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lovebugism · 7 months

Note

Random conversations with rockstar eddie while high that obviously lead to something dirty 👀

ty for requesting :D — eddie asks you who you'd most want to have a threesome with and confessions are shared (band!au, established relationship, mentions of weed and smut 18+, 1.2k)

fictober (㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)

It started out all cute, in your defense.

The tour bus was parked in Colorado for the next couple of nights, and the mountains and trees were aflame with a very distinct golden color. You and Eddie chose to bask in the orange while the rest of the band spent the evening in the hotel.

Your night alone was an innocent one — despite the cheeky taunts and whistles from the rest of Corroded Coffin. Squished together in your bunk, the two of you got high and proceeded to talk about everything and nothing all at once.

You share one pillow, noses mere inches apart, just barely fitting together on the small mattress. The skunky smell of weed and Eddie’s musky cologne is all-consuming, suffocating in the best way.

Your poorly concealed giggles fill the silence of the bus as you press your palm against Eddie’s pale one, comparing the size difference between the two. It shouldn’t amuse you as much as it does.

“Would you still love me if Roger Taylor asked you out?” Eddie blurts, growing suddenly serious about the question that only just popped into his mind.

He hadn’t meant to say it out loud. He thought it, and the words just sorta spilled from his mouth.

Your brows pinch at the sudden question, though there’s still a small smile on your face. You can’t be sure where he’s coming from — if it’s the weed or if he remembers the one time you very drunkenly confessed to having a decade-long obsession with the blonde-haired drummer in your girlhood.

“What?” you wonder, still giggling.

“I mean, like, if he showed up to one of our shows and asked you out, would you say yes?”

You ponder the question. For a few seconds too long, maybe. Mostly because it takes you a little while to understand him through the brain fog.

“Well… no,” you answer finally, voice wavering as your eyes flit to the darkened ceiling.

“No?”

“No,” you repeat, more firmly this time. Your gaze returns to his chocolate one, made a darker shade from the black night — they sparkle, still. A grin blooms on your face. “But I think if you really loved me, you’d let me fuck him. Just one time.”

You’re obviously kidding. It’s just a stupid joke made more evident by the dumb, lopsided smile on your face and the pointer finger you hold up to your nose.

Eddie knows this, and he’s sporting his own rosy grin accordingly. A fleeting thought sears his brain. It bubbles up in his throat and tumbles out before he can stop it.

“Only if I get to watch,” he retorts, all boyish and quiet.

It’s hard to tell if he’s joking or not. But then again, it usually is. You decide to toe the line, anyway. “Really?” you hum, shifting on the mattress to face him more intently.

The boy shrugs while you smooth ornery curls from his temple. “Yeah. You’re hot. He’s hot. One plus one equals two… Or whatever that expression is.”

“Fair,” you concede, laughing still.

“Alright. Your turn.”

“My turn?”

“Mhmm,” he nods sloppily against the pillow. “Who would you wanna have a threesome with? Like, in a different universe or whatever, ‘cause I don’t think I’m strong enough to share you in real life.”

Again, you giggle. You can’t seem to stop, apparently. You answer quicker than either of you expect.

“Umm… Maybe Nancy,” you answer with a strange sort of nonchalance. “She’s hot… And also she looks like she slaps really hard.”

Eddie’s brain goes blank. And not from the weed this time.

He knew Nancy. Vaguely. Mostly from you. She’s your old friend from high school that you reconnect with every couple of months. You don’t talk crazy often — ‘cause life is too busy for an up-and-coming rockstar and Indiana’s best journalist — but the connection is never truly lost.

And it’s not just that you chose Nancy without having to think about it very hard. He just wasn’t expecting it to be someone you knew in real life. Someone so tangible. That Roger Taylor scenario would only ever happen in wet dreams — his, namely — but Nancy Wheeler? That could be arranged.

The thought alone has him reeling.

You watch him get in his head about the whole thing, though maybe the faraway look in his eyes is just from the weed.

“Well?” you press with an urging lilt and a girlish grin. “You’re turn, Eds. Don’t leave me hangin’ here.”

He goes quiet, which is very unlike your loudmouth boy. He thinks before he speaks, measures his reply before he answers. His absentminded fingers trace up and down the length of your arm all the while, leaving prickling goosebumps in their wake.

“What about Steve?” he wonders with a painfully nonchalant inflection.

Your face screws up instantaneously. You don’t mean to act as shocked as you do, but you can’t help it. “Steve?” you blurt, louder than you meant to. “Like… Steve Steve?”

As in your ex-boyfriend Steve.

As in one of his best friends Steve.

As in roommate Steve the couple weeks out of the year you two aren’t on the road.

It makes your head spin something fierce.

“There another Steve I don’t know about?” Eddie jokes.

Brows still pinched and face still twisted, you question, “So you wanna… fuck Steve? Like, Steve The Hair Harrington?”

“You did,” the boy shrugs, then fakes a soft pout. “Sometimes I feel left out…”

You press your palm to his chest, pushing him playfully away. His arm curls around your back to pull you close again. The proximity is lesser now, so much so that the tips of your nose brush together and your skunky breaths entwine.

It all feels so much heavier now. The intensity of the moment makes you fight back a shiver crawling up your spine. Eddie’s palm smooths up and down the length of it in a slow and measured rhythm. It does little to ease your breathlessness.

“I don’t know. I just think it could be fun,” the boy concludes with a sudden seriousness. His voice is as low as his eyelids. “And I think it’d be real hot to watch him fuck you… ‘Cause we both know he can’t make you cum like I can. Can he, doll?”

Your thighs clench together instinctually, as though to quell the sudden ache pounding between them. You nod slowly, wordlessly.

Eddie’s rosy lips quirk in a cheeky half-smile at your honeyed reaction. He continues — half because the high has loosened his tongue and half because he wants to see how flustered he can make you.

“And then he can watch you fall apart on my dick after, yeah?” he questions like you’re in any space to answer him. “Maybe I can give him a few pointers… Teach him how to fuck you properly, you know?”

The distant ache between your thighs has grown to a full bloom now. It’s a little embarrassing how effortlessly he can drive you crazy — how quickly he can make you drench your panties. You might’ve been a little shameful about it if you couldn’t feel his cock stiffening against your hip.

“Fuck, Eds…” you sigh, the words tumbling from your mouth without thinking.

With parted lips, you drift towards the boy and his unkissed mouth. He juts his chin slightly backward, only lets your plush bottom lips graze together. You don’t know why he’s teasing you. You’re already a puddle at his feet.

With a smirk and an all-consuming touch along your spine, he makes a quiet promise. “And maybe, if you’re real good, you can watch me fuck him, too…”

#published by bug #eddie munson x reader #stranger things x reader #eddie munson smut #eddie munson #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #stranger things #stranger things imagine #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fic #stranger things fanfiction #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fanfiction #st drabbles #eddie spaghetti drabble #event: fictober!

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theostrophywife · 7 months

Text

kiss with a fist | chapter seven.

masterlist 💋 chapters 💋 playlist

pairing: theodore nott x reader.

song inspiration: it's nice to have a friend by taylor swift.

author's note: more fluff, more banter. this chapter is just self indulgent cuteness.

Being friends with Theodore Nott was strange.

Though you still bickered and bantered, the undertone of your interactions were less hostile and more suggestive in nature. Theo had always been a flirt, but you never realized how good he was at it until your usual response of irritation sharpened into something else. It didn’t help that his presence around you had become more constant now that Luna and Pansy made things official.

“They’re sickeningly adorable,” Theo said as he slid into the bench next to you. “I’m fighting the urge to retch.”

You glanced up to find Pansy and Luna huddled close together, whispering and giggling at one another. “Oh, absolutely vile. No one should be subjected to their shameless canoodling this early in the morning.”

Theo poked your thermos with a piece of french toast. “Just like you shouldn’t subject yourself to that sorry excuse of a coffee flavor.”

You took an exaggerated swig and smiled. “The pumpkin spice is here to stay. You’re free to leave if you don’t like it, Theo.”

His eyes glittered with mischief. “Hmm, maybe I didn’t get a good enough taste last time. I think I’ll try again.”

“Don’t you dare, Theodore,” you warned, cradling your thermos protectively.

“Is it Theodore now?” He asked, raising a brow. “And here I thought I’d earned first name privileges out of that pretty mouth. Amongst other things.”

“Yeah, well, you seem to like abusing the privilege so maybe I should start cutting back on my generosity.”

“I think you’ll find that I’m equally as generous, if not more.” His smirk grew when he noticed you growing flustered. “I’d be happy to demonstrate, Y/N. In a broom closet. In an empty classroom. In either one of our dorms. Hell, even in the middle of this damned hall if you asked.”

“Tempting,” you said sarcastically as you attempted to hide the tinge of red that had crept up your neck behind a curtain of hair. “Sadly, getting expelled for exhibitionism isn’t really on my to do list.”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “Suit yourself. Just know that I have no qualms on getting on my knees for you, diavolina.”

You nearly choked on your coffee while Theo smiled innocently.

“Oi! Am I losing it or is this bacon burnt to a crisp?” Mattheo exclaimed as he obnoxiously plopped down next to you.

Enzo sat across from him and took a bite out of his toast. “You did ask for it to be extra fried.”

“I asked for it to be fried, not charred.”

Theo sighed. “What are you two tossers on about now?”

Malfoy appeared out of nowhere and took the spot beside his cousin. “Riddle’s convinced that the house elves are out to get him.”

“They are out to get me! Look at this monstrosity.”

“Yes, I’m sure Winky’s actively planning your demise,” responded Blaise with an eye roll. “You’ve officially lost the plot, mate.”

You blinked, utterly bewildered at how and when you’d adopted the four Slytherins into your circle. Across the table, Pansy frowned in disapproval. Her little bubble of bliss had been abruptly popped by the presence of the boys.

“You lot are scaring our poor Ravenclaw friends.”

Berkshire gave you a sheepish smile. “Sorry, girls. We’re sort of a package deal. When you date one of us, you date the whole lot.”

“Oh, joy,” you deadpanned. “I’ve always wanted to be in a polyamorous relationship.”

Mattheo smirked. “We are quite good at sharing. Aren’t we, boys?”

You wrinkled your nose in disgust. “On second thought, I think I’d prefer dying alone.”

“For Salazar’s sake, you’re even meaner than Pansy,” he muttered at his blackened bacon.

You smiled sweetly. “Aw, is someone a little grumpy because they got served ash for breakfast? Poor little Riddle.”

Malfoy snorted. “I wouldn’t mess with her, Mattheo. You know she almost pushed Vane off the bleachers the other day.”

“I did not!”

Theo chuckled. “Yeah, but you wanted to.”

You bit back a smile. “Maybe a little.”

“Everyone is talking about the dressing down you gave her,” Enzo said. “You’re kind of a badass, Y/N.”

Pansy rolled her eyes. “More badass than you boys will ever be. Now stop pestering the poor girl and let her eat breakfast in peace.”

Despite the rough start, the rest of the meal was actually quite enjoyable. The Slytherins fought and argued like siblings, but you could tell that they all cared deeply for one another. No matter how much they teased and taunted each other, the boys were like rowdy brothers and Pansy, their elder sister and glue of the family. They all seemed to defer to the fearsome witch and you couldn’t blame them.

Parkinson was terrifying, but in the most amusing way.

As you wrapped up the morning, Pansy turned and the boys immediately fell silent. “Don’t forget our trip to Hogsmeade at the end of the week. You’re invited too, Y/N.”

“I have to stu—”

Pansy held her palm up. “Don’t bother. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

Mattheo snickered. “What’s the matter, Y/N? Are you and Notty boy too busy eating each other’s gel—”

“Finish that sentence and I will impale you with my fork.”

Malfoy smirked. “Please do, Y/N. I’d like front row tickets to the show.”

“In that case, it’ll be a hundred galleons. A bargain, considering how deep those pockets are, Malfoy.”

“Violence and extortion?” Blaise asked with a sly smile. “I can see why young Theodore is enamored with you, Y/N.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Zabini.”

You sighed, rubbing your temples. “You’re all honestly giving me a migraine. Parkinson, seeing as you’ve given me no choice, count me in for Hogsmeade. Loons, I’ll see you back at our dorm. To the rest of you, please do consider a refresher on manners. Except for you, Berkshire. You’re a sweetheart. No idea why you’re friends with this lot.”

Enzo blushed to the tips of his ears. The rest of the boys protested, but you were already halfway through the Great Hall to entertain their complaints.

“Enzo’s a sweetheart, is he?” Theo asked, smoothly matching your stride as you walked across the sunny courtyard.

“Jealousy isn’t a good look on you, Nott.”

He gasped, clutching his heart. “First Theodore, now Nott? You wound me, Y/N.”

The crisp autumn air filled your lungs as you and Theo sauntered through the castle grounds. “Following me now? Zabini was right. You are enamored with me.”

“Oh, absolutely enthralled, darling. You have bewitched me—mind, body, and soul.”

“You did not just quote Jane Austen to me.”

“I saw your tattered copy of Pride and Prejudice,” Theo said with a smirk. “I imagine quoting Mr. Darcy is a bit like foreplay to you.”

“Foreplay implies that you’re going to get lucky, which you’re not.”

“Is that why you’re leading me into a secluded forest?”

“I’m not leading you anywhere. You’re choosing to follow me. Stalking is the more accurate descriptor.”

“Maybe I’m curious as to why you’re going into the Forbidden Forest by yourself. Don’t tell me you’re meeting a handsome Mr. Darcy type out here.”

“Close. I’m here to meet Henry.”

Theo paused, furrowing his brows. “Who in the bloody hell is Henry?”

“You’ll see.”

The forest thickened and the unmistakable crunch of the freshly fallen leaves echoed in the clearing as you trotted on them with your boots. You stood underneath a towering oak tree whose gnarled roots choked the damp earth underneath your feet. As loud as you could manage, you placed two fingers in your mouth and whistled.

Beyond the tree line, a soft rustling emerged. You turned and found Henry galloping towards you. The thestral was barely a few weeks old, small and spindly with milky eyes and a sharp snout. He flapped his bat-like wings shyly as you knelt to the earth. You patted between his horns and smiled at the baby thestral.

“Theo, meet Henry.”

Theo crouched beside you. “Hello, Henry.”

The foal peered curiously at Theo. Henry glanced up as you gave him a reassuring nod.

“You can pet him, if you’d like. He’s fond of ear scratches and belly rubs.”

Theo looked unsure for a moment before gently scratching behind Henry’s ear. The baby thestral cooed and melted into his touch.

“Here, you can help me feed him too.”

You pulled out a sack of treats and handed some to Theo. “Henry’s quite young, so he’s not able to hunt for himself yet. Hagrid said that these treats will keep him healthy and fed until he gets his bearings.”

“I didn’t know that they could be this small. I just always assumed that all thestrals emerged as full adults.”

“Most of them are. The birth of a thestral is actually quite rare. This one here is the first baby born in over a decade.”

Theo nodded as Henry happily devoured the treats. There was a small smile on his face as the small horse nuzzled its snout into his palm. “I didn’t realize that you could see them too.”

“Yeah, after the war I’m able to see them as clear as day.” You scratched underneath Henry’s chin. “I suppose most of the school can, too. I think they look at the thestrals and see the loss of innocence. The price of war. The death and carnage. But when I see this little guy, I’m reminded of all the sacrifices that others have made so that I could be here. Henry symbolizes a new beginning. It’s not always pretty, but it’s real.”

The foal cooed as he basked in attention and affection. You and Theo played with him for a few minutes, giving him scratches after he diligently finished the last of his food. The thestral whinied in thanks before heading beyond the trees again. Henry flapped his wings happily, stirring the autumn leaves below him as he skittered off.

“Will he be alright?” Theo asked.

“He’s got his mum. She’ll look after him.”

Theo smiled a bit. “I suppose she will.”

The two of you walked back towards the castle in comfortable silence. In the past few weeks, Hogwarts had been suspended between autumn and winter. The air was tinged with chill and frost, but the first snowfall of the season was late in its arrival and you couldn’t wait for the day when snow covered the castle grounds again.

You had always adored snow. One of your earliest memories was waking up on Christmas morning to find London covered in a glittering blanket of white. You always considered that moment as your first real glimpse of magic. Especially after you and your mum spent the entire day making snow angels in the front yard while your father snapped pictures.

“What was your mum like, Theo?” you asked, your breath forming a cloud in front of you.

Theo slipped his hands in his pockets. “Beautiful. Smart. Funny. That’s what I remember most about her. She had a wicked sense of humor. We used to pull all sorts of pranks on each other when I was little.” He grinned as he recalled a memory. “She rigged my very first broom to make farting sounds every time I flew. Malfoy laughed so hard he tumbled into a bush.”

“That must have been fun growing up.”

“It was. Mum was a lot of fun, but she could be strict too. I swear I knew all of the basic spells and wand movements before I even stepped foot in school. She said I had to ace my studies at Hogwarts if I wanted to get into Cambridge.”

You smiled. “What was her favorite subject?”

“Most would guess potions, but it was actually a close tie with transfiguration. Mum once turned Goyle’s dad’s sock into a snake after he made fun of her haircut in fifth year. Professor McGonagall still brings it up to this day. Says mum was one of her best students.”

“I bet,” you said with a chuckle. “Now I know where you get all your mischievousness from.”

“My nonna always said that raising me was like raising her all over again. I swear, the old bat holds herself back from calling me Vittoria half of the time.”

“Is that your mum’s name? Vittoria?” Theo nodded. “It’s very pretty.”

“It means victory. My family is very intentional with names.”

“What does Theodore mean?”

“Divine gift.”

“It seems fitting for someone who generally acts like they’re a gift from above.”

Theo rolled his eyes fondly. His expression turned serious as you rounded through the Black Lake. “For years, mum tried and failed to get pregnant. Her health was already precarious to begin with and the healers told her that having children would be difficult. When she discovered that she was pregnant with me, mum called me her little miracle.”

“That’s so sweet.”

“I’m not sure how much of a miracle I turned out to be though. After she had me, mum’s health declined. She was bedridden a lot of the time until she passed. My father always said that she might’ve lived longer had I not been born.”

His jaw clenched. You were aware that Theo didn't have the best relationship with his father. The elder Nott had always seemed cold and standoffish the few times you'd glimpsed him on the platform with Theo. By their stiff interactions, it was easy to surmise that they weren't very close. Whatever obligatory ties they might've had was swiftly severed after Theo testified against his father after the war.

Despite the fact that he was locked far away in Azkaban, you hated that Mr. Nott still had the power to hurt his son. Even if it was just cruel words from the past.

"I'm glad you were." You bumped him with your hip. “What a dreary world it would’ve been without you, Theodore Nott.”

Theo bumped you back, catching you around the waist. “What about you? What are your mum and dad like?”

“My dad’s a conductor for the philharmonic, but he was a musician years before that. He can play pretty much every instrument. My mum’s a barrister. I used to put on her wig and robes and pretend that I was defending a case like I’d seen her do at court.”

“That explains a lot,” Theo mused thoughtfully. “The angry piano playing. The constant arguing. I feel like I’m truly getting a full picture of you, Y/N.” You stuck your tongue out rather petulantly, which only made Theo chuckle. “What about siblings?”

You shook your head. “I’m an only child.”

“So am I,” he said. “Though I never truly felt like it. I have an exorbitant amount of cousins. The Marchesis reproduce like rabbits, but it made for a fun childhood. Plus, there’s Pansy and the boys who are pretty much my family at this point. We’ve all known each other since birth.”

“That must’ve been nice. All my cousins were significantly older, so I was never really around children my age until I came here. All the other muggle kids thought I was too serious and grown up and I thought they were all childish and quite stupid.”

“That doesn’t surprise me one bit.” Theo draped his arm over your shoulder, ruffling your hair. “Did you ever get lonely?”

“No. My parents were my best friends, as lame as that sounds.”

“I don’t think it sounds lame at all.”

You grinned. “Besides them, Luna was the first friend I ever made. Now, she’s more like a sister to me and I feel rather protective of her.”

“Pansy told me you interrogated her about her intentions.”

You shrugged. “Just covering my bases.”

“You know, Pansy’s mum and my mum were friends back then. She was overprotective of her friends too.”

“Sounds like my kind of witch.”

A faint smile bloomed on Theo’s face. “It’s nice to be able to talk about her.”

“That’s what friends are for, Theo.”

He stopped at the edge of the lake. Theo towered over you, nearly covering your small frame from view. He brushed his knuckles against your jaw, studying you thoughtfully. “Is that what we are, amorina? Friends?”

You tilted your chin up and met his gaze head on. “Yes. Is that a problem?”

“Not at all. I’ll be whatever you want, Y/N,” Theo said as he traced your bottom lip with his thumb. “As long as I get to do this.”

Theo closed the gap between you and your breath stalled as his arm snaked around your waist. He pulled you flush against him, his mouth inches away from your own. Theo studied you for a moment, taking in your flushed cheeks and dilated pupils before pressing his lips against yours. A tingling sensation set your body alight as he kissed you with a burning devotion reserved for the most ardent zealot.

The kiss was a prayer, an alm, a petition to the divine, but the words were in a language that you couldn’t understand.

His eyes burned like a funeral pyre and you felt the heat of it brush against your very core. Theo brushed his thumb against your cheek, his voice as rough and calloused as his touch.

“Sono pazzo di te.”

“I’m afraid that’s beyond my grasp of the Italian language. What did you say, Theo?”

Theo smiled. “I said I’ll race you to Charms!”

Before he even finished the sentence, Theo took off running. You yelled after him, cheeks red and hair streaming behind you as you chased him up the steps. You were out of breath and panting and very aware of how ridiculous you looked, but it was also the hardest you’ve ever laughed in your life.

The formal invitation to Professor Slughorn’s dinner came on the same day of the Hogsmeade trip. Up until then, you had successfully put the whole thing out of your mind, but the letter in your hand pushed it back to the forefront. By the time the last class rolled around, it was all you could think about.

Luna could tell that you were distracted as you walked through the castle halls. “Are you still thinking about the dinner?” she asked.

You sighed. “Honestly, I’ve put it out of my mind for this long, but I know I can’t keep avoiding it.”

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

“A year ago, it wouldn’t have even been a choice. I would’ve jumped at the chance to attend, but now…”

“Things have changed,” Luna said.

“It isn’t fair, Loons. After the war, I thought things would get better, but there’s still so much shit to dredge through.”

“There’s always going to be shit to dredge through, Y/N. The good news is that you have people to tackle it with.”

“I think the people make it harder.”

“Because you care,” she said with a smile. “You don’t have to lead with your head all the time, you know. Sometimes it’s okay to let your heart call the shots.”

You groaned, rubbing your temples. “I feel like I’m in one of these cheesy muggle soap operas. What choice will Y/N make today?”

“Whatever you choose, I will support you. I already spoke with Harry and told him to keep an eye on you should you choose to go.”

“Did Theo put you up to this?”

She shook her head. “We’ve had…conversations about it. I’m perfectly aware that Theo has strong opinions on the matter, but Pans and I would be glad to give him a stern talking to on your behalf.”

“I appreciate it, Loons. You know, I wasn’t sure about Parkinson at first, but I think she’s quite good for you. Terrifying, but good.”

You truly meant it. Over the past few weeks, you had gotten to know Pansy and the rest of the Slytherin gang quite well. Mostly because they seemed to follow Parkinson around like lost puppies, which was amusing in and of itself. Regardless, you had grown fond of the little terrors.

“My girlfriend in a nutshell.” Luna’s serene smile turned serious as she touched your arm. “I know I’ve been busy with Pans lately, but I want you to know that I’m always here for you, Y/N. You know you can talk to me about anything.”

You smiled and squeezed her hand. “I know, Loons. You’re a great friend. Even though you adopted five bumbling idiots without my consent.”

She chuckled. “Oh, I only brought four into the fold. One of them was already yours to begin with.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Speaking of which, what is the situation between you and Theodore? Pans will not stop pestering me about it.”

“We’re…friends.”

“Friends who sneak into each other’s dorms at all hours of the night, take strolls together in the Forbidden Forest, and stargaze at the Astronomy Tower. That kind of friend?”

You flushed. “It’s complicated.”

“I’m not judging,” Luna declared. “I happen to think that you two are adorable together.”

“Who’s adorable together?” asked the obnoxious voice of none other than Mattheo Riddle.

The boys were huddled by the castle entrance, dressed in comfortable layers. The last week of October had brought chill and frost, but snow had yet to make an appearance.

“You and the sound of silence,” you retorted with a smile.

Theo, Blaise, and Draco tried and failed to suppress their laughter. Enzo bit back a smile, which fooled absolutely no one. Pansy just sighed exasperatedly.

“Do you see?” Mattheo cried. “She’s always so mean to me.”

Theo draped an arm over your shoulder. He was dressed in a green and silver striped sweater with a pair of casual jeans and slightly scuffed trainers. The ensemble resembled something that the boys back home might’ve worn, but for some reason it looked a thousand times better on Theo.

“Don’t worry, mate. She’s mean to everyone.”

“Not to me,” Enzo said proudly.

You grinned. Out of all the boys, you admittedly had a soft spot for Berkshire. He always had a stash of treats from Honeydukes to share during your study sessions and was just genuinely nice to everyone no matter what house they were in.

“Obviously Enzo’s my favorite.”

“That’s not fair,” Draco complained. “He bribes you with fudge.”

“Better step it up then, Malfoy.”

“Honestly, I’m offended,” Blaise said rather dramatically. “I shared my expensive face creams with you, Y/N. Doesn’t that mean anything?”

“And it was a very special night, Zabini. But you can’t beat chocolate.”

Pansy rolled her eyes. “Let’s go before you lot derail this whole trip with your madness.”

“Coming, mum,” you said brightly.

Parkinson glared at you, but it was short-lived given Luna’s giggle. The blonde took Pansy by the hand and your comment was all but forgotten.

As always, the charming village of Hogsmeade was littered with your fellow students. High Street was decorated for All Hallow’s Eve, complete with enchanted pumpkins, floating cauldrons, and charmed skeletons that popped up to frighten the witches and wizards strolling through the busy shops.

The group entered Gladrags first. The boys, with the exception of Draco and Blaise, immediately occupied the benches towards the front of the clothing store. You took advantage of the peace and quiet and perused the rows and rows of rich robes, quirky hats, and crazy patterned socks. Though you preferred the simplicity of muggle clothing, you had to admit that the wizarding world offered some interesting choices in attire.

After half an hour, your group walked out with nearly half the store. The Slytherins took the phrase ‘shop until you drop’ into a whole other level. The purchases that Pansy, Blaise, and Draco were so heavy that it had to be carted off back to the castle.

You visited Dervish and Banges in which the boys spent an exorbitant amount of galleons on quidditch equipment. The group then made its way to Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes where Mattheo almost lost a finger faffing around with a nose-biting teacup. Draco and Blaise stayed behind to wait for Mattheo and Enzo to ensure that they made it to dinner with all of their appendages intact, while Pansy and Luna popped into Madam Puddifoot’s for some chamomile tea, leaving you and Theo to explore Scrivenshaft’s on your own.

“You didn’t have to come with,” you said as you examined the new stock of stationary. “I’m sure watching the Weasley twins hustle Riddle out of his money is much more entertaining than looking at boring old quills.”

“It’s alright, I don’t mind. Besides, Mattheo’s a big boy. He can handle himself.”

You snorted as you picked up a quick writing quill. “Oh, I don’t know. Riddle might need his knight in shining armor to rescue him from those villainous redheads.”

Theo smirked. “You think I’m a knight in shining armor?”

“Hmmm…” you cocked your head and examined him. “You’re more like the sarcastic sidekick, I think.”

“I’ll remember that, Y/N.”

“Add it to the list,” you said with a sly smile. “I’m sure you’ve got a running tally on the countless times I’ve bruised your fragile ego.”

Theo clutched his heart. “Mattheo’s right. You are mean.”

“Don’t act like you don’t enjoy it.”

His lips curved up into a dangerous smirk. Theo leaned over you, bracing one arm against the shelf behind you to cage you in. “Oh, I do, but I enjoy fucking the attitude right out of you even more.” You swallowed thickly, backing into the bookshelf. Theo’s eyes flickered with amusement. “Not so feisty now, are we?”

You rolled your eyes and smacked him against his chest. “You’re an absolute pest, do you know that?”

“Add it to the list,” he responded cheekily.

The flirting and banter followed you all the way out of the stationary shop. You and Theo argued for ten minutes after he took the shopping bag out of your hands and carried it for you.

“I’m perfectly capable of toting my own things around, thank you very much.”

He shrugged. “A gentleman never lets a lady carry her own bags.”

“I wasn’t aware you were a gentleman.”

“Only when I want to be,” Theo said. “You should take advantage of it. You never know when it’ll happen again.”

You rolled your eyes, tugging at the bag in his hands. “Give me back my bag, Theodore.”

“Drop it or I’ll haul you over my shoulder and carry you around the village instead.”

“Fine, you win this round.”

Theo smiled triumphantly. “Y/N admitting defeat? This calls for a celebration. Honeydukes it is.”

The candy shop smelled as magnificent as it always did. Rows and rows of rainbow colored treats greeted you in every direction. You felt as giddy as you had in first year when the trolley of succulent-looking sweets passed through the aisles of the Hogwarts Express. You picked out your favorites—cauldron cakes, nougat chunks, and pumpkin pasties.

Though the shop was packed to the brim, you moved easily among the aisles as Theo cleared the way. He quirked a brow at the mountain of sweets cradled in your arms, but said nothing as you marched up to the register.

“Will that be all, miss?” asked the kindly shopkeeper.

“And a batch of your freshly made fudge,” Theo requested. “Put it on my tab, Mrs. Flume.”

“Of course. Anything for you, Theodore.”

The shopkeeper disappeared at the back of the shop to fetch the fudge. You nudged Theo with your elbow.

“I can’t let you pay for all of this,” you hissed sharply.

“Of course you can. I’m disgustingly rich, remember?”

“I know, but it wouldn’t be right.”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “You’ve put up with my friends for weeks on end. Consider this as payment.”

“This more than makes up for the debt. It’s not even equal at this point.”

“Oh, don’t worry. Half of this is for my benefit. Can’t have Berkshire beating me for that number one spot, can I?”

You chuckled. “Are you trying to bribe me, Theo?”

“That depends. Is it working?”

The mouth-watering scent of freshly made fudge hit you as Mrs. Flume handed Theo a large pink bag. Bribe or not, Theo was definitely on his way to dethrone Enzo as your favorite.

“You’ll spoil your dinner,” Theo said as you popped a square of fudge into your mouth. The chocolate dissolved on your tongue as you released a sigh of satisfaction.

“What are you, the chocolate police?”

“What’s a police?”

“They’re like aurors, but without wands.”

“Well, one could argue that the amount of sweets you’re about to consume is a threat to public safety.”

“Would you rather I be a threat to your safety instead?”

“I’d say you’re already doing a rather excellent job of that.”

You stuck your tongue out, but Theo didn’t seem to notice as he looked behind you. The bell chimed softly as you exited Honeydukes only to walk right into a winter wonderland. The cobblestone streets were as crowded as ever, but many stalled in their path to look up at the flecks of white falling from the sky. A gentle breeze sent a scatter of snowflakes to pile up in the storefronts, decorating High Street with glitter and wonder.

The first snowfall of the season certainly did not disappoint. You ran out into the street, catching snowflakes on your tongue while laughing giddily. Theo watched with a small smile as you twirled around, your blue and gold scarf blurring while you spun and spun underneath the clear, blue sky.

“Easy there,” he said, catching you around the waist before you could slip on a patch of ice. “I’ve never seen anyone get this excited over a bit of snow.”

“It’s the first snowfall of the season!” you exclaimed. Theo chuckled as you dragged him out of the busy streets, weaving through shoppers and villagers alike. You didn’t stop until you reached the end of the village. “Come on, you have to see the view.”

At the edge of the small, sleepy village, you could see the blanket of snow covering Hogsmeade. It made everything glitter as the sun disappeared over the horizon. You felt so happy that your heart could burst.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Snow dotted his mop of curly brown hair, the glittering flakes catching in his long lashes as he stared down at you. “Yeah,” he murmured, releasing a cloudy breath. “The most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.”

Theo’s gaze softened. He reached out and brushed the snowflakes off your bottom lip with his thumb. The nervous bob of his throat was so uncharacteristically earnest that you nearly did a double take.

“I want you to go to that dinner tomorrow night, Y/N.” His voice was soft and carried none of the argumentative tone that it usually did when you discussed Slughorn’s dinner. “I understand why you don’t want to and believe me, I wholeheartedly agree. But I’d never forgive myself if I stood in the way of the one thing you’ve been working for since first year.”

You sighed. “It’s not just you, Theo. It’s Pansy. Draco. Blaise. Enzo. Even Mattheo. I don’t want to support anything that alienates my—my…friends.”

Until this moment, you hadn’t realized how fond and protective you’ve grown for the Slytherins. Somewhere between quiet mornings sipping freshly brewed coffee with Pansy, game nights in Malfoy’s ridiculously huge dorm, studying with Enzo in the Great Hall, comparing skincare products and exchanging tips with Blaise, and even riling up Mattheo with your ridiculous arguments, the little group had stolen their way into your heart.

They were your friends and you would do anything for your friends.

“All of us think that you should go. After all, there’s nothing more Slytherin than turning something terrible into a golden opportunity. If you get that recommendation, you’d be the first muggleborn member of the M.E.S.P., so you have to go. Go and make your favorite serpents proud, Y/N.”

Warmth spread through your chest. You could tell that Theo felt strongly about this. That he truly and genuinely cared about what an opportunity like this meant for a muggleborn witch like yourself.

You found yourself nodding after a moment. “Fine, I’ll go but you have to let me eat another piece of fudge.”

Theo smiled and those charming dimples peeked out of each cheek. “Not a chance in hell, dolcezza.”

You groaned dramatically. “Is that all or are you going to start lecturing me on my irresponsible consumption of sweets again?”

Watercolor eyes flickered over you. “There is something else,” he said softly. “There’s something that I’ve been meaning to tell you, Y/N. I think you’ve already guessed by now but I—I think I’m—”

Before Theo could finish his sentence, a snowball hit him square in the chest. You yelped as a barrage of snow came raining down upon you. High up on the hill, Mattheo and Enzo skittered between the trees. Your would-be attackers laughed as they continued to hurl snowballs in your direction.

“You’re dead, mate!” Theo bellowed as he dragged you behind him. “You two are absolutely and positively dead.”

The two of you crouched behind a large rock. You peeked around the corner, trying to calculate your next steps. Pushing past whatever moment the boys had interrupted between you and Theo, you turned to your curly headed companion with a smile.

“I know that look,” Theo accused. “You have a plan, don’t you?”

“You still have those dung bombs from the twins?”

He nodded and handed over the array of goodies he purchased from the Weasleys. The plan came to fruition a few minutes later. Mattheo and Enzo were safe up on their high hill, but you and Theo were not about to let that deter you. He followed as you crept up the fortress, keeping guard as you palmed a snowball in your hand.

Mattheo spotted you first. He hurled snow at you, but you easily dodged his attack. When he left himself exposed, you flung the snowball with all your might. It hit him in the leg before exploding and drenching him with the stench of dung. Riddle nearly retched at the foul smell while Enzo doubled over in laughter.

Theo took advantage of the situation and hurled his own snowball at Enzo’s stomach. Within seconds, the stench worsened. The two boys threw their remaining snowballs on the ground and signaled their surrender.

“Dung bombs?” Riddle exclaimed as you came closer. “Nice touch, Notty boy.”

“Don’t look at me, mate. It was all Y/N.”

Mattheo’s eyes widened. Enzo burst into laughter. “Told you not to mess with her,” Berkshire said as he cast a scouring charm over the both of them.

“I’ve got to give it to you, Y/N.” Mattheo said with an impressed tone. “You’re more devious than I gave you credit for.”

“You have no idea what you just started, Riddle,” you declared with a triumphant smirk. “If i were you, I’d sleep with one eye open tonight.”

You flashed him the most evil smile you could muster before dusting yourself off and heading down the hill. The boys stared after you before following.

“I am genuinely afraid of her,” Mattheo murmured.

You didn’t have to turn around to know that Theo was smirking. “Now you know how I feel, mate.”

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#mattheo has such baby of the family energy and i love him for it #theo nott #theo nott fic #theo nott smut #theo nott x reader #theo nott x y/n #theo nott x you #theo nott imagine #theodore nott #theodore nott x reader #theodore nott x you #theodore nott x y/n #theodore nott smut #theodore nott imagine

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hollyhomburg · 8 months

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(Hopekook x reader, toxic relationship but in a 🥴 way, possessiveness, controlling behavior to the extreme, implied yoongi x reader, voyeurisim, exhibitionism, squirting, pee stuff, mafia stuff)

You know what I sorta want? Organized crime boss alpha hoseok who treasures his little omega pet beyond words, couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her 🥰 unfortunately for him she has a habit of being a disobedient little pet. especially when he leaves for business and he’s not there to keep her in line himself. Luckily he has his live in bodyguard and most loyal second jk who keeps her fuzzy and omegaspacey and so spoiled she’d never think about leaving him. (Not that she could, not that he’d let her, but things won’t ever have to come to that because hoseok is going to treat her /well/ keep her happy)

He knows all of their rules. That she can’t touch unless hoseok says she can, can’t cum unless he says she can, can’t leave the apartment unless he says she can and if she’s accompanied by at least 3 guards, can’t skip meals, has to wear the clothes that alpha picks out for her. Everything. Hoseok is not the typical alpha, he demands utter devotion for what he gives- and he gives her everything in return.

Of course he has to leave sometimes for work, and the long weeks away are taxing on their relationship and her submission. jk is there to pick up the slack when he catches her with her hand between her thighs or using the shower head in ways she shouldn’t. often spanking her pussy pink and swollen infront of the camera and documenting every flinch and squeal for hoseok. Making her beg to cum, jks tatted fingers spreading her lips wide when hoseok asks to see her hole.

Just the threat of sicking jungkook on her is enough to have her quaking because he regularly fucks her to the point of incoherency, fucking her with his fat knot even after he’s cum and it’s popped. Hoseok always asks to see, always demands videos of the two of them. He has to make sure jk is breeding her properly in his absense 🥰

He gets little updates from jungkook whenever he’s away, little things like “she took her settling spanking so good this morning, woke up and asked for it like a good pup,” “ah she’s so cute, give her pussy a kiss for me” or “she was batting her eyes at one of our alphas, how do you want me to proceed?” “make her show him her hole and tell him it’s mine, fuck her infront of him if you must”

There are other cuter moments too, moments when she calls him curled up in jks arms and tells him how much they both miss their alpha, or when she wants to show him their kisses. How sweet she can be when she wants to be, or photos of jk tucked all under her chin, smothering her with his body the way hoseok always does too 🥺

Imagine she tries to leave the apartment without anyone, without jk, just to go downstairs to the coffee shop across the street for a treat, and hoseok is so pissed because she could have been put in real danger. Maybe she was in real danger and she almost got abducted by hoseoks enemies.

He’d be seething, already arranging for their deaths but unable to come home just yet. “I obviously can’t trust you to make decisions by yourself so from now on until I say so You’re not allowed to do anything without jks permission. you’re not allowed to sleep, eat, or take a fucking piss without him telling you that you can. Do you understand me?”

“Yes alpha.”

Jk is equally as angry, maybe he narrowly got to her in time before something did happen to her. But he takes hoseoks command seriously, the humiliation burning through her and doing something funny to her tummy when she tells him she needs to pee and he says she can’t yet. maybe he pushes it, waits until she’s squirming and begging and only the does he say she can. Maybe she tries to protest when he follows to watch. “Hyung says I’m not to leave you alone.” A mean glint in his eyes as he doesn’t move.

Maybe he likes it a little too much and continues to enjoy his power over her, waiting’s until he’s fucking his fat knot into her and on FaceTime with hoseok to tell him all about how she hadn’t been good enough today, that she was complaining about jk watching her, that it’s icky and embarrassing. But it’s hoseoks urging of “go on baby, you where complaining about how gross it was, why don’t you show us how good you can be” her sobs and hiccups music to his ears as jk’s knot presses right /there/ and she can’t /not/ make a mess all over. And the humiliation just intensifies when jk reaches down and slaps over her clit, making a wet slapping sound.

I imagine it’s all in an effort to make her obedient so that when hoseoks rivals or even his friends come over he can show off how /perfect/ she is. Making sweet commands like “baby, show us your pussy” and she lifts her skirts without a second thought, “good puppy, now kneel before daddy and Mr. Min” she drops to her knees without a second thought, nothing in her mind but /have to be good for alpha, have to be good for hoseok/. “Good pet, now suck on mr.min’s fingers like how you suck on jkies cock, show him how good and messy you get pet” and she just opens her mouth letting yoongi shove his fingers into the buckle, keening when he pets over her tongue. “No gagging?” “None at all, baby pet let me train that out of her ages ago, isn’t she beautiful?” Maybe he sits back and sips on his whiskey, snapping his fingers and beconing jk forward, “jk, show mr.min how cute she is when she cums”

“Yes sir.”

Maybe when she complains about something small (maybe she’s a little spoiled) like wanting two alphas for her heat when hobi’s going to be away for it and really she’s used to two knots at once during her heat 😠 why can’t she have that this time??? and hoseok just tells jk to see how many times he can make her squirt before she passes out.

The pictures he gets later…her ass up on the floor with a puddle beneath her, jk showing off his sticky fingers. His own glossy lips and fucked out grin. And the text that comes through isn’t just for her, but for him too

“Good puppy”

#bts mafia fic #bts mafia au #bts poly au #jungkook x reader #hoseok x reader #bts a/b/o #alpha! hoseok #alpha! jungkook #hopekook x reader

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leonscape · 3 months

Text

Lovers Swapped Personalities?

In an alternate universe, Chevalier is the king with the purest heart and Emma is the brutal beast (Emma the brutal bunny doesn’t really sound that threatening though).

Chevalier’s friendly aura is a huge contrast to Emma’s cold disinterest. People say horrible things about Emma behind both her and her husband’s backs.

They all claim that a woman shouldn’t act like that. She should be kind and welcoming, docile and warm. Some might argue because it’s how a woman should be; they’re supposed to be kind mothers to nurture their babies, not be cold and distant.

But no one dare say anything of the sort to her husband, the king. Of course it still finds its way to him eventually.

“So, Your Majesty, what did you think about the new book?” a nobleman asked Emma.

“I thought the story was a bit bland, losing track of events, and poor execution of plot twists,” Emma responded with her harsh criticism. The nobleman’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline and his eyes widened as large as saucers.

Chevalier jumped in with a nervous laugh, “Well despite all that, we actually had a great discussion on the book’s commentary on social issues and other themes that were presented in the book.”

“Oh! I’m glad! I really enjoyed what the book had to say and it really does make you think about our society,” the nobleman rambled on and on.

“King Chevalier married such a rude woman. Honestly, how could he stand being next to her? She should be by his side, supporting him, not bringing shame to the crown.” A few noblewomen just in earshot huddled together to complain and gossip.

“He’s a genius, a brilliant mind. Surely there is a reason why he agreed to take her as a wife and queen.”

“She probably manipulated him into it. She’s a commoner, the reason why she agreed to marriage was to climb the social ladder; marry into the Michel family and become queen.”

“But surely, King Chevalier must have his reasons on why he would take such an… unpleasant wife.”

Chevalier frowned and tried to tune them out. Emma stood next to him with a neutral stare. He knew very well that Emma could hear the group of women talking about them.

Chevalier took her hand in his, unashamed to show off his relationship with his wife. Emma didn’t seem to mind, the corners of her lips only slightly lifted.

“Is this your way of protecting me?” she asked with an amused chuckle.

“I need you to know that there is no woman that could ever replace you. You belong by my side and I by yours,” Chevalier told her, making a strong declaration.

The couple never cared much for public relations. They couldn’t care less about the gossip of petty noblewomen. Chevalier knew that Emma was the only woman worthy of being his equal.

Later on in the privacy of their shared bedroom, Chevalier stared at the page of his book. He stared at it as he got lost in thought. Emma snapped her book shut, grabbing his attention. “Just say it,” Emma told him.

“Does it bother you?” he asked.

Emma shook her head. “Why should it?”

“It hurts to hear people speak ill about your spouse,” he admitted. “I want people to see how great you are. But all they talk about is how unpleasant you are when it’s not the case. You’re not unpleasant.”

“Maybe to you, I am not unpleasant. But to others I am and I am not blind to this.”

“You’re not unpleasant. It’s actually refreshing to be around you.”

“Then why did you insert yourself?” Emma questioned. “Did you think I was being unpleasant?“

“You almost sent the poor man into the rose thorns!” he exclaimed.

“He was the one asking for my thoughts. I just gave it to him,” Emma said. “You feel refreshed because it’s what you need. You need someone who will be honest with you no matter the circumstances. But that is not the case for everyone else.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Chevalier sighed. “I just wish everyone would see what an amazing woman you are.”

#i don’t know what this is #it was an idea #but i think i did not execute it very well #ok my writing sucks that’s half the problem #why do they talk like that #o god i’m losing my best writing skill #an attempt was made #mangled emmalier- chemma? chevma?#ikemen prince #ikepri #ikemen series #ikemen prince fanfiction #ikepri fanfiction

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bathomet-writes · 1 year

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Could- 👉👈 could I perhaps ask for a rise Mikey x reader short, where like: it starts with a flashback of the boys as kids, going outside for the first time and while exploring, Mikey spots this little girl on the playground and just thinks she's the prettiest creature he's ever seen, so he goes to give her a flower, completely forgetting he's a mutant and like, readers scared at first but then sees the flower and is suddenly flattered

And then flashback ends: Mikey is now left hopelessly in love with reader, who the boys have now been friends with for a long time and reader is like well dam aware of mikeys crush, but decides to act like she doesn't know to see how long it'll take Mikey, but after a failed attempt of impressing reader by almost getting hurt, reader is just like 'fuck it' and makes the first move

If u don't wanna do it then just pretend u don't see this, and if ur interested, feel free to make any changes you'd like. Also pls do not feel rushed and have a good day.

candy hearts and paper flowers

relationship: Mikey x F!reader

warnings: romantic, fluff, humor, minor hurt/comfort, kissing, sfw

word count: 5,289

author's note: omg..my first request!! this was so fun, i've never written for mikey before. i hope you like it!!

Mikey peeks his head out, lifting the manhole cover up a couple of inches to get a look around. The sliver of light that flooded out from the outside was mesmerizing. He blinks, adjusting to the brightness.

“Woah…!” He lifts the lid even higher.

“What do you see?” Donnie whispers. “Is it a horse? I read that there are horses out there sometimes.”

“You read that there are horses in New York? Please,” Leo sighs.

Raph climbed up the ladder behind the other three, urging them to keep moving. “Quit holdin’ up the line!”

Leo and Donnie crash into one another, knocking their noggins awkwardly. “OW!”

Heaving the manhole cover to the side, Mikey jumps through the air. He tucks his body in to do a quick backflip, crying out a high-pitched “Hoo-wah!”

Mikey stood in hushed amazement, taking in the view of the street they popped out of. He’d only seen places like this on T.V. or in comic books, or while sneaking secret looks through sewer drains. But to stand on the pavement, feeling the dirt and grit beneath his toes, it was something else. He simply couldn’t contain his excitement any longer.

“This is amazing! Hello dumpster! Hello alley cat! Hello mysterious rainbow-colored puddle!” He hopped and skipped with glee, greeting every object his eyes fell on.

Eventually, Donnie, Leo, and Raph made their way out of the sewer to join him. They too were taken with the mundane sights around them, amazed at the fact that they were finally above ground. Donnie had already pulled out a crumpled up notepad to scratch down notes. Little observations of the people and buildings he saw. Leo was equally enraptured, following Donnie around as he pointed out various things on the ground.

“Woah, a used cigarette. Cool!”

“Don’t eat it,” Raph warns.

The red-clad turtle was trying his best to stay vigilant of his brothers, making sure none of them wandered too far off or ingested something they shouldn’t. He couldn't help but be star-struck as well, however. The ambient sounds of cars passing by and humans talking amongst themselves filled his ears. Raph claps his hands together, getting the others’ attention.

“Okay, boys. Splinter said we could come up and explore for exactly thirty minutes. Not thirty-one minutes, thirty minutes.” Raph gathered up everyone in a tight huddle, laying down the ground rules. “If any of you mess this up for us–”

“All we have to do is keep a low profile and not die, right?” Leo scoffs.

Mikey nods enthusiastically, siding with Leo. “Easy as pie!”

“I concur. Let us all go our separate ways and reconvene here in a half-hour. Commence the synchronizing of watches.” Donnie readjusts his glasses on the ridge of his nose before hitting a button on his wrist.

That was all Mikey needed to hear before bounding away, giggling to himself. “Cowabunga!”

Raph was soon left standing by himself as the others followed suit, going off in separate directions. Sputtering, he calls out to them. “W-Wait up! Don’t leave me alone!”

Quickly, he chooses to run after Leo across the street.

Mikey made a beeline through a nearby alleyway to explore its contents. The smell was strangely worse up here than it was down in the sewers. The pungent scent of garbage made his nose scrunch up in disgust.

“Nasty. Humans just leave their trash lying out like this?”

Once he gets one last look at the graffiti markings on the brick wall, he flattens himself to the corner of the building to check out the perimeter. There were a couple people walking around, talking on phones and looking somewhat distracted. Taking a chance, Mikey steps out onto the sidewalk, suddenly very nervous.

The locals didn’t seem too interested in a pre-teenage mutant ninja turtle, not so much as sparing him a passing glance. Mikey twiddles his fingers together, almost waiting for someone to scream out in horror.

“Huh…” he blinks. “I guess New Yorkers really have seen everything.”

He scans around for a moment, casually people-watching. There were so many humans, and they all looked so different!

Suddenly, his eyes catch a glimpse of a playground just a couple of yards away. His eyes go wide, sparkling.

“Omigosh!” Without thinking, he sprints over.

The playground was sizable, seemingly a part of a larger park in the neighborhood. Mikey marveled at the monkey bars, jungle gym, and various slides. He does one more double-take, making sure there was no one else around, before launching himself into the air.

“Aw, yeah! All mine, baby.”

For the next fifteen minutes or so, Mikey sampled all the playground had to offer. This kind of place was the perfect outlet for all his manic energy. He swung off of every monkey bar, climbed through all the plastic tunnels, and dug through the sandbox for any potential treasures that were hidden away.

As he buried himself within a sand castle he constructed, Mikey patted himself into a cocoon. “There, perfect.”

“What are you doing?” A tiny voice calls out.

“Hm?”

Mikey turned his head toward the swingset to his left. Somehow, he failed to notice a human girl sitting right beside him. She sat clutching the chains of the swing, letting her foot move herself slightly back and forth.

“I said, what are you doing? You’re gonna get sand everywhere.”

Mikey laid there, looking up to the sky in deep thought. Only his head was visible, while the rest of his body was buried in the sand. That must be the reason why she wasn’t terrified by the sight of his unusual green skin.

“I like being buried.” He chirps.

The girl continued to stare, pushing herself lazily on the swing. “Whatever.”

Mikey turns back and gives her a pleasant smile. He was thankful for the company, even if it was a slightly annoyed human. As he opened his eyes to fully look at her, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest. And it wasn’t just from being trapped in a sand prison.

Mikey didn’t know how to describe it. He could look at a painting and call it beautiful, or look at the moon up above and say it was enchanting. But the person sitting next to him, looking at him with slight indignation, left him gobsmacked.

She tried to look away and continue to enjoy her swing in peace, but she felt Mikey’s eyes bore into her.

“Do you want me to leave or something?” She sighs.

“What’s your name?”

She turns back to him, a small frown gracing her charming features. The way her scowl curled to the side was adorable. Every minute detail of her face was drawing Mikey in.

“What’s your name?”

Suddenly, Mikey sits up and lets the sand fall from his person. “Michael. Angelo. Michaelangelo!”

Her annoyed expression falls away as she takes notice of his shell. The green skin, the bald head, suddenly it clicked.

“You’re a…?”

Mikey scrambles up, putting his hands out in a placating gesture. “I-I know, it’s weird! Is it the mask? It’s the mask, isn’t it?”

He reaches up to untie it and pull it off of his head. Holding it out before him, Mikey waves it around in her face. “See!”

Scoffing, she bats his hand away. “I mean you’re a turtle!”

Mikey secures his mask back on before giving her another winning smile. He shoots his hand out for a shake.

“Yup! And you are…?”

“I’m leaving.” She slaps his hand away again, rejecting his friendly gesture.

Mikey watches as she moves to sit up, heart-broken. His lips tremble slightly as he rubs at his hand. Maybe he was being too presumptuous, but he didn’t really expect to get such a cold welcome his first day up on the surface.

His eyes search around, desperate to find a reason to make her stay. “Wait! I can push you on the swing? If you want…?”

She stops, looking back at Mikey. After a couple seconds of contemplation, she sits back down.

“I guess that’s fine.”

Instantly, Mikey’s mood does a 180. “Yes!”

Stepping behind her, Mikey places his hands on the chains. He begins to step backward and lift the girl into the air. She gulps, her hands gripping tighter.

“This is kinda high.”

“That’s the best part! Here. We. Go!”

Then, Mikey reels back and lets the swing go. He doesn’t take into account the fact his strength was a little more intense than most, accidentally sending the girl flying.

Screaming, she does a full rotation. Mikey stares on in horror as she does another spin. And another. Eventually, she becomes tied to the top rung of the swing set, bound tightly by the chains.

“That, uh…might be a little too high?” He chuckles.

“GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!” She wails, wiggling against her restraints. “How did you even do that?!”

Mikey quickly jumps up into the air and lands on the bar. He gives her an apologetic look, feeling like he was in real trouble.

“Sorry! I’m so, so sorry! Let me just—“

She blinks at him, watching as he untangles her from the swing. “You’re…really strong!”

She grins in spite of herself. Her limbs finally go slack and she’s pulled up into Mikey’s grasp. He holds her for a second before gently setting her back on the ground.

“I’m really sorry again. I kinda can’t control my own strength yet.”

Mikey hangs his head as he lands on the wood chip surface of the playground.

She kicks her feet, feeling a little awkward for making such a fuss about it. He looked so genuine, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

“It’s fine…That was actually kind of fun.”

Mikey looks up, hopeful. “It was?”

She nods, holding out her hand. “I’m Y/N, by the way.”

Mikey beams, his eyes shining like stars. He wasn’t sure what it was about this girl that was making him so upbeat. Well, more upbeat than he usually was. He launches forward and brings her into a tight hug, shaking her back and forth.

“Y/N! You’re my first new human friend! The first of many!”

She groans, trying to escape his enthusiastic hold. “Okay, that’s enough!”

Chucking, he releases her. “Right. Sorry, too much.”

Mikey rubs the back of his head, smiling goofily at her. She flits her eyes down to his mouth, noticing his missing tooth. Without thinking, she covers her mouth.

“Your teeth.”

Mikey, feeling suddenly very bashful, closes his mouth. “Yeah, I know. My dad says the tooth gap will go away eventually, but…”

The girl blinks, moving her hand away. She didn’t mean to make him embarrassed at all. To Mikey’s shock, she breaks out in quiet laughter.

“H-Hey!” He shouts, waving his hands around. “That’s not very nice!”

She laughs even harder, moving her hands away from her mouth. Then, Mikey sees it. She was missing her top right canine.

Blushing, she points up to her teeth. “You’re just like me! I lost this tooth last week. That’s so funny!”

Mikey’s eyes go wide, watching her continue to heartily laugh. Slowly, his lips curl into a smile. He chuckles along with her, his voice steadily growing in volume.

As the two of them wind down, Mikey’s smile falls away. He never really interacted with a real human before, was this how he was supposed to feel? His stomach was full of butterflies, hands opening and closing out of sheer restlessness.

“Can I give you something?”

Walking back to lean against the swing, she nods. “Depends.”

Mikey sweats, realizing he didn’t really have anything to give her. He pats his chest, searching for a gift. “I— I’m gonna give you…”

Looking down, a couple of dandelions sprouting out of the corner of the sandbox catches his eye. Mikey quickly picks them from the ground and presents them to her. He accidentally tore them out by the roots, stringy grass and dirt dangling from the flowers.

“Flowers! You’re supposed to give cute girls flowers!”

“You…think I’m cute?”

Before he can respond, Mikey notices a large clock face against the side of a neighboring building. It had already been a half-hour! Panicking, he shoves them into her hands before running away.

“GOODBYE!” He screeches.

Mikey peels out, sprinting back toward the direction of the manhole cover he emerged from. He stumbles and trips on the wood chips, accidentally getting some in his mouth.

“Blecch—!”

He scrambles up to continue his ungrateful exit, leaving the girl behind. She sits dumbfounded, staring at the bouquet of dandelions. A small blush colors her cheeks.

—

You smile to yourself, remembering the day you and Mikey first met.

You look over to him as the two of you stroll through the same park. A good number of years later, things were relatively unchanged. The playground had a couple of updates, some new equipment. Tonight’s destination, however, was the botanical gardens. Mikey insisted that you accompany him tonight, eager to show you the exhibits.

“And, why couldn’t this have waited until tomorrow again?” You ask.

“Because,” he skips ahead, giving you his signature gap-toothed smile. “There’s no one around at night!”

You fold your hands behind your back, winking at him. “So we’re breaking in.”

“No. We’re sneaking in.” He corrects.

Chuckling, you playfully shove him aside. “You just want an excuse to hang out with me alone, don’t you?”

You close your eyes, confidently walking forward. You hear Mikey sputter and cough, having seemingly been found out. He tries his best to cover up his bashfulness with a cool facade.

“W-What’s so wrong with some good-natured plant watching between friends? You need a little more culture in your life, and who better to provide it than me.”

Mikey places his thumb and forefinger on his chin, his eyes glinting under the dull moonlight.

“Uh-huh. Sure,” you scoff.

You didn’t consider yourself a particularly perceptive person. Especially when it came to matters of deciphering people’s intentions. But, Michael was unfortunately kind of an open book. He wore his heart on his sleeve, the poor guy.

Even a fool could see that he was head over heels for you. You’re not too sure if Mikey had always had a crush on you, but lately he had made quite an effort to shower you with attention. His texts were more frequent, sending you random online quizzes and songs that you just had to see. Mikey was always pretty touchy-feely with his family and friends, giving out plenty of hugs. He was a very physically intimate turtle, sometimes to your detriment.

“We’re here!”

His voice rips you from your thoughts and you glance up.

Before you stood a grand building, composed almost entirely of glass windows. The yard surrounding the gardens were almost a little more impressive, countless hedges and water features decorating the area.

Mikey slides up next to you, waggling his eyebrows. “Right?”

“Okay, this is pretty cool.” You smirk.

“I know. Allow me to razz my tazz…”

You watch as he backflips into the air and sticks to the exterior of the glass building. How did he do that, you wonder? Mikey feels around the glass panel, looking for the loose edge to wiggle himself into. He finally finds it, knocking his elbow against the window.

Suddenly, he slides in, letting out a surprised squawk. “WOAH—!”

You cringe hearing him fall through a number of limbs, leaves shaking and vines ripping from the impact. The jungle of foliage inside was dense, so you can’t really see where Mikey lands. You run up to the service door, waiting for him to give you some sort of signal.

“Oh, Michael? Are you dead?” You cup your hands together, calling out to him in a sing-song voice.

Pressing your face against the door, you strain your ears to listen closely. Silence. You click your tongue in annoyance.

“I’m gonna call Raph.” You slowly reach for your pocket.

Mikey slams his head against the other side of the door, his pleading face squished against the glass. “NO, DON’T!”

“AAAH—! Don’t jumpscare me like that!” You shriek.

Mikey quickly throws open the door before pulling you in by your shirt collar. Stumbling in, you nearly fall over. You huff indignantly while he lifts you back up on your feet. For such a little guy, he sure was strong.

“Falling for me already, eh?” He jokes.

You flick his nose. “In your dreams.”

He awkwardly snickers at you, feeling a little shy about his casual flirtation. Mikey didn’t know if he was coming off as cute or just creepy, unable to gauge your reaction. You were always a little more cool and collected than him, your quick wit and charm rivaling even Leo’s. It was humbling, even a little attractive. He follows you from behind like a love-sick puppy, desperate to impress you.

The two of you eventually walk into the center of the botanical garden and stand in awe of the plant life. Part of you wishes that Donnie was here to inform you both on each and every plant name, he was full of fun facts like that. But, you were happy just to have Mikey here to yourself. It was a good opportunity to test out a theory you had brewing in the back of your brain.

“So, what first?” You smile, turning to Mikey. “Lead the way.”

He gives you an even bigger smile, eager to have you on the hook. “Oh! There’s that one stink plant!”

He directs you to the right, walking ahead of you before stopping dead in his tracks. You peek your head over his shoulder, looking around curiously.

“What?”

“I, uh— I forgot we kinda made it into a mutant with a security guard.” He chuckles.

You stare at his face, looking all at once bashful and spacey. Smirking, you edge your head closer to his. You were usually pretty touch-averse, but maybe you could try being more physically intimate with him. Just to see what would happen.

“Maybe that’s for the best. I know you have a very sensitive nose,” you whisper.

Mikey covertly gulps, caught off guard by your sudden closeness and your low voice in his ear. “Let’s go look at the babbling brook! I think I can hear it…babbling!”

Spinning around, he grabs your hand and drags you along behind him.

You bite at your lower lip, entertained by his flustered behavior. You hated to admit it, but teasing Mikey was just too much fun. You hold his hand tighter.

“Aww, it’s like a tiny waterfall!” You gush, walking up to stand beside Mikey. “I wonder if there are any fish in here?”

Mikey shakily lets go of you, placing his hands on his hips. “There actually are. Lemme show you!”

You furrow your brows, watching Mikey step into the tiny river. The water led to a larger pond, lilly pads and other aquatic plants scattered about the surface.

“That’s probably a bad idea,” you warn. You follow him along the bank, careful not to step on any of the flowers.

“Relax. I’m a turtle, water is my natural habitat.”

You narrow your eyes. “Don’t Ornate box turtles drown really easily?”

He tosses his head at you, continuing to march forward. “That’s a myth.”

You fold your arms over your chest, meeting his cocky gaze with your unimpressed scowl.

“Let’s see…I think I saw a fish somewhere around here.” Mikey leans down, moving aside a lily pad to investigate. “Ah-hah! Told ya.”

He shoots back up, holding out an orange-spotted koi fish. It thrashed wildly in his grasp, flapping its tail against his hand.

Sighing, you walk closer to the edge of the pond. “You’re gonna regret that.”

“I’m putting it right back, okay? Chill—“

Suddenly, a whole army of koi fish swarm around Mikey’s feet in the water. They apparently did not take too kindly to his rude intrusion. You wordlessly watch on as Mikey got practically attacked by a dozen or so fish, their tails repeatedly slapping against his body.

“Woah, hey! Stop that! I’m not your enemy! AAA—!” Mikey tries to run out, lifting his legs high and shaking off a fish that had clamped its jaw onto his foot.

Your hands grip onto your arms in an attempt to stop yourself from laughing. But, as soon as you see Mikey fall into the water, you break. Cackling, you grab at your sides as Mikey pitifully splashed around in the pond.

“This is amazing!” You tease. “I’m sending this in the group chat.”

“Help me! I lied, I’m drowning!” Mikey screams, waving his limbs about.

You hold your phone out and start recording a video, chuckling. “The water’s barely a foot deep.”

The last koi fish gives Mikey a harsh slap across the face, leaving him behind to lie in the water. He looked utterly shocked and defeated.

Once you’ve gotten all the evidence you need, you stow your phone away and kick off your shoes and socks. You were cruel, but you weren’t that cruel.

“Okay, I think you’ve had enough.” You roll up the cuffs of your pants and gingerly step into the pond, holding out your hand to Mikey.

Blinking up at you, he scowls. “I could have died back there.”

You purse your lips, resolving to just reach down and pull Mikey up by the edge of his plastron. “Serves you right for disrespecting the pond.”

As you lifted him out of the water, his body was stiff as a board. His face was still screwed into an exaggerated frown. You can’t help but chuckle again at him, wiping off some pond scum that had gotten stuck to his shell.

“What?” He pouts.

“You’re so cute when you look like that.” You pull Mikey out of the pond, peeking back at his offended expression.

“That’s totally not demeaning.”

Once you both get back onto the path, you give him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, okay? You just have a naturally cute face.”

Your hands drift up to land on Mikey’s face, gently squishing his cheeks. His eyes were still angry, but you could tell from his blush and his wavering frown that you were really testing his resolve. You knew he wasn’t really mad, just embarrassed. It only made him even more cute.

Mikey stared at you, using almost all of his willpower not to melt into your touch. You had never been so brazen, so comfortable with casually touching him like this. The cheeky way you were looking at him only made him more flustered. Clearing his throat, he dips out of your hold.

“The succulents are over here.”

Huffing, he marches away. You can only smirk to yourself as you follow behind. Maybe you were teasing him a little too much. You didn’t really care, though. With a pep in your step, you catch up to meet him at the desert flora section.

You saw a collection of cacti, some towering over your heads, others small and rotund. Mikey shakes off his growing nerves to present them to you.

“Behold, the pokey plants. As you can see, they are covered in pokey bits.”

Nodding, you sit your chin upon your fist. “Ah, yes. Very pokey indeed.”

The two of you nod to one another in mock-seriousness. You watch as Mikey begins to smile again, and you feel a little relieved. While you quite enjoyed seeing him playfully mad, you can’t deny that you miss seeing him happy.

Mikey quirks his head to the side, an idea knocking around in his head. “I wonder…”

You cock your head as well. “Wonder what?”

“Dare me to touch it?” He lifts a hand up toward a particularly sharp-looking cactus.

You shift your eyes from the plant and back to him, cautiously interested. “I won’t stop you.”

“I’m gonna do it,” he warns.

“Fine. See what happens.” You toss your hand over your shoulder, walking away. This was bound to end well.

Before you know it, you hear a loud crunching sound behind you. You twist around to find Mikey crumpled over the cactus’s broken trunk, absolutely covered in thorns. His eyes were as wide as saucers, almost in disbelief of his own actions.

“Michael!” You gasp. “I swear to god.”

Shuddering, he crawls out of the exhibit, moving through the pebbles that laid about. “Pain…I’m in pain.”

You turn your back to him, exasperated with his antics. “I’m not helping you.”

“Don’t need it. I’m perfectly capable of helping myself.” He stands, legs wobbling. He tries to grab at a large spine poking out of his forearm.

“Ow.” One thorn.

“Ow.” Another.

You grumble, listening to Mikey remove the spines one by one. This was just sad. You slowly turn around, watching as he stands there plucking at his arm. Sighing, you decide to be a little more merciful.

“You’re lucky you have that shell.”

You find a nearby bench and plant yourself on it. You pat your hand to the seat next to you, beckoning him to sit down. “Come here.”

Mikey quickly pads over to sit in front of you, swinging his legs around the bench. You follow suit and do a once-over. Thankfully, his legs were mostly unharmed, but his upper body and face were covered in barbs.

“What did we learn?” You sigh, carefully removing all of the larger spines.

Mikey tries holding back each cry of pain as you pluck them out, his eyes squeezing shut. “I wasn’t trying to throw myself into a cactus, you know. I just tripped.”

“That’s why are you covered in pokey bits?”

“I– Ouch!” He seethes, recoiling away from you. “I was trying to be cool, okay. Aren’t you impressed?”

Chuckling dryly, you move on to the smaller, more difficult barbs. You knew he was just trying to show off, even if it was kind of pathetic. Internally, you frown. No, he wasn’t pathetic. You somehow felt bad for even thinking that. It wasn’t like he was putting on airs, or being fake. He was actually pretty genuine.

“Not impressed. Just slightly concerned.”

Mikey sniffs, feeling a little disheartened with your reply. “Sorry.”

You flit your eyes up for a moment. “Why do you think you have to impress me? I already think you’re cool.”

He turns his head away slightly. “I don’t know? I just want to.”

Mikey was usually pretty good about verbalizing his emotional desires. But for some reason, he felt so confused.

After you pick out the last barb from his cheek, you toss them all away into the bushes. “There, all done.”

You were about to stand back up before you felt Mikey grab at your upper arm. You freeze, looking down at him.

“I just– Sometimes I feel like I need to show off. Show you that I’m cool and strong, I guess? I’m not super buff like Raph, or smooth like Leo. And I’m definitely not smart like Donnie.”

You move to sit back down, staring at him. You don’t know how to react to his sudden confession, simply opting to remain silent.

Mikey lifts his head to look you in the eye, a sad smile tugging at his lips. “I just want to make you feel safe.”

You frown. “You think I don’t feel safe?”

Shaking his head, Mikey bails on his own admission. “No, I don’t know. Nevermind.”

In an instant, you get an idea. You rummage around in your bag to pull out your old, worn sketchbook that you carried around everywhere. You leaf through the pages to land in the middle. “You recognize this?”

Mikey blinks away a tear that threatened to accumulate in his eye before looking over. “Your sketchbook?”

“No, this.” You reach in and pull out a couple of pressed flowers. They were shriveled and brown with age, but they were very clearly dandelions.

Mikey’s sad frown melts away as he leans forward. “Those are…”

“The flowers you gave me. When I first met you, I was actually kind of freaked out. I just remember thinking, ‘Why was this weird turtle harassing me?’” You allow yourself to smile, recalling the memory.

You hear Mikey chuckle quietly, his eyes softening.

“But, you were obviously just a huge dork. Sweet, but still a dork. I took those weeds you gave me and put them in here.”

You carefully place them back into your sketchbook, closing it. “I carried them with me all the time, so I wouldn’t feel so alone, y’know? If I ever felt scared, I would just clutch onto this and pretend you were there.”

Mikey sat up straighter, letting your soft words wrap him up into a warm blanket. He felt so safe, so secure in your presence.

“Thankfully, I didn’t have to do it too often. Because you were always there, somehow.”

Finally, you put your sketchbook back into your bag and look up. You give Mikey a lopsided smile, watching him look at you with quiet amazement. Reaching up, you place your hand upon his flushed cheek, bathing in his warmth.

Mikey was speechless. Words couldn’t begin to describe what he was feeling right now. He unintentionally allows his head to nuzzle up against your hand, practically sighing.

“You okay?”

“My skin kind of hurts.” His voice was oddly low, laced with a shy sweetness.

Leaning forward, you debate with yourself whether or not you want to tease him even more. He looked so vulnerable right now, you wouldn’t dare ruin a rare moment like this. Humming, you indulge yourself and decide to place a soft kiss upon his cheek. You didn’t want to scare him off.

Mikey’s skin tingles with excitement, electric sparks surging through his body. “Hahh…”

“Am I hurting you,” you whisper. You weren’t sure if he was hissing out in pleasure or in pain.

He immediately responds. “No, you feel really nice.”

Angling your head lower, you slot your lips gently against his. The kiss is chaste and short, but you feel your heartbeat thrum in your ears. The low light of the night sky illuminated the two of you, making Mikey’s skin practically glow. Moving an inch or two away, you admire his features.

Mikey sighs, his eyes fluttering open. You meet his soft gaze with your own. After a charged couple of seconds, the two of you break out into laughter. His head falls onto the bend of your shoulder, his breath heavy.

“I can’t believe you did that.” He exhales shakily.

“Pull out nearly a hundred cactus spines from your body? Yeah, I can’t believe it either.” You chuckle.

In a bold move, Mikey smiles against your neck before placing a kiss on your hot skin. You shudder, feeling his teeth brush up against your pulse.

“Woah-hoh-hoh! Ouch!” You tear yourself away, flapping your hands at his face. “Your teeth are sharper than I thought.”

Mikey gives you a cheeky smile, his tooth-gap on full display. “Sorry, I’m kinda pokey.”

He feels his heart swell in his chest, his limbs going limp and gooey. He wondered if he could even stand up. Seemingly reading his mind, you reach over and hook your arms underneath him. In an impressive move, you heave Mikey up and carry him bridal-style.

“H-Hey! What are you doing?” He cries out, blushing furiously.

“Carrying you back. Because I can,” you smirk.

Out of sheer embarrassment, Mikey covers his face. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

“Neither did I!”

And with that, you make your way back to the exit, giggling with Mikey as you bask in your newfound closeness. You hope that he felt safe with you, safe enough to let you into his heart just a little bit more.

#rottmnt x reader #mikey x reader #rottmnt mikey x reader #michelangelo x reader #tmnt x reader #sfw #requests #this became a lot longer than i originally intended lol

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allzelemonz · 1 year

Text

Found Alive: Kieran Duffy X Male Reader

Pronouns: None Mentioned, Reader referred to as ‘boy’ Physical Sex: None Mentioned Rating: M/Violence, death Warnings: Reader commits murder three times, implied future murder, implied torture, kidnapping, beating, reference to the Night Folk, non-cannon compliant, Kieran lives, trauma and coping, the gang cares about Kieran Summary: Kieran disappears from Shady Bell. You’re not about to let him stay away, neither are a few others in the gang.

One member of the gang found, another missing. Jack returned with a party and everyone was too drunk or busy celebrating to notice the disappearance of the former O’Drsicoll. Usually he comes to your tent in the morning, still too shy to share a bedroll with you, but this morning he didn’t. Mary-Beth noticed something similar. She’s been helping Kieran read and they usually get through a page before breakfast. He never showed. You and her approached Dutch and asked if he’d finally allowed him to go on a job. He didn’t. Mary-Beth asked around camp and turned up nothing while you looked over his usual sleeping place and found equal amounts of nothing.

He wouldn’t just leave like this. He was finally starting to fit in and make friends. He started his relationship with you just a few days ago. It’s not just that either. Even if he was pretending, even if he was just waiting to run, he wouldn’t leave Branwen. He loves horses, that horse especially, and he’s just standing with the others in the morning sun.

“Maybe somebody took him.” Mary-Beth says.

You hold out an oatcake for Branwen. He’s been getting nervous without Kieran around, like he knows something is wrong.

“Who could take him?” You sigh. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“Mister Morgan told me about some folks out here.” She shakes her head. “Scary folks.”

You shake your head. “I’ve seen them. They wouldn’t come all the way over here. Not with all of us and our guns.”

Mary-Beth gasps. “You don’t think the O’Driscolls found us?”

You tense up, freezing in the middle of patting Branwen. “I’m gonna talk to Dutch.”

Dutch allows you to go looking for Kieran, letting you prompt the others but not forcing anyone to help. In the end, it’s you, Mary-Beth, Bill, Javier, Arthur, and Hosea. Javier and Mary-Beth go West, Bill and Hosea go North, and you and Arthur scour the surrounding swamps. You all agree to tackle Saint Denis together, meeting at the saloon with whatever you find.

The swamps don’t show anything promising. The occasional reptile, but that’s it. Arthur has no desire to be here past the afternoon. You don’t blame him. The swaps are creepy, full of things that shouldn’t exist. Once you’ve combed through everything you ride to the saloon to meet the others. They’re already there, standing among the horses and going over the immense nothing that they found. As you and Arthur hitch your horses you hear a loud crash from the alleyway.

“Goodness.” Mary-Beth jumps at the noise.

Javier puts his hand on his gun and peers down the alley. You follow, Arthur behind you. There’s three men with a familiar green wrapped around their faces, all trying to get another man to his feet. It’s Kieran.

Arthur steps forward and raises his gun. “You boys really are stupid.”

Javier and you join him, guns raised at the O’Driscolls. The others rush to see what’s happening and raise their guns as well. With six guns aimed at them, the O’Driscolls put their hands up and back away.

You rush for Kieran, kneeling beside him and checking for injuries.

“You ain’t goin’ nowhere, ya bastards.” Bill calls, stepping forward with Javier.

They pass you, Arthur joining them as they each take an O’Driscoll. Mary-Beth and Hosea join you in helping Kieran up. He’s barely conscious, but alive. He has a few bruises, a black eye, and busted lip, but he’s alive. You can hear the cries from the O’Driscolls as they’re beaten by your fellow Van Der Lindes. You get Kieran to sit against the wall in front of the horses. Hosea looks him over and Mary-Beth gets him water that he can hardly drink.

The sight infuriates you. You go back to the alley and find the O’Driscolls writhing in pain beneath your friends. Arthur steps away, giving you room. Bill and Javier follow, knowing exactly what you intend to do. The first one cries as if he hadn’t helped kidnap and beat Kieran, but he gets a bullet the same as the other two that give quiet stares. The blood pools on the ground under each of them and it fills you with a slight relief. Arthur has to put his hand over yours to make you lower your gun.

“We gotta get him home.” He says softly. “Come on, boy.”

You holster your gun and walk back to the horses. Kieran has his eyes open a little more and he’s drinking the water much better. Bill and Javier each give him a nod as they pass to mount their horses.

Hosea stands and looks between you and Arthur. “I take it we won’t have to worry about our friends anymore?”

“Taken care of.” Arthur says. “Let get goin’ before the law shows up.”

You kneel in front of Kieran and he smiles at you, reaching his hand out to cup your cheek. You turn your head so you can press a kiss to his hand before you hold it in yours for a moment. Arthur helps you get him up on your horse and you ride back to camp. When you ride in you stall by the horses and let Branwen see that Kieran is back.

“Miss me, buddy?” Kieran asks as he presses his hand to Branwen’s nose.

The horse seems much happier.

Strauss gives you a few tonics and instructs you when to give them to Kieran. You pay as close attention as you can. Mary-Beth and Hosea brought him to your tent and sit with him while you get the supplies. Hosea excuses himself when you return, giving you a warm look with a pat on the shoulder. Mary-Beth tells you she left a book for Kieran, but he might need help reading some of it. You nod and she gives you a smile before she leaves.

“They’re fussin’ over me.” Kieran says, wincing as he sits up.

“They should be.”

You set the tonics down next to Mary-Beth’s book and hand him the one he’s supposed to drink now. He downs it, breaking once and a while when the wound on his lip stings.

“You’re sleeping here from now on.” You say, sitting next to him. “O’Driscolls can’t get you here.”

Kieran smiles softly. “Guess I shoulda done it before.”

“You’re here now, alive. That’s what matters.”

“Did ya shoot those fellas?” He asks, setting the tonic bottle down.

You nod.

“They wasn’t the only ones.” Kieran says. “I told Mister Matthews ‘bout a camp.”

“Dutch will probably have us hit it tomorrow.”

“Do ya have ta go?” Kieran asks. “I don’t wanna be alone.”

You carefully wrap your arms around him, trying not to hit any bruises. Kieran grips you much tighter. His face is buried in your shoulder and you hold him a little more solidly as he starts to sob. He tries to hide it at first but once you press a light kiss to his head, he lets go and the tears fall onto your shirt. You hold him for a while, just letting him get it out. You don’t know what happened beyond the cuts and bruises, but you will be joining Sadie on her next O’Driscoll hunting spree.

#red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #red dead redemption x reader #red dead redemption x male reader #x reader #x male reader #kieran duffy #kieran duffy x reader #kieran duffy x male reader

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odinsblog · 1 year

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"For millions of Americans, their primary interaction with the state is through its policing apparatus. They live in these communities, they live in these neighborhoods where they are surveilled, and followed, and policed in ways other citizens are not. And that forms kind of the bedrock of their relationship with the state.

And because their relationship with the state is formed in this very antagonistic way, in this way that renders them vulnerable to all kinds of threats, up to and including being killed, that produces a different kind of “citizenship” or understanding of citizenship, right?

If you area middle class person in a middle class neighborhood and your kids go to a decent school, and maybe you go vote every couple of years, and you go to the municipal office to fill out paperwork, get permits or whatever… a trash decal for your trash can, and you go to the DMV. You might be frustrated at times, but generally speaking you’re going to be treated as if you are a citizen who matters, right? Like what you say matters, what you think matters, like, people will show concern for you. But if your primary relationship with the state is through the police, that’s not the case. You’re not going to be treated as a citizen who matters. The fact that your neighborhood is being surveilled in these ways that you KNOW other neighborhoods are not, signals to you that the state doesn’t even think of you as an equal citizen. It thinks of you as a potential criminal threat.

And so what (Velsa) Weaver and (Joe) Soss argue, and what Weaver finds in previous work that she’s done, is that for citizens who exist in this kind of relationship to the state, they tend to not participate in politics, they tend to have a very pessimistic view of the ability of the government to do anything for them in their lives, and they kind of just drop out of the political system entirely.

And I think it’s important when we’re thinking about policing, not to simply look at this as a question of, “Well how can we get the police to stop doing violence?” That’s important, but we shouldn’t simply look at it as a question of how do we get the police to stop being biased. I think we need to broaden our view and think about what is the relationship of policing itself to citizenship, to democratic life, and how does that affect people?

How do people who live their lives with constant police contact understand themselves as citizens and what does that mean for our politics?

If you are from a community for whom police contact is regular, which is itself a negative thing… I grew up in like a regular middle class neighborhood, nothing special. And the police just like weren’t there. There were no cop cars, patrol cars going through. It just wasn’t a thing. It wasn’t until I would visit friends who lived in more low-income neighborhoods, more segregated neighborhoods that I would ever see police cars. But they just weren’t in the neighborhood I grew up in.

And that kind of regular contact… and again, people know, right? I sometimes think that there’s this idea that the people who are under regular police surveillance aren’t aware that they’re being treated differently, but they are. They’re very aware of it. And that kind of constant police contact… and if you’re a young man of color in these neighborhoods, the odds that you’re going to be stopped or even roughed up are pretty decent. Again, that fundamentally shapes your orientation towards the state and to your own sense of your own citizenship.

Now, the response to all of this, and I can imagine it very clearly, is, “Well these are places where there’s lots of crime, so you need the police there.”

There’s two things to say to that: The first is that, crime is everywhere. I went to the University of Virginia, a very lovely school where lots of kids did drugs. They did illegal drugs. Right? And this is the case with any elite university. There are going to be a lot of kids doing illegal drugs. But there aren’t cops patrolling the frat houses looking for people doing illegal drugs. There are cops patrolling the public housing facilities looking for people doing illegal drugs.

So the crime is happening everywhere. Even violent crime, but the cops aren’t everywhere. And that’s because some people are seen as being deserving of surveillance because they might be potential criminals, and other people are not seen as being potential criminals. And that’s the perception people do actually understand, and that’s what shapes how they view the state, how they view the government, how they view themselves in relation to those things.

If you’re calling your squad the Scorpion Squad, that sort of gives the game away. The “Scorpion Squad” isn’t going to be a place where there’s like sensitive community oriented policing. It’s the Scorpion Squad.

There is an observation that’s been made many times by many observers over the years in these Black and Brown communities, by people who have worked in them and who studied them: which is that, the people in these communities they want something to be done about crime. Like, no one likes to be exposed to violent crime, people want something to be done about it. But very often, police departments aren’t really policing violent crime. They’re not solving murders, they’re not preventing murders or any kind of other violent offenses. What they’re doing is quality-of-life policing. They’re sweeping people off of the streets, they’re harassing people who might “look suspicious,” but they’re not doing the kind of police work that might actually reduce violence.

And so you have this paradox where people are over-policed by things like the Scorpion Squad. You know, stopping a motorist and then beating them to death. But like also probably harassing just people hanging out living their lives on the street. But then they’re also simultaneously under policed in the kinds of things that people want taken care of. If you read any work about the crime spike back in the 80s and 90s, and listened to what these people were talking about, or if you just sit in on a public meeting, right, and people are just speaking to their representatives or to law enforcement, what you’ll hear is essentially, “Why don’t you spend less time harassing my kids and more time finding the people who shot this guy?” That’s what people want, but it’s precisely because the people collectively in the neighborhood or the community are viewed as “potentially criminal” that law enforcement doesn’t make that kind of distinction.

It doesn’t make the distinction between a bunch of kids just hanging out on a corner, because that’s what kids do—to reference my own childhood again, I spent a lot of time hanging out in the Walmart parking lots, which is just kind of what kids do—versus people who are genuinely dangerous. Which, to make that kind of distinction, it requires you to do more than simply drive around in a cop car. It requires you to build relationships. It requires you to treat the people you encounter as citizens worthy of protection, and not as potential suspects."

- JAMELLE BOUIE, Police As Government

#politics #police #defund the police #jamelle bouie #tyree nichols #racism #over policing #scorpion squad

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lya-dustin · 2 months

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Shock and Delight

Chapter 12

Cw: slight misogyny, Criston's Madonna-Whore Complex, mentions of bullying as a child

Aemond doesn’t send his flowers in person and has his page do it for him with a note meant for Aemma; they are supposed to be in thanks for their walk together.

Despite the urge to be witty at Aemma’s expense, Aemond knows this mummery cannot fail.

Unlike Rhaena’s suitor, he had not accidentally given her his condolences, and unlike the Blackwood Boy, he had not implied he was a woman in love with Baela.

Daisies with lavender and baby’s breath and some other flowers that complimented Aemma and declared some sort of romantic feeling while being the most modest thing she’s gotten.

A simple and yet meaningful thing that will make suitors up their game when their intendeds hear of this through the Morning Scandal.

“You have never done any of this before, your highness.” Cole looks at the rough drafts of said note with equal parts paternal interest and warrior’s suspicion.

“None have been Aemee.” he said with a shrug.

A good enough lie.

He’d never pretended to have an entire relationship with someone before. Aemee was also different from all the ladies because she was his half-niece and very willing to pretend to love him like that.

Aemond could even say he loves her, and it wouldn’t be a lie because he does love her as one loves their family. Not that he wants Cole asking him about it, he’d go straight to mother with the news.

“You would betray the cause for a crown for yourself?” Cole also knows him well.

He is not a romantic, he is pragmatic. Logic over feeling. Gods know feelings have fucked up everyone’s lives enough in this family.

“It would be a good move on our part, Rhaenyra wouldn’t want to kill us when it could cost her Aemma.” The prince lies. “Besides shouldn’t my mother be considering the cost of a war so close to winter while we have the Stepstones and, most importantly, the stain of kinslaying over giving Aegon a crown?”

A queen counts the cost against her own people, empty words for someone who has been preparing for a war since he lost his eye. A justified reason to wage it, but considering half the Reach doesn’t like grandfather and Lady Sharra Tyrell was given her son’s regency by Rhaenyra’s meddling on the first day back here, it was just a foolish idea.

“You know it isn’t about giving your elder brother his rightful inheritance, your highness. It is about upholding tradition and what the Faith has taught us all.” Cole defends mother with every breath he takes and Aemond, to be frank, grows tired of it with each passing day.

Why did people, especially Criston, have to hold his mother in such a high pedestal? Why can’t she just be Alicent who does a respectable job at keeping the realms together instead of this sinless and pure, the Mother reborn in flesh image they raise against Rhaenyra’s?

None of those people talk of his mother’s capabilities as a stateswoman or the compassion she has for women and children, they just say she is pretty and pious and praise grandfather and the Faith for her goodness. No one thinks she is good because she made herself good.

Gods, barely a fortnight has gone, and already Aemma’s strange views have rubbed off on him. If people ever viewed them without the screen of more myth than men, they’d realize they could rule themselves and kill them all.

“Dorne follows the Seven and they have female heirs and lords, which has gone very well for them. Only realm to have killed a dragon and all that.” It’s a potshot, but it gets Criston to stop talking about this. “Aemma would make a good ruler, better than her own mother and Aegon if you ask me.”

Aemma giggles as she reads the note over and over and keeps Aemond’s flowers in her best vase in the sitting room.

“Careful, Lady Morning will write about it.” Septa Teora teases as they rest from having delivered in person the last batch of flowers to the septs in the city.

It had been a good opportunity to see how Kingslanding was doing under the rule of the greens, so far it was rather the same as when they’d left. The charities were well run even if they depended on the recipient to be in the Faith, the guilds were mostly satisfied, but the schools suffered a disparity between the sex of their students.

That had been put in her agenda, but for now they focused on the Septs in Flea Bottom as they provided the backbone to the charities.

The Sept in Flea Bottom needed much work, as did the orphanages and schools they had for their flock. The ones in the more well-to-do parts were in perfect shape and sang praises of Alicent and Helaena, one had even gone as far as to have the Mother modeled after Alicent despite looking about as young as the Maiden.

Very clever of her, even if her faith was as false as her smiles, she had the faith and the faithful smallfolk on her side. Useful for when she usurps her mother. After all who cares if you’re going against the king’s will if people have a good image of you in their heads.

“She better, or else Aemond must step up his game.” Aemma would love to tell her, but Teora would tell mother this was all a ruse.

“You like him, don’t you?” the Septa asks, and it hurts Aemma to lie to someone who is a mother to her in all but name.

Although it’s not much of a lie, in the brief time they had since reacquainting themselves, Aemma has come to like Aemond as a friend. He had a sharp wit, a hidden sweetness underneath the viper-like exterior and understood her as only a true friend would.

“We were always fond of each other when we were children. I wouldn’t mind marrying him.” Somehow that was all true, Aemond and Aemma had been born within months of each other and neither had dragons until they were one and ten, so naturally they would spend most of their time together hiding from Aegon in grandfather’s library.

Grandfather then introduced them to history and philosophy and for a few moments Aemond knew what it was to have a father who cared. Until they were banished from there because the Maesters feared the Rot was contagious and could harm them. After that they contented themselves with Helaena’s room and Teora taking the books to and from the library under the tabard of her habit.

“You could if you wanted, your grandmother was fond of telling me that she and my brother were friends before they were sweethearts, Aem.” Teora means well, but this match with Aemond was nonsense. His mother would use all she could to stop it and mother would never part with her to give the Greens a new hostage. Luke wrote he was called Luke Waters by some novices who went unpunished by their superiors and forbidden from flying without the permission of the Seneschal, other than that he seemed fine.

“Perhaps, but I would rather know if I can find a perfect consort elsewhere before looking into my immediate family. Some new blood might help us secure allies should the worst comes to pass.”

So far Aemma had Kermit Tully, Joffrey Arryn, Tyrion Lannister ---only son of Ser Jason Lannister and his wife Leona Lefford--- and Robert Rowan to choose from. Aemond had helped her whittle down the list to the four men of good moral and standing to have his grandfather rethink his stance on usurping her mother.

Lord Grover may be on the side of tradition because the Gods gave him only sons and no granddaughters, Joffrey was Cousin Jeyne’s heir, Tyrion would make his father change allegiances and Robert Rowan was nephew of Otto through his dearly departed sister who hated his guts.

None of them disparaged Aemond for losing his eye, none of them care that her mother fucked Harwin and none of them did things that were unbecoming of a future king consort…or so she’s seen so far.

Now all Aemma needed to do was make sure they were compatible. Easier said than done.

#aemma velaryon #aemond targaryen x velaryon!oc #shock and delight fic #bridgerton!au #aemond targaryen #hotd fic #hotd oc

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cock-holliday · 8 months

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Yknow when I was in high school I, along with the only out lesbian and only out gay man in our year, helped form our school’s first GSA. I thought I was cishet at the time and just an ally, and then knew I was bi and was in a “gay relationship” with someone who did not go to school with us, so I was closeted to anyone besides my friends. All of the rest of the membership was “straight” as far as we knew.

Our advisor was also straight but enthusiastic. She meant well but she would pick out people she thought might join the group and thought to pull them from class to ask and we had to explain why that was a terrible idea. We all got shit for being in the club. The out gay kids got it so much worse.

Then on the flip side, a good friend of mine seemed very gay. I was out to my circle and was selfishly proud of my gaydar for being able to pick up that he was queer. We three tried to nudge him to come out. It was like we had found him out and of course we wouldn’t judge, so we prodded and poked and “your secret is safe with us.” It was hypocritical of me to try to get the answer I was looking for privately, while also being closeted publicly. He didn’t owe me anything and yet being In with the queers made me feel like I should get him to confirm he was One Of Us.

Then suddenly he stopped replying jokingly with our prods and grew very uncomfortable and quiet instead. We backed off with the change, but really shouldn’t have been so forward to begin with.

He was one of the first people I came out to as trans years later, and he confided in me that he WAS queer, but a friend he disclosed to outed him to his parents and it forced him so deeply back into the closet. My trio would never have outed him to his family, but we were hardly any better with pressuring him. Hints he was welcome to share was one thing, badgering him was another. Then someone wore him down and betrayed his trust, making it impossible for him to come out before moving away for college.

We wanted more community in our tiny town, we wanted him to be part of that secret inner circle, and we all knew how miserable it was to be closeted. We had good intentions and yet still had no right to try to force someone to adhere to our timeline. And because he trusted someone to share his identity before he was ready, he ended up in a much worse place than if he just continued at his own pace!

I graduated high school 10 years ago. This isn’t ancient history.

My county never instilled protections for LGBT folks and friends of mine got told to their face they got fired for being gay. Matthew Shepard was killed in a hate crime in the early 2000s and for my entire growing up his name was wielded like a threat. People were afraid to “end up like matt shepard.”

Friends of mine still had to elope to another state to marry when we were adults because marriage equality wasn’t a thing in our state. Marriage equality nationally has only been a thing since 2015!

The risks and danger are not some bygone era now since 2015–it is real and tangible and still an issue! And that’s “just” being a gay man. Outing people can be life-ruining. It can be deadly. “Gay-bashing” is still a thing! We have no right to force someone to come out, not publicly, and still not privately!

It is not our choice no matter how progressively you spin it!

#LJsm

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heliza24 · 8 months

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Character arcs and themes in The Seven

I spend a lot of time in my other main fandom writing meta about dramatic structure and character development, because I’m a playwright and a writer and I can’t turn that part of my brain off even when I’m in love with a show. I haven’t seen a whole lot of meta do that for Dimension 20 yet. I think people might be a little hesitant to write meta for D20 because Actual Plays are based on improv and don’t have a single author, so it feels like a medium we can’t dig into in the same way. But I don’t think that’s true! Once the campaigns are shot and uploaded, they’re complete texts that I think deserve the same kind of loving scrutiny that we offer our other favorite TV shows. So let’s spend a minute talking about character and story structure in Dimension 20, and why I love The Seven so much.

It’s a kind of accepted maxim that DnD shouldn’t have a main character, and I think that’s very true for home games, where the point is that each friend should be having an equal amount of fun. But I think actual plays are a little different. The fact that they are observed innately changes them (like the way that particles do when they are observed by scientists) and I think the D20 structure, where campaigns are limited to a run time akin to a long TV show, does that even more. A protagonist is traditionally the character who answers the dramatic question of a piece, which is the driving question that moves the narrative and themes of a story forward. I think a lot of D20 seasons end up having a protagonist, or character that is more intricately linked to the central questions and themes of the campaign than the others. Some DnD purists may not like that, but for me as a story nerd? It’s what makes the whole thing work.

I think The Seven is a perfect example of this. Each one of the six PCs is so well developed. The first episode of this campaign is one of the most effective of any season I think, giving us such a great grounding in each character’s home life, and the personal conflicts that arise from it. It kicks off Antiope’s complicated relationship with leadership, Katja’s desire to be recognized by her father, Penny’s struggle with perfectionism, Ostentatia’s complex feelings around providing for her family and keeping up with the Joneses, and the way that Danielle’s go-with-the-flow attitude has made her less likely to fight for belonging. And Sam? Sam is struggling with feelings of abandonment as she deals with a transphobic birth mother, a best friend who kidnapped her and then died, and an adopted mom who is moving away after a divorce. Sam is being overwhelmed by change in her personal life even while her friendship group threatens to break apart. And change, and how we choose to accept it or fight it, is absolutely at the core theme of The Seven. To be fair, every other character is also struggling to figure out how she feels about the change going on in the party, and that’s a core part of each girl’s journey. But most of them are balancing a personal question alongside the question of the fate of the group (for instance, Antiope has to decide if she will obey or defy her parents, and whether or not she will take the internship and remain with the party. They’re related, but they’re also distinct questions). Sam is the only character whose personal question hooks directly into the central themes of the campaign, and that sets her up perfectly to become the protagonist of the season.

I think the dramatic question of The Seven is not, as I first thought, Is change good? But actually How do we accept change with grace? And Sam is the character who figures out how to answer this question. Persephone’s performance as Sam is out-of-this-world good. She instinctively moves towards conflict and scenes that add depth to the narrative, and her portrayal of Sam’s pettiness as a defense mechanism is alternatively hilarious and heartbreaking. Her decision to step away from the others and speak to Talura creates a thematic parallel between her and the Eidolon and creates a connection that drives the back half of the season.

From the moment the lore became clear, I was obsessed with Brennan’s decision to parallel The Seven Maidens with seven goddesses. The Eidolons went through a similar change that the Maidens are currently going through; in order to seek a better future, they dispersed and assumed a new form. The one who cannot accept this change is the one intricately linked with change as a concept; for Talura who represents endings and death to be the one still holding on to her sisters is profound and heartbreaking. The fact that she forms a connection with Sam feels so meaningful. Sam is probably the Maiden most acquainted with change; she’s the only one of the girls who has gone through a gender transition, and the only one who has been adopted and effectively changed who her parents are. But both Sam and Talura are holding on to stability and resisting change with all their might.

I think it’s a credit to the incredible cast that even with Sam in a slightly more central role, none of the other PCs feels undeveloped. I don’t think there’s a weak link at this table, and each player had a moment where they made me laugh and cry. I love the way that Aabria acts as a leader at the table for other players and also a leader in-story as Antiope. I’m obsessed with the way that Rekha can switch seamlessly between horse girl humor and a heartwarming description of Katja’s inner child. Becca’s quick improv makes Penny so charming (and I have genuinely never laughed harder than the Laertes scene). Every spell that Erika casts as Danielle is beautiful and magical and I loved seeing her begin to assert her own desires. And Izzy is just hilarious as Ostentatia and does so much to unite the group into a cohesive party (I fucking love you!).

The other reason that each character feels complete and whole is that they each have an opportunity to answer the questions that are set up in the first episode. The penultimate episode, when each Maiden has the chance to confront time and her own death, lets each player create a moment when their character stares down her demons and learns an important lesson. This is really a classic Brennan move, and it’s one of my favorite tricks that he does to help create a cohesive storyline that fits into the confines of the season episode number. I jokingly described it to @bluedalahorse as that inevitable point in the campaign where Brennan “looks straight into a player’s eyes and calmly asks them if their character will achieve self-actualization”. (Also Lou totally calls Brennan out on this in Fantasy High season 2 when Brennan casually asks “so what’s your character’s greatest fear?” when they head into the Forest of the Nightmare King. “That is the most Brennan thing I’ve ever heard!” Lmao yes it is!) Those moments are always my favorite in any season, because I can feel the oxygen get sucked out of the room as the story magic starts happening. The fact that it’s improv, and that the player may not rise to the implicit question Brennan is asking, is part of the suspense. But in The Seven I think each player knocks it out of the park, and I can’t watch that episode without fully weeping.

Even the way the final battle goes down reinforces the theme of learning how to accept change. By a happy accident of dice and initiative order (and I, think, a slight thumb on the scales on Brennan’s part) the battle allows Sam to complete her arc and answer the dramatic question of the show. Sam uses her reaction to save Zelda from Telura’s attack, so she’s powerless when Telura launches a power word kill spell against her. After she goes down, Penny is next in initiative, and although she can’t do anything to revive Sam, is able to remind Telura that The Seven are her sisters, not unlike Telura’s own. Ostentatia is next in initiative, but Brennan has Izzy hold her turn because (I’m assuming) he wants to let Sam/Persephone hit a story beat before Ostentatia revivifies her. Instead he skips to Danielle, who has a connection to Anima, the eidolon of life, who Telura is currently partially presenting as. Danielle and Anima are able to encourage Telura to let go, and to let Sam live, before Brennan switches to a short role play moment between Sam and Telura. It makes total sense that Sam would be able to talk directly to Telura in this state between life and death since Telura is the goddess of death. Sam is able to comfort Telura in this moment and acknowledge that although she’s scared of change, she’s learned that it represents opportunity as much as it represents an ending. “Sometimes change happens,” she reassures Talura, “but it doesn’t mean it will be worse or that you can’t find joy in what happens. And if you never try you’ll never know what can be.” In that moment Sam has completed her character arc; she’s a totally different person from the girl who was desperate to keep her friends exactly as they were at the beginning of the campaign. Her new conviction convinces Talura that it is ok to let go, and to become scattered through the world as the concept of death like her sisters have already done. Ostentatia revives Sam, and Talura stops attacking. “We can’t promise the future will never hurt,” the other eidolons tell Talura, “but we can promise that if we’re together it will be worth it.” And that’s the real lesson of The Seven: people will grow and change, but that doesn’t mean we can’t hold each new version of our loved ones in our hearts. We can keep our friends close while still giving each other the grace to become the people we were meant to be.

Everyone has an absolutely incredible moment in the final battle (Antiope killing Charity! Katja tripping the earth eidolon!) but the way that Sam completes her character arc is especially special to me. As a former teen girl and someone who values her friendships above everything, this lesson that we can love our friends through change is close to my heart. It’s one I keep learning over and over, and I love the way it was explored in The Seven.

#dimension 20 #d20 #The Seven #d20 the seven #my meta

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darkfictionjude · 1 month

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Yes, Hello, My name is Elder Grant and I’m here to ask if you have time today to speak about our lord and savior Nia—

In all seriousness, I’m just here to pop in with some Nia love. Mostly because it was getting me thinking, I believe you said at some point that sometimes Nia is hard to love, and it’s just been kinda slow table turning like a microwave plate in my head and part of thinks it’s by design (of also hers, not just yours). And then another part of me thinks it’s a conclusion she’s come to herself. And part of me wonders if she’s selfish in love because she kind of knows what it’s like already to have all of someone’s attention, and for it to be real attention. Not, attention for this sort of façade that she built (still very much her, but a her for the masses, a her that won’t get stained with any of their messy fake ideas of her), but attention on the most transparent version of her she’s ever been willing to show. She’s literally mc’s only friend, and perhaps it wasn’t normal attention, or maybe it didn’t seem like it was total the way someone else’s attention felt. But she has to know that it was as total as total can get, when mc who can’t be paid to remember normal shit about their family or their lives, and regularly forgets things that happen to them and that they’ve done has this little mental notebook with her name on it, just living rent free in their head. It’s been a year, a hellish year, mc can’t tell you shit about what Percy gets up to, only that it’s “Percy stuff” but mc can still clock a lot of her behavior. But only as they understand it, maybe not as it really stands. Part of me thinks, it doesn’t so much make her hard to love because as much as she might have double standards about certain things, it feels like her main focus is that reciprocal balance of selfishness and love in a relationship. She wants all that she can get for herself, and she wants to be held on that pedestal as well for like an mc in a relationship. But in a way, doesn’t that kind of mean that she does the same with mc (don’t get me wrong, I’m hardly saying Nia is the poster child of equality)? Like, wanting this from this mc more than she does from anyone else, doesn’t that also kind of put mc on this pedestal? Like finding someone you finally think is worthy of you almost? And doesn’t it make sense too kind of? (And don’t we kind of see a bit of that if mc runs after her?) And what does it say about her strength of emotion and the regard she holds mc in, that she isn’t afraid of them (and she’s certainly seen some shit) when mc’s own dad is? Mc will never be her meaning in life (and they shouldn’t be) but if Nia believed in that weird soul mate shit even a little, their probably as close as anyone will get. A, “I breathe with you, rather than for or because of you.” And I find that more compelling.

Like it feels like most of the relationships she has, the ones that aren’t her choice, are dictated by what they can do for other people more than for herself. She’s routinely told/talked to about how amazing and better she is, and how it will benefit other people and get her the things she wants. She’s got like a direct value type of interpretation for herself. If her presence is going to be used for the benefit of others, why shouldn’t she take them for all they have? And why wouldn’t she feel this desire to hoard as much genuine feeling as she can get from someone she respects and wants to be around? She’s spoken to by her parents like a living investment, a living legacy of them, not even of herself. Who wouldn’t want to be a little selfish faced with that?

(Lo siento por el ensayo, pero no porque Nia es un tesoro. Bien hecho con este. Cuídate prima 💛)

Damn this was a whole character analysis essay. You should’ve started this off with “in this essay I will”

Yeah to me Nia is the most mysterious of the ROs. You don’t get much from her, only through the lens of how mc interprets her words and actions. I think it’s an interesting interpretation to think that Nia holds mc on a pedestal, it could be so. Or it could be that Nia can’t love unselfishly. She was never taught and doesn’t want to learn. Like a succubus she wants every last drop without giving much away herself. Some people might say that isn’t love but I believe that if you’re a person who can feel romantic love, then it’s coloured by your personality. Love isn’t only pure, if it were we’d all be the same.

Gracias por tanto amor a esta que es más helada que un témpano de hielo 💜

#Nia-MC #1.000 questions #we wretched creatures

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ecoamerica · 1 month

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my-mt-heart · 1 year

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We Have a Future?

I bring this over to you from Twitter as well as a long thread I made about a potential future for Caryl.

I’m taking the rumors of their spinoff as *rumors* for now, but it feels like a good time to talk about what I’d love to see if it’s true and more importantly, what I would subscribe to AMC+ plus for:

1. An Explicit Caryl Romance

The “will they, won’t they” trope is supposed to be resolved by the series finale and we are now past that. We can take the “I love you’s” as canon or not, but it comes across as intentionally straddling the fence and for what? Caryl is one of the biggest ships on television. They have the support of the general audience, casual viewers, the writers, cast, and crew, so there’s no need to keep pandering to the least common denominators. Caryl’s relationship also aids representation, reminding viewers that people over 50 can fall in love, that a female love interest can have gray hair, and that a male love interest can display lower levels of sexual behavior. But that’s only effective if AMC shows they’re willing to commit. After 12 years, it’s time to go big or go home.

2. Open Conversation about Caryl’s Romance

There’s a reason the Caryl fandom thinks so highly of LaToya Morgan. She validates our perspective, she’s openly passionate about the ship, and she gets us hyped. Imagine how many fans would come running if more people associated with the show were allowed to do the same instead of having to toe the company line in the media, which only furthers the problematic viewpoint that Caryl couldn’t possibly be more than friends.

3. A Daryl AND Carol Show

Anything more than a cameo in the upcoming six episodes may be “logistically untenable,” but if Carol really is going to appear in the end, it should amount to something big like a reunion that tops No Sanctuary and it should set up the alleged next season for Norman AND Melissa to co-lead.

4. Equal Screentime

One of S11’s worst crimes was minimizing Carol’s arc. She’s one of TWD’s strongest characters and she shouldn’t have to live in the shadows of every other character’s story or remain on kitchen duty. She can be a weapon of mass destruction, sure, but I want to see emotional growth for her too and not just retroactively.

5. Shared Screentime

They may not be each other’s appendages, but Caryl do have insane amounts of chemistry that fans tune in for, so it should go without saying they need to share scenes together and more specifically, they need to share an arc that allows them to grow together as a couple.

6. Meaningful Interactions

Caryl’s relationship is so deep, they often don’t need words, but in no way should that limit their interactions to lingering stares. I want them to engage in conversation with each other, and I want those conversations to deepen their relationship even more.

7. No. More. Shipbaiting.

It’s tiresome, it insults the characters, actors, and the audience, and it’s not worth paying money for. If I’m going to be pulled in, it’ll be by something I love, not something I don’t.

8. Strong Leadership

Representation offscreen matters too and if Caryl’s story is going to continue, then they need a showrunner who knows how to write character-driven narratives and specifically understands Daryl’s and Carol’s characters/relationship. An upper class white man who’s too focused on his own lore would not be the right fit .

9. Story Integrity

Norman, Melissa, and the writers spent years developing a beautiful narrative for Caryl, and I don’t want to see any of it retconned in service of the lore.

10. Payoff

To be clear, I don’t think this was “the writers’” fault at all, but S11 and the spinoff debacle have left so many holes in Caryl’s story that many fans have come to expect disappointment at every turn and nobody wants to pay to be let down. If AMC delivers on the promises they set up on or offscreen, I will be there, but not a second sooner.

Thank you again to everyone participating in the blitz! :)

#caryl #caryl spinoff #carol peletier #melissa mcbride #darylneedscarol

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dc-said-bi-robin-rights · 5 months

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Rose is beautiful, Cassie thought. It was the only thing she could think, with the way her head was pounding, with the way her lungs felt like are were they are going to explode.

Rose was sitting up in bed, her head pillowed by the arm she’d casually placed between it and the headboard, looking blissfully unaware of Cassie’s inner turmoil. Her silky white hair, which shone silver under the moonlight, was splayed across her shoulders, sweaty and slightly frizzed in a way Cassie found intoxicating. A thin cigarette was held lightly between her index and middle fingers, and every so often Rose would leisurely bring it to her mouth and take a slow puff, like she wasn’t even dazed, like she hadn’t just fucked Cassie’s brains out and left her panting like she’d just run a marathon. It was maddening, it was hot as hell, and Cassie…

Cassie needed to say something. She’d been staring way too long not to. She’d look like a total freak if she didn’t spit something out now… not to mention she’d rather die than continue living knowing Rose Wilson had had the satisfaction of rendering her speechless.

“How are you not tired?” Cassie asked, because it was honestly ridiculous that she wasn’t.

“I’ve got a lot of energy,” Rose said, a smirk in her voice. That wasn’t new—Rose was as smug as they came, and took great pleasure in rubbing every little thing in everyone’s face. She was so lucky Cassie found the infuriating little superhuman attractive, because otherwise Cassie would never put up with it… not that she did, but still.

“Uh huh,” Cassie scoffed, reaching out for the bottle of water on the nightstand. “And that would have nothing to do with your father’s serum, I’m guessing.”

Rose’s smirk only widened. Cassie made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat, keeping her eyes on Rose even as she gulped down the contents of her water bottle. Almost against her will, they drifted lower and lower, finally settling on the thin sliver of nakedness not covered by the thin, wet sheet for less than a moment before Cassie forced them. It was too late though: Rose had seen, if the way her smirk widened even more was any indication, and Cassie’s cheeks flushed scarlet even as she looked away, scowling.

I’m gonna wipe that smirk off your face one day, I swear.

“Like what you see, wonder witch?”

“I…” All of a sudden, Cassie couldn’t even summon the energy to pretend to be annoyed. A wave of desire surged through her body, but this time it was different than the one that had pushed Cassie into this situation in the first place—instead of wanting another round, she suddenly wanted nothing more than to hold Rose, or to have Rose hold her. This was familiar, but Cassie felt her stomach drop all the same. She knew it was only natural to feel those kinds of desires after sex, but… why did it have to be with Rose? Conner was safe enough to snuggle up with… but, she and Rose had never… would Rose even want that? Would she snuggle her back? Or would she think Cassie was some lame, sentimental crybaby who couldn’t handle them just being casual hookups?

Did she even care what Rose thought?

The answer, uncomfortably, turned out to be yes. Yes, she did care what Rose thought about her, and about their relationship, even if she knew she shouldn’t, Rose being who she was.

Well… only one way to find out, I guess.

Without saying a word, she slowly shifted over to Rose and, equally as slowly, laid her head on her chest. She felt Rose stiffen beneath her… but she didn’t push her off, and a moment later Cassie heard the cigarette being pinched out. They stayed like that for a while, silently, until Cassie eventually felt Rose’s hand slide over her stomach and settle there.

“What does this mean?” Rose’s voice was careful, quiet, and impossible to read.

“I think…” Cassie closed her eyes. “I think I’m starting to love you, Rose.”

The hand on her stomach retreated as quickly as it had settled there, snatched away as if her body had suddenly lit on fire and scalded it. Cassie started, alarmed, but Rose drew back from her. She looked stricken, and confused… and something else. “You don’t.”

“I…”

“Whatever you’re feeling right now… it’s not real, okay?” Rose almost sounded… angry. “Trust me.”

“Rose…” There were many things that one could call Cassie Sandsmark, but an idiot was not one of them. “If this is because of what happened with Eddie…”

She knew she’d messed up even before Rose’s lips twisted into a snarl. Eddie wasn’t a word anyone was allowed to say in Rose’s hearing yet, least of all Cassie. It was just too raw. They’d agreed on that, in a wordless, unacknowledged sort of way, when this all started.

And now Cassie had broken that agreement.

“I don’t need this,” Rose said, kicking away the sheets and standing up. If it had been any other time, Cassie might have noticed the angelic glow of her hair, or the way the moonlight backlit her curves and figure. “I don’t need you.”

“Rose, wait,” Cassie breathed, grabbing onto her wrist. “I didn’t mean to…”

Rose snatched her hand away, and Cassie had no choice but to let her. The door slammed shut a moment later, and Cassie felt stupid, pointless tears come to her eyes. She’d born her heart out to Rose yet again, only to find it callously, selfishly stomped on yet again.

For the life of her, she can’t even remember why she expected it to be different this time. After all, it was Rose.

That’s who she was. Selfish.

#rose wilson #ravager #dc #dc comics #rosecassie #cassie sandsmark #cassierose #teen titans #wonder girl

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ecargmura · 4 months

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A Sign of Affection Episode 1 Review - Love Under The Silent Snow

This is actually a really good premise for a romance show! I really like it! It’s unique in that it’s a shoujo set in a college environment when the genre usually prefers high school love stories. The fact that it’s a love story between a hearing-impaired girl and her upperclassman who is a globetrotting backpacker is also interesting! I really liked what I saw in this first episode!

I know that there’s going to be a lot of comparisons to A Silent Voice, but A Sign Of Affection actually differs a lot despite sharing similar premises. Unlike A Silent Voice, being deaf isn’t all of Yuki Itose’s shtick as she has so much personality despite being reserved. While she cannot hear, she still loves cute things like clothes and objects; heck, the story starts with Yuki happy that she got a very cute dress for a good price. She’s not bullied for being deaf, nor is she treated as lesser for her disability. She’s an ordinary college student who just happens to be deaf. She communicates well with her friends and her schoolmates. She has a good relationship with her mom. She’s never seen as pitiful, which is a good thing as stories about disabilities shouldn’t be seen as pity-parties all the time; those with disadvantages can still live happy lives. While it defines her, it’s not who she is all the time. She’s not a poor girl who needs to be constantly saved by an able-bodied knight in shining armor; in fact, he only helped her once and she becomes infatuated that she’s the one going out of her way to get his deets. Yeah, get your man, Yuki! I do like that while her life is peaceful, she still has some ups and downs that aren’t dramatic like how her friend Rin had to explain to Kyouya, the cafe owner about Yuki’s disability, which Yuki catches on about, but doesn’t say anything. She knows that her disadvantages will always have these little minor aspects, and listening to her thoughts really makes me want to give her a hug.

I know that some people might question why Yuki has hearing aids, but cannot hear very well. Hearing aids don’t give deaf people complete hearing, just partial. Maybe Yuki is wearing them just so she can show people that she’s deaf and that it wouldn’t cause misunderstandings. Who knows? Like how people like carrying around devices that give them convenience and comfort, Yuki most likely does the same. Maybe she wears them because she’s comfortable doing so and it’s more of a habit than than anything. I hope this does get explained a bit in future chapters so that viewers won’t have to ask questions constantly.

Itsuomi Nagi is quite interesting as the male lead. He’s a globetrotting backpacker, meaning that he doesn’t like to stay at one place all the time. While he’s a college student, he likes going to foreign countries. Because of that, he’s familiar with different languages. His voice actor, Yu Miyazaki is actually proficient in English and it shows! The way he asked the guy on the train if he needed any help was actually good English, albeit a tad accent on the “need” part. Still, an English speaker like me approves of it! I do wonder if his wanderlust will be a source of conflict or if it’ll be a source of bonding between our leads. Personality-wise, Itsuomi doesn’t seem like a scumbag. However, he is a bit too touchy when it comes to Yuki and that does bother me a bit. Maybe because I don’t really like skinship and I value my personal space. I feel like this guy’s only flaw is that he’s too touchy and doesn’t respect Yuki’s personal boundaries. Other than that, I just hope he’s a nice guy. Please don’t make him turn out to be a red flag. Please…

Rin is actually a really good friend. She doesn’t pity Yuki and treats her like an equal. However, there is still a slight border between her and Yuki at times. She has a huge crush on Kyouya Nagi, the cafe owner and Itsuomi’s cousin. I want to see more of her; maybe her and Kyouya are the side couple that helps Yuki and Itsuomi get together?

However, that Oushi guy though… He gives off weird vibes. He saw Yuki running along all happily and he was like “What’s wrong with her?” I just hope he’s not that one jerk who treats Yuki as lesser due to her disability. He’s gonna be on my shit list if that happens. I can’t wait to see other characters too.

I really love the implementation of snow used in this episode. Yes, the ‘snow means love’ trope is a cliche, but damn it, it works. Heck, the kanji in Yuki’s name literally means snow. She’s her own ‘snow means love’ trope. I do love the symbolism of snow in a way. Snow falls down and it is a silent weather condition, much like how Yuki’s world is a silent one. Snow is also white and blank, meaning that Yuki’s white world can finally be full of color now that she met Itsuomi. Maybe I’m looking into this a bit too much.

The voice actors are so good. Sumire Morohoshi is finally a lead in a shoujo anime. She has a soft voice that works well for the reserved shoujo leads; she suits Yuki so well. Yu Miyazaki is actually a voice actor I’m not too familiar with, but I do like his voice. It sounds perfect for someone like him. Like, he doesn’t sound too young or too old. I also love that he can speak English too. I hope he can speak more later on! Other voice actors in this show are Kaede Hondo, who plays Rin—good choice for a rising star; Ryota Ohsaka voices Kyouya—he always has a nice voice that suits ikemen characters; Takeo Otsuka voices Oushi—I need to see more to evaluate more; Tasuku Hatanaka voices the hair salon guy—wait, what? I never knew Hatanaka could produce a voice like that. I usually associate him with his rather gravelly, gruff voice. That’s so cool. Anyways, I do wonder who else will be in the voice cast of this anime. I’m satisfied with the results.

Overall, I think this has the potential to be a great romance. I can’t wait to see what it has in store. If I really enjoy it once it finishes airing, I’ll definitely buy the manga! What are your thoughts on the first episode?

#a sign of affection #yubisaki to renren #yuki itose #Itsuomi nagi #rin fujishiro #kyouya nagi #review #anime #anime review #ecargmura #arum journal

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tiny-katara · 2 years

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One of the things that really gets to be about that post about how Katara wants to be fun is that she doesn't get that in her relationship with Aang? She constantly has to mother thanks to him. Either mother him while he's having fun and she has to try and get him to take lire more seriously and then she eventually gets left alone to mother two small children while he flies off with the third.

And while Zuko isn't shown to be as exciting as Aang in ATLA, he's shown to be funny. And he's learning to have fun himself. Katara doesn't have to mother him and I would have loved to see them organically learn to have fun together after they defeated Ozai

You've said it perfectly anon. In my opinion, the problem isn’t necessarily that Katara doesn't know how to have fun, it's that she feels the need to be responsible to the point that she can’t have fun.

For a long time I've struggled with that myself. I don't feel like I'm a particularly fun person and that's especially true around people who are younger than me or act more recklessly. I can’t make myself let go of that responsibility for fear that something will happen to the others around me because I wasn't making sure everyone stayed safe. It's a tad bit unreasonable (probably more than a bit tho lol), but it's something that’s really hard for me. You get the comments of "Oh wow you're so mature for your age!" and people thinking that you're a senior in high school when you're actually a freshman just because of the way you carry yourself. All that pressure mounts quickly, cementing that motherly role of responsibility in place.

I’m able to have a lot more fun now that my friends are older and less immature. They aren't going to do something unspeakable foolish (probably) and I don't feel the need to be on my guard. I adore them. I feel like if Aang actually had an arc within the show regarding this, I would hate Kata*ng slightly less, but alas, he does not. Aang is shown time and time again to go along with whatever is the most fun whether that be scamming with Toph, running around Kyoshi with a fan club, or even attending a festival in the Fire Nation when they're trying to keep a low profile. That is the exact behavior that would make me go "I have to make sure no one does anything to get hurt" because let's be real, two of the three things I just listed could have heavy consequences.

One of Katara's biggest driving forces and characteristics is her passion. She wants to fight, she wants to protect the people around her, she wants the people she loves to be happy, she wants justice and equality, and she wants to make the world as she thinks it should be. That is so admirable and I don't think it's a stretch to say that a personality like that is loud and can get tiring to people. I've mentioned it before, but I've dated someone like Aang, someone who didn't like conflict or taking up space in a room when it wasn't positive. It does not mesh well. I always felt like I was just annoying and should get over things-- or even that the things I was upset about weren't a big a deal at all and I was just a drama queen. It really hurts to be stuck in that loop, and to see Aang not fully support that side of Katara is painful. Going with the flow isn’t for everyone. It’s not for me, and it’s definitely not for Katara, aka the girl who brawled with a grown man to prove a point, knowing that she would absolutely lose. You shouldn’t be with someone who isn’t able to support your battles. They don’t even necessarily have to be fighting by your side. They can hold your flowers and cheer you on while you beat the shit out of all of the Pakkus you’ll face in life.

Aang is shown to be uneasy when Angry, Passionate Katara rears her powerful head, but Zuko is uniquely not. Most of the other characters within the show are at least a little caught off guard when Katara slips from her kind and compassionate demeanor, but not our lovely boy Zuko. I think that scene in “The Southern Raiders” is the perfect example of this. She is yelling and scolding him and instead of retreating or curling into himself, Zuko listens. He’s not inherently afraid because this isn’t how Katara usually is, which may be due to the fact that he’s seen both sides of her with about the same level of familiarity within the catacombs, but either way he’s able to actually think about what she’s saying. Zuko not being afraid of her when she’s not calm and at ease is a very powerful message to me at least because I feel like I can find someone who isn’t afraid of how intense I am. There are people who don’t need me to be more palatable to their particular levels of intensity. The idea that a women does not have to bend her personality to fit her partner’s idea of who she is or what she should be is one that should be more mainstream, and it’s a huge inspiration to me in my own life. A lot of the Zutara fanfiction I’ve read (and I’ve read a lot) is very empowering to me in that sense-- Katara and Zuko are able to unapologetically be themselves with the other and won’t let anyone tell them otherwise. It’s amazing and a wonderful example to girls and women of any and all ages (and anyone else for that matter. Everyone deserves a good partner if they want one).

Everything I just discussed so far is a huge part of the reason I ship Zutara. It's been said before that Zuko is the only member of the Gaang (besides like... Suki lol) that Katara does not mother within the show. It's also implied that Zuko helps Katara be an authority figure in the group, earning them the legendary "Momtara" and "Dadko" titles. I would want that kind of support for myself and since I relate to Katara, I see Zuko as a much better and more equal partner for her than Aang. And that's nothing against Aang! I despise what he became in book 3 but our baby boy in book 1 had so much potential for growth and change. I adore that Aang and I'll never get tired of blaming Bryke for twisting his character into the incel they can only aspire to be.

Zutara is a ship that has dozens and dozens of reasons to support it. I've seen very few ships with as much backing as Zutara. From the way two compliment each other within the show to the subvert lore the show has that parallels Zutara, there's a lot to love, and to me it also has the appeal of being something a real life person would want in their relationship. They understand each other, they apologize to each other, they grow together, they love unconditionally-- that's all so beautiful.

I know if the Kata*ngers find this they'll shit all over me for "projecting" but I think it's really important for people to relate to the characters they see on screen and see bits of themselves littered throughout. It makes a story more compelling and is infinitely more inspiring. Struggles that I see Katara have are ones I've seen in my own life-- at one point when I was a bit younger I even hated Katara because I saw so much of myself in her. These stories mean more than canonicity and more than what value a writer assigns to the character. It’s very clear that Bryke only saw Katara as Aang’s motivation and prize, which is so harmful! No person anywhere is a prize in any regard to anyone. It’s horrifying that this was displayed to people as ‘romance.” Katara is a character that is so vastly important for female representation (as well as other forms of representation) and as I briefly mentioned, Katara is a character who was very inspiring to me. She is a character that was able to give me more confidence in myself and realize that I am not an annoyance for speaking up when something feels/is wrong.

That was a long ramble and I hope it’s somewhat pleasing to you anon lol. I hope you’re doing well out there in the world <3

#cilla rambled #zutara #pro zutara #pro katara #she really helped me no joke #i don't think i would be who i am rn without her #and i am a new era fan lol #anti kataang #anti aang #we're being safe here today #i'm not here to bother aang stans #anti bryke #i hate bryke #i don't know how they ruined katara's character in lok so thoroughly #it's impressive in a negative way

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