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4m1rz · 3 days

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Pool Relieve

TripleS Yooyeon x Male Reader

Tags: pool sex, mommy kink, creampie

If you have the opportunity to be close with your favourite member in your favourite group, what would you do? How would you feel?

Well, this incident happens to Do Kangdae. He is a very huge fan of Kim Yooyeon since she was in the survival show, My Teenage Girl. He watched every single episode of the show until the final episode as she wasn't able to be in the debut lineup. He feels devastated as his favourite girl couldn't make it to the debut lineup as he puts his efforts in voting for her in every single episode.

One day, he scrolls on his Twitter account and sees a notification that Yooyeon will be joining a group called tripleS. And obviously, his feelings went to the roof and he's hoping that she will be able to debut. By the time when the group’s first subunit makes it debut, he is so enthralled especially since Yooyeon is in the sub-unit.

As the time passes by, it's already the comeback season with the group having a new sub-unit called “EVOLution”. Kangdae bought as many of the albums as possible, hoping that he'll be able to get the ticket for their upcoming fan meeting. Luckily for him, he received a message noting that he is invited to the fan meeting that's gonna be held on Saturday. This makes him feel very ecstatic.

Fast forward to the fan meeting day, he arrives at the venue of the fan meeting 3 hours before the event begins. Some WAVs, which is the fandom name for tripleS, can be seen outside the venue. When he enters, more fans can be seen, waiting for the fan meeting event to start. He then goes to one of the seats that are still available before sitting on it and starts to make conversations with those who are sitting beside him.

Three hours later, the fan meeting event begins. All members in the subunit “EVOLution” walk one at a time towards the center of the stage. This causes an eruption of cheers coming from the fans. This includes Kangdae, but his eyes are only focused on the only member that gets his full attention, which is of course, Kim Yooyeon.

After some interactions and performances from the members, it is time for the fans to meet and greet with one member at a time. All of the fans, including him, start to line up before interacting with every member. As he lines up, he noticed the arrangement of the members and was shocked to see that his ultimate bias is the first one.

A few minutes later, it was his turn to interact with Yooyeon. He sits on the chair while facing her and starts greeting her. “Hi there. May I know what your name is?” She asks. “Y-Yeah, s-sure. My n-name is Do Kangdae. Nice to m-meet you.” He answers, despite the multiple stuttering as he's really nervous.

His reaction causes Yooyeon to giggle a little as she finds it cute. “I wonder… if you are this nervous because of me?” She asks him while being curious. This makes him feel a bit more embarrassed and also guilty at the same time. “S-Sorry, I didn't mean it… in a bad way. I am indeed n-nervous… because I'm facing my ultimate b-bias right now.”

The statement from him makes her gasp in amazement. “Oh really, I'm your ultimate bias? Since when?” She excitedly asks which makes him blush even more. “Erm, it was since when you're still in that show, ‘My Teenage Girl’.” He answers, which leads to her gasp yet again. She wouldn't guess that someone has been her fan from when she was in that survival show up until now. They both had a bit more conversation before he was forced to move to the next member.

After that, he goes to meet and have a conversation with the other members. This time, it went out pretty smoothly than during his conversation with Yooyeon. After he finished, he went back to his seat and waited until all the other fans had finished meeting every member. Once all fans have done the meet and greet session, the members then resumed with the performance. During the last performance, he noticed that Yooyeon gave a wink in his direction.

This causes the fans in that particular place to start to cheer loudly. However, he feels as if she is winking to one particular person, but isn't sure whether it's actually for her fanpage or him. After a couple of minutes later, it's the end of the fan meeting event. All of the members then line up into a straight line before bowing down and thanking the fans to join the event before leaving the stage, one member at a time.

This causes the fans to slowly exit the venue, which includes Kangdae. As he was about to exit the venue, he got stopped by two bodyguards that were behind the members earlier. He feels scared at that moment as he thought he did something back then. However, one of the two bodyguards says that two people want to meet him backstage. He just agrees and follows the bodyguards backstage.

As he and the bodyguards arrive backstage, he is shocked to see Yooyeon and another lady who he believes is the group's manager. Then, the manager asks the two bodyguards to let only the three of them be in the room, to which the bodyguards comply and leave the room. After that, she starts to explain what is actually happening.

“Greetings. I'm Boo Chowon, the manager for not just this subunit, but also the whole tripleS…” The manager first starts introducing herself to Kangdae, which indeed concludes his thought of her being the manager. “…I'm so sorry that I drag you here, but Yooyeon has something to talk about to you.” She continues talking before turning her attention to Yooyeon.

As he and the manager look at Yooyeon, she chuckles a little before talking. “Well, I asked Chowon unnie earlier if I can make you my own personal manager.” She says, looking at him. That statement makes him stunned, which makes her giggles even more seeing his reaction. “...but before that, I want to apologize to you first…” She continues talking, but her sudden apology makes him confused.

“You see, I once encountered your fanpage about me on Twitter. I was so amazed to see someone supporting me since that survival stage era. However, I also… accidentally saw your personal account since there's also the link for it and I accidentally clicked on it. So, I'm so sorry yet again.” She continues explaining while putting her hands close as a sign to apologize. The first thing he did after hearing her explanation was to grab her hand and push it down.

“I-It’s fine. Besides, I actually wanna put the link for my personal account on the fanpage account as I want to have more fans as my friends. I didn't expect my ultimate bias would encounter that fanpage.” He says and chuckles, which makes her sigh in relief and smiles. “So, is this why I'm being your personal manager? You're hoping to compensate for your mistake?” He then asks her.

Just before she is able to answer the question, Chowon cuts her through it. “Basically that, but also because she grows fond of you because of how strongly you've been supporting her. After seeing you just now during the fan meeting, she constantly talks about the topic of letting you be her personal manager to me.” She says, which makes Yooyeon nod before covering her face with her hands. This reaction of hers makes him chuckle a bit more.

“Well then, I accept the offer of being her personal manager. This is a once in a lifetime experience, but I promise I'll do my best to be a great manager to Yooyeon.” He says and gives a salute to the two ladies. Chowon nods while Yooyeon giggles to see that response from him. “Ok then, your job starts right now, after I leave the room right… now.” Chowon says and leaves the room after, leaving just him and Yooyeon.

“I guess we will introduce ourselves first then. I'll start. My name is Kim Yooyeon. I was born on 9th February 2001 and I live in Seoul. I studied at Ewha University, so you might know my nickname then, right?” She introduces herself and gives a wink to him at the last part. “I guess it's my turn then. My name is Do Kangdae. I was born on 8th June 2002. I was raised in Busan, but now I'm living here in Seoul. I study at Yonsei University, in a sports science program. Pleasure meeting you.” He properly introduces himself to her.

“Ah, so I'm your noona then?” She asks, to which he nods. “Did you go to the gym a lot?” She asks again and he responds back with a nod. “Ah, no wonder you have this buff physique, yet you are being shy earlier at the fanmeeting.” She says while giving a teasing smirk which makes him scratch the side of his head in embarrassment.

“Now, I guess you wanna ask me to stay at the dorm. However, I believe my place and your dorm is around the neighborhood.” He says. His statement shocks her as if he knows what she just wants to ask him. “So noona, wanna go to your dorm now?” He asks her, to which she nods. They then walk towards his car and start going towards the dorm of tripleS members.

After several minutes later, they arrive at the dorm. “Well, we're here. I'll see you tomorrow then, my new manager.” She says. “Yeah, sure. Want me to-” He replies, but stops as he feels his cheek get kissed by her before turning his head towards her in a shocked expression. This makes Yooyeon giggles and smirks. “See you, handsome.” She says again before getting out of the car and going towards the dorm building. He is only able to shake his head, feeling disbelief on the action she did earlier before starting to drive back home.

That's how Kangdae became from being just a fan to being one of the tripleS managers, but specifically, the manager of his ultimate bias. He has been doing what his job suggests, planning her schedule with the company and accompanying her in her activities. However, despite all this, it seems that she also pampers him by buying him stuff and not letting him pay for it, even if he tells her that he wants to pay for it. This also results with them being a lot intimate and secretly being a couple.

This situation also seems to be the change of the dynamics between them. One day, he jokingly said that he should call her ‘mommy’ instead of ‘noona’ due to her acting like one towards him. He thought that she would feel disgusted with it, but instead she had this wicked grin visible on her face. “Oh really? Well, I don't mind it. Besides, you sound so sexy saying that word, Kangdae.” She says and gives him a sultry wink. This change of dynamics also results with both of them able to have their own personal fun and fulfill their sexual needs.

Fast forward to today, which is October 25th, they have finished with the Australia World Tour and every member and staff have some free time to spend before going back to Korea. Kangdae has been planning to just go to the nearest bar and just have some drinks. However, as he is going to the bathroom to clean himself, his phone starts to vibrate multiple times. He then checks the phone to see several messages from Yooyeon.

[Mommy Yoo❤️]

Meet me at the hotel private pool at 8.00 p.m.

Don't be late, or mommy would punish you 😉

He chuckles seeing her messages, knowing that her threats were always a bluff. However, he thinks that it would be a good idea to be able to hangout with her as they both have been busy for the 3 days of the world tour. He also thinks whether he and Yooyeon would do some naughty stuff or not later on.

Later on, he arrives at the hotel’s private pool which is located quite far from the hotel rooms. He scans around the place and sees someone already in the pool. He walks closer towards the pool to see that the one asking him to come to the place has already been waiting for him at the poolside, wearing a black swim dress with white ribbon straps.

“Hey there, my beloved noona.” He says, indicating her of his arrival. This makes her tilt her head, seeing him which then she gives him a naughty grin. “You're late, baby. You make mommy wait for you for 5 minutes. You really want mommy to punish you?” She says while adding a smirk after the last sentence.

Her statement makes him chuckle a bit. “Oh please, mommy… We both know that your threats of punishing me is always a bluff. By the way, I see that you've dipped in the pool, huh?” He says and also asks as he notices the swim dress that she's wearing is already wet, to which she nods.

“Yeah, I went for a swim just now, just waiting for you to arrive.” She retorts back and gives him a playful glare which makes him chuckle even more. “Now, do you want to join mommy in the pool or not?” She asks him once again to which he nodded.

“Great then. Now take off your clothes.” She says to him before plunging herself into the pool once more. “Really mommy? Do you really want me to take off my clothes right here with you looking?” He asks, trying to argue. “As if you haven't done that in front of mommy before, baby…” She retorts his argument and gives him yet another smirk.

He sighs in defeat before starts taking off his clothes until he is left with just his swimming trunks. As she notices a slight tent forming at his swimming trunks, this makes her to smirk even more and looks intently at his crotch region. He notices where she's looking at which makes him chuckle and mumbles the word ‘naughty’. Then, he gets into the pool and joins her by hugging her close.

“It's been awhile since we get to be like this huh, mommy?” He asks which she nods as an answer. They stay in that position for another 10 minutes before he feels her grinding her crotch region with his.

“Mommy, are you horny already? I thought you wanted us to go for a swim first.” He taunts her. There's no reply from her other than soft moans coming out from her mouth for 5 minutes. After that, she tries to answer his question despite her still moaning and grinding.

“Mmmmh, I am, baby… After all, w-we haven't been with each… mmmh… other. Mommy believes t-that you also want me r-right now.” Her answer makes him chuckle and shake his head. After that, he slithers one of his hands towards under the swim dress until he feels her pussy. Once he feels her pussy, he starts to rub it which makes her moan a bit louder.

“Mmmmh, t-that’s it baby. G-Gosh, this is just only y-your fingers, what if it's your dick inside me, mmmmmh…” She exclaims. Then, she responds by moving her left hand towards the inside of his swimming trunks until she reaches his dick and grips it before slowly stroking it. This causes him to groan softly yet hoarsely right towards her ear.

As things getting heated between the two with them pleasuring each other, he couldn't wait to fuck her which makes him to stop rubbing her pussy. This makes her confused as she was actually getting close to orgasm. “W-Why did you stop? Mommy's close…” She whines.

“S-Sorry mommy, but I can't wait any longer.” He exclaims. After saying that, he yanks his swimming trunks down a little to release his hard dick, then pulls up one of her legs before pushing his dick into her pussy. This causes them to moan due to the pleasure of both sexual parts and also the pressure from the pool water.

“Oh god, mmmmh… Mommy's pussy still feels so… tight. The water also makes the feel of your pussy even better, mommy.” He says. After a few minutes later, he pulls out his dick until his tip remains before pushing it back inside which leads to him thrusting inside her pussy. However, the pressure from the pool's water makes it a bit harder for him to thrust his dick.

“Mmmmh, I've b-been craving for this, baby. Mommy has been… mmmmh… waiting to get that dick of yours. So p-please, ruin mommy's pussy.” She says to him, the pleasure feeling seeps all over her body. Suddenly, he stops thrusting which makes her puzzled yet for another time. “B-Baby, why did you stop t-thrusting? M-Mommy wants m-more.” She whines.

Her whines didn't get any reply from him, instead he lifted her up a little which made her wrap her legs around his waist. Then, he carries her towards the pool wall and pins her towards it before resumes thrusting his dick inside her pussy, but a bit more harder. This action makes her squeal loudly as she didn't expect it.

“Oh, mmmmh… My baby is such a t-tease… Mommy l-loves it though… mmmmh…” She says, followed with laces of moans. As he is still thrusting, he lifts her a little and gets his hands to untie the straps of her swim dress. Once that is done, he tugs down the swim dress to reveal her modest tits before starting to play with them.

“Mmmmh, mommy loves it when you play with my tits, baby. It makes mommy… mmmh… even more aroused.” She says gleefully. This makes him attack her tits even more, with the combination of sucking, groping, tweaking and biting while still thrusting his dick.

After 5 more minutes later, both of them are at the brink of cumming. He really wants to cum inside her as it's been their habit of finishing their sex session. However, he thinks that he should get her consent to do so which makes him do just that.

“M-Mommy, I'm c-close. Can I c-cum inside you, mmmmh?” He asks. Her reaction is to just nod aggressively before answering him. “M-Mommy is close t-too. Luckily, today is mommy's safe day, so y-you can cum i-insi- oh gosh, mmmmh!!!”

As soon hearing her answer and not letting her finish it, he unloads all of his cum deep inside her pussy which triggers her to cum as well. After he believes that he has fully unloaded his cum deep inside her, he slowly pulls out his dick as well as lifting her. This causes a little bit of their mixed cum to spill out from her pussy.

Then, they both hug each other once more for another 5 minutes to relax themselves before she suddenly hits his chest playfully. “Yah, you're such a naughty boy. You didn't notice mommy that you're about to cum.” She says which makes him chuckle. “Hehe, sorry mommy. I was so eager to hear your approval that I just cummed on the spot and forgot to tell you. Well, you did like it didn't you, mommy?” He answers back.

His answer makes her giggle and shake her head. “Yeah, I miss this feeling of you cumming inside me. Now, shall we have a swim this time?” She says to which he answers with a nod. Then, they let go of the hug before fixing their garments; or more so taking off the remaining clothes left which makes both of them skinny dipping. After that, they start to do swimming and playing in the water before leaving an hour later.

P/S: Welp, the inevitable incident has happened... Idk why, but that photo really fuels me up to make a smut for her even if I don't want to 🥲. Still, I hope you all enjoy reading it

#triples yooyeon #triples smut #yooyeon smut #kpop smut

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only-goose · 2 days

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Busted

A/N: it’s a little short, I’m sorry. My requests are open, I’m going to start writing for all Formula (Prema too).

Arthur Leclerc x Norris!reader

Warnings: upset Lando, making out, little swearing, indicated to smut (none tho)

Based off this comment ⬇️

@barcelonaloverf1life thank you!! 🫶🏻

You had followed Lando around your whole life, he was your big brother. You love him to pieces. Some might say you were more excited that him when he was announced as an official Formula 1 driver. You came with him to every race, getting to know a lot of the drivers very well. Becoming close friends with a Spaniard, which led to a Monegasque, which led to a certain younger brother.

That was three years ago. Now, you and Arthur had been secretly dating for over a year. You expertly hid your relationship from your brothers, especially Lando. You know Charles wouldn’t have too much of a problem with his brother dating you. You also know that Lando was explode if he knew you were dating the impulsive idiot from Oscar’s Prema days.

It was time, once again, for the Monaco gp. One of the very few times a year you could publicly be seen with your boyfriend for a good reason. After making sure Lando was busy getting ready for the race, you slipped over to the Ferrari garage. Arthur was leaning against a wall, talking to his brother and an engineer when he spotted you. He clapped his brother on the shoulder and took off towards you.

It had been way too long (a couple days) since you had last seen each other and all you wanted to do was kiss him. Which you couldn’t, because you were in public. “I have an idea” you said as you turned to him. You snuck him through the McLaren garage and into your brothers driver room. You knew he wouldn’t be coming back until much later so you knew you had time.

You closed the door and pushed Arthur into it. You gripped his broad shoulder with one hand and tangled the other in his hair, bringing him down to your lips. You both began feverishly making out, tongues fighting. When Arthur won, he pushed you into the wall next to the door. His hands slipped under your shirt to play with your tits through your bra, his knee moved in between your legs and applied pressure to your clit. You started grinding on the knee, letting out little whimpers until the door to the drivers room opened. “WHAT THE FUCK”

Lando grabbed Arthur’s shirt and yanked him backwards as Oscar rushed in “what happened?” “Your prema mate was eating my sisters face off” Lando said as he kept prattling on “this is ridiculous. And in my room for fucks sake! Why now y/n? Why the sudden interest?” Lando asked. Arthur moved to answer, immediately being glared at my Lando. If looks could kill, Arthur would already be six feet under.

Lando looked at you, waiting for your answer. “Actually, Lando, Arthur and I have been dating for over a year. We didn’t want to tell you because we knew how you would react” Lando’s jaw hit the floor. “I’m getting Charles” he grumbled. Charles walked in five minutes later, we were both sitting together on the floor. “Finally got busted?” He laughed.

Lando looked at him, dumbfounded. “You knew?!!” He screeched. “I had my suspicions, until I walked in on them making it. They didn’t even know I was there” Charles admitted “come with me” he said afterwards. Charles took Lando outside and had a long talk with him. When they came back, Lando announced “I have a deal to make little Leclerc. Make my sister happy and I won’t murder you. Break or hurt her in anyway and you will never think about racing again”

Arthur nodded, agreeing with Lando. After everyone left the room, you turned to Arthur and said “I can’t believe we finally got busted. I thought it would have happened way sooner!” That made Arthur laugh.

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lornaka · 8 hours

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My five cents on Tech’s fate in TBB

It’s been over three weeks since the show ended and I’ve been writing this in my head ever since, mostly to have it summed up in one post for posterity lol. I considered letting it go at this point but I know it’ll drive me crazy if I don’t get it out of my system so might as well.

So here we go, some of my rambly post-finale thoughts on Tech’s death (and a few other issues) under the cut!

Disclaimer: while this post is in critical spirit (because that’s how my brain works), I want to make clear that I have nothing but respect and gratitude towards everyone who’s worked on the show. My criticisms are of the final story as a whole as I interpret it (art is art, everything is subjective, you know the drill), but one never knows what goes into the process of making it behind the scenes, so I’m not holding anything against the creative team. I love this show dearly and am in awe of how good it is at its best, despite certain things I wish they did differently.

To begin, if I had to sum up the biggest problem that TBB writing suffers from, it would be lack of closure, and too many red herrings. Not just for Tech, but many things. Major plot threads as well as little character moments are cultivated or thrown in just to never culminate in anything or to be immediately discarded after serving the plot, some of them incredibly misleading. Some of the top examples:

- Crosshair’s chip. We never get an exploration of how the trauma of his chip activating and being left behind not only affected his motivation and choice to stay with the Empire, but his relationship with his brothers. While it was made fairly obvious, if subtly, that Crosshair became free of the chip’s influence after getting hit by the ion engine on Bracca, the narrative treated this change as if it didn’t matter at that point, while it obviously mattered a lot within the context of Crosshair’s character. Add to that all these little details with him clutching his head in s1 finale, Omega expressing her disappointment in him, and Tech’s comment on how “it is just his nature” (as if it matters!!! See what I mean about the narrative treating Cross’s chip as if it didn’t play the key part in his trajectory? They throw in this line, like we are supposed to take away that it’s simply Crosshair being Crosshair and not like, the results of brainwashing and abandonment), Wrecker blaming Crosshair for not going back to them, all while we as the audience have been shown and told repeatedly how these chips work (and so were the Batch), we ended up with an incredibly confusing situation with lots of mixed signals from the writers. And once Crosshair makes his choice to stay with the Empire in s1 finale, his chip and the confusion it brought to his relationship with his brothers is never brought up again, because the plot simply moves on.

- Cid’s betrayal. After her being a major character for two seasons with a continuous relationship build-up with Omega in particular, she is discarded as soon as her betrayal serves the plot, with all that character development getting thrown out of the window. You can be mad at Cid all you want, but to me it’s incredibly weird and wasteful to end two seasons worth of build up on that note without it having any closure for the characters, especially Omega whose whole theme is trusting people and bringing out the best in them. It’s fine if they decided to make Cid exactly what she appeared on the surface (untrustworthy and self-serving) after playing around with her potentially growing through her fondness of Omega, but then at the very least the betrayal should’ve had an impact on the characters, Omega most of all. Even just one casual line from Omega in s3 about how Cid’s betrayal impacted her emotionally, however minimally, would have solved that problem. And no, CX-2 mentioning how he extracted info on Phee from her off screen absolutely doesn’t count as closure, because I’m talking about emotional closure for the main pov characters as well as the audience. Cid had a presence for two seasons, then as soon as she executed her role as a traitor to further the plot, she was discarded like she was a random extra.

- Emerie’s relationship with Hemlock. We are led to believe that he basically raised her, instilling in her the idea that she had no chance without him and owed her purpose and “safety” to him. You can’t tell me that this didn’t deeply affect her struggle and eventual decision to break away from all that and choose to help the kids, basically betraying Hemlock. I get that the show only had so much screen time and Emerie is a supporting character in season 3 at best, but common, she has more tension with Dr. Scalder than Hemlock while the potential for this rich deep conflict between them is right there.

I can probably list more smaller examples but this is getting long and I don’t want to go on any more tangents, so, finally, the biggest example of lack of closure and tendency of TBB writing to display foreshadowing that leads nowhere:

Tech’s death.

First of all, I’ll die on the hill that it wasn’t denial or delusion that led to such a big portion of the audience to believe that Tech didn’t really die in s2. If we look at the facts:

- there was no body

- it’s the finale of season 2 out of 3, pretty early for one of the main titular characters to get killed off

- the only/last character to allegedly see Tech after his fall is a villainous scientist who is known to experiment on clones specifically

- not a fact but: the whole scene with Hemlock presenting Tech’s goggles to Hunter was incredibly suspicious. In hindsight, I think the whole purpose of it was so that the Batch got Tech’s goggles back in their possession as a memento (and to show how evil Hemlock is to rub it into Hunter’s face like that) but it was executed in a way that read as something much more. It read as if Hemlock was going out of his way to convince us/Hunter of Tech’s death, but with us knowing who Hemlock is, his background in experimenting on clones, everything screams at us to not trust a word he says. Is it really so surprising that so many of the viewers immediately jumped at the conclusion that something more was going on there?

- Hunter’s (lack of) reaction/immediate narrative fall-out. More on that later as I address lack of emotional impact of Tech’s death in s3.

- it’s Star Wars. And there was no body.

So yeah, to me, it is completely justified that so many people read that whole thing as open to speculation at the very least, foreshadowing Tech’s survival at most.

Personally, I was 70% sure Tech was truly dead prior to s3, but not because the text told me so, but because at that point I was used to the show’s writing regularly sending out mixed signals, and a part of me was resigned to Tech’s death becoming another example of the writer’s intent clashing with their accidental empty foreshadowing.

As season 3 aired and the whole CX-2 plot was unfolding alongside continued lack of closure for Tech’s fate, my hope for Tech Lives reveal grew and grew, but in the end my initial doubt was proven right, unfortunately.

Oh, CX-2.. what a mess. You can’t tell me the creators went over all of these scenes, all of these lines, looked at the whole picture and *didn’t* see how it was incredibly easy to interpret CX-2 as potentially being Tech with all these little potential parallels. “Domicile” alone.

If they didn’t want us to entertain the idea that it could be Tech, they could’ve done it differently, but for some reason, they chose to leave that space for speculation. My question is, why?

If they truly wanted us to believe Plan 99 was it, Tech’s Noble End that we were supposed to take as this dramatic super emotional ultimate sacrifice and all that, then why would they not make it clear that CX-2 couldn’t be Tech? Why breed confusion? And breed confusion they did. It’s hard for me to believe they didn’t foresee the “ohh is it Tech?” speculation.

When so many members of the audience immediately and individually jump at a theory or have the same take away from the story they are being told, yet the authors say it wasn’t meant to be taken that way, something went seriously wrong with the writing.

I don’t like to speculate on such things because we will probably never know for certain, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had at some point considered CX-2 being Tech or at least something more for the whole CX plot thread, but changed and reshuffled things at the last minute for whatever reasons.

Which is fine and understandable. But it brings me to the heart of my biggest issue with how Tech’s fate was handled:

lack of impact and closure.

Let’s disregard all the Tech Lives theories for a moment and focus on what we did get: Tech, one of the main characters, getting killed off at the end of s2 out of 3, for stakes and consequences and NOTHING else. When I say nothing, I mean nothing.

Imagine, for a moment, he survived and stayed with the Batch. Nothing would have changed, in the grand scheme of things. Nothing. We wouldn’t have had a few obligatory “Tech mention, everyone feel sad now” throwaway lines/goggle shots and whatnot, sure, but that’s it.

Tech dying didn’t change the trajectory of the plot in any way, nor did it affect any of the other characters in a way that changed their trajectory. And anything less is simply not enough to justify killing one of your main characters. Stakes and consequences ain’t it.

Consider Mayday, for example: a supporting character, but his death in s2 affected Crosshair in such a way it completely redirected his journey, AND in s3 we got an episode that cemented the impact Mayday had on Crosshair and provided emotional closure for them. That’s a narratively meaningful death.

Tech’s death was not meaningful to the narrative beyond removing him from it. That’s why so many Tech fans insist he deserved better treatment: not only was he not present in one third of the show physically, but he lacked any sort of presence even in death. His absence was never processed or grieved by any of the main characters and so by extension by the audience.

And before anyone starts with the whole ‘they are soldiers/they had no time to grieve/etc’ arguments, it is the responsibility of the writers to provide the space for all of that emotional impact. It they don’t, there is no impact.

A few reactions here and there, moments of missing Tech as a person and a brother, not an asset, anything would have made this whole thing easier to accept.

The lines that we did get, from Omega mentioning the stuff Tech taught her to Echo commenting on how decryption would be easier if Tech was with them to “Clone Force 99 died with Tech” from Crosshair - each and every single one of those lines linked to Tech’s functions as part of the squad, his usefulness, but we didn’t get a single line in remembrance of him as a person of his own, no one missed or remembered him for himself or his personal impact on them.

Just one line from Omega about how he taught her about change being a constant part of life or whatever, or Wrecker making a comment on how Tech used to info dump about stuff, anything would have instantly provided that much needed sense of “he was here, he was a person and is still a part of us”. Instead, Tech was killed off to show that messing with the Empire is dangerous and risks are real, I guess, and immediately lost any and all presence within the story.

We never even got to see Crosshair’s or Phee’s reactions to losing him.

Speaking of Crosshair, that’s a whole other example of complete lack of closure: they never closed the loop on the family being reunited again after initially leaving Crosshair behind, and with Tech dead, it’ll forever stay broken.

They could’ve given this a bittersweet yet meaningful spin if they developed the angle of Tech dying on a mission to bring Crosshair home, making a sacrifice so Crosshair had a chance.

Instead, the moment Tech dies, we get Hunter (and through him, the narrative) immediately abandon the idea/plot thread of going to rescue Cross all while saying “let’s not waste Tech’s sacrifice”. Sacrifice for what? Clearly Hunter doesn’t see it as a sacrifice for Crosshair’s sake, so, what, to make sure the rest of them makes it from the mission? The mission to save Crosshair. That mission. Right.

I see people talking about Tech’s noble sacrifice that ensured his family got to live and eventually have their happy ending, but all I can think about is how the creators chose to have him die on a mission that was immediately abandoned and the only take away from that whole sub plot was Tech’s own demise.

And after Crosshair is back with the Batch, his reaction to Tech’s death is never explored at all.

So yes, to me Tech deserved so much better. If you are going to kill off a major character, it must be necessary to be compelling. The way I see it, Tech’s death was not necessary at all because it didn’t change anything. And if it was meant to, the creators failed to communicate that by choosing not to explore the emotional impact of it and not structuring certain story beats in a more precise manner.

To wrap this up, if the way Tech’s death was handled was satisfying for you, that’s valid and I’m glad for you. For me, unfortunately, it’s completely the opposite and will forever remain the biggest and most unfortunate low point in the story.

And while I welcome anyone to share their own perspective if they wish, please don’t take this post as an invitation for debate, since there is no one right or wrong way to interpret or be affected by art.

#tbb analysis

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damiansgoodgirll · 2 days

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could you please maybe write an Damian Priest X Fem Reader Story where both became parents to an beautiful baby boy, and the first night at home with the baby reader witnessed that Damian is taking care of the Little One by holding him in his arms standing by the window and telling his son the story how reader and him met and that he was blown away from her the first time he saw her and reader comes to him and wrapped her arms around him and tells him that those feelings were mutual at that time and Damian thanks her for not only making him the happiest guy on earth but also an Dad.

this request was so cute 🤧 + i decided to make it what i always wanted part 3 because it fits perfectly with the storyline

damian priest x reader

likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated!

this could be read as a stand alone but if you want to read the other two parts, here we go:

what i always wanted, part 2

‼️mention of pregnancy and child birth (i never had a baby and pregnancies scare me, don’t judge lol - so i don’t know how accurate this could be)

what i always wanted pt. 3

“i think my waters just broke” you said standing there in the middle of the kitchen, frozen on your spot.

“what?” rhea looked at your with terror in her eyes, especially when she saw the water down at your feet.

“my waters just broke rhea…” you said, trying not to panic. this wasn’t supposed to happen now. you were only at the eight month, you weren’t ready.

“what-what do we do?” she tried not to panic too.

this wasn’t how you imagined it. you imagined being already at the hospital, being taken care of by the doctor and nurses, and, most importantly, being there with damian and not rhea. she was your best friend but seeing the way she was panicking gave you more anxiety that what you already had.

damian was training and, even if he refused to let you, you had almost to kick him out of the house. he wanted to stay by your side in case “something happened” but, the baby was supposed to come in three weeks, not now, so you imagined that being with rhea wasn’t a big deal. he reluctantly accepted and left you under rhea’s supervision but he was checking on you every ten minutes, making sure you were okay.

“i don’t know rhea, maybe drive me to the hospital?” you didn’t mean to sound so rude but you couldn’t explain the pain you were experiencing so, in that moment, being kind and caring was the last of your worries.

“oh yeah yeah, let’s go, let me grab a towel for you..” she got up from the couch and ran to the bathroom to get you a couple of towels and then she helped you into her car.

she was probably panicking more than you did.

“should i call damian?” she asked, knowing the answer but, she wasn’t gonna lie, you were scaring her, and not because you were about to give birth but because you were mean.

“please do…” you whispered. you were focusing on your breath, in and out, despite the huge pain you were feeling and the fear of everything not going how it was supposed to be.

“he’s not answering…”

“try again! please rhea…i don’t know if i can’t do this without him…” maybe the hormones, maybe you getting more and more agitated, but you started to cry and rhea couldn’t do nothing to help. not even her comforting words - that usually worked - were working this time.

in the meantime she got you safe and sound at the hospital.

finally you were taken care of. brought to your room, changed into the hospital vest and now doctors and nurses where helping you getting ready to deliver your baby.

rhea was by your side for all the time damian was missing. when she called him for the tenth time he finally answered and he almost had a heart attack when she told him that you were in labor. he changed and with finn he drove - like crazy - towards the hospital.

he didn’t want to miss the birth of his baby but his first thought was you. how scared you must have been being there, laying in an hospital bed and not knowing what’s going on.

when he made it, he ran through the hospital corridors, looking for your room and when he finally saw you, his heart broke. it was clear to him that you were in extreme pain, rhea holding your hand was all the support she gave you as you didn’t want nobody to talk.

“hey love…” he slowly sat next to you, opposite to rhea.

“it’s not how it was supposed to go damian…” you softly cried.

“i know mi amor, i know…but we’re here together…i’ll be with you the whole time okay? rhea is here too and finn is waiting outside, he probably just called dominik so he will be here soon too. you have a big loving family here for you, you are not alone” his words seemed to calm you down a little.

in reality he was more afraid than you were. he knew becoming parents was going to be a big change and, no matter how excited he was, deep down he had a fear of failing.

“it’s not how i imagined it tho…i wanted it to be a perfect and this is a complete chaos” you said making him chuckle.

“well, our little baby wants to come sooner than we thought…are you excited love?”

“i’m terrified right now! plus what if my vagina is gonna break? what do i do?” he sensed you were terrified, and no matter what he said, he couldn’t calm you down.

“i promise you your vagina is not gonna break mi amor”

“how do you know?”

“hey hey love…let’s breathe together…in and out, follow me…” he showed you and you did like he said.

“i’m scared…plus it fucking hurts…”

“everything will be okay…i’ll be with you the whole time hermosa” he gently kissed your cheek.

he wished his arms was made out of titanium because the way you were squeezing his hand when you were giving birth, it was as painful as it was probably for you.

but no matter how broken his hand was - it wasn’t broken, he just liked to be a drama queen - he comforted you and praised you the whole time.

“one last big push y/n…you’re almost there” he softly whispered in your ear before the both of you heard a little cry.

“oh my…” you said, tears streaming down your face.

“congratulation mom and dad, it’s a baby boy” your doctor happily said as she quickly cleaned up your new born and gently laid him in your arms.

“hi baby…” you softly looked at your baby who was still crying but quickly calmed down when he realised where he was. your eyes met up with damian’s. he was crying too, probably more than you were as he was expecting the happiest moment of his life.

“he’s so…” he couldn’t describe it with simple words but somehow you understood.

“i know” you simply said.

a couple of minutes later you were finally getting cleaned up and while damian was giving your son his first bath with the help of a nurse, you decided to close your eyes for a few minutes, feeling relaxed and happy. when damian came back, he put his son to sleep in the little crib near your bed while he smiled at how peaceful you were while sleeping .

once you woke up, you found yourself in a room full of people and filled with happiness and joy. your best friends, damian’s family and your family too. every single person you loved was there to support and help you and you couldn’t be more grateful.

two days at the hospital and you were finally ready to come back home. you hated hospital food, hospital showers and hospital beds, they were the most uncomfortable places for sleeping. so you couldn’t deny how happy you were when you finally laid down on your bed.

the little nursery room you both decorated was perfect for your little boy.

damian has been by your side for everything, even the smallest things. he cooked for you and he helped you showered once you came back home. he knew how tired you were and he didn’t want to put you in any stress. he was there when you were breastfeeding your son, admiring the little guy in your arms.

he couldn’t keep his eyes off of his son and neither could you.

he was perfect.

“i’m so tired” you said yawning, once your son had fallen asleep.

“you should rest a little, i’ll wake you up when dinner is ready okay?” he smiled looking at you and you definitely agreed with him.

you slept for a couple of hours before waking up when you heard a little scream coming from the nursery. you immediately went on your feet and rushed to your son’s bedroom.

“it’s okay baby” you heard damian talking softly “it’s okay…you’re waking up mom with your little screams” he gently laughed, your heart melting at the sight of such sweet scene “you know, i messed up really badly with mommy, there’s a time where i almost lost her…we had this stupid fight - oh right - bad fight, no bad words in front of you little guy, and when she left i felt completely lost and alone…and if i could turn back time i would have never let her go..”

you tried to hold back tears hearing damian’s conversation with your son but you were still very emotional so you let a few tears fall.

“the craziest part is that your mom doesn’t even like wrestling…” he laughed again “but she gave up her career for me…she started working with me, following me everywhere i went and if it wasn’t for her best friend taking her to a wrestling show many years ago, i would have never met her…i know you’re too little to understand this but y/n is the best mom you could have ever ask for…she’s been waiting for you for a while and now that you’re here, we’re going to be the best family for you, i promise you little boy…” damian started to get emotional and before he could have the chance to cry, you stepped in.

“just for your information, i still don’t like wrestling” you said smiling.

“but you love me…” damian smirked.

“i do…”

“i’m so glad you didn’t give up on me love…i love you so much” he smiled at you while gently rocking your son.

“i love you more” you wrapped your arm around his chest and gently laid your head over his shoulder, admiring the little creature you just created.

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coryosmin · 1 day

Text

being away from you was never easy for coryo. his overall possessiveness of you made him not ever wanting to leave you for longer than a full work day. however, work trips call, especially when a client asked him to go on a trip with him as a thank you for winning his case. to say coryo missed you was an understatement. the blonde had been gone for three days already and that was three days without seeing you, touching you, fucking you. being a lawyer sucked when he couldn’t see you.

as coryo got back from a day at the beach with his client, he sat down on his comfortable mattress in his hotel room. his phone began to buzz, your contact popping up on his iphone. coryo couldn’t help but smile to himself as he swiped the green icon, answering the phone. “hello, my darling,” he answered smoothly.

“hello,” came the soft but joyous tone of your voice as you greeted your lovely boyfriend. coryo’s heart swelled as he finally heard your voice after three days. the texts just weren’t enough. “i know you said not to call you everyday while you’re on your trip,” you began, sighing. “but honestly, i miss you and couldn’t wait any longer to speak to you.”

coryo let out a small chuckle, licking his lips. “i miss you too, sweetheart,” he said softly. “it’s been a rough few days being unable to see you or touch you.”

you let out a small whine. “i miss your touch, coryo.” he could sense your pout from over the phone.

“yeah?” he asked, images of you flashing through his mind as he began to think about all of the ways he could be touching you right now. “miss it how?” he could feel his cock hardening in his swim trunks.

you let out a shaky breath over the phone as you thought about your wonderful boyfriend. “i-i really miss your hands caressing my skin,” you said shyly.

“do you want me to tell you what i miss, princess?” he asked. coryo knew you were touching yourself thinking of him. he could just tell. the both of you have engaged in phone sex enough throughout your relationship that it was now simply nature for either of you to tell when the other needed release over the phone. and now was definitely one of those moments.

“yes, please,” you replied sweetly.

coryo let out a soft chuckle, palming his cock through his swim shorts. “i miss caressing your boobs as i run my tongue up and down your cunt, having your juices coat my face as you grind your hips against me,” he spoke steadily, pulling his trunks down, his hard cock slapping against his stomach.

you let out a soft moan over the phone, causing coryo’s cock to twitch with interest. “i miss your tongue so bad,” you replied.

“i’d love to just be sucking on your clit, trailing my hand down your body before slowly easing a finger into your tight and wet cunt,” coryo gripped his cock, closing his eyes as he thought about his words vividly. god he wanted nothing more than to be pleasuring you right about now. “i’d tease you by grazing that sweet spot inside of you but not quite touching it, making you beg for more.”

you whined, moaning out a soft “coryo,” as you too thought about what he was talking about. it was almost as though he was talking you through it as your fingers followed his words.

“i’d eventually add another finger, stretching your beautiful pussy ever so slightly. i’d likely look up at you, seeing your beautiful face contort with pleasure and your hair sprawled out on my pillow. god you’re absolutely gorgeous,” coryo groaned as he pumped his cock thinking about you. he began going at a rhythm, teasing the tip of his cock with his thumb. he moaned, licking his lips.

“fuck,” you said, fingering yourself to coryo’s words. your moans were music to coryo’s ears as he jerked himself off.

coryo let out a shaky breath as he continued to talk. “i’d curl my fingers inside of you,” he interrupted himself to moan as precum leaked from his cock. “finally hitting your g-spot and causing you to-“ his words were interrupted by a loud moan from your end as you followed what he was saying. coryo couldn’t help but laugh softly. “good girl,” he replied. “i’d thrust my fingers harshly and quickly. you know i love the sounds of your moans and the squelching noise of your cunt getting absolutely soaked.”

“i need you so badly, coryo,” you moaned over the receiver, fingering your self vigorously.

coryo jerked himself off faster, feeling that familiar heat inside of himself. “are you getting close, baby?” he asked breathlessly.

“mhm,” you replied. “please- ah- please keep going.”

“with pleasure,” coryo replied. “i’d finger you and suck on your clit, feeling you grind against my fingers and my face, chasing your own orgasm. and when you do eventually cum, i love feeling your thighs squeezing my face and keeping me in place, having nothing else to do but help you through your orgasm.” he said, feeling his cock stiffening in his hand as coryo felt his orgasm coming. “go ahead, baby, cum for me, yeah?”

on your end, coryo could hear the moans and whimpers leaving your lips, signaling your orgasm. he let out his own moans and calls of your name as he began cumming, painting his chest with his cum. he pumped himself through his orgasm, coryo’s eyes rolling back and toes curling as he finally got relief after a few days of not having any.

and when you both were finished, no words were spoken other than the harsh breathing from both of your ends. after about five minutes or so, you broke the silence. “i love you,” you said softly. “i really do miss you.”

coryo smiled to himself. “i love you and miss you too, sweetheart,” he exclaimed. he got up, phone to his ear as he went to the bathroom. “i’ll see if i can come home early.”

“i’d love that.”

coryo began to clean himself up, all while still talking to you. “now, tell me about your day,” he said. and so your began talking and coryo listened.

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pumpkinbxtch · 17 hours

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heyy! I was wondering if you could do a hc for jason x daughter of Neptune like a beach date and it end with the Neptune girl having a full collection of shells and Jason taking care of her? If that makes sense?! 💗💗

beach day w my baby | headcanons

— jason grace x daughter of neptune!reader

☆ radiostar is playing: sunburn by almost monday…!

warnings: language, as usual I think. a/n: hey beautiful person how you're doing? ofc makes sense so put your sunglasses on girl, we're having a beach day!

Jason couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day than taking you to the beach. Sure, it seemed a bit cliché for a daughter of Neptune, but you couldn’t deny that you missed being near the sea, especially when everyone at Camp Jupiter saw you as just a bad omen. Jason wished it could be like at Camp Half-Blood, where the kids of the Big Three were almost too respected.

You reached for his hand, and he put those thoughts aside. He wanted to focus on you today and have a good time.

For your day at the beach...

Jason carried the backpack with all the essentials, double-checking everything before you left:

- Sunscreen? Check. Maybe it didn’t bother you or him, but he had to protect both of your skin.

- Towels to dry off? Check.

- An inflatable donut? It wasn’t for you, it was for him. He’s a good swimmer, but he wanted to relax too (which clearly didn’t happen).

- And finally, a small net bag.

- water

- snacks

- a protector for his glasses

- a change of clothes for both.

You’d probably drag him through the sand and play with him in the water. Jason held you tightly by the waist, and you smiled in that special way you only did when you were near the water... and him.

He was sweating from the heat and also because you made him nervous. How long have you been his girlfriend? He lost count (okay, he knows exactly, but it’s been long enough for him to be used to it).

He’s a shrimp if he doesn’t protect himself, but even with sunscreen, his face had pink spots.

You took him to a deeper spot with the help of an air bubble, showing him places he could never have seen without you.

Kissing underwater.

Putting sunscreen on each other. Jason always shyly asked when he got near places that might bother you with his hands.

When you were taking a break in the shade on your towels, he would direct a breeze toward you. No heatwave would threaten you.

He kept both of you hydrated.

Then you smiled and reached into the bag for the one thing you begged him to bring: your net bag. “Be right back,” you giggled anxiously and ran off before your boyfriend could say anything. Jason tried to stay put but ended up going with you.

“Look at this!” you squealed, holding up a shell to Jason’s eye level. The comparison was clear because that shell was a shade of blue similar to his eyes. Jason framed the view with his hands.

“Are there shells that color?” You shrugged and tossed it into the net to keep searching until you had a big collection.

Tired, you sat at the edge of the shore, where the tide just touched your toes, and Jason mimicked you. He kissed your forehead and smiled warmly as the sun began to set.

You held the net up, admiring the diversity and beauty of something so simple, then hugged it to your chest, looking a bit sad.

“Something wrong?” your boyfriend asked, noticing your heaviness and thinking you might have hurt yourself.

“Nothing,” you said, standing up and shaking the sand off your legs. “I’m going to put them back where they belong.”

He found it strange. If you’d put so much effort into collecting them, why return them?

“I’m afraid my father will get mad at me for taking something so precious,” you explained, “or that guy Grover will chase me for damaging the ecosystem,” you added with a more genuine laugh.

So, Jason helped you spread out what you had collected. You didn’t feel bad about doing the right thing; quite the opposite.

“All set?” Jason called a few meters away, and you nodded. He noticed you were holding something in your hand and asked with his eyes.

You extended your hand, revealing the unusual shell with the same eye color as Jason. “I know my dad won’t be mad if I take just one,” you said, taking Jason’s hand. He smiled and carried you bridal-style to the showers to wash off the sand.

#maría's shared dreams☆｡ﾟ✧#heroes of olympus #pjo hoo toa #pjo #jason grace headcanons #jason grace fic #jason grace fanfic #jason grace #jason grace x y/n #jason grace x you #jason grace x reader #jason grace x daughter of neptune!reader #hoo x reader #pjo x reader #jason grace blurb #jason grace headcanon

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causenessus · 3 days

Text

new grounds

part 0.13. HIGH STAKES . . . 2.16.2024

PLAYING IN THE CAFE . . . it only takes a moment by jerry herman

the last game had been nerve-wracking and was dragging on forever. both teams had won one set and this final one had been bouncing back between the teams. they had long since passed the 25 point mark and neither team could seem to get two points ahead of the other. the crowd had started out vocal and had slowly quieted over time. not because anyone was becoming disinterested in the match–it was quite the opposite.

the stadium had almost become silent as everyone watched in anticipation, ears perking at every squeak of the shoe and grunt from a player. cheers erupted when points were scored, but quickly hushed again.

she had been squeezing keiji’s hand tightly, knee bouncing erratically. her plan was nothing big, it wasn’t even that hard or embarrassing, yet she was nervous to go through with it if his team won. even with how the points were bouncing back between teams, though, she was confident they would win. perhaps she was biased, but it was what she believed.

she’d make it casual and hug bokuto first, maybe hug hinata, and then hug him. just as a congratulations, and to test out the waters. everything relied on him winning today. if things went well today, she would bring up the flowers soon, perhaps on a day they worked together if she was feeling confident.

he had already looked at her countless times, and every single time their eyes met her heart skipped a beat. it felt like a good sign that he looked her way so much, and it helped to calm her nerves a little but the moment he looked away they were in a frenzy again.

with how this last game was going, he had become too busy to look towards her, which was fine. she wanted him to focus on the game. currently, his team was leading. they had scored one point when he had dumped the ball over the net last second, sending everyone to their feet in roars as the ball hit the ground. but now that he had used up that trick, this last point would have to be won with a long, arduous volley.

she had watched games before; keiji, yachi and her had gone to many of bokuto’s games in high school. even those were stressful to watch, especially during the finals but those felt like nothing compared to this game. she cringed everytime the libero dived and just barely kept the ball from hitting the crowd, and her stomach twisted, watching the opposing team’s blockers anticipate their moves and set up a block.

although she liked to prize herself that she had come to understand kageyama’s brain more, it would be years before she would be able to read his moves and what his plans might be during a volleyball game. she couldn’t tell who he would set to as three hitters came running towards the net. she knew it would be bokuto or hinata, but which one would it be? he liked to rely on hinata as an element of surprise; he was speedy and unpredictable, and the two of them together made her head spin. reading his body language, she was sure he was going to set forward to hinata who was already jumping, but she watched last second as he slightly arched back, practically teleporting the ball from the point above his hands right to bokuto’s point of impact.

the ball flew unevenly off of the arms of one of the opposing team’s players and hit the floor. it was silent for a moment before the crowd exploded into cheers for a final time, shouting and clapping as many rose to their feet.

keiji’s hand was still in hers when yachi grabbed her other hand in an instant as the three of them stood up. “let’s go!” she urged, leading the way out of their seats.

their footsteps were loud as the three of them pounded through the halls, running as fast as they could to meet the team. she saw bokuto first, being one of the taller men on the team and with his white and black hair that was recognizable from miles away.

she exclaimed as she ran at him, jumping into his arms as he twirled her around. “you did amazing!” she praised as he put her back down. “that last point–” she started, turning to face both bokuto and kageyama, who had kept himself nearby. here it went. she let go of bokuto’s hands which she had been holding together between her own, “that was so cool, but god, was i nervous trying to predict what you guys were going to do. i wasn’t excepting what you pulled at all,” she quickly threw her arms around kageyama, giving him a quick hug. he froze and she pulled away before he could even try and hug her back, trying her best to remain at least a little composed as well, “i thought for sure you were going to set to hinata, but you both did great!”

kageyama stammered, mouth slightly dropped open and surprise while bokuto puffed his chest proudly, "even i’m not sure what’ll happen, i just go for it and hope the ball’s coming my way in moments like those and then everyone cheers for me!” he ruffled her hair slightly, "thank you for coming, y/n."

“th…ank you…” kageyama slowly followed up, averting his eyes to the floor and rubbing the back of his neck. his face was red and he looked as if he was slightly pouting.

she watched an orange haired boy drag his feet towards them with his head hung low, “i thought for sure that last ball was coming my way too…i literally swung my arm through the air at full power it was so embarrassing…” he pouted as well.

“hey, all that matters if that we won, and that’s the best kind of confusion you can provide, isn’t it? when even you think the ball will be coming your way, those guys catch onto your confidence, even if you're being misled,” bokuto patted him on the back. “it all worked out in the end, didn’t it? everyone’s gotten a happy ending,” bokuto grinned, cocking his head towards kageyama who was chugging water with a still-red face a few feet away.

“it did,” she agreed, watching the boy try and cool his face with a towel. she’d gotten him to lose his usual calm demeanor, and that was a good sign that perhaps he did like her a little bit as well. she’d have to talk to him soon.

prev. | m.list | next

extras <3

one chapter left!!!!!!

bokuto's actually okay keeping secrets, he'll only share them with people he trusts and knows won't spread the word but he forgot that he was sharing a secret about y/n with the people that were involved in the secret

yachi is the only one who has serious beef with the manager and no one knows why like yeah she sucks but y/n still feels a little bad sometimes when she has to work alone

when y/n gets nervous she tends to talk and ramble more so her private acc exploded for like 10 minutes after kags' team won the game

kageyama wears his kneepads under his normal clothing sometimes to "get in the zone"

kags stayed in the locker room an extra 10 minutes just frozen and trying to process what just happened <3

all of his teammates slapped him on the back congratulating him "on the girl" and teased him which did not help

the gamblers had a bet about what y/n's plan was and yams won; hinata thought she was gonna kiss kags and tsukki thought yn was going to give him like flowers back

sometimes hinata complains that kageyama has given him trust issues "because of the amount of times you've used me as a decoy >:("

taglist: @ncitygreen @lvrlamp @cherrypieyourface @mimi3lover @lees-chaotic-brain @frootloopscos @0moonii @cr4yolaas @eggyrocks @pinkiscool @httpakkeiji @localgaytrainwreck @lunaviee @kitty-m30w @lixie-phoria @aliruuiz @corvid007 @iluv-ace @yvjitadori @k8nicole @ryeyeyer @thechaosoflonging @kettlepop @r0seandth0rns @rinheartshyunlix @lucky-chars @par4disee @vixx-11 @luvkvni @does-directions (form to be added to taglist! <3)

#kageyama tobio #tobio kageyama #kageyama x reader #kageyama smau #haiykuu smau #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu #hq #hq x reader

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wobblesthecowgirl · 2 days

Text

I'm No O’Driscoll!

Chapter Three: Arthur's Doubts

Tags: Arthur Morgan x Femreader, enemies to lovers, O'Driscoll reader, game plot, Arthur doesn't have tuberculosis, eventual smut, age difference, 18+, mild gore

Word Count: 975

A/N: Sorry for a short chapter! Next chapter is going to be a long one...Lenny, Arthur, and Reader get drunk in Valantine! Comment how you want that to go! I've also changed the layout to see which is preferred.

Chapter One

Chapter Four

Arthur was starting to have doubts about letting both O’Driscoll’s join the gang. On the ride back to camp, he couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of them gunning down those there. Especially her. Where did she learn to shoot like that? She’s too quick.

Luckily, when he arrived, the place was calm and peaceful…or as peaceful as it could be. He scanned for the new members: Kieran was getting some soup from a not so happy Pearson, and then he finally saw her. It was clear the first thing she did as a free woman was have a wash and brush her hair.

Arthur couldn’t deny that she was definitely pretty, but her sour attitude, O’Driscoll past, and constant scowl made him hate her so much that he could look past how beautiful she was. However, when he watched from afar, he saw how she interacted with Mary-Beth: Her eyes were soft, her mouth curled up slightly at the corners, and she was even laughing lightly at times.

For some reason, this only annoyed him further. He strode over towards the two women who were sat on a blanket, looking up at him.

“You behavin’ yourself?” He asked, and there it was. Her famous scowl.

“You’re not going to give me a minute’s peace, are you?”

Now that he was closer, he could see had to look through her long lashes, and she had a small scar along her neck like Javier. Mary-Beth coughed.

“Is there something you need, Arthur?”

He shook his head, “Oh no, I was just making sure our new friend wasn’t giving you any trouble. God knows she gives it out a lot.” The woman shook her head to disagree, putting her book down.

“Not at all! She’s actually pleasant company.”

It was Y/n’s turn to talk, “I’m right here. Which, for your information, I’m a delight when I actually like the person. But, for a strange reason, I don’t like big dumb grunts who shoot me!”

Arthur rolled his eyes, “Give it a rest woman. You’re gonna have to get over that one day.”

The wind picked up slightly, making Y/n’s hair flow a little, and he was looking a bit too intently by accident. Mary-Beth stood up suddenly, causing the other two to turn to her. She excused herself, explaining she had chores to attend to, and scampered off. Arthur and Y/n stayed in awkward silence for a few seconds before she finally spoke up.

“Are you going to stand there or say something?”

He narrowed his eyes, staying stood because sitting next to her seemed too friendly, but the awkward pose of her sat looking up at him while he stood above her was just as bad.

“I’m just here to warn you that if you try anything- “

“Oh, give it a rest old man,” She spat as his eyes widened.

“Old man? You gotta be kidding, old man?”

Y/n laughed, tilting her head back slightly at his response. She stood up, dusting off her jeans. Despite being stood up now, she still had to look up. Tiny thing, she is. He asked, “And how old are you exactly?”

“Why? You interested?” She teased… flirted? He couldn’t tell, but he didn’t like either option.

He scowled at her, “Don’t be so cocky, girl. I’m askin’ ‘cos you’re acting like I’m as old as Hosea.”

“I’m in my early twenties, that’s all you’re getting.” She informed him, and for some reason, his stomach dropped. Arthur should’ve guessed she was young, she didn’t look older than thirty, but it still shocked him. Then she asked the same question. He chuckled lightly, looking away from her.

“I’m in my mid-thirties, old enough to be your Daddy.”

“Well, you don’t look a day over fifty.” She smiled sickly, enjoying tormenting the older man.

“Real mature of you.” He scoffed, before turning around without a goodbye. He couldn’t stand talking to her much longer; every single sentence she threw his way only jabbed him more and more, which would cause him to snap eventually. He found himself at Dutch’s tent, who was sat smoking a cigar and lost in thought. When he saw Arthur, his face lit up.

“Arthur! And to what do I owe the pleasure?” He took another puff.

“I just came to talk to you about that O’Driscoll girl.”

Dutch sat up straight, concern on his face, “Is she causing trouble?”

“Not exactly,” He rubbed the back of his neck, “It’s about her aim. When we were at Six Point, I was about to get shot, but she saved me. Put a bullet right between the man’s eyebrows. In seconds. That ain’t normal.”

The music was blaring from inside the tent like it usually did at this time, and Arthur could hear the rest of the members shouting and laughing. It almost drowned Dutch out.

“Where are you going with this, son?” The leader asked. Arthur paused, rubbing his chin.

“My point is, I don’t think she’ll cause trouble, but keep an eye on the guns around here.”

Dutch leaned back into his chair, a smug smile tugging at his lips.

“Or, we could use her to our advantage.” He was already planning something, a new chess piece for his board. Arthur rose an eyebrow and asked, “What you plannin’?”

He nodded his head, thoughts and ideas running through his head, “We are going to get Sean back, having her behind the scenes could be very helpful. Especially in a place like Blackwater.”

“Dutch…” Arthur groaned, “I can’t trust her. She may’ve saved my life, but she probably did it to save her own hide.”

“Well then, sounds like you two need to do a little bonding.” Dutch smirked, taking the final huff of his cigar, as he continued to scheme; much to Arthur’s dismay.

#arthur morgan x reader #rdr2 fanfic #rdr2 arthur #rdr2 x reader #arthur morgan

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augustjustice · 2 days

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you wanna feel how it feels? (let's exchange the experience), 1/?

AO3 Link

Summary: After the Spring Break from hell, Eddie and Steve become fast friends, with a possible hint towards something more…except they're never quite sure what the other one is actually thinking. But maybe, just maybe, walking a mile in each other's shoes can lend them some much needed insight.

Notes: The long awaited first chapter of bodyswap fic is finally, finally here! This chapter is primarily just set up for the shenanigans yet to come.

I went ahead and added a taglist below for some of the folks who have been following along with the progress of this one. Apologies if I missed anyone, and if you'd like to be added to or removed from the list, please just let me know!

It was a typical Saturday night in late April–at least, typical post-the radical turn of events that had started with Eddie’s own personal nightmare during the Spring Break from hell, that series of dominoes tipping over and taking his life up to where it was now. And where he found himself was at Hawkins’ very own local Dairy Queen with Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, and a rabid pack of six hungry teenagers and one formidable preteen who could rule them all with an iron fist if she wanted, following up yet another successful session of Hellfire with some celebratory ice cream.

Being able to hold a meeting of the Hellfire Club at all was cause for celebration in Eddie’s book, especially since the school would no longer allow them to host events on school grounds, despite the fact that all the charges against Eddie that had started the witch hunt in the first place had been dropped. Hawkins wasn’t exactly a forgive-and-forget kind of town, something Eddie had always known and been even more acutely aware of given the even more frequent, vitriolic stares that had been following him around since March.

Still, he was soldiering on for now, at least until graduation–thanks in no small part to the apocalypse stopping crew currently clamoring over each other at the front counter. Despite the school’s best efforts, the club venue had been relocated to the Munsons’ newly minted trailer, courtesy of the government suits. And with the revival of their D&D campaign came the start of this new tradition–begun by none other than Steve himself, who had pulled up to Forest Hills to pick up the kiddos that first night, stuck his floppy-haired head out of his BMW like an overgrown puppy, and offered to meet everyone at the local DQ, his treat. The Corroded Coffin boys had begged off coming that first time–and the week after that, and the week after that–but, still. Standing under the hazy fast food fluorescent lights and with the promise of a chocolate malt ahead, life–for the moment, at least–was as good as Eddie could ask for, all things considered.

“Hey, hey, hey!” With three quick snaps of his fingers, Steve tried to corral the kids into some semblance of order, one hand already settled in its customary position on his hip. “One at a time, you guys. Try to cut, ah…”

“Brandi,” the brunette behind the counter supplied helpfully when she saw Steve squinting at her name tag, face blooming into a bright grin.

Eddie was pretty sure he recognized her from his second senior year math class, and there was a vague memory of seeing someone who sort of looked like her in the cafeteria tickling at the back of his mind, sitting a few tables from the jock zone amongst the lucky hopefuls looking to catch the attention of a baseball or basketball playing potential boyfriend. If so, that definitely explained the big moon eyes she was currently shooting Steve’s way.

But Steve only returned her smile with a harried one of his own, his attention still firmly focused on the demands of his many babysitting charges. Eddie tried to tamp down the sick twist of satisfaction he felt when Brandi deflated slightly.

“Right. Try to cut Brandi here some slack, alright? Believe me, slinging ice cream is plenty of work without having a bunch of little menaces shouting in your ear.”

As the group finally managed to file themselves into something that resembled a line–with plenty of jostling and grumbling along the way–Erica gave Steve’s polo a sharp tug and then jabbed two fingers in his direction.

“Free ice cream. For life,” she emphasized, the same way she did every week, like Steve needed the reminder.

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve waved a dismissive hand in her direction even as he pulled out his wallet, same as he did week in and week out, putting on a show like he didn’t already know he’d be footing the bill for most of the munchkins’ orders.

Robin had explained the situation to Eddie when he’d asked after their first DQ outing, with the same airy tone they all often used to describe the truly mind-boggling shit they had been through over the last few years.

“Oh! It’s a leftover debt, from when we infiltrated the secret Russian base under Starcourt. Free ice cream was Erica’s price for getting involved. Never underestimate her ability to drive a hard bargain.”

Eddie had nodded, trying not to let how gobsmacked he felt about the entire story show. “Yeah, I, uh…wasn’t planning to. Lady Applejack is a force to be reckoned with.”

“You have no idea,” Robin had agreed, looking almost strangely…proud about the fact.

That evening, when Eddie sidled up to join them, leaving Robin in position to guard the three booths sequestered off towards the back they had claimed as their own, he caught the tail end of the sheepies excitedly recounting tonight’s session for Steve.

“And D20 is…good, right?” Steve asked, still watching the register as Brandi passed a vanilla cone with a hefty serving of whipped cream and sprinkles off to El.

“Yes, Steve, it’s only the best roll you can possibly make in the entire game.”

The no duh tone of Dustin’s voice was enough to have Steve raising an eyebrow at him, completely unimpressed.

“Like sinking the winning shot after the final buzzer at the championship game kinda good,” Lucas explained, much more helpfully, his grin wide.

“Oh,” Steve nodded, and Eddie couldn't help but get distracted by the way his lips, pink and shining with a hint of chapstick, parted perfectly in understanding.

Eddie seized the opportunity to catch Steve off guard, hooking an arm around his shoulders and tugging him into his side. Delight bubbled in his chest at the way the gesture made Steve let out a loud, startled laugh.

“Should've figured that's all it'd take to rope you into playing sometime, Harrington,” Eddie shook his head solemnly. “Sports metaphors.”

“Always with the sports metaphors,” Dustin echoed.

Steve reached out and swatted the brim of his cap, the force of it just enough to send it slightly askew and trigger a string of cursing from Dustin.

“Hey, I never agreed to that,” he argued, ducking out from under Eddie’s arm in one seamless motion. Jock reflexes, Eddie had decided, were both a blessing and a curse.

He had learned that lesson firsthand in the past few weeks, as Eddie had grown more and more comfortable indulging in a little light rough housing with Steve, despite the fact that he knew there was no way in hell he had any better shot than their gangly freshmen did at not getting his ass handed to him. Eddie was stronger than he looked, sure, but he wasn’t exactly former basketball captain level athletic, not by a long shot.

But was it really losing when he got to be pressed up against the firm planes of Steve’s chest, wrapped up in his strong arms–even if it was in a death lock grip–or occasionally pinned to Eddie’s own bedroom floor by him? Eddie definitely didn’t think so, and part of him was also just happy his recovery was going well enough he could scuffle, again. On his good days, at least. Doing it with his hot friend–and crush–was just an added bonus.

“You know, it’s not my fault Lucas knows how to explain shit to me. I’ll stop talking in basketball when one of you two nerds actually manages to tell me what Mordor is.”

Dustin let out a huff. “If you just read the books–”

Steve cupped a hand around his ear, leaning down towards Dustin and hamming it up for all he was worth. “Huh? What was that? Cuz it didn’t sound like much of an explanation to me, Henderson.”

Eddie tugged a strand of hair across his mouth, trying to hide his grin. “Harrington, trust me when I say–you do not want to open that can of worms. Do you have any idea how long I can go on for once I get started? Hours, man. Days, probably.”

“Can’t be any worse than that time Robin tried to explain, uh…shit, what was it called? German New Wave? Or, no, maybe that was French Expressionism. I don’t know, the point is, it can’t be more boring than that was.”

“It's French New Wave!” Robin called from the back despite the distance, freakily intune with Steve as always. “Or German Expressionism. And sounds like you're due another lesson, Stevie-Evie. Don't worry, I've got a tried and true method to guarantee it all sticks this time.”

Steve groaned, dragging a hand over his face and into his hair–but his apparent grief at the thought of another Buckley-led film history lesson was quickly diverted when he realized it was his turn.

From there, placing the rest of their orders passed by with little fanfare–apart from the brief, minor hiccup that came when Steve tried to pay for Eddie’s treat on top of everybody else’s.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Eddie waved a finger at him, just barely managing to step around Steve and hand his fistful of dollars over to Brandi. “Your money’s no good here, my liege.”

The title was enough to produce a patent Harrington scowl, all drawn eyebrows and pouted lips.

When he opened his mouth to protest, Eddie cut him off again. “Seriously, Steve, I’ve got it. One shake isn’t gonna break the bank, you know?”

“I know that,” Steve huffed. “I just–would it seriously kill you to let me treat you once in a while?”

Steve had done more than enough, and Eddie thought he damn well knew that. Between literally saving Eddie’s life when he’d been about to bleed out in the Upside Down and then sticking around through all of his recovery in the weeks after, the amount he had done was approaching near superheroic levels.

“You know you don’t have to hover, right, Harrington?” Eddie had asked him one day towards the end of his stay in the hospital, gnawing anxiously at his bottom lip, as he watched Steve look up from the Sports Illustrated sprawled across his lap.

The truth was he hadn’t wanted to say anything, too afraid bringing it up would lead to Steve doing just as he was suggesting…finally leaving. But the anxiety humming in his ears that Steve was just here out of pity had finally become worse, forced the words from his mouth.

“You saved Dustin, man,” Steve had replied, expression earnest, “and helped distract the bats from me and Nance and Robin, too. I’m not going anywhere. So, you know…get used to it.”

He had punctuated the last statement by giving Eddie a light, friendly slap on his knee, and Eddie had to bite back the beaming, relieved grin that threatened to split his face.

Steve had stayed pretty much a permanent fixture in Eddie’s day-to-day life after that, proving time and again he was serious about being in it for the long haul. Even through all the embarrassing shit, like Eddie hobbling around on his cane like a baby deer on shaky newborn legs, or needing somebody to help him wash his hair. Not exactly the ideal position to be in with a hopeless high school crush that had come burning back to life with a vengeance, but Steve would hear none of it when Eddie tried to insist he didn’t need to go out of his way like this.

“What, you want Henderson in here instead?” Steve had asked with a snort. “You gotta be kidding, Munson. Like I said, better get used to being stuck with me.”

“Happy to be stuck together with you anytime, big boy,” Eddie had flirted, the shameless bravado in place to cover up the very real fluttering of his heart.

In other words…Eddie had already accrued more life debts to Steve Harrington than he could ever hope to repay. And while Steve might have insisted he was more than happy with nursemaid duty, Eddie really wasn’t looking to turn himself into a charity case. Not if he could help it.

So Eddie let his grin grow, obnoxious and wide enough to show off all his teeth.

“It might,” he quipped. “And how would you feel, Harrington, knowing that this was the thing that finally managed to do me in? I’m just trying to spare you the guilt, man, I know what a complex you’d get.”

“Whatever, Eds,” Steve scoffed, steering him towards the designated babysitter’s club booth with a nudge of his elbow, hands full of his and Robin’s matching strawberry sundaes.

Steve took his customary spot on Robin’s side of the booth, the pair of them, as always, practically glued at the hip. Their friendship, Eddie had learned, was a boundary free zone, one that frequently involved holding hands, devolving into childish slap fights with little warning, and falling asleep sprawled on top of each other while watching bad daytime soaps at the Harrington house. Only their vehement denial and the goo-goo eyes Eddie caught Robin making at the red-haired chick–Vickie, he now knew–from band convinced him Dustin’s loud, frequent, and insistent claims that they were dating were total bullshit.

As he was just about to slide into his own place across from them, a commotion at the table behind them called for Eddie’s attention.

“Eddie, El wants to hear you do the roar again!” Mike requested.

Eddie tilted his head to one side, stroking his chin, as though trying to recall what exactly Mike was speaking of. Biting his lip to keep from smiling, he gave Mike a shrug.

“No clue what you’re talking about, Little Wheel.”

A chorus of cries rang out from both tables the party had overtaken, shrieks of “Eddie!” and “C’mon, man!” reverberating again and again in his ears.

Spinning on his heel as though he was set to ignore them, Eddie answered Steve and Robin’s expectant expressions with a quick, subtle wink.

When he leapt up from the floor and into a crouch on the booth seating, Eddie felt a sharp tug at his sides, his scar tissue very eagerly making itself known. Gritting his teeth, he refused to let the hot flash of pain show on his face as he loomed over Will and El, hands curving into claws as he reached towards their table.

“Kas the Bloody-Handed demands vengeance!” he bellowed, letting his voice drop into a deep, growling register.

His performance was met with what might as well have been a standing ovation, in his book–a series of delighted shouts from the boys, eerily similar head shakes from Max and Erica while they both visibly fought back their smiles, and El letting out a peel of giggles as she hid her face in her brother’s side.

When Hellfire had started back up again, Eddie had considered starting over from scratch, maybe even trying this deep into the game to veer their campaign in a different direction. He didn’t want something that they all loved to become somehow…tainted, by reminders of everything that had happened.

“Nah, man, just leave it like it is,” Steve had suggested, one afternoon when Eddie’s fretting had finally bubbled over to the point he couldn’t hold it in any longer. “It's good for their…trauma processing? Or something. I don’t know, you’d have to ask Owens about it. The point is, they wouldn’t want you to change it. Not unless you want to.”

In the end, Eddie had heeded Steve’s advice, figuring he knew more about the way those little hellions ticked better than probably anybody else, at this point.

Moments like these made him glad he did, proof positive his instincts had been spot on.

Eddie dropped, satisfied, down into the booth, his foot knocking straight into the side of Steve’s under the table. A little spark of pleasure shot through him when Steve simply bumped his Nike sneaker against Eddie’s Reebok in answer and then left it there, pressed close together.

“No wonder you did drama,” Steve observed, twisting a bite around in his mouth as he sucked up the bright red streak of strawberry syrup. “You’re a total natural, man. Kinda, like…hypnotic.”

Eddie tried not to make it too obvious, how closely he was following the way Steve licked up every last morsel.

“Yeah, until he dropped out like a quitter.”

“What can I say, Buckley? Organized–well, anything really–just ain’t for me.”

“Says the guy who literally runs an afterschool club,” she pointed the end of her plastic spoon at him in accusation. “Sounds to me like you’re full of it, Eddie.”

“She’s got you there, man,” Steve agreed with a shrug, a drop from his sundae dribbling onto the table as he swirled it around yet again.

“Oh, napkins!”

Slapping a palm against her forehead, Robin clambered over Steve and out of the booth, not so much as hesitating to give him a chance to stand up.

“You know, if you wanna see more where that came from–my flare for theatrics, that is–you could always, I don’t know. Stick around when you drop off the kiddos next week?” As Eddie posed the question, he wondered if the lilt in his voice sounded too hopeful. “I won’t even make you play. You have my word as a dungeon master and a gentleman.”

“Yeah, uh…fat chance of that happening,” Steve murmured, voice low, almost like he didn’t want Eddie to actually hear him, “your friends fucking hate me, dude.”

“They don't hate you,” Eddie protested automatically, feeling the need to defend them even as his own heart sank in his chest, “they're just…a little skittish, after everything that went down with Jason. You–you get that, right?”

“Sure,” Steve shrugged, looking down as he stirred his spoon through his steadily melting soft serve. When he glanced up at Eddie again, a tenseness crept in around the edges of his smile that Eddie desperately wished he could help wipe away. “I get it.”

Robin returned to the table before either of them got a chance to say anything else, sliding over Steve’s lap with enough clumsy limbed flailing it prompted a, Sheesh, Rob. Watch the elbows, will you? out of Steve.

Seeing an opening, Eddie quickly changed the subject.

“So, speaking of the ins-and-outs of living in the institution that is our organized society–how is Family Video treating my two favorite, upstanding, and gainfully employed Hawkins citizens?”

Robin snorted. “It’s minimum wage, Eddie. How good could it possibly be?”

“Well, I mean–you could trade places with me if you wanted. Be gainfully unemployed with a side hustle that went up in smoke since that whole–you know, accused of being a ritual Satanic murderer thing put the local law enforcement on your tail.”

Both Steve’s eyebrows shot up at that. “The cop’s still giving you trouble?”

“Not in so many words, but, uh–let’s just say they’ve made it pretty clear I’m not exactly their favorite person, right now. So, yeah. Officer Callahan must have circled the trailer park like–three different times, last night.”

“But…you were exonerated,” Robin protested, the force of her distress clear from the way she slapped a palm down flat on top of the table. “That–that’s a total misappropriation of police funds, not to mention harassment of a private citizen.”

“You ever think that maybe they’re just keeping an eye on the place?” Steve suggested hopefully, “You know…after everything that happened.”

“Your adorably positive outlook has been noted, Stevie. Noted, but ultimately dismissed.”

“Want me to talk to Hop for you? Get him to tell them to stand down?”

“Nah, man,” Eddie gave a forceful shake of his head, hair whipping around him in a messy cloud, “I can handle it. I’ve got plenty of experience, evading the Hawkins Police force.”

Rubbing a finger over his sideburn, Steve tilted his head from side-to-side in consideration, before he casually added, “Guess we all do, now.”

“A band of fearsome outlaws, that’s us,” Robin agreed, her nose crinkling as she laughed, loud and bright.

“More like Robin Hood and his merry men.” At Robin’s pointed glance, Eddie was quick to amend, “…And women, of course.”

The conversation flowed along at a rapid fire pace from there, the three of them at first trying to assign different characters from the story to all the members of the party before devolving fast into a debate about which cinematic performance of the lead character was the best–and sexiest, though Eddie didn’t divulge that was most of the metric he was using for his answers–and thus which adaptation came out on top. Robin fell into the same camp as him–Errol Flynn all the way–while Steve was a firm defender of the Disney version because, That little fox guy is cute and charismatic, guys, you can’t even argue with me on this one.

When he had slurped up the last remnants of his malt, Eddie stretched his arms above his head, leaned back against the booth’s cracking red vinyl, and sighed.

“Fancy a smoke break?” he asked, pulling the pack from his pocket and waving it tantalizingly for Steve to see.

Steve laughed with a roll of his eyes.

“You know I quit, dude.”

“And so should you,” Robin added pointedly, an argument she’d made countless times since Eddie got out of the hospital, pretty much every single time she caught him lighting up.

“Cut me some slack, Buckley,” Eddie said, same as he always did. “I’ve been through a traumatic experience. Ciggies are good for the stress, since I can’t exactly smoke weed outside this fine, family friendly establishment.”

“Uh-huh,” Robin replied, deadpan and unconvinced as ever, “we’ve all got our fair share of U.D. related trauma, Eddie. That’s not an excuse to suck on those…little sticks made out of cancer.”

“Alright, well. Fancy a stand-outside-with-me-and-bullshit break, then?” Eddie directed at Steve.

Robin raised an eyebrow at him, and Eddie couldn’t quite read the expression on her face. It seemed…knowing in a way he was too afraid to totally unpack.

She saved him the trouble of having to do so by letting out a put upon sigh, dramatic enough for him or Steve either one when they got going, and a true reflection of the fact she had stuck it out through almost four years of high school theater.

“Stealing away my own best friend to go join your boys’ club, Eddie? Really? And right in front of me, too. You know, this is just like second grade, when Trevor Milligan convinced all the boys in our class girls had cooties, and Bobby B. wouldn’t race me on the monkey bars anymore.”

Laying a hand over his heart, Eddie had to fight down the grin that threatened to split across his face. “I solemnly vow to bring him back all in one piece, Buck. I know who's top dog around here.”

The nod she gave him was swift and authoritative. “And don’t you forget it.”

With a wink and a click of his tongue, he mock saluted her. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

She turned to Steve, giving his bicep several sharp pokes. “But just because I'm the girl doesn't mean I deserve to get saddled with child-rearing responsibilities, you know!”

“We're not children,” Red interjected with a dry sort of exasperation from the next booth over.

Her point was immediately undermined by Lucas, using the makeshift catapult he'd made from his spoon to fling a maraschino cherry at Dustin. The other boy let out an indignant squawk when it missed his mouth entirely and got caught right in his curly hair.

Even from behind her glasses, it was pretty obvious what sort of look Max was giving her boyfriend.

“Correction…I'm not a child.”

“Sorry.” Lucas's grin was sheepish.

“Rob,” Steve said flatly, ignoring the kids’ antics to instead pin her with his own look, like she was being ridiculous.

Which was…pretty fair, this time, in Eddie's opinion. He wasn't sure he'd ever met anyone with quite the same intense level of tired dad–mom–whatever energy as Steve had, and all before he'd even hit his early twenties. When it came to babysitting duties, he definitely wasn't a slacker.

“I'm just saying, as a feminist, I thought you should know,” Robin waved her spoon at them, managing to pull the move off without so much as a drip of her ice cream plopping onto the table.

“We agreed that you'd be the fun uncle,” Steve argued, the lack of protest from Robin proving that was, in fact, a conversation they'd already had, “so then be the fun uncle while Mom and Dad step outside.”

“Mom and Dad?” Robin echoed, eyebrow raising and face scrunching in transparent disbelief–and Eddie had to admit, he was caught on the exact same thing.

Steve only waved a hand at her, rolling his eyes.

“You know what I mean. Look, it’s only gonna be like fifteen minutes, tops. If you do it I’ll–” Steve spun his hand around in several aimless, pinwheel like motions before finally snapping his fingers in revelation, “I’ll let you put on whatever movie you want at work on Monday!”

Robin stuck her hand out to him. “Make it ten, and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

Tapping a finger on his top lip, Steve pursed his mouth in thought for a moment.

“...Twelve,” he bartered. “And you can make it a black and white one. With subtitles.”

Robin’s face lit up, teeth glimmering with the sheer force of her glee.

“Look at that. You really do know the way to a girl’s heart, Steve.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve grumbled, giving her hand one firm, business-like shake.

Eddie was already up, having impatiently shimmied several paces away from the booth, by the time Steve stood and fell into step beside him.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, Eddie couldn’t resist shouting over his shoulder, “Make sure they eat all their vegetables!”

Steve met Eddie’s shit-eating grin with one of his own before adding, “And no scary movies before bedtime!”

Seven individual hands all popped up, shooting them the bird as one.

By the time they stepped out onto the sidewalk, they were both stumbling into each other’s sides with laughter.

—

Once they were outside and had managed to pull themselves together, Eddie stuck one of the smokes in his mouth and went straight for his lighter, his craving growing palpable. But, as that meant he had to rummage around the tangle of other things jammed inside his pocket, just laying in wait to come spilling out–like a nearly empty pack of Big Red gum, a crumpled receipt, and the spare die Eddie kept on his person in case of D&D-related emergencies–he fumbled it, the BIC hitting the ground with a sad thump.

“Jesus H. Christ,” he complained out of reflex, both from general annoyance and just a tinge of embarrassment, feeling the burn of it with his klutziness deciding to come out around Steve in full force.

Nat 1 on charisma, Munson. Critical failure.

Steve waved a dismissive hand at him. “I got it, man, I got it.”

And before Eddie could protest, he was stooping down beside him to pick the lighter up off the asphalt of the Dairy Queen parking lot, giving it a toss into his hand like the total show off he was.

Eddie was about to make a crack about it, something along the lines of You just gotta demonstrate your athletic prowess in front of us lesser mortals, doncha, Harrington?–except, well. He didn’t get the chance.

Because, one second, Steve was popping up and waving the lighter cockily at him, grin bright on his face, and, the next…

The next, and totally without warning, he was leaning in close, cupping his hand to light the cigarette dangling from Eddie’s lips for him.

Eddie inhaled on instinct, taking a long drag as the cherry glowed to life, a stark red in the fading light of dusk. As for the sudden rush that went to his head–he had little doubt that it was just from the hit of nicotine alone.

And–maybe it was a trick of the low light. But for a long, breathless moment, Steve’s eyes seemed to linger on Eddie’s mouth, and Eddie’s heartbeat kicked up in answer, rabbiting wildly in his throat. The air between them grew thick, heavy-laden with tension that seemed to almost crackle like electricity.

Eddie took the cigarette from his lips slowly, dropping his hand to let it hang at his side. And, still, Steve’s gaze never wavered, eye line still leveled directly at his mouth. If one of them were to just finally cave into the building pressure, sway forward and close that distance between them, maybe they could…

But, then, from one blink to the next, the heated expression on Steve’s face cleared, replaced by a guileless, easy smile.

…Eddie tried to tamp down on the flare of disappointment he felt at the sight of it.

“You know, man–Robin’s totally right about those things.”

Steve dragged a finger across his throat, pretending to choke as he briefly mimed his own dramatic death scene. The Eddie of a year ago wouldn’t have believed it–but the Eddie of now knew better, had been exposed to Steve’s silly antics on more than one occasion. He could be just as big a goofball as Dustin, as any of the kids, as Eddie himself when he wanted to be.

“You really should cut back.”

It was all so…normal. Casual. A light chiding about bad habits in an airy tone, like…

Like everything before hadn’t happened at all.

Eddie stared at Steve for a long moment, trying to read the expression in his wide, hazel eyes. But…they were totally and completely inscrutable to him.

And, look. Eddie was queerer than a three dollar bill–had been since gawky adolescence hit him like a freight train, all too-long limbs and sudden, embarrassingly consistent morning wood. Dudes or chicks, it didn’t matter. Like Bowie, Eddie was an equal opportunist…for all the good it had ever done him, able to count the times he’d made a pass and hadn’t struck out on one hand. Being Hawkins local freak would do that to a guy, and that was before the murder charges and cult-leader accusations.

But the thought that Steve ‘the Hair’ Harrington was anything other than stalwartly heterosexual in the most apple-pie, white-picket-fence, boy-next-store way imaginable? The idea should have been laughable. And a year ago, Eddie would have done just that, laughed it off with a no way, man rolling easily off his tongue.

But now…now he wasn’t so sure.

Because there was something electric about the growing familiarity that had popped up between him and Steve the closer they’d gotten since their fateful spring break excursion to the Upside Down. He felt it, when Steve slung his arm over the back of the couch when Eddie sat next to him during movie night, or laid a hand in the small of Eddie’s back, easy as anything, to keep him steady when the kids all jostled ahead of them to get through the door at the arcade.

Maybe it was all just some vestige from Steve’s high school glory days, leftover jock rituals Eddie knew nothing about. Maybe it was total wishful thinking on Eddie’s part, as his crush steadily grew into something gargantuan. Shit, that’s what he tried to tell himself most of the time, if only for his own sanity–but he was still reluctant to say it was all in his head. Especially when moments like this kept cropping up more and more.

…Eddie was too afraid to push it, though. Hardly over a month old, technically–even though some days it felt like a lifetime–the friendship between them was new. Not delicate, not hardly, but still not something Eddie was looking to scare off when it’d only just gotten started.

So as the uncertainty settled over him, Eddie finally ducked his head for an instant, gnawing at his bottom lip. Then he reached over and gave Steve’s temple a teasing tap.

“Sometimes, I just wonder what’s going on inside that pretty head of yours, Stevie.”

The flirtation was thick, sure, but it was easy enough to play it off the same way he always did–just some harmless teasing between two guys, nothing serious. Plus, Eddie figured Steve was more than used to his antics by now. Sometimes, his over-the-top personality really did pay off.

But behind those words was the truth of Eddie’s thoughts, swirling over and over again.

Fuck. If only I could get inside his head. Then, maybe I’d be able to figure out what the hell he’s thinking.

For a split second, he could have sworn Steve’s shoulders stiffened, posture going unexpectedly rigid. But then Steve laughed, brushing the swoop of his hair back, fingers dancing tantalizingly close to Eddie’s own, and Eddie was left to wonder if it was just more of his mind playing tricks on him.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, man. I’m like an open book. Ask anybody around and they’ll tell you–you don’t have to put yourself out to get an answer. It’s pretty much all, like…hair care tips and sports stats, 24/7 up here.”

“Come on, Steve,” Eddie scoffed, “I don’t believe that shit for even a second.”

Steve only shook his head, smile still firmly in place.

“Not sure what to tell you, dude. It’s true. Besides,” the word came out lower, almost as if Steve was talking to himself, “between the two of us, pretty sure you’re more the man of mystery than I am, dude.”

At that, Eddie let out a startled bark of laughter.

“Me?! You cannot be serious with that one, Harrington, no way in hell. Have you seen me? If anybody’s the open book here, it’s me. I’m practically a screaming headline on the late night news. Every single thought and feeling I’ve ever had automatically comes flying,” Eddie pressed his hand against his lips and made a sound like an explosion, splaying his fingers out, “straight out of my mouth. Always has. Just ask my old man, he used to bitch about it all the time. ‘Quit that blubbering and toughen up, Eddie, or life will steamroll right over you.’”

Steve’s lips pursed, the same knowing but insulted look he always wore when the infamous Munson patriarch came up in conversation.

“Your dad sounds like a real jackass, Eds.”

Eddie could only hum his agreement.

Everybody in Hawkins knew Al Munson, low down no-account that he was. His reputation preceded him–and Eddie, more often than not. But Steve had more of the inside scoop than most, Eddie having opened up to both him and Robin about his home life.

Still, he wondered at the vehemence with which Steve defended him, any time the mention of his absentee patriarch came up. By contrast, Eddie didn’t know jackshit about the Harringtons apart from the fact that they were hotshots around town. Steve never mentioned them, not really, and Eddie had never run into them the times he’d been over to Steve’s place. Which was…pretty weird in and of itself, wasn’t it?

Yet another mysterious piece of the puzzle that was Steve Harrington.

“I don’t know, man,” Steve shrugged, voice gone quiet again, tugging Eddie out of his reverie. “I kinda think your book might be in Hobbit, or whatever it’s called from those books you guys love so much, because I don’t really see you that way at all.”

Reaching out, he suddenly caught a strand of Eddie’s hair between two fingers. Eddie sucked in a sharp breath at the gesture, face going hot.

“Besides, haven’t you ever heard of tall, dark, and mysterious? If the hair fits.”

Steve gave the curl a light tug before dropping it. Eddie immediately snatched it back up, tugging it like a curtain across his mouth, desperate to hide the faint color on his cheeks.

“Guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this one, dude.”

Steve let out what sounded like an amused huff. “Looks like it.”

When Steve looked down at his watch, Eddie realized, in the time they’d been talking, that he’d smoked his cigarette down to a nub.

“We should probably head back inside,” Steve gestured over his shoulder with his thumb, “before all of Lucas’s toppings somehow end up in Dustin’s hair, and Robin decides to ground them all until they’re twenty-five.”

As he stubbed out the bud with his shoe, Eddie fiddled with his rings, trying to subtly shake off some of the tension that had seemed to build up in the air around their conversation. When he met Steve’s eyes again, he was all cheery smiles, hoping he didn’t look too manic as his cheeks stretched with the force of it.

“Well, now, we couldn’t have that,” Eddie agreed, even as he added, “–Thought she said she wasn’t parenting material, though? Pretty sure fun uncles don’t have to ground people.”

His own uncle was more like a father than anything else, and still he’d never really bothered to try grounding Eddie–his disappointed stare always did more to deter Eddie away from his own stupidity than anything else ever had.

“Sure, she says that, until somebody gets chocolate ice cream on her new favorite button down. Then it’s goddamn,” Steve let out one long, forlorn beep followed by two shorter ones–an unmistakable imitation of Pac-Man’s game over death knell, and proof of just how much time he spent at the arcade with the kids, “over for everybody involved, including me somehow.”

“I mean, you did call us Mom and Dad, man. Guess that makes us responsible whenever the kiddos misbehave.”

Steve sighed, long and loud and clearly just a little exaggerated for Eddie’s benefit, if the way Steve widened his eyes in mock fear was anything to go by.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about. Those little shits can stir up all kinds of trouble in ten minutes flat. No telling what the damage is.”

So, with one last jocular pat to Eddie’s back, he began herding him back inside the shop.

And when Eddie’s own traitorous heart gave a twist at such a small, meaningless gesture? All he could do was send a silent curse up to the sky, and do his best to ignore it.

—

That night, Eddie fell through a tangle of twisting, nonsensical dreams.

At first, he was in the stolen RV, relieving a memory. The Upside Down crew–Nancy, Robin, Steve, Dustin–stood all around him, preparing for that fateful last trip to try and stop Vecna. After reciting their orders, his hand clapped down on Dustin’s head in reassurance, a last show of camaraderie before they headed off into battle.

But then, without warning, the ground seemed to shift right beneath his feet.

Coming out of the haze, he found himself staring at a refrigerator, standing in a kitchen he didn’t immediately recognize. On autopilot, with a feeling like his body was being tugged by invisible strings he couldn’t quite control, his hand swung down again, the motion identical as he gave Dustin a fond scuff over his cap. Except…Dustin was shorter, this time, and undeniably younger. And Eddie, well–the Members Only jacket hanging over his shoulders was definitely not his own, though he thought he had spotted one identical to it hanging in the back of Steve’s closet.

He barely had time to register those weird little details before the world was going topsy turvy yet again.

Eddie was on his back, a swirl of bats circling overhead like a storm against the violent red splash of Upside Down sky. As his sides screamed in agony, wooziness clenched down on his mind with a vice grip, not at all helped by the fact that the scene around him kept changing.

One second, he was shirtless, dampness and grime clinging to his chest hair, Nancy Wheeler’s mouth a grim line as she stared down at him with an oar in hand. Then he blinked, and Dustin’s face swam into view above him, fuzzy as Eddie’s own vision blurred around the edges.

Blink. Wheeler and Buckley, fighting off demobats like two warrior women worthy of only the grandest of campaigns.

Blink. Dustin, screaming his name so harshly, his throat had to be raw from it.

Blink. The outline of Eddie himself, shouting up at the sky, demanding they give him all they’d got despite the fucking bone-deep terror he knew he’d been feeling. The out-of-body sensation that slammed into him, existing somehow both inside and outside the moment all at once, was so jarring Eddie’s stomach lurched, like he was going to be sick.

Back and forth, again and again, like the world’s worst, most bizarre merry-go-round…until finally, Dustin solidified, Eddie’s own memory draping over him like a well-worn but ill-fitting shirt. He flinched a little as he felt dampness drip against his cheeks, and a long moment stretched on before Eddie fully realized that it wasn’t rain hitting him in the face, but instead the fat tears currently racing down the bridge of the other boy’s nose.

He knew this moment well, viscerally, a long, hellish stretch that had revisited him night after night the past month–and one he’d do almost anything to forget.

His final goodbyes exchanged, Eddie’s eyes slipped shut of their own accord. It wasn’t peaceful, exactly–some part of Eddie deep down still railed, pissed as hell at what was happening to him–but he was also so fucking tired, after days on the run. Worn out and fed up, and ready to just get some fucking rest.

So, when the blackness swallowed him, he couldn’t help but wonder if this time, it really would be for good.

–And then a faint, familiar voice rang out in the distance.

“Dustin?!” Eddie heard Steve scream, like a tether pulling him back into his own body. “Eddie?! You gotta be fucking kidding me, where the hell are you guys?!”

The heavy thud of footfalls drew closer, and Eddie practically felt the ground shake as another body collapsed beside Dustin.

The world flashed, spun again. Suddenly, Eddie was sliding across the rough terrain of the alternate world on his knees, the sound of Dustin’s soft cries making his heart ache…and his own lifeless body spread out on the ground in front of him.

Large hands fisted in the front of Eddie’s vest, tugging at him urgently.

“Munson! Munson!” Steve’s words spilled from Eddie’s mouth as his grip on the fabric tightened, giving him a hard shake. “Eddie, come on! I told you not to be a hero. Don’t even think about it, dude–you’re not dying on us now!”

Eddie remembered this, too. Steve’s steely, urgent tone, brooking no arguments, like he could actually will Eddie back to life if he wanted to. Except this time–this time Eddie actually felt the terror behind the words, the urgency making Steve’s voice tremble in his throat. Experienced, in real time, the relief hitting like a truck, flooding through his veins, when his own brown eyes slipped open.

“Did-Didn’t realize you were my commanding officer, Harrington,” the Eddie on the ground murmured–more like croaked, the sentence breaking unpleasantly in the middle.

“You’re damn right I am,” Steve answered, jaw clenching, and Eddie could feel his muscle twitching with it, “if that’s what it takes to get you to stick around, man, consider me a five star general.”

He’s alive, he’s alive, the Steve in his head sang, again and again, thank fuck, he’s alive.

Because, there and then, he…was Steve. The twin emotions of Steve’s own swelling hope that Eddie might make it coupled with Eddie’s own real shock from what Steve was feeling at the time warred inside him, threatening to overwhelm him.

Then, like the force of that emotion had thrown him, Eddie landed hard on his back again. Confusion hit him as he glanced down and realized that he was shirtless–Steve was entirely shirtless. Because this had been his memory, before, and now Eddie was back in it.

The revelation had barely settled before agony quickly drowned out anything else, the demo-bats starting to gnaw at his bare sides. One of their tails wrapped tightly around Eddie’s throat, and his hands shot up, uselessly trying to pry it off. He could feel that darkness creeping in again, the familiar sensation of being knocked unconscious rising up to meet him.

Fourth time’s a charm, I guess, the voice inside Eddie’s head was wry, and it still definitely wasn’t his own. You made a good run of it, Harrington, but looks like your luck finally ran out this time.

The resignation of it, the acceptance, was enough to shake Eddie to the bone.

No-no-no, no! Some desperate, deeply buried part of him screamed out. You–You’re the goddamn hero, Stevie. You don’t get to give up.

When the oar slammed down near his head this time, Wheeler calling out a quick Hey, there with Robin and Eddie himself at her sides…Eddie had never been so happy to see someone in his entire fucking life, freaky out-of-body experience be damned.

The vision, memory, whatever it was…it released Eddie, finally.

And then Steve was there, standing before him, clad in nothing but sleep shorts and his gray Hawkins Phys Ed shirt, his hair mussed. Darkness surrounded them on all sides, too fuzzy and dim for Eddie to make anything out apart from the figure facing him.

Steve’s lips moved, the shape of them making out what Eddie thought was his name. Dread dripped down his spine, however, as he realized that no sound–not so much as a peep–followed.

“Stevie?” he answered, the panicked shrillness evident in his own voice even as he couldn’t hear Steve’s own. “I can’t–shit, man, I can’t hear you.”

Steve’s face drew down into a frown, forehead wrinkled, concern and frustration warring on his face. He tried to speak again, but still, Eddie couldn’t hear a thing. Hand flying upwards, Steve gestured to his own ear, finger tapping it once.

Eddie shook his head. “Sorry, dude, I–I’ve got nothing.”

On instinct, he reached out a placating hand. Glancing down to see it extended towards him, Steve did the same. Eddie felt his chest clench a little, finding comfort in the thought that even in a moment like this, when they couldn’t hear what the other was saying, they still managed to broach some common ground.

Their fingertips brushed. A spark ran through Eddie at the touch, seeming almost to infect their surroundings as red lighting suddenly flashed all around them.

Between one blink to the next, Steve disappeared.

Before he had a chance to cry out, Eddie realized, horror steadily climbed up his throat, that the figure now staring back at him was…himself?

And not a memory version this time, either. No, this was a living, breathing double.

His doppelganger’s brow furrowed, head tilting to one side, a bit like a confused puppy.

It was like the sound had been turned on all at once, because when the other Eddie spoke, he could finally hear him.

“Eddie?” his mirror image asked, looking past Eddie, around him, anywhere but directly at him.

If he had ever made it to that shrink Owens recommended, he bet they would have had a field day unpacking whatever this was.

Hands Eddie hadn’t even realized had still been clasped parted, slipping away from each other.

And then, Eddie was sucked back into darkness, feeling adrift as any chance at seeing Steve, his doppelganger, anything and anyone vanished into the distance. He was lost, totally and utterly, and he felt it, every bit of it, the weight crushing in on him as the last dregs of the dream faded away.

—

The next morning, Eddie woke up in Steve Harrington’s bed.

Taglist: @highkingpenny @tinytalkingtina @starryeyedjanai @sidekick-hero @thefreakandthehair @lingeringmirth @eriquin @bifuriouswaterbender @fuctacles

#stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #the party #buckington besties #brotp: babysitter's club #steddie bodyswap au #bodyswap au #my writing #my stuff #my things

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reyadawn · 1 day

Text

I Can Love You More

*image is NOT mine! Credit goes to original owner*

Summary: Reader is best friends with both Noah and Jolly from Bad Omens. Everyone knows she's in love with Noah, except Noah. When she finally musters up the courage to tell him how she feels, will he reciprocate her feelings or keep her in the friend-zone?

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x OFC, Jolly Karlsson x OFC (platonic)

Warnings: 18+ only - do NOT read or even entertain the idea of reading this if you're under 18. HEAVY smut, language, kissing, fingering, oral (f receiving), choking, hair pulling, unprotected sex (wrap it up kids!), cream pie. Buckle up ya'll 🥵

Word Count: Honestly, I never do this 🙄

Enjoy! 😊🫠

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rain poured in what felt like sheets from a dark and foreboding sky and yet a slew of concert goers were still lined up outside in parkas, hats and umbrellas waiting to get into Rock Rimmon to see Bad Omens. Luckily for me, being best friends with two of it's members had it's perks: Noah Sebastian & Jolly Karlsson. I had grown up with Noah and had known Jolly since he joined the band. Nick and Nicholas were family. Period. I would gladly lay down my life for anyone of these men...especially Noah. I had been in love with him since we were kids. The other guys always give me shit about it and, of course, Noah remains oblivious to it all.

The green room housed all of us sitting around the 'L' shaped sectional, massive folding table adorned with various drinks and snacks along the back wall closest to the 'EXIT' that lead to the stage. A smaller side door on the other side of the room lead to the venue parking lot out back where the bus and other vehicles belonging to the crew sat.

I was nervous tonight. It was the boys' last show for a three month hiatus before going overseas. A trip in which Jolly kept bugging me to tag along for but I was reluctant. After tonight, I had planned on having a come-to-Jesus meeting with Noah to tell him how I was head over feet in love with him. An elbow into my side interrupted my train of thought.

"We're on in 5, bella", Jolly said softly, nudging his head towards the stage door. I sighed and tried to give him my best supportive smile and wrapped my arms around his borad shoulders, the leather jacket he wore crackling under my touch. I pulled away, brushed his long hair away from his face and kissed his cheek. He smiled and stood up, hauling me to my feet so I could hug Nick and fist bump Nicholas.

Noah's 6'3 frame suddenly clouded my vision and I had to crane my neck back to look up at him. For the umpteenth time, I got lost in his chocolate depths as his dark hair fell over his eyes. The black tank clung to his muscular tattooed body like a second skin and those tight black sweat pants left nothing to the imagination. My mouth watered and my panties grew damp. No doubt other female fans would be experiencing the same.

"What, no hug or fist bump for me, pretty girl?", he asked. I briefly closed my eyes at the nickname, letting the sound of his voice wash over me like waves. I inwardly sighed and raised my eyes to him again.

"Would you rather I give you something else, Noah?", I said softly. Noah lifted a brow at me.

"Any suggestions?", he asked with a smirk. Without thinking, I slid my hands up his chest to rest on his shoulders before going to my tip toes and planting a barely there kiss to his cheek that was dangerously close to the side of his mouth before turning and walking through the stage door.

Noah looked over at Jolly in confusion who merely shrugged and shot him a half smile. Noah frowned again as he followed Jolly through the stage door.

The bus ride to the hotel was quiet. I don't blame the guys. They put on one bitchin' of a show and I knew they were all exhausted. The ground outside the hotel was saturated with water, the raining still coming down in heavy drops. Who's idea was it to play in Georgia during severe thunder storm season?

Once we all grabbed our bags and suitcases, we all made a beeline for the doors. For all the good that did, everyone of us ended up soaked. I stood in the lobby talking with Nick and Nicholas while Jolly checked us in. Noah sat in one of the chairs, head resting on the back with his eyes closed. His neck tattoo shone like a beacon on display.

Jolly approached us a few minutes later, handing out key cards. He paused when he handed me mine and I shot him a confused look.

"They're short on rooms so you and Noah will have to bunk together", he all but whispered. I shook my head violently in fear before snatching his key card and heading towards the elevator. Jolly chuckled.

The next day, it was still raining as we all boarded the bus. I needed coffee more than life. As if reading my mind, Noah handed me a cup of the steaming brew as I sat at the table, diving into a muffin.

"My hero", I smiled. Noah winked before plopping himself down next to me despite there not being anyone across from us.

"You're staring at me, Noah. Why?", I asked, side eyeing him and taking a sip of coffee.

"Why didn't you bunk with me last night? We've roomed before and it wasn't an issue. Thought your pants were on fire the way you ran to the elevator with Jolly's card", Noah replied with a grin.

"Just thought I would give you privacy. Was a pretty boss show last night and you had a few hot VIP's", I shrugged. Noah scowled at the insinuation I threw at him.

"I didn't take anyone back", he said, voice hard with irritation. I looked at him in shock. Noah wasn't a womanizer but he hooked up at almost every major city. It broke my heart, made me sick every time but I had no one to blame. I never made a move out of pure fear of being rejected.

2 weeks later...

I was so relieved at being back in L.A in my own bed. Here, I could do what I wanted and had the room for it. Mostly, cleaning and binge watching Spartacus.

It was 2AM when my phone buzzed. The screen lit up, alerting me Jolly sent a text.

J: You tell him yet, bella?

Me: My God, bestie, it's 2AM! How did you even know I was up?

J: Seriously? 😒

Me: Point noted and NO

J: Why the fuck not!? It's been 2 weeks since we've been home. Get your ass to his room!

I rolled my eyes before tossing my phone back on my nightstand. I ran a hand through my long dark hair and sighed before getting up to pace. Sighing again, I made my way to Noah's room down the hall. Stopping at his door, I noticed soft blue light coming from under the door.

I knocked twice before the door opened, revealing a shirtless Noah clad only in boxers. My mouth suddenly went dry as I aimed to pull my t-shirt down a little farther to no avail. I wasn't exactly model-thin. In fact, I was quite heavier, around 175. Noah's eyes raked over my form and he smirked before opening the door for me. He shut it behind me once I sat down on his unmade bed and the fact he locked the door wasn't lost on me.

My heart was racing, my breathing labored as I crossed my legs Indian style, putting one of his pillows in my lap.

"You shouldn't feel like you have to cover up around me. I'm your best friend. I know everything about you", Noah said, turning off his computer. The room was shrouded in dark until a lamp came on in the corner of the room. It offered little light but at least I could see him.

"Noah...", I trailed off not wanting to have this discussion. He sauntered over to me and snatched his pillow from my lap before tossing it behind him. I glared at him.

"Why are you here tonight, pretty girl?", Noah asked softly, chocolate eyes roaming over me.

"I just...", I started but failed. My words were lost. Trapped by my emotions and the fact I was terrified. Noah uncrossed my legs, draping them over his hips so I was facing him directly, and clasped his hands behind my lower back. This position forced me to look at him but I still tried ducking my head. Noah lifted my chin but I kept my gaze down cast.

"Look at me, pretty girl. Now", he stated. His tone of voice had me snapping my eyes to him. "Mmm...good girl". In that moment, the thin silk panties I was wearing offered no barrier to the wave of slick that entered them. Noah's nostrils flared as he tilted his head to the side. I swallowed.

"Noah...I've known you my whole life. You know me better than anyone and I'm--", I started but I cut myself off due to the look on his face. His eyes were blown wide with lust.

"Keep going, pretty girl. Focus for me", he replied, his lips inches from mine.

"I love you", I whispered and I felt Noah go stiff. The silence in the room was deafening. I didn't dare look at him as I shut my eyes to avoid the rejection I was going to get hit with.

"Do you now?", Noah replied. Grabbing a fistful of hair at the back of my head had my eyes flying open to meet a gaze so heated that I thought I would catch on fire. His other hand came up to wrap around my neck, squeezing just enough for me to feel the power he held. I nodded as best as I could, my body trembling.

"Show me then", he said before crashing his lips to mine. The shock of his lips on mine had me gasping and he took full advantage to taste my mouth with a tongue so wicked that my hands fisted his sheets and my thighs tighened around his waist, the massive erection he was sporting prodding my soaked panties.

The kiss was bruising, slow and unforgiving. Noah drank from me and inhaled my breath into his own mouth like a reverse shotgun. My hands shot to his hair, gripping the silky strands and he moaned. The vibrations went straight to my soaked panties, my pussy clenching around nothing, as another wave of slick filled them. Noah broke the kiss to trail hot open mouthed kisses down my neck and bit down right where my neck meets my shoulder, sucking the skin. Marking me. The sounds that came out of me were filthy. I couldn't help it.

Breaking the hold Noah had on me, he yanked my shirt over my head before tossing it over his shoulder. One large tattooed hand gathered both of mine together, placing them over my head as he layed me down. The other danced patterns on my skin, trailing over my breasts, stomach and grazing the inside of my thighs where he pulled his hand back as if he had been electrocuted.

"All this syrup for me, pretty girl? I'm flattered. I'm going to devour you with my tongue and then split you open and destroy you on my cock", Noah said darkly before shifting himself down between my thighs. I stared at him in shock as he ripped my panties in two before tossing the scraps away. Without any further warning, he lowered his head, his lips attached to my swollen clit as he thrust two expertly long fingers inside my dripping cunt to the knuckles and curled. The action had me throwing my head back and screaming out his name at the orgasm that hit me out of nowhere.

Slow licks, fingers thrusting and curling against my g-spot had me coming all of three times. My legs were shaking, a thin layer of sheen covered my body and I was sure I had destroyed Noah's sheets. I tried to push his head away from me, the sensitivity to my clit and overworked cunt too much to handle but he didn't waver and managed to pull another orgasm from me that damn near had my body snapping as I threw my head back, gripping his sheets for anchorage and my thighs tightened around his head.

"Please, Noah...! Give me your cock. Please, please...I need you", I begged, trying to catch my breath. Noah lifted his head and crawled slowly up my body. Somewhere in all of this, he got rid of his boxers and I caught a glimpse of the monster he was hiding. No way in Hades would that fit. He chuckled again before lowering himself to thrust his tongue past my lips at the same time his long, thick cock pirced my pussy and hit my cervix to the base. The sudden onslaught, feeling that full, had me tearing my lips from his to scream out an orgasm so blinding I almost passed out. Noah slapped a hand over my mouth, the other coming back around my neck as he thrust brutally inside my walls. In. Out. In. Out. Hard, deep and relentless.

"Noah, please, I can't...you're too big", I begged, my nails raking down his back.

"Yes, you can...Come on, pretty girl... Squeeze my cock...give me all of you", he said against my lips. Was there really anything left to give? He had my heart and now my body. He owned me.

"Mine", Noah snarled.

More thrusts, faster this time. Deeper, if that was possible. The head of his cock kept hitting my cervix. The orgasm that shimmered just below the surface was going to ruin me. My thighs tightened around his hips as he jackhammered himself inside me and with one final thrust, he unloaded thick ropes of hot cum against my walls, the act causing the orgasm that was building to unleash. I threw my head back and screamed into Noah's hand. My back bowed and his other hand left my neck to wrap his arm underneath me, my thighs squeezed his hips again and my dripping cunt clamped down on his cock. His hips slowed as he held himself inside me and rained kisses all over my skin where he could reach.

"Noah..", I whispered, my body slack in his hold. He kissed my forehead, wrapping his long arms and legs around me like a cage.

"Sleep, pretty girl...just sleep", Noah whispered back, his softening cock slipping from the tight confines of my now aching cunt. My eyes fell shut, the sound of Noah's breathing lulling me to sleep...

Thank you for reading 😉

#noah sebastian fanfiction #bad omens #noah sebastian #this ruined me #holy shit #jolly karlsson #nicholas ruffilo #nick folio

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synthshenanigans · 3 days

Text

I can't help it so I'm going on a mini rant about one singular line from Light because I'm so incredibly normal about it.

The line by Whole "This human you're being" has so much going on with it that means sm to me & I wish was discussed more.

It can mean, to Heart & Mind, that 1. you shouldn't treat the other half as something below a human being. Heart talking about how cold & uncaring Mind is. A madman thats turning whole into something he shouldn't be. Mind saying that Heart is something weaker than a human. A vile creature that should be left out or thrown away. Or how both their views on Soul are either something to control/that has control and not as a being that's a part of themselves/Whole. Not seeing it as a being with its own thoughts & identity [for the first half of Cacophony at least].

Whole stating that they're all just as important & human as the other and they shouldn't view them as something other than that.

But 2. Whole telling them that they should not only view the other as human but themselves as well.

While yes they do insult the other frequently, they also insult themself a fair bit as well. Mind viewing himself as a machine, something thats supposed to be cold & uncaring. Always having to be right about everything and never fail, otherwise he himself is a failure. Heart calling himself weak & vile. Overly emotional about everything; getting too heated in an argument, being too unhappy with life or himself in general to the point where it all seems too much care for and so he flips to becoming apathetic. Thinking those things make him fail at everything and only make things worse.

Or Soul having trouble seeing himself as something that has its own identity. His own Heart & Mind [and in turn his own head] fighting about what they should be. How they should act or deal with things and how they shouldn't. What roles they're all supposed to fit into. All to the point where Soul doesn't know what its supposed to do anymore or how to be anything which leads him to the Tridential Regicide answer.

And 3. Despite everything mentioned before, all three of them [together or apart] are being Human. That despite the Cacophony they're in, how likely it can happen again & loop back over, they'll still be human no matter what. That it just comes with being human. How they shouldn't strive to never have failures or have ups & downs or to be something others want them to be. That what they are already is enough & that they'll get outta Cacophony permanently one day and they can finally stay whole.

I frickin love Light overall but GOD that line kills me everytime I hear it. Especially when connecting heavily to the album and its characters or ideas it just hits hard & is so nice to hear.

Man I just typed 5½ paragraphs over ONE (1) singular line of a song that I've listed to for over a year and I still will never ever be normal about it.

#i fuckin love Light man #i still tear up over that part sometimes #its just......augh i cant #im so normal about this bitches(affectionate)#bro im so tempted to make a 100 page essay over Vol. 1 alone & go over every song #if my adhd allowed me i would #my adhd & autism fight over what i do for multiple hours straight #my own heart & mind/j #chonny jash #moss post #moss rants

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pawborough · 1 day

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April 2024 Check In

Hi, all!

Happy update, everyone! With short breathers between posts, we will be uploading the updates that haven't yet been crossposted to our Tumblr! Additionally, from now on, we will share information that was previously only available on our Discord server on a regular schedule.

First off, Longhairs were added to the demo! In the coming days we are fixing any graphical errors observed. Pre-release test-launching into the demo like this has been great practice for our pipeline. Each time, we learn a lot about the process and work to improve it every time.

Such graphical errors come from not yet being a final product, and give us opportunity to practice how to efficiently remedy them in the future, and we're excited that our supporters get to see our growth along the way!

Alright, let's get into the meat!

New Accessories

The art team has been working hard on accessories!

Regal Crown

Sponsored and concepted by SolsticeStar, illustration by Hydde

The Regal Crown is our newest backer accessory!

Next, we have completed designs for three full accessory sets.

The Sweetheart Set

Design and illustration by Remmie

The Sweetheart set had an early pre-production preview shared on our Tumblr and Discord last month.

It went through some development! After considering the furgonomics of hats, we ultimately decided on ear-holes.

The Guard Set

Design and illustration by Hydde

The Jute set

Design and illustration by Hydde

We have one more set planned called the Woolen set, this in addition to our backer accessories and our Kickstarter items will round off our accessory catalog for the beginning of our game.

We hope to add more as we grow and gather further resources, but as said in the beginning: accessories will be somewhat lacking early on! We hope to make this up with backdrops and decor.

As a reminder, each accessory item will have a consistent number of recolors, in addition to potential special recolors!

Development Update

Huge progress on the development side!

First off, we have movement and collision working for combat.

youtube

Next, we have the whole process for creating a team at the Guild, inviting other users, kicking users, editing permissions, editing information, and registering new cats!

youtube

In this video, you also get a sneak peak at a rudimentary Dashboard feature. The Dashboard will be your front page, where all your notifications such as friend requests, sale notifications, co-op and team requests, timer notifications, cat relationship requests, and other such interactive features are easily seen.

The Dashboard will also feature a list of all quick and casual “daily activities” which can be easily accessed and “checked off.”

Lore Check In

We're working on the lore side of things in tandem. While we care a lot about it and its quality, it's taken a backseat to the more pressing priority of “have a playable game.” Despite this, we’ve worked on lore as necessary to create cohesive visuals, especially our backdrops, accessories, and decor.

And this is where I’d like to have a heart to heart with our users with full transparency. Our very early lore was a great jumping off point, and we had a timeline with beats for a year 1 story laid out with some very fun variety.

However, when I grew concerned and ran it all past sensitivity readers, some things became very pressing. I had to ruminate back on many of our early criticisms, and rethink how we were tackling some of these topics in our worldbuilding.

PawBorough is a 13+ piece of media. We're not shying away from more complicated topics or a little bit of blood. However, it's no secret that we are also a cute kitty cat game. We can have very serious, epic, heartbreaking prose. But this is all inevitably coming out of the mouth of a pink cat with sparkles for fur.

That is to say, we have to be careful not to patronize very serious topics.

The most pressing problem presented to us when reaching out to sensitivity readers was our portrayal of The Metropolis. A blatant New York clone with relatively modernized tech, capitalizing off said advancements, acting as an antagonist in geopolitical tension can come off very tone deaf. Considering the chilling atrocities committed by modern corporate America which have far-reaching repercussions and affect peoples’ lives and families today, there's just no other way to easily frame The Metropolis as has been presented other than a 1 to 1 stand-in for modern capitalistic American colonialism.

And to treat this sort of setup with the care it deserves, we have to be explicit in the atrocities, and we have an ethical duty to be violently critical of modern America as a structure, so much so that users may not have much fun in the space. Our game is just not the right medium to be this realistic.

While the concept of xenophobia as a topic isn't in itself a topic that we can't ever touch on sensitively in our stories, specifically modern America is so wrought with atrocities happening now, today as we speak, that we don't find it appropriate to even be touching on it the way we have been. The demand in this medium is beyond my comfort as a writer.

Therefore, the first change we are making to The Metropolis:

1. Develop The Metropolis, and Cogwheel in turn, as less a 1 to 1 New York clone.

The Metropolis will from now on have far less of an exclusively and explicitly “Americana” aesthetic and culture. This is a change that was well-needed, as all other Boroughs have a large variety of inspiration. We will be incorporating quite a few different architectural aesthetics from hereon.

The Borough is still a huge, bustling cityscape with industry and development!

But that brings us to the next change:

2. Change the focus of the antagonistic nature of The Metropolis from “corporate development” to “magical development.”

The Metropolis can still have a leg-up in industry, development, and trade, but with this change, the enemy is now less explicitly modern Capitalism, and instead a general simile for classism. The Metropolis is now full of high-up, modern, domineering magic-doers. The Borough still capitalizes upon resources, but now there's much more fantasy directly involved with the power conflict.

That brings me to the largest change we are making to The Metropolis, and the story as a whole:

3. Roll back technology to the late 1800s - early 1900s.

This is our most uprooting change, but we feel it actually fits much more within the world. The 1990s as a setting caused so many problems and holes in our vision that didn't make sense when put under routine scrutiny. With this timeline instead, it now is reasonably clear why there's lots of trains in Cogwheel, Metropolis, and Harvest, but little in Sol or Luna. It now makes sense why Abyssal still has mast ships. It's easier to understand why cats are using mounts instead of cars. It's easier to believe that communication and travel between Boroughs far apart is challenging and arduous.

It also helps with the idea that magic is not yet well-understood, and therefore supports The Metropolis's powerhouse efforts towards magical advancements.

We now have these drafts for the history of The Metropolis and Cogwheel, which have gone into our lore bible:

The Metropolis:

With the development of mass-producible agriculture, cats started settling down. At this time, magic was largely unknown and seldom understood. Cats traveling the wastes were eaten by magical beasts, and the full capabilities of magic were unknown.

But with a full belly and a warm house, cats started studying magic more closely. Harvest cats especially continued migrating south towards the water for settlement.

The Metropolis became a premiere area for magicians as its major cities funneled catpower into experiments and further understanding. Magicians became well-scholared, and developments in magic and its rules created a boom in industry and invention. In the present day, if you want to know about modern magic, you travel to The Metropolis.

However, one will likely be taught the magic of surveillance first and foremost. The Metropolis sees itself as every Borough’s big brother, despite being one of the youngest.

Cogwheel:

Whether the official establishment of Metropolis or Cogwheel came first is uncertain, but Cogwheel was said to first be born of catfolks' desire to fiddle with machinery over pompous magical learning. A group of cats in The Metropolis location had formed what was called "The Cogwheel Union" and traveled away to grow their establishment. Eventually, the union grew large as more inventors took interest. Cogwheel was for building. Cogwheel was where engineers thrived. Fire burned in the hearts, minds, and paws of all Cogwheel citizens.

With this, the Metropolis capitalized on the industry developing in its neighbor. What was once two cities with differing philosophies became a tug of war for geopolitical power, and Metropolis is winning. Cogwheel cats were more keen on their Harvest roots, favoring community and generosity. But they are hardened to the state of things, worked long hours, kept under a boot, and revolution is simmering in their factories.

Cogwheel invented the railroad, which has quickly advanced through the tri-Borough area of Harvest, Cogwheel, and The Metropolis. Cats not in these areas still rely on ferries and mounts.

So there you have it! We realize a change like this won't please everyone, and we still encourage you to tell the story you want to tell with your own characters, but this alteration is far more in-line with our vision! We believe there's more general appeal to a storyline like this, and it's great for our lore to put the focus of magic so front and center.

All other lore is in-tact and will be significantly buffed out in our next drop!

Thank you for reading!

To Summarize: We showed a new backer accessory, three new accessory sets, updates to team game play and setup within The Guild, and a new approach to our lore.

What to expect next month: Daily duty/territory ground setup, potential forums setup, more Borough site themes, further asset development.

#kickstarter update #pawborough #paw borough #art update #development update #pet sim #pet site #petsite #virtual pet #indie dev #indie game #Youtube

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mdhwrites · 2 days

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Just putting forth this ask: why is it that compared with Amphibia's All In and The Hardest Thing, that TOH's finale and "final fight" (if we can even call it out that) just felt so underwhelming? Even especially Luz's "death" which felt so much of a fakeout and copying from Amphibia's. Granted, I wonder if a part of that is some of us already watching Amphibia at that point tho.

The fight feeling more underwhelming is easy actually. See, 90% of what people remember of Luz fighting Belos isn't her fighting Belos. It's just dancing around fighting moss. That is... Lame. To put it mildly. Meanwhile, you have three magical girls flying into space to fight the moon and his army of robots. That is awesome.

However.

What I really want to talk about is why their deaths actually play into the feeling of these two fights and the finales as a whole. It lets me talk about shock deaths versus heroic sacrificed because TL:DR: Anne heroically sacrifices herself for Amphibia as a final culmination of the growth she has had as a character. Meanwhile, Luz is given a shock death to sell how dangerous Belos is (which I will get into a bit) while also essentially being fridged for the sake of the Collector's arc. One of those is hype as hell and satisfying. The other is a complete stumble before we finally get the actual confrontation.

However, I'm going to go away from The Owl House and Amphibia first to talk about the tropes of Heroic Sacrifices and Shock Deaths with one of the easiest franchises to do it with: Dragonball Z.

Let's start with Heroic Sacrifice. A heroic sacrifice is when a character CHOOSES to give up their life so as to attempt to put things right, save lives, etc. like that. This choice element is actually really important. Without it, it's just a tragic death. The villain got the upper hand at a bad moment and killed them. That rarely actually happens in media but it is an option. A heroic sacrifice is just that: A sacrifice.

This is your classic moments of Piccolo sacrificing himself for Gohan against Nappa or Vegeta using all the energy he has in an attempt to defeat Buu. In both cases, these are major defining moments in their arcs. Arguably, the climaxes of them. The pinnacle of them changing to be a good person. We also see two classic examples here, one of which I think is commonly much stronger.

Piccolo's death is a split second decision where he decides to take the hit instead of allowing it to reach Gohan. This has a lot of good points for a character, such as showing their inherently good nature, but it does lack one key component: It doesn't feel like the choice weighs as much. Not wanting to see someone else get hurt is pretty basic and can be warped just as much by the bad guys so as to make it a weakness. It says a lot about Zuko when he takes a lightning bolt for Katara... But I wouldn't call it a sacrifice. It's a split second choice to make sure one person stays alive over themselves. This makes the impact revolve a LOT more around thematics over just the weight of the moment. As an example: If Superman dives in front of someone to take a Kryptonite blast, that's an "Oh shit," moment as the fight suddenly takes a turn for the worst. However, it is so ingrained in his nature that it hardly means anything for him to put himself in danger like this. It only hits hard for characters like Piccolo because of the journey they've been on.

Vegeta's hits harder for that reason because it still carries all the same advantages of the split second choice with one MAJOR boon: It's optional. Yes, technically these others are too but protecting an ally is just a part of being on a team. Being in combat. We don't blink at it most of the time unless it leads to a death, in which case it is a tragedy. Vegeta had a different option though. Just... Play along. Or leave. Or do ANYTHING else.

Instead, from his lowest point, he finally sees what he's going to lose from all of this, what he has done, and makes the choice to try and make up for it. Not even to seek forgiveness but just to have a single moment of redemption in his whole life in an attempt to save his family and those he cares about.

This also brings up another point about Heroic sacrifices: They don't need to be successful or permanent. The point is about what it says about the character. Vegeta doesn't manage jack shit in his last moments from an entirely practical purpose. From a character perspective though, this choice will last eternally. It will always be a part of him and his growth. That is powerful, even if it fails.

But what happens when there is no choice and it says nothing about the character? Well, that's when we get into the realm of a shock death, like Yamcha's legendary failure. A shock death is mostly meant to just raise the stakes. To make the audience know that 'shit just got real'. It always happens as a character getting instantly KO'd so as to really sell the "OH SHIT" factor of the moment.

Which is also why everyone always laughs at Yamcha. His death means nothing and as far as trying to up the ante? Good job, you killed the weakest of us in a show of strength. Good job. It is a HARD sell to a lot of audience members at this point because the character is just there to die. Their death doesn't say anything or mean anything for them so why as an audience should we care? It was just a cheap death that accomplished nothing and everyone moves on from.

So am I fair to call Luz's death this? After all, Camila cries over it. Eda goes into a more feral version of her Owl Beast form than she ever has before because of it. The Collector learns what death is due to it!

And in like three minutes, none of that will matter besides the Collector thing. No Eda having to try and bring herself back from the curse, despite claiming it can still eternally take her, a plot point never resolved. Camila has no reason to actually know. Her crying is just to add another octave to the overture "BE SAD NOW!" And the Collector?

He only was in danger because the writers said he was. Even if you believe Belos is immune to his magic (which was shown to be untrue as he flew up to Belos' face), he is still an incredible being of unrivaled power. He can move celestial bodies with a whim for god's sake. Why should he EVER be in danger? Shouldn't he be able to teleport or just shift out of the way faster than Luz can fly up to him?

And what does it say about Luz? You know, the girl who has been trying to abandon the Isles for TWO WHOLE SPECIALS before this and who has no connection with the Collector? They want this to be a heroic sacrifice in the way of Piccolo but it doesn't have the weight. It has no build up and Luz was NEVER going to have a real connection to the Collector. It's even explicitly used as a teaching moment for the Collector. To give him extra motivation to become a good guy... Like you do when you fridge a character. It's also something Luz would have explicitly done from episode 1 so it also has the Superman problem of saying nothing.

And the WORST part for Luz is... It wasn't something she thought was going to kill her. She thought the two would get out of the way. Maybe that was just a line in relief but a heroic sacrifice is an all in play. You don't expect to come back from a SACRIFICE. But Luz appears to have.

As such, it just feels like a way to up the stakes, especially when all it leads to is a power up for Luz. A cheap bit of escalation before the victory lap that is Titan Luz. That's just not that compelling and it feels manipulative, like a lot of shock deaths are.

And how does Amphibia get out of all of this? With one line:

"These stones aren't Amphibia's greatest treasure."

In that moment, we are reminded not only of all that Anne is fighting for but all of the growth she has had in order to lead to this moment. To go from the selfish girl she once was to the unifier of the stones. To someone who can actually care about an entire planet. How in episode 1, she wouldn't have done this but now? Now it's not even a moment of hesitation for her.

And it does have the Vegeta element of being optional. She could have gone home. She could have had Marcy or Sasha make the sacrifice instead. She doesn't though because she will not shrug off the responsibility of all this. This isn't even to do with the prophecy. She was the one to steal the music box. She was complicit, even if more fault lies with Marcy, in leading to the Core being potentially able to ravage worlds again. And then she is told that the prophecy is a plea for help. You don't have to yes to a plea like you do destiny. If not for Anne's experiences, she would have said no.

Instead, she says yes and she wins for it. Her resurrection is even based in this. She expects no resurrection and was ENTIRELY ready to bear the weight of her choice. She won't even accept the Guardian's offer of power because that's not why she did this. It's not what her arc is about. Instead, she gets her resurrection for the same reason she died: Because she has grown and in that growth, become so much more than she ever could have even imagined, so what would happen if given more time to grow? Would she surpass all of ours expectations? Even a god's?

ALL of that helps an audience care. Helps give a true climax to everything. Brings it all together. Even if you want to argue, and I actually probably would, that the Calamity trio fighting is technically worse from an animation standpoint than even Eda, King and Luz against the moss, narrative weight matters more. That sense of climax matters more. It is going to elevate the rest of the fight, and the episode, simply by making sure that ANY audience member is going to have a greater amount of investment in it.

And a heroic sacrifice is a great way to add to that. A shock death is not.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

#the owl house criticism #toh critical #toh #the owl house #amphibia

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