#//But that usually only happened if something's truly threatening a loved one and he can't do a damn thing about it

[dutybcrne]

It’s easy enough to tell just how much something really got to Kaeya based on the air around him. He’s so carefully in control of his own emotions and Vision alike, his true feelings tend to go unnoticed or masked as something else. But if it really threw him or a loop or upset him in some way, a notable change in temperatures ( proportionate to how much he was affected ) is the surest sign, regardless of his poker face.

#hc; kaeya #//You know it's BAD bad if ice actively starts forming on himself/nearby without him noticing or in spite of him trying to keep calm #//But that usually only happened if something's truly threatening a loved one and he can't do a damn thing about it #//Or otherwise brought out of him by certain folks he's attached to. Like a certain claymore user for instance #//If Diluc ever tried to initiate reconciliation abruptly or even began to pry into his business; Kae is deffo bound to freeze something #//And he would sure hope Diluc wouldn't try to grab his shoulder or otherwise touch him unexpectedly; bc he'd give the man HELLA frostburn #//Pyro and Cryo do Not mix well; especially not if he was already stressed to begin with #//Anyone else trying to pry would get a chill in the air; whether bc of annoyance or rising stress #//Though Jean could also get him to freeze smth if she catches him off-guard a lot easier than most #//Especially if it flusters him--he would accidentally make a flurry burst of ice crystals the moment the feeling hits #//She and Diluc are the people he is/was most attached to; so ofc they're the ones who can get the strongest reactions out of him #//Diluc genuinely angry; whether at Kae or someone near; is also v likely to make him freeze the ground or smth he's holding #//Same with Jean; he assumes--he has yet to see her actually angry; but he genuinely Fears how it would go #//And the thought alone makes frost spread #//The traveler is depending on what exactly it is they do. Angry with him; it's a chill. Hurt; chill; maybe some frost depending #//Otherwise he's got a good handle on his emotions around them #//Y'know how in Frozen when Elsa froze her own room & then later in the prison when she froze her cell & shit started breaking? #//Yeah; that was what happened the first sleep after The Confrontation and during his stay at the Winery #//Both bc of Diluc lashing out and bc he was finally able to process Crepus' death #//Mans could not sleep Anywhere without the room ending up sealed in ice #//And only got worse each and every time Diluc's Vision flickered and dimmed #//He is thoroughly convinced the fact that he kept it on his person constantly is the reason he didn't get himself sick or worse #//He felt so awful for the staff and Adelinde especially if it got bad enough that she needed to get him to come out so it all could melt #//Or otherwise pull him out of his spiraling so he didn't actually compromise himself; the structure; or anyone else #//Would always act like she needed him to fetch her something; but he Knew. He Knew; and was mortified each and even time #//It got easier to control as the years went by; especially after/whenever Diluc replied to his letters #//But occasionally a particular nightmare would get him. Sometimes does in present day; but he's quicker to recover than back then #//When Jean got sick; her desk space had frost coating it while he worked. And when he heard she disappeared on Barbara? #//He froze and broke her inkwell; his coffee mug; and several pens #//All of which he replaced and swore Noelle to utmost secrecy

[sockmeat]

Hello! I really like your blog and if i may ask for an Alastor x Lollipop overlord reader? Like reader doesn't look like a demon at all, she's cute, small, looks like a walking cotton candy, she's sweet to everyone and eat sweets. But she is dangerous like she has her dark side. Pretty please and thank you! <3

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

𝐅𝐄𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 --  𝑨 𝑳𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒐𝒑!𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝑺/𝑶 (𝑯𝒂𝒛𝒃𝒊𝒏 𝑯𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒍)

(𝐰𝐜): 685

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: You, a suspiciously cheerful overlord, catch Alastor's eye and fate takes control of your relationship.

(𝐀/𝐍): I mainly focused on the build-up to the relationship since I can't think of anything outside of my romantic hcs :PPP

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠(𝐬): None

                                                        𓆩♡𓆪

♡ Alastor first saw you as an enemy–a strong one, at that.

♡ You were an overlord, yet you were so sweet and innocent and loved to make people smile, just as he did.

♡ You intrigued him, but he knew better than to take your demeanor as a weakness. He would be stupid to. He knew that no matter how cute and welcoming you seemed, you must’ve done something truly monstrous to get the power you have.

♡ And Alastor found it riveting.

♡  He wanted to know what exactly you were hiding underneath all that candy.

♡ So, he approached you. He expected you to be threatened like any other overlord would be, especially considering his unforgiving reputation, but you were oddly welcoming.

♡ He decided he would meet you within your territory so if a fight were to break out, none of his would be broken.

♡ You weren’t hard for him to find. You were skipping down the streets, leaving a messy trail of cotton candy, lollipops, and sugar-stricken demons.

♡  Alastor greeted you and you didn’t seem all that surprised to see him there.

♡ The two of you made pleasant conversation while the demons around you avoided him like the plague.

♡  Alastor found himself enjoying your company more than he thought he would.

♡  Your carefree attitude was a nice breath of fresh air for him. Usually, people were either aggressive or timid around him, but demons were rarely chipper like you were.

♡ He was so captivated by you, he would often make excuses just for him to spend more time with you.

♡ Originally, he just wanted to observe you–how you operated normally and how you would react when you had an obstacle (that he was often the cause of.)

♡ However, his original plans crumbled when he started to fall for you.

♡ Alastor knew you liked him as well; you were much clumsier and nervous when he was around, something he knew only happened when you were with him because he’s been watching you for so long.

♡ He didn’t confess to you immediately.

♡ He instead chose to tease you, make you flustered and ensure that you really were attracted to him.

♡ He would stay unnecessarily close to you so he could lean down into your face whenever he pleased, give you gifts like sweets (he insists he just found it and hates sweets, but the wrapping is too pristine for road candy,) and insinuate that you two are together and deny it whenever you question him.

♡ Alastor is confident that you’ll be his, so he has no problem letting the chase drag on a little.

♡ You’re actually the one to crack and confess.

♡ While you were helping Alastor cook dinner for everyone, he teased you through lingering touches.

♡ He assigned you to cut the vegetables, chastised you for doing them wrong, then brought you to his chest and put his hands over yours to “show you how it’s done.”

♡ He regularly offered you samples of the food, keeping eye contact while he fed you and asked how you liked it while you were stuttering over your words.

♡ The final straw was when he told you not to get too close to the food or else you’d make it too sweet.

♡ You blurted out your confession before you could think and flushed when you saw his smile widen.

♡ He was very smooth with asking you out–you barely registered that he had actually asked you out before he finished serving dinner and called for everyone to eat.

♡ For your first date, he took you out for dinner where he reserved the entire restaurant for you two.

♡ Your dynamic hadn’t changed much from when you two were just pining.

♡ The only difference was Alastor could actually kiss you now, but he still doesn’t enjoy PDA much, so most people barely notice the change.

♡ You two are partners in crime with a good-cop bad-cop dynamic and strike fear into the citizens of Hell.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

#hazbin hotel #my writing #alastor #alastor x reader #hazbin hotel alastor x reader #fem reader #female reader #hazbin hotel alastor x female reader

[thefloorisbalaclava]

[Masterlist]

Possessive/Jealous Simon 'Ghost' Riley

Simon has never really had much of anything to call his own so when you say you're his, it sparks something...primal inside of him.

He does NOT stalk you or want to know where you are every minute of every day, but if he doesn't hear from you, he worries. And he doesn't like to worry.

He loves to mark you--hickeys, love bites, etc--and he may purposely put them in places where others can see.

It also brings him a little pride seeing you walk funny the day after you two made love (fucked) for hours.

His jealousy presents as anger but never towards you.

He is not so jealous as to control who you talk to or hang out with, but if he gets a feeling that someone wants something more from you, he's usually right.

Deep down, he wishes he could spend every second with you because it's the only time he feels like he matters.

What would happen if you left him? He doesn't like thinking about it.

You know when he thinks about it too much because in bed he wraps himself around you and doesn't let go .

Nothing pleases him more than hearing you say that you are his.

Simon has never felt threatened by other men...until you came along.

And it wasn't a fear that they may hurt or kill him. It was the fear that they would take you away from him.

He'd bravely let you go if that was what you truly wanted, but he hopes it never gets to that point.

You tell him to never get your name tattooed because you think it's bad luck, but he still leaves an area of skin right over his heart empty just in case.

You playfully wore his tac vest and balaclava once and he will never forget about it.

He loves when you're naked--wearing nothing but his dog tags.

Wearing something on your body that belongs to him is one of the highest forms of flattery.

Sometimes he can't help but to think of the people you were with before him and it makes him want to break something. He wishes he could have been your first everything.

He can name every shampoo, body wash, perfume that you've ever used. His sense of smell is fantastic.

As much as he wants to possess you, the fact of the matter is that you possess him without even knowing it. You have a power over him that others never had.

#simon ghost riley #simon riley #simon riley x you #simon riley x reader #simon ghost riley x reader #headcanons #call of duty modern warfare ii #cod mw2

[sailorblossoms]

In romances that have action elements, "the love interest of the action hero/protagonist is used to hurt him" (because that's how you target "his heart") is typically a thing...

What’s interesting here is that Agatha was constantly kidnapped as part of playing this role (she was likely constantly kidnapped because she's by far the easier mark; this is also part of the design of the damsel role)... while Simon takes danger very seriously, at some point this becomes practically routine for Penny and him (Penny talks about rescuing Agatha as early as 2nd year, so they likely arrived at this point pretty early on). This is something they do so many times that they sort of don't take it seriously anymore. Not seriously enough, at least. The total confidence that they will save the day is, after all, rooted in "experience" – I mean, why fear for the girl when you have saved her a bazillion times before? When she's always "fine at the end," even if she's pissed?

As much as she was kidnapped, it's never once "Agatha is targeted to hurt me" – it doesn't hurt Simon at all. He never even expresses any worry about it (I'm getting back here). I mean, think about it: Agatha is thinking "I'm always saying that living like this is going to get us all killed but nobody listens to me" when just a little while back Simon was like "I don't need help to rescue Agatha, I've done this hundreds of times before," in the middle of losing his entire goddamn mind for Baz-related reasons, as Simon often does (likely how it played out for years in Watford in a nutshell). Agatha being targeted only truly hurts Agatha... her very serious and valid grievances are met with dismissively confident grins and "don't worry, I'll always save you" as opposed to "how can we prevent this from happening again?” Nobody ever cares to address how she doesn't want to be a target in the first place.

So it really picks my attention how differently Simon behaves when the target is Baz. It doesn't mean Simon doesn't give a shit about Agatha – she's loved like a friend, like someone he grew up with, like one of the very few people in the world who are close to him. She notes that Simon enters the battle looking like he won't leave her behind. But when she's in danger, she's playing a role (even if it's against her will) which gives Simon security (even when it causes the opposite in her).

Agatha being targeted is treated more like part of a job, and in a way, that's what it is. It's Simon's "job" as a hero to protect. During his time in Watford, it's what makes him feel useful. According to the script they're following, the hero always saves the girl... So it makes sense for Simon to never worry about Agatha: worrying contemplates a scenario in which he fails to save her (only Penny and Baz worry, and it comes with the awareness that she could be dead). That's something Simon simply can't do. It's the sort of thinking that goes against the script, which he actively avoids to survive. It would threaten everything that gives him worth and purpose and security; again, heroes always save the girl! He has always saved her before. Anything else is unthinkable.

When Baz doesn't show up, that goes against all roles and scripts they have been following all along... and if you do look at the script, disrupting rival/antagonistic roles tend to go down a path that ends in their destruction. So of course Simon would lose his mind with worry, even if he focuses on "he must be plotting" scenarios. Of course Simon goes restless whenever Baz is out of his sight, even if he doesn't fully get why. After all, Simon's "job" isn't to protect Baz according to their roles, but to fight him. The structure that makes him feel like Agatha's safety is guaranteed at the end would also make him fear that Baz is the opposite.

Ultimately, "the protagonist's love is used to hurt him" is applicable, but not in the way it's usually done (fucking with the female character to further a man's story). Agatha has a voice. It does nothing for Simon's development when she's targeted – on the contrary: his character is stuck in a routine. It highlights her hurt and his flaws. (Perhaps it even creates a contrast, a "before and after Baz," a "Simon who follows a script vs a Simon who finds himself" that shows how Simon struggles with certain thoughtfulness and caring before he's learning by following Baz's cues. He was a neglected child and so he doesn't know how.)

We see this applied when Baz is targeted, and Simon notes, upset, that "Baz was used to hurt him." He has never before made that kind of observation. Baz is a man, and a rival, and a vampire (a "monstrous villain") who's expected to be hurt, but this is no longer follows the script. This follows nothing, so the stakes feel more "real." If Simon doesn't know where Baz is, he grows restless. If there's even the possibility of Baz being in danger or hurt, Simon loses it. This is not about a job, there isn't a (false) sense of security backed up by roles and the precedent set by them. Simon shows us again how much the roles didn't fit Agatha and him toward the end, when the mage is ready to attack Baz, but Simon grabs the mage's wand and redirects it toward his own heart. Baz is his heart. It was never the damsel. You hurt Simon the most when you hurt Baz.

#simon snow #snowbaz #baz pitch #carry on #simon snow trilogy #baz x simon #baz grimm pitch #agatha wellbelove #wayward son

[usiel21]

Enid: A werewolf in pining.

(TW: The taking of one's own life is mentioned but does not happen)

Enid, alone in their dorm, Wednesday has neglected their relationship again, in her single minded pursuit of the Stalker, Enid has been left to dither and wallow, her heart reaching out, pining for the one she would call Mate. The one who she would give up everything for, if she but asked, she would gladly give.

Enid, lies on her bed listening to Chances by Athlete on repeat, her silent tears begging the Universe for Wednesday to choose her.

Enid, hopelessly in love with the girl, that shines like the sun in an Eclipse, the girl that Enid looks to for strength, the girl who holds her soul in black polished fingernails.

Enid begs the Universe and the Universe, that of which is usually uncaring, decides to give her that chance.

Wednesday comes stumbling through the door to their dorm, hand pressed to her side, where blood gushes out.

Enid springs to her feet, Wednesday remarks that getting stabbed the second time around wasn't as fun as she hoped, just as the first time wasn't. Enid rushes to get the first air kit, and helps Wednesday clean, stich and bandage the wound, hands both gentle and caring, soft in touch but firm in purpose. Wednesday watches her, eyes wide, like she is truly seeing Enid for the first time.

"Goddamn it, Wednesday" Enid mutters as she wraps the bandage round her waist. "From now on, no more running off on your own, no more of this one girl crusade" Enid says, eyes fierce. "You take me with you or you don't go at all" She says, securing the bandage to her side, keeping it tight.

"No" Wednesday mutters, her eyes flicker down.

"Then i won't let you go" Enid says, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"I have to find the stalker and i am but one step closer to solving this mystery" Wednesday says raising her head to meet her gaze

Enid fights the urge to scream, this conversation going the same way as it did last Semester.

"Then i'm not letting you go alone!" Enid growls out.

"No" Wednesday replies, her voice firmer, her eyes glittering dangerously.

Enid scoffs and laughs bitterly "Sure but you'll let Xavier help you! Tall, dark and broody just can't wait to..." She trails off, unable to say the words, she swallows, shoving down the explosion of emotion that threatens to erupt from Mt. Enid. she turns away, unable to look at the cold burn of Wednesday's eyes.

Wednesday narrows her eyes.

"I let him help me because i don't care about what happens to him, his well-being means nothing to me"

Enid pauses. A hopeful tug at her heart.

"Do you think i care for you so little that i would put you in harm's way again? do you think i would put the most precious of all gems out in the open just to be snatched away? No, i found that out the hard way last semester, and i refuse to let it happen again, i refuse to let it happen to you"

Enid feels her heart stop, before exploding thunderously with elation, set alight. she turns to see Wednesday looking at her softly and her eyes glistening, through sheer force of will, Wednesday would not let the tears fall unbidden.

"If he dies, then he dies" Wednesday said, her callousness would shock other people, but not Enid, not in this moment. "But you? if you died at the alter of my bloody hubris, i would throw myself off the top of our dorm balcony, if only to be with you again, i would not hesitate"

Enid stops breathing, such a declaration is something she can only have dreamt about it makes her heart soar, her skin tingle, and her body shiver.

"Wends..." Enid begins, her voice quivers, Mt. Enid struggles to keep the bubbling viscosity of her love for Wednesday, bubbling below the surface. But Wednesday hold's up her hand, clearly not finished.

"This stalker, threatens me on a daily basis and evidently backs up those threats" Wednesday says, gesturing to her bandaged wound. "by extension he threatens you by mere association and i cannot allow that to be, i cannot allow that bastard to roam free with his limbs intact, i will find him, and i will rip him to pieces, if only to keep you, my most precious gem, safe."

Enid's eyes are wide, full of love, her body aflame with affection.

"And that is why you must stay here, so you cannot see the darkest pieces of I, Lest I tarnish you with my love of the horrific, of the macabre, of the Sadist, because i will enjoy their pain."

And Enid, hears none of it, she made peace with the fact that she would love Wednesday forever, no matter how much pain she inflicts, no matter if she became a murderer, no matter if she became the monster she claimed she was always destined to be.

She would love her forever. Unconditionally. She made peace with that an eternity ago.

"Wends... are you saying...." Enid gulps, putting every ounce of courage she has ever gathered up to this point forward "...that you love me?" Enid finishes, her voice quiet, small, but so very much Enid.

Wednesday doesn't even blink nor hesitate

"If my so many words didn't enlighten you than i shall use far less, then Yes, i do" Wednesday said, lowering her face slightly.

Enid thinks her heart stops because blood starts rushing to her head but she persists, she will not faint, she won't. This had become too important to screw up, she moved forwards, carefully, slowly, not wanting to startle "the wounded fawn" as Wednesday once called herself. She reached out a hand and cupped Wednesday's face, who did not shy away from it but pressed her face into Enid's palm.

"Wednesday" she says softly "Look at me..." Wednesday opens her eyes and Enid sees the love there, its subtle but its there.

"Do you think i love you so little that i would let you face this alone?" Enid said, echoing the girls words back at her. "Do you think if you died, that i love you so little, i wouldn't follow you there?" Enid says, her face "I made peace with the fact that i would love you for the rest of my life, and that i would follow you, no matter where you go" Enid says, inching closer to the Raven.

Their lips meet, a thunderous rejoicing in the heavens sounds as lightning flashes above Nevermore, lighting up their world, their first kiss under a naturally violent act of nature. Enid presses deeper, her need, her heartache evaporating as she claims Wednesday as hers, the kiss chaste but needy and so very overdue.

Wednesday places her hand on Enid's waist, and pushes deeper into the kiss, desperate to feel. desperate for touch, desperate for her to burst aflame, Enid, being the only one, who could achieve such a feat.

They slowly pull apart, lungs screaming for air. Enid rubes her nose on the shorter girl's nose, unable to stop herself.

Nothing is left that needs to be said, nothing left to be done.

Until Wednesday tugged Enid towards her bed, the two smitten teens laying down beside each other, with Wednesday being careful of her wound, and they spent the night, in each other's arms, Wednesday, letting the exhaustion of her hunt finally overtake her.

and Enid, holds the smaller teen in her arms, remarking at just how soft Wednesday was once the rough edges vanished behind the lull of sleep, she stays awake however, worshipping Wednesday with her eyes and softest touches with the pads of her fingers.

Her heart in ache before, could feel nothing now but Peace.

#wenclair #wednesday x enid #enid x wednesday #incorrect quotes #they're gay your honor #protective wednesday #angst #jealousy #emotional whump #angst with a happy ending #Xavier is expendable #yay! #drabble

[aphroditelovesu]

yandere artemis hcs? - 🌓

"I love how you are like my prey and I am your hunter." - Artemis.

❝ 🏹 — lady l: Hii! Bringing another headcanons of the Greek gods and this one was from Artemis, one of my favorite goddesses. This is a general hc, that is, it encompasses both the romantic yandere and the platonic yandere. I hope you like it and sorry for any mistakes! :)

❝🏹 tw: yandere themes, obsessive and possessive behavior, overprotection, mention of murder, implied torture.

❝🏹 pairing: yandere!artemis x gender neutral!reader

Artemis is a rational and very confident goddess, she is reclusive and very determined. Her personality is strong and her attitudes calculated precisely. She is an enigma, she can be both warm and gentle and violent and merciless.

The goddess of hunting has two sides, one that will draw you into her arms and one that will make you kneel down begging for mercy, something she won't give you. She is very strong and a great tracker, you could try all you wanted, but you would never be able to escape the clutches of the goddess.

Artemis is a ruthless and cruel goddess when necessary, but she will hardly show that side of her to you, only if you truly deserve it. She doesn't want you to fear her, no more than necessary at least.

But she can be as affectionate as she is scary, it all depends on her mood. Artemis wants you to trust her, she wants to be your confidant, best friend and maybe soul mate and she's not stupid she knows that for these things to happen you need to trust and love her but don't get too cocky, she can and will force you to these things and more if you are stubborn and continue to deny the goddess' affections.

Her hunters will also develop an obsession with you, but more platonic than romantic. They adore Artemis and Artemis adores you, meaning you have become important to these young women too. They will take you hunting with them, drag you to celebrations that are approved by their goddess and will pamper you, with usually animals killed by them in their hunts.

Artemis will only spoil you if she thinks you deserved it. She is one of the few gods who will not pamper her sweetheart without moderation, she will, but in a more controlled and dependent manner on your behavior towards her. If you are a good girl/boy, she will reward you with anything you want, but if you were bad to her, you will be punished and the punishments of the goddess of hunting are not light or gentle but painful and marked.

She is not a possessive or a jealous goddess, Artemis considers herself superior to these petty feelings. That doesn't mean she can't be jealous, because she can and will, but it will never be shown in public. In private, she will calmly question you about who made her jealous. If the goddess doesn't consider them a threat to her, then they can live, but if she feels threatened somehow, they won't see the next day. And she will remind you who you belong to.

To say that the goddess is overprotective is a huge understatement, she is completely obsessed with your security. Any scratch will not be ignored and if someone caused that scratch they will be killed by a wild boar or other animal she wants. No one is allowed to hurt you but her, not even you can hurt yourself.

Few people and gods can get close to you, she doesn't want anyone to steal you from her for more than necessary. You will be absolutely cut off from Zeus, she doesn't want him to set his eyes on you and want to take you to his bed, no, there's no way she's going to allow that. Apollo is one of the only gods she lets get close to you, she trusts her brother and knows he won't try anything with you as he knows very well that you belong to Artemis. And only her.

Artemis adores you, very much, and she wants you to be happy, but she would rather you be unhappy with her than happy without her. She is a selfish goddess, Artemis has never had anything of her own other than her Hunters but she has never been in love and now that she is so obsessed with you she knows she will deeply regret it if she lays you down and the goddess is not the type who likes to regret her actions. She will try to make you happy with her by her side, but if you keep wanting to stay away from her then she will be ruder and harsher with her words and punishments.

She will love teaching you to hunt, you will always be taken with her on her hunts, even if you don't want to. If you allow her to teach you how to use a bow or how to kill a bear, for example, you will have the goddess on her knees for you. Hunting together is one of Artemis' favorite activities to do with you.

The goddess of hunting is one of the most controlled and least dangerous yanderes in the Greek Pantheon, she knows how to control herself and is not driven by strong emotions such as anger or jealous. She'll still hurt you if need be, but she'll comfort you right away. Artemis wants you to love her no matter what, and she will use any means available to make that happen. You won't ever leave her, Artemis will always find you.

#yandere greek mythology #yandere greek gods #yandere artemis #yandere artemis headcanons #yandere artemis x reader #🌓 anon #yandere headcanons #greek mythology

[anarcoqueer1994]

TW: Slurs, homophobia, abuse, neglect

Steve’s parents are shitty, but Eddie loves Steve, and it gets sappy

You are My Sunshine

Steve likes boys. He has known he liked more than just girls since he was 8 years old. But Mr. Harrington made sure to try and beat that idea out of him, lay harsh harsh hands against him leaving bruises in their wake, degrade him with knife-like words like pansy or faggot until he learned not to bring up those feelings anymore. His mother would silently sit back, showing her agreement with apathy.

For years, Steve tried to hide it. He played the popular, skirt-chasing jerk, only daring to kiss boys in the dead of night, hook up with them when no one was looking, and accept that many of them were scared too, inevitably leaving him alone after. Honestly his luck with women, though, wasn't much better. No matter what, Steve just ended up heartbroken.

But when he met Eddie, things felt different. He didn't know why, but he was drawn to Eddie like some planet orbiting a giant bright star. And Steve wanted to stay in that orbit, wanted to move even closer, even if it destroyed him. But Eddie didn't destroy him. Eddie loved him. For the first time, Steve felt like he was truly, romantically in love, even if they haven't said that yet. He felt protected, like he belonged somewhere.

But his parents came home unexpectedly one day, to "check-in" after the "earthquake." Only it was 10 months too late. But it didn't matter, they caught Steve and Eddie making out on the couch, Steve straddling Eddie’s lap. Any pretenses that this was anyway two straight dudes hanging out were out the window.

The harsh words come out again as Steve tries to clumsily pull himself off of Eddie.

"I thought I beat that faggot shit out of you!" His dad yells stepping closer to Steve. His mom stays quiet per usual.

"Dad...I..." He stutters.

"Shut up, Steven." He steps closer as Steve flinches.

Eddie watches as the bright light that usually fills Steve's eyes is replaced by something darker...fear. Eddie isn't used to this, Steve was fearless against the monsters of the upside down, but this monster, his own father, is too much for him.

He knows he should stay out of it but can't. Before Eddie knew what he was doing, he was between Steve and his dad, blocking Steve from the man who looks eerily similar except his eyes are filled with hatred.

"Get out of here!' His dad screams at Eddie. "I don't want some trailer trash faggot in my home!" He tries to push past Eddie to his real target of his vitriol. But Eddie doesn't budge.

"I'll leave, but only with Steve." He spits back.

Behind him, Steve is seething. The moment his father turned his attacks to Eddie instead of him, he snapped. He was no longer fearful, all he wants is to defend Eddie, his Eddie.

"My son is not going with you!" Mr Harrington practically growls.

"Yes, I am!" Steve's voice shoots from behind them, as he grabs Eddie's hand, moving so he is next to his boyfriend. Eddie squeezes his hand in return.

He doesn't remember what happened next. Just screaming, and fists. When he gets to the door with Eddie, his father threatens him to never come back. His mother surprisingly convinces his father to let him grab his things first. He leaves that day with a few hastily packed bags, a black eye, and Eddie.

Steve drove off from his used to be home, not saying a word as he gripped onto Eddie’s hand, threatening to never let go. He was lost in his thoughts as Eddie tried to soothingly run his thumb in circles over Steve’s hand.

His father finally succeeded, got rid of his queer son. He knew people would find out. He knew he dragged Eddie, his star, into this. And it kills him. But it also kills him to finally have confirmation that his parents could never love him. He already knew that deep inside, given the years of neglect and abuse, but he secretly hoped that they did care afterall. But in the end, they only cared about keeping him under control, parading around his 'good' features, while trying to push down and erase the 'bad' ones.

To Steve's parents, he was just some planet that inconveniently got stuck in their orbit. He was an unwelcome visitor into their solar system. They tried to make do, throwing meteors of insults and hatred at him, to break him down, reshape him into something they could deal with.

All of sudden, it's too much for Steve, tears start falling down his face as he shakes. He has to pull over as his vision gets distorted. Eddie is immediately squeezing his hand and he leaning over.

"Sweetheart..." Eddie whispers.

Steve looks over like he is about to break, eyes red and puffy, face red, with tears down his cheeks. Immediately Eddie throws his arms around Steve pulling him close, practically pulling him onto his lap, as he whispers in Steve’s ear. Steve clings to him like his life depended on it, and in that moment it kind of did.

"Stevie..." He coos. "I got you, baby...I always got you."

"I'm so sorry, Eds..." Steve says wetly after a while, into Eddie’s shoulder, as the sobs start to dry up.

"What? Princess, no...no you have anything to apologize for." Eddie quickly says, not sure Steve is saying sorry.

Steve pulls away, scooting back into his seat,looking down, suddenly embarrassed for his "outburst." He hears his parents voices as he thinks about it, always embarrassed by any show of emotion he might have.

Eddie reaches back for Steve’s hand. Steve doesn't look up, but lets Eddie take his hand. Eddie clears his throat, "You have nothing to be sorry for." His voice is stern like he refuses to see it any other way.

Steve takes a shaky breath before daring to look up, only to find Eddie’s soft brown eyes staring back at him, except his eyes were full of worry, and Steve knows he caused that.

"No, Eddie. I do. My dad is going to out us, things are going to get out and you'll have to deal with that because of me. And now you are worried about me and my stupid daddy problems. And I don’t want to be a burden and..." Steve's anxious rambling is interrupted with a soft little kiss.

Eddie had watched as Steve was digging himself into a giant hole of guilt and it was breaking his heart, so he did the first thing he had thought of. And now as he pulls away, he doesn't go far, resting his hands on Steve’s neck, and forehead against him.

"Stevie..." Eddie whispers. "I don’t care what your dad says or does. He is an asshole, and doesn't deserve you in his life. He'll, I don't deserve to be in your life. Sweetie, you are amazing, and sweet, and somehow you want to spend time with a cynical freak like me..."

Steve cuts him off. "I don’t think your a cynical freak..."

"I know, sweetheart. And that's why you are so special to me. You really see 'me' and I really see 'you.' And, like, I love what I see. You're funny, and smart, and kind of dumb." He smiles teasingly. "And you are caring, and kind and bitchy, and everything all the same time. And you are so fucking hot. I love you, Steve Harrington. "

Steve suddenly feels like his heart is going to beat out of chest and fly around the car. "You love me?" He says in half disbelief.

"Yea, you are my sunshine, Stevie. You brighten up my life. So, yea I love you." He smiles at Steve like he is the only person in the whole world.

Steve can’t help but smile back. Steve had been wrong. To Eddie, he wasn’t just some planet pulled into his orbit, destined to be destroyed. He was a star in his own right. He was bright and beautiful and powerful. Steve and Eddie were two stars dancing around each other, pulled to one another, always circling the other with their light and receiving light at the same time. They were bright and beautiful and powerful together too. Steve was Eddie’s star just as much as Eddie is his.

He whispers "I love you, too, Eddie." And he leans back in for another soft chaste kiss.

Eddie lets a happy sigh escape his nose. "Good..." then he gets a devious little smile. "But there is one thing I would change..."

Steve pouts, maybe a little exaggerated. " Oh? What is that?"

"Your last name, Harrington." He says definitely.

"Honestly, not too fond of it myself anymore..." He replies sadly.

Eddie senses his sadness so he saves the moment. "Then how about we change it to Munson, soon."

Steve laughs, eyes still red and face puffy from crying. "Is this how you are proposing to me?'

"I don’t know. Would your answer be yes?" Eddie grins.

"Of course." Steve smiles again, before playfully adding, "But if you think this means you don't have to take me out to a nice place and propose properly, you'd be wrong."

"Whatever you say, Princess." Eddie laughs before pulling Steve in for another soft kiss.

#stranger things ficlet #stranger things #steddie #steddie fic #Steve harrington #Eddie munson #Steve's parents are terrible #abuse #slurs #neglect #sappy

[thewritersplace]

Writeblr Garden Advent Calendar

December 20: Relationships

Judas and Rose embody and fit every stereotype about twins (whether this intentional or not on their part is unknown to everyone except for them). They can finish each other's sentences, they have strikingly similar looks, they always seem to know what the other is thinking, they feel that their souls are linked together, and they would do anything for each other.

Judas is the first one to see that Vlad is the man Rose has been waiting for, and the first one to see that their love is one for the ages. He is the one to convince their parents (mostly their mother) to let the courtship happen, and not to interfere with the relationship. He is also the one to politely warn/threaten Vlad about treating Rose correctly, which amuses Vlad and also causes him to have a slightly higher opinion of Judas than he had previously.

Rose is deeply appreciative of her brother's constant support, and seeks him out for comfort and advice throughout her marriage (such as when she learns she can't have kids, and then later when she's frustrated with Vlad for being reluctant to turn her into a vampire). She also is the one to turn him into a vampire after he is mortally wounded trying to save her from Van Helsing — who in turn is trying to harm Vlad — solely because she cannot bear to lose him.

While Judas appreciated the choice she made, and was glad she made it, Vlad was not necessarily so keen on it. His relationship with Judas had always been largely cordial and occasionally familial (as in, they would sometimes act familiarly with each other and share moments of brotherly bonding), and of course he loved Rose with every fiber of his being, but he felt as if this decision was disrespectful due to Rose not giving Judas a choice in the matter. He does eventually come around, however, when Rose and Judas explain that they always planned to have the latter become a vampire, since neither twin could bear to think of a life without the other.

Vlad and Rose's relationship is like Judas and Rose's relationship in that it is intrinsic and full of deep love and loyalty. The relationships are unlike each other, however, in that Vlad and Rose's is infinitely more complicated. They view the world differently due to having spent their mortal and immortal lives in different eras, and because Vlad has a far more complicated and traumatizing past than Rose does. They also view vampirism very differently, and often argue about it (Judas has kept a tally of the arguments), but these arguments always end in each realizing the other won't ever truly understand their side (though not for a lack of trying). Perhaps the only thing they do agree on in that particular argument is that they will never agree (this is something Judas finds incredibly funny, as the repeat argument indicates that two clearly never truly learn this lesson).

The relationship between all three is interesting because they all balance each other out in some ways. Judas is able to give perspective on Rose to Vlad, and Vlad to Rose, and this in turn helps both understand the other better. Meanwhile, Vlad often plays the role of the mediator/peacemaker when the twins start arguing/bickering, and usually talks Rose down, or firmly warns/cautions Judas against further provoking her (lest Vlad have to physically separate them). Ironically, Vlad and Judas' relationship with each other is improved largely by Rose's presence and influence, as she is what ties them together. She is also the one who encouraged them to curate a proper relationship in the first place, and is in turn the one responsible for the creation of their bond. They have both often said that without her and her influence, they would probably be more of the traditional in-laws and consider each other to be more like acquaintances than friends (or even brothers).

#writeblrgarden #twgcalendar #wtwcommunity #wip: the road to eternity is paved with blood

[pentechnics]

Here Comes the Rain

Chapter 17 of Of Love and Time

Summary: As the rain falls on the world around you both to wash away the last of your woes, after having to keep your feelings closed away for so long, your love has come back to you.

Pairing: Din Djarin x f!teacher!Reader

Series Content: teacher/parent AU, fluff, slow burn, lots of mutual pining, mild sexual tension, mentions of past trauma (tagged in detail for specific chapters), depictions of violence (nothing explicit, no gore), angst, a dash of hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending, Grogu is at the equivalent age of a human 4-year-old and can speak

Notes: Here we are, my loves. The final chapter of the main story. And yes, I did cry while I wrote it. Words can't describe how I'm feeling right now. This fic is my entire heart and soul, it's the one that started this whole shebang, and so many of you have been avidly supporting it since the very beginning. And so so many of you have just found it and continue to give it so much love!! No matter when you joined the fam, I can't tell you all how much I appreciate you with words alone!

Now, I've said this before but I'm gonna say it again: I'm not done with these two! While their main story is now wrapped up, I still plan to write more snippets from Din's POV, and I am always welcome to asks about these two. Don't be shy sending those my way, okay?

Also, it never occurred to me that I haven't shared this fic's theme song with you all. It's right here. I can't find this version anywhere else but it's this one specifically lol. From beginning to end, this song has been one of the main driving forces of the narrative. So listen, think about them, and enjoy!

I love you all so so SO much and I really hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you all again for coming with me on this ride, it has truly been one to remember! ❤️

~~~~

‘Of course! So happy he’s okay. Excited to see you.’

Din had spent much of the night in Grogu’s room, ensuring he slept through at least the first half of it. 

The rest of it was spent staring at that message, imagining the way your eyes shined when you told him the good news. He couldn’t wait to see you. 

When the light of a new day finally began to seep through the window, Din looked up to find an overcast morning outside: several gray clouds, some darker than others, coated the sky in every which hue they had to offer, many threatening to spill their moisture. He suited up in a flurry, running to gather himself before making his way downstairs. 

As usual, Fennec was already up. 

“You look like you’re in a rush,” she chortled. “I thought you didn’t have work today.” 

“I don’t,” Din said. When he told her he was going to see you, Fennec grinned. 

“Good. We’ll look after Grogu.” 

“Swear you’ll call if he needs me,” he said, voice dropping an octave while he pointed a gloved finger at her. Fennec waved it off. 

“Yeah, yeah, for sure, just go.” 

With one last glance down at himself, Din made his way out of the house and ignited his jetpack. 

~~~~

You hardly slept the night before. Receiving that message from Din sent a wave of anxiety through you. But not a negative one – no, this was the type of anxiety that came before something exciting. Some sort of thing or event that was taking much too long to start happening. It reminded you of how you felt before Grogu’s birthday party: impatient, happy, and hopeful. 

When the grayed-out daybreak hit your room, you decided you were done waiting. You got out of bed and washed up in a flash, throwing on the first clothes you could find and making your way downstairs. Sure, Din’s house was twenty minutes away, but if you walked fast enough you could be there in ten.

You flew down the stairs, your heart already flying out of your chest at the notion of seeing Din. Nothing was going to stop you this time, and the freedom of that knowledge was overwhelming. 

You threw on your shoes just as the sound of rain hitting the roof reached your ears. You flung your door open, only to stop dead in your tracks. 

As the cool morning air bit painfully at the skin of your exposed cheeks and hands, your breath coming out in visible puffs, the smell of moist terrain penetrating your nose, a sudden heat surged through your veins. 

Din was standing at the tip of your walkway just beneath your porch steps, a hand behind his back while the other hung limp at his side. Rain cascaded down every curve of his helmet, pools of it dampening his cape and flight suit, but he didn’t bother to move from his position. 

“H-” you let out a laugh. “How long have you been here?” 

“Just got here,” he said, “Did you really think I was going to waste any more ti- wait-!” 

You cut him off by flinging yourself off the steps towards him. He caught you with a grunt, arms coming around to hold you against his chest. He spun you around, securing his grip on you. You hardly registered the fact that his armor was poking at your chest, or that its collected moisture was soaking through your clothes on impact; you squeezed your arms tighter around his neck. 

One of his hands came to rest on the back of your head, the other keeping its firm hold on your middle. His modulated sigh vibrated against your eardrum. It was pleasing, like a gentle caress. 

Time was lost on you; all you could focus on was the fact that Din was here, and you were finally in his arms. You buried your face into his damp shoulder, relishing in how his body heat rose above it and thawed your frozen nose. 

“Shit, you must be freezing,” he said, “I can feel your face through the suit!” 

You laughed out loud, letting him set you down. You didn’t hesitate to grab him by the hand before leading him inside; he removed his drenched cape before dropping it onto the porch and following you. You laughed at the squelching sound it made. 

The two of you walked into the living room and settled on the couch. Din nodded at your outfit: a pair of leggings and the first sweater you could reach in your closet. 

“Were you seriously going to walk all the way in just that? In this weather?” 

“You didn’t think I was going to waste any more time either, did you?” you asked through another laugh. 

He chuckled and shook his head before letting out a sigh. 

“I, um-” He cut himself off and cleared his throat, moving his gaze to his hand and bringing it around to reveal an ornate brown box. 

“I have something for you.” 

You furrowed your brow as confusion, elation, and wonder mixing together in your head. You glanced between him and the box before he placed it in your lap. 

“Go on.” 

You gulped and looked down at the box, stomach alive with tangling vines as you slowly lifted the lid. You gasped and pressed your hand to your mouth when the object was revealed: 

A single, glowing purple amulet. 

You turned to Din, who was already holding the other one up from where it was strung around his neck. 

“Wha- y-” you scrambled to find words, your brain recalling the small shop and the story you’d heard all too rapidly. “The Ugnaught sold them to you?” 

“He did,” Din tucked his amulet back underneath his cowl. “When I went back he actually already had them behind the counter, said he knew I’d be back for them eventually.” 

“That’s kind of cryptic,” you said with a grin. 

Din shrugged and held out his hand.

“May I?” 

You nodded and gave him the box, turning around so he could put it on for you. Your breath hitched as he eventually reached around your head, arms now devoid of gauntlets and gloves. The small caress of his skin on the back of your clammy neck set you aflame.

“There.” 

You touched the amulet that now sat just below your collar bone, turning back around as you admired it. 

“Thank you, Din,” you whispered, “It’s beautiful.” 

You looked up and stared into his visor, warmth rippling from your system. 

“Listen, I need to tell you something-” 

“Wait,” Din held up a hand to stop you. “I think you’ll want to… see me, before you say that.” 

Your jaw dropped. Was he… he couldn’t be serious. 

“Din, you don’t have to do that-”

“We’re way past that point, Missy.” he gave an exasperated tilt of his helmet. “I’ve… I’ve been wanting to do this.” 

You couldn’t help the way your heart squeezed at his words. You bit your lip and took one of his hands into yours. 

“I’m touched,” you said, “I really don’t know what to say.” 

It was true. You’d been wondering to yourself what those eyes might look like, but no clear picture ever made its way into your head. And now you were about to see them.

He was about to show them to you. 

Your throat began to dry out, your hands suddenly damp with sweat instead of rainwater.  

“Do-um…” Din paused and scratched his neck before putting his palms out. 

“Give me your hands.” 

His words were wobbly. If you were falling apart inside, you couldn’t even imagine what it was like for him. You nodded and placed your hands into his waiting ones, letting him guide them up to the sides of his helmet. You swallowed thickly and tried to take a deep breath, steadying your hands as much as your nerves would let you. 

With Din’s hands on top of yours, you began to pull upward. 

A small hiss sounded through the living room just before the beskar began to give way. The helmet was heavy, even with Din supporting part of its weight. More and more of his true essence came into view the higher it rose.

A rounded chin, pink lips – one plumper than the other – pulled into a tight line, scattered brown stubble. Vaguely familiar from the small glimpse you got of them after Grogu’s party. 

The helmet rose higher. Your breaths grew shorter. 

Defined cheeks, with bones that jutted out just a bit at the apple. A strong hooked nose, and-

Kriff. 

Nothing could’ve prepared you for those eyes. 

All the air left your lungs as the rest of the helmet fell away, Din’s gorgeous brown eyes staring into yours, his wavy hair sticking up in a few places, brows pinched together. 

Your throat fell apart like scattered sand. All you could do was smile as you stared between each eye, memorizing every little crevice you could find within them. 

“Din,” you managed, “You’re…” 

You set the helmet down and gently placed your hands on either of his cheeks. 

“You’re so beautiful.” 

He let out a huff, as if he’d been holding his breath, and a small smile sprouted on his face.

His stunning, stunning face. 

You were frozen, your heart ready to burst out of your chest the deeper you stared into his eyes. He stared right back, a dazed sort of excitement aligning his features. 

When his gaze trickled lower, something in you snapped. 

Time seemed to slow as you leaned up and pressed your lips against his. He sharply inhaled through his nose before a hand came up to the back of your head, gently pressing you closer. His lips were soft against yours, warm and welcoming. You ran your thumbs across his cheeks before situating your hands on his shoulders. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss, his other arm coming to rest on your waist. 

Your entire body and soul were exploding with affection, wanting desperately to pour it all into him from your lips. The heat he emitted wasn’t helping, instead serving to make you dizzy. The sensation made you smile against him.  

When you broke the kiss to come up for air, you stared at his now flushed face. He was all the more beautiful like this: disheveled features and heaving breaths, dilated eyes, a beautiful pink sheen on his nose and cheeks. 

“I love you, Din,” you said, the words tumbling out of you without a second thought. “I love you so much. I am terrified, I have no idea what I’m doing, but I swear I’m going to love you with everything I am.” 

Din’s adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, his eyes widening at your words. He blinked his now glossy eyes and took a sharp breath, hands coming up to cup your cheeks in his hands. He brought your face closer until his forehead could rest against yours. It blazed onto your skin, but you couldn’t help leaning in. 

“I love you, my dear.” he said, voice cracking. “And I’m so fucking proud of you.” 

He pulled you in for another kiss. This one deeper, more urgent, filled with the almost unbearable weight of his love. You fell into his embrace and wrapped your arms around his neck, desperately trying to give that same weight in return. 

His arms closed you in, holding you impossibly close. He engulfed your senses; all you could feel, think, or smell was Din. And you never wanted that to change. You pressed yourself even further into him, refusing to let even the slightest bit of distance find its way between you.

You could’ve stayed right there forever. And now, nothing could stop you from doing just that.

~~~~

Grogu plopped down one stair at a time, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes. He stretched his arms up just as a yawn protruded from his mouth. When he reached the kitchen, Fennec picked him up and plopped him onto the counter. 

“You ready for breakfast, little man?” Boba asked from his position at the stove. Grogu gave him a nod and looked around. 

“Where’s Papa?”

“He went to go tell Miss he loves her,” Fennec said with a casual sip of her caf. 

“Wait… Really?” Grogu’s eyes went wide, his jaw dropping and ears perking up. Fennec nodded. 

“FInally,” he cried, “it took him so long!” 

Fennec and Boba laughed. 

As breakfast was served, the three of them moved to the dining area to eat. In the middle of his meal, Grogu looked up with a contemplative expression.

“Uncle Boba, does this mean Miss is gonna come live with us?” 

He choked back a laugh while Fennec gave Grogu a smile. 

“Well,” Boba started, “I’m sure we can talk to them about that at some point.” 

Grogu nodded in satisfaction and went back to his meal. 

“It’d be so much fun for Miss to live here. Then Papa can tell her he loves her whenever he wants!” 

Boba bit his lip and looked at Fennec, giving her a pouty face. 

“He’s so cute,” he whispered, “I can’t take it!” 

~~~~

‘Let’s get married. Here. Tonight.’

Din pulled you in closer to his chest as the credits began to roll, giving you a wide-eyed glance. 

“Wait, are they seriously going to?” he asked. You giggled and squeezed his hand.

“You’ll have to watch and find out!” 

Din’s armor was now fully removed, giving you access to poke at his side. The two of you had been settled on the couch watching Parks and Rec for at least two hours, the rain still providing your ears with its backdrop. Conversations were had in between, along with many additional shows of affection. Your lips were swollen from how much he’d been kissing you all morning. But you wouldn’t trade that feeling for anything.

The next episode rolled on and the two of you watched Leslie and Ben frantically pull a wedding together. 

“I feel like our wedding would be like that,” Din said, “We’d just decide it’s going to happen one day.” 

Your brow jumped up as a small wave of shock flew through your system. You looked at him. 

“Wow, you’re already thinking about that?” 

“Of course,” he said as if it were obvious, turning to look at you. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I wasn’t wasting any more time.” 

Warmth engulfed your chest as you looked into his eyes. No more guessing what was hiding there – now you could see the honest, devoted, loving gaze that accompanied his words. You leaned in and gave him a soft kiss.

“I like that.” 

The two of you returned your attention to the wedding just in time for Jamm to throw his second stink bomb. 

“Except we won’t have anyone like that guy remotely near it,” Din scoffed. You laughed.

“It’s weird,” he went on, “their universe seems so simple. Their problems seem… small. But ever since I came to this planet, I feel like the problems here are just like theirs.” 

“It does take some getting-used-to,” you said with a nod. “I felt so strange for the longest time when I first came here. Being on constant alert and always on the run, it becomes a habit.”

He nodded and ran his finger up and down your arm. 

“How long did it take for you to adjust?”

“A while,” you shifted to get a better view of him. “For the first few years I was still pretty alert wherever I went. Sometimes it just felt too good to be true, you know? Like all of this newfound safety could just disappear in the blink of an eye.”

His brow scrunched as he gulped. He must still be thinking that himself. You gave his hand another squeeze. 

“But the more I worked, and the more I guaranteed safety to the kids and their families, the realer it felt. And at work I feel like I have a part in that, like if something bad were to happen that I’d have the power to do something about it. I don’t know if that makes sense,” you shrugged.

“Perfect sense,” Din said, slouching a bit more into the couch. “That… that really helps.”

You smiled and snuggled into his side. When your eyes returned to the holofeed, Ron and Leslie were about to walk into the Parks office. You glanced at Din’s face as Donna began to sing and Leslie walked down the aisle. You felt his chest rise as he let out a small gasp, a sweet smile making his cheeks pop out. 

How lucky, you thought, how lucky am I that I get to see this. 

The scene went on with Ben and Leslie saying their vows, followed by music and gifts. The surrounding flowers caught your eye and made you gasp as a memory resurfaced in your mind. You rose into a full sitting position and stared at Din.

“That plant in the garden,” you started, “it bloomed!” 

“Oh-” his eyes went wide with recognition. “Yeah, I saw it!”

“Saw it?” you asked, “when?” 

“Last time I was here, I stopped at the garden on the way home. That’s actually when I decided to go buy the necklaces, too,” he let out a little chuckle. 

“How funny,” You shook your head. 

The two of you settled back down and finished the episode. This one had always been a favorite of yours; the ending satisfied the suspense, and left behind a honey-sweet feeling of warmth. You let out a breath through your nose and sank into it. 

As the credits rolled, Din sat up straight.

“Wait, you said you’d tell me when it bloomed!” 

“I just did,” you said, putting on an innocent face. 

“You know what I mean, Missy,” he gave you a playful glare.  

“It’s not like I didn’t want to,” you said with a shrug. “Plus, you didn’t say anything, either!”  

The two of you continued your back and forth, eventually falling into laughter. It was surreal to see Din laugh – you’d heard it a few times, but it was always masked, filtered, hindered by his helmet or by other sounds around you. And now not only did you get to hear his pure, uninterrupted joy, but you also got to see its evidence in his features: little crinkles beside his eyes, a small dimple on one of his cheeks, and a big, beautiful smile that made your heart flip flop in your chest. 

Having access to all of Din would be an adjustment – one for which you were more than ready.

~~~~

Epilogue: One year later… 

After the last student gave you a handshake, you rose from your spot at the gate and looked out to the courtyard, smiling as a familiar helmet came into view. Din walked forward and took your hands in his, giving them a squeeze. 

“How was your day?” he asked, voice low and soft. 

“Good!” you said as you led him inside the gate by the hand. “And yours?” 

“Fine,” he shrugged. “Fixed up another droid.” 

“Look at you, droid expert in the making!” you said with a smirk, buffing him with your shoulder. He chuckled. 

“I’ll go get Grogu – meet you after?” 

“Yeah, come to the classroom. I still need to finish up a few things.”

He nodded and gave your hand a squeeze before walking towards Grogu’s classroom, where Din now waited just outside the door for him. 

You were sitting at your desk when the two of them walked in just minutes later, Grogu throwing his backpack on the ground and making an immediate beeline for you. 

“What did you do today, bud?” you asked after wrapping him up in your arms. 

“We did lots of math today,” he said, “It was hard but I liked it!” 

“That’s awesome!” 

You booped his nose before letting him go and returning to your tasks. Din had taken a seat on the other side of your desk. You grinned at the sight as check-in memories flashed through your mind.

“Do you have any meetings today?” he asked.

“Nope,” you said as your fingers glid over the datapad, “Just need to send out a few things, and then I’m all yours for the weekend.” 

“I like the sound of that,” he said, his voice laced with a sultry hum that had heat rushing into your face. You stopped typing mid-word to gawk at him.

He gave a small shrug. You scoffed and shook your head. 

“You’ll just take any chance to talk like that, won’t you?” you leaned in to whisper, “Even in front of Grogu.”

“Hey, we both know you wouldn’t have it any other way, Missy.”

You tried to bite down your grin as you stared him down, searching your mind for a suitable retort. You leaned forward and rested your elbows on the desk.

“And what makes you think it’ll be easy to get me?” you asked, a teasing glint in your tone. He matched your movement and rested a gauntlet on the wooden surface, his helmet now invading your space.

“Oh, I have my ways,” he rasped, “and you know they’ll work.” 

You tried to ignore the shiver sent down your spine as you leaned back and returned your attention to your datapad. 

“We’ll see.” 

There it was. A crack in your voice. All Din needed to ease back with a cocky sigh that made your hands ball into fists of playful annoyance. 

A knock at your door preceded Gila’s entrance. She greeted Din and Grogu as she approached your desk. “Just picking up your reports,” she said. You smiled and handed her a folder from one of your drawers.

“Can you believe the year’s almost over already?” you asked, “It seems like yesterday I only just met this bunch, and now here you are picking up my last report bundle.”

“Time is whacky like that,” Gila said with a nod. With a few more parting words, she made her way out of the classroom. 

“I’m just glad this time around has been better than the last,” Din said. “I still want to punch that guy.” 

“I know,” you said, reaching out to place a hand over his gloved one. “But we don’t need to worry about that anymore. Everything this year has been as safe and normal as any other.” 

Din’s fingers wrapped around yours and squeezed. His chest rose and fell in slow motion as he released a breath. 

You smiled as you recalled the beginning of his ritual of asking about your day. It was laced with a tinge of concern, an alertness that you weren’t expecting. After it went on for those first couple weeks of the new school year, you’d asked him about it. 

“I just want to make sure nothing like that happens again,” he’d said. “And… there’s not much else I can do other than ask if it did.”

The sentiment was a warm blanket around your healing soul. Having someone look out for you, who encouraged sharing your burdens – it refreshed you. By then it wasn’t brand new, but after having Din in your life for more than a year it was still something you acknowledged every day. 

“Yes, it’s all done!” 

Both of your heads turned towards Grogu, who had taken the liberty of decorating your whiteboard with various drawings of all kinds of creatures. Your smile grew as you took it in while he stood before the board with the brightest grin, his little arms pointing out towards it. Banthas, Blurrg, lizard-monkeys, and more of all shapes and colors adorned every free space Grogu could reach. And in the center of it all was a purple Mudhorn. 

“Oh that’s wonderful, Grogu, the kids are going to love it!” 

Grogu beamed and ran over to Din’s side of the desk, who bent down to give him more praising words.  

“Okay, boys, I’m all done,” you said, pressing one final key on the datapad and shutting it down. 

Grogu cheered while you collected your things. Din stood and scooped him up before taking your hand with his free one, leading the way out of your classroom.

~~~~

You and Boba were on dinner duty that night, spending at least two hours cooking one of Boba’s signature stews. You tasted a small sample from his offered spoon, humming as its warmth spread through your body, your tongue bursting with its savory and spicy flavors. 

“I swear, this stew gets better every time you make it.”

“Like many things, it matures with time.” 

You grinned and helped him scoop out each serving before carrying them to the backyard patio.

“Dinner’s ready!” you heard Boba call, followed by three sets of eager footsteps. 

When everyone was situated outside with their meals, each of you shared a memory or story from the week. Fennec spoke of a funny incident at work, Boba of helping and befriending a neighbor. Din recalled the droid he fixed coming to life earlier that day and endlessly shaking and beeping with joy. 

“It kept following me around,” he said as he took a bite, “I had to babysit it until the owner came back since it wouldn’t stay in the lobby.” 

“Oh, come on, it liked you!” you said, “I bet you enjoyed its company.” 

Din glared at you through his lashes, but didn’t refute your claim. Boba let out a chuckle before pointing his spoon at Grogu. 

“What about you, kiddo,” he said, “What did you do this week?” 

Grogu swallowed his mouthful before beginning. 

“In class today, we did a lot of math,” he spread his arms out for emphasis. “It was hard, but it was cool! Finn and Rey were really good at it, and Ben got mad because he didn’t get it.” 

You chuckled, recalling other instances in which those three had been brought up in Grogu’s stories. Grogu got along great with Finn and Rey, though Ben was a different story. It said a lot that Grogu didn’t even want to invite Ben to his birthday party a couple months prior. 

You took a look around as Grogu continued, relishing in the moment. Din was hanging on Grogu’s every word, as were Boba and Fennec. 

This was your new normal. It had been for quite some time now, yet it still caught you by surprise. You had dependable, near-constant companionship, and you’d grown so closely with the rest of Din’s little family that somewhere along the way they began to feel like yours as well. 

You never thought such connections were still an option for you just a year ago. Yet here you were. 

You smiled and continued to listen to Grogu’s tale, taking in more mouthfuls of stew as you did while the slight breeze caressed your face. 

“And then- hey, look! A grasshopper!” 

Grogu popped out of his seat and ran after the sizeable insect. 

“Grogu, no!”  

Din’s spoon clattered into his bowl as he rose to follow. You pressed a hand to your mouth to keep your amusement in while Fennec and Boba cheered Grogu on through their laughter. 

~~~~

The four of you relaxed with a few board games in the living room after dinner, fits of laughter filling the room. Once Fennec had won yet another round of Heads Up, she and Boba rose from the sofa. 

“Okay then, we’re heading out,” Fennec said as she made her way to give Grogu – who was situated in your lap – a hug. 

“You two sure you don’t want to join us?” Boba asked. You and Din shook your heads. 

“We’re staying in tonight,” Din said, squeezing you closer with the arm he had wrapped around you. You grinned and squeezed Grogu in turn. 

Boba nodded before the two took off. You looked down to see Grogu grinning at you, his cheeks popping out like two sweet little cherries.  

“Is it time now?” he asked. 

“It sure is!” 

You set him down and he ran off without a moment to spare. You rose from your spot beside Din, causing him to look at you with confusion. 

“What’s going on?” he asked. 

“You’re gonna love this,” you said with a grin. “Grogu and I planned a little surprise activity for the three of us tonight.”

He glanced around before returning his skeptical, slightly concerned gaze back to you. 

Grogu’s giggling announced his return as he scampered back to you with a large box in his arms. Din squinted his eyes to read it before his brows furrowed even further. 

“What the hell is Twister?” 

“It’s a game!” you said through a laugh. “We’ve been wanting to show it to you for a while, haven’t we, bud?”

“Yeah!” 

Grogu put down the box and ran to his father’s side. 

“It’ll be so much fun, Papa!” 

Din looked at you with an unconvinced gaze. You shrugged and waved him towards you. 

“At least give it a try.” 

He looked between you and Grogu before releasing a defeated sigh and standing. 

“As long as I don’t have to do any actual twisting.”

~~~~

“Right hand, red!” 

You and Din scrambled to reach the red dot without moving your other limbs. 

This was the third round of Twister, and you and Din were currently sprawled in all directions on the mat while Grogu took on his favorite position: spinning the wheel. Your fingers hardly reached the red circle, while Din’s hand came towering over and covering it with no issue. 

“How are you so good at this?” you laughed, trying to keep your twisted torso from collapsing. 

“I honestly have no idea,” he breathed with a smile. 

“Left foot, yellow!” 

You and Din glanced at a giggling Grogu before attempting to follow the direction. You wound up propped into a table position facing upward while Din now had to twist around above you to get to the circle. Just as he nudged your foot with his, you felt the mat slip before crashing down onto your back. 

Din’s arm had given out and sent him careening into you, the two of you now a pile of limbs and laughter on the floor. 

“What do you think, kid, who won?” 

“Miss did, of course!” Grogu threw his hands into the air. “You’re the one that fell, Papa!” 

You let out a triumphant ‘ha!’ before giving Din a knowing look. He shook his head with a chuckle and helped you off the floor. 

“Okay, pal,” Din turned to face Grogu. “That was the last round. Bedtime.” 

Grogu’s ears fell as he looked between you both. 

“But this is so fun,” he pouted. 

“And we can do more later, but I have to stretch, and you have to sleep.” 

His pout only grew as he looked at you for confirmation. You gave him a nod. 

“Your eyes are getting heavy, bud, I can see it.”

As if on command, he let out a yawn. Din nodded and scooped him into his arms. 

The three of you made your way to Grogu’s room and Din tucked him into the covers. As per your new bedtime routine, you joined Din at the bedside and gave Grogu your hand to hold while Din wrapped his arm around his little frame. The hammock slightly rocked from the movement, making Grogu’s eyes droop. 

You couldn’t help smiling. He was too cute when he was sleepy. 

Din spoke softly to him and ran a thumb over his arm until he drifted off, a sweet smile forming on his little face. When Din stepped away you came forward and planted a kiss on Grogu’s forehead. 

“Sweet dreams, Grogu,” you whispered. 

~~~~

When the time came for you and Din to retire as well, he flopped onto the bed beside you with a huff. 

“All Twister-ed out?” you giggled. 

He responded with a muffled grunt before straightening himself out. You mindlessly twirled your amulet between your fingers while you watched. 

Once he settled into a lying position, you took him in: thin white shirt, shorts, his matching amulet resting in the middle of his chest, and his helmetless face that looked calmer with each breath he took. Eyes closed while he stretched his arms into the air before letting them fall to his sides. 

All this time, yet he was still a vision. Your heart grew warm and you reached for his hand to hold in yours. He turned to you. 

“Everything okay, love?” 

Your head still swooned every time he called you that. You smiled. 

“Everything’s perfect,” you said as you switched off your lamp and laid down beside him. 

Under the darkness, he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you in close until your head was resting on his chest. You sighed as his body warmth engulfed you, the firmness of his embrace melting away your worries. 

“You know, I’ve been thinking,” he whispered.

“Yeah?” 

“What if you… moved in full time?” 

Your brows rose as you looked up at him. 

“Really?” 

“I-I mean, if you want to,” he continued, “The weekends you’re here are always the best, and…” 

He brought a hand up to cradle your face, his thumb sweeping over the apple of your cheek. “I hate watching you go. I hate waking up without you. This place feels… emptier without you.” 

You smiled and leaned into his hand, pure joy drowning your heart with each word he spoke. 

“But if it’s too soon or you don’t want to, or if you’d rather we get a different place-”

“Din,” you gently cut him off. “I would love to.” 

He blinked a few times as he stared at you, a tiny smile pulling up the corners of his lips. 

“... You would?” 

“I hate leaving you,” you whispered, running your fingers over where you could feel a small patch of chest hair through his shirt. “All of you have been so wonderful to me, you make me feel like I belong here. I miss you all so much during the time I’m away.” 

He let out a cross between a sigh and a huff, his chest deflating. Even through the dark his eyes betrayed relief and joy; you couldn’t look away from them. 

“Guess it’s settled, then,” he breathed. 

You nodded with a grin before he leaned in for a kiss, which you immediately melted into. 

When the two of you settled down to sleep once more, you glanced up. 

Above you both, pinned to the wall, was an updated family portrait Grogu had drawn. A scribbled version of you now stood beside him, holding his hand while Din held the other, Boba and Fennec flanking either side. 

You gazed at it with a smile before closing your eyes and tucking yourself into Din’s chest, letting your mind wander and comb over how the two of you got to this point.

From the moment you met him, there was a series of walls surrounding you both. Walls that had been built from years of turmoil, mistrust, and pain. And you were surprised to be weaving your way through his as you got to know him. 

But the moment you noticed him tearing yours down… it seemed too good to be true. Yet it went on until he was a breath’s distance from you. And now here you both stood, in the rubble of your previous fortresses, adding each other to the foundation of a new structure that would house the future: the good, bad, and every moment in between. 

Now, you’d face the galaxy together, and protect each other. 

Now, you had love and time on your side. 

****

as always, if you enjoyed this, please support your content creators with reblogs! ✨

#the mandalorian #the mandalorian fanfiction #din djarin #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian x reader #grogu #fluff #of love and time

[accidentalmistress]

Hmm, maybe 4 and 9 for Noelle and Oraion? :)

Oh, these are good ones!

4) Do they want to be taken care of? Do they enjoy physical contact or are they rather withdrawn?

Noelle doesn't want to be a bother or feel like a burden, so she's generally resistant to being taken care of—at first. Once someone breaks through her stubborn streak, though, she just melts. She'll still never ask for anything directly, though; she'll only request something if the caretaker asks if she needs anything.

She's come to enjoy physical contact more since Oraion came into her life. She did not have a caring upbringing, so, even though she didn't really know what she was missing, she was touch-starved for most of her life. She never knew how much she needed it, but now that she has it she can't imagine life without it.

Oraion is a big no when it comes to being taken care of. Being a demon, he's never experienced being sick, but if he's injured or just emotionally in a bad place, he'll either hole up or go off somewhere to be alone for a while. He's something of a vain creature, and he doesn't want anyone else to see him in such a state. If he's truly badly injured (like life-threatening) the only person he really trusts to go to for help is his butler, Catherwood.

Apart from those instances Oraion is a very sensual person, so he loves physical touch. As an incubus his specialty is sexual pleasure, but he's also quite skilled at massage, and he'll never say no to a good cuddle (unless he's in the aforementioned 'leave me alone' state). He gets conflicted sometimes because he's a bit afraid of commitment but also gets lonely easily, so he may want to be physical with someone but will hold himself back.

9) How do they feel about sneezing? Do they do it in public? Or are they trying to avoid it?

Noelle hates her own sneezes, and she will do anything not to sneeze in public. She's gotten really good at controlling it, so most of the time she doesn't sneeze in public at all. If she can't for some reason, then she'll stifle it so it sounds like a cough. She's not a super sneezy person anyway, so it's usually not much of an issue.

For Oraion, sneezing is like a new toy. He never sneezed before his contract with Noelle, not for thousands of years, and now here's this new thing he can do? And it gets his partner really hot and bothered? Amazing! Of course, it's not all fun and games: his nose is now really sensitive, and one can have too much of a good thing. Sometimes his sneezing gets uncomfortable, or it happens at a very inopportune time, or it's just kind of annoying. Most of the time, though, he enjoys riling up his Mistress, especially in public. He'll even experiment with it by himself, just to see what will make him sneeze.

Thanks for the asks! Those really got me thinking, especially the caretaking one. There's a caretaking arc that's going to come later in the series, so it's a good topic to think about!

#accidental mistress #oraion the allergic incubus #noelle the awkward witch #snz ocs #snzblr #reed answers

[mermaidsirennikita]

please please tell me you're joking what do you mean somebody said devil in winter is dark romance??

R/romancebooks is one of my favorite romance communities online because it's so big, but because it's so big, you occasionally get... bad faith takes, I would say.

Person posted this looooong post about how they "proposed" that EVERYONE only recommends DiW with trigger warnings because of what Sebastian did in Autumn. Which, theoretically I agree with, and I do try to remember to mention that when recommending the book. However, a few things here:

A) the kidnapping did not occur in that book, it occurred in a separate book; while Sebastian being a kidnapper at all may be problematic to some, this should be made clear

B) you can probably read the first sample chapter of DiW online and realize what he did because it's discussed in the opening of the book

C) this is so "dead dove" to me at this point--how do you do a BASIC GOOGLE of DiW and not realize that he kidnapped someone lmao, it is ON THE TIN

D) this post did not mention the other things that actually happen in DiW that you could TW for (and I'm sure this isn't complete): light somnophilia (I love to read about somnophilia and especially in that book, but I know some do not); fetishization/poor handling of Cam's Rom identity (this to me is the biggest issue in DiW and in the Hathaways, though it's obviously much lighter in the Hathaways); if you squint, strictly speaking the sickbed sex scene is dubcon because Sebastian is recovering from a gunshot wound and does say "no" a billion times. I don't know, just seems to me that it's a lot to latch on to the thing the book is more famous for while grazing over other issues that could also trigger or offend people.

E) I support trigger warnings; in an ideal world, we'd be able to apply trigger warnings to all applicable content without conflict. I think, however, there are some issues that come with them. Firstly, we have gotten to the point where we so extensively TW things that TWs are losing their power. For sure, TW a book that includes sexual assault, and warn for that. TW: cheating? I don't know, man. I don't love the idea of equating cheating with actual crimes.

I also feel that we have to acknowledge that there will never be a world in which everyone TWs all popular content correctly, and that there will never be a consensus on what "correct" is. With that in mind, here's a therapy-ism for y'all: you cannot control the behavior of others. The only behavior you truly have control over is your own.

With that in mind, I often will do a quick Google of a book and read reviews before reading it... Especially if it is a dark romance or an older historical, wherein that type of content is more likely to exist. Older historicals -> dark romance. It's a super clear pipeline. Many older historicals have been rediscovered in recent years thanks to dark romance readers picking them up and loving them.

I'm not easily triggered by sexual assault in books, I'll be real, but I do tend to like to know if it's happening. I usually find this on Goodreads. Devil in Winter is so fucking popular, I don't know how you can't easily find out that St. Vincent kidnapped and threatened to rape a woman who is not the heroine.

F) The person declaring DiW a dark romance did not seem to understand what constituted dark romance or what to expect from historical romance, which is not their fault, but does make their critiques messy. Here's the deal--I like r/romancebooks. I do think they have an overly broad definition of dark romance that can be used in bad faith, as it relies a lot on "moral ambiguity" (something nearly all fiction confronts on a regular basis--a romcom can involve morally ambiguous characters) and illegality, which is not always consistent with immorality. A character can break the law for a moral reason; in Scandalous Desires, Winter Makepeace breaks the law by stopping Mickey O'Connor's legally mandated execution (for a crime he didn't commit). Winter is doing something that is technically illegal (he's also doing vigilantism in general) but he is committing a moral and heroic act.

Is Scandalous Desires a dark romance? No. I think that, due to its relative newness as a recognized subgenre, dark romance is hard to define, though Fated Mates did a really interesting episode on it which helps with that. I believe that they came to circle around the idea that the world of the book must be dark--and it's not going to suddenly get better, even if the hero and heroine have an HEA. I consider Mila Finelli's Kings of Italy series dark romance because they're mafia books--the heroes make their living off trafficking drugs, they kill and torture people regularly, etc. A lot of this is off the page, but the world they live in is immoral and no matter how much they love their partners and how good they are as partners, that will always be true. Prior to my relatively recent exploration of dark romance, I really associated it heavily with SA and truly horrible relationship dynamics, but while that can be a part of it, is not inherent to it.

The world of Devil in Winter... is not dark, lol. Yes, it's Victorian England and there are many natural huge problems there, but it's not heightened. It's optimistic. Optimistically, it suggests that Sebastian, a spoiled viscount who's done nothing with his life, can be motivated by love to grow as a person, pick up a job, and make something out of a failing club. Optimistically, it suggests that Evie can escape her abusive family, have a final goodbye with her father, and make a new family not only with Sebastian but with her friends. There is gambling and vice, but it's largely off the page. Reform is the point. In a dark romance, Sebastian and Lillian would probably be the main couple, lol, and *a lot more* would happen besides that.

Because dark things happen in a book doesn't mean it's a dark romance, and again, Sebastian doesn't even really do fuck all in his own book.

G) Things like kidnapping, dubcon, noncon, etc are woven into historical romance. This does not make them dark romances first. This makes them close relatives of dark romance, maybe. Some of them overlap. Some are both. But dark romances they are not, inherently, because they have these elements.

Also, it is perfectly fine for any romance in almost any genre to have those things, and for it to be a beloved romance. The poster kept coming back to this idea about "conventional romance" being about moral people, and--no. That's not a thing. First off, I don't think there is a single type of conventional romance. Second, many many many books that began the modern romance genre, certainly modern historical romance, include rapist heroes, lol. And heroines! Prisoner of My Desire, anyone? And on a basic level, most characters who do anything interesting at all are not pure and good morally. What does morally pure and good even mean, because you'll get different answers from everyone.

Point is: I try to give people heads up about triggering content as much as possible. I'm not perfect. Nobody is; and some people will just not give a fuck about giving you a heads up, and that's not fair, but it is reality. So if you're going to expect the world to conform to your specific standards, you will get hurt there. Better idea, if you really are sensitive about your reading habits (which is valid) is to do some googling before you read a book, especially in more volatile subgenres like historical romance and dark romance. Not saying that is how the world should be, but for your own protection, speaking from experience--that's how you have to approach some things.

#romance novel blogging #a soapbox moment sorry

[bramble-scramble]

So I had an idea for a Darkmess possessed Rabbid Kong for Sparks Of Despair, based on a combination of your idea of Darkmess making people sick(from In Sleep He Sang To Me), @monsterbride99's idea of Darkmess magnifying one's negative emotions, and my idea of RK having a plan in case he's taken over by something again

So Rabbid Peach(and the other heroes maybe-) are at the DLC Islands during all this Cursa chicanery. DK and Rabbid Cranky are alright but RK's nowhere to be seen, so RP goes to find him. Not only had RK chained himself up in the Temple Dungeons and is covered in Darkmess; not only is he also sick from fighting the Darkmess inside him, but he lashes out at the sight of RP because of his memory of the Block Tower. At least he doesn't do too much damage, but he's quickly weakened by his sickness

I don't really know what else to add(other than RP wanting to help RK) so I'd appreciate if you got anything-/nf

I love these ideas and I thought about this all day trying to come up with something good to add. I'm like "Ah yes as the resident DK Expert around here, let me come up with some cool abilities that RK can have while being fueled by darkmess, inspired by some of the real Donkey Kong's abilities!" But real DK's abilities are like. Not very exciting. The whole thing is that he's just kind of a normal strong (if surprisingly agile) ape and he can play the bongos but we already knew that. DK is supposed to be like the basic binch among the Kongs so he doesn't have a lot that makes him crazy unique. In DK64, his abilities include... becoming invincible temporarily (but only if he finds the appropriate barrel) and... pulling levers?! I shit you not, he is the only Kong who can pull levers and he has to get a potion from Cranky in order to LEARN HOW TO PULL LEVERS

...Anyway. RP isn't usually one for expressing sadness/distress in the games, so it would be interesting to see her genuinely upset at seeing all the progress her and RK made in their relationship be set back. Whether you ship them or not, I think it's impossible to deny they came out of DKA loving each other, at least platonically. And I think to see him revert back to his earlier memories of her would really, truly hurt her, probably to crying over it (although she would understand why it's happening).

All I can think is if Dark Phantom is going to play into the Phantom of the Opera inspiration even more, RK can play into the King Kong inspiration too, maybe "kidnapping" RP and carring her to the top of DK Island, which looks like DK's big ol' head in most depictions, and there's also a volcano up there. In reality she is more or less in control of the situation and just sort of playing along, trusting that he won't truly hurt her, but hoping she can bring him back to his senses. The others of course, are actually worried about her and go after them. The darkmess inside him has started to win out and he's no longer feeling sick, instead actually growing even larger.

What might be really interesting is if a battle ensues in which RP is urging the others not to hurt him because she can't bear to see him hurt anymore, but the others (mainly urged forward by Beep-0 who is distressed but trying to be "logical", Bowser who just is uh, slightly compassion deficient, and Edge who doesn't know RK and has no attachment to him other than "is currently threatening my dear friend") are worried for her and for all of the islands if RK isn't brought down. DK also reluctantly recognizes they have to fight, as it's his duty to protect the area. And then RP, in RK's hand or on his shoulder or riding on his back, is yelling at them to stop and actually heals him at certain points in the fight. In other words, she sorta turns against the others for this battle (although I doubt she would actually attack them).

Idk how this all ends or anything but I'm just throwing some stuff out there with my tired brain before bed lol

#alter answers #mario + rabbids #mario plus rabbids #rabbid kong

[eriexplosion]

Clone Wars - Downfall of a Droid & Duel of the Droids

Popping these two into one post since I felt like my thoughts on the first one were pretty short.

I had no memory of this one until I saw the thumbnail and was smacked in the face by my memory of that LITTLE GOLD BITCH, as I imagine R2 refers to him.

Grievous is yet again showing his Tactical Mastery by abandoning all plans and just plowing straight through an asteroid field. Truly batshit behavior from our favorite batshit metal man, never encountered a situation he couldn't make vastly more difficult on himself than it needs to be.

Meanwhile, Anakin shows off the power of the force by saying "I have a bad feeling about this" like it means something when he's staring directly at this.

Like yeah? A bad feeling? You don't say.

The medical scene is so goddamn LIT though. Actively unpleasant to look at. I understand that it's a medbay and they're often bright but did they have to do this to poor Rex?

Anyway this portion with Obi-Wan is actively frustrating where he gets fussed over Anakin wanting to go out and get R2 ('attachment is not acceptable for a Jedi' shut uppppppp Kenobi) and not having wiped his memory. Like, we know droids are sentient, stop just trying to replace him like an object. But then, I guess we did just get out of an arc where losing Plo Koon got responded to with "Oh no... anyway!" so you know. God forbid we save anyone's life or anything Remember To Abandon Your Friends Immediately.

Anakin calling Ahsoka Pookums for the fucking disguise though. Best he could come up with. POOKUMS. The action sequence with the assassin droids is fun though, I love the maneuvering in the narrow space. Anakin threatening the junk dealer though... okay, the thing is, I've seen this episode brought up before as showing Anakin's dark side potential and overattachment. But much like in the 'Ahsoka and Barriss are buried alive' situation, it always gets revealed that Anakin was RIGHT ALL ALONG. R2 WAS there, the guy WAS holding out on them actually, Stubby IS trying to get them killed etc. Anakin does have some genuine dark moments but in this episode he's just... correct, lol.

Still can't get over season one Ahsoka's horrible little stickbug arms.

Onto the next one though!

I love the music both of these episodes have used for all of R2's daring escape attempt scenes. The most incredibly difficult droid alive is engaging in Activities again.

The plan for the listening post shifting from 'just destroy the whole thing' to 'sneak aboard and THEN destroy it' because of R2 being on it but also THIS IS NOT A RESCUE MISSION is certainly a choice. Like if you're going to be sneaking aboard anyway, why NOT rescue R2 Obi-Wan? Do you have an actual reason other than getting tossed the Being Wrong Ball this arc?

"Oh and Rex, you get to carry him!" Rex is the LONGEST SUFFERING MAN. Take your captain and several others, but make sure that the captain is the one on 'carry the giant mech' duty. Can't possibly give him a more important job.

Of course, it's probably because the others are going to get murdered pretty fast, that's USUALLY what happens after all.

Speaking of murder.

Never ask to be paid more.

Also I had to look up one of the troopers that actually has his own paint job and apparently this is Denal who Bane ends up killing later. I will attach to him in the meantime so as to be properly sad when he gets unceremoniously killed.

I keep forgetting that Grievous and Anakin have to be kept apart this whole series and it hits me every time how silly this is, it's so fucking funny that they have to contend with this problem so as not to invalidate a .5 second line in the movies. Yes Grievous is their primary enemy no they have never met face to face, don't worry about it. Ahsoka will handle fighting him one on one. It's fine.

Anakin apologizing to R2 for DARING to get a replacement droid is adorable. R2 ANGRY BEEPS. Then it turns out he not only replaced R2 but he accidentally replaced him with a spy that's programmed in weaponized incompetence. Whoops.

The main thing I fully remembered from this arc is finally here though: R2 vs R3 fight. There's something so fucking funny about the dramatic setting of the narrow walkway being used for a fight between two droids approximately the size and shape of trash cans.

Back to Obi-Wan getting on my nerves again at the end though. Do not UNDERVALUE R2. He's an important member of the team damn it. Overall it's a fun pair of episodes but the way R2 gets talked about apparently turns me into a droid rights pamphlet.

#the clone wars chrono rewatch

[spammerjammer]

TBH I don't think any followers on my bigger blogs want to know anything about me, which is fine. They're there for my fics and content, and I love to make that stuff for them. I do feel like I can't write certain things though because it'll be too self-referential. On one hand, I want my writing to be accessible and understandable to a general audience. But on the other hand, I'd love to write a super detailed fic involving things I research or just my life experiences. I feel like these experiences I've had would make my writing super niche because not many people can describe first-hand accounts of things I've dealt with. They're dark and gritty and wild stories, but I love them all the same. I just don't think others would see the good in those experiences, and I don't want to subject people to reading that kind of thing. I've thought about writing a book or something, but I don't feel important enough. Like, who am I to write a memoir at my young age? Seems pretentious as hell. I just want to reflect on stuff here, since my more popular blogs aren't going to take it very well. With all that said, I'll get to my first story.

Ever since I was a little girl, my father was explosive. He was sweet and kind and doting, until he wasn't. He'd be the perfect father until something didn't go his way. Then he'd scream in my face, break furniture, and throw a fit. This was my first experience with men. I thought it was normal for men to behave this way. For 13 years of my life, I expected every man to be like my father.

Until, one day, I went to a self-defense class. It was taekwondo and Brazilian jiu jitsu taught by an ex-mil Argentinian man. He showed me how men try to intimidate women because they're easy targets of abuse. He showed me that it was unacceptable for men to use their size and strength to bend women to their will. He showed me what acceptable relationships looked like between an adult and a child, as well as between a man and a woman. Every woman taught by him couldn't leave his class until they could perform the technique of the night perfectly. Over and over again. He'd remind us that men wouldn't show us mercy and would try to use their strength to force us into submission.

It's strange, but watching "The Last of Us" made me realize that this man was the father figure I needed. He taught me to respect myself, recognize abuse, and never let myself be intimidated by a man. It all culminated years ago when my father had broken out in a full screaming match with me. It resulted in him ditching our family, threatening to divorce my mother unless I apologized. The argument was centered around my "liberal beliefs" (he was being radicalized by N4z1s and went completely crazy, threatening to pull me out of school). Except, unlike before, I didn't back down from his tantrum. I didn't let him intimidate me, even as he spat in my face. I looked him right in the eye at 16 years old and told him to go fuck himself. Not only did I recognize his attempt to intimidate me as abuse, but I didn't fear him anymore. I was angry, not afraid. I knew I could die in that moment, but I didn't care. I was just so angry, I couldn't take him abusing me and my mom anymore.

When he tried to return, he used his usual tactics. Never apologizing, just showering me with gifts. I refused them all. He wouldn't talk to me directly, instead pressuring my mom by threatening divorce and refusing to return to a 'disobedient household'. I held my ground. And eventually, my father reflected on everything he had done. He went to therapy and anger management classes, finally apologizing to me and my mother. He admitted to everything he had done and promised to do right by us moving forward. And he did. And none of it ever would've happened without this one man that came into my life.

He truly changed my life, and by extension, my family's lives. I don't know how to tell him how grateful I am for what he did for me. I haven't seen him in a long time, but I know where he is. I just don't know how to tell him all of this in a concise way because he had such a profound effect on my life. He made me strong. He showed me what good men do. I can't imagine what my life would've turned out like without him. He will always be my dad, the man that gave me something to believe in. He's the sole reason I have a father at all today.

Thank you.