#anyway i think it's such a missed opportunity for the creator's side

[ladsofsorrow24]

when everything's turning who do you love?

#ao no flag #blue flag manga #ao no flag fanart #ichinose taichi #mita touma #toumatai #ladsofsorrow24 #having so many feelings about them #and finally getting to draw these two is just so.... #it's a very rewarding feeling i would say #especially after a shitty week of working a job that i hate lol #anyway i think it's such a missed opportunity for the creator's side #not being able to show these two being married and all that #like... please kaito-sensei i hope you made a little spin-off comic one day in the future #i just need to see my boys and their friends okay

[sagau-my-beloved]

Unknown Feelings

This takes place in a sort of courting phase where the creator doesn't have any established romantic-like relationships

Warnings: general sagau, implied self-esteem issues kinda, fluff and flirting, honestly this is pretty tame

Paring: Venti/reader

-

It felt as if Mondstadt never changed, not really at least. Perhaps that was one of the disadvantages of building a city on an island, a finite space unable to really be expanded. As set as the stone that made its foundation.

And perhaps it was that unchangeable sense of consistency that got to you when everything else seemed so uncertain. It was always calm there, quiet, safe. Even back when this was all nothing more than a game that rang true, a place which purpose was simply to breathe, to provide rest and rejuvenation.

Maybe it was specifically for those reasons that you didn't find yourself spending a lot of time in the quiet nation, though that wasn't necessarily of your own choice. It was simply hard to justify, lounging in a city that didn't truly need your help or guidance.

Of course they wanted you there, the people, the monsters, the trees and flowers, and their Archon above all else. But when faced with Liyue's treasure hoarder infestation, Inazuma and its many threats, small peaceful Mondstadt was simply overlooked.

That didn't stop you from missing it though, from quietly longing for the day you'd get to return, if only for a short time. And that was exactly why you found yourselves at none other than the stone bridge, mere steps from the neglected land of the Anemo Archon.

You only meant to look, to simply gaze for a moment at the other side and then be on your merry way, onto where your presence was truly needed. That was until...

"Your grace!"

Oh no.

You spared a hesitant glance to your left, met with none other than the very Archon you missed seeing.

"How lucky I must be,” Venti continued, throwing you a playful smile, “to catch you alone like this."

The bard quickly and happily wrapped his arms around your arm, hugging it close. "You are alone, right? Morax isn't, uh… hiding somewhere back there... right?" The nervous laughter was hard to miss as he spared a few quick glances behind you, keeping a careful eye out for flying land-formations.

"Don't worry, you’re safe. Though that might not stay true if I don't get to where he's expecting me." You teased as the Archon pouted.

"Aww, so you didn't come for me after all? How cruel, and I was so excited to spend the day with you."

Venti had known from simply observing you that Mondstadt wasn't the final destination you had in mind, but what was he if not convincing?

"Hmm, why don't you come with me anyways your grace? I'd love nothing more than to entertain you on this beautiful day~"

You could get out of this, it wouldn't even be particularly difficult, but... did you really want to? Your thoughts drifted momentarily to how the rest of your day would unfold if you declined his gracious offer, sitting at a desk for hours on end, paperwork, distraught followers because you happened to sigh at the wrong time...

Your mind was made up before you spoke, and Venti's grin only widened.

"I... I suppose I could. But only today, and I need to be back before dark, and I'm not protecting you from whatever consequences 'Morax' deems worthy to bestow when he finds out."

His hold on your arm tightened as he pulled you along giddily, over the unmarked threshold that held so much weight.

"Completely worth it, I've missed you far too much to let an opportunity like this slip away."

It didn't seem like he would be letting go any time soon, dragging you ever onwards.

"Where to go where to go..." Venti mused, thinking it over rather intensely. "We could go to the Angels Share! I could even perform for you, it's been sooo long after all."

You laughed slightly, "Oh? And here I thought you'd wanted to horde all my attention for yourself. You know what'll happen if we go there."

You had a point. You being sighted anywhere in Mondstadt city would be cause for quite the commotion, he ponder this for a moment.

"I suppose you're right... Then maybe a private show hmm?" His tone started teasing, but dipped into something more genuine. "The audiences will come and go after all, but you'll be here to listen to my music forever, if you so choose. It’s the very least I can do."

You couldn't quite confirm or deny that statement, the topic of your mortality still being rather unknown territory, but you decided not to speak on it.

"How about we just go to Windrise, I don’t particularly feel like hiking up any cliffs today."

Venti giggled softly, "Well I could always just carry you, your grace. Wouldn't that be fun?"

It was your turn to laugh, "Good to know your sense of humor hasn't changed."

"Hey, I was serious." He whined, clinging ever tighter. "I'd do it in a heartbeat you know, I swear this on my honor as a bard, promise~ I am stronger than I look."

You could only playfully roll your eyes, marching onward to Windrise with him following pace.

It didn't take long for you both to be sitting together under the large tree, crystalflies curiously observing and him contently resting his head on your shoulder, listening to the wind.

The silence was pleasant, a nice break from the excessive amount of talking you had to bear the past few weeks. The never-ending stream of questions and pleas.

"I'm going to Inazuma soon." You finally spoke, causing Venti to glance up, his eyes shining softly from the light of the sun’s gentle rays.

"Hm, what for this time?" He asked lazily, happy to keep resting on you, trying hard to sound as if your statement wasn’t a big deal.

"'A concerning increase in elemental slime activity', as if that's anything more than another blatant excuse..." You mumbled the last part, a certain form of tiredness clinging to your words, one he picked up on immediately.

"'An increase in elemental slime activity'? Really, a second time?" Venti laughed lightly, “Just as bad at concealing her intentions as ever it seems.”

"Meanwhile I'd love nothing more than an excuse to come here and visit you more often."

It was stated with a light joking tone, but Venti took it deathly serious.

"I...” He was almost at a loss for words, “I can't begin to describe how much I enjoy hearing you say that." The genuineness dripping from his voice gave way to a more playful note as quick as it had appeared. "Don't be surprised if I call you over for the most trivial things then."

"Heaven knows the other Archon do it more than enough." You laughed lightly, before a more serious expression took over. "I can't say I mind all that much though, trivial things are easy to solve. Makes me feel more useful than I probably actually am."

It wasn't quite meant in a self-deprecating way, simply as a factual observation. There weren't a whole lot of world-threatening events happening, and it wasn't as if you even really knew you had the ability to stop them. You didn't realize quite how it came off until you saw Venti with a look of abject horror.

"Your grace, my lovely divine creator, please don't speak like that. All of Teyvat adores you, no matter what you do or don't want to handle. You've done so far beyond enough already."

You gave him a small smile, "'Adore' huh? I guess that's one way to put it. But I just..." You paused a moment, thinking over the phrasing. "I think it's more they worship the concept of me over 'adore' who I actually am. If that makes sense..."

It was a frustrating thing to try putting into words, it almost felt selfish to even talk about. Complaining about the admiration and unconditional love so freely given.

"That might be true, but I know you personally." Venti sat up straighter, making intense eye contact and grabbing your hand with his own.

"I will only ever speak to you with sincerity. So, when I tell you that I adore you so dearly... I hope you believe me."

You were taken aback slightly by how genuine he was being, how loving he was in the face of your doubt.

"And, believe me, I do. I simply adore you, your grace. I could never stop adoring you."

Your body felt warm, unintentionally flushing, breaking eye contact to look anywhere but his intense gaze. It only strengthened his resolve.

"I am more than happy to sing my praises of you." The bard practically chirped, laying back at your side and wrapping his arms around you, yet again, in a hold that could be considered more secure.

You scoffed slightly, still a bit flushed. "Surely you exaggerate, I really haven't done anything praise-worth since my 'descension'."

"Exaggerate?! Don't make light of my affection for you." He scolded, holding you tighter, sounding almost offended. "I don't need to have any accolades to speak well of you. Just to say that you exist should be praise enough, should it not?"

It was true that he envied every other that stole your attention, how he went out of his way to meet you in other nations when obviously not wanting or welcome by their respective Archons.

"I could spend all my days speaking of your grace, your brilliance, every truly divine piece of you... I couldn't express my love for you fully in a dozen lifetimes."

He paused a moment, soaking in your expression, as if it alone could sustain him, his voice taking on a sweeter tone.

"But I'll try to do so in this one."

You struggled to come up with a decent retort, stunned into some form of silence before finding your footing again. "Poetic as always I see." He really never ceased to amaze you.

"I've been lucky enough to find someone that allows me to put my words to good use. They'd simply be wasted on anyone else."

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes a little at how sickeningly sweet he was acting. Surely he was only acting like this to cheer you up, to make you feel a little less like a mere decoration… right? His grin gave nothing away.

You both sat there for a while, him telling occasional jokes, often with flirty undertones, and playing you a few songs, per your request. It was such a stark contrast from how you had previously been living day-to-day that you didn’t notice how much time seemed to be passing until the sun was almost barely visible.

You eventually gave in to your unavoidable fate, giving him a small apologetic smile as you parted ways after he walked you back to the stone gate. All the while left wondering just how sincere his words really were, and, more importantly, when you'd be able to do this again.

#genshin impact #sagau #genshin venti #venti x reader #genshin x reader #i tried to do more dialogue over all #as a treat #hope it's up to par #fluff #yeah #i hope you know Venti's internal monologue is just gushing about reader the entire time #it's true i was there

[cockslutpadalecki]

Book of Revelations (And A Side of Coffee)

Summary: You love Sam. He loves you. But both of you are too chicken to do anything about your feelings, until matchmaker Dean Winchester (aka Cupid) steps in.

Characters: Sam Winchester x F!Reader, Dean Winchester.

Words: 1.3K.

Warnings: pure unfiltered fluff, some mentions of sex.

A/N: Formerly a Patreon exclusive. Beta: @princessmisery666 but all the genera bullshit is entirely mine. While likes are gold, feedback is golden. Please support our content creators by sharing our work.

You drop a handful of chopped onions into the pot on the stove, giving the bubbling liquid a quick stir, when you hear Dean’s voice sound behind you.

“Hey,” he starts, “what would you say is your perfect date?”

You rotate on your heel, narrowing your eyes at the older Winchester standing in the doorway. “Are we talking about some Miss Congeniality deal or like... a genuine date? With a person?”

“What Miss Congeniality deal?”

“Y’know, the bit with Cheryl,  April 25th,” you explain with a little laugh, but the quizzical and confused look still on your friend’s face is not lost on you. You let out a little huff. “C’mon De, I thought you’d seen it.”

“I might’ve stumbled across it once or twice,” he defends, “but I don’t commit every second of a film to memory.”

“Oh please. What about the All Saints’ Day series? You can quote all of them off by heart.”

“That’s because they’re classics.”

“Are you saying Miss Congeniality isn’t a classic?”

“It has its perks-”

“Like Sandra Bullock?”

“She’s in that movie?” Dean laughs, giving himself away.

“Jackass,” you shake your head as you allow a small smile to break across your  lips. “Anyway, why do you ask?”

“Just curious,” Dean shrugs.

“Have you been reading my Cosmo mag on the can again?”

“Well, excuse me for wanting to find out how to achieve the perfect orgasm,” he reacts with fake offense. 

You scoff mockingly. “Did you come across a map on how to find the G-spot?” 

Dean’s face drops. “I’m serious, just answer the damn question.”

“Ooh, I hit a nerve,” you laugh, but Dean doesn’t share your sentiment. “Well, um, I guess, it’d be nice to go to one of those vintage book shops, y’know, the ones with the little cafes inside.”

Dean nods, and you reluctantly continue.

“Spend a couple of hours talking about our favourite novels over a coffee or two.”

“What about after that?”

“Like, sex you mean?”

“Yeah.”

You screw up your nose. “I wouldn’t put out on the first date.”

“Not even on your perfect date?” he asks as you shake your head. “What if it was with Sam?” Dean cajoles, flashing you a wink.

“Dean!”

It’s no secret that you’ve been harbouring feelings for the younger Winchester for a while now— except maybe to Sam, and Dean takes whatever opportunity he can get to tease you for not making a move. You’re far too shy for that.

“C’mon, you wouldn’t want to come back here and y’know?” Dean wiggles his eyebrows.

“Why’d you always have to be so crass?” you tut with a small roll of your eyes.

“Jeez, you two really are made for each other,” Dean mutters under his breath, but you don’t hear him, your attention already back on the sweet smelling bolognese cooking away in the saucepan.

-

“Meet me at Bradbury Books, 8pm.”

That’s all the instruction you get from Dean a week later. You reply asking if it’s related to a case you’ve not been made privy to yet, but he fails to respond, leaving you in a curious state for the rest of the day. What could Dean possibly want with you at a bookstore, of all places?

You trundle inside the quaint little shop at 7:56, eyes darting back and forth through the aisles, trying to see if he’s hidden away between them, to no avail. Eventually you give up, walking down to the cluster of tables tucked neatly away at the back of the store. A few delicate red and pink decorations adorn the wall furthest from you, but you think nothing of it. But your attention is finally drawn to the handful of balloons with the words, “Happy Valentines Day,” emblazoned across them in swirly white writing that softly sway to the steady hum of the A/C.

Of course. Today is February 14th. 

Great. Always a joy being single at this time of year.

The cafe section is practically empty except for the cashier leant over the counter— head buried in an extremely well-read paperback version of The Shining. Then there’s a couple by the window staring lovingly at each other over two steaming mugs of coffee and… Sam.

Wait, Sam?

There’s a closed copy of The Marvelous Land of Oz on the table next to him, while his hands are curled around a cup of what you assume must be herbal tea from the green liquid, almost murky against the stark contrast of the white ceramic. You’re sidetracked momentarily, thoughts drifting to fantasies of those large hands on you, pawing at your ample flesh. They’re so big that they easily overlap where they meet around the sides of the dainty cup, the fingers from his left hand entwined within the fingers of his right.

He doesn’t notice you until you’re almost at the table, eyes widening when he finally looks up, confusion etched on his features.

Your name oozes from his lips as he questions softly, “What are you doing here?”

“Dean asked me to meet him,” you explain, sliding into the seat opposite. You suddenly feel incredibly underdressed— your ripped jeans and oversized t-shirt are perfect to meet up with Dean to discuss case details, but if you’d known Sam would be here too, you would’ve made more of an effort.

“That’s weird, Dean asked me to meet him too.” Sam leans back in his chair, thumbing inside his pocket for something before pulling his cell free. “Lemme give him a call.”

“Maybe he’s just late?” you offer as Sam puts the device to his ear, waiting for his brother to pick up.

“Oh, hey, where are you?” Sam asks Dean, placing the phone onto the table as he presses the speaker icon, giving you a chance to listen in on the conversation too.

“Just at a bar over in Burr Oak,” Dean tells them. “It’s 2-4-1 cocktails night and there’s a bachelorette party that’s just walked in. One of the bridesmaids is in clear need of my assistance,” he adds with a knowing laugh.

“But you asked us to meet you here at 8,” Sam replies tersely.

The line is silent for a moment before you hear Dean chuckle. “Oh yeah, about that,” he elaborates. “Figured you two should spend Valentine’s together considering you’re both head over heels in love with each other.”

You almost choke on your own tongue at Dean’s words, feeling Sam’s eyes trained on you as your entire body flushes hot at the admission.

Dean has to be joking, right? Sam? In love with you?

“Dude, what are you-” Sam starts at the same time as you try to interject. “No Dean, don’t be silly-”

“Hey!” Dean shouts down the line. “Cut it out, both of you. I’ve seen the longing looks you give each other, and all that awkward small talk. God, it’s exhausting. Just admit your feelings and fuck all that sexual tension out like adults, okay?”

“Dean,” Sam protests through gritted teeth, quickly flashing an apologetic smile toward the couple by the window who catch Dean’s crude and less than subtle attempts to bring you together.

“Look, enjoy a cup of coffee and talk about old books, or whatever it is you two do, and then the Bunker is all yours,” Dean continues. “Even though you both said no sex on the first date, I really think ya would make an exception for the other. Just don’t do it in the kitchen, y’hear? That’s just unsanitary.”

The line suddenly goes dead. Both of you sit embarrassed in silence momentarily, not wanting to look at each other until he clears his throat and you glance up through thick eyelashes. 

Sam smiles, dimples in full effect. “So, I guess he asked about your perfect date too then, huh?” 

***

SPN: @akshi8278​ @cluz1babe​ @deanwanddamons​ @fandom-princess-forevermore​ @flamencodiva​ @fanfictionandfluff​ @hobby27​ @hoboal87​ @jensenswinchester​ @jc-winchester​ @katelyn--renee​ @mrswhozeewhatsis​ @peachyafshawn​ @ravenclawfitzgerald​ @spnbaby-67​ @sammykb1994​ @sucker-for-dean​ @treat-winchesterswith-kindness​ @thoughts-and-funnies​ @waywardbaby​ @winchest09​

4EVS: @amirra88​ @andreasworlsboring101​ @b3autyfuldisast3r​ @cheesyclaire​ @chibijusstuff​ @callsignrambam​ @dangertoozmanykids101​ @daughterofthenight117​ @doozywoozy​ @foxyjwls007​ @geekofmanyforms​ @heyyouwiththeassbutt​ @i-opened-the-chamber-of-secrets​ @ilovefanfic86​ @kind-of-crazy-butthatsokay​ @letsby​ @letsdisneythings​ @labella420​ @mogaruke​ @maliburenee​ @notyourtypicalrose​ @nik2writes​ @obsessivelycapricious​ @patrick-hockslutter​ @princessmisery666​ @phildunphyisadilf​ @sage-writing​ @sea040561​ @sweeterthanthis​ @slutformarvelmen​ @smokeandnailz​ @stoneyggirl​ @stoneyggirl2​ @skyewardolicitycloisdelena91​ @thegirlnextdoorssister​ @unfortunate-brat​ @wayward-dreamer​ @warriorqueen1991​ @xoxabs88xox​

#sam winchester #sam winchester x you #sam winchester x reader #sam winchester fanfiction #supernatural fanfiction #jared padalecki fanfiction

[faroreswinds]

I’m really mad because my recordings of my SB playthrough have been cutting out for some reason at times. It’s not going to make the cut pretty when all is said and done. >:(

I think I fixed it but man, so many hours of garbage. 

I know my comments on my playthrough probably aren’t very exciting but I’m also posting them for reference later. In case I need to call back on something. 

Anyways, time for anons and other asks! My answers are short because my hands hurt from typing so much.

Varleys sliminess is well documented. Even in the final battle and facing the Agarthans, killing Imperial Varley for being scum and spreading false teachings is a priority for some of Rheas troops.

The guy is an Imperial plant. I don’t blame from people wanting to take him out. 

Like I'm not asking for Claude to stay the mostly squeaky-clean Good Guy he was in 3H, I'm just asking that he be allowed to retain any semblance of his character. Like... he could have brought in Almyran forces without telling anyone despite having fought off a large army from them not that long ago - in fact, specifically because of that last altercation with them, because he can't find it in him to trust his friends to believe in him, even though he desperately wants to.

That can cause some deep tension and suspicion between the Deer and Claude, and hey Shahid can be a reoccurring threat in his route to deepen that tension even more (instead of just a joke who immediately gets killed off - hey, maybe don't throw away one of the most interesting new additions to your story for no reason 3Hopes!!). You can have it to where Claude secretly gathering Almyran forces to bolster his Fodlandi ones is causing problems in Almyra, because now the people are split between supporting Khalid (the runaway prince, but who's fighting in a war that's proving daunting) or Shahid (the hot-headed fool, but one fighting for "traditional Almyran values" - i.e. proving themselves superior to Fodlan). That could cause Claude to question whether his faith and dreams of people working together as friends and allies is worth what going through with said dreams is causing to the war in Fodlan, his homeland, and his friends.

And his route as a whole can be about the struggle of having to juggle trusting your friends, trusting yourself (cuz hey Claude showing some self-doubt in GW is actually really neat but like. lowkey doesn't go anywhere imo), recognizing what is necessary to be a good leader, and his personal conflict regarding Shahid and Almyra as a whole! Oh, wow!! YET AGAIN Claude is given a route where OBVIOUS DIRECTIONS FOR HIS CHARACTER are right there that aren't taken, except now there's blatant character assassination to go along with the missed opportunities!! Oh boy my favorite!!

@fea-and-fehf-headcanons

There is nothing to add, really. I agree. They didn’t have to make him squeaky clean, but this just... isn’t Claude. It’s crazy how different this guy is.

They botched his route. I’m so sorry, Claude fans. 

I just read the dev interview and I find the byleth take odd. I think you can the same plot for three hopes just playing as the lords.  If the what if a scenario is what the lords not meeting byleth why do you need a new avatar?

They could've given byleth their own route showing how much being a professor or working at church changed them. Maybe a secret route playing as them bouncing between all three factions fighting for each side as a common merc watching fodlan burn. A weirder idea is to have byleth raise their mini-army and get the sword of the creator and the people herald them as the new "liberator". Byleth could do this as a response to seeing the bloodshed on all three sides. Deciding to finally take action rather than passively jumping from place to place for work. That's sort of a character arc for them.

The only thing byleth concretely influences on all three routes for better or worse in three houses isn't the lords. It's the war coming to a close. Which doesn't end in three hopes. So having byleth be the one to end the war vs all three lords could be interesting?

I guess I should remember warriors games arent for plot/gameplay more so for fanservice and some mindless fun. Sorry for the word barf.

@happiighost

When I saw the new avatar months ago, I groaned out loud. Seriously, I HATE avatars. Shez was so unnecessary, especially when you have such a strong cast to play off of! 

And yeah, the devs didn’t want Hopes to have a conclusive end or else it would invalidate Byleth. And like... ok? Then WHY have another avatar at all???? Just use the lords right out the gate and boom, problem solved. 

But I will say this. The game IS fun. Dumb, but fun. And it does have some very good moments. Seteth crying for Flayn to escape was divine. I live for that shit.

Oh hold up, when does claude sacrifice his allies ? Which allies ?! Agh I'm afraid to watch the playthroughs and yet my curiousity arghhh

The Empire. Actually, I don’t think he ever sacrifices Kingdom allies. Just the Empire allies. Both routes, actually. Randolph in particular. 

Am personally dreading how fans are already saying hopes/houses is worse than the other because x character, y scenario, z outcome, and tbh part of why i left the fandom is because no one can just fucking enjoy anything in fire emblem without immediately hating on its predecessors/sequels. Can people fucking chill? Regardless of their stances on any character or route can people really not find it in themselves to enjoy the games on their own?

No, people cannot chill. Sunk fallacy and all that. They have devoted their lives to “being right” and they will now feel vindicated, damn it!

But I think the reason people are so mad is because Hopes wanted to address fan criticism AND not invalidate Byleth. This is both a blessing and a curse. And not only that, but they are butchering characters in a way that isn’t entirely logical.

You can enjoy the game. But people have a right to be upset when the game isn’t faithful. 

Like... I’m actually having a lot of fun! I’m confused a lot per the story. But gameplay is honestly great. 

#Three Hopes #asks #anon asks

[talenlee]

Story Pile: Cul De Sac

New Post has been published on PRESS.exe: Story Pile: Cul De Sac

We’re going to do something a little bit different this time.

This Story Pile is going to be about the newspaper comic Cul De Sac, a comic I really like, but which is also, unlike other media I cover, actually kind of already represented online in its entirety as it is. Like, if you want to go read Cul De Sac, you can… just… do that. The other thing we’re going to talk about is Calvin and Hobbes, which Bill Watterson, the creator, has been similarly archived online, but also crucially, not by me.

Normally I break up these essays on media with pictures from the media in question, or youtube embeds or whatever, but GoComics lacks that functionality and while I could always take the strips, upload and offer them in the context of my own work and you know, review and educational purposes (which it is), I’d still feel just a bit of a dick about it. This is much as with the work of Gary Larson, who has asked that people not circulate Far Side strips online, and, well, they do anyway.

With that in mind, I’m making the conscious decision to not put any of the comic strips here in this blog post. Instead, I’m going to try and keep it short.

It seems one of those most millenially appreciated things is Calvin and Hobbes. There don’t seem to be any people who actively think ill of it, and it has a sort of whimsical approach to the future that many of us can grasp and appreciate and cling to while, you know, roaring hellscape. There’s also something of a ‘thing’ about it, how Calvin and Hobbes wasn’t just a big deal but it was also a big deal how it went out – Bill Watterson refusing to let his work be milked for money forever, choosing to Not Be Rich in order to keep his work the way he wanted it presented. It’s a very pure narrative.

But, if you’re a fan of Watterson, do you wanna know what he’s a fan of?

Cul De Sac is a comic in the same basic vein as Calvin and Hobbes, set later and weirder. While Calvin and Hobbes followed a kid who stayed somewhere generically eight forever, the seven years of Cul De Sac followed Alice, a four year old girl, and her family, who weren’t really dysfunctional or especially weird or anything, it was just, you know, life and the world as filtered through a four year old. It’s a comic about dysfunctional sincerity.

Cul De Sac is really funny.

I think the thing about Cul De Sac that makes it so funny to me is that the artist, Richard Thompson, was capable of a certain kind of separation of jokes; he could deliver a punchline in a strip, then a different punchline for a different joke, without the two jokes feeling smeared together. This is a problem you can find in work like Arrested Development, where a single well-delivered line by the right person can’t feel disconnected, can’t feel like it’s its own joke, meaning that you’re often left feeling like you missed something. The nonsequitir of Alice’s four-year-old vision of reality is totally different to that.

There’s only seven years of Cul De Sac to read in archive, nothing compared to Peanuts or For Better or For Worse or the forty years of Garfield. It’s visually interesting, heartwarming, genuine, funny in a very low-key snort-through-the-nose kinda way, emotionally resonant, and repeatedly takes opportunities to flaunt what a skilled artist Richard Thompson was.

Was.

Richard Thompson, the artist behind Cul De Sac, passed away in 2016, after a battle with Parkinsons Disease. There are collections of his work, of his art, of his comics all over the internet and you can go look them up. And you should – he’s funny, he’s really funny and in many cases his scribbly-ass sketch style vanishes as he replaces it with a wholesale excellent simulacra of someone else’s style, to make sometimes the most jagged of points. The man was really good at his craft. But that’s what I think, and I’m nobody special.

In Dilbert – of all things – there’s this running gag centered around the garbage man, who is a super genius. But he chooses to be a garbage man, occasionally fixing things Dilbert built and handing them back to him, seemingly with no interest in that it annoys Dilbert, or that he could use that to make a profit. The choices of this character are left wholly inscrutable, but it is repeatedly underscored he’s not stupid. He’s not weird. He’s just really, really smart. He’s a garbage man because he chooses to be a garbage man, and the fact that doesn’t make sense to us is meant to be part of the joke – after all, he’s way smarter than we are. The idea is that genius sees the world differently.

Bill Watterson saw the world in a way that let him create Calvin and Hobbes. And he loves Cul De Sac.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[northoftheroad]

Oh, I am just SO happy when you mentioned Calvin Rose in that last ask. He’s practically the one character made during the New 52 I want above all others to reappear. If there’s one gigantic missed opportunity for Calvin that could be corrected is the lack of interaction between him and Dick both in the present time and especially during their childhoods in Haly Circus. It’ll make too much sense for them being childhood friends (Calvin ran away to Haly’s at eight so I Headcanon that Dick was five when the former came by) separated by a great tragedy only to reunite years later after some…unique years in between for lack of better words. Say what will about the Calvin Rose Talon book in quality ( I’d thought it was good or at minimum interesting) but that’s what I think. Early in the New 52 run, Dick reunited with other Haly Circus friends so why not Calvin be among them?

Thoughts about this?

I don't know a lot about Calvin Rose so I've never given it any thought. I had to read up a bit, and I assume he was older than Dick. There's a panel in Talon #0 with a poster with Calvin the escape artist on the same wall as a poster of the pre-Dick Flying Graysons.

Granted, Dick could still have been born when Calvin was 13 and left for the Court. But I was under the impression that the Court would take one child every ten years (Batman says so, in Nightwing vol 3 # 7).

(On a side note, isn't it strange how the Court proposes to Calvin and he says yes. They sure didn't ask Raymond, whom they took when they couldn't get Dick, nicely.)

One might assume that Calvin was the Talon before Dick's generation – if it weren't for Batman: The Dark Knight vol 2 # 9, where we meet Carver, a Talon who knows he will be replaced by Dick.

Oh well, just another example of stories that don't match because different creators play with the same toy.

Anyway. I would guess that Dick and Calvin didn't know each other as children – if Dick had been born, he would have been so much younger they didn't interact a lot. But you could definitely do something interesting with the two of them as adults, when Dick had infiltrated and fought the Court.

#Talon #Dick Grayson #Calvin Rose #Nightwing #Court of owls

[i2lvswft]

𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄

• 💌 Summary: Harry tries to teach Y/N how to drive so that she can go to his house more often, but with the relationship over, she sees a great opportunity to make a song out of it.

• 💌 Notes: I wrote this in class, so it's not as good as I hoped it would be. I am doing a series with Olivia's songs, so for a better understanding I recommend you to read "1 step forward, 3 steps back" The post after this one.

• 💌 Category: angust

• 💌 Word count: 526 words

・・・・・・・・・・・・

2 years ago

you were sitting in the driver's seat while your boyfriend was beside you, trying hard to get you to finally learn to drive. She was afraid, it was obvious by the restless way she remained when she touched the steering wheel.

Harry always drove and picked you up from places without any problems, but Y/N came to the conclusion that one day she would have to learn, so after years, she decided that it would be better to do it soon, she couldn't depend on Harry all her life.  "Think on the bright side, if you learn you can drive to my house whenever you want." He comforted you.

"Just take a cab." You looked at him, getting a look back like, 'is this serious?' "Yeah! I can do it."

And then you pulled your car out of the parked spot, not knowing what you were doing exactly, she had never stepped foot in a driving school class in her entire life. Your boyfriend checked every seven seconds to see if your seat belt was fastened to your body, or if the seat was at the right height so that you could see the street clearly. You stepped on the gas, having no idea how fast Harry's Ferrari could go. Well, you found out. Your only luck was that you were on a completely empty road, Styles was not crazy to risk the lives of the drivers on the street. "Slow down, Y/N! You're going to kill us!" He dramatized.

"Shut up, Harry, I know what I'm doing." She argued.

She could hear his whispers, 'don't crash my car, don't crash my car.' It was obvious the man's emotional attachment to his cars, teaching you to drive right away with a Ferrari was not the first choice given by him, but she was the one who chose that car because it was a convertible, slightly being much better. 'Getaway Car' By Taylor Swift sounded loud, obvious she had put that song on purpose, she was in a car after all. "Slow down on the accelerator!" Harry held the seat firmly, taking a deep breath. "I think we'd better stay with the cab anyway, honey."

"Yeah, I think so too.." You listened to Harry's suggestion to stop and let him drive back to your home.

With your head resting on your hand, you sighed in frustration as you felt your boyfriend's hand caress your left hand before he brought them to his lips and blew a light kiss, catching your attention. "We can try again later, one day you will succeed my love."

"I hope so." She said, crestfallen.

・・・・・・・・・・・・

NOW

@yourinstagram

Liked by zayn, billieeilish and 5.437.098 others.

yourinstagram: i got my driver’s license! 🥳

View all 123.763 comments.

arianagrande: Finally!!!!!

billieeilish: driver’s license the best song on the album.

y/nfan7: I miss H and Y/N's interactions in the comments, suddenly everything got so weird...

taylorswift: you’re so talented! 😻

(liked by the creator)

dojacat: im obsessed. 😟

justinbieber: congratulations Y/N!

(Liked by the creator)

@yourinstagram

Liked by katyperry, haileybiber and 7.329.023 others

yourinstagram: I got my driver's license last week Just like we always talked about 'Cause you were so excited for me To finally drive up to your house.

View all 223.432 comments

haileybiber: you’re so talented, ily girl 💜

yourinstagram: @/haileybiber, ily! 💗

dojacat: STOP BEING SO TALENTED! 😫

harryfan07: it's very strange to know that this song is about Harry...

Y/Nfan9: @/harryfan07: yes the whole album is about H, but don't summarize Y/N's work in just this.

(Liked by the creator)

gemmastyles: miss u 😕

yourinstagram: @/gemmastyles, miss u too 💗

@/harrystyles

Liked by yourinstagram, billieeilish and 8.291.201 others

harrystyles: falling, out now.

* comments have been disabled. *

#as it was #harry fanfic #harry styles #harry styles imagine #harry styles one shot #harry’s house #imagines #oneshots #writing #harry fanfiction

[ks-dreams-fantasies]

Photoshoot - Vinnie Hacker

*Picture’s not mine*

My last Vinnie post got some love, so I figured I would write another one since I like the man so much. Hope you like it

Request are open

Word Count: 1.5k

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

Moving to LA was something you had been looking forward to for quite a while now and when the opportunity came to do what you loved, you couldn’t pass the offer. You were a talented freelance makeup artist and lately you had picked up a liking for photography.  Tati, being your cousin, invited you to stay with her while you were looking for apartment. Being well-known for shooting with famous influencers and content creators, she often dragged you with her so you could experiment the process of a shoot. You were like her assistant for the day, retouching people’s makeup and listening to her every tips and tricks. You woke up super early this morning due to the fact she had two photoshoots planed for the day. Because the timing was tight, you were in charge to go pick up lunch for the both of you after the first shoot was done.

Once you arrived back at the studio, you handed Tati her salad, seeing that the second group of people had arrived and were getting ready. You talked for a bit, eating your food, when it was finally time to get back to work. You were shooting with some TikTok creators from the Hype House today, so while some of them were getting their pictures taking, you were working on doing Mia’s and Kouvr’s makeup.The three of you were talking, when Mia chuckled lightly out of the blue, getting your attention.

“I think you got an admirer (Y/N)” she said as you turned your head to the side, seeing “The Vinnie Hacker” looking right back at you. You blushed, giving him a small smile, getting back to applying lip gloss on Kouvr’s lips. After you got done with their makeup, Tati called them up, being their turn to get photographed. You started to clean your brushes when a voice interrupted you.

“Hey, think you could do my makeup?” your gaze landing on the 6-foot-tall man standing next to you

“Uh sure, you can sit here” you said motioning to the chair in front of you “What would you like?”

“You decide” he answered “I mean, you’re the artist here, I’m sure you’ll do something that will look nice” he said smiling. You looked at the clothing rack that was identified with his name on it, noticing that most of the articles of clothing were somewhat simple, yet classy and trendy. You got your product ready, when his voice spoke again

“I’m Vinnie by the way” he looked into your eyes

“Oh I know, I mean it’s nice to meet you” you said avoiding his gaze, something about him intimidated you. Maybe it was the fact that he was popular and incredibly handsome, but you felt nervous around him, something you weren’t used to.

“So, I guess I don’t get a name than” he smirked as you applied some blurring primer on his face

“I’m (Y/N)” you chuckled lightly “Sorry about that”

He laughed as you finished his makeup. You handed him a mirror, as he examined the look you chose for him, smiling satisfied, thanking you

“The makeup is perfect, thank you” he said a grin on his face as he stood up hovering over you

“My pleasure, I tried picturing something that would fit with every outfit you brought with you.” You said cleaning up your stuff while looking at him shyly. You had done something simple, eyeliner on his waterline, contour to define his jaw and cheekbones even more and a little bit of highlight to accentuate the highest points of his face

“Well, you pictured perfectly, it’s totally my style” soon after, Vinnie’s turn came and he had to go, thanking you again. After you finished putting away all your stuff, you went to stand next to Tati, looking at the pictures on the monitor and listening to the directions she gave Vinnie. After a while, he came closer to look at the photos, exchanging ideas with Tati before changing outfits. He shot a little, before coming back to look at the results again.

“I feel like something is missing” he said, Tati having an excellent idea explained it to Vinnie who agreed

“(Y/N) will do it! Right (Y/N)?” she exclaimed looking at you

“Uh?” you said not having paid attention to their previous discussion

“You’ll pose with him” she stated

“What? I don’t even have other clothes and plus I don’t get in front of the camera, I stay behind, I’m not a model, you know that” you tried explaining to her

“You sure look like one” you could’ve sworn you heard Vinnie mumble, before he cleared his throat

“We just need you for a couple of shot, and you already got the perfect outfit and makeup to go with Vinnie’s aesthetic” she explained amused by you two. Tati knew he was your type and she also saw the way he looked at you, so helping you interact was the least she could do.

You didn’t have much choice, so you followed Vinnie in front of the camera, while Tati explained to the both of you, her vision for the remaining of the shoot. After a while, you started to loosen up, Vinnie was really nice and he helped you, making you more comfortable and confident in front of the camera.

“Let’s do something a little bit more edgy, Vinnie remove your shirt, (Y/N) get rid of your jacket, you tank top is giving you a great silhouette” Your cousin said looking at the pictures she had previously taken while you both listened to her indications.

“Ok now, Vinnie, stand closer to her, look her deeply in the eyes, use your hand, anyways do something edgy and … I don’t care, do something hot”

“Are you ok with that?” he asked you, concerned

“Yeah! Do whatever feels right” you answered blushing

“Ok! If I do something that makes you uncomfortable just tell me” he said while you nodded. He moved closer to you, your body touching, feeling his breath fanning on your face. You looked up at him, your eyes meeting as you realized his stare was already on you. Your hands made their way around his neck, bringing him slightly closer and all you could think about was his lips. They looked so plump and soft, you wondered what it would feel like to kiss them. Being lost in the moment, only hearing the click of the camera, you didn’t realize that everyone had gathered around to look at the two of you.

“Ok, that’s it guy, it looks really good” Tati said snapping a couple of more pictures, before speaking again “Now try doing something a little hotter maybe” The moment the worlds left her mouth, Vinnie laced his hand around you throat, making you gasp, surprised by his action. He was hovering over you, your head slightly tilted to meet his gaze, his long finger wrapping perfectly around your neck. You could feel the heat radiating from your body, as his lips moved closer to yours, only a centimeter apart. You licked your lips, and his eyes followed the movement of your tongue, carefully. A boost of confidence came rushing through you and you did something that both surprised you instantly. The decision to bite his bottom lips caused the others to howl at the action, and a throaty groan to come from Vinnie mouth.

“Ok, that was just perfect, it’s a wrap guys” Tati said smiling widely as she clapped, thanking everyone. You detached yourself slowly from each other, your head going down, a blush creeping on your cheeks, finally realizing what you had just done. It was bold of you, but in the moment, it felt like the right thing to do. You looked back at him, meeting his gaze as you blushed even more while he smirked down at you. You soon were interrupted by your cousin, asking the both of you to come look at the results.

“Keep in mind that I still have to edit them, and work with the lighting, but you guys look so hot” she said, excited as she looked closely at the photos

“I agree” Vinnie nodded “These are definitely my favorite” he continued, pointing at two different pictures. One being a shot of the exact moment you gasped after he had gripped your throat, and the other one being the one when you bit his lip. From the moment he saw you, he couldn’t help but admit he found you attractive and after getting to shoot with you, his desire to get to know you more had gotten stronger.

“Yo Vinnie! What are you doing? Ask her out already” Michael shouted from across the room making you blush as Vinnie smiled looking down at you

“We’re going out to eat, would you like to join us” he asked seeing you look at your cousin for a second “Of course, Tati is invited to join us also, but I would really like it if you would come” he continued smiling softly, scratching the back of his head, waiting for your response. You were screaming on the inside, nervous but excited by his offer. You were stocked to have the opportunity to spend a nice evening with him, and maybe get to know him more.  You looked at Tati with pleading eyes, understanding that she was okay with this when she winked at you, and giving you a thumbs up

“I would love too”

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

Thank you for reading

Hope you like it, let me know what you think

-K

#vinnie hacker #vinnie hacker imagine #vinnie x reader #vinnie hacker x reader #vinnie hacker fluff #vinnie #tiktok boys

[supersilversleuth]

Your Words Aren’t Real (So Why Do They Hurt So Much?) by SuperSilverSpy

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Fandoms: DCU, DCU (Comics), Batman - All Media Types Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Dick Grayson & Batfamily members, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Stephanie Brown, Dick Grayson & Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown, Tim Drake, Hurt Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson-centric, Dick Grayson Whump, Whump, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, I seem to be doing a lot of that these days…, Whumptober 2021, Mind Control, fear toxin, Hallucinations, anyway, Angst, SuperSilverSpy, SilverGrayson, SilverWhump, Taunting, Insults, ”who did this to you?”

Summary:

“Sometimes I wish you were my father, but I know you could never be. Bruce will always be my real father. You were just an inadequate stand-in.”

Dick choked, barely noticing the swift kick to his ribs before he was already stumbling back, ducking around Steph’s fist as he fought to regain his balance.

“You were a terrible brother,” said the voices of Jason and Tim. “All you ever did with me was make mistakes.”

OR Mind Control with a heaping of Angst

No. 3 - STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES BUT… taunting | insults | “Who did this to you?”

Series:

Part 3 of 2021 Most Whumperful Time of the Year - Dick Grayson-centric

Language: English Words: 1,645 Chapters: 1/1

Nightwing awoke in a warehouse, surrounded by Batman, Red Hood, Robin, Spoiler, and Red Robin. They were all passed out on the ground, strange devices wrapped around their heads. They seemed relatively unharmed, not a bruise or laceration or twisted limb in sight.  He sighed in relief.

Looking around, Dick noted the absence of visible hostiles. He turned to Robin, who was closest to him and inspected the device around boy’s head; whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.  He felt along the smooth metal, searching (or feeling) for a way to remove it.

A moment later, several ding! sounds echoed in the warehouse, emitting from the head devices. Damian’s eyes opened, glowing a vibrant yellow. Dick backed up as the rest of his family began to rise around him. He knew mind control when he saw it, though that didn’t stop him from asking, “Uh…guys? You still in there?”

Their faces remained  expressionless as they turned threateningly towards him.

“Guess not,” he answered himself. “Looks like it’s just another exciting day in the life of the great and eternally stressed out Nightwing.”

He’d probably have to come up with yet another insightful and compelling speech to snap them out of it, par for the course for him at this point. Oh but how he wished it wasn’t. Every single time somebody in his family got brainwashed, or mind-controlled, or possessed (all of which happened way more often than it should), he was pretty much always the one to talk them down, or get beaten up and nearly killed for his efforts. It had reached a point where he wondered if Bruce was actively trying to get one of Dick’s siblings to accidentally kill him.

Well, at least one thing was different this time—he was facing off against five family members at once, instead of one, or two, or his entire f***ing team. But that was a story for another day.

Maybe, he could actually fight close to his full capability against them, without too much fear of hurting them. He didn’t have to knock them out or sedate them after all, he just needed to damage those device things around their heads.

Hood lunged at him first, guns drawn. Dick dodged, wrenching one of the man’s guns away with a grunt. He threw it across the room, knowing it did nothing for him in close quarters combat wherein he was attempting not to hurt, kill, or maim any of his would-be killers. There was no time for him to contemplate Jason’s likely reaction to the discovery of his ruined gun that would surely come later. Batman was already springing into action, fists swinging through the air in an unnaturally aimed-to-kill way.

Dick flipped around, dodging attacks from the two. He needed to bide his time, wait for the right opportunity to strike. He tried to electrocute them to short-circuit their metal head-band device things, but it didn’t really seem to do anything. He did, however, manage to get in a good hit to Jason’s head, which disoriented the man—and likely the person in control of him. Bruce went down next, Dick slipping the man’s belt out from around his waist in a move no one else in the world knew, and throwing a flash bomb in his face.

Pocketting what he could from the belt before tossing that too away (the emergency beacon didn’t work), he turned to face his new opponents. Spoiler and Robin, the short little duo wreaking havoc to his right, with Bruce and Jason getting back up on his left.

Whoever was controlling his family wasn’t the best at it, though forcing them to attempt murder against their own instincts was a feat in itself.

“You failed me,” said two very familiar voices in unison. It was Bruce and Damian.

Dick was so startled he almost didn’t manage to dodge the sneak attack Red Robin was attempting from behind.

“You failed the mission, our mission, you’ve failed the family I’ve given you, and the city I put in your responsibility.” It was just Bruce now, speaking blankly, words flowing out with no restraint.

Dick swallowed, but forced himself to ignore the man, ignore the words. It was probably just a program to detect negative emotion associated with thoughts of Nightwing and force the mind-controlled victim to...to say the thoughts out loud. Logically, he knew this.

Logic couldn’t prepare him for what came next.

“Sometimes I wish you were my father, but I know you could never be. Bruce will always be my real father. You were just an inadequate stand-in.”

Dick choked, barely noticing the swift kick to his ribs before he was already stumbling back, ducking around Steph’s fist as he fought to regain his balance.

“You were a terrible brother,” said the voices of Jason and Tim. “All you ever did with me was make mistakes.”

His vision had blurred at some point in time, he wasn’t sure when. A fist slammed into his jaw, a bow staff swiped at his feet. Purple flashed in the corner of his vision as his wrist was brutally snapped. Dick opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

“They say never meet your heroes. I guess they were right then, hmmm? Except you were never my hero, and yet you still managed to disappoint me anyway.” Steph’s tone was sharp and biting as she jammed a shuriken into his shoulder.

Dick pushed her away, doing a messy backflip to land on Bruce, using what little momentum he had to push off towards Jason, tackling him for the umpteenth time.

“You were unfit to be a mentor, just look at you now. And the students become the masters…” said the scathing voices of Dami, Steph, and Tim. Laughter echoed in his ears, sounding cruelly amused. No, this wasn’t them, they would never say such things…

“Oh it’s all true,” said a voice from behind him, Jay’s voice. “What is it, Goldie, can’t handle the pressure?”

Dick tried in vain to block the voices out, focusing just long enough to knock the device around Tim’s head askew.

The boy fell to the ground, reality mixing with fantasy as Tim’s eyes looked up at him, cold and lifeless, as blood pooled around Tim’s twisted body, as if he’d fallen… Corpse-pale lips parted, harsh words spilling out onto unforgiving ground, “You think I’m just like you, but you’re wrong. I’m better. You couldn’t beat me if you tried. I’m too pure, somehow untainted by your doomed soul, even after all this time.”

Crazed laughter echoed in Dick’s ears, even as he blinked and saw Tim as he actually was, lying unconscious—and alive, on the ground.

“Look at that, failing to protect those you love most? You’re worthless to them, and to me. I should never have taken you in.” The words were growled in a familiar deep register, and yet...the tone was unusually cruel—

Dick found himself sprawled on the ground, back still smarting from where he’d been kicked. He struggled to his good hand and knees, only to hear the sound of a gun cocking. He looked up. Jason stood above him, Steph and Damian on either side.

“Tt, Grayson, always so pathetic.” For a moment, Dami seemed to be wearing an older version of his uniform, from when he was still Dick’s Robin…

Steph tossed her hair back, giggling, and Dick saw her in a different costume, that of Robin, and then it changed to Batgirl. Gah, he was so confused.

She wasn’t. “You’re not going to make it this time around. How does it feel knowing we’d all be glad? You’ve hurt us more than helped us, Dick. It’s time you’ve faced that fact.”

Jason smirked down at him. “Any last words? We all know you don’t deserve them, but, well,” he smirked, “I’m feeling charitable today.”

Dick lunged upward, body tensed as if to tackle, arms outstretched as if to hug. Dick himself wasn’t quite sure what it was meant to be, what he wanted anymore…

Bang!

The gun went off, bullet burying itself in Dick’s side.

Three pairs of feet began to kick at his prone body from all sides. He curled in on himself, clutching desperately at the bullet wound, mind hazy with blood loss and something...else… A scraping noise, close to his ear. Dick barely registered it through the pain of the systematic blows raining down. Another pair of feet entered his vision, Bruce’s Batman boots. Dick panicked, using one hand to staunch the blood flow while the other went to his neck, to where he instinctively knew the real problem was. There was a device, attached to his neck, like a mini version of what the others had, but missing a few parts. He yanked it off, and immediately, he heard the thumps of his hopefully just unconscious family members falling to the ground.

Dick squinted at the device, as he felt himself joining them in the land of darkness. A familiar scarecrow label stared back at him, Jervis Tetch craftsmanship was practically written all over the thing as well…

—

Jason woke, groggy and disoriented. He found himself amongst other bats, all lying on the floor in a circle like some kind of crazy sorcerer spell gone wrong. The others were slowly waking, blinking and shaking their heads as if to clear the fog away. And in the middle of it all, at the center of their little coming-back-to-the-land-of-the-living circle, lay Dick Grayson, covered in blood, close to passing out.

The guy was nearly unrecognizable, but Jason would recognize that ridiculous hairstyle anywhere. Scrambling over to his brother’s side, Jason ignored the way the room spun, placing a hand on Dick’s shoulder and looking down at the man, brow pinched in concern.

“Dickie?” he asked, “Who did this to you?”

#Whumptober 2021 #no.3 #STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES BUT… #taunting #insults #“Who did this to you?” #Batman - All Media Types #DCU #Fic #Mind Control #Hallucinations #Dick Grayson #Jason Todd #Damian Wayne #Bruce Wayne #Stephanie Brown #Tim Drake #Hurt Dick Grayson #Dick Grayson Whump #Dick Grayson-centric #SuperSilverSleuth #SilverGrayson #SilverWhump

[havethetimeofyourstyles]

Chapter One.

a/n: welcome to the first chapter of wtsgd! i’m so excited for you all to read this story and for what’s to come. please please please support content creators bc we’re doing this for free and it takes up a lot of energy to put out stories. so reblog, leave feedback, and send a message to motivate and support them. happy reading everyone <3

SERIES MASTERLIST | word count: 6.4k

come talk to me about wtsgd! i’d love to know your thoughts!

March 4, 2017

The trunk was filled with heavy boxes that were labeled with thick black sharpie, which didn’t seem to leave Luciana’s senses; and one too many suitcases filled with her many articles of clothing that she couldn’t get rid of—no matter how hard she tried—since she was too much of a hoarder and every piece of clothing seemed to have a lost memory in them that she tried very hard to think of, which only meant that it was worth keeping. 

A droplet of sweat leaked down the side of her face due to  her nonstop packing and heavy-lifting from her childhood room upstairs to her dad’s car in the driveway. It didn’t help that the sun was beaming down at her with every move like she was on center stage, in front of the spotlight, but it made much more sense for the sun to do that because that’s where she belonged: on stage. 

Moving to Brooklyn, New York from Cambridge, Massachusetts during, what felt like, the coldest but the sunniest day of March wasn’t the smartest move—to be fair, Luciana was never one to make a smart move, anyways—but it was one that needed to be done. Plus, all the lifting seemed to have warmed her up. 

Her destination, or now, home, in New York was one that she’d been anticipating for a while now. She had auditioned for the role as Kim in Miss Saigon on Broadway in November, and she’d gotten a callback in January for the role as the second Kim, meaning she would be on rotation to perform every week or two weeks, so the main Kim could rest. But she would still have to go to rehearsals and be on the side of the stage watching the show just in case she needed to jump in at the last minute. 

It wasn’t her ideal way of playing the main lead, but nonetheless, she was grateful for the opportunity, and she would take any chance that was thrown at her to not only take another step towards her dream, but also another learning opportunity to make her a better actress. 

Little Luci would’ve been so proud of the present Luci because it’d been her dream ever since she was younger, to be on stage and eventually, be on the big screen. Although she was far from completing her dream of being a face in Hollywood, this was a step that would take her to where she wanted to be in the future, and for that, she was proud of herself. 

As a child, Luci had been in various commercials; from being the kid that played with slime and had no lines but to just put on a big smile while the sticky substance ran through her small hands, to being the daughter in a car commercial with one line that said “Are we there yet?” with a groan and a face of exhaustion as if she were the one driving the car. She hoped that these commercials would have someone recognize her talent, to cast her as a Disney star, but that would require moving to California, which her parents were wary of. 

The commercials stopped when she reached middle school. Her early adolescent years consisted of an abundance of attitude and mood swings; Luci was a very tough and determined kid. Her love for acting had grown into a big balloon that was let go and on its way into the galaxy where no one could reach it—where no one could mess with her achieving her dream. 

She would always stand in front of her white wooden framed mirror—with delicately painted colorful flowers around the border—reciting lines that she heard from a television series or the films that she watched, and she would write them down in her blue notebook. Sometimes, her parents would let her search the script up if it was available online. But oftentimes, she would test and challenge her memorization, and listen to it by ear; testing her mind, and eventually, her memorization skills were immaculate by the age of eleven. 

It was perfect timing because by the time she was in middle school, she was able to snatch the roles she wanted when her school’s drama department held school plays. Her family thought that she would start to hate being on stage since school plays always ran until late evening, but being part of the productions had only enhanced her love for her talent, and it only prepared her for a quarter of what her future may look like. 

All in all, from a very young age, she always knew that she wanted to become an actress. The spotlight or the center of the camera was where she always craved to be. 

And she was finally making that dream come true. 

A black Toyota Camry pulled into the space behind the car that was filled with her belongings. Ren and Beatrice, Luci’s lovely parents, both get out of the car with a pink box of donuts—a snack for the road and for when she gets to her new apartment. 

“Ready, Lucky?” Beatrice asked, rubbing her daughter’s back. She was quite bummed to see Luci leave her childhood home, but she’s proud to see Lucky Luci chase her dreams. She was, after all, twenty-five and was bound to move out at some point, but to see it actually happen made Beatrice quite emotional. 

“Ma, please, don’t cry…” Luci frowned as Beatrice pressed her fingertips to the corners of her eyes. She wrapped her arm around her mother’s shoulder, comforting her. “You’re all coming to New York in a month, right? To watch me on stage?” Luci asked, reassuring herself that she would see her family in a different state to rescue her from her loneliness. 

Luci was an independent woman. She could do tasks by herself, go places alone, and she wouldn’t have a problem with it; she enjoyed the company of herself. But to know that at some point she might be alone—that everyone had left her behind or forgotten about her—was what scared her. She needed to know that the people who loved her unconditionally wouldn’t forget about her. 

“Of course we’re going!” Ren exclaimed with a smile that Luci was going to miss seeing everyday. “We can’t miss our baby on the Broadway stage. If we could, we’d go to every damn show that you’re in, but that would be a lot of gas, no?” 

She chuckled, nodding her head. She felt tears pricking her eyes at how supportive her parents were—they’ve always been. If she could, she would take them with her to New York, but her one bedroom apartment and their work said otherwise. 

“Now, Lucky, don’t cry.” It was Beatrice’s turn to comfort her daughter. Like any parent, when they see their child cry, it breaks their heart and they cry too. “We’re gonna see you real soon. You can always come back anytime you want. We’re just a phone call away and we’ll pick you up,” Beatrice said between sniffles. The mother and daughter were embracing so tenderly and comfortingly—enjoying every last moment together until they got to see each other again. 

“Jeez, you’re both the same—always crying!” Ren interrupted, making the two women laugh; and he was glad they found what he said amusing because he couldn’t handle the sad moment. “C’mon here, my Lulu.” Luci settled into her father’s arms, hugging him tightly. She’s always been her dad’s girl, despite having a close relationship with her mother, her relationship with her father was something that felt like home; he always knew what to say and when to say it. It helped that she was the female version of him. “You’re gonna be the best star out there, I’m sure of it. Now, I want you to have fun, alright? The fame, the fortune, the big city…it doesn’t amount to anything if you’re not having the time of your life” He comfortingly rubbed Luci’s back, holding her in a warm and tight squeeze. 

Luci smiled at her father’s words. She was always a bit hard on herself when she would mess up or forget a line or a movement that correlates to a specific line in her script. When she was younger, she would beat herself up for a sliver of a moment; she would cry into her pillow—sobs loud enough that they were heard from downstairs. Luci would think that she wouldn’t become a well-known actress just because of the minor forgetfulness her mind had presented. But Ren would gently tap on her ocean blue door, letting himself in because he knew his daughter didn’t have the energy to get up and let him in, and he would sit beside her, gently urging her to sit up with him. Once she complied, after many groans of refusals, she would be glad she did because her father looked deeply into her eyes—and it was like looking into the reflection of clear and clean water—and told her she was a star. It was only three words, but those three words reminded her to never give up and get up when she would hit the pavement of what she felt like were her fallen hopes and dreams. 

Ren would then end it with a statement of advice that had always lingered in her mind, resonating to the silent and harshful words that she tells herself. ‘Nothing will amount to anything if you’re not having the time of your life.’

A rush of gratitude settled upon her as her eyes became glossier by the seconds she was in Ren’s arms. Beatrice looked at her greatest treasures fondly, a smile appeared on her face only for it to be replaced by a look of confusion. 

“Where is that damn brother of yours? He said he was going to be here at ten!” Beatrice interrupted the sweet moment she was having with her father, making them disconnect from the hug—just as Ren did with Luci and Beatrice.  

Speaking of the devil, her dear brother was making his way towards home on the side of the street, wearing a grey sweatshirt that was stained with his sweat as his earphones were nestled in his ears, loudly playing music. He loudly sang along to some rap song, breath staggered as he rapped along with his hands. 

Nathan smiled once he stepped foot onto the driveway as he took out his earphones, seeing his family look at him vigilantly. Luci laughed, shaking her head. 

“Hey, there’s our superstar, little Ana!” Nathan opened his arms, ready to hug you but she quickly stopped him, curving her spine backwards to deny his hug. Ana had been one of the many nicknames her family had called her when she was growing up from the second half of her name, but Ana seemed to have stuck with Nathan as no one else really called her that, so it was his own personal nickname for her. 

“Ew, please, do not hug me.” Her face wrinkled in disgust from the spell of her brother’s sweat from his run. Nathan chuckled, playfully rolling his eyes before turning towards his parents. 

“Ooh, donuts-”

Beatrice slapped the back of his hand before he even got a chance to open the pink donut box. “Not until you shower and change. Lulu needs to be in Brooklyn by three!” 

“Ow, mother!” Nathan whipped his hand away from Beatrice’s burning slap, although he was just playing around and being dramatic. “But fine, alright. The star always gets what she wants, am I right?” He dropped his head towards Luci, sighing before he hurried inside the house to take a quick shower and change. 

Luci giggled, telling her parents that she would be right back to go up to her room to check if she’d gotten everything, even though she knew that she had everything, she just needed to reminisce alone for a moment. 

Her feet took her up the wooden stairs, where she, for some unknown reason, always spent her time sitting on as she leaned her back against the wall and read or drew. Nathan always found it weird of her when they were doing homework when they were younger, but it was just one of the many fun anecdotes he could tell reporters if he’s asked about their childhood. 

Pushing open her ocean blue door that she never changed because she loved the color, she was met with the emptiness of what was once her sanctuary. Despite the paint on the wall changing, the replacement of furniture, and rearrangement of her childhood room, Luci could still see the baby pink walls where she hung up various posters of her celebrity crushes when she was eight. She could still see herself walking over to her Cinderella white wooden dresser as she pulled out an inflatable microphone from her drawer before she walked over to her bed to sing her heart out with her cousin. In the corner of her room was her mirror that she painted colorful flowers along the border when she was younger, and she definitely did not want to change or get rid of it; it wasn’t difficult to stir up a memory when she was in front of that mirror because up until now, she was always reciting her lines to her own reflection until the late night. 

All of these memories that Luci held within her heart would help her ground herself—remind her where she came from. No matter where her career took her, she would always be the girl that was firstly known in her room, crying, laughing, and acting within the four baby pink walls until she was sixteen, and then it changed to an ecru white. The feeling of nostalgia clutched her chest, and for the second time today—not even noon, yet—she found herself crying. 

She silently sobbed in her sanctuary. Her chest felt tight, like her heart was grasping onto the memories, begging her to not leave, to not move on. But moving on would mean being stuck, and she didn’t want to feel stuck—she just never wanted to be in one place where the walls would slowly feel like they were closing in on her. She didn’t want to be in one place and eventually hated it, so for that, she had to move on. 

A soft knock was heard from the outside of her bedroom, making Luci turn around hastily. She found Beatrice standing in the doorway, warmly smiling at her daughter, and keeping the tears at bay because she needed the comfort of her mother more than her mother’s tears. 

“My Lucky Star…” Beatrice walked into the room, welcoming Luci into her arms. “You okay?” 

Luci deeply inhaled and exhaled as she calmed herself down from her cries. “I’m alright. It’s just hard saying goodbye to this place—to my room.”’

“Oh, Lulu. You don’t need to say goodbye. I know you’ll be coming back here soon, anyways. I know you love home too much to completely stay away.” Beatrice was subtly trying to remind Luci about her love for her hometown, for her home, but her words also were trying to remind her about that certain love for her home and to never forget that love so she doesn’t stray away because Beatrice was simply afraid Luci would never want to come back once she discovered the luxury of her career. And even though she knew her Lulu wasn’t one to forget about her family, Beatrice would never admit her fear. 

Luci sniffled, wiping her tears away as she pulled away from her mother’s embrace. “Yeah, I know. Just…doesn’t feel real that I’m leaving.” 

“Sure, you’re leaving, but you’re going off to do bigger and better things. You were never one to stay in one place, physically and mentally—you were always moving, always loved learning more. And I’ve always been so intrigued and interested in how your mind works.” 

“Ma…” The waterworks seemed to be the highlight of the move. 

“I’m serious! I’m so genuinely proud of you. You’ve been keeping your talent—and I don’t mean ‘high school plays’ talent. I mean your Broadway, Hollywood, Academy winning talent. Now, you get to showcase your light in front of thousands of people.” Beatrice always had a way of boosting Luci’s self-esteem, making her ego a tad bit more bigger than it already was. She didn’t mind if her self-esteem had skyrocketed into the galaxy of her dreams, but she always reminded Luci that being humble and kind always outweighed being obnoxious and arrogant. “Now, enough with these tears. You’ve got a road trip to New York. C’mon, now.” 

They made their way downstairs and out the door where Ren and Nathan were talking about the latest basketball game of the Celtics. The trunk was closed, and the only thing waiting was Luci herself. 

“There she is! Ready?” 

Luci took a deep breath, turning her head to look back at the pastel yellow house that had kept her safe for the past twenty-five years. From here, she knew everything was going to change. Whether it’d be for the good or if things would go downhill from here? She didn’t know; all she knew was that she was going to be doing what she loved and she was going to have the time of her life doing it. 

“Yeah, I’m ready.” 

The state of Connecticut seemed to pass by quickly from the car as Nathan drove at a decent seventy miles per hour; the state vanished just as quickly as when they entered. 

Luci mindlessly looked out the window, thinking about everything and nothing at once as she drowned out the music playing through the speakers of the car and Nathan’s voice singing along. 

The cars passing by, the bystanders, and the locals filled the streets and highways, making her wonder what all of these people’s stories were—wondering if they lived in this city or if they were just stopping by to visit, or if they’re just going through the state to get to the one next door just as she was. Maybe she’s had an encounter or simply passed by them on the street in a world that seemed too large but small at the same time. She always pondered on whether everyone else thought the way she thought—if they wondered what her story was or the people around them. 

The world is an interesting place and there were so many intriguing people out there, making her more excited by the minute as she takes on this new adventure in her life that would be completely life changing. Luci’s going to be meeting so many new people that, she would hope, have an impact on her personal life or career. 

“Nervous?” Nathan broke the comfortable silence between them. 

Luci raised her brows and curled her lips into her mouth. “A bit.” 

He nodded, thinking for a moment. Nathan was always one to think before he spoke, and it was a quality that some people needed to learn how to do. He quickly learned that lesson when he was in high school; one of his friends, Johnny, and him were going back and forth joking around with one another. And for some odd reason, teenage boys liked to joke around about fucking everything, so Nathan had said “Yeah, I fucked your mom, what about it?” without thinking. Johnny stayed silent, the rest of their friends were waiting for his comeback, but they only received tears that glossed over his eyes before he ran off to a different part of campus, away from the lunch tables. Nathan found him behind the orchestra building with his face pressed on his kneecaps, crying. Later, he found out that Johnny’s mother had passed away before their sophomore year started and he hadn’t told anyone, which left Nathan quite speechless, but it was a lesson that he learned: to think before anything comes out of his mouth. 

“I know you’ll do great. You were born to do this, born to be on stage. Everything you do is to greater your experience and opportunities. All the mistakes you’re gonna make, which we both know you’re gonna make, they’re gonna be learning lessons for you to continue doing what you’re good at doing; the mistakes are there so you can better yourself,” he reassured, occasionally glancing at you briefly before averting his eyes back onto the highway. 

Luci smiled, never taking her eyes off her older brother. She leaned closer to the middle console, where his right arm was resting on the padded console. Hugging his arm tightly and resting her cheek on his shoulder, she accepted and appreciated his advice, his words. They made her heart fill up with so much gratitude and love, insanely grateful and happy that she had such an amazing and supportive family who always knew the right things to say when they could sense her nerves and anxieties powering through the roof. 

“You’re gonna kill it out there. This is just a step towards where you wanna go, where you actually wanna be.” 

She nodded, looking to her right as they quickly passed the ‘Welcome to New York’ sign from the state line of Connecticut and New York, and it was the sign indicating her new home. 

Nathan pulled into the apartment’s parking garage, entering in with the code that the complex gave Luci on the silver keypad as the two watched the automatic gate arm swing up to the side, and Nathan entered the parking structure, parking in one of the many spaces available. 

Luci excitedly got out of the car, rushing to the trunk where Nathan had opened it from inside the car. Unfortunately, she had forgotten to bring the hand dolly to help carry the boxes, which meant that the siblings were going to have to carry the many boxes she packed by her own hand and strength. But luckily, some of them weren’t that heavy; most of the items in the brown boxes were kitchenware and she figured she could just drag those. 

One by one, they took one box each and headed for the elevator, where it took them to her apartment floor—floor four. Luci grabbed the keys from her purse that contained two copper keys hanging on one single silver loop and a small keyless sensor, and she unlocked her navy blue door, revealing her new apartment. 

When she entered, she was met with a door across the entrance that she would use for her coats and shoes, things that she would need when she’s rushing out the door. Going through the small hallway in from the entrance, it led her to another small hallway to her left where her bedroom and guest bathroom was; and to her right, it would take her to the kitchen and living space. With four big windows with black window frames, the natural light really came in, making her place brighter for saving electricity. 

Walking in and putting the boxes against the black cabinets in the kitchen, she immediately fell in love with the space, her space. Despite already taking a tour of the apartment a few months prior to her official move in day, it felt different being there for the second time because she now knew that this place was hers. She saw it in a different light, and she was already anticipating the memories she was going to make in her new home. The place was empty; and with every step and every noise from her mouth, the room would echo, and she loved it. There was something satisfying about the echo in an empty space that was hers, like she wanted to furnish the hell out of it, but at the same time, she didn’t mind the echo. 

“This is your new home.” Nathan put an arm around Luci’s shoulder. He got a bit emotional seeing his baby sister grow up and move away from home, but he was excited for all of the experiences and memories she was going to make. Luci looked up at him, not saying anything but smiling as she was speechless. Nathan could practically feel the excitement run through her and all he did was chuckle at her speechlessness. “C’mon, let’s go get the rest of the boxes.” 

For the next fifteen minutes, Luci and Nathan hauled the boxes from the car, to the elevator, and down the hallway to her apartment. There were about four more boxes left in the trunk, and they would’ve been finished by now if they hadn’t been taking breaks. 

Nathan’s phone rang as he was sitting on the floor, leaning against the cabinets of the kitchen across from Luci who was sitting in the corner where her dining table would be. 

“Hello?” Answered Nathan. “What? Tonight? I’m in New York. I’m helping my little sister move here. Uh, okay. Sure. Bye.” He groaned, standing up. 

“Who was that?” Luci asked, nosy as she was. 

“That was one of the board members at Mass General Hospital.” Luci’s eyes widened. “They just asked me if I could come in tonight to teach and supervise the new residents.” Nathan was a general doctor working in the Emergency Room as Mass General back in Boston. He’s always wanted to teach with all the knowledge he’s stored in his brain—always wanting someone to learn a thing or two when they spoke to him, and this was his chance. 

“Holy shit, that’s amazing, Nate!” Luci stood up, excited for him.

He started to breathe a bit heavily and Luci immediately took notice; she could practically feel the nerves coming out of him, the same nerves she felt while going in for an audition. “Yeah, I actually have to leave, like, right now.” 

“Hey, hey.” She quickly stopped him from running out of the building and out of his mind. “Come here—breathe with me for a second.” She held onto his wrists gently. 

“Luci, I have to-”

He pulled away, but she tugged him back. “You’re going to drive yourself through the highway, and who knows what will happen, you might get pulled over and you won’t make it to the hospital. So, just take sixty seconds to breathe with me.” 

For the remainder of the time that they had together, they took some deep breaths. She spoke encouraging and uplifting words to him to calm down his nerves and anxieties that he seemed to drive himself over a cliff for, and it seemed to work as Nathan’s shoulder’s weren’t so tense and the grip on her hands had loosened. 

The two of them walked down to the parking garage where Nathan took down the last four boxes and placed them by the entrance of the complex. He was adamant on helping her get the last few boxes up to her apartment, but she shrugged it off, telling him that she was able to carry them and that he needed to leave because he’s most likely going to hit traffic during rush hour. 

“Call me if you need anything, okay? I mean it. I will drive here in a heartbeat.” 

“I will, I will-”

“Just not tonight,” he joked. “This is the highlight of my career.” His smile was so bright that it was like he was a little kid on Christmas again who just received a Hot Speed set from Santa. 

Luci laughed, hugging him goodbye. “And call me if you need anything too. I’ll miss seeing you everyday,” she admitted, a slight frown on her face. She thought she’d have the entire day with Nathan, but it was cut short due to his work but she wasn’t mad about that at all because she knew there'd be plenty of times when he would drive down to walk along the New York streets and see her perform. 

“I’m gonna miss you too, Ana. But I love you and I’ll see you next month!” He hurried into his car, and Luci watched him as he pulled out of the driveway, waving at the rear view mirror to say one last ‘see you later’ to his little sister. 

Walking back to the curb where all of the boxes were set, Luci picked one up to test how heavy it was and she barely made it upright without almost hurting her back, so she put the box down to take a proper breather. She decided to drag the box closer to the door of the complex—which saved her a few steps without completely dropping the box that was labeled ‘glass plates’—and pulled the handle of the door, only to find it completely locked. There was a slight panic that flew through her until she realized that she needed her keyless tag that she had to press against the pad on the wall to get inside the complex, so she blew out a sigh of relief before reaching down to her pocket for her key, and with just her luck, her keys weren’t in her pocket or with her at all. Then she started to panic again. 

Luci quickly walked out of the parking garage and to the front of the building where the leasing office was to find them closed, which was odd because it was Saturday, but apparently their servers were down so they just decided to take the entire day off. She rolled her eyes annoyingly, walking back to the garage in a fast manner because she didn’t want anyone to take her boxes, and so she figured that she could just wait until someone left the complex or arrived. She even left her phone at her place, so it wasn’t like she could call anyone to help her, but some sort of entertainment would help the time go by quicker. 

Sitting on the curb in the garage, pacing back and forth on the sidewalk, and humming the melody from the Miss Saigon soundtrack, an hour goes by until she sees someone walk past the automatic gate barrier, heading towards the entrance where he opened the door with his tag. Luci sprinted towards the door, calling out for help. 

“Wait, wait!” The man turned around confusingly, taking his AirPod out of one ear. She caught up, taking deep breaths as she waved at the man. “Sorry, I’ve been out here for an hour and I completely forgot my key.” He didn’t say anything but stared at her, wondering why he’s never seen this woman before. The apartment complex really only had four floors, and he’s sure that he’s seen everyone who’s lived here. She noticed that he looked down at the boxes and back at her. “Oh, I just moved in.” He nodded more understandingly. “Do you mind holding the door for me?” 

“Sure.” Was the first thing he told her before stepping aside to hold the door. She took another deep breath, getting into the correct form so she doesn’t throw her back out, and began to lift the heavy box. He noticed her struggling, and he felt foolish for not offering his help in the first place when he noticed the four boxes on the cement. “Here, sorry, let me help with that. Get the door, yeah?” Luci’s heart flipped once she heard his deep, accented voice before she gratefully thanked him and he grabbed the box from her, replacing her hands with his and the slightest brush of their fingers made her flustered; he held the box tightly to his chest without much struggle. 

“Yeah, let me just get this one.” Luci grabbed a much lighter box that had all of her shoes, and held the door for him with her foot as he made his way inside of the building and to the elevator. He pressed the button with the arrow pointing up, and luckily, they didn’t have to wait for more than five seconds before the bell at the top chimed and the stainless steel doors opened. 

With the heavy box in his hands, he still let Luci walk in first, which made her smile and he followed in as she pressed with the bold ‘4’ printed on it. He held the box in between his chest and the other end of the bar on the wall as they waited in silence as the elevator lifted them up to her apartment floor, and she brushed past him when he lifted his arm, gesturing her to go first. 

Her front door was closed but it was unlocked, which only made sense, so she opened her door, putting the box next to the entrance and politely asking the man to put it next to the one you put down. 

“Thank you so much, really. You have no idea how much I appreciate your help.” 

“It’s no problem. I was the same when I moved here too—forgot my keys and was locked out.” He related to make her feel lighter about the situation since it was an honest mishap. 

“Did you go to the leasing office?” She asked curiously. 

“Yeah, but they were closed.” 

“They’re closed today too! It’s like they do that on purpose whenever someone new moves in.” The man chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. 

She hadn’t gotten a proper look at him since she was too distracted by trying to get into her building, but just by one real look at him, he was very attractive—probably too attractive to where she couldn’t think straight. He was wearing a pastel yellow and white striped button down that was a bit flowy and open, showing his white tank underneath that was tucked into his black skinny jeans. His tank top was low enough, exposing a patch of chest hair and his necklace that rested against his skin, in between his swallow tattoos just below his collarbones. Rings hugged his long fingers on both hands as he held two brown paper bags from Trader Joes. He was handsome, that’s for sure, and she felt like she was going to compare his beauty to all the other men that she was going to encounter in the future. 

“They’re not very good at going into work, but if you give them a call then it’s like they’re a 24/7 help center.” 

Luci nodded, chuckling. “Good to know. I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“I’ll help you with the last boxes.” Before she was about to protest and tell him that he didn’t have to help her anymore because she was sure the last ones were light, he made his way towards the elevator and she quickly followed. 

To her surprise, one of the boxes was heavier than the other and she was glad that the man was able to carry it for her. They took the boxes up to her apartment, stacking it on top of the ones that were set down before she thanked him gratefully again. 

“I really appreciate all your help.” She smiled, leaning against the doorframe. 

“Not that I’m doubting your strength or anything, but how were you supposed to get those boxes up to your apartment?” He asked softly, not wanting to offend her by his words. 

“Oh, my brother was supposed to help me, but he had to go back home for an emergency at work.” The man nodded, seeming that was the most acceptable answer, not like he was searching if she was lying. “But thank you for your help. You’re a true lifesaver,” she said with a soft smile on her face. Her tone was a bit flirty than she wanted it to be, but it naturally came out. 

“It’s not a problem. I’ll see you around.” Luci hadn’t closed her door yet, but she found out that he was literally her neighbor on the opposite side of the wall. He didn’t even have to take two steps to get to his place—all he had to do was turn around and he was home. She smiled at the thought of that, glad that her neighbor was already so kind to her. 

As he was fumbling with his keys, he eventually got his door unlocked, and Luci was itching to ask what his name was—maybe make her first friend during her first day living in the big city. The man felt his neighbor's eyes on him, burning through the back of his head, so he turned around at the same time she spoke. 

“Uh, hey,” Luci called out. He was looking over his shoulder, pursing his lips as he raised his brows. “I was wondering if…you’d like to have dinner with me tonight? Y’know, to thank you for all your help and practically saving me while I was stranded.” She chuckled, playing with the tips of her fingers as she looked at him with hope. 

He thought the invitation was nice, but…“It’s okay, really. I, uh, have plans already tonight,” he admitted honestly because he doesn’t make a habit of being dishonest. 

Luci had some thick skin—she grew it throughout the years, and she had always been pretty confident. So many people would think that she could handle rejection well because she’s auditioned for many roles in her lifetime, and had been rejected for most of those roles. But the rejection that her neighbor handed to her so respectfully and politely was one that hit her the most, and she didn't know why. 

Curling her lips into her mouth as she felt the pang of her heart sinking into her chest, she nodded and placed a small smile onto her face. 

“Have fun tonight, then. I’ll see you around.” She grinned, hiding the slight bit of pain that she felt. He nodded, walking inside his apartment as she was in her doorway as well. “Oh, I’m Luci, by the way.” She introduced herself, feeling like she should have done that ten minutes ago, but it had slipped her mind. 

The corner of the man’s mouth turned up into a sly smirk, and she nearly felt herself fall as she gripped the door handle tightly. It was enough to make the pain in her chest disappear, and all thoughts of the rejection that she would think about for the rest of the night vanished. 

“Nice to meet you, Luci. I’m Harry.” 

With that, Harry closed his door, putting a barrier between him and Luci, who was still standing in her doorway. She let out the longest sigh of her life, feeling like she’d been constricting herself from breathing properly for the last ten minutes. 

Luci closed her door and leaned against it, looking down at the boxes that were resting by her feet. She softly smiled, her cheeks were starting to get warm, and she was fully aware that Harry was the cause of it.

come talk to me about your thoughts and feelings! hope you all enjoyed the first chapter, thank you for reading <3 

ty to @sunflowers-styles​ for beta reading!

#harry styles fanfiction #harry styles angst #harry styles series #harry styles x oc #harry styles fic #harry styles ff #harry styles smut #harry styles fluff #harry styles au #boyfriend!harry #harry styles writing #harry styles solo #actress!oc

[inkslingersworld]

In Defense of Lukanette/Adrigami

I have recently completed watching the animated superhero television show Miraculous Ladybug for the first time, and I have some thoughts.

Now, before I start rambling, I just want to say that I’m not trying to criticize anybody for their preferred ship in MLB. I’m just trying to encourage employing critical thinking when it comes to the show, the characters, and the plot lines. Even if I don’t convince you in this argumentative essay, it is my hope that you will at least perceive things a little more deeply regarding Miraculous Ladybug.

Okay, so for the most part, Miraculous was a decent enough show. I’m not going to go shouting from the rooftops “F*CK YOU, THOMAS ASTRUC!!!”, as some people are apt to do. He is the show’s creator and is at the liberty to do whatever he likes with it. 

However, that doesn’t mean I have to agree with him on everything.

Despite its best parts, the show has a lot of flaws, and even though I could sit here all day complaining about what’s wrong with it, I’m choosing for focus on a single aspect of it (for now): the illusion of the OTP.

The Love Square - which involves Marinette liking Adrien and Chat Noir liking Ladybug, even though Marinette is Ladybug and Chat Noir is Adrien - never made much sense to me, even from the beginning. These are the problems I’ve found with it.

1. THAT’S NOT EVEN HOW LOVE WORKS

Now, I could be wrong, but if you love someone - and I mean really love someone - that love wouldn’t be jeopardized because of the love interest simply wearing a costume. And yes, I understand that Marinette and Adrien’s civilian identities act differently than their superhero ones, but still. THEY’RE THE SAME F*CKING PEOPLE!!! I’ve shouted myself hoarse about this loophole more times than I can count. If they were truly in love, wouldn’t Marinette like Chat Noir as much as Adrien? And wouldn’t Adrien like Marinette as much as Ladybug?

2. THEY DON’T LOVE EACH OTHER

Riding on the back of what I just said, the Love Square only proves that it isn’t true love. If it were, they would love each other regardless of whether they were wearing their costumes or not! And there is simply nothing else I can add to this.

3. THE LOVE SQUARE FEELS SHOVED DOWN MY THROAT

The production team for the show has missed out on the chance of some excellent character-building scenes in favor of the Love Square. They’ve been trying to sell it to us ever since the show began. Sure, the Love Square has had its moments, but it ultimately would not suffice as an actual romantic relationship. One of the worst things the show has done is scrap Lukanette and Adrigami. I think deep down all of us knew it was the move they were gonna make, but they dated for like TWO EPISODES. Even if they weren’t gonna keep them, they should’ve at least showed the relationship on more levels, at least to show Marinette and Adrien maturing emotionally.

4. THE REVEAL WOULDN’T CHANGE ANYTHING

Some people take the side of “Oh, but once they find out their secret identities, they’ll love each other!” THAT’S NOT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AT ALL!!! Marinette would only love Chat Noir because he was Adrien, and Adrien would only love Marinette because she was Ladybug! Even people who support the Love Square agree on this!! They try to present a solution in which Ladybug falls in love with Chat Noir first and Adrien for Marinette, but that too is unrealistic. In the show’s timeline, Marinette and Adrien have been superheroes for three years. I mean, COME ON. 

And 5. IT WOULD BE TOO DANGEROUS

We all saw what happened in Chat Blanc. Love Square = The End of Days. You can kid yourself all you like, but it’s the truth.

Maybe it wouldn’t unfold quite like Chat Blanc, but Marinette and Adrien becoming romantically attached would provide a vital opportunity for Hawk Moth. It’s not like he’s been the best at planning before, but this would be a hard one to miss. 

Perhaps these five reasons aren’t enough to sway you, but they’re good enough for me. And now I turn my attention to the benefits of Lukanette and Adrigami.

1. THEY LOVE THEM FOR WHO THEY ARE

Marinette and Adrien have not always been superheroes, but they’ve always been themselves, and that’s who they are at their core. Luka loves Marinette for who she is, and Kagami loves Adrien for who he is. It’s that simple.

2. FAR LESS CONTRADICTIONS

The dilemma involving identities is nonexistent in a Lukanette/Adrigami scenario. If Marinette and Adrien revealed their identities to Luka and Kagami, well, that would just be the sprinkles on top of an ice cream sundae. The love of my life is a superhero too? That’s so like them. Also, this type of reveal wouldn’t pose any threat Hawk Moth-wise. 

3. THEY CAN HELP EACH OTHER GROW

If the Love Square were to happen, I think it would be a den of awkwardness. Adrien has had very little exposure to the outside world, and if he began a romantic relationship with Marinette, a lot of the time it would be Marinette showing stuff and teaching things to Adrien, which might be nice in some cases, but does not sound particularly fetching to me. With Lukanette and Adrigami on the other hand, it would be the two of either couple teaching things and showing stuff to each other. Luka could show Marinette to play guitar, Marinette could teach Luka how to bake (one of my dream Lukanette scenes is one of Marinette passing on her fashion skills to Luka). 

I think this could work for Adrigami also. Both of them have been sheltered for all their lives, and I think it would be nice to see them discovering new things together. They could also teach each other the stuff they already know; Kagami could work on her art skills with Adrien, they could teach each other languages, maybe Adrien could show Kagami to play the piano (or whatever that video game was in Gamer), and so on and so forth. And obviously, at some point, one of them would say to the other, “It’s you and me against the world.”

For me, Lukanette and Adrigami are just more appealing, and I can’t see why the show runners don’t feel that way as well. If they’re refusing it in favor of conflict to drive the show, they can provide that conflict through Lukanette and Adrigami. I mean, seriously - Luka and Kagami would be dating superheroes. That doesn’t come without its side effects.

If their reasoning is “we’ve been alluding to the Love Square ever since the show started”, then scrap the Love Square! I think Marinette and Adrien work better in a friend capacity anyway! Besides, changing love interests is a part of life, and doing this in the show would add a bit more realism to a rather unrealistic television program.

In conclusion, Lukanette and Adrigami could send MLB soaring to new heights, and provide a deviation from the same boring old formula. 

#argumentative #inkslingersworld #mlb #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #lukanette #adrigami #against the love square #essay #persuasive essay

[kyluxtrashpit]

Okay so I jokingly mentioned I have an entire rant on twitter and then people wanted to see it so I’m gonna crosspost here too cause why not

(Note: includes spoilers for Major Grom and Plague Doctor comics, has nothing to do with the movie. It’s regarding what I strongly predict will happen in volume 8, which comes out next week)

(Second note: I’m gonna tag this with ‘long post’ even though it’s behind a cut for the sake of mobile users to go blacklist literally right now if they’re not interested cause I included the relevant comic panels and thus it’s LONG sdklsdklsdks)

Anyway: why Sergey must be the one to personally rescue Oleg in volume 8, from a narrative point of view

In order for Sergey and Oleg's relationship, regardless of how you want to define it, to move forward with positive momentum, this /must/ happen. The narrative demands it in order to bring closure. Why? Well, let's get into it by analyzing what we have so far

1) While I do fully believe Oleg trusts and forgives Sergey (and I’m not gonna go into proof of that here, as others have before), there is a constant spectre hanging over them. A spectre in the shape of 5 bullets. We are reminded constantly of it, largely in the form of Sergey's guilt, which is something we haven't gotten any real closure on yet. Sergey believes himself only capable of destruction, which is literally represented using a picture of him and Oleg.

The rift in their relationship is why Sergey doubts himself. The lasting physical effects bother him as well and we are all but beaten over the head with it - Sergey can't forget and neither can we, the audience. Oleg, too, has to live with this, even if he has made his peace with it

In fact, his long term injuries are what cause him to be captured in the first place. This situation, from a narrative pov, is thus Sergey's fault - if not for the 5 bullets, it's implied Oleg could've won. But no, he's captured and tortured, because of what Sergey did

What Oleg does or doesn't think of that is honestly irrelevant; the narrative is what's setting this up as a direct consequence. Also, whether or not Oleg has forgiven Sergey is also irrelevant because Sergey hasn't forgiven himself. This is what the story has presented and thus what it needs to conclude.

2) We are all also aware that Oleg has rescued Sergey more than once, even when it was ill-advised. The first time, sure, there's some risk, but it’s still in the range of manageable. But the second time? Not only was it more dangerous, given all that was going on in the immediate aftermath, he’s also risking himself to rescue someone who shot him 5 times. Oleg is cautious; he keeps Sergey in a cell presumably until he feels safe freeing him, but he still did it. He planned it, had that place ready, faked their deaths, all of it. He did that after the 5 bullets

So Sergey isn't lying when he tells Lera they don't leave their people behind. Oleg has been there for Sergey before, rescued him no matter the dangers, continues to stay by his side, and even cares enough to make sure he sleeps. Given this, how could Sergey not be ready and willing to return the favour?

3) Every outside character who knows anything about their relationship believes it to be imbalanced. The mercenary, Altan, Vadim, and even Lera. They all say this, they all point out the 5 bullets, that oh, Oleg, why does he stay?

While they don't have the insight us readers do, this tension is here for a reason, especially coupled with the previous two points. Even if we know better, the narrative is offering us a kernel of doubt. Does Sergey really care? Will he go as far for Oleg as Oleg has for him? Did he really mean those apologies? Or are the others right? Even Oleg, although I do think he's lying to protect Sergey, says he has doubts. Vadim seems certain Sergey will come, yet still calls Oleg “Mr. Stockholm Syndrome”.

The equality of their relationship is continually called into question - why do that if it's not going to be resolved? Why play this 'will he, won't he' game if he won't? Why set us up for disappointment? If Sergey doesn't go, all of this will remain unresolved and their relationship can only get worse, not better. The spectre will never leave them alone.

(One note here: I believe most of these perspectives are from unreliable narrators, given what details they give and that their accounts conflict with what we actually see. But these perspectives are included for a reason – imo, so that Sergey can prove them wrong)

4) The other thing the narrative tells us is that Sergey can be impulsive. Yes, he's brilliant, frighteningly so, but it's Oleg that is constantly urging caution. Sergey is aware there are risks, yet he forges ahead anyway, restrained (sometimes) only by Oleg's advice.

Why would that change now? If anything, with how distressed Sergey seems to be, I'd argue he'd be even /more/ impulsive than usual because he's too emotional to think right.

And who's going to urge caution, if not Oleg? Lera? I doubt he would listen if she did and, to be frank, why would she care if Sergey gets hurt? She knows him primarily as the one forcing her into a situation that is having serious negative effects on her life. Her secondary knowledge is that he's a murderer and terrorist. Much as it's fun to think of them all having a friendly relationship, Plague Daughter and all that, that’s not where they are right now. She might from a logical point of view, just because it is very obviously a trap, but Sergey knows that - her saying it isn't going to convince him of anything. Even if she did try, I don't think it'd have any effect.

5) And lastly, Lera is absolutely not ready for this fight. This isn't some regular asshole on the streets; Vadim is a professional killer. He beat Oleg in a fight and, even with his injuries, we all saw the kitchen fight. We know what Oleg is capable of. I love Lera with my whole being and she is a badass, but she's not ready for this. She had trouble with Kamenny, who honestly may have let her win under Altan's instructions.

Even still, Vadim is MUCH better and, much as Altan wants PD alive, I don't think he much cares in what condition. Best case scenario is that Lera gets captured too, and Vadim likely wouldn't hesitate to kill her, and then Sergey has to go himself anyway. Lera may come to help, but Sergey needs to be there. If Sergey really is better than Oleg at present, he's the one who needs to fight Vadim (with a plan, obviously, and maybe some extra backup).

In conclusion, all of this comes together to say one thing: Sergey needs to go. He needs to prove to himself, to the audience, and most of all to the narrative that no, this relationship isn’t one-sided, and that he will go as far for Oleg as Oleg has gone for him. The narrative made this a big point of tension, insisted upon it, beat us over the head with it, and now has teased at Sergey’s opportunity to put up or shut up. It has to be Sergey, both practically because Lera isn’t ready yet, and in order to be a satisfying story. Because if he doesn’t, that tension isn’t resolved. His guilt will only grow after failing Oleg once again, despite Oleg sticking with him through everything, and it would have been by his own choice, not because of the Bird’s influence or anyone else. He will know it. Oleg will know it. We will know it. And their relationship can only sour from there. There will be no more possibility for positive momentum, only negative.

As a last point, I will also say that I’m aware my anxieties may be unfounded. These creators do seem to legitimately care about these characters, telling a good story, and satisfying the audience. But I’ve been burned by pieces of media where that is not the case, so it’s hard for me to trust and not doubt, even with creators who have, so far, not let me down lmao.

Anyway, thank you for coming to my tedtalk, I’m sure I missed something I would’ve liked to add but holy shit this is absurdly long already sdklsdklsk so uh bye ✌️

#serovolk #сероволк #sergey razumovsky #сергей разумовский #oleg volkov #олег волков #чумной доктор #plague doctor #bubble comics #meta #hey everybody friendly reminder I was a meta writer before I wrote fic skdlsdksld #lmao anyway enjoy... whatever this is #my cats have heard it enough times and twitter has been spammed to hell with it #so now it's your turn tungle friends! #shut up nerd #text #long post #major grom

[ripperdaddy]

the viktor vector romance path + ending we deserve

Disclaimer: This is definitely something I came up with in my head. There will be a few instances that are solely made up so it can tie in with the “story.” This is purely fictional; something I wished happened if there was a possible Vik romance 🥰 This is based on my general knowledge of the game & Vik’s life. All gifs + images are from my own personal play through, but wouldn’t be possible without the help of the Appearance Menu Mod, found on Nexus Mods by the creators, MaximiliumM and CtrlAltDaz. And the shirtless Vik mod by the lovely samsnak ♡

It would start after completing the Paid In Full quest where you pay Vik back the eddies you owe him.

I feel like realistically, the general player would have to be at least halfway through the story to have collected enough eddies. I would say that a good point in the story where we can begin the romance is that you’ve already established a connection to Alt and have dealt with the VDB’s.

I think it would be a short side quest like River’s. Vik already plays a big part in the story overall on his own, so I don’t think it’s necessary to make his “side quest” too long. His romance would just be an addition to the ending.

And as much as I would love for him to be a bisexual option for both male/female V, if we’re sticking with the game’s standard with limiting partners to only one kind of partner, he would only be romance-able by a female V with a feminine voice.

V: Finally scrounged up enough eddies to pay you back in full.

Vik: Hold on to ‘em just in case - you need ‘em more than me.

V: I’m not taking them all the way to my grave, Vik. Here. And.. thanks again for doing so much work on me ‘thout ever seein’ an enny.

Vik: That’s what friends are for.

Then, there is an additional option for dialogue to trigger the romance path.

V: Friends? I think you’ve been in and out of my body more than anyone else I’ve hooked up with in Night City.

He laughs, with a coy smile. “Well, can’t argue with you there. Why don’t we take some of these eddies and grab a drink. You know, to celebrate. Catch up on old times. Haven’t seen you round here much lately, kid.”

You agree to meet at the El Coyote Cojo tomorrow evening.

You meet around 9 PM and you are welcomed by the sight of Pepe and Vik at the bar.

V: Nice choice of venue.

Vik: Thought you’d like it. Haven't been here since.. well, you know.

V: I miss him, Vik.

Vik: I know, V. Me too.

You immediately take a seat and tinker with a few dialogue options, where you can either have a sweet moment talking about Jackie or some surface questions to ask, like how he’s doing, what kind of drink he likes, etc. But it all winds down to Jackie anyway, where Vik confides in you about his past. Judging by how Vik was so affected by Jackie’s death, and V’s (if you chose the suicide ending), you can tell that he has lost a lot in his life, and keeps his circle very small.

You then achieve an even closer, more personal relationship with him. But, ultimately nothing happens other than the usual, wait 24 hours in game for a text/phone call from Vik to head into the next stage. At least now, you have established the foundation for a future romance.

Halfway through the 24 hour period, you get a text from Vik thanking you for the lovely evening. No reply needed, as he calls you once the 24 hour mark hits and invites you out for another date.

You meet at Tom’s Diner for coffee in the afternoon. It starts off with him apologizing for being emotional the previous night and asks if you’re open to hanging out again and going down to Pacifica to watch a fight with him.

Vik: Hey, V. I just wanted to apologize about last night. I didn’t mean to be such a downer.

V: It’s okay, Vik. We share the same grief.

Vik: I was going to head down to Pacifica and catch a real good match later on today. I was wondering if you’d like to come along, think it’d be great for the both of us, you know, as a distraction.

pssst even Johnny’s rooting for y’all ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Johnny: Hmm, interesting.

V: What?

Johnny: Never thought you'd be going out with this guy.

V: Vik's amazing. And I mean--we basically owe it to him since he practically saved our life.

Johnny: Don't tell me you're going out with him out of pity.

V: I'm not.

Johnny: I know, I can feel you get all mushy-gushy. It's almost repulsive. Just wanted to hear you admit it.

V: Eat a dick, Johnny.

You arrive before the GIM and blend into the crowd.

V: Nothin’ like watching guys beat the shit out of each other to get your blood pumpin’, huh?

Vik: This is a real good matchup, V. This kid’s fresh, young talent.

V: You miss it, don’t you?

Before the fight begins, Vik shares a story about his time in the ring and coming in second in the Watson Boxing Grand Prix.

There’s some extra fun options in the dialogue, you can bet some eddies on who’s gonna win, or side with him. The fight ends, and you two head outside.

Since you’re already out in Pacifica, you head over to the boardwalk (where you would ride the roller coaster with Johnny) and he starts telling you about the last days of his boxing career and how he transitioned from the sport to being a ripperdoc.

You both share a sweet moment with each other, reminiscing about old times and talking about V’s future with the relic. This is where I would see Vik confessing how he feels about you, mentioning how grateful he is for Jackie introducing you to him.

The evening ends and Vik asks you to give him some time to try and dig up some footage from his storage and have you come over to watch. You can kiss him then wait another 24 in game hours before the last quest. Halfway through, he texts you and asks you what you’d like for dinner. You can opt for pizza or chinese.

I haven’t seen or read anything about how or where Vik lives. If I overlooked something, please let me know! But for the sake of the story, let’s say he does actually have his own place that’s now introduced in the game. Personally, I think he has a typical bachelor pad, like a really nice apartment. Not too far from his clinic either. He looks like he would just walk to work. Vik definitely has a lot of money, but he’s so humble I doubt he would choose to live lavishly. As mentioned in the beginning, he typically just “sleeps nights” ever since he was over “being a legend” so I’m guessing his lifestyle is very routine. He goes to work, goes home, sleep. Seems unlikely he has a place like the Peralez’s. It would probably be just the same as V’s but decorated to his taste.

The evening comes and you are over at his place. He’s dressed in just a white undershirt, no exo-glove. You get to know more about his family, how he grew up — scanning things around his place. Then he plays some footage of one of his fights for you, while you two have a conversation and share a beer. As you two sit on the couch, you get close, then have an opportunity to kiss him.

then this is where da sex happen hihihi (ノ・ω・)ノ

The next morning you wake up and you two have a heartfelt conversation about where this is going. He already knows your situation, so I would assume he is very accepting and supportive. And with Vik, he seems like the kind of guy who would still want to be in your life and keep the friendship the same way despite no longer being together romantically. So it’s official. He’s your man 🥵 !!11!1!

Like how River gives you the “fuck the police” tank top after sleeping with him, I think Vik would give you his Night City Devils t-shirt that provides you with a significant amount of armor or some kind of cyberware upgrade that makes you invulnerable for a brief moment while using your hands to fight enemies.

Note: I was thinking of Vik giving V his boxing glove necklace, but because it's part of his character's appearance in the game, I don't think we would be able to essentially "take it" from him - unless he gives you a replica as a keepsake. Which I think would also work.

If you successfully romance, during the rooftop scene near the end of Nocturne OP55N1 (despite Vik’s disposition of him telling you to take matters in your own hands and being a little closed off), you still have an option to reach out to him when Johnny advises you to call a loved one.

V: Hey, Vik. I just wanted to say, thanks for hanging with me, until the end.

Vik: Quit talking like it is, V. Just do what you need to do.

V: I mean, think of it. It’s like I’m heading into the last round of this whole thing.

Vik: Well, in that case.. remember—keep your hands up, guarded at all times. It ain’t over just yet.

V: Heh.. I can feel it, just a few more punches.

Vik: Now look at you - the new welterweight champ of Night City.

V: Thanks, coach.

Vik: Last piece of advice from the coach's corner. Just.. be careful, kid. Remember, I’m with you.

Okayyyy, soooo I’m not the biggest fan of how CDPR gave us two of the same endings (Path of Glory). The only difference is that Rogue’s life is spared. I would have assumed that not only would we get to keep Rogue around, things should have played a bit more differently for V if we took the route of going solo against the corpos. So let’s tweak it.

This specific ending; it should be after getting through Don’t Fear The Reaper where you single-handedly manage to rip through Arasaka by yourself. Johnny goes back to Alt & Rogue is still alive. Yes nobody dies!!!

(honestly this ending can apply to any love interest you choose)

Vik and V are now living together in a lavish penthouse, entertaining an upcoming merc to do their work for them (which is now the current POV of the player.) You were recruited by Rogue at the Afterlife, who told you to visit this couple for a real, preem job.

They give you some vague details about the gig and go on for a brief moment about what you will be doing and what you should expect. Vik emphasizes to you that it’s important you get what they need because it’s for his wife, V, as her life depends on it.

As Never Gonna Fade Away is playing in the background, they tell you to break into Arasaka HQ.

Then the game officially ends.

#cyberpunk 2077 #viktor vector #v/vik #let us romance the ripperdoc you cowards

[makeste]

BnHA Movie 3 Trailer Hyped-Up Overreaction Post

WHO WANTS TO CAPSLOCK ABOUT THE NEW MOVIE 3 TRAILER WITH ME

I HAVE MANY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS

first of all, subtitled version here for anyone who’s interested! now, then.

so we start with a baby. I wonder if this is supposed to be THE baby? like, you know, THAT BABY. THE GLOWY BABY

this guy has the longest, skinniest feet in the entire world. like, those are some snazzy shoes don’t get me wrong, but I can’t focus on that at all because this person has like an entire extra foot glued onto the end of his. hey mister why are you stepping on this golden baby

what did it ever do to you

is this a cult?

is the focus supposed to be people standing around this gold thing in the front of the main room, or the person standing at the top of those stairs up there? why are they pointing spears at a statue. this image is extremely strange

“are quirks blessed fortunes sent to humanity” possibly, but if that’s the case humanity did a great job fucking that up like we fuck everything else up sob

what’s this bridge here? this kind of looks like the 25 de Abril bridge in Portugal, but the surrounding terrain is different and it looks a lot smaller. like, really small. is this bridge actually tiny or is this fountain secretly HUGE. or is the bridge actually like way farther away than we’re supposed to think it is?? this is another strange image

“creator, supervisor, and character design by Horikoshi Kouhei” all I needed to hear, THANK YOU. good job 2021. between this, the vaccine, and the boat stuck in the Suez Canal you’re on a roll lately

now we get to the really good part

so, my brain refuses to accept that this is a real sentence. “hero Deku wanted for mass murder” no those words don’t go together like that. that’s a fucking fake sentence. this literally doesn’t compute for me at all. I can’t fucking process it without immediately cracking up lmao. DEKU KILLED SOMEONE YOU GUYS. HE KILLED MASS SOMEONES ACTUALLY. HE’S WANTED FOR MURDER. THIS IS WHAT A MURDERER LOOKS LIKE

LOOK IF YOU DARE, INTO THE FACE OF EVIL

WORLD CRISIS. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE EARTH. yeah that sounds par for the course for BnHA these days

this person seems really upset

it’ll be all right, friend

WHAT IS THIS IMAGE DOING HIDDEN HERE IN THIS “PAUSE OR YOU’LL MISS IT” SCENE

JUST IGNORE ALL THE YOUTUBE STUFF, I’M SORRY, I COULDN’T GET RID OF IT, AND I DIDN’T WANT TO CROP IT OUT BECAUSE EVERY PIXEL COUNTS IN THIS ONE. ANYWAYS, NOTHING TO SEE HERE, JUST TSUYU, OCHAKO, KIRISHIMA AND TETSUTETSU ALL LYING AROUND DEAD AND STUFF. PROBABLY DEKU DID IT

PLANES!!! THE BETTER TO YEET CHILDREN OUT OF

also what city is this?? this isn’t any recognizable city that I can think of, but it’s not like I’m an expert, and also it is supposed to be the future so the skylines might have changed

MY BOYSSSS

ABOUT TO JUMP OUT OF A PLANE. PROBABLY ON THEIR WAY TO COMMITTING SOME MASS MURDERS IDK. SHOUTO’S NEW COSTUME IS COMPRISED OF AT LEAST 50% HOODIE YOU GUYS. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH??

WHY IS THERE A TIME LIMIT OF TWO HOURS

BURNIN’?!??!

THEY MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY TO CALL THIS NEW MOVIE MY HERO ACADEMIA: HEROES FALLING. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE... BECAUSE LIKE, HEROES RISING... AND NOW THEY’RE FALLING... GET IT... BECAUSE THEY’RE... ANYWAY

so can Burnin’ fly?? none of these heroes appear to be wearing parachutes. heroes sure are wild

TOKOYAMI?!?!

HAWKS LOOKS SO... IDK WHAT IT IS BUT I’M LOSING IT AT HIS FACE SOB

HOODIEEEE

you all don’t understand how badly I NEED THIS HOODIE IN MY LIFE. it is INSANE how jealous I am of Shouto right now. YOU CAN DISAPPEAR UNDER THAT THING!! JUST PULL IT RIGHT DOWN OVER YOUR EYES AND TAKE A NAP. THIS IS SUCH A POWERFUL HOODIE YOU GUYS YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND

KACCHANNNN

HE’S SO SNUG IN HIS HOODIE!!! HE LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE KID WEARING A HALLOWEEN COSTUME BUT SOMEHOW HE PULLS IT OFF. AND DID HE CHANGE UP HIS MASK??? I LOVE THIS??

DEKUUUUU

THE BLACK AND GREEN AESTHETIC IS SO FUCKING DOPE YOU GUYS. LOOK AT THE EYES!! THE MASK IS FINALLY COLOR COORDINATED!! FINALLY IT’S ALL COMING TOGETHER. DEKU ANY OTHER COSTUME YOU HAVE AFTER THIS WILL BE A LETDOWN. YOU PEAKED, DUDE. YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO TOP THIS I’M SO SORRY

FALLINGGGGGG

OKAY THANK GOD, IT DOES LOOK LIKE THEY’RE WEARING PARACHUTES HERE. NOT THAT KACCHAN OR SHOUTO NEED THEM. SHOUTO LOOKS SO COOL SOMEHOW. DOING THE AERODYNAMIC THING. HE LOOKS LIKE A PROFESSIONAL. HOW ARE THEIR HOODIES STAYING ON WITH THEM FALLING LIKE THAT

KACCHAN IS JUST

BYE KACCHAN

SHOUTO’S FLAMES LOOK SO TINY IN COMPARISON BUT HE’S TRYING LOL

this gave the impression that he was trying to blast off like Kacchan did, but because his flames are only on his left side he ends up just spinning in a circle lol

boy what are you doing

I guess they’re trying to shoot at someone?? probably Kacchan for showing them up like that

THERE IT IS THE SHOT OF DEKU

they always gotta do this shot

AHHHHHH

GLOWING!!!!!! SHINY!!!!!

IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT FOR THIS AHHHHH

love how there is absolutely NO CONTEXT for Deku being a mass murderer at ANY POINT IN THE ENTIRE TRAILER. it’s just, “by the way Deku’s a murderer lol” and then all of this other stuff with people falling out of planes and being shiny. DEKU KILLED SOMEONE, EH... WE’RE JUST GOING TO IGNORE IT

anyway, so! this movie looks liiiiiiit you guys, I can’t wait. it’s hitting Japan in August, so hopefully we’ll start getting it in other countries within a couple months of that. can’t wait to see all that murder, goddamn

#bnha movie 3 #bnha: world heroes' mission #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #makeste reads bnha #makeste watches bnha

[soul-dwelling]

Maybe this is a loaded question, but you mentioned in a few of your recent posts, that soul eater left a lot of gaps that were filled by the creators of fanfics. Do you have any examples of that? Maybe it's just cause many of the most popular ones are SOMA and I dont care for that ship, but do they include elements like the world and exploring things that were teased like atlantis or the other great elders and stuff like that?

Maybe some of what I'm going to list out of bitterness, as a lot of headcanon or hopes for what could one day be explained is getting contradicted by any interpretations that Fire Force suddenly explains Soul Eater stuff. So, I'm going to do my best to not just say "this gap may be filled in by Fire Force for some readers," as that'll become some real tiresome whining on my part.

I'm also going to avoid bringing up stuff that I think never needed an answer (and Fire Force just insists on trying to over-answer for no good reason): "Why are the Sun and the Moon like that?" They just are. "How can madness exist like this?!" It just does. "How are Jack the Ripper, Al Capone, Rasputin, and maybe even JFK now all alive contemporaneously to Maka and company?!" They just are. This is not our world, this is not our timeline--it's theirs. "How can Stein survive with a screw through his head?" I don't know--how come Soul isn't dead after Maka clubbed him in the head that many times?

Wes Evans, Soul's parents, and Soul's grandmother: If they are just there for character motivation for Soul, fine, but it's weird to bring them all up but not pay that off. Wes isn't there at the DWMA when Soul is honored as the last Death Scythe? Soul Eater NOT had an as-of-yet Japanese-exclusive extra volume, which featured a side-story where Anya mentions Soul and Wes once performed for her mother and father--why not tap into more of that family history? (I could also bring up Tsubaki's mom, Liz and Patty's mom, Kilik's home country, but you get the point--these are details that could be expanded upon but aren't. Plus, it's messed up for NOT to just say "Kilik's home country" rather than, you know, actually confirming it.)

Who were all of Lord Death's initial warriors? Again, Fire Force may give this answer to people, but it feels like the story in Soul Eater ran out before it got to delve into this part.

On a related note, though, diving into the personalities of the Death Scythes and their meisters, Dengu and J'inn, is a massive missed opportunity.

And of course, Maka's mother. Maybe you could get away with not showing her or really giving her much personality--we know she's away, we don't need a strong reason for her being away when we already see Maka can handle herself (and, in the anime, the postcards keep coming in), and avoiding Spirit is a fine enough reason for her to not be seen. Or she has been there all along but never in an actual chapter--that can work, too. But it seems like such a middle finger to readers to never do anything with her, even at the end of the series, or in NOT, or the NOT special volume, or much of anything in the anime. And to potentially pay that off in Fire Force--if she magically shows up in the final chapter--is such a cynical cash-grab to get more readers into a series that is ending anyway.

Arachne creating weapons like the Nakasukasa. That sounds like there could be a story there.

What exactly did the Star Clan do that was so bad? I'm not saying we need justification for Lord Death putting them on his kill list, when being assassins can see like reason enough. But we saw Akane and debatably Ao in NOT having some familial ties to the Star Clan, yet they didn't get in trouble like Black Star's family. (This one is probably the detail that pisses me off the most about Fire Force: "Let's take Rekka, who at this point was assumed to be only an Easter Egg referencing Black Star's design and motif, and instead, if we interpret this manga as a prequel, strongly imply he goes on to be progenitor for the entire Star Clan!" ...No. Rekka is a child-abusing dick--don't make this guy anyone's ancestor. I know that one's ancestry doesn't define you, which is Black Star's entire storyline--but if the Star Clan is already bad enough, we don't need to make them any worse by associating them with some asshole who Shinra should have left dead.)

How else has Lord Death's presence shaped international policies? This isn't me starting this up--Ohkubo started this when he had NOT reveal that Japan's prime minister is required to be a graduate from the DWMA. So, how else did Lord Death shape global politics? How and where are Death Scythes placed? Do Death Scythes have someone filling in for them when they travel back to Death City?

Speaking of which, does Azusa have a meister at all when she's not working on DWMA missions? She was wielded by Sid and Kilik--but who else tends to wield her when she's not assigned to whichever meister is available at the time?

And on the topic of international politics, anything more we should learn about Anya's home country?

What are witch family structures like? Kim seems to know witches by name, she still traveled back to witch meetings (with Jackie), but she also wanted to avoid witches as her magic didn't match with their chaos magic. Does Kim have parents?

How exactly do souls works, and how are zombies created? This is a cheat, after I already said, "I don't care how the Sun and the Moon and time work in this series--I just like what I like!" But Sid's creation, and how some bodies disappear after their souls are taken out, is enough of a biological question, especially when that opens the door for potentially more zombies showing up--but never actually showing up.

What was Ragnarok before he was melted down? We know he assumed a weapon form, we know he became Crona’s blood, but how does he relate to the Black Blood in general?

What was the other form of the Mizune Sisters? Medusa killed off one sister before we saw how her combination with her other sisters may have created a form other than the ones we saw during the Kishin revival or elsewhere in the manga.

How exactly are the werewolves the “Immortal Clan” if they evidently did die off?

#long post #ask dwells #spoiler #spoilers

[lordtraco-fanfics]

(Submission by @medixnight )

Ok so I think asks are disabled?

Anyways here are the ramblings on black blood, they are all different ideas unless specified to connect

- Black Blood may be misguided, Volo keeps on calling it Giratina’s rage and so anyone infected with it reacts with anger and violence. Maybe after collating with other weapons and misters and connections between the past and future reveals that it’s actually Giratina’s grief of being banished by its own creator and sent away from their siblings.

-Consider that Ingo’s infection got worse the more he denies he grieves for this past life in Hisui. As much as he wants to admit he is glad for coming back to Unova, his entire family from Hisui is dead. He sees their descendants, sometimes he even calls them out in different names, but because he is connected to his brother and sister, maybe he closes up the connection at one point because A) he’s worried that they will both judge him for missing the past and B) maybe it’s a reaction mechanism of like not relating to Emmet and Elesa?

-After the scene of blood that awakes Giratina’s blood, concepts of safety might be manipulated and changed between the trio. Emmet, who isn’t infected and hasn’t been sent to the past and if anything the trauma of his brother being gone made him a lot more adamant and obsessed with safety and defense style! Meanwhile, Ingo who is used to attacking Pokémon and defending himself and his loved ones from Hisui, and also saw Volo and how willing he is to attack him and his loved ones, might go more on the offense. (Even his play game style in the canon showcases him preferring to attack first and going on the offensive) The blood becomes a sort of inner voice, maybe a Hisui Ingo? That compels Ingo to use the blood more and more so he can protect Elesa and Emmet! He has the skills, he has seen Pokémon in their worst in Hisui, he knows what Volo is up to, maybe using the blood isn’t a bad thing!

-Connected to earlier, Elesa is caught in the crossroads! When she is with Emmet only, they both go on the defense! And when she is with Ingo only, they both go on the offense! The more the boys become polarized in their fighting approaches, the mor she gets stretched thin, like a tho she is being tugged by both sides. Which leads to drama and a massive need of communication, and also stresses everyone out.

-Then we can consider Emmet and Ingo resonating with each other for the first time after Hisui and the Giratina blood incident and Oof. Oof oof oof. Emmet weilding Ingo starts sensing something that isn’t there before, the blood lust, the offense style, a grief…? meanwhile Ingo weilding Emmet and sense the anxiety and also the lack of blood lust and oh god how Ingo wishes even more than ever that he wasn’t tainted, how Emmet is the one who is going along with their ideals this whole time while he is succumbing

Ok that was some of my instant bunny dust dump, I might send in more later when I think of them during work! Thank you for this opportunity, and I hope you know I love this AU so much!!!!

(oh jeez I didn't notice my asks were turned off!!! Thank you for telling me and making this!!! I like the shift because before the blood incident I played Emmet as the reckless one while Ingo would play protective. Swapping that will be FUN!)

#submission #nimbasa trio #soul eater au #nimbasa resonance au #seriously tho how did I not notice asks were off ^^;