#vicarious redemption

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

"Because without someone dying for your sins you might have to take personal responsibility for your own actions. God is not great. Religion poisons everything."

Believing that a magic man washes away your responsibility on behalf of the people you wronged is immoral.

#christianity #religion #salvation #jesus christ #substitutional atonement #vicarious redemption #personal responsibility #religion poisons everything #scapegoat #scapegoating #covered by the blood of jesus #religion is a mental illness

[actualbird]

#this image is from an official tot tweet for like a redemption code it's been living in my files forever cuz hes so CUTE #anyway i had an exhausting-bad-brain weekend pls feed lukey something nice and i'll derive secondhand joy from him vicariously #dootdootdoot

[stillgotme]

Kyoto 🌳☀️

#the sims 4 #sims 4 #ts4 #ts4 edit #ts4 story #simblr #aliya's sims #gen 2 #valerie #chance #redemption #redemption extras #valerie's instagram #living vicariously through them bc i wanna go to japan so bad

[menaceborn]

crosshair :handshake: ayru reluctantly stepping up as an older brother to a younger character after escaping a prison with them

#i'm sorry i like crosshair a lot #i know he's an ass (that doesn't quite cover it but whatever) but he's my scrunkly now i fear #HE ALWAYS REMINDED ME OF AYRU TBF partly because all clones do and partly bc he's uhhhh #morally questionable but #“loyalty meant something to me‚ but with the empire it didn't go both ways. I realized how disposable I was” YEAH!!! #canon m/aul obviously did not get the redemption/found family arc I'm trying to envision for ayru with this blog but #at least I get to live vicariously thru crosshair #also i lied in my last post i was not on ep 7 i was on ep 6 i'm just stupid #but i AM on ep 7 now #GODDDD thinking about the 358k words redeemed m/aul fic where he gets a squadron of clones and they become a little family #and eogan even shows up and AAAA it's so good #all of the clones are OCs and it's so funny to me i read the fic before really consuming any clone media so for a good while those clone OC #were the only clone characters I could name. they're all still very dear to me #bail and breha are in the fic too and they make me so happy :) #sorry derailed the tbb post to talk about a random fic LOL

[josephinekhawaja]

I think I have 100 followers on Tumblr and I am ready to risk them all for my latest how-typical-of-me ship. I was made sure I was going to ship it just prior to it dropping one day early when I realised how weirdly hot Walton Goggins is (I literally only know him from being underutilised in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and that he is for certain one of the three leads of the show. As much as I hate what The Ghoul did to The Target -- and then the Star Wars Love Language of lopping off one another's appendages when it comes to Lucy -- although at least he had his save-the-dog redemption 🦮🐕‍🦺. Now to populate the shipping tags to find my fellow vicariously-ghoulfucking freaks. Though I do not want to hit it so much as I want the McLean girl to hit it. But I respect y'all out here doing this shit for the love of *that game* 🤐🤐🤐🤐.

#I have yet to even stream Lisa Frankenstein or whatever #And I already see the worrying trend for my Year of the Lord 2024 #Cooper Howard x Lucy MacLean #Cooper x Lucy #The Ghoul x Lucy MacLean #The Ghoul x Lucy

[kdinjenzen]

I think a chunk of the reaction against redemption is also people's fear of discomfort.

They don't want to deal with the uncomfortable elements of a redemption, especially if the character in question has done things that are genuinely reprehensible. ESPECIALLY if those elements can make them question something about themselves.

Or if they do deal with those uncomfortable elements, it's always in the form of the character being subjected to cruelty and torment in order to satiate their own desire to see the character punished. Like some kind of twisted vicarious bloodlust.

So when a character undergoes a deeply uncomfortable redemption, where they struggle without excessive self-flagellation and vicarious bloodlust-satiation for the audience, where they confront the very human flaws and mistakes that anyone in their position could make under the right circumstances, it drives certain types of anti-redemption types up the wall because they don't really want redemption, so much as they just want to gloss over the matter, or see the target of redemption suffer for their own judgmental amusement and satisfaction.

Okay now replace character with “other human beings that are real” and you’ll understand a lot about how modern society praises people to punish others and treat them as some sort of fucked up thing that must die immediately instead of encouraging them to change and teaching them to be better.

[sepublic]

OFFICIAL TRAILER NOT A LEAK

So they were both raised in cultures that advocated for control and genocide, but wanted to play toys and were under the impression of it all as just some big game... And remained children who don’t understand why they were punished to this day.

The Collector is still an actual child like Philip. Could a redemption for them make up for the one Philip as a kid should’ve had, had he been saved early on from Gravesfield? End the cycle of abuse for Belos and vicariously give his parallel a rest? Did Philip deep down see himself in the Collector and use that empathy to manipulate instead of relate? Kudos to @niconebula for mentioning the parallels!

#the owl house #the owl house collector #philip wittebane #emperor belos #speculation #theory #parallels

[fluffykitteninabox]

Endeavor is such a pathetic coward.

Like this dude had his dream job, he got promoted extremely fast to the second best in his country at this job. He got tons of money because of it, fame, people looking up to him and idolising him...

and he couldn't just be content with everything he had.

He was unable to comprehend that he wasn't as good as some other dude. He couldn't accept that he was kind of mediocre compared to him and he was in such denial about it that he decided to perform eugenics!!

and now that his mistakes came back to bite him in the ass he's just sitting there crying because the responsibility is too much for him!!!

and we're supposed to root for this person??

who in their right mind actually saw this character during the sports festival arc and decided they wanted a redemption arc for this bastard?

who saw the way he acted towards his family and said "yes this dude deserves a second chance"

like I'm all for second chances, but as I said before (which is somehow an unpopular opinion)

murder can be justified, child abuse cannot

and eugenics definitely cannot!!

I don't care if he feels bad about it now, he should have thought of that when he bought his wife like property and forced her to have children just so he could live vicariously through them and then abused all of them both physically and emotionally.

A lot of people make mistakes during parenting, but you don't just accidentally beat your children until they puke!

No one accidentally performs eugenics!

I hate this bastard so much, I have never wanted to punch a character more in my life. Not because he's the worst character I've ever seen, but because despite all of the above he's treated both by the narrative and the fandom as a "good person at heart". It makes me feel fucking sick!

#anti endeavor #anti enji todoroki #venting

[forestlikesplants]

well i’ve caught up on junior year and now i’m stuck to impatiently wait and scourge the fandom sections for discourse to stir in until wednesday arrives :(

//spoilers for the season//

but i will say. this is the first season where i just haven’t had any thoughts on where this plot is going. the first two i spent like, “oh yes X is definitely going to happen and i can’t wait for the characters to notice”. but now i’m completely just along for the ride. not a bad thing at all. it makes searching thru the tags more fun because people point out things and i’m like!!! you’re so real your brain deserves a smooch

the only things i will say is that i hope we get to bring anger crystal god (can’t remember how to spell their name) back to their form before corruption. i’ve seen someone say that perhaps after or while this god was being corrupted to serve her followers is when the nightmare king was born. watching her wife turn into a tool so far bent she was no longer recognizable/corrupting your wife so you aren’t doomed to be alone as you change is sooooo good. and i definitely think fig would rule at being paladin for them or even just forming a relationship with them in general as the arch devil of rebellion that she is.

i want to see oisin more with adaine because i’m an ace person who lives vicariously thru fictional relationships and theirs seems so fun. i’ve seen ppl say buddy?? taking a redemption path as well as oisin and mary ann. and while on one hand i see the vision on the other i’m like what do they need redemption for? do we think they have anything to do with murdering their friend and teacher and the loams and all that entails? or are we searching for their retribution from being complacent and perhaps oblivious during all of this?

#dimension 20 #fantasy high season 3 #fantasy high junior year

[dhr-ao3]

In the Library Where He Kept Her

In the Library Where He Kept Her https://ift.tt/H5umCnd by GreenInk_RedLetters Draco wallows in the sudden passing of his wife Hermione Granger. By charming her favorite books, he's able to live vicariously watching their memories while succumbing to his grief. It will be up to him, the persistence of his friends, and the legacy of Hermione's love whether or not Draco chooses to continue living in the past, or to shut the doors of the library for good. Told through a combination of flashbacks and present-day scenes.   Everything that made him good and whole was a reflection of the witch. She stitched him up and made him something to be proud of. Who was Draco Malfoy without Hermione Granger? What sort of world was there without her gentle smiles and her ferce morality? She was everything and then...   Nothing.   AND   Draco's life no longer lay in terms of before or after the war, but rather before or after her. Because it was her that gave him meaning. Words: 1336, Chapters: 1/31, Language: English Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: Major Character Death Categories: F/M Characters: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Theodore Nott, Luna Lovegood, Narcissa Black Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass, Lucius Malfoy, Original Characters Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Additional Tags: Angst, Heavy Angst, not HEA, but happy moments, Its giving happily ever after and then after, Slow Burn, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Depression, Flashbacks, lots of flashbacks, Enemies to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Hogwarts Eighth Year and beyond, Sort of its in the flashbacks, You'll be invested in their origin story, Draco Malfoy Needs a Hug, Red String of Fate, Adult Draco Malfoy, Adult Hermione Granger, POV Draco Malfoy, Pining Draco Malfoy, Soft Draco Malfoy, Morally Grey Draco Malfoy, Protective Hermione Granger, Potions Master Draco Malfoy, Unspeakable Hermione Granger, Fred lives because I said so, Depiction of torture, It's the drawing room scene, But you can skip that, Draco Malfoy Redemption, Fluff and Smut, More like poetic smut, Language of Flowers, Magical Core Lore, Canon Compliant, Not Epilogue Compliant, Hogwarts Era, Post-Hogwarts, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Panic Attacks, Unplanned Pregnancy, They're adults okay?, Domestic Bliss, Parenthood, child loss mentioned, Pregnancy Termination alluded to, Dark Magic, Good Friend Ron Weasley, Good Friend Blaise Zabini, Flirty Blaise Zabini, Past Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Minor Daphne Greengrass/Ron Weasley, Narcissa is a Boss, Narcissa ships Dramione but in a cool way, Library kink probably, Astrology, Draco loves Hermione so much it hurts, Everything I do for you, Cry Me a River fest via AO3 works tagged 'Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy' https://ift.tt/qDBMIn6 April 18, 2024 at 10:52PM

#IFTTT #Dramione #Draco x Hermione

[bestworstcase]

So, overall, what's your opinion on punitive narratives?

the pithy answer here is if i wanted to read a morality play i would read a morality play

being less facetious, i find punitive storytelling to be generally dissatisfying in large part because it often sacrifices character on the altar of moral restitution (or retribution)—quite a lot of punitive narratives are fundamentally about the punishment in that the narrative is structured with vicarious enjoyment of the villain’s defeat and death or humiliation or groveling redemption as the climactic centerpiece, which i find uninteresting at best and viscerally off-putting at worst. even stories that are otherwise written well cannot salvage this for me (think ATLA’s handling of azula) and more often it’s a matter of “well the part before the climax was good.”

ultimately i also find it to be a bit pointless, because the villainous characters on the receiving end of the narrative punishment were created to be punished and, why bother. it’s equally as insipid and irritating as character bashing in fanfiction for exactly the same reasons; it strips away character interiority in favor of character does bad things so they can be punished so we can feel righteous vindication about bad guys getting what’s coming to them, except it never actually lands with me because i have a disease called Caring About Character Motivation.

#i take pity on dust and ashes!

[thesakuragarnet]

Conjugal Visit

Summary: In a world where evil has been defeated, Touya Todoroki's presence is requested, and he once again finds himself in a transport van. (Originally a oneshot for K!nktober)

THIS WORK IS 18+ ONLY! S3XUAL TAGS WILL BE HIDDEN BELOW THE KEEP READING BUTTON!

Non-Spicy Tags: final war arc spoilers, post-final war arc, DabiHawks, Dabi and Hawks were childhood friends, angst, swearing, todofam drama, ab*se of authority (sh!tty prison handler who overuses a shock collar), post-canon, alternate universe, hurt/comfort, smut, blood, injury, scars, emotional hurt/comfort, making out, enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers (a vicious cycle lol)

Word Count: 4,299 words

AO3 link

Spicy Tags: @ n a l s3x, table s3x, spit as lub3, creamp!e, hate s3x, kinktober 2023, explicit s3xual content

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been a few months since the war ended. Good had triumphed over evil…as per usual…if you could even call it “good” and “evil”. With the help of Eri’s Quirk, Touya Todoroki was back in his old body…or at least…his body from before the war started. He still had his purple scars and staples, but he’d been brought back from the brink of death. The child’s powers had reversed the incineration, and his flesh and muscle had regrown over his bones…and he had both his arms again. Since he got out of the Villain Hospital, he’d been forced into an inpatient mental facility…basically a glorified Tartarus startup hiding behind therapists and medication. With the former Alcatraz-like prison in shambles, the HPSC was having to rebuild from the ground up…including its inner framework. The new Hero Commission Leader was much more business-like and perhaps showed promise in actually giving a shit about the people rather than the power-hungry bitch before him. Not that Touya cared. The system was still broken…no matter how many good eggs there were. Endeavor was still walking…alive and unpunished. Touya was still reeling from it all. His plan should’ve been flawless, but it only resulted in a few outbursts and uprisings. He had publicly outed his abuser…his family’s abuser…and didn’t have shit to show for it. This wasn’t the revenge Touya was hoping for. He didn’t see any remorse…not through actions. The so-called redemption only came from worthless words. After everything…Touya is just tired and bitter. He fractured during the final battle…he didn’t remember most of it. It was unclear whether or not his memories would be erased during the rewind…but…one image remains in his head. Their family… happy …Touya…as a hero . Too good to be true of fucking course. It was all Enji’s fault. Everyone seemed to neglect that. Even Shoto…still didn’t show pity after Touya explained that he had come back to the house. How different would it have been if Endeavor had changed before that moment? If he had come back to a family truly trying to help each other grow…not caught in rampant madness? Not caught up in struggles for power…not with some vicious bastard hell-bent on living vicariously through his offspring. Touya would have stayed. Dabi…wouldn’t exist. 

Touya blinks himself back to reality, zoned out in his hazy tangle of memories as he sits up straight in the backseat of the transport van. His neck itches, though it’s probably in his head. His nerves are still dulled. But even if they weren’t, he can’t fucking scratch it…not with the bulky metal collar around his neck. Another reminder that the system never cared. One wrong move, and up to a thousand volts go straight into him…it was up to the discretion of his handler just how many he got. He doesn’t know where he’s going…all he knows is someone requested a visit at a secondary location. For all he knows, Fuyumi and Shoto have invited him to dinner again. He wishes they’d stop trying. Too little too late. He’d refuse to get out of the car if that was the case…though his handler might threaten him with a shock…how would they react to that? Would they even care? Touya shakes the thoughts away, flexing his hands in the handcuffs as he tries to remind himself that he doesn’t care…even though he’s always cared too much. That’s the problem.

The van slowly comes to a stop, and he hears the driver getting out. He recoils when the doors are wrenched open, forcing sunlight to pour into the darkness. Touya squints, and before his eyes can adjust, he can feel his handler roughly grabbing his arm, dragging him out of the car and into the daylight. He swallows the cry of pain. The bastard intentionally grabbed the scarline on his bicep, pulling at his staples. He’d have to go to the infirmary later and get them changed out and sterilized. 

“Move!” The tall, broad-shouldered man grunts as he shoves Touya forward, and he stumbles onto a sidewalk. 

“A please would be nice,” Touya mutters sarcastically under his breath, earning another rough push in response. “I’m goin!” He growls, lifting his head to see that he’s being escorted up to an apartment building. By the looks of it they’re in…downtown Kyushu? There’s something about his surroundings that’s hauntingly familiar. 

‘Wait.’

Touya stops dead in his tracks. 

“Nuh-uh. I wanna go back,” Touya stammers, feeling rage and…was that fear? He feels nauseous, though that could’ve just been from the car ride. There’s only one person that he knows from around here who could’ve asked for a meeting…especially when meetings with the ex-PLF members were high-profile and family only. 

Click. 

ZZZZZZZZT. 

Touya bites his tongue, swallowing the yelp of pain that he refuses to let anyone hear as the collar zaps; Touya assumes it’s with as much force as a cruel dog shock collar…maybe a little more. He’s definitely been hit with worse from it…his handler is being generous today. Touya leers over his shoulder, blue eyes blazing. Oh, how he wishes those Quirk dampeners he was drugged up with on the daily lost their touch. Without his Quirk, he feels impossibly weak… pathetic …and yet…part of him…is unusually at peace. He can’t destroy himself with his own power if it’s not there. 

“You want another?” The man sneers, hovering his thumb over the trigger on the remote. Before Touya can respond, a voice rings through the air:

“That’s not necessary. I’ll take it from here.”

Touya freezes. His… totally-not-fears …are materializing. 

‘Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around.’ 

But he doesn’t have to…because ex-Pro Hero Hawks walks right past him, holding his hand out to take the remote from his handler. 

“We’ll go in by ourselves. You can chill out here until we’re done talking,” Keigo Takami says smoothly as the man presses the remote into his hands. 

“You’ve got two hours. Then I’m coming in and hauling his crispy ass back,” The handler gruffly replies, making Touya’s lip twitch.

‘Of all the fucking people…Fate is cruel.’ 

When Hawks… Keigo turns to face him, he isn’t smiling. His face is calm…and a deep intrinsic part of Touya flinches when his eyes fall on the scar on his face. He put that scar there…he put… so many scars on him. Most of them are covered by his shirt. The clearest mark Touya… Dabi put on Hawks…is his lack of wings. Touya had seen it on the news. Dabi had burned his wings off, and he’d been operating with prosthetics as they slowly grew back. But…in the war… All For One took his Quirk. Hawks… Keigo is Quirkless. Now, he operates on the board for the Hero Public Safety Commission, so he’s still just as much of a fucking puppet. Touya thinks it’s laughable. He had the chance to remove himself from the HPSC and start a new life…yet he chose to wallow deeper in the cesspool. 

“It’s good to see you, Touya.”

His words are serene…but his eyes…his golden eyes harbor fury…and other emotions Touya can’t put his fingers on. He remains silent, and Keigo’s eyebrows raise, almost in feigned amusement before he points to his apartment.  

“It’s that one. You go first.”

Touya swallows. There’s too many emotions for him to focus on. Anger. Pain. Betrayal. Sadness. Disgust…Heartbreak. Regret. He tries his best to dissociate, turning around on his heel and walking toward the door.

‘Why.’ 

Touya stops short in front of the door. 

“You can open it,” Keigo says, his voice coated with a reassuring tone. 

“Kinda can’t, jackass,” Touya retorts, gesturing to the cuffs on his wrist. Keigo scrunches up his nose. 

“Hey! Come unlock him,” He calls to the handler, who looks at the ex-Pro with an incredulous expression.

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m sorry. Do you want me to report your inability to cooperate with a Commission order? Or is your job really worth your opinion?” Keigo replies flatly, and Touya’s handler mutters grievances under his breath as he stalks back toward them, pulling a key out of his pocket and shoving it roughly in the lock. Touya winces as he feels the metal intentionally scraping his scars once again, but he sighs in relief when the cuffs clunk to the ground. 

“Your funeral,” The man grunts as he picks up the handcuffs and saunters back to wait in the van. Touya stares at his hands for a moment. He can’t remember the last time he was allowed without cuffs outside. Keigo, however, goes rigid when he sees the blood running down Touya’s wrist. 

“We’ll get that patched up before you leave,” Keigo says nonchalantly as he opens the door, gesturing for Touya to come inside. The villain blinks, unsure if he heard him correctly. 

‘The fuck do you care?’

Hesitantly, he steps inside, a chill running down his spine at the temperature difference. The apartment is nice and neat…almost sterile …if Touya didn’t harbor such resentment toward Keigo Takami, he’d feel bad for him…because he knows exactly why. The Commission has had their teeth in him since he was a kid…Keigo hasn’t been really allowed to develop his own personality…his own interests. Everything in his life is orchestrated by the HPSC…

‘Well…not everything …Maybe…or…maybe everything…’ Fury bubbles up in Touya’s gut as his memories reappear in the forefront of his mind. He’d known Keigo for far longer than either of them had let on…or…at least… Touya knew Keigo …as far as anyone was concerned… Dabi’s first interaction with Hawks was during his recruitment for the PLF. No one knew about that time in his life except Keigo…and Giran. Those years after he woke up in the hospital but before he joined the League…during Keigo’s early formative years as Hawks. The Commission didn’t have complete control of him yet. He was young. He wanted to help people, even if it meant breaking the rules. Even if it meant checking in on the nameless homeless kid in the hospital gown that he’d befriended. It was something neither of them addressed…yet. 

Meanwhile, Dabi’s relationship with Hawks had taken an intimate turn, albeit for only a little while. Before he turned around and literally stabbed the League in the back…stabbed Twice in the back. Touya’s fists clench at the memory. The blood. If only Toga had been successful with that last bit of their friend. Maybe he wouldn’t have this stupid collar on. Maybe his Dad would’ve received justice. Maybe-

“Are you going to sit?”

Keigo’s voice jars Touya back to reality. He’s sitting at a dining table…it looks horribly plain…and-

“Are there only two chairs because this is an interrogation?” Touya spits, but Keigo’s calm demeanor falters for a moment.

“I…don’t really have many guests,” Keigo remarks quietly, sitting up straight in the chair. 

‘What? Am I supposed to feel bad for you? Twice was your friend. And you fucking murdered him.’  

Touya takes a deep breath before sitting down. Touya stares at the empty space behind Keigo. He distinctly remembers the array of crimson feathers that used to hang behind him so elegantly. Apparently, Keigo notices his stare.

“You didn’t take my wings. All For One made me Quirkless.”

‘Oh, but I wish I had…after what you did…I knew that was the one thing that would break you…if you lost them.’ 

“Pity,” Touya sniffs, crossing his arms over his chest. This is the first time they’ve seen each other since the war…and part of Touya wishes he’d been privy to this meeting. He wishes he’d had time to prepare. Keigo clears his throat, drumming his fingers on the table like a nervous habit. So many thoughts run through Touya’s head…he finally picks one. 

“Why do you play dumb?” He blurts, and Keigo cocks his head. 

“What?”

“You act like we never met. You act like you didn’t know who I was. Like I didn’t know who you were. Why? I know you’re not an idiot,” Touya snaps. Keigo stops tapping.

“Whatever you’re implying-”

“How else would I have known to go after your mother? Hm? Those heroes are too stupid to even consider that. She was a nobody. A crackhead mooching off of the society that brainwashed you. There isn’t any sane villain who would choose some fool like her to target unless they already knew why she was valuable. Unless they knew she was your mother. Listen, I don’t care if your stupid apartment is bugged and those HPSC fuckers can hear all this, but you and I know the truth. We knew each other before I became a villain.” 

“There’s no bugs,” The ex-Pro mutters, almost sounding defeated. Touya rolls his eyes, not believing a damn word. A tense silence falls over the apartment. For a few seconds, it almost looks like Keigo might apologize, but he closes his mouth as fast as he opens it.

“Y’know…you’re acting really hurt for someone who doesn’t give a shit. You never cared about me. Not like how I cared about you,” Keigo suddenly blurts, his tone accusatory, and Touya scoffs.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Keigo stares blankly, unmoving. 

“You don’t think I cared about you? Why? Because everyone says I’m a fucking villain?! Is that so hard of a concept?!” Touya’s voice is filled with rage as he stands up and slams his hands down on the table, looming over Keigo. Touya half expects him to press the button on the remote, but the ex-Pro remains unflinching. 

“When you kill innocents for fun, it’s a little hard to believe you’re capable of love,” Keigo responds flatly, his words piercing Touya’s chest in a way that proves he’s wrong.

“You’re one to fucking talk about killing innocents,” The white-haired man snaps, eyes flashing. 

“Jin would’ve destroyed Japan, Touya-”

SLAM!

The villain brings his fist down on the table so suddenly that finally , Keigo flinches. 

“DON’T SAY HIS NAME! YOU DON’T GET TO SAY HIS NAME AFTER WHAT YOU’VE DONE!” Touya screams, cutting him off. 

Now Keigo’s standing up, his own hands pressed flat against the table as he gets eye-level with Touya. 

“WHAT ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE DONE. MY WINGS ARE GONE !” He shouts angrily, but Touya just laughs. 

“GOOD FUCKING RIDDANCE. THEY WERE THE ONLY REASON THE COMMISSION GAVE A SHIT ABOUT YOU ANYWAY. AND HOW DARE YOU? YOU THINK IT’S FUN FOR ME? YOU THINK IT DOESN’T DRIVE ME INSANE TO THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT I’VE HURT? I HAVE NEVER ONCE KILLED WITHOUT PURPOSE, AND IF YOU CAN’T BELIEVE THAT, THEN YOU NEVER REALLY KNEW ME AT ALL!”

Suddenly, Keigo holds up the remote, his eyes piercing with that same look he gave Twice. Touya gasps, eyes widening and heart skipping. Keigo could kill him. Right now. And there was nothing he could do about it. For the first time, Keigo sees real fear in Touya’s eyes, and a part of him is crushed to see that Touya thinks he would do that to him…that he would toss him aside so carelessly…just as carelessly as everyone else had in Touya’s life. Touya braces himself, squeezing his eyes shut and preparing for the electric shock. 

CRASH!

He opens his eyes to see mechanical bits scattering on the ground…Keigo threw it so hard that it shattered. Touya stands there, trembling; his chest feels tight. He’s so angry. So relieved. So confused. So…empty. A familiar dull sting prickles beneath his eyelids, and it isn’t long before blood slowly beads beneath his scars, forming crimson tears at his waterline that trickle down his face. Touya collapses into the chair, grabbing at his chest. 

‘What the fuck just happened?’

Keigo’s expression is cold…but…his eyes…they’re misting.

“I always hated those collars,” The ex-Pro whispers, his voice cracking ever so slightly on the last word. 

“Why…why did you do that?” Touya demands, his tone borderline scathing and full of mistrust. Surely this was just a ruse. Surely Keigo didn’t care. Surely…this was just a cruel trick…everything from Hawks had been a cruel trick…from the very beginning. 

“Because I’m not afraid of you,” Keigo responds, his eyes softening…but his words spark a fire inside Touya. Oh, the irony…Touya wishes he had his fire back now more than ever. 

‘You should be afraid of me…I want you to be afraid of me. After everything… why aren’t you ?!’ 

Once again, it was a cruel trick in Touya’s eyes. He hates this feeling in his chest…the sensation that irrefutably proves he still cares for the ex-Pro. He’s so angry now that he’s fucking shaking…but Keigo misreads his emotions completely. Touya dissociates, vision blurring behind bloody tears as he tries to concentrate on his breathing. Keigo walks around the table, stopping beside Touya, and rests his hand gently on the villain’s shoulder. The second Touya registers pressure, something inside him snaps. Without his Quirk to sense danger, Keigo isn’t fast enough. Without warning, Touya leaps up from the chair, grabs Keigo’s arm, and spins him around, shoving him onto the table. Keigo’s eyes widen, breath catching his throat as he’s suddenly pinned against the table, his face inches away from his ex-lover’s; Touya looms over him, holding Keigo down by his shoulders, breathing hard and fast as his heart stutters in his chest. He’s so fucking angry. He wants to hurt Keigo. He wants Keigo to hurt like he did. Old memories float back into their brains, and their rapid heartbeats unknowingly sync in rhythm and intensity. Touya grits his teeth, scarlet tears streaming down his face. The room is dead silent save for their heavy breathing. 

“Touya…,” Keigo whispers, his voice faltering, and the ex-Pro slowly brings his hand up and cups the side of his face. The villain freezes, shivers running up and down his spine at the unexpected caress, and his heart practically stops. Keigo’s the only person who’s ever touched him like that…the touch that felt genuine and caring…but Touya never knew if it was real…not after what he did to Twice. He swallows the sob that’s building in his throat, hating how much of the crybaby he used to be has come back to the forefront. Keigo whispers his name again, almost sounding like he’s trying to soothe him, and his thumb gently wipes away the blood off the healthy skin between the scars on his cheek. 

“You still don’t think I ever cared?” Keigo mutters, his voice laced with angst. His words make something twitch in Touya’s soul. 

‘Fuck.’

Before Touya can think it through, he’s pressing his lips to Keigo’s in an intensely passionate kiss. Keigo melts into the gesture, eagerly kissing back as his arms wrap around Touya’s neck. Keigo’s kisses are gentle, and it makes Touya sick. He doesn’t want to be gentle. He wants to take out all of his emotions on his ex-lover. Every single one of them. He’s going to fuck every thought out of his head until he’s sore for days . He wants to make him remember just how good it was before he betrayed him…so he’s filled with that much more regret when he realizes this is probably the last time they’ll see each other. Part of him doesn’t want that to be true. Part of him craves this connection…but he can’t allow himself to be so naive again. 

Keigo whines when Touya harshly bites his bottom lip, greedily sucking at it and pulling back until it jerks free from his grip with a slick popping noise. Keigo pulls him back almost immediately for a sloppy open-mouthed kiss, and now they’re chest-to-chest on the dining room table. Touya’s eyes roll back into his head when he feels Keigo’s warm tongue sliding against his own, desperate and possessive. Keigo slides backward, pulling Touya with him until they’re completely on top of the table, and Touya puts his hands on either side of Keigo’s head as they hastily make out. Touya’s breath hisses out of  his nose, a subtle growl rumbling in his throat as his anger starts to bubble up again, muscles clenching and desire peaking. It’s been so long. He needs Keigo…as much as he loathes the idea…he needs him. 

“Get your fucking clothes off,” Touya hisses a seething order as he pulls back, but Keigo’s eyes are half-lidded and just as feral. Keigo reaches forward, grabbing the zipper of Touya’s gaudy orange jumpsuit and almost ripping it off with how fast he pulls on it. Touya mutters offhanded insults under his breath as he sits up, climbing off of Keigo so he can shrug off the jumpsuit. Keigo’s apartment is cold…and he becomes even more aware of it when he’s standing stark naked in the dining room. When he turns back around, Keigo’s already stripped completely, legs spread and inviting. Touya briefly thinks about ramming straight into him without any regard…but he isn’t quite that cruel… still . 

Touya climbs back up on top of Keigo, greedily pressing his lips to his and dragging his hands down the ex-Pro’s body. He’s still just as toned and muscular as he was in his prime a few months ago, and Touya remembers every curve. Keigo moans softly as the villain sinks his teeth into the side of his neck. The sound is like fucking music to Touya’s ears, and it makes his cock throb between his legs. Keigo moans his real name, and Touya sees red. He pulls back, spitting into his hand before rubbing it on his pulsing dick, breath hissing between his gritted teeth as he sighs in ecstasy. Keigo whimpers, spreading his legs as much as he can in anticipation. Touya gets in position, and, slowly, he eases himself inside Keigo. The ex-Pro gasps, face contorting in a mix of pain and pleasure. Touya groans as he bottoms out, grabbing Keigo’s shoulders and digging his fingernails into his scarred skin. 

‘The scars…They’re my fault…because…’

Memories come flooding back. 

‘He deserved it.’

In a sudden rush of anger that blooms in his heart, Touya starts forcefully thrusting in and out; Keigo practically screams, clapping his hands over his mouth. He doesn’t want the handler hearing. All hell will break loose if they’re discovered. If Touya didn’t have his Quirk dampeners in his system, he knew his skin would be steaming. Smoke would be curling from his scars. It’s what always happened whenever Dabi and Hawks had sex. 

“So fucking tight,” Touya snarls, body shuddering as he ruts up into Keigo’s guts. The table rocks back and forth, screeching against the hardwood floor with every roll of Touya’s hips.  

“ AH~ AH~ AH~ !” Keigo’s screams are muffled behind his hand, but Touya can hear him loud and clear. The pain and lust in his voice rile up the villain even more, and he fucks him deeper, increasing his rhythm. 

“Gonna~ fuuck your brains out, bastard,” Touya grunts between bated breaths, sweat beading on the back of his neck as he reaches under Keigo’s thighs, pushing them up until his ankles are above his head. 

‘Flexibility hasn’t changed.’

Keigo squeezes his hands over his mouth harder, eyes going crossed in an ahegao as he drools. Touya leans forward as he feels his orgasm approaching, tearing his ex’s hands away from his mouth and replacing them with his lips. Keigo moans like a whore into the kiss, completely losing his composure as the table shudders under their weight and the force of Touya’s thrusts. Without warning, Keigo orgasms, his hole clenching around Touya’s cock. With a few more rolls of his hips, Touya gasps as he comes; Keigo whimpers as he feels the warmth pooling inside. For a moment, only Touya and Keigo exist, staring deeply into each other’s eyes…just like they used to. The faint memories of intimacy pulse through the air, tainting their realities. However, it doesn’t last. Touya pulls out, making Keigo wince, before lying next to him, trying to catch his breath. 

They both lie still for a few more moments before Keigo gets up with a grunt, promptly grabbing his clothes and pulling them back on like nothing happened, save for his obvious wobbly stance. Touya’s heart pangs when he sees the splattered scar that covers his entire back…the empty places where his wings used to sprout. 

“Did you really invite me over here just for us to hatefuck?” He snaps, climbing off the table to get dressed. 

“I…I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry…and that…I forgive you,” Keigo murmurs, his voice strained like he’s trying not to choke up. Touya zips up the jumpsuit, breath catching in his throat as he processes Keigo’s words. 

“I don’t want your pity…or your forgiveness,” He retorts, trying to let it roll off his shoulders, though it’s very obvious his words are an empty cover-up. When they’re both decent, Touya’s eyes fall onto the crumbled remains of the shock collar remote on the floor.

“What are you gonna tell my handler?” He mumbles, fear pricking in his chest at the wrath he might face from the facility. 

“Don’t worry; we’ll figure it out,” Keigo flashes all of his teeth in that smile Touya’s seen countless times. Suddenly, it’s like every ounce of malice that had polluted the air completely vanished…and Touya’s mind latches on one word. 

‘He said we .’

#dabi x hawks #kinktober 2023 #my hero academia fanfiction #fanfic #ao3 writer #dabi #dabihawks #toukei #ao3 #hotwings #dabihawks smut #dabihawks angst #hurt/comfort #bnha smut #smut #mha angst #pro hero hawks #keigo takami #touya todoroki

[a-shakespearean-in-paris]

To 10 Games

Thanks so much for the tag @thevikingwoman! In no particular order and no particular criteria. Just games that have meant a lot to me for one reason or the other over the years.

tagging @wintersongstress @muses-circle @elveny @alyssalenko and anyone else. I have no clue who is here anymore, lol.

1. Resident Evil 4

Though I love the remake and plan on replaying it soon, the original has to be on this list for not only being nostalgic, but just for being a big staple of my time in high school. I played this game way after it released, but it was such a fun escape when I needed it. Ada and Leon were the first couple I really shipped and their dynamics still appear in my writing today, even subtly. honestly I think it's also fair to say Ada also taught me how to flirt. lol.

2. Kingdom Hearts.

This was the first game I played where the story impacted me enough for me to cry at the end. Yes it’s not exactly great and it’s very cheesy and weird, but I feel the need to include it because this was the game that made me realize how impactful the medium of games could be in terms of storytelling.

3. Dragon Age

I’m sure you knew this would be on here! I’ve spoken so much about it, but let it suffice to say it got me back into writing and now I’m a much better writer because of the things I’ve learned and developed along the way! Will give the edge to Inquisition over Origins on this one, but I feel like a lot of people don't know how much I replayed origins, and in fact played it all the way back when it first came out.

4. Tomb Raider Anniversary

Been thinking about these games a lot recently. I do love the remakes but I have to say I’m partial to this Lara, of Legend and Anniversary variety. She likes adventures and history and she explores and goes to cool locations, and at a time in my life where I was just starting to realize how much travel means to me, I got to vicariously travel. I also think these games are a good blend of puzzle, exploration, and action.

5. Red Dead Redemption 2

This was the game that solidified my feelings that story telling in games not only rivals that of other mediums, but sometimes can even overtake it. Playing RDR2 feels like reading a long epic novel where the characters become your best friends by the end.

6. Last of Us

It would feel weird not to have this game on here because I truly think it is one of the best games that has ever been made. I just like to pretend the sequel doesn’t exist. Cough.

7. Assassins Creed 2

I love so many of these games—odyssey is definitely up there as well but I have to give this one to 2. I played it when I was 16 after coming home from Europe for the first time and enjoyed the hell out of running around Florence after I had been there. I did also have fun playing odyssey again after being in Greece. Couldn’t find the place I jumped from in Paros I was so sad.

8. Okami

This game is very much pure nostalgia. beautiful cell shaded animation and compelling use of Japanese mythology.

9. Mass Effect 2

I don't quite love ME as much as Dragon age due to my own preference for fantasy/medieval, but I love 2 for where it took the story/characters. Overall, ME is one of the few, if only, pieces of SciFi media I like.

10. Witcher 3

If you put a gun to my head and told me to name what I thought the best video game ever released was, I'd say Witcher 3. I have fond memories of playing this game while eating pizza in college. I also just love the animations for this game. In a time of "realism is the way" in video games, to me it's the more animated style that is much more timeless. (this is another reason I like Baldur's Gate right now)

#games #tagged

[messengerhermes]

Look, maybe I don't need to worry about whether the "evil" character has earned their redemption/happy ending, particularly when the evil character is coded as undesirable and abandoned. Maybe I can enjoy the vicarious fantasy that even if deep abandonment and abuse drives someone to their worst, they can still come back from that and find belonging and love.

#hermes rants #look I was never a Marvel Loki stan but I get y'all #Sometimes you want the poor little meow meow to get a snack and a blanket #and it turn out that's all they needed to stop committing atrocities #is this about Toad? it's me #so probably #horrid little frog child

[bengiyo]

My School President Ep 10 Stray Thoughts

Last week, we went to the beach! Sound learned about Gun's relationship with Tinn while they worked on songwriting, and revealed his feelings for Win to Gunn. Yak was there seeking redemption vicariously through his juniors, and managed to help them in spite of his overbearing nature. Tiwson was also there, and as far as I'm concerned was there for Por. Sound managed to confess his feelings through music, and Win acknowledged them. Tinn and Gun want to kiss so badly, but they are still holding to the rule. The unattached characters performed a cover dance.

Tinn had such hopes for dates with Gun during this break. I hope he managed to prepare for the entrance exams at least and didn't just regress to expressing his feelings through Scrabble.

Tinn's family home seems way too big for just three people. Glad they're doing well?

I can't believe Gun mushed Tinn in the face as a hug denial. Still, it's probably the right call begun Gun is falling hard for Tinn too.

I'm sorry, but the wireless earbuds just don't feel as intimate as crowding close together to share wired ones.

Tinn's mom woke up, sensed Tinn not focused on schoolwork, and had to come check.

These two are just so endearing.

New intro hype!!

Of course Kajorn is the reason she confirmed Tinn lied.

That's right, Sound. It's time for Gun to ask the big questions: Who are you? And What do you want?

I agree with @kyr-kun-chan that Gun playing along with Tinn about the holy Chinzilla, and then teasing about having many boyfriends is fun, because we don't often get playful pairs.

Gosh, I really love these two. The Wave 3 BL boys are doing a great job.

I'm glad we were warned in the preview about Gim falling at work.

Meningioma? A tumor??

I wonder how the secrets he's been keeping will blow up for Tinn.

Por knew he had to look cute to ask a favor of Tiwson.

Aof cameo? 1000Scores??? A Tale of Thousand Scores?? What is happening?!?

Can't even enjoy the boyfriend meal because Tinn is being eaten up by this secret.

Lot of head slapping and shoving this episode.

Tiwson remains the greatest supporter. Just the absolute best boy.

The Tiwson/Por crumbs continue to confuse.

Aw, and now Gun is thinking that he's not a priority, before even worse learning Tinn knew something about his mom.

Fourth is good.

I'm glad Gun knows all that Tinn has been doing for him, because I doubt Tinn would have ever told him.

Please drink the product placement water to feel better, not the nondescript water from the meal scene earlier.

Sometimes it's especially interesting watching stories like this when you're older. You know what the answers are for the characters, but they're young and it won't matter until they believe it themselves. Where is Natasha Bedingfield?

Not me crying over how much I love Chinzhilla.

Why is Tinn's phone unlocked??? Maybe it's just because he's at home. I will applaud the mom for not digging through the phone, but still she knows it's Gunn now.

Now Tiwson is making them scramble for shirts in 4 days? Look at the hustle on these boys.

Of course Gun's at the hospital. He might lose his mom.

Oh, gay boys and their moms. I love Gim and Gun so much.

I like Gun's song for Tinn.

Okay, I cried at Gim watching the performance before her surgery.

I'm so relieved they didn't leave us in limbo about Gun's mom.

I think I get the cliffhanger. It's the primary emotional hold of the show.

Back to the beach next week I see.

#my school president meta #my school president #thai bl #bl series #Ben watches

[blanche-elizabeth-devereaux]

For everyone going to Tombstone Redemption this weekend, know this: I wish you safe travels, I want you to have more fun than you've ever had in your LIFE, you're all gonna rock your cosplays, and please... I'm INCREDIBLY jealous of y'all 😤

(I will be living vicariously through guys ♥️)

#rdr2 #tombstone redemption #but seriously good luck ♥️