#when what's really needed is work and communication from both of them

[lovehotelreservation]

5 v 1

Summary: You really should've quintuple-checked your personal calendar before making date plans among your five boyfriends. Especially when you haven't disclosed to any of them that you even have other lovers.

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: F!Reader x Xavier/Zayne/Rafayel/Sylus/Caleb

Finding yourself blindfolded on a Friday night wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for you.

Both fortunately and unfortunately.

In the context of your career, you’ve had your fair share of run-ins with unsavory types while going undercover, pretending to be taken as hostage by a band of rogue smugglers just so you could get closer to making quick punishing work of the ringleader.

In the context of your love life, however: to put it simply, you’ve had quite the experience.

And it wasn’t mutually exclusive with a single man either–rather, it was more of an ongoing rotation.

You were already a customer at the buffet of life, so why settle on one dish to savor?

After all, what a feast you’ve been blessed to enjoy thus far! A sleepily charming prince, a chilly prim and proper doctor, an eccentrically pouty artist, a handsomely arrogant crime boss, and an over-exuberantly dedicated commander.

It was a miracle that you were able to maintain your respective dating life with each as is. Arcade dates that left you spoiled with bunny plushies, savoring the warmth of hot cocoa and each other’s embrace at a winter resort, strolling along the beachside hand-in-hand as the sun set, zooming through the city on a midnight joyride on a sleek state of the art motorcycle, working up a sweat with gym dates that had kisses and more as rewards for achieving new goals—no matter which man you were with, you were overjoyed.

All while making sure that none of them knew of the others' existence.

But why cheat, one may ask?

Because how could you possibly choose one, as you would reason.

The way Xavier would doze off against your shoulder and snuggle against your side while the two of you watched a movie at his apartment was too precious for words, especially with him clinging to you meant that the rest of the night would be spent on the couch rather than the bed.

The way Zayne would diligently nurse you back to health when you were sick with his expert care, your favorite soup, and affectionate kisses to your forehead were the best remedies you could ever ask for.

The way Rafayel would gaze at you with such attentive eyes while he etched every detail of you into both his mind and upon his sketchbook left you feeling like a masterpiece every moment spent together.

The way Sylus would spoil you with such luxurious gifts without you even needing to ask was nice of course, but knowing that such a powerful man was ever ready to tear out his heart for you at a moment’s notice never failed to leave you in awe.

The way Caleb would cheer you on through anything you set your heart towards effortlessly filled your spirit with resolve; but being well aware that he would burn the world down if it meant that it could leave just the two of you together made you want to bask in his adoration while still keeping him in check for his own sake.

There was something that each man uniquely possessed that you–for all your valor and graciousness as an esteemed Hunter–could not bring yourself to choose over the other.

And so, on a Friday night like any other, you were set to have a date with one of them.

But having such a busy schedule–especially at the cusp of summer when Linkon was bustling with activities both splendid for the community and detrimental to everyone’s way of life–you found yourself stumbling into a scenario that simply boiled down to the fact that you really should have quadruple-checked your calendar.

Promising one but forgetting to cancel with another. Overlooking a rendezvous while making plans at the other side of town. Soothing the urgency of a sudden proposal as your mind lapsed at a previously scheduled hangout from a week before.

A simple mistake with dire consequences.

After all, you now found yourself upon your living room floor on your knees, your eyes covered by black cloth, your clothes stripped away fully, your hands tied behind your back, your heart set to an incessant flutter as you could hear the unmistakable sound of five pairs of footsteps shuffling around you.

There was no way out of this besides punishment.

Any attempts to reason and speak your way out of this had been long cast aside as failed, leaving you silent as you awaited your fate.

It took just one voice to finally break the stifling tension in the air.

“I gotta say: this was pretty clumsy, even for you, sweetie.”

“‘Sweetie’?”

A choir of barbed tongues for such a tender term of affection.

You could already imagine the narrowed stares of cerulean, jade, violet and sapphire-pink point towards the direction of smug crimson irises.

Of course it would be Sylus to get things rolling in the most antagonizing of ways.

“So that’s what other men are calling you, huh cutie?”

Words laced ever so pristinely with venom, paired with a precious pout that you knew had just formed.

That was Rafayel all right.

“Sweetie this, cutie that–who are these strange guys you’re letting chat you up like this, pipsqueak?”

“...what kind of nickname is pipsqueak?”

“That’s just how he is.”

“Oi, what’s that supposed to mean–?!”

While thankfully a sword remained sheathed and a gun stayed holstered, you could easily picture that wary glares that Caleb and Xavier were throwing each other's way all while an exasperated Zayne stood in-between with his fingers at his temple.

You were driven to say something, were it not for the low yet striking sound of Sylus clearing his throat.

“As much as I personally wouldn’t mind having this come to blows, we’re getting distracted from swiftly punishing this mischievous kitten for her greediness. I thought we discussed this already.”

Your body tensed as you finally let out an astonished “What?”

From the moment that you had all five accidentally run into one another at the lobby of your apartment to when you found yourself awaiting judgement while nude, just when did they have time tonight to have such a through talk togeth–

“Hmph while I loathe to agree with you of all people, cutie’s been too naughty to let this slide,” was Rafayel’s huffy reply.

“Glad we’re in agreement,” came Sylus's hearty chuckle. “Well then, brothers in arms, shall we?”

Caleb immediately scoffed, “Don’t call me ‘brother.’”

“You would say that, wouldn’t you?” Zayne quipped, his tone composed while you could hear the faint ‘click’ of his glasses being removed.

“H-Hey!”

The grumble of your name from Xavier’s lips drew your attention while the sound of belts and zippers being undone had you tense with apprehension. “We’ve got a task for you–something that a skilled Hunter like yourself should be able to handle easily.”

Their footsteps approached and you could feel it.

That heat.

That scent.

As tense as you were while you braced for any confrontation with your lovers, your thighs immediately closed together as you shuddered with anticipation.

“Aww excited already? Consider this a test of your memory, sweetie,” Sylus cooed from above. “All of us are going to have a turn stuffing that pretty little mouth of yours with our cocks~”

“If you’re able to identify us all correctly, we’ll forgive your scheduling mishap,” Zayne tsked from the side.

“But get any of us wrong, and I especially will never ever ever forgive you,” Rafayel chimed much too sweetly.

Nodding vigorously in response, you declared with utmost determination, “Whatever it takes to make things right.”

As you were met with a mix of awws and huffs, your lips parted instantly as demonstration of your resolve.

In return, you were greeted with the creamy tip of one cock dragging along your tongue, making sure that you had a taste of pre-cum just before it pushed fully into your mouth in one swift motion. You eagerly got to sucking away, even pressing your nose right against the base of his dick, only to be met with a soft nest of pubic hair. A name flashed in your mind right as he unceremoniously pulled out before another candidate quickly occupied your mouth.

The careful way he eased his cock past your lips, the slight curve to his erection, the lack of pubic hair once you were able to take him to the root. You felt a swell of confidence when he eventually drew away for the next man to take his place.

It was quickly dawning on you that they were being mindful to not linger in your mouth for too long, else risk letting a moan leak and give way to their identity.

Not that you needed such a hint for the next one, by the way you really had to let your mouth stretch and relax your jaw to accommodate the sheer weight and girth of the next cock that plunged into your mouth.

As you found your core already sopping wet and slick while this guessing game prolonged, you were sure of your selections thus far.

The last two felt about the same–even down to their shaving habits. But the distinguishing part came down to the eager and full push of one cock while the other was slower and indulgent.

When the final candidate pulled out, you were already gasping out your answers right as your blindfold was tugged off of your head.

“Rafayel, Zayne, Sylus, Caleb and then Xavier…!”

As you finished speaking, you found yourself shrinking back.

And it wasn’t to finally being exposed to the light of your living room once again.

Rather, it already was a great deal to behold the sheer magnitude of one cock from any of your lovers, but as you remained on your knees, surrounded by all five of them at once was nothing short of intimidating.

At the same time, seeing their dicks gleam with a mix of their pre-cum and your saliva–if you weren’t so on edge, you would have allowed your mouth to drool freely in want of the idea of having your pick of any of them.

But this was not to be a night of your choosing.

Especially not while Rafayel immediately broke into applause.

Even while each clap sounded more mocking than anything.

“Congrats cutie!” He chirped while gazing down at you, his eyes gleaming wickedly as his pink lips curled in an equally mischievous smile. “You just earned yourself a night of punishment!”

Your eyes grew wide as you squawked out, “B-But you said you’d forgive–!”

“We said we’d forgive your misscheduling, not your cheating,” Xavier grumbled while he folded his arms over his chest.

“What Starboy over there said,” Caleb remarked with a jab of his thumb. “Don’t expect us to forgive or forget, alright pipsqueak?” Grinning deviously, he reached down to give you a pat on the back that felt more menacing than encouraging. “We’re gonna fuck this lesson deep into you so you don’t forget!”

With a click of his tongue and a shake of his head, Zayn began to loosen his tie as he observed out loud, “What you’ve demonstrated right here at this moment is that you’ve slept with all of us so much that you can easily differentiate between our bodies even while blindfolded.”

“You’re so cock addicted, sweetie–it’s almost pitiful.” Sylus’s teasing sneer was uttered right as he tossed aside his shirt. “Doesn’t matter who it belongs to, you’re just eager to get your fix, huh?”

Your wrists strained within their bounds as you lowered your head, a helpless whine escaping your lips. “That’s not true.”

The tension that had taken hold of you in anticipation of your punishment was one thing, the building shame and remorse from leading them on and being called out for it was entirely a whole other major matter.

“Actions say otherwise, babe,” Caleb laughed as he and the others continued to undress, clothes littering across your living room. “By the way you’ve been treating us, we’re just your collection of sex toys.”

“Just a collection of cocks for you to pick and choose from whenever you want, huh?” The bite in Rafayel’s words finally did it.

“Not true at all!” Your head snapped up, tears welling within your eyes as you cried out. “I know I messed up–I know misleading and lying to you all was bad! But please know that what I feel for each of you is true! Each of you are so special to me!”

With the five now fully naked as they stood before you, all eyes were on you, staring at your expression, assessing the authenticity of your words and tears.

“Is that so?” Xavier challenged a moment later, his words firm. “Use this night to claim each of us then. Demonstrate if we truly have a place in your heart.”

“Not only with words but with action,” Zayne remarked, his gaze fixed in a stern stare.

“If you don’t, then you can say goodbye to your bodyguard days and say hello to motherhood once I’m done with you,” Rafayel hummed, his intentions much more serious than the sing-song tone he spoke in.

“‘We’re,’” the other four immediately interjected, casting a glare towards his direction.

With a pitiful sniffle, you nodded vigorously as you declared, “I’ll prove it, I swear it to each of you! Right here, right–”

“–now.”

Xavier uttered this before he immediately dropped down to kiss you fully, ignoring the hisses and curses sent his way by Rafayel and Caleb.

But nothing mattered, only that you were receiving his affection, however blistering it was currently expressed.

He made quick work of the binding around your wrists, leaving you free to run your hands through his hair while you reciprocated his kiss with sheer earnestness. After feeling so unsure you would ever get to receive any sort of loving touch ever again, you were happily accommodating and pliant for him as he had you lie down beneath him, his hands spreading your legs just before he was slotting his cock into your core with one quick fluid thrust.

For as much of a gallant prince he carried himself to be when fighting alongside you, for as dreamily tender he often expressed his affection towards you by, the tempo and vigor he was pummeling into you were anything but gracious or merciful.

His fingers found their way to yours, threading themselves in a sturdy clasp while he kept your hands pinned down to the floor–nothing short of possessive. As this occurred, his lips then fell by your ear, a breathless command stated, punctuated with every slam of his hips.

You didn’t hesitate.

While your eyes locked right into his stormy blue ones, your back arched as you whimpered out loud, “Everyone look–I’m getting fucked by Xavier! My pussy has been shaped to fit his cock only!”

A choir of grumbled and gnashed teeth in response, but it was Sylus who actually spoke up.

“His shape only, huh sweetie?” He chuckled darkly. Though your focus remained on Xavier, you still caught a gleaming flash of crimson from his right eye. “I know a challenge when I hear it.”

This just earned the immediate ire of Xavier, who turned to glare right at him as he hissed, “Hear what you want, but I’ll make sure you hear this noise most of all…!”

Squeezing your hands, he brought his lips down to your neck for kisses and bites while his tempo intensified. the obscenely wet noise of his cock drilling into you pairing with the cries of his name off of your lips in sinful harmony all the way until you were dragged into the peak and crash of your orgasm, your pussy soon flooded full with the heat of his seed.

Even after having just climaxed, he lingered inside of you, fingers still weaved tightly with yours, reluctant to leave as you caught your breath.

However, by the sound of someone aggressively coughing with much impatience, he sighed, frustration flashing on his face as he glared back over his shoulder in response.

Xavier’s attention soon returned to your face, his blue eyes softening for a moment while he sought to indulge in one more kiss from your lips before he finally pulled out so your next lover could deliver punishment.

Which unsurprisingly turned out to be the very person who was rushing him in the first place.

With Rafayel practically diving over to swoop you into his arms, he was all smiles as he gazed at Zayne, Sylus and Caleb with utter defiance. His tone as haughty as ever, he taunted, “Hope you all can understand that I need to have a stern and urgent talk with my bodyguard.”

Caleb immediately cocked an eyebrow as he scoffed, “You’re letting this guy boss you around, pipsqueak?!”

“That you would be so accommodating for such a petulant man,” Zayne joined with disdain, sharing a look with Caleb before they, Sylus and Xavier watched as Rafayel gleefully hauled you over to your couch to take a seat.

For as much as you wanted to rebuttal–”He’s a sweetheart believe me!”–, his subsequent actions revealed a spirit that was much more petty in nature.

Having you face forward, Rafayel’s hands rested on your hips as he slowly guided them down towards his lap, making sure that the other four had a clear view of not only his cock sheathing itself fully into your pussy, but the look of absolute ecstasy that soon swept over your face as well.

While at first he took great joy in working you up to a quick and fluid tempo, he savored bliss most when he eventually drew his hands away completely and you proceeded to bounce upon his dick with even greater desperate need, his heart swelling with pride.

You were his masterpiece and he only wanted to flaunt off his art, after all.

However, there was still the matter of signing off on this particular piece.

That soon took the form of his hands returning to your body, the fingertips of one soon running tight little circles over your clit in tandem to your vigorous rhythm, the other pressing right below your belly, applying pressure every time his cock was sheathed back into the slick velvety depths of your core.

As drowned in pleasure as you were at this point, you felt alarmed the moment you realized what Rafayel was doing.

This wasn’t the first time he had done this in particular during sex and you knew he most certainly wanted to showcase this in front of your other lovers.

It was an inevitability that there was no escape from and before long, you were left squealing wantonly as he compelled you to join him at the extreme heights of climax, your face becoming flushed with heat and wet with tears of pleasure and embarrassment as the deliberate strokes of his fingertips caused your orgasm to gush messily out of your pussy and right onto the floor below.

Stunned was an understatement amongst your audience. Wide eyes, slack jaws, words lost, and–of course–cocks hard.

Though, in Zayne’s case, the words of “For you to push her body to such an extent” were uttered through gritted teeth while he was in the midst of retrieving something from his discarded pants.

Not that Rafayel was paying attention, as he was much too preoccupied with nuzzling his face against your shoulder affectionately while he hugged you from behind, steadying your body after you fell back against him in an overstimulated slump. “Aww cutie, you made such a mess,” he cooed in the sweetest of tones. “Whoever could’ve done such a thing~?”

With a sniffle, your gaze roamed across the other four as you answered, “I w-was made to s-squirt because of Rafayel’s c-cock and fingers.”

The glimmer of your tears–pleasured or not–had Xavier spitting out, “In any other circumstance, I would’ve killed you on the spot for making her cry in such a way.”

“Though I’m of the same opinion, consider me impressed,” Sylus mused with a smirk. “I’ll have to do that in record time one day.”

“A much later day.”

Zayne’s sudden interjection had both you and Rafayel startled, given by how quickly he appeared at your side.

Commandeering you right out Rafayel’s arms–much to the artist’s instant annoyance–and into his, Zayne ignored Caleb’s yelped “What the hell Zayne?! I was supposed to be–”, he drew you close to his chest while he brought a soothing hand up and down your back for gentle, languid strokes.

“Such a physical reaction like that from your body is normal during sex,” he remarked softly, his tone warm. “Though I’m sure you don’t need me telling you this.”

You clung against him further as you hiccuped, “It still helps a lot t-to hear it from you, Zayne.”

“That being said.”

Icy in an instant.

Much like the way you found yourself upon the floor on your hands and knees.

The heat that emanated off of Zayne’s palm only elicited shivers, especially as you felt his hand drag right over your backside.

“What’s not normal is being so deceitful, especially while you slept with other men behind my back.”

While your reflexes as a Hunter had you already brace for what was to come, you still yelped upon feeling his hand strike over your ass in a firm slap, followed by another and another, alternating between either cheek.

“That you would obedient for such a cruel and hypocritical doctor,” Rafayel remarked flatly, his tone in a mocking impersonation of Zayne’s voice.

Yet even as your skin stung with pain, your core only drooled and dripped all the more drenched with increasing pleasure.

This wasn’t the first time Zayne had done this to you and most certainly wouldn’t be the last.

You were so engaged in preparing for each spank that you didn’t catch the sound of a plastic cap being popped open.

But what certainly caught your attention was the sensation of cool gel suddenly being smeared over your asshole, causing your head to snap back as you looked at him with big, astonished eyes.

“Th-There Zayne?! Right now?!”

“Is there a more appropriate time to do this?” He questioned back with a slight tilt of his head, a soft grunt escaping him once his hand began to thoroughly coat his cock with lube. “As though this is new to you.”

“Hold on a minute!” Caleb interjected as his hand shot up, his expression aghast. “So you did anal first with Zayne and not me?!”

“I was the one to ease her through her first time with this spot,” Zayne answered, his eyes cast down as he watched the tip of his cock easeinto your ass from behind. While he pushed every long and thick inch inside, his usual cool composure sizzled into a hiss as he was greeted by your familiar tight heat. “It’s only right that I demonstrate to you all that I know her body best…!”

Caleb’s fingers balled into a fist. “‘Best’ huh…?”

“I disagree wholeheartedly,” Rafayel spat out, even as he marveled at the way your body bowed further in pleasure.

At first, Zayne was operating under a more slow and deliberate pace, opting to instead sink his cock into you down to the hilt. He also brought one hand around to grab and grope your breast, squeezing your chest with every deep thrust made.

His careful approach made you forget that this was even punishment.

However, the more you mewled and rolled your hips back to meet his in need, the more your ass squeezed around his dick, he was swift to remind you of your place.

The hand that was on your breasts retracted to instead grab at your hair as the rhythm of his thrusts soon turned punishing in tempo. Your pleasured squeals and cries were quickly joined by the sound of your ass getting spanked once again, his palm cascading down upon your skin for a string of smacks with disciplinary fervor.

Your name was declared from his mouth with a smouldering rasp, followed by his remark of, “If you could kindly enlighten the audience on what is being done to you and by who.”

Feeling his grip on your hair tighten, your eyes rolled back in ecstasy as you moaned out, “Zayne! My ass is getting spanked and fucked by Zayne!”

Your hair was released in favor of your chin being grasped, with Zayne turning your head to the side so he could bend forward and reward you with a kiss, the murmur of “Good girl” muffled into your mouth.

“You really can endure a lot huh…” Xavier observed out loud, his gaze focused while he watched you succumb further as you begged for more. “I’ll have to keep this in mind.”

With the care imposed to you by your beloved doctor, you were soon left sprawled on the floor, spent, your backside raised up high in the air as Zayne’s sticky cum trickled out from your asshole.

Enduring Xavier, Rafayel, and Zayne back to back. How could you even think to have the strength to get up–?

“Poor, poor little kitten. Need a helping hand?”

From right across the floor to suddenly hauled up high in the air.

Finding yourself face out towards the others once again, you could feel the thick, hard muscle of Sylus’s arms hooking beneath your thighs, keeping them spread wide and open to grant him full access with plunging his fat, girthy cock into your pussy. With his big hands clasping behind your head, you were effectively locked in place, left helpless and subject to his ravenous battering.

“Hang on tight, sweetie,” he breathed out teasingly, his tongue running over his bottom lip in delight as he savored the sopping squeeze of your core around his dick. “I’ll make sure this is a ride you’ll never forget.”

As he proceeded to murmur something towards you in an even quieter tone, Zayne–whose expression wrinkled over Sylus going straight into handling you aggressively rather than taking his time–proceeded to cast a glance to his side.

“How curious Caleb.” One brow quirking up, he continued, “I’m surprised you’re suddenly okay with that man going before you after all the complaining you’ve done tonight.”

Folding his arms behind his head, Caleb only chuckled in response, his laughter light while the look in his eyes was certainly not, “Heheheh, I have my reasons.”

While Zayne only looked more perplexed in return, Caleb redirected his attention back to you, watching you squirm and writhe about in a pleasured frenzy as you remained held captive.

Focused, determined, hellbent, Sylus kept on with spearing his cock into you over and over, the way he handled you feeling more akin to how he would use a sex toy for his own personal whims. His pace merciless, his girth stuffing you full, your body shuddered as you felt the crescendo of your next orgasm draw near.

His lips cracking into a smirk upon feeling your core clamp further down onto his dick, he brought his mouth right by your ear as he purred, emphasizing every single word with a mighty pound, “Alright sweetie. Just like I said, okay~?”

Your shameless shriek of “I’m mating with Sylus! I’m being made into a bitch in heat by Sylus!” with the subsequent crash of your climax immediately drew the ire of your audience–Xavier and Zayne especially. That the infamous outlaw easily got you to refer to yourself in such a degrading way was inexcusable in their eyes.

As if Sylus cared.

His face beaming with pride and satisfaction, he only goaded you further.

“That’s right: A naughty kitten so tormented by her base needs–just so eager to mate with any man, isn’t that right…?!” While his voice dropped into a snarl, he proceeded to bite down onto your shoulder as with one last hearty thrust, he left your core full and filled with a shot of his hot cum.

Though you would’ve liked to at least try and offer a rebuttal to the question he posed, from the moment Sylus finally loosened the vice that he kept your body ensnared by, you only found yourself being relinquished over to another pair of awaiting arms.

“I’ll take it from here,” was Caleb’s cheerful chime as he gave your body a loving squeeze, his voice sounding the happiest it had ever been this entire night.

Sylus only scoffed with a grin, “Heh, just don’t get too power hungry now.”

Yet his words were only ignored.

After all, now having his turn at last, Caleb was ready to feast.

“There we go,” he sighed out blissfully while he proceeded to carefully lay you back down onto the floor, “now all’s right with the world.” Catching your gaze, his violet eyes glittered joyously before he brought his lips to your face for a string of kisses all over, from your cheeks, your jaw and your mouth while his hands parted your thighs.

He was quick if not desperate to finally settle himself right in-between your thighs and plunge the entire length of his heavy cock right into your pussy. The rapturous whine you let out was swallowed by his mouth as he smothered your lips for a needy kiss.

By contrast to what you experienced with Rafayel, Zayne, and Sylus previously, Caleb carried himself similarly to Xavier, position and all.

However, having been the one to go last, to watch every other man have their turn with you, as his thrusts picked up in pace out of sheer need, it was him who was groaning and even whimpering as he achieved his orgasm before you did.

“Ehh, Colonel Quickshot over here, huh?” Rafayel didn’t even try to hold back his snicker, all while Zayne was soon admonishing him over the fact that some men are just more prone to premature ejacula–

“Who said I was done?”

It was a question that wasn’t directed at Rafayel specifically.

Hell, it wasn’t even a question—rather, a challenge posed to any of the other men in the room.

Because for Caleb, who didn’t even think to break eye contact away from you as he spoke, he had been keeping track all night long of every load of cum that was pumped into you by the others.

Even one besides him was one too many.

“Caleb…?”

Your voice trailed off as you watched the glimmer in his eyes soon become overtaken by a stormy haze.

He didn’t say anything, answering instead by quickly taking hold of your legs to push them back until your ankles were right by your head. His cock, still having yet to soften from his initial orgasm, was soon barrelling into your pussy once again, this time with even greater vehemence.

With his palms anchoring down on the back of your thighs, you were kept in the perfect position to receive every drop of cum he was dead set on pouring inside of you.

This didn’t go unnoticed by the others, obviously–with all becoming increasingly incensed with how much he was prolonging his turn.

Yet it wasn’t until you were crying out “I’m getting creampied over and over by Caleb! I’m going to get pregnant with Caleb’s baby at this rate!” with the peak of your orgasm that finally got the four of them to speak out in protest.

“Caleb,” Zayne scolded.

“Bullshit,” Sylus scoffed.

“No,” Xavier hissed.

“Die,” Rafayel growled.

“What’s that? Can’t hear or care about anything you all have to say!” Caleb laughed.

The subsequent bickering amongst the five that followed was lost on you as by this point, you were simply too far gone, your mind blank, your body drunk and wasted off of euphoric pleasure.

It was so much, too much.

But if your greed was what led you to this situation in the first place, as bad as it sounded, you only found yourself feeling even greedier than before after what you went through on this night.

You were eventually dragged back to reality upon feeling the scorching rush of Caleb’s seed pouring inside of you once again just before experiencing the loss of his warmth as he finally unsheathed his cock out of you upon his last orgasm–but not before snatching another kiss from your lips.

As you remained on the floor utterly spent and dazed, taking the moment to steady your breath, the five–seemingly having settled their differences and gripes with one another yet again–only circled around you, admiring their respective handiwork.

And then Sylus began to clear his throat once more.

“Well men, shall we?”

The other four expressed their agreement whether verbally or with a noise of acknowledgement. While you were left to glance around curiously as you watched them shuffle around your living room to search for and among their tossed clothes, you were soon at the center of not only their attention once again, but their phone cameras as well.

“Consider this a settlement for your transgressions, cutie~” His tone light and playful, Rafayel helped steady you back up to a sitting position before handing you what looked to be a page torn from his sketchbook, a note in his elegant handwriting inscribed across.

Hugging you from behind in further support of your body, he rested his chin on your shoulder as he continued, “Read this out to us–we’ll help prompt you too~” An amused giggle escaping him, he clarified with, “Just want to get on record this special confession from you, okay?”

“O-Okay.” Confused as you were, you held the note with care, your exhaustion forgotten for this moment as you sought to take this chance to fully redeem yourself.

Caleb was the first to speak, the usual exuberant light in his eyes having since returned as he asked, “What is your name?”

You answered while your eyes peered around at each phone pointed in your direction.

“Is there anything you want to declare?” Xavier asked next, the tone of his voice back to its signature soft, dreamy lushness.

You made sure to look at every single man in the eyes as you responded with, “I have five men that I really love.”

“You do? How cute,” Sylus hummed with amusement, unable to hide back that familiar all-knowing teasing grin of his. “Did something recently happen with you and those guys?”

Your eyes returned to the note, reading over what was next as your cheeks became warm from lingering embarrassment. “I had an affair with each of them and didn’t tell the others about having sex with other men because I didn’t want to choose one over the other.”

“How naughty of you~” Rafayel cooed, smiling mischievously while he nuzzled his cheek against yours with affection. “How are you gonna make it up to them moving forward?”

The presence of five phone cameras only deepened your embarrassment. Regardless, you continued with a composed, “Because of what I did, I’ll make it up by being used by all five of them whenever they want, however long they want.”

Zayne delivered the final question. Though the words were scripted, the look of adoration in his eyes was as genuine as could be. “And how does that make you feel?”

You immediately cast the note aside, needing no further prompt.

“It makes me really happy because I love them all!”

Sincerity as pure as could be, reflected in the look on your face and the sound of your voice.

Xavier, Zayne, Rafayel, Sylus, and Caleb all looked towards you, their affection for you evident on each of their faces before they proceeded to cast a glance at one another.

“Does this settle everything once and for all then?” Zayne questioned.

“As long as she’s happy, then I see no issue,” Xavier declared.

“As long as there’s no outright favoritism from her, then I’m happy,” Rafayel chimed.

“Aren’t you lucky, kitten? All the milk you could ever want at a moment’s notice~” Sylus purred.

“A truce is a truce!” Caleb cheered.

With Rafayel already hugging you close, the rest of the four joined in expressing their adoration for you. The rest of the evening would be spent nurturing and doting after you, your wish–as always–their command.

Because while it was without doubt that you were theirs, all five of them together were yours.

—————

tfw i was trying to get this out during the NANANA COME ON valentines day but not valentines day banner this year 😭😭

glad i could make it at least for caleb’s birthday 🥹🎂

thank you so much for reading !!! 🥰🥰

[thedonswife13]

Buttercup had a point when she told Jake that he’d never take a promotion if it meant he’d be grounded..look at Maverick. He stayed a captain so he wouldn’t be grounded, Jake would’ve done the same thing except that last mission went horribly wrong and FORCED him to really look at his life. Jake for sure needed to be the one to handle it, not Hangman. Instead Hangman handled it and it was too late. Buttercup was trying to work on getting her pink back and not lose herself in being a Navy wife and motherhood, while simultaneously dealing with PPD and not effectively being able to communicate with Jake that she was struggling.

“What had she done” you fell back in love with your ex-husband subconsciously (even though you never stopped loving him in the first place). Buttercup having all these thoughts of she’s not enough for Jake hurts. When it comes to him, I feel like she’s very stuck in what was not what could be especially since they’ve both grown and matured. Buttercup is still trying to wear the armor that she has built around herself over the last 12 years but she can’t do that with Jake. He finds all these chinks in it and takes it off her piece by piece.

Buttercup is really the only one scared here; she’s the one who’s running away from something that could be great. Since the moment Jake saw her, he’s thought of what could be again. He’s wanted to give them another try.

Jake really is that guy: the one that lets you be independent, the “I know you can handle everything but, you shouldn’t have to. Let me help” kinda guy.

Jake, you know and she knows it not really what she wants…

At least there’s a little happiness around this chapter! Javy and Nat finally figured it out and it didn’t take the girls scheming for them to do it. Nat and Buttercup definitely brought some things to light for Buttercup whether she realized it or not. If Javy and Nat can give it another go, why not Jake and Buttercup too?

Charlie it seems is the more stubborn of the two girls. That stubbornness runs through both sides of the family.

“As you wish, sweetheart” 😭😭😭 Charlie breaking from Jake’s hold and trying to chase the limo as he watches 2/3 of his girls leave 😭💔😭💔

Jake I hope you figure out the best way to fight for your girls and get them back… there’s still time

As You Wish, Chapter 17

Summary: When arriving at Camp Silver Star, Abby Floyd was anticipating a summer of adventure with an ocean separating her from the three people she loved most: her mom, her Uncle Bob and her Aunt Natasha. But after a run in with Charlie Seresin, an extremely familiar looking and irritating camper in a different cabin, her summer plans take a turn that neither girl ever could have expected.

Trigger Warnings: reader's children are described as being blond with green eyes because genetics are wild and Jake's genes are strong, reader is canonically Bob's sister (but biological relation is never discussed), reader goes by Buttercup and is tattooed, angst (so much angst I made myself cry), panic attack, drinking, sadness, reference to divorce, kids breaking your heart, references to babies, swearing, references to the military, fighting and marital strife, PPD, references to sex (but nothing explicit)

Seresin Residence, Miramar, 12 years ago

Jake sighed as he pulled his truck into the driveway of the little beach bungalow he had scrimped and saved to buy for his family. Normally, he was excited to get home after a long day of training, but lately? Lately, it seemed like all they did was fight. Some days, it was him fighting and Buttercup sitting there, taking it. Others, it was all out warfare, each of them screaming at each other. And after the fight they had had that morning, Jake wasn’t too pleased to be home.

The fight had worn on him all day. He had been absolute shit in the cockpit because of it, and he’d already had a verbal dressing down by just about everyone. Cyclone and Warlock had ripped into him pretty good. Rooster and Phoenix had taken pleasure in seeing him knocked down a peg or five. Maverick had only shaken his head at him in disappointment, and that had probably hurt the most.

With a groan, Jake got out of his truck and grabbed his duffle, heading to the front door. Three months ago, he would have kicked his boots off with a playful, “Honey, I’m home!” before racing to snuggle his daughters, pecking his wife on the lips as he went. But not today. Today, he toed his boots off and tossed his duffle into the laundry room.

It was quiet. Too quiet. Maybe they were all asleep. He wouldn’t be mad about it if they were. Maybe if Buttercup got some quality sleep, she’d be in a better mood.

Jake sighed and flipped on the light in the living room, startled when he spotted Buttercup sitting in her preferred armchair.

“Hey,” he drawled. “You surprised me. I thought you were asleep. Where are the girls?”

“Asleep,” she murmured, eyes tracking him as he grabbed a beer from the kitchen.

“Good. They eat okay today?”

“Charlie doesn’t like not breastfeeding, but she’s getting used to it. Abby’s still not eating enough.”

Jake ignored her cold, indifferent tone. “She’ll get there.” He flopped onto the couch and reached for the remote.

“Jake…”

“Buttercup, it’s been a long day,” he groaned. “I really don’t want to fight tonight. The girls are asleep. Go have a bath or something, let me watch TV, and I’ll order us a pizza for dinner. Okay?”

“So, that’s it then?” Finally, her voice had a touch of a bite to it. “No comment, no nothing from you? You said no and that’s that? Your word is law?”

Jake groaned and let his hand flop back onto the sofa. “I don’t know what else you expected me to say. I’m part of the U.S. Navy. Meaning I have to be in the United States. I can’t move to England just because you got a job interview for a publishing job. There are dozens of publishers that are stateside. Why not go for one of them? I’m sure they’d let you work remotely. I don’t see why you want to move to a different continent.”

“They’re the only ones who have offered to take a look at my writing on top of my publishing responsibilities,” she hissed. “Which you would know if you paid any attention to me.”

“Okay, so you can do your whole writing thing from anywhere, can’t you? Skip the whole publisher thing and focus on writing! When you’re done writing or whatever, you can send it to a publisher! You’d at least get to stay with me that way!”

“How am I supposed to focus on my writing, Jake? I barely get a chance to breathe, let alone sit down at a computer and write!” Buttercup’s voice was weak and desperate, and grating on Jake’s nerves. He hated it when she sounded like that, and she’d been sounding like it more and more. He would’ve done anything to make it better, but he was too tired to try. “You’re not around during the day, so you don’t know what its like! One of them always needs me, and Charlie is fussy, and Abby’s not eating enough, and I can barely breathe! And you want me to what? Follow you around from base to base, taking care of our daughters on my own while you’re on deployment after deployment?”

“That is what you signed up for when you married me!” Jake shouted, his frustration and exhaustion finally bubbling over. “I thought you would’ve known that based on how often your brother gets to go home! This is what it means to be in a military family! This is what you signed up for!”

“I signed up for you!” she shouted. “I signed up for a man who loves me, who is home to share the load with me! Not a man who has his head shoved so far up Uncle Sam’s ass that he can’t see the sun!”

“Don’t you dare!” Jake stood. “Everything I do is for the safety of this country and for you and our daughters. Don’t you want our girls to grow up in a country that is safe?”

“I would rather our daughters grow up knowing their father! They barely see you anymore! And it’s only going to get worse as they get older!”

“I’ll be promoted by the time that they’re older! That means less time deployed!”

Buttercup was shaking her head, shrinking back in her seat. “You’ll never give up flying, Jake. You wouldn’t take a promotion that meant you were grounded. It’s not who you are.” Buttercup’s voice shook. “Just like sitting at home, waiting for my husband to come back while I take care of our home and children isn’t who I am. I need more.”

Jake scoffed, red creeping into the edges of his vision. He felt like he was running on autopilot, unable to stop himself or control his anger. “So, what? We’re not enough for you?”

“Don’t do that!” Buttercup snapped. “Our family is everything to me, but I need more! I need something outside of just being a mom and your wife!”

“Okay, so London is that then? Will London be enough for you?” Jake was wrangling every ounce of his strength to pull himself back, to not do this. They were both tired, both stressed. She hadn’t been herself since the babies were born, and it didn’t help that he had been deployed when they had sworn to him that he would be grounded for his first few months of fatherhood. If they could just get on the same page again, everything would be okay. But that would only happen if he could get Hangman to take a backseat and let Jake handle this.

Buttercup’s eyes flooded at his mocking tone. “Fuck you, Jake.”

Loud cries echoed through the house and Jake huffed before heading down the hall. “Go take a bath, Buttercup. I’ll take care of the girls.”

In the nursery, Jake pulled Charlie into his arms and sighed, rocking his red-faced baby girl in his arms. It would all be okay. The first year was always going to be the hardest. If they could make it through that, they would be stronger than ever.

It didn’t hit Jake that it was too late until a few days later, when he came home to find a teary-eyed Buttercup standing in the kitchen, handing him a pile of divorce papers.

Seresin Ranch, Clifton, Texas, Now

Early morning sunshine danced across her eyelids, and she tried to bury her face in the pillow beside her. It was way too freaking early to be conscious after the night she’d had, she was bone tired, and she was sore in a deeply satisfying way. The dull ache in her muscles and the muted throbbing between her thighs were better than any soreness she had ever gotten from an extended workout. It was an ache that she hadn’t felt in years.

Stretching like a cat, Buttercup slowly sat up against the headboard and blinked against the sun streaming through the grey curtains, and three things hit her in quick succession.

She was not in her bedroom. Her curtains were not grey, and her window did not face east.

She was naked. Her usual t-shirt and shorts were absent as the cool cotton sheets kissed her skin.

The soreness she was feeling was accompanied by a series of hickies and bruises that decorated her body like confetti. Her neck, her chest, her breasts, her stomach, and her inner thighs were littered with the dark purple marks, leaving her feeling like a teenager the night after prom.

Buttercup felt her stomach roil as the memories from the previous night washed over her like a tidal wave. The barbecue, fighting with Jake, dancing with Jake, having 3 a.m. grilled cheese with Jake and splitting a beer with him before giving him permission to kiss her…Jake carrying her to his bedroom and making love to her sweetly and gently, then rolling her over and fucking her hard, then taking her again in the softest, tenderest way as the sun slowly began to rise.

What had she done? What had she done? This wasn’t who she was. She had never been the type of person who just fell into bed with a guy, and certainly not when that guy was her ex-husband. But then, she had always been helpless against him. Back before things had soured between them, she had been almost as good as Maverick at keeping all of the Daggers in line, but one flash of those bright green eyes and those dimples, and she was basically Jello. She had never been able to tell him ‘no’, except for once.

Buttercup pulled her legs up tight against her chest and pressed the heels of her palms into her closed eyes until she saw stars. She was so stupid. So weak. She had put in over a decade of work to make herself stronger, strong enough to withstand being alone, strong enough to be a single mother, strong enough to hold her ground against him. And yet, like a teenage girl, she caved at the sight of gleaming abs and a cocky grin, and the sound of sweet nothings he had whispered in her ear.

What would the girls think if they found out? Would they think they were getting back together? Of course they would, that had been their plan since the beginning. But a one-night stand did not a relationship make, and neither did attraction. Attraction and chemistry had never been their problem. Communication had been, and, though they had clearly gotten better at it over the past decade, it didn’t solve all the problems that still remained between them. Past hurts and past histories and words that had been said that couldn’t be taken back.

God, how she wished she could take them back. She had been sick in the head and sick in the heart when she had uttered those poisoned words to him, wanting him to feel like she did in the most toxic way. She was toxic to him, not the other way around like so many had thought would happen. Her own brother had warned her away from Jake Seresin the minute they met, cautioning her that he would ruin her life, but he hadn’t. He had given her the greatest year and a half of her life and two daughters that she wouldn’t trade for the world. She was the one who ruined him. Just like her nickname, she was a poison, and she would only destroy him more if she stuck around.

Tears began to well in her eyes, but Buttercup quickly dashed them away as she scrambled from Jake’s bed and began searching for her clothes, which she found neatly folded on the antique wingback chair in the corner of the room. Her heart ached at the sweetness of this man, who had opened his home to her for a week so they could both get quality time with their daughters, who had ended his engagement because his fiancée had been cruel to their girls. He didn’t deserve this. Maybe the old Hangman had been cocky and brash and bold, maybe Hangman had left a trail of broken hearts behind him, but her Jake didn’t deserve to have his heart broken because she was so weak and selfish. Her heart ached at the thought of leaving him, of only seeing him at events for the girls, of eventually seeing him engaged to a woman who did deserve him. But she didn’t deserve him. She wasn’t strong enough to be his reason for living once the girls graduated.

The realization had her slowly pulling her clothes on, choking back sobs and dashing her tears away. He needed more than her. He needed someone who was strong enough to hold him up while he figured out what he wanted to do with his life once the girls had moved on. He needed someone who wouldn’t panic at the very suggestion of him going back to the Navy. She needed to walk away so that he could find that person. Despite the pain lancing through her heart and the heaviness in her limbs, she had to. She wouldn’t poison him anymore. Not when she…

More tears streamed down her face as she stumbled into his ensuite and desperately tried to make herself look like less of a heartbroken mess. He would be okay and, eventually, so would she. The girls would struggle, but she would fight like hell to make sure her girls still had so much love and support from both of their parents, even if they lived on opposite sides of the globe. They wouldn’t suffer just because their mother was toxic.

A deep wash of her face and multiple splashes of cool water later, Buttercup, resolved and heartbroken, strolled out of the bedroom and made her way back to the kitchen, finding her daughters sitting at the island while Jake flipped pancakes.

“Morning, Mom!”

“Morning, Mum!”

“Hey, darlin’,” Jake followed up the sweet chorus of their daughters’ voices with a shy grin, so unlike him but still so fitting that it made the ache in her chest deepen. “Did you sleep okay?”

Buttercup fought to keep her face straight as she regarded him with as much cool indifference as she could muster. “Yes, thank you. And good thing too. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

Plates clattered as Charlie set the island for breakfast. “What are we doing tomorrow?”

Buttercup fought the pain and panic rising in her throat as she looked at the smiling figures of her broken family. “A-Abby and I are going home tomorrow,” she croaked out. “Our flight leaves at 9 p.m.”

Silence fell like a heavy, suffocating fog over the kitchen. Abby had frozen in her seat, a juicy red grape dangling almost comically from her fingers halfway between the bowl and her mouth. Charlie wasn’t doing much better, a plate suspended in midair while her face flushed. And Jake? She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, to see the anger or pity or fury that was undoubtedly marring his handsome features.

It was Charlie who broke the silence first. “What?”

The question was so simple, but Buttercup had to brace herself before answering. “We promised you a week together, and it’s been a week. Our flight has always been leaving tomorrow.” She managed a weak smile at her daughters. “I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.”

“Mum…” Buttercup’s heart nearly shattered at the broken, pleading sound of her baby’s voice. “Couldn’t we stay? Please?”

For the time being, Buttercup was winning the losing battle against the tears that were clogging her throat and flooding her eyes. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but we can’t. You start school next week and I have deadlines to meet. Uncle Bob and Auntie Nat have to go back to work too. But your dad and I have figured out a good schedule for visiting. You get more school vacation than Charlie does, so you’ll get to come here for a few breaks, and Charlie will get to come visit us when she has breaks, and then we’re going to split the summer in half, okay? I—” Buttercup’s voice cracked, and she turned her eyes skyward to prevent the tears from falling again. “I know it’s not what you want, but it’s the best we can do.”

“That’s BULLSHIT!” Charlie’s cry was loud and harsh. “That’s complete bullshit! You could both stay! Everyone should stay!”

Buttercup’s breath stuttered in her chest as she looked at her daughter, so full of pain and anger. “I know that you wish we could, sweetheart, but we can’t. I’m sorry!”

“You’re sorry?” Charlie was crying now, hot tears running down her red cheeks. “I only get two weeks with you after 12 years and now you’re leaving and you’re sorry? That’s bullshit!”

“Charlie…” Jake’s voice was a soft warning.

“What?” She whirled on her dad. “It is! She could stay here if she really wanted to! But she doesn’t! She doesn’t care. Not about you or me or anyone! If she cared, she wouldn’t have left us in the first place!”

“Charlie…” Buttercup couldn’t stand the way her voice crackled with tears. “Charlie, I—”

“I hate you!” Charlie turned on her, green eyes full of anguish. “I hate you!”

“That’s enough!” Jake didn’t yell, but his voice held that military tone that immediately silenced everyone in the kitchen, save for Charlie’s ragged breathing and Abby’s soft sniffles. “You do not get to talk to your mother that way. You can be angry all you want, but this is a joint decision between your mother and I, so if you hate her then you hate me too. And no matter how you feel about us, I know that I taught you respect. We do not lash out at other people because of the way we are feeling in this family. We talk it out, and if we can’t manage how we’re feeling then we take a beat before we have a calm conversation. So, go take a beat. Take a lap of the ranch and cool off, Charlie.” Jake’s tone was no-nonsense and left no room for argument. Chest heaving, Charlie stomped away and let the door slam behind her. Jake sighed and looked at his oldest daughter, sniffling quietly in her seat. “Why don’t you go with her, Abby?” His voice was gentler now. “I think maybe some fresh air and a walk will do you both some good.”

Not saying anything, Abby nodded meekly and shuffled out of the kitchen, the front door barely clicking shut in comparison to the slam that had rocked everyone to their very foundations.

Buttercup stood stock still in the kitchen doorway, hand wrapped around her throat as she fought the tears that were falling slowly.

“Buttercup…” She flinched violently away from Jake’s gentle hand on her elbow, and he held his hands up. “Buttercup, it’s alright. It’s all gonna be alright.”

She shook her head, clutching at her throat to get the words out. “She’s right. It’s all my fault.”

“Now, I thought I told you I didn’t want to hear any of that anymore,” Jake said, gently but with a hint of stern resolve. “Now, why don’t we sit down and talk about this?”

“There’s really nothing to talk about, Jake.” Buttercup’s sigh was bone-weary as she sank into one of the island stools. “We have to go home. Abby’s got school, Bob and Nat have work, I have deadlines that I’m already behind on and signings I promised to do months ago and they want me to do edits for a script for one of my novels…We promised them a week together, and that’s what they got.” She shrugged helplessly. “There’s nothing we can do to change that.”

“I get where you’re coming from, darlin’, I do…” Jake leaned against the island across from her. “But…it wouldn’t be too difficult to get Abby signed up for school here, and Bob and Phoenix are grown ups, they don’t need you to take them home. And you…” He sighed heavily. “You can write from anywhere, so why can’t you write here with us?”

Buttercup’s heart cracked wide open, years of heartbreak and loneliness and anger pouring out of her like hot lava. “I can’t believe you’re asking me that again! What about the life I’ve built for myself? My professional reputation? My friends? Abby’s friends? I have a life in London! I like my life in London!”

“I know that.” Jake kept his voice even and calm, even as he wanted to reach out and calm her. “I know I fucked it up the first time. I know I didn’t get it the first time, how much the job and the move and everything meant to you back then. But you’re an award-winning author now, Buttercup. You’re like…number one draft pick in the NFL. You would have dozens of publishers falling all over themselves and each other to publish your stories now. Hell, with the way technology has improved in the last decade, nothing would stop you from keeping your publisher in London and Zooming into meetings with them from here. Isn’t it at least an option?”

Everything he was saying made perfect sense. It was all logical and well thought out, and, for a moment, she could picture it. Staying in Clifton, on the ranch. Turning the guest bedroom into an office for her to write out of while staring out at the pretty scenery, waking every morning in the cradle of Jake’s arms and cuddling with him until their daughters dragged them from bed. Giving them a real shot.

But a real shot meant the possibility of real pain. Pain that she had barely healed from the first time. Pain that she had put him through. Pain that he didn’t deserve. He didn’t deserve any of it, but to protect him, she would have to hurt him.

“I can’t just give up my job, my life because of a one-night stand.” Her voice was cold, belying the white-hot pain that was shooting through her heart, her very soul.

“I thought I meant more to you than that?”

She could hear the pain in his voice and ducked her head, refusing to meet his eyes. “You do…” she whispered, so quiet that he wouldn’t be able to hear her. The words “You did” came at a louder volume. “But I worked too hard to get to where I am now, and so did you.” She gulped down air, feeling like the walls were closing in on her. “I…I finally healed from everything we put each other through, and we can’t just fall back together again because it’s easy.”

Jake scrubbed a hand over his face. He knew what she was talking about. They had put each other through a lot, and it had taken over a decade to even start to heal from that, but they had healed. Wasn’t he worth giving it another go? Weren’t the girls worth trying for? He tamped down the anger he felt growing in his gut and asked, “When have we ever been easy?”

“You know what I mean, Jake.” Her sigh was heavy, bowing her shoulders like she was carrying the weight of the world. “We’re familiar. We’ve been living in the same house for a week, and, in a moment of weakness, we let ourselves fall back into old habits. And it felt good. But we’ve been down this road before. We know what lies at the end of it.” Tears pricked her eyes again and she blinked them back. “Besides, you were just engaged to another woman. You were planning on going back to the Navy. I…I can’t be the thing you hold onto just because you’re afraid of what your life will look like in six years.”

Jake felt the anger within him rise, and he relied on every ounce of his military training to remain composed, to not let the anger seep into his voice. “I don’t think I’m the one who is afraid here. You’re running.”

“Jake—”

Despite the way she was shaking her head, hands covering her face, Jake moved around the island and gently put his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him. “I know you felt something last night. I felt it too. Just because we didn’t work out the first time, doesn’t mean we won’t work out this time. You don’t have to be afraid of what might happen either, sweetheart.” His voice was filled with so much warmth and passion that Buttercup felt the tears fall faster and harder down her cheeks. This sweet man. She had never deserved him. His hands stroked her upper arms as he continued. “You’ve done such a good job on your own. Abby is incredible and your books…” Jake shook his head in amazement. “You’re incredible. But you don’t have to be strong and do it all on your own anymore. I know you can, but you don’t have to. Let me help. Just stay and let me help.” He was begging and he knew it, but he couldn’t help the tightness in his chest that told him that he had to convince her to stay. That he couldn’t lose her again. “I know you felt it last night,” he ended in a murmur.

Buttercup buried her head in her hands and sobbed. He was saying all the right words and she could feel the warmth and kindness pouring out of him, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she would ruin it all again. “I…I can’t,” she cried. “We have to be the adults here. I can’t just leave my life behind and stay with you. Not again. We tried that once and it didn’t work, and we owe it to our girls to be better this time. We have to be better this time. For them. What we want doesn’t matter.”

Breath whooshed out of Jake’s lungs as he took her in. His Buttercup looked so small and broken, sobbing at his kitchen island. He had done that to her. He had broken his strong, independent, fiercely loyal and kind woman. No matter how badly he wanted to keep her, he couldn’t hold her back again. “This…this is really what you want?”

With doubt clogging her throat, she murmured, “It is.”

Jake’s shoulders bowed, and he grunted to clear the tingling in his throat and in the bridge of his nose. “Then…as you wish, I guess.”

Buttercup nearly ran down the path towards the dude ranch cabins. After a tense breakfast, one where no one said anything to each other, Buttercup got changed and got out of the ranch house as quickly as she possibly could. She felt like she couldn’t breathe with the weight of Jake’s disappointed gaze upon her and Charlie’s hate-filled words hanging in the air around them. Not even her sweet Abby had been able to look her in the eye, so she fled the moment it was acceptable to do so.

Now, she was marching to her brother’s cabin to talk to him and his best friend, to get some sort of reassurance that she was doing the right thing. She quickly climbed the two steps up and came up short when the door swung open, Javy emerging in his jeans, carrying his shirt from last night.

“Oh…” They both froze and stared at each other. “Hey Buttercup.”

“Hey Javy…”

“You, uh…” Javy shuffled his feet. “You good?”

“Not really,” she admitted, staring down at her toes. “Is Nat in there? Or Bob?”

“Bob spent the night in Mickey’s cabin with him and Yale. But Nat…” A shy smile pulled at Javy’s lips as he shrugged. “She’s asleep upstairs. I’ve gotta run to practice though. Can you tell her I said goodbye? And that I’ll see her for dinner tonight?”

Despite her own broken heart, Buttercup found herself smiling. “I’m glad you two were able to work it out. I’ll let her know.”

“Thanks, Buttercup.” He grinned and placed a light jab against her shoulder as he passed. “And hey? I’m sure whatever’s bugging you will work itself out in the end.”

“I don’t think so, Javy. But thanks.”

Buttercup let herself into the quaint little cabin and headed straight for the bedroom, where her friend was just waking up. Buttercup thanked whatever not-completely-evil god that was out there that her friend was wearing a t-shirt. After the morning she’d had, the last thing she wanted was to have her friend flash her by accident.

“Hey…” Natasha yawned as she stretched her arms over her head. “What’re you doin’ here? Where’s—” Natasha cut herself off, looking away from Buttercup.

“Javy had football practice. He says he’ll see you for dinner.” That was all Buttercup managed to get out before flopping onto the bed and sobbing.

“Jesus Christ, B!” Natasha scrambled up and pulled her crying friend into her lap. “What the hell?” A gentle hand ran up and down the length of Buttercup’s spine. “You’re alright, girl. C’mon.”

“J-Jake and I hooked up last night,” Buttercup blubbered, burying her face into the plaid comforter that covered her friend’s lap.

“And…was it…not good?” Try as she might, Natasha was struggling to see the problem.

“It was great!”

Both ladies were surprised at the strength of Buttercup’s sobs. It was unlike her to cry so much, but clearly, she had to exorcise some demons, and crying seemed to be the best way to get them out.

Natasha sighed and patted her friend on the back. “Then I am confused.”

“Join the fucking club…” Buttercup muttered, wiping her face on the bedspread before sitting up, her tear ducts seemingly empty. “We…we’re going home tomorrow. I can’t believe I was so stupid as to hook up with my ex-husband right before we’re going back home.”

“Not gonna lie, lady, but you were basically eye-fucking him all night. I’m not surprised that you two fell into bed together. The sexual tension was too great.” Natasha propped herself up against the oak headboard and stared at her friend. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, you know. Lots of couples do one last fuck fest after a breakup or divorce.”

“Is that what you and Javy were doing last night?” Buttercup bit out, no malice in her voice, only exhaustion.

Natasha bit her lip. “Actually…it was more of a ‘lets try this thing again’ than a ‘lets get this thing out of our systems’.”

Buttercup blinked her bloodshot eyes. “How are you two going to try it again when our flight leaves tomorrow?”

One of Natasha’s calloused fingers gently traced the scar that ran over her eye, something that she only did on the rare occasion that she was nervous. “That’s the thing…I’m not getting on that flight. Bob said that he could get me a refund with the airline since it’s, y’know, his airline.”

“You’re staying?” Of all the things she expected her best friend to say, it certainly wasn’t that. “What about your classes? Your friends?”

Natasha shrugged. “One of the other instructors can take over until they hire someone else. And there’s a gym in town that needs a new female personal trainer. Javy’s pretty sure they’d take me on the spot. And honestly, B? What friends? I had work friends that I only hung out with occasionally off the clock, and I had you and Bob. I lived in your home, ate your food, and hung out with you. No offence, because you know I love you, but not going back isn’t that big of a deal to me.”

Buttercup nodded as she looked at her friend. “I hate that you’re leaving me,” she mumbled, pulling Natasha into a fierce hug. “But I’m proud of you for giving him another shot. You just make sure he knows that if he hurts you, I’m only one transatlantic flight away from kicking his ass.”

“Or…you could always stay too and be just a walk down the road away from kicking his ass.” Natasha’s voice was gentle and kind, but Buttercup was already shaking her head. “Why not?”

“Because we tried, and we failed.”

“So did me and Javy,” Natasha nudged her.

“But you don’t have kids who will suffer if you try again and it still falls apart.”

“Fair point…” Natasha hummed and turned towards her. “What if it doesn’t fall apart?”

“I can’t risk it, Nat,” Buttercup murmured, tears welling in her eyes again. “I can’t hurt Abby and Charlie like that. They have to come first.”

“I get that.” Natasha reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand comfortingly. “But you have spent over a decade putting Abby first. You have been an amazing mother to that girl. Maybe it’s time to start putting yourself first instead.”

Buttercup squeezed back, snuggling down in her friend’s bed and sighing. If only it was that easy.

The next 24 hours passed in a blur of emotion. Charlie still wasn’t speaking to Buttercup, despite Jake’s private talk with her when she returned to the ranch house after her walk. Abby wasn’t faring much better, quiet but not angry the way her sister was. More…resigned. And Jake…well, Jake did what Jake always did. He walled up everything he was feeling behind thick, military issue shields and pretended. It was what he was trained to do. Compartmentalize and prioritize. His priority was making sure that his girls didn’t leave the ranch sad.

Buttercup’s eyes remained bloodshot for the rest of the day, and it broke Jake’s heart to see his girl so distraught. Part of him wanted to ask her to reconsider, to ask if her decision to leave was what was making her so miserable, but he didn’t. His Buttercup had only made one rash decision in her entire life: staying with him in Miramar. Every other decision had been meticulously thought out, including going to London to start over. He couldn’t blame her for that, and he couldn’t blame her for wanting to return to her life abroad, no matter how much it felt like it was killing him to let her go again.

So, Jake pushed it all down and tried to make it the best 24 hours he possibly could. He took his three girls on a trail ride after having a small goodbye lunch for their remaining guests. Fanboy, Yale, Payback and his family all enjoyed a small gathering despite the tense atmosphere. That atmosphere remained throughout the trail ride, though Jake had hoped it would help cool Charlie down. Dinner was similarly quiet, the five of them eating their spaghetti and meatballs in relative silence, though it seemed that both Rooster and Charlie were cheered to hear that Phoenix would be staying. Jake couldn’t help the glance he spared at Buttercup when that news was shared before Javy swept Phoenix out the door to keep their dinner reservation in town. He knew he couldn’t question why Phoenix was brave enough to stay and try to work things out, not when he knew why Buttercup was doing the brave thing by leaving. She was doing it so that the girls wouldn’t suffer from the fallout if they couldn’t keep their shit together a second time, and Jake couldn’t blame her. He would do anything to make sure Charlie was happy. Problem was that this decision didn’t seem to be making anyone happy.

Nobody got much sleep that night, the tension growing over the house like a big black storm cloud, what ifs and maybes swirling like a tornado. Day dawned without sun; the metaphorical storm having grown into a real one that had rain lashing at the windows. Breakfast was a silent affair, and Jake could barely choke down any lunch, one final meal before he had to say goodbye to his girls.

Bags were piled at the front door, waiting for the airport limo Bob had called for, complimentary because of his position with the airline. Six adults and two children stood in the doorway of the ranch house, waiting for the telltale sound of tire on gravel to signal the end. When Jake caught sight of headlights bouncing through the darkened sky, he sighed and gathered Abby into his arms.

“I love you, baby,” he murmured into her hair, and his heart broke as she clutched him tighter. “I’ll see you at Thanksgiving, okay?”

“I love you too, daddy.”

Jake opened his eyes and saw Buttercup ringing her hands as she approached Charlie, who had her arms crossed stiffly across her chest.

“I…I’m sorry, Charlie,” he heard her soft words and his chest ached for her. For both of them. His two girls were so strong and so stubborn, and they were both in so much pain. “I love you, sweet girl. I hope you remember that.” When it became clear that Charlie was not going to embrace her mother, Buttercup sighed and pressed a kiss to her hair instead. “I love you, darling.”

Buttercup turned to Rooster, who wrapped her in a tight hug. “You take care of yourself, alright, Buttercup?” he gravelled.

“I will. You take care of them for me, okay?”

“You know I will.”

A similar exchange happened with Javy, though Jake was sure that it included some sort of threat about treating Phoenix well, based on the slight grimace on Javy’s face as Buttercup turned and hugged her friend.

It was at that point that the car pulled up to the front door and Jake forced himself to release his daughter.

“Go say goodbye to everyone while I take your bags out,” he whispered to her, trying his best not to crumble at her tear-stained face.

She nodded and ran over to Phoenix, almost knocking her over. “I love you, Auntie Nat.”

“I love you too, kid.”

She squeezed Rooster next, the two of them having a whispered conversation as Jake passed, taking the bags out to the limo. He didn’t care that his white t-shirt was becoming see-through. He didn’t much care for anything at the moment. He was completely numb, just like he had been when he watched Buttercup and Abby walk out his front door the first time. He took his time loading the bags into the trunk before heading back into the house, feeling like he was walking to his execution.

When he stepped into the foyer, his eyes went straight to Abby and Charlie, embracing by the stairs. He sighed and turned to Bob, shaking his ex-brother-in-law’s hand before turning to Buttercup, who was watching her daughters with a sad sort of smile.

A gentle hand on her shoulder pulled her attention to him right as he pulled her into a hug. She folded into him the same way she always had, like she belonged there. Jake told himself that her trembling was because he was soaked to the bone, and if he felt moisture soaking into the front of his shirt, he told himself that was just the rain too.

She pulled away a few moments later, surreptitiously wiping at her eyes as she murmured, “It’s time to go, Abby.” She met his eyes for a fleeting second. “Thank you, Jake.”

“As you wish, sweetheart,” he murmured and escorted them onto the covered porch, where he gave Abby one more hug before pulling Charlie into his arms as they watched Bob, Buttercup and Abby make a run for the limo.

Bob held the door open as Abby slid in. Buttercup glanced over her shoulder at Jake and Charlie, standing like statues on the porch. She waved a sad goodbye before sliding in beside her daughter. Bob gave him an understanding nod before joining them and slamming the door shut. The limo roared to life and started down the dirt drive, rain and wind whipping at the windshield as they went. Abby and Buttercup huddled together on the leather seats as Bob gave instructions to the driver, and then they were silent.

Jake’s chest heaved as he watched them go, watched two-thirds of his heart walk away from him again.

“Wait!” Charlie cried, throwing off his hold and taking off down the wet and muddy driveway. “Mom, wait!” Jake lunged after her, grabbing her up in a hug as the limo disappeared between the trees, the falling rain too loud for them to hear her pleas.

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[the-stars-in-your-eyes-if]

⋆˚꩜｡ NO DEMO YET ｡꩜˚⋆

The sentient species (TBA)

Current world state (TBA)

Playlist

★ SYNOPSIS ★

Life hasn't always been easy but it is yours and you love it.

You barely remember your parents; when you think about them, you can only picture your master coming to you with a choice: to become a Guardian or to stay in your small village. Of course you agreed to go with him, you were part of the few chosen able to manipulate the Source, you were fated to protect the galaxy. It was irresponsible to not join the Guardian Order.

From the training room to the dinning hall and the youngling' quarters, passing by the majestic gardens, you were always found with your two best friends: Diesel and Max. One never went without the others. You became apprentices together, you trained and studied hard with one another until you were Guardians yourselves, the equal of your masters. You thought it would always be the three of you against the world but things didn't go as planned…

You couldn't stay and become a master yourself, taking a youngling under your wing was too much. Too much responsibilities, too much pressure, you didn't have the shoulders for it. So you left your Temple behind and you went to explore the galaxy.

You ended up working as a merc, alone. You try to live up to the Guardian's ways: keeping the universe balanced and all, but really you're just trying to survive in this cruel world.

You just took on a new job, an easy one. You had no clue what was coming for you…

RATED +18

TW: explicit language, violence, transphobia, use of alcohol and drugs, (soft) sexual content, mental illness, mention of self-harm, mention of suicide

★ FEATURES ★

– Customize your MC’s appearance, personality and species. You can choose between four different species! You decide who you are.

– Your choices will define your reputation and popularity. Are you good at your job? Are you an underground merc or a figure of your community?

– Engage in romantic and/or sexual affair…

– …or don’t, your choice!

– Will you recruit colourful people or will you rather stay with your original crew?

– Are you going to help the people that cross your path or do you only care about yourself?

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ THE CHARACTERS ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

THE CHARIOT — Roman Lupin (he/him) [ekery]

"I said I was going to help you, can you stop yelling at me?"

Roman is a veteran from the System Union, the armed force of the Galactic Union Assembly. He’s a man full of life, he gladly is the comic relief and he takes great pride in it. He’s very secretive about his life before you and Isra, you both assumed Roman had a lot of bad memories from his time in the army. Roman and Isra are in a very healthy open relationship.

THE EMPRESS —Isra Wanfa (she/they) [human]

"For the last time, we need a cleaning schedule or this ship will be the galaxy’s official dumpster"

Born into a family of politicians, Isra is the youngest of three children. While her siblings pursed their political career, Isra became a regular of the infamous mercenary bar of Harmonia: the Interlude. Rich child that chose the street's education brought shame onto their family. Years of listening to old and new mercenaries' stories, Isra eventually quit everything to join MC, this young merc eager to prove their worth. Travelling into the galaxy, Isra forgot about their family, their roots, but for how long can she ignore it?

THE HERMIT — Diesel Fey'lan (they/them) [human]

"I genuinely couldn’t care less."

Diesel was abandoned as a new born at the doors of a Guardian Temple. The only thing they have from their parents is this weird triangle birthmark on their face. They don't care about their roots, Diesel had a good childhood with the Guardians and they were a good student, maybe the best of the Temple. They were close friend with MC and Max until… Well, let's not talk about it.

THE MOON — Archibald "Archie" Griffin (they/he) [human] recruitable

"My whole life has been dictated by my family, it’s time for me to stand on my own two feet."

Archie popped out of nowhere to help MC and their crew on a job. He was the most surprising person they ever met and the chemistry was very much here. The crew doesn’t know much about Archie, but it doesn’t matter: they have definitely their place with them, if MC agrees to recruit him. It wouldn’t change anything to learn about their life before their meeting. Right?

THE EMPEROR — Athena Skyhold (she/her) [ekery]

"I’m the one who take the hard decisions, do not make me the villain of this story."

Athena is a noble woman from the Osterkirk System. She tossed her title away to become a knight. She quickly made it to the royal guard and she was assigned to Cat's security. The two of them became best friends and some people think something is going on between them but they always denied it. A knight can't have a romantic relationship with the person they work for.

THE STAR — Catharina "Cat" Solace (she/her) [human]

"I might be the princess of Osterkirk but here, I don’t hold any authority. I only advice."

Cat is the daughter of the Osterkirk System's king and queen. Born in a former human colony turned independent kingdom, she's a strong and caring woman and the youngest Councillor of the Galactic Union Assembly. Always with polite a smile and wise words, she doesn't hesitate to speak up until she's heard.

THE HIEROPHANT — Cal Eldrid (he/him) [osna'n] recruitable

"Rules and laws exist for a reason, it’s my job to make sure you respect it."

Cal is part of the Harm-Sec, Harmonia very own police. He takes his job very seriously and he won't let anyone cross the line, it's true for both the civilians and his colleagues. His work ethic gave him the opportunity to quickly rise through the ranks. His coworkers respect him but he isn't liked by a lot of them… He never goes drinking with them nor talk about his personal life. He's stern and strict and he doesn't care what people think about him as long as he has their respect.

THE HIGH PRIESTESS — Olivia "Ollie" Duncan (she/her) [osna'n] recruitable

"I am no fighter, but I will not stand back while all of this is happening."

Ollie is the priestess of her clan: her connection to the Source is something never seen before. She wasn't who the former priestess chose to succeed her but neither her nor Ollie had any say in this. The Source had spoken: it gave Ollie a power as majestic as unique. But Ollie didn't want this life, she didn't choose this and she wants out…

THE HANGED MAN — Max Fey'lan (she/her OR he/him) [thanen] recruitable

"Never thought I'd see you again. It's… strange."

Max was your best friend in the whole world, you were inseparable. Similar to Diesel, Max was given to the Temple when they were a toddler. They were quite a youngling: always up to no good and their hot temper didn't always agreed with the masters. But it was still Max and you loved Max. After your fallout, Max left the Temple to the Maker knows where.

[omgfangirlland]

A neglected reader x batfam where she's dating klarion 👀.

Like.. Imagine, the reader was loved by Bruce and everyone in the fam but ever since the death of Jason, they begun to forget about her because of their grief. They distanced themselves without even noticing, busying themselves with works and crime fighting.. Not noticing that a certain someone had been distancing themselves.

Reader is the type of person who doesn't like to chase after someone. If she feels that she's being pushed away then she'd just back away.. Of course she'd try to communicate with them but if it keeps failing then she'd stop. She also noticed how her father took in Tim and that was when she gave up.

She'd often sneak out of the mansion and that's how she met klarion. Reader somehow befriended both Child and klarion. Her friendship with klarion became something more and then BOOM! She's dating him (very odd trio considering that child and klarion are both chaos Lords and have a very poor relationship with one another but let's pretend that reader somehow befriended the two of them 🙂)

-🔱

I'm really trying to do these in order, but damn, do some of the newer stuff you send unsmooths my brain-

This is me when I saw the Lost Twin Sister of Bruce, and One Night Stand asks you sent:

Post scriptum- Slighty murderous reader- unintentionally murderous if you will :))

I heard your Child and Klarion- I'll get there- I just want to get this little thing outta my head.

After Jason died and everyone grieved in the worst way possible, maybe you included, you were understanding, taking care of Bruce and Dick even if they were short, but that quickly ended when Tim came around, took Robin's place and started getting the families praise for what she had been doing before he came.

Any pity you had for them died and got buried with Jason, and you've become a silent menace.

So, when newly escaped from the assassin's league Jason saw your 16 year old self grumbling to herself while chipping at a ledge Bruce and Tim started using as their perch point for surveilance- he couldn't help but smile. It was methodical enough for the bats to think it happened naturally, a bit there, a bit more on the chips that already existed- it'll be sturdy enough to hold Tim, but as soon as Bruce lands, they'll both go down.

You flinched at his voice from beneath you, leaning over a sturdy part of it, only to be met with a red helmet across the building, the man standing on the balcony in one of the smaller apartment buildings.

"...Mind your own business, motorbike fetishist."

Jason snorted as you went back to work, cleaning up. "I don't think the bats would apreciate you messing with their shit." And you just huffed. "Well, I don't appreciate them sending my boyfriend to hell. And this is public property."

"Boyfriend?" Jason didn't come back from death just to have you thinking you're grown and, good heavens, DATING some lowlife in prison. "Minding your own business will keep you alive, newcomer."

The anger only got worse when he found out how they've been treating you, and that the boyfriend was actually a Lord of Chaos, and they didn't even know it.

Speaking of- that's about how you met Klarion and Child.

They were ignoring you, so you took the chance to let out some steam. It was small inconveniences at first, all left shoes going missing, switching around the place of things on their belts, mixing red food dye in the softener.

Alfred knew it was you, he saw you standing in the middle of the kitchen and staring at the cupboard, and the next hour he heard a crash and found Tim crying, in one hand his coffee mug, in the other the cupboard door- matter of fact- every cupboard and countertop door was on the floor as if Tim simply opening one created a domino effect. He didn't say anything. If they couldn't tell it was you, that was their problem.

That escalated the more Tim took over, starting to act like he was the only one Bruce needed. Maybe it was a mix of jealousy and anger, resentment- you weren't sure, but it did get worse, both your feelings about them and your mischief.

Klarion already had his eyes on the family, on Bruce, so when his senses tingled when one of his brats essentially became Discord reincarnated, he was giggling up a storm- he didn't care about the undead one anymore- you were more fun.

He enjoyed it- watching you put sticks in their lives, creating cracks in Bruce's relationship with Selina, making Tim so paranoid that every day he's on the edge of a breakdown, Dick's life was a mess around this time anyway, the little pushes you gave from afar just made everything thumble down.

He didn't expect the help he gave you for free, pushing things towards you and giving you ideas in your dreams, and he sure as hell didn't expect to do such a human thing as falling in love.

It made him cackle. Him? Falling in love with a human? He'd laugh until his stomach hurt just to ignore the longing in his chest. But he couldn't watch from the shadows forever, it wasn't his style, and when you almost slipped into the Lazarus pit as you were fucking around with it- he simply counldn't have hisfavorite human die.

You became friends. At least in your mind, he was already gathering information on binding your souls to one another. Not just one way, he wanted to show you how willing he was to trust you with such an important part of him.

Soon enough, you met Child, and initially, she "befriended" you just to annoy Klarion, seeing him throw tantrums over you being busy with her was entertaining. She had to reevaluate the choices she made that eneded with her in your room, watching some shitty horror movie as you painted her nails.

She knew she was in deep when you looked at her with a smile, calling her and Klarion your best friends. She hated it. She was so angry after, mainly at how easily she let her guard down around you, how happy she got when around you.

She got why Klarion was so enamored with you. Child took it upon themselves to protect you... Protect to a lord of chaos meant something different- especially adding in Child's hate toward Klarion.

The witch boy knew the blonde was trying to mess with his relationship with you, jokes on them both, you already knew they both were crazy and enemies, so you really didn't believe anything that they said about the other one.

And above all, Teekl was utterly obsessed with you. The familiar was on you whenever it could, refusing to leave your lap most of the time and purring constantly in your presence. Poor thing would get so annoyed once your relationship with Klarion became official, and he'd try to touch you while the cat was in your embrace.

Bruce didn't notice shit. But John Constantine sure as hell did- well, he saw the cat and connected the dots.

At first, he just thought the thing bonded to a human by accident and decided to stay for the warmth and cuddles. He's seen you dote on the thing like it was a baby, for fuck's sake. And then he met Klarion and his familiar. The same one you took care of.

Yeah, he wasn't going to have Bruce's kid on his mind- Klarion's probably draining her energy or whatever his little evil self is doing (like whining and crying your ear off when the Young Justice League don't want to play with him but are entertaining Shazam)

And thus, why you are upping Bruce's and Tim's misfortune, even if you know that your lover will be back tomorrow.

Jason uses this card in the big fight with Bruce, and the man has to stay awake the whole night just to think of a way to bring up to his daughter this- I mean- what do you even say to your teen daughter dating a 16 million years old Lord of Chaos?

...

He goes out as Brucie that night, getting so hammered that he barely remembers the discussion. He freezes when he sees you with that blasted cat, feeding it caviar. Alfred's look says that Bruce is on his own with this.

[crooked-wasteland]

Founded another post that made me "uuuuh" cause, now they are saying Blitz and Stolas were "exploiting one another", and that, quote, "Plain and simple they both took advantage of each others vulnerabilities, but some shit Blitz did was purely to benefit himself while hurting or blatantly disrespecting Stolas as a person".

What are your toughs on this? Are they right? Idk why it doesnt completely convince me.

Perhaps this may be a bit of a journey, but walk with me as we understand the base argument and why it feels like it's a cop out.

When the show Friends can have a more conceptualized conversation about morality, we have issues. In an episode of Friends, Joey and Phoebe get into a bit of a fight where Phoebe insists that selfless actions are something we can partake in while Joey says that nothing is actually selfless at all.

(As an aside, this is such a hilariously well written scene and I hate Friends as a show. But the fact that the writers openly had Phoebe make her mother's suicide all about herself is comedy gold. And her sense of entitlement from strangers for her misfortune juxtaposed with her insisting that altruism is real all because she needs to make herself feel like a good person worthy of importance is great. One of the few times Friends has some actual smart writing.)

The point being, yes. There is no such thing as a purely good deed that isn't also done because we selfishly get something out of it. Offering food to someone who is hungry is only something you would do if you felt you could. If you needed that good as much as that person does, you wouldn't give them anything.

Or in the case of Phoebe, while it is a sacrifice to allow your body to be used for someone else to grow their family, you only do it because it in some way is desirable to you. Because of money or just for the attention and the social boost of other people admiring the "sacrifice" you have taken.

There is no true altruism. People do things for their own benefits. People protesting outside of Planned Parenthood do it because they feel like they will get recognition from their God or religious group. They don't actually care about other people's quality of life.

People who volunteer for nonprofits do it because they find satisfaction for themselves in the cause, or they do it to find a sense of community with like-minded people, or because they want to feel like they are better people than those who do not.

No one does anything they don't want to do. The whole point is to think about why they believe they want to do it. Everyone only does things because they have a genuine belief. The whole point is to try and understand people's actions from their own perspective.

So when we look at Blitz and him stealing the book and taking advantage of Stolas, it's pretty easy to see what could motivate Blitz.

I say COULD because the show itself doesn't really care to give the characters any actual depth or values or needs. So this is just evidence based on the show that could lend itself to deeper characterization if the show was more interested in telling a story.

But Blitz has extremely damaged self-esteem due to his father growing up and also the world building being designed around this hierarchy that Blitz was born into the bottom of. That has resulted in Blitz being born into a position of low social worth as well as his individual self-esteem being shredded by an abusive parent.

On that note, Cash Buckzo is a business owner in his own right with his circus. He works for himself and that is something uncommon in the world building as explicitly states in Harvest Moon. But it is in the field of entertainment. There is some evidence to show that the entertainment industry in Medrano's Hell is structurally identical to Earth, which requires understanding how entertainment has evolved in our society.

Travelling performers are often associated with persecuted minorities like the disabled and racial minorities throughout history. Circus owners have a bit of a reputation throughout history of being subpar human beings profiting off the labor and misfortune of others. From buying and selling literal children with disabilities and uncommon medical conditions to then prostituting out their stars to pocket the money for themselves. Historically speaking, circus owners are purely bottom feeders, and it appears that Cash Buckzo is based on that P. T. Barnum characterization.

So Cash is at the top of his game, while sucking out the life and talent of those he employs. Conversely Blitz is providing real opportunity and upward mobility in a way his father never did. Half of Blitz's whole personality is his business (or at least it was supposed to be) which is tied to his need to prove his father wrong. If he can also be a successful businessman, but more successful than Cash, Blitz believes that would fix his self-worth issues (hypothetically as this is only vaguely hinted at in the show and none of this is actually confirmed in any way. It's 1 part canon and 4 parts headcanon, this is just a generous translation of the mess that is the show to try and make these characters feel less like paper dolls and more like they have a story worth telling).

If it means having sex with someone he doesn't want to, Blitz can convince himself that it actually is something he'd want to do anyway. Because his need to prove himself as valuable is his motivation to tolerate the wealthy creep that is salivating all over him. In effect, yes Blitz would believe he wants to have sex with Stolas, but that is only because the alternative is not having a successful business and proving his father to have been right about him all along.

On another, deeper level, it could also be argued that Blitz loves his employees in a dysfunctional way because he doesn't have friends.

Look, this is kind of why I disagree with people that Ghostfuckers is even a decent episode because it's too contradictory. I'm supposed to believe that Blitz genuinely cares about Millie as a friend and sought her out for hire because he genuinely respects her. But at the same time he hasn't paid her or her husband in over a month, instead blowing their paychecks on owl dolls and horse printed plates because he's sad. The idea that Blitz and Millie are even remotely friends is laughable when you put in perspective how little Blitz respects her and Moxie.

I'm supposed to trust that she would know Blitz enough to be there for him and trust him during his demon possession, but he actively lies to her, never prioritizes her (unless it's to benefit himself), and blatantly disrespects her. It's almost like women in this show only exist to serve as tools to provide the male characters story and character opportunities and the writers' disinterest in them results in the male characters also being disinterested in them and so they also never get to benefit from said writing opportunities and they almost always come out as looking worse for it.

TL;DR: Blitz and Millie's relationship in canon is a joke and no one will ever convince me that these two characters are friends. Millie is just a tool by the writers to be or do whatever they need to try and pretend these characters have depth or humanity. Ghostfuckers may be the best episode of season 2, it is still completely incoherent and nonsensical.

Anyway, if the writers had actually done the whole found family/dysfunctional Boss storyline correctly, Blitz owes it to Moxie and Millie to also keep the book. So sleeping with Stolas is also an obligation for him on top of his narrative need to want the book.

So Blitz is coming at this from the perspective of doing whatever he has to do to get what he wants. That's not so much as taking advantage as much as it is seizing a perceived opportunity.

Meanwhile Stolas has been committed to a loveless and abusive marriage without ever considering leaving it until the opportunity presents itself in the form of an Imp with a much lower social class being apprehended in the act of committing a crime. And even then, instead of seeking to escape his abuse, he instead repeatedly cheats on his wife and subjects his daughter to repeated instances of violent arguments over his infidelity.

He believes he wants Blitz because....

Well, that's sort of the problem, isn't it? Because there is no real reason for Stolas to think he wants Blitz, in fact, the show makes it clear that he simply does want Blitz.

I asked fans a year or so ago why Stolas was in love with Blitz. As in what attracted Stolas to Blitz, and the overall consensus was that he enjoyed Blitz's sense of humor. Except the show outright contradicts that.

In the canon of the show, this is simply love at first sight for Stolas. Something that is not mutually shared, by the way. And Blitz explicitly states that he never once knew that Stolas had any feelings for him.

Unlike Blitz, Stolas has no reasoning other than to have ownership over Blitz. Not because of who Blitz is, but because he simply desires him, and did so since he was a child. As much as the writers think they made Stolas appear to see Blitz as an equal, all they have shown is that Stolas has always seen Blitz as something he can possess. Even as Blitz made it clear that he was not into it.

So while Blitz has reasons to participate in Stolas' game, Stolas as a character has always consistently removed any sense of agency from Blitz, as I pointed out in previous posts.

There is no mutual taking advantage of each other then. Stolas defined the relationship from the start based solely on his own vapid desire to claim Blitz as somehow his. Whereas Blitz allows himself to be used and taken advantage of because he believes it will get him what he wants.

And due to that, there is no reason for Blitz to have respect for Stolas. Stolas doesn't deserve respect as he doesn't give any to Blitz. And while many would say Blitz also doesn't deserve respect because he gives none to Stolas, that is true. But when most people assess that world building and how Blitz is the underdog in the dynamic fighting for his right to be respected in an unfair world, he was born into a role that no one respects. Meanwhile Stolas was born into literal nobility and reverence (as seen by how people treat Stolas in season 1, like him not needing a reservation into Ozzie's while Moxie had to plan a year in advance for his date with Millie).

Frankly speaking, Stolas was born into respect and lost it among his peers through his own mediocrity. And Blitz's lack of respect is based on systemic oppression, not even because of who Stolas is as a person. Blitz doesn't owe Stolas anything as the weaker individual in the dynamic. Blitz is literally punching up when he insults Stolas, which most sane human beings would recognize as not reflecting poorly on Blitz, but on society. All while he asserts agency by warping his own psyche to think this relationship with Stolas is one he actually wants because it fills his wants while distorting Blitz's needs.

Meanwhile Stolas can just say he wants something and can get it, as seen by the fact that the only reason Blitz is even a part of his life is because he said he wanted him and his father literally bought Blitz for Stolas' enjoyment. Stolas is as much if not more of a thief than Blitz by the fact that he steals Blitz's humanity through Stolas' status alone.

By the way, Blitz being terrible to Moxie and Millie does not magically mean he deserves what Stolas does to him. Stolas and his dehumanization of Blitz in no way plays into Blitz's own dysfunction as a person and how he lacks respect for his employees. It doesn't push Blitz to respect his subordinates more, nor do they ever actually work out their issues. Instead Millie is just there to validate the direction the writers are forcing the narrative to go.

TL;Dr: What wrongdoings Blitz commits to M&M will never justify what Stolas does to him.

[obsydyenne]

Yuhhhh film analysis go brr. You have much better syntax organization than I do and honestly this could use a read through but if I refine this whole thing I won't respond for another week.

Meaning the same thing happened to all the Irish passengers as what happened to the Black juke joint victims: they burned to death. See the issue with that is that a boat is inherently not a juke joint. I can believe Remmick stowed away on this Irish worker boat (considering that the Irish of his time would’ve been 100 years past), but it would make more sense especially with the later songs sung (with the KKK,,,,,,,, yeah) that he actually DID get their Fili. This would mean that Remmick actually had the hive mind connection with a Fili but something else would’ve happened to kill everyone on the boat cos how is Remmick so readily caught by sunlight???? (3 whole times in the movie I know the film is pre the proliferation of watches but clearly he’s been around long enough - maybe he was just lingering in Ireland until everyone he knew died and everyone knows that Ireland is only knowledgeable of the concept of a sun so maybe there’s that). I can’t imagine a group of turned vampires having enough agency to all k!ll th*mselves from how the movie presented this specific vampire lore.

So perhaps that is what led him to the native american -> Sammie pipeline. In no way am I advocating for the glorification of this character but I just think he represents something actually prevalent esp in a lot of…. Activism spaces,,, yeah that’s a good way to describe it. 

Obviously “passing” is relevant to the plot of the movie but it's deeper than an octoroon or the asian couple that’s able to sell to both sides and still come to the cookout. It’s the belief that homogeneity is necessary. It’s that dual-sidedness that comes from having to be a community but also living in an intolerant and by all accounts deadly system for all involved. Is it because Smoke wanted to be a prolific black businessman, is it because Mary was so desperate to prove herself useful her main weapon became used against her? it's about hiding/showing your TRUE COLORS: I don’t believe it was Mary’s true colors to sell them out at the end. I can’t find the specific quote now but it’s like when you ask (nominally white) racism deniers would they rather be reborn as a black or white man in America. Now I obviously don’t think any of the characters (Mary even yells it) want to be white, but they all understand that proximity to whiteness and better yet perceived whiteness (I mean but one drop logic, tbh racial discussion is marred from the fact that race doesn’t exist yet is so relevant in - largely American - society) is the safest way to navigate through society. So knowing that the system that they try to just seamlessly slot themselves into (and would have worked if their target audience was actually fairly compensated for their work). Though “fair” and “compensation” really don’t mean much when talking about what’s due to the descendants of the horrors of the trans-atlantic slave trade. I’m going on a tangent but that’s really to the praise of the film. But I digress. I think that was more to show how that wanting to succeed in an unfair system would inherently require the need to share this much required safe space of sorts with groups that want to take advantage. 

The thing about the vampire bites being hidden is also very relevant but I would wager it’s more cos Remmick has clearly been around the block about this before but won’t ignore how it could be a passing allegory. When I said they didn’t kill anyone I didn’t count the vampires as “dead” sorry I know they’re.. Soulfull? Husks? (hilarious cos they’re souls are bound,,, get it? I’ll stop.) 

Remmick's preoccupied with finding magic-in-music that HE can use I do think this is the meat of it. We even see at some point in the film where Remmick would offer sparing everyone for Sammie. This shows his intent as just wanting Sammie’s talents so that he can experience his time again. I do think that community does offer something to the vampire (maybe also as a means of power collection; I haven't delved far into this level of film analysis) as we see them. In the songs presented in the film Remmick (for no damn reason) has way more performance zeal to preform “Rocky Road to Dublin” (which I think is why he wants people for his cause cos no one he bacteriophages, just to good a term sorry, has any real reason to sing that song) compared to his previous two songs sung it has more teeth to it, and an actual display of his true heritage. Pick poor robin clean and,,, the other one, (first viewing I joked not the ukulele people whipping out riptide lol) I believe were more songs shared amongst the black diaspora at the time. So he was probably relatively honest about fellowship but the group that had the “vessel” he wanted just happened to be Black. “Heaven on Earth” was said by Stack and probably more just a reference to his relative euphoria about being able to live without constant fear of racist threat + hive mind shenanigans. I don’t think idiot is a good word to describe Remmick, it’s clear he’s got some grisel to him to survive this long, single-minded though? Definitely. 

even if he made a musician a vampire, they'd lose their magic cuz of the curse, and he'd ditch/kill them cuz they'd be USELESS to him--he'd leave to find another musician, and start the cycle all over again. That is a good point but I don’t think that’s the ticket, more like he’s trying to make other cultures sing and dance for him and show him the things he wants to see. You see in how all the Black people are just jigging to a song that obviously across the diaspora we can relate to but also is something that is relevant only really to Remmick. That’s where I think the source of discontent would be. 

My point's about the fandom falling for Remmick's BS, taking what he said about community/fellowship seriously, when the whole jist of the film's that he's a Fake Ally, a liar, a master manipulator, and selfish AF. That can be true, tbh I don’t participate in Sinners fandom online I’m systematically convincing everyone I know to see it and forcing the dialogue in person so idk. Horrifically disappointed by the lack of Bo gifsets tho, ikik, but fine is fine. So I can understand why seeing so many people rally behind the obvious (and white) villain in a black film made to celebrate a time and uplift symbolism can cause infatuation. I can appreciate the discussion of Remmick as a villain but tbh he’s like,,, the 3rd (maybe 4th) most important plot point in the whole film. What I need a text post is how freaky the film is (6th most important) cos Coogler,,,,, like I know your girl pregnant but you need to unpack something????

Remmick is specifically targeting the storytellers/bards/musicians, and by doing so, is the very ANTITHESIS of community. It's the loss of the Elders that kills our community, the loss of the storytellers who KNOW what's up. We are LETTING the white devil kill our elders & destroy our communities. See this is super important to talk about but if I had enough time to unpack the interactions of Wakanda Forever and why I think Coogler felt the specific need to make this film, I wouldn’t have the means to. 

Stay black (i think) and blessed <3 Keep your eyes open and your doors closed.

Imma need people to stop the BS propaganda that Remmick was looking for community or whatever. Sinners' soundtrack art comes with an in-universe newspaper article dated Aug 1, 1911, describing how Remmick came to America on The Celtic Hare, a ship that sailed from Ireland to Boston, only carrying Irish immigrants. The paper said loud music was heard from the ship the night before it pulled into harbor, like a big party was happening onboard, but once the ship docked a couple hours later, everyone else onboard had died, and the only 1 survivor (Remmick) ran off. So if Remmick was so desperate to "find community" he could riverdance with, he already had it in Ireland! He already had it on The Celtic Hare! He could've found it in every predominately-Irish town or city in America and the Caribbean. No. Instead he's prowling around killing the Choctaws and KKK and African Americans, why? Cuz it's not about "community," it's about CONNECTION to one's ANCESTORS. Remmick is a vampire, so he's cursed, just like Annie said; doomed to be forever stuck on Earth with no way to reconnect with the spirits of his ancestors. Since he's undead, his soul's permanently cut off from his ancestral bonds. He's totally lost his magical/spiritual power as a Fili who can use music to pierce the veil between time, life, and death. That's why Annie demanded that Smoke kill her, rather than let her be stuck as a vampire, haint, or any other of the damned undead. Remmick keeps roaming, keeps killing, because NO ONE and NOTHING can give him "the real" connection anymore; not the Irish that went with him to America, not the Choctaw, not the white racists, not any of his Black victims--and ultimately, not Sammie, either.

[sydwritess]

Music Sounds Better With You

George Russel x fem!reader

Summary: George and y/n work closely together in the F1 workforce. They both have been fond of each other but also develop small inside feelings. When George finds the reader listening to music, he's interested, only to bond further, realizing they have more in common than before.

First Person POV

Wolff had hired me about a couple of months ago for the Mercedes team. My part included watching the interviews of Kimi and George, writing down questions and answers so then I can write them into articles and send them to my manager who uploaded them to the internet.

I worked closely with George and Kimi since the start of my career, talking to them about interviews, the race that was held that weekend and more.

Right now It was the end of the qualifying day in Barcelona. The team had left, only a couple of people were from each team where at the circuit working on something. Right now I was at the pit wall, attached to the garage.

It had multiple computers in two different rows, so the team could watch the race and communicate to the drivers. I was at one of the computers, logging in with my work information and got to typing up an article from the post race interviews.

Before I got my doc set up, I got my air pods out, putting the left one in, I went on Spotify and played 'Swimming Pools' by Kendrick Lamar, one of my favorites. I then got to typing.

I started out with a heading for the interview, and worked my way down, putting in multiple opinions, and quotes that George and Kimi said in the interview about the race.

I was typing for a while, working on different headers and paragraphs. I notice some of the team members come in, sitting at different computers to re watch the race, to get any missed calls or strategies, to try and re-vamp for the actual race.

I finished typing one of the articles when I notice someone sitting next to me. I turn a bit to see George sitting there.

"Hey." He said, logging into the computer.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Some last minute strategies before the race." He said with a soft smile. I turn back to my computer, typing my name at the bottom and submitting it. I then move on to the next.

"What are you writing about?" He asks.

"Oh, just the post-race interview from yesterday. Didn't get much done on it." I said. I saw him nod.

"What about you? Anything new your learning about?" I ask.

"Not much. Always the same." He said, a slight laugh at the end.

"Ah, two team members working together. Lovely to see." A voice said from behind us. I turn to see Wolff standing there.

"Did you get any articles done today?" He asks me.

"Yeah. I just submitted the one for today." I said.

"About?"

"The post race conference." I said, he gave me a look. "With George." I said slowly. He nodded walking back to the garage.

"Hope your writing good things about me." George said with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah don't worry. Just what you said in the interview. What the interviewer asked to." I said.

"Are you... are you able to see what other people submit on there?" He asks quietly.

"Yeah, why?" I ask.

"Do you think your able to pull it up for me?" He asks.

"Yeah. Hang on one second." I said. I saved my draft and went on to the staff page, where all submissions are made.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" I ask while scrolling thorugh.

"That one. That one there." He says, pointing to the screen. I click on it and it's an article about Him and Max during today's race.

"I still don't think you should have gotten that mark." I said, reading through it.

"Yeah. Maybe if he would mind his business." He said, rolling his eyes. "I still don't get how he's not out yet." He said.

"You didn't hear?" I ask, getting a confused look in return. "He's at 11 points. One more and he'll be put on a race ban." I said. George looked taken back.

"Really." He said slowly. I nodded.

"Look, I don't know the full story... but, I think he really needs to control his anger. I mean, one more slip up and that can hurt him in the end. But it also sucks that his team is playing victim right now." I said.

"Yeah. They don't do shit, and when they do... they want a whole damn court case on it." He said, which made me laugh.

"You are so unserious." He said, with a big smile.

"It's true though." I said. Going back to typing. I was in the middle of typing for a good minute when my phone lit up, someone had text me. I saw George look over slightly.

"Wait, you like Kendrick Lamar?" He asked. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to look, it just, caught me my surprise." He said.

"No, no it's okay. Yeah I do. I grew up listening to rap mostly." I said.

"What's your favorite of his?" He asked.

"Swimming pools. What about you?" I ask.

"Probably Humble." He said.

"That's a good one." I said. He nodded, holding my gaze. I grabbed my air pod case and opened it, offering him the other one.

"It's fine." He said, putting a hand up.

"It's okay. I don't care." I said, he eventually took it. Just then I heard a camera click from the outside of the room. I saw one of the other journalist girls standing there.

"This is so cute! A great headline in fact." She smirked.

"Shut it Samantha. You post that, and I'll tell everyone how you truly got here." I said.

"You wouldn't." She said.

"Want to bet? I have an empty draft right here waiting for your name to be posted at the top." I said.

"Fine.. I'll delete it." She said. Walking away.

"Wow. What was that?" George asked.

"She works for red bull. Always trying to get fake news around." I said.

"She's the one that posted the article?" George asked.

"Yeah." I said shortly. We both continued working for a bit, eventually everybody in the side pit left, including Wolff. I was typing up another article when I saw George bob his head slightly. I look at my phone to see what song was playing and it was 'It was a good day' by ice cube.

"Sorry, I'll change it." I said, unlocking my phone.

"No it's pretty good. Who is this?" He asked.

"It's Ice Cube. He has some pretty good stuff." I said.

"Have you seen him before?" He asked.

"No. It's been my dream to though." I said. He nodded and smiled.

"Who's your favorite singer?" I ask.

"Either Kendrick or Taylor Swift." He said.

"Wow, I never thought you would be a Swiftie." I said, smirking.

"It's our little secret then." He said.

"Who do you like the most?" He asked, now fully looking at me.

"Ice Cube or Kendrick. Both are too good." I said. We both worked for a while. The sun starting to set, painting the track in a bright orange color.

"I'm going to go. It was nice seeing you again." I said, getting my backpack and logging off of the computer.

"Do you mind if I walk with you? Just was about to head out myself." He said with a smile

"Yeah, of course." I said, he got his things collected and we both walked out of the circuit, walking to our cars.

"This is me." I said, unlocking my car.

"Have a good night." He said. "Thanks for this again." He said, giving me the air pod.

"Yeah of course." I said smiling. He started to walk away to his car but then stopped slowly, turning to me.

"Hey... can I ask you something?" He asked.

"Yeah, everything okay?" I asked, giving a questioning look. He slowly walked closer to me, sighing as he did.

"Do you, want to go on a date? One day?" He asked.

"I'd love to. When were you thinking?" I asked.

"Maybe tomorrow? Before the race is your not busy." He said.

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Awesome. Maybe you can get me up to date with some songs to." He said smirking, pointing to my phone with his head.

"I can. Maybe I can get you out of your Taylor era." I said giggling.

"Hey." He said, pointing a finger playfully. "I am proud to be a Swiftie. But that's between us." He said with a smile.

"Oh yeah. I mean, if I feel bold. I might write and article about it." I smirked. He slightly laughed, closing the gap between us. What I didn't expect was for him to hug me.

"Thanks for today." He said, arms wrapped around me loosely.

"Yeah, of course. I will see you tomorrow." I said, pulling away from him.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled, walking away.

It was the next day. I was on my way to George's hotel suite, thinking of what was bound to happen next. I walked in, going to the elevator and walking to his door. Knocking three times.

"Hey, come on in." He smiled. I walked in, looking at the room, it had a mini kitchen, one bed, a living room space and a full bathroom.

"Jesus, this is bigger then my house." I joked.

"Yeah. You know, part of the VIP experience." He said. We both walked to the bed, sitting on it for a minute in silence.

"Oh yeah. After last night, I came back here and looked up Ice Cube. He has some pretty good stuff." He said, getting out his laptop.

"Now I know why you want to see him so much." He said.

"Yeah. It's a true addiction." I exaggerated.

"There is one thing I don't understand though." he said.

"What is it?"

"A triple-double? What the hell does that mean?" He asked. I burst out laughing at him.

"What? Did I say it wrong?" He asked. I shook my head no while laughing.

"Oh my God." I said, wiping the tears away. "It means like getting drunk. And you know." I reference. He finally caught on.

"Oh my god you are awful." He said laughing.

"Now I need song recommendations." He said. I opened my case and gave him an airpod while I got the other, hooking them to his laptop. We spent the couple of hours we had, researching songs for him to listen to, and I got into some of his as well. And that is how our date went, not asking for it any other way.

Hey loves! Not as good, but it's still something for George! Comment to be added to the tag list for F1!

[incandescentflower]

I'm enjoying that each of the lead characters in Knock Out are pretty complex.

I am not sure what's going on with Ait, but I am fairly certain it has to do with his sister and her sudden situation change. Attributing it to some social media thing seemed off to me from the beginning anyway.

I'm actually completely fine with them throwing another wrench into Ait and Mawin's relationship as long as Ait still cares about Mawin. Their characters already have traits to set up some pretty organic conflicts. Both have a lot of pride and want to help each other, but don't want to be the one to ask for it. But then you can also see how they are both a unique source of care and comfort for each other and that makes me completely invested in them already. Characters on this drama have already made significant mistakes and been forgiven, so I am hopeful that will continue once what is happening with Ait has been revealed.

Then there's Keen and Thun. They really are like fire and water. They complement each other, they give each other specific things the other needs. They are extremely hot for each other *and* Thun is extremely respectful and constantly seeking Keen's consent, which I don't know if I have ever actually seen this very specific focus in a drama before.

In higher heat dramas, the consent is often dubious at best. Admittedly I gravitate toward Tee's work in terms of these kinds of scenes not only because he seems to have a knack for the best visuals, but he does seem to pick scripts that allow for enthusiastic consent vibes in the sex scenes. But this is the most clear, consistent communication around it I've seen in a drama. Keen does often say what he wants with actions, but when it comes to sex, Thun always confirms with direct, verbal communication. I've really liked that.

And they've built up so much possible external conflict for them, which is definitely my preference when it comes to challenges for couples in dramas.

There's obviously a lot of commentary about power and corruption and the differences in how people are treated depending on social class. It's very Jack & Joker like that, but this is much more coherent in that aspect for me so far.

It's clear that the lower class is more vulnerable to the predatory aspects of gambling, loan sharking and financial scams. The victims appear to have no legal recourse for any of these situations, because the system is corrupt.

And this is what fires so much of Keen's anger, which is totally justified. Add onto that the fact that Thun comes from a well off family and has a way to make large sums of money as he likes. They've already hinted that this will create some conflict - his ability to pay off Keen's debt without a thought wasn't as much a point of tension as I expected, but I liked how they handled it.

So yeah, this is definitely my favorite drama airing right now.

[cent-scratchnsniff]

messy doodles plus with some picked ramblings with them as i process, learn, and progress. yes only some out of many. i talk far too much. i missed so much too im just too tired to talk abt those aspects rifht now

[angy-grrr]

I don’t get why ppl keep saying bkdk is dead or Horikoshi broke off bkdk. If that were true, this extra would look very different as you pointed out multiple times. The extra was still heavily focused on them and I hate how ppl are letting one no dictate the entire relationship. Izuku asks him to be a special lecturer too. I think the no just needs more clarification but other than that it is mostly fine. If a ship were to be shut down by the creator, it would look very different. Same logic for if a ship were to be canon, it would look different than what we got in the end for izu///ocha. This extra was bad in different ways from ships. It was just a whole lot of nothing that doesn’t meaningfully add anything to the story but I guess we shouldn’t be surprised since it is an extra. It is still an ambiguous ending that can be pretty fixable by one shots by Horikoshi in the future or even better by fanfiction lol. Except for the Toga part. That is just inexcusable

himiko-chan :(

and yeah! like even tho 431 is terrible not only for pairs but also for the whole story, it only confirmed Katsuki feels something really strong for deku and he doesnt notice bc he doesnt consider himself to be that great; they keep talking, and they keep being in each other's lives with no problem -they also imply they will work on communicating their feelings, as the special lecture is about this topic and deku also thinks katsuki doesnt see himself in a high regard. This is actually something that could be used in the future, as their relationship and arc isnt completely finished -in the way that they arent at a point of no miscommunication, no yearning, etc. They still need something to work with in regards to themselves and each other in the process. When it comes to midoriya and uraraka, idk what exactly could develop from what 431 tell us -seems to be mostly about paying attention to the ppl in your life instead of just letting life happen I guess? But idk what conversation or arc they could have together that wasn't resolved already, it was a really weird choice to focus on them as if there needs to be more explored -which is why choosing to not make them talk to each other nor think of the other in these years is potentially interesting, like the only way they could actually need to talk things up or have a separated special moment is if they just stop being friends and want to talk more from now on. Like, if they kept their friendship these years and were part of the other's life, there wouldnt be a moment like this at all.

I think it hurt mostly ochako -and deku if we interpret it as "deku just wants to be teacher, he is super happy about it, and loveeees so much his ex bestie after 8 years of no contact and never thinking about her"-, more than the bkdk relationship.

It would be interesting to see those one shots, if he does them -I know he said he wanted to do more things and little drawings and content for it, but idk if he will do something elaborate or just one page of something silly. I think he still has to opportunity of working with the material and make something at least not this bad -or completely ignore 431 and just continue with their adventures like 430 implies lol If he wants to double down with the "romance" I have no idea how he could do it with what he has tbh, unless he just ignores the plot and their personalities.

[crossbackpoke-check]

Substance, Shadow, and Spirit [remixed, abridged] by Tao Yuanming

[transjemder]

bif and carrietta being cold together season

[phagodyke]

ykw actually I am angry + disappointed w them. I've been pushing how I feel aside and trying to make it my own fault so it's all contained but I think theyve just been mean. and they really should know me better ik I try to pretend I don't expect more from them so I feel less hurt when they do things that upset me but we've been friends for years by this point. like come on.

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[sandinmybed]

i reckon so much of the neurodivergent vs neurotypical online discourse could be solved if people stopped seeing it as us vs them they hate us issue and started viewing it more like a culture clash issue

[doodlemancy]

Hey, so, Patreon is lying to you about Apple forcing their hand.

Patreon is getting rid of 1st-of-the-month/per-creation billing, claiming a new decision by Apple has forced their hand. This will hurt a lot of creatives, and their excuse is bullshit. Allow me to explain.

In 2018, Patreon tried to impose a new ill-considered fee structure on everyone that would have cost creators a lot of smaller pledges. They ended up apologizing for this profusely; they have now deleted this apology from their website and unfortunately I was unable to find it on the Internet Archive. This was shameful, but to their credit they backed off quickly when things got ugly.

Back in 2021, Patreon discussed plans to force all creators into a rolling bill structure and get rid of first-of-the-month/pay-up-front billing. The community once again very decisively shouted them down, and they had to walk it back again. This whole fiasco damaged the already shaky trust between Patreon creators and staff.

This week, Patreon announced that, along with extra fees, Apple's policies were supposedly forcing them to move everyone over to the rolling fee structure that they first tried to get us to agree to in 2021. Patreon will tell you they are not happy about this. As a person who spent a long time watching Patreon make terrible decisions, I can tell you-- they are probably very happy about this, because it's exactly the smokescreen they needed to do what they've been trying to do for years, which is pull ALL Patreon creators away from 1st-of-the-month and per-creation billing.

The spin in the news I've seen so far is "Apple bullies Patreon, boo hoo hoo poor Patreon". This is very obviously not what's happening. Mind you: Apple does suck, and they are doing something bad here. Fuck apple. But Patreon and Apple are BOTH the asshole in this situation; Everyone Sucks Here. Patreon has options: they can make the iOS app a reader app and do billing through the browser to avoid the restrictions and the extra fees (Netflix and Amazon, notably, both do this), or they can allow creators to opt-out of iOS billing if they want to use billing models that don't work with it.

It seems most likely to me that the Apple situation is a real fire that Patreon has chosen to use as a convenient smokescreen to do what they've been wanting to do since at least 2021, and maybe since 2018.

What do we do?:

They have a feedback form specifically about this.

They also have a creator discord.

And they have lots of social media pages where they probably really, really hope that this doesn't blow up again, because they never learn. The incidents I've described here aren't the only two other times Patreon has pissed off their creators. They know if they don't contain the noise it'll be harder to get away with it, so make some noise. They've done a lot of work to spin this cleverly so you'll have sympathy for them and they won't get the kind of backlash they know they deserve.

Please don't misuse these links and make threats or spam or something. All you have to do is give well-reasoned feedback. Patreon hates feedback. Make sure they get a nice heaping helping of their least favorite vegetable.