#{feel absolutely marvelously free never to match my length}

[safetypinxtales]

Santa baby | Azriel

summary: it's nearing solstice and you have an extensive list for your mate Santa.

words: 1.5k

warnings: fluff, a bit of seduction, Azriel is stupid in love, like absolutely whipped, reader sits in Azriel's lap, feminine reader (lipgloss, hair below shoulder-length), otherwise neutrally described reader, no use of y/n, it's an AU where everything is the same except Santa is a thing.

notes: well, it's been a while but it's Christmas and I have free time for once so why not write? I whipped this one up in like an hour whilst waiting for our guests to arrive today, and it has minimal editing, but it's something light and sweet for the holidays. Hope you enjoy and merry Christmas! 🤍

masterlist

The glass is cold in your hand as you waltz into the living room. The winter sun had already set on the quaint seaside cottage you shared with Azriel. He had surprised you with it after your mating ceremony last solstice, and as you took in the shadows dancing around on the walls, cast by dim candle light, a feeling of contentedness enveloped you. The amber liquid in the glass sloshed with each step you took, but never quite enough to spill over the rim. It was a practiced routine, bringing him a drink whenever you found your mate a little too stuck in his work.

His head lifted from the paperwork he had been going over as he sensed your presence entering the living room, the hand that had been carefully turning a leaf falling slack on the armrest.

His eyes dropped down to your hips, watching them sway with every step you took, gaze fixed as if in a trance.

You let out a low hum as you reached him, extending the glass. His eyes met yours as he put the paperwork aside and accepted your offering.

Slowly – gracefully and practiced – you slid into his lap, one arm snaking its way around his shoulder. The warmth of his hands on your waist spread all the way into your chest, making your heart beat just that little bit faster.

Grabbing his face, feeling the slight stubble of his cheek under your palm, you planted your lips on his. 

The kiss was soft and warm, and perfectly matched the feeling blooming in your chest has he murmured a low:

“Hello, my love.”

“Hello,” you hummed back and felt that slow tug in your chest that you had come to love so. 

You gave a loving tug back and felt Azriel shudder beneath you.

Letting you gaze flit over his face, you marveled at his features. 

The dark lashes framing those mesmerizing hazel eyes of his. The colour of the finest of honey, all swirling and golden. 

The constellations of freckles adorning his cheeks, like a map only you were privy to read.

His lips, currently smeared in your lipgloss and stretched into a dopey smile making him look just as lovesick as you felt inside.

“Hey, Az?” You broke the warm silence that had enveloped you.

“Yes, my love?” He murmured, his eyes flicking down to your lips briefly before finding their way back to yours.

You leaned in to give him another soft peck, only pulling away to rest your forehead against his.

“I have.. I’ve been thinking about something,” you whispered, feeling the breath from his curious yes? on your lips. “About what I want from Santa this year.”

He pulled back slightly at your words, eyebrows raised and that dopey smile still plastered on that pretty mouth of his. He knew as well as you that Santa meant Azriel himself.

“Oh, really? Please, do tell,” his curious hum sent you heart fluttering as you settled in further in his lap.

“Well, do you remember that dagger I liked so much when we visited summer? The gold one?” You purred and ran your fingers through his hair. His eyes fluttered as your nails lightly scratched his scalp.

“The one with the eye-sized ruby in the pommel?” You nodded. “My love, that blade is useless. You couldn’t even cut an apple with it, much less cause any real damage,” he scoffed, ”you’d be better off fighting someone with a cotton ball. That you could at least shove down their throat – hope they choke to death.”

His eyes gleamed at the gasp you let out. The soft swat you landed on his chest drawing out a quiet chuckle.

“I know it’s useless in combat, but it’s so pretty isn’t it? Besides, why would I need to fight when I have you to defend me?” You chirped with a flutter of lashes. 

You just managed to catch his eyes darkening before he pulled you into yet another kiss, this time firmer. Purposeful. 

Claiming.

When he pulled away his breath was heavier and his voice rougher as he swore, “I will always protect you, always defend you.”

“Even if I’m in the wrong?”

“No such thing.”

Your toes curled at his admission, and the hand that was tangled in his hair tightened its grip.

“Good answer,” you mused, and his thumbs swiped at your waist – up and down. 

“What else should Santa put on his list?”

You pretended to think for a moment, pursing your lips into a glossy pout, knowing just how crazy the act drove your mate.

And just as you could have predicted, his eyes dropped down to your mouth, his smile fading slightly, his eyelids growing heavier.

“Well you know that necklace that Feyre has? That she wore on our mating ceremony?” You asked.

He nodded in response, eyes still focused on your lips.

You let your cheeks pull into a broad smile, “well I saw that the jewellery shop by the Palace of Thread and Jewels has its twin in gold.”

“The diamond necklace you kept sighing about for weeks after the ceremony? The one that had me questioning if it was the mating bond that was making you so blue?” He questioned, his voice laced with disbelief.

“That’s the one,” you replied. Removing your hand from where it was nestled against his head, you moved to push your hair over your shoulder, exposing your décolletage.

”Wouldn’t it fit me so well?” You asked, letting your hands graze the bottom of your throat, following the curve down to the top of your chest, watching his eyes track the movement with a predatory focus.

Azriel’s throat bobbed, “It would.”

Your hand fell to his arm, giving the muscle hiding under his sweater a light squeeze. 

“Yeah, you really think so?” You gave him your best hopeful look, batting your eyelashes for added effect.

He simply nodded, too much of a lovestruck, mess of a male in your presence to form any actual words. 

“That’s good,” you hum, “now I only have one last thing on my wish list.”

Your mate didn’t verbally respond, but you took the squeeze of his hands on your hips as a sign to keep going.

“An apartment in the city.”

That seemed to bring Azriel back to life.

“An apartment? Is the cottage I got for us not enough?” He asked with a playful glint in his eyes.

“Well, no, I love the cottage – you know that. But sometimes it would be nice to have somewhere closer to go to after having spent the evening with the others, don’t you think?”

“It takes half a second to winnow from there to here,” he deadpanned, causing you to roll your eyes.

“But I think it would be nice to stay in the city sometimes. To be able to walk home, a stroll along the Sidra,” you gave him your sweetest, most innocent smile and added, “just you and me?”

You could see his resolve melting, and felt the largeness of his hand leave your waist in favour of gently stroking your thigh. 

“An apartment, huh?” His soft voice still had some reluctance hanging on to it, but you could tell he was warming up to the idea pretty quickly.

Your head bobbed up and down in confirmation, and an amused sigh left his lips.

“You must think mighty highly of yourself, dear, to think Santa would give you such special treatment,” he mused as he pulled you closer. 

“Well, I just have it on a hunch that Santa might know that my wonderful, loving mate, who – if I haven’t already mentioned – loves me so,” Azriel’s eyes crinkled at the corners as you continued, “works for the high lord.”

Amusement danced in his eyes, and a soft red glow started making its way up his cheeks.

“So maybe someone like that, like me. Like the mate of the Night court spymaster, deserves to be a little spoiled.” You leaned in to kiss his jaw, and stopped to whisper in his ear, “it sure would make her happy.”

He hummed in agreement, his thumb stroking across your thigh at a slow but steady pace.

“Besides,” you continued, leaning back to look him in the eyes, “I have been such a good girl this year.” 

Azriel’s administrations on you leg stopped, his large hand instead coming up to cup your face. 

He hummed lowly, eyes locked on your lips, eyebrows drawn together in a pensive look.

“You really have,” he murmured.

Again, he pulled you into a kiss, molding his lips to yours. You let yourself melt into him – your wonderful, loving spymaster – into the warmth radiating from his large body. Into the secure grip of his hands and the gentle softness of his lips. You let yourself melt into your mate, with no care in the world, besides kissing him back.

When you finally pulled away you leaned in close to his ear and whispered, “if Santa is very kind to me, I promise I will be just as good next year.”

“Yeah?” His voice was thick with emotion.

“Yes, maybe even better.” You promised, and leaned back to look at him. 

You cupped his jaw, the slight stubble adorning the skin scratching your hand in the most comforting way.

He shook his head slightly, his gaze never leaving yours.

“Not possible.”

Want to be added to my taglist?

tags: @missussimonriley @azrielshadows1nger @anuttellaa @tele86 @aria-chikage @lilah-asteria

(since I haven't written in a while, lmk if you want to be removed)

[kylo-wrecked]

@galacticmuses :// { tagging cos i don't trust tumblr for shit }

— ☾ —

"To remember my position, your grace," Ren murmured.

Affection was no more a piece of his vocabulary than it belonged to his emotional pallet. Ren held a secret, simmering admiration for Asa, perhaps. Perhaps envy. Perhaps all that and the infatuation that burned steady from when Ren first saw her. Perhaps all this and his wounded pride.

Even so. Asa's plea softened him, and Ren felt himself recoil inwardly. He was near as confounded by this bend in their conversation as she was by his question. On Kylo Ren's face, surprise resembled misery.

"I have no intention of hurting you."

It was as close to an apology as the Duchess would get. But it seemed there was no shortage of surprises.

"Just as the Knights of Ren have no intention of serving the Order any further," he said, rather oddly, with the solemnity of a monk. Such words were grounds for capital punishment. Ren much preferred their 'game.'

He looked down, a brush of lashes, his face inclining at a staid angle. And now, the task at hand.

"The Supreme Leader requests an audience with the Duchess," he said. "I believe he means to make you my executioner."

[obsoleteozymandias]

1. Hello I was wondering if I could get a lotr and marvel matchup?

2. I’m bisexual with she/her pronouns so any gender is fine!

3. Appearance:

As for looks, I’m 5’1, average to smaller build, tanned olive type skin, dark brown eyes, full lips, dark brown shoulder length wavy/kinda curly hair with curtain bangs. I also wear glasses with a slight cat eye to them.

4. Personality:

For personality I’m creative, introverted, and individualistic. Though I’m introverted, around my friends I can be quite talkative, humorous and outgoing. However I definitely treasure my alone time the most.

5. Hobbies/Interests:

As for hobbies escaping to new worlds while reading books/comics, watching movies, and playing rpg video games (I’m quite the homebody if u couldn’t tell). My favorite genres are fantasy and sci-fi, though I do love a good classic from time to time. Apart from that, I love working out.

My interests on the other hand are art focused. I’m currently in art school working with both digital and traditional mediums. I love my practice and everything from interaction design and digital illustration to graphite drawings and inking.

6. Likes/dislikes:

Likes: coffee, chai tea, dark chocolate, rock/blues/jazz/ music, cafe art shows, arcades, comic book stores, purple, thai/Indian/Chinese food, roller blading to classic rock with the wind in my hair, quality alone time

BDislikes: people i am unfamiliar with and have to make small talk with, the biting cold, rain, non fiction, staying too close to reality and not being allowed to daydream/imagine/roam freely in my thoughts, too much physical touch, overly crowded areas

Thank you!

It shall be so. 

== The Lord of the Rings ==>

I match you up with…

Galadriel 

As a fellow introvert, I understand the necessity of alone time, and so does Galadriel. She’s never been one for large gatherings either, and so your solitude syncs up perfectly with hers. Oftentimes, you two will simply sit in the same room together, content to be in the other’s presence without feeling pressured to speak or fill the silence. 

She’ll sit near you, and maybe simply kiss your forehead gently every now and then. You’ll read together, and at the end of the day, share your thoughts on what you read. She always listens intently. 

That said, she definitely loves your more humorous and bold traits. She admires your passion for life in general, and how you find joy not in riches or status but simply in the things that make you happy. 

Your passion for the arts coincides with her deep and personal personality. She doesn’t have trouble expressing herself per say, but if you find her something that speaks to her on a personal level she will be absolutely delighted. It’s not often that people understand what goes on in her mind.  

She also finds solidarity in the way you daydream. She sees the future, sure, but her role as a leader also means she must be ready and willing to calculate the consequences of her actions. You take the edge off, providing a new point of view with a creative touch. 

And even when you’re not helping her with her duties, she finds comfort in your free-spirited mind and your ability to simply lose yourself in the things you love most. Maybe you can take her with you sometime. 

In her, you find a compassionate lover whose company you don’t mind at all, and in you, she finds a free-spirited lover who makes her feel young once more. 

== Marvel ==>

I match you up with…

Foggy Nelson 

Literally the best man in the MCU I will die on that hill. 

Foggy has always been attracted to the quiet but bold types, and boy do you rock his world. He’s empathetic to your initial awkwardness around new people, but being himself, he quickly makes you feel comfortable. He’s not afraid to play the fool if it means he gets to see you smile. 

He’s one of those people who says the most hilarious things out of nowhere, whether it be at a casual meetup or at home, he’s always cracking the most insane yet funny jokes you’ve ever heard. 

He’s an extravert, but he has no qualms about giving you your space. He’s loving, yes, but he also understands the need to simply be on your own sometimes. Every now and then, though, he’ll check up on you, making sure you’re feeling alright. 

If he sees you getting overstimulated, he’ll do whatever he can to bring you back down to earth. He has an astonishing intuition for what you need at any given point, so he’ll be there to keep you safe in any scenario. 

He definitely gets down to music with you. He’s into jazz and rock, and he knows the words by heart. Once you play a song he knows, it’s karaoke time. And he goes whole-ass. Foggy has been ashamed of a lot of things in his life, but being with you makes him feel free to be himself. 

Similarly, he never holds you back. If he sees you’re in a dreamy mood, he’ll give you all the time and space you need. He’ll even ask you about it later. 

I know he’s not everyone’s favorite, but Foggy is a grade-A man, and a dependable and uplifting partner. 

[its-not-a-phase-mom-i-d8-demons]

virgin killer satan virgin killer satan VIRGIN KILLER SATAN AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

i hear you loud and clear my love 😏

warnings: smut, virgin!reader, daddy kink, the pet names 'kitten' and 'kitty' used constantly, female!reader

"You're a virgin?"

The question is inevitable and it has been asked on more than one occasion, but you suppress a cringe and nod, looking away with flushed cheeks.

"I... I hope you're okay with that."

"It's not a problem at all kitten." He assured you, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you on top of him so he was sandwiched between you and the sofa, "My only question is whether or not you'd like to lose it to me."

You bit your lip, hiding your rosy cheeks in his shoulder.

"No need to be shy kitty. Take all the time you need to decide."

You sit up, making sure your clothed heat was pressed snugly against the slight bulge in his slacks and grind down, meeting his emerald gaze as confidently as you could.

His hands snapped to your hips, controlling your pace against his hips, lashes fluttering as he stared up at you hungrily.

Before you could register what was going on, the Avatar of Wrath had flipped you so you were caged beneath him on the sofa, but the steady grind of your hips against his own continued.

Satan leaned down to kiss you like he had so many times before, but these kisses were more desperate, more famished, and so full of need he could see it nearly overflowing out of your sensitive little frame.

"Someone's rather needy, wouldn't you say?" He laughed softly, pulling away from you so he could grind against your ever-dampening cunt with a bit more precision, "So sensitive too... You're such a cute, innocent little kitty. I can't wait to ruin you."

You whimper as the blonde helps you out of your uniform, tossing the blazer, shirt, and pleated skirt to the side so he could visually devour your sweet curves and edges before they were defiled forever by him and him only.

"You're so pretty," He murmured between kisses, hands beginning to explore your body, squeezing and caressing you until one hand gripped your throat; angling your face up to meet his own and the other holding one of your wrists down and away from his clothed cock, now painfully hard and throbbing, impatiently straining against its confines and hoping to be freed.

"Yeah," You huffed, free hand tugging at his clothes, "You're pretty too so take your fucking clothes off to, ya prick."

Satan pressed his bulge harshly against the bit of fabric concealing your drenched slit and you whined, bucking your hips against him; clit aching with need.

"Don't speak to be like that kitty, or I promise you'll regret it." He warned, squeezing your throat a bit.

You giggled, sighing contentedly as Satan began to undress until he was nude except for the gray boxers concealing his length from your hungry gaze.

"Gotta prep you first," he smirked, tugging off the lacy panties you and Asmo had purchased a few weeks ago, "I want you to be as comfortable as possible, okay kitty?"

You nod, suddenly a bit shy as his nimble fingers traced down your heaving chest and tummy before sneaking between your thighs and rubbing at your sopping folds.

"So wet kitty, I wonder how this happened? Are... Are you excited? Aww, is my precious girl ready to be stuffed with her daddy's cock? Be honest, kitty."

You blushed fiercely as Satan leaned down, still smirking, but softer this time.

Two of his fingers slowly entered you and you had to suppress a gasp.

No doubt you had tried to finger yourself before, but your tiny hands were no match for the sheer depth and width of the ones gently pumping inside your cunt.

You gripped his arm, aroused whimpers pushing past your lips as he began to increase the pace; eyes concentrated on your face, gauging your reactions and doing his best to draw moans from your throat.

"Tell me sweet girl, have you even cum before? Can your little human hands make you feel good like mine do?"

You were panting now, eyebrows knit together as you felt something inside you, something you had never been able to do by yourself, and it was approaching rapidly.

"N-No! No no... Oh, d-daddy, f-feels good!"

You arch your back and try to buck your hips away from the hands working your sloppy cunt, but Satan's strength keeps you from wriggling away.

You stutter over your moans, gripping his arms and twitching as a wonderful feeling, like fireworks, came over you, so euphoric and warm, you began to cry.

Not a lot, but just enough of a sob and a sniffle for Satan to worry.

"Too much? Oh kitty, don't cry... Tell me what's wrong." He hummed, thumbing away the tears from your leaking eyes.

"That... That's felt really nice!" You giggle through your tears, "I d-don't know why I'm crying Satan, but I liked that."

Your pretty smile was contagious...

"I'm glad it felt good," He nuzzled his nose against your own, carding his hand through your hair, "Do you want me to do that again, or do you want to keep going? It's up to you."

You adjusted your trembling legs beneath him and pulled him down for a kiss, before saying, "I'd like to continue and I think you'd like to as well."

Satan smiled, "If you aren't 100% sure about this, we won't go any further. I don't care how hard I am kitty, I don't want to if you're not ready."

"I am ready. I trust you Satan and nothing would make me happier than being able to do this with you."

You pushed some of the straw-colored locks back from where they hung in his eyes and pulled him down for another kiss while Satan tugged his boxers off.

Something prodded your silky folds, causing a whimper to slip from your throat.

"This is okay? You're sure?"

You take a deep breath and consent with a "yes."

Satan intertwines his fingers with your own, simultaneously lining himself up with your entrance. He spat on the widest part of his cock, using a mixture of that and your slick to lubricate his length before pressing his hips forward as slowly and gently as possible.

You squeeze his hand and he pauses, eyes flitting to yours for a moment to check for any signs of regret or fear; he found fear, but no regret.

Satan wasn't small so you had a reason to be nervous.

He pressed a bit more and his head was fully enveloped in your tight hole. Exhaling, he continued to push; rolling your clit around with his thumb to take your mind off the intrusion and kissing you deeply to comfort you and swallow your whines.

As the widest part of his cock began to slip into your pussy, the pain you were already feeling worsened and you gripped his hand tightly, squeezing your eyes shut.

"You're such a good girl for me," Satan comforted, pulling out a bit to relieve you before pushing his hips in more, "You're halfway there kitty, I'm so proud."

"Half... only half?" You huff, "Feels s-so full Daddy, I don't think my pussy's big enough..."

"Oh, it'll fit. You just have to learn how to take a cock like mine. I believe in my kitty, you're so close."

Satan allowed you a few minutes to adjust, speaking to you with soft, encouraging words, thumbing your engorged clit, and kissing you until you were relaxed and smiling.

"Ready to keep going?"

"Uh-huh."

The last bit was easier, except for the fact that it was a tight fit.

The head of Satan's cock reached deeper than anything had before.

He lifted your legs to cross over his back, allowing your cunt to grip the base of his shaft.

He gave you a few minutes to adjust to his thickness but Satan was growing a bit desperate himself. Your tight cunt would squeeze him so deliciously and you smelled so fucking good he could barely stand it.

When some time has passed, he starts carefully rocking his hips against your own, kissing you deftly and swallowing your moans.

"So big-" You manage to huff between kisses, a high-pitched whine leaving your lips as he pulls almost all the way out before stuffing his length back into your clenching hole, "Hngg- fuck..."

"Good girl, such a good girl," Satan whispered through a soft moan of his own, "You wanna go a little faster kitten? You want daddy to fuck you nice and hard on his fat cock?"

You nodded furiously, mouth falling open as he began to pick up the pace with his thrusts marveling at the way your pretty pussy would just swallow him every time he pressed his hips into your own. Your cunt was absolutely drenched felt so good. He could feel the way the sticky substance dampened his own hips and dripped onto the couch with how hard he was pounding you.

You looked so beautiful beneath him too, lips parted with small, quick breaths and choppy moans, hickeys blooming along your collarbones and an absolutely perfect heat wrapped around his cock?

He was so lucky.

"You're beautiful, kitty. I want to keep you all to myself without any of my rotten brothers bothering us. This pussy is mine, understand? You are mine." He hissed, drowning your high pitched whines with his lips.

He would give anything to be in a relationship with you, make a life together, and end each and every day with you bouncing on his length in whatever position suited your fancy.

You arched your back when his fingers teased your throbbing clit, forcing an orgasm out from between your legs.

The demon slowed, but never stopped, hips still rocking against yours, fingers still rubbing away at your sensitive heat.

You gave a shuddering sigh and gripped his back, whimpering as he started fucking you harder.

"Daddy's gonna cum, baby." He huffs in your ear, "I know you're tired, but hold on just for me, okay?"

"Oooh! D-Daddy, I'm so sensitive, ah- aah! Sh-Shit I think I'm gonna cum again-"

"You better not, you naughty kitty, or daddy will punish you. You've been such a good girl for me so far, are you really gonna ruin that because your greedy cunny has to cum?" He watches you shake with effort, grasping at the wrist teasing your abused clit as you try and wait for him to cum.

The air is filled with the steady slapping of hips and the squelch of your drippy heat around a fat dick, serenaded by his sexy grunts and an endless moan of ah! ah! ah!'s and Satan knew he couldn't last much longer this round.

You needed a break as well, judging by how much you were trembling beneath him and doing your best to be good and hold back an orgasm until he was ready.

"Awww, are you crying, kitty? Does it feel that good?" You nod, hiccupping softly, hips moving tiredly to meet his heavy thrusts. "It does, doesn't it. You love daddy's cock."

"'Wan hold your hand daddy," You cried, eyes rolling back as he seemed to swell inside you.

He gripped your hand, "Of course, kitty. Daddy's right here."

You huffed with effort, your pussy grew more and more sensitive as the seconds passed. Your nails dug into your palm as Satan started slapping your clit and you knew you were done for.

"Daddydaddydaddy pleeease oooh fuck! Daddy I hafta cum, ohh, ohh! I'm cumming!"

"Go ahead, kitty, cum for your daddy-"

You convulsed against the couch cushions, forcing Satan's cock from your heat, only for him to force it in again and clip your abused g-spot, causing fluid to force his cock out of your spasming hole once again.

Satan held you by the throat now, pushing his length in and pulling it all the way out until he finished all over your labia, sticky white seed spurting out of his still semi-hard cock and lathering your trembling lips.

You tugged on his arm, desiring closeness after such an intense orgasm. Satan grabbed an old t-shirt off the floor and gently wiped you down before pulling you into a warm hug.

"How are you still hard?" You sniffle, wiping away old tears on your bare wrists.

Satan blushed, "Don't worry about it, kitty. You need to calm down before we get to that. D-Did you enjoy yourself though? I wasn't too harsh on you, right?"

You giggle and realize, your sweet Satan is still here, wrapped in your arms and kissing your hickey-strewn collarbones and throat.

"No Satan, I loved it. You're such a good dom, I hardly recognized you."

He smiled, stroking your hair.

"Good to hear. If you're up to it, we can do round two in the shower~"

--

July 5th

hello my lovelies! i believe this was my first full-length smut fic on this blog, so I hope it wasn't super terrible! :') leave a comment or something and tell me if it was okay! i am very open to constructive criticism.

if you did enjoy it, let me know if you'd like to see more <3

Countdown Masterlist (requests are open!)

Main Masterlist

[localcactushugger]

Is anyone else amazed that Hawks was only "undercover" with the Leauge for 6 months at the most.

Not only that, one and a half of those 6 months were spent just trying to gain enough trust to infiltrate.

I know it seems like much longer since Hawks made his Manga debut 2 years ago. But he had such a short amount of time on this mission. Hawks was introduced in the manga with his role being the "double agent". We literally have not seen Hawks outside of his "spy" role. Even when he is interacting with other characters outside of the Leauge, his "mission" is still happening in the background.

It seems Hawks made contact with Dabi right before the Hero Billboard chart, this is when he starts trying to infiltrate. His interaction with Dabi in the warehouse begins immediately after Endeavors fight with High-End:

During this time, Dabi is testing out a High-End Nomu for doctor Ujiko. Which means by the time Endeavor fights High-End, the My Villain Academia arc is already happening. Hawks is assumed to be one of the "members" Dabi is trying to recruit:

The Leauge has already made contact with doctor Ujiko, and the Doctor sends Dabi to test his High-End Nomu out on Endeavor (even though Dabi didn't know it would be Endeavor) while the rest of the Leauge battle Machia. At the time, Dabi still doesn't trust Hawks at all and he keeps the hero at arms length. While Dabi and Hawks are sharing ominous phone calls, the Leauge is hauling ass and it take's Shigiraki a month and a half to finally beat Machia. (The MLA is "defeated" too):

After a month and a half of phone calls (while the Leauge gets their asses handed to them by Machia in the background) Hawks is finally allowed into the Leauge when the battle of Dekia City is finally over. Dabi let's him in because Hawks "kills" Best Jeanist.

But there's a problem. By the time Hawks is let in, The Leagues numbers have drastically increased. They have an army at their side, multiple High-End nomu, and are now called the MLA:

Hawks blames himself, saying that he was "too late". That so many civilians would be alive now if he had been faster. He couldn't round up the Leauge when they were a small group, and now they have an army. A powerful one:

He's in too deep now. And you can see the stress on his face. I bet he never expected to be part of an army. He was simply tasked to round up the Leauge members while they were a small group, but the MLA was completely unexpected. Still, he decides to improvise and do the best he can with the shitty cards he's been dealt. It's not like he has another option at this point.

So he slips a coded message to Endeavor ASAP. Basically saying "yo, in four months shits about to go down. Ttyl I'll keep you posted lol". He can't tell the guy in person now, because to make things harder, he has camera's on his wings. (and even though he's being watched by camera's, he also gets followed by guards at the mansion):

After Hawks relays the massge, he stroles around the mansion with his bodyguard and heads towards the cafeteria. With a little eavesdropping (courtesy of his feathers) he also finds out that the Leauges plan is to "Destroy Everything" in four months:

After he relays the massage to Endeavor, he listens to the Leauges plans of destruction as his thoughts run a thousand M.P.H.

Because now "capture the Leauge" has turned into "Holy shit I now only have 4 months to take down a full fledged terrorist organization/army from the inside-out by myself while I'm being monitored 24/7 with absolutely no privacy & also a full time job as a hero + a public image to maintain. And I can only contact my fellow pro's about this mission through code because if the villains find out I'm a double agent I could be killed and Japan could be destroyed. Also some heros have even joined the MLA so who on my own side can I trust? Only a select specific few for now I guess."

If you thought things couldn't get worse your wrong.

Because around 2 months before the raid Hawks' heart (that wants to be free & has a genuine desire to help people) takes shit a bit too far when it makes him get attached to a certain powerful villain.

Hawks quckily finds out that Twice is easily the second most powerful villain in the Leauge after Shigiraki. He's an S ranked villain and he'll kick your ass with the power of friendship anyday. He's a great guy, but him and the Leauge are still planning on doing horrible things within the next 2 months. Twice is going along with it because he wants to stick by his friends, which y'know, is a cool motive. But considering that fact that the people Hawks is trying to protect ALSO have friends, and family's, this makes shit difficult and sends Hawks on some major guilt trips. (I would show all the panels of Hawks sadly smiling as Twice calls him a "good guy", but alas- Tumblr has informed me that I've reached my 10 image per post limit)

And tbh who wouldn't feel bad about suddenly getting attached to such a golden retriever of a man and then realizing you'll have to double-cross him at some point! I'm not surprised Hawks would feel this way, especially considering the fact that he never wanted to take on this mission in the first place.

Hawks is very much a people person, and he HATES lying even when he has no other option. This is a man who got "shivers up his spine" when he had to put on a serious face while handing Endeavor a book with coded messages inside. He literally felt icky and thought "this is low even for me" just because he had to use a deadly expression so that Endeavor would get the gist.

And when the Commission made their "proposal" about this mission, Hawks' first reaction was to call them out on their B.S. for asking him to put civilian lives at risk. He even admitted that he was feeling bad about sending Tokoyami away while talking to Deku, Shoto, and Bakugo. Hawks felt guilty about not being able to spend more time with his student, but considering that things with the MLA were starting to get riskier, and that Hawks literally handed Endeavor a book with a coded message inside about an uprising 2 seconds later, I can see why he wouldn't want to risk Tokoyami being around him. The fact that the camera's on Hawks' wings caught his interactions with Endeavor & the students also makes the creep‐factor worse. The MLA saw everything AND talked about it in a meeting later. Continuing to train with Tokoyami would put him at risk.

I love the complexity of Hawks' character, he's incredibly intelligent, logical, and intuitive. But at the same time throughout this entire mission his heart is constantly battling with his mind. Even when he knows he has to grit his teeth and do something shifty, his heart never fails to put up a fight with his logistics. Honestly it's been a pattern for a while that Hawks' sympathy always "Trips him up" in some way, so idk why I didn't see it coming around to bite him in the ass later.

(Tbh it's hard for me to see Hawks as a this super "Morally Gray" person that the fandom likes to paint him as because of a mission that he only spent 6 months on. I personally, kinda see Hawks as a "good person" who works for a "morally gray" agency. But that's a whole different meta)

Basically, Hawks getting attached to Twice wasn't a surprise. But considering how powerful Twice was, along with his role in the League's destructive plans (He was a lieutenant in one of the MLA's "Units") the discourse going on in Hawks' mind makes sense. By this point Hawks has already figured out all of the MLA's "Units" along with the three "bosses" that support the lieutenants of those "Units". It's noted that those "bosses" are extremely powerful and can match the strength of the heros as well. It took Hawks an entire month just to figure out all of the "Units" members. (I would show the panels explaining all of this but I'm at my photo limit)

All of these members were tasked to follow their lieutenants and bosses, and the plan was to attack all of Japans major cities at the same time. Once the cities were destroyed and chaos had set in, Redestro and feel good inc. Would distribute support items to the remaining citizens in the name of "self-defense". It would create a country full of discourse and destruction where Redestro and Feel good inc. Would rule from the shadows. But Shigiraki would be the main leader. He would become "king" and sit upon a "throne of rubble". (At least this was the MLA's plan, Shigiraki himself just kinda wants to destroy everything. But I suppose this would make things easier for him to do that.)

needless to say, the stakes have been upped excessively. But it took Hawks an entire month to gather this info.

This post is honestly just me marveling at what an M.V.P Hawks is

My guy literally only had 4 months to take down an entire terrorist organization for the inside-out. AND he was being monitored during that entire time. He figured out the MLA's intentions within the first month of being there. And it took him another full month to go into detail and figure out all the members, bosses, and lieutenants, for each of their "Units". Hawks even went as far as to immerse himself in the MLA's ideology, and he had in-depth discussions with the MLA's members. HELL HE EVEN FAKED HIS CO-WORKERS DEATH JUST TO GET IN.

AND HE PRETTY MUCH IMPROVISED ALL OF THIS SHIT!!! The original plan was to capture the Leauge when they were a small group! But by the time Hawks managed to infiltrate, The Leauge already had an army! They were a full-blown organization! And Hawks just kinda rolled with it??? He just kinda bullshitted his way through??

Like, "okay I'm now apart of an army I guess. The Leauge is now an entire organization and they're planning on destroying Japan in March. Let's see how this goes. I'll just have to make this work"???

LIKE HOW THE FUCK IS HE NOT DEAD! WHAT A FUCKING MADLAD

[findroleplay]

Hi there! 28F looking for some new friends to plot with ☺️ My main fandom at the moment is Stranger Things. I would love to do CCxOC plots with some of the older teens. I absolutely love playing Eddie, would be open to exploring Billy as well, and would really appreciate someone who would be willing to play Steve for me 🥺 I’m open to just about anything! I do have one idea for a long term plot that could possibly start from S2 and play through S4 and beyond, involving any/all of the characters we end up playing. Again though, I’m open to anything so please feel free to tell me about any idea(s) you may have and we’ll go from there!

A couple of other fandoms I am also into are Marvel and Star Wars! For Marvel, I’m open to playing/playing against Bucky Barnes (no particular preference) and playing Matt Murdock. For Star Wars, I particularly love the prequel era and would love to play/play against Anakin Skywalker and/or Obi-Wan and have some OC’s as well. I would also be open to delving into the Mandoverse with Din Djarin (would love to play him)!

Lastly, I also love original/non-fandom characters and plots, so that is something I am always open to as well! I’m open to pretty much anything from fantasy/supernatural to realistic/slice of life type of stuff. Modern day or period settings, etc.

All in all, I’m just looking to make new friends to write and chat with! I’m not picky when it comes to literacy; I enjoy anything from rapid fires to longer, multi paragraph threads, etc. Whatever our muse is feeling at the moment. My main thing is about not forcing things, so never feel obligated to match my length or reply right away. Just as long as you let me know if something is going on, we can take all the time we need! I have a full time job and am mostly on mobile, so while I do tend to respond right away to most messages, actual writing tends to be just a little bit slower, though not by much. I love hc’ing and sharing things like Pinterest boards and Spotify playlists.

If any of this sounds like your cup of tea, please give this post a little heart and I’ll reach out through DM so we can chat for a bit before exchanging Discords! This is my preferred place for roleplaying and such, though if you happen to prefer Tumblr instead, let me know so we can work something out!

[seita]

— live now: redlove | eijirou kirishima (m.)

pairing: eijirou kirishima/reader ft. katsuki bakugou.

genre: fluff, smut, pwp

wordcount: 𝟷𝟼𝟹𝟽

cw: cam couple!au, prohero!bakugou, established relationship

tags: voyeurism (bakugou’s pov), dirty talk, masturbation, humilation/degredation, begging, light praise, rough sex, doggy style, choking, hair pulling, light spanking, baku has a crush

note: i have no excuses for this lmao. i was originally gonna make this into a fic where bakugou joins u nd kiri but,,,i kind of want to make this like a series or something????

—  bakugou enjoys porn. especially live cam porn. he discovers the cam couple redlove and is immediately smitten.

blog navigation.

 next. the lottery: redlove ⇨

© all content belongs to seita 2020. do not modify or repost.    

Bakugou watched porn. Just like every other guy on the planet. He enjoyed it, especially since as a pro-hero, he didn’t have the opportunity to get into sustainable relationships. He was the #2 hero so finding himself someone who wanted him because he was Katsuki Bakugou and not Ground Zero was near impossible. 

So, he turned to porn. Sounds sad now that he thought about it but truthfully, he never thought twice about it. It was just the way things were. 

More specifically, he had an interest in cam porn. The live stream kind. He couldn’t quite pinpoint why that was ― there was just something alluring about watching porn live. 

Usually, he stuck to solo girl content, every once in a while he’d venture to the male side. It was only recently, however, that he discovered the booming community of couples cams. 

Watching couples have sex live was even more enticing than watching men and woman masturbate or watching amateur porn. It seemed so intimate, watching these couples together. Almost forbidden. 

And he was sure that was exactly what made him cum so hard every single time. He liked watching these couples have sex, feeling like he was seeing something he wasn’t supposed to.

Many times, he’d stroke his cock to the idea of being humiliated by a couple as he watched them together. Filthy thoughts and words filtered into his mind, his eyes closed as he panted to the idea. They’d call him disgusting, a pig for getting hard watching ―  how only a slut would act as lewd as he did. Maybe they’d shame him; #2 pro hero Ground Zero a pathetic whore. 

It wasn’t until one night, he laid in bed browsing the couple’s livestreams on his favorite website, he discovered one couple that immediately caught his eye. The thumbnail showed a redheaded guy with spiky hair sitting on the edge of the bed with a pretty girl with marvelously smooth skin sat behind him with her arms wrapped around his shoulders. The young man’s hair color must have been the inspiration behind their channel name: redlove. He could only assume they had just started the stream and were looking at comments when the picture set. 

The stream was titled “We had a long day”. Bakugou couldn’t help but scoff at such a title, it was hardly enticing. Most streams had things like ‘watch me squirt until i cry!!!’ or “he makes my pussy hurt so good” or some other cringy shit. He would have been tempted to scroll past but he couldn’t deny just how attractive the couple was. Not to say there weren’t attractive people doing cam porn, no he’d seen his fair share of beautiful women and handsome men. 

But redlove were stunning together. They looked like a perfect match, he could tell just by how you were holding him that just oozed affection for the redhead. 

Another thing that caught the blonde’s eye was the view count: most cammers had in the double digits ― 20 or 30 viewers. Every once in a while he’d catch a particularly popular cammer and see a few hundred but it had never exceeded 200. So the live view count, the number of people watching them at that exact moment, was currently displayed on redlove’s stream link had him baffled.

Edging on 800 viewers. Sitting at 782.

It was clear the two of you were immensely popular. There had to be a good reason. 

Curious and thoroughly intrigued, he tapped the screen of his phone to get into their stream. 

It took a moment to buffer, all the activity with the chat making it lag a bit. When it finally finished loading, Bakugou felt like the air had been punched out of his lungs. His cock was immediately hard, straining against his boxers.

It was clear the two of you had been streaming for a while, judging by the fucked out blissful look on your face. Sweat glistened on your skin in the illuminating light of your bedroom.

You were on your hands and knees, your redheaded boyfriend on his knees behind you on a messed up bed, a pillow nearby that Bakugou assumed had been used to prop your hips up at one point. Your hair was wrapped tightly in his fist, using it for leverage as he hammered his cock into what Bakugou could only imagine was an absolutely dripping wet cunt. 

The sounds you made were downright sinful, your lips swollen from no doubt kissing and biting. The redhead grunted suddenly, jerking you up onto your knees so your back was pressed against his chest. Bakugou couldn’t resist reaching down to palm his aching cock, throbbing and painful from neglect. 

Your boyfriend groaned, glancing at the camera, “Everyone’s got a good view of your little cunt now, huh?” he growled moving his grip from your hair to your throat, “You like that, I can feel you squeezing me at the thought of all these people watching your pussy stretch on my cock. You’re stuffed so fuckin’ full you can barely stand it, isn’t that right?”

Bakugou couldn’t tear his eyes away from the scene. The4 dominance the redhead exuded rivaled his own and the way you so easily fell submissively to him was beautiful. There was so much trust in you ― knowing your boyfriend would take good care of you. Bakugou’s heart ached ever so slightly at the idea ― it was clear your relationship was a good one. It was something the pro hero would never hope to have himself.

You didn’t respond, your eyes rolling back in your head before closing. Your mouth was open, no sounds escaping due to the tight grip the redhead had on your throat. Your head rolled back to rest on his shoulder, legs spread to let him fuck your hole with everything he had. Your weight was braced completely on him, your partner dutifully supporting your body as you let him have his way.

With his free hand, he palmed your breast, pinching your nipple harshly to make you keen. Bakugou felt his cock throb at the sound. It was so whiny, pathetic. You were so completely submissive and at the mercy of your boyfriend. And you were loving every second of it. 

Bakugou couldn’t deny he enjoyed witnessing it himself.

Your cunt was stretched wide, the HD camera giving spectacular quality to the way your juices dripped down the length plunging into your body. It dripped off of his balls and down your thighs. So fucking messy. 

The redhead’s cock was big, something Bakugou himself could even feel envious of despite his own well-endowed size. Your cunt was tight, no doubt requiring a good amount of preparation to take him. He wondered if you enjoyed the stinging burn of pain when you took the cock. The blonde made a mental note to check out your part streams later.

“Gonna...gonna cum,” you gasped, warning your boyfriend. 

He scoffed, sounding annoyed, “Do it then. I don’t give a shit.”

“Please, can’t!” you sobbed, finally opening your eyes to look up at him. He wore a cocky grin, knowing your pleasure laid in his hands. 

“Why?” he teased, abandoning his hold on your breast to travel down the soft skin of your stomach, pausing right above where you needed him, “You need me to touch your little clit, hm? Is that what it is?” 

You nodded desperately, grinding your hips down every time he sunk his cock into you, hoping to get more than you were being given, “Please!”

“Alright,” he sighed, pressing a kiss against your temple. The gesture was oddly soft and intimate in comparison to the harsh, punishing pace of his cock, “You had a long day. I’ll be nice. You better thank me for making this greedy little cunt cum.”

Finally, his fingers reached your swollen clit. A couple practiced circles over the bud had you tumbling over the edge. Bakugou gripped his cock through the material of his boxers as he watched you tremble and moan as the redhead fucked you through the high. 

Letting out a sob at the overstimulation when your boyfriend still didn’t stop when you came down, you choked out, “Th-Thank you!”

“Good girl,” your boyfriend grinned, letting you fall back into your original position with your face buried in the blankets. The redhead tossed his head back, gripping your hips as he fucked into you, chasing his own orgasm. He laid a few harsh slaps against your ass, making you whimper, flinching at the impact but not running from it. Bakugou could hear the sharp sound of his hand making contact with your skin. Now that you had cum, the redhead let himself go. 

And he did. Your boyfriend let out a groan of pleasure, announcing his release. He didn’t pull out, pouring his hot cum into your overstimulated cunt.

Bakugou’s cock throbbed once, twice before he was spilling a load of hot cum into his boxers. The white cum oozed through the fibers as his thighs trembled.

When he came back to himself, he looked at the screen to find you had curled up on your side with a dreamy smile aimed at your boyfriend, Bakugou couldn’t help but smile at the screen at how cute you looked. He moved towards the camera with a grin, having already pulled out.

“Thanks for watchin’!” that was all he said before the screen went dark and bold white letters flashed over the screen that said ‘this stream has ended.’

Bakugou’s attention moved to the chat, checking to see what was being talked about. 

The comment that caught his eye was, “Eijirou and ______ are literally the power couple of porn.”

Bakugou sighed. Eijirou and ______. 

The names of his new favorite cam couple. 

[procrastinatingsapphictrash]

Can’t get over her

Word count: 5010     

Genre: A little angst with a little fluff

Pairing: Natasha x fem!reader 

Warnings: Little bit of swearing (let me know if I need to add more)

Summary: Reader has always had a bit of a crush on Natasha but it’s unrequited. She lets Tony and Wanda take her to a club and Nat starts acting differently.

A/N: This is not a request, I just felt like writing this story. I’m super nervous about this because I’m not sure if it’s very good but I thought I would post it in case anyone is interested. This is my first x reader fic and first Natasha/Marvel fic so I wasn’t sure how to write it. That being said I hope you enjoy, and if you do, I’m always open to take requests! Btw this is completely unimportant but even though this fic is a medium length, it’s the longest story I’ve actually completed so I feel proud of myself for that!

“Y/n!” A voice rang out loudly disrupting your sleep. 

“Ughhhh,” you groaned, “what do you want?” Instead of an answer the door to your room gets thrown open loudly, allowing all the light to come in. You bury yourself under the blankets, partly to stop your eyes from seeing the light and partly to hide the fact that you were wearing Avengers themed pyjamas. 

“Rise and shine sweetheart!” You hear Tony’s voice mock. Reluctantly you poke your head out of the blankets just enough so you can see and squint at your best friend/mentor just in time to see him rush off, probably to wake up another unfortunate avenger. When you first joined you never expected to like Tony at all, much less consider him your best friend or look up to him. You had heard rumors of him being inappropriate with women and while his jokes most certainly were and you did occasionally catch him staring at your boobs he never did anything creepy to make you uncomfortable and inside he was a good man, way more so than you expected.

All that in mind you decide to get out of bed to see why Tony woke you up because he (probably) wouldn’t wake you up for no reason. Taking a minute to change out of the avenger pyjamas and into some clothes as well as brush your hair you wander downstairs. On the way down you bump into Clint who unlike you has made absolutely no effort to look presentable and looks like he just rolled out of bed. You say a quick hello but he just grunts in return, not even looking at you. Inwardly laughing about how much Clint hates to be awake in the morning you continue downstairs to meet up with the rest of the avengers who are varying degrees of awake. Most seemed to be like you; awake and fairly alert but not happy about it. Clint was probably the most asleep and Tony the most awake considering he was practically bouncing off the walls. Looking around you see everyone except for Thor and Natasha. Thor wasn’t there very often because he wasn’t from earth and Natasha usually avoided group activities at all costs to your displeasure since you had a secret (not very secret) crush on the assassin. 

“So why did you wake us up, at an ungodly hour may I add, and bring us down here?” You ask Tony, curious.

“That information is above your clearance level.” He replies somewhat sarcastically. 

“Does anybody else know what is going on?” you ask. “Or did Tony wake me up for no reason, in which case I’m going back to bed.” They all shift guiltily on their feet except for Clint who seems to be still too tired to pay attention leading you to believe they are all up to something you wouldn’t like. Nobody answers your question so you glare around the room, your eyes landing on Steve. He almost squirms under your gaze and eventually seems to give in.

“I’m sorry Y/N, this wasn’t my idea and thinking back on it we probably shouldn’t-”

“We are giving you a makeover and finding you a date.” Tony cuts Steve off.

“Seriously??!??!??” You half shout. “What makes you think I want to go on some random date you guys set up? If I want to go on a date I can find one myself.”

“Y/N…” Wanda says softly, reminding you to stay calm.

“Don’t Y/n me,” you say, still angrily yet quieter, “I can find my own dates, thank you very much.” Tony gives a small snort of laughter in response to this.

“Sure you can kid. I mean it’s not like you haven’t been on a date in over two years. Or that you’re harboring a crush for our resident scary assassin that prevents you from dating others.” You glare at him but stay silent because all of what he said is true. In your head you excuse the not dating off as being busy because you are a hero yet almost everybody on the team is dating someone and it all seems to be working out fine.

“Look Y/n,” Tony says softly which is a rarity for him, “I know you wish something could happen between you and Romanoff but it hasn’t happened yet and likely never will. You need to get over her and back out there. Besides we weren’t planning on choosing your date for you, we were just planning to go clubbing later with you.”

“Ok,” you agree begrudgingly, “I’ll do it, I just don’t see the need to wake me up at 7 in the morning if we aren’t going out until tonight. Also does everybody need to be here right now?” 

“I second that,” Clint says in a voice still rough from sleep, “just because I helped planning a little bit does not mean I had to wake up early to have this conversation. I’m going back to bed.” 

Wanda rolls her eyes at him before turning to you, “No not everyone has to be here right now, Tony just got a little over excited. As for you, as we said we are giving you a makeover which means we have to go to the hair appointment I set up plus I was thinking we could go shopping since we almost never have time to. Besides Natasha gets back from her solo mission sometime later today, so we wanted to talk with you when she wasn’t around.”

“Ok,” you respond with a little bit of excitement, “when do we leave?”

“Right now! We can have brunch while we’re out!” 

“Yes and then we can go get our nails done and gossip!” Tony says in a fake voice. Both you and Wanda turn to look at him exasperated. “Ok fine, maybe not but I am coming and we are gossiping. Also I need to find a good birthday present for Pepper’s birthday next week.”

“Well that’s good you’re coming because unless you want the same reaction as last year, you’re going to need a lot of help.” Wanda replies. You laugh a little as the three of you leave the tower, Wanda and Tony continuing their mock argument about Tony’s gift giving skills. 

Five hours later and you severely regretted going along with their plan. You were already exhausted and still had so much to do before going clubbing. You had already bought an outfit plus a few others which wouldn’t be so bad except Wanda and Tony made you try on what you believed to be the whole store before they seemed satisfied with your look. You had also gotten your nails done and were currently finishing up a lovely brunch which consisted of waffles, maple syrup and some fruits. That would have been enjoyable if not for the fact that Tony and Wanda alternated between nagging you about not chipping a nail and teasing you about your pathetic love life. It was a well known fact in the tower that while they didn’t hate each other, Tony and Wanda didn’t usually get along well but that was probably for the best since together they were ruthless. They seemed to have decided that the time for brunch was over so sighing you followed them out of the restaurant after Tony paid the bill. That’s the one positive at least, all of it was free for you thanks to Tony. 

Another five hours later and you could honestly say you were looking forward to the night more than you thought you would. You were currently looking in the mirror in your room and although usually you tended to be indifferent towards your body, sometimes even insecure, you had to admit that you looked pretty hot. The dress was in the perfect colour to bring out your eyes according to Wanda and although it was the perfect balance between classy and slutty, revealing a bit of skin and showing off your assets while still leaving it to the imagination. You also were carrying a black purse which matched your nails and shoes. Your makeup was perfectly done, naturally showing you beauty but adding a little extra glimmer. The thing you were most proud of however and the most noticeable change you had made was your hair. Before you had hair that when completely straight could reach your waist but now it was barely long enough to tuck behind your ears. When you first got to the hair salon you were planning on just trimming it and straightening in it but when you got in the chair something came over you and you just decided to chop it all off. 

BANG! The door to your room barges open and Wanda comes flying in. 

“Damn girl! You look hot as fuck!” You blush profusely at her words managing to stammer out a thank you. You have never been good at taking compliments because you always get a little shy and awkward. 

Tony pokes his head around the doorframe and gives a whistle. “You are smoking hot Y/n, I mean if I didn’t have Pepper I would be all over you. You ready to go?” Not waiting for an answer he turns and starts towards the elevator. You follow but not before exchanging an eye roll with Wanda about Tony’s words. The elevator ride is short and smooth thanks to Tony’s engineering so you don’t have enough time to succumb to the urge of placing your hands on the bars and pushing while lifting your feet. The elevator beeps, Jarvis informing  you that you’ve reached the ground level and the doors open. You step out ready to get on with your night but the sight of Natasha just back from a mission freezes you in your tracks. 

“Hi,” you say lamely, “I thought you were supposed to get back earlier today?”

“We had some intel that wasn’t fully correct but luckily it didn’t take too long to fix. You look different, where are you heading off to?”

You glance at Tony and Wanda for help because for some reason you feel awkward telling her but they don’t seem to know what you want so you answer anyways. “We’re going clubbing, I’m kinda nervous since I haven’t been in awhile but Wanda helped me get ready-”

“Hey I helped too!”

You ignore Tony’s protest and continue to speak. “-and I think it should be fun. Also there will for sure be hot girls there which is always a plus.”  

“Seems like it should be fun,” she responds in her monotone ‘I don’t care’ voice that you hate, “Good luck with the girls though, because your hair looked better long, I don’t like it like this.” You don’t usually get offended easily but you feel tears spring to your eyes at her comment. The only good part is that she doesn’t notice because she’s already walking away, swaying her hips, either not knowing or caring that she hurt you.

Tony and Wanda rush over to you. “Oh sweetie,” Wanda comforts while wrapping an arm around you, “don’t listen to her, that’s not true at all!”

“Then why would she say it?” You ask, careful to keep your voice from cracking because you hated showing when you were upset.

“I don’t know and honestly I don’t give a fuck.” Tony replies. “Just don’t think about it too much, the whole point of this night is to get over her anyways.” You give him a small smile at that. Tony is good with words which translates into being good at comforting people. You know he’s right so although the comment is still upsetting you do your best to push it out of your mind. Locking arms with both Tony and Wanda you pull them towards the door and into the waiting limo. You couldn’t help but smile at the way Tony ruffled your hair as you stepped in or how Wanda kept running her fingers over her arm in an attempt to be reassuring. You had the best friends. 

The ride over seemed way shorter than it was supposed to be and before you knew it the limo was stopped to let the three of you out. You take a deep breath and wipe your sweaty palms on your dress before smiling and stepping out after Tony and Wanda. Nobody seems to have noticed the three of you yet which was a good thing. Being Avengers Tony and Wanda were pretty much celebrities and often got swarmed by groups of fans. Technically you were an avenger as well but like Natasha and Clint it was only because you were a Shield so while you did get recognized it wasn’t as often and only tended to happen if you were with other avengers. You make your way inside, splitting from Tony and Wanda at the door. The plan was for them to go to the bar and look over you from there while you went straight to the dance floor because you preferred to be anonymous tonight and they would ruin that and also you didn’t feel like getting drunk. That was the plan at least but you suspected that they would get too drunk to continue watching over you because it had been stressful lately with a lot of paperwork and they needed to unwind. Wanda had practically confirmed that fact when she gave you permission to leave without them. 

You step over to the dance floor glancing around to see if there looked to be any single women already there. The reason you had chosen this club was because although it wasn’t lgbtq+ exclusive, it was open to everybody and therefore frequented by many members of the community. 

Just as you were glancing around you felt a tap on your shoulder. “Wanna dance?” You spin around to find the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen, apart from Natasha. It bothers you that you’re using Natasha as your standard and comparing other girls to her but you brush that off. 

“I would love to!” At your response she takes your hand, pulling you into the crowd and starts to dance. You dance as well and slowly you lose track of time as you loosen up and your dancing with the girl becomes less and less innocent. You can feel yourself caring less about what Natasha thought although as great as this girl seemed to be you knew you weren’t ready for a relationship so you hoped she wasn’t looking for one. After what could be a couple of hours because you’ve completely lost track of time, you and the girl whose name you still don’t know head over to a corner of the room and take a seat on two of the stools that were provided. 

“Hi, I feel like I should know your name by now, I’m Y/n.” You introduce yourself. 

“Wait I thought you looked familiar!” She exclaims. “You’re the Y/n that’s a part of the avengers right?” 

You awkwardly give a nod and gesture towards the bar where you can see Tony and Wanda who have obviously had at least a few drinks each. “Tony and Wanda came with me. They are just over there but I didn’t particularly want the spotlight tonight so I split from them at the door.” 

“I understand, I must admit I have no desire to be famous. I’m Jamie by the way” She says with a cute little giggle before her mood seems to be more solemn. “I can’t believe I’m saying this to a literal avenger and if my friends find out they are going to kill me but I’m sorry if you’re looking for a relationship but I just got out of a serious relationship and am not ready for another one quite yet.” 

You let out a relieved sigh. “I’m not looking for a relationship either, because I’m trying to get over my feelings for a friend.” 

“Phew!” She replies. “But tell me more about this ‘friend’ of yours.” You take a minute to think before deciding that Jamie could be trusted. You begin to spill all about your feelings for Natasha and how she didn’t seem interested and what she said to you on your way here. Jamie listens sympathetically the entire time before telling you all about how she thought her ex was the one but it turns out she was emotionally abusive. Even though you just met you talk like old friends, offering advice on serious topics but also chatting about random things. You have 3 more drinks each and after every drink your barriers crumble more and more. Eventually you exchange numbers so you can meet up again although you both agreed it would be a platonic meetup. Just as you were giggling about a joke you couldn’t even remember, you saw Jamie tense up and a second later you felt a hand on your shoulder. You turn your head in anger expecting it to be some creepy guy trying to hit on you but it turns to confusion when you see Natasha. 

“Can we talk?” She asks, giving Jamie a dirty look. “At the tower. Without her.” 

“Why?” You ask. “I’m having fun here Nat.” You specifically say her name as you speak so Jamie knows who you’re talking to. 

“Just come home.” She says not answering your question, instead tugging at your wrist lightly. You sigh not knowing what to do so you glance at Jamie for help. 

She shrugs and then says, “I have a ride home planned if you want to leave, but I wouldn’t mind staying longer if that’s what you want.”

You make a quick decision in your head before responding, “Ok, we’ll go back to the tower but there better be a good reason.” You then turn to Jamie, “Text me when you get home so I know you’re safe, and then we can figure out when to hang out.”

“Of course,” she agrees leaning forwards to hug you while whispering in your ear, “good luck but remember not to let her treat you badly just because you’re in love with her.” You pull back from the hug and smile at her as Natasha’s hand moves down to your own as she starts walking, pulling you along with her. You can barely think straight, you have no idea what is going on with Natasha or why she’s acting so weirdly. You glance over to Tony and Wanda to see if they’ve noticed what’s going on but just as you suspected they were drunk out of their minds. If they were normal friends you would have worried about them but you knew Tony’s drivers would get them home safe because although Tony was more responsible with Pepper around this was not the first time they’ve had to haul his drunk ass back to the tower. 

Natasha continues to pull you out the door and over to her parked motorcycle where she hands you a helmet and one of her leather jackets. Still not speaking she hops on and motions for you to get on behind her. You swing your leg over the side somewhat awkwardly and scoot forwards so you can grab onto her waist. Once she’s sure you’re secured properly she hits the gas, the motorcycle roaring as it starts. You’ve never been on her motorcycle before so at first you are a bit nervous but after a couple of minutes you start to feel more comfortable. At this point your only nerves come from holding Natasha and wondering what she wants to talk to you about and not the motorcycle ride. Compared to the ride over to the club, this ride feels like it’s taking forever as you start to go over all the important reasons Nat would want to talk to you. You still didn’t know how to feel about everything because she insulted you earlier and now is making you feel important. To protect your feelings you tell yourself that there is probably a mission or a meeting that came up last minute and this isn’t just Natasha wanting to talk. It’s improbable because if that was the case she would have outright said so but you can’t think of any more plausible reasons off the top of your head. Luckily before you can analyze her strange behavior anymore you reach the tower and after parking underground you follow Natasha upstairs into the main living area which is obviously deserted as it is now between 3 and 4 am. 

“So why did you want to talk?” You ask, breaking the silence as you take a seat on the couch. 

“Why did you go to a club?” She asks, also sitting down on the other end of the couch, avoiding your question. 

A surge of anger floods through you and while you don’t shout, you raise your voice a little. “Answer the fucking question Nat. Or did you bring me all the way back just to ask that?” 

She looks somewhat surprised that you raised your voice but she keeps hers even. “I just wanted to know. It looked like you were having fun with whoever that girl is.” 

“Yeah I was.” You respond, still confused. “But how do you know that?” 

Natasha avoids eye contact looking everywhere but you. “I was watching you.” 

“YOU WERE WHAT?” You shout before lowering your voice to avoid waking up the whole tower. “Why the fuck were you spying on me?”  

“I- I wasn’t.” She replies seemingly caught off guard by your tone of voice. “I wanted to make sure you were safe.” 

“Tony and Wanda were with me.” You respond confused. There’s something she’s not telling you that’s making her act weird. She knew you could handle yourself so she obviously was not telling the truth, or at least omitting details. She hasn’t responded to your last statement, instead choosing to look at you in the weird way she does that makes you feel like you’re being interrogated. You decide that if she isn’t going to talk, you won’t either so you pull your phone out of your jacket to check it. You see a text from Jamie saying she got home ok with a little smiley face at the end that causes you to smile. You type back a quick reply, just saying you’re glad she’s safe and that you were with Natasha right now and were probably going to bed soon so you’d text her tomorrow. She wished you luck and goodnight with another little smiley face that made you smile again. Putting your phone away you look back up at Natasha only to find out she’s glaring at you. 

Unsure of what could have changed her attitude towards you, you ask, “What?”

“Who were you talking to?” She asks ignoring your question for the second time tonight. 

You sigh, “I don’t see how it’s any of your business but if you really must know I was just saying goodnight to the girl from the club, Jamie.”

“So that’s her name.” She says wrinkling her nose. Now you’re really confused as to what Natasha is thinking. You couldn’t tell on normal days but usually she acted rationally and never was like this. 

“Why do you say it like that?” You ask. 

“I don’t like her.”

“Why don’t you like her?” 

“I just don’t.” She answers, offering no explanation. Although you do want to find out why Natasha doesn’t like her you’re too tired to spend the time asking questions so you stand up to go to bed. 

“Where are you going?” She demands. 

You sigh for what feels like the thousandth time of the night. “I’m going to bed. You wanted to talk to me but won’t actually talk, and when I ask you questions, instead of responding you insult my new friend.”

“Friend?” She questions.

“Jamie.” You say confused because you thought the answer was obvious. 

“Oh.” She responds, “I’m sorry, please stay.” You think about it for a second, deciding to stay so you go to sit down again, but before you do Natasha scoots over to your end of the couch pulling you down into her side. Your entire body freezes up because you’re so unsure of what to do. Natasha never initiated physical contact of any kind but now she was practically hugging you. Seeming to realize how uncomfortable you were, she quickly moves away.

“Sorry,” she mutters, “That was stupid.”

“No, no, it’s fine, you can come back.” You respond quickly. As much as you were uncomfortable, it felt really nice to have her by your side. She somewhat shyly shifts back over to you but this time instead of wrapping her arm around your shoulders she nuzzles into your side, maneuvering your arms so they wrap around her. You have no idea what’s going on right now but you can’t help but smile as you look down at her. She looks cute and relaxed, with her hair covering parts of her face. Thinking about her hair reminds you of her opinion of your new haircut. You bite your lip nervously as you debate asking her about that or not. You definitely don’t want to ruin the cuddly mood that she’s in now but the comment still bothers you, not to mention you never actually found out why she took you home from the club.

“Um Natasha?” You ask in a timid voice. “Is my haircut really that bad?” 

“Of course not, I think it suits you.” She responds smoothly. “I lied to you earlier.”

You smile at that. “Thank you but why?”

She takes a deep shaky breath before speaking. “Promise this won’t change anything between us first, that we will stay friends.” 

“Ok,” You respond, earnest but confused, “I promise.”

“I didn’t like the idea of you going clubbing and coming home with some one night stand or even worse a girlfriend because I have feelings for you. So I was childish and took out my frustrations on you by pretending I didn’t like you. I’m sorry.” She’s looking up at you now, the most nervous you’ve ever seen her. Your mind is exploding with this new information and your heart feels so happy you can’t even believe what is going on. 

“Is that why you were watching me with Jamie at the club and then told me you had to talk to me?”

“Yeah”

After a few more seconds of shocked silence that feels like hours to Natasha you finally speak. “I know I promised that this wouldn’t change anything between us but I don’t think it can be the same.” She starts to pull away from your side but before she can you lean over and press your lips against hers. At first you are hesitant but once she starts kissing back you gain confidence, the kiss getting more heated. After a minute or two you both pull away to catch your breath, smiling at each other. 

Natasha lightly swats you on the arm. “You’re evil.” You giggle a little in response. “I was so worried for a second there, I thought you would be weirded out by that.” She continues also giggling slightly. 

“I’m surprised you didn’t know that I had feelings for you,” you confess to her, “it was actually Tony and Wanda’s idea for me to go out because we all thought you didn’t like me so they thought it was a good idea to get over you.”

“Well that plan failed,” she says smirking, “I guess you can’t get over me.” 

You look at her and yawn. “No I guess I can’t.” 

At your yawn she glances at the clock. “We better get you to bed, it’s almost the time Steve wakes up for training.” You would like to spend more time with Natasha but you’re too tired to argue so you just nod and follow her as she pulls you up and leads you to your room, holding your hand the whole way. Inside your room she sits on your bed while you change, politely looking away. Once you’re in pyjamas you hold a pair out to her and she looks at you confused. 

“Do you want to stay the night?” You ask her. She eagerly nods, accepting the pyjamas as you open your covers and crawl into bed. As soon as she’s done she turns off the lights and hops in behind you, spooning you. You sigh as you feel her plant a kiss on the back of your head. You can barely keep your eyes open and although you still haven’t talked about exactly what your new relationship with Natasha was yet, you were excited for what was to come. Your last thought before you drifted off to sleep was complete bliss as Natasha kept planting soft kisses on the back of your neck, head and shoulders. 

The next morning you hear a loud pounding at your door. You groan and slowly gain consciousness, smiling as you remember last night and the redhead still cuddling you. Just like yesterday Tony doesn’t bother to wait for you to answer and instead barges straight in. His eyes widen when he sees the two of you spooning and he starts to splutter. You laugh at him with Natasha until he shouts for the other avengers to come. Multiple pairs of footsteps make your way to your bedroom and you see the shocked faces of a few of the other avengers, including Wanda, Steve and Clint. 

“What,” Natasha says speaking up, “can’t a girl cuddle with her girlfriend in peace?” Steve immediately apologizes, ushering everyone out of the room and closing the door. 

You raise your eyebrow. “Girlfriends?”

“I assumed so, if you want.” She responds. 

“I like the sound of that...girlfriend.” You both smile at each other. You definitely did not complete your goal of getting over Natasha and instead fell further in love but you were totally ok with that.

[miss-smutty]

Immortal Chapter 3

A/N- My first OC and I'm super excited for it and this story! Hope you love her ☺️

Summary- Thor learns more about his mystery love interest

Word count- 1,952k

Pairing- Thor x OC

18+ Only!

Posted: 21st June 2021

Taglist:- @innerpaperexpertcloud @pandaxnienke @chickensarentcheap @longlostinanotherworld @mostly-marvel-musings @darklydeliciousdesires

Part 1. Part 2.

The last thing Aria remembered before her vision pooled with bright lights and stars, was a car heading straight towards her. She felt the impact, her body flown through the air and crashing back to the ground with a sickening thud. She expected to hear her bones fracture into pieces with the impact of the car, to see her life flash in front of her eyes as she floated through the air. The world around her paused, time going incredibly slow, the speed causing the wind to blow her hair around the curve of her jaw in slow motion. She'd expected to feel the rough tar of the road, peeling away her skin as she landed in a heap, to feel tiny fragments of gravel imbedded in her soft and malleable flesh.

When none of that came though, she wasn't overly surprised. Instead of feeling excruciating pain, she revelled in the feeling of flying, enjoying the moment while it lasted until she was pulled back to earth and ultimately, back to reality. The reality of knowing the look on people's faces as she stood unharmed after a brutal collision that should've left her for dead.

Aria kept her eyes screwed shut, willing herself to just disappear and not have to deal with the backlash. The accident drawing unwanted and dangerous attention to her, attention she'd worked so hard to avoid. I mean she'd run away from her Prince Charming just to avoid this sort of attention, it was kind of ironic really.

Aria slowly opened one of her eyes, her vision blurred and glassy, there were people around her. Lots of faces she didn't recognise, hazy shapes all merging together until her eyes settled on one familiar face. Thor.

His distinct features standing out through the obscurity of her vision. Piercing sky blue eyes shone brightly, until that was all she could see. Eyes so clear she could see straight into his soul, a soul so pure it made her eyes sting. Thor's story playing through her mind like a movie, she blinked repeatedly willing it to stop, wrinkling her eyes tightly shut again.

"Everybody move out of the way, give her space. MOVE!" Thor bellowed over Aria, the crowd dispersing at once with his all commanding tone. He crouched down beside her, giving her body the once over, gulping deeply at the feel of her curves under his touch. Shaking his head while trying to ignore the unwanted thoughts that so helplessly followed. Wondering morbidly if it would be the second and last time he would be able to feel that magnetic pull he felt when their bodies touched.

Aria's tense muscles relaxed at the feel of Thor's hands smoothing down her legs and arms, checking for broken bones he was never going to find. A gasp left her lips when he lifted her T-shirt up just above her belly button, his fingers prodding gently at the softness of her flesh. It took all she had not to giggle, as his fingers tickled against her bare midriff.

Thor continued kneeding his hands softly around her precious torso, more than sure he would find something life threatening. Knowing there was absolutely no way a Midgardian could escape a collision like that with absolutely no lasting scars. His brow furrowed with suprise at finding absolutely no broken bones. Not even one. Even more surprising he found no cuts or bruises, not even a graze.

Aria lay before him, a vision of perfectness, her dark as night hair blanketing her defined features. She bent her hour glass curves, bringing her knees up to her chest. Thor's eyes widened, drawn to the definition of her hips and the swell of her backside in the tight black jeans she wore. He reached forward to stroke the silky hair away from her face, anxious to see her flawless skin and the rosy pink flush of her cheeks.

Aria's eye's fluttered open when she felt Thor's cold fingers brush against her clammy cheek. She recognised the painful look of anguish in his expressive blue eyes, the worry set deep within them.

"I'm ok, help me up please." She stuttered, trying to raise her head from the ground, twisting her body around. Thor's arms immediately reached out, cushioning his large hand behind her head.

"I don't think that's wise, you've been flung about five metres down the street. You need medical assistance. How are you even…" 

"Thor I'm fine, just dizzy. Help me stand please." Aria stopped him mid-sentence, desperate to get out of there before the ambulances arrived, not knowing how she was meant to explain how she was completely fine after being hit by a fast moving car and thrown at speed for quite a distance. The car alone should've broken bones and left her with internal bleeding and that's before she shattered onto the ground five metres down the street. She shouldn't even be alive, never mind perfectly capable of walking away unharmed.

Thor gave in and helped her to her feet, hooking his arms underneath hers and pulling her up gently. Aria's legs buckled when she stood but Thor was there to catch her and hold her steady, the bulk of him stood behind her as he waited for her to find her feet. 

Shaking loose from his grasp, squirming free, she turned to bolt but not before his thick fingers wrapped around her wrist. Aria's heart sank when she realised she wasn't getting away from his restraint, not then and maybe not ever. Thor wasn't about to lose her again, not after she was nearly taken from him for good.

The crowd of people that had gathered around to witness the miracle, the deception of logic, begin whispering between themselves. Sounds of astonishment filled the air at the spectacle before them. Thor pulled Aria against his chest, wrapping his arms around her back in an embrace. The warmth of his body was comforting for her,

the familiarity of his heartbeat thrumming against her ear. The sounds around them melting away as they held each other on the sidewalk, as they became lost in each other once more they heard the faint signs of cheering.

Aria let herself smile, she let herself be happy in the moment if for only a minute before the cheering and whistling was drowned out by the sound of approaching sirens. Thor noticed the visible panic on her face as she pulled back from him, searching the streets for a place to hide. 

If he knew anything after seeing that look in her eyes, that terrible look of fear in her emerald green, Doe eyes, he knew he would do absolutely anything to protect her. Thor knew it the first time he ever laid eyes on Aria, he would always do everything within his power to keep her safe.

Without a moment's hesitation he pulled Aria by the hand, taking her with him as he ran down the street. Glancing at her through his peripheral and taking a moment to appreciate the sight of her next to him, the feel of her fingers wrapped tightly around his hand as she gave her trust to him. The wind blowing through her shoulder length hair as they ran and realising that he hadn't needed to slow his pace so she could keep up. She was running at the exact same speed as him, running along side him effortlessly as they dodged the obstacles in their paths. Aria was just as agile, just as strong and with the exact same level of reflexes as Thor.

If Aria wasn't in a state of panic she would have enjoyed the feeling of running alongside Thor, to finally not have to hold back any longer. It was a big deal for her to put her trust in anybody let alone somebody she had just met but she didn't have much choice. She needed to get out of there and fast. 

They turned the corner together, down a narrower street lined with trash cans and through an even smaller alley.

With no where else to go, they stopped at the end of the alleyway, a metal gate blocking their way. Closed in with no where to escape but luckily no one to escape from. Thor leant one hand against the sturdy gate, studying Aria closely. Waiting with bated breath to see whether she would need to catch her breath, instead she looked up at him bright eyed, crinkling her nose in the cutest way. Then he heard the most glorious sound he has ever heard, like sweet music to his ears. 

Aria couldn't help herself, she looked up at the god of Thunder, a look of confusion etched on his chiselled face and she laughed. Not a cute little girly giggle either but a full belly laugh, holding on to her knees as she struggled to breath through it. The truth was, she hadn't felt that exhilarated in years, running away from danger usually wasn't so exciting for her but having a tall, strong, literal God by her side made her feel invincible. Cheating death also added to the thrill, to that untouchable feeling. She knew it wouldn't last long, it never does, but she would enjoy it while it lasted.

"Why are you laughing?" Thor couldn't hide the amusement in his voice from the warm feeling it gave him seeing Aria laugh.

"The look on… People's faces." She struggled to get out between laughing. Her pink cheeks turning red, her head feeling light from lack of air. "On your face." Her chest rattled as she finally started calming down.

"Yes, although it wasn't funny at the time, I can see why it would make you laugh." He leaned his body against the gate. The sound making Aria jump, goosebumps travelling up her arms as her ears pricked, the laughter dissipated. 

"Relax, it's just me." He soothed, taking note of how easily she startled. Not only eyes like a doe but the behaviour too. "So you're unbreakable, you have no trouble keeping up with my speed and your stamina almost matches mine. That's without even mentioning the feeling I get when I'm near you." 

The uneasy feeling came, as she knew it would. She was deluded to think she would automatically begin to trust. To forget about the way people had used and hurt her in the past. So much so that she'd built a giant wall, locked her heart up and thrown away the key. Luckily Thor had his own hammer to knock down that wall and nothing would stop him finding that key.

"So what are you saying Thor?" She didn't hide the annoyance in her voice. Resting her back against the brick wall and slumping down to the ground.

"I want to get to know you, to figure out why we're quite clearly connected in some way. I don't even know your name?" 

"My name is Aria and I don't know what I am. I've spent my lifetime trying to figure it out. And I don't know, ok?" Aria sniffs.

"It's ok, I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you Aria. What about your parents?" 

"I don't know my parents, they probably realised what a freak I am and sent me away." 

"I can help you." Thor pushes back from the gate and slides himself down next to her. "We're similar. And you can not deny the connection we have." He nudges her with his elbow, willing her to look at him just as the sound of footfall echoed down the alley towards them. They both turned their heads at the same time, in the direction of the noise. The footsteps drawing closer.

[comfortwriting]

Feels Like Flying - F.W

Masterlist, Requesting Rules, Writing Prompts

Fred Weasley x Fem Reader

Prompt 07: Is this seriously their idea of a good time?

About: After moving to London you land a job at a local pub, meeting the love of you life; Fred Weasley. One year into the relationship, you find out he’s a wizard and meet his family - they are all absolutely fascinated that you are a muggle - but you can’t help but feel left out of a world better than your own.

Warnings: Ten year age gap relationship, one paragraph of light smut.

Moving to London and getting hired at the worlds most boring pub to support your lifestyle as a University Student turned out to the best thing that ever happened to you, during a late shift, a tall ginger haired man walked in and asked for a drink - you were captivated by his smile, his voice, his everything. 

He would come in once a week, then twice, then so often you memorised his drink order and name, within the next few weeks the two of you went on a late night date and couldn’t get enough of one another. 

You knew that the ten year age gap between you would be hard at first, and would cause people to whisper and react strangely, but you didn’t care - Fred Weasley made you happier than anyone else ever had, when you were with him, you felt like you were flying. 

“I just don’t understand why I can’t meet your family already” you complained, closing your textbooks “we’ve been together a year, you live with me, Freddie.”

Fred chewed the inside of his lips and sighed “I know love, it’s just not the right time-”

You shook your head and turned around in your chair to face him “I know you’re a wizard.”

Fred’s jaw dropped, he stared at you as if you had grown another head “how-”

“It’s obvious, you talk about muggles - I’m one myself, I’ve seen you come home through the fire place, you’ve burst out of thin air in the bedroom after you’ve been out drinking with George, I’ve seen your wand, which is against Wizarding Law by the way.” 

Fred felt stupid and put his head in his hands, he finally looked at you, walking over and planting a kiss on your head “you never miss a beat, do you?” 

You shook your head “no, so when am I meeting them?” 

Fred paused for a moment, going through his work schedule “Friday, for dinner?”

Your excitement died down as soon as you sat down at the dinner table at the burrow, Fred’s father, Arthur stared at you like you were a pile of gold, mesmerised with every breath and move you made. 

“we’ve heard that some muggles can do magic, is that true?” Arthur beamed at you. 

you smiled “well, if the muggle in question comes from a family descended from wizards that possess no magic are able to use a wand in a semi-controlled fashion” you paused for a moment and frowned “but I’ve never tried, my family history has no trace of wizards.” 

“can you play wizards chess?” Ron butted in, mouth full of food, his wife Hermione scolding him about his table manners. 

“Thanks to technology we have automated chessboards - so yes, its wizards chess but the only difference is there's no magic, just electronics.” you replied, feeling more flustered. 

You had always been amazed by Fred’s magic whenever you saw it, you did everything you could learning about the wizarding world and it fascinated you - but you had never felt like you were missing out on anything, not until tonight. 

With each and everything question that swam your way, you felt more and more isolated, more insulted and worthless - you were living in a complete different world. You would never be able to fly on your own broom, you could never play Quidditch - yet they were all envious and fascinated by you; an ordinary person living an ordinary life.

Finally free from the interrogation, you walked over to help Molly wash up but she stopped you “go and watch the game of Quidditch, dear.” she smiled. 

You followed her orders and promised to help her after the game, walking out into the garden, George’s young children ran over to you, the smallest one stretching out her arms asking to be picked up. 

Lifting her into your arms you sat down and watched the large Weasley family play quidditch, all on their brooms, flying and having the time of their lives whilst you had to watch and entertain children - all you were good for being a muggle.

‘Is this seriously their idea of a good time?’ you thought to yourself, the jealousy brewing inside of you, feeling like a carrot of what you could have been was being dangled right in front of you, only for it to be snatched away as you reach out for it. 

You took your focus off the game and back on the kids, trying to swallow down your jealousy, but your boyfriend Fred could sense something was wrong. 

Once the game had come to a quick end, you fulfilled your promise to Molly and helped her washup, you could feel everyone’s eyes burning into your back, you could hear the ‘ooohs!’ and ‘look at that’ as that marvelled at you doing the most simple task in the world.

“My husband Arthur has an obsession with muggles, I hope he wasn’t overbearing dear.” Molly said softly, pulling you into a motherly hug. 

“Not at all” you replied quietly, feeling tears prick your eyes. 

Laying in Fred’s bed, the whole house fast asleep, you stared at his bedroom wall, tears running down your face and jumping onto the soft pillow. 

Fred still awake and spooning you heard the snuffles “what's wrong, love?” he asked quietly.

“Nothing” you replied, lying. 

Fred sighed and pulled you closer to him, his face nuzzling into your neck “please tell me, Y/N” he muttered softly.

You swallowed hard “I’m jealous, alright? you can fly on your broomstick, you can tell something to move and it will, you can make a mouse turn into a teacup - you can fly, Freddie.” your voice croaked.

Fred stayed silent for a moment, feeling guilty for bringing you into a world where you had no power - but an idea came into his brilliant mind. 

“get you dressing gown on” he chirped up, pulling away from you, he got out of bed as fast and as quiet as he could, shoving his feet into his slippers. 

You followed him, getting dressed and putting your matching slippers on, Fred took you downstairs and grabbed his broomstick, leading you out into the garden, the moonlight beaming down on you. 

Fred balanced the broom and mounted it, encouraging you to get on, you wrapped your arms around him, holding on for dear life as the broom lifted off the ground and rose up higher into the air, above the windows and the roof. 

“Enjoy my love” Fred called out against the wind.

Your heart filled with joy, you were flying - you could see the stars more clear than you ever had in your life, you could see the top of the trees and get a glimpse of sleeping birds and hooting owls, you could see everything dreams were made of. 

Landing by a small lake, the two of you got of the broom, you took a little longer to regain your balance. 

“Oh Freddie!” you squealed “that was incredible! to be able to mount your broom whenever you like and just fly like that - you’re lucky, I wouldn’t ever want to do anything else again, you can leave whenever you want and feel the wind brush against your face and through your hair-” you stopped to catch your breath “and the views! you’re so lucky!” 

Fred’s heart skipped a beat as you spoke, expressing your happiness out loud always reminded him of how much he truly loved you. He walked towards you and pulled you into his arms, his soft lips kissing yours, the two of you collapsing onto the grass.

Under the moon light you undressed out of your dressing gown, slippers and nighty, Fred got undressed and collapsed onto you. His soft lips grazing your skin, kissing you and nipping you teasing you all over.

Giving into his touch, you melted into him and became undone, your moans and his groans spilling out and into the lake, his length gliding inside and out of you, filling you up perfectly before pulling out and leaving you empty, hungry and desperate for his touch. 

Laying in the grass in Fred’s arms, he looked at your gorgeous face and smiled to himself “if I were to ask you to marry me, would you say yes?” 

You nodded your head “of course”

Fighting against the cold you got back into your pyjamas and turned around to see your boyfriend pulling flowers from their long stems and braiding them into a ring, remembering what Ginny he taught him when he was a teen. 

Getting down on one knee, he looked up into your eyes nervously “I don’t know exactly where I’m going with this but I know if one thing is for sure, I want to marry you Y/N. Despite being a wizard in a world of magic and being able to fly off into the sky - you’re the only one who has made me feel anything close to magic” he paused, taking hold of your hand “you make me...what we have feels like flying.”

Tears of happiness collected into your eyes, tiny pools of love and surprise. 

“Y/N...will you marry me?”

You smiled widely and nodded “yes, I will Freddie.” 

Pushing the floral ring onto your finger, Fred pulled you into his arms tighter than he ever had before. 

Tags: @amourtentiaa @reeophidian @inglourious-imagines @alwaysnforeverfangirl @lucymfer

[viskovie]

Just A Guy On A Shady Backstreet

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Chapters: 1/1

Rating: Explicit

Words: 1500±

Relationship: Tig Trager/Juice Ortiz

Warning for the tiniest amount of dub/con you've ever seen in your life. Minor season 7 spoilers, but only if you already know what the dots are that need to be connected.

Summary below~

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    This is just a little reimagining of that scene where Tig and Rat are watching the Chinese storehouse (and Tig has to think fast when the workers leave… poor Rat…), because I read a gorgeous, sexy fic by @juicehoee and fell in love with the Chibs x Juice/Tig x Juice thing, so here's 1500 words of smut ♡ All my fics (unless specifically stated otherwise) are fix-its, so Juice isn’t in trouble with the club anymore.

ALSO: this is my first time writing for the SoA fandom, and also my first time writing a BJ scene so i hope it's up to standard! ♡ General disclaimer applies.

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    “Would you quit fidgeting?” Tig snaps. He and Juice have been watching the Chinese storehouse for hours now, waiting for something to happen. Anything to break the monotony, really. It would’ve been bad enough just dealing with his own boredom, but Juice’s patience wore out in the first hour or so and he hasn’t stopped moving since. Every few seconds he wriggles in his seat, trying to find something to keep his attention occupied, but it seems he’s just in a restless mood. 

    He’d managed to get his feet up on the dashboard at one point, but then couldn’t get them down without kicking Tig in the stomach. Tig threatened to shut him in the trunk if he tried that again. Juice had said he was sorry, but he’d been fighting a grin the whole time and completely undermined the credibility of his own apology.

    Tig shifts uncomfortably. His tailbone is steadily going numb, and he’s starting to get pins and needles in his toes. He adjusts the angle of his seat and tries to alleviate some of the pressure building in his lower back. Fuck, he’s really not as young as he used to be…

    Suddenly, for whatever godforsaken reason, Juice decides to test his limits even further by popping his knuckles. One at a time. Tig glares at him, but he just shrugs and cracks his neck.

    “I swear to god, if you start tapping your fingers I will rip them off.” He grumbles darkly. “You ‘n Chucky are gonna match.” Juice only laughs.

    They’ve been waiting for another twenty minutes, during which time Tig seriously considers knocking himself out for a little peace, when there’s a commotion around the storehouse doors. He’s immediately awake, head back in the game and watching like a hawk. A couple of Chinese-looking guys load up a truck and hop in, glancing around suspiciously.

    “Should we follow them?” Juice asks anxiously. Tig shakes his head.

    “Nah.”

    “Won’t they see us?”

    “Yeah, but I’m just a guy on a shady backstreet getting cheap head.” Tig answers slyly, struck by an idea. Before Juice can fully register the implication, he's pushing his head down to his crotch. Juice struggles for a moment; probably just a natural reaction. Tig wouldn’t know. He covers his face with his free hand, peeking through his fingers and moaning lewdly for effect.

    “Are you- are you serious?!” Juice chokes out, still trying to back up. Tig pushes his head down a little harder, willing him to shut up and sit quietly for a few minutes. Mercifully, the universe complies. For once. He tilts his head back again as the truck rolls past, carefully obscuring his face and Juice’s tats from the driver.

    “They gone?” Juice mumbles. Tig decides it’s time for a little revenge.

    “Nah, not yet.” He replies, rolling his hips a tiny bit. Juice makes a strangled sound as Tig’s clothed dick brushes against his cheek, and goes still. Tig moans again, but it’s a tad more real this time.

    “Ah, baby, that’s it…” he adds wickedly. He’s ready for Juice to try to raise his head, but he’s absolutely not ready for him to do so just enough to undo Tig’s belt. He raises his eyebrows, not sure if he should stop him or not. It’s a rather foreign feeling. Juice smirks, dragging the zipper down like he’s got all the time in the world.

    He squeezes Tig’s thigh with his other hand, rubbing his face against his stomach. He teases the waistband of his underwear as Tig curses himself for actually wearing them today. His body is beginning to react to the sensual touches, and as much as he wants to pull Juice off and never talk about this again, he also wants to see how far the kid is willing to go in calling his bluff.

    Juice walks his fingers up and down his leg, getting closer and closer to his crotch every time. He glances up and Tig sees the uncertainty in his eyes. He nods, somewhat dazed, and Juice lowers his gaze to press a small kiss to his still-covered semi.

    Absently, he strokes the short hair at the top of Juice’s head, unable to tear his eyes away from the marvel happening in his lap. Heat pools in his belly as his cock is carefully freed from his pants. He hears the little gasp from Juice, and manages to pull himself (sort of) back together.

    “Juicy…” he murmurs, not quite sure what to say. Juice hums at the sound of his name and seems to take it as encouragement. His fingers are light and cool against Tig’s shaft as he begins to work him to full hardness. He nuzzles against his hip, warm breaths ghosting over the heated tip. Tig scrambles to make his brain work before Juice commits and does something they’ll both regret.

    “Hey.” He says hoarsely, heart thumping. Juice pauses in his ministrations to look up at him. “You don’t- uh, you don’t have to do this. They’re gone.” He explains, gesturing vaguely out the window. Juice blushes.

    “I know.”

    “You kn-? Oh my god.” Tig groans as the grip on his cock tightens. It sends sparks rocketing up his spine like fireworks. He throws his head back against the headrest, unable to keep from bucking his hips into Juice’s hand. He opens his eyes just in time to see him lick his lips and spit on the head. Tig watches in awe as his cock slips past those pretty pink lips and into the wet, velvety warmth of Juice’s mouth, his head suddenly feeling full of cotton.

    He isn’t aware he’s pushing him down until Juice pats his thigh urgently. He releases him with a muttered ‘sorry’ , but Juice doesn’t pull away. He just bobs a little, breathing hard through his nose. Tig knows he’ll be jerking off to this image for weeks.

    Juice takes the last few inches bit by bit, swallowing as best he can around his length, using the tip of his tongue to tease the vein on the underside. He’s doing a damn good job of it, too - Tig’s always been proud to say that he’s by no means small or delicate, and especially not in the bedroom. Or, y'know... car.

    He massages Juice’s scalp, getting a hum in return. It vibrates through his cock as spit slides over his balls in little rivulets. Juice’s throat constricts around him, and Tig jumps as he feels the faintest brush of sharp teeth. Juice snorts, petting his hip reassuringly. He draws almost all the way up, showing off the slick mess he’s making. Tig can’t decide if he wants to come in Juice’s mouth or on his pretty, flushed face. He notices peripherally that his other hand has disappeared from Tig’s hip - probably to palm at his own crotch.

    He blinks innocently before dropping with the ease of a seasoned whore, tongue darting around the thick weight of his cock. Tig moans before he can stop himself, gripping Juice’s skull with both hands. Burning hot pleasure dances through him, and he can feel himself slipping. He doesn’t want to hurt the kid, but it’s been a long time since he’s had a blowjob this good and he’s starting to lose control.

    Juice bobs his head like he’s done this hundreds of times before, his fingers flexing on Tig’s thigh. He swallows every now and then, muscles tightening deliciously, and looks up at him from under his long, damp eyelashes. Tig’s breathing heavily and his face feels hot. The whole world has narrowed down to their car, to this moment, to Juice’s lips around his cock.

    “Baby…” he warns breathlessly. Juice pulls off with an obscene pop, panting. He nods, unshed tears glittering in his eyes, and takes a deep breath. Tig heaves a groan as he takes him all the way down to the hilt once more. He sucks hard and that’s it.

    Tig’s hips jerk of their own accord as he spills down that divine throat, holding him firmly in place with an iron grip. His vision whites out for a moment in ecstasy. Juice’s tongue works as he struggles to swallow everything. After a long few moments, as Tig’s balls finally empty, he manages to get his eyes open again.

    Juice is flushed and sweaty, his lips and chin a glistening mess of spit and come. Tear tracks shine on his cheeks but he looks proud of himself. Tig can’t help fucking into his pliant mouth once or twice, despite his small noise of protest, before gently easing him off and tucking himself back into his pants. Juice sits up, wiping his face on Tig’s shoulder. For a minute, they don’t say anything, but Tig’s never liked silence, so he breaks it the only way he knows how.

    “Might have to let Diosa have you, baby boy.” He grins. “You’d make us big bucks with that mouth.” Juice rolls his eyes.

    “Then you’d have to pay me.” He retorts, his voice scratchy and beautifully ruined. Tig raises an eyebrow.

    “You talking back?” He accuses, mock seriously.

    “I just sucked your dick for free. Yeah, I’m talking back.” Juice replies, settling into his seat. Tig laughs and turns the key in the ignition.

    “Alright, smartass. Let’s get going before Jax decides to crucify both of us for being late.”

[ashintheairlikesnow]

The Christmas Event, Part One

For you Dex/Wright Farling people who have wondered how Dex and Wright got along early on, they, uh… didn’t. But the Christmas Event is the catalyst for the way everything else will change between them, and here is Part One! 

This is a collaboration between @spiffythespook and myself. Wright Farling and Jordan are her OCs, while Dex and Karen Renford are mine. Please heed content warnings.

Karen is 28 in this piece, while Wright and Dex are 25 and 23 and Jordan is thirteen. 

CW: Whump involving a minor (not much, primarily at the beginning and offscreen), some mouth whump (knife in mouth), caning, blood, dehumanizing language, pet whump, noncon touching and kissing, references to noncon

Karen Renford had never visited for Christmas before, but Wright had ensured that everything would be perfect when she arrived. All he needed to do was finish up just… one… thing.

Wright took Jordan’s chin in hand, tilting his head up so he could better run the flat of his knife over the boy’s cheek. Kindness kept his eyes down, kept very still even while he trembled. He knew by now how to be good. Wright smiled and slipped the tip of his knife between the boy’s lips, gently scraping one of his teeth.

“Open, darling,” he murmured. Jordan did, his eyes fluttering as he tried very hard to stay still. Wright slid the blade in to rest on his tongue, which he felt press back when Jordan swallowed back the pool of saliva that had gathered so quickly.

The doorbell rang its pleasant, soft tune, but Kindness jumped nevertheless. Wright tsked when the boy pricked his tongue, blood on the tip of the knife. “Close, darling. Hold this for me between your teeth.”

Fear-filled eyes glanced up at him and Wright’s hand was suddenly up and out, ready to respond. The boy’s eyes were down quickly. He closed his teeth, sweat gathering on his brow and eyes closing tightly with focus. “Mhm,” Wright ruffled his hair and walked past his bound, collared, kneeling boy, leaving him on the floor by the tree as he went to get the door.

He smiled brightly at his guest when he opened. “Karen! Darling. Merry Christmas.”

Snowflakes rested without melting in Karen Renford’s long, elaborately twined and braided auburn hair. She had on a calf-length camel-colored coat and no doubt something immensely stylish underneath.

She smiled warmly back at him, holding up a bottle of red wine. “Wright! I think we only just beat the storm. I might have to ask you if we can keep using your guest room a day or so longer than we planned. But, maybe you won’t mind so much if I brought gifts, like the best wine I’ve ever had, and, ah… other things. Speaking of other things I brought…”

She snapped her fingers and a tall, thin young man - about the same age as Wright - seemed to materialize at her elbow. His dark hair was cut short and he wore a green leather collar around his neck with DEX stamped in gold on the front. Wearing a sweater that perfectly matched in color and dress pants, it was only the collar - and the way his eyes were fixed slightly down, a little blank - that gave away what he was. 

Wright’s eyes skimmed over the young man, and then he took the bottle with a murmured, Beautiful, and set it down on the side table inside.

Dex was carrying a pile of boxes of varying sizes in one hand and the handle to another shopping bag full of even more, all of them pristinely gift-wrapped, in the other. A long, thin, custom-carved bit of shining black wood stuck out of the bag, tipped on the end with pristine silver that had a sharpened end.

Wright blinked in surprised at the sight of the boxes. “Oh, darling. You shouldn’t have,” he smirked, knowing full well that it was no skin off her nose - in fact, she enjoyed bringing an excess. “Of course, I would love to have you stay longer over the holiday. Or forever, but I know how you like your space~”

He stepped back, opening the door to invite them in. Wright himself was dressed well for the occasion - a dark blue, well-fit turtleneck that brought out his eyes, his best pants and shoes. Simple, but all excellent quality. He had been playing, after all - wouldn’t want to wear anything too light in color.

“Gifts under the tree, please, Dex. Say hello to Kindness, I’m sure he misses you.” He kept his eyes on Karen, held out his hand to her as he closed the door. “Allow me take your coat, love. I’ve got the house just the temperature you like.”

“Honestly, Wright, you spoil us.” Karen gave a short nod and Dex moved only at her command, walking into the house with his eyes fixed on his next goal, on fulfilling the order he was given. He never looked at Wright, but there was already a hint of a flush to his face, and a cold glint in his eyes.

“One perk of a job like mine,” Karen said, sliding her coat off her shoulders to reveal the slim dark sweater and pants she wore underneath and kicking off her casual slides to leave by the fire, “is that you might have to work 14-hour days but they never try to keep you at holidays. It’s not like the products even know what day it is. Plus, I wouldn’t want to do anything else - we’ve made some real inroads with conditioning you’ll have to hear about.”

Dex’s eyes skimmed over ornaments and lights without taking much in before he glanced to the side, to see Jordan. He signed hello - his signs were shaky, but he was getting better at them. Then his eyebrows furrowed, just slightly, in something like real concern at the knife in his teeth as he glanced back over his shoulder at Wright and Karen.

Jordan looked up at Dex and nodded in response to the hello, trying to offer a bit of a smile. He would’ve signed back - he’d been learning along with Wright - but he was bound.

“Oh, lovely. I look forward to hearing about that particular topic. You always achieve such marvelous things,” Wright smiled. He paused a beat, before he turned to frown at the two boys. “Snitch, I didn’t hear a response. Don’t be so rude.”

Jordan felt a shock of fear at the name, swallowed, flushed, breathing heavily as he tried not to cut himself. He looked up at Dex, swallowed again, tried to figure out how to do this. He held onto the knife tightly between his teeth, but raised his lips and tried to manage a hello from the back of his throat.

Wright hummed happily. “… and to our lovely guest. Recall the holiday.”

His chest heaved, but he looked over at Karen miserably and attempted Merry Christmas. He almost cut himself on the S’s and the hard beginning of Christmas, and tears pricked the corners of his eyes.

“Hm. Good boy. What do you think, love?” he smiled to Karen, tilting his head.

“Absolutely breathtaking,” Karen breathed out with real appreciation. “Wright, the work you do. Well, mine is obviously far more clinical, but you know I never miss an opportunity to appreciate this kind of… genuine craftsmanship. Honestly, I don’t think I have a single coworker who could ever match you, and it’s what we do for a living. You… you give these boys a gift.”

Wright bit his lip a bit, as she spoke, smiled, let his emotions play over his face like he did for no one else. He paused a moment after she spoke. “Thank you, darling. There is a real difference between what we do for pleasure and what we do for money. I have such freedom to craft, and I wouldn’t be as… tidy… without inspiration from you. So thank you doubly, I suppose.” His smile grew wider. “You should see how well he doesn’t listen, now.”  

Dex kept a careful eye out, and when the two monsters were looking at each other, he signed a quick I’m sorry to Jordan, mouthing the words along with it. He didn’t even know for sure if Jordan could understand the sign, but he always seemed to know what he was trying to say, anyway.

Jordan nodded back, just a little. His name wasn’t Kindness without reason, he thought painfully - and he wasn’t about to stop being kind just because Wright liked it.

“What do you say,” Karen said brightly, “we pop open this wine and get started? The weather outside is frightful and if I don’t have to catch an early flight any longer, well… we might as well get to have some fun tonight.”

Dex winced.

“That sounds lovely. Come with me to the kitchen if you like - or cozy by the fire and I’ll be over,” he said smoothly, taking up the bottle and all but dancing to the kitchen. Really, he was too free a spirit for the kind of spirit he was. He found the corkscrew in a drawer and opened the bottle himself, collected a pair of wine glasses that would compliment this particular one.

“If you don’t mind, love, I’ll take the fire - I’m still shaking the cold out of my bones, not to mention that rocky plane landing.” Karen stretched, feeling her spine move and muscles shift, a hint of a nagging ache in her lower back from the plane ride. First class could only do so much, after all. Although the champagne helped.

“Twenty-eight and it’s all downhill from here,” She mused, smiling over at Jordan and ruffling his hair with her hand as she moved past him to settle onto the couch close to the fire. “You’re looking lovely, little one. Much more well-behaved than the first time I met you, hm?”

He heard her coming and sat very straight, but he still wasn’t prepared for the touch. Jordan flinched a little, nicking his tongue on the knife in his mouth. His eyes followed her and he swallowed again, oh-so-careful, and nodded in response.

Wright called from the kitchen. “Would you have Dex bring this cheese tray I prepared earlier?”

“Of course, dear. You know Dex is always at your absolute disposal. Dex. To Wright.” Karen snapped her fingers again and Dex moved with speed and a grace that made it look much more effortless than it was. His shoulders were tense as he moved into the kitchen, his eyes on just about anything but Wright Farling.

Wright’s eyes remained on Dex the moment the boy walked into the kitchen. “On the counter, here. Discard the wrap, please.” He gestured to the corner using the hand which held the wine bottle. When Dex moved to take the tray, Wright stood too closely to him, leaning his one hand on the counter and stretching the glasses out in the opposite direction, fencing the other man in.

He smiled when Dex turned, first making sure the man wasn’t looking him in the eye… and then looking down over him, observing.

“You’re less nervous, handsome,” Wright mused, head tilting to the side. He grinned widely. “Mm… less here.”

Dex froze with the meat tray in his hands, his fingers tightening around the cool metal edge of the tray until his knuckles were white. It was pure instinct, and Dex knew it wouldn’t do him any good - it never did, with Mr. Farling - but he pressed himself back against the countertop, trying to put some space between them unobtrusively, without making it obvious.

He couldn’t sign, with the tray in his hands, so all he did was swallow hard - feeling the leather of his collar shift along his throat - and slowly nod, keeping his eyes fixed on a point just over Wright’s shoulder.

He couldn’t quite stop the shudder, and Wright cottoned on to that like blood in the water. He leaned forward over the collared man, awkward though it was with the tray between them. Wright’s eyes remained on Dex’s, made sure he was still following that one simple instruction he had for every boy. He hovered inches from Dex’s neck for a long moment.

Then smirked and leaned closer, mouth open. He scraped his teeth closed on Dex’s neck, not catching skin, and then pressed a soft kiss over the graze.

At the press of lips, Dex flinched back and made an odd, hoarse low noise, moving to mouth a please don’t that never left his throat.

Wright’s eyes darkened as he pulled away. He stared a moment, sighed, and then set down the wine bottle firmly on the counter, slowly pushing it back and out of the way. He took the tray out of Dex’s suddenly-trembling hands and set that down, too, then took the man’s jaw tightly in hand and pressed rather closely to him, legs nearly touching.

“Doesn’t Karen teach you not to flinch?” he said, head tilted in such a way that implied a coming kiss to the mouth. He waited.

Dex forced himself to stare at the copper pan hanging artfully on the opposite wall and carefully brought his hands up, too aware of Wright’s fingers on his jaw. He signed I’m sorry, but they were pressed so close together now that his hands grazed Wright’s shirt.

“Mhhhmmm,” Wright hummed, “I’m sure you are.” He leaned in to press his mouth to the corner of Dex’s, eyes still open and watching. Held for a beat. Pulled away.

He knew it was a trap - Wright Farling was always a trap, and Karen always always smiled and let Wright do whatever he wanted to him - but still, as Wright pulled back Dex’s dark eyes flickered to meet his. It was only a moment of eye contact before they widened in panic as he caught himself. He looked quickly back to the side, trying to focus on the light off the copper pan against the wall.

His hands jerked, a little, signing I’m sorry again, a little desperately, the signs bleeding into each other as his hands shook.

Wright smiled and laughed softly, reaching past Dex and over the tray for the bottle of wine. He shook his head. “Get the tray, Dex. Come on,” he said, as if good-naturedly.

As he returned to the living room, he noticed Jordan’s eyes set on the floor in front of him. “Oh yeah, that knife… hm, in a moment.” He gave Karen her glass and poured her wine first, waiting for her to indicate enough.

Karen had settled herself in quite contentedly, with one of Wright’s beautifully vibrant, fur-lined cable-knit throws pulled over her lap and her feet up on the couch to the side, looking up at the tree with all the delight of a child on Christmas morning. She maybe let Wright pour for just a touch longer than was altogether seemly before giving him an impish little smile. “Thank you, Wright, that’ll be lovely as a start. I know you are always stocked with the best, but I had this with dinner a few weeks ago and thought you really needed to try it.”

“I’m always open to new things,” he smiled, pouring himself a modest glass. He smelled and tasted, inclined his glass and then set it down. “Lovely. You’re so thoughtful, darling - you spoil me.”

Wright walked over to his kneeling boy, hands in the pockets of his trousers as he took in the view. He tilted his head slightly to watch Dex, just behind him with the tray of meat, cheese, and fruit ready.

He was back to his distant emotionless expression, but Karen noted the not-altogether-hidden flush in his face. Her smile widened, just slightly - not with warmth or joy but with a predator’s instinct for a prey animal’s discomfort.

Karen sat up, taking a long drink from her glass, and slowly leaned over to catch Dex’s attention as he set the tray on the low-set coffee table. “Dex, darling.” Light brown eyes raised, briefly, as his lips thinned. “You’ll be attending to Mr. Farling’s needs while we’re here. The poor dear hardly has the time for real company, what with the time involved in his project. You always have such fun in my dear friend’s bed, don’t you?”

Dex’s eyes fluttered closed, and he took in a slow breath, trying not to admit to himself that the flush in his skin went deeper, and darker. He always ended up in Wright Farling’s bed sooner or later.

Wright smiled, not at all hiding his gaze as he checked Dex out. He turned his attention to his own poor boy, though. Wright crouched, hands clasped between his legs, and looked over his Kindness. Sweating, drooling around the blade. Nude, perfectly complemented by the warm Christmas tree lights.

“You won’t flinch for me, will you darling?” he said playfully. Jordan’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. He shook his head very slightly as Wright took the handle of the knife. “Good boy. Suck.”

Jordan’s eyes widened and went to the ceiling, then the floor, everywhere but at Wright. But he didn’t flinch. He squeezed them shut, soon, slowly closing his mouth around the blade, dreading the consequences of obeying the command.

Wright laughed. “No, no. Stop. I just wanted to see, love-” he smiled as Jordan heaved a breath and a couple tears tracked down his cheeks. Wright took the handle. “Good boy. I won’t ruin your mouth, don’t you worry. Open up, I’ll slide this out.”

Karen took another drink, watching with fascination, her eyes locked on the little demonstration of abject obedience.

If she exhaled a little more audibly than normal, well, that was to be expected, wasn’t it? You could hardly ask her to maintain composure when shown the work of an absolute artisan in a field she sometimes felt was far too full of journeymen simply out to make money.

Dex kept his eyes away from them - it was all he could do for poor Jordan, all he could do for himself - and sank to his knees next to the spot where Wright had been sitting, hands laying on his thighs, fixing his eyes on a particular string of Christmas lights until they lost focus and became pretty, blurry little orbs that meant nothing.

"Sweet boy,” Karen said, eyes still on Jordan. “Sweet, sweet boy. Will your Kindness be staying up late with us this evening? I daresay we’ll be up long past his bedtime.”

“Hm. He certainly can,” Wright murmured, taking his sweet time extracting the blade. The moment it was fully from Jordan’s mouth, no longer even resting on his lip, the boy inhaled loudly, almost like a sob, chest heaving. Wright cupped his cheek and slowly ran his thumb over the bone. Then he gave Jordan a couple light pats there - more like slaps, really - and walked over to sit down by Karen’s feet.

He rested his arm - knife still in hand, wet with blood and saliva - on the back of the couch, legs open, body facing in her direction. He patted Dex’s head and reached for his wine. “I have been so looking forward to this time with you, love. What do you want to do, late this evening?”

“Hm, well. We’ll have to open gifts - I bought your sweet Kindness a few things. Clothes, mostly, I saw a few things when I was in New York last month… well. I hope you don’t mind. I’ll of course take them back if I overstep.”

She waved her hand again, unoffended and unbothered either way. Wright of all people understood her penchant for gift-giving, a way to show affection when she couldn’t - and wouldn’t- touch. Wright nodded, understanding and figuring it couldn’t hurt to put the boy in clothes now and then.

“As for us… Remember I told you about my work expo back in September… the industry is really running with new ideas and I picked you up a few things, too, alongside my usual ‘too many’ gifts. Dex, show Mr. Farling.”

Dex jumped into motion as soon as his name was spoken, moving to the tree to pick the long, shining black cane - unwrapped, it would only ruin the moment to try and wrap something so instantly recognizable - and bring it back. He hesitated, one hand trembling just slightly, before he went back to his knees to hold it out.

“This, Wright darling, is brand new. Built to last.”

Wright tipped back some wine, looking at his friend with a measure of surprise. He set down the glass on the table. He admired Dex on his knees for a moment, before taking the cane in hand and admiring it, too. The weight in his hands, the smoothness of the wood. Yet, calculated, he looked over at Karen again questioningly. “I’m flattered, love, but the skill level doesn’t yet match the tool. You really do spoil me,” he said, pouting slightly. He kissed the end of it, if only because he couldn’t kiss her - and Dex was no replacement.

Karen smiled at him over the rim of her wineglass, looking perhaps the youngest she ever had, thrilled just to see him hold it. “We have time to work on that,” She said brightly. She had a flush to her face from the wine - a weakness she didn’t often indulge in, in front of others, because she never let anyone see her less than perfectly composed… except for Wright, of course.

“The skill level may not yet match… but we can fix that. Dex, hands out.”

Wright hummed softly, amused and appreciative, and rotated the cane loosely in his hands. Dex looked up and over at her, surprised, and opened his mouth as though he’d protest. When she crooked an eyebrow, his mouth snapped shut again and he brought both hands slowly out, palms facing the floor, knuckles displayed. He couldn’t quite keep his eyes on the floor, though, and looked at the cane through his eyelashes with his chin tucked down, absolutely focused on it.

“Your problem, darling, is you never pull punches. It’s a strength, and I adore you for it… but when you’re handling something as precise as this, you have to pull the blow at the last second, make the moment last.”

“So you’re saying this isn’t for beating men to a pulp,” he responded jokingly and moved to his feet, his hold still relaxed on the implement. “Alright. Single-handed or both? Actually - would you demonstrate, love? I’ll watch to learn and not simply admire this time.”

Karen’s smile widened as she leaned over to set her wineglass down, shifting the blanket from her legs and standing up, slowly, giving it some thought and casting a critical eye at Dex, whose tense shoulders relaxed, just a little. “If I’m going to demonstrate, we’ll need a better canvas. Shirt, Dex.”

Dex’s shoulders tensed again, and in silence he pulled the sweater he was wearing off over his head, folded it neatly, and set it in a perfect square of cloth on the coffee table. Without waiting for the order, he moved until he was out further into the floor, in an area with more space. Wright took the opportunity to pour himself more wine, sipping as he watched.

Karen gave a little hum, happy to see the thoughtless obedience in action - happier still to have Wright see it. She walked, bare feet on the beautiful floors, until she was standing behind him, surveying the scarred but currently mostly unmarked skin. “Lucky for Dex you didn’t wait until I was three glasses in,” She said, tapping the cane lightly on Dex’s back.

Dex flinched, but then stilled himself, keeping his eyes focused on the floor.

Wright laughed softly, eyes dark with pleasure and sadistic admiration. She was beautiful. Dex was… Dex was her ever-more-perfect work. He circled them slowly, leaving enough distance for Karen to reach as she needed. The image of them together, in seasonably warm light, was divine art. Speaking of divine art-

“Kindness, if I hear a single whimper from you, you’ll regret your very existence. So keep quiet, darling,” he warned. Wright prefer nothing disturb his peace.

“As I said, the secret is to pull your strength at just the last second, while still maintaining control over the blow.” Karen’s voice had gone into something of a lecturing tone - still warm and melodic, but with the easy authority she held over her coworkers at the Facility. “First, I’ll show you - although I suppose it’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”

When she brought the cane down for the first strike, her arm barely seemed to move - it was with surgical precision that she decided on the right spot, set herself to aim, and the black cane went through the air with a soft ssshhh before - indeed with the barest bit of a pause - it came down in a perfect vertical line right down Dex’s spine.

He jerked forward, his fingers digging into the fabric of his pants, hissing through his teeth. Then, slowly, he forced himself to lean back into the starting position. Wright inhaled softly, soaking up Dex’s reaction. And then he replayed what he’d just seen in his fresh memory, attempted to quickly hide it away. Hm. Well, that wouldn’t do long-term, but it would for a moment.

“I could do a few more for you? Or I’d be happy to help you. Some of the younger handlers have no clue what they’re doing, it’s really atrocious… I give a lot of lessons at work.”

“Let me try a couple, and critique me. I don’t think I’ve quite got the right image, but after I undoubtedly fuck up, I’ll be happy to watch you demonstrate again. Do you mind?” he held his glass to her and extended his hand to take the cane. Dex felt heat behind his eyes, and closed them tightly.

This was going to hurt.

Wright copied her grip, aimed to strike a line parallel to hers, then readjusted. “Oh, fuck-” he muttered, figuring he was overthinking it, and then hit. He did genuinely forget to pull at the last moment and winced at the resulting sound. Not, of course, because he disliked hearing pain - because he’d forgotten.

Dex was half-thrown forward by the force of the blow this time, catching himself with his palms on the floor, crying out.  Along his back the line was straight enough, but instead of the simple red weal Karen had brought to the surface, the second line was deep and already beginning to well up with beads of blood. Still, Dex pushed himself back on his hands and went back to starting position, breathing harder now, starting to sweat.

“I’ll redo that.” He did, and held back. This line went parallel on the other side, and Dex only jerked again, the low hiss his only giveaway that it still hurt. Karen stepped up close, head tilted, looking with clinical expertise at Wright’s work.

“Dex? Thoughts?”

Dex, hands shaking, signed left hurts, right better. Thank you. Then he dropped his hands back to his thighs, closed his eyes, and tried to keep his breathing even, waiting for the next round. Wright inhaled sharply at the gratitude - oh, he was far too appreciative of that, far too soon.

“See the difference, Wright?” Karen indicated the two marks on either side of Dex’s spine. “If you hit like you did on the left, you’ll knock them out from the shock before they learn anything. Pull your strength like you did here, though… you could keep going with Dex all night and he wouldn’t pass out until dawn. Never hit to draw blood - the blood will come, love, it will. You have to hit for the pain.”

“Mhm, I see-” he responded, eyes on her more than Dex. He could look at Dex as he hit him. Wright was flushed now, pupils dilated, and not from wine.  “I see how this works for you. Very useful - much easier to manage than cutting. Show me a new angle, love. I have vertical memorized.”

“I just don’t have the patience for cutting like you do, I think,” Karen admitted, taking the cane back from him, considering its dangerous black shine. “The cane is… faster.” She considered for a moment, and then her expression brightened, stealing another sip of wine from Wright’s glass with a look of pure mischievous joy on her face. He took the glass back and drank from it, pleased to share. “You know what… let me show you something I’ve been working on with Dex to present at work. This one is a bit tricky, but it’s fun. Twenty-Three, Dex.”

Dex swallowed, licking at his lips, betraying his nervousness as he shifted first onto hands and knees and then slowly lowered his chest to the floor, palms flat on the ground and hips up in the air behind him.

“Oh, lovely,” Wright smiled.

Karen didn’t hesitate, only walked away from Wright and around to the side in a few quick motions, and the cane came down across his back in a perfect diagonal from the top of the rightmost mark to the bottom of the left. Dex jerked, just slightly, but didn’t even hiss this time. “You have to have a bit more control, but there’s a bit of added excitement with the legs available, don’t you think? Makes them sing.”

Another quick few steps, another slash of the cane - this time across the backs of Dex’s thighs, right over the fabric of his pants. Dex jerked hard and cried out in pain, fingers moving as if he could dig his way through the floor, only barely holding himself still.

Wright finished his glass, for now ignoring a problem that roused between his legs. He would’ve moaned at the sound alone if he had less control. “Would you show me again? I’m afraid I was distracted by the wrong… form,” he smiled, finally tearing his eyes away from Dex.

Karen laughed.

The cane flew through the air again, with perfect surgical targeting, and Dex was caught fully off-guard this time - too distracted by the sound of Karen’s open, honest laughter to brace himself. He collapsed briefly onto his stomach on the floor, cry more gasp than sound this time, and struggled to push himself back up into Twenty-Three fast enough.

“Well,” Karen said, considering him as he moved, legs shaking. “Someone stopped paying the proper attention, and this time it wasn’t you.”

“I saw that time. I can take it up, unless you’d like a couple more strikes. You know…” Wright hummed, set down the glass once more, and leaned down to press his hand to Dex’s lower back. “If I hit him here, horizontally, and didn’t pull my hit… I’d end up paralyzing him from the waist down.”

How was that relevant? Oh, it probably wasn’t. But Wright was still thinking it - easily distracted -  and he found his thoughts rarely displeased Karen.

Dex froze under Wright’s touch, just barely back into form. His eyes were on the floor, carefully focused, but wide and the whites showed all around them.

Karen let the moment draw out, watching Dex’s back move rapidly with his breathing, up into Wright’s hand and away from it as best he could, again and again. Let the silence grow - watching her boy’s face. Then she held out the cane. “Why, Wright, darling… I’m not sure Dex likes you.”

Wright smiled and looked down at the boy, head tilted. Dex swallowed hard, closed his eyes tightly, and rested his forehead on the floor, every muscle tense.

“That’s heartbreaking,” he said, in an amused tone that clearly indicated otherwise. He stood and took the cane, but let the end rest at that point he’d touched a moment ago, still thinking about that. Mute and paralyzed, what would Dex manage?

Dex’s back shifted at the light touch of the cane. He fought an instinctive urge to get away from it, forced himself to hold still only with serious, visibly obvious effort.

Wright smiled, laughed softly, and then pulled the cane back and adjusted. He really had missed Karen’s form for the diagonal strikes, but he figured he’d do his best. He lay two hits, one soon after the other, crossing Karen’s at perfect angles. He likely hadn’t pulled enough, and expected that he’d bruise or break the skin a bit.

Karen watched with clinical detachment, if still looking entirely too amused, as Dex hissed with each strike, fingers curling into fists, keeping his head against the floor. “Hm. Not bad, Wright - he’ll bleed a bit from that one, but the other really is lovely. See, this…” She stepped in, drawing a finger up the growing red welt, the soft beads of blood smearing, and Dex made a soft, pleading sound in response. “… this isn’t bad, for bleeding. He’ll feel it for days. If you were in training as my employee I’d reprimand you for it, but this is for fun, so… for entertainment, this little bit of blood isn’t going to be a problem. He’ll still heal fast, without scarring - unless you want him to scar. Then you can just disregard all I said about pulling your strength. Hold on, I want to pick up my wine.”

Karen stepped quickly back over to sweep her glass up from the coffee table, glancing over at Jordan, then back at Wright. “He really is quiet this time. Last time I was able to get here for a visit he was nowhere near this well-behaved.”

She paused, then with a dismissive wave said, “If you promise to pull your strength enough so he can walk, have a chance at Dex’s legs. I don’t allow anything that damages my boy for life, but I trust you.”

“Hm. I promise,” he responded, eyes now on Jordan. He’d saved those memories - frustrating as fresh boys were, terribly behaved as they were, the end result was nothing without the memory of how they began. “Play with him, if you like. He’s been very good lately. Not finished, but very good.”

Wright held back his strength and pulled, laying three strikes over Dex’s thighs to run parallel to Karen’s. Then he smirked and held the cane between the man’s legs, riding up his perineum to his cleft. “You’ll want to be very still, Dex,” he murmured.

Dex was in a world of pain from his shoulder blades down, eyes closed to try and ride out the worst of it - but he stiffened at the press of the smooth wood between his legs, let out a low soft whimper, not quite a plea.

It wouldn’t matter. He couldn’t beg with words and Wright would only have taken begging as encouragement, anyway. He closed his fists tightly enough that he could feel his own fingernails pricking into the skin of his palms and nodded, head still pressed to the floor, feeling the slightest hint of gratitude, in some dark place inside him, that Wright had given him warning at all.

Wright gave him that moment of pause before laying the threatened strike - light and fast, but Wright could imagine the hell of that pain.

Dex screamed, and then collapsed again, making choked-off animalistic sounds hoarse in his throat. He didn’t push himself back up this time, too lost in the pain.

Karen watched with bright, sparkling eyes, unwilling to look away for even a moment.

Wright bit at his lip, eyes closing as he listened. This was the music he loved. On one hand, he ought to keep going, to correct Dex for not pushing himself up. On the other…well. He was generous. “Up,” he said, reaching down to hook his hand into Dex’s pants and maneuver him back onto his knees.

Jordan whimpered softly from where he sat, and Wright… stopped. He let go of Dex, turning to his own boy - defiant and pleading, but not very wise. Wright knew the trading game he was being roped into, and his sense of fairness and his desire to inflict punishment warred with the pleasure he could indulge if he ignored his boy. Jordan knew, too - instinctually, nothing he could articulate - and he made eye contact as he whimpered again.

Karen rolled her eyes, looking over at Jordan with the expression of someone pissed off that the intermission came so soon during an opera. “Really?” She asked, raising her eyebrows, taking a long drink of her wine. “Now?”

Jordan swallowed and glanced at Karen, keeping his expression carefully schooled before he looked back at Master. He ought to worry about her, but he didn’t care.

Dex, breathing in a mix of harsh pants and low whines as the pain radiated through nearly all of his body, looked up still at the whimper, meeting Jordan’s eyes, trying to shake his head and struggling even to manage that much coherency. He tried to take a deep breath - it didn’t work, but trying still counted for something - and his fingers grabbed at the fabric of Wright’s pant leg. He pushed himself all the way up to kneeling, whining with the pain, and signed, hands shaking and barely intelligible, No, please, not him. He is good.

Wright’s attention was recaptured by Dex’s fingers on his leg, and the impressive fortitude of the other man. It was satisfying, but not enough. “No, he isn’t. I told him to be quiet,” he said, hand clenching the cane tightly. He was furious. Jordan couldn’t have done this any other day? After he was just praising him, too.

He stared back at the boy, giving himself more time before he did anything hasty, trying to calculate. Punishment was necessary, but he was vaguely aware that the boy was controlling him.

Finally, with a breath like a man coming up from a long swim underwater, he laughed and smiled at Karen. “Would you punish him for me? I’m busy,” he added, tilting his head at Jordan… who suddenly looked lost. He hadn’t thought of that.

Karen finished the rest of her wine in one long drink, setting the glass carefully down on the table and looking at Jordan again, in a different way. Calculating, considering. The warmth in her face when she was looking at Wright was gone all at once - as though a light switch had been shut off, and what was left was something very dark indeed. This time, Jordan was afraid.

“Of course,” She said, softly, her head slowly tilting. “I’d like your leave to untie him, though. Rules of engagement?”

“…Fine. I don’t care,” Wright grit his teeth. “Keep him alive and able to move.”

A sense of dread curled in Jordan, an anxiousness that came with not knowing. Wright never set such loose boundaries, and he never didn’t care.

Dex pulled in a harsh breath through his nose and let it out again, dropping his hand from Wright’s leg and staring, fury and resignation warring in his face, back down at the floor.

He looked at Dex at the movement, circled the man and lay a fresh vertical stripe on his back. “What are you pissed about?” he snapped, not looking for an answer, and followed up the stripe with parallel.

The constant throbbing between his legs had overwhelmed Dex’s usual control over himself during a caning and he jerked forwards again, hard, with each stripe, unable to stop the sounds he made. The expression on his face, though, he couldn’t hide - furious anger that he could do nothing with, that Wright was doing this to children, where Dex at least was a grown man who had signed up for…  not this, but something like it even if he didn’t remember doing so.

His hands jerked, finger twitching, as he fought the urge to sign something incredibly stupid.

Wright ignored that for now, focusing on caning a cross-hatch of sorts into Dex’s back instead. For now.

Karen moved to Jordan, watching him with cold eyes as she undid the bindings one by one, taking her time. Her movements were businesslike, clinical - there was no hint of intimacy in any of it. As though Jordan weren’t human at all. He didn’t mind - in fact, he preferred the clinical touch over Wright’s uncomfortable ones.

“I flew straight from a very intense day at work for this get-together,” She said in her low, warm voice. “Do you understand? Don’t answer that, children don’t ever understand the work adults do. I brought Dex for a reason, child.” She gripped Jordan by the chin, jerking it to meet her eyes - she had no rules like Wright’s, and wanted him to understand that he could not rely on the same expectations with her.

“I was enjoying myself. And now you’ve gone and upset maybe the best person I’ve ever had the honor to know. I do not enjoy that. Do you think Dex appreciates you getting yourself injured on his behalf, Jordan? Do you think he appreciates your kindness?”

Jordan had been glaring at her, ready to spit something at her about Wright being the ‘best person’ she knew and that not being impressive at all. But what she said about Dex caught him off-guard. He tried to look over, out of the corner of his eye, to see if Dex was mad at him. It had been an accident - he thought he could distract Wright… Jordan wasn’t used to having someone else to think about, and that had been so painful for Dex.

Dex had curled over himself on his knees on the floor, taking each hit without trying to escape it. He glanced up, catching Jordan’s eyes on him, and managed a hint of a thin smile - some attempt at reassurance - before Wright’s next blow hit and he tried as best he could to swallow the sound of pain.

He jerked one hand towards his face - figuring the first thing a kid would do if he was learning sign is look up the curse-words - and managed to sign bastard. Then dropped both hands to sign limp, rolling his eyes back towards Wright. Jordan felt a little laugh in his chest, but he didn’t let it up. He was very careful not to let it up, even if his eyes brightened a little. His eyes stayed on Dex until Karen started to talk.

“You don’t see it - I understand,” She said with something like real understanding and compassion. Jordan’s eyes flicked back to her. “Children are so weak for animals and insects. One day, if you’re good, if you learn, you might walk out of here. My Dex never will. Please understand, Jordan, I don’t enjoy hurting children. That’s not the direction my interests lie. But for you… well. Wright is an artist. I can’t touch what he can do to you.” Her eyes drifted to the kitchen, thinking. “But I can try, if nothing else, to be a pale shade of the master.”

Jordan wanted to be quiet. Being quiet was good, pleased Master, didn’t hurt. “…can’t,” he muttered.

Wright paused, the sounds stopping along with the strikes.

He…he understood. What Wright was doing to him. He didn’t like it, but he understood. “You… um…” oh, speaking was hard. “… you don’t guard.”

A chuckle, from Master. He was in a better mood now. Wright watched Karen curiously.

Karen’s eyebrows raised again, but without the condescending coldness from before. Instead, she looked more interested than anything else. “That is correct. I do not guard. I am not Dex’s guardian, darling, I am his owner. I have a piece of paper, in my home - and copies in safety deposit boxes, in my office, and Wright has a copy himself, of course, just in case - stating that I am his owner. If I were to die in some… unfortunate accident… Dex would not walk free. He would come here, to live with your Master, when my belongings went to my listed next of kin. Do you understand? Your mercy - your willingness to step up for someone else - is admirable. But this is… more like throwing your hands in front of a whipped dog than protecting another person. Do you still use a gas-flame stove, Wright? I need to sterilize something.”

Dex was staring at Karen slightly wide-eyed - apparently surprised to hear the bit about the next of kin.

“Yes, I do,” Wright nodded.

Jordan had been dazed, overwhelmed by the information - it was a lot to understand. So his response was a little late. “Um… I would… I would do that for a dog,” he murmured. “Dex is a little more than a dog, right? I would do that for a dog.”

“Well, thanks for telling us. I’ll have to teach you some self-preservation,” Wright said, shaking his head a bit.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Karen tsked, clicking her tongue against her teeth, and moved gracefully to standing. “That is so disappointing to hear. Stand up, Jordan. I appreciate your forthright honesty tonight, but you can’t escape the discipline you’ve earned by interrupting your Master’s evening.” She paused, glancing over her shoulder, catching the remaining unhidden surprise - and more than a little worry for Jordan - on Dex’s face. A flicker of that cold smile again, and Dex shrank back, just a little, almost leaning back towards Wright without realizing it.

“We’ll be in the kitchen, darling,” Karen said to Wright. “I trust you with mine. I hope you’ll trust me with yours.”

“Of course,” Wright nodded. Jordan followed Karen into the kitchen, trembling most of the way. He glanced back at his Master, suddenly realizing how much safer he was with Wright, but Wright wasn’t looking.

No, he was more focused on Dex. He crouched in front of the kneeling man, cane perfectly balanced across his thighs. “That was pretty interesting, wasn’t it? What do you think, Dex? Are you a little more than a dog?”

Dex was breathing carefully, now, trying to balance the pain in his body with some measure of control over it. His eyes stayed focused on the cane in Wright’s hands, his own lifting to respond, then hesitating.

Finally, he took a deep breath and set his jaw into a hard line. Doesn’t matter, he signed, moving slowly - more from the pain in his back but he felt a spark of dim hope Wright would think he was being condescending. You hurt me. More than dog, yes. He paused one more time, deliberating. His eyes flickered to the kitchen doorway and then back to the cane. More than you. All you do is hurt. I can handle hurt.

Wright didn’t particularly care why Dex was signing slowly - it helped him, anyway. He tilted his head, thinking about the words. It might be the most Dex had ever said to him at one time. “I don’t know if hurting is all I do. Maybe Karen will let me borrow you a while, one of these days, and I’ll show you what I do. I mean, have you seen Jordan lately? You think he’s so good because I only hurt him?”

Dex’s eyes flared, and without thinking - because if he had, he would never have done it - he grabbed for the cane.

[vias-words]

Ask Game For Fan Fiction Writers

Thank you @mygeeknessisa-quivering for tagging me!

1. What fandoms do you write for? 

Usually The Cursed Child but I’m starting to write for Julie and the Phantoms too. I used to be a big Marvel writer as well and I have one Miss Peregrine’s fic that I’m really proud of. Had a bunch of other fandoms that I wrote for when I was younger but these would be the main ones. 

2. What parings do you write for? 

Scorbus!! Then I used to write Stucky and Clintasha when I did Marvel fics

3. What is your most popular fanfic? 

Albus Potter and the Cursed Legacy on AO3 but my most popular of all time was a Stucky fic on Wattpad called Coming Back Home 

4. Do you write original stories as well? 

Yes! But none are published

5. What is a fandom you will never write for? 

Probably just ones that I’m not interested in or don’t know that much about. 

6. Which platform do you prefer? 

AO3 for sure

7. What are your favorite fanfics? 

There are so many amazing fics that I forgot to save but here are some of my favorites that I have book marked

Scorbus: Blood, Ice, Water ; Paper Dragons ; Beneath the Wisteria 

General Harry Potter: A Future Beyond 17

Jeddy/Scorbus: King and Lionheart

JATP: The Ghosts of My Past

8. How do you stay motivated to finish what you’ve started? 

Definitely getting feedback helps. And just staying invested in the story. I take breaks when needed so I don’t burn out. 

9. What’s your longest fanfic? 

Albus Potter and the Cursed legacy is almost 200,000 words which is absolutely insane to me but I love it dearly

10. Do you use sentence starters, writing prompts and/or fandom headcanons for your fanfics? 

Sometimes! Usually just for shorter fics. But I incorporate fandom headcanons into longer fics as well. Basically my fics are based on fanon most of the time anyway

11. Do you use/follow advice from writing blogs/posts? 

Sometimes!

12. What’s your shortest fanfic? 

Borderline is just under 4,000 words

13. Do you listen to music during your writing process? 

Yes, it helps me focus. I like atmospheric music to match the story. There’s a lot of great youtube videos for that but also instrumentals and movie scores on spotify are great.

14. What is your favorite writing prompt? 

Can’t say I have one

15. Can we get a list of all of your current available fanfics? 

Here is a link to my AO3! I have some reaaaallly old ones on Wattpad too if you want to see how 13-15 y.o. me wrote haha the user is via_words

16. Long chapters or short chapters?

Long. I notoriously write a lot.

17. How many WIPs (work-in-progress) do you’ve got? 

Too many...I’d say a solid 8 but a lot of started fic ideas that never took off

18. Do you take requests? 

I’m open to hearing them but I usually struggle to write someone else’s ideas 

19. What’s more difficult? Fanfics or original work? 

Original work for sure, which is very frustrating to me. I’ve written a novel length fic before I can even get halfway through an original. I think I just know fic characters and the world a whole lot better and I know my audience will too, so there’s not stress about making sure everything is clear.

20. How did you find the magical world of fanfics?

I can’t even remember. I think I got on Wattpad through word of mouth when I was 12 but didn’t start posting until I was like 13 or 14.

21. Do you partake in any fanfic/writing events? 

I try to! 

22. Does fanart of your fanfic exist? 

Yes!! Which is AMAZING! I’ve got a small folder of drawings people have made inspired by or for my fic. I even got a video edit and vine comp once which I could not stop watching and smiling. It’s honestly so incredible that people have done that for something I wrote and I’m so thankful.

23. Do fanfics of your fanfic exist? 

No I didn’t even realize that could be a thing. I’d say if you’re using someone’s OC’s or ideas, do be sure to ask them first.

24. What is your favorite sentence that you’ve used in a fanfic? 

Oh gosh this is hard. One that’s always stood out to my is this line from Draco in chapter 18 of the Cursed Legacy

"Do you really think I wanted to be evil? That I set out to achieve that goal? No, that was never my reasoning to join the Deatheaters. No, mainly I wanted to fit in--to be a part of something greater. And to a naive boy who faced nothing but pressure from his parents to conform to their ideals, this," He forced up the left sleeve of his cloak to reveal the faded scar of where his dark mark once branded him, "seemed like that answer.”

25. Where do you draw inspiration from? 

A lot of music or photos/art. Whatever get’s me in the right mood to delve deeper into these characters. 

26. Can we get a teaser for an upcoming chapter? 

Here’s the one I used in a recent ask game for the next chapter of the Cursed Legacy!

"I think we're all a little afraid of the unknown. But that's what makes life exciting, right?"

James eyed Albus up and down, "Who are you and where's the pessimistic Albus I know?"

Albus gave his brother a small shove but cracked a smile, "You're a git."

No tags for this one since I would probably end tagging people how have already been tagged. But feel free to do this as well if you want to and consider yourself tagged by me :)

[flutteringphalanges]

                                              Mirabile Visue

Summary: Sister Agatha Van Helsing discovers she’s in over her head when a competitive game of chess ultimately results in her becoming pregnant with the child of her worst enemy, Count Dracula. Now tied by a bond deeper than blood, the two must learn to coexist and adapt in a world that could be potentially hostile towards their offspring. Parenthood has never looked so batty.

Characters: Dracula/Sister Agatha Van Helsing

Chapters: 7/?

Read on FFN and AO3

A/N: You guys are simply amazing! Thank you so much for your feedback! Sorry for the delay, I have a few new Dracula stories so I’m trying to balance out updates for all of them! Also, my current avatar/icon was designed by the marvelous mitsukatsu! It's an adult Sorina. Any artwork you’ve seen related to this story has been created by them! Also the photograph in the chapter is done by her also! Go check out their tumblr! You won’t regret it! Here is the next chapter, as promised! -Jen

                                            Chapter Seven

                                      Zoe Van Helsings's Residence

                                                    Present Time

"What kept you?"

Sorina was never one for the spotlight. Besides her relationship with Jack and their occasional outings, she held to her privacy. No social media-mostly because Zoe had insisted she avoid it, attention was something she never sought. So now, the three pairs of eyes who stared her down with immense concentration left her feeling more or less uncomfortable. Especially, since they belonged to none other than her own parents and aunt.

"Why are they here?" Sorina asked, her mouth still dry from the shock of it all.

"Why were you out?" Zoe countered, arms folded. "You know the rules. How many times do I have to drill it into your mind. The world is a dangerous place, Sorina. You can't just go prancing about without asking-"

"I shouldn't have to ask, I'm one hundred and twenty three years old," she spat back. "Were you tracking my phone?! And again, why are they here?! How did they even get…"

"She invited us in," Agatha interrupted. "Your father can be very...persuasive," she through a disapproving look towards her husband.

"I offered to go find you myself," Dracula shrugged, the corner of his lips curving into a smirk. "Had a feeling where you were, father's intuition, but decided to give Zoe the choice. I walk into a club full of human feeling rather parched, or she could allow us both inside to wait for your return. I think she made the right call, wouldn't you say, Doctor?"

"Just come inside, Sorina," Zoe exhaled, pinching the brim of her nose. "If we keep arguing, it'll be dawn before we stop."

"Don't have to ask me twice," the young woman grumbled, pushing past the other adults. "All I wanted was one night! One night to feel the least bit normal. And with Jack! I'm sick of being stuck at the Foundation, mulling over this sorry excuse of an existence!"

"This Jack character," Dracula ventured. "I'm rather keen on learning more about him."

"I'm going to my room now," his daughter growled, ignoring his statement. "All of this has made me tired. Just stay out of my way," her eyes flashed to her parents. "I don't care what you do, I don't care if you stay here, just give me space. That's the least you can do!"

"Sorina," Agatha began. "We…"

But the halfling had already climbed the steps, reaching the second level. The parents exchanged looks and Dracula offered his wife a small smile. But Agatha didn't return the gesture. Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair. One minute her daughter was a happy, lively three year old, and now, what seemed like moments but had actually been years, she had developed a hatred for them. Who could blame her? She couldn't begin to imagine what it must've felt like to believe she'd been abandoned.

"She'll come around," her husband said, taking her hand. "Give her a chance."

"I'm starting to question that," she admitted, her attention shifting to Zoe. "I hate to impose on you, but could we burden you with staying the night-or, day rather? Our apartment is still being fitted to meet our needs. I understand if you don't-"

"Basement," Zoe mumbled. "I can't offer you much else. I'm doing this for Sorina. Not you. Even if she is upset," she gazed up towards the stairs. "If you met your true death, I think she's suffered enough hurt to last her lifetime."

"Thank you," the vampire smiled. "We won't stay longer than necessary."

"Oh I know," Zoe replied simply. "I'll just rescind your invitation if you do."

Dracula opened his mouth, clearly about to make a snarky reply when Agatha grabbed his wrist tightly. "Enough," she said firmly, eyes boring into his. "Be gracious and let's go. I'm feeling rather off. I think a nice rest would help."

The doctor watched closely as the two vampires made their way to the basement door. Grasping the handle, the count twisted it open. When Agatha wasn't paying attention, he threw Zoe a dirty look before disappearing into the darkness. When they were finally gone, the woman sighed, leaning tiredly against the wall. As she debated whether or not to go and confront Sorina, her cell phone began to buzz from within her pocket.

"Dr. Zoe Van Helsing, who's this I'm speaking to?"

"Dr. Van Helsing? I'm one of the researchers at the Harker Foundation? We ran some tests on the blood samples you collected? You're going to want to hear this…"

                                                        XXX

"I love you more than words can wield the matter, Dearer than eyesight, space and liberty. Do you know what that's from, Sorina?"

The little girl looked up curiously from where she sat in her father's lap. It was late and her mother had already gone to bed. Sorina, however, could not find the will to sleep. Instead, she curled up close to her father, relaxed by the warmth of the flames in the fireplace.

"No, Papa," she admitted.

"It's from William Shakespeare's play, King Lear. It means, my little one, that I, and your mother, love you more than anything else in this world," he murmured, stroking her head. "More than the moon and the stars. The sun. More than everything. You are our most valued treasure. Nothing will take away our love for you," he smiled. "Even if we aren't there."

"Aren't there?" Sorina asked, straightening up. "Where are you going, Papa?"

"Nowhere, Micul mea liliac," he assured her. "I just want you to know, that no matter what, no matter the distance, the time, the place, you are always in our hearts as we are in yours. You can remember that, yes?"

"Yes, Papa," she promised, smiling. "I love you."

"I love you too, my darling Sorina," he murmured, touching his forehead to hers. "Forever and always."

Forever and always.

Sorina woke with a start, sitting up abruptly in bed to find Agatha standing at one of her dressers. The woman looked just as surprised, something held in her grasp. Before her daughter could utter a word, the vampire spoke up.

"Sorry, I thought you were fast asleep," she gave a small smile. In her hands, Sorina could make out a picture frame. "Is this you? Well, of course it is, but when was it taken?"

Slowly, the girl rose from underneath her covers. Why she had not snapped and demanded the woman leave, she was unsure. Walking to her side, Sorina took the picture carefully from her mother and examined it. It was faded, black and white, but she remembered the outfit so well. A blue hat that complimented her curls, a matching mid length dress that fell just below her knees, and a pair of oxford shoes she'd been given as a Christmas present.

"1934," she said, brushing her fingers against the frame. "We were holding a dinner party-well, Uncle Abraham was. I was allowed to attend. One of those rare occasions. There was a photographer and everything. I felt free that night, normal. I was passed off as a distant relative, it was exciting really…" Sorina sighed, the nostalgia of it all bringing both comfort and sadness. "That was before the war really struck England. Before life became...much harder."

"I'm sorry I was there," Agatha replied, hesitantly reaching out to place a hand on Sorina's shoulder. She didn't flinch away. "I cannot begin to imagine what it must've been like."

"No," the girl whispered, tears beginning to cloud her vision. "No you can't. You don't know what it's like to watch those you love die time and time again. To witness such horrors, forced to hide like some prisoner. To believe that after all this time...after everything…"

The picture clattered back onto the dresser as the former nun wrapped her arms around her daughter. Sorina's cries turned into sobs as she buried her face into her mother's shoulder. Agatha held her tight, almost as tight as she did their last night together on the Demeter. Sorrow. Pain. It ran from the girl's body onto hers. So many years. So much agony built up.

"It's okay now," she murmured. "Everything is going to be alright."

"Mum," Sorina whimpered. "Mum, I missed you so much!"

The two held each other tightly, finally finding the comfort both had sought so hard for.

                                                      XXX

"Pregnant? There's absolutely no way that's possible!"

"The results don't lie, Dr. Van Helsing," the researcher responded on the phone. "Agatha is indeed pregnant. The only explanation we can gather is that she conceived prior to being turned. Then in that comatose state-vampire sleep, whatever terminology you wish to use, the fetus too became dormant, its growth only restarting when its mother was awakened. I've...well, we've never seen anything like it."

"Can you tell how far along she is?" Zoe breathed, glancing behind her at her closed bedroom door.

"A few weeks," he replied. "A month at most. Do you think they're aware?"

"If they were, I'm sure we would've known by now," the doctor said quietly. "So this...anomaly, is it dangerous? Is it like Sorina?"

"It's too early to tell," the researcher responded. "But we need to keep her monitored. Something this unpredictable can't be ignored. She needs to come back to the Foundation. By any means necessary. If she won't come willingly…"

"I know," Zoe interrupted, resting her head on her palm. "I'll handle this...let me see what I can do."

"Keep up posted," the man said before the phone clicked off.

The doctor stared down at the floor, her mind racing. So much had happened in so little time. And now this. A pregnant vampire. Sorina's mother. A sibling. Hadn't she been given enough on her plate. She inhaled deeply through her nose and closed her eyes. God forgive her.

                                                            XXX

Jack Seward sat at his desk, casually enjoying a bag of crisps as he clicked through online videos. Despite being wide awake for so long, he didn't feel nearly tired enough to call it a night. As he moved his hand to click to the next viral sensation, his phone buzzed.

"Hello, Jack."

The young man's brow furrowed. It was odd, a number he didn't recognize. Perhaps one of his friends got a new phone? He pushed the chips aside and paused the video, his fingers moving against the keys.

"Hi, who's this?"

He watched as the typing icon blinked. The moment the message appeared, his blood ran cold.

"Count Dracula. Or, you may better know me as Sorina's father. I think it's about time we became acquainted."

Until that moment, Jack thought it was just a saying when people claimed to wet their pants when they were scared. Good thing for modern society. It was about time he put that washer and dryer to good use.

[jeremys-blogs]

My 10 Comfort Films

Movies have been a big part of my life for as far back as I can remember. And like any movie-lover, there are some I'll be more inclined to watch than others. Not my absolute favourites or the ones I think of as "the best movies ever" necessarily, but ones I'll always come back to when I have a free afternoon to watch them. And those are the ones I want to list out here. Films that might not be the objective best of their respective fields and franchises, but ones that I just always enjoy watching whenever they're on my screen.

The Isle of Dogs (2018) - Now, I realise that the visual style championed by Wes Anderson (lots of symmetrical shots, characters looking directly into the camera, and so on) can be a bit of an acquired taste, but it definitely works for an animated outing like this one. A story of a bunch of dogs living and trying to survive on an island covered in trash doesn't admittedly sound like the most appealing of movies, but let it never be said that Wes can't make film look good. Voice talent like Brian Cranston and Bill Murray help provide a deadpan style of humour that, while certainly not to everyone's liking, had me hooked from moment one. And of course, as someone who grew up with stop-motion animation, it's always nice to see someone try to keep that style alive, and yes kudos also has to be given to Laika for that. Anderson has only done one other animated work, Fantastic Mr Fox, and between them this is definitely my favourite. I have no idea if he'll ever return to animation, but I have a good feeling it'll be great when he does, because as unpolished as this might sometimes appear, it's nevertheless a great watch.

Porco Rosso (1992) - I may have watched a good number of other anime films in my day, but few have ever managed to match the enjoyment given to me by the movies of Studio Ghibli, and especially not against those of Hayao Miyazaki himself. In fact, I'll even go on record now and say that he might be my all-time favourite filmmaker, since he's never made a movie I didn't like, which I've never been able to say about anyone else. Porco Rosso might not have the kind of deep characters and story of Princess Mononoke, and it might not be anywhere near the sheer visual brilliance of Spirited Away, but it nevertheless engages me deeply whenever I watch it. Of all Miyazaki's films, this might have the fewest fantastical elements to it, with the only real bit of other-worldliness being that the main character is under a curse that turns him into a pig, but never let that lead you to think this doesn't have Miyazaki's signature whimsy all over it. Porco is often an overlooked and under-appreciated movie when compared to Miyazaki's other films, but as far as I'm concerned it deserves to stand alongside even the best of them.

Hercules (1997) - The Disney Renaissance is often lauded for its critically and commercially successful films, and rightfully so. From classics like Little Mermaid to Aladdin, this ten-year stretch of Disney's history has a lot to be pleased about. So it might seem odd that my personal pick from this era is the film often regarded as one of its lesser entries. And I'll grant you, compared to revolutionary films like Little Mermaid, this might not seem particularly special. But it still has a lot to enjoy, especially by me. Yes, the mythology buff in me does indeed wince whenever I see some inaccuracy, but the sheer joy I feel at watching Hercules always negates that. And of course, who could forget one of the most enjoyable villains ever to grace a Disney production, courtesy of the great James Woods. But don't think the movie is carried by him alone, as plenty of the other cast, including Susan Egan and Danny DeVito in particular, do great and making this a fun ride. Between the animation, the voice work, the often-catchy musical numbers and the simple pleasure this film offers, Disney's Hercules proves that it is indeed a hero, and not a zero.

Toy Story 4 (2019) - Toy Story was a groundbreaking movie that kicked down the door for the success of all future computer-animated films. Toy Story 2 was a more-than-worthy addition to the ultra-exclusive club of sequels that were better than the original. Toy Story 3 was a poignant and heartfelt goodbye to a franchise and cast of characters that we had come to know and love over the years. Let's not mince words here, people. Being tasked with creating another sequel in a franchise that had been capped off almost a decade earlier in a way that led many to calling it one of the greatest trilogies of all time must have been an exceptionally daunting prospect. But let it never be said that Pixar can't rise to the challenge when one is presented to them, as Toy Story 4 is a hugely engaging and entertaining flick. Is it as good as those that came before? Well, it's certainly not pushing any boundaries like they did, with the exception of the clear advances in animation that have been made, but even wit that taken into account, it's just a nice film to watch. The farewell given to us here might not have brought a tear to my eye the way the third movie did, but I'd still be happy to have this be the final word on the Toy Story theatrical releases.

The Avengers (2012) - Like everyone, I had been watching and enjoying many of the MCU movies that had been coming up in the years leading up to this big crossover, and like those other people I too had been learning about the eventual team-up through all the various end-credits scenes Marvel had become so famous for. But whether the eventual film would be good was still up in the air. I certainly hoped it'd be entertaining, but I also didn't want to get too hopeful, just in case. Thankfully, Marvel met my expectations and smashed through them, delivering what is, quite possibly, my all-time favourite superhero film. The idea of comic book continuity and crossovers working in a live-action movie had been thought of as almost a laughable notion, but Marvel proved those naysayers wrong in the biggest way possible, showing that not only were these movies capable of being good when all these disparate characters got together, but that they thrived while doing so. Avengers was the first of these big team-ups, and in my eyes it has remained the gold standard. Other entries like Age of Ultron or Infinity War all had their value, but to me nothing will ever quite measure up to this first meeting of such iconic and wonderful characters.

Star Trek Beyond (2016) - I'll be upfront, I wasn't a big fan of the 2009 reboot of the Star Trek franchise, nor was I particularly fond of its 2013 sequel, Into Darkness. For me the movies were just trying too hard to be serious and heavy, and while I fully acknowledge that the Trek fandom has a lot of people who enjoy the more gritty directions the franchise has gone in, I cannot count myself among them. Beyond, by contrast, actually seems like it wants to just be a fun ride, which is something I appreciate a great deal. This is not, in any way, a deep or complicated movie. In fact, when you get right down to it, what we have here is just an episode of the original Trek show just blown up to feature length with some modern-day visuals and cast. But you know, that's okay by me, as the end result was hugely enjoyable. Pine and the rest of the cast, in terms of their acting, seem far more comfortable here than they were with the other films of the trilogy, and special mention has to go to Zachary Quinto as Spock, who was able to perfectly balance not only the character's famous stoicism, but also the moments of drama and humour the role called for. This is not the greatest Star Trek movie ever made, but it's one I enjoy more than anything else in the franchise.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) - A common trend with me as far as Star Wars trilogies are concerned is that the first movie in that grouping will always be the one I enjoy watching most, and it seems that pattern continued with the release of Disney's foray into the franchise. Force Awakens is often maligned as being too similar to the original 1977 film, and while I can certainly see those similarities, that isn't anywhere near enough of a reason for me to dislike it. New characters like Rey, Finn and BB-8 were instantly endearing to me and I always enjoyed seeing the three of them together and working off one another. Harrison Ford's return was welcome and he definitely gave it his all, though Carrie Fisher was no slouch either. There's nothing especially revolutionary about this movie, and really the only thing that gets it on this list is just pure likeability. But as far as I'm concerned, that's all a movie needs. Abrams has a noted talent when it comes to recreating the look of sci-fi movies of past decades, and that talent is on full display here, as the movie looks right at home with every other Star Wars story out there. Disney's other films in this trilogy might not have brought me as much joy, but I'll always have this one to pick me up again.

Shin Godzilla (2016) - Okay, given that this is a list of movies I like to just watch while chilling, Shin Godzilla probably seems like an odd pick. I've talked about it before and mentioned repeatedly how it's probably the most serious and unhappy Godzilla film to date. So why go for this instead of something more exciting like King of the Monsters? Well, it's hard to put into words, but there's just something about this movie that draws me to it. It's one I respect certainly, owing largely to its goal of recreating everything that made the original Gojira movie great but putting it in a modern setting, but besides that there's just a quality that I can't put my finger on. Maybe it's the fact that, despite my previously-mentioned dislike of movies trying to be serious, this is one of the rare examples of that seriousness actually fitting the kind of film I'm watching. It's a movie of Godzilla at his most dangerous, horrific and nightmarish, and whose great terror is thwarted only by the collective efforts of a group of political, scientific and military misfits, yet I'm on the edge of my seat unable to look away throughout the whole thing. No idea if that rumoured sequel will ever come to pass, but I can only hope it's as engrossing as this one was.

Legend (1985) - By far the oldest movie you'll find on this list, this gem of a story by famed director Ridley Scott is a fairy tale of a young woodland boy hoping to rescue his fair love from a wicked demon. Now that sounds about as generic a fantasy story as you can make, and in truth the movie is more interested in creating as unique visual portrayal of that classic setup than it is in revolutionizing or pushing it in any way. But what a visual spectacle it is. It's really hard to put into words just what it's like to watch this movie, and most of the time it feel like you're watching some feature-length dream sequence. That certainly makes it an oddity among other fantasy flicks of its era, but "classic fairy tale executed perfectly" is a pretty good reason to love it. Thankfully, it also has some great performances to help bring that whole thing to life, with the star-making turn of course being that of the great Tim Curry as the movie's central antagonist. If there's a list of great movie fantasy villains out there, Curry's character absolutely deserves to be on it, and chances are he'll be the thing you end up remembering most if you ever decide to watch this yourselves.

Demolition Man (1993) - I'm admittedly not a big watcher of the big, muscly action flicks that dominated the 80s and 90s, but this one actually caught my interest a few years back. A film that, while certainly showing off some pretty intense fight scenes, also had a lot of smart things to say. Ideas that you didn't normally see in beefcake action titles, like the importance of the balance between personal freedom and the collective good. A society where murder has been eradicated, but at the cost of many of the things we know and love today. It might not be the best at that particular discussion, but it's certainly something to note given that I don't normally consider this particular genre to be the place to think about it. But of course the big draw is the two leads, Stallone and Snipes, and yeah they are definitely having fun in their roles. Stallone is a far better actor than most people give him credit for, and this is definitely a role I enjoyed watching him in, especially since they actually allow him to be occasionally funny. Any action movie that remembers that you need to tell a joke every once in a while has my respect, and it's just one more thing about this fine move to like.

So yeah, those are my regular comfort movies. Some odd choices maybe, but hey, I like what I like 🥰

[haveanotherkpopblog]

Masquerade

Inspired by @noona-clock‘s “EXO as Royal Princes”

Part 1

Paring: Kim Minseok x You

Genre: AU, Fluff

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: None

Masterlist || Next>>

Tonight was an unusual night within itself. Tonight was the annual masquerade. What made this particular masquerade so unusual was the fact that it was being hosted by Prince Minseok.

Prince Minseok didn’t host parties and very rarely attended them. No one really knew why. Some speculated he lived a double life, others assumed he was disinterested and spoiled. One theory was that he remained in the background so when he did decide to make a public appearance, all eyes were on him. That was the more likely case, for whenever he did make an appearance, he had the entire kingdom’s attention. He had such a profound way with words and such a breath-taking appearance, it was near impossible not to watch and listen to him.

You stood in front of your full length mirror, admiring your dress. You admired the dark blue fabric, attempting to follow the intricate gold design sewn into the skirt.  You were extremely appreciative of the theme Prince Minseok had chosen, “Midnight”.

“Lady Y/N,” called a servant. You turned around, a soft smile gracing your lips. “Your mask, my Lady.” You nodded, allowing the young girl to secure the mask on your face. The mask matched the dress beautifully, making you feel like a princess. You sighed wistfully, slowly turning.

“Thank you,” you said, bowing your head.

Admiring the decor, you make your way to the ballroom. Everything from the decorations, to the food, to the guests themselves was decked out in black, silver, and midnight blue. For a man who’s never hosted a party, he was doing a marvelous job.

“Y/N!” You turned your head, greeted by your best friend, Marchioness Y/F/N, hurriedly walking towards you. “Y/N! Oh my, you look exquisite,” she told you, her smile shining bright.

“Thank you Y/F/N. I must say, I love your dress,” you complimented. She giggled, spinning to show off her black and silver dress. “You’re the envy of the ball, not even Prince Minseok will be able to keep his eyes off of you.”

“You’re too kind, my dear Y/N. Speaking of Prince Minseok, have you seen him?” she inquired. You shook your head, making her pout. She’d always had a minor crush on the prince, if you count an unhealthy obsession as minor.

Before you could assure her he’d show up, a man, dressed in a black suit and a dark blue mask approached the both of you. He briefly nodded to you, then turned his attention Y/F/N, flashing her a smile.

“May I be as bold as to ask for the first dance?” he inquired. She smiled, nodding as she slipped her hand into his.

You smiled fondly as he whisked her away. You slowly made your way around where the dancers were, quietly observing them as they laughed and danced. You were so engrossed with what they were doing, you ran straight into someone’s back. You almost fell when a strong pair of arms caught you. Glancing up, you saw it was the man you’d run in to. You quickly straightened yourself. You curtsied, apologizing profusely. The man smiled, amused.

“No harm done,” he assured you. He was wearing a dark blue suit with silver accents and a matching mask. “As long as you’re okay.” You smiled, grateful it wasn’t some stuffy lord. He looked rather close to your age. He had black hair styled up to show his forehead. His voice sounded familiar, yet you couldn’t place it. You didn’t dwell on it, instead, offering a bow and continuing on your way.

You made it back to where you started by the time the song ended. Y/F/N ran up to you, flushed and slightly out of breath.

“I assume you enjoyed yourself,” you laughed. She nodded excitedly.

“He was amazing Y/N,” she sighed fanning herself. “He was so charming, and funny, and wow. Plus he said he was a prince. Maybe he was Prince Minseok!”

“That’s extraordinary Y/F/N.”

A tap on your shoulder made you turn around. It was the stranger from earlier. He was smiling at you, his cat-like eyes trained on you. He held his hand out, silently asking for a dance. You turned to Y/F/N, who was still rambling on about her prince, before you slipped your hand into his. He led you to the center of the room, twirling you to face him. The music began, and he gracefully guided you across the floor. 

“I must say, you are quite the elegant dancer,” you complimented. And indeed he was. He kept in perfect sync with the music, making you wish you’d taken your dance classes more seriously.

“Thank you, as are you. Much better than walking,” he teased. You rolled your eyes playfully.

“Did you ask me to dance just so you could tease me?” you asked. He chuckled softly, shaking his head.

“No, I asked you to dance because you’ve piqued my interest. I want to get to know you.” You nodded. “Please, tell me about yourself. Please.”

“Well, if you insist. What would you like to know?”

“Everything.”

You thought hard, figuring out where to start.

“Well, I’m an avid reader. I find there’s nothing more calming than reading a good book with a nice cup of tea. I enjoy a plethora of activities, and I tend to volunteer my free time to those in need,” you told him.

“Volunteer? I think you’re the first lady I’ve met that helps the poor,” he commented.

“And that’s what’s really sad. Everyday, those not lucky enough to be born with riches suffer. They suffer from poverty, starvation, lack of education, and so much more. Children are not taught literacy and mathematics, they are taught how to farm and take care of each other. They are not allowed to play because they have to work so they can eat.

“Don’t get me started on their diets. They can barely afford the food that’s rotten and stale, let alone fresh, clean produce. The mortality rate is unbelievably high, and it pains me to see them suffer.

“I’ve been reading some works by Lao-tzu. I highly recommend. He goes on to say:

‘When the rich prosper

While farmers lose their land;

When government officials spend money

On weapons instead of cures; when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible

While the poor have nowhere to turn--

All this is robbery and chaos.’

“I wholeheartedly agree with him. Their majesties and his Royal Highness are too worried about themselves and every other country and every other country and not enough about their people.”

“His Royal Highness? Do you think so little of him?” he inquired.

You shook your head. “On the contrary, I think very highly of him. He is a fair man who knows when he must be firm. When he speaks, he knows of what he speaks of. His only problem is he’s focused on the wrong issues,” you explained. He nodded, appearing deep in thought.

“You are quite an intelligent woman. I have to say, you’ve certainly captured my attention.”

“Did I not have it before?” you jested. He smiled, an actual smile. You noticed the little kink in his mouth, how one side rose a little more than the other. The words were out of your mouth before you could stop them. “What’s your name?”

He hesitated. He glanced to the side then snapped his attention to you.

“Xiumin.” You wracked your brain, trying to remember any noble named Xiumin. None came to mind.

“I’m afraid I don’t know you. Are you a foreigner?” you asked. He shook his head.

“It’s what my friends call me,” he explained.

“You consider me a friend?”

“I’d like too.” He stared deep into your eyes, and you stared right back. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I feel so at ease with you. You’re an honest person, unafraid to speak your mind. I admire that. Since you know my name, may I know your’s?”

“Y/N,” you replied. He seemed completely taken aback by your name. “Xiumin? Is there a problem?” He quickly shook his head, his face contorted to look shocked.

“You wouldn’t be Countess Y/N, would you?” he inquired. You nodded. He dropped his jaw. “You opened a public library in your province, and donated to the orphanage, and volunteered at the hospital.” You nodded to everything, giggling quietly. “Wow, the Countess Y/N. It’s an absolute honor Lady Y/L/N.” “There’s no need to be so formal with me Xiumin. After all, we are friends, right?” you said blushing slightly. He grinned, nodding. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by a servant announcing the firework display. Everyone began to head to the gardens to watch. Xiumin held you back. You gave him a confused look, but he pulled you out onto the balcony. You could see the stars twinkling above, and you took a moment to find as many constellations as you could. “We won’t get in trouble for being up here, right?” you asked. He shook his head, walking to lean on the railing. You followed suit, standing right next to him. You could see everyone gathered in the gardens, making light talk. You spotted Y/F/N, surrounded by multiple men, all of them laughing. “I don’t remember if I told you, but you look gorgeous Y/N,” Xiumin whispered in you ear. You bit your lip, thankful for the darkness to hide your blush. Bright light attracted your attention, followed by a loud boom that rattled your chest. You glanced up at the night sky as fireworks colored silver and gold painted it, thundering loudly. The wind picked up, blowing across your exposed arms. You shuddered, running your hands up and down your arms. A jacket was put on your shoulders. You turned to see Xiumin without his jacket, staring at you fondly. You thanked him, heat rising to your cheeks. You continued to watch until it was over. And thus ended to masquerade. You were almost sad it was over. You turned to tell Xiumin something, but he was nowhere in sight. You rushed back to the ballroom, desperately searching for him. The only person you found was Y/F/N. You sighed, hugging his jacket closer to you.

“Where were you? You disappeared,” she said, looping her arm through yours. “I met someone. He was amazing. He actually listened to what I had to say and cared. He was so easy to talk to.” “Sounds like you found your prince charming! Where is he?” “I don’t know,” you replied. You looked down at his jacket, smiling softly. “I can only hope I’ll see him again.”