#I think it's also just fun to go back to the very earliest publications of a system and see the vibe

[outeremissary]

"Play other games" yes absolutely but I'd like to propose a corollary of "play older games" where everyone has to engage at least once with a game that's at least twenty years old (specifically a publication at least twenty years old. no cheating.) and find one web resource that's at least ten years old or print resource at least fifteen years old discussing it.

#I think it would be good for people who have never known a tabletop environment outside of heavily fandom-ified post 5e online spaces #rambling #a surprise for queue #not obligated to love anything back there but sometimes people post stuff that makes me think like. #to some people there is no legitimate and tangible history of this hobby before a certain liveplay starting with critical. #I think it's also just fun to go back to the very earliest publications of a system and see the vibe #I feel like a lot of modern tabletop games spring into being with so much polish and so little grunge and that's a shame #a cousin to the effect of the polished art book zine huh #or like. not even just the vibes on earliest publications but for PF (younger than my frame I know) the first pubs pre-date the system #which is a fun quirk in and of itself! #go read things older than PF though seriously. non-d20 things even.

[ask-nyc-boroughs]

Early Appalachian frontiersman Alfred in buckskin circa 1790- 1810s. I’m trying to figure out how to paint like NC Wyeth digitally (so lol the background is Wyeth’s).

Gonna ramble a bit about my nor’easter au and Alfred below the cut

Following the American Revolution, Alfred is immediately sent out to squash any rebellions (like whiskey rebellion) and to partake in wars against Indigenous nations like the Cherokee. I’ll save a discussion about the Cherokee wars for another time because that’ll take a long time to explain + I’m still working on my Cherokee oc and I need to understand Cherokee history and perspective more before I go forward with talking about this topic.

Now the many of the east coast states are older than Alfred, and they mostly supported him during the revolution because they thought he’d be easy to control given at the time of the revolution he wasn’t tied down as any colony or city. However, he was a New Englander and very obviously so

He was once Plymouth colony and he grew up alongside his cousin Henry/Massachusetts, but by the time the revolution occurred, his status was unclear and he was simply living with his cousin (who’s his earliest and most fierce supporter) .

These states operated like countries and part of why the had the revolution was to continue to self-govern and maintain their regional cultures. It’s also part of why the federal government initially was rather weak. Given Alfred’s closeness to his cousin, and his very staunch New England identity, I think the states would be hesitant over a strong New England national control. And so I think they especially Jennie/NY & Rich/Virginia encouraged Alfred to leave his cousin for a while, and partake in military campaigns (+ he was good at battle).

Also Alfred was like 14, and I don’t think he’s ever been the type to sit down and do paperwork. Honestly he was always a bad student, who was far more interested in the outdoors, horses, sailing and hunting. While he won the war, and he was fine with being head of state, he still didn’t 1) have confidence in himself to make non-military related decisions 2) he just wasn’t mentally ready to take on the responsibilities and was fine deferring it to his states like Jennie, Rich, or Henry to figure out matters that weren’t military related. He was irresponsible and it would come back to bite him in the ass during the Civil War.

Alfred on a personal level it was probably good for him to get away from his overly critical cousin who can be overbearing, but also so he would get more experience to deeply get to know his states.

Also Alfred, growing up in New England, he was a little ball of rage as a kid and he has a difficult time managing his emotions. He wasn’t exactly the personable seemingly fun loving Alfred of the present. Not that he couldn’t crack a joke, but ok I’m not from New England, but in the northeast I find we’re rather cynical, un-filtered and sarcastic and tbh kind of asssholes in the way we have fun and in our humor. That’s how he was, which is like fine unless you’re trying to appeal to the rest of the nation lol which he would have to

I think his time spent in Appalachia and the south did help him learn more about his other states especially Maisie/ North Carolina. But also helped him learn more how to let go some of this intense New England rage, and how to better control his emotions. But also let loose in a way that isn’t so dark and cynical. Also I think this helped him slowly learn how to speak with less of a New England specific accent

He was also able to observe states like Rich and Carl/ South Carolina and gain an understanding of how being able to control your emotions, can help control your image and how others perceive you. So these are the origins of how he slowly began to shape and become at least in public this overly friendly happy go lucky Alfred.

I’ll save a discussion about his interactions with the Appalachian states more explicitly another time I’m just tired😴 fr rn

#hetalia #aph #hws #historical hetalia #aph america #hetalia america #hws america #aph usa #hws usa #hetalia usa #alfred f jones #hetalia headcanons #hetalia au #statetalia #aph headcanons #aph au #hws headcanons #hws au #hetalia fanart #hetalia art #hetalia hcs #hetalia world stars #alfred jones #hetalia fandom #aph fanart #hws fanart #I’m not great with historical fashion lol #nor’easter verse

[elizabethrobertajones]

8 and 12 for the Frogicule! :3

Do they have any favorite activities to do together?

I don't think Zero's even met G'raha, let alone the busiest man in Ishgard :( The Frogzero dynamic has very much been "weird girls going into the woods and doing Rituals And Making Potions And Spells" except magic actually exists and Frog recruited Zero on a personal side mission to track down and talk face to face with Francie, her reaper avatar. It's all happened so suddenly that this adventure lead to smoochin that Frog's still reeling and hasn't managed to arrange any fun Frogicule activities. (How could she know that as soon as I set eyes on Zero I said "oh Frog has to kiss her"? it's all so sudden!)

Anyway this is exactly the sort of thing Y'shtola would enjoy too, I'm saying for no particular reason :) :)

Obviously Frog has taken G'raha to Ishgard to hang out and do High Culture stuff with Aymeric. Aymeric likes taking them to fancy dinners with important people to show off the Warrior of Light and talk up G'raha's achievements to make him blush. G'raha and Frog act all couple-y and Aymeric gets a kick out of secretly holding Frog's hand under the table as well. And of course he has to dance with her at the ball, it's just polite. And if he has a private seat at the theatre, they can all sit together up there -

Basically they're really improving the quality of his enforced public appearances and Lucia has tasked Frog with making sure these new political Head of State social duties don't get so onerous that Aymeric doesn't snap and leap out of a window and disappear into the wilds never to be seen again...

Frog KNOWS G'raha has a ridiculous crush on Aymeric because she only asked the Lord Commander out officially after G'raha wouldn't stop going on about how attractive he was and Frog would be so lucky if she could date him as well and she was like, bet? ... She also can see Aymeric is quite taken with G'raha but has decided to neutrally sit back and see how many dates the three of them can go on before Aymeric and G'raha figure it out for themselves, because that's far more entertaining to her than anything else going on.

G'raha is just happy to be there :D

*sound of all this whooshing over his head*

Who gets up the earliest? Who has the worst sleep schedule? Who is the sleepiest?

Well all three of those apply to Aymeric. If you stay over with him, he's up at first light, doing some stretches while reading paperwork. And then any time after lunch he falls right asleep as soon as you sit him down somewhere comfy?

I think Zero probably has the actual worst sleep schedule in terms of waking up at 3am and looking over at a shadow in the corner and jumping and screaming because she's sitting like a gargoyle in the corner just staring into the distance while gnawing on a whole orange skin and all. Circadian rhythms happen to people who can see the sky and enjoy the blessing of the sun. Introducing her to the sun just made her weirder, I'm afraid.

(G'raha is weird about sleep too but he just politely lies still and disassociates while pretending to be asleep and then micro-naps during the day like a champ so I am not sure Frog has noticed that he's got Slept For Three Years trauma...)

#ffxiv #heehee frogicule #Bounding Frog #Wolraha #Wolmeric #Wolzero #..... #Wolshtola #endwalker spoilers

[mischief-lies-and-stories]

Episode 6 Coherent(?) Thoughts

Okay my brain is fried from that episode, and I have things to do today so a rewatch is probably not in the foreseeable future (it is 12:55PM when I'm starting to write this queued post, and I haven't eaten yet today, if that tells you anything about what this episode has done to my brain and also what I have to get done today that I'm not doing right now and also a variety of other things that are out of my control so the anxiety's having lots of fun today okay moving on). I may do a Part 2 to the coherent thoughts for this episode, but also I'm planning a season 2 wrap-up post later this week so that might cover anything I don't talk about here. Spoilers for Loki season 2.

Okay but does he have to be there? Real talk though but does he have to be there? Does he have to be constantly watching the timelines, or is it like a knot where if he moves it all comes apart? Or once things get moving can he come and go as he pleases? Because I need him to NOT BE THE LOKI WHO REMAINS. MOBIUS, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU DOOMED HIM TO THIS FATE IN EPISODE ONE.

(Oookay, starting off very sane and coherent. Clearly.)

So far I've written two poems (queued up and coming) and started two fic ideas (which might become one fic, we'll see). And I'm sure I'll be coming up with more because like fucking hell am I leaving him there alone. The fic ideas are lengthy, though, so I would not expect them before the end of the week at the absolute earliest (and I'm finally starting my new job on Monday, so that might not happen either), and are probably too long for Tumblr so I'll likely just post to AO3 and promote the link on here once it's published.

(Side note: If you want those two poems early, and they're...okay, so maybe you do, I just put all (four) of my season 2 poems in one publication on AO3. The work is called To Stay (and other poems inspired by season 2) if you're interested. Or wait for the queued posts on Monday.)

I'm obsessed with the new outfit. The horns are too funny to me but the cloak is the shit. I wish it was The Coat, but it'll do excellently. My main criticism though is what the fuck are those shoes?! Just lose the shoes, bud! Post-ego death Loki comes back barefoot; he doesn't need shoes.

Loki did not technically create Yggdrasil. Not the concept of it, at least. It's been part of Asgardian vocabulary about the realms since before he was born (I'm pretty sure it's on the mosaic in Ragnarok). What he did was take the timelines and create a literal manifestation of the World Tree in the cosmos. Whether it already existed on the sacred timeline somehow as a literal and cosmological structure holding the nine (ten) realms together in the MCU, I don't know, but since we haven't seen it up to this point I think it's safe to say that it didn't. The real question is, if Loki took all of the branches and passed through the rift and his friends could no longer see him or the timelines from the TVA, how do they know it looks like a tree now, enough to put it on their new posters?

I said this already, but he's been a tree before and CANONICALLY HE DOESN'T ENJOY IT (to be fair he usually doesn't choose to become a tree). This fate is making me distraught, and brings me back to point one, in my own personal time loop.

#loki #loki tv show #loki season 2 #loki season 2 spoilers #loki theories #loki 2x06 spoilers #loki 2x06

[semperintrepida]

For that writer meme...

2, 5, 6, 8, 13, 18 aaaaaand 20!

Please and thank you :D

Howdy, Anon!

2. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

I'm excited to resume working on a book I have in progress called Irredeemable, which is going to be my apology to deimos!Kassandra for what I did to her in Breaking. 🤣 It's a redemption story with a side of slowburn and I am very excited to be writing from deimos!Kassandra's head after writing about her from an oblique angle for the past three years.

5. What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

I can't say I identify with the fictional characters I write about, but there's definitely a part of me in every POV character I've ever written. Perhaps I latch on to characters who can provide some aspirational wish fulfillment. Kassandra has the physicality and unshakeable confidence. Kyra has the exceptional memory and ability to adapt to the moment. These are not qualities that I have in great amounts, but I sure as heck would like to!

6. What character do you have the most fun writing?

Right now? Kyra. She's so fucking complicated, and writing her dialogue has brought me joy—as well as a fierce challenge. Everything she says holds at least two layers of meaning.

deimos!Kassandra in Irredeemable is a close second. She's Kassandra coming back from the dark side and channeling her lets me play with some emotions that aren't so nice. 😈

8. Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

Yes. I write the stories I want to read, and all too often those don't exist so I have to conjure them myself.

13. Do you share your writing online? (Drop a link!) Do you have projects you’ve kept just for yourself?

This page is the gateway to the writing I've posted online, both fanfic and original work. I'm mostly writing fanfic these days so that gets posted for public enjoyment. (That said, I originally wrote "The Breaking" just for myself, and was only later persuaded to share it in public.)

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

"The Breaking" got an amusing AU just a few weeks ago: What if Kyra had managed to kill Deimos early in the story, what then? That story probably had the most faffing about in its earliest stages, when I was writing my way into the plot. There's a version of that story that doesn't skip the five months between chapter 1 and 2. 😬 There's also a version with an Isu component that became a darling that I absolutely had to kill.

I think Breaking is an outlier due to its complexity. Prior to that book, my stories have tended to align with a strong central vision, appearing a bit like Athena, fully formed from my forehead.

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

Gonna stick this answer under a cut to save your dashboards...

Let's talk about the snake imagery in "The Breaking." If you've played the game, you know that the Cult of Kosmos's sigil is one of twined vipers, and though I've written a story where Deimos has broken free of the Cult's control, she's kept the viper sigil as her own.

Snakes are strongly associated with Deimos, so it's telling when such imagery begins to be used around Kyra:

An eagle would batter its wings against the bars until they broke. But flying's not for me anymore. I'm closer to the ground, slithering, shedding my skin, trying to make myself small enough to squeeze between the bars and escape.

And:

My arm moves, the blade slides and hisses for a long while, but then a quiet sigh from the bed pulls me out of rhythm. Your head turns, slowly, in time to watch me test the blade's edge against my thumbnail. Sharp enough to cut to the bone if I need it to.

Let's just say I'm hinting some things about Kyra's character progression. 😅

[Fun meta asks for writers]

#great questions; appreciate you asking #i'm glad you asked #my grey faced friend #ask meme

[mrmrswales]

Exclusive: the ‘profoundly powerful’ moments that shaped Duchess of Cambridge’s children’s charity work by Camilla Tominey

It all started with secret visits the public never got to see. Newly married, and with the world’s press chronicling her every move – down to the details of her designer dresses – the Duchess of Cambridge resolved to go "below radar".

Acting as Prince William’s "plus one", rather than a fully fledged solo royal in those early days, the newest addition to the Royal family knew that she wanted to find a cause she could champion as impactfully as Diana, the Princess of Wales’s landmine campaign; it was simply a question of where to find it.

Having already announced her first patronage of Action on Addiction, a charity working with people with drug and alcohol problems, Hope House, a women-only rehabilitation centre in Clapham, south London, seemed as good a place as any to start.

It was October 2011 when the then 29-year-old Duchess paid the first of several, incognito visits in a bid to find out what had sent its clients on a downward spiral of self-destruction.

According to Rebecca Priestley, who accompanied the Duchess on the visit and would go on to spend five years as her private secretary, it played a pivotal role in her decision to put childhood at the heart of her philanthropic endeavours.

Speaking on the record for the first time, Mrs Priestley, who is now an executive coach, recalled:  "I remember going up to Anglesey, where they were living after the wedding, to have a conversation with the Duchess about her royal life."

At that point, she had the philanthropic world at her feet. She could have done anything she wanted in the charitable arena. Typically, she had put a lot of thought into it already. Addiction was an issue she was instinctively thinking about – but she was also genuinely interested in understanding what support was there and what role that played in the bigger picture of mainstream societal issues."

With the Duke having flown to the Falklands for a six–week tour of duty with his RAF search and rescue squadron, Mrs Priestley put a programme together to support the Duchess’s desire to "listen and learn"."A lot of it was behind the scenes, just talking to people and hearing where it was that they needed more help.  The one thing that united all of the women at Hope House was that the derailing had started so early on. They could trace the problems in their adult lives back to childhood."

A subsequent private visit in February 2012 to Clouds House, a treatment centre in East Knoyle in Wiltshire, served as further confirmation that the early years should be a key area of focus. But it was during a later meeting with female inmates at a detox unit at Send Prison in Woking when the penny well and truly dropped.

"It was a profoundly powerful moment,” recalled Mrs Priestley. "You go in there with this preconceived idea that these women have done things wrong, that it was their fault. Then one woman started speaking to the Duchess about her earliest memories of seeing needles on the floor of her home."

She had always thought addiction was a misunderstood issue, but after this, she became concerned that there was a pre-destiny about those affected – an inevitability about it. These women were born into it and there was very little chance of escape."

The experience set in train a sequence of events that will next week culminate in the Duchess, 39, stepping up her ambition in driving awareness and action on the impact that early childhood can have on society at large.

She will launch a new initiative through the couple’s Royal Foundation to further explore the science around early childhood, raise awareness of the issue and foster collaboration and partnerships across relevant groups.

According to Lord Hague, who became chairman of the Royal Foundation last September, the "ambitious" new project will be equal in stature to William’s £50 million Earthshot Prize, launched last year with Sir David Attenborough to find workable solutions to climate change and environmental problems.

"The Duchess truly believes this is one of the great issues of our time," said the former Tory leader. "This is the central plank of her work in the way conservation issues are for the Duke. It’s a hugely significant moment."

While politicians are often in a rush to make a difference during the comparatively short time they have in office, royals are there for life, which perhaps explains why Kate has taken 10 years to get to this point.Having been instrumental in launching the Heads Together campaign with William and Prince Harry in 2016, designed at tackling the stigma and changing the conversation on mental health, it was not until 2018 that she convened a steering group of experts to look at how cross-sector collaboration could bring about lasting change.

In January, she delivered a landmark speech after her Five Big Questions on the Under Fives survey garnered over 500,000 responses.

"People often ask why I care so passionately about the early years," the mother-of-three said.

"Many mistakenly believe that my interest stems from having children of my own. While of course I care hugely about their start in life, this ultimately sells the issue short. If we only expect people to take an interest in the early years when they have children, we are not only too late for them, we are underestimating the huge role others can play in shaping our most formative years, too."

Pointing out that the social cost of late intervention has been estimated to be over £17 billion a year, she added: "The early years are therefore not simply just about how we raise our children. They are in fact about how we raise the next generation of adults. They are about the society we will become."

According to Eamon McCrory, Professor of Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology at University College London, the Duchess "has a vision of how she can help transform how we as a society view and invest in the early years for the benefit of society".

Describing her interest in "the role the brain shapes our early experiences and how that sets us on a path to adult life", he explained: "When you look at very young babies and infants, on the surface they don’t appear to be engaging in complex emotions so there's a tendency to underestimate the millions of synapses that are being formed every minute. But science is telling us we have to look under the bonnet.

"There’s no question that for the Duchess, this is a lifetime piece of work. The last five years laid the foundations, now we are entering a more proactive phase.” Described by one source as “thoughtful, professional and determined to do a good job,” there is a sense that Kate has never been in it for the early wins, but the long haul.

As one well-placed insider put it: "She took the job very seriously right from the very beginning. She continues to want to get it right and do her very best - for the institution, for William and the importance of the work she’s doing.

"She doesn't just want to rock up for a picture opportunity, which is why she used to get quite frustrated with all the early focus on what she was wearing. She really cares about this stuff."

Another source said she was "much more fun" than people give her credit for, pointing out how she has grown in confidence having found a cause that she is not only passionate about - but also well informed.

As Lord Hague put it: "She’s been reading the books and had trustees reading the books. People assume her interest in the early years is because she has children – actually it comes from all the adults she’s met." The other key influence has been Kate’s own idyllic childhood.

Brought up in leafy Bucklebury in West Berkshire by her entrepreneur parents Michael and Carole Middleton, pictured below with the royal family, the Duchess has never made any secret of how fortunate she has been to be brought up in a loving and supportive family.

"She always recognised that she benefited from such a great start in life," added Mrs Priestley.

"That’s why sport and the outdoors has always been a key theme for her. She was always asking how those sorts of experiences could be made accessible to others."

For Dame Benny Refson, president of the children’s mental health charity Place2Be, where the Duchess has been patron since 2013, Kate’s grounded upbringing has proved an asset.

“The Duchess listens and people feel heard and valued. It’s nothing to do with privilege. The groups she meets in challenging areas in London don't look at what she's wearing. What makes a difference is that an important person has shown a genuine interest in them. She can relate without passing judgement, which is so important."

Having started out as a reticent public speaker, the Duchess has finally found her voice – and next week she will have a lot more to say.

#duchess of cambridge

[ssa-assclown]

What If We Kissed At The Library (& Then Got Each Other Off)? JK...Unless // Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

‼️18+, Minors DNI‼️

Summary: Spencer & his girlfriend (the reader) visit the local library. Smut ensues.

Warnings: handjob, public (but sneaky) (spoiler alert they do NOT get caught but still -), slight exhibitionism, fingering, established relationship, kinda fluffy very smutty

Word Count: ~2k

**originally posted on my ao3, link in my about!**

“God, I love this place,” you said, gazing up at the large, familiar building up ahead, the sun glaring down on you harshly from the sky. Your boyfriend, walking beside you, got a certain glint in his eye. You knew what was coming; you knew it, and you absolutely loved it - fun facts incoming!

“You know, the first libraries consisted of archives of the earliest form of writing - clay tablets written in cuneiform script, which were originally discovered in Sumer. Some dated back as far as 2600 BCE.”

“I didn’t know that,” you said earnestly, tugging on the door handle, glad your hand was occupied so you could keep it from teasingly pinching Spencer’s adorable cheeks - a form of endearment he often swatted away with a blush. “I mean, I knew about Sumer and Mesopotamia and all that, but I didn’t know it was the origin of the first written language. Or I guess maybe I did know, and forgot.”

He strolled in and you followed.

“The history of the written word is so fascinating. Reading about the way language has changed over time and for what reasons is one of my favorite subjects.”

“Well then it’s a good thing we’re here,” you said, a bit quieter as the pair of you walked past the information desk and the eyes (and ears) of the on-duty librarians. The cooling blast from the A/C felt like a godsend and you sighed. Spencer followed your lead up the steps to the second floor, which held most of the library’s collection. It was vast and colorful and welcoming, the shelves stretching out to greet you like a tree with too many branches. It smelled so comforting, the carpet and wood and paper. You breathed it in. You were home.

You started in the world history section, watching Spencer run his fingers over the spines, silently reading the titles to himself. He was so beautiful. You couldn’t help but admire him, even doing something as normal and relatively mundane as this. He could never be mundane, not to you, with his shoulder length curls, his pink pouty lips, his slender, tall frame. Spencer Reid, wearing a cardigan in 85 degree weather, his light olive skin tinted red from the heat, with one hand on his leather satchel, the other ghosting over books at remarkable speed. He looked like Cabanel’s fallen angel, but more angelic, more ethereal. He looked like perfection in dark jeans. His tongue swiped out for a moment to wet his bottom lip and that was enough.

Without saying a word, you slipped a finger under the hand that was gripping the satchel strap, tugging his hand into yours. Though he was still scanning the shelves, he reciprocated instantly, intertwining your fingers and giving your palm a gentle squeeze. He pulled you along down the aisle, occasionally sliding a book out to scan its front cover and back before returning it to the shelf.

“What were you thinking of checking out today?” you asked quietly.

He thought for a moment, a book in his hand, then turned to look at you. “Probably something about Germany, but I’m not entirely sure yet. What about you?”

You chuckled to yourself, then leaned in a bit. “I’d like something from art history, but...right now, the only thing I’m checking out is you.”

It took a second to register, but once it did Spencer shook his head, lips upturned and cheeks a bit redder. “Y/N...” he groaned at the cheesiness of the pickup line.

“Spencer...” you mock-groaned back.

He slipped the book into his satchel for safe-keeping. “Alright, let’s head to art, then.”

“Art history - “

“Yeah, yeah...right...”

He was flustered. Good.

You let go of Spencer’s hand as you surveyed the art history section, sliding the large books out of place and carefully sliding them back when you were through. After reading the back of a book on Monet, you felt Spencer’s eyes on you in your peripheral vision. You glanced up and sure enough, he was leaning against the shelf, chewing on his lip, gazing back at you.

It happened without either of you realizing it.

It was like some sort of instinct took over. You couldn’t wait. You couldn’t be rational. You couldn’t be reasonable human beings. You needed to touch each other and you needed to touch each other now.

You set the book haphazardly (but silently) somewhere on the shelf, knowing you’d come back for it later, and made your way to Spencer. His eyes looked so full of want, it was almost overwhelmingly gorgeous. You tugged on the collar of his button-up shirt and leaned up to kiss him roughly, teeth clashing briefly, his tongue making its way into your mouth without hesitation. He tasted like coffee and cherry chapstick. You sighed.

You felt him start to get hard as you pulled away. You met his eyes again and he nodded his silent permission. Both of you instantly checked your surroundings, finding the second floor to still be deserted, at least from what you could see from the aisle. The art history section was towards the back of the floor and so, quite honestly, you might not have been alone after all. But again, rational thought had flown out the window. Only lust and hormones remained, and unfortunately so did Spencer’s jeans, which were starting to get extremely uncomfortable for him. And so you surreptitiously undid his belt.

You heard his breath start to quicken. It made your heart pound faster in your chest. This wasn’t the first time you’d given Spencer a handjob in public, but it also wasn’t something you’d done frequently. It was mostly uncharted territory, especially since the only public places you’d done things like this were more enclosed and private - places like movie theaters, or ferris wheels, or private jets…

Every slight movement sounded ten times louder in the silence of the library. The jingle of Spencer’s belt buckle may as well have been a fire alarm, even with your carefulness. You gulped and undid the button of his jeans, faking a sneeze as you unzipped the fly. He chuckled under his breath at your inventiveness. Your mouth watered at the sight of the tent in his boxers, cock straining uncomfortably against the fabric. You wanted to taste him so bad, but you couldn’t do it here. Still, your stomach did a flip at the thought. Later, you told yourself. That was far too risky.

You looked up into his eyes for consent once more and he nodded eagerly, big doe eyes pleading for relief. You didn’t waste anymore time and slipped your hand into his boxers, wrapping your fingers around his dick and pumping him slowly.

He was even more eager than you thought, precum dripping from the tip, and god you wanted to taste him. You again fought the urge and brought the wetness down his length, using it as lube. He was so big. He didn’t look it, but damn was he packing. Though you were often on top, pegging the daylights out of him, it was so nice when you bottomed for Spencer. You held your breath, remembering how good it felt to have the cock in your grip fucking you into the mattress. Every single time, it was an earth-shattering, bruising, mind-blowingly good fuck, and Jesus Christ were you horny now.

Spencer bucked into your hand and you looked up to see his face, eyes gripped shut, trying his hardest not to make any noise. At home, he was like a pornstar, the way he moaned, all inhibition gone with his clothes. You knew it was hard for him to stay quiet here just like it was hard for you to not immediately fall on your knees and take him into your mouth. You twisted your hand a bit as you continued to stroke him and his breath stuttered, one hand resting on the shelf beside him so he could bite down on the skin there, the other clutching his satchel, knuckles white.

He was close.

You tightened your grip a bit, focusing more on the head, other hand making its way to tease his balls. He whined then - quietly, but still - and for a moment you completely stopped, terrified someone had heard. You were both frozen in place for a good five seconds before collectively deciding it was safe to continue, and you did so at a merciless pace. Spencer was breathing so fast and so loud you were certain if anyone walked onto the second floor, they’d think someone was having an asthma attack up there. His eyes shot open and you knew he was about to cum. You gave in and got onto your knees, taking him into your mouth as he came, thick cock spurting cum deep into your throat. Spencer’s hand that had been death-gripping his satchel strap threaded through your hair lovingly, and he sighed in contentment, sated and blissful. You swallowed his release fully and kissed his tummy, tucking his softening cock back into his boxers, standing up before you had him zipped, buttoned, and rebuckled, another fake sneeze aiding your stealth.

It’s amazing how well-fucked a man can look with just one handjob-turned-slight-blowjob. Spencer’s eyes were dilated, his lips red and slightly swollen, face flushed, hair sticking to his glistening forehead. He was still catching his breath, and you could see the mark he’d left on his hand from biting down to stay quiet - something the team of profilers back at work would probably have a lot of questions about on Monday. He pulled you towards him and kissed you quickly, then slowly, tasting himself on your tongue and shivering at the intimacy of it all. He pulled away and nuzzled his nose against yours, mouth falling open lazily. You traced those red, swollen lips with your finger and kissed him again, and when you pulled away he arose concerned.

“What about you?” he whispered. “You didn’t - ?”

You laughed shortly under your breath. “You think we can get away with more public indecency?”

He shrugged. “I owe you,” he whispered. “And,” he leaned in to your ear, “I want to.”

Your stomach flipped.

You nodded at him and his lips turned up at the corners. You were in a skirt, making this a relatively easier feat than the one previous. You braced yourself against the sturdy bookshelf, stepping onto a nearby step stool to give Spencer better access. He slid his hand into your thong, the fabric wet from watching your pretty boy come undone, and traced along your entrance briefly. He retracted immediately and fear shook you to the core. Had someone walked up behind you? “What - ? Oh,” you were speechless. Spencer had pulled his hand out to wet his long fingers, slipping them two by two into his mouth and sucking, looking into your eyes as he did it.

“Spencer,” you whispered reverently, and his eyes grew smug. He brought his hand back into your pants and started to rub your clit, you holding onto his shoulders a bit awkwardly. “I’m not gonna last long,” you admitted, and he quickened his pace, slipping two of his gorgeous fingers into you at once, leaning in towards your ear again.

“It’s okay, Y/N,” he whispered, biting gently on your earlobe. “Cum for me. Cum for me.”

And you did. He kept on going through your orgasm, fingers perfectly fucking you through each shiver and swear and whisper of his name. Then he pulled out his hand and licked it clean, staring into your eyes while he did it. He licked his lips when he was done. “You always taste so pretty,” he whispered, breathing ragged.

“God, I really do love the library,” you whispered back.

#criminal minds #criminal minds x reader #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid #spencer reid smut #spencer reid x fem!reader #spencer reid x female reader #cm #mgg #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid oneshot #spencer reid one shot

[the-splodge]

Please give the essay, your au is giving me brainrot

okay I’m going to split this up into pre-LL werewolf joel and LL werewolf joel me and @beezverse have had a LOT of thoughts on this dude

Pre-LL Werewolf Joel

- he is quite insecure of the fact he’s a werewolf, and knows things can turn south VERY quickly for him.

- he hides his ears by pinning them down, and tucks his tail into his robe. claws are also filed down and he covers his mouth whenever he laughs

- he has no memory of his early childhood! His earliest memories are spent just surviving in the poorer part of towns; he knows he’s a werewolf and he knows how to survive, but he doesn’t know who he is or who/where his family are.

- he actually met Lizzie before they were both adults! (Important note: Lizzie is a member of the fae folk in this AU) he met her on the morning after a full moon, he had just transformed back into a human and looked like he had just been dragged through a hedge backwards, she had just finished attending a fae party! They were actually having a fun conversation and considered each other friends before Lizzie’s guardians dragged her away from the ‘dirty peasant boy‘. It took both of them way too long to clock that they’ve seen each other before

- when he was a young teen, he sought out an esteemed blood mage and asked to become their apprentice; he’d much rather be feared for what he’s chosen than what he is

- his mentor taught him a LOT of the magic he knows, and also helped his esteem issues simply by being accepting

LL Werewolf Joel

- he started the game by hiding the fact he was a werewolf from everyone! (I mean obviously Lizzie knew but she’s his wife)

- eventually someone saw his ears and tail though, and rumour got out that he wasn’t fully human. Scar tried to calm him down from the panic attack that ensued (he was convinced the other server members would hate him and want him dead), but could only do so much. It took lizzie coming over to check on him and suggesting that he just says he’s a dog hybrid instead to fully calm him down (as much as he hates being called a dog he admits it seems better than the alternative)

- (it then becomes Ambiguous as to who thinks he’s a dog hybrid and who knows he’s a werewolf)

- he warms up to scar quite quickly, and becomes a LOT more comfortable letting him see some of his more non human traits, such as showing his teeth when he laughed!

- a couple more things he does is gently biting his close allies out of affection on their hand/forearm (he’s careful not to draw blood), and stealing some of their old/ruined clothes as a special keepsake from them as it has their scent

- leading on from that last point, he cried when Scar’s robes and Lizzie’s jackets started losing their scent after they died, as it finally hit him that they were finally gone, there was no bringing them back, they were well and truly dead

- while we’re on the topic of scent, since he has a really good sense of smell, it’s much easier for him to smell blood and gunpowder and ash! this mean when he’s red, it was harder for him to act civil since any sort of ‘violent’ sense riled the reds up. hence him going absolutely fucking feral once he had the ability to kill. on more than one occasion he drove himself into a frenzy with the violence he had caused

- he gets VERY excited when setting his traps, and has more than once ruined his redstone by sweeping it away with his tail. Grian used to just sigh in annoyance and fix it for him, but once Tango died the fear that Joel may accidentally trigger one of their own traps prematurely became a lot more real

That’s all I can think of from the top of my head! I think the main difference between LL Joel and Empires Joel is that although they both have the same fears about publically being a werewolf, LL Joel is a LOT more comfortable in his own skin than Empires Joel is. If you wanna ask about werewolf joel (either empires or last life) please do I am more than happy to ramble!

#mcyt #last life #smallishbeans #werewolf joel #anon I am SO sorry this took so long I hope you enjoy these tho!

[bigskydreaming]

Hello, hello, tis I, your friendly neighborhood ‘dude who is obsessed with people making jokes and insults out of Dick’s name’ back with another episode of Why No But Seriously Why!

In today’s episode, we’re going to focus on the fanon of the swear jar. That thing ordained by Alfred that makes many an appearance in fics and headcanons....including ones that also show Jason and/or others calling Dick a Dickhead and other things all willy nilly and suchlike and forthwith.

How does this track, asketh I? Does Alfred provide exemption clauses for making fun of your brother, to the others? Does Alfred not consider making crude insults out of the name Dick to be a swear? Does Alfred, a born Brit, hailing from the land of the “We’ve Been Calling Richards ‘Dicks’ For Longer Than The Rest Of You Have Been Calling Them Rich’s,” not consider the fascination with making penis jokes out of the name of a child he’s helped raised from the age of EIGHT to be uncultured, crass and frankly unacceptable in any house he resides in?

I’m just saying, does it really make sense, and is the risk of pulling readers out of your story if they’re NOT amused by the jokes made of his name really worth whatever it is you feel is added to a story BY making the same old jokes about Dick’s name?

As I’ve said many times before....Dick Grayson? Fictional character. Has no feelings that actually need protecting....OUTSIDE of fiction. Making jokes about his name from beyond the fourth wall, just people commenting on a fictional character’s name? Go wild, go crazy, have a freaking Bacchanalia. Truly does not matter, if you ask me.

But IN universe? IN fiction? Totally different story, because look what those jokes require or make assumptions out of:

1) That Dick truly has no protective or defensive feelings whatsoever about his childhood nickname, and genuinely feels nothing about people habitually taking his choice to keep it as an invitation to insult or mock him.

1b) That Dick doesn’t in any way ever perceive peoples’ insistence on associating his name MORE with the insults and penis jokes than they do with it just being a name, to in any way be a slight against his beloved parents, of the “well they should have known better than to call him that” variety.

1c) That Dick has no negative feelings whatsoever about the fact that even his close friends and family regard his name as being no more worthy of respect or being ‘offlimits’ than the average Gothammite or public citizen might regard it, despite the fact that his close friends and family are perfectly aware of the public’s history of looking down on Dick for his origins and thus you’d think would WANT to appear different than them in Dick’s eyes.

1d) That Dick has never at any point expressed anger, frustration or bitterness that he can’t even have his name respected without even loved ones superimposing their own associations on top of it, no matter what it means to HIM.

2) That Alfred truly has no opinions whatsoever of the other charges in his care disrespecting Dick’s name and its origins stemming from his first parents.

2b) That Alfred has never expressed this opinion to any of them or made his displeasure about such jokes known.

2c) That Alfred doesn’t find it disappointing that the rest of the family and associated friends and allies seem disinclined to separate themselves from the general public’s opinions of Dick’s name by regarding it with a little more respect as at least a sign that they regard Dick himself with a little more respect than the general public.

3) That Jason or none of Dick’s other friends or family have never taken the initiative to wonder for themselves how Dick might actually feel about the frequent jokes or insults, and if shockingly, he might not actually be fond of them.

3b) That Jason or Dick’s other friends or family have chosen not to care or respect the opinions of Dick and/or Alfred or anyone else who states or suggests that these jokes or insults aren’t welcome.

4) That none of Dick’s other friends, be they Titans, or Uncle Clark, or siblings like Cass or Damian or frankly anyone, ever speak up in defense of Dick’s name and suggest that there’s a significant lack of respect around it and thus around him, that they personally take a very dim view of. (Even when Jason’s best friends include Dick’s former fianceé and own longtime BFF).

5) That nobody has ever bothered to think that only EVER being addressed by some form of insult by even his own siblings might possibly have a slightly demoralizing effect on someone’s self-esteem over time.

5b) That nobody has ever bothered to think that making sexual jokes about his name and thus innately sexualizing Dick from even his earliest days in Gotham, when coupled with the hyper-sexualized stereotypes people often apply to Romani individuals and further coupled with the suggestive rumors surrounding Bruce’s reasons for taking in a young boy, might possibly have contributed over time to Dick having an extremely skewed view of himself as an innately sexualized being no matter what he actually did in terms of sexual behavior.

I mean.....there’s more. If I felt like it.

But the point is......there’s a LOT of implicit assumptions that creep in alongside the seemingly harmless jokes and insults surrounding Dick’s name, the second you start to really focus in on how it might appear from his POV....IF you include even just the possibility that he DOESN’T like it.

EDIT: Also, lots of people have pointed out that its just sibling culture to make fun of a sibling in ways that you wouldn’t be okay with someone outside the family making the same jokes. And this is absolutely true! BUT. My issue here and why I don’t think the Dickhead jokes fall under this umbrella, is because I can say in my experience being from a blended family, and from what I’ve discussed in the past with other kids from blended families....there are ‘rules’ about this sort of thing, when you have adopted siblings, and the one near-universal truth that I’ve always found is that anything that stems from an adopted sibling’s first family, the one you do NOT share with them, is absolutely off limits. You mock them for something that originated outside your family, you’re the asshole, because at that point, you’re literally no different from outsiders to your current family making fun of that sibling. That ‘joke’ is not YOURS to make or share in, if you do not have the history with the thing you’re basing the joke on, that your sibling has with it. Shared history is the entire basis of siblings being able to mock each other while still citing solidarity against outsiders, and in adopted families, there absolutely are elements of each others’ lives that YOU are the outsider to, and it absolutely falls on you to respect that just as you’d want your sibling to respect the same of you in turn. If Jason absolutely would not be okay with Dick or anyone else making jokes about Catherine or his life with her, he should not be okay with making jokes about Dick’s name, circus origins, or other aspects of his life that stem from or call back to his time with his first family. The same holds true of all the others as well.

The other aspect of this name-calling not falling under the excuse-umbrella of just being typical sibling culture is its entirely one-sided. Show me the tendency where Dick responds to these everpresent jokes or insults by even light-heartedly calling Jason and the others insults like Hey Asshole, or Dumbass or anything like that. When things are entirely one-way, the impression given is not that of a camaraderie of back-and-forth. It becomes just one person or multiple people punching down in a way they feel confident from experience the other person will NOT respond in kind, which gives them an outlet for venting frustration, resentment or aggravation which risks them nothing, because they KNOW Dick won’t retaliate, and at that point that exchange becomes something very different from a general sibling back-and-forth....because there’s no ‘back.’ What you end up with at that point is literally just hostility, no matter if more mild than other cases, and a situation where one sibling is simply taking ADVANTAGE of the opportunity afforded by another sibling’s good nature and refusal to engage in hurt feelings even while you feel free to cause those feelings in them. And that’s just not a good look. Its just not. And even if you find those exchanges humorous yourself as a writer or a reader, you might want to keep in mind that to plenty of other readers, its making even the characters you like and INTEND to be liked, just....come across as kinda not cool assholes instead.

END OF EDIT.

And here’s the other point:

Its not really about his name, and never has been.

His name is simply emblematic of how EASY it is for people to fall into the trap of just....choosing to overlook Dick’s POV entirely, the second its pitted against other characters and what they might gain from their POV....even if that ‘gain’ is as simple and basic as the slight moment of humor Jason gets from making a joke or mocking insult out of Dick’s name.

Here, let me present this another way:

Every single person alive has SOMETHING they get defensive or protective about. SOMETHING that they’re like no, this is offlimits to people, this is not for their consumption, their entertainment, its not for THEM to take and twist into something other than what it is for ME, because its MINE. This is basic human nature. EVERYONE has this feeling about SOMETHING that’s particular to them.

And with Dick, most of the things that we’re generally given to view him being protective or defensive about are either almost more about other people than him - such as being protective of his family members - or else, they’re things that he’s not ALLOWED to be purely defensive or say, territorial about.

Like for instance, the name Robin.

Think about how Robin is pretty much one of the ONLY things Dick is largely deemed to be defensive or proprietary about.....BUT how that’s also largely used NOT to have him wholly in the right for feeling that way.....but to put him in conflict with the other Robins, given that they also have strong feelings about the name regardless of its origins, and its not solely Dick’s anymore.

Now here’s my question:

If for example, you go with the take that Robin was Dick’s mother’s name for him, and that’s why Dick is so protective and defensive of that name.....why would he be any LESS protective or defensive about his mother AND father’s OTHER name for him....given that the only possible reason for him TO stick with the name Dick all throughout adulthood, is that its the form of his name they referred to him by, and thus, clearly, it DOES carry emotional significance for him?

See what I’m saying?

Why is it, that the only time so many people see Dick laying a claim to something, being defensive or protective of something that’s HIS, standing up for HIMSELF.....is when the waters are murky, when its not a clear cut case of him being wholly in the right, when it pits Dick against someone else and says both are at least somewhat valid?

Why is it so RARE to see people imagine Dick putting his foot down in defense of himself, in defense of something that’s HIS.....where its 100% crystal clear that he has every right and reason in the world to feel this way, where there’s no doubt whatsoever that he’s on the correct side of thinking “this is mine and I get to say this”?

Even about something as simple and basic as his own name?

And why is it the only time we seem to see people sticking up for Dick or weighing in on his behalf, its in the case of extreme actions like him having been raped or abused? Why are there hardly any stories of people looking at alleged family and friends bitching about Dick or heaping insults on him or his capabilities and saying hey, he’s been doing this while most of us were sitting in middle school detention, you could show him some respect? Why do none of the people who value and respect Dick so highly ever seem to weigh in like THAT in stories?

My challenge, should you choose to accept it, is just to look at the above list of possible reasons why Dick might not be thrilled about how people use his name....and just IMAGINE what it would look like, if Dick just said to another character....”Hey. Could you cut that out. I would appreciate it if you didn’t do that.” Even just “I really don’t like that.”

How does a scene like that go? One where Dick is wholly and completely justified in putting his foot down, in feeling that someone is overstepping or paying him an insult or a disservice?

We hear all the time in fandom about how in the name of ‘humanizing’ Dick and ‘making him more relatable’ some people focus overly much on emphasizing his flaws, his alleged temper, his secretiveness, etc.

I’d like to argue that flaws are not actually the only staple of humanity. Risking making a character more dislikable is not actually the only way to make them feel more human or relatable. THIS is another way to do that. Make them defensive, proprietary, territorial, even prickly.....but with REASON. With CAUSE. With JUSTIFICATION. Because people are ALLOWED to be, when people are being a - all irony intended - total dick to them.

And there is a long, LONG history in fanfics, of people being exactly that to Dick, and him just....smiling.

EXCEPT for when his choice NOT to smile, and to actually take offense and push back......pits him against another character but with the other character usually being granted just as much right and reason to not give way.

So? I’m saying you have right here a perfect example of how to flip the script on that. To make it abundantly clear that Dick has just as much right to put his foot down with even people who love and care about him and say hey, you’re doing something I don’t like, that in fact even hurts me, and I want you to stop.

Why not use it? Why does there always seem to need to be an ARGUMENT about whether or not Dick is in the right to feel wronged in some way.....when its so abundantly clear that he’s given no shortage of reasons for that in practically every other fic?

And consider.....if you’ve never previously entertained the idea that Dick might take offense to how people treat his name, or feel defensive about it......what else might you be overlooking that he could feel that way about, and is there any reason why you think you tend not to view Dick as being defensive of HIMSELF and things that are uniquely his?

*Shrugs* Just food for thought, mayhaps.

[tswiftisgay]

I just think it’s funny how Taylor told Ellen her first kiss was her boyfriend Drew age 15 except that drew and her never dated and he didn’t know about her feelings until years laterwhen Teardrops came out

ooooo anon that is a spicy fun little tidbit.

At the time, I remember questioning whether she had ever said she dated Drew before, but not thinking too hard about it. But your ask made me go digging.

What I found does not support the narrative that they dated!!

From the way way old TaylorSwift.com as saved on internet archive:

"I used to have a huge crush on this guy, who would sit there every day talking to me about...another girl: how beautiful she was, how nice and smart and perfect she was. And I sat there and listened, never meaning it any of the times I said 'Oh, I'm so happy for you.' I guess this is a good example of how I let my feelings out in songs, and sometimes no other way. And I've never been afraid of using names. I love this song because of its honesty and vulnerability. To this day, they are still together and he has no idea about this song."

From a 2007 Seventeen article:

Turns out, she draws everything from her own experiences -- and she isn't afraid to share! On her hit single, "Teardrops on My Guitar," she talks about a former crush. When asked if she'd heard from the crush since the song debuted, she told us he had been leaving her voicemails ever since -- but that she felt too awkward to call him back!

From this fan wiki about past relationships. Looks like this exact little blurb is used on several fan sites circa 2013 at the earliest, but I can't find an original source.

Drew Hardwick “Teardrops on My Guitar” was written about a boy she liked, whom she never actually dated. "Drew was a real person!" she tells. Drew was surprised when he heard his name in the song. "I never knew she liked me," Drew says. Taylor stated that two years after the song came out Drew showed up at her house and asked her on a date. She declined. "It was the perfect fairytale ending but a little too late."

This 2008 Washington Post interview talks about Drew showing up on her driveway.

There's also an old Great American Country Music article from 2008 which seems to say Drew is the inspiration for Our Song and Tim McGraw as well? Or maybe it confuses him with another ex--saying one showed up on her driveway and one left her voicemails--even though other sources seem to say that's the same person. I would trust the other sources over this one since it's the only one saying that.

I'm sitting here wondering a lot of things right now.

What songs did she write first for self-titled? Wouldn't it make sense for her first kiss to be a different guy she dated like the Tim McGraw song guy? (Or, you know, a girl that she didn't want to talk about.)

That's a weird lie to tell since Drew had very well-publicized child abuse charges in late 2015. You would think she would want to distance herself from him.

Is it possible that the real lie is that she never dated or kissed him? Maybe it was a bit messier than that, but she didn't want to mention it at the time because he was still with the other girl?

A reminder: I always come from the mindset that Taylor probably did date guys in highschool because most girls do until they can sort out their sexuality (heteronormativity, performative heterosexuality, etc.) Plus she may indeed be bisexual/pansexual/not just into ladies!

I'm super intrigued to hear what others know or think about this!

Nonsense gossip / humor below the cut if you're invested

One reddit commenter said there are two different highschool Drews! Drew Dunlap and Drew Hardwick. I don't know what to think because all of the evidence is bad. This sorta reachy old post says Drew Dunlap was the first kiss/boyfriend. Other shitty media outlets (x x x) have picked that up and used it.

But there are other sources that say the boyfriend she wrote those nice songs about who had to leave for college was actually Brandon Borello, which cbsnew.com and Insider backs up. Here is a supposed photo of them.

If I had to take a guess, I would say Brandon is the real inspo and boyfriend.

I ran out of Vulture credits so you tell me what this one says about what happens to guys Taylor writes songs about.

AND last but not least, Answers.com says:

You're welcome.

#teardrops on my guitar #tomg #timeline #mine

[pl-panda]

The vines that bind us - Chapter 9

Chapter 1 || Previous || Next

------

She opened the window and picked a pencil. With deadly precision she tossed it. The wooden tool sailed through the air until it hit the binoculars and broke one side of them. She huffed and closed the window before pulling the curtains closed. How rude.

Jason cursed under his breath. Any other day he would probably avoid the projectile, but it caught him completely by surprise. By all accounts, it was physically impossible to use a pencil with such precision and force to destroy military-grade night-vision binoculars. At least the memory card was safe so he could give it to replacement later on for analysis.

Still in bad mood after having his gear ruined, Jason zipped to Dupain-Cheng’s window and gave a light knock. No response. Another knock. Still no response. Finally, after the third knock, the blinders opened and the window itself followed, revealing a very angry girl. Jason finally had a chance to get a better look at her. She did, in fact, have blue hair and now that he’d seen it close, he would bet half his paycheque that it was somehow a natural color. The purple too. She must have had her hair dyed for the first day of work. Her eyes were another part that he memorized. They were blue and iridescent green at the same time, giving a slight unnatural aura. Or maybe it was just that she looked ready to murder him.

“Are you done staring?” She asked, clearly annoyed. “You are not my type and much too old. And the stalker routine is plain creepy. Get lost old guy.”

She was about to close the window when he started speaking.

“I actually came to apologize. I did not ‘stalk’ you, thank you very much. I was just checking on you, miss. You do realize that you single-handedly kicked Riddler’s ass and got quite a bit of publicity.”

“Suuure. You do that for every brave citizen?” She asked with a raised eyebrow and a small grin. “You would be really short-staffed. I hope that overgrown furry does pay you for the overtime.” Any traces of amusement disappeared from her face. “Now get lost before I sic Chloe on you. She recently started dating Damian Wayne and the two seem to bond over ruining people. I’m sure you would make a decent target.” Without further ado, Mari closed the window and put the blinders back in place, completely cutting him off. 

Jason didn’t protest. He was too busy processing the fact that Demon Spawn apparently started dating someone. Oh, he would have so much fun teasing the little menace. 

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

When the motorbike entered the Batcave, Jason expected to meet perhaps the Replacement or Demon Spawn. He definitely did not expect to see the entire family sans B and Alfred. 

“Do you want to perhaps explain why dad received an angry call about ‘some idiot in red bucket’ stalking her through the window?” Barbara asked. frowning deeply. 

“Or at least why were you stalking her?” Dick added.

“Or where you hid my coffee?” Tim joined.

“Timothy!” Several of them shouted.

“What? It’s important!”

“Back to the matter at hand.” Dick turned back to Jason. “What exactly were you thinking?!” He screamed.

“Geez. You thought about joining some opera?”

“Tt. Answer the question.” Damian interrupted.

“That reminds me. Did you know Demon Spawn got himself a girlfriend?” Jason asked, trying to deflect. He really did not like how they jumped at him.

“Not… important.” Cass stared daggers at him. “Talk.”

“Fine!” he threw hands in the air. “I followed a hunch. And I was right. She is a meta!” He procured his destroyed binoculars. “There is no human way to destroy military-grade equipment like that with just a pencil.”

Tim picked it up and quickly tossed it onto the table nearby. A blue light scanned the products and the bat-computer started to display the scan plus introductory analysis.

“Well, he is right. There is no way that a simple pencil could destroy it.” He pressed some buttons and recording from the last seconds of the item’s life played. They could clearly see her throw a pencil at it and then everything went black. “Or I was wrong.” Tim started to do a series of calculations. 

“Bucket-head might be onto something. With her muscle mass, it would be impossible to throw a pen with enough force. Actually, it’s almost impossible to make that throw. Not with human muscle density…”

Barbara rolled over to him and the two started to work side by side. “But that’s also not probable since the body is not…” 

“She would probably…” 

“Plant fibers have a similar structure, but she would…” 

“Maybe… Unless she is not strong and instead…”

“Um… earth to nerd corner. Can you explain?”

“Jason might have hit the bullseye.” Tim grinned and several groans could’ve been heard. “She is definitely a meta. It still doesn’t explain why you stalked her.”

“Is that not reason enough?” Red Hood asked. He immediately regretted it when Duke stared daggers at him. 

“You do realize, that metahumans are not as rare as it was believed at the beginning?” Tim asked.

“What?”

“Roughly ten percent of humans are born with dormant meta-gene and the number is increasing each year. And about one in twenty people have an active meta-gene. They just don’t go around wrecking everything or don a cape and run around beating people.” Tim spoke in a matter-of-factly tone. 

“What?”

“Yeah. Eidetic memory, or perfect recall for our uneducated bucket-head,” Tim snickered while Jason grumbled.

“I hate that name.”

“I think it will stay for a while.” Stephanie was smiling. “She does have a way with nicknames. First an overgrown furry, then red Buckethead…” She was on the verge of laughing. “I wonder what she does next?”

“As I was saying,” Tim regained the control of the conversation, “eidetic memory is actually one of the earliest forms of registered active meta-ability.”

“What?”

“The gene tends to activate under extreme duress, but, as we learned, the definition of extreme duress varies from person to person.”

“So what? A guy afraid of failing an exam might accidentally unlock super memory?” Jason dismissed it.

“More like if someone lived in years under pressure and is about to crack.” Dick pointed. “I mean there was even this large awareness campaign about four years ago led by Beast Boy. Where were you?”

“Dead.” Jason deadpanned. “I was dead.”

“Oh… I guess you didn’t see Garfield’s movies then?” Steph asked, being the first to break through the heavy atmosphere.

“She is still a meta.” Jason tried to fight, but his arguments were wavering. 

“Which changes nothing. You will go to her tomorrow and apologize.” Tim said categorically. 

“Ugh! Fine. But I got one more interesting fact: Demon Spawn got himself a girlfriend.” He grinned and turned to Damian. Everyone followed his gaze.

“Tt. I have no idea what you are talking about Todd.” 

“That blonde! Charlie saw you two sitting and eating pastries together! She is the new intern!” Dick had a big fat smile on his face and his eyes were almost glittering. “Who is she? How did you two meet?”

“Blonde?” Tim suddenly paled considerably. “There is only one blonde intern. Please tell me you aren’t dating Chloe Bourgeoise of all people!” He squeaked.

Damian wanted to deny it further, but seeing the Replacement’s reaction he changed his mind. The grin that formed on his face was borderline malicious before turning back to the emotionless mask he wore every day. “Yes. She finally admitted that I was not at fault for the cake incident. She is actually tolerable now.” 

“What cake incident?” Steph asked, smelling some juicy story about her ex. That kind of story was the best.

“Tt. When we were at this gala in Paris two years ago, Replacement attacked me and we fell into the birthday cake.”

“It doesn’t sound…” Dick started, but Damian interrupted him.

“The cake had six levels and was about as tall as I am now. Mayor Bourgeoise was not happy that we ruined his precious princess’s birthday.”

“So that’s why we no longer go to Paris?”

“Tt. No. That’s because Jason almost trashed the Louvre.” 

“Right…” Tim mumbled while his eyes closed. In just a moment, he was snoring away on the chair.

“Damn. I thought it would work faster.” Barbara complained while peeling the near-invisible sticker away from his neck. 

-----

Thursday actually passed without any trouble for Marinette. The class finally got it through their collective single brain cell that she had the power to end their trip with two words. She was slowly getting the grip on the work and after some talk with Penny, where the woman practically forced Mari to listen to some additional advice. She was actually offended that the girl didn’t call her immediately. 

She did have to practically drag her barely conscious boss to a meeting in the afternoon, but he didn’t put up much of a fight after she gave him a Tikki Special Coffee. The small goddess giggled inside her pocket the entire time as the boy begged on his knees.

After work, she and Chloe went to the Gotham Zoological Garden. At first, she wanted to go to the Botanic Garden first, but their class was supposed to visit there after work, so the girls went to Zoo instead. Gotham had a much broader collection of birds than Paris did. And the less chance of running into their classmates, the better.

“...He did what?” Chloe asked louder than necessary, but nobody paid the two girls in smart outfits any attention.

“Yeah. But don’t worry. I gave him a piece of my mind.” Mari dismissed it.

“It’s still creepy.”

“I know. That’s why I sicced the police at him.”

“That’s my girl!” 

“Well, I threatened to send you and Damian after him, but I decided it would be too cruel.” She smiled. “Besides, I’ve seen that Red Buckethead is trending already.” She pulled out her phone and showed a post there was a picture of Red Hood next to a reversed red bucket.

FashionMari @QueenGoldie Someone in a red bucket was stalking me. I was torn between calling the police and criticizing their fashion choice. In the end, I did both. 

“Only you Goldie. Only you…”

--------

Friday was press conference day. For once, Mari woke up earlier and got dressed in record time. Chloe watched from the side-lines as the girl moved around like a tornado, preparing everything and triple-checking all arrangements. She changed outfits four times before finally the blonde grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to sit down. 

“Goldie! You know I love you and I would kill for you,” She started, “but if you don’t calm down I will tie you up and leave you here for the day.”

“But…!” Bluenette tried to protest, but Chloe cut her off.

“No buts. We are only sixteen. I for one came here to learn a bit and maybe meet someone. You are supposed to be learning. Nobody said anything about getting a full-time job.”

“The deal…”

“So what if they fire you?” Chloe raised her hands over her head. “Ridiculous! Utterly Ridiculous! You have Gabriel Agreste and Audrey Bourgeoise fighting over who will get you while Jagged Stone is willing to fly over half the world just to give your references in person. You run a very successful flower shop and even more successful boutique.”

“But…” She tried to muster a weak protest, but Chloe’s angry gaze made her wither. 

“I will not let you run yourself dry!” The blonde stated firmly. “So either you take a step back and breathe or I will call your uncle.”

“Not uncle Jagged! he already banned me from drinking coffee!”

“So you will behave?” Chloe asked with a smirk. 

“Fiiiinneee!” Mari couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Queenie. I needed this. I’m glad I have you as my friend. And sister.” 

“Well of course you needed me! Everyone needs me!” She huffed before her expression became more gentle and she pulled Mari into a hug. 

Downstairs the class was waiting for them. Probably they finally gathered the courage to confront her about Alya’s fate. The girl shouldn’t have lied while filing for promotion. Mari and Chloe stormed past them not even sparing them a glance. Outside, Adrien was already waiting inside the limousine with Gerard at the driver’s seat. 

“I’m glad your driver is finally here.”

“Me too!” The blond boy was practically beaming. “I’m free from Lila’s clutches.”

“Could you drop us at… No. 2 Twine Street?” Mari asked the gorilla, who only grunted in response.

“Um… We should be going to Wayne Tower.”

“Nope.” Mari popped the ‘p’. “You,” she pointed at Adrien, “are an intern in PR. I asked for you to be present at the press conference to help move stuff around and so on.” 

“And me?” Chloe asked. “If you expect me to…” 

“You’re there to support your boyfriend. He was the one that practically demanded that I get you there. He hates publicity.”

“Oh… Good then. Let’s go.”

“Boyfriend?” Adrien asked curiously. “You mean Wayne?”

“Yeah. Apparently Chloe found herself a partner in scheming.”

“I bet that their dates are filled with planning to take over the world.”

“We could’ve taken the world over by lunch if we wanted.” Chloe looked almost offended. “The question is what way would be the most suitable one.” 

All three of them broke into laughter as the car rode through the city of crime.

----

About fifteen minutes before the press conference was scheduled to start, Tim Drake was still not there. None of the Waynes were there in fact. She sent about fifteen angry messages to Mr. Drake and he was still not here, which only fueled her stress and anger. 

The press had no idea so far and they were eagerly awaiting whatever news the company wanted to present. She bit her lower lips. Chloe was on the phone, trying to reach her boyfriend.

“If that idiot doesn’t get here in the next ten minutes, I’m going to consider stabbing him.” 

“Damian?!” Chloe shouted into her phone. 

“Tt. What do you want?”

“First of all, that’s not how you talk to your girlfriend. Second of all, where in the world is your excuse of a brother?! Mari is an inch from going ballistic!”

“Tt. He’s asleep.” Damian answered in an impassionate tone.

Mari leaped over and wrestled the phone from Chloe. “You go to him right this moment or I swear to all that’s holy and…”

“I get it.” He interrupted her, showing signs of irritation. There were some static and the camera blurred for a moment from the fast motion. When it returned, she saw barely awake Tim Drake wearing blue onesies. 

“wah…”

“Get yourself cleaned up and into a suit in the next three minutes!” She shouted. God bless the soundproof backstage.

“Um… But I will never make…”

“I’m certain you have a great webcam somewhere in this big mansion of yours. Set it in the library and call me in the next few minutes. I so hope you were not supposed to be the model because gods help me…” She took a look at his terrified face. “Of course you were…” 

“In my defense…”

“Shut up. Get going!” She hanged up and turned to Adrien and Chloe, who were looking at her with a mixture of fear and awe. “What are you waiting for?!” She tossed a package to the boy. “You get dressed in the new product.” She pushed him outside and into the janitor’s closet on the other side. “And you’re coming with me!” She dragged Chloe toward the main room. The blonde was sent to the technics room to get the feed started while Mari stepped on the scene. The chatter died quickly and all reporters turned to her.

“Hi. Please forgive us for the slight delay. We have minor technical difficulties that are being solved as we speak. In the meantime, you are free to take the seats. The conference is about to start.” 

Behind her, a screen slowly descended. She saw Adrien leaning from the doors leading backstage and smiling at her. 

“Without further ado, I present you Tim Drake, CEO of Wayne Enterprises.”

The image of the teen with black hair appeared on the screen and he waved everyone. He was holding a red cup of coffee with black polka dots, the same Tikki summoned for him the first time. 

Satisfied with herself, Marinette allowed herself a moment of rest. The conference was going well and after a minute of silence for the dead in the recent attack, the presentation began. Adrien was a natural model so it all went great. Wayne Tech in co-operation with Gabriel brand was introducing a new line of ‘smart’ fabric that could withstand medium stress and was almost impossible to dirty or stain. She had to admit it was quite amazing. Apparently, it was partially how Mr. Agreste got her class internship. Granted, Adrien was not supposed to be the model but you don’t look a gifted horse in the mouth. 

Everything was going great until the doors to the room were kicked open and several goons barged in, followed by none other than Two-face. Everyone immediately fell onto the floor. Mari couldn’t help but sigh exasperatedly. Why did it have to go wrong at every turn?

Ignoring the terrified stares, she stormed toward the intruders. “Excuse me, sir?” She asked with an emotionless face.

“What?” The man looked clearly irritated.

“I don’t see your name on the guest list. Did you remember to call in advance?”

“Of course not! Do I look like…” The criminal was clearly angry. 

“Then I apologize, but I must ask you to leave now.” 

“Do you have any idea who I am?” Two-face pulled his gun.

“I’m sorry, sir, but if you are not on on the list, I can’t let you stay.” She said in an emotionless voice. Mari was honestly too tired to care at this point. Maybe at least the evening would be better.

“I’m not sure you get the situation, miss. I’m not here for the interviews. Everyone pull out your wallets and drop them in the sacks!” He shouted while his men started to walk around.

“Hm… That won’t do.” She said. After muttering something under her breath, Mari tossed her clipboard. The spinning board hit one of the mooks in the head, knocking him cold, before bouncing and hitting the next one. After that, it returned to her hand. 

That was enough for Two-Face. He aimed his gun at her, but she moved faster than he anticipated. Within seconds, she grabbed his wrist and pushed it up so he was aiming at the ceiling. She squeezed it hard enough to make him drop the gun right into her other waiting hand. The girl let go of his wrist and disassembled the gun into pieces in what could become record time. 

Now irritated, Mari grabbed Two-face by his tie and pulled him down until they were at the same eye-level. 

“I was trying to do it peacefully sir. I am now ordering you to leave. Otherwise, I will actually have to hurt you.” She leaned closer until she was able to whisper. “And don’t make mistakes, Dent. I can and will hurt you.” For a moment her eyes lost the blue coloring and became entirely iridescent green, glowing slightly. 

Harvey Dent rarely felt fear. His life was more often than not guided by the toss of a coin. Now though, he stared in the eyes of Poison Ivy, except ten times scarier. He was already afraid of that woman after she almost fed him to her ‘precious’.

“I… I am deeply sorry madame.” He spoke carefully. “Men! We are moving out. Leave the bags!” And with that, they were all gone. 

Most of the reporters gave Mari big applause. There was only one angry old man that stared daggers at the girl. 

“You let that scum go away!” He shouted. “He was a criminal.”

“Sir. You are free to go after him if that’s your wish. I’m at work and my job description never included chasing after criminals.”

“But… But…” 

“Anyway, we were in the middle of the press conference if I’m not mistaken.”

-------

NEXT

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug #miraculous lb #batman #BatFam #maribat #marinette dupain cheng #BAMF Marinette #Mother!Ivy #redeemed!chloe #Good!Adrien Agreste #dc #MLB #mlb x dc

[velvetcoves]

some V3 relationship HCs :) (boys)

(f/n)= first name <3

-mod velv

K1-B0 (KIIBO)

★ I LOVE HIM-

★ anyway

★ Kiibo has a basic understanding of human nature, but there are things that he just.. doesn’t get

★ like.. why do you have so many cups?? don’t you need only a couple?

★ and yes, he supposes that rock shines, but why do you need it?

★ you’ll have to explain to him some of your nature, and most humans as well. he’s very interested in learning as much as he can :)

★ after he gets some of it, (which took a while), he’ll start collecting little things that remind him of you. like a crow

★ your reactions mean everything to him

★ if you have any games that require timing, i have one word for you.

★ Kiibo.

★ he can literally pass any levels you’re stuck on

★ did i mention he heats up?

★ even though he’s.. made of metal, he’s surprisingly very comfortable! however, there are times where some parts of him dig into you uncomfortably, but there are solutions :)

★ like sweaters!! and blankets

★ speaking of, i feel like Kiibo would have a love-hate relationship with winter

★ on one hand, he gets to see you in the snow, help you make a snowman, and keep you warm during the cold nights

★ but.. his body gets stuck more often.

★ and the metal gets cold quickly, and he doesn’t want you cold :(

★ but you just remind him of the sweaters and you’ve got a happy robot :)

KOREKIYO SHINGUJI

★ whenever you two go out, he always has to be touching you in someway

★ it’s never something big, and most times you don’t even notice him until later

★ more often than not, his hand finds its way to your back

★ it’s now a habit of his, to kind of lead you with that

★ if his hand isn’t at your back, i feel like it would be somewhere on your arm. like a linked arm, or he’s holding your hand so he doesn’t lose you in a crowd.

★ ok but his h a i r?

★ can i be a simp for hair

★ he definitely would let you, and only you play with his hair. like braiding it, brushing, etc.

★ i feel like he would rarely call you by your actual name, because he uses so. many. pet names.

★ “angel, could you grab that for me?”

★ “dearest, come here for a second.”

★ stuff like that smh oh to be called dearest by Kiyo

★ he’d tease you sometimes as well

★ if you’re shorter than him, he’d definitely hold things above his head so you couldn’t grab them. and if you’re taller than him, then oh boy. he’d hide stuff from you. not important things, but stuff you’d need only in that specific moment.

★ he also really likes to play with your fingers lol it helps him concentrate

★ ok but just imagine.. Kiyo in the middle of a conversation, you’re not really paying attention as you’re screwing around on your phone. suddenly, Kiyo’s soft fingers interlace between yours, giving your hand a squeeze before he begins to play with your index finger as he continues to talk. tracing the shape of it into his mind. almost like he wanted to make a copy of you.

★ he could never try to replicate you, though. you’re so perfect to him.

RANTARO AMAMI

★ TEASE KING. STEP ASIDE KOKICHI

★ Rantaro is definitely that dude that if you’re wearing a hat, he’ll pull it down over your eyes or he’ll just straight up steal it.

★ play with his hair plEASE-

★ his hair is soft, threads through your fingers rather easily, and smells like lime

★ y’all are that couple that has one’s head in their lap as they read or somethin, playing with the other’s hair.

★ he is also that dude that comes up behind you, covering your eyes with his hands as he whispers, “guess who?~”

★ Rantaro actually has pretty small hands, and they’re actually cold most of the time.

★ beware of him and his goddamn hands smh

★ he will definitely stick his hands under your shirt for “warmth” as he so says. you know that he just wants to see your reactions

★ he’s actually god at eyeliner, so if you need to wear some, he’s your guy. hey, the dude has sisters.

★ speaking of, his sisters absolutely ADORE you. usually when you go over to his house they just.. immediately snatch you for 99% of the time and Rantaro is just “😀”

★ he leaves you little doodles everywhere. like he’ll bring you a book you asked for, and like on the 120th page there’s a crow with heels and it's the funniest thing you’ve seen all day

★ he starts laughing when you bring it up, and eventually you both are just laughing so hard at it you can't breathe

★ he has so much fun when he’s with you. he can never repay you

SHUICHI SAIHARA

★ steal his hat steal his hat steal his-

★ Shuichi is flustered rather easily when it comes to you, so use that information to your advantage hehe

★ expect lots of cuddles from him, especially those back hugs. like the ones where he’ll come up behind you and wrap his arms around you, leaning his head on top of yours if you're shorter, or against your back if you’re taller.

★ he’ll let out a small sigh of content as he nuzzles into your form, trying to keep his face hidden.

★ he finds your voice so soothing, especially when you read to him? like watch this:

★ you two are working on one of his cases together. your job is reading out his notes from the scene, your voice a low murmur as he works away. you haven’t noticed that he’s just.. stopped writing, staring at his pen as he begins to play with it. scratchy handwriting is what his eyes rake over, an adoring smile plastered to his face as he just listens. eventually you notice he’s stopped. “..Shuichi?” your soft voice asks, and he jolts a bit, grasped from his daydream. “a-ah.. sorry (f/n).. continue?”

★ more often than not it's your murmurs that causes the sleep deprivation to slap him in the face and just be knocked tf out.

★ helping him with cases is one of your favorite things?? like Shuichi you’re so smart give yourself some credit?????

★ every morning he greets you with a small smile. even though he’s still really tired, he makes an effort for you :)

★ i love funky detective man smh

GONTA GOKUHARA

★ b,, baby man,,

★ if you’re terrified of bugs, he’ll try to keep his little friends away from you, he doesn’t want to scare you at all :(

★ if you don’t mind bugs/you like them, he’ll be overjoyed!!

★ he probably has a bug named after you

★ more often than not, you’ll find them in your room or on your things. usually they’re really gorgeous, he says they remind you of him that day :)

★ he tries to switch up the bugs you find each day, so it’s always a little surprise when you enter your own room

★ ask him to carry you

★ he wants to carry you.

★ pl e a se

★ Gonta is also really warm, and his hands are HUGE

★ expect so many head pats from him. he loves how small you are compared to him

★ boops from Gonta? boops from Gonta.

★ this man straight up craves your cuddles.

★ because of his body temperature and scent of pine, it’s not hard at all to fall asleep in his embrace

★ i feel like he wakes up rather early, so he gets the pleasure of watching you sleep

★ not in a creepy way! he thinks you look so.. peaceful. angelic, is more of the word.

★ he absolutely LOVES seeing you in his clothes. just the way the cloth envelopes your tiny frame, you with your adorable smile and sweater paws?

★ god he loves you sm

RYOMA HOSHI

★ when you two first got into a relationship, he rarely touched you.

★ he literally had no idea what to do

★ he lived all of his life on eggshells, scared of every coming day

★ and then you, his ray of sunshine, just came to him?

★ he’s just so lost

★ however, you knew what to do.

★ you basically taught him that no, you’re not going to disappear from his life at any given moment. you promise.

★ it took some convincing, but you got there.

★ anyway, he doesn’t show too much PDA, but he’s taken up the habit of grasping your sleeve when you two walk together

★ given the fact that you’re likely taller than him, this boy l o v e s your hugs.

★ the way you just envelope him in your loving embrace.. he feels like he doesn’t deserve it.

★ he might tell you so, but you quickly shut him up with a kiss or something :)

★ spooning spooning spooning-

★ he’s usually little spoon, but he’ll be big spoon if you want :)

★ Ryoma really likes being held by you. he feels like time stops, like all that matters is you in that moment.

★ he just feels so safe when he’s around you. he’s gotta get used to it

★ one time when you both went on a date, you accidentally found the main base of the stray cats in your town

★ they LOVED him and now you go there frequently to visit the cats

★ ya’ll definitely have a cat from there too smh you’re so cute

KOKICHI OUMA

★ at the earliest stages of your relationship, i have two words for you.

★ good luck.

★ you are not safe from Kokichi.

★ you are targeted by him.

★ anyway, i definitely feel like he would be so clingy with you.

★ he doesn’t care that you’re in public, he will latch onto you and be a nuisance.

★ holding onto your sleeve, holding your hand, latching onto your leg so you have to drag him around, full on trying to tackle you, etc.

★ p i g g y b a c k r i d e s

★ if you don’t want him to completely annoy you, just hoist him up onto your back for a ride

★ he LOVES it

★ i also feel like he wouldn’t really know what he’s doing at first.. you make him feel so many things, emotions that he thought were buried a long time ago. it’s a bit too much for him

★ patience is key with Kokichi. please just wait for him. he’ll catch up when he’s ready.

★ but when he does? and when you’ve convinced him you’re not leaving anytime soon?

★ you have the most caring and lovable man right at your side.

★ he’s.. so soft with you.

★ Kokichi absolutely adores being held by you. probably the most out of the V3 crew. he feels so secure, so sure of your relationship in those moments. he sleeps best when you’re around, which he desperately needs due the insomnia that plagues him most nights.

★ quiet cuddles are such a treasure to you. he’s usually silent during your cuddle sessions, his head either in the crook of your neck or buried in your chest, inhaling your scent so he can imprint it to his mind. it makes you more in love with him.

★ also DICE adores you-

KAITO MOMOTA

★ he is,, the biggest simp for you,,,

★ literally every single day, Kaito looks at you with the biggest grin on his face because every time he looks at you, he notices a new thing that makes him love you even more.

★ stargazing da te s✨

★ ^ these dates often end up with him going on a rant about the constellations and their movements, star types, etc. and you love him for it

★ his coat is so warm?? you wonder how he wears it 24/7

★ he absolutely LOVES it when you tackle hug him. he doesn’t even care if he was in the middle of a conversation, just feeling the sudden embrace of his s/o makes him melt.

★ those tackle hugs usually end up in him turning around and scooping you up, spinning you around before planting you back down and giving you a sweet kiss

★ PDA? he loves it

★ he NEVER would do anything that makes you uncomfortable though.

★ your PDA mostly consists of hand holding, hugs, all that soft stuff :)

★ he would definitely have to do a double take if you ever wore his jacket.

★ “hey (f/n)? where-“ and he’d just s t a r e at you, his face going ablaze in red

★ he’s like that Tamaki gif

★ yeah that one ^

★ more often than not, you get piggyback rides from him

★ the gentle rock of his body as he walks, his overall warmth, his scent of lavender.. it’s perfect to lull you asleep.

★ he wouldn’t have it any other way :)

#mod velv #danganronpa #danganronpa x reader #x reader #danganronpa version 3 #danganronpa v3 #kiibo #kiibo x reader #korekiyo shinguji #korekiyo x reader #rantaro amami #rantaro x reader #shuichi saihara #shuichi x reader #gonta gokuhara #gonta x reader #ryoma hoshi #ryoma x reader #kokichi ouma #kokichi x reader #kaito momota #kaito x reader #gn!reader

[qqueenofhades]

how do you manage to craft a story and connect it and also find ways back to a story that feel authentic and then also write dialogue basically what i’m asking is how are you so amazing at writing and how can a garbage fire person (such as myself) begin to write one so beautiful as one of yours

Aww. That is very kind of you.

As for me, I've been writing for 25 years, I write a lot, I read a lot, and after a while, you just get a sense of how things work, how narrative pieces go together, what style you like, whether an author is good or bad at what they're doing, and how a given piece of work makes you feel and why. I write fic, original fiction, and scholarly/academic stuff, so I have a lot of practice at different genres and just the sheer amount that I do (which is to say... a lot... probably too much) is obviously helpful in being able to hammer out something that is relatively decent on first go. But obviously it is not rocket science or a major secret, and anyone can do the same thing if they practice enough and are willing to go through the learning curve.

I do think it's a little harder to feel confident about your own abilities now that there's a culture of constant exposure/posting your stuff from all phases/abilities of your life. I definitely wrote tons of not-great-to-pretty-crappy stuff back when I was younger, but (and yes, I am indeed an Old) that was before the internet/social media/dedicated fandom spaces were common. Once again, I'm hideously dating myself here, but I first got a FanFiction.Net account in.... 2003. 18 years is a long time to be writing fic. I've gotten in some practice. I definitely could not reread my earliest stuff, and even my oldest stuff on AO3 (which I got in 2012) is edging into cringe factor by now. If I had to reread my stuff from when I was like, 14, and know that it was posted for the entirety of the internet public, I'd probably leap off a bridge. So for me, just by the time I had a tumblr and an AO3 and whatever else, I was a good enough writer that I could surreptitiously kick my early stuff under the bed where nobody had to see it.

Nonetheless, 14-year-old qqueenofhades also wrote some genuinely good stuff, she worked hard, and it probably wasn't even as bad as I remember it, since we are always our own worst critics. Plus, in my experience, most people are happy to consume content from writers of all different skill levels, and understand that we're all ordinary people doing this for free in our spare time just because we love some fictional idiots and want them to bang and/or suffer (and sometimes both). Yes, obviously you always do get some dicks and mean people and entitled assholes and That One Rude Commenter that every author has and which makes their eye twitch, but they do tend to be a minority, and with AO3, you can, for example, moderate comments or delete mean ones or whatever. It can really kick you in the gut when you're starting out, so while I've been through the fic wars (like I said, I was on FF.net in the Dark Days, so I've Seen Some Shit), and that's easy for me to say as a grizzled veteran, I know that it really sucks to get something like that. But it's still only one stranger on the internet who you will never meet in real life and who has no impact on you, and you can be entirely justified in deleting it and ignoring it.

Anyway. That was a long-winded way of saying: you are definitely not a garbage fire person, writing is dumb but also very fun, if you work at it you will get better just like you do with anything, and I am Old.

#anonymous #ask

[sleeplessandstubborn]

Emily in Paris or why I stopped caring about the protagonist and I started rooting for the French. Episode 1.

Let’s be clear. I was planning to root for the French anyway. They are in the neighbouring country, I quite like them and I was prepared to confront and make fun about all the stereotypes in this series. Because this was exactly what I expected. Funny, lighthearted and totally braindead (wink wink) escapism in an instagrammed to the top Paris which has the same resemblance with the real one than Vincent Minelli’s... But without Gene Kelly. So what did I think of the first episode?

Meet Emily Cooper from Chicago. She’s young, she is dynamic, she struggles to be liked by everyone and at the beginning of the series. She is a marketing executive about to be promoted or so she thinks.

... Because her boss Madeline (played by Kate Walsh) is going to Paris in order to take work with Savoir, a luxury firm the company (sorry I forgot its name) has just adquired. Madeline is overjoyed because working for a year in Paris is one of her dreams and because French men like mature women, as probed by the fact that their young and hot (sic, but this blog agrees) president married his high school teacher. We’ll never know which plans Madeline had for Frenchmen, whether they are young or hot or not. The case is after two minutes in the series she vomits, which means she’s pregnant and she can’t go anywhere because it’s an truth universally aknowledged that pregnant women can’t go on with their plans.

It’s in the next scene when we meet Emily’s boyfriend, Doug, and when we learn she’s going to Paris in Madeline’s place, in spite of being unprepared and not knowing the language. At this point one wonders how it’s possible that no one else in the company can replace Madeline. All of them are monolingual? Our plucky heroine is not discouraged by the litle fact of knowing virtually nothing about the country in which she’s going to live during the next twelve months. She and Doug - the moment you see the scene you know it wont’ go well - agree on a long distance relationship.

And after a very well done transition, we have crossed the ocean. Yes, this is well done, and I say it unironically. Episodes are short, your show is called Emily in Paris, so, what’s better than having your main lady already in the French capital in less than five minutes. The series goes to the point in this aspect and it’s a good thing to spare us of unnecesary scenes.

So Emily arrives to her apartment with pretty views, confused about in which floor she’s supposed to live (running gag ahead) and already hit on by a French guy on a suit that looks like the love child of Gabriel Attal and Albert Rivera (check it, seriously). I couldn’t take him seriously not only because of that but also because he said that Emily’s appartment was a chambre de bonne. Not by any means. Look, I’ve never lived in Paris but I know that apartment is huge when compared with a real chambre de bonne.

Off to know her working place, Emily has this HUGE smile pasted on her face. I don’t know if this supposed to make her charming and likeable. For me - it’s true than I have this European perspective - she looks a mix between an anxious puppy and a psychopath. I would be scared and would avoid her at all costs. The cultural clash is about to happen.

Yeah, I would look at her too, Julien a.k.a. token black character. You have probably heard about the lack of diversity in this series, I won’t abound in that, others have worded it better. It also an established fact that French people smokes at their workplace, even if in the European Union we have these things called smoking bans that won’t allow it.

And enter Sylvie, Emily’s Parisian boss and supposed main antagonist, à la Devil wears Prada. What to say about Sylvie other than I adore her? Her clothes, her style, her sarcasm. As any rational being would do, Sylvie is pretty dismayed to learn that Emily does not have the slightest idea of French and its already wanting to impose her American perspective and her alleged knowledge of social media. The problem is I don’t know if her posts on Instagram really deserve that much attention. Clash ensues with the rest of her new coworkers. C’est la cata! they comment. I quite agree.

Our fish-out-of-water takes an evening afterwork stroll (this Paris is like one square kilometer and public transport is something you mention but never appears) and calls her boyfriend to state the entire city looks like Ratatouille, which legitimately made me laugh. I am not sure if this reference means that Emily’s filmic culture is that limited or if it’s her boyfriend the one who only knows a movie which takes place in Paris and that’s one is Ratatouille. We know that Emily at least has seen Moulin Rouge and that makes two so probably is Doug’s fault.

Back at home, and since she has forgotten how to count, Emily attempts to open the wrong door. Immediately a wild Frenchman appears; it’s Gabriel, played by Lucas Bravo probably one of these young hot men Madeline would target. He takes the intrusion reasonably well. Especially when it’s discovered that Emily only knows his region, Normandy, from Saving Private Ryan. That makes three films, so definitely I think Doug is the problem here as far as filmic culture goes.

Next day Emily picks a yellow outfit and goes to work, purchasing a pain au chocolat in her way to work. I confess I was underwhelmed when discovered that there wouldn’t be any joke about the Great Civil War that has been going on in France since its earliest days: the partidaries of pain au chocolat vs. the ones of chocolatine. A ferocious, merciless conflict unknown by most nations. A lost opportunity not making this woman someone from the South who bravely defies Parisian conventions calling it chocolatine. I’m team pain au chocolat btw. Naturally when she discovers the wonderful world of flavours she makes another Instagram post. She’s earning more and more followers, Heavens know why.

However, she has a Big Problem with Doing Research. Example given, she doesn’t know her schedule - a problem which could have been solved with reading numbers - and arrives two hours early to her workplace.

Once there she discovers she can’t sit with the cool kids. No one wants to lunch with her, so she decides to miserably sit by herself at the park, where we met her best new friend. Her name’s Mindy, she’s from Shangai and she’s working as au pair, while teaching Mandarin to the two blond children she’s looking after. We’ll later discover more about her. She instantly detects the American in Emily and offers her help to this awkward but at the same time arrogant newcomer.

Meanwhile at Savoir, Emily has earned a sobriquet. La Plouc, which is adopted by Sylvie and most of her coworkers even if Luc seems more or less reluctant to say it. La Plouc means the hick, as she instantly discovers thanks to an online translator. It’s really not a good day for our heroine, and she cames back home - remember that thing about this Paris being one square kilometer? - walking. Co-worker and someone who  for some resason reminds me to the posh-y version of Philippe Poutou - check it - Luc passes by as she sits lonely by herself and apologizes for calling her la Plouc earlier. He also claims she’s arrogant for coming to Paris without speaking or even understanding French - which is true - and tells her people is probably scared as her new, modern ideas. Which makes no sense at all and it’s probably a white lie.

Meanwhile and for some reason her totally inocuous posts in Instagram makes her earn more and more followers. During the night, her oblivious to timezones boyfriend call her and they have - or attempt to have - a totally awkward and unsexy session of cybersex. At the end Emily is so frustrated that she tries to use her electric vibrator which leads to the short-circuit of the entire building. Fortunately before she has the oportunity of getting closer to the device in question. And that’s how Episode 1 ends.

What did I think? It’s fun and pretty to look at. Even prettier to rant about. As long as your brain remains carefully shut off in the meantime and you don’t take it that seriously you are going to enjoy it I guess. At least it’s my case.

Still frustrated for not covering the Great Civil War tho.

#emily in paris

[post-itpenny]

How would Blair and Chloe feel about everyone else?

Tagging @grodygabe since I decided to answer for EVERYONE.

Chloe

Mary- Immediate new friend. Chloe thrives off building connections with others and Mary is so nice and cool! And gosh the roller skates, Chloe loves that. Plus Mary understands a little of what Chloe has gone through, which is something she hasn’t had before and… that’s a very bittersweet thing, especially in a place like this.

Cora- Also cool. Chloe gets the sense she has to prove herself to Cora though and she doesn’t know how. It’s not that Chloe needs to be friends but that she knows in a place like this it will be better if they can work together. So, it’s Chloe’s own personal mission to get Cora to trust her.

Pandora- just seems to have her own wisdom about her in- in her own way that is. Plus she’s also traveled a lot. I can imagine Chloe would love swapping stories with her.

Bastion- He seems so nice, and she really appreciates does appreciate him trying to look out for her. She accepts his help because it doesn’t seem like he’s doing it out of pity- she can’t stand when people think she needs their pity- Chloe is capable. She clearly is or she wouldn’t be here! Something tells her this place, whatever the heck it is, does not take those who can’t survive for long. Anyways, she likes Bastion and I can see these two becoming good friends very fast, she’ll want to watch out for him as well.

Kiyoko- Chloe would be surprised to realize this one is nervous around her but that’s ok! There is never anything wrong with being shy. Chloe would give her space and respect that’s what Kiyoko needs. If they’re hanging out in the same space between trials Chloe would just whip out the old guitar and play because that always seems to loosen anyone up. If it doesn’t work, then that’s ok too.

Thomas- He is also closed off, but it’s like he wants to trust her and be friends but something holds him back. She wonders why…

Johnny- His arms! She would honestly want to cry the first time she gets a good look at him. To see someone’s prosthetics look just that amazing, to see all the cool things he can do, and he built those himself?! She really would find it a little inspiring. Don’t get me wrong, she’ll still find him terrifying. But just- just wow. Calls him amputee buddy behind his back.

Thaddeus-Is it weird that in some ways he reminds her of her own grandfather? Very no-nonsense and gruff but she has a suspicion he can be nice if he really, reeeeaaaaally wants to. Plus she would find his treatment of Cora a little funny.

Gisela- Is beautiful in a very creepy way. I think Chloe would enjoy visiting her realm the most just because she likes the aesthetic of the different maps. She would be cautious around Gisela however. Chloe gets the vibe that upsetting her would be a very bad idea.

Akane- Is probably going to get the guitar treatment often X3. It’s really nothing personal, it’s just Chloe has a particular fight or flight response and if something that angry and scary is coming after her you know what you’re going to get. She would actually be rather intimidated by Akane since running isn’t her strongest suit.

Apophis-Chloe has never had a problem with snakes… until now. She normally feels a little bad when she has no choice but to get aggressive with the other killers. Chloe is determined to survive but she doesn’t really want to hurt anyone. But Apophis makes her actually feel like she’s being hunted, not just chased. He would put her on edge almost as much as Blair does.

Irene- She’s so rude and bitter! Just…. why?! Chloe will honestly love Irene’s map, but I think what will be most interesting is that Chloe will insist on being nice to Irene no matter what. Perhaps it’s a bit of a “kill them with kindness” approach.

Blair- she’s so afraid to run into him again. But she knows it’s going to happen eventually so the best she can hope for is to prep her fellow survivors for what will be coming.

Blair

Mary- This one has spirit, he’ll see her as a challenge in matches and enjoy it. Her cleverness, her quick remarks, it will all be fun banter for Blair. He’s more likely to avoid focusing on just her in a chase however. Blair plays the long game, relying on patience and strategy rather than just barreling after a survivor. He knows this would do better to throw off her game anyways if he won’t give in to any of her baiting.

Cora- He’ll see a lot of her ancestor in her, that independence and stubbornness; honestly he can respect that. I hate to say it, but Blair will mess with her in matches from time to time just to annoy Thaddeus. Purely because Thaddeus being angry is funny to him.

Pandora- Another fighter, he’s learned from Chloe it's best to watch the feisty ones. Pandora would probably be able to get in a swing but that’s it. He would switch to getting her from a distance with flash powder or fumes. If that doesn’t work then shepherd her into an area like the funhouse or animal tent instead of simply trying to corner her.

Bastion- Sorry to say it, but the moment Blair learns Bastion is afraid of clowns he’s going to go ham finding all the ways he can scare the poor guy.

Kiyoko- A bit of a mouse yes? How timid this one is, let’s see if there is a lion in her yet.

Thomas- In some ways he pities the boy for having to deal with Irene. Buuuut, not that much pity. Again, like Cora, Blair would mess with Thomas during matches because it would make Irene angry. His newfound favorite hobby.

Chloe- Here’s the thing, Blair actually respects Chloe. The entity interfered with the match which he considers cheating. But he knows that wasn’t her doing, plus it was at a minute left on the clock. Meaning there was a very real chance she could have held him off just long enough to win. So in Blair’s opinion she did win, something no one has done and walked away from with their sanity intact. All the others were assimilated into the circus, so he decided Chloe is now a member as well, regardless if she wants to be or not. Her role is a unique one at that but she is one of them nonetheless. He’ll take to quietly keeping an eye on her for now.

Johnny- Will thank him for the compliment of being called a clown, every single time. He’s definitely going to want to tease Johnny from time to time but the gentleman minds his own business and for the most part Blair will respect that. He is very curious about Johnny’s technical creations though. Blair was just a boy when the idea of “modern electric lights” and other marvels were first made available to the public. To see how far technology has come is astounding.

Thaddeus- Will also thank him for the clown compliment. Blair really doesn’t have much interest in the old man except that it’s fun to annoy him. Otherwise, like Johnny Blair will respect Thaddeus’ space.

Gisela- Now Blair has a pretty decent connection with the entity they serve, but he takes one look at Gisela and immediately will understand “that… don’t mess with that.” He will however be so amazed at the idea of real magic. One of Blair’s earliest lessons was that there is always someone better at your job, you just have to perfect your craft to yourself. He is proud of his talents but would want to learn real magic so badly. He knows however, she would not be a willing teacher. But Blair is patient, he knows when she’s visiting his realm and lets her explore freely, perhaps it is a start.

Akane- After just one meeting Blair would get the sense to just leave this one alone. He’s not afraid of her and her anger. But, something about this one and the way she acts. He just gets the feeling he should leave her be.

Apophis- While Blair finds Apophis’ appearance and abilities to be fascinating, Blair is not intimidated, definitely a lot of banter between these to. Both are proud and while Blair never has trouble sharing the spotlight Apophis will irritate him. Also, the snake is not allowed to visit his circus unsupervised for the safety of his people.

Irene- Hehe, they can’t stand each other. Blair will take a lot of enjoyment riling Irene up into a full on tantrum. He actually remembers seeing a much younger Irene in newspapers back in the old days. He thought she looked arrogant even then. You can imagine Irene’s thoughts on circus performers so these two are always going at each other.