#alSo hi i brought my multi back if anyones interested?

[frenziedslashers]

I HAVE A REQUET FOR RICK‼‼

(Idc what format you use, I'm fine with whatever.) What about Rick crushing on reader? How would he act? Would he confess? Would he show any jealousy? Does he get overly protective? Is he crazy like shane? (Bad joke)

Fr I wanna know how this man is when he is IN LOVE

Bonus points if reader is a lil younger and related to Daryl. 😏

How Rick Grimes acts before and after getting in a relationship:

A/N: AHHH I LOVE THIS IDEA I want to write a fic and headcanons to it. For now I'm gonna put down some headcanons, but I might write a fic for it later since I have no other TWD asks 😭 Would you prefer it all in one or like- a multi-chapter fic? Idk how long it would be, totally depends on my creative flow lmao.

Pairing: Rick xGN!Reader

Warnings: Not a lot really, jealousy, the reader is Daryl's younger sibling so Over-protective-older-brother-DarylTM, tell me if you see anything else I should include :)

REQUESTING INFO || TWD MASTERLIST

Rick doesn't like to admit to anyone that he's caught feelings for you, especially since he knows Daryl would freak out if he even brought it up. Daryl always had you in his line of sight, making sure that you were okay and nothing happened to you. He already lost Merle, he couldn't lose you, too. So, anytime Rick even so much as approached you he knew he had to hold back on some of the more affectionate things he wanted to do to you. Such as brushing hair out of your face if your hair was long enough to do so, or touching your arms, hands, shoulders, or back. Daryl seemed to shoot down anything Rick did to you, even in a friendly manner.

Rick was good at talking to you when Daryl wasn't around to interrupt the both of you, though. He liked to make excuses to go on runs with just you.

If you know anything about tracking he's asking you to teach him how to do it. It gives him an opportunity to be with you in the forest alone. He'll brush his knuckles against your hand while the both of you walk a little too close.

Whenever he knows - or at least thinks - Daryl isn't looking he likes to place his hand on your shoulder or upper back. Especially when talking with new people. If you're a touchy feely person, he wouldn't mind holding your hand while the both of you strolled or sat next to each other. Or linking pinkies with one another, he finds it to be cute.

If the two of you are relatively close, he likes holding you before he falls asleep. He claims it's so he can fall asleep and to help with his nightmares. Which, he isn't entirely lying. You seem to scare all his bad dreams away.

When his feelings grow stronger for you, the more protective he gets over you. So, now not only do you have Daryl pushing you behind him to protect you from the monsters in front of him - living or dead - you also have Rick behind you. Protecting you from the dead and glaring daggers at the living.

He's even more head over heels for you if you're good with Carl and Judith. He likes watching you interact with his kids. One of his favorite daydreams is you being their new parental figure and he your spouse. Or at least just your boyfriend.

If someone comes around that seems to show interest in you he's watching them interact with you at all times. He's standing far enough away that he can pretend to be doing something else, but his eyes are secretly on the both of you. Watching and making sure that nothing happens. Able to intervene if you show any signs of being uncomfortable.

He winds up getting jealous if you do get closer with someone else. Especially if it's another guy. He's trying to pull you away from them at all costs. Asking you to help him with this or that. Or to watch Judith for him. He's butting into conversations between you and the other person, and Daryl notices it all.

I feel like Daryl would have known that Rick liked you from the beginning. Rick isn't the most secretive guy when it comes to hiding who he likes. Even if he would like to be, he isn't. Daryl is a little bothered by it at first - hence why he would interfere anytime Rick spoke to you - but after a while he accepts it. He knows Rick wouldn't do anything to hurt you, and he trusts him like his own brother.

He's rooting for Rick in the long run over the new guy.

I don't think that Rick would ask you out at first until he realizes you're slipping from his fingers. When he notices that you grow a little more distant that's when he reaches back out to grab you and pull you back in. He wouldn't directly confess, still. You'd wind up having to shout and ask what the hell the two of you were after he stated a disinterest in the new guy you were spending more and more time with.

Rick would eventually confess to you after thinking about it. He didn't want to think about it, but he needed to be sure. He's not letting you slip through his fingers again. He's asking Daryl first. To make sure it's okay so he doesn't step on any toes. Daryl would just smile and chuckle, giving Rick the okay and telling him he trusted him with you. Giving him a sarcastic 'Goodluck, no promises they don' bite.'

Rick wouldn't mind if you bit.

He'd wind up telling you how he felt afterwards, and if you accept his shitty confession he's overflowing with joy. He's never felt more complete in his life.

He'd be a LOT more affectionate once the both of you are in an actual relationship.

He'd be shooting you adoring glances from across the room with soft and toothy grins. He'd tease you any chance he got, and hold your hand. He's pretty fond of kissing your forehead and temples. Letting his hand rest on your mid or lower back. Pulling you close to his side while the both of you stroll Alexandria together.

If anything he's even more protective over you - if that's even possible. His jealousy levels are about the same depending on the person, but he's nearly as bad as Daryl when it comes to protecting you. Pushing you behind him to block you from harms way or standing behind you as your close and rageful backup.

He loves you, before and after he gets in a relationship with you. He knows that much.

#twd #rick Grimes x reader #x reader #joelsgeetar <3 #rick grimes #the walking dead

[avatarmerida]

The Promotion

An Owl House AU where everything is the same except Hunter and Willow are secretly dating. This gonna be a two shot because I’m impatient and don’t wanna start a new multi chapter fic but also I didn’t want it to be too long ALSO ITS VERY CHEESY 

                                                       ***

“Tired, little prince?” Darius noted with a smirk as he walked up beside Hunter who could not seem to stop yawning.

“No, no not at all,” Hunter lied, attempting to stifle another yawn before it could make its way out. Knowing he didn’t have to hide it from Darius, he pulled out his scroll and smiled at the most recent message. 

“Up late messaging your little girlfriend again I take it?” Continued Darius, peeking over Hunter’s shoulder to see a long string of messages with Willow, her photo smiling and bright. He took delight in the red tint Hunter’s face adopted as he tried to hide his scroll from sight. . 

“G-girlfriend?” Hunter repeated, the word echoing down the empty hallway. Luckily, they were the only two here. “I wasn’t, I mean she’s not… I mean we’re not…!”

As muddled as Hunter’s understanding of romance was, he knew it existed. He had no great examples in his life to look to, but when he would walk around the market he’d see couples holding hands, laughing, and kissing and he knew the nature of their relationship was something more. He knew that having a romantic relationship meant that the other person was important to you, that you kept them around because they brought forth a different feeling in you. 

He had thought once or twice that he felt this way about Willow, the way he’d get excited to see a message from her or the way the idea of her distracted him. How he wanted to be close to her but how being close to her made him nervous. Such contradictions could only exist in the frivolous mindset of a person in love. But he had nothing else to compare it to, so he had to assume it was because he wasn’t meant to have it. So he had to try and ignore it until it went away, but he couldn’t ignore Willow. 

“Call me old fashioned, but in my experience teenagers typically don’t  turn this shade of red when asked about someone who is ‘just a friend.’” said Darius, effortlessly casual. “Not that anyone would ever call me old.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about Darius!” Hunter lied, forcing a nervous chuckle. “The Captain is just good at her job! She checks in with all the team members!”

“Uh-Huh,” said Darius, stroking his goatee. “Well, given the fact that you aren’t technically a member of her team any longer, there must be another reason she is giving you such special attention, hmmm?”

“Pshh, yeah right,” scoffed Hunter. “As if she’d ever feel that way about me.”

“What? The Golden Guard isn’t good enough for her?”

“She doesn’t care about the Golden Guard stuff,” he said, pulling his scroll back out to look at her photo again. “She likes me, just regular me.”

“I can assure you that you are anything but regular, little prince,” said Darius, sipping his drink. “I can tell you regard her highly as well. What do you admire most about her?”

Oh, Titan, how was he supposed to pick just one thing? She was so determined and commanded respect, she inspired confidence. She was funny and Hunter didn’t usually like or understand humor but she had a wit that transcended that. She was smart and kind and beautiful and-.

“She’s… very capable,” said Hunter, not wanting to give Darius any ammunition. 

“Mhm hm, she does seem like the perfect candidate,”

“Oh, she made it very clear she doesn’t want to join the coven,” said Hunter.

“I didn’t mean for the coven,” said Darius with a wink. “Listen, it's clear that you feel things for this girl and as someone who has been the object of affection for many, I think it’s in your best interest to express that to her rather than stifle it. Unexpressed emotions have a tendency of slowing one down.”

“Tell her?!” Hunter exclaimed, his eyes darting between Darius and his scroll. “Tell her… my weird feelings?!”

“They’re not ‘weird,’ little prince they’re just… well they are weird but they’re supposed to be weird,” laughed Darius. “If you want her to be your girlfriend, you should just ask her. Sooner rather than later. Take off the afternoon if you’d like, I’m willing to cover for you so long as you actually go through with it.”

Hunter had to admit there was some logic to what Darius was suggesting. His mind had been foggy recently, distracted and maybe discussing these feelings with Willow would offer clarity. The wondering would be over and maybe he wouldn’t feel so distressed. 

“What do I even say? I hate typing on these things!”

“Oh Titan no!” Darius exclaimed. “This question needs to be asked in person! Face to face! You can’t simply send it so casually in a mere message like you were asking for her favorite color!”

 Emerald green.

“But what if… she says no,” Hunter asked, his ears sinking. “What if she laughs in my face? What if I make her uncomfortable? What if she hates me?”

Darius sighed and bent down to Hunter’s level to look him in the eye to answer his questions in order.

“If she doesn’t feel the same way then you can move on, she won’t laugh at your feelings, you’re both going to be uncomfortable; it's inevitable, and does this look like a girl who would hate you for telling her you think the world of her?”

Hunter looked down at the most recent photo Willow had sent him,  she was grinning ear to ear making a heart with her hands as Clover nuzzled the side of her face. The caption read ‘Have a great day today!’ It was simple, sweet, sincere; things he didn’t know he was missing until she came into his life. 

“Think of it as a promotion,” offered Darius, knowing this was more how his mind operated. “If she thinks she’s qualified, she’ll accept but if she’s happier where she is, well, there’s nothing wrong with where she is now, right?”

“Right,”

“Exactly,” said Darius, standing up. “Now, go ask the girl to get eye scream or whatever children do nowadays. I’ll let everyone know you’re on a special mission for me.”

“Thank you Darius,” whispered Hunter.

“Good luck little prince!” Darius called as Hunter ran from the hall to grab Flapjack. “Titan knows you’ll need it.”

———-

Hunter had rehearsed everything on the way there. He had the pros as well as the cons listed perfectly in his mind. He prepared himself for the worst case scenario though he didn’t dare venture to the best case, lest he once again lose focus. 

He watched from a distance as Willow finished leading practice, making the usual announcements and criticisms. Watching her effortlessly command authority made Hunter’s heart race and it made him somehow more determined and nervous simultaneously. 

He was so focused on watching Willow (totally not in a creepy way) as she continued talking with Skara about something that he didn’t notice Gus come up behind him. 

“Dude, are you spying on Willow?”

“Ahh!” Hunter exclaimed, looking back to make sure his outburst was not head. “What? No! No, of course not! I’m simply waiting for her current conversation to be over before I… go ask her… something. Or tell her something? I don’t know the order it’s supposed to be done in…”

“Ooooh are you gonna tell her you have a crush on her?” Gus teased with a laugh. When Hunter didn’t respond or laugh em with him, Gus saw the serious expression he wore and realized he might’ve guessed right. “Wait, seriously?”

“That… is part of what I came here to do, yes,” said Hunter trying to remain composed. “Is this a bad time? This is a bad time isn’t it? I should reschedule or ya know just forget it, right? I don’t even know if the Captain is accepting suitors or if she already has one-.” Hunter found himself paralyzed as he realized he had no clue whether or not Willow already had a boyfriend. He had never found the courage to bring it up and while she never said anything, it could be that it was so obvious that it didn’t need mentioning. How was he so certain she wasn’t already taken? “Oh Titan, she probably has at least a few, I can’t be the only one to-.”

“She doesn’t.” Gus said, snapping Hunter out of his spiral.

“What?”

“She doesn’t have a boyfriend or a girlfriend or anything like that,” said Gus. 

“Oh, well then,” said Hunter, surprised but thankful. “So hypothetically if I, or anyone really, were to hypothetically ask her to go out with me… or them, she would have no prior commitment preventing her from accepting?”

“Nope,” Gus replied simply. 

“So that wouldn’t be the reason she would reject me,” said Hunter thinking aloud, his tone becoming less confident as the realization hit him. “I-if she were to reject me, or anyone hypothetically. Which she could…”

“So are ya gonna hypothetically go over there or-?”

Hunter looked back where Willow stood as she was laughing at something with Skara, the gentle breeze blowing her hair back and suddenly he was jealous of the wind. 

“Can you ask her?” he asked in a small voice.

“You want me to ask Willow out for you?”

“No!” Hunter scoffed. “Ask her if she likes me and then I’ll know if I should ask her out or not.”

“I mean, she could like you and still say no,” pointed out Gus, taking delight in teasing Hunter. 

“Right, good point okay, then make it a two parter: ask her if she likes me and if she would say yes if I asked her out,” revised Hunter, ensuring all bases were covered. 

“Dude…”

“What?” Hunter exclaimed with a vibrant blush. “I just wanna make sure I don’t embarrass myself! Or her! Or say something wrong or stupid or-.”

“Dude,” said Gus again, placing his hand on the older boy’s shoulder. “Chill.”

“I wish I could but my face feels so hot I think I’m going to melt,” said Hunter. “Talking about this makes me sweaty and I don’t know why but I do know I don't want her to see me like this!”

“Hunter, I’ve known Willow for awhile and trust me when I say she’s never talked about anyone the way she talks about you.”

“That’s very… vague,” said Hunter. “Is that supposed to make me feel better because honestly it just makes me feel dizzy.”

“Ask her.” Gus said simply with a smile. 

“Do you really think she’ll say yes?” Hunter frantically wrung his hands. “I just… I’ve never felt or done anything like this… should I change? Is what I’m wearing okay? I don’t know the rules-.”

“Ask her,” repeated Gus. “Unless you’re… scared?”

He knew that would activate something within Hunter.

“Me? Scared? Of what? The Captain? Of course not!” That was only a little untrue. At first he thought the feelings he had for Willow were from fear until they became more complex than that. “I’m not scared of anything!”

“Prove it.”

“Fine! Watch me!”

                                                    ———

Hunter had caught Willow’s eye the moment he entered the vicinity of the field. He often came by during practice and didn’t attempt to draw attention to himself, but Willow always knew. She knew he was checking in on everyone and wasn’t there to see just her but she always found herself trying a little harder or moving a little faster when he was nearby. She wasn’t intentionally trying to impress him, but if she did then so be it. 

Sometimes he would stop by after practice and say hello or offer to walk her home, insisting it was part of his Golden Guard duties and when she brought up he coming by earlier he would act dumb. He would quickly turn to the topic to flyer derby or offer to carry her bags and Willow would drop the subject, just content  to spend the time with him. 

Usually he waited for everyone else to leave and she would approach him, but now he was running across the field trying to get her attention. She saw Gus behind him, wearing a mischievous smirk, and Willow  wondered what he had said to make Hunter move with such urgency. 

“Captain!” Called Hunter, clearly trying to seem calmer than he was.  He couldn’t decide if his pace should be a walk or a run so the end result was an awkward speed walk over to her.

She smiled as she waved him over, absentmindedly adjusting her hair as he got closer to her. 

“Hi!” Willow called back. “Are you okay? You look kind of sweaty.”

“I’m fine! Great, how are you? You looked great! Are you sweaty? I mean, not that you look… I mean, because you just did… but you don’t. I mean, I’m here because-.”

“I’m good,” Willow said, answering the question he forgot he asked. “Happy to see you.”

“Really?” That was a good sign.

“Of course,” she smiled, sensing he had more to say. “So… what’s on your mind?”

You. Of course he knew he had a mission. She was so observant, it took his breath away 

“So, Captain… Willow,” he corrected himself, her actual name sounding almost forbidden. “Well, I’ve been thinking… do you… would you… I-.”

“Do you want a drink of water or something?”

“Me? No! I’m fine! Never been better! How are you?”

“You already asked me that, but I-.”

“Date! Do you date?” Hunter’s hand shot to cover his mouth as he looked to the ground in horror.

“Do I… ?” Willow processed his words and then looked at the scruffy boy before her, who looked as though he was about to throw up. She had seen this before, she had felt this before, and she fought the smile that tried to creep onto her face. “Hunter, are… are you asking me out?”

“I’m trying to!” He said, frustrated mostly at himself as he collected his words. 

“It’s okay, take your time.”

“I THINK WE SHOULD DATE!” He covered his mouth again, taken back by his own volume. He struggled to regain any shred of dignity he had left. “I-I’ve made a pros and cons list to review, and the pros are fairly compelling in my opinion and if you want I can-.”

“Okay,” she said softly 

“O…okay?” 

“Yeah,” said Willow brightly. “I’d really like that.”

“To… read the list?”

“To go out with you.”

Time froze. 

“I’m sorry, I think I just blacked out for a second,” Hunter said, clearing his throat, “You would? I mean, of course you would! Yes, of course because that’s how this works.” Hunter rambled, his confidence not even believable to himself. He waited for himself to wake up and for this all to be a dream because he really didn’t think he’d get this far. 

“Do you… wanna walk me home?” asked Willow, taking the lead as Hunter struggled with being unprepared for the first time in his life.

Was that romantic? He had done that plenty of times before. Maybe dating meant doing the same things friends did but with a more official title. But of course yes he very much did. He nodded in response, feeling he had spoken too much already and Willow giggled. 

“Do you wanna… hold hands?” She asked, extending her arm to him. 

There it was. There was the promotion 

He didn’t have the words to respond so instead he extended his hand as well and she linked their hands, effortlessly intertwining their fingers.

So maybe dating means doing the same things but a little differently, thought Hunter. He was grateful she couldn’t tell how sweaty his hands were through his gloves, but the minute they touched he felt a chill go through his spine. They walked in silence for a moment, his eyes darting over to Willow not sure if he was meant to say something or if the silence was enough.

She knew what to say when he was speechless and what to do when he hesitated. It felt almost easy. How could it feel this easy? How had something that once seemed so impossible just suddenly become real in a matter of seconds?

“Um, so just in case… I should tell you something…” said Willow after awhile.

She changed her mind! She was taking it back! This was all a test! A prank! A dream! It WAS too good to be true!

“I’ve never actually dated anyone before,” she said with a… blush? Did I do that? Hunter dared to wonder. Is that a good thing? He couldn’t believe that the Captain had never dated someone before, he had assumed everyone felt this strongly about her after meeting her. But it must be because she was so busy, she didn’t have time for such things.  But she had made time… for him? 

“Me neither,” he admitted, feeling safe to share with her. “I don’t even know if I’m allowed to.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah,” said Hunter as his words caught up with him. “Actually… I’m pretty sure… there’s no way my uncle would allow this! If he ever found out-.”

“Hunter, are you okay?”

“I’m sorry, I’m not used to this,” he tried to explain. “This wasn’t a logical decision. Well, it was I did make the list. But it wasn’t? Because the Golden Guard to supposed to focus on order and the coven not… not…”

Not peridot colored eyes and raven colored hair, no, not on effortlessly kind words and the way she smelled like daisies. 

“Well, what the Emperor doesn’t know can’t hurt him.”

“What’re you saying?” 

“I mean, is it so wrong if maybe… you don’t tell him? I mean, is it really any of his business?”

“I mean, he is the Emperor…” said Hunter, baffled she could speak of the most powerful witch in the Isles as though his opinion meant nothing to her.

“Well, how about this: let’s see if this is anything worth telling him about first, okay?”

How could it not be?

“I mean, this is still new to the both of us,” continued Willow. “Very new, I mean we’ve been going out for all of … five minutes? I know that you being the Golden Guard might make things… complicated, but I like you. So I don’t mind complicated.” 

“Really?”

“Yeah,” she said, swinging their linked arms. “You’re worth it.”

“I just… don’t know if I’m any good at this,” admitted Hunter, not accustomed to admitting any form of weakness. “So I understand if you want to reconsider.”

Hunter was torn because his first instinct was to scream at the top of his lungs that Willow Park was his girlfriend. Wait, was that the right word? Was he allowed to call her that? Was that what they were? What were the steps? Was there an official verbal contract they needed to enter? 

“Well… give it some time, you might be the one who wants to reconsider. I might not be that great of a girlfriend-.”

“Don’t say that! You’re a great girlfriend!”

Willow just looked at him with wide eyes and a wider smile. “See? You’re great at this.” Willow beamed as they continued to walk, her leading him and Hunter following behind like a lost puppy. “Look at that! You’ve completed your first official boyfriend duty: getting me home safely.”

Hunter looked up and saw it was the; they had arrived at Willow’s house. How had time gone by so quickly? He dreaded the idea of letting go of her hand and held on tighter without realizing as her words echoed through his mind. Boyfriend. Boyfriend. 

“Boyfriend?” said Hunter under his breath, the word like a spell all by itself. 

“Oh, is that okay? If that’s too soon, we can always-.”

“No, I like it!” said Hunter eagerly, but he didn’t care if it showed this time. 

Willow beamed and tilted her head. “Good, so do I,” she said “Now, since I can’t walk you home, you have another mission to complete: message me when you get there so I know you got back safely.”

“Of course!” he said with enthusiasm as though this was the mission he had been waiting his whole life to be assigned. He began his walk back to the castle, he walked backwards so as to not have to take his eyes off her right away. He didn’t hear Flapjack chirping wildly, warning him to pay attention before he walked into an exposed tree root and fell to the ground.

As she looked over to ensure he was okay, he quickly rose to his feet, hoping his embarrassment wasn’t obvious. 

“Stop falling for me and pay attention to where you’re going!’ shouted Willow after him with a laugh, a laugh that he knew wasn’t laughing at him but he was still happy to have inspired. 

His chest felt like it was burning, like a fire made for warmth not to destroy and he was amazed he could tell the difference. This feeling would be hard to keep secret, now that he knew it was shared. But if he had to keep this a secret to see where it could go, he could. He would keep her like a secret, like an oath, like a promise, like anything she was willing to be to him. He would do anything to keep her.

#huntlow #winter toh #willow park #hunter toh #the owl house #toh

[the-paris-of-people]

Truly I need to talk about the under-appreciated gem that is Canaan Green. We talk about Lila, Kimberly, Leighton, Nico, Whitney, Jackson, Tatum, and semi-Alicia (I really feel like the Alicia underappreciation is REAL) but aside from the break-up with Whitney, I never see anyone talk about Canaan as a character and a love interest.

Our first introduction to Canaan is that he's incredibly funny. The way he flips the script on Kimberly when she asks him what it's like being black at Essex by fabricating a story about his crack-addicted mother is absolutely hysterical and the way he drags Lila into it as well makes it for an excellent scene, one of my favorites of season 1. I love his reactions to Kimberly's antics, like when she pulls the hard-boiled eggs out of her pocket, Christopher Meyer's comedic timing is just absolutely excellent and I feel as if not enough people appreciate those little moments in which he infuses Canaan's reactions.

Canaan is probably one of the most multi-faceted, well-balanced students we've seen at Essex so far, or at least a great example of one (Honestly they're all killing it at college). In s1ep5: That Comment Tho, he tells Kimberly to focus on her Econ homework instead of obsessing over the comment from Nico on her Instagram. We know that he works several jobs, including at Sips and on the side picks up catering gigs. At the beginning of season 2, we learn that he has a detailed ten year plan to become a hedge fund manager of an impact investing firm, then later we learn he founded a startup to off-set the cost of AD treatments. At the Econ banquet, we also learn he was in the top of THREE of the professor's classes, so clearly he takes his schoolwork seriously enough to perform well too. He also has an active social life at the KJ House, has time to date, and has several friends with whom he hangs out. He's incredibly ambitious, hardworking and balanced as a student, and what's shocking of all of this information, is that he's incredibly humble about it. He didn't want to go to the banquet to accept his Econ department award for whatever reason, and Kimberly, who worked with Canaan ALL YEAR, was shocked go hear about his accomplishments.

I always think it's telling if a person is kind or not by how they treat multiple people, and Canaan treats Kimberly, Whitney, and Lila really well throughout the series. He and Lila are clearly close friends at the coffee house and he sings her praises to the customer in the episode where Kimberly encourages Lila to interview for the manager position, and he takes Lila home when she's too sick at the Winter Underland party. Although I don't like that he didn't tell Whitney about Zoe's feelings for him, I thought it was really mature of him to call their relationship off before they could progress any further after she snooped through his phone. No one I ever knew from college, or even anyone I knew who is an adult now, could ever have the foresight or self-awareness to do anything like that. Even after their breakup, he's kind to Whitney when he sees her around, actually acknowledges and is civil to her. AGAIN, way more mature than any breakups I saw at that age. In general, I really thought Canaan treated Whitney well while they were together, he was really kind and encouraging and the "talking behind her back" he did was honestly just normal conversation to friends about the person he was dating and he immediately apologized and reassured Whitney when she brought it up. Canaan is also clearly so openly appreciative of Kimberly in several instances throughout the series, to giving her a cut of the tips they made when she helped him with the catering gig at the comedy gala (which was wholly unnecessary and a very kind gesture) to thanking her MULTIPLE times throughout the night for encouraging him to attend the econ banquet and deserve his well-deserved recognition. Just by the way he speaks to others, he's very kind and gentle even when being sarcastic or funny or firm. Lastly, we learn that Canaan cares deeply about his family and thinks it's his responsibility to take care of his mom's AD, which is incredibly sweet and something I would love to see in the next season with Kimberly.

Canaan is also... fucking hot, let's be real. I mean, that face, that body, that smile? His romantic looks? I adore him. We learn more about him with each episode he stars in and there's clearly more to learn which I think also makes for a compelling love interest. IMHO Canaan is by far the best love interest on the show and an under-appreciated character and he needs more love

#canaan greene #this got away from me and i used like five of the same gushing phrases but idgaf #the sex lives of college girls #tslocg #kimberly finkle #whitney chase #lila flores #grace rants

[twilightarc-gm]

For the ask game, main fic, please?

For this Tag Game. Pallas~ Hiii~

So like, 'mainfic' more properly titled "This River Runs Beyond Heaven and Earth" in English...

Anyone on either the Chengxian or JC discord servers have heard something about 'mainfic'. Anyone who has read the author notes on my published stuff also know a little bit about it. It's the behemoth multi-part story I have been working on since November 2021 and is on its second draft currently.

All the world-building and plot hole filling I have ever done for Modao Zushi is in mainfic: A post-canon, canon-compliant, JC-centric, slice-of-life with some action, family drama, made into high fantasy, with fluff, some hurt/comfort and of course some angst. Features ymsj recon, OCs, established JC/ OMC, getting together chengxian, major(?) character death, mythical monsters and disastrous mayhem, along with some political drama supplemented with "the True master of Demonic Cultivation".

Also dogs and JC's menagerie of spirit animals. Because I can.

Every headcanon I have is in mainfic honestly and what can't be handled by the post-canon drama is then brought up in flashbacks, MXTX style.

1st draft was 200k at 1/3 done. 2nd Draft is probably going to hit 200k again for only a 1/4 done? Hard to tell. I keep accelerating the timeline for ymsj recon because I keep heaping on the trauma for Wei Wuxian until he breaks over and over again. 🤔 Meanwhile JC is just trying to 'let the past go' like he was challenged to do at the temple, but evil forces are very interested in his gifted golden core... Oops...

It's hard to find a good snippet for the entire story but here's something I like:

“What demon attack?” Jīn Líng snaps his attention up. “Nothing Yúnmèng Jiāng can’t handle. It might not be a real problem anymore now that I don’t have Chenqing.” Cultivators emulating the Yílíng Lǎozǔ trying to infiltrate or attack Liánhuā Wù have steeply dropped off since the Yílíng Lǎozǔ’s return. “Still, if I can train a pack to help secure the sect, it’d free up more of my people to make circuits within Hubei.” Jīn Líng flips through pages without real focus. “I still don’t understand why you have to do this. It’s like you want him to stay away.” He tosses the book back on the table and crosses his arms over his chest to emphasize what Jiāng Chéng is sure is his best angry face, but Jiāng Chéng can only see the puffy cheeks of youth and the beginnings of a tantrum. “I said he asked after you! He wants to know if you’re well! Doesn’t that mean anything? Why won’t you let me tell him anything?” There’s one book that features a mountainous breed that is kept by some Buddhist monks. It’s this one he makes notes on, weighing pros and cons of bringing such a fluffy, massive breed this far south in the humidity and near water. “Jiùjiu!” “So? He’s always been nosy. He can settle for gossip like anyone else.” No debts. They are strangers. It’s in the past. Jiāng Chéng forces himself to take a subtle, long inhale so the burning in his lungs will stop and the cord around his heart will loosen. Fairy whines as she shoves her face into his knee. “He was just…” Jīn Líng deflates; gives into a childish sulk. “He laughed it off, but for just a moment I thought maybe he didn’t like it when I said I couldn’t tell him.” Contrary to the awful subject, Jiāng Chéng does feel a deluge of gratitude that Jīn Líng is keeping his mouth shut like he was asked. Wèi Wúxiàn has already been hurt by Jiāng Chéng in both lives, so what’s the point of reminding him that they ever had a connection at all?

---

Okay, but ow I hurt myself in just this snippet 😭

#yunmeng shuangjie #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #chengxian #this river runs beyond heaven and earth #asks answered #twi fics #twi posts #wip

[local-redhead-bookworm]

I think it'd be neat to see Angel negotiating with Valentino to get out of his contract, no violence involved. Hear me out (sorry in advance for the length).

Angel is in Hell due to his mafia dealings where (assumedly) he has either murdered and/or violently harmed people before (especially if he is "made" and a full member of the family). Part of his arc so far has been getting back in touch with "Anthony" his true self, and in that he will likely need to address the harm he caused while alive if he wants to continue on with his redemption.

I think it would be interesting to see him, after already having this S1 development, adamant about not killing someone (not even Valentino) just to get what he wants. It could be something that puts him at odds with the others, like Husk, who maybe suggests it. Instead, Angel wants to negotiate with Valentino. Typically (and I say typically but this is a complex and multi-faceted topic) when a girl wants to leave her pimp, the pimp comes up with an exorbitant fee to do so (often this fee is so high they will be unable to leave, but some do - it's also extremely rare, but some pimps do let their girls leave when they want out of the business). But for Valentino, I mostly see him trying to maintain the upper hand initially and refusing to negotiate in good faith which is then where you can introduce or tie in other S2 plotlines that serve to develop all the characters, protagonists and antagonists alike.

Porn is an industry with extremely high turnover. There is a very good chance that Angel's popularity is or will begin waning because that is the very nature of the industry - there is always someone new, someone better on the horizon. If the Vees being the antagonists of S2 ties in here, you could have Vox (who may be losing whatever battle he is waging due to the work of the protagonists) argue in favor of letting Angel go. We see that Valentino does for the most part respect his partners and Vox and Velvette seem far more invested in making money than anything else. To them, cutting a porn star who might not even be popular in the next fiscal year would be sound business if it helped them accomplish their other goals in Hell's multimedia market with less continued interference from Charlie/Alastor.

Perhaps there is also a background connection Valentino and Angel share where they're really not too different from one another. This could be deeply uncomfortable for both of them (and I think it would be challenging for the audience too, in a good way). In my analysis, Valentino does not give classic pimp vibes at all, in fact, he often portrays a caricature of a pimp more than anything else and it makes me think this is all an act. We also know that he does his own shows, there are many posters about him performing live, etc. I am personally a subscriber to the idea that Valentino was a sex worker while alive and, after he died, he eventually clawed his way to the top and began to perpetuate the cycle of abuse once he "made it" in Hell's crushing gauntlet. This is a real world phenomenon and adds more complexity to the show's narrative. What happens when the abuser was also once a victim? Valentino could serve as a character to really challenge Charlie's main premise (and by extension the audience's). He could point out that he never had anyone fighting for him, he didn't have friends in high places like Angel does now, and he just made it work. He's still wrong and he is still perpetuating the abuse now which needs to stop, but it adds a layer of complication and, for me, opens up the door to the Vees eventually being redeemed which, again, for me, is an important idea in a story centered on redemption.

This way, you have Angel showing that he is learning from his violent past (that was ultimately what brought him to Hell in the first place), vehemently against the idea of continuing to kill (character development), and you also present Valentino as this complicated case of someone who was forgotten by the system and has unhealthy/broken perceptions and thought patterns because of it. Critically, Angel needs to be freed from his contract and taken out of harms way first and foremost, but Charlie's central thesis is that every sinner has a chance at redemption... after ensuring Angel's safety, you can lay the groundwork for challenging Valentino and his past/how that has colored his views of the world going forward. If we're not going to permadeath Alastor for owning and abusing Husk alongside his other heinous machinations/being a serial killer (I HIGHLY doubt any permanent harm will ever come to Alastor) then it seems disingenuous to the show's main themes not to explore what healing eventually looks like for the Vees.

Also, long-term, porn will always exist. It always has in some fashion and it always will. Sex work is real work and I think that message is important. Charlie, rather than focusing on getting sinners into Heaven which she still isn't 100% certain is possible at the end of S1, could shift her focus to helping sinner's repair their present in Hell and make it a better experience for all. Since Valentino is the current leader of the porn industry, it could be beneficial to her mission to help him change the way it operates systemically and, in assisting him in getting the healing/closure he needs from his past, make it a safer and more empowering environment for sex workers. Valentino is obviously not the only abuser in Hell nor is he the only one taking advantage of the sex trade/industry. Other potential overlords would immediately emerge to fill his shoes and continue the cycle if he was "taken out" and then who does that really benefit in the long run?

I do think it's more likely that your ideas will be what we end up seeing. While I don't agree with it personally, I've seen a lot of fans who seem to want Husk to rush in and "save" Angel by killing Valentino. I don't find that satisfying, especially as it removes Angel's agency, but I can see it being a very simple way for the show to address the problem in a way that most of the audience would be content with.

With these relationships, however, there's just so much potential to dive deeper than that and still remain true to the main theme of everyone being capable of redemption. Angel has to work on himself, that includes getting clean and getting away from Valentino's harm, and then he needs to address what brought him to Hell in the first place (his mafia ties). Redemption should be long and hard, some steps along that journey will be easier than others. Valentino's very first baby steps could be willingly letting Angel go due to the circumstances S2 sets up for the Vees. I think being presented with the idea that he was once in Angel's shoes (maybe not with a pimp himself, rather just being in that lifestyle and knowing what comes with it or other past experiences with abuse) and is now in the same category as the people who brought him harm, would eventually get to him. He would naturally go through a cycle of denial, anger, etc, but they're all simply human beings underneath their demon forms/power. I think over time he could get the healing he never received on his own while alive/in Hell and work to make amends. He would not be redeemed just by letting Angel go, but it would be a significant start as his character begins to develop in later seasons. You can tie the other Vees into that journey as well, I really enjoy them as this little found family that has their a dash of dysfunction and I think they do genuinely care about each other/would help one another heal if the circumstances for that development was properly fleshed out/set up (and I think it can be!).

I liked reading through your thoughts and ideas, it's interesting to consider. I'm a very big fan of Charlie's concept of redemption and I believe the only thing that makes someone irredeemable is themselves and not wanting to be redeemed. Of course, everyone has very different beliefs when it comes to morality. This focus on redemption through compassion and grace, though, is what initially drew me to the show and I would like to see it explored in every character even (and almost especially) with the antagonists. :)

I think you’re getting at some very interesting ideas, and I like a lot of the themes you’re bringing up. I find that backstory idea for Val very interesting; I don’t know if I ascribe to that backstory, but to be fair I don’t really have a concrete theory on how Val died. And I would like to see Angel re-negotiate the contract, as I agree that would be a good way for him to maintain his agency. However, I disagree with your theory for a few reasons.

Canon-typical TWs for abuse and rape apply

Angel thus far has shown no likeliness to change in his views on killing. I do think he needs to work through his mafia backstory, as it was very likely a contributing factor as to why he wound up in hell, but I don’t personally see him as the one who’s going to be arguing for no killing, and I definitely don’t see him advocating for Val. That’s just my read on his character. However, I wouldn’t be opposed to that changing, and if the show decides to unpack his mafia connections more, though, we might see that later.

I don’t think the show has enough time to delve into Val’s backstory that deeply, especially if the rumors I’ve heard are true. If the show were longer like Helluva Boss, I think we might get some more explanation of Val’s character and past, but with only the projected two seasons, there simply won’t be enough time. I also think that while the Vees do care about each other to an extent, I think the show would have to do a LOT of heavy lifting to get them as a unit to the place that they all want to heal, which again there isn’t time for. The only time they intervene with Val’s behavior is when it’s threatening either their image or their business operation.

Angel isn’t just an employee to Val (I realize that’s a gross oversimplification of how pimps work, but that isn’t an area I’m educated enough to speak on). If that were all that was between them, I’d be inclined to agree that Val might let Angel go for business reasons, but Val has the soul contract, and it’s also implied that he and Angel dated prior to this whole thing. Furthermore, overlords in general seem to be control freaks. Alastor tries to maintain control with his constant smile and never letting others see him rattled, as well as trying to seem much more powerful than he is. Husk gambled souls for the thrill and the power trip. Vox controls the media and uses hypnosis, Velvette and Val collaborated on the “love potion.” The stipulation of the contract between Angel and Val is that Val can do whatever he likes to Angel in the studio. Val enjoys his power, he likes feeling strong and in control of Angel. I don’t see him willingly giving up control over his favorite toy, given that over a six-month period he never changes his actions.

Unlike Alastor, Val isn’t a character that people are going to root for. I do think Alastor’s treatment of Husk is unacceptable, but I also think there is a big difference between Alastor’s abuse and threats of violence, versus the violence we see Val enact upon Angel, of verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual varieties. In my mind and the mind of many other fans, some acts are less forgivable than others, and Val’s treatment of Angel falls into something that very few people will be willing to move on from. Furthermore, we’ve seen Alastor slowly come to care more about the rest of the Hotel, even though he tries not to show it (see his King Roach scene with Niffty, referring to the Hotel gang in Hell’s Greatest Dad as “the family you choose”). Val, however, shows no signs of change at all during the season. To not mince words, people won’t want to see a rapist be redeemed.

I don’t think Val is a character Vivzie is interested in portraying as sympathetic. If you’ve watched Helluva Boss, you likely noticed the similarity between the Angel-Valentino dynamic and the dynamic between Fizzarolli and Mammon. Mammon is almost a caricature of greed, he is the worst of greed dialed up to 100%, and he is constantly exploiting and verbally abusing Fizz, making him feel trapped. There is very little evidence that Mammon will be developed to be more sympathetic. Val is a similar character. His reason for being in hell is unclear, but he’s clearly very possessive over Angel. Angel is his cash cow, his favorite. There is also the fact that Val is horrible to everyone he employs, such as when he and Vox decide to shoot his lowest earners.

There’s a big difference in the two contract dynamics. Husk isn’t afraid to sass and push back at Alastor 90% of the time, and the one time we see Alastor go absolutely out of line is when Husk pushes a very sensitive button. Angel spends half the season terrified to go against Val in any way, and even in the latter half of the season, we see that while he’s able to go against Val and push back, he still knows what any act of defiance costs him.

I agree that I’d like to see Charlie push Hell away from punishment and toward healing, more of a purgatory idea, and I think Season two is going to really interrogate the idea that any sinner can be redeemed, and what that means for people like the Vees. However, I don’t think the show is going to extend such a sympathetic angle to Val. More than likely, I expect we will see him and several other overlords reject the idea of redemption as foolish or pathetic. Pull in that “Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven” idea from Paradise Lost, and have the Vees question why they’d ever want to be redeemed and go to heaven when they’re so strong in hell.

I’m not trying to come across as harsh, and I think you raise some fascinating points. However, I don’t think that your perspective for Val is something we’re going to see in canon. I do find it very interesting though, and it would be something I think a long-form fic could explore very well. However, as Hazbin is now, I don’t think Val would just let Angel go.

For clarity’s sake, I am not critiquing Angel as a sex worker, nor am I intending to disrespect irl sex workers. I do think Charlie doesn’t understand his job very well (although she’s better now than she was at the start of the season) and I think Vaggie has some kink-negativity she needs to work through, but again, due to time allotment, I don’t think the show will get to that.

I don’t want someone else, especially Husk, to just swoop in and rescue Angel, I agree that’s unsatisfying, robs him of some crucial agency, and I also think it doesn’t showcase any of his character strengths we’ve seen so far. That being said, I do think Angel is going to need some level of help to escape his contract. I do think there’s a possibility we’ll see Angel try to renegotiate, because he’s very emotionally intelligent and I think he could play the right angles, and we might see more of his mafia past. I do enjoy the show’s focus on redemption through compassion and grace, but quite frankly I doubt that all the fans who felt seen by Angel’s story are going to want to see his abuser get redeemed. Quite frankly, I don’t think that we need a story where a rapist goes to heaven.

#hazbin hotel #angel dust #valentino #hazbin hotel valentino #tw rape #tw sa #tw abuse #answering asks #whew this one got long

[spiesareforeverobsessed]

Twisted and Turned Chapter 2: What Lies in the Aftermath

This is another old fic that I am transferring to this account but this one is a multi chapter fic and I hope to continue. Again I am not sure if I posted this just to ao3 or also to tumblr, but it is mine. Enjoy!

Trigger Warnings: Arguments, Angst, Major Character "Death", Canon Typical Violence, Guns

Story Summary: Owen survives the fall and is brought home but after an argument over what happened Curt is sent on a mission he doesn't come back from, leaving Owen guilty and devastated. But are things really as they seem? A Spies are Forever role reversal au that is hopefully different enough from the show to still be interesting.

Chapter Summary: The aftermath of the death of one Agent Curt Mega.

Chapter 1

Normally Owen Carvour would be delighted to take a trip to the United States, that wasn’t the case this time.

That was of course understandable, as he was currently standing in front of the grave of the person who caused that delight. As he stared down at the headstone he couldn’t help thinking Curt would hate it. It was so plain. So boring. A grey slab with only his name and date of birth and death carved into it in a typical font. There was no personality to it. It didn’t represent his late lover at all. 

Owen held back his tears as he laid a bouquet, strikingly similar to the one meant for Curt that was now wilting in his flat back home, down in front of the cold slab. The funeral had been a few days ago. Owen could barely recall it. Had no recollection of what was said. He had sat numbly beside Curt’s mother. Somewhere deep down he wished to reach out to the devastated woman to comfort her but he just couldn’t. What could he possibly do or say to ease her pain? He knew nothing could ease his. 

The drive to the graveyard had been the worst of his life, including all the times he had driven away with people shooting at the car. The events in the graveyard had been even worse. Despite logically knowing the coffin was empty, due to the hostilities between their countries and the one the mission had taken place in they couldn’t even go retrieve Curt’s body, his heart had screamed in protest as it was lowered into the ground. He just wanted to crawl into it and be lowered down too. 

Given all the people around he hadn’t been able to say a proper goodbye to Curt then, hence why he was back today. 

“Hi Curt. I….I’m not sure if you can hear me right now. But I really hope you can because there are some things I need you to hear that I should have told you before…..before this.” He paused for a moment, taking in a shaky breath. “First off I hope you know that I love you. I love you so fucking much. More than I have ever loved anything or anyone else in this world. I am so sorry I didn’t say that enough. I am so sorry for what I did say the last time we spoke. I was just so angry and scared...but that’s no excuse. Just like I have no excuse for not coming to see you after to apologize. And not calling you when I got back home. And…” 

Owen choked up and a few tears slipped out as he continued. “And I’m so sorry for not taking the mission. Maybe if I had I could have saved you. Maybe there was nothing I could have done but even then I would have been there with you at the end like I should have been. Doing everything in my power to keep you safe. And I wouldn’t have to question whether or not you knew how much I cared for you when you left this world.”

Owen stopped again. “I don’t know how I am going to go on without you. I’ll never have another partner like you. Another friend like you. Another lover like you. You brought so much joy and light to my life and now that you are gone I can only see a murky grey future. I’ll find a way though. For you. To keep going. To live a life worthy of you. And then someday….someday when my time comes I hope you will still be waiting for me on the other side. Please wait for me, love.” 

The tears streamed down faster now, only to be interrupted by a beep from his watch signaling his flight home was fast approaching. He had only been able to take a few days off, any more might have seemed suspicious. “I have to go now Curt, but I will try to come back sometime and you’ll be in my thoughts always. Rest in peace, love, I’ll see you on the other side. I love you.” 

He walked away from the grave, knowing he had left a large chunk of his heart behind. 

Cynthia Houston had never broken that unspoken golden rule of being the Director of The A.S.S., don’t get emotionally attached to your agents, before Curtis Mega had come along. 

Then again she supposed Curt had been the exception to many rules over the years, so why would that one be any different? She hadn’t been able to help it. Ever since that day in his first few months with the agency that he had shown up to go on a mission sick as fuck, throwing up blood and all sorts of other symptoms that should see him heading for a hospital, and refused to go home. Said the mission was more important. She ended up dragging him back to her house and forcibly caring for him with Susan’s help. She had soon got her Agent fighting fit again but he had somehow wormed his way into her notoriously hardened heart. 

She had never really regretted that until right now. That heart of stone was cracking. She had to pretend it wasn’t as she sat at her desk, on the phone with Mi-6 Agent Carson, who had been brought in to tell her exactly what had happened to the agent she thought of as a son. 

“We had found the targets and were completing our objectives when we were made. We managed to take out all of the targets but were pursued by their guards. We split up to escape them, planning to meet at the entrance to the compound. When I got there Agent Mega…” The British agent paused, clearly trying to collect himself. “Agent Mega had been shot in the leg and the chest. He was dead. I tried to take his body with me but they were gaining on me and I had to leave him behind. As I was driving away, the building exploded. I didn’t do that so I can only assume they did to cover up some sort of evidence they would have left behind.” Cynthia hid her sadness and rage behind a professional gaze. She didn’t even know who had killed him. Who she should be going after. “You’re certain he was dead?” She already knew the answer but had to ask. “The shot was straight to his heart and he had no pulse. He was dead. I’m sorry I didn’t see who did it.” Cynthia nodded to herself before speaking again. 

“Thank you for your time Agent Carson. I’ll contact you again if I have any more questions.” She stated with finality. “Of Course, Director Houston. I am sorry for your loss. He was a good Agent.” Cynthia hung up. A good agent. Certainly he was, but he was also much more than that. If only she had listened to her gut and not sent him on that mission...

She felt tears stinging her eyes and wiped them away. She refused to cry again. Especially not at work. She had a reputation to maintain. 

Despite saying this to herself a few tears slipped down her face as she added ‘Killed in Action’ to Curt’s file. 

“This should be more than easy, even for you.”

That’s what Cynthia had said about this mission and to be fair to her, she was right, until it all went wrong anyway. 

They had broken in, no problem. Located the targets, no problem. Curt had shot his first target, no problem. Agent Carson had shot his first target, no problem. Curt had shot his second target, no problem. Agent Carson had shot his second target, problem. Major Problem. 

To be entirely fair to the British agent, it wasn’t his fault. The target just so happened to move at the last second when he’d already fired his kill shot. As a result the target was still hit but not immediately killed. Curt quickly tried to cover but it was too late. By the time he had buried a bullet in her skull she had already screamed, alerting the guards who had been standing outside the door as their charges discussed deals with each other.

It didn’t take them long to realize where the shots must have been fired from and they were soon headed right for him and Agent Carson.

Curt had been the one to suggest splitting up. Confusing the guards. They would meet at the entrance of the facility. Agent Carson had agreed. Curt had practically flown through the facility, not knowing how close the guards were. He moved as silent as possible so he would hear their approach. He almost sighed with relief as he reached the entrance.

Agent Carson had yet to show so Curt hid and waited. A few minutes later the other Agent ran in. Curt was just coming out of his hiding spot to greet him when he saw a guard enter behind Agent Carson and begin to take aim. Curt ran forward and tackled Carson to the ground, taking a shot in the leg as he did so. He raised his own gun and shot the guard from the ground. He couldn’t get up on his own and waited for the British agent to assist him.

Agent Carson had other plans. 

Curt found his gun kicked away from him. He reached for his spare only to have his hand shot, his watch being destroyed along with it. “What are you doing?” He questioned. “I’m sorry. We’ll be too slow. We’ll never make it across the grounds to the car in time with me supporting you. They’re too close.” 

Curt was about to shout at him when a gun pointed at him shocked him into silence. “This is for the best. If they catch you, who knows what they would do? This is mercy.” Agent Carson spoke as he took aim at Curt’s heart. “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” Curt hissed out. 

He didn’t receive and answer, only a shot to the chest that sent him careening back. 

Agent Carson took a step towards him only to hear the footsteps of the approaching guards and quickly run off, heading straight for their getaway car. 

Back inside Curt Mega, lying flat on his back now, opened his eyes. “Guess Cynthia had a point pestering me about wearing a bulletproof vest all these years.” He mumbled to himself. His chest hurt like a bitch but he was alive. However with the guards minutes away at most, no way of escaping, no way of contacting anyone, and no chance of beating all the guards in his position he actually agreed with Agent Carson. Death would be a mercy. If only he could take out some of these bastards with him. 

That’s when he saw them. Four large propane tanks. He could see them through the little window in the door to the room next to him. At this level those tanks exploding should take down the second floor too. Collapse the whole build. 

Curt struggled and crawled until he reached his kicked gun and got out his spare as well with some difficulty. He crawled to the spot in the room with the most cover he could get to. He took a deep breath and raised both arms with all the strength he could muster. He shot. The window broke. He fired every bullet he had into those propane tanks until he was rewarded with a resounding boom. 

One tank exploded and set off a chain reaction taking out the others with the force of a bomb, the last Curt remembered as he tried to duck away was a searing, burning pain washing over his back.

Curt Mega blinked open his eyes, squinting in the harsh light of an unfamiliar hospital room. 

He felt sluggish and could tell he was on heavy pain medication and yet he was still in agony. He could barely move. He lifted his head just a little and called out. “Hello? Anyone?” A doctor soon entered the room, smiling at him. “Good to see you are awake Agent Mega.” He tried to nod but winced. “Are you with A.S.S.?” He guessed. They couldn’t be MI-6. No way Agent Carson sent someone after him. And the doctor’s accent had sounded American. “Not exactly.” The doctor replied. Curt froze. He resisted the urge to sob. All that effort and he had ended up in the hands of the enemy anyway. “I am not your enemy Agent Mega. In fact right now, I might be your only friend.” 

Curt raised an eyebrow, taking note of the fact that he must have spoken aloud. He could almost hear Owen scolding him to be more careful. Owen. He cut himself off before he could go down that road, focusing back on the doctor. “My friend. Really? My only friend?” The doctor nodded. “Well considering your agency abandoned you and the organization I work for saved you I would say yes. We’re certainly more your friends than the American Secret Service.” 

His agency abandoned him? No, that couldn’t be right. Cynthia wouldn’t…..Curt pushed that aside for now as he also took note of the fact that these people knew who he worked for. That was a question for later though as there was a far more pressing one to ask right now. “And just who do you work for?” He asked, not truly expecting the enemy to give him an answer. Thus he was quite surprised when the doctor turned and gave him a wide smile before speaking.

“We’ve been called many things by many different people Agent Mega, but we like to call ourselves Chimera.”

#spies are forever #my fic #curtwen #role reversal au

[wangxian-stan]

Found You

Prompt by @differencesintheworld: Here's one I've been mulling over for a while - WangXian meeting their successors in the modern era. Imagine a great great great granddaughter with the grace and discipline of Wangji and yet a sly smirk and sneaky tactics of Wuxian, and all the same a strong sense of Justice and Fairness- How they got to meet them? Magic I dunno-

Hi differencesintheworld!

First of all, thanks for sending a prompt! I was pleasantly surprised by it, since I figured this side blog was too unknown to get any answers.

Secondly... this took me so long because instead of a mere one-shot, your prompt sent me into a rabbit hole and I emerged on the other side with the sketch of a modern cultivation AU where some of the cast are secret immortals, others have reincarnated, and cultivation is the norm.

I'm not sure if I will ever write the whole fic, developing this AU in its entirety. I'm good at writing short stories, not so much at multi-chaptered ones ^^' But I managed to get out a two-part story centered in your prompt (well, two-part.... maybe three-part. Or four. I guess, no more than five, depending on how the writing goes.)

So, here it is! This first part is in the POV of an OC that isn't the descendant, sadly, but the next part should be in her POV. And because I don't know if I will ever write more of this AU, as I've said, here are some background notes:

Takes place in a modern cultivation AU, where modern times have discovered a way for cultivation potential in kids. Those with low potential get treated badly.

People are divided by levels: 0- no cultivation potential to 5- outstanding potential. Zeros are nearly extinguished because with everyone having at least a weak core, viruses have evolved and become stronger. Those with no cores can now be at risk from illnesses like the flu.

Fives are also incredibly rare. The normal population varies between a high 1 and a low 3, meaning they can activate and create talismans and use low-level cultivation techniques

Cultivating to immortality is seen as a myth. Some of the cast are secret immortals, wangxian included

Anyway, read the fic below the cut or in in AO3. If you, or anyone else, is interested I can share my notes for this AU ^^

Warnings: implied child neglect. One of the kids is sick and the carers of the orphanage haven't been taking care of her.

-

For once, the rain was a blessing.

Normally, Aria hated rain. Who would like it? It made her room cold, she had to huddle to avoid the leaky part of the ceiling, and it kept the people at the orphanage inside. It also brought some bad memories that the rain made a struggle to keep locked at the back of her mind.

No, the rain wasn't usually something she liked, but this night she welcomed it. The potent sound of a storm muffled any sound she could make as she sneaked around the orphanage's medicinal cabinet, decreasing the chances of the matron hearing her. It also made it possible to take some food from the kitchen, not enough for the lack to be noticed, and sneak back into her room, avoiding the creaky parts of the floor with ease.

“I'm back, Zhu.” She whispered, closing the door with care. She then approached the bunk- bed where a girl with long black hair was laying down, her breath labored.

“A...ria...”

“Shh, don't talk. Here, drink a little.” She helped her friend to sit up and took the chipped mug, half filled with water, tilting it into the other's mouth and encouraging her to take small sips.

“I have some medicine,” she said when her friend signaled she'd had enough. “But you should eat something first. Here, I got you a yogurt. Try to eat a little.”

“And you?”

“I already ate, I promise Mingzhu. Now you.”

“Mn. Thanks.”

Waving her thanks, Aria fed Mingzhu little spoonfuls of the yogurt, then helped her take a pill and lay back down.

“You will be okay,” she whispered, holding her hand. “I promise, I'll do all I can to help you get better.” She took the blanket and tucked it a little more around her friend, trying to ward off the cold. A flash of lightning illuminated the room, followed by the sound of thunder, the sounds of the storm increasing.

It was because of this that Aria didn't hear the commotion, at first, until the door to their room was suddenly slammed open. Startled, she looked up, and when she found two- unfamiliar men staring at them, she instinctively moved protectively in front of her friend with a glare.

“Yes, I can see how you just adore children,” one of the men said in a sarcastic voice, his silver eyes glinting in what Aria could identify as fury. The man at his side was silent, his face blank, but she could detect anger in him despite the coldness emanating from his golden eyes.

“I- well, she's very sick, so we had her away from the rest to avoid the illness spreading...”

That voice. Aria's glare increased, and she could finally see the matron behind both men, only to blink in surprise. The matron, normally serious with an arrogant expression, was as white as snow, her hands wringing nervously in front of her.

“And why didn't you take her to a hospital?”

“We're a small orphanage, you see, we don't have enough money to cover the costs-”

“Oh?” The first man smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. Aria shivered but watched with glee as the matron paled even more. “That wasn't what you were bragging about earlier. What was it that you said? Oh, that's right-”

“Wei Ying.”

At the second man's words, the first man, Wei Ying it seemed, shut up and met the other's gaze.

“You're right, Lan Zhan, now's not the time.” He turned back towards the matron, gaze cold. “We're taking her now. We will be back to finish the paperwork once we're sure she's out of risk.”

“You're going to help?”

It wasn't until both men's eyes were on her that Aria realized she'd spoken. She still met their gazes, defiant, and watched as both men's eyes softened.

“We will help her,” the second man, Lan Zhan, confirmed in a soft voice that lacked the coldness of his earlier words. Aria stared, mistrustful of these two strangers who had suddenly barged in.

“Why?”

But before they could answer, the matron spoke up. “I'm afraid there isn't much you can do,” she said in that sickly fake understanding tone that Aria hated with passion. “You see, that girl. She's a zero. Normal medicines aren't-”

“Shut up,” interrupted Wei Ying, glaring so fiercely that what little color the matron had recovered she lost again. “We will help her,” he said, looking back at Aria, “because she's very sick and needs the help. Also,” he added when Aria's glare indicated that it wasn't enough, “she's a distant relative of ours. We've been looking for her for a while now.”

Aria's eyebrows rose in incredulity. Distant relatives appearing out of nowhere in the nick of time to save the life of a long-lost descendant? What was this now, a book?

“We're the only ones who can help,” Lan Zhan suddenly said, staring intently at Aria. “She will be fine. But.” Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying and Aria had the impression they were having a secret conversation with their eyes. Her suspicions only increased when, out of nowhere, Wei Ying nodded and Lan Zhan's golden eyes were on her again as he continued. “You can come with us too if you'd like. Then you can make sure your friend will be safe.”

“She's a one-!”

“Haven't you noticed by now that we don't care?” Wei Ying snapped at the matron. “I hope you won't be this stupid when we come to do both sets of paperwork later.”

The matron colored and began to sputter something Aria didn't pay attention to, her eyes widening as she stared at both men.

“Come with you? Both sets?”

“Mn.” Those golden eyes were soft again. “If you want. This place is not good for you, too.” Aria blushed, suddenly feeling self-conscious of her ill-fitting clothes and her self-made haircut. She looked like a vagabond in comparison with these two men, who were dressed in what looked like expensive clothing.

But these men in expensive clothing wanted to adopt her, too.

It sounded too good to be true. But she also knew that the chances of her friend surviving were small, and she wanted to be with her for as long as she could. These men said they could help. Aria wanted to make sure they wouldn't hurt her more.

She decided to take the risk and nod. La Zhan's lips curved slightly, then turned back to the other man (what was their relationship, Aria wondered) and interrupted his conversation with the matron. A conversation, Aria suddenly realized, sounded a lot like this Wei Ying was blackmailing the matron into letting both of them leave with these men.

“We should go.”

“Sure. And you,” Wei Ying said, smiling scarily at the matron who once again was so white Aria wouldn't be surprised she fainted. “Remember what I said, okay? We'll be back in a week for the paperwork. Make sure you have it ready, 'kay?” The matron gave a mute nod.

Seemingly satisfied with her answer, Wei Ying turned to Aria, holding out a hand while Lan Zhan took the unconscious Mingzhu and lifted her easily, cradling her in his arms.

“Let's go, little one.”

Aria took his hand.

-

The way to these men's house would be remembered by Aria in little flashes, in the future.

The men taking out swords and casually leaving them floating before them, making Aria realize that they must be level 5 cultivators because flying was something few people could do.

The rain-repelling paper talisman stuck to her shirt, instead of being the usual stamp in her hand, activated by a trickle of spiritual power that to Aria's little senses seemed to come from a vast ocean.

The way Wei Ying's arms felt so secure as she lifted and carried her the whole way. She was warm, whether from the talisman or those arms, she didn't know.

She fell asleep.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wangxian meets descendants

[screadingchallenge]

Behind the Keyboard Volume 36

Behind the Keyboard is a series of interviews with different Schitt’s Creek fanfic authors. The series will last as long as there is interest (from authors) and capacity (from me). If you are an author from the Schitt’s Creek fandom who would like to participate, send a DM to this account.  

Each author was given ten questions. The first five questions are the same for every author, the last five will vary.

If you'd like to do an interview, let me know!

Let’s meet our next author:

@flowerfan2 / flowerfan

How many fics have you written? 235

When did you publish your first fic on AO3? 

Fall of 2013.  I don’t know the exact date because I had to delete my first one from A03 - it was a Glee fic and I had used too much of a song so they messaged me about it, and I was too embarrassed to simply edit it.

Describe your writing process from “Oh, I have an idea” to pushing publish on AO3. 

This varies.  Sometimes I am seized with an idea and I simply can’t stop writing - for those fics, I move from the idea to posting within a day or two.  For longer fics, or fics written for challenges, the process moves a bit more slowly.  With multi-chapter fics I have begun to have a few organizing documents, so I keep track of what happens in each chapter.  This was particularly important in my Schitt’s Creek Legally Blond AU, So Much Better, because I was trying really hard to match up the fic with the songs from the show.  I think I succeeded pretty well!

Tell me about your most recent fic? What do you love about it? Is there anything you think you could have done better? 

My most recent fic, Apples and Honey, is kind of an outlier. It is the only Kirk/Spock fic I have ever written, and it’s also pretty niche because it’s about Rosh Hashanah.  But I have recently started reading a lot of Star Trek fic and I was thinking alot about it right around the Jewish High Holidays, and I didn’t want to break my streak of posting a High Holiday fic (previous ones were David x Patrick, and Good Omens), and it just happened.  I kind of love it, in part because I admire how Leonard Nimoy’s Jewish identity influenced his character, and I think that worked nicely in the fic.  As far as what I could have done better - I try not to spend too much time worrying about that.  If what I write makes me happy, then I’m good.

What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking about publishing their fic for the first time? 

Just do it.  Honestly.  There’s no reason at all not to, and so many reasons to go for it.

What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you about writing? 

It’s the same as my answer to question #6 - just do it.

How has writing fic changed you? 

It has given me the confidence to understand and explore my own creativity.  And brought me a lot of joy.

If you could say one thing to the people who read your fic, what would it be? 

Thank you.  And please know how much every comment and kudos means to me.

If you could say one thing to your fellow fic writers, what would it be? 

Don’t worry, we all want more cake.  More cake is awesome, keep it coming.

What is your comfort fic? 

It’s hard to pick just one, but I think I have to go back to my first fandom (Glee) - The Symphony Verse, by shandyall. 

#behind the keyboard #meet the authors #sc fanfic #schitts creek #schitt's creek

[thomashoes]

Announcement-ish

i realized it's been almost a month since i last posted a short fic here💀 and i wanted to apologize for the lack of content.

tbh, my mind has been hyperfixating on just one fic that i have in mind and so i have been slowly writing it. and no, it isn't just a one-shot. it's a multi-chaptered fic (oc and all too hehe).

the reason why i'm writing it slowly is because i wanted to gather more lore content so that it can make sense and, well, accurate.

i'm not sure if anyone is interested in it but here is a snippet of my dear oc's lore.

They’re trying to kill each other, was the only thought Anna had as she froze at the sight. She saw Diluc raise his claymore once more as if he had regained his strength and released a huge flaming bird that was flying fast towards her other brother who has yet to recover from whatever attack Diluc threw at him. Anna couldn’t move her feet to push Kaeya away nor could she scream for him to move, not with her body refusing to move and her throat closing up. She can only watch as Diluc’s attack approaches Kaeya.

However, just before it could hit him Kaeya raised his sword at the flaming bird and it was immediately extinguished. She could see the shocked look on Diluc’s face and the pain on Kaeya’s. Anna couldn’t understand it for a hot minute until she looked down and saw the frozen ground Kaeya was standing on and only then did she realize what happened. Kaeya got his vision; a Cryo Vision. Given the circumstances and the look on his face, this was not how Kaeya wanted to receive his vision.

Diluc’s shock was then replaced by a cold look on his face before he looked in Anna's direction. She couldn’t see what was on his face due to her eyes constantly being blurred with tears nor could she even look at his face after what she witnessed. The eldest of the three then returned his gaze to Kaeya, who was still shaking from either exhaustion or pain, and spoke to him. Whatever he told Kaeya was low enough from Anna’s hearing range. Before getting Kaeya to respond, he de-materializes his claymore before walking away.

Anna quickly found the strength to move and rushed towards Kaeya and hugged him tight, unable to find words at the moment. He hugged her back just as tight, maybe tighter, and let out a loud sob. This was the first time she has ever seen her mischievous brother being brought to tears, normally she would tease him about it but the timing would be horrendous. They cried together under the rain for a while before they heard Adelinde and Elzer run towards them with umbrellas and towels. That was the night when Annaliese Ragnvindr's life took a turn.

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

i only wrote the first chapter for this bc i had to write down the plot timelines first and do a little bit of research (*cough cough* their ages and her lovers *cough*), but yeah other than that, the fic will be fully written once its decent enough for me. (this is just me saying im trying to stop myself from adding spice). worry not though, my endgame ship for ragsis has been decided huehuehuehue

also special thanks to @alhaithamsbathtowel for listening to my rants about my OC and being the unfortunate soul of being the first person to find out of my OC's...shenanigans hehehe

oh and i might post a fic for later since i do have another one drafted here. it was originally supposed to be part of my oc's fic, including the thoma weinlesefest fic, but it was too funny for me to not write it.

that's all! thank you for taking your time to read this and for your patience. i will post updates regarding this multi-chapter fic soon.

have a great day~!

#genshin impact #daily brainrot #fanfic #announcement!!!

[avitus-ostrander]

5 comfort characters & 5 tags

Thank you @sonderlativ​ for the tag

#1 - Varis zos Galvus (Final Fantasy XIV) 

Many of my favorite characters are not necessarily comforting. I do not handle character death exceptionally well. After being brutally emotionally tortured by Blizzard for years as they slowly and agonizingly character assassinated and killed off a character I loved (who at the time was a comfort character, helping me recover from another character death), I was left unable to get attached to anyone. 

Enter Varis.

I remember finishing the ARR MSQ and seeing him show up and thinking “ooh the new emperor is really attractive…” and that was kind of fun. I hadn’t experienced that sort of instant pull to a character in quite some time. It still took an act of will to allow myself to actually get attached to him. And then, after some agonizing, I decided to ship my player character, Aurelien, with him. This was the most self-indulgent thing I had ever allowed myself to do. 

He also got me back into drawing after a multi-year hiatus. If anyone wants to see some random shipping pics, they can be found here. 

He’s a serious, dedicated, deeply flawed person, and I love him immensely. Also, his relationship with my OC is possibly the only ‘healthy’ relationship I have ever written. 

#2 - Millions Knives (Trigun)

This will come as a surprise to (probably) no one who is following me here. 

So I’d been having a pretty difficult time and was struggling a lot. I’d pretty much given up on being alive and was just mindlessly counting down the days. 

Then my best friend suggested we give Trigun Stampede a try. I was skeptical, because reboots often burn me and Trigun was something I loved from my childhood, but I figured if it sucked we could hit the bricks. 

When Knives showed up and announced his presence by playing the piano, I completely lost my mind. I instantly felt something I had not felt in SO LONG. I regained the will to live. I felt EXCITED to be alive again. 

I really tried to fight it for a few days, but I couldn’t. I gave myself an undercut. I smiled uncontrollably at any mention of anything even tangentially related to him. Hearing a single note from a piano made me feel like I was going to faint from joy. Finally, I confessed to my best friend that I was deeply obsessed. 

The reason he does not make the number 1 spot is because this fixation has come with some serious emotional upheaval, as I evaluate some of my unresolved issues that I see reflected in him. And also, Varis is such a minor character that I just didn’t see that much negativity about him. Knives is in the spotlight a lot more, so it can be more challenging to just casually indulge without running into people who hate him. 

No one has to like him and I can see why some people wouldn’t, but he brought me back to life and sometimes I just want to be able to feel happy about that.

[Honorable mention here goes to Legato for helping me through my Knives-based angst when it comes around. He was my favorite from Trigun in my youth and one of two characters I built a character shrine for (if anyone remembers those).]

# 3 - Erwin Smith (Attack on Titan)

This one is a bit more obscure in its reasoning. Levi was actually my favorite character in Attack on Titan, but I wrote this figure skating/hockey AU where Erwin is arguably the best figure skater in the world and, just before he can prove this in competition, he gets injured and has to give up his dream. 

Years later, a bitter and aimless Erwin discovers Levi, who is participating in underground murder hockey tournaments, and decides to take him under his wing. Erwin regains his sense of purpose. Levi stops risking life and limb on a daily basis. And I got insanely attached to Erwin while working on this crazy AU. 

There was a comic I was working on for the prologue for it, but I only got 3 and a half pages in, because I couldn’t figure out how to render the climactic scene. (for those interested: pg 1, pg 2, pg 3) 

#4 - Yuri Plisetsky (Yuri!!! on Ice)

I swear I don’t exclusively like angry blondes… 

But I might (almost) exclusively have them as comfort characters. 

Yuri on Ice is in general one of my comfort shows. I’ve loved figure skating since forever, so an anime about figure skating was a dream come true! It doesn’t hurt that the main characters are adorable. 

But this mega grouch was my favorite. He is angry and standoffish, but really soft on the inside. And he’s an incredible skater. What more could I ask for? 

(Everyone should brace themselves for the potential that everyone on this list will be drawn skating at some point, if they haven’t been already) 

#5 - Malokh Skullsplitter & Auralion Duskwither (World of Warcraft)

So these two are OCs. As such, I don’t have any great color pictures of them. I started coloring this one, but it’s stuck on a tablet that needs fixing. All of my other pictures of these two are even more outdated, so this will have to do.

I haven’t played WoW in ages and am not sure I ever will again, but I still love my characters dearly. 

Aura is a Blood Elf shadow priest. Malokh is an Orc warrior. 

Anyway, Auralion has been my absolute favorite OC for about… 13+ years now? Like everyone else on this list, he is an angry blonde. He’s also a (very slightly) older twin. When I don’t have a current obsession, I draw/write stuff about him. This is not his proper hair. This is his hair growing back after he was nearly incinerated. Here is a picture of how his hair normally looks. 

While Aura embodies a lot of my struggles and I channel a lot of my angst into him, Malokh embodies a lot of the things I feel like I need. It’s about to get kind of personal here so feel free to skip to the end… 

As a little kid, I had the misfortune of simultaneously finding out that death was a thing and that it could be violent and terrible, and I never felt safe again. My parents comforted me by telling me that I was not important enough to murder, and my takeaway was “these people won’t and can’t defend me.” So I decided I would be the person to defend the family. I became a very aggressive, very cruel person because I didn’t feel safe unless I was the worst person in the room. 

But really, all I wanted was for someone to say they would protect me. 

Malokh embodies all the things I wanted as a kid. He is fiercely loyal, compassionate, intelligent, patient, and he would absolutely wreck anyone who threatened the people he loves. 

I have loved orcs since I was a little kid and first played the original Warcraft RTS game. There was something very comforting to me about being so big and strong that you didn’t really have to be afraid of humans. 

I ship him and Aura in the red quadrant (because I do Homestuck style shipping for some of my OCs). 

And Malokh has black hair, so he breaks the pattern!

Anyway, tagging: @skuppycake​, @dragonofeternal​, @evilgeometry​, @setsuntamew​, @arahith​

No pressure if anyone does not want to do this or doesn’t have time! I tried to message everyone to make sure it was okay, but I am not sure if all of the messages got through. I was getting a lot of ‘message not sent’ errors and lately when I try to comment on posts it takes multiple tries for anything to show up.

#5 comfort characters tag thing #Not going to tag anyone mentioned because it would not be useful for anyone in the tags #I want to reiterate that this isn't necessarily an ordered list of favorite characters - just comfort characters #There are some characters I am deeply attached to that did not make this list. It was a tough decision.

[dreadreflection-if]

This is such a stupid idea, but I've gotten this scenario stuck in my head and I can't help but get it off my chest😭

So with this whole detective and nior aesthetic going on, I'm just imagining what would be the RO reactions if in a certain crime scene the Bard MC pieces together the clues; and does a whole song and dance number of "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson to convey the meaning of the clues and what they deduced had happened. Ofcourse Annie is the name of the client.

Maybe they multi-classed into necromancer and can summon a few skeletons to act as backup dancers. I dunno, it's so stupid but this scene idea is something I had to share with the world🥹

🤣 I mean, Bard MC has to show off their skills somehow! They’re just making the case interesting for everyone.😉

Also, anytime anyone mentions the idea of a bard/necromancer multiclass, I always think of this song.

---

I: They’re happy that you’re enjoying yourself, but they think this might not be the time and place for a performance - there was just a crime. Anxiously tries to stop you and offers to watch your performance later instead.

Akriel: Accomplice #1. Plays her instrument alongside you and provides back-up vocals for your number. Will probably insist that you both do performances like this every time you solve a crime.

Firan: Your performance is certainly... interesting. He’s not particularly surprised by it - it’s hard finding something that will genuinely shock him. Probably reading a book while it goes on.

Clove: Amazed. They haven’t seen any song or dance numbers before, so this is a whole new experience for them. Sits and watches the full performance with rapt attention.

E: Probably actively trying to stop you. They want to support you, but the client just went through a horrible crime! There might be someone who needs to be brought to justice - song and dance will have to wait!

Lei: Nope. Not dealing with this. She’s already a pretty impatient person, and having to watch your full musical number is not something she wants to do. Leaves and doesn’t come back till it’s over.

Dimitrius: Flabbergasted. How long have you been planning this? Leans against a nearby wall and expressionlessly watches the performance - trying to hide his foot tapping to the beat.

Noel: This is a serious case, and is not the time for song and dance. They tell the deduction to the client before your number is even over, then also leave the scene so they don’t have to witness this.

Uriel: Accomplice #2. Probably dances alongside the skeletons - how she knows the moves, you aren’t sure. Gives you a standing ovation after the performance and also insists you do this every case.

#ask the mists #stabby-crabby-ricky #ro #full tarokka deck #ch: i. winrow #ch: akriel lukas #ch: firan zal'honan #ch: clove #ch: e. blackbourne #ch: lei zhū #ch: dimitrius zarovan #ch: noel laurier #ch: uriel #dread reflection #smooth criminal is stuck in my head now lol #ty for the ask!

[fea395-alejandroruiz]

Journal #5

This week we viewed the film Happy Together (1997) directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film follows Lai Yiu-fai and Ho Po-wing and their messy and complicated relationship that has brought them to Buenos Aires and unable to get home to Hong Kong. So far this semester, this has to be my favorite film we have viewed. It’s such a grounded and realistic depiction of a toxic relationship and the things we do for the people we love, whether for better or worse. At first it seemed that our protagonist, Lai, just had to deal with the horrible boyfriend that was Ho. Ho Po-wing was manipulative, needy, selfish, and sometimes predatory. But the film gives us a multi-dimensional protagonist in Lai because he also isn’t perfect. He’s possessive and jealous, taking Ho’s passport so he can’t leave him. I loved this because it showcases queer characters that aren’t just only defined by queerness. Queer people are deeply layered, they have their faults, and struggles just like any other person. It was refreshing to see that our protagonist isn’t perfect, and isn’t just an arm candy boyfriend, he is well developed throughout the whole film. One more small detail I really enjoyed about the film was the relationship between Lai and Chang. Their dialogue was filled with so much queer subtext that genuinely I thought they would kiss by the end of the film. Specifically when they have a discussion on women’s voices and Chang says he likes deep voices and Lai says he doesn’t really care about women’s voices. Chang even asks Lai to record his voice so that he can listen to it when he wants to remember him. They have a lot of lingering physical contact and their goodbye hug was really intimate.

In addition to the film, we read the article “Reflecting on Decolonial Queer” by Pedro Paulo Gomes Pereira. This article was a little tough for me to understand, but this is what I took away from it. Modern queer theory is through the lens of European/white culture and identity and fails to look at queer theory through other racial/cultural lenses. Pereira calls this decolonization, “an operation that consists of detaching ourselves from Eurocentrism and, in the same movement with which we extricate ourselves from its logic and its apparatus, opening ourselves to other experiences, stories, and theories (pg.407).” In relation to Happy Together, the film looks at an interesting perspective of queer characters. Our two main characters are queer Chinese men, stuck in Argentina. I admire this narrative choice because it’s an intersection of race, culture, and sexuality that is very unique and makes for an intimate and personal story that differs from the stereotypical white gay American queer film. Pereira says that “colonial logic is masculine, hetero, and white (pg.421).” And unfortunately that is how a lot of American and European societies view the world, which minimizes and makes inferior the voices of anyone who falls outside these parameters. I love that Lai expresses his love for Hong Kong and that he dreams of nothing more than to go back. It’s important that Lai expressed how angry he was that Ho is the reason they are stuck in Argentina, because it reemphasizes the love that Lai has for his home and culture that he has been taken away from. Lai is stuck in a foreign world that is so different from the one he is used to. 

[bitletsanddrabbles]

WIP Wednesday: And Now For Something Completely Different

Am I done with Downton Abbey? Hell no.

Am I done with Island of the Gays? See above.

I am, however, showing signs of burn out, so if I’m not careful, I might wind up done with them whether I want to be or not. (Spoiler: I don’t.)

So I’m taking a week off to start up a bit of ridiculousness for a new fandom. I highly doubt anyone will be interested, but my brain is currently chattering away like a whole flock of budgies - and more to the point, the idea of writing for it isn’t sending my stress level through the roof? - so it’ll be good for my sanity.

Hell, I may actually finish it. Who knows? Right now I sure don’t.

With luck once we get past Season and things slack off at work, I’ll start feeling better again and be able to multi task some of the things I want to finish back in, revise a few things, etc. For now, though, enjoy a couple of guys who are only related on paper playing chess and talking about things they’re not supposed to.

Yes, there are spoilers.

“Auguste, do you have a moment?”

Auguste paused. He’d been on his way out of the house, intent on doing some sketching of the Scottish architecture, but Philippe’s question brought him up short. Out of habit, they both spoke French. It was easier, when it was just the two of them, and if they happened upon a conversation they wanted to keep from the Scottish relations, it saved on trying to switch languages without looking suspicious. “Yes, Papa?”

His mother’s husband gave him a pained look from the door of the Morning Room. “I can see you’re going someplace, but could I possibly convince you to play chess instead? Your mother is off on one of her walks and I’m in danger of dying of boredom.”

“Alright, Papa.” It wasn’t a hard sell, really. While the weather was nice enough at the moment, you could never tell when it would start raining and he didn’t want his sketch book drenched. And he liked chess quite well.

Philippe gave a sigh of relief and the two of them took up their position at the board in front of the drawing room window.  Without asking, Philippe set up the board so that the white pieces were in front of him and the black ones sat in front of Auguste. Most of the family thought it was a matter of seniority, but the reality was that Auguste preferred that his opponent start the game. It gave him more of a sense of victory if he won to have started with a disadvantage.

While he waited for Philippe to make his first move, Auguste asked, “Maman has been taking ever so many walks this year. Do you think this means we’ll have another baby this winter?”

Philippe moved a pawn from in front of his rook. “Possibly. Heaven knows that man of hers seems to be quite lusty.”

Auguste thought he detected a bit of jealousy in Philippe’s voice, but he didn’t comment. The lustiness of other men was nothing that concerned him. “I suppose she’s a bit old, though, isn’t she?” Truth be told, he wasn’t certain how old his mother was, but he was aware that women did stop having children eventually. He selected a pawn at random and moved it. It was a risky opening, but it made the game interesting.

“Not for several years yet,” Phillipe frowned. “You know better than to ask a woman’s age.”

“From her,” Auguste countered.

Phillipe considered a bit, then shrugged acquiescence. “Fair point. But no, your mother is not so old that another child would surprise me.”

“I take it she hasn’t said anything about wanting another?”

“We don’t speak of such things.”

Auguste gave him a curious look. “Why not? You speak to me about it.”

“Auguste.” Philippe gave him a hard look and moved his knight in a positively menacing manner. “When one is a man in my station, there are things he does not do. One of them is to open other’s eyes. We speak about it because you are a sharp eyed boy who figured things out on your own, both that your mother was involved with someone else and that I knew about it. Also, you are not involved. Your mother may be aware I know or she may not. Either way, if we tell each other as much directly, we’ll have to acknowledge the situation. If we acknowledge the situation, then propriety will force me to proclaim you children illegitimate and get some of my own.” Despite his obvious attempts to conceal it, his mouth pinched in distaste. “I should properly divorce Elspeth and marry someone else, but I might be able to get around that, with care.” He met Auguste’s eye and said, quite firmly, “I do not want to do that. Your mother is a good wife for me, even if she does drag me to this odious country of tea and bad cheese once a year. And I care for you children. I do not care that you are Scottish through and through, you make as good an heir as anything I could produce on my own. And so Elspeth and I do not discuss the matter, you understand?”

Auguste thought about it a moment, moved another pawn, and nodded. “I understand, yes. Thinking on it, I suppose it should have been obvious.” Even though he had been raised in the aristocracy, there was a difference between being a child and being a man. At fifteen, he was slowly making the transition between the two, and was trying to do it with some grace, although he had mixed luck.

“You are learning,” Philippe assured him, his voice softening. “And it’s my job to teach you. So I will.”

Auguste couldn’t quite agree with that. He remembered the previous summer, when he had sneaked into Philippe’s private library and found one of Hugh’s novels on the shelf. He had been several chapters in, puzzling over why, precisely, someone would want another man tying him up like that, when Philippe had caught him. The older man had ascertained, with some obvious relief, that the book hadn’t been to Auguste’s taste, acquire some more socially acceptable reading material for him, the sort with lots of girls, and that had been that. There had been no need to say they would not speak of the incident again. In light of that, it seemed obvious that his mother’s love affair would be off limits, even with her husband. Still, he had no way of saying that without bringing up the other thing, so he moved on to other subjects. “Do you really think Fergus will marry that horrid English woman?”

“I hope not!” Philippe scoffed. “But he probably will. Such a horrid, common woman. I can’t imagine what Fergus sees in her. I know the family keeps me around for my wine and cigarettes, but what can they hope to get from her? They already have a good supply of fish.”

“I know what he sees in her,” Auguste replied promptly. While she was dreadfully annoying and undeniably ‘common’, it could not be denied that she was attractive. She showed enough cleavage to make certain the fact could not be missed. “She’s the sort to turn heads.”

Philippe looked dubious. “If you say so.”

Auguste didn’t really expect him to see her charms any more than he himself could see the appeal of a lusty man, so he let the subject drop. They had played through several moves in silence when the door opened and Cousin Constance entered the room. They paused the game, giving her matching inquisitive looks.

Constance looked around the room, frowning. Apparently not finding what she was looking for, she turned her attention to pair of them and asked, “Do you know where Angus is?”

Phillippe shrugged and shook his head.

Auguste didn’t respond, beyond moving his rook.

Obviously taking that as a ‘no’, Constance sighed and rolled her eyes. “Really, what does that man do all day?” Without a word of parting, she turned and showed herself out of the room.

Philippe gave Auguste a knowing look. “Do you know where Angus is?”

Without looking up from the board, Auguste replied, “He’s out in the Tennis Pavilion helping Hugh with his latest novel.”

“Oh.” To his credit, Philippe managed not to look too interested. “I wonder when this one will be out.”

Auguste simply shrugged and lost one of his pawns.

#loch down abbey #loch down abbey fanfiction #Philippe Comtois #Auguste Comtois #chess #father son coversations #sort of #spoilers

[crumbledcastle28]

Azriel Shadowsinger: Unexpected

Pairing: Azriel x fem!reader

Summary: Azriel does his duty for his Court completely and utterly isolated, and he likes it that way. His ideology begins to waver, however, when another begins to do it better.

Warnings: reader tortures (but mostly intimidates) a male, reader also has severe trauma that will be discussed later on. Swearing, crying, references to cutting , torturing, and blood. Az pretty much gets a boner from all of this, and also Cassian is here. I think I went a bit off canon as well. If I need to add any more TW, please let me know! Please do not read if you do not feel comfortable.

A/N: This is my attempt at writing anything multi-part for the first time in months, so I hope u can pull it off. This is Part 1, and Part 2 will be posted in the next coming weeks. Thank you to anyone who has supported my writing—I hope you like this one too :)

If you’d like to leave a like, comment, reply, or ask, it would be much appreciated <3

Azriel Masterlist

Part 1 I Part 2 I Part 3

In all of Azriel’s centuries of living, killing, torturing, and fucking, he had never seen a male quiver and crawl from his restraints so relentlessly.

When you entered his pitch black chamber, knives covering seemingly every ounce of your body, the male looked as if crawling out of his own skin would be better than even looking you in the eye.

He could only see your silhouette as you opened the iron door, making sure it was locked behind you as you closed it, and blood began to pump to his groin.

You were so…unexpected.

Rhys had come in only minutes ago, telling him about the spymaster from the Autumn Court who had practically dropped this male into his hands.

“She’s been tracking this group for weeks—months even,” he whispered to Azriel. “Beron spoke highly of her the last time we brought this group to his attention, and he agreed to let us use her. For now.”

Her.

Az would be lying if he wasn’t a little…intrigued.

Never once did he think a female was incapable of doing a job like his. He was only surprised by the fact that of all people, Beron had a female for his spymaster. He had his doubts that Beron put this female—you—into this position for the right reasons.

Either way, he was grateful. The “group” that Rhys was referring to were a group of rebel Illyrian males who did not like the way Rhys was running things. They had done enough damage in Illyria for Rhys to take notice, but when they started expanding further south, that is when the other Courts finally showed some interest.

Most notably—Beron. Hence why you were walking slowly into his chamber, covered in weapons, prepared to get information from this male no matter how bloody you got.

He saw the curves of your body take shape in the darkness, but it wasn’t until you stepped into the thin strip of light shining through the small window above your head.

His throat dried and his chest tightened.

Divine, he thought. Murderously so.

Had he dreamed you into existence?

You breezed past him, not even batting an eye. You were zeroed-in on the male strapped to the metal chair, huffing and pressing himself as far away from you as he could.

He got a whiff of your scent, and his eyes fluttered at its gravitational pull.

“Agnar,” you mumbled huskily, “it’s been too long.”

Az could only watch you work.

The male was breathing out of his nose, and sweat began to drip down his temple. His wrist restraints groaned from his badly he was pulling them.

“Did you get in trouble again?” you ask him, walking slowly towards him and pulling a knife from your thigh. “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t do that anymore.”

Your voice lowered more and more as you spoke.

“No—no,” the man whimpered, pressing the back of his head against the chair and meeting his gaze with Az’s. “Anything. I’ll tell you everything. Just get her—get her away from me.”

It was then that you decided to acknowledge that Az was even standing behind you. You turned your head to the side, giving him an illuminated view of your side profile, and only your eyes were turned towards him.

You scanned his body from his face to his feet and back up again, taking in his form. Any other male would think you were sizing him up, but Az knew you were taking note of every visible weapon he had on him and reading his body language.

Someone had trained you well. So well, that even Az felt a bead of sweat drip down his own back.

He cleared his throat before saying, “she’s fine where she is.” He nodded to you, and you gave him the subtlest of nods back. There were zero emotions present in your eyes.

You then turned your face forward once more, and continued.

“You can make this so simple, Agnar,” you said to the male, twirling your ruby-coated dagger in your hand, “and you can be out of here in no time.”

You leaned closer to him.

“Where is your group headed next,” you asked, slowly. “Tell me the exact location, and I won’t have to use this.”

The man continued to meet your intense gaze and swallowed grimly. He kept his chest puffed, attempting to keep any of his ego intact, but his body continued to shake at your proximity. It rattled so hard his feet were bouncing off the floor.

You grinned at his silence and pressed the tip of your knife to his leather-covered chest. He sucked in a breath.

You traced a line across the entire expanse of his chest, following some invisible line, before saying, “I can give you a matching one, if you’d like.”

A scar. You were tracing one of his scars. That you had given him.

“It seems unfair of me to only give you one,” you whispered, “when two will impress the females even more, won’t they?”

You had cut a scar that long across his chest? No wonder he was shaking so hard the chair was rattling.

“Come on Agnar. Just a location.”

You kept saying his name in such a way that was making his skin crawl. It bothered him to no end.

Az just…watched.

You pushed the tip of your blade into the center of his chest, not enough to touch skin, but enough to poke through the fabric. The male’s body went still as death.

“I went easy on you last time,” you grumbled, “I won’t make that mistake again—”

“Ironcrest,” the man shouts, heaving. “Ironcrest Camp. Their plan is to rally their forces at Ironcrest Camp.”

Your body tensed, as well as Az’s, and your voice somehow went deeper. “When?”

“I don’t know. I swear it on the cauldron.” He was practically weeping. “They’re having a meeting about it in a brothel somewhere in the Steppes seven nights from now, but that’s all I know. I swear it.”

You slowly pulled the tip of your knife from his clothing and backed away from him. The male audibly exhaled as you did, and he breathed deeper and slower the more you backed away from him.

Ironcrest.

Az’s mind started to spin. He knew of many brothels in the Steppes, and he hated every single one. The last thing he wanted to do was go anywhere near those places, but exploding a window or two wouldn’t hurt. He would honestly enjoy it.

The issue was: which brothel?

He ran over the names and locations of each one in his head, but the wheels in his head came to a screeching halt when you turned your frame towards his completely.

Gods.

The way the light was shining on you from overhead made you look ethereal. You looked lethal with a coating of death over your irises, and nothing could prepare him for how sexy he found you. Everything about you. From the leathers you were covered in to the way you held yourself.

He knew he shouldn’t be thinking that way. He had heard you say maybe twenty words in total, and you had only glanced his way once, but damn him if he wasn’t a bit hypnotized by you.

“I know the brothel,” you said to him, and he noticed how your voice had turned more neutral once you began to speak to him. “I can get there in more than enough time.”

You began to walk back towards the door, but he stuck his arm out in front of you, his hand hovering in front of your stomach.

“Wait,” he said, and your eyes met his again. “Rhys will need to hear about this. He will want me to go with you as well.”

“I don’t need your help,” you spat, and your breath coated the skin around his collarbone.

He didn’t know how to respond, so he lowered his hand from your stomach, and let you pass.

It wasn’t until his hand dropped to his side that he felt a tingle crawling up to his elbow, and the scent of you still lingering in his nose.

He exhaled when he heard the door close, and ran a hand down his face.

“I have never seen you so entranced, brother,” Cassian said from the shadows behind him, making him jolt.

Had he been there the whole time?

“Shall I tell Rhys that his spymaster cannot keep his dick in his pants around a pretty lady?”

Pretty lady.

An anger rose up inside Azriel, and he straightened his shoulders to tame it.

“Fuck off, Cas,” Az mumbled, and Cassian threw his head back in a laugh.

“Relax, brother,” he said and placed his hand on Az’s shoulder, shaking him a bit, “you’ll see her again soon enough.”

Az didn’t bother to watch Cassian leave.

Soon enough.

If only Azriel knew how truly unexpected you were about to become.

Tag list: (if you’d like to be added, please let me know! I apologize if your tag is not working/is not added)

@leahkenobi @notquitehero @lovelyladymayyy @seraphqueen123 @em---r @azaideen @katiebellf @llovelydove @tinasbookishlife @sayhitomommy @wickedazriel @xxpeachyxo @icarusave @forever-paramore28 @peachyxlynch @evlynclia @feyretopia @wingedmiken

#azriel and you #azriel/reader #azriel angst #azriel fluff #azriel x you #azriel smut #azriel x reader #azriel shadowsinger #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf #acosf fanfiction #cassian #nesta archeron #rhysand #elain archeron #amren

[1-imaginary-girl]

I Spy

Bruce Wayne x Reader

Summary: While out on a date, you feel a set of familiar eyes watching you. Reader uses she/her pronouns.

Warnings: Jealous Bruce.

Word Count: 3259

A/N: I’m wrapping up with finals which means back to writing and who better to start with than my favourite bat boy ;)

“‘Many have their own theories behind Bruce Wayne’s reclusive nature, with some suspecting that the billionaire is harbouring a dark secret,’” you read aloud. You’re flipping through a trashy magazine you picked up when you saw Bruce’s name on the cover. Your words echo throughout the Batcave as you lean back in an office chair you claimed as your own. You liked that it reclined.

Beside you, Bruce Wayne is seated in front of his multi-screened monitor, silently watching videos he recorded as Batman. In the beginning you would watch with him but eventually you realized it was all very similar and you got bored.

It was a complete accident that you found out his secret. You had been Bruce’s friend for years, always trying to bring a bit of fun and joy into the man’s otherwise gloomy life. You had been on your way to do just that, ready with a batch of cookies that he always says he doesn’t want but you know he secretly does. You knocked at the door and Dory let you in. You went wondering around the house and stumbled upon a hushed conversation between Bruce and Alfred in the office. Feeling nosy, you listened in:

“I don’t want to go,” you heard Bruce say. Alfred sighed.

“I understand that Master Bruce, but I think it would be in your best interest to go,” Alfred responded.

“Why? To negotiate business deals?” Bruce scoffed.

“That and I think it’s important you keep up with public appearances. People are starting to get suspicious,” Alfred said which made you confused as to what he was talking about. Then he said: “After all, you wouldn’t want anyone to find out that Bruce Wayne doubles as a bat-themed vigilante at night.”

“Alfred no one’s gonna—” Bruce stopped himself as a gasp escaped your mouth. He slowly opened the door to find you standing there with your mouth wide open. Bruce and Alfred had both looked panicked, but Bruce tried to act as if nothing had happened. “You shouldn’t eavesdrop on other people’s private conversations—”

“You’re Batman?!” you shouted. Bruce and Alfred both tried to explain themselves, but it was clear that the cat was out of the bag. Or rather, the bat.

At first you were a little mad at Bruce for not telling you, but you got over it. You understood the importance of the secret. After that you wouldn’t leave him alone about it. Eventually he brought you to the Batcave, which he would come to regret as you fell in love with the place and decided that it was your new hangout spot.

Which brings you to leaning back in your chair, trying to distract Bruce while he ignores you, which annoys you. You had hoped reading from this magazine would grab his attention. “‘Some theorists have claimed to have caught glimpses of the allusive man from his manor’s windows. One even claimed to have seen him shirtless, and described the image as unbelievably hot and—’”

“It does not say that,” Bruce says before reaching over and snatching the magazine from your hands. His scrunched-up face only makes you laugh harder when he throws the magazine onto the floor.

“Oh come on, that was funny!” you say through giggles. But Bruce just rolls his eyes and goes back to work. At least you got a reaction out of him, you thought. You were desperate for his attention for two reasons: 1) Along with being his best friend for years, you also harboured a little tiny crush on the man and loved every second you got to spend with him and 2) You were bored.

You sigh before reaching down to pick up the magazine and continue reading it in silence. A moment later, you hear the elevator door ding and look up to see Alfred emerge.

“Hey Alfred,” you say with a smile, happy for new company.

“Hello Miss Y/N,” he says as he approaches you and Bruce. But of course, Bruce doesn’t glance up from his monitors. “I was wondering if you would be joining us for dinner this evening?”

“I’d love to, but I have plans,” you say with a sigh.

“Plans?” you hear Bruce say as he joins the conversation. He’s still staring at his screens. You narrow your eyes before turning back to Alfred.

“Yeah, I have a date.”

“A date?” Bruce says. He finally tears his eyes away to look at you with wide eyes. You feel suddenly on the spot. You didn’t really plan on bringing this up, not wanting an interrogation. Like this one.

“Are you just going to repeat everything I say?” you say, frustrated. Bruce blushes and directs his gaze to the floor. His jaw clenches. You give him an odd look he doesn’t see. Strange, you think, but decide to brush it off. “Yes, I have a date. Which I should go home and get ready for—”

“With who?” Bruce says just as you’re standing to leave. You hope this conversation will wrap up. You didn’t exactly want to talk to the guy you love about some date. But Bruce is looking at you again.

“A guy I met at work.” His name is James, and you hadn’t originally said yes. He had come by the café multiple times and each time asked you out. Not in an aggressive way, he backed down once you said no but he still asked every time he came, hoping for a different response. Yesterday when he asked you again, you actually thought about it. You hadn’t been on a date in a while thanks to a certain crush and it would hopefully take your mind off things. So you said yes, which took the man by surprise, but he eagerly arranged a date for tonight.

“So a complete stranger.” You huff, not understanding why Bruce is giving you such a hard time about this.

“Yes, that’s how dating works Bruce. You meet someone and get to know them and then—”

“I get it,” he says, looking away. You wonder what has gotten into him. Here you were, spending your whole afternoon with him while he barely said a word, and now suddenly he’s drilling you with 20 questions.

“Well, have fun,” Alfred says, and you’re grateful for his kind words breaking up your angry thoughts.

“Thank you, Alfred,” you stress, glaring over at Bruce. He’s still staring anywhere but at you yet hasn’t returned to his monitors. He seems angry and you don’t know why since you’re the one who’s angry. “I’ll see you later.” You smile at Alfred and quickly glance at Bruce who still isn’t looking your way. You roll your eyes before heading towards the elevator, already mentally preparing yourself for the night ahead.

†††

“Turns out, the photocopier was unplugged the whole time!” James says, laughing at his own story. You offer a polite laugh and drink back your wine. The two of you are seated in a fancy restaurant, James’ choice. With your budget, you would have been fine eating take-out. The walls are draped in red with intricate black designs swirling around the room. The lights are low and there’s a candle at every table (thankfully they’re fake). Jazz music emits from the speakers, low enough to have a conversation.

Frankly, you felt out of place. You had put on one of your nicer dresses and thank god you did. You hated that you had no idea where you were going before getting ready. Your tight red dress stops short just past your knees with a slit on the left side. 

“So tell me,” James says as he leans on the table. “Do you work at the café full time?”

Normally you’re not too embarrassed by your job, but after he had described his super fancy office job, you start to feel nervous. “Yeah, it’s tough to find good work around here,” you say with a forced laugh. James laughs back.         

“You’re telling me. Before this job, I worked at this small office and the cubicle space was ridiculous…” You nod along as he shows you how out of touch he is by comparing a small, cushy office space to working 12-hour shifts at a café. Your eyes move from him to the window beside your table. For some reason, you start to wonder what Bruce is up to right now before mentally kicking yourself for doing the opposite of getting over him. So you force yourself to keep up the conversation with James.

“So what’s your plan?” he asks you and you tilt your head in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I imagine you don’t want to be working at a café your whole life. So what’s your plan?” he asks. Though it’s true you want to find a better job, the way he asked that question was very condescending and you had to bite back a retort. What you want to say is “My plan is to ask my rich daddy to get me a job” but you don’t think he’ll appreciate the joke. Bruce would chuckle at my sarcastic remarks, if they weren’t aimed at him of course. God Y/N stop.

As you think of a way to answer the question and simultaneously keep your mind off of the billionaire, you look out the window once again. Sometimes Gotham can look really nice. Of course, you were in the nicer part of the city but it still gave you hope to see the nice skyline, quiet streets and…

Just as you’re about to turn back to James you spot something on the roof of the building across the street. You squint your eyes and you think you see two pointy ears against the sky. Just as soon as you see them, they’re gone. You’re too surprised to speak, your jaw dropping as you realize what you saw.

“What is it?” James asks, looking at where you’re staring. You quickly remember his presence and regain your composure.

“O-oh nothing, I thought I saw um...never mind,” you chuckle, as you fail to come up with a reasonable explanation. “Back to your question,” you say a bit loudly to pull his attention away from the window, which works. “My plan is to become a writer. I’ve applied to work at a few publishing agencies and soon I’ll be sending out some of my own work,” you say.

“That would be a hard job to find,” he chuckles, and again normally you would have laughed along but it seemed more like he was laughing at you than with you. “It might be time to start considering a real, more attainable job.”

You grip your silverware and wear a tight smile. “Yeah, you might be right,” you say, not wanting to cause a scene by stabbing him with your fork.

“I’d love to read your work sometime though,” he says with a smile. Not a chance, you think as you smile back. The dinner continues and you end up ordering the most expensive meal on the menu. You already know he’s going to insist he pays for the bill so you take advantage of that in compensation for his rude comments.

The whole time, you feel like you’re being watched. Of course, you know you’re being watched but every time you glance back at the roof there’s no sign of anyone. You’re now anxious to wrap the evening up to go investigate.

“Can we get the bill?” James asks.

“Of course,” the waiter says. “Would you like to split the bill?”

“No, dinner’s on me,” he sends a smile your way. You do the obligatory dance of offering to pay yourself and as expected, he reassures you it isn’t a big deal. You think he likes flashing his money.

The two of you walk outside the restaurant and over to where he’s parked his car. “Can I give you a ride home?” he asks.

“No thank you, I’d prefer to walk,” you say, already getting antsy to leave.

“Are you sure?” he gives you an incredulous look. “It’s not always safe walking the streets at night.”

“I can handle myself, trust me,” you say. And if I can’t, then I’m sure someone will swoop down to save me.

“Alright, I know when to give up,” he says. Then comes the part where you have to say goodbye and decide how to end the date. “I had a great time with you.”

“Yeah I did too,” you say. Other than his pretentious attitude, he was still one of your nicer dates. He had his kind and charming moments, and he is kind of cute. As your mind wanders over to the building across the way, an idea pops into your mind. 

You take a step closer to James and notice his eyes flicker to your lips. “I-I’d really like to see you again,” he says, his confident nature faltering.

“I’ll think about it,” you say with a teasing smile. Then you step even closer to him and lean up. He meets you halfway and you kiss him. His hands grip your waist and yours rest on his shoulders, not wanting this to go too far. You pull away and he has a dumbstruck look on his face that almost causes you to laugh. He opens his eyes and looks at you in amazement.

“I-I’ll call you,” he says.

“Mmm. See you around,” you say with a smirk on your face, adding to the ambiguity of your response. You then turn around and start to walk away. You wait to hear his car start up and leave before your eyes seek the building.

You cross the street and find a fire escape on the side. You curse at your heels but still step onto the stairs. You climb them all the way to the top where you step onto the roof. It’s empty except for a chimney and an entrance onto the roof from inside.

You walk into the centre of the area. “I know you’re up here Batboy,” you call out. “The shadows can’t hide you forever.”

A moment passes before you see a figure emerge from behind the entrance, from a corner shaded in shadows. As expected, Batman comes into the light. You look at him with a scrutinizing gaze, waiting for him to say something.

You sigh before you say, “Aren’t you even going to try to explain what you’re doing?”

“I’m on a stakeout,” he responds in a register slightly lower than normal. Again, you wait on an elaboration and you receive none.

“And just what exactly are you staking out?” you ask, wanting him to say it.

You watch him realize there’s no getting out of this without the truth. “I just wanted to make sure you were safe,” he says, his eyes focused on the ground. You snort.

“Yeah right,” you say. You’re not sure what you’re supposed to do other than scold and yell at him, which you’re about to do before he speaks up.

“Why did you kiss him?” he asks, looking at you directly. You stutter, not expecting that question.

“So you were spying on me huh?” you say, even if you already knew he was. “And I can kiss whoever I damn well please thank you.”

“Please, you don’t even like the guy,” he says with frustration in his voice.

“Oh and now you’re seriously telling me how I feel? What makes you think you know me so well?” The conversation is escalating as your voices raise.

“Because I do know you. That guy was rude and arrogant--”

“You were listening to us?!” you almost yell, trying to be discreet but your feelings are getting the better of you.

“No I-I,” he struggles for an explanation before sighing. “I could read your lips.”

“I can’t believe this,” you say with your head in your hands. You look at him. “You’re actually spying on me.”

You see his hands clench. “I’m not spying—”

“This is the definition of spying Br-Batman!” you almost slip with his name, wanting to have a conversation with the man under the mask. You curse at this situation. “How the hell did you even know where I was going to be?”

He opens his mouth to respond before closing it again. A few moments pass before he quietly says, “I tracked you through your phone.”

You let the information settle in before you sigh heavily. “Bruce,” you hiss quietly, not wanting anyone else to hear. You turn around with a hand on your head, trying to get a grip on this situation without your anger getting the best of you.

“I’m sorry but I-I had to.”

“Oh yeah sure. And why’s that?” you ask, still turned away from him.

There’s a silence before he says, “I-I just had to. I…You said you were going on a date and I just, I couldn’t just sit there. I mean, I—god.”

As you listen to Bruce struggle to express his feelings, a realization hits you. You almost don’t believe it but it adds up. You turn around to look at Batman physically struggling to get his words out.

“Wait, is this because you’re jealous?” He freezes his actions and looks at you with wide eyes. He opens his mouth and stutters but no words form. Though he’s wearing a mask, you can still tell he’s blushing.

“No no that’s not,” he laughs nervously. “That’s not what this is. I-I was just bored and I wanted to see—I missed—I just thought that you would be staying longer and I—”

During his ramblings, a smile blooms on your face. While he’s not looking at you, you approach him until you’re standing in front of him. You hear his breath hitch as his words tangle themselves up.

“Just shut up and kiss me.” His eyes are wide and it takes a moment for your words to process, but when they do he doesn’t hesitate. His lips crash down onto yours and you stumble back at the impact. You giggle into the kiss but don’t stop. You wrap your arms around his neck while his hands travel across your back.

Eventually the two of you separate, out of breath. You can’t stop smiling and it seems like neither can Bruce. “If you wanted me, you just had to ask,” you say teasingly. “Then we wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble.”

Up close, you notice his blush under his mask and bite your lip as your smile stretches at the sight. “So this was all a ploy to get my attention huh?” he asks, also teasingly.

“No, it was a real date. But I may have hoped to make you a little jealous,” you admit, a blush of your own forming.

“Hmm,” he says grinning. “I just have one question.” You look up. “Who’s the better kisser?” You scoff and smack his shoulder lightly before wrapping your arms around him again.

“I don’t know, I think I’ll need to reassess,” you tease before kissing him again, this time slower and more intimate.  

Before you’re done, he pulls away to say, “Wait does this mean you’re going to kiss him ag—” You pull him back into the kiss to stop his talking and he chuckles before returning his attention to your lips. And Bruce is definitely the better kisser.

#battinson x reader #battinson x you #battinson x y/n #the batman x reader #the batman x you #the batman x y/n #batman x reader #batman x you #batman x y/n #bruce wayne x reader #bruce wayne x you #bruce wayne x y/n #the batman #batman fanfiction #batman imagine #dc fanfiction #battinson

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Nili’s Benchmark Geraskier Fic Rec List

hey yall! I officially hit 750 followers (a few days ago, I blew past the benchmark without even realizing!), which is... insane. I truly can’t believe that so many people over the last year have enjoyed my presence in this fandom enough to continue to follow my work. you guys are so great and I love you all so much, so I decided to put together a gift for you!

this is a list of my favorite geraskier fics from the fandom, which I have been putting together over the last year or so. a few of these are big in the fandom, but a lot of them are smaller pieces that I feel deserve more attention! I have provided ao3 and tumblr links where I could find them, as well as ratings and summaries. Most of these are canon!verse because I’m not personally a big fan of modern au’s, but there will be a few of those scattered throughout as well. I’ve divided the fics into two sections: oneshots and multichapter. See the list below the cut!

Being in this fandom truly has gotten me through the pandemic in a big way and I have made so many good friends while here. thank you all for validating my weird obsession with these characters and enabling me in these trying times <3

Oneshots

all that was good, all that was fair (all that was me is gone) | M | 7517 | WARNING: Graphic Depictions Of Violence | @xdandelionxbloomx

Somewhere, deep in a forest, a man drags himself from his grave by sheer power of will. He lies gasping on the forest floor and does not know who or what he is. The world is wide and wonderful, though, and there is so much to see.

Or, Jaskier is so stubborn that he literally comes back from the dead.

Another fascinating addition to the mythology of the Witcher. Jaskier’s slow rediscovery of himself is so well done here. One I’ve come back to again and again. 

As Fast As Love Can Go | T | 9628 | @bygodstillam

There are Faeries in the Wood.

That's what everyone said, at least, not that there was any solid proof. Jaskier had tried, more than once, to find some. Just a hint somewhere, of a real story, of real magic. But all anyone seemed to have was stories.

Jaskier was determined to find proof. He wasn't expecting to find a witcher in the process.

Fascinating fic with some really interesting worldbuilding, and a fresh new take on True Love’s Kiss. Also with some great art by @hehearse!

beautiful, he stirs up still things | T | 2575 | @alittlebitmaybe

“You’re not asking me to dance,” says Geralt.

Jaskier turns his palm up on his knee, offering it. “I think you’ll find I am.”

Just them dancing. This is a lovely sort of pre-relationship dynamic. So soft.

Dialogue Prompt | NR | 2932 | @reinvent-and-believe

Dialogue Prompt 48: “You make me want things I can’t have.” Wordless I-love-you 50: buying them a special treat when you go out shopping

Geralt gets Jaskier a gift, which prompts some confessions.

Even a small love | E | 22,272 | WARNING: Rape/Non-Con 

“Well,” Jaskier replies distractedly. “Lots of things want to strangle you.”

“You don’t.”

It isn’t a particularly troublesome accusation, or even necessarily an accusation at all.

This is one I read early on in the fandom, and it really stuck with me. The dynamic between Jaskier and Geralt is perfect, and the misunderstandings between them feel so realistic. The non-con is not extreme, but do mind the warnings. 

For the Space of a Heartbeat | T | 2021 | @drowningbydegrees

As it turns out, falling into bed with your very best friend who you are privately very much in love with isn't nearly so nerve wracking as waking up with them the morning after.

Just sweet, morning after discussions. I love to see them talking for once.

Greensleeves | T | 10,414 | @rebrandedbard

When Geralt crosses paths with Jaskier in the spring, the world is dressed in green. Quite literally. Everyone everywhere is wearing green, and it all comes down to a song Jaskier has written that, to his mortification, has become popular throughout the Continent. It's torment, being forced to preform the song over and over again and have his heart broken anew. But who is this Lady Greensleeves the people say Jaskier is so maddeningly, heartbrokenly in love with? At the baron's wedding party, Geralt is determined to find out.

This is one of my personal faves - there’s just something about Jaskier’s feelings being put on blast while Geralt remains totally oblivious that I think is so very them. And the resolution at the end is delightful.

I Don’t Wanna Fall (If It’s Not In Love) | E | 13,902 | @writinglizards

The first time it's out of desperation. Things get rapidly out of hand from there.

OR the building of a relationship through mutual wank sessions.

I love everything Ashley writes, but this one was the first fic I read by her and it still has a warm place in my heart. I also highly recommend It’s Been A While (makes me cry every time) and Tell Me Honestly

Like a Storm, Like a Flood | T | 1065 | @valdomarx

Jaskier is leaving for the winter, and Geralt can't bear the thought of not seeing him for months.

It was soooo hard to pick only one fic by George, but this one is so soft and sweet and yearning I just had to go with it. This is really just about Geralt finally hitting a breaking point and saying enough is enough.

one flesh | E | 10,763 | WARNING: MCD 

“Well, then. I’m a ghost.” Jaskier spread his arms grandly. Geralt held his gaze for a moment, then dropped his head and laughed. Jaskier put his hands on his hips. “Do fill me in on what’s so funny.” It wasn’t funny. It was just so - ridiculous, the things Geralt’s fucked up brain would invent. This had to be the last nail in the sanity coffin, it just had to be.

Or: Jaskier is a ghost, and Geralt is a mess.

Jaskier dies and comes back as a ghost to haunt Geralt into taking care of himself. Geralt does not handle this gracefully. This fic is so sad and heartbreaking, but the ending is so sweet.

to render it transparent | E | 23,901

Geralt wakes up warm, peaceful, and utterly content, which is how he knows that something is severely wrong.

Sigh. This fic. This is a time travel fic - Geralt ends up in the future living with Jaskier on the coast, just after the mountain. It’s slow and beautiful and extremely bittersweet, all about how we choose to love people despite how much it can hurt us.

With All the Continent A Stage | M | 4745 | @greyduckgreygoose

Later, Geralt learned that the play was four hours long. Four hours long. It didn’t feel like it. Most of it passed by in a fever dream of ominous music, dance-fighting and dryads in gossamer leaves, swinging from hoops attached to the ceiling. Yennefer made an appearance, played by Priscilla in a glittering negligee. She sang a song to Geralt about putting him “Under Her Spell”, and they had a sensual dance number which was made a little strange by a sickened Jaskier (played by Jaskier) coughing loudly in the background.

(Jaskier invites Geralt to a musical production inspired by his own life.)

Jaskier basically writes Geralt a love letter in the form of a four hour long play. Geralt is an idiot about it.

Multi-Chapter Fics

A Lover’s Lament | M | 25,364 | @somedrunkpirate

So,” Jaskier begins, as casually as he can, “you are telling me, that in theory, if I were to be in love with someone — anyone — that person could well be in terrible danger?”

Of all terrible and ridiculous things that have threatened Geralt’s safety, Jaskier’d never thought that loving him might be what will get him killed.

I honestly can’t count the number of times I’ve read this fic. The monster is so interesting, and the mythos of it fits seamlessly into the world of the Witcher in my mind. Jaskier being so afraid that his feelings are going to put Geralt at risk, clearly unable to see that Geralt is going through the exact same thing. I think about the scene with them looking at each other almost daily. 

A Pair of Gloves, the Scent of Roses | M | 24,134 | WARNING: Graphic Depictions of Violence

In the bustling days before the Midsummer festival, Geralt is sent into the countryside to deal with a monster - with Jaskier once again by his side. But the bard has not forgiven him, and while he's not hiding his contempt for the Witcher, he is recalcitrant about revealing his true motives for joining him. As the hunt turns into a desperate mission to save an innocent man and the monster is not what is seems to be, Geralt learns a few new things about his old friend and decides to finally attempt to mend the rift between them...

This is one of my favorite’s in the fandom - it feels so believable, the world is so rich and the oc’s are convincing and charming. Geralt and Jaskier feel so honest here, stumbling around each other but still drawn together. Beautiful beautiful beautiful

Bearing the will of the flower | NR | 11,449 

The way Jaskier sees it, his hobby of following a witcher around was always pretty likely to get him killed.

The fact that it's happening now because the witcher in question doesn't love him, he thinks as he coughs up crumpled flowers, hardly makes a difference.

My favorite hanahaki fic in the fandom. I’m such a sucker for these, and these two idiots being so incapable of talking about their feelings really makes them prime candidates. 

Food of Love | T | 22,488 | @wallatile-qvibbler

I brought a dead princess back to life through the power of song is the kind of thing that would have got an eyebrow raise even from the stone-faced Geralt of Rivia, so it's a good thing he and Geralt will probably never see each other again.

(or: the one where Jaskier channels magic through his songs, and it almost never goes as expected.)

This is a Jaskier and Renfri centric fic, which wasn’t something I knew I wanted until I read this. Jaskier is a bard which in this AU comes with magical powers, but it feels so well integrated into the universe that I wish it was just... how the Witcher is. Renfri is so good here, and even though Jaskier and Geralt barely even interact you can feel the tension and love between them. Cannot recommend highly enough.

friends and allies of the witcher | T | 10,312 | @theamazingbard

Yennefer crawls over to her newest cellmate. They’re curled up on their side. Breathing, but only just. She’s not sure what she’s hoping for when she turns them over. Still isn’t when she sees that it is indeed Jaskier.

“Shit."

Yennefer and Jaskier each suffer in more ways than one at the hands of Nilfgaard.

Yennefer and Jaskier get capture by Nilfgaard and tossed into a cell together. Exactly what I want out of season 2 honestly. Their interactions are gold.

I’d Be the Choiceless Hope | E | 45,188 | WARNING: Rape/Non-Con | @lesdemonium

As a baby, Jaskier was visited by a fae, who gifted Jaskier's mother with Jaskier's obedience. As Jaskier grew older, the "gift" became more of a curse.

You know I’m not gonna make a rec list without listing Zoe’s Ella Enchanted au. Need I say more?

Silver and Copper | M | 56,139 | WARNING: Graphic Depictions of Violence | @kaer-cuan

Geralt is just supposed to pass through the quiet Lettenhove area. He's not anticipating being begged by its people to help save their viscount from a curse that keeps him from daylight. Lord Jaskier, they call him, and he's likely dying.

As Geralt struggles to untangle the ugly web of history that has lead to the increasingly complicated curse, he finds himself spending more and more time with the strange young viscount and wondering just what he might have been before the curse, and who he might be after. But things are not always as they seem, and as the curse tightens its grip on Jaskier, Geralt is forced to face the fear of failing yet another person whose choices were stolen from them.

Or-

Jaskier is kept from becoming a bard. Geralt finds him anyway.

This is a fic that haunts me. It’s very scary in parts, and mind the tags - there are some very heavy themes here. But it’s beautiful and touching, and Jaskier feels very true to himself even though his origin is so different.

we could be married (and then we'd be happy) | E | 50,222 | @a-kind-of-merry-war

Jaskier reached into his pocket, fingers grasping around the little box. He pulled it out with what he hoped was a romantic flourish, flipping it open to reveal the simple gold band inside. “Geralt,” he said, confidently, cooly, like this wasn’t terrifying, “Will you marry me?”

Geralt and Jaskier fake marriage proposals to get free deserts and shit but it goes tits up when Vesemir catches them in the act. Not knowing how to fess up, they go along with it for a while, which is hell because they’re both pining like mad. As I said, I don’t love modern au’s, but it’s merry so of course this one had to end up on my list.

~

And that’s it! 20 fics for you, and hopefully you can all find one or two you haven’t read before. There are a lot of people and fics that I didn’t include in this list only because I was trying to not put a million down (which I could). I highly recommend anything by @wherethewordsare, @julek, @contemplativepancakes, @witcher-and-his-bard, and @inber, as well as those linked to fics above, and I’m sure there are others I forgot to mention. Yall have truly made being in this fandom worthwhile <3

#geraskier #geraskier fic recs #geralt of rivia #geralt #jaskier #witcher #fic recs #fic rec #I'm certain i missed a lot of good ones I've read over the years but I didn't want to risk making this super fucking long anyways #if you didn't see your name listed it isn't bc I don't adore you and your fics it's because i'm stupid <333