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xythlia · 8 months

Note

getting high with belphie but he's letting you smoke his shit only so he can mess around with you the type of slimeball guy

𓏲 ࣪₊ belphie x f!reader

dregs demon with a fuckass bowl cut plows ur girl (for the sake of this let's pretend smoking would work the same in the devildom as it does irl okie)

— 1k+

— cw : smoking, recreational drug use, sex under the influence, reference to drug induced paranoia, kinda dubcon ish, humping, degradation, fingering, cervix fucking, dumbification, mating press, crying, squirting, creampie

You should've figured Belphie wouldn't invite you to his room for any actual study session. He sat cross legged beside you on the bed, breaking down the weed with careful fingers before packing it, his practiced ease of no surprise to you. Everyone else in the house preferred to pretend they couldn't smell the headiness that regularly clung to the younger sibling, the result of a long abandoned argument.

His eyes flicked away from you, nervous as you watched his tongue slide along the edge. It was a natural instinct to shift closer as the lighter coughed, watching it spark as he sealed the edge with one fluid movement. Clearly rolling a blunt was second nature to him, and you nearly giggle aloud thinking that he should've been dubbed the patron demon of rolling instead of sloth.

It's clear he sees something flash across your face, barely raising an eyebrow at you before leaning back against the pillows. It irks you for a second, the way he looks at you like you've never done this before and says he'll take the first hit. His faux confidence makes you snort in answer nodding anyway as he brings the lighter in close, cupping around the flame as the end lights up deep orange.

On the inhale, as his shoulders roll back, you feel a strange stirring inside your abdomen. He's always had that grubby sort of beauty about him, a slightly rough exterior that melts in the privacy of his room. You lean back against the wall as he offers it to you, eyes barely open but you can see their sharpness as he watches the way you move.

The paper offers a better flavor than you thought it would, a subtle cherry mingling with thick smoke as it glides down your tongue. The throat hit isn't harsh, a pleasant surprise he wasn't using stem filled regs. You close your eyes as it seeps from your lips in a slow exhale, feeling his eyes on you all the while.

You grin at him, earning a smirk from him as he gestures for you to keep it for a bit.

"Trying to put me on the moon?" It's coy, but you don't refuse the extra hit.

"Lightweight." He flashes a smug smile, "you'd be there in what, five minutes?" You laugh, but can't ignore the way your tummy twists while looking at him and you know he notices, desire subtle in the way his tongue slides along his bottom lip. You take another deep drag before passing it back, holding his gaze.

You hate that he's right, in the next few quiet minutes your brain gets fuzzy and your body comfortably warm, like taffy left in the sun to soften. Your movements feel equally slow and stretchy as you turn to face him, leaning in close. Belphie had the same idea, to your surprise as your noses brush and his inhale stutters.

The hesitation in you both is achingly frustrating, so you take the first step, tilting your head to press closer. Your mouth parts easily, offering no resistance as your lips meet and arousal coats your insides like sticky honey.

His hand, warm and urgent, caresses your thigh as his tongue slides against yours. As your mind drifts farther your movements become sloppier, spit slicking your lips as you move to straddle him and his hand cups your ass, kneading the flesh through your sweatpants.

When you finally break away shyness sets in, your fingers curling against his shoulders as he leans back to raise the blunt you forget about back to his lips for a leisurely drag. His head tilted up, making sure to exhale above yours before whispering.

"You look good," the huskiness of it makes butterflies swarm inside your stomach. That hand slides up to your lower back, slightly pushing you to lean back in as his lips brush the shell of your ear.

"I think you'd look better with my dick in your mouth," he barely whispers. It makes you shiver, eyes wide in shock but before you can even process it hes gone. Pulled back simply rubbing that hand up and across your lower back as if nothing had happened.

Gooseflesh prickles across your skin, making you feel almost paranoid, did he even say that?, until those suggestive eyes come back to you and you know it wasn't imaginary. Before you can open your mouth again he's grinding the blunt out, fingers curling beneath the hem of your shirt and ghosting against your sides.

It makes you jump in his hold, inadvertently brushing against his erection.

"You okay?" he asks, fingers going still.

You don't trust yourself enough to talk, head fuzzy with the high and the desire so you simply nod and press yourself back against his chest. It's warm and comfortable, making you long to stretch out like a cat and close your eyes.

That smirk is back and you know he's feeling smug seeing you like this. Gently he guides you to lay on your back, taking care to lift your shirt off before you're fully against the mattress. He follows, tugging his shirt off before pushing himself between your knees, pressing his erection against your clothed cunt making you gasp.

He takes the opportunity to bring his lips back against yours, devouring your gasps and slipping his tongue back into your mouth, sliding over yours until all you can do is claw at his back and take it. He tastes like the rillo, cherry burnt with earthy smoke, and it reignites your body to move. Hips rolling with his in a strange pantomime of sex, the friction of your clothes making your clit throb with every push.

The high makes you bolder, locking your legs around his hips as he grunts, a faint fuck lost in the perfect meld of your mouths, swallowed as if never spoken at all. He breaks from you, resting his forehead against yours as his breathing comes in shallow pants.

You don't let him ease back though, hips rolling once more and making his chest hitch. He ducks down, pressing lips to your throat before a searing nip from his teeth makes you yelp.

"Don't tease," his breath fans hot across your skin, "I'm trying to be nice here."

"Who ever said you were nice," you quip before you can catch yourself.

As he leans back you see a glint of cruelty in his eyes, then feel the sting of his thumb and index that snuck inside your bra to pinch your nipple. It makes you cry out, grabbing his forearm as he huffs out a laugh.

"Yeah, I guess I don't have to be," his hand slides down to slip past your sweatpants and the band of your underwear, "When you're already begging to get fucked there's no point."

The whine you let out as his finger flicks against your clit makes embarrassment sear across your skin, proving him right. You turn your head to the side, refusing to look at him even as you raise your hips so he can slide your bottoms off, and refusing to show that his words made you even more aroused.

"Shit, you got that wet from a little kissing?" He teased, nuzzling his face against your cheek to make you face him again. "You don't gotta tell me I'm right."

Lithe fingers prod at your cunt, making your hips buck as you finally turn your face and whine, pressing needy kisses to his lips. But he's not just going to give you what you want and you can feel the shit eating grin as he kisses you, fingers swiping through your wetness and barely pushing against your hole, it was torturous.

"You're so needy", he coos and you don't even attempt to bite back, reveling in the feeling of his fingers pushing inside you with a slick squelch. As they scissor and stretch your muscles out you pull him back to you, a kiss all teeth and hunger as heat builds in your gut and you squeeze around his fingers.

As you break away to throw your head back against the pillows he withdraws, leaving you to whimper as he rolls his boxers down letting his slim, but not lacking in length, cock spring against his belly. He gives a few short tugs before rubbing the flushed precum slicked head against your pussy.

As he positions his head against your slick hole you moan, anticipation making your adrenaline spike, yet the satisfying stretch doesn't come. Instead he gives shallow thrusts, just the tip, making you pout and stutter your hips to try and guide him inside fully.

It's making you feverish, squirming against the bed as he hovers over you braced on his forearms. You gasp, making him groan as you clench slightly but in one fluid movement he slides inside you and the length of him momentarily makes your head spin. You almost swear he's prodding against your cervix and it steals the air from your lungs.

Belphie doesn't even wait for your adjustment, thrusting into you so harshly it rips a wheezed moan from your throat, hands frantically finding purchase against his back to dig your nails in. It's all you can do to hold on against the jostling of your body as the obscenely wet sound of your cunt dragging him back inside with every outward pull rings in your ears, toes curling and mouth dripping open as the head of his cock kisses your cervix again.

"D'you hear that?" he groans against your shoulder, making you dig your nails into his skin harder for his teasing. But god the sound alone could make you cum, wet sticky slapping as he fucks you hard enough to make you sob. "Aw, is it too much? You gonna cum already?"

If you could speak you'd tell him you hate him, but his mocking only makes the coil wind tighter in your gut. You choke on your own breath, coherent thoughts unraveling as your impending orgasm mingles with the high to leave you mouth agap, high pitched cries cut off by every brutal thrust.

You don't even realize he's trying to kiss you again, only feeling the spit and drool smear into your skin as your legs hook around him, heels pressed harshly into his lower back. It should be impossible but you swear he's hitting a faster pace now, balls slapping heavy against your ass as he fumbles to shove your legs up instead of around him, hands pressing your thighs to fold up so hard you'll surely bruise in the morning.

The orgasm makes you feel blind, sobbing as you grip the backs of your knees only to end up choking around his fingers as they frantically shove inside your mouth. Salty tears slip against your taste buds, everything a blur as you feel a pressure release inside, not even registering the liquid spurting against his abdomen. You clamp around him like a vise, a grip so unwilling to let go it's like your body's begging for him to cum inside.

Teeth sink into the junction of your neck and shoulder, as his hips slam into yours one last time before you feel thick, hot cum flooding your pussy but it doesn't even enter your mind. Too numb and boneless to protest, sniffling as his fingers leave your mouth.

"Damn, you're so messy", he murmurs, helping you bring your legs down as he pulls out, humming as you feel cum leaking out of you. "I'll grab a towel then we're taking a nap."

You huff, basking in the warm glow before finally getting that stretch you longed for earlier, joints creaking and for once you're incredibly glad he's the demon of sloth.

#bc u know everyone calls mammon a scumbag even tho belphie is right there #lmao #obey me x reader #obey me smut #obey me shall we date #obey me belphagor x reader #obey me belphegor #belphie smut #belphie x reader #om smut #om belphegor #belphegor x reader #꒰ঌꨄ︎໒꒱ kita writes

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modmad · 10 months

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Uncle do you have any movie and tv recommendations for the strike?

absolutely! I am very tired but off the top of my head here's some ancient Western-centric goodies for you most of which you can find on youtube completely free!

Buster Keaton. I recommend starting with the shorts (two reelers) which are usually 20 mins. If you want a wild ride complete with 4th wall breaks my favourite movie of his is Sherlock Jr.

Laurel and Hardy. Them goobers had some magical chemistry with comedy, best just to dive in and start laughing.

the Marx Brothers. Fast paced american patter and absurdity, Duck Soup was groundbreaking in its day.

Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Gave Keaton many of his first roles. Incredibly talented man, make yourself cry and be angry forever by reading what happened to him irl...

Harold Lloyd. The third of the three greats. I personally recommend Safety Last!

Charlie Chaplin. Y'all know. City Lights, Modern Times and the Great Dictator should be viewed by everyone wanting to get into movies imho.

the Twilight Zone (1959). You like weird? Let's get weird. Get ready to buy as many extra pairs of glasses as you can afford. You'll understand if you watch That episode.

The Three Stooges. Good exercise for the chuckle muscle. Curly's grandson has even been recreating some of their skits on Tiktok!

Vincent Price. Just. Vincent Price.

The Third Man. It's a good movie. Just watch it okay it's a good movie holy shit the finale. Cinematography mind blaster.

COLUMBO

ITV POIROT SERIES

MISS MARPLE

basically just go look up good old tv there's so much of it I haven't even listed the cartoons I could rec bc that would need AN ENTIRE NEW LIST OF ITS OWN which I might make when I have time

As always with old movies and media there are going to be some dated jokes, and even more dated language, so be aware of that going in.

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nerdalmighty · 1 month

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hey! so, i just recently started playing baldur's gate 3 after seeing people put it all over my dash for months--and you're one of the people i've seen reblogging a lot of posts about it LOL. so if you don't mind me asking, i was wondering what kind of character do you/did you play as? and do you have any sort of backstory for your tav that you'd like to share?

Hoooooooooooooh my god thank you so much for asking. I have a friend who comes over to watch me play on Thursdays and I make a powerpoint every week to catch her up on what she missed - this week's powerpoint literally has slides about my Tav's background (more on those later). This is about to be long, I'm about to drop ALL my lore so buckle up! AND THANK YOU FOR PUTTING UP WITH MY BG3 BRAIN WORMS!!!!! I'm glad they convinced you to play 😈

So to begin, I've been in my first ever dnd campaign with a group of friends for a little over a year now. I didn't know much about Baldur's Gate except that it was a dnd video game and that you could romance people. Me, being a Big Fan of Romance And Fantasy was like "okay well I'm in" and my friend actually let me start a game at his house. Through that, I met Shadowheart, Gale, and Astarion.

Backing up a bit to my character; I decided I'd put my character from my irl dnd campaign into the game since I already knew her whole deal. I get pretty overwhelmed with making decisions, ESPECIALLY with big open world games like bg3, so knowing who/what I wanted to be really helped me out.

In the campaign I'm in with friends, it's pirate themed, and I play a half-elf bard named Birdie Harp who's secretly half-siren (murder mermaid). To make a long story very short, she was born in the arctic and escaped her murderous pod during a coming-of-age trial where she also lost her siren abilities (hypnotizing voice, breathing underwater, etc).

I've watched a ton of Dimension 20 which is an actual play show on Dropout.tv (an "actual play" is where you watch other people run a campaign of dnd - like Critical Role, which a lot of people have at least heard of - HIGHLY recommend Dimension 20, as I find it incredibly funny and easier to get into than CR because of the episode lengths), and I knew that I really liked the silliness and theatricality of the bard class. I also loved the bards from The Owl House which helped influence my decision as well.

To be honest, Birdie is my first ever dnd character, so she's basically a self insert but with a MUCH more traumatic backstory than me (this IS dnd after all). As for the half-elf aspect, it was more of an "I want to be half mermaid, what's similar to that?" as opposed to a love for half-elves or something.

BACK TO BALDUR'S GATE - knowing I wanted Birdie to be in the game, I felt a lot less overwhelmed to come up with something entirely new - I knew a lot about the bard class having played one so I wanted to CONTINUE playing one (and I've learned even more since playing bg3!).

When I finally got my own game (I no longer play at my friend's house, but in the comfort of my own home), I recreated Birdie and started on my journey in earnest. I'm VERY MUCH someone who likes to be in control and know what to expect, so I've had guides and walkthroughs to help me the whole time - SUE ME! When it came to first meeting Shadowheart, Gale, and Astarion back at my friend's house, Gale actually immediately stole my heart - a kind, witty wizard who likes books and cats? Literally say less. I went home from that session with my friend fully thinking I'd be a Gale girlie until I really looked into the other options and saw The Vampire.

Blah blah blah, he's hot and funny, but he can also be incredibly soft, which really won me over in the end. So I've been romancing That Guy.

Through Acts 1 and 2, I wasn't all too sure about this version of Birdie's background - sure she COULD still be that half-siren from the arctic, but the game kept suggesting she was FROM Baldur's Gate. I LOVED the inclusion of the harpies in Act 1 and thought maybe that was a viable entry point for her backstory, but so far, she was kind of just... me? She was making the choices I wanted to make (and a few that I knew Astarion would like lmao), but she wasn't really her own entity apart from me except for her name. She also felt vastly different from that character I'd created for my friends over a year ago. For instance, my irl Birdie currently has a crush on a Gale-type character, but this Birdie is ass deep in Astarion (hey, sorry I said "ass deep in Astarion"). The thing I love about Baldur's Gate 3 is how you can really come up with your own backstories, since the in-game one for your Tav is so vague. It's totally fine to ignore tiny details in the game and mold them to your own headcanons for your Tav, but I was so unsure of what I wanted for this Birdie that I kind of internalized that she was from Baldur's Gate.

HEADS UP! The following has some spoilers for Act 3 and some side quests, so STOP reading if that's something you'd care to avoid (the last 3 paragraphs of this post are SAFE from spoilers):

When Act 3 finally rolled around (which is where I am currently, I only have the one playthrough so far because I become INCREDIBLY attached to things), I stumbled across the Water Queen's House in Baldur's Gate. Ah ha! Now this felt promising.

A temple dedicated to the Vengeful Sea Goddess, Umberlee, and her loyal Wave Servants to serve her. It's ocean themed, it has mermaid undertones, and their goddess is basically evil. Seems like the perfect place to FINALLY insert this version of Birdie. I wasn't 100% sure until I completed the Iron Throne mission and was faced with either handing a (mostly) innocent man over to the Wave Servants, or fighting to defend him.

Here are a few of the slides from this week's powerpoint that I mentioned all the way back at the start, starting with SOME background on the Wave Servants:

Ass and Shart are what I affectionately call Astarion and Shadowheart (Also I got this beautiful "Birdie" art on Pinterest which originated from someone named Dantrelium on Reddit):

Apologies for the small text here, but there are some more details about THIS Birdie here, which I literally made up/figured out earlier this week:

Essentially, this Birdie was born at the Water Queen's House as Kittiwake Crest - Kittiwakes are common arctic birds, which I thought would be a nice little homage to the original character she was based off of. She was raised by the collective of Wave Servants there, the main one being Flood Tide Allandra Grey who seems to be head honcho at the Wave Mother's House (in this reality, she is).

Since Umberlee is such a vengeful goddess, I imagine she asked her Wave Servants to commit unspeakable acts in her name, mainly drownings, which THEY see as merciful, but I think Birdie always saw as horrifying. Who were they to decide the fates of others? I also think that the Wave Servants themselves were abusive during her upbringing to keep her in line (but much like how Nocturne was a light in the darkness for Shadowheart, I don't think EVERY Wave Servant was evil). GOTTA have a classic tragic backstory.

Upon researching Umberlee, I learned that most of her servants are clerics, so in my mind, that means Birdie was raised to eventually become one, with her official title eventually going to be "Seawind Kittiwake Crest." Is she still half-siren/mermaid though? Not entirely sure. This IS a magical world though, so I'd be inclined to say yes, probably.

But when we first meet the Wave Servants, they're singing beautifully for their drowned sister, Holli. I think Birdie REALLY loved music and singing with her sisters and secretly trained herself in bard magic when she should have been learning to be a cleric. It's also a classic trait of bards to hide their pain through humor, so I often imagine the type of stupid things Birdie gets up to to bring herself joy (my favorite headcanon being when you meet Skittle the Rat in Wyrm's Rock prison - he's a rat merchant who speaks exclusively in puns. I think Birdie and Gale would excitedly throw puns back and forth with Skittle while Astarion and Shadowheart begrudgingly (and affectionately) roll their eyes in the background).

Another thing I love about the game is how you can string together your own ideas of how companions react to things between big cut scenes. For example, in my head, in my game, Astarion has really become a Big Softy thanks to how fucking Stupid (affectionate) Birdie acts in life and has drawn him out of his shell, but also runs a tag team scam with her where she plays her lute to distract people while he loots an entire place. Gale is Birdie's partner in crime when it comes to tomfoolery and loves to joke and fool around with her (so long as it goes easy on his knees). And Shadowheart is basically a sister figure who flip flops between sassing with Astarion and joining in on the fun. THEY'RE JUST THE BEST, OKAY? OF COURSE I'M GONNA WALK AROUND WITH A BUNCH OF IDIOTS. I LOVE THEM.

Anyway, back to Birdie's backstory: she always hated the atrocities that were asked of her, and she was looking for a way out, but was too scared to take that step and leave since the Wave Mother's House is all she's ever known. One night, while stepping out to quietly dip her toes in the water, the Mindflayers captured her, and that's where we start Act One, all the way up on the Nautiloid. She changed her name to Birdie to distance herself from her previous life, fully took up the bard class, and the rest is history.

Back to that dilemma with handing over that (mostly) innocent guy or fighting the Wave Servants: with encouragement from the party, they convince Birdie to face her traumatic upbringing and fight the Wave Servants once and for all. At this point in Act 3, she's basically helped every single person with their problems except her own. Here's another slide featuring Ass and Birdie:

That's right folks, Birdie faced her past! But the bad news is we don't get to see Astarion in this (audio from The Adventurous Adventures of One Direction):

(Video description - Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3 wearing the Wave Mother's Armor with the following audio:

Guard 1: Whoa, check it out.

Guard 2: Hubba hubba hubba.

Gaurd 1: Nice. I love dudes in skirts.

END VIDEO.) I don't want to tell you how many times I recorded that until I felt like I got it right lol. Also yes, I DID do a scum save where I handed the guy over ONCE just so I could see Ass in this outfit, but Birdie did canonically save Redhammer in my actual save file.

And honestly, that's BASICALLY it for now! My most recent save was after that battle, so I need to figure out if Birdie's going to go back with her party to confront the rest of (or most of) the Wave Servants, or if this chapter of her life is closed.

In an ideal world I'd LOVE to make one of those artsy gif edits of my Tav like this and this, but PS5s make it hard to download clips without uploading them to YouTube first which I don't really want to do.

Thank you SO MUCH for this ask, I had a blast writing it!! Sorry it's so long, I just love this game so much and LOVE talking about it. Please feel free to ask more questions OR chat with me about YOUR Tav! I'd love to hear all about them :)

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bibylers · 4 months

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OKAY SO MANY PEOPLE ARE DOING THIS SO IM GONNA TRY IT TOO!

Stranger Things season 5 predictions :00

So, lets start!

- Byler endgame, ofc 😭

- Jopper endgame 100%

- Lumax endgame!!!

- Elmax friendship back 😭🩷

- Thessalhydra bossbattle (basically just a irl recreation of will’s painting)

- main four back (Dustin, Lucas, Will, Mike)

- Will has POWERSSS

- Will with a gun 🗣️🗣️🗣️

- Mike having a gay awakening and gay crisis (like nick nelson 💀)

- Mike gets Vecna’d

- FLICKERGATE

- LETTERGATE

- basically the whole theory of Mike and Will having a rain kiss + Mike confessing his letters & Will confessing about the painting (a notebook parallel)

- Max NEEDS to wake up

- Max is trapped in vecna’s mind which is why El couldn’t reach her in s4 ep9

- Mileven break up (El breaks up w Mike)

- Will is connected to Vecna and Vecna will ask him to join him just like he did with El

- Will is gonna be in his badass era

- Byler will protect eachother WAYYYY too much 😭😭

- Mike and Will tells the party about their relationship

- Will (or Mike) is gonna get hurt and then Mike (or Will) is gonna be like “I thought I lost you ☹️☹️☹️”

- some of the main characters will die (also including the older main characters + Hopper, Joyce and Murray ofc)

- The ending is gonna be happy but there’s gonna be a small hint at the end that Vecna and the upside down isn’t gone yet (like a light flickering or Will rubbing his neck)

- Will and El will be close to death at some point (but survive!)

- The thessalhydra is gonna be defeated by the main four (Mike as the leader and Will with his powers)

SKSJJSJS THERES SM MORE BUT THESE ARE MY MAIN PREDICTIONS!!

#stranger things 5 #stranger things #byler #will byers #mike wheeler #eleven hopper #vecna #stranger things predictions #stranger things theory

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throwaway-yandere · 2 years

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"O Capo! My Capo!" (Yandere Mafia!Cyno, Tignari, and Alhaitham/Reader)

A/n: This township is turning into a real clownship– I definitely do NOT dedicate this to my irl friends, ya jerks /j.

Unreliable Synopsis: The Innamorati Familia might have lost almost everything, but their Capo stands tall. Just how long will you survive under 3 pairs of scrutinizing eyes? (Mafia!au. Visions do not exist.)

CW: yandere, (some) religious themes, possible major character deaths, mentions of recreational drugs, guns, etc.

YOUR CHOICES MATTER. YOU CAN VOTE FOR WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

Next Chapter

—---

[Year 192X]

"(Y/n)!!!"

At first, you were convinced you were living the Khaenri'ahn Dream. With your youthful yet crime-greased hands, you have fought hard to earn your keep as the Innamorati's current Capo– to earn yourself a family for yours to protect inside Teyvat's ruthless underworld. And family you did keep. Until candles waned like silenced hostages. Until a conspiracy pursued what little faith in humanity you had left.

Until you held your underboss' charred face and lifeless body. Until his sizzling arm burned your hand. Until flakes of Dimitri's skin powdered your fingers like charcoal pencil shavings.

The Innamorati Headquarters burned. And so too did most of your men.

"(Y/n)! Stand back– Think about your men! Would they want you to do this?! You won't save anyone there– not like this!!!"

Looking back, the Khaenri'ahn Dream lied. There was no joy in hustling but you did live an empty yet freeing life. Khaenri'ah preached about humanity and its opportune happiness, yet spoke none about how fleeting it could be once the curtains caught fire. Perhaps that very notion fooled you into believing that your idyllic lifestyle won't be snatched away easily.

The ghosts of those who perished in the manor's basement have sought their final repose on the embers that incinerated your endeavors.

Everything was terribly loud. Many people fled into the murky haze. The square was virtually deserted as people fled for their lives, but you refused to leave. This trait used to be a quality that helped you survive the syndicate, but those damn fascist conspirators turned it against you.

Tartaglia pulled you close.

"VAFFANCULO, TARTAGLIA– LET ME FUCKING GO!"

"NOT UNTIL YOU CALM THE FUCK DOWN!!!"

You stilled, and a single heavy tear left your eye.

This is more than a mite unfair. Everything you labored for, every drop of blood you shed, every vice you committed, what was it all for? Visconti Diluc was right. You're a liar and a murderer undeserving of joy. Maybe this was the retribution he ranted aimlessly about.

You took fast and drastic measures in your rise to the top, and your opponents rightfully did the same to pull you back down.

Tartaglia watched as you writhe in agony knowing that you couldn't escape from his restrictive embrace. He never thought he'd see you appear more pathetic than when Pulcinella first picked you off the streets. Nonetheless, he felt your pain. You both led groups under the same parent organization. You are family.

To him, this was worse than accompanying his widowed sibling to their spouse's funeral.

"… My men, they're…"

You fell into deep thought.

Lyudochka, Kazari, Teppei, Viktor…

You gritted your teeth.

Viktor…

That damn brat didn't even get his chance to shift jobs… That brat still hadn't left this hellhole…

Based on the Khaenri'ahn Dream, all citizens must have an equal opportunity to achieve success through determination and pure grit…

You bit your lip down, drawing blood. In truth, you can't discern whether or not the blood came from your lips or your throat.

"DAMN IT."

Your white-knuckled hand shakily punched your thigh, feeling morbidly powerless.

Viktor said he wouldn't allow himself to die as a lowly servant…

What happened to those dreams now…?

You were so close. You were so close to taking all those fascists down. So why now?!

Tartaglia frowned. He had never seen you act like this– your anger is usually impulsive, but sharp and silent. Your fury simmers until you slice the catalyst open. Never come a time you lashed out like a feral animal as you do now.

"GET IT TOGETHER!!!"

Tartaglia shot you a piercing stare as he slapped you, and you finally reigned yourself in.

This is too pitiful.

Fire surrounded everyone, but you remained frozen by your own dialed-up emotions.

Slowly, he trusted that he could let you go.

"... Ekaterina, send in our men. We'll try to extinguish this mess as much as we can."

"Of course Capo, right away."

You held back your sobs as your knees fell to the floor, where your right-hand man's corpse lay as if he did not struggle in his miserable death.

The last time you talked to him, you called him a worthless coward who couldn't make choices without you. Pain seared through your chest. No one wants that to be their last conversation with their closest confidant.

A bloodcurdling scream rang out across the square, but you scarcely moved from your seat. You're too numb to notice who was behind that familiar voice. It was just another body that couldn't be mourned.

Your eyes focused on Dimitri's corpse instead.

You were planning to apologize after you cleared your head this morning, but what use are words to those who have already left this world? He's gone.

Fallen, cold and dead.

This is by no means the first time you've seen your men die– you had some of the deceased's blood wet your Sunday clothes– but you hope this unforgettable foul scent of burned flesh will be the last time you'll breathe it in. You're already acclimated to the metallic stench of blood; you don't need to ingrain this into your mind as well.

You passed out.

It was only when you closed your mouth did you realize, it was you who cried your lungs out the whole time.

—-----

The church bells rang.

It was 10 AM, and the mass was inching to a close but the priest passionately ignored the echoes of the bell and the mafiasos' groans.

"Is it too early to booze?" Tartaglia whispered in your ear. His yawning proved that he was bored to tears. You did your best in stopping your eyes from rolling.

Unlike Tartaglia, your aura exudes dignity, something he needed the most. When you two sit together, you both appear akin to a comedy act. The usually bloodthirsty Tartaglia transforms into a guileless little brother and your all-forgiving eyes turn endearingly annoyed when paired together. The same scenario was applied this morning.

"Tartaglia, look around you. Does this look like the right time?" You vaguely gestured at the ongoing sermon, not meeting his gaze.

"Geez. Why do we even bother with this?"

"Because even though we are nothing but lowly sinners, we must honor our Tsaritsa's benevolence."

There are 6 Archons revered by the church, and they correspond to six different regions and cities inside the nation of Teyvat. You're an immigrant from outside the country– an agnostic nation– but you're smart enough to pay respects.

"Right, right. I guess even if I asked that ten more times you'd still reply with a generic answer."

You passive-aggressively whispered back. "Maybe if your questions were worth my time I'd elaborate on my answers as well."

"Capo–"

You and Tartaglia turned around. The Fatui mob, one of yours who just got there, nervously sat up straight.

"Capo (Y/n)."

Tartaglia sank back to the pews, no longer caring. The second capo's lack of attention eased the grunt's audience-based apprehension. Their sheer trust in your credibility made you smirk. While you seemed cold, everyone in Snezhnaya knew you weren't.

You recalled how back then these words sounded alien to you but these terms are salient in the scenes. Having recruited predominantly Snezhnayan workers, you had to get used to their way of living. You wanted to foster good interpersonal relationships with your men, and there's no better approach to reach their hearts than religion in the 1920s. And by the looks of it, they seem to trust your carefully crafted sterling reputation.

You always do your job as if you're running out of time, and they put your faith in you like a farmer would a fleeting summer. With some effort, everyone was convinced they'd fall apart without your guidance.

The grunt looked at you with respect.

"Boss Dimitri delivered one very confidential info."

"I see…" You steadied yourself. "Excuse me then, Tar–"

He snatched your sleeve. Tartaglia considered removing your iconic stovepipe hat, but you don't wear it to church. He opted for the second most annoying choice.

"Hey, you can't leave me here. Don't I have every right to be in the know? Gaaahh, cut me some slack. We've practically been siblings for more than half a decade now, (Y/n). Can't you tell your fratello anything?"

"Why are you interested?"

"Cause I'm curious if it's finally time that your familia will collaborate with other factions for once."

You shook your head and sat back down. He's right.

Three major criminal organizations control the small nation of Teyvat, namely the Fatui, Akademiya, and the Adepti. You and Tartaglia are Capos or Harbingers of the former, which had the most control of Snezhnaya.

Based on your history, you don't mingle with other organizations outside Snezhnaya a lot. You had dealings with Ningguang and the Qixing before, but never their parent organization overseas which resides in Liyue.

It just so happens that Tartaglia is bolder than you are. The kid has his headquarters stationed in another province, Liyue. That province isn't far from his hometown since Teyvat is a small country but he complains like a confederate soldier. Most of what Tartaglia talks your ear out is about missing home despite finding fuses of excitement in Liyue enticing anyways. You've heard many stories from him regarding how ruthless Adepti's Prime leader, Morax, is, but that's not your problem.

The Akademiya, however, keeps to themselves. You know close to nothing about them. Snezhnaya may be the heart of trades, but the Fatui cannot tap into Sumeru's supply of canned knowledge. And you quite frankly don't give a shit about what they do. They're not the best at masking their spies.

"Speak."

"Capo, the underboss wanted to inform you that he had already figured out who the mole is."

"Oh?" You and Tartaglia spoke simultaneously.

You'd been looking for a spy among your ranks for quite some time. This mysterious mole was sending information back to Focalor, the self-proclaimed Hydro Archon better known as "Il Duce" around these parts. The braggart with a God complex promised the public that she'll drive mafiosos out of Teyvat, and she's working everyone to the bone for it. Politicians either play yes men or get on your nerves. She's the latter.

Nevertheless, you did not expect Dimitri to deliver results that fast. Bitterly, you thought about how apologizing for him later would look less genuine now that he proved himself worthy. You didn't mean to call your underboss useless– you just couldn't control your temper.

May the Archons forgive your transgressions.

You hope he'd forgive you once you get back.

"... Carry on, Felix."

"Yes, of course. The fascist conspirator is Professor Tighnari, the informant."

You snapped your head back to meet the grunt's face, bewildered.

"... What?"

"FIRE!!! THE PLAZA IS ON FIRE!!!"

One of the church's orphans– Barbara– was screaming by the door, frantically stripped of breath and her chords sounded hoarse, unlike her singing. Her weak legs barely counted as a support for her body as she toppled on the marble tiles. The groceries she carried splashed down, and some fruits rolled in your direction. Your people helped her stand up while some picked up her things for her, but the poor thing shivered like a leaf.

Barbara had always been a sister to you. Having been separated from your family at a young age as well, you two link like two peas in a pod. She relied on you like a quiet strong big sister while you protected her and the other children from street conflicts.

You stood up and calmly patted her shoulder, squeezing lightly. You gave her a gentle smile.

"My dear Barbara– take deep breaths."

She yanked your chest.

"Capo!"

Barbara began to tear up.

"It's your mansion, Capo!!! YOUR MANSION IS ON FIRE!!!"

—-------

You jolted up drenched in cold sweat.

"You're awake…"

You don't know whose voice you were expecting, but that voice was intuitively not one of them. The barren room you woke up in wasn't yours, and it's certainly not Tartaglia's manor. Considering the unfortunate events that just took place, it's foolish to think you'd wake up inside the safety of your manor. Instinctively, you reached for your holster and found it empty.

The man stepped into the light. You have a hunch on who this was. He wore a black-purple stole, vest, and strap combination, an attire you'd often see on a Sunday, yet donned a shabby brown hat on top of his silky white locks.

The stranger stared at you blankly.

"You're a disciple." You claimed.

Aside from the three mafia organizations, the Church had the superior upper hand when it came to crowd control. Nothing moves Teyvat's heart like guides and philosophies. That being said, the Church isn't afraid to get its hands filthy. They are fully aware that conversation will not solve all problems, and there is an unsaid fact that their relationship with the Fatui is far from antagonistic.

And as Capo, you're one of their most devoted patrons. The organization you belong to is filled with devotees, and have often carried out whatever mission the church wishes. Honestly, you think that the Church's fondness for the Fatui should already be a telltale sign that the Archons are nothing more than a statue made of ice.

But you shouldn't think this way. It's peculiar– romantic, even– that what saved you from the fire was your near half-hearted devotion to attending Sunday masses. To be honest, you attend partly because you want to dress to the nines. You don't know how to feel about that.

Their Holiness saved you from the embers, you can atone for your sins by suffering. And that's what this stranger is here for.

"That's correct." He said. "I work for the Sumeru Church. I was instructed to look after you until they help you renovate your manor and the panetteria beside it. That is, of course, assuming you still pass the requirements of being Innamorati's Capo."

This person did not bother easing you into things, and instead bluntly reminded you that your house and men– your home is gone.

You breathed in shakily.

Dimitri is gone…

"...You have my gratitude."

On the bright side, at least your go-to place for lunch will be back after a while. That is if Signorina Xiangling survived and the church won't abandon you.

"Don't worry, we flame to please. I'm sure our architect Kaveh was stoked to receive such a large-scale commission."

…

"I'm sorry– were you joking at a time like this?"

"Was it not funny? Hah. I think it's hysterical. Oh, would you like for me to explain it?" He didn't ask in a patronizing tone, he spoke as if you didn't have the mental capacity to know what a joke is. Which was honestly more insulting.

You didn't laugh, and he didn't apologize.

You've heard about how church officials have a clear lack in the humor department before, but you didn't take into account that they may very well be this socially inept. Which is rich, coming from you. Your transgressions weigh more than a bad joke executed at a funeral.

With a mastered poker face, you pretended that his slights did not affect you.

He extended his arm out for a handshake.

"Cyno, the former Aaru Village priest. I now work as an inquisitor." Cyno coughed, cheeks turning slightly red. "I didn't change your clothes i-in case you find it uncomfortable."

Sounds like he finds it uncomfortable instead.

His behavior perfectly lines up with his claims. The way he dressed alone encapsulates the aura of a man who used to devote himself to holy sanctums. Some minor details made it clear he's no longer part of the main clergy– that being his choker and numerous ear piercings.

You took his hand. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm (Y/n), the Innamorati Familia's Cap–"

You cringed.

"I'm… I'm just (Y/n)."

"Humble, just (Y/n)." Cyno nodded solemnly.

"No, not humble. Defeated."

"I know."

…

"Feel free to cry. I won't pass judgment over people expressing normal human emotions."

You laughed humorlessly. "Sure you won't."

Cyno grabbed the plate on the table and passed it on. "Calzone?"

You scoffed.

Admittedly, the food looked appetizing and its rich fragrance made your stomach perceive its emptiness. You trust the church, but no. Your pride would kill you for chewing food down with abandon. The only person you could eat savagely with was Barbara, and Lord knows how the poor girl is holding up. Thankfully your stomach didn't make any noise despite the pain of hunger being a treacherous one.

"I guess not." He awkwardly put it back down.

You inspected your clothes. Your once proud Prussian blue polo shirt reeked of ashes and sundered threads. Still, in a bit of a daze, you squinted.

"... Where's my coat?"

Cyno's gaze sharpened.

"I disposed of it." He spat. "You should be more alert. Someone planted a recording device on your person."

Cyno spoke in a tone that implied he knew who this person was personally, and you're inclined to think the same. You bit your bottom lip at your own seemingly minuscule mistake, opening a minor wound.

"Cazzo."

It's possible that Tighnari was the one to plant it. You let him hold your coat for a moment when you changed into your Sunday attire. That audacity of that fucking bastard.

He must've set the bomb off when he heard Nicola.

"Testa di cazzo– quel fottuto figlio di puttana." You cursed lowly.

Professor Tighnari. That man will soon find his skin flayed and draped on the walls of your basement chambers once it's rebuilt.

You'll kill everyone that fox ever loved.

You'll find his family and wave their heads on a pike right in front of his chained weeping face. You'll claw the skin off their faces and rip their fingernails and limbs apart–

"(Y/n)?"

You can no longer comprehend your emotions. Inside, you are a cacophony of both forced indifference and uncontrollable spite– a contradictory pair yet one that matches how you felt towards the loss of your men and the professor's betrayal.

Slowly but surely, you saw red.

Not expecting that you would stand up, Cyno pushed you back to bed. He looked both worried yet unimpressed by your foul mouth.

"You're not supposed to leave yet."

You tried to gently pry him off, not wanting to offend the church's lackeys, but he was stronger than expected. Cyno planted you back down on the mattress. His left hand was beside your head and his face hovered above yours.

This irritated you.

You don't have much time left.

He continued. "Tomorrow, you work. Today, you rest up. Your people are with Capo Tartaglia and they're not going anywhere. If you need anything– food, water– anything at all, be sure to ring the bell. My ears are sharp. Remember, the Military Police are tailing you and the last of your men."

The Military Police? So it's Focalor's people, huh? That damn governor just won't let up, won't she? If you had nothing left to lose you would've painted her office wall with her brain matter, pronto. But you still have some reasons to continue living.

The last of your men…

Hah. Of course. You have to live for those that survived. After all, if you weren't an incompetent fucking boss you'd still have everyone in one piece.

You're so sick of this.

"May I ask who exactly reached out to help? I doubt the church would waste church funds on a low-ranked Fatui Capo such as myself."

The inquisitor averted his gaze, his brows furrowed. Cyno hid his face behind his hand, murmuring the response meekly. You don't have the best hearing—the sounds of gunshots were bound to dull your senses—and you imagined he gave a monosyllabic response.

"...e."

"My apologies, mind repeating that?"

Cyno stiffened.

"You don't need to know who. What matters is that you're safe now, and an official willingly went through signing paperwork for your manor."

"And based on your tone of voice, I assume that that official is you."

He turned his head indignantly.

"Believe what you want to believe."

Cyno's reply was a telltale sign that this conversation will go nowhere. You sighed.

"... I don't need food, but do you have cigars?"

He scrunched his nose.

"No wonder your breath smells awful nowadays." He muttered before pulling away.

Despite his insulting observation, he pulled out a box of Cuban cigars from his pocket. Quite hypocritical that he complained about bad breath when he had some too. He lit up your cigar.

"Thanks, but last time I checked this was our first time meeting." You have no particular opinion on Cohiba's cigars but this is the best you'll get at the moment. Beggars can't be choosers. "Thanks again."

Cyno ignored you both times and he was already by the door. "Please rest up. I've left some calzone, water, painkillers, and tissues for you on the table. Try not to leave the vicinity."

He exited the room.

You closed your eyes as your hand reached for your bleeding mouth. You're relatively unscathed from the incident, which means Cyno knows something about your "condition."

You chuckled.

Painkillers and tissues, huh? There's no better cure than that, and your time would run out before the world would find a better one.

—----

Cigars were not enough.

Inquisitor Cyno likely already knew that he can't keep you here for much longer, but he didn't do anything when you escaped. He did say "try not to leave" and not "do not leave", didn't he?

Cyno claimed his ears are sharp– so you guess he just didn't care at all.

As a result, you left your room and went for a walk around the neighborhood. That doesn't mean you can leave Sumeru City, but a stroll is always pleasant. The room Cyno offered was neither spacious nor cramped, but if you started digging holes in their ugly wallpaper, you doubt the church would take it lightly.

You staggered out of the chapel and entered the slums, reminding yourself that Dimitri is dead. You need to find someone worthy enough to become the next underboss. The church will not recognize you as the Capo without one, therefore they won't help rebuild the manor should you fail this task.

Hungry and out of breath, you leaned against the unscrubbed walls of an abandoned antique store, arms folded, taking in your surroundings. You were exhausted, arms sprawled against the wall.

The people behaved too jaded to be Natlan yet too reserved to be Snezhnaya– hence, you safely assumed that you were in the Avidya-Rainforest district. This place, despite lack of funds, was still under the church's watchful eye. A holy sanctum of sorts. This meant dealings are prohibited and no one would want to be caught with a glint in their eyes.

It's fascinating how much their cultures differ for a country as small as Teyvat. The same cannot be said for Khaenri'ah. Your compatriots have only known a capitalistic grind in search of an unattainable dream. A money-obsessed country does little to preserve its customs and culture. And you were the same empty machine till La Signora took you in.

You yawned while covering your mouth, appearing vulnerable.

But of course, you didn't charge into an unknown location unarmed. You knocked out one of the Inquisitor's soldiers and seized his pistol. "For security reasons", you'd argue. Once again, Cyno likely knew about that but didn't bother acting, again. You're too tired to judge his work approach, and you could barely keep your eyes open.

Till you caught a sliver of green pass you by.

"Oh! You smell funny. Are you the Capo, (Y/n) (L/n)?"

You lazily looked up.

"Umm, hello?"

You gazed down.

It's a kid. Hunger is starting to take its toll on you as you mistook her high pitch voice for an adult your size. The child, around age 5, had green hair and scraped knees.

You're certain that she wouldn't snitch about how you left your room unguarded.

"Need something?"

"Yeah, um, I just wanna say my condolences."

You ruffled her hair. "Thanks, bambini."

She beamed.

Sadly, the kid must've mistaken this as a go signal for her to continue talking. She balled her hand into a fist and nervously cheered for you.

"I-It'll be alright, Capo. You can always make new friends! I believe in you!"

"Hmm."

"I never thought I'd ever be able to make friends but I did last month! I also met my master that time and maybe I can share some of my good luck with you!"

"Hmm."

"Are… Are you listening?"

"J-Just a little fatigued." You stifled a yawn. "Why don't you play along with your new friends, little…"

"Oh, right! I'm Collei!"

"Little Collei." You coughed, and you skillfully wiped the blood away without her knowing. "Bambini, you shouldn't talk to people like me, it's dangerous. Why don't you run along and go back to your friends now?"

"Well, I can't yet because he told me not to because he's busy right now."

"Who told you that?"

Collei smiled widely.

"Professor Tighnari!"

You froze, slowly recalling your resolve.

It felt like the world froze for a brief moment as if the few people in the vicinity halted for you to catch up on what the little girl confessed.

"...Tighnari?"

"Hmm, hmm!"

"And you're close to him?" You muttered.

You'll kill everyone that fox ever loved.

Your fingers subconsciously slithered to your holster.

That's what you decided moments prior.

You glared down menacingly.

"Capo…?"

But a kid?

"... Is something wrong?"

You turned your apathetic gaze back at her. You're not even sure just how much this child meant to Tighnari. She might as well just be as insignificant as a pebble on a shore. But–

The gun you stole from the church guards is with you. It's light in your hands.

The light in your eyes dimmed.

"Hello?"

It has three bullets loaded.

There are only 2 other people outside the streets, both of which are teenage civilians. Taking her out would be as easy as–

"Hey, please cheer up!!!"

The child shook you, dragging you out of your trance. Little Collei appeared distressed because of your lack of reactions. You blinked a couple of times, making yourself mentally present, before pinching your forehead. Her lips are curled downward and her eyes match her cute frown, and you were grimly reminded of what you had tried to commit.

You cursed under your breath.

You're disappointed in yourself.

This is a child. A child of the church, no less. She likely had nothing to do with whatever it is Tighnari had planned.

"You're thinking of sad thoughts too, aren't you? Don't do that! You'll only feel bad–"

"Bambini."

"Yes?"

"How many friends do you have?"

"Oh. I have two!"

She cheerfully raised three fingers.

"I have two friends! Amber and Tighnari!!!"

Because of her clear enthusiasm, you refrained from correcting her hand. Instead, you patted her head with a heavy conscience.

But are you wrong for thinking this way?

An eye for an eye…

You knelt at her height.

Your strained smile reached her ignorant eyes. "That sounds wonderful. I have– I had two best friends too. Can I be your third friend?"

"Really?!"

"Of course. I think optimistic people like you are reeaaally cool!" You lied between your teeth.

And one kid's death won't satisfy a worthy tribute for your fallen men. One child is not enough.

You need to find more just like her.

"Hehe, thank you! But Amber's the coolest! I want to be like big sis Amber when I grow up!"

"Is that so? Well– I hope to hear more from you as you grow older. I'm sure you'll be the girl you always wanted to be, and I'd like to be your friend as you get there."

Collei awed.

"W-Wow, thank you! I've never gotten a compliment like that before too…"

The child never saw the sadness in your eyes, or maybe she mistook it as fondness. You continued patting her head as she melts in your touch. Fakely, you gave her a big smile.

"Then let's get to know each other." You grabbed her hands. "Why don't you show me around town, fratella?"

You can't kill this girl yet.

She nodded eagerly.

Not until you find out just how much this child means to Tighnari.

Besides, you didn't miss the flash of purple in the alleyways. Cyno was observing you from afar. You can't make haste.

You grabbed her hand.

You'll get your revenge, someday but not today, even if it arrives at your dying breath.

—----

Someone else is watching you. A second stalker.

It's not paranoia born out of the tragedy that occurred yesterday, but a fact.

As you were greeted by an angry Candace (Cyno's coworker) who gave you a firm yet fruitless sermon about leaving the parameters, you heard the bushes rattle by the gardens. You offhandedly mentioned it to her, and it placated her fury.

Candace agreed that she heard it as well, and she promises to take care of it as soon as you go back to confinement– "your room." Collei awkwardly bid you farewell and you promised you'll see her again in a few days. She probably thought that you were her new troublesome sibling. And speaking of troublesome…

Snatching the small glimpse of metal from the table, you pivoted your heels.

"You can't hide from me."

Masterfully, you hurled a butterknife and it landed just a few centimeters above the trespasser. He grunted almost inaudibly. Had you been any less precise that aim would've killed him, but the man had the guts to trust that you wouldn't be so foolish and kill him off without a proper interrogation. It's one of many reasons Tartaglia envies your dexterity and wit.

You glared. This man wore dark clothing yet his luminescent akasha terminal betrays any hope for a successful undercover mission. The stranger promptly calculated his response as you grabbed your remaining utensils. This time, you had a sharper blade in your arsenal.

"Speak."

"My name is Alhaitham. I'm an Akademiyan spy."

No shit. He's wearing an akasha terminal. What else could he be but a pain in the neck?

You laughed sardonically. "Oh my, a bold one, are we? Think you can take me down just because of my manor?"

"I'm not here to fight you– I'm here with a proposal, (Y/n)."

And he had the nerve not to address you as Capo.

The stranger didn't see you throw a fork in his direction until he heard the metal ring beside his ear. Some strands of his hair got caught between the points, yet he feigned an unphased disposition.

"Get out."

"Alhaitham" didn't listen. He knew you'd insist until you could drag his cold dead body into the garbage chute for Wednesday's pickup. So what did he do?

State his proposal anyways.

"I want to become Innamorati's next underboss."

Your grip on the knife loosened slightly. Alhaitham watched your serious face loosen up, but not in the reaction he hoped for. Instead, you laughed at him.

Him? Replacing Dimitri? Hilarious.

"Now that's comedy! What made you think I'll hire you? I don't know your face but I know your name."

You proudly grabbed a glass and poured yourself the wine Cyno bought that you previously insisted on not drinking.

"Ahh, this should be entertaining. Alhaitham– the Akademiya's slaved accountant. Maybe I would've taken you in if you didn't reveal that you're a spy. Would've enjoyed dragging you around till you're drained like hell. You know, if you already told me that you're here to spy on me you might as well spill who ordered you to do so."

"Khajeh." He replied immediately.

You drank half a glass. "Hah! Figured. Barely ran into any scholars but that old man is as nosy and obnoxious as they come."

"In addition, he gave me permission to try and apply as your next underboss."

"Keyword here is try."

"The Akademiya had been spying on you for a long time–"

"I know. I'm not dumb enough not to notice your men skulking around. They're practically built like an elementary school's skeletal model." You clicked your tongue.

"–But if you take me, I am at your full disposal. I will work simultaneously for the Akademiya and you, so I'd let you in on canned knowledge trades. I'm not as weak as the others. I've been a member of multiple training corps with exceptional gra–"

He stopped abruptly when you placed your glass down. It's empty.

Alhaitham met your gaze and silently noted your unamused expression.

You have never once tried getting into any supply of canned knowledge, but that doesn't mean you'd dive into this shady business after the opportunity presents itself pronto. You've seen how Dottore handles his wares, and you know how it functions similarly to heroin.

You're not letting your men go through the same addiction as you had before.

"Are you done?" You cut him off, clearly aware that he barely started with his fluffs. Realizing that all he had done was brag, he changed topics immediately.

"I know a lot of things about you, Capo." Alhaitham's lips quivered for a brief moment. "I'd dare say I found all the dirt I could find."

"Is that so…" You replied, rather uninterested. These buzzwords have always been around since the day you became Capo, not once had they piqued your interest.

"You killed La Signora to inherit her title. You announced that she died bravely against Khaenri'ahn soldiers, but it was you whom she dueled with– and now you have her authority and more."

You laughed, once again sounding wholly bored.

"Should've known Akademiyan freaks like you are into conspiracy theories." You replied in an attempt to seem like you care. You're not sure if it worked.

"You neither confirmed nor denied my statement."

Cause he's half-wrong. You're not a brute. If you want something done, then it must be swift. There's no way you could've won a match against your old Capo, everyone would agree with that.

It's much easier to kill her in her sleep and frame your fellow countryman's fault for everything.

"Do you need me to?"

There was no need for you to tell him that this information is useless. Many similar-sounding theories had spread during the first few months of acting as Innamorati's new Capo. Snezhnayans are very strict when it comes to blood relations, and they're not easily convinced when you told them that it was Rosalyne's final wish to instate you as their new leader.

It was partly thanks to Viktor that the familia grew to welcome you in. He had an apparent dislike for the old capo and when you promised he'd be off guard duties his mouth started rambling. Viktor's not one to shy away from leaking the information you puppeteered him to say. You've ensured many methodologies to spread a positive campaign about you, and people began naturally supporting your cause.

All done with minimum effort.

You smiled at him sweetly. Should Alhaitham attack your reputation, you have no doubt you have the capabilities in mending it quickly despite your situation. You're loved by the Church and most importantly the masses. Now that many of your men have passed, the public would view you as a staggering symbol of mourning. Poor (Y/n).

Alhaitham didn't react. Instead, his expression dimmed, more solemn this time.

"That's just the appetizer."

He continued.

"The truth is, you barely have 2 years left to live because of Eleazar, isn't that right, (N/n)? That's why you always act like you're running out of time."

Your eyes widened.

Now he's not half wrong. That's the whole truth.

You laughed again.

"Is that your best attempt at a death threat? Don't have specialized canned knowledge to teach you when to shut the fuck up?"

"I'd be happy to let you know that I'm not the only one who has conducted some… research, Capo." He digressed and walked closer. "Inquisitor Cyno, Professor Tighnari, and I know about it. It's quite a well-kept secret, really. You ought to be thankful."

Alhaitham pulled out a tissue from his pockets.

You squinted and paused.

Oh, no wonder. So that's how he came up with that conclusion.

"You've been coughing up blood way before you joined the mafia– and it's a miracle that no one noticed your weak constitution. None except the three of us, I mean." He continued. "I had someone from our forensics team inspect this, and I'm not surprised to hear that it's from you rather than your enemies."

"Then why."

"Why?"

"Why haven't you leaked this yet? Isn't this a good thing for you Akademiyans?"

Alhaitham smirked.

"I believe I should be the one to govern my actions– why else would I stalk these dilapidated rooftops?"

"Then how long have you known?"

"Trust me, the three of us knew longer than you'd imagine. I knew about your secret ever since you sold matchsticks for a living."

Your eyebrows furrowed.

"That was five years ago…"

"So? Doesn't change that you've been diagnosed for well over six years."

"I was barely anyone back then– I was just a beggar hustling on the streets– why make such an idiotic claim?" You rolled your eyes. "I've heard enough. Leave, while I still allow it."

Alhaitham's face softened.

"So you don't remember me…"

He handed you the tissue, and you reluctantly accepted it.

As your hands met, Alhaitham pulled you close to his chest. His face looked down on you, smug and condescending.

Alhaitham caressed your cheek, and then your lips. You flushed at the sudden contact and quickly tilted your dagger near his neck.

He whispered into your ear.

"What a delicate flower you are, tesoro. But I will not lie, you're far from youthful– you're wilting, and I loathe watching this all unfold from afar any longer."

The Akademiyan gently pushed your dagger away and kissed your wrist. Your eyes sharpened, hastily aiming for his neck but he swiftly changed trajectory. He knew this was just a reminder that he could die in your hands if you will it. Alhaitham is not blind. He saw the way you curved your hand at the last second to prevent a lethal blow.

He stood a few feet away, no longer at arm's length. Alhaitham pushed the curtains aside with one foot already out the window.

"I'll meet you again here, 6 AM sharp. Tell me whatever it is that you decide then." He said before confidently adding "I look forward to working with you soon, (N/n)."

In the same fashion he entered, he left the room quietly. Deciding that you don't care enough to watch him leave the premises, you locked the windows shut.

You sighed, exhausted, and pulled the curtains closed.

Life won't let you catch a break…

Now, what's your schedule for tomorrow?

—------

Note: this is an interactive fic! The underlined word will lead you to a google forms link to decide what happens in the next chapter! Have fun voting!!!

Deadline: October 20, 2022 October 16, 2020

Next Chapter

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hag-lad · 22 days

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Glad to see that the boop thing has made a lot of people realize that direct interaction with other people on this site is Good Actually! I think a lot of us started hanging out on the internet as a way to escape social interaction, but it's a much better tool for cultivating social interaction.

I've made lifelong friends through the internet. I was introduced to my wife by someone I originally met on tumblr! I've flown to other states to hang out irl with internet friends, and will continue to do so cuz it's so goddam fun! (Going to Wisconsin literally this week to hang out with ppl from Discord!)

This is the spirit of the old internet, goddam it! Forums! Conversations about shared interests! Infodumping! The good shit! The "social media" model encourages passive consumption of content, not genuine peer-to-peer connections like those we used to have on forums. Thank god for Discord, because that's the most accurate recreation of old school forum culture I've ever seen. It's so wonderful. Tumblr may not have the best UI for direct interactions, but it does work. I have DM convos going with several mutuals at all times, and they truly enrich my life.

Use the internet to connect with humanity, goddam it! Don't let the corporate interests win!

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xxgoblin-dumplingxx · 8 months

Note

Hold on, anon. Someone will get you a explanation (maybe future me) but for now have mine of random ones because I am tired, so sorry if I miss anything/if these aren’t the best explanations

Teddy!verse: Jason’s a single dad after someone close to him dies, leaving behind her son, Teddy. Jason takes in Teddy who’s a fan of Reader. The boy very much chose his mother. Reader is a voice actress who runs her own podcast company. Her ex is a jerk, that used to work with Reader. Jay and Reader end up together and expand the family. She’s very much a mama bear.

rabies!verse: Werewolf Reader, who helps Bruce, triggers something in Jason and he just suddenly gets “baby rabies”

Thirst Trap Thursdays: Ari just write thirst on Thursday sometimes.

BFF!reader: Bruce’s BFF gets pregnant and the dad isn’t really the best so Bruce steps up. Little Dick is also here. Said BFF eventually gives birth to a little baby girl named Emma.

hotmess!Jason: This verse is dead, so don’t request anything from it. Jason and Roy are stupid and upset Reader. That’s all you need to know honestly.

apprentice!reader: Reader is John Constantine’s daughter and he’s forced to take her in and he trains her. She shows up in place of him one day for some magic issue Bruce is having and Jason’s also there and ends up falling in love with her.

Internet friend!reader: Tim and Reader are online friends and are a popular duo honestly. They fall in love at some point and start dating. Don’t remember if that was before or after they met up irl. I think before?

softdom!Diana: What it says on the tin.

sugarbaby!Jason: Jason is Reader’s sugarbaby. He’s a pianist, she has a thing for artists. He gets nice things and so does she, they’re both less lonely, it’s good for both of them.

cowboy!Jason: Reader runs a farm after her dad passed and looks after her three younger sisters. Jason’s supposed to just be laying low after some trouble with Black Mask and passing through. After Reader gets a lift from him and lets him stay in the barn she ends up capturing his heart and vice versa though which makes things so much harder.

AI!reader: Reader dies and Tim tries to recreate her as an AI to cope because he’s Tim. But the AI and Reader are different in some many ways and he’s not very happy about that either.

teacher!Jason: Reader is a single mother and a college student, Jason’s her professor. Sometimes she brings her daughter, Lena to class. Jason doesn’t mind and she’s thankful for that. Jason’s also kind of into Reader.

werewolf!Jason: Reader and Jason both get taken and experimented on. Both of them get turned into werewolves. Reader used to be a kindergarten teacher in Chicago. Also both of them are now connected to each other for werewolf instinct reasons and keeping each other company during capture.

handyman!Jason: Jason leaves behind Gotham and the vigilante lifestyle. Instead fixing up random things in a specific area, including Reader’s Aunt Maggie. Maggie’s tries to set them up and succeeds quickly honestly.

circus!Reader: Dick’s childhood friend that comes to visit occasionally. They grew up in different circuses. They’re currently on a road trip together.

-signed, that one person who’s read most of Ari’s verses completely and occasionally re-reads some

Blessings on your house.

I hope you find the perfect pair of jeans in your exact size. On clearance.

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tazvene · 3 months

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Lucid Dream Observations pt 1 ☆≈ 1st Experiment!

Hey! it's January 17th and I've had my second accidental lucid dream, the first was on January 11th (1/11 haha, also the day of a new moon) I'm planning on going into the void state and / or reality shifting through one of these soon. For now here's some observations I've made that you may find useful or interesting! ♡ ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓

(experiment listed first and then general observations past that)

Experiment: Telling someone they are in a dream

Expectation: I was wondering if this really would wake me up like people say it does, if I would have some messed up creepy experience because I'm "Not Supposed To Be Asking This", or if that's all nonsense and I'd have a civil conversation. I was mostly wondering if I'd be waken up tho, so I guess that was my expectation.

Results: I woke up (😱😱😱) and I know exactly why!!! I told a little girl and I was woken up before I could even finish saying it. BUT in the split second before I did wake up, I saw her face starting to turn sour, and I heard a loud frequency-like ringing in my ears. BUTTTTTTTT what makes me think this was merely from my expectation of waking up instead of this being some weird forbidden thing is.... When I woke up, first I had a false awakening, to somewhere just like my real room, I was in my bed, and my laptop was playing my dream like a movie while my whole body vibrated and felt all tingly, I stayed there about 10 seconds before I woke up in the real world.

If I really was forced to wake up by something external you'd think I'd go straight to the waking reality no?

Conclusion: Nothing is forcing you to wake up, there's no need to be superstitious, YOU are in control, YOU are the GOD of your dreams, if you assume something will happen, then it will. just like irl <3 get your assumptions in check

Observations

Early in the dream I chose to just let the dream play out for the most part, I lost much dream control. When I would try to change things they would only change in the most insignificant way. (ex. I was really annoyed by these 3 toads, I turned around and tried to make them disappear, but when I turned back there was only one, and he was being annoying enough by himself to make up for the 2 missing. Or I tried to go into a door but noticed the wall next to it missing, when I tried to change it back it did in fact come back, but now the door was missing!)

The changes I tried to make to my dream were mostly done just in my head with little positive emotions behind them, I'll soon try matching my emotions to be what I would feel when what I want changed is changed.

When I tried to change things it felt daunting and impossible, which may also be why it felt difficult. It's all about assumption.

The two accidental lucid dreams I've had have both been triggered by thinking about shows/movies made up FOR that dream while in the dream. (In the first dream I realized I was recreating a scene from the fake dream show, and then became fully lucid. In this dream I just was surrounded by actors and the dream was very movielike, so I started wondering if I had left a movie on my laptop on and started dreaming about it, and BAM!

It really does feel like real life, but definitely not how people describe shifting. For me right now it's like everywhere still has dream logic which becomes apparent to you after you become lucid, but it's now in 8k high definition with all of your senses tuned into it. Definitely doesn't feel like a fully solid reality

++++++++++ After my first accidental dream on January 11th I've started listening to Otohime's lucid dream subliminal linked below, I'm currently working on my own subliminal for dream control, removing limiting assumptions, shifting and void state, etc. When that is made I'll stop listening to all others besides my own.

youtube

That's all for now, I hope you got something out of this! I love you guys, I swear I'll have some much more interesting stories soon when I can get that darn portal open hehehe. Byeeee! best wishes to you all!

☆≈ Tazvene

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mangekyuou · 2 years

Note

Hey yo! After so long of finding a one piece headcanon wrighter that was open I found u! So like can I request something with the problems I have irl? What if the reader has Agoraphobia(fear of leaving home) and has a blanket or something that they gotten frometheir home and they lose it, someone took it or yk something like that. How would Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, Law react?

headcanons % with an s/o with agoraphobia.

☻ / characters . . . luffy, zoro, sanji & law.

☻ / content warnings . . . mentions of agoraphobia. anxiety attacks. not proofread.

☻ / commentary . . . hope these are okay !! thank you for requesting !!

in the most luffy way possible...he doesn’t quite understand agoraphobia. his dream is the be the freest ( is that a real word ?? ) man alive. however, through some explaining, he begins to understand

he worries about you and a lot

and will often ask you if you miss your home or not

he feels kind of bad. he feels even worse when he talks to robin and learns that you could possibly experience anxiety attacks if it ever got too bad

he knows that you have your blanket that reminds you of home, but sometimes he thinks it’s not enough so... he’ll try to bring your home to you !!

and by that i mean, he’ll try to get the others to help in asking details about your home so they can recreate it on the sunny. he knows it’s not physically your home, but he also wants you to know that you have a second home right there with the rest of the crew

when a pirate unfamiliar to the both of you comes abroad the sunny and stated the claim that he was going to defeat all of you...no one was really listening

that was until he grabbed your blanket from your hands, made fun of you for it, and tossed it overboard

before you even had time to process your blanket, the only piece of home you had left with you, being tossed overboard into the sea, luffy sprung into action, grabbing your blanket with one hand and punching the HELL out of the unknown pirate with the other

he returns your blanket with his usual bright smile and reminds you that no one will ever make fun of you in his presence

like luffy, he doesn’t understand agoraphobia. however, he tends to think of it as being a really intense form of homesickness

he feels like there’s nothing he can do to help you, that’s what hurts the most

on those days where it feels too much being stuck in the middle of the sea on a ship so far away from where you grew up and felt the safest.

seeing you so upset, he’s so upset that there’s nothing more that he can do to help but hold your hand and remind you that he’s not going anywhere and that you’re safe with him

at night when you’re fast asleep, he’ll be sure to wrap both your blanket and watch over you until he’s out like a light. you’ll always wake up the next morning, seeing him still asleep in that same position like he’s a little guard dog

if you happen to lose your blanket and begin to panic, he’ll remove his haramaki and tell you to hold onto it until he can find your blanket

and by he, i mean all of the crew because there’s no way he’s going to find it by himself

it was definitely not like your blanket. but it was a piece of him, that’s what you kept reminding yourself

that’s when you realize how comfortable it is to snuggle into

by the time he gets back with your actual blanket, you’re too busy sleeping, holding onto his haramaki

it’s gonna take him a minute to get it back from you. not only because you’re not letting it go, but he thinks you look adorable with it

UNLIKE luffy and zoro, sanji completely understands. he may not miss his own home, but he does understand your feelings

he’s constantly checking in on you to make sure you’re doing well. when the days come where you are worse for wear, as he always does he’ll go above and beyond to try to make you feel better

or if you ask him to tone it down a bit, he’ll do that too. it may be a little hard at first, but he’ll do it. whatever you need, he’s going to do

he’s got all your favorite dishes memorized at this point, whenever you’ve relaxed a bit he’ll surprise you with a dish that reminds you of home if you feel like eating

he constantly reminds you that he’ll always be there for you

say some asshole took your blanket while the two of you were walking down a street and started running away with it

SANJI IS GOING IS READY TO FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL TO BRING YOUR BLANKET BACK

somebody is going to the hospital tonight

he tries to beat them up quickly so you don’t have to wait and start worrying

when he returns your blanket safe and sound, he wraps it around you and smothers you in light kisses

as a doctor, law knows what agoraphobia is. he probably knows that you have it before you tell him

he watched the way your eyes widened for a brief moment when you thought the blanket was missing. he watched the way you ran out of a crew meeting once needing to step away from everyone. he saw as you longing looked at pictures that you didn’t let anyone else see

law had approached you directly about it, telling you that if you wanted to go home, you probably should

his words sounded harsh at the moment, but you knew he was just trying to help

but you had decided to stay and told him that you would be fine

he didn’t doubt your word, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t worried

so he tried to keep a watchful eye on you. he’d look at you and then at your blanket, checking the both of you were in safe condition

one night when you happen to fall asleep with the door open, he walks by and goes to shut it. however, he notices that your blanket is nowhere to be seen. he starts to panic a little

he doesn’t want you to wake up without your blanket and then go into an anxiety attack. quietly, he asks the crew that is still awake to look around the polar tang for it. but of course...they can’t do quiet...

finally, your blanket was found and they returned it to your room. you seem to wake up and catch them on their way out

penguin somehow convincing you it’s all a dream and you head back to sleep, snuggling into your blanket

good one penguin

#one piece #monkey d. luffy #luffy #luffy x reader #roronoa zoro #zoro #zoro x reader #vinsmoke sanji #sanji #sanji x reader #trafalgar law #trafalgar d law #trafalgar d water law #law x reader #one piece oneshots #one piece scenarios #one piece imagines #one piece headcanons #night rather than day ── 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘰. 𓂃 ★☆

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devilmaychub · 1 year

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TLDR:

I’m straight, I’m CIS, but I try my hardest to be an ally. I believe Trans women are women and are so beautiful and I support them and their rights. I’m a Feedee not a feeder. I’m also straight edge and have been for almost 20 years. I don’t smoke, drink or so any sort of recreational drugs. But I am not judgmental, it’s more of a personal choice, just not something I enjoy.

😘

Orientation?

I’m straight but very LGBTQ friendly. I don’t mind compliments and love from LGBTQ community, I actually really love and appreciate them so much. I support trans rights greatly, I believe trans people are valid and don’t need to prove their femininity or masculinity to anyone. I will say IMO trans women are some of the hottest people on earth. And I can admit when a man is handsome and attractive. The thing is I just can’t go beyond that, men don’t stir something within me like it does with women. I’m not even slightly curious or turned on by masc traits and body parts. I’m not grossed out by it, not offended by it, I’m just indifferent. It doesn’t move the needle of attraction for me whatsoever. I’ve already thoroughly explored that avenue of myself and found nothing. Please don’t take it personal when I am not interested. You’re all lovely and deserve someone who is obsessed with you. Please remain respectful even with compliments.

Relationship with feederism?

I love food, I love getting full, I love being big and fat and burly. Idk if those things alone turn me on, but the fact that it turns you on turns me on ya know? Like I’m not automatically arroused when I’m full (but I’m getting there like Pavlov’s dog lol). I might consider myself a feedee lite at the moment with room to grow (pun intended). I will help you indulge in these kinks 😘

If anyone want to pay for my food I will not say no, and I’d even send you great content of me enjoying it!

I’m not one for pig talk or degrading. I’ll let it slide in the heat of the moment, but it’s not something I like or enjoy. I might be convinced to allow a little with more discussion if it’s something you really need but it doesn’t serve me.

Your type?

I love women all shapes and sizes, I appreciate the chub and softness and various thicc body parts lol. I absolutely love body contrast too, and I’ll admit I like it a bit more mostly because I’ve rarely had that dynamic irl. I love bbw, and extremely thin women and everything in between, they all deserve love and satisfaction no matter how they look or what they may be working with.

I love highly skilled artistic ability, I love when someone has a skill that is something they spent infinite time on and honed. Something they learned independently and had the drive and soul to follow through and master it. Sit me down, share your passion and teach me something new and interesting and I will follow you into the dark.

Kink roles?

I’m typically a Dom, usually a Soft Dom or a Daddy Dom, doesn’t mean I can’t be rough or mean or physically dominating. I also consider myself a bit of a service Dom, I love to please. I will happily indulge in your kinks if it truly makes you cum, tell me what you want and how you want it.

I’m open to switching for the right person, it’s very circumstantial and very rare, but I’ve been known to be a bit submissive.

Also I can play very sweet and vanilla too, I’m not always married to my kinks and dominant roles. My main concern is always my play partner’s comfort.

If you have anymore questions or complaints my inbox is open and anon is on. I’m willing to learn and grow and I mean no disrespect. I’m not a “debate me” asshole, I can admit when my views are misguided after being educated more.

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ravasheencc · 2 years

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RVSN x Elgato - Wave Panels

I have once again teamed up with my friends at Elgato to recreate their Wave Panels for The Sims 4! Recreating the IRL features of the Wave Panels, the in-game version give you limitless customization options and can be configured to suit any space. Create multiple constellations, design unique shapes, and easily mix or swap out colors to personalize your setup.

The hexagonal profile comes in two styles, two colors, and 12 angle installations. With custom slotting, these panels will only slot to themselves and let you easily move your custom panel creations as one object. As you place them in build/buy mode, they will randomly change orientation to create a unique design. You can further customize them in live mode by rotating each panel individually.

When you use these in combination with The Sims 4 Elgato Creator Set to create content, the panels will improve the quality of your sim's produced media.

Deets:

Panels will be placed with a random rotation on build/buy placement

Full customization in live mode

There are two styles which tile seamlessly

Each style comes in black & blue

Custom slotting for flat and pointed top variations

BGC

These are available to everyone now.

Download here!

#sims cc #sims4cc #simstagram #sims4 #maxismatch #maxismatchcc #sims4cctumblr #sims4ccfinds #sims4mm #simscc #simblr #sims 4 cc #ts4 #the sims 4 #rvsncc #rvsn #elgato #elgatopartner #ad

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tsintotwo · 2 years

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(Part 5/ Bonus part of 4)

Aight. After the last post I totally had to check myself because I was under the impression that Junkhearts was the only movie of Tom’s I hadn’t yet seen, but apparently there was another one called Three Way Junction, AND I found another cameo (someone add these and Hello Apartment on Tom’s wiki, I can’t figure out a way to edit tables on there) (Edit: Took care of it.) A few wonderful people got in touch with this info, PLUS a bootleg link to watch the 1984 production Tom was in!! Just, THANK YOU folks, and you bet your ass I watched everything. Let me talk a bit about that before I move on to the links.

Junkhearts (2011)- War vet very kindly offers homeless girl shelter in his house, but her bad crowd (including her bf, played by Tom) comes along and invades his life. Tom is a Northern Irish boy in this (complete with the accent) and is the kind of dude who would walk into a situation and abuse everyone and everything. It blows my mind that this irl smol bean did so many disturbing/disturbed characters and did them SO well. He really makes the angel-faced-devil thing work. This movie is dark, and deals with heavy matters like PTSD and drugs. Be advised. Good movie tho.

Double Date (2017)- Do NOT ask me anything about this one, man, idk. Tom in a beard, hat, eyes rimmed in black liner, and with a fake rhinestone tear for 1:30 mins. I didn’t even hear what he said.

Three Way Junction (2018)- English architect (Tom) goes soul searching to Namibia, everyone he meets acts wiser than him, then he gets stranded in the desert. I will call this movie formulaic, but before that, let me acknowledge I was just getting comfortable, then it stepped on my throat and left me agonizingly invested for a good amount of time. The desert-stranded scenes, Tom almost dying from thirst and hunger, body switching off, face peeling from the sun, hallucinating, all alone… it was hard to watch, y’all (in a good way, I suppose). Tom gives it his all and it pays off, because by the end I wanted to scream along with him. The very end is, again, formulaic.

1984 on Broadway (2017)- Winston in the book: I am a 39 y/o gray dude, oppressed and depressed, listen to my musings and experience about politics

Me: Of course! I am intellectually stimulated!

Tom’s Winston: *spits aggressively*

Me: Fu** me, daddy

Trust Tom fuckin Sturridge to make Winston Smith SEXY I AM SO UPSET (AND HORNY) *deep breath* okay. Olivia Wilde broke Tom’s nose acting this, he broke her tailbone. People fainted, threw up, and left the theatre. Need I say more about how intense this production was? And I abfuckingsolutely loved it, oh my GOD. This was a brilliant adaptation of the classic George Orwell novel imo, the changes they made were very clever. Tom is the MC, and in the beginning, he is confused and is just reacting to things rather than acting. But he gets more and more into it and then comes the last act- graphic torture scene of him that they recreated from the book. I understand why people left the room, y’all. I mean, I KNEW what would happen and by the end even I was like ‘fuck me, fuck y’all, fuck this, what the fuck’, and I could PAUSE. But this is how 1984 should be, imo. I’m not saying this just because I’m a simp for Tom: the work he’s done for this is extraordinary. It takes a special kind of actor to even attempt something like it.

[Edit: I've discovered Tom also appeared in Brothers of the Head (2005), a mockumentary-movie about conjoined twins who became rockstars. Tom might be in it for just the ten seconds around 55:00 that I could find him in.]

Now that’s all done, let’s move on to the links. I know most people may have seen most of these, but still may be of help to a few? And I’m making this for my reference as much as for anyone else anyway, so.

Interviews/Being Filmed:

1. We all know there have been sooo many interviews from the Sandman junket. Some of my favorite moments:

a. Tom talking about his experience in the glass cage here (4:15), here (2:00) and here (4:12)

b. Tom shows us (11:34) his button brickphone. An aside: I think he at least had a smartphone at one point- you can see him tapping one here (:10) and he mentioned in the giggly Sea Wall interview that he browsed Wiki on his way there, so… anyway, point is tho, it’s none of our fuckin business

c. Vivienne praises Tom so much that he clenches his fists and is out of breath. Aside: When people he’s less familiar with drop praises, he has no reaction. Like, not even awkwardness, zero reaction except a half smile, e.g. here (4:43), here (4:04) and here (10:11). I just think it’s a funny shy boi thing XD

d. Totally RANDOM, but I love his eyeroll (9:00)

e. Unexpectedly deep and amazing answer to what nightmare Tom would give other people (plus everything else tbh)

f. Tom insisting that eating only within 4 out of 24 hrs and exercising for 5 hrs each day for 3 months was ‘easy’ compared to actually playing Morpheus. This man is insane.

g. Tom stole the sand pouch and is so shifty about it lmao

h. I said this before: Tom and Morpheus are still totally separate in my mind, so seeing this BTS when he’s dressed as Morpheus but speaks as Tom is a reality-shifting experience for me every time. Also, in natural light the subtle eye makeup is really popping. God, this man would KILL it with smokey eyes!

2. I love animated talkers who are also articulate, they tend to be the best storytellers. Tom being just that in these Orphans (5:12) and Sea Wall (37:26) interviews (I recommend watching Tom in both in full, tbh)

3. Linking this Orphans interview because a. His eloquence and wisdom shine through and b. He’s looking sort of devastatingly pretty

4. Tom can play the piano!

5. Never seen a Brit giggle so much (I know I already gif-ed this but you gotta hear the SOUNDS)

6. Englishman struggles to speak English for half a minute straight

7. Tom’s workout vid for Sandman. Not to ogle, to appreciate the unholy amount of effort. You can also see the inconspicuous S tattoo on his back (for his ex, I guess). This man is wearing a hat in the gym... hair too long?

8. Far from the Madding Crowd interview because I need y’all to see this look

9. I like this 1984 interview ‘cause it’s interesting, been edited in a creepy way matching the content they’re talking about +Tom talks about not using a smartphone

10. Adding this to show how much Tom has grown, as we all grow. The ‘romantic’ experience he describes here, while startlingly honest, I can’t see him talking about now. He was a bit rough around the edges, a little awkward with his presence. I find that endearing and relatable, honestly, ‘cause I am VERY different in the way I present myself, speak, communicate now from a few yrs ago. It’s a process.

Fanvids:

Some of my faves here:

1. Best Sandman/Morpheus tributes 1, 2, 3, 4. Angsty king Morpheus. Cool Morpheus.

2. AMAZING Morpheus x Jessamy 1, 2 and 3

3. Morpheus x Johanna 1 and 2

4. Morpheus x Calliope 1, 2 and 3

5. Me: I ain’t no Twilight fan and watched TVD only for Damon, vampires can suck it away form me. Also me: Watches this 50 times in a row. Edward x Morpheus

6. Bruce Wayne x Morpheus

7. WTF is going on and why do I love it: AU/Crossovers/Fancasts with Morpheus- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

8. Will x Emma, Waiting for Forever

9. Best Jake x Tess, Sweetbitter, 1 , 2 , 3, 4

10. Best Alex x Nigel, Like Minds, 1 and 2

11. Effie Gray x John Everett Millais, 1 and 2

12. + Tom in Remainder

13. Carlo Marx, Carl (3 Way Junction), King Henry VI, Danny (Junkhearts)

Voice Work:

1. Sea Wall audio

2. Someone isolated Tom’s voice from the music in the Netflix podcast

3. Tom reading two letters. This one by Henry James is emotional and I expected his passionate reading, but this one by Mark Twain- Tom was HILARIOUS! Please make him do more comedy.

4. Tom reading Wordsworth’s ‘A Complaint’

5. Tom as Morpheus- playlist of his dialogues isolated for each episode

Miscellaneous:

1. 1984 bootleg (480p)

2. Context: Someone made a t-shirt with Tom’s head on the boobs and wore it, which RPatz saw and mentioned in an interview. The whole thing is bonkers. Maybe I was having a slow day but I laughed for a solid minute at this lmao (but I’m a whole adult-adult writing 1500+ words posts about Tom, so maybe I should shut my mouth).

3. (Later addition): Masterlist of fics I wrote. The Sandman/Morpheus and Sweetbitter/Jake.

I might be adding more if I remember new things, but this is it for now. I actually enjoyed writing these posts. It’s been real, folks.

#tom sturridge #sandman #the sandman #Dream of the endless #morpheus #sea wall/a life #orphans #sweetbitter #waiting for forever #junkhearts #three way junction #letters live #1984 #like minds

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