#hi any reason to hurt Quinn is usually a Good Reason

[theemporium]

Pretty please a mai tai! With Quinn Hughes and promt 35 💛

thank you for requesting!🫶🏽

35. kissing their bruises and scars

.

“It looks worse than it feels.”

The words were out of his mouth the second you opened the door, like he knew very well the thoughts racing through your head. And yet, despite them, it did little to actually diminish any of the worries you had since you watched the hit. 

It was a dirty hit. It was dirty and unnecessary and when Quinn took a little too long to stand back up, your heart felt like it was seconds away from exploding out of your chest. You don’t think your heart rate had returned to normal since. 

It didn't help that you weren’t there. 

Instead, you were forced to watch the whole thing from your living room couch, endless replays looped on the huge screen with very little information on his state or well-being shared. You had sent a handful of messages to his phone on the off chance he would have it by him, but you knew it was likely tucked at the bottom of his backpack (where it would stay until he was ready to leave the rink).

And Quinn didn’t usually visit after late games. He tried not to, especially if they had gone on longer than expected. He never had a valid reason to, not when you were stuck in that weird stage of more than friends but not quite together. He couldn’t handle the possibility that you would reject him if he showed up (as if you ever would). 

But he knew you would be worried. He had seen the messages. He knew he had to see you, if only for you to see that he was fine and he would be okay, despite being a little roughed up. 

“Don’t lie to me,” you replied, your brows still furrowed in concern as you opened the door wider to let him in.

“I’m not,” Quinn retorted far too quickly. 

“I can see you wincing.” 

He fell quiet after that. 

Little words were shared between the two of you as you made your way to your bedroom. It was late and Quinn was undoubtedly tired and, truthfully, the two of you had far bigger problems to worry about than sharing a bed. It wasn’t the first time it had happened. It probably wouldn’t be the last either. And, in your one bedroom apartment, there wasn’t much choice other than one of you taking the couch, which was never going to happen.

You fit together seamlessly, working seamlessly around each other as you crawled into bed. The only light in the room was the small lamp on the nightstand. And a part of you knew you should lean over, switch it off and let Quinn get the rest he needed. 

But you couldn’t shake it off. You couldn’t close your eyes without seeing the hit replay in your head.

“Can I see it?” 

Quinn blinked, a little unsure if he had imagined you speaking or not. But then he turned his head and found you propped up on an elbow, looking down at him with an expression much heavier than he liked seeing on you. And there was nothing in this world you could have asked him in that moment that he would deny you.

A few beats passed as he reached for the hem of his shirt, slowly dragging the fabric up until his torso was completely exposed to you in the soft light of the bedside lamp. It was the start of something ugly, taking up a good portion of his side. It was hard to see clearly but the dull yellow and purples spread across his fair skin showed the makings of a large bruise that would stain his body for a while, that would make him a little more aware of each breath, each movement, each hit on the ice. 

The silence stretched out as you slowly raised your hand, hesitating for a few moments before your fingers began to lightly trace over the forming bruise. It didn’t hurt, your touch was far too light to cause any damage. But it didn’t stop his breath from hitching. 

“You scared me out there,” you whispered, too scared to speak any louder and ruin the moment.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled back in response, watching your expression closely.

There was another pause, another stretch of silence before you moved away. Quinn couldn’t tear his eyes off you as you leaned down, your warm breath fanning across his skin before you pressed a chaste kiss to his bruise. 

It lasted no longer than two seconds but it still made his chest tighten at the softness of it all. And then you placed another one a few inches above the last. And continued to do so until most of his side had been kissed gently by your lips.

“M’sure that’ll make it all better in the morning,” he rasped, his voice thick with an emotion he wasn’t ready to reveal yet. Not this late into the night, at least.

“I’ll keep it up until you’re all healed then,” you whispered to him, the implication lying between you both like a comforting blanket.

His lips twitched. “I’d like that.”

Your smile mimicked his. “Good.”

And it wasn’t the right time to acknowledge it, to call out the tension and the feelings and everything in between. But it was coming and you both knew it was inevitable. And maybe that made it easier to fall asleep with little else to say.

Or maybe it was the fact you were curled up on his good side, his arm wrapped protectively around you and the press of your bodies together lulling the two of you to sleep with unexpected but heartwarming ease.

.

#cece's cocktail celebration #quinn hughes #nhl #vancouver canucks #quinn hughes x reader #quinn hughes x you #quinn hughes x y/n #quinn hughes fic #quinn hughes one shot #nhl x reader #nhl x you #nhl x y/n #nhl fic #nhl one shot

[luvhughes43]

emotional bruises | luke hughes x matthews!reader

luvhughes43 masterlist🌷

request: what ab a fic where reader and luke have been dating for a long time, say high school sweethearts. reader is the youngest sister of auston matthews (and by association, mitch marner). say after a win one night (or for any other reason) reader and luke go to a club. at said club, luke goes off with his friends and ignores reader. a random guy starts talking to reader and after seeing her talk to a random guy luke gets mad at her. they start fighting and after a bit of fighting reader calls auston to pick her up/rant or whatever and after hanging up/picking her up auston or mitch calls quinn or jack to talk some sense into luke and then reader and luke work through their problems

word count: 1.8k

it happened once you and Luke got back to michigan after Lukes season ended. a few of his university teammates were in town visiting, so everyone decided to go to a club now that everyone was finally legal. 

you of course went with the boys, having been dating Luke while he was at umich so you knew and were friends with all of the boys. usually, when you went out with Luke he was very attentive to you, but not tonight.

Luke's laugh echoed through the already loud club. you watched on from the sidelines as the group of friends chatted, sending you small glances every few minutes from the corner of their eyes. you were standing behind Luke who was standing in a circle with the guys. 

“I’m going to go get a drink!” you raised your voice so Luke could hear you, but he didn’t respond. you nodded your head in embarrassment and went over to the bar. 

The bar was crowded, and it took forever to get your drink. Luke hadn’t even looked in your direction, and you were dreading going back over to the group of boys. 

time went by and you just stood there next to the guys, no acknowledgement from Luke or anyone else for that matter. 

“Luke? do you wanna go dance?” you finally got the courage to ask, pulling on one of Luke’s sleeves so he’d look at you.

“uh, no not right now i’m talking to ethan” he barely glanced at you as he was talking to you. a minute later he shakes your hand off his arm and you feel your heart fall to the pits of your stomach. 

It's not like you were a clingy girlfriend. you understood that Luke wanted to spend time with your guys’ friends, but you wouldn’t let him just ignore you. you guys had been together since forever, and Luke had never acted like this. granted, he wasn’t much for pda but he always made sure to show you affection in other ways. 

you took another 10 minutes of Luke's dismissal before deciding to go off on your own. you didn’t even tell him you were leaving the group, you didn’t think he’d care anyway.

“we’re matching!” a girl shouted at you, grabbing onto your hands and pulling you into her group of friends. you laughed, your feelings of hurt fading away as a group of girls easily accepted you into their circle. 

you and your new friends all sang and danced together, and you were finally feeling like the night was turning out to be good. 

“hey, i’m going to go get another drink!” you shouted to the group as the taylor swift song you were just screaming too faded into another song. 

“hey! can you get me another beer?” the girl who originally seeked you out asked and you easily agreed.

as you were waiting for your drinks, a man approached you trying to make small talk.

“how are you doing tonight?” the dark haired brunette asked you as he leaned across the bar. 

“I’m fine, how are you?” you replied, looking in the bartenders direction to see how much longer your drinks would take. 

“I’m good. could be better though,” the guy smirked as he shifted his body to be angled towards yours.

“oh okay…” you trailed off awkwardly. you usually didn't have to talk to guys at bars because Luke would always volunteer to get your drinks for you but… here you were.

“okay?” the guy chuckled as he copied you. “what? you not interested or something?” 

“Uh no i have a boyfriend,” you squirmed. clearly uncomfortable with this whole interaction. you craned your neck to try and look for Luke, but you couldn’t see him through the crowd of people jumping around on the dance floor.

the man just laughed more, “yeah? I’ve heard that one before”

you honestly felt frozen as he moved closer to you, the drinks the bartender just placed in front of you easily ignored. 

“no please, i really do have a boyfriend hes…” you whipped around to try and catch a glance of Luke but he was nowhere to be found.

“Baby, you don’t have to play hard to get i'm right here” the guy moved even closer to you and you quickly tried backing away.

“what the fuck?” Luke interrupts the guy's speech angrily. 

The unnamed man was going to say something but Luke quickly interrupted, “y/n?? what are you doing?” Luke questioned you instead of the guy, causing the guy to smirk.

“ohh damnn… i didnt realize she was your girl she never told me!” the guy lied, his admission making Luke frown at you.

“Luke what? he wouldn’t leave me alone! I was literally looking for you,” you started but Luke cut you off.

“Yeah sure. Lets just go” luke grabbed one of your arms, pulling you away from the bar and to the outside of the club. 

you were so utterly confused. 

“why are you being so mean to me tonight?” you asked, feeling the start of a burn rise in your throat.

“are you seriously questioning me right now? you were literally just talking to some man at the bar!” Luke argued, clearly upset at you.

“like i said Luke, he was the one pursuing ME” you argued back, completely tired with how your boyfriend was acting tonight.

“yeah whatever, let's just go home” he rolled his eyes at you, tugging on your arm to take you back towards his car.

“no! you're being such a jerk to me!” you pulled your arm roughly from Lukes grasp, leaving him to just stare at you.

Luke ran a hand frustratingly through his hair. He sighed before continuing, “just get into the car y/n”

your chest was heaving as you slid into the passenger seat.

when you got back to the lake house you immediately set your things up in the empty guest room while Luke was in the bathroom. luckily for you, off season just started so there weren't many people at the house. 

As soon as you got settled, you we’re picking up your phone and calling your brother Auston Matthews. 

“Auston?” you croaked when you heard the call connect.

“y/n? whats wrong?” you heard Auston sit up in bed at your upset tone.

“Luke and i fought and he- and,” you cried, explaining all of the night's events to your brother who was absolutely fuming.

“I'll take care of it y/n don’t worry,” Auston said as he pulled your boyfriends contact up on his phone.

“Aus no!” you cried out, making Auston stop what he was doing. “I'll talk to him later, I just wanted to get it all out” you cried again, making Auston soften. He hated when you were so upset. 

“Okay, i won’t say anything to Luke” he relented, coming up with other strategies to yell at Luke to fix things. 

you ended the call ten minutes later and by pure coincidence Luke was knocking at the door.

“y/n i’m sorry about tonight i just…” Luke trailed off and you scrambled out of bed and pulled the door open.

“I don't want to talk to you right now,” you admitted with confidence. all of your sadness had run out and all you were left with was anger.

“y/n please, i’m sorry about tonight it was a misunderstanding and-”

“no seriously Luke, i don’t want to talk to you” 

you two went back and forth for awhile before Luke finally admitted defeat and sulked off to his bedroom. 

you got adjusted to the guest bedroom bed, eyes closing when you heard the familiar ring tone of your brother's best friend. 

“Mitchy?” you asked, and he hummed in reply.

“Aus told me what happened and I just wanted to see if you were okay. He didn’t tell me details or anything but he said you were pretty upset so…” he trailed off and you smiled softly. Mitch Marner never failed to amaze you. He was such a kind friend to not only your brother but to you as well. 

“I’m just upset… Luke was ignoring me all night and then he…”

“and then he what?” mitch questioned to which you gave him the full run down. 

By the time you finished re-explaining everything and Mitch was done giving you his advice, you were well and truly tired. 

As soon as the call ended you instantly drifted off to sleep.

When you woke up, there was a large bouquet of flowers on your night stand. They were pink peonies, a gift Luke usually got you when you were upset or having a bad day.

You messaged Luke to come meet you in the guest room. 

“I’m so sorry y/n,” Luke apologized as he rushed into the room and closed the door behind him.

“Flowers aren't going to fix this Luke. You really hurt me last night and I don't even think you understand” you began, already getting irritated. 

Luke listened intently to everything you had to say. “At first you ignored me the whole night! and then some guy is being a creep and you accuse me? As if I was the one to do something wrong. You didn't even ask if I was okay! You grabbed at me like I was a child” you tried not to raise your voice as you felt the hurt creep back into your heart.

Luke wholeheartedly agreed with you. He sat down next to you on the bed and you both talked about everything that went down last night.

“I was honestly just jealous that you were talking to somebody else… I get really protective over you and I know I had no right to act the way I did last night. I feel awful” Luke started, apologizing again and trying to explain his side of things. “There’s no excuse for me ignoring you. There’s no excuse for anything I did last night” Luke continued and you nodded along. you found it hard to forgive him, but you promised you’d work on your forgiveness. Luke wasn’t one to get angry at you like that, and it had shaken you up.

Later that night you got a text from your brother.

Auston: did your boy apologize to you yet?

You: what?? I told you not to talk to him? Wtf

Auston: I didn't talk to him… I talked to Quinn instead

You: ??? why

Auston: because you were upset last night and I dont want u to be upset

Auston: especially over some boy

you shut your phone off turning over to Luke. “Your brother told you to apologize to me this morning?” you asked the curly headed boy.

“No. He just made me realize how much I fucked up. your brother messaged Quinn actually,” Luke admitted sheepishly. 

You honestly didn't know how you felt about your brother talking to Quinn and then Quinn talking to Luke. You wanted Lukes apology to be genuine and to come from himself.

Luke must've picked up on your feelings because he frowned and held one of your hands, rubbing the side of it with his thumb.

“I really am sorry,” he whispered and you nodded, leaning into his side. You let Luke’s apologies and reassurance lure you into sleep.

#luke hughes x reader #luke hughes blurb #luke hughes fic #luke hughes imagine #auston matthews x reader #mitch marner x reader #nhl fanfiction #nhl fic #nhl imagine #nhl blurb

[androgynouspenguinexpert]

Hello! Fellow English child here lmao. I was wondering if you'd be interested in sharing your thoughts on Cutie?? I really like the way you think :D

If not, no worries, and have a nice day!

*cracks knuckles*

i would like to preface the following rant with the blanket statement that people are products of their environment. how you are treated affects the way you treat others.

cutie is the first real example i can think of (from here in the shallow end of the asmr paddle pool) in which the listener is placed in the role of the abuser in a relationship. and i don't want to mince words - i believe cutie was emotionally manipulative and abusive, and the series treats that with an appropriate amount of weight and respect.

i also think that cutie, like geordi, displays a great deal of insecurity, and expresses it by being controlling rather than as geordi's avoidance. listener backstories are left up in the air to allow for people to put on the mask of the character, save for a handful of small and usually inconsequential details (see darlin's fling with quinn, ollie's partner having a rocky relationship with their family, etc) - but i agree with the people saying that cutie probably comes from a similarly emotionally manipulative environment.

telepathy is a super compelling wrench in geordi and cutie's already unstable relationship. thoughts are (to us, anyway) as private as you can get. literally nobody has to know what's going on in your head if you don't want them to. that's why i think cutie's repeated breaches of geordi's trust make me and i think a lot of others extra uncomfortable - the idea of someone being able to hear everything you think at any time with no warning is terrifying! cutie cites wanting to know what geordi is 'really' thinking, but geordi is 100% correct in the assertion that bypassing the filter of what's in someone's head versus what comes out of their mouth is essentially skipping over their personality entirely. i think that cutie's environment (whether that be upbringing, a past relationshop, or something else) has made them somewhat paranoid of people keeping true feelings from them. this means they're a lot more likely to pry, seeking 'the truth' of what geordi thinks of them, unable to take his word for it.

personally, i find that cutie is the most distinct Character out of the listener group - not just because they're multifaceted, but because they go against the grain of what most of the audience expect from a pov character. i know i'm not the only person who was incredibly disappointed in cutie listening in on geordi's thoughts after their argument about that exact topic - and that's good drama! it takes a lot of talent and incredibly good writing to build a compelling character that never has a single line of dialogue, let alone conflicts between that character and others around them.

geordi, and by extension the narrative, acknowledge that cutie isn't a bad person. they're not trying to be malicious, but they end up hurting the people they care about because they don't know any other way to maintain control over their life. i find it very refreshing that cutie is not being treated as a villain or as an innocent bystander. they hurt geordi by repeatedly crossing a hard boundary, and he's justifiably upset. however, cutie (presumably after trying to direct that controlling insecure behaviour at something or someone else and failing) does seek outside help to start to work those learned behaviour knots loose.

geordi and cutie's story doesn't have a villain. neither of them are The Bad Guy, and even geordi acknowledges that they're both partially to blame for the shaky foundation of their relationship. even without a voice, i believe that cutie has potential for a really strong character arc where they learn to examine the reasoning behind their actions instead of trying to maintain a death grip on every aspect of their life.

so the moral of the story is... maybe listen when someone sets a boundary. it'll save you a lot of trouble.

#redacted asmr #redacted audio #redactedverse #redacted geordi #telepath #ngl if given the opportunity i would pitch cutie down a well for that post argument incident

[gamesception]

Sception Reads Cass Cain #33

Harley Quinn (2000) #6 story - Karl Kesel pencils - Terry Dodson & Wayne Faucher inks - Rachel Dodson

Harley Quinn (2000) #10, 11, & 12 story - Karl Kesel pencils - Terry Dodson inks - Rachel dodson

This time we're stepping out of chronological order to cover all of Cass's appearances in the 2000 run of Harley Quinn at once, specifically the issues from May, September, October, and November of 2001. Four issues, but I don't have too much to say about Cass's characterization here.

The Harley Quinn book had a neat gimmick though. This is still pretty fresh off her introduction not in comics but in Batman: the Animated Series, and this book chooses to show Harley's altered world state via an art shift to a more cartoony style using B:tAS's character designs whenever it's showing Harley's perspective, but sticks to more typical comic art otherwise. This is sometimes used for jokes, but more often kind of tragically when people Harley attacks or when members of her crew get hurt (often by Harley), and Harley sees it as no big deal cartoon chicanery only for the perspective to shift and show that the person is seriously injured or dead.

Issue 6 has Harley's Crew and Riddler's Crew accidentally robbing Wayne Manor at the same time. Before the robbery, Harley infiltrates a masquerade party and Bruce clearly recognizes her, but dips out to go Batmanning in town anyway instead of staying to deal with Harley? Or even letting anyone know she's there?

Am I wrong to read this as Bruce actually recognizing her?

Anyway, Bruce dips out, and Harley's team take out the Manor security and surveillance, including knocking out Bruce's beleaguered bodyguard Sasha Bordeaux (another ancillary female character in the Gotham books at the time who would go on to be treated pretty poorly by the narrative) and her team. The only reason they don't get away with the robbery is the Riddler, who is robbing the same place that night, and, of course, tipped off the authorities (and Oracle) to his crime, because he's like that.

As for our focus here, Cass is only in this book for a single panel, part of a list of basically every normal bat person who is too busy or too out of town to come deal with the situation.

Not too much to say one way or the other. Typical 'Cass as spooky silhouette with yellow belt'.

So yeah, not much to say re: Cass in this issue, but it does do that thing I mentioned with the perspective change violence reveal when one of Harley's crew turns on her to collect a bounty and the ensuing fight ends with...

oh, ha ha funny cartoon explosion knocked her out...

yeesh.

Anyway, with no one else to call, Babs sends in Big Barda at the end of the issue, who you'd imagine would be more than enough to deal with both Harley and Edward.

And we'll have to imagine, since that issue doesn't have any Cass, so we're skipping forward a bit.

.....

Issue 10 is part of a mini arc where Harley gets the brilliant idea to impersonate Batgirl.

specifically Bab's Batgirl.

Which Cass, and miscellaneous other Bat crew, take issue with. She's looking pretty good here, training as usual.

The first of the bats Harley encounters is Timm, who she taunts with some sexual innuendos and that late 90s early 00s brand of casual homophobia that certainly hasn't aged like sour milk. Thankfully Cass shows up, and while Harley's no match for her in a fight, she does manage to avoid getting taken down right away, and either dodges in a way that has Cass hitting Tim or misses Cass in a way that hits Tim anyway.

Basically a terrible showing for Tim all round, who's mostly here to take prat falls and be the butt of jokes, but he kind of deserves it lately (we'll get into that a bit next time), so I'm all for it.

But then there's this bit...

Harley catches Cass by surprise by saying her name, only... is that even her name at this point? This is, I think, the first time she's been called that in universe that we've seen so far, though Batgirl issues 15 to 18 came before this and we haven't looked at them yet. So if that is her name... since when? David wouldn't have given her a name. She's just 'Batgirl' to Bruce & company. Honestly, choosing a regular person name should have been a big story deal, coinciding with Cass choosing to put value in having a life for herself outside of just being Batgirl, but I guess that never happens.

And even if we just ignore all that and say her real name was Cassandra all along, how the Heck would Harley know that? Eh, maybe she found out in one of the Harley Quinn issues we didn't read.

Regardless, Harley shoves her off a roof, but Cass pulls her with, and we get this nice panel of Cass smiling through her mask, clearly having as much fun with the fight as Harley is. No stitches in the design from Dodson, I kind of prefer that.

.........

Next issue the fight proceeds into the street, and Dick shows up, recognizing Harley.

Even with Dick there, Cass is still the only one getting hits in on Harley, which is a nice recognition of Cass's skills, though you'd think Dick would also be more than a match for Harley in a fight.

Harley manages to steal Dick's motorcycle and turn the fight into a chase scene, which ends up on another rooftop... there's

there's just so many shenanigans. Lost of shenanigans in this issue. Very fitting for a Harley Quinn fight honestly. And it's fun.

Not a lot going on with Cass character-wise here. But it is nice to see her in an adventure that's fun & silly. A nice break from her more usual dour & depressed stories, especially at this time.

Anyway they all crash into a bar full of criminals and Harley escapes in the ensuing brawl.

Later we get this bit where Cass makes fun of Babs & Dick, though I do have to point out that it plays into the theme of her minimizing the importance of personal connections and lives outside of the job. And this contemplative bit from Babs about what it's like for her to watch someone else essentially living her old life through a computer screen. It's good stuff, stuff we could have done with more of in the Batgirl title, which at this point was imo focusing too much on Cass's relationship to Bruce and not enough on her relationship to Babs.

As for Harley, she's done playing Batgirl for now. Her crew convinces her that between criminals after her for some bounty and the Bat crew mad at her over this fiasco there's just too much heat on her in Gotham and she needs to leave an lay low a bit.

But there's something she thinks she needs to do first, which has her kidnapping one of the two detectives who have featured in earlier issues of her book.

Ivy also shows up at the very end, and everyone always loves those two working together.

Honesly a pretty packed issue all around, and a good bit of Cass this time.

...

Issue 12 is a huge brawl at Harley's hideout as half of her gang turns on her, Oracle finds her base and sends Dick, Tim, & Cass after her, Bruce shows up following an unrelated investigation, and detective guy whose name I don't remember shows up with some backup trying to rescue detective girl. I can't get into all of it since there's so much going on and so little of it involves Cass, but honestly if you like Harley Quinn as a character this run is worth a read.

While there's not as much Cass this time, we do get this moment with her and Bruce:

I really like the posing in these two panels. I also like the 'I absolutely trust my daughter not to let you shoot her, but I'm still going to punch you for trying' sentiment from Bruce.

There's also this bit where Quinn's most loyal lackey, her favorite, the one you as a reader like if you've been following the title from issue one, tries to use the two detectives as hostages to escape and..

and of course the person who shot him is...

Yup, all this mess because Harley shipped the two cops trying to arrest her and thought a kidnap & rescue scenario would finally get them to start dating.

And of course they do the cartoon perspective thing again as he dies.

Harley is captured by the detectives after this, but they hand her off to a mystery bat person...

Who turns out to be Ivy, who had been conspicuously absent since showing up at the end of the last issue, wearing Harley's Batgirl costume.

Thus ends the 'Harley leading her own crew' run of Harley Quinn, with the next stretch being a Harley and Ivy team up deal.

Pretty good stuff all around, and again nice to see Cass included in something at least a ~little bit~ more lighthearted.

#Sception Reads Cassandra Cain #Cassandra Cain #Batgirl #Harley Quinn

[kryptonian-bat-thing]

My Beef With Barbara Gordon

I'll start off by saying this isn't any hate post to the character, merely an analysis because although she's never really stood out to me, i believe she's an interesting character and I'd like to share my point of view and if possible hear others' takes on her too

the basics, babs is the daughter of commissioner gordon and the first batgirl, later taking on the mantle of oracle (usually because of the killing joke thing, which I'll address later on)

usually the reason i don't get along with most representations of babs is because she's mostly written to be "the girl bat" instead of "the bat girl". I've only seen some clips from btas but i can mostly tell that's the case. it's a smurfette syndrome classic. i apologize if I'm getting the wrong idea out of it, though, as i said, I didn't watch the series.

when she's not written as such, she can be a good character. i love her version of the harley quinn show, i think it fits what I'd usually expect out of batgirl//oracle, a computer nerd who wants to help people and might be a little impulsive, but means well. though there's not much media of her where she's like that.

and although she's not exactly like that in the lego batman movie, i think that version is also pretty good (not when she's introduced, i think she gets better when she shows bruce that she's batgirl and yk, badass and such). not a computer nerd and also a bit older, but i think she's pretty neat.

I'll admit the fact she gets with bruce in the timmverse (specifically in the timmverse) pisses me off... age gap things are not my thing and it feels like grooming, i believe that's why it's not a very popular ship for either but the fact it's official in at least one dc media makes me sweat (cough cough and they say superbat is a stretch cough cough /j)

like i just mentioned with the lego batman movie, i have no problem with it when they're about the same age or, idk, at least he doesn't meet her as a teen or whatever. I'm not crazy for finding this weird, right?

and there's the fact she dated dick on the timmverse as well, which makes me even MORE uncomfortable. if it was me dating my father's previous lover, for example, I'd probably take that as a weird thing. dick is already traumatized enough, thank you very much.

and also she's bruce's friend's daughter? that's not so weird, i myself have friends who are way older or way younger, but it be creepy af to see one of them dating someone my age, specially if it was someone close to me, I'd be very concerned and it'd take a while for me to get used to it.

but yeah, if it's an au or multiverse shenanigans, it can be alright.

and then comes the killing joke thing... honestly, I don't know what to do out of it. I'm a new dc fan, I've been for nearly six months now, and I can't really decide how to feel about it.

on one hand, oracle is badass and shows that it doesn't take superpowers or immense dexterity or inhuman strength to be a hero. i respect her a lot, and when she's written well like in wfa, i appreciate her character as is.

but the killing joke itself... it doesn't make much out of barbara, and focuses more on her father and personally i think that sucks. i know it must hurt for a dad to see his daughter paralyzed, but joker using it as a means to make him snap doesn't seem, idk, very jokery. even with the picture things, i think babs in that situation is used more as a plot device than as a character and it makes me uncomfortable idk.

and then they made her able to walk again...? honestly that's where i lost it. there are too many versions of batgirl//oracle in my head already and that just made me more confused??

so the reason I don't like her as much is because she lacks consistency, every time I'm reading about her i gotta guess which version is it and every single piece feels more like au fanfiction of itself. like, okay, i do enjoy those, but if I'm seeking something official it's hard to understand where it's at.

but i still love her with every cell in my body when she's written like the true sarcastic girlboss that she is <3

#barbara gordon #oracle #batgirl #rant #dc #character analysis

[tuiyla]

You might have not have an opinion on this but I’ve been rewatching Grilled Cheesus and I feel like the framing is so weird?? It’s fundamentally about Kurt and his dad and since they start the whole religious thing FOR Kurt to support him, the issue shouldn’t be religion. As soon as Kurt said he didn’t everybody to pray for him in school, and that it made him uncomfortable enough to complain, it should just be done. Everybody can pray themselves, leave the Hummels out of it. Thoughts?

I have thoughts!

I have a vague memory of debating this with people on the sub, back in the day because the framing is so weird. It's that Glee problem of feeling like they must suddenly be a PSA and present all angles, even at the cost of character and a satisfying narrative. The other glaring instance I can think of is the suicide discussion scene with the God Squad in 3x14. Why must they always do this with Kuinn?

The problem with Grilled Cheesus is that it's trying to be Kurt's story but also wants to present this middle road of "religion works for some and not for others". And there aren't any inherent problems with that messaging. It's perfectly valid for people to seek comfort in religion and equally valid for others not to want anything to do with it. But this is Kurt's story and he makes his feelings clear. It's frustrating to watch characters cross his boundaries and insist that he's being ungrateful when he's already going through an extremely traumatic time. I honestly don't know why Glee thought this was the way to achieve balance.

I think everyone is being kind of a prick to Kurt in this episode, frankly. Even sweet Mercedes whose good intentions I appreciate and I usually stan is being way too pushy with her closest friend. All Kurt needed was her support and respect and Mercedes is usually excellent at giving that but the episode uses her and Quinn as religious spokespeople. They're ideas in Grilled Cheesus, not people. At least Mercedes is still more respectful than Quinn but even she's being way too pushy. No should be no. And even if some of Kurt says is harsh, he's still allowing people to do whatever they want with their faith and is just asking them to leave him and Burt alone. The prayer scene in the hospital feels particularly disrespectful. Because yes, who knows how Burt feels and it can't hurt, but Kurt has explicitly asked them to back off. Pray at home or at church, ffs! And no, I don't think Carole had the 'authority" to overwrite Kurt's wishes in this particular case. If anything, Carole should have stood behind Kurt.

The characters advocating for religion or even a conversation really betray that they aren't truly in it for Kurt. Otherwise, they would have left well enough alone the moment Kurt expressed discomfort. There's a time and a place for civil debates but right after his dad's heart attack ain't it. And I love Quinn and write a lot about how dirty she was done and all that so I feel I have permission to say this but she just really sucks in this episode. She feels so entitled and makes it clear that her making a statement about faith is more important to her than Kurt's feelings. I wouldn't say someone like Sue who is ardently on the opposite side is much better because she doesn't have Kurt's best interests in mind, either, but she's at least a little more supportive. And she's supposed to be the villain! And don't get me started on William Shitecester who takes this as an opportunity for dialogue. What a shit teacher you must be to prioritize a lesson over the wellbeing of a student in crisis.

I also dislike how people ignore Kurt's valid reasons to dislike religion, again a sign of hypocrisy. Because yeah, Kurt is being kinda harsh but who wouldn't give him a pass in this situation, and the ignorance of the Glee Club to not consider the church's historic distaste for gay people is infuriating. Easy to say god welcomes everyone or whatever when people like you haven't been persecuted for hundreds of years. And as all this is going on Kurt is getting severely bullied at school for being gay so what excuse do they have for not taking his identity into consideration? That they don't really care. Everyone is so self-absorbed and self-righteous in this episode it's painful to see.

The audacity of people to call Kurt ungrateful and intolerant is what pisses me off the most. On the one hand, the episode works well to establish how alienated Kurt is starting to feel even within the New Directions and it builds towards him going to Dalton, which I like and consider good storytelling. On the other, it's incredibly frustrating to watch this kid be so isolated when he would need his friends the most just because Glee decided (and in-universe Schue) that they wanted to preach about religious tolerance. Just leave the damn kid alone. It's just one of those instances where we should not be having philosophical discussions; literally who gives a fuck, Kurt might lose his only living parent! So Grilled Cheesus as a whole is a frustrating watch despite me appreciating certain storytelling elements.

If anything, Anon, I have too many opinions on this. Some of it is strong feelings about the injustice and hypocrisy of it all but the rest are just frustrations on a story level because it feels so unnecessary. But the bottom line is that Kurt was right and his friends should have respected him more than their religious preaching. And again, just pray at home or go to church and discuss it with your pastor. Not the time to try and convince your friend that religion can be good, actually. Who gives a fuck, literally read the room Stacy.

#nothing makes me go into such a protect kurt mood like grilled cheesus does #literally why does everyone else suck so bad #they're just so... ignorant of the weight of the situation #can you stop thinking only about yourself for one second #and again mercedes has the best of intentions #but maybe what kurt needed was for you to LISTEN #i could go on honestly #i think i summarized most of my thoughts but there's more where that came from #glee asks #anon #kurt asks #kurt hummel #grilled cheesus

[androxys]

Agency and Guilt in the Death of the Waynes

I was recently talking with @swtextstoandrew about the Harley Quinn TV show, specifically the episodes “Batman Begins Forever.” The title refers to how, in Bruce Wayne’s mind, he is depicted as always reliving the moment of his parents’ murder, the genesis of Batman, over and over... forever. And the show takes the approach that part of the reason that Bruce is stuck in this mode is that he harbors some guilt over it, and that’s what we ended up talking about.

I have some STRONG opinions about the death of the Waynes. I think that it is absolutely crucial, on a narrative scale, for the Waynes to to be fundamentally good and decent people who were victims of a senseless, unapologetically evil act. I don’t want them to be in cahoots with the Falcones, or the Court of Owls, or to be taking any sorts of bribes. I don’t even want them to be mustache twirling billionaires, or even the mundane garden variety billionaires that we have in the real world who are guilty for social inaction despite their insane amount of money and ability to make the world better. I want, and I think the narrative needs, the Waynes to be good people. In the Falcone example, Thomas Wayne helps Carmine Falcone because he is a doctor, and Carmine is in front of him dying, and the immediate and sacred call to save a life must be answered. (In this narrative, it must always be answered)

Because all of this leads directly into Bruce becoming Batman, and it informs how he is Batman. If his parents’ death isn’t random and senseless, I just don’t think his crusade makes as much sense, nor does it have the same narrative cohesion or satisfaction (and, let’s be real because this is a business that relies on lots of issues: long term story potential). If it wasn’t random and senseless, it would be avenge-able. Batman would get Joe Chill, justice would be done, and that would be that. If they were bad, the Waynes got what was coming to them and their son made it right. Maybe? Maybe then Bruce could be Batman as a way to atone for his parents’ crimes? Maybe? Even if Bruce doesn’t get Joe Chill, and is just punishing all crime as a proxy for that, it’s still about him and his parents. Of course, it’s always about his and his parents, but it’s usually as subtext to the larger message: Batman opposes Crime. If the Waynes are fundamentally good people killed by senseless evil, then Bruce’s mission becomes aimed at that senseless evil. Crime as a capital C concept. Now we have a crusade.

I could talk more here about how Robin-as-a-concept is such a natural progression out of this trauma, a man who is hurt so much by the death of his parents healing in part by becoming a parental figure, or about the Robin parallel of Bruce intervening in cases to try to keep these children from turning out like him, but this is ostensibly about the Harley Quinn episode.

In the episode, it’s revealed that Bruce harbors a lot of guilt about his perceived role in his parents’ death (the visual way in which the show presents this is such a great moment). I definitely agree that any version of Bruce Wayne will, inevitably, feel some amount of guilt for the death of his parents. It’s part of the whatever’s-wrong-with-him chemistry that makes an eight year old want to grow up to be Batman. It doesn’t matter how not-his-fault the event was, he will find a way to internalize some guilt from it. And that too, is narratively necessary, I think. It’s part of the drive. But to go with the above, I think stories that do give Bruce some part in the death of his parents does a greater disservice to the Batman mythos, even though it may seem like they’re doing something more intrinsically motivating. It has to be a tragedy of many moving pieces, of things coming together and failing to come together, to understand how the Waynes were failed by the notion of a just world and how Batman was created by that failure.

Anyway, go watch HBO’s Harley Quinn. It’s fun.

#chit chat #batman #dc comics #harley quinn

[sollucets]

ocean eyes

angel & darlin’s first meeting, featuring my named & described listener ocs (ivy they/them, aster they/she/he but they/them here, cameo from hazel they/them) & very very gently implied pre-poly angel/david/darlin(/sam). i didn’t initially mean to do that, but aster flirts too much lmao. only ivy’s physical appearance is described in specific detail, but i include a lot more appearance headcanons (and general headcanons) than i usually would otherwise.

i’m a little nervous to post oc content, but for me there really wasn’t another way i could imagine going about in-depth listener character interactions, and dammit i’m here to have fun

[ed: 06/11/22 some small edits made here, mostly proofreading]

2500 words of a whole lot of significant eye contact incoming: that first pack meeting

"Snacks always help."

Ivy keeps staring at them for a long moment. Their eyes are intense, and Aster sort of feels like a butterfly pinned to a board. "You're David's mate," Ivy says, slowly. "You shouldn't want to help. I put you in danger. He said so himself." At this volume, plenty of nearby wolves are sure to be able to hear their conversation, but Ivy doesn't sugarcoat their words or lower their voice.

Aster considers their answer. They could try and tell Ivy what they'd thought before, about intentions and sympathy, but they doubt that would go over well. They can almost imagine it, the already-rigid lines of Ivy's posture going even sharper, like broken glass. No, that won't work. Instead, they just shrug and push the bowl a little closer. "These have pickles in them."

Aster and Ivy meet at that first pack meeting.

David didn’t want them to come. He’d returned from the talk he’d told them about stressed out and angry and anxious, visibly so. It wasn’t that he’d flat-out disallowed them entry; even as distraught as he’d been, he’d never do that, and if he even tried he’d have been in trouble. But he’d admitted to them with some difficulty that his pack member’s situation had him worried in more than one direction. He didn’t want them to be directly involved with each other.

(“Quinn went after an unempowered human just to hurt them before,” he’d said, voice so deadly quiet it was barely a rasp in the still air of their shared bedroom. “There’s no reason he won’t do it again. I’m – I’m scared for you, angel.”)

They understand where he’s coming from, and they’d told him that much then, taking both his hands in theirs and squeezing. David likes pressure like that, a physical reminder of their presence. Aster had done their best not to dismiss his concerns out of hand, because as much as it chafes, they know he isn’t wrong to worry. More than that, they never want to make David feel bad for showing them his real emotions.

But they’re not in any more danger at the meeting than anywhere else. They’re probably safer than ever here, even, surrounded by their Pack. Quinn would have to be a real idiot to attack now. More than that, they’d made a promise a long time ago they’d never skip one, not if they could help it, and even if they hadn’t, this one will be important.

Their mate doesn’t know about their promise, but that doesn’t make it any less important, and Aster doesn’t regret showing up today.

David holds meetings outside when the weather's good, at a park in the heart of pack territory. They all gather at a set of wooden picnic tables under a shelter, surrounded by green. Essential to any Shaw pack meeting is the long table covered in snacks that spans the entire length of the floor. Usually, even during the actual meeting part, it’s difficult to get people’s attention away from the food, but today everyone’s eyes are fixed one one wolf in particular.

David’s wayward packmate looks nothing like Aster might have imagined them. From the way he’d talked about them, Aster had half-expected them to be intimidating, hulking, tall like David or Asher. Their boyfriend had described his pack member’s many scars with a difficult-to-read expression, something regretful and angry and wistful all at once.

The person slouched uncomfortably on a central wooden picnic table, leaving several feet of space clear between their spot and David’s, isn’t how Aster had pictured them at all. They’re covered from nearly head to toe in shapeless layers of dark, pragmatic clothes, black jeans and boots and shirt and leather jacket, and their ears and left eyebrow are pierced with multiple golden rings, but that’s where the expected parts end. They’re a lot shorter than Aster, and only a little taller than Ash’s tiny mate Hazel. They have dark, soft-looking skin, none of the scars showing on what bits of it Aster can actually see. Although their black hair is close-cropped in a no-nonsense style, a few wispy little baby hairs escape to brush against their forehead.

Aster had pictured someone like the members of the pack they were most familiar with, but Ivy Linden looks almost delicate. If they were human, it’d be easy to lift them, just the way spinning Hazel in a hug is. But they’re not. There’s a wolf behind those big, dark eyes.

Those eyes glare out over the gathering as they haltingly tell the story of their return to Dahlia, gaze darting from person to person and barely settling. David sits next to them on their bench, mostly silent, watching them with a carefully neutral expression and interjecting only rarely.

In Aster's opinion, Ivy is obviously, painfully scared to be speaking in front of a crowd like this. They stumble over their wording often, barely holding back curses each time, and their back is rigid, ramrod straight. As their story goes on, Aster blames them less and less. They don’t know the precise reason that Ivy never meshed well with the pack as a kid (because David doesn’t know; if he knew, he’d have said) but it must have been bad if they didn’t feel like they could ask for help, and here they are, spilling what sounds like the most traumatic moments of their entire life to the whole group at once. If it’s difficult, if they’re angry, who could hold it against them?

Well. Maybe some people could. They’d inadvertently focused Quinn’s attention on the Shaw Pack, it’s true, lying to David in the process. But Quinn had been fucking around in Dahlia already, albeit on Solaire territory, and they’d been intentionally trying not to endanger the Pack, even if they’d done that in the most stupid way possible. Aster’s heart is melted straightaway. Someone else might’ve hesitated, might’ve looked at their defensive posture and harsh words and obviously cultivated bad guy appearance, and shied away from assuming innocent. Someone else isn’t Aster, though, and they have some experience with recalcitrant wolves.

David’s never gone without his pack in his life; they can’t imagine him not turning to them for some form of support. But taking everything on his own shoulders in some misguided attempt at martyrdom? Yeah. Yeah, Aster can see it, and it hurts.

Ivy finishes their story, their words faltering towards the end. They don’t expand on anything David said to them, cutting off with a sharp jerk of their chin.

David takes over, words measured as he starts talking about where to go from here, and Aster tunes him out to switch their attention to the crowd. He’ll tell them the decisions later; it’s more important to them to see how everyone is taking this.

Milo, who was the first to speak up and offer his and his mate’s support, looks at Ivy like it hurts to do so. Asher hasn’t spoken at all, expression surprisingly sober, but Hazel at his side has been whispering into his ear, and when they do their customary debrief Aster’s sure he won’t spare them his opinion. The other members of David’s generation all look at Ivy with conflict of various shades; older pack members seem to be tending more towards outright disappointment.

Ivy, under the weight of all those gazes, juts their chin out harder, jaw set. A glance down confirms their fists are clenched. They listen silently to David’s instructions and the input of the pack.

David announces a brief break while they move on to the next topic, and the tense atmosphere breaks some as people begin milling around the snack table. Ivy doesn’t move even an inch, staying completely still on their bench, and although people still stare, no one is approaching. Watching them, Aster wants with a surprising amount of intensity to take one of those hands in theirs and watch the tension smooth out. It’s a gut feeling, completely unprompted by their conscious thoughts, and following those has never led them wrong.

They grab an entire bowl of those little ham roll things that David likes so much and sit right next to the wolf of the hour, plunking the food right onto the table. “Hi,” they say plainly, letting a smile play at the corners of their mouth. “I’m Aster. You look miserable.”

Ivy jerks over to look at them in a movement faster than they can follow, dark eyes narrowing in suspicion. Up close, the color of them is like the ocean at night, so black it’s nearly blue. “And you look rude.”

They let their grin widen. “Aww, really? But I brought you snacks.”

“Why?”

“Snacks always help.”

Ivy keeps staring at them for a long moment. Their eyes are intense, and Aster sort of feels like a butterfly pinned to a board. “You’re David’s mate,” Ivy says, slowly. “You shouldn’t want to help. I put you in danger. He said so himself.” At this volume, plenty of nearby wolves are sure to be able to hear their conversation, but Ivy doesn’t sugarcoat their words or lower their voice.

Aster considers their answer. They could try and tell Ivy what they’d thought before, about intentions and sympathy, but they doubt that would go over well. They can almost imagine it, the already-rigid lines of Ivy’s posture going even sharper, like broken glass. No, that won’t work. Instead, they just shrug and push the bowl a little closer. “These have pickles in them.”

Finally, Ivy breaks their stare-off, looking down at the bowl of snacks like Aster is handing them a bomb. “I don’t get you,” they say quietly, but they take a little ham roll, quick like they expect to be interrupted, and crunch into it.

Aster can feel another pair of eyes heavy on the back of their neck now, and they glance over their shoulder to find David watching them in obvious concern. These two are honestly too similar, with the staring and the leather jackets and the obvious muscle tension. No wonder he’s so tied up in knots over all this. They wave at him, a little two-fingered thing, and turn back to their new project. “I’m not so hard to get,” they say.

Ivy snorts, a barely-audible exhale, no humor on their face. That unwavering gaze is now fixed on the ham rolls. “Not sure that’s a good thing.”

“Poor phrasing,” they concede lightly. “But I’m an open book.”

“If you say so.”

They sit there in near-silence for a while. The other pack members mill around the shelter, eating and talking, but none of them come close. Milo is looking at them from across the room like he might want to try, little surreptitious glances, but he doesn’t. Ivy takes another ham roll.

Aster breaks the lull, as they usually do. “How have you been getting along in the city on your own for this long? Do you have a job?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“You said I was rude. Isn’t it polite to ask after work?”

Ivy snorts again, but the corner of their mouth is curved up. “You’re annoying. I do odd jobs. Construction, sometimes.”

Putting a hand over their heart in mock offense, Aster grins. “Excuse you, I am a delight. You work in construction? How? You’re tiny.”

“Fuck you,” says Ivy, baring their teeth. On anyone else it might be a smile. “You’re tall, but you’re skinny. Like a bendy straw. I could take you.”

Aster raises an eyebrow and just barely holds the obvious innuendo in. This isn’t David, for all that Ivy’s acting a bit like him. “I’m stronger than I look, too,” they answer serenely. Then, despite their best efforts, they add, “I invite you to try.”

To their slight surprise, Ivy’s expression thaws for the very first time at this. “I think your mate would actually kill me,” they say slowly. “He’s trying to glare me to death as we speak, you know.”

They shake their head fondly. “I wouldn’t worry too much.”

Ivy opens their mouth like they’re about to argue with that, brow furrowed, but they’re interrupted as Asher approaches, Hazel trailing behind him. “We’re going to start up again soon,” he says, a little more subdued than usual. “It’s mostly company stuff from here.”

At the sound of his voice, Ivy’s back goes straight as a board again. Huh. Aster hadn’t realized it had relaxed. They aim a smile at the beta. “Thanks for letting me know.”

There’s a long moment of extremely awkward silence. Hazel catches Aster’s eye from behind their mate and makes a face. Finally, Ash looks right at Ivy and says, “I think the last time I saw you was at Amanda’s graduation party.”

“Might have been,” Ivy replies, tone flat.

Aster winces.

Ivy and Asher stare at each other, his expression falling further and further the longer they look. Aster doesn’t envy Ash the full force of that attention, honestly. The silence hangs even worse, and Aster almost opens their mouth to interrupt, but Ivy beats them to it. “You were drunk off your ass and flirting with that boy from the Keaton pack the whole time.”

That’s a peace offering if they’ve ever heard one, and Asher takes it that way, his mismatched eyes softening into something approaching a smile. It’s still not close to his usual bright affect, but it’s better. “I barely remember most of it, honestly,” he admits. “But that seems about right. Sober me would’ve known better. Tragically heterosexual, that man.”

The reminiscing session is cut off by David coming back to his seat and clearing his throat loudly. Asher says, “See you later, Ivy,” and heads back to his spot. Hazel waves slightly to Aster as the two leave. Aster chances another look at Ivy’s face and catches the only unguarded expression they’ve seen from them all night – a small, wondering shock. For the second time that night, Aster’s heart melts in their chest.

David sitting down again immediately closes up Ivy’s expression again, and has the secondary effect of him very nearly sandwiching Aster between him and Ivy. They could go back to the outer tables, sure, but they don’t. It’s their right to sit next to David, anyway, although they usually don’t bother. He shoots them a glance, concern and question in his warm brown eyes, and they link their pinky with his under the table in reassurance.

Yeah, he might’ve been right to be worried after what happened to Ivy’s last unempowered friend, but it’s too late by now. They know it in their chest, the same way they’d known the moment they’d seen Davey’s ears go red in the food court. This is someone they can wear down. They have no history with Ivy, not the way the rest of the Pack does, and someone without that baggage should be on their side. Those little scattered bits of information about the Solaire Clan vamp make them think someone already is, and that’s good, but Ivy needs contacts in the Pack. David wants to be, but his expression when he’d spoken about them, that ocean of distance, might be too far for him to bridge on his own.

They can do it, though. So it’s decided.

Ivy is staring again when they look back over, eyes fixed on where David’s hand disappears under the table. Aster nudges them very slightly with their free arm, and counts it as a victory when they don’t flinch away from the touch. “Just the boring bits left now,” they murmur, feeling David’s pinky tighten around theirs in obvious irritation. “Talk to you after?”

Ivy’s big dark eyes flick up to theirs for another long, excruciating moment. It feels like they’re searching for something. An ulterior motive, maybe. Aster stares right back, evenly, and doesn’t hide their smile when Ivy finally says, “Okay.”

#my fic tag #redacted asmr #ocposting #i... am not going to use a bunch of tags #because i am truly Super Anxious about this #i know there's not really a reason i should be but the Fear remains #there's kind of an unwritten rule it feels like. yknow? #sigh #i have more written oc content. if that's. like. something people like #[pins my kids to the fridge like macaroni art] have em #this is what i did instead of working on scarfic or bridging fic #this is stress relief for me #this ot4 is kind of really occupying my brain as well #anyway i will. perhaps? put this on ao3. i don't know yet #ive been hovering over posting this for an hour the worry hasnt been this bad in a while #so we'll see #f: ocean eyes

[callmemana]

Whiskey Bottles & Wild Flowers: Meet Quinn ‘Daisy’ Wolfe

Quinn was the middle child of John & Ruth Wolfe, her big brother Leonard being the first and Rebecca, or Becks being the baby of the family. Quinn could easily be labeled as the smartest Wolfe sibling, being in all AP classes in High School and College.

She graduated in the top of her class and could go to any Ivy League school she wanted. Daisy knew since a young age that she wanted to help the animals on the farm if they got sick or injured, so when she picked her college, she went to study to be a Vet Tech.

It was weird being away from her family while going to school, but quickly got over it after meeting a sweet boy from her biology class, Spencer. Since that first day of class, the two were inseparable.

Spencer ended up dropping out due to family problems, but supported Daisy in her continuation of learning. When she had graduated a year later, they got engaged and a couple of months after, had a small wedding at the Wolfe Family Ranch.

The couple had agreed to buy a small farm house close by so they could still help on her parents’ land. Even though Spencer wasn’t a farm kid, he took to it like fish to water. He helps John around the land and office when needed.

Daisy helps her father around the ranch too, when she’s not at the office, doing chores with her sister and husband. She usually gets yelled at by her father when Daisy works with her husband, they get distracted easily and run off to be found later with jumbled up clothes and ratted hair.

A week before Leo & Rick came to visit, Daisy and Spencer had told the family and close family friends the good news, she was pregnant. She wasn’t far along, but they couldn’t wait to tell.

When her brother and his friend had arrived at the ranch, Daisy ran up to him and as she hugged her brother as tight as she could, she told him that he was gonna be an Uncle. Leonard, the dunce, looked confused until it finally clicked. It had the family laughing and leaning on each other for support.

Daisy nor Chatter knew the reason on why Cricket was mad at their brother, but they also knew that he was an idiot. As far as she knew, he said something hurtful to her before he left for basic. They always wrote to Leo, but never asked, it wasn’t really their business. But you couldn’t blame them for being curious.

It was a shock when Beau & Katherine told Leo that they took the letters that Duckie & Cricket wrote to him. He came home that night and slammed the door, which he never did.

Daisy was one of the first people to see the change of their relationship as they grew up. Even at fifteen, she could see the tension they had for each other. Daisy & Chatter always came up with schemes to try and trick one or the other to say what they felt, never worked though. 

It really hurt to see one of her friends go through a heartbreak without a relationship. She couldn’t put into words how bad she wanted to slap Leo over the head and tell him to tell her how he feels. So when Leo comes home this time, she teamed up with all of the Wolfe and Pruitt women to finally get those too together.

Forever 🏷️ list: @bayisdying @mrsjaderogers @dragon-kazansky @gracespicybradshaw @switchbladedreamz

🏷️ list: @luckyladycreator2 @lisedanie

#callmemana #supportyourfriends #leonard wolfman wolfe #duckie #cricket #rick hollywood neven #leonard wolfman wolfe x oc #fluff #rick hollywood neven x oc #series #angst #duckie & cricket #wolfman x cricket #top gun #hollywood x duckie #top gun fic #Quinn ‘Daisy’ Wolfe oc #Ruth Wolfe oc #John Wolfe oc #Rebecca ‘Chatterbox/Chatter’ Wolfe oc #Spencer ‘Spence’ Henderson oc #Wolfe Family oc #Pruitt Family oc #baylie ‘duckie’ pruitt oc #amanda ‘cricket’ pruitt oc #Katherine Pruitt oc #Beau Pruitt oc #TK ‘Knuckles’ Pruitt oc #Chloe ‘Squirrel’ McKinley #whiskey bottles & wild flowers series

[adeadhorse]

do you think Chase was video calling the gang off screen in S4? because there was NO WAY he returns and says “wow nothing happened while i was gone for 5 months”zoey dated james, Quinn and Mark Broke up, Quinn and Logan got together (that he wouldn't know because secret) and vince came back all in one semester and chase didn’t notice any of that in finale because we hate good writing.

"because we hate good writing" i am WHEEZING that's literally the entire vibe of S4 huh

The entire gang? No. And maybe not even super regularly, but Michael is a) absolutely emailing him with updates, especially to complain about getting a new roommate and b) SOMEONE (maybe not Michael because he doesn't want to hurt Chase, so Logan or idk Lola) is telling him that Zoey is dating his replacement. Michael is emailing him about Vince and asking whether he has any specific revenge fantasies he wants them to dish out on his behalf, and then sending an update saying "hey he's cool actually, also do you know how to get cheese stains out of clothing". And honestly at some point I think Chase stops replying, mostly because I headcanon him as being hardcore depressed but like, what are you even supposed to say? Glad you're all having fun with my replacement and the guy that violently beat me up, cheers.

I also personally headcanon Chase as knowing about Logan and Quinn. For one, I think that's what would have happened in S4 had Chase been there, but even in this scenario I think Logan just would have wanted to talk about it SO badly that if he didn't just spill it all out one video chat he would have kept dropping hints to the point that Chase is like "are you two...dating?". To which Logan would probably say "pfft no how could you think that", and Chase would say that he kept scheduling calls to ramble about nothing but it would usually involve Quinn, and he just mentioned a picnic, and he seems to be scheduling a LOT of time to specifically make fun of Quinn, like 2-3 hours worth, and something seems off. Queue Logan begging him not to tell anyone ie Michael, Chase agreeing, and Logan getting to work through his feelings.

So I do think he knew things by way of Logan and Michael which is why he's just chill in Chasing Zoey (though I think coming up with an in-universe reason for that is stupid because it is just transparently lazy as shit). But I think it's pretty clearly implied that Zoey hadn't spoken to him at all since the start of the season seeing as she didn't have his number and the girls were overly supportive of her relationship with James, so I think the inference is that they didn't talk to him much then either.

#you can argue he got a new sim card when he got to the US but like... #S4 is just disrespectful honestly

[pickledpascal]

Love’s Train

Chapter Six: 2021, Winter Break: An Exchange is in Order

Warnings: Attempted murder/mugging, a bit of violence.

Word Count: 1.6k

Love’s Train Masterlist

Previous Chapter  |  Next Chapter

Winter break was fast in its arrival. Quinn aced most of her finals and it was hard to say goodbye to her friends she spent most of her time with during those first five months of school. She needed this break, though. Too many people felt entitled to come up to her out of nowhere and ask questions about her work with the Autobots. Not only that but… she had a bit of a scare during the few days before Winter Break. 

Quinn was walking back to her dorm from a late class–a biology lab–and a guy went up to her with a knife. He wasn't the most threatening since he seemed to be about the same age as her but Quinn knew to take any sort of threat seriously so she did what any woman in her position would do, beat the shit out of him and call the cops. She was mostly okay, a small slash on her cheek from the knife but the guy looked a lot worse than her. 

At least she'd have a cool scar out of it. 

Optimus, on the other hand, didn't find the story as amusing as Quinn did when she told him. Or Bee told him so Optimus had Quinn recount the experience. 

It was in the middle of December, snowflakes dancing around each other outside while Optimus, Bee, and Quinn were inside the barn. She didn't quite understand why Optimus was so upset, she was taught self defense for this exact reason. In case Bumblebee or any other Autobot wasn't there to protect her. Plus it would have been a real shame for Bee to waste his time vaporizing a random college kid turning to crime for money. That wouldn't do shit. 

Quinn paced around, not liking the idea Optimus was bringing up. Optimus watching her every move while she was in college? No. Well… maybe a little bit. "I’m literally fine, Optimus. One scratch. That’s it! You don’t need to baby me. Plus, how the hell is a fucking semi gonna blend in on a college campus? Not that good." She countered, shaking her head as she looked up at Optimus. 

Even while in the middle of an argument, Quinn couldn't help but stare at Optimus. The bot was in a lounging position, his knee bent upward while his other leg was laying down and pointed away from him. 

Optimus let out a noise similar to a sigh of discontent, his optics closing for a moment before he caught Quinn's gaze. "Your safety is of the utmost importance to me. It doesn’t matter that it was just one scratch, what matters is that you got hurt at all." 

That was Bee's cue to leave as quietly as possible, even if that meant his joints would start to freeze out in the snow. The pair were finally going to have their… talk? If that's what a confession could be called. Bee knew Optimus and Quinn would appreciate being alone to have their conversation.

For such a smart woman, Quinn could be so clueless sometimes. "Why? I'm not your responsibility." Her eyebrows furrowed as she crossed her arms, awaiting an answer.

"You're right, you're not." Optimus bent down, making himself level with Quinn as best he could. "But I care about you, Quinn Harlow. Far more than I ever thought I could care about any human. We are bonded." Quinn blinked in surprise. The Prime knew all this time but much like the human in front of him, he had a hard time accepting it. He's heard the legends of Primes having a soul mark but those were usually with other Cybertronians. A Prime and a human was virtually unheard of. "We cannot deny fate. It would be incredibly difficult to do so and I fear… we both would feel empty if we tried." 

Quinn let out a shaky breath through her nose, taking all of this in. How did he know? Did he… "You…. Do you have a soul mark?" She asked, flicking her eyes up to Optimus' optics. 

Optimus pursed his lips together, not answering right away until he shifted so Quinn could see the inside of his wrist. It looked as if her name was carved into the metal there, much like the symbols etched into the side of his head. So Optimus did have a soul mark and hid it or maybe Bee knew too… Quinn ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath. Cybertronians could have a soul mark. Her world view was majorly shifting and she felt as if her brain couldn't take it. 

"Quinn…" Optimus' voice started to sound far away. Quinn could feel the Prime's hand against her back, it was cool and solid. Weirdly comfortable. Wait, when did Optimus turn sideways? 

As Quinn started to feel more and more conscious, she shook her head as she sat up on Optimus' hand. "I'm sorry…" She mumbled as she cast her head down. It was embarrassing to almost pass out when they were just starting to advance upon their soul marks.

"No need to be sorry, my soul spark." A nickname already, huh. Optimus worked fast. She didn't hate it though. Optimus tilted Quinn's head up towards him with a single finger under her chin. He cocked his head slightly as his optics studied her form once more. "I understand this is all so… jarring."

Quinn bit her lip at the feeling of Optimus' finger against her chin. This alien robot was so much more powerful than she could ever dream of being, he had the strength to snap her in half if he wished yet he was treating her so gently. As Optimus took his finger away, Quinn swallowed thickly. 

She kept staring at Optimus for a moment. "So… what does my mark say? I know it's probably your name but even Bee couldn't read it." Quinn said as she rolled up her sleeve to show it to the huge bot. 

The Prime stared at the symbols, his exhaust pipes letting out some smoke while Optimus' eyes widened. Was that how he blushed? It was actually pretty cute. "That is the language of the Primes. Only Primes can read it." He explained, his jaw clenching slightly though it didn't seem to be a… negative kind. "These are the symbols etched onto me and now they are etched onto you. For as long as we co-exist, our bond will never be broken." Optimus' optics softened as he looked into Quinn's eyes. 

Quinn's eyes traveled from Optimus to the symbols on the expanse of her forearm. They matched. She pursed her lips and let out a small huff. Now that it was confirmed they were meant for each other there was no more questioning anything. 

Quinn might as well act like how one usually would when they find their soulmate for the first time. In love, so fucking in love. She stood from Optimus' hand, grabbing his chin with both hands as she pressed his lips against his. Surprised, Optimus let out a little noise… as well as a small honk from his horn. It felt as if his systems were overheating, if only for a second. He quickly adjusted, closing his optics to simply enjoy the feeling. The human's lips were soft, warm, and smooth in comparison to his. 

Remembering she needed to breathe, Quinn pulled away from Optimus and glanced up at his optics as she panted for air. Lucky for Optimus that he didn't need air for his systems to run smoothly. 

"You're not going to let me watch over you, are you?" Optimus asked after a few moments, an affectionate tone in his voice.

Quinn's lips quirked up into a guilty smile. "I'm fine with Bee." She nodded as she ran her fingers along the profile of Optimus' jaw. She could feel all the little dents and grooves there.

Optimus narrowed his optics before he let out a sigh and shook his head. The things love was already doing to him. Quinn could convince him to do whatever, it seemed. "Will you at least let Ratchet look at that wound?" He asked, almost pleadingly.

"That, I can do." Quinn smiled brightly, nodding. 

Ratchet was great, especially when he would make comments about the pheromone levels of random people visiting this little Autobot refuge. Sometimes, that was when Quinn would laugh the hardest. The looks on their faces when their crushes would be revealed or the simple fact that they were "in the mood."

Optimus narrowed his optics for a moment as he started at Quinn. He hooked one finger under Quinn's jaw again while another settled on her cheek. "I know you cannot promise me you'll stay out of danger but can you try? For me, my soul spark?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, I can try…" Quinn hummed softly, leaning into the metallic fingers Optimus offered her. 

Perhaps it was just her mind playing tricks on her at first but Quinn thought it would be much harder to actually be in a relationship with Optimus. He seemed… a little emotionally constipated. He was always so formal or maybe he was just denying his feelings as much as Quinn was trying to. 

Either way, the way Optimus was acting certainly was welcome by Quinn.

#oc #optimus prime x quinn harlow #bayverse optimus #bayverse optimus prime #optimus prime x human #optimus prime x oc #optimus prime #quinn harlow #transformers bayverse #transformers #bumblebee #bumblebee 2018 #soulmarks #soulmate au #soulmates

[darkfinch]

y'know I didn't even realise at first that - unless I'm misunderstanding something - rabbit must've come out of retirement to teach quinn? and that's just, fuck, that's a lot. he could absolutely keep hiding from the world OR he could retraumatise himself and risk exactly the same thing that utterly broke him before in order to teach this kid and try to keep him safe*. and that is… A Lot.

* 'try' is the key word there. also pausing to acknowledge that it fucked quinn up a lot (and hurt a lot of others in the process) & was a terrible decision by any reasonable metric, yes.

like, we're still talking intent not impact here, though I do get the feeling that rabbit might be a more effective AND kinder teacher than most ("we're doing it together"). this realisation still kinda took my breath away.

I'm… glad they got each other out of it.

:333 I am. SO glad that you have noticed this, yeah. yeah. he's trained his entire life to be this thing and do this thing, he takes the first possible opportunity to Really be this thing, he does it successfully for a decade of his life, and then overnight is like. i can never fucking do this again. He can never take a job again he can never mentor a kid again because he can never live through this again, right

(it's a Difficult Enough Winter that babusia, who's usually a vocal proponent of Getting Back On The Horse, doesn't push.)

and maybe she sends the kids up to visit with him for a weekend, for a week, for some of the summer, because she gets nervous about him being all alone up there—but she never once asks him if he'll ever work again, or wonders aloud if he's letting himself get rusty, or asks if he'd be willing to mentor any of them. she Knows Better than to ask.

so rabbit's Weird Uncle Rabbit. he's silent he's standoffish he's intimidating. he's distant, he's nobody's favourite anything, everyone’s a little bit scared of him—

—and then quinn shows up on the porch with a shit attitude, a gleeful determination to be the best at everything he learns, and an instant fascination with rabbit, and rabbit's like……….hm.

and like he's still firm on No Mentoring, right, but he watches quinn nearly break his own thumb throwing a punch, and offers to teach the kids a thing or two. You Know, For Fun. and Safety.

quinn wants to show off with his slingshot (he can hit the really far can, now, look), so rabbit lets himself be dragged along by the sleeve to watch. gives him a couple pointers. 

Rabbit comes by to pick up mail from babusia’s house, and she’s like, “the boy never stops asking about Uncle Rabbit, when can we go to Uncle Rabbit’s house again, did you know he can talk to birds” and Rabbit starts popping by on weekends, maybe, every once in a while. 

And all at once Quinn’s hurtling towards fourteen and Rabbit’s feeling a terrible all-encompassing Dread for Months and he’s thinking, at least it’s someone I trust who’ll be doing it, she’s good, she’ll do a good job with him—and then Quinn’s mom says she’s not going to mentor him.

(quinn, whose mother never bothered to know him in the first place, who was dropped off with his clothes in a garbage bag, who half-expected to be shipped off somewhere else during his first few months at babusia's house)

And Rabbit, in a moment of absolute Terror and Anger and Betrayal and Impulse, goes, Fuck you, I'll do it.

(he has a few months to Prepare. He gets new gear, and puts his name back out there, and starts taking jobs again to make sure he isn’t rusty. He does a lot of deep, measured breathing, staring at the cabin ceiling. He gets very little sleep. It’s the most terrifying thing he does in his entire life and it’s absolutely worth it)

...and also, yeah, he’s Effective, he's an Effective Teacher, and he is [if not quite Kind] kinder than a lot of other people get. because he Knows quinn and Cares about quinn and wants more than he’s ever wanted Anything for this kid to be okay. He’s like, alright, we’re going to do this miserable thing together. You’re going to camp out in the woods with no supplies, and i’m going to be three feet away listening to you whine about it. Let’s go

#rabbit does in fact develop a stress ulcer during this process thank you for asking please keep him in ur thoughts #finchtalks #finchlore

[avengernomore]

The Night the Joker died

Sasuke was sitting on one of the medical benches in the Batcave, wincing a little as Alfred stitched up one of his wounds. It had certainly been an eventful night, to say the least.

In front of them, Batman was pacing back and forth, clearly getting more and more angry and worked up with each step. Sasuke knew he would be angry. But he felt it was something that had to be done. Alfred also knew what Sasuke had done, but insisted that Bruce wait until he'd patched Sasuke up to lecture him. He didn't know if Alfred approved of what he had done or not, but Alfred at least knew that Sasuke had his reasons. And that they were likely very valid reasons.

Bruce couldn't wait any longer, though. He took his cowl off, tossing it aside, it bouncing off the ground a few times as he turned to Sasuke.

Sasuke gave a shudder. It was rare to see Bruce get really, truly angry. It was never pleasant, a man who was usually so composed, if intense, getting truly angry.

"Why, Sasuke?" He nearly yelled at the boy. "Why did you kill the Joker?"

Sasuke bowed his head a little, closing his eyes as Alfred continued to stitch up his wounds. Alfred was used to his outbursts. He'd known Bruce for most of Bruce's life, after all.

Alfred was about to speak, to tell Bruce that he was almost done, but Sasuke held up a hand to stop Alfred from speaking.

"...Bruce. Have you ever heard of the trolley problem?" Sasuke spoke. His voice was quiet, but it carried in the large, cavernous place.

A flicker of confusion crossed Bruce's face, but Alfred seemed to know what Sasuke was going for, as he continued to stitch up his wound. Sasuke gave a soft gasp of pain, wincing again, but he continued.

"A trolley is heading down the tracks, towards where 5 people were tied to the tracks. However, you are at the switch for the track controls. You can change the course of the trolley. However, if you do, it will run over one person who is tied to the tracks."

"The problem is this. You can let it go forward and run over five people, and you can reason that it was not your fault. You did nothing to save them, but you also did not directly cause their death."

He gave a sharp inhale as the needle pushed back into his skin, but luckily, Alfred was done now. He swabbed the area with some antisepetic solution, bringing a inhale of pain through Sasuke teeth. But now Sasuke stood up, the boy looking up to Bruce.

"...Or you can change the tracks. The one who dies would, arguably, be your fault. You are the one who changed the tracks, you are the one who killed him. But the other five would be safe."

Sasuke looked up at Bruce, who was breathing heavily, just barely restraining his anger.

"...And for years, you have been letting the trolley go forward. Instead of putting an end to the Joker, you have been putting him in Arkham, so he can escape again and again, and every time he does, more people get hurt. More people die. Whereas if you, or someone else..." He gave a mock bow. "...killed him, that would put an end to it."

"...Sasuke.... Robin." Bruce said, after a few moments, his voice still trembling with barely restrained anger. "That is not how we-"

"I know your rules. And I know I broke them. But look at the reality of it. Nothing has changed him. No amount of therapy in Arkham. He refuses treatment, because it's within his rights to do so. He doesn't want to get better."

Sasuke turned away, running a hand through his hair.

"Look. Putting some of these people in Arkham is definitely a good move. Mr. Freeze, for example. Harley Quinn. Clayface. These are all people who are troubled, who respond well to therapy, even if only eventually, and, in the case of Harley, after they have cut themselves off from negative influences." He paused. It was no secret that the Joker had been incredibly abusive in many ways to Harley.

He turned back to Bruce. "...But some of them, like the Joker? They don't want to change. It's arguable if they are insane." Sasuke raised a hand, pressing the side of his index finger to his lips, thinking. "...For example, has the Joker ever come off as someone who doesn't know what he's doing, someone who doesn't understand the consequences of his actions? Someone who doesn't understand that what he's doing is wrong?"

He looked up at Bruce, moving his hand.

"...I understand that I have broken your rules. And I am not looking for forgiveness from you." He walked back over to the medical bench he had been sitting on, picking up his Robin costume.

He looked down at it, running his thumb over the fabric, the memories of all the things he had done alongside Bruce running through his mind. After a few moments, though, he walked to Bruce, handing it over to him.

"... Nor would I expect you to forgive me. I cannot keep following your rules. Sometimes these people we fight, they do not belong in an asylum, and they do not belong in jail."

Bruce looked down at the Robin outfit in his hands, still stained with Sasuke and the Joker's blood, anger and sadness battling inside him.

Bruce's anger won out.

"YOU BETRAYED ME!" He roared at Sasuke, his hands clenching on the outfit in his hands, getting blood onto his hands.

At this, Sasuke's face twitched. And when he spoke again, his voice was one of tranquil fury.

"...And you betrayed me. I believed helping you would lead me to my brother. The one who killed my family." Sasuke paused for a moment. "...And while I haven't managed to get much information on him since then..." He held up a few printed out pages, one of them headed by a photo of his brother, Itachi. "...You had gotten a lot of information about him, hadn't you?"

Batman's face turned pale, and his eyes widened.

"How did you..."

"Did you think I would not notice? One of the regular thugs mentioned you asking about Itachi, which got me to thinking. Why would you be asking about him? And then I found your file on the Batcomputer. While it tried to keep me out, I managed to crack it in the end. And I found so much information. Nearly enough to track him down." Sasuke's hand clenched in the paper sheets, his look becoming one of anger.

"You had all of this information on my brother. And you were keeping it on me. And you want to talk about ME betraying YOU?" Sasuke's eyes gleamed red, switching to his Sharingan, which usually only happened when he was in a fight. "Even if I had not killed the Joker, I would be leaving your services tonight. I've booked a flight for the last place Itachi was seen. I am going to track him down, and I am going to kill him." He walked past Bruce, through the now empty Batcave. Bruce bowed his head, having nothing to say now. Several excuses formed in his mind, but none of them made it to his mouth. Even Alfred looked shocked. Whether it was from Bruce hiding information, or that Sasuke was able to crack the security hiding it, Sasuke did not know. Nor did he care.

Sasuke did turn when he reached the elevator, his eyes still gleaming red as he fixed his gaze upon Bruce again.

"...And if you follow me, I'll make sure you regret it." He hissed, his voice carrying across the empty Batcave, before he stepped into the elevator, carrying him back up to the Wayne Manor.

#drabble #i dunno if I got Bruce/Batman quite right #same with Alfred #I'm not a huge DC/Batman guy #but I did my best XP

[whumpqin]

Voodoo doll whump? Helps restrain and silence whumpees without pesky restraints, gags, or blindfolds getting in the way.

Hi I really liked this one so I wrote a thing for it

CW: Magical whump, voodoo doll, mind control, compulsion, restrained, brief choking at the beginning, whumper as caretaker, spoonfeeding, forced eating, nonhuman whumpee (if I missed anything please let me know!)

The plucking of one of his hairs stung, but it was more emotional than anything. Quinn watched as the odd doll, made of strange iridescent glass and cloth, was slowly worked with. A few mutterings he couldn’t catch, and the hair burned up, its ashes sprinkling over the figure.

“Now, to test,” the Fairy murmured. 

He wrapped a hand around the doll’s delicate throat, slowly increasing the pressure. Quinn felt as his airway constricted to a small sliver he was forced to breathe through, and his wide eyes shot up to the Fairy Lord in panic.

“I think it’s working, dear,” the human next to the Fairy Lord said, a woman with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. “No need to kill him to test it out.”

“...You’re correct.” The Lord released the doll and Quinn gasped deeply, the most noise he’d been allowed to make in days. “Here you go. If there is trouble, merely call for me. Quinn!” Quinn’s head shot up at the mention of his name, suddenly alert. “Do anything my love asks of you. Harm her and I will have your head. I want your understanding said.”

“...Yes, my Lord,” Quinn choked out. He was unable to say anything else.

He looked over to the woman, holding the doll in her hands. Quinn figured this must be Omri’s mother - or at least one of them - though he couldn’t begin to understand why anyone would want to be around someone like the Lord. He eyed her with his fiery gaze, watching as she pulled out bits of string.

“Now, I’m going to need you to hold really still so I can get these bindings off of you. We’ll start like this,” she said, moving the doll’s arms behind itself to mirror Quinn’s position. Quinn blinked as he felt his limbs lock up upon command. All he could do was listen to the sound of her voice, which, to be fair, was sweet and warm. It was a rare thing to hear in this place.

The woman stepped forward to undo the rope bindings on his wrists and legs. Quinn wasn’t able to relax even as she rewound the rope and set it down. She then moved to the doll, pulling its arms forward and wrapping a bit of string around them to hold them in place. In a similar motion Quinn copied, moving his arms forward and crossing them over one another.

“There. That should feel a bit better.” She set the doll down on a small chair, curling its tail around for him.. Admittedly, not having rough rope around his wrists and ankles did feel nice, but Quinn’s shoulders ached a little much to be truly thankful. The woman took an index finger and lifted his head. “Up just a little bit. Mouth open, please. A biit wider. My, look at those fangs!” She commented, when Quinn’s jaw dropped at her behest.

Heat spread to his face in embarrassment. He felt his pulse quicken, unable to move beyond flicking his gaze this way and that. She turned away from him to pick something up he couldn’t see. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. He wouldn’t even be able to scream if she hurt him.

Don’t get all embarrassed and hush up, now. You’re supposed to enjoy this. You like the pain, don’t you, Quinn?

He squeezed his eyes shut as the corners of his eyes prickled with tears. He couldn’t do this. Not again.

“Oh, dear, I always forget. Be calm, Quinn,” the woman said. And just like that, the feelings drifted away, his heart slowed. He was calm, as she commanded. Quinn’s eyes opened as she drug a chair over to him and sat with a bowl in her hand.

He could still think. He could still panic and wonder what she was going to do to him, but the feelings faded almost instantly.

“Here, eat up. You haven’t had anything all day.” No thanks to your husband, Quinn’s mind hissed. She placed a spoonful of warm soup into his mouth, and he swallowed it. Thankfully it was warm and refreshing. “You may speak as long as you don’t spit out the food or scream.”

“Let me go,” Quinn said cooly, unable to fight past the command and unable to move because of that damned doll. “Please let me go. At least-” a swallow, to wet his dry tongue, “At least let me see my boyfriend.”

“Not yet. I haven’t seen my boy in months and I’ve yet to have a proper dinner with him where we can catch up. Open,” she said, scooping more soup into his mouth. “Him and his father, I swear. It’ll take ages for them to get anything settled.”

“Don’t… don’t say that. Please,” Quinn begged. “I don’t want to be stuck like this, like… like I’m some sort of pet.”

Quinn briefly wondered if this was how Caleb felt like. A trophy that laid about until he was needed for something. Stuck and unable to escape, at the whims of his cruel Masters. He fought against the tears that wanted to spring to his eyes.

He swore to everything on the fucking planet he’d find him.

“You’re not a pet, dear. My husband is just making sure you’re not a bad omen for the family, is all.” The woman smiled at Quinn, giving him a light pat against his cheek. “You’re a sweet boy. I’m sure he’ll come around.”

She continued to feed him in relative silence. Quinn didn’t have anything to say to her that wasn’t rude, and he’d been commanded to keep all of his “rude words” to himself. Instead he opened and ate what she gave him, training his eyes on the doll.

Eventually the woman set the bowl down on a nearby table and picked the doll up. She adjusted the string on it, and then gently set it down on its side. Quinn was forced to mirror it, crumpling to the floor. The woman then wound some string around the doll’s ankles, gently tying them so that Quinn wouldn’t be able to move his legs. 

“You should get some rest. I thought this would be more comfortable than sitting how you were. I’ll set this here so the little ones don’t try to grab it.” She then moved the small chair the doll was on, into the corner with him. The woman crouched down, running her thumb against his cheek and brushing away a tear that dripped down. “Be quiet, Quinn, no more words or sounds. And go to sleep.”

Upon her command, Quinn’s eyes slipped shut.

#whump #whump writing #my writing #ask answered #magical whump #voodoo doll #mind control #compulsion #restrained #choking tw #whumper as caretaker #spoonfeeding #forced eating #nonhuman whumpee #Quinn #Omri mention #Elisha/Caleb mention #hi any reason to hurt Quinn is usually a Good Reason

[absentia-if]

Could we get the reactions to RO being forced to break up with MC for their own safety, and how convincing they would be, for the DLC ROs?

Wouldn’t Be Convincing:

August/Audrey and Six

Somewhat Convincing:

Luca and Leon/Leia

Very Convincing (Wouldn’t Be Able To Suss Out):

Kennedy, Quinn, and Angelus/Angelina

—————————————————

Leon/Leia: They’re a mob boss. They’ve dealt with the absolute worst of humanity without wincing, but they wouldn’t be able to maintain eye contact with you because they know they’d be hurting you. Know that they could be doing irreparable damage to something they hold so dearly to their heart. It’s not something they wish to do but they wouldn’t be able to live with themselves if you came to harm because of them.

Luca: He’s good at acting nonchalant when he wants to pretend like his heart isn’t breaking inside of his chest; masking his feelings with humor and a goofy grin that he hopes will throw people off. Doing so with you? It makes those jokes all the more cheesier and his grin all the more brighter. He needs to distance himself in this manner because he knows he’d break the moment you did.

Angelus/Angelina: They’ve broken hearts before. Have been called many names under the sun, and have never batted an eye. They never expected how heartbreaking it would be to do so to you too. The one person that they love more than anything in this world— barring their dogs and Sarah— and now they’re hurting you too? Like all of the nameless nobodies of their past? Like you were nothing to them? It’d tear them apart but they’d stand strong and break your heart. At least you’d be alive. At least they’d have the solace of knowing that your heart was still beating somewhere in the world along with theirs.

Six: Let me make this clear: the only reason Six wouldn’t be convincing about wanting to break up with you is because they’d simply kill you instead. Why deal with the hassle of having someone know who they are and what they’ve done? When it’s much easier to just deal with them automatically. Of course, and they’d never admit this to anyone, doing said act would be a lot harder than it usually was but it would be done. So you’re not dead? Good. Then they don’t wish to break up with you and will much rather spend their time hunting down the bastard who thinks that they could intimidate Six. And kill them instead.

Kennedy: Breaking your heart is the last thing that they’d ever wish to do but if it meant keeping you safe? It may not be the easiest thing to do but it’s definitely the choice they’d take. They’d act cold, detached, like the days when you “hated” each other. Acting like everything had just been a game, that they hadn’t meant anything they said during long nights laying side-by-side, that they couldn’t believe you had fallen for it. Each word would be like a knife to their heart but they’d persevere; they’d much rather have you hate them and be alive than any other alternative.

Quinn: Their Ice Persona would come about full force. They’d be unwavering with their declaration, unfaltering in the concise ways they bring the facts to you, and they wouldn’t stand down for anything. They’d make you understand that everything was over and that they’d call you a cab. Once you were gone? They’d completely break down. Knowing that they had just lost the love of their life for the second time. This time with the complete certainty that you wouldn’t be coming back. It’d break them. Just as they had broken you.

August/Audrey: They wouldn’t be convincing because they wouldn’t lie to you. Not because they’re horrible at lying but because you both made a promise not to keep secrets from one another. Of course, they’d toy with the idea of protecting you but they’d ultimately realize that you’d somehow end up finding out what they did in the end anyway (as this mainly happens that way). They hated that you lied to them and abandoned them when they needed you the most. They’re not about to do so to you. Even if they want nothing more than to protect you too.

#absentia #leon walker #leia walker #luca lewis #angelus sinclair #angelina sinclair #six #kennedy ellis #quinn laurent #august sloane #audrey sloane #anonymous #asks #ask #DLCs

[heejojo]

Mr Hollywood

summary: Sim Jaeyun had made it, he had finally fulfilled his dream of being an artist but he had to leave the place he called he called home promising he would come back when everything was okay. He’s back now but are you sure it’s the same Jake you once knew?

genre: fluff, minor angst, childhood lovers turned exes to lovers again

pairing: Celebrity Sim Jaeyun x non-celebrity reader (with enhypen and treasure appearances)

warning: none

word count: 4.1k

a/n: although it has been proofread, I cannot guarantee no errors so please let me know if you see any! please let me know what you think. likes and reblogs are appreciated and I hope you have a good day.

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send an ask or fill out this form to be part of the taglist!

taglist (open): @enhyphun @jungwoniics @penny-quinn @ncthpen @fylithia @taecup-ontrack @renee1414@studioreader

“And the Artist Of The Year Award goes to none other than...” the announcer said, keeping you all at the edge of your seats. Everyone here had voted for Jake so many times so that he would win. The announcer looked at the folded card in his hand before smiling and saying.

“Jake Sim!” The screams of everyone in the beer parlour with you watching the award ceremony were probably louder than those in the venue itself. You all watched in pride as the look of shock was evident on his face and he shakily walked to the podium to collect the award. You smiled at how good he looked, he had come so far from the boy you once knew here.

Five years ago, Jake had left his hometown, where he grew up for 18 years to pursue his dream. Granted, not everyone is supposed to stay for the rest of their lives but he thought he was going to stay but he made up his mind to leave for his passion. You all supported him even if you weren’t able to talk to him because of his busy schedule. Being able to cheer him from the sidelines was what you were content with. He was the pride of the town and people did not hesitate to show him off.

He gave the announcer a bow and collected the award. You could see the way his hands shook as he collected the award as if it felt unreal that he won.

“I would like to thank God for the ability to get to this point today and to thank my parents for always teaching me the right way and having the courage to let their child pursue his dreams even if it meant that I would be very far away; almost out of reach even. I love you. To all those that have continuously supported me and listened to my music, thank you. To the staff that have worked so hard and everyone I've had the pleasure of meeting, a big thank you to you" he said and walked off.

The excitement of the crowd reduced and everyone eventually retired to their homes while chatting amongst themselves. You think about the award one more time, feeling happy for him and move on. After all, the same way Sim has a life to live is the same way you do also.

The next day, when you wake up you feel a shift in the atmosphere. The birds are still chirping, yes but something feels unusual. You brush off the paranoia you feel and decide to do your usual morning duties and carry on with your day. While other people your age wanted to have prestigious jobs(not like there was anything wrong with that), you wanted something simple and had decided on being either a cafe owner or a florist.

Sadly, the cafe owner agenda wasn't able to work out because everyone in the vicinity was now aware of the way you burned down a cafe trying to bake and collectively decided that you should not be allowed to make food for people. Flowers were better than running a cafe shop. You stayed with your flowers and you were able to give

someone a flower when they needed it.

Need a flower for your mother? You got it, a daylily was exactly what they needed. Wanted to attend a funeral? Take a bouquet of lilies. It was easy to understand and you didn't directly put anyone in harm’s way. Although your shop was hardly ever full, you were content with everything.

That's why you're shocked when you find a line of people waiting to be let into your shop at 9 am. You raised an eyebrow in confusion but you opened the door nevertheless. At the end of the day, you were the one earning the money. You had things to buy, didn't you?

You take your place at the counter and start attending to the customers. They didn't tell you to pick out one for them and just chose it themselves. The crowd slowly reduced till there was only one person left. When there remained a few people, you quietly moved to one person to ask for the reason why they were so cheerful today.

"Jungwon, do you know why everyone is so happy today? My shop was full today!"

"Are you complaining about it?" He asks. Jungwon was the son of the cafe shop owner. He came to your shop frequently when he was on his break and you would talk to each other.

“Of course, I’m not. I just want to know what’s making everyone come here all of a sudden. Even old man Jay came here and you know that man never leaves his house. He bought a red carnation and I’m confused because who does he have affection for that he’s getting them flowers”

“He has a wife you know”

“Please, the last time they had a conversation with each other was when he asked for a divorce” you deadpanned.

“Look Y/N, who’s the one person in this town anyone would do anything for?”

“Kim Junkyu?”

“Close but not him, I wouldn’t do anything for him” Jungwon stated making you roll your eyes.

“The only person left is Sim Jaeyun and we know it’s not possible”

“Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner”

You give him a shaky smile before asking him, “You’re joking right?”

“I’m not,” he says sincerely. You nod your head and go sit on the nearest stool. Placing a hand on your throat as you begin to scratch at it (something you did when you were nervous) and just sit in silence while Jungwon continues talking.

“After the award ceremony, his management released a statement on his Instagram saying that he would be going on hiatus for two months to visit his family. So we townsmen decided to get flowers to pave the road with because he would be coming back. We would have used gold leaves but it’s too expensive”

He continued talking and talking while you were still trying to process the fact that Jake would be coming back. Physically he was still going to be the same Jake you had a crush on before he left but personality-wise? You doubted that. You heard stories of the way fame had changed people; the love from others would get to their heads and make them overly egotistical. A part of you knew that he wouldn’t change but the other part was unsure. Before he left, you made him promise to not change and while you knew promises could be broken, you knew he wouldn’t break them.

“Jungwon, I want to close the shop for today. I’m not feeling too well and want to rest a bit”

“No problem Y/N! If you want, I can stay here and do business for you”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve made enough money today to last me for next month” you say and shoo him away.

At home, you just sit and think for some time before getting up to make some tea and reminiscing about your high school memories. You hardly had feelings for people so when you did, you let them know immediately. When you told Jake that you liked him, he told you that he felt the same. You ignored him for a week after that because you didn’t think that far. After that, you met up with him and explained the reason why you avoided him. You went out with each other for less than 2 weeks and during that period, he had told you about his dreams of becoming an artist and you supported him wholeheartedly.

He would carry your books from school and you both would walk home together every day. He'd play the violin for you because he was good. You'd both pet stray cats and run when they started chasing you. All good things came to an end when he told you that he had to leave to pursue his dream. You both knew you were too young to even attempt a long-distance relationship so you let each other go even though it hurt. You’d watch his music videos and support his activities even though there was a possibility he would never return. Now that he was going to be here, how were you going to cope knowing that your feelings for him were still the same while his feelings could have gone, especially with all the beautiful people in the industry?

That night, while everyone was outside welcoming Mr Hollywood, you stayed in your house dreading the days that would come. The town was small so there was no way that you wouldn’t bump into him. The voices were loud when you tried to sleep. Seems like everyone was ecstatic that Jake had come back. The noise wasn’t able to let you sleep but deep down you knew it was because you were nervous.

You decide to bake cookies to reduce the stress you are currently feeling. You had learnt from your mistakes and no longer burnt kitchens (your kitchen being valid proof of that), but Jungwon’s dad still wouldn’t lift his ban. You baked cookies till 2 am before you were really tired enough to sleep. You had baked almost a hundred cookies that night.

The next morning, you made sure to wake up early so you wouldn’t run into anyone. Thankfully, the townspeople didn’t want to buy flowers that morning and got started on the orders that people out of town had placed. You brought cookies for Jungwon so he could test them. You were trying to fix the counter when someone walked in, making the bell jingle. Assuming it was Jungwon, you say, “Jungwon the cookies are on the counter. Test them and tell me what you think, don’t eat them and run away”

“I’m not a Jungwon but can I talk to Y/N?” You’re startled but you freeze, instantly recognizing the voice. Jake Sim.

“Hello, what would you like?” you asked with a forced smile. You were way too close, the proximity was making you uneasy. He looked a bit disappointed with the way you answered him but what did he expect to come to? It had been five years.

“I just wanted to tal-” he is cut off by Jungwon bursting through the door.

“Y/N, you will not believe who I saw. I saw Jake Sim with my very own two eyes. He looks so much hotter in real life. Do you think he’d sign my back if I asked-” he stopped instantly when he saw the person that was in the flower shop.

He looked like a fish out of water with the way his mouth was agape. Looking at you, then at Jake and then you again. He brought his hand to his head and he hit it hard making you startled.

“Sorry I will leave now,” Jungwon said.

“To cry” he murmured, making you chuckle. Jungwon was someone that cried when he did something embarrassing.

“Jungwon wait,” you say and walk to give him the cookies you had packed for him with a little note.

“Eat them and get back to me when you’re less you know...embarrassed” He snatches them from your hands and makes a run for the door. You giggle then you remember that Jake was still present. Turning to face him, you ask if he wants anything. “I want to talk to you”

You motion him to sit on the spare chair you had and he obliges. Before you even ask him a question, he begins, “Was that your boyfriend?”

“No, not that it concerns you though”

“Where you last night? I saw everyone but you. The Johnny kid said you were feeling ill. I doubt that wasn’t true as you made cookies. The last time I remembered, you were really bad at anything relating to the kitchen”

“Times change and people change, Jaeyun. It’s been 5 years since we last had a conversation with each other. I’m not the same and I’m sure you’re not the same either”

“Let’s get to know each other again. Do things the old fashioned way. Go on dates, paint, and bake with each other. Do some of the things we could have done 5 years ago.”

“And then when you have to leave and have no contact with each other again”

“I won’t do that, I promise. Never again.”

“How can you be so sure of that?”

“Let me prove it to you-”

He’s cut off by the entrance of another customer and stands up to leave but you don’t miss the longing look in his eyes. You hope he can see the same look in yours that’s covered by hurt and waiting for someone to return.

You were not expecting Jake to be at your store first thing on a Friday morning. He was even earlier than you and you're the boss.

“What are you doing here?” you ask. He was bouncing on his feet and looking cherry when you hadn’t even gotten enough sleep.

“I’m here to take you out. Do it like the old times where I’d wait for you so we could go to school together”

“I have work to do today and I’m going to be booked so another time”

“I have come to offer my assistance so tomorrow we can go out together”

“Don’t you have things to do?”

“I’m on a hiatus, I’m free for almost two months and if you want I can be free for more. Imagine all the things we could do in that time” he trails off, fantasizing when you hadn’t even told him that you still liked him. Meanwhile, you had opened the door and walked in.

"Aren't you going to come in and stop thinking of cute stuff?" you ask him and he quickly runs in, flustered.

He takes a look around and puts on a determined face and gets a broom and starts cleaning. For someone that's supposed to be a celebrity, he was cleaning like an employee. You take a rag and wipe all the surfaces and take care of the flowers. After an hour, the shop is ready to open. Customers come rolling in once they see a new help. Although they're surprised, they don't question it.

During your break, Jake picks up a chrysanthemum and hands it to you. "It's for you because you're beautiful," he says

"Hate to rain on your parade but if you gave me this in Italy, it means you wish I were dead" and with that, he takes back the flower instantly and brings a single red rose. You receive it with a small laugh, finding it funny when he doesn't want you misinterpreting him. You were having a sweet moment with him until Jungwon came in again.

"I'm getting tired of seeing you here Mr Sim. As much as I adore you, I need to meet my friend" he states and pulls you to the back. "Care to explain why Jake Sim is in your store again!?"

"Nope" you respond, popping the p. He brought his hand to his forehead and tried to relax his muscles because according to him, he doesn't want to look forty-five when he's thirty years old.

"Look, it's weird coming here and seeing you have company. I'm not against you having company seeing as you've been lonely the entire time I've known you but, I can't stay in his presence! Why must a man Look so gorgeous!? He's ruining my already broken esteem. Everybody saw him in real life and was wondering how a man could look that good."

"They saw him when he was seventeen years old," you tell him.

"And he's twenty-three now! He doesn't look the same and I don't even need to have known him then to know now"

"Jungwon, I want you to get to the point," you tell him, basically pleading at that point because your break would soon be over.

"I'll see you when I have enough confidence to meet him," he says and leaves the store. You shake your head at his overdramatic behaviour and continue with your day. Jake proves to be amazing assistance and you got things done quicker and even closed earlier.

"Thank you for offering help, you can go home now. See you tomorrow" you say in an attempt to shoo him out.

"I want to walk you home" he announces and goes with you home.

"Do you hate me for not talking to you?" he asks.

"I don't hate you. To be honest, I think we both did the right thing by not talking to each other. It was good we had each other in mind but I would have caused too much of a distraction for you. It was great you focused on your career and achieved your goals. I did well too"

"Johnny boy said you were lonely though," he said.

"Number one, I know you know his name is Jungwon but you're just being petty. Two, why were you eavesdropping on our conversation and three, I still had a bit of hope that one day you'd return. I didn't think that you'd come" you say truthfully. The night was making you vulnerable when answering his questions.

"I always asked my mum how you were doing when I called her, you know? I wanted to check up on you without doing so myself. I'd ask her to give you a pop tart because I knew they were your favourite"

Even though he was still far away, he still had kept you in his mind the same way you did for him.

You got home and stayed at the door before you took him by the shoulder and said, "Let's go out together and have fun". He gives you a soft smile and watches you go in before he retires to his own home.

The following day, you're waiting for him to come. You had tried to dress up for the date but didn't want to underdress or overdress since he hadn't told you where you were going. So you decided to wear a simple sundress and made yourself look nice. He arrived wearing something as casual as you in a car.

"Is this your dad's?" you questioned.

"Yup, I borrowed it to take you out,” he says and winks at you. You shake your head laughing and get in the passenger seat and he drives.

“Where are we going?” you ask, curious.

“You’ll see when we get there” you don’t respond but wind down the window and feel the wind on your face which makes you smile.

You catch Jake glancing at you while he’s driving and he doesn’t even try to hide it. “At least try to pretend you’re not starting”

“I can’t help it, you’re so pretty” This kid, he was making it too easy for you to fall for him.

“Do you still like me, Jaeyun?” you inquire.

“I do,” he said with certainty. Has he always been this bold? You don’t say anything and continue to look out so he reaches over and takes one of your hands in his while he uses his other one to drive. You look at him but just continue doing what you’re doing.

“You might not believe me but I mean it,” he says, lightly squeezing your hand as a form of reassurance.

He stops the car at an aquarium and you both come out. You have a wonderful time and although people recognize him and are surprised to see him with you, they don't say anything and leave you alone. You smiled that day more than you had ever smiled before.

"The fishes look good to eat" you whisper in his ear and he playfully smacks your arm and jokes.

"You monster! How can you say that!?" to which you jokingly shrug.

After the aquarium, he takes you to a flower field. "I did my research this time so I don't give you a wrong flower." He picked up a primrose and says, "I know this one means love is eternal so I'm giving it to you because no matter the distance between us, our love will be forever"

You feel warm this time and know that even if he were to leave again, the distance wouldn't matter because together, you both could overcome anything.

"You're all I need" you manage to say.

"When did you get all sentimental?" he teases and you chase after him in the flower field. When you get tired, you lie down on the grass and he lays next to you. Your hands find his hands amid all the grass and you squeeze it. Unknowingly, you fall asleep next to him.

The next weeks that follow include you two bonding and Jake having fun and being relaxed. He was able to write a song but wouldn't let you see the lyrics, saying it wasn't something he wants you to see yet. You met his parents and thanked his mum for taking care of you indirectly and conversed with his dad too. You could tell that he hadn't forgotten any of the values his parents had thought him. He grew up surrounded by a lot of love so he had more than enough to give.

He also met your parents and he was nervous even though you had tried to reassure him that they wouldn't do anything to him. Your father tried to act scary but deep down you knew he had a soft spot for him. Your mom was showering with more affection than she gave you and Jungwon tried stylishly asking him for his celebrity crush numbers.

"Jake, since you're dating my friend can you link me up with Han Sohee? You've worked with her before, help a friend out"

"I'll ask her but no promises" Jungwon was so happy the entire day.

A few days before Jake had to go back because his hiatus was over, you both were talking about how things would be while baking muffins.

"Y/N don't think I won’t talk to you when I go because I can already see the gears turning in your head."

"Pass me the butter Jaeyun"

"Are we back to the first-name basis? Call me the sweet names" he whined.

"Just pass the butter babe" and he passes it instantly.

"Now back to what you were saying, I know you won't forget me obviously and if you try I I can always take a flight to get to you." You tell him. You weren't going to wait around for him anymore. If you missed him, you'd go see him if he was unable to come to see you.

"Better, I was already worried," he says and gives you a back hug.

The day he left was bittersweet and you shed a few tears. It took a lot of willpower to not cry in front of him. You didn't want him to leave but you knew that he had a job to get to and you couldn't be in the way of that.

You both regularly kept in touch, calling each other at least twice a week to catch up on what had happened during each other's week. He hadn't told you that he released a new song and you found out through his fanboy Jungwon who was now the self-acclaimed president of his fan club.

"Y/N, have you heard Jake's new solo? I cried to it for an hour straight" You didn't have any time to check what was going on because someone had ordered flowers for their wedding and you had to get them done quickly.

"New solo?" you ask and Jungwon sits you down and plays the song for you. Truth be told, you cried as well. It felt like he was there with you telling you that he'd never change.

You watched the interview and when he was asked about the meaning or person behind the song, he said, "There's someone that I love and I wanted to let her know that no matter how famous I get, I won't ever change and she shouldn't change either". He looked directly at the camera then continued, "You're stuck with me forever".

That night, you called him and cried on the phone to him telling him about how you saw the interview.

"Y/N, you know I care about you" you sobbed even harder.

"I care about you too, forever"

"Forever baby, regardless of the distance"

#enhypen #enhypen imagines #ficscafe #enhypen angst #enhypen x reader #enhypen fluff #enhypen fanfics #enhypen scenarios #enhypen jake #jake sim #jake x reader #enhypenwriters