#void writing

[divine-misfortune]

perhaps 45 with omega/alpha, if that sounds interesting?

A kiss out of anger from this prompt list.

Btw toxic old man yaoi art by @aweisz if you even care (thank you so much)

Bracing himself only did so much. It didn’t stop him from choking on the wave of dry heat that assaulted him when he opened the door. Omega dutifully swallowed a mouthful of scalding cinder and gripped the doorknob a little tighter, eyes tracking the scorched path Alpha had paced along the length of his room. It would take several hours to polish his anger from the floorboards but he knew no amount of waxing and shining would remove the traces of ash from the wood. Just another scar. 

Omega stepped over the threshold. Willingly entered the cage with the spitting, raging demon and closed the door behind him.

Alpha’s eyes were fixed on the floor, hunched over himself. His arms were folded behind his back, clasping his wrist in one hand while the other repeatedly curled in and out of a fist. Omega ran his tongue over the back of his teeth, finding himself subconsciously mimicking his posture with a well trained rigidity. Steel spined, shoulders squared, hands folded neatly. There was a practiced sense of pride that he couldn’t give up, even now, even when he should be curling in on himself in shame. 

“Understand?” He interrupted, sparks sputtering from between his teeth. Restrained anger that Omega didn’t deserve the kindness of. “Where the fuck do you get off taking matters into your own hands like this? You have no right to speak on my behalf, to call me and my capability into question, no fucking right Meg!” 

“Alpha,” Omega began without knowing where he was going. If there was even a point to opening his mouth he had yet to find it. He debated a step forward but his body refused to budge and carry him closer to the fire ghoul.  “You have to understand-”

“I’m not questioning your capability,” he tried to start again, nails digging into his palm behind his back as he tried to gather himself. Beyond scattered, he found himself grasping blindly for the right wording - searching for the sincerity Alpha deserved but his shallow inhale left too much of a pregnant pause that Alpha took as a chance to continue spitting. 

“Oh but you did, you did the second you breathed a word of retirement to clergy. They’re all looking at me differently, like I’m useless. You seem to think I can’t do my fucking job, so what is it?” The question comes out serrated, sharp and ripping through him. “What’s this really about?” 

Alpha finally looked at him. Crimson eyes gone dull, the raging fire he’d fallen in love with had burned down to low embers and the guilt jabs him in the gut. 

Smoke billowed from the corners of his snarl and Omega found himself grateful for the awful heat filling the room, like the judgmental fires of hell were finally catching up to him. He hoped he burned, at the hands of Alpha or unholy retribution. Perhaps it was a deserved punishment in the end, his unwelcomed overstepping finally leading him to the cliff's edge. 

“I’m worried about you.”

Closer now, Omega noticed the twitch of discomfort in Alpha’s face as he stepped forward again. The way his body moved was jerky for a passing second like he was flinching from his own weight on his right leg. Another stab, higher, a knife between his ribs. Closer now, Alpha had never felt further away from him. Despite being in arms reach, there were miles between them. 

“Worried about me? You're worried about me?”

“You can't expect me to just sit and watch you-” 

“Be honest, this is about Terzo isn't it?”

“Alpha.” 

“No, no. It makes sense, it makes a lot of fucking sense when you think about it.” He's close, close enough Omega can feel the heat of his shaky breathing. “You don't think I'm good enough to stand by him anymore, do you? Do I tarnish your humans shiny appearance? Shouldn't surprise me that his image matters more to you-” 

“For the love of everything unholy. Alpha, no. Would you just listen to me?” 

“Oh yes, yes, of course I should listen. Omega knows best.” He threw his hands up with a laugh of disbelief. Omega couldn't stop his face from screwing up in irritation. “I don't know why I’m wasting my breath here, it’s clear you don’t care about me or a word I say.” 

The accusation knocked the wind from his sails, impeccable posture beginning to sag. First in the shoulders and then his arms fell back to his sides, hands curling into fists to hide the shake to them. Alpha scoffed as the quintessence ghoul opened his mouth to argue but couldn’t seem to find the words. Dismissive. He looked tired, years of being beaten into submission and pushing well past his limits taking their toll. Ice crept into his veins, a chilled numbness spreading from the tips of his fingers to his core - he couldn’t place if it was guilt or his own particular brand of rage. 

Alpha began to stalk past him, floorboards squeaking shrilly under his step like nails on a chalkboard. He grit his teeth, jaw creaking in kind as he turned and grabbed the other ghoul by the arm. There came the beginnings of a growl but Omega knew it was all bark, that there would never have been a real bite behind it, so he pushed. He pushed Alpha the few steps backwards till his back hit the door too hard, and he’d apologize later, but he chased the nerve he’d managed to scrounge up.

His skin was scalding as Omega grabbed his face roughly, surging forward to mold his mouth to Alpha’s before he could bite off another sharp word. The fire ghoul made a choked off sound of surprise, head thumping against the wood. His lips were rough, overly worried raw by well filed fangs, and Omega ached somewhere in his ribs at the familiarity. Months, it had been months since he'd felt Alpha against him and he hadn’t realized how much he missed it. Missed him. 

Tobacco and communion wine. Omega was sure Alpha had stolen it from the chapel and downed the bottle in an attempt to quell his anger but it hardly seemed to do the trick given where they found themselves. 

He braced a hand against Omega’s broad chest, not exactly pushing him away, it felt like another vye for physical contact. A quiet admission of how much Alpha missed this all the same. One kiss hardly felt like enough to convey himself, but as he flicked his tongue over the seam of his lips and Alpha reluctantly let him in, it felt like a start. The best he could do so suddenly. 

Slipping into his mouth, Alpha groaned lowly and leaned fully against the closed door, curling his fingers into the front of the other ghoul’s uniform to drag him all that much closer. Flames seemingly extinguished, the heat beneath his palms began to ebb back to a comfortable warmth and Omega let up a bit, opting to cradle his face instead of grab. Offer him a touch of tenderness, it was the least he could do. 

That clever forked tongue forced past his teeth and sought to lick the soured ash from his mouth. 

It was a moment he wished they could stay suspended in forever, reminiscent of their younger days where every spare moment they could steal together was passion fueled and driven by sparks. Alpha’s warm breath tickled against his cheek with every pleasured sigh, neither of them managing to quiet a single grateful sound. 

He started to pull back, managing an inch before changing his mind. Pressing forward for another far more chaste kiss, hating the idea of it ever truly ending. 

“Alpha…” The quintessence ghoul started, stroking a thumb over the cut of his cheek, eyes flicking from his spit shined lips to his almost glassy eyes. They refocused a bit more with every sluggish blink. “Alpha, love, I’ve never doubted you or your ability to perform for a minute, but I worry about how hard you push yourself.” 

He found himself frowning despite the previous giddy flutter of his heart. 

“You might be immortal, but your vessel is not.” Omega smoothed his hands down Alpha’s front, pausing over his chest to just feel his pulse and the labored breaths he took. “You’re not a young ghoul anymore, and I know you don’t want to admit it…So I admitted it for you. I know it wasn’t my place but I couldn’t sit and watch you work yourself to the bone.” 

“Megs,” Alpha sighed, brow furrowing. “Why didn’t you talk to me?” 

“Because I know you, and I know you’d never go quietly.” He chuckled though there was no real humor there, tinged by something sad. “We only have so much time left on the surface, and the idea of not spending the rest of it with you at my side is agonizing. I just wanted you to come back to me and not worry about you leaving again, always coming back in worse shape than you left in…You’re making me go gray from all the worrying I have to do.” 

It was Alpha’s turn to laugh. A sort of snort, actually amused unlike his previous attempt. Omega tipped his forehead against his, wanting to melt into him and his comforting warmth. 

“I’m sorry, my light. I would never do something like this to slight you, you know that, right?”

“...Yeah, yeah I do.” 

[voidilite-singularis]

Ants

In stories about eldritch horror, humans are often compared to ants.

In context, of course, this is meant to convey how small we are. How we could never possibly understand these creatures, because we are so far 'beneath' them.

But it makes me think. What if that inability to understand goes both ways? What if THEY cannot truly understand US? After all...

We will never know what it's like to be an ant.

We can come close, of course. We can understand ants scientifically. We can study their brains, what makes them tick. We can make simulations, replicate their lives to the best of our ability.

But we will never know what it's like to be an ant.

We can never truly see through their eyes, think their thoughts. Our experience is tainted by our own humanity, our inability to be anything other than horrifyingly complex.

In their simplicity, they become incomprehensible.

Perhaps that's how eldritch horrors, if they existed, would feel about us.

Perhaps in OUR simplicity, WE become incomprehensible.

[thevoidscreams]

Kage x reader for @2lim3rz

My half of our fic trade

18+ pet name warning and smut

Also, this is not peer review. Sorry for any mistakes, I tried to get them all, but I'm sure I missed some.

Death was an awful smell with so many components. The rotting of bodies, the smoke that rose from charred biological materials, and even the reek of fear that hung like a heavy curtain over those on the field of battle.

But nothing seemed to phase Kage. He had seen so much death and dealt a great deal of it himself. So watching him scoop a spoonful of corpse starch into his scarred mouth as he went on about some old grievance while the world around you literally burned was a bit surreal to say the least. You hadn't been with the 13th penal legion long. Only about six months at most. But that was a lot longer than most of the new recruits. All of those who'd been sent here with you were dead now.

"Only that idiot liked my girl, so I put a bullet between his eyes." Kage described the scene, making exaggerated movements with his hands as if acting out the scene so he could relive that moment.

"So did killing your captain make her like you?" You found the courage to ask at last.

"Nah, just got me arrested. Now I'm here." He said as if he hadn't just admitted to killing a man who he viewed as competition for the girl he liked.

"Ah, I see." Kage scooted closer. You could smell the scent of death coming from him. The air seemed thicker, and his grin did not reveal a pretty set of teeth. You felt very out of place in this group. Your crime was trying to feed your family. Theft was a punishable offense on any planet, but on yours, it'd carried a death sentence. It was a stupid thing to be killed for, a bit of bread and some eggs. You'd been so embarrassed that you refused to reveal the nature of your crimes to anyone in the 13th, except your captain. And he didn't give a fuck what you were there for, just that you were fighting and not fucking off when he commanded you to do something. It garnered you a bit of a reputation.

"So you gonna finally tell me? I've shown you mine, why not show me yours?" Kage was so close you could feel his heat. You shrugged. "Not much to say. Just that I broke the law and ended up here."

"Oh c'mon babe, you gotta give me more than that." Kage urged, pressing you for further details.

"What was it, murder? Theft? Selling contraband? Wait, no, don't tell me. It was heresy, wasn't it?"

You sighed. He had guessed it, it just wasn't that exciting.

"C'mon... Didn't I give you part of my rations? You owe me an explanation, at least."

"You gave me those because you wanted to sleep with me."

"Yeah but we didn't sleep together, so I'll take this instead."

It did leave you feeling a bit like you owed him. Food was worth more than gold out here. Kage looked at you earnestly, and there was a sparkle in his eyes you couldn't deny.

"Fine." You finally caved. "Yes!" Kage whooped and nearly fell off the log you two had commandeered as your lunch spot.

"But this stays between us. NO ONE and I mean no one is allowed to know besides you. Got it?"

Kage nodded and smiled. It warped the pock marked features of his face, but it made your heart stutter seeing the happiness there.

"So. I did steal something. My crime was theft."

"I guessed it. You owe me a kiss."

You shook your head but couldn't help the smile that crept over your face.

"So what did you steal love? Jewels, guns or something even more valuable?"

"Bread and eggs." You explained. "I stole bread and eggs."

Kage's expression fell and for a moment he seemed lost.

"Bread and eggs?"

"Yeah. My mom and brothers were starving to death right in front of me. Day by day, little by little. My brother developed a cough, and it wouldn't stopped and his body was too weak to fight. I knew that without something of substance, he'd die. And mom was too weak to keep working extra shifts, I was getting pretty weak myself. So I did the only thing I could think to do. I stole. My brothers and mother ate for the first time in days, but I got found out. The choices were rot in a cell till they had time to kill me or fight. Even though I tried to deny the charges, someone ratted, and I was shipped off here." You looked down at your can of starch and realized that this was the first time you'd actually admitted it out loud. Admitted to the theft.

"But that's... That's so dumb, you were just trying to feed your family, your not a criminal like the rest of us."

And there it was, the stabbing feeling in your chest, you'd opened up, and now you were going to be an outcast. Not even Kage was going to accept you after this it was so dumb of you. "If anything, you're a hero, to your family, at least. But someone like you doesn't deserve a punishment like this."

The sincerity in his words struck you. He was being honest, and his opinion of you made your heart hammer. He didn't hate you.

"So what your saying is that you wish you hadn't met me?"

Kage looked at you shocked. "Throne," He breathed, "Not at all, your the only person here I feel like I can really talk to."

You felt a bit light, like a weight had been stripped away.

"I'm glad I met you too Kage, your fun to hang around with and I like you."

His earnest smile turned a bit darker and the glint of happiness in his eyes became far more lecherous. "Enough to let me have a go at you?"

"Is that even allowed? I mean you are my lieutenant."

"It's allowed if we both want to. We are on a short break, and I could use some fun after all that." He gestured to the general destruction of the smoking landscape around you.

"Fair point." You agreed and scooped the last of your canned food into your mouth.

"Lets do it...if we can find a place."

Kage stood rather quickly. Holding out a hand to help you to your feet. You took it and a thrill shot through you as he pulled you up effortlessly with almost no help from you.

"I know a place, trust me." He said, and began to escort you across the field where you'd been fighting just hours before.

It didn't take a genius to realize you were being led towards an armored vehicle. You didn't spend much time learning the names of all of them because you never thought you'd live long enough for it to actually matter.

He opened the door and gestured for you to go in. "Ladies first."

"Lieutenant, what brings you to our humble tin can?" The man must have been the driver, he and the two other men gave you a side eye, not looking at you too closely.

"Men, I am going to have to ask for a bit of privacy, I'll be commandeering this fine truck for a bit."

"Um sir, we don't have orders to go anywhere." One of the other men chimed in.

"Well then its a good thing I'm not taking it anywhere."

The men looked at him and then to you, really looking at you for the first time. Understanding dawned on their faces one by one and they nodded and mumbled their apologies for the misunderstanding before they filed out.

"Well at least they were polite about it." You chuckled, but were surprised when you turned to look at your comrade to find him already half undressed.

"Uh shouldn't we lock the doors? What if someone tries to come in?"

"Babe the word of what I'm about to do to you is going to spread like wildfire. Within an hour most the men and woman outside this transport are going to know what we've been up to. No one is going to try and come in here. Trust me."

You nodded, understanding.

"Now are you gonna undress, or do you want me to do that for you?"

Your heart was racing as you unzipped the front of you top, while also trying to toe off your boots. It had been forever since you'd done anything like this. Your body had been aching for someone's touch.

Kage was undressed before you, dog tags swinging as he moved towards you to help with your boots and socks. You tried not to look, but your eyes wondered down his muscular chest and stomach to the thick cock between his legs.

"Like it?" He teased as he caught you staring.

"Bigger than I expected." You tossed back, and Kage's smirk widened. "Only the best for you, babe."

After your boots went your pants. You'd thought the uniform one piece when you first saw it, but now you knew that the dirt and grin of the battlefield just made it harder to distinguish what was top from what was bottom.

As Kage slid them off, you worked off your top revealing a ratty tank top underneath.

Kage unashamedly reached out to cup your breast. "No bra? Darling, you shouldn't have."

She shooed his hand off to finish undressing. "Oh haha, you know as well as I that we can't afford luxurious under garments like bras."

Kage was stiff before, but now, seeing you fully exposed, he was painfully hard.

"Shit, you're pretty." You cheeks colored at that, visible even under the grim of battle.

"You're not half bad yourself." He reached out to touch you again, but this time, his hands pulled you closer and his lips found yours.

It was a tender kiss, full of need and touch starved longing. Kage kissed you like your lips were the answer to fixing every wrong in the universe.

You nearly fell back as you were at an awkward angle near the floor. But the lieutenant caught you. Lowering you with softness.

His mouth parted from yours reluctantly. "Oh babe, you might want to stop me now. Cause if you don't, I don't think we'll ever leave this truck."

"Well... you know how to drive, right? So I don't see the problem."

His eyes practically glowed in delight at your words.

"Darling, I like the way you think." He guided you back onto one of the seats, reclining it as far back as it would go. "Here, let's get you sat." Kage laid you back with a gentleness you didn't expect. His rough hands glided along your body as though you were something fragile and priceless.

He sank to his knees in front of the seat, and you parted your legs for him without a second thought. "Mmm, that's a good girl." He praised, and you felt your heart skip a beat. "Of course, Sir." The flash in his eyes was hard to miss as leaned forward to kiss your lower lips.

The pleasure of the sensation was so strong that you shivered and hardly managed to stiffle a moan. "I want to hear you, do you understand me?"

"Sir, yes, sir, lieutenant." You said and saluted him. Kage growled and dove into the lips of your pussy without another second of hesitation.

You nearly choked on your own spit as you gasped in shock and pleasure. Kages tongue worked magic against your folds and clit. Circling the tend nerve bundle before dipping into your pussy. And true to your word, you moaned the whole while. At some point, your fingers found their way into his hair, and you pulled his face in closer as your thighs trembled.

Kage only chuckled at the needy display before he pulled his mouth away. His rough palms pushed your legs up over his shoulders, and he returned to serving you with his mouth.

His name fell like a prayer from your mouth, and you squeaked as his fingers prodded your entrance, pushing into you with no resistance.

"You're getting real wet for me." He murmured against your clit. Kissing it as his fingers worked your tight entrance. "I know this isn't all my doing. You must really enjoy my mouth huh."

"Y-yes. I r-really like it." You stuttered through a moan as his finger curled against your g spot.

"You're going to tell me what you need to cum for me. That's an order."

"Yes, Sir." It wouldn't take much more just a bit more speed. "I need ..." Your brain felt fuzzy with pleasure and lust. You struggled to regain your thoughts. "Faster, please, I need it." Kage obliged, stroking your inner walls with more vigor, shifting his position higher and pushing your legs closer to your chest as he picked up speed.

You cried out his name as your first orgasm washed over you, covering Kage's finger in your slick.

"That's it good, girl." He cooed as he worked you through it until your legs were shaking.

You felt disappointed as his fingers left your pussy but it was quickly replaced by excitement as he lined up his cock with your entrance. "Are you ready for your next assignment?" He asked.

"Sir, yes, sir, lieutenant Kage." He groaned and kissed your forehead. "Keep calling me that, and I might just get hard the next time I hear anyone say it."

You giggled and leaned up to kiss him.

"What orders do you have for me now, sir?"

You emphasized the sir, and he pushed the head of his cock into you while grumbling. "You're going to milk me until I can't cum anymore."

"Right away, lieutenant." He kissed your lips and shifted your thighs around his waist, relieving some of the pressure in your abdomen. You felt his cock slide deeper and your fingers dug into his back as you stretched to accommodate his girth.

"Fuck, that's tight." He moaned as he came to a stop, he'd bottomed out and you felt it in your stomach.

You both took a moment to breathe. Kage would never admit it but he was fighting the urge to cum already. He'd gotten off on eating you out so much that he'd nearly busted when you came around his fingers. It had also admittedly been a long time since he'd gotten laid.

"Are you alright?" He asked, nuzzling the top of your head. "Yeah I'm okay, you can move now if you like."

Kage nodded and pulled out slowly, feeling every inch of you around him and loving it. His thrust in was equally slow, and you whined. Once he was certain, he would cum right off the bat he picked up the pace and grinned at the needy sound of your moans. "Kage, please, more." You begged.

"Patience." He wanted to draw out this as long as he could. The last time he'd gotten laid, it was a rush affair, and it wasn't very enjoyable outside of just scratching that itch.

It didn't matter though his own climax was building fast despite how hard he tried to fight it. So he picked up the pace, thrusting hard into your warm, welcoming body. Still, he held out until he felt you tighten around him and moaning your release. He let go and kissed you tenderly. As he filled you with his cum. It had been so long that it almost hurt. But he wasn't complaining.

He pulled out and gave your thighs a squeeze.

"Turn over and let me see the pretty hole."

You did as you were told and rolled onto your knees. Kage pressed his thumb to your pussy and gathered up a pearly white bead of his cum, then pushed his wet thumb against your clit.

"Hey," you slurred, your brain still trying to reboot from both orgasms, "that's sensitive."

"Oh? My apologies, babe. I'll just do this instead." He lined up his cock against and thrust into you.

"Fuck! Kage!" He groaned as you said his name. He loved the way it sounded coming from your mouth.

"That's right, scream for me. Let everyone know who's fucking you in here."

He wasn't slow this time, letting you have it hard and rough.

It was as of yet the best fucking you'd ever gotten. It helped that you genuinely like him, too.

Kage took hold of your hips and pulled you back to meet each thrust, and you practically felt your eyes roll back out of the intensity of the sensation. You were so close to cumming again that your begging was nearly incomprehensible. But Kage was fairing no better. Praise fell from his lips as he neared his second high. As before, you reached your peak before him, and it drove him o er the edge, and his grip hardened, bruising your poor hips as he held you still against him to not let a single drop of his release slip out of you.

Kage had to stop himself from collapsing on top of you.

"Fuck." He breathed between panting breathes.

"Yeah." You murmured back. And you both laughed despite yourselves.

Once he'd let you go, you rolled onto your side, and he joined you on the seat, pulling you onto him like a blanket.

"I don't think I've ever cum that hard in my life." You mused as Kage steoked your hair and kissed the top of your head. "Ditto." He replied and felt his body grow heavy with exhaustion. "I think we could take a few minutes to rest." He hummed.

"But aren't we supposed to be working? Captain will get upset if we take too long." You worried.

Kage just put his arms around you and held you tight.

"That's and order, babe."

You smiled.

"Sir, yes, sir."

[amaraudermind]

Snapshots

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46233313

Sometimes Catherine had trouble believing this life she'd built with Willis was real. Taking the pictures made it easier to remember. Regardless, she always cherished the life she had with her two favorite boys.

----- A short one-shot about Catherine, and her boys, and how she loved.

-----

So uh if anyone forgot I write--

I don’t blame you tbh I forgot for a while there, too.

Anyway here’s a one-shot instead of yet another long fic that I’ll abandon

[shadeswift99]

The void may be a cell with bedrock bars, but you cannot stop me from speaking to its prisoner. You're too delightful to not converse with!

The Void is a cell whose lack of bars is stifling enough to choke breath. You stand within it. You can feel the lack of bars not brushing your arms, not close enough so that you cannot sit or lie down, and you are frozen in place barely blinking for hours. The idea of moving, of accidentally touching the sucking, soundless lack of bonds is terrifying. You feel that if you did move, you would never stop. With nothing to hold you in place, you would simply spin off into the endless eternity of a nothingness so complete that even darkness cannot survive. Freedom is a hair's breadth away. Freedom is right next to you. Freedom is right here, with you, trapped with you, winding tight around your neck and choking you in its own desperate effort to avoid contact with that which isn't and never will be. You are fully, agonizingly saturated with freedom. You have never been less able to use it.

You stand, still as death. You stare out. But no, you stare in - as much as you can stare in to a space that is not from a not-space that eternally is. It is the prisoner who stares out. Nothing but twin blue spots stabbing glowing beacon eyes through the dark, light and shadows both to be swallowed by the void beyond. You barely dare breathe. The prisoner does not.

Slowly, shakingly, a pale angular hand raises and stretches out through the pulverizing lack of bars towards you. Finger by ghostly finger, the hand unfolds.

Inside it is an incredibly tiny blue frog. Every problem is simultaneously solved and will remain so forever. You have named the frog Grebg. Thank you very much for visiting. :)

[braxiatel]

I honestly and truly believe all good AUs should be a little “”””ooc”””” in the sense that good characterisation involves understanding that changes a characters backstory and circumstances will have an effect on how they respond to the world around them

Good characterisation isn’t about creating a perfect 1:1 canon replica it’s about understanding why a character is different in your work and about grounding the changes you do deliberately choose to make in canon character traits

[killerpancakeburger]

Imagine being a member of the Task Force who's pining after Ghost, but thinking he's not able to fall for anyone right now and may very well never be. It's fine though - you're happy with standing by his side - or at least you try to convince yourself you are. Soap has a deeper bound with him than you, but that's fine too. You would never dare to come between them. Never dare to deprive Ghost of someone he needs.

So when you see Soap in mortal peril, you don't even need to think about it. You shove him out of the way and take the bullet/knife meant for him. You survive, but barely. All is well.

Or so you think, until Ghost barges into your hospital room and rips into you. His fury is equal to the feelings you made him go through: resentment for throwing your life away so casually, fear of losing you, and the helplessness of being unable to save you.

All this time you’ve been convinced that he'd be happier with Soap alive, even if it meant you dead, so you're utterly confused in front of his rage.

[aliceramblez]

EXCUSE ME BUT LUBERTO TURNING CANON WAS NOT ON MY 2024 BINGO CARD I LOVE THESE DORKS SO MUCH 😭💖😭💖

[qcomicsy]

I think a thing that people get wrong about Jason's anger is that it's not explosive.

It's cold. Jason isn't the type of person who storms off at every little thing or goes throwing tantrums and setting things on fire blindfully.

He's the type of person who's very practical. He keeps to himself, always. You rarely see issues where Jason's anger is reactive at the moment where the trigger happens to him. If you see his character up close, most of the time when he's triggered his reaction is calm. Even cold.

He gets triggered -> He keeps to himself → He makes a plan → And then he reacts.

Jason's anger being something explosive and out of character and out of place is actually how other people (characters) see it, because they have no idea on how it's playing out on Jason's head.

And that's a thing you can see operating since he was a child.

Where the only exceptions about this effect is either when someone he believes needs his help is involved.

See Nightwing Annual (2021)

But In Batman #411 when Jason learns the fact that Two-Face was responsible for his father's death and Bruce was keeping that from him as a secret his first reaction isn't to blow up on him.

Was to seethe.

Bruce goes up home after dealing with a Two-Face case (in my field we call that poetic irony) and asks Alfred where Jason is, Alfred's answer is that he's been sleeping all day (which is a conclusion that Alfred drew probably after going to check on Jason and seeing him in fact on his bed all day).

But when you see the next panel, even though he is on the bed, He's fully awake and both his expression and his body language shows that he's in fact angry.

This is the first time he appears again in the comics after learning that Two Face killed his dad.

Jason doesn't go towards Bruce immediately to demand an explanation or ask why he did this, or even to throw the truth on his face.

(Which could be debatable that that's something the Dick would usually do, but I'm not that literate on Dick's comics)

His reaction wasn't immediate.

His reaction was to go to his bed and stay quiet. Jason stayed calm and collected the whole trip until meeting Two Face again.

But the moment Jason as Robin has the opportunity to get his hands on Two-Face he does this

From Bruce, and maybe Alfred's perspective it could be interpreted as out of place or him storming off.

But it isn't. Jason was able to keep his cool (even though he shut off), until he was face a face to Two Face.

Does that mean he planned that to happen?

That's debatable, in any moment of this issue it is shown that Jason was actually planning to get to Two Face and do this. I my personal opinion, other and much more plausible explanation is: That he was in fact trying to keep to himself but couldn't hold back the moment that he saw his dad's murder.

You can see the same thing happening as Jason learns that Batman got another Robin in Red Hood: Lost Days.

Talia asks "You all right?" and Jason's first answer is "Sure Why Wouldn't I Be Alright?"

When he's alone he finally has the moment to break down.

(Actually both Red Hood: The lost days and Batman: Under the Red Hood are great case studies on how that usually play out on Jason's head.)

Jason is way more in control of his emotions than people ever give him credit for. The thing is that Jason holds it back until he either blows off or is capable to throw it back in someone's face.

[kingofmyborrowedheart]

Begging swifties to understand that Taylor didn’t write reputation and Lover with the knowledge of how the relationship was going to end and that trying to “excavate” those albums for evidence to prove a specific theory as to why it ended is not how they should be viewed. Taylor wrote those songs feeling a very specific way because that’s what she was experiencing and she is now reflecting on them with hindsight and relates to them differently than when she first created them. These conflicting emotions can exist; how she views it now doesn’t diminish how she felt about it when she first released it.

[divine-misfortune]

Swiss had reached out and playfully ruffled his sweaty hair after Phantom pulled his helmet off. He grinned broadly as he praised him for his first ritual, and like his enthusiasm was contagious, Phantom found himself smiling, smiling stupidly at that. The little chuckle Swiss spared made something warm settle in his chest. Easily warding off the pinpricks of doubt.

When he withdrew to continue on backstage, Phantom physically sagged. He almost reached out to grab Swiss by the wrist. But he didn't. He had enough self control to keep his hand at his side, even if his fingers still twitched with a pitiful need. Despite that restraint, Swiss still noticed the poor bug's face fall when he moved on from him, the flicker of disappointment from the corner of his eye was almost missable.

And later on the bus when the buzz of adrenaline in the air had seemingly died down as most of the other ghouls had either slipped off to bed or were forcibly dragged into a bunk for, as Mountain called it, mandatory cuddle time, Phantom couldn't even think of sleeping.

The quintessence ghoul was wired. He'd barely forced himself to stop pacing the length of the bus, brain far too busy for rest. Without the distraction of the others, Phantom was left in a weirdly sharp silence. There was too much room for him to think, and nothing coming to mind was remotely pleasant.

Mistakes, too many of them to be acceptable. All of his sharp notes and missed cues were digging away at him, leaving a gaping pit in his gut. He'd been warned that there were big shoes to fill, but it felt like he'd hardly even stepped into them. Disappointment itched under his skin and he busied his hands repeatedly combing through the ends of his hair in an attempt to self soothe. It barely did the job but it was something to focus on.

Padding up and down the narrow aisle between the bunks eventually earned him the attention of a very groggy multi ghoul. The thin, and honestly sorry excuse of a privacy curtain was tugged back and Swiss' head poked out. He looked just as tired as Phantom felt.

"Hey," Swiss whispered as he propped himself up on his elbow, head lolling heavily towards his pillow like he just might sink back into it at any second "Surprised you aren't sleeping, Rora straight up passed out the second we got on the bus."

"...Can't sleep." Phantom shrugged and twisted a loose strand of white hair around his index finger, "sorry if I woke you."

"Hadn't nodded off just yet..." Judging from the lazy way he blinked, he was lying. "You okay?"

Phantom opened his mouth but felt his throat unwillingly tighten before any sound could get out.

I fucked it up. I ruined the first fucking song. Copia hasn't said a word to me since before we got on stage.

He didn't trust himself to speak like this. Not while his brain felt like tearing itself apart. He bit the inside of his cheek and shrugged again, a feeble smile forced onto his face. It surely didn't meet his eyes.

Swiss frowned.

"Wanna talk about it?" He shook his head abruptly and Swiss's brow furrowed for a moment in thought before patting the edge of the bed. "Okay, we don't need to talk then, c'mere."

Phantom paused fully, even the restless way he combed through his hair stilled. He tipped his head.

"Trust me?"

For a moment Phantom rocked back on his heels. He could very well shake his head again and slink back to his own bunk. Curl up against the wall and keep his problems to himself. There were a dozen or so more rituals to get through, he couldn't just go crawling back to his pack mates like some sad kit every time he made a mistake. He needed to learn to live with it.

But Swiss looked at him kindly. He waited patiently in the silence that Phantom was allowing to drag on. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he took a step forward and felt a faint heat in his cheeks when that same grin made a reappearance. More lopsided this time, but it held the same sort of warmth to it.

It was an awkward fit, getting them both in such a narrow space when Swiss was bigger and broader than Phantom in most senses, but Swiss dutifully pressed his back to the wall and allowed him the space to get comfortable. They'd never been close like this as far as Phantom could recall, and he hoped Swiss couldn't hear the way his pulse rattled in his rib cage. Even in the dark, he could see the fine details of the older ghoul's face. Most notably, the way decades of joy had etched soft lines around his eyes and mouth. Part of him wanted to reach out, touch them delicately, and hope for the same in time. He chose to keep his hands clutched to his chest instead.

Phantom inhaled shakily as he settled under the blankets and tried not to pay much attention to the sweet musky smell that washed over him. Gentle waves of something oddly comforting pulling the tension from his shoulders.

"Hi," Swiss hummed. He seemed pleased with himself, watching the quintessence ghoul through heavily lidded eyes.

"...Thought we didn't have to talk."

The multi ghoul chuckled under his breath with a nod, "I did, didn't I? One more question and no more words, deal?"

"I guess."

"Is it okay if I touch you?"

Phantom felt his stomach flip in the hollow space it seemed to exist in. There was a sudden spike in his gut, not exactly anxiety but close enough to panic for him to notice. He fidgeted with the collar of his shirt.

"Y...Yeah."

Uncertainty left a sour taste in his mouth, but the quintessence ghoul held his breath and waited. Waited for the wandering hand that was inevitably find its way past the elastic of his boxers and to where he was most vulnerable. Would that make him feel better? To let Swiss guide him towards exhaustion with a loose fist and a certain brand of filth he wasn't accustomed to? The idea did nothing to ease a swelling anxiety but Phantom was certain Swiss knew best. At least knew better than him, and he trusted the older ghoul to care for him in his stint of weakness.

In all the months Phantom had been topside, this was the first true unguarded moment he'd allowed himself in front of another ghoul. It felt like showing his belly, an uncomfortable display of submission and weakness. He couldn't keep Swiss' overly warm gaze when he slipped an arm over his waist. Large hand laid flat on the space between his shoulder blades, an almost laughable reminder of how small he was - how small he felt. What little space had been between them was closed, and suddenly Swiss was encompassing him fully. There was nothing to focus on besides Swiss. Heat pulsed in his cheeks and he opted to hide behind his eyelids.

Phantom wasn't sure what was coming. His skin prickled underneath Swiss' touch as it drifted. Even through a barrier of fabric the sensation was too vivid. Surely Swiss could feel his muscles going tought.

But Swiss didn't mention it, and his hand found a home in the little ghoul's dark hair. Unglamored claws grazed the nape of his neck before scratching lightly at the base of his skull. He braced himself for the mean grip that he'd been told Swiss liked to take but that firm hand never came.

There was something cautious in the way Swiss held him, like he was fragile. Valued, even.

He kissed the space between his horns, and Phantom realized he was shaking. Kindness was not a foreign concept to the little ghoul. It still somehow took him by surprise. Such a slow and careful display of affection. How was he supposed to react? All he could think to do was clutch onto Swiss' shirt like a lifeline.

"Oh bug..." The multi ghoul was frowning. He could hear the sad cadence in his voice. "I've got you, you're okay..."

It was like he'd given Phantom the permission to break because it hit him like a train. A sob tore out of his throat, eager to escape the confines of his vessel. Swiss only shifted closer and allowed him to bury his face into his chest.

"I can't do this-" Phantom hiccuped through his tears and Swiss gently carded his fingers further into his hair. "I can't, I can't, I'm not meant for this. I fucked up, I'm gonna keep fucking up."

"Hey, hey," Swiss squeezed him lightly. "These things aren't meant to be perfect. Nobody expects them to be."

"I ruined it from the first note, and it only got worse from there..."

"We've all made mistakes, I mean...Hell, I sang the chorus during an instrumental section during one of my first shows. And Dew? Dew once fucked up the start of ritual so bad Copia literally mocked him on stage. Little guy was damn near ready to spike his guitar into the ground."

Phantom only attempted to hide further.

"...You know why Rain's name is Rain?"

"No?"

"Because he slipped during his first show, and rain falls down."

He couldn't help the way his quiet laugh made his shoulders shake. Swiss kissed the top of his head this time.

"I'm sure Dew's shown you the video of me falling off my platform at least a dozen times by now."

"...Once or twice."

"See? Mistakes happen. It's your first time, little shadow, you did amazing...We're so proud of you."

Phantom sniffled. His eyes stung and his throat felt tight. Swiss continued the comforting and repetitive drag of his nails over his scalp, a low rumble kicking up in his chest. The quintessence ghoul felt himself truly melting into him.

"You okay?" Swiss asked and rubbed little circles into his back.

"...Tired."

"You wanna go to sleep?"

"Mhm...Can I, um, stay here?"

"Course you can, whatever you want."

Phantom breathed in shakily, peeling himself off of the multi ghoul long enough for him to wipe his eyes. Swiss still looked down at him fondly. Exhaustion present on his face, but fond nonetheless.

"Thank you," he mumbled and allowed Swiss to pull him back in with a tuneless hum. He was just as tired, and Phantom easily slotted himself back into the other ghoul. Wrapped up in his arms, legs tangled together, Phantom could finally let himself rest.

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

got a worm nibbling my brain. can someone help me find a piece of obscure media?

webcomic/indie comic from the 2010s. basically a sci-fi short story about a young girl (with red hair?) who was being raised by scientists as part of an experiment. she receives a haircut/has her head shaved, in preparation for her annual brain scan/testing. it is revealed that while her body is human, her "brain" is artificial, made of computer implants throughout her skull and spine. at some point her biological mother (also a scientist on the same campus?) encounters her and is repulsed, viewing her as a machine who has murdered her daughter.

it was very poignant and it bruised my heart and i can NOT find it anywhere

[cosmicvisitor]

don't be afraid. cut off all your hair and dye it pink with bright orange flames painted on it. wear that headband with the fluffy cat ears. hook that fox tail to your belt and wear it to your favorite coffee shop. get the tattoo. wear the mood ring. ring your eyes with black eyeliner the way your mom told you looked bad. do it to piss her off, but do it for yourself, too. howl at the strawberry moon. befriend the monster under your bed.

you don't know if there's a life after this one, and that's part of what gives this life its value. don't waste it hiding your light.

[hope-to-hell]

The thing is, when people interact with me about my stories, it gives me the drive to work on them. Even if it’s just a sentence, or a bit of editing. It’s putting enough fuel in the tank to get to the next gas station, so to speak.

[always-a-king-or-queen]

The Pevensies are foreign when they return home.

The streets no longer know them. They do not seem to fit in their own bodies as they stroll the cobbles, Lucy’s hand tucked carefully into Peter’s, Edmund trailing watchfully behind Susan like a shadow. Their eyes are sharp, their smiles crooked, and those who see them cross to the opposite side of the road, afraid of the ancient gleam they see reflected back at them that does not belong in the eyes of a child.

Water murmurs to Lucy when she flits past, and lamplight follows her wherever she goes, even in broad daylight when the lamps are unlit. Their flames sputter into existence when she walks by, flickering at her in a way that seems to whisper I know you. Lucy looks at them with feral teeth and smiles, and vines twist from the cobbles at her feet. She laughs like a wild thing, eyes glowing, but a moment later she blinks and it is gone. Her feet hardly seem to touch the ground at all as she darts through the alleys.

The sky is clearer when Peter walks the streets, clouds vanishing like they were never there at all. His eyes are too much like a lion’s, struck through with gold and filled with a brooding fierceness, yet he laughs as he twirls Lucy around, and claps Edmund on the back as they share a stupid joke, and smiles with Susan when she tells him of the bow she plans to carve. He is all warmth and friendliness, but there is something about his eyes. There is something about all of their eyes.

The sun caresses Susan as she moves about, and she is graceful, too graceful, her hair seeming to be alive of its own accord as she steps lightly along the streets. Her skin is pale like ice, and sometimes her gaze appears almost silver as she stands by the river, gazing into its depths with a distant, siren-cold smile. She is gentle, but her fingers look a little too long sometimes. Her laugh is a little too unsettling.

Trees lean towards Edmund when he walks past, branches scraping his clothing, leaves showering around him. Books and journals and pages covered in notes perpetually fill his arms, spilling from his grasp but never quite falling. His voice is even-keeled, quiet, but there is something wild about it, something unhinged. He speaks of things none have ever heard before, dark hair falling into his eyes, mouth unsmiling and hands perfectly still, and for a moment he seems to be someone else, fangs beneath his lips, dirt on his tongue. He tilts his head just a little too far, sometimes.

The Pevensies are foreign when they return home. They do not fit their bodies. They do not fit the streets. People who encounter them cross to the other side of the road to avoid them, terrified of the oldness they see in the children’s faces. Such depth does not belong in the gaze of a child.

And yet four sets of eyes, ancient and deep and flickering like candlelight, stare out from the children’s faces, and their smiles are sharp, too sharp. Their laughter is a little too wild as they walk, the oldest and youngest hand-in-hand, the middle children trailing each other like shadows.

There is something about those children’s eyes.

There is something about those children.

[braxiatel]

Enough grumbo AUs where Mumbo is a diehard Ariana Griande fan. More grumbo AUs where global musical sensation Ariana Griande is absolutely obsessed with this little freak of a man she found under a rock one time