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#when you realize the one person who understands you
vanteguccir · 19 hours
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5 cute little moments | Chris Sturniolo
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Chris Sturniolo x reader
Summary: Where Chris is deeply in love with Y/N and isn't ashamed to show it; OR, 5 cute little moments between Chris and Y/N.
Warning: Making out (4).
Requested?: Yes, by @ecliphttlunar, @smileymilee and anons.
Author's note: That is my work, I DON'T authorize any plagiarism, copy, or "inspiration"! | English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.
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1. Surprise on tour
A mixture of nervousness and euphoria coursed freely through Chris's veins as he prepared to enter the stage. The boy discovered after his first tour alongside his brothers that the sensations of being on a stage, surrounded by people who adore him, were very similar to the sensation of an orgasm. And he loved it.
As soon as the lights came up and the opening song started playing, he found himself fully immersed in the energy of the crowd.
While he and his brothers went through their usual fan interactions, Chris couldn't get Y/N out of his mind. He wanted her to be there with him, sharing this special moment with him and his brothers.
When it was time to take the break to talk to the fans again, Chris took a few seconds to survey the crowd in front of him, sweeping his blue eyes over each head he saw.
Until he founded her.
He frowned automatically, squinting his eyes into thin lines to try and see better, quickly realizing that it wasn't his mind playing tricks on him, Y/N was really there.
"Wait! Wait, can I- Oh my God." Chris interrupted Nick, who was speaking into his own microphone, raising his right hand towards his brother and holding it in the air, telling him to shut up silently. "Baby? Is that... Is that really you?"
Y/N - who was surrounded by fans who recognized her the moment she appeared there - felt her cheeks take on a reddish hue almost instantly, her eyes filling with tears from being able to interact in person with Chris after so many weeks apart.
The girl knew he couldn't hear her even if she screamed, so she just nodded, a huge smile decorating her face.
"Is Y/N here?" Matt's voice sounded over the speaker, his body moving closer to his brother's as he tried to find her in his line of sight. “Oh, hey, Y/N!”
"Guys, my amazing girlfriend, Y/N, is here with us tonight!" Chris shouted into the microphone, raising his free hand and waving his fingers in the air in euphoria, holding himself back from jumping in place.
The crowd erupted in applause and cheers as Chris explained how Y/N wasn't going on tour with them because of her studies. His voice could barely hide his excitement when talking about her, the volume having a constant fight with the loud volume of the fans' screams.
"Wow, it feels like I haven't seen you in weeks." Chris teased, throwing a wink her way.
Nick's laugh was heard right next to him, his voice echoing through the speaker with a random comment that Chris didn't try to understand, his eyes fixed on his girl as his heart overflowed with love.
"You look prettier than ever, babe." Chris flirted, his tongue escaping between his lips and wetting them as his ears were filled again by the euphoric screams of the crowd.
Y/N could only laugh out loud in nervousness and shyness, her red cheeks glowing under the colored lights. Some fans around her made funny comments about the situation, joking - or not - about how they wanted to be in her place.
It was safe to say that the night of the show was filled with comments and flirtations from Chris directed at Y/N, the boy having to hold himself back for long minutes to not run down the stage towards his girl arms.
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2. Mispronounciation
"Is that açaí, Nick?" Chris's question caught Y/N's attention, who took her eyes off the nugget shelves she was analyzing in one of the freezers a few steps away from the triplets, now focusing on them.
"Did I hear açaí?" Her voice echoed in excitement, her hands quickly grabbing the package of nuggets that she liked the most before returning to the boys, placing it inside the cart with the other frozen products before standing next to Nick, analyzing the container in his hands. "Oh, it is! I want it, please?"
"Of course, we'll take it." Nick quickly responded, nodding his head as he turned, facing the cart and allowing the freezer door to close behind his back.
"Can we have condensed milk and milk powder to put in it? Oh, oh, and banana too!" The girl pleaded, her voice full of excitement as she clasped her hands in front of her chest, raising her eyes towards Chris and widening them slightly.
"Sure, babe..." Chris nodded almost instantly, unable to say no to his girl. "I still don't understand how she can have açaí with condensed milk and milk powder." He muttered only for the camera to catch it, failing miserably as his tone came out loud enough for Y/N and his brothers to hear it.
"Hey! It's the only right way to have açaí, okay?" Y/N argued, rolling her eyes playfully and turning back to the cart, arranging the container next to the other frozen products, as she did with the nuggets, being the type of girl that liked to organize her groceries.
"Guys, look! It's prepackaged, but we did find some asparagus." Matt interrupted the silence seconds after, rescuing the medium package of asparagus and quickly showing it to the lens with a proud smile on his face.
"I love aspargos so much. Your cooking will be the best in this series you guys are making, Matt." Y/N murmured, smiling big and pointing with her chin at the package while Matt put it back on its place.
"What did you say?" Nick asked with a frown. Being a little away from the three made it difficult for him to understand what they were saying, and it worsened with her pronunciation.
"Um... aspargos?" The girl repeated, frowning in confusion.
"The pronunciation is wrong, babe. You say it like s-par-gus." Chris corrected gently, lowering the camera slightly and watching her with caring eyes.
He loved the little pronunciation mistakes his girl made. He understood that she was still learning English and that her Brazilian accent could make it difficult to say one word and another, and all that made him fall in love again every day.
"Oh." Y/N bit her lower lip lightly, feeling her cheeks heat up in embarrassment, receiving an encouraging smile from Matt, who watched them silently while Nick was still collecting products from that aisle.
"Hey, it's okay, pretty girl. It's just one word, let's try it together, okay?" Chris assured her, handing the camera to Matt and approaching his girlfriend, taking her hands and squeezing her fingers gently.
The girl nodded, maintaining her eyes on her boyfriend's face before focusing them on his lips, watching him saying the word again before trying it herself.
"S-par-gus. Asparagus." She repeated slowly, trying to imitate the pronunciation and accent Chris had shown her, finally saying it correctly.
"That's it, babe. You did it!" Chris smiled big, his voice echoing louder than before and euphoria exuding from his body. He quickly pulled her into a big hug, sealing the right side of her forehead with his lips for long seconds.
Extra - comments:
"It's so incredible to see how Y/N has evolved every day with her english pronunciation 🥺"
"the way Chris is patient and kind in correcting her 😭"
"Chris helping Y/N pronounce the word in the right way was the best thing I've seen today 😔✋🏻"
"I agree with her, açaí with condensed milk and milk powder is the best thing in the world 🤭"
"have a boyfriend who supports you like Chris does for Y/N 😫😫"
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3. Euphoric mood
It was a busy day for Chris and his brothers. They were rushing from one appointment to another, trying to keep up with all the demands of the channel and their brands. However, what would normally be a busy day became even more chaotic due to Chris's uncontrollable euphoria.
From the moment he woke up, Chris was in full hyperactivity mode. He talked nonstop, jumping from one topic to another with dizzying rapidity. His brothers were beginning to get irritated by his incessant energy, unable to keep up with the frantic pace of his thoughts.
"Chris, bro, you need to calm down a little." Matt muttered, frowning as he tried to keep up with his brother's rapid-fire conversation.
"No, wait! I spoke to a friend who is going to medical school, Josh, you know him." Chris ignored him, continuing to speak without slowing down, his words coming out jumbled. "And if you had a broken bone or a sprain, you'd know already, you know? It's been so long since-"
"Chris, slow down." Nick shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb, feeling overwhelmed by the torrent of information coming out of Chris's mouth since hours before.
Chris stopped abruptly, looking at his brothers with a mixture of surprise and confusion.
"What? I'm just trying to help!"
Matt sighed, straightening in his seat on the couch, trying to find the right words to express his frustration.
"Chris, we understand you're trying to help me with my ankle, but you're driving us crazy with all this energy. We need a moment."
Before Chris could say anything, Y/N - who was in the kitchen preparing an afternoon snack for them - turned from her place and walked slowly into the living room, her hands holding a metal tray with the food, watching the scene with understanding eyes. She had noticed Chris's agitated state since the beginning of the day and knew it was time to intervene.
"Chris, honey." She called softly, placing the tray on the television stand and approaching him. "Why don't you sit down for a bit and relax? You're stressing yourself out."
"But baby, Matt has been in pain for days and doesn't want to take care of the problem, so I'm coming with the solution." Chris directed his gaze at her, frowning and crossing his arms like a child.
"I know, my love, and I think the boys understand that too. Why don't we watch something for a while? Your day was tiring as well. Maybe a little rest will help everyone, okay?" Y/N smiled gently, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
She guided him to the couch and made him sit with his back against the soft backrest, sitting next to him and raising her right hand, taking it to his head, stroking his hair gently with her long nails. Chris felt instantly calmer, his frantic mind slowing down.
Nick and Matt watched in surprise and amusement as Y/N calmed Chris with her simple presence and caring gesture. They never got tired of seeing the gigantic effect the girl had on their brother.
"Are you a magician or something?" Nick teased, earning a middle finger from Chris and a laugh from Y/N in response before finally grabbing his lunch from the tray.
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4. Making out session
Chris and Y/N were lying together in their bed, wrapped in a soft blanket as they watched an old romantic comedy movie on the television. The soft light from the screen illuminated their faces as they snuggled together, enjoying the tranquility and intimacy of the moment.
As the movie progressed, Chris felt his heart beating faster as his closeness to Y/N seemed to be more palpable. No matter how many years they had been together, Chris always felt like it was still the beginning of the relationship, or, as they say, the honeymoon phase.
His blue eyes found her side profile, admiring the softness of her features and the sparkle in her eyes as she was absorbed in the story of the couple in front of them.
Without thinking, the boy moved his hand, reaching for hers and intertwining their fingers. Y/N smiled softly at the gesture, lightly squeezing his hand, conveying comfort and affection without saying a word.
The girl turned her face towards him, feeling his eyes burning into her for long minutes, ready to question him if he was still interested in the story, but her words caught in her throat when she saw the intensity of his gaze.
She knew that look.
Their eyes remained connected for long seconds, the sound of the television becoming muffled to their ears. With one smooth movement, Chris slid his free hand up to Y/N's face, caressing her warm cheek with his fingers in an almost ghost touch. He felt the softness of her skin under his, losing himself in the comforting sensation.
Y/N sighed softly, closing her eyes and pending her head against his hand, enjoying the gentle affection. In one quick movement, Chris got closer to her face, leaning towards her. Their noses met lightly, the boy caressing the area lightly in an eskimo kiss before adjusting his position, their lips finally meeting in a slow and gentle kiss, filled with tenderness and desire.
They explored each other gently, their kiss slowly gaining a rhythms as they gave in to the intimacy of the moment. There was no rush, just the sweet feeling of being together.
Chris's warm tongue caressed her lower lip in a silent request for entrance, which was quickly granted, their tongues intertwining in a wet and skillful kiss.
The boy raised his free hand to the back of Y/N's head, his thumb pressing the tip of her jaw, caressing the hot and flushed skin tenderly, feeling drunk by the natural scent of her body as they surrendered to the heat of the moment. Their hearts beat in unison, a symphony of love and desperation.
In one swift movement, Y/N moved under the blanket that covered their legs, strategically climbing into his lap and sitting on his gray sweatpants covered thighs, her legs wrapping around his hips securely. She moved her hands to his shoulders, tilting her torso slightly and deepening the kiss with the new position.
External sounds disappeared for the two, only the sound of their rapid and choppy breaths echoing in their ears, creating a warm bubble around them.
Chris's hands traveled over Y/N's body in a slow and sensual way, finding home on her hips and tracing imaginary shapes with the tip of his fingers above the thin fabric of her panties, lightly squeezing the area, a low moan escaping the girl's throat.
When the air began to run out, they reluctantly separated, their eyes closed while their tongues still savored the fresh taste of each other that predominated their mouths. Y/N leaned her forehead against his, lightly pressing their noses together as she caught her breath.
When her eyes finally opened, her first sight was Chris's swollen-lipped smirk.
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5. Trying to match my boyfriend eating
Y/N's phone camera was already open, and the device rested on the nightstand on her side of the bed, propped up against the pink lamp so that the screen pointed towards her and, consequently, Chris, who would sit next to her.
The girl smiled at the front camera after clicking the red record button, settling back down on the mattress, waiting for Chris, who would return soon with the burgers they had ordered for delivery to eat while they watched a movie.
The sound of the door opening echoed through the room some minutes after, and the girl quickly lifted her gaze towards the source, smiling widely when she saw her boyfriend with the large paper bag in one of his hands.
She quickly took it from him, opening it in one quick movement and taking out the burgers, fries, and sodas, individually separating the ones that were hers and the ones that were his.
"Hungry, babe?" Chris asked with a smile in his voice, a nasal laugh following his sentence as he settled into bed next to her, retrieving his burger quickly.
"You have no idea." The girl murmured, taking advantage of the fact that Chris was unwrapping his lunch as if it were the most precious thing in the world to quickly look at her phone, winking at the camera, unwrapping her own burger.
Y/N wasted no time, noticing from the corner of her eyes her boyfriend already taking the first bite, quickly following him. She tried to bite off a piece in the same size as his, but her attempt was futile, only getting half of it, which was already too much for her.
Chris chewed the piece without any problems, leaning forward slightly and reaching for the remote control that was in the middle of the bed, quickly picking it up and clicking the play button, resuming the movie where they stopped before the food arrived, his mouth working on taking another bite without even looking at his burger.
Y/N's eyes widened, forcing herself to swallow what was still in her mouth so she could take more, this time a little bigger than the last. She found it difficult to chew as quickly as Chris did, closing her eyes tightly as she tried, futilely, to concentrate on swallowing as quickly as possible.
A cough escaped her throat, muffled by her closed lips, but catching the boy's attention, who looked up at her with his brow furrowed in confusion.
His blue eyes widened comically at the sight of her cheeks inflated because of the food and trying to chew, a loud laugh escaping his lips.
"Babe, what the fuck are you doing? Slow down." The brunette adverted, wrapping his burger again and leaving it on the bed - away from his legs so as not to run the risk of crushing it.
He leaned toward her, patting her back lightly with his right hand while his left reached for her Diet Coke, touching the end of the straw to her closed lips.
Chris watched her carefully and with worried eyes, waiting for her to swallow the food, finally taking a few slow sips of the sweet drink.
"I'm sorry." Y/N whispered, a small smile decorating her face along with her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "It was supposed to be a TikTok, but you eat too quickly."
The boy shook his head in confusion, running his eyes around the room and quickly finding his girl's phone recording them.
"Your food will run away or something?"
"Shut up."
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Kiss Me More
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Hi guys :)
I had a request for the last chapter for the serie "Kiss Me", so here it is :)
I hope it will suits you, dear anon.
Enjoy ♥
TW : Mention of cheating
PART 1 | PART 2
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Being Katie McCabe’s girlfriend is something you were hoping to be for several weeks before it happens. You both needed a little of adjustment at first, Katie was sometimes a little bit reluctant to pass to much time with you. You were hurt at first, thinking that she finally wasn’t interested to the idea of making things with you. When she realized that she hurt you, you had an explanation, where she basically told you that she didn’t want things to go to fast. Because a part of her was always scared of something going wrong or something.
You were great now, she isn’t the most demonstrative person in the world, at least when you are not alone. You can live with that actually, both of you decided to hide your relationship to the public for now. Not all of your teammates know about your relationship, but the ones who are your friends know.
Katie makes a point to let you understand that she is in charge in this relationship, but as bossy as she wants to be, you can only see how much she looks for you. When you are not coming to work together, she always waits for you in the locker room to have her kiss before going to training. When you are eating with other of your teammates at the training facilities, she always sneaks her chocolate to you. And you can say that she remembers everything you tell her.
Your favorite chocolate, your favorite flower, your favorite color, the name of the cat you had when you were a kid, where you like to go for a walk, your favorite TV show… She knows everything and she is always proud about it.
That’s the kind of things that makes you realize that she really cares about you.
********
“Do you really need to go?” you ask in a pouting tone, wrapped around your girlfriend.
Katie needs to go, you know that. She has to go to Ireland for the national break. You stay in London yourself, your ankle being a little sore and Australia only playing friendly, both of your teams decide to let you rest. You’re a little sad not to go have fun with Caitlin, Steph and Kyra, but you will next time.
“Yes, I have to. But I still could take you in my pocket” she smirks.
“I think I’d like that�� you smile back.
Katie laughs and you cuddle even more against her, trying to get as much from your girlfriend as possible. It’s only two weeks, but you don’t like when she’s not around. She seems a little less needy than you are, but she never said anything about your behavior with her. Katie being very honest, you know that she would have said something if she didn’t like something you do.
You feel her shiver when you take a big breath in her neck and you smile, letting your finger run on the skin of her abs. But she knows what you’re doing, because several seconds after, she takes your hand in hers.
“We don’t have time for that, my pretty lady.”
“Can’t make it quick?” you tease.
“Not with you.”
She kisses you and you let her, distractedly asking yourself if it’s a compliment or not. But you soon come back to reality, Katie will leave in some minutes now. You’re at her house, you’ve got her cat’s supervision while she’s away. Ella, her sister, has too but she will rejoin her for the game in Ireland in some days.
You will not, because it would be too risky to do it. People would easily understand what’s happening if you go to the game. And with the social media, it would be impossible to hide. You know it. You’re still a little sad, but you don’t say anything to Katie about it.
She seems a little sad when she says goodbye to you at her door. The way she puts your hair behind your ear before kissing you softly say it all. You don’t need Katie to words what she’s feeling because you can feel it too.
“Write me?” you ask when she takes you against her one more time.
“Course. You too, ok?”
You nod, not trusting your voice at this moment. You hide your face on her neck one last time, breathing her sent. But you know you have to let her go; her Uber won’t wait for her forever.
After a last-minute recommendation about Coopurr, she kisses you a last time before running to the car with her suitcase. You can’t help but smile, waving back at her when she does from the back seat.
********
Katie lost her first game against France and in your opinion, it wasn’t really deserved. Maybe you are biased, but Katie would have deserved to score the goal at the 86th minute. She’s still fuming about her teammates fail and you try to distract her while showing her cat.
It’s seems to work, Coopurr’s purring making her smile. Ella left this morning, and you feel a little lonely here. Thanks god, Lia is in London too and you have someone you like to pass time with you. She is dog-sitting one of the dogs of your teammates and you wonder how it would look like when some of them would have children too.
You were actually walking Calvin with Lia, when you receive a message from one of your friends. You don’t really like when someone send you a “Have you seen that?!” with an article. You were not walking fast because of Lia’s leg, so you don’t have to slow to read it. Maybe sitting on a bench would have been a clever idea though.
You are currently reading an article of a girl, explaining how she slept with Katie McCabe. Your girlfriend. You know that Katie had some hookup before things are getting different between you, but the timing isn’t good. Katie and you are together for four months now. And this girl is literally talking about last week, exactly the day when Katie and her teammates went to a bar to decompress from the training. When you said to Katie that you find it strange, she laughs and answered “Meh we are Irish. Beer is in our DNA.” Which made you laugh at the time, but you are far from laughing right now.
“What’s going on?”
You realize that Lia called your name almost two times before you raise your face to look at her. Not being able to talk, you just give her your phone. You watch closely at her face when she reads it, and you see her passing from questioning to shock. She looks at you straight in the eyes when she gives you your phone back.
“Do you think that’s true?”
There is a lump in your throat that keeps you from talking right. You try to swallow it before talking.
“There are a lot of details.”
Lia nods. There are a lot of details. About Katie and her flat in Dublin, the same one where Ella was living before coming to London too.
“Come on, let’s go home. You need to call Katie.”
********
You did not call Katie, but you didn’t answer her messages or her call either. You know it’s stupid and maybe a little immature. But you cannot face it now. The betrayal is too hard to support, and you cried so much that you are not sure that your eyes will be white again one day.
You still take care of Coopurr though, the cat not leaving your side when you are at Katie’s house. You know she can see you coming if she wants, she installed security cameras outside and inside the house. Other than that, you just go to your flat to sleep the most that you can. You do not want to face this, maybe if you keep hiding the pain will fade away.
It doesn’t. You are startled awake two days after, with loud banging against your door. You hesitate to go answering, but you are clearly in fear that the person will break your door if you don’t get up.
So, you do, trying to arrange your hair in a messy bun. You are wearing Katie’s Irish away jumper and a pair of black Nike shorts. You’re pathetic. But Lia seems to be more relieved than judgy about your appearance when she sees you. She has her phone in her hand, but the relieved soon let place to a frown.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“Sleeping?”
She grunts and close the door behind her when she comes in your flat. Thanks god you cleaned last night, tired to be in a messy place.
“Why aren’t you answering to Katie?”
“I can’t” you whisper, following her in the living room.
Lia turns around to look at you and her face softens when she sees you. She hesitates several seconds, before handing you her phone.
“Well, do it now.”
You look at the screen to realize that she was already calling someone for almost 45 minutes already. It’s Katie. Lia encourages you to take it with another nod of her head. You sigh and take it, letting yourself fall in the couch behind you.
“Hello?” you mumble.
“Bloody hell, where were you?!”
You wince at Katie’s tone, Lia taping your shoulder in an attempt of recomfort before leaving for the kitchen. You appreciate the intimacy she offers you, but you would have preferred to have her with you to be honest.
“Why aren’t you answering to any of my text or call? What happened?”
Katie seems on verge of breaking down and that’s maybe what made you snap. You don’t shout with Katie; you know that it doesn’t make any sense to do it with her. She’s loud, but you were always able to talk about things without shouting.
“I don’t know, you tell me?” you say icily.
“I don’t understand.”
You can easily imagine her with her eyebrows frown. You sigh before rolling your eyes. If she wants proof, you’re going to give some to her.
“I’ll send you something. After that, if you have something more to tell me, call me back.”
You don’t wait for her answer before hanging up. You take your phone, looking for the article your friend sent you. You didn’t answer to him, but right now, it doesn’t matter. You sent the link to Katie, before going to the kitchen to give Lia her phone back.
“Do you want me to stay, or can I leave?” the Swiss captain asks.
“You can go, Wally. Thanks for coming.”
“Anytime. Call me, ok?”
You smile slightly and nod, letting her kiss your cheek before she leaves. You just have closed the door behind her when your phone start ringing. It’s Katie, requiring a FaceTime. You answer and Katie’s face is almost white when you see her.
“This is bullshit. I never did that, I swear.”
You sigh, rubbing your forehead. You are honestly so tired, the amount of sleep you had those past hours are not very good. And sad, of course.
“I don’t know, Katie” you whisper.
“No, it’s the truth! You have to believe me, baby please.”
“How can she know all of these things, Kat?” you say wearily. “She even knows that you have a birthmark on your tummy, or how your kitchen is decorated.”
“Ella always made TikTok in that flat before she comes to London! And for my birthmark, it probably visible on some pictures. You know that I give my jersey to kids sometimes after the game. People take me on picture every time.”
You let several seconds passed, trying to listen to her. The last part is true, you saw thousand pictures of your girlfriend in sport bra on the football fields. For the second part you don’t see her making things like this, particularly with the fact that you just have to go on TikTok to see if it’s the truth or not.
“Come on Babe, why in the world would I ask you out if it’s just for sleeping around soon after?”
“I don’t know.”
You are desperate. You want to believe her, of course you do. You know she has sometimes trouble with talking about her feelings, but you never thought about her cheating on you. She’s one of the most loyal persons you know.
“You know what? I’m taking a plane right now.”
“What?”
Katie is suddenly moving, and the noise of a suitcase that is open is audible from the phone.
“No Katie, you can’t do that. You have training tomorrow and a game in two days against England.”
“I don’t give a damn fuck.”
You almost roll your eyes.
“Katie, stop.”
She listens and look at you, her face dark and her eyebrow frown. She looks determined but she still stopped when you asked her.
“You can’t do that” you repeat.
“Well come to Ireland. I’ll sent you the ticket for the plane.”
“Katie…”
“Stop calling me that!” she shouts.
“Calling you what?” you ask, frowning.
“Katie.”
She says it like it’s a bad world or something and this time you can’t help but roll your eyes at her.
“It’s your name?” you point.
“You stopped calling me that after we start dating. Stop calling me Katie and come to Dublin. Please.”
********
That’s how you find yourself in a plane for Dublin, reserved by Katie who put you in first class. You roll your eyes when you realize it and sent her a picture of you in your seat when you are in the plane. Since your call, Katie almost never stops calling or texting you. You don’t understand how she managed to get the time to go to training, but she does. And the pictures of her on Instagram can say you that it’s the truth.
She warned you that she won’t be able to come to pick you at the airport, but you are surprised to see a man with your name on a paper waiting for you. He smiles at you, informing you that Katie sent him to drive you to her hotel.
He talks to you about Dublin and some places during the journey to the hotel, while you are looking by the window. You never went to Ireland before, only for football. Maybe Katie will show you around if you manage to forget your fight. And you definitively need to change the idea you made in your head that Katie really cheated on you.
You know that some of your friends saw the article too, but no one talked about it to you. Maybe because you were ignoring everyone, true.
When you arrive, you hide behind your hood because you don’t want anyone to recognize you for now. You’re really fearing to find yourself facing Ruesha, for example. Katie told you her room number and your hands are shaking when you knock on the door of her hotel room.
It took her several seconds to respond, but she finally opens the door. She looks tired honestly, but she’s at camp so it’s maybe not surprising. She froze a little when she sees you, like if she doesn’t believe that you will actually come. You’re the one breaking the silence, rather awkwardly to be honest.
“Hi” you whisper, waving your hand.
Thanks god, Katie doesn’t seem to mind. She doesn’t laugh, taking you against her. Hard.
“You’re here” she whispers while holding you.
You nod, finding solace in her embrace. You missed her, obviously. It would have felt better to find her without all this drama though. She lets you go only several minutes after, not only releasing you totally. She looks at you and you look back, both of you not knowing where to start.
“I’m sorry for the article” Katie finally says after some time.
You shrug, not knowing what you could answer to that. She doesn’t ask for it, cheating or not cheating.
“Do you believe me now?”
You know that the answer to the question is important for her. Like you said, Katie’s loyal. And it’s one of the things who are the most important for her. You know it, you know Katie.
“I think I do” you finally say very slowly.
You see that Katie is looking at your face and your eyes with attention, maybe looking for any trace of doubt from your part. You believe her, that doesn’t mean that the article was forgotten. The way you felt when you first read it is still very perennial in you.
“Yeah?” she asks softly.
You nod, smiling very lightly when she strokes your cheek. She gives you the impression that you are made of glass, and you don’t know if she ever been so delicate with you.
“Come sit down.”
She takes you by the hand and you let her drag you in her bed. You sit here, next to her, with your back against the headboard. Katie sits in front of you, playing with her thumb and her nails.
“I’m going to talk, but if you have something to say please feel free to stop me, ok?” Katie asks.
You nod, looking at her. You are curious to know what she might want to tell you. Does she even know that girl? Or did that girl create all this story?
“I know that I’m maybe not the perfect girlfriend and I know that our relationship didn’t really start like it was supposed to. I’ll always had a thing for you, but I was scared, I was an asshole, and it was honestly easier for me to just sleep with you and try to pass to something else. That’s what I tried to do, but it didn’t work. I was still thinking about you, even more than before.”
Katie stops to take a breath and you are still looking at her, not saying a word for now. You don’t know if Katie thought about what to say to you, but for now you understand what she’s saying.
“I never slept with someone else since our first time, I couldn’t even if I tried and that scared the shit out of me. It was so hard to deal with the breakup with Ruesha, not because I was still in love with her, but because it was so shit, you know? I really don’t want to have to deal with that once again.”
You nod slowly, still not talking. This point makes you a little uneasy to be honest. You knew that Katie’s ex will be here to the camp. And you don’t know how the hell are all the people doing, because it was hard for you to be ok with the fact that Ruesha was seeing Katie every day and not you.
“But then there was this damn girl hitting on you right in front of me and I couldn’t support it. I was only thinking that you were mine, but you weren’t. And at that point I didn’t know if you wanted to be mine or if my behavior ruined everything we could have. But you give me a chance, and I’ll be forever grateful for it. That’s why I will never do anything and take the risk to lose you, Y/N. I really care for you and you mean more to me than you think.”
Katie never talked to you about her feelings the way she is doing now. You are touched, of course. You were in love with her before you slept together for the first time, not thinking a second that she might be interested in you too. She seems so vulnerable now, her voice shaking a little at the end. Maybe it’s the emotions, maybe it’s because how much she talked. Maybe both.
You softly take her hand in yours, interlocking your fingers together.
“I really care about you too. That’s why this… things was so hard to read. I don’t understand why someone would invented something like that.”
“I dunno. For celebrity maybe”
Katie shrugs, not really having interest in that for now. All that mattered to her right now is being sure that you trust her. That you believe her and she didn’t lose you.
“Are we good?” she asks, searching for your eyes.
“You promise that nothing happened?”
“I swear on Coopurr’s head, babygirl.”
“Ok” you laugh, rolling your eyes.
You can’t hide the fact that this is the first time that you laugh since you red this article on the park with Lia.
“Hug?”
Katie opens her arms with a slight smile and you don’t hesitate once second before going for her. Your movement make you both fall in the bed and you smile when you hear Katie’s laugh. You missed it. You missed her.
“God I missed you” Katie mumbles from under you, reading in your mind.
“I missed you too” you say honestly, letting your head rest against her shoulder.
She just hums, stroking your back softly while steering at the ceiling. You feel yourself dozen, you haven’t really had a good sleep those last days. But soon there is knock against Katie’s door and you jump.
“McCabe, diner!”
Katie sighs softly and release you to sit on the bed.
“Is it now that I leave?” you asks, not able to hide your disappointment.
“If you want to. Otherwise, you can wait for me here, I’ll sneak something for you to eat and we can sleep together. Tomorrow morning I’ll make my sister come to get you and you can come to the game?”
“Won’t people ask what the hell I am doing here?” you arch an eyebrow.
“That’s not their business. Unless it disturbs you.”
“It doesn’t”
“So it’s settled then” Katie shrugs, getting up from the bed.
She kisses you one more time before leaving and you decide to take the time to shower. You fall asleep while waiting for her, only taking the time to eat the sandwich and snacks she takes with her in the room before falling asleep again. You slept better in her arms than you did since like forever.
And the next day, when Ella came to take you to Katie’s flat at Dublin, you are feeling good again. Katie didn’t cheat on you.
Ireland didn’t win against England, but you are prouder than ever of your girlfriend. You decide to wear Katie’s jersey and to watch the game with her family in the stadium. Your presence didn’t went unnoticed, but like Katie said, you both didn’t care. To be honest, you even have fun to post what fans like to call soft launch.
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roseychains · 21 hours
Note
love the red flags for jjk guys...what about the green ones?
Green flags with jjk guys
A/n: thanks for the request! It was fun to write :3
C/w: fluff all sfw fluff
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Gojo: princess
Gojo treats you with what can only be described as princess treatment. He does anything and everything for you, ask for the moon and he would get it for you. Shoes untied? He will get down on one knee and tie it. Your feet hurt from walking? Bridal carry all the way home. His wallet is yours, and he worships the ground you walk on. Your his most prized possession, your his queen.
Geto: sweet
He never runs out of complements and praises to adorn you with. He is soft spoken and kind, a real sweet talker. Even if at times cheesy, he never fails to make you feel like the most gorgeous, strong, intelligent person ever. It doesn’t matter where you are, what time it is, who’s around you, even when he’s in a sour mood. He can’t help but remind you of how pretty you are, how much he loves you, coupled with gentle kisses, or a soft hand rubbing your back.
Nanami: service
His love language is acts of service. He just likes, doing things for you. Massage your shoulders, hold your bags, he’d even learn how to do things for you like your hair, or painting your nails. He doesn’t care how Feminine it comes of as, he wants to do it for you. Not to mention, once he realizes something that you like, he gets skilled at it. Hell, even embarrassing things like waxing. If you wanted him to, he would learn how to for you.
Toji: protective
If anyone can make you feel safe and protected at all times, it’s your scary dog of a boyfriend. He’s huge, and not afraid to hold you in public. He does anything and everything to ensure your comfort and safety. He walks you to and from anywhere, he will drive, and keep you on dial whenever you are out. If you ever need a ride, he’s speeding to get his girl out of wherever she doesn’t want to me. And when your sick, he’s suddenly become a trad wife and is nursing you back to health.
Choso: available
There’s no one who understands how you are feeling better than choso, sometimes even more than yourself you think. Somehow, he’s able to understand everything with great empathy that you where unaware a man ever could. He’s always willing to comfort you about it and make you feel better, he knows exactly what to say. Not once has he ever or will he ever make you feel crazy, that your overreacting, that it’s not a big deal. He approaches everything with great kindness and empathy.
Sukuna: strong
He’s just… so big. He’s quite the work of art and it always ends up being in your favor. He can and will carry you to the ends of the world. Your feet will never ache again. He won’t just carry you, he will carry your bags, groceries, even help you move furniture (by himself). He’s also quite the intimidating figure in public. If anyone so much as looks at you the wrong way he has one of his large hands wrapping around your back is enough to scare of anyone from his girl. Not to mention, it’s quite fun to sit on his back while he does push ups.
Yuji: proud
Yuji is so lucky to have you. He feels lucky, and he’s boastful of what a wonderful partner he landed. He genuinely feels so small around you, because he thinks your just so much better than him. He cannot begin to comprehend how he ever ended up with a goddess like you, and he will make that clear. He flexed you and shows you around like your a treasure. He wants the world to know your not just anyone’s girlfriend, your HIS girlfriend. HIS!! He’s so giddy all the time about you.
Megumi: caring
He is such a gentle lover, soft, kind, caring, aware. He knows you both physically and emotionally. So no matter what is bothering you, a pain in your shoulders or a down mood, he will figure it out and fix you right up. He takes his time helping you unwind, and is incredibly patient. Treats you like glass, with soft words and touches that leave you like putty in his arms by the end of it. He will stay by your side even after you feel better, to make sure you stay feeling good.
Inumaki: fun
You haven’t had this much fun in a relationship since childhood. He makes you feel young again. There is never a dull day with Inumaki, in fact he always makes sure your are happy and entertained. There’s nothing that makes him happier than seeing you smile, so, he make it his commitment to make you smile as much as possible. So whatever that may be, taking you out to dinner, roughhousing while playing a game, your laugh is the light of his day.
Yuta: priority
He will always put you first. He thinks about you with every decision he makes, and plans ahead accordingly. You will never ever have to worry about being a second choice, your always his first. He would feel devastated if you ever had to question how much you meant to him, so to prevent that from happening he takes you into consideration with everything. It doesn’t matter how small or trivial it may seem. If it could involve his girl, he will make sure that she feels prioritized, no matter what.
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treasureofmammon · 2 days
Text
🍽 Petty revenge dinner 🍽
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🔎Summary: The seven brothers, your roommates, were fighting for you. After hearing the reasons, it angers you. You're a person who decides for themself, so why are they arguing about you as if you were a mere object?
👥️Characters: Lucifer, Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Belphegor, MC. (Solomon, Simeon, Luke, Raphael, and Thirteen mentioned).
⚠️Warnings: Objectification (is that the word in English?), yelling and anger. Petty revenge revolving around food, (but not related to food poisoning or something f*cked up, just bad taste). This is supposed to be kind of funny and light-hearted.
📝 Note: No favorites on this one, the seven brothers are treated equally. I guess, it's implied this MC is in love with the seven of them [I think I'd be similar, although Mammon is my favorite, I'd have a crush on them all. But if Mammon asked me for exclusivity (monogamous relationship), I'd drop EVERYTHING for that man!!]. I also did some small research on the brothers likes and dislikes on food, but some are made up (you all will see why once you read the text). - For this one, I got inspired in that scene in Aladdin where he, Jasmin's father and Jafar argue about who she should marry; all of them failing to see that the most crucial thing is that she has a right to chose. In a way, that's objetification. She quickly forgives her father and Aladdin, though; as long as they understand. Hopefully that was a lesson learned for these men. So it made me think on how the Demon bros have this posesive nature towards MC sometimes, they too needed to learn a lesson.
✨️💖❤️✨️💖💚✨️💖💛✨️💖💙✨️💖🧡✨️💖💜✨️
As usual, chaos reigns the House of Lamentation. This time, it began when you said "I can't, I'm sorry".
One by one all of the brothers came to you today to ask you on a date to spend some quality time, alone. However, when you said that you can't, each of them had a similar reaction:
—H-Hey, MC? Would you... like to play videogames with me before dinner?—, Levi asked you in the morning, flustered and visibly embarrassed.
—I can't, Levi. I'm sorry—, you answered, with a sad expression on your face. You tried to explain yourself —You see, today I'm- —. But before you finished, Levi interrupted you, completely disappointed: —Oh. I guess I sort of expected this. I knew it. After all, I am just a yucky otaku who...—, babbling and whispering self-loatheling things, he left. Confused, you tried to follow him; nonetheless, as you checked the hour, you realized that it's quite late for class. You felt stressed but ended up deciding to go to class and explained him later; anyway, he would understand once dinner time arrived.
As you walked through the classroom's threshold, Beel stopped you: —Hey MC! I was wondering...—, he stuttered, —W-Would you like to go with me to Hell's kitchen before dinner? I have some good "all you can eat" coupons that Mammon gave me—.
Your facial expression turned into a sad one. Once again, you answered: —I'm sorry, Beel. I can't today. You see, I'm- —. Beel interrupted you with an audible —Aw—, dissatisfied. He continues: —I see, so it's not me—. —What do you mean?—, you asked. But before Beel could talk, the bell rang, and you had no choice but to enter the classroom. It's okay. You were sure he would understand later today, just like Levi.
As you took your seat and got your notebook and pen out of your cute bag, Asmo sat on your desk. —Hey there gorgeous— he said, —Would like to come with me to Majolish before dinner? I'll buy you whatever you want—.
—Oh, Asmo, thanks. But I can't. Today I'm-—.
Asmo didn't let you finish and took his leave inmediately —Unbelievable! It's not ME!—. He sat, rambling in whispers, visibly upset.
Satan, who usually sits behind you, tapped at your shoulder. He had a wide smile and you wondered if something good might have happened to him; whatever it is, you were glad that it did. —Hey, MC. There's a small art gallery that just opened. Would like to go there with me before dinner?—.
You sighed. —I'm sorry, Satan. I can't. Today is the day that I'm- —. Before you could continue, the teacher entered the class and greeted everyone. —I'll tell you later— you said to Satan before turning around. His smile was a frown, though.
—What in hell is wrong?—, you thought, as half of your roommates pouted, upset. You brush it off as the class finished. Nonetheless, Belphie came to you too, still drowsy after his "class nap," as he calls it.
—Hey there, MC. Do you have plans after class? There's a meteor that will cross the Devildom sky. Do you wanna see it in the house planetarium with me? It'll be before dinner, I promise—.
You sighed again, —Oh, Belphie. I can't today. I'm the one-—. You stayed silent when you noticed Belphegor's mood.
—I see— he said, —Maybe some other time— he finished, rushing out of class.
—Belphie! Wait!—, you called, as you run after him to no avail, even the Avatar of Sloth is faster than a plain simple human. You wondered if it's just your imagination that each of your beautiful demons is inviting you on dates exactly when you can't.
As you walk out of RAD, sad and disappointed, Mammon was waiting for you in the school's entry as usual. He noticed your mood and immediately asked: —Hey, what's wrong?—.
—Everyone has been inviting me to do stuff before dinner, and I had to reject them all. It makes me feel so sad—.
Mammon smiled, and you frowned to his smooth grin. —Is that so?—, he said, —well, I just happened to listen to somethin' pretty interestin'. Hey, why doncha 'n me go for a drive before dinner then?—.
—What? That's the whole point, Mammon. I can't, I'm sorry. I'm-—.
Mammon froze but immediately sighed. —Say nothin', you don't have to explain yourself—. He pouted and started walking back home without even looking at you —Come on, let's go home—, he shrugged. As you walked behind Mammon, you sighed unhappy, looking at your shoes with every step back home.
Once you arrived, Lucifer took notice of your emotional state, as well. —Are you okay?—, he asked.
—Yeah...— you replied, sighing, not wanting to explain yourself again.
—Doesn't seem like it. I know. Would you like to come with me for some tea before dinner?—.
—Lucifer! You too?! I can't, I'm sorry. Did you forget why? I'm- —.
Lucifer pouts. —Say no more— he said, almost begging. You felt his disappointment, so you stood quiet. He turned around and left you, words still waiting to come out of your pretty mouth. This turned into an upsetting scenario. So, you thought that, at dinner, you could ask what is going on. Nonetheless, you were in a hurry. You needed to change into your regular clothes and get ready. After all, you were on cooking duty tonight. Since you're a normal human who has yet a lot to learn, you need to take the time to cook for seven + army-like rations for Beel. Besides, you wanted to do something nice for them all and cook each of their favorites as a thank you for all the great and thoughtful things they have done this week for you.
As you walked to the kitchen, ready to get started, you heard a heated discussion in the living room. Quietly, you walked to the room's threshold and listened:
—Okay!— Asmodeus shouted, —Who's the one who got the yes?! I am the most beautiful one! So which of you stole my MC?!—.
—Huh?! I should be the one saying that!— Mammon answered in the same raging tone of voice —Y'all know MC is MINE! Who stole them?!—.
—Yours?— Lucifer said, —Don't make me laugh, you'd be the last demon they'd want to belong to—.
—You're just bitter 'cause they didn't choose you either—, Mammon responded.
—Shut up!— Satan yelled and continued, —You're disturbing my reading time!—.
—You say that but you too are annoyed so I assume you weren't chose either—, Belphie pointed out. —When you all yell and fight, you make Beel sad. Look at him—.
—Nah—, Beel admitted, —They didn't chose me either, that's why I'm sad. I can't believe one of you stole them from me—.
—From you?!— Belphie snapped, —Rather one of you stole them from ME!—.
—No! From me!— Levi said —They're my only friend and you took that away from me!—.
A seven party discussion ensued, all of them talking about you "not choosing them" or "being stolen" from each of them. You are not an object to steal. You're not an asset, a thing they can take whenever they feel like it. It annoyed you that they didn't even ask you what was going on. Heck! They didn't even let you finish when you said you couldn't. Now it was your turn to snap.
—SHUT UP!— you ordered.
All the brothers had no choice but to do so. They all looked at you perplexed.
—I'm not an object you can own! I rejected all of you! Wanna know why? Because I'm on cooking duty today!—.
The brothers looked at each other, surprised. Asmo broke the silence, though: —But, this witch friend of mine said that the person you truly love was going to receive something from you around dinner time... who is it that you love MC? Come on! We are totally sorry, but we all love you too. Like, "love-you-romatically" love you, you know?—.
You blushed at Asmo's forthright love confession, worst of all, made on behalf of they seven, who quietly expected your answer as if confirming their brother's words. Nonetheless, you quickly pivot back to anger. —I have no idea what you're talking about. I was going to make everyone's favorites for dinner, but I guess that won't happen now. So for dinner, you'll eat whatever I make and shove it down!— you ordered. The seven brothers walked to their usual seats at the dinner table without a pinch of self-control, as if in a trance, unable to turn around, and waited there as you finished to cook dinner.
✨️✨️✨️
You walk to the dinning table, feeling the tension and the growing impatience: Lucifer taps his fingertips on the table, Mammon and Leviathan shake their leg anxiously, Asmodeus holds his chin with both his hands while pouting. Satan reads a book, and every ten seconds or so, he tsks and starts over again; Beelzebub brushes his hair with both his hands over and over again, and Belphegor moves positions on his chair every two second or so, as well.
You have to admit that it makes you feel a little satisfied to look at them so worried, probably torn up between you, being angry, and you, cooking them all an unpleasant meal. Either way, it's because of you.
Satan spots you walking through the dining room opening, with their meals levitating around you by your magic; a simple trick that Solomon taught you no long ago. —Hey kitten. What do you have there? Not that we are worried or anything; in fact, we're eager to eat your delicious dinner. Why don't you unbound me from your order, and I'll help you set the table?—.
—Nice try— you think, but keep your mouth shut and instead, you answer: —I'm not a demon, Satan. I won't do anything bad to your meals—, you continue as you set their plates on their specific places —I'd never do something like that to you seven—, you grin devilishly as each of their specific meals take their places. The seven lords glup. Their meals don't look bad, but all and each of these are their least favorites. And of course, all of these with a teeny tiny of bit of a Solomon's unidentified substance, that you all kept in the bottom of the fridge, as one of the spices you used for cooking, enough for the dinner to taste awful but not enough to make them ill:
• Beef in a spicy sauce with Devildom eggplant salad for Asmodeus.
• Stir-fried green peppers for Mammon.
• Lots of green peas in a risotto for Satan.
• Stir-Fried Okra with tomatoes and fish for Leviathan.
• Chicken salad only, bathed in a copious amount of lemon juice for Beelzebub.
• Noodles in a very liquid salsa for Belphegor.
• And of course, tiny hamburgers for Lucifer and a side pudding as dessert.
—Although I didn't make your favorites, that's okay for you, right guys?—, you say, walking through the dinner threshold once again, not before taking your coat from your usual chair's support.
—Wh-Where are you going?—, Mammon asks.
—Oh! I decided I didn't want to have dinner at home today, so I invited Solomon, Simeon, Raphael, Thirteen, and Luke to Hell's kitchen for some delicious hamburgers. My treat!—, you answer with a passive-aggressive tone, a grin in your face that obviously hides your anger.
—MC, come on! We said we were sorry—, Asmo interferes.
—Oh! Nonononono! I know. I forgave you all. Remember?— you respond, and all the brothers sigh in relief. —But only of you eat your specific meals— you add, and they all sigh again, this time disgusted.
A ding dong sound stops the brother's spiraling thoughts, with no other option but to eat their least favorite foods, bounded by your orders, so even if they decided not to eat, they would anyway. —That's for me— you say, while taking your cute bag too, —Oh! I also added a little something-something to your dinner. It was kinda purple, I think Solomon brought it some weeks ago. You all don't mind, right?—.
The room falls silent, and you walk happily out of the house. At the door, your fellow exchange students and friends.
—Dammit!—, someome yells once you close the main door.
✨️💖❤️✨️💖💚✨️💖💛✨️💖💙✨️💖🧡✨️💖💜✨️
⏩️ Read my next text here ("Our future together", Mammon x gn!reader).
[Notes: The character(s) depicted here belong to the mobile game "Obey me: shall we date" and are owned by Solmare Corporation. The text here was made by me: Treasure of Mammon, meaning these are fan-made. | GN!Reader | English is not my first language, so there might be orthographic and syntax errors. I urge you all to interact kindly with this post].
📌 Masterlist
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comradekatara · 1 day
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might be bit of a stupid question, and you may have even discussed it before. if so, sorry for asking again.
but: do you think aang forgives ozai, or does he just show mercy? aang seems to have a clear stance on the importance of forgiveness, however, the final moments of his battle with ozai are visually paralleled with katara's attack on her mother's killer - and katara is clear on the fact the she has not (and will not) forgive him. she just shows him mercy, i suppose.
do you think this sentiment is paralleled in these two scenes? do you think aang manages to actually forgive ozai, or is he just showing mercy in order to protect the values of his culture?
to be perfectly honest, the thought of whether or not aang’s decision to spare ozai is one of forgiveness never actually crossed my mind. you’re right that the issue of mercy is tied to forgiveness in “the southern raiders,” but i always read that issue of forgiveness as far less straightforward than a question of whether or not katara will forgive yon rha, and more so whether katara can forgive herself (and by extension zuko). as aang says, “revenge is a two headed rat viper,” and the reason he’s advocating that katara find room for forgiveness within herself is not because he gives a shit whether the man who murdered her mother will die or not (he doesn’t care if others kill as long as he doesn’t have blood on his hands, as evidenced by his relationship to sokka and toph), but whether katara will be able to live with herself after the fact. and he knows her, so he knows that she won’t.
by sparing yon rha, katara forgives herself for her own guilt in having to carry the burden of knowing her mother sacrificed herself to save her, lets herself rest and simply be a human person instead of dedicating herself to the pursuit of vengeance, to revenge kya’s foul and most unnatural murder. because of course katara has that instinct, and of course katara feels her mother’s death more personally than sokka does, and of course she feels a responsibility to right the wrongs that she (however inadvertently) caused in whatever way she possibly can.
she finally has the skillset and the intel that allows her to carry out her revenge, but in that final moment before she strikes the final blow, she hesitates and drops her weapon, her artform that she has dedicated herself to honing in a way no one alive has ever needed to (with the exception of hama, and even then). it’s a uniquely powerful moment in a show filled with powerful moments (many of them involving katara) because she is choosing herself over yon rha, over zuko, over the memory of her mother.
she lets the illusion that she is the hero of an adventure tale wherein good triumphs over evil fade away and she embraces her own humanity though acknowledging the humanity of her enemies. yon rha isn’t a uniquely evil cackling villain (unlike someone like zhao or ozai), he’s a person, an awful person, but nonetheless a human being. a soldier who acted as the arm of a vast and complex, terrifying machine. and by looking into his face once more, the face that haunted her nightmares, katara is able to see herself reflected in the face of the other, and finally fully realizes a tapestry of the world that can not be so neatly woven.
that is what it means to forgive. when she forgives zuko, it is not because zuko has done anything to earn her forgiveness: unlike with “the boiling rock,” where he genuinely risks his life to selflessly help sokka at his lowest point, he is the instigator of katara’s entire journey, and even though he is attempting to do her a favor because he understands her intrinsic desire for revenge born of guilt and rage and shame, it is not a selfless act (that comes later). but through forgiving herself, allowing herself to relax her rigid worldview of right and wrong, good and evil, she recognizes that even if zuko did do genuinely reprehensible, awful things, it isn’t in her best interest to hold onto that anger, and by allowing herself to feel less personal responsibility and shame over her misplaced trust in zuko leading to aang’s death, she is able to forgive zuko, but only because she had already forgiven herself.
when aang shows ozai mercy, however, the issue of forgiveness isn’t even really the right term for it. he’s not forgiving ozai nor himself, here, but rather powerfully asserting that mercy is not a weakness, but a deliberate choice, and one that is born of incredible strength of character, at that. he’s forgiving his people for “not fighting back,” he’s forgiving his culture for adhering to these pacifist values, and yes, he’s forgiving himself for not being the avatar that everyone expects him to be. he’s prioritizing his people and his humanity and his grief over what the entire human world wanted from him.
and crucially, before the lion turtle showed him his truest path, aang was going to kill ozai. he was resigned to this being his destiny. unlike katara, who fully planned on killing yon rha and only decided to spare him once she saw his face, aang didn’t want to kill ozai from the very beginning, and had to be forced into killing him, rather than being talked down. sokka tells katara not to kill yon rha as gently as he possibly can (and nonetheless immediately gets shut down for it), but then he almost bullies aang for not wanting to kill. sokka considers killing a tool that should be exercised with logical intent, katara considers killing an act that makes a statement, and aang considers killing a taboo that should never be violated. of course, aang’s stance on killing is a very culturally-specific one, which yangchen also adheres to as best she can, but also understands its limits when in the position of avatar. but aang cannot afford to simply be the avatar, because he must bear the burden of his entire people’s legacy.
so at no point does forgiveness for ozai come into play, because aang has no reason to consider forgiving ozai. his decision to take down the firelord is a tactical one, rather than born purely out of a desire for revenge. but he does mirror katara’s decision to spare yon rha in sparing ozai’s life simply because, in both cases, they prioritize themselves and the preservation of their own humanity over submitting to the logic of the men who have destroyed their lives.
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sp0o0kylights · 1 day
Text
Part Eight
A03
We left off: Eddie has an injured leg, Gareth is concussed, there’s a now injured manticore in Hawkins and possibly a moving gate in the walls of the lab, which is storing mysterious, glowing green goo. Prior to all that, Steve was having a breakdown about leaving Hawkins brought on by his parents returning home.
Gareth has noticed Steve’s “crush” on Eddie, *all* of Hellfire is painfully aware of Eddie’s crush on Steve, and Hopper just showed up to the Byers in Scooby Doo pajamas.
Cue the music.
One minute Hopper was shaking a finger at the pile of children on the couch, spittle flying from his mouth as he demanded everyone both talk and shut up--
(“They can’t do both, Jim.”
“I don’t care Joyce, I--”
“Well I care, and you’re in my house, so I suggest you shut up.”
“Fine, but--”
“Jim!”
“I was shutting up!”)
--and the next Steve had wrapped Gareth’s own hands around a warm mug, quietly leaning into his ear to ask if he was okay.
Gareth nodded jerkily, blinking back to the present, fighting off the panic attack that had dogged him all night.
“Yup. I’m great--good! I’m totally good.”
Steve snorted (a gross but common Steve sound) but otherwise left Gareth with a squeeze of his shoulder, before taking the other mug he had over to Eddie.
Who, Gareth realized, was staring at Hopper with the resigned air of a man glaring down his own executioner.
“What I don’t understand,” Lucas was saying as Steve tried to get Eddie to take a mug, “is what the manticore’s guarding.”
“You didn’t hear the green goo story?” Dustin said conversationally, like this was a Tuesday and not the middle of the night after a monster attack, head craning around to look at his friend.
Gareth had to give it to the kid, he had balls of fucking iron to ignore the look Hopper was shooting his way.
“Green goo?” Hopper butted in, needing an answer but clearly not eager to hear it
(Behind Gareth, Steve had resorted to physically taking Eddie’s hands, and wrapping them around the mug. He kept them there, fingers over Eddie’s as he leaned in, whispering something into the older teen’s ear, clearly trying to get his attention off Hopper.
It didn’t seem to be working until Steve said--or did--something, and then suddenly Eddie was taking in a shuddering, wobbly breath, eyes darting to look up into Steve’s. He took the mug much the same way Gareth had, though he blanked his face out a hell of a lot faster.)
“Glowing green goo. It’s--wait, where’d that guy go, he explained it really well.” Dustin leaned his entire body out from the couch, looking towards the wall of Hellfire members. “Hey, you! Stuck Stewart!”
Grant and Jeff slid away from Stewart immediately.
Who pointedly dumbly towards himself, squawking out a startled, “Me?”
“Yes, you.” Dustin said, like this was a fucking gameshow. “Tell Hop what you told me.”
As Hopper turned to face them with a startled expression, it became evident that he was just now realizing the teenagers in the kitchen weren't the ones he had expected to encounter.
His gaze swept over them in a clinical assessment, as if memorizing their faces so he could write them up later. Each of them let out a sigh of relief when he moved onto the next person, before his eyes landed on Eddie--and stayed.
“Munson?” He hissed, causing half of Hellfire to flinch.
To Eddie’s credit, he didn't react. Just reclined in the chair like he owned it, and raised the mug of chocolate Steve had just let go of.
“Nice jammies, Hop.” He said in lue of a greeting.
“Ignore him.” Dustin demanded, in a tone that had Jeff and Grant both side eyeing him. “The glowing goo is the important thing here.”
He gestured with his hand in a 'get on with it' motion, shooting an impatient look at Stewart.
Who audibly swallowed.
“So there uh, there was a rumor…” Stewart started, the story coming out in jerky, hesitant waves.
He kept looking at Hopper as if the man would interrupt him at any minute, and Gareth couldn’t tell if he was hoping to be cut off or happy to be allowed to talk.
He got it all out though--the rumors about the goo, the weird trucks and people loitering around town.
How a friend (omitting, Gareth noted with muted amusement, that Mikey was both an adult and the Hideout’s bartender) put it all together, spun it up into some crazy conspiracy theory and fed it to half the town’s best gossips.
The entire time Stewart spoke, Hopper was staring Eddie down.
Hellfire didn’t miss it.
Joyce didn’t either, and even Jonathan looked a bit fidgety.
(The kids looked perfectly fine, but then, they didn’t seem to realize Hopper wasn’t exactly focused on the whole goo thing.)
Stewart’s story ended, tailing off awkwardly when it became clear he had nothing else to add, and that everyone was waiting for Hopper to say something.
“Jim…” Joyce started, tone low in warning, which seemed to kickstart the chief back to life.
“Right. So we have one group of dumbass teenagers who went into the lab on a dare,” Hopper drawled, in that “don’t you bullshit me” tone cops just loved to use, “a second group of dumbass children who went in because they apparently, haven’t learned their lesson about meddling in government affairs, and Munson here—-”
Hopper flicked a hand at Eddie.
“—-was involved because his friends called him for help and not because the lab is the perfect spot to get high with a large number of people. Do I have that right?”
They all exchanged a nervous look with one another, but no one said a word.
Hellfire as a whole was used to getting their shit rocked by teachers, shop owners, and occasionally, the cops (usually an idiot who wanted to throw their weight around by busting up band practice or searching a car for drugs).
Pissing off the Chief of police though? That was an activity Eddie typically did solo.
And boy was Hopper pissed off, fury building waves as he leaned in like a predator opening its mouth right before it ate its prey.
“This shit? The Upside Down, monster shit? Isn’t something I screw around with. Especially not when my daughter’s involved. So we’re going to try this again, and this time, I want to hear the truth.”
He held up a hand to halt the explosion of protests from the kids section without bothering to even look in their direction.
“From Munson.” He finished, crossing his arms over his chest.
Eddie answered by taking a noisy slurp from his mug.
Gareth winced, but this sort of back and forth was par the course for a Munson-Hopper encounter, and he knew better than to get in the middle of it.
Steve, apparently, did not.
“Stewart just told you the truth.” He said flatly, giving Hopper a look that was just as stubborn as the chief’s own.
Who very much did not appreciate it.
“Harrington--”
“You said it yourself.” Steve interrupted, holding firm against the chief’s scowl. “The Upside Down isn’t something we screw around with.”
“Tell him, Steve!” Dustin crowed from the couch.
“Shut it.” Steve and Hopper responded in unison, and then did a remarkable job of pretending they hadn’t said a word.
(Gareth had the worst vision of Steve in an alternate life as a police officer. A deputy maybe, with shaved hair, constantly chewing on tobacco and fucking up poor people’s lives. He’d probably have an obnoxious nickname. Like Gator or some shit.
Thank God Hellfire had gotten there first.)
“I was there when they called Eddie.” Steve continued, before Hopper could growl something out. “If we were all doing drugs, we’d still be high, and Eddie wouldn’t have teeth marks in his thigh.”
There was yet another pause, in which Gareth was fairly sure the tension was going to give him a heart attack.
Within it, Hopper did a double take, noting Eddie’s injury for the first time--and how he only had one pant leg, the other replaced by a stark white bandage and pale skin.
“Fine.” He grit out, teeth clenched so tight Gareth thought they might shatter against each other. “Is there anything else I should know about the ‘goo story’ then?”
“You missed the part where El wouldn’t let us call you, because she felt you wouldn’t listen to her.” Mike snarked from El’s right.
“Wonder why.” Max added darkly, from her own spot on El’s left. “Don’t you have a walkie? Why didn’t you answer the code red?”
Apparently, they had decided Steve had won this entire exchange, and it was safe to dogpile on their own displeasure. Gareth was absolutely astounded that the glare Hopper turned their direction didn’t melt them all on the spot.
(Likely, given how this all seemed to be a normal encounter for everyone involved, they were used to it.
Gareth was very much not.)
Hopper whipped his head around to Mike, anger still simmering, “And I’m sure you, Michael Wheeler, didn’t have any qualms about not calling me.”
“He did not want me to go either.” El said bluntly. “I told him you would not listen, and if either of you stopped me, people would die.”
She nodded then, towards Stewart, as if to indicate he was one such person.
For the second time that night, Stewart pointed at his own chest, eyes saucer wide.
“No one else,” El finished grimly, “will die.”
The chief dragged his hands through his hair and then down his face.
“Alright.” He forced out. “I get your point-- but! We’re talking about how you went about this later. Not now!” He added, before the kids could erupt. “Later!”
“So what are we going to do about the Manticore?” Mike spat the question more so than he said it, but Gareth was happy someone was bringing that part up.
Because monster problem or not--what the fuck were they going to do about it?
Since the Chief of Police was here, did that mean the entire police force knew there were monsters in Hawkins? Was there some kind of--monster hunting squad that went around at night?
The more he thought about it the more questions he had, and in turn, the more Gareth’s anxiety threatened to mutiny once again, which was not helped by the concussion he was positive he’d acquired.
Hopper scoffed, “We are not doing anything. We are going back to bed after I call your parents and tell them you’ve been out all night!”
Groans filled the room, the sound of children facing a future grounding, en mass.
“Then,” he continued loudly, “I’ll call Owens.”
“And if Owens doesn’t do anything?” Dustin challenged. “‘Cause he clearly didn’t clean up well last time. Are we just going to let a manticore run around? What if more come through? What if--”
“Just because none of you trust me doesn’t mean I don’t do my job,” Hopper interrupted, “which includes knowing what to do if this shit came back. We adults did discuss that after last time, believe it or not.”
Gareth was old enough to school the doubt off his face, but the kids had no such qualms.
“What Hop means is that we need to have a little more faith in him.” Joyce soothed, and Gareth noticed that unlike a lot of adult men he’d been around, Hopper let her. “He’ll make sure it’s taken care of.”
“This just means we’re waiting until he falls in a hole again.” Mike stage whispered to Will, who coughed hard to hide his laugh.
“There aren’t any holes this time!” Hopper screeched, voice rising in pitch.
“Okay, okay, enough.” Joyce pacified, moving to stand in the middle of the room (notably,between the harpy children and Hopper). “What’s important is that everyone lived, we know there’s a thing in the lab, and that no one is going back for it until it’s dead. Agreed?”
She paused, and when no such agreements came, hardened her voice in a way that had every person under eighteen snapping to attention. “Agreed!?”
“Yes.” Chorused the children (and at least three members of Hellfire.)
“Good.” Joyce nodded so hard her hair bounced. Putting her hands on her hips, she added; “Now we start the process of getting all of you home.”
“Someone get me the phone, we’re starting with you Wheeler.” Hopper tacked on.
Mike just flung himself back into the couch with a dramatic eye roll and a not so subtle raise of his middle finger.
“As for the rest of you, get out.” Hopper said, weaving past Steve to get to the phone in the kitchen.
A second later, when it was clear no one had moved, he poked his head around the corner.
“Do I need to call all your parents too?” He demanded, as Hellfire dumbly stood there. “Get!”
Hellfire got.
xXx
Hopper grabbed Steve right before he’d left, muttering something about needing to talk to him and Jonathan.
Alone.
Eddie chose to hang back, propping himself on the van's hood, and Gareth, not wanting to go home, opted to keep him company
“Hopper’s not going to eat him.” He whispered, when two minutes dragged into seven and the fidgeting got to be too much for him.
“True, but he's catching hell because Hopper's not buying his story." Eddie retorted, voice equally hushed.
As if raising their voices might summon Hopper and his fiery temper right to them.
"It's nothing we haven't heard before," Gareth remarked, resisting the urge to suggest once more that Eddie get off his leg and go sit in the car.
“There weren't monsters before.” Eddie countered, mouth around a hangnail.
“Doesn’t matter.”
“It might.” Eddie muttered darkly. “If Hopper makes it matter, it fucking might.”
“How the hell is Hopper going to make it matter?" Gareth mused aloud, though deep down, he already knew.
Eddie was Hellfire's guardian, both within and beyond the school walls. Being with him meant having a shield to hide behind, protection against the casual cruelty the people of Hawkins were so fond of.
Sure, there were mean kids, nasty teachers, and even the occasional unpleasant gas station attendant, but they weren't the real issue—not by a long shot.
It was the ones who looked at Eddie and truly believed some of the bullshit.
Hopper didn’t act like the church folk. The ones who sent their pastors and youth leaders out on the warpath, knocking on doors and setting up outside of businesses.
Those individuals had attempted to drive away Eddie's friends before, thinking they could "rescue them" in the process—Gareth himself had once endured a week of being stalked by some idiot he had stood up to in Eddie's defense.
The man had made it his mission, and Gareth, too young at the time to know better, had felt helpless as every adult he turned to dismissed the blatant stalking.
All because that "nice" youth leader claimed he just wanted to help.
The asshole had practically hunted Gareth down-- always making himself known, always accompanied by a friend or two. A couple of little comments in his pocket, ready and waiting, and a grin that didn’t match his eyes.
The words he said weren’t threats, but the tone he said them in was.
Eddie got it worst of all of them though, when the church crowd started.
Their attention wasn’t always on him, and truthfully they hadn’t really put any real energy into their own bullshit for a few years now--but they always came back to him.
Like he was an old and favored chew toy, and if they just tried hard enough, they’d crack him in two.
Which meant this wasn’t about what Hopper said.
It’s what he could do.
Thankfully Steve appeared before Eddie could spiral further, looking surprised to see them still waiting.
“Oh.” He ran a hand through his hair as he came down the stairs. “You guys didn’t have to stay.”
Eddie shot him a flat look.
"And leave you alone with Hopper?"
"I wasn't exactly alone, but thanks."
Steve's smile was slight, tinged with relief, and Eddie fell right into him, leaning into Steve's space (and making a show of his limp as he did).
“We were going to ask if you’re coming back with us anyway. Figure you might not want to go back to your place after tonight.” He said, as if he and Gareth had discussed any such thing.
You waited outside just to tell me that?" Steve asked, a hint of amusement in his voice as he gently pushed Eddie back. "Ed, you should be sitting in your car, off that leg."
(Not that Steve wanted Eddie to go far, Gareth noted with his own amusement, as Steve stepped to follow.)
"I tried telling him that, but he wouldn't listen!" He tattled to Steve, simply because he could.
He got a middle finger behind Eddie’s back in retaliation.
“I figured it’d piss Hopper right off if I offered you a place to crash right after he warned you away from me.” Eddie said, ignoring the both of them.
“He didn’t warn me away.” Steve said, beginning the process of herding the older teen into his van.
Eddie let out a snort. "Seriously? That wasn't a full-blown 'rethink your life choices, hanging out with trash like him' speech?”
“You’re not trash.”
Eddie snorted again, hasher this time before glancing away.
He was entirely unprepared for Steve to reach out, catching him by the arm much the same way Hopper had caught him.
“Eddie.” Steve said, abruptly serious. “You’re not trash.”
He said it like he meant it, voice low, eyes drilling into Eddie’s.
Gareth couldn't tear his own eyes away, even though that stare wasn't even intended for him.
“No one here is trash,” Steve declared firmly. “Hopper was just asking if Jonathan and I could babysit El for a couple of nights while he’s working. But even if he had tried to tell me I couldn't hang out with you, I would have told him to shove it. Like you said earlier today—we don’t abandon our friends, and we don’t leave them to deal with stuff alone.”
Gareth knew his best friend like the back of his hand and that level of honesty?
It was too much for Eddie, and normally, he’d run.
Was in fact, a little more than infamous for bolting when confronted about his own insecurities.
Maybe it was because Eddie's leg was in no shape for him to run, or maybe it was the reassuring grip of Steve's hand on his arm. It could even have been the intensity in Steve's gaze, as if he could convince Eddie of anything just by staring at him--but Eddie didn’t move.
He didn't even avert his gaze, although Gareth half expected him to.
“If you say so.” He tried to sing-song the words but they fell flat. “Let’s go, the Munson couch awaits us.”
Steve didn’t say anything about how Eddie pulled himself away, backing out of range.
He watched him though.
Even after Eddie had turned around, waving a hand at Gareth to get into the drivers seat.
Steve kept watching until Gareth nudged him out of it, murmuring a quiet “Come on, dude” to get him going too.
Saw the little frown line burrow its way into Steve’s forehead, like he’d figured out part of a puzzle that had long evaded him, and didn’t like the answer he’d come too.
(Gareth himself didn’t have time for any such revelations, given he faced the monstrous task of driving Eddie’s van.
His learners permit quaked in his wallet at the mere thought, but somehow, they made it back in one piece anyway.)
xXx
Steve had reassured them that feeling restless was normal after….
Well.
After.
(There wasn’t a word strong enough to capture the intensity of the last few hours.
Gareth eventually stopped trying, accepting it as a blur of horror, anxiety, and impending dread. It felt like a nightmare that others remembered vividly but faded for him, like a movie becoming less real once you left the theater.)
Their conversation centered around going through the last few years, Steve filling in holes that made life make a hell of a lot more sense compared to all the bullshit the government had come up with.
None of it sounded real, and several pieces had Eddie and Gareth both gawking, but after the lab?
Not a part of it could be easily discounted.
Gareth couldn’t pinpoint when he finally succumbed to sleep.
Hadn’t intended too, and knew immediately upon clawing back to reality that his back was in a world of hurt from the way he’d curled into Wayne’s ancient armchair.
It was still dark outside, the lights warm on the inside of the trailer, and he figured he couldn’t have been out for long.
The blurry red 5:05 from his watch confirmed his suspicions, and Gareth got two seconds to wonder if this is his life now--catching whatever sleep he can in weird little bursts-- before harsh whispering picked up to his left.
The Munson’s living room was small. Small enough for Eddie to know better about how the sound carries, even if he was whisper-fighting.
Or at least, whisper-arguing, anyway.
“I just wish you’d see yourself the way everyone else sees you.” Steve was saying, sounding both bitchy and confused. Like he couldn’t quite believe he was having such a stupid conversation, but was going to point out the obvious anyway.
Eddie wasn’t doing much better, his words as sharp as the knife he’d used to stab the manticore.
“What, as the town freak? The local satanist? The ugly queer who's out to steal the children?”
Gareth managed to sneak a peak in time to see Eddie’s face twisted in disgust.
“Not those assholes--the ones that know you. Everyone that matters.” Steve countered, easily and immediately. “The Hellfire Club, Wayne, Dustin.”
There was a pause, but he could have sworn he heard Steve follow up with a quiet but hopeful, “Me.”
Gareth twisted ever so slightly, giving himself an eyeful of the room.
Both his friends sat on the couch facing each other. They were close, like they’d been sharing snacks or body heat before things had gone south, Eddie’s hands nearly missing smacking into Steve’s face as he gestured.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” Steve continued doggedly.
Eddie’s hands froze in air, before he could make whatever gesture he’d intended.
“What?”
“I said I’m sorry.” Steve repeated, that painful sincerity Gareth would have never guessed him capable of on full display. “For the part I played in calling you all that shit. You’re none of those things, Eddie. You’re the opposite of all of it.”
The hands dropped into Eddie’s lap, like twin birds shot out of the sky.
“I am, though.” He muttered.
Steve’s frown deepened, his reassurance quick. “No, you’re not.”
“Yeah, Steve. I am.”
“Okay, fine.” Angry, Steve leaned forward into Eddie’s space.
Backed into the side of the couch and wall as he was, it trapped Eddie quite nicely.
“I know the parents down at the church don’t know the difference between D&D and actual demons, but I do. So unless you suddenly learned how to be quiet about fucking ritual sacrifice of all things, then I refuse to buy that you’re a literal Satanist and not just engaging in the drama.”
Gareth saw the moment Eddie realized he was pinned, that he wasn’t getting out of his conversation without shoving Steve back.
Knew this was building into a blow up before Eddie’s mouth even opened.
“I’m not a Satanist, but I definitely am queer.” He shot back, eyes hard. “So you can shove whatever grand ideas you’re having about my character back up your ass.”
Gareth hadn’t moved much, years of living with his siblings making it possible to watch what’s happening without alerting anyone in the room that he was awake, but he almost ruined it with how quickly he sucked in his own breath.
Steve was a good guy.
Had been a good guy to them, but there have been plenty of other “good guys” Gareth knew who suddenly weren’t so great the second Eddie’s sexuality came up.
It’s why Gareth himself hadn’t often admitted to his own muddled sexuality, too afraid of getting the same bullshit aimed his way.
Why would anyone want to pursue men, after watching more than a few realize they liked Eddie and promptly lose their shit so hard they became a danger to any man who so much as looked at them the wrong way?
It was terrifying--and so was the realization that Gareth can’t kick Steve’s ass. 
He doesn’t want to even try, but gets himself ready for emotional upheaval anyway--and whatever may come after.
Even if they’re all dead on their feet from fighting a literal monster.
‘Excellent fucking timing Eds.’ He thought sourly, despite the guilt of thinking it. It’s not Eddie’s fault--and Steve’s reaction, whatever it may be, isn’t either.
'God does it suck to be gay in a rural ass, small town.'
Thankfully, Steve doesn’t pull away.
Doesn’t act like Eddie’s got a contagious disease like some of the basketball team does, or like it’s his God given duty to either rid the earth of him now that Eddie’s finally admitted to what half the town has accused him of being, or have some violent crisis over his own clearly repressed gay crush. 
Is still very much in Eddie’s space, even if he’s being awfully quiet--for long enough that Gareth can see Eddie start to shut down.
“Okay.” Steve said finally, clearly knowing he needs to say something but seemingly struggling to figure out what, “But you’re not evil, and you’re definitely not stealing children, so you’re beating out the US government.”
“Oh boy, I beat out the government that’s kidnapping and torturing people! Such a high bar.”
Steve winced. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Yeah? What did you mean then?” Eddie challenged. “We both know you’re not the kind to want to associate with the queers.”
“I didn't, I--” Steve took a breath, fumbling and knowing it. “I know I've been an asshole in the past, and I also know I was wrong."
He stared hard at Eddie. "I don’t care if you’re gay. That doesn’t, that shouldn’t--matter.”
Eddie met his gaze. 
“I don’t believe you.” 
Between them sat all the times Steve, or a former friend of his, decided a random victim was queer. The knowing smirks and taunts that followed after they spewed out various slurs.
How some of the rumors they started stuck around. 
Steve had never really engaged with a lot of the bullying people often attributed to him as King of the Jockstraps, but he wasn't an innocent bystander either, and Gareth couldn't fault Eddie for challenging that change of heart. 
Even now, after Steve had long vacated his throne. 
“Well that sucks for you then, doesn’t it?” Steve snapped. “Because I’m not going anywhere, Munson. You can mack on some dude all you like, and I’m still going to be there to remind you you’re not evil for doing it. Or for being into nerdy shit and terrible music!”
“My music isn’t terrible!” Eddie screeched automatically.
Gareth anticipated Eddie calling out Steve on his obvious bait—seriously, that wouldn’t have worked in a game even with a nat 20—but found himself underestimating Steve's bantering skills as their ex-jock just plowed right ahead.
“It is! It’s just--screaming. Screaming with loud ass guitars!”
“Oh my God, I am going to sit you down and make you listen to so many albums. The screaming is a core part of the range of emotions in the songs--”
“Range? Eddie there isn’t any range, it’s just dudes who are angry--”
“Fuck you, it is not!” Eddie was howling, both of them too into their argument to remember they were trying to be quiet to begin with.
“I bet you five dollars! Five entire dollars, that you could not find me a singular song I like out of your entire metal collection.”
“Ten dollars! And the largest Pizza this shithole town has to offer!”
“Deal!” Steve shouted, chest heaving.
They breathed together for a moment, before the tension between them fizzled out, fading into something more uncertain.
Delicate, even though Gareth was fairly certain Steve had expertly maneuvered Eddie right where he wanted him.
Eddie seemed to realize it too, folding back into himself as he tugged a finger around his hair, pulling it in front of his face.
“You really wouldn't care if I kissed a guy in front of you?” Eddie's question isn't overtly vulnerable, but Gareth knows better.
He understands the significance of this.
Of Steve’s acceptance, more than anyone else's.
The jock had become so deeply bonded to them—all of them—that the rejection would wound Eddie in a way few could truly understand. Crack his otherwise impenetrable shield, the ricochet tearing through a substantial portion of his resilience.
“And I'd probably tell you to find a room, but hey, I said that to Tommy and Carol too,” Steve retorts, nudging Eddie's thigh.
Eddie rewards him with a small smile
Steve seems to know more is needed, and offers it up right alongside his heart. “I’m serious. I know I kinda butchered it but--the queer thing shouldn’t be a problem to begin with. It’s stupid that it is.”
"Steven Harrington, did I just witness personal growth?" Eddie teased, his smile widening. "What's next, admitting that college sports are ridiculous?"
“Don’t be a dick,” Steve scoffed, but his own smile mirrored Eddie’s as he looked away. 
Despite his head still partly tucked into his arm, Gareth found himself grinning.
It was a welcome relief after an otherwise horrific night.
Sensing it was now or never, Gareth made a show of untangling himself, stretching upward with a moan that startled both Eddie and Steve.
“Be careful saying that shit, Steve,” He said, jerking a thumb towards his best friend. “He’ll take it as an invitation to make out with people in front of you.”
Eddie gasped, hand flying over his heart in mock offense.
“I would never!”
“He’s a real horndog, once he even tried to make out with a guy on stage on top of my drumset.” Gareth continued, sticking out his tongue.
He deserved the pillow thrown his way but Gareth took the hit with grace, laughing as Eddie huffed at him.
“For the last time I wasn’t making out with that guy, he was trying to punch me!”
“With his mouth?”
“With his head, which you damn well know."  Eddie accused, clawing blindly for another pillow. "Gareth you are shameless, how long have you been listening in!?”
“As much as I enjoy the calming effects of mindless screaming, I'd wager it was when you guys conveniently forgot I was in the room."
“I take it you uh, know?” Steve injected hesitantly, eyes moving between Eddie and Gareth and oh--oh, he was being protective.
'That’s cute.' Gareth thinks.
Even if he’s rolling his eyes at the very idea that he posses any kind of threat.
“Dude, I clocked Eddie before he clocked me.” He said, just to take some heat from Eddie--and because it was one of the few opportunities where he could say it. “We’ve spent many a math period discussing if Sting was hotter than Axl Rose.”
If Eddie can be brave, Gareth could too.
“You did not.” Eddie spits back, the offense mounting. “You absolutely did not clock me first you lying liar--”
“Oh.” Steve blinked, finger flicking out between them as if he’s connected two dots and feels awfully stupid about not seeing it before. “I uh, I didn’t, are you guys--”
And oh, the horror that crashes into Gareth when he figured out what Steve was asking.
“No! God no.” Gareth shuddered, delighting in the way Eddie’s jaw crashed down at the sight. “And if I ever consider it, I need you to take me out back and shoot me, Steve. Right between the eyes, for the greater good.”
“Wow Gary, just stick a knife in my back why don’t you--”
“I’m gonna be real,” Steve cut in, before they could fake-argue their way into a real fight, “I never actually thought about liking both. Guys and girls, I mean.”
He blushed, as both Gareth and Eddie turned to look at him.
“Oh Stevie,” Eddie cooed, “there are so many more options than just "liking both.”
He made air quotes with his fingers, attention immediately diverted away from murdering Gareth with whatever objects he could grab. 
Steve gave him a side eye that was more than well deserved.
“I feel like I don’t want to know.” He said flatly.
“Too late.” Gareth told him, resigned. “You get to hear the speech now.”
“There’s a speech?”
“Steve, it's me. Of course there’s a speech.” Eddie tutted, resettling himself on the couch so that he’s sitting cross legged. “It’s an hour long so strap yourself in big guy, we have a lot of ground to cover!”
Crisis firmly averted, Gareth curls back up in the chair, tired smile on his face as Steve and Eddie go right back to bantering, the tension having vanished from the room.
This is a rare outcome, given their life and the world they live in, but one Gareth’s incredibly thankful for.
Can’t quite believe it, but then, King Steve had surprised a lot of them ever since he’d hung up his crown.
Perhaps Hellfire was a good influence on people after all.
xXx
Bonus
Back at the Byers, outside on the front porch, Hopper and Joyce were arguing over a cigarette.
(They both believe they’re being very quiet about it, but the pillow Jonathan had jammed over his ears said otherwise.)
“Remind me to make you work on your approach with disciplining children.” Joyce was saying, as she snatched the cigarette out of Hopper’s hands.
“What?! I thought that went pretty well considering they broke back into the lab and almost killed themselves.” He responded, waiting until she’d taken a deep inhale before trying to get it back.
“And I’m sure taking potshots at the poorest kid in the room was a necessary part of that process. It’s probably written down in the police handbook, even.”
“I wasn’t taking potshots Joyce--”
“No, of course not, you were just throwing random criticism and assumptions around, willy nilly and--oh, wait, that’s the exact definition of a potshot--”
“He deals drugs! Look me in the eyes and tell me Munson doling out weed doesn’t make more sense then the lot of them chasing down some--some goo story!?”
There’s a weighty pause, in which one can only imagine Joyce Byers face says more words than her mouth ever could.
It was very impactful.
“I mean--okay, maybe not our kids, but the teenagers?” Hopper’s voice dives into a disbelieving kind of whine, reserved for those who are aware the point they’re arguing may in fact, be wrong, but are desperately defending it anyway. “Come on. Drugs is the clear answer!" 
“Even if that was what was happening, then you shouldn’t be discussing it in a room full of children who have survived what those kids have, Jim. It could have been a separate conversation, given in a much calmer and less threatening tone of voice.”
“Oh my God, Joyce--”
“Don’t you ‘oh my God!’ me, you asked for lessons on being a better parent and I am holding you to them!”
There’s a brief scuffle over the cigarette, as both seem to realize Joyce is letting it smoke out in her hand.
She does not stop talking however, even as their hands slap at each other. 
“That includes parenting the teenagers in this town, because in case you haven’t noticed, you’re the Chief of police! So you signed up to see them all at their worst, and you get to deal with the fallout of that!”
“Fine! Fine. I’ll apologize to the goddamn high school drug dealer. Is that what you want!?”
“Yes!”
Another pause, this one filled with that awkward sort of tension when an argument has fizzled out, and neither party knows quite where they stand with each other yet.
“What voice am I supposed to use?” Hopper mused, finally winning the bid for the cigarette and jamming it into his mouth.
“Anyone except the grumbly bear voice.”
“The grumbly bear voice?”
“You know,” Joyce drops her own voice in a comical rendition of Hopper’s, “How dare you kids run off! You’ll be the death of me and this town!”
She laughs, and Hopper, shockingly, laughs along with her.
“I don’t sound like that.” He defends, bumping Joyce gently with his shoulder, and she in return, bumps him right back.
Both of them grinning, both of them blushing a little.
They keep talking, the cigarette eventually put aside and forgotten as they do.
Truth be told, they hadn’t needed it--but the excuse was nice.
(Inside, Jonathan rolled the pillow on top of his face in a suffocation attempt, unsure of what he’d done in life to deserve all this but desperately wishing he didn’t have to listen to his mother flirt.
Or worse--Hop flirting back.)
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eponastory · 1 day
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So you can read Katara's mind now?
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Sorry about the big blue dot, but I had to fit all of this in one screen.
Let's start off with the fact that this person completely disregards the entire character arc of both Zuko and Katara to put this point across.
From what it looks like, Katara is actually okay with being in the Fire Nation. Otherwise, she wouldn't be very comfortable at the BEACH HOUSE at Ember Island, where OZAI laid his head, too. But yeah, let's just glance over that. She even goes to the same theater where the Royal Family frequented when Zuko was a small child and had no issues with it up until the last act of the play. I mean, she had problems with her portrayal, but that was the play. Not the place. She even has fun in the Fire Nation.
Why? Because the Fire Nation is not all bad people. There are a lot of innocent people in the Fire Nation. That's like condemning all Japanese for the bombing of Pearl Harbor... oh wait... that happened. Yeah, Japanese Americans were treated like traitors after Pearl Harbor, even after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Some were forced to live in 10x10 horse stalls. But I digress. You realize what I'm getting at here don't you?
Probably not because you are naive.
I agree that Fire Lady is an irrelevant title. She wouldn't take it anyway, but instead, because she is very good in politics and loves her culture, she'd likely take on a more political role. Ambassador Katara is overused. But I do know that she is a guiding voice for Zuko (this is in the show btw) so maybe his right-hand advisor who gets shit done could work. Remember, they work incredibly well as a team. Plus he's the damn Fire Lord. He'd find a position for her that she could do some good. (I know this is kinda my headcanon, but it's based on information gathered from various source material from the franchise) hell, even a health coordinator would be in the cards.
Anyway, it seems you don't really understand her arc given that she is very good at politics post-war and has the capacity to FORGIVE Zuko and put all of that behind her. I mean... the way you guys make it sound is that she hates everybody. And that isn't true.
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olderthannetfic · 2 days
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I always see people who have never been antis, talking about/questioning how some antis even ARE antis when you look at their taste in media - ie the ever famous joke of "Hannigram is #problematique" "but it's a show where he eats people" or whatever.
I thought I'd weigh in as someone who could, hypothetically, be called an ex-anti (which, thankfully, nothing ever really came out of it - it was just very 2014 keyboardwarrior-esque behavior of me being a chronically online young adult who would share posts in a group chat making fun of certain shippers, or reblog posts about how 50shades is The Most Problematic Media Ever to exist -- basically I was an anti with anti-lines of thoughts, but i never, like, a ran a Shipping Discourse Blog or whatever)
For me, personally, it was a few different things. I can now see how it's incredibly hypocritical that teenaged me shipped Light/L, while still thinking that Dramione was Bad And Abusive. It ultimately boiled down to a) being pretentious, and b) just not understanding media or what proshippers REALLY believed, with a side of c) not realizing that nuance exists. like i was pretty late to join tumblr, I think I immigrated here during PEAK "yourfaveisproblematic" era which definitely did have an impact on my opinions and my tastes.
to elaborate, a.) being pretentious. i mean this one just kinda goes without saying. "I engage in media in a way more intellectual way than you do, don't you know that? You're a filthy and disgusting person who writes Snape/Hermione because you're an actually disgusting pedophile IRL who would probably date your own student that you're abusing if you could. Meanwhile, I'm a very smart, good, and pure person. When I read Uncle Vernon/Harry, I'm doing it in a G-d honoring whump way that clearly condemns abuse, incest, and rape. Unlike YOU who only writes harmful stuff as a way to get people off :/"
(as an aside, i think this line of thinking will ALWAYS be present in fandom and popculture in some way, sadly. ie the recent trend of people hating on booktok bc the books are 'trashy' and how these porn addicts should read real classic literature instead.)
as for b.), not understanding media - i cannot emphasize enough that i was GENUINELY stupid and disconnected enough to think that proshippers REALLY WERE pro-All Of The Degenerate Dead Doves That They Wrote.
why did i feel this way? why did i understand that Lolita clearly isnt pro-pedophilia, but for some reason i thought that someone shipping weecest was? well, first of all, i think that fanfiction is (generally) seen as Less Serious than classic literature, and fandom is a fun place, so i guess i somehow thought that every fanfic/fanartist who wrote Problematic Things, especially Problematic Things that they portrayed as Sexy, really DID enjoy the thought of that Actually Happening To Real People.
and i think THIS is the bulk of why antis ARE antis. i'm not calling them all stupid - i do think BEING an anti is stupid, but at the same time, there are people who are truly smart and good-intended people who just have some really off color opinions about, like, homestuck ships or whatever. Lawlight is okay because notebooks that kill people don't exist so it's IMPOSSIBLE for the Harmful Aspects of Light/L to be romanticized! but schoolyard prejudiced bullies DO exist and are a REAL problem so Drarry is BAD (*truly completely unaware of the fact that there's 'realistic' aspects of the Light/L dynamic and 'unrealistic' aspects of Drarry - such as, for example, Hogwarts arguably being even MORE of a fantasy setting than DN is.*) I know that media literacy is the hot buzzword of the year to throw around in 2024, but, like, i really did not have media literacy.
as for c.), not realizing nuance exists - ok "nuance" might not be the best word here, but i dont know how else to describe it. like, each time ive typed the word "problematic" out in this ask, i've done so in a very tongue in cheek/ironic/retroactive way, but, like, those posts about how Everything Is Problematic, Including Your Fave ARE true. and i didn't like the fact that my favorite media or favorite person might've Made A Mistake! i need to Talk About Its Issues Because I'm So Betrayed That My Dear Sweet Comfort Media Would Do This To Me. I Need To Prove I Clearly Condemn It.
like, i legit morally could not justify reblogging a twilight post without adding in the tags '#this is my guilty pleasure it sucks that the books were so racist though' or whatever. Most people were lucky enough to avoid that line of thinking, but there was an actual group of people who felt a genuine need to virtue signal all the time, partly bc, hey, they WERE passionate about talking abt #issues in media, but also bc of a subconscious fear of If You Reblog A Singular Piece Of Hetalia Fanart, You're Literally A Nazi And Will Get A Callout Post Written About You.
and during all of this i was at the tail end of my high school experience (yes i know im younger than most of your audience, ha). i was going through A Lot emotionally, going through a lot of life changes, and lived in a very . . . interesting household/place where i couldn't do ACTUAL good in the world that i was passionate about. so to make up for the fact that i was genuinely in no place to do legit activism, clearly i had to save the gay community by arguing about johnlock queerbaiting or whatever.
^ and honestly i do think that is the position of most antis. theyre isolated and cant seem to do Enough in the Real Scary World so they have to resort to talking about how bad of a person someone is for "shipping abuse", bc theyre not in a situation where they could, for example, ACTUALLY fight the good fight to end abuse or raise awareness for it.
There was way more to it and way more that I could say, if I wanted to, but this post is long enough as it is and probably doesn't make much sense.
I feel bad for antis, honestly, or at least the ones who are antis in the way I used to be.
--
Oh yes, passionate young fools who think they can at least fix the internet if not their lives make up most of the cannon fodder. Some of the ringleaders are just mini dictators and wannabe cult leaders, but most anti-leaning types are just traumatized or clueless, even a lot of the ones who do serious damage and don't just mock shit in private with their friends.
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amywritesthings · 1 day
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Love your fic love, it's the best one I've ever read. Could you do something from Levi pov when he started realising he liked Reader and he felt about that?
first of all, thank you for such lovely words! i'm so happy you like it. second of all, i can certainly write you a levi pov where he had his 'oh shit do i like her?' moment xo
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all at once. / levi ackerman x f!reader
word count: 900 warnings: language, levi pov set in the silver underground universe
( read on ao3 here )
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Furlan had a funny saying about the people he fell head over heels for.
It happens slowly, he once told Levi.
The two of them were sitting around their newly-bought two-bedroom apartment, comically vacant and egregiously filthy.
With his long legs outstretched and crossed at the ankle, Furlan chose to sink his palms into the dust to tattoo his fingerprints. 
To say he was there.
(I was here. I am here.)
Levi chose a more civilized position — sitting backwards on one of the only two chairs they had in this place, his sleeved forearms folded over each other on its curved back. He peered down at his friend with the utmost curiosity, head hung under a curtain of black fringe.
“The hell’s this question coming from?” Levi grunted as he shifted his shoe on the floor.
Fucking disgusting; he wasn’t going to sleep tonight if the entire apartment ended up being this damn dirty. 
“What do you mean?” Furlan asked. "Which topic?"
“The topic of this,” Levi clarified, “and why you’re so interested in who I may be looking at on the streets."
"What, we can't gossip?"
The way Levi's brow quirked said otherwise. Furlan sighed.
"We're roommates now."
"So?"
"So?"
"I don’t think I asked who you're interested in, Church.”
“No, you didn’t,” Furlan hummed happily with a dopey smile on his face. “But now that we have this place with two whole bedrooms to ourselves, we have the luxury of inviting people over. Think about it: two young and handsome bachelors, ready to take on the—”
“Wait, invite people over?” Levi interrupted, brow rising. “This isn’t a community house. It's headquarters.”
“No, I know."
"Do you?"
"Yeah! But like I said, think about it: now that we’re taking names and carving our own legacies down here, I’m sure plenty of people will think we’re great. Maybe we'll even get some kinda group of admirers for our efforts.”
“Doubtful.”
“Aw, c’mon, Levi,” Furlan pouted. “Don’t you like anyone? There’s that one guy with the tattoos over on second street.”
“No.”
“Or the dark-haired girl who always seems to give you a discount on soups.”
“Not happening.”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
Furlan blinked.
The black-haired boy felt his temper — and embarrassment — rising.
“Because I wouldn’t know what the fuck it feels like to like someone like… that.”
Levi grit the truth between his teeth, hating the honesty that came with this ridiculous conversation. 
The Underground City doesn't quite offer anything real. Down here love was transactional. There wasn't room for emotional error.
He saw what it did to his mother.
He saw how it molded whatever the fuck he’d call Kenny.
Bottom line was that feelings weren’t good.
And then there was Furlan, looking at him like he’d grown a second head.
“Well, when you realize there's something about someone, it's slow,” the ash-blonde boy suggested, nodding with encouragement. “From my understanding, liking a guy, girl, person, whatever — it happens slowly, then all at once.”
“How’s it slow?”
Furlan smiled, knocking his feet side to side against the wooden floorboards.
“Probably because the people you actually like are kinda in the background until they aren’t anymore.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Levi echoed. "You're supposed to be attracted to them first."
"That definitely helps, but that's like... lust or whatever," Furlan challenged. "I'm talking about liking someone. Wanting to hold hands or be with them so you can listen to them talk all the time and never get bored of what they're saying."
Levi scoffed, turning his chin sharply to the right as he considered.
Slow, then all at once.
Except it was never slow.
It would’ve been really fucking helpful if it had been.
You’d been ready to rip his throat open all those years ago.
No one had ever gotten the jump on him the way you had. No one would ever come close.
Maybe watching your fights after Kenny dropped him for reasons unsaid had been the slowest part about this. Watching your sweat-streaked face as you caught your breath in the midst of folding someone double your size like it was nothing. Listening to your voice in the alleyway when you spoke to that witch of a woman. Conjuring up an excuse to talk to you, to see if you even remembered—
It’d been all at once from the very beginning.
Someone as fleeting as a ghost had haunted his once dreamless sleep.
Hell, you still did.
“Sounds like you got someone in mind.”
His gray eyes darted back to Furlan, instantly on the defensive.
The other boy sported a goofy smirk. Levi scowled.
He could tell him.
He could ask if the way his throat closed up whenever he so much as considered uttering her name was a sign that he was head over heels.
That sometimes it wasn’t slow, but as fast as a blow to the damn head.
That sometimes liking a stranger felt more powerful than anything he'd ever known.
“Nah,” Levi lied, surging from his seat to stand at full height. “Only thing I’m interested in is cleaning this piece of shit up. I’m not sleeping on cobwebs tonight, so get up, grab a broom, and help.”
James.
Maybe one day he’d face it; liking someone.
Really, genuinely, devastatingly wanting someone.
But he couldn’t afford it.
(Maybe one day.)
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AITA for coming out as bi to my girlfriend and voicing my concerns to her
I (18M) have been dating my girlfriend, L (20F) for three years now. our relationship has been great so far, we were attracted to each other from the start. she has always been very flirty and tbh that's how she won me over at first, because teenage hormones are gonna teenage hormones y'know, but when I got to know her better as a person I realized my feelings for her weren't just sexual - she is kind, gentle, overall really sweet. I was, and still am, attracted to her in every way. L is also openly bisexual, fully out, and idk I've always felt so safe around her because she doesn't judge others, I think she's so beautiful inside and out. she has been my first girlfriend ever so I always do my best to be supportive and make her feel loved.
a few months ago I realized I'm bi. I thought, hey, since she always speaks about her own bisexuality I think I can tell her I'm bi as well. she was, as usual, very non-judgemental but she said something that I didn't like, something like "you see how much I love and trust you? someone else would've been like OMG YOU'RE PROBABLY JUST GAY AND YOU WANT TO CHEAT ON ME WITH A GUY". I was,, confused bc 1. I think supporting your partner when they come out is the bare minimum, 2. she is bisexual herself and I don't think shes gonna cheat on me with a girl, I never acted like I was great for supporting her and 3. I know I'm not gay because L can do whatever she wants with me so I dunno what that comment was for. I've enjoyed my intimate encounters with her too much to be gay and she knows this.
I was a bit annoyed but still grateful that she was supportive. I noticed our sexual activities increased after that and a part of me wondered if she was trying to make sure I'm not gay. which made her look like a bit of a hypocrite because she never had to "prove" to me that she's not gay. not complaining tho - I just found it odd? I think it's a weird double standard, but then again I know women are always putting up with double standards so I feel like I can't tell her abt how strange her comment was. I just don't want L to think I'm not attracted to her and I started feeling like an asshole for telling her I'm bi.
but she got actually upset over something else that has nothing to do with us being bi - when we first started talking, she was dating another guy. I knew this, so I was respectful, I thought that L being flirty with me was some kind of joke until she told me she was serious and she couldn't stop thinking about me. L didn't cheat on him, she broke up with him before she started dating me, and recently I told her "hey... I won't be that guy one day, right? I trust you and I know you won't cheat on me, but I remembered how our friendship first started and if you ever stop loving me I would like to know before you feel ignored enough to start flirting with other guys". she got very visibly upset, she said I was right, said she felt cheap and like a whore and ???? NOT AT ALL WHAT I FUCKING MEANT. I was trying to tell her I want us to have communication, because I love her and I want our relationship to work out.
I feel like a shitty person and boyfriend, first for telling her I'm bi even though it wouldn't have an impact on our relationship, then for trying to voice my concerns and accidentally making her feel that way.
I've apologized a few times and we're good now but she introduced me to her best friend and,, this girl just started talking abt how she will guide me so I can properly take care of L? it made me feel really stupid. I felt like a child tbh. we are bi but not poly (I respect those who are, just giving you context) so idk why she felt she had to insert her friend into our relationship. am I really so bad that my girlfriend has to ask her friend to teach me how to be good to her? I would understand this if L had some sort of disability but her friend just talks to me about BDSM and doms/subs and like ??? I feel like L being a sub has fuck all to do with our argument, but I still feel terrible. pls help me make sense of these things. I want to know if I am the asshole.
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amphiptere-art · 24 hours
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Can I just point out something again.
How am I supposed to care for the main protagonist in Tsams. When they use the woes of the antagonists for their own entertainment?
I don't care how much better of a person Monty has become. I don't care how much better of a person Moon has become. I get and understand that they have every right and reason to be upset with eclipse and blood moon. They have every right to be angry. But do they have them right to laugh and point out the villain sorrow? Am I supposed to feel happy when they tell me every reason and understanding of why I feel sympathy for the villains as a joke?
This is the epitome of Batman laughing at joker for going insane. There is nothing good about joker being insane. For many villains and hero relationships. None of those heroes laugh at the misery of their villains. They will be angry. They will shout. Hell they might not even feel sympathy for whatever the villain had to go through. I can get that. But most don't play it off as a joke. Most don't go haha, that murderer's brother died. Most don't go haha, You're a little twerp that never should have lived.
Those sentences sure don't feel gratifying or hilarious when said in a void does it? Call me a villain kisser. Call me a moon/Monty hater. Have you wondered why some people would be like that? You can hate the killer but you never laugh at what life brought them there. You can wish for their death but you never celebrate the misery of their lives. You may celebrate their death, But you certainly don't mock about it with an air of jokery to those that are left behind in the aftermath.
There is one thing I get from watching real life crime reviews. People will get angry. People will shoot it in the villain's face. They will celebrate the villain's death with cry's and triumphant yells. But no one looks at their life and giggles. No one flonders their death around family no matter how involved they are. You don't do that. There is usually nothing right with how they were treated, And there certainly is nothing right about packaging someone's death certificate in a present, and handing it over to whoever was closest.
I don't care how sweet or better Monty has gotten. I don't care how different of a person Moon is. I don't care how understanding the soft Sun's anger is. I don't care if puppet is some primal entity who was expecting this from the beginning. I don't care if Lunar's jokes are just an expression of anger. At least he has an excuse. At least it feels like lunar is legit joking out of a fit of anger. Everyone else up there has made plenty of jokes and jabs without some sort of anger to cover it up. Sun maybe. But everyone else? Especially our oh so wonderful Monty?! No! I could get it maybe in the sanctity of his home. In the quiet of his friends. But he literally takes the time to drive these villains out into the light and play with them for a bit.
I feel like I'm being force fed this idea that I'm supposed to be okay with this. Like it's entirely okay to look at a villain's backstory and laugh at it! That I'm not only supposed to celebrate a murderer's death, but also joke about it to their family and friends! Everyone in this goddamn fandom hops and skips around that issue because surely it can't be. Surely I can't look at these wonderful characters I've been voting for for ages, and realize that they're jackasses. But they are promoting the worst behavior I have ever seen. Let's just laugh at the jokes. Let's just jear at the expressions. Let us ignore every possible reason why this is the most fucked up shit.
Because for some reason. As long as they have a reason to hate. They have a reason to joke. And while I might understand it as some sort of self therapy. Talking to the villains about it and even there friends is cruel!
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sparklecryptid · 3 days
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A Reveal because the Lucis Caelums had a magical family tree made up once and somebody finally found the thing after it was lost in the archives for a few centuries.
Regis is not even the only person with bastards, he's just the most recent one and it's not even the biggest scandal.
(That would be the confirmation that the children of that one LC queen couple of hundreds years ago were most definitely not sired by her husband, which honestly, everyone expected already because the man was so gay and not even pretending otherwise.)
Noctis stares at the magic family tree.
He stares at it. Ignis stares at it.
The two of them exchange looks.
"Well," Noctis says eventually, "Do you think I can toss the crown at one of my siblings-"
Ignis gives him a look that would make lesser men weep.
"I'm not sure they would appreciate that."
-
After that Noctis takes the family tree and with Prompto's help carefully looks up the names of his siblings.
One of them lives in Lestallum and works as a scientist at the power plant, Thanatos seems to be a cheerful man with red eyes and that makes Noctis wonder WHY no one has connected him to their father earlier.
The next is Ardor, who has a Kwetter account that is only used to post blurry shots of beasts and daemons that Ardor was hunting and to response to his other siblings.
Which is how Noctis finds out that all his half-siblings know about each other and regularly interact through the internet.
It makes him feel a bit lonely to be honest. He understands their desire to not want to come forward but-
Well.
He's always wanted a bigger family.
The next person Noctis and Prompto find is a man named Ace who is Hunter and sometimes appears in Ardor's photos. He's Galahdian, obvious by the beads in his hair, and Noctis and Prompto share a look when they realize that Ace is married to an active member of the Kingsglaive.
Persephone is next, she's a priestess with a warm smile that Noctis thinks is somehow comforting and threatening at the same time. She is also married to an active member of the Kingsglaive and routinely shows up on her siblings feed asking them to 'please reconsider what they are about to do'.
Jules works in a book store. She has mousy brown hair and bright blue eyes hidden behind thick frames. She looks like someone Ignis would get along with.
Bard is - okay, Noctis has known who Bard is for a while know, her videos go viral whenever she posts her street performances and Noctis knows that Ignis and Gladio are fans. He wonders if he can get them an autograph.
Jupiter is the sister of an active member of the Kingsglaive and Noctis begins to wonder if they're training them so poorly they can't recognize members of the loyal family.
There is nothing on Mercury's page but cat photos that she tags her siblings in with 'this you?' the latest of which is a wet cat staring at the camera that Mercury tagged Ardor in.
Noctis is a little hurt that they all know each other and yet never bothered to come forward.
If he posts a video of the magically glowing family tree on his Official Account and tags all his siblings in it with 'this u?' well-
Noctis deserves to blow up the internet once and while.
As a treat.
(The existence of the siblings gets quickly brushed aside when the family tree - upon study by various historians - confirms that the children of The Star were not sired by her husbands.
Thanatos immediately posts a joke about 'horny running in the family'.)
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torimidori2-blog · 1 day
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I'm poly, and I keep getting people who don't understand what the difference between polyamory, open relationships, and cheating, so let this be an educational moment for all the mono people out there.
Polyamorous is when someone is attracted to or in a relationship with more than one person at the same time. This is all with consent from everyone involved. A group of poly people who are dating are called a polycule. Just like regular monogamous relationships, poly relationships can consist of romantic, platonic, sensual, and sexual attraction, and can even be done with people who are aspec (on the ace spectrum).
An open relationship is when someone is attracted to more than one person, but the person who you're dating isn't attracted to the people you date. For example: if the relationship started of monogamous, and you decide you want to open the relationship in order to cater to a specific need that your current partner can't provide, that means you and your partner can see other people outside of your relationship with consent from your partner. Just like poly people, this can also be done between people who are aspec and you could have different reasons for wanting another separate relationship, whether you need a sensual, sexual, romantic, or platonic/queer platonic relationship. In my opinion, I think open relationships should be a last resort after communicating with your partner enough to where you both realize that your relationship needs aren't being met, but you still care enough about each other to still want to be together.
Cheating is when someone in a committed relationship sees other people without consent from their significant other(s). The reason why cheating is bad, is not because they're dating someone else, it's because you trusted them to not break the boundaries of the relationship by seeing other people, and they did anyway.
Even if you're in a poly relationship, you can cheat because if you didn't trust your partners enough to tell them that you're interested in seeing someone else and it breaks their boundaries and makes them feel violated and uncomfortable, that's cheating. It's also a danger to the polycule because they don't know the person you brought in and they weren't aware of you bringing them in. Why would you not tell your cule who you're dating when they're usually comfortable with letting more people in? For all we know, they could hurt the cule, or hurt you, or they could be hiding something themselves.
Someone who tells you that their actually poly after they got caught cheating is a blazing red flag. Cances are, they're just trying to find a valid excuse to cheat and get away with it. Someone who tells you that they want to open a relationship before sorting out the issues in their current relationship is a blazing red flag. Especially if you have a solution to the problems that you're facing, and it could've been solved through negotiating with your partner.
To be honest, as a poly person, I don't understand why cheating is a thing. For one, it could be because being monogamous is the societal norm, and seeing other people is a means of trying to secretly bypass that norm, but I don't think thats the case seeing that there is a whole cheating culture that proudly says that they like to cheat and gloat about how many people they play on a constant basis. It could be the fact that people just think that emotions are a game to be played with, or it could be some sort of insecurity that they have with the relationship they started before they decided to cheat. But fr, can someone tell me the reason why people cheat? I don't understand, and I need a real valid answer. Not some "They were boring and I don't like them anymore." because you can either do one of two things there, break up with them, or talk to them about how you feel and tell them what you want from them moving forward.
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Can you do Blue Lock Sae x female reader x Rin fluff? The brothers are fighting for her love.
Hehehehe.... I don't know why but I'm a sucker for these types of fics, especially since it's about my two favorite bllk boys. But anyways, sure anon! I desperately need to practice writing fluff since I haven't done any for a while now. And I realized how hard it is to make a banner on a laptop because I originally wanted them to be placed on different sides... TwT
English isn't my first language so there will be some problems with my grammar.
Warnings: Nothing really, just Rin and Sae fighting for the reader's attention behind her back. Reader is implied to be their childhood friend and a bit older than Rin. Reader will be referred to as [Name].
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3rd person POV:
Today in the Itoshi household, there seems to be a little... problem...
"Just what do you think you're doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Spain or something." Rin spat as he glared at his older brother, Sae, who was sitting on the couch in front of him.
But to understand what is currently happening, let's start from the beginning, shall we?
Today is one of the few days where Rin could take a break from Blue Lock. Usually on days like these he would inform his dearest childhood friend (and crush), you, so the two of you can hang out before he returns to Blue Lock again. But unfortunately for Rin, there seems to be a change in his plans. And this rearrangement was caused by none other than his older brother Sae who just so happens to be on a break from his job.
And that leads us to where we are now. The two brothers are currently having an intense staring contests, the tension in the room is so thick that it could be cut in half using a knife. And to finish it all off, Mr and Mrs Itoshi are out of town on business so they couldn't separate the two away from each other.
It was at that moment that the person who would break the tension arrived, knocking on the door. "Hello? Rin, are you there?" The familiar voice of [Name] called, making both brothers freeze as they turn to look at the door. "I'm going to come in, alright?" She threatened as the door was slowly opening.
[Name] had just opened the door, but it seems like she hadn't realized that Sae was also there in the living room because she looked busy searching for something in the bag that she had brought along with her. "I know that you had just got back from Blue Lock and stuff, but I got you-?!" And that was her when she realized that Sae was there. "A-ah, it's nice to see you again, Sae." She greeted him, although a bit hesitant due to the fact that she wasn't expecting him to be in Japan right now.
Sae had now focused his attention on [Name], a small unnoticeable blush crept up on his face, as he just gave a small nod before looking away and focusing on the floor. Has it always been this clean and spotless?
A moment of peaceful (awkward) silence came after. "Hey Sae, we were about to watch a few movies together. Do you want to join us? It'll be just like what we used to do together when we were younger." As if sensing the tension, [Name] smiled as she tried to change the topic by inviting Sae to their little binge watching session. Much to Rin's dismay that was evident by the surprised look on his face. "Sure, I don't really have anything to do anyways." He responded although a bit blunt, he seemed rather excited when [Name] suggested that he joined them.
But this didn't escape Rin's sight. He isn't going to let his brother get in the way of his time with [Name], not on his watch.
If there's one thing that both brothers can remember well are all the moments that they had spent together with [Name]. But some of the most memorable has to be all the movie nights/sleepovers that they had together when they were younger. Though, most of the fun memories were made in the preparation for the movies, such as;
Making Homemade Snacks in the Kitchen
Usually before they'd start, they would prepare the snacks beforehand together. But Rin would rather not take any chances of his brother getting closer with his crush. So he had already prepared for this.
How you may ask? Well that's simple! He is way much better at cooking than Sae, he's been training for this moment since that one time you got bedridden due to a fever in middle school. So he will definitely impress you with his cooking skills!
So when you asked for them to help in preparing some snacks, he was more than confident in his skills.
He did not expect this to happen. Someone please explain to him why on earth his brother is getting all of [Name]'s attention while he just watches on the sidelines as he continues to peel the skin of potatoes in his own silent anger.
He swears that Sae is doing it on purpose too! I mean, just look at how whenever you weren't looking he would give a small but sly smirk to his younger brother before asking how to continue doing the next step in the cooking book. Sae doesn't even need help with most of the steps! Like come on, was he born yesterday or something cause he's acting like he doesn't know how to use a blender or cut some tofu.
Rin doesn't know why but he feels jealous whenever you would get close to his brother to show him how to do something or how you would put your hand on Sae's to guide him whenever he was cutting something. At this point, Rin is practically seething in jealousy. So much so that he didn't notice when he accidentally cut his finger a bit.
Sae may have won the kitchen battle, but he will not win the movie war.
Scores:
Rin: 0 Sae: 1
2. Preparing a Comfortable Spot to Watch
This is a tradition that would make their parents angry, you see, as kids both brothers would love to make a pillow fort together while you were busy usually with making the drinks. But sometimes, they tend to forget about it and their parents would scold them about returning things back to where it originally was.
Truthfully, Sae had forgotten about this little tradition. He doesn't really have any time for watching movies, and if he did it was either at a cinema with his teammates or on his couch in his house in Spain.
So during the time [Name] was preparing the drinks, Sae was just scrolling on his phone because he had gotten a lot of calls and texts from Shidou who somehow has his phone number now so Sae was trying to block him only for Shidou to use another number, but while this was happening Rin was turning the living room into a literal pillow haven. Most of the room was filled with pillows, blankets, and plushies (You gave one to each of them for their birthday and it's been well taken care of).
Rin wonders how Sae will react once he finds out that he was the culprit who gave Shidou his number. When Sae realized what Rin was doing (Sae made Shidou snitch on Rin), it was far too late. You already finished making the drinks and Rin had already picked out a movie.
Perhaps Sae was feeling a bit tired because he swears that he had seen Rin smirking at him as you compliment Rin. Yeah, he was definitely drowsy cause there is no way that he's losing against his brother out of all people, and even worse is that he's taking all of your attention.
No, he is not jealous.
He is definitely not jealous. Why would he be? He is way much better than Rin, so why would he be jealous? So what if Rin got a kiss on his cheek as a reward? when it comes to you; he won't lose to anyone, especially Rin.
If Rin wants to challenge him then he should know that Sae won't back down that easily.
Scores:
Rin: 1 Sae: 1
3. Movies!
When the three of you were still little kids you had a bedtime, but since you're now older you can stay up as long as you want. And back then there was a very limited amount of movies that you were allowed to watch since you were still young, but now you can watch anything you want although there is still some that you'd rather stay away from.
There are a large number of movies that the TV could offer, you were no longer confined to watching movies rated for kids so there wasn't much trouble with picking what to watch.
The problem is the two Itoshi brothers, you were aware of what had happened between them and the fact that their relationship isn't really the best. But this is too much! They've been glaring at each other since you came in. The tension feels almost suffocating, no scratch that- it is suffocating.
"How about we watch this one?" You asked as you had just picked a random movie, the two only nodded their heads as you started the movie.
Oh God that sure was a mistake.
Of all the movie options available you just had to pick out a horror movie, huh? Well, can't really back down now.
So this leads you to where you are right now, sitting in between Sae and Rin as you hold on tightly to Sae's hand after he offered it to you seeing how much you were sweating as Rin just rolled his eyes in jealousy. But the thing that you don't know is that Sae is afraid as well.
There was a scene halfway in the movie where the suspense was incredibly high when suddenly a jump scare appeared causing both you and Sae to scream as you hugged Rin's arm tightly for the rest of the movie.
The two brothers seemed sleepy when the movie had ended. You had excused yourself to use the washroom and placed a pillow in your stead. but when you got back there was a surprise waiting for you. Both Sae and Rin had fallen asleep leaning on the pillow that you placed in your stead.
Final Score:
Rin: 1.5 Sae: 1.5 [Name]: 2
Mission make the Itoshi brothers bond together has somehow failed successfully, but you aren't really complaining.
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What if that night in Godric's hollow Lily chose to let Voldemort kill Harry and stepped aside when Voldemort asked her to?
Self-preservation kicked in! No one knows how they will react facing death. She should not be blamed for protecting herself.
Would she be honest and tell people what really happened or make up some believable story? What would happen to her after that night? Does she leave England? How would the Order/Sirius/Dumbledore react to the events? Would Severus go after Lily and tell her he is her hero? Would this be a better AU for Lily and the wizard world?
Woof.
Well.
It's not good.
Would She Be Honest and Tell People What Happened?
We don't really know much about Lily's character is the thing. I make a lot of things up for my own benefit, but that's my taking and running with the very little we see in canon.
We really don't know how she'd react.
The way I characterize her? Feeling guilty over her husband's death (who died for her and Harry) and the fact that she survived her son (who she perhaps could have protected) she'll confess to what happened. She wants people to blame and hate her so she can punish herself for this.
And judge and punish her they do as this is something the Order and the greater public just can't understand. I'm sure rumors of how and why Lily was spared also fly and soon Lily goes from the truth of simply stepping aside (and being spared because of Snape) to having slept with Voldemort to save her life to being his spy the entire time.
What Would Happen to Her After that Night?
The gossip against her is massive and I imagine the Order never quite trusts her again. They may not kick her out, though I'm sure some (certainly Sirius who is mad with grief over James's death) vote for it. Lily may leave of her own free will out of guilt and so as not to give the Order a black eye.
The Prophet may or may not run smear campaigns against her both to distract from the realities of the Ministry not managing anything against You-Know-Who and because this is such a shocking awful story.
Lily becomes persona non grata but is presumably left alone by the Death Eaters as Voldemort chose to spare her life and the order has been passed down through the ranks (and as Voldemort is alive he keeps Bella and the Lestranges and Barty in check in a way he didn't at this point in canon).
Lily lives a miserable life in which her husband and son are both dead, she's of no help to the cause, and she's trying to get on with it.
How Would the Order/Sirius/Dumbledore React?
See above but I imagine ostracization.
Sirius would never forgive Lily for James having died and Lily just selfishly allowing Harry to be killed. I imagine he'd blame her in his mind and believe that she had betrayed James personally by doing this. Not to mention what kind of a person/Gryffindor steps aside to let her baby be murdered?
The Order at large would likely have mixed opinions but the Weasleys for example would vocally condemn Lily and despise her for this.
Dumbledore would, I imagine, think much lesser of Lily and start saying things he says about Merope about how Lily just didn't love her son enough/wasn't a very strong woman. He wouldn't condemn her quite as much as Sirius or Molly but there'd be an undertone of "this happened because you are weak".
Would Severus Go After Lily and Tell Her He's Her Hero?
Severus is home free, you bet your ass he does.
Lily's probably out of the Order, James Potter his greatest enemy is dead, Sirius is out of the picture because of James's death, even the hellspawn Harry Potter is dead and out of the way.
They can now go back to exactly what they were and the Dark Lord did hold to his promise after all (and oh dear god Severus betrayed him behind his back, hope he doesn't find out about this).
I imagine Severus would try to reconnect and either:
lie about being a Death Eater entirely (probably won't work)
say he's realized the error of his ways, admit to giving the information to Dumbledore to save Lily's life, but he can't leave the Death Eaters because of the mark/he'll certainly be killed
Probably he goes with option 2 as he can't exactly pretend he never held his views or wasn't a Death Eater at all and he firmly believes that he took this huge risk, saved her life, and he's completely redeemed now.
Would This Be a Better AU for the Wizarding World and Lily?
Well.
Lily's son and husband died horribly, she's haunted by survivor's guilt forever, all her friends hate her and she's completely isolated, Snape is back on her doorstep believing she should be grateful to him for his actions and he deserves instant forgiveness, and the Dark Lord is still alive and well, has the future minister's son in his pocket, has infiltrated the government completely, and can take over any time he pleases with one out of two prophecy children dead (and Neville... probably doesn't last long after this).
So.
No.
It's better for 0 people.
It's actually much worse for everyone except Tom.
Tom is enjoying not being a wraith in Quirrel's head, thank you very much.
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11queensupreme11 · 22 hours
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Hi,person from the "sweet fever" question!(I recommend u to do a quick read on the fan manga or see a resume so u can understand what I'm talking abt a bit better lol)
I was referring to a succubus womb tatto which can represent female power or something but can also represents other things depending on type of succubus womb tattoo (like one for cum addiction+other thing, one for slave I think,etc)
But I have another question,this situation would remind me of the Hades and Percy pollen situation, so how the yans react to Hades almost doing with Percy TWICE and in one Percy was high on sex pollen? I mean Hades didn't take her virginity but he was CLOSE☠️
omg wait so if character a got the "cum addiction" womb tattoo, they would be given a cum addiction?? and so forth??? omg 🤭 why didn't i learn of this sooner, now i know what kinda fics to search for tonight hehe
NOW I CAN DO YOUR FIRST REQUEST:
I wonder what would happen if Percy got a curse by that bc Aphrodite is TIRED of waiting for something more to happen so Percy's with an insane libido, fever, the temporary succubus womb tatto, etc. I wonder how yans would react and what would happen lol (Unrelated but I love how everyone uses the question things to talk u to just for the "anonymous" thing, I'm one of said followers😭)
(i found these on twitter btw, so im using these ideas for inspo hehe)
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so knowing aphrodite, she would pick a tattoo that SPECIFICALLY suits whatever yan she wants percy to end up with (actually, she'd probably switch it up every day so percy can be with ALL of them lmao, more entertainment for her)
beelzebub: COMMAND/REPROGRAM/TRIGGERED for sure 😭 lowkey, he'd be irked at first because he's already been conditioning her and he doesn't need the help of a stupid mark but eventually he starts to... enjoy it 😏 you know he's gonna order her to do the most lewdest things and video tape it so he can enjoy it in the future. and hey, since the mark's only temporary, he could even use the videos for future blackmail! 🤗
poseidon: LESSER. oh poseidon would LOVE this because finally percy starts to listen to him. he'll tell her that humans are awful and they all deserve to die, and she'll believe him. he'll tell her that it's perfectly okay to love your father, and she'll believe him. he'll tell her that it'd be SUCH a great idea for them to marry and have children and she'd believe him. no more needing to worry about his precious daughter getting corrupted by humanity's morals, she's now all his for the taking, yay!!!!
hades: LIBIDO/SWAY/GAZE. this man is horny for his niece so dont be surprised if he has dirty thoughts about her. imagine the horror percy'll feel when she hears her own uncle's impure thoughts about her?? and the horror she'll feel when she realizes she's actually getting TURNED ON by them??? she'll be so humiliated and confused when she suddenly starts touching herself, but its okay because her dear uncle's there to help her 🥺
apollo: CUMDICTION. aphrodite feels sooo bad that percy barely pays attention to him, so she curses her with a mark that makes her absolutely OBSESSED with him (tho to be more specific, his dick). apollo would be so ecstatic that the love of his life is finally reciprocating his love, that he won't even notice the womb mark when he's fucking her! true love 💖
loki: SUFFER/FORLORN. shocker, right lol 😂 he would totally enjoy this because he gets to do all kinds of sexual torture on her, BUT he's surprisingly also the first one who starts to hate the mark. her reactions aren't genuine, he wants the REAL percy, without this annoying mark! he wants percy to fight back and snap at him with her sassy words, not moan and be forced to submit!!!!
AND AS A BONUS: aphrodite would somehow manage to trick the yans into entering a room and throw percy in there with the pheromone mark! pheromone: any man within 30 meters will become aroused and attracted to her. the closer he is, the stronger it gets, and since these yans are already head over heels for her, the effects would be even STRONGER so rip percy's 🐱
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