#and she tries so hard to kill the kindness within her but it keeps coming BACK. and she can't get rid of it!!!

[happi-tree]

Grant, Scary, and Taylor for the character ask!!!

Hiiiiiiii Bababird!!! Hope you're doing well 🖤🖤🖤 (also for reference: "I want to kiss them" means I want to kiss them on the forehead and tell them that everything will be. Dare I say. Alright <3)

First up: Grant Wilson! God this character can fit so much projection in him. Queer kids raised conservative Catholic got fucking ATTACKED by this guy and I am no exception! Also one of my moots (hiiiiii Seisei 🥰🥰🥰) just finished ep 35 a few days ago so I am chock full of Grant emotions. Something something the Wilson cycle of violence and hypocrisy and meaning what you say but not saying what you mean and. Sobs for one thousand years!!! Bingo for the gamer boy ever it's what he deserves <3

Up next: Scary Marlowe! She's my fucking SISTER my DAUGHTER my DARKENED MIRROR okay. Truly one of the teen girls of All Time and I literally have tears in my eyes as I'm typing this she means!!! So much to me!!! I am holding her gently in my arms and I am shielding her bodily from some of the meanies on this webbed site. She is also a fave of one of my moots (hey Ivy ✌️) but tbh I think she's become so dear to me that she's evolved Pokemon style from proxy blorbo to perhaps. Second blorbo. Favorite dndads character to play dress-up with also <3 I am literally so in awe of the arc she's had so far and I hope to everything that she finds happiness and belonging and- *rant fades out into the distance*

Ok so! Someone else ALSO asked for Taylor so I think I will tackle him in that one if you don't mind hehe :D Rest assured though I have Many Thoughts about this boy 😌

#ok tbf i *do* have some grant hcs buuuuuuuuuuut. probably not a lot compared to most wilson stans (i see you. i love you. i salute you o7) #and most of them relate to his relationship w religion and his queerness and his parents and the intersection of those 3 things #bc i will take any opportunity to dump that complicated mess on a character should they be qualified <3 #and scary is soooooooo. god. the tragedy and the horror of being a teenage girl and refusing to believe that anyone can understand you #she's so desperate for love that it makes her feral and she bites at every hand that reaches out to her in friendship #she has lived her whole life with one person having her back (veronica <3) and suddenly that person has someone ELSE in her life #and in the back of her mind she knows it's a good thing but she can't help but feel abandoned (again). betrayed. left (again). #and it's not the end of the world but it FEELS like it should be. so she buries her kindness and shrouds it in black and metal #and she tries so hard to kill the kindness within her but it keeps coming BACK. and she can't get rid of it!!! #and she's looking for trauma to validate her darkness - to make her posturing MEAN something beyond a petty rebellion. and she finds it. #and she welcomes it with open arms and she destroys her life and her relationships and she smiles through the guilt in her stomach #anywho. clinically ill about this girl in case you can't tell!!! #sorry this took a bit sdhbfksbvfas #ask game #babacontainsmultitudes #dndads

[lunarsturniolo]

Pillow Talk | Frat!Chris

Loosely based on this prompt from @creativepromptsforwriting

You’re not my dirty little secret. And I never want you to think that.

Kind of Frat!Chris x Reader 

You sigh softly and fall onto your back, “What’s the point of me coming if I can’t even hang out with you?” 

“We talked about this mama, you can still hang out with me-”

“I just can’t be around you alone-”

“I’m sorry,” Chris says plainly, “I want to spend some alone time with you, too.” 

or

Some nights, you and Chris can’t decide if you want to keep their relationship a secret. 

“Do you wanna come to the house tonight?” Chris whispers into your ear, effectively stopping you from dozing off. 

You blink twice, slowly, processing what he just asked of you, “Tonight?”

He breathes a laugh into your ear and lies on his back. You turn over to face him, gently tugging at his hat so he looks your way. “We’re celebrating the intramural lacrosse win,” he wiggles his eyebrows, “You can invite Madi if you want.”

You send him an unimpressed look, “At the house? None of the guys from your team live at the house.”

Chris shrugs, taking his hat off and tossing it up by the brim, “Better than us four hosting,” he says before catching the hat and resting it on your head. He sends you a soft smile and watches as you set his hat on your nightstand. 

Chris lives with his triplet brothers and their best friend, Nate. They are why the two of you were strictly in the confines of your bedroom in your apartment. 

You scrunch your nose in agreement, “Yeah, I’d rather not be helping you clean tomorrow morning.”

Chris playfully nudges your shoulder, “We could be stuck cleaning the kitchen alone again.” 

“And risk stepping in that god-awful jungle juice? No thanks.”

“Oh, come on, it wasn’t that bad.”

“I puked four times,” you remind him with an accusatory look. 

“And I held your hair back,” Chris counters. 

“That’s okay. Never again.”

He lets out a laugh and raises his arms in surrender, “Fair enough, but you should still come tonight.” 

You sigh softly and fall onto your back, “What’s the point of me coming if I can’t even hang out with you?” 

“We talked about this mama, you can still hang out with me-”

“I just can’t be around you alone-”

“I’m sorry,” Chris says plainly, “I want to spend some alone time with you, too.” 

You shake your head, “Then why can’t we just stay in tonight.”

“The guys are gonna kill me if I’m not at my own party,” he says softly. 

“Can’t you just tell them you’re busy?” 

“Don’t you think Matt will come find me?” Chris reminds you of the last time he tried to sit back. Matt and Nate had gone to every corner of campus looking for him while he spent an hour giving you his undivided attention. They ended up knocking on your apartment door minutes after Madi had come home. 

He still doesn’t know how he pulled it off, but he convinced everyone he had arrived just before Madi with a tomato for you to cook dinner. 

“Okay,” you agree in defeat, “I just don’t want to be your dirty little secret anymore. I hate it when you go to the house, and everyone thinks you’re single. It makes me feel gross when they’re all flirting with you.”

“You’re not my dirty little secret. And I never want you to think that” Chris promises, “The second you want to tell Madi, I’m ready to tell the guys.” 

The both of you had agreed that telling everyone together would be the quickest and easiest way to avoid any accidental loose lips. With how close Madi and Nick are, it’s hard to keep anything a secret.

“Speaking of Madi,” you pause to look at your phone, “Her class is about to end.”

Chris sits up, leaning over to give you a chaste kiss, and begins to gather his stuff from across your room. “So I’ll see you tonight?”

“I’m never going to a party again.”

-

Chris was hoping that even though you vowed not to go to another party, you would show up anyway. Instead, it was just Madi who came (and left) within an hour. She made her rounds and said hi to your mutual friends on your behalf. 

While all of this was unfolding in the evening, you were curled up in bed doing your coding assignment.

Chris had texted you throughout the night, telling you he missed you and that he wanted you there with him, but your responses were sparse. You had told him you were busy finishing up some homework, but you neglected to tell him just how much you couldn’t focus. How much you were procrastinating because you couldn’t stop thinking about his hands on your body and his lips on yours.

That’s why you stayed up until 3, until Chris called you to let you know that he was home and the guys had finally settled into their rooms. 

“Shouldn’t you just come here?” you ask him, gnawing at your lip with anxiety, “It’s way less risky.” 

Chris whispered back, “I don’t think it’ll be too risky. They won’t be up till noon.” 

You shuffle around in your sheets, getting comfy, “But I’m already warm.” 

“I’ll turn on the space heater.”

“And scratch my back?”

Chris laughs softly, “Yes, I’ll give you back scratches.”

You hum in approval, “I’ll start walking in a minute.” 

“Walking?” Chris asks into the phone, “I’ll come over then. I didn’t realize you had to walk.” 

“I sent my car to get inspected after you left,” you remind him, “It’s okay though, I’m already up. I’ll be there in literally five minutes.” 

Chris protests, “No way. I’ll come over, and we can walk here together.” 

You let out a sigh, the tiredness setting in, “Okay. Please hurry, I’m exhausted.”

You can hear Chris’s front door shut softly, “I’m on my way, I’ll walk super quick. Stay on the phone with me.”

“I’ll call 9-1-1 for you if you get jumped, babe.” 

“Please don’t put that out into the world,” Chris responds. 

“Why else would I stay on the phone?”

You giggle as the two of you settle into a comfortable silence. You can hear the light pants of Chris’s breath from the speed walk he was doing in order to get you (and from the cold that was definitely biting at his nose). You quickly grabbed a beanie to throw on as you waited for him, allowing yourself to look in the mirror and quickly adjust your hair before you hear Chris call out for you on the phone, “I’m walking up the stairs.”

“I’m coming!” you tell him, stuffing your fuzzy-sock clad feet into your winter boots and grabbing your apartment key. You hang up on him as you open your front door, smiling softly at your boyfriend in front of you. 

He wore an orange hoodie and a pair of pajama pants, donning a beanie you bought him for his birthday. He takes your hand and softly tugs you outside, grabbing the key from your hand and locking up behind you, “Are you not freezing?” he asks. 

You look down at your disheveled outfit, the cold finally hitting you. You were in a thin long sleeve shirt and a pair of sweats that were definitely Madi’s but were too comfy to give back so soon. “I’ll be fine, it’s only five minutes,” you reassure Chris.

He clicks his tongue in disapproval, “You’re so lucky that I know you so well,” he opens his backpack (that you hadn’t noticed he was wearing) and pulls out a plain black hoodie that he knows you love. 

“I am pretty lucky,” you beam before hastily wearing the hoodie. You tilt your head up and land a kiss on his cheek before taking his hand and pulling him down the stairs, “I’m lucky and not immune to the cold.” 

Chris snakes his arm around your waist, tugging you closer to him to conserve body heat, “I can think of a couple ways to warm you up,” he smirks. 

You lightly hit his chest, “Forget them all,” you say, “I just wanna go to sleep.” 

“I know. We’ll get you in bed soon.” 

You nod once, picking up your pace a little bit in order to reach his shared townhouse. 

Chris’s grip on your waist never faltered until you both reached the confines of his bedroom. He threw his backpack haphazardly next to his bed and allowed you to crawl in first- he knew you preferred to sleep closest to the wall. He follows in after you, laying on his back and tugging you onto his chest. 

His hand immediately goes to your back, lightly scratching up and down as he promised he would. You let out a sigh of relief, “Thanks,” you mumble. 

Chris hums his reply, leaving you a lingering kiss on your forehead. 

“Chris?” you ask into the darkness.

“Yeah?”

“Did you have fun today?”

“Yeah, I had fun today, why?”

“Did you wish I were there?”  

“I mean, of course, I wish you were there. I always want you around me,” Chris uses his arm to affectionately squeeze you into his chest before letting go. 

You nod your head into his chest, gnawing on your lip in anxiousness, “Would you like me better if I came?” 

“I mean, it would be nice. But I like you the same.”

There’s a pregnant pause, the silence settling in around you two before you speak up, “Should I tell Madi?”

He let out a soft sigh, “Yeah, I mean, it’s definitely up to you. But I have been thinking about telling Matt and Nick. I wanna be able to show you off.”

You look up at him, “I just know they're gonna freak. That’s part of why I’m procrastinating it.”

“What’s the other part?”

“I don’t want to ruin the group dynamic,” you confess, “Like I think part of what makes it work so well is that they don’t think anyone’s hooking up.” 

Chris furrows his eyebrows, “I don’t think it’s that deep.” 

“Imagine if Matt and Madi started hooking up,” you deadpan. 

You watch in amusement as Chris’s face grows from adoration to disgust, “Okay, yeah, you’re right.” He grows silent in contemplation, “So what do you wanna do?” 

And in an exhausted haze, you let out a yawn and snuggle into Chris, adjusting yourself against him so his hand lies above your ass, “I think we should tell them.” 

#matt sturniolo #chris sturniolo #nick sturniolo #matthew sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo #chris x reader #sturniolo triplets #sturniolo x reader #sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo imagine #chris sturniolo x reader #christopher sturniolo imagine #chris sturniolo imagine #christopher sturniolo x reader

[lorcandidlucienwill]

Who pulls the most guys???

Damn this one is tough ngl. Most of the sjm ladies hold the men by the balls🤔. but here we go: Gets next to none: Lidia Cervos- only bc of that ass Pollux. She rizzed Ruhn while still in a relationship tho so that has to count for something. Ansel of Briarcliff- Honestly I keep forgetting she exists so she’s in this category. Ariadne- being imprisoned in jewelry for years kind of keeps you from pulling anyone. She pulled Flynn within 5 seconds of release tho. Gets a few: Lysandra- Honestly she’s so low on this list bc she had to shapeshift in order to pull anyone. Also she chose Aedion. Sorry, but really? You could’ve chosen literally anyone else, why would you choose the basic blonde? Gets quite a few: Manon- she’d get more but the whole man-eating thing is kind of a turn-off for most guys. Not our murderous king Dorian tho. Nesryn- she was the second-place girl until she got a crown prince panting after her. Queen shit. Gets many: Yrene- she had Kashin following her around like a lost puppy, AND she pulled our resident girl-rizzer Chaol mfing Westfall. In a few months too. Morrigan- She doesn’t get as many bitches as she’d like, but unfortunately for her she pulls many guys like Cassian, Azriel, and Helion. The Elites: Celaena Sardothien/Aelin Galathiniyus- somehow the murderous thing doesn’t put people off as much as it should. It put Chaol off (a little bit) but he still fell in love, poor boy. Sam, Dorian, Chaol, Rowan. That’s a lot. Bryce Quinlan/Danaan- I put her slightly above Aelin bc she’s had so many partners, she doesn’t have the murderous thing to put people off, AND she rizzed Ithan unintentionally in like 5 seconds. Nesta Archeron: She had Cassian, Azriel, Helion, and Eris panting after her like dogs. In record time too. Despite doing her very best to put them off. Feyre Archeron: I mean she rizzed up three high lords. Enough said.😂 Top tier: Elain Archeron: Something about having the male pining after another girl for 500 years develop an unhealthy obsession with you, having the number 1 bitch magnet be pining after you, his mate, and having the literal CAULDRON be in love with you, with a bitchy older sister ready to kill and whore for you is just guy-pulling behavior. There’s just something about her. She’s mysterious, it draws you in. You want to know more. Why are they so protective of her? Points deducted for Graysen rejecting her tho. Elide Lochan: Come on, we all knew it was coming. Elide is number 1 without a doubt. Elide came out of a tower and walked the entire court of Terrasen+ the Thirteen like DOGS. She could pull almost anyone if she tried hard enough.

#lidia cervos #ansel of briarcliff #ariadne the dragon #lysandra ennar #manon blackbeak #nesryn faliq #yrene towers #morrigan #aelin galathynius #celaena sardothien #bryce quinlan #feyre archeron #elain archeron #elide lochan

[thesoftboiledegg]

"Analyze Piss" was a great episode but not what I expected, which made it hard to write a review at first. I assumed that most of the episode would take place in Dr. Wong's office with Rick hashing out some of his issues. Admittedly, I guess that's what happened in a more indirect (and more entertaining) way.

When Jerry's fight with Pissmaster went on for a good couple of minutes, I was like...are we seriously spending valuable screentime on this? But I guess we needed to see Jerry being a badass and humiliating Pissmaster to understand why the world was fawning over him.

The topic of change keeps coming up this season. People tell Rick that he won't change, and he doesn't want to, but he IS changing. Unfortunately, no one seems to notice.

He tries to tell Jerry that acting like a superhero is a bad idea. The family boos him. He tells them at the end of the episode that he knew Jerry's adventures would fall apart, and they boo him again.

Rick tells them that they're only praising him for trying to change because they want to feel superior--and maybe he's right. In their minds, THEY don't have to change anything. HE does. And it's 100% true that Rick's fucked up a lot of shit, he's been abusive, he's hurt Morty in ways that he probably can't atone for, and he needs therapy more than anybody.

But they talk about his therapy visits in a condescending way, like "Aww, that's so cute! Are you going to change for us, Rick? Are you going to be docile and passive?" They praise him when they think that Rick concocted some crazy plan to boost Jerry's ego for no reason. When they learn the truth, they turn on him again.

I won't say that he doesn't deserve it. They don't owe him anything, and they'd be well within their rights to kick him out of the house and never talk to him again. But Rick didn't create the toxic family dynamic that Beth and Jerry had been cooking up for 16 years before he showed up. I think they're telling themselves that everything that happens is his fault, and he's getting to the point where he's kind of letting them think that.

Rick smiles to himself when the Smiths leave with Jerry on his ship (although he does drink from his flask) and ignores a couple of the bad guys tailing him. When they start fighting each other and leave him alone, he thinks that he's got it all figured out.

But inevitably, he starts to fall apart. He gets drunk and hears people at the bar mocking Pissmaster. "Who could relate, being that much of a piece of shit?" Rick can. He and Pissmaster aren't that different--they provoke people, they're pieces of shit and everyone wants them to be the villain. He's going to visit Pissmaster so they can drink beer and bond over their shitty lives.

He arrives to find that Pissmaster killed himself. Through the door, Rick hears Pissmaster's daughter apologize and say that she's worried about him, she loves him and she'd blame herself if something happened to him--all things that Rick would love to hear from his own daughter, and probably never will hear. At least not in that same fretful, emotional tone.

Everything goes to shit for everyone except Pissmaster's daughter, who believes that her father died a hero. Admittedly, Rick shouldn't have told Morty about the note--it's understandable that he'd want someone to know the truth, but he can't trust a 14-year-old kid with that information, and he needs to stop seeing Morty as his peer anyway. He should've taken it to Dr. Wong.

But telling the truth just makes the Smiths turn on him again. And after all that, why should Rick change? Why be honest? Why not play the roles that they want him to play: the aggressive villain or the docile old man, or both?

Sometimes, the people around you don't want you to change even if it's for the best. I don't think the Smiths want anything to change. That would force Beth and Jerry to face their shitty marriage and the ways they abused and neglected their children, especially Morty, and that's not going to happen.

Just keep blaming everything on the drunk old man in the garage.

But Rick IS changing. In seasons 1-4, Rick would have taken the fact that they believed that he was always Pissmaster as an opportunity to gloat and manipulate everyone. Here, he just looks at them sadly. He tries to talk Jerry out of doing something that he knows will end badly. He desperately tells Morty the truth because he's sick of lying. And the entire premise of the episode is based on Rick willingly going to therapy.

Seasons five and six have countless moments that show that Rick's trying to grow up, show affection, be a father figure, admit to his fuckups and treat Morty gently. Even in season four, he was starting to cut the bullshit a little.

And it must be hard on him. Everything was easier when he was a monster. Beth loved him, Jerry was out of the way and he did whatever he wanted with no guilt, fear or regret while suppressing his trauma and shame. Wouldn't it be easier to be the heartless patriarch who can manipulate his family into doing anything? Go on adventures? Cook and clean for him? Stop talking to Jerry? Show him affection? Actually want to be around him? Make him feel human again?

There's no going back even if he tried--they know him too well now. And he shouldn't go back because he was a monster destroying his entire family. But he needs the Smiths' affection and encouragement if he's going to get anywhere because he's not going to get it from himself.

#rick and morty #rick sanchez #analyze piss #beth smith #jerry smith #review #rick and morty season 6 #rick and morty season six

[lyriumlullaby-ao3]

hello i’m back from the dead (sleeping) and it’s time to talk about

why Cullen won’t let anyone fix the hole in his ceiling 💖

someone has probably said this before but it wasn’t me, so here we go!

so remember that Ser Cullen Stanton Rutherford of Honnleath grew up with three siblings, who he describes as being “very loud.” i see him as always being a very disciplined child, kind and warm and willing to let Mia take charge (because fighting her for it would have been useless), but a steadfast follower with a keen sense of justice and fairness, willing to voice his objections when he had any, and very fastidious about not breaking rules when Mia or Branson tried to stir up trouble. you know, that whole second child archetype. he was prone to a bit of escapism, running off to that pier on some lake which is definitely not in Crestwood, which tells us he likes having somewhere to escape to, somewhere to run if he gets overwhelmed.

skipping forward a bit, when he lived in Kirkwall, he had quite a bit of freedom to come and go physically, but to me at least it seems like he felt trapped by his duties under Meredith. he explicitly describes her keeping things from him, things she thought he’d disagree with as her second in command. he felt lied to, deceived, manipulated by her (bc he was), i think, even before the events at the end of DA2 that expose her for what she is. can you imagine that feeling? like he actually wants to do good, to treat the mages fairly and help keep them and everyone else safe (that’s why he signed up, after all), but he’s got this nasty, evil commanding officer who’s whispering in his ear, twisting all that good intention to do her malicious bidding. it must have felt like beating his head against a brick wall, like no matter what he did, his sincere desire to believe that other people are fundamentally good disappointed him. i always say that Meredith gave Cullen just enough rope to hang himself with.

jumping forward again, let’s talk about the Winter Palace. Cullen is very obviously uncomfortable there, and it makes sense why: he can’t leave, not without being extraordinarily rude, can’t get away from the people bothering and sexually harassing him, can’t get out of that jacket that is too damn tight. if you bring Cole with you, at one point in his ‘Investigate’ tree he comments that, “Cullen is afraid. They’re hurting him, following fear. He shouldn’t be here.”

all of this is just to illustrate: man’s got a Thing about feeling trapped, stuck, unable to fight back or defend himself or just flat out leave. and why does he have such a hard time with this?

because of that one time that Uldred blew up the Circle at Kinloch Hold in Ferelden. for reasons we don’t fully grasp, rather than being claimed by the demons or simply killed in the fighting, Cullen held out. he resisted demonic possession completely, somehow, and was instead trapped within that magical prison with no possibility of escape, probably for weeks. no escape from his hunger, thirst, or lyrium withdrawal, and no escape from the (probably Desire) demon(s) that tortured him with freedom if he’d only give in to those things he won’t quite allow himself to want.

so the fact that there’s a hole in his ceiling, even months into the repairs at Skyhold, when almost everything else has been fixed but a few, hard-to-access bits of masonry, is not lost on me. and sure, you could always blame it on lighting for the romance scene that takes place up there. but i like to think that it’s there because Cullen refuses to let them fix it. here’s why:

Cullen doesn’t like to stray far from his post. he likes that there’s a loft with a bed where he can pretend to sleep that’s not far from his desk, where he commands the lives of thousands of people. (i think at one point in Absolution, it’s revealed that at its height, the Inquisition was composed of ~10,000 troops, plus all the necessary support personnel.) the fate of the world is quite literally depending on his ability to do his job, and when the lyrium withdrawals make him feel like he must be losing his mind, he likes that he’s got an easy choice between resting (like he knows he probably should) or working (like he knows he really needs to), separated only by a little wooden ladder and a few planks that make up the floor.

he needs that little hole in the ceiling. if ever something happened at Skyhold, and it wasn’t safe or possible to leave through the three fucking doors on the lower level, he needs a back up plan, a way to get out from the top of that tower, or he’s every bit as trapped as he was at the Winter Palace, or by Meredith, or by Uldred and his demons, and he can’t be, not here, not with so many lives in his hands. not after Haven.

he needs it when he wakes up shouting, drenched in sweat, from another nightmare where he’s back there, trapped with demons who’ve murdered or enslaved your brothers and sisters and are trying to break you next, or pinned under Meredith’s thumb, doing things that he knows are wrong, he knows, but she’s his commanding officer and he trusts her, so how wrong can they really be? he needs it, first thing when he opens his eyes, to know he’s got an escape route, a backup plan. he’s safe.

and when he finally gives in to temptation, that thing he wants more than anything that he really shouldn’t let himself want, when the Inquisitor confesses that she wants to be with him when this is all over and he very dramatically sweeps aside everything on his desk, his whole life, shattering it all over the floor, he needs that little patch of sky to remind him it’s real. he’s free to leave whenever he needs to.

and that’s what allows him to stay.

#anyway this got long lmfao #but yeah. the reason why cullen still has a hole in his ceiling :) #cullen rutherford #dragon age #meta #dragon age meta #i’d like to personally rip meredith standard’s throat out with my TEETH but. that’s a different post #ask me about it sometime it’s a good ted talk #antares speaks #there’s like a little bit of #cullenmance #in here so i’ll tag that too :) #antares' meta

[lazaruspiss]

sladedicktalia??????? i am LISTENING

there's like. 5 fics. im so starved. i think theyre so hot and funny together!! im obsessed. also this got long so im adding a readmore. whoops.

SlaDick: classic enemies to lovers. they may try to kill each other half the time but they respect each other more than anyone else. OBSESSED with each other, Slade knows he's weird about Dick and couldn't care less but Dick is so in denial about it. they could both give explicit consent but be so antagonistic about it that it becomes unclear if "yes i want to have sex with you" is actually code for "die right now" and i think that's beautiful.

SladeTalia: they fucked! in canon! there was some bullshit plotline where Talia tried to give Slade Damian and pretend he was his son instead! ex fuck buddies who show up just to make each other's lives harder bc they wanna fuck so bad it makes them have stupid brain. also they're both hot as hell. i'm weak for big strong milf/dilf idk idk.

DickTalia: LISTEN TO ME. TALIA WOULD TREAT HIM RIGHT. THEY BOTH KNOW HOW EMOTIONALLY DEVASTATING IT IS TO LOVE BRUCE. LISTEN TO M- ok aside from that. Talia is someone who tried so hard to be good, to choose to be kind. She loved Bruce because she saw how hard he tried to do good in the world. Her character has gotten considerably colder over time, in huge part due to a certain writer writing about her despite knowing nothing about her, but in universe i try and rationalize it as a growing cynicism stemming from both her father's gradually increasing cruelty and Bruce's failure to support her or commit to her or to even just respect her. She hasn't been shown to have very many people in her life who she can really trust and be close to. She used to have a good relationship with Ra's, she used to have Bruce, she's even lost Damian at this point. She feels like such a lonely character to me. And I think Dick would be able to see that, be able to understand it better than most. He's always had people who loved him, people he could turn to, but he's also ended up perpetually isolated for one reason or another. Dick and Talia both feel to me like characters who are so lonely the further they get in their lives. I could see a silent understanding there. The kind of people who would be able to find solace in simply sharing a space with each other. Neither of them like to talk about what they've been through, I think they'd like to have someone who just gets it. Trauma for trauma, you know?

SlaDickTalia: several angles available here.

1) Dick deserves some sexy older lovers who would wine and dine him and also rail him within an inch of his life and also kill for him. i am not immune to the aesthetics!! to the allure of a hot older duo double teaming their young spitfire partner!!!

2) corruption arc. u know u wanna.

3) Dick's fear of abandonment x the 2 most devoted people on the planet. if they were dating nothing bad would happen to Dick again, Slade and Talia just wouldn't allow that. smth smth, couldn't get rid of them if he tried <3

4) Bruce would hate it and that's always fun :3 not that that's hard tho, Babs is like the only one of Dick's partners that Bruce liked and that's bc he wants to keep it in the family.

5) healing.... sobs...... esp when it comes to feelings around parenthood. Those three have shit to work out and i think having some company would help.

6) They all need more people time but 2/3 of them don't get along with anybody so they're kinda stuck with Dick. that kid will forgive anybody if u bat ur eyelashes and behave well enough. He's also more likely to still see them as people despite everything they've been through, and when you're a military experiment and a semi immortal daughter of an immortal terrorist... It can be hard to find someone who looks at you like you still have a chance at humanity.

7) Slade and Talia playing a Cat Vs Dog type game with Dick in the middle. I think it's funny.

#sladicktalia #sladick #sladetalia #dicktalia #i have feelings about them. can u tell #asks #hardlycats

[yowyowyaoi]

Kakuzu’s Daily Texts from the Akatsuki

From Tobi

I paid already!

I didn’t break it that was Senpai!

Please Kakuzu-san come look at it, that plant made my arms so itchy 😓

If Itachi can have one why can’t I ?!

How old do YOU think I am 🤪

Don’t worry I didn’t buy it I “borrowed” it 

You don’t need to get so mad, I know how to fix it!

From Zetsu

Please inform your partner that it’s MY job to dispose of the bodies, and I don’t appreciate him interfering with my meals.

I did the scouting, he’s in that small village with the lake in the middle, house with a red roof.

You keep the money, I’m only interested in his head.

YOU try talking to her when she’s in one of her moods!

I truly appreciate your “finding” that artificial sun lamp for me. The winter should be much more bearable now.

From Konan

No more excuses. I made your favorite and you WILL come and eat.

Oh he did? Funny how this is the FOURTH time he’s made this “mistake” this month. 

I need a bigger budget than that. Have you not seen how much these guys eat?? 😒

All three of them? Together? Are you sure that’s wise? 

No more recruits unless absolutely necessary. Money aside I simply cannot “adjust” to one more person in this organization.

“Grandfather” is a bit exaggerated; you’re much too handsome for that, my friend 😏

Of course I appreciate the help but you did NOT have to kill him! 

Please come and join us. It’s a documentary but I know you’ll like it.

I’ve tried to be patient but I’m done asking. My next warning will be paper-cuts to their jugulars. 😡

From Sasori

Overexertion and poor nutrition isn’t doing a man your age any favors.

He said *I* started it? Tell him to watch himself before I decide to END it as well.

Boyfriends or babysitters? 😂

I finished the first two volumes, I highlighted the parts I thought you’d find most useful.

He needed it tightened so I’ll be sending him to you when you have a moment.

If you truly wanted one I could work on building one for you. It would be a version of my Hiroku.

Why would I contribute to that? I don’t eat.

From Itachi

I think I need a new prescription, everything is blurry again.

Thank you, I appreciate the advice.

You were sleeping so I slid the money under your door.

If he does it again I’m using my eyes and tormenting him for 72 hours 😡

Borrow it any time you like. I think we have the same hair type so mine should work great for you.

What meowing? 👀

It wasn’t that much blood don’t worry.

Kisame’s carrying him, I have Deidara.

Not really. It’s a spectrum, right?

Honestly? No. He’ll probably shred it with that scythe of his.

From Nagato

Did you pay the electric bill?

Did you pay the heating bill?

Did you pay the water bill?

You didn’t kill the bill collector did you ?

If they caused the damage, it comes from their checks.

If he feeds it himself I don’t mind.

The eye drops help a lot, thanks.

No we’ve discussed this. Anyone else, fine. But Konan NEVER sees a single bill. Understood?

If the punishment is within reason, yes. Don’t go overboard; remember they’re not immortal like you.

From Deidara

That wasn’t my fault, it was Tobi!!

My clay is an important part of my job so you should pay for it.

Can’t you gag him? I’m legit having nightmares over the sounds he makes 😣

It was only once and I didn’t break anything!

Can I get the money to you next week?

Hidan broke that guys arms and made him scream! THAT’S what got us caught, NOT my bombs 😡

He’s lying I wasn’t even in the room!

Please can you tighten the stitching? Sasori won’t do it because he’s mad I was “reckless”.

Can you just come help me pick one out? I have no idea what kind of medical books he likes.

I swear I’ll fix it before she notices, pls don’t tell her she hits so hard 😢

From Kisame

You wanna do the weights or the jog first?

Please make him think it was your idea. If he knows I sent him to you he’ll get upset.

You can eat it. I don’t want to insult his cooking but I truly dislike liver.

No, Samehada is trained better than that. 

We ate there last week. Itachi loved it but I’m not sure it’s Hidan’s type of place 🤔

From Hidan

Don’t overeat last time you got that cramp remember?

You sure didn’t seem to mind it last night …

There’s literally no point it just gets all bloody again at some point anyway right?

Wtf? No. That was completely blondie and the orange dumbass.

I’m not complaining but damn you’re a freaky old bastard aren’t you 😏🤤

Damn you just go rest. That fucking bounty can WAIT you asshole you’re gonna kill yourself 😡

Ffs Uchiha doesn’t need to come we don’t need a babysitter we’re both grown!!

Yeah but you never say No so what’s that say about YOU? 

Stop fucking with me don’t think I won’t turn this entire house inside out until I get that necklace back 😒

If I say Yes am I in more trouble or less? 🤔

If I tell her the truth she’s just gonna tear my head off and really that’s just more work for YOU.

Gay. But same 🖤

#HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAKUZU!!! #kakuzu #texting #the akatsuki #kakuhida #kakuzu x hidan #🖤🖤 #hidan #nagato #konan #deidara #tobi #zetsu #kisame hoshigaki #itachi uchiha #sasori #Akatsuki Daily Texts Series

[charlottesbookclub]

which plants each of the greens would get from the plant shop where i work 🪴🌱🌿🍃

y'all i am so sorry for my sporadic activity on this blog and also for the chaotic jumble of fandoms i keep posting about with no warning 😭

so i was kinda into hotd last season, and with the new trailers coming out i was thinking about it again and this idea came to me like a revelation from on high so i decided to curse you all with these headcanons as well

for context, i work at a houseplant shop and was watering my own plants today when i was seized by the vision of which plant(s) each of the greens would get from the shop

i guess this is kind of modern au but not really?? like i guess i sort of envisioned it as the characters walking out of the world/canon of the show and into the plant store and so that's the characterization i went with idk

anyway sorry this is so chaotic – here are the headcanons:

alicent – def something pretty basic but classic like a pothos or a philodendron. a marble queen pothos would be especially appropriate, so honestly that's what i would probably recommend if she asked. is able to keep it alive just fine but i'm just not sure i would recommend anything too much more demanding – i just feel like losing a plant would be too demoralizing for her. also i feel like she would be one of those people who would come in and be like "i need a plant that filters air bc i need clean air in my living space" and i'd have to put on my best customer service voice/smile and be like "well actually ma'am that's all of them – that's kind of like one of their main things" lmaoooo

criston – i truly do not believe that my mans could keep a plant alive; i'm just not convinced of it. i think he'd get a funky spiky little succulent or cactus and it would be dead within a week and he'd come back in and i'd recommend a snake plant (very hard to kill) and then he'd kill that too 💀 but also i think he'd be sooooooooo in denial about it and always come up with a bunch of other things that must've happened to it

aegon – also cannot keep a plant alive but is painfully self-aware about this fact. would def be one of those people who comes in, walks right up to the counter and instantly says "i need a plant i can't kill." so i'd point him to the snakes and zz's and he'd get either a nice black coral or golden hahnii snake plant. the funniest thing about this is that i'm convinced that aegon's snake plant would actually survive and criston would be sooooo pissed about it. like he wouldn't water it for weeks, and then when he finally remembered to, he accidentally (drunkenly) watered it with wine and it still lived and criston was fucking livid about it

aemond – would for sure have more success keeping plants alive than aegon or criston. i feel like he'd try to start with something cool but tricky, like a complicated carnivorous plant, and after excruciating months of going back and forth with it, it kinda just gives up because he tries to do everything precisely by the book rather than reading the signs of the actual living plant in front of him. he admits defeat only personally – he tells everyone else that he gave to plant to helaena. he comes back for something a little easier and goes for a nice dracaena marginata (yes, he did buy it mostly because the name sounds like "dragon" and also because it was spiky and cool). he's definitely able to keep that one alive and it lives in the corner of his chambers and he's secretly very proud of his success with it. also he does not even let criston or aegon so much as look at it lmao

helaena – my girl could buy anything in the whole store and keep it alive 😌😌 she for sure likes the "weirder" plants and has a whole bog garden situation of carnivorous plants aemond is insanely jealous of this but never admits it out loud. she's very drawn to strange-looking cacti and succulents, and also fun little novelty plants like goldfish plants, string of turtles/bananas/hearts/pearls, starfish snake plants, etc. also, whenever she comes in she always buys all of the scraggly discount plants because she feels bad for them and nurses them all back to health. she has not lost a single plant yet regardless of the state it was in when she got it, and she doesn't intend to start any time soon 😌

#please excuse the absolute chaos of whatever these are 😅 #charlotte rambles #house of the dragon #hotd #house of the dragon headcanon #hotd headcanon #alicent hightower #alicent hightower headcanon #criston cole #criston cole headcanon #aegon ii targaryen #aegon ii targaryen headcanon #aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen headcanon #helaena targaryen #helaena targaryen headcanon

[barclaysangel]

The Birth of Jun (transfem Juniper Wheeler AU)

I literally wrote this within about 5 hours, which is crazy. I lost sleep just to finish this to make sure it’ll be posted by morning. I’m still nervous to post it since this is my first time writing for this AU and I just hope y’all like it. If you guys do, then MAYBE I’ll write a second part where Jun gets the name Juniper. Maybe.

Anyway, this is setting in the Final Family/Chucky season 2 rewrite AU where Jun survives and lives with Andy in the middle of the woods, torturing and killing Chuckys together. Because canon does not exist to me, obviously. I’ve written drabbles/oneshots about this AU before and this is just another one but with transfem Juniper.

If you guys really do like this, pls leave comments, it insanely fuels my motivation! I thrive off it and I’ll also appreciate some feedback since this is my first time writing a trans character.

Thank you and enjoy :)

Tags: @the-carlos-cow-eyes @erasedmystic111 @streets-in-paradise

Word count: 2.5K

Warnings: Internalized transphobia, mentions of suicidal ideation, cursing

There was something wrong with Junior. 

That much she had always known, ever since she could remember. She wanted to be a princess, not a prince. A mermaid, not a merman. She wanted to be something that she could never be. 

But Junior hid it for so long, and she hid it well. She buried that part of herself so deep down that no one would ever suspect it growing up. She became the perfect “masculine, traditional son” that her father wanted. She destroyed every single part of herself and burnt it all to the ground just to please him. 

And even though she killed her own father, she still would have done it all over again. 

Gods, she was pathetic. Pathetic and stupid and dirty and broken. 

Despite Junior’s efforts to hide her dirty little secret from the world, she still had moments where it would bubble and come up again. The dysphoria with her short hair, flat chest, and other features that just didn’t feel right. It would be bad enough at times where she wanted to curl into a ball and cry all the fucking time. 

But she would have no choice but to pull herself together and keep up the act, just like she always did. 

However, this moment wasn’t like the other moments with her father. It wasn’t him she had to worry about, but Andy. 

Andy wasn’t like her father at all. He was patient, understanding, and kind. Her father would be ashamed if Junior ever cried in front of him and tell him to “Stop being a pussy and pull yourself together, you’re a man!”, but Andy would hold her in his arms and comfort her. He had been there through every mental breakdown, depressive episodes, nightmares, moments of self-destructive tendencies, all of it. 

Andy stayed right by her side and never budged despite how much Junior tried to push him away. She pushed and pushed and pushed but he never stayed away through it all. 

Junior wasn’t used to that. When she pushed people away and burned bridges to the ground, it stayed that way. Just look at her relationship with Jake. But Andy refused to be pushed away and has made it very clear to her that he wasn’t planning to go anywhere. 

Yet that still didn’t reassure her for some reason. It still filled her with so much fear if Andy ever looked too hard and realized just how broken and defective she really was. 

So once again, Junior hid it. She hid her secret under lock and key and made sure to keep her masculine act on display. 

But then the dysphoric moment hit hard, harder than before, and she wanted to die. 

Junior didn’t want to leave her cot. Her appetite was long gone. She just tried to bury herself deep into her blankets and hoped that one of the Chuckys she and Andy had been torturing could escape and stab her to death, finally finishing his job that he failed to do months ago. 

Andy had been no stranger to her being depressed. They had been staying at that small cabin for almost 5 months, it was now the beginning of April. Sometimes he would give Junior some space if she truly needed it but most of the time, he would be there to offer her food and water and just an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on. He hardly left her alone when she got like this. 

She didn’t blame him. Andy was probably worried that she would take one of his guns and end it all. 

Not like that idea wasn’t tempting. 

But right now, Junior wanted to be alone. She wanted to forget that the weather was getting warmer, which would make her have to ditch the hoodies and reveal the parts of herself that she hated. She just couldn’t bear to go through this, she would much rather hide away for hours or even days. Just as long as she would feel just slightly normal again. 

However, she never really was that lucky. 

“Junior?” She heard after the three light knocks, shuddering deeply and tearing up from the sound of her own name, like something about it was just wrong. “Can I come in?”

Curse Andy for respecting her privacy and boundaries. Logan would just barge in without a warning. Despite everything she was feeling, she still managed a small “Uh huh…” to placate him since she knew he would just be more worried if she refused. 

Andy opened the door slowly and she could smell why. Even without moving from her position under the blankets, she could smell the food that Andy was bringing in. When he stood beside her cot, Junior lowered the blankets enough to see the plate of scrambled eggs and toast in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Normally that would make her mouth water but this time, it made her stomach churn. 

“I know you may not feel like eating right now, but I can’t let you go the whole day without something in your system. Can you try to eat something please?” Andy spoke gently to her, placing the plate and the mug on the floor beside the cot. 

Junior merely shook her head slightly. “I’ll eat later. ‘M not hungry.” She mumbled before putting the pillow from under her head now on top of her face. 

Andy sighed quietly but instead of leaving, he sat down on the edge of the cot. “Kid, I can’t let you starve. I’m not asking you to finish off the plate, but just have a few bites with your coffee. Please?” 

She didn’t say anything this time, her silence was enough of an answer. 

“Junior, c’mon,” She shivered and squeezed her eyes shut when Andy said her name again, “I know you’re not in the mood but you’re gonna just make yourself feel worse. Remember what happened a few weeks ago?” 

She wished she couldn’t. Going nearly the entire day without eating only to almost binge afterwards, resulting in her throwing her guts up. But Andy was with her the whole time, rubbing her back and keeping an arm around her so she would stay supported rather than to fall face first into her own vomit from exhaustion along with cleaning her up afterwards once she was finished hurling and crying. 

No matter what, Andy stayed with her through everything. 

Imagine if he found out you thought you were a girl, Junior thought bitterly to herself, He’d despise you and leave you then without a doubt. 

She stiffened briefly when she felt a hand on her ankle from over the blankets before recognizing Andy’s touch, relaxing just slightly. “Do you wanna talk about it?” 

Junior quickly shook her head from under the pillow. She couldn’t, she absolutely couldn’t. For the first time, she didn’t want to ruin something good. She already felt like she was one wrong move from spilling it all. 

She just needed to keep her mouth shut and hold it all in. She could do it, she’s been doing it her entire life. She can keep going. 

Andy gave her a gentle and reassuring squeeze to her ankle. “Okay. I just want you to know that I’m here if you do want to talk. I don’t need to talk, I can just listen to as much as you need me to. Alright, Junior?” 

Junior winced and wasn’t able to swallow down the whimper this time, which immediately got Andy’s attention. 

“Hey, kiddo, what’s wrong?” She couldn’t see his face but she knew that he would be wearing that concerned frown, the one where he genuinely acted worried for her. 

Junior shook her head again, keeping her eyes closed because she knew she would break down and cry. Andy needed to leave now before she would completely lose her mind. 

The hand on her ankle moved to her back, rubbing small circles there to comfort her. “Junior?” 

“Stop…” 

Andy paused from his motions. “What?” 

“Stop…calling me that!” Junior didn’t know why but it was like something shattered inside of her, like the dam in her finally broke. 

She ripped the pillow off of her head and bolted upright, the suddenness making Andy back up slightly. “I have tried so fucking hard to be Junior! To be the perfect son Junior. The cross-country star Junior. The strong and masculine Junior. I have ripped myself to shreds and molded myself to be what everyone else wanted me to be! But for what? It’s not fucking worth it because I’m not! I’m not Junior! I’m not a boy! I’ve tried so fucking hard but I’m not, I just keep trying and trying but nothing fucking works anymore! I’m so sorry but that isn’t me, this fucking isn’t me! I’m too broken and fucked up to be Junior and to be a fucking boy!” 

Junior didn’t realize she was screaming until she finally stopped, her voice hoarse. And no one said a word. Andy stared at her with wide eyes and an unreadable expression as reality slowly settled in. 

Oh fuck…what did I just do?

She started shaking, her breathing picked up and she hid her face in her hands, sobbing. “I-I’m sorry, I d-didn’t mean it, I was l-lying, I-I-I…” for some reason, now she couldn’t even get the words out after everything from how hard she was hyperventilating. 

Congratulations, you fucking idiot. You really did it now. You ruined it. Now Andy will think you’re disgusting. He’ll hate you. He’ll throw you out and finally leave you alone, just like you deserve, you pathetic piece of sh–

Andy’s hands went around Junior’s body, pulling her closer to him carefully until her cheek was pressed to the crook of his neck, one hand now rubbing her back up and down soothingly. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, breathe. Take some deep breaths, kiddo. Just follow my breathing, okay? Breathe…” 

She was shaking through her sobs, her hands clinging onto Andy’s shirt tightly in her fists. His other hand went up to cradle the back of her head so softly as if she was something gentle and precious to him. Junior could hardly breathe but Andy kept guiding her, speaking to her kindly until she was able to finally pull in deep breaths with his help. 

They barely spoke, with Junior crying and Andy whispering reassurances to her. When she started to calm down, she didn’t move, she felt too mortified. It felt like one wrong move, and Andy would finally turn her away. 

“Kiddo?” He finally spoke, “Do you remember what I’ve always told you? About what I want for you?” 

Junior sniffled, still crying but not nearly as badly while holding onto Andy’s shirt still for dear life. “For…for me t-to be a kid…” 

“Yeah, that too. But what else?” 

She thought about it longer this time, hesitating. “…that you-you want me to be h-happy…” 

Andy moved away just slightly, making her whimper again but instead he adjusted himself to fully face Junior and hold her face in his hands. “Exactly. I care about you, kid. I’ve had since the moment you basically passed out on my doorstep. All I want is for you to be happy. And if being a boy doesn’t make you happy…then stop trying. Stop putting yourself through that pain, okay? Just…just be yourself.” 

He was looking at her so seriously yet so gently, as if all that mattered in that moment was her. Unshed tears began building up again in her eyes and Andy continued speaking. “I mean it. I will never judge you for who you are. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere just because you aren’t a boy. I swear on the River Styx.” 

That oath meant more to Junior than any other sort of promise. It was an oath from Percy Jackson, and really any kind of Greek mythology. They both knew how serious that oath was. And for that reason, it was what gave her the push that she needed to finally come out. 

“Andy…I…I’m a girl…” her voice was tiny but it was still enough for Andy to hear, starting to cry again but he pulled her back into a hug. 

“It’s okay, I’ve got you…” He reassured her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, “I’m so fucking proud of you, kiddo. I promise I am. I know this wasn’t easy for you, I can’t even begin to imagine how long you’ve felt like this but never said anything. So thank you for telling me. I’m proud of you.” 

Junior cried a little harder at that, still not entirely used to having someone tell her that they were proud of her. But this time, the tears were more of relief and she just completely leaned against him. 

Never in her life did she ever think she’d actually come out and tell someone this secret. She just thought she had to fight the feeling down further and further until it disappeared or it just ended up killing her. 

But no. She lost it and everything spilled out. But…it didn’t end up badly like she thought it would. 

Andy accepted her. He accepted her without another thought. Strong and tough and badass Andy accepted her and told her that he was proud of her for coming out. 

This felt almost like a dream, something too good to be true for Junior. 

“So…I suppose you don’t want to be called by that name anymore, right?” Andy asked and she nodded in response, gripping onto his shirt again. “Okay. Is there…another name I can call you? It doesn’t need to be your permanent name, it could be like a…placeholder. Just something temporary until you can figure out a name that makes you feel like you.” 

She didn’t say anything for a moment, thinking long and hard before settling on something simple. “Maybe just…Jun. For now. Jun. Without an E at the end.” 

Andy nodded and lightly leaned his cheek to her head. “Jun without an E at the end, got it.” 

Jun could practically hear the smile on Andy’s face and lazily hit his side with the back of her hand. “You’re a dork…” 

“Yeah, yeah I am. But so are you, so…” Andy poked Jun’s side, making her giggle before she yawned, her dysphoric episode and breakdown now tuckering her out. 

“You tired, kiddo?” He asked and she yawned again while nodding, not moving from her position. 

“Can I just…stay here? For a bit? Please?” Jun asked quietly and almost immediately, his hand went up to her hair and stroked her hair softly, causing her to close her eyes. 

“Sure you can. And I’ll stay right here with you too. But as soon as you wake up and get hydrated, you need to eat, okay?” Andy told her, accepting his fate to have Jun fall asleep on his shoulder. 

She nodded, yawning once more as a sense of pure peace and bliss filled her. She knew she was safe now. Nothing would happen to her. 

“Thank you Andy…” Jun murmured under her breath. 

Just before she could drift off, she felt Andy kiss her forehead, one hand playing with her hair and the other being secured around her body. “Anytime. Goodnight, Jun.” 

#Luna talks #admin #chucky #chucky 2021 #child’s play #junior wheeler #andy barclay #jun wheeler #juniper wheeler #transfem junior wheeler #transfem jun wheeler #transfem juniper wheeler #final family #Chucky season 2 rewrite fic #Chucky oneshot #Chucky AU #transfem

[rubywolf0201]

I don’t know what made me draw myself to Matakara ever since BUCCHIGIRI?! was first revealed last year in May in the teaser other than cute sunshine puppy boi.

But after watching many episodes esp the last one yesterday, I come to the conclusion that a lot of his recent actions, be it shown onscreen or subtle, reminded me of Princess Elise from Sonic 06 (yes that one game that drove the franchise to ruin but that’s not what we are talking about)

I mean 16-17 year old teenage redheads who may appear mature at first glance but deep down, they’re not as mature as you think they are. Elise’s case is that she was forced to rule Soleanna at a very young age and while she is put together, she is also emotionally vulnerable such as when she had repeated visions of the bloodthirsty demon sealed within her kept showing her visions of Soleanna burned to the ground.

Matakara is of the same vein as well.

For a long time since visiting the Honki temple for the first time with his brother, Matakara has always sensed the dark shadows watching over him, which made him afraid. Mitsukuni said that the dark shadows appear because of how it sensed the weakness within people’s hearts. And well it is true in some sense in that despite being a pretty good fighter, Matakara is emotionally immature, possibly even stunted.

Right after his childhood best friend abandoned him to a group of older kids bullying them, Matakara believed himself to be weak and kept clinging on to the idealized version of Arajin, which the latter never asked for nor did he lied about. Even after showing off his true colors even back in earlier episodes, Matakara kept believing in him and it wasn’t until Episode 8 that Arajin confessed to him that he is not the cool and strong person Matakara believed him to be.

This shatters Matakara’s worldview because right after his brother was taken from him to be placed in juvie for maybe 2-3 years, Matakara tried to build himself up and kept on believing that he has to do it for both Mitsukuni and Arajin’s sake. So to hear from Arajin about how the latter isn’t the strong and cool person that Matakara thinks he is, it proved to be devastating for Matakara.

The way how both handled the inner demons within them (or Ichiya in the case of Matakara)

Princess Elise has been shown initially that whenever her emotions are about to go out of control, she is either shown to clasp her hands together to make sure she doesn’t cry lest she releases Iblis or just hug someone out of instinct.

But over time, she stopped doing so to symbolize how her bond with Sonic has made Elise to handle her emotions better in a way that can confide it to the person closest to her. The only time it got out of hand is when the villain killed Sonic out of a sneak attack, that was when Elise started crying, which released Iblis.

Matakara is more of a 50/50. He has inner demons in the shadow that keeps appearing out of nowhere and how he is the only one to sense it. Those dark and creepy shadows tend to appear whenever Matakara is down on himself or if there is a weakness. But when he got into Minato Kai through pure hard work and the friends that he have made in Zabu and Komao. And that is when the shadows had stopped appearing for the time being, tho they did not disappear completely.

However, I want to point out that unlike Elise who managed to keep her shit together despite not having any form of support group except for her servants, maids, possibly her tutors and ministers, she turned out for the better.

Matakara once he got Ichiya due to Akutaro’s manipulations (well maybe it could be Ichiya who knows really), Ichiya does whatever he can to break Matakara’s will and pointing out how things like friendship and kindness are nothing but weakness. The last straw was when Ichiya brought up on how weak willed Mitsukuni is and that is when Matakara succumbed to the anger and hatred that Ichiya has set up, making the blue majinn to take over him completely.

Anyways TLDR; Princess Elise and Matakara are one and the same IMO, with the only differences on how they handle themselves and their emotional maturity.

#rubi’s post #sonic the hedgehog #bucchigiri?! #princess elise #matakara asamine #meta #character analysis #character comparison #these are all just my opinions and observations I have made so far

[hubrisbracket]

Hubris Bracket Side A Poll 12: Five Pebbles (Rain World) vs Laerryn Coramar-Seelie (Critical Role: Exandria Unlimited Calamity)

Propaganda below (contains spoilers)

Five Pebbles

in his pride and arrogance he thought he could solve the great problem, he got interrupted during one of his experiments because in the process he was killing one of his neighboring robots (he is a robot btw) and she was asking him to stop, now he blames her because the creature he was making mutated and essentially led to him developing 'the rot' which slowly eats away at his superstructure until it eventually kills him.

hes like a pathetic wet cat to me. guy who tries desperately to break out of his doomed narrative only to doom himself further and drag those he loves down with him. he didn't want this he didn't want any of this but in his rage and arrogance he was blind to the consequences of his actions. and now he stands slowly rotting away while his sister suffers because of his mistakes. he is sooo full of regret and anger and shame i love him

(this one is very long so we have opted to keep its original formatting for reading's sake)

GOD where do i even start with five pebbles…the hubris contained within this bitch…the angst…the regret… for a basic rundown of general rain world stuff, everything in the world is trapped in a looping cycle of life and death. eventually people adjacent things were like "dam this sucks i wanna. kil myslef" and then they dug really deep into the earth and found void fluid which kills you so hard you don't come back. however if youre a bitch or too attached to the earth u turn into a terrifying ghost thing. so the people were like "fuck that lets find a different way to kill ourselves" so they built big supercomputers called iterators then they all killed rhemselves anyways with the kil juice.so you have these godlike teenagers basically locked in bigass boxes just. everywhere every fucking where theres so many.

five pebbles is one of these iterators, and whats special about him is mainly the place and reasons he was built. iterators need a shit fuck ton of water to function (and they exhale a shit fuck ton of water vapor "turning…world, into rain world." -daszombes) so generally iterators aren't placed too close. another iterator named looks to the moon was built very early on, and eventually she couldn't make enough stuff for her people who live on top of her (forgot to mention that) so they fucking. built another iterator RIGHT next to her. pebbles and moon are like siblings, right. hes kind of an angsty guy but i mean his creators literally all killed themselves and left him solving their problem so its ok hes allowed to be. hes like "damn i hate veing trapped in this cycle and shit it sucks" and then there was a very big event that i DO NOT have the time to get into but essentially one of the iterators was like "hey guys i solved the problem" and then she fucking died which is very hard for an iterator to do so everyone had an understandable freakout.

five pebbles was of the opinion that killing herself was the solution so hes like "i have to make them see that killing yourself IS the solution" (killing yourself and/or genetic mpdification are very very taboo topics among iterators) so he goes to one of his close friends and has a real heart to heart about how much he struggles with knowing that his creators CHOSE to leave them all behind and that the iterators are all still here solving their problem even tho they're dead. this friend, in a moment of weakness sends pebbles instructions on how to circumvent the self-destruct taboo (a taboo is like a law coded into every single cell of an iterator) and five pebbles, desperate to prove to himself and others that he isnt just another useless thing that can be abandoned, so he looks at the proper, safe way of doing the procedure and goes "FUCK THAT NOIIIISE" bye running so many parallel processes he consumes five times the amount of water he usually intakes, as well as shutting off all communications. moon, having been dehydrated to the point where he structure is in an awful, awful state, eventually uses a last resort in the form of forced communications, essentially the buggest loudest discord ping of your life. her messages are pleas for pebbles to stop, that he is hurting her, that she WILL die if he continues.

on pebble's end, as he tries to concentrate on his absurd amounts of processes, moon messages crash through his communications network, COMPLETELY shattering his focus. due to the nature of this method, involving genetic modification, what is essentially cancer is allowed to burst free, uncontrolled, from his experiments. they call it the rot. pebbles, having killed his sister and cut off everyone else, desperately tries to cure the illness ravaging his structure, an effort that proves futile.

Laerryn Coramar-Seelie

Laerryn devoted her entire life to making the city of Avalir capable of teleporting to the Upper Planes so that the entire city of mortals would be walking as equals amongst the GODS.

laerryn my beloved. the OG hubris wizard, dead before the story even started & it was her own fault. she used all her city's magic supply to be able to TELEPORT the ENTIRE CITY to a DIFFERENT PLANE because she COULD. because she wanted to prove that SHE COULD. because she thought the gods weren't all that special and wanted mortals to be equal to the GODS THEMSELVES. COME ON. she could have easily made it safe but she was so determined to accomplish this in time that she used way too much magic and put the whole city in danger. she wasn't thinking about safety, she was thinking about what she could accomplish. she also got one of her best friends, who was a husband and a father to a young child, KILLED, due to experimenting on said aforementioned 'attempting to teleport the entire city to a different plane' thing (complete disregard of safety once again). to list her lesser hubris crimes, she neglected her marriage and got divorced bc she was so focused on her work and herself even though she loved her husband dearly and convinced herself she was doing all of this for him, even though this is never something he wanted. also she cast blight on a super important tree that could have saved the world, and destroyed it. and yeah it was because she wanted to protect her friends/out of love/grief BUT she basically set in motion the rest of the events of exu calamity (aka, oh yknow, the DESTRUCTION OF MOST OF THE WORLD) by doing that. by thinking she COULD save her friends by destroying the tree. basically, she thought she knew better when she very much didn't. i'm not saying she caused it (the betrayer gods caused it obvs), but she for sure had a large part to play in the destruction of her own city (and also in saving it, but still). basically i love her. HUBRIS QUEEN.

#hubris bracket #Laerryn Coramar-Seelie #critical role #Five Pebbles #rainworld #rain world #exu calamity #exu laerryn #(mod bee here: both extremely strong contenders with a lot of similarities. anyone's game for sure.) #(however am i biased towards laerryn? yes. i love her.) #round 1

[foxcantswim]

Who Are You? Chapter 5 || F!Reader x Wanda Maximoff

Y/N is in love with Wanda... But Wanda is in love with Spider Noir. The thing is, Y/N and Spider Noir are the same person - But Wanda doesn't know that. Y/N has a secret identity to uphold. (Everyone lives AU - Set after DS:MoM)

F!Spider!Avenger!Reader x Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch

Chapters: 1 2 3 4

Words: 1.9k

Warnings/Tags: Fluff, Angst, Chaotic Archer and Chaotic Assassin, Y/N freaking out-

"I've known you for less than a day and you already know who I am." You held your head in your hands as you leaned back in your chair within your office, a familiar face followed you into the room and closed the door behind them.

You had been in the medbay overnight as the doctors kept an eye on your vitals. Once the intruder had entered and announced that they knew who you were, you promptly passed out - most likely due to your injuries which were still healing, but also due to the fact that your heart was beating at a million miles per minute.

As the sun rose, you were allowed to leave. Your vitals had stabilised due to your much fast healing abilities. You had headed towards your office and tapped the button on your wrist in the process, effectively removing the suit.

Someone other than Wanda had figured out who you were... This couldn't possibly get any worse, right?

"It wasn't too hard to figure it out."

"Wanda is going to kill me. If you find my body, you know who did it," you groaned, banging your head on the table. You sat up and looked towards the girl, "How did you even find out?"

"When you're an archer you tend to focus more. It was pretty easy, to be honest."

Kate. Bishop.

The one person you had barely interacted with at all within the Avengers.

"Seriously?" you asked.

A moment passed before she shook her head, "No. Yelena told me. She said you were stupid for drinking water so carelessly."

"Yelena knows too?!" you scoffed, panic rose within you, "This just keeps on getting worse. Why would she even tell you this?!"

"We kind of tell each other everything. We agreed on no secrets between us, it makes things easier."

"I'm guessing Natasha knows, too," your heart was beating fast. Wanda was supposed to be first. Not second, or third, or fourth.

Kate shook her head, "I don't think so? She didn't say anything about telling her. And I sure as hell haven't told Clint."

"This is a disaster," you muttered, head in your hands.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so reckless..."

"Coming from you, that's an insult," you rolled your eyes, "You haven't exactly got a good track record from what I can tell." The anger, panic and hurt within you was sending you into a spiral.

"Ouch," Kate cleared her throat. You let out a loud groan, frustration seething throughout you. "Hey, hey, hey, if it makes you feel any better, I promise not to tell anyone. Hand on my heart," she assured, placing her hand on her chest.

"What about Yelena!?"

She nodded, "I will make sure she doesn't either."

"B-But what if Wanda reads your mind? Or Yelena's? She'll find out who I am one way or another!"

Kate tried to dismiss the thought of how creepy it was that Wanda could just invade anyone's mind, "We won't give her a reason to. We'll just go about our day as normal..." she paused before leaning on the desk, "Also... You seem pretty set on not letting Wanda find out. Why is that?"

You had a glare on your face before you quickly turned away from Kate, "No reason," you muttered.

Kate leaned her head in closer, raising an eyebrow before a smile made its way onto her face, "I know that look all too well. I've experienced that look myself."

"What are you talking about, Bishop?" you groaned, returning to gaze back towards her.

She laughed, "The 'I'm so in love but I'm too dumb to do anything about it' look."

"Has anyone ever told you how annoying you are?" you grumbled before turning on your computer. You needed literally anything to distract you right now.

"Yep," she said, a smile still on her face. She then stood up, "But you didn't deny it."

"Go away," you waved towards the door.

Kate hummed before making her way towards the door, "You know I'm right," she shrugged, "I'll catch you later anyways."

As she opened the door, you groaned before calling her, "Kate?" she turned to look at you, you finally managed to crack a smile, "Thanks. For not telling anyone."

With a nod, Kate smiled wider, "No problem, Y/N." She left, softly closing the door behind her.

Your smile quickly dropped as you heard her footsteps grow distant. Your heart was still beating way too fast. You couldn't believe that you had betrayed Wanda like this.

"Y/N?!" a voice coming from the doorway caused you to jump, "Have you seen Noir around? She's supposed to be here today and I wanted to check up on her. The doctors told me she left the medbay earlier this morning."

Shit. You forgot that you were supposed to be around the compound as Noir today, you had promised Peter you would spar with him later on in the day too. Something about him wanting to prove that he was indeed the best spider around.

"Errr... Nope. No I haven't," you coughed awkwardly before turning your attention back towards the monitors on your desk, "Sorry, W-Wanda. I will let you know if I see her, okay?"

Wanda sighed, you could hear the sadness in her voice, "Yes. Thanks." She made her leave quickly, you did your best not to turn your head and look at her.

You released a breath you hadn't even realised you'd been holding. Your heartbeat had only recently calmed down, but after seeing Wanda again - it quickened at an alarming rate.

You glanced at the clock on the wall, deciding that you had enough time before Tony would come in for the papers. You had exactly two hours before anyone was supposed to check on you. Without thinking, you ran to the door and slammed it close locking it. You headed over to the window, throwing it open, you pressed a button on your wrist in the process.

Peeking out the window to make sure nobody was around, you decided that it was safe and jumped out. You promptly ran around the building, hoping to not get caught, as you made your way towards the front doors of the compound.

A sigh of relief escaped you as you made it, you pushed the doors open and headed inside.

"Hey, Noir!"

You turned your head towards the voice, "Oh, hey, Spidey."

Peter laughed, "Weren't you supposed to be here earlier? Wanda's been looking for you."

With a nod, you replied, "Y-Yeah. After what happened last night, I... thought it would be best if I headed home to clear my head. I'll apologise to Sam and Steve for not being here."

"As long as you're still up for a spar later? It's okay if you're still... you know."

"I'll let you know, Peter," you sighed, "Sorry if I can't."

In truth, you were still experiencing mild aches and pains all over. Taking a grenade blast surprisingly does that to you.

"Hey, no worries! There's always next time," he reassured you, "I think you should go and find Wanda, though. She seemed pretty worried."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Thanks, Peter."

Nodding, he waved you off and walked down the hall.

It was now time to find Wanda.

You passed by a number of different Avengers, all greeting you and asking if you are okay. Most of them also mentioned Wanda.

"Y/N L/N!" an excited voice sounded from behind you, "I've been looking for you!"

"Shhh!" you hushed, turning around, "Do you want everyone to find out who I am?!" you whisper-yelled at the blonde.

Yelena grinned, "Oops," she soon nodded, "You're lucky I tolerate Kate Bishop. She has persuaded me not to tell anyone."

"I would be really grateful," you said, turning your head away, "I'm just not ready for anyone to know yet. I'm trying my best not to freak out knowing that you two have found out. I don't even know how you managed to, I was so careful."

"Careful?" Yelena laughed loudly, "I'm a highly trained assassin, Y/- Noir. I notice things. Like you being a fool by drinking with your mask so high up."

"Oh, god, so that means Natasha knows, too!" your eyes were wide behind your mask.

Shrugging, Yelena shook her head, "I'm not so sure about that. She's pretty dense. If she does know, she hasn't showed that she does."

You really hoped that she didn't.

"Noir!" a voice caught your attention from down the hall. You looked to finally see the little witch you had been searching for, "Finally!" she exclaimed, a smile on her face.

Yelena laughed quietly as you approached Wanda, "Hey, I'm so sorry I disappeared and-" Wanda simply pulled you into a hug, releasing a thankful sigh. The rolled her eyes before making her exit.

"I'm just glad you're okay," Wanda tightened her grip, your body flinched at the pain but you shook it off - anything to be kept in Wanda's arms.

"I'm all good because of you-"

"What were you thinking?!" her smile dropped as she pulled back, "You could've gotten yourself killed!"

You shook your head, startled by her sudden outburst, "What was I supposed to do? Just let you take the hit?"

"You could've gotten us both to safety!"

"I couldn't think of anything other than making sure you were safe, Wanda," you tried to your best to explain, "It was a heat of the moment thing. I would do it again."

Of course she couldn't stay mad at you for too long, she went back in for another hug which you gladly accepted, "Noir..." she said with a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry," you held her tighter, "After that time we took care of the civilians in that burning building... I can't bear to see you like that again, Wands. I can't promise you that I won't jump in front of another grenade for you."

"I hate you," she muttered into your shoulder, "But you know I would do the same for you."

"I know you would," and you hated the idea of Wanda throwing herself into danger for you.

As the days went by, you knew you wanted to tell Wanda who you were. But first, it was time to get to know her as Y/N. Not Noir. You had already gotten to know the majority of the other Avengers as your civilian self, Wanda was just the final target for you to conquer.

"This is disgusting."

"Yelena, it's not disgusting!" Kate gasped. Her and Yelena peeked round the corner to watch you and Wanda.

Yelena nodded her head, "Yes. Disgusting. Love is disgusting."

Scoffing, Kate replied, "Is that so?"

"Yes," a smirk played on the blonde's lips.

Kate couldn't help but roll her eyes, however she couldn't stop the smile from appearing on her face as she continued to watch.

HAVE A GOOD DAY OR ELSE-

I really appreciate all the love and feedback you guys give, it means so much to me!

Tag list:  @screechcat​ ; @princess-kennys-rats​ ; @lissaaaa145 ; @maris-astrum ; @marvelogic ; @moonliqhtszn ; @charl-lally ; @an-evergreen-rose ; @almosttoopizza ; @daenerys713 ; @yenmaximoff ; @lezzbehonesturhaught ; @angryraisin ; @capswife ; @localarcherwriter ; @wandaslittlewhore ; @wandanatstan ; @wizardofstories ; @justyourwritter69 ; @m-h-r-h ; @fxckmiup ; @paaandiculations ; @kacka84 ; @darling-im-the-queen-of-hell ; @mymommawanda ; @amessbian ; @cmfouatslota77 ; @lol1415lol ; @oh-thats-cute ; @tchizooox ; @yenmaximoff ; @wiertarkanah ; @idcplss ; @princess-kennys-rats​ ; @sadpiscesheart

(Some tags just refused to work so I’m sorry!)

#wanda maximoff #wanda x reader #scarlet witch #scarlet witch x reader #elizabeth olsen #elizabeth olsen x reader #kate x yelena #kate bishop #yelena belova #peter parker #marvel

[thelaughtercafe]

Sell Your SOUL*

Tea Type: Coffee

Potential Triggers: Mildly dubious consent for hypnosis

Pairing: Baggs/Reader

Length: 2.7+

Summary: You are a Human who opens an Empath clinic for monster kind; giving them a safe place to let out any emotions they may be feeling. Unlike the clinical and typically detached touch of therapists, you mirrored their emotions back at them, telling them what you felt, gently whenever possible and occasionally harshly if they refused to acknowledge their pain. Alphys finally allows you to meet Baggs, the one you know let them be released in the first place and you find yourself enraptured...he's just as curious about you. Oops. So much for keeping your distance. An interested doctor is a determined one. Hopefully it'll pay off.

After all...

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.

It didn't take him long to notice. You tried though.

God, did you try.

You did everything possible to avoid looking at him when he did it. Actually, it was more like you found an excuse to leave altogether the second it began happening.

Becoming friends with monsters was something that came easily to you, being an Empath. Feeling others' pains and helping them through it in any way you could was what you were used to, and loved doing and none needed it more than Monsters when they came to the Surface. While Humans didn’t even consider Empaths real, Monsters had informed you it was actually a well-known and documented form of healing magic that Human’s once possessed long ago. With their help and support you'd even managed to open your own little practice, mainly catering to Monsterkind. Toriel has been the gateway to meeting everyone, but they all had such pain hidden within that you tried to help with. General had been no exception, nor had Undyne, Asgore or Alphys. Alphys...was how you ended up meeting him and experiencing his ability first hand.

-----

Instantly a chill went up your spine. A subconscious warning from your intuition that you should be careful, despite Alphys' introduction.

"Th-This is Baggs! He's really only allowed here for research, a-a-and his home of course, which is w-why you've never met him before on our outings, but t-truth be told, I'd say he spends more time here than home. Always hard at w-work on some e-e-experiment."

Her voice was light and chipper, but you'd come to know her well enough to see the signs of discomfort, the slight tremble of her voice, the stutter that slipped out here and there, and, perhaps most notably, the way she was very carefully avoiding looking Baggs in the eye, despite the skeleton looking directly at her

"I'll l-leave you two to get acquainted and make some tea and snacks alright? I'll be j-j-just in the other room!"

A warning for him and a reassurance for you.

Ouch.

You winced at the literal sting that went to your SOUL, quick and barely there as you pasted on a smile and nodded at her.

"Sure thing, Alph. I'm sure we'll be fine. I'm not worried."

She smiled despite it trembling at the edges and you felt her relax some before she was gone in a swish of fabric.

"not worried? heh. that's cute, for someone who hasn't deigned to meet my gaze yet. scared, little human?"

You weren't sure what you expected his voice to sound like but it certainly wasn't that. Dark, inviting, damn near on the cusp of being outright seductive while somehow still emanating danger.

You shivered and he snickered again.

You swallowed hard, and then you met his gaze, pushing through the shivers you'd just gotten and instead focusing on the pain you felt coming off of him in waves.

"Actually, I was just waiting for you to introduce yourself. I guess I should've gone first though, huh? Sorry. I'm pretty shy on first meetings, the lack of eye contact has to do with that, not because of what you did. If I was scared I wouldn't be here at all."

His expression didn't change but you felt how he was slightly taken aback, then the apprehension and finally the slight twinge of mischievous glee just beneath the surface.

You withdrew your Empathy just a tad. You didn't like going deep into what everyone was feeling without their permission, but you'd accidentally let your guard go up thanks to nervousness.

His eyes were just as pretty as you'd heard. Pink glowed vibrantly from his left eye as he drew closer, smile unflinching.

"you're certainly quite bold for a human. heh heh. or maybe just naive judging by that adorable blush on your cheeks."

You looked away briefly to try and collect yourself, huffing as you realized he was right. You were so focused on feeling your cheeks and calming yourself down you didn't even register your SOUL had been gently pulled from your chest until its purple glow was in front of you.

"hm. that explains it then. but what's-"

His browbones went down in concentration and confusion as he attempted to reach for your SOUL but you were already reacting, swiftly pulling it back into your chest protectively.

"No! I-please. Don't."

His once mildly friendly demeanor had turned to full on mistrust and you could see it from the blue starting to swirl in his left eye socket without any need for your Empathy.

"what are you hiding, little human?"

You merely shook your head, retreating slowly towards the door but you yelped as it abruptly closed without any input that you could see, whirling to see it slam.

You heard a whistle and when you jerked back, Baggs waved the remote with an eerie grin.

Oh, how the tables had turned.

"No offense, sir, but my SOUL isn't any of your business."

His smile widened, yet somehow he only seemed more menacing despite the even, soothing steps he took towards you. They echoed, perfectly in sync and never faltering. His tone sounded genuine but you could feel the underlying condescension and mocking.

"well that's not very nice of you, now is it? i thought you wanted to be friends. i'm merely curious. perhaps i can even help "

You gasped as your back hit the door and he easily caught your chin between his phalanges, and tilted your head to make you look at him, blue and pinknow both swirling evidently in his left eye. his voice was a purr.

"and please, do call me baggs. i much prefer to be referred to with the appropriate amount of reverence when that name is used, and i’ve no doubt you will use it…but not quite yet."

You felt...oddly heavy and the urge to squirm and shiver was palpable. What was happening? You knew you needed to look away, you had to, or else he was going to-

Well, what was the worst he could do? Alphys was just in the other room after all. She'd hear you if anything bad happened. Besides, Baggs was nice. He was handsome. He just wanted to help.

Why were you being so resistant again?

Resistant? Now why would you do that? Baggs was your friend. Don't you confide in your friends?

You searched for something, anything.

Grasped, struggled, for something to lock on to.

Something to feel-

Pure, sadistic, addictive, control

You awoke out of your trance with a gasp violently breaking away from Baggs' grip on your chin before cradling your head, hands shaking, eyes slammed shut and face turned away.

"Don't do that a-again."

You chattered a little, still shivering from the aftershocks of ecstacy forced into you. At least he hadn’t forced you to do anything.

"guess everyone is scared of something after all, hm? pity. i think you're cute when you're all helpless like that, you know. even scared as you are now you're adorable."

Your face lit in flame and the words were the spark you needed to lunge for the door again with a gasp, suddenly recalling the manual switch on the side and nearly bolting out in your haste.

When did you forget? Just how long had he been in your head?

Baggs' alluring laughter followed you all the way to the exit, as did his final words to you.

"see you soon, little human."

-----

Despite your...intense first meeting he hadn't made any effort to antagonize you since when you began seeing him again. He acted as if nothing had happened in fact, merely smiling your way and returning to chatting with Toriel nearby as if you'd had a normal meeting.

Alphys, the only other person who knew vaguely what had happened, as she’d ran out after you, merely sighed.

"A word of advice from someone who's k-known him and worked with him. Don't let him get to you. Or at least, don't let h-h-him know he's g-gotten to you. And...try not to let him do it a-again. It'll just-"

Her voice had quieted conspiratorially with every sentence but she was cut off as familiar bony arms latched around both of your shoulders.

"It'll just what, al?"

His voice was bright but you felt the anger ebbing off him in waves and Alphys abruptly smiled shakily, turning to him in an attempt to not seem afraid.

"you wouldn't happen to be talking about me would ya? haven't ya ever heard-"

"Actually, sounds to me like you misunderstood. You're not interesting enough to warrant talking about Baggs, hate to break it to you. We were talking about a game character. Jeez, are you always so self-centered~?"

Your tone was teasing but your light glare of warning for him trying to frighten Alphys into silence was evident. He didn't seem concerned.

"with a face this handsome? can ya really blame me? anyway, what game? sounds fun."

Alphys was sweating nervously, staring at you wide-eyed but you were quick on your feet.

"Nathan Prescott from Life is Strange. It's choice based, so it's important to not let him know he gets to you or frightens you when he defaces your room in game with a threat. After all, what good is a threat if you don't let yourself be affected by it?"

His eyes lit up then, and you swore you saw his swirl start up, along with the growl that left his lips but Alphys distracted you both by pulling you away.

"Speaking of, I just remembered! We forgot to save! Come on, before Undyne changes the game without realizing!"

You were so proud of her for not stuttering that you missed the swirling eyes following your exit, before he looked down at the object clutched in his digits.

Your phone was held in his grasp, his grin widening as he noticed you didn't have a password.

silly girl.

-----

It didn't take you long to realize your phone was missing, and you told Alphys to go on ahead, and that you'd hang with her later on in the week. Papyrus' car was gone by the time you made it back so he must've gone to drop Toriel and Frisk back home Of course it'd started raining so you were damn near soaked as you knocked.

A few moments later the door opened to a surprised, and then amused Baggs.

"back so soon? told you I was irresistible."

You shook your head, shivering a bit more intensely, making Baggs' eyes immediately scan your body before he grew business-like and moved to walk away.

"come inside, i will make you something warm and then you may take a hot shower. i shall lend you some of my clothes so you do not get sick."

You blinked and then hesitantly entered and nodded, just as you sneezed. Better trust him than get sick right? He was a doctor. He'd been bearable lately; maybe your first meeting had just been a test and you'd passed?

By the time you reached the kitchen he was already setting down a steaming mug in front of you.

"i'll go and get my clothes together. sit tight, and be sure to drink that entirely. it would be a pity if your stubbornness made you ill."

You watched him turn and leave before looking down at the drink in your hands, contemplative. A sip confirmed it was tea, sweet, somehow just as you took it. Paps must've told him about how you always had a mug in your hand. The slight tingle as it went down your throat confirmed it must've been a tea infused with monster magic, which you attributed to be the reason for the extra sweet aftertaste as well. You continued to drink as you let your thoughts take you.

Perhaps General had been right. He'd sensed your nervousness when you'd next seen Baggs while baking cookies with him and had reassured you that his brother was just untrusting of people he didn't know but would warm quickly. Maybe you'd been wrong to be so scared. The propaganda was everywhere; warning of his danger and perhaps you'd taken some of it in subconsciously.

You stifled a yawn and inhaled sharply as when you went to stand and move you swayed; making you grip the table tightly. Familiar fear rushed to the forefront of your mine, one you were used to having around Humans but never with monsters. No. He couldn't have-

"you alright there pet? you're looking a little pale."

His worry was evident and you couldn't help the slight tone of accusation as you sluggishly looked towards him, still not able to move, even as a pleasant shiver shot down your spine at the new nickname..

"What was in that tea?"

He blinked, before a slow smile broke across his face and he casually strode over.

"just a little something to calm you down. the warmth will spread through your system faster if you're calm."

"Why didn't you tell me first then? Or better yet ask? You have to know how this makes you look."

Fuck. Your words were slurring a little, your lips tingling in an almost numb, but not quite way. Everything felt so…hazy.

"how what looks? Giving my shivering friend a warm drink and tucking her into bed, so I know she's safe? it's not as if I drugged you. even small doses of my magic can help soothe. I suppose I overestimated how much you could take, human."

He chuckled, his amusement evident, but you swore you detected worry in his eyes.

"i doubt you can take a shower in this state. come. i'll give you my clothes, leave you to change and then get you settled."

"But- I have to go home."

You tried to protest, struggling to think clearly.

"well, I'm not letting you leave in this state. i'd walk you home if I could but...heh. pretty sure my bro would lose it if i left and he found out later I played hooky. best give in."

You frowned at that, glaring at him as you made to move towards the door.

"Good thing it's not your choice then-"

You were cut off as you were whirled to face him when he grabbed your arm, your equilibrium way off as you struggled to focus on the skeleton in front of you. By the time you realized you were looking directly into his eyes it was too late. That feeling from last time washed over you, blue joining the magenta and spiraling outward. You couldn't deny you felt oddly...safe, and the feeling of his phalanges carding through your hair as you slumped into him was nice.

Baggs is safe, Baggs won't hurt me. Why...am I so tired?

"that's it, good girl. doesn't it feel nicer when you give in?"

Feels...nice. Sleepy. Safe.

You nodded weakly, your filter which would typically make you deny on instinct completely gone. You blushed at your admission and felt Baggs chuckle beside your ear.

"you really do fall quickly for me. how curious. come, let's get you into bed, hm?"

You felt yourself moving and when you all but crumbled into the bed after quickly changing into clothes you didn't bother looking at, you were out like a light to the soothing feeling of bone carding through your hair.

You didn't even hear his parting words before slipping off into unconsciousness.

"what was that you said? what good is a threat if you don't let yourself be affected by it? i think you're right, pet. actions speak louder than words, wasn't that the analogy?"

-----

A/N: There's the first chapter, finally out into the world! So, funnily enough; I've had this fic near done for 2 years now, but just been petrified to publish it for some reason. I think I was panicking over not nailing Baggs as a character well enough, in particular, as well as the way he speaks. Still, I'm glad it's out there now and I can start working on the second chapter- I really hope you all enjoy it!

Please do tell me what you thought; it keeps me writing and motivated as an author!

This fic and also be found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/47766418/chapters/120411676

The amazing (and flustering) Megalosomnia belongs to @megalommi! Please go and shower her in love and adoration <3 This fic would not exist without her!

This is a fic set after Megalosomnia's characters have reached the surface. It's very much non-canon! I don't even believe the creator has brainstormed this portion yet so this is all just me spitballing and having fun with it!

#female reader #tlc: fic #sans x reader #sans x you #baggs x you #baggs x reader #megalosomnia #megalosomnia au #tlc: milk tea #undertale sans #undertale #sans #dr baggs #dr baggs x reader #dr baggs x you #tlc: nsft #tw hypnosis #tw dubcon #tw dubious consent

[whxtedreams]

Chapter 2 - Die For Him

Summary

Past: You deal with a particularly painful period and near-death encounter.

Present: Tommy helps you with your healing process when Joel comes over.

CW // Anxiety, pain, mentions of past violence.

Word count: 12,409

Before

Late Autumn 2019  

The first day traveling with Tommy, you threatened to kill him eight times. His warm and friendly nature was off-putting and uncomfortable, and you had to fight the urge to lash out at him whenever he tried to help you or show some form of kindness.

By the second week, you only threatened to kill him once a day. You've managed to somewhat soften towards Tommy's gentle and caring demeanour, and every day, you feel yourself becoming a little less cold and standoffish around him.

The last two weeks have been a blur of traveling in an attempt to reach the small town called Jackson that Tommy mentioned when you first met. The weather has been growing colder as winter draws closer, the nights becoming darker while the days grow shorter. You've noticed that Tommy has started giving his jacket to Annabel as she sleeps to keep her warm when he notices her shivering in her sleeping bag.

You've watched intently as Annabel gradually grew closer to Tommy, her interactions with him becoming more playful and teasing. He's responded in kind, the two of them engaging in a game of banter and playful torment that keeps you curious and entertained. Even so, there's a small part of you that knows he knows that Annabel is in pain, and you're grateful that Tommy is helping her in a way that you haven’t been able to after all these years.

Although it hasn't only been Annabel that Tommy has taken a liking to, for whatever reason, he finds himself sitting beside you after she falls asleep each night. It's become almost routine at this point. He drapes his jacket over Annabel, makes his way over to you and sits beside you. The first few nights, there were no words exchanged. You simply watched the flames until you inevitably fell asleep while he kept the first watch. Slowly, however, he began to speak with you more and more, and the two of you began to get to know one another in the quiet hours of the night.

It was within the second week of traveling to Wyoming that Tommy finally earned your hard-earned trust. The three of you stumbled across a water park, and your body decided that it was the perfect time for you to undergo a particularly painful monthly cycle. You had felt the shooting pain the day before, and you knew it was going to be a bad flare-up. You were trying your best to hide the pain behind a veil of composure, but the combination of your hormones, cramps, and tiredness was causing you to become increasingly irritable and snappish with both Tommy and Annabel.

You double over in pain as it becomes unbearable, and Tommy rushes over to you, placing a hand on your back. You shove his hand away and mutter that you're fine, but the pain is becoming too much to bear, and the left side of your abdomen feels like it's being tied into knots. You grit your teeth and groan in pain, clutching onto your side as you try to stand up straight and find some relief from the discomfort. It doesn't help, as the pain only worsens with the movement, and you wince as the cramps become even more intense.

Tommy moves to lift your shirt and frowns when he doesn't see a physical wound. You push his hand away once again and stubbornly lower your shirt, refusing to show him any sign of your discomfort. The pain is growing steadily worse, but you force yourself to try and keep up a strong and defiant facade, unable to handle the thought of showing vulnerability to Tommy. You're trying your best to endure, and the tightness of your expression shows just how much you're struggling to contain your emotions and discomfort.

"Are you having one of your flare-ups?" Annabel asks, and you look up at her with an expression of annoyance at her question. You nod, confirming her suspicion but unwilling to acknowledge the pain you're experiencing aloud. 

The cramps are becoming harder to ignore, and you slowly allow yourself to be led to a nearby chair left over from what seems to be a fast food truck. You lower yourself painfully into the chair and continue to try and ignore the shooting pains going up your back.

“I’ll be fine, just need to sit for a bit.” You mutter as Annable gently rubs your shoulder. 

"Flare-ups?" Tommy questions with some curiosity, and you look up at him with a glare. You're annoyed that he's questioning you about this, the pain still lingering and causing you even more discomfort. 

Tommy's eyebrows shoot up, and his mouth hangs open at the sudden realisation, a quiet "Oh " hanging in the air as he looks down between your legs before he continues. "You're on your period?" He questions, and you nod in response. You can see the gears turning in his mind as he considers this new information. “That’s why you’ve been more… stubborn.” He mutters to himself. 

"I swear to the Gods, I will fucking gut you," you threaten, and Tommy quickly lifts his hands up in defence, looking away from you.

"Alright, alright, Sunshine," Tommy apologises as he backs away and evaluates the surroundings of the park, pointing to a tower as a potential safe haven. You internally groan at the distance, knowing that you'll have to force yourself to move in spite of the pain. "It's high enough, sheltered, and looks like a good vantage point to rest," he says, and you nod reluctantly in agreement. "Can you walk that far?" he questions, and you take a deep breath as you try to fight through the pain. You nod in response, determined to power through the discomfort.

Annabel helps you up from the chair, and you take a deep breath before trying to focus on anything else but the pain in your abdomen. You manage to make it to the tower with Annabel's arm around your waist, but the exertion of climbing even one flight of stairs leaves you winded and in pain. You collapse into a sitting position, trying to get comfortable, and you close your eyes and lean your head against the railing. The cold metal feels somewhat soothing, and your breathing slowly becomes more regular as you attempt to relax, if only for a moment. 

“Just… need a minute.” You sigh. 

"You haven't had one this bad in a few months," Annabel sighs as she leans down in front of you. You look up at her with a tired expression as the cramps seem to dissipate slightly, though the pain remains constant and still making your every movement an uncomfortable one.

“I’m okay” You whisper and close your eyes, holding onto your side. 

Tommy realises that you've stopped climbing the stairs and tracks back down, sliding his rifle onto his back with the strap and leaning down. Before you can react, he places his hands under your arms and quickly lifts you to stand without warning, your eyes shooting open once he does so. You let out a small yelp of surprise, and for a moment, you struggle in his grip as your cramps worsen, and the strain of the sudden movement makes your body tense up.

“What are you-” 

"Gonna carry you the rest of the way, lift your legs" Tommy demands, and before you have a chance to argue, he lifts you in a swift motion, and you wrap your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck. You're surprised to find yourself light and easy to handle, and you look up at Tommy with a frown as he smoothly transitions to carrying you, placing his left hand on your thigh and his right on your back. To him, it feels like you weigh little more than a bag of feathers, and you find that amusing despite feeling slightly embarrassed by the whole ordeal.

You tense in Tommy's embrace and hold on to him tightly as he climbs the stairs again. "You don't have to carry me," you mutter into his shoulder, your face flushed with embarrassment. You watch as Annabel climbs the stairs behind you, attempting not to laugh and you feel a pang of guilt for making Tommy carry you like this. 

"Just tryin' to be a gentleman,” Tommy replies casually with a hint of a smirk on his face.

You roll your eyes at his remark and let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh yes, Tommy, my knight in shining armour, here to carry me upstairs. Wow, such a gentleman." You mock dryly, and his smirk deepens slightly as he continues to carry you up the stairs with ease. He remains silent as Annabel joins in the teasing, and you find yourself laughing a little in spite of the discomfort of your cramps.

"You two are going to be the death of me," Tommy sighs as he reaches the top of the tower and places you down gently. Annabel quietly laughs behind you, and you shake your head, taking a moment to steady yourself as your feet hit the ground. Once you reach relative stability, you turn to face Tommy once more, and he paces the platform, carefully giving everything he can a good shake and nod to check its sturdiness. With a satisfied nod of his own, he turns back to face you and Annabel, seemingly content with the safety of the tower.

"Good enough for you?" You chuckle, still clutching your stomach and grimacing slightly at the movement. Tommy rolls his eyes and leans over the railing, surveying the ground below before looking up at the roof once more and giving it a satisfied nod. You watch for a moment as he seemingly takes in his surroundings, his expression becoming more serious as he does so. He returns to you; his brows knit in concern as he sees your discomfort. 

Tommy slides his bag off his back and sets it against one of the inner structural poles, digging through his pack to take out his sleeping bag and spreading it on the metal floor of the tower. He gestures to the floor with a nod towards the sleeping bag, and you frown. When you don't seem to budge, he simply turns to you and lets out a sigh. "I know yours has holes in it," he says, his voice becoming softer and more serious. "You're already in pain; may as well be comfortable." 

You look into his eyes and see the concern and tenderness in his expression, and the pain in your chest becomes more and more prominent. You hate him for showing you any kindness, knowing that the more he tries to break down your walls and move into your life, the more unbearable it will be when he eventually leaves or dies. You know how this always ends, and you find yourself reluctantly nodding in agreement. You can't keep fighting him anymore, not when you're in this condition. So, you let him win, and the sleeping bag feels soft and smells like him as you lie down on the metal floor. Although smelling like him isn’t a compliment. You can't remember the last time he actually cleaned himself. 

When the sun began to set, and you finally found a position to lay down that eased the pain, Annabel bounces her small rubber ball against the railing. With each bounce, you feel your nerve endings alight in a painful haze, and you grit your teeth, trying to ignore the repetitive noise. You shift, raising your knee closer to your chest as your other leg stretches out, but the cramps and discomfort still make it difficult to find a comfortable position. You do your best to focus on the calming colours of the sunset and the feeling of the cool air on your skin rather than pay attention to the ball bouncing nearby.

No more than two minutes later, you snap.

“I’ll throw that ball off this tower if you bounce it again.” You glare at her as you turn over to face her. Annabel catches the ball and blinks at you. Her mouth twitches, threatening to smile and you raise your eyebrows as if to say, don’t you dare . Her wrist flicks and the ball bounces again against the railing. You groan as Tommy laughs from where he stands beside you. 

“Whoops.” She smirks as she catches it again.

You begin to move from your spot on the sleeping bag to throw the stupid thing as Tommy speaks up, his tone gentle and calming. "Come on, girls, let's not kill each other," he says with a laugh. He turns to look at Annabel and gently pleads with her. "Leave your aunt alone," he tells her before turning back to look out over the edge of the tower, and you notice his expression softening as he looks over the landscape. The sun has almost set by now, and the sky has taken on a red hue. 

"Geez, just trying to have some fun around here," she grumbles, clearly disappointed to have had her game come to an end. However, when Tommy turns back around to look at her, she quickly shrugs and puts her ball back in her jacket pocket. He doesn't seem to push the issue any further, and his attention appears to be directed towards you as he gently nudges you back to the sleeping bag with a few taps of his foot. You groan a little as you try to get comfortable again, but you don't argue as you lie back down on the metal floor.

Tommy eventually settles down beside you with his back leaning against the railing, the sun having set and the moon filling the night sky. A soft blanket of shadows covers his face as he looks down at you for a moment, and while you're not entirely sure of his expression in the dark, you feel him reaching a hand to gently brush your hair back and tuck it behind your ear. You don't make any attempt to move out of his way as he does so. 

"I didn't realise periods could be so... painful," he admits as he eases his hand out of your hair and back into his lap, an expression of genuine concern on his face as he looks down at you. 

Annabel has remained quiet for some time now, her focus taken up by a book she found a few days prior. She lets out a small chuckle when she hears Tommy's comment, but you keep your eyes on her, wondering if she's going to say anything else. However, she doesn't, and a brief moment of silence settles in between the three of you.

"They're normally not," you reply. "I have endometriosis, it can be a... bitch sometimes."

 Annabel snorts at your description, but Tommy's expression twists in a visible look of confusion. He stares at you for a moment before speaking up. 

"Endometri…?" he repeats in a questioning tone as if he's never heard of the word before. Annabel looks at him, her smile fading as she realises that he's never dealt with this particular issue before. “You dying or something?”

The two of you chuckle together before you shake your head and sit up a little against the pole behind you to face Tommy properly. "No, no. Nothing like that," you reassure him with a faint smile and his face softens when he realises that there's nothing to worry about. He relaxes his body and leans his head against the railing, and for a moment, the three of you sit in silence. The night has descended and the air is still and quiet, the only sound coming from the subtle breeze blowing through the sky and the occasional rustle as Tommy rests against the metal railing of the tower.   

"So, what is it, then?" he finally asks. 

"You want me to go full scientific or dumb it down for you?" you smirk, teasing Tommy with your knowledge of a medical condition he's never heard of before. He scoffs a bit and glances back to Annabel, who has put her book down to listen in on your exchange.

"Dumb it down. I'm a simple man," Tommy says, raising his hands in an exaggerated mocking gesture but keeping a light, playful tone. 

You nod and look up at the stars, thinking of how to word it for him. “It’s a condition, disease – whatever you want to call it – where tissue similar to the lining of your uterus grows elsewhere as well. Sometimes, it can attach to other organs, too, like the ovaries and intestines, causing a shit load of pain. 

“The problem is, is that tissue still acts like the lining of the uterus, so when you get your period, those tissues also bleed and tear. It can also cause problems with fertility and infertility.." You explain, and Tommy nods again, his expression becoming more serious as he listens.

“How bad is it?” He asks, looking back up at you. 

You sigh and shrug. “Haven’t exactly had any scans lately.” You huff a laugh. “But I was diagnosed back in 02. My poor brother thought I was dying and took me to the E.R. Did some tests. Back then, it was all over my ovaries. But it can get bad, not always this bad though," you reply to Tommy, glancing back up at him.

"I'm sorry," Tommy sighs, his sympathy clear in his expression as he sees you flinch from another sudden bout of pain.

"It's fine," you assure Tommy, waving your hand dismissively as you lay back down. "At least I can't get pregnant with infected running around and people trying to kill us," you add, attempting to inject some levity into the situation by making a joke, and Annabel groans as she lies down herself. She doesn't find your joke as amusing, but Tommy's expression softens as he looks at you both. You let out a slow sigh before shifting slightly, a grimace of discomfort crossing your face as the cramps and nausea increase once more.

"Just go to sleep, the both of you," Tommy tells you and Annabel with a roll of his eyes, and you smile back in appreciation as he offers to keep watch first. You make a mental note to thank him later and try to find a comfortable position.

Annabel groans in resignation, settling back down on the floor with an annoyed expression as she watches Tommy take his place next to the railing. You do your best to close your eyes and relax, letting the calm night air wash over your face, trying in vain to ease the discomfort.

You wake with a start to a bloodcurdling scream and instinctively jolt into a sitting position, your eyes frantically scanning the platform around you as you search for Annabel in a state of panic. The moon is still high in the sky, and the night is as quiet as it was before, with nothing but the sound of gentle wind gently blowing over the tower. There's no sign of Annabel anywhere on the platform. You try to calm your quickening heartbeat as you start to rise to your feet.

As you scramble to a standing position, your eyes quickly dart over to Tommy, who has just set down his hunting rifle against the railing on the other side of the platform. The moment your eyes land on it, your heart skips a beat at the thought of Tommy aiming his rifle through the scope, and your eyes widen in fear.

He’s killed her. He’s fucking shot her. 

Tommy takes a deep breath and presses on the trigger of the rifle, and you jolt in response to the loud sound of the firing gun. Your ears ring slightly and you shut your eyes tight as you wince. When you open your eyes again, you notice Tommy staring off into the distance; his expression hardens as he watches something through the scope of his rifle.

He shoots again. And again. 

"Tommy-" you whisper, your voice faint and trembling with tension.

"Quiet. Infected," He snaps at you quickly as he takes another deep breath and fires the gun again, his voice harsher than before as he focuses on the target in the distance. 

You freeze in your place, your ears ringing as you wait for the next shot. When it comes, you almost flinch but manage to keep still, your eyes fixed on Tommy's back. After a moment, he fires the gun once more, his expression becoming more and more concentrated with each shot.

“Annabel-” 

"Stairs," Tommy says with a grunt as he reloads his rifle, and you remain where you are, stunned by the sudden change in his demeanour. "Pack your shit, we gotta move." He orders more forcefully this time, his voice sharp and filled with urgency, and you don't move. "DO IT NOW!" he shouts, and the sudden shift in his tone and the look of anger in his eyes causes you to jump in surprise, prompting you to gather your things quickly.

Annabel arrives at the top of the stairs and pants, out of breath as Tommy lays the rifle down against the railing and adjusts the scope. 

“What-”

“Went to pee, fucking clickers showed up out of nowhere,” Annabel explains as she kneels in front of her backpack. Seeing her in distress and how her hands shake as she tries to pack her things up quickly, you turn back to Tommy once more with wide eyes as he curses and steps back from the railing. He storms over to you and picks up his bag, and swings it over his shoulder.

However, before you can say anything, Tommy barks out another order, his voice stern and commanding as it rings through the tower. "There’s too many of them, I really fucking hope you can run Sunshine.” 

You nod frantically and scramble to grab your backpack in response to Tommy's warning, the urgency in his voice making your movements swift and hasty. Annabel does the same, quickly scooping up her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder. Annabel runs over to the stairs and leans over the railing, swearing. “They’re coming up the stairs, Tommy.” Her voice cracks and she stumbles back, terrified. 

"Down the slide," Tommy directs with a sharp nod of his head towards the slide, and your eyes widen in surprise. You glance at the enclosed slide for a moment, imagining the worst-case scenario of being stuck in that small, confined space while an infected rushes up the slide towards you. Annabel has already made her way towards it, but she doesn't look convinced either.  

"If it was an open slide, maybe, but it's a fucking enclosed one," you reply with an agitated expression. "An infected could block us in, and we'd be completely fucked."

Tommy groans and shoves you towards the slide, making another sudden move as he snatches your gun from your holster and shoves it into your chest, his expression becoming stern again. "No arguments. You go down first, then Anna. I'll cover the back," he orders you, his tone brooking no argument.   

Annabel looks up at him with a worried expression, her eyes filled with anxiety as she nods in response to Tommy's instructions, but she says nothing.  

"Go, now!" Tommy orders sharply, and you flinch at the sudden outburst and his loud tone. You hurry to crouch and enter the enclosed slide, the cramping pain in your abdomen slowly returning as you do so. Despite having to hunch over to fit inside the enclosed slide, your legs are still able to stand fully as you slowly make your way down it, keeping your torso bent downwards to avoid banging your head against the top. You squint your eyes as you turn on the flashlight equipped onto your bag strap over your shoulder. 

Annabel follows after you, her expression becoming more fearful as she enters the slide next. She's breathing hard and sweating, her face pale, and you know she's terrified, but she manages to keep calm. 

You pause in your descent as you hear the sound of Tommy firing his rifle a few times from the platform, the loud gunshots reverberating through the enclosed tube. Annabel leans over, grabbing your hand tightly as he enters the tube and catches up to you where you wait for him. "Got the few coming up the stairs, shouldn't be any more behind us," he says quickly and grunts from the discomfort of being taller and having to hunch over further. 

"Told you being shorter was an advantage," you tease, and Annabel lets out a soft laugh, though Tommy just grunts in response to your comment. 

"Very funny, now move," he deadpans, gesturing for you to hurry as he keeps his gaze fixed in front of you, his rifle ready to shoot at a moment's notice.

You keep your gun drawn as you move slowly and carefully down the slide, using the flashlight to illuminate the dark space around you. The tube is quiet, and aside from the sound of your own breathing, you hear nothing but the subtle echo of your footsteps or the occasional scrape of your body or clothes against the side of the slide. The silence in the enclosed space is eerie, and you find it difficult to remain focused as you continue to move, the dull but constant pain in your abdomen and the fear of what you might face at the bottom of the slide weighing on your mind.

You sigh in relief as you see the light from the full moon at the end of the tube on the last corner. You reach the end of the slide and pause for a moment, taking in your surroundings with a nervous expression as you contemplate your next move and listen intently for any incoming infected. You seat yourself on the edge and turn over to your stomach with your legs dangling over the edge and push yourself down until you hang on by your hands and drop the rest of the way into the empty pool.

You steady yourself and look up and wave your hands towards you, gesturing for Annabel to follow.

Then you hear the clicks. 

Your heart drops.

Time slows almost to a halt as you see movement in your peripheral vision. Your focus locks on Annabel's mouth as it opens wide in a scream, and you see Tommy's hand rip her from the edge of the slide before she jumps down, throwing her behind him. The clicker is jumping at you from the edge of the pool, and you tear your eyes away from Annabel towards it, only to see the infected's face only inches from your own a split second before it grabs you and slams you into the dirty concrete. A scream tears through your throat as you make the harsh connection with the bottom of the pool, your chest tightening. 

Annabel screams again as you're tackled off your feet, and you close your eyes in fear as the infected's weight forces you to the floor, its weight on top of you and its jaws just inches away from your throat.

You stare up at the clicker in a panic, your hands grabbing onto its shoulders as you try to hold it off. Its gums pull back with a snarl, exposing its rotten, bloody teeth as they snap at you again and again, desperate to tear into your flesh. The panic escalates as its fetid breath fills your nose, and you try to fight it off with all the strength you can muster, but the clicker is relentless in its attempt to sink its teeth into you. You're stuck beneath it, your body frozen and your face twisted in fear and agony as the monster prepares to strike.

You stare up at the clicker in terror and panic, your hands gripping firmly onto its shoulders as you try to hold it off. If you let go, even just for a second, you know you'll be bitten. If you could just let go for a moment to aim your gun, to shoot it, you could probably kill it. But you can't. The terror grows as you stare into its rotten, bloodstained teeth as it continues to try and tear into you.

The infected's death rattle echoes in your ears, and you feel the jolts of the body above you as bullets tear through its head, millimetres away from hitting you. The infected slumps against your body in a lifeless state, and you lie there on the cold, hard ground, still trying to recover from the shock and process what just happened. Your heart is pounding in your chest and your breathing comes in laboured gasps as you slowly start to take in your surroundings once again. 

Fuck – Tommy’s a good shot.

Tommy yanks the body off you and you take in a deep breath, relieved to feel the lack of weight now on your chest.

Annabel's weight replaces the infected on top of you, and her body drapes over yours in a tender hug. You feel her face press against your shoulder as her sobs continue to shake her body, and you can't help but feel empathy for her as she hugs you tightly. You focus on calming yourself, your breathing slowly returning to normal as you try to collect your thoughts.

"You bit?" Tommy asks you after a moment from behind you, his expression filled with concern as you crane your neck to look up at him. 

You shift your focus back to Annabel in your arms, her face buried against your shoulder as she continues to cry. Her sobs continue to rock her body, and she presses her face even more tightly into your shoulder as she waits for your response.

You close your eyes and sigh into Annabel's embrace. “No, don’t think so.” 

The two of you cling to each other, having recently gone through a life-threatening experience. You let out a slow, shaky breath as you try to calm your racing heart, and Annabel presses closer to you.

Tommy taps Annabel's back, and she flinches slightly at the unexpected touch, her body trembling and shaking in response. She quickly recovers from her moment of fright, realising that it was only Tommy's hand touching her and not an infected trying to grab her.

“Come on, we should get out of here,” Tommy says softly, and Annabel nods, rising to her feet.

Tommy outstretches his hand to help you up, and this time, you take it.

Tommy's hand softly pulls at the collar of your shirt, tugging as he checks for a bite on one shoulder. You feel his grasp shift as he pulls the fabric to the side and then to the other, exposing your other shoulder before his hand shifts yet again. This time, he moves his touch downward, slowly pulling up the shirt's fabric to examine your skin. His hand gently lifts your sleeves as he carefully checks your body for any trace of a bite. The sensation is oddly tender, and you have to stop yourself from tensing up from his close contact, not used to being touched.

He steps back and nods, a silent question. 

You good ?

You nod back. 

Yes.

The flickering flame from Tommy’s modest campfire roars to life the next night, and you close your eyes in delight at the welcome warmth. Annabel's laughter fills the night air, her praise bolstering Tommy's ego as he basks in the glow of her admiration.

You slowly open one eye and see Annabel high-five Tommy, his smile wide as he joins in her laughter. With a shake of your head, you murmur, "His ego is big enough. You don’t need to encourage it." Your own laugh comes out quietly as you uncross your legs to stretch them out, leaning back on your arms.

Tommy points a finger at you and shakes his head in mock frustration, and you can't help but laugh internally. "You let the girl praise me however she pleases," he teases, his laughter carrying a slight hint of amusement as he lowers his hand to toss his lighter aside to be put away later.

You roll your eyes and hide your smile as you turn your head away from the pair.

You still remain distrustful of him, of course, but the way he's taken care of Annabel causes your suspicions to dwindle slightly. Perhaps he isn't as much of a threat as you first believed.

Tommy's grunt as he sits beside you startles you out of your thoughts, and your head whips towards him as he bends his legs and places his arms on his knees. Your body stiffens in response to his sudden movement and the fact that he's so close to you, but you try your best to control your tension. He says nothing, the only sound being the crackling of the fire and the crickets. For a moment, you wonder why he's sitting so close, but he says nothing. He simply watches you quietly, his gaze studying you.

Your eyes wander to Annabel, who sleeps peacefully against a nearby tree. Tommy's jacket drapes over her along with her own, and you wonder just how long you've been lost inside your thoughts. You quickly glance back to Tommy, who continues to study you silently, his face conveying concern and curiosity.

“Is your…” He trails off while gesturing to your stomach. “You know… still giving you grief?” He asks awkwardly

You roll your eyes and shake your head.

"You've been quiet today, Sunshine," Tommy frowns, his voice carrying a touch of concern. He watches you for a moment and then gestures towards your head. "You haven’t threatened to kill me today. What's going on inside that head of yours?" He asks, and you raise an eyebrow at him in response. "I've noticed you get lost up there a bit," he adds, and you can't deny the fact that his words are true.

Your body tenses up, and you consider not answering. But something about his question feels sincere, and you find yourself hesitating for a moment. After a moment, you decide to answer him honestly. 

"I could have died yesterday," you mumble darkly as you stare into the flames, the memory of the events of yesterday playing out in your mind like a nightmare. "I could have been bit and she would have watched me die. She would be alone," you continue, allowing the full weight of the fear and trauma of the infected encounter to sink in. You feel a heaviness settling over you as you reflect on how close you came to losing everything in just a few short moments.

"If something happens-" you continue, your voice quiet and heavy with emotion. You're cut off mid-sentence by Tommy placing a soothing hand on your knee, and you look up at him, his gaze kind and his expression understanding.

"Nothing's going to happen to you. To either of you," he reassures, his voice calm and the touch of his hand on your knee still present in a soothing way. He nods, avoiding your gaze and seemingly not wanting to get into a deeper conversation about the possibility of something bad happening. 

You take a deep breath and continue your thoughts, determined to finish what you started. "But if something happens to me--" You raise your hand to stop Tommy from interrupting you again, and he looks at you, finally meeting your gaze as he shuts his mouth. "If something happens to me, promise me you'll take her to Jackson, or wherever you choose to go. That you'll keep her safe," you say, placing your hand on top of his. "That you'll kill anyone or anything that tries to hurt her." Your expression remains steady and determined, wanting to make sure that Tommy understands the weight of this request.

After a moment of consideration and thoughtful deliberation, Tommy slowly nods in response to your request, understanding the weight of your words and the seriousness of your request. "I promise," he says softly, his voice tender and his eyes focused on yours.

"We haven't been in a community in a very long time, Tommy," you reveal, and he nods in understanding. "We stayed clear of quarantine zones and any sign of a community while Dean was around," you continue, and Tommy listens silently. When you start to ramble your confession, he nods again, attempting to reassure you. "It’s only ever been us. Sure there was Dean, but at the end of the day it’s always been us. We don't know how to... Deal with large groups of people, what if I fuck it up and get Annabel and I thrown out, and we're on our own again," you say with a sigh.

Tommy pokes the fire with a stick as he listens to you, and the fire continues to burn in front of you. “My brother, Joel and I were on our own for a while in a small group.” He shares as he watches the fire, and you focus your attention on him. “We did a lot of things that still haunt me to this day, but I had the same feeling as you do now. I was scared that after everything we did, I wouldn't know how to function in society again, but I left them and joined the Fireflies, hoping to create a better world. It took a bit of adjusting, but I made it work.” He sets his stick back down next to him and sighs as he looks back over at you. 

You take a moment to absorb his words and insight into his past. You’ve heard of the Fireflies, seen their propaganda near quarantine zones and heard Dean mention them a few times after coming back from trading with different groups. Maybe he had crossed paths with Tommy before?    

"What made you leave the Fireflies?" You ask curiously, and Tommy's expression grows serious. 

He pauses for a moment as he considers his answer, and for a moment, you feel a pang of guilt for having brought up such a sensitive subject. But you want to know his story, and you need to know his reasons for leaving. Tommy sighs quietly and stares at the fire for a moment longer before meeting your gaze again. "I needed a change," he eventually says, his tone quiet.

After a moment's pause, he continues. “When I saw you for the first time, you had that same scared look in your eyes that I did when I was with Joel. You were covered in so much blood, and you looked terrified.” He shakes his head and stifles a chuckle before he continues again. “You were a force to reckon with and ready to kill me, but you were still terrified. I wasn’t going to bring you or Annabel with me, but I couldn’t leave you two there.” 

You frown at his words, and you give a slight nod in response. You recall the sheer terror you felt after dealing with the raiders and returning to him with Annabel, the stress and exhaustion from the situation leaving you shaken and tense.

"I was going to kill you the second I saw you, but I heard you make Annabel laugh," you confess, and Tommy nods in understanding. You frown again, trying to shake off the memory of that day, and you nod slowly. "I'm glad I hesitated," you conclude, your confession taking its toll, and you close your eyes as you attempt to push the feeling down. “You make her happy.”

Tommy's hands wrap around your shoulders, and your eyes open in shock as he pulls you into a side hug. Surprised by his touch, you lose balance and clutch the fabric of his shirt as your legs scramble beside you on the ground. His hands feel like fire against your skin, causing panic to rise in your chest at his unexpected touch. Every fiber of your being screams at you to pull away immediately, but you remain frozen in place, your expression betraying your fear, even though your heart is racing.  

Tommy must feel your body begin to shake since he leans back and looks down at you, his hand gently wiping away a tear that you never noticed until he draws your attention to it. Surprised and embarrassed, you try to suppress your tears as you look back up to him. His eyes dart between your teary eyes, worry evident in his. "Why are you crying?" He whispers softly, and you shake your head quickly, trying to deny the tears you can no longer hold back. 

You didn't expect this reaction, and it starts to confuse you further. The tears slowly turn into quiet sobs, and Tommy holds you closer to his chest – where you’re sure you're leaving snot and tears on his shirt. 

Why are you crying? You don’t cry .

You find yourself crying without restraint now that you're in Tommy's arms as the fire his touch creates slowly turns to comfort. To safety. As the tears fall, you feel a mixture of emotions run through you, an overwhelming sensation as you release all the pain and fear you've been holding onto for years. His embrace is gentle yet calming, and you can feel your body gradually relax as you allow him to comfort you. His presence eases your mind, helping you forget about all the troubles and worries that fill your world. You can’t remember the last time you allowed someone to touch you besides Annabel. And that scares you. Terrifies you. 

"You're okay, Sunshine. It's okay," Tommy soothes you, his hands gently rubbing your shoulder in an attempt to comfort you. Your tears continue to flow freely, and you can feel his embrace become even more protective of you. The fire crackles softly nearby as Tommy continues to rub your shoulder, attempting to help you overcome the pain you've suffered. His voice is gentle and soft, his words providing a sense of comfort and security in you that you didn't expect but is also desperately needed.

“I’m so tired, Tommy. I can’t do this anymore.” You cry between sobs.

You cry for your brother, the pain of losing him still sharp even after all these years, and you wish you could have done more to save him. You cry for Annabel, who didn't deserve to lose her father so young. You cry for the lives you took to protect yourself, to protect Annabel, and you wonder if they were deserved. You cry for your own pain, for the world you live in, for all of the lives you've taken to survive.

You aren't sure how long you cried in his arms or how long it took to cry yourself to sleep, but when you wake up, your head is resting on his lap, and his jacket is keeping you warm. His fingers are gently tangled within your hair, and you look up at him with hazy eyes, surprised that he is still there. His smile is sympathetic as he meets your gaze, and you feel a sense of comfort return to you. He's still there, still holding you, and you can't help but feel a bit of relief at his continued presence.

"Feeling better, Sunshine?" He whispers, and you can hear the quiet concern in his voice. You look up at him as he gently detangles your hair with his fingers. You nod in response to his question, and as you sit up in his lap, you take in his warm expression in the moonlight.

You rub your eyes as you yawn, your focus shifting towards Annabel. You notice that Tommy's jacket is no longer covering her and is now bundled over your legs, having moved when you sat up. "Sorry," you say, and Tommy just smiles in response. 

"Don' worry ‘bout it," Tommy reassures you, letting out a yawn of his own as he does so. "Annabel mentioned the other day she was worried ‘bout ya," he pauses for a moment and tilts his head, considering what he wants to say next. "Said ya don’ talk to ‘er ‘bout anythin’ you've been through," he adds with another yawn. 

You would have smiled at Tommy's southern accent, which is more prominent in his sleepy state, if not for the words that hit you like a truck. You can't deny that she's seen you suffer, but you've fought against displaying your emotions to her, wanting to be strong for her. You realise now how little she actually knows about you and what you're truly feeling, and it's making you consider whether or not it's time to let down your walls and let her in, finally. She’s not a little kid anymore. 

"I forget she's not a kid anymore," you agree with Tommy, realising that the little girl is now nearly an adult. "I mean, she's seventeen now, but I still see her as the little four-year-old I had to carry around." You sigh as you twist your back to crack it, feeling the stiffness from sleeping on Tommy's lap. "Gods, I basically raised the kid since Dean was always off hunting or looting for days on end," you add, and Tommy raises an eyebrow in understanding.

“I guess with everything going on, I just didn't want to put her through any more than she already had to deal with," you continue, and Tommy nods in response. "Didn't want her to see how scared I was. Or weak," you say quietly, thinking about how hard it is to show your true self to Annabel. "I guess that's why I've always kinda kept her at a distance when it comes to my emotions," you add, and Tommy looks over at you with a sympathetic gaze.

Tommy slowly shifts against the tree and rolls his shoulders and neck, looking a little less tense as he relaxes slightly. "Joel used to do the same thing to me. Shut me out when shit went south," he says with a sigh, his voice tired and his eyes closed as he leans against the tree. "It's not healthy," he adds after a moment. He opens his eyes after a little bit and turns to face you, his expression soft and his tone understanding as he continues, "And as a younger sibling myself, I can tell she just wants to help ya. Let her." 

You nod in response to Tommy's words, taking them into account as you glance over at Annabel, who is still asleep. "Alright, Tommy. You get some sleep, I'll take over the watch," you tell him quietly, your voice low so as not to disturb Annabel as she rests nearby.

Tommy slowly nods, yawning slightly as he closes his eyes. He crosses his arms over his chest and shifts against the tree to get comfortable. "Wake me if you need anything," he says sleepily. 

You nod and frown at Tommy as he gets comfortable and settles down to rest, and you can't help but feel a soft tug at your heart. You want to trust him, but your mind screams at you every time you lower your guard around the man. He's been nothing but kind to you, and you've been nothing but short and rude to him, hoping to keep him at arm's length and protect yourself from pain. But as he continues to push and push, your walls start to crumble, and you're forced to grapple with the possibility of letting him in. 

You hate him. Annabel loves him, so you tolerate him.

But you know that's a lie.

Your eyes widen as you make the realisation, and you look over at Tommy, seeing the soft curls that have draped over his face as he drifts off to sleep. His eyes are closed, and his chest slowly rises and falls with deep breaths. Gradually, his snores begin to turn from soft and low to louder and more forceful. You watch in silent contemplation, the soft glow of the fire casting shadows against the darkness that surrounds you and illuminating Tommy's face, which seems almost peaceful in sleep. You feel a pang in your chest as you look at him, wanting to protect him and make sure that no harm ever comes his way. 

Your entire life, you've only felt the need to protect Annabel, feeling the overwhelming desire to shield her from the dangers of this new world. You would die for her. 

You think back to the people who have come and gone through your life, and you recall Dean, who gave up everything at sixteen to raise you after your mother died during childbirth and your father passed before that due to cancer. You loved him, but ultimately, you never would've considered dying for him. But in the end, he gave his life for you and Annabel, leaving a hole that never quite healed and a lingering sadness that has followed you ever since.

There was your first boyfriend, then your first girlfriend. Two relationships that didn't last long enough for you to form a connection with either of them fully. Their lives cut short by the cruel realities of the world. As the realisation sinks in, you feel a pang of heartache and loss, mourning the connections that could've been but were never fully formed. You wonder how your life would've turned out if things had been different if both of them had lived and your relationships had had time to blossom and grow.

But in this moment, as you watch Tommy sleep, your heart stirs, and you realise that you would die for him as well as Annabel. There's a softness that spreads across your heart as the realisation hits you, and you reach over and gently brush away a lock of hair that's draped in his face, gazing at the peacefulness that blankets his expression and feeling a sense of protectiveness wash over you.

You would trust Annabel with him.

You would die for Tommy.

Now

Spring 2024 

Two Weeks Later

You are going to kill him.

You stare furiously up at Tommy from where you sit on his couch, your eyes narrow and your jaw clenched with simmering anger. The smug look on his face only grows as you continue to sit in front of him, and you can feel your blood boiling with rage. The stupid, smug look that covers his face only fuels the flames of your anger, his expression adding to the heat of your rage.

"Pick up four," he grins and places a +4 wild card on the stack of cards that are laid out in front of you on the coffee table, followed by a mischievous wink. "Oh, and UNO," he adds with a laugh, seeming to delight in your irritation.

You narrow your eyes in irritation, picking up the four cards that Tommy dealt you while muttering under your breath. You glare at him, your annoyance and frustration growing even more as you feel the unfairness of the situation. But Tommy only grins even wider at your visible irritation, his smug expression indicating that he knows exactly what he's doing and enjoying the reaction he's getting out of you. 

You lean back in the chair and wince in response to the lingering pain in your stomach, your healing process has been slow and tedious. You spent two weeks in the clinic before the doctors finally let you leave under strict instructions that you stay with Tommy and his wife, Maria. Since living alone these days without... her , you've been struggling to take care of yourself properly, and the doctors – as well as Tommy – feared that you might do yourself more harm if left without supervision. So, they insisted that you stay with him and Maria until you fully recover.

It took three hours of your stay before Tommy finally offered to play a game, the boredom of the last few weeks weighing heavy on your mind. You were grateful for the distraction and the opportunity to do something other than stare at the walls or the doctors and nurses bustling about the building. You had to keep your mind from racing as your body and mind cried out for action, for something to help you escape the tedium of isolation. Having a game to occupy your mind and lift your spirits was just what you needed, and you were secretly thankful that Tommy had initiated the idea.

You would never tell him that, though. 

"Your turn," you snarl in response, glaring at him over the cards you hold in your hand, and he smirks back, still enjoying and provoking your irritation. You clench your jaw and try to focus on the game, wanting to win just to spite Tommy and bring his smugness to an end.

He slowly reveals his last card between his two fingers and places it on the pile of cards, glancing over at you with a smug smile on his face as he does so.

You groan in defeat and drop your cards on the table in front of you, the feeling of losing sitting heavily in your chest. "You suck," you whine, letting your emotions get the better of you for a moment before collecting yourself and shaking your head. 

Despite the loss, you realise that the game served its purpose; it kept you distracted and it eased the heavy boredom that has been weighing on you over the last couple of weeks. Despite the defeat, you still feel a sense of satisfaction that you were able to engage in something other than sitting alone with your thoughts for a while.

Tommy laughs as he begins to pick up the cards from the table, and you respond with a roll of your eyes before sinking further into the couch with a loud sigh. "Oh, don't be a sore loser, Sunshine," he teases, looking up at you between his eyelashes.

"Whatever," you mumble under your breath, trying to downplay the embarrassment you feel at being beaten at the game. But Tommy isn't having any of it, and you see a slight hint of a knowing grin on his face as you realise that your attempts to hide your feelings of embarrassment are futile.

“How's your stomach? Need me to have a look at it? I haven’t seen it since it happened," Tommy asks as he picks up the last card, and you glance down at the cut on your stomach, which still aches. You're not eager to have him look at it, as the wound still feels raw and sensitive, but you nod in response to his question, knowing that he's just trying to be kind and help you take care of your injury.

It took the two brothers nine hours on horseback to bring you back to Jackson. Tommy held you close to his chest and carefully avoided touching your wound while you sat between his legs on his horse. Once he was satisfied with the distance he put between you and the church, he lowered you to the ground on a soft patch of grass and began to properly tend to your wound, stitching and cleaning it as he worked with Joel's help.

It took nine hours and six stops to tend to your wound before you reached the safety of Jackson.

Tommy stands from the armchair, placing the cards on the table before reaching for your hand and helping you up from the couch. You gasp in pain when your injured abdomen is suddenly jarred awake, and Tommy apologises in response to your reaction. He wraps his arm around your waist and pulls your hand around his shoulders as he leads you across the room, down the hallway, and into the bathroom. He carefully lowers you onto the closed toilet seat, and you wince slightly as you sit down, but you find a comfortable position and let out a sigh of relief as your body relaxes.

Tommy crouches in front of you and gently lifts your shirt, exposing the now-uncovered and partially healed wound. You wince at the discomfort of the gesture, and a surge of anxiety and nervousness creeps down your spine as you feel Tommy's eyes on you, studying the cut on your stomach. He stares for a beat before shaking his head and reaching for a cloth on the sink, wetting it with water and returning to crouch between your legs. He begins to carefully dab the area around and along the wound, and you breathe in slowly and deeply in an effort to manage the stinging sensation.  

“I thought you were going to die on me,” Tommy mumbles as he collects a bottle of antiseptic from the cabinet across the bathroom, and you look down at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. The admission hangs in the air between you for a moment, and you can hear the cap twist and then he shifts as he pours it onto a clean cloth. 

"You can't get rid of me that easily," you say, attempting to lighten the mood with a huff. To your surprise, when you look back up at Tommy, he seems frustrated as he sighs. You look at him with a raised eyebrow, wondering if your joke somehow upset him. He doesn't elaborate and instead, he focuses on your wound, dabbing the antiseptic on the area with gentle strokes. You manage to ignore the slight sting and keep still, but you're still curious about his annoyance at your little joke.

You open your mouth to question Tommy but your words are cut short as he pushes slightly on your wound, causing you to hiss in involuntary discomfort and pain. You look up at him, and he's now leaning back on his heels with his hand resting on your knee. He stares up at you, a sad and pained expression in his eyes. "It is that easy though, isn't it? One mistake, and you're gone. One stupid mistake and you're dead and I've lost both you and Annabel," he says softly, and your heart breaks when you see the hurt in his expression.

"Don't-" 

"No. Stop pushing me away," he says sternly as he speaks over you, his eyes meeting yours. "I promised you I would hunt those bastards with you and you left me here while you went and nearly got yourself killed. We–" he gestures between the two of you, "do this together. I have your back while you have mine," he says with firmness and conviction, indicating that he won't budge on this, or accept any denial.

"I know," you whisper in response, acknowledging Tommy's words and the strength of his convictions. You don't try to argue with him or push against his will this time, as you realise he means what he says. There's no point in getting into an argument about this, so you simply nod, signaling that you heard and understand him, and are willing to move forward with those terms.

"Do you? You going to run off in the middle of the night again?" Tommy questions with a skeptical expression, and you look away from his probing gaze and bite back the urge to snap back a snide response. Instead, you simply turn back to look at him, meeting his eyes and offering a faint nod.

Tommy's hand remains on your knee, his gaze never leaving yours as the two of you exchange a simple and subtle acceptance of this mutual understanding. You both know what needs to be done, and there's no point in arguing or pushing each other away. You're in this together, and you'll stay that way. There is no other option.

Tommy sighs and stands up, gently lifting you off the seat with him and bringing you close for a tight hug. Your hands grip onto the back of his shirt, and you allow yourself to lean into him. Despite the pain of your injury, you feel a gentle sense of comfort and stability as his strong arms hold you close, and you let out a soft sigh as the hug helps to ease some of the lingering tension and discomfort in your body. As you grip his shirt and sink into the hug, you allow yourself to rest and to take comfort in his embrace.

A knock on the door tears Tommy's attention away from you, as Maria yells at him from the kitchen to go and get the door. He gives you an apologetic smile as he looks down at you, and your grip on his shirt only tightens as you feel a stab of disappointment at the interruption. You don't want to be separated from him just yet, knowing that you'll miss his presence and comfort. Still, you release him and he gives you an apologetic smile as he looks down at you.

"Coming," Tommy calls out as he guides you back into the living room and sets you down on the couch. You settle into it and he heads towards the front entrance of his home to answer the knocking on the door.  

You still your breaths to listen to the hushed voices in the entryway, hoping to catch a few words that would provide you with some insight into who might be at the door. Your curiosity and anticipation are high, and even if only for a moment, you're able to drown out the pain of your injury with the hope that you'll learn a little more about the situation outside. But as you listen intently, struggling to understand their words, you realise that you still can't discern anything of value. The uncertainty just deepens the mystery and heightens your anticipation.

After what feels like an eternity, your eyes follow Tommy as he steps back into the room, now accompanied by his brother Joel. You instantly lock eyes with Joel, and his face remains blank and devoid of emotions as he continues to stare back. You notice a slight tenseness about him, and his neutral expression is off-putting and unsettling. You exchange a quick glance with Tommy before your gaze shifts back to Joel, and you find yourself unable to look away. You're not sure of what to say or do in this situation, and you wait for either of them to break the tension and say something.

You take a moment to study him this time, properly absorbing his appearance. In your wounded and anger-clouded mind when you saw him last, you didn’t take the time to properly look at him. He does seem... familiar. Almost like a dream that you've partly forgotten that you wake up from, desperately trying to recall. Perhaps it's hazel eyes, or his weathered yet kind expression, that reminds you of someone? The recognition is fuzzy and fleeting, but his presence stirs an unexpected sense of... comfort?

Still, the sense of familiarity lingers, and you can't quite shake the feeling that you've seen this man before.

"Heard you were out of the woods," Joel mutters after a beat, his expression still blank and his tone neutral. You look back at him in confusion, unsure of what he means by that or how exactly to respond. You glance over at Tommy for any kind of explanation or clarification.

"He means he heard you're no longer dyin'" Tommy repeats for your benefit, and you nod in understanding and confirmation. You glance back at Joel, who remains utterly still and expressionless. 

"Oh, right. Thank you, for uh, showing up with Tommy," you awkwardly thank him, and he grunts in response. The tension in the room is palpable, and you still don't quite know what to make of Joel's presence. It’s very overwhelming. 

Why is he so familiar? Is it because he’s Tommy’s brother?

You reluctantly turn your attention from Joel back to Tommy, who sits back down in his chair and runs a hand over his face. His eyes are closed as he lets out a soft huff of frustration, and you look at him with concern and curiosity.

"So, why are you here?" you ask Joel, your frustration evident in your tone. You hadn't meant to come across as harsh or annoyed, but you still want to know the answer to your question. Tommy sits quietly in his chair, his eyes closed as he listens to your exchange with his brother, and you shift your focus back to Joel, waiting for a response.

"Joel has taken up your patrol route while you've been out of action," Tommy explains, and you shift your focus from Joel back to Tommy. You feel a hint of frustration in your stomach at the idea of someone else taking your route, but you push it down and try to conceal your feelings, not wanting to cause any further tension than there already is. You're still curious about why Joel is here, but you don't say anything yet, wanting to give Tommy the chance to explain without any interruptions or additional pressure.

"He came across a few raiders tonight." Tommy sighs and looks up at his older brother, and you wait for a moment, expecting Joel to expand on the sentence and provide more information. However, he stays silent, keeping his neutral expression and not uttering a word. You look over at Tommy, noticing his disappointment and frustration towards his brother's lack of elaboration, and you're left wondering what exactly was encountered or if there's a reason for Joel's continued silence.

You nod at Tommy's words and recall the last time you encountered raiders while on your patrol route, remembering how you'd given them a fierce warning not to step near the cabin. It has been months since you last saw any raiders, but now, it seems that they've chosen to ignore your warning. Judging by Tommy's weary look, things hadn't gone too well for Joel tonight, and you can't help but feel a twinge of frustration and anxiety as you consider the possibility of more raiders returning to the area.

Your hands grip the sides of the couch as you try to stay calm, and your nails dig into the delicate fabric as you struggle to contain a growing sense of worry and anxiety. You cast a quick look over at Tommy, noticing his own tense demeanour as he studies his older brother's blank expression. The anticipation and tension in the room are immense, and it's taking all of your willpower just to stay still and keep quiet while you await any further information or elaboration regarding the encounters with the raiders tonight.

"They were looking for you," Joel finally speaks, his voice still low and calm as he enters the room and stands beside Tommy. 

Your grip on the couch loosens and your shoulders shake in a silent laugh as you agree with him. "Of course they are," you say, and then offer a small but amused shake of your head. "Why?" you ask, your tone a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "I've done a lot to piss a lot of people off. What's their reason?" It's a reasonable question, and you're genuinely interested to find out what exactly could be motivating these raiders to seek you out after all this time.

Joel blinks at your question and shifts on his feet, leaning against the doorway with his hands in his pockets. As he repeats their reasoning to you, he speaks in a flat tone and stares at you with a blank expression. "Said you killed half their group after they got too close to the cabin, burnt their bodies in a pile with a warning," 

You stare back at him in silence, processing the information and realising the seriousness of the situation. You're not surprised at their apparent vengeance and retaliation.

"Fair," you respond flatly. 

Joel shifts on his feet again and keeps his gaze on you, his face still blank of expression. He doesn't offer any further elaboration or comment, and you remain silent as well. Tommy seems to notice your lack of further response, so he turns to his brother and asks, "What happened?" Joel simply offers a tired shrug and glances over at you again, seemingly waiting for you to share your own information or perspective. The tension in the room remains.

"You got a problem with me, Joel?" you ask, glaring back at him. It's a bold move on your part, and you don't back down as you stare directly at him and wait for a response, but Joel doesn't seem phased by your demeanour. 

He simply shrugs his shoulders again, his voice remaining calm and flat as he responds, "No." Tommy doesn't intervene and instead watches the interaction play out with a mixture of curiosity and mild concern. 

You gently place your hand over the wound along your side as you turn your gaze to Joel. "Good. I hope you sent them a similar message?" you reply, your tone somewhat playful as you raise an eyebrow at him. You need assurance that Joel gave the raiders a lesson in coming back to the cabin. 

As you question Joel, you feel a sharp twinge of pain as you move your hand across the wound along your side. You draw in a sharp inhale as you try to manage the discomfort, but you manage to maintain your composure as you wait for a response. 

Tommy remains still, studying the interaction between you and his brother as well as your reaction to the brief pain you felt. He appears genuinely concerned, but you ignore the feelings of discomfort and the lingering pain as you wait for Joel to speak. 

Joel stays silent for a moment as you wait for a response, his expression unconcerned. But his eyes betray the worry you know stirs within him, and a flicker of concern passes over his face at your pain. 

He turns his attention back to Tommy, who watches him silently, waiting for whatever response he has to offer. 

"Yeah, they're dead," Joel responds bluntly and with a sigh, his expression remaining cold and unruffled. The flicker of concern that had crossed his face earlier disappears. You're both relieved and a little bit disappointed that he gave such a brief response, as you had hoped for a little bit of elaboration. But you're glad to have your curiosity satisfied and know that the Raiders are no longer a threat. At least that group. 

You sigh and slowly push yourself up from the couch, placing your hands on your knees and feeling a soft twinge of pain as the strain of movement extends and pulls across the wounded area. But before you have the chance to wince or make a noise in response to the pain, Tommy leaps to his feet and rushes to your side, assisting you to your feet. He holds out his arm to support you, and you take it, accepting the assistance while allowing yourself to rest for a moment. You can feel Tommy's warmth as he stands beside you, offering a gentle sense of comfort and reassurance.

"Thanks," you murmur quietly, trying to appear fine despite still feeling weak and unsteady on your feet. Tommy keeps his hands on your back for a moment but soon lets go, and you try to stand with a slight air of independence and confidence, even if you're still feeling a little shaky. Joel remains motionless and emotionless in the doorway, his body relaxed and his expression neutral as he watches your small exchange with Tommy.

"Good." You nod at Joel in response, his intense gaze feeling like it's burning through you. It's almost uncomfortable having him stare at you, but it also feels warm and a good kind of intense. You instinctively look away and avert your gaze.

So familiar.  

"Now, if you don't mind me, I've had a long night of allowing Tommy to beat me in UNO." You force a smile, but Tommy shakes his head in denial, and Joel stares at you for another moment before finally breaking his blank expression. His face lights up with a small smile, and he turns back to his brother, shaking his head and offering a brief chuckle.

"You didn't allow me shit," Tommy snaps, and while Joel's expression remains relaxed, you notice a hint of amusement in his glance towards his brother.

Maria's disapproval of Tommy's language is shouted from the kitchen, and while Tommy offers a sheepish, apologetic glance towards his wife, you find yourself laughing to yourself.    

You roll your eyes and wave Tommy off with a dismissive gesture. "Whatever. I'm going to bed," you huff and walk past the two brothers to the spare bedroom you've been staying in. Before opening your door, you look back to see Joel watching you. You tilt your head at his action, a little surprised at the attention. You're not particularly certain what to make of him, and you feel your chest tighten as the silence lingers between the two of you. 

Weird.

"Night Joel." You nod towards him as you enter your spare bedroom and close the door behind you, the click of the lock echoing as you lock the door for the night. You settle into your bed and turn out the lights, but as you close your eyes and wait for sleep to take you, Joel's gaze is the last thing on your mind. Perhaps he was just being polite, but there was something about his look that seemed to hold a bit of depth or significance behind it. You eventually let out a soft sigh and drift off into an uneasy sleep.

Joel Miller is a fucking enigma.  

Chapter 3

Notes

I have so many ideas on where to lead this story, and I'm so excited to share this with you!

I was hesitant to add that the MC has endo, but it's something I suffer with personally, so I felt comfortable being able to write about it. I don't want to make the character a projection of myself but trust me, it's relevant to the story…

Divider by the beautiful saradika

#joel miller #pedro pascal #the last of us #tlou fanfiction #tlou #tlou2 #joel tlou #tlou hbo #joel fanfic #joel x you #joel x reader #joel x y/n #joel x fem!reader #joel x f!reader #tommy miller #tlou tommy

[abettranempire]

Idea for a short-story:

Victoria is an actress in a long-running tv series. When she finds out that this season, her character is going to get pregnant, Victoria is initially annoyed; she doesn't think this direction makes sense. But she's a professional, so that night she goes home and talks to herself in the mirror to get more in-touch with her character, get into a headspace where she can commit to this subplot. To her surprise, the reflection talks back. The character tells Victoria that she's actually very excited to become a mother. She says that Victoria has already caused her to feel so many painful things, it would be nice to have a domestic plot where she actually gets some pleasure for a change.

The next morning, the executives show Victoria the prosthetic belly she'll be wearing while filming this season. Victoria asks if she can take the belly home to wear it in her free time; the executives applaud her method-acting and remind her that she should also gain some weight to make the belly look more convincing. Some extra pounds would look good on her anyway. She's not supposed to wear the belly for the first couple episodes, but as soon as Victoria gets home, she tries the belly on in front of the mirror. She practices her lines with her reflection and admires how strange it feels wearing the prosthetic. Throughout the week, she wears the belly more and more and even starts having the classic pregnancy symptoms, binging on weird cravings, complaining of various sensitivities, and even wearing it while having sex with her boyfriend. Ratings for the show is up and Victoria's agent's phone is ringing off the hook. It looks like everyone agrees she looks pretty hot in this moonbump. Still, when the subject of the paparazzi comes up, Victoria gets confused: It sounds like the tabloids actually think she's pregnant. "Of course they know you're pregnant," responds her agent, "Once you started to show, it was kind of hard to hide". Wait... does Victoria's agent think she's pregnant too??

Victoria undresses in front of the mirror, her reflection reminding her to keep calm. Victoria screams; she can't take off the prosthetic! Her pregnant belly is suddenly real! She had thought she felt movement earlier that day, but she assumed those feelings were just in her head. The character in the mirror tells Victoria that this is a good thing; now her baby can play the baby on the show. When she goes into work the next day, it seems like everyone else in the world - the executives, the director, her co-stars, her agent, and the rest of the whole media circus - remembers her announcing her IRL pregnancy a few months ago - the writers were even annoyed that they had to change the script to make this direction work for her character! The only other person who remembers the belly ever being fake, is Victoria's boyfriend. Unfortunately, this just makes her boyfriend suspicious that this baby might not be his.

Not really sure how to end this story. Maybe Victoria finds out the writers are planning to kill her character off, and so the reflection goads her into fighting back for creative control. Somehow, this ends with Victoria giving birth on camera, either within a scripted scene, or maybe while on a talk show.

#fake belly #pregnancy fiction #magical pregnancy #rapid pregnancy #fpreg #moonbump #maiesiophilia

[chaifootsteps]

Studio Anon here, after a while of lurking/doing my own thing. Luckily my emotions are much more in check and I’ve strayed from Viv stuff for a bit to relax and hang out with my loved ones! Coming back and seeing Viv throwing a hissy fit, Raph wanting to look/act like Angel (my goodness-), and somehow people still defending episode four is… really comedic, actually.

Everything is awful but man, somehow it just keeps getting worse!

Anyway, just writing my own general feelings on this and the ideas I had for a rewrite long before everything went to hell. I never really was interested in HH until maybe Helluva Boss’ trailer dropped. I found it strange that HH wasn’t even out yet but somehow this ‘spinoff show’ was already made and posted in the public. I thought it was really weird tho, considering HH is owned by a company now, technically, while HB is sorta just there? I only watched since it’s animation and I felt like I had to support it.

Buuuut the longer I had to stare at HB’s ugly designs (and seeing the new ones for HH) I simply wasn’t interested anymore.

I guess I dodged a bullet because jesus it just gets worse.

I don’t know how, genuinely, Viv is a shit artist and writer? She went to a prestigious art school for as far as I remember and got her shows made and animated. I’m studying myself, and god knows I’d want my stories out there! It’s clear that Viv has some idea of what she wants to do, but that’s the thing-,

All she had were concepts (also publicly displaying her fetishes in the public, which is also its own can of worms).

I know in my right mind I couldn’t send people out to work on my stories since they’re heavily in development- even then my character designs are complicated as shit so I wouldn’t dream of anyone animating. Viv’s style being the way that it is + her general palettes being Just Red makes it hard to focus on or do anything with.

I also don’t know how Viv is able to just show off her rape fantasies out there and I’d rather not talk about it (sex-repulsed and all), but the general lack of focus and priority in gay ships is really disgusting.

So, as a writer, I made a general outline of what I’d make Hazbin Hotel and/or Helluva Boss be about.

Redemption is an easy theme to work on for both. ‘Sins of the father’ as a trope could work too. I’ll just use HH for now, as this post would be lengthy should I cover both.

General worldbuilding; due to Lucifer’s habit of toying with human life, comparing them to nothing more than insects, God punishes him and Lilith (who could’ve been some kind of angel too? I know she’s from a different religion entirely, so let’s say she was a random angel) by sending them to Hell to deal with the worst sinners. He and the princes of hell (how do they not address this in Hazbin?), scorned and disgusted by Heaven, try to be controlling over their own citizens. Mimicking/acting out their anger towards God by playing God in their own rings. They’re evil and horrible leaders. Lilith makes Hell feel like a home for her and Lucifer at least, bearing a daughter to restore some humanity within the Pride ring.

So Pride, at least, is less threatening now that Lucifer has a daughter.

The other princes could then ‘rightfully’ call out Lucifer’s behavior, maybe serving as some antagonists for Charlie as she tries to convince them to bring their sinners in for redemption.

So TLDR; the princes and Lucifer have internal problems that Charlie would try and resolve somewhat since she believes in redemption.

Going off to the main story, Charlie is told of Heaven being evil and awful for what they’ve done to her parents and believes it until she meets V (or Ex-Overlord Vaggie in this rewrite). V was recently cast out of the other Vs and was maybe slated to die in the extermination until Charlie unknowingly saved her from her fate. Maybe we could even get a hint of V being an angel/exterminator before with one hesitating to kill her off. The two talk and when Charlie mentions Heaven being an ass, V could tell Charlie about Heaven being good, eventually causing Charlie to start thinking about redemption, and start the hotel.

V is given more thought in the story as Charlie’s love interest and the gateway to her learning more about the two sides. Charlie is so used to Hell being the way that it is that she never considered redemption until she hears and talks to V more. The two try and kickstart some sort of redemption but V is hesitant in getting redeemed and asks that, since Charlie is the princess of hell, they could ask Lucifer for a sinner or two to redeem.

Very loose from here, but after some talk, Lucifer gives them a rundown hotel to make their own, the Vs find out and gets Lust Sinner Angel down to take them out, but is charmed by the idea of redemption. Nifty, Alastor, Husk, and Sir Pentious are all from different rings and it takes Charlie a lot to convince the princes and to try and reconnect them to Lucifer, who seems to be caught off guard with how much Charlie is willing to give this a shot. Lilith on the other hand gets suspicious of V, which could lead to Lilith exposing V of being an exterminator and, “Messing with our daughter’s head so she’ll get killed in the next extermination!”

So drama with the parents, the princes, and struggles with redemption.

It all crashes down on Charlie and the Hazbin crew as they’ve began to grow closer on one another, V especially. The other princes could then be more empathetic (they aren’t as prideful as Lucifer, and Lucifer might love his wife more than his kid tbh) and try to reconnect with Lucifer in the same way Charlie connects to the other ring sinners.

Slowly but surely, the crew better themselves, and before the next extermination, the Angel Gabriel (ain’t he the whole Angel with the flaming sword?) flies down to see Charlie doing her best. Drama here, tension there, V is the first to get ‘redeemed’. Uh oh, angst!

V, after all this time, doesn’t want to be redeemed if that means she can’t stay with Charlie, which is why she was hesitant. Lucifer and the sins come in, try to kill Gabriel or something and there’s signs of a war, but Charlie stands her ground and tries to find some way to get both sides to work together on something, at least.

So. Purgatory.

I haven’t been mentioning Lilith much but she very much loves her daughter, and having enough pride in her (Charlie) ideals to make things better, to give people a chance at redemption, reminds her of her angel days. That peaceful life.

So she agrees.

The Hazbin crew get to work with her in purgatory, V gets to be all happy and cute with Charlie, and everyone learns to try and be better.

There. That shouldn’t be too hard. Maybe a little complicated but those are my surface thoughts. What do you and the others think?

#Anonymous #Studio Anon #image reply #viv stuff #actual blog post