#“major pop stars” my ass

[pardonmydelays]

huh

[rafeandonlyrafe]

bodyguard

words: 2.1k

warnings: bodyguard!rafe, pop star!reader, gun mention, attempted kidnapping, brief violence, fluffy

you take a deep breath, clenching the microphone in your first. no matter how many times you perform, you still feel a rush of anxiety.

it all disappears when you step out onto the stage. you give the crowd a wave as the cheers erupt. you look around the packed stadium, reminiscing on what it was like to play smaller venues until your hit single and big break.

your in ear piece begins the countdown to your music as you lean down to reach out to a couple fans in the front row, looking past your personal bodyguard who insists on being in front of the stage despite the venue providing security.

you begin to sing the first song of your set, turning your attention to the entire crowd as your backup dancers come out, flooding the stage.

the show goes by so quickly you almost miss the feeling as you step behind the curtain, despite the exhaustion creeping into your bones.

“here.” your bodyguard hands you a water bottle, a straw already pushed inside, knowing you prefer it over drinking straight from the rim.

“what would i do without you rafe.” you chuckle. he was the first bodyguard you ever hired, having had your ass slapped one night and deciding you needed someone to watch your back.

“probably be kidnapped.” rafe shrugs, making you roll your eyes, used to the playful back and forth banter.

“and if it weren't for me, you'd still be in north carolina.”

“perk of the job.” rafe says, referencing the three continents you've visited with him in tow, soon to announce a world tour that will visit all major cities with enough time in between to actually enjoy the traveling.

“dressing room or straight to the bus?” rafe asks, following you as you begin to walk, stepping past the stagehands rushing to disassemble the set and get it on the move.

“dressing room. left my crocs in there.” it's routine, rafe entering the dressing room and doing a sweep before letting you in, even if it's just to grab your shoes and leave.

“wait, gonna change them before we go to the bus.” you tell rafe, the arches of your feet hurting from dancing in heels. rafe gives you his arm to hold as you bend down to undo the straps before slipping out of the glittery stilletos and into your comfortable, well worn, crocs.

rafe peeks out the back door. “there's some fans by the fence. we going right to the bus or stopping to sign?”

“stopping to sign.” you know it's not possible to show your appreciation to every single fan, but you're certainly going to try your best to greet every person who helped you become the pop sensation you are.

rafe pulls two sharpies out of his pocket, one black and one silver and hands them to you before swinging the door open.

the mini crowd erupts into screams as soon as they see you. you're sure these must be fans who didn't get a chance to attend as there's no way they could have cleared from the venue this quickly.

“hey everyone!” you wave as you walk to the chain link fence, knowing rafe is right at your back, just in case anyone gets handy. it wouldn't be the first time an excited fan reached through an opening and refused to let go of your wrist.

you begin to sign everything offered to you, even seeing a fan who brought your original ep you used to send to record labels.

“can i get a picture?”

“of course!” you smile, taking the phone that is passed through the slot and snapping a selfie with the happy fan.

you continue down the line, about halfway through when you shiver, the adrenaline wearing off and the cold of the night air seeping into your bones, especially since you're still in your stage outfit which doesn't give you much coverage.

you should have known rafes eagle eye would see, because he's soon shrugging off his jacket and placing it over your shoulders, of course the crowd awwing. 

rafe has gotten quite a bit of attention as your bodyguard, considering he follows you practically everywhere, he's photographed by fans constantly.

you were worried at first when you continued to skyrocket in fame that rafe would become uncomfortable or overwhelmed and you'd have to find someone new that you felt comfortable with, but hes stuck by your side the whole time.

“okay, sorry guys i gotta go!” you wave to everyone, having signed or taken a picture with everyone who gathered by the back exit fence.

you quickly rush to the tour bus, the corset of your outfit beginning to press in uncomfortably.

you don't have to use your words to tell rafe what you're about to do. as soon as he does a sweep through the bus, having you wait in the front next to the drivers seat so you could run out at any minute, you head to the back and take a shower, washing away your makeup and the pounds of hairspray added to your bangs.

you get changed into pajamas, knowing you're scheduled to hit the road tonight. it probably would be easier to fly private, or even just buy a jet, but you like the tour life of driving around and try to be environmentally conscious where you can.

you head back into the common area, rafe sitting in his usual spot on the couch, his gun that usually remains holstered to his hip now sitting on the counter. 

it scared you the first time you saw it. you knew you hired an armed bodyguard, but to have a gun just sitting there was not something you were used to.

“here.” rafe grabs a bag from the counter you didn't even notice.

“you got me fries?” you ask excitedly, taking the bag and quickly pulling a fry out, letting out a low moan when you take a bite and realize it's still hot.

“ill add personal assistant to my resume.” rafe smirks.

“resume? you leaving me?” you laugh, plopping down on the couch next to rafe. 

“never.” he vows. when rafe originally began to work in security, it was a way to get away from his dad, to have an excuse to leave at night, and now he can never imagine going back home to the life he once lived.

conversation shifts to upcoming plans as you finish off your fries and let out a yawn.

“alright, bed time.” you stand up and stretch, eyes closing as your back elongates. you completely miss the way rafe has to readjust his pants.

“goodnight.” rafe says as you give him a wave and head back into the bedroom, closing the door for some privacy as you flop onto the bed and delve beneath the covers, falling asleep easily knowing you're protected.

--

“aw, yes!” you hiss, looking out the window as the bus pulls into the rest stop. “back in the midwest baby, you know what that means.”

“what?” rafe questions, joining you to look out the window. he's dressed casually and not in all black like usual when he's working since today is just travel, and the light blue shirt he's wearing is making your heartbeat a little faster, even if you try to ignore it.

“tim hortons!” you exclaim. “we've got to get their sour cream glazed timbits. they're like crack.”

“and what would you know about crack?” rafe scoffs.

“alright, just because i didn't have a bad boy past like you doesn't mean-” you're cut off by rafe laughing. “okay, okay.” you hold your hands up. “i don't even know what it looks like.”

“that's what i thought.” rafe places a hand on your back as the bus comes to a stop. “now come on, let's get your timbits or whatever you said.”

you head out so happy and in such a rush that rafe doesn't remember to grab his gun, figuring nothing could happen at a rest stop early in the morning with practically no one around.

“hi!” you smile at the worker as you enter the building. she seems to half recognize you but doubt herself. “can we get a 10 pack of sour cream glazed timbits and another 10 pack that's a mix of the other flavors?”

the worker nods and begins putting it in the system as you turn to look at rafe. “just in case you don't like the same as me.”

“okay.” rafe laughs, stepping a bit closer to you as you pull your card out and pay.

you step to the side to wait, watching with excitement as the timbits are scooped in.

“thank you so much!” you take both of the cardboard containers and follow rafe back outside. the morning sun is shining brightly, causing you both to squint.

rafe turns quickly when a van suddenly squeels to a stop right behind you.

he watches in horror as the door swings open, his long stride causing him to be too far away to immediately grab you as he takes off into a sprint.

you feel the hands around your waist before you even contemplate what is happening. you scream out, looking to rafe and seeing the worry in his face as you're being pulled backwards into the back of the van.

“rafe! rafe!” you squeal, kicking your legs and trying to hit your attacker, throwing the box over your shoulder to try and get him to stop, but you're overpowered.

the man is just about to slam the door shut, trapping you in there with the stranger when rafes hand stops the metal and shoves it back open, his bicep rippling with strength.

“duck.” is all rafe says, but you understand instantly, trying to get as low as possible as his first surges forward, connecting the attackers face before pulling back and continuing to punch until his grip on you loosens.

rafe grabs you instead, and you move quickly, pressing yourself against his body, molding yourself against him as your arms and legs wrap around his torso. 

as soon as you're out, the van speeds away, knowing they've lost their one chance to get you. rafe moves quickly, running back towards the tour bus with you gripping onto him tightly.

you manage to hold in your tears until you're shut inside the safety of the bus. when the crying comes, it comes hard in sobs that make rafes chest physically hurt.

“i got you.” rafe sits down on the couch, keeping you in his lap as he tries to comfort you, hand rubbing up and down your back. “i got you baby.”

you cries are so loud rafe isn't sure you can hear him, especially when you start to hyperventilate.

“hey.” rafe takes your face in his hands, seeing the fear in your eyes as you struggle to actually take it any air. “take a breath for me, you're gonna pass out.”

you try, you really do, but you can't control your body as you continue to hyperventilate. rafe doesn't know what to do, he needs some sort of distraction or way to make you stop.

his face surges forward, his body working before his mind does as his lips press against yours, pressing a smashing kiss against your mouth.

you stop instantly, mind settling as your lips move against his, upset when you have to pull away to take in a gulping breath of fresh oxygen.

“it's okay.” rafes thumbs smooth over your cheeks. a mutual understanding comes over you both. this was bound to happen, and you don't need words to talk about what your relationship just became. “i got you. i got you.”

you nod, breathing deeply, finally able to control your body as you inhale and exhale until your lungs are full enough to lean forward and kiss rafe again. he doesn't hesitate for even a second before kissing back, his arms moving to wrap around you, pressing you further into him to deepen the kiss, only pulling away when the door shuts, your driver back in her spot.

“you okay?” rafe asks, his voice soft as he looks at you.

“i think after some more kisses i will be.” you giggle, cheeks blushing.

“and some timbits?”

“oh my god, those fuckers have them!” you gasp, your eyebrows scrunching together, making rafe laugh.

he presses a kiss against your lips, barely able to stop smiling to do so. “are you more mad they tried to take you or more mad they successfully took your donuts?”

you roll your eyes. “the timbits, duh.”

sfw tags: @winterrrnight @bejeweledreverie @ladyinbl00d @ethanthequeefqueen @drewsephrry @wearemadeofstardust0

[yeonzzzn]

jake reader and soobin u say?? wait i’ll let u cook……….. 😵‍💫😵‍💫

no because my ult bias with a major bias wreck😵‍💫 i’m dizzy. like i’m thinking…

they would have you on your back on the bed. your legs wrapped around jake’s head with his hands squeezing your thighs, tongue pumping in and out of your cunt as his perfect nose glides against your clit. soobin hovering over you with a lock of your hair in his hand, helping you with the movements of bobbing your head up and down his cock. one of your hands rested on soobin’s thigh while the other had a firm grip of jake’s hair.

jake’s eyebrows would crease and moans escaping his mouth sending vibrations up your body, eyes fluttering open to get a good look at you, cock twitching at the way you take soobin completely in your mouth, nose touching his pelvis. jake licked one final stripe on your sex, eyes looking now at soobin, “I think it’s time to fuck her, don’t you think?” his aussie accent coming out thick and sending chills down your body. soobin smirked and removed his cock with a pop, hand now cupping your face as he stares down at your swollen lips, “would you like that baby? want us to fuck you?” you nodded frankly, wanting nothing more to feel them deep within your walls.

you already lost count of how many times they’ve made you cum. between jake and soobin, they both have had you flipped over in many different positions as they have their way with you until you were cumming on their tongues and fingers. you came on soobin’s thigh as you rode it while jake had his cock down your throat and fingers making figure eights on your clit. and honestly, you craved more. so so much more.

soobin pressed his lips to yours and pulled your body to him as he flipped the positions with you now hovering over him. jake’s hand was now cupping your ass, massaging the plush as his other hand pumped his cock a few time. soobin’s cock rubbed gently against your clit, making you shake with anticipation, “please,” you begged, wiggling your hips, feeling both their cocks rub against you, “fuck me, please jakey, please binnie,” both males smirked at your pleading, soobin being the first one to easily glide his cock into you, the tip sitting perfectly against your cervix.

you bit down on your lips to keep from screaming out, rocking your hips a bit to adjust to soobin’s size, only to halt at his hands gripping your hips, “no no baby, can’t leave jake out, can we?” you nodded in response, too afraid to open your mouth and the sounds that would come out. “hmm,” jake moaned, continuing to massaging your asscheek as he positioned the tip of his cock at your entrance, “it’ll be a tight fit, can you take us both, babe?” jake teased, slowly easing the tip in.

you continued to nod, not caring if they rip you open with their cocks and looking forward to the stretch they will give you. and oh god the stretch was immaculate. the pain mixed with the pleasure had your eyes rolling back and arching your back. you felt so full once jake slid completely in next to soobin, both their tips kissing your cervix. you long dropped your resolve of staying quiet. the sounds that escaped your mouth when both men bucked their hips, being completely in sync with their movements.

your nails dig into soobin’s shoulders, flinging your head back onto jake’s shoulder once his hand softly cupped your neck, “fuck, doing such a good job at taking us babe, ain’t she soobin?” soobin nodded, his fingers reaching up and sliding past your lips, pressing down your tongue, “being so so good for us baby.” you were seeing stars, your brain going foggy. all you knew was their cocks and how good they felt sliding in and out of your soaking cunt. you didn’t realize how fast your orgasm was approaching until you bit down on soobin’s fingers and moaned out in pure pleasure as you came around them both. both males hissed at the way you were now squeezing them, “fuck baby, keep squeezing us like that…”

soobin couldn’t even get the words out before his warm cum was making you even more full, continuing to buck his hips to chase out his high. jake came soon after, him whimpering in your ear at how good your pussy feels when you squeeze him like that, also still moving his hips to chase after that high. both men mixing the cum from each party all together, a good amount of it leaking out your hole.

the men pulled out of you and you collapsed on soobin’s chest and jake laying on top of your back, completely sandwiching you between the two. the sounds of all your breathing filled the room. you couldn’t help but smirk at the fact you won’t be able to walk.

[peachsukii]

₊✩‧₊ ⎯  one last dance

『 ♡ Bakugo x reader 』

content // college au (21+). fluff. you & bakugo dance at one of mina’s parties and leave everyone cheering for more!

note // happy belated softie sunday! I think we all need a little soft bakugo this week. 🧡

College parties are the last place Bakugo wants to be, especially one of Ashido and Kirishima’s house parties. He could be sound asleep after a successful night of studying, but here he is, sitting on the couch and nursing a beer for the last thirty minutes. He’s checked his phone ten times since he sat down, anxiously awaiting your arrival since the party started. Ashido guaranteed that you’d be here - the only reason he showed up in the first place. Why else would he subject himself to such an environment? The majority of the people at this party annoyed the ever loving hell out of him, too loud and obnoxious for his liking.

A sudden rush of air followed by someone hopping over the back of the couch startles Bakugo, juggling his phone in one hand and raising his beer with the other to avoid spilling it everywhere.

“Th’ fuck is your prob—” he snaps, stopping himself as your bright smile blinds him and catches him off guard.

“Hope I didn’t keep you waiting long!” You chirp cheerfully, leaning your full weight against him as you sink into the cushions. “Lame party, huh?”

He slips his phone back into his pocket with a grumble and switches the beer into his right hand. His left arm stretches across the back of the couch to make room for you to nestle into his side.

“S’not so bad,” Bakugo mutters, barely audible over the bass of the music flowing through the house. When the song changes to one you recognize, your eyes light up with excitement, jumping to your feet and extending your hand to him.

“I know you don’t dance, and I’ve asked dozens of times before, but I’m going keep trying to get your ass off this couch at every damn party. Dance with me, please?”

How the hell can he say no to that? He’s resisted your temptations long enough, maybe indulging once wouldn’t hurt. Bakugo puts his beer on the nearest table and stands to take your hand. “Fine, one song.”

He hopes you can’t feel the sweat beginning to coat his palm, or the trembling of his fingers wrapped around yours. You pull him into the middle of the living room alongside the others, but to him, you’re the only two in the room. The song is a mixture of slow and fast, some pop punk cover of a recent radio hit. You don’t rush Bakugo, taking your time to take both of his hands before twirling around in front of him, hips effortlessly swaying to the tempo of the song while his arms are crossed in front of you. He can feel his body radiating heat, all of his concentration centered on keeping his shit together while you glide your body around him like a feather in the wind. When the beat slows, he forcibly spins you to face him before he can chicken out, pulling you close until your chests are touching, one hand slipping to the small of your back to keep you close.

The two of you don’t realize you have an audience - friends silently gathering in the doorway to the living room to join the others in watching the two of you unintentionally take over the dance floor. Ashido, Kirishima, Kaminari, Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, Todoroki and Jiro all staring with stars in their eyes, a joint “oh my god are they finally gonna do it?” murmur amongst them.

Bakugo’s other hand rests on your collarbone, relishing in the bare skin contact for a moment before moving to your waist, shifting you to spin in tandem. He doesn’t know what he’s doing, flying blind and doing what feels right in the moment. The song is winding down, the final echo of the chorus ringing in his ears when he makes a split second choice - his free hand runs down the back of your thigh while he dips you back, watching as you instinctively stretch back to accentuate the movement. Right as the song ends, Bakugo’s got you cradled against him when someone cuts the music entirely, and suddenly…everyone is staring at you two.

“Kiss her!” Ashido yells, inciting a chant amongst the crowd. Kirishima and the others begin yelling “Kiss!” repeatedly with everyone else.

This is not how Bakugo envisioned kissing you for the first time, but he’s pined after you for so long, he can’t take a chance on missing this shot to go from friends to…something more. Shakily, his one hand stays at the small of your back while the other lays against your neck. He can feel your pulse thrumming against his thumb - maybe you wanted this as much as he did after all.

Bakugo leans in close, and the rest of the world falls silent as he whispers, “Can I kiss you?”

No one has ever asked to kiss you, they usually steal what they want and leave you for their next catch of the week. But this? This is what you’ve been waiting for, and he’s been here the whole goddamn time.

You want to say something witty, some smart remark to make this moment light hearted, but you can’t. The words won’t come out, so you settle on a cheesy smile and excited nod. With your permission, his hand moves to the back of your head and under your ponytail to pull you into his orbit. You wrap your arms around his neck as cheers begin to erupt from everyone around you. And when your lips gently touch, you can’t help the giggle that surfaces, and shockingly enough, you feel Bakugo chuckle in response. When he backs away from your lips, you tug him back in for a second, not wanting the moment to pass just yet.

“Yeah!!! Finally!” Jiro shouts, fist bumping with Kirishima and Kaminari with glee.

The crowd begins to mingle back into the swing of the party as the music resumes, leaving the two of you breathless in the middle of it all.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Wanna ditch this party and get dinner?” You ask with a grin.

Bakugo laughs while tucking a stray hair behind your ear. “Ya don’t have to ask me twice, let’s get the fuck outta here.”

softies; @slayfics @maddietries @starieqq @liluvtojineteyam

@jays-adventure3 @simp-plague @queenpiranhadon @kirishimaeijiromyman

『 #reis softie sundays 』

[holylulusworld]

Go to hell

Title: Go to hell

Written for @buckybarnesbingo (Round 6)

Card: B004

Collaborator(s): Holylulusworld

Square Filled: K4: "Oh, hell no."

Ship/Main Pairing: Mobster!Bucky Barnes x Ex!Reader

Rating: Mature

Major Tags/Triggers/Warnings: jealousy, ex! sugar babe trope, mentions of daddy kink (but no one is into it), groping, fluff, hopeful ending

Summary: He let you go.

Word Count: 1,3k+

BBB BuckyBarnesBingo 2024 masterlist

Written in Bucky’s PoV

She does it on purpose. I just know it.

Why else would she waste her beauty and grace on someone like him?

He’s old enough to be her father, and I’m sure she doesn’t have a daddy kink or daddy issues. I know her well, and she never showed any signs of being into men double her age.

She came here to my party with that man I despise the most. Not weeks ago, she was mine and screamed my name.

I said the wrong things after that night. I saw our relationship in a different light and had to make myself clear.

Now she hangs on that grandfather’s arm like a random arm candy, not the goddess she is. My girl always hated men treating her like a stupid bimbo. She is smart, and charismatic, but hides it well to play the perfect doll for this man.

I unclench my metal fist because, if I don’t, I’ll break that guy’s face. He leans closer to whisper something in her ear and Y/N giggles like a schoolgirl.

That’s not the noise she made when I whispered filthy things in her ear. She whimpered my name, and her knees buckled.

What she does with that man is all for show. She pretends to be with him to get back at me for not fulfilling her wish to make things between us official.

“If you keep in staring at her, you’ll hurt yourself,” Ayo smirks at me before turning her gaze toward the woman I was watching all night instead of enjoying the party. “I wonder how she ended up with him. I thought you and Y/N were going steady.”

“She was fun for a while,” I brush Ayo’s question off. I made my decision and won’t discuss it with people working for me. “Now the fun is over, and she can go out with whoever she wants to.”

“Says the man watching her all night,” ever the observant bodyguard she watched me all night only to find her boss staring at my ex-girlfriend…or rather sugar babe. “If that was my woman, I’d go over there and stab that old man’s face for grabbing her ass.”

“Grabbing her ass?” I jerk my head toward Y/N only to find her smiling at the guy. I exhale sharply when she pushes her ass into his crotch to grind into him.

Ayo dips her head to look at me. “It’s not too late, White Wolf.” She says before turning to take her place in the shadows to have my back like she always does. “Why don’t you go over there and show that little man whom your woman belongs to…?”

My shadow is not wrong. I could go over there and show that bastard Y/N belongs with me. But do I want to? If I step on that man’s toes, it means trouble. Even worse, Y/N will believe that I’m jealous of that old man.

“Ayo said you need my help.” I roll my eyes when Steve stands next to me. He tried to talk me into winning Y/N over the last few days. “How can I help you?” Steve smirks at me, like the cocky bastard he is. “Do you want me to bring her here? I can just throw her over my shoulder.”

“Why are you all so obsessed with her? I don’t want her back. She can fuck whoever she wants to. Even that old man’s dick,” I huff, and look away when she rubs herself against the man’s body.

“Do you want her to fuck him? Imagine she rides him, and he gets a heart attack,” Steve tries to be funny, but I can’t laugh. “She’s meant to be yours, not some old bastard’s toy.”

“She chose him,” I shrug. “And she won’t come back to me. I cannot offer what she wants from me.”

“A good dick?” Steve snickers.

“Commitment.”

“What did Beyoncé say?” God, I hate my best friend when he quotes songs. “Ah, yeah. If you like what you see put a ring on it.”

“You’re not helpful,” I sneer at Steve. “Stop quoting pop stars.”

“Punk. Beyoncé is not a pop star. She’s a goddess…” He grins before downing his drink. “If I had the chance with your girl, I’d put a ring on her finger.”

“You are a slut and love to whore around, Stevie,” I know Steve better than he knows himself. “You’ll never put a ring on a girl’s finger.”

“Maybe not her finger,” he gives me the dirtiest smirk in the history of dirty smirks. “I know better body parts to put rings on. I know that girl wearing a ring on her pussy lips.”

“I didn’t need to know that” I decide to get fresh air. If I stare at Y/N a little longer I’ll change my mind and break that old man’s face.

“Oh, hell no,” I hiss under my breath. All I wanted was to get fresh air, and now I’m staring at her backside because she had the same thought. She’s sticking her ass out, making her short dress rid up. I can see her panties, and my cock stirs in my pants. Treacherous bastard.

She turns around, and my stupid heart does somersaults when she looks me up and down. Y/N smirks, tongue poking out to wet her too-red lips. I remember she loved to leave my cock stained with her favorite color.

“You’ve got to be shitting me!” She exclaims loudly. “Where is he? What did you do to him?”

“I did nothing to your gramps. Why would I? It’s not as if he touched what’s mine,” I snap at her, and she flinches. I regret my harsh words because she turns around to not look me in the eyes.

“Well, then leave me alone. He’ll be back in a minute. At least he’s not afraid to show anyone that he loves having me around.”

She ignores me then, staring into the distance as I stand behind her to admire her ass for a little longer. “Why him?”

“Why not?” There was venom in her voice, but her shoulders shook for a second. “After you tossed me out, I had to get back up and move on.”

“By selling yourself to that slimy bastard?” I don’t know why, but I grab her arms to press her against my chest. “Tell me love.” I nuzzle her neck. “Does he fuck you as good as I did?”

“He needed someone to pretend he still got it. And I needed someone to take care of me. Love didn’t work out for me so, that’s all I get for the time being,” she answers honestly as I drop my hands to her waist. “A limp dick, and a man believing I’m nothing but a doll he can dress and show off.”

She holds her breath when I kiss her neck. “How about I remind you how good it feels to be taken care of by a man not giving a shit on you.”

“Oh, Steve will finally make a move?” I chuckle at her comeback. “I didn’t know he’s into me but why not? I’m free as a bird.”

“Come to my bedroom, doll,” she sighs at the pet name, but doesn’t give in so easily. “Forget about him.”

“I told you that I can’t do this with you any longer,” her voice trembles as she struggles to not give in to my advances. “Love wasn’t in your plans. You told me so.”

“What if…” I bite my tongue for a second and take a deep breath. Maybe she doesn’t care for the old man and his dick. But soon enough someone will come along to turn her world upside down. “I’ll put a ring on that finger one day?”

“One day?” She sounds surprised but allows me to slip my hand between her quivering thighs. I find her panties soaked, and her pussy in need of my touch.

“How about we talk about our relationship in my bedroom?” I purr in her ear. “I promise you won’t regret it.”

“I can’t leave him all alone.”

“You can,” I nip at her earlobe, “and will, baby doll. If you do, I’ll put a ring on that finger…”

Part 2

Tags in reblog.

[tastycitrus]

they'd better give us 100 issues of cass's upcoming batgirl solo. if it gets cut before 20 issues like batgirls did i'm going to eat DC comics

let's get cass everywhere baby. cass getting her own solo. cass being part of the birds of prey. cass playing a major role in detective comics. cass starring in miniseries like spirit world. cass being in crossover events like absolute power even if they're mid. cass popping out of a trash can to beat my ass like that guy from yakuza (i've never played yakuza)

[partywithoutsmiling]

Alright darling (can i call you that?) the Rock Beast AU just became my new ✨️hyperfixation✨️ so prepare! Please tell us how does John reacts to his bitty B becoming a Monster

Once he actually finds out who the great Beast is, not very well obviously XD

But if that AU would be a fic, it would be at least couple chapters down the line. My idea for Poppy's and Branch's escape is that while at first they crossed quite a distance through air, soon they were forced to travel by foot, as Branch's wing becomes injured and trying to take flight again would be foolish.

A blessing in disguise it turns out, as the Rock Trolls under Barb's command do not think to stop and search the ground, not that close to their territory, and our duo hides out of sight in the undegrowth, just to see their Angler Ships pass overhead, clearly heading towards the Pop territory

(the thought for this AU being that Barb is convinced that Pop poses exactly the same amount of threat as it did in the ancient past, where they were the most numerous, and seeing the pitiful number of Pop trolls rounded up, figures there must be more Pop villages hidden deep inside the woods that make their territory- so it would make sense to her to think Poppy and Branch went to get more back up- which is correct in a way, as Branch's intention was to fly them all the way to Bergentown, as having giants for allies would become handy in this case)

Meeting John Dory was a complete accident. Headcanoning that he had bad business with the Rock Trolls in the past, he probably decided to skeddadle into the wilderness once he saw the activity in the sky, not wanting to deal with that business- and I liked the idea that the Neverglades were actually a sort of natural border between Pop and Rock, a contested piece of land for both. Usually quite content to sleep out and about, either under stars or in Rhonda, the storm and all the chaos happening around him has him relocate to well known and explored caves- in which he finds Poppy and Branch, who sort of unanimously decide to keep their travelling to the night time, where it gives them less chance to be spotted.

Neither group is thrilled to be discovered by the other, at first- John Dory simply on the principle that lone trolls seems to be bounty hunters more often than not (and this one has a literal monster by her side!) and Poppy... well, for the exact same reason really XD she had been burned by her trust in a stranger- one that led her into this mess she is in- and the source of her major guilt is standing right behind her.

However, compared to JD, she is injured; an unexpected dip in the lake left her feeling sickly, and she is starving- and Branch is hardly doing any better. So it all ends up in a rather tense stand off, where Branch is the only one spiralling, because holy shit that's his brother

And he wants to wail and he wants to sink his claws into JD's face and tear that smug ass grin off his face- and it's the shock of that thought that has him to do neither of those things, and instead forces him to evaluate the situation a bit better.

Because for all JD's abandonment, he is a Pop Troll- and that means a potential ally- and so it is with a gentle nuzzle that he sooths Poppy's unvoiced fears and worries, and encourages her to ask JD for help

The introductions come, of course- but Poppy doesnt mention that Branch is a troll-turned-beast, and while JD's expression turns rather strained at hearing Branch's name, there is nothing that would clue him in that Branch is *his* Branch (His precious baby brother, who he thinks is dead for several years, and being an expert at avoidance of painful truths, there is no way he is sharing that with a complete stranger)

So as far he knows, Poppy's "pet" just has a rather unfortunate name, and Branch's colours are again rather washed out.

Branch just doesnt want to deal with the mess that is his familial trauma and is quite relieved JD doesnt have a clue to his original identity

(of course Poppy, desperate to socialize after being locked up with no-one but mute Branch for company, ends up bonding with JD rather quickly- especially after he treats her wounds and offers her a safe shelter- and finding his collection of memorabilia snowballs into discovering his identity as THE John Dory- and Branch's connection to it all, when John Dory, unable to resist the force that is Poppy, eventually talks about all his brothers- including Bitty B)

Also, this isn't connected to that scene, but even then I think you would enjoy this little treat:

----------------------

Branch was injured.

That much Poppy could observe, from the simple way he was carrying himself.

The rush of their escape didn’t seem to want to pass; the pink troll felt like every breath came out with accompanied tremble, and her heart was keen on making itself as loud as possible- it drummed hard in her ears and pulsed in tandem with the ache that throbbed mutely through her sore arm.

The sudden dive and crash into the murky depths of the lake jostled it- but at the time, her mind was hardly crystal clear enough to focus on anything but uncoordinated flailing as she panicked from the shock of the chilling water, trying to instinctively kick herself up to get to the surface. A great deal of her attention had also been overtaken by fear; for her life, yes, but also for Branch, as she had seen him seize up in one blink and then start falling out of the sky in another, his grip on her- previously strong and secure- now limp and weak, a puppet losing all motion as if its strings were suddenly cut.

Yet it was him who dragged her out of the lake in the end, his great head going under her belly and chest and lifting her high above the surface, leaving her clutching onto his mane with painful grip, gasping and sputtering, a sob roughly tearing through her throat before she could stop it. The sudden relief of air filling her lungs once more was not enough to mask the sudden pain that laced through her right arm, and Poppy had sobbed once more, clenching her eyes shut, burying her face into the soggy mess of Branch’s hair.

Low rumbling moan echoed from the beast under her, the strength of it- for all that it was quiet- reaching all the way to her core- but she was unable to do anything but breathe, the action shallow and painful, as her arm throbbed throbbed throbbed.

Vaguely, she felt the chilling water lapping at her legs, and her ears twitched at the sound of soft splashes- the body under her rocking forward, Branch’s breath just as shallow as hers, but clearly now moving, swimming, towards what she hoped was dry land.

The sky crackled, a thunder left in the wake of it, and she shivered when a first drop splashed against her back, bringing a shock of ice to her already drenched body. Another moan and Branch lurched forward, his swimming now gaining urgency- even in this shape, he was well aware of the danger that rain possessed for species as small as theirs, especially when it caught them on a lake. The prickle of unease was what had her force herself to lift her herself up, her good arm gripping Branch’s mane more firmly while held the other more securely to her chest.

Already the drops were breaking the surface apart, the water splashing up and sending waves that clearly impeded her friend’s progress; one that seemed to be made difficult simply for the fact that Branch had extra set of limbs that were hardly made for swimming- with one wing flapping or paddling awkwardly to help propel forward, while her other followed at much slower pace. It was the trembles and shakes that seemed to run through the appendage that caused Poppy’s heart to plummet to the depths of her stomach.

“Branch..?”

He voice was a pathetically weak and wobbly thing- there has been a shock, followed by euphoria, when her companion suddenly ripped through the bars dividing their cells like knife through butter. His cell had been a dark and dreary place, cut away from any natural light- hers had a large barred window that showed nothing but the menacing glow of the volcano, its fiery tones casting orange hues into the grim, cloudy looking sky. She had often caught him watching through the gaps of his cell, great glowing red eyes focused intently on the singular glimpse of freedom, and many times wondered if his sudden critter like instincts urged him to take flight. He did many things in the time they had nothing but each other for company, that could hardly hint that his interest could have other reasons. He prowled around, as much as his chains allowed him, and quite often his wings would flap. His claws would flex and his limbs would stretch- and Poppy had thought it a simple restlessness of a trapped animal, frustrated at the lack of necessary space.

She had thought. She didn’t expect it to be a slow exploration and familiarization of foreign limbs and muscles- not until she had been scooped up like kittenbug, and not until they were hurling face first through the window, Branch simply tucking his head closer to his body and tearing through it like a single-troll battering ram.

“Branch,” she whispered again, the sound trailing into a low moan, not unlike his own- but he didn’t respond, not even with a growl- not until she let go of his mane so she could gingerly touch the trembling wing.

The limb flinched and Branch went stiff under her for a moment, soft warning hiss audible even through the loudness of the storm- and though he didn’t stop his swimming, Poppy withdrew her hand as if burned, realizing that now perhaps wasn’t the best time to find out where his hurts were coming from.

“I’m sorry,” her apology was quick and strained ,“I’m sorry, Branch, I’m sorry-“ and the water was now blurring her vision, and perhaps it was her tears and not the rain, and perhaps her ill timed touch was not what she was apologizing for.

But Branch suddenly made a soft chuff, and his head twisted to peer back at her, the lamp like glow of his red eyes more comforting than one would expect. But Poppy hardly felt unnerved by the sight of them- not when she couldn’t feel any drop of malice, and the pink troll heaved a shuddering breath, bowing forward so she could reach and gently rub one of the Beast’s long ears. The appendage flicked, and his eyes blinked slowly, another chuff falling from his lips, before he turned to face forward again, his swimming seemingly becoming more determined.

Poppy swallowed and closed her eyes, her exhale a tad less shaky than before.

They will be okay. They have to be.

[xxwitchylanexx]

Smooth Sailing... Or Maybe Not Cloud x Reader

All aboard the Shinra-8.

No major plot spoilers

Chapter 7

Masterlist

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Guys, Y/n isn’t here yet.” Aerith said as the ramp to the hold folded back into the dock.

Cloud’s blood rushed in his ears and his pulse pounded in his wrists as he scanned the dock for any sign of you. He felt compelled to act to do something though no options seemed to be viable. He should have asked you how you planned to board when he saw you in the street. Frustration and disappointment settled into the pit of his stomach. If it wasn't for Yuffie he probably could’ve met back up with you or hell boarded together instead of running around in the chaos and fending for himself. Even as the boat lurched forward into the vast sea he couldn’t tear his gaze from the dock hoping that’d you pop in at the last second. “Shit.” Guess that’s that then.

“We could still turn back.” Tifa said, her knit brows, downcast eyes and wobbly frown mirrored his own inward emotions.

“No, they’ll be looking for us. It’d be better for her if we just moved on.” Aerith opened her mouth to argue, but he didn’t give her any time to argue. “No use standing around. Let’s go.” Cloud pushed past his two friends as they shared a concern-ridden look.

He wanted to turn back, no way in hell he’d tell them that, but the problem still stood. This was the only boat leaving tonight and the port would be too guarded tomorrow. They’d have no other chances to get to the next continent.

“Damn shame.” Barret says as he pushed one of the shipment crates to the side. “That girl had skill. I tell ya, we were clear on the otha side of the crowd ‘n she came running in, grabbed my arm, and shot that damn throwing star. Saved Shinra’s slimy ass.”

“Wow,” Aerith whispered under her breath, “That’s impressive.” Her usual mirthful personally now dejected despite her attempt to ease the bleak vibe in their team. “I guess we’ll have to rely on you for all our sharp shooting needs now.” Generally Cloud took more delight in jabs directed at Barret, but he couldn’t find it in him to be amused.

“Hey!” Barret yelled in objection as Aerith smiled sadly to herself.

“I sure hope she’s alright.” Tifa spoke quietly to herself, from Cloud’s side.

“You should be more worried about us.” Cloud said shooting his group a sharp glare. “Now focus.” It was better this way; is what he told himself. He could finally escape the overwhelming attraction. He’d made sure that any interaction with you was short and to the point, but he could feel your eyes on him from time to time and they set his body on fire. What originally started as curiosity on his end was quickly ramping up into something else. Something that terrified him to his core. It wasn't the parting he’d wanted, but maybe that was better too.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The sticky humid sea air smacked Cloud immediately the moment he emerged from cool air conditioning of the second class cabins. Junon had reeked of it too, however there was nothing out on the sea that would cover up the salty breeze.

The overhead sound system trumpeted around the ship about some card tournament as Cloud weaved through waves of tacky palm shirts and khaki shorts, the vacationers faces all a faded blur. His focus was on the great round information center, among other services, in the center of the vessel to join up with the rest of his friends.

They were huddled off in the corner nearest the counter. They were having their own little discussion of hushed words to avoid eavesdroppers, the girls saw him approach. Words died on their lips as he neared them except for Barret, who chose to keep that ridiculous sailors uniform on, so Aerith elbowed him discreetly to shut him up. Cloud inwardly scoffed. Like I wouldn’t notice.

He scratched at the back of his neck as he wondered if he should pry or not. The idea that they were talking about him behind his back had an itch crawling under his skin. “What’s up?”

“Oh, just talking about Queen’s Blood.” Tifa answered, though from the way her eyes darted to anything but his own told Cloud everything he needed to know.

“You going to enter, Cloud?” Aerith asked. Another diversion.

“Not interested.” He replied flatly.

“Oh come on!” Aerith insisted.

“It’ll be fun!” Tifa said at the same time. The smile actually reached her eyes this time.

“Whatever.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’” Barret planted a meaty hand on his shoulder. Cloud shrugged him off and huffed a heavy sigh. He found himself yielding to their pressure despite wanting to be by himself. Odin only knows he could use a distraction from the silence in his bunk only accompanied by his forlorn thoughts, and his friends discussing him in private only aided in his isolation.

Each one stepped in line to register for the tournament. He scanned the area like he always did as he waited for his turn. As he stepped to the counter a faint blur of pale blue streaked across his peripheral. Lightning shot down his spine as his feet carried him in the direction he saw it, his heart thrashing against his ribs with every step closer, his eyes unmoving from his target.

He faintly acknowledged his friends asking what was up behind him as they followed behind through every weave in and out of the masses but all he could focus on was the possibility of you. Twenty feet, ten, five. His gloved hand reached out to touch the lithe woman not even a foot apart, yet, hesitated last second his hand frozen in the space between you two. What if it wasn’t you? He could turn back right now, walk away and continue on his path, but… What if it was you? His body made the choice for him moving on its own at the possibility of ghosting along your flesh before settling firmly on your shoulder. “Hey.” His voice came out in a low murmur.

Every second seemed to stretch on for hours as she turned. His thoughts going a thousand miles and stopping altogether all at once. He could hear nothing but the blood pounding in his ears and each breath he inhaled as he burned the way each strand of hair moved and glowed in the slowly sinking sun as she shifted into his memory. How the e/c sparks in your eyes slowly brightened and the curve of your lips twitched up as you took him in. The roars of laughter and heart felt relief, and sheer joy, that surely brought attention to the ragtag group of friends behind him.

“Took you long enough. I was starting to worry you guys didn’t make it.” Your lips spoke, and the sound had his heart stopping before an easing comfort blew through his entire being like a cool night breeze rustling through the trees in the Woodlands. A sensation he could only associate with you as you danced along with hundreds of lightning bugs with the moonlight illuminating your hair much like the sunset did now. However something was off. You looked a little faint, your natural s/c tinged with a faint green. Your eyes didn’t crinkle in the corners like they usually did when you smiled and you weren’t as alert as he knew you were.

“How the hell’d you get on this boat!” Barret voice thundered in his ear and as if he turned a TV up the rest of the surrounding noise filtered back into Cloud’s senses. Aerith and Tifa pushed past him to each hug a side as he stumbled backwards a bit, his hand clutching the air at the loss of your warmth.

“I have a ticket.” You said blankly. Barret huffed, unsatisfied with your answer. “Well it’s more of a travel pass. I can board whenever I need to.” You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. “Excuse me.” Cloud furrowed his brows as a frown pulled at his lips. You broke away from the girls, ignoring their worried questions, and leaned over the railing. He nearly grabbed you again until he heard you retching violently over the side. Were you sick?

“Y/n, you okay?” Tifa asked as she rubbed your back.

You straightened back up, wiped your mouth with the back of your arm, and returned to the conversation. “I, unfortunately, get severely seasick. So now that we all reunited I’m going to find a room.” He sympathized with you. Before he became a soldier he too got all kinds of motion sickness: car, boat, plane- you name it he had it. “You guys should go enjoy yourselves.”

“And leave you all alone?” Aerith asked.

“Trust me. You don’t want to sit around and watch me toss my stomach contents.” You put a hand over your stomach as you fought a wave of nausea before pushing past them and headed back inside before you halted. You turned to them and with a forced smile you wished them good luck and a ‘Have fun’ before you blended into the crowed once again. Only his eyes didn’t move from your body till the doors to the cabins physically shielded you from the intensity of his stare.

“Shall we, then?” Aerith asked and Tifa nodded along. The two being the first ones to break away to explore and find a match to join. Barret was next, but not before smacking him roughly on the back. “Snap outta it, soldier boy.”

He shook his head before noticing Red was watching him too. His big round ocher eye seemingly pierced through Cloud’s carefully crafted walls that kept his true thoughts, feelings, and insecurities guarded from the world. He quickly tore his gaze from the red beast as if that would keep himself concealed. Red hadn't said anything before he departed. Only the pitter patter of his paw pads against the deck signaled that Cloud was left on his own once again. Only this time he didn’t feel as heavy.

Perhaps if he had truly been on his game he would've noticed the prying brown eyes that invaded your entire reunion.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cloud laid down the final card that secured his victory in the third round. A sense of pride washed over him as the edges of his mouth subtly lifted at her disapproving grunt and her over dramatic way of throwing herself against her chair, the loose shoulder of her kimono slipping down another half inch. He despised this woman. Out of all the weirdos they ran into in Wall Market, Madam M was his least favorite. The teasing, the smooth innuendos, her cold and uncaring demeanor; it made him sick. She was the most helpful, sure, but only because it benefits her.

“Fine. You win, Cloud. I have to hand it to you, though, that performance certainly hit all the right spots.” her words like as honey that oozed with lasciviousness. He’d roll his eyes if it wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of getting under his skin. So he settled with just getting off his chair and securing his sword to his back. He planned to say absolutely nothing to her until she grabbed his wrist tightly, her gaudy nails gently tapping against his skin. “That girl you were with earlier- the h/c girl in the dreadfully bland blue dress, how is it you know her?”

He didn’t give her the satisfaction of facing her, he only looked over his shoulder. He immediately regretted listening to her at all with the way her eyes sparkled like he fell for the bait she so generously tangled in front of him. How could he not when you were the subject? “What’s it to you?”

She ran her hand from his wrist to his palm, her fingers tracing over the worn lines of his gloves before he snatched it back. She let her arm fall like a scolded child with a ‘hmph’ before observing her perfect manicure. “I raised a girl that looked identical to her.” Her statement caught him off guard as he instinctively turned to look at her. He felt a sudden rush of protectiveness rip down his body, that rivaled the sensation he’d get when guarding one of his friends, and anger settled in the pit of his gut. “Though that girl, was trouble. Ruthless. Soulless. It’s probably just a coincidence of course, since she died. But, I’d keep an eye on her lest you wake up with her knife at your pretty throat.”

He didn’t bother to answer her. His feet took off towards the cabins on their own intent on finding you despite him lacking your room number. He stopped mid way between the counter and the doors. What was he going to do, barge in and interrogate you when you’ve given him no reason to doubt you? It could just be another way to mess with his head, though Madam M has never just downright lied to him before.

His name called over the intercom again to start the next match. He weighted his options make an ass of himself or mind his own business. It’s not like he was an open book. As he stalked back to the table to his next match a chill ran down his spine. What kind of childhood did you have to endure, if you truly were the same girl?

[wolfofcelestia]

Chances I'd become their girlfriend if I met them irl

I was just thinking about this because the idea of me and Xav being "the couple that should have been" keeps popping up in my head lmao

Zayne

Assuming I was his childhood friend too, it would be less awkward than if we were strangers meeting as adults, but it would still be kinda awkward at the beginning. It would be like when MC first saw him again at the restaurant, but that awkwardness would be drawn out for like at least 4 months lmao

I don't think either of us would make the first move. It would just be us slowly getting closer and closer. I'd probably fall stupidly in love with him the moment he gives me a cute little snow animal, but our relationship would definitely move at a glacial pace, mostly because of his busy work schedule but also because neither of us would want to rush the other one too quickly

I think we'd eventually work out though, down the line. Slowly melting for each other, slowly warming up to each other

Overall, 95% chance I'd become his girlfriend. It would just be a very long game, which, to my demisexual ass, would be absolutely perfect

Sylus

Listen man. I have anxiety. And this guy's lifestyle would definitely exasperate that. The only way I'd be with him is if he pretty much hounded me down, kept giving me gifts, kept contacting me so that I'd always expect and look forward to receiving his gifts and messages, and pretty much kept annoying me until I gave up and accepted him as part of my life

But my major issue is his lifestyle. He would have to accept me as someone who needs protection from whatever would trigger my anxiety, but this man knows how to shut people up to make it quiet and calm, and he knows how to create a safe and comfortable environment, so it's... not impossible for me to become his girlfriend. He just won't have the badass MC fighting beside him like in the game. Instead, he'd have like... a kitten to take care of. (I'm so mad I made that reference.)

75% chance I'd become his girlfriend. Or rather, his live-in pet. The pace would be pretty quick, I think. He's very proactive and determined, so he wouldn't stop with his gifts and his persistence until I gave in

Xavier

This guy shares my star aesthetic and my interest in games. He's cozy and comfortable. Literally nothing wrong with him and everything right about him. And yet. I don't know??

Assuming we'd be living in the same building, I feel like if he wanted me, he'd absolutely have to be on the offensive because I would just be completely oblivious to his feelings and see him as a close friend. Even if he bought me a bunch of plushies and cute lights, and stayed up with me all night playing games or cuddling on the couch watching a movie until we fell asleep... even if he straight up started getting touchy, I'd be like "you're a good friend" to him the next day asdfalskj

I don't know. Maybe in a moment of weakness, I'd be able to see him in a different light, but the chances are slim. And he'd have to be really straight forward with me to convince my dumb oblivious ass that he wants to be more than just friends

35% chance I'd become his girlfriend. It would be really difficult to see him as more than just a friend but considering he would live so close, he has the chance to be the first one to help me if I'm dealing with any problems, so it's not impossible. The pace? The pace would be non-existent because the change in relationship would depend on the circumstances

Rafayel

I can't swim!! I'm pretty sure I get sea sick too! And I know absolutely nothing about art!! But as someone who lives near the ocean, I do have a connection to the sea. I don't know how he and I would get together though. If anything, he'd get me with his fire, and his ability to put on a show with it. Then again... that kinda circles back to me being a star-aesthetics girl who's drawn to little lights lmao

His personality would probably be helpful when I'm feeling down, but I feel like I'm too... stoic? Uptight? For his whimsy and silliness. And if I were his bodyguard... man, he'd be done for. I don't want to be responsible for someone else's safety. Any sign of danger and my anxiety would SPIKE

Yeah, I feel like me and Raf are just way too different. I wouldn't say it's completely impossible since, again, in a moment of weakness, his personality would be helpful in making me feel better, but overall, I feel like there would be around a 10% chance I'd become his girlfriend. Like Xavier, this would completely depend on circumstances but it's not looking good for him so far

Caleb

Assuming we grew up together in a orphanage-type situation, it would be hard to see him as anything other than a close friend who'd always be beside you as a close friend. And from what little we've seen of him so far, I'm not so sure. For one, I'm not into being called pipsqueak by some guy 30cm taller than me. Like?? You wanna come down here and say that to my face??

I'd imagine him being just as comforting as the other boys for sure but, yeah it's hard to say from where we are in the story right now. For now, I'd put him at a 10% chance. Like with Xavier, he'd be stuck in the friendzone but even more so because Caleb would be a sort of "friends forever" type of friend. How do you move on from that?

[slutshamethesquirrels]

Behind The Cover - Chapter 2

Previous

Your POV

“So, just to clarify, you found some shitty, shady, crusty, dusty ass little hole in the wall bookstore?” Maki’s leaning across the small circular table, peering at you through half-rimmed glasses like you’d lost your damn mind.

You nod.

“It has a 3 star rating and looks abandoned? Has the world’s weirdest business hours.”

“Yes.”

A deep breath, followed by narrowed chocolate eyes “And you went?! Then when it looked abandoned and sketchy you just continued to walk right on in-”

“It wasn’t sketchy on the inside!” You defend, crossing your arms across your chest and pouting pointedly. Maki ignores you.

“-only to be greeted by some fucking anti-social loser who was a dick to you, and all you can talk about is how bad you wanted to fuck him?!”.

Your eyes meet Nobara’s on the other side of the table, and you both have to quickly avert your gazes, trying to stifle the giggles swelling in your throats. The three of you had been friends since your senior year of highschool, following a forced group assignment. You all belonged to different crowds back then. Maki graduated top of her class, and was still currently working her way through a doctorate program with a focus in business. If there was an award to be won, best believe she would be sure to achieve it if it wasn’t already tucked under her belt. Nobara had been your classic band kid, with her bob cut and obnoxious need for male validation. She always did well, but never quite out performed the others in her grades or extracurriculars. After high school, she went on to be a human resource officer for a major tech company. And you? You hadn’t really been popular throughout most of high school. You had an honorary seat at the “loser” lunch table amongst the socially inept and non-conventionally attractive. Post-graduation, you’d had a glow up that would have the same boys that tormented you flooding your instagram directs. The more followers you gained, the more opportunities started to pop up in the world of content creation, and you found an odd niche with your generally barbie-esque aesthetic and insatiable fascination with herpetology and entomology.

These days, Nobara serves as the mediator of the group, a solid middle ground between Maki’s objectively blunt demeanor and your easy going (at times, careless-) nature, but she wasn’t being much help in the present moment.

“In my defense, he was insanely hot!” your voice is broken up by chuckles, causing Maki to roll her eyes so hard you thought they may simply roll right out of her head and onto the table before you.

“You know what, this is your problem, you have a thing for ‘bad boys’. Problem with that is, real life bad boys aren’t fun and sexy! They’re misogynistic bitches-”

“I do not! Nobie, help me out here-” you send her a pleading look, but she’s all apologetic honey brown gaze and pursed lips.

“I’m kinda with Maki on this one, dude. Didn’t your last boyfriend get mad at you for making him wear a condom?”

You blink, and try not to smile. Yes .

“And the one before that wanted you to delete your socials and be fully dependent on him financially-” Maki adds.

“Yeah, and that one guy who tried to mansplain how to take care of your animals all the time, even though that's literally half of your career-” Nobara is quick to follow up.

They continue to list off failed situationships, relationships, and flings, with you trying hard to defend yourself against the on-slaught, but not getting a word in edgewise. From the outside, it would’ve been quite a sight to see. The three of you bantered with ease, but on looks alone one would never guess you all ran together. You, with your pink floral backless romper only covering the most important parts of your body, your hair curled and blown out to supermodel levels of perfection, and your white heels tapping restlessly against the tile of the cafe. Nobara, and her business casual slacks and cream colored button up, with minimal makeup and a sleekness to her hair that meant business. Maki and her edgy street wear that she only donned on her days off of school, the unnatural green of her hair that she swore she’d keep until she had to enter the workforce. It was the small bit of delinquency she allowed herself to enjoy.

“Okay okay okay!” You hold your hands out in front of you, commanding their silence “Just hear me out-!”.

A chorus of groans from both of them as Maki throws her head back in disappointment and Nobara brings her hand in front of her face, as if hiding from your next words.

A few moments of silence before you state, doing your best not to give away your cheekiness about the entire situation:

“I could fix him.”

The both of them explode with fervent disagreement as you laugh. Of course, all of you knew on some level that you were kidding, but they weren't even taking the risk of being perceived as supporting your shenanigans.

“Why don't you just go out with that Yu guy from the bar the other night? He seemed so sweet!”

You gag at Nobara’s suggestion. He had seemed sweet, but that wasn't exactly what you were attracted to. He had approached, his number and name already written down on a stray napkin, and barely made eye contact with you as he’d sputtered out something about you being pretty and going out sometime before shakily passing it to you and practically running away.

“He’s not my type.” You summarize.

“Okay, fine then. What is your type?” Maki asks, a sarcastic edge to her tone.

“Uhm,” you feign pondering for a moment, looking off to the side like you don't already know exactly what you're about to say “Probably… tall, dark features, kinda beefy… long dark hair, flawless skin, acts kinda like he hates the world but is totally fixable-”.

“Are you talking about the bookstore guy again?!”

Eventually, you wrap up your weekly brunch with the girls and make your way home on nothing more than a prayer and a general lack of concern for the countless warning lights that flicker on your dashboard. You jokingly told all your friends they were for decoration every time they rode anywhere with you, and that you could fix that weird grinding noise with a simple upward turn of the radio dial. See no evil, hear no evil, or whatever they say.

Suguru's POV

Certainly, most certainly, Suguru had lost his mind, and he feared he may simply never find it again. What started as something so simple had turned into an obsession the likes of which he’d never felt before.

A simple call to the DMV claiming to be a tow company had granted him access to your name and contact information upon providing your license plate information, which he’d intended to use to send you a faulty link hooked to an IP logger to grant himself access to your location. It was simple, effective. If you didn't fall for it, he’d pursue other options, but he was relatively sure you wouldn't be even a single step ahead of him. You didn't seem like the type to keep a watchful eye over your shoulder, if anything you seemed to relish in attention, giving Suguru a sure fire way to stay hidden amongst the crowd of others pining for your recognition.

The only thing about this type of phishing was that he had to know a little bit about you in order to conjure something that would lure your attention; a text or E-Mail that would be believable enough for you to click. What type of work did you do? What shopping centers did you frequent? Did you typically order food to go? All of these were quite possibly the key to pinpointing you.

He’d started with the phone number provided to him by one of the very government agencies entrusted with the safety of it’s citizens. Most didn't have the forethought to disable the “find by phone number” feature available on most social media platforms. However, when he’d found an instagram account, he’d immediately realized this was going to be harder than he thought. He was right though, you loved attention.

Two hundred and forty thousand fucking followers. Two hundred and forty thousand eyes on you at maximum, and at minimum, probably a third to a half of that number would notice. A fifth or so of that smaller number would probably genuinely care enough to cause a commotion, if nothing other than for the clout. If his quick math was correct, he was staring down the maw of somewhere between twenty and thirty thousand watchful eyes.

A quick glance from your follower count to the time in the top left corner of his screen let him know that he was still in bed far past ten; damn near unheard of for someone with such a strict routine. And yet, he couldn't stop. How many hours had he laid here like this? Shirtless, midnight tendrils tangled and unkempt, weary body begging for a shut down but all he could do was scroll and learn and scroll and learn-

With each passing post, he could swear he could still smell you in the storefront, could conjure up the sound of your breathing on a whim. One fifteen minute walk through his path and you’d managed to turn everything on its head. He had to have you, to satisfy the craving before he lost himself entirely. Shit, he’d almost fought Satoru over the right to you. That night when you’d stopped by the store, he thought that maybe this instinctual pull towards your scent was something that he only would experience, but when Satoru had returned from his hunt he’d immediately been able to smell you there still. Hours after you’d driven away, even with complete satiation.

To complicate things further, the only thing pushing him to take your life was just that. You were unlike anyone he’d murdered in almost the past century. You had no criminal record, no violent past, nothing; it drove him mad. Your biggest crime was wearing revealing clothing and dropping one too many swear words per capita. You had a stark interest in reptiles and insects, nearly all your pictures being of yourself posed with some exotic species of reptile or insect, captioned with facts about said animal, littered with emojis. One of these captions burns its way into Suguru’s brain:

this big lady here is daisy!! she's a burmese python! fun fact: snakes don't have the intellectual capacity to feel emotions like love, or really any emotion at all!! funny how such a creature can make me feel so much love for her!

Stupid, stupid girl. That thing could easily swallow you whole, you have to know that-

It's time stamped from two months ago under a post of you in a lavender bodycon mini dress and a pair of white gogo boots. You're striking a pose, legs crossed as an ungodly large snake grips around your hips and one of your thighs. It winds around your body all the way up to your face, where it rests against your cheek. You look like you're maybe laughing, flashing a toothy grin through painted lips and squinting liner caked eyes, lacking any fear of the creature that could easily consume you. You’ve tagged a zoo that upon further investigation seems to be three or so hours away, and left an additional comment with a link for donations. The connected organization seems to be some sort of rescue, its primary purpose being intake of reptiles and amphibians that ignorant assholes purchased not realizing they’d never be able to properly care for such a creature.

All of your posts are like that. You, dazzling the camera while showing off one of god’s many abominations. The other abominations seemed to trickle into your comment section. Men talking about the vile things they’d like to do to you, hinting at their formicophilia, saying the most desperate of embarrassing cringe in an effort to get your attention. Something burns in Suguru when he stumbles across them, something ancient and angry, but he can't quite place it. He had the urge to shift his hunt to those individual commenters, but the effort it would take wasn't worth the trouble just to clear out a few internet freaks. Plus, the overwhelming majority of your following seemed to actually be women who identified with the “alternative” label. Besides all that, the thoughts that operate the forefront of his mind are more important, more taxing.

Why didn't you shy away from things that could hurt you? Things that could kill you?

And more importantly, why did he care if his very goal was to do just that?

“Getou!!!”

He recognizes Itadori’s voice immediately. A frenzied knock on his bedroom door has him quickly tucking away his phone, finally rolling out of bed for the first time that night to open it, squinting against the artificial lighting of the rest of the home as he did so.

“Im so sorry, I need help. Now!”

As his eyes adjusted to the light, he sized up the smaller man and immediately decided that something was wrong. His eyes were wide, a reddish golden halo around dilated pupils. He looked like he’d stuck a fork in an outlet; his entire being was tense and ragged. When Suguru doesn't immediately jump to action, he continues:

“There's this person up there and she smells- fuck she smells like, like- I’m gonna kill her. If I have to go back up there I-I’m -”

Next

[ohwormwood]

✧ welcome, traveller. what is it you seek? ✧

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art tag: #ohwormwood

COMMISSIONS STATUS: OPEN (3 SLOTS)

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hello! this is artemisia speaking (artemis or ari for short)! nice to meet you!

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current fandoms: in stars and time, witch hat atelier, the legend of zelda, dungeon meshi

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✧ here are the basics... ✧

artemisia ✧ artemis ✧ ari

she/her/they/them ✧ nonbinary ✧ demisexual/sapphic

20 ✧ libra ✧ INFJ-T ✧ adhd

arts major ✧ illustration certificate ✧ gender/sexuality studies minor

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here is some stuff about me and what i do!

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✧ inside my brain... ✧

✧ my special interests lie in crows/corvids/birds, symbology, spirituality/religion, creative writing, worldbuilding, and gender/sexuality studies ✧ i dabble in a lot of art mediums, but mainly specialize in illustration, digital art, watercolor, printmaking, and writing ✧ when i'm not drawing i play rpgs, write stories, kick ass at boxing, listen to music, garden, or research random topics of interest ✧ i have a pet leopard gecko, her name is circe and i love her very much

⟣✧⟢

✧ about my art...✧

i primarily work in digital illustration and sketches, but I like to do larger pieces with watercolor, ink, acrylics, or linocut printing.

i post a lot of fanart currently, but my primary goal is to eventually make the majority of my content about my original characters/stories/worldbuilding and life experiences.

i take a lot of my stylistic inspiration from the golden age of illustration, art nouveau, vintage storybook illustration, tattoo art, contemporary comic styles, woodblock printing, botanical/zoological illustrations, and abrahamic/biblical iconography.

most of my work outside of my fanart includes imagery derived from nature, birds (specifically crows), spiritualism, religious iconography, and fantasy.

my favorite thing to draw are birds and celestial beings!

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✧ current interests...✧

✧ current fandoms: In Stars and Time, The Legend of Zelda, Witch Hat Atelier, Dungeon Meshi ✧ currently playing: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ✧ currently listening to: Winter by Yabadum, Blurt by Mega Mango, FIRE4FUN by Jhariah ✧ favorite food: mangos... ✧ favorite drink: strawberry-mango tea with mango popping boba, mango chunks, and lychee ✧ favorite season: autumn ✧ favorite plant: wormwood (duh) ✧ favorite color: olive green ✧ favorite animal: crows

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✧ top 3's...✧

✧ top 3 games: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Deltarune, Little Nightmares ✧ top 3 music artists: The Crane Wives, Mother Mother, Eve ✧ top 3 visual artists: Lauren Marx, Marian Wawrzeniecki, monsterSOVKA ✧ top 3 comics/graphic novels: Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden, Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama, Nimona by N.D. Stevenson ✧ top 3 books: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand ✧ top 3 movies: Kiki’s Delivery Service, Nope, Romeo + Juliet (1996)

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thanks for reading! i usually post at least once a week, on thursdays, so keep an eye out for more content in the future!

[meraki-yao]

Himbo was straight up insulting though

No, it wasn't. It's how 99% of the fandom has described Alex. You and other rwrb fans are just pressed because main stream media aren't up the films ass.

... Here we go again.

你很幸運，本姑娘現在有心思陪你耗。

Your argument is invalid on three accounts. Language, Math, and Reading Comprehension.

1, Himbo, according to the fucking Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is "an attractive but vacuous man". Literally, the two traits that make a himbo is attractive, but lacks intelligence. It is inherently an insult.

2, 99% of the fandom? I am one of the more active accounts in this fandom, I interact with a lot of the fandom content, and yes I have seen Alex be called a himbo, but only a few times in the earlier days, I can count them on one hand. And that was enough for me to write an essay on how Alex is not a himbo (work in progress by the way.) If you don't understand how percentage works, maybe don't use words you don't know, but I'll give you a tidbit: 99% is nearly all of the fandom. Me and my friends don't see it, and we're actively looking for fandom content. This claim is false.

3, If you actually used your brain when reading that paragraph, since the other two are "female pop star", namely Camilla Cabello, not Cinderella, and "Academy-Award Winning Actress" namely Anne Hatheway, not Solene, this is clearly parallelism, so the "All-American Himbo" is Taylor, not Alex. This is calling Taylor Zakhar Perez, the real person, the real actor, unintelligent. This is an insult to him, is factually untrue (Taylor went to a top university, has a degree in Spanish culture with two majors and a minor), and is frankly microaggression. Especially when "female pop star" is a neutral term, and "Academy Award Winner" is a positive term, the contrast makes it worse.

So yeah your claim is just factually wrong.

[thatanimeramenchick]

Yandere Blitzø x Reader Headcannons

I can see him getting in one of two types of relationships. The first is the kind you see between him and Stolas or even him and Verosika. It’s a romance of convenience, where he blows someone’s brains out and in exchange he gets the perks of whatever that person gives him as his lover. With Stolas its the grimoire and Verosika the fame and thrill of being connected to a pop star. The other type of relationship I could see him wanting though is that more clingy, genuine one that he seems to stalk Moxie and Millie over. He would desire a really functional, mutual relationship with someone who is sweet and caring. I could see this as a romance of passion that develops at rocket ship speed and implodes just as fast.

This is for the simple fact that while Blitzø seems like the type to be a master at the initial seduction, he sucks at the maintaining part of the relationship. This would likely come from him self-destructing it. Heck who am I kidding, we both know this is exactly what would happen. He would do something stupid to push you away and probably emotionally neglect you as well.

The inevitable rejection is faced with rage. Oh, you don’t like him? So what, he doesn’t care. He never liked your ugly ass to begin with. You look like a diseased dog and have the brain power of a turnip. What makes you think he would want you? If you accept his doubled down rejection though and play it cool, you’re only going to piss him off even more. You’re not even gonna fight back?! How dare you!

I could see him having slight stalker tendencies. This can be seen in all the “research” that he has saved up, as well as how he views M and M. He’s not one of the super creepy, meticulous stalkers, but I could see him wanting to keep tabs on the person he likes, even if you don’t have a romantic relationship.

This man is a slow burn yandere. All the ingredients are there for a perfect Michelin five star dinner, but you have got to let it COOK. All of his self destructive habits and bad dating experiences have slowly built up into MAJOR insecurity and prickliness. But at the same time, I see him as wanting to have a vulnerable, real relationship, and overall this deep seated NEED to be loved by someone. He just doesn’t have any idea how to do it without blowing it up right in his face. After so many failures in relationships, there would need to be a slow buildup to the right one that ends badly and causes him to act rashly.

I sincerely believe that this guy is a gold mine for yandere content. See, I like yandere content for the psychological aspects of it. The self destruction, manipulation, and unhealthy coping mechanisms, like my own little fictional case study of the darker selfish side of human nature. And I feel like Blitzo would be a PERFECT character to do this with. Insecure? Check. Self-destructive? Check. Aggressive? Check. Tends to get himself involved in other people’s relationships? To poor Moxie’s dismay – checkaroo. There is just so much potential for him to develop into the worst version of himself in a good fanfiction (especially since it looks like a toxic bad breakup is about to rock his world in the canon), and I would love to see someone do it in a realistic and in-character (KEY WORD HERE) way.

[artemismoorea03]

I Have Theories - Potential LMK Season 5 Spoilers

I have had this theory since Season 3 but Season 4 fueled it and now from the little I have seen of Season 5 it is *twice* as strong. Keep in mind I have not seen Season 5 yet but I will mention spoilers that I have seen so if you don't want to know, don't continue!

Also potential MAA Spoilers because part of MAA is built off of these theories!!!

Alright, for those of you who are on my MAA Discord you guys might have seen me mention my theory before (because I have plenty of them). I have one theory that has to do with the snake character from Season 5 - Xiang Liu I think is his name? But this has to do with MK specifically. Now, unfortunately finding proper sources for Ancient Mythologies is hard especially with AI and shit now popping up a million half-assed things based off of previous searches. So, some of my research is patchy at best, so if I get some things wrong don't be afraid to gently point me in the right direction but also keep in mind Google only gets me so far and LMK has frequently changed things to help better fit the narrative.

Note from here on out everything in quotations is directly from a source! Be it Wiki, the Journey to the West Books, or otherwise!

Now according to the Journey to the West there are Four Celestial Primates.

"The Intelligent Stone Monkey; who knows transformations, recognizes the seasons, discerns the advantages of earth, and is able to alter the course of planets and stars." - This is Wukong for those of you who don't know! :D

"The Red-Buttocked Baboon; who has knowledge of yin and yang, understands human affairs, is adept in its daily life and able to avoid death and lengthen its life."

"The Bare-Armed Gibbon; who can seize the sun and the moon, shorten a thousand mountains, distinguish the auspicious from the inauspicious, and manipulate planets and stars."

then finally, "The Sixth-Eared Macaque; who has a sensitive ear, discernment of fundamental principles, knowledge of past and future, and comprehension of all things." - this is Macaque!

(^ previous quotes all directly from the Journey to the West)

But they are not the only 'monkey's in mythology, in fact there are quite a few! Including the Orangutan King (who online I find referenced as a Snub-Nose instead so again, different sources lead to different results) who is a member of the seven sages and the Macaque King who may or may not be the Six-Eared Macaque but was definitely made that way in LMK!

Another monkey is Pangu (who I call Pen/Pengu in MAA after their rebirth). Now, as already stated multiple times already there are a lot of differences depending on sources! Not to mention different beliefs and religions also have different stories, so I am just going off of what I have found and consistencies within them!

To start Pangu is said to have been born from something called a "Cosmic Egg" on their Wiki page which was formed from the vast nothingness of space! Now, depending on source Pangu was either sent by the Celestial Realm to do what he did next or just decided that he had enough of the Celestial Realm messing with the Earth. Regardless, he took his axe and cut Yin from Yang and as such split the Celestial Realm from the Earth.

Pangu then spent the next 18,000 years pushing the two apart creating the space in between before finally dying and collapsing. After that Pangu turned into everything. The Sun, the Moon, the Mountains everything and anything.

One source (Nüwa's Wiki specifically) suggests that Nüwa and her twin Fuxi were born from Pangu's child, making them Pangu's grandchildren!

Also on Nüwa's page is something of note and another major source for my upcoming theory, a note on Pangu that isn't listed on Pangu's Wiki.

"Pangu was said to be the creation god in Chinese Mythology. He was a giant sleeping within an egg of chaos. As he awoke, he stood up and divided the sky and the earth."

Specifically pay attention to that second line. He was a giant sleeping within an egg of chaos.

Now, what is MK consistently called; Harbinger of Chaos.

Which is exactly what Pangu would have likely been seen as to anybody around when he separated the Heavens and Earth!

Onto my theory now for LMK specifically.

When Nüwa made MK she probably had a plan or a reason. (Again, I haven't seen Season 5 so people might have more clues to support or rip this part). There is no way she would just make a Harbringer of Chaos unless she had a set reason and I suspect that reason had to do with Pangu.

Specifically bringing Pangu back.

From some sources I found they suggest that Pangu was ordered to separate the two to prevent the Celestial Realm from taking advantage of those on Earth. Things that seem to be happening a lot in LMK or seem to be a major concern in LMK. People keep saying there is injustice, that people aren't doing their jobs, that things need to change!

And sometimes the best change comes from chaos itself.

So, I feel that when Pengu's body was sacrificed his soul survived and he was reborn as MK or at least his powers were given to MK so that he could help bring forth a new level of peace to the Realms. An immeasurable amount of power would need a mentor, a brother and somebody who could help teach him how to control it? What better than a Celestial Primate to teach a Primordial Primate?

Wukong - being considered a Celestial after finishing his journey - would be the best choice to raise MK. But Wukong panicked and set MK away to keep him safe - maybe even from himself. He likely wouldn't trust himself with another celestial monkey after he killed Macaque. Not only that but being raised by Pigsy would make sure that MK stayed out of trouble that he was more 'tamed' than Wukong was when he was born and to keep him safe.

He would only come in when MK had accessed his power. Which could be why he was keeping an eye on MK for as long as he had been, then when he picked up the staff Wukong realized he was strong enough and it was time for him to act and train MK.

Now! My spouse just told me that Mac has a kind of power or made some kind of deal with somebody without him knowing it and I have a theory about that too. We saw in Season 1 that Mac can temporary steal and use powers from others. This makes my spouse think that Mac is Pangu's reincarnation but I think that this is only more proof of MK being Pangu.

Why?

Because who in their right mind would give all of Pangu's powers to one creature and then to leave that child with Sun Wukong? I don't think anybody would go with that idea! But I also think that all four Celestial Primates exist to keep the peace, so when Macaque died he would need something else to bring him back. Something more than just a deal with the literal devil (Looking at you LBD!). He would need power. Specifically a power to help him regain and recover his powers.

From what I've found about Pangu from varying sources it implies that as he grew to stretch the space between the two realms he also grew in strength and power. This makes me think that maybe he had a power that allowed him to steal and absorb other powers.

A power that Macaque potentially got from him.

I think MK is Pangu and in the same way Pangu sacrificed himself to bring peace I think MK will have to do the same (clips I've seen kind of support this I think?) But I also think that while MK was born from the same stone as Wukong, he has more in common with Macaque because they share the same source of power.

Again, all a theory and I would love to know if you guys have your own theory or what you think of this one! If you don't wanna leave a comment feel free to chuck a question at me or message me :3 I don't mind!

Sources used for this post:

Journey to the West - Books.

Pangu Wiki: Here

Nüwa Wiki: Here

[manjisdollkiko]

𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳… DABI X READER

Dabi x Popstar!Reader

''Thank you, for saving me.''

...

''Your welcome, Pop star.

series summary: Y/N Y/L/N a struggling pop star is trying to pursue her music career, trying to cope with the death of father who played a huge role in her music career. What happens when she encounters Dabi who saves her from the void of being lost and helps her pursue her career in a way that is not expected.

SERIES MASTERLIST

CHAPTER 1: IN THE NIGHT WHEN SHE COMES CRAWLING

chapter warning: dark content, 18+, smut, child abuse, Y/Ns dad was very abusive, major character death, Y/N has major daddy issues, toxic music industry, manipulation, slut shaming, reader does weed , mentions of sex addicts, mentions of suicide, Dabi is really toxic, Y/N is high key traumatised.

wordcount: 7k+

CHAPTER 2: I CANT LOSE, WHEN IM WITH YOU

coming soon...

CHAPTER 3: DOLLERS DOLLERS, DROPPIN ON MY ASS TONIGHT

coming soon...

CHAPTER 4: LONG LIVE THE KING, THE KING YOU KNOW IT

coming soon...

CHAPTER 5: TRUTH OR DARE? IS IT TRUE YOU CARE

coming soon...

CHAPTER 6: THE BOY IS MINE

coming soon...

CHAPTER 7: I CHOOSE YOU TO FILL THE VOID

coming soon...

[suzteel]

My idea to do a little rec post every month clearly didn’t work out, and now the list has gotten a little unmanageable. So I'm going to try something else: short themed/niche rec lists. Starting with "fics where Vegas gets turned on fighting/sparring with Pete" (which is very niche but also very important to me, personally).

face to face (and fate to fate) by dustbottle (Explicit, 5k)

Pete is watching him, looking for an opening, sharp-eyed and assessing. His weight is shifted onto the balls of his feet. He’s wearing grey sweats that hug his ass and one of Vegas’s faded, oversized shirts. His hair keeps flopping into his eyes, and he keeps flicking it back, more reflex than exasperation. He looks good. He always looks good. He’s also very obviously holding back. His unspoken carefulness is close enough to pity that it makes Vegas’s skin crawl. He wants Pete to show him his teeth. Stop being nice. * Vegas and Pete spar.

conditions for growth by jalesidor (Explicit, 7k, archive-locked)

The shirt he offers Pete runs small, even on Vegas. It stretches over his shoulders as Pete slips it on. It's obscene, how tight the cotton runs over his biceps. The nail in the coffin: Pete trying to fasten it up over his chest causing one of the buttons to pop off and directly into the mirror with a clink. “Oops,” Pete says. The fool. The absolute imbecile: completely unaware of the utter ruin he’s caused to Vegas’s mind. — Pete bulks up. Coincidentally, Vegas discovers what type of men he likes outside of Kinn’s sloppy seconds.

Five-Star Southpaw by anonymous (Explicit, 100k, AU)

When Vegas is handed the keys to a failing major family hotel and told to bring it back to life, he knows it’s not a gift, or a test, or even an opportunity to prove himself. It’s a taunt. It’s a way to set him up for failure so everyone can rub his nose in the shitshow he’s left with, defeated and inferior to his cousins like always. It’s the death sentence of his pride in a gilded cage. But misery loves company and all that, and he finds a surprisingly fitting cellmate in an unassuming looking employee named Pete. Now if only he could get Pete to stop playing hard to get, this cage could become a lot more comfortable.

ETA: I was just sent this one and yeah yeah going on the list.

The Tension Between by silver_etoile (Explicit, 3k)

Pete's a good fighter. Vegas knew that. He didn't know just how hot it would be for Pete to kick his ass, but it is. It very much is.

Enjoy!