#they all wanted to bone so bad all the time

[katsukikitten]

Alpha!Katsuki who is so agitated and aggressive although protective of Omegas even if their scents bother him. Roughly keeping them at arms length and openly snarling or grimacing at their scents as he saves or even just interacts with them.

Then there is you, an Omega who acts like an Alpha. Your scent is as strong as an Alpha, you're just as aggressive and have plenty of scars on your throat to show it. When someone thinks of a "traditional" Omega they think the opposite of you. In fact most people already assume your subgender is Alpha, you never correct them.

But you're not, you're an Omega. One with conflicting feelings of wanting to be soft and cozy but can't bring yourself to be less than combative. One who has several nests around your home in all your most comfy spots piled with blankets and stuffed animals you treat with care. An Omega who's given in and stolen her boss' smokey caramel shirt after a workout despite saying you can't stand his scent. An Omega who can't resist the urge to shove it into the nest on your bed as slick gathers between your thighs, naughty fingers toying with your throbbing clit through the fabric of your underwear until you're cumming so hard and so often you're panting. Borderline throwing yourself into a heat over his stupid sweaty shirt because his scent makes you feel safe, soft.

It's tempting to call out the next day but truly you were his front line, he hired you because of your bad attitude and snapping teeth. Because you could and would stand up to an alpha three times your size that demanded to see Katsuki even when they didn't have an appointment. You could handle yourself and you've proven it. Plus what Katsuki will never admit out loud is that he likes the way you smell, loves it. To him it makes sense he's only ever bedded two people and both were Alphas like he thinks you are.

Yet when you come in reeking of distress, shame, and arousal Katsuki finds his body moving on its own.

Pulling you by your lower back until your pelvis is flush with his before you can protest even as you lean away and accidentally expose your throat to him. His nose goes straight to your scent gland, inhaling to make sure it's you that the distress is coming from. The arousal

"Bakugou." You try to push him away but as the number one pro he's much stronger than you, not to mention his scent gland is right by your nose now. His spiced scent sweetening in an attempt to make you relax, pheromones he doesn't realize he's releasing as you fight your body from going slack in his hold.

On lookers stare and when bromine eyes meet them they flare. Lifting his face so they can see him bare his teeth as he pulls you into his office.

"Ya outta suppressants?" He growls and all his voice and strength do is spur on more and more of that arousal that wafts off of you in waves. Sweet floral spice that makes him dizzy as he tries not to get hard. He should let you go, he should step back, but he can't peel himself from your body. You feel good in his hands. Soft, round.

"I don't take any."

"Ya can't go into a rut in my office." He snarls but his lips are resting against your collar bones, "I've got extra in my desk."

"It won't be a rut." Your skin feels hot, so hot and with Katsuki smothering you it's only worsening the effects, the shame that burns when you admit out loud to your boss that you never corrected on what you are, "It's a heat."

Suddenly his massive body is rigid, you can hear him swallow thickly three times before you feel the hardness of his fat length against your leg

And that's enough to send any Omega nose first into a long overdue heat.

@kweenkatsuki-fics sorry it's so long 😭

[paigebueckersmommy]

maybe not enemies pt.1 - p.b

paige bueckers x fem!roomate! reader

warnings: enemies to lovers, drinking, mean paige kinda?, 1st person

a/n: i am well aware the team rooms togther but act like they don’t for this fic 🥰 also i hate this with every bone in my body.

you and paige had met briefly a few times. all you knew was you two weren’t into the same things.

it was the start of my senior year of college, and i had always taken my academics seriously, but i needed to take them more serious this year, and geting roomed with the schools biggest party animal, caused problems.

i began unpacking the suit case on my bed, waiting for my roomate to arrive. they sent an email with dorm assignments, which your roomate obviously hadn’t seen.

when i heard the door open, i snapped head. “fuck.” you heard a attractive voice say, which you didn’t wanna admit was attractive. “i’m not happy about this either.” you say making eye contact with the blonde.

“how’d you know?” paige says setting stuff down on her bed, “they sent an email.” i say looking back at my stuff.

“well, the best way to handle being roomed with the most boring person on earth, is if we agree to not talk unless it’s needed.” paige said, with an look of annoyance on her face. “agreeed, just please don’t be loud.” you say rolling your eyes, “k.”

time skip to a couple months later

you could tell paige was a little confused by your style when she mostly only ever saw you wearing hoodies, sweatpants and leggings, but tonight was diffrent.

you were standing infront of the mirror on a saturday night, putting lipgloss on. wearing a mini skirt and a mesh long sleeve, a black lacey bra underneath.

“where you going? shouldn’t you be studying or sum shit.” paige said looking you up and down from her bed. “why would it matter to you? but for your infortntion i’m going to a bar with my friends.” i say, looking back at her.

“oh my god!!! she has friends everyone!!” paige says acting suprised, not very good acting. “just because i care about my academics more than you doesn’t make me a nerd.”

“oh please, admit you’re just stating and don’t have any friends.” paige says cocking her head, when jsut then you heard a knock on your door. you opened it, your friends head peaking thru the door. “you almost rea- hey. wanna come?” your friend says, making eye contact with paige mid sentence.

“oh? inviting me? fuck it, yea lemme get dressed.”

you step out of your dorm room, shocked by the interaction. “damn. she barley talks to me i don’t know why she’d wanna come out with-“ you stopped mid sentence when paige walked out of your dorm. she was wearing white pants and a pink crop top, you had only ever seen her wear basketball gear so you were a little shocked at this.

“mm.. she knows how to dress everyone.” you say matching paige’s pace in the hallway as two of your friends were a little in front of you.

“oh i know your not talking. this is the 3rd time ive ever seen you not wear a hoodie. probobly why you don’t have a boyfriend yet.”

“b-boyfriend? i’m sorry, what makes you think i like men?” you say crooking your head words paige, curious. “o-oh i’m sorry, i just-“

“your good. i get a lot that i look straight.. but im lesbian.” you say with a soft smile making eye contact with paige, as you realize she’s also smiling.

“hm. good to know.” paige says, looking your outfit up and down, and that’s whe your mind began spinning.

did i like paige? was she trying to tell me something? were we, not enemies?

you put those thoughts to the side as you reached the doors of the bar. it was a saturday night, so it was crowded but not as crowded as it is on fridays. you, paige and your two friends found spots at the bar, paige sitting next to you as she ordered a round of shots for you two without even asking what you wanted.

“oh? thank you? your not being mean to me for once?” you say out of confusion before downing the shot. “mmm. you don’t look half as bad tonight.”

“could say the same about you.”

pt 2 soon!!!

#uconn wbb #paige bueckers #uconn women’s basketball #uconn huskies #paige buckets #kk arnold #nika muhl #paige bueckers x reader #paige bueckers smut #paige bueckers headcannons #wlw #wlw fiction #ncaa women’s basketball

[blueskittlesart]

i kinda really wanna see a big ol vent/rant from you about genshin now lol. I would read an essay

I'm not sure you understand the insanity you just unlocked in me but ok

genshin impact is probably the clearest modern example i can think of of capitalism absolutely eviscerating a creative project. For context, I started playing genshin in 2021, just after the 1.4 update. it was venti's first rerun/the first windblume festival if that means something to you. and I really genuinely thought that it might have had something special. It was a gacha that didn't FEEL like a gacha, which was a huge feat to me.

it began with a very simple story pitch--you, the protagonist, are one of a set of twin siblings traveling through space. you come upon a seemingly unassuming world and your attempts to continue your journey are suddenly stopped by a mysterious, all-powerful figure. you are separated from your sibling and wake up alone on the shores of this planet you were attempting to leave together. throughout that opening cutscene and scattered through the world and your character's dialog there are implications that all is not as it seems, that your character is something unique to this world and that they possess powers and abilities that you've yet to unlock. You are told that you must travel the seven nations of this world in order to find your sibling, which is great--a simple, zelda-like objective which drives the player to explore the secondary narratives of the world. none of this is bad on the surface. in fact i'd argue it's pretty good. there's a ton that can be done with these story bones. even at launch the map and combat system were full of potential as well.

Note: for ease of reading, i'm going to label the different storylines of the game now. A-plot refers to the central objective of the entire game; the find-your-sibling plot and everything that encompasses, including the abyss order/dain, the heavenly principles, the fake sky, etc. B-plot refers to the secondary objective present in each new nation, usually meeting the archon and/or solving a problem for the archon. (A and B-plots will occasionally intersect.) C-plot refers to any story, location, or background information which remains in permanent gameplay but which isn't directly related to the A or B-plots, such as dragonspine, the chasm, enkanomiya, etc. D-plot refers to any story, location, or background information which is confined to limited-time events and does NOT remain in permanent gameplay, regardless of its connection or lack thereof to the A and B-plots, such as the golden apple archipelago, the infamous albedo/dragonspine event, the infamous kaeya/diluc event, etc. Lore as i will refer to it in this post refers to any information which is present in permanent gameplay but which is not directly told to the player within the A or B-plot story quests and objectives, including books, weapon, artifact, and item descriptions, world quest dialog and puzzles, etc.

So now we're in mid-2021, there are two nations' worth of B-plot story quests released in full, and we've run into our first problem, which is that the game isn't finished yet. I don't have any actual information about how the game was/is written, but based on what i've observed over the past few years, my best guess is that the A-plot has been fully written since the beginning, at least in some form. there were very early-game events and information pertaining to the A-plot that would take years to see any actual payoff in the main story quests (kaeya's origin story, the 1.3 scaramouche fake-sky drop, the flowers in lumine's hair, etc.) but those kinds of A-plot story easter eggs very quickly dropped off when the game absolutely EXPLODED during the pandemic.

this sudden burst in popularity was the true beginning of the end for genshin, i think, because suddenly they had a HUGE fanbase that desperately wanted more content faster than they could pump out new A-plot or even B-plot story quests. one of the most pervasive complaints about the game when I began playing in 2021 was that there was nothing to do between story quests. update 1.4 (which was the update I started playing at) was important in that it was the first time since genshin's release over a year before that players recieved any new A-plot, in the form of the archon quest We Will Be Reunited, also known as the quest with the most fucking misleading name of all time. you'll never guess what doesn't fucking happen during this quest. anyways. we were a year into gameplay, two nations out of seven released and a third on the not-so-distant horizon, and it seemed obvious that players were owed some sort of A-plot payoff. and that's very much what WWBR was advertised as, from the quest's name to the banners full of art of the twins staring wistfully at each other. The thing is, what i'm describing as A-plot payoff was actually. not really A-plot payoff at all. WWBR was the reveal that the protagonist's sibling was working with the abyss order, and that the abyss order was connected somehow to Khaenri'ah, which at this point casual players would only have known about from THAT QUEST and MAYBE kaeya's character descriptions if they were diligent enough to get him to friendship level 10 (which, btw there is no indication that you should do to get important context about the story of the game, because kaeya is a 4-star starter character and the only character in the entire game that actually has genuinely important story hidden in his character descriptions.) So what I'm calling A-plot payoff felt at the time a lot less like A-plot payoff than it did like an abyss sibling cameo in an attempt to satiate everyone who was begging for more story. We actually gained almost net 0 information. this is very quickly going to become a pattern.

As I've already alluded to, the motives behind this writing decision are transparently obvious. Genshin is a free gacha game which relies on a consistently active and engaged userbase to make its money. With fans getting restless about the lack of engaging story at the time and a new, very ambitious B-plot quest gearing up for release that would require major support from that fan base in order to remain profitable, the writers were backed into a corner. they HAD to throw the fans some sort of bone in order to keep them engaged with the A-plot, since it was originally pitched as the driving force for the story as a whole, but they were also clearly not at a stage of the writing process where it was prudent to give the player any REAL information about the A-plot. This is how we ended up with a 10-second abyss sibling cameo and an offhanded mention of Khaenri'ah, a nation whose plot-relevance was at that point still basically unknown.

The real problem is, WWBR worked. at least, it worked as intended at the time. It satiated story-focused fans in the interlude between B-plot nations, as hyv was gearing up to release inazuma, which required a lot of time in preparation. WWBR was followed almost immediately by the C-plot golden apple archipelago in 1.6, widely regarded as one of the better events of version 1. GAA was memorable especially because it was the first event that involved an entirely new, limited-time-only map, meaning the event had much more longevity than the standard events players were used to. This is, imo, most likely the update combination that led to the standard formula which hyv uses for its quests and events nowadays. the back-to-back release of WWBR and GAA satisfied both fans who wanted A-plot story AND silenced criticisms about the game lacking endgame playability, which at the time must have seemed like a goldmine to writers desperate for a solution to their content-to-fanbase ratio problem.

From here, genshin started following a standard method of release for their next three nations--inazuma, sumeru, and fontaine. the formula generally went as follows: one major version update (usually version x.0) containing a major map update which included all B-plot relevant locations in the new nation, and the first chapter of the B-plot story quest relevant to that nation. this would then be followed by 2-3 version updates which would each contain the next chapter in the nation's B-plot story quest, sequentially. After the nation's B-plot quest ended, during the downtime in which the next nation's story and map would be finalized, subsequent updates would be largely C-plot, and would contain minor expansions of the map to increase endgame playability via exploration and world quests. This is how we ended up with updates like the chasm, the several extra islands in inazuma, and the quite frankly ridiculously large sumeru map, as well as the offloaded maps like enkanomiya and the sea of bygone eras. with the possible exception of the chasm, none of these areas are A OR B-plot relevant. hyv has realized that artificially inflating the map makes their game technically more engaging during the downtime between nations. However, this comes at a price. While the scenery and set design of the game remains consistently beautiful, the actual, mechanical gameplay that populates that scenery very quickly became mind-numbingly boring if not borderline unplayable. While the 1.0 questlines were not perfect, there was at least an emphasis on the player actually DOING things. 1.0 B-plot quests would have you going to mini-dungeon temples and completing challenges which would acclimate you to the combat system while also serving narrative purpose. There were quests that required you to navigate open-world dungeons. Because your characters were lower-level, combat challenges that arose during these quests were CHALLENGES, rather than two-second buttonmashing segments. By the time we get to sumeru, though, both B-plot AND C-plot quests have become little more than moving your character from location to location and tapping through (usually unvoiced) dialog. there's no GAMEPLAY in the quests anymore, because gameplay isn't what makes money. What DOES make money is giving players 300 hidden chests to find in an open-world map segment, each of which gives them 1/80th of a gacha pull. And so the story suffers and the map gets bigger.

Along with the map expansions, downtime between nations usually also nets us one A-plot quest, usually involving the character dainslief, who was the driver of the initial WWBR quest. This is the second half of hyv's magical formula for keeping fans happy between major releases. the A-plot quests will, as a general rule, give players either very little new information or no new information at all, but will dress up the delivery in such a way that it ALMOST feels as though the protagonist has moved forward somehow. the most recent example of this writing style, the 4.7 quest bedtime story, amounts to about an hour and a half of gameplay and, while it DOES contain a segment in which the protagonist finally actually has a conversation with their sibling, that conversation literally begins with the line "I have so many questions, but for some reason I don't want to ask them right now," ensuring that the sibling will not actually be required to give away any plot-relevant information whatsoever, and the quest ends with the protagonist FORGETTING THAT THE CONVERSATION EVER HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

As I think I mentioned before, the cardinal problem of genshin impact's writing is that fans want answers faster than the writers are prepared to give them. I don't doubt that there's a game bible or relevant equivalent somewhere within hyv which contains the explanations we are currently lacking in regards to the A-plot. the game is consistent enough in its storytelling for me to believe that this isn't all just being made up as we go along. But I'm also certain that a lot of the late-game A and B-plot that is planned (especially if the Khaenri'ah is truly planned to be the 8th nation of the game) hinges on the player knowing very little about the A-plot. this would be fine if genshin was a standard single-release video game that players could work through at their own pace, but it isn't. it's unfinished, and each nation in the game releases months to years after the last, leaving the writers to scramble to fill in the gameplay gaps and players struggling to remember plot-relevant information when it's brought up literal years after they last heard it mentioned. Not only does the time between updates leave players frustrated about the lack of A-plot, it makes the A-plot harder to understand when it is brought up, because the writers are required to throw in so much dense C and D-plot just to keep engagement high enough to make the game profitable in its downtime. we joke about the insane convolution of genshin's lore, but that is first and foremost a byproduct of its financial model. the game requires engaement to be profitable, and adding lore for players to look into drives up engagement. The fact that having so much story with so little plot relevance muddies the waters and makes the A and B-plot stories considerably harder to understand doesn't matter as long as money is being made.

I want to take a quick detour here to talk about the release of sumeru specifically, because this is when I really began to clock the fact that genshin was declining. on paper, racial sensitivity issues aside (Not that they're not important, but i'm doing this deep dive from a storytelling and game design point of view, nothing else. that's a whole can of worms i don't have time to get into here) sumeru was a really promising addition to the game. The new B-plot quest which was set to drop in 3.0 was highly anticipated for several reasons. Two fan-favorite characters (kaeya and scaramouche) were expected to play major roles, because of earlier C and B-plot quests, and much of the nation's scenery that was teased in trailers and promotional content appeared to tie into the A-plot. the most exciting draw about sumeru and version 3.0, though, was the major update to the combat system.

Arguably genshin impact's most interesting feature upon release was its combat system. The map was basically a botw clone at that point, and the story quests, while decently engaging, were rough around the edges to say the least. What genshin DID have going for it was a unique real-time combat system that rewarded strategy and quick thinking.

Genshin's combat system is elemental, and on release there were 6 elemental affiliations: anemo (wind), cryo (ice), pyro (fire), hydro (water), geo (rock), and electro (electricity.) in a sort of pokemon-like system, certain elements were weak to other ones, but more importantly, certain combinations of elements could drastically boost combat stats. Players got to construct four-slot teams of characters, each with an elemental affiliation and certain "skills" which would match their element, and you were encouraged to use the interactions of these elements to build teams. very quickly, a huge community formed dedicated to optimizing teams and tiering characters. People would even make a game out of building teams specifically to do high-level damage with "bad" characters or characters who weren't designed to be damage drivers (my 100k jean burst was an incredible moment fr.) this was, of course, also a picture-perfect driver for the gacha aspect of the game, which was how players obtained new characters.

Pre-3.0, combat was... well i won't say it was balanced, but there was no elemental reaction that had any MAJOR advantage over the others. when you actually ran the numbers, i believe vaporize was the best reaction in terms of damage output, with the best team being raiden national with kazuha for EM buffs. but a well-built freeze or melt team could do similar numbers, or even better numbers depending on your artifact rolls. (ayaka permafreeze you will always be my #1.) Despite a steady stream of new characters with each update, characters from the earliest version of the game like xingqiu and xiangling were still topping the charts in terms of usefulness and versatility in teambuilding. However, as early as 1.0, players had been teased that a major update to the combat system was planned. There was a seventh element, dendro (plants) which pre-3.0 only existed as an elemental affiliation for menial enemies. there were no playable dendro characters, and the only elemental reaction that existed relating to it was very low-level and not particularly useful in combat.

Originally, dendro was projected to be added to the combat system somewhere in version 2, but its release was delayed substantially, meaning it came out along with its affiliated nation, sumeru. And as soon as it came out, it basically broke the combat system. I assume that the scaling they ended up going with may have been out of fear that players would be hesitant to integrate a new element into their pre-established team builds, and thus they may have been worried about sales on their dendro character banners, and i assume that the fact that 3 elements are required to get the highest-level reaction was an attempt to make the meta more balanced in the face of that scaling, but, well... it didn't work. At this point, the genshin impact combat meta is basically "if you're not using hyperbloom what the fuck are you doing." there's basically no reaction in the game that comes close to it in terms of both damage and ease of use. you are not going to beat a hyperbloom team with anything other than a better-built hyperbloom team. combat is now very heavily skewed in the direction of dendro, meaning that if you DON'T want to use a dendro team, you're going to be doing significantly lower numbers. And since enemies are added with each update, post-3.0 combat becomes difficult and annoying if you don't have a hyperbloom team on-hand.

The major gripe i have with dendro isn't even the scaling, though. I mentioned offhand earlier that the 1.0 B-plot questline had a section which taught you the basics of the combat system via mini-dungeons. These mini-dungeons, of course, taught you the version of the system that existed pre-3.0, so there's no tutorial for dendro reactions. Rather than integrating the tutorial into the story and world like they did in their early quests, upon playing 3.0 for the first time players were given a popup that explained, very wordily, how dendro reactions worked. there was no opportunity to test these reactions in an environment without consequences--if you wanted to try them you'd have to remember the relevant information, build yourself a team, find an enemy to try them on, and just hope you got it right. This lack of integration is something i began to notice more and more with genshin as it progressed, especially in sumeru. where in mondstadt and liyue open-world puzzles would be explained to you by an npc or via environmental context clues, in sumeru you'd be stopped while exploring every two seconds by a popup explaining some puzzle or another which, of course, you wouldn't read, because you didn't want to do the puzzle right that minute anyway, and then by the time you DID want to do that puzzle you'd have no in-game way of figuring out how to do it. The puzzle popups may seem like a small thing, but it's one of the clearest examples in the game to me of the fact that the player experience is so clearly not being prioritized here. the game doesn't even TRY to be immersive anymore. they have no qualms about pulling you out of the story to read a paragraph about how the puzzle works. they don't care how your character, in-universe, is supposed to have acquired that information. they don't care why your character, in-universe, is doing the puzzle in the first place. because they know the reason YOU are doing the puzzle, which is to unlock a hidden chest that gives you 1/80th of a gacha pull.

That was not "a quick detour" was it lmfao. ok anyways. back to the story. Now i want to talk about D-plot, meaning limited event stories, and lore as i defined it earlier, meaning contextual details not present in quests or playable story. This is where i think genshin's story becomes completely inaccessible.

Already, we've covered the fact that in order to consume the very basic story, players have to be willing to wait years between A and B-plot quest releases, punctuated by irrelevant map expansions and interlude quests. I mentioned before that genshin's incompleteness is one of the major problems of its story. the fact that players have to wait years, remembering plot-relevant information that they have no way of knowing will even BE plot-relevant, for the payoff of these narratives is frustrating at best and actively malicious at worst. But in theory, there should be an obvious way to circumvent this. One could just wait until the game IS completely finished to play the whole thing. Sort of like buying a game in early access but waiting until it's actually finished to play it all the way through. that's theoretically possible. but, as i have been hammering home this whole time, genshin is a free game, and therefore genshin relies entirely on a consistently engaging fanbase in order to remain profitable. if genshin does not have a base of players who are willing to log in every day, or at the very least once every update, the game's financial model collapses on itself. therefore, genshin puts on limited-time events. this is a standard in gacha games, as a way to keep the fans consistently engaging. What is not standard, however, is the way that genshin uses these events as vessels for its story. about 19 out of 20 limited events in genshin impact will be useless menial bullshit with no effect on the story or really even the player aside from maybe making you fucking angry. 1 out of those 20, though, will be innocuously named, with nothing in the banner or event description to indicate that it's special in any way, but it will contain serious A or B-plot relevant information that exists nowhere else in the game. My personal favorite example is the infamous 1.3 scaramouche appearance, in which he showed up, told the protagonist that the sky was fake, and then immediately fucked off again. Scaramouche did not show up again until at least 2.0, and the fake sky wasn't so much as MENTIONED again until 3.2, almost TWO YEARS LATER. but there are others, such as the (almost equally infamous) albedo doppelganger event in which a major character's loyalties are called into question, or the event where major biographical information is revealed about kaeya, the only playable character with major known connections to the A-plot and Khaenri'ah. With all of these events, once the event period ends, the information contained within them vanishes from the game completely. there's no way to replay old events that you've missed, even sans rewards, so if you miss a plot-relevant event the ONLY way to catch up on that story is through word of mouth. again, this is a transparent way to keep genshin's userbase engaged during downtime between B-plot quests; if you don't log in and play every event, how will you know if you've missed something important? You might not be able to fully understand the future story if you miss out on the D-plot now!

The D-plot problem is something that I think could, in theory, be circumvented by dedicated record-keeping. if the wiki had anything resembling an easily accessible event database that marked story-relevant events and contained summaries or gameplay videos, at the very least you wouldn't have to fear being completely lost on the off chance that a random throwaway line in an event from fucking 1.3 becomes plot-relevant. but hyv obviously doesn't want that, because it undermines their financial model, and the sheer number of events and the amount of rerunning of irrelevant events they do makes the task of recording and categorizing them all daunting if not impossible.

Then, of course, there's lore. this is arguably what genshin is infamous for in certain circles of the internet. You know that unraveled video where bdg reads every book in skyrim? if you tried to do that with genshin the video would probably be about 10 hours long. and it's not just books; genshin hides (potentially) plot-relevant information in weapon and artifact descriptions, in random hidden world quests, in character bios... the list goes on. and 9 times out of 10, the information is essentially written in code. Plot-relevant characters will have multiple names, or the relevant information will refer to them as vaguely as possible, presumably to further the "mystery" and encourage theorizing among fans. but the sheer amount of information like this that exists within the game makes it all but impossible to determine what is plot-relevant and what isn't. For a topical example, the most recent A-plot quest bedtime story mentions the name Rhinedottir in connection with events in Khaenri'ah, suddenly making that name A-plot relevant. Rhinedottir is an alternate name for the character Gold, whose existence you would only have known of before this point if you'd unlocked and read the character Albedo's character bios. (Albedo is a limited-run character who hasn't been available since november 2022, btw.) the only other information about Rhinedottir permanently available in the game comes from the description of the weapon Festering Desire, which was only obtainable from a limited event back in 2020, anyway. So basically, if you wanted ANY context for that remark, you'd have to have been playing the game since AT LEAST 2022, AND you'd have to have taken the time to go over your weapon and character descriptions with a fine-toothed comb. keep in mind that as of right now (june 2024) there are 85 playable characters in this game, each with 10 unique unlockable character bio sections, and over 150 weapons, each with their own unique descriptions, not to mention over 50 artifact sets, each with 5 unique artifacts, which all have their own unique descriptions as well. there are also 51 different collections of books which contain written lore as well. the idea that any player could keep up with all this, or that anyone could even sift through it all to pick out the important things that they NEED to keep up with, is insane, especially when the game makes a point of withholding crucial plot information from its players within the A and B-plot quests. this amount of written lore only exists, again, to drive up engagement in the hopes of subsequently driving up profit. Even if the average player isn't reading and absorbing all this information, the fact that it's there coupled with the fact that the writers consistently refuse to reveal anything beyond surface-level A-plot information means that there's basically ENDLESS theory fodder. and THAT means that people will be posting their theories and talking with each other and getting into arguments. it means "genshin impact" trends on twitter. it means engagement, and engagement means money.

basically what it comes back to is that everything is so transparently money over player experience with this game. I think what we're witnessing with genshin is what i would call an end-stage gacha game--a gacha game that's gone on a little too long and gotten a little too popular, and so the veil has started to slip a little more than usual. Gachas work primarily because they operate by toeing the line between what is fun to play and what is a predatory mechanic. As long as the actual gameplay remains engaging and rewarding, players can ignore the unsavory business practices underneath. At this point, genshin has swerved too hard into the money-hungriness and is still hoping that they can use their old tried-and-true engagement farming methods to remain popular regardless. currently, it seems like those methods are still working, unfortunately. Like I said in the post that prompted this, i really can't wait for the hyv writer NDAs to expire 10 or so years down the line, because I can only imagine what an insane shitshow writing for this game must be. I want to see the tell-all articles. I want carnage.

That being said, I played genshin impact religiously from 2020 to 2023. I loved the game. Despite myself, I am still really, REALLY interested in the A-plot. I want to know what's going on with the protagonist and their sibling; where they came from, what happened to them, what the heavenly principles are, what role celestia plays in all of this. I want to know Kaeya's full backstory, what role Khaenri'ah plays in the overarching story, and what happened to it in the past. but I don't really have any faith that I ever will, because I know that as long as keeping their fans in the dark and stringing them along remains profitable, that's what hyv will continue to do.

Do I think genshin impact is unsalvagable? in its current state, yes. If I was given the ability to turn back time and convince a bunch of executives of the profitability of this venture, I would change almost nothing about the story of genshin and completely rework the mechanics of its release. I would make it a series of single-release self-contained games rather than a constantly-updating gacha. Each game would be one B-plot quest, or one nation, eight games in all, preferably released once every year. Removing the gacha mechanic, players would be given access to a certain pool of characters to build teams at the start of each game, and then periodically unlock new characters as the story progressed. for example, if you were playing the inazuma game, you'd start out with only your protag, and after progressing to a certain point in the story you'd get a pool of inazuma 4-stars to teambuild with freely. Then, as the story progressed and you met plot-relevant inazuman 5-stars you'd add them to your pool. I'd change basically nothing about the combat system except for a properly integrated introduction of dendro when it makes its appearance in sumeru. Once you completed the story in that nation, you could move onto the next game in the series if it was out, or if it wasn't, you could continue to explore the open world while waiting for the next release. Would this be as profitable as the gacha model? probably not, but what it WOULD do is allow for much more consistent pacing and writing, with the added bonus of not making your userbase feel like you'd shoot them in the head for their pocket change.

#jesus christ. hi everyone #asks

[supercutszns]

luke castellan comforting his gf?

btw i love ur work 💗💗

wc + pairing: 0.9k, luke castellan x reader

oh i really needed this,,, if i stop writing comfort fics i’m dead i will literally write a thousand of them over and over they could be exact replicas and i would not care. sorry this took such a long time i've been in a big writing slump and i really don't like this but we have to start somewhere <3 every time someone requests a comfort fic i get very happy inside! i know this isn’t my best work like at all but hopefully it’s enough for now

Luke’s good at finding hidden things. A playing card wedged between wooden panels. A camper that always trudges at the back of the line. He can find something at its most sheltered and pluck it right back where it belongs. He’s good at that with you, too. When you wedge yourself somewhere tough, he slips through the cracks every damn time. 

You’re exhausted. You don’t know what time it is, how long you’ve been here, or how you can stop it. You just couldn’t get up this morning and your siblings let you stay sick. You imagine an alternate version of this day over and over, where you’re up and alive and contributing to something. But that’s not today. But it should be. You dream it until tears press against your eyes but you’ve got no energy to push them out. 

Feeling like this isn’t a constant occurrence, but it happens. Luke finds his way in each time, wedging open the slightest crack in your door or coming in through the window. He comes bearing gifts, he jokes. You don’t ask him where he gets the things he brings you—snacks, chocolate, plastic figurines to place on your windowsill. Menial things you like. Luke has his methods, and you know he loves you too much to reveal them. 

“Got some offerings for a goddess here,” he says when he sits down on your bed, knuckles brushing your arm. If you’re too tired to answer he never minds, he just crosses his legs and pulls your head into his lap. He smooths the hair away from your face to massage your scalp, and lets you rest. He doesn’t ask you for anything. Doesn’t force you to speak. You do when you’re ready. 

“I don’t feel good,” you admit hoarsely, blinking back tears. 

“That’s okay.” He leans down to kiss your forehead. “You just rest.”

It almost makes you laugh. “I’ve been in bed all day, Luke.”

“Mm, yeah, but you’re not really resting,” he says without judgement, letting you cling to his body as you pull yourself up to a seated position. “What’s on your mind, baby?”

You press your face into his neck so the warmth can distract you. Sometimes you say a lot, sometimes you say a little, like your mouth has separated from your body. It almost always ends with, “I feel like shit. I don’t know what to do.”

Luke is patient with you, but never overbearing. He knows you shut down when things are laid on too thick. “Want to take a nap?” He offers, threading his hands through your hair. “I can take you to my cabin, it’s cooler.”

He’s right, so you let him, and he steals you away without a fuss. The sheets smell like him, so even if you want to be alone, he still grounds you. When you fall into his bed you curl into a ball like an armadillo, like you can squeeze the rot out of your bones if you compress hard enough. Luke slots himself beside you after confirming it’s what you want, pressing kisses into your shoulder, until you turn into him and starfish over his body. “You let me know if you need anything, angel,” he murmurs, swiping your hair away from your face. “I’ve got you.” 

You manage to doze off, with his arms loose around your back and his chest underneath you. When you wake up later with a kiss of late afternoon breeze, you’re struck with the disorienting feeling of a good sleep. “Luke,” you mutter, digging your nose into his neck. 

He rouses too. “How’re you feeling?”

“Still bad.”

“Mm.” He kisses your forehead, squeezes you against him. “That’s okay. Want me to go grab you some food?” 

“Can we talk a little before?” 

“‘Course,” he says gently. He ghosts a kiss over your jaw. 

Sleep has pieced together some of the words you need, and Luke brings them out of you with hardly any effort. You have what’s probably a fragmented reason at best, but he doesn’t care. He keeps you anchored to him as long as you want him to, rubbing your back and letting you take your time. Once you’re done with the conversation, Luke diligently wipes your tears and kisses you. “Thank you,” you whisper.

“Anytime,” he grins. “I mean, I do love you. Nothing else I’d rather do.”

You let your forehead rest against his. Your throat feels thick but you get the words out, “I’m worried I’m going to feel this way forever.”

It doesn’t feel good to admit. Luke’s face softens, and he presses a kiss between your brows. “You won’t,” he murmurs, wrapping you in his arms. “You’ve got time.”

The length of the day moving around you matters a little less when Luke shields you from it. His knuckles rub across the ridges in your back until you’re sure the texture of his shirt is imprinted on your face. 

After he goes off to bring you some food, you find the strength to go wash your face in the bathroom. It’s practically nothing. Practically. At least you settle back into his bed, the blankets aren’t as heavy as before. You don’t feel better yet, but Luke’s got plenty of time for you. (He’ll pawn his kids off to Chris. None of them need this grilled cheese anyway.)

luke taglist: @sunniskyies @apollos-calliope @lillycore @sunny747 @m00ng4z3r @pabkeh @thaliagracesgf @theadventuresofanartist @bonnie-tz @ash-williamsss @sucker-4-angst @kitkat-writes-stuff @too-deviant @huang-the-geek @daughterofthemoons-stuff @jennapancake @idunnowhattonamethis @jarofshells @the-oracle-at-delphinitely-not @lauraisthebestyapper @nininehaaa

#perrie’s fics #perrie’s asks #perrie's requests #luke castellan #luke castellan x reader #luke castellan comfort #luke castellan fic #luke castellan fluff #luke castellan imagine #luke castellan x you #pjo x reader

[vulpixisananimal]

(. . .)

(They. . . They weren't nightmares.)

(You figured that much out a loooong time ago.)

(They were too real, too consistent, and stuck in your crabbing head. Once you had a nightmare, you could remember ever detail.)

(Every word, every step, every smell, every, every. . .)

(You shakily count your ribs, one, two. . . Not broken. They're still there. You're ok, you're ok, you're ok Boniface. It, i-it didn't happen, even, even if, it, it felt-)

(You curl up into a ball.)

(Even if you felt bones snap, your body break, crushed, squeezed untill-)

(You woke up.)

(That must have been when 'Frin whent back, right? A-at, at least they did, after you, after you. . .)

(You roll onto your side.)

(Don't cry, don't cry don't cry don't cry. You, you can't make a scene, your sister is sleeping right there, and if she knows your awake, she'll ask questions, then be worried, then, t-then. . .)

(You couldn't let them know.)

(None of em, you knew it was dumb, stupid. But, that was the rule wasn't it? "It's a secret between you and the Universe." So you can't tell anyone! Ever! Stupid crabbing wish, you didn't even know if they found out, would you loose it? This weird crabbing trick!!)

("Don't wish for something big" you just wanted to help.)

(You really try not to cry.)

('Frin told you about the, the time loop? Yeah that. A-and, about their home, and their memory. You hated it!! That was their home!! Their family!! YOU were their family now too!! That's, that's just unfair!!)

(You never wanted 'Frin to go through that again, being alone, being forgotten. You wished you wouldn't forget them, forget your time with them.)

(A-and now, now you could remember. First, it was deja vu, then, it was nightmares, then the nightmares started sticking. Then, it was Jouvente. 'Frin looped again, and you could remember it. You burnt the food, and 'Frin noticed. You can't burn it!! You gotta keep it the same way, ever, time!!!)

(Stupid. You're stupid stupid stupid so CRABBING STUPID!!!)

(Stupid. . .)

(You close your eyes.)

(You gotta go back to sleep. You gotta act natural. Like 'Frin did. It was, it was kinda amazing to see how well he was at acting. Scary, really. You should be more like 'Frin.)

(Hehe, you kinda were. You're like a secret agent, or, or a uh. . . Masked hero? No that's lame. You're so much cooler. You got superpowers now! You remembered when Ramos first grabbed you, you felt a tingling in your head but nothing happened! Then again, when 'Frin reset the day, then again when Ramos showed up and-)

(DON'T THINK ABOUT IT!!!)

(Think about something else, uh, breakfast!! YEAH!!! What would you make for breakfast!! Just, just don't think about what happened that loop!! C-cause, cause, it's, it's kinda like if you mix baking soda and vinegar!! Y-yeah!! If, if you mix two things, two uh, wishes? A-and, and they mix wrong, t-then, then.)

(You'd, you'd be stuck, being forced, to try and remember something you CAN'T remember. I-it, it hurt, it hurt a lot.)

(You're so, so stupid.)

(You breathe in, and out.)

(Go back to sleep. You'll be ok. You gotta brave another nightmare. O-or, maybe this one won't be so bad. You had to brave it, 'cause, 'cause with all this mind crab going around, if you're immune, t-then that'll be a big help!!)

(. . . If. . . If you get a nightmare like that again, you're telling. You, you couldn't live that again. . .)

(. . . Oh, that's why 'Frin never looked 'Nille in the eye.)

(You cry, just a little.)

(Stupid.)

#:) #i'm going to hell #tee hee #art #isat #in stars and time #isat spoilers #isat art #isat fanart #siffrin system au #isat au #isat bonnie #isat fanfic #if this needs any TWs let me know

[ihopeiexplode]

📱 “Two Fools Inlove” [←Previous | Next→]

—

"you know you didn't have to bring anything right?"

"yeah I know, just felt like bringing something"

"what's in it?"

"food what else dumbass?"

"coming from you probably someones head"

"wow very funny."

As he gave you the bag you were greeted with some desserts, homemade ones to be exact

"I thought you were bad at cooking?"

"Ive gotten better"

"sure you have..."

—

—

"SUKUNA LOOK LOOK"

"What am I looking at?"

"isn't the statute pretty??"

"I guess? All I see is some naked woman"

"you clearly don't understand art..."

"how do I not understand art when I literally paint, do poetry and calligraphy"

"you expect me to believe that?"

"yes"

"wait your serious?"

"did you think im not?"

"I find that hard to believe..."

"what hobbies did you think I had??"

"dunno tormenting people maybe? You seem like the type"

—

—

"I don't know how to bowl"

"how? It's literally so easy just throw the ball and there"

With that he'd toss bowling the ball to you as if it was nothing??

The moment he tossed it you immediately moved to the side

"WHAT THE FUCK??"

"your being dramatic it isn't that heavy"

"YES IT IS?? I COULD'VE BROKEN A BONE"

"I'd break it myself if you keep acting like a drama queen"

You'd roll your eyes before picking up the ball from the ground and throwing it into the bowling lane, as you did,, however you didn't even manage to hit a single bowling pin..and when Sukuna saw it he immediately laughed at your failed attempt

He'd pick up another ball and hand it to you as he stood behind you

"you're doing it wrong, here"

With that he'd manhandle your body into a proper stance, once he was finished he backed up and told you to throw

And when you did you managed to hit all of the Bowling pins as you did so you immediately jumped and giggled

Sukuna was about to find it adorable but you just HAD to act cocky. When you did he immediately flicked your head

"you wouldn't have done it without me, don't act to confident"

"can't a girl dream?"

"yeah but you can't"

"wow okay.."

—

—

"Sukuna what are you doing here?"

"Yuji asked me to come along to watch him skygazing"

"I'm surprised you agreed"

"didn't had a Choice"

"how come?"

"our mom told me I can't leave him alone, which is ridiculous he's perfectly fine by himself"

"speaking of wheres Yuji?"

"he ran into Megumi so he's having some quality time with his 'bestfriend', anyway why are you here?"

"just felt like it"

"what's so good about skygazing your just looking at stars what's so good about it"

"do you always have to be bitter?"

"always"

—

Both you and Sukuna would be sitting on the blanket you laid out on the floor as you two sat close to one another while looking at the stars, till you spoke

"you know Sukuna, I've been thinking"

"didn't know you had a brain"

"nevermind."

"I'm kidding, continue"

"I guess you aren't really that bad, you fare un to hang out with, surprisingly...I thought I wouldn't have that much fun spending this much time with you but guess I was wrong"

"so what were friends now?"

"dunno, if you want I guess"

He wants to say something so badly. But he knows once he does his feelings would spill out. And he doesn't wanna do that right when you both are finally on good terms.

—

—

Sukuna and uraume would be talking to one another as they sat down on a nearby chair

"how's things with y/n?"

"I guess it's okay, I went skygazing with her yesterday and she sorta confessed how I'm not that bad,"

"looks like you have a chance"

"chance for?"

"a chance to get with her? What else? It's obvious you like her"

"don't be ridiculous. Why would I like her?

"why would I like someone like y/n, the only reason I'm doing this is for the project nothing else, it's not like I care, let alone have feelings towards her"

"if anything when she told me her little confession I was on the verge of laughing, she really is pathetic isn't she? As if I'd be her friend"

"After this is over I'll just stop talking to her, simple,"

He's wondering why he's saying all of this? He knows he likes you but he won't admit that. He won't admit he's been chasing after you for years. He won't admit how he liked you despite how you felt about him. Sukuna isn't some pathetic loser he won't beg. He won't act desperate

After Sukuna finished talking he'd noticed how quiet they became, before he could ask what was wrong he heard a sound behind him, and when he turned around he saw you...

You stood behind him as you just stared at him wide eyed with your fist clenched, you were a fool to think a person like Sukuna would change, why would he ever change? It's still the same Sukuna deep down no matter what he does.

"how much did you hear?"

"all of it."

—

[⛩️] @: Likes & Reblogs R appreciated! ^^

A/N: be honest does this sound like Sukuna atp...he's so out of character I'm about to jump off a cliff

Taglist: @catobsessedlady @hellomeow12 @0-candlecove-0 @shivzypuff @swirlingcurses @1-800-choke-that-ho @attackonnat @chilichopsticks @getoxmahito @memenojutsu @uhnanix @ichorstainedskin @needtoloveoutloud @love-me-satoru @s-j320 @allthestarsarecloserrrrrrr @goj0sunglasses @svtvrnal @haitanibros0007 @punkhazardlaw @mslydiaa @jayathelostdragon @caileysdead @rixyaaaa @minzxec @rzcnlb

#jjk smau #sukuna x reader #ryomen sukuna x reader #jjk sukuna #Sukuna x you #ryomen sukuna x you

[httpdwaekki]

breathe | y.j.

summary: when your anxiety does nothing but weigh you down, pulling you under the waves of doubt, jeongin is there to pull you back to him.

wc: 2.1k

warnings: fem!reader, descriptions of anxiety/anxious thoughts, this is based on my experience of anxiety.

a/n: hi!! me again to remind you, the lovely astraystayyh and many other wonderful writers (including myself) are writing requests for anyone that is willing to donate to her fundraiser to help people in gaza! all you have to do is donate (any amount) and send proof to one of the writers along with your request! (please do make sure you read writers rules for requests first! and be aware they have a right to say no to the request.) i hope u enjoy, remember to eat, drink water and take your meds, ily <3

my library

(pictures are not mine! credit to owners!)

you have those days where you feel like you can’t catch your breath. like no matter how hard you try to swim to the surface, waves of dread keep pulling you under. your heart beating a few extra beats a minute, reminding you of the gnawing feeling of anxiety deep in your stomach.

the entire day you felt it. as soon as you woke up it felt like there was a weight on your chest. feeling an impending doom and the worst part? you had no idea why and what was making you feel this way.

jeongin sensed something was wrong. as soon as you woke up, you seemed; different. he couldn’t put his finger on it but he knew something was off. he didn’t ask, he figured if you wanted to talk about it, you’d tell him, as you always had before.

this time was different.

this time, it felt like the anxiety spread through your bones and into every aspect of your life. your work, your friends, and even your relationship. you felt like you were constantly waiting for something bad to happen.

because of this you didn’t want to reach out to jeongin, feeling like a burden. now, you knew, with all your heart, that if you told jeongin something was wrong, especially with your anxiety, he’d drop everything to make you feel better.

but instead, you push it down.

 and as expected, it only got worse, the weight on your chest increasing, only dragging you deeper and deeper. you wanted nothing more than to go home and have your bed swallow you whole.

and that’s exactly what you planned to do until you got home. you set your bag down, kicking off your shoes, making your way into the kitchen. you find jeongin leaning against the counter, snacking on pocky sticks, scrolling through his phone.

he hears you walk in, looking up from the bright screen. “hi noona.” he smiles, slipping the device in his pocket, placing the strawberry snack aside. he opens his arms, prompting you to fall into them. “hi bub.” you mumble into his neck. you feel him place a loving kiss to the side of your head, arms tightening around you.

“we’re gonna leave in about an hour and a half, is that okay?” your eyebrows crease in confusion, pulling away slightly to look at him. “what?” he mirrors your expression. “leave for what?” you ask

“dinner with my members tonight.” he reminds you. a look of understanding washes over your face while dread and exhaustion seep into your bones.

you had completely forgotten chan had invited you both over to hang out and have dinner. jeongin had been so excited about it all week, but in your anxious haze this morning, you had completely forgotten. “ah yeah, okay, that’s okay, just let me shower and get ready.” you smiled, pulling away.

you didn’t get far before you were pulled back into him, you hands landing on his sides to stabilize yourself. “baby, are you okay? we don’t have to go.” he asks, searching your eyes for any sign of hesitance or discomfort.

you shake your head, “i’m okay in-ah, just slipped my mind.” you place a kiss to his cheek before pulling away once more. jeongin was not convinced.

you walked into your bedroom, turning on your lamp, plugging in your phone before sitting on the bed. you felt the weight getting heavier and heavier, taking a deep breath, you lay back for a moment. taking the foxi.ny next to you in your arms, tucked into your chest.

unbeknownst to you, jeongin had followed you, he had a gut feeling. something was wrong and you weren’t telling him. he stayed around the corner, waiting until he heard your low, uneven breaths.

he takes that as his cue and walks into the dimly lit room. he finds the plush fox now pushed into your face, your hands atop it, attempting to hush your cries. what was supposed to be self-soothing ended up breaking the dam you were trying oh-so hard to keep together.

you, oblivious to the ginger boy entering, jump as you feel the bed next to you dip. “baby, what’s going on?” he asks gently, placing his hand next to your thigh. he didn’t want to touch you in case you were overstimulated but he wanted you to know he was there.

however, this just causes a new wave, this time of guilt, the negative emotions mixing together to create a nasty storm you weren’t equipped to deal with. your chest tightens as your cries intensify, unable to breathe.

you roll over towards him, grabbing his hand in the process, bringing it to your chest along with the plushie. this told jeongin he could touch you. he gives your hand a small squeeze before turning to you, placing his hand on your cheek, thumb stroking it softly.

“hey, hey, y/n, you gotta breathe for me baby.” he says urgently, yet his voice was laced with softness. you try to take a deep breath, but you can’t calm down.you shake your head, “i- i can- i can’t.” the guilt and anxiety had an iron grip on you and it doesn’t plan on letting go.

jeongin shifts, facing you, placing your hand to his chest. “yes you can agi, follow my lead, okay?” he takes deep steady breaths, making sure to keep your hand pressed to him. he was sure you could feel his heartbeat as well but he didn’t care, he just needed you to breathe.

after about a minute your breathing becomes less eratate. “there you go, good job, just like that, i got you baby.” he praises, both his thumbs simultaneously rubbing your cheek and hand. you sit up, you finally feel yourself coming back to the surface. your cries soften but never cease.

you lay your head on his shoulder, tears still running down your cheeks, pulling his hand back to you. “i’m sorry.” you cry, shaking your head. ‘i’m so-” he cuts you off. “no, none of that.” he squeezes your hand. “do not apologize, you have nothing to be sorry for.” he says, placing a kiss on your head.

he sat back, pulling you into his lap. you still had the small fox in your hand, curling it back into your chest, melting into him. he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you closer to him. he places a kiss to the side of your head, rubbing soothing circles on your back as you calm down.

you both sat there for a moment, just enjoying being so close with each other. jeongin eventually pulled back, keeping one hand firm on your hip to keep you steady. the other making it’s way to you soft cheek, stained with tears before he gently wipes them away.

“you gotta tell me what’s going on.” a mixture of dread and guilt washes over you, pulling you back under with ease. you look down, picking at the skin around your nails. he notices and immediately picked your head back up before his hand drops to yours.

“stop that.”

he shakes his head, bringing your hand up to place a gentle kiss to it. “please.” he whispers into your skin. “i want to help but i can’t if you won’t tell me what’s going.” he kisses your hand once more, looking into your teary eyes.

“i just wanna help you baby.” you see pure sincerity and love in his eyes, hurt hidden behind them. you nod your head, “okay.” you take a deep breath, looking up, hoping to calm down enough to speak.

after a few moments he gives your hand a gentle squeeze, “take your time, okay? deep breaths, whenever you’re ready.” you nod, rubbing the soft fabric of the plushie, soothing you enough to be able to communicate .

“i don’t know what triggered it but when i woke up this morning, i just felt like there was a weight on my chest.” you begin to explain, tears still slowly making their way down your cheeks.

“like i’m used to my anxiety, it never truly goes away or stops. but this,” you pause, shaking your head. “this just felt, so much worse.” jeongin listened to every word, rubbing the back of your hand soothingly.

“why didn't you tell me?” he asked gently. “i just felt like a burden, i didn’t want to bother you.” you mumbled, avoiding his eyes. 

“ agi,” he gives your hand a shake. “look at me please.” his voice laced, with softness. you slowly look up to him, love and concern mixed a dash of hurt that lingered in his eyes. “you are never a burden to me, you understand?”

you look between his eyes, as if searching for some sort of deceit. but you find none. you nod, tears still streaming down your soft cheeks.

“no matter what is going on, where i am, nothing, you are my priority always.” this time you bring the fox up to your face sobbing into it, diving into jeongin’s chest.

he wraps his arms around you, holding you tightly to him. he pulls you back into his lap, moving your face into his neck. you both stay there for what felt like hours, just basking in each other’s embrace.

suddenly the waves seemed to calm, they never cease, but now you felt like could keep your head above water and breathe. 

he places kisses to your head, hushed whispers of praises and i love yous leave his lips. you relax into his hold, wrapping your arms around him, deep breaths softly brush his skin.

eventually you pull away, leaving the fox plush between the two of you, opting to place both your hands to his cheeks. you thumbs brushing against the apples of his cheeks.

“thank you, i love you so much.” you say sincerely, looking into his boba colored eyes. he leans forward, bringing his lips to yours, bringing a hand to rest upon yours.

he pulls away slightly, resting his forehead to yours “you never have to thank me for them, you’re the love of my life. i’d do anything for you.” you nod, closing your eyes, still overwhelmed by emotions. 

“i feel the same in-ah.” you brush his nose with yours, before capturing his lips once more in a chaste kiss. “come on,” his arms drop to your waist before he pats your thigh. “ let’s get you changed and comfy.” you lean back, arms dropping to his shoulders, looking in his eyes once more. 

“what about dinner?” your head tilts, confused. “we’re not going?” he says, equally as confused. “i already texted chan-hyung, we’re just going to relax for the rest of the night.” he pauses.

“did you really think we would still go over after this?” he asks, shocked. your cheeks warm. suddenly feeling embarrassed, realizing how silly that was. “i guess not, but you were so excited.” you pout, feeling guilt gnawing at you once more.

“we can always have dinner another time. i promise you my members are not going anywhere.” he gives a quiet laugh. “you promise you’re not upset?” you ask, searching his eyes for any trace of dismay, but you only find love and concern.

“not at all baby,” he shakes his head, placing a quick kiss to your cheek before tapping your thigh once more. “now come on, i wanna make my baby cozy.” you giggle before carefully moving off his lap.

“do you wanna take a bath or lay down?” he asks, making his way to your closet. “will you join me in the bath?” you ask following him. he pauses what he’s doing to look at you. “do you want me to join you?” you nod, shy smile making it’s way onto your face.

“then yes i will.” he says, grabbing a comfy change of clothes and towels for the both of you. you both made your way into the ensuite, he places everything on the counter before starting the tub.

you grab the epsom salt and bubble bath bringing it to him, letting him set up the rest of the bath. “is this too hot, baby?” he asks, moving to allow you to feel the water. you shake your head. “it’s perfect bub.” you lean down, sliding your arms around him, placing a kiss on his head.

‘thank you my love,” you lay your head atop his, “i love you so much.” he reaches an arm around you, rubbing your back. “of course, anything for my sweet girl.” he turns his head up, placing a kiss to your chin.

once the bath is filled, you both strip, stepping into the bath, jeongin laying behind you. you both enjoy each other’s presence, wrapped in each others arms, making small talk until the water goes cold. 

once out of the tub, jeongin pulls the plug in the tub before helping you get dressed. you both get dressed before making your way to your shared bed where you spend the rest of the night watching movies, wrapped in each other's embrace.

a/n: yeah i got lost in the sauce again LMAO. anyway hope you enjoyed, please consider donating it's for such a good cause, we've raise $2,000 already! love you guys, drink your water, eat something and take ur meds <3.

do not repost

#i.n #yang jeongin #stray kids #skz #i.n imagine #i.n fluff #i.n fic #i.n one shot #i.n x reader #yang jeongin imagine #yang jeongin fluff #yang jeongin fic #yang jeongin one shot #yang jeongin x reader #stray kids imagine #stray kids fluff #stray kids fic #stray kids oneshot #stray kids x reader

[pinkiemachine]

GOTHAM FILES: SEASON 3

Okay, so from here on out, things may get a little more bare bones, as i haven’t put quite as much detail into the next few seasons…

After season 2 comes JUSTICE LEAGUE: HEROES RISING, and is immediately followed by THE MIGHTY TEEN TITANS. (I have the first two seasons for that show outlined, and in it we start to see Dick begin to want to spread his wings a little more.) Then after all of that, we get Gotham Season 3. We begin with a small time skip. Dick is now 17, he’s more than ready to get out of Bruce’s shadow, they’re fighting more often, they’re not as in sync as they used to be, especially as the premier is all about Bane, the man who breaks Bruce’s back and nearly kills Dick. Bruce almost relives his greatest nightmare and he can’t bring himself to allow that to happen again. They manage to team up and together they defeat him, but it was an exceptionally close call for everyone. These past few years, Bruce has been learning to actively be there for someone else. Dick NEEDED him to be there for him, personally, and Bruce had gotten so used to just tuning people out that it was hard for him to actively be a part of someone’s life like that. Now, though, he’s beginning to relapse a little. Dick’s almost an adult and can take care of himself. He feels like now’s a good time to start pushing him away and going back to a solitary oyster. Dick doesn’t take this very well, but he’s also glad to have an excuse to strike out on his own, so… oh well. He’s off to become Nightwing and work full time with the Titans.

While he’s away, Bruce spends a few days completely alone. We check in on how things are going with Catwoman, and the two of them are still kinda flirty and beating around the bush, but neither one of them feels like they’re in a place to really make a move, you know? They still got issues.

THEN who should appear in crime alley… but a young teenager named Jason Todd. He’s trying to steal the Batmobile’s tires. Batman confronts him, but he’s not scared. In fact, he actually tries to attack Bruce with a tire iron. Kid had guts! So much so that he actually gets Bruce to laugh. But seriously, he does need to set this kid straight, he can’t be going around jacking people’s tires. Jason can’t exactly go home to his parents, though. He doesn’t have either. He’s alone, living on the street, hanging with some bad people. His dad was never around from the start, and his mom was… in a bad place. Literally and mentally. Now she was gone too. So, Bruce tries to get Jason set up in the foster care system, but… yeah, in Gotham, that’s not much better. He finds him back out on the streets a short while later. And this time, instead of stealing the tires, Jason tries to stow away in the Batmobile to get inside the infamous Bat-Cave. Okay, now Bruce needs to put a stop to this. At first, he only intends to bring him back to the cave as a means of scaring him straight, but the longer he hangs around, the more Bruce is kinda actually growing fond of him. When he wasn’t acting like a total punk, he could be very funny and charismatic. And again, the kid had no where else to go, so… despite the fact that Bruce said he wouldn’t have another kid… he lets Jason stay a while… which turns into forever, because Bruce signs the papers and Jason is legally under his care now—what? Bruce doesn’t know what just happened. Anyway, Jason is here now and for him, adjusting to the Manor is a much bigger deal than is was for Dick. He shows up with all of his belongings filling up one plastic bag and his first night, he feels like he can’t even sleep in the fancy bed. He’s more comfortable just laying on the floor. He was really put off by the whole “fancy Manor life” thing, but now that he’s here, he starts to become really appreciative and almost never asks for very much. He’s also beyond excited to head back to school. He dropped out when he was, like, twelve. He was a good student and eager to learn. He liked learning. Nearly laughed in Bruce’s face when he showed him the Gotham Academy uniform, though. Anyway, his journey to becoming Robin started when he was just down in the Cave one night, using some of the workout equipment. Bruce suddenly found himself giving pointers and before long they were training together and the next thing he knew, Jason was asking if he could wear the Robin mask. Bruce is naturally very hesitant… but then, behind his back, Dick shows up and takes Jason, as Robin, out for a night on the town. He definitely thinks Jason’s got what it takes. He’s a tough fighter. And Bruce could use the company/backup. Bruce still doesn’t think it’s a great idea, but he allows it.

This is also the season when they adopt Ace, the German Shepherd, aka Bat Hound! Jason finds him and smuggles him home one night, and Alfred discovers him immediately, then Jason begs Bruce to let him stay. Says that he can come along on missions too, be extra backup. Bruce initially doesn’t bite, but… the dog does make Jason happy… fiiiiiiine the dog can stay. (He and Ace end up becoming real good friends, lol.)

Later, we tackle the Arkham Asylum storyline, there’s more villains introduced, more appearances of old favourites, Batgirl shows up, Nightwing shows up, AND THEN…

Tragedy.

Joker has Jason’s mom in the season finale. Acting impulsively, Jason goes alone to save her… and ends up failing. Joker captures him, brutally tortures him, but Jason refuses to give up. He’ll never stop fighting. In the end, he manages to break free and get his mom to safety, but he can’t stop the rest of Joker’s evil scheme in time. Before Bruce and the others can show up to save him, a bomb explodes in the warehouse where Jason was held prisoner… Bruce finds his body in the rubble. Jason is dead.

His worst nightmare has come true again.

Thus marks the beginning of a very dark time in Bruce’s life.

Part 4 👇

Part 2 👇

#dc #dc comics #batman #bat family #bat brothers #Bruce wayne #Batgirl #Barbara Gordon #dick grayson #Nightwing #Jason todd #robin

[kaylopolis]

Alastor's Shadow (18+) Chapter Two

Alastor x F!Reader, Alias: Thestral

Synopsis: There’s a new Overlord in town and it isn’t the Radio Demon. Six years after you fell into Hell, you have finally earned your seat at the table as Pentagram City’s newest and baddest and with the Extermination coming six months sooner than planned, it is now time to implement your ultimate endgame. Afterall, who doesn’t love a bit of power and chaos? Your plans brings you to the doorstep of the Hazbin Hotel as Charlie’s newest Redeemer, but who you find waiting for you will not only turn your entire plan upside down, but also challenge your grab for power… 

Tags: Slow burn, rivals to lovers, eventual smut 

Author note: This is my first attempt at a fanfic, but I was just so inspired and wanted to post it somewhere after writing like +67K words (and counting). So here goes nothing I guess?

Warnings: Minors DNI! 18+! May contain disturbing, gruesome, and graphic sexual scenes. Graphic violence. Blood. Obsession. Mentions of abuse. Mentions of substance abuse. Trigger warnings will be given at the beginning of each chapter. 

Chapter Two - Breakfast

“Coffee anyone?” You call out to the foyer as your feet hit the carpet. 

It was early and you had a lot to do today, but there was always time for coffee. Besides, you spent half the night tossing and turning before finally winding down into a few hours of sleep. You were exhausted - not just from the night’s meeting, but the silence of the Hotel was deafening. You usually slept to music, but the record player in your old room didn’t belong to you and so you couldn’t take it when you left. 

Angel sat before the old television, Husk standing at his side, his arms crossed before him. Angel lay sprawling across the sofa, dark circles under his eyes. With the type of jobs these two had, you were surprised to see them up so early. 

“… isn’t that right Tom?” You recognized Katie Killjoy’s voice echo from the television. 

666 News this early in the morning? You joined the cat and spider in the alcove. 

“That’s right Katie! Another pile of ashes was discovered in the alley of the Pride Ring this morning as the Shadow has claimed yet another victim! The remains have been identified as Chazwick Thurman, a known member of the Crimson Mafia...” 

“Too bad they weren’t your ashes, aye Tom…” 

You drowned out the voices of the broadcasters as images of an alleyway in the Entertainment district flash across the screen. The only thing left behind was a bone-shaped belt buckle and a pile of grey. 

“Crimson was invited to comment.” 

You stiffen.

The screen cut to a cameraman chasing Crimson into a car. “Get that fucking camera out of my fucking face!” He slams the car door and the screen cuts back to the reporters. 

Goddamn that almost gave you a heart attack…

“How do yous think they identify ‘em?” Angel motioned to the screen, now turned back to Chaz’s ash’s blowing away in the breeze. “All I see is a bunch o’ dirt.” 

“Something Gluttony whipped up I heard,” Husk grumbles. He looks just as exhausted as Angel. 

“What would Beelzebub want to do with a bunch o’ murders?” Angel argued. 

“Don’t look at me, those are just the rumors!” 

“I heard it was a new Voxtek technology,” you chime in. “They have some sort of electronic scanner that can detect soul signatures.” 

You were right, of course, but they didn’t know that. 

“But he was a Hellborn Native? Do they even have souls? And what was he doing in the Pride Ring anyway?” Angel argued. 

You shrugged, “Like Husk said… Only rumors.” 

“Seems a little shady if you ask me.” Husk rubs the scruff forming on his chin. “That’s the first Hell Native to have been slain by the Shadow. So far he’s only gone after Sinners. Why change now?” 

You weren’t interested in playing conspiracy theorist today. Too much to do. Instead you decided to shift the conversation, “Coffee?” 

Angel and Husk look to you. 

“It’s the only reason we got up,” Angel answered. “Heard ya’ had a busy morning and didn’t wanna miss ya’.” 

The sentiment made your face turn pink. Day two and already you felt some sort of connection forming with the two of them. 

You followed them into the kitchen, but froze on the threshold as the sound of soft jazz hit your ears and a jolt of static ran down your spine. There, standing in a frilly apron tied at the waist, serving spoon in hand, was the red demon Alastor. He didn’t look up as he scooped the remaining eggs into the white dish set on the table. 

“Good morning fellow Sinners!” The demon sung. Husk and Angel grumbled in response. Not morning people. So, the maniacal demon has a domestic side? What a weird change of pace after literally beating the shit out of someone yesterday and then turning around and pissing off an Overlord. 

“Morning, Mr. Alastor,” you mumbled, trying to match his cheerfulness but frankly, you hadn’t had coffee yet and didn��t enjoy talking to anyone before your first steaming cup. 

Finally his eyes landed on you, the soft jazz music coming to a small and almost imperceptible skip you would have missed had you not been listening for it. This man gives away so much in his audio alone. 

Half-lidded, his eyes dragged over you, from the Mary Jane heels - short as can be, you couldn’t handle anything over an inch - to the red puffy dress that hugged your sides and expanded into layers of black landing just above your knees. The dress was long sleeved, with black lace running across your back, hiding your tattoo perfectly. It came with a matching metal red clip for your hair. 

Normally you hated wearing dresses, hated looking girly, but etiquette called for it this morning. You’d be far more comfortable in a pair of trousers and button up collared shirt. 

You waited as the invisible radio clicked through a few stations before returning to a soft jazz. “Well, well, look what the spider and cat dragged in. And where is our fine hotel guest off to today?” He returned the pan to the stove before untying the apron at his waist. 

Okay, he was acting cordial. So maybe that meant whatever happened yesterday on the cobblestone streets wasn’t him? Or maybe he hadn’t realized it was you who did it? Either way, there was a question mark next to whatever power slapped the shit out of you yesterday - “proceed with caution,” the sticky note next to it read. 

“I have a breakfast date…” You start but Angel’s whistling interrupts you. 

“Ow! Oooow!” He called, “And who is the lucky Sinner bestowed with the honor of taking your fine ass out today?” 

Your cheeks couldn’t get any redder. “My old land lady?” You curled into yourself, feeling eyes on your skin, resisting the urge to rub the back of your neck. 

“Oh, you like ‘em mature, don’t ya’?” Angel purred. It made you laugh, breaking some of the tension. 

“Now, now Angel Dust, one musn’t speak such profanities to a young lady before she’s had her breakfast.” Alastor settled into his chair. Snapping his fingers for a newspaper, he disappeared behind the black and white text. The air around you grew a little colder with his closeness, like the heat was being absorbed by the red demon himself.

“Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it.” Angel shrugged, spooning piles of egg onto his plate. “Hair clip knows I’m good for it.” 

“Same thing as yesterday, Husk?” You ask sheepishly, making your way to the Breville in the corner. The coldness wrapped around your legs, as if it was following you across the kitchen.

“That would be great, kiddo,” he rubbed his temples, his chin resting on the table top. Hangover? 

You felt the bubbles in your chest die down as you got to work, filling the portafilter with beans and finding a white espresso cup in the cupboard. 

“Angel?” You called over your shoulder. You feigned a small kick at the air around your ankles, wishing for whatever invisible coldness to leave you alone. It didn’t. 

“A vanilla soy latte if ya’ could be so kind, sweet cheeks,” he asked, mouthful of food. You heard the door swing open as Charlie, Vaggie, and Nifty’s voices filled the air. 

I thought the tiny maid normally cooked the meals? 

Rummaging through the cupboards you couldn’t find any syrups for his request - only a chai tea blend. You apologized but made a mental note to pick up some supplies today. 

Passing him his soy latte - complete with a spider on top - you got to work on everyone else’s orders before finally turning to Alastor. 

Your palms instantly started to sweat. What was it about this demon that made you so nervous? 

“Can I get you anything Mr. Alastor?” Was your voice shaky? Did you seem nervous?

The top part of the newspaper folded down to reveal his face. His smile was strained despite the sweet jazz playing over his radio. His radio? Was that correct? 

“Alastor’, darling, and a hot cup of joe would be wonderful,” his eyes lingered on you a little too long before you finally nodded. 

Swallowing, you turned back to the Breville and began grinding the beans. You debated making a second cup for yourself, you did still have thirty minutes before you needed to go, but didn’t necessarily wanna smudge your red lipstick before you left. It’ll give you something for your hands to do, to calm the nerves that is, and to warm your bones - the coldness eliciting goosebumps across your legs. 

Making two cups of coffee, one in Alastor’s “Oh, Deer!” mug - which made you chuckle - you paused, an idea forming in your mind. You didn’t have many ingredients to work with, but you did have one thing. Opening the chai you took a sniff - fresh. You had a feeling, and it was a risk, but you decided to jump off that cliff anyway. Using a strainer you let a few leaves steep in his cup, before swirling it around and straining it out. 

Dropping the mug before him, you finally noticed the extra chair that had been added to the table - right next to him. When did that get there? Nifty sat to your right with Angel right across from you. You tried to catch Angel’s attention, to thank him for adding the extra seat, but he didn’t notice you as he was too busy licking the foam from his lips while sending Husk a sexual retort. Meanwhile, Nifty was stabbing away at her plate, too busy to notice your sudden hesitation.

Was it because of Alastor? 

Your mind flits back to the radio broadcast last night and Alastor’s grand display?-battle?-sing a-long?-with the media demon Vox. Seems he had a chance to go big at one point but never really made it. You wondered what happened? 

“I don’t bite, darling,” Alastor snapped and his newspaper disappeared. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his knees before taking a sip of his mug. His eyes lit up, his smile curling at the edge. You held your breath as you waited for his reaction. 

“Please, take a seat,” the chair before you slid back without a touch, a puddle of shadow beneath it shifting ever so slightly. 

He took another sip, his shoulders dropping an inch. You took that as a sign that he enjoyed your coffee concoction and wasn’t going to rip your head off for changing his request. 

Rejoining the table, you swore the air around your legs warmed slightly. 

“Hey, Hair clip, I gotta know something,” Angel chimed across the table, his belly finally full. “What’s a sweet lil’ thing like you gotta do to get yourself down ‘ere?” 

“Angel!” Charlie protested. 

“Wha’? Come on we was all thinkin’ it.” He crossed his many arms. 

“You don’t have to answer that,” Charlie’s eyes twinkled. 

“Uhm, no it’s okay,” your hands clench and unclench around the mug, letting the heat soothe your fingers, resisting the urge to rub your neck. “I had the unfortunate circumstances of finding myself at the center of a web of…” you searched for the right word, “disappearances.” Your lips curled into a smile you couldn’t help but form. You tried to hide it by siping your cup. 

Lying was all too easy these days. 

“Oh, shit.” Angel jumped in his seat. 

“Wait, are you telling us you killed people?” Husk breathes. 

“Stab, stab, stab,” Nifty drove her knife into her toast over and over. Vaggie reached over and carefully pulled the needle from her fingers. 

How much do you reveal about this backstory now? If you reveal too much it’ll appear as if you have nothing to hide, but chatty Sinners were suspicious Sinners. Give them just a nugget to chew on for now. 

“Technically, the cases were never solved. While I was alive anyway…” You mumbled into your cup, conscious of your lipstick on the rim. 

Not denial but not confirmation, either. 

“So, you didn’t kill people?” Husk clarifies. 

“I didn’t say that…” You mumble into the steam.

The beans aren’t bad, but the undercut of chocolate wasn’t your favorite. Add that to the shopping list for today. 

So much to do before tomorrow… 

“So, then you did?” Angel asks. 

You didn’t answer. This conversation was going in circles. 

“Might we have heard of you and your endeavors topside, Ms. Thestral?” Alastor’s forearms were suddenly on the table, his presence leaning into you. 

You felt something slip past your ankles, like a small breeze. You crossed your legs instinctively. 

There’s power in a name down here in Hell. Knowing who people were before gives others leverage, gives them blackmail to use against another. They could threaten your family still alive up top. They could use it to find others who have died but knew you from before for information. The possibilities are endless. 

Alastor knows this. It’s an unspoken rule. It’s why Angel goes by Angel or Husk goes by Husk. He knows you’d never give any exact details leading to who you were and what you did, so he’s decided to toy with you. Much like Sir Pentious from yesterday. 

Let him eat his own medicine then.

“Might we have heard of you and yours, Mr. Alastor?” You leaned into him, your gaze never wavering from his face. A fleeting flash of amusement so swift had you blinked you would have missed it. 

The air was sucked out of the room in one collective gasp as the Hotel Natives waited for his response. 

Geez, were they all afraid of this guy or…? You’d hate to see what they’d do in the presence of an Overlord. 

He tipped his head back and laughed. “I believe you and I are going to get along quite well, darling.” With a snap of his fingers the newspaper reappears, his face disappearing before you got a chance to study it.

The tension in the room drops as everyone lets out their breath. 

You were really going to have to figure out what you were going to do with this Alastor fellow. Perhaps your little outing today would shed light on the subject. 

BANG! BANG! BANG! 

Vaggie is up and out of her seat before you have a chance to register what’s going on. More bangs - coming from the front door. Someone was knocking? Next thing you know, everyone is up and out of their seats and in the foyer - except for Alastor, who decides to take his time. 

Throwing open the door, Vaggie comes face to face with Sir Pentious. “Hello, my dear… Ah!” 

Vaggie plants a facer right into his nose before pulling her spear from the Void. The snake demon collapses at her feet, begging for mercy. 

“Oh, hello again!” Charlie has inserted herself into the situation. This ought to be interesting. You had to admit, you’ve taken some pretty boring jobs before, but the people here were so fun to watch, it made the slow progress worth it. 

Sir Pentious mentions something about redemption, which is exactly the thing to say to the Princess Morningstar. The next thing you know she’s practically dragging him inside.

Angel jumps in to point out the obvious but Vaggie eventually crumbles under Charlie’s begging. 

The gears in your mind turn as they talk, the Princess showing him the foyer, noting how convenient this turn of events just so happened to be. 

Sir Pentious did not just come here on accident - especially after yesterday. Maybe another plan of attack on Alastor? He did catch the red demon off guard, perhaps he was trying again with the same “element of surprise” tactic. 

Regardless, Charlie was dotting on the poor demon like he was a small child in need of shepherding. Was she clueless to the situation or just a bleeding heart hopeful?   

Either way, the mosquito has returned. 

From the corner of your eye, you catch Angel’s mood change. From general intrigue to irritation and… was that guilt you were smelling as Charlie showed the snake about? No - self-loathing. They always smelled so similar, it was easy to get the two confused. 

Great now Nifty is fawning over the serpent. The tiny demon is a fucked up enigma that you had no intention of figuring out.

“This is Thestral. Our most recent guest!” Charlie escorts him before you. You shake the snake demon’s hand - gross, he’s slimy. 

Static fills your ears, making your hair stand on end as you shake the demon’s hand.

“And over here is… Oh! Uh, Alastor!” Charlie squeaks. “Our gracious facility manager! You’ve met our newest guest, Sir Pentious… Hehe…” 

You feel Alastor’s eyes on the back of your head before he turns to the snake demon. The serpent cowered before the well-dressed Joe, the room filling with the scent of oranges and mint: fear. 

“Ah, yes! You’re the one who ruined my coat!” The demon’s eyes begin to glow, their eerie red light impregnating the room with their aura. “I definitely remember you now.” 

Was that irritation you sensed? You watched his shoulders as the snake demon attempted to apologize, noting their stiffness despite his relaxed demeanor in the kitchen. 

This guy had a lot of pent up aggression. He carried himself like a clogged overflowing sink someone left the plug in too long. The interaction yesterday with the Vees did nothing to quell his attitude despite the flux he sent the media demon into. The entire grid shut down after you joined Husk at the bar - cellphones, televisions, electricity. It was a blackout for a few hours before his system finally reset. Guess Vox has more of a hold on Pentagram City than you knew. 

Sir Pentious hands Alastor the small piece of fabric he ripped from him yesterday. 

“Ah-Ho!” The Radio Demon sings. “Not many people have been able to take even this much off me, it must have meant quite a lot to you.” 

You snort into your hand, catching a side glance from the Radio Demon. 

The fabric spontaneously combusts into green flame. 

What!? He has access to Hellfire? You try to not let the shock show on your face but he catches it regardless. 

The clock chimes 8 on the wall.

Shit, you were going to be late! 

Shoving your hands into the pockets sewn into the dress, you double check that you did indeed grab your wallet before heading for the door. “I’m sorry Charlie, but I have to go now!” 

“Oh, yes! Don’t forget, one o’clock!” She waves after you. 

The cold sensation slips from your ankles, making you shutter as you head for the front, but before you have a chance to pull the door open, Husk steps into your path. “Hey, kid,” he whispers, looking over your shoulder at something. “Stop by the bar later, wouldya?” 

His tone was far more serious than one would expect for a casual hangout invitation. 

“Sure, Husk,” you nod, worried that something was wrong. 

“Stay safe out there,” he pats your shoulder before heading back to the bar, his eyes downcast as he passes the red demon and Princess now entranced in their own conversation. 

You swear you see Alastor’s shadow move, like it was waving goodbye…

Anyway… That was… weird, but good! Making progress with Husk and an opportunity to hear some gossip from the grumpy bartender. 

You headed out into the cobblestone streets with a new pep in your step and a smile on your face. 

____________________________________

“Thanks, Susan,” you smiled at the potted daisy in your hand. It was half dead but so was she. 

“Of course, sweetheart,” she pinched your cheeks as she screamed. She was deaf, everything she said was in a scream. 

“I’ll see you next week!” You smiled, slowly inching away. “With the lemon finger sandwiches this time!” 

She laughs as you parted ways, flipping her boa over her shoulder as she shuffled. 

You loved the lady, she gave you a room when you had nowhere else to go. After you moved out you thought it would be the end of breakfasts with the old crazy lady, but she begged for tea and snacks once a week in the park. She was lonely - even though she was to blame for her loneliness. She did eat her third husband and all… So, you bought her breakfast and tea once a week. It was the least you could do after everything she has done for you. 

You rounded the Plaza and headed for the doors of Rosie’s Emporium but your stride came to a crashing halt as static filled your ears. 

“Don’t be a stranger, Alastor!” Rosie’s voice carried to the front of the store. 

Fuck! 

Flattening against the other half of the double doors, and hiding your face against the wall, you prayed he would walk right past you and not notice your anxiety-riddled form in the doorway. But, alas, you were never that lucky.

“I wouldn’t dream of it… Oh!” The Radio Demon stopped half stride out the door, his eyes immediately finding yours. The edges of his lips curled far past what you thought possible for his face. His radio faltered just a moment before he addressed you. “Why, hello there.” 

Red bloomed across your cheeks as you came face to face with him. He tipped an eyebrow up, unleashing a flurry of butterflies in your stomach.

You searched for something to say but words seemed just out of reach. 

What was wrong with you! Why did this demon have so much sway over your emotions! Get yourself together. Why…

Rosie cleared her throat, causing you to jump. She was quiet when she was being sneaky. “And what do we have here?” Her charming New York accent was doing nothing to qualm the nerves in your belly. 

“Thestral, this is Rosie. The most darling, delightful, and dangerous Overlord this side of the Pentagram!” Trumpets echoed through his radio. 

You tried hard not to roll your eyes.

“Oh! Always a charmer,” Rosie smiled wide, her razor sharp teeth on display.

“And Rosie,” his arm wraps around your lower back, pushing you closer to the man-eating Overlord. That cold sensation wraps around your legs again, making you shiver. “It’s my pleasure to introduce you to…”

“Actually,” you interrupt, trying to keep the bite from your voice. Stepping out of Alastor’s grip, the cold follows you. What made him think he could just touch you like that!? “We’ve met.” 

A flash of irritation crosses Alastor’s eyes before being replaced with his mask.

“Oh! What a regal surprise!” Rosie drags you inside, taking the dead potted plant from you. “You’re early!” She goes for a tray of fingers. “Can I offer you something to eat?” 

“I just ate actually,” an uncomfortable laugh escapes your lips. 

You didn’t detest cannibalism - I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a good shoulder steak? - it was the way Alastor was looking at you that was setting those butterflies in a flurry. It was a look of… suspicion? You sniffed, but smelled nothing. Hmm, interesting.

“You two know each other?” Alastor twirled his cane, clutching it behind his back. His smile was strained. 

Shit.

“Oh, Thestral and I go way back!” She spun, placing the finger food aside before clamping both her hands atop your shoulders. You were trapped. “Practically fell on top of me when she died!” 

Alastor’s eyes light up with the addition of the new information. “Did she now?” 

You stop him from asking anymore questions with an awkward laugh. “Rosie, don’t you have to take my measurements?” 

“Oh, my stars! You’re here for a dress!” Her eyes sparkle. Cupping your cheeks, she pulls your face to hers. “Finally! This one was getting a little old,” she thumbs a hole in your sleeve you were desperately trying to hide. You frown. 

You didn’t have money to burn often, but when you did you let Rosie dress you up as she pleased. She never wanted money from you, in fact she hated that you offered, but it didn’t feel right to just take her creations without giving her something in return. 

“Oh, don’t fret, doll! You’re still a tomato! Don’t you think so, Alastor?” She pinched your cheeks, turning your face to the red demon in his newly fashioned pin-striped suit.

You met his eyes, he was clearly loving the embarrassment Rosie was showering you with. 

“As cute as a bug’s ear,” he smiled, his eyebrows relaxing in amusement. 

God, did this man do anything other than fucking smile? 

Your face reddened under his direct gaze, its burn bleeding into the cold of Rosie’s fingers. You didn’t like being dotted on and you sure as Hell didn’t like being showed off like this. 

Wait… what did he say? Did he call you cute? The Radio Demon called you cute. 

“Oh!” Rosie finally releases you. You rub your cheeks to lessen the sting from her pinches. “Ya-know, Alastor. I got a premo-connect on a guy with about eight blocks of territory and not enough goons to run it. Prime pickin’s for a deal to be made, my friend!” 

A deal? Rosie didn’t just throw people a bone out of pity. She didn’t freely offer up anything to anyone unless she respected them. Rosie - the Rosie - respected… him? The Radio Demon was turning out to be a bigger fish than expected. Still, he remained a mystery. God it was irritating. 

“I appreciate the offer, but I must be off. So much to do at the Hotel!” He sung, his radio clicking on a smooth jazz. He picked at invisible lint on his shoulder before his half-lidded eyes met yours. “I‘ll see you this afternoon, darling.” His voice purred, sending butterflies in a flurry within you. With a small bow he slipped out the front door and into Cannibal Plaza taking your breath with him.

You spun as the door shut, swearing you saw a… shadow follow him? 

Fuck, you needed to figure this guy out fast, but that was why you were here wasn’t it? Rosie knew all the best gossip in Pentagram City, she was the ideal source to go to for information on Alastor without raising suspicion at the Hotel. Couldn’t let any of the Natives think you too interested in the Radio Demon. 

“You’re late.”

You spun to face Rosie, a hand on her hip, one eyebrow sky high in suspicion. 

Shaking off the conflicting emotions stirring within you, you met her energy, crossing your arms in front of your chest. “It appears you were entertained in my absence.” 

“Don’t start with the attitude, young lady.” She waved a finger at you as she led you into the parlor. 

A set of tea was waiting, half drunk and already cold - tea which was supposed to be for you had you been on time. 

“Susan was extra talkative this morning,” you huffed, taking the chair across from her usual spot. “Seems she missed me.”

The Overlord began tidying up the tray, but as you watched her collect the cups, you couldn’t help but wonder something. “Was that planned?” You huffed.

She gave you a look as if you had asked a stupid question. 

“Why?” You grommeled, shrinking into the chair.

“Posture!” She waved her finger at you. You rolled your eyes but obeyed. “It appears Alastor is back from his sabbatical - which I was only made aware of yesterday when he came in here with a torn suit. I asked you here to create a pho-run-in with the Overlord so that you might be aware of his presence, considering the events of tomorrow.” She placed the tray on the side counter. 

“Wait…” Your ears perked up. Did you hear her correctly? You swallowed hard. 

“I didn’t get a chance to learn of his endeavors with the Hotel until this morning. He made quite a stir yesterday, and when Alastor is in a bad mood you tend to keep conversation short.” She snapped her fingers and a new tray appeared - tea steaming and ready to be served. 

Every nerve in your body was screaming at you. “Rosie, did you…” 

“Now, come to find my surprise when I learned that he had not just already met you, but already had suspicions of your power. He asked questions, Thestral, questions about you, and I…”

“Oh my God, Rosie!” You jumped to your feet, arms clenched at your sides. 

“What has gotten into you?” She stopped mid pour, a hand feigning surprise on her chest. 

“Did you just say that Alastor is an Overlord?” Your heart was beating at a million miles an hour now. 

Taking a breath, the woman who had become like a mother to you finished pouring your cup before she set the tea kettle back onto the tray. She took her cup and plate in hand before finally answering your question. “Yes.” 

You stopped breathing completely. “Fuck,” you mumbled before slowly melting back into the chair. 

Oh my God, how could you be so stupid! Of course the Radio Demon was more powerful than you could ever have imagined. Of course the Radio Demon was an Overlord. Of course an OVERLORD had to be the Hotel manager. Of course an OVERLORD had to sleep across the hall from you! All the planning you put together, all the research, all the preparation and now you had to deal with this! 

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Rosie sipped her tea - jasmine, your favorite. 

Alastor had beef with the Vees. He pissed off Vox to the point that it overloaded his circuits and shut the entire grid down. No wonder you didn’t see him in the commercial. What Overlord would want one of his biggest enemies being able to capture him using his greatest asset of surveillance - a camera. 

Sir Pentious came to challenge Alastor your very first day at the Hotel because he had heard that Alastor was back! Which meant the Hotel was now a target! Which made you a target! Alastor’s mere presence was attracting attention - attention you didn’t want and would inevitably get in the way of your plans! 

You had always been a behind the scenes type of person. Operating behind a mask was your specialty. Merely shedding the cloak was filling you to the brim with anxiety and now you had to deal with this! 

No! No! No! No! 

“Thestral you’re burning my couch,” Rosie scolded. 

Looking down, blue flames licked the seat’s plush arm rest. Silently cursing, you pulled the power back in and suffocated it, leaving behind a bit of blackened fabric.

“This is going to be a problem,” you spat through gritted teeth.

Now you knew why everyone was so afraid of him. 

“Why are you so surprised? I thought you knew by the way you were acting when you ran into him in my parlour. Actually, now that I think about it, you looked more smitten than… Huh!” Rosie gasped, her teeth growing into a smile. “Are you sweet on him?” 

Your jaw dropped. “What? No!” 

That was completely illogical! You, sweet on an Overlord!? Preposterous! 

“My dear, you’re blushing!” She practically sang. 

Your hands flew to your cheeks so fast you almost slapped yourself. “Just… What… I… Are you going to take my measurements or not?” 

Rosie laughed before pulling out a measuring tape. “Oh, I am going to dress you to the nines, tomato!” She gave you a knowing smile as she shepherded you to the block before a set of mirrors. 

“Rosie, I do not like the Radio Demon. If anything he poses a problem. A really big problem.” You stepped onto the block as she circled you like a vulture. 

“I am pulling out all the stops for you! Two new dresses, maybe a couple pair of those trousers you adore so much, and definitely a few ideas for a night out on the town. Just in case.” She winks at you in the mirror. “And new shoes too! Those little heels are done for.” 

“Rosie… Just..” You sank your face in your hands. 

She stopped immediately. “What’s wrong, darling? Talk to Auntie Rosie.” 

Running your hands through your hair, you took a deep breath, releasing as much anxiety as you could with it. 

Things were a lot easier when you operated in the shadows. 

You faked a small smile before pulling the money clip from your pocket, trying to turn the conversation to something you could handle. “At least let me pay you this time.” 

Rosie’s face turned into one of determination and pride. “You got it back from Crim, didn’t ya’?” 

You pulled your other hand from your pocket to reveal the black calling card. “Indeed I did.” 

_______________________________________

You took your time heading to the Entertainment District, letting Rosie’s words simmer within your brain. 

The Radio Demon was an Overlord and a mysterious one at that. He disappeared seven years ago, only to magically reappear recently under the guise of Charlie’s Hotel Manager. 

Funny how Lilith also disappeared seven years ago. Funny how this Extermination just so happens to be a special one. 

But before Alastor took his paid time off, it seems he was quite the shit around here. That at least explains the radio broadcasts: the incessant screaming of souls Alastor plays at whim. You had to admire that part. The man had class, he had art, he had theatrics. You just killed and walked away, not wanting the media spotlight, but Alastor? He thrived off of it. He was a walking entertainment broadcast dependent upon the attention of others. 

God, and his ego? You didn’t even want to start down that road. No wonder he got so pissy when you didn’t cower before him like thousands of others do. Fuck, the only one not afraid of him is Princess Morningstar - not because she considers herself more powerful than him but because she is naive. Alastor would kill her in a heartbeat if it meant accomplishing his goals.

Speaking of, what were his goals? Surely he didn’t wish to climb the ladder of hotel management. Alastor wasn’t an assistant type of guy. He had to be the boss. So whatever plan he has, playing make believe with the Princess has put him in a superior position despite what it appears. 

Was that it then? Was taking down Charlie his endgame? But why? Charlie doesn’t rule, she doesn’t utilize her power, she doesn’t do anything. She just kind of hangs out with Vaggie and cleans up chemical spills and hugs trees and shit. She wasn’t someone all powerful to target and take down - not like Lilith. 

Wait. Fuck. Lilith.

That’s what this is about. He disappeared seven years ago with Lilith and he’s back now because of Lilith. 

So get to Charlie to get to Lilith, but what does Alastor want with Lilith?  

So entranced in thought you finally realized you were heading in the complete wrong direction and had stumbled into a part of town you had never been. 

A window of television screens suddenly shifts to a bright yellow light. “Voxtech Angelic Security coming soon!” The ad chimes along with the new Voxtech logo sprouting a pair of wings. 

That was going to prove a problem for your late night activities. Not that anyone has ever really been able to capture you on camera before. You're a mass of black smoke when you fly and a dark hooded figure with glowing yellow eyes when you weren’t. Hell, the entirety of Pentagram City thought you were a dude. A little sexist but whatever… 

“Fuck,” you mumbled under your breath before turning down an alley you were hoping was a short cut. 

“That fucking, fuck!” Vox comes flying out of a side door, trying desperately to tie his bow tie which has now become a knot around his neck. 

You would have hid, you would have turned around and ran the moment you saw him, had he not run right into you. 

Vox’s back slams into your shoulder, knocking you to the ground. The media demon turns on you, his one eye glowing red, a look of pure wrath flashing across his screen. 

“Watch it!” He bites.

You give him an exasperated look before climbing to your feet. Great, now this dress is truly ruined! Your right hip is covered in black dirt, and there’s a tear along the hem. Rosie is going to kill you. 

“You ran into me,” you brush your skirt. You didn’t snap at him, you simply stated the truth. 

The demon is taken aback. How dare you speak to him like that! Did you not know who he is? 

“You want to repeat that again you, little…” He stops mid sentence, his attention drawn to the hand you were extending him. “What are you doing?” 

You gesture to the bow tie, nonchalantly, “I had a lot of brothers growing up. I got good at tying ties and bow ties and you look like you could use some help.” You nod to his left thumb, thoroughly stuck in the knot. 

He raises an eyebrow in confusion, staring at you as if you had just sprouted a second head. When he doesn’t respond, you roll your eyes and begin unraveling the silk around his neck. The demon stiffens beneath your touch, freezing in place. You could feel his eyes boring into the top of your head as you worked. 

It was a simple red bow tie, the slipperiness of the fabric made it difficult to get the ends even, but a few twists and you had it back to normal. You even closed the distance, folding the band around his neck beneath the collar of his shirt. 

He doesn’t have that aura of static like Alastor does nor that sense of coldness which hangs about his shadow. Really you expected more similarities between the two, given that they were practically each other’s counterparts. But here, now, you didn’t get the same feelings being around Vox like you did the Radio Demon. Actually it was lack thereof. 

It was probably just Vox’s lack of power. Really and truthfully you meant it when you said Vox is only ⅓ of an Overlord. Without the other Vees, he isn’t a threat. Alastor? That man was full power in only one suit. 

Wait… why were you so focused on comparing him to Alastor right now? 

“There,” you slapped your hands against your thighs. “Ta-da!” You gave him a show of jazz hands before continuing down the alleyway. A shiver runs down your spine as you could feel his gaze still on your form. God, he’s such a creep.

“Hey! Wait!” The media demon calls after you. 

You roll your eyes before spinning, cursing under your breath. 

The look on Vox’s face made you pause. Was that…? You sniffed. Curiosity? No, that wasn’t quite right. You sniffed again, not able to place the emotion. You’ve never really smelled anything like it before. 

The demon clears his throat, suddenly self conscious. “Can I at least offer you a ride to wherever you’re going… as a thank you?” He crosses his arms in front of him, taking a few slow steps in your direction. 

Fuck that. The last thing you wanted was Vox to know anything about you. Anything at all. 

“No, thanks,” you spin again and…

“Can I at least know your name?” He tries again.

Ugh! 

“Why?” You bite, your hands finding your hips. 

The demon looks confused before his screen flashes back to a neutral face. He smiles and it’s far softer than you expected, “I just want to know the name of my savior.” He chuckles. “I got a little mixed up back there and am grateful for your services in fixing the situation.” 

Okay… You’ve never actually seen Vox be nice before. This was weird. 

Your eyes trail his form from his shoes to the broken antenna atop his head. You’ve never actually seen the media demon in person, but he cleans up well. The suit was nice but the hat was a little corny. No one wears top hats anymore. Also, his head is a flat television screen, how does that thing even stay up there? 

“Uh, no.”

He blinks. “No?”

“Yeah, no.” You repeat. Was he dumb? 

He scoffs, “do you know who I am?” 

You spin, not daring to stop this time, “yup!” You waved to him over your shoulder, not looking back. “Bye!” 

______________________________________

Vox sprints through the door, the wood vibrating off its hinges. 

“What the fuck has gotten into you?” Velvette snaps from her place on the couch. 

“I don’t know…” The media demon slams his hands against his desk, a look of madness on his face as his one eye blinks red. “I didn’t get her name…” He whispers to himself. 

“Who?” Velvette smacks her lips against a lollipop, a loud ‘pop!’ with each suck. 

“The most beautiful creature in Hell…”

#alastor smut #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel alastor #radio demon #hazbin #alastor #alastor the radio demon #alastor x reader smut #smut #alastor x you #alastor x reader #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel #x reader #reader insert #alastor shadow

[wxntxr-cxtrxs]

PAIN - yandere hxh

Lenient yanderes who rarely use punishments- chrollo, pakunoda, machi, hisoka 

Pakunoda- 

Pakunoda is the first to come to mind. She’d hate to hurt you, and because of that, she leans towards rewards for good behavior instead of punishments for bad behavior. Even if she had to hurt you, she makes a point to be quick about it- pain sharp, but it fades quickly, barely a mark on you. 

Chrollo- 

Chrollo is lenient with you unless you fight back too much. He understands screaming and crying when you discover you can never go home. He understands not being able to keep down food for the first week you spend with him. He understands when you cower from him- after all, this must be frightening for you. But things like trying to escape, trying to hurt yourself, trying to hurt him (you don't even come close, but he hates it all the same) can't be tolerated. To start, it’s not so bad. The first time you try to escape, he doesn't even break bones. 

Machi- 

Machi doesn't really have too many rules for you in the first place; don't try to escape, don't fight back, but other than that, she mostly lets you live inside your shared home however you’d like. In fact, as opposed to the others who want to occupy every second of your time, machi prefers you have solo hobbies, like reading, writing, drawing… sewing. If you do something she doesn't like, the verbal reprimand is brutal. 

Hisoka- 

Hisoka is an odd one, because he’s not opposed to hurting you, but he doesn't use physical punishments regardless. He likes the sense of independence and self that you have, and he tries to avoid breaking it down. He doesn't want to break you down into his own image like a lot of the others, because he wants to keep your mind mostly intact. In fact, he almost tries to encourage you to act out. How lenient is he really? And is he really so careless that he left the front door unlocked? 

Yanderes that use extreme punishments- feitan, illumi 

Illumi- 

Illumi uses punishments to keep you in line, he has strict rules for you to follow, from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed. Most of them aren't too hard to follow- just play along with his domestic fantasy and you’ll be ok. It’s humiliating, and it’s demeaning, but if you play the part well enough, he won't have to hurt you. The problem is these rules aren't really spelled out for you? Wasn't accepting tea from your new mother in law a good thing? Broken jaw. Wasn't the friendly wave to your new brother in law playing into the fantasy illumi had created? Broken hand. 

Feitan- 

Feitan is particularly mixed up. He hates having feelings for you at all, and he deliberately takes it out on you. Afterall, it’s your fault he feels like this. Your’e sleeping in bed, curled up in the blankets, looking so cute he can hardly breathe- you feel his boot connect with your ribs, and you can't even cry out before he’s pulling you out of bed. You’re in the basement, watching him torture a man strapped down to the table, and your eyes meet fetian’s for just a moment- he reminds you that he’s not above gouging out both those pretty eyes of yours. He’s duel edged, because if you’re bad, then you're subjected to punishments. But if you're good, it makes him feel helpless, and you have to pay for that. 

#hxh #yandere hxh #chrollo x reader #yandere chrollo #yandere feitan #pakunoda x reader #machi x reader #yandere illumi #yandere hisoka #yandere #yandere x reader #hunter x hunter

[airas-story]

How about Stephen teaching Tony how to ice skate? (Even better if Tony already knows how but wants to spend time with Stephen.)

So, uh, this prompt has apparently been here since the beginning? But it wasn't showing on the device I was using. So I only recently found it. Anyways, I felt guilty for Tumblr hiding it, so this became a Wednesday fic (and a long one, though that was on accident) instead of a drabble.

“There is nothing in this world that could make me enjoy ice skating,” Tony said, scoffing.

Stephen raised an eyebrow. “I’ll take that bet.”

Two Days Later:

“Here.” Stephen held out Tony’s thin coat—and maybe, if Tony hated the cold so much, he’d get a thicker one, but that logic had apparently escaped Tony. “Your coat.”

Tony took it, expression disgruntled. “Do we really have to do this?”

Stephen rolled his eyes. “Just put on the coat, Tony. I’ve spelled it so that it should keep you warm, since apparently you couldn’t manage to buy one thick enough to actually do the job.”

Tony sighed, but put it on obediently. “It’s a coat,” he said dryly. “I’m utterly amazed.”

“We’re inside, Tony. The spells don’t need to activate, yet.” He pulled out Tony’s gloves and handed them over. “Now these.”

Tony narrowed his eyes, but accepted them. “This isn’t going to work,” Tony told him. “Sure, maybe I won’t be cold, but I’ll still fall on my ass a few times and bruise and decide I hate the whole thing.”

Stephen rolled his eyes. “You’re being such a bad sport about this.”

“Excuse you, no one said I had to be a good one! In fact, it’s in my own favor not to be.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Stephen told him. “You can try to sabotage our date, but I’m still going to win.” He had every reason to be confident. 

Tony was a romantic, after all, and Stephen was more than willing to play into that.

Now that Tony was properly dressed for the occasion, Stephen opened them a portal. He’d chosen an ice skating rink outside of New York where it would be a little less populated, and that Stephen’s googling had informed him was doing a ‘couple’s night’.

Tony was grumpy the whole time they chose their skates, but so long as he was cooperating Stephen wasn’t going to call foul. Every reluctant concession was going to taste all that sweeter when Tony conceded Stephen the win.

“When I fall and break a bone, I want you to remember that this was all your fault,” Tony told him as he wobbled on the blades towards the rink. “And then when I complain for the next month about my limited mobility I expect you to be a patient and loving boyfriend about it.”

Stephen snorted. “Does that really sound like me, Tony?”

“Not really,” Tony admitted. “Your bedside manner continues to be atrocious. But you’re going to have to try, anyways.”

“Noted.”

He took Tony’s hand and stepped onto the ice, carefully pulling Tony with him.

Tony let out a startled eep as he immediately slid on the ice. His arms came up as though he was on a balance beam to try to stabilize himself.

Stephen tried not to laugh at the image, instead teasingly nudging Tony into proper form.

They made it around the rink once and Tony looked at the exit longingly. Stephen just tugged him along. “Not so fast,” he told Tony. “You’re giving this a shot.”

“Only because this is you,” Tony told him. “And only because when I win this bet, I want to have won fair and square.”

Tony stumbled over his skates, nearly taking them both down. Stephen managed to balance them as Tony let out a creative round of curses. “Told you.”

“You haven’t broken a bone yet,” Stephen pointed out. “You’re fine. Just glide, Tony.”

“Just glide,” Tony mimicked. “Because that explains so much.”

Stephen let go of Tony’s hand, and skated ahead before he turned around to skate backwards. “Eyes up, Tony. Stop looking at your skates. Look at me.” 

Tony’s eyes came up so that he was looking forward instead of down. “Of course you can skate backwards. Show off.”

“It’s not that hard, Tony. Just because you can’t do it…”

“I could learn if I wanted to. I just don’t want to.”

The Christmas music that had been playing switched to a slow love song as an employee went on speaker to inform the skaters that the general population skating time was over and that couple’s night had begun.

Tony sent him a narrowed eyed look. “Oh, you’re playing dirty.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Stephen countered. “But if I were playing dirty, then that’s only to be expected.” 

They made it around the rink two more times and Tony’s skating was starting to smooth out as he figured out the movements and his awkwardness faded.

Stephen went back to skating normally, taking Tony’s hand again.

“Not so bad, is it.”

Tony let out a disgruntled noise. “You haven’t won this bet, Stephen.”

The outdoor lights came on as the sun started to fade.

Stephen glanced at Tony to see a faint smile around his lips. “Your spells are holding out marvelously,” Tony told him. “It’s not even cold.”

“Of course they are. They’re my spells.”

“You know that doesn’t work on me. Wong has told me too many stories for that. Like that time when you almost broke reality by playing with an infinity stone.”

Stephen scowled. “They really should put the warnings before the spells. And I didn’t break reality, so really, you’re proving my point.”

Tony laughed, stumbling for a moment before catching himself. He was too amused, at the moment, to even complain about the near fall. 

“Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same,” Stephen added.

“I read,” Tony protested.

“Not far enough ahead,” Stephen countered. “Your curiosity would absolutely have you trying spells before you got to the warning sections.”

That started a heavy debate on which of them was better at following instructions and using the necessary safety parameters.

The answer was that neither of them were particularly good at it.

Tony sighed, breaking their moment. “I suppose,” he said, tone one of pure annoyance. “That I have no choice but to concede.”

Stephen smirked in victory. “You know you never had a chance, right?” Stephen told him. “I am perfectly willing to exploit your weaknesses.”

“And what weakness did you exploit?” Tony asked, tone mulish. “Because that’s a weakness I need to get rid of.”

“Me,” Stephen said simply. “You were skating with me, so of course you were going to end up loving it.”

That earned him a pained face. “Well, that’s unfortunate. I can’t exactly get rid of that weakness, can I?”

“No,” Stephen agreed. “I’m afraid I’m here to stay.”

#ironstrange #stephen strange #tony stark #fic #prompt fic

[oddlittlestories]

So I have finished season 1 of d20 fantasy high (freshman year).

First of all I am SO sad it was so short. Like the episodes were long, I’m cool there. I’m just sad it only felt like half a season at most. Just as things were warming up it was over.

Moping aside—I LOVED IT I LOVED IT I LOVED IT

I think I’ve said before that it feels like the way I run DnD campaigns but it *does*

Brennan Lee Mulligan is 100% on the side of the players and characters. Like he’s rooting for them 100%

And as things develop it is also clear that this story is built around the characters and not the other way around

Like I totally get why people love actual plays that are Dramatic and Big and Intricate and Epic Fantasy

But I spent most of my time as a player dreaming of a game that was structured around the PCs instead of us just having to play within the DMs world. It’s what I bring as a DM and it’s so the vibe FH gives me.

And it’s improvised! Like I can tell! Brennan Lee Mulligan obviously spends an enormous amount of time planning, it’s true. But when it comes to the moment, if something else is better—he does that!

Generic characters get turned into genuine NPCs. Like. There’s no way that the halfling family were meant to be anything more than a bit part. There’s just not. They remind me at the start of that little Dutch family in the commercial about learning English—the cute, polite ones dancing to the deeply explicit song. And then the players get invested. Ask if they’re gonna make it, if they’re okay, etc etc

And Brennan’s first response has such “that’s not our story” vibes.

And then he rethinks and he brings them back to check on the kids. And at some point he either thought “ooh this is gonna be funny” or “what kind of person would actually go pick up a group of kids fighting a gang to the death in the street?” And he just amps it up to eleven. It’s great.

And that whole halfling encounter leads to the ice cream shop with the super vivid ice cream elemental character. Did Brennan have that character in his back pocket? Possibly. He could’ve developed a bunch of shops in town. But I’ll tell you that I’ve improvised characters that my players found just as memorable. And now they’re going for ice cream again so it’s gonna be A Thing

And then T-Bone, the bouncer! There is no way this character was meant to be anything other than a bit obstacle, and now he works at their school. Because it was important to the PCs. I’ve seen any number of DMs, actual play and otherwise, who shut that stuff down. “Oh no the school isn’t really appropriate.” “You don’t think this will get anywhere with Goldenhorde.” Or finding another job posting to shuttle the character off. But the players want it so the players get it.

And Brennan is constantly throwing out these little details that just beg for character empathy. T-Bone’s sick dog. How the necromancer kid loved his little rat, named himself after emancipation, and wanted so desperately for the cemetery caretaker to like him. Those throwaway lines about Johnny Spells’ gang- “how’s his home life? It’s–it’s bad!” and “yeah they all had names, and backstories [starts listing them off]”

I’ve never seen another actual play where the players and DMs have DnD bits. Where it’s like. Funny but also we’re taking it seriously.

Idk. I’m probably not describing it the best but it’s just exactly how I love to play & run games and it feels so Genuine to my experiences where most actual plays just don’t connect

Also I love love love the characters and story

#d20 #d20 fantasy high #dimension 20 #dimension 20 fantasy high #d20 spoilers #spoilers

[mackys44]

Yes Sir

Authors Note: hey everyone this is my first post on here. It’s pretty unedited. Also I had originally wrote this in 3rd person and about Drew. So if there’s any her or she in here ignore it.

Warnings: BSF!Rafe, breeding kink, pet names, swearing, choking, Oral(m receiving, degrading, name calling. (Not sure what else)

————————————

Me and rafe left the party together. I was wearing a short black dress and black and red Jordan's. Rafe was staying at my place.

"I'm going to take a shower." I spoke acting as if nothing happened that night. I walked into the bathroom. I was taking her hair out when Rafe barged in. He shut the door and grabbed me by the waist kissing me. His hands flying up into her hair, tugging slightly.

"Acting so fucking innocent...what was it you said? 'Rafe I need you so bad..' right?" He mocked breaking away

"I wasn't lying... Rafe please” I begged

"Dirty fucking slut. Gonna fuck you in nothing but your Jordan's." He placed me on the counter pushing me back where the back of my shoulders were against the mirror.

"Please.." I kissed him, his tongue entered my mouth. Until our kisses became so sloppy. He was practically chasing me onto the counter.

"Get this off." Rafe pulled me off the counter. Forcing my dress off. Hearing a tear but continuing.

"Rafe."I protested my dress

"buy you a new one. Promise." He spoke pulling it over my head throwing it. Again kissing me roughly. As he lowered us to the ground

"Please... Rafe I need you." I begged ripping his shirt open. Buttons flying through the bathroom

"That was so fucking hot, baby." He shrugged it off his shoulders. His pants were ready to burst. It was my turn to push him back. My face inches away from his. As I fiddled to undo his belt. Finally doing it. Forcing his pants down.

"What you want me to do?" I whispered in his ear biting his lobe

"Suck my dick, like the dirty whore you are. Can you do that pretty?"

"Yes sir, I want you standing." I spoke standing with him

"I'm still in charge, don't forget that." He kissed me roughly. A hand around my throat. He forced me on my knees. He pulled his dick out of his briefs. He was huge.

"I can't take you all.." I shook my head

"Yes you can.. you got this baby." He slapped his cock against my lips. As I opened my mouth. He guided his dick inside. I took as much of him in my mouth as I could.

"So good baby.." he guided me through it. His hand on the back of my head pushing me slightly. My eyes were locked on him. Tears of mascara ran down my cheeks.

"You did so good, princess." Rafe kissed me

"Lay back, sweet girl." He spoke joining me on the floor. He kissed up my thighs softly. Keeping eye contact with me. He kissed slowly, occasionally dragging the tip of his tongue against my skin

"So beautiful.. god.." Rafe spoke as he looked up at me, and he leaned up to my face. I met him half way sitting up. Kissing my cheek down to my ear. Biting it gently. His hands were at my hips. Guiding the Calvin Kleins off me.

He kissed down my neck, and collar bone. Going back up to kiss my lips. He cupped my ass with one of his hands, the other in my hair. He leaned us back together. My head resting on his hand.

"You're addicting.." I mumbled kissing him again

"Wanted this so long."

"You think about me? Huh? Every time you're jerking off?"

"Mmm, imagine it's you on my cock. Always thought about how gorgeous you'd be naked. Don't be shy baby. Know you think about me.."

"Mhm.. wondered how big you were. Always thinking about you fucking me.." I moaned as he rubbed my bud

"Filthy whore. Thinking about fucking your best friend." He shoved a finger in me and I cried in pleasure. I gripped his shoulders.

"So wet. You were waiting for me to snap." He added another finger

"Rafe.. please. I need you." I whimpered, as he added another finger pumping fast and rough.

"God you're soaked..." he groaned through gritted teeth

"Fuck me. Rafe, please." I whispered in his ear, he pulled his fingers out of me. He slapped his tip against my cunt.

"You want it rough baby? Yeah?" He taunted

"You know me so well." I kissed him, and he pushed into me. I moaned into his mouth.

"You're perfect.. so gorgeous. Fucking stunning." He began moving

"Waited too long for this.." I rolled my head back closing my eyes

"Hey. Eyes on me pretty girl. Show me how good I make you feel. Let me hear it. Never been shy with me." He wrapped his hand around my neck squeezing slightly and I clenched around him

"You like that, huh, baby?" He taunted pulling almost completely out and slamming back in. I screamed in pleasure. As he was pounding into me. He put one of my legs over his shoulder.

"Fuck.. fuck.." I repeated over and over

"Y/n.." he groaned softly

"Fuck." I was practically in tears from pleasure

"You close baby?" He kissed my cheek

"Yes! Fuck Rafe!"

"Let go baby. Cum for me." He coached me through it and I hit my high

"God, squeezing me so tight sweet girl. Think you can go again?" He asked and I nodded kissing him roughly

"Hands and knees, Princess." He said helping me up on my knees. Holding me up. And pushing back in. He kissed my shoulder. Our moans mixed together. He brought his arm around me. Putting it in a chokehold. I moaned and clenched tightly

"Such a dirty whore." He laughed pounding into me hard

"Yours.." I mumbled

"I'm gonna cum.. baby turn over." He spoke pulling out, l turned over and he helped me onto his lap. Riding him.

"Fuck." I kissed him roughly

"God you're so fucking hot, baby." He gripped my hips. His hand snaked behind my back unclipping my strapless bra. It falling off my body. He tossed it out of the way.

"Can't get enough of you." He left love bites on my tits. He continued to help me bounce on his dick.

"Just like that pretty girl." He kissed me hard

"Fuck. Fuck.." I moaned, my eyes shutting

"Eyes on me, Princess. You can do this, come on, baby." He cupped my face

"Close.." I mumbled

"Me too, babe.." he began hammering his hips into me

"Fuck! Cum inside.." I cried

"You really are a whore, you want your best friends kid? Huh?"

"Yes, Rafe. Fuck please. Give me your baby." I gripped his shoulders

"Fuck babe." He came inside me and I came as well. I wrapped my arms around him hiding my face in his neck. He continued to bounce me on his dick.

"God." He huffed kissing me

"-you think you can give me another, pretty girl?"

"Yes sir.."

—————————————

#rafe cameron #rafe cameron smut #obx x reader

[chaifootsteps]

Just realized a pattern with Stolas: He seems to think it's okay to treat people however he wants as long as it doesn't "hurt" them.

In Harvest Moon, he put out a cigarette on Blitz's horn. One wouldn't expect this to physically hurt (horns are solid bone, after all), and Blitz didn't seem fazed by it. But in doing so, Stolas continued to treat Blitz like an object. He's not just a sex toy; he's an ashtray, too.

Then, in The Circus, he tells Stella "I'd feel bad if I hurt you, but we both know I didn't do that". Putting aside the fact that he did hurt her (upsetting her enough that she sent a hit man after him), it's like he thinks a lack of damage somehow absolves him of blame and responsibility. Like, sorry, but if someone planted a bomb in their workplace and the bomb didn't explode, there's a reason that person's still getting arrested.

In a better show this would be portrayed as a character flaw, something Stolas can grow from over time. But the Helluva writers seem to agree with him?? His speech in The Circus is framed as heroic and admirable (real "you go, girl!" energy), as is his conversation with Stella and Andrealphus, which just doubles down on this mentality.

I'm not looking forward to Apology Tour unless Stolas finally does some apologizing to those he's mistreated, which, given how the narrative has blatantly favored him thus far, seems like a lot to ask for.

I feel like this is basically Viv whenever she gets into trouble and has to defend herself. "I'd acknowledge that piece of criticism if it was in good faith, but it's not, so I don't. I could have done something worse, but didn't, so it's fine." If she's not physically beating someone or screaming at them, she's a good person who's incapable of harming anybody.

Of course, Stolas actually has physically hurt people -- his imp butler -- and people selectively disregard that because "it's just slapstick."

#Anonymous #viv stuff #stolas critical #actual blog post #vivziepop critical

[nhasablogg]

Lace shirt

Fandom: Red, White and Royal Blue

Characters: Henry/Alex

Anonymous said: I had a little prompt where maybe Alex and Henry are getting ready for an event and one of them is tying the others tie and fixing their collar and discover that the other is ticklish ??

A/N: Changed it up a little bit!

Words: 800

Alex is wearing a lace shirt which leaves little to the imagination and all Henry can think of is that he wants to rip it off of him right now. It’s all black, collared and loose on him, the perfect size for Henry to easily slip his fingers beneath it which he’s done one too many times since Alex tried to start getting dressed.

“We’ll be late,” Alex says with a laugh as Henry once again pushes up the hem of it to splay his fingers over his lower belly.

“The parade isn’t going anywhere,” he replies, although he knows it will be in poor taste to arrive late to their own makeshift pride parade, which they have worked tirelessly on the past few months. It was Alex’s idea to play around with their usual suits for the occasion. Henry’s attire is much more tame than Alex’s, with illustrations of oil paintings where men are kissing all over it. Alex says it’s more fun and creative, but Henry is too blinded by how hot he looks in his to see it that way. 

“What tie should I wear?” Alex asks and redirects Henry’s attention to the two on the bed.

Henry reluctantly lets him walk away, hands slipping out of his shirt and hanging hopelessly by his sides. “I still think you should wear a collar.”

Alex snorts, although Henry can see the heat rising on his cheeks and grins at him. “I need to look somewhat put together, you know.”

Henry approaches him, eyeing the options. One is dark green, a color that looks incredibly good on him. The other is light pink, a color which coincidentally matches some of the hues on Henry’s shirt.

He picks it up and beckons Alex over, wrapping it around his neck wordlessly. Alex stays still, eyes glued to Henry’s face, although Henry makes a point to keep his own on the tie as he works the knot. Alex had been surprised that he knew how to tie a tie so well. “I reckoned you had people doing that for you,” he said and Henry had rolled his eyes before kissing him silly.

He’s tied Alex’s tie for him before. He had a theory that Alex wasn’t as bad at it as he pretended to be, but who was he to complain? He leans closer now, Alex’s scent so intoxicating, and he lets his finger brush over Alex’s throat mostly as an attempt to regain his composure, because he knows Alex will recoil with a whine and look at him with that stupidly beautiful grin. Henry grips the tie tighter to keep him in place and watches the flicker of panic on Alex’s face as he tries to determine whether Henry will do that again.

“Don’t,” he tries, even though Henry knows he doesn’t mean it. “We really can’t be late.”

Henry tilts his head. “Let me fix your collar.”

Alex scrunches up his shoulders as Henry slips his fingertips between the collar and his neck, dragging them gently over the skin in a way he knows tickles like crazy. “Oh my god, wait-”

There go the giggles, giddy and high pitched and making Henry want him even more. Alex grips his elbows, but doesn’t push him away, and so they sway on the same spot, back and forth depending on how Alex tries to evade him. He’s doing a poor job of it, but Henry doesn’t call him out on it. Instead he zeroes in on that spot on his right side, insisting that he needs two hands to fix it and curls his fingers repeatedly over the whole area.

Alex tries a new tactic and leans his head forward, so close that their foreheads are touching now. Henry can feel his laughter in his bones. Can feel Alex’s hands nearly crushing his elbows as his grip keeps tightening. That stupid lace shirt. This ridiculous pink tie.

“Let me fix the back too,” he says, grinning when Alex whines and shivers as he runs his fingers over the nape of his neck. He leans back to try to block him which leaves his throat perfectly exposed. Henry has never once resisted the opportunity to press his lips to it thus far, and today was no different.

“Henry, please,” Alex finally begs, pushing at his chest, his laughter melting into something different. “I don’t have time to be horny.”

And Henry laughs only because he knows it’s true and because he knows he will tear this stupid tie off of him in approximately eight or so hours. Henry has always been the patient one of them, although he carries that badge quite reluctantly now.

“The pink one,” he says as he straightens, straightening the tie all the same. “It looks quite good with the shirt.”

Alex clears his throat. “Thank you.”

“Oh, my absolute pleasure.”

#tickling #ticklish!alex #firstprince fic #rwrb fic #n writes #lace shirt #inspired by the shirt I'm gonna wear to my next concert tbh #tickle fic

[brucewaynehater101]

I once read a fic where dick, Jason and Tim are not human and that Damian and Bruce are the only humans (Alfred doesn't count) in the manor basically the fic was about how bruce took care of non human dick jason and tim and when damin came he had issues with them but came to accept them in the end and that got me thinking an au where the batfam are not human except bruce. like hes the only FULLY human in the family. like the in the fic dick was a doll that cam to life, but i also read somewhere that dick was a tentacle monster thing because of hugs (i dont remember it well because i read it when i was half asleep) Jason probably had something to do with gotham, like all the chemicals made him immune to most things and also being in the streets probably messed up his health and also he might be born? Made? Not human and that was before he DIED and was dipped in the Lazarus pit, which probably has supernatural consequences, and made him even more not human. Tim was probably cursed by an artifact that his parents brought home when he was young or he was just born (maybe bred, I'm pretty sure rich people can breed their own child) that way that makes people question if he is human or a sickly Victorian child in the wrong era, he also must be good with the shadows if he can follow batman around (and we are not yet talking about his age is he forever 17 or did he age, if so how old is he?)

Steph is the child of a supervillain and is probably an ally kid, so she is kinda similar to Jason but with more drugs and the spoiler thing. (i dont have any idea with her) Cass was probably trained and experimented by David Cain to act the way she does (nobody know if she's human or not and it freaks people out) Damian probably was the most human among Bruce children as he is made by his DNA, but if he was also dipped in the Lazarus pit then maybe there's a chance that's he's not human, but that can just be league training. Duke has powers and was living in the streets when is parents got joker gassed and was also living in the zero year when riddler was mayor and made a we are robin movement (sorry if i got his character wrong) Nobody knows actually if Damian and Cass are human as they possessed abilities that no Normal human can like blending in the shadows too well that that can't be seen (even when it's a light shadow you can't see them unless they want to be seen) but they were also trained assassin's and maybe those were the consequences of their childhood (at least most heroes or people hope)

The same can be said to the others, dick can perfectly blend in the shadows and when he fights he tends to pull stunts that no normal human can pull (does he even have bones how can he bend like that). Jason is like a tank and somehow is quieter than he looks, he can be stabbed and will still keep fighting like nothing happened. Tim doesn't sleep and he lost his spleen and still doing okay. Steph knows where to go, Cass can read you like a book and can probably kick superman's ass without a sweat, Damian was raised by demons and duke can bend the shadows to his will.

And somehow some way

BRUCE IS STILL HUMAN

like this man gets fear-gassed in the face, poison ivy's multitude of poisons, joker gassed. and whatever gotham throws at him while running a company and getting little to no amount of sleep and still function like a normal human being while actually BEING 100% human. and it just confuses the kids a lot (sorry if the English is bad. English is my secondary language and most of the time i speak my first language which is Filipino and I'm typing this on my laptop while most of my family are sleeping. and most of these points are from my drafts, my only saving garce is autocorrect )

You're perfectly alright. No worries at all ^^

To summarize, you want to think about an AU where Bruce is human and the rest of the Bats are not? We can definitely explore that, but first, I think I know what fics you were talking about.

For the Dick is a doll one, I can't find it. It's making me sad cause it was a great one of Bruce continuously adopting kids that others want to harm/kill due to their nature. Just Bruce fighting against his instincts so he can provide them love. It's cute.

For the Dick has weird hugging abilities, I think "you can swear in my hoard" by Inkpotsprite is the fic you were thinking about. Tim and Dick are the only confirmed non-humans, though.

For a fic where the batkids are born as a variety of angels or demons and Bruce is a human, the "heaven sent//hell bent" series by AstraEllis is good.

There's other ones, but feel free to reblog/comment suggestions.

As far as the AU, I agree that Bruce pushes his body past what's considered human limits (they all do). It would be funny if the JL had discussions about that in confusion (the humans and non humans trying to figure out how he manages to do everything he does without powers).

If you want to create an AU going over specifically what each batkid could be if they were non-human, let me know!

EDIT: A commentor revealed the fic name for the doll one!!! "You, Me, and the Humanity in Between" by JUBE514

#dc comics #dc universe #thank you for the ask!!!! #dc au