#||A Material Girl in a Material World|| (Eve)

[gayemoji]

for how bad killing eve got the books are infinitely worse.

[writersmacchiato]

Three Years | Edmund Pevensie x Reader

Summary: You see Edmund and Lucy again in the most unexpected of places after their departure three years earlier.

Warnings: kissing (between Edmund x reader)

. . .

Salt.

It was misting over your face, tangy as it melted on your tongue.

The sun was just rising over the horizon, the endless blues of the sea turning golden and pink as they reflected the light.

Besides the creaking of the ship, and the shuffling of feet below deck as the crew began to stir and rise for the day, all was silent.

You had been waking up early every day since the voyage had begun. Without any reason, drawn to the crow’s nest in the misty grays of dawn before the rest of the world awakened. Watching the sunrise from the perfect spot.

The day would be like any other that had come before.

When Caspian, in all his kingly charm, had requested that you accompany him on this trip to the ends of the world you had been expecting more dangerous conquests. All you had battled so far was seasickness.

“Good morning. See anything?” The aforementioned king called up his usual greeting to you, hair ruffling in the cool breeze.

“Sea and more sea!”

You don’t hear it but can imagine the chuckle he releases through the rise and fall of his shoulders as he walks away to resume his check of the ship.

The sun continues to rise higher and higher into the sky, a cloudless day stretching away. You had snuck away to catch a moment of quiet in the crow’s nest.

Watching the empty waves was beginning to bore you.

When.

It couldn’t be-

“Caspian!” You yelled, jumping over the wooden beams that held you aloft. Grabbing hold of the rope to slide down, all the while yelling Caspian’s name.

“What is it?”

“There on the eastern starboard, I saw something. Someone.”

Caspian runs to the railing, quickly yelling orders at the crew to begin a rescue.

Rescue?

You’re too stunned by the possibility of a rescue to react when Caspian himself dives into the water. You’ve been watching the waters - there have been no sightings of any boats or ships for days now. Not even a rowboat.

The creak of the pulley grabs your attention, dragging first Caspian into view and then the young girl huddled against his side.

It couldn’t possibly be-

Lucy Pevensie. Daughter of Eve.

She shouts your name and crashes into you with little grace. You don’t care that she’s dripping water everywhere, returning her fierce embrace.

“Oh Lucy.” You can’t help the wide smile.

And then you see him, standing besides Caspian with his own smile looking at you.

“Edmund.” You breathe so quietly you aren’t sure you say anything, but Lucy pulls away and beckons her brother over.

He says your name just as quietly and gets close enough for you to touch him but he doesn’t make the first move, just looking and looking.

“Well come here!” You wrap your arms around him, relishing the way he grabs onto you gently. Almost shyly.

He whispers your name again, to himself, committing every bit of this to memory. He thought he remembered everything; but now he realizes how much he’s forgotten. The way you felt against him, the feel of your hair against his face, the way you smell.

A piercing scream cuts your reunion short, and Edmund has even more reason to despise his cousin when he feels the loss of your warmth against him.

“Welcome aboard the Dawn Treader.”

. . .

Edmund tried to fall asleep, he truly did.

The creaking of the ship and the swaying of his hammock made of his stomach roll, but he could’ve adapted to it if it wasn’t for the snoring of Eustace. He also couldn’t stop thinking about you and how much his heart swelled, almost painfully, when he thought about the look on your face when you saw him. Like you were happy to see him.

He’s sitting outside now, on the eastern stern of the ship, giddy at the feeling of the wind against his face. Narnian air.

“Edmund.”

His gaze cuts from the endless water to your form, seemingly materializing out of nowhere. Like a dream. It feels too much like the many dreams he had back home, wanting nothing more than to see you again.

“Mind if I join you?”

He shuffles over on the bench, trying to contain his grin when you open the blanket you brought and drape it over your shoulders and his.

“Tell me about your world.”

You play with his hand, tracing over the lines on his palm. Edmund doesn’t know how to describe it to you; he’s fought battles by your side, danced with you under the Narnian sky while fireworks flashed across the sky. In England, he’s no one.

“There’s nothing exciting there. Nothing like what we did.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“I suppose so.”

You can tell there’s more he isn’t saying, something that is eating away from him. But you don’t pry. Not yet.

“Tell me. What have you been doing since I left?” Edmund asks.

You hum, fingers still tracing over the lines on Edmundo’s palm. Trying to reconcile three years worth of memories into something amusing or daring, but the truth is… that without Edmund, dealing with his sudden departure had left you in misery.

“Can I be honest with you, Edmund?”

He doesn’t answer right away, shifting slightly so he’s turned toward you instead of side by side. Hand gently squeezing yours.

“Of course you can.”

“The past three years have been amazing, theoretically. Caspian has managed to restore peace and order to the lands, Narnians have been rebuilding their lives and I… I missed you. I kept thinking to myself, ‘Edmund would love this’.”

“I missed you too.” Edmund says quietly. “Lucy had to drag me out of bed most days, because at least in my dreams I might get to visit you again.”

“Edmund?”

He hums in response.

You turn your body so you’re facing him too, the blanket you’d brought slipping down to your waist. Even with the chilly breeze from the ocean you don’t feel cold, feeling the warmth radiating from Edmund. From where his thigh touches yours. His hand still in yours.

You ask the question that you’ve thought about every night since he and his siblings walked through the tree back into their world.

“Why didn’t you kiss me?”

You don’t have to specify - when, where, what? Edmund knows exactly what you’re talking about.

The night of Caspian’s coronation, the sky lit up with fireworks. The way the colors flashed over your face, the whizz and crack of the fireworks vibrating through his chest. Your hands on his shoulder, his on your waist.

It felt like a moment torn out of a fairytale, the only thing missing was a twirl and a dip in the dance that ended in a kiss.

Instead, once the majority of the merriment commenced, the fireworks fizzled out and the food and drink all gone, Edmund walked you to your room. You remember the way your heart beat, so fast, feeling more nervous than you had on the battlefield days earlier.

“Goodnight,” Edmund had said, pressing a kiss to your hand and then he was gone in the castle shadows. The next day he was gone from Narnia.

“I did kiss you.” He has a hint of a smirk on his lips, but you can see the flush on his cheeks.

“On the hand does not count! Did you not want to kiss me?”

“Of course I did. I’ve spent three years thinking how foolish I was not to.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“I knew Susan and Peter had spoken to Aslan and that they seemed upset. I had a suspicion of what they discussed. So, that night with you… I felt that if we got closer than we already had, I wouldn’t be able to bear it. Knowing how it felt and then leaving. I’m not sure I would’ve gone with them.”

“I thought I misread you.”

“I’ve spent three years regretting that night. I should have kissed you.”

“I think it’s time we rectify that, hm?”

You kiss him, and you’re struck by warm he is. Slow and languid, the kiss is sweet. Filled with years of pent up longing finally being released.

Shaking your hand loose, your hand slides up to his neck, gently guiding his eager mouth closer to yours. He breath hitches in his throat, biting back a moan.

It gets messy, clumsy. Noses bumping against each other. His hand finds it way to your waist, your own hands slipping into the loose hair at the nape of his neck. You pull him closer and closer until he’s pressed right against you.

You pull away with a heaving breath, Edmund chasing your lips.

“I need a breather.” You huff out.

“I’ve thought about doing that every single night since Caspian’s coronation.”

“Oh, you mean after you chickened out and didn’t kiss me? And then left for three years?”

Edmund rolls his eyes, pulling away in his stubbornness. “I didn’t see you making a move either, oh fearless one.”

“I think I just did.”

“Three years later.” He mocks.

You shut him up with another kiss, this time finding a rhythm with your lips that makes your toes curl.

The voyage ahead was certain to become more dangerous with each passing day, but here, wrapped in a king's embrace, you think of nothing else but him. Edmund.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Reference: 5 Symbols

for your next poem/story (pt. 2)

BA

For the Ancient Egyptians, the Ba was the symbolic representation of the soul.

It takes the form of a small bird with the head of a human being.

Could fly between its owner and the Gods for as long as the body was intact.

The Ba is twinned with the Ka.

If the Ba represented the soul, then the Ka was the “life-force,” the spark of life that animated the body and whose departure resulted in death.

The Ka was sustained with offerings of food and drink, although it was the “ka” or spirit of the food and drink that was consumed.

In the Afterlife, the Ba and the Ka would be reunited to form one single entity.

BECKONING CAT

A friendly little statuette with a warm welcome found all over Japan and China.

What the cat is doing with his paws carries a secret message.

The cute little Maneki Neko or beckoning cat is ubiquitous in Japan and China where he appears in both homes and offices.

Can be seen in Oriental restaurants all over the world and is for many people the ultimate symbol of prosperity and good luck.

Comes in different colors, each of which signifies a different meaning:

For example, a red cat will protect from illness, and

a black one will ward off evil.

The position of the paws also carries a message:

With the right paw raised the cat will bring money and happiness to home and workplace.

A cat raising its left paw will attract new customers for a business.

And a cat with both paws raised hits the jackpot; both home and business will be happy and profitable, attracting good luck, friends, prosperity, and new clients.

This cat is also the symbol of the small Buddhist temple in Tokyo, where the original incident that shot the cat to fame is said to have happened:

Originally the temple was a lowly place, whose impoverished priest would regularly share what little food he had with his pet cat.

One day some Samurai were passing and noticed this cat, who had one paw raised as though to say hello. The warriors stopped, intrigued by the beckoning cat, and went into the temple just as a horrendous rain storm started.

They believed that paying attention to the cat’s invitation had prevented them being struck by lightning. Thereafter, the fortunes of the priest, the temple, and of course the cat, started to change for the better.

BULLA

This is a special charm or amulet that was given to Roman children when they were born.

A sealed locket, the bulla (“bubble” or “knob”) contained magical spells specific to the child in question, such as symbols of protection, or wishes for wealth.

Was constructed of different materials depending on the wealth of the family:

leather for the poorest families and gold or

other precious metals for the wealthiest.

Roman boys put aside their bullae when they reached puberty, and the object was offered to the Gods. Girls wore theirs until the eve of their wedding.

In either case it was considered that the bulla belonged to the child, as part and parcel of their personality.

It is the origin of the name of the Papal Bull, the special edict that hails from the Vatican, which is fastened with an oval seal of the same shape as the bulla.

CALUMET

For the Plains Indians, the pipe, also called the calumet, is one of the most important and recognizable symbols.

Although it is sometimes referred to as the Peace Pipe, shared ceremonially as part of a unifying ritual, the pipe was just as valid a symbol during times of war.

The tobacco used in the pipe is also a powerful magical substance originally intended for ritual use only.

The smoke rising from the pipe signifies a prayer traveling toward the Gods and symbolizes the sacred breath, source of all life.

The fire that lights the pipe symbolizes the Sun and the male element.

The pipe itself is equivalent to the prayer that is offered up from it.

Considered so important that in Native American tradition it is described as though it were a person, and each of its components has the name of a body part.

In addition, the bowl is described as an altar, and the stem, the passage of the breath extending from the human body.

CANDLE

Symbolizes light in the darkness in a way that a light bulb simply cannot do.

It represents the element of fire as a benevolent force.

Made even more powerful if the candle is made of wax, a substance made by a magical creature, the bee.

The colors of candles are significant in magical practices:

For example, pink is said to attract love.

Black candles are used in dark magic.

Source More: On Symbols

[dollfaced-erin]

𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕠𝕟'𝕤 ℂ𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕝𝕖 (Blade x F!Reader x Jing Yuan)

PART 17

PART 1 , PART 2 , PART 3 , PART 4 , PART 5 , PART 6 , PART 7 , PART 8 , PART 9 , PART 10 , PART 11 , PART 12 , PART 13 , PART 14 , PART 15 , PART 16

A/n :

i have JUST finished Penacony, and i have to say, THAT WAS A WILD RIDE FR HELP ?!?! i did NOT expect it to end that way. Okok, hear me out, you might cancel me or whatever, but opinions are opinions right, and i LOVE how they made Sparkle some little gremlin that REALLY knows how to flame people good. ye ye i know about the things happening on twitter, but push that aside. that's merely a reference. all in all, the races in the game still dont exist. and getting mad at a fictional VILLAIN is somewhat hilarious to me ngl...i never even SAW the racism until i watched tiktok. my eyes. anything on tiktok is like...corrupting my brain rn and i hope your fyps are favoring you all too ! But still. We're all humans and we all have our opinions. so dont start messing around and bullshitting people online youre never gonna meet, okay ?

Taglist : -

@rebeccawinters , @nayukiyukihira , @pix-stuff , @fluffy-koalala , @swivy123 , @starxao , @kaoyamamegami , @kimura-uzuri , @rsvye , @seikouryuu , @just-here-reading , @matsulovesyou, @sincerely-aaronette , @prettyliliy , @chibiduck , @hermosacolibri , @la-diablas-thingz , @farelady-fate , @everi-eve , @shadowfoxey , @helloyuki , @immahuman , @samptlay , @boomie-123

Back then, he was only a young man, staring up at the starskiffs that flew by in the sky. He looked no older than a mere teen, but as a Xianzhou native, looks are VERY deceiving. Even for someone as young as Jing Yuan.

The young man looked up at the sky, his adolescence was only peaking up back then. But even so, he was a splendid Cloud Knight, already the climbing up the ranks to be a Sword Champion like his master. Though she had shielded him from much the horrors she had faced when she was a mere child, she tried her best to raise her student as her very own.

He remembered seeing his friends earlier, during the crowning of Jingliu as the Legendary Sword Master, entitling her with the nickname transcendent flash due to her movements that had seemingly cut through time and space within a blink of an eye. They all came around, wanting to congratulate her.

There was the legendary craftsmen, though hailing from another land and being a short-lived species, he had come to present to her the sword made of alien material, shining ebony matte black even under the bright sun. And not far behind him, was the Imbibator Lunae, coming over adorned with his robes of silk and jewelry of jade. Then, there was the mischievous Baiheng who roamed across the stars and set to stay on the Luofu.

But clinging to the sleeve of the High Elder of the Xianzhou Luofu, like a little lost girl, though he was sure that she was most likely just a couple decades younger than the Imbibator Lunae himself. And with the glaucous horns perched atop her head, he knew that she was inevitably the relative of this royal dragon before him, the one they called Saltator Lunae.

She was a beautiful young woman, with bright, curious (e/c) eyes that shone with wonder for the world. Her silky (h/c) hair was held up with a beautiful hairpin made of glass that seemed to be sturdier than plain ceramic he saw the nobles wear. But it matched her innocent look, and it seemed to him that she had yet to see more of the outside world.

He saw her for a mere glimpse, and she seemed to be talking to either her brother, or Yingxing the craftsman who seemed to be very much absorbed into his conversation with her. The middle-aged man even seemed to adore the young woman.

'Cute...' he remembered thinking as he saw her.

It was hot that day, and he was just fresh after training. But after remembering his master's swordsmanship, he quickly got back up, grabbing the sword he used to train, and went on with his practice. There was still much to learn, much to face before he could even dream of being half the person his master was.

"Jing Yuan, meet Imbibator Lunae's younger sister. Saltator Lunae." Jingliu said, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, as he was in the middle of training.

And he saw her again, from a much closer distance. The pretty girl from the other day, this time with an intricate hand fan in her hold, closed. This time she seemed much more...reserved ? Was it because her brother wasn't around ?

"Huh ? Sister ?"

"Yes, she'll be training with you. Other than Cloudhymn magic, she wants to learn about forming wind and water together to form ice. It doesn't hurt to learn more, especially from someone with core differences like you, Jing Yuan."

"Ah..." sighed the General as he shook his head, pulling himself out of his thoughts. He chuckled softly, looking at the item in his hand, which was a small decorative hand fan.

It was a beautiful oriental fan, with intricate designs carefully inked and dyed with care and professional handling. And it was no ordinary fan, instead it was a beautiful silk fan that he had seen her hold on the day they first met....

And was entrusted to him by Dan Feng who loved his sister very much before he had to part from this world.

The fan just...was just a reminder of what sunny days he blindly lived through, never anticipating the position he'd assume current day...

"General ?" A young voice piped up, snapping him out of his dampened mood.

The General turned to see his retainer by his side, peering cautiously at the fan in his master's hand, knowing that it must've belonged to someone of position and status. Especially since the wood forming it was no ordinary slice, but rather elaborately detailed to the smallest feature.

"Yes, Yanqing ?" He responded back, the lazy cat-grin on his lips as his golden eyes met one he considered his son.

"Lady Fu Xuan has given signal that she has deployed the anomaly team towards the suspected location of the Plagues Author's devotees." Yanqing said, the young boy nodding his head to signal to his master something.

"Thank you, Yanqing. It is time for me to depart, and reunite with the princess herself face to face. I cannot have the Ace of the deck be pulled out before its time." Jing Yuan said as he placed the fan onto the table, and rose to his feet.

"An...ace of the deck...?" Yanqing asked, cocking up an eyebrow as he suspiciously eyed the General of the Xianzhou Luofu.

"Yes. One of the keys in saving the Xianzhou itself." Jing Yuan said, giving no room for his retainer to further impose on his agenda.

"Now, Yanqing. I will be leaving to coincide with the Master Diviner's troupes, and those stationed in the Alchemy Commission." Jing Yuan said with that same smirk plastered on his lips.

"Do not lay your foot in a trap laid down by yourself, lest you be the hunted instead of the hunter." Was Jing Yuan's final warning before he walked off to leave the Seat of Divine Foresight.

But what he didn't know was that his little apprentice had been exposed to the sights of the legendary without either of them noticing it. And this youngling was very much eager to try his new profound knowledge in bringing justice to the land he served.

Though the General had yet just finished another meeting with the Master Diviner, even issued her with the official warrant to temporarily command the Cloud Knights, it was clear that things were far from over now. Affairs on the Xianzhou Luofu this time wouldn't be so easily averted, not with the interference of outsider hands in this matter.

He shook his head as he remembered the contents of the earlier discussion with Fu Xuan earlier. He remembered the troubled face of (Y/n) who had not dared utter a word as he issued another errand for the Astral express team to run.

He remembered his own words, spoken with his regular slyness and his lax tone in order to conceal what he truly felt inside...

"Miss Tingyun, I would like you to continue to serve as a guide for our Astral friends. And Lady (Y/n)..." he said, trailing off as he turned to look at her.

She looked...troubled. Biting her lower lip was a habit she had built long back during the prime era of the High-Cloud Quintet. Not only did she look troubled, she also seemed quite...saddened. Perhaps...it was the memories that surged her, or even the weight of her duties to reseal the Ambrosial Arbor. And everyone knows that...Lady (Y/n) isn't quite complete in herself...

"I hope you understand the importance of your presence within this mission. I am sure that the team will be able to safely escort you through the paths, and guide you safely to the Alchemy Commission."

He had once again broken the rules and regulations of the Luofu. With the next task he issued...was to get the Astral Express team towards the Ambrosial Arbor through the Alchemy Commission's delve. It was a hard decision, knowing the routes they needed to pass through were heavily infested and affected by the growth of the Ambrosial Arbor and it would be increasingly dangerous for (Y/n) to continue venturing along.

But he had no other choice yet in this matter. She was the King piece in this chessboard. Though her Queen piece...was nowhere in sight.

But he knew that man would appear sooner or later. Along with the young prince, who served the missing half of the current king's severed power.

He just hoped she was faring well.

"Phew ! That deer sure was a tough one !" March said, a relieved smile on her lips after the team had departed from the Alchemy Commission and saying good by to a certain...Furnace Master.

"Quite a deer friend indeed." Replied her companion, Stelle, who earned a tired groan from March due to her pathetic excuse of making jokes.

"But Lady (Y/n)..." March said, looking at the woman who was walking ahead of them, her back turned towards the team. Robes of expensive silk fluttered in the wind behind her, light shining off the material. Her (h/c) swayed in the wind, giving off nothing but an air of royalty.

But despite her ice cold gaze...everyone saw how shocked she looked when Gongshu had introduced himself as the Furnace of Creation's master. The woman was silent, merely staring at the man before her, uttering not a word. But she bit her lip, as a way to prevent herself from saying more than she should.

Then there was the deer, the Ebon Deer that was nothing but an abomination. Colors of blue, gold and green, representing life, vitality and wealth. A beautiful yet horrifying mix of colors forever ingrained in her mind.

"Are you alright, Lady (Y/n) ?" Welt asked, making sure that the young woman behind her was faring well.

Fighting against the Ebon Deer was hard work, at it seemed that even (Y/n) had trouble against it before they dispelled the outer source of power it was extracting from the power of Abundance.

He watched her horrified reaction as it withered and yet regained its former state, almost as if she were haunted by the extremes of power an Aeon can possess...

Or perhaps were those the same eyes of the people who fought in the War of Abundance...? The eyes that witnessed fear and loss time and time again. Maybe...perhaps even those eyes were included in the horrors of the abominations.

Powers of the Vidyadhara were nothing short of the definition of power itself, but she struggled to face it off, as if having second thoughts while fighting, or even extending the period of fighting just to conduct a couple observations and conclude a couple thoughts.

This woman...was trying to learn something. Gain an insight, perhaps...?

Even as Welt was making his own observations and conclusions regarding the change of paths from the Abundance to the Hunt, (Y/n) stood away from them, deep in her own circle of thought.

"I...am alright." Said the regal lady, dusting of the sleeves of her dress. It was tough, but she knew there was more to come, especially with the warning Jing Yuan had discretely yet undoubtedly been trying to relay to her.

Her presence was playing a crucial part in this play of his.

Did that mean...she had to meet...his reincarnation...?

Jing Yuan had never told her what had become past the period of molting rebirth. But did she really want to know...?

"It's just...that deer..." she said softly, shaking her head. "Reminded me of someone."

The man she loved, falling at the hand of the abundance, due to some...forbidden ritual they were trying to pursue. And he too...began one of the Abundance. Healing time after time, without even having a say in his own life.

The woman looked back to meet the gaze of her worried companions. All sorts of gazes landed on her form, pity, worry, concern, understanding...she appreciated them all, but...

"That's enough. We should keep going. The Alchemy Commission...shouldn't be far from here now..." said the dragon lady before she turned on her heel to leave the scene.

Right...there was no need to say anymore. Words...could not convey the feeling of loss she felt etched deep inside her heart. Nor did the memories even fulfil the void that grew day by day, with a certain longing for times of old to resurge...

Through the gates of the Artisanship Commission, it led the team straight towards the Alchemy Commission, a delve where all the medicinal and healing practices were carried out. It was the perfect place for concocting medicines out of herbs and materials of rare items to treat unknown diseases, or a place to jot down prescription after prescription while attending to the endless stream of natives that need the attention of professionals.

Some came here to learn, and some came here to help others. But ultimately, the desire of all here was one, to make the Xianzhou Luofu more prosperous and longevous than it ever was.

But this place...was also the same place for dubious plans to be carried out. With the high-tech equipment, materials only those in the alchemy would be able to obtain, should the Luofu fall into peril, this...would no doubt be their lair.

(Y/n) led the team into the commission, walking past the walls that were once so familiar to her. Though it has been centuries, this place...was almost as same as it used to be back when she was in her prime, looking over the apprentices like a protective mother watching her eggs.

Bodies of the mara-struck, celestial bodies and the Cloud Knights littered the stone ground left and right, for as far as the eye can see. It was no doubt that a fierce war had indeed taken place within these walls, no time to reach out for help since the delve had been sealed off, and the commission was deemed to be deserted.

"Whoa, looks like the battle here was intense..." March said, the poor girl looking around the blood-bathed battlefield with fear and horror in her young eyes. Her hands were to her mouth, almost in disbelief with what had occurred here.

Tingyun sighed, looking behind her to meet the gaze of the young girl. "Looks like the Master Diviner had launched a campaign while we were delayed in the Artisanship Commission."

"She must've divined it at the right time..." responded the usually silent Stelle, only ever opening her mouth to let out the most unheard of jokes (Y/n)'s pointed ears had heard of, or to say something incredibly out of character.

"Seems like she had sent in the Cloud Knights to clear out the way before we arrived. It would've been dreadfully dangerous had she let us in without proper preparation and training like the knights." (Y/n) said, her sharp and luminescent eyes scanning the area, the scene before her like flowers wilted on the ground.

But this...was nothing compared to the flooding blood rivers she had witnessed as a young maiden. Should things continue as they are...well...the Luofu would be drenched in mixed blood once again.

But unlike last time. She would do everything in her power to stop from memories of the past haunt and overshadow her future, refusing it to take shape it once took form as.

She wouldn't dare dream of losing another person dear to her.

Not the warm and kind-hearted General that had embraced her with loving arms the moment her eyes had revealed itself to the world. Not when she had to let go of her lover that remembered so little of her yet yearned for their long lost intimate moments.

Back then...she had so much to lose. And this time was no different.

She just hoped...that his reincarnation was doing well somewhere.

Welt noticed the unease in (Y/n)'s gaze. Being the attentive man he was, riddled with experience and written with history of a distant land, he knew better than to outright voice his concern over the Dragon Lady.

"Time is of the essence. The most important task for the Xianzhou Luofu is suppressing the Stellaron." Said the brunette, his arms crossing over his chest as he too observed the concluded battlefield before him. "General Jing Yuan tasked the Master Diviner with commanding the Cloud Knights-- he would've known she'd act on the results of her divination."

"Maybe that's why they sent us through the Artisanship Commission. To avoid direct contact with the battlefield. It is too dangerous for us here. If fighting the Ebon Deer was already breaking more than our usual threshold, imagine actually engaging in a real battle." (Y/n) said softly, looking sad at the loss before her.

"But...that's out of your scope." She whispered, walking towards one of the knights to check on their conditions.

"Lady (Y/n)..." March said worriedly, and Tingyun looked a little...somber at the Dragon Lady had returned back to her post as the Miracle Healer.

"This...must be hard for Lady (Y/n) to see." Tingyun said softly, shaking her head. "As I remember records...the past Dragon Lady was someone of immense caliber and knowledge, having pulled strings no one dared to interfere with."

"But this is nothing compared to what she had seen back in her days. Centuries ago, an Emanator of Abundance besieged the Luofu with the aim of the Ambrosial Arbor. They destroyed half our delves and killed most of the Cloud Knights." Tingyun said, looking up at the sky, perhaps wondering what the sky looked like when the ground was bathed in red.

"For long-life species, such events are more like yesterday's memories rather than ancient history. This awful spectacle is child's play in comparison to what they've seen and been through."

"It's...hard to tell if the Master Diviner won or lost here." Welt said with a heavy sigh, that was until (Y/n) walked back, her (e/c) clouded with regret and shame.

"There...are many losses here. I might be able to restore and patch some up, but...it would be too dangerous for me to venture further alone without back up." (Y/n) said, her eyes never leaving the fallen soldiers. "If only Yingxing and..."

She cut herself short, her thoughts snapping back to prevent herself from saying anymore of those forsaken memories of old. She shook her head and cleared her throat, as if to regain composure.

"Nevermind." She said sharply. "There aren't many Cloud Knights here, so I reckon there's a retreat nearby, or maybe they really did make it out with a minimal count of casualties. Deeper into the delve, perhaps."

"Will you try heal those here, Lady (Y/n) ?" Tingyun asked the horned woman before her, noticing her determined gaze. And (Y/n) nodded. "I'll...try my best. I'm a healer, a doctor even, or whoever I used to be, but I'm not miracle granter."

"Please be careful, Lady (Y/n), Stelle. These monsters seem pretty tough..." March warned carefully, fearing the safety of her companions and the lady they were meant to escort safely.

(Y/n) leaned down to inspect the wounds on one of the soldiers that seemed to have been ridden with mara, rooted deep inside its body. As she scanned the figure with her sharp eyes, she noticed how this individual...a woman, perhaps in her early 300s...was far too deep in mara.

Mara was plaguing her body like flies eating away at rotting flesh. Slow, constant, but unbearable. The wounds were shrinking away beyond a usual native's ability, and with the lack of injured vital signs, (Y/n) knew it was best for her to try freeze the cores and quickly move away.

So that was as she did. To those still blessed with life, she leaned down to bestow them the gift of her healing, hoping that they would be able to be to at least endure less pain than they should. She even froze cores, wishing that it was enough to prevent the rapid outbreak of the plague, harming others beyond control.

She knew...those mara struck before her...had their regrets and their ambitions to see another day. She knew another person who was just the same, bringing flesh of a fallen Emanator, striking his beloved with a fatal blow, yet he himself was a victim to another's plan who wished to deny the cruel nature of death.

The beloved who once held her hand so tenderly, an arrogant man who was yet so soft towards her, bestowing her with a gentle kiss on her forehead as he held her close by her waist.

(Y/n) looked up, knowing that those days were no more, and the sky above them...was never a witness to the moments she held dear to her frozen and recovering heart. Her heart that was facing conflict and turmoil with her current identity and her past self, knowing both were nonetheless one of the same.

Though she had forgotten most of her past, only bits and shred able to be brought forward to her current time, she knew it was time for her to step up and once again place the crown high on her head, though it weighed so heavily on her shoulders.

"Look ! There's someone over there." March called out, taking (Y/n)'s hand to point towards a woman wearing an Alchemy Commission uniform, and a kneeling Cloud Knight by her feet.

(Y/n) didn't have a good feeling about this.

[garr9988]

Madoka Magica: Witchswap AU

I've been sitting on this idea for too long with nothing material to show for it, so I might as well speak it into the world so somebody else can enjoy it and maybe make it themselves:

PMMM Witchswap AU: An alternate universe where all the Magical Girls encountered in the series are Witches by the start, and all the Witches encountered in the series are Magical Girls by the start.

So, instead of Mami, Kyoko, and Sayaka, you have Candeloro, Ophelia, and Oktavia. Instead of Charlotte or Uhrmann, you have Nagisa and Inui Itsumi. So on and so forth.

In my head, I like to think that the focus of a Mitakihara-set Witchswap story could be that the girls all learn about a very special Witch that is incubating somewhere in the city, its Grief Seed waiting to hatch (like Charlotte's in Episode 3): Kriemhild Gretchen. Kyubey surmises that Kriemhild's Grief Seed is uniquely capable of holding an effectively infinite amount of Soul Gem impurity, and so any Magical Girl that obtains it would never have to fight Witches again, allowing them to return to a normal life.

Thus begins a race against both the clock before Kriemhild Gretchen hatches & destroys the world in just a few days, and against all the other Magical Girls hunting for the same treasure.

Naturally, a theoretically infinite recharge Grief Seed would be able to give all of these Magical Girls normal lives, but only if they trust each other enough to share. But if they think any one of them might whisk it away for themselves, then that motivates them to just keep it for themself instead. It's a self-fulfilling thing.

Not to mention the girls would have to decide between trying to defeat Gretchen and keeping the Grief Seed, or giving it straight to Kyubey before it hatches so as to ensure the world won't be destroyed.

I like to think that Kriemhild Gretchen's Familiars would be able to leave her still-forming Labyrinth and they'd be found in the Labyrinths of the rest of the Holy Quintet's Witches. If a Magical Girl encounters these Familiars, they'd be able to track their magical signature and be better equipped to search for & find Kriemhild Gretchen's Grief Seed.

(I suppose an infinite recharge Grief Seed could also fit Shitori Egumo/Embryo Eve/Ui Tamaki, but I like to think that in a Magia Record Witchswap AU, Ui is fine and it's Iroha that becomes a Witch instead).

[writing-fanics]

before jealousy

Xavier Thorpe x Reader

(summary: how Xavier became the light in y/n’s life)

[a/n: short no dialogue just angst]

[mentions of depression]

Part 0/// Part 1 /// Part 2 /// Part 3 /// Finale /// Epilouge

He placed his jacket over her shoulder. she turned to look at him and smiled softly. Tears still rolling down her cheeks, as she looked at her parents grave. she didn’t know who’s but that moment, this stranger the moment she looked into his eyes. her entire world seemed to become light again.

They didn’t speak to each other, he just stood there by the stranger he didn’t know. comforting her with his silence. as time went by they got to know each other more, leading to [y/n] falling for him after a couple of months. Her feelings growing for who she found out to be Xavier.

Months later during Christmas Eve, of course Xavier’s father didn’t care nor have the time. So [Y/n] invited him over for Christmas.

“Merry Christmas!” She exclaimed, handing him his Christmas present. She smiled watching as he opened it. His eyes widened.

She gave him new art supplies, a big sketchbook. Xavier gave her something special that year, not a material thing no. But her first kiss, as the snow fell outside. something [Y/n] would cherish for the rest of her life.

but sadly nothing would come from the kiss, and as the years went by Xavier became distant. Leaving [Y/n] alone, to wallow in her own self-pity. as the darkness that once kept it’s hold on her returned, and seemingly stronger than ever before.

Yet, she still held a smile on her face when she could. Even when she watched the one she loved date another, she held a smile on her face. Even when the pain was eating her up. She wanted to be the one with him, but knew he’d never feel the same.

Yet, deep down she was dying wishing that Xavier would just notice her once again. She was beating herself up saying things she knew weren’t true about herself. She just wanted what Bianca had and that was Xavier. It wasn’t until Xavier and Bianca broke up, that maybe a glimmer of hope seemed to be placed in [Y/n]’s life.

But all that was taken away when, a certain pigged tailed girl arrived at, Nevermore Academy.

[kustas]

For the silver eve arc in wha , what did you envision or think it would be like in comparison to other anime arcs , episodes or anime movies & manga? Or in other words could u share more on what energy/pacing/direction/visuals you wanted to see? Hope this makes sense !

Hi anon! Thank you for asking! Earlier arcs in WHA were super short, only a few chapters long, around an arc or two per volume when the transition was mid volume. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about arc structures in the first place because of stories like early WHA - "arcs" only feel like distinct, strong parts for specific long and often shonen type series. It seems like with the evolution of the story and stakes in WHA it's transforming into this. Because arcs are convenient I'll keep using them to answer though!

Purely in matters of what I like, raising the stakes is a problem. It's entirely subjective but I personally care less and less about stories the higher the stakes are. I like narratives centered around a small group of individuals and if it involves worldbuilding I like the worldbuilding to be expressed through everyday interactions. This is something early WHA excelled at and who continues to be a strong point in the series. The author has crafted a believable, engaging fantasy world who's intricacies are shown through personal problems first, before reattaching them to societal problems second. Instead of showing you it's witch society through grand info dumps of historical moments, you learn about it alongsides a little girl who's fascinated by the world the same way the reader can be.

What I thought the Silver Eve would be was a step back from the currently established factions (the atelier, the knights, iguin's brimmed caps) to consider the greater picture of how witches interact with outsiders. The arc was introduced by Tartah's proposal for a stand and the arrival of the Three Wise at the King's castle. I was expecting those two POVs to cover the duration of the festival: on one side, the atelier girls selling their wares and on the other the politicians organizing it all. Both were to answer the question raised with the phantasmal flame chapter: how do you regulate how to use magic? Outsiders want magic which and it is up to the witches, who's faction chose to control it exclusively, to decide how to distribute it. And from this stems the questions of corruption (Engendil), control (king vs Wise), poverty (Custas), yadda yadda.

This hyped me up a lot because it's an amazing opportunity for more worldbuilding including a major city we hadn't seen yet, politicians we hadn't seen yet and their POVs and outsiders! Asides of the first chapter with Coco, Custas&Dagda were pretty much the only outsider characters and their life conditions were pretty extreme. This arc promised to me to show way more "normal" magicless people and their associated takes on the witches. Think the chapter where Oru and Hiehart go to work and help both the nobleman and the poor kid. It also immediately started with teasing the king had other bigger plans, as well as introducing a potential new faction or brimhats with Ininia and her master. This was around chapter 40-45.

A few chapters later none of this was resolved at all. We still don't know what the king wants, or Restys. The subplot with Custas is without a resolution. To this kept being added more backstory material fleshing out more characters (don't like that either but it's a whole other can of worms) which usually prepares you for their big time of relevance but uh. That did not happen. Instead we have: the leech.

That leech was, imo, entirely unnecessary. It dropped at a moment where the stakes were already at an all time high with all old and new factions involved in a single event, at the same time, something the story had thus far entirely avoided with smaller more separate arcs. And it ballooned all stakes to city ending mass massacre stuff without resolving any of the established issues. I...don't thing WHA needs giant monsters. It's a story about a little girl learning things in a society she's uniquely placed to see the unfairness of. I like how human it is and I don't think kaiju battling will contribute to that. The human scale is literally and figuratively gone with something like that.

Pacing wise, I'd have liked for all those little individual groups of characters to continue being individual and indirectly influence each other via their role in society. I'd have wanted for subplots to be closed off one by one or allowed to bait for next story beats like was done before. I'd have kept the blood eating monster a small one off incident way further that'd have to be solved by a crew of characters. While not all subplots need final closure the earlier arcs did a great job of addressing a situation and moving on from it in 3-10 chapters. The silver eve isn't over and it's length is approaching to be longer than the rest of the arcs combined.

Visually, while the outfit and world designs continue to go hard, I dislike how the character art has simplified away from a semi realistic take to smoother, more ... "moe" characters. It's more conventional and I don't like it. I like my characters to look distinct and this includes the little everyday traits that are dismissed by many authors for not being conventionally attractive. While WHA makes a visible effort to be inclusive it's the unfortunate reality that while the author can draw old people, fat people, people with all skin tones and all sorts of scars and stubble she...does not. I want to see it more. I would have liked to see it from day 1 actually, instead of having extras like the adult woman helping the leech victims sporting those one off designs, I'd have wanted Qifrey or Olruggio to have her look. It's too late for this and I hope it gets slowly changed with how the series continues and grows.

I don't really read a lot of long manga and nearly don't watch anime so I can't compare much to other media, I hope otherwise I've answered your question and don't hesitate to ask me again if I haven't or if you want further details!

[catindabag]

TBOSAS on Crack!AU: ✨The Fave Banned Songs of The 24 OG Mentors✨

A friend of mine asked me to list the Mentors’ favorite banned (100% illegal in Panem) songs in my TBOSAS Crack!AU.

So here they are:

1. Coriolanus Snow (Sugar Baby Era)

Snow On The Beach by T. Swift & Lana

Radio by Lana Del Rey

Careless Whisper by George Michael

Bloom by Troye Sivan (For Sejanus)

“Sl*t!” By Taylor Swift (For Sejanus)

2. Sejanus Plinth (Sugar Daddy Era)

Beautiful People by Ed Sheeran

Jenny by Studio Killers (For Coryo)

Lover by Taylor Swift (For Coryo)

Hey Blondie by Dominic Fike (For Coryo)

Ride by SoMo (For Coryo)

3. Festus Creed (Dumpster Fire Era)

We Can’t Stop by Miley Cyrus

Last Friday Night by Katy Perry

All Star by Smash Mouth

Honeypie by JAWNY

Chicken Nugget Dreamland by Parry Grip

4. Lysistrata Vickers (Crazy Fangirl Era)

Wannabe by Spice Girls

Barbie Dreams by FIFTY FIFTY, Kaliii

Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles

Starman by David Bowie

Groupie by Cate

5. Felix Ravinstill (Class President Era)

Under Pressure by Queen, David Bowie

Touchy Feely Fool by AJR

The Hype by Twenty One Pilots

Kingdom Come by Jon Bellion

This is What Makes Us Girls by Lana

6. Persephone Price (Unhinged Lover Era)

Candy by Unknown Brain

Crush by Tessa Violet

Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max

I Really Like You by Carly Rae Jepsen

7. Clemensia Dovecote (Friend-zoned Era)

Still Into You by Paramore

Your Type by Carly Rae Jepsen

Midnight Love by Girl in Red

Mr. Lonely by Bobby Vinton

8. Livia Cardew (Rich Queen Era)

7 Rings by Ariana Grande

Material Girl by Madonna

Barbie World by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice

9. Androcles Anderson (Sneaky Sneak Era)

Stand Up by One Direction

Cake By The Ocean by DNCE

Drive By by Train

Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson

10. Hilarius Heavensbee (Disowned Clown Era)

Birthday Party by AJR

Sad Happy by Circa Waves

SugarCrash! By ElyOtto

Thomas Theme by Thomas & Friends

11. Palmyra Monty (Chef on Crack Era)

Cooking by The Book by Lazy Town

Raining Tacos by Parry Grip

Fruit Salad by The Wiggles

Krusty Krab by Trap Remix

12. Apollo Ring (Sunshine Boi Era)

Oh Potato Dog by Parry Grip

Sunroof by Nicky Youre, Dazy

Sunkissed by Khai Dreams

Come On Eileen by Dexys M.R

13. Diana Ring (Pastel Peach Era)

Rainbow Magic by Rosanna Pansino

Cupid by FIFTY FIFTY (Twin Ver.)

Penguin On Me by Schmoyoho

My Little Pony Theme by My Little Pony

14. Vipsania Sickle (Gym Gal Era)

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! By ABBA

Eye of The Tiger by Survivor

YMCA by Village People

15. Gaius Breen (Hype Man Era)

Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars

The Nights by Avicii

Stereo Hearts by Gym Class Heroes

16. Dennis Fling (Trader Joe’s Era)

Billionaire by Travis McCoy, Bruno Mars

Money, Money, Money by ABBA

MONEY by LISA

17. Pliny Harrington (Sleepy Dawg Era)

The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars

Some Nights by Fun

Saturday by Twenty One Pilots

18. Domitia Whimsiwick (Farm Gal Era)

Everything She Ain’t by Hailey Whitters

If You Go Down by Kelsea Ballerini

WWDD by Lainey Wilson

Biscuits by Kacey Musgraves

19. Urban Canville (Exploding Man Era)

World’s Smallest Violin by AJR

All Time Low by Jon Bellion

When I was Done Dying by Dan Deacon

The Pi Song by AsapSCIENCE

20. Io Jasper (Nerd in Love Era)

Boys by Charli XCX

What Lovers Do by Maroon 5, SZA

Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen

The Science Love Song by AsapSCIENCE

21. Florus Friend (Introvert on Stage Era)

Dreamland by Glass Animals

Loretta by Ginger Root

Herp De Derp by Schmoyoho

22. Iphigenia Moss (Rebellious Diet Era)

Boom Clap by Charli XCX

Popular Song by MIKA, Ariana Grande

Prom Dress by mxmtoon

23. Juno Phipps (Royal Baby Girl Era)

Rich Girl by Gwen Stefani, Eve

Dance The Night by Dua Lipa

California Gurls by Katy Perry

24. Arachne Crane (Screeching Banshee Era)

Beautiful Trauma by P!nk

Super Bass by Nicki Minaj

Primadonna by MARINA

[stormblessed95]

Hi, sorry if it's late, but can I ask for your persoal top favorite queer books and (maybe) your top fav fanfiction (from any fandom but your all time fav)? Thanks so much.....

Also why do you think mlm or wlw romance is more interesting than mlw (het) romance?

Feel free if you want to ignore the last ask, thanks for your blog....

Why do I personally enjoy gay romances to het ones? Preference and taste probably. I also tend to enjoy the angst, longing, tropes, passion, etc in the way its written more than I do in the ways those things are written between a straight couple. And that's not to say I don't enjoy straight romances either! I have plently of het ships I love too, and a few good romances that aren't gay 😂 I just have a preference, and that's okay! As for recommendations!! I have a LOTS! If you want to tell me about what YOU like to read, I can give even better recs. But for in general, some of my favorites...

I have posts about QUITE A FEW here already that you can check out (please do)!:

^ you'll find queer characters in most of the lists of recs honestly at least somewhere. BUT I do have posts specific for Sapphic, Achillian and Ace recs there. So start there!

I'll also throw in that I'm recently quite obsessed with fantasy Sapphics with swords in my books lately! So books like "The Jasmine Throne." "This is How You Lose The Time War." "Priory of the Orange Tree." "Gideon the Ninth." "Girls of Paper and Fire" and "Legends and Lattes."

Come back for me if you want more!

And some of my favorite fics (of various fandoms! Exciting!) In no particular order, I'll link a few for you!

That Isn't Nothing by Taekookschanbaek

(I KNOW OKAY, in my defense I didn't realize the authors name until AFTER I read and loved the fic lmfao but it IS SO good, I promise lol)

Fandom: All For The Game

Ship: Andrew x Neil

Summary: "A look into the lives of pro exy players Andrew Minyard and Neil Josten. The world says they hate each other, but when Andrew gets transferred to Neil's team, their teammates begin seeing something else between them."

In Which Neil is a PR Nightmare by CoverYourEyes

Fandom: All For The Game

Ship: Andrew x Neil

Summary: "Eve was not the best person in the world. Sometimes she didn’t hold the elevator open when she saw people rushing to catch it from the other side of the lobby. Cutting the line at Starbucks was a semi-regular action. But Eve did not deserve to be Neil fucking Josten's publicist.

**********

Or, the one where Neil does what he wants, picks fights with reporters, discovers Twitter, breaks the internet, and really shouldn't be allowed out of his house. Andrew does nothing to discourage him."

The Men In Apartment 22B by jjmash

Fandom: All For The Game

Ship: Andrew x Neil

Summary: "Andrew and Neil's new neighbors are extremely confused about the two mysterious men in 22B. Are they dating? Are they in the mafia? Are they rival assassins who've fallen in love? As always, the truth is stranger than fiction."

Blame It On My Youth by youreyestheyglow

(Locked fic, you need an account. This fic is THICK but it's by far one of the best Andriel fics I've ever read or just in general. SO GOOD and so emotional and so sweet and so cute)

Fandom: All For The Game

Ship: Andrew x Neil

Summary: "10 years after the end of The King's Men, Andrew and Neil have decided to foster a kid. They have low expectations for themselves--they're not exactly ideal parenting material--but at the very least, the kid will be safe with them. But neither Andrew nor Neil do temporary very well.

Full disclosure: highly character-driven, minimally plot-driven."

(Wangxian and MDZS IS my newest hyperfixation and I love the juniors dynamics fics so much lol)

The One-Body Problem by metisket

Fandom: MDZS

Ship: Wei Ying x Lan Zhan

Summary: "The good news is that Lan Jingyi has found a mentor, friend, and constant companion through the difficulties in life.

The bad news is that that’s because he’s been accidentally possessed by the Yiling Patriarch."

Operation Old Men by Chiharu

Fandom: MDZS

Ship: Wei Ying x Lan Zhan

Summary: "An ill-fated parent teacher conference reunites Jin Ling's wayward uncle with Sizhui's father. AKA: A matchmaking disaster as told by Jin Ling, Sizhui, and Jingyi."

And Time Is But A Paper Moon by Sami

Fandom: MDZS

Ship: Wei Ying x Lan Zhan

Summary: ""Zewu-Jun. You once told me about a house surrounded by gentians, where you visited once a month, and how Lan Zhan still waited there, even when the door no longer opened."

Xichen feels light-headed. He feels shocked, and angry. He has never told anyone such a thing, but Lan Zhan is giving Xichen a look of utter betrayal.

"You told him?" Lan Zhan whispers. "When?"

Wei Wuxian takes Lan Zhan's hand. "About twenty years from now."

*******

Wei Wuxian starts again from the beginning."

(the first time) he kissed a boy by buzzcut__season

Fandom: Sk8 The Infinity

Ship: Langa x Reki

Summary: "Reki is insecure about his lack of kissing experience. Langa just wants to help him feel like he's good enough, even if teaching Reki to kiss means breaking his own heart."

The Gambler by MooeyDooey

Fandom: Sk8 The Infinity

Ship: Joe x Cherry

Summary: "Joe and Cherry run into a problem. Conspiracy theories have started to surface in some fan forums of "S" that the two of them are secretly dating one another.

Both of them agree that the idea is absurd, but can't agree on which one of them would be the better boyfriend if they actually were dating. So they decide to have a competition, to see who can be the better romantic partner when pitted up against one another."

The One Where Nico Has 30 Boyfriends by a_million_stars

Fandom: PJO

Ship: Will x Nico

Summary: "“Seriously? Me and Lester?” Nico looked ready to kill him. “If you keep speaking to me I think I’m going to throw up.”

Or, a new friend from college desperately tries to figure out who Nico's secret boyfriend is. He messes up. A lot. If only Nico didn't have so many weirdly close friends from high school."

Burgundy (not Maroon) by Eggplant_Crusader

Fandom: Wednesday

Ship: Wednesday x Enid

Summary: "They're driving each other insane. It can't last. One of these days, one of them will surely kill the other. Enid wants to avoid that. Wednesday can't wait."

Like Everything Glows by Annie_Vi

(One of the only people I'll read RPS fics from. Everything this woman writes is gold, this is my favorite though, and the first i read of hers)

Fandom: BTS

Ship: Jimin x Jungkook

Summary: "Jeon Jeongguk watches the sun rise and set on the water every day without wondering what may lie far beneath the surface. One nighttime walk along the beach upheaves his entire life, sending his human morals into a tailspin as he questions what his beliefs really are."

(I need more shows with good wlw ships that have good fics too!! If anyone has any good recs, send them my way!! Also there are so many good fics I've read that i realized i never bookmarked and now i cant remember what they are. Lesson learned. Bookmark everything! Thanks for the ask!!)

[ladyloveandjustice]

My Top Seven Anime I Watched in 2022

Here are the best of the best, alongside a few bonus good, good anime. Please note that I’m only including premieres I actually watched in 2022, and there are a few ones I haven’t gotten to yet. I only started watching Bocchi the Rock! this month (and I’m enjoying it) and I’ve heard good things about Raven of the Inner Palace, so I’m planning on checking that out.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury

Suletta Mercury arrives at her new school with a mech named Aerial and a checklist of friendship milestones she wants to achieve after being homeschooled for years- only to immediately get involved in giant robot duels and engaged to a prickly heiress. Unbeknownst to Suletta, she’s a tool in her mother’s revenge scheme against the terrible corporation that destroyed their family, and things will only get more complicated. Sometimes a fun romp, sometimes an action-filled thriller, and saving its best twist for the very end, this might just be the anime of the year for me. The romance between the two girls at the heart of the series always has you rooting for it, it introduces you to some great kids (and a ton of cool ladies) and as a bonus, it’s wonderfully inclusive. The only think holding me back is the fact it’s not over yet! I’m praying the second season keeps up the good work.

Read my full review here.

Spy x Family

The smash hit about a spy dad, assassin mom, and telepath child who all form a ‘fake’ family- but will they develop real familial feelings? Cute, funny, nicely animated and full of wacky fights and missions, it needs no introduction. It’s just a good time! The second season isn’t quite as strong as the first, but it’s fun to watch throughout and there’s more good material coming!

Read my full reviews here and here.

Akiba Maid War

A fun genre mashup that depicts early 2000’s maid cafes engaged in violent battles over territory (similar to yakuza movies). Features a lot of outrageous comedy and the world’s most loveable terrifying murder maid in Ranko. One of my favorites of the year.

Read my full review here.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 3

The romantic comedy offers some slick animation and bombastic humor as always, while featuring some truly satisfying relationship development.

Read my full review here.

Mob Psycho 100 Season 3

The final season of one of the best anime of the last decade, it offers a perfect resolution to the offbeat relationship of young psychic Mob and his con-man mentor Reigen, while making a strong final statement on the series’ themes of power, identity, self-acceptance and deception.

Read my full review here.

The Executioner and Her Way of Life

In Menou’s world, kids dropping in from Japan and gaining incredible superpowers is a common occurrence. This rarely ends well, so it’s Menou’s job to murder these teens before they can become threats. But her latest target, Akari, has powers that make her unkillable- and she has feelings for Menou! What’s an assassin to do? A darker take on the isekai formula, the show is uneven in parts, but it’s a fun ride and most importantly, full of flawed, murderous women getting in cool fights and having romantic attention for each other. I gotta love it. The world has a ton of potential, so I hope this yuri action romp will get a follow up someday.

Read my full review here.

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story

A tough teenager is embroiled in an illegal golf ring run by the mafia- you heard me- and while navigating ridiculous obstacles and dirty tactics, she becomes smitten with a rival Japanese golfer named Aoi and wants nothing more than to see her again…

I debated on whether to include this because the second season is really going to dictate how I feel about it, but it made a hell of an impression, so I had to. After all, in the first episode alone, Eve hits a golf ball through a moving train while up against someone in a clown mask. A gloriously stupid and ludicrous take on golf that only anime could do, Birdie Wing makes the most of its low budget to give a unforgettable experience. Just please don’t do a “Eve and Aoi are secretly sisters” twist in Season 2.

Read my full review here.

Bonus anime I really enjoyed:

Aharen-san wa Hakaranai (Aharen is Impossible to Understand) is a very adorable, funny anime about two ridiculous kids finding each other and has a nice trans-positive treatment of one character,

 Shikimori’s not Just a Cutie (review here) is a cute anime about a soft-hearted boy and a very cool girl who date,

Ya Boy Kongming! is an anime about famous military strategist from the Three Kingdoms era suddenly finding himself in modern Japan. He comes across a talented but unknown singer and decided to put his gift for strategy to use in managing her singing career and helping her to the top. This is just plain fun, and has a really sweet (and shippable) female friendship at it’s core by the end.

And finally, Sasaki and Miyano (review here) is a slow paced but sweet romance between two boys.

[alterchaos]

WORLDS APART

Everyone searches on for the missing child. Sonic comes to a realization, racing off to help his friend find the closure she desperately needs...

PREVIOUS CHAPTER: IF TIME STOOD STILL

NEXT CHAPTER: GOODBYE, MY FRIENDS

“EVE!!! EVE ARE YOU OUT HERE!!??”

“EEEEVE!!!!”

Everyone was searching for the missing girl: her parents, her brother, her friends, and even her extended family. Nobody was going to sleep that night until they knew the small child was safe.

“EVELYYYN!!!”

“SWEETHEART, WHERE ARE YOU!!!??”

Sonic had already searched the city inside and out, even checking the now-abandoned site where they’d first met all those months ago.

Nothing.

Not a single sign of her.

The hedgehog continued retracing their steps from that day, finding himself on the hillside overlooking the city next. He called out, only the spring wind howling in response. He scrunched his eyes shut in frustration.

“Eve…where are you?”

As he turned to leave, a colorful piece of fabric caught his eye. He walked over to the tree where it was caught, pulling it free and holding it with care in his trembling hands.

Her blue ribbon…

Sonic stumbled to his knees in distress before rising once more. She was here at some point. Sonic checked the surrounding areas thoroughly. Though she couldn’t have gotten far, she’d seemed to just vanished into thin air, somehow eluding the fastest being alive.

It was hopeless…

Eve was nowhere to be found…

Sonic clutched the ribbon close to his chest, looking up in newfound determination.

No.

He was going to find her.

Even if he had to scour the entire earth, he would find her.

He wasn’t going back to Mobius until he did.

“Come on…Think, Sonic…Where else would she have gone…”

Where else would she have felt happy…

Loved…

Surrounded by friends…

Sonic’s eyes flew open.

“Silver Valley…”

Though he had no clue how she would have gotten there so quickly, he knew without a doubt that the site of their first adventure together meant more to her than even this hillside. It was the site where she first connected with everyone she cherished so deeply.

Where she truly came alive.

“I’m coming, Eve.”

SHOOOOOOM!

—----------------------------------------------------

Sure enough, there she was.

The girl sat along the lake’s shore, hugging her knees tight while she buried her face deep within. Her hair stuck out in various places and her gown was torn along her arms and side, her body having scraped against various trees and branches along the hillside as she ran. Her feet were bare, scraped and red along her sides and soles. She didn’t seem to be crying, at least not anymore and didn’t run as Sonic quietly approached, careful not to spook her.

“I don’t hate you. I’m sorry I was so mean.”

Sonic froze, eyes wide with worry. Her muffled voice was hoarse and tired. She sniffed, hugging herself a bit tighter.

He smiled, “Nobody thinks you were mean.”

“But I was…”

“You were just upset. We all say things we regret when we’re upset.”

“...”

Sonic sat down beside her, looking out over the peaceful lake.

“I was upset tonight too, you know.”

“At me?”

“No. Not even close.”

She raised her head slightly, Sonic able to see a few of the scrapes along her cheeks. Her face was red from crying, her turquoise eyes appearing even more striking against the warm hue. His ears fell at the sight. It tore him up to see her like this.

“You’re hurt…”

Her eyes widened slightly before she buried her face once more, hiding it from his sight, “It’s nothing…Don’t worry about me…”

“How can I not? Eve, you ran away from home. Everyone is worried about you.”

A few sniffles could be heard beneath the mass of golden hair.

“I-I’m sorry…I-I didn’t m-mean to make e-everyone worry about m-me…” A few tiny sobs escaped her as she shivered against the cool night air.

Sonic stood up, racing off for a moment while the girl continued to shiver. After a few seconds, he returned with a pile of logs and some stones. She watched the hedgehog as he meticulously placed all the materials along the dry part of the shore. He then struck two of the stones together, creating a spark to ignite the wood. He bent down, blowing on the base of his creation until the flames picked up, dancing against the night sky. She scooted closer, taking in the warmth of the fire.

“There. Better?”

Eve nodded, remaining silent. Sonic sat there in silence with her, allowing her a moment to gather her thoughts and speak whenever she was ready.

“Sonic…I don’t want you to leave…”

“I know…But if I don’t, a lot of innocent people could be hurt…you included…”

“...”

“Eve, listen…Just because I have to go doesn’t mean you can’t keep living the life you want. You have that power. You’ll be okay.”

Eve raised her head before looking away slightly in shame, “But what if I’m not? What if I forget you?”

Sonic chuckled, “Forget the ‘giant, talking porcupine’ that invaded your home planet from another dimension? I highly doubt that.”

Eve chuckled in like, smiling for a moment before faltering and looking down sadly. Tears lined her eyes as Sonic raised a gentle hand to her chin, lifting her head so her eyes could see him. He was smiling, though his eyes were wet as well.

“I want you to remember me with a smile, not tears…okay?”

“Sonic…” Eve lunged in for a hug, “Promise you won’t forget me too?”

Sonic hugged back, a few tears falling from his own eyes, “Never. I promise.”

“Not even if we’re worlds apart?”

“Nope. Not even then.”

The two friends stayed like that beneath the moonlight.

“You’ll always have a place in my heart. True friendship lasts until the end.”

“Until the end?”

“Yeah. Until the end.”

CHAPTER END

[bilboyagathechickenfootedhobbit]

I need you all to stop what you’re doing and go watch The Power RIGHT FREAKING NOW. It’s on Amazon Prime and I don’t care if you have to beg, borrow, or steal someone’s password, DO IT.

It’s based on Naomi Alderman’s book and even though it’s been a while since I read it, it seems pretty close to the source material and if it strays from it, it does it in ways that only add to the story.

The premise: young girls start to develop a new organ that allows them to shoot electricity out of their hands. Naturally, the government wants to regulate this, as they do anything having to do with women. The show follows several different characters around the world and does an excellent job of portraying the different cultures and incorporating different languages naturally into the dialogue.

Highlights:

- they show a fucking live birth oh my god it’s such a powerful fucking moment I’m getting goosebumps even typing about it

- victims of sex trafficking blowing a dudes dick off with electricity

- a girl making a man shit himself in a pool when she zaps him

- a gang of rebel women electrocuting a man after he calls them “daft cows”

- a woman beating a man to death for kicking her dog

- the Riyadh protest. The strength and the power, contrasted with the moment where the mother appeals to her soldier son, and the softness and love that follows

- Moana getting high with her mom, the mayor of Seattle

- a true array of diverse women and girls. Body types, races, upbringings, cultures…..there are just SO MANY WOMEN to admire and appreciate the diversity

- two lesbians using their electricity to get each other off, I wanted to cry, it was so sweet and tender and the one girl is fat, like ACTUALLY fat, not just “curvy but with more” and she got to be sexy and not have it be a punchline

- John Leguizamo playing a dad is just…..so good. I’ve loved him since he was a drag queen in To Wong Foo, and I’m so glad he’s aged so nicely along with my tastes

- the placenta power move, god I love General Zoia

The storyline is excellent, the character development is SO GOOD, the music……I’ve actually started keeping a list in my phone of all the music to make the ultimate feminist playlist, it’s so fucking good.

Amazon did a SHIT JOB promoting this. I LOVED the book and would have been ALL OVER this show a year ago when it came out if I’d known about it. I don’t know if it’s been renewed, but PLEASE PLEASE go and watch it. I really hope it gets some attention because I desperately want it to be renewed, I know what happens because I read the book, but I want to see how they portray it on screen!! Eve just got her strongest warrior and I want to see them kick ass together!!

GO WATCH THE POWER NOW!!!

[little-peril-stories]

The Prince of Thieves: As Good as Gold, and Better: Part I

Contains: an awkwardly, slowly developing romance 💕, the scratches you get when you put up a Christmas tree 🎄

Previous | TPOT Masterlist | Next | Read on Ao3 instead

Word count: 2850 || Approx reading time: 12 mins

Follows from TPOT's Ending B: it ends with a promise (not the kissing ending).

As Good as Gold, and Better: Part I

Teaser: It does look like she’s been in a hot kitchen for hours: hair in a wild, unkempt halo around her head from the heat, bright spots in her cheeks, sweat glistening on her face and neck, dark strands that slipped from her braid slicked onto her skin.

Colette

That innkeeper woman, Stella, really is a piece of work.

She’s interesting to watch, for sure. When she’s running around playing her role as the dog-tired, long-suffering inn owner, barking orders at her staff—and at anyone who steps out of line, actually, whether they’re a guest or a stranger or anything else—she’s intimidating, and I can understand why a little flicker of fear comes into Bree’s eyes every time she hears a screech of, “Lucy!” hurtling across the dining room.

But there’s a softness to her that comes out when she’s talking to the other woman, Celeste, who helps her run the place, and it’s in those moments that I can’t take my eyes off the two of them. Once, in the span of an hour, I watched her reach for her partner’s hand and brush their fingers together nine times. And every time Stella looked over at Celeste, she smiled.

It vanished every time she looked at anyone else, of course, but it was there.

I spend a lot of my time watching those two, actually. What does Celeste see in Stella that the rest of us can’t? I wonder what about her must be so very different when they’re away from the eyes of their guests. Of the outside world.

Bree and the other girl she works with, a pretty blonde thing who makes doe eyes at every handsome man who walks through the door, don’t seem to wonder nearly as much as I do, but they do sure love Celeste for being the one thing that seems to keep Stella happy and not yelling at them.

It’s been one of those days where we’ve barely seen Bree at all. Victoria’s been running around helping people in the dining room, along with her two bosses from time to time, but Bree has been almost invisible. When I finally lay eyes on her, I burst into a laugh. “What happened to you?”

“Damn Christmas,” she mumbles, wiping her forehead on her sleeve—entirely pointless, because she’s covered in flour, and now there’s just more of it streaking her face. “I spent the morning cleaning upstairs and now I’m on baking duty.”

It does look like she’s been in a hot kitchen for hours: hair in a wild, unkempt halo around her head from the heat, bright spots in her cheeks, sweat glistening on her face and neck, dark strands that slipped from her braid slicked onto her skin.

“And that?” I ask, stifling a laugh at the sight of a golden-brown splotch on her apron.

“Brandy,” she replies darkly. “I knocked it over and our cook almost clubbed me to death with the bottle.”

“Oh,” Victoria says, swinging by, a stack of soiled napkins piled high in her arms. “I dropped the flour last year. I thought he was going to kill me right then and there.”

“Merry Christmas,” Bree says, shaking her head, and with a tired, sighing chuckle, Victoria returns the sentiment and disappears.

Bree dusts her hands off fruitlessly on her skirt. “Where are the others?”

The others, indeed. But I let her pretend she cares about where all of them went, not just one. “Your boss woman put them to work.”

Bree blinks. “Really?”

“Mmm hmm. You’ll see soon enough.” I drum my fingers on the copy I found of A Christmas Carol, the only appropriate (well, palatable) reading material for Christmas Eve in this place. “I made myself scarce and escaped.”

“That was wise.”

“I agree.”

She’s eyeing the book, and after a moment, I push it toward her. “You’ve read it before?”

“A long time ago.” The crackle of flipping pages drifts upwards as she peruses, scanning the words but not really seeming to read in-depth. “I remember liking it.”

“I’m probably going to end up reading it to them tonight,” I say. “Maybe finish it tomorrow.”

“To them?”

“Yes.” Is that strange? Hard to tell. Jamie, Will, Geoff, and I have been together for so many years now, it’s hard to tell what might be considered out of the ordinary by everyone else’s standards. But Allan’s never seemed to think it’s bizarre when we have our little read-aloud sessions. Although, to be fair, I wouldn’t necessarily trust him to tell me what’s normal and what’s not; he generally doesn’t know, anyway. “Like a tradition. Jamie reads sometimes, but it’s usually me.”

Bree bites her lip, hiding a smile. “You don’t make Will do it?”

“Ha! Good luck with that.” The thought is laughable. “Ask him and see what he says.”

She grins down at the book, and I let her keep flipping through. Celeste, breezing by, takes pity on her and drops off a plate of food to nibble on before she heads back to work. Bree absently chews on some buttered bread, going back to the first page, seeming to get lost there and entirely forget that we were talking.

I don’t mind. Inns are good places for people-watching, and sitting with her while I wait to get the book back is as good a cover as any while I peek around. Of course, in the middle of the day, there aren’t that many folks to stare at, but it's fun to spot interesting characters, anyway. Including the one right in front of me, who is far too weary and distracted to notice my scrutiny, and who is almost as fascinating as her bosses that I also like to spy on.

It’s a wonder, the difference between the girl who sneaked out of Allan’s house to disappear on the wind and the one with me now. Aside from the obvious—one year older, longer hair, scars faded—there’s more. Something else. And it’s hard to pinpoint, exactly, which is why I’m staring, perhaps. If the Bree of one year ago was heartbroken, or maybe just plain broken, this one is whole, but still plaintive. Sad, but not miserable. Melancholy in a tired, dreamy, but generally-all-right kind of way.

I wonder what it’ll take to strip away some of the wistfulness. If it can be stripped away at all.

“Do you think…” she begins, brushing her wild hair behind her ear as she looks up from the book, but before she can continue, the door flies open, making us all jump.

“Watch it! Are you trying to break down my door?” bellows Stella, invisible but omnipresent and, apparently, omniscient, too.

“Sorry!” It’s Jamie who calls back in rapid, contrite apology.

“Oh, look. Your hired labourers have returned.” I’m already fighting back a laugh, and there are almost too many reasons why. One, Bree was so startled, she nearly dropped her bread and had to fumble for it before the whole slice fell butter-side-down on the bar. Two, Jamie’s obviously really embarrassed, turning a hilarious shade of scarlet, by the attention we’re all giving them as they traipse inside, and probably because they’ve already gotten yelled at and they’ve only been here for a few seconds. Three, Victoria’s back, and she’s blushing, too, but for a different reason, and that reason is grinning and barrelling through the door with his coat off, one sleeve rolled up, and his shirt buttons half-undone, all pink-cheeked and sweaty but showing off more skin in the midst of this dark and dreary winter than Victoria’s sweet little small-town heart can evidently handle.

“Oh, my,” she gasps, grabbing Bree by the elbow and startling her even more. “Do you see?”

“Victoria!” Bree wriggles out of her hold. “You—you can’t fall in love with all of them.” She’s suddenly got roses in her cheeks, too.

“And whyever not?”

“Because…” God, I’m so glad I didn’t go out with the others. This interaction by itself is worth missing out on whatever festive tomfoolery they got up to outside. “Because Stella will kill you.”

Victoria rolls her eyes as if she isn’t just as afraid of Stella as Bree is. “He’s half-undressed!”

Either she’s forgotten that I’m one of his party, or she simply doesn’t care that she’s ogling poor Will in front of me. Not that I care who she gawks at, of course, but someone seems to mind.

“For heaven’s sake,” Bree says, staring at the ceiling. “Go back to work and let them bring in the tree in peace.” As Victoria blatantly ignores her and fusses with some invented task behind the bar so she can keep gaping, Bree shoots a quick glance at the exposed chest in question, then directs her gaze back to A Christmas Carol.

“Will,” I say admonishingly when he approaches, grinning and still sweating, once the tree is set up in the place Stella requested and not a hairsbreadth to the right or left, “button up your shirt. You’re indecent. You’re scandalizing everyone.”

He throws me a look of confusion, probably recognizing that I’ve never given a damn about his bare chest before and not quite quick enough to discern any reason I’d be bringing it up now. “I don’t hear anyone else complaining.”

Victoria, still mysteriously present and already fluttering her eyelashes just in case Will turns toward her, shakes her head in firm agreement.

“Do it, or I’m going to tell Stella that you’re the one who slammed the door on the way in.”

His mouth drops open. “That wasn’t me! It was the damn wind.” But he obeys, because even he’s not thick-headed enough to think he could take Stella in a fight.

Victoria, as Will makes a big show of doing up every button of his shirt, gives me such a tragically sorrowful glare that I almost have to duck behind the damn tree just to hide a new eruption of laughter.

“So?” he asks Bree when he’s done being dramatic, pulling her attention that was intently fixated on the book. “How’d we do? It’s nice, right?”

He’s certainly not wrong about that: they’ve brought in a healthy, fulsome thing, with glistening green branches and fluffy-looking needles that are clearly deceptive in their appearance, if Will’s arms are any indication.

“It’s lovely—very festive and beautiful.” Bree claps the book closed and hands it back to me. “Look at you! Your arms are all scratched up. Did you wrestle it out of the ground?”

“I wasn’t the one who started it! That thing had it coming.” He grins. “Anyway, you can guess who came out on top.”

Ugh. I roll my eyes, but neither of them notices.

“You look like you’ve been through a war,” Bree says, picking a pine needle off his shoulder. Her fingers hover over the side of his head, like she’s thinking about rescuing the ones that got caught in his hair, but she pauses. Thinks better of it. Pulls away.

God, I wish Geoff were next to me. He and I could smack our heads off the bar together.

“Um…” She hurries away, snatches up a white cloth and disappears, returning moments later with the thing now damp. “Here. To clean the scratches.”

“Thanks,” Will says, raising his eyebrows at the brandy stain on her apron and taking the cloth, absently wiping at his arms. “You also look like you’ve been off to war.”

Immediately self-conscious, she brushes her hands over the offending spot, then smooths down her heat-frizzy hair. “You won’t be making fun of me when you get to reap the rewards of all the baking I’ve been doing.”

Bree and I both have to laugh at the way his eyes light up at that. “What are you baking?”

“So much fruitcake. All afternoon.” With a glance at the clock, she adds sullenly, “And I’ve probably got to go back soon. The cook’s already grumpy enough. Shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

“I’ll be around, though, if you need anything,” says Victoria sweetly.

I would give a lot to see how Bree’s going to react to that, but the inn door cracks open again, eliciting another furious shout from Stella, and in walks the other performer in the circus that’s been going on since we blew in on that snowstorm a month ago.

Under her breath, Bree mutters, “Oh, goddamnit.” Meanwhile, Victoria looks like Christmas morning has come a day and a half early.

Where the hell is Geoff? He’s the only one who appreciates the melodrama as much as me. Jamie and Allan want nothing to do with it, and Will’s centre stage in it, so for god’s sake, Geoff needs to get his ass over here, now, because a familiar face just walked in with his saucy smirk, golden hair, and long legs, and Bree’s rolling her eyes and Victoria’s blushing and Will’s turning around to see what’s eliciting these reactions and it’s all so stupid and delicious that I don’t know if I’m going to make it to Christmas morning.

When it was Verie trying to insert herself into the nonsense, it was annoying. Now that it’s Will, Bree, and the other unwitting players stumbling around like brand-new ingenues who haven’t yet learned their parts, it’s hilarious. A month, a whole month it’s been, of the two of them making excuses to talk to one another at least three times a day and usually more, so we not-oblivious folk can spectate in excruciating suspense while they invariably talk about nothing and act like they’ve forgotten their own damn names, and then pretend not to notice or care when the other gets chased after by someone else.

“I’ll go get the decorations,” Bree says quickly. “Victoria, do you want to help me carry them?”

“Of course,” her friend says airily, still bright red and starry-eyed. “You’re not really going to skip out on decorating to help that stuffy old cook the whole time, are you?”

“I am,” I hear Bree say as they disappear, “because, believe it or not, I want to get paid and I don’t want Stella to kick my…”

I open A Christmas Carol to my bookmark, trying to catch Geoff’s eye to silently communicate that he needs to get over here, because it sure seems like the Christmas pageant is about to get far more riveting.

“It’s Christmas Eve,” Will says suddenly, his back going straight. “Tomorrow’s Christmas.”

I can’t help it—at this, I stare at him like he’s grown an extra head. “Yes? Are you just realizing that now?”

“Well, no, I just—”

“Did the fact that Stella sent you out for a Christmas tree not tip you off?”

“No, I just—I kind of forgot—ah, shit.” He screws up his face. “I’m just not done, that’s all.”

Oh, Will. That brain of his is so disorganized, I honestly think he’d leave his limbs behind every time he went somewhere if they weren’t, thankfully (and somewhat miraculously), all attached to the rest of him. “Not done what?”

“Nothing.” But the tips of his ears are going red, so it’s definitely something. He turns around to peer at the door through which Bree and Victoria just vanished. I take the moment to glance at Goldilocks, who comes in here a few times a week to tease Bree and Victoria and drink with his friends. Bree usually seems to find him a mix of amusing and annoying, while Victoria switches between demure and coquettish often enough that it’s difficult to tell which one is closer to the truth.

Today, he’s looking a little more mischievous than usual. In fact, on his glance around the place—obviously looking for the other two and not finding them—he even winks at me, to which I retaliate with an unambiguously disinterested scoff. Like always, he shrugs the rejection off with a grin and takes a seat to wait for his friends.

“Him again,” says Will.

“Mmm hmm.” Every time, I wait for him to say something about the way that blond-haired Henry boy teases Bree—how he winks at her, acts terribly familiar, and openly flirts with her with shameless abandon. Every damn time, my darling little blockhead of a friend lets me down.

At least today he seems to have a reason to be so oblivious, even if I’m not sure what it is he’s “not done.”

“Okay. I’ll tell Stella and Celeste the tree’s ready for decorating.” Bree reappears, flush faded from her cheeks, with a box of paper flowers in one arm and a bowl of dried fruit slices in the other.

“Ask them if you can come help,” Victoria says with a pout. Her arms are laden, too—fresh, unblemished coloured paper, to make more flowers, I imagine, popping corn, and an assortment of dried leaves and pinecones. “I don’t want you to miss the fun. He can finish the baking by himself.”

A little hopelessly, Bree promises, “I’ll try.”

Goldilocks eyes Bree as she disappears again, her unkempt braid swinging with each step. I steal another glance at Will to see if he’s noticed, but he’s got his head turned the wrong way to see, because he’s watching Bree walk away, too.

Previous | TPOT Masterlist | Next

[ccrusso]

Boroughs Task 001: Character Playlist

the way her taste in music practically showed itself to me INSTANTLY once i knew how she was gonna be lol this is just what she's listening to when on the go and what's playing at the salon when she's in charge of the aux!

rich girl // gwen stefani ft. eve, whit glove // dove cameron, no me acuerdo // thalia ft. natti natasha, can't get you out of my head // kylie minogue, material girl // madonna, rosas // oreja de van gogh, positions // ariana grande, super freak // rick james, shakira: bzrp music sessions vol. 53 // bizzarrap ft. shakira, kiss me more // doja cat ft. sza, bet u wanna // sabrina carpenter, te felicito // shakira ft. rauw alejandro, heart of glass // blondie, best friend // saweetie ft. doja cat, hawai remix // maluma ft. the weekend, break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored // ariana grande, it's all coming back to me now ft. celine dion, maneater // nelly furtado, amor prohibido // selena, back to black // amy winehouse, apple // charlie xcx, boss bitch // doja cat, s&m // rihanna, amor a primera vista // los angeles azules, ft. belinda, lalo ebratt, and horacio palencia, buttons // the pussycat dolls, femininomenon // chappell roan, joyride // kesha, wasabi // little mix, physical // dua lipa, i wanna dance with somebody // whitney houston, fergalicious // fergie ft. will.i.am, love on the brain // rihanna, all of us // labrinth ft. zendaya, fantasy // mariah carey, juice // lizzo, say so // doja cat, no scrubs // tlc, stars are blind // paris hilton, your love is my drug // kesha, give me everything // pitbull ft. ne-yo, nayer and afrojack, tia tamera // doja cat ft. rico nasty, clumsy // fergie, gasolina // daddy yankee, formation // beyonce, only girl (in the world) // rihanna, hot to go! // chappell roan

[shannyh25]

When Matthew came to think the matter over he decided that a woman was required to cope with the situation. Marilla was out of the question. Matthew felt sure she would throw cold water on his project at once. Remained only Mrs. Lynde; for of no other woman in Avonlea would Matthew have dared to ask advice. To Mrs. Lynde he went accordingly, and that good lady promptly took the matter out of the harassed man's hands.

Pick out a dress for you to give Anne? To be sure I will. I'm going to Carmody to-morrow and I'll attend to it. Have you something particular in mind? No? Well, I'll just go by my own judgment then. I believe a nice rich brown would just suit Anne, and William Blair has some new gloria in that's real pretty. Perhaps you'd like me to make it up for her, too, seeing that if Marilla was to make it Anne would probably get wind of it before the time and spoil the surprise? Well, I'll do it. No, it isn't a mite of trouble. I like sewing. I'll make it to fit my niece, Jenny Gillis, for she and Anne are as like as two peas as far as figure goes."

"Well now, I'm much obliged," said Matthew, "and — and — I dunno — but I'd like — I think they make the sleeves different nowadays to what they used to be. If it wouldn't be asking too much I — I'd like them made in the new way."

"Puffs? Of course. You needn't worry a speck more about it, Matthew. I'll make it up in the very latest fashion," said Mrs. Lynde. To herself she added when Matthew had gone:

"It'll be a real satisfaction to see that poor child wearing something decent for once. The way Marilla dresses her is positively ridiculous, that's what, and I've ached to tell her so plainly a dozen times. I've held my tongue though, for I can see Marilla doesn't want advice and she thinks she knows more about bringing children up than I do for all she's an old maid. But that's always the way. Folks that has brought up children know that there's no hard and fast method in the world that'll suit every child. But them as never have think it's all as plain and easy as Rule of Three — just set your three terms down so fashion, and the sum'll work out correct. But flesh and blood don't come under the head of arithmetic and that's where Marilla Cuthbert makes her mistake. I suppose she's trying to cultivate a spirit of humility in Anne by dressing her as she does; but it's more likely to cultivate envy and discontent. I'm sure the child must feel the difference between her clothes and the other girls'. But to think of Matthew taking notice of it! That man is waking up after being asleep for over sixty years."

Marilla knew all the following fortnight that Matthew had something on his mind, but what it was she could not guess, until Christmas Eve, when Mrs. Lynde brought up the new dress. Marilla behaved pretty well on the whole, although it is very likely she distrusted Mrs. Lynde's diplomatic explanation that she had made the dress because Matthew was afraid Anne would find out about it too soon if Marilla made it.

"So this is what Matthew has been looking so mysterious over and grinning about to himself for two weeks, is it?" she said a little stiffly but tolerantly. "I knew he was up to some foolishness. Well, I must say I don't think Anne needed any more dresses. I made her three good, warm, serviceable ones this fall, and anything more is sheer extravagance. There's enough material in those sleeves alone to make a waist, I declare there is. You'll just pamper Anne's vanity, Matthew, and she's as vain as a peacock now. Well, I hope she'll be satisfied at last, for I know she's been hankering after those silly sleeves ever since they came in, although she never said a word after the first. The puffs have been getting bigger and more ridiculous right along; they're as big as balloons now. Next year anybody who wears them will have to go through a door sideways." Lucy Maud Montgomery quotes- Anne Of Green Gables.

Follow me for more inspiration! 💜💕

[plasticfangtastic]

Of the Same Poisonous Ilk. Ch. 3

A Homelander fanfiction

A/N: It was a Sazerac Straight Rye whiskey bottle. Additional chapter specific tags: sissyfication, bottom Butcher and exhibitionism. Long chapter-- Previous chapter:

R18+ all tags for this fic: violence, gore, smut, selfcest, butchlander, homewell, discussion of sexualization of minors, child abuse, Femlander, multiverse shenanigangs, canon divergent, darkfic, 3some and Bi lander. (all tags used for this story)

Chapter three

Crumbling beneath him, gasping, wriggling, each exhausted moan frying his vocal chords, William can’t do anything but chew at his fingers, trying to queit his crescendo, each thrust driving him to the edge of insanity as his prostate is abused over and over.

Drool dripping uncontrollably as slim fingers forced his jaw open, using his skull like reigns as the man’s muscular body slams itself behind him, each trust rougher and deeper feeling his prostate burn with forbidden pleasure, his hips slapping back against John's– behind the tears and pleads for mercy both knew William wouldn’t let him stop, egging him to keep trusting, crying for his manhood to delve deeper and force shameful noises out of him, his hole sore and swollen, his knees giving up but the blonde will kept him still, a crooked smile slide into John's face– his William was built for this.

To be reduced to nothing but a cocksleeve, shivering and groaning like a cheap whore as he took his owner’s cock, he craved him relentlessly, able to end this at any point but William took gracefully, needing John’s strong arms to hold him and contain him, to make him feel like a real man, his mind hazy as his prostate was smashed to bits, the pink tails of the toys shoved inside him pushed further and further inside almsot entering dangerous territory, William’s hand trying to hold himself still while the other tried to pleasure his trapped member, the cage so tight it was genuinely painful.

John was trying to make William understand he was his woman– so he didn’t need his worthless dick. Sadly for the blonde this pretty girl hadn’t been trained or broken before he got him, so he had to teach him that all cute girls cum only from their pussies, giving as many lessons as his princess needed to understand.

Homelander had no excuse, left alone in the Seven’s boardroom soon after the meeting had been cut short, he was handed his Eve’s phone, he had spend hours swiping thru photos, whole albums of just lingerie shots, she took exorbitant amounts of selfies but there were no friends, just famous fans and coworkers– learning what her world’s Maeve looked had been funny, King Agis was his name based on her contacts and some promotional material she had saved. Agis was a good looking redhead, tall, brutish looking lacking all of Maeve’s charms. It was cute but he moved on from that.

As he delved deeper and the sun began to set behind him, Homelander found a strange thumbnail. 

He listened around knowing most people had headed home, Joan was being handled by Ashley and Edgar, she had agreed to sit down for a chat about things that mattered little to Homelander, so he relaxed a bit– the image took him by surprise making his stomach churn, yet it made him exceedingly curious in a twisted way, with malice in his heart he fantasized with harassing Butcher with it, clicking it: It began with Butcher’s shameful display, his suit tossed on the ground implying he had been wearing this ensemble this whole time, his muscular body framed divinely beneath a pale pink flowery lingerie set, a dark pink bow hiding his bellybutton, beneath the draped excess fabric of the crotchless panty something modestly hid underneath, something sparkly and silver– his hairy chest bouncing as he stared at the camera, Homelander saw his reflection come into the frame, reaching after the man, holding his face tenderly, smearing some of that pale rose lipgloss with his thumb.

“Since when is my sweet princess shy?” He spoke softly, his hand traveling from his face into his shoulders sliding down until he took William’s hands, bringing them to his face delivering a flutter of kisses until his princess couldn't help but giggle– You want to have fun with Daddy, no?”

He nodded.

“Now why don’t we show the audience just how sweet you are, Will.” He kissed him, hungrily, passionately forcing moans and whimpers effortlessly out of William, the other man’s hands clinging to him– my sweet girl… just for me.”

“I love you” he breathlessly whispered.

“Oh Will… my princess” He kisses him sweetly– my dear.”

William followed his steps as the shorter man dropped into the bed, without coaxing or instruction, Butcher dropped into his knees, his pantyhoses stretching, groaning loudly as John’s hands stroke his hair, his body chasing tender loves, the camera followed the pair in the boring bedroom-- nothing but a couple dresses, a full length mirror and side tables on the expensive leather framed queen size bed.

Catching Joan’s reflection, Homelander began to form opinions of her person, her expression detached, wearing a large t-shirt and sweats, as if she had no intention to join.

Homelander felt his heart racing, lowering the volume on the device as he saw his own penis swallowed whole, taking it right to the base, eyes glued on the other man, bobbing his head hungrily, dripping drool and pre-cum down the thick shaft, Butcher sucked like a pro, he was well trained– Homelander was poisoned, he couldn’t take his eyes off, seeing the man reduced to nothing but a frenzied whore after him proved addictive, to watch him humiliated, crying and pleading for mercy after each violent gag, glad to see that he could take so much.

Homelander could see William slithering away, crying that it was too much, yet submitting to him, to see that smarmy bastard crying out for him knowing he would be his only relief from this torturous pleasure, to see his tacky shirt ripped open and soaked in musk and sweat as Homelander’s body smothered him, forcing him to plead for his trust to grind on that sweet spot – Homelander froze, his eyes opened painfully wide as he caught his own thoughts and hand.

His chest thumped, staring vacantly until strange sounds caught his attention, feeling his entire body boiling beneath the suit.

 His face dazed and glazed, his mouth moving on instinct as his exploited pussy was left alone just for John to cum on his pretty face, his tongue chasing after white ambrosia.

“There you go Princess… ahh… don’t waste a single drop.” he said, heaving, spitting sharp hissed as he quickly pumped his seed into Butcher’s lips, forcing them open as his tongue craved to clean him– that’s my sweet girl, always so good to Daddy.”

Butcher whined as the cock parted his lips, his eyes half-asleep and his brain fried, John brushed his cock against the light stubble on his cheek, enjoying the soft prickling.

“Are you going to leave his dick like that?” Joan had finally made a sound, she had whispered into John’s ear– "can't end without the money shot.”

“I guess my princess, deserves a good treat– do you want Daddy to make your boy clit feel good too”

He nodded sheepishly.

“Use your words” his voice lost its sweetness, it was firm taking Butcher’s face– or you forgot your manners?”

“No, Daddy…” He blushed so hard his skin was blotchy with pink– please… Please touch my cock!” he could almost cry, the pleasure and pain unbearable, his hips twitching underneath John– please Daddy!”

“What cock?” His hand travels lower pulling at the metal cage, feeling the member pulse beneath.

“Daddy… please…” he cried, twisting and writhing at his touch– please… hic… please touch my boy clit” He was sobbing yet smiling weakly, unable to believe he was saying such humiliating things smearing that pale lipgloss further down his cheeks as he covered his face in shame– please!”

“Good job princess” he sounded as if he was trying not to mock him, dismounting him, he placed himself in between his legs, tugging at the metal lock– take it off for me, sweetheart.” His voice molasses for the mic.

Homelander mouth was drowning, his cheeks so red, a strange tightness builds in his pants, he mindlessly stroke at his engorged member, trying to soothe himself, as he saw his mirror image, chuckle as the other man ripped the cage and make a hole on the wall, slapping John with his large throbbing cock.

Homelander couldn’t handle it, slapping the phone onto the table as his own lips placed a cheeky kiss on the long twitching clit.

The sounds obscene, whatever his mouth was doing it did it loudly and deep.

“I Love you, John!” The voice hoarsely cried– I love you…” Sounds muffled under his palm.

“Will… my Will…I don’t think I can live without you anymore…” His voice replied.

The men kissed passionately, as Butcher clung to him his lipgloss smearing into John’s face, his lips cleaning his tears as the man experienced a little bit of death as he rode the end of his orgasm. 

Why did he watch it? He was hyperventilating as the sounds played around him.

Why was his cock hurting?

He took the phone back pressing the back button, he would leave the others fake Homelander as tomorrow’s homework, he looked for anything to calm himself to wash away that strange satiated look on the last frame of that cursed video, she had so many pictures of herself– there had to be something he could work with! Anything to wash whatever the fuck was wrong with him, but he had terrible luck.

One cover finally got his attention.

A woman seen from a building away, the camera followed the figure as she moved in her apartment, throwing her jeans down one door and unbuttoning her shirt, the woman headed into her kitchen limping as she took a bottle of whiskey, heading straight for the couch, he skipped forward, Joan had stayed in place for almost forty minutes watching this woman as she passed out in from of the TV, flying slow and steady towards the apartment, sliding the patio door open, hovering to make sure her boots didn’t dare to squeak, the camera explored the sleeping woman’s face, a lip busted and a ugly bruise scratched her cheek, her hair long, messy and black just cascading down her shoulders.

“William…?” Homelander muttered.

She was scruffy but pretty, she was a mature woman whom time had been more than kind. Muscular and visibly taller than Joan based on how much of the couch she filled, her abs highlighted by the TV light, her breast tight behind an ill-fitting sports bra, and a little pale– Joan placed the phone on the coffee table, floating atop the couch’s back waving at the camera.

Homelander raised his eyebrow as he saw it unfold.

Expecting a head to be lop off, bones cracked and limbs wrung, anything bloody but instead there to witness the kinks of an exhibitionist. Her tongue licking and spitting into the mouth of her Butcher’s bottle, not even stopping as her tongue cease fellating the glass and dangerously tickled the skin of Billie’s knuckles, the woman briefly made a sound leaving the other to freeze, with every heart stopping second her smile grew wider as the woman refused to wake up, achingly slow she adjusted the bottle tucking it into her elbow while another hand held the shape, unbeknown to Homelander this Butcher hadn’t slept or eating much for three days, just running quite a lot during the long weekend, her exhaustion already leaving her delirious, and all thanks to Ms. Homelander.

Homelander mouth dropped as the woman tucked her cape into her belt, thanking the gods she could hover, shoving one of her gloves into her mouth to muffle her salacious moans as she fucked herself on Butcher’s bottle, her puffy lips just parting wide enough to welcome the hard neck, she stroke her clit lightly as she adjusted her body, flicking her cunt and caressing her soft plump pussy— cumming so quickly it almost didn’t seem worth it… yet leaving trembling straight towards the ceiling, knowing how bad she was acting was beyond thrilling, her twitchy smile dropped the glove– clarity reaching her brain as she caught the glove mid-air.

Floating off screen bringing wet and dry paper towels, making sure to thoroughly clean the bottle’s mouth and neck, giving it a sniff to make sure she had done a good job only turning around to the camera with two thumbs-up.

Planting a cheeky kiss on Butcher’s hair, making sure she wouldn’t wake up then leaving soon after.

Homelander’s cock was screaming, crying for relief and teasing the fabric, his whole body twitching as he squeezed, he took his member watching how swollen and wet he was, the fabric of his tights snuggly fit around his hips felt agonizing on his skin, Homelander went down searching for anything similar, there Joan was in some event backstage, hiding behind some boxes and cables flicking herself as some nobody delivered a speech, people could be seen walking behind her, but she kept drawing circles on her sopping cunt, hissing and moaning as she came silently, feeling light she reaches for her phone with a satiated gaze.

“Can’t miss my cue.” she says, fixing her hair.

Homelander pumped his cock, squeezing the tip with sharp fast pumps, leaning his head back as blood left his brain, the white light faded as his balls twitched underneath his hand, precum slick around his fingers, he groaned loudly spilling his thick seed onto marbled floors, he stared at his cum covered glove unable to do anything but cry and chuckle at his own nonsense.

He took the phone aching to delete the videos, but knowing doing so might make the girl upset.

He laughed to himself, knowing he was going to wash his hands red as he paid a visit to the nerds downstairs.

Starlight stared at Hughie for a very long time, disturbingly long enough for the lanky man to be left uncomfortable, she had barely eaten or touched her beer, just staring.

“Did something happen at work”

Annie had been replaying the events, minutes after Homelander cracked that tablet he had demanded a phone, Stan had further discussed Ashley’s alternative, Homelander humored it giving the go ahead for Isadora to sketch a couple ideas but to not get too attached, Ashley had already informed Reed and Lambert to come out with a decent story without giving them full details.

Dr. Park and company had headed to Homelander’s apartment where two heavily armed and padded guards awaited, both men didn’t react nor move, when Dr. Park had touched their shoulder did they notice what had taken place.

Both men’s neck had been cracked, the body limp yet standing, Maeve moved fast pulling the vest apart to reveal a metal rod impaled the guard’s chest, caving it so deep it swallowed his uniform into a black vortex.

The door creaked open and the woman welcomed them wearing only a bathrobe.

“I thought my closet was sparse but this guy…” she rolled her eyes with a stiff laugh, even the way she threw jokes and posed herself was the same as his– oh this… well…” she shrugs– Oh… you’re black” she stared at A-train– and cute…” she purred.

“Huh?” The man looked baffled and after Stormfront he was ready for another threat.

“Mine's asian” she says– actually there are so many black people here… my New York is mostly asians! Altho my San Fran has lots of asians…” She had a list of questions for Homelander brewing– I want to put this very clearly. There is nothing any of you can do to stop me from leaving this place, no amount of guards you can put to make me stay or threats because if you trap me here… well… you’re also trapped here with me, and I would love to find out just who would actually win between me and John, but unlike John I have no attachments to this place. So let me be the mature adult out of the two of us Stan… I’ll give you one chance to ask politely for my cooperation or otherwise I’ll rip every one of your cute imitations' spines and shove it up your arse.”

Her eyes lit up slightly.

“Joan…” Stan said– I–

“Homelander.” she barked.

Stan's lips stiffen, one was a headache, two was a brain tumor.

“Oh! Almost forgot!” She slammed the door shut, returning five seconds later with a tablet in her hands– say cheese!”

Hopes and dreams they didn’t even consider had been crushed five seconds in. 

Starlight looked at her boyfriend and signed, reaching for his hand and giving it a slight squeeze.

“I need to see Butcher, we have a… situation.” she bit her lip– is… is really bad”

Hughie knew his girlfriend hardly ever wanted to see Butcher, whatever this was must be major, but what got to him was how defeated she sounded, it took a quick phone call, Butcher and the rest of the team were getting ready to clock off for the evening, doing the finishing touches on a case regarding some C-Lister moonlighting as a pimp, Starlight had asked the whole team to stay for this.

Butcher and company had begrudgingly agreed, especially once the word ‘Homelander’ had been mentioned, the group looked exhausted and pissed off to have been made to wait.

“So what was so important you couldn’t say it on the phone, luv” Butcher put down his slice of pizza, straightening himself on his seat– what did yer mean ‘bout Homelander situation getting nuclear”

Starlight took her cellphone out showing a selfie to Butcher– Homelander wasted no time in pretending to be just another one of the girls, introducing herself properly after forcing Stan's hand, Starlight in a genius move played the shocked fangirl, saying the right things until she could snatch a selfie with the more than eager woman, after all her Starlight was Starlord and his fans would lose their minds if they got to see what one of the top 3 most popular members of The Seven looked like in other dimensions, specially one where Starlord girl version was still a Supe.

“So after I called the cunt a cunt the cunt went and got himself a cunt.” Butcher looked horrified– guess him being a ladyboy is big news, what is it Ladylander? Miss Homelander?”

“Tits look pretty nice, no?” Frenchie snorted while trying to determine just how big they were– H-cup?”

“Nah more like a G-cup or double-E with a really good push up bra” To his disgust he stared at the boobs– whoever did his tits… did a lovely job… shame ‘bout being attached to the wors’ piece of shite imaginable.”

Starlight stared at him in disgust, pushing her grimace away clearing her throat.

“That’s not Homelander, that's ‘A Homelander’” 

The group and Hughie looked at her confused.

“She’s a Homelander from a different dimension! Turns out there’s lots of Homelanders! Do you know what I saw today!?” She said frantically, taking Butcher’s by the arm, the man shook his head at the crazed woman– I saw you and Homelander making out, you called him ‘Daddy’, I can’t never erase that from my brain, I will forever have the image of you two tongue fucking!”

“What in the bloody hell are ya on ‘bout!?” 

“You fuck him.” She thinks back to the kiss– it was dis.gus.ting” she gestured her vowels, her eyes dilating.

Butcher pushed her hand away looking back at Hughie, but getting no helpful response from his friend. She moves past them taking a seat on the dirty couch.

“Yesterday… The news about what happened at Vought tower wasn’t completely made-up… there wasn’t a disgruntled employee setting up a bomb on the 82nd floor. A woman who happens to be a Homelander from another dimensions” She points at the picture again– appeared out of thin air with a guy she dubs ‘Leaper’, she and Homelander fought and that’s what took place in the tower… seems she has been ‘leaping’ thru dimensions for over a year and has been recording it all” she jumps back on her feet– I saw aliens!! Real fucking aliens dinos! Fucking space dinosaurs!! And now she’s in the tower with ‘our’ Homelander, and I don’t think this is going to end well for anybody because she’s fuckign crazy!! She impaled two guards on the wall and then took a selfie with me two minutes after!” She said frantically.

The group gave each other glances, unsure as to what to believe.

“Let’s say I believe you–

“Butcher there’s no surgical tool on this goddamn planet that could give Homelander a boob job, and he was on TV yesterday!”

“A supe freak did it then”

Starlight did not want to use this, proving Homelander right never sat well with her but he was right, she would come to Butcher and after that meeting Edgar had pulled her aside with clear orders to let Butcher and his team be informed as a backup to his own team, provided the FBSA wasn’t involved, this was to be a simple consultation job if the situation required it.

“He will give you an A-lister to persecute if you’re willing to keep it off the record… he’ll give you Mister Marathon.”

Butcher's mouth watered at the thought of taking down a former member of The Seven.

“Stan Edgar said that?”

“ This is just a consulting job… He gave me this in case you didn’t believe me”

She handed Butcher a SD card that she had tucked on the back of her phone, Frenchie took it, finding only a single file and Jpeg labeled confidential on the small card, he turned the laptop towards the group.

The picture was a group photo of The Seven, In the middle this Homelander in a skimpy suit which none of the men admittedly disliked, A-train but asian, The Deep this time a girl and just as stupidly pretty as Homelander, she wore the same suit but with shorts and somehow it looked tighter, with her hair in long beach waves down to her hips, King Agis a copy of Maeve– the suit not much different but the helmet was a nice touch… also not wearing pants, Stormfront now 6 foot with a pencil ‘stache and build like a bull, his uniform even less subtle about the nazi bullshit, Starlord just a twink version of Starlight and a Jonin Kuro.

Kimiko pushed her way closer, standing in that strange photo was her brother.

His suit looked like it had been plagiarized from an ‘anbu’ from Naruto, but that was her brother she signed at Frenchie asking what was going on.

“She says that’s Kenji”

“That’s him” M.M agreed– "he's what? Their Black Noir?”

Frenchie clicked on a video file, found in the folder alongside six other videos of various lengths were provided.

It was of Homelander, the Butcher version-- frozen in his spot, Butcher couldn’t help but grasp at his beard to make sure it was still there, this guy had all but a light stubble, baby smooth skin and a healthy tan, his hair shiny not by grease and combed in a all to familiar pompadour, but it was the clothes that gave him goosebumps– it was different but all the same, the colors and the motif were present, like an early concept of Homelander’s suit, had this been a picture he would accuse Annie of being sold an explendid fake, but it moved and talked like him.

This joke was showing the cameraman London by night, not the London he’d grew in but one flooded by more skyscrapers and neon signs– it was as if the city had multiplied in size and advertisements, a massive copy of Vought towers could be seen behind him in the horizon, had the river Thames not been in the horizon he would have it confused for another city, the camera turned around to Homelander, the same woman that Starlight had showed him just moments ago, frenchie sped it forward showing them land in a small balcony of an old yellow-brick apartment complex, the apartment was claustrophobic, with the only dining table being the kitchen island as behind was a couch and a fat cat lounging.

Stuff had been packed in boxes, the family getting ready to move.

But then there he was.

Same face, different haircut, same blue eyes and Butcher could’ve sworn he owned that shirt, and it was in his laundry at this very moment.

The man picked the fat white cat and headed towards the duo.

“Did anybody see you? It might be 3 am but nobody sleeps in this city.”

“We kept safe” She replied– "is nothing like my London. is so big!”

“You should see Sydney thats a lovely city but then again anything looks better than fucking Cabramatta.” The aussie accent did take him by surprise– youse better go to bed now, don’t want Ryann to wake up.”

“I’ll take a shower and join you in bed, daddy.”

“Hope you slip and break your skull, my sweet princess. Now hurry up, kid gots school tomorrow.”

The image moved abruptly after he saw himself kiss the shorter man’s cheek while petting the white cat.

The camera watched the couple cozy up as they headed for the bedroom, Homelander and Johnny exchanged few words, she looks at the couch spread a quilt and pillows set up covered in cat hair, she sat and pulled a picture frame closer– Maeve and a little girl about five or four years old, her hair in braids holding a toy garbage truck, a little girl with black hair and black eyes.

“Must be so weird from your end”

As if Joan whispered to Butcher directly, his heart jumped.

A red glove caresses the picture, stopping at the face of the little girl, her steps none-existent as she tours the house, walls naked marked in crayons, a door creaks open– behind a little girl.

sleeping soundly, holding a nerf gun in her arms, she gets painfully close to the girl, caressing her cheek.

She suddenly turns to find his wet reflection.

“Making sure she’s still here…” she whispered barely audible to the phone.

Butcher paused the video leaning closer to the screen feeling the acid burn as his food dare to travel back up, he could put 2 and 2 together quickly, in some twisted joke he peeked into a topsy-turvy nightmare, if that cosplayer wearing Homelander’s clown suit was him then that Maeve had been that Homelander… whatever his name is… Becca– a woman stumbling outside an office in distress.

Three hours ago it had been him entering after Maeve.

That little girl was his.

“One overpowered cunt is enough but two…” he chuckles– that’s a bloody good time.” him trying to think of something savory.

“‘Daddy’?” M.M couldn’t contain his laughter.

It was contagious.

“Settle down you bastards! That was not me!”

“Is okay princess” That was the highlight of Frenchie's year.

“You were married to him in one reality." 

Frenchie turn pale.

"I dont even know him!"

“Did you have anything to do with those holes by the entrance?” Homelander threw his gloves on the couch, where the woman sat wearing blue silk pj’s– where you get those?”

“Had to ask your Ashley for clothes, she’s taking me shopping tomorrow… Stan agreed that it would be nice for me to get some fresh air while we wait for Leaper’s condition to improve.”

He raised two confused eyebrows.

“Stan…? You… You on first name basis?” his voice almost cracks.

She turns the TV off.

“Had fun watching my videos? Hope going down to the labs to get them deleted was just as fun… thank you.”

Homelander gave her a cheeky toothy grin.

“You’re a pervert” He flops to her side– fucking freak.”

“Says the porn addict” She stretches to his side flashing his old tablet– took me three tries to figure out your password… Stillwell’s birthday” The screen opens to some colorful porn site– how much cuck and milf porn can a man watch?” she snorts– love how you have a whole collection of just stepmoms and your own knock-off porn… some of this guys barely look like you”

He gave her a cheeky look trying to coax stuff out of her, both knew what that look this face translated to.

“I mean me too…” She snorts– mine are 100% natural– and I don’t watch cuck porn.”

“I am not the cuck”

“oki... So you want to fuck people’s hot moms? Or just the hot single moms in your area?” She snuggles closer to him pressing her chest against his arm, making him curse that darn suit he wore, hers definitely natural– have a cute mommy smother you and call you her sweet boy as she plays with your willy? So sad thing”

Homelander gulped earning him a devious glance from those rich blue eyes, her fangs peeking as she smiled devilishly.

“And? Better than wanting the whole world to catch you fucking yourself stupid in some park” his hand had creep towards her thigh stroking her skin– you sad slut.”

“You do it too don’t you…?” There was a bit of anger in her voice– I’m not a slut, you whore.”

“Hey…” his arm is now wrapped around her pulling her closer– we both cross the line don’t we?” he stared straight at her pretty face– I liked your videos”

She giggled playfully firmly resting herself on his chest, tangling them further now he wanted to burn the suit desperately wanting to feel those soft breasts on his chest, their heartbeats beating rapidly at matching speeds.

“Bit sad I didn’t find any video of you and Stillwel” he said playfully– would’ve loved to see that– mine and I, never made any spicy tapes.”

“So your Stillwel didn’t get married and forgot about you?” The smile was forced, sounding hurt and angry.

“Mine had a baby and threw me aside” His mood rot.

His hopes murdered in broad daylight in front of a dozen witness who did nothing– his Madelyn in the arms of another man, a dozen men had tried and he had made sure to teach them a lesson but this coward had let it happen, then again… she was a girl, Madelyn must’ve never seen her as a lover but it was fine it just meant he had to go with a different approach.

“Hey… let’s not think about that, I bet when you get home yours will be there waiting for you with open arms.”

She can only shrug pretending to be cool.

“Wanna make a movie?” 

Homelander flinched.

Joan crawled on top of him straddling his hips, grinding her hips tightly against his cup– his face was close enough. Her fingertips stroke that naked chin, no beard to tickle her skin, not a single blemish from years under the sun in this baby soft skin, his hand found a home in her thighs, so soft, nothing like Jon’s gruff scarred hands. 

But he looked like him.

Stillwell had left her, Agis had left her, Kaarlo had been killed by Billie, Billie despised her– Jon had cared for her, he had kissed her good night, he had been gentle, he had been kind, he had protected her while knowing her body was harder than diamonds and titanium, Jon would find her crying and only offer shoulders without judgment… this was just a copy of him, worthless, cheap, insignificant.

“So just like you” The voice was sharp– can’t even help yourself can you? You pathetic little slut jumping at every STD filled cock that gives you five seconds of attention! No wonder you can’t keep a man… go on fuck him!” 

The voice mocked her from within.

"we can count all the people we've been with... not even double digits!! This doesnt count!!" she thinks.

“I am you and you are me– this is just complex masturbation and self-care.”

“Feels like incest to me” he said nervously but his hand stood firm on her thighs sliding under her silk shorts– yet you are technically me.”

“Give me my phone back” She whispered into his ear– you can be my co-director… I can play your Mommy if you like… or you'd like to be my Onii-chan…?”

Homelander nostrils flared, his hand took her ass, squeezing roughly.

“Desperate much?” the voice said more angrily this time.

He lifts his boot, she moves awkwardly to take it back letting out a chirpy noise as she takes her phone and sees it on 78% percent– Homelander indeed had been watching lots of videos, noting the last picture he had left open on her phone was that of the Seven.

“No Black Noir?” he asked– "whose Jonin Kuro?”

“I killed mine” She puts the video setting making sure to get his face– Stillwel said he was the obstacle between me and The Seven so I killed him… Kuro can move things with his mind… he can’t talk but he’s a good listener. He… He’s like a friend– sort of”

He looked at her boobs, telling himself he wasn’t in the mood not because the camera was already pointing at him but because he was more curious about her fucked up and inferior version of his world.

“Not really in the mood”

“What does he think he is? We ain’t good enough for his mediocre cock?” the voice sounded offended on her behalf, always back and forth with her mood– sure he's not a queer?”

“Okay… can I still record you?” she said meekly flipping the phone– and then maybe we can make a real movie… I really want to interview you for my channel.”

“Oh!” he blushed.

Her expression was sour but still calm, she looked at his hands still cupping her ass.

“Is okay you can touch… Is what I get for teasing you'' Homelander squeezed her ass, his mood was bad but his body still had the need and hearing her annoyed had made him want to amend the situation, she lifted her eyebrow leaning closer to whispers into his ear–So… I ask again, do you also… like… touching yourself where you might get in trouble?” her tone was innocent and curious, as if asking had made her feel embarrassed.

“I do whatever the fuck I want” he whispered back.

He gave her ass a light tap, so she bit his ear in return, both panted facing each other, her free hand squeezing at his chest pulling the flap of his suit down, traveling lower until her fingers meet the end of his shirt, effortlessly lifting and folding the tight fabric atop her knuckles, Homelander moaned lightly, forcing her to grind against him.

“Pervert”

“Says the one holding the camera”

He wrapped his arms around her, rolling them together into the couch, Joan laughed as she crashed on the cushions, one hand held the phone perfectly still.

“Do you feel like touching yourself in a place where you might get in trouble with me tonite?” she said with a coy smile– I might bite you.”

“I hope you do”

Her shirt ripped open and the phone now rested on the coffee table facing them.

She wanted the fantasy and he wanted to satiate his curiosity.

This was masturbation after all.