#which will probably be reprieve at this point tbh

[throttlegainwell]

I'm making a new post because I want to put it under a cut and tumblr doesn't seem to like when you do that on a reblog, but this is in response to @jonathanbyersneedsabreak 's reblog of my Altered States post. (Thanks for the interest!)

So this one is a multiverse fic starring our Will (Will Prime?), who gets sci-fi whammied into this other universe where Joyce died when Will was 5-6 and Jonathan was 10.

(Warning for discussion below of child abuse and neglect, abandonment, parental death, and grief.) This is mostly background and touching on character arcs, not addressing the plot (which involves Will rescuing this universe's El from the lab and then getting her help to return to Hawkins Prime).

What follows is a pattern of abuse and neglect that both plays out differently and is more severe, while Lonnie is technically raising them but is deeply inconsistent in terms of basic care needs and often leaves them alone for stretches of time. Eventually, he decides he just wants to get the fuck out of Hawkins (he's in trouble or something and just says fuck it, I hated this shithole anyway) and he doesn't feel like dragging them with him, so he relinquishes his parental rights. (Jonathan is about 16 here.) Will and Jonathan are separated for three years before Jonathan a) becomes a legal adult and b) manages to get custody of Will and move them back to Hawkins, in the hopes that being around his old friends will be good for Will (who's clearly a very troubled kid by this point). Will was good friends with the Party here, but the situation at home really stunted his ability to connect with them, so it's a different dynamic. It also really affected Will's social prospects; if the Byers family had a shitty reputation before, it's absolutely tanked in this one.

Part of this is inspired by some (sad) family history, but the idea here is exploring how different the relationship between Will and Jonathan is in this different setting, and also to give Will Prime a look at another version of his life (especially his relationships with the Party). Jonathan and Will still love each other very much, but they don't know each other well, so there's not that same trust between them and they wouldn't necessarily hang out socially. There's also a much stronger awareness of what the other has been through, which contributes to the strain between them--it's a lot messier here. Unlike Will Prime, whose understanding of Lonnie and Jonathan's relationship seems amorphous at best because he was insulated from some of it, here there really wasn't a big secret of what was happening and no Joyce to mediate any of it, so Lonnie was significantly more abusive to Will as well. In fact, Lonnie almost certainly tried to play them against each other and drive a wedge between them.

Jonathan will try to protect Will in any universe, of course, and he often tried to draw Lonnie's attention away from Will and toward himself. But his power here was obviously very limited, so he felt helpless and harbors a lot of guilt over a) what he perceives to be his failure to adequately care for Will and protect him from Lonnie and b) occasionally being relieved when Lonnie didn't go for it and Jonathan got a reprieve (and the latter is a source of immense shame as well, because what kind of person feels even a moment of relief over not being targeted for abuse when it comes at the expense of the person they're supposed to be protecting? Relieved that it wasn't him this time? But he's only human, and it happens). I also really don't want to downplay the far-reaching effects of that kind of serious neglect (and the increased burden this puts on Jonathan, who simply cannot be an even halfway adequate caregiver to a young child nor is he equipped to ensure his own needs are met--it's a profoundly bad situation for both of them, basically, even when you remove the abuse as a factor). Tbh, I'd say the neglect was probably more significant than the abuse in this scenario.

Jonathan is, uh, very fucked up in this story. Much angrier, much more anxious, very much trying to keep it together for Will but deeply traumatized from a lifetime of shit and drowning in guilt over several things that may or may not make it into the story, but it's all informing his perspective and demeanor here. In a lot of ways, he's kind of mirroring Joyce; he's just very focused on maintaining steady employment and basic materials needs (shelter, food, utilities). From my notes:

He's also deeply, profoundly angry, in a way that leaks out quietly but unmistakably, even though he tries to hide it; he kind of vacillates between vibrating and being sort of checked out. He loves Will, but they're not that close here because the trauma pushed them apart, and being separated certainly didn’t help there.

The traumatic grief is really the big thing that I'm not sure will come up here, but it's huge--he feels responsible for Joyce's death in a way that's burrowed so deeply into him that questioning it would be like suggesting that maybe the sky is made of marshmallows. This is because she wasn't supposed to be where she was on the day of the accident; she put off running that errand the night before because Jonathan, upset after the rabbit incident, wanted her to stay with him instead of going out. He didn't tell her what happened--he was just so traumatized that he begged her not to go, which freaked her out enough to change her plans. And he really has never had anything resembling treatment for this, so it's festered.

So, uh. There are many, many aspects to this story that are just deeply upsetting, but the point isn't necessarily to linger on them. They're really more background.

But! Although Jonathan is kind of checked out and not super close to Will, he does know him well enough (and is paying enough attention) to recognize that this isn't his little brother. First, because Will Prime trusts him too much--he's just expecting a certain level of closeness that this other Will wouldn't. (At first, Jonathan is terrified that something terrible has happened to Will and that's why he's suddenly looking to Jonathan for support, because what else would cause that?) But then he realizes that while this kid is just as traumatized as his brother, the shape of that trauma is different. He's basically like, huh, well, you're definitely fucked up, but you're way more emotionally healthy than my Will, so you can't be him.

Anyway. That's the Will & Jonathan background.

#writing tag #altered states wip #long post

[not-poignant]

here i am to shower you in compliments!!!! 🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️

i started with your fae tales works (probably like a lot of your readers) and since then have been obsessed with everything you write. you are my go-to read when i need a reprieve from boredom, a reminder to be strong when i'm struggling, or just some plain old comfy comfort. your characters have stuck with me for years now and will probably always hold a special place in my heart. when im sad i often just think of gwyn and augus relaxing in nature and being goofy-happy together, or ef and arden playing with a cute dog, or pitch and jack jamming to some music in their home together while pitch makes dinner. thank you truly does not feel like enough!

now here is a potentially dumb and/or already asked question: of all of the many many characters that you have written (and their many different iterations), is there one that you identify with the most? this might be too silly of a question, so feel free to just douse yourself in the compliments shower and ignore the rest :)

Hi hi anon!

This ask makes me so happy, just... *flails happily* also that you're able to reach for my writing at different times, and different characters for different reasons. AHHHH thank you!!! Thank you for reading as well :D I consider myself showered!

(Also for your asked question, tbh I don't really know! It tends to be whoever I'm writing at the time, and then I sort of...move onto the next characters. There is no real 'most' though, I don't like to put too much of myself into any one MC, because I'm not a writer who enjoys self-inserts (like to the point where I don't want any of my video game characters to be based on me or to look like me in video games) - as a result, they all kind of get a similar amount of 'a bit like me' and therefore I kind of relate to them all on a similar level.

There's been ones I haven't related to as much, which to some degrees is probably Mosk, Flitmouse and Connor, but otherwise I don't really want to relate to them too much. So it's more like... 'I have to relate to them due to writing their emotional states and relating helps' - so I relate most to whoever's emotional state I'm writing at the time :D )

#asks and answers #personal #why are people so nice #there's no one character that rises above the others though #i would say characters i've given the most words to #are probably up there #efnisien and gwyn for example #but then not necessarily jack frost #who i also gave a lot of words to #so idk it's hard! #it's definitely not a bad question though #administrator gwyn wants this in the queue

[kagrenacs]

Honestly the peace council quest would’ve been even better if you had like genuine say in anything, cause by that point everyone knows you’re the Dragonborn and everyone in that room knows that you could liquidate them in 3 words, so they’d be forced to be more receptive to what you have to say

This is mostly down to the fact that I would’ve absolutely been like ‘neither of you cunts get Markarth actually I’m giving that shit to Madonach and the other Reachmen’

Sorry for the rant you’ve triggered an idea within me based on the comments i’ve been getting on that imperial/stormcloak two-party post all week. I have a bit of an unpopular opinion in way of I actually enjoy that helplessness you feel in the quest.

You are Dragonborn, respected figure in Nord culture, you are a one man army with nothing but your voice. You can do absolutely nothing to change the outcome.

Nord culture isn’t what it was. Nobody has sat on the Dragon Throne in 201 years and any Dovahkiin are a distant, distant memory. Without the context of dragons, they only amount to individuals who can learn the thu’um- a practice highly regulated by the Greybeards and Paarthurnax. Even if you demonstrate the thu’um, there will probably be an air of disbelief or non-comprehension to it’s true power. And threatening alliance leaders then and there is a sure way to have mercenaries chase you to the endless ends of the earth to spill your blood.

It’s not a coincidence the peace council is held at the monastery founded on Jurgen Windcaller’s beliefs. He and a dozen other shouts tried to strong arm Skyrim and her colonies where they wanted well before that. With the combined armies of the Chimer and Dwemer, even with the power of reality bending thu’um, they couldn’t hold up against the mass.

The peace council talks in circles, promises are made, promises will be broken and forgotten. It’s an endless roundabout debate, with only a temporary reprieve. As soon as you defeat Alduin, the cycle will start again. Maybe something is achieved incrementally, but decades will pass before any meaningful changes will arise. Meta-textually, it doesn’t even matter, I’ve always been of the belief no decision in the Civil War quest will be the right one, as per Bethesda fashion. The Thalmor will swoop in or all out war will be instigated in some way or other, wiping the slate clean.

(Western) RPGs tend to have a very individualistic mindset from what I’ve observed. I don’t frequently enjoy monomyth hero stories tbh, one man swoops in and saves the day with the power he’s gained, and the world is saved! It’s an isolating viewpoint, forcing one person to be responsible for the well-being of the collective. His sole authority/power being the law determining what’s right and wrong. Not one single person can incite revolution, and it takes more than one person to decide what’s fair.

In my turn of events, (which is reflective of my political ideologies) I think the abandonment of negotiations is the ultimate way to go. Don’t settle for the lesser of two evils, break the confines of the prison constructed for you! There is strength in numbers, lend your power to the oppressed, who can guide you on where they need the support. You can do nothing alone.

#asks #anon #I am sometimes down for a good story that makes me feel powerful and sexy. But I don't find it relatable #I don't hold any power besides whatever I can contribute to my community and that's ok with me :)

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

BTS from A Reprieve From Thought :DDD

Fic Specific Asks!

BTS: I’ll write a DVD commentary about my personal favorite passage from [that fic]

sorry this took ages, I forgot about it in my drafts 😅

so first of all I think it’s worth noting that this is in a general darklina doc titled this lol

for my other BTS fic thing I read through the entire fic and made comments through out so I’ll just do the same thing here. it’s uh pretty short PWP so let’s see how this goes…

minor thing but a few people have read this as a continuation of the canon scene set in his cabin and that’s not actually the case! with the set up I was trying to establish that it’s more of a missing scene during the rest of time they’re hunting the sea whip

also him not looking up is not entirely a power play lol he’s just a nerd

this I was trying to mimic the book vibe where extended descriptions of the Darkling just make it feel like she’s staring at him for a very long time.

I was thinking he’s poring over one of the journals

so a couple things, I always interpret the Darkling as uniquely and uh tbh sexually fixated on the amplifiers on Alina and like what they represent. he’s just really weird about it!!

anyway I also just forever find the implication that he doesn’t need an amplifier, but his power only makes things fucking worse really interesting? all that power and it’s completely useless! I think he’s definitely bitter about it.

anyway the first book also makes it really clear that she does not have fuck off insane power like him? to the point where I also doubt she would turn out to be immortal tbh! I find the implication that he’s basically manufacturing an immortal companion for himself really fascinating. lbeyond the baseline of having a very unique power, their experiences probably would not be similar at all but he’s just that desperate for them to be.

mostly self explanatory, but generally there’s not much room in the canon book for her to feel much betrayal? or sort out whatever burgeoning feelings she may have had for him before things imploded dramatically. I think in reality it’s just a writing issue sjfjfkhg but you could read it as her refusing to really view anything that’s happened through an emotional lens.

so this is some unacknowledged and unwanted hurt coming to the foreground. like “so you did like me a little 🥺”

and also that annoys her! which is why she’s more like “lololol you’re attracted to me? embarrassing! aren’t you embarrassed!” which is the trajectory that leads to her kissing him first.

SO while she is playing a very immediate petty game, he experienced a mental record scratch and went straight to omgomgomg *soulmates*

I think he is being sincere with her here. he’s just like are you finally ready to abandon your petty qualms and obey me without question and come back to my side??

I think he’s a very emotionally starved and obsessive character and simultaneously hardcore resents her for both bringing this out in him but also that she doesn’t meet his predetermined idea of what the object of his obsession (the fated sun summoner and his like immortal companion) should be like.

and Alina’s just like ………..huh?

I’m not going to screencap the entirety of the making out portion but shdhfgf I’ll be real with you, anon, I get so tired of describing the physicality of like kissing or sex. I literally got so bored I repurposed some descriptions from another fic for another ship I wrote ages ago and altered it to fit this scenario. I don’t think any of the original text is at all recognizable/there’s barely any left tbh after editing but I did need the jumping off point in order to not just be like “uh… kissing… more kissing?”

so this starts an entire bit where he’s nagging at her lmao and she’s mostly… not cool with it really but willing to play along if he gets her off dhfjffg but then he’s like “you betrayed me” and she’s like “okay hold the fuck up who made who massacre an entire city of civilians???”

anyway, more minor note at the time of writing, and still currently, I felt like the dialogue line about mentioning silken sheets was more my own writing style bleeding through rather than like perfectly IC word choices but I ran with it because I liked it lol

lol he takes any excuse to power trip. I mean he does already make her beg in canon 🤷‍♀️

she’s ready to go with it a little for role play/kink purposes but he’s pushing it lol.

sorry she’s going to have a fucking crisis (lol literally) after this!!!! I don’t think the actual plot trajectory would change much though. she’s probably going to feel worse, he’s going to be speaking in even more insane double entendres. but that’s about it!

#fic specific asks #grishaverse #shadow and bone #darklina #alarkling #i ramble sometimes #*writer’s cap* #a reprieve from thought #oh no I saw so many typos 😭

[survivor-marieta-islands]

Episode 5: "I'd rather die than grovel to a group of white people."—Raffy

Antigua

Amy

whoopsies.

I simply couldn't do rocks like that

Zo

So unfortunately for everyone i am somehow still here 😎

Maddison

tribal days are so stressful PLS i need some reprieve lol. i feel bad for the ellie vote out but! i don't like to be two timed. it also could be someone else doing the two-timing but that's the game. last time i played in an ORG there was the biggest rat of all in my alliance and i was sooo caught off guard sooo tryna not let that happen again. also just so y'all know i actually am great at spelling and grammar but this forum is legitimately a giant brain dump. i hope i didn't ruin my chances to work with colin or raffy but if so, so be it. chat soon!

Amy

okay but for real I can only play with who really wants to work with me at the present and I have the ability to readjust if something goes awry. tell me about alliances that exclude me and I'm tempted to work my way in and correct that. and I don't have the energy for last minute info. i do feel bad for not telling Colin Raffy and Ellie that I wasn't going to do rocks but Ellie was jinx target last go and even Colin said last go that they would vote Ellie but they were in alliances and wanted to go to rocks. Simply my plan became to remove options from Colin and Raffy but also still protect us three, though I also was mess bc I could have just told them whoopsies. They are mad and this could still easily flip onto me but I feel good in my group with jinx and JG and honestly I love other ppl doing the work for me while I sit back and wait. Though yeah I shouldn't have blindsided not going to rocks here 😬 and I do love rocks so it's a tough loss but I told Raffy and Colin from the start i wouldn't vote them but jinx really tried to switch the vote to Colin last minute so I had to stop that lol not happening even if they blindside me next 😅 tbh this vote didn't even need to happen and if raffy would have kept the vote on zo I probably would have voted with that side and got someone else to do so too bc girlie was living her best life when I was working for hours on that puzzle. Anyway I lost some info access but I want to keep the game interesting 🤠 (for me) and give myself space to move when I need to.

Raffy

I need to win this tribal immunity or I am going to be a pre-merge flop. I guess I made too many mistakes these past two rounds. First mistake was trying to target JG during the Steven round. That made him not trust me and now I lost an ally. Second mistake, was then trying to work with JG on the Zo vote which gave him ammo against me so that he could throw me under the bus to Zo. Third mistake was even going along with the plan to flip the vote to save Steven as I should have just given Steven up the wolves and not reveal my position. Fourth mistake was actually voting JG instead of Ellie which cements him not working with me. Fifth mistake was not revealing all the info I had to JG about that woman's alliance so that JG would actually trust the info. There definitely could be more, but that's just what I can come up with.

Where do we go from here? I have no idea. I think Amy and Jinx are protecting me, but, at this point, does it really matter? Looking at whose on the tribe, even if they wanted to vote out Colin, Zo is definitely going to want to vote me out more since apparently Zo and Colin have a really tight relationship and JG doesn't trust me at all. So, that's like two people who would most likely push for me to go. Idk if Colin is even going to try to salvage this or throw me to the wolves since he must also be feeling it's either me or him. I think I'm just in a "wait and see" sort of phase since I don't have power, sway, or even a voice on this tribe. So, I have to wait till a tribe swap or merge to even re-establish myself on the social hierarchy.

I don't even really wanna talk to Zo or JG since I don't even know what to say. They obviously both know I came at them at some point and anything I say to them would just be twisted to take me out. I don't really wanna talk to anyone on this tribe either. Cause it's just too difficult. Feels like I'm groveling and I'd rather die than grovel to a group of white people.

Zo

Jay you’ll be hearing from my lawyer for that tribal because the literal cardiac arrest i am in still!!!!! But seriously what a rush the passion it was truly incredible I am so sad JG is gone tho :( Here’s hoping for no swap fuck today babes!!

Amy

Tonight was a LOT. What just happened?? Guess who with a disadvantage, then deciding on a live tribal??? I almost voted Colin out but when zo said she couldn't I said oh I guess I'm voting JG out then bc I just couldn't vote Colin. Sucks though the JG Jinx Amy alliance was iconic. Anyway a live tribal while I'm running around in public straight into a mutiny swap?? I just went for it bc I have never mutinied and it sounded fun and chaotic. In the end it's 3 olds to 2 news on 2 of the 3 tribes! Me raffy and jinx together (so jinx and Colin aren't fighting lol) like this is WILD???? Olds control 2 tribes and the other is all Youths. And I think I won Raffy and Colin back over from being mad at me.

But I gotta say the funniest thing of the night. Turns out I thought AJ and Adeline were the same person.

Sin Sazonar

Trinica

Girlllll idk what's happening. I thought JG would be going, instead Els is gone. I *think* that Raffy and Colin and Jinx are working together? Maybe? And they were some of the votes on Els? But I also think I'll need to drop all my preconceived notions because past relationship does NOT equal current alliance. Anyway, bummed to see Els go, they seemed cool 😭

AJ

Wow Hairie really pulled through with the puzzle challenge. I was fully ready to go to sleep and wake up to defeat but goddamn. If that round wasn’t a rollercoaster I have no idea what is. But also, I have no clue what the voting sitch is on the other tribe, and that scares me with us potentially going into a swap. Jay turned off chat history today which is like, mmm not sus at all. But I digress. I feel both better and worse since I’ve got this idol in my pocket, but we’ll see how today goes. Trinica’s got a handy dandy spreadsheet but the other tribe has people who’ve been super fans much longer than I have. Wishing us all the luck because I have no idea what’ll happen if we lose. Pandemonium probably.

--

So I may have just made the biggest mistake of my entire game but…we shall see. I’ve told Trinica about the idol. This might bite me in the ass, but honestly I feel better having someone else who is informed who can help properly use this idol. But also, could bite me in the ass if there’s an attempt to flush it. So honestly who knows. This is either the biggest mistake of my game or a good move. I really hope it’s the latter.

Trinica

Okay not only did AJ find the idol right before me, she also TOLD ME ABOUT IT. Sometimes when I play with AJ I feel like I have to talk to her about security precautions in the same way I had to talk to my old social work clients. Like no, you should not give your new hookup your social security number! No, you should not go buy an iTunes giftcard to send to the stranger texting you! No, you should not tell other players you have an idol until and unless absolutely necessary!

But hey, I'm glad she told me. It's a sign of trust, which is good. Now the question is... do I honor that trust? Or betray it?

In an ideal world, I'd have an F4 with me, Hairie, AJ, and Brandi. But Hairie and AJ are on a "I don't trust the other" spiel with me and Brandi in the middle. I could try to repair that, but idk if that's to my benefit at this point. And it feels irreparable tbh. I really want to tell Hairie about AJ's idol, but I don't think that's a helpful move right now. We will keep that in the back pocket.

Brandi has said she wants to work until the end with me, which honestly was a little unexpected but it's good news. And although I'm definitely working more CLOSELY with Hairie as far as strategy goes, he's not somebody I would necessarily want to sit with at the end.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. For now, surviving this round.

Shawn

I'm really worried about my chances after this. If our tribe doesn't win the next challenge, I feel like my head could be on the chop. Im sitting out this next challenge because I genuinely don't know survivor that well, I liked it as a kid, I like this game. But Im so bad with names and I haven't watched it in years. I hope my tribe understands how badly I want to participate, but how I have NO knowledge. I hope our tribe wins again, and we don't have to go to tribal.

Brandi

I have never known peace like getting to sit out of a challenge. I am just vibing. There are no responsibilities that I have to tend to. No stressing or freaking out. I am just chilling

Arvin

I think I didn't contribute that much to the challenge because I was preparing to go to work. I took a bath during the challenge, so it's hard for me to keep up but yeah, we did it again. We won another challenge and so nervous for the swap. 3 tribe of 5 is a pretty small group and there's no hiding place. I hope I get into a strong tribe that can win challenges.

Shawn

We are about to merge and all I can say is I hope I'm with Trinica I really like them here we go I'm scared !!!! I hope my shhhh! Team can stay together through this time of - oop you posted!

Brandi

I have lots of feelings because my number one alliance member might’ve lied to me eek big feelings but ima keep my head up

#episodes

[titsthedamnseason]

i was supposed to be taking a math test but instead i took pictures with cassandra clare’s top five books so y’all better start guessing the books AND their placement i do not take this lightly

#mine #was jordelias #guessing game #dont ignore me or i’ll delete my blog #which will probably be reprieve at this point tbh

[ieattaperecorders]

As TMA keeps bringing up possible ways the story could end and knocking them down, I thought - what the hell, I’m going to make a huge list of all the endings I can think of and how likely they seem at this point. I’m constantly doing this in my head anyway, might as well type it all out.

There’s two columns as far as I’m concerned. One is “fate of world,” the other is “fate of Jon and Martin.” So I’ve got a list for each.

(I am also interested in the fates of the other characters, but at this point I think Melanie and Georgie’s fate is likely to be whatever “fate of world” is, and that Basira is either going to be in the same boat or die as part of her character arc.)

Fate of the World:

Entities are destroyed/banished, world goes back to normal but without monsters anymore.

Not impossible, but I have doubts. If the world is truly fixed, it will probably mean the characters successfully and heroically sacrificed themselves to save everyone and . . . that just doesn’t feel like the story Jonny Sims is telling, not to me at least. But I could be wrong.

Entities are destroyed, world is scarred in some way. (i.e., torture stops but all the nightmare domains are still there, no one can feel fear anymore, mass trauma/death, etc.)

Interesting to think about, not sure where they’d go with this one. Entities are sent back to being “just outside our universe,” world becomes what it was before the apocalypse. Possible. A return to the status quo before the entire podcast started would hammer in the theme of “the evil system is overwhelming and can’t be easily changed.” Though I would wager that the events of the story are ultimately going to change something for the world, even if (probably) it’s for the worse. No change to the world at all, it stays exactly as it is. Seems unlikely purely because I think if Jonny Sims was going to do this he’d have ended the series on MAG 160. “The apocalyptic scenario that we doubted could change really won’t change” isn’t nearly as strong a blow as “the most terrifying apocalypse possible is happening” as an ending. The world is freed from the Entities, but at the cost of allowing them to spread to other worlds. I wouldn’t be surprised if this option is at least presented. The “save your world at the cost of others” scenario does sound like a choice that could be put in front of our characters. It’s hard to imagine them knowingly taking this option, but who knows? The world remains as it is, and the Entities spread to other worlds.

Honestly this feels like the most likely scenario to me now, probably a result of the main characters trying to do something good.

The world remains as it is, but Jon takes over and shifts the fear around.

Seriously doubt this one, they brought it up and dismissed it pretty hard. I can’t see Jon doing it if Martin is alive, and if he dies I think Jon would be more likely to do something self-obliterating. The only scenario where I could see this would be “Martin dies and Jon gives up on trying or caring about anything, resigns himself to accepting the evil system as inescapable.” Which would certainly be tragic, (and depressing!) but doesn’t seem likely to me.

Jon takes over and is able to meaningfully change the world from its current state.

Even less likely than the above scenario.

The world can’t be fixed, so it’s utterly destroyed/mercy killed.

It could be seen as a better option than the others that are available, but that assumes it’s even possible.

We get the time travel ending after all, but only as an endless inescapable cycle that the characters can’t change.

*throws up hands* I don’t know I’m just spitballing now.

Fate of Jon and Martin:

They die together or meet a fate worse than death together, saving the world.

Possible, but I already expressed my doubts about a successful “save everyone through self-sacrifice” ending.

Jon dies saving the world, Martin lives and is sad/Martin dies saving the world, Jon either dies without the Eye or lives on having lost his consciousness or memory or identity.

See above.

They save the world without dying. Without the Eye, Jon either dies and Martin mourns or he loses himself and Martin takes care of him.

See above, also they talked about this and accepted the possibility together so it ain’t gonna be that.

They die together or meet a fate worse than death together, making things worse in the process.

Seems more likely than them dying to make things better, honestly.

They die together or meet a fate worse than death together, making things slightly better or giving the world a minor reprieve, but ultimately not saving anyone, aka the Bifrost Incident ending. (Or they die together mercy killing the world.)

Honestly this has seemed like a significant possibility to me for a while, but who knows??

Martin dies or meets some horrific fate, pushing Jon to some extreme act (or just letting him crumble into despair.)

Seems way less likely now than it did before MAG 196! Feels like if this was the route Jonny Sims was going to go, he’d have done the Spiders Martin ending, but could still be possible.

The world stays the same and Martin asks Jon to kill him. Jon either agrees and falls into despair or refuses and we’re left with a big “now what”?

Depressing! I hate it!! :D But who knows!!?

The world stays the same, Martin and Jon both change their minds and decide to just rule their domains so that they can both live and be with each other on some level.

Very unlikely given their character arcs.

Jon dies/is irretrievably trapped without the world changing. Martin is alive, unable to die, and forced to resign himself to living off the suffering of those in his domain.

Certainly tragic and depressing, but feels extremely unlikely after Quiet.

Jon dies/is irretrievably trapped without the world changing. Martin somehow figures out a way to fix/improve things. He either dies/has a fate worse than death in the process, or lives and is sad.

Putting the fate of everything in Martin’s hands could pay off the “you have to make a proper choice” idea, but for now I have no idea what he could do.

The world stays fucked but they escape to another dimension where they can be happy but have to live with the guilt of abandoning everything.

Doubt they’d be this lucky, tbh.

#tma #tma meta #tma spoilers #why did i write this

[mmmonie]

This is kind of a mix of my first post and my second post? But with a focus on the brothers. I’m linking them just so there’s less confusion LOL this probably won’t make sense unless you’ve read the other posts (I’m so sorry sjnwsjsj) hcs under the read more hellll yeaaaa

* Because Satan is the only natural demon of his family, he did go through a (kind of) juvenile phase and it was absolute madness. 

* Literally no one (save probably Barbatos) knew this was going to happen. 

* U know that comic that’s like “master what’s happening to me!!!” And the master’s like “I don’t know....that’s scary.....” uhm Satan and his brothers at the start of this LOL

* I’m gonna say that Satan was fully formed when he was born (though tbh I could go either way baby Satan is SUCH a good concept) So he was having a moment more akin to a human born. His juvenile phase was even more delayed because for a while there he really was just Wrath incarcerate. (I could go into more depth about how/why he forced himself out of that but LOL no not right now.) 

* So for literally everyone in the house this was completely out of left field. Satan already had demonic forms and his powers so no one expected the sudden influx of instincts he would get. 

* Since the first part of a juvenile phase is the instinct to play, Satan was (poorly) trying to get his brothers in on it. At this point he still wasn’t good at expressing even basic needs and wants so this was. Very confusing to say the least LOL. 

* The first one to realize he wasn’t attacking (with the purpose to kill LOL) was Mammon. He was the first to research and actively play fight with him (and getting Beel to join in) sometimes if Satan is feeling particularly rambunctious, he’ll still ask Mammon or Beel to play fight in the garden.

* It’s a rarity now though. Satan doesn’t like giving into his baser instincts and hates that he seems to be the only one who has those inclinations. However, everyone in the family has the same problem, some just have a better facade (Lucifer & Asmo) and others are just too lazy or anxious (Levi & Belphie) 

* Beel and Mammon in particular are susceptible to those feelings that’s (partly) why Beel started working out and why Mammon is as restless as he is. Beel and Mammon will regularly tussle and both see it as bonding. 

* Satan did go through a sleepy second half, though this was probably a combination of instincts and the effort he was putting into calming down rather than what happens in a normal juvenile phase. There are a lot of pictures from this time LOL he hates it. Like stop showing mc that time i dragged everyone into my nest and wouldn’t let them leave fuck you 

* This was kind of a soothing balm on the loss everyone experienced. Of course it wasn’t enough to take the pain away, but your newborn brother being extra cute is a nice momentary reprieve from your daily guilt and grief right? It’s also helpful that he purred so much LOL 

* Speaking of purring...

* You will often hear Levi purr, not because he’s happy but as a self soothing mechanism. He will purr A LOT if he thinks he fucked up that day. He will also purr if he’s stressed in public. (please don’t bring it up it embarrasses him.) His happy purr is very quiet, but you can hear it when he’s talking excitedly about something (Or if you say you want to hang out with him lol) 

* Belphie doesn’t consciously purr that often but he does purr in his sleep. If you get Beel (or MC) to lay next to him it increases tenfold. Don’t tell him...but if his other siblings lay next to him too, his purring increases.........just a bit.........(a lot) he will also purr to act cute and get his way with his siblings. (SPOILED BRAT LOL) it works 99.9% of the time. 

* In contrast, Beel is probably the most liberal with his purrs. He’ll purr for just about anything. The weathers nice? He’s purring. His brothers are getting along today? He’s purring. He’s thinking about his favorite snack? You get the picture. Also it’s loud as fuck because he’s a big boy. “Woah, was that a motorcycle?” “No it’s just Beel thinking about his next meal.” 

* Beel also purrs in his sleep. However, he purrs more when he’s having nightmares because he’s trying to soothe them away. (Haha...........sorry that hurt me too) 

* Asmo tends to talk through his purring which is so very cute (and he knows it) it’s almost like talking through a laugh, it can make just about anyone smile because it’s infectious. (He learned this from Mammon as a tactic to get what he wants.) There is a difference between his actual happy purr and when he’s just putting on a show. You’ll also hear him self soothe on a self care day. Not because he’s unhappy but because he read its good for you. 

* Lucifer, of course, doesn’t purr very often, but when he does he’s just about as loud as Beel. Something about bottling it up just makes it come out as loud as possible I suppose... He really has to suppress it when he sees things like his brothers sleeping in a pile after a movie night. He has to leave the room to go purr in his office or whatever. Loser. Just tell your family you love them. 🙄 Much like Levi, he’ll also purr at his desk when he’s stressed, though he’ll only do it when he’s absolutely sure he’s alone. 

* Satan used to purr A LOT. Especially around his siblings and ESPECIALLY in his juvenile phase. it was the one thing that stopped them all from going crazy. Satan would be a nuisance all day long and then at the end of the day he’d curl up near his siblings and unconsciously purr his little heart out. Everyone would immediately forgive him for whatever he did that day just because it was SO fucking cute. And when he hit the sleepy part of his phase? It was over for EVERYONE. Suddenly all that fighting was worth it, especially when Satan would drag them over to the little nest he made to nap and purr because of the safety his siblings provided him <3 I fucking WEEP

* Needless to say he doesn’t do that much anymore. What, do you think he actually loves his siblings or something? Tch. 

* Mammon is the second one you’ll hear purr the most. Though he does do it to be charming, he will naturally purr through talking or laughing. He learned he can easily get his way with that with weaker willed demons early on and he’s not above using it to his advantage. Like Levi, if you can hear it if he’s especially excited about something. Though you can barely make out his words through his purr. 

* Surprisingly (besides Beel & Belphie) Lucifer is probably the least touched starved, just because Diavolo is so naturally touchy. He doesn’t even realize he’s doing it half the time. I imagine it annoyed Lucifer at first but he’s grown to appreciate it. I don’t think I need to say who the most touch starved is. (*coughs and points at Levi’s room*) 

* The two who are most acclimated to the way demons use causal touch are Asmo and Mammon. Asmo’s a little obvious as to why, but Mammon learned so he could swindle people out of their money lol can’t come off unfriendly to your new buddy now, can you? 

* Satan is naturally touchy, but he’s learned to curb those instincts because of his previously angelic siblings and their aversion to touch. he still tries to (subconsciously) touch his siblings though like sitting thigh to thigh with Asmo on the couch, or letting Mammon ruffle his hair.

#I LOVE WHEN THEY HAVE SIBLING MOMENTS MORE SIBLING MOMENTS RIGHT NOWWWWW #like UHHH siblings learn a lot from eachother I JUST WANT TO SEE MORE OF THEM IN EACHOTHER THEYVE LIVED TOGETHER FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS #I KNOW U MFS PICKED UP TRAITS FROM EACHOTHER WHERE ARE THEY' #I gotta do everything myself huh. smh #obey me! #obey me headcanons #BETWEEN THIS POST AND THE SECOND ONE I WROTE 3349 FUCKING WORDS WHATS WRON #G WITH ME #mental eelness........... #my talking tag says it all tbh..............

[featureenvyproductions]

Don't think I talked about this yet. My latest project takes place mostly on this planet. Further details under the cut!

What is this planet? I don't know I didn't name it because I forgot and never needed it in the story lol. *cracks knuckles* so like I said before bc I did my opposite thing of what I usually do, I did very little worldbuilding to start (and did most of it as needed as I went) HOWEVER I ALLOWED MYSELF ONE INDULGENCE and overthought the planet a bit. It's essentially a super earth that orbits a red dwarf in the last known viable system within the reachable universe that was recently populated by some people. I guess. I mean realistically that's dumb because there probably won't be life by this point at all but like my plot needs to happen so let's pretend. I KEEP REMINDING MYSELF IT'S FICTION. IT'S FICTION EJ YOU ARENT GETTING A GRADE STOP PANICKING.

Ahem anyway so I did some research and looked at some papers and graphs of light wavelengths that reach the surface of planets orbiting dwarf stars etc etc and shit like that and came to the conclusion that most of the plants are gonna be good at absorbing IR and maybe near-IR light wavelengths which is most of what they have to work with. Realistically a planet like this would be a LOT dimmer than I've made it in the picture, but you know you have to be able to see shit when I draw it so pretend it's dim. Also my main characters can see into the IR part of the spectrum to some degree anyway so it's mostly about seeing what they're able to.

"But EJ why are the trees Like That?" Glad you asked it's because this planet has roughly 3 times earth's gravity so everything is a little chonkier and sturdier to hold up.

I would also like to mention that the planet is tidally locked and most life is inside the strip of perpetual twilight, which incidentally is also where the story lives. Tbh this is mostly so I can have a vampire walking around most places without getting sunburned lol....My vampires can't be permanently killed by stars and have the least trouble with ones like red dwarfs (they'll get sunburned but only a sun-like star or bigger/hotter/brighter will do any actual vampire frying...and the older they get the harder it is for them to actually turn to dust and it takes a while for it to happen), but they can still get a bit of an ouch. I didn't get to go into it in the story, but the way I figured is people only think sunlight kills vampires because the time it takes them to reform if left there is greater than the lifespan of a human. In my universe what happens is like eventually, if given a reprieve from sunlight, they'll reform. Even if that means the sun has to burn out and their particles have to find their way back to each other in space. Like it'll happen. And it's about as fucking awful for the vampire as you'd expect. Also if they're far enough away star light doesn't affect them (which of course should make sense anyway whether you agree with my other rules or not bc why else would no vampire in fiction ever die under a starry night sky right)

#Eyan Eternal

[k-dokja]

uhm hi, you probably don't remember me but i was that anon (from waaay back) who thanked you because you always write about atsumu so on point (you just GET him, you know) and well,,, i'm actually the same anon whose comfort fic was that hinata fic of yours (fragments of stars i). i'd like to thank you for joy you've brought me through your writings :) tbh i feel sad now that you're leaving this blog but i truly wish the best fot you!!! sorry i never got around to stop using anonymous, i'm just really shy sometimes 😣😣 you are a really really cool person and please always be well <333

I came back to check on a commission progress I was waiting on after ordering using this account so I figured I should answer some asks. Thank you so much for the sweet words and I’m so glad my writing brought you joy, hope you’re doing well right now <3 Here’s a little something to compensate for the disappeared fragment of stars.

“I,” Hinata breathes out, tired when he leans on your shoulder but never really drops his entire weight on you. “am tired.”

He rubs his eyes between his mutters, a yawn slips past his lips when he puts his arm around your waist and pulls you closer. The comfort comes easy for you when you are in his arms, even more when he’s fatigued by the long day and seeks nothing but the reprieve your warmth can give. He looks young during these times, with his content smile and his eyes closed.

It reminds you of his younger days, when the scrawny Hinata from back then embarrassed you by shouting your name across the hall whenever he saw you. Yet, it was from those endearing moments that you fell for him. The current Hinata has matured much since then, but there are always moments when he resembles the little boy from back then. It exasperates you and fills you with love at the same time.

“Shouyou,” you sigh out with a note of chiding when you feel more of his weight on you, a sign of him succumbing to his sleepiness, “go to bed if you want to sleep.”

“But I don’t wanna,” he mumbles into your neck before squeezing you tighter in his arms, showing defiance even when he doesn’t have any strength left, “I want to stay here with you.”

“And I want to finish this movie, which won’t happen anytime soon,” despite what you said, you make no attempt to remove Hinata’s arms from you. If anything, you lean back into his chest and feeling him smile on your skin before nuzzling on your shoulder.

“Then let me stay,” his plea comes with a simple kiss on your shoulder, one you acknowledge with a halfhearted pat on his cheek.

The sigh comes to you again, this time, you fully make yourself comfortable in his embrace, not even caring about the content of the movie anymore when you’re this relaxed. “You’re stubborn about the weirdest thing.”

“I thought you find that adorable?” He asks with a burst of quiet laughter.

You find it hard to resist a smile when he laughs, you wonder if he ever learned about how contagious his laughter can be. He’s like a mini-sun, always spreading light and warmth wherever he goes. “I do,” you say, “but don’t even think about abusing that knowledge.”

He smiles into a kiss on your neck and you know he fought to stop himself from grinning. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

With that, Hinata falls silent while the movie goes on and you are content with leaving him be. Eventually, you cannot ignore the increasing slouch of his body then the eventual fall of his upper body on you. Both of you know this would happen, but neither of you made an actual move to stop it from happening.

No choice left for you except for accepting the current situation, you succumb to the reality and leave your boyfriend to his slumber. His soft snores slowly becomes audible next to your ear as you turn the the television’s volume down for him, utterly content to be where you are.

“Goodnight, Shouyou.”

#hinata shouyou #hinata shouyou x reader #haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #nice words #fics

[fantastic-rambles]

Ahhh yaknow what you’re right. I just went back and looked over some of the rod, and I didn’t see Langa explicitly agree to not to skate with Adam. He promised that he wouldn’t quit skating with Reki, but he only acknowledged Reki’s warning to not be reckless. It actually makes a bunch of sense why Langa would be confused by the distancing and argument. I see now why you were upset with Reki’s behavior. It feels kind of like a ‘secret contract’ sorta thing where Reki got upset over a broken rule Langa never realized he was supposed to abide by. And not only is that unfair like you said, but it flipped the situation as if Langa was being untrustworthy to his word when really Reki didn’t trust Langa not to quit skating with him just because of danger/injury. And especially since I’ve seen people make solid arguments for Langa being neurodivergent or neurodivergent-coded, it’s really not a stretch at all for him to see the situation like you did. Langa most likely saw the issue as solely reckless behavior leading to quitting. But clearly Reki’s own jealousy/insecurities added Langa preferring better skaters as potentially leading to them not skating together without ever discussing it until Langa was blindsided during the argument. I would’ve looked a better apology from Reki where he fully explained why he was upset when they were making up. It’s human for his feelings on the issue to change, but that should’ve been better expressed to Langa. Although Langa did a great job of accurately smoothing over what was bothering Reki without that. Maybe that’ll be rectified if he apologizes to Miya. I think Miya deserves one especially since Reki physically shoved him after he opened up about why his actions were such a sore spot for him. I actually thought Miya’s words would help Reki see the other side of things so seeing Miya get pushed was like a “Bro wtf??” moment for me. Again it’s understandable that people act out when they’re angry and Reki was obviously already struggling with his emotions, but it should be acknowledged again how wrong that was. Boy are you opening my eyes to a lot of problematic stuff lol.

Also, I’m very curious as to why you hate Shadow. For me, it’s because I can’t move past that comment in ep 1. I know ppl brush it off as just an (unnecessarily misogynistic) act for his persona, but that woman literally didn’t say anything to him and he insulted her for no reason by using her body as trophy to be defaced if he won. Ew. And just because he’s super nice to the flower shop lady, he does not get a pass. If he’s only respectful to women he’s attracted to and jumps at any other the opportunity to degrade women, he’s still a misogynist. And I’m pretty sure that he already new flower shop lady when the series started, so I don’t think you can argue that his character developed to be better towards women as a whole because of her or that he wouldn’t do something like that again at this point in the story. Especially since the goal of proving yourself as a “strong man” has not historically worked out to men being compassionate with women. (Tho within a vacuum devoid of his other actions, I can appreciate his commitment to a makeup routine)

Oh! And I would totally wanna read that fanfic if you write it!! I’m not even as gung-ho about Adam going to jail as most fans and Adam-haters tbh. Mainly because it’d probably be for political corruption via money bribes which is already kinda common and I don’t think the show has stated him to be doing anything particularly bad with it I don’t think so?? Like it seems to be mainly for the purpose of keeping S secret which is indeed a waste of money and effort when he could just buy it, but on the other hand, there doesn’t seem to be any ill consequences on the citizens the politician represents. So yea, it’s illegal so the jail time is technically deserved. But also like... no harm no foul🤷‍♀️ If he would be getting charged for assaulting other skaters than I definitely think that’s fair, but I doubt that’ll happen in the show just because I feel like no one will actually say anything when the time comes partially due to the shock of his arrest if they’re even involved. And I mean, Cherry was pissed at Adam for getting skaters hurt but still rolled out the hospital and joked like he was fine, so I just don’t particularly see anyone calling him out on it to the point of it being apart of his sentencing. The end of ep 11 with Cherry and Joe arguing about one of them going against Adam just doesn’t sound like condemning him to battery charges to me XD

But yaknow I’ve been loving hurt/comfort type fics lately, so I’d be really interested in seeing Adam truly work and change himself for some type of redemption in that setting. I can see hitting rock bottom as being really good for him given it may provide a reprieve from having to manage his image. Adam is underrated in complexity so it’s always cool when people try to flesh him out more and dive into his inner world. And of course Tadashi is kind of my fave (if you couldn’t tell) so I love anything healing for him as well :)

Yep, I was majorly pissed at Reki for how he treated Langa and Miya. His behavior is absolutely problematic. Not as bad as Adam, obviously, but with everything I’ve said and you’ve realized... yeah. I’m glad he made up with Langa and will probably make up with Miya, but it doesn’t invalidate everything he’s done before. Yes, he’s still an immature teenager, but I don’t think he realizes how messed up his behavior was, even after making up with Langa (the resolution seems to be based on him accepting that he’s not an ace skater, rather than recognizing how toxic his behavior was), so I’m still not satisfied. But hey, it’s probably just me being hyperfixated on trivial details that nobody else even cares about. /shrug

(I’m glad to know that I wasn’t misinterpreting the “promise,” or lack thereof, though!)

And I have two major problems with Shadow. My first--and biggest--problem is, as you’ve pointed out, that he’s an enormous misogynist. At “S,” people have the freedom to be exactly who they are beneath the facades that they show to the world. For example, Adam is someone desperately searching for someone who can understand him, not the perfectly put-together politician Shindo Ainosuke. Cherry and Joe are more true to their “real life” selves, but there are differences in their behavior on the track and off. And then there’s Shadow, the overcompensating “strong man” who threatens to make a guy tattoo “Dumpster Slut” over his girl’s name. So I 100% agree with everything you said about Shadow. He’s a chauvinistic pig.

The second problem is that I honestly think his actions when he’s racing are worse than Adam’s, and the only reason it’s not made out as such is because he’s the buttmonkey rather than the villain. I believe that, as problematic as Adam’s antics are, he does not intend to cause severe physical harm to his opponents. I’ve discussed this idea in more detail in other posts, but in short, even in the most extreme case--Cherry’s--his injuries were far lighter than they would have been if Adam had seriously wanted to hurt him. Death, coma, etc. were all highly probable outcomes of that situation, so the only reason they didn’t happen was because Adam was holding back. Or anime logic. But even anime logic can only stretch so far. And against lesser opponents like Reki, he generally holds onto them to ensure that they don’t accidentally hurt themselves when they’re panicking.

Of course, Shadow doesn’t intend to cause severe physical harm to his opponents either, but he does not exert any control over the situation after he throws fireworks at his opponent or shines a laser in their eyes. We’ve twice seen his opponents fall off the course as a direct result of his actions: Reki in the first race, Harry in the quarterfinals. They could have just as easily fallen off the cliff or slammed into a wall (at full speed) and been badly injured. If Shadow were an actual villain, I fully believe that he would have an actual body count of people who died racing against him (as opposed to Adam’s trail of injured opponents). So it bothers me that people shrug off what Shadow does while screaming for Adam’s death.

As for the scandal subplot... I’m *pretty* sure it’s a lot more serious than Adam bribing the police to leave “S” alone. I think he’s actually involved in some majorly shady/illegal activities politically. Like, in Episode 7, when the other Diet member gets pulled over, arrested, and has his house searched... there’s no way that has anything to do with “S.” At the very least, the two of them were collaborating on something really bad, something serious that Adam lied about under oath, and that’s enough for Adam’s staff to worry about what’s going to happen, especially Tadashi. We don’t know what it is specifically, but it’s definitely a lot more than just passing out bribes to hide “S.”

Lol, I’ll have to see how it goes. Probably won’t start it until after the anime finishes at the very least so I can see how it turns out for Adam and Tadashi, plus I have another half dozen WIPs at the moment and nowhere near enough time to work on them all. xD

#sk8 #sk8 the infinity #skate the infinity #sk8 reki #kyan reki #reki kyan #sk8 langa #sk8 snow #hasegawa langa #langa hasegawa #sk8 shadow #higa hiromi #hiromi higa #sk8 adam #shindo ainosuke #ainosuke shindo #sk8 snake #kikuchi tadashi #tadashi kikuchi #analysis #long post #mine

[ladyalice101]

jonsa fic recs

alright, i’ve had a couple requests for recs, so here is my list. these are all fairly recent fics, all written this year i think. all of them are from my bookmarks on ao3, but i picked the recent ones which are my god-tier recs, my oh-my-god-i-love-this-so-much-i-think-i’m-going-to-die, the ones i reread. they have very little in common, but if you don’t find anything on here that tickles your fancy, then feel free to check out my bookmarks. i have just over 100 on there, and every single one on there are fics that i think are absolutely phenomenal.

for @abi117 @why-cant-i-be-careless and @orangeflavoryawp

canon divergent

Victory by moutainsbeyondmountains. one-shot, 5489k.

“You won already, Your Grace,” Tyrion said mournfully. “Enjoy your victory. There are no lands left to conquer. And there are no more dragons.”

if you read no other fic on this list, read this one. seriously. it’s d.ny pov, and glorious. genuinely, i couldn’t give this high enough praise. i reread this A LOT. like, a lot a lot. i could probably quote this fic.

I Want Something so Impure by @asilentfrenzy. one-shot, 10166k.

“You have caused this, you and your queen. You allowed her to speak to me that way, allowed her to order my obedience in my own home as if I’m to be her new dog to train. I am the Lady of Winterfell, and your inbred aunt has no right to-”

“Aye, you are the Lady of Winterfell,” he growled, his eyes flashing with an added flame of fury at the mention of the woman’s newly found relations to him. “The same Lady of Winterfell who not too long ago advised me to be smart, yet it seems that you can’t follow your own advice.”

“Be smart,” she repeated, filling her face with a look of mocking humor. “By kneeling? By allowing her to seize my title and command my people? Perhaps I should offer her these chambers as well. Better, I’ll just offer them to you again, seeing as I’m sure you’ll be sharing a bed. Shall I fuck her as well? As I want to be just as smart as you, Jon.”

so if you couldn’t tell from the summary, this one is sassy af. it features darkish/dominant!jon, which is my jam, and is pretty much just 10k of smut, which is also my jam.

it’s a small crime, and i’ve got no excuse by mxash. 5/5, 8214k.

“did you see her?” sansa snarled, a hand come to pull at his collar, pulling his mouth down only hairs from her own. “your targaryen queen has dressed as though she was a whore to catch your eye.” jon smirked as she bit his lip. what was this? dany had almost recoiled in her disgust and shock, but she hadn’t been able to pull herself away from the horrific sight. my lover and his own sister.

this one serves some dark!jonsa realness, and it deserves more comments/kudos. it is written entirely in lowercase, but don’t let that distract you. the characters are dark, and devoted, and who doesn’t love d.ny catching jon and sansa fucking? seriously, this one is a must-read.

Dark in Bloom by @orangeflavoryawp​. oneshot, 8304k.

"His gravity wavers, the axis of his world tilted to the measure of her lips." - Jon and Sansa. The stain of desire bleeds slowly between them.

yeah orange, i’m reccing one of your own fics to you. seriously though, this is just like ... mindblowing. i cannot overstate how much i love this one. i literally will just randomly remember it sometimes, when i’m just going about my daily business, and i’m like “shit, that fic by orange was a masterpiece. love it.” so, yeah, if that doesn’t tell you how much i love it, then idk what will.

what i’m asking by @amymel86​. oneshot, 1173k.

"I'm not here to talk about that," Theon says, setting off another, thankfully smaller coughing fit. "I'm here to talk about Sansa."

Jon can feel the blood drain from his face. "Is she ill?"

Theon shakes his head, lifting his eyes to Jon as he coughs into his fist. "No," he finally says, his lungs giving him a small reprieve. "The Queen is in her prime. Which is why you are needed."

okay, ya’ll obvi know of amy. she writes so much fantastic fic. but i feel like this one kind of flew under the radar? which is a CRIME tbh. this fic was so ... it was so heartbreaking, but in the best way. it’s not that divergent from canon, bc the main thing that is truly different is that theon lives. seriously love this fic.

A Toss of the Coin by Paige242. one-shot, 3793.

Years after the war, the Queen in the North and the pardoned Queenslayer welcome their first child. Old traits emerge, and Jon worries about this Dragon in a den of Wolves.

ok, so this is a future fic where jon and sansa married. i don’t even know how to describe this one. it isn’t jonsa focused, but that doesn’t make it any less brilliant. it is so unique, and i’m yet to read another fic that explores the idea of one of jonsa’s kids inheriting some targaryen madness. there IS a part two, which was just as amazing. pls do yourself a favour and read this!

Choose by @esther-dot​. oneshot, 5630k

“I know the cost of our loves. I know too well how they fall on the scale, one outweighing the other. I know what you tried to tell me. I know.” She was looking at him now, and he was afraid, but he would say the words that he had been unable to silence. “I never had the chance to choose you, but I would. I would choose you every time.”

THE DIALOGUE IN THIS IS INCREDIBLE. i just reread this to try and find my fave quote, but i actually can’t even pick. there are just so many amazing conversations, between sansa and jon, sansa and d.ny, arya and jon .. ugh, the list goes on. love this, please read.

Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge by alltheshinywords. one-shot, 3187k.

Post 8x03, slightly AU. Tormund and Jaime inexplicably find themselves becoming matchmakers when they notice a certain chemistry between Jon Snow and Sansa Stark. Extreme fluff and silliness.

this one is the least angsty on the list, and honestly it’s just such a good time. i remember reading this while s8 was airing, and honestly it was just so light hearted that i laughed out loud several times, despite being heartbroken over what happening in the show.

canon, but alternative universe

leave behind a love story by aetherae. one-shot, 9562k.

Maybe if things had been different, they wouldn't be like this. They would be worse.

ok, so, despite the summary, i naively went into this expecting a happy ending. yeah, so, no. however, this was one of the most interesting fics i’ve read in a while, because each universe it explored was so different to the ones i usually see floating around. and the writing was SUPERB.

i fell in love with a war (and nobody told me it ended) by mountainsbeyondmountains. one-shot, 18752k.

In which the North and the South have been at war for years, and Sansa unexpectedly finds herself on the run with a certain Targaryen bastard.

this is an avatar/bender au, and it is GLORIOUS. after i read this, i promptly devoured every other fic this author has written bc i loved it so much. the bending is just a backdrop to the amazing enemies-lovers this fic delivers.

modern au

Fuel and Fire by @zarahjoyce​. currently 4608k, 4/?, WIP.

"You see?" Sansa says, smiling now. "If you really have to have a room far away from me, seems like you need to move into a different hotel." As an afterthought she adds, "Or to another planet."

"Bet you'd just love that, wouldn't you?" Jon asks her.

"Loads," she snarls.

He takes a deep breath, all the while just looking at her.

Truth be told Jon will give anything in the world to be able to just-- just--

-

Jon and Sansa, and all the tropes applicable to them.

All. The. Tropes.

ok so zarah in general writes AMAZING fic, they’re always so creative and inventive and i’m always genuinely shook by the fic they write. but like, this one is the god tier one BC TROPES.

when we kiss: mmmm, fire by @dancemajicdance​. 8/8, 39705k.

Sansa might be seeing someone casually, but thanks to Arya, Robb, and Theon, it’s Jon who’s got the inside track on how to get Sansa to take him seriously.

aka: the one where jon finds out that sansa has a daddy kink, and he uses it to seduce her away from the dating scene and into his arms, heeeey-oh!

yes yes, it’s a daddy kink fic, and it’s fucking glorious alright. if that’s not your thing though (even though i’m pretty sure this fic is EVERYONE’S thing) then please, for the love of god, check out the rest of their stuff on ao3. you won’t regret it. even though they don’t write much jonsa anymore, the prolific contributions they HAVE made will go down in history as some of the best jonsa ever written imo.

As Long As We're Going Down by @alienor-woods​. 9/12, currently 42228k, WIP.

Four years after Stannis Baratheon wins the Battle of the Blackwater, Sansa Stark finds herself summoned back to King's Landing to serve as a bridesmaid at Crown Princess Shireen's wedding. When King Stannis tries to marry Sansa off to his illegitimate nephew, Edric, she thinks quick and tells him she's already married--

--to her bodyguard, Jon Snow.

i actually don’t know how to explain how much i love this. it’s written so beautifully, and it’s so realistic and just ugh. read it. the adaption to modern royalty is the best i’ve ever read, and the characters are very raw, and very realistic. (also, yes, the characters have gotten together at this point in the story, in case you were scared of committing to a wip without the satisfaction of some hot and heavy scenes).

#jonsa #jon x sansa #jonsa fic #fic rec #jonsa fic rec #actuallyjonsa

[inmyarmswrappedin]

Narrative framing, Subtext and Audience Expectations

In the past week, I’ve come across a fair amount of discourse about wtFOCK, Robbe and Noor. There are some who think that Robbe is attracted to Noor and could be bisexual. Others are very resolute in their position that, because Isak used Emma and didn’t care for her as a person otherwise, wtFOCK would be missing the point if Robbe felt any sort of kinship towards Noor.

Here’s what I think: wtFOCK is not telling a story in which a male character, who has a same gender relationship in all other versions of his season, finds love with a female character. But that doesn’t mean people who think wtFOCK is doing that are dumb or wrong, because wtFOCK introduced Noor very much like shows introduce love interests.

In Skam, Isak is hanging out with his squad at a party. The boys want to know who Isak has his eyes on. After a bit of prodding, Isak describes a beautiful girl they all have noticed before, one that his friends think is out of his league. Surprisingly, that very same girl walks into the bathroom. What’s Isak to do, when he just said that’s the girl he likes? He deliberately negs her. Emma is confused because Isak keeps insulting and then complimenting her. That piques her interest, and the boys take that as their cue to leave. Isak watches the boys leave with some trepidation. When Emma twice attempts to give him a blowjob, Isak twice shakes her off. Emma leaves the bathroom and the audience sees Isak slump against the wall. The night ends when the cops break the party, and Isak is rescued by Jonas.

Nothing about the way Skam narratively frames Emma makes Emma seem cool, exciting or even a reprieve in Isak’s life.

In wtFOCK, Robbe is hanging out with his squad at a party. The boys want to know who Robbe has his eyes on. Robbe demurs. He doesn’t have a type. He doesn’t have a top five. And then Noor walks in. Suddenly, as Noor is peeing, Robbe starts very specifically describing her. Dark hair, bangs, tattoos, her red dress, her small boobs. He’s challenging her, and Noor challenges him right back. She kisses Robbe… And leaves with Robbe’s joint. The next time we see them, they are making out. Since Noor left, Robbe was the one to seek her out again. The cops arrive to break the party. Robbe leans his head against Noor’s in dismay at said cops.

Aaron dumps his weed on Robbe, and Robbe protests. But then Noor takes charge of the situation. She tells Robbe where to go, not to think, and promises to see him outside. It’s not Robbe’s best friend Jens who rescues Robbe, nor does the night end there.

Robbe is having a great time. Much like Isak did with his good friend Jonas, he records his great escape with his cellphone. The guy who was clearly uncomfortable being questioned by his friends (about girls, to be clear) is now having fun and smiling.

Noor has a motorbike and a Fuck Trump helmet. She has tattoos and a piercing. She disregards traffic laws. She takes Robbe to a mysterious location, where masks and a special knock are required to be allowed entry. She still has control over the situation, as she tells Robbe to calm down. A bunch of teens are spray painting a garbage truck. Robbe has never done something like this before, but he smiles while being handed a can and a kiss, and there we go! Robbe has now participated in the defiling of the garbage truck.

Viewers are not being misled by their personal romantic and sexual interest in girls. This Is how wtFOCK frames Noor:

She is cool. She has a motorbike and a Fuck Trump helmet. She easily takes control when Robbe is afraid or nervous.

She is exciting. She steals Robbe’s joint and leaves the bathroom. She has access to secret activities taking place in the city.

She is a reprieve in Robbe’s life. She not only rescues Robbe, but Robbe is presented as having fun with her because he actually records their escape out of his own volition.

These are all the ways in which a piece of media would choose to introduce a love interest. Not the interloper and not a platonic friend. A character who comes into the character’s life like a hurricane, and immediately rescues him from the cops and his own misery, only to invite him to a secret place, so he can do something cool for the first time, is a classic romance trope.

Now, to berate a viewer who has grown up with the same kind of romance tropes as everyone else has, for correctly interpreting Noor’s narrative framing as romantic, and even worse, to suggest that they aren’t repelled by Noor because the viewers are themselves wlw who can’t help but be attracted to a character whose original version wasn’t attractive to Isak in a romantic, sexual or platonic sense, is headassery, and low key homophobic in the latter case, tbh.

If anyone is to be blamed for that reaction, it’s wtFOCK’s team for either:

Misleading viewers by introducing Noor with the classic makings of a love interest for the purpose of straight baiting viewers (which would be hilarious);

Misleading viewers by introducing Noor with the classic making of a love interest for a purpose that will become clearer at a later point.

Either way, I believe that wtFOCK has been messy for introducing Noor in this manner. Neither Skam nor the remakes introduced Emma or her expy in this manner, because this is not Isak and Emma (or their expies’) love story. It is Isak and Even’s (and their corresponding expies). It’s messy to mislead the audience, but the audience didn’t choose to headcanon Noor as cool, exciting and a source of fun for Robbe; in short, they didn’t choose to see Noor as likable. wtFOCK gave Noor those traits.

However, wtFOCK could’ve chosen to subvert Noor’s introduction through the use of subtext. For instance, Emma Covitti in SKAM Italia seemed like a perfectly cool chick initially. However, through the use of subtext, Martino is shown not to be comfortable around her or making out with her. Martino is, however, relatively comfortable with his friends, as long as the subject of girls or homosexuality doesn’t come up.

This is not so with Robbe. Robbe is shown to be plenty comfortable around Noor and making out with Noor in the first three clips. He is definitely more comfortable with Noor than with his own friends. When wtFOCK starts introducing the idea that Robbe might not be as comfortable around Noor (such as in ep 1 clip 5), there’s nothing to suggest that Robbe’s discomfort with Noor is different from the discomfort he shows around his own best friends, who Robbe often tells off and asks to leave him alone. The only reason it is unexpected is because Noor was, again, a reprieve in ep 1 clips 1-3. If anything, it makes sense that Robbe isn’t immediately comfortable opening up to Noor about his family issues, since they barely know each other.

(Note: As I’m writing this, wtFOCK is finally weaving in the idea that Robbe is not actually attracted to Noor sexually or romantically. However, it needs to be asked, shouldn’t Robbe be past this point? Isak attempted to fake a relationship with Sara. Once he realizes he can’t keep up the charade long term, he settles for picking up girls and hooking up with them. He doesn’t intend on faking another relationship with Emma. In fact, he doesn’t acknowledge her texts and tries to turn her down when she invites him to hang out. The only reason Isak is supposed to meet Emma in Mekke Øl is because Mahdi has pressured Isak into agreeing.

Compare with Matteo, a remake Isak, who attempts to have a relationship with his Emma, Sara Adamczyk. This is Matteo’s first attempt at a heterosexual relationship, and it happens in s3, not s2. Sara is Matteo’s age, and has known Matteo for a long time before they start dating. Matteo does his best to redirect her attempts at physical intimacy towards companionship, whether by watching a movie, talking about Sara’s problems or, when he runs out of options, literally fleeing her room. We know Matteo isn’t interested in Sara as a girlfriend, and barely even as a friend, because whenever Sara texts him, Matteo seems at a loss as to how to answer her in a way that doesn’t lead to further flirtation, or outright fails to text back.

Robbe already attempted to fake a heterosexual relationship in s2, with Maud. Shouldn’t Robbe know by now to either not attempt to fake a relationship long term, or, failing that, to fend Noor’s advances more successfully? Shouldn’t we as viewers have more of an insight into how Robbe feels about this relationship? Yes, we have seen that Noor tried to have sex with him in ep 1 clip 11, and Robbe was visibly uncomfortable with that. Yes, Robbe does not want to have sex with Noor, and, given the option, he would probably prefer not to make out with her either—although, once again, he looks far more comfortable making out with Noor than Isak or other remake Isaks did with their respective Emmas. But there are other other ways to show discomfort with the proceedings. We could see Robbe being disinclined to invite Noor to his housewarming party, and being pressured to do so. We could see Robbe being disinclined to meet Noor when she’s done with her shift. We are not shown these scenes. Instead, we see Robbe and Noor making out in semi-private settings, again and again. It would be a good idea to show how Robbe gets stuck in these situations when his relationship with Maud should’ve helped him come up with some strategies to avoid them. In the end, these scenes are repetitive and say nothing about Robbe or Noor as characters, whereas showing Robbe in a variety of situations in which a person with a relationship might find themselves in, would add nuance to the character.)

As I mentioned earlier, while some people feel that Robbe could be attracted to Noor based on what wtFOCK released earlier last week, other people feel wtFOCK (and other remakes) miss the point by making Robbe feel anything other than total disinterest in Noor. And this is the part where wtFOCK being a remake of Skam, and particularly a season as well-loved as Isak’s, really comes into play. There’s plenty of discourse on whether the remakes should attempt to fix whatever viewers felt was wrong with Skam, whether the remakes should copy the original storyline word for word or beat for beat, whether introducing changes to the storyline means the remake teams are implicitly agreeing with the fandom that the original needed to be fixed on those specific aspects, and more.

In this specific case, I will talk about Matteo and Sara, and Robbe and Noor. Neither Martino, nor Lucas Lallemant, nor Cris Soto felt much of anything for Emma Covitti, Chloé or Rubén, respectively. When “remakes” are accused of trying to “fix” the Isak/Emma relationship, the remakes alluded to are Druck and now wtFOCK. I don’t believe either Druck nor wtFOCK were trying to fix the Isak/Emma relationship.

In the case of Druck, it was more convenient for the story they were trying to tell that Sara took on Emma’s role. First off, it’s much easier on a production to use actors who already know how the production works. Second, Matteo’s longing for companionship and general passivity led him into am unwanted relationship with Sara. Third, Sara is narratively useful because of the Leonie/David storyline (Sara’s social media and dialogue give the viewers insight into how it’s developing) and also because of the Sara/Leonie friendship (since Sara and Leonie are friends, Sara can invite Leonie to Abdi’s birthday party, and she, in turn, can invite David). By the end of the season, it’s fair to say Matteo and Sara are not friends, and their connection is through David, rather than to each other.

When it comes to wtFOCK, their goal is less clear, though I would still argue their intention is not to “fix” the original. As I’ve mentioned before, regardless of their intentions when it comes to framing Noor as a love interest, it’s messy and narratively misleading, because Noor is not the love interest. wtFOCK, also, has a bad habit of ramping up certain aspects of the original, seemingly without realizing that this creates expectations in the viewer.

For instance, wtFOCK chose to make a season-long joke of Milan having an interest in Robbe, with Zoë pointing out that Robbe is a minor and Milan making light of it. In the season finale, Milan goes to grab Robbe’s chin, which led viewers to believe he was going to kiss Robbe. Viewers expect the Eskild expy to behave a certain way, and when Milan failed to do so, other expectations were created. Namely, that Milan should apologize before a mentor relationship moved forward. Instead, it appears as if the wtFOCK team did not intend to portray Milan as predatory, as he laughs off (with some self-deprecation?) the idea that he would ever kiss Robbe.

Another instance is the wtFOCK girl squad. In the original, Eva and Noora gossip about Isak’s sexuality among themselves and to Eskild. At one point, Eva gets so drunk she can barely stand straight, and tries to kiss Isak, who pushes her off. At another point, and under the suspicion that Penetrator Chris is sexually involved with Isak, Eva decides to try and hook up with Penetrator Chris to resolve this mystery (since, in Eva’s mind, people are only straight or gay). In wtFOCK, this interaction is ramped up. Jana and Zoë tell the entire girl squad about Robbe’s possible homosexuality, and Jana resolves to sleep with Robbe to find out the answer. Jana, while sober, approaches Robbe and tries to kiss him. When he gets startled, Jana and the girls laugh at him. For her part, Zoë has an exchange with Senne in which she says that it’s weird that Robbe might be gay. Again, since these changes make Robbe a laughing stock for the girl squad, viewers expect the outcome of the storyline to be different. As of ep 2 clip 2, it looks as if all those scenes simply existed to remind the viewer that Robbe is gay, and Jana, Zoë and Luca’s obsession with Robbe’s sexuality in s2 will not be acknowledged again.

Viewers expected there to be differences in the Milan and Robbe mentor relationship, as well as for the girls to be held accountable for their actions in s2, because wtFOCK created these expectations in the viewers by introducing changes in the interactions between all these characters. For now, it appears as though there will be no changes in the Milan and Robbe relationship, nor the relationship between Robbe and Jana, Zoë or Luca. Therefore, I don’t think the wtFOCK team thought the Isak/Emma relationship needed to be “fixed,” either. While Noor has indeed been given the narrative framing of a love interest, past evidence (at least when it comes to the Robbe storyline) doesn’t point towards an interest in “fixing” Skam, but rather, an interest in raising the stakes. Perhaps in an effort to show how much harder gay teens have it (it is crucial that straight viewers don’t forget that to be gay is to live in relentless misery!). Perhaps because that is simply the way of teen shows.      

#wtfock #robbe ijzermans #noor bauwens #milan hendrickx #brain vomit

[dottie-wan-kenobi]

Talia Al Ghul? That's Damian's mom.

HMMMM. this is gonna be the Correct Version of Talia, where she’s not a bad mom, and also not gonna be in any specific order

also this is gonna be dark & angsty & not very canon-aligned sorry dskjfhdsfhakjfdh

1. okay obviously kill Damian. that’s her BABY and he’s DEAD and she’s NOT going to just. stand for that. not when she has a lazarus pit at her disposal. but maybe Ra’s is the one who kills Damian, directly or not. and maybe he’s absolutely not okay with her using the pit. so maybe Talia has to somehow figure out how she can bring her baby back to life some other way, but NOTHING is working and it’s slowly setting in that she can’t get him back. but she refuses to just give up, not when she KNOWS there’s an option out there. so at this point, her options are like: go and fight and probably kill Dad for the pit, which will bring my child back but he’ll be forever changed; or somehow figure out how to keep living without her baby. 

2. in keeping with the theme, Talia vs Jason. but specifically after Talia has recognized him as her Beloved’s child, brought him home, nurtured him back to health as much as she can, seen him go thru the pit and suffer from the pit madness. only to get turned on her by her father, who knows the mental state Jason is in much more intimately than she ever can, and whispers in his ears about all the ways she’s an evil, bad person. things that go against Jason’s moral code (aka that she’s abusive/a rapist). and Jason, this poor child who she loves as her own, is so out of his mind and so manipulated that he’s trying to KILL HER and is just not going to stop, at least not at the moment, until she’s dead. so she has to defend herself and fight him. if I were to write this, I wouldn’t have her kill him, but tbh to subdue him she’d have to leave some bruises and it wouldn’t feel good to see those, not at all

3. Talia gives up Bruce, the man she loves, to be loyal to her father, who decides she’s not loyal enough and somehow tortures her, with no reprieve or end in sight. I’m kind of thinking she gets thrown into the dungeons or something, and it’s only sometimes that he personally does the torturing. it’s always worse when it’s him. she can fight back against the others – they’re simply workers and she’s an al Ghul, they’re nothing – but this is Ra’s, her dad, and it’s a totally different story. I think she’d be threatened with the whole Death and Lazarus Pit and Pit Madness cycle, too. 

4. okay listen. Nyssa. consider this: Talia knows of her, but doesn’t actually know her. Nyssa is just her half-sister who will be coming back some day. she’s Talia’s competition, a deluded girl who thinks you can actually be happy in this world. in this Talia’s mind, Ra’s is a good guy (more or less) who wouldn’t ever hurt her. but then she finds out that Ra’s knowingly allowed Nyssa’s family to die in a horrible, awful way. probably not by Nyssa herself, but some other party that knows somehow. it turns her world upside down, her view of her dad totally changed – could he do that to her? would he do that to her, to her baby? is she safe around him, is Damian? does he suspect she’s doubting him? can she leave safely? when can she leave, and where can she go? etc etc

5. Athanasia. yes we are back to the kids. I think the way I would do this is Talia has to keep her a secret from Ra’s – first the tryst with Bruce, then the fact that she’s pregnant, and then again that she has the baby. Talia gets away from Ra’s early on, goes to live somewhere and she’s kind of like Nyssa in the sense that Ra’s does expect her to come back once she realizes being independent is silly. but no matter what he’s doing, there’s always this sense of impending doom, of paranoia clinging to Talia. Ra’s won’t like that he’s been lied to, that a heir has been hidden from him. she can’t be sure what he’ll do to Athanasia when he finds out, and it IS a when, not an if. so she tries to live her life, however that may be, but she never feels safe or secure ever. and eventually Ra’s starts to clue in, scrutinizing her more and more, and she HAS to do something before he finds out, but what if he already has? he finds out while they’re on the phone one day when he hears Athanasia’s voice/cries, and he’s like “so it’s true. you’ve been lying to me.” and suddenly there’s no time to think, no time to deliberate, she just has to figure out a way to hide from Ra’s al fucking Ghul and keep her and her baby safe somehow. idk abt yall but this would stress me out terribly dskjfhsdkjfhajk

send me a character and I’ll put them in 5 situations that’ll cause them maximum emotional anguish

#talia al ghul #dc #batfam #asks #ask games #child abuse tw #child death tw #there are others but those are the big ones kdjfhdhsafh #Anonymous

[iphoenixrising]

For 700 Followers!

Hi babe. Ah, you know, I think we could really work something out because if there’s anything I like, it’s Tim trying to have the I am an island attitude with clingy, needy Bat Alphas right on his tail ;) Tbh, I wrote this once and it got lost, so I cried, but I’m going to give it another shot!

Also, just saying but there was also a short thing done about *ahem* toys in this au, and you’ll probably find a similar theme X

**

There is nothing worse than water in your fucking boots.

Seriously.

His impromptu dip in the harbor was completely worth the pain in the ass because Two-Face is going to live to see another day, and he even acted less crazy than normal when he was handcuffed by GCPD, quiet while he was taken away in the back of a squad car.

The best part? The villain told him he was glad he hadn’t filled him full of holes after all. Red Robin is going to take that as a win.

And since his sleuthing is done for the night, he can go back to his Perch in Gotham City and get out of these wet clothes and put his damn boots by a heating vent to dry out a little.

He feels good enough about the night to order a pizza and do his notes while a slice is hanging out of his mouth when dry clothes are a thing.

He has a fan turning lazily, trying to keep himself cooled down because the Heat symptoms just started to manifest while he was riding back from the take-down (all that wind rushing by while he’s in a wet suit and still he’s starting to get hot? Seriously, body, stop making shit harder on him).

The pre-Heat could take up to three hours before the main event starts, and he at least wants to get the notes done and go blackout before it happens.

He’s got a bunch of Gatorade and power bars from two weeks ago when Jay and Dick pretty much showed up just in time for him to go full blown. Luckily, Dick had picked up more on the way to his Perch since the God-forsaken sixth sense had struck again. Somehow, maybe some Pack Alpha instinct, Dick had known he was going to need them, and true to form, the last Heat had been particularly vicious, his body in physical pain when he was empty.

(And no, he doesn’t need a reminder how nice Dick and Jay were about it when he was literally fucking crying. Geeze, things he doesn’t need people to see for 100 Alex.)

Which means he should have been good for a month and a half, but Leslie had warned him going this long on suppressants would have some effects on him biologically. She’d mentioned he could have two Heats back-to-back as a sign his body is starting to regulate like any normal Omega. So, really, this pain-in-the-ass is his own fault anyway.

Notes done, he logs out of BI’s mainframe and shoots the Titan’s a quick message, In Gotham. Perfectly safe. Going to sleep for 24-36 hours. Don’t freak out about the blackout mode, and shuts down his main system in preparation.

Barefoot, he pads around to shut off the lights and fans, grabs a Gatorade, starts pulling his nerd shirt off on the way to the bedroom. Security in lockdown and he’s starting to feel the burn just a little bit more.

Not long now. Damn, hopefully this will be fast and furious.

A locked box in the back of the closet is deposited by the bed, his thumb print accepted. He shifts through the unopened packages until he gets the red one and the blue one out, laying them on the bed to open before the round of fuck my contingencies ramps up.

(His face is hot, and not because of the pre-Heat. The two knotting dildos were purchased when he started thinking one night about what he was going to do when his body started regulating out, so Dick and Jay wouldn’t need to play Alphas to his Omega anymore. Ironically, the two toys reminded him of their knots anyway, and he’d been guilty as fuck buying them.)

He’s already started sweating lightly and jumps in the shower to wash off Gotham Harbor.

His phone goes off while he’s drying himself off, shifting his weight because his abdomen is already starting to get tight and uncomfortable in anticipation.

The message on his phone makes him groan/sigh because the Red Hood is wondering:

Jaybird: How was the swim?

There’s more laughing emojis than he realistically needs.

In just boxers, Tim plops down on his bed, taps his phone to decide whether or not to respond. Since they already knew he’d taken down Two-Face, he really doesn’t have options.

Me: nice this time of year. Btw, Harvey didn’t drown. That’s a win for the good guys.

Before he’s done, the ellipsis meaning someone is typing shows up, so he’s got himself in a world of trouble by answering. Natch.

(On the other hand, his Omega whispers, if you hadn’t messaged back, they might come looking for you. It preens at the thought of his Pack Alphas concerned for him, coming for him– Dammit. Not. The. Time.)

Jaybird: Oughta come 2 the Manor. Al made pizza. Can celebrate?

Well, shit.

Me: Thanks 4 the invite. Running time-sensitive diagnostic for the Titans and crashing. See you at the next VA meeting tho.

Okay. So, normal. Jay will understand the need for fighting crime.

Jaybird: No problem. We’ll bring you some.

Fuck. Fuckity-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck.

Me: Nah. Not tonight. Gonna set this up and crash. The alarm will wake me when the analysis is done. Enjoy the pizza!

Jaybird: If you’re sure?

Me: Positive. Sleep is calling. GN.

And turns off his phone with a sigh of unmitigated relief.

Crisis averted.

Right?

**

Forty-five minutes later, he’s idly eating popcorn and watching Infinity War when a wave of blistering heat washes over him, and the gentle reprieve is finally done.

His cock is hard and aching within a moment, his hands fisting in the blanket under him, hips jerking. The soft, subtle scent of slick tickles the edges of his senses, his ass starting to get moist under his boxers.

But Tim has old memories of doing this alone back when he was still in the tunic, and he forces himself to breath past the initial stages, fists his hands even tighter to keep from touching himself yet. He remembers how much better the orgasm was when he held off for as long as he could, remembers the time between waves lasted longer.

He bites down on his lower lip to keep in the noises (but really, what is the point?) and tries to just keep thinking.

He shoves the unopened boxes over and sprawls out on his back, trying not to let anything other than his boxers touch his aching erection. His thighs tighten, legs spreading automatically, feet bracing to work his hips a little.

It’s fine. You’ve done this before isn’t really that much of a consolation.

With the fire in his body starting to get more and please and Oh God, his mouth falls open to pant, toss his head back and forth with the arousal building, making his belly get tense.

An abrupt cramp knocks the wind out of him ending on a small, helpless noise that inadvertently escapes.

Rolling on his side, curling in on himself, Tim forces himself to just fucking breathe through it, it won’t last forever.

–when the comm on his desk blips, and the tinny voice is just loud enough to get his attention over things like terribly thought-out biology.

(Everything in you is screaming for an Alpha to help, touch, soothe. It’s not really your fault.)

“If you’re asleep, don’t get up. We’re just going to drop off pizza and we’ll be out of your Perch-”

Which is nothing short of fucking horrific.

“Almost goddit, Dickie,” is lost when another sharp cramp makes him huddle further into the pain rippling over his upper body while his brain screams to just fucking move.

The scent of slick gets stronger, clogging up the room, and the door isn’t even locked–

The next cramp makes his muscles flutter, but he can wobbly-leg it to the door and collapse in front of it.

(I was stabbed in the fucking spleen and still saved Pru. Without Ra’s, I would have been dead soon after, but if I can do that, I can get through this.)

He flips a small panel on the door frame and presses his thumb into it, forehead braced on the wall while he grits his teeth and gets a second or two of his muscles easing back.

Tim focuses on breathing, listening, and sure enough, there’s a timid knock a few minutes later. The door knob wiggles once softly, nearly inaudible voices mumble back and forth while he holds his breath.

He thinks he might be in the clear when it goes quiet again, thinking maybe they’d gone to dump the pizza in his fridge and be on their way out.

But a very clear, “do you smell what I smell?” is the proverbial nail in his coffin.

**

“Timmy? Are you…awake?”

“Please go away, I’m…I’m trying to sleep.” Tim tries again, more desperate now that hearing his Alphas’ voices is hitting all the deep places in him where the Omega hides.

“Don’t smell like it, Sweets. Think maybe ya mighta forgot ta mention something ta yer Alphas?”

(You aren’t mine. This is just about fucking Pack dynamics and bullshit biology. It’s fine, he gets it.)

“Hey,” and Dick’s voice is low and loud enough to be heard, and Tim slaps a hand over his mouth so he doesn’t whimper. “It’s okay. It’s us, Tim. We can make it better if you just open the door. You know we can, don’t you.”

It really isn’t a question, and Dick doesn’t pretend to make it one.

His abdomen spasms and he’s rolling his forehead against the wall in denial because fuck, haven’t they done enough? He’s not going to die, and, seriously, he’s a shitty Omega anyway.

“It’s not Heat Mania,” he tries to be reasonable, proud of himself when his voice only cracks once or twice, “I can get through it by myself this time. Y-You two just gave up five days a few weeks ago.”

The hand goes back over his mouth and his boxers are getting wet now, the way he’s curled in on himself probably not helping the situation.

Voices talking too low for him to make out again.

“Seriously, it’s fine. You guys got me out of danger. This? This is just business as usual. B is out of Gotham and you can’t be here for that long–”

“–B called in the Birds of Prey ta help out while he’s out wid’ the League,” Jay breaks through his ramblings. “We got Rob n’ BG. Cass is in fer a visit, and a trio of ass kickers. Ya ain’t gotta worry ‘bout Gotham, Timmers. Shit’s all kinds a handled.”

The door knob wiggles again, making him gasp because shit, if anyone could crack his fingerprint locks, it’s probably the Red Hood.

“So. That’s not an excuse to go through your Heat alone,” Dick cuts in, sounds more ragged and raw, the Pack Alpha coming out in him. “There’s honestly no reason for you to go through it by yourself at all because your Pack is supposed to take care of you. And we are here to do just that, Tim.”

And fuck he does (and doesn’t) want to.

(It really is going to hurt like a motherfucker when it’s all over with, isn’t it?)

And while Tim Drake could give them a hundred different excuses, could explain it away a hundred different ways

(“I don’t want my Omega to get used to having Alphas. That just makes my Heats more difficult. Please understand.”)

–he, Tim, not the Omega, really doesn’t want to.

(Oh yeah. He’s figuratively fucked. Literally fucked to possibly follow.)

He’s already reaching up to thumb at the panel again before he realizes what he’s doing and pauses, sighs at his own weakness.

And like they can feel him hesitate, the heavy musk finally gets to him from under the door. The combination of Dick and Jay and the Alpha instinct to soothe.

“Please, Timmy, Baby. Please let us in.” Dick says to the door, hands braced on the door frame outside, staring a hole right through the damn thing because he really wants to say is please let us love you.

Jay is nudged tightly against his back, peering over his shoulder with those precious few inches of extra height.

“S’all right, Timmers,” Jay’s deep voice rolls past his ear when his second leans over to talk closer, simultaneously sliding a hand over Dick’s hip, finger making soothing circles around the bone. “Ya know we love it when yer all pretty n’ pink fer us, yeah? Heat makin’ ya bite yer lip n’ flutter yer eyes when we get ta touch. N’ ya know how much we like it, don’t cha? Ya know it don’t matter how long it needs ta be, ‘er how much needin’ ya got saved up inside. Ya know the only thing what matters is how perfect ya are under our hands n’ mouth, yeah?”

Dick smirks at the tactic, turning just enough to get close to Jay’s face and shove their mouths together in a quick kiss.

His mate and second just grins right back, his down ‘n dirty one.

“Wadda ya say, Sweets? Gonna have mercy on these two ole’ Alphas? Let us be good, n’ take care a’ ya like we oughta?”

There’s a low noise, something muffled by the door, but Dick’s muscles tighten against the front of Jay’s body, putting the other Alpha right on point.

“Sounds like–” pain.

Jay just nods, staring intently at the door, fingers tapping over the hilt of this .45 like he’s thinking of taking the easy way inside. “Starting up awful fast, ain’t he, Alpha?”

“Leslie said something about double Heats while his body is getting back under control,” Dick reminds him absently. “I’m hoping this is the only one he’s experienced so far.”

Jay hums a little, “you n’ me both. Don’t like ‘im hittin’ two ina month. Too much strain.”

“Agreed, but we–” and Dick gets cut off by the sudden, powerful scent hitting them right in the instincts. The Alpha in them knows what a spike that sudden means.

Dick turns to make one last plea to the door, please, Baby, you don’t have to do this alone, before they would have to go. If Tim was that adamant, they wouldn’t hack the door to get to him, to force him to accept them during his Heat, but if he caught their scents, it could make the cycle more painful (“The inner Omega will pine for an Alpha. Scents will not help, but make the [sic] situation worse. An Alpha should vacate the premises if an Omega in Heat does not belong to him or her”). To keep it from being so much worse, they’d have no choice but the leave.

The possibility sticks in Dick’s throat, makes Jay rumble out a low whine.

But the telltale click resounds, kills the words in Dick’s mouth before they get out.

It’s a breath when he and Jay step over the threshold, kneel by the (their) pained Omega, warm hands and soothing touches, purring a low reverberation that makes Tim’s spine uncurl when Dick gathers him up and lifts. Jay is back with more Gatorade and power bars, throwing off his jacket and holsters while Dick kicks off his shoes and straddles Tim on the bed, leans closer to start kneading out the muscle spasms and nuzzling against Tim’s throat gently, soothingly.

“Ssshh, sshh, it okay Timmy. We’re here.” And Dick tilts his head just a little so his throat is visible and his scent gland right there if Tim wanted to give him and bury his face there.

(He totally does. Stupid fucking instincts.)

And Dick’s hands are warm, the pressure just enough to work out those muscles, to make the pain ease down. At one point, Tim had wrapped a hand around Dick’s forearm to have something grounding.

“You don’t have to do this,” is low and soft, “it isn’t going to be bad this time. Just a normal Heat. I can handle it. I have handled it.”

Jay takes a knee beside the bed, reaches over to direct Tim’s gaze with a forefinger under his chin. “Timmers,” is more stern than he’s used to hearing from the Red Hood, “like me n’ Dickie dunno how much ya can handle? Like we dunno how much ass ya can kick? C’mon, give us a little credit, yeah?”

Tim’s eyes get more dazed with all the stimulus hitting him right in the Omega instincts, blinking hazily at Jay kneeling there. “Seriously, I’m a shitty Omega, and neither of you need this. It’s bad enough you gave up a week already this month.”

“I told you,” Dick counters serenely, hands pausing, “that you are not a bad Omega. I would have thought during your last Heat you would have gotten that.”

They can both see Tim swallow, his eyes dart away, clearly disbelieving but not calling them on their bullshit.

Dick’s inner Alpha curls around his insides, wanting nothing more than to flop on the pretty Omega and pin him down until he cries uncle and finally believes in them, wants nothing more than to stick his nose in the sweet scent gland and never move, wants to hear Tim say it, just once–

“I’m yours, aren’t I Alpha?”

–but there’s no room for that yet. Not here, not now. Someday soon when Tim stopped giving into his instincts to hide and protect himself. Even if the Omega in him had accepted their Alphas, it still drew back, remembered the pain they both caused at one time or another.

And Dick understood. As Pack Alpha, he can scent more keenly, as a detective, he can put all the evidence together with the spikes of adrenaline, the quickening of a pulse, the flinch when certain things are brought up in casual conversation.

(Someday, he thinks fiercely, nuzzling into Tim’s jugular, while the knots under his hands ease down, you are going to forgive us, and everything is going to finally be okay.)

He huffs a little when Jay kneels by the bed, hands folded to rest his chin and watch. Timmy’s head flops over, the lines around his eyes still prominent with pain and the ingrained struggle not to just give in, and Jay trails his fingers lightly over the hand fisted in the sheets.

“Hey, hey. S’all right now, ain’t it, Baby?” He keeps it low and deep, lets it end on a nice purr. Inching the hand over, closer to his mouth, “an’ ta think, y’ weren’t gonna let me n’ Dickie here fer this? Tryin’ ta punish us, are ya?”

“Wh-What?! What are you even–”

Dick’s hand on his shoulder stops Baby Bird from sitting up, his cheeks gettin’ pink ‘cause he get all embarrassed ‘bout it.

(And fuck ain’t it cute.)

Big Wing smirks a little and leans up, gives Jay some room. He takes all he can, rising up on his knees, turning his jaw a little so his musk is stronger, getting fuller.  He gets to wrap a palm around that wrist, pinning it lightly when he hovers over Tim’s wide eyes, makes him face this, face him, face them.

“Ya already know it, don’t cha, Timmy?” Low and growly against his mouth, flick of a tongue over his bottom lip, “how much ya make us want, yeah?”

And since Jason Todd is a man what knows how Tim reacts to being touched, how he gets so sweetly slick and ready, how needy and soft he can whine, knows that as much as Timmy says he don’t need this, need them, his body don’t agree with it.

It’s how he n’ Dickie can tell when Timmy is lyin’ ‘cause it’s the Omega what tells them the truth.

It’s why Jay can purr and nuzzle, can lean in and take his mouth like he owns it. When Tim makes a noise, arches his back, Jay knows Dick is mouthing at him, right below where his palms are rubbing, licking the line between boxers and skin.

Pullin’ back just makes Timmy chase his mouth, eyes half-mast and cheeks just the right shade of pink.

“See that, Sweetheart? How pretty y’ are? An’ ya weren’t gonna let us be here fer it? ‘M hurt over here.” And he purrs against the tendon in Tim’s neck, just the sharp edge of teeth teasing down to his collarbone.

“Th-that’s not–!”

“But it is, Timmy,” Dick fills in soothingly, mouthing at the waistband of his boxers. “You weren’t going to let us have this.”

“Dammit that isn’t–”

“Sshh,” and Jay presses a kiss back to his throat, right below the scent gland, “s’all right. We f’give ya, Sweets. ‘Cause we’re here now, and that’s what matters, you feel me?”

Tim finds it in him to brace a hand against Jay’s shoulder, pushing him back just enough to be able to think around the heat pooling in his stomach, lighting his body with need.

“It isn’t like that!” He tries, he really does, stares into those eyes with green flecks faded away. “It–this–it’s just!”

Dick finally seems to have enough, knee walking up so he and Jay could loom over the squirming Omega, both of them facing him down.

“At first, it was because of the Heat Mania, Timmy,” Dick’s voice is low and firm, “but it stopped being about that for me in the first five minutes.”

Jay purrs at him softly, “like I’d keep comin’ back ta ya if’n it was only ‘cause a’ biology, Timmers. Like you think I don’t see this fine as fuck ‘Mega right ‘chere needin’ an Alpha? Like I don’t want a piece a’ ya?”

That is...so not what he anticipated tonight once he’d given the Alphas an appropriate out. The admission makes his heart thump painfully in his chest, a jolt of fear slithering through his brain pan at all the implications of this–

–that would fully set in later on after his body stops trying to literally kill him with sex.

Because it’s enough of a push, this moment when scents are so fucking sincere and they’re looking at him with heat and affection, and he wants so desperately to believe. It’s enough to make the Omega in him rear up past his barriers and bullshit masks, for the whine, the call to his Pack, to his Alphas, to spill out of his mouth without holding back.

Fuck.

Because even though it’s a rough, soft sound, something he’d never been able to let himself do before now, not with all the secrets he’d had to keep, it makes some of the tightness in his chest ease down to finally be able to let it out, let his instincts take over.

In the form of a whine, a call to his Alphas. His Omega could finally stop mourning being left out of the Pack.

So he’s completely unprepared for Dick and Jay to react so distinctly to that noise, for them to bury their faces in his throat and lick along both sides until the kiss of teeth along his collar bone becomes a bloom of pain and sinks deep into his subconscious. It’s not (and he gasps in a hard breath just thinking about it, about either of them biting down on the back of his neck instead…) to mate him or make him submit, it’s just marks made to show ownership, to show Pack, and his eyes might get a little hot and full with it while the Omega in him rolls over to show its’ belly to the (his) Alphas.  

And it’s something he’s been wanting for so long, the confirmation that he’s no longer the outcast, the Omega without a place. During the long road to come back to Gotham, back to the Bats, he hasn’t let himself sink into the depression that hit back when his tunic was yanked out from under him, leaving him hanging.

With the indents of teeth along his collarbone, with the distinct Alpha scent on his neck, the assurance he’s been claimed as their Pack Omega for anyone to see, is enough to make him close his eyes tight to keep from fucking crying. Instead, he distracts himself by lifting both arms around his Alphas to hold on while they lick across the indents of their teeth, soothing the sting.

He doesn’t let himself panic when they move on from marking him, when Jay is licking into his mouth and Dick’s hands are spreading his thigh, long-fingered hand cupping his straining erection.

He keens with it, back arching at the onslaught, his inner Omega sated with the marks on his body, languishing in the attention of his Alphas.

It’s so easy to fall under their spell, to put himself in their hands, and just give in. If they weren’t so damn careful and easy with him when he needs it that way, if they didn’t fuck him dirty and rough when it needed it that way instead, if they didn’t purr against his chest and lick at the marks, if they didn’t talk low against the back of his neck, if they didn’t hold the hell on when all he wanted to do is run.

Hands that know how to make him writhe, are busy smoothing up the sides of his thighs and over his abdomen, Jay and Dick trading places with his mouth. Thumbs make small circles on his nipples, makes them peak, makes the spark of pleasure shoot down his spine straight to his aching cock, while he keens in Dick's mouth.

“Uh-oh,” hazily gets through the heat pooling in his belly, in his blood, lighting his nerves on fire. “Looks like we have some competition, Jaybird.”

Fuck.

And Dick is leaning up on his knees, holding up the blue knotting dildo after he’d snatched it from the blankets, looking it over with a critically assessing expression–

Then those eyes slide over to the Omega spread out on the bed beneath them, the one smelling like a bakery, the one that needed him, needed them to take care of him.

“I told you, I can handle my Heats.” His face is going red and not because of the whole lot of naked happening beside the bed where Jay is stripping off the body suit.

“Mmhm,” and Dick widens his knees, spreading Baby Bird’s legs wider, puts the toy by his calf so he can be the one to use it on Timmy (and he is very interested on seeing how much of it his Omega can take before he’s screaming for the real deal).

The other Alpha’s eyes shoot to the subtly covered splash of red almost by the wall, and one brow quirks up as a side to the smirk on Jason Todd’s face.

“Dickie. Ya’ thinking what I’m thinking?”

“If it’s to fuck him with these things until he cries, then yes. I’m on board with that plan, Little Wing.”

“Good t’ see we’re on’a same page, you feel me here?”

The oldest vigilantes exchange a heated glance, the message clear from that look alone:

Time to teach Timmy a lesson and get to have him at the Same. Damn. Time.

Two Robins with one stone.

Jay is already crawling over Tim to lay on the other side while Dick moves fast, climbing off to shimmy out of his clothes until he’s in black briefs, coming right back to the perfect spot between the third Robin’s clenched thighs. He grins, already deciding on a plan, while Jay pins both wrists above their bird’s head, preparing him for the on-coming torture.

And when this cycle is done, when they’ve both had turns teasing him between waves with the toys he’d purchased, fucking him fast and rough or slow and soft until their knots throbbed to be buried in him, when they’ve made Tim give in to them, over and over, made him beg for their cocks, promised to always call next time no matter what.  When he’s so overwork, overstimulated, a trembling, babbling, crying pile of please fuck me before I die.

When they make the lesson stick.

(“Never gonna need ‘em again. Ya gotch us, n’ ya better damn well call b’for ya use it again. Do you feel me, Baby?”

“These are last resort only, Tim. You only get to use these after you’ve called both of us and not because of a case or checking in on Gotham.”

He’d only been stupidly grateful all three of them could fit in his tub at the time, water lapping lazily around him, caught on Jay’s lap with his leg in Dick’s, hands on his ankle and calf under the water. He was dozing and utterly fucking destroyed, which is the only reason he agreed to it in the first place, dammit. They took advantage of fucking him completely out.

(Alphas. Of fucking course.)

But this time, after they’d been so fucking thorough in showing him where his place with them really is, Red Robin can’t help but wonder if it’s more than just a bunch of Alphas taking care of the Pack Omega. If all the sweet things Dick growls in his ear is more than just hormones and Pack Alpha lizard brain. He wonders if Jay’s dirty talk doesn’t stem from some messed up sense of guilt or responsibility from back when they were just, you know, trying to kill one another. Or, Jay was trying to kill him and Red was really just trying not to die.

He wonders if it isn’t just a matter time until his body regulates.

He wonders if they know what they’re doing to him when they act like he’s theirs.

He wonders how far they’re going to go.

(A part of him is terrified to find out.)

#700 followers #omega!tim #alpha!dick #alpha!jay #aob #tagged for anon #timjaydick #tim drake #dick grayson #jason todd #a bit of smut #with a twist of angst #my fic #my writing

[punkscowardschampions]

Ava & James

Ava: I've told all my family James: oh Ava: Maybe don't oh that hard Ava: thinking you've changed your mind and that's going to be very difficult to do a 180 on tbh James: I'm actually thinking about Bella's dad's reaction Ava: As far as I'm aware, my dad doesn't have a shotgun Ava: or an excellent moustache Ava: definitely not James: Mine does, on both counts, but the mentality simply isn't there James: war of words is as far as things have so far escalated Ava: That's a good visual Ava: what about your mum? James: she's very busy lining up every single woman she's aware of between the ages of 20 to 30 within a mile radius or so Ava: Very Mr Darcy Ava: I'll gatecrash James: I look forward to the dramatic dance scene during which we only touch palms & exchange looks Ava: I bet Lizzie Bennet didn't 😳 Ava: shame my sister isn't around to push over so your parents are forced to take us in whilst she languishes James: 😂 James: I'll happily push my sister over or let her fall through an iced over pond to further our romantic narrative Ava: 💘 Ava: I know it's less about me but I can swoon nonetheless James: if you're 😳 then you'll have my full attention regardless Ava: Promise? James: yes Ava: even if the single ladies have really good period costumes? James: well, I hadn't considered that Ava: 😏 Ava: rude James: before I decide, what are you going to be wearing when you gatecrash? Ava: Obviously something unexpectedly knockout Ava: am the protagonist, need I remind you James: okay, what I'm hearing is anything you already own or could pick out from anywhere given a few moments Ava: You're adorable Ava: how did it go really then? James: does that mean I'll get to see you before there's a seasons changing montage? because I really want to Ava: Providing you don't need to exile yourself, of course James: I'm sure there's now several people in both our lives who would like me to, but I won't Ava: They were as receptive as I expected but I've made it clear I won't be stopping seeing you, hopefully put to bed the concerns I can James: in my case, the only concern is outward appearances so there's very little I can do even if I particularly cared to James: & Teddy isn't concerned so much as shocked & appalled Ava: Of course Ava: at least I'm an addendum re. the main issue of the whole divorce, in that case? Ava: yeah, do you think I should make a point of talking to him or give him space? James: will you? as far as he's concerned I haven't made a good decision within his living memory, but you two are friends, or were Ava: I'll try, definitely Ava: if I can make him see it's as much my decision as yours, it might help, in the end Ava: and I can handle another person having their say James: thank you James: I meant what I said, I'm more than willing to discuss this with your parents, at any point James: I can handle that Ava: Thank you Ava: I think it might help Ava: but I also think I'm gonna give them a cool-off period or it won't be at all helpful and that won't be at all your fault James: understood James: I'm currently having to employ a similar situation with Jay's playdates because her friend's mothers cannot possibly keep their nose out of my business or their mouths shut about where hers is and every other single detail they believe to be fact Ava: Oh lord Ava: I wouldn't have envied you having to socialize by-proxy with the self-professed yummy mummies before but now Ava: I can only imagine Ava: Poor Jay Ava: I can't offer a human child for playdates but Frank is always down Ava: and my lips are, naturally, sealed James: I was hoping to take them away for a few days but it's as though my dad has decided that in lieu of my failings in other areas I need to suddenly become the hardest worker in the history of this company Ava: Of course Ava: Hmm James: because obviously what my children require most in their mother's absence is to also see me less Ava: Well, yeah, that's not potentially traumatizing Ava: thank God for School being right 'round the corner Ava: and Matty still being portable James: I've been bringing them both to the office & the bulging vein in his temple is honestly such a strong contender for the book cover Ava: 😏 That's how you do it Ava: risk his health and wellbeing so you get the time off for yours James: King's didn't teach me everything I know, I've got a few tricks Ava: When are you giving me that tour? James: When can I see you? Ava: When is your dad not working you to death? Ava: I can make it work James: [A pause while he figures that out] James: he's out of the office all day on [a date in the foreseeable to make this office hookup a thing] Ava: No offense but if your brother shows up again you need to send him on a really long coffee run James: as you said, school is right around the corner, meaning my parents priorities have shifted back to making sure he'll go Ava: In that case Ava: 😈 James: 😇 for saying yes Ava: I have ulterior motives, I promise you James: oh really? Ava: really Ava: it's very unfair I've yet to see you in your work clothes James: [sends her a pic because nobody can stop him] Ava: um hello 😍 Ava: you're really going to be away from me looking so good Ava: unfair James: I'm sorry James: I really, really am Ava: Me too Ava: I've not seen you enough to warrant how badly I want to right now James: [a casual essay about how much he misses her and wants her and everything he wishes they could do, in a saucy way but also just in cute ways like] Ava: James James: Ava Ava: I really love you, you know James: I love you too James: what I most wish is that we could go away for a while Ava: That would be Ava: so good Ava: maybe we could in like the Christmas hols, when everything has calmed down Ava: hopefully James: it would be indescribable Ava: I have no doubt you would do your best Ava: and it'd be impressive James: the subject matter lends itself to nothing but my best Ava: I'm honoured🙇 James: so am I, especially by that visual Ava: Gutted I'm out rn and can't immediately fulfill that wish for a visual like you did Ava: when I get back though James: [sends her an even better visual] James: until then, there you are Ava: oh, well, you aren't distracting at all 😖 Ava: definitely gonna get you back when you're so hard at work James: 😈 James: I so badly hope you do Ava: I intend to Ava: every day of the week Ava: but especially when I get to come see you James: you know, the things I intend to do to you on this desk drastically shifts the audience we're going to be able to pitch this book to Ava: You'll have to restrain your imagination in the write-up so the audience can use theirs to fill in the blanks Ava: because there's no way we're leaving your office 'til we've done everything you've thought of James: finally some overtime I'm not upset about Ava: It's all about balance, right? 😇 James: & I'm aware that you've got very good balance Ava: Will that help me be the best good luck charm on your best I can be? 🤔 Ava: intriguing 😋 James: absolutely, but if you need any more help, I'll help you Ava: You're very helpful, baby James: I try to be Ava: I've never met anyone like you James: I don't think I'll ever meet anyone else that comes close to you either James: I certainly haven't before Ava: Good Ava: I don't need to think about competiting so soon James: you don't need to think about it, full stop Ava: not 'til the dance, anyway James: even then, I'll only have eyes for you, that's the cliche Ava: Of course Ava: doesn't mean I'm not gonna do everything within my power to ensure it's worth your 👀s while James: I don't want to dance with anyone else, Ava James: I don't want to do any of this with anyone else Ava: I know Ava: you know I feel the same too James: you know I couldn't have done this without you though Ava: You did it all though, all the hard conversations and hard decisions James: a lot of those decisions were made for me, so there's limited credit due, & a lack of conversation with her just cements that Ava: Yeah but the ball is in her court on that one Ava: you're if not ready at least willing whenever she is James: of course, because that's not a decision, to not act, not any more Ava: yeah, and that's going to be a good thing Ava: even if it is not good all the time James: I'll be interested to see if she gets in contact before school starts because that's unlikely to be a good thing Ava: Yes, I wonder if this is just a summer holiday or Ava: makes you wonder what she's even doing that could keep her so 'busy' James: whoever cleans the pool, probably, not that she'd ever admit to such a cliche Ava: 😬 Ava: definitely not getting paid enough James: 😂 Ava: I'm just glad that right now you don't have to deal with her on the day to day, even if it's only a momentary reprieve, it'll never be that bad again James: me too, I can't & won't pretend that I didn't know how bad it had become but actually getting a break from it makes me wonder how either of us dealt with that for as long as we have Ava: I bet Ava: she must've been as sick of it, even though she was the one not letting go and doing the fucked up shit, that has to be exhausting to live like that Ava: full level hell beast all the time, like 😈 Ava: sorry, I'm not fully sure where the line is re. her Ava: but I've been hearing great things from Nancy and Buster today so, that's in my head James: it's okay, you're not wrong James: & neither are they Ava: Okay Ava: if it's ever weird or like, not up for discussion though, just say the word Ava: or several, as you're especially loquacious James: there's a fantastic word Ava: as far as safewords go Ava: I can think of a few situations where it might be hard to get out but isn't that half the fun James: I'll make a note of it, because yes, that's definitely a large percentage of the thrill Ava: I wish you were here Ava: I only am to get away from my parents for a bit James: where are you? Ava: My friend's house Ava: Her sister is called Stasia, think she was your year-ish? James: I remember her, whether she would me, favourably or otherwise, I can't possibly comment James: I'll take you home when you want to go Ava: Really? Ava: well, I'll go at whatever time means I get some extra with you James: okay, I'll take that as my cue to leave now, not only because any reason to get out of here is welcomed though Ava: Please do Ava: talking about you so much has only made my need to be with you even greater James: I can absolutely relate & admit to having had the same urge all day Ava: Oh good Ava: we're on the same page James: that said, a necessary note in the margin would be that in actual fact I've felt that way much longer, because whatever I'm talking about, I'm thinking about you Ava: Sometimes I think I think about you too much Ava: but then I remember I'm the protagonist in this romance so it's not just acceptable but necessary James: you can do whatever you like, darling, it's your story Ava: In that case Ava: read on James: voraciously Ava: 🤤🤤 James James: I'm just making sure we're still on the same page Ava: You're gonna have trouble keeping me on the page Ava: and making me go home James: & the driver's eyes on the road, we may need more than the Twilight soundtrack on this occasion Ava: Pride & Prejudice 2005? Ava: gotcha, honey James: 😂 James: yes, exactly Ava: 😊 Ava: I love you so much James: I miss you so much James: if I could take you home with me, I very happily would Ava: I know Ava: one day James: after the move to the other side of the river, because we both know there is a line Ava: It's pretty exciting, isn't it? James: I'm glad to hear you think so because I was going to ask you if you'd like to come house hunting with me Ava: I'd love to! James: [a possible date soonish] ? Ava: That should be good for me Ava: I'll let you know if otherwise Ava: it'll be nice to look at some actual decent places, let's face it, I doubt my student digs will be all that inspiring, like 😏 James: barely room for whatever hazing pranks they have in store, I'm sure Ava: I'm still not convinced that particular visual doesn't just come from a certain type of movie, babe James: you'll have to let me know 😏 Ava: I'll make it good for you James: my faith in you remains unwavering Ava: 🙇 James: have you reconsidered your stance on spoilers? Ava: That does depend James: oh? Ava: have you dumped fake girl? James: she was very slow to accept her fate, but yes Ava: I can't blame her Ava: I wouldn't wanna lose you either Ava: [picture, assumedly in her friend's room or somewhere not just in front of them like oh hey] James: Ava Ava: Make traffic move faster please James: I'll do the quickest rewrite possible & see you at your friend's door Ava: I'll be waiting so patiently James: & I'll be waiting impatiently James: 😇 & 😈 Ava: I think you deserve to be 😈 right now Ava: been a long day, yeah? James: yes, though it feels longer now, stretching out with the queued traffic Ava: 🥺 Ava: we'll just have to see it as motivation to not waste a single second James: it's a promise, in or out of traffic Ava: I'm so lucky James: if you think you are, then I need a better word to describe my own fortune right now Ava: I'm just really happy Ava: in spite of anything else, everything else, right now James: good, me too Ava: 🥰 Ava: you deserve that even more James: you deserve more than I can possibly give you, however patiently you wait Ava: nuuh James: yes you do Ava: 😣 Ava: no Ava: and I want you James: I want you, I'm well aware that it doesn't mean I deserve to have you Ava: How could you possibly not James: because James: the reasons I lack words to describe you aren't even close to the reasons I lack them to describe myself Ava: but I can't describe you either Ava: not just because I'm no writer James: but you do, all the time, in both words & actions I can vividly see myself the way you think of me Ava: I'm glad Ava: keep looking, okay Ava: we'll work on the believing bit James: okay James: if you'd like to get in the car, we can start immediately