#the idea that he sees himself as her 'knight in shining armor' is interesting... makes me wonder his true thoughts about her

[dairy-farmer]

Please consider this ridiculously convoluted idea inspired by my favorite Norse myth:

Basically, there are a couple of parents whose son is being threatened by a monster (ogre / trolls/giant / whatevs) and they pray to Odin for help to protect their son. Odin says no because he's busy and/or he's not interested in helping these random humans. So next they try praying to Thor for help but get a similar answer, and start to despair. But Loki happens to hear about Odin and Thor turning down this couple and their son and shows up to intervene and defeat the monster (I suspect because of how many children Loki has lost in the mythology). The story ends with the three of them giving Loki a hug in thanks.

So what does this have to do with Tim and the bat family? Consider: Justice Lords situation and let's say because of the whole 'being okay with murder/be evil but thinking they are good' thing, the Justice Lords either have no beef with or are actively friendly with Ra's. Ra's has taken an interest in the son of a wealthy Gotham couple named Tim and has sent them a message informing them that he / his minions will be coming to collect Tim.

First, Jack and Janet try asking Superman for help to protect their son, but Superman is basically 'I'm far too busy taking care of the world to worry about one random kid' about the whole thing. So next they try petitioning Batman, but since Batman has a neutral, trending-towards-positive relationship with Ra's in this universe, he declines to interfere.

But Bruce has a son; Dick Grayson, AKA Nightwing AKA formerly Robin (and everyone knows that Robins, the first one at least, are rather mischievous. Thus the Loki role)! Dick hears about the situation and how both Superman and Batman have declined to help. And maybe, even if Ra's and his League aren't enemies in this universe, let's say Dick has some animosity towards Talia ( how dare she try to date his father: Baby!Dick to the rescue cockblock) and messing with Ra's is a roundabout way of messing with her.

So Nightwing shows up and sends the assassins (possibly even Ra's himself) packing, saving the day! Jack and Janet are so grateful, and bring out Tim from the panic room they had hidden him in to meet and thank Nightwing personally. And when Dick sees Tim for the first time, he falls in love instantly: Tim is a beautiful teenager, all smooth pale skin, strong yet delicate limbs, silky black hair and intelligent blue eyes. He blushes so prettily when he thanks Dick for keeping him away from Ra's (and from definitely becoming his new little wife).

Dick plays it cool, even while he drinks in every detail of Tim, already planning how to court this beautiful young man. Nightwing even cracks a joke about getting a kiss for saving the damsel in distress. He is pleasantly surprised when Tim blushes, looking down nervously, before placing a hand on Nightwing's shoulder and leaning up to press a sweet kiss to his cheek.

Dick wants to stay longer, but unfortunately he has to figure out how to clean up the mess/get the assassins back to Ra's before it becomes an issue. He promises before he leaves that he will come back to 'check in' on Tim and make sure he's doing all right.

(That's all I really have, aside from this somehow leading to a detailed and relentless (and enthusiastically welcomed) courtship that ends up with Tim revealing that he knows who Nightwing really is and them eventually getting married (and fucking nasty style, of course 😘)

Thank you for indulging me in this myth nerd silliness! 🦇

❤️❤️❤️❤️!! dick obviously being so unable to resist sweet little tim, he's tim's knight in shining armor afterall, his little damsel which tim is all too happy to be ❤️!

[simpingland]

Ok so what abt…

lucerys with a knight!reader and hes like whipped and things their the coolest person ever but gets all nervous when he sees them training or talks to them

idk I think it’s cute 🙏😽

Trust // Lucerys Velaryon x neutral!Knignt!Reader

Summary: Luke is enchanted by a new young Knight. He is so desperate to impress his crush that he put himself in embarrasing situations.

A/N: Loved this request, but I had a headache trying to decide the pronouns!!!!!! But I sorted it out, thanks for reaching, hope you like it!<3

--------------------------

Being a knight had never been Prince Lucerys Velaryon's dream. He had enough work trying to come to terms with being lord of Driftmark. But seeing you made him question many things. Your uniform of armor was one of a thousand things that had caught his eye. It had been Rhaenyra who had placed you close to all her family, you were one of the finest knights, young and respectable, though not of noble birth. Your primary duty was to protect the princes, and this was something Luke appreciated. His interest in learning to fight grew, and he used to pester Jace to spend more time with the sword, which he himself didn't like. But no one understood, and Luke carried it very quietly, knowing that his chance with you was nil. That didn't stop him from getting up early to watch you train, with that thin layer of sweat making you shine. He couldn't even feel jealous when some other knight made you smile, for he loved to see you in the comfort of being out of work.

It took him a long time to summon up the courage to speak to you, and as he had feared it went terribly wrong. He approached you with the intention of demonstrating how good he was at archery, which he was certainly better at than the sword. He deliberately positioned himself close to where you were resting, with a feigned air of confidence, and pretended to watch the arrows with precision.

"They are all the same, my Prince," you told him.

He instantly turned red.

"That's what I was checking."

He tried not to pretend he saw your smile, but it wasn't malicious either, the Prince looked very tender with that focused face. The first arrow was just a little off the centre of the target, and the court nobles applauded Luke falsely. Not you, you just stood and watched as Luke sighed in dissatisfaction. The second arrow missed completely and caused something of a commotion. When the third missed again, the laughter of the crowd was impossible to hide. That was the moment when Luke disappeared, with the excuse that he had to go back to his Valyrian lessons.

You would have liked to follow him, to tell him to ignore the people, but it was not appropriate. So the next day you made an effort to talk to him. You were walking along the beach, on your way to visit Arrax. The young prince kept his head down, looking everywhere and avoiding your face.

"The good thing about arrows, my Prince, is that during battle it doesn't matter how well you aim them, the important thing is that they hit the enemy, and they always go in masses."

You saw him smile sheepishly.

"The worst of it is that I am better at it than the sword," he replied.

"It is more important that you have a sharp mind than a knife. We'll take care of the rest.

"I know, it's just…I just…" you could see him try to say it, but he couldn't and you decided to change the subject.

"When I was little, I didn't have anything in the house except sticks and knives. No dolls, no books… I spent all day fighting with my siblings. But honestly, I wish I had had a lot more at my fingertips. I like knowing that I protect you and your family, my Prince, I just don't like the idea of going into battle. And knowing how to handle a sword or bow is not so reassuring. So don't be in a hurry to learn."

Luke didn't know how to tell you that he wasn't in a hurry to battle, he was in a hurry to impress you, of course that made him even more nervous. When Arrax appeared before you, the dragon, who was getting bigger every day, roared with joy at the sight of his rider. Then Luke forgot his nervousness, happy also to see his dearest friend. He could sense your nervousness, as you tried to move away from the creature, which, though beautiful, was still fierce.

"Arrax is very calm, you shouldn't be afraid of him" Luke tried to convince you.

"Well, your majesty, luckily I'm not the one who has to ride him."

"Do you…do you want to pet him?" He twisted his cloak in his hands.

"I don't want to risk losing my hands, Prince."

Maybe it was your fear, or maybe it was because Arrax's presence always made him feel better, but Luke started to get a little too confident. He turned to Arrax and whispered words in Valyrian that you did not understand. Then he took your hand, which was a little tense, and looked you in the eye.

"You are the bravest knight at court. And that Arrax knows." He watched as you smirked.

"And how does a dragon know that?"

"Well, because I told him."

When you laughed, Luke felt a stupid pride, and noticed how you squeezed his hand, still resisting.

"Are you sure he's not going to devour me? This armour must look pretty crunchy to him…"

"That armour to him is like a diamond to us, small, nice and shiny. Come on, trust me."

You looked into his eyes for a few seconds, he seemed to be begging for it.

Then you finally let him guide your hand, and slowly, he raised it for Arrax to sniff. You could see how it took him a few seconds before he finally rested his entire muzzle on your palm, and you felt a purr that was much louder than a cat's, but quite tender. Soon you could move your hand to stroke his face, neck and wings, the dragon circled around, making it clear that he liked you. And Luke kept his distance, watching you and admiring you. This stupid infatuation…he was never going to get over it at this pace.

Over the next few days, you could feel Luke's confidence to talk to you and smile at you grow. On the other hand, his desire to train had waned, and it was probably because of the humiliation he had recently endured.You could only watch the brothers from afar as they continued their lessons. Besides, Jace was a lousy learning partner, quick to get impatient and unable to understand that what Luke needed was a little patience. It wasn't your job to comfort him, so you had to hold back the urge to hug him and tell him how great he was without the need for swords. And the smiles you gave him only made him blush, though he always returned them, full of gratitude.

One of the many nights Luke couldn't sleep, he wandered around the castle aimlessly. And when he found you standing guard on the beach, he felt it was fate, though anything reminded him of you, for there was nothing else on his mind but you. The gentle breeze put those curls of his in front of his face, making him feel awkward, yet the breeze moved your hair in a poetic, almost dreamy way.

"Are you on night watch?" he asked, unable to think of anything else.

"Yes, my Prince. One of the knights has taken ill and owed me a favour."

"I hope it won't take long."

"Don't worry, I find it hard to rest so I like to be doing something at night…like you, I suppose."

"I couldn't sleep," Luke regretted his words instantly, for something in common you'd found and he's going to correct you. "Aren't you bored?"

"I'd like to tell you that the views are so beautiful that this is a pleasure…but the truth is that after three hours it gets repetitive."

Luke laughed as you smiled, glad to see him so relaxed. He stayed a while longer keeping you company, talking to you about the things he had done with Jace that day. He also asked you about your life before the Kingsguard, listening intently, entranced by your every word.

"Your parents must be proud of you," Luke said, picking up and throwing sand in his hands.

"They would have been happier if I had given them grandchildren, but the armour impressed them quite a bit too. Yours must be proud too. Everyone knows how clever you are."

"But it's no use. My father was able to fight at the Battle of Stepstones. I can't even hold a sword properly." His sad tone touched you and made you impatient in equal measure.

"I think you should put an end to that attitude once and for all. Come, let's practice!" Your enthusiasm caught him by surprise.

"Right now?"

"Yes! We have the whole beach to ourselves, we can take the swords from the cupboard. I think it's time you gain some confidence."

He followed you, somewhat confused and nervous, but your smile managed to reassure him. In the quiet of the beach, you guided Luke through every move. Being patient, clear and concise. And even though Luke was hesitant, he followed your instructions well and gained confidence by the minute."You're doing great, my Prince. But I think it's time you try to surprise me. Attac."

"What if I hurt you?" he asked unsure, though Luke thought he sounded arrogant.

"That's the whole idea of this…"

"I mean if I'm so clumsy that I end up hurting you without meaning to." The boy knew what he meant, and it took you a moment to remember that one time he pull out his uncle's eye as a kid.

"You'd rather practice with the bow?"Luke preferred to practice other things, but even thinking that already made him nervous, so he agreed to switch weapons. With torches illuminating the target, you walked a considerable distance. Luke knew the theory inside out, but it still made him tense, and even more so knowing you were watching him."You need to relax a bit," you pointed out. His arm was dislocated. When you placed your hands on his sleeve, Luke swallowed, letting you lead him on. "A little higher… let go."

When he shooted he missed. He couldn't hold back the insults, directing them at no one in particular. He kicked as you picked up the only arrow available.

"I should stop wasting your time…" he apologised dejectedly, handing the bow back to you.

"No, please!" You stopped him before he even turned around. "I don't want you to leave…not like this."

He sighed, looking you in the eyes and flattered, you wanted him to stay with you…you didn't want to see him sad, you genuinely care about him and Luke now knew that. He let you reposition his whole posture again.

"It's just that I always do something wrong…and I don't know what it is," confessed the Prince.

"It's not something you do, it's something you don't do. And it's being patient, being calm. And to do that you have to believe in yourself." Your voice caressed his face, his pulse quickening.

"What if I never get to believe in myself because I never achieve anything? It would be a hellish cycle." The arrow was still tense, he couldn't look at you.

"Then think of me. I trusted you, and I got to touch a dragon. How many knights can say that?"

He could see your beautiful smile, as encouraging as ever, and Luke caught his breath. You were so close to him that you could feel him stand up straight and seem to grow taller by the second, as if he was becoming a true Lord in front of you. When he finally released the arrow, it hit the centre of the bullseye. A clean and beautiful sound, as well as his smile full of joy. You gave him a hug on impulse, unaware that you were on duty or that it was the Prince. He didn't seem bothered though, returning your embrace with some surprise but full of affection. When you pulled apart, you looked at that sweet face and were at a loss for words.Luke couldn't find any appropriate ones either, nor was he able to keep his hands off your shoulders. It was strangely pleasant, and it took you quite a while to come out of your trance.

"I told you you could," you said, giving him a loving punch that pushed him away. The celebration went on for a while longer, with arrows still hitting the target, jokes and more silly anecdotes. As the sun began to appear, your turn was about to end. You walked together to the castle.

"I have to say I'm going to 'roll' into my bed," you were already starting to unbutton some of your armour, but first you had to escort Luke to his room.

"You make me envious, I'm due for Valyrian lessons in a bit."

"By the gods, I'm so sorry. I should have made you go back to bed, my Prince," you felt terrible, though Luke blushed at your dismay for him.

"No, no, no…it's not your fault. I'd trade a hundred hours of sleep to be able to spend even one awake with you."

The confession came as a surprise, and Luke knew it had sounded just as he felt it, because your eyes shone differently. If he could he would have run, but the warmth you radiated made him hold out a little hope. And the confession was repaid when you took his hand, gave him a little bow and planted a kiss on his knuckles.

There was no need to answer him, Luke could see you for the rest of the days, in your shining armour, and he could hear your voice whenever he needed to confide in him. He never told you, but it became obvious, that the night he roamed the castle he couldn't sleep because you were in his thoughts, remembering the touch of your hand on his. And now, he achived not only a kiss, but your love and trust.

[rebelspykatie]

Clueless Steddie AU where Steve is Cher. His dad is a big hot shot lawyer who isn’t around much and can be pretty mean at times. He cheated on Mrs. Harrington with Eddie’s mom. Mr. Harrington felt guilty about it when both Steve’s mom died and Eddie’s abandoned him so he had to go live with his uncle, so he started financially supporting Eddie.

Even though Wayne didn’t want to take any kind of charity, Eddie of course vows to take this rich douchebag for all he’s worth. He butts heads with Steve at every turn because Steve’s figured out what Eddie is up to. Eddie doesn’t expect to care about Steve or feel bad about his dad basically leaving him alone in that big mansion.

Eddie holds onto the idea that Steve is a stuck up brat who’s self obsessed, even as he sees Steve helping others. He watches Steve (and Robin) get their gym teacher Jim Hopper and their art teacher Joyce Byers together. He knows that Steve is responsible for helping Will find his confidence and the dnd kids having a place to play when everyone thought they were playing a devils game. His blanket of protection has extended to people like Robin Buckley, the local lesbian who never gets bullied, even though she’s a little weird and a lot loud about her relationship with Nancy Wheeler. In fact, they all seem to be at the top of the social pyramid.

Still, Steve and Eddie don’t see eye to eye. When Jonathan Byers shows an interest in Argyle, Steve makes it known he can do better than the local skateboarding pothead, even though Argyle is the nicest guy on the planet. Eddie takes personal offense to the connotations behind the sentiment and sides with Argyle, inviting Jonathan over to console him and tell him the exact opposite.

It backfires in Eddie’s face when Jonathan blows up at Steve and tells him to stay out of his personal life because they’re not even real friends. Steve gets quiet after that, keeping to himself and hanging out less with his friends, outside of Robin. The house seems even emptier, even though Steve’s there more. He tries dating a few people that never come home with him at the end of the night.

Eddie watches him in the halls, eyes following Robin and Nancy, Mike and Will, Lucas and Max, and Jonathan and Argyle (once they do eventually get together). He always has this pained wistful look that never gets easier to look at head on. Eddie knows how much Steve craves intimacy. It’s written all over his face.

And yeah, Steve has some flaws, but he doesn’t understand why these people keep turning Steve down. He takes care of the people he loves, even to his own detriment. He’s kind, but with a fun mean girl streak that’s more entertaining than harmful to anyone. Every time Eddie sees Steve, he’s tempted to run his fingers through his soft hair. Eddie’s pretty sure Steve spends hours grooming himself to look as perfect as he does every day.

Meanwhile, Steve thinks there’s something wrong with him. At the end of Steve’s most recent failed date, Eddie was of course staying in their mansion while Wayne was working night shifts and came down the stairs at the exact moment Steve was coming home, like he was waiting for the opportunity to make fun of Steve.

They’ve gotten closer over the past few months, less biting remarks and more time watching dumb cartoons or mtv on the couch. Steve had to call Eddie for help once, when his phone died and his car was stolen. Eddie had left band practice to come pick Steve up in the middle of nowhere, much to the chagrin of his band mates. He hadn’t heard the end of it from Gareth about being the knight in shining armor rescuing the little rich boy. Eddie sticks up for Steve when Mr. Harrington’s coworkers bash Steve’s intelligence and tell him he’ll never be as smart as his father. 

Still, Steve’s surprised when Eddie meets him halfway on the stairs to talk about the failed date. Some guy called him a pretty face with nothing going on upstairs and tried to get into his pants without a thought to how his words affected Steve. Eddie reassured Steve he wasn’t an idiot and listed off all the nice things Steve had done for others recently. He didn’t realize Eddie was even paying him any attention, let alone committing those moments to memory. Eddie starts ranting about how dumb all these people Steve’s dated are and how Steve deserves better. So Steve leans over and kisses Eddie, pulling away to tell him he’s someone better. 

Also posted on twitter.

[drones-of-innocence]

I've always wanted to entertain a universe where Princess Peach was not familiar at all with romance.

She would go through her life being raised on political philosophy and the understanding that she would one day be responsible for the people of the Mushroom Kingdom, her teachings are very strict and single-minded in the effort to make her an effective ruler. This turns her into an incredibly driven and kind woman who is primarily concerned with her citizen's security and happiness. The fairytale land of the Mushroom Kingdom emphasized a culture of love, certainly, but it was a love for all living creatures. Romance exists, but it was not part of the mainstream of ideas.

Her interests did not include fantasy or fiction. Even when offered by her guardians and retainers, she would decline and opt instead for denser, brainier, more intensive material. The concept of romance simply never came across her horizon.

Until she gets kidnapped, and a stranger arrives to save her.

This man is strong, stronger than the King of the Darklands. Strong enough to rescue her. He is humble and sweet, and he has the most earnest blue eyes she's ever seen. He is charming without meaning to be, content with the simple things in life, and her heart appears to do a little something every time he smiles bashfully at her attempts to thank him for his heroic deeds. He has dimples in his cheeks. Mario, he is called. Thinking of his name causes a most peculiar rush in her chest. She sometimes likes to murmur it to herself when no one is around, but she couldn't say why.

"It is love," those close to her tried to explain. But she didn't understand.

She discovers her grand library's fiction section. She pores over romantic tales, particularly those regarding a princess and her knight in shining armor. Meanwhile, she observes that her face becomes quite warm when Mario is around, and that she tends to ramble or stammer nervously when she is ordinarily so clear and concise. She has not had any practice disguising such feelings. They come off as quite obvious to any onlooker.

Mario is not presumptuous, however, and though he finds himself nursing his own romantic feelings for Princess Peach, he would never dare assume someone of his station would be worthy of her. Still, many point out her obvious flustered demeanor and clear affection for him. He had already dedicated himself to many acts of service for her, but he begins to bring her small gifts as well. Interesting findings, secret tokens, tiny treasures from his journeys. Small wonders of the amazing world he'd come to love living in, and tiny, heartfelt creations.

Pressure grows from those around them who can see they clearly have feelings for each other. When the time comes, Peach sits, meekly admiring a flower he had offered her as they sit on a grassy hill under the starlight. She explains that she believes she likes him, but admits that she does not understand very much about the nature of her feelings or of romance in general. She's a little frightened; her daydreams and wistful yearning have distracted her from her duties at times, and she becomes overwhelmed in his presence. She wishes to understand it all better, but she doesn't know where to begin.

Mario, surprised and flattered by the news, puts his hand over hers and tells her that he is willing to help her explore her feelings and make better sense of them. He can teach her; he's been a hopeless romantic for as long as he could remember.

And he loves her. He's more than willing to take this journey with her.

Flirting, dates, kissing. All of these are foreign concepts to Peach and she frets that she's very far behind and that she'll do it all wrong. But Mario soothes her and tells her it all comes with time. He won't push her into anything she isn't ready for, though he does purposefully tease and gently flirt with her just to see her blush and smile. Over time, she is able to reciprocate.

He invites her out to classic dates and more unique ones. Garden strolls, picnics, or trips to find the best view of the sunset. He continues to bring her gifts, and rescues her from Bowser all without any expectations that she return the sentiment.

She learns. She finds or creates gifts, and arranges dates to surprise him. Her heart feels full whenever she sees his eyes light up with genuine surprise and awe. She learns that he quite appreciates physical touch, and makes sure to reach for him often. Touching his arm, finding any reason to hug him, and offering a modest kiss on the cheek upon being rescued. He also finds great comfort and solace in words of affirmation, reminding him that she sincerely enjoys his company and finds him to be very cute. She loves how he blushes.

One night, after a date he put a lot of work into arranging, Peach expresses her gratitude for his effort, and tells him that she thinks she would like to kiss him. Blinking, Mario finds himself endeared to her shy and slightly clumsy request. He approaches her with his familiar soft manner.

"Close your eyes," he says with that bashful smile, and she does.

He kisses her forehead. His hands gingerly rest on her face, and she lets out a shaky breath. "Is this okay?" he asks, and she nods. He kisses her temple, and then her cheek. His mustache tickles. Her entire body feels like it's buzzing.

He pauses, his thumb stroking her face, before he tilts his head to kiss her on the lips.

She melts. It's tender and sweet. All the stories she had read emphasized the importance of a first kiss, and his delicate manner was better than anything she could have imagined. He pulls away, his eyes shining under the starlight, only for her to seize his hands.

"I want you to kiss me again," she says.

He smiles, and he does.

[good-beans]

hiii ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ i've always loved your milgram posts and was hoping to hear you talk about them more. it's a bit of a vague question but i was hoping to hear your thoughts about the characters or songs? or really anything that's been on your mind! apart from that i hope you've been having a good day (or night!)

!!!!! Omg thank you so much?? This made me so happy ;----; I’m sorry if this is more than you bargained for LMAO, I planned on jotting down a few ideas and then I just kept on writing..... I hope you’re having a lovely day/night as well!✨

So, I’m actually not that great with coming up with crime-logistic theories (timelines, cause of death, etc), but I’ve been really interested in the insights we get on characterization from the visuals – specifically looking at the image of the self each prisoner creates. The videos come directly from inside their minds, so these self-portrayals aren’t biased with any manipulation, or how they want Es to view them. I’ve been bouncing these around in my head for a while, so thank you for the reason to actually put them down somewhere! So here are details I’ve gathered on each of them: (And as with everything in Milgram, this is just how I understood the symbolism – if people have other interpretations, I’d love to hear them!)

I've been adding edits as the videos come out, it's through Double now 👍

Haruka: In T1 he definitely views himself as guilty and dangerous. Though it’s dulled with crayon/mixed media, he conjurs a version of himself that’s committing acts of violence even in his suffering. The fact that his younger self takes place as the victim is huge to me. I know it could mean a lot of different things, but my personal interpretation is that Haruka sees his younger self in his little sister. He’s been in her shoes, at a time his mother loved him best. He believes he is the reason she stopped loving him, so he hates this younger version of himself. And this leads him to hate her now that he’s seeing the similarities. I believe the crimes happened extremely recently, so it’s interesting that he portrays himself as a child in much of AKAA. He’s not trying to gain any sympathy with it, he still genuinely feels like a child because of how much he struggles with everything. I don’t know what it means yet, but I’m really interested that despite all the water imagery he creates, he visualizes himself sinking, but never actually drowning/short of breath.

Yuno: Between both her videos, we only ever see her, her, her. This is because her motivations start and end with herself. I know her situation relies heavily on her clients, but in her mind, the one who was in control the whole time was only her. She’s the only one she can trust to take care of her and show her real love. She got into her line of work to benefit herself, and she went through with the abortion to benefit herself. She's taking the ultimate responsibility for everything that happened to her and everything that she did. Though it makes me happy to see it framed as all self love, it’s also clear that she’s unhappy with her decision. And, when everything revolves around versions of herself, there’s only one person she has to hate... 

Fuuta: His self-imagery makes it really clear how his mindset changed between trials. In T1 he genuinely saw himself as the hero, the perfect knight-in-shining-armor. Once doubt started to creep into his mind, though, he suddenly portrays himself as a criminal hiding/running in dark areas. It also emphasizes what he was saying about he and Es being the same: the girl that he accused of being guilty turned to ash after being sprayed with his paint, and he starts turning to ash along with Es’ accusation and paint spray. I know people took that as his suicidal intent, (and while that’s still a thing he does express in Backdraft,) I actually think his burning is just his fear that he’ll die at the end of Milgram. Another little detail, but someone mentioned Fuuta only lowered his mask in BIO while he’s looking at his phone, showing that he was comfortable being his true self online. Meaning, he had to hide some part of him in the rest of his life. The original post said it was his sexuality, but I feel as though it’s just his general paranoia of living around warriors for justice who are constantly evaluating everyone’s behavior. 

Muu: Like I said, the mvs are unaffected by how the prisoners want Es to see them, soI was confused when people accused Muu of lying in T1 – that’s really how she took the situation! In her mind, that pain and mistreatment made up everything in her. Her being a bully didn’t matter then, because it was her being a victim that led to the murder. In T2, it becomes obvious that she does harbor guilt. No innocent person would imagine themselves as a monstrous, destructive creature like that. If she really saw herself as ‘queen bee,’ her self-image would be flawless and lovable. INMF also showed she wasn’t exaggerating when she said the murder was to free her: we see her self-image undergo a full metamorphosis and sprout beautiful wings to fly away after she committed her crime. Though she feels guilty, she still believes it was necessary to free her and is grateful for it. 

Shidou: I’m still working on something more solid for him, but it’s neat that T1 he’s expressing so much guilt, yet his self-image is engaged in very abstract activities (like gardening and eating). In T2 he’s chilled out a bit, but that’s the video that death is literally following everywhere he goes (flowers dying behind him, ghosts surrounding him). It’s also worth noting he has his doctor’s coat on for most of Throw Down, and then the only time he has it in Triage is at the very end when he’s vowing to help the other prisoners. I’ll get back with a more solid conclusion on his soon…

Mahiru: Like Yuno (and semi-Haruka), the fact that she’s the only one to appear in her T1 mv means all her turmoil at that point was focused inward. She saw herself as the center of her story, which isn’t necessarily a selfish thing. It means she didn’t blame her boyfriend for anything that happened, even though we know it was likely both of their behaviors that led to the crime. Still, she’s taking all the focus on herself, showing off all the things she did and failed to do for him. The fact that everything is styled like magazine pages hints that she genuinely sees their relationship as the picture perfect example of love. After all, she was just “being herself” when she got him killed. Even that deep in her heart, she’s convinced love makes everything glossy and perfect. T2 is an exaggeration on both if these concepts -- she still places all the blame/responsibility on herself, but with the doubt creeping into her mind, she now paints herself as a villain who's actively causing harm. She still believes love can make things seem perfect, but you get the sense she's become more aware that love wasn't transforming her, it was blinding her.

Kazui: So this is an interesting one. I know that the performance aspect in Half is obviously taken as him acting that he loves his wife when he’s fallen in love with someone else. However, the fact that he’s singing the song about how he doesn’t love her, while still on stage/in costume, gives me a different idea. His emotions are so incredibly repressed and fucked up that even in the privacy of his own heart, he feels like he has to act sad about her death when he actually has more complex emotions than that. Not that he’s happy about it per se, but the feelings are too complex for him to show even himself. (We’ve all been there, where even in our private thoughts it’s embarrassing to be excited about something terrible and we pretend we aren’t.) That’s why I think he sounds so different in Cat – he’s able to start processing that he may be relieved, or freed that she’s gone. Or maybe he’s just realizing the murder was indirect, and he’s allowed to mourn her without feeling personally guilty for her death. So I agree the costumes represent hiding his emotions, but I think it symbolizes him lying to himself rather than just lying to his wife. Now with Cat out, he also shows a shift of seeing himself more guilty. Rather than a passive character, his self appears as someone known for manipulation/deception/trickery -- someone in charge of the situation. He's coming to terms with his active role in Hinako's death. There's also a lot of his vices shown explicitly, like his smoking and drinking. He's painting himself in a much worse light as his guilt gets to him. (There's also something to be said about the whole thing appearing under a filter of advertisement/magazine style, but I have yet to form a conclusion I'm happy with on that)

Amane: The major thing I took away from Magic was the idea that Amane really felt isolated in her cult. She saw herself as a normal girl, but no one else is like her. The other children are all animals, and the adults in charge are animalistic or robotic. There’s such a divide between her and everyone else. She’s not living up to their religious standards the way that everyone else seems to be. With the adults, it could be the general feeling that they never listen to or understand her because of her age. In T2, she presents a new idea: she's struggling with how complex and contradictory the self is. The human psyche has so many parts and motivations, all represented by the marching band members. She wants to be good. She's flawed. She wants to help. She's hurting. She knows she's made mistakes. She thinks she deserves punishment. That punishment is killing her. The adults around her make behaving look/sound so easy, but at her age it's so difficult to be a good girl! She wants to show this to Es, since she believes her own misbehavior + following the rules is what led to her murder.

Mikoto: He’s got So much going on with identity and sense of self, but I don’t have a ton on him that hasn’t already been said lol. I’ve joked that the reason Meme got the most views is because it’s the mv that shows the most skin, but on a serious note I think it’s really telling that there are so many bathing/showering/teeth brushing shots. Those are the stereotypical times we’re completely alone with ourselves – cleaning off everything external so that it’s just us in our purest form left when we’re done. An interesting switch I've noticed in Double is that the two major alters never appear beside each other -- there's the reflection in the mirror at one point (and I think they're face to face in the last shot?) but we never see both onscreen at the same time. This is because each one wants to distance themselves from the other: Bokukoto wants to show he's far from a killer, and Orekoto wants to make it clear he's the one who was violent. Neither wants to be mistaken for the other, but it's much easier to do so since they look exactly the same in this video (no color-coded clothes or eyes or lighting.) A minor detail, but the fact that his own mind conjured up quotes around the word "savior" makes it clear that Orekoto is slowly realizing his actions may have gotten Bokukoto into more trouble than they saved him from...

Kotoko: I don’t have too much on her at the moment since a lot of her scenes seem to be memories of her actual life and are already in line with what she’s admitted about herself. Still, I think the running-alongside-wolves scenes reveal a lot. She very clearly works alone, but wolves are known for hunting in a pack. Does she have a pack we haven’t seen yet? Is there a reason she’s no longer with them? Does she just dream of running with one because she craves that belonging so deeply? @tokyogruel pointed out that wolves are known for caring for weaker pack members, and that there have been analyses of the Harrow wolves being Kotoko's family members. This is revealing a more prominent focus on family than she's made known so far. She doesn't see herself as an elevated hero -- she always views herself as part of a team, which can be seen in her 'deal' with Es and all her T2 commentary of their partnership (despite being their prisoner). She's always been working with and for others.

[aitsuheart]

i have this head canon for kh4 and have 0 ppl to talk to abt it ( maybe ill make a blog or write a fic ) but like riku saves sora from quadratum and since we all love angst, a part of riku saving him and bringing him back is sacrificing the memories sora has of him - so sora would come out with no memory or no relationship with Riku, but Rikus willing to do it to save sora. To do said saving Riku will have to sacrifice his body in some way ( not like lose a limb sacrifice but his body would be shattered in some way - idk i really like the idea of riku with mega scars and those scars representing his undying love for sora ) and they come out of quadratum passed tf out, everyone rushes to barely save rikus life and sora wakes up with 0 memory of him. Kairi's pissed, the king is pissed - EVERYONE is pissed like Riku cmon how could you do that to yourself and to sora but whatev , time passes on and the MoM shows up to fuck some shit up and Sora goes on another adventure ( basically what kh4 would be - travelling to worlds collecting soras lost memories ) while Riku and Mr Michael Mouse try to find a way to beat MoM. At the end of this process Sora meets up with the Radiant Garden group and Aerith - through her super magic powers - is somehow able to give Sora his memories of riku back bc Soras heart will never be complete without Riku ( def with the help of kairi - like having your past love find your true love kind of deal? ) and Soras like "Where is he, where is Riku?" and in their adventures trying to find Riku they figure out through his lineage that hes either the King of Light or the King of Kingdom Hearts. Anyway, Riku and Mickey are facing off against MoM and Riku is , stupidly, abt to sacrifice his life again for like.....everyone.....and Sora shows up like NO SIR MISTER MAN basically stops him yelling "HES THE KING, HES THE KING PROTECT HIM" and basically saves Riku like a knight in shining armor protecting his king. they realize their love for each other, destroy MOM ( through the power of true love ) and live together happily ever after. thoughts?

I definitely have some thoughts and I do love a good angst and this has it, Riku saving Sora requires him to lose all his memories of him

It's not like they already were missing in this case before he had them but by saving Sora he loses all the ones of him

And Riku would because that's how he is, he is selfishly selfless for Sora and would do anything to save him even if it means dying or risking his own happiness like in kh3 sacrifice and kh2 becoming Ansem's form to awaken Sora

Him being on the verge of death is so great to me and the others are clearly upset since he's not thinking about his own worth again and would do anything for Sora. All his scars being all the times he sacrificed for him like even perhaps in previous games such as when he took a blow during that Xemnas fight.

Sora traveling around collecting his memories of Riku sounds interesting and there's so many possibilities. There could be more parallels of what happened between them through Disney worlds as well.

Also I like the idea of Kairi and Sora past relationship mention and that she can help Sora remember Riku. Kairi probably knows what's up with them and Sora probably has no idea at this point and maybe help him realize through gaining some memories.

Riku is of course always sacrificing himself and just sees his life as not really valuable but with knowledge that he's this king Sora saves him.

Love a good knight in shining armor saving a princess, being tied to them once again. Riku needs saving, Sora is the knight rescuing him from darkness and in this case sacrificing himself.

Riku being king of light perhaps relates to royal bloodline theory?

Their love for each other saving everything would definitely something that could happen in the games since friendship and love seems to play an importance.

Some of my first thought after reading for the first time was this is really good and so terrible at what Riku did to save Sora.

I think this has some fun and interesting potential. I'll be curious if you ever make a blog or even write a fanfic about it.

[littlemistermedly]

Since I've started doing more active roleplaying with some of the Bg3 blogs, infogured it would likely be a good idea for me to post something about my Tavs/OCs. To kick things off, I'm posting about Daniel Northwind: my punk rocker Half-Drow Dhampir Eloquence Bard/Revived Rogue multiclass! I'll hopefully get around to posting art of him, bit for y'all have to use your imaginations~ xD Otherwise, if anyone is curious and would like to know more about the details, just leave a comment and I'll get to it as soon as possible 💜💜💜))

Character Sheet-

And a bit of Information about Daniel and his story~!

Daniel Northwind is charming and personal, an empathetic individual who has instilled in him a deep sense of justice (even if he is tinted with a darkness that he rather rid himself of). Though while it is equality his level of tenacity and his strong sense or morals that make him a great detective and a fantastic ally, it can also lend him a spot of trouble here and there, whether that be taking on responsibilities for things he probably shouldn't, puts him in danger, or just... lead to some interesting predicaments.

One such predicament that regularly happens has to do with his charming personally. It has become a bit of a running gag for Daniel to have women see him as their "Knight in Shining Armor".... before being heartbroken when he tells them that he's gay. It is simply do to his inherently flirty nature, charms, and easy to get along with personality; as well as his naturally protective nature of those around him. He most certainly fits the role of the "Prince Charming" and "White Knight" personas. Mostly probably due to the fact he truly does uphold and believes in his moral compass to be righteous, even if he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty from time to time.

Daniel had worked as a private investigator within Waterdeep along side the Harpers, investigating cases and events which were less precedent for the Harpers, or that were considered cold cases. He was quite skilled in this field, seeming to find the minutest of details that often went overlooked by other detectives, and was making a bit of a name for himself. It was due to this that he would find himself in the presence of a young woman named Naomi.

Naomi hired Daniel for his skills in order to look into the case of a missing professor of hers in the allied city of Neverwinter. Considering both how far Naomi had gone to request his assistance, and the unusual circumstances that seemed to revolve around the case, Daniel took on the job.

During his investigation, Daniel became involved with a mysterious group of eccentric socialites named the Wrappers, with a sorcerer known as Sony being a suspect for the case. However, the further Daniel dug, the clearer it became that he had gotten himself in over his head. Sony was not alone in his work, and it came to light to Daniel that Sony was one in a group of individuals working under a powerful Vampire Lord.

Having stuck his nose into their business, the Wappers kidnapped Daniel, planning to use him as Sony's first meal as a vampire. However, as the Vampire Lord attempted to turn Sony, something caused the ritual to go wrong.

Enraged and in a frenzy, the Vampire Lord turned on Daniel. "I will sire an Heir tonight." He attacked Daniel, and although the investigator did his best to fight back and escape, he was no match against a frenzying Vampire Lord. Gnashing teeth and Death is what awaited him. And die did he that night.

However, Death was not the end. After a strange dream-like series of events, Daniel awoke, clawing his way out of a shallow grave within the middle of the woods, under the brilliant light of the full moon: alone. His Sire seemingly had thought the ritual had failed with him as well, and had been abandoned to rot. And perhaps there had been some truth to that, as whispers of death, violence, and bloodshed followed him, haunting his mind and leaving him no peace.

As a vampire fledgling with no where to go, Daniel turned to find other fledglings like himself -some vampires, some werewolves, some others- in order to navigate his new life. He, Naomi, and others who had been affected, banded together to form a support group dubbing themselves as the PAN.

It has been a month since then, when he was picked up by the Natuloid and joined Tav and their fellow tadpole companions.

Other details about Daniel:

Due to his sheer force of Willpower to resist the turn: Daniel was able to interrupt the ritual and become a Dhampir rather than a Vampire Spawn. However, this came with some consequences.

While he may be unaffected by sunlight, be able to walk through running water, and enter homes without being invited in; he still holds no heart beat, nor does his body produce any warmth. He is -for all intents and purposes- a walking corpse.

He has no need for food or water, and in fact cannot consume any substance outside of blood. The moment it enters his mouth, it becomes ash.

Instead of sleeping, Daniel enters a dreamless stasis known as Torpor. He suffers the pain of death upon entering this stasis, and his body truly becomes the corpse that it is. There is no life, no movement, and even experiences things like rigor mortis. His vampiric senses allow him to be aware of his surroundings, as if he -or rather something- were conscious.

Unlike most, if any, vampires, Daniel's Vampiric nature has taken on a sentient form, referring to itself as "Theo". While Theo's primary objective is to ensure Daniel's safety and self preservation as a vampire, this "alter ego" is sadistic, psychotic, and down right cruel. Theo will manipulate, dominate, lie, and even kill anyone or anything that gets in the way of his primary objective. Theo takes a deep sense of pleasure out of torturing, killing, and preying on others he deems as "unworth" or as "threats". Even is a constant whisper that plagues Daniel's mind, viewing all those around him as either potential threats or prey: even those closest to Daniel. If Daniel is not constantly maintaining his willpower to keep Theo in check, Theo can and will posses Daniel's body. When deeply injured, emotionally taxed, mentally drained, or incredibly hungry: Theo is more likely to be able to take over control of Daniel's body and act of his own accord. Theo is a dangerous Frenzy state for Daniel, as Theo has and will even act like Daniel in order to lull others into a false sense of security to do as he pleases.

Daniel has a younger brother named Faelen, who he has acted as more of a father figure to than a true older brother. He is extremely protective of his younger brother, and would do anything to keep him safe. Imagine his surprise when it turned out his younger brother had discovered he was a werewolf in the time that he had been away investigating the Wrappers. This left many questions for Daniel, and the nature of their family lineage. After all, if Faelen was a natural born werewolf, one -if not both- of their parents had to have been of lycanthropic heritage themself...

[casspurrjoybell-23]

The Raven - Chapter 3

*Warning Adult Content*

For as long as he can remember, the raven has been forced to practice magic most of his time.

It had been ingrained in his head since his creation that perfecting his skills must always remain his top priority, even as a toddler, it prevailed over learning to walk and speak.

Practicing magic while your heart is otherwise occupied, though, can lead to dire consequences, as Raven has come to learn.

One's thoughts and emotions must be wholly controlled to achieve the desired outcome from the forces he is using.

This is precisely Raven's problem, he has absolutely no interest whatsoever in magic.

His heart simply yearns for one thing, to be loved unconditionally.

And unfortunately for him, that is something his magic cannot provide for him.

On the rare occurrence that he is granted free time, the raven indulges in reading, using books to temporarily escape his gloomy reality. Even if only in his imagination, the distraction is undoubtedly welcomed.

The boy has poured over the pages of his favorite fairy-tales, memorizing the stories of princesses locked in towers, of knights in shining armor coming to their rescue or possibly, a handsome and charming prince.

Though he is definitely not a princess, perhaps it is these tales that have given Raven the undying hope that someday his true love will save him from his prison, as well.

However, there is the minor detail that it would be nearly impossible for someone to love another as disgusting as he.

With a forlorn sigh, the boy pushes the thoughts of love and fairy-tales out of his mind.

After all, Mother would say that those ideas are simply dreams, as well.

That true love does not exist, aside from the stories filling the pages of the bound books he appreciates so much.

That he is only fooling himself into thinking that someone might actually care about him someday.

It is impossible, you know, since his own mother does not.

Redirecting his attention back to the task at hand, Raven does his best to focus on the magic flowing through him.

Closing his eyes, he swiftly shifts into his raven form, his black wings shimmering in the glowing moonlight.

He is undoubtedly a sight to behold in this form, for the type of person who finds beauty in birds, that is.

His raven is sleek, almost majestic, with a bluish tinge to the darkness of his feathers.

Stretching his wings, he effortlessly flutters through the room, masterfully conquering the exercise as if he has done it infinite times before.

After maintaining the shift for a few minutes, the boy returns to his human form, catching sight of his thin frame, vampire-pale pallor and messy mane in the mirror.

If only he could remain a bird forever...

With his shift under control, the raven hurriedly moves on to his next task, utilizing the energy he feels buzzing inside of him.

The magic thrums in his veins, practically begging to be let out.

He wastes no more time in obliging.

Holding up his left palm, the boy imagines a black cloud of smoke, concentrating on the image in his mind until it appears in his hand.

"Well done, Raven," Mother praises, interrupting his practice and ultimately dissolving the smoke as if it never existed.

"I see that you are improving," she says, relief filling her at the realization that the boy is not a total failure as she had previously thought.

Heaven knows he has a history of disappointing her.

"Thank you, Mother," he replies, feeling entirely uncomfortable with her sudden appearance.

How long had she been watching him?

And why did she not make her presence known?

Performing in front of an audience has always been a difficult task for the raven, even if the only other person ever present was his mother.

Maybe especially because of his mother; her intense, scrutinizing gaze adds a significant amount of pressure.

Knowing his mother is watching fills Raven's belly with a swarm of anxious butterflies or, more appropriately, angry hornets.

However, he does his best to ignore her burning gaze.

Taking a deep breath, he closes his eyes and holds up his hands, drawing forth his mother's shadow.

Control of the shadow quickly becomes his as he gestures his hands in the air, causing the darkened form of his mother to do an awkward dance that the woman herself would not be caught dead performing.

Though not at all amused with the choice of movements, the raven's mother seems quite satisfied with the new development in his magic, what she thinks is new, anyway.

"Wonderful," remarks Mother, her eyes lighting with an unfamiliar sincerity.

If Raven did not know better, he might assume it to be pride.

He would sorely be mistaken, though; she has never been proud of him a moment in his life.

"I believe that with practice, this could become a most beneficial skill. Not the dancing, of course but controlling shadows could serve our purpose quite efficiently."

"Thank you, Mother," the raven repeats, his eyes popping open as his mind rages with muddled thoughts.

He wishes he knew what 'purpose' she was talking about.

She has never really explained to him what he is supposed to be preparing for, and she refuses to talk about it in much detail when he asks.

Perhaps if he knew what he should expect, he might be more forthcoming with information himself.

He is confident his mother would enjoy hearing just how advanced he has managed to become with particular abilities but he has no reason to share the news with her.

He does not trust her, primarily because she evidently does not trust him, either.

Though finding her behavior highly suspicious, Raven decides it is best not to push his mother on the subject quite yet.

He is sure he will know when the right time is to demand answers.

In the meantime, it is likely in his best interest to pacify her by giving only what is necessary.

It is precisely how he has managed to survive under her care for so long.

"Continue," Mother says, interrupting her son's train of thought.

She gestures with her hand at him as if he is meant to know exactly what she means.

Unfortunately, he does, this has been the whole of their relationship since he was a small boy.

He remembers his youth vividly, his mother's empty words of encouragement and false praises that had once meant so much to him.

In the beginning, he had believed them to be a sign of her affection for him, back when she had not purposefully allowed her true feelings to be apparent.

Back when he thought she might actually care about him.

It was a sad day for the raven when he learned this was definitely not the case.

With a slight shake of his head, the boy clears his mind, saving those thoughts for another time.

Instead, he focuses once more on his training, muting his strengths under his mother's gaze; perhaps, if she becomes frustrated enough with his lack of progress, she will slip and spill the secrets she has been harboring about her intentions.

But if not, then at least Raven will maintain the upper hand, it is a win-win if you ask him.

[tensecondstomidnight]

on to Pep Rally! a classic-era chapter with SIX PAGES INSTEAD OF FOUR! i’m as surprised as you! this chapter’s interesting, because we get some context about one of mike’s fears right after one of lucy’s!

and look, it’s katie! a real katie, too! what do i mean by that? weeeeell, we’ll get to that later...

there’s not much to say about this first page, unfortunately. mike doesn’t wanna go to the pep rally, paulo and david say it’s because he’s too gay to enjoy girls in short skirts, repeat until next page.

the final sequence of the page has some dialogue changed, but i’m actually more interested in the final panel, where for once, they actually changed an expression instead of dialogue!

seems like in the redraws they wanted to make lucy more endeared to mike instead of annoyed by him. no complaints here! it’s not like she needs to pretend that she hates him if she’s alone.

on the next page, we’re shown this cute little background character! i’ve got no idea who this is, but i like them!

in the redraw, we get a better look at them, and they also remove the ear from the “LOL CONDOMS USE THEM” sign for some reason.

i choose to believe that this change was made because the author wanted to feature The Janitor in more pages. who is The Janitor? weeeeell, we’ll get to that later...

there are a lot of fun gags on this page! mike anime-stealths around the school, avoiding some nerds who like tattling on people and taking a flying leap out of the front doors... only to end up in the arms of that dog teacher i like. he’s funny. we’ve got another interesting change, though! for once in his life, david has actually been toned down! that never happens!

this actually makes sense to me, though, specifically because this is the first appearance of the ever-elusive Flower Girl! this is a situation where an earlier joke accidentally contradicts a future plotline. see, david has this ~valiant~ side to him that tends to show up the most in the earlier chapters when he’s drooling over flower girl. david is OBSESSED with flower girl, but he views himself as her knight in shining armor, and sees her with the utmost respect. it makes sense that they’d wanna change this joke! if it was anyone other than flower girl, then i’d be confused.

[the-galaxys--local-catgirl]

I find it interesting how Snatcher refers to Vanessa in death wish,,, like that one quote where he mentions she is his "soulmate" and is "waiting for him!" As if she's a princess in a tower waiting for her knight,,,

I have a terrible time telling sarcasm from not sarcasm (especially from a character like Snatcher) so idk his true intentions with this line but it just makes me think of how Snatcher thinks about him and Vanessa,,,

[chezzywezzy]

Yandere Joe Goldberg (3/5)

Word count ; 4.0k

*Edited.

God, this was nostalgic. Joe, the knight in shining armor, had been my escort to my best friend’s funeral. And then he’d walked me home. I had invited him in, just like Beck did when Peach’s funeral happened not even two months ago. Why was the world crumbling around me? The only consistent thing were my boys and… and Joe. Joe, who was just as heartbroken as I was, was keeping me together, just as he always had.

Elijah was elsewhere in the apartment, but Derek, my little ray of sunshine, ran out of their bedroom to greet me with a hug. I gave him a faint hug back.

“Auntie Y/n, you’re back!” Derek exclaimed cutely.

“Hey there, kiddo. Guess what we’re having for dinner,” I greeted as Joe snuck past me.

Of course, Derek’s eyes trailed after the man as a grin spread to his face. “Pizza! Yay! Is it pepperoni?”

“Uh-huh. Why don’t you go get Elijah for me?” I requested, Derek’s excitement rather infectious.

Joe patted my shoulder sympathetically before opening the box. “Th… thanks for being here for me, Joe. I have no idea how you’re feeling. I envy how well-put-together you are. I mean, on one side, I know she cheated on you, but on the other, you two were head over heels for each other once upon a time,” I mumbled.

“Hey, I’m here for you. Don’t worry about me. Everything that happened between me and her has made me… numb. The love and hate evened each other out, so my main concern is you,” he reassured, shooting me a slight smile.

Elijah and Derek emerged from the hallway, Derek more energetic than the other. Elijah, understandably, was still trying to cope with the loss of his mother, so his former lively composure had faded a bit. I gave him the space he needed, but was still making sure to tend to his needs and keep him afloat.

Elijah raised a brow. “Why are you dressed like that?” He asked as he sat on the couch. “Is this dude your boyfriend?”

Joe and I exchanged glances. Derek was distracting himself thoroughly with the pizza and an episode of ‘Girl Meets World.’ I answered shakily, “Well, the thing is, my best friend… passed away. And no, Joe’s just a friend. My escort to the funeral.”

Elijah frowned deeply. “Oh… I’m sorry, Miss L/n.”

I ruffled his hair a bit. Joe clearly felt left out, so I aimed to change that. “Actually, Elijah, I think you’ll like Joe. He works at the bookstore I frequently visit.”

“Yeah - Your mom’s told me a lot about how smart you are and how much you like to read, so you should stop by the store sometime. I have a few antique books that I can lend you, especially since you seem to like Steinbeck,” Joe added charismatically.

Elijah attempted to share the enthusiasm, since Joe’s mood was rather infectious, but it only lasted for a moment. “Yeah, actually, I’d like that. I’m just busy with school and everything, so…”

Joe nodded, sending him a mischievous smile. “Yeah, I totally get that. I bet you’re quite the lady’s man, huh? A kid like you probably has a date every weekend.”

Elijah erupting into embarrassed laughter. “Ew! I’m not interested in that.”

Joe sent a teasing wink. “Sure you’re not.”

I chuckled a bit at the amusing scene. “You better not be, Elijah. Just ‘cause you’re my kid doesn’t mean you’re not my student still. And don’t think I don’t see how you stare at Ben during class.” I pinched his cheek lightly, making the boy scrunch up his nose and push me away playfully.

“Ew! I’m too busy to have crushes. You people are weird.” He halted the conversation by shoving a pizza slice into his mouth and moving away to sit next to his brother. My heart warmed at the scene, Beck and Peach and everything troubles in my life leaving my mind in that moment.

I scooted closer to Joe, who had finally gotten comfortable on the couch. I leaned over to him and spoke in a hushed tone, “Thanks for cheering him up. He’s been pretty depressed lately.”

“It’s no problem. He’s a good kid. And he has a great mom, teacher, guardian, whatever you consider yourself to be, too.”

His fingers glided over my hand, which was resting on my lap. He gave my hand a squeeze, not breaking eye contact. He seemed so confident as he did that, so I couldn’t tell what his intentions were.

Before I had the chance to look into it further, he pulled away. “Hey, I know that you’ll be going to court to fight for custody next week and you’ve been working really hard on that. And things have been really crazy lately, so let me treat you to something nice tomorrow. Italian, Chinese, you name it.”

My nose scrunched. “Nuh-uh mister, you’ve been spoiling me rotten the whole time.” I shushed him as he was about to speak by holding my fingers to his mouth and pinching his lips shut gently. “I know it’s nothing gourmet, but tomorrow, we’ll go to that local hoagie place you love. I’ll buy you a meatball sub and everything. All on me. It is illegal to say no.”

After he removed my hand, he sent me some puppy dog eyes,. I didn’t yield, so he caved, “Fine, fine, you’ve convinced me. But only if the kids can join us for some ice cream after. Will you allow it?”

“Well, you know I can’t say no to that, Joseph.”

Joseph. Peach always called him that. And Peach was one of Beck’s best friends. Beck was dead. I let out a sigh, automatically deflating. Joe’s brows furrowed worriedly. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked.

“I was just… remembering Peach and how she’s dead, too.”

Joe sighed, grabbing my arm gently and pulling me off the couch. He dragged me to the hallway where he enveloped me in a warm hug. One that wasn’t too tight, but wasn’t too loose, either. I couldn’t help but find comfort in the man as I pressed my head to his chest and gripped his shirt. It felt nice. Joe was nice.

“Things are hard for you right now. But Beck would want you to focus on the present. About how much you love Elijah and Derek. And me. I’m here for you always. You can come to me for anything, Y/n,” he consoled, rubbing his hand up and down my back soothingly.

I nodded into his chest. “You’re… right. But how can you be there for me when you’re not letting me be there for you, Joey? I worry about you. I mean, first you get cheated on by the girl you loved, then she ends up dead, and now you’re taking care of Paco and me.”

“It has been hard, yes - “ I lifted my head up to examine his visage as he spoke - “but nothing puts me more at ease than knowing that you are okay. Just by existing, you cheer me up. It meant the world to me how attentive you were when I was dealing with Beck and it helped a lot. You are the reason that I’m doing great now, so I aim to be there for you, too, no matter what.”

God, Joe was so good at… talking. Was it wrong for my heart to be beating this fast for the guy that my dead best friend used to date? It sure felt like it. And why was my face feeling hot?

I pushed Joe away, suddenly, without realizing. “O - oh! I’m sorry, I was just lost i - in my own thoughts,” I stuttered, completely mortified.

Joe, although surprised, didn’t seem resentful or annoyed by my actions. “It’s fine. I completely understand.”

That smile. That gorgeous smile. I always thought Joe was handsome, but in that moment, his kind eyes and caring smile and god-given jawline was just —

“Miss L/n, can you help me with some geometry homework?” Elijah spoke form behind us.

I jumped, turning to him. Elijah held a suspicious flow on his face, but didn’t say anything. “Of course. Right now? Right now, great! Uh, Joe, you go ahead and make yourself comfortable,” I tittered, pushing me and Elijah into the makeshift bedroom and former office I gave to the boys.

“Gro-o-oss,” Elijah vocalized as he sat at the desk.

I pouted while hovering behind him. “It was just a hug,” I defended.

“Yeah, but he’s creepy-looking! There’s something weird about him.”

I sent him a playful glare. “Now, now, I for one think he’s cute. And he’s a really great guy, so don’t be rude, kiddo. Now, about that homework.”

After half an hour or so, Elijah allowed me to tend to the guest, and it was getting late, so I figured I should tuck Derek into bed, a habit I’d gotten into. The kid had a hard time adjusting to a decent sleep schedule, which broke my heart, so I did my parental duties of establishing a bedtime for him. Elijah hit the hay early, too, something that was most relieving.

Joe was right; it was healing to be around them. And him. However, I realized it was getting late and that Joe probably needed to go home, so I collapsed next to him on the couch.

“Hey, you.”

“Hey,” I replied.

“Are you going to be alright for the night?”

“Yeah, I’ll be okay. I’m guessing you’re ready to head home?” I leaned on my side, body facing toward him attentively. He had such lovely eyes —

“I hate to say it, but yes. I have work tomorrow, and this suit is stuffy,” he chuckled.

I nodded in agreement. “Let me walk you down,” I suggested as we both rose from the couch.

Joe, not voicing any complaints, tied up his dress shoes and pulled his suit jacket back on. The silence shared between us as we walked down the apartment complex stairs was comfortable. The sort that was shared by a pair with a tight bond. One that I knew Joe and I had.

When we stepped out into the brisk autumn air, the oncoming winter wind nipping at my skin, we paused. Joe sent me a smile, his hand stroking my arm. I had to look up to make eye contact. His expression made my heart race. God, I felt bad, but how could Beck have ever let a man as great as this go?

“I… I just want you to know I really appreciate everything you’ve done. Not just for me, but for Elijah and Derek. You probably already know this, but… it’s crazy that Beck could’ve ever cheated on a guy like you.” A blush was trickling up the back of my neck, even in the frosty air.

I became hyperaware of Joe’s fingers dancing softly up my arm, passing over my shoulder and pausing securely at the base of my neck. My exposed neck felt like it was on fire. Beck, please forgive me, I wanted to kiss your ex-boyfriend so badly.

“I’m glad she did,” Joe suddenly spoke, his voice husky and hushed. Forgive me if I’m out of line for saying this, Y/n, but… I never had the connection with Beck that I do with you.”

Oh, to hell with it. I roughly threw my arms around his neck, clearly catching the man off guard, ad pushed my lips securely onto his. Our lips molded together perfectly. Joe kissed back with just as much pent up passion. I tangled my hands into his curly, soft hair. Joe pulled me closer to him as we were chest to chest. I loved the feeling of his hands roaming up and down my waist. Beck was luck —

I pulled away with a gasp. “I can’t believe I just did that.”

Joe, rather dazed, replied,” What? Just made my month?”

“W - well, I mean, it’s so disrespectful to Beck! I mean —“

He shushed me while shaking his head, squeezing my cheeks together firmly. “This isn’t about Beck. We weren’t even together. Beck and I clearly didn’t have the connection that we do. Beck was your best friend, so I know that she’d want you to be happy and with a guy you like. She cheated. She broke up with me. And I am head over heels for you.”

I took in his words, individual bias ruling in his favor. He wasn’t wrong… “…Yes, I guess you’re right.” He leaned in to kiss me again, but I took a step back. “But we’re going too fast. Let’s just… take it slow. We’re such great friends, so no matter what, I don’t want to ruin that with you, Joe.”

He crossed his heart with a respectful smile. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead, another voice cut through.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Joe Goldberg. It’s been a while,” a female voice interrupted.

We both turned to see a woman with reddish brown hair and a confident expressions standing only a few feet away. I couldn’t decipher Joe’s reaction, though. His eyes had hardened a bit and his smile faded. Was he displeased, perhaps?

“Hello, Candace.”

Candace. I’d heard that name before, but where? Beck… Peach… Ah! Peach’s party! Was she an ex-girlfriend of Joe?

“Uh… I’m going to turn in for the night. Hi, Candace. G’night, Joe,” I announced nervously.

Joe glanced momentarily to me and strained a smile. “Good night, Y/n.”

~~~

After months of blood, sweat, and tears (mostly thousands of dollars, though), I’d done it. I finally accomplished my goal. I almost screamed from sheer excitement in the court room when the judge announced me eligible for custody and it became official: Elijah and Derek were my kids now.

Elijah and Derek were just as elated, which only made me happier. Derek was the sweetest child on earth, and Elijah and I were even closer. It genuinely felt like a family. Hell, maybe I was falling too fast, but Joe felt like the soon-to-be stepfather that was good for my kids.

Joe had been there every step of the way, and I had no clue how. He’d been patient and kind. He babysat when I had appointments with a lawyer; he gave them toys, and had even bought an Xbox; he often helped me make dinner and accompanied us on family bonding trips. Elijah even warmed up to him at some point.

“How about some ice cream? On me,” Joe offered as we exited the courthouse.

Derek was clutching my hand tightly and Elijah was sticking close to my other side. Joe was trailing behind, maintaining his calm and collected composure, even though a few minutes ago I saw him grinning like a madman.

“You know, usually I’d want to pay, but goddamn I earned a free ice cream,” I agreed.

“Yes please!” Derek chimed in. “I really wanna have a banana split. Can I, Auntie Y/n?”

“Of course you can,” Joe answered for me. “What are you in the mood for, Elijah?”

Elijah, having spaced out, jumped slightly. “Oh - uh, pistachio. I’m trying to diet and everything, so that sounds the healthiest.”

Luckily, we were in downtown New York - anything was everywhere, so it was easy to locate a backstreet plaza that had an ice cream stand. Upon ordering, the simple stand didn’t have a banana split like Derek hoped for, but the boy settled for banana chocolate chip instead. The whole time we were ordering, my heart was flourishing with the awareness that we looked like a happy, perfect family. We finally were one.

“Let’s sit over there,” Elijah suggested while motioning to a bench not too far away.

We gathered at a bench. Elijah sat at the end, Derek in between me and him, while Joe sat on my other side. I glanced tenderly at my boys, and my cheeks warmed when I felt Joe mirroring my actions. I leaned against him and took another lick of my ice cream cone.

“Here, you got a little something,” Joe spoke, tilting my chin up.

I let out a grunt while he swiped my cheek with his finger. Afterwards, he gave my cheek a quick peck before withdrawing.

“Thanks,” I giggled.

Derek suddenly tugged on my other arm. “Ma, look! That guy is making balloons!” he exclaimed. “Can I get one, pretty please?”

My heart froze for a moment, and the grin on my face expanded more than I thought possible. “I ruffled his hair affectionately. “Of course dearest.”

Derek’s eyes widened. “Oh - I meant auntie, sorry.”

I clicked my tongue. “Don’t worry dearest, please do call me mom! It’s what I am. Elijah, do you want one, too?”

Elijah shook his head. “No, thanks. I know money’s tight and sh - crap.”

“I appreciate the thought. Let’s go get one, Derek. Joe, can you hold my ice cream?” I inquired, already passing it over to him.

Derek hopped off the bench and grabbed my hand eagerly, tugging me over the balloon cart. It was ran but an old man that radiated kindness. Derek’s face had ice cream smeared all over, which bothered me, so I pulled out one of the napkins in my purse.

“Hello, what can I make for you?” the man greeted.

Derek thought for a moment before announcing, “A bear!”

The man nodded and got right to it. I crouched in front and turned Derek towards me. He took another bite of the ice cream and after, I dabbed his face with the napkin in a fussy manner.

“Try not to eat so fast, honey,” I scolded lightheartedly.

Derek ignored me and turned his attention to the intricate movements of the balloon man. He was in awe at the swift actions. Someone tapped on my shoulder.

I turned and saw it was the woman that was outside Joe’s apartment building a month or two ago. It always slipped my mind to ask Joe who she was, especially since Joe had a talent of changing the subject. She seemed nervous but resolved.

“You need to stay away from Joe; he’s dangerous,” she earnestly spoke.

I was left speechless and baffled. “Uh - one moment,” I managed. I paid the old man. “Derek, you go ahead and sit down, okay?” I cooed lovingly.

Derek looked confused, but skipped back to the bench. When the woman followed, I realized that Joe had his stare trained on us.

The woman gripped my arm, so my attention snapped back to her. “I know I sound crazy, but you have to believe me. My name is Candace and I’m Joe’s ex-girlfriend. I tried to break up with him and he ended up assaulting me. He almost killed me—“

“Candace.” Joe was suddenly behind me, tossing his free arm around my shoulder and pulling me toward him. “You need help. Stop trying to ruin my relationships.”

The woman scowled. Her eyes reflected a deep hatred. I finally found some words,” J - Joe, this is your ex-girlfriend? What’s she talking about?”

Joe tilted his head. “Yes, Candace, what are you talking about?”

“You may be an expert manipulator, but I’m going to stop you from ruining another woman’s life. Guinevere Beck, your ex-girlfriend, you killed her too. Y/n, he tried killing me and I barely survived —“

“If I did that, then why the hell are you reporting this to my girlfriend and not the police, Candace? Y/n, here’s the truth. Candace cheated, I found out, I broke up with her, and ever since she’s tried to spin lies to scan any woman I’m ever interested with. She’s crazy. She’s a stalker.”

My mouth was agape and my eyes switched between the two. Both held a strong conviction. Candace continued, “Oh, shut it, psycho. You know damn well why I can’t go to the police. You’re so good at killing that you don’t leave any evidence behind.”

Joe nodded, sarcastically pretending to make sense of it. “…Uh huh. Because that makes total sense.” I shoved his arm off me anxiously. “Y/n, I’m so sorry about Candace. I should’ve told you, but she’s just a fluke from the past that isn’t important anymore. She always gets jealous when I find someone, even a friend, who makes me happy.”

“You fucking lying bastard!” Candace exploded. “Fucking fine. I’ll take you down one way or enough, Joe Goldberg, just you wait.”

Candace stormed off, a few bystanders curious about the outburst. I clamped my hands together, staying at Joe in a bewildered fashion. “Is she really that jealous…?” I gulped.

Joe, seemingly unfazed, sighed. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that. Candace’s crazy. She won’t do anything to you, I’ll make sure of it. Just forget that happened, okay?”

“Oh, okay.”

~~~

Another - and hopefully the last - issue had been resolved. And this time, I made sure that she was dead. Believe me, Y/n, I never take pleasure in hurting people, but they’re bad people. Especially Candace. I mean, what right did she have to barge into your life and scare you like that? Sure, it wasn’t as though Candace had been lying, but she was leaving out a big part of the story.

Candace was bad. She broke my heart. She cheated and lied. Something Beck did, too. But you, you’ve never done that. You were good. So when Candace tried ruining things between us, what choice did she give me?

Candace put up quite a fight, though. She came right to me and my bookstore trying to kill me - what’s worse is she had a gun. Imagine what she could’ve done to you, Y/n - but I was the one who knew the shelves like no other. Candace embarrassed herself with all her taunts and threats, only to be overpowered by me. I may not have had a gun, but my hammer did the trick. One hit to the head, and she was out cold.

I winced as a sounding crack came from her neck. I leaned back I pulled the head away from the rest of the body. Even with rubber gloves, my hands still felt moist from blood. I wasn’t a bad person, Y/n, but is it so cruel to defend myself?

God, no matter how many times I did it, cutting bodies into smaller parts was always revolting. It always made a mess of the cage, too. There was so much to clean up, more than usual, too. While Candace and I were in the midst of a scuffle, she shot a few of the books. On the brighter side, I had more experience with cleaning up these messes.

The steps were straightforward; cut the body into smaller parts, remove the teeth, drain the blood, and find somewhere to bury the remains. Candace’s purse and clothes were another issue, though, that I could leave for another day. I still had Benji’s clothes too, so maybe after cleaning them, I could donate the clothes to a food bank.

I sighed out of relief as the left knee could finally be detached from the remains. I couldn’t manage to look at Candace’s face. Her expression almost made me feel guilty. I knew I was completely over her and completely in love with you, but Candace’s betrayal still hurt sometimes. But when I hurt because of her or Beck, I thought of you.

I took a breather and took off the blood-soaked gloves. There was a lot of mopping to be done. I picked up Candace’s purse, which was on my repair table, and examined the room. Candace didn’t have a phone, so there wasn’t any chance of tracking luckily. For now, I could hide the purse and clothes in the same box as Benji’s stuff. So, I did just that, tucking everything away in a box.

I remember the term being used in a movie we watched together, and it described us perfectly. We were endgame.

[merakiui]

I was reading through your tags and you mentioned at some point the kazuscara roommates finding your onlyfans and I think I completely combusted—thus i present to you my brain rot of late: you attend the same school as them but you’re not actually friends, all you know about kazuha is that he’s the friendly regular at the cafe you work at, who makes polite conversation every now and then but otherwise is nothing of note. In reality he’s been stalking you for weeks ever since your first encounter, and is dead set on the idea that you’re this innocent, weak thing that needs to be protected (maybe he stepped in when you had a bad customer and your meek reply helped fester his delusions?). Scara, on the other hand, is only aware of your presence since you’re his favourite cam model that he recently found. (Since he’s a harbinger he’s probs loaded) Weeks of funnelling money towards you cause him to feel this unwarranted possessiveness, believing that since he’s been providing so much in your “relationship” that it’s time you reward him in turn. However, despite the unbridled interest they have toward you neither are aware of each other’s feelings for you— that is, until you happen to run into the both of them heading to your class. While both are known for maintaining their stoic masks, they’re friends for a reason— and instantly can tell the attraction their roommates have towards their own “lover”. After kazuha finds your onlyfans he’s certain that you’ve been coerced and wants to save you, while scara thinks it’s time that he’s stopped letting other plebeians look at his possession—so, despite their initial reservations, come together to form the ideal plan. When you find yourself waking up groggy in a room you don’t recognize, all they can do is look on with glee whilst planning their next course of action with their new belonging. They’re friends after all, and good friends share though, don’t they?

This is v long srry lol you can ignore this ofc!!

AAAH, ANON!! YES!!! <3 I couldn’t resist writing more on this concept. orz They make for such a terrifying pair when they work together!

(cw: yandere, stalking, nsfw, implied kidnapping/drugging, unhealthy behaviors/relationship, delusional thoughts, savior complex, implied violence)

What if Kazuha and Scara were just acquainted with one another and actually became closer through their mutual obsession with you? Yes, they’re roommates and ought to get along because they’re living together but they haven’t exactly clicked yet. They talk every now and then and know little things about each other. Nothing too special. They don’t really hang out outside of their dorm either, what with their class schedules being vastly different. And Kazuha’s always out of the dorm doing who-knows-what. Most of his time is spent at a café, where he’ll write and read and stare at you while you work. On the other hand, Scara prefers to stay inside if he doesn’t have a good reason to go out. He likes his alone time. Although he has enjoyed going to the library every now and then to study.

So maybe they need to find some common ground. Maybe they need a push in the right direction before they get closer.

Kazuha likes to stare. Talking to you is great, but he worries he’ll say too much and then he’ll be a nuisance, or you might not want to talk to him at all since you’re working. But you always regard him with a warm smile, happy to scribble his name on the plastic cup because you remember him. Because you recognize his familiar face and soft, gentle eyes. He’s the one who saved you from that rude customer, after all, and he’s a polite regular. Why wouldn’t you know him? You might look like you can handle those types of situations, but what Kazuha saw that day was something entirely different. You were nervous—so soft-spoken and scared. He absolutely has to protect you from those kinds of people now, doesn’t he?

And he does exactly that. He’s your second pair of eyes—your valiant knight in shining armor—who sees and hears all. Sometimes he goes to the café with the intention to simply watch over you and make sure no one’s bothering you. He can recall one time when a customer was speaking rudely about you because her drink hadn’t been prepared in a ‘timely manner.’ In reality it’s impossible to make a drink within a few seconds, especially when you’re already preoccupied with making another customer’s drink. She must’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed, or maybe she’s just a hateful person in general. You didn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of such fiery insults, though.

Her eyes just can’t see your perfection and therefore she does not deserve to see out of them.

Kazuha’s willing to wrestle with all of this darkness if it means you’ll stay safe, oblivious, and pure. You’re like a defenseless kitten, unable to protect yourself from the scary world. He writes about you a lot in his journal; you’re his muse—someone who constantly shows up in poems and short paragraphs where he tries to describe what your dream date might be or what type of wedding you’d prefer. Things get darker the deeper you delve into his writings, where you’ll find entries in great detail. Kazuha writes a lot and he doesn’t even mean to. He just has to get all of his thoughts on paper before they abandon him and he’s left with emptiness.

Everything you do is pure; you’re almost an equivalent to a holy being. Your smell is pure. Your body is pure. Your actions are pure. Your smile is pure. Even when you’re on the verge of crying from harsh customers or when you’re turning down a confession, you’re still pure. And Kazuha likes that about you because it’s special. There aren’t many people in his life who are completely pure. He’s been through a lot of rough things and has seen firsthand how impure people can be. It’s only fair that he gets a chance to protect purity itself.

He might have some impurities, but that doesn’t deter him from watching over you. As gentle and unassuming as he is, there are times when even he loses his composure. Not many are privy to these dark emotions of his. His smiles are sharp and venomous and his eyes fill with a gloom so dark it can swallow you whole. You’ll never see this side of him; he won’t allow it. Instead you’re treated to his sweet, calm side, where he feigns perfection in hopes of catching your interest.

As for Scara… He doesn’t really care about Kazuha in the beginning. He’s just someone he has to live with. It’s not a big deal and as long as he doesn’t try to make lots of pointless conversation everything will be okay. He prefers the peace and quiet, considering he’s acquainted with people who are far from peaceful and quiet. Scara’s relieved that Kazuha leaves the dorm so often because it gives him an opportunity to watch his favorite cam star’s most recent video. He’s your most loyal follower—someone who’s paid lots of money just to have access to the highest tier of rewards and such. He even got a private video where you addressed him and moaned out his name with lustful thoughts of him. Having lots of money comes in handy.

When he finds out that you go to the same school as him, he’s a little shocked. He didn’t expect you to be so close. You’re practically within touching distance. If only he knew your schedule. If only you were in one of his classes. It’s really annoying that he only knows your online presence and not who you might be in your personal life. The last thing he’s going to do is consult Childe, that popular athlete who knows literally everyone in the school for whatever reason. Surely he knows you. But he’ll die before he ever asks Childe for a favor.

Scara loves you out of every other cam model because you’re different. You’re not just trying to get fast cash. You’re genuine. You listen to your subscribers and their feedback. You do your best to improve and do even better streams than the previous ones. All of your hard work is overlooked by the other fools who watch your streams, but it isn’t overlooked by him. Scara appreciates your attention to detail and the way you’re able to hook him with your breathless voice alone. You’re very skilled at what you do, so it’s only fair you get paid for it.

But buying your services isn’t enough. It’s not a real relationship, but it certainly feels like it when he buys preferential treatment. Private shows, special requests, odd favors—you do it all because he pays for it. But this relationship isn’t going to be one-sided forever. You’ll have to pay him back in full eventually. Scara likes to think he has patience and that waiting is fine. It gives him more time to plan his next move—to figure out what he should do to finally have you all to himself. So that those private shows he watches through a screen can finally be real.

Scara finds the journal sitting innocently on Kazuha’s bed, its maroon cover and maple leaves pulling at his curiosity. He might not know everything about Kazuha, but he’d recognize this journal anywhere. His roommate almost always has it on his person. Scara wouldn’t be surprised if he slept with it. To say he’s curious would be absolutely correct. He can only wonder what Kazuha writes in that thing. Perhaps it’s just notes for a class. That’s what anyone would think, right?

Scara opens it and flips through the first few pages. They’re normal for the most part. Just a bunch of haikus and other useless scribbles. When he skips over some pages, he starts to find things that are far more interesting than poetry and doodles of cats. He finds the majority of the journal is comprised of information. More specifically, there are facts and other knowledge about you—the cam model he’s been obsessed with ever since he stumbled upon your onlyfans. He reads through as much of the journal as he can and instantly learns so much: your address, your roommate, your workplace, your friends’ names, names of any potential exes. The list goes on and on.

Scara doesn’t have anything against Kazuha. His first impression of him wasn’t anything groundbreaking. He thought he was a pushover at first. But now that he knows what this journal holds… Well, it sheds an entirely new light on his roommate.

Just days before Scara took a peek inside his journal, Kazuha discovers your secret online life. He snoops through Scara’s laptop when he steps out, having left it open and unlocked. He’s just trying to find what could have caught Scara’s interest, as he’s almost always glued to his laptop on specific days at specific times, with his headphones on and his gaze unyielding. He doesn’t intend to find the file of one of your private videos—something that was meant only for Scara’s eyes.

He clicks on the video out of interest. He’s not sure what he was expecting to see, but it definitely wasn’t this. Kazuha sits there and stares at the sight before him. You’re dressed in skimpy lingerie and you’re muttering the dirtiest things while coating your fingers in lube. And your hands are stroking a thick toy and you’re addressing Scara and you’re lining it up to your hole and— He shuts the laptop before it can get even more explicit than it already is. He’s so conflicted, fraught with a betrayal so strong it weighs his heart down.

Why would he have this sort of video on his laptop? Did you give it to him? Did he make you do this? Are you in danger? Are you still pure?

Kazuha can’t kill on campus. It’s way too risky and he’d be one of the first suspects if Scara’s body is found. Besides, it’s not like he has the full story. He doesn’t know whether or not Scara’s done something that’s worthy of death. You could just be in a tight spot. He knows how easily you give in when you’re under pressure. Maybe you’re just doing this because you feel like it’s the only thing you can do. Not to worry; Kazuha will save you before Scara can ruin your purity with his twisted fantasies.

They confront each other when the time feels right. Kazuha struggles to keep a smile plastered to his face for the sake of politeness, while Scara holds in his raging temper so that he can bear some semblance of cooperation. Neither of them is happy to hear that the other went through their stuff, but they force themselves to make up because a more pressing issue is at hand: their connection to you.

Kazuha says he’s your secret admirer. Scara says he’s in a relationship with you. There’s no way you’d ever date someone like Scara—Kazuha knows this for a fact. Yet he falters at the confidence in Scara’s tone. That can’t be the truth, right? Despite this, Kazuha still strikes up an offer: If they work together to get what they both want, they’ll be unstoppable. With Scara’s riches and his influence and Kazuha’s charisma and clever thinking, they can easily get their hands on you. Of course this means they’ll have to share, but it’s not a big deal when they’re already in so deep. They both know the other’s secret; now they’re swearing to keep it in the pursuit of having you all to themselves. And luckily Scara agrees to the deal, but that doesn’t give Kazuha a reason to lower his guard.

However despite how well they work together when it comes to planning the kidnapping and actually executing it, they both have their own reasons for wanting you. Scara wishes to make his relationship with you a reality—to toss aside the screen that once held him back and finally do all of the things he could only do in his dreams. Kazuha seeks to protect your fragile heart, lest you crumble under Scara’s intense way of doing things and cling to him for salvation. You can’t do those sorts of things with Scara; he won’t allow it. Your purity is meant for him and no one else.

But sharing is caring and some have to learn that the hard way. It definitely brings Kazuha and Scara closer together, even if neither of them will admit it. If they look past their desires, they can be friends. And soon enough they’ll have to accept this new friendship if they want to avoid any unnecessary complications.

However there are times when they’ll cooperate in order to do things with you. They’re a packaged deal you can’t get rid of.

[a-driftamongopenstars]

Hello I hope you're having a great day!

May I humbly request a fluff please?

Context: Crow and YW went out for a drink with some other guardians after a successful mission And one guardian was particularly flirty with our YW that night. Crow gets a little bit jealous seeing this. So when Crow walks YW to their home, he decided to finally make a move and... he stayed the night.

hi anon!! thank you, my day is quite alright, I hope yours as well! :) it's been a while, but here is the prompt you've requested and I hope you like it!! jealousy prompts are most often fun :D

also on ao3

Drunken on their victories and alcohol, a flock of guardians makes their way through the emptying streets of the Last City. Lights turn on here and there, street lights and string lights. The hour is late, but what is time to a paracausal being.

Crow walks beside the Guardian, his gaze directed straight ahead. He tries so hard to throw unwanted thoughts from his head, to wipe the blush off his cheeks, but it doesn't quite working.

The image of another guardian, leaning towards Young Wolf, has settled firmly in his vision. Her posture and her words, her flirtations. Her eyes filled with interest that Crow sometimes found in his own reflection after talking to the Guardian.

Crow wishes he was in her place, that he could bestow his wooing as easily upon the Young Wolf as that lady guardian did.

He wonders if those were returned by his subject of affection.

Crow isn't jealous. He is telling that himself over and over, hammering it into his mind, but there is an impenetrable wall that bounces the idea back.

He is jealous.

How many times has he daydreamed of taking the Guardian's hand in his? How many times has he imagined kissing them? How many times has he remembered as the Guardian, swooping in like a knight in shining armor, rescued him from the Spider's web of agony and brought him to the Light?

How the Guardian stayed beside him over and over.

Crow hears his name called from the side and stumbles over a misplaced piece of asphalt. Caught by the Guardian's arms, he steadies himself.

But they... don't let go.

"Where is everyone?" Crow asks quietly, looking around and finding none of the other guardians present. And besides, they are not in that same part of the City anymore, but closer to the Guardian's apartment.

The Young Wolf looks at him, smiling in gentle haze. They explain that the others have long left for their homes.

Crow blinks and pronounces a simple, "Oh".

It dawns on him how very close the Guardian is. As close as he wished them to be at the bar. He can smell their perfume. He can count the threads of the fabric of their clothes. The gleam of their armor. He can feel their heavy arms resting around his waist. Why did they not let go?

And then they do. As if realising the closeness was so near. Crow bites his lips and rubs his nape. The Guardian steps to their door, hand resting on the handle.

"It was a good night," Crow says quietly, stepping backwards.

It was, they agree.

"We should do it again."

They should, they admit.

"Maybe just the two of us?"

The words leave his mouth so fast, so hopeful, he only catches the meaning of them when it is too late. The Guardian's face changes, brightens up, they are blushing.

They would like that.

"Maybe, it could happen now?" Crow adds, riding the wave of audacity, stepping forward. And again, until the Guardian's arms find purchase around his waist again.

They agree, it should.

He kisses them, throwing aside all galantry that he has dreamed of. The kiss is messy and pleasant, and it makes Crow's head go round. The Guardian is responsive to all that he offers, from his lips to his whole being.

And when the door opens and they stumble inside, it is as a couple.

In the morning, no one has to leave.

[mickeyhenrysgf]

Same Old Mistakes

Summary: Lee Bodecker is jealous of your new relationship with Arvin Russell

Pairings: Modern Day! Arvin Russell x reader, Modern Day! Lee Bodecker x reader

Warnings: manipulation, age gap (reader is in college 20), cheating , dub con, unprotected sex, degrading language, dark themes, please don’t read if you’re not 18+ or these warnings make you uncomfortable.

Author’s note: this is kind of a sequel to my other one shot Party Favors from my old account. You don’t really have to read it though to understand. Anyways, someone commented the reader should fuck Arvin & well I put my own twist on it because I love Lee way too much.

It’s been a month since Sheriff Bodecker was called to stop your party. You wished you could erase the memories from the night. Lee always had a soft spot for you but you took his kindness for granted.

In exchange for not getting turned in for your noise complaint, you had to get on your knees for the Sheriff. To think the sheriff would even care about you or even your pleasures was a silly idea. He cares about one thing and one thing only. Controlling everyone in the town. But, that was a month ago. You stayed clear from misconduct, you didn’t want to see his face ever again.

Now, you were somewhat happy. You were finally interested in someone around your age. His name was Arvin Russell. Everyday after class, he waited for you in his old beat up truck. Arvin didn’t go to college but you didn’t mind. He had small jobs here and there where he would even save some of his money to buy you small things. It was his way of showing that he really liked you. Maybe, you could see yourself falling for him...

“Got your s’ favorite” Arvin announced in his Southern accent that you loved. He had a cheeky smile as he took out a sandwich from his metal lunchbox. A new meal was always waiting for you after class.

You smiled brightly, leaning in and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Arvin pouted softly as he pointed to his lips and you chuckled giving him a kiss on the lips which he rightly deserved.

“You’re the best, Arvin!” you pressed another kiss to his nose. A tint of red started to cover his ears. He truly was one of the sweetest boys you met in town. You cherished it.

But, he wasn’t just sweet. He also knew how to woo a girl in bed...

“Holy fuck—!” You moaned, your eyes rolled back as Arvin pounded into you. The headboard colliding with the wall with every thrust. Arvin had a smirk plastered on his face. This was his favorite thing to do. Pleasure you.

“atta girl... doing so good for me...” he mumbled against your lips, his thumb swiping against your clit as his hips rutted into you. He grabbed your legs and hooked them over his shoulders creating a even more pleasurable experience.

“You close, my pretty girl—? Gunna cum for me, yeah?” Your hands pulled onto his locks and your mouth widened without a sound signaling your release as Arvin grunted heavily. With a few more thrusts, he emptied himself in the condom and pulled out of you, collapsing onto the bed. The condom thrown into the nearby trash can.

He pulled your sweaty body onto his, he watched as you panted against his chest. His heart swelled from the effect you had on him.

“I want you to be my girl for real...” he finally whispered softly, his thumb caressing your cheek. You looked up at him.

“Like— your girlfriend?”

“Mmhm—“ he mumbled and you smiled brightly, leaning forward and kissing him deeply.

As Lee Bodecker parked his car at the gas station, he saw a couple in a car not too far from where he was. The two shadows talked for a moment before they kissed each other on the nose. He couldn’t quite make out who they were but he figured it was young love. He rolled his eyes, until he noticed something. His eyes squinted and he moved his seat up, until his belly pressed against the wheel. It was you.

“Here, get yourself something. We still got a few hours left.” Arvin insisted handing you money.

“Baby... I can buy it on my own, it’s fine” you protested pushing his hand away slightly. He shook his head.

“Please. I don’t mind... how about you order us two hot sandwiches, so then you don’t feel so bad” you sighed heavily, looking down at the money in his hand.

“Fine but this is the last time, babe.”

Arvin hushed you softly, settling the money in your palm. He kissed the bridge of your nose and then your lips. The act itself warming you from within.

“I gotta pump the gas and fill the tires which is going take a while. See you in 15. Now go on.” You nodded and settled out of the car, walking into the convenient store.

You looked around the store. Arvin did say you would be on the road for some time. Everything looked good but you really didn’t want to waste all of his money. As you continued to look, the store doorbell rung signaling a new costumer had arrived.

Lee Bodecker walked into the store with a new sense of confidence. The girl who had been ignoring him for weeks had finally crossed paths with him again. He tilted his hat at the store manager before he walked towards you.

He found himself sliding into the same aisle where you were in. You were two busy bending down and looking at different flavors of chips to notice his presence behind you. His eyes roamed your backside and he bit his lip at the curve of your ass. If only he could push himself right against it.

You turned around to head into the next aisle but you collided into a taller figure. The chips in your hand fell onto the ground. You quickly scrambled to pick them up but a hand stopped you.

“No need Y/N... the pleasure is mine” you could recognize the accent from miles away.

Your heart practically stopped as you stood up to meet eyes with Lee who casually winked at you. That was the problem with the sheriff. He sweet talked you, then used you, and then did it all over again.

“I haven’t seen you in forever. Seems like you are doing everything in your power to not get into trouble...” he chuckled darkly, his eyes stayed on yours.

“Uh- yeah. I guess you can say that. Trouble is just not my thing anymore” you shrugged, looking around the store trying your best to ignore him.

Other customers continued to shop. They didn’t mind the presence of the sheriff.

“I bet.” Lee continued.

“You know... we never talked about that night between us.” You stopped in your tracks as Lee said those words. Memories from a month ago rushing back.

“Shit, you move on quick. Already sucking another man’s cock, huh?” He bended slightly to whisper in your ear just enough for you to hear. His lips grazed against your ear ever so slightly which made you shudder.

You quickly stepped away from him. Your relationship with Arvin was fairly new. He couldn’t have possibly known.

“What are you talking about?!”

“I saw you and Arvin in the car just now” He placed his hands on his hips.

“Congratulations... but he’s uh- a handful” Lee joked, his jaw clenching. You turned on your heel but Lee grabbed your arm tightly. Almost to the point of a potential bruise.

“Lee, stop. You’re hurting me...” you sneered through your teeth. He looked around the store before he grabbed you to the back and pulled you into the store’s bathroom, quickly locking the two of you in there.

“Lee-! You can’t just-! I have to go to back to Arvin!” You pushed his slightly protruding belly, trying to make your way to the door but he pulled you back.

“First off, it’s sheriff to you now. And second of all you don’t leave until I’m done talking to you. Or we can have a repeat from the party. You hear me?” He threatened, his eyes much darker from when he first greeted you.

You gulped lightly, throwing your hands to the side. Protesting wouldn’t get you anywhere. Just let him talk and you’ll be within Arvin’s arms in a few.

“Did you tell him about us?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“What? No. Why would I do that?” Lee laughed softly, taking off his sheriff’s hat and running his fingers through his hands.

There was nothing to tell Arvin. But, Lee thought otherwise. He pushed you back against the wall, as you stared up at him.

“Because if I was him, I would want to know that my girl goes around sucking the sheriff’s dick and then begs him to fuck her”

“T-that was one time... and it was the p-past...” his words hit you one after the other. He was shaming you for an act he manipulated you into doing. Tears started to prickle at the corner of your eyes.

You were a good person. You deserved Arvin. Lee just loved playing the role of the knight in shining armor who pretended to fix your bad behavior every single time.

“Just the past” he repeated with an uncertainty in his voice. His thumb pressed against your lips like old times but you turned your head.

He rolled his eyes at your actions.

“You were such a bad girl. But, who always left you off with a warning? Hmmm? Any other sheriff would have thrown you in the back of the cop car, while you wait for mommy and daddy to pick you up!”

His hands roamed your body as he continued to speak.

“You avoided me for a whole month because you knew you wanted me and you were afraid” he sighed heavily, glaring at you.

Maybe. He was right. But you couldn’t give him the satisfaction. Not yet at least.

“Arvin... really, Y/N?” Lee sighed, pushing away from you in disbelief.

“I like him, Sheriff. He’s a good person. He treats me right. He actually likes me and takes care of me!” You pleaded as your eyes followed him as he paced along the small bathroom.

A tear slipped against your cheek. The doorknob was so close, you could make a run if you were fast enough.

“Do you love him?” He questioned, a hint of jealousy present in his tone.

“I-I don’t know...” Lee turned around and placed himself back on you.

“I can make you feel so much better than he can...” his nose pressed against your neck, as his hands grabbed your waist.

The attraction you had for Lee was still here. It almost made you feel sick inside. If he really cared for you, he wouldn’t do this. But, his words were messing with you. A voice in your head even tried to convince you to listen to him.

“Y/N, let me show what I should have done on the night of the Halloween party” his lips ghosted over yours and pressed onto you softly. He deepened the kiss and you allowed it at first.

Lee Bodecker was finally kissing you. Something you craved for the longest. But, it felt wrong. You struggled and pushed him away.

“Stop—!” You were out of breath as you took a beeline towards the door but Lee grabbed your hair and yanked you back.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?!” He barked, and you winced in pain at his grip. When he heard your whine, he reluctantly let go but kept his arm around your body.

“I’m in a r-relationship, sheriff!” You stammered, scared to even look him in the eyes. Lee tilted your chin up, his eyes now softer. He had to think of his next actions carefully.

He was playing his favorite game on you.

“God, Y/N. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I got carried away” his arms cradled you in his embrace. His lips kissed your temple. His manners switched instantly. He knew playing the role of the bad wolf wouldn’t win you over.

“I care for you so much, darlin’ and Arvin... he’s not the one for you. He’s done a lot of bad things” Lee said softly, his thumb wiped your tears and cupped your face. If you were going to believe anything, you’d believe Lee & his job.

You raised an eyebrow. Arvin never expressed his wrongdoings. Yeah, he beat up a few bullies from school but they deserved it. Suddenly, you didn’t feel so uncomfortable in Lee’s embrace. Lee noticed this as your posture softened.

This was his chance.

“Really? Like what?”

“Oh, darlin’ if I tell ya— you’ll be scared of the poor boy. I don’t want that.” He informed, his lips pressed against your forehead again.

He was reeling you in with every word. This time you actually felt butterflies in your stomach.

If Arvin was a bad man, as the sheriff explained, then maybe Lee was actually protecting you.

“Please, sheriff... Please, tell me—” His eyes widened at your pleas. Something in him awakened. His cock stirred in his pants, a hard on soon to form. You sounded like an angel to him. He wished you would beg some more.

“You really wanna know—“ he teased, his hands falling to your sides, down your back, and right before your ass. You nodded, pushing into him some more. He bit his lip, his cock straining against his trousers.

“Well, he’s good with his Luger pistol, I’ll tell you that—“ he half joked. Lee tested the waters and suddenly put his hands on your ass. To his surprise, you didn’t move away. It’s not like you didn’t feel his hands either. You were just too busy, caught up in wanting to know more. But, it also did feel good, which you didn’t dare to admit.

He wanted to just bend you over the bathroom sink and have his way already. Just a few more lines and he’d be there.

“Remember that pastor in town who passed away a while ago—“

You nodded recollecting the only town’s gossip. You never went to church, but you remembered hearing the death on the television. It was one of the only major events that happened in Knockemstiff. Lee’s hands squeezed your ass softly and then wandered up your shirt.

“W-what does the pastor have to with a-anything?” You mumbled, holding in your moans at Lee’s actions. His hands cupped your covered breasts and began to grope them. In one swift movement, your bra was off and Lee was pinching your nipples. You gasped, arching yourself towards him.

“Shhh... getting to the best part. Just listen.” He whispered, pressing soft kisses against your neck and you finally moaned. Victory. Lee even started to get carried away and grinded against you.

You knew how wrong this was. It was overwhelming. If Arvin ever found out what was taking place, he’d leave you. This had to stay a secret.

“You’re taking too long!” you whined, feeling the sheriff’s hands and body engulf you. Although it was turning you on, you had to get back to Arvin.

“What did I just say? Don’t rush me” he bellowed, as he shoved two fingers in your mouth. The feeling wasn’t unfamiliar. He’s done this before at the night of the party. You played along with him and swirled your tongue around his digits.

You just needed to know what Arvin did. You had to see if he was worth it. But, you were surely testing Lee’s patience. He needed your pussy now.

“Turns out your precious boyfriend was a part of the murder...” he popped his fingers out your mouth, already undoing your jeans and pushing them down. He pushed your panties to the side and rubbed your clit with his soaked fingers. You bit your lip, throwing your head back and Lee chuckled at your body’s response. He turned your body around, the two of you now looking into the mirror.

“What?”

“Your little boyfriend killed the pastor.” Lee’s eyes studied yours as they widened through mirror. He nodded, moving your hair away from your neck. His fingers danced against the skin, goosebumps forming.

“T-that can’t be true-“ you murmured, as Lee began to place sloppy wet kisses over your exposed skin.

Arvin Russell was a good man. If he killed someone, there had to be a good reason.

One thing Lee was good at was creating his own version of the truth.

Your thoughts were clouded from Lee’s actions. It was all too much, but you couldn’t push away from Lee even if you wanted to.

“Well, start believing darlin’— you need a real man. Someone who is gunna take care of ya— That boy just gunna mess with your damn head...” The next thing you heard was the sound of the sheriff’s belt being unbuckled and his pants dropping. You sucked in a breath, already knowing what would happen next. There was no need to turn around.

“You’re not gunna run away now, are you?” He teased, as his cock ran through your folds, collecting your wetness. You gasped lightly biting down on your lip, shaking your head.

“That’s a good girl. Now, hold on, sheriff’s gunna make you feel real good.” He smirked motioning you to hold onto the sink as he slowly entered you. Your hands tightened around the sink as you moaned at how thick he was.

“Fuck!” You both announced as Lee fully bottomed out holding onto your hips. His thrusts quickly falling into a steady pace, as he pulled your hair back.

“So tight and wet-! Whose this pussy belong to huh?” His hand fell onto your right cheek, and then your left, until it made a type of red shade. It was the right amount of pain and pleasure.

You wanted to say his name but your mind kept drifting to Arvin. He was probably worried sick. 15 minutes definitely had already passed.

Lee scoffed as if he somehow could read your thoughts. His thrusts became deeper and rougher, his hand wrapping around your throat.

“I asked you a fuckin’ question!” Lee spat, his voice was deeper, almost animalistic.

“My cock is in this dirty cunt—! Not him!” Before you could reply he slapped your ass with a stronger force.

“It belongs to you!” you whimpered, tears falling from your eyes. He groaned, his lips sucking and licking against your neck. He was close but he wanted you to cum with him. His fingers once again giving your clit attention which was a little too harsh.

His thrusts were getting sloppier by the second, slowly but surely the only one on your mind was Lee and how good his cock felt around you.

“God, I’m going to make you my little whore. Your pretty face and cunt stuffed with my cock whenever I like, say yes” He grunted, his fingers digging into your hips and to his surprise you wiggled your ass against him. Even clenched around him. You were too lost in the ecstasy. He’s got you now.

“Yes—! Yes, I’ll be your whore!” you practically begged, humiliated by your words but it felt too good.

“Going to fill this cunt up now— and tomorrow and the day after that. You’ll love it.“ he grunted through his teeth.

“Please—!” You moaned, the only sounds consisted of heavy panting and his cock pounding in and out of you. The mirror already fogged.

“Cum with me!” He groaned, his final thrust helping you reach your orgasm. Moments later, Lee was stilling inside you and painting your walls which felt like forever, some of his cum seeping down your thighs.

He leaned over and wiped down the mirror. Your appearance was much messier from when you got there. Tear stained cheeks, make up ruined, & messy hair. You looked horrible but to Lee you looked like a doll. The sight already making his cock hard again.

He turned you around and lifted you up on the sink. “Mine” he observed, the coldness from the sink made you wince. Lee propped your mouth open and spat inside.

“Swallow.” And you gladly did as he pulled you into a forceful kiss, teeth and tongue clashing. His hands played with your breasts as the two of you moaned in pleasure.

He officially ruined you... and claimed you.

“Who do you belong to?” He asked one final time as he broke the sloppy kiss, saliva disconnecting from yours and his mouth.

“You... sheriff.” He nodded proudly, grabbing his boxers and trousers from the floor, and dressed himself. He picked up your panties and stuffed them into his pocket. You began to protest but he hushed you.

“You’ll get these back after you leave him... Don’t keep me waiting, honey.” Lee announced sternly, kissing you again and then leaving you alone in the bathroom.

Your propped yourself off the sink, your legs shakily going over to grab your jeans to put them on quickly. You splashed some water on your face but it didn’t change anything. Your hair covered your new forming hickies but it couldn’t take away your post sex look.

You nervously opened the bathroom door and walked back into the main area of the store. The store was quiet and the sheriff was already gone.

“Baby—! There you are—“ Arvin’s voice startled you from behind as he hurried over to you and pulled you into his arms. His hands cupping your face. “What happened?” He questioned, concern written all over his face.

“I was in the bathroom I-uh- have a really bad stomach ache. I don’t know. It came out of nowhere...” you mumbled, holding onto your stomach. Somehow trying to convince him that was the reason for your horrible appearance. He signed in relief, rocking your body back and forth.

“Come on, I’ll drive you home...”

Arvin was oblivious. Maybe, he was too in love and just believed anything that came out of your mouth. You were thankful for that. His hands interlaced with yours, as you both walked out the store, a limp in your step.

The sheriff’s car was parked in the front just like he said he would. He told you in the bathroom he would wait for you.

Most importantly, To leave Arvin.

The two of you locked eyes. The sight in front of him filled him up with jealousy. He saw the way you were limping. Proudly, caused by him. But here you were laced hand in hand with Arvin.

If you weren’t going to leave him, then Lee would take matters into his own hands. The sheriff stepped out his car, stopping you & Arvin. His hands on his hips as he tilted his hat up.

“Something wrong, Sheriff?” Arvin asked, holding you close.

“Just need to have a few words with Miss Y/N at my office. Something about her family came up. Won’t be too long and nothing for you to worry about. I’ll take her home to you— later” he drawled out the last words, his eyes filled with anger and his jaw clenched, you were in for it.

[space-city-traffic]

yet again im back on my bullshit so... (gazes with mixed feelings at the TV show Firefly) i could fix him.

my extremely long thoughts about my Own Personal Good Version of Firefly (with plenty of spoilers for the show and the movie) under the cut:

things that are getting axed first thing no question:

out with the whole “let’s add in a thin veneer of Chinese cultural aesthetics out of context for ~flavor~” deal. just no.

instead, let’s hire some actors from a bunch of different cultures and work with them to figure out how their characters would bring those cultures into space with them!! and also hopefully bring some experiences with immigration/alienation/travel into it, since the Whole Core of Firefly is about how humanity always brings our doomed and silly and stubborn and unique warmth with us even into the cold void where nothing is familiar or homey in the slightest.

let’s respect our sex worker character shall we?

i do appreciate that Inara’s work as a companion is described as legitimate and well respected in the show. however please stop having your captain and hero call her a wh*re every five seconds against her clearly expressed wishes and portraying this as just a totally acceptable thing

let’s be more respectful of our characters of color and also have some more diversity, shall we?

others have put it better than me but yeah, the way Zoe and Book are treated is very uncomfy, and the rest of the show is depressingly monochromatic. come on let’s do better.

stop the weird confederacy hat tips

again others have pointed these out with much more thoroughness than I could, but the names of some characters and locations, as well as some of the language used to describe the browncoats, has uncomfortably confederate vibes. instead i propose we very Clearly tip our hats to the Alliance equaling space capitalism instead! you can’t go wrong with space capitalism as a villain.

don’t! make! the! psychotic! character! violent!

listen i love River Tam with my whole heart. but you should absolutely not portray your only character with psychosis as violent because of that psychosis!!!!!!! and yeah, a huge part of her character is that her brain got fucked up by the alliance and so she hallucinates and is also a super ninja. but like. she doesn’t need to be a super ninja for her character to work, okay? the crew does not need to be scared of her for her character to work, okay??? more on this later bc it would take a lot of care and nuance to make her character work but i really think it can be done

things we are absolutely keeping:

found family tropes my fucking beloved

this should be self evident. this is why the show is as appealing as it is despite its flaws, at least in my eyes.

malcolm reynolds, the knight in dusty armor

there’s something so appealing to me about what Mal stands for. because at his core is this ridiculous, silly, stubborn, doomed devotion to what he thinks is important and right, a romantic idealism thinly covered by cynical cowboy platitudes that he thinks make his bleeding heart totally invisible. and he is so obvious and entirely incorrect. bless. this is a man who will do anything for his family, who charges into swordfights to defend his friend from a man who wants to turn her into an object despite having no clue how to hold a sword. at his worst, he starts brawls in bars just for the martyr’s thrill of being persecuted for supporting the right; at his best, he inspires downright religious belief from his crew because he represents a romantic and chivalrous and doomed dedication to the right thing over any practical concerns. and then he throws a “selfish” quip over it with 100% confidence that everyone fell for his clever distraction and believes him to be a dirtbag. he’s oblivious and ridiculous and god he makes me want to be a better person because he’s just so goddamned sincere. stupid, but sincere. 10/10 himbo. <3

Mal and Inara ultraslowburn friends to enemies to friends to lovers to enemies to friends to lovers to friends to...

there’s nothing i love more than a ship that’s just two people who know each other way too well, and they’re each the only one who knows the other well enough to call them out on their bullshit. the way Mal and Inara interact in the show sometimes makes me uncomfy but like. the core of their relationship has to stay.

space western aesthetic

i need the cows on a spaceship scene to stay like i need air okay

that sweet sweet religious shit

mal, who lost his faith in gd and a whole lot else during the war. who lost his faith in himself, and now feels he has to hide the part of him that still wants to be good, because he knows he can’t be anymore, and he feels like it’s embarrassing for a guy like him to want something so unattainable. who takes a preacher on board, and the preacher has lost something, too. the preacher has his own past, and his own questions. but not questions like the observant neurodivergent girl, the one who wants to interact with and understand this thing that’s so important to him, but it just doesn’t click with how her brain works and she feels like something needs to be fixed, either the Bible or herself. and Mal takes care of them all, and slowly, he begins to find gd again, not in a prayer but in humanity. humanity doesn’t need to be fixed, like the alliance thinks. the shining imperfect strawberry sweetness of it in his family’s smiles is something to be worshiped and served and devoted to. and he finds he has something to believe in again. (and his crew find that he’s given them someone to believe in, too. and maybe suddenly he’s a saint.)

and finally, my brilliant ideas as to what i would like to add:

TRANS WOMAN KAYLEE RIGHTS

listen her femininity is so important to me okay? it’s so thrilled about everything that’s pretty, from dresses to the spaceship’s electric innards, and it’s so non-traditional and grease stained until it’s not and it’s pink and ruffly and twirly, and she never sees any of it as a contradiction, because none of it contradicts, it’s all just her! her gender is warmth and love and prettiness, feeling pretty and appreciating the pretty and making her friends’ days pretty too.

i want us to find out she’s trans in that episode with the ball, and i want us to find out alongside Mal who just never asked or never realized. Kaylee gasps and squeals at the dress in the shop window and Mal makes an off handed, ill considered comment, and then... someone yanks him aside and hisses a few very significant words in his ear. and suddenly he remembers what the blue white and pink she painted all over the engine room means, and he knows he has something to make right. so he buys her that dress himself and lets her know just how pretty she looks, and when he walks into that ball with her displayed on his arm like something precious, he looks the proudest out of any man there. and she notices. for a few seconds, of course, until there’s chocolate, and ‘nara, and a chandelier—and some horrible girls, but she’s used to that, until—suddenly, she finds her people. a group of old men who light up when she jokes about compression coils and whack presumptuous boys who ask her to dance. they adopt her as a treasured granddaughter, and Mal is beaming at her like a proud dad, and she finds that one of her new elderly friends gazes a little too long at her bracelet, and so she gives it to xem and teaches xem a few new words, and... it’s a good day, huh? it’s a really good day. (of course, then the captain has to go and punch somebody in the face, but it was a real nice party up until then.)

also she and Simon are both transhet t4t im correct and you know it

time for a better River Tam

the first thing we’ve established is that this version of her is not unpredictably violent and the crew is not scared of her!!!! it makes no sense to take a kid who’s primarily brilliant, experiment on her brain, give her telepathic powers....... and tack on the fact that she also has super strength and speed and dexterity and what not, AND say that they programmed her to be super violent. no! no. not only is that extremely harmful rep, that’s also just stupid.

instead!! my version of River is in fact not terrifying to the crew, but is actually the one they feel safest around. River has always been totally blunt, she was one of those kids you could tell realllllly early was autistic, and she doesn’t like being disengenous at all. so you can always trust her to tell the truth and not play weird passive aggressive games or have any hidden agenda, which makes her just a really chill person to be around. also, one of her longtime special interests is music and dance, so whether or not she’s nonverbal on a given day, there will always be some sort of beautiful sound when she’s around. she does have the singing voice of a dying crow unfortunately but that’s ok bc Simon’s is even worse and they’re both incredibly competitive so you’ll at least get free entertainment out of the affair.

my version of River does have psychosis and hallucinations because of the trauma of the experiments, and they are really troubling to her. she and Simon work together to find ways to cope and meds that help, and it’s a process, but there are some things that help.

the only thing she gained from the academy was the ability to hear people’s thoughts and sense the future a little bit. and yeah, that led to her picking up a few spooky secrets at the beginning, which, yikes. and for a while, it was hard to figure out which voices were real and which were hallucinations. but around her friends, she always feels safe to ask “did you just think about triple cheese burritos or was that just a me thing?”, and they’ll always tell her the truth no matter how embarrassing their thoughts are, bc it’s important to all of them to respect her and help her sort accurately through what’s reality and what’s not. and bit by bit, she gets better and better at figuring out what kinds of things tend to be telepathy and what kinds of things tend to be psychosis, and that each one feels a little different. and because of the trust and respect and support of her found family she’s able to do that in a safe environment!!!

trans man Simon rights

listen i wanted to keep him as just a side note on Kaylee’s list but he is my son and he’s important to my heart so here goes

out on the outer rim where Kaylee’s from, gender ain’t much of a big deal, there’s an individualistic quality to life out there, and so if the trail you blaze is the trail of a woman or a man or neither or both, that’s respected even in the rare cases where it’s not outright encouraged. but in the inner planets, where competition and connections and public faces and family names are everything, you have to be what’s expected of you to survive. you can’t change your brand, you can’t be anything other than what your family planned for you since before you were born, it’s incredibly hard to survive in such a hyper competitive environment, and so your very identity becomes just a tool in how to market yourself for better success.

needless to say Simon (just as autistic as his little sister and also very trans) fuckin hated it there. but he was very good at it. correction: he was very good at his very specific field of STEM, good enough to where people stopped talking about how cute he looked in bows and started talking about how impressive his work was from a very young age. and his work had no gender. he could be whatever he wanted to in equations. so that was where he could express himself, and gd, he got so much praise for it, he never wanted to stop.

not until he discovered that his sister needed him, and ran away, and needed a disguise, and realized... suddenly, every stifling rule and prying eye was a million miles away. he was freefloating, freefalling, with none of the charted paths he’d been following all his life... so you know what? fuck it. he’s always enjoyed the name Simon. and since it’s not on any legal records, it’ll make him just that much more untraceable.

and on Serenity, starting over with new people who never knew him before his transition feels like an unbelievable blessing that just dropped right into his lap. he has to keep up the secrecy, he has to make sure they never find out who he used to be, because gd, it’s so nice when they look at him and say his name right, and he doesn’t know if he can handle losing that, not when it’s so new and so important to the person he’s finally becoming. but then one day, the unthinkable happens, the wanted posters for his arrest have an old name on them, they’re looking for the Tam sisters, and... nothing changes. the crew of Serenity could not give even a tenth of a percent of a fuck, and it doesn’t seem like they even know they’re supposed to. huh. that’s new. Simon could get used to that, he thinks.

i’m sure there’s more i could add, but it’s 4:30 in the morning now, so if more occurs to me, ill simply add it in a reblog tomorrow. if you’ve read down this far, i am in love with you. please let me know your Better Firefly ideas, too, bc im always down to yell about this show!!!

[welshoot]

A Love Poem to Skadi Erin’s Winter Analysis: Part 1

So in the Love Poem to Skadi event there’s an image called Erin’s Winter with four parts, one for each guy that gets divided up as follows. Humorously they’re even color-coated for ease of identification. Green swords for Vyn, a purple motif for Marius, red flowers for Artem and yellow fire for Luke. I thought I’d do what I always do in my free time and pick this apart for kicks and giggles and see what I find. Please note that as I’m writing this I haven’t finished the event yet. Life has been busy and I’m slow. I’m gonna break this up into multiple posts for my own ease, Vyn’s first. The rest is under the cut for potential spoilers.

So Vyn and swords, an interesting match. My first thought when I saw the swords was actually Luke, after all he’s sort of served as MC’s knight in shining armor but the more I think about it the idea of Vyn with the swords the more I like it. There are numerous reasons for this. It is true that when I see swords I immediately think knights. But knights make me think of Europe and Vyn has been shown to be from old-money, nobility if you will. Nobility makes me think of Europe so I kind of like the connection. Symbolically speaking, swords represent power, protection, authority, strength, and courage. All of these things are stuff Vyn has been shown to possess. Authority: He’s the one who decides whether someone is let into NXX and he’s a well-respected psychiatrist/psychologist. Strength: Vyn’s shown to have strength but in a different way than one might immediately think.  Strength comes in many forms other than just physical. In fact, one of strength’s definitions is “the capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure.” Vyn is mentally and emotionally strong. Enough so that he can resist pressure from others to stand for what he feels is right.  Power: Power is very similar to strength, sometimes they’re even viewed as one in the same. One definition of power is “the ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially as a faculty or quality.” Vyn is shown to have this form of power, he seldom lets others change his course of action as he has confidence in his decisions. He has the innate ability to remain true to his decisions and act in a particular way. Courage: Courage is typically deemed the ability to do something that frightens someone or the strength to face pain and grief. We’ve already mentioned that Vyn is a strong individual. Vyn is also very courageous though. Due to his job he has to look at the sometimes uglier part of individuals, especially since he specializes in criminal Psychology. Most cringe away from that part of humanity, even pretend it doesn’t exist. Vyn has the courage to look at it face on and even dedicate his life to studying it. Protection: Last one! So how does Vyn show protection? To put it simply, MC. Vyn protects MC in numerous ways. It’s most visible in events such as this one though. While it’s true he does things to spend time with MC and one-up his competition he also joins MC on her adventures to protect her. He may not be as obvious as the others but he doesn’t hesitate to put himself in danger’s path solely to protect MC.

So what does all this mean about Vyn? As I said earlier swords make me think of knights and while I initially deemed Luke MC’s knight in shining armor I think Vyn also holds this position. It isn’t as obvious but Vyn is a wonderful guardian for MC. While Luke protects her from his disease and the painful parts of life Vyn doesn’t blind her to such things. He supports her and protects her in a different way. Sort of like how in the prologue all the other guys disappear but Vyn remains with her. Protecting her from her fears.

In terms of the event I really don’t know what these swords might mean. They may be implying that the family who owned Hermes Manor possessed authority, power, and strength.