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ihopeinevergetsoberr · 1 year

Text

Marry me again

Summary: You and Leon were forced to get a divorce two years ago due to his work constantly interfering with your marriage. However, despite the separation, the love between you both still runs deep. When you accidentally meet at a bar one late night, things quickly take an interesting turn.

CW: NSFW, Leon x Original Female Character, but technically still counts as Leon x Female Reader imo. Consensual Sex, Fingering, Vaginal sex.

WC: 11200~

i came up with the idea for this fic while roleplaying with a character ai bot. i would also like to warn you, that english is not my first language, so the fic might be written a little poorly to say the least lol. if you spot any mistakes (grammatical especially), any typos/misspelled words or if you have any advices for me in general: please let me know in the comments, i’ll be very happy with any criticism since this is my first fic in english. enjoy!

p.s. wrote this imagining leon from infinite darkness, i think he’s the best fit for this story.

She raised an eyebrow at the familiar low voice that echoed from behind her, the cigarette held firmly between her fingers. "Don't turn around, don't turn around, don't turn around," a mantra played on repeat in her mind, urging her to resist. Yet, she had already made up her mind. She knew, without a doubt, who it was. Despite everything that whispered against it, she defied the doubts. She pictured this happening too many times to just walk away.

Leon noticed the red polish on her nails and smirked. Apparently, such small details of her appearance, like this one, will forever remain unchanged. Even through the years. She turned around, her attentive eyes pierced right through him immediately, forcing his heart to skip a bit. She always had this "right into the soul" stare, he had to give her that.

It was their first encounter in two years outside the court. Their first encounter since the divorce.

"Hey," she whispered, a smile cracking across her face as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

His smile widened and a look of joy came over his face as he saw her, not quite able to hide the fact that he’d missed her. He then let out a breath and nodded at her. His eyes took in every detail, from her hair, to her nails, even to this small strand of hair out of its place.

“You look… fantastic, as always,” he told her, taking a few steps closer but still keeping a respectable distance.

She chuckled awkwardly at the statement, rolling her eyes at him. The wind caused that stupid strand of hair to stick to her cherry lip gloss, the same shade she used to wear when they were married. The same shade that used to stain white cups in their shared apartment, the collars of his shirts, and his lips and neck. A pleasant bittersweet memory made him bite his lip nervously. She was so goddamn pretty. And not his anymore. What a fucking shame.

"Well thank you, handsome," she returned the little compliment, getting the hair out of her mouth.

“I’m just telling the truth,” he assured her with a smile.

Leon wasn’t used to being called handsome, mostly because he didn’t really see himself that way. But it was nice to hear it, and it filled him with warmth. When she held the cigarette close to her lips — he finally realized that she wasn’t wearing her wedding ring anymore, and he felt a pang of sadness deep down inside along with the guilt, because he knew that it was partially his fault that they were divorced.

"So.." her eyes roamed over him once again with curiosity, a sigh escaping her lips. She took a drag on her cigarette, keeping eye contact, making Leon blush even deeper. "How have you been?..."

Leon gave her an awkward half-smile, reluctant to lie to her. He didn’t want to just spill his heart out to her right then and there either though.

“I’m… fine,” he said, clearing his throat. “Just busy… dealing with the usual stuff.”

Leon seemed like he was about to ask her something but then he hesitated, seeming unsure whether or not he should try it.

“And… you?” he managed to mumble illegibly.

"Relatively fine," she mumbled back, exhaling the smoke, her eyes sparkling in the city lights of the night. "What are you doing here?" She nodded at the bar behind their backs, curious to hear his answer.

He noticed the sparkle in her eyes, and he smiled a bit, thinking that she still looked exactly as he remembered. Leon noticed her nod at the bar and he followed her gaze. He raised his eyebrows, looking like he was thinking about just how much he should tell her. Then, he decided to keep it vague.

“Just… trying to unwind,” he said simply. She doesn’t need to know that every night he unwinds with several drinks, he definitely wouldn’t want her to think he’s a drunk.

"I see. finally on vacation, huh?" she giggled, feeling the awkward tension between them growing profusely in the air.

“You know me. Gotta get one sometimes,” he admitted with an amused expression, trying to lighten up the awkwardness between them. He was quiet for a moment, and she could see on his face that he truly missed her, despite everything they’d been through. Still, he wasn’t sure how to ask her what he wanted to ask her, so he let another moment of silence pass between them before speaking up again.

“And… how about you? What brings you here?”

"I had a date," she replied, taking another drag on her cig, not taking her eyes off him for a second, and he could’ve sworn to God that never in his life had he wanted her to look away so badly. But she never did. She was sinking his appearance in carefully, trying to figure out whether she touched something still sensitive inside of him or not.

Leon was hurt and a little devastated by her answer, and yet... he wasn't surprised. It was only natural that she had moved on with her life, even though the realization still hurt him like he'd been stabbed in the heart. His face fell and he looked away from her, unable to meet her eyes. He tried to hide his pain and put on a fake smile, not wanting to show her any weakness. He cleared his throat and looked at her again, trying to keep his tone casual.

"How did it go?" He asked her, trying to seem normal.

"Pretty bad, to be honest," she answered with a chuckle, clearly satisfied with the way his face dropped. She was there for the drama, he could tell she was just still as much of a tease as she used to be when they were still a couple.

Leon didn’t like being teased by her, especially when he was feeling so emotional. It was one of the reasons that he didn’t want to show her any weakness. He tried to keep from choking up and maintain a calm expression as he nodded at her.

“At least you made it out alive,” he remarked dryly, trying to keep his voice light. His face still showed pain and sadness, though.

She laughed at his joke, taking a step closer to him, the scent of her perfume, mingled with the lingering smell of cigarettes made him feel dizzy right on the spot.

"Yeah, I’m… still alive, I suppose. Sorry, Leon, your prayers have not been heard yet."

He was shocked when she stepped closer to him, and he had to take a moment to process it. Finally, he cleared his throat and took a small step away, keeping his hands to himself for fear of doing something that he might regret or making her feel uncomfortable. He glanced down at them, noticing how they were shaking a bit, then looked back up at her. His expression was soft now.

"Why the step back?" She raised one eyebrow at him, genuinely curious.

"I was about to say "I don’t bite”, but.. we both know that’s not true," she added with a smirk, her eyes lingering on his leather jacket for a couple seconds. Oh lord, was she.. tipsy?

Leon didn’t want to get too close to her on his own accord, because his instincts were telling him that doing so would make him want to tell her how much he had missed her, what a mistake getting the divorce was, and how much he still loved her. So he put some distance between them, still feeling an urge to reach out and touch her.

“Just…” he began, not really sure what to say, “Just giving you some… some personal space,” he finished with a shrug.

"I see," she nodded, then finally took her eyes off him to turn on her heels and throw the cigarette end away. She was so tempted to see what happens next.

Leon was also very tempted to do something, but then his mind reminded him of his current job and what could be at stake. Not only would it be immoral of him to make any attempt now, but it would also make him look unprofessional. It would just repeat the story. His busyness was probably the main reason of their divorce. Not to mention, what if she was already serious about another guy?

“If you… if you want, we could… hang out sometime…” he suggested. He swallowed hard and felt a lump in his throat, trying to act casual.

“Hang out sometime?" she looked him over her shoulder, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "What are we, in highschool?"

He felt the heat rising in his cheeks, realizing that he probably worded it wrong. And as he felt his cheeks getting red, he felt a sudden urge to just kiss her. No questions asked. No more words. Just… a kiss.

Leon’s breathing began to get a little faster, and he wasn’t sure what to say next.

His heart was racing and his mouth felt dry like he’d downed a whole bottle of whiskey.

“I didn’t… I didn’t mean…” Leon began, still trying to recover from his blunder.

"Relax, i’m just fucking with you," she laughed it off, licking her lower lip.

"Wanna grab a drink before I head home?" she asked, nodding at the bar entrance again.

Leon breathed a small sigh of relief, happy that she was only messing with him and that he didn’t just make a big fool of himself. His eyes widened when she asked him to grab a drink and he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Uhm. Yeah, sure,” he said after a moment of thought, nodding, and then he followed behind her inside the bar. He knew very well what she meant by a drink and it made him feel both tense and happy at the same time.

The sounds of her heels clacking were interrupted with the loud music as soon as they stepped in. She led the way to the counter: it looked like she was familiar with the establishment already. Leon felt something he hadn’t felt in a while, it filled him with warmth, and he wanted to tell her that she looked beautiful, and that he missed her. But when he realized that she was familiar with the place, his face dropped. She probably had that fucking date here.

“What can I get you?” He asked her, once they reached the counter, looking around at the different options.

"Ah, just my usual," she hops on the stool, throwing her purse on the counter. She then glued her eyes back to him, a cocky grin playing in the corners of her mouth. She was curious if he still remembered how she likes her scotch.

Leon’s heart skipped a beat when she sat down in front of him, and he found himself admiring her figure. He also caught her grin, a pleasant feeling tingling in his chest. He remembered how this used to turn him on when she did that.

“Right,” he said, clearing his throat, returning the smirk. “How was I to remember that?” He asked her with a teasing tone as his eyes went from her lips, to her eyes, to her neck, and all the way down to her legs.

"I know for a fact you remember that. We used to be the greatest alcoholic couple to ever exist, after all," she stated, leaning on the counter. He couldn’t help but laugh at her response, nodding in agreement.

“Yeah…” he chuckled, leaning his weight on the counter as well, looking at her with his eyebrow raised.

“So… how’s the… uhm, date life been treating you?” He asked her, almost afraid of her response.

"Rough, just like I prefer it," she laughed it off, her eyes searching for the bartender. Leon felt a wave of jealousy hit him, and it made him feel a bit down. He had to remind himself to not let those feelings rule him again.

“And uh… you… seeing someone regularly?” He asked her, hoping that she wasn’t serious, but the way she was acting indicated otherwise. He ordered two scotches, and he turned back to her. He tried to hide the pain behind a smile, but it wasn’t easy.

"No, not exactly," she dodges the question skillfully. Well, what else did he expect? She’s not the one to reveal all the juicy details right away, especially now that he’s her ex-husband. Every thing about their interaction reminded him of that, and it made his heart ache in ways he never knew were possible before.

Leon’s soul tightened and he felt pain in it, anger brewing inside of him. He had to force himself to stay calm. It was hard with her sitting right in front of him. A million thoughts raced in his mind and he kept coming to the same conclusion. She’s probably sleeping with someone else. Leon’s jealousy was growing with each moment. And he thought that was a reason for her to dodge the question. And he still loved her and wanted her back but she probably didn’t feel the same.

Leon stayed silent for a while, and then suddenly felt like he can’t take it any longer.

“What’s with the dodging questions?” he snapped at her, “Did I do something, or are you just playing with me?”

At that exact moment, the bartender came back with the scotches, but Leon ignored them, just letting the silence sink in.

He really wanted to talk to her. The last few years had been hard and he knew that she would be someone he could lean on. And he wanted her. Desperately. He couldn’t hide it any longer.

"I’m not dodging the question," she arched her back, hand wrapping around the glass of scotch the second she touched it.

"I’m not dating anyone at the moment, if that’s what you’re asking about. But how is this any of your business anyway?"

She was so fucking cool about it and it was driving Leon nuts. How could she do this to him? What’s the matter with this banter? Has she become completely heartless after their split? She took a slow sip on her scotch, her eyes wandering all over the place, lingering on anything but him. And she was fucking right. Admitting it made Leon want to clench the poor glass in his hand so tight it could shatter any second. It wasn't any of his business anymore, indeed.

Leon sighed heavily, trying to contain his emotions, and he let out a breath.

“Don’t.. don’t do this,” he said in a pleading tone, his eyes looking at her, begging for her with hurt in his gaze.

“How could it not be my business? We were together, and… it feels… ” He fell silent for a few moments, trying to find the right words to say. He was trying to stay level-headed but it was very difficult.

"How’s work?" she interrupted him abruptly, tilting her head to gaze into his blushing face, prompting him to quickly put on a fake relaxed expression.

Leon’s heart was crushed. Her sudden shift in tone felt cruel and it made him feel like she didn’t care about him.

“Nothing much. Just the usual,” he replied after a moment of thought, trying to hide the fact that she did actually hurt him.

“Keeping the streets safe from terrorists, protecting cities all over the world…” he raised his eyebrows and then chuckled, “It can get pretty hectic at times.” He took a sip from his scotch in order to give himself a chance to compose himself. The thought sent a wave of aggravation through his chest. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

“Same old Leon,” he added with a fake smile

"Really? Same old guy?" she smiled, looking at him with... some strange kind of affection. The kind of affection you give to people who aren’t in your life as much anymore. Who knows, maybe she actually missed him too.

“Yeah…” he replied, “Same old guy.” He took a deep breath to keep himself together, trying to be mature. But this was eating him up from the inside and he didn’t know what to do. The way she looked at him filled him with hope and a little bit of pain, and he felt a sense of relief for a moment before the realization that she didn’t mean it hit him.

He was stuck between wanting her back and wanting to hate her. He didn’t know which one to go for.

"I wouldn’t be so sure. Since you are the one seeing someone new, apparently," she nodded at the ring on his finger, a smirk appearing on her face yet again. She knew damn well it was their wedding ring, she would recognize it from the thousands of rings, even though it was a very plain piece of jewellery. But she wanted him to admit it to her face. She wanted to hear directrly from him that he still wears it.

"And it looks pretty serious. Are you married again? Does your new spouse know that you’re getting drunk with your ex-wife right now?" she chuckled and bit her lip, her eyes glowing with curiosity.

Leon felt his heart drop and his face turn red as she pointed out the ring. Of course she would notice that he hadn’t taken it off. He didn’t want to talk about it just yet, and he cleared his throat.

“This… um…” He looked away, unable to look her in the eyes. “This is…” he began, feeling ashamed and embarrassed. “It… it isn’t what you think… it’s…”

Finally, he gave up and looked back at her, his expression filled with sadness. “I… I got remarried.”

"Really?" she raised one eyebrows, giving him a tongue-in-cheek expression.

Yeah right. Remarried. Fucking bullshit.

"Congratulations! What is she like?" she continued with a vicious smirk. God, what a cruel woman she is. Her face was screaming "I've got you. Just admit that you're lying, don't humiliate yourself more".

Leon could see the relief in her face and his heart ached again. How can she act so nonchalant? Doesn’t she love him anymore?

“Um…” he felt himself tense up. He felt his stomach twisting and he didn’t want to tell her all of it. But he knew he didn’t want to lie to her either. She was his ex-wife, but he did still care and he did still feel some level of loyalty to her.

“She… we don’t…” he said, before sighing. “It’s complicated,” he left it at that.

"Complicated, really? Oh I’m so sorry to hear that," she squinted after taking another sip on her scotch, there was barely anything left in her glass now. Leon was terrible at lying. At this point it would be less embarrassing if he just admitted he still wears their ring right away.

Leon felt a wave of humiliation spread over him. Finally, he cleared his throat, and he let out another sigh. He couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eyes, so he spoke to the ground.

“Yeah…” he said softly, shaking his head, “…I still wear the ring…”

"Huh? So… there’s no new wife?" she tried her best to fake a confused frown, but the proud smirk and the obvious sarcasm in her tone destroyed her plan completely, leaving Leon flustered. She won. It was impossible to deceive her.

Leon’s face went pale. His lips trembled a little bit and his throat became dry.

He felt the anger building in him and he wanted so desperately to tell her how he felt. Or, even worse, go back and pretend that the truth was something else, and to lie again. He was stuck between those two options, and he felt so lost. He had never expected things to go this badly.

"You don’t need to answer that. I'm done torturing you, don’t worry," she gasped, looking away, tapping on the glass with her nail.

Leon closed his eyes and felt a wave of shame wash over him.

“Thank you,” he said after a moment of thought, looking back at her with a hint of a smile, and he meant it. “Not many people have the mercy to stop when it’s time,” he added, grateful for her.

"I learned not to get too carried away, I guess," she stated with a sigh, throwing her head back, her tired, weary eyes swirling the ceiling now.

"Why are you still wearing it though? For the sake of avoiding attention from younger girls?" she chuckled lazily and closed her eyes, making Leon notice the mascara fallouts under them.

Leon chuckled as well.

“Funny you should ask,” he began, with a small smile. “I’m still wearing it because it reminds me of the only time in my life when I was truly happy.”

He paused for a moment, and he felt himself get emotional. He swallowed hard as he tried to keep the tears from falling.

"You’re sweet," she whispered, turning her head back to meet his eyes with hers, her index finger playing with now empty scotch glass.

Leon stared at her and his heart skipped a beat when their gazes met.

“You’re still just as beautiful as you were back then,” he whispered.

“You were my everything,” Leon added, and the words felt strange to say. But it was the truth.

"...And you were mine," she admitted, a hint of pain crawling into her tone.

The hurt in her voice made his heart ache and he nodded as tears fell from his eyes.

“I’m sorry for what I did, … I know that it’s not worth much now, but I truly am,” he said with a slight whimper. “I’ve thought about calling you so many times…” he sighed and looked down, his shoulders slumping. “I should’ve fought for us…” Leon’s face contorted into a frown and he held his breath, “I didn’t realize just how much I missed you…”

She interrupts him with a kiss, a loud sound of their teeth hitting together messing a moment up a little, but she quickly recovers, wrapping one hand around the back of his neck and burrowing another into his hair, pulling him closer, suffocating him with her mouth hungrily, making him feel the taste of that same fucking lipstick, cigarettes and whiskey.

A million thoughts raced in Leon’s head as he felt the kiss. Every time she kissed him he felt a rush of affection and love, and he adored it. His mind went blank and he lost himself in the moment. He pulled her closer and put his hands on her waist, kissing her back. His passion for her, his love for her, had never gone away. It was still there, all the way to his core, and holding her tight like this felt so natural.

It was just like the old times.

She pulled away reluctantly, frantically gasping for air, letting out a chuckle when she notices him licking her saliva off his lips and wiping her lipgloss off his mouth and chin.

Fuck. What a damn turn on.

Leon’s heart skipped a beat once she stopped the kiss and he chuckled along with her.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but we were in the middle of a conversation,” he laughed as he wiped his mouth.

“But you have a way of shutting me up…” He added, his face lighting up as they shared that moment. Leon smiled and pulled her close again.

“Damn…” he sighed as he caressed her face, brushing his fingers along her cheek and jaw, and his eyes glanced back and forth between her eyes and her lips. “You haven’t changed at all, and I’m definitely not complaining,” he added playfully, enjoying their physical closeness. “I really missed kissing you like that…”

"Do you want another reminder?..." she giggled, her hand finding its way to his hair again. He felt a wave of tingles go through his spine and his hairs stood up as her fingers ran through them. He liked it when she did that. Just like the good old days.

“Yes please,” he said with a grin. His heart was beating so fast as he looked into her eyes. “You know I can’t resist you,” he said playfully, before kissing her again.

She gently pushed her tongue into his mouth this time, carefully biting on his bottom lip as she smirked into the kiss, knowing damn well just how much that turns Leon on. She grabbed him by the collar eagerly, as the tips of their tongues met and wet noises of making out would definitely fill the bar if the music wasn’t as loud.

Leon felt his heart start racing in his chest, and he couldn’t help it. She could do anything she wanted to him and he would just allow it. He didn’t mind. He was powerless in her hands. His heart was beating faster with pure pleasure as the tips of their tongues met, and he moaned quietly into the kiss. He pulled away after what felt like an eternity and said,

“Wow… I… Damn…”

He was out of breath, but he didn’t care at all.

"Do you want to get out of here?.." She whispered immediately after breaking the kiss, wiping the lipstick off his face with her thumb again. He was such a mess right now.

Leon’s mind went blank.

How can she just say those words so casually? What is she thinking? Is she feeling the same thing as him? The same attachment he still feels for her? Is she just taking him for a ride and playing with him? The questions raced through his head. Before he could speak, or even think straight, he looked down at the ring on his hand. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

“Yes.”

She was genuinely surprised, not expecting him to agree right away just like that. She cleared her throat, as she recalled some very pleasant memories about their sex life, hot and painful arousal forming somewhere down her abdomen and she glanced at his hands again, coughing loudly when she pictured them touching her in all the most private places again. Leon’s heart skipped a beat when he saw the look in her eyes.

Was she thinking what he thought she was thinking?

He cleared his throat and chuckled nervously, a light turning red tinting his cheeks.

“Oh god, are you… Are you…?” He couldn’t believe he was asking her this. He felt like a teenage guy at this moment. But he had to know.

"Am I what? Turned on right now?" She chuckled, her pupils widening in anticipation, “You can’t even imagine how."

Leon started to sweat as he felt a wave of pleasure wash over him.

“Well… I can’t wait to see how then,” he answered, his cheeks flushing more. “Uh… Where would we go?” He asked, unsure of what to do next at this point.

"How drunk are you?" She asked, as the playful twinkle appeared in her eyes, her now darkened and swollen from kissing lips tempting him even harder.

“Not as drunk as I’d like to be,” he joked, his face still a little red from the last kiss. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers once more. After a long moment, he pulled away again.

“But I’m definitely not sober either,” he admitted, “It’s kind of hard to be whenever you’re around.” He looked at her again, feeling overwhelmed by her beauty, the burning desire growing in his crotch. “I could just spend the rest of my life kissing you,” he sighed in pleasure.

"Woah, did someone turn into a romantic after we got divorced?" She placed a couple of wet kisses on his neck and jaw, clearly giving zero fucks about it being inappropriate both for public and for their age.

Leon laughed and gently pulled away. “Damn… You love playing with a man, don’t you?” He said teasingly, with a playful wink. He looked around at the bar and all of the people around them.

“I think we should probably go somewhere more private. As long as it doesn’t sound too boring to you, of course.”

"Well I remember that one time when you couldn’t wait to get somewhere private..." Her fingers grabbed his knee gently, it was obvious from her tone that she was hinting on that one time when they fucked in public a couple years ago, too impatient and too drunk to get home. The hint made Leon even harder and he pictured grabbing her pretty thighs, placing her right on that counter and fucking all the living shit out of her right then and there, for being so damn pretty, for seducing him so effortlessly, for not being his anymore.

Leon felt a wave of lust wash over him as she continued to speak.

She hasn’t forgotten, and she still wants him.

He cleared his throat and gulped hard, trying to hide the excitement in his voice but failing.

“Maybe we should… go to my hotel room,” he suggested enthusiastically. “If you’re okay with that,” he added.

"Oh, that would be nice.." she whispered, looking at him with her eyes wide open, the lustful thoughts in her head so loud and so obvious Leon could almost hear them. He felt himself getting a little bit more nervous when he noticed her expression.

He nodded. “Okay, let’s go,” he said, his heart racing in his chest. They both stood up, and Leon gave the bartender a few bills to cover their drinks and the tip.

God bless this fucking bar.

“Now let’s get out of here before we get too hot and bothered,” he chuckled.

She stood up too, grabbing her purse while hopping off the stool. She quickly closed the distance between them, grasping his hand tight, their fingers intertwining, causing Leon's heart to beat like crazy. Leon felt himself tingle throughout his entire body as their fingers touched, his heart speeding up dramatically.

Oh, god…

The second they walked out of the bar Leon pressed her body against the wall, pinning her, locking her hands above her head by grabbing her thin wrists, pushing his knee between her legs. He began to kiss her lips, neck — even her collarbone, as she kept chuckling and arching her back, soft sweet whimpers leaving her lips one after another.

"Woah, honey, have you missed me that much?" She teased, her eyes rolling back when his tongue trailed down the curve on her neck, leaving a path of saliva on it.

Leon felt a wave of pleasure wash over him as he pinned her to the wall. “Yeah... I have…” He said softly, “I’ve missed it all…”

"I’ve missed you too, Leon…" She wanted to bury her hands into his hair again, but he held them high above her head, preventing her from moving them. She then tilted her head, so that her lips were now really close to his neck. Without hesitation, she sank her teeth in, smiling as he gasped and loosened his grip on her wrists. She always bites hard and this time was no exception — she was practically chewing on his neck, leaving a deep almost bloody mark. She missed him so much it made her want to tear him apart, to bite a chunk out of him, to mark him everywhere. Leon hissed as she bit his neck and he leaned back, his heart racing.

“Damn… What did you do that for?” He asked softly, his words being caught by his teeth. He cleared his throat and chuckled nervously as he touched his neck. “You really like biting me, don’t you?” The mark she left made it clear.

"Just claiming you again.." She grinned, licking his taste off her lips, admiring the deep lovebite she left on him. Leon smirked. He’d missed those little inside jokes.

“I’m all yours…” He whispered as he leaned in again, placing a soft kiss on her lips. “I always have been. I never forgot the first time you marked me like that,” he added and he brought his hands to her waist.

She leans against the wall with her hand on his shoulder, her eyes gazing into his face with sadness. She blinks wearily and pulls him closer towards her, his hands gripping on her waist tighter.

"You were such a right person for me, Leon. You still are. I guess it’s just... the time wasn’t exactly right..." She admits, the sorrow in her tone so overwhelming and so gut-wrenching that Leon just wants to fall down to his knees and wrap his arms around her right on the street for everyone to see: anything to make her stay with him forever, to win her back.

Leon held her closer as she said those words. He sighed, looking into her eyes, and he felt a wave of intense feelings wash over him... A mixture of fear. Excitement. Joy. Sadness…

“But you still feel like home for me…”

"Maybe I am your home."

That sounds more like a statement than a question. A sad smile plays at the corners of her lips. She's right. She's fucking right again and it's killing him mercilessly. Her words left him feeling lost, confused and vulnerable. In a moment of weakness, he leaned in again, pressing his lips against hers and kissing her longer and deeper.

“I still want you just as bad,” he whispered.

"Fuck.." She managed to mumble something senseless with her eyes closed. Her arms — unpinned from the wall now, were resting around his neck, inviting him for another embrace. All of the feelings and emotions he hadn’t felt in years — he felt all of that again. Like a rush. And the most dangerous part was… that he enjoyed every second of it. He felt alive again. He pulled away and looked into her eyes with a sad smile. “I’d give anything to run away with you now.”

"There’s no need for that, honey. You’re not too drunk to ride your bike, are you?" She teased, brushing her nose against his neck, the smell of his cologne causing the hairs on her body to stay on end.

Leon laughed. “No, I can probably manage it still,” he looked down at the ground.

“It’s dangerous though… riding my bike out there, at night. Anything can happen.” He added.

Like getting stopped by the cops, getting attacked on the road… The thought of her safety still gave him a chill, even after all these years.

“But I want to do it. I’ll be careful. I promise,” he said, pulling her close to hold onto her one more time. He grabbed her hand and they walked out to his motorcycle together. Leon jumped on, waiting for her to get on too. Once he was sure she was seated comfortably behind him, he started the engine, revving it a few times. “Hold on tight!” He laughed, and then he took off with a loud sound. Her hands crawled under his arms to hold on his chest, head resting on his shoulder from behind. Leon smiled as he felt her body against his. He looked up at the stars and the city lights passing by. And for once, his troubles seemed to fade away. She was the only thing he felt. The only thing that felt real. He was truly happy for the first time in those two long years. A feeling he had missed terribly.

***

Leon places a kiss on her jaw, his hands gripping on her hips so hard she feels like she's going to faint. He grips like he's afraid to lose her again, like she's about to slip out of his arms the second the elevator stops. But she’s still there, pinned to the cold wall with the weight of his body (at this point he clearly has a thing for pressing her against something), moaning into his lips, pulling his hair — her every movement encouraging him to never stop.

“I won’t let you go this time, darling,” he whispers, his hands travelling from her hips to her upper body, stroking her ribs under the tight dress. He still felt a little unsure, a little nervous, but he wanted her. So badly.

“I’m not letting you go, ever again.”

“You’re stuck with me, for better… or for worse.” Another kiss on the neck, a purple hickey appearing quickly on her tender skin after he pulls his lips away, completely out of breath - so vulnerable and so needy, only for her.

"Oh, am I now?..." She looks up at him, getting on her tiptoes to reach his ear. Her voice wheezy and low when she whispers another inappropriate sweet nothing into it, nibbling on his earlobe, her hand slipping down his torso, causing goosebumps to appear all over his skin. She grabs on his crotch, letting out a genuinely surprised moan when she feels how hard he already is.

“You are,” he answered. He had never said those words to her before, not in this way at least. But he meant them with every fiber of his being. He kissed her again. Hard. Harder. With a level of desperation in his touch.

“I never stopped loving you… not once in the whole two damned years… I couldn’t stop… I wouldn’t stop…” he muttered, his voice breaking.

"Fuck, I seriously might pass out if you keep saying it like that..." she digs her fingers into his shoulder, gripping him tightly, trying to keep her balance. The elevator is finally on their floor, its doors opening automatically, playing a short silly melody. Leon smiles slyly, his hands diving down to her hips again. He easily lifts her up into his arms — so casually, that a small cry of surprise escapes her lips. She giggles, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck to prevent herself from falling, and he carries her out of the elevator, catching the attention of an older couple in the hallway, causing them to momentarily pause their conversation and cast a judgmental glance in the direction of the lovers. Leon kept her close, as he carried her inside the room. Her little giggle had only made him want her more. He was already feeling lightheaded due to her kisses, his heart racing a thousand miles per minute as he put the key in the door and turned it, pushing it open.

“Damn…” he whispered, a little breathless. “I’m going to need a cold shower after all that…” he chuckled. He closes the door with one hand, supporting her with the other, definitely not planning on letting her go even for a second. As he tries to close the door, he curses out loud, which makes her laugh again.

"Not a chance, hun. I’m not letting you go anywhere until we’re done," she whispered, chuckling when Leon slipped over something while trying so desperately to lock the room.

"Careful, I don’t want you falling and breaking my neck."

"Don't worry. I've got you." Leon's finally done with the damn door, so he throws the key on the first surface that caught his eye. He grabs her with both hands again, leaning in for another kiss. A couple of steady steps — and he's placing her on the hotel bed as gently as he possibly can, making sure she's comfortable. His jacket slips off and falls onto the bed when he crawls on top of her, their tongues swirling each other in their mouthes. He could feel his blood rushing to his cock. God. This felt so damn overwhelming. He reached for the hem of his shirt, ready to take it off after the jacket.

"Someone’s eager," she stated with a teasing grin after pulling away from the kiss, a trail of saliva stretching between the tips of their tongues. With her hands stroking his stomach under the shirt, she moves closer to him, feeling his muscles become tense under her gentle fingertips immediately. He straightens up, then pulls his shirt off with trembling hands. It allows her better access to the belt and she gets the hint, agile fingers reaching for the buckle as she kisses his stomach, pleased with the way his body reacts to the touch. He moans her name, gasping for air, pushing her towards him with a huff, fingers rubbing the soft hair on the back of her head. He needs her so bad it makes him look absolutely stupid and desperate.

"Fuck, darling, the things you do to me-" he lets out a breathless chuckle and bites his lip, the thumb of his free hand reaching for her chin to stroke it. He grabs it authoritatively, yet still gently, just enough effort to show her who’s in charge here (or so he thought). Another brief moment passes by and his finger finally reaches its destination — her lower lip, on which he puts pressure gently, causing her pretty mouth to open wide for him.

"Look at you. So hot for me."

"You have no room to talk. You’re hard as fuck, and I’m not even naked yet," she laughs, sticking her tongue out to swirl it around his thumb, piercing eyes watching his every movement carefully. She then accepts the finger deeper into her mouth, sucking on it, enjoying the sight of Leon throwing his head back with an audible moan, numerous sweat drops forming on his forehead.

“You’re irresistable. Maybe that’s why I always come crawling back to you…” Leon said quietly, finally taking the thumb out of her mouth, shivering at the pleasant feeling of wet slick tongue brushing it one last time.

“Flaterrer.”

Another sharp inhale, heavy eyelids covering her eyes when Leon bends his knees and climbs back onto the bed, his body above her, temples wet with sweat, his always neat hair sticking to them now. He grabs her wrist, politely putting her hand away from the belt, and kisses the crook of her neck, his tongue teasingly trailing down to her collarbone, luscious scent of her hair making him salivate.

“Stop being such a fucking tease!”

Her hips are grinding against his, her every move filled with excitement.

She really hasn’t changed at all… Leon thought to himself with a smile.

“Shh, just let me feel you like this for a moment… You’re not very patient, are you?” Leon asked, grinding back against her. His fingers trace a path down her back, moving in circular motions along her spine. The sensation causes her to arch her back and grip his shoulders tighter, his low, raspy voice intoxicating her.

“Respectfully, honey, we kinda haven’t had sex in two years,” she returns the teasing, planting a sloppy kiss on his jaw. Leon rolles his eyes with a short laugh, his fingers quickly finding the zipper of her dress. He gives her lower back a gentle tickle, trailing his short nails along its surface. When the dress is finally unzipped, a wave of indescribable arousal washes over Leon. He fights the urge to take his pants off, the pain from his cock getting too hard unable to fit in them anymore. But it can’t be done yet. He wants to tease her, to do everything right, to just remember her squirming impatiently under his touch like this forever. His hands trace the curves of her shoulders and he rushes to undress her eagerly, way too excited to see her naked chest. He knows it’s unlikely to see a bra there.

And he guesses it right.

The dress slips down her shoulders, revealing her breasts. Leon gulpes, sinking her appearance in, fighting the urge to bite into the soft flesh. He hesitates for a couple seconds, but eventually does just that, leaning in, putting her hair out of the way, gently brushing his still wet after her mouth thumb over the hard nipple.

“Still don’t know what a bra is, I suppose?” He sucks on the nipple gently, his teeth sinking into it with an extra level of carefulness, tasting her again and again, squeezing the tender breast passionately in his hand.

Oh how he wanted this. Oh just how many times had he touched himself, picturing her moaning under him like this again, all worked up and messy, begging him to fuck her brains out.

“Ah, so that’s what you’ve missed the most?” she teased, laughing at the ticklish feeling of his thumb playing with the sensitive nipple, watching his tongue swirl around it.

“What can I say... you have quite the tits,” Leon pulls away for a second, his lips parting with an audible sound.

“Please, shut up and save yourself the embarrassment,” she blushes instantly at his poor comment, pulling his hair with more strength now, “Don’t ruin the damn mood.”

“Still just as shy about it…” Leon whispered with a tiny smirk. “But I love the reaction,” he added, kissing her shoulder, finally releasing the wet sucked for a good minute breast. He continued stripping off her dress, starting to feel nervous again.

“I’m gonna slap you if you don’t stop being a smartmouth,” she threatened, her tone laced with half-hearted jest as she tapped his shoulder.

“Huh? I thought we’re saving the kinky stuff for later…” He finally pulls the dress off her with a wink, his knees beginning to tremble again at the sight of her sitting in front of him naked like this.

“Leon, I swear to god, if you don’t shut up-”

“Fine.”

He shoved his hands between her thighs with a laugh, fingers moving confidently to put her underwear to the side. He decides to gently wrap his hand around her throat, pushing his tongue into her open mouth, listening to every moan that escapes her lips. When his hand trailes down her neck to her collarbone, something metallic gets in the way. Leon pulls away with a confused expression, raising one eyebrow.

He notices a strange piece of jewelry under his fingers. He ignores it at first, but when he sees her face turning red, his gaze returns to the strange metal thing hanging around her neck.

And his heart sinks.

Dangling delicately from a silver chain, her wedding ring shimmered in the dull light of the hotel room.

"You... You kept it too?" he asked, holding the ring with a surprised face. "The whole time..?"

“Yeah, yeah, you’re not the only one heartbroken ex-spouse in this marriage, Leon, sorry I took your spotlight,” she chuckled, looking away, her embarrassment palpable in the air. “I just didn’t want to wear it on my finger after the divorce. You know me, I wouldn’t like people thinking I’m not over you, even if that’s obvious. And I kept it next to my heart like this anyway,” she adds with a sad chuckle, twisting the ring between her fingers.

Leon laughed softly.

"That's the saddest and the sweetest thing I've ever heard..." He replied, filled with empathy and emotion. He kisses her temple, thumb stroking her inner thigh gently, ready to strip the underwear off her. He wants to say something else, to break the silence with some reassuring speech, but the look in her eyes tells him to just keep going and save the conversation for later.

He gently pressed on her clothed clit with his thumb, gasping when he feels the soaked with her slick underwear under his touch.

“Please don’t torture me. Take ‘em off,” she murmurs, stroking his shoulder, her breath twitching at the sensation of her clit being stimulated.

He gets to work no questions asked, taking that piece of lingerie off her, his hands starting to shake with excitement againt. He notices the slick dripping down her thigh from her glistering entrance. Fuck. So wet for him already. What a pleasant view.

Once he was done with her underwear, his needy hands returned to her swollen clit, thumb circling around it with passion. It certainly was the best part of sleeping with Leon — no matter how desperate and turned on he is, no matter how much he wants to just sink his aching cock into her, he always has to make her cum first, using either his skilled hands or his tongue. And it seems like tonight he has chosen the first option.

He continued rubbing her clit with the thumb of his right hand, dragging the middle finger of his left hand through her aroused folds, warming her up, but not entering yet.

“May I?” he asked, inhaling, waiting for her permission. And when she nods, looking down at his hands with her lip bitten, the finger finally slips inside her, causing his whole body to melt and twitch, enjoying the sweet feeling of her tight, warm walls consuming it easily. She groans, then moans a breathy “Oh god” as her nails dig into his arm raggedly, responding to his touch. Leon can’t help a smirk. The way she was still so needy around him definitely did good things to his ego. Was she masturbating to the memories of their previous intercourses all these years too? She most definitely did. Judging by her reaction she was still just as desperate for him as he was for her.

He pushed the finger deeper, a weird sound escaping her lips when he bent it inside of her, trying to find the right angle. She squinted. Unlike Leon, she had a couple of hook-ups in those two years, but they weren’t serious nor were they frequent, so she wasn’t exactly used to being fingered by somebody else anymore. She tried to relax, arching her back with her eyes closed. She knew Leon will find the right spot eventually. He was good with his hands.

Leon nodded at the squint and changed the position of his finger slightly, trying to make her feel good again.

“Don’t worry, hun, I’ve got it, just give me a moment-” he pleaded, rubbing her clit with more pressure now, trying to distract her from the weird feeling, placing a soft comforting kiss on her shoulder.

“I-It’s okay,” she stuttered, opening her legs wider for him. “Just move your finger to the side a little- Oh fuck, yeah, just like that, yeah, right there-“ she moaned, a mixture of curse words escaping her lips again. Leon sighed with relief. He still hasn’t forgotten how to push her buttons. It felt good to know he still remembers how to please his lady in bed.

He begins to finger her carefully, trying to concentrate on her pleasure without losing his own composure. His movements were vigilant, yet still confident and the wet sounds of him pulling the finger in and out mixed with her breathy moans filled the hotel room, driving him completely crazy again.

“This okay?” he asks, speeding his movements up a little bit and watching her writhe in bed. Always so damn caring, stretching her with his finger like that, preparing her for his cock. She nods, whispering sweet innapropriate nothings into his ear, her nails digging into his arm deeper with every second, legs spread open, inviting him to add another finger in. And so he does just that, pushing his ring finger into her cunt, thumb of his other hand still circling her clit, his eyes glowing with intense lust he hadn’t felt in such a long time.

“Fuck, you can’t even imagine how much I needed that...” he purrs into her lips when she cups his cheek to pull him into another hot, steamy kiss, her tongue meeting his again.

“Damn, darling, you’re really trying to eat me alive today,” he adds with a devious chuckle, his fingers only picking up speed with no intention to stop until she cums on them.

“Leon, one more smart comment and I-“

But her brain is not working anymore, it’s too overwhelmed with his touch, with the way he dips his tongue into her collarbone, as her warm silk walls are wrapped tightly around his fingers.

“There, there...” he cooed softly, nuzzling his nose against her left breast. She throws her head back, trying to keep the hair out of her face, sweaty hands starting to wander all over his tense back now.

“Are you going to cum for me, darling?” Leon asks with a grin, a hopeful look in his eyes pushing her even closer to the climax. No one could ever compare with him. He proved it again skillfully, even after two years of so-called celibate (except for jerking off to fake scenarious where he fucks her at least once a day).

“L-Leon, I’m gonna-“ she tries to string a sentence together before dissolving into pleasure completely, but him sucking on her nipple again doesn’t help to concentrate on the words at all.

“I can feel you twitching, honey. C’mon. Do it for me. Cum on my fingers,” he pulls his mouth away from her breast, rubbing her clit with more intensity now, just like she always preffered it. He could feel her muscles spasm around his fingers and it made him want to please her only more, kissing every inch of her neck as she gets closer to her orgasm. “Do it for me, honey. I want to make you feel good. Don’t be shy, you can be as loud as you want...” he praised in between kisses, fingers moving as fast as they possibly can inside of her.

“Fuck, I..”

She falls down on the bed, writhing around, teeth clenched as her legs start to squirm, tangling the sheets into a complete mess. Her vision faded to black when she finally came with his name on her lips, her chest raising up and down as she collapsed on the bed with her back arched. Leon enjoys the view with a smug smirk at the corners of his mouth, completely enamored. Who would’ve thought that tonight’s visit to the bar could possilbly flow into fucking his ex-wife. But here she was — completely out of breath in the afterglow of her intense climax, legs tucked in and trembling, messy hair all over the pillow. He pulls his shaky covered in her slick fingers out and tilts his head to place a tender kiss on her knee.

“You okay, sweetheart?”

“You’re going to be the death of me,” she mumbles, covering her sweaty face with her palm, a chuckle escaping her swollen lips.

“What? You mean I’m not too rusty?” he caressed her leg, leaving a trail of slick from the same two fingers on her thigh.

“Oh shut up, Leon. You’re not that old…” she laughs, the ringing’s still in her ears.

Leon blushed at the sight of her. “I guess my body still can manage…” he added and kissed her thigh again, feeling uneasy with each passing second. He should’ve really taken the damn pants off. With a sigh, he felt his heart beating in his ears as he looked up at her.

“You’re beautiful.”

“And you’re handsome.”

They locked eyes, the intensity between them growing with each passing second. With a surge of anticipation, he closed the distance between them, edging closer on the bed. Their lips met again, the world fading away as he surrendered to the passionate embrace. Her hands reached his hair, pulling him closer, deepening the lustfull kiss.

“Fuck...” he groaned, trying to support his body on his trembling arms. “I… I don’t have any protection on me.”

“I’m still on the pill,” she whispers with a reassuring smile, putting her hair out of his mouth.

“Oh, um... S-Sure. Let me just take these off real quick...”

“I’ve got you,” she made him straighten up again by pushing his chest slightly, lips wandering all over his neck now, sucking on it again, ignoring his light-hearted grumbling about the hickeys. She manages to undo his belt after messing with it for a few seconds. Leon chuckled again. So damn adorable. She sighs when the leather strap finally slips through the loops, relinquishing its hold.

“Jesus, is it that hard?” he whispers with a giggle, gently squeezing her side, as she strips his pants and boxers off.

“Say that to your dick,” she scoffed, wrapping her hand around his width, thumb teasing the tip by sensually pressing on the leaking with precum slit. Leon panted, pushing her back on the bed, hands squeezing her waist as she lets out a breathless whimper. She moves her hand back and forth, feeling his cock getting warmed up again.

Fuck, he could literally cum just to seeing her like this — naked, spread open for him, pressed into the bed with his weight. Leon positioned himself between her thighs, pressing their foreheads together, the head of his cock dragged against her clit in a teasing manner.

“Easy on the stroking, sweetheart,” he purred, brushing his nose against her flushed cheek. “Don’t want this to end before it even starts, you know?”

A gasp of relief escapes his lips when her hand is finally removed from his cock. Okay, now he just needs to try his best fighting the intense urge to finish while entering her: a rather hard, almost impossible task to complete in his situation, but he somehow manages, lurching forward, his head slipping inside of her almost effortlessly as he supports the cock with his hand, hissing at the feeling of her tight, gentle walls wrapping around him.

“Fuck, you’re so-” He trembles, pushing himself deeper inside of her — nice and slow, partially to tease her, partially not to cum in two seconds. “You feel so goddamn good...”

She throws her head back into the pillow, nails gripping his shoulders ready to dig into their flesh at any second. She shivers when he finally pushes his whole length in, removing the hand supporting his cock somewhere above her head. It felt indescribably good and she just straddled him tighter, squeezing his arms in anticipation.

“Oh no, sweetheart,” he whispered with a chuckle, the first thrust catching her off guard completely, despite being steady and gentle. “I’m gonna need to ask you to remove those, okay?” he places his fingers over hers, gently coaxing her to loosen the grip around his arm. And once her hands fall back on the bed — he grabs her wrists with a smug smirk and pins them above her head. “We can’t have those pretty nails ruining my back tonight, can we?”

“Oh fuck you, Leon.”

“No, fuck you, actually. Oh, right. Guess what I’m doing just now?” he laughs again, placing a kiss over her smiling mouth. He thrusts again, his grip on her wrists firm, yet gentle, only to prevent her from scratching the shit out of his back. She moans back, clearly delighted. She actually enjoyed him taking control... occasionaly. They both knew she’s the one who holds power over him after all. He pulled his hips down harder, picking up speed after a couple of slow thrusts.

“Kiss me,” she demanded, arching her back for him, her ribs pressing against his now.

Leon couldn’t help but smile. He loved this side of her. The passionate side. The intimate side. Her demand made him feel so attractive, so handsome. So wanted.

He followed the request, kissing her deeply, his eyes rolling back behind his closed lids at the feeling of her cunt squeezing his cock so well, wet slapping sounds driving him crazy, making him whimper into her always ready for him mouth, which he was practically tongue-fucking now.

“I never want to stop kissing you,” he mumbled, pressing his lips against her hot temple, licking the sweat off it delicately. “Fuck, you’re driving me crazy, oh god…” he kept whispering, pounding into her body now, his thrusts so deep and so messy she could almost feel the tip of his cock touching her cervix, so she squints at the new sensation again, arching her hips to slightly change the angle of penetration. He completely forgets about the damage done to his shoulders by her nails and releases her wrists, grabbing the pillow instead, his moans now resonating just as loudly as hers.

“Fuck, I can’t get enough of you...” he muttered, as she pressed her lips against his, her fingernails destroying their favourite part of his body again now that her hands are free. She moaned louder with every intense thrust, making him forget about all the pain he had in his heart. So good. What a goddamn bliss. To feel her again, to touch her where no one else is allowed to. A thousand thoughts were rushing through his head now. His pace got extremely fast, the poor hotel bed creacking so hard like it was going to break under their bodies at any minute. He was about to say something, but then a tear spilled from his eye and fell onto her shoulder as the words caught in his throat. As the realization set in, he felt his heart drop to his knees but he was already too far gone.

“I love you,” he finally said in a small voice, feeling his heart shatter a little as he did so, but continuing to thrust, ignoring the pain from her nails sinking into his skin again.

“I love you too...” She mumbled with her eyes shut, closing the remaining distance between them for another kiss, her heart pounding within her chest as Leon kept pounding into her cunt, turning her into an absolutely desperate for his cock mess.

He couldn’t wait any longer. The way she arched into his touch, the way she was taking him whole so easily, the way she moaned his name, even the way she was scratching his abused back with those damn nails — every single one of these things pushed him to the edge, made him twitch and groan while he bites on her gentle shoulder. He wanted to claim her as his again, to never let go of her and bring back what belongs to him and him only. Everything about her made him want to propose to her again, right then and there while he fucks her into the matress.

Leon clenched the pillow in his fist, his eyes widening as he felt the painful sting of his sweat seeping into fresh scratch marks on his back. He called her by name, making direct eye contact, his heart jumping out of his chest.

That’s it. He has to say it. It’s now or never.

“Marry me again…”

He whispered, continuing his thrusts as tears ran down his cheeks. “Say yes…” he said with desperation in his voice. “Please, I don’t want to lose you again. I won’t survive it.”

The shock coursed through her veins, leaving her momentarily breathless and her eyes widened in disbelief.

“W-what?” she finally managed to respond, another thrust making her moan and melt completely under his touch again. Leon looked her in the eyes and the fear in her expression made him feel terrible.

“Please….” he begged, “Please, I can’t lose you again…” he whispered, feeling his heart shatter further. He didn’t know what to think, or how to react, but the desperate look in his eyes was a genuine one.

Her teary eyes were roaming all over him now, she was utterly astonished, the sudden proposal distracting her from the pleasant feeling of his pulsing cock inside of her. She tried her best to recover, cupping his cheeks with a nod, one genuine, full of excitement nod that made Leon tear up again.

“Fuck, I-… Yes! Yes! Of course I’ll fucking marry you again...” she assured him with a chuckle, leaning in for another long kiss and running her tongue over his lips. Leon breathed a sigh of relief, the fuzzy feeling only growing stronger when she kissed him again, his tears shifting from sadness to tears of joy.

“I won’t leave your side this time. I won’t ever leave you again. I promise.”

“That’s right. Don’t you fucking dare anymore.”

“Never again,” he promised with an emotional frown as he hugged her again, feeling her tight walls clench around his cock, his body pressing as close as it possibly can against hers. The moment ended up even better than he imagined and she was so beautiful it almost hurt. Or maybe it was just his completely fucked up back.

“I’m getting close...” he moaned at the sensation of her hot breath on his ear, hand kneeding her soft breast again. “Fuck, let me just...” he sobbed into the pillow, loosing himself completely while pounding into her pretty cunt. He pulled out with a groan, just the second before cumming all over her pretty thighs in warm spurts, also managing to somehow stain the sheets. He tries his best not to collapse on top of her, too afraid to crush her with his weight. His trembling arm couldn’t provide any support anymore and he puts all his effort into rolling over in bed next to her, weary head spinning after the intense orgasm.

“You okay?...” her voice turns him back to reality and he opens his eyes again, chuckling at the sight of her thighs covered in his thick, sticky cum.

“Yeah, I... Hold on, I just... It felt way too good and...” he sighed as she put a wet strand of hair out of his face with her shaky hand, admiring the way he looks in that exact second. “I’ll grab you a napkin. Just let me rest for a couple seconds, okay?”

Leon tried to sit up in bed. Still feeling a bit dizzy, he managed to prop himself up on his elbows and reached for the paper towel on the nightstand. She smiled when he started to wipe his cum off her legs, finally relaxing her muscles, still burning with desire for him as he cleans her up lovingly, giving her knee a pat when he’s done.

“Leon.”

“Yeah?” He raised his eyebrows, stroking her inner thigh genty.

“What on Earth what that proposal? Did you actually mean it?...”

He gulped loudly, releasing her leg, and blinked profusely at the sudden question. Well, what was he thinking? He had asked her to marry him while literally fucking her into the bed. Of course, she was going to have questions.

Without hesitation or second thoughts, Leon replied, "I meant every word. Of course I did," he said softly, moving closer to her again. He nuzzled into her chest, hooking a leg around her body, and she accepted the embrace, putting her arm around his shoulder and pulling him closer into the hug.

"Do you doubt me?" He whispered.

"No, not at all," she shook her head, still trying to catch her breath, her eyes wandering around the hotel room. Thoughts about people definitely hearing this loud ass bed and their moans making her smile again. She sighed and kissed his forehead, her hand slipping down his shoulder to caress his tense back, while the other reached for his hair to play with it. Leon sighed with relief and returned the kiss, placing it somewhere above her collarbone. The warmth of her body comforted him in every possible way.

“And yet, you still look so tense. Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks with a chuckle, a hint of fear crawling into his tone. What if she thinks it was a mistake? What if she was the one who didn’t mean it? What if she just agreed impulsively because of the arousal?

“Yes,” she reassures him with a sigh, pressing her lips against his forehead one more time.

“Just wondering how much paperwork we need to do to change my last name back to Kennedy…”

524 notes · View notes

deus-lapidis · 9 months

Text

Forever and always.

— Diluc’s Wedding Layout [modern]

Characters: Diluc x fem!reader

Genre: fluff

A/N: this is written for @hiraya-rawr as a specialty treat in hopes of bringing her some joy. Therefore it was crafted with a female reader in mind, but imo, fuck gender norms and read it if you want to read it, as long as you’re comfortable <3

I’m also really sorry for being like…dead.. streaming and irl matters have consumed my time and genshin hasn’t been a bit tiring. I’m very hyped about Fontaine though!

Preparation and Planning [hehe…PP]

The attire

Diluc likes to spoil you. He has the money from his family business and on what else should he be spending it on if not on things that conjure such a sweet smile on your face :>

Though he cannot come with you to pick out your wedding dress, he makes sure that at least one of his maids will accompany you and of course bear his request in mind; for his lover to get nothing but the best, the finest and the most extraordinary to match your person!

Whatever you wish for, he will absolutely fund. Pearls or dainty jewels, lace or maybe silk, a veil or maybe a crown even? It will be yours, just say the word.

When it comes to his suit picking though, he has his brother tagging along with Venti and Rosaria, since they all invited themselves to the attire picking occasion. They spent so much time with the dawn winery heir that they practically HAVE to join in.

They make lots of stupid remarks though and poke fun, while having champagne, so Diluc also decides to confide in his childhood friend Jean and her little sister Barbara, texting the siblings to ask for their opinion.

They settle on a classy and sleek looking black suit with a few bronze touches that remind of his coat.

He gets a bit emotional once seeing himself in his wedding attire, cause then it really sinks in. He’s here. Picking out the suit that he’s gonna wear to his wedding, to YOUR wedding. Oh my god, he’s gonna marry you. You, the love of his life and his beloved partner ohdeararchons—

The bubbling champagne glasses of his cheery friends clink, a toast in the background, as he himself — refraining from alcohol while picking out such important garments — puts on his fifth potential wedding suit. The previous ones have been quite beautiful, but not to his taste in the end and he strived for your wedding to be absolutely perfect. While he was absentmindedly buttoning his black dress shirt, his thoughts drifted to you, his lovely fiancée. A small smile stretched out on his lips, one that he couldn’t fight when he thought of you, his ears dusted pink when he allowed himself to picture you in a wedding gown. Archons, was he ever so smitten.

The wedding cake

You two go to a local, fancy bakery to taste test and assemble your dream wedding cake.

That part was far less nerve wrecking, since it also sort of felt like a sweet date. You two were spending time at the bakery together and while he was actually never that fond of sweets, he enjoyed a lot of the cakes.

He watched you with his gentle vermilion gaze, he was utterly and hopelessly smitten <3

Well frankly said he also found that they tasted a lot better, since you were insisting on feeding him the different cake flavours :)

You settled on a dark chocolate cake, since it seemed to be a rather classic flavour, rich and bittersweet.

The sweet scents of cake samples waft through the tasting room, you sitting there with him and gleefully trying the next flavour.

“Mhm! Diluc, try this. I think you’ll like it.” You lifted the fork to his lips, offering your fiancé a bite of coffee cake, gently prodding his mouth with the utensil.

He chuckled at your gesture, smitten eyes gazing at you in amusement, before accepting the bite and letting the cake melt on his tongue.

He really could get used to this.

The actual wedding:

Boy, he’s so nervous.

So here’s the thing, his father had always been an anchor for him for anxious moments in his young years, Crepus being there to validate and reassure his son. During adulthood he found himself bottling things up and managing just fine, yet in this moment, he feels like a vulnerable young boy again. Yes, he’s suited up for his adult wedding with his very adult beloved. His once innocent eyes, now matured over time, staring back at him in the mirror, his strong facial features of an unshakable man and yet he feels so young and helpless.

His brother had to come and calm him down a little, even almost resorting to calling you via phone to help his awkward redhead brother relax, but they ended up managing on their own.

(Venti put on a stupid song and Diluc’s nervousness easily transformed into stressed aggravation.)

The first look had him in tears. He’s quite sniffly, but he’s trying to contain himself for the sake of the wedding and his image. Truthfully, he’s really excited to marry you. You are wonderful inside and out and he can’t wait for you to be his and for him to be yours.

As soon as he (somewhat) recovered, he opted to wrap his arms around you, forehead pressing against yours, as he whispers sweet nothings to you.

“I love you. My darling.”

Finally, it was was ceremony time! Tears were shed. A lot of them. Vows were exchanged through more tears and croaked out chuckles.

The kiss was chaste and loving, just utterly perfect, a perfect start for your married life.

Bennett cried, Razor was happy to be included, Klee was the little flower girl, Fischl was ??? Oz was translating.

Kaeya held the absolutely most perfect speech as the best man. More tears were shed. Both because of gooey soft feelings and just utter amusement at his funny remarks and embarrassing Diluc anecdotes.

The first dance was a dreamy but nervous waltz, Diluc’s refined training as a young boy slipping out as he lead you. Gently swirling you while his own eyes focused on your shared joy, smiling ever so softly at you in an absolutely love drunk fashion.

Diluc offered you his hand, leading you to the dance floor when his brother announced the first dance of the newlyweds.

Pulling you closer to his body, he placed one hand on your waist, while the other held your right hand, he smiled encouragingly when you placed your left hand on his shoulder.

You followed his steps, swaying and twirling to the familiar music. Your eyes never breaking away from each other, smitten love radiating from the both of you.

He looked incredibly handsome like this, hair out of his face, lips curled upwards in happiness. You never wanted to forget this moment.

In his eyes, your bright smile was something to be engraved and tucked away into his heart forever.

Eventually the music died down, leaving you two swaying in each other’s arms happily, him pressing a kiss on your forehead, before resting his head against yours.

“I love you. Forever and always.”

#i did not proofread this #hi i’m back #diluc fluff #genshin fluff #diluc x reader #genshin impact diluc #diluc ragnvindr

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canonmisogynyvictimstournament · 8 months

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PROPAGANDA

KATHERINA MINOLA (THE TAMING OF THE SHREW) (CW: Domestic Abuse)

1.) We had to read this for English my senior year. I got so mad at the way she's treated. She's the titular "shrew" of the play. She has to be married off before her younger sister can get married, because that makes sense.

Then the most dogshit man imaginable comes along, and everybody thinks they're perfect. He literally gaslights her and denies her food and water.

Fuck Petruchio and Katherine Minola deserved better!

2.) Literally the whole play is about how she is so awful that the main guy needs to change her entire personality, which he does as a challenge not because he likes her, and then proceeds to her abuse her for the rest of the play. Yet, he is portrayed as the hero, not a villain and she is shown to have "improved" at the end. People will say, oh it's open to interpretation, it can be played different ways, it's satire, but i don't find abuse funny and there is a distinct lack of commentary in the play to count as satire imo. Taming of the Shrew is a tragedy not a comedy, I will die on this hill. Kate deserves better!

3.) The title isn’t joking, ya’ll. She literally gets broken like a rebellious feral animal and it’s treated as a happy ending.

BARBARARA GORDON (DC COMICS) (CW: Ableism)

1.) Famously fridged in 1988, which was so popular with misogynists it became canon. After almost 2 decades of being one of the only disabled characters, was rebooted to a younger, more fun version of herself whose only history is that she was fridged but not disabled by it.

2.) The Killing Joke is one of the biggest comic examples of a female character getting hurt to motivate male characters. Also tbe way different cannons will trade off who her romantic intrest is out of Batfamily is pretty disturbing ranging from Bruce Wayne in Batman the Animated series universe (ew) to Tim Drake in the Arkham games (ew). Not to mention DC now is not letting her grow out of being Batgirl taking away her legacy of other young female heroes taking up her mantle and her getting to mentor them instead forcing her into a Batgirl cycle of purgatory when she was always better as Oracle (Its a little more complicated in the new Batgirl book but its still not solving the issues in a way that feels meaningful enough to make up the damage).

3.) Was shot as angst value for Bruce and her dad, implied to be sexually assaulted in The Killing Joke with absolutely no respect for her long career as Batgirl. When Alan Moore asked if he could, the editor said "cripple the bitch." She became paralyzed from the waist down. THankfully, an actually good writer picked her up from there and then wrote one of the best stories ever written (Oracle Year One: Born from Hope). Was one of the most iconic disabled characters in comic book history, hell, as Oracle, she was definitely up there as one of the most iconic disabled characters ever as well as a fantastic character, period. There were a few moments where people kept trying to make things out of her disability and had her be shitty to other women for no reason but for the most part, she was awesome. During her time In 2011, Dan Didio and some other misogynistic/ableist comic book writers were responsible for "curing" her disability and forcing her back into Batgirl, despite her having shown absolutely no desire to do so, as part of the New 52. They also made it an editorial mandate that she couldn't have glasses, a cool secret base, and her time as Oracle couldn't be referenced. This was because those writers were nostalgic for the 60s Batman show where Babs was played by an actress they all had the hots for and couldn't accept she'd grown up and moved on. That was bad enough, but over time, she's been increasingly deaged and reduced even further to just Dick Grayson's on and off again girlfriend and a generic girlboss. Batgirl of Burnsides burn in hell.

#polls #round 1 #week 2 #new #cw domestic abuse #cw ableism

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apotelesmaa · 5 months

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Like. Ok. I fucking hate atsushi ohkubo I want him dead this is an established fact but it fucking BAFFLES me that mr terminally horny managed to write not only one of the best shounen female protagonists of all time (imo) but also have two female villains that are legitimately well written and threatening and aren’t some stupid “she’s evil because of a man” trope. Like maka? Wonderful protagonist. Love her dearly. Girlflop. Medusa? Literally just evil for the sake of it and incredibly competent and conniving. Arachne? Actually threatening and in charge of a massive organization.

& out of the side characters… Tsubaki has so much depth even if he dropped the ball on exploring her character more. Liz and Patty are both incredibly talented and interesting. Those three are all allowed to exist outside of the male character they’re grouped with. Iirc Marie is literally the only romance obsessed female character and that’s more or less a “I want to start a family and settle down” thing instead of a “I’m a woman so my primary goal in life is finding a man thing.” No we don’t talk about the fucking cat. Fine. Blair is powerful and competent when she’s not being the worst character in the story. I generally try not to think about her. And there are several other female characters in the supporting cast that are fairly well written (jackie, Kim, eruka) or are treated with the same level of respect as the male minor characters even if they’re not fleshed out (naigus, azusa).

It’s so fascinating. Ohkubo is so weird. Man is the world’s leading woman respecting misogynist. Guy who sees women as actual people but chooses to be grossly horny about it anyways. & then he somehow got worse with fire force but I’m not reading that anyways. Not praising him for any of this by the way this is like the bare minimum but it’s just shocking that it’s coming from him of all people.

#soul eater #like I would genuinely rank it above bnha in this regard if we’re comparing it to modern popular shounen #for all that that matters (never read bnha past the night eye stuff)

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tamamita · 5 months

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i fell off mha years ago but have been into jjk for a couple years and imo the writing and concepts for characters are well written, especially some of the women in the series like maki, nobara, shoko & yuki, however jjk is very quick to kill or at least severely harm characters at a whim. I wouldn't say shock value for most of them, the work explores the idea of retroactively trying to justify the beauty of death of those departed, and there is a good amount of nuanced discussion in the series about this even still.

I will admit that there is definitely a disparity between the men and women regarding plot significance, and one of the female main characters has had their assumed death & potential survival teased for at least a few times in 100+ chapters, which sucks because that character is probably one of the best female protagonists in modern shonen and I hope gege has a real good reason for writing her out of the story for so long and that if she returns it's well made up for.

though at this point in the story it's probably a mercy some favs aren't around, considering how unforgiving the death toll is on popular characters currently lol. anyway that's just my thoughts.

I remember enjoying the first season and the movie, and I really enjoyed the characters, and I remember loving Nobara and Maki. So hearing about all the things from manga readers leave me kinda scared. Haha... Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised considering it's a Shonen.

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arkhamasyl-m · 5 months

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I genuinely think one of the best Harley’s I’ve seen recently (IMO of course) is the Gotham Knight’s Harley. So let me rant about her.

One of my favourite things of upfront is that she’s clearly not that young. That might sound weird but lemme explain. One of my biggest pet peeves about comics, is female characters who are supposed to be the same age as a male character, yet they look like they’re 20 whilst that male character looks age appropriate. In every Harley adaptation, she is canonically supposed to be the same age as Bruce and yet… If you pick up any modern comic with the two characters, Bruce looks late 40s, early 50s (which he is) yet Harley looks to be in her 20s. It’s gotten to the point where I’m not surprised if people do think Harley is supposed to be decades younger because of this, which is just sad. In Gotham Knights, she looks the same age as Bruce and still has a great design and characterisation. She isn’t a grandma, but she also isn’t a college student. It makes sense in the story since this is an older Batman, and the story is late in his career when he already has a full Batfamily and Harley’s already left the Joker. No way could a 30-year-old Batman have done all of this yet, so he’s not 30, he’s middle aged and so is Harley. It’s a weird thing to bring up I guess, but I appreciate a story about a Batman whose career has literally ended, having a Harley who clearly isn’t 20, and is still written amazingly.

The next thing I love about her is she’s not an anti-hero. Here’s the thing, I don’t mind Harley being an anti-hero, she’s a character who since the beginning was always written to he sympathetic and redeemable so her becoming an anti-hero and even allies with Batman himself is fine in most comics (as long as they don’t just skip straight to that point) but I do miss Harley being a villain, as it’s just a fun thing to see the character do. This is a late career Batman story, so she is no longer with the Joker which is great but, she’s also not an anti-hero saving the day, she’s still a villain but is no longer bound by the Joker and is free to do things her own way. Her schemes are both chaotic, funny but also scary, making her a real threat whilst also not making her as evil as the Joker. She’s fun in the way you don’t really mind she’s being a nuisance, unlike the Joker who is fun in the way that you want it to be over if that makes any sense.

Another thing I love is her relationships with the team. It’s clear from dialogue with the Batfamily that she and Batman have a friendship, reminding me of the old Batman the Animated Series episodes where Harley and Batman were allies. She was still a villain in those episodes, but she ended up doing the right thing and was genuine in her attempts to help Batman. Here’s its very similar, even though we never actually see Harley meet with Bruce, we know from how she speaks of him that she is on good-terms with him, and has been his ally for a while even though she is villainous. This just comes down to preference, but I much prefer a Harley Quinn who will enact a villainous plan, but also genuinely help Batman with his vigilante stuff over a Harley who completely reforms and just becomes a shitty “hero” who is like a Wish version of Deadpool. This Harley seems genuinely upset that Batman is dead, and not in the way “Oh, I have nobody to play with” but in the “Oh, my friend is gone” kinda way. Her relationship with the titular Gotham Knights is less developed despite it being assumed she has faced them before, yet it’s still there. Her dialogue with Red Hood is best out of all the Knights as he is genuine when he talks to her about her help, and she is genuine when she talks to him. No trickery, no unspoken anger between them. Just two people genuinely trying to help each other, even if Harley is planning a comeback behind the scenes, her conversation with Red Hood is genuine and heartfelt. Even after being captured she compliments the Knights and tells them they will do good following in Batman’s footsteps.

I also think her plan is rather dumb but in the good way. It’s very comic-booky without being too stupid that it’s just annoying or too serious/realistic that it doesn’t suit a superhero game. It’s the right amount of camp AND suits Harley. A mistake I see a lot with Harley being a villain, is her plans just being things the Joker would do, but now it’s Harley doing that. Maybe for an early-career Harley who just broke up with the Joker sure, it makes sense her plans would just copy his without her own personal flair, but if that Harley has been without the Joker for a while, but her plan is literally just something he’d do exactly the same, it’s stupid. She’s not the Joker, she needs her own style to be part of her plans or it’s just a Genderbent Joker. In Gotham Knights, the plan is similar to something Joker would do. Harley brainwashing civilians to become reckless, deranged and dangerous on paper is something a Joker would do, but it’s in the execution. If this was the Joker, he would spray laughing gas on a crowd, and the crowd would have deformed Joker smiles on their faces as they went nuts. Harley though, she uses her psychology degree and her own brains to convince people they need to feel safer, and then those pills make people reckless and insane. The way it’s shown too, it kind of implies Harley meant no harm from it, and it was just so she would have fun with a bunch of people like a party I guess. The issue is, these people aren’t in control of themselves and their bravery and lack of fear means they have no issue doing dangerous stunts that will kill them. It’s villainous for sure, but fine with good intentions. She’s not an anti-hero, just a fun villain.

Her design, admittedly isn’t the best, I don’t like the bob she has in her main Harley design BUT I think this is the best casual Harley design. Most of the time a casual Harley outfit is just Harley in a themed outfit that isn’t her costume but is similar, like Harley in a red and black jacket and pants. Sure it’s casual, but when Harley is out in public doing normal things, or just lounging around at home is she going to be wearing a full face of clown makeup and a tactical, high-quality red and black jacket? I doubt it. In this game, I LOVE her casual outfit. It’s just her hair up in her signature pigtails, a white tank top with scribbles all over it, some prison pants and some red and black slippers. Yes there’s elements of Harley, which is good, but it’s not what she would wear whilst fighting the Justice League just like how her jester outfit isn’t what she’d wear whilst binge watching some show on Netflix whilst on her couch. I can tell who it is from the design, and her own personal touches add so much character to her. She’s drawn Batman on her shirt, she’s clearly very crafty as shown from her hideout and makeshift outfit with the torn up sleeves and the scribbles and doodles all over her clothes. I genuinely prefer her casual outfit over her fighting clothes, but it’s just so fitting for her, and I love this Harley sm.

We barely see a late-career Harley Quinn but this is exactly what I imagined and I’m glad with how she came out in this game. Everything about her works so well, and my only complaints are small nitpicks not minor issues. I want more of her and I adore her character.

#harley quinn #gotham knights game #gotham knights

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gffa · 6 months

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Hi there! I’m someone who’s been following you for Star Wars for a while but I’ve become really interested in your DC comics posting recently, and I was wondering - since the franchise has been going for so long and has so many instalments - what you would say to someone who wants to start reading these comics/watching the shows/movies but doesn’t know where to start? Have a lot of the comics been retconned? Is there a particular order one has to read in? Where does one even find these comics…?

My interest in this franchise was literally sparked by the Jason Todd telephone poll so I’m definitely interested in reading more about him - he seems like a character I’d like - and the rest of like, the… Batfamily, I think they’re called? I just have no idea where to start lol - my knowledge of DC is limited to seeing bits of Teen Titans GO when I walked past my little brother watching TV, and watching the Lego Batman movie with him xD

Also! If I’m correct, after observing the fandom, Talia seems like an interesting, complex female character (with some bad writing), like Padmé or Bo-Katan? I always love those kinds of characters, just wondering if I’d got the right impression of her.

Hi! You've got a solid idea of things so far, so hopefully, this shouldn't be too hard of a climb to get used to the structure! And I'll do my best to explain the structure of comics without getting too lost in the weeds about it. 😂

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW: In my view, comics aren't meant to be a single coherent whole and it's helpful to drop that idea before you get started because otherwise you'll drive yourself around the bend in a fruitless attempt to make everything line up neatly, when it just never will. There is no one single "true" version of the characters, there is no one single creator who is the highest authority on a character, no matter who created the character or even who is most famous for writing them, these are shared characters being written and drawn by a multitude of authors and artists who all have varying takes on them. The characters should stay true to a core personality and traits, but the flexibility of an author to write a character differently from the last person who wrote them is a feature not a bug imo. I like to think of comics as stories being told by different authors playing with action figures and we're in the audience enjoying these stories, regardless of how some authors fit really well together and others completely clash with each other. You can try to make them mesh (sometimes that's fun!) or you can just shrug your shoulders and pick what you like out of the pile of comics that have been handed to you (you'll probably drive yourself less over the edge this way!). Jason is particularly difficult on this aspect, because he often doesn't have a regular book to be written in and his overall place/point in the Batman comics is murky at best somedays and so he is wildly different from author to author. I personally enjoy this, because I think it works for Jason as a character who has some core beliefs, but also is kind of a mess who doesn't really know what he wants, so he veers wildly from one reaction to another. You can read comics in a variety of ways, but I genuinely do not recommend trying to read "in order" because it's a nightmare to try to keep track of everything once it's been a few years and the numbering of these series is the most confusing thing you'll ever meet. Instead, I think it's better to focus on picking up trades (collections of comics that originally came out in single issues, but are put together in a single volume that tells the whole story of that particular run) that sound interesting or come recommended. (And, honestly, it's not even satisfying even if you did do all the work to read them in order. Throw out the idea that comics have a coherent timeline, because they do NOT.)

CONTINUITIES AND DIFFERENT ERAS: The ONLY context I think you need (other than a general sense of the Batfam, we'll get there in a minute) is to understand that there are sort of four "continuities" that you're likely to run into, and this is EXTREMELY simplified/streamlined, so nerds don't come for me on this unless you have a better streamlined and simple version. 😂 - Anything published before 1985-1986 is all "Pre-Crisis" and while reading a lot of the older comics can be super fun, they're generally not super relevant to current comics - In 1985-1986, there was a comics event (an event is where multiple different comic books are all written to be part of a bigger storyline, whereas normally, they don't cross over that much, each book usually has its own self-contained storylines) called "Crisis on Infinite Earths" (which is different from "Infinite Crisis") that was basically a way for DC to streamline all the different versions of the characters running around into one manageable universe. This ran up until about 2011 and I'll often refer to it as the "preboot" or "post-Crisis" continuity. (This is where Jason's death happened, in the storyline "A Death in the Family".) - In 2011, DC wanted to reboot their entire universe with an event called "Flashpoint", with the purpose of creating an all new lineup of 52 comics that new readers could jump right into, which isn't a bad idea in theory. The problem was that people were really attached to the preboot versions of the characters, a lot of the Nu52 comics were really badly written, and there was almost no collaboration. You expect a certain amount of contradiction just by the nature of comics, but there were major issues with "nobody is talking to each other, so everything is a giant mess".

- In 2016, for a variety of reasons (probably including that sales for Nu52 had dipped back down pretty far again), DC rebooted their universe again, with "Rebirth", which is the continuity we're in now. I'm still catching up (I left when Nu52 happened) but I think a lot of preboot events are leaking back into the continuity, but that's not the same as saying it's equal to the preboot continuity in total. This is also the era that I generally talk about the most because I've found it genuinely the most engaging to get back into! Generally, as long as you understand those four eras of continuity, I think you'll be fine in understanding how things are put together. If you want to know where something falls, just check the date and that'll tell you! But, honestly, yeah, background details change all the time, so even within a single continuity there will be retcons--just that there are MASSIVE differences in the Nu52 era that might confuse you if you're unaware of the reboot shenanigans. (Or if you want to understand how Jason returned--like, preboot continuity has the explanation that Superboy Prime (don't ask) punched reality so hard that it shook Jason back to life, even if they never found out about it, that's what happened. I think Nu52 said Talia dug him up and put him in the Lazarus Pit? Don't quote me on that. I flamed out hard on Nu52. Rebirth continuity, they have no idea what the hell happened and I'm not sure there's an explanation. I just assume the Reality Punch leaked back in or something.)

SO, LIKE, WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THESE CHARACTERS? AS SHORT AS I CAN MAKE IT: - Bruce Wayne witnesses his parents being murdered in front of him and this traumatizes him so badly that he withdraws from life to obsess over it, eventually travelling the world for several years to learn every kind of skill he can, until he comes back to Gotham at, like 22 years old or whatever and becomes Batman to fight crime. The only rails on this ride is his butler Alfred who basically raises him from the time he's eight and Alfred is working MIRACLES here, but there's only so much even he can do. He is absolutely Bruce's father figure, even if they rarely frame it in those terms, because Thomas Wayne (Bruce's father) is such an important figure in their lives and because Alfred is extremely British. - Bruce is Batman for a few years, usually depicted as being super grimdark because he's shut his heart against loving anyone ever again because the pain is too much. But then one night he's at a circus performance and there's a terrible "accident" where a little 9 year old boy (shhhh we ignore any other versions than that he was nine, dammit, it's important for the thematic parallels!) witnesses his world-class aerialists parents falling to their deaths. Dick Grayson's grief and loss spark something in Bruce and he takes on this grieving, angry, brilliant little boy as his ward. Now, not even God can stop Dick Grayson, who is going to get justice for his parents' murder, so eventually Bruce reveals that he's Batman and Dick basically barges his way into creating his sidekick persona, Robin. Bruce is not a fan of this, but seriously. He couldn't have stopped that kid, he tried. He could only put a leash on him. Dick brings light and joy back to Wayne Manor and they have the most fascinating relationship--they're father & son, they're brothers, they're best friends, they understand each other like no one else does, they fight like no one else in that family does, they love each other, they're so angry at each other, they're co-dependent and absolutely batshit about each other, they basically raise each other from the time Dick came to Wayne Manor. - Dick eventually grows up and starts clashing with Bruce more, especially as he gains his independence. Different versions happen differently in different continuities, but eventually it hits a boiling point and either Bruce fires him as Robin or Dick quits because he can't deal with this. He goes off to become Nightwing, while Bruce eventually meets another kid who (in the most common version) tries to steal the Batmobile's tires because he needs the money. Circumstances happen, Bruce eventually ends up adopting Jason Todd, who becomes the next Robin. Things are relatively stable for awhile, until Jason learns about his birth mother and runs off to try to reconnect with her, except the Joker's got his sticky fingers all up in this situation, and it results in Jason dying in the exploding building.

- Bruce is Not Doing Well after this, so in comes our favorite horrible little stalker gremlin Tim Drake, who hunts down Dick Grayson and says, hey, you gotta become Robin again because Batman's going to get himself killed if you don't. Dick is like, no, I fucking do not. Tim responds with, well, guess I gotta do it myself then and basically barges his way into being the next Robin. He bonds with Dick as a brother (who is far and way Tim's favorite, imo), he does his best to be as good of a Robin as he can be. - Things are better after that, they're fairly well into Batfamily territory by this point. Jason comes back and, originally, it was supposed to be a trick, it was a villain pretending to be him, but was later retconned to actually be Jason who came back and... it's complicated. I don't think they really knew what to do with him once he came back, so he kind of ping-pongs around with varying levels of villainy for awhile. - Then we get to the time around Batman R.I.P. where a lot of shit happens all at once, especially for Tim. Bruce dies fighting a Justice League villain, Tim also has his bio-dad die around this time, his relationship with his ex-girlfriend/good friend is kind of going to shit, the boy he's in love with (not canon at the time, but current day storylines basically confirm it was true) also died and it wrecked Tim, like he lost his MIND over Conner Kent's death, there's this annoying little shit Damian Wayne who has showed up as the bio-son of Bruce, and then suddenly Bruce also dies. And Dick has to become Batman because Gotham needs Batman and he's in mourning and dealing with Jason being back and everything OFF THE RAILS as various people are like, "No, I'M going to be Batman now!" and Dick has to shut all that shit down and take up the mantle himself despite that he doesn't want it AND deal with Damian being an emotionally traumatized 11 year old baby assassin who has been abused into being a killer his entire life (I mean, it's comics, don't take it too seriously) and he needs something to hold onto or he's going to leave and go back to killing, so Dick and Alfred give the Robin mantle to Damian, which pisses Tim off because he's not doing well and sees it as a betrayal (while Dick was asking for his help as an ally, that he was ready to graduate to being more than just Batman's sidekick) because he's lost so much. - So we have Dick & Damian as Batman & Robin (THIS ERA WAS SO GOOD), Tim as Red Robin (fandom way overplays Tim and Dick's tension, they come back together after their dramatic few months), and eventually they find Bruce who was lost in the time stream (don't ask) and then, WHAM, Nu52 happens. But basically, that's the Robins timeline. I'm skipping over Steph's turn as Robin because it was so short and it was clearly set up just to knock her down, as well as not touching on Cass much because this is long enough as it is and I'm trying to circle back to focusing on Jason-friendly stuff.

WHERE TO START: Ask a dozen different people where to start and you'll get a dozen different answers! I think starting anywhere is fine and it's going to depend on what you like--for example, I'm personally not that into the animated DC movies (not enough of my Blorbo) but "Batman: Under the Red Hood" is generally very well-regarded as an updated version of Jason's return and is nicely self-contained if you want to watch it without much other context. I also think watching the Justice League animated series from 2001 is fantastic if you want a funny, charismatic, streamlined adaptation of what the Justice League is like. (Batman: The Animated Series was groundbreaking at the time and a really good adaptation, but very dated by this point in time, so I hesitate to recommend it too much, even though it's beloved to me.) The Wayne Family Adventures is an absolutely adorable, delightful webtoon adaptation that is very light-hearted compared to the mainline comics! I like recommending it to new fans because I think it's super easy to start reading without too much extraneous context and gives you an idea of the characters' relationships to each other, so long as you understand that it is EXTREMELY soft and is much in the vein of LEGO Batman content--you're not supposed to take it super seriously, there are times it's deliberately crossing into something like parody territory, but that doesn't mean it's not genuinely funny, charming, and a great read. @fantastic-nonsense has an incredibly thorough list of recommendations for comics by character here, and you can scroll down to the Jason Todd section and start reading there! Or you can check out the "A STARTING POINT: BATMAN IN OTHER MEDIA" section because I pretty much 100% agree with everything she says about the various adaptations. I like recommending "Young Justice" as an introduction to DC, so long as you understand that it's a loose adaptation and that the team compositions and various relationships are not always going to be accurate to comics dynamics. I have my own comics recs tag, but I'm more Dick-focused, so your mileage is going to vary on how useful you might find my recs! But basically, you can't go wrong with starting with "A Death in the Family", then "Under the Red Hood" (movie then comics) and "Red Hood: The Lost Days". Basically, anything by Judd Winick has a good chance of being a solid read for him. It's hard to recommend Jason comics, because so many of them are either not great or require knowledge of the events that are going on around the same time--but, honestly, once you're familiar with the set-up, I do think you can pick up almost any trade and pick up context along the way. I personally also loved "Robins: Being Robin" series, because all five of the Robins working to solve a case together and being unhinged weirdos at each other is my jam. (But I like pretty much anything Tim Seely writes!) I also always recommend the 2016 Nightwing series because Dick is my Blorbo, but I also think "Robin & Batman" by Jeff Lemire is a fantastic story to understand who baby Dick Grayson is and his relationship with Bruce, and both "The Long Halloween" and "Dark Victory" are some of the best Batman comics I've ever read, but they can be tough to get through if you don't like Tim Sale's very stylized art.

WHERE TO FIND THESE THINGS TO READ? The movies and animated series should be on HBOMax and/or Netflix, and comics I always recommend hitting up your library to see what they have--so many libraries have a ton of comics available, especially digitally! And, if you have a library card, it's very possible that your library partners with Hoopla, where they have a ton of Batman comics! You can also check out DC Universe, which has almost all DC comics if you get a subscription.

TL;DR: If you want bigger context on how all this stuff works, start with either "Justice League" or "Young Justice", they're really cute, fun adaptations. If you want to get straight to the Jason stuff, start with "A Death in the Family" --> "Under the Red Hood" --> "Red Hood: The Lost Days" --> "Batman: Urban Legends vol. 1". (And, yeah, you have the right impression of Talia! She often gets written as a villain, but she's also often a lot more complex than that, it really depends on who you get to write her. The corner of fandom I hang out in is generally more generous to her, but some of the actual comics can be kind of rough. But she's complex and has a lot of sharp edges, so, you know, I love her, too. 😂)

#lumi.txt #dc #batfam #jason todd #comics recs #long post

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expectopatronum81 · 7 months

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Let me just say it, jkr is brilliant at writing friendships and individual characters but absolute shit at writing romance. None of the main ships were well written, the side ones were much better, though probably because we don't have enough info for them to be ruined

Ships I like :

Bill and Fleur - 💯💯💯 second best ship in the books imo

Molly and Arthur - for some reason the fandom hates this ship. U need to be a solid team to pull off a family of 7 kids ( especially with 6 boys). They also clearly love each other, they even call each other cute nicknames. What's not to like?

Dumbledore and Grindelwald - this is going to bring me hate, but they're my fav couple in the whole series. I don't need a couple to be morally good to appreciate the pairing. Probably the only well written one because they're both fleshed out as characters. Their relationship only makes them more complex and interesting than they already are.

Ships I dislike :

Harry and Ginny - The protagonist's love story was a disappointment. Ginny could have been such an interesting character, instead she was made into the boring 'perfect girl tm' just to become Harry's 'ideal partner'. She's basically made into a female version of james without his flaws being called out. Harry's 'chest monster' was cringe asf, sounded like something tht could hv been picked out of Twilight 😂😂

Ron and Hermione - i like the idea of them, but i don't think it was executed well. That bird attack practically made its appeal non existent for me ( i love Hermione but wtf)

James and Lily - we know a lot about James's character but very little about lily despite the fact that they're both dead before the series starts. James hexing Snape behind Lily's back doesn't set a good precedent, seeing as they get married the very next yr. Lily almost smiling at Snape's underpants being exposed is never addressed when Harry's being critical about james. To me it honestly feels lyk shipping james with a ghost as we know nothing substantial about lily.

PS: I also really appreciate the fact that Sirius was never paired up with anyone. He was far too broken and rebellious and traumatized. He had different priorities and I m so glad his character wasn't forced into one. Single characters for the win, they're such a rarity in fiction

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thechaoticreader · 4 months

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10 Booktok Books I Refuse To Read (&Why)

I'm feeling a little controversial today and while I'm a microscopic blog might as well!

*Disclaimer: If you like any of these books, slay! I'm happy for you! These are just my own consumer choices, and imo negative book reviews are just as helpful as positive ones!*

1. Any Colleen Hoover

I don't like her as a person and don't want to give her money

Her writing style feels like I'm reading bad 2010's fanfics

Her plots feel half-baked and contrived

It feels like her plot twists are just there to emotionally manipulate the reader not to actually make the book better

Every twist is predictable

I've never met a likeable CoHo character

I hate reading insta-love

All of the male Leeds (😉) are toxic and shitty

The breeding kink that underlies most of her books make me very uncomfortable

The pick me "not like the other girls" attitude of the female MC's makes me hate them when im supposed to be rooting for them

thats all I can think of right now but there's probably more

If you want Verity vibes but well written, read Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier

If you want the writing style, plot points and vibes of the rest of her work but for free, visit Wattpad or Fanfiction.net or even venture further into this very site

2. Haunting Adeline

Hate the writing style

The Q Anon subplot makes me so upset...like if I wanted to hear righty conspiracy theories and propaganda i'd hang out with my aunt...at least id get food out of that

I've been in abusive relationships and I'd find this book triggering and disgusting, not sexy

3. Fourth Wing

I just feel like I've grown out of the genre (I was an avid reader during the Y/A dystopia craze of the 2000's/2010's)

hate the writing style

the world building makes no sense

bad chronic illness rep

in general not a romantacy fan

4. Sarah J. Maas

Not a fan of her writing style

Not a romantacy fan

Don't have the attention span for MASSIVE series

5. Icebreaker

I grew up in Southern Ontario surrounded by hockey boys...theres not much less sexy to me than a bunch of hockey bros

6. Hidden Pictures

its transphobic :)

7. Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I loved the hunger games books and I'm afraid this will ruin it

8. Creedence

not into incest

don't find abuse hot

9. Cassandra Clare

not into incest

not into plagiarism

bad writing

series are entirely too long

10. The Pawn & The Puppet

bad writing

the worst mental illness rep I've seen in a long time

transphobia

badly handled eating disorder

toxic at best love interest

don't like the author

there's definitely more but thinking about this book makes me so mad

#book blog #bookblr #booktok #books I won't read #anti booktok #hater #book slander #coho hater #anti coho #colleen hoover #fourth wing

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tulipsinthedas · 28 days

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Just finished binging the Fallout tv show and 🤯 I've got so many thoughts running through this little brain of mine. So here's a very long rant no one asked for. Maybe I'll make a more digestible version later. Obviously SPOILERS AHEAD!!! Be warned!

First off - the lore. So many interesting things were added into the lore by this show that I find so fascinating, as well as theories I've had that were touched upon. All of which makes this very exciting but also leaves me DESPERATE for season two. The main thing that has really stuck with me is the confirmation that Vault-Tec were the ones to drop the bombs like hello??? I've always had an inkling ever since I started delving into fallout lore a good year or two ago that they were behind everything, but finally having it confirmed is so fun. Of course, some people out there are going to be irritated (L take) but this imo will make replays so much more interesting. Same with the addition of ghouls needing medication to keep from becoming feral. Although this begs some questions; what is the medicine? Is it just radaway, or something else entirely? Maybe it's connected to whatever Hancock used to ghoulify himself? Or maybe it's connected to Doctor Barrows' research into ghouls fom Fallout 3? Idk! But I hope it's answered in season 2.

Cooper being the inspiration behind the iconic vault boy mascot absolutely gagged me. It was kinda hinted at even in the beginning at the kids birthday party but I was still surprised. Pleasantly, of course. Other smaller things, like the BOS branding and helmets opening up, among other things, were also fun touches that develop the lore in ways that the games probably never would have. It's small things like this that despite livening up the wasteland, would be unnecessary uses of resources from a game-development standpoint. So I think if season 2 ends up being a banger like season 1, we could see a lot more tiny additions to the lore like this!

Secondly - the characters. I don't even know where to start. They were written so well which is such a critical part of a good series. Lucy, despite everything she goes through, stays true to her morals and by doing so, probably unknowingly, is changing those around her. Despite being stubborn, she's willing to listen and understand other viewpoints and adapt herself. It's so refreshing to see a main female lead who isn't written as either weak and naive or strong and boneheaded; she'd a perfect mix of both. I also appreciate them not making her a total push over, even in the beginning before she is given any reason to change. She grows, but never fails to stay true to herself. Plus the whole sex positive thing is an amazing touch to add as well, especially for a woman.

And while on this topic, Maximus is such a cutie pie. Writing characters that are selflessly aligned can definitely be a hit or miss, and without properly being fleshed out, can be one-dimensional, but I never felt that way with him. Despite trying to help others and be a good person, he still has flaws and does feels selfish things. They took the trope of the knight in shining armor, literally, and gave him actual human characteristics that made him feel real. Underneath his heroic demeanor, he's just a little guy who likes slippers and vault popcorn. Who just wants to be somewhere safe away from war and danger, to be where he can just relax and not have to worry. And his romance arc with Lucy is just way too cute. From the moment they met in Filly I knew something was going to happen and I was so excited when they finally kissed lmao. The sweet, innocent love at first sight thing they have going on is the perfect dichotomy to all the bloodshed and heavy themes going on in the rest of the show.

And finally, Cooper is reviving the inner ghoul lover in me and I cannot complain at all. As a certified Hancock lover, I feel seen ✋ also Walton Goggins is just incredibly fine. But that's besides the point. His character is arguably the best written because despite being an undeniably evil person, he is still likeable. 200 years have turned him into a man who had to lose his humanity to survive, and the pre-war flashbacks being shown through his eyes give him, and the story, so much depth. Despite his ways, you can't help but still feel for him, to still root for him and hope that he still has a little bit of that humanity left within him. Which imo was shown multiple times; for example him not killing Maximus in episode two even though he easily could have done so. And the fact that he's still searching for his family all these years later? When he was asked what has been keeping him going so long, I think they are his reason. Whether he is searching to reunite or to exact revenge on Barb for dropping the bombs while him and Janey were outside idk. But it makes his story all the more heartbreaking. I also love the writing for Norm, Moldaver, Dane, and so many others, but this is already too long ass it is.

Overall, this series was so good and I'll be impatiently awaiting season 2! Some things I'm hoping to see next seasons are super mutants for sure, as well as synths and more of the enclave. I think they went easy this season to test the waters and see just how interested people are. And now that they know people are very interested, I think they'll be more willing to invest a larger budget, and add more. Rant over!

#fallout #fallout show #fallout series #fallout prime #fallout tv series #cooper howard #lucy maclean #maximus fallout #fallout series spoilers #fallout spoilers #fallout amazon #fallout ghoul

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jadejedi · 8 months

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Fantasy Book Review: A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland

JJ's rating: 5/5

How feral did it make me: 5/5

My book reviews

I’ve been reading (or listening) to a lot more books this year than normal, and I have realized that I need an outlet to talk about them. I considered making a goodreads account, but hey I already have this! So I will be reviewing the books I’ve read this year, and depending on how long it takes me, I might just start reviewing all my favorite reads. I'm probably going to add links to my blog to make them easier to find.

Let’s get into it. This book is so good. SO GOOD. I listened to it on audiobook, which normally means while I’m at work, driving, or at home doing chores, but I literally listened to the last 2 hours of this book at home doing absolutely nothing, just on the edge of my damn seat!

Here’s a quick summary: the very anxious Prince Kadou accidentally causes a serious incident that leaves multiple of his personal guards dead or injured. In the aftermath, he is assigned a new guard by the sultan who is known for being an uptight rule follower. As their personalities clash, they have to solve a mystery and learn to work together…

I want to preface this review by saying that this is definitely a romance novel with a fantasy setting. The world building, especially for the main country this novel takes place in, is great and extremely vivid without unnecessary info dumps. The main plot of the story is perfectly serviceable, if a tad predictable, but it 1000% does what it needs to do for the romance.

But, the romance. THE ROMANCE. This book was advertised as an “enemies to lovers slow burn romance” and it 100% delivers on both. Now, when some people think “enemies to lovers” or (even better imo) “enemies to friends to lovers”, they imagine that at least one of the parties involved is a horrible villain and the relationship is probably abusive in some way. I’m sure there are plenty of books out there where that is absolutely the case, but Rowland gets what makes that trope so good. It’s about two characters who are both good people, but initially clash. It’s the mutual hatred born out of a fundamental misunderstanding of the other’s character, it’s the eventual begrudging respect, it’s THE YEARNING. THE PINING.

Both of these characters are so wonderful. We get both POV’s throughout: Kadou’s anxious desire to do what’s best for his country and not fuck anything up, and Evemere’s steadfast, noble determination to understand what makes the prince the way he is.

I don’t want to give too much more away, but this book is filled with ALL the delightful romance tropes you could ever desire.

Can we talk about pacing?? Pacing is so, so important, especially when writing a slow burn romance, and this author GETS. IT. Sometimes if the romance is resolved too early, all the tension goes out of the story, because if it’s a romance novel, we’re here for the romance, not the plot. But in this story the whole novel is centered around the romance, and the pacing just works so, so well.

Also, the way that queerness is written into this story is wonderful. Third gender pronouns abound and same sex attraction is fully accepted, and it’s really refreshing. Also, there are multiple female characters who play significant roles in the story who are fleshed out characters, which I feel is sometimes lacking in M/M romances.

I have not been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished it like four days ago. I listened to the audio book, which had an excellent narrator, but have also ordered the paperback with my favorite version of the cover. Please, do yourself the favor and read this one. Also, if you do read it, the author published a 10,000 word fanfic epilogue on AO3. It’s called What spring does with the cherry trees, and it’s a goddamn delight.

#a taste of gold and iron #book review #fantasy book review #mlm #slowww burn #meet ugly #romantasy

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tildexart · 1 month

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Hello again! Please elaborate on why you don’t like Bram Stokers Dracula (1992) I love hearing people go off and I think I’ll agree with your conclusion since I don’t like it either haha

HI thanks for sending this as an ask!! Here's a very long, convoluted response. Warning: it is not proofread.

So, the main reason I don't like Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) is because of accuracy. Now, I am completely fine when a book-to-film adaptation isn't a perfect recreation of the book (frankly thats impossible imo) but MAN does this adaptation do the original book injustice. The romance between Dracula and Mina?? The plot line about Dracula's dead wife? Renfield originally working with Harker?? MINA ATTEMPTING TO SEDUCE VAN HELSING???? Really, most of the injustice is done to Mina as a character. Book!Mina is such a strong, well written character. She is integral to the plot and to the book's structure (we would not have had all of the letters, newspaper clippings, and diary entries without her). The book itself states this with how often the Dude Squad (I think I got that title from an Overly Sarcastic Productions video, im going to keep using it) directly tell Mina that they could not have defeated Dracula without her. She is resilient, smart, and stands up for herself. 1992!Mina is not this. James V. Hart, who wrote the screenplay, took everything that made Mina Mina and created a stereotypical damsel character. It's a shame because I strongly believe that Winona Ryder could play a killer, book-accurate Mina Harker.

Speaking of who plays the characters... the cast is really hit or miss for me personally. I do think Winona Ryder and Anthony Hopkins are good picks (especially based off of the book portrayals) and I remember liking Cary Elwes as Arthur Holmwood. Tom Waits as Renfield is a pretty inspired choice ngl.

But. Keanu. Don't get me wrong, I love Keanu Reeves. I think he is great in Bill and Ted's and John Wick. But that's why it confuses me as to why he was cast in this film. He can't do the accent, he shows no emotion, and it sounds like he is remembering his lines as he says them. In fact, my family and I quote his lines in this film as a joke all the time ("Is the castle far?"). None of his former roles at the time implied that he would be a good Jonathan either.

I can't remember much of Gary Oldman's performance, I just know I didn't like it lmao. He made Dracula too suave when he's really just a Creature.

Note: in looking up the cast I was reminded that Richard E. Grant plays Seward and as a fan of Saltburn (2023) that is just. hilarious to me.

I only went into this movie because I was told I would like it because the production design was pretty. Honestly? It's not. The film is poorly lit and the costumes are questionably accurate. The few shots I can remember are for the wrong reasons- such as that One Scene with Lucy in the cemetery. I won't get into it much more, it makes me extremely uncomfortable, but its another instance of Bram Stoker's Dracula taking away everything that made the female characters interesting.

Honestly? The best thing I can say about this movie is that it included Quincey. He's my favorite and he usually doesn't make it to screen adaptations. I'm happy you're here buddy.

I think what infuriates me is the title. Bram Stoker's Dracula implies that this adaptation takes a lot from the book. It's not just Dracula, it's Bram Stoker's Dracula. It's like saying that this adaptation is the most faithful. But... it's not. Bram Stoker's Dracula takes more of it's inspiration from old Universal films and previous Dracula adaptations than it does from the actual book. Thats okay! I'm all for new interpretations of old stories. But if you're a new interpretation that changes half of the characters and plot, don't market said interpretation with the original authors name.

This is not Bram Stoker's Dracula, it's Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula.

Which, even then, this is weak for Coppola. I'm not a huge fan of his work (I've seen The Godfather and Apocalypse Now) but I can understand and appreciate why he is as influential as he is. I think his films are well written and beautifully shot. He has great casts who elevate the writing and make their characters memorable. This film goes against all of that and that bothers me so much. It feels like a cheap imitation of Coppola's work.

Anyway- that sums up my thoughts on Bram Stoker's Dracula. I reallt enjoyed writing this, as someone who wants to be a film historian but doesn't actually get to do film-deep dives this was pretty refreshing haha. Good reminder that this is a film blog, not a podcast one.

Feel free to ask me more about movies, especially if you like Dracula! I am of the opinion that there is no good adaptation of Dracula... but I have ideas on how to fix that so...

#i believe this film is my lowest rated film on letterboxd #tilda rambles #bram stocker's dracula #francis ford coppola #film ramble #dracula

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chaifootsteps · 7 months

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I still think it’s an absolute joke that viv thinks ANY of her fanficy yaoi abuse writing no deeper than a piss puddle on the pavement is comparable to Bojack Horseman at all, and I feel like Stella vs Beatrice is the perfect example of that.

In Bojack, it’s established early on that Beatrice was/is a horrible mother to Bojack, the two best examples imo being her telling Bojack as a child that he ruined her beauty and that he better make up for that sometime soon, and her phone call telling him as an adult that he was born broken. But later on in the show, with the episodes The Old Sugarman Place and especially Time’s Arrow, we learn Beatrice suffered a terrible life too, one might argue even worse than Bojack’s, and that makes us sympathize with her. It’s obviously no excuse for what she’s done, especially since she was still actively making people’s lives worse with what she pulled with Hollyhock, we understand why she became the person she is. Time’s Arrow has such a cathartic and powerful ending, I’m never going to forget Bojack choosing to end the cycle of abuse that plagued his family for decades by giving his mother, with her final semblance of lucidity, by comforting her and making her think of fond memories.

Meanwhile in Helluva Shitshow we know jack and shit about Stella other than “i ENjoY tOrMEntiNG yOu” which is just, such a dogshit line. What were her parents like? What was her childhood like? What does she think about her brother? What is her personal life like outside of her family? What are her accomplishments? Interests? Goals outside of murdering the rapey owl bastard? We’re well into season 2 and we STILL haven’t gotten even ONE interaction between Stella and Octavia, mother and daughter, like are you kidding me? I cannot prepare for Hazbin if it’s supposed to be female focused while THIS is how a female writer writes her female characters, unacceptable is it what it is.

So yea, TLDR Beatrice solos Stella and viv should’ve never written for Helluva, things people are already well aware of. Sorry for the long winded rant but I had to get this off my chest after making an essay in my head about this in the shower. Hope you’re having a good day Chai, I’m now reminded of the absolute banger that is Hi-Fi Rush because of your username, thank you

This, this, this.

Beatrice was a masterpiece of a character. It's established very early on that she's absolutely awful, sometimes comically so and sometimes tragically, and also that she and Butterscotch are both miserable characters in a desperately unhappy marriage, and it just builds and builds from there into some of the most powerful writing on the show.

Stella is a character that's not only paper thin, but Vivzie will mock you on twitter if you like her or even attempt to sympathize with her.

#Anonymous #helluva boss critical #vivziepop critical #actual blog post

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suffarustuffaru · 6 months

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Not to be negative or a hater, but I personally don't find some of emilia's seemingly "adorkble idiotic airhead" moments and related speeches "cute" or "funny" rather...cringe and baffling. it seems like tappei simply doesn't understand the difference between a naive person and someone with an extremely low IQ, maybe tappei tried to create some comedy with that way to show emilia's dorky charm but honestly it's SUCKS unfortunately that big troll seems to be very stubborn to portray emilia that way over and over and over again without finding it kinda problematic at all, and honestly it's starting to piss me off about him. I know that emilia actually has a lot of smart moments in the story, but for some reason I just can't get into characters like her despite her kindness and thoughtfulness as well as other wonderful qualities,sorry.

hi anon!! thanks for the ask, this is something that i think a lot, actually. the thing with rezero is that it has a few glaring major flaws and then all the smaller flaws stem from those things. and by major, it is major. its genuinely problematic. i dont use that word lightly. and emilia is one of those characters that suffers from it the most, especially when shes rezeros deuteragonist. but you wouldnt know that from the way tappei treats her sometimes.

also uh quick disclaimer i hope no one kills me for my opinions in this ask haah i promise ill explain.

i will preface this off by saying - yeah, emilias one of my favorite characters in all of rezero actually. shes one of my favorite characters of all time in general too.

tappei does do some things right with her - her base character is lovely, her backstory is complex and explains so much of the foundation of her character, her role in the story is fascinating, her arc 4 development is amazingly written imo, her kindness despite all the pain shes been through due to factors out of her control is very admirable... to me personally, shes someone i can relate to and a character that i love a lot. i see her and i understand why subaru wants to help and protect her so bad because she truly is a sweet person trying her best but she is continually fucked over. i want her to succeed!! i want her to struggle but eventually prove everyone whos ever been against her wrong!! i want her to find true happiness and grow and change as a person!!

but at the same time shes not just fucked over in universe. shes fucked over by the way tappei writes her, because he keeps dropping the ball when it comes to these things. so i really understand anon a lot for not being able to get into emilia, and i also really understand anon because i too am getting a little pissed off at tappeis writing sometimes hah. so in regards to not being able to get into emilia for some reason—yeah, i think theres a lot of reasons for this due to how tappei writes rezero.

for example. emilias “dorkiness” is sometimes good. and then sometimes its bad because tappei wants to keep making her “stupid” and “childish” in very insulting ways. having a low iq and being childish isnt bad. the way tappei treats it in his story is.

rezero in general is kind of weird in its treatment of women in that it has all these varied female characters with unique backstories, personalities, motivations, etc etc. there will almost always be a great foundation for all these characters, but tappei will continually do things to ruin it a bit down the line and waste potential. or there will be flaws from conception that get worse over time. its a huge mixed bag.

and its also really obvious again in media like this because if youre paying attention, its very easy to notice that male characters will always get more attention and more consistently higher quality writing compared to the female characters.

(warning ahead for more discussion of rezero's misogyny and tendency to sexualize children, by the way)

tappei's poor writing with women also kind of applies to children. because treatment of children and women in rezero are very intricately linked. im gonna explain this in a hopefully handy and useful and understandable list that goes through a lot of tappeis usual tropes regarding children and women in rezero:

tappei continually writing excerpts that go way too in depth about womens and young girls breasts and bodies in general in very objectifying ways. im gonna be entirely honest a good number of sentences in rezero belong on r/menwritingwomen. why do we need to keep hearing about their body parts like this? ESPECIALLY when it comes to the children. its frankly disgusting.

women/girls who are in love / involved with an older man in some capacity, likely highly dependent on him in some way, sometimes this will become their main motivation (examples of this include emilia (YEAH. EMILIA.), rem, petra, ram, frederica, liliana, yorna.............). like yeah i know guys in rezero arent exempt from (co)dependency or some form of obsession, but kind of telling that theyre still extremely fleshed out characters outside of it, right? (key examples include subaru, otto, and roswaal.)

^^ adding onto this. age gap romances. tappei did that thing where he shoehorned emilia being "mentally 14" or whatever, and also even if roswaal wasnt centuries old he still practically raised ram since she was a child (she literally helps dress him in the anime?? like shes seen taking his underwear to him???). clind also is an adult who knew frederica as a child and clind is. something else. also in a recent arc 8 madeline moment where she and balleroy have a romance-coded scene together and its like? even if shes not a child, SHE LOOKS LIKE ONE. BALLEROY IS A GROWN ASS MAN.

creepy men who are into kids but tappei justifies it in universe because theyre not actually into kids, but everything about their behavior would be creepy and wrong either way (clind and kiritaka come to mind)

female characters who are more submissive and soft hearted so clearly this means they need to be protected all the time and they cant make decisions on their own. lets talk over them a whole bunch and control them. and yeah this is a purposeful writing choice that leads to character development and narratively calling out this behavior (we see this with arc 3 emisuba conflict) but then tappei keeps doing it after the fact anyway without batting an eye. this is so so painfully clear with emilia especially. her whole character is about trying to break out of that mold but then tappei (and subaru, due to the nature of rbd + his own goals, and also puck, who hasnt been completely called out for being a shit dad yet) keeps shoving her back into it

^^ infantilizing female characters in general........ like realistically speaking emilias lack of sex education is extremely dangerous. its not funny. lack of sex ed in real life often leads to serious consequences. she nearly gets sold into slavery in frozen bonds, and iirc there are implications of what kind of slavery it is. and also her being mentally 14 makes no sense, is highly insulting, and its completely unnecessary. if tappei wants to hold off on emisuba romantic development, he already has the explanation of theyre too busy for that right now and also not mentally ready for it yet, but theyre still extremely close with each other.

^^ adding onto this there are several female characters in rezero that are airheaded. subarus mom, naoko. emilia. medium. shaula is another big example of this also. shes sexually harassed (at. at best iirc.) Multiple Times and it feels a little too brushed aside. on top of her repeatedly being sexualized with her design and her behavior, apparently, on top of being airheaded. there is a consistent pattern of infantilizing and sexualizing some of these characters and its Frustrating. having multiple characters with similar personalities isnt bad at all of course, but im putting this on the list because as anon said, tappei is problematic with this when it comes to female characters. yeah, subarus mom is well written. but emilia? shaula? its so painfully clear to see. he cant write a naive character without being a little gross about it.

sexualizing children in general. schult apparently helps priscilla get dressed iirc and also is. iirc. into priscilla's feet????? ....... and then you have typhon, whos skirt is so disturbingly see through that the anime fixed her design, and louis, who makes a few sexual comments in arc 6. also excerpts talking about petras chest. excerpts talking about anastasias body in a manner that feels both infantilizing and sexualized once again... weird comments in arc 8 regarding child subaru iirc, etc...

female characters who get overshadowed by others even when theyre supposed to be the focus. anastasia gets replaced by echidna for almost if not all of the entirety of arc 6. vollachia saga has been so hectic that priscilla hasnt really gotten much if at all major development. emilia for the entirety of rezero. crusch for the entirety of rezero AND her own centric ex novel. crusch will be in pain and severely injured and the narrative will focus more on how this affects anyone but her. and again, i know its a possibility that these characters may develop in the future. but stuff like ana getting replaced by her scarf for all of arc 6 + emilias entire existence as a character is sad imo T^T let them shine!! please!! i also know these characters also have side stories, especially anastasia and priscilla have great ones, and a lot of ss are required reading now but there needs to be more of them in main story content. im very glad that anastasias appeared again for arc 8.

rem and louis/spica getting "reset" in their development while other female characters are stagnant. they didnt actually grow and change, tappei just cheated by gluttonying rem and resetting louis's mind to a toddler. they went from Point A to Point B in an instant, there wasnt any actual development there. this might change in the future, but imo reading about rem and louis in arc 7-8 can genuinely be a bit of a slog because they didnt actual develop. we were cheated out of that. and of course tappei has to juggle multiple characters and characters will take turns having development, naturally, which such a big cast, but characters like emilia fall by a wayside far too often. she hasnt had major development since arc 4 even though she is. again. the deuteragonist. that was four arcs ago. certain female characters, i feel, have to deal with the cons of this character arc system more often.

male characters whos behavior isnt called out enough sometimes. roswaal’s relationship with ram. kiritaka. clind. puck still needs to be called out more in canon i think wjdnd. also al making comments about priscillas breasts or iirc creepy comments about schult being a shota and other things of that vein. honestly priscilla doesnt behead that guy Enough.

male counterparts with the same exact themes as their female characters will always have higher quality writing.

(of course theres exceptions to all of these—female characters like echidna are fascinating and well-written, theres several other female characters that are great too, etc, but theyre exceptions. theyre not the norm.)

ill also elaborate on that last point more here regarding male counterparts.

emilia and rem are big examples of this. we have very handy male counterparts for certain important aspects of emilia and rem's characters that are far better written because theyre guys and tappei cant write women at a consistent quality. of course emilia and rem both parallel subaru, but im gonna get more into what i think is their stronger Foils in certain aspects—

reinhard and otto.

im a fan of reinhard, otto, emilia, and rem. but the thing is, reinhard and otto have some very similar traits to emilia and rem respectively.

reinhard is guilt ridden, blamed for things out of his control, has some learned helplessness, deals with being controlled by others and trying not to crumble under the weight of the world’s expectations, has Intense Family Trauma also triggered by pandora (remember what happens to petelgeuse? remember the fortuna=sirius theory? remember elior forest?), and a deep seated trauma regarding Hurting Others. and also a generally soft demeanor and deep seated loneliness. its no coincidence that reinhard and emilia in pride if also parallel each other—emilia the half devil turned “hero”, and reinhard, the hero who falls from grace.

otto has less similarities with rem than reinhard does with emilia but to keep this short. otto and rems major motivations are being devoted to subaru. but the thing with reinhard and otto is that they dont have the pitfalls that emilia and rems characters do—the infantilizing and other problematic details, poorly written/choppy development, etc. with reinhard and otto it feels more consistent, like their time on screen is well-used and respectful to who they are as characters and it satisfies us enough to take a break from them until tappei brings them back into the spotlight again.

i cant say the same for emilia and rem.

tappei cant even write emilias naivete and stunted emotional growth (which is due to trauma and pucks poor parenting) without infantilizing her, while tappei effortlessly writes reinhard being emotionally stunted due to trauma, poor parenting, and his DPs. you dont see reinhard with cringeworthy dialogue T^T

its just kind of insulting how there is so much you could explore with characters like emilia lacking agency because others keep taking it away. her airheadedness, her naivete—shes been shaped by her environment and trauma too, those character traits stem from these things as well. how do you lead a camp and become king and grow as a person when youre in the shadow of a witch who nearly destroyed the world? when thats what people often see you as? how do you move forward when your family and people have been ruined by things you couldnt control? when your father figure has failed you in all sorts of ways? when even your closest friends talk over you and try to dictate you? when you and your loved ones keep getting in danger because of all these horrible people that keep pinning the blame on you? thats awful. i cant even blame emilia for being a little empty in the head after all that. i cant even blame her in general.

and then theres the horror of subarus rbd because emilia is his main motivation. like thatd be a nightmare come true for anyone—while subaru is good intentioned, he is yet another person stealing emilias agency. yeah, most of it in his case is understandable because emilia keeps being targeted from factors outside of her control, but its still awful. emilia quite literally has had very little will of her own for all of rezero but i have my doubts on whether tappei will actually explore it or not because he cant even write emilia dialogue right sometimes!!

its baffling to me. arc 3-4 were all about how emilia is her own person and she needs to leave the nest and grow but then tappei backpedals on it by the time we get to arc 8. again, it feels a bit insulting T^T which is why all the “dorky” emilia dialogue stings even more. its salt in the wound. i am getting a little annoyed after four arcs of seeing that pop up time and time again in between all the other well-written stuff, yeah. including other emilia moments because i did enjoy her more active moments in arcs 5+!!

tappei just needs to stop treating emilia like she cant do anything by herself T^T the core problem with his treatment of her is that he usually goes shes naive so basically shes a kind of useless child and so she cant understand anything or have any choices of her own without being scrutinized, peer reviewed, and micromanaged by all the men around her 👍

theres also this excerpt that i think a lot thats from the tsuchigumo side story (aka the three idiots set out!: earth spider episode side story) where one of rezero's female characters, a girl named marone lisbon, says -

marone also appears for like two seconds in side stories that not everyones gonna read, so she didnt have enough time to get "ruined". so to speak.

but yeah. this dialogue reminds me of what couldve been. it has all these themes and all these feelings that apply to SO MANY female characters in rezero, especially emilia. it proves even further that tappei is more than capable of writing good female characters. and we already know that tappei is more than capable of writing well-written characters.

but ultimately i just dont trust his writing sometimes because he can never consistently keep the quality up with writing characters because either theres too much going on so things fall by the wayside sometimes, or theres sexism, or tappeis inability to be normal about kids sneaks in again!!!

however i love rezero a lot. its an important piece of media to me, and i dont intend to leave this fandom for a While atm. but i think its important to recognize when media gets things Wrong, and rezero has a good chunk of flaws. and rezeros english fandom being the way it is does make me hesitate to bring up rezeros flaws in the sense of. yeah its rooted in sexism. and weirdness about kids.

but ultimately im very very cautiously hopeful to see what happens to emilia from here. hopefully she does have more development soon? but all in all—yeah anon on this one is speaking facts and i agree a lot.

also sorry if i got a bit intense with this response akdndnd i just feel very passionately about this. tappei stop being weird about women and kids challenge please T^T anyway im gonna finish off this ask with a meme i made.

yeah so thats why emilias writing is very iffy and also why a bunch of other female character writing in rezero is a bit iffy also 👍

#rezero #emilia #ask #this isnt even getting into how tappeis treatment of these characters + english anime fandoms = the worst mix youve ever seen in your life #a fandom usually reflects its media and the ideas its media has often. is the thing.#or at least thats my running theory on the state of things wkdndn bc rezero will have such thought provoking themes but then the sexualized #anime merch kind of spits on it. and also tappei too spits on it.#but yeah sorry this response is so long anon wkfnd but i hope this makes sense!!#you brought up such good points akdnd and i really have been thinking of it for a while now. im tired of tappei doing this stuff 😔#arc 5+ spoilers

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