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#i don't really know what to do with this information now
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There are a lot of fics about the Justice League finding out about Batman's children via a series of circumstances leading to Nightwing joining the League (usually against Batman's will)
and I LOVE this trope, don't get me wrong, but I'd like to imagine a situation where it doesn't happen like that. I want a situation where Nightwing joins the League, but he and Batman play it off well enough that the JL doesn't put them together. They notice that they work well together, sure, and Batman seems to trust Nightwing easier than the other new members, but no one questions it because Nightwing is good.
And the JL reaches a point where it's been months or even years and they still don't know.
Until Nightwing gets hurt. They've seen him hurt before, but he gets hurt. Bleeding out, affected by fear toxin, whatever, the point is, he's in bad shape. And Nightwing - strong, crooked grin, happy facade - screams. He screams for his dad - a word that he never uses, but that doesn't matter now, because he's scared, and he's hurt, and he just wants to go home.
And nobody knows what to do. Every single League member very quickly realizes that they know nothing about this guy. Everyone wonders about Batman because he seems so mysterious, but Nightwing always seemed so open, and it's only in that moment that they realize they have no actual information on him.
But that only last for a split second, because, of course Batman reacts first. He runs to his side and starts to stabilize his injuries while assuring him in a voice that they've never heard before, a voice that is distinctly not his Batman growl, that he's right there and it's all going to be okay.
And Nightwing... well, he stops calling out for his father. And he doesn't stay in the watchtower infirmary after that. When they ask Batman where he took him, he just tells them home.
Nightwing's back a few months later, and that's when they start asking him if he's really Batman's kid, and he just smiles the same crooked grin and says, Of course. You didn't know?
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woso-dreamzzz · 2 days
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Allergies II
Hardersson x Daughter!Reader
Natalia Guijarro (OC) x Hardersson!Reader
Part of The Big Adeventures Universe
Summary: You have another allergic reaction
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In all honesty, you didn't really think it was that serious.
Nutrition meetings at Barcelona were a lot more in depth than what you were used to at Arsenal. They took ages and were full of information that would probably be interesting if you actually cared but, alas, nutrition had never been as interesting to you as other subjects so you tended to just zone out.
You were handed a new smoothie with some kind of new protein powder in or something you would have known if you actually listened.
You drank it.
That's when things start to get weird.
The nutritionist continues to drone on and you frown, scratching at your neck.
You stare down at your bottle for a moment as your throat goes all scratchy and intense.
You force yourself to swallow before glancing around.
Your throat gets a bit tighter.
No one else seems to be having such a reaction so you unscrew the top of your bottle to peer inside. You sniff the mixture before standing up.
You can feel people watch as you make your way over to the first aid kit at the front of the room. Your throat has fully closed up now and you know that you're turning alarmingly red and probably breaking out in hives.
Honestly, you feel a little bit shocked how you're even conscious right now but you grab your epipen and stab it into your leg.
"Banana," You say plainly," I can't eat that."
Even with the adrenaline now pumping through your system, you slide your way down the wall to sit on the floor, breathing in deeply.
The room erupts into chaos the moment you sit down.
The medical staff come in to check your blood pressure and your throat and the expiration date of your epipen. The nutritionist leading the session is going absolutely ballistic yelling at one of her assistants for not checking the allergy sheets before making and handing out the smoothies.
Talia looks close to tears as she forces her way towards you, practically shoving some of the medics away. "Are you okay? Is it bad? Do I need to call your mums?"
"No! Don't call my-"
Talia's already gone out into the hall, phone pressed up against her ear.
You wonder which one of your mothers she has in her contacts.
Surely not Morsa because she's still in that stage where she's pretending to hate your girlfriend but you can't remember your Momma and Talia interacting enough to have swapped numbers and you know for certain that you weren't one to hand out people's numbers without explicit permission.
As the medics fuss and the nutritionist yells, the team also gather around to check that you're alright but you just give them a gallant shrug.
"I'm fine," You say," The epipen did its work."
"I think I'd prefer if you take the day off," The head of the medical team says," Just to be safe. You can come back tomorrow."
You know better than to argue with him so you just nod with a little sigh of annoyance.
"I can take her home," Talia says as she re-enters the room," I've got her."
"I can take a taxi home," You insist.
You and Talia drive in together so only one car is used. If you go home in that car now then she'll have to get a taxi in the middle of rush hour.
"I'll take you home," Talia says," Coach can spare me at training today. Someone's got to make sure you actually follow medical advice."
You roll your eyes. "I swear you've been hanging out with my Momma behind my back." You take the hand she offers to help you stand. "You sound just like her."
You end up back home fairly quickly, curled up on the sofa and practically forced to take a nap.
Prins joins you, curled up in the bend of your knee. Reina settles on the top of the sofa behind your head, completely stretched out and at ease with herself while Kung manages to wiggle himself between your arms to nap there.
You don't know how long you nap for but it must be a while because the sun is setting when you wake up and you can smell Talia cooking up your favourite pasta dish in the world.
You sit up.
You've definitely been sleeping for a while because Reina has migrated to her cat tree, poking her head out of the cave to watch Kung bounce around the floor in outrage at not being allowed up there with her.
Prins has taken Kung's place between your arms and his tongue rolls out of his mouth in a semblance of a dopey smile when he notices you awake, his tail beginning to wag happily.
"Hi, little man," You say, gently scratching between his ears," Did you keep me company?"
Prins' tail wags even more fiercely than before.
"Didn't want to leave your side."
You jolt, shrieking and Prins whines a little.
"Morsa! What are you doing here?!"
"Talia called your Momma," Morsa says, tucking the blanket more firmly around your body," Your allergies acted up."
"I dealt with it," You insist," You didn't have to fly out."
"Yes, we did," Morsa replies," Because if we waited for you to tell us, it would take weeks!"
You puff out your cheeks. "I wouldn't want to worry you over something so silly."
"Are you calling your allergies silly again?" Momma says. She enters with two plates worth of food and you sit up.
Prins leaps down to wander over to his own dog bed. Seeing him lying there, Kung wanders over, jumping up onto Prins' back to finish napping there as Reina ducks her head back into her cave.
"No, Momma," You mumble, accepting your food as Morsa takes a seat on the armchair and Momma to the left of you, leaving an empty space for Talia, who also brings out food for herself and Morsa before taking her own seat.
"Are you feeling better, mi vida?" She asks," You look better."
You nod. "I feel fine. My leg aches a little but that's expected."
"We'll put an icepack on it once we've finished eating. Prins was very worried about you."
Prins raises his head at the mention of his name, tail wagging.
"He's good boy."
Morsa grins from across the room. "I knew getting you a dog was a good idea."
Momma scoffs. "You told me that we should have gotten her a fish."
Morsa coughs to clear her throat and mumbles," Don't lie, Pernille."
"You wanted to get me a fish?" You laugh in disbelief," And you say Rocky is the most disappointing pet in the world."
"Are you really saying your pet rock is more exciting than a fish?"
"Am I?" You pretend to think for a moment. "Yes. Yes, I am."
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heich0e · 1 day
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"hey."
the bed beside you dips a little as touya nears, crawling under the blankets on his side, but you don't look up from the puzzle book in your hands—you're just about to finish your crossword, and your brain is already feeling sluggish as you fight the call to sleep. instead you hum, so that he knows you heard him.
"are you... have you...." he can't seem to get the words right, and grunts a bit, like he's frustrated with himself. "you worried about aoi?"
that makes you look up.
"no," you reply to him, eyes scanning over his face. "should i be?"
your three year old daughter aoi is the picture of health—or at least, as healthy as children can really be, considering they seem to be magnetic poles towards which germs naturally gravitate. she's a bit bossy, in spite of her age, and has her older brother and papa (and you for that matter) wrapped around her little fingers. but she's a good girl, mostly kind, and exceedingly bright for her age.
you don't have any reason to worry about her.
at least you don't think you do.
at your side, touya's face is lined with frustration; a furrow creasing the centre of his brow, and his lips turned down into a pensive little frown. he has a book in his hands, you notice. his thumb is stuck between the pages as if to mark his place, but you can't see the cover from the way he's holding it.
"touya?" you prod him for more information, setting your own puzzle book aside.
"she sucks her thumb," touya finally says, though he seems reluctant to share that worry with you. when he finally meets your gaze, you see anxiety swimming behind his eyes. "is that normal?"
you laugh lightly in relief, your head hanging slightly as any real fear in you retreats. "yeah, touya. that's normal."
"are you sure?" he insists, "because this book says that kids suck their thumbs to comfort themselves. why would she need comfort?" he holds up the book in his hand, and when he does, you see that it's a parenting book. you've never seen it before, so he must have bought it recently. the image of touya scouring the shelves at your local bookstore for the right title in the childrearing section is remarkably endearing to conjure to mind.
"touya, baby," you push yourself up on your side of the bed, crawling over to him. you ensconce yourself atop his lap, taking his face in your hands. you meet him nose to nose. "put the book down."
"but it says—"
"i know what it says," you don't let him finish. "and it's probably right—kids do lots of things to comfort themselves, and they do need comfort. and maybe thumb sucking well into your developmental years is even bad for you, but aoi is only three. she's still so little. it's perfectly normal for her to suck her thumb occasionally."
touya seems to soften a bit in the wake of your reassurances, but not relax entirely. he leans his face into the cup of your palm, letting you bear the weight.
"look, if it continues on for too long, or gets worse, then we'll talk to the paediatrician. and we'll talk to aoi, too—because if something is bothering her, we'll make sure she knows she can always tell us. but right now, she is just a perfectly normal, happy three year old, who just happens to enjoy sucking her thumb. okay?"
touya's eyes flutter shut, and after a quiet moment you lean forward press a kiss to the spot where a divot of frustration had earlier creased his brow.
"we're doing a good job, touya," you reassure him, brushing some strands of his soft white hair back from his tired face. "you especially."
not a perfect job, because the longer you trek along the path of parenthood, the more you've come to realize it's a fallacy. you know there's no such thing as a perfect parent. you know no one gets it right one hundred percent of the time. but there are lots of parent who are doing their best—who are trying to be better—and you know that you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who's trying harder to do just that than touya.
touya's eyes open once more. the eyes both your children inherited. the blue you named your daughter after. his gaze is soft—vulnerable in ways that once seemed impossible with the man in front of you—as he peers up at you.
"you think so?" he mumbles softly.
"i do," you answer just as gently as he'd asked, before dipping down to kiss him properly this time—not on his forehead but at the centre of his lips.
touya's hands reach for you eagerly, reciprocating your kiss with an equal enthusiasm, and the parenting book slips from his grip and goes tumbling to the floor with a thud!
both of you freeze, pulling apart from your passionate embrace until your lips rest a hairsbreadth away. your breaths are panting. your heartbeats are thundering in your chests. both of your gazes are fixed firmly on your bedroom door.
neither of you move.
"do you think it woke them up?" he whispers after a terrified moment, his tone heavy with anxiety.
"no, i think we're okay," you answer, your voice equally strained.
but still, neither of you dare to move again, still petrified in place, waiting to hear the telltale pitter patter of little feet along the floor.
after a few more tense beats of silence stretch between you in the stillness of your bedroom, a laugh bubbles up from the pit of your stomach and slips through your lips in spite of your best efforts to restrain it. poised frozen halfway up the back of your shirt, touya's hands pull you a little closer, and he chuckles quietly too. you tilt your lips down to meet his again, giggling into the kiss as touya uses his grip on you to reverse your positions and pin you down to the bed underneath him.
"try to be quieter this time," you chirp up at him breathlessly as his hands travel down your body, but you're smiling too widely for the jibe to have any real bite at all. touya rolls his eyes as he dips down into your space, his lips ghosting over yours again in an almost-but-not-quite sort of kiss.
"i'll do my best," he mumbles.
(but you already knew that.)
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saintescuderia · 1 day
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pancakes (pt. 5)
sorry this took so long. pls enjoy.
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AKA - the story of how the naive australian rookie befriended the gym junkie F1 hospitality worker with the shoe collection - and inadvertently broke the grid's most treasured and unspoken rule: you don't go for y/n.
series masterlist here :)
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P5 - occasional spotter
Zak Brown wasn’t exactly sure what to do.
At first, this was just a driver issue. It was clear what needed to happen and Zak knew it was rough doing that to Daniel. However, Ricciardo was, admittedly, just plain horrible in the car. Zak had hoped, he really, really had hoped Daniel would turn things around. But that just didn’t happen. Daniel was supposed to come in and take the lead from Lando. But that just didn’t happen. 
So when Oscar Piastri seemed onboard with joining McLaren - and face the risks that would come with essentially abandoning Alpine - it seemed like things would be on the up. He was a young driver but that leap of faith had paid off with Lando before. Besides, Oscar had one of the best CVs coming into Formula 1. He also was still young enough that he could be moulded to the likes of any car. Unlike Daniel who preferred front-end focused cars that accommodated his late breaking style - something that just didn’t happen in a rear-end focused car such as the McLaren. 
And so, Zak did what he had to do. Out went RIC3 and in came OP81. If only with an odd requirement.
Zak had agreed to the young Oscar’s random request to try and acquire a random Hospitality worker he was friends with as a trainer. Drivers do what drivers do. It wasn’t the oddest thing Zak had ever heard a driver ask for. If anything, that was nothing compared to some things drivers in the past had come up with as a condition to signing. Zak accepted Oscar’s request without much thought. 
Boy, was that a big mistake. 
Evident by how he was now faced with the stare of one very unhappy Christian Horner in a meeting Domenicali had called ahead of the Saudi Arabia race. Whilst Zak usually left Andrea to these things since he was the team principle and, unlike Mercedes with Toto or Red Bull with Horner, McLaren had a split role between CEO and TP. Zak could pick and choose when he had to face these assholes.
“Stefano requested you specifically boss.” Andrea had informed him. 
Zak half-wished for one of the cappucino's from Oscar's friend as he walked in to what was most likely going to be Horner and Wolff snitching on another. Zak forced the fake smile on his face - he knew the others would be smug about how bad the MCL60 was performing. He had half expected Horner to sit there grinning at the apparently karma all the journalists were reporting on since Red Bull were dominating. And Oscar had DNF'ed.  
Except when Zak followed Andrea in and actually approached the bookclub circle of team principles, Horner was anything but glib. No, he was fuming. 
“Gentlemen, thank you for joining us— Guenther!” Domencali sighed, looking at the door.
“Fucking washed up idiots— ah, sorry teacher!” The German TP ducked his head sheepish as he walked in late to the meeting. Guenther left his assistant and took his seat next to Fred Vasseur, the new Ferrari team principle, who was holding a hand to his mouth, trying to hide the amused smile. Zak rolled his eyes.
“Thank you Guenther.” Domenicali said with a pointed look, then addressed everyone. “Now, there have been some issues brought forth to me and I thought we should be reminded of a few things.” 
Christian’s eyes remained on Zak’s. It was unnerving. Zak turned to Andrea who seemed to have caught on the Red Bull boss’s less than enthusiastic stare. Zak’s brows furrowed, clearly confused. Andrea's eyes widened slightly and then he gave an almost imperceptible shake of his shoulders. Zak shook his head and then looked up as if to say, who knows? The communication between the two men who had worked alongside each other was clear; they were both at a loss with Horner's anger.
“Firstly, Hospitality staff are part of the Formula One Group and are not to be affiliated with any one team.” 
Horner uncrossed his legs and then crossed them the other way. A vein appeared in his forehead.
Ah.
A wave understanding suddenly washed over Zak. He darted his eyes down as he fought to keep the smile off his face. Was Christian Horner that bored that he went snitching about some Hospitality worker? 
You hadn’t even agreed to join McLaren and opted to draft up some agreement between you and Oscar on how you would ‘unofficially’ train him. What was the big deal? 
And so Zak voiced that. 
“If this is in regard to one of my drivers having a friendship with a Hospitality worker, surely we can move on.” Zak said, his eyes darting over to Horner who looked like his blood was going to boil over. 
“No we certainly will not.” Christian jumped in, finally setting off. “It’s in her contract to not join any teams.”
“She hasn’t joined McLaren.” Zak retorted casually but internally wondering about the mention of you having a contract.
Christian immediately bit back. “She’s training your driver, is she not?” 
“Oscar occasionally spots her in the gym. They’re mates.” Zak shrugged, downplaying the fact that Oscar just this morning had walked in with a new diet plan for him and Andrea to look over that you may or may not have suggested he try for the next three months.
Given your lack of official qualifications, Zak was surprised by how detailed it was with the macro breakdowns and having recipes tailored the local cuisine based on race calendar. He was half tempted to get Lando on it. He would’ve had it gone against Oscar’s 'contract.'
Which boiled down to just this: anything you do for Oscar is for Oscar and Oscar only.
Not McLaren, not F1 - just Oscar Piastri.
“I’m sorry, but the fuck are we talking about?” Guenther jumped in, thoroughly confused as to what was going on.
“About him poaching one of my trainers.” Christian sneered. Guenther frowned, evidently that answer not being enough to explain what was going enough for him. The German looked at Fred who made a motion with his face and hand. Qui sait? Who knows?
However, some not all TPs were at a loss as a smug Toto Wolff finally caught on and joined the conversation. “But she’s not your trainer anymore.” Toto said, ever so casual. Obviously enjoying seeing Christian Horner angry about something. 
“It’s against the contract.” The Red Bull principal said. 
“To join any new teams, yes.” Toto countered. Christian's eyes narrowed for a second as he regarded Toto. Everyone's eyes were now on the staring competition between the two fierce rivals.
Save for Domenicali, who took a second to look up at the stars above and consider his life choices. Sitting here amidst the drama, he was just glad his PA reminded him to make sure Netflix wouldn't be here this morning. Dio.
"What?" Toto asked. "You think I wouldn't try to hire the trainer that made Max Verstappen?"
It is with this that Zak Brown finally felt unease settle into his gut. Zak had hear the rumours - everyone had heard those rumours - but he didn't think that the person in all that controversy would actually still remain in the world of Formula 1. Let alone work in Hospitality. How F1 even managed to get that to work sent Zak spinning.
Then again, they had managed to cover up much worse.
"Yes, the contract says no new teams." Toto spoke. "That means she can still join Red Bull or AlphaTauri."
Christian scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, that's never going to happen."
"Or Ferrari." Toto added. His smirk grew at how he dropped that bomb and Christian's face dropped along with it.
"Qui-- who are we talking about?" Fred asked, chiming now at the mention of his team.
"Yes, I would like to know this also." Guenther said, digging his hands into his pockets.
Domenicali took this as his turn to speak. "A Hospitality worker. She worked at Torso Rosso as a trainer until... an incident with Verstappen occurred. Formula One decided her skillset and knowledge was too valuable to retire her. She agreed to stay on as part of Hospitality."
Zak and Andrea shared a quick look. This was not missed by Horner.
Nor was the look Toto and Fred shared.
"What incident?" Guenther asked, ever so nosy.
"That's confidential." Domenicali's response had Guenther openly rolling his eyes.
"Look, this is the first I’m hearing of it." Zak spoke up, feeling the need to address the revelation about Oscar's fellow Aussie friend. It was clear that there was a lot going on here and with how Horner was staring at him - and the pointed look Toto was giving Fred - Zak was starting to get a sense of how much a mess this was. And it was messes like this he strove to avoid.
"There wasn’t anything about it on her file." Andrea added. Beside him, Aston Martin's Mike Krack had started furiously typing away on his phone.
"Yes," Guenther added, "because it's confidential." He winked and Zak appreciated the German's sarcastic attempt at humour to mellow the seriousness a little bit. Mike Krack chuckled. Domenicali sighed.
"But I can assure everyone there is no McLaren contract." Zak continued, "She’s just friends with Oscar. Aussies and all." He added his own joke that fell on deaf ears.
Horner snorted. Not at the joke, but at his own side comment: "Wouldn’t be the first Australian she’s gone for."
So the Daniel Ricciardo rumour was true.
Still, Zak ignored this and addressed Horner head on. "Am I supposed to tell my drivers who they can and can’t be friends with?"
"Ferrari do it all the time." Christian said with a sardonic grin, turning his whole body to look at Fred Vasseur. It was clear that there was also something there - to which Fred was clearly at a loss at. Clearly being the Ferrari TP was still not enough to know all of Ferrari's deep, dark secrets.
"Bah, gentlemen, this is the first I have heard of all this." Fred said with a slightly chuckle, his reaction genuine. It was the first time he heard about any of this.
Christian gave yet another scoff. "How about you ask your driver then?"
"Which one?" Fred asked, still amused as ever with the whole situation. For Fred, he saw nothing serious enough to warrant a full TP meeting as this. Yes, Toto was giving him eyes but Toto was always chasing after the gossip and drama. Fred always preferred to stay out of it. It was how the two men had remained friends for twenty years despite their ruthlesss line of work.
"You have not even told me the name of this Hospitality worker!" Fred's French accent became all the more prominent as he was all smiles.
However, his good humoured air was soon to be stepped on through Horner's answer. "Y/N Tessio."
Upon hearing that name, even Fred Vasseur knew all too well just which one of his drivers he needed to speak to.
Charles' first day at Sauber had him arriving in some flash JDM car and dressed in some cool looking sneakers. In his hands, he had held a Tupperware container of pancakes.
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Australia, 2018
In the private section of the Melbourne Grand Prix parking lot, a black Supra was quietly tucked away with a boy and girl sat in the front, staring at each other. 
“Mais non."
"Mais oui."
You grinned at Charles and ruffled his hair for good measure. It was his first day with Sauber and you were adamant that everything would go right. You had been up since 5am, making sure everything was ready. You had his schedule written down, re-ironed his shirt - there was a slight crease under the left armpit - and made him breakfast. Then you had shook your best friend awake to make sure he had enough time for a morning run before you passed him some limited edition Nike Forces and drove him to Albert Park for his first ever Grand Prix race weekend as a Formula 1 driver.
You both got out of your car and Charles came around to see you stuff something in his backpack. He immediately recognised its contents. 
“Tesora! Pancakes? Encore?” Charles huffed but did nothing as he watched you shove the Tupperware container in his bag. You knew Charles’ schedule better than your own at this point - vaguely in the back of the mind you knew you had to meet Max somewhere - and so you knew he had meetings all day. And you would be damned if he was going to eat that nutritionally deficient piss poor catering Costco sandwich spread Sauber was likely to have on deck. Besides, pancakes was tradition. You had even arranged the strawberries and blueberries to resemble something of a car, you thought.
“Sì. It’s tradition. Vas-y!” You matched Charles’ switch from Italian to English to French. Granted, tesora - Italian for treasure - was just his nickname for you since it was close to your last name. Still, it brought a smile to his face and he shook his head. He accepted his bag and slung it on his shoulders. You both started to make your way to the Paddock entrance. 
“Do you have your lanyard?” You asked.
“Oui, Tesora.” Charles said with a tired smile at you mothering.
However, coming up to the check in, Charles tapped his pockets only to feel nothing. He dug through and you sighed. “It should be in the front zipper.” You said. “That’s where you last put it.” Charles nodded and gave the security guard an apologetic look as he tried to swing the backpack around to reach for the zipper. Seeing the struggle that was about to unfold, you immediately went forward and unzipped the bag for him and pulled it out. 
“Merci.” He said and squeezed your arm in gratitude before tapping in. You followed suit and once in the Paddock, you couldn’t contain your excitement. 
“We’re in Formula 1 together!” You said and shook his arm in wide excitement.
“Oui, Tesora. Grace à toi.” Thanks to you. Your smile grew at Charles’ words. You chucked your arm around his shoulders and ruffled his hair once more before turning ahead. Charles’ height meant you were reaching up slightly but you still had your arm around him. He looked down and smiled at you, you unaware but in a state of excited bliss. Your dream was finally coming true! However, your arm got tired and Charles snorted as you dropped it with a muttering complaint about driver height. 
Noticing his laugh, you frowned. “Oi, no laughing at me.”
“Oi! We are in Australia, non.” He repeated.
“Aye, mate that’s right.” You said, elongating the sounds to emphasise your Australian accent. Charles shook his head and laughed. His English was mild at best and when you did that accent, it was as if you were speaking another language entirely. 
The banter continued through the Paddock as you and Charles went on. A comment about vegemite had him darting away from you trying to kick his feet from under him. It was at this point that Daniel Ricciardo arrived. 
“Woah! Watch who you’re kicking, Kung Fu Panda.” 
You felt your stomach drop with the butterflies that arrived at the sight of your boyfriend. Even after dating all this time, Daniel still made you feel like it was the first date and you wanted to throw up from nerves.
“Hi.” You said, pulling up short. 
“Hi, yourself.” He said, coming round to wrap his arm around your shoulder. Given that you both were out in the Paddock, that was probably the most PDA you would share. So it was surprising when you pulled back for Daniel to duck down and press a quick peck to your lips. 
“Oh, uh.”
“Charles, hey man.” Daniel acknowledged your best friend who was stood there awkwardly, holding his backpack straps. You looked at Charles and smiled. He really did look like a schoolkid on their first day. 
“Hello.” Charles greeted. You chewed on your lower lip. It wasn’t lost on you how Daniel still kept an arm around you as he shook Charles’ hand. It also wasn’t lost on you how Charles’ smile didn’t reach his eyes when he shook Daniel’s hand. 
You had hoped that after all this time your best friend and boyfriend would gel a little more. However, for whatever reason, it just didn’t seem the case. When you asked Charles, the answer you got was a dismissive ‘it’s a guy thing’ that you never were able to press further. Daniel was less help as he would just shrug and grin. “I got no problem, babe.” 
And yet, whenever you mentioned Charles, there always was a slight falter to Danny’s grin, a tenseness that settled on his shoulders and an overall vibe that Dan just wasn’t a fan of you mentioning your best friend, your admittedly male best friend. 
Then again, Max Verstappen had slept on your couch more times than you could count. One time Daniel came to your hotel room to find Max asleep in your bed while you showered. And he had absolutely zero problem with any of that. 
And so, staring between the two drivers, you could only hope that whatever guy thing Charles spoke of didn’t come up on track. 
“Hey Max was looking for you. Said he needs your advice on something.” Daniel said. 
“Okay, let me just see Charles off and I’ll be there.” You smiled pleasantly at your boyfriend.
“Charlie’s a big boy now. He’s a Formula 1 driver.” Daniel said, nodding at your best friend. “Congrats, by the way.”
“Thank you.” Charles said with another of his smiles that he had perfected for the media. You frowned. Then Charles met said frown. “C’est pas grave.” You knew the switch to French was likely in response to the fact that Daniel’s arm was still around you. “I’ll see you later. Message me.”
You really, really didn’t want to leave. This was Charles on his F1 debut.
But he was already set on leaving - since Daniel had no intention to do so.
“Okay.” You said, emphasising the French lilt of the word that Daniel could still understand. It was much of a happy medium as you could manage in the moment. Even with your boyfriend’s arm around you, Charles still came for the both of you to kiss each other’s cheeks. 
“Ah, that French goodbye. How come you never say bye to me like that?” Daniel said with a laugh, steering you away as you and Charles went your own ways. His hand dropped down to grab yours and you looked down at it curiously
“Would you like me to say goodbye like that?” You asked. 
“I would like kisses.”
“Noted.” You said with a flaming face. Sometimes it still shook you that this man - the Daniel Ricciardo - was your boyfriend. “Hey, by the way, since when did we start with the PDA?”
“Since the beautiful Australian sun is shining down on this Grand Prix season opener where I am feeling lucky.”
“Oh, are you?”
“Yeah, in more ways than one.” He wiggled his eyebrows. Your face became hot - and not just because of the weather. “Come on, you can’t say you don’t want all of this.”
Your response was to push him away. Daniel’s laughter only rang out as he went for your waist. He pulled you to him and made loud kissing noises that just made you laugh. You both arrived at the Red Bull garage where Max was talking with Gianpiero Lambiase and Christian Horner. 
“Ah, the lovebirds have arrived.” Christian said as GP smirked at you. The race engineer Max had been given was someone you had immediately clicked with. Unlike some (most) of the Red Bull staff, you liked GP because he had a sense of maturity about him that you hoped Mx would learn from. That and GP didn’t get intimidated with Max’s tantrums.
And dealing with Verstappens, it bodes well to not get easily intimidated. 
“How was Leclerc’s drop off?” GP said as he came forward to bump fists with you. You had texted him that you were going to be late today. 
“It was good.” You nodded, not wanting to give too much away. Even though Charles was another driver on the grid that Red Bull would be looking to beat - and would given an Adrian Newey Red Bull versus a Sauber - you still wanted to protect Charles as much as possible. Even if it meant within your own team.
Daniel chimed in, joking. “Had to go rescue her from the enemy but she’s back home now.”
“Good man.” Christian said, patting him on the shoulder. “Shall we go to your garage and get you set up.” Christian nodded at you and you nodded back. Daniel winked and let his boss lead him to the other side of the garage. You watched them walk, your eyes then landing on Max to the side, quietly sitting by himself as he observed the many engineers working on his car. 
“Had a visit from dad recently.” You looked to where GP had a hand over his headphone’s mic and was leaning in to whisper to you. “It’s too hot to be wearing a jacket.”
You had noticed that too. It was a warm day but Max had his thick Red Bull parka on. You met GP’s eyes and realised that you both probably had the same sad and worried looks on both your face. You nodded at GP and he left, going to speak with some mechanics and you walked forward to where a young 21 year old boy sat. Hurt. 
“You good, Max?”
He looked up at you and nodded. Then his eyes went back to the car. You sighed once more. “Come on, I think it’s time for a track walk.”
“We have a meeting in an hour.”
“So we better walk fast, then.” You grinned. Max looked up at you. “I’ll message GP. Come on, I want to get a coffee on the way.” You tried again, reaching to flick at his cap. He nodded and then stood up. “We’ll be back!” You called out and walked out into the sun filled Paddock. You grabbed your coffee - Max getting a Red Bull - and arrived at somewhat empty track.
“Most drivers are doing their walk tomorrow morning. It’ll be empty.” Max understood your words and silently handed you his Red Bull to hold so he could slip out of the jacket. You couldn’t see anything on his forearms. 
You took the jacket out of his hands and passed him the Red Bull can. “Let me hold this.” You said to him. You would hold the jacket, you would it all for Max. Anything you could do to lighten the load of the young driver who still looked every bit the scared 16 year old you picked up from the petrol station all those years ago. 
“He, um. He grabbed my arm really tight. There’s this big bruise. And I know some people are starting to catch on and I don’t want them to see and think I’m still a baby who needs to be disciplined.”
You sipped on your coffee as you listened to Max. He was your driver and your training was more than just physical. You would be there for him in anyway that he needed. You always did. There wasn’t much you wouldn’t do for him to see him succeed, to see him happy. 
Hence why the next time you caught Jos Verstappen laying a hand on Max, you didn’t hold back. 
-
In the present day, Fred Vasseur sat at the pit wall. He kept a watchful eye on the times of one Australian rookie all throughout the race weekend here in Jeddah, one of the hardest tracks on the calendar.
He outperformed his teammate. And the car.
Oscar Piastri finished 9th.
Later that night when walking through the Paddock to go home after all the post-race debrief and meetings, Fred Vasseur would happen on seeing a girl run into Oscar's arms.
You, the one who made those mini pizzas.
You hugged the rookie tight with one hand, holding something in the other. Even from a distance, Fred Vasseur could guess what was in the plate.
Pancakes.
-
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leviismybby · 2 days
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Cat and Mouse
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Levi Ackerman x fem!reader, mdni, nsfw 18+, fingering
Levi's eyes scan the rooftops, he can hear you, hear your footsteps. He launches his gear at the nearby building wall and steps on the rooftop, spotting your figure he hides behind a wall and waits for you to pass by. This time, he won't let you off the hook easily, you were gonna rush past him but Levi surprises you, spins you around and pushes you against the cold surface harshly. You grunt as your back hits the concrete, your eyes narrow immediately before they meet his grey ones. He will never learn.
"Captain." That sarcasm in your voice isn't something Levi appreciated, he jas had enough of your games. Before he speaks, he pins your hands above your head, last time you pulled a stunt, he isn't letting that happen again. "What the fuck is your problem?" You know why he is mad, you've caused him quiet the trouble, not that you regret it. "My problem? I don't have one. You clearly do." A brat, you were such a brat and he couldn't fathom what keeps him so infatuated with you. Maybe it's the fact that you're a thief that the MPs can't seem to catch or maybe is the fact that you outsmarted him both time he caught you. Either way, Levi wants it to stop.
"You have to stop. The military police will get a bounty on that shitty head of yours. You fucked it up badly this time." He was right, you did fuck it up, stealing from the Garrison just for the thrill of it. If Levi didn't know any better, he would say that you're crazy, than again, he isn't exactly normal either and he is the last person to judge you given his past as a thug. "Aww, thanks for caring, I don't care." You try to stir out of his grip and he only tightens it, keeping you still. "You're fucking insufferable you know that?" It was true, you were an annoyance for him, he had better things to do than to chase a petty thief around Trost but there was something about you that kept him coming back. He hated himself for always giving in.
"I can only say the same, Captain. Why do you care so much?" You roll your eyes, trying to find a way out of his grip but nothing seems to come to mind. He is too close to you, you can feel his breath on your cheek, this is getting dangerous. "I don't dammit. I will be the first to celebrate when your ass gets thrown in jail." Maybe he should do it, bring you in and let the militray police do as they please with you but his inner turmoil isn't letting him, he hates to admit it but he enjoys this, the chase and the games between you. His comrads would be disappointed if they knew, he knows your face, knows how you work so why doesn't he just report you? It's a problem that he can't slove tonight.
You don't say anything, the words coming out of his mouth were harsh but true, you did keep him on his feet and you enjoyed the attention. "So report me. Or is your ego not letting you." He hides things well behind that indifferent expression but his eyes tell you a different story, there is hate there, of course there is, you two hold mutual hatred for on e another however there is desire there too, it shouldn't be. It really shouldn't. Levi scoffs at your words, his fingers wrap around your neck and he squeezes, his other hand still firmly holding your wrist together. "You're the egotist one here. You and your shitty criminal jobs. How much money did you earn by selling sealed information huh? What is your game here?" That was his main problem, you stole from the survey corps too and he doesn't appreciate it one bit.
His fingers squeeze your throat again, he wants you to answer but he won't approve if you lie to him. "Enough and I enjoy the chase. Noel matter how big or minor my crime is, you always comr running after me. Why is that captain?" Now there is a question he wants answer at least not with words. Hos face inches closer to you, your noses touching. "Fucking annoying brat." You smirk, your eyes drifting to his lips, will he finally do it or will he run away from it like all those other times? You don't move away or lean in, you simply wait, eager to feel his lips agsint yours.
And just like that, a groan leaves his lips, his hand moving down to your hip and his lips crashing agsint yours. Returning the kiss immediately, you feel his grip on your wrist loosen and insted he interlocks his fingers with yours, his kiss getting more passionate. You let your hand fall to his hair, pulling him into the kiss even more, his body presses up agsint yours, the heat between you making a shiver run down your spine. You moan as his hand moves to your ass and he squeezes, loving the sounds that are leaving your mouth. He needs to hear more and he plans too. His grip gets more and more possessive, his hands start to roam your body, feeling your every curve. You can't go all the way put here, both of you know that but Levi is letting his desire for you cloud his judgement and he can't keep his hands off of you even out here.
The two of you keep kissing for some time until Levi pulls away, a string of saliva connecting your mouth to each other. Levi's eyes look you up and down, he wants to fuck you here and now but it's too risky, so he will simply have to do something else. His mouth starts kissing your neck, each kiss more sloppy than the other, you throw your head back, giving him more space, you're enjoying this more than you thought you would. A gasp leaves your swollen lips when he bites into your skin leaving marks behind. "You smell so fucking good." He says against your skin before biting again, this time he hits your sweet spot directly, making a shiver run down your spine. You grab onto his shoulders, your body pulling it self closer to his. "Desperate are you? Fucking brat." He turns you around, your hands on the cold wall, he bucks your hips sligthy and gives your ass a firm slap, fuck the things he would do to you.
He lands another slap on your ass, his body pressing fully into yours, you can feel how hard he is for you. You bite your lip and reach out for his bulge but he slaps your hand away. "No. Keep your fucking hands on the wall understood?" You nod at his words, as much you want to talk back to him, you don't want to ruin this moment so you keep quiet and listen to what he says. You keep your hands on the wall feeling his run up and down your sides before the reach your pants. His hand slides in and you gasp at his cold fingers as they reach your core, he rubs you over your panties making soft moans come put of you. "Wet aren't you? Is this waht this whole thing is about? You want me to fuck you don't you?" Bingo, thats exactly what this whole thing is about, him finally breaching his breaking point and taking you.
Your hips buck into his hands, you want more. Levi chuckles, sending another shiver down your body, this is the first time you hear him chuckle and it's making you feel things. "Yeah? Oh you would love to have my cock deep inside of you right now. Too bad you're not getting it." He nibbles on your ear as he says that, his voice horase and rough, he is turned on beyond belief. He starts to rub you again, feeling the way the fabric of your panties is getting wet, you're phehetic, acting all though while all it took is a single touch for him to get you under his control, you melt so easily, he will indulge in that. Finally his fingers slip into your underwear and feels your pussy, his fingers runs down your slit, feeling your slick and walls, you're so wet for him, fuck he really is in trouble.
He kisses your shoulder, his fingers finding your clit, you thighs close against his hand, whimpers escape your mouth. "How cute. You're phehetic, so fucking easy to break." His fingers enters you without warning, it starts of slow, he loves teasing you but as soon as he feels your warm walls clench around his finger, he starts to finger you faster. "Fuck Levi." You say, your hands steady on the wall, he knows what he is doing. As soon as you said that, he adds a second finger keeping the fast pace, your eyes start to water as he curls them hitting that soft spot. He keeps pumping his fingers in and put of you, your actions are getting him more drunk, he loves how your body shakes just from him fingering you. He needs to control himself or else his cock will be buried deep inside of you and he can't afford that.
The more you react, the faster his pace gets, you forget completely where you are. That people can see and hear you but that's the last of your worries right now. You have Levi, the captain of the survey corps, humanity's strongest soldier fingering you on top of a building. This isn't how you wanted your afternoon to go but its far better than you ever imagined. His fingers keep moving inside of you, his other hand runs under your shirt and he grabs your breast, massaging it in his hands. "Are you gonna cum for me out here?" That makes your pussy clench aagsint his fingers again, you're getting close, that pit in your stomach starts to build up but you're not queit there yet. Levi knows how to push you over the edge, his thumb adds pressure on your clit and he keeps fingering you in a fast pace, the moan that leavs you is something you should be ashamed of, oh someone definitely heard you now, not that you care. "That's it. Good girl, cum for me, let me see you fall apart."
You can't keep your hands on the wall anymore, your grabs onto his arm with both of your hands, digging your nails into his shirt as you cum. You roll your hips, riding out of your orgsam against his fingers, he keeps them inside of you even after you cum. You catch your breath, your head falling back on his shoulder, he kisses the side of your face, he removes his hand from your underwear, his fingers are soaked. "Took about two fucking minutes to make you cum. Aren't you embarrassed?" He asks you as you open your eyes, your cheeks flushed, his hand is still on your breast and he squeezes it once more before letting go and setting both of his hands on your hips. He kisses you on the lips again, the kiss is quick and sloppy.
Eventually, Levi pulls away from you, cleaning his fingers with his cloth. You turn back around, leaning against the wall. The sun is starting to set and you don't know what to say. Levi looks your way again, he fixes his gear. "Stay out out trouble or next time I am fucking you on the wall for all to see. Understood?" That makes you laugh, he had a way with words but you wouldn't mind at all. "Oh captain my captain, if that will be the outcome, I will be gladly robbing the bank next." Your words make his eyes roll, you really were a brat. You fic yourself, fix your hair and look at him again. "See you around, Captain." You wink and get off the rooftop. Levi is left there, staring at the distance until he realised something, his wallet was missing. Damn you.
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weebsinstash · 2 days
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People keep asking me if I have any 'yandere Alastor vs. yandere Lucifer fighting over Reader' ideas, and I gotta say one of my favorite ones is uh
Ok so I just am trying to kick myself in the ass to write this in of itself, but, I really like the idea of Alastor just straight up tricking you into giving him your soul. "Oh what if Reader takes a deal from him" no what if he makes a deal for your soul and you don't even fucking realize what you're doing and it's completely unintentional. I'm talking, my specific idea, is that after a prolonged series of events where you both gain and then lose Alastor's respect, he then approaches you when you're just like DRUNK DRUNK and, you're being all social and slurring and honestly he's embarrassed for you but at least you're talking to him, and, he sets his trap: making it seem like just an innocent little game, Alastor suggests you two have some kind of drinking game, and the winner can take ANY ONE THING from the other, and he's even all "oh, you don't even have to bother yourself with thinking about it! I could simply JUST TAKE IT and not even inform you, so then you wouldn't even have to worry yourself about whatever it is I decided to... acquire for myself :)"
And here's your drunken delusionally confident ass, thinking YOU'RE gonna pull one over on HIM, YOU trick ALASTOR "oh haha there's definitely nothing I have he wants lol, what would he do, take my cellphone or some of my shitty clothes or collectibles, lmao, I'm gonna win and I'm gonna ask him for some sort of special power or cool thing or gossip, this is low stakes high reward for sure"
Cue you like IMMEDIATELY losing his challenge, and even then, you're all smiles and laughs, "aww, I thought I had you there! So what are you taking?" And he just "Ohhhh, nothing :) actually I... even already took it from you!" And he starts LAUGHING laughing and you're just like "oh, you bastard, you got me! >u< more drinks, yay!"
I like the idea that Reader wakes up the next morning STILL in compete ignorance but uh, eventually you find out exactly how terrifying having someone else own your soul is when Alastor gives you some sort of command of something you REALLY do not want to do and you can't even control your own body to stop yourself from doing it anyways. Just the... violations of privacy, the loss of autonomy. He can force every thought and secret out of your mouth, your head, and move your body to the best of its abilities, and also just, PLUCK you to his location at will
So. Lucifer finds you just absolutely BROKEN in bed, like emotionally devastated, you are as close to suicidal as you can be for someone who cannot die, and, maybe you've even self-harmed. And after some gentle prodding from the Devil, you reveal what Alastor did, but, even more than that, how it made you FEEL. Alastor had approached you as some kind of friend, then started to want to exert some kind of ... control over you, commenting on your lifestyle choices, wanting you to do things with him in HIS way, and then when you resisted, he acted like you were a disappointment, even stopped spending time with you, and THEN, after you thought he was done with you, TRICKS YOU into giving him YOUR SOUL. It's just completely destroyed your psyche. It's reinforced horrible things you've thought about yourself your entire life. It made you feel alone, and now, you don't even have your soul anymore
So naturally Lucifer is like, "That's horrible! I'm so sorry he hurt you like that, I won't let him do this!" AND JUST FUCKING UNDOES IT. Contract WHAT? Radio Demon WHO? this is HELL and Lucifer is, you know, THE DEVIL FROM UH, THE BIBLE, and he's just snapping his fingers and you FEEL your soul come back to you and now you're breaking down crying for entirely different reasons while Lucifer holds you
MEANWHILE ALASTOR, who is fucking off elsewhere, may or may not be lovingly gazing at whatever form your soul is taking within his grasp, HAS IT RIPPED AWAY FROM HIM AND STARTS LOSING HIS MIND. Some "Wait, what just happened? Ffffuck." shit for real, he's, abruptly jerking out of his chair so hard it's sliding across the floor and he's racing back to the Hotel. Charlie stands up for him and shouts down her father that he has no right to ask the Radio Demon to leave, but, Charlie "attempts" to give Alastor "a stern talking to" about how "friends don't take other friend's souls, taking other people's souls is not how we get into Heaven" which, of course, falls on deaf ears, but Charlie isn't the Morningstar Alastor is wanting to concern himself with
And of course, there's Lucifer, making sure he's standing close to you, maybe even between you and Alastor, standing in front of you protectively, MAYBE EVEN HOLDING YOUR HAND TO COMFORT YOU. Alastor just immediately putting two and two together what happened and all but grinding his teeth into dust. Not only has Lucifer interfered and taken something IRREPLACEABLE from him(which was something he took from YOU lol), but, Lucifer has driven a wedge between you ans the Radio Demon. Alastor is watching you regard him with nothing but anger and sadness and fear while clinging to the tiny fallen angel and just, ohhhh, if looks could kill, the staredown these two are having with each other over you...
You've got one yandere who had your soul within his hands and had it taken back before he even got to enjoy having it, didn't get to DO anything with it, and another yandere who, quite understandably, feels that it isn't safe to let you leave from under his protective wing, and BOTH of them are convinced you have to be protected from the other while ALSO being super powerful
You know, the perfect combination of dangerous abilities and dangerous minds :) obviously our favorite Appletini is the more powerful one, but I think our Bambi could give him a good run for his money through sheer trickery alone. If you thought it was annoying getting pulled into antagonistic musicals BEFORE--
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grandlinedreams · 10 hours
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Well, since I have fallen for your writing pretty hard (it's a blessing really, because so far only your reader can be read as a he when it comes to the Fallout series fandom), my brain's been spewing ideas at me.
I'd love to see a genuinely jealous Cooper. Awfully and painfully jealous, where he's actually hurting and doubting himself, but is also angry. Not the kind of playful jealousy he felt towards Lucy, no. Something deeper. And angry at the slimy guy who's already stepped over any kind of boundaries when he's laid his eyes on what's his. But they need the information, they can't go forward without it, so the plan is for the reader (you knooow, that version of the reader from that particular fic of yours, where they are crafting ammo) to get close, flirt with him, go real sweet on him. But that guy's too touchy. Too close, too dangerously close. To getting his brains blown out of his skull by Cooper's gun, that is.
I absolutely love your writing ❤️
OUGH YES I EAT THAT SHIT UP EVERY TIME but also thank-you!! I do my absolute best not to gender reader bc it bugs me to do it unless I'm asked to and it's also just a whole lot more inclusive! 🥺❤️
Warnings: jealous!Cooper, some self deprication, mentions of pre-War Cooper, weapons maker/dealer!reader, touch of angst, Canon typical violence, Lucy just watching all of this like ??, skeezy informant dude do be skeezin', boundaries very overstepped (unwanted touch, lewd words), questionable alcohol,cursing, quick and dirty Makeout sesh at the end lmao
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The place is a "bar" in the lowest sense of the term. A gutted out building that was undoubtedly a diner of some kind before the war, now with blown out windows but surprisingly, a neon 'open' sign that halfway works in places, spitting sparks that makes Lucy eye it warily. "Is this place...safe?"
You snort. "If you're lookin' for safe, you should've stayed in that tin-can vault of yours." You adjust the sling of your pack, now far lighter than it'd been when you left with Cooper, Lucy, and Dogmeat. "We need information, and the best informant we've got likes to hang around here."
Lucy still doesn't look happy about it, but she reluctantly follows as you step forward. The inside resembles the outside for the most part, the same kind of dismal grey of the wastelands ㅡ but it's busy.
Battered tables teem with scavengers and raiders alike, and you pretend not to notice them ㅡ your attention is on the man doing a piss-poor job of wiping down what's left of a counter. A radio crackles, a singer croons sweetly, but the pitch is made tinny for the way the man casually smacks the top of it when it stutters. A barely there glance up at you, silent prompt that you follow.
"Three drinks," you say without preamble, shoving a handful of caps forward. Your fingers drum, eyes roaming in feigned disinterest ㅡ and then nod when three short glasses are shoved to you. The liquid is of a questionable color, watered down amber ㅡ you sniff it before you take a sip.
"Tastes like shit," you say when Cooper approaches and you hand him his glass, followed by Lucy, "but it gets the job done."
Lucy eyes the glass. "What is it?"
You down the rest of it. "Poor man's excuse for whiskey, I think. Or might be deathclaw piss, who knows."
Cooper snorts when Lucy's nose wrinkles, but she downs it with a grimace that makes you snicker and pat her back.
"Atta girl, vaultie. Atta girl."
The four of you settle at a table, Dogmeat at your feet as you stretch out, catching Lucy's look. "What?"
"What are we here for?"
"Information, vaultie," Cooper cuts in, "we don't have shit to go on as far as following your dear ol' daddy, so we gotta get some."
"And the best bet is getting it from that sneaky bastard," you let your eyes drift so that Lucy follows, "over there."
The man in question has clearly seen better days ㅡ or what he can see through the thick, wild tangle of silver-streaked hair on his head, the matching mess of beard that spills from his chin to his chest. He's sitting with a handful of scavengers, oblivious to the fact he's being watched.
"Him?" Lucy's tone expresses her doubt. "He doesn't look likeㅡ"
You knock your knuckles on the table to quiet her. "The point of being an informant, Lucy," you say in a low mutter, "is to not look like a fuckin' idiot who's listening in on shit they shouldn't."
"So who's gonna go talk to him?"
You sigh, eyeing the two. Cooper is obviously out of the question ㅡ it's the grace of his hat and the fact his back is to most of them that allows him some anonymity, but you have no doubts near everyone knows who he is. Or at the very least, what he is.
And Lucy... well. She's been out here for weeks now, but there's still a naive shinyness to her that says she'll fuck it up immediately, even if she doesn't mean to.
"Me," you say, and Lucy blinks at the same time Cooper tenses, eyes dark as they study your face. There's a protest on the tip of his tongue, one you silence as you continue, "I'm the best bet we have of getting what we need."
Lucy glances between you and Cooper, sensing the rising tension ㅡ and Dogmeat whines and nudges at your leg. Your eyes lock with Cooper's.
"Fine," he rasps. "Do what you have to."
Cooper is pissed. Lucy can tell that, the way his eyes never leave you as you trek back to the counter, another couple of caps for another drink ㅡ not for you, her, or him. But for that informant, the way you gesture with a casual nod in his direction.
He watches as the drink gets sent, the informant looking up, and his gloved hands tighten in his lap at the grin the other man gives you before he waves you over. He hates the casual way you step, relaxed, friendly ㅡ flirtatious, almost.
Cooper is not stupid. Far from it, he knows better than to outright stake claim on you in a way that can be used against him by others ㅡ but you're a chink in the proverbial armor, a weakness he's both grateful for and wishes he didn't have.
It's unspoken though, that you're his ㅡ and the fact he can't stroll over and make a point of it annoys him. Especially with the way the man's hand drifts over your leg, meaty fingers on a thigh Cooper has touched in a more intimate way, spaces reserved for him and him alone ㅡ seeing this fucker paw at you makes his blood boil.
"Looks like they're doing a good job so far," Lucy says, watching a little less intently than Cooper, "do you thinkㅡ"
"Vaultie." Cooper's voice is low and sharp. "Shut the fuck up."
It's not Lucy's fault, not really ㅡ but Cooper's two seconds from putting a bullet in this guy's head, information be damned. In another life, the life he'd had before, he figures he wouldn't be so irritated. He'd been handsome, hadn't really had to do much to make his stance clear ㅡ but now?
Now he knows what he looks like, how he acts ㅡ and the softer lining of your relationship is still new enough that there's that kernel of doubt. That you'd take someone else if given the chance, someone who could give you far more than he can ㅡ because all he can give you is all he knows.
Death and destruction, picking apart things until there's nothing left. All he knows how to do is take and take and take ㅡ and while you've yet to be bothered by it, he knows it's just a matter of time.
He tracks that hand when it slides up your back, teeth clenched because now you look distinctly uncomfortable. It's hidden, but he knows how to look for it, better at reading you than anyone else ㅡ and it's quickly fraying restraint that keeps him from getting up and coming to your rescue.
You flinch at the next touch, barely there recoil ㅡ but it's enough to snap Cooper's threadbare patience as he stands, ignoring Lucy's look of confusion as he strolls over.
His foosteps are slow, feigned casual as he approaches, settling a hand on your shoulder. Again, casual, were it not for the possessive pressure as he drawls, "Sorry for the interruption, but I need to borrow my friend here."
He's hauling you up before you can protest, and he commends himself on choosing this option rather than the one he so desperately wants ㅡ one that would involve splattering the brains of that fucker across the back wall. Even so, he takes too much pleasure in the intentional hand on said gun when the informant opens his mouth to protest.
He hurries you away from the table, ignores Lucy and Dogmeat as he tugs you past the table and outside, around the corner from prying eyes.
"Cooper," you snap, "what the fuckㅡ"
You're silenced by the aggressive press of his mouth on yours, gloved hand still firm around your upper arm as he cages you against the wall. He dominates the kiss, nips at your lip, deepens it with the muffle of a soft moan from you.
His other hand wanders, up your thigh, side, back ㅡ all the places that piece of shit dared to touch you. "I know I said do what you have to," he mutters when he breaks away to nip at your neck, "but I have my limits, sweetheart. 'specially when some fuckface is touchin' what's mine."
You squirm. "Cooperㅡ"
Dark eyes meet yours. "You are mine, aren't you darlin'?" You nod, and he clicks his tongue. "Words, babydoll. I wanna hear you say it."
It takes a second for you to find your voice. "Yours," you say, "I'm yours, Cooper."
He smirks, leaning in to kiss you again. Less aggressive but no less consuming, only letting up to let you breathe as he presses against you. "Good," he rasps, "better rememher that because I don't intend on losin' you, nor do I like the idea of fuckin' sharing."
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veren-cos · 3 days
Text
Asking out the Bachelors (SDV)
x disabled!reader
You presented him with a bouquet. But before he could speak, you interupt. "Now before you say anything!" He looks at you confused. "I want you to know before you make any big decisions that I am disabled. I get around fine enough, I mean, I can handle my farm and all. But some days it's rough. And I won't be able to. I might not have the energy for anything. I really- Really -like you, but I don't want to be hurt down the line because you can't deal with this." You put your heart on the line and awaited his response.
All Bachelor's below the cut
Harvey
• Gives you a big ol' hug
• Probably cries a little because he is so happy that you asked him out
• Hopes you don't notice
• You definitely do, but don't say anything because-how cute is he!
• The two of you just stay there for a second, because it's not like you can really move when you are trapped in a hug
• "Dear, having a disability is no big thing. So you need a little extra support sometimes. I am your man!"
• Literally will go to the ends of the Earth to help you when things are acting up
• When you go into more detail about it, he knows a lot already! (Duh he is a doctor)
• But he will do a lot more research about the specifics once you leave.
• He stays in that hug for a really long time before realizing that he never actually accepted your bouquet and becomes a bit of a flustered mess
• You think he is adorable
Sam
• As much as he likes to think he is sooooo cool, he is so happy that he just gives you a double thumbs up and a dopey grin
• He says, "Farmer you don't know how happy this makes me!"
• Invites you into his house to talk about things more, and plucks around his guitar while doing so.
• He doesn't know crap about disabilities, besides adhd and a few more common ones.
• But he is willing to learn!
• The two of you actually have a really long heartfelt conversation about it.
• Lots of hugs.
• Like he cannot get over the fact that you are dating now.
• Maybe a makeout session if the mood feels right?
Sebastian
• Kinda just stares at you for an uncomfortable amount of time
• You have no idea what he is thinking, and frankly neither does he.
• His brain is frying at the fact that you like him back.
• And then he is also panicking at the fact that you think he won't like you because of something you can't change!
• Grabs your hands once he snaps out of it, startles both of you
• "Yes!" He somewhat shouts, "yes! Yoba, I swear. I care for you and nothing about you will change that."
• Proceeds to just hold your hands and blush because OHMYGOSHMYCRUSHLIKESMEANDIJUSTTOLDTHEMILIKETHEMAND-
• Later when you talk about your disability more, he recognizes the name from late night internet browsing, and will do whatever he can for you when things get bad.
• Like Sam, there is a lot of communication about how he can help because he isn't well informed
Alex
• Literally picks you up???
• Idk he is weird (it's okay we still love him)
• Like holds you bridal style and gives you a big smooch on your cheek
• Will do his best to learn how to help!!!
• He doesn't care you have a disability
• Absolutely will take care of your farm and animals if need be
• When he sets you down he gives you an actual kiss
• The two of you talk about everything
• Shows up at your farm the next day after talking to Harvey
• He wanted to learn a bit more about helping people with disabilities, now having two important people in his life that have them! (You and George)
• Overall he'd be really good about it once he got going
Shane
If he was sober at the moment
• "We all have our problems, and yours is nothing."
• "I'm shocked you want to go out with me, but remember, this was your idea!"
• Aka, he tried to act all tough but when you look at his face, he is just a softy
• He has a slight blush on his face
• He is so happy you trusted him enough to tell him your personal business
• Won't be perfect by any means at helping when things get hard, but he tries
If he was drunk at the moment
• "I'm not dealing with that."
• And then he walks away.
• Regrets it so much when he sobers up but the damage was done
• If you felt that he deserved another chance it wouldn't be for a long time
• If you get together later, every time things flare up he just feels so guilty.
Elliott
(Apologies in advance for possibly being out of character. He is the one I know the least about-)
• Similar to Alex ngl (kinda?)
• He smiles at you, places his hand at the nape of your neck, and then gives you a kiss on the cheek
• Let's his head rest on your forehead for a few moments before accepting your bouquet
• Gives you a gentle kiss
• Will learn all of the things to know about your disability
• Makes sure you check in with Harvey about it whenever things get bad
• Will make you soup :) he knows it won't 'fix' anything, but he doesn't know when else to do when people aren't feeling good
• It's cute
• Will gives you cuddles after he accepts the bouquet, and makes sure to talk to you about what you need.
• He tells you, "nothing can change the way I feel about you. You are the light of my life." (Or some fancy poetry that idk how to write)
This is the first thing I've written that I've posted, so please lmk if I made a typo or something!!! And let me know if you want me to elaborate on any prompt. Or give me a prompt! I will be posting more, I just have to edit them.
(Thank you to my friend for proofreading if you see this)
Also I mostly write x reader, which I am down to make weirdly specific. Mostly fluff or hurt/comfort, but I am down for almost anything so if you have any fic you want written, lmk!!! I might not get to it for a while because, life, but we'll see! Hope you had fun reading, sorry for the long outro-
(Edited Alex's, thanks for pointing out George is disabled!)
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thankskenpenders · 23 hours
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IDW's Fang the Hunter miniseries! All four issues are out now! I don't have as much to say about it as I did with the Knuckles show, but I do have some thoughts.
So! This is a pretty fun miniseries. I liked it.
It's fun to see Ian get to write a four-issue arc starring the Hooligans, his precious boys, with a B-plot showing Sonic and Tails' perspective on this little adventure. As always, Ian captures the characters' voices well. In particular, I really liked Bean in this, who despite being a slapstick screwball is actually a pretty perceptive guy. He often acts as sort of a voice of reason for Fang, seeing right through his sweet talking and pointing out how badly all of their schemes go but sticking around nonetheless just for funsies. And the art (illustrated this time by Mauro Fonseca for the first issue and Thomas Rothlisberger for the rest) is as good as we've come to expect from IDW's Classic Sonic output. Overall, this is a fun little romp that captures the vibes of the Classic era very well.
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...But...
Well, as I've said before with the Amy and Tails anniversary specials, I feel like we're kind of seeing diminishing returns with these Classic spinoffs. They're fun, sure, and very nice to look at, but their writing always leave me wanting more.
A big part of this is just that there's just less to work with compared to the Modern universe. The Classic cast is much smaller, and within that cast there are a bunch of characters currently going unused, some of which are currently off-limits. Aside from the appearance of the Witchcarters in Tails' special, we've pretty much just stuck with the cast of Sonic Mania and the Hooligans, as established in the first special. No Chaotix, no Battle Bird Armada, barely any Honey. (Classic Vector was able to get a tiny cameo in the Amy special only because he was so obscured that it gave the IDW team plausible deniability to say it was actually a different character if Sega complained.) It's a very small box, and Ian's recent Classic comics haven't particularly expanded the boundaries of that box. They're just excuses to play the hits for old times' sake. And that was a lot of fun the first time around, but the novelty is starting to wear off for me.
I will admit, sure, the tighter focus on a specific set of characters from the games is a big part of the appeal of these Classic comics. They're simpler. They're nostalgic. They're shining the spotlight on characters that can't be used in the main series. They're the slavishly faithful old school Sonic comics that we could never get in the '90s, because the comics we did get diverged into their own continuities with tons of new characters. I get all that.
But the thing is, the Sonic comics have always added all those new characters because you can just do so much more with them. The game cast is great! But they're corporate mascots Sega keeps on a tight leash. You can do so much with a character like Sally or Surge that you could never do with any of the game characters, and by pushing into new territory with these new characters you can also bring out interesting new sides of the game cast. Maybe Sonic himself can't have some crazy complex character arc, but you can see how he'll respond to the things going on with these other characters, and how these other characters' arcs are informed by their relationships with Sonic.
So I look at the Fang miniseries, and I'm like. This was pretty fun. But by the end, what was the point of the story? What did we learn about the Hooligans as characters that we didn't already know? Is the point just to depict an adventure where things go off the rails a little and Bean and Bark end up a little miffed, explaining why they weren't with Fang in Superstars? There's potential for an arc there about the dissolution of the group, but it really does come off more as the type of spat these three probably get into all the time before coming back together for the next job. It's neither super dramatic nor super funny, feeling more like it ends on a fairly matter-of-fact note where Fang's like "welp, time to go do the events of Sonic Superstars" at the end, not particularly plussed by anything that happened in this arc. What we're left with is four issues of the Hooligans encountering recognizable characters and visiting recognizable locations from the Classic games, with little that really feels new or fresh here.
Ironically, the most interesting story element to me here (aside from Bean's characterization) is its tie to the main comics, something previous specials couldn't do since Sega had yet to reunify the Classic and Modern timelines. The plot of this comic revolves around Fang following the myth of the "eighth Chaos Emerald," riffing on both old playground rumors and Sonic the Fighters. What they actually end up finding isn't an extra Emerald, but rather the Warp Topaz that would eventually end up in Starline's possession in the Modern era, having apparently been found by the Hard-Boiled Heavies in the cave seen in the 900th Adventure special.
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That's kinda neat, and the abilities of the Warp Topaz are used in fun ways. But this isn't exactly something to write home about for people who aren't lore nerds like me. There isn't a particularly meaningful connection between Fang and Starline's arcs here due to the presence of the Warp Topaz, it's just a thing for the wiki. Again, Ian's in his connect the dots mode a little more than I'd like here.
(...So wait, if Starline didn't find the Warp Topaz himself, did he track down the cave where the Heavies found it to leave that "greatness began here" graffiti? Eh, I guess that sounds like something he'd do. He's known for nothing if not his obsessiveness.)
So, again. This was a pretty good miniseries. This all makes it sound like I hated it, but I did like it overall. I particularly liked seeing the Hooligans fight the Hard-Boiled Heavies. But it leaves me feeling less fulfilled than something like Scrapnik Island or Tangle & Whisper or Imposter Syndrome. I get that, by the very definition of the word, Classic Sonic is always going to remain trapped in amber to some extent. This isn't the version of the franchise that's supposed to grow and change. That's what Modern Sonic does. Classic Sonic will always be trapped in the early '90s. I'm not asking for them to add a dozen new characters with complex dramatic arcs to the Classic comics, since that's not what Classic Sonic is about. But I think the other Classic Sonic stories not written by Ian - i.e. the driving school story by the McElroys and the two stories about Amy by Gale Galligan - show that you can tell fresh new Classic Sonic stories that aren't just about remixing the hits from the games.
If we're going to continue getting Classic Sonic comics from Ian (and I hope we do!), then I just hope he's able to find a better balance between familiar and new ideas, like he and Evan do so consistently with their Modern Sonic output.
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sgiandubh · 1 day
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On leadership
This is a personal comment on @luhafraser's last post, where she wrote, in plain English:
'But I can't help but notice that since I joined this fandom, what we have in all the groups in this fandom are "leaders", they come and go, new ones appear, or reinvent themselves. There are people that stand out and lead others to follow their ideas and statements. It is these people that receive information, have sources, receive pics, and are fed by "anonymous" (Sorry, but a lot of things that have already appeared could only have come from someone "inside"). I know we are all adults, but there are those who know how to influence or who are led to be influencers, there are those who understand that and there are those who don't.'
Dear @luhafraser,
You wrote a couple of things with great confidence, as you usually do, and I feel I have to say something,
I have invited you already to name names, not allude to persons in your posts, as you so transparently seem to be doing right now. So yes, I felt looked upon and judged. By you (and not only you). Since Day 1. You thought I was never going to respond, well - you were wrong. The day has come and the day is now.
Dear @luhafraser, while I do immensely appreciate your real qualities (intelligence, humor, sleuthing, etc.), I am less a fan of this kind of little games, both in public and behind the scenes. My sudden apparition seems to have bothered you, with Anons asking you (June 20, 2023) if I was really a new person joining in and you denying it without taking the time to talk to me:
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This is simply not done, my dear. I have openly and transparently engaged with people since Day 1 and never lied about my own circumstances. Your answer started a flurry of speculation that kept people interested all summer long and forced me to dox myself. So kindly prove me and all the others I am not a newbie (something completely impossible to do), do it in public and own the things you post in here.
I am not a leader of anything, @luhafraser , and I have no wish to be regarded as such. Ever. I have learned, in 20 years of my high-level public service career, that being the boss corrupts and exposes. But yes, I did want to be a disruptively positive voice in what I felt to be an intimidated community. I wanted to bring more clarity and all those research skills to all of you. I wanted honesty. And I, above anything else, wanted to help. And I am sorry that people agreeing or liking what I post seems to bother you. It is not something I can help you with. It is what it is. There is a place for all our voices to be heard in here. Every single one of them.
I have no inside information on SC and never did. I have not betrayed anything that was shared with me in DMs and only posted things when adamantly asked to do so, after careful vetting and only from people I knew. However I am a hell of a bloodhound when I am set to find something and I am rather good at what I do, also in real life. I also know when to stop and will never share things that would be legally questionable. It would expose us and it is a risk simply not worth taking.
I am not here for clicks and likes. My block list is three or four times bigger than my dash. I do not care for fame, but I do care for a couple of trusted people that became real friends. It is for them and for them only that I am not giving you satisfaction and quit.
I keep my promises. I will not go anywhere. If you do not like what I write, please unfollow and block immediately - this goes for anyone that feels bothered about me being here, in any way. I have no wish to start a war with any of you - that would make Mordor glee with joy for months. But please do me and yourself a favor: if in doubt, go now. I cannot stand duplicity, never could.
I hope that sets the record straight. Believe it or not, I have no hostility towards you. Not a single ounce.
I am not expecting an answer.
[Later edit;] I am glad I doxed myself. Very glad. But that is another story.
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ash-says · 2 days
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Hush Hush Honey:
A guide on how to regulate oversharing and balancing the conversation flow.
Each one of us has at least been in a situation where we accidentally ended up spilling more than we should. We do recognise the patterns but are unable to control ourselves. That's why your girl Ash-says is here to say a lot about it.
1) Find the why
What are you trying to achieve by sharing that piece of information? Drama? Attention? Get it off your chest? Is it important to inform them? Is it valuable to them?etc.
First tackle the why. Before you go in to reveal something ask yourself if it goes with the conversation flow and if yes is it really important to share it.
2) Are you a celebrity?
No like why? Who is interested in your life so much? Are those people paparazzi to broadcast your current events and bring you fame? No right. So shut up.
3) Who puts their dirty laundry on display?
When you overshare you are basically putting all your secrets, stuff that you do or did on blatant exposure. People are going to judge you. That's the very nature. So breathe and keep it inside.
4) Try to listen more
Train yourself into listening more than speaking especially in group settings or around people that you don't know much about. Gossip is real. You don't want to be the next tea time sensation.
5) Alternatives for talkative people:
Now I know you might be thinking can't say this can't say that then how the hell am I going to bond with people or what should I converse about?
I have developed a solution for you. It's Ash verified because I myself have been using it unknowingly for around 7 years of my life.
Never open your mouth for passing judgements, expressing your opinions on things that do not relate to you, your dirty laundry, secrets, family issues, relationship issues, your sex life, your goals and aspirations, your daily routine, your political standpoint,etc you get where I am going right?
Instead speak about the experiences you had while travelling somewhere, some goofy stuff that happened to you, your harmless vice for example: I am clumsy so I have a lot of incidents that occur due to it which can be told in a funny way. It adds a nuance to my perfectionist image plus helps people warm up to me. Movie shows, songs, etc here also there's a catch if you relate to a show/song/ piece of literature strongly never reveal it. The smart ones will understand the inner workings of your mind.
Never let them know your next move.
If nothing of this then goof around being nonsense. Do little hand gestures, funny faces if you are bored but never overshare.
6) Be mindful of interruption
Practise practise practise. Literally that's the only way. Try not to interrupt people while speaking. There's no roundabout way. It is what it is.
7) Be comfortable in silence
You have to be okay with the conversation dying down. Running your mouth dry will only result in one sided convo. It's more useless and harmful than the one mentioned before.
8) Know your limits
Fix in your brain what you can share and what you can't. Stick to it. Even over your dead body.
9) Be genuinely interested in people
Ask yourself are you asking questions to really get to know the other person or just looking for a chance to talk about yourself? Dethrone yourself first and then interact with others.
10) Put out stuff that you are over with
Always remember what you say can and will be used against you. Drill it and from next time when you speak be mindful that every word can stand against you. Do you have the capacity to handle the consequences? Yes then go ahead. No, then stop live streaming.
Bonus point: Be as private as possible on social media. People don't need to know what you are doing nowadays. Privacy is power. What they don't know they can't ruin.
Strategically put things out. I am not saying be inactive. In Rome you live like the Romans. Do it smartly.
That's all for today's show on ash-says. Stay tuned for more illegal tricks and explosive opinions.
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tuesday again 4/30/2024
most annoying book i've read so far this year under the jump
listening
a lovely polyrhythmic instrumental piece with previously-featured tuesdaysong artist, terrifying master of the cello, abel selaocoe. this is very textured and kind of scrubs at the inside of my skull in a pleasing way. like the kind of back scrubber you can buy with a bamboo handle and the long soft bristles. popped up on my recent releases playlist from spotify.
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reading
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really fucking pissed about this book and i am not able to be reasonable about it. i was really thrown, much like the fantasy prince's mother from her carriage as she was being chased by regency gossip reporters, that this was a prince harry/meghan markle RPF AU. i am a bit uncomfy about the fact that our female lead, the fantasy AU meghan markle, is some flavor of fantasy Gaelic instead of fantasy mixed-race. now, i have no particular moral or physical beef with RPF but i don't typically seek it out. but/also/and, much like works about marilyn monroe, i think works with the specter of princess diana are in poor taste. can we leave these women alone maybe
i got about halfway through the book before this revelation and didn't really feel like it succeeded at much of anything it was trying to do. oddly informal and choppy, like it was originally intended as a contemporary romance with some urban magic and changed to regency in a late draft. this is combined with some fairly weak prose: more simple sentence structure than i would expect in a book for young adults, far too many proper nouns, and a lack of interest in showing not telling.
i straight up don't understand why the leads are attracted to each other if she keeps making very public mistakes and he's a rude cunt. i have read other books (most recently the t kingfisher books) where someone grows to love a very gruff or taciturn man, but it takes time and mutual trust and an effort on both sides, none of which happen here. the core conflict is duty to family in all its various forms vs the heart wants what the heart wants. the conflict is not much of a conflict, though, because characters come to realizations within three sentences of confronting them and then vocalize them with therapyspeak. someone literally pats someone else's hand and goes, "It's hard, I know." the author mercifully did not describe the sad little pursed sympathy mouth but i'm sure it was there.
i'm also deeply annoyed with how this author chose to go about characterization. while the character concepts are people i would love to meet in a ttrpg, it feels very concerned about Good Representation and it makes everyone feel very wooden. i think when you put together characters from a list of various oppressions and disabilities it starts feeling like a grownup version of a children’s ensemble show meant to sell little blind box figurines. here is the Chronically Ill one, and her color is pink! here is the Addicted one, and his color is green! here is the Goth and Depressed one, and her color is black with some bones! here is the Gay one who was once badly hurt by the Addicted one, and we don’t care enough about him to give him a color! here is the superficially fantasy-Jewish one, and we don’t care enough about her to give her a color or an action figure either!
while normally i would love to read a book with two! TWO! canonically bisexual leads of different genders! this book is written for the "folx" spectrum of gays instead of the "fags" part of the spectrum and it strays very close to a modern morality tale for me.
this popped up on a list of books with bi leads i think, but if it was here or on libby i cannot remember.
anyway! fucking hated this one.
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pleasantly surprised these came in back to back off my holds lists, bc they are about the perfumer Grace and Grace's former landlord, the spy Marguerite. my favorite of these Saint of Steel series is still the one with the werebear nun. i have nothing to complain about these books and not much to say about them either. they were such a delightful and competent change of pace after the annoyance of the previously discussed book.
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oh i loved these. oh i LOOOOOOVED these. how the fuck does novik do it. she is so good at capturing the very specific feel of a grandpa military historical novel. except with dragons. i love these in the same way i know i will love the patrick o'brien books if i ever get around to reading them. i was a navy brat and unfortunately this is fucking catnip to me. truly i have inherited all my father's tastes
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watching
largely fallow week. i don't have anything particularly great to say about The Bad Batch, but when have i ever. have not caught up with dunmeishi bc my siblings have once again inadvertently locked me out of the netflix account i pay for. considering a vpn for many reasons but watching netflix and watching porn (the state of texas does not want me or anyone else to watch porn within her borders) are the two big reasons for. idk. cashing out the paltry cash-back credit card rewards and coughing them up for a vpn. vpn opinions welcomed, i know most of them are straight garbage
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playing
i straight up ran out of money in genshin, which is pretty hard to do since they're pretty generous with it? i have spent several million in-game currency on leveling up neuvilette (i am so so so happy to not have to collect any fucking starfish mats for him anymore [mats are different materials you have to collect or buy in-game in order to level up a character. very grindy most of the time]). anyway i am now scrabbling around for the last couple chests and puzzles i marked on my map in fontaine. i haven't bothered with grinding for his specific boosting artifacts or leveling up his talents all the way yet but this is really not shabby. i have the bad habit of completely levelling up all my 5-stars and then ignoring them until i need them for a specific fight or a specific level of the monthly..battle royale puzzle? i don't really know how to describe the abyss. anyway when i do eventually need his pretty intense water AOE attacks i will frantically grind for his talent mats. right now we're grinding for other things thanks
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this latest update contains both the best and worst new areas so far. the underwater lost city of Remuria is a fuckin banger. gorgeous. incredible puzzles. very fun music-based quest line with new abilities and giant whale. however, im kind of disappointed by the new coastline area in the map: there is pretty much nothing there. almost no interactable plants to harvest, very few enemies, almost no chests. i get that they are focusing their time and attention on the new underwater area everyone will be focusing on (killer, btw, super dense and great use of vertical space). very lore-heavy expansion, sort of what if atlantis was a bit roman-inspired and also. hold on. wait a second.
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sorry this has just occurred to me at 10:21 PM on Monday night as im drafting this but oh my god are the fucking fontanians the Sea Peoples of the bronze age collapse. this is hysterically funny lore if true. im going to have to go back and reread a lot of the environmental storytelling notes but oh my GOD that's extremely funny if true. genshin has some of the most batshit lore of any game ive ever played and im so sad that so few game journos are focusing on it.
where was i. leveling up characters in legally-not-france who may or may not be descendants of the sea peoples. i often find myself leveling up characters in genshin not based on how useful they are to the party but by how fun the bosses i need to fight for their mats are? for example: neuvilette is a water-based AOE character with not a lot of on-field time. however this big electric seahorse, whose antlers i need to level him up, is really fun to fight and i can knock it out in about thirty seconds.
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making
my sister's birthday is tomorrow! my birthday package to her was kind of heavy on stupid little trinkets and art books and not very much like. homemade? so i cranked out a little sampler. it's framed i promise i simply forgot to take a picture of it framed. about 3"x3", slightly adapted from a piece in Julie Jackson's Subversive Cross Stitch. i do think the F and C turned out way better (or at least the backstitching stands out way more) but hey. sometimes you need to hastily stitch a gift with the limited colors you have on hand
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I have this Lawlu fic idea called "The City of Light" in my drafts. I'm most excited about writing Law here. He's a pirate who disappeared a century ago and no one knows where he is. That is...
In the present day, Luffy stumbles upon an island that's seemingly abandoned. Usopp refuses to go, claiming he has 'fear of new islands diseases'. At their campsite, Usopp suddenly disappears. Whatever, Usopp probably got cowardly—nothing new. He and Zoro push on!
They end up on a city made of white gold. It's shiny, it's brilliant and sparkling. They're greeted by a handsome man who's older than them both but speaks kindly and warmly. He shows them around, feeds them whatever they want and gives them nice clothes. He promises to keep a look out for Usopp, but there's a weird look in his eye Zoro could not ignore. It gets worse when Luffy looks positively smitten.
One night, Zoro turns to Luffy and says, "Hey, this is nice but I think we should go back. I don't like the way he looks at you." Luffy just blinks, "Why?" Zoro explains, "Usopp's gone and I think he did it." Luffy never saw Zoro this nervous before but he agrees to be careful. The next day, Zoro's gone too. Whatever, maybe Zoro got lost. Zoro will come back. He always does!
(TW: Cannibalism.)
The next morning, Luffy sees his host under a waterfall while exploring the forest. That's when Luffy really sees him as a man, a gorgeous, sexy, irresistible one. He turns to Luffy and smiles. He invites Luffy to come bathe with him, which is an excuse for him to feel up Luffy approvingly while stripping him. He touches Luffy everywhere. His chest, his abs, his hips. He is just about to come closer until...
A plant nearly bites off the man's head. Then some sleeping gas.
Amidst the confusion, Usopp grabs Luffy and runs away into the forest, runs as far as he can back to their ship. Usopp tells Luffy that this guy's really fucking dangerous. He 'disappeared' because he got chased by this huge white bear demon (Bepo's sulong form) with shining blue eyes while collecting firewood. With enough effort, Usopp finally defeated the bear. That's not all. Usopp saw him try to lure Zoro into a cave by conjuring phantoms of Kuina demanding a rematch. The guy eats people in said cave. For a brief moment, Usopp swore he looked ancient, all wrinkly like a raisin as he devours them and only when he's had enough does he revert back to his youthful appearance. Just before Luffy can process this information, the man catches up to them and he is FURIOUS. He drew his sword to kill Usopp but Luffy pushes him off and punches him back. Luffy tells Usopp to run away and take care of Zoro and the others.
Luffy's unsure of what to make of this, but he decides to stick around just in case. By this point, Luffy's half in love. He did not want to think his first love could do anything bad...
The next day, Luffy stumbles upon a cave. When he looks inside, that's when he finally understood Usopp's urgency. The man was eating someone and was half-way through eating his arm that he looked up and saw Luffy. Luffy just walks up to him, finds the locket that accidentally dropped on the floor. He opens it and recognises the people inside. Luffy said he would leave the island to return the locket to the proper owner no matter what. The man's livid now.
They get into a heated argument about the world being dangerous or whatever but that doesn't matter. Right after Luffy says that he has his crew to protect him, the man knocked him out unconscious...
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hwangism143 · 1 day
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limbo (part 3)
synopsis: you finally reunite with hyunjin and felix, but things take an unprecedented detour
pairing: non-idol!minho x non-idol!fem reader
warnings: swearing, drinking, mentions of food and eating
word count : 711 words
a/n: ok so i KNOW IT'S REALLY SHORT but this is more of a peace offering since it's been weeks since my last update. i am having severe writer's block with this fic i'm so sorry :(
part 2 | masterlist | part 4
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now.
You were engulfed in a bear hug, courtesy of Lee Felix. He wrapped his arms around you tightly and sniffed, tears welling in his eyes.
"I missed you so much," he said, pushing a warm box of brownies towards you.
You couldn't help but laugh, ruffling his hair in affection. Beside him, Hyunjin gave you a dramatic eyeroll, distressed by the information that you text Eun-bi everyday but texted them 'once in a blue moon' (how bold of him to call your weekly two-hour long gossip sessions once in a blue moon, but oh well).
It was true, you had gotten extremely close to Eun-bi after moving away. You both chatted on the phone regularly, leading you to add another member to your best friend roster. Eun-bi somehow always knew what to say to you. Maybe it was stemming from the experience of having lived longer than you (as you frequently reminded her), but conversations were never boring with her. She, thankfully, never touched upon the topic of Minho. Even though Hyunjin and Felix had bombarded you with questions about your break-up after it had freshly happened, she never did.
Soon, you two became each other's go-to person for everything. You got a promotion at work? You told her first. She and Chan got engaged? You were the first to find out from her end. You couldn't even just call Eun-bi a close friend; she was like a sister to you in every way that mattered.
In what seemed like an instant, the three of you got to conversing, not a single bump in the conversation. It reminded you of your college days, sitting at the corner of a tiny coffee shop when the boys needed escape from their astoundingly loud dorm house, hunched over textbooks and coffee that was exponentially cooling.
You were happy that Felix and Hyunjin were working with their college group of friends. You knew how strong the bond those eight boys shared was. You were also extremely surprised to know that 3Racha were doing extremely well in the Korean entertainment industry and were looking to branch out into western music. For some reason, you had always thought it would be the other way around.
Conversation continued even after your food came, Hyunjin making a fuss after taking a steaming bite of barbecued chicken and Felix silently (yet extremely obviously) judging the brownie ice cream that sat in front of him. Hyunjin's phone dinged! in his pocket and he took it out the check what was written. His face contorted as soon as he read it.
"What's wrong?" you ask. Hyunjin offers you no response, instead exchanging a worried glance with Felix. Assuming that it's work problems, you busy yourself into sneaking a spoon of Felix's untouched dessert while he wasn't looking.
Hyunjin cleared his throat and you looked at him, savoring the chocolatey explosion that was currently ongoing inside your mouth. You raised your eyebrows and tilted your head slightly upwards, non-verbally signaling him to just spit out whatever he so desperately looked like he wanted to say.
"So, uh, Chan hyung is hosting a party this weekend to celebrate you coming. The whole gang will be there..." Hyunjin's voice trails off.
"You don't have to come," said Felix quickly, "But Chan hyung and Eun-bi noona do have a killer penthouse."
You feel both pair of eyes trained upon you. You must have been like a bomb to them right now, ready to detonate at any given second. Yet, you mind was elsewhere.
Ah. The whole gang. You knew what this meant. Minho would be there. Either way, it didn't matter to you. The thought of meeting your old friends made you feel giddy. And yes, what Minho did to you was in your eyes, unforgivable, but you were fine with it nonetheless. Eventually, you both would learn to have to be cordial with each other. That was growing, wasn't it? Learning to live with things that had hurt you and moving on all the same. After all, Minho was your friend before he was your lover. As unlikely as it seemed, you both may at least remain some semblance of 'friends'.
"Okay," you said giving the two boys a tight smile, "I'll be there."
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main taglist (reply to be added) - @linoalwaysknows @moon0fthenight
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bestworstcase · 1 day
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It's going to be interesting to see how RWBY lands the messiness of Ruby and Yang's childhood and also the parents of the family.
Summer (aka "Evil Stepmother") I won't even try to guess how it lands. We just don't have enough information. But the getting across the information to the audience - Summer working with Salem out the "Evil" in there and the fact that Yang seemingly takes strongly from Summer in at least some aspects of her personality and her legitimately being an excellent mother to Yang gets across it's not that simple.
Her relationship with her daughters at the end of everything - very up in the air. But RWBY is a hopeful series, and acknowledgement of harm done, a true atonement in not doing it again... You can't change the past but a better tomorrow is possible. (See the Schnees as messy and scarred as that family is. And actually Yang and Ruby's conversation about Yang having messed up, resolving to do better in the future and the two moving on)
Raven- okay she's the one that I think I have the best read on. There's a lot of tension in Raven and her fear. Something that may have to be handled slightly carefully as separate from her issues with Oz as she was proven right about him lying and keeping secrets. And there's still the unfired untested "Only One Save" rule.
Same as Summer - acknowledgement of harm done + sincere work into making amends and not repeating the same behavior can equal new starts in relationships and the narrative has already did Yang tearing into Raven. A bit more details into what happened with Summer but...
Look at least with Yang the problem with Raven appears to be primarily that she's an emotional coward. It gets complicated with the other stuff - but the setup is there for her to finally beat that. Whether Yang wants a new start would be in the air but Raven taking the plunge, that I'm confident in.
The audience is all onboard for Raven having messed up - getting across when she hasn't probably is a tougher sell.
Taiyang - Okay, he's the character that I personally think needs an obvious clue by four to the audience that he messed up because man, the information we're getting hasn't been cutting it. He's not a monster like Jaques but that makes it more difficult to get across it seems. And the character has to be aware of the problem to l fix it (Or refuse to fix it. Or refuse to acknowledge the problem but I don't think Tai is set up got either of those two)
If Summer is the one that is uncertain as whether she done sorry for the actions she took, or not sorry she took them but sorry that they harmed her girls, while Raven is the one most solidly in "Yeah I fucked up" at this point, Tai is the one that i don't know if he's realized he has. And I'm honestly curious as to how RWBY as a show would have that hit.
Though I am not discounting Summer versus Taiyang with a very messy divorce fight. (Look I really like the idea of Summer as Yang's mother being reminded like that because while the characters draw Raven -> Yang and Summer -> Ruby comparisons the show has displayed a pointedly strong resemblance between Summer and Yang.)
mmm. i think the Dead Mom / Neglectful Father / Evil Stepmother paradigm is an interesting angle to consider the possible outcomes for raven / tai / summer from because all of these archetypes have loose archetypal endings; the heroine prevails through the dead mom’s aid, the evil stepmother is often punished, the neglectful father is…there. 
rwby is pointedly not a punitive narrative, and it’s also pointedly not a narrative where male and female characters are handled any differently in terms of complexity/development/seriousness. but: the “dead” mom is in vacuo now, lending her aid to the desperate last stand.
with summer there’s the additional complication of her being the evil stepmother in the rose xiao long family narrative and also the good stepmother in cinder’s narrative, wherein the madame functions as a dead mom whose cruelty haunts cinder rather than helping her and rhodes as a neglectful father. whether rwby’s archetypal stepmother is “evil” or “good” is therefore a matter of perspective; unlike the fairytale stepmother she isn’t abusive, only on the opposite side of a war from her own children, and one of the clever ways rwby subverts the archetype is that the stepmother chooses the child who is not her own. i.e., cinder. 
thus the immediate narrative challenge posed to summer—and tai as well, if i’m on the mark about what he’s been up to—is that cinder killed yang and ruby, or at least claims she couldn’t stop neopolitan from doing so. 
and that’s interesting because summer has been with salem for fourteen years now and had all that time to really think about what she’s doing and why and what it may cost her; her part in RLR2 is so anguished precisely because she is self-aware that she has left her daughters behind to face the storm she and salem intend to unleash. she has known, for a long time, that they might be killed by this war—salem does what she can to spare them, but things happen. 
so summer made a conscious decision to accept that risk, out of strong moral conviction that the divine plan for the world must be ended and salem must be set free. but tai?
say tai discovered the truth about summer shortly before or very soon after the fall of beacon. he’s spent the last twelve or thirteen years grieving for her, and his natural inclination based on what he knows about salem from ozpin will be to assume that summer is badly misguided—that salem has deceived or threatened or otherwise done something to her to force her to obey. thus the idea of ‘saving’ her and his reason for keeping his mouth shut: he doesn’t dare breathe a word to anyone lest salem find out that summer has been compromised / decide she is no longer useful and dispense with her.
of course to summer whatever liaisons she may be having with tai are both a comfort—her only other social interaction during this time are periodic and perfunctory seer calls with salem—and an opportunity to gather information. the reality is that salem will be either indifferent or pleased depending upon how useful tai proves as an unwitting informant. 
but prior to salem+cinder’s arrival at beacon it would be easy for tai to construct this alternative story wherein summer is really a victim of salem’s machinations who must be protected until she can be rescued; she is, after all, not doing anything much but holding the fort at beacon whilst searching for the vault, and we have seen that summer can slip on masks to hide her true self when she needs to. she’s lied to him before for the sake of doing what she felt was right; she can do it again.
the intuitive breaking point here is for salem and cinder to deliver the news that yang and ruby are dead, or fallen out of remnant depending on how much more detail salem may have coaxed out of cinder in the interim; for summer to sit in her private grief for a moment and then choose, as she has chosen every day for the last fourteen years, to press on; and for tai to see that. to be confronted in some undeniable way with the reality that summer is here because she believes down to her soul that salem is right.
(coughs in fractal ozlem. summer is the ozma who—literally—chose to take salem’s hand; tai, the salem who refused to leave the tower.)
like—does he stay, even then? if his daughters are already gone when the truth clobbers him upside the head, then it’s too late to make things right by changing course; is tai the kind of person with the backbone to walk away from the love for whom he rationalized abandoning his kids after circumstances force him to see clearly the choice he made, or does he hold onto her all the harder for having nothing else left to lose. 
and how does summer feel about that? if the foundation of who she is is her ironclad conviction, and tai’s is that he would sacrifice anything to stay with her, how does she truly see him? 
this is really the fundamental contrast between ozlem and tai/summer and why i’m certain that ozlem are on a path toward romantic reconciliation but skeptical that the same is true for tai and summer: ozlem broke apart because both of them are driven by profound moral conviction and came to blows over an intractable ideological disagreement about what the right thing to do is. they are, in every respect, equals. whereas the fundamental conflict between tai and summer—presuming that i’m on the mark as to why she joined salem—is that she has all the conviction and he has none. 
if he does stay even through the razing of vale then he can no longer act under the illusion that he isn’taligning himself with salem’s side of this war, which is an interesting thing to put him through that must surely lead to some serious soul-searching; and then the next obvious point of inflection is learning that team rwby returned from the ever after and are alive and well in vacuo. what then?
altogether it does set up a number of interesting paths forward for tai by playing him off of summer and utilizing that relationship to surface the good-vs-right / wrong-vs-evil quandary that the two sides of this war represent. summer herself is also sort of an ideal character to take him to task for neglecting their daughters, because her choice to leave them behind was predicated on an assumption that tai would take good care of them.
(i have to assume that a woman willing to set the world on fire for the sake of wrestling the keys to eschaton away from the divine chosen one is also a mother willing to kidnap her own children if she knew their father was letting the five-year-old “pick up the pieces.” although the thought of what yang and ruby would be like if summer and salem had raised them is both hysterical and terrifying.)
i do think the endgame as far as the rose-xiao long-branwen family is everyone at least on cordial terms; the inevitable peace negotiation offers ample opportunity for smaller interpersonal reconciliations and reevaluation of individual relationships. the brokenness of this family cannot be extricated from the war that tore it apart. 
but reconciliation with tai and summer in particular may require a deliberate step away from parent-child toward building new relationships as allies or friends or family in the more metaphorical sense. that’s true to an extent for raven as well simply because yang is an adult, but with raven being the one who showed up in vacuo i think it will be easier for her and yang to build a parent-adult child relationship from scratch. if yang wants that, which i think she probably does, behind the fear of abandonment. 
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soupthatistohot · 9 hours
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BSD: An Absurdist Analysis - Ch. 114.5
Fyodor: The Unkillable Devil
[BSD Absurdism Masterpost]
So, I was mostly correct in my speculations from last month's chapter! I'm really proud of this, though I will admit that my theory wasn't a complete match to what ended up happening
I assumed that Fyodor took on the guard's lifeforce, but it was Bram who he body-swapped with, which makes for a much for interesting (and higher stakes) situation.
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Admittedly, this post is going to be a bit less analysis and more me sharing my thoughts and questions, because not much has changed from what I said last month: Fyodor being practically unkillable is the ultimate absurdity for him as a villain -- how do you defeat a literally immortal super genius?
It's just made even worse now by the fact that it is Bram's body who he's "subsuming." It puts considerable distance between himself (now in Japan) and Dazai (in France), who is the only human being capable of killing him due to his nullification. This is deeply ironic in that Dazai was so goddamn close to killing Fyodor, if only he had delivered the final blow himself, he would have succeeded. That's dramatic irony for ya!
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The ultimate absurdity lies within the fact that Dazai was so close to victory the entire time; Fyodor was in genuine danger throughout the whole prison break thing (because either poison or Dazai could have actually killed him), but one lapse in judgement has now left Dazai relatively powerless.
There is also absurdity in the fact that Fukuawa, Fukuchi, Aya, and Teruko are basically incapable of stopping Fyodor not only from subsuming Bram's body, but from carrying out his plan with the tripolar singularity. They don't even have enough time to enact a last-ditch effort to stop him before he stabs Fukuchi.
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Jumping back to the reveal of Fyodor's ability, this chapter has left me with some questions about Fyodor's plan:
Why allow Sigma to learn of this? I see no really good reason for why Fyodor didn't kill Sigma when given the chance. The only thing I can think of is that he wanted to distract Dazai, ultimately knowing that he would eventually go back for Sigma and try to figure out why he was passed out, killing some time. Still, this doesn't really make much sense to me, as killing Sigma would have done practically the same thing. Also, at that point, there's really no reason to distract Dazai, the deed has already been done. My only other idea is that he figured that once he was able to subsume Bram, it wouldn't matter if Dazai knew about his ability, so he allowed Sigma to obtain this information in order to let Dazai know of his loss. Still, this doesn't make any strategic sense in the way that keeping Dazai in the dark for as long as possible appears to be the optimal course of action.
Does Nikolai know about Fyodor's ability? If so, it would explain the usage of the poison in the prison break challenge, given that his ultimate goal is to kill Fyodor. It might also explain why he considers them to be "besties," because he's one of very few people who know the true nature of Fyodor's ability. This is complete speculation, though, as it could really go either way.
Did Fyodor know Chuuya was faking it the whole time? Because if not, I think Chuuya was his fallback plan. If he truly believed Chuuya to be a vampire controlled by Bram, then at any point he could have ordered him to kill him, but I think the only thing that stopped him from doing so was his desperation to have Dazai killed as the only person capable of actually taking his life. If he did indeed know Chuuya was just acting, though, I wonder if he had just thought far enough ahead to know how things would go and needed Chuuya to be present to get to that conclusion. I'm really curious as to how much of this plan was actual foresight and how much was improvisation.
As for the tripolar singularity... well I think we know where that leads, given that the anime gave us a little preview to future events.
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I'll admit that the concept of the singularity is one of the things I least understand about the BSD lore/universe, but this certainly raises the stakes. I might be wrong about this, but aren't there theories that somehow Akutagawa and Atsushi's abilities combined are able to supersede singularities? In this way, they'd be the only hope against Tripolar Singularity Fukuchi (which I've got to assume works much like Arahabaki in that Fukuchi is not in control anymore).
We also now can now assume that Akutagawa (and assumedly anyone else who was turned into a vampire) becomes un-vampirified because Bram ceases to exist when Fyodor takes on his body, so this explains how we get to the above situation.
That's all I got for now! Please feel free to add to my analysis and discuss the questions I've asked, I love talking about this stuff with y'all! :)
Edit: Ok so of course almost immediately upon posting this I thought of more things to add in terms of how this all relates to absurdism. The concept of Fyodor being unable to die is not only absurd from the storytelling perspective of him being BSD's ultimate villain for so long, but also on a personal level for himself.
One of humanity's defining qualities is mortality -- the idea that we all die eventually, whether we like it or not. For Fyodor, this isn't true, though. His ability is a curse that traps him into living so long as people try to kill him. This further explains his ultimate motive of wanting to eliminate all abilities, probably because he recognizes many abilities to be curses and also that abilities have potential to be abused by those in power, whether for "right" or "wrong" reasons.
The irony in this is that Fyodor is doing just that, he has used his ability to remain alive far longer than he should have, and is thus able to carry out his plans. Yes, he believes what he is doing is for the good of humanity, but as the reader, we also know that this is not his decision to make. He has become the very thing he's trying to fight! This can be seen as Fyodor giving into the absurdity of reality, rather than actually rebelling against it, which makes him the antagonist to our absurdist protagonists, who refuse to give in and continue to push back against life's absurdities.
Fyodor's problem (and I think I talked about this in the chapter where he "died") is that he wants to control the absurd reality, but that is just not possible. You can't control meaninglessness, all you can do is not become a part of it, which Fyodor fails to do in his effort to not do so. It's a complete paradox.
Hopefully what I'm saying here makes sense, I am currently running on like five hours of sleep (which not a lot for me) and black tea lol
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