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#so maybe he should actually be in the top tier... well
kierawaffles · 7 months
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i have made another silly twst tier list... mostly bc i get annoyed when fictional characters wear glasses for fashion purposes only, like i need to wear glasses to see so these fictional people should too
also this is mostly based on vibes
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shymaidxn · 2 years
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3am Thought: Seeing Summer Clarisse lowkey reminded me that I lowkey ship Clarisse / Diantha, but maybe it’s finally my time to turn highkey about it and explore all the possibilities (spoilers: i won’t because i’m sleepy)
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redflagshipwriter · 2 months
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Mamabat- enter Jason 1/2
MASTERPOST
The air was different with Cass, now. Danny felt a little anxious as he followed her to the study after breakfast. Something about her was serious-determined-protective. 
She always felt protective towards him. That was why he'd followed her in the first place. Some ghosts lied, but they couldn't do it with their aura. He knew what she really felt for him. 
“Sit?” She asked him. She gestured at the big squashy chair. Danny did without complaint. Cass perched behind him and started dragging her fingers through his hair, relaxing him.
Man. She was good at this. Top tier mothering, right here. Danny went limp. 
“I'm worried,” Cass broke the silence. She didn't sound worried. She never really did. Her voice was quiet and serious, but still kind. Her thumbs dug into his scalp. He pushed his head back against it. Bliss. “Barbara made you sad. Because you miss your sister?”
Danny tensed. 
‘I should have figured that Batman would track me down.’
Maybe he had known, if he was honest with himself. It didn't hit him like a shock.
“Tim thinks your name is Fenton,” she added, brutally sensible as always. And yup, that was it. No point in denying it. “Declared dead. In danger?”
He sucked in air through his teeth. He wasn't going to lie to her. 
“Worried,” she repeated. 
He thought about it. He really did. Danny bit his lip. 
She was liminal. That probably meant she'd come really close to death, in at least one sense of the word. Would that mean she was desensitized to it, or extra paranoid?
…It was hard to imagine Cass over or under reacting to a possible danger. She was just so steady. But would she see him as a possible danger if she knew what he was, what he really was? 
He could feel it out before he took a plunge with the whole truth.
Maybe it was wrong. Maybe it was invasive. She didn't seem to realize that she was liminal. That meant she definitely didn't realize how much she was communicating to him under her words and gestures. 
But Danny deliberately tuned into her quiet aural communication and tested the waters. “Tim is right, I'm Danny Fenton,” he said. He knew he was too tense. She would definitely feel it. But what could he do about that? He was nervous. “I… Maybe I did die.”
Her heart dropped to her stomach. He could feel the crush of grief on her heart. 
But it didn’t wash away the thudding repetition of love-protect-my darling. There was no suspicion, no guilt, no fear. It was just pain for his sake, with no calculation about how to solve a sudden problem. 
God. He wanted so badly for that to have been how his parents reacted. His eyes started to sting.
Danny sniffled. He thought it was safe to tell her. “I died,” he corrected, and he knew he was right when Cass made a little wounded sound and leaned her body into him, aiming to comfort. “Not then, but a couple years ago. I’m different now, and it’s uh… It’s dangerous to be this way.”
“Affects?” Cass asked quietly. She started to pet his hair again. “Mood? Health?”
“...Huh,” he said, because that was a sensible question he hadn’t expected. If he really thought about his mood and emotions before and after the accident: “Yeah, uh, there’s sometimes a mood thing. I might be a little more aggressive than I was before? And I can get kind of intense sometimes.”
He had thought that was basically just a reaction to having a whole bunch of new threats in his life. But would pre-electrocution Danny have been able to actually stand and fight Skulker? He had genuinely been afraid of the jocks. Maybe… Maybe he was different. Sure, Sam and Jazz were up for shooting ghosts with Fenton tech. Would he have been if he was just human? 
…He didn’t really think so.
Oof. Well, that wasn’t exactly great for his sense of self.
Cass shook him lightly. “Health?” she repeated.
Danny forced down that revelation to deal with later. He didn’t like acknowledging that he was kind of a chicken by nature, but historically, there wasn’t much evidence of bravery pre-mortem. “Uh, my heart rate is really slow, body temp is low, so I can’t really afford to go to a doctor for a checkup,” he said. “Uh, sometimes I’ve got none at all and my hair turns white.” He paused there. That was- that was enough, yeah? He was going to be honest with her because she deserved honesty from him. But that didn’t mean he had to explain the whole great beyond and his inhuman status.
“Sounds like Jason,” Cass said, after a long silence.
Danny short-circuited. “Wait, what?” He craned to look at her. “Who?”
Cass darted forward to kiss his forehead. “Little brother,” she said cheerfully. “Want to meet him?”
Uh, yeah. Danny nodded vigorously, wondering what the hell she was on about. “Do you mean he died?” 
“Died,” Cass agreed, getting out her phone and tapping away at it rapidly.
“Not like, heart stopped for a minute on the operating table and he was revived, or what?” Danny pressed.
“Dead in the ground, came back later,” Cass said. “Dead for months. Now, very crabby.”
Danny balked. “What?”
“White hair too,” she said. Then her face did something funny. “I think he dyed it recently,” she said. 
Danny huffed a laugh. “If it’s the same thing as mine, you can’t dye it.” He saw her look over his head for white streaks. He didn’t correct her line of thought.
He hadn’t thought that anything could top the anticipation of meeting Batman. But Danny had to admit the rest of the day was a wash. Apparently Jason couldn’t make it until the evening, about an hour before patrol.
Danny nearly paced a line into the carpet. He had enough energy to do that now, even without ecto. He was getting soooo much food here. A guy couldn’t even stress out for an hour without someone coming by to make sure he had fruit and yogurt or a hot drink.
He didn’t need someone to come and tell him that the much anticipated Jason had shown up. Danny knew it when he went to take a sip of cruelty-free chocolate milk (hand delivered by the most frightening child in the world) and choked on vapor.
Damian gave him a glare and snatched the drink away. “Are you incapable of drinking beverages?” he demanded. His face looked so goddamn cross but he was just worried.
Danny managed a smile. “No, went down the wrong pipe, sorry.”
Damian didn’t seem to even see the fog, so- so that meant that either he was really unobservant or he wasn’t liminal enough to see it the way people did in Amity. That was a small blessing. Danny appreciated it and he took back his drink to have something to hold onto.
That was a whole ass ghost. That was a whole ghost coming onto the property, one that felt big and mad and old. Danny smacked his lips, disconcerted. 
He, uh, didn’t know what to expect from this.
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ghost-recs · 15 days
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can we get some bakugou recs 😊😊 (written and smaus pleaseee)
hello hellooo! oh man do i ever have some! you have no idea the can of worms you are opening my friend.
but first i am so sorry for how late this rec is! i wanted to get this done days ago, but the semester has been crazy packed. i'm going to get through all my asks one by one. thank you for your patience! anyways let's get into this !!
Bakugou Recs
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Garden of Lungs (Hanahaki) by oweCrew [ao3]
synopsis: you have your whole life ahead of you, a promising future and jobs lined up after UA...but these stupid flowers are going to be the death of you, literally.
i flew through this fic so fast. it was the first time i had every heard of hanahaki disease and oof to my heart. i loved it!
Late Night Calls by fictionpls [ao3]
synopsis: much to bakugou's disdain, you skipped your meals again. tch, he's basically taking care of you at this point.
cute lil fluff oneshot with bakugou as your best friend...maybe more.
Nothing More, Nothing Less by @dekustowel
synopsis: bakugou made a big whoopsies. the only way to get out of it? fake date you, the internet's sweatheart, duh!
this smau idea has a hold on me. i'm a sucker for the fake dating trope. and i mean seriously, it's bakugou! [ongoing...]
Nerd (Affectionately) by @oniku-niku
synopsis: you're in love with bakugou, have been since you were kids. there was no use in hiding the truth. but did he have to be so rude about it??
most of this smau is a big ouch to the heart. but the drama gets heavier as the story goes on and i'm here for it! happy soft ending! :)
Speak by Kikyo851 [ao3]
synopsis: you could not believe that your soulmate was such a crude and violent person...just to spite the universe and him you decide not to say a word to your "soulmate."
soulmate au in which the first words that your soulmate says to you is written on your wrist. this fulfilled my needs of a bakugou soulmate au! so cute and it is complete!
Of Snowscapes & Explosions by sugarbun [ao3]
synopsis: you've been categorized as second to shoto todoroki ever since grade school. after a frustrated vent to bakugou and a few of his cracks revealing some of his own frustrations you realize that maybe you and him aren't so different after all.
guys....when i tell you this fic is the slowest slow burn. i feel like it's so accurate to how bakugou would actually fall for someone. sadly, this fic is unfished tho and hasn't been updated in a couple years😭 but you should read it anyways.
cover shot (through the heart) by @andypantsx3
cross posted on ao3 here! cover shot (through the heart) by andypantsx3
synopsis: you're the only one who can deal with bakugou's attitude in the industry. he hasn't found something that bothers you...until he starts flirting with you, hello??
model/celebrity au. super cute fic. i'm warning you this is much spicier than some of my other recs. mdni. (also check out this author's other works. they have a lot of top tier content!!)
Motherly Love by @kweenkatsuki-fics
synopsis: bakugou gives his mom a late night call to thank her. the reason why softens her heart greatly.
super soft lil drabble that just about brings me to tears everytime i read it. in love with bakugou fr.
déjà vu by @cashmoneyyysstuff
synopsis: bakugou thinks back to some oddly familiar memories with you. and one thing always stays the same, you both are together.
oneshot the made my jaw drop. hit me hard in the feels.
untitled oneshot by @honeypirate
synopsis: being paired with your number 1 enemy for a group project proved that the universe hated you. well might as well have some fun with this and make bakugou's life just as miserable.
college au oneshot. i am always down for a good enemies to lovers trope!
risky by @kusaka6e
synopsis: moving from another country to work as a pro hero in japan was not the easiest. and a certain hot headed hero only adds to your frustrations.
oneshot about the obvious grown tension between you and pro hero dynamite.
i hope you find something you like! sorry for the late rec, have a lovely day/night!
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douwatahima · 4 months
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sorry to invoke james somerton again but i just watched his "apology" video and the way he addresses the criticism to his utena video has been scratching at my brain. for this who don't want to watch (which is so so fair), here's what he says:
"we ended up making a lot of videos we didn't want to make because people were asking for them and so there were a lot of videos we made that we didn't want to make and i think those videos are very clear on which ones those were. one of them never got officially released, it was released to patrons. some patrons have shared it to other people before all the videos went private and a lot of people hate the analysis nick and i did on it and so maybe it's good that that never got properly released because maybe it would have hurt people and i don't want that."
so, not directly saying he's talking about the utena video…but he's talking about the utena video lol. the thing that really gets me is like…look. full disclosure. i used to be subscribed to james somerton long before this whole thing blew up. i wasn't necessarily a big fan of his video style, but he talked about a lot of media i enjoy and i liked his analysis (that wasn't really his, but i didn't know that at the time) so i followed him.
the thing about him was he was always asking his followers for shows he should do videos on, especially anime, and then not long after making those posts he would post videos of "things to come" including like…every anime people suggested. not all of these shows ended getting videos made, but the point is james really set himself up as the queer anime video essayist; constantly promising videos about every show people told him they wanted.
and a lot of people loved that about him! a lot of the big names talking about anime on youtube are people doing season by season breakdowns or people talking about big shonen titles, and here was someone consistently pushing out long form analyses on less talked about shows! great! but to find out that not only was a lot of what he said plagiarized, but also that a lot videos were just shat out to appeal to his audience without any care or passion? just to get more views and more money on patreon? that's literally crazy when you're talking about something usually as involved as video essays.
on top of that i'm about 95% certain him doing an utena essay was a patreon tier goal (hence why that video was released there first). he literally heard queer anime fans asking him en masse for a video about one of the best queer anime of all time, decided to set it as a patreon goal, and then literally boxed himself into doing a video on an anime he didn't care about because he promised it to the people who payed him to be the "queer anime guy".
and the thing is he 100% didn't need to do that. he didn't need to "make a lot of videos he didn't want to make because people were asking for them". i follow a ton of video essayists who get requests for videos all the time! that doesn't mean they have to, or even should, make them if they're not passionate about the topic! video essays, when actually done well and with integrity, are hard work. that's why most good video essayists take a lot of time between videos! to think that this guy just took every possible suggestion, dangled them like carrots in front of his audience, that made a bunch of passionless, mediocre videos to solidify his station as the queer video essayist to watch is just…upsetting and disheartening tbh.
anyway if you want some actually good analysis of revolutionary girl utena, my favourites are "is revolutionary girl utena still relevant?" and "why revolutionary girl utena still slaps" by stushi, and "the shadow play gays" podcast (note: this podcast is run on the same feed as another podcast called "bitter jurors". you may have to scroll back a bit to find "shadow play gays", it started in 2021 if that helps, but i promise you it's worth it).
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sukunasweetheart · 1 year
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That classmate sukuna post was just 🤌 a part 2 with dating headcanons pls🫣 if you take requests. Thank you 💕
the referenced post is over here thank you for enjoying! hope you like these extras as well <3
what would dating classmate sukuna be like??
well, at the beginning, its mostly sukuna dragging you around to places after school... he knows all the obscure food places that nobody is aware of- you know those dingy looking places that serve top tier food? yea.
you wonder if this is his idea of what "dates" are, just sitting and eating together lmao, but your heart still flutters even if a lot of the time there is pretty little conversation other than the usual bickering the two of you do because he does little things like giving you the last dumpling or whatever else it is that he's ordered as a side or pouring you a glass of water before he pours himself one
its like this until you begin taking more initiative and suggest the two of you do other things as a couple, like watching movies and going to cute aesthetic cafes, whatever floats your boat! (he'll most likely have a bored look on his face, but look, he'll find some way of having fun, because he always has you to tease, after all)
he probably enjoys more active date stuff like going to the arcade! throwing basketballs into the hoops, shooting games, table hockey, you name it (good luck winning against him)
will probably make everything into a competition and challenge you... and the loser gets a flick to the forehead, or something like that
(you shut your eyes and brace yourself at the end of each game for the impact, but it doesnt come for a while... when you crack open one eye a little, you see that hes smirking in that endearing way at you, because you look so cute with your eyes closed like that, waiting for him)
definitely goes easy on you, and the gentle flick gets you all flustered and shy
(maybe he gets bored of flicking towards the end and gives you a kiss instead)
cough cough anyway
on your way out of the arcade, if you make puppy eyes at him while gesturing at the claw machine filled with cute plushies, maybe he'll cave in and get one for you
what gets shoved into your arms afterwards is a big ass kirby plush
he doesnt get whats so good about such a dull looking creature, but whatever makes you happy, i guess
at school, nothing much changes except that hes a bit more affectionate with his bullying-- arm around your shoulder, sneaky kisses in the hallways, cuddling behind the school building on some days, but its not like the two of you are joined hip to hip constantly, since he has his friends and you have yours
dont bother taking him on study dates - or, if you wanna see him doze off, you should because thats all he'd do, since sukuna does the bare minimum when it comes to studying and still gets good grades
dont ask him to tutor you, he'd be a really mean teacher
but, well, if theres something that you're really struggling with, i guess he wont be opposed to helping out a little, in exchange for something like a free meal later
(but he ends up paying anyway.. when you tell him about the agreement earlier, he'll go "did i say that? i forgot. whatever, just leave it be." its just his tsundere way of saying "dont worry about it" bc he actually has no intention of making you pay for him)
sukuna does his daily activities of beating up losers and getting regular detentions, but now he also finds pleasure in seeing you waiting for him during after school hours by the entrance to walk home with him
is smug 24/7 and its incredibly hard to fluster him
but maybeee it happens once when you give him a big fat kiss on the lips before running away, which stuns him a little
(is definitely gonna chase you up for a second one. better watch out, hes fast as fuck boi)
Masterlist <3
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fatuismooches · 4 months
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fabulam diu oblitus - sequel.
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synopsis: The tale of the raven and the sparrow has ended, but that doesn't mean it can't start again.
includes: dottore w/ gn! reader
notes: This is the fifth and final part of this fic, please read the other four before this! This is a fluffier continuation of the last part in order to soothe your hearts from the last part. Thank you to each and every one of you who supported me with this fic, it was a wonderful experience and I hope you all enjoyed it! Now, let's wrap up the tale of the raven and sparrow once and for all. (Also, I realize that this part may seem a bit reader-centric, but I hope it's still good!)
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prelude. first interlude. second interlude. postlude. sequel.
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It had been years since the Traveler had attended their first Akademiya Extravaganza. It was a marvelous experience. It had also been years since the old sages were overthrown, the Balladeer’s attempt to become a God, and of course, the deletion of the Doctor’s segments as well as the death of the Omega build.
But why was the Traveler still in Teyvat? Since they still had yet to find their treasured sibling, their journey persisted. And so they and their traveling companion had found themselves back in Sumeru for another fun festival. Paimon had already had her fill of games and yummy food, so now they were going to see a performance, by the one and only Nilou. Their friend often danced, but today would be a special one since it was during the festival.
“Oh wow! Zubayr Theater is so much more lively than usual!” Paimon exclaimed. Indeed, there was a large crowd gathered below the stage, all of them excited to watch the dancer’s performance. But there was one person who caught Paimon’s eye. Someone was sitting by themselves, away from the crowd.
“Huh? Look over there, someone is sitting all alone. Do you think they’re okay?”
“Paimon, just because someone is by themselves doesn’t mean they’re in trouble. Maybe they don’t like being around large groups of people.”
“Oh… Paimon knows that! But maybe we should check on them, just in case. We still have some time before Nilou’s performance.” The Traveler gave in to their friend’s request and the pair made their way over to you. But you were too lost in your thoughts to notice them coming.
Your illness still remained, but with all the years that had passed by, at least it wasn’t as bad as it was before. It didn’t totally dominate your life, and you were able to do some things by yourself that you couldn’t do before! It wasn’t a cure, but it was something. Though of course there were bad days, the good days were the ones you focused on more. Good days such as today.
You were back in Sumeru after hundreds of years. You never thought it would happen but, one day your husband came to you and told you the news so casually, you thought you were dreaming. You? Leaving Snezhnaya? It felt unreal! If you were stronger, you would have tackled him to the floor with your love, but alas you had to settle for squeezing him as hard as you could. 
Though, to be honest, you weren’t sure if the Fatui actually had business there, or if he wanted to bring you there since you’d been longing for it for so long. (But it seemed unlikely that Pierro would give him vacation days…) Regardless, your joy was received by him adequately as you peppered his face with kisses.
So now you were here, in your home country. Of course, there were numerous top-tier Fatui agents assigned to you in disguise, always trailing behind with great skill, since Dottore was never going to let you be by yourself. But you didn’t really mind. The past few days had been the most fun you’d had in so long! (If only Dottore could join you. Obviously, he couldn’t in broad daylight… not to mention whatever duties he had.)
As you remember it, each Darshan had set up booths for the Wisdom Gala with a ton of interesting mini-games and other stuff. Though the concept was the same, you were once again realizing how things had changed over the centuries you were asleep… these games were truly novel! You were impressed at the creativity because it was nothing like this when you were a student!
One that was funny was when you were given a mallet… yes a mallet, to hit these little wooden fungi that kept popping up and down in different spots. You were given a question and each of the fungi had a different answer. You had to whack the one with the right answer. Now, figuring out the answer wasn’t the question, but rather hitting them. With your illness, lugging this thing quickly enough to smack them was not an easy task… but it was fun! Hehe, you knew Zandy would have whacked all of them anyway. Ugh, you were really feeling robbed now… the best things always happen in school after you already left.
Though your favorite game was the gear puzzles. You were given multiple gears of different sizes and had to insert them to make all of them eventually turn. You ended up finishing them at record speed, causing a whole swarm of Kshahrewar students around you, begging you to join their Darshan. It was a good thing one of your agents caused a distraction elsewhere for you to swiftly escape… Hmm, maybe you should ask Dottore to make these for you, so you could occupy your mind.
Ahh, not to mention the food… the delicious, authentic Sumerian cuisine that you missed so much. Although some things had naturally changed over four hundred years, it was as yummy as you remembered it. You always packaged some so you could share with Dottore (especially the sweets.) At the end of the day, or when you were tired, you were always escorted back to him. The location was secluded of course, for privacy and safety reasons. Your husband would listen to you ramble about quite literally everything, as you explored Sumeru City thoroughly, not just the festival. Even though he already knew everything you spoke about, he liked seeing your curiosity be indulged in.
But today was different. Today you decided to witness the performances going on in the theater. You had always liked watching them (Columbina often invited you to them) in Snezhnaya, so now you wanted to see what Sumeru had to offer. Four hundred years ago, the Akademiya looked down and shamed the arts far more than they do today. Non-academic writing, drawing, sculpting, acting, singing, dancing, you name it. There was no such thing as the Grand Bazaar or Zubayr Theater. Though you didn’t live here anymore, you were very pleased to see how much the arts were appreciated now, as they should be. Especially that red-haired girl, her dancing was awe-inspiring. You had seen her practice before the performance for a few days, and it was beautiful! If only things were like this when you were a student here…
“Hello there! You’re sitting all the way over here by yourself, are you okay?” A squeaky voice interrupted your reminiscing and you turned to see who it was.
The Traveler and Paimon… It seemed that you were blankly staring at them for too long because the floating one spoke again.
“Um… are you okay?” 
“Oh! I’m fine, sorry, sorry, I just spaced out for a second there,” you apologetically waved them off. This was going to be a bit annoying.
A while ago, you had decided to let go. Let go of the pain, of any possible thoughts of revenge, of the sheer grief you suffered from your loss. Because continuing to work yourself up like that would only worsen your illness and mental state. For the most part, you’d been successful, living each day as best you could along with your husband. You still thought about the segments though, always thankful for what they did for you.
But now that the Traveler stood in front of you in flesh and blood, your composure wavered a little. This was the same person who killed Omega. You couldn’t help but feel a twinge of hatred, but you relaxed with a deep breath.
“That’s okay! Well, Paimon is Paimon, and this here is the Traveler. We saw you here by yourself and just wanted to see if you were alright!” The blonde nodded in affirmation.
“Ah, I see. There’s no need to worry about me. My body can’t handle standing for so long, so it’s better for me to sit, even if I’m a bit far away from the stage.” There was no harm in telling them right off the bat because you had a feeling that Paimon’s line of questioning would make you reveal your illness anyway. She talked a lot, according to your fellow Fatuis.
“Huh? Are you injured?”
“No, it’s just my illness. My body struggles to do many things a healthy person would, so I need to be careful.” The pair nodded at you in sympathy.
“Oh… Paimon is sorry about that. That sounds really tough…” 
“It’s alright. It’s been like this for many years, so I’ve grown accustomed to it.” The fairy placed her hand on her chest in understanding before she brightened.
“Ah, Paimon has a good idea! Why don’t we keep you company during the performance? You know, we’ve been here loads of times and are even friends with Nilou! We can definitely tell you some cool things!”
“Oh, that sounds… nice.” You smiled at them, not because you liked them, but more because you were interested in their stories about this place. Paimon cheered and the Traveler took a seat near you. It made your skin crawl a bit, but you didn’t show any outward reaction.
“Say, Paimon never asked your name.”
“You can call me [Name].” The only person who knew you in this country was the Dendro Archon, and you doubted they would tell her about you, so there was no point in using another name. Also that was too much work.
“So [Name], is this your first time in Sumeru? We can show you all the best restaurants if you need it!” Ah, so the agents were also accurate when they said she liked food a lot. And the fact the Traveler was silent most of the time.
“No, I used to live here. But, I moved away a long time ago, so this is my first time back in many years.”
“That sounds nice. It must feel good to be back, huh? It’s too bad the Interdarshan Championship isn’t taking place this year. That would have been lots of fun!” Paimon sighed, memories of the last one flowing through her mind. Ah yes, you remember that as well. You and Zandik were never chosen as nominees of course… but it was a fun event to observe. For you at least. Zandik would always go on about how foolish the competitors were, how they couldn’t see how simple the seemingly difficult challenge was. You always laughed at his criticism.
“Mhm, it’s too bad. Maybe I can come back another time to see that.”
“Yeah, you definitely should! Speaking of, did you come here with anyone?”
“Yes, my husband accompanied me here. But he’s working right now, so I’m by myself.”
“Aww, that’s too bad. It must be lonely to enjoy a festival by yourself, huh?”
“Perhaps a little bit, but I do not mind. He’s taken care of me for countless years along with his work duties, it’s more than enough for me to even have the opportunity to experience this festival.”
“Wow, you two really do sound like a loving couple!”
“Hehe, yes… yes, we are,” you had started to smile loopily at the thought of Dottore and ignored the look the Traveler and Paimon gave you. But your attention returned when the stage lights flickered on and the crowd started to simmer down.
“Looks like the performance is starting! Oh, Paimon can’t wait to see what Nilou has in store this time!” You were excited to see it as well.
The performances were delightful. The play was well-acted and interesting, and the red-haired girl’s dance at the end was beautiful. Huh… you wish they had more festivals like this in Snezhnaya. Or maybe they did, and you didn’t know about them. You’d have to ask Bina about that when you return.
“That was so, so touching,” Paimon sniffed as the Traveler comforted their friend. You couldn’t help but agree as well. “We have to go say hi to Nilou now!” The Traveler and Paimon rose as you watched them.
“Just stay here [Name], we’ll be back in a few minutes!” You smiled at them as they went off to greet their friend before you quickly dropped your expression. Stay? With them? Nah, you had enough for today. You wanted to go back to Dottore now and bother him to let you cuddle him on his lap. So when they weren’t looking, you slipped out of the theater, and your bodyguards slyly followed, attracting the attention of no one.
Ah, you had a lot of things to say to Dottore now, didn’t you…
“Huh? Where did [Name] go?” When the pair returned, you were gone.
“They must have left. I bet it’s because you were asking them so many questions, Paimon,” the Traveler teased her.
“Hey! Paimon was being friendly and they didn’t seem to mind! Anyway, let’s go outside. It’s only been a few minutes, maybe they’re still around.” The pair exited and walked around the city for a bit, but you had already disappeared into thin air.
“Traveler, Paimon! It’s nice to see you again!” A gentle voice called out to them. It was Nahida, who walked up to them with a bright smile on her face. The other two responded in kind.
“Oh, hey Nahida! Long time no see, huh?”
“Yes, it’s been quite a while. You must come over for a bit and tell me about your travels sometime. I guess you’ve been enjoying the Akademiya Extravaganza, right?”
“Yup! Traveler and Paimon enjoyed a lot of fun games and delicious food! And then we went to see some performances at the theater, and now we were looking for someone, but eh, it’s not really important anymore.”
“Hmm? Looking for who?”
“Just someone we met a few hours ago at the theater. Their name is [Name].” The Dendro Archon’s eyes widened at the mention of your name, immediately straightening up.
“[Name]? Did you say [Name]?” The Traveler and Paimon noticed the God’s surprised expression and inquired about it.
“Yeah, do you know them, Nahida?”
“I… I can’t believe it. Do they happen to look like…” Nahida then went off to give a brief description of you, and the Traveler confirmed that you indeed matched her words. Paimon was a bit worried.
“Nahida, why are you asking us this? You’re making it seem like we were talking to a long-lost criminal or something.”
“Well, I suppose that wouldn’t be too far off. This [Name] that you’ve met is… part of the Fatui. But that’s not the big part. They’re the Doctor’s lover.” It was silent for a few seconds before Paimon responded, nearly yelling as the Traveler’s jaw dropped.
“The man [Name] is married to is THE DOCTOR?!”
“Oh, so they’re married now? Last time I heard they weren’t.”
“Nahida, surely you must be mistaken, right? You’re far too casual about this, no one could be dating the Doctor of their own free will!” Nahida was about to respond when yet another voice interrupted.
“She’s not lying.” A familiar voice echoed from somewhere and the group turned to face it. It was the former Sixth Harbinger, standing to the side, braced against the wall. “That [Name] is indeed the partner of Dottore. I met them while I was in the Fatui.”
“Ahh… Paimon’s head hurts…” The Traveler nodded in agreement as they too rubbed their head at this revelation. “But why? Why would they want to be with the Doctor?”
“It’s futile to ask me about their relationship,” the puppet scoffed. “I cannot begin to comprehend how the two of them supposedly love each other. I’ve spoken to them a few times…” the puppet thought back to those encounters in the lab, “but our conversations did little to enlighten me on the nature of their relationship.”
“[Name] and Dottore have a long history together. It’s… complicated, but I’m not lying when I say they’ve been together for centuries. But what concerns me is that if [Name] is here, then the Doctor must be close by as well… and the Fatui too… He wouldn’t let them roam around all by themselves.”
“Oh no! That’s right, [Name] said that their husband accompanied them here. So that means the Doctor is in Sumeru!”
“I see… the Matra would have noticed if a boat of Fatui arrived at the port… so that means the other agents must be well disguised. But nothing has happened lately. Sumeru has been at peace like usual, there’s nothing that the Fatui have been digging their nose into recently. I wonder…” the God of Wisdom began to mumble to herself while Wanderer merely looked on.
“Paimon would have never guessed they were in the Fatui… do you think they were lying about their illness too?”
“No, they are indeed afflicted with a mysterious illness. From what I know, [Name] used to be quite a formidable force four hundred years ago. But their illness gradually sapped their strength away from them, leaving them as they are now… so they have virtually no physical prowess anymore.”
“Oh… that’s quite sad. Wait, but that doesn’t change the fact they’re part of the Fatui, with the Doctor no less! They’re our enemy, no doubt!”
“That’s not to mean [Name] is weak. Although their mind has certainly been ravaged by many things, they possess a strong will. Not to mention, they are the one and only Doctor’s close confidant. I’m sure if pressed, they have some tricks up their sleeves.”
“We have to do something! The Fatui are always up to no good, I bet they have some horrible, evil plan to… to… ruin the Akademiya Extravaganza! We can’t let them do that!” Paimon exclaimed while the Traveler nodded in complete agreement. “Nahida, what’s the plan?”
“The plan is to let them be.”
“H-Huh? Nahida, you’re just going to let them go?”
“That’s correct, Paimon.”
“Lesser Lord Kusanali, are you sure?” Even Wanderer, who usually went along with the God albeit with some moaning and groaning, had an objection.
“The festival has been going on for several days now, and tomorrow is the last day. If the Fatui truly were planning something, it would have been done by now. And to be honest, I suspect that the only reason the Doctor made the trip here was for…” You, Nahida wanted to say, but then decided against it. She wasn’t one hundred percent sure, after all. “Actually, never mind. Don’t worry about it, Traveler, Paimon. But if you happen to see them tomorrow, you could speak to them again. I am admittedly… interested in [Name].”
“Well… alright Nahida. We trust you.”
While the group was busy chatting about you, you were making your way back to Dottore. It was already evening, and all you wanted to do was relax in the embrace of your beloved. However today, the Fatui agents were escorting somewhere else rather than your temporary home. Where? The more you walked, the quicker you realized.
The large Ruin Golem in the mountains of Sumeru’s forest.
Seeing it from a distance brought back fond memories for you. You remember the first time you and Zandik entered it. He was incredibly fascinated with it and literally spent hours in it. Of course, you were forced to stay with him and help him with all the research and note-taking. But looking back, it was fun. And you may or may not have kissed him a lot in there, and he was very annoyed at you breaking his focus, but did nothing to stop you.
This same spot, near the Ruin Golem, was also a frequent star-gazing spot. Because he would spend so long there, even until night fell, and you kept insisting it’d be romantic to watch the stars here. He didn’t really agree but… Zandik surprisingly indulged you more than you realized.
Soon, you were much closer to the Ruin Golem and Dottore was in sight, waiting for you. The Fatui agents bowed to you as you dismissed them and made your way over to your husband, who was patiently waiting for you while gazing at the large robot in front of him. You wondered if he had finished his work, for him to be wasting time like this.
(In reality, there was no real mission in Sumeru. The five-day long trip was done to indulge your long-time wishes. Pierro had only let Dottore go on it if he managed to finish at least three-quarters of his paperwork before the trip, and the other quarter during it. So needless to say, Dottore had worked quite hard to acquire this time off, but you didn’t need to know that because then you would feel absolutely terrible and he’d have to deal with your countless apologies.)
“[Name],” he greeted you.
“Zandik!” You immediately hugged him to which he reciprocated and patted your head. “I missed you! Oh, I have so much to tell you. You wouldn’t believe what happened. I met the-”
“Traveler,” Dottore interrupted.
“You know already?”
“Of course. I was notified the moment it happened.”
“Oh.” Well, now that you think about it, that made sense. Of course, Dottore would be aware of everything that happened to you… you were alone, but in a way you weren’t. He still had that overprotective and possessive streak, and rightfully so. He chuckled at your reaction.
“But, I believe your point of view will be far more eye-opening. So please, do tell.” You brightened and immediately began prattling about everything, not before you two laid down on the grass and got comfortable, the same as you did four hundred years ago. Though Dottore wasn’t particularly worried about the Traveler doing anything to you, no, of course, he had planned for this possibility (unlike you) and already had measures in place just in case anything happened. 
So the conversation began to move onto softer things. Like you bringing up old memories every five seconds. For example, you two also used to come here frequently to investigate the forest for classes. Zandik usually found these ones boring and was much more interested in Ruin Machines, so you often sped through these boring expeditions in record time so he could do more “fun” things.
“Perhaps we should do that again.”
“Do what? Investigate the biodiversity of Sumeru’s forest?”
“Correct.” You laughed at his words but Dottore looked rather serious about it.
“Isn’t the sun going to set soon? And I thought you weren’t interested in that stuff anymore.” 
You were surprised he was doing this, but Dottore had already risen to his feet and stuck out his hand to you expectantly.
“No matter. We can still see, no? And I do believe it will be interesting to see how it has changed over four hundred years.” That was a lie. He didn’t actually care about the plants of the forest. He was only doing it because he knew it was something you would like. And he was right of course, for you smiled happily and took his hand, clasping it tightly.
“Alright then! I’ll lead the way, just like old times,” you puffed your chest out. “Just follow me, Zandik. And you’re taking notes this time! You don’t know what you put my hand through all those years ago!” Dottore only chuckled at your huffing. You were always on note duty because he kept breaking his pens and spilling ink everywhere, much to your dismay.
But regardless, you two spent an evening examining Sumeru’s fauna, the conversation turning surprisingly rather intellectual. But it soon turned quiet as you two ended the night off by gazing at the stars, just like old times. 
The stars may be a lie, but sometimes lies are still beautiful.
Today was the last day of the Akademiya Extravaganza, and you decided to spend the day enjoying the city one last time. You were set to leave with Dottore this afternoon, so you only had about half a day to do what you needed to do. You didn’t know when you’d be back again, so you wanted to imprint it into your mind, and maybe get a few souvenirs as well. It all went well, you did what you needed to do, bought what you wanted and passed it on to your agents to keep for you, and were actually about to head back to Dottore when you met some familiar faces.
The Traveler and Paimon… again. It seemed like the Gods really did hate you, huh? 
“Hey [Name]!” That familiar high-pitched voice waved to you and called out your name… ugh. Just as you were about to go, too. But you pretended otherwise.
“Hello Paimon, Traveler. It is good to see you again. I must apologize for leaving yesterday. I had… matters to attend to,” you apologized.
“Don’t worry about that! Paimon understands.” You smiled back in response and waited to see if the pair would say anything else, but they just… stood there for a few seconds and looked at you.
“Well, if that’s all…” You turned to leave, but Paimon blurted out a strained response unusually quickly.
“Wait! Paimon means, would you like to take a walk with us? Our conversation got cut short yesterday, it would be nice to talk a bit more.” You squinted a bit at Paimon’s expression. It seemed a bit… off. Regardless, you did have some more time to kill, and perhaps they would tell you something of amusement you could relay back to Dottore. So it wasn’t too bad of a decision.
“Alright, that sounds fine,” you nodded in agreement. Paimon had to hold in her sigh of relief. And so the three of you began to walk, taking in the sights of the city. Paimon asked you some more questions, but she seemed a bit… nervous? You weren’t dumb, the more she talked the easier it was to notice. The Traveler was good at keeping a poker face, but Paimon on the other hand, was not. She was nervously looking back and forth between you and the blonde. Which could only mean one thing. 
They knew your real identity. 
Ah, so they found out. Huh. You weren’t expecting that, but you didn’t care much. They were bound to find out eventually, so long as they kept fighting the Fatui. You didn’t know if they were going to confront you right now or not, but you weren’t going to wait around for it. You knew your Fatui bodyguards were close by somewhere, but you didn’t want them to get hurt by the Traveler, so you stretched your arms out, a signal for them to back away a bit. Because you already had a defense mechanism readied that you didn’t want to affect them. Courtesy of Dottore, of course.
So before Paimon could ask another question, you abruptly stopped. You two had exited the city, so there were no regular civilians around either.
“[Name], why did you-”
“There’s no need to pretend anymore. You know who I am, don’t you?” The looks on their faces gave it all away, and the Traveler instantly put up their guard, which you chuckled at.
“Now now, there’s no need to get all worked up. Surely the ever-righteous Traveler won’t hurt a poor, defenseless soul like me, right?” You simply smiled at them, and Paimon was immediately on the verbal defense.
“Hey! You’re in no position here to be saying stuff like that! The Traveler here has taken out countless Fatui, you’re no different,” the travel guide bluffed. She remembered Nahida’s instructions to let you be, but how could she let you talk to her like that?! “And, and,” she scratched her brain for another warning, “we’ll take you to the Matra for questioning!” Paimon blurted out her best threat, which you only laughed at.
“Oh no, I’m so scared…”
“Hey! We’re not joking! You’re connected with the Doctor, they’ll lock you up!”
“Mhm, you know all of that, don’t you? And yes, I’m well aware of your martial prowess,” you looked directly at the blonde. “The same hands killed Omega, didn’t they?” At the segment’s name, the Traveler stiffened. The look in your eyes wasn’t the same as it was before. It had a carefully veiled sense of loathing that had come up to the surface.
“You know, for years I wondered to myself, how did Omega look like in his last moments? What did he think of? What did he do?” Your voice gradually became a soft whisper. “These questions used to drive me mad, but I don’t think I want to know the answer anymore.” The two were shocked at the clear love and longing you had in your voice for the deceased segment. It wasn’t fake at all.
“But why? Why would you willingly be with someone like the Doctor?” Earlier that day, the Traveler and Paimon had decided to scout Sumeru again in hopes of finding notes that you left behind, and after careful exploration once again, they did. Your notes, however, always had careful logical additions left by Zandik. And then, in response… you’d flirt with him on the note, to which the scholar never responded. The pair didn’t know what to feel or say to that.
“Ah, there it is. The same question I receive every time. But it’s okay. I can understand your confusion. Though if I were to stand here and tell you every reason why, it would make you only more confused. So let me answer your question with the simplest answer of them all. I love Dottore. Dottore loves me. That is the foundation of our relationship.” Unfortunately, that answer seemed to only make the two more confused. 
“… It seems that you still do not understand. But that’s okay. It’s not like it matters anyway,” you supposed they were unconvinced a man such as Dottore could love, but you weren’t here to convince them of that. So then you turned to leave before Paimon spoke again.
“Where do you think you’re going? You are coming with Traveler and Paimon!” You let out a sigh at this creature’s persistence. Looks like you’d have to do something.
“You know, I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to use this,” you mumbled under your breath before you retrieved a pill from your pocket and swallowed it, although it was a different color from your regular ones. The Traveler continued to watch on carefully, ready to summon their sword at any second.
“Hmph! Any last words?” Paimon put her hands on her hips as she stared at you. You thoughtfully looked up and began to think, before you came up with something. You despised the Traveler, but a question couldn’t help but linger in your chest. And hey, they’ve helped Childe and Arlecchino in the past, despite nearly being killed by them, right? And that Electro God too. You didn’t know if they were stupid or just too nice. It was worth a shot. And, you didn’t care if you were selfish or not. You were tired of being nice.
“Traveler… may I ask you a favor?”
The Traveler raised their eyebrow, partially offended and shocked you would ever ask them that considering the antagonistic stance you took. That was the last thing they expected, but you took their silence as an opportunity to continue.
“You hop to different worlds, don’t you? Different universes?” The Traveler nodded, unsure of where you were going with this. Your gaze flickered to the floor, eyebrows furrowing before you made up your mind.
“Then, when you leave Teyvat, could you… look for me?” Out of everything that could have come out of your mouth, the Traveler could not have expected that.
“I want to know… I just want to know if there exists a world, where none of this happened. Where I was never sick, where he didn’t have to do all of this to find a cure. I want to know if there’s a world where everything is okay for us.” Your eyes fluttered shut as you spoke, loads of memories flashing through your head about everything you’ve gone through. The Traveler and Paimon remained speechless because they truly did not know what to say, before you cringed at yourself for saying something so stupid.
“Ah, what am I saying? I know you have no sympathy for us, it was dumb to ask,” you waved it off. “Forget it. But I’m afraid I’ve wasted too much time here with you. I have things to attend to.” At that moment, you reached into your pocket and produced a strange device, and before the Traveler could summon their sword, an irregular, headache-inducing sound echoed throughout the area. Instantly, the Traveler knew it was the same sound device Omega had used to put them to sleep all those years ago. But it was too late, as their mind became foggy and their knees buckled to the floor.
“To think that you fell for the same thing twice… that’s kind of embarrassing for you, mighty Traveler,” your laugh was the last thing they heard before they fell into a dream. “It’s a good thing Dottore told me to carry this thing… and made a pill so the effects wouldn’t work on me. Well, bye now.”
After rendering those two unconscious, you made your way to the boat you and Dottore were going to leave in. Your agents had caught back up to you and you swore you heard them mumbling about how “cool” you were. It was cute.
You saw your husband standing leisurely on the boat. You guess he had no reason to disguise himself considering he was already about to leave. You immediately smiled and climbed onto the boat with his help.
“I guess you were immediately notified of what happened, weren’t you?” You teased. 
“Of course,” he went along with your tone. “I am always aware of what hindrances may plague my spouse.” You hummed in acknowledgment as you watched the Fatui prepare to set off.
“You know, this whole trip, I’ve been thinking something stupid.”
“No thought from you could be stupid. Do tell.”
“I’ve been thinking… that I love you so much that it may begin to physically hurt me when you’re not around.” Dottore seemed amused.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, really! All those times when you left me alone in the lab, I swear I started developing some side effects!” You pouted as Dottore found himself laughing at your pain.
“Well, not to worry. I am a doctor, after all, I know very well how to treat this ailment.” Dottore ran his fingers up and down your neck, leaving behind a tingling sensation.
“Oh, do you? Well, go ahead, doctor. Make me feel better.”
“I would be delighted to but, the treatment is a little… hands-on,” his deep voice made your heart race with excitement.
“Aren’t you the one who always gets mad at me for trying to skip my medicine? I see no reason to hesitate.” You smiled boldly.
“As you wish. But don’t say I didn’t warn you…” Dottore then pressed you against the railing of the boat, holding you down so you wouldn’t tip over, and then began to lean into your lips.
(The Fatui agents kept their heads turned the whole time.)
That had happened years before the Traveler defeated the Doctor, and consequently killed you in the process. Sometimes they wonder if things could have turned out differently. Especially since some of the other Harbingers were certainly not pleased with them when they finally fought, namely the Third, but she too eventually met her demise. But what’s done is done.
The Traveler thought that would be the last they ever saw of you and the Doctor, but they were wrong. As one would expect, Dottore was connected with many of the events in Teyvat, and so he popped up here and there again throughout the rest of the Traveler’s journey.
But one thing they did not expect was to see you and Dottore again. Where? The Ley Lines had somehow shown them people from the past, as they once did with the Shogun. 
It was… strange. Strange to see the two of you just be normal. Normal people, normal students before it all changed. You, a stark contrast to the person they saw before - energetic, bubbly, handling your weapon with ease as you protected Zandik from any possible danger. Zandik, a lot more grouchy and less suave, morally ambiguous but not quite evil yet. Two people who were alone and found company in each other’s likeness. It created a sort of… understanding for the Traveler. Not forgiveness. Understanding.
So when they finally left Teyvat, they decided to fulfill that favor you had asked them. To find you in another universe. It was also to satisfy a sort of curiosity they had themselves. Would you two truly be happy in another world? They would find out as long as they continued to journey with their sibling. So they traveled and traveled and met many new people, and went on many new adventures, your request lingering in the back of their mind every time they visited a new planet.
Admittedly, it was actually kind of… sad to see your fates in the other universes. In many universes, you died, or he died, leaving the other all alone unable to come to terms with their fate. In some universes, you were ill again. You did not survive. In others the relationship did not last, breaking it off due to numerous reasons out of your or Zandik’s control. And maybe the worst fate of them all… you two never crossed paths. Never able to give the other a chance at love.
If the Traveler had a Mora for every time fate divided you two, they might be as rich as Pantalone. They wondered if your request would ever be finished. So when the Traveler entered the next universe, they weren’t expecting much. 
This world was a bit different from the others. It had no supernatural powers, but it had great technology. Things like “internet” and “phones” and “computers.” But they had gotten accustomed to it quickly, as they always had. Right now they were at an outdoor cafe, waiting for their sibling when they heard a familiar voice.
“Ugh, I swear, as soon as the term ends, I will be running to give that guy a scalding rating!” The voice spoke with annoyance and a slam followed soon after, presumably textbooks dumped onto the table. This cafe was frequented by students, so this was no surprise for the Traveler. Cheap, yummy, and a good study spot is what they heard from passersby. 
“I told you not to take him,” another grouchy voice replied. “You brought this on yourself.”
“You know that he was my only option! I literally got the last seat in the class,” you whined back, the chairs dragging across the concrete. “Besides, I don’t want to hear that from you when you complain about your professors every single day, Zandik.” That name nearly made the Traveler choke on their drink.
Zandik? Did they hear that right…? They turned around, hoping not to arouse attention, and then their eyes widened as they looked at the pair that just arrived.
They were the spitting image of the [Name] and Dottore from Teyvat, although these people were dressed in different clothes that were normal for this planet. There were a few minor differences that the Traveler only recognized because they were familiar with Teyvat’s version of you, but there was no doubt about it.
These two people were this planet’s version of you and Dottore. But the question was, were you two happy together? The Traveler needed to find out, and this position wasn’t good for spying so they moved to another inconspicuous location.
Zandik only rolled his eyes at your defiant quip before opening his heavy textbook, which you soon followed suit. The friendly banter between the two of you flowed naturally. When the food came, you tried feeding him the piece of cake which Zandik tried shooing your hand away, but had to give in after a while with slightly red cheeks. Your hands occasionally brushed against each other, but neither of you pulled away. Interesting, very interesting. Could this be the universe…?
After you two left the cafe, the Traveler decided to follow. This was probably a bit stalkerish, but they just needed to confirm. (Good thing they had skill in this area.) 
In the busy public streets, your shoulders only brushed, but when it became more deserted, you reached out to hold hands with Zandik. He huffed and mumbled something to you, which the blonde could not hear, though you only responded with a laugh as you squeezed his hand tighter. But then your attention was diverted by something else.
“Oh, look there Zandik! Do you see that?” You whisper-yelled, drawing his attention to a tree branch. “It’s a raven and a sparrow! Together! The thing is on top of the other’s head!” You couldn’t contain your amusement. “Isn’t that really strange? Don’t ravens eat sparrows sometimes?”
“Yes, and the sparrow must be rather stupid for allowing itself to get so close to something that can kill it,” Zandik said bluntly.
“That’s not nice,” you poked him for that comment. “Just because they’re different doesn’t mean they can’t be friends. Just like us, Zandik!”
“The world is not that nice, [Name],” he sighed, your optimism causing him great headaches sometimes.
“Yeah, I know thatttt~. But you never know! Hehe, you know, this reminds me of the time a few months back when a butterfly landed on your nose. You looked so cute! Ah, I’m so glad I got a picture.” Zandik immediately scowled, because you set the bloody thing as your wallpaper, so anyone who looked at your phone’s home screen could see the embarrassing moment. Ajax and his wretched finance and theater friends did not let him hear the end of it. Your boyfriend then started walking much faster, dragging you along as you yelped at the increased speed.
“Stop babbling and hurry up, otherwise I’ll leave you behind.”
“Okay, okay! Just slow down!!”
Soon, the two of you reached your newly rented apartment. Both of you had only recently moved out of the dorms, but it had been a lot of fun decorating and growing accustomed to this new life. The Traveler watched as you disappeared into the building, and then noticed your figure again through a window near the upper level. You were cradling an animal, a cat actually, and kissed it gently. Zandik then made his way over, uncharacteristically scratching its chin as well, before saying something to you. (Perhaps scolding you for giving your pet too much attention. A very Zandik way of saying he himself wanted more attention too.) You only shook your head with mirth before pressing a kiss to your lover’s lips, and the two of you moved away from the window, now out of sight.
Well, the Traveler’s job was done now. You and Zandik were happy. Maybe not in Teyvat, maybe not in any other world but… you two were happy in this one. And that was all you wished for.
[Name] and Zandik were happy.
And that’s the perfect ending for a fairy tale, right?
387 notes · View notes
teecupangel · 7 months
Note
Normally, Desmond is sent back in time to mess with things.
But what if it wasn't him?
Like, maybe Desmond couldn't go back in time himself but he could, in the split second he touched the apple, send someone else.
What if one of his ancestors went back in time? (Upon their deaths or something.)
I imagine a young Altair (who might be using a fake name) running around Italy with a tired Ezio following like a worried mother hen. (No, Claudia, he is not hovering he is just concerned) He ends up taking Altair under his wing (No, Claudia, it is not adoption.)
Or maybe Altair ends up in Bayek's time, Oh! Or Connor in Ezio's time. (Edward and Ezio would either get along badly or be too powerful if they were together in the same time period.)
These boys ruin the timeline and somehow save the world/future by simply stumbling through everything with no clue what's going on. and of course the power of friendship and really sharp blades.
Desmond and Clay are laughing their asses off in the afterlife as their ancestors destroy centuries worth of carefully calculated plans. (They might also manipulate things a little to help.)
And the time traveling ancestors for the most part, are doing the best they can in their current situation.
They are freaking the fuck out the whole time but are excellent at hiding it.
Poor Ezio.
(No, Altair, you can't kill that person because that have information we need, yes, I'm sure, Claudia don't encourage him.)
Well… How about we add some… ‘order’ to the chaos?
Desmond only had a fraction of a second to send his ancestor back in time.
And he hesitated.
He didn’t know which one to send.
Should it be Altaïr? Altaïr always felt like he would find out what to do even if he was given only minimal clues.
But Ezio was his prophet, the one he had been with the longest…
Ratonhnhaké:ton though… he deserves answers. He deserves the truth.
And when he woke up…
In that endless sea of gray…
The first word he heard were…
“’Morning. Which fucked up timeline do you want to hear first?”
Desmond sat and blinked as Clay stood before him, arms crossed with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Uuuhh…”
“Do you want to hear about how Edward Kenway managed to save his grandson and his grandson’s mother from the fires that should have killed her?” Clay asked before adding, “Oh… and he’s learned that his son’s a Templar by the way. At least, one of his old friends believe he’s actually Edward Kenway. If you think the Kenway Family Drama is bad when you were reliving Connor’s memories, then you gotta see the top tier drama that’s happening with Edward and Haytham right now.”
“Or maybe you want to hear about how Connor got kicked into Ezio’s time? He has no idea what’s happening but he got appointed as Federico’s combat instructor. He knows jackshit, by the way, about the tragedy that’s about to happen but, hey, at least Giovanni believes he’s an Assassin from another country or something. Oh.” Clay rubbed his chin as he added, “Connor doesn’t like how close Giovanni is with the Medici by the way. Lorenzo reminds him a bit of Washington or maybe he’s projecting, who knows?”
“Maybe you’ll like to know how your dear prophet is doing? Well, he’s doing badly in preserving the damn timeline that’s for sure. Let’s see… he got in touch with Alamut and managed to bluff his way into making them believe he’s the mentor of a destroyed Assassin branch from the crusader lands, he got the mentor’s permission to make his own branch in Levant, made a deal with said mentor to become a thorn in Al Mualim’s side and find out what he’s hiding, adopted Altaïr and even went as far as adopt Abbas because he believed he could ‘change’ things.” Clay was quiet for a moment before he added, “Oh and his branch is in the underground temple in Jerusalem so he has the Apple with him already.”
“Then there’s Altaïr.” Clay said with such… annoyance Desmond was actually afraid of what Altaïr had done. Clay rubbed the side of his forehead as he started, “See, they can only be transported into what counts as their past so we can’t have something like Altaïr being pushed into his future in Ezio’s time or something. And, since your only instruction to the Moraes was to ‘change the past’, they had to improvise with Altaïr considering he’s more or less the starting point. They had to pick another one of your ancestors who was important to your past and this world’s future so…”
“Altaïr’s been sent to the time of the Isu-Human war and his knowledge of the POEs and getting unconstrained access to the POEs at their full power… well… let’s just say…” Clay’s tone was drier than the desert as he said, “The Isus didn’t know what hit them.”
Desmond could only stare at Clay as he said.
“Soooo… which one do you want to contact first as their ‘patron’?”
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oneatlatime · 2 months
Text
The Headband
I don't care how dormant a volcano supposedly is. Living in the maw of one would absolutely freak me out.
Zuko out for his nightly constitutional lurking practice.
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I want this snuggy cape.
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No better disguise than a cloud 1.2 metres from the ground. That's where all clouds hand out. Cool puffins though.
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Enemy puffins approve of new fluffy Sokka.
Did Sokka just dive headfirst into rock?
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I do not like this angle. Looks like his head's on backwards.
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This episode is three minutes in and already I'm loving the comic tone.
Wow Katara, with the enthusiasm you're showing for stealing those clothes, they must belong to pirates.
These are some top tier nonsense sound effects. Far too few of those in recent episodes.
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Beat up Sokka quota fulfilled!
Toph has by far the best outfit. Love the gold accents.
We've had two seasons of blatantly blue Katara not being identified by the Fire Nation as a Water Tribe person. I think the necklace can stay.
His headband is an airbender arrow. So much for disguising himself.
I would love it if linguistic drift meant that Aang was going around tossing out slurs completely unaware.
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WHAT is this face
"Just slob is fine." I ADORE characters that are so secure in themselves and in their belief in the decency of others that all attempts at ridicule slide off like water off a duck's back.
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He does it again! "Wow. Are you a bully? This is so exciting! I've always wanted to meet a bully!"
Onji - get better taste in men. Why are you even dating this prick? Did you have any say in becoming his girlfriend? Blink twice if you need help.
These Fire Nation kids are all so mild. Contrast them with Zuko and they might as well be a different species.
What is Hide and Explode?
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Sokka is showing a mastery of slapstick that I haven't seen since The Fortune Teller. Glad to have it back.
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Is this the first time someone has recognised Zuko by his scar? About time.
Was it really necessary to beat up the guard? Seems a bit much. Zuko could have just asked nicely. That usually works for Iroh.
Speaking of: Iroh! Hi Iroh! Didn't think you'd still be alive.
Noodle Ozai. Did Aang get put in preschool by accident?
Those hippies should do a song about Secret Rivers.
Tired of spending three years talking to Zuko without making any progress, Iroh decides to attempt a new technique and deploys the silent treatment. It works just as well as three years of talking.
Colour me completely unsurprised that the Fire Nation has a pledge of Allegiance.
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This school must have some gnarly punishments if questioning the teacher garners this reaction.
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This man's head is alarming.
This man is also surprisingly nice for a fascist agent of the state bent on suppressing personal expression.
Movements? Aang you were showing her MOVEMENTS! GASP! FILTHY!
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I love this fight. It's been a while (maybe back to season 1) since Aang's preferred fighting style was 'Nope'.
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They haven't committed to the bit this hard since Bonzu Pippinpadalopsicopoulous, the Third!
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It's funny how we spent two whole seasons haunted by nothing but threatening shadows of the Fire Lord, and then an episode after his face is finally revealed they turn him into part of the decor. He even gets a noodle version.
Play Spot the Firelord with this episode. I count four.
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Sokka is having way too much fun with this.
Just going to sneak a reference to child labour in there. Gnarly punishments indeed.
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Local Emos Experience Happiness for the First Time; Immediately Implode.
I'm sorry but Mai's cloak has such Santa vibes.
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That is some serious side eye.
"You get to be normal all the time." Aang is pulling no punches today.
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Where did they get this many candles? Actually, where did they get that many matches? They don't even have a Firebender on staff.
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Poor kid is objectively correct. I guarantee your parents don't want you dancing in a cave. It will be good for you though! just don't lick the walls.
No wonder the Fire Nation got rid of dancing. Those moves are awful.
Zuko! "I brought you this food that I know you don't like because I need your help." Buddy. Why.
I could do without the heavy-handed Katara and Aang romance. Also, when exactly did Katara learn advanced gymnastics and choreograph a whole routine with Aang?
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I hate this twerp so much!
That song the band is playing right as the adults bust in is better than the songs featured earlier in the dance montage.
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I love this guy.
i know that the soundtrack probably went from diegetic to non-diegetic as soon as the chase started, but I love the idea that the school band provided theme music for searching for Aang.
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Delightfully eerie. and also very Spartacus.
Actually with the guards starting to dance, it WAS the school band providing a soundtrack for the Aang hunt.
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Is Momo at the reins?
How is this assassin good at keeping secrets and not being followed? He creaks and clanks.
Final Thoughts
I loved this. This type of episode is when Avatar is at its best: heaps of goof, a side helping of heart, subtle and not-so-subtle critiques organically incorporated, tonally contrasting storylines that combine to form a whole greater than its parts, and even one-note characters who are given depth.
Aang was in his element as a normal kid; Sokka was having a great time being super agent / team dad; poor Katara and Toph got like two lines each but still had fun with what they did get. Even Momo got some sight gags.
Aang is so personable. I think it's the combination of great social skills from a good peripatetic upbringing and being a peacetime child.
I think Zuko experienced every possible human emotion this episode. I loved seeing him snark with Mai (those two are way too good together), but his scenes with/revolving around Iroh were confusing and intense. Which is probably how Zuko would describe them too. Seems he's speedrunning his season 1 bad decisions arc.
I'm not fond of this new silent treatment approach from Iroh, but I have to admit that talking to Zuko didn't work for years, so what else is there to try?
I wasn't expecting a Footloose homage and a Spartacus reference in Avatar of all places. But it works. And it works if you don't catch the references too.
I am severely disappointed in Fire Nation fashion. I was expecting gloriously eye-searing red/gold/yellow outfits. I got black/tan/brown with dull red edging. It's probably a visual commentary on what imperialism does to its own people. And the price of dyes. But I was really looking forward to reds and golds! At least I have Toph's outfit.
I loved the liberal use of sound effects in the Gaang's plot. I love comic sound effects on their own, but they really enhanced the contast between Zuko and the Gaang's plots.
There was lots of heavy stuff under the surface this episode, what with the squashing of the self and the discrimination against colonials and the propaganda and the revisionist history and the assassin. But I feel like being silly today, so I'm not going to dig into it. That's one of the great things about this show. Not all, but many episodes are structured so that you can choose your level of engagement and consequent angst.
This episode was funny, and fun. A much-needed palette cleanser after the drudge of the season opener. The last time there was an episode this unapologetically silly was probably Avatar Day. In other words, it's been far too long. Definitely going on my rewatch list.
I really want Zuko's snuggy cape.
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respectthepetty · 11 months
Note
as a major fan of your Thai BL list, I shall now ask about your Korean BLs! 🤩
I think I can actually trust you 😌😌
Anon Two, thanks for tag-teaming this with the previous Anon, so y'all could squeeze another list out of me. To recap, I've already given y'all:
Top GMMTV Actors
Top GMMTV Pairs
Top Five Taiwanese BLs
Top Ten Thai BLs
So what's one more? @lachikapercebe also asked for this list, but requested only my top five; however, since I already started the list without a specific target number from Anon Two, and Korea gives some of the best confessions in the genre mixed with color coding, I can't reduce the list now. It's too late for me to trim it. I am attached to each pick. They are my children, and I can't desert them, so . . .
Top Ten Korean BLs
Rising Star - Love Tractor
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I don't trust Korean BLs. A majority are too short, so either the beginning is confusing or the ending is flat, but unless Love Tractor completely fumbles the second half (which it could because . . . Korea), this will be a yearly top and even possibly an overall top for its country and all BLs. It's that good to me. It's hitting all the normal K-drama notes while being oh-so-very-gay. And as a rural queer, it pleases my soul to see country life presented in such a kind and beautiful way.
#10 - Roommates of Poongduck 304
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Mr. Petty Peter Jae Yoon independently earned a spot on this list. Ho Joon was a jerk and a true nemesis when the show began, but Jae Yoon started effing up Ho Joon's home life the more Ho Joon kept messing up his work life, so it was a beautiful tit-for-tat the first few episodes; then, Ho Joon lost focus and wanted a consensual workplace relationship. His father appreciating his new attitude and rejection of his ladies' man ways was a delight to witness since we all knew it was due to him falling in love with a man. And oh boy did he fall in love. That entire conversation of Jae Yoon saying it's impossible for two men to fall in love, only for Ho Joon to respond that it was impossible for him NOT to fall in love with Jae Yoon is a top tier confession for me.
#9 - Blueming
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I have issues with Blueming solely due to its ending because I was just as pissed as Siwon was at Daun. Maybe even more so. All was going well; then, the end of episode nine pulled a Thai episode eleven, and DAUN TOLD HIS MOM TO PICK THE FILM! I understand men in love do dumb shit, but that was a bold choice, and a very, very, VERY wrong one. As the youths say, "that was not the move." However, the cinematography was delicious like their silhouettes with that bewitching blue backdrop and their first kiss was realistic. Pretty kisses are cool and all, but the awkwardness of desperately wanting someone yet not knowing how to physically perform is true to many people's experiences and should be spotlighted more.
#8 - Choco Milk Shake
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I only trust two entities with poly: Thai director Jojo, and Korea's Strongberry, so the fact that Strongberry did not give me poly when it was so clearly laid out is the reason this show isn't in the top three. It had a supernatural plot, great characters who were all well cast, and a happy ending, so WHY NOT POLY? I don't care if the rest of the world is ready or not. I'M READY! We are getting a second season, so if I if get a kiss AND a vocal acknowledgement of Milk and Choco's love for each other when their love for Jung Woo was well established in season one, this will cement its place in my heart and on this list forever.
#7 - Light on Me
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Sixteen episodes with most running about thirty minutes?! A love triangle where I could root for both love interests?! A straight boy who earned his spot at the queer table?! Light on Me had it all and then some! Looking at my various lists, it's clear I am not fond of high school dramas, yet I was seated twice a week to see how our neurodivergent baby boy, Tae Kyung, fared that week in his adventure through social norms and annoyances, like trying to help a fellow peer by giving him back the dildo he dropped in the hallway, but getting yelled at instead. I was not Team Shin Woo until that cellphone confession, and then all I could see was Shin Woo. I'm telling y'all, Korea understands how to confess its unwavering love. Gets me every time!
#6 - The New Employee
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As the BL fandom continues to evolve and expand, we will get more BLs geared toward adults and workplace dramas, but hopefully, they take the approach that The New Employee (and Thailand's Step by Step) did and make the work environment part of the drama. Working adults, sadly, spend a majority of their time at work, so finding love at one's job seems reasonable, but if anyone has experienced coworkers breaking up, that shit can get rough, real quick. So having to navigate a relationship with someone you work with, especially someone of a higher authority position, ON TOP OF being queer can be stressful, and is something I want more BLs to explore. There are levels to being out, and for most queers, being out at the job is not a possibility, but finding love anywhere is always a possibility, particularly for our late 20-something virgins.
#5 - Semantic Error
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The fact that this came out in 2022 is beyond my understanding only because it seems like I have appreciated it for at least five years. This has become a comfort watch when it first started as a "nothing else is on" watch. I have never cared so much about honorifics in my life as I did watching the slow transition of Sang Woo’s emotional walls crumbling under Jae Young’s affection through language. As much as I hated the idea of forced collaboration (aka group projects), seeing the way Jae Young squirmed his way into Sang Woo’s every waking thought and had him seeing red to the point that Sang Woo was saving screenshots of Jae Young’s Instagram posts was a delight and one of the major reasons I keep returning to it. But the layered confession about Sang Woo finding Jae Young, a man, attractive which lead to Jae Young's countdown kiss is, once again, the reason Korean BLs win in the confession department.
#4 - The Eighth Sense
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I'm still really bothered by some of the discourse that came out of this show about how it was better than everything else ever because the comments were reductive about the BL genre, yet some of the comments resonated with elements I loved about the series, mainly its look at mental health and trauma. It was a beautiful show, but the message it carried throughout about depression being isolating and taking the light out of people's lives hit me in a way that if this was the Thai list, I would have left it off because it felt like a personal attack. Wanting someone to save you from yourself, but terrified to drag them down with you was not the plot I wanted, but was the story a lot of us needed to see. We also needed to witness someone actively going to therapy. Let's continue this trend!
#3 - Our Dating Sim
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"Have you been well . . . without me?" - Put this on my tombstone because I died and came back to life from this utterance alone. Episode four was already killing me, but once Eddy snapped and allowed all his emotions to spill out in front of Ian, the show came for all my past lives and future ones too. Deceased. I wrote this about the show while it was airing, but no other show has done the leave-him-because-I-love-him plot as well as Our Dating Sim. This show nailed it then made a billboard to boast about it because it was perfection. Ian's reasons for leaving were valid, but the show really shined by allowing Eddy to voice his anger at being ghosted for seven years by his best friend and someone he loved. It even touched on the trust issues that stem from someone saying he loves you only to abandon you. Just know I have NOT been well since this ended.
#2 - To My Star 1 & 2
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The first season was almost perfect. The cat/dog energy, the "If it's hard for you, I'll come to you" confession, and the budding kink of Ji Woo kissing a tiny bloody wound on Seo Joon all served in a quick nine episodes gave me everything I needed, so I thought this would be my #1 the second season two was announced, but understand the sequel hurt me. The foundation was great: everyone came back, it had more episodes, the episodes were longer, and the conflict always existed in the first series, so a last-minute twist wasn’t invented. Yet, every single episode hurt. Much like I Told Sunset About You, it was realistic to the point that I expected it to end with pain. If season two was its own show and not a sequel to one of my favorites, it would have ranked higher because it was beautiful, but knowing the magic the first series possessed, and having to be a bystander to all the angst for EVERY EPISODE WITH NO RELIEF was tough. But, somehow, here I am secretly hoping we get blessed with a third series. That’s the power of the Star.
#1 - Long Time No See
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Small flex - I've been involved with an international queer film festival for over a decade. I've seen easily over 1,000 pieces of queer media including feature films, short films, and documentaries through the screening process, which only adds to my always growing personal watched list. Long Time No See was one of those films. It didn't make it into the festival because I think it was already available on a streaming platform (maybe?), but it was a top for me then, and it's still a top for me now. Is it a BL? Not really. Is it a show? No, it's more like a two-part movie. So why am I allowing it to reign at the top of this list? BECAUSE IT IS AMAZING! In 2017, we were still getting the bury your gays trope shoved down our throats, so a film about two assassins getting a happy ending was a miracle. I read comments from some who did not like the portrayal of "toxic love" but were probably fine with Mr. and Mrs. Smith beating each other with cooking utensils for all the world's children to see, so God forbid, the queers do anything like want to kill AND fuck each other. Niña, Pinta, and Santa María, LET THE GAYS DO CRIMES TOO! Oh, and it's Strongberry, so because of this film - In Strongberry I trust.
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mjlovescm · 2 years
Note
can we get a clingy rodrick fem reader fic? maybe the reader is trying to get homework done or something? idk you’re a better writer than i💀
Stage five clinger, Rodrick Heffley
A/N: Thank you so much for requesting this sorry it took so long. I feel like Rodrick would definitely be clingy, and I'm sure you are an amazing writer. <3
It may be hard to believe, and maybe he only acted this way when he was with you, but Rodrick Heffley was a top tier, stage five clinger. And to be completely honest, it should have been a bit obvious. This was the same boy who spent a very, very long time trying to get his crush to acknowledge him for more than just five seconds. So of course being his girlfriend, this only intensified. By a lot and in many ways. 
But the top three were: 1. Wash day  Before the full extent of Rodrick's clinginess, wash day was a lonely, tiring and highly frustration day. But with your own personal helper, things were definitely a lot easier. Having him run to the store real quick if you forgot something, playing video for you on his phone while your hands were greasy, and even helping you make even parts. 
“You know I can help you with more than just parting.” Rodrick yells over the shower. 
“You should be lucky I'm letting you in here to begin with.” 
You yell back, referring to the fact that he was sitting in the bathroom while you were in the literal shower. 
“Whatever.” He mumbles under his breath.
2. Homework  In the same way that his clinginess could be helpful, it was often not. Although you agreed with him on his point of homework being useless and annoying, you still had to get it done. And the best way to do that while being in the same vicinity as Rodrick was to ignore him. But with his sneaky nature, Rodrick would also find a way to have you in his arm doing something actually fun rather than stupid homework.
“Could you just be serious for like five minutes.”
You told Rodrick and was met with an utterly appalled face. One which you ignore and go back to trying to do your homework.
“I am being serious, I read it somewhere.”
“By “read it somewhere.” do you mean saw it on YouTube.”
“No.” He's quick to respond. “I saw it on Instagram.” Rodrick smiles because technically you were wrong. “Look it up, it's the most effective way to get things done. Study for thirty minutes, then relax for thirty.”
Still ignoring him, all you did was roll your eyes and try to focus on the work in front of you. Plus, the method was to study for twenty-five and have a five-minute break. A great method, sure, but clearly not what Rodrick was suggesting.
Leaving the bathroom, you walked back into Rodrick's room to find your homework textbook and pencils gone. And across the room was an overly casual Rodrick whose TV just happened to be playing your favorite movie. Without a word, you walked over to him, faces contradictory to each other. In fact, the smile that played on Rodrick's lips was burning a frown onto yours. Deciding not to play his game and, more importantly, not give in, you simply turned around to look for your things that had magically gone missing.
Before you realized what was happening, you were already sitting. The same hands he used to get you there now wrapped around your hips, keeping you in place. 
“You don't think this is a bit much?” You asked him genuinely. 
“I think.” He starts, and you can already tell where he's going, “That you need a break.” 
Rodrick peaks his head over your shoulder for a moment, that cocky smile still on his lips. Before it disappears into the crook of your neck. 
“Come on.” He whispers against your skin. “Well, only watch like five minutes.” 
Reluctant and knowing that it was a lie, you still agreed. Quickly getting comfortable and settling into your favorite seat, Rodrick's lap. 
3. Accidental sleepovers This one you could admit was partially your fault. I mean, if you really didn't want to stay you could just leave, but sometimes Rodrick was just too hard to resist. 
“We have school tomorrow.” You groan, sleepiness already creeping into your voice. 
“Yea, that's why you should stay.” He told his voice sleepier than yours. “Plus, I already drive you every morning.”
He was right, the van had been your go-to method of transport for a while now. 
“Yea but-” You tried to think of an excuse but nothing came to your half asleep mind. “I think I'd like to sleep in my own bed.” 
You told Rodrick, which triggered him to move him body more onto your chest, his way of trapping you. He shushes you before bringing his lips to your skin. Pressing gentle, slow kisses to your neck and jaw. 
“Tomorrow we can sleep wherever you want.” He whispered. 
“Fine.” You say, as snuggling into him. “But just because you're warm.” 
Masterlist
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Yandere Twisted Wonderland | Grandparents Misconception
I think we all can agree that the boys in Twisted Wonderland are top tier. And when they get transported into your world their beauty is just so otherworldly some people may not understand it. Especially if your grandparent is certain that this is a girlfriend of yours. You don’t know if it's out of spite or just bad vision but you just hope you can calm your boyfriend before he uses his unique magic on your meemaw. 
Ft: Leona Kingscholar, Vil Schoenheit, Idia Shroud, Lilia Vanrouge
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Leona Kingscholar
“Oh wow you’re girlfriend sure is muscular! What are you feeding her, protein shakes?”
*Growl*“WHAT!?” 
You can talk to him, warn him all you’d like before
He’s still losing his cool and you’re fighting him from turning your grandparent to sand
He’s incredibly mad 
What about him looks like a girl!??!
While he doesn't inherently think woman are weak quite the opposite actually
But he also knows for an older person in your world this isn't exactly compliment
He’s underhandedly insulting them the rest of your visit
And if they don’t go missing mysteriously in the next week than he’s scowling whenever you mention them 
“Just cause they’re related to you doesn’t mean I’m just going to let them insult me.” 
The problem is if they refuse to listen to you explain it makes you have to compensate for them
Kisses, uninterrupted nap times, cuddles, and if he’s angry enough some hanky panky because he’s not letting some ‘bag of bones’ trample all over his pride 
“I bet your girlfriend can move these crates just fine.”
“Yeah this~ girlfriend~ can move that. Almost as good as I screw your–”
“Leona!” 
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Vil Schoenheit
“Wow, your girlfriend is so pretty! I wonder if it's all make up or if it's natural!” 
“Hahaha I’m happy you find me so attractive but I’m actually male. I’ll admit not many are as well-versed in the art of makeup but I assure you this is only an enhancement to my beauty.” 
He’s not immediately offended 
Instead opting to properly advocate for himself
If your grandparent is genuinely unable to see he won’t be mad
But if it's on purpose he’s a lot more spiteful
“If you're so fooled by my basic skin routine, maybe I can recommend something to help with your obvious condition.”
He’s less likely to outright complain about them 
Instead silently hating them 
Especially if they clean up their act around you
“No no Baba this is Vil my boyfriend…he said you kept calling him a girl.”
“Oh no worries child I understand, just a little mistake earlier. Slip of the tongue.”
“Oh okay then I’m glad.” *Walks away*
“...For someone claiming to be a boyfriend you sure gossip a lot…like a girl.”
😡
While meeting with them as you grow closer Vil just prepares himself
Even as their underhanded insults get more intense and more hard hitting he still won’t do anything
It isn’t until they loudly proclaim how they’d never agree to you tying the knot 
That’s where he draws the line
It isn’t hard to slip an untraceable poison in their morning water 
Or a simple poison to increase the alcohol in their blood
And you’d be none the wiser when you lean against him as they lower the coffin
Vil’s a good actor though so he won’t laugh just yet not until his performance is up
“I’m so sorry (Y/n) it's a shame they had to go before we could make such an important announcement. If it's any comfort your skin is glowing today, no doubt thanks to my skin care brand.”
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Idia Shroud
“I know your girlfriend’s shy and all but can she actually help entertain the guests? This behavior is ridiculous!” 
“B-but I’m not a g-gir–”
“I already told you he isn’t a fan of parties anyway.”
“Too bad. If she wants to be with you she’s going to have to! And while you're at it, fix her makeup.”
He knew he should have taken you seriously when you warned him of what your family was like
And while he agreed on the high he got from your immediate praise 
He regrets it now 
Especially since he keeps getting called your girlfriend
Adding Insult to injury they're demanding extroverts
The only way he’s getting past his dormant position is when he finally matches head to head with your grandmother in a game
“That was your fatal flaw…You’re trying to take down the boss on his own territory!” 
“W-what b-but I’ve been playing this game for years, h-how?”
“And for the record I’m their boyfriend!”
He’s more annoyed with the circumstances than the situation of being called your girlfriend 
He’s cringing at the thought of showing he’s your boyfriend by normie standards
So he’s doing it through different methods
Funny shirts that point to him being your boyfriend 
Flashing your matching accessories from an anime
Putting a gadget on you that pages you with an automated voice
‘Boyfriend would like you to make a plate for him at the buffet’
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Lilia Vanrouge
“Your girlfriend is quite cute! How did you meet?”
“At college, we’ve been together ever since!”
He’s not immediately going to refute the claim
It doesn’t really matter to him 
Even when their gifted a few dresses or shoes 
He thinks its funny
he definitely jokes about it at home with you
“Come on (Y/n)! Aren’t you going to take your girlfriend out?”
“Ugh we really have to clear that up.”
It really won’t bother him until he’s actually trying to do things and your grandparent is still keen on their own opinion
“I’m actually a man so I would appreciate it if you officially referred to me as (Y/n)’s boyfriend on official documents.”
“But (Y/n) doesn’t have a boyfriend. They have a cute little girlfriend.”
“....I’m their boyfriend. I’m also a father.”
“You’re so silly they wouldn’t date someone like that.”
“...”
“....”
"..."
"😊"
“😡”
He’ll be very patient instead leaving it to you to set things straight
And if that doesn’t work he decides he doesn’t care anymore 
And that he doesn’t care for your grandparent 
So on holiday’s when your making your phone calls and sending invitations to your grandparent
He’s accidentally letting the letter burn 
And he won’t suggest it getting lost in the mail until the day before
“That’s unfortunate, we'll just have to remember to do it next time.”
We won’t 
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sunlightmurdock · 1 year
Text
Operation Apollo | 0.5 | Jake Seresin x Reader AU
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Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Masterlist
Synopsis: After a threat is made against her life, the President’s grown up daughter gets her security tripled. Her long term detail is about to retire and needs replacing, only — she isn’t the easiest to work with. Ex-Navy and current Secret Service, Jake Seresin is devoted to being the best at everything he does. He isn’t going to let a bratty little girl cost him this job.
Warnings: age gap, power imbalance, enemies to lovers, danger and angst + eventual smut , suggestive content and language but no sex, minors dni
“She said she’s not coming out while you’re here.” Allen explains, adjusting his tie as he steps out into the hallway and closes the door behind him. Jake keeps a straight face, then shrugs his shoulders. He wants to laugh. You’ve spent two weeks trying to get under his skin and he managed to get under yours in six minutes.
“So what are we supposed to do?” Jake asks.
“How about you two head downstairs, check out the hall, I’ll bring her in with me in a couple of minutes.”
“That isn’t what the briefing said-“
“I know that, but whatever you said to her this afternoon has her pissed off. This is the new plan.” Allen interrupts, his tone stern. It’s the first time he’s shown a sign of actually being a leader since Jake got here. Jake nods his head.
“Fine.”
He turns and abandons his post outside of her door. Manny trails along after him.
“What did you say to her to have her this mad?” Manny asks, glancing behind them to make sure you aren’t within earshot.
“Told her to stop flirting with me.” Jake answers calmly. It isn’t a lie, but Jake chooses to leave out the part where he had her pinned to her bed and begging for his cock.
Manny chuckles, pushing his hands into his pockets, “So she was still trying to get you fired, then?”
“Think so,” Jake agrees, adjusting the wire behind his ear as he leads the way into the event hall. It’s already teeming with security, which is good. It means that Jake’s job should be a little easier tonight. “I don’t know how you put up with her for this long. She’s driving me crazy.”
Manny hums amusedly, then shakes his head, taking in the tasteful decor around him, “Well, you aren’t exactly doing yourself any favours by being such a dick to her.”
Jake stops at the top of the stairs, turning to face his colleague seriously.
“We aren’t here to be her friends.” He reminds him.
“Have you ever stopped to consider that maybe she could do with some real friends more than security?” Manny replies calmly, pushing one hand into his pocket as he heads down the stairs towards the event. There are a couple of low tier guests here already, a lot of people without their own details. The higher tier guests always arrive later on.
Jake follows this time.
“She has friends,” Jake answers. He doesn’t dare put his hands in his pockets because he remembers his training. “Did you forget the dozen or so kids she had over the first day I showed up?”
Manny scoffs.
“What?” Jake urges him to continue with what he was going to say. Manny grabs a non-alcoholic champagne and turns, taking a sip from the glass. He gives Jake a look. Like Jake’s so out of the loop, like there’s something that he just doesn’t get yet. Manny has been waiting for him to figure it out, but he figures that if he waits any longer then the two of you might actually kill each other.
“Those aren’t real friends.” Manny takes another long drink from the glass.
Jake stands at his side, considering what this statement means. He thinks about it for a while. He’s been at your side all day, every day for about three weeks now. He hasn’t heard you getting a lot of texts, no phone calls. He wonders if any of those friends have checked up on you since he got here.
He opens his mouth to question Manny further, then spots the head of security heading straight for them.
“Gomez - enjoying the refreshments?” Don calls out.
Manny’s eyes widen as he hides the glass behind his back like he hasn’t already been caught.
“Yes, sir. - No. No, Sir.” Manny answers.
Jake’s gaze lifts. He notices the security at the top of the stairs first. The president enters the room, arm in arm with his wife. You look most like your mother. She’s a beautiful woman, she looks elegant as she stops at the top of the stairs. He glances down at his watch, you’re supposed to be here before they are.
He shakes his head, lifting his sleeve, speaking into his cuff, “Update on Apollo, please.”
The President and the First Lady move down the stairs together and immediately get to greeting their guests.
“On our way, asshole.” Your voice comes through Jake and Manny’s earpieces after speaking into Allen’s cuff. Manny glances across at Jake. Jake sighs and leans his head back, staring at the twinkling lights covering the ceiling.
Jake waits patiently, checking periodically as the president makes his way around the room while Don scolds Manny at his side.
“Manny. It’s been a while.” Matthew interrupts Don’s lecture to reach out and shake Manny’s hand. Manny smiles at him, the two of them make small talk about their personal lives and how long it has been since they last crossed paths. Matthew then turns his attention towards the taller agent at Manny’s side. “And you must be the one causing all the trouble.”
It’s a playful comment, and the President smiles as he says it. He extends an open palm out towards Jake.
“I’m sure that’s what you’ve heard.” Jake agrees as he places his palm in Matthew’s and shakes his hand with a firm grip. Matthew chuckles.
“It’s good to finally meet you, Seresin,” Matthew smiles, Jake catches a glimpse of you in his features, but you still look most like your mother. “Allen has been telling Sara and I that you’ve been doing a great job taking care of our little girl.”
Jake thinks back to this afternoon. He did a great job of making her want to fuck him, then murder him in the space of a couple of minutes. Still, Jake smiles and nods his head.
“Just doing my job, sir.” Jake says calmly. He feels a little bit like a pilot again when he says it. Maybe it’s trying to hold back the smugness in his tone.
“Keep it up, kid. - It’s not an easy placement, I know. I want you to know that I appreciate you being so patient with her.” Matthew says.
Jake nods his head.
He probably could have done with this pep talk before the events of this afternoon, but he smiles and nods nonetheless.
Jake glances up, catching a glimpse of colour in his peripheral.
Your hand is resting in Allen’s, you’re at the top of the stairs, there’s an almost nervous smile on your face as you glance down at the steps. You’re worried about tripping in these shoes, but Allen’s got you and you’re secure in that knowledge.
Jake’s gaze starts off at your heels. A simple pair of classy heels, not too high, you walk confidently in them - you’re worried inside but Jake can’t tell. The dress ends around your calf, not floor length, not short. It’s elegant, mid-length and its colour lands somewhere between pearl and champagne. It compliments your skin tone, your figure.
The straps are dainty, the structure of your collarbones catches Jake’s attention. The supple curve of your shoulders, the way the satin sits on your skin. It doesn’t expose much, you’re still plenty covered up - it’s a charity event after all, but Jake’s in awe.
It’s a straight neckline, draping slightly in the centre. It’s flawless and almost posed, even when you’re moving. There’s a dainty gold necklace - a birthday present from a few years ago - dangling between your collarbones, the twinkling lights overhead make it glint with each step that you take. Jake’s eyes take a while to find your face.
You’re looking at him when he finally does.
It’s his turn to be searching for words. He watches you take your first step, your hand in Allen’s palm as he walks with you.
He doesn’t know where the doe-eyed deer in headlights from this afternoon went, but the beautiful girl in that incredible dress walking towards him now, she would never fall for such a thing. There’s a confidence to the way you hold your chin high, a grace to the way that you step down into the room. An effortlessness that gives away how much practice you’ve had at doing this kind of thing.
Your eyes are on Jake’s each step of the way. A softness in the green of his eyes. Maybe regret, even, for the way he treated you earlier.
You reach the bottom of the stairs and squeeze Allen’s hand gently. Jake’s lips part slightly, you’re staring right at him, headed straight for him. He closes his mouth and stands up a little straighter, swallowing. It makes him feel like he’s in middle school again, the way his heartbeat picks up with each step that brings you closer.
His eyes briefly flicker upward, to the twinkling lights overhead, then he looks over at the live band. Then, back to you. He holds his breath as you reach him, worried that a trembling inhale will give him away.
“Daddy.”
Jake’s brows furrow tightly together. Your eyes are on him when you say it. There’s a split-second where Jake worries he’s about to explode with embarrassment, then your attention turns.
“Princess!” Your father returns your greeting as he turns his body to face you. He opens his arms and hugs you tenderly. Jake lets out a breath, then brings a hand up to loosen his collar. It’s extremely warm in here all of a sudden.
Jake adjusts his earpiece and keeps his eyes on everyone else. Anyone but you. Your mother when you hug her, Allen as he’s greeted by both of your parents. Manny just so that he doesn’t have to pay attention to the way your eyes haven’t faltered from burning into his side.
It’s an observation that Jake cant help but make: there’s a formality and structure to the way that you greet your parents that isn’t all that different from how you have greeted everyone else earlier today. The media training takes precedent over familial ties. Your smiles and soft touches look good on camera. That’s what matters.
“I have someone for you to meet.” Your mother takes your hand and squeezes it, smiling widely like this is something for you to be excited about. It isn’t. This has happened at every event since you turned eighteen. She has been trying to find you a husband for a very long time. She was married at your age and she reminds you of that constantly.
“Oh, I-“ You look to your father for help, for an out. Jake catches the look. He looks over at Manny.
Manny quirks an eyebrow knowingly, Jake thinks back to their conversation about friends. He wonders how many of your friends were carefully picked out for you by your parents or their staff.
“You’ll love him. His mother is the…”
Jake’s eyes are firmly on your back as you’re led into the crowd. The dress isn’t entirely backless, but the top half of your spine is exposed to him as your mother leads you away. He cranes his neck to keep an eye on you in the crowd.
“Well, it was great catching up with you boys,” Matthew smiles politely, “If you’ll excuse me, I have a few more hands to shake.”
The three of them are left there, watching intently. They should split up for better viewpoints, but they remain for a moment.
Allen leans in close to Jake, his expression calm and friendly as he does. His tone is anything but.
“I don’t know what you did, but I swear to god, if you hurt her - I’ll end your career.” Allen says calmly. Jake keeps his head straight, his eyes on you. He nods his head in silent understanding. Honestly, he’s surprised that you didn’t tell Allen everything. Jake knows that he was out of line and could be fired for what he did. But he doesn’t regret doing it.
Jake keeps an eye on you. You’re introduced to a boy around about your age. He’s the son of one of Matthew’s friends from law school, he’ll be a lawyer himself soon. Tom. Average height, short, dark hair, skinny.
The two of you chat for a while, talk over some drinks, and then move towards the dance floor. Jake doesn’t know how long he watches, but he knows that he’s pulling a face. He just can’t help it. He doesn’t like the way this kid touches you.
“Hey, Jake, mind doing me a quick favour?” Matthew’s hand comes up to rest against Jake’s shoulder, squeezing platonically over the fabric of Jake’s tux. Jake turns his head and raises his eyebrows. Surprised by the gesture and Matthew’s presence simultaneously. He nods his head quickly, anything, he agrees.
“Break that mess up, for me, would you?” Matthew nods his head, gesturing to the centre of the dance floor. Jake follows his gaze, already knowing exactly what your father is talking about. The boy’s hand is a little low on your back, his fingertips are white at the tops, and leaving indents in your skin, he’s trying to hold you closer and closer to him.
You’re leaned back slightly to put some distance between your faces. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you’re not comfortable.
“What should I tell her?” Jake asks. Matthew shakes his head and sips his scotch.
“No, no, I don’t want to ruin her fun completely. Just dance with her for a bit, until that little shit takes the hint.” Matthew decides.
“Oh. I don’t - I think she would be more comfortable if I asked Allen to do that, Sir.” Jake shakes his head slightly.
Matthew nods his head, tapping at the edge of his glass, his eyes on you.
“Yeah, but you’re the only one here who looks as pissed off about those two as I do,” Matthew smiles at Jake. “And even if she doesn’t like you, I’m sure she would much rather be seen with the guy every woman in here keeps looking at as opposed to someone old enough to be her father.”
“I don’t kno-“
“One dance. Don’t make me ask twice, son.” Matthew chuckles, like it’s a joke, then nudges Jake towards the dance floor. Jake swallows.
He straightens up and sighs as he makes his way over. You see him coming first, narrowing your eyes at him. He places his hand on Tom’s shoulder.
“Mind if I cut in?” Jake asks, though it’s clearly not a question. If Tom wasn’t so repulsive, you would have objected yourself. Jake waits until Tom’s gone before he takes your hand in his and wraps one arm around your waist softly.
You look past Jake and find your father smiling. He nods in head in acknowledgement, thinking that he just saved you from that creep, and then turns away. You scowl at Jake.
“I’m not thrilled about this either,” Jake announces, before you can say anything. He leads your body with the arm around your waist, swaying to the music. He looks you in the eye, his face softens. “You look… nice.”
“Nice.” You muse over the compliment.
Jake’s lips quirk slightly, “What was I supposed to say?”
“No, nice is fine. Maybe worth it might have been more appropriate, but I’ll let it go.” You answer him. Jake smirks. His hand rests safely on the middle of your back, thumb stroking tenderly over the exposed skin for a moment. You hold his shoulder, letting him bring you closer. He leans in so that he can talk quietly.
“Well, if you’re still wearing those cute blue panties then I might reconsider.” He isn’t serious, his tone tells you clearly that he’s making fun of you. You pull back and look up at him, tilting your head.
“Actually, I’m not wearing any.” You tell him. You watch his nose scrunch just slightly. He shakes his head.
“There’s no way you’d show up here with no underwear on.” Jake answers.
“Shame that you won’t get to find out.” You give a soft shrug of your shoulders. Jake smiles at you. He hums in agreement.
Sara sets her glass down and leans into her husband’s side, brows furrowed slightly as she leans into her husband’s side, “Matthew, why is she dancing with the staff?”
Matthew chuckles, “Because the staff are the only guys here that I can trust not to try something with her.”
Sara frowns, watching the way he looks at you with a soft smile toying on his lips, the way your hand rests on his shoulder. She’s too far away to hear you quietly threatening each other. The two of you look good together. The way you move together is swift, dynamic, it makes sense.
“How can you be so sure that they won’t? - I mean, look at him, I wouldn’t blame her if she had a little crush on him.”
Matthew frowns at his wife’s opinion of the agent. Still, he finishes his scotch and kisses her temple, “Because if any of the staff are stupid enough to try that, then I get to personally set them straight, sweetheart. That’s why they behave.”
“If you want, I can go get that little slimeball to come back here and finish the dance.” Jake says it tenderly so that no one around you will catch on to the nature of your conversation. You narrow your eyes at him.
“What happened to you to make you such an asshole?” You ask.
Jake shrugs his shoulders, “I’d ask what happened to make you such an entitled bitch, but - I think I have an idea.”
He gestures around him. At all this.
You step forwards, pressing your heel purposely into his shoe. Jake narrows his eyes at you.
“I’m not an entitled bitch. I’m mean to you because you’re a miserable dickhead.” You tell him.
“Smile!”
You turn your head and Jake tucks you in against his side. You both smile politely for the camera. The photographer moves on and Jake turns to face you again. He wraps an arm around your waist, then pulls you flush against his body. You open your mouth to protest, caught off guard as he dips you back slightly, his hand finding the back of your thigh to guide it along his.
Jake’s got you, secure in his arms, his eyes on yours. He’s only a couple of inches from your face, and the lights overhead bring out the shimmer on your eyelids. Jake’s been through years of training. He considers himself to be a disciplined person. Yet, there’s a split second where he does consider just doing it. It would be so easy for him to lean forwards and press his lips to yours.
He stands you upright and takes your hand in his.
It’s clear that the two of you could do this all night. The last thing Jake wants is for you to run out of the event, screaming about how much you hate him. In fact, he’s quite enjoying having you exactly where you are. He leads the dance, swaying you against him. You narrow your eyes as Jake’s features soften.
“I’m sorry.” Jake says softly.
Your brows furrow for a moment, then raise in surprise. The music is loud, you aren’t sure if you heard that right.
“I’ve been being a little hard on you, and what I did this afternoon was out of line. I’m sorry.” Jake’s fingertips trail over your exposed spine tenderly.
You shake your head softly.
“I could have you fired for what you did today.” You tell him.
Jake nods, his lips quirking up into a soft smirk, “Sure. If you wanted to tell your dad about how you needed it so bad.”
You stop moving and scowl at him, Jake pulls you back in against him and continues to guide your bodies to the music.
“That’s what I thought. I said I’m sorry, it won’t happen again. I think we just need to respect each other a little more.” Jake murmurs.
You let out a heavy breath. It won’t happen again. You’ve been thinking about Jake’s deep voice, strong muscles and the things that he said to you all afternoon. Sure, you’re upset with him for what he did - but you’re more upset at the idea that he won’t do it again.
“I’d respect you more if you weren’t-“
“Stop talking,” Jake sighs. He looks back at you and smiles, “I love this song.”
Your scrunch your nose at him, not recognising the melody. He guides your body to each note, letting out a contented breath. You frown slightly, surprised by this behaviour.
“Wow. So, you don’t hate everything.” You comment teasingly.
Jake chuckles. He lifts your arm and turns you, spinning you away from him and guiding you around until your back is to his chest. He sways the two of you to the music, resting his cheek against the top of your head.
“Just you, sweetheart.” Jake jokes.
You drive your elbow backwards into his abdomen, feeling him flinch. He laughs at the action, then spins you back around and turns you to face him. He’s a good dancer. You wonder if he has ever been married, you know that some men take dance lessons before their weddings.
“I need a drink.” You tell him.
Jake squeezes your hip playfully, “Stay until the end of the song. For me.”
You raise your eyebrows at him, then lean closer. Jake realises what you’re trying to do and leans down slightly, turning his head so that you can whisper to him. Your hand slides around to cup the nape of his neck, holding him close.
Jake closes his eyes as your lips graze his earlobe.
“You’re not worth it.”
His lips quirk up into a smirk as you pull back and slip out of his grasp. You step around him and head for the refreshments. Jake watches, you glance back over your shoulder once and smirk to yourself as you grab a glass of champagne. He’s seen you wandering around the house in a bikini a couple of times now. He hasn’t ever given you a second look.
But, the low back on the dress and the soft smirk on your lips as you turn away from him, sipping the champagne - that has his full attention.
Jake stands idle on the dance floor for a few seconds, watching you walk away from him.
Somehow, Jake has always dated women that have had an attitude. Even his first girlfriend in middle school had had plenty to say. His girlfriend in freshman year never let him have the last word. Even Dani, she spent more time making fun of him than she did making out with him.
He stands there under the lights, his eyes unashamedly on your ass, and realises that he has a type.
Jake moves from the centre of the dance floor and picks a point where he can see you, but not where the two of you will run into each other. Manny’s closest to you, Allen’s standing by the exit.
Jake glances around the room. It isn’t dissimilar to all of the Navy balls he has been to. Only, at those, it wasn’t so bad that his date was mean to him, because he spent the entire night secure in the knowledge that he was going to take her home. Dani wasn’t ever officially his date. She wasn’t ever officially his girlfriend. Or his anything - except for his wingman.
It was an unspoken rule that they would be each other’s dates to every event, without anyone ever questioning what they were.
Jake does his best to not think about Dani these days.
She would love the way you push Jake’s buttons. Jake bites his cheek, he imagines that Dani would be in fits of laughter at how pissed off Jake has been these last few weeks. She always thought he was cute when he was mad, which usually just made him more mad. Jake glances over at you periodically.
You have a fresh glass in your hand each time, but it isn’t his job to stop you from drinking. Allen or Manny can hold up that end of the bargain. Jake stands by the steps and watches an hour pass. There are plenty of people who want your attention, you’re polite and friendly with each one.
It grows boring to watch quickly. Jake moves to count the lights on the ceiling instead. 111… 112… 113.
“Um, does anyone have eyes on Apollo?”
Jake frowns, brows furrowing. He took his eyes off of her for a couple of minutes. He presses his earpiece closer to his ear and raises his cuff, “Manny, she was right next to you. What happened?”
“Someone got in my way and she was just gone! - Can either of you see her?”
“Fuck.” Jake mutters, he cranes his neck to look around the crowd.
“Alright, she’s not in here. Jake, you take the north wing, check her room. I’ll take East, Manny you take west.”
Jake takes off without need for further instruction. It’s part of the job to not take off running. Not cause a scene. Not let your father know that he lost you already. His heart thuds a beat harder with each room he checks that you aren’t in.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Jake mutters under his breath. He checks his watch. He has been searching for eight minutes now, he doesn’t know how long you were missing before that. There’s a maximum window of twelve minutes. A lot can happen in twelve minutes.
He hears giggling and comes to an abrupt stop. Jake grabs the door handle and slams his shoulder into the wood, swinging it open.
It’s Tom. That’s the first thing he notices. The second thing Jake notices is Tom’s slacks around his ankles, and the surprising lack of hair on his legs. Finally, Jake’s eyes land on the bare ass, belonging to the girl bent over an admin desk.
“What the fuck, man?” Tom pants, eyes blown wide. He struggles to grab for his underwear, making no effort to hide the girl. Jake has already averted his gaze. The girl rushes up and drops her dress, Jake frowns. It’s not you.
“Jake! Have you- oh my god.” There’s a hand on Jake’s shoulder. His head whips around, lips parting to find you looking equally shocked at his side.
This is bad. Jake’s hands find your hips and he’s shoving you out of the small office. The last thing he needs is for someone to come across the four of you. Tomorrow morning your picture in the papers with a headline about an orgy. He swings the door to the office shut behind him, his other hand still pushing you back into the hall.
You stumble, your back hitting a portrait so hard that it almost falls off of the wall.
Jake’s brows furrow, he steadies you with one hand and the portrait with the other.
“Where the fuck have you been? - You can’t just take off and not tell anyone!” Jake demands, his tone stern and scathing. He glances down and notices the open bottle of gin in your hand, then looks back up to your face. “Are you drunk?”
“I needed to pee!” You defend yourself, pushing off of the wall and standing upright. “I walked by Daddy’s office on the way back and found this.”
Jake sighs in frustration, lifting his wrist, “Found her, Apollo secure. Moving to home ground.”
“Apollo, homeground…” You shake your head disapprovingly as you lean back against the wall, looking at him through heavy lashes. “Can’t you just say my name? - And that we’re going to my room?”
Jake shakes his head as he waits for confirmation that his team just heard what he said.
“Did you see his dick?” You giggle. Jake shoots you a look. He did see Tom’s did, unfortunately. “That thing was weird looking.”
“Heard. Moving to position A, standing by.” Allen confirms.
“Heard, I’ll go to B.” Manny agrees.
Jake catches movement in his peripheral and turns his head. His lips part as you take a gulp straight from the bottle.
“Hey, hey, hey.” He grabs the bottom of the bottle and tears it away from your mouth. You frown and grab the neck of the bottle tight. Jake narrows his eyes at you, “Let go.”
Your lips quirk up into a smirk.
“Make me.”
Jake shakes his head, “I’m not playing with you, drop the bottle.”
“Make me.” You answer again.
Jake tugs hard at the bottle, making your hands slip from its neck. You frown as he sets it on the hallway table behind him and grabs your hand in his. He begins to try to drag you along the hall.
“How is Tom getting laid and I’m not?” You complain, trailing sadly behind Jake, dragging your heels.
“Stop.” Jake checks around and shushes you.
You dig your heels into the carpet and stop walking, folding your arms over you.
“Move.” Jake gestures his head. You stare at him defiantly. It’s been a long day, he has been up for almost twenty-four hours straight. He doesn’t have the patience left to put up with this.
“Make-“
Jake leans forwards and grabs the back of your thighs. He lifts, tossing you over his shoulder and grabbing your legs to steady you. You yelp, pressing your palms to his back. You bite your cheek to keep from grinning as he carries you through the hall.
He opens the door to your room, then swings it shut behind you. He flicks on the light and sets you on your feet. You wobble slightly from the head rush, Jake grabs your waist and steadies you. You lean into him, lifting your chin, your eyes locked on his.
“Don’t.” He tells you again, his voice soft. You slip out of his arms and turn to face him.
He watches as you stand before him, at the bottom edge of your bed, then pull at the tie fastening the back of your dress. You stare at Jake, waiting for him to leave. His eyes fall down to the tie in your hands, then he glances back up to your face. He takes a step further in and away from the door.
Jake stands up straight and loosens his tie slightly.
You let out a soft breath, sliding the strap off of your shoulder. Jake watches silently. Your heart thuds in your chest, liquid courage in your veins. Jake’s eyes follow the second strap as it slides down to your elbow. His gaze flickers back up to meet yours.
You wait for him to stop you, or to head for the door. He stays where he is.
The straps fall past your elbows as you straighten your arms. Jake watches as the champagne coloured fabric slips, exposing your chest to him. His eyes linger on your breasts for a moment, before he looks back up at you.
He raises his eyebrows slightly.
You swallow, pushing the fabric past your hips. Jake’s eyes widen for a split second. Your lips quirk at his reaction.
His adam’s apple bobs in his throat, eyes raking over your body. He clears his throat, then meets your gaze once more.
“I did tell you.” You say gently, heat rising to your cheeks as you cross your ankles, standing before him in nothing but a pair of heels. Jake almost smiles. He stops himself. You did warn him. He just didn’t think you were brave enough to actually go commando in a room full of some of the biggest names in politics.
Jake reaches out, skimming your side softly with his fingertips. A soft trail from your hip to the edge of your ribs, your skin soft under his fingertips. He’s distracted, looking down at your body, watching the course his fingertips take. He looks back up, finding you to be staring at him. There’s a nervousness to the way that you look at him.
“Did you mean what you said? - A-Am… Am I-“ You’re just tipsy, it’s just that he treats you like such a burden. You just need to know that he didn’t mean what he said.
Jake knows what you’re asking. He feels guilty for this afternoon. He bites his cheek.
He glances down between your body and his, sliding his fingers between yours, squeezing your hand softly.
Jake’s eyes find yours, searching over your features for a moment. He lets out a soft breath and guides your hand forwards, pressing it over his crotch. Your lips part, you look down at your hand over the fabric. His cock is hard and straining against the black fabric. You press your palm against his length and lean into him.
Jake brushes your hair tenderly off of your shoulders.
“You’d better get ready for bed.” He tells you gently. You look up at him, unsure whether he means for you to put pyjamas on or bend over. Jake clarifies for you by turning and picking up your neatly folded pyjamas from the chair in the corner of the room.
“Wha- Jake.” You frown at him.
“Do me a favour and don’t argue with me for once.” Jake tells you, unfolding the pyjama top. He takes your arms and pulls the shirt over your shoulders first, then pushes the matching shorts into your hands. You frown up at him as you step into them. “We can’t.”
You whine softly, watching as Jake’s capable hands button the sleep shirt.
“You don’t want to?” Your fingers skim over the fabric of his suit jacket as you look up at him. Jake fixes the collar on the sleep shirt and shakes his head.
“It doesn’t matter if I want to.” Jake tells you. Fuck, he wants to.
You sit on the edge of your bed and lean back on your palms. It makes sense that he doesn’t want to. You’re in your childhood bedroom, the entire house is teeming with security at all times, and Jake’s career is on the line. You nod your head.
“Good girl,” Jake tells you. You stare up at him. He has to get out of this fucking room. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
He leaves, closing the door behind him. You lay back against the white sheets and close your eyes. A breath slips your lips. You already know that you’re going to regret all of that in the morning, but right now, breathing softly as you rest for a moment, you don’t.
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genericpuff · 7 months
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Sorry but I think you’re being super negative about the whole “Rachel Presents” announcement.
Rick Riordan is a white author who is passionate about mythology. After Greek mythology and briefly going into egyptology, he used his influence to give People of color a chance to write modern mythology stories from their own culture and experiences—and most importantly he stayed in his lane.
I think Rachel choosing to step back and give other people a voice is a great outcome, considering you guys all joked about how horrific it would be if she tried to appropriate another culture in her next series.
You also said she should have given LO to another creator who had the passion and dicipline to finish for her. That’s ESSENTIALLY what she’s going to be doing with RP. Maybe her true calling is just…being an Idea guy. She has wonderful concepts and cool ideas, but lacks commitment. In this scenario, we could end up with super amazing stories, with proper editing from Random house and proper commitment from new creators. I don’t really see the issue here, everyone wins.
(And lots of authors do the whole “___ presents” format. I don’t think she deliberately copied RR. Most likely her books sales did well and Penguin House approached her with this offer.)
lmao what? I was against the folks saying she should give it to another creator. I don't think not liking the series should mean she's obligated to "give it to someone else." The series is hers and so it's her responsibility to finish it. I do think she should have ended it a long time ago or if she was really miserable making it then she should step away, but she shouldn't be giving it to someone else to finish for her just because "boo you suck at writing your own comic". She started this, she should finish it.
And this is literally her doing exactly that - appropriating other cultures - with extra steps. Just instead of being on the front lines with her own work, she's sponsoring other works based on her own bar for quality (which we know is EXTREMELY low) and slapping her name on them so she can take a "backseat". It's really icky to see from a creator who practically failed upwards and is now using "herself" as a selling point, when she has no real legitimacy outside of LO, which was only as successful as it was because of WT constantly sinking money into it and advertising it over other series on the platform (and because it's based off a story that was VERY popular to romanticize at the time, the H x P myth. Like it was literally what was popular on Tumblr when it started as a hobby comic on Tumblr.)
I'm outlining all of these posts with "speculation" because obviously I don't know what's really going on behind the scenes here, but I think it's really disingenuous of Rachel to sell herself as some top tier brand name for mythological works as a whole when she's caused so much actual harm to the Greek myth community and its sources. It's furthering the notion that she has any credibility as a "folklorist" when really she just pulls whatever comes off the front page of Google. And the similarities between herself and Rick Riordan do matter here because of how commonplace it is these days for Rachel to rip off other works rather than take inspiration and make it into something that's organically her own.
That's my two cents. It's not me trying to be "negative", it's me being genuinely concerned over the blatant appropriation from a white woman gaining even more control over the depictions of cultures and mythologies that she claims she's educated on and isn't. Unlike Rick Riordan, Rachel does not have any formal education in the subject she's claiming to be educated about. Unlike Rick Riordan, Rachel allows her fanbase to use her work as a source on Greek myth and she obfuscates the line between "fiction" and "fact". Rick Riordan started Rick Riordan Presents after he had multiple hits under his belt that were celebrated and loved. Rachel is starting Rachel Smythe Presents after a one hit wonder that could be chalked up to a total fluke that wasn't even able to go out with a bang.
Rick Riordan writes fictional stories inspired by Greek myth for children. Rachel is writing fictional stories claiming to be "retellings" of Greek myth - and now other mythologies if the implications of this project follow through - for adults. It's disingenuous and it frankly deserves to be paid attention to and called out.
I do genuinely want to see creators given an avenue to monetize their work and that's why I think the thought of it is nice, but any amount of further digging just makes this feel like a grift that will lead young and inexperienced creators down a path that won't benefit them (or take advantage of them) due to the blatant lack of care and management exhibited by Rachel over the past 5 years. Just because Rachel had one massive hit that lined her pockets for years does NOT qualify her to be a titan of the industry. Not by a long shot.
To quote Super Eyepatch Wolf,
"Let's say you decide you want to become a carpenter, and particularly, how to build a nice chair. Think about the kind of person you'd want to learn that skill from - would it be from someone who's built nice chairs every day for 30 years, or would it be the guy who built ONE nice chair 5 years ago out of a special kind of wood that doesn't exist anymore, who has NO experience with the kind of wood available to you now?"
EDIT to add: it was more likely Rachel's representative, Britt Seiss who landed this deal for her, not Penguin House themselves. That's what agents are for.
EDIT EDIT: this is ALL assuming she even FOLLOWS THROUGH with this project, because god knows the only reason LO has even gone on as long as it has was because she was being held responsible via a contract, she's NOTORIOUSLY bad for committing to things and has even admitted to it in interviews. She barely even works on LO as it is. Spring of 2024 could roll around and this project could entirely fizzle out. Again, not me trying to be a negative nancy here, I'm just stating my own concerns based on what we all know about Rachel at this point and how she operates.
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shortpplfedup · 7 months
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Only Friends Character Rankings Episode 9
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A contemplative episode this week, as most of the characters stop struggling and start accepting some shit. But while some people come to correct conclusions (Ray and Mew break up, but can you call it a break up if you were never actually together?), others just decide to make the same mistakes and hope for different outcomes (Sand keeps trusting Ray instead of himself; Mew decides to give Top another chance). We're moving into the last act of the story now, and it's anybody's guess where we land up when the dust settles. Last week y'all judged Ray the most audacious by a mile. Lemme put my glasses on and see who I'm feeling this week.
🔺1. Nick (6)
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Team Second Option!
Nick and Sand's loser friendship and their self-awareness of same is one of the most delightful parts of a truly delightful show. I can totally believe Nick suggested them hooking up, this is EXACTLY how these things go. Them dissolving into giggles over their kiss and cuddling each other to sleep was a beautiful friendship moment. Another beautiful moment was Nick's acceptance that he really had just fucked things up with Boston (we will ignore the fact that the boy just can't HELP spying on that man having sex with other people🤣), apologising in a heartfelt way and attempting to move on. I think Nick's heart might be the only one at ease at the end of this ep, so he wins the week.
⭐2. Boeing
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My room is right here as well.
IT'S MOND IT'S MOND IT'S MOND MOND IS HERE AND HE LOOKS GOOD AS FUCK! It's time to find out what the hell this is all about, but whatever it is looks kinda fucked which YES.
🔺3. Sand (11)
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We are just masochists.
The loser camping trip did a lot to make me feel less irritated with Sand this week. Sand has always been incredibly self-aware about how much him having feelings for Ray is a suck move, but having him state it all so baldly and call himself a masochist this episode did move the needle for me. Architect of his own misery? Yes, but knowing he lowhighkey ENJOYS the misery makes all the difference. You know what king, you do you. Swing wildly between euphoria and despair while you're young enough to find it exciting.
🔻4. Boston (2)
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Gay, straight, pan, whatever the fuck you want to be. I just opened your eyes.
Oh sis, I saw you trying there, but the lack of impulse control as always will land you in trouble. He should have sent Atom packing after that party, but sad, lonely and pissed off are a bad combo, and one thing Boston consistently does is make poor decisions when he's feeling some typa way. He clearly served up a top tier dicking though, because Atom is in LOVE. Inconvenient at best. As I keep saying though: you can't keep a bad bitch down, and Boston's one of the baddest. This too shall pass.
🔺5. Ray (12)
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I am thick-skinned. I don't care.
*deep negro spiritual sigh* How DARE you bust up the loser camping trip Raymond. I'll not forgive you for that one. Ray, rejected by Mew, demands Sand's company for an ego-boosting dopamine hit (including the sex that Mew denied him, natch), continuing to treat him like a servant and a possession. But this time Sand calls him on it, and that maybe means he thinks about it a little? TBD. I do think Ray WAS actually honest this episode about his feelings (hence the rise in rank), but he was still trying to get what he wanted out of Sand. He and Mew ended their ill-advised relationship as friends though, so that's a positive. Rehab seems to be on the menu next week so anything's possible. I still think these two are terrible for each other, but they're 21, I guess it's allowed.
🔺6. Top (7)
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I just want you to know that the person you think loves you the most is not that good.
Watching Top work Mew's moms over all Mew's objections was gross, and I'm fortified anew in my feeling that this dude's vibes are just OFF. Top...circling Mew like this, working Cheum, working his moms, making the move to excise Ray but not actually pulling the trigger because he knows taking the high road will appeal to Mew...look this show has 3 more eps to prove me wrong but something ain't RIGHT with this 'un. Top's money, his good looks, his sweet words, that's all it seems anybody pays attention to, but something underneath...anyway, his strategy's working, right up until the moment Mew runs into Boeing on his fucking doorstep.
🔻7. Mew (3)
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I just thought if I became someone else, I'd be stronger.
Well the slut spiral was fun while it lasted, but I guess the morning after a coke bender is generally unpleasant and Mew's a paper tiger not a real G. Mew's trying to keep up the party boy persona but he's not built for this shit, his heart's not in it and Ray trying to literally get in his pants crashed him back to reality. He's totally going back to Top, Boeing or no Boeing.
⭐8. Mew's moms
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I saw you on Mew's Instagram. You look better in person.
Oof. Look they're cute and they obviously love Mew, but their son is clearly uncomfortable and unhappy with Top around and they're ignoring that. They may not know what happened, but the room ain't THAT hard to read.
🔻9. Atom (1)
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Did I just get nailed and bailed?
Atom tried dick exactly once and it's got him outside Boston's house in the middle of the night begging for more of the same. My bunny boiler hopes have fizzled for both Nick and Sand, maybe Atom is the one I've been waiting for.
🔹10. Yo (10)
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Good can't buy love.
Mae Yo with the read this week: 'good can't buy love'. I really want Mom and Cool Stepdad back together. GO GET YOUR MAN YO!
🔻11. Daddy Dan (4)
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I'm not going to be your boss tonight. Call me Daddy Dan.
The cringe is through the roof. Well he might get to sniff it but a sniff's all he's gonna get before Nick's back in Boston's bed, and that's just a matter of time at this point.
🔻12. Cheum (8)
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The evil spirit left you already, huh?
Will Cheum ever learn to mind the business that pays her? Her lack of interest in her brother's clear and obvious heartbreak is contrasted unfavourably with her overinvestment and overinvolvement in the Mew/Top saga. I also somehow feel like last week's self-interested moment of solidarity with Boston won't survive contact with her brother getting exactly what he asked for and breaking his own heart with it.
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ihavenoideamanokay · 7 months
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spoilers for Nerdy Prudes Must Die
my thoughts and stuff like a day later
I'M OBSESSED WITH THE SUMMONING IT'S SUCH A GOOD SONG I'VE HAD IT ON LOOP ALL DAY
I LOVE THE LORDS
also rip to people who wanna watch but haven't seen nightmare time hahaha
I'm so excited that the lords in black have like costumes now!!!!
OH MY GOD THE GUY WHO PLAYED MAX HAD SUCH A GREAT VOICE DUDE
singing and talking
like the acting was top tier but ESPECIALLY HIM
LIKE THE BEGINNING WHEN HE DOES THE
riiiiiiiiiichieee riiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICHIEEEEEE
it was INSANE I LOVED IT
also the makeup when he was dead was insane
this musical was so so so well made oh my god
I wonder what happened to the mayor with the book (or maybe that was in nightmare time and I forgot?)
obsessed with how lautski and paulkins get together ever universe because it feels so cute and meant to be
I REALLY REALLY REALLY WANNA BE WIGGLY FOR HALLOWEEN
(the part of my brain reserved for hyperfixations is currently obsessed with wiggly)
and I was thinking I should get a wig and The Voices go DYE YOUR HAIR GREEN
on the note of the lords I'm glad they kept blinky creepy and made nibbly more creepy
I wish I had more to say on the lords bc I love them but idk why
WHEN TINKY SAYS
OH BOY, A SPANKOFFSKI!!
EVERY SINGLE TIME I FREAK OUT
ALSO WHEN THEY TOLD PETE THAT HE LOOKED LIKE "THAT HOMELESS GUY" I WAS LIKE SCREAMING
but like the makeup and acting was all insane and the music was great and I loved the horror and yeah
I'm obsessed with all the songs actually but especially the summoning (AND IF I LOVED YOU OMG I LOVE LOVE SONGS LIKE THAT)
THE RELIGION JOKES WITH GRACE LIKE THE "are you religious?" "I'm Catholic" "alright, so no." AND ALL THAT ARE SO FUNNY I CAN'T
AND THE CAMEOS IN HATCHET TOWN I LOVE THAT SONG BUT ESPECIALLY THE CAMEOS
I was totally right Grace was a serial killer (at least if she wasn't already she absolutely is now)
I'll probably add more things eventually this is just like immediate stuff sticking in my head after the first watch
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