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sushiandstarlight · 4 years ago

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Cookies: Chapter 17

This chapter contains today’s prompt “wish.”

Previous story: Of All The Beds In All The Hotels In All The World

Chapters 1-3 / Chapter 4 / Chapters 5 & 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 11 / Chapter 12 / Chapter 13 / Chapter 14 / Chapter 15 / Chapter 16

Read this chapter on AO3

Rating G-Light Teen for suggestions, nothing explicit

Personal Note: I’ve officially crossed the 50k finish line with this chapter! I’ll still be writing as this story isn’t finished yet and I’m curious to see what my end-of-the-month word count will be. This story was meant to be a couple thousand words to get me through one or two days of prompt fics. Now, it’s over twice as long as the previous story and it’s 2/5 of what I wrote on for the month and growing!

Okay, enough of my blathering... let’s get back to the fluff:

Crowley thought that the night before he proposed would be fitful, sleepless. That, perhaps, he would sleep in bits and pieces and have stressful dreams. It wasn't like that at all. Aziraphale had loved him to a drowsy state of peaceful exhaustion before, astoundingly, falling asleep before him. He lay as long as he could, gazing at the angel- watching his slow and even breathing and listening for his little snores. Admiring that he allowed him this vulnerability and so many others. He was still nervous, to be sure, because that's who he was. But a part of him had settled into place tonight: tomorrow he would offer the rest of his days to the best friend he had ever had and there was a certain surety that Aziraphale would say yes. He drifted off and dreamt of soft, white twinkling lights and cocoa and an angel's smile lighting up the darkness.

“Crowley,” the voice was soft and very close to his face. He grumbled at it.

“Crooooowley,” it was a little louder now, a smile curling the end of his name.

“Neh.”

“There you are.”

“m'not.”

Aziraphale laughed quietly and touched his face. Crowley cracked one eye, it was still dark.

“s'not Christmas yet.”

“It is, though.”

“Nope, still dark,” Crowley closed his eye and nuzzled down into his pillow, “Santa might not have come yet.”

“Is this what I have to look forward to when we get home?”

“You could let me sleep.”

There was a little shuffling and then Aziraphale's voice was closer.

“But I want to start the day with you.”

Crowley groaned softly and blinked open both eyes to find the angel's face close to his.

“There are those beautiful eyes,” he sighed and kissed him, snuggling in close. Crowley wouldn't say, but wake-ups like this would be more than worth the loss of sleeping in. He kissed him back, pulling him along as he rolled on to his back.

“I want to give you your first present,” Aziraphale smiled down at him.

“First? There's more than one?”

“Oh, yes. This one I can't give you downstairs, only up here,” the angel's hand trailed suggestively down Crowley's stomach and now he was fully awake.

“But what if Santa's still watching?”

“We get a reprieve between Christmas day and New Years.”

“Are these rules written down somewhere or...” Aziraphale's hand had found it's destination and Crowley shivered.

“Would you like your present now?”

“Uh, uh huh.”

“That's what I thought,” Aziraphale grinned mischievously- and didn't that do things for Crowley- and disappeared under the blanket.

There was a pile of pastries fit for royalty sitting on the table in the lobby when they finally made it downstairs. Aziraphale went for them immediately, cooing about the beautiful lamination of the dough.

Crowley sauntered into the sun room. The tree was lit in front of the wall of windows, showing off the crisp snow all over everything outside. It hadn't snowed overnight and it wasn't now. The sun was obscured by clouds, but the snow still twinkled. It was a picturesque scene and it should have made him want to hurl... But, what could be better than this, really? What better backdrop could he hope for?

He turned to the tree and now noticed that there were presents piled under it, wrapped in garishly cliché wrapping paper and done up with curly ribbon. There was a little pile for Gladys and one for Edie and another with Gladys' grandson's name on it.

And then two more little piles... for him and Aziraphale. Crowley squatted and blinked at them in confusion. In Aziraphale's were a large lumpy package and a large tin. In his own were another large lumpy package, a smaller rectangle- maybe a box?, and a tiny little box. The tiny box was wrapped in black paper and had red ribbon tied around it. Crowley suspected that one might be from Aziraphale. He wondered what could be in such a small box.

He meandered back to through the foyer and into the lobby where Edie and Aziraphale were now sitting at the table, discussing the ins and outs of good pastry.

“It's the lamination, if you don't get good lamination- keep that butter cold- it's a lost cause.” Aziraphale said as he munched on flaky little bite-sized fruit-filled pastries.

“There's another secret ingredient, you know. It's in all home made baked goods.”

“All of them?”

“Well, sure.”

“What is it then?”

“Love, you goose. You can taste the love that goes in to something that's made from scratch!” She turned her smile from Aziraphale to acknowledge Crowley standing there and he nodded like he understood.

“I can feel love, you know. I can sense it.” Aziraphale was still munching away as he talked, little flakes falling from his fingers and onto the table in front of him. He must not have noticed yet or he'd be fussing.

“Well, then you ought to know it's in there.”

“I think I can feel it, now that you mentioned it,” Aziraphale winked at her and reached for an apple turnover that sparkled with sugar all across the top.

“Gladys in the kitchen?” Crowley pointed that way.

“Yep,” Edie waved him off and he went to the kitchen, but paused in the door way when he heard his name.

“Your poor senses must go haywire around Crowley, then.”

“How do you mean?”

“He's bonkers-crazy head over heels for you, dear.”

“I don't really get any sense from him, actually. I mean I get a feel for him, but nothing specific I would call love,” Aziraphale cleared his throat, there was the sound of something being put down on a plate before and went on, “I'm not sure if that's because he's always felt a certain way and so I just chalk it up to being who he is or if I'm just too close to see. Either way, for a time I was convinced that he couldn't love.”

“That's just crazy talk,” Edie sounded incredulous. Crowley silently thanked her. He could damn sure love. He loved his Bentley and he loved stirring up mischief. But the love he felt for Aziraphale eclipsed both. It made him a little sad that the angel couldn't feel it, although it was probably best that he couldn't for most of their friendship. He wished he could change himself, even just a little, so he could show him the depths of what he felt.

“Oh, I know that now. It seems rather silly in hindsight. No one loves like he does. It's a safe, giving, selfless kind of love. I might not be able to sense it, but I can see it in his actions and hear it in his words.”

“He orbits you, dear, like you're the sun.”

“I suppose he does.”

“And you love nothing more than shining on him, don't you?”

“He..,” Crowley could hear him swallow hard, apparently choked up, and the desire to go to him was almost unbearable but he held still, “He believed in me when no one else did- including me- and he was there when my family abandoned me for their own selfish causes. If I can spend my life shining on him, Edie, it's something he deserves.”

“Now, don't you get me blubbering on Christmas morning. Eat another pastry,” Edie sniffed pointedly and Aziraphale went back to munching.

Crowley carried on in to kitchen and found Gladys struggling to get a turkey that was nearly as big as she was into the oven. He rushed over and held the other side, the two of them sliding it in together.

“Thanks- oh goodness, but you sure have a dopey look on you this morning!” Gladys wiped her hands on a tea towel and threw it over her shoulder.

“Neh, I don't.”

“Okay, if you say so,” she chuckled, “but you look like one lovesick fool to me. You do know you've already won him, right?”

“Just... sometimes I wish I could meld our minds so he could feel what I feel for him.”

“Oh, he knows,” she waved him off and started unloading the dishwasher. Crowley automatically started taking things from her and putting them away. Funny how quickly this kitchen had become home base for him here at the inn, “but I understand. I feel like that with Edie sometimes. Then sometimes she gives me this knowing smile and... I know she knows.”

Crowley hummed.

“Are you nervous?”

“Not as nervous as I thought I would be.”

“When are you going to do it?”

“When are we opening gifts? I see there are presents for all of us, you crazy woman.”

“After dinner,” Gladys said laughing when he pulled a face, “the anticipation is the best part! Kids, you let them run down on Christmas morning and tear into things. They're too keyed up to wait. But, we're adults now... We can savor the magic a little longer.”

“Savor the magic, okay.”

“Now, be a good lad and wash the potatoes for me.”

Chapter 18 is now up!

#aziraphale x crowley #crowley x aziraphale #good omens #good omens fic #ineffable husbands #star light-reads #30 days of prompts #nanowrimo #nanowrimo 2020 #of all the beds in all the hotels in all the world #sequel #christmas fluff #fluff

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the-canary · 6 years ago

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Good Timing - S.R (10/10)

Summary: The music always starts at 5 am every morning since your new neighbor moved in leading to your dog promptly as soon as he wakes up. What will you do with that time spent with him? (Modern!Reader/Steve Rogers)

Prompt: The guy living below me has a really loud alarm clock that always wakes me up at the crack of dawn.

A/N: This is for @sebashtiansatan ‘s writing challenge. i’m sorry that it took awhile, but hopefully you’ll enjoy it!

Feedback is always welcomed.

Ollie leaves his little apartment and Steve is at a loss for the next two weeks.

It’s takes him awhile to realize of this loss though. He had been excited over the fact that there was a little girl and her dad that wanted to see Oliver during an upcoming adoption event, and Steve was sure that sure that they were going to love the little scamp either way.

“He’s the sweetest thing,” he remembers you saying to the mother and stepfather who were a bit more on the cautious side, as they watched him interact with Sugar, “All the neighbors love him and even Sug too, though that took him a little more work.”

All three adults look at you and then at the girl --Cassie, if he remembers correctly-- getting along with the two dogs. Then, they look at Steve since he was the one that actually took care of him.

“She’s right,” he feels himself saying, but he isn’t quite there as well, “He does great in any situation. I’m sure they’re gonna be great pals.”

The mother leans down to take a closer look at Oliver and that’s when he does it -licks her and lets out a happy, welcoming bark. The scene all melts from there as the family soon welcome its newest member into the mix, while also patting and greeting Sugar as well.

“They love him,” you whisper to his right side, as Steve can only nod while watching the heartwarming scene as he feels a small lump in his throat that stops him from talking completely. He feels something slip into his hand and grasp onto it tightly as Sugar sits at his feet.

“He’s gonna be so happy,” you try your best to reassure him, as Steve sees the family keep loving on the little dog that for a short time was his best pal.

You aren’t surprised that Steve doesn’t show up the following day after he had left your apartment that evening he had given Oliver to his new, permanent family. As much as, Steve hadn’t wanted to admit it, he had grown close to the little fella in a very short amount of time.

Sugar whines at the front door once more, as if trying to catch your attention.

“Come back to bed, Sug,” you state while grabbing your mug of coffee,”I don’t think he’s coming today.”

She lets out a sad whine, before following you to the back of the apartment for more naps and cuddles.

While, deep down you were hoping to share some time with him, you also understood that Steve needed some time to handle everything on his own as well.

“So...is this about the dog or the young lady, Steve?”

“....”

“Ah, both then.”

And thus with a little help, Steve is finally able to settle his thoughts about everything and for once in a very long time, he knows how he wants to move forward in life.

You can’t help but wonder if this was how Steve felt when he didn’t see you in that one week, however that also meant you thought that he was in love with you. And over the course of your time with him and Ollie, you thought that your feelings might be mutual -- you shared your apartments and time. You talked about your dreams and fears late into the night. He and the pup had become a fixture in your apartment through different times through the day, almost everyday.

But now, you weren’t so sure. maybe , it had just been the idea of having the two dogs together, that you were helping him with Oliver that set the happy make believe that you could be together -- that you could see yourself like this...with him for a very long time.

There wasn’t anymore late night visits, any morning texts or messages, there wasn’t even any loud music to brother from up above.

Steve had left just like he has entered your life and you weren’t sure how to do in the aftermath of it all, but you were sure that as long as you had Sugar --like you always did-- everything was going to be alright.

It’s goes on like this for a month between work and taking Sugar out to new places, you don’t really find time to be at home and while you hate it -- you have new memories with her and the others that you care about. Hell, you had even gone to see Ollie and Cassie twice now, much to Sugar’s displeasure. However, there was still no sign of Steve -- that was until one fine Saturday morning.

Like always, Sugar notices it before you though, as she wakes with excited barking and shuffling around the front door as you let out a yawn -- still too tired to fully understand what was going but knowing that Sugar wouldn’t stop unless you did what she wanted.

“Hold your horses, Sug,” you yawn out as she lets out what almost sounds like a yip in your hazy brain.

Once you open the door, it takes you even longer to comprehend that Steve is standing there a little worse for wear in his familiar outfit of sweats and a hoodie, but his hair was longer and he was now sporting a beard. He gives you an awkward and timid smile, as Sugar’s need for attention brings him down to her level.

You stand there confused, unsure of what is going on until he gets back up again and his eyes are all on you.

“Hey,” he manages to say as you echo it back to him, “I was wondering if we could take Sugar for a walk today.”

“I--” you stutter out, ready to reject him out of fear and a mixture of emotions you still aren’t used to handling, but Steve seems to notice that as well as he cuts you off.

“Just a talk, please,” he adds with a tone of desperation and longing you aren’t used to from the man, “There’s a lot I want to explain and if you don’t like what ya hear...then I’ll never bother you again. But, please.”

At least he knows that he is on thin ice, though maybe not fully understanding that a simple talk wasn’t going to fix anything you guys had had before Oliver had been adopted -- you were to afraid to question those feelings and his all over again. However, as you glance at Sugar --her tail wagging and her eyes full of adoration for the man-- you knew that you had to take a page from her book and at least give him a chance.

“Could you wait in the living room while I get ready?” is all you say before opening the door a bit more and letting the man in, though he gets the feeling he isn’t allowed anywhere -- you had closed off your home to him, but at least you hadn’t such the door on his face like he thought you would.

Without another word, you go back into your room and leave Steve to sit on the couch with Sugar to get ready to pounce on him when he does -- if only everything was just that easy.

You end up talking a long walk around one of Sugar’s favorite parks -- not the one with the large puddle but the one with the friendly dog coffee just across the street. Though, Steve in a mess of nerves starts talking before you even reach the place, settled on a bench with the perfect amount shade as you watch Sugar play with some of the other dogs.

You’re staring at her when Steve starts talking -- about the his mom, the war, and a lot of other things that seems to muddle together in his nervousness. However, his blue eyes are always on you -- watching how you take everything in without any judgement and even a small hint that you might understand him and this unbearable fear he has of being alone but pushing people away all at the same time.

“It came back when Ollie got adopted,” Steve goes on to talk about the beagle puppy, “All the fear came rushing back and I needed to pull away, though it wasn’t right for me to do so without telling you.”

You frown, but you understand him a bit too well since you had done the same thing as well. If you really thought about it, you both were just lonely people starved of human interaction. It was luck that you had found each other, but to make it all work -- well, that required a lot of work from both your ends.

“Steve,” you start off and he swears his heart jumps just a little at the sound of his name from your lips, “Why are you telling me all this? What do you want? ”

He smiles at as he turns to look at you -- really look at the way your skin colors takes in the sun, how sleep deprived you are from working so many others, how you closed yourself in but still held a sympathetic look in your eyes. There were so things he knew, but there was so much more to learn as well. And he would be willing to take all the time in the world to do so, if you let him.

“I’m tryin’ to say that I wanna spend time with you and Sugar again,” Steve explains as he takes your hand into his and rubs your knuckles with his thumb, “I don’t wanna keep losing the precious things I have because I was afraid. Gotta take life and make it my own for once.”

“If you have me as a friend, I’ll be okay with that,” Steve answers back in the softest voice possible, “But I’ve realized that that I really like you and I wanna try this with you, if you’ll have me,”

Your mouth drops for a second, as he keeps looking at you earnestly and in the moment you know that Steve is being honest and that even though it might hurt, he was ready for your rejection. And while you knew it was at the time of your tongue, you had also realized that Stevee made a point -- you couldn’t live in a bubble your whole life and even if he didn’t know it now he had certainly opened it for you since the day you had heard that too loud music from the upstairs apartment.

You let out a small laugh and grasp his hand a little together, “I wouldn’t mind if we take is slow and steady.”

A beautiful smile blooms on his face as he nods, “Anything you want.”

You nod and seal the deal with a peak on the cheek before bursting in a nervous fit of laughter with him. Sugar -dirty but still full of energy- running over to you in excitement over the noises you were making, understanding that her humans were once again happy with each other, though maybe a little mad at her once she shakes and gets mud on their clothes.

And maybe on way back to the apartment, you’ll take a detour to Clint’s or maybe that dog cafe if they allow dirty patrons. Surely, you’ll talk and laugh along the way as you talk about Oliver and Cassie while Steve thinks about fostering another dog a little the road.

It was awkward but you would surely get there because you had each other and Sugar along for the ride -- the timing might be a little rough, but it would lead to nothing but happy and loving memories...you both knew that now.

#Steve Rogers #Steve Grant Rogers #steve grant rogers x reader #steve x reader #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers au #steve rogers angst #steve rogers fanfic #steve rogers fan fic #steve rogers fic #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers fluff #series: good timing #fabiola trying to write

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the-textbased-jiaqiverse · 6 years ago

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[Start of Log 073]

Log 073: The Cigar

*sighs* This is my fault... well not all my fault! Why do I have this story to tell today you may ask—if you may ask I mean—it all begins with John and James.

Yes, I write and save little love letters and love poems to Dice, yes, I do that ok? Just dunno how to up and say it to him sometimes... but I think he might have read them though, somehow... I probably deleted thousands of drafts and stuff. Hey why do I mention stuff I deleted? Well...

I needed this file from our archive, I needed John and James to pull it out, what happened is that I wanted to get it as fast as possible so I forwarded these wishes to John and James, I didn’t want to hang around them when it seemed like they always have the words *quotes*“we want to embarrass you BADLY” written on their faces recently. Right, I told them to look for file 021125, and observed them type in 155... not a joke! 115 oops, 155! I was like, “I was NOT telling you how many of these numbers are there, it’s 1 zero, 1 two, 2 ones, then 1 two and 1 five!” It was when they literally typed in 1012211215 that I realized they were trying to stall me, and well, build tension for something they possibly waited for a long time to do. I didn’t want none of that crap, so I shouted, “just type this in! Digit by digit alright?!! 0, 2, 1, 1, 2, 5!” That was easy right? No they entered sloth mode!

“0”, yes you typed zero, hooray! Now go for two, that’s right, it’s right there, look IT’S RIGHT THERE! Just put your finger on it, no no no why are you now pointing to 1, I said 2!! Oh that’s right now you’re there, type 2, 2, 2!!!!!!

“2” oh thank God! Now go for 1, yes 1, no not 0 NO NO NO! Ok yes, 1, yes. Should I remind you of the next three numbers? Because at this rate when you finished typing the 1 you would’ve forgotten the next three numbers already!

“1” on second thought, if I reminded you the 125 you might just mess up the entire file number so we have to start over if I can guess what you are thinking. WAIT WHY ARE YOU GOING TO 0? Look you don’t have to start from 0 and move to the number every flipping time!

“1” this is an eternity! Wait is it just me or did you slow down? Can you be ANY slower than you were just now? Apparently yes! OMG I can feel my life flash in front of my eyes. I still have so much to do and so much to fix! Have I told Dice that I loved him?

“2” if it wasn’t for the little screen with the search bar I would have forgotten where we were at myself! ............................................................

*reenacts the scene himself* “5” FINALLY!!! Now you just have to click “search”... wait a sec...... UUUUUUUUHHHHHH!!!!! They can still drag this on!!!!!!

*keeps reenacting* right so John finally clicks “search”, and the file shows up right? So I directed, “tap on it!”, so the file would be extracted, but........... how does one accidentally click on the delete button while opening up the file??!!! Especially when you are made to do things for us with precision and elegance?!

*reenacts the convo* “Hey boozoos! You know I would go to Dice about your, INCOMPETENCE right?” “Aw chill out, don’t go yet, we can still recover the file,” John said it without a thread of dread, so I know something had to be amiss, because they are usually scared of Dice hearing about them messing with me. “JUST GET ME THE FILE!!!” “Ok Boss,” but recovers something else, “oh what’s this? ‘Dice, not a moment passes without me thinking of your soft skin, oh how I longed to have you in my arms!’ What is this cringe Boss? Oh and, ‘you are life’s greatest gift for me’, why is this in the trash Boss? Little pieces like ‘when you and I are alone I gained my own piece of heaven,’ why this cringe Boss? You know practically everyone working in this casino can see this, don’t you? Why don��t you report your little works of art to Mr. King Dice too?”

I practically broke into Dice’s office after that!

Dice just stared at me knowingly and said, “it was John and James again wasn’t it?” I almost cried and I thought it would be very clever to say “Dice you love me right?” And confess that I wrote some cringeworthy stuff about us two, just before I let Dice get back to work... probably became one of the reasons why Mr. Wheezy turned out like this...

I thought Dice couldn’t look more dumbfounded than he did then—when I confessed, but I had a whole new idea after seeing his reaction to Wheezy’s nonsense.

So, Wheezy’s first day on the job. I actually liked him a lot, Wheezy is really just a simple guy, he fit right in with our existing staff, he is very down to earth, everyone liked him. The best part? Wheezy is not trying to play tricks all the time like John and James would do, he was so enthusiastic and was very good at his job. I heard from James that Wheezy threw that arson rat out long before he got mad and torched our property again, just because he thought that guy didn’t feel right. Wheezy was lit, literally. Every one of our employees cheered for him.

Huh... you know, why would Dice light that stupid cigar right? Probably because of the fact that he was really distracted by my cringe stuff...

I was happy about all Wheezy’s hard work, but James up and said that guy was for some reason very off, and I should keep a good eye on him. At the time I even teased James, “Aww you probably thought he’s off because you are jealous that I liked him more than you and John, Wheezy listens to me without trouble at least, UNLIKE YOU TWO, haww-hawww, be jealous pal, be very jealous.” I should have paid attention when he said, *impersonates, reenacts the tone of urgency* “I am not joking around this time, I’m being serious! John thinks so too.” But I didn’t think much of it, I mean, Wheezy’s perfect as long as he does whatever Dice and I wanted him to do without overthinking or messing around, the casino is never this in order—something would always go wrong with those costumers—this peace and quiet is all thanks to Wheezy kicking the rat out. I seriously thought Wheezy is like a lucky charm! Why didn’t I realize that those days could have been just some of our quieter days.

Wheezy ended up not being very busy, then he apparently wanted to just walk around and find somethings that he can lend a hand to. He did find something...

Right after offering to heat Mangosteen’s dinner, which is NOT part of his job, Wheezy found out Pip and Dot had a gas leak going on in their room, he volunteered to fix the issue, which is also NOT part of his job. Needless to say, lit cigar plus gas right?

BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!

Now I get it! Wheezy is trying way too hard to do ALL the jobs just because he might want to feel validated and he liked that feeling.

Dice told me later that night that he intended to be calm and collected when he had to talk to Wheezy about how half our staff quarters exploded, but he just can’t hold it in... when Wheezy accidentally made a pun. He tried his best to calm himself again and explained why the explosion happened to Wheezy—Wheezy had no idea why!—he has to explain as best as he can. It seemed that Wheezy did understand, and he said he would stay far away from future gas leaks. After all this Dice is just completely and utterly exhausted.

As we were drifting off to sleep, Dice got a call and this is when his jaw just dropped, that was the most dumbfounded he had ever appeared to be. John and James were tasked to fix the gas leak, clean up and restore our staff’s rooms, that should have taken no longer than 5 minutes, but somehow in that little interval of time mangosteen was just UNBEARABLY hungry and wanted more food, mind you he had dinner—the dinner Wheezy heated for him remember?! His room was one of those that was completely taken out by the explosion, and he can’t wait 5 minutes. So being the good *ironic*“resourceful” person he is, Wheezy offered to heat a can of food from his room for Mangosteen, HHHHHHH...... HAHAHAHAHA, I shouldn’t be laughing but, let’s describe it with Wheezy’s own words like how John did on the call, *clears throat* “I read the label on that can, it said ‘DO NOT PUT CAN IN MICROWAVE OVEN’, so I poured out the food into my metal pot and put that into the microwave, I’m not stupid.”... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... and then “Well of course I put the metal pot in there too! Geez I’m not going to just put the food in there silly” And the microwave caught on fire, our staff tried to put it out but it didn’t work, so now the remaining half of their quarters is gone as well, John and James didn’t even know how to tell us about that! After 1 minute of silence Dice finally told them to split up, keep an eye on everyone as the other quickly rebuild everything, otherwise no one would get any rest at all. Guess who got no rest in the end, Dice, he was so... shocked, he spent this whole night making this group of cigarettes to “assist” Wheezy—actually to keep him under close watch.

Fast forward to yesterday, 3 days after the last gas leak incident.

Everyone got along just well, especially Wheezy and the cigarettes, they bonded like brothers. They are like heroes to the majority of our staff, lending helping hands and keeping potential troublemakers away. You think everyone would hate Wheezy’s guts after what happened with their quarters right? Apparently not... For some reason. This time they really want to impress Dice and I, maybe to make up for the fact that they made such a mess, or get more validation, idk. The problem is that they went to an extreme length. They were everywhere, and they are *quotes*“nice” to the point that it’s intimidating! Once, Wheezy and two cigarettes actually followed Dice into the washroom and asked if he needed assistance there, I didn’t hear that part at that time but I did hear a loud “EXCUSE ME?!!” from Dice. I dragged them out and nearly beat them dead. Dice stopped me, why Dice I should’ve beat them dead so they wouldn’t cause all this trouble yesterday! At that time Dice probably wanted to believe that they’re just not clever enough and we have to patiently explain EVERYTHING to them, including personal boundaries, and what their jobs actually include.

John and James couldn’t focus on their jobs because they spent so much energy on watching the cigarettes, still had that lingering doubt about them. You see, John and James didn’t check the pressure of our gas lines or something and there was an even bigger leak starting out from our basement. Guess what, being the room closest to the basement, Pip and Dot’s room is once again filled with the smell of gas, and they just assumed there’s a leak in their room again. What did they do may I ask? Did they go to John or James, or Dice, or me with the problem? NO, they turned to their group of friends, which unfortunately includes Wheezy......

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!!!!!!

Half of our casino was gone with the blast!

And yeah... we somehow managed to be calm enough to clean ourselves up and have a late dinner like nothing stupid happened.

I checked with everyone, and imagine my surprise when I found John and James working alone on rebuilding the casino. Then it hit me, I really haven’t seen Wheezy and his cigarettes!

This is what I found them doing...

At that point it was already late, and Dice was still covered in ashes, I had to pull him away from the situation because I can clearly see that they are not on the same page.

It was then I found out from Dice, that he found out from our staff, that Wheezy did want to dive headfirst into the gas again! Wheezy completely forgot about the last incident and what Dice tried to tell him! Which means he had to repeat all that once again... Luckily the little cigarettes stopped him and reminded him that HE cannot go near the gas leak and Wheezy was all “yeah yeah yeah”. According to our staff the cigarettes also prevented him from putting metal into the microwave YET AGAIN, so thumbs up for them there. Then why was there still an explosion? That’s because Wheezy worked his magic and convinced one of the cigarettes to go repair the leak in his place! Why not ANYONE ELSE? I DON’T KNOW! It was then I knew stupidity is probably contagious... all I need to say is, that little cigarette that went in is of course, lit!

Now I get it, saying Wheezy is not allowed to fix gas leaks was not enough, we have to address each and every cigarette and tell them they are not allowed to do so as well! But what’s weird about this is that while this time Dice tried to tell them all that they can’t help with a gas leak, because they are lit cigarettes, Wheezy just blew into this sudden rage and exploded about how being cigarettes didn’t mean that they can’t help and he didn’t like how Dice kept thinking cigarettes are not good enough. Then he called Dice every name in the Inkwell version of a dictionary. This came out of nowhere whatsoever! Did something ridiculous just click to him somehow? We never said or indicated ANYTHING like that to them right? Knowing Wheezy he probably wasn’t trying to, or plainly couldn’t make this kind of a joke for laughs, he basically accused Dice of thinking all that. The biggest issue is that Dice couldn’t get them to understand that they took what he is saying wrong, therefore the conversation went between Dice talking about how scientifically, LIT cigarettes can’t mix with gas, and Wheezy taking that and applying that to all things unrelated and believing further and further that Dice is just not willing to give him this pet on his back no matter what he does, because of an unrelated reason, so Wheezy hates an idea that he gets out of whatever Dice is trying to say even when that’s clearly not what he meant AT ALL, and he feels the overwhelming need to attack Dice for it. UHH!! Wow I wish I listen to John and James, I mean they were right about most people!

Hey I hope Wheezy snaps out of this eventually right?

[End of Log 073]

Lmao when Mr. Wheezy says “I’m not stupid” and proceeds to tell someone else that they’re “silly” after burning his microwave oven

Inkwell version insults, what would all of those be like?

Piece the timeline together (use hints like the log numbers and certain contents), otherwise it wouldn’t make sense how one minute Wheezy hated KD then the next he worshiped him

There’s a follow-up to this!

#cuphead #cuphead don’t deal with the devil #cuphead fanfic #cutscene characters #skeletons #king dice #cuphead king dice #cuphead devil #snake eyes #cuphead snake eyes #devil dice #mr wheezy #cuphead mr wheezy #hocus pocus #phear lap

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millennial-star-gazer · 6 years ago

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Tantric Flames: (reupload from previous accounts): Chapter: 4

Tantric Flames

Originally for Nalu Week/Fluff Week/Lovefest 2017 (on previous accounts)

Genres: Romance, Humor, New Adult Fanfiction

Nalu Lovefest 2017 Prompts: Lust, Stockings/Lingerie, Sweets (Implied) Dreams(Implied) Games and Roleplay (Kind of Implied in Form of Teasing )

Vera's March 2018 Prompt Challenge: Fantasy/Creatures (which fits since Fairytail is a fantasy series and Natsu' species is dragonslayer/ Demon hybrid in this fic that's slight AU. Though this might technically still be true for the overall series since he's an etherious demon/wizard capable of using both fire dragon slayer magic and of his curse power)(was on previous accounts)

Upcoming Nalu Love Fest 2018 prompts: Kiss/Makeup (kind of) Playful, Desperate, Unbearable, Estatic ,(Implied) and Teasing

Pairing:Nalu (Natsu x Lucy)

Rating: M for language, steamy and mature adult sexual content (all consensual) in these and future chapters. Reader Direction is advised.(You've been warned!)

Summary:One look, one smouldering hooded gaze, one word, one fiery kiss, one magnetizing touch was all he needed for her to completely unravel at his mercy alone, succumbing to the sinful temptation of her inhibitions, his love, his feral passion, his raw, insatiable desires, his "Tantric Flames". Originally an Submission (slight Au) for Nalulovefest 2017 (on previous accounts) in which Natsu gives his mate a tantric massage-after much persuasion- she won't soon forget when it turns into so much more. Also previously featured in Nalu Week , and Fluff Week with first two chapters on celestialgeekmage accounts.

Chapter 4: Kiss From A Dragon's Flame: Part 1

A/N: Hey everyone, it's me again Anyway, there isn't too more much for me to say in the beginning A/N: this particular time of around since I've reserved any particular notes on housekeeping for the A/N: at the bottom after the main chapter. That being said, just wanted give everyone a quick headups that the particular scene that I've mentioned a few times which the lovely @soprana-snap/soprana and @wildrhov were kind enough to help me with which will now be in Chapter 6 due the length of these chapters. (soprana-snap and wildrhov if you're reading this, it's me the former cosmicdragonwizard/dragon-shield-maiden/star-crossed- dragon) Still plenty of sexy good times and fluff between our OTP (Nalu) to go around though! Now, without further ado here's chapter 4— enjoy and don't forget to review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairytail which belongs to the one and only Hiro-sensei instead!

Read More Here:

1.Tantric Flames

A. Tumblr

Chapter: 1 (Click Here:) (or here: https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/179863946153/tantric-flames-reupload-from-cosmicdragonwizard/amp?)

Chapter: 2 (Click Here:) (Or here: https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/179863946153/tantric-flames-reupload-from-cosmicdragonwizard/amp?)

Chapter: 3 (Click Here:) (or here: https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/179864756428/tantric-flames-reupload-from-previous-accounts/amp?)

Chapter: 4

Chapter: 5 (Click Here:) (or here: https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/179872139218/tantric-flamesreupload-from-previous-accounts)

Chapter: 6(Click Here:) (or here: https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/183149105838/tantric-flames-chapter-6-despojado-stripped)

Chapter: 7 (Click Here:) ( or here: https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/185033161848/tantric-flames-chapter-7-what-belongs-to-a-fire)

Chapter:8 (Click Here): (or here:https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/188352271948/tantric-flames-chapter-8-tantric-art-of)

Chapter:9 (Click Here:) (or here: https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/624402662880854016/tantric-flames-chapter-9)

B. Fanfiction (Click Here:) (or here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13114990/1/Tantric-Flames-reupload-from-cosmicdragonwizardaccounts)

C. A03 (Click Here:) (or here:https://archiveofourown.org/works/17063882/chapters/40123739)

2. The Draconic Demon Within

A. Tumblr:

Prologue and Chapter: 1 (Click Here:) (or here:https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/179816192273/the-draconic-demon-within-reupload-from/amp?)

Chapter: 2 (Click Here:) (or here:https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/179816192273/the-draconic-demon-within-reupload-from/amp?)

B. Fanfiction (Click Here:) (or here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13113898/1/The-Draconic-Demon-Within-Reupload-from-cosmicdragonwizardaccounts)

3. Grey Days

A. Tumblr (Click Here:) (or here: https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/179767381833/grey-days-reuploadfrom-dragon-shield-maiden/amp?)

B. Fanfiction (Click Here:) (or here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13112482/1/Grey-Days-Reupload-from-dragon-shield-maiden)

4. The Rest of My Writing

A. Master Fic Rec Post (Click Here): (or here: https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/179665258923/master-fic-rec-post

Legend:

Italic: Song Lyrics

Bold: First Person Thoughts

Bolded Italics: Empathized Word

Bolded Italics (Within and Outside Bracket) including for author's side notes also known as (A/N:) within brackets (though none for side-notes in this chapter ).

"O, Wanderess, Wanderess,

when did you feel your most euphoric kiss?

Was I the source of your greatest bliss?"

(Roman Payne: The Wanderess)

"Uh Lucy... not ... that... I'm ... not lovin' ... how much of a little spitfire ... you're... being ... right... now... sweetheart, but... do... ya... think ... you could ease up just a little?"

Lips were peppering scorching, wet open-mouthed kisses from along the corner of Lucy's mouth to her jaw spurring her on enough to continue .

"Why? Don't you want to?" She questioned, breathy voice muddled with the searing desire more hotter than the blistering heat of a thousand suns.— Not to mention mystification. The astral mage couldn't fathom for the life of her as to where this sudden change of heart about the change in pace came from seeing it was clear that these misgiving weren't out of doubt or lack of desire.

I honestly don't get it... He didn't seem to have an issue with us getting hot and heavy a moment ago... So where is this sudden reluctance out of the blue coming from ?

"Of course I do-fuck that feels good," came Natsu's reply, words coming out as a strained hiss between gritted teeth; all this from the force of his hips bucking into a feminine hand pumping his tumescent member ."God...do I ever want to."

"So what's the problem?" Was all Lucy had to inquire in response, drunk on the power of the effect she had on him— especially after managing to draw another low, guttural, moan out of the dragonslayer from giving the tip a few light taps for good measure. The celestial mage desperately wished to see whatever other noises she could pull from him, the same buzz of intoxicating power singing in her veins ." Like tell me why."

God... all of this is getting me really hot and bothered !

"Okay-fuck-you're really making this difficult aren't you? Now how do I put this? Let's just say your little handiwork here is getting me all fired up" The dragonslayers rumbled, gravelly words almost a growl . They were rough, low and wild, dripping with the sinful promise of dark intent enough to send a electrifying thrill down her spin— not to mention make her toes curl; all from the power of his hips riding the hand still working his now mostly likely now- throbbing length where she could feel the beads of pre-climax much like the aching heat between her thighs. "enough to the point of drivin' me over the edge and it's all I can do to rein my more primal dragon-demon instincts just screamin' to bend ya over the massage bed for the fuckin' of your life-not without your of course."

" Okay, but I still don't exactly see how that's a problem." Lucy challenged, a wily gleam twinkling in her coco eyes. The astral zodiac wielder couldn't but help but long to see her dragon unravel for what she couldn't give to catch a glimpse of the feral gleam in his emerald depths when he lost control; picturing herself spread over the massage bed as his hips pistoned into her with wild abandon again and for the sake of both of their pleasure. The visual image of which sent a tingly jolt down south enough to make her toes curl . Plus if any one of them had a sudden change of heart he would stop immediately , she knew which made the all the more appealing.

And besides It's not like Natsu would ever even think of harming or even laying a hand on me like that without my consent. Not to mention pull out if needed out of respect for me - so it's all good.

"It's not that big of an issue really. "

"For you, maybe— but for me it's a different story. As in just cuz one part of my instincts are demandin' that I jump you right here and now, doesn't that the other part doesn't also wanna try and take things slow."

"Okay, so what you're saying is?"

"That what I want to do right now, is what I've been dyin' to to with you all day before we get into the other stuff. So basically massage first then sex ."

" I see what you're saying Natsu , but it's not like it has to be one way or another. In fact, why not change the order up, shake things up ? Give me another taste of your inner primal dragon-demon instincts by fucking me first , then help your girl unwind with a massage ".

"And normally I'd be pretty much down for getting down and dirty like the way we usually do when things get all hot and heavy between us - I really do Luce, believe me. I love our wild romps as much as I do making love to you on top of all the other sexual, intimate, and romantic stuff along with everything else being with you brings. But l also wanna try thing things a little differently today . You know take our time , start off a bit more slow with the massage and the rest of the foreplay that leads up to sex as part of the build up for both our sakes. You know instead of me just cavin' into my instincts to pounce on ya right away as fun as that may be. I mean there's definitely gonna be foreplay either way— but you get the picture."

"I do."

"Then you get the gist of what I'm saying! . Not to mention think about the extra time we'll for some great conversation! Trust me when I say the reward is the well worth the wait."

"And I appreciate that, I really do . All of which greatly appeals to me seeing how how I value everything that was just mentioned as much as you. Still, you should know I'm down either way."

"I'm glad to hear it but I wanna do things a bit differently."

"Hey, no sweat. It's all—"

"Lucy, no".

Natsu's patient yet firm, assertive voice was effective enough to cut Lucy off, when robust fingers were wrapping around her wrist to pry her hand away in favour of resting it on a more neutral place around his neck; all this before she could even work any more of her magic which nearly drew a small noise of protest from the stellar mage.

"Hey—what gives? . I thought— " whined the stellar mage , unable to stop disappointment from bleeding) into her already sulky tenor as if she were a child whose toy had been snatched; only for the words to die in throat when he silenced her with a withering glare — the kind that brokered no argument.

"What gives? Are you freakin' kidding me right now Luce?! I just had to pry your own hand away cuz you were being away too handsy for your own good... or mine for that matter cuz damn did that feel good— but that's beside the point. What I'm trying to say, missy, is that I had to make sure we stopped before you pushed me too far over the edge... which now that I think may about probably wouldn't have been so.. urgh! Goddammit-you have me doing it again! Goin' off on a tangent! "

"Anyway the point is that I went to a put in a whole lotta effort in making this impromptu date romantic for the both of us— which I'm more than happy to do since I love and want you to feel special cuz you are. But you're making this a lot harder than it needs to be."

"You're right—I'm sorry," Lucy apologized with a heavy sigh , feeling a twinge of guilt thread through her from at her boyfriend's light rebuke. Here he was trying his damnedest to put together a romantic date for the of two of them and then she had to go and nearly ruin it all by undermining his efforts!

All because I'm an impulsive moron who couldn't keep my impulsive hands to myself! The zodiac wielder admonished herself. Jeez... could I be any more hopeless?!

To Be Continued

Fic Tag Squad: @writer-appreciation @fuck-yeah-nalu @soprana-snap @phoenix-before-the-flame @nunnatheinsanegerbil @mautrino @rougescribe @goddesofimortality @phoenix-before-the-flame @nalufever @petri808 @thecelestialchick @nalu-natic @superdomo360 @pyroandtheprincess @rayhneatess @nothingbutwordsstuff @petri808 @thecelestialchick @chiire @nalufever @shootingstarssel @chamilsanya @rougescribe @lover-of-the-light117 @rougescribe @narutoyaoifan

A/N: See you in chapter 5!

#Fairytail #ft fanfics #nalu #natsu x lucy #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #tantric flames #my writing #reblog #millennial-star-gazer #millennial stargaze writes #enjoy #review

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sskeletonsstuff-blog · 6 years ago

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One Of Us Is Lying (More like all of us) 4/5!

Spoiler Free

Going into One Of Us Is Lying I was a little cautious over how I would like this book, considering this is my best friends favorite book Through-out the book you get to meet four unique and yet weirdly familiar characters.

👩🏽‍🏫Bronwyn: You're designated straight A and edge student who's cracking under pressure.

🧖🏻‍♂️Nate: The bad boy who has a lot of heart, but is constantly seen in a bad position.

🙇🏼‍♂️Cooper: The all american boy who feels as if he has too pick between the two major loves of his lives.

👸🏼Addy: Future prom queen who never fully existed without her boyfriend (until now...)

Over all I did enjoy this book, it was a quick and easy read that I was able to read through in a day. That made me constantly connect the characters to those of 'The Breakfast Club' and 'Mean Girls' It was fast-paced and consistently kept the reader guessing as the story progressed, but seemed a little rushed towards the end. It seemed at one moment we were in the middle of the book, and by the next chapter we had reached our conclusion.

Spoilers!

💜Four things I loved💜

1.The slow burn of Nate and Bronwyn's romance.

I would be lying if I said that I didn't ship these two from the start, I guess there is always something comforting about the whole "Good girl" and "Bad Boy" relationship. One thing I really did enjoy was the fact that Bronwyn never hid her flaws or mistakes from Nate (Who's bad decisions followed him around) Even though Bronwyn more often than not came onto Nate a little too strong, her reasoning and her persistence to prove his innocence was sweet.

2. Cooper's Secret

Admittedly I am pretty good at figuring out the book and whatever turn its going to make, However, when it was revealed that Cooper was having an affair on his then girlfriend Keely. It was interesting to see that small twist on the typical "All American Boy." Even though I don't condone or really like reading about cheating in my books it seemed to work for him the most, out of everyone Cooper seemed to be the one with the least to hide, but the most to lose.

3. Nate:

Nate I honestly just loved Nate... He was the reason this book. He defiantly reminded me of "Reef' from Don Akers book "The First Stone" so perhaps the connection is really what sealed it for me.

4. How Simon Died

I really liked the whole Peanut Oil twist. It was the first time in a book I have seen a food allergy become the deadly weapon for a homicide/suicide. Just the idea of using an allergy against someone is sweetly evil and I wouldn't mind seeing how it played out in other books.

Four Things That I Didn't Like

1. Addy's Mother

Abusive parent's was something that was represented strongly throughout this book in almost all of the characters. I just felt that her mother was unnecessarily abusive and self-centered when it came to Addy, and saw the point of her child's entire existence was based around her relationship with Jake. That being said I didn't hate the way Addy's family was set up, Just I found every scene her mother was in became increasingly unbearable

2. How Many People Knew About Simon Killing Himself

It bothered me that both Jeane (His best friend) and Jake (Someone who often was featured in his blog) Jake didn't surprise me as he came off as the selfish type who saw Simon's suicide in more of a positive light, and not for what it was. Jeane however... Pissed me off the most, if Simon was her so called "best friend" why wouldn't she do more in her power to try and help him, or go to the school, counselor, or even someone. I couldn't find it in me to feel bad for her, I mean I cannot imagine the pain that one would go through and its good at the end she came to the self realization that she had made many grave mistakes. However, If Simon really meant that much to her... Wouldn't she have made at least one attempt at saving her friend?

3. Maeve

I loved Bronwyn sister! I thought she was awesome I just hated how even when she became a really relevant character, we knew absolutely nothing about her. There was nothing deeper into who she was and how she fit into the situation. Especially once her skill as a computer hacker came out. I know she was not a key character, but still I would have liked for her to have a little bit more.

4. Car Accident

That seems really extra... and expensive... Why not have the two boys just get into a screaming match in the parking lot as it would have caused the same affect. I understand the reasoning of why Simon set it up as the perfect distraction, however... It just seemed beyond unnecessary to have the car accident.

Ending Thoughts

Apparently there is going to be a second book to One of Us is Lying? Not really sure how it is going down. Unless the person who told me is lying... Guess until the sequel comes out I wont know.

#books #bookworm #booklover #booklr #bookish #bookreader #bookrelease #book review #book recommendations #book reccs #book reader #one of us is lying #four star book

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stopreadingthisanddance · 6 years ago

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2018 top albums

Okay, so hopefully you read (& enjoyed listening to) my top EPs list, this one is a little longer, and hopefully a little prettier. They’re ranked 10 -> 1, with my honourable mentions up front here. I hope you enjoy at least some of the music I loved this year, and don’t find my writing unbearable. Once again, I’ve included spotify links for each album if and youtube links for my favourite tracks of each album.

honourable mentions:

alison wonderland - awake/remxies

standouts: good enough & no (umru & kid froopy remix)

This was really tough for me to place, it would have likely made it onto the top 10 list had it not been for how much I loved the remix album that accompanied this album, and including both felt like cheating. Despite her trap banger roots, Alison Wonderland manages to hit that dance/cry sweet spot over and over on this project, from the manic banger Good Enough, with her gorgeous cello backed by an anxiety inducing rising bassline, to the anxious "is it good enough!?" ringing out, to hip-hop influenced High, to the big room trap banger that is Happy Place. It's got all of that and more on the base album, and the collection of remixes that were done afterward by her contemporaries managed to even further diversify the track list, while still keeping enough of the original to be recognizable. Even if you don't like electronic music, listen to No (umru & Kid Froopy Remix) and tell me that xylophone lead isn't catchy as all hell.

ross from friends - family portrait

standout: pale blue dot

A mainstay in the lo-fi house scene, Ross From Friends released his first full length project this year, and it gave everything I had hoped. Lovely, danceable grooves, ace production, and the feeling of being transported, if momentarily, to another plane of existence. If you have even the slightest inclination towards electronic music, check out Pale Blue Dot.

joji - ballads 1

standout: rip

The transition George Miller aka Filthy Frank aka joji has made throughout his young career is pretty spectacular. From absurdist comedy to the angsty, low key R&B on this project is pretty amazing, and while he certainly exhibits a lot of similar traits to the S A D B O Y aesthetic that has taken over mainstream hip-hop the last few years, he does it with enough of his own flavour that it's hard to discount that it is his. RIP and Attention are two of the most overtly sad songs I've heard in a long time, both in lyrical content, as well as production and the slurring and gravely vocal delivery. While tracks like Can't Get Over You throw in some needed dancey beats, while still maintaining that raw emotional delivery and content that defines this project so much.

top 10:

jizue - room

standout: grass

I can't explain this album, I've spent the last 30 minutes attempting it, and I just can't. It's an instrumental album from Japanese group jizue that blends elements of jazz, math-rock and hardcore into...whatever this project is. I love it, but it's just the right side of complex and listenable to serve as the perfect background music, and still manage to stand on it's own. Check it out, maybe someone can explain it to me.

anderson .paak - oxnard

standout: brother's keeper

It took a while for Anderson .Paak to hit it big, but even back when I first heard his stuff, it was pretty apparent that it was only a matter of time before he hit it. Not only are his producer chops on display in full effect here, from rattling kicks and afro-soul influenced melodic leads, to the heavy jazz influences, all layered with a touch of 90s hip-hop. Dr. Dre helped with production and executive produced, and the influences of that era shine through heavily. Speaking of, .Paak's vocal performance is entirely different from what I had come to expect, and covers a wide array of topics, from the politically charged 6 Summers, to the sensual The Chase, that feels a lot it needs to be halfway an action scene in an 80s movie, to the savage Pusha-T feature Brother's Keeper. While .Paak himself is more a singer than rapper, his voice and flow fits the aesthetic of this project, and the brilliance of the production variety while still maintaining the feel of a cohesive project. From the all star feature list, to the frequent use of beat change-ups midway through tracks, back to front this project demands your attention.

rl grime - nova

standout: ucla

My first listen of this album resulted in me thinking "eh, this is just a bunch of electronic tracks", they weren't bad, but I didn't really feel it until my 3rd or 4th listen. RL Grime's ability as a producer has never been in question, and his live shows the stuff of legends. Throw into that with his yearly, highly anticipated Halloween 7 mixtape, featuring a vocal open by Shaq, he didn't need to come through with a project as diverse as this, and yet here we are. He manages to flow easily from big room trap Feel Free and Pressure, to the more housey Shrine and the emotional Atoms and the manic instrumental Rainer. It was really hard for me to pick just one favourite because of how cohesive this album has ended up feeling for me, like being taken on someone else's emotional roller coaster ride. But I've settled on the trashy, trappy R&B UCLA, where the lyrics manage to come across a little insecure, while the beat makes up for it with astounding bravado, and massive trap drops.

chvrches - love is dead

standout: deliverance

I've written before how vital live music events are to my enjoyment of certain genres & music acts, and if I'm being honest, this album wouldn't be on here if I hadn't had the chance to see CHVRCHES live this year at the Commodore. It's a good album, don't get me wrong, it's got all polish of their previous two albums, and even more varied song selection with the more typical synth-pop bops with Miracle and Heaven/Hell, there's a huge change up with the moodier God's Plan and the incredibly sad and moving instrumental ii. Even Get Out, one of the lead singles from this project is laced with a lot darker subject matter and musical elements. Seeing Lauren Mayberry dance under neon lights to the intro rift of Graffiti will stick in my mind for years to come, and that feeling is what this kind of music is all about.

soccer mommy - clean

standout: cool

My musical tastes have been diverse for as long as I can remember, but this style of grungy, lo-fi bedroom pop-rock has never really been on my radar before. That being said, Nashville native Soccer Mommy has a lot of what I look for in music, catchy hooks, lyrics brimming with emotion and someone willing to take risks. While it's undeniable that this is far from a production masterpiece, which I don't understand in 2018 honestly, the great song writing and Sophie Allison's distinctive voice and nonchalant delivery gives me that summer feeling no matter what time of the year it is. Cool is one of my most listened to songs of the year by a long shot, with it's upbeat music and sad lyrics, it sounds like what teenage regret felt like. Scorpio Rising on the other hand, covers a lot of the same topics, but it manages to do to it in a very different way, sort of in a Slow Dance On The Inside by Taking Back Sunday kinda feel.

rezz - certain kind of magic

standout: teleportal

Even with my list this year being highly varied, I think this might be the least approachable album on either this or my EP list. Rezz has managed to create a cult of personality around herself in a way very few electronic musicians ever manage through her phenomenal set construction, heavy emphasis on showmanship with lights and video during her live sets, and brilliant production. Add on top of that very few artists are making this style of music anywhere close to this caliber, and you end up with a dominant force of heavy basslines and dark aesthetics. If you have ever had any interest in dubstep, be it the traditional UK variant or the trashy late 2000s-era bedroom-produced bangers, you will likely love this album. It's no surprise that deadmau5 signed her in 2016 given that her style of building up layers and layers of effects and sonic elements, only to cut them all out to isolate a heavy drop or gorgeous orchestral melody is very reminiscent of the house legend himself.

hinds - i dont run

standout: tester

Spanish all girl quartet came out of no where for me, but once I was into their vibe, I didn't look back. They sing in English (mostly), but their accents taint all their lyrics with just a little touch exotic flavour, giving their cacophonous musical style one more element to throw into the mix. They sort of sound like a mix of The Velvet Underground, and the Strokes, with a modern pop twist, and the fact they're women making, or more accurately, fighting the transition from care free 20s, to the reality of their 30s comes through in spades. The variety of their voices, and their writing styles gives this album a distinctly personal touch, but not so much it's impossible to relate to. This album is perfect for sitting in the sun on a lazy afternoon and letting the entire project wash over you, if I had to pick just one track though I'd go with Tester, a track about navigating complex, undefined personal relationships, and coping with it however possible.

let's eat grandma - im all ears

standout: it's not just me

I knew that PC Music wouldn't stay off my list entirely this year, the entire label seem to be steering pop music on the whole, and the production influences from SOPHIE fly in pretty fast on the glitchy-noisey delicious mess that is Hot Pink, the opening track. They follow that up with my favourite track of the year in It's Not Just Me, with the angsty lyrics, the way they seem to just float over the top of the beat that manages to be both groovy (dig the dance moves in the music video) and still challenge the listener with complexity and a touch of cacophony. While these two 17 year old girls from some random town in the UK might only be releasing their second project, and the lyrical content is for sure written by 17 year old girls, they show a capacity for having a vision for a track and getting it across in a truly astonishing way. They manage to blend genres, topics and feelings seemingly effortlessly, and I can't get enough of it!

the midnight - kids

standout: america 2

The nostalgic, synth-pop, retro-wave duo The Midnight came through with an ode to the 80s and 90s, laced with modern sensibilities. Stick these tracks over some 90s action movies, and they won't feel out of place, nor will they as your cruise into the sunset of 2018. With lyrics that are wistful for the past, and aware of the fact it will never come back, they manage to make you want to groove along, while slightly pricking that part of your brain that says "hey, is there where you thought you'd be when you were 12?". The whole project is laced with news clips from the 80s and 90s, talking about how exciting, and how terrifying the future looked. It's easy to forget even in those less connected times, sometimes all you could do was blast the stereo, drive into the night, and hold onto the best parts of your past, and try and be optimistic about the future.

brockhampton - iridescence

standout: tonya

Brockhampton is one of those music groups that is such a cultural phenomenon, it'll inspire kids making music in their bedrooms for a long time. No hip-hop group has made such a massive impact since Wu-Tang, and we all know they ain't nuthin' to fuck with. Both the group and each member manages to display astonishing range as they move from emotional ballads like the brilliant Tonya to bangers like New Orleans, they manage to make you want to dance to the driving basslines and clever lyrics, only to snap change to the slow and deeply emotional tracks like San Marcos. From Kevin Abstract's masterminding, to Dom's undeniably amazing bars, to the dreamy Matt Champion and the angst filled bearface, it's easy to see why this album is so diverse. What's harder to understand is how cohesive they manage to blend it all together, trappy vocal effects on top of acoustic guitar, the gospel influences, it's all mashed together into perfection. Tonya was on heavy rotation this year, with it's haunting vocals, brilliant piano melodies, and the change up it's so hard not to feel the heart that went into this project.

annnnnnnnd we’re done! I hope you listened to a shit load of good music this year, and I hope some of this resonates with you. Happy Holidays, have a good New Year, roll on 2019.

#2018 #music #aoty

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transfemmbeatrice · 6 years ago

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Where should I start listening to Friends at the Table?

A short novella by me

Friends at the Table is one of the best actual play podcasts out there and you should listen to it because they tell amazing stories with both diverse characters and a diverse cast (the GM is a queer black man and almost everyone at the table is some flavor of queer). They put character development and good storytelling at the forefront while creating incredible and complex worlds to play in. They make you laugh, cry, and laugh so hard you cry (and also give you chills on occasion) and I genuinely cannot recommend them highly enough. Whether you like a good story, characters to fall in love with, learning new ttrpg mechanics, or listening to friends have a good time together, FatT is for you.

FatT also has an enormous backlog that can make it hard to dive in so here is a handy guide for when you want to listen don’t know where tf to begin.

The Friends have provided some resources for this: there is a flowchart that gives you the quick and dirty deets (though it hasn’t been updated to reflect their current season) and also Austin made a 20 minute ep of him explaining the show and stuff and put it at the beginning of the podcast feed which could also be helpful (which I haven’t actually listened to bc they put it out after I was already deep into the show)...but this is my over detailed take.

There are currently 4 seasons of FatT. In order: Autumn in Hieron, Counter/Weight, Marielda/Winter in Hieron, and Twilight Mirage. Marielda is a mini season that takes place in the Hieron universe but before the Hieron seasons; Counterweight and Twilight Mirage are both standalone but do take place in the same universe, tens or hundreds of thousands of years apart.

Twilight Mirage is approaching its endpoint and will be followed by Spring in Hieron which should be the last Hieron season. There are pros and cons for starting with any of these seasons so depending on your taste and preferences you can take your pick!

(Also, each new season begins with an Episode 00 which is just the friends discussing the setting and pitching characters. It’s not required listening and they’re pretty long so you can skip them if you want but for people like me who live for worldbuilding and behind the scenes, they’re great prefaces to each season!)

Autumn in Hieron: The very beginning! This is where I started because I’m a hardcore chronological completionist. There is definitely something very fun and satisfying about watching them develop over the past 4 years, in confidence and skill and in production quality! They’ve been amazing since the beginning but it only gets better.

However, because it’s early, the audio quality is not great, so if that’s an issue for you, this probably isn’t your best starting point. Some extremely good shit goes down in this game and I highly recommend listening to it if you can parse the bad audio. Also, starting at episode 5, they split into two smaller groups and the audio improves, so if you want to start here but find the sound unbearable at the start, you can try skipping to here to see if it works better for you! The first few episodes are just a mini quest and it’s definitely fun but not deeply plot relevant so you’ll be fine to skip it. This is also a season potentially worth returning to even if you don’t start here because as I said, it’s good, and the bad audio might be more listenable once you know the players’ voices better. But if you absolutely can’t, no worries! They recap this season at the beginning of Winter in Hieron so if you don’t listen to it you won’t be lost as the story continues!

Hieron is a high fantasy setting in what Austin describes as the post-post-apocalypse. It’s been long enough that they’re past just surviving and have rebuilt tons but it’s still a wild world out there, and no one alive really remembers what apocalyptic event happened, but they all know something bad went down. Over the two (and a half, counting Marielda) seasons they’ve done they have really built out the world. It explores a lot about the concepts of divinity and entropy and so much more. I think Hieron is a great place to start because fantasy is the usual setting for actual play podcasts so it’s a familiar touchstone. And also just, really fucking good.

Counter/Weight: Welcome to SPACE. The second season of FatT is a good starting point because it’s self contained--it’s longer than the Hieron seasons but when you reach the finale, you’ve gotten the whole story. It starts off a little slow as they adjust to a new system and new characters for the first time...but there are some hilarious bits in those first couple of missions that I love. Then they switch systems again to something that fits more what they are doing and things pick up from there.

The “ground” game (the majority of the episodes with characters going on adventures as usual) is interspersed with the “faction” game--Austin and two other players not in the other half of the game zoom out and use mechanics and roleplaying to decide what the big factions/corporations/etc are doing around the sector, and eventually we see these events trickle down to effect the player characters in the other half of the game. These are a bit slow, especially when they first start, but I recommend listening to them because it’s cool to see how things are moving around on a more macro scale than one little crew of fixers, and it really informs the world they’re operating in. It’s not strictly necessary if you really find these episodes untenable, but you’ll definitely be able to follow along better if you’ve heard them. Also, around the 3rd or so faction game session, they cut down the number of factions significantly so it goes a lot smoother. I’ll also put in here that Counterweight is probably my favorite season of the show at least thus far even though I wasn’t sure I would like it at all when I first started it, for what that’s worth.

Counter/Weight is a cyberpunk/scifi setting somewhere in the Milky Way. It is set less than a decade after a war in which two rival powers united in an uneasy alliance to drive back an Empire. They succeeded, but now things have settled into a good old fashioned cold war. There are lots of robots and mechs and they use the cyberpunk genre to explore labor and capitalism and feeling small and helpless in the face of such massive, powerful corruption. Or, sadness and robots in space. (Also, literally none of the PCs ended up being cishet.)

Marielda: Marielda is a mini season they did right before Winter in Hieron. Set in Hieron before the events of the other seasons, it provides some context to the world. It’s also fucking delightful. This is probably the most recommended starting point for FatT because it’s short, has high production quality, and some of their best work. It really encapsulates what this show is so if you’re unsure if this is the podcast for you, this is a great starting point.

Since it takes place long before Autumn in Hieron, you don’t need to have listened to it to follow along; but I do find it somewhat helpful because there are callbacks to the events of that season as they show how some of the things they encountered then came to be in the first place. Marielda (and Winter in Hieron) were made with new listeners in mind, so Autumn definitely isn’t required.

Marielda is of course also high fantasy, but it has a tinge of steampunk too because this island has more technology for....reasons that will be revealed as you listen. The only train in Hieron is there, and the crew stages a heist on it, and it’s amazing. Marielda has two parts--the first couple episodes are some of the players playing The Quiet Year, a collaborative mapdrawing game, to build this city. Then the other players played a few missions in Blades in the Dark as scoundrels who steal information to sell to the highest bidder. Their shenanigans are hilarious and occasionally heartbreaking and I’ve relistened to it so many times.

Winter in Hieron: Hieron season two of three! Winter begins with two episodes recapping the events of Autumn in Hieron, so if you skipped Autumn you can listen to them and be good to go, and if you didn’t...you can skip the recaps! (Unless maybe you listened to Counterweight in between and you need a refresher). There are two new PCs in Winter because Andi and Janine joined between Autumn and this season, and they only make Hieron better.

This season is a little heavier than Autumn because it’s Winter and...Winter is usually darker than Autumn. I’m in the middle of relistening to it now, though, and it’s still incredible the second time through and a great starting point. I would not recommend starting with Winter without listening to Marielda first, partly because Marielda is so good, but also because Marielda informs so much of what happens in Winter.

Since Twilight Mirage is getting close to finishing up (as of writing this, anyway) if being Current In The Fandom is something that’s important to you, I’d start with Hieron (whether that be Autumn or Marielda/Winter). After Twilight Mirage wraps up, they are reportedly planning to return to Hieron for its final season--Spring, so if you start catching up now you can be ready! I don’t know for sure yet but so much has happened at this point that I find it hard to imagine that they’ll do a recap before Spring that lets you jump in there very easily. I could be proven wrong but even if I am....I don’t recommend it. You’ll miss too much Seasons of Hieron is a joy to listen to.

Twilight Mirage: The current season! Usually I say to start here if you find the backlog intimidating--it’s current and you can jump in to what’s happening now and get to the rest when you feel ready. And that’s still somewhat true, but Twilight Mirage has gotten pretty long so it’s potentially still intimidating? And they have said they’re nearing the endgame, but I have no idea if that means weeks or months. But regardless, it’s still less to get through than starting further back, and it is a standalone season so it’s a great starting place!

Twilight Mirage is another game in space. It is set in the same universe as Counterweight, and there are some callbacks to it, but it’s set far in the future from the events of that season and was intentionally made so that people who hadn’t heard Counterweight could listen fine. It’s more like easter eggs than important backstory.

The premise is a dying utopia: a massive fleet that has slowly been whittled down, still home to millions of people, but they’re starting to look for somewhere to hopefully colonize. This game does a great job of questioning what a utopia would look like--what does prison look like in a utopia? how do we treat synthetic beings?--and exploring the themes of self/identity and colonization and so much more. It’s the most philosophical FatT season to date but the narrative is also great and stands on its own--you can engage at whatever level you want. (I, for instance, don’t get a lot of the philosophy referenced, but I’m still deeply enjoying it because it’s a great story and I love all the characters!) So much shit happens to alter the original premise and it’s fascinating to see the characters have to adapt to all these evolving circumstances and question their values as they themselves also change. Also, lots of robots and mechs and aliens and shit. One of the PCs is just a cat person. One of the PCs is a downloadable hitman who is losing their memory every time they die and get downloaded into a new body. It’s A Good Season, they friends are extra af (more than usual, even) and it’s a Delight.

And that’s my answer to the age old question, where do I start listening to Friends at the Table?, answered in more detail than anyone ever wanted. If you have any questions or anything feel free to shoot me an ask or a message, I’m literally always here to talk about FatT!

#friends at the table #fatt #f@tt

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transmalewife · 2 years ago

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I think people have forgotten how to make shows that aren't designed to be binge watched. And I'm not pulling this out of my ass either, we were told in interviews that "it feels like we made a 6 hour movie" and it, unfortunately, really does. the pacing is weird, and there's no catch at the end of each episode strong enough to tide you over, make you desperate to learn and speculate how the story will end. (mostly because we already know exactly how it will end). It feels like watching a movie in school, in 40 minute segments in the same class once a week over a month. you lose so much nuance, so much of the tension when a single, compact story is cut into random chunks.

i’m not saying releasing it all at once would fix this problem, (although it would help with keeping people invested despite knowing the ending if they only had to stay invested for one day rather than a month) because the story is not structured like a series, its structured like a movie. and the thing about movies is they do not need to be 6 hours long. like as a rule. There is just no need for a single beginning middle end story to be that long and it shows. the goodbyes before obi-wan leaves leia in the last episode drag so fucking bad despite only being like 10 minutes long, because in a movie they'd only have 2 minutes for them and would have to cut all the unneeded padding. And then they'd hit much stronger, transmit any fucking urgency of the situation, rather than watching someone lazily strolling around a ship having the same conversation with 5 different people, some of them twice. Same with the first episode in which absolutely nothing happens, so much so that they had to release the second at the same time. Yeah it provides a lot of needed context and background but in a film it would be 20 minutes and it really didnt need much more.

So what happens is we're stuck in this purgatory. 6 hours is egregiously unbearably too long for a movie, but just a touch too short to tell any kind of serialized narrative. Have you noticed that there isn't a single b plot in the entire show? we're just following this one guy, whose future we already know, around the galaxy. the closest we get to a secondary plot is when other characters tell him their backstory within a single scene.

Each star wars film fits so much more story, more locations and plots and characters than you thought possible because it only gives them as much time as they need and not a second longer. that doesn't mean the pace is rushed. we get moments to breathe and slow down when they're needed. we get 10 minute fight scenes. But we don't get a ten minute fight/chase scene every 40 minutes for 6 hours because that would be fucking unbearable. and the fight scenes stand out because each of them is unique, visually. Like I get that you finally invented a way to make lightsabers glow on the actors and that it looks cool to have them fight in the dark, and i get they're old and can't be doing backflips and acrobatics, but if every single fight is 10 minutes of them in the dark slapping their lightsabers together... why do there need to be three of them? also, I can't fucking see anything if its all in the dark.

I think the fact I'm approaching this from a place of 'ugh fine let's get this over with before I get spoiled any further' rather than any genuine excitement is very telling but here we go

#kenobi lb #obi wan kenobi spoilers #star wars

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commodorecliche · 8 years ago

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a while back you recommended the movie Autopsy of Jane Doe and it was fantastic! Do you have any more horror movie recs that are psychological like that (with minimal jump scares preferably?)

omg yesssssssss, i sure as heck do. i looooooove recommending horror movies. kay, here we go, pychological, disturbing, and minimal jump scares:

1. Get Out (2017) - this is a newer movie, and I’m sure you’ve heard about it (and maybe even seen it already). I finally got to see it in theaters and it was marvelous. Very tense horror, minimal jump scares. Definitely recommend it if you haven’t seen it yet.

2. The Thing (1982) - this is probably my favorite horror movie, and one I will always, always recommend to people. It’s more sci-fi/horror, but horror none the less. This is a movie that feeds on uncertainty and tension, fueled by distrust and paranoia between the characters. (There was also a prequel to this movie made in 2011, and I certainly enjoyed that one as well, but it still couldn’t quite deliver the same chills and fear the 1982 version did.)

3. They Look Like People (2015) - this is another one that I just watched recently. Probably one of the best that fits the category of psychological horror. It’s a bit slow to start, but develops into a story that will leave you tense, unsure, and unsettled. Plus, it’s probably the only horror movie I have ever seen that manages to highlight mental illness without demonizing it.

4. As Above So Below (2014) - this is a movie that honestly, I was very skeptical about seeing. It’s a found footage movie (which I typically hate), and it got very poor reviews, but I wound up watching it on a whim one day and found myself enjoying it a lot more than I expected. It honestly is more of a adventure/horror film rather than a strict horror film - and the reviews might have been better, I think, if its marketing hadn’t painted it as a strict horror film. There are a few jump scares in there, but not a whole lot. Much the movie relies on claustrophobia, confusion, and mystery. It’s really an interesting look at a journey into hell. I greatly enjoy it, though your mileage may vary.

5. Event Horizon (1997) - another sci-fi/horror film. A nightmarish movie about salvage/rescue crew that goes out to salvage a ship that vanished on its maiden voyage and reappeared 7 years later missing its entire crew. This movie deals well in suspense, fear, and our ultimate terror of what evils could lie beyond the unknown.

6. The Descent (2005) - yet another movie I recommend to everyone. Set underground in an unknown cave system, and led by an all female cast, this movie is just full of anxiety, paranoia, claustrophobia, and unease. It’ll certainly make you never want to go caving.

7. The Strangers (2008) - a great take on the classic home invasion/slasher film. It boasts a really creepy atmosphere, an isolated setting, and has moments of genuine, realistic anxiety and terror (even the small things, like trying to find somewhere to hide and realizing you can’t fit, etc…) I saw this movie with my best friend back when it first came out, and it’s still one of my favorites.

8. The Others (2001) - this is not your typical ghost story. Honestly this one is hard to describe because I don’t want to give too much away about the plot. In the last few days of World War II, a woman and her two children wait in isolation, after the mysterious disappearance of their servants, for her husband/their father to return from the war. It’s only in the isolation of the house that they begin to realize the house might not be as empty as they thought it was. Very, very unique take on a ghost story. The case is wonderful, and the pacing and setting of this movie creates wonderfully creepy, unsettling fear.

9. The Witch (2016) - slow-burn horror and very setting specific, this one’s focus is on religious fear and the sexual stigmatization of girls and women. It’s slow-paced, but really great at building up a sense of unease and dread, and even the small things in it, like small rabbits in the wild, can make you feel unsettled.

10. Black Swan (2010) - not strictly a horror movie, this one is heavily psychological, and I almost want to cast it as a thriller more than anything, but some of it truly does fall into the realm of psychological horror. Paranoia, obsession, and tension, this movie is chock-full of it.

11. Funny Games (2007) - this one is actually a remake of a 1997 movie of the same name. I feel kind of bad, but I actually haven’t seen the original, but from what I hear, the two movies don’t differ much. This one is particularly unsettling because of its constant underlying feeling of authenticity. Much like The Strangers, this feels real, like it could happen to anyone, like its psychopaths could be anybody, any well-to-do strangers. It’s a long, sometimes unbearably frustrating game of physical and psychological torture; and the few moments of well-timed 4th wall breaking really up the frustration and distress.

12. 1408 (2007) - based on a Stephen King story, this film heavily relies on psychological and anxiety-building elements to create its tension. Every thing that happens in this room makes you question what it will do next, what trick will it pull, what hopes will it dash. There’s not much else to say about this one exept that… “It’s an evil fucking room.”

13. El Orfanato/The Orphanage (2007) - man this one is definitely a favorite of mine. Very unnerving and deeply emotional at the same time, this one is a very well-crafted and clever take on the haunted house/orphanage trope. It’s spooky, chilling, has some moments that will genuinely crawl under your skin (the 1-2-3 toca la pared scene always does it for me…), and features a wildly emotional ending.

14. The Babadook (2014) - this one doesn’t rely on cheap scares at all, but still features some truly creepy and unnerving moments that left me on edge. But in addition to that, this movie is about so much more than a boogeyman lurking in the shadows. Heavily psychological, this movie delves deeply into how we process loss and deal with all-consuming grief.

15. 28 Days Later (2002) - I probably don’t need to say much about this one. It’s a movie that most people have either seen or have at least heard of. But there’s a reason it’s consistently named one of the best zombie movies around. It deals with not only the horror of the zombies (and they certainly make that aspect scary on its own), but also the darkest aspects of the fall of society. We’re given a frighteningly grim look at the degradation of humanity and the darkest aspects of human nature as society falls apart.

15 seems like enough! And hopefully you’ll like some of those!! :D

(also, for those reading this, please watch Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) cause it’s amazing)

#horror movies #horror movie recs #recommendations #fave movies #lostuntothisworld

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akumikuzunoha · 8 years ago

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Only Fools Rush In || Self Para

Akumi was a fool for ever thinking the natural way of things would change just once for her. The idea that she might get the chance to live a decent life with someone who cared about her was so empowering that she didn’t stop to realize that life wasn’t made for someone like her.

It was around the time of Akumi’s yakuza days - she had a particular interest in their underground affairs and made close connections with leaders in exchange for protection and a chance to partake in some of the action they got. She was clever and quick-witted, and even nicknamed a ‘fox’ by several members. The irony.

On one special occasion, Akumi was to meet with the son of a notorious yakuza leader in order to form some sort of coalition. The exact details of what was happening always escaped the girl - she only care about her role and the exciting stuff she got to do. So, she sat in a tavern, nursing a beer and waited for her contact to arrive.

The humid summer months were usually unbearably hot, but the night hours offered a cool escape from the sun’s harsh rays. The tavern was mostly empty save a few merchants unwinding with a drink and, of course, Akumi. The girl was about to take another sip when the seat next to her suddenly became occupied. With only a side glance, Akumi was met with her appointment for the evening.

He was taller than most men, and his dark curly hair was out of place, as most Japanese had straight hair. His brown, almond eyes stayed focused on the bartender as he ordered a drink - two, actually - and his strong jawline moved quickly as he spoke. His face was perfect, save for a scar that graced the lower part of his right jawline and a freckle or two. His name was Domiyouji Tsukasa, and he would come to be the only man Akumi would ever care about.

At their first interaction, however, Akumi would not believe that she’d ever get along with the man. The drink he had ordered for her was not her usual choice, but she drank it nonetheless to appear polite. Aside from the obvious arrogance that surrounded the man, he didn’t even look her in the eyes. Before they were able to speak about business, he managed to upset Akumi by making a comment about how a pretty young woman like herself shouldn’t be involved in such dangerous affairs. At that, she stood up and left the tavern, swearing that she’d tell her boss someone else could handle that brat.

As she left the building, she heard footsteps follow her, and her name was called. Letting out a disgruntled sigh, she turned around to see the man right behind her, his hands in his pockets. He made some lame attempt to excuse himself, but somehow managed to turn the blame back on Akumi by saying she shouldn’t take things so seriously.

“You can’t even be sincere in an apology? How do you expect to take your father’s place if you have no manners or respect?” She retorted, crossing her arms and eyeing the man in front of her.

“You don’t know what it takes to be a boss,” he replied hotly and met her gaze for the first time. Akumi almost faltered under his strong glare, but kept her ground as he continued, “and you’re lecturing me about respect? Women are supposed to be humble around men, especially someone like me.”

Akumi snorted at that. She had long rebelled against the sexist norm that society placed on Japanese women, and it didn’t surprise her that an arrogant man like him didn’t appreciate her boldness. “Well, I don’t like to submit to people who haven’t earned my respect. I won’t act like one of your fans who worship the ground you walk on.”

Domiyouji huffed. “At least those girls have a clear sense of how things should be.” His cringe slowly turned into a sly smile as his eyebrows peeked up. “You’d be just like one of those girls if you got to know the real me.”

Akumi laughed for a solid minute, causing Domiyouji to get frustrated and interject. “It’s the truth!”

“I’d like to see you try to get me to even stand your presence.” Akumi remarked, her mood still lightened from the laughing fit she just had. “In fact, you’ll have your chance at the party we’re having tomorrow at my boss’s manor.” Seeing the smug look on his face, she added: “You’re whole clan was invited, don’t feel too special.”

—-

Akumi didn’t know what to expect from Domiyouji, but she certainly wasn’t expecting what he brought. While the two leaders discussed affairs and politics, Akumi was summoned by one of the help to the outdoor garden and was instructed to come alone. Apprehensive of some ambush or practical joke, Akumi made slow steps outside the ballroom and to the garden gate outside.

The night stars were her only source of light for some time as she distanced herself from the party. As she approached the gate, she saw a paper lantern on the ground beyond it, illuminating the path for her. She followed it and found more lanterns about two feet apart, all lining the pathway she was meant to take. The path led to the extravagant koi pond on the garden grounds, but it was almost unrecognizable with all the decorations.

More paper lanterns were placed to add light to the scene, but dozens of flowers also decorated the clearing. Rose petals littered the ground, except for a blanket in the middle of it all. On top of the blanket was a basket covered with a cloth, a bottle of sake, and… Domiyouji. When he saw her approach, he stood up and greeted her.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” His tone was unbearably smug, but Akumi couldn’t deny how extravagant it all was.

“I suppose…but,” the girl smirked as she found a way to poke holes in the man’s plan. “All this is because you have money, it doesn’t mean anything because it doesn’t really come from the heart. So, I give it a 5/10.”

“5/10?!” He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. “But look at all the work that went into it!”

“Sure, it took some work,” the girl agreed as she walked to the blanket and sat down. She picked up one of the rose petals and held it up to the man. “But you see, it’d be more special if you knew who you were trying to impress. Roses aren’t my favorite flower.”

He placed his face in his hand and grunted. “You’re impossible.”

Akumi giggled and picked up the bottle of sake. “Of course I am. Now, let’s not let this bottle go to waste, eh?”

—

Needless to say, the following weeks were filled with Akumi being unsuccessfully courted by Domiyouji. He sent just about every type of flower to her doorstep, until he finally managed to guess the right kind - lilies aren’t even obscure - and he constantly invited her out to do different activities to see what she actually enjoyed. It turned out that she loved being close to the forest and nature, so any date that took her outdoors was usually a good one.

One night, the pair were laying in a clearing in the forest, gazing at the stars above them. It was a clear summer night, making the stars all the more beautiful.

“This is probably the best one so far,” Akumi said after the two began naming stars after people they knew with hilarious backstories. She let out a content sigh as she regained herself after the huge fit of laughter she had. “See? Money isn’t everything, Domi.”

“Of course, you’re right again, what a surprise.” The man couldn’t help but smile - a genuine one, too, not the smirks he usually offered - as he watched Akumi’s eyes gaze up at the stars, as if she was looking for something. He wondered why she studied the sky so intently, and for the first time wished to know much more about the girl next to him. After a moment, Akumi turned to meet his gaze, and furrowed her eyebrows.

“I have a question,” she stated, her voice lowered to just above a whisper. Domiyouji nodded for her to continue. She placed a finger on his jawline, and suddenly the man felt his stomach stir at the touch. “How did you get this scar?”

The question took him aback. He wasn’t expecting her to ask about that, and he was also accidentally staring at the girl’s beautiful face. He stumbled slightly over his words before offering a cohesive explanation.

“Well, when I was younger, my father kept the yakuza business hidden from me because he didn’t want me to be in danger.” He took a breath before continuing. “I was playing outside one day when a man was leaving our house, obviously upset. I went up to him - only knowing that it was a work friend - and asked what the fuss was about. He became even more infuriated and smacked me across the face, and the ring he was wearing was sharp enough to draw blood and leave a reminder. I never got to find out what my father did to him to get him so angry, but after he saw what the man had done, I never saw him again.”

Akumi dropped her finger from his face by the end of his story. She hasn’t expected the scar to be from his childhood, and for some reason knowing that made her feel sad for the man. Growing up around so much violence wasn’t good for any child. Domiyouji felt the absence of Akumi’s touch, and something inside him wanted more. He slowly reached for her hand, and laced it with his. The warmth from her fingers created the same stirring sensation in his stomach, and strengthened his desire to be even closer to the girl.

“Akumi…” his voice trailed off into a whisper. She knew what he was thinking, and slowly she closed the gap between their lips. They met in a kiss, and gradually their other arms and legs became entangled together. Throughout the night and the walk home, they kept their fingers laced with each other, each one not daring to let go and lose the bond they formed that night.

–

Two years went by too quickly for the couple. The alliance between the two gangs was always robust, which meant the two were able to live their relationship to the fullest. Domiyouji didn’t stop showering her with gifts, despite her requests for him not to, because 'the girlfriend of the great Domiyouji should always be pampered’. She often teased the 'great Domiyouji’ for being weak enough to get on his knees for her, to which he would grow red and drop the subject. It was puppy love, and Akumi was so intrigued by all the emotions she felt that she couldn’t even think about ending it like she usually would. Maybe this is what her mother saw in that man all those years ago.

Domiyouji had planned on marrying Akumi. After a big sale would take place, he’d have the funds to afford the most expensive ring in Japan for her, and then the two could have their happily ever after together. It was a dream, and that’s all it would ever stay as - a dream.

The sale was a huge shipment of guns to a gang in northern Japan. They were to meet Domiyouji at a halfway point to make the exchange. Since the couple rarely left each other’s side, Akumi came along on the trip, but chose to opt out on watching the deal to enjoy the local eateries. Maybe if she had chosen to accompany Domiyouji, things would’ve played out differently.

The gang never had the intentions of paying for the guns. In fact, they came armed with their own weapons and stole every case from Domiyouji and his men. But they couldn’t just leave it at that. Every one of Domiyouji’s men were pumped with a hefty amount of bullets, to ensure they wouldn’t try to sabotage the gang as they went back home. To cover their tracks, they set the warehouse the meeting took place in ablaze and destroyed any evidence of their rendezvous.

Akumi saw the flames from miles away. She ran opposite of the crowd running away from the fire and would’ve ran into the building had the firefighters stopped her. Her knees gave out from under her as she watched the building collapse under its weight, crushing everything inside of it. She couldn’t help the sobs that escaped her throat, and she desperately wished that Domi would put his hand on her shoulder and tell her he had made it out just in time.

But that never happened. She was a fool for believing in happy endings.

Akumi went back home, packed her belongings, and set out to find a new life for herself. She wandered through the forests of Japan for decades after, deciding that she should keep away from human interaction for a long time. And she vowed that she wouldn’t get attached ever again.

Yet, perhaps Akumi was an even bigger fool than she had thought. Since she had not seen the body of her lover, she didn’t know that Domiyouji was in fact not one of the men who burned to a crisp in the fire. His exact whereabouts are only known to the greater powers of the universe, but Domiyouji had know idea that his brash demeanor would not go well with the only vampire gang in Japan. Or, maybe it fit perfectly - and that’s why he was spared a painful death and given the grief and suffering of an eternal life without his love.

#for the task but it's dAD lmao #**sad #sp #hc

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tali-zora · 8 years ago

Text

Cadet Holmes: A Detective Undercover

Oh. My. God. What have I done? This was meant to be a quick little ficlet about Sherlock swooning over Captain Watson. It’s turned into a monster, over 6,000 words long. I blame @inevitably-johnlocked and the watchalong crew. An innocent screening of Mulan has turned into this smut fest.

I hope you all enjoy it, I tried to make it funny as well as sexy.

Warnings: military kink, public sex, swearing, a tiny bit of homophobia, Sherlock has a dirty mind, there is a scene that doesn’t have explicitly obvious consent but they both want it, there is a crime scene in this but I tried not to describe the body much, explicit sex happens and as it’s a smut fic they don’t use protection.

“You’re looking for a Military man, with a history of domestic violence, who is employed by the London University and who lied on his army admittance forms as he is colorblind.”

“How did you know he was colour blind?” Lestrade asked looking puzzled by Sherlock’s last deduction.

“Obvious. Open your eyes Lestrade. Look. Really Look.” Sherlock sighed impatiently. “I don’t have time to explain everything to you like a child. We need to catch the murderer before he kills again.”

Lestrade’s shoulders dropped in defeat, “Right, I’ll just take your word for it then… Again.”

“As you should, Lestrade. I don’t understand why we go through this every time-” Sherlock broke off his usual rant as his phone started to ring in his pocket. Sherlock pulled out the smartphone and glanced at the screen before swiping to accept.

“What do you want Mycroft?”

“You’ll be pleased to know, little brother that you have been accepted into Her Royal Majesty's Army Reserve. You are to report to the University of London to begin your training tomorrow at 0500 hours.”

“You’re sending me back to school?”

“How interesting that you deem it appropriate knowledge to keep in your ‘harddrive’ that to be a member of the ULOTC you must first be enrolled as a student at London University.”

“How many cakes have you had today Mycroft? One? Three? Hmm, perhaps four? Oh and a cupcake. My my, you’ll never lose those 5 pounds at this rate, failing your new year's resolution already. How telling.”

“Your uniform will be delivered tonight. Don’t be late brother.”

Sherlock ended the call and looked back at Lestrade. “Mycroft has arranged for me to go undercover to find our murderer with the ULOTC. I will, of course alert you immediately once I have found him.”

Lestrade frowned and opened his mouth to say something but Sherlock cut him off. “Yes, yes… I will not go after the murderer on my own, really Lestrade.”

“Okay then. Give me a call once you’ve settled in.”

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

The uniform had already been delivered by the time Sherlock made it back to 221B. One of Mycroft's minions had actually laid it out on his bed. Standard army camo fatigues, including belt, boots and hat. Sherlock just stood in his bedroom doorway for several minutes staring at the uniform before he felt ready to approach it.

The closer he got the hotter his cheeks felt. It was crazy, since Sherlock had hit puberty he had experienced a strong reaction to anything army related. It was extremely embarrassing and he had expected to grow out of the obsession but it only seemed to get worse the older he got.

Mycroft had never forgotten Sherlock’s little secret kink when he had searched his little brothers room and found his stash of military magazines stuffed between his mattress and the slats on his bed. It was intolerable.

Sherlock took a deep breath and reached out to lightly brush his fingers across the heavy fabric of the uniform. The shudder that rocked through his whole body was entirely involuntary and hateful. He needed to get over this reaction fast because if he was this affected by an empty uniform on a bed how would he deal with being surrounded by fit men wearing the uniforms while they got hot and sweaty.

Sherlock groaned and let himself fall face first onto his bed. “I am in hell.”

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

Wearing the uniform wasn’t that bad. It appeared that Sherlock wasn’t affected by himself being in military dress, only other people. That was a huge relief. The biggest pain had been slathering on a monstrous amount of pomade to get his hair to slick back and lay flat on his head. It felt heavy and hard and was really uncomfortable but Sherlock hated how his hair curled up like wings on either side of his head under the hat more.

Under his new uniform Sherlock had, pre-emptively wore his tightest pair of pants. He knew from previous experience he would be at least half had for most of the day just being near military personnel. Once those personnel turned their attention on him and started barking orders, all bets were off. Sherlock hoped he would be able to keep his composure long enough to find the murderer quickly so he could get out of there as fast as possible.

When the detective arrived at London University he went straight to the officers building to talk to the recruiter. He would know, thanks to Mycroft that he wasn’t actually enrolling officially and was only there temporarily. Thankful for small miracles Sherlock knocked firmly on the door and waited to be invited inside.

“Come in.”

Sherlock opened the door and immediately had to clench his teeth to stop the gasp that wanted to escape. The recruiter was a middle-aged man, clean-shaven and hair cut military short. He wore an officer's uniform, his white hat resting to the left on his desk. As Sherlock entered the man stood and offered his hand.

With a deep breath Sherlock stepped forward and shook it, the hand was calloused, rough and strong. This was torture.

“Mr Holmes I believe?” The man said with a thin smile. “Your brother, told me to expect you this morning. My name is Major Taylor Jones. Welcome to London University.”

--------

Sherlock had been mistaken, hell wasn’t being alone in his bedroom with empty army fatigues. Hell was standing at attention in a line up of fit 20-35 year old men all in uniform waiting for their Captain to inspect their uniforms.

“Cadet Williams!” The Captain snapped as he walked along the line.

“Sir!”

“Retie those laces, now.”

“Yes Sir! Sorry Sir!” Williams immediately dropped to one knee and began re-tying his laces quickly. Sherlock gulped and let his breath out slowly. He could feel sweat on the back of his neck already.

The Captain continued walking down the line, yelling out occasionally to Cadets who had not adequately dressed, shined their shoes or missed a belt loop. He was getting closer and closer to Sherlock’s position in line and every step sent a shiver down his spine. The Captain was beyond perfection.

He was short, but broad. Clearly still very fit, especially for a man approaching 40. His hair was blond but it was lightened further with a hint of silver, that only showed when the early morning light hit it just right. His hands looked strong and capable, his stride confident and his fatigues were pressed and starched beautifully. Sherlock let his eyes take in all the information he could about the Captain. Single, veteran of at least 20, maybe 25 years. Trained as a trauma surgeon. Wounded in action, left shoulder. Most likely a bullet wound.

The Captain glanced at him and their eyes met, and as cliche as the saying was it really felt like the world stopped for a moment, and his heart skipped several beats. Sherlock immediately stiffened his posture and returned his gaze forward. He could actually feel the heat radiating off his face.

“Cadet Holmes, welcome to the ULOTC. My name is Captain John Watson. I hope you are ready to work hard.”

“Yes Sir!” Sherlock gasped. Oh god, oh god, oh god. How was he going to do this? He could barely focus on anything but Captain Watson. He was supposed to be finding the murderer not blushing and swooning like a Jane Austen character because the military man spoke to him. Sherlock gritted his teeth and kept his focus on one of the high windows in the building across the field. After a moment's hesitation Captain Watson continued his inspection down the line.

-----

Running around a field with an erection was new. Captain Watson had decided to start today's training with a warm up, he was leading the group at a fast, but steady pace. The cadets were to run in formation behind for four laps before they would run movement drills with weighted equipment.

The Captain had Sherlock placed at the front of the group right behind him so that he could watch Sherlock closely. This meant that Sherlock had to watch John Watson run, watch his legs stride powerfully. Watch his back move and flex as his arms swung with his movements, and most importantly watch his arse pull the fatigues light across his cheeks as each leg swung forward.

Without warning Captain Watson turned and continued running backwards, he was obviously inspecting the formation. He watched Sherlock run for a moment, Sherlock could feel his cheeks getting hot and turning red again. With a wink, the Captain jogged off to the side and slowed his pace so he could fall back. “Keep it up Cadets! I don’t want to see you break pace!”

“Yes Sir!” The whole group shouted back.

“Cadet Hall! Lift those knees!”

“Yes Sir! Sorry Sir!”

“Cadet Singh you’re falling behind, pick up the pace! Left! Right! Left! Right! Keep it up!”

Sherlock’s steps faltered. This was unbearable, he was starting to chafe from the growing dampness seeping into his pants. Sherlock was struggling to remember ever being this brutally turned on. Oh how he wanted Captain Watson to pull rank on him, to shout at him to drop to his knees and open his trousers with his teeth. How would the Captain taste? What did his cock look like?

“Cadet Holmes!” Captain Watson’s sharp voice cut through his fantasy. “Are we going too fast for you?”

“No Sir!” Sherlock panted back, his spine was tingling. His feet felt too heavy and too light at the same time.

“Keep up Holmes!”

“Yes Sir!”

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

Sherlock leaned exhausted, against the door and groaned pitifully at the stairs the he would need to climb to make it up to his flat. Captain Watson was the devil. After running four laps of the field he’d allowed the cadets a moment to catch their breath and drink some water before they had to suit up with weighted packs and run through several obstacle courses.

With a defeated sigh Sherlock began dragging himself up the stairs and into the shower. His previous guess about chafing proved to be correct and after a long hot shower Sherlock applied some cream and flopped naked onto his bed. He was asleep before he even had a chance to wriggle under the covers.

“Cadet Holmes, is there something I can do for you?” Captain Watson said as he stood up from his desk. Sherlock was in the officers building again, but this time instead of Major Jones to greeting him it was John Watson.

“I need to interview your recruits. It’s a police matter, I’m looking for a murderer who I believe is a part of your squad.”

The Captain re-took his seat behind his desk and his eyes swept up and down Sherlock’s body. “I see, will you be needing to interview the officers as well?”

Sherlock blushed, “Ahm… Yes.’

“I’m afraid Major Jones has been called away, you can start with me if you like.” The Captain offered. “I’m free now in fact. Please, Holmes have a seat. Can I get you anything? Tea, coffee or a glass of water perhaps?”

“No thank you.” Sherlock pulled out a chair from the desk but the Captain interrupted him.

“Why don’t you have a seat here, Cadet.” Watson pushed his chair back further from his desk and patted his lap invitingly. Sherlock felt heat pool low in his belly, he stepped around the desk and slipped onto the Captain's lap.

As Watson stroked a hand down Sherlock’s back he suddenly realised, as was the way with dreams, that he was naked. “Oh!” Sherlock gasped, the Captain grinned at him and leaned in to lick at his neck.

“You did so well today Cadet. I’m proud of your performance.”

“Ah!”

“So responsive, I adore the sounds you make Sherlock.”

“Guh!”

“Can you feel how hard you make me Cadet?”

“Mmmhff!”

“Good boy.” The Captain lifted him and laid him on his back across the desk, Sherlock’s legs wrapped around his waist. “Now, I want you to scream for me.”

Sherlock landed with a thump on the floor next to his bed. He was rock hard and covered in sweat. “Oh god!” Sherlock groaned and grasped himself firmly, he only had to stroke himself twice before he was cumming all over his hand. “Fuck!” Sherlock shuddered and collapsed back onto the floor.

-------

“You’re late Cadet Holmes.” Captain Watson snapped at him as he jogged onto the field.

“Obviously.” Sherlock rolled his eys, he was in a very bad mood this morning. Waking up on the floor covered in dried semen was not an enjoyable experience. Being greeting by the main attraction of his dreams last night in such an unfriendly manner wasn’t helping.

Captain Watson’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline, “Did you just talk back to me Cadet?”

Sherlock groaned, the tingles shooting up and down his spine were just annoying him today. He really wasn’t looking forward to another day running around and trying not to collapse into a puddle of goo at Captain Watson’s feet. He had a criminal to catch.

The Captain clapped his hands loudly right in front of Sherlock face, which caused him to jump. “Now I have you attention Cadet Holmes, I want you to drop and give me twenty pushups. Now.”

Sherlock was on his knees before the Captain so fast he hadn’t even understood what he’d been asked. His heart was thumping so hard and fast in his chest he could hardly breathe. Captain Watson took a step back away from Sherlock. “Whoa, Holmes are you okay? Have you eaten this morning?”

Sherlock panted heavily, “I can’t remember.”

“Right, get up and come with me.”

------

The Captain shoved a brown paper bag, which obviously contained his pre-packed lunch into Sherlock's arms. “I’m leaving you in Major Jones capable hands. I don’t want to see you again until next week when you’re ready to put some real effort into training. And for god's sake, eat!” Watson snapped and closed the Officer’s door behind him.

“Mr Holmes?” Major Jones asked as he looked up from his desk.

“I need to review all the recruits personnel files.” Sherlock said as he gulped air and readjusted his fatigues.

------

“Sherlock Holmes!” Mrs Hudson gasped as she walked into 221B. “What on earth have you done to my bloody wall?”

Sherlock glanced up from where he was bent uncomfortably over some files on the ULOTC recruits. So far he’d not found any leads on which one was the murderer and he was running out of time. There was a chance that the killer could strike again. The wall in question was covered in photos of all the male recruits in uniform pinned to the wall.

“I’m taking this out of your rent, again!” Mrs Hudson yelled as she stomped into the kitchen and began making him a sandwich.

“It cannot be helped Mrs Hudson, I need to think. I need to find this criminal and I’m running out of time!”

“That may be young man, but you need to learn not to stick pins in my walls!”

“Apologies Mrs Hudson, once the case is complete I will have someone fix the holes.”

“I should hope so!”

------

“Lestrade? Has there been another one?” Sherlock asked when he picked up his phone later that evening.

“Afraid so. Meet me outside London University?”

“I’ll be there in twenty.”

------

The body of the secretary was found in the same pose as the previous two had been. She was tied up in a kneeling position in front of the Queen Victoria statue. The words ‘Hail Empress of India’ had again been printed in large block letters and stapled to the victim's chest. Her head fell back at an unnatural angle proving that her neck had been broken, the same cause of death as the previous victims.

“It doesn’t get any easier.” Lestrade sighed as he watched the forensic team take photos and samples all around the woman.

“She worked at the University, same as the other two. She was knocked unconscious brought here and tied up, looks like this one woke up before he broke her neck. There are signs of struggle around the ropes.” Anderson explained.

“Obviously Anderson, I have eyes.” Sherlock huffed. “Just because you need the most obvious of facts pointed out to you doesn’t mean we all do.”

“I still don’t understand why we’re wasting our time looking into the army reserves on campus, what about this scene could possibly point to the killer being in the military?” Anderson snarked.

“Shut up Anderson, you’re too stupid to have an opinion.” Sherlock crouched down beside the body and began his inspection. “The killer is a colonialist, he obviously believes quite strongly in the British Empire and wants to bring back military invasion and takeovers of smaller countries to bring Britain back to it’s former glory.”

“The note for example, ‘Hail Empress of India’ clearly the man idolises Queen Victoria for conquering India and bringing it under British rule. He wants to take an active role in this as he has proven by killing people who support the disbanding on the commonwealth and the release of all foreign countries under British ownership. Therefore the killer would be enlisted in the military.”

“We just need him to make a mistake, leave some evidence behind.” Sherlock frowned and pulled the paper off the body and flipped it over. “Ah ha! Bingo. We have a mistake.” On the back of the paper, still printed in large block letters were the words:

YOU’LL NEVER BE A REAL SOLDIER MR HOLMES

------

“Cadet Holmes, on time today I see.” Captain Watson greeted him with a small smile. “I hope you’ve eaten something this morning?”

“Yes sir, I’m sorry for my lateness last week I wasn’t having a very good day.” Sherlock flushed, he shouldn’t have said anything.

The Captain glanced over him with a considering look on his face. “I see, but that’s no excuse Cadet. Your punishment still stands. Drop and give me twenty push-ups, now.”

“Yes Sir!” Sherlock fell to his knees again then got into position and began the exercise.

“I want to hear you count Cadet! One!” The Captain bent down so he could yell into Sherlock’s ear. His breath was hot and excruciatingly distracting.

“One!” Sherlock gasped at the top of his push up before lowering himself down again.

“Keep those hips down Cadet, I don’t want to see you lifting your arse above your shoulders!” The Captain turned to look down over Sherlock’s posture.

“Sorry Sir!” Sherlock panted, this was harder than it looked. Especially with an erection. Sherlock couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this many erections in one week. Possibly not since he was fourteen years old.

“I don’t hear any counting Cadet, start again! One!”

“Fuck!” Sherlock groaned, his arms were starting to shake. “One!”

The sound of many boot falls drew Sherlock’s attention away from what he was doing and he glanced over towards the group of recruits who had lined up near the Captain.

“Good morning everyone, we’re going to skip inspections today lucky you. I want you all to do four laps of the field while Holmes completes his punishment. I’ll be watching so keep up the pace! Go! Left! Right! Keep those knees high Cadet Hall!”

“Yes Sir!” The group answered as one and then took off at a brisk run.

“Holmes! I still don’t hear any counting! Do I need to count for you? Have you forgotten?” The Captain returned to leaning over him and breathing on Sherlock’s neck.

“Ah! One!” Sherlock groaned.

“Again!” The Captain shouted. “T-Two!” Sherlock shuddered. His muscles clenched, his arms were shuddering and heat was pooling at the base of his spine. Oh god, he needed to stop.

“Keep your hips low!” Watson called out again and placed his hands on either side of Sherlock’s arse and readjusted their position. “If you don’t keep your posture straight you’ll pull a muscle. Now, down then push back up.”

Sherlock followed the Captain's directions, he lowered himself down then pushed with all his might. It was easier with him holding his hips. He didn’t have to think so much, but the heat and pressure of the Captains strong hands was distracting and making lightning bolts shoot along his spine.

“Ah-ah-ah three!” Sherlock panted and dropped down and pushed back up again. “F-Fuck-Four!”

The Captains hands moved away and he walked back up so he was bending down to look at Sherlock’s face. Sherlock was so involved in pushing himself up and down that he didn’t see the smirk on the Captain's face. Watson leaned down and blew hot breath over the back of Sherlock’s neck.

“Gah!” Sherlock gasped and his arms finally gave out and he collapsed in a heap on the grass. He was shaking, his muscles felt like jelly. His erection was wedged uncomfortably against the zipper of his fatigues, but he didn’t want to move.

The Captain crouched down beside Sherlock’s head, “That wasn’t twenty, Cadet. I didn’t tell you to stop.” his voice wasn’t loud and shouting anymore. It was deep and rough.

“I’m s-sorry sir, do you want me to start again?” Sherlock puffed and glanced up at the Captain. If his face could get any redder it certainly gave it a try. John Watson’s deep blue eyes were blown wide, his pupils were heavily dilated and Sherlock could tell his breathing and heart rate were elevated. He was aroused.

“You can continue where you left off. Clearly you’re not fit enough for twenty, so let’s drop it to ten. Can you manage that Holmes?”

“Yes Sir!” Sherlock lifted himself again and started counting. “Five!”

Watson’s hands reached out again and grasped his hips, tilting them down. This time though they didn’t stay on his hips, they moved to pat his bottom and then up to stroke over his shoulders.

“Ah! S-s-ssssix!” Sherlock hissed.

“Down lower Cadet. I want to see your hips brush the ground.” The Captain commanded.

“Oh!” Sherlock gasped and lowered himself down until he could just feel the pressure of the grass on his erection before pushing back up again. “S-seven!”

“Well done Cadet, keep going you’re almost there.” Watson praised.

“Gu-ah!” Sherlock cried out, he was so close. He was going to cum from doing pushups in the middle of a field. “Fuck!”

“Down again Holmes,” The Captain encouraged and grasped his hips one last time. He glanced up to see where his troop were. There were on the far side of the field, perfect.

“P-please!” It was too much, Sherlock needed something, anything. His arms hurt, his legs hurt his back hurt but his brain had short-circuited with the endorphins and adrenaline and was interpreting the signals as pleasure instead of pain. His whole body was tight and ready to snap.

“Eight.” The Captain was panting too as he pushed Sherlock’s hips down into a dip again. His cock pressing lightly against the ground. His hands slipped down and around to the front of Sherlock’s trousers and squeezed his cock.

“Nnnnnn-Nine!” Sherlock whined, he could feel it coming, his orgasm was coiled so tight in his belly he just needed something. “T-t-tennnn”

“Good boy.” The Captain groaned as he squeezed Sherlock’s cock one more time at the top of his push and it was over. Sherlock collapsed onto his face on the grass panting and twitching as his body pulsed with pleasure.

----------

Sherlock woke up laying on the couch in Major Jones’ office. His pants felt disgusting and all his muscles felt loose and uncoordinated. Sherlock pulled himself to his feet and looked around the empty room. There was something important that he’d thought of and wanted to check but he couldn’t think straight after the push-up session with the Captain.

Sherlock reached for a glass of water from the fountain beside the couch and took a few deep gulps of water. The cold helped him clear his mind. Sherlock strode over the the Major’s desk and began sifting through everything. It was a few moments later when Sherlock found what he’d been looking for. It was a list of all the Universities employee’s and their political views. The names of the victims he’d murdered had been crossed out. Bingo.

Sherlock froze at the sound of the office door opening, like a deer caught in headlights. Thankfully it wasn’t Major Jones who came into the room.

“Captain Watson” Sherlock greeting, trying not to collapse right there and then and plead with the man to finish what he’d started on the field and fuck him into next sunday.

“Sherlock Holmes.” He greeted back, “You know I knew you weren’t a real cadet the moment you walked onto the field. No one in their right mind with a military kink as strong as yours would be stupid enough to try to enlist. You could barely function.”

Sherlock’s mouth dropped open in shock, “I’m sorry?”

The Captain chuckled. “Oh don’t worry I know who you are, I looked you up. Googled you after the first day of training. Consulting Detective aye? Interesting. Not sure I believe all that stuff about deductions on your website though.”

Sherlock’s eyes narrowed, “Oh really?”

John grinned, “Really.”

“Can I borrow your phone?” Sherlock asked holding out his hand.

The Captain frowned at the sudden change of topic, but reached into his pocket and handed over his phone anyway. “What are you doing here then? Pretending to enlist?”

“I was undercover.” Sherlock said as he quickly texted Lestrade to come to the University as fast as possible, they needed to catch Major Jones before he claimed another victim.

“Undercover?” John asked.

“Yes, Major Jones is a budding serial killer and I’ve just found the evidence to put him away for a very long time. Thanks for putting me in his office, by the way.” Finished with the text Sherlock held out John’s phone.

The Captain took the phone back with a frown, “A serial killer, really?”

“Yes, he’s responsible for the deaths on campus.”

“Shit… Oh! Shit! We need to run.” John gasped and turned to the door.

“What? Why?”

“Jones just spoke to me in the hallway he’s leaving for the airport, said his Mum who lives abroad just got diagnosed with cancer.”

“Quickly! We need to catch him!” Sherlock shouted and ran after him.

------

Sherlock struggled to keep up with the Captain, after his earthshattering orgasm and push ups his limbs still didn’t want to listen to his brain properly. So he was very thankful to watch John vault over a fence and charge into the staff parking lot and crash tackle Major Jones to the ground. Sherlock pulled a pair of zip ties out of his trouser pocket and quickly tied up their killer.

“Let me go you nutters!” Major Jones yelled. “Fucking lunatics! What the hell Watson?”

“Did you really kill Amanda, Jess and Simone?” John growled and pulled Jones to his feet.

“Wh-What? No! No! Not me! I never saw them! Don’t know who they are!” Jones quickly rambled.

Sherlock scoffed, “With that kind of defence I don’t think we even need a confession. You’ve worked with these women for years Major, you can’t possibly say you don’t know who they are.”

“Fuck you! You Freak! I know who you are! Queer!” The Major sneered at Sherlock.

There was a crack and then Jones was on the ground again moaning pitifully and bleeding from a nasty split lip. Sherlock glanced up at the Captain, he’d just punched Major Jones in the face.

“Fuck you Taylor! You don’t get to use that word, it doesn’t belong to you.” Watson growled.

“Enough! Stop!” Sherlock grabbed The Captain's arm and pulled as he reached down for Jones again. He was going to hit him again. “Captain! Leave it!”

“It’s people like you…” Watson kicked out at Jones and rolled him over onto his back.

“John! Stop!” Sherlock yelled again and jabbed him in the side with the heel of his hand.

“Ow! Sherlock!” John winced, “Fucking-that hurt like a bitch. Do you go for all the guys kidneys first?”

“Just yours.” Sherlock smirked.

---------

“Would you like a demonstration?” Sherlock asked as they stood side by side leaning up against a flashing police car and watching the offices take Jones away.

“Of what?” John asked.

“My deductions?”

John shrugged, “Sure.”

“Obviously, you’re a military man, when I first saw you I knew you’d been on active duty for at least 19 years. Deployed multiple times. Trained as a trauma surgeon, but also a good enough soldier to be on the front lines as a medic. That’s where you got shot. At first I thought it might have been a sniper shot, but there aren’t many snipers who would take a body shot instead of waiting for a head shot. So a ricochet bullet then, from an AK47. In your left shoulder.”

“You have an intermittent tremor in your right hand, which is odd given the placement of your wound, I suspect shrapnel damage or perhaps nerve damage. Which leaves you without a steady hand to perform surgery and I would assume an honorable discharge from the army. Except they offered you a desk job and you took it. You couldn’t face the idea of being without some part of your identity.”

“You brother, Harry is an alcoholic who recently walked out on his wife. You met up with your brother upon your return to London, but once you found out about the breakup you stopped talking to him. Judging by your anger over the queer comment you’re gay and have obviously received some unfair treatment because of that fact in your past.”

Sherlock took a breath and turned to look at John. “How am I doing so far?”

“Brilliant.” John breathed. “You are the sexiest thing I have ever seen.”

Sherlock blushed and coughed, “That’s not what people usually say.”

“What do people usually say?”

“Piss off”

----------

The moment they walked into 221B Sherlock was, for the second time in as many weeks pressing his back against the door. This time however it wasn’t due to exhaustion, it was because Captain John Watson had shoved him against it and proceeded to devour his mouth.

It was glorious. John kissed like a starving man tasting fresh, cool water for the first time in years. Sherlock’s brain was playing an endless loop of ‘johnjohnjohncaptainjohnwatsoncaptainjohnjohnjohn’. Sherlock’s hands grasped onto John's arms and squeezed, they were firm and tense with muscle as John pressed him even harder against the door.

“Ah!” Sherlock gasped as John nipped at his bottom lip and slid his mouth down to suck on his collar bone.

“Your neck, so distracting. Fucking, teasing me this whole time. God. I wanted you so bad.” John growled between sucks, each time his mouth left off with a sharp wet popping noise.

“Captain!” Sherlock shouted. “Please, upstairs. My-my landlady… She lives on the-the… fuck, the ground floor.”

“Hmm…” John breathed over the saliva on Sherlock’s neck which caused them both to shudder. “Okay then.” With one quick movement John bent slightly, caught Sherlock around the hips and lifted him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

“John!” Sherlock grunted, “Put me down!”

“Nope, I don’t want you out of my arms for the next twelve hours at least, so this is the best solution. Up we go!” John chuckled and began to climb the stairs, his hands slid down from Sherlock’s hips to pat, group and squeeze Sherlock arse.

“Ah! John! Please!”

“Right which way to a bed, genius?” John asked as he shoved open the door to Sherlock’s living room with his other shoulder.

“Through the kitchen, door at the end of the hallway.”

John made his way quickly to Sherlock bedroom and tossed him down onto the bed. He didn’t waste any time covering Sherlock with his body and capturing his mouth again. They kissed and kissed and licked and sucked on each others tongues.

“Harry is my sister, not my brother.” John gasped between kisses, “It was shrapnel damaged that caused the tremor, our airlift took a direct hit and the side paneling on the chopper exploded.”

“Oh, there’s always something.” Sherlock panted into John’s mouth, “Wh-why are you telling me this?”

“Because I don’t want this to be a casual fuck, you are the most brilliant, sexy, frustrating man I have ever met and I don’t want to let you go. I want you to be mine. I want to be yours.”

“Oh!” Sherlock arched up into John, their chests and hips pressing against one another through their clothes.

“Do you believe in love at first sight?” John asked pulling back and looking deep into Sherlock's eyes.

“No, not… Not until I met you.” Sherlock admitted. “I can’t stop thinking about you. Wanting you. Fuck, John you made me cum in my pants by doing push ups. You’re perfect.”

John grinned. “That was so hot, I wanted to fuck you so bad and you kept sticking out your arse like an offering. Jesus Christ. Please let me, Sherlock please. I want to.”

“Oh god, yes! John please!”

It was a struggle for the two to separate long enough to completely undress, but they managed it. Once they were both naked coming back together again was glorious. Sherlock ran his hands up and down John’s back as he licked and sucked on the exit wound the bullet had created on his left pectoral muscle. John groaned and gasped as Sherlock continued to lavish attention on the scar. It was apparently hypersensitive.

John shifted down, his hand not holding him up sliding down Sherlock’s chest, he pinched and pulled at a hard nipple on his way and groaned as he watched Sherlock squirm and moan in response. John sat back on his heels and lifted Sherlock’s legs up, catching on Sherlock grasped his legs and held them up.

Sliding his hand up and down the back of Sherlock’s legs slowly getting closer and closer to his twitching erection, now turning purple with need John glanced away from the mouth watering sight and looked back up into Sherlock’s eyes. “Do you have any lube, love?”

“Yes! John, right hand side, top draw. Hurry.” Sherlock shuddered and pulled his legs down so they rested against his chest.

“Fucking hell, Sherlock you look amazing.” John quickly scrambled for the draw and the bottle of lube inside. With an impatient squeeze John had a handful of the cool jelly like substance. He reached back again for Sherlock's legs and pressed a few soft kisses to his thighs. “This might be a bit cold, sorry.”

Sherlock gasped as John spread the lube around his arsehole, rubbing and swirling his fingertips around the sensitive ring of muscle. “John! Please!”

With gentle pressure John pressed his index finger against Sherlock and slipped inside. He withdrew and entered again and again, using the lude to help ease his way inside. Sherlock moaned and panted with pleasure at every touch and John had to grasp himself firmly and squeeze to stop himself from ending their night too early.

“Fuck, Sherlock you. God, you’re so hot. You want it so bad, don’t you. You want my cock?” John panted and added another finger to the slow in out, in out movement.

“John! Ah! Yes! F-Fffuck! So good. Love it.” Sherlock babbled. “So good, please more! More!” John scissored his fingers and leaned down to press a kiss to Sherlock perineum. He licked and sucked on the soft flesh and mouthed as Sherlock’s balls which had drawn tight to his body already. “Johnjohnjohnjohn!” Sherlock chanted and rocked back onto John’s fingers.

“Damn, so tight! God you’re so greedy I can feel you pulling my fingers deeper inside you. Fuck, I can’t wait. Sherlock please? I need to be inside you.” John couldn’t watch Sherlock wriggle and pant anymore or he was going to explode.

“Yes! Hurry, hurry hurry! Please, want your cock! So much! John please! Now!” Sherlock pulled his legs back against his chest, he’d let go at some point but he couldn’t remember when.

John grabbed a pillow from beside Sherlock’s head and shoved it under his hips. “I’m here, love. Let’s cum together, if we can manage. Fuck you’re so hot!” John lined himself up with Sherlock’s hole and pushed in softly. As much as he wanted to just pound into Sherlock until they both came he didn’t want to hurt him.

“It’s fine, keep going. You can go faster. I’m good.” Sherlock encouraged and pulled John down so he could kiss his forehead. Their height difference meant that Sherlock couldn’t reach his lips but he could scrape his nails down John’s back and wrap his legs around his waist.

John groaned with pleasure as he bottomed out, he was all the way inside Sherlock. He could feel his heartbeat and the grasping, squeezing of the muscles as Sherlock adjusted to him. “Please, John… Move. Fuck me. God I need it.”

John gave one experimental thrust and then stopped again, “Count them.”

“Wh-what?” Sherlock gasped.

“Cadet Holmes, count how many times I shove my cock into your arse.” John commanded in his best ‘Captain’ voice. It was breathy and rough but it did the trick.

“Guh!” Sherlock squirmed again, “Yes Captain! Please!”

John pulled back and pushed in again, as Sherlock shouted one then two, then three. John started going faster and amazingly Sherlock kept up. John grasped Sherlock’s hips and tilted him. “Keep your hips down Cadet!” John gasped.

Sherlock keened loudly as John’s cock head dragged against his prostate. “Fuck! Ten! Fuck! Eleven! Captain!”

John leaned forward and sucked a nipple into his mouth and that was it, Sherlock’s whole body went ridged and he yelled John’s name. Hot bursts of semen painted Sherlock and John’s chest. The exquisite squeeze from the contractions of Sherlock’s orgasm toppled John over the edge and he collapsed on top of the detective.

“John! Oh god, so good. Johnjohnjohnjohnjohn….” Sherlock mumbled and continued to run his hands soothingly up and down John’s back. “Perfect. You’re perfect.”

John leaned up and pressed a sloppy kiss to Sherlock’s lips. “Hmmm… You’re perfect too, love.”

Tags:

@consultingeastwind @averybritishbumblebee @mrsmetta2 @1895-doyle-and-bronte-obsessed @jawnxsherly @hollyberrypie @morganadelacour @lalnableleesh @noxlucum

#mine #johnlock ficlet #wow that got long fast #i hope you guys like it #i had fun writing it #sherlock your military kink is showing #and john loves it

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salt-is-a-terrible-currency · 8 years ago

Text

Keeping promises 4

Chapter 1: https://ivartheboneme.tumblr.com/post/156118762399/keeping-promises

Chapter 2: https://ivartheboneme.tumblr.com/post/156225089779/keeping-promises-chapter-2

Chapter 3: https://ivartheboneme.tumblr.com/post/156323954704/keeping-promises-3

Warnings: rape mention, abuse mention. Torture scene. Will get more explicit in later chapters.

Author’s note: the timeline is a bit different from the show. Here, Ivar was born long before before Ragnar made the deal with King Ecbert about starting a settlement. I’d say he was about 5 years old when the settlement was established. Also, the timejump in the middle of season 4 lasted long enough for the relevant characters to reach whatever the age of consent is in your country. Where I live it’s 15, I don’t know about other countries. Sorry in advance for any spelling/grammatical errors, English isn’t my native language.

Chapter 4

I’m standing on all four, struggling to get back on my feet. The man with the thick beard kicks me in the stomach and I lose my breath, falling forward and landing flat on my stomach. The floor feels unbearably cold against my naked skin. My vision is blurred by tears, but I can hear him laughing and telling his friend to hold me down. Strong hands grab my arms and press them to the floor. The bearded man tries to sit on my legs but I kick and flail as much as humanly possible. His friend releases one of my arms and instead grabs my hair. He yanks my head up from the floor, giving me a vicious grin before slamming it back down. Blood runs down my face but I’m to dizzy to tell where it’s coming from. The bearded man forces his hand between my legs, squeezing at the fresh bruises on my thighs making me cry out in pain.

“Hold still, or I’ll put the knife up your cunt instead.” He sits down on my legs again. Soon I can feel the cold edge on my skin, carving a line right above the ankle. I scream.

Ylva woke up with a jolt. Someone had grabbed her shoulders and was shaking her violently. She squirmed frantically, trying to free herself.

“Ylva, stop!” Ylva finally came to, realizing that it was Floki who was holding her. She calmed down, her breathing still ragged. She was still in the glade, surrounded by people staring at her. Ubbe stood a few steps behind Floki; he looked worried. Ivar was sitting on the ground next to him, his eyes curiously studying her. “It seems you were having some bad dreams. You screamed loud enough to wake everyone up.” She sat up and placed her arms tightly around herself. “I told you this would happen” she murmured, ashamed that nearly everyone had witnessed her night terrors.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Aelle died, some of the crowd had started to drop off and make their way back to the camp. Helga had tried to convince Ylva to come back with her and Tanaruz, but Ylva insisted that they let her stay. Floki said he was going to stay and help the brothers, and that he could keep an eye on Ylva. Helga looked unhappy but she agreed to this arrangement. After Aelle was dead, there had been a great celebration. Ale and wine had flowed, there was music and singing. Björn even held a speech, rallying the people for the next battle to come. He spoke about revenge, about killing all who had a hand in the execution of king Ragnar.

“They will know what we can do, they will see the wrath of the Northmen. We will send each and every one of them to their precious Christian god” he roared. Ylva wasn’t quite sure how the speech continued, because she soon began daydreaming. She imagined that it was Ivar, not Björn, who was speaking. And it wasn’t king Ragnar that they wanted to avenge; it was her. She could see clearly how the young prince rallied his warriors. She smiled at the images floating around in her mind, wishing they were true. She snapped out of it when the crowd began to cheer, signalling that the speech was over. Ubbe sat down next to her and handed her something to drink. “I apologize for my brother. I imagine it must be hard being here tonight, you don’t have to stay.” Ylva was on the verge of telling Ubbe about how it was actually the opposite, how alive she had felt when she heard Aelle scream. She realized this was a bad idea. So instead she bit her tongue and said "You have nothing to apologize for. He asked me and I said yes.” Ubbe silently studied Ivar. He had lifted himself up onto a stub a bit to the left of Aelle; or rather what was left of him.

“I love my brother. But you should be careful around him” Ylva stiffened. She took a few seconds to collect herself before smiling politely at Ubbe. “Thank you for the advice. Now, if you’d excuse me I’d like to find somewhere else to sit. It’s getting a bit crowded here and I really need to rest my back.” Ubbe quickly rose to his feet. “Of course, I’ll carry you.” “No, it’s all right. I need to practice. If you could just help me stand.” Ylva picked up the make-shift crutches that Floki had made for her. Ubbe grabbed her under the arms and lifted her carefully so that she stood upright. "Thank you.” She slowly began making her way to the back of the glade. At first she thought she was going to have to push her way out of there, she even expected that someone might get annoyed and push her. But as soon as she reached the front of the crowd it parted. The talk and noise continued but she felt as if it had temporarily weakened. The masses closed again behind her and she continued making her way to the forest line.

She slumped down in front of the first tree she came to. Ylva examined the red marks in her palms. The crutches hurt, but they were better than nothing and she’d get used to them sooner or later. She stifled a yawn. Ylva tried to make herself comfortable, resting her back against the trunk. She had lost sight of the Ragnarssons but Floki seemed to stay within viewing distance. Probably so he can keep track of me, Ylva thought. He was the only one that hadn’t shown concern about Ivar talking to her. Ubbe had made his position very clear just now. The rest of the brothers looked troubled when Ivar announced that Ylva was coming with them, and when he insisted that she sit right at the snake pit. Helga didn’t say anything outright, but Ylva wasn’t blind; she could see how upset Helga was when Ylva agreed to witness the execution and then again when she said she wanted to spend the night there. They don’t understand. They never will. She sat there quietly, watching the feast. She sometimes caught glimpses of Ivar. He and Floki were discussing something. At times, the discussion appeared to be quite heated but then they would suddenly break out in laughter. It didn’t take long before she was lost in another daydream. She was so caught up that she didn’t notice how her body was slowly sliding down the trunk and that her eyelids grew heavier by the second. Before long she was sleeping on the ground. Soon, darker dreams took over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Come” Ivar reached out his hand to Ylva. Floki had given her some breakfast and now everyone was preparing to head back to the camp. Ivar had already climbed into his chariot. Out of the corner of her eye she could see how Ubbe paused what he was doing to listen. Ylva stepped closer, taking Ivar’s hand and allowing him to help her climb up. She could almost hear how Ubbe’s teeth slammed together in frustration. “Floki, I am taking her back to the camp.” He didn’t even care about turning to Floki when he said this; instead he let his eyes sweep over his brothers, making it clear that the statement was really for them. Sigurd scoffed and walked away. Ylva put her crutches on the floor. The chariot was a bit too small to fit both her and Ivar comfortably but she managed to sit down and stretch out her legs. “Ready?” She bit her lip nervously and nodded. And then they were moving, rushing through the forest along the narrow path. Ylva saw the glade grow smaller and smaller behind them.

“Not getting along with your family?” She asked after a few minutes of silence, trying to sound indifferent. "How very observant of you. Tell me, how many of them have told you to stay away from me?” “So far, only one.” A smirk spread over his face. “And you ignored him?” “Obviously.” He turned to look at her, eyes glowing. “I am very glad you did.” They were beginning to slow down. Ylva looked around, confused. “This isn’t the camp.” “No. There’s something we need to do first.” The chariot came to a halt. “Do you need help getting out?” Ylva suddenly felt ice cold. Why were they stopping in the middle of nowhere to get out of the chariot? Had Ivar just pretended that he wanted to help her so that he could get her alone? He seemed to understand what she was thinking because he leaned down towards her, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to talk to you without everyone else eavesdropping.” He sat up straight again “And sitting like this can’t be comfortable for you so I thought we could sit on the grass instead.” Ylva’s face turned red. “I apologize.” Ivar waved his hand as if to say it was nothing. “Come on, climb down now.” A few minutes later they were both sitting on the ground. Ylva had never felt as clumsy as when she watched Ivar move from his seat to the ground. “You’ll learn.” He promised when he noticed her looking. He laid down next to her, eyes closed. “What is it that you want to talk about?” Ylva asked. “I made you a promise yesterday. Since you came with me today, I’m assuming that you’re interested.” He opened an eye, waiting for her to answer. She could feel her palms getting sweaty and the goose bumps were coming back. “Yes.” Ivar sat up so suddenly that she almost jumped out of her skin. He grabbed her hands and looked at her with fire in his eyes. “Then you have to tell me everything you know about these men. What do they look like, what are their names, titles? Tell me: who are they?”

#vikings #vikings fanfic #keeping promises #keeping promises 4 #ivar the boneless #original female character #tw rape mention #tw abuse #tw torture

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swimperialentanglements · 5 years ago

Text

CHAPTER 5 – The mission at the Concert Hall starts

Mara Jade

Mara had attended countless events like that one before, but this one was specially boring. "Entertainment?", she thought to herself, the vague things that caught most people's attention meant nothing to her hyperactive brain. Just having to sit there in place for more than a few minutes made her feel impatient. And then, all of a sudden, her senses in the Force exploded. Had the Ysalamiri been taken away? She looked around carefully in case something strange could be seen from her seat, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Whatever the reason, she could count on the force once again, if needed, not that she would make the mistake of relying so much on it again anyway. She squirmed in her seat, trying to keep her body calmed and relax, it had been long since she had to be still for so long.

Trooper Harris

Harris left the cage in silence. He carefully opened the hatch and found the railing where dozens of lightning, sound and other pieces of device were hanging. The stormtrooper skillfully walked in the narrow walkway, looking for the best position in the sight to be close to Mara. The railings and walkway were some 100 meters above the floor - the tiny rope could stretch for more than 200 meters. Mara was safe. He took his blaster and laid on the walkway, using the target to look for Mara and Castor Legolas. She was just below, seating on her place. From where he was, the could see the top of her breasts - she was really gorgeous and felt jealous of Castor Legolas, who would have a better view and a far more receptive Mara.

Castor Legolas began to walk down the corridor towards his seat. His bodyguards were covering the exits and seemed to be quite comfortable with the scene. After all, all the local politicians were in the payroll of the Black Sun.

Castor Legolas was a short man, standing at the same height of Mara without heels (1m60). He was partially bald and weighted some 85 kg - not a fit man, truth to be told. Everyone stood up to give way to him - the entire planet knew who he was. The local Moff was not there - for sure, the criminal leader was the most important person in the hall. As Castor Legolas saw the redhead beauty next to his place, he smiled widely. He sat next to her and asked. “Greetings, beauty. I am afraid I have not yet met the most beautiful woman in Chibias”, he flirted without being afraid of being rebutted. “Nice to meet, I’m Castor Legolas, CEO of Lupus Corporation”, he used the facade name of the business used to launder money of the Black Sun. “May I ask about you?”

Mara Jade

"Of course", she smiled as genuinely as possible presenting her hand to the bald man, his red cheeks making him look silly, but of course he wasn't, not for his dark biddings. "Who wouldn't know such a charming and powerful man" she added, feeding his ego for strategy "I'm very lucky to be seating next to you" she finished. She had to be careful with her words, too much flattery and she would turn into a suspect.

Trooper Harris

Castor Legolas’s ego skyrocketed with her reply. He smiled back confidently. “Thank you for being so sweet, stranger. What’s your name? Your accent tells me you are from Coruscant, right?”, he laid his left hand on top of hers casually. He was cold and smooth, the sort of person who had never held a blaster or trained hard.

Mara Jade

"I see you're also very well educated", she said "My name is Iris Legasov, and yes, I'm from Coruscant, this is my first visit to your lovely city, but I could never imagine I would have the pleasure to meet you personally, Mr. Castor" she continued. "I find this play a little slow to my taste though, I'm surprised an important and knowledgable person such as yourself takes the time to share with his fellow citizens" she looked at him, smiling and leaning closer to him.

Trooper Harris

Castor Legolas smiled at how friendly the pretty female stranger reacted to his approach. “Nice to meet you, Iris Legasov, I’m delighted to host you in our humble planet. Of course, we’re nothing like the Coruscant evening but we make an effort. Actually, it is quite popular for off worlders to come here to enjoy our music. It may be slow, but it speaks volumes about the soul of our people”, he spoke as his hand insisted to hold hers. He was limitless as no woman dared object him. “So tell me what brings you here?”, he asked as the bell rang for the second time - the show would start momentarily.

From the walkway, Harris could see everything. He was taken over by unbearable amount of jealousy... yet, he had to stay professional.

Mara Jade

"Oh yes, I've heard you're a man of your people" she said, refraining from taking her hand away, this was one of the most difficult things she had to do as part of her job, and she hated every single time. "Tell me about your people, your city" she asked, trying to pretend to be interested in him as she imagined most women would.

Trooper Harris

“My city, my people?!?”, Castor reacted surprised and leaned closer. “Iris, I am not interested in talking about them, specially when I’m next to such a breathtaking girl. Tel me, you look pretty young. Are you 18?”, he asked, still holding her hand. Question is: how would Mara obtain the relevant pieces of information about the Black Sun and start to break down that organization, just as apparently Admiral Pellaeon wished?

Mara Jade

"Clever man you are, I'm just a year older than that", she said. "I wonder why it is it's just little me and not some important and gorgeous lady sitting next to such a gentleman this lovely evening?"

Mara had to find a way to direct the man into a more useful conversation, make him think he'd need to impress her with his talents or power, and maybe she could get hints to what she was looking for.

Trooper Harris

“Iris, I like surprises. That’s why you’re seating next to me. The thrill of the unpredictable. All I asked was to have a redhead beauty. I don’t care about anything else...”, Castor Legolas replied without realizing that Mara has just slotted a serious flaw in his security.

“Now, will you come to my home after the concert is over?”, he asked blatantly and straightforwardly. That was a no-return ticket to the unknown, to what neither she, nor Harris could control. Harris skipped a heartbeat - he kept the radio silence though.

Mara Jade

So they were right. Someone within the empire had made the arrangements for their mission and that included her seat at the concert hall. The same figure had to be working for Castor. They were right, but yet it was unexpected. Now she wondered if Castor had any idea his redhead provider was someone at the higher ranks of the Empire. Perhaps Castor had been watched for long and their mission was just a distraction... or a trap. Whatever it was, Mara had to get to the bottom of it, because this all meant there was someone within the Empire working side by side with criminals, and that could not be tolerated. She had to go on and take it as far as she had to in order to get the information. "I'd be honored", she answered with a smile, one she used to hide her now boiling anxiety.

Trooper Harris

The bell rang immediately after Mara accepted the invitation to join him at his place. The crowd stayed in silence and the concert started - for the next hour and a half, Castor ribbed his hand on hers, squeezed and breathed close to the woman he believed to be a Coruscant prostitute. Truth to be told, he had asked a Scott service to provide him with the most beautiful redhead in Coruscant - perhaps someone jumped in and sent Mara. The fact is: Castor Legolas was still an enemy of the Empire and his destruction was in the Empire’s best interest. Harris stayed frozen, breathing heavily ahead, his blaster targeted at Legolas’s head all the time. He would need to find out quickly how to follow Mara. How would he infiltrate Legolas mansion? He swallowed dry as he feared he would fail. His heart speeded, and if Mara were closer, she would hear his beats.

As the intermission started, Castor turned to Iris, kisses her cheek, stood up. “Shall we go? They have an excellent Chiss wine here. I assure you it is one of the finest spirits in the galaxy”, he said, offering his hand to Iris to hold.

Mara Jade

She nodded in acceptance of his invitation and took his hand, following him. That was a given, sooner or later the victim would want to have a drink, and of course, give her more than enough for her to get in a more pleasant mood. The things she had to do. Sometimes she had to remind herself it was all for the sake of the Empire, and so, it was all worth it. But the more times she had to do this, the harder it was to swallow. She walked by Castor's hand to the hall lobby where long tables were filled with food and long bar served all kinds of drinks.

Trooper Harris

Harris stood up and rushed towards the stairs, leading to the backstage. He could not stay too far away from Mara. Fortunately, his suit could switch easily to a tuxedo, so he would not be perceived as a stranger in the crowd. Yet, he’d be carrying his backpack, weapons and the like in his back.

Castor was stopped a couple of times before reaching the lobby. In the restaurant, some waiters ignored the line and offered him the glass of the beverage he mentioned early. He raised his glass to Iris.

“A toast to your beauty, Iris. I had no idea nature could produce such a beautiful woman. And I’ve seen many redheads before”, he wrapped his right hand behind Mara’s lithe waistline. Some people in the crowd saw the two and made comments about the redhead’s beauty. Harris arrived just in time to see him, pulling her closer.

“Are you enjoying the concert? I’m delighted with the sublime interpretation”, he said, showing no willingness to talk about any conspiracy or plan of the Black Sun.

Mara Jade

"I am, but I'm enjoying you even better", she dared, trying to keep Castor's attention on her. She had to remind herself constantly of the real goal to keep her body from pushing away. If she didn't manage to get Castor's trust, she would never learn anything useful to bring him down along with whomever he was working for. She too was hoping that Chiss wine would help her.

She caught a glimpse of a very good-looking man in a tuxedo. She cautiously looked again, it was Harris! What was he doing there? She felt more anxious by the second.

Trooper Harris

Harris stayed calm outside, although his force signature clearly showed nervousness. He mixed up in the crowd, not far from Mara. He even talked to one or two girls who approached him. Yet, his eyes were on his friend.

“Iris, do you dance?”, Castor asked, as he realized that she was looking away. “Of course, this music is not for dance, but perhaps we could listen to something more exciting as we go home”.

Mara Jade

"Certainly", she answered without hesitation, centering her attention back to Castor, using her charming smile to keep him happy. "I'm really enjoying the company of a legend", she begun "But what about the man behind it? what are Mr. Legolas Castor's deepest hopes and desires?" she finished, giving him a seductive look.

Trooper Harris

Castor melted down with the question. It seemed that the girl was into him - at least, she was roleplaying better than the past ones, who had not being told about his interests.

“I’m not a man of hope, Iris. I am a pragmatic person just as you seem to be. As for desires, I think we both know I like redheads.. your green eyes are hypnotic”, he said, holding her waistline tighter, pulling her closer gently. Then the bell rang for the second part of the concert.

Harris took a deep breath. He should go back to his position.

Mara Jade

"Let's go back and listen to the rest of this", she said, taking Castor's hand into hers and pulling him along, happy to be able to pull away from him, if only for the rest of the show. She wanted to look back and see if Harris was following, but Castor wouldn't tolerate her attention elsewhere. If she were to loose his confidence, she would lose the mission, and even worse, endanger Harris. She guided Castor back to their seats, looking back at him with a big smile like she watched so many young women do with their objects of infatuation. She had become a professional acting up something she had never experienced for real.

Trooper Harris

Legolas was flattered by Iris’ words. Praising a man was the fastest way to gain his confidence, to lure him into a trap. Never would he believe that a 19-year-old child could be a spy working for the Empire. That’s why he let Iris lead him back to their seat, without realizing that she was gaining the upper hand in many aspects over him.

Behind Mara, Harris worried more. For sure, she was in charge of the situation but it was escalating to a completely different level. The 6 body guards in the concert hall were watching Legolas Castor from close and there was little to no chance that they could make a mistake. Harris was considering to go up again when the second bell of the intermission rang - in that moment, one of his bodyguards split from the main group. Harris acted by instinct and followed him to the restroom.

She found the rest of the show impossible. She reached into the Force for calm and an extra dose of patience. She could sense the man beside her growing impatient as well, but his urge was way different than hers. The mere thought made her stomach turn inwards. But there were worse things that could come out of this mess, way worse. She placed her hand on top of Castors which was intentionally touching hers. Her thoughts were also about Harris. Was he back to the rooftop? or had he stayed around closer. She reached into the Force for his signature, once she had learned to recognize quickly, a very strong signature for a non sensitive. But all she could sense was his vague presence. He either was too far, or something had happened to him. The thought sent chills down her spine, but she kept her composure, she had to.*

Trooper Harris

Harris entered the restroom shortly after the bodyguard. He simply didn’t give any chance for him: he bear-hugged and placed his hand on his mouth, pulling him backwards firmly and asphyxiating the opponent in less than 2 minutes. As the body fell loveless, he dragged it into one of the toilette cabins, searched him for ID, coms etc and took what was relevant. He scanned his face and body, so that he would look like exactly the same. All of sudden, he was listening to the talks of the bodyguards and was aware of everything going on - why hadn’t he have this idea earlier?

Just some minutes later, Harris was entering the concert hall and his force signature could be felt by Mara. He spotted the beauty from afar and stayed calm. For the next hour, he listened to the conversations and learned what he could about the Black Sun. He wished he could tell Mara what had happened but he trusted that she would find out. His skin looked darker, his hair was black and his eyes brown.

Legolas continued to rub her hand, growing excited with the prospects of an unforgettable ride.

Mara Jade

She knew the minute Harris walked in the hall, she could sense him, almost see him very close to them, but she didn't dare turn. Why would he abandon his post? had something gone wrong? had he been captured? All of her doubts were cleared when she felt him casually walk around in Castor's bodyguard uniform. She felt relief, but she also noticed the change in his features, it was still him, but his skin was different, his hair, his eyes. Was he a shapeshifter? How could she not notice before? She felt upset about it, perhaps her lack of experience with that sort of species. She forced her mind to go back to the show and Castor, turning her face to him and dedicating a knowing smile. She had now idea how things were going to go from then on. At least in that uniform Harris would be able to follow them safely, or at least, that's what she hoped.

Trooper Harris

Harris pretended to behave casually - he didn’t say much in the com channel, just nodded and stood where he was expected to. The concert finally ended and a round of thunderous applauses followed. During the next three minutes, the room was clapping hands - that’s exactly when Castor Legolas took Iris by the hand and left the room quickly. The six bodyguards, including Harris, formed a human corridor to protect Iris and above all, Castor Legolas in their way to the armored car. 6 men joined the others in the speed bike and the remaining four, Harris included, entered the armored car.

“Iris, I know this may sound unpleasant, but those men are here to protect me...”, he let the words in the air. It was always unpleasant to see the woman being touched and searched by another man.

Mara Jade

"It comes pretty advertised that you must have a good body of security, Mr. Castor", she nodded, not trying to hide her annoyance, this time it was only proper.

Trooper Harris

One of the bodyguards who seemed to be the leader hesitated to move forward. They looked at each other, as if asking who was going to search the redhead beauty. Of course, all of them were excited by her looks, but at the same time they feared Castor Legolas’s jealousy. None of them wanted to touch his woman. Harris realized there was some hesitation in the air and stood up inside the car.

“Ma’am, I believe I must search you. It’s just standard procedure”, he said looking at Castor and the leader for approval.

Mara Jade

*She looked at Harris, her mind debating between relief and embarrassment. "If you must" *she muttered, standing in front of Harris.

Trooper Harris

Harris knelt in front of her and started to touch her pair of shoes, pretending to look for anything suspicious. His hands roamed over her feet, ankles, thighs, which were well toned and strongly built - there he found something suspicious but pretended it was nothing. His hands went for her groin and just for his surprised, she was wearing nothing. He gasped for air and his hands moved to her rear, pert and muscular. By then, the dress was rolled up, exposing her strong legs.

“Are you a fitness teacher, Iris?”, Castor asked spontaneously as he admired her body.

Mara Jade

Her eyes opened wide in surprise. One thing was allowing someone to touch her body only so far, she was usually able to extract any information before things went beyond comfortable, but something very different was being forced to allow her partner in crime search her body. She did all she could but she felt the heat of blood up her cheeks and ears. She could never be more embarrassed, or angry.

"I don't need to be one to punch you somewhere you wouldn't like", she growled, being convincing didn't take any effort.

Trooper Harris

Harris stopped. Her rude reply left everyone surprised - none of the former female escorts displayed such aggressiveness. The leader motioned for Harris (or whoever he thought it was Harris to further search her. He rolled up her dress, revealing her impressive abs - his fingers touched her tummies and moved up towards her breasts - she didn’t need to wear a bra to keep them firm and tight. His gaze crossed hers - he made an effort not to look apologetic. Anyway, he had done it in a way far less disrespectful than any of the other men would do. His hands went for the small clip on her hair, taking it out - he examined it and returned to her.

“She’s clear, Sir”.

Castor smirked as Iris replied. “I like your stubbornness, Iris. You’ll be treated accordingly”, he waved at her, asking her to seat on his lap.

Mara Jade

The redhead sighed, she had already taken more than she could be comfortable with. "I'd rather wait to have privacy so I can enjoy all of you", she said with a seductive smile, she expected it to be an acceptable way to say no. She sat next to Castor and held his hand, squeezing it and gazing into his eyes. Then she looked out the window and briefly at Harris, trying to express an apology with her face, but mostly failing. She didn't mean to be rude to him, but she was far too anxious and uncomfortable. She reached into the Force trying to taint Harris's emotions, then quickly backed away. Why in the galaxy was she so damned worried about what he thought or felt?

Trooper Harris

Harris begged for Mara not to stare at him. ‘Damn it’, he thought to himself as their gazes crossed momentarily. He hoped that no one else had realized. Castor was a crook and as such, he was suspicious of everyone. He could not ruin the disguise before it was necessary.

“You have a point, Iris”, Castor said as his hand roamed over her bare back, wrapped around her firm breast on the opposite side. He felt it hardened and wondered whether the search made by the body guard had that effect. After some minutes, the armored car entered the mansion which was actually a bunker.

#swrp #marajade #trooperharris #chibias #irislegasov #Ysalamiri #Lupuscorporation #coruscant #blacksun #AdmiralPellaeon #chisswine #ChibiasConcertHall

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