am so so sorry!", lapis frantically apologised, shaking uncontrollably, pearl felt like she had been proven right and something was off about this lapis, and this was all a trick so she could assassinate her diamond, as pearl stormed up to lapis to confront her, there was a loud explosion sound.

Suddenly from the ruins of the barn, blue diamond appeared, throwing the chunks off of her, she had returned to her true giant form, her body was covered in wave like energy and she looked angry. Blue towered over lapis, Steven and pearl she could easily crush them with one hand in this form of hers and they all knew it, "my diamond please...I'm so sorry!", lapis begged, fearing for her life, "I know! Don't worry!", blue diamond said, her tone shockingly kind sounding and her face turning into a happy expression, she soon shrank down to a more human size and laughed with the others.

As the three returned home, Greg was waiting for them, "so how did it go?" He asked, "how is the barn?" This question made everyone fall awkwardly silent, "its great"pearl said, greg never expected pearl to lie so took this as fact and didn't ask more questions, this was a great relief for everyone.

[itsmymeaningoflife]

If you're still interested in answers to your twd shipping post, I just finished the series :D Feel free to ignore, this got really long.

(And just a heads up, any time I say "Daryl is..." I mean that I hc him that way. Just so it doesn't come across that I'm arguing that anything I say is canon or not. xD)

I'm a donnie/conyl shipper and I am totally pleased with the state of Daryl's relationships by the end. Daryl is someone who takes his time comfortably letting people into his heart. The pace he and Connie are moving felt good to me! While the self-indulgent part of me would have loved more for them (at least Connie also seeing him off or slightly more physical affection), I didn't need a fully established relationship between them yet. I see it as something that is there, but still blossoming as they're also navigating their way through own personal paths in life.

It took 10+ years for him to tell Carol he loved her and she is an extremely important person to him. I don't think it's weird if he and Connie aren't quite there yet.

That, and I personally hc Daryl as not a very romantic person in general. I don't think he's going to be super mushy or deep kiss in public. He's not one to long for candle lit dinners or walks on the beach, ahaha. This also goes had in hand with my hc that's there's some gray romantic/sexual or demi romantic/sexual thing going on with Daryl. I hc the way he feels, expresses, and engages with people relationship-wise is pretty different from mainstream folks.

(So when I'm in the mood, I literally feel comfortable hc'ing that he and Connie ARE together in the epilogue scene and they just didn't express their reunion with any big grand gesture because they draw most of their joy from casual physical affection and simply being around each other.)

The other complicated half of the answer is that I also see Daryl and Carol as sort of... platonic life partners? So to me, they kind of ARE together, just not in the traditional romantic and/or sexual way? Whereas I enjoy Daryl and Connie having a bit more of that romantic interest in each other.

And as someone who connects very strongly to deep, intimate, polyamorous/non-monogamous relationships, I have no problem shipping Carol with Ezekiel romantically, Daryl with Connie romantically, and then Daryl and Carol in an equally important but different dynamic relationship that includes this true, deep, powerful platonic love.

And media almost never gives us relationships like Daryl and Carol that are platonic, so I just adore them that way. It's so satisfying for me seeing a man and a woman so close who aren't romantically involved. I LOVE PLATONIC 'I LOVE YOU'S THEY MAKE ME SO HAPPY.

TWD often comments on not being restricted by how the old world expected life to work, and I think that can go for relationships too. The dynamic that Daryl and Connie and Carol and whoever else have don't have to fall in neat little boxes they way society used to dictate. I love it being fluid and open and comfortable without a need for jealousy or labels.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg for me when it comes to talking about these guys, but I'm trying to keep it concise as possible. xD

So, I think your post was asking about what less ideal state shippers prefer, but personally, I don't feel I like lost anything. Who knows what's to come with the spin off, but as of the twd finale right now, I don't feel like they ditched or abandoned Daryl and Connie and I wouldn't give up Daryl and Carol's friendship for the WORLD. They're both super important to me. :D

And I left behind ship wars back when I was 13, so no matter what does happen in the new spin-off, I'm going to be in my happy little twd bubble off to the side shipping these characters in the way that brings me the most joy.

While I’m not really engaging with this part of the fandom (‘shipping wars’) anymore since the show has ended, I think that this is a really interesting take and I’m very grateful you took the time in writing out this ask, thank you.

You make some very interesting points. The one thing I absolutely agree on is the asexual Daryl hc. I’ve always been a big big big supporter of asexual Daryl.

I’m glad you’ve watvhed this show tho, and I’m glad that you, a donnie shipper, can also appreciate the profoundly deep connection between Daryl and Carol. A lot (not all, but a good chunk) of donnie shippers like to diminish their bond in favour of their ship. So thank you for that.

But one thing I will have to “call you out” on (I’m sorry for the phrasing I really don’t mean it in a harsh way hahah) is the “Daryl isnt one to long for candle lit dinners” line… because this

is a very treasured moment in the Caryl fandom. Daryl being the only person Carol let in (both physically and emotionally) after she pulled away from the group, and Daryl asking “if [he] has to be a king to get some food around here” is such a beautiful scene.

That and in s11 he asks Carol to meet him for lunch, and when Carol suggests the diner, he tells her “it’s a date” … so like… he does, and has been involved in asking people (Carol) on dinner dates

I will post this ask as I think people will want to see this take and maybe chime in on some points better than I can.

To anyone replying to this person- be kind and be respectful. I’ll be monitoring comments and anyone being hateful will be removed. It will not be tolerated. People can have opposing opinions and still have respectful discussions about it.