#-applying to join and its. how do i get an in? what am i missing? who is starting this that i just dont know? do i have to make it myself?

[leori-the-unlearned]

the yearning to be part of something big and celebrated for your ideas but also. you dont have any ideas and youve never been part of something very big.

[greetingfromthedead]

Wedding Bells (Vash x Bride!Reader)

Plot: You didn't really think too hard about your wedding day, planning to perhaps sign a paper and then go celebrate with drinks, but both you and Vash had made a promise to Lena and Granny to include them and once Meryl and Milly found out, the event took on a life of its own.

Series: [prequel - Wedding Bells], [Part 1 - Little Feet], [Part 2 - Pitter-Patter]

Pairing: Vash x Bride!Reader

Raiting: Everyone

Tags: post-Trimax (no major spoiler), fluff, happy ending, wedding, found family, love of your life

Word count: 3k

Author's Note: I went with a slightly "nontraditional" approach, mixing different wedding customs together as that's partially how I imagine things on No Man's Land to be (a blend of different Western (sorry) traditions), but I did lean more pagan and Celtic since I am self indulgent.

This has gotten a bit out of hand. You think to yourself as you look out the window at Kasted City. You can't believe how much the city has changed since you were last here. Repairs have been made, and everything looks as good as new. The last scars left by the bandit infestation have been wiped away completely. The city is thriving once again. You stand in the middle of the room on a chair, and the narrow window only reveals a small glimpse of the landscape. You lean forward, trying to see more, but immediately get pricked by a sharp needle.

"Ow!" you complain before settling back.

"I have told you time and time again to stand still! Stop fidgeting so much!" Granny scolds you as she makes the last alterations to your dress. "I'm almost done with the hem."

This was supposed to be just a little homecoming to fulfill your promise to Lena and Granny. Vash had sworn that when the time came for the two of you to finally tie the knot, they would be included. In your mind, it meant that you return to the toma farm, perhaps sign a piece of paper, and go to have a drink, but it turns out that word travels fast. Especially when it comes to the Humanoid Typhoon and his companion, who have touched many people's lives. Meryl made quite a fuss when she found out about your plan, and Milly was close to tears when she got the impression that they weren't welcome. So you assured them it would be nothing fancy, but if they wanted, they were more than welcome to join. You get the feeling that's where the cat got out of the bag.

When you got to the city this morning, you were greeted with a buzz of excitement and anticipation. You brushed it off as just something unrelated to your arrival, but as you made your way to Granny's ranch, it had been decorated with streamers and bows. Lena and Meryl were hanging up a giant sign adorned with both your and Vash's names, and you felt a shiver run down your spine. You knew this was going to be a day to remember. While a hint of tread creeped into your soul, you turned your head to see your beloved fiance's face light up at the sight before him. A smile crossed his face, and you knew that whatever happened next, you would face it together. That's when Granny appeared, and after a warm welcome, you were separated from your dearest.

Granny and Lena had been working on a dress for you. It's simple but elegant and made with love. There are no extravagant embellishments, but you could see the care and effort put into every stitch. They also showed you the tiny pocket on the inside of your dress at the back of your neck that had a 5 cent piece in it. They did not, however, elaborate further.

From Granny's care, you move on to Meryl's, who makes you sit by the window to do your makeup. She chatters about all the preparations for the wedding as she carefully applies your lipstick. The others come and go, busy with preparations yet desperate to catch a glimpse of you.

"Done!" Meryl proudly proclaims, but she tilts her head and looks at you thoughtfully. "Something's missing…"

Her piercing gaze makes you nervous as you try to figure out what she is talking about. Suddenly, her eyes light up, and she reaches to remove her earrings.

"Here! These will work well! But I want them back!" She grins as she hands you the long golden earrings. You take them hesitantly as you look at them.

"Thank you, Meryl!" You smile up at her as you turn to the mirror and put them on.

"I see you have something borrowed. How about something blue?" A new voice speaks up from the door behind you, and you whip around in your chair.

"Luida!" you exclaim in surprise. She smiles her signature calming smile at you.

"It's good to see you again," she says and comes closer. "My, you look gorgeous!"

A slight blush colors your cheeks as you thank her for the compliment. Your eyes trail downward slightly, and you see something in her hand. Before you can ask, she lifts it up and removes some paper from around a brilliant blue bouquet made from the flowers she grows on Home.

"I meddled a bit with them; they should be preserved in time as they are, and hopefully they will never wither," Luida says softly as she hands you the beautiful flowers and you take a whiff. The scent is sweet and fresh, filling you with a sense of calm and happiness.

"I too have something for you," Milly says, coming closer with a slightly nervous look. "Or rather, Livio sent it with his apologies since he couldn't make it today."

"Oh, that's okay. Someone had to stay with the kids and birds." You smile, but then look at the little box Milly puts in your hand. "What's this?"

"Something old. Livio wanted you to have this since you and Mr. Priest were so close. He said he had this since the orphanage; apparently, it's the only thing he had from his birth parents. After he passed, Livio held on to it but always intended to give it to you." You hear the tears threaten to roll down her cheeks in Milly's voice. She has always been the emotional kind. You open the box, and inside you find a small cross pendant with no chain.

"Thank you, Milly! And give my gratitude to your dear husband too!" You smile at her reddening face as she tries to keep it together. You pick up a safety pin from the vanity and carefully fasten the cross to the inside of your dress's neckline, close to your heart.

"So, we have something old, something blue, something borrowed, and a 5 cent piece! We're only missing something new!" Granny said with glee, and before you could start to protest against any more gifts, Lena appears with a giant box.

"Lucky, we received a parcel a few days ago, and it's addressed to you!" She announces happily as she holds the box towards you. You hesitate for a moment, your fingers hovering at the edge of the box, before you remove the lid. The inside still doesn't give you a clue as to what this could be, as the item is carefully wrapped in paper, on top of which lays a small card. You pick it up to read it.

My dear!

The wonderful news has reached us here at Misdon! We are all so happy to hear that our two biggest heroes are getting married! You saved our lives and our livelihood! The whole town will forever remain in your debt, even if you didn't save the rest of the world too! We wish we could attend, but times have been busy, so we send you this gift. I hope you like it. Everyone pitched in and did a little bit!

Your friend,

Adeliene

You are reminded of your adventures in the mining town of Misdon, where bandits tried to take over the crystal mine. You and Vash had your hands full driving them out, and you had to personally protect Adeliene, the daughter of the mine owner. You even took a bullet for her. You carefully remove the paper to be greeted by a blinding shimmer. The sunlight from the window hits the content of the box and sends dots of light dancing all throughout the room. Everyone gasps at the sight. You touch the delicate translucent fabric and let your fingers run over the hundreds, if not thousands, of small crystals sown onto it. They look like constellations.

"This is gorgeous!" you whisper in awe as you continue to admire the intricate design.

"Alright! I can't wait to see it on you!" Lena seemingly shakes with excitement. "But first, we need to fix your hair!"

The young girl puts aside the box before quickly moving on to grab the hairbrush.

"We should get back! Let's make sure everything is perfect for the big day." Meryl announces and drags Milly away by the elbow, Luida quietly following them. You remain in the room with Granny and Lena, who fill your head with hairpins and finally fasten the veil to your hair.

"You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen in my long life. We are truly blessed to call you part of the family, my love!" Granny squeezes your shoulders as you sit in your chair and gives you a kiss on the cheek. Gratitude swells in your chest as you thank Granny for her kind words and embrace her tightly.

"The big goofball is wholly your responsibility now!" Lena chuckles, giving you a playful nudge with her elbow.

As you are left alone in the room, you stand up and take a long look in the mirror. You can't help but feel a rush of excitement for what the future holds. Your face is covered by the light fabric, and as you let your fingers run over the delicate lace, the room is filled with sparkling lights dancing on every surface. This is not how you imagined the day going—to be surrounded by your friends and family, turning this day into possibly the most magical one of your entire life.

It doesn't take long for the music to start sounding from the parlor, signaling for you to make your entrance. So you head out through the backdoor as instructed and walk around the building to the large saloon style doors at the front of the house. The music sounds more clearly now and you can hear the chatter of the guests inside. You're not sure if Granny saw you from where she sits behind the piano or if someone else spotted you and signaled her, but the music changes. The beautiful melody has a different rhythm, and everyone knows to quiet down.

You take a deep breath and clutch the bouquet of flowers tightly. Two men push the sides of the doors and keep the doorway open for your entrance. All eyes turn to you, and gasps of adoration fill the space. The people standing on either side of the aisle are all people you've left a mark on. You have saved them in one way or another, and today they are here to pay their respects and celebrate with you. If you looked at them, you would see people from Kasted City and the neighboring villages, people from far and wide, but your eyes are on the dark haired man waiting for you at the end of the red carpet.

Vash's eyes are wide, and you can see the moment his lips part for a gasp. His gaze is so filled with love and adoration that you feel tears prick at the corners of your eyes. You can't believe this is happening to you. You have found such a wonderful man, and you're about to vow your everlasting devotion to each other in front of all these witnesses. And as you look into his eyes, you know that this is just the beginning of a beautiful journey together, despite everything you've been through already.

He wears a dark burgundy suit jacket, and you are sure Granny had a hand in his attire. From the chest pocket, poke out a few crystal flowers and small silver stars, catching the light and sparkling at you, mixed together with the blooms of red geraniums. He looks magnificent and handsome, and you can't help but smile at the thought of Granny and the others conspiring to make him look his best for this special occasion. You see the tears well in his eyes as he looks at your approach, and he takes half a step forward as if wanting to run towards you and lose the distance as soon as possible. However, he holds back, his emotions overwhelming him, and he lets out a small sob before brushing the tears away.

The tall windows on either side of the parlor cast light on you, and the warmth stroking your skin makes everything else fall away. In your mind, there is only you and him. Together, as always. As you reach him, a smile is painted on your face, so wide it almost hurts. He reaches out his hand, and you gently take it, feeling the electricity between your fingertips.

"My beautiful Stardust! You make the night sky jealous!" he says as the two of you stand there, basking in each other's presence, knowing that you are each other's forever.

Meryl, who has taken in her position as officiant, lets out a small cough to wake the two of you from your trance. You take another step forward without letting go of the man you love, ready to start the next chapter of your lives together.

Meryl begins the ceremony, speaking with a warm and calming voice that fills you with joy and excitement. She thanks the guests and begins to share heartfelt words about the love and dedication you both have shown towards each other. But you can barely hear her as you steal glances of the man standing beside you. His handsome silhouette and glimmering eyes as they meet yours fill you with butterflies. You can feel your heart racing with anticipation as he gently squeezes your hand.

"My dear friends, the bride and groom, I ask you to look into each other's eyes," Meryl speaks, and you turn to face your soon-to-be husband. The love and adoration in his eyes overwhelms you, confirming that you are about to marry the person of your dreams. He still holds your hand, but lifts it up a bit as he faces you. "Will you honor and respect one another and seek to never break that honor?"

"We will," you both say devotedly.

"Will you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?"

"We will."

"Will you share the burdens with each other so that your spirits may grow in this union?"

"We will."

"Will you share each other's laughter and look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?"

"We will."

"Dear bride and groom, as you bind your souls together here, in front of people who adore you, may your spirits be joined in a union of love and trust. Above you are the stars, and below you is the earth. Like the stars, your love should be a constant source of light, and like the earth, it should be a firm foundation from which to grow. Let your love guide you through the darkest of times, and may it always be a beacon of hope in the storm. Do you have vows of your own you would like to share?"

"Yes," Vash speaks as his eyes stay on yours. "My love, you are the one person with whom I can share all that I am. I promise to trust you and to be honest with you. I promise to listen to you, respect you, and support you. I promise to laugh and play with you and grow and bend with you. I promise to cherish every day we have together. I promise to do all of this through whatever life brings us—richness or poverty, health or illness, through good times and bad—until the end of my days. And beyond this, I will cherish and honor you through this life and the next."

Lena steps forward with a small pillow, and Vash takes a golden ring from it. He releases your right hand, and you take your flowers into it so he can gently slide the ring onto the ring finger of your left hand. He bows down and places a small kiss on the band. You have Lena take your bouquet so you can tightly hold onto both of Vash's hands, feeling overwhelmed with love and joy.

"My love, I choose you. We shall walk side by side, through sunshine and storms, health and sickness, good times and bad. We will meet whatever comes together. Under the starry night sky and in the scorching desert heat. I promise to love you forever and a day. My love, I choose you to be my partner in life and always. Our love endures, forever and a day." You make your promises while looking into his tear filled eyes, your own vision blurring from the emotions too. You pick up the golden ring and slide it on his prosthetic hand. You whisper, "I will never leave your side, no matter what challenges come our way."

"And with that, I pronounce you husband and wife!" Meryl's cheerful voice sounds over the room. "You may kiss the bride!"

Vash carefully takes the edge of the veil between his fingers before he lifts it up, revealing your face completely. He lets the veil fall over your head and gently takes your face into his hands, planting a soft kiss on your lips to seal your marriage. You feel overwhelmed with love and happiness as you realize that this is just the beginning of your life together. The whole room erupts into cheers and applause, celebrating your love and new journey as a married couple.

As he pulls away, you look into his tender face, and he mouths a silent I love you. Lena hands back your bouquet, and hand-in-hand, you walk through the room again, now with Vash by your side. Feeling like the luckiest person in the world, you head out of the parlor as the people gathered throw colorful confetti at you. Further away, from the city's chapel, you hear bells echoing over the desert.

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[fieldofdaisiies]

Modern AU based on Blue Neighbour by Troye Sivan. Eris and Azriel used to be childhood best friends and in their teens they discovered they have feelings for each other. Beron found out about them and punished Eris and forced him to break the contact with Azriel. But when Beron dies years after, Azriel… songs used for this story: Wild, Fools, Talk Me Down, Youth, Rush, One of Your Girls (all from Troye Sivan) for @azrisweek | azrisweek masterlist | read on ao3 | includes explicit content

A loud, buzzing sound rings out in the otherwise silent meeting room. Azriel's hand immediately slams down on his thigh, trying to press the silent button of his phone through his suit pants — without success. He needs to pull it out, which is something Rhysand, his boss, doesn't like to see at all.

The phone is in Azriel's hand for a mere second when Rhys's voice echoes through the meeting room, his gaze stern when it lands on Azriel, "No phones in the meeting room!" ��

I guess that rule doesn't apply to everyone here because when the baby daddy gets sent a photo from little Nyx, he is rather quick to check his phone, completely ignorant to the no-phone rule, Azriel thinks, but doesn't dare voice. 

He only tips his chin at his best friend and slides his phone back into the pocket of his pants, only for it to resume its vibration against his leg.

Rhys' gaze is still on him, still stern and slightly reprimanding. Azriel decides not to risk it and wait until the end of the meeting. The call can't be that important, can it?

Later, Azriel learns that he was wrong. The call was important, and the news he learns from the accompanying text messages pulls the rug out from beneath his feet. 

Two missed calls and a message appear on his screen alongside some Instagram notifications that now seem very irrelevant. Azriel enters the break room, his phone already unlocked, and opens the messages from his mother. His heart slams to a halt.

Mum: Beron Vanserra passed away in the early morning hours. We are all invited to the funeral on Sunday, 11 am. Greg and I are leaving this evening. Join us, please! Love, mum!

Azriel's hands start to tremble, turning a little clammy. He never considered going home again, not after everything that happened, not since New York had become his new home. 

He opens the chat, his thumb hovering above the letters, unsure how to respond. He doesn't want to leave his mother on read, especially not after a message like this, but he has no idea what to say… or do. 

Azriel: Thank you for the information. I'll consider it.

He shoves his phone back into his pocket and helps himself to a cup of coffee before returning to the meeting room. 

Maybe going home after more than ten years isn't that bad of an idea, Azriel thinks, but he knows it will re-open wounds that have finally almost healed.

And Azriel would see him again. Beron Vanserra's son. Eris Vanserra. And Azriel doesn't quite know if he likes the thought of that. 

How will it go? How will he feel seeing him after such a long time? The last time he saw him, he was seventeen, a boy; now, he is almost 28, a grown-up man. 

A lump the size of a peach starts to form in his throat, and he has difficulty swallowing even the smallest sip of coffee. His hands are still shaky, and breathing seems a little harder now. Azriel's gaze moves to stare at the tiny droplets of rain cascading down the floor-to-ceiling window.

They haven't spoken since he moved away, though the first few years in New York were filled with missed calls from Eris that went unanswered and were eventually blocked. He couldn't do that to him, give him hope, string him along, not when there was so much at risk.

Azriel tips his head to the side to think, to recall a moment in the past, a few strands of hair shifting with the movement. A few years ago, when Nesta, his best friend's girlfriend, downloaded Instagram for him, he found Eris and tried to follow him. The man never accepted his request and left Azriel with no idea what had happened in Eris' life. It makes him feel uneasy. Sad.

Did Eris move away? Did he stay in the village they grew up in? Did he fall in love? Did he marry? Has he fallen in love again?

Somehow, the thought of this makes a large crack appear in Azriel's heart, and he shakes his head a little. He will have his answers soon and then have to live with them, no matter the outcome. He wouldn't be staying long, only for the funeral. He doesn't have to worry or care about Eris for longer than the weekend. It should all be alright–

"Break's over!" Rhysand claps his hands. "Let's continue, shall we?"

Reluctantly, Azriel follows him back into the meeting room, his mind racing with questions he tries to push away. He doesn't want to think about Eris or seeing each other again,- but he can't avoid the directions his mind wanders.

Will they talk? How will they act around each other after so many years? How will Eris speak to him? Treat him?

His string of thoughts –thank God– is cut short when Rhysand directly addresses several questions that Azriel is too distracted and unfocused to answer. Usually, he is perfect at his work, but right now, his thoughts have strayed all over the place. He fidgets with a pencil, constantly flipping it over or tabbing a melody against the tabletop.

In the past, he had no real reason to consider returning home. He didn't have anyone to return home to. His mother moved away with him, and his abusive father left with his new family to settle in the West many years before he'd left that village with his mother. Azriel hasn't heard from his father since their move, which he isn't unhappy about. He is relieved to no longer have such a person in his family.

"The documents are on my desk by Monday, got that, Az?"

Azriel clears his throat and nods. He has no idea which documents Rhysand is talking about, but he’ll figure it out. Now, other things matter more- namely, making up his mind. Should he attend the funeral with his mother and her new husband, or should he stay and leave his past entirely behind?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Mum: We're leaving at seven. Have you made up your mind? Love, mum.

Azriel has only stared at the text since returning to his loft. It is long past seven now, and he hopes that they have already left. It would buy him more time. More time to consider his decision and think about all the possibilities that could come up when he returns home. When he sees him.

Eris Vanserra. His first friend. His best friend. His first love. His first kiss. His first time. His first heartbreak. 

Returning back to the village he grew up in, to the place he once loved so much and that later hurt him so much, isn't an easy decision. He was a young man then and hoped never to spend a day without Eris. They had made plans for their future that he tried to push as far away as possible in the years after he left but plans that he now remembers.

They often talked about it, relaxing in the meadow below the bright afternoon sun, limbs entangled, lips mere inches apart. 

What if, what if we run away?

What if, what if we left today?

What if we let them fall behind and they're never found?

Everything was good in those moments. Together, they had dreams, hopes of a promising and bright future shared with each other. They wanted to move to New York together, study at the same university, get married, adopt children - but it was all wishful thinking. None of it came true. Azriel went to New York alone because he had to. But nothing was keeping him in his hometown either. No one was holding him there…

Azriel folds a scarred hand over his eyes. The marred skin of his hands still serves as a reminder of his twisted and messed up childhood, a reminder that his step-brothers never faced anything more than reprimanding for whatever they did to him. 

He doesn't allow himself to go down that traumatic path, and he reminds himself that their torture is wholly and entirely over and will remain in his past. He will never see his father, step-brothers, or step-mother again. That won't happen. He wouldn't allow it.

Instead, Azriel thinks back to the day he left and the tears he shed. He cried from the village to the airport, wetting the fabric of his mother's shirt as she held him in her arms and let him sob into her shoulder. The questions that plagued him on that ride to the airport plague him now, and he mulls them over once more:

What if Beron had never caught them? What if they had never fallen in love? What if he stayed and—?

Azriel sits up and wipes a cold hand over his face, brushing back a few strands of hair. A deep sigh parts his lips, and he turns on his phone. The picture of him, Nesta, Gwyn, Emerie, and Cassian staring back at him from the glowing screen

He recalls vomiting the moment he opened the door at the airport, and later, on the plane, he opened up to his mother, telling her everything about his sexuality and Eris. His mother had long suspected that Azriel and Eris had been more than just best friends, but she never said anything, wanting to give him time to open up. While holding his hand on the plane, she told him she didn't care if he liked boys or girls and would love him nonetheless. He will always be her little boy whom she is immensely proud of and loves wholeheartedly. 

Azriel inhales a breath that feels too heavy and too large for his lungs, which have somehow constricted. He starts to type.

Azriel: You don't have to wait for me. I'll take a cab tomorrow morning. 

Instantly, almost as if waiting for his reply, his mother sends a thumbs-up, and then three dots appear. It will take her a moment to answer. Azriel knows this, and he closes his message. In the meantime, he goes on Instagram, flicking through pictures of his best friends and their girlfriends, and with a loud sigh, he closes the app again. All those happy couples…

Azriel lets himself fall back into the bed, groaning when his sore back slams into the pillows. He drops his phone onto the mattress beside him, waiting for the ping of response.

Mum: Alright, Azriel. But let me know when you arrive so we can let you in. We'll be staying at Uncle Devlon's place. Love, mum.

Azriel is now the one to send a thumbs up.

Mum: It will be fine, my dear, don't worry about seeing Eris. I'm sure he missed you just as much as you missed him. Don't be afraid. 

He leaves the message unanswered, trying to figure out how to respond. He isn't particularly afraid or worried. He doesn't know what he feels—too much at once, too little, or maybe nothing. 

Azriel flips his phone away and folds a hand over his eyes, shielding them from the city lights filtering through the window. New York is falling asleep, but he is wide awake, far away from sleeping. 

Deafening silence fills the room, surrounded by darkness; he suddenly realises that he is worried that Eris will ignore him. Concerned that there will only be small talk between them. Worried that Eris has moved on without him and no longer thinks about him like Azriel does. Worried that–

There will never be a future for them. And maybe this is good. Maybe Eris has moved on—of course he has, Azriel thinks. He has probably found a wife or a husband, and perhaps he even has children now. Ten years is a long time; a lot can happen in ten years. 

Azriel's head starts spinning from all the thoughts and questions, so he decides to get up, shower, and start packing for his weekend trip. 

His hair is still damp when, half an hour later, he returns to his bedroom. He dons some sleeping pants and falls into the bed, curling up on his side. His alarm is set, his phone is in flight mode, and his vague but adequate messages to Cassian and Rhysand are sent (he's going on a little trip for the weekend, and his destination and purpose are unrevealed).

A silent tear slips out of his eye, accompanied by a soft sob. One thing becomes apparent: yes, he is going home, but he is not going home to him. He will return to the village he grew up in, but not to Eris. 

The lie he's told himself these past years, that he stopped caring about Eris, that he has stopped thinking about him, suddenly falls apart. Azriel has thought about him. A lot. And he still does. And sometimes, many times, he finds himself yearning for how it once used to be. 

He wants to sleep next to him. And that's all he wants to do right now. And he wants to come home to him. And that's all he wants right now.

He doesn't just want to return to the place he once called home; he wants to return to where he fell in love with his best friend. He wants to return to Eris Vanserra, but not as a man whose heart was broken but as someone who can dare to hope for a future together.

He still wants Eris, and he hates that even after ten years, his wanting has never changed.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Azriel's heart presses down on him like a rock heavy with emotion as he closes the cab door. He waves off the driver with his weekend bag in hand and sunglasses pushed back into his hair. He sets off down the dry path leading into the centre of the village and to his uncle's house. The town is small now, and at 28, Azriel notes how close everything else is- his father's house and, a little further down the path, Eris' family home.

Almost like in a movie, pictures flash in front of his vision—of a childhood that seemed unburdened for everyone on the outside. A childhood that maybe wasn't too warm and loving, but one he shared with Eris. They grew up almost in the same exact way, with loving mothers, brutal fathers who didn't shy back from using violence, and brothers who supported that kind of action.

Azriel's jaw tenses, and he stops, only staring ahead at the houses, the facades weathered and dulled over time, at the village stretching out in front of him. Most things have stayed the same. He can make out the same swimming pools, houses, and living rooms he and his friends used to play in. Unchanged little houses with trees on the hills in the far distance where he and Eris used to spend quiet nights together. 

As he walks a little further, he nears an old garden fence. The colour of it is already crumbling, but Azriel still remembers that it was here, right by this fence, next to the big apple tree, where they almost kissed for the first time.

"Are you finally going to tell me what happened?" Eris raises a questioning brow at Azriel, who scrunches his nose in response, his eyes half-closed due to the bright sun. He holds tightly onto his worn school bag and then says, "There is nothing to tell."

"Azriel, I can see your blue eye; it is quite obvious." He reaches out, his fingers curling around Azriel's upper arm, stopping him from walking. "I thought we would share everything with one another."

Azriel shrugs a shoulder. "It was nothing. I ran into–"

"His fist, right. He hit you again, didn't he?"

Azriel shrugs again. 

"I am going to punch him."

"After I punch your father," Azriel chuckles, but the sound lacks warmth or humour. 

"This is messed up," Eris mumbles and steps closer to his best friend, tipping his chin up with his thumb. "But you need to be honest with me. Tell me when he hurts you so I can be there for you."

Slowly, Azriel starts to nod, but then his eyes drop to Eris' lips. Suddenly, He is so much closer, only mere inches away. Eris' eyes are locked with his but also momentarily slide to Azriel's lips, his Adam's apple bobbing. "We can't do this," Eris whispers, but instead of moving away, he leans closer. Azriel does, too, holding his breath. "I know," he answers, his tone equally breathy. "But–"

Eris's baby brother Lucien interrupted them, calling Eris' name from the porch and then running towards the two best friends. Lucien was only seven years old then, and Eris picked him up easily when he reached them—he must be a teenager now.

Azriel remembers that they were both relieved that their moment ended that way, but only two weeks later, they really kissed, and from then on, there was no more holding back. They kissed a lot back then, but always in secret. 

It was two months later that everything they had and loved ended. It was when Beron's cruelty reached its peak, and he—

"Azriel!" The squeaking of door hinges disrupts his daydreaming. "Didn't I tell you to let us know when you arrive?!"

"Mother." Azriel dips his chin after having turned around. "It's good to see you." He cracks a small smile when his mother throws up her hands in despair. 

"You never listen to me, Azriel Marino!"

"I always listen to you, Mama." After closing the distance between them, he wraps his arms around her shoulders and kisses the top of her head. "Always." 

Eleni Marino harrumphs loudly but hugs her son tightly. "Come in. Your uncle is looking forward to seeing you."

Azriel doubts that. His uncle probably only wants to see if he is still the small weakling he always used to call him. But the joke's on Uncle Devlon because Azriel is no longer small or weak. He has grown a lot, including his muscles, which Devlon probably never thought possible. He has changed a lot, and he can't wait to see the look on his uncle’s face. 

"Uncle," Azriel greets upon entering the living and dining room, his chin dipping to his chest, his voice low. His gaze runs over the old man sitting in his armchair - ten years can do a lot to a man – who once used to be a strong and fit army general, is now an old man with white hair and sunken cheekbones. 

"Azriel," he croaks and rises from his chair. "Let me look at you. You have grown up." He assesses him through half-closed eyes, shuffling towards him. "You've grown a lot, boy. How has college been treating you?"

Azriel wants to open his mouth to say that he dropped out of college after the first semester and decided to work instead, but when he meets his mother's gaze, she shakes her head, and it tells him everything he needs to know. 

"College is good. Got good grades and made friends," Azriel says instead, knowing that to keep the peace here, it is wiser to lie a little. Devlon would only ask why he dropped out and then blame them for not having enough money to afford it. Consequently, he would blame Azriel's mother for not working hard enough to make studying at a uni possible for her son. And then blame her for not staying with his father. Abusive or not, it had never mattered to his uncle. So, this small white lie has to do. 

"How's life been treating you, Uncle?"

Devlon shuffles away, wiping his mouth with his hand, and plops down on the armchair again. "Good, good," he mumbles, pulling a blanket over his lap and leaning back. Azriel is sure he dozes off a moment later so he turns back to his mother with a chuckle. 

But there is no amusement on her face. Looking worried, she reaches out her arm to clasp Azriel's hand. "Lunch will be ready in around an hour. Go see him now."

Azriel's throat bobs, his fingers naturally curling tighter around his mother's hand. "What if he doesn't want to see me?"

"You'll only find out if he wants to see you if you go to him. Otherwise, you will be plagued with what-if questions and doubts for the whole weekend. Go see him and talk to him. I'm sure he has missed you just as much." Eleni inhales deeply, "After all, you also used to be best friends at one point."

Best friends and so much more, Azriel thinks. Slowly, he begins to nod, his hands having turned cold, his heart feeling a little heavier, and his feet are somehow rooted to the ground, making it impossible for him to move immediately. He needs just a moment longer, holding onto his mother's hand like he is once again the young man who was sobbing into her shoulder when they left ten years ago. 

"Go now, Azriel. I'm sure he's still at the chapel, preparing everything for the funeral tomorrow."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

With his heart rapidly pounding, Azriel walks down the familiar path to the chapel he used to take many times when he still lived here, his mind swirling with memories. Every step he takes feels heavier as he nears the old house of prayer, wondering if Eris will truly be there. 

He has mindlessly followed his mother's suggestions and now doubt gnaws at him about whether he should have come. Uncertainty clouds his thoughts, and nervousness tightens his chest. What if Eris doesn’t want to see him? What if he ignores him? What if he is mad at him? 

Will he even recognise him after all these years?

Of course he will, Azriel thinks. He hasn't changed much. He has only grown and built up some muscles. His face is still the same.

His heart nearly breaks through his ribcage when he reaches the door, the crisp air burning down his throat with every inhale. For a moment, he feels like fainting or throwing up, but then his hand reaches for the door handle and pulls it down. The door opens slowly, too slowly, and silently. So silently that Eris doesn't notice him. 

He is standing at the altar, arranging some flowers, and for a moment, Azriel forgets how to breathe. 

Eris Vanserra is more beautiful than ever, breathtaking, to say the least. Azriel can't tear his eyes away, slowly letting his eyes run over the man in front of him, and his knees wobble. Eris has cut his hair, but not too short. He also gained some muscles and now wears a beautiful beard that perfectly complements his look.

Azriel stops on the threshold, unable to move further, hand still on the door. 

"Stop that!" Azriel playfully smacks Eris' hand away, lying on the grass, laughing.

"A flower in your hair would look cute."

"I am not cute," Azriel grumbles, sliding his hand into Eris '. The red-haired boy lies down atop his chest and tips his head back to look up at Azriel. 

"You are cute." Eris grins.

"Stop being cheesy."

"Never!" Eris smoothies his freckled hand up Azriel's chest, humming contentedly.

In the middle of this meadow, in the middle of nowhere, far from their village, they are safe. They have taken their bikes to get as far away from prying eyes as possible. Only here can they be true to themselves and love each other more deeply than friends love each other.

"Eris," Azriel hums, lifting the hand that isn't in Eris's hold to brush it through his boyfriend's auburn locks. "You make my heart shake, bend and break. But I can't turn away. And it's driving me wild. You're driving me wild."

Eris hums softly. "I love you, but why do I only find out now that you are one to spout poetry?"

Azriel's laughter rings out over the meadow…

It was probably the last time he had laughed so happily and freely. This moment was beautiful, as was the whole day. Azriel remembers that this day was also when they first slept together.

When he finally catches himself, his hand lets go of the door and he takes one step into the chapel. The inside is cold, and the scent of polished wood, aged hymnals, and candles lies in the air, mingling with the aroma of incense that adds a touch of spice.

Azriel inhales deeply, bracing himself for what he is about to say. A simple greeting, nothing spectacular, but he has no idea if he is ready for it. For whatever is about to follow the greeting. 

But he doesn't have to speculate. Not when Eris has already noticed his arrival.

"I didn't think you would come." He places a candle next to the flowers, then steps back from the altar and turns to Azriel. His eyes run over Azriel slowly, and small flames flicker in Eris' eye. "But here you are. After ten years."

Azriel nearly chokes on his saliva, but in a croaky voice, he manages to say, "My mother—" only for Eris to interrupt him.

"Of course, your mother told you to come here," the red-haired male cuts in. "Of course, she is the reason you are here. She has always checked in. For the past ten years. Has always sent messages for Christmas and my birthday." A small, nostalgic smile appears on Eris' lips, and he wipes his hands down his thighs, clearing the soil and petals from the flower arrangement. 

Azriel didn't know that, and it infuriated him that his mother had never told him—how dare she! How dare she keep contact with Eris and never tell him?

"Don't make it sound like a reprimand," Azriel grumbles. "I wasn't the one to break up–"

"You know why I broke up with you!" Eris counters.

"Because you were a coward."

A snarl parts Eris' lips, hurt flashing in his eyes, and at the exact moment, a pang of hurt pierces right into Azriel's heart. Is this truly how their first meeting after ten years goes?

"Says the one who didn't reach out a single time in all those years." A look of disgust spreads over Eris' face. He shakes his head and then approaches Azriel, stopping right before him. "Not one time."

"I tried to reach out, but you wouldn't accept my request on Instagram!" Azriel snarls,

"I don't even use this app," Eris retorts, "My little brother's girlfriend downloaded it for me, thinking it would be a good way to socialise and maybe meet a partner."

Azriel doesn't really know what to answer. He hoped their first meeting would be different after such a long time, but he had false hopes. Of course, it would go exactly like this. He should have reached out. He should have called, texted, come here, something. 

But he didn't and now must pay the price for it. 

"I didn't forget about you. Is that what you want to hear?"

A cold huff parts Eris' lips, followed by a cynical chuckle. "Hm, too bad that I did. And now I've got things to do. As you might know, my father died." He brushes past Azriel without saying another word, shoving the brown-haired male by his shoulder, and heads for the chapel door. 

He doesn't give Azriel a chance to say something. A moment later, he is gone, and the door falls shut, a tremor coursing through Azriel at the loud pang. 

He is taken right back in time. To the fateful day when his whole life fell apart. The day when Beron–

"I bet you're already hard for me." Azriel chuckles softly, his hand placed on Eris' bare chest, slowly travelling lower until it rests right above Eris' crotch, only the blanket and Eris' boxers separating between them. His lips find the spot right beneath Eris' ear that makes his boyfriend elicit the most sensual noises. Azriel loves those noises and could listen to them forever, so he lets his teeth run over Eris's sensitive skin, then pokes out his tongue and licks it. 

"Always," Eris hums, hips jerking in response to his boyfriend's touch. 

When Azriel's lips ascend, placing a trail of kisses up his boyfriend's throat, he slides his hand beneath the blanket, palming Eris through the fabric of his boxers. 

Their lips meet in a frantic kiss, tongues fighting for dominance when he lets his hand slide beneath the fabric, but—

But the door slams open only a blink of an eye later, rattling the whole room. Beron barrels inside, seething with anger. 

He most definitely drank a lot at the bar beforehand. He should have been longer, a few more hours.

Azriel only remembers a little of what Beron said to them, but a few words stuck. 

"This is disgusting," he spits. "You disgust me!"

He hurdles for the bed, but both boys are unable to move. He is too shocked about Beron catching them and worried about what will happen now that he knows.

"What do you think you are doing, Eris Vanserra?" Beron shouts, pulling Eris up by his arm, and it doesn't take long for the first slap to land upon his face. "Rolling around in bed with a boy! You disgust me." He slaps him again, this time harder.

By now, Azriel is out of bed as well, screaming at the man to let go of his boyfriend and tugging at Beron's arm, but the man is more muscular. He shoves Azriel away; the young man knocks his head against the bedframe, and his vision goes black. Pitch black. Just like his heart, nothing but void filling the place that once used to beat happily for his boyfriend.

The moments after are a blur of consciousness and unconsciousness, and the next thing Azriel remembers is Eris breaking up with him, his face bruised and marred by markings of Beron's anger.

His throat is dry when he leaves the chapel, the back of his mouth aching. He couldn't help him back then because Eris didn't let him. He broke up with him and pushed him away — Beron prohibited them from ever meeting again. He claimed that Azriel had ruined his son, called him all kinds of homophobic nicknames, and threatened to destroy his mother's life should he ever try to get close to Eris again. 

It was the most devastating moment of his life, surpassing even the time when his brothers burned his hands. Beron’s cruelty inflicted wounds on his heart that would never heal.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Azriel's sleep is restless, constantly rolling from one side to the other, the sheets tangled between his legs, his bare chest coated in cold sweat.

Moonlight filters through the curtain-framed window, casting the room in a gentle, blueish glow. It's still night and nowhere close to morning. 

He raises his hand, letting his fingers coast over his lower lip. 

"You need to smile, Az." A grin, reaching from one ear to the other, spreads over Eris' face while he is staring into the camera. "You are always so broody."

"I'm not!" Azriel snaps and playfully shoves his elbow into Eris' ribs who yelps.

"Idiot!" 

"Say that again!" Eris turns to his best friend, and his breath catches. He reaches out, but stops himself.

"Idiot," Azriel chuckles and moves closer.

"Again." Eris leans in, eyes fluttering shut for a second, then dropping to Eris' lips. 

"Id—" Eris' lips close over Azriel, but instead of pulling back, he kisses him right back, his hand falling to his neck, bringing him in a little closer. All hesitance is erased within seconds; there is only Eris on his mind—and his lips.

At first, their mouths meet clumsily, but soon they find their rhythm, lips parting, tongues exploring, tangling, and dancing. Eris places his hands on Azriel's hips, formally having kept them at his side, and that a little awkwardly. He draws Azriel closer, deepening the kiss and eliciting a soft moan from him.

"Not just best friends, huh?" Eris mumbles when pulling back from the kiss. A string of saliva still connects their lips, which he wipes away with the back of his hand.

Tears build up in Azriel's eyes. "I'm in love with you."

"I know," Eris answers, his thumb wiping over Azriel's cheek, catching some stray tears. "And I'm in love with—"

"Fuck!" Azriel rips away the sheets and sits in bed, his whole body feeling clammy from the cold sweat that had built up due to his vivid dreams. He knows he can't stay here, and he knows exactly where he needs to go. He just needs to see Eris and talk to him. He can't let the conversation from earlier hang in the air like this. He needs to fix what he ruined. 

Grabbing the sweater he had earlier discarded in the room and donning it, he is out of the door before he can question his decision to go see Eris. He slips into his shoes as silently as a gazelle and then out the door, hoping his mother won't wake and question him about his whereabouts the following day. 

Azriel straightens up when he walks down the path leading to the gate at the end of the garden. It creaks a little when he opens it, but he ignores it, only one target in mind: Eris. He still knows the way to Eris' place like the inside of pockets. (Maybe a little suspiciously, he queried his mother in the afternoon about whether Eris still lives there, and she confirmed it, so he knows exactly where he needs to go).

Azriel feels a sudden surge of energy – he wants to talk and fix what has been ruined this afternoon. And in the ten years he was absent. 

He walks faster through the large, looming trees, their branches bending in the wind and leaves rustling and swirling. 

Azriel remembers that Eris's favourite season always used to be autumn, and maybe this is a good sign. It is autumn now, visible everywhere outside.  

But his blood runs cold, and his heart slams to a halt when his eyes land on a scene that also twists his gut. Hot and thick, jealousy bubbles up inside him, making the back of his mouth taste bitter.

"Well," Eris laughs, his features bright and joyful, his arm wrapped around the blond male's shoulders. "Thank god I have you."

Tamlin, if Azriel remembers correctly, flashes Eris a big grin. It makes the content of Azriel's stomach sour, and bile creeps up his throat. He can't believe that he truly lost his first love to him. This spoiled, rich prick!

"You are so lucky, Vanserra, to have me. What would you do without me?"

"I guess I would be hopeless," Eris laughs, pulling back his arm and letting it fall to his sides. "Thank you so much, really. For the arrangements, I couldn't have done them all alone, and with you being the best–"

Azriel can't make out the rest or hear what comes after best, but he can only guess that the word that belongs at the end of the sentence is boyfriend. Or worse, husband.

He can't believe it, and in his fury, and by trying to get closer, Azriel doesn't see a more prominent branch on the ground. His foot catches on it, causing him to trip and twist his ankle as he falls. "Fuck!" Azriel groans when his hands come in contact with the damp soil, and then pine needles pierce his skin. "Fucking bastard!"

He sits back on his heels and knows the moment he does, it was a big mistake. His ankle hurts like hell, and he has to bite down on the insides of his cheeks to keep from loudly alerting Eris to the fact that Azriel's sneaking around.

This is all so fucked up, Azriel thinks, and only wants to cry. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>

"There you go," Eleni hands Azriel a new cold pack, then lets her hand rest atop his head. "You should have woken me, I didn't even hear you fall."

"I tried to fall silently," Azriel answers sarcastically and groans when he shifts on the couch. His ankle has swollen significantly overnight; stepping on his foot hurts insanely, but he wouldn't let it show. And he would most definitely never reveal what exactly happened. Another small lie – he tripped at the staircase when he got himself something to drink during the night. 

He doesn't know if his mother truly believed him, but she didn't ask any further questions, and Azriel is more than grateful for that. 

"I've been meaning to take a little boat ride with you, Azriel, but I guess we can forget that now."

As if good old Devlon could still ride a boat, Azriel thinks. "What a shame," he says instead, glancing at his uncle but then back at his ankle and the cool pack. The outer ice layer already starts to melt, and small droplets of cold water run down the sides of his foot. 

Devlon doesn't say anything; a few minutes later, he asks Azriel's mother to follow him outside. They leave, and after checking if Azriel is alright with being alone, Eleni goes back into the kitchen to continue with lunch. 

For a moment, Azriel wonders what his stepfather eats when his mother isn't there. Who cooks for him? Or does he order food or eat at his neighbours?

Honestly, Azriel doesn't care, so he rests his head on the pillow again, gets comfy, picks up his phone, and finds a few unread notifications. Most are from Cassian, who sent him photos and videos or tagged him somewhere. He decides to ignore them for now and clicks on the message from his good friend Gwyn. 

Gwyn: Karaoke at 7, my place?

Azriel: Sorry, I can't.

Gwyn: ☹️

Gwyn: Are you brooding? 

Gwyn: Should I get the romance movies out and come over to your place with some ice cream?

Azriel: You‘re not funny, Berdara…I'm busy.

Gwyn: Busy? Busy how? Are you on a date? 😏

Gwyn: 😏😏😏😏

Gwyn: Is he hot? Send a pic if he is!

Azriel places his phone screen down on the couch table and blows out a long breath. He lifts his gaze to the window, where he sees his uncle and stepfather standing outside in the garden, discussing something about the old cherry tree. He hears his mother in the kitchen, still cooking, and knows he has a bit of privacy.

He picks up his phone and clicks on Gwyn's name. Her lovely smile pops up on his screen when it rings, and then her voice sounds through the speaker, and Azriel lifts his phone to his ear.

"Hey!" Gwyn says, her voice tinged with a hint of worry. "You're alright?"

"I went home."

"Home to your apartment? Or home like…Massachusetts home?"

"The latter."

"Oh god!" Gwyn's voice is loud and tinged with surprise. "I'll ask again, are you alright?"

"I guess I am, I–"

"Eris?"

Just like his other best friends, Gwyn knows about his past with Eris. It wasn't too easy to open up, but on an emotional night together on his rooftop terrace with quite a bit of alcohol in their blood, he poured his heart out to his friend. 

"I thought our first time seeing each other after such a long time would go differently."

"I'm sorry, Az," Gwyn mumbles sadly. "But I think you just need time. Maybe you can ask Rhys if you can stay a little longer?"

"I don't think it will help much." Azriel inhales a deep breath and sighs loudly. "Ten years is a long time, Gwyn. And not checking in with him once…it hurt him more than I could ever imagine." He lets his head fall back into the pillows.

"I understand, and I know that it is a damn long time, but if you still love him, it doesn't matter," Gwyn answers.

"It isn't weird that I still love him after such a long time?" Azriel asks, heart aching so much he folds a hand over his chest.

"Nope," his friend says, popping the p. "The heart wants what it wants, and if two souls belong together, they will eventually find their way back to each other. It isn't weird that you still love him; your first love will always play a big role in your life."

"Thank you."

"There's Nothing to thank me for, Az. Go get your man now." Her laughter is radiant even over the phone, and it gives Azriel the energy he needs to take the next step and do as she said: get his man.

"You think you can make it to the funeral tomorrow or– oh, I am so sorry, I didn't know you were on the phone." 

Azriel places his phone down and shakes his head. "The call just ended, and yes, Mama, I can."

He has to. He didn't come all this way to stay in his uncle's home.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Another sleepless night follows the previous one, and as silly as it might seem to anyone who finds out about it, Azriel leaves Devlon's house once again in the middle of the night. This time limping, though. He drags himself down the staircase, which seems so much longer when you have a torn ankle. He manages to open the front door as silently as possible and slips through it. 

It is the only chance he gets. The funeral is the following day, and then he will leave again. He has to talk to Eris, having been a coward all afternoon.

Once again, he is met by the crisp night air, only the sound of the wind dancing on the lake nearby and rustling the leaves of the large, looming trees in his ears surrounding him. 

Picking up a few pebbles, he heads to Eris' family home. He walks down the small concrete path he has walked probably over two thousand times in his life. It still looks almost the same; a few trees have been cut down during his absence, but other than that, the buildings, the pavement, and the fences are still the same. 

Azriel allows his gaze to stray, looking into some front yards. Even in the dark, he can make out the small swimming pools and swings. He remembers how he and Eris often met up at night, sitting on the swings in his uncle's garden, talking for hours about anything and everything. 

They mostly only returned to their homes when the sun started to rise and slept until midday (of course, that was only possible during their breaks). 

Azriel smoothes his hand through his hair, his heart having and picking up speed the closer he gets to Eris' place. Yesterday he was stopped, but tonight they will speak. His ankle still hurts, but he barely pays any attention to it, so focused on all the thoughts and questions in his mind. 

What if he never moved away? Would they have found a way to be together and maybe already be married now? 

He knows this is a silly fantasy, but one that is so beautiful it almost draws tears to his eyes. He can imagine them being married. He can imagine it so perfectly and loves the thought of it—and that even after ten years. 

He and Eris fell asleep within each other's arms every night, waking together, having breakfast together, going to work, and then spending the evening together. And that on repeat for as long as they live. 

It is what they always dreamt about back then. And it is what Azriel still thinks about now. It felt like that with no one he dated in the past ten years. He never felt like that. He never felt like he would love to spend the next 50 years with them, but with Eris?

With Eris, he can imagine everything.

His heart is racing like a wild horse when he enters the front yard of the large house, half of it swallowed by the large, looming forest behind it. They playfully used to call Eris' home Forest House when they were children, but when Azriel considers it now, he has to admit it really applies to it – it is a forest house.

He circles the house until he reaches his destination, still knowing exactly which window belongs to Eris' room. He climbed through it many times in their teen years, sneaking in in the middle of the night to–

Azriel cuts off his thoughts and turns his attention back to the pebbles in his sweaty palms. His gaze lifts to the window, and before he can stop himself, the first pebble slides out of his hand and strikes. Silence follows. He throws another. Then another. And another. 

He is about to give up, his heart crushing in his chest, pressing down on his stomach, when a light flickers on in Eris' room. Eris appears in front of his window and glances outside, his long red hair tousled, and he is only dressed in thin sleeping pants. 

Azriel lifts his arm, waving, and it takes Eris a moment to adapt to the dark and then spot him. He opens his window, shakes his head, and grumbles in an annoyed voice, "Go home and sleep!"

But Azriel won't give up that easily. "We need to talk." He is too stubborn to give up this time.

"So you can call me a coward again?" Eris huffs loudly.

"We need to talk about us," Azriel presses.

"At three in the morning?" Eris braces his hands on the windowsill, leaning closer. "My father is getting buried tomorrow, I need to sleep."

Azriel swallows his nervousness and worry, and his hands ball into fists, crushing the pebbles. "Please, Eris. Please, listen to me."

Eris steps away from the window, and Azriel's heart drops, just like his shoulders. The light in Eris' room goes off. 

Then there is nothing but silence and darkness. The darkness creeps in around him. The wind howls, and a shudder courses through Azriel. He is shaking when he bends down to pick up some pebbles again, his ankle aching fiercely, but it is nothing compared to the pain inside his heart. It hurts so much.

But he won't give up like that. Not so easily. He messed up the previous day and in the years prior. This is his last chance, and he is going to take it. 

The moment he lifts his hand, ready to throw another small stone, the house's back door suddenly opens. 

Azriel's breath catches, and he feels like his knees will give in at any moment. 

There he is. Having donned a thin tank top, Eris stands in the doorframe, his eyebrow raised. "Talk."

Azriel takes a step forward, trying to act as if everything is fine. "I am sorry for calling you a coward." He limps another step forward, grinding his teeth hard to bite back on the pain. 

"Okay," Eris answers tightly, then his gaze dips, and he looks at Azriel's very obviously swollen ankle. "I assume that happened when you tried to spy on me Friday night? Did you see what you wanted to see?" Eris raises a brow, crossing his arms over his chest, the muscles in his upper arms rippling with the movement. 

"I wasn't spying on you."

"Of course, Spymaster." The corner of Eris' mouth kicks up when he uses the nickname some kids gave Azriel in their childhood. He always used to spy on the adults and steal cookies and cakes when they didn't look, earning him this title. Azriel has completely forgotten about it, and his lips part in silent surprise. 

"I went for a walk."

"At three in the morning?" Eris closes the back door behind him. "That's a normal time for people to take a walk."

"You were also taking a walk with your boyfriend."

"Boyfriend!" Eris almost shouts, then starts to laugh so hard he has to bend over. It infuriates Azriel, and he braces himself for hearing Eris say something like: "He is my husband, you dumbass."

"Tamlin is not my boyfriend." Eris has calmed a little and now approaches Azriel, his bare feet padding softly over the cool, dewy grass. "He is my best friend, and this guy is as straight as a pole and married to Briar. I'm not sure if you remember her."

Azriel can barely swallow around the lump of shame in his throat. "You are not–"

"No, Azriel. But why do you care?"

"Why do you think I care?"

"Yes, this is what I am asking, Azriel. Why would you care? When you didn't care enough to call a single time?"

"You'll never let me forget that, huh?" Azriel spits.

Eris closes the distance between them faster than Azriel can breathe and is in his face the next moment, forehead pressing against his. "Because it broke my fucking heart. It tore me apart and left my soul in shards on the ground. Because I loved you, and you just left me when everything fell apart."

Azriel's heart breaks anew. "Mum was moving away with me; I couldn't have stayed here alone."

"But you could have called."

"You broke up with me." Azriel flattens his palms against Eris' chest, feeling his warm skin despite the cold night air against his palms. But he doesn't push Eris away; he only rests his hands on his ex-boyfriend's chest. "I couldn't reach out again."

"Why?" Eris growls. "What hindered you? I thought you used to love me."

"I did love you," Azriel answers honestly. "That's why I couldn't reach out again. Beron hurt you so much because of me. He forced you to break up with me. He punched you bloody that night, Eris, I haven't forgotten about that. He broke your collarbone." Azriel swallows thickly, tears filling his eyes. "When I think back to this moment, I still hear your cries, I still see the blood–I couldn't let this happen again. You needed to get rid of me, and that for good." 

"Azriel…" Eris breathes, and it seems as if he doesn't know how to continue. 

Azriel's head starts to spin suddenly, having finally revealed the secret he kept to himself for the past ten years. He has finally given Eris the reason for his ignorance, and it feels like a heavy weight is lifted from his chest. 

"You were too good to be good for me." Azriel's breath tingles Eris' skin, his gaze dropping to his lips. "You deserved so much better. You deserved someone else, someone better. You deserve someone better." Azriel looses a long breath that cascades down Eris' throat and his chest. "But that doesn't mean that I have stopped thinking about you." 

"I haven't stopped thinking about you either," Eris admits, voice equally breathy, his hand sliding around Azriel's waist, bringing him closer. "Night and day, you have been on my mind. No matter what I tried, no matter who I was with, it was always you on my mind."

"It was always you, Eris." Azriel's Adam's apple bobs. They breathe the same air, their bodies almost flush against one another. And yet, it feels as if there are millennia between them. The time they have missed.

"Why haven't you told me before?"

"Because I was worried about you. I knew you would find a way to get to me and reach out, and if Beron found out–" Azriel inhales a long breath, his eyes close. "I never knew loving could hurt this good. And it drives me wild, 'cause when you look like that, I've never ever wanted to be so bad; oh god, you are still driving wild, Eris."

"You are driving me wild, Azriel," Eris huffs. "Showing up here like that, looking like that, and–fuck, I still want you the same way. Is that even possible after such a long time?"

Their lips meet in a hasty kiss, and their feet, even Azriel's injured one, move fully on their own accord until Azriel's back is pressed against the wall of the garden shed. Eris' hands vigorously roam his body, tongues tangling when their mouths open to one another. 

Eris' hands and lips still know their way around, and it truly drives Azriel wild and insane. He feels like he is once again getting drunk on the taste of Eris, on the feel of his body against his own, and it seems like a fever dream that this is truly happening. 

"You still want me, Eris?" Azriel breathes, their lips only parting for a slight second.

"Yes." Eris pushes against him, making him feel exactly how hard he already is, only from a few kisses. "I've never stopped wanting you. No one felt like you. Nothing felt like being with you. It was only ever you. And still is. I've wanted to hate you so much for leaving me alone, but I failed."

"I'm glad you did, because I did too. I failed at trying to forget you, at stopping to love you."

Eris' lips kiss a trail down the side of Azriel's throat, teeth grazing his skin softly and eliciting soft sighs from his former best friend. "You want me now?"

"I always want you, Eris," Azriel pants. "I have always wanted you."

Their bodies move fully on their own accord, guided and driven by sheer desire and need, the longing that has grown so much and so stark over the time they were apart. And after asking for Azriel's consent, there is no more holding back for Eris. For either of them. 

Eris lowers himself to the ground, kneeling, and starts to toy with the button and the zipper on Azriel's jeans. They ignore the fact that they are outside, in the garden where people could see them. Their need for each other right here and now drowns out every little part of rationality. 

After freeing Azriel's already half-hard length, Eris strokes him a few times, loving the soft, breathy gasps that leave Azriel in reaction to his doing. He smooths his hand down the hard length of his shaft, the skin yet soft beneath his palm, and then parts his lips. 

"Ten fucking years," Eris rasps, tongue swirling to collect the bead of liquid already gathered at the tip before fully sucking him into his mouth.

He works him softly at first, and Azriel finds himself moaning at the feeling of his cock engulfed in the wet heat of Eris' mouth, his hand falling into his long red locks, tugging softly at first. Eris begins to suck harder and move his mouth a little faster; his hand grips the back of his mouth, holding on tightly. 

Using his mouth and hand together, Eris hollows his cheeks and holds eye contact with Azriel, which is everything he needs to tip him over the edge. He bucks his hips into Eris' face until he comes with a shout, and Eris greedily swallows around him, drinking him down like he has been a starved male for centuries. 

"Fuck yes!" Eris expresses when he sits back on his heels. He locks his hooded gaze on Azriel, his hand wiping over the drool and Azriel's come running down his cheek. "I've missed this."

"I missed you," Azriel answers and bends down, reaching for Eris to bring him in for a kiss, but cries out when his ankle twitches again. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"You regret what we did?"

"No," Eris answers tightly, carefully tending Azriel's ankle and applying the last bit of cream still on his fingertips. He wipes them clean on a cloth hanging from the table and picks up a bandage. Before he continues, he adjusts Azriel's leg on his lap. "No, I don't."

The moment Azriel cries out in pain, Eris immediately knows he needs to take care of Azriel's leg. He drags him inside the house to examine the injury despite Azriel's protests. Only a minute later, they ended up in the kitchen of Eris' home, now sitting at the dining table that is still familiar to Azriel, with only a small oil lamp lit on the kitchen counter.

"But why are you so calm then?" Azriel asks, hoping to catch his eyes, but Eris keeps looking at his ankle.

"I am just thinking…"

"About?"

"About us."

Us. It still sounds so beautiful, and when Eris says it, it gives Azriel hope.

"What did it feel like…going away, I mean." Eris lifts his eyes for a brief moment, hoping to catch his gaze.

Azriel sighs loudly. "It was awful. The first days, weeks, months. I only cried. I made new friends in New York that helped me out of my misery, but that doesn't mean I didn't miss you daily. I always thought about you and knew you were feeling the same." He wipes a hand over his eyes. "I knew that if I called you, I would only make it worse. For both of us. There was no way we could see each other again any time soon…"

Eris nods slowly. "I gave up at some point. I called a few times, but you never answered. Then, Beron forced me to delete your number and all the pictures I had with you. I could save a few on my computer, but the rest was all gone."

"All of our silly videos and photos?" Azriel asks and places his hand on Eris'. The man nods in answer.

"I'll try to find them on my old phone. I'm sure I still have it somewhere." A small smile appears on his lips and a little light returns to his eyes. "Also, those with your little brother." Azriel chuckles softly. "How is Lucien?"

"A menace," Eris breathes. "He was a sweet boy until puberty hit him with full force. He was all about girls and his appearance, but he still did well in school. He has been dating the same girl for a few years now. They got together when they were fourteen and are still going strong. She might be his soulmate. Elain, she's a sweet girl."

Azriel smiles at that. "I'm glad he's doing well."

"Yeah," Eris sighs. He deserves a good life. "He will be here for the funeral. He said it is a kind of closure."

Azriel nods slowly. "Did he move away?"

"No," Eris answers, "but he spends every other weekend with his biological dad." 

Azriel remembers the little affair, the unspoken story of how Lucien and Eris only share a mother. Eris found out about it very early on and obviously told Azriel. Back then, they shared everything with each other.

"I'm glad to hear he has contact with him now." Azriel inhales deeply. At least someone has luck with their father, he thinks. 

Eris smiles, at least a little, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "I've always hoped you would just show up here again someday. I even thought about going to New York, but I thought I would make a fool out of myself – suddenly showing up in the big city with hopes and dreams for us while it was possible that you were already married or at least had a partner."

A breathy chuckle leaves Azriel. "I was dating a few people in the ten years, but it never felt right. It never felt as right as it did with you."

"I know what you mean, Azriel. I know this feeling." Eris inhales a long, deep breath. "I've always thought it was because you will never forget your first love, and somehow they will always be important to you, but I now know that it is because there is no one in this world like you. I fell in love with you because you are my counterpart and everything I could and would ever hope for in a partner. I fell in love with everything about you, and no one would ever compare to you."

Azriel's fingers curl tighter around Eris, and he leans in, kissing his lips softly. "No one compares to you. I fell in love with your charm and wonderful character and soon realized that no one is like you. You are one in a million, and finding someone like you…I was the luckiest idiot on this planet until I ruined everything."

"Beron ruined it."

"I did, too." Azriel shakes his head. "I shouldn't have given up that easily. I should have fought for us. I should have fought Beron for you. I should have fought for our future."

Eris swallows thickly, a tear rolling down his cheek. "I broke up with you; maybe I shouldn't have given up that easily, either. Let's agree that we both made mistakes and didn't do everything right, but this was in the past. Let it be in the past and focus on the future."

"Can you forgive me so easily?" Azriel asks, his heart heavy, his stomach churning. He bites down on the inside of his cheeks.

Eris' shoulders lift with a deep breath. "I can, if you can forgive me for everything I've said."

"I can." Eris nips at Azriel's lips, then lets his forehead rest against Azriel's. "You will go back to New York tomorrow, right?"

"I'll ask my boss to allow me to stay a little longer," Azriel whispers. "He is one of my closest mates. He won't say no." He kisses the corner of Eris' lips. "But yes, I will have to return in a few days. I have my work there and…I can't give everything up there so easily."

"I know. I wouldn't want you to give up everything there." Eris' eyes close, and his heart sinks into his gut. He wants to leave with Azriel and move to the big city with him, but can he leave everything here behind so easily? 

He has no job at the moment, as he has been taking care of his ill father in the past months and had to take leave and then quit. It wasn't easy, but working as a doctor before earned him a bit of money that he had on the side, which tided him over the months. So technically, he could start anew in the big city. But that would mean leaving everything here behind: his mother, his brothers.

"My apartment in New York is definitely made for two people, so…" A hopeful smile appears on Azriel's lips. 

Eris smiles in return; this time, it reaches his eyes, where hope and anticipation spark to life. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Are you ready?" Azriel looks at him, holding eye contact, although Eris seems to find reciprocating difficult. 

Beron has never been a good father, but the funeral day isn't easy. Beron was still his father, and from time to time, they had good moments, moments where they could laugh and smile together. But those days were sparse. 

He inhales a deep breath and exhales loudly. "I am."

Everyone is already inside; he and Azriel are the only people still left outside. The funeral will only begin when he enters, so he allows himself this time to breathe and collect himself, knowing he is not missing anything inside. 

"I really am." He nods slowly. "You will sit with me?" Eris swallows thickly. "Stay with me?"

"Always," Azriel answers. I will never, ever leave you again." He pulls down the door handle, and they enter together. They stroll down the aisle leading to the altar together, their steps synchronised until they reach their bench, where Eris' mother and two of his brothers are already sitting. 

Azriel's hand naturally slides into Eris when he sits down beside him. The pastor steps onto the dais, and piano music starts to sound from the back of the chapel. 

"I'm here for you, Eris," Azriel whispers, not turning to look at Eris but staring straight ahead at the coffin. "Forever."

"Forever?"

"Forever. Move to New York with me." 

Eris doesn't give him a verbal answer, only squeezes his hand in response, yet a slight smile that feels so out of place for a funeral appears on his lips. Always sounds just too good. Especially when it means forever with Azriel.

general Azris tag list (please let me know if you want to be added/removed): @azrielsbabyg @lady-riel @moonlightazriel @aayo-whatt @brekkershadowsinger @ladyelain @banasheefan56 @a-frog-with-a-laptop @ofduskanddreams @acourtofladydeath @secret-third-thing @born-to-riot @chunkypossum @talibunny30 @berryzxx

thank you so much for beta reading @pippsmcgee and @moonlightazriel 💛

[lenasai]

a lil confession from a guy who used to like blaseball. going to preface with i absolutely loved it, the culture, the community, the characters and setting and all. i made art, wrote fics, bought the albums. but as someone who wasnt usamerican, who lived on the opposite side of the world in fact, i always felt a little left behind. joining late contributed to the feeling of lockout, timezone mismatch meant that i slept through events like voting, and the finale.

and… the communal character building. sometimes i felt like i had to force myself to use a usa-centric lens to see what everyone else saw. the deicide jokes were funny, but not when my actual rl faith started being teased and challenged as well.

i think i'll still always keep a shard of blaseball near and dear to my heart. the good parts of it really were amazing. but sometimes when i see people say they miss it, i think, i wish i could miss it as fiercely as you guys do too.

hey, i wanna say thank you for sharing this with me. i think it's an important perspective to put out there. i debated on whether i wanted to maintag it since i don't have a way to reach out and ask if it's okay to do so, but i really think other people should see it. (you can always send me another message if you want me to delete it and i will do so asap)

blaseball, as a game and as a community, was wonderful and overall a net positive, but it was by no means perfect. it had its flaws like any other community, in this case driven by the fact that its active fanbase was largely white and centered in the united states. there were a lot of people who felt ostracized by a community that was supposed to be welcoming to everyone - and whether it was people not knowing how to keep a bit contained to the circumstances of its universe or shutting down discussions about problems in character writing, there were people who got hurt. we cannot and should not pretend that never happened.

and of course, as you mentioned, the game was designed in a way that mostly centered the united states. i think there were attempts to fix this during coronation with planned events at different times, but we never got to see that play out. hell, you could even see it in which locations got to be represented by teams. i'm not personally sure how i feel about the fact that a lot of the teams that were represented outside of the us were prehistory teams. it feels like they took a step in trying, but those are all teams that wouldn't ever see active play, so it rang a little hollow to me.

at least from my perspective, it seemed like there were dialogues happening about this and that there was progress being made to fix those issues, but then the game ended and we didn't get to see anything come out of it. i really don't want to see that all be for nothing. i hope that everyone who learned something from this community will take those lessons and apply them to how they interact with other communities.

thank you again. i am truly sorry we didn't get to have the same experience.

[cutekittenlady]

Planes, Trains, and Autobots

Summary Fic Part 11

(why yes I am continuing this in spite of season 2 dropping. its a summary fic. Plus fanfic inherently ignores canon sooooo. Consider it an alternate events au if you want. Besides I cant even watch season 2 right now.)

[Previous] [Next]

Back at the Maltos, Wheeljack has joined the group and has hooked up his experimental ground bridge outside the barn and is FINALLY ready to commence with the test. Ratchet made him re-rig the whole thing three seperate. First time because he caught him rigging it up in the dugout, second because the exit would hit the barn, and third because the exist would hit the house.

Wheeljack complains that things would probably just "work out" but Ratchet argues that he doesnt want to have to rebuild the Maltos house before everyone gets back. The terrans and kids immediately agree. Outvoted Wheeljack dejectedly turns back to his experimental ground bridge.

Wheeljack wonders where to aim the test run at. He speculates various locations before Ratchet tells him to just aim for somewhere within eyesight so a) they can make sure it works, b) he can apply emergency aid if or when it doesnt, and c) so they dont have to drag wheeljacks body very far if things REALLY go wrong.

Whelljack tells him theres NOTHING to worry about. He is something, like, 87.4% sure this will work.

In response Ratchet tells the kids to take cover in the dugout.

Wheeljack gives a "haha very funny" before starting the machine.

The ground bridge does nothing for few uncomfortable minutes, but just as Ratchet is about to say something it spurts to life.

Wheeljack gives a hoot of success and gives Ratchet a smug look.

Ratchet just responds that he, wheeljack, hasn't gone through the portal yet.

Ratchet goes over to the controls, puts in some nearby coordinates, and tells Wheeljack to brace himself.

Wheeljack asks where Ratchet is sending him, and Ratchet says its in a clearing within eyesight.

Wheeljak turns towards the portal. Then he turns back and asks Ratchet if hes sure the coordinates are right.

Ratchet rolls his eyes and double checks and confirms that, yes, they are correct.

Wheeljack nods and turns back to the portal. He then turns back again, and asks if the portal is fully charged.

Ratchet groan and says, yes, yes it is.

Wheeljack laughs uncomfortable and turns back towards the portal. He then turns back yet again and asks if they should maybe try throwing a very large rock or something through the portal first and-

Ratchet yells for him to stop stalling. If hes confident in his tech it should be perfectly safe. If hes not, then he'll just call Optimus and others and tell them they'll have to take the LONG way back with their prisoner.

Wheeljack clears his throat and steps through the portal.

Ratchet turns his attention back to the controls, making sure all the readouts are correct. He mutters to himself that he KNOWS Wheeljack could do this. Then, remembering hes talking about WHEELJACK, quietly prays the ground bridge doesnt explode.

A few seconds later a portal opens not too far away and wheeljack steps out.

Once hes out of the protal it quickly closes behind him.

Wheeljack stands stunned for a moment before looking himself over and checking for any missing pieces. After another moment he immediately starts whooping and hollering of how the tech works! It works!

The kids watch on and start celebrating too.

Back at the groundbridge controls, Ratchet gives a sigh of relief before shutting the machine down. He mutters a congratulations for Wheeljack.

Robbie, who is standing nearby, asks Ratchet to repeat what he said.

Ratchet raises his voice and says that he was saying hes happy he doesnt have to waste his time scrapping Wheeljack off the floor.

Robbie smiles at him making it clear that he knows exactly what he actually said making Ratchet blush.

---

We cut back over to New Jersey where Optimus is just finishing his call with Ratchet confirming that they've gotten the ground bridge working. Megatron asks doubtfully if hes really certain that its working. Optimus confirms that Ratchet had Wheeljack test it to make sure.

Megatron still expresses doubts, wondering if perhaps Ratchet would have exaggerated its effetiveness.

Optimus tells him that while Ratchet might have a bad sense of humor about Megatrons history, he wouldn't risk the whole mission just to mess with Megatron. Besides which, while Wheeljacks inventions do have a... history he wouldn't approve the use of the groundbridge for others unless he was certain it would safely work.

Dorothy says that they can all go together only for Optimus to awkwardly correct her. The ground bridge is weaker than the ones they used during the war. It likely won't be big enough for them all to go at once.

Megatron asks if Optimus feels confident escorting Dead End on his own. Optimus hesitantly confirms and asks why he asks. Megatron says that he might as well get back "the old fashioned way". WIthout having to follow Optimus on the road, flying back to Witwicky should take no time at all. Around an hour or so at most.

Optimus tells him he doesnt have to do that. He knows Ratchet put his back out but-

Megatron cuts him off and tells him that thats not it. If what deadend told them was true and he truly hasn't seen the other stunticons since the war then they are likely going to have to track and find them all. its been months since Motormaster escaped from prison and Ghost fell. He, Dragstrip, and Wildrider could be anywhere.

They need to preserve the groundbridges energy if they want to gurantee they'll be able to get to the location of a sighting or lead ASAP. That means minimizing the number of trips and avoiding overusing the groundbridge for short trips. It shouldn't be used for any trip they can completely in the alt modes in just an hour.

Optimus is hesitant telling Megatron that splitting up isn't a good habit to get into. After all what happens if, once they're through the portal, Deadend tries to escape?

Megatron questions if he thinks thats likely. Besides which, Ratchet and Wheeljack are on the other side and Elita-one and Arcee are also stationed in Witwicky so its not like they don't have backup. he also says that he doesnt think Deadend is likely to try and escape again. Its hard to get him motivated again after he stops.

Optimus still doesnt agree but can see Megatron has made his decision. Dorothy decides to go with Optimus since they'll be arriving at her house and she wants to make sure deadend doesnt cause problems at her house. Twitch decides to go with Megatron to keep him company on the way back.

Megatron warns her that he intends to go full speed on the way back. This disheartens Twitch who acknowledges that her drone form likely won't be able to keep up at that speed and says she'll likely just go back with Dorothy and Optimus.

After a moment of hesitations, Megatron tells her she can ride along with him if she'd like. Twitch happily accepts and Dorothy gives Megatron a knowing look.

Megatron quicly asks twitch to "just please dont touch anything" and twitch promises.

Dorothy tells them to enjoy their flight and climbs into Optimus' truck form.

Optimus contacts Ratchet the start up the groundbridge. A portal opens up nearby and with one big honk of a horn for a goodbye Optimus drives through. The portal closing behind them.

---

In the abandoned car factory a screen flashes an alert causing knockout to tap the screen irritably. He mutters about interference before digging through the data.

Motormaster asks what the hell is going on with the equipment.

Knock Out at first says that it must be interference before looking closer and cursing.

Motormaster demands to know what the problem is.

Knock Out groans and tells him hes not allowed to get mad at him.

Motormaster says he'll get mad all he wants.

Knock Out rolls his eyes and tells him he's picking up a bridging signal. Motormaster is shocked and knockout continues saying that since he built this sensor with stolen ghost tech it must still be connected with the Autobots signals. Which means that the autobots must have managed to rebuild some form of bridging tech.

Motormaster asks if they'll be able to pick up on the bridging tech Knockout has been working on.

Knockout gives an unconvincing shrug.

After some more shouting from Motormaster, Knockout bites back that hes a medical doctor NOT an engineer. The fact that hes been able to rig up as much tech as he has using a mix of stolen cybertronian and earth tech is, quite frankly, evidence that he, knock out, is an unappreciated genius. One that should NOT have to put up with Motormasters attitude.

The big combiner grabs and lifts Knock Out up by the arm. Knock Out protests but Motormaster ignores him. He demands to know if the autobots can use the same method to find them.

Knock Out tells him that they probably cant. Not only has he not actually tested his own attempt at groundbridging, but the groundbridge signal is only detectable when it is activated and something is moving through it. The more things moving through the portal the stronger the energy output. Plus his own mechanism is pretty... weak.

Motormaster asks HOW weak it is.

Knock Out says before he answers that question he wants to be let down.

Motromaster unwillingly does so and Knock Out brushes himself off muttering threateningly about what he'll do if the other bot had scuffed his finish. He'd JUST waxed it.

Motormaster growls at Knockout and Knockout picks up something like a staff or spear from a pile of crates. Knockout explains that he rigged the smaller mechanism to his old energon prod for easy use and so that they can pick up and move it on the go. Besides which they can actually carry it through the subsequent portal with them and use it to get back. None of that waiting for someone on the other end to open it up.

The rather critical and numerous downsides include them having to manually enter the coordinates every. single. time. And no chance for subtle variation which runs the risk of them transporting themselves into a room two times too small for them, or a place that was clear of rubble when they left but somehow has a pile of rocks when they try and get back. And if the coordinates are even a little off, theres a possibility of doing something like sending themselves a thousand feet into the air or deep into the planets crust. Knock Out doesnt know what a thousand feet of rocky pressure would do to his frame but he doesnt want to find out.

Beyond that theres the not so minor issue that the thing guzzles energon like no ones business so its not even like they can use all that frequently.

Aaaaand of course it has a limited transport capacity. They can do two average to smaller sized bots. Three assuming someone is willing to risk potentially losing a limb. He could potentially make it bigger assuming they're willing to burn through ALL of their energon reserves to make it happen, but that would also make it insanely unstable.

Knockout admits he doesnt know a lot about how bridge science actually works. He largely just repurposed and repaired what was already there. If anything goes wrong mid transport hes not going have any idea of how to fix it.

Because of ALL of that, theres a chance the energy the portal gives out wont be big enough for the autobots to pick up. Maybe. Probably.

Though if they're not careful they MAY be able to find one of their severed arms somewhere. Probably Motormasters, yknow, considering (here Knockout gestures to motormasters considerable bulk).

Motormaster actually seems thoughtful for a moment.

Knockout looks pleased with himself until Motormaster tells him that, in that case, that means Knockout will have to be the one to retrieve the stunticons. Alone.

Knockout freaks out a little. He points out that most of the stunticons are "crazy" and would rip him limb from limb. Motormaster tells him to shut up and just tell them that Motormaster sent him and that that ought to straighten things out. After a moment of hesitation Knockout unwillingly agrees.

He then tells Motormaster that since THATS sorted out he hopes he won't be upset about the other thing.

Motormaster asks what he means by the OTHER thing.

Knockout taps the screen again and says that, unless the equipment is very off the mark... the autobot transport signal they just picked up was right where deadend was supposed to be.

Motormaster proceeds to lose it.

[white-poppie]

Y𖦹u give me butterflies, you kn𖦹w !?˖˙

Synopsis: Attractive things the Tokyo revengers boys do. Song rec: Attention by NewJeans A/N: Even after a year, I am still basing these off-book men -sigh- Lets see if my type in men has changed TW: teeny-tiny bit of suggestiveness, bad author commentary at random places.

I wrote MHA and Haikyu versions of this back when I was 14: MHA boys as things I find attractive || Haikyuu boys as things I find attractive

He smells earthy. It's sensual and intimate like pine and aftershaves It gives a mature and domestic vibe like sweet moments spent with your family. His fragrance radiates a 'protective figure' vibe.

DRAKEN, Inupi, Kazutora, NAOTO, Mitsuya, SHINICHIRO, Takeomi, IZANA

He is comfortable in his masculinity. The concepts of gender stereotypes don't apply to him. He is okay with being vulnerable when needed, listen to someone in times of need. Stay silent when needed and treat everyone with respect. However, if you wanna talk shit, he isn't afraid to get their ring-clad knuckles yet at the same time freshly painted nails bloody.

INUPI, KOKONOI, BAJI , RAN , HARUCHIYO, Hakkai

Presses his tongue on the inside of his cheek. It's a forced habit he developed. His brows all scrunched up and concentrated, jaw taut and mind focused on the task before him. If they do it while arguing, you can barely form any words and are stuttering at how ethereal he looks even when irritated. The argument is long forgotten <3

HANMA SHUJI, Mikey, NAOTO, DRAKEN, Wakasa, Rindou, KAKUCHO, Taiju, Nahoya, Izana

Asks for consent before doing almost everything. His breath is fanning on your face, a trembling arm propped over your head and face barely inches away. Your eyes are fluttering close in anticipation only to be interrupted by a grave whisper of "May I?" Heat rushes to your ears and you are trembling. He knows what he is doing and how your voice is stuck in your throat. "Say it, baby." You just nod aggressively hoping he won't pester you further. You miss the dark smirk on his face as he leans in "there you go."

A/n: I was kicking my feet writing this oh my god.

KAKUCHO, Mitsuya (he fits almost everywhere tbh), RAN, SHINICHIRO, Takeomi, Hanma (surprising I know, but he is a tease)

Loves back hugs so much. You could be sitting, standing, or lying down, doesn't matter to him. He is gonna wrap his arms around your waist and nuzzle his head on the nape of your neck. Place a few ticklish kisses and randomly bite if he is feeling funny. There are days however his grip is harsher, meaner; his kisses are feverish, chaste and his fingers are digging into your flesh.

A/N: pg pg we keep it pg here woop woop.

KENNN~, Sanzu, NAHOYA, Ran, Kokonoi, Rindou, SHUJIIII , Taiju, Mikey, Nahoya

Tilts your face by your jaw. He tilts your pretty face towards him to get your attention. Its gentle nudge with his index and thumb, proceeding to caress your cheek oh so lovingly!

Draken, Shuji, Kakucho, Shinichiro, Mikey, SANZU

🏷 Tags: @denkis111, @jazzylove, @lordmypantsaresocool, @futuristicallykawaiiturtle, @kristaline2dmensimp,@rintaroubby @nanaseishiro @innerpurple, @cleaningfairylevi, @renster05

⤷‧₊˚ Tokyo Revengers (東京リベンジャーズ)

🥀 BYI/DNI ♡�� Request Rules 𓏸 🗝️ ₊﹒《 Join my Taglist •

[berylcups]

Yandere Files: Ghiaccio X Foreign Reader

CW: stalking, imprisonment, death (mentioned), jealousy, hostess clubs, masturbation, phone sex(is it if it’s one sided?),immigration, outercourse, mild toxicity

Notes: just a disclaimer- I have no idea how immigration works in Italy or how it works across other countries but I thought it would be a good point of conflict for Ghia to act up to. Also- Ghiaccio was a tough nut to crack. (No pun intended 👀) He’s not very sexually motivated as a character he seems so I had to really try hard with this one! I hope it’s not too OOC and you ice fuckers like it though~🩵Beryl

Minors DNI

Y/N has been living in Napoli Italy for about 4 and a half years now. It’s tough living on their own but it’s worth it. They’re in college for design and work a job that they love. They work in a nice cafe as a hostess and it pays ridiculously well! The only catch is… there’s a lot of mafia activity. Y/N hears and sees things they aren’t supposed to- but that’s okay because they look the other way.

Now this was a special kind of cafe. It took heavy inspiration from the east for its heavily…attentive service. Hostesses would be pouring wine for their guests, lighting their cigarettes/cigars, sitting with them, conversing, laughing at their jokes, stroking their ego, and even joining them on drinks - non alcoholic of course! We can’t have the staff getting tipsy on the job!

Melone being the creep that he is, surveyed this place out for good mothers for BabyFace. But he also really likes the atmosphere so he got his other teammates to go along. Even Sorbet and Gelato! The two had no interest in the women but they enjoyed being pampered by them. But Ghiaccio… he didn’t really like it. Why would he want some host/hostess to be bugging him every 5 minutes??? He doesn’t get it! That’s until he met Y/N of course.

Aesthetics didn’t mean much to the man but he thought they were very gorgeous- it didn’t matter how tall or small, thick or thin, light or dark they were. He was enamored by their open mindedness and that they were willing to just actively listen to him. They gave their full attention to this man, and gave out intelligent thought out answers-to the best of their language capabilities.

“Oh uh sorry… what was the correct name for that pasta again? Shit. I can’t remember! It looks like little corkscrews. Like the part of the wine bottle opener you use to screw into the cork .” Y/N struggled trying to find the name.

“I believe the one you’re looking for is fusilli.” He replied, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Yes! That’s the one! Thank you Ghiaccio. Well I had the fusilli alla checca the other day and I was surprised. I really liked it despite me not liking cheese very much. I’m glad I listened to you.” They said cheerfully.

He couldn’t help but smirk from having his ego stroked like that. Of course he’s right! He knows everything about Italy and its wonderful culture.

“Sigh… I’m really gonna miss it here.” They said looking down at their coffee with a sad smile.

Ghiaccio nearly spits out his coffee. “What?!” He yelled. “ I mean- what do you mean by that?” He lowered his voice trying not to cause a scene.

“Well as you know I’m graduating from _____ University in a few weeks… and my Visa is almost up. I only have about 3 months left before I have to go back home to _______.” They said gloomily. “I really don’t want to leave because I love it here so much.”

“Go apply for a permanent residency! They should take you in since you've been here almost 5 years.” He replied.

“I wish I could…but my mom is waiting for me at home and I’m all she has. And the wait time for the documents will take longer than I am allowed here legally.” They signed sadly. “Well… let’s not let this ruin our time together! We still have 3 months. Let’s make the best of it right Ghia?” They chirped trying to bring the mood back up.

He wanted to shake them by their shoulders and tell them that’s not good enough and they can’t just leave him but he can’t just have an outburst. It will scare them away! He has to think of a plan to keep Y/N here with him. PERMANENTLY.

“Yeah, you’re right Y/N. Let’s just enjoy the time we have left.” He said, faking a small smile.

He was seething inside. How DARE they try to leave him. Of ALL PEOPLE it had to be Y/N to turn their back on him?! Not on his watch! He was going to use his resources and connections to make sure that Y/N doesn’t leave the country of Italy ever.

————————————————

Now that he’s smitten with you, some of your regulars stopped showing up. You wonder why? It’s starting to worry you a little bit financially. You have to make sure that you have enough money for the trip home!

“I wonder why people are showing up less and less… am I not doing good enough?” You asked dejectedly.

“No of course not! Their wives/husbands probably found out that they were hanging out here and probably put them on a tight leash.” Ghiaccio lied.

Anytime he’d see one of the patrons get a little too flirty or handys with you he’d corner them in the back alley and beat them with an inch of their lives. Or worse, do what he does best-freeze them till they shatter like glass.

While you’re still here he follows you everywhere and you are too distracted by everyday life to notice it. Oh! He just happens to be near your university! How about a ride home in his nice car? It beats taking public transport. Or when you happen to run into him at the grocery store? How about he gives you a quick ride back home so you don’t have to carry all those heavy groceries home? He’s so thoughtful!

When he’s home alone , or on a mission he’s always thinking of you . He’s sexually frustrated because when he furiously masturbates his hand isn’t enough anymore . He wants to feel your hand around his cock instead or better yet your warm hole.

He calls you often at odd hours of the night just to check in with you. You two have long deep discussions about random things like how English is just ridiculous, or learning about your culture and food, your hobbies, his hobbies, just about everything! In person he’s usually the one talking but on the phone you’re the one who’s doing most of the talking. When he talks he sounds winded, strained? Like there’s repetitive smacking sounds going on in the background. He says he’s just “multitasking “ but with what?

He knows you love your job-he gets it. But… he can’t stand the idea of another pair of eager balls or a thirsty pussy near you. He doesn’t wanna take your joy away but he doesn’t want to live in a constant state of anxiety! You're his! So he’s a straight forward man, so he’s gonna confess his feelings to you when he’s certain that he has a chance. You clearly pay more attention to him, your eyes light up when he comes in through those doors. You eagerly sit in his lap and listen to his usual complaints of the day.

“Aww I’m so sorry that happened. What a douche! He should have known better, you were right to stand up for yourself. You have a reputation to uphold. Is there anything I can do to make it better for you?” You cooed.

“Just having you around is enough to turn my day around.” He said, softening his tone.

“Aww~ Ghia! You’re too sweet. You’re the one I’m gonna miss the most.” You sighed. “Hey… I’m not really supposed to ask this because this could jeopardize my job but…do you wanna go out sometime?” You whispered. “I really really like you and I’ll regret not telling you how I feel before I have to go home… if you’re okay with long distance relationships that is- I understand if you don’t it’s not that easy and I promise I’ll visit as much as pos-“

He put a finger up to your lips to stop your nervous rambling “ of course Y/N. I was honestly going to ask you myself.”he confessed. “As far as long distance goes, we’ll make it work.” He lied, he had his plans in order to make sure you’ll never leave.

He agreed to a long distance relationship because that’s not what he had planned at all. He already got a hold of your passport and other legal documents when you were outside of your home at university. He made sure they were absolutely destroyed. He has Melone currently making him a perfect fake permanent residency card for you. Now you’re NOT going ANYWHERE.

On the days that you’re free he takes you to historic places close by and acts like a more in depth tour guide to you. He hopes this will make you want to stay even more and it’s working. He’ll show you all the best restaurants- not that touristy shit or the Michelin star nonsense. Just real authentic Italian cuisine!

He likes to drive the scenic routes and show you all the lesser known beaches, forests, parks, vineyards, etc. The lesser known the better, so he has the privacy he needs to mercilessly fuck you into the back of his car. He apologized for your first time with him being on top of the back of an uncomfortable car but he just couldn’t help himself. You looked so good with the nice outfit you were wearing!

He’s very athletic so likes to pick you up against the wall as he’s fucking you. He’s all about hard and fast. He’s gonna want to bite at your neck and leave tons of bite marks and hickies all over your body. He wants everyone to know that you’re taken and not available for anything outside your job. He doesn’t cum just once he goes at around 4-5 times with a very insane fast refractory period.

He’s not big on foreplay but he has a fixation outercourse. Watching his cock slip through your folds/ass drives him feral. But he’s not selfish, whatever you want he’ll give to you- within reason. He loves you but he’s very impatient!

He has an obsession with boobs. 👀 big boobs, small boobs, no boobs , pecs… all boobs are good boobs to this tit lover. He likes to use his cold hands and watch the nipples harden and hear you whine that he’s too cold 🥶 it never fails to get a chuckle out of him to hear you whine for him to stop making you so cold!

When it’s nearly time to go home he plays along and helps you pack up all of what you plan to bring back to your home country. Since you’re only packing sentimental items and necessities, there’s not too many bags. Thankfully they all fit in his trunk.

You crash at his house the night before you leave. Only one teeny tiny problem… you missed your goddamn flight!

“You missed your flight and you lost your passport? You know what this means right Y/N? You’re stuck here in the country .” Ghiaccio said very calmly for a tense situation like this.

“ I’m an illegal now! What will I do???” You cried with tears staining your cheeks.

“ I already took care of the problem myself.” He said calmly. He pulls out a fake permanent residency card. It was as realistic as the real thing. Only thing is your last name is the same as his.

You can’t just stay! You needed to go home! This is wrong! You wanted to argue, but there was just something ominous about his demeanor.

“I love you too much Y/N. I can’t let you leave.” He said eerily calm, taking a step closer to you. Was it the anxiety or did the temperature of the room just drop.

“But… you know I can’t stay. I have to go home.” You whimpered.

He took a firm grip on your shoulders and made intense eye contact.

“Oh Y/N… perhaps you're not really understanding the situation. Allow me to say this in a language you understand: You’re not leaving me or the country..”he spoke in your mother tongue and he did it perfectly.

You can tell he’s mad, and you don’t want him to get worse. He’s a part of Passione, you know this. You’re not dumb! Now’s the time to do what you do best, be obedient and do what he says. After all, Ghiaccio knows best.

Once you accept your fate that you’re stuck here with him: it’s till death do you part. But don’t worry he still treats you as if nothing happened. Just as long as you don’t mention anything about it ☠️ or you’ll end up in the chilly basement for a few days. But it hurts him just as much as hurts you! He loves holding onto you at night as he’s drifting asleep. He’d never lay a hand on you, he just wants to make sure you never ever leave him.

But as long as you leave the past in the past (aka- your home and family!) you have a bright future ahead of you with this loving man! 🥰

[justabigassnerd]

Queen of my Heart

Pairing - Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x reader

Word count - 2,665

Warnings - mentions of death, alcohol

Song - House of Cards by Tyler Shaw

Summary - Bradley Bradshaw thought it was his destiny to be lonely, thankfully the universe proved him wrong

A/N - I know I originally said I wanted to write a TASM fic based on this song, but whoops I decided to write Rooster instead. Look this song works for him too so I kinda had to a'ight? I'm not sorry. Anyways I'll stop rambling so as per y'all please send in requests, feedback and enjoy!

If there was any feeling Bradley Bradshaw was familiar with, it was loneliness. He lost his father at a young age, being raised by his brilliant mother with the help of Maverick, his stand-in father figure. Then he lost his mum just as he was applying to join the Navy and not long after that he cut all ties with Maverick when he discovered he pulled his papers from the naval academy which set him back four years. In becoming an adult, Bradley Bradshaw learnt to rely on no one but himself. However, despite Rooster’s familiarity with the feeling, he couldn’t help but resent it. After reconciling with Maverick and finding a team who quickly became his second family, he thought his lonely feelings would dissipate into the sea breeze, but they lingered, eating away at him as he saw his friends getting partners and having people they could lean on and trust. Over time, Rooster accepted that his fate was to be lonely. He felt like a house of cards, missing a piece and ready to tumble at any moment.

That was until you stumbled into his life.

Rooster was on the beach the day he met you. The rest of Dagger Squad had already congregated inside the Hard Deck, ready to spend their evening getting wasted and betting on games of pool and darts. Rooster wasn’t quite ready to go and be with his friends just yet so took some time alone. The beach was quiet, only a few people walked past where Rooster had chosen to situate himself, barely giving him a second thought as he stared out at the sea from where he was perched on a wall.

“Apollo! Apollo, here boy!” Rooster only just heard the calls before an Alsatian launched itself at him. Propping his front paws on Rooster’s legs and panting happily. It was safe to say the random dog launching itself at him was shocking, but he wasn’t going to complain. He loved dogs and this one wagged its tail happily as Rooster scratched him behind the ears.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry. He just yanked the lead out of my hand and took off. You’re not hurt, are you?” Rooster looked up from the dog to the owner and he could’ve sworn his heart stopped at that moment. You were absolutely gorgeous, and he had to force himself to respond before you got more concerned.

“I’m good. He didn’t do much damage. I think he just wanted some cuddles, is that right?” Rooster assures you before turning his attention back to your dog, giving Apollo a scratch under the chin as he barks happily.

“Still, he usually has good recall I have no idea what possessed him to come charging over to you.” You apologise profusely, grabbing Apollo’s collar and gently pulling him off Rooster.

“Like I said, no harm done.” Rooster says with a laugh as you gather the lead up again, Apollo now standing at your side, panting happily as his tail wags side to side.

“I feel bad, is there anything I can do…?” You trail off, realising you don’t know his name.

“Bradley Bradshaw.” He introduces himself, not bothering to give you his callsign.

“I’m y/n l/n. Nice to meet you. But seriously there has to be something I can do to apologise.” You insist, stroking the top of Apollo’s head as you look at Bradley. Your heart was pounding in your chest, initially from the shock of Apollo running off to some random stranger but now you could see who Apollo ran over to your heart was hammering in your chest because of how attractive this man was.

“If you insist on making it up to me, how about you let me buy you a drink? I want to get to know the owner of the dog who decided I was worth running away for.” Rooster says with a smile. If any other man had said that to you, you would’ve been turning tail and getting yourself out of that situation but when you looked at Bradley, you didn’t see that type of man.

“Okay, but only because I want to get to know the man my dog thought was worth bolting away from me for.” You reply with a grin. Rooster didn’t take you to the Hard Deck. He wanted to be able to get to know you without his friends interfering. So, he took you to a little bar a bit further down the beach. It was a plus that it was dog friendly.

You both fell for each other that same evening.

It took a few dates for Rooster to ask you to be his girlfriend but once he did, everyone knew he was a goner for you. None of the team had met you yet, nor knew about him even having a girlfriend but they didn’t miss the way Rooster rejected women who would flirt with him in the bar and the way his eyes would light up when he got a text from you. It wasn’t that he wasn’t proud to say he was dating you. The subject of significant others had just never come up in conversation since the two of you got together and Rooster didn’t want to make a big deal about it in case you didn’t want him to.

“So Bradshaw. Who’s the lucky girl?” Hangman says one night from his position at the pool table, carefully aiming at the cue ball as he glances up at Rooster.

“What?” Rooster says, completely caught off guard as he was busy staring at the photo of Apollo you had just sent him.

“Come on, it's obvious you’re a taken man.” Hangman insists, straightening up and raising an eyebrow pointedly at him.

“Everyone’s noticed it, Rooster. You’ve seemed different the past few weeks. A good different, we mean.” Phoenix elaborates, smacking Hangman on the back of the head for being so direct. Most of Dagger Squad didn’t want to force anything out of him so Hangman asking a direct question like that was the opposite of what they were going for. They wanted Rooster to open up in his own time about it.

“I don’t know what else to say other than Hangman is right. I’m a taken man.” Rooster admits with a smile, causing an uproar amongst his friends of congratulations and slaps on the back.

“Look at that! Our Rooster finally got himself a girl!” Payback exclaims proudly, wrapping an arm around Rooster’s shoulders and jostling him as everyone laughs.

“Alright, alright, calm down.” Rooster laughs, shoving Payback's arm off him before taking a swig of his beer.

“You have to introduce us to her. We need to meet the girl who has you whipped.” Fanboy declares, getting approval from the rest of the team.

“If she is okay with meeting you guys, you can meet her.” Rooster concedes, holding his hands up in surrender as his friends cheer loudly.

“What are we cheering about?” The familiar voice of Maverick cuts through the cheers as they die down, making every person present turn to face him.

“Rooster got himself a girlfriend.” Coyote informs Maverick, everyone watching as a smile spreads across Maverick’s face.

“It’s about time! When do we get to meet her?” He asks, laughing to himself when Rooster rolled his eyes.

“Like I just said, if she is okay with it, I’ll bring her here to the Hard Deck and you can meet her.” Rooster repeats, earning a clap on the back from Maverick as he walks over to him.

“Can’t wait.” Maverick says with a proud smile.

When Rooster next went to see you, he knocked on your front door, nervousness swimming in his stomach at asking you if you wanted to meet his friends. When the door opened, Apollo leapt at him, jumping up and whining happily at Rooster’s presence.

“Apollo, come on boy. You know Bradley.” You laugh as you call the dog back into the house being followed by Rooster as he comes in, closing the door behind him. You all head into the living room and settle on the sofa, you, and Rooster alongside each other with Apollo spread across both of your laps, demanding a belly rub.

“You’ve got your thinking face on. What’s got the cogs turning in your head?” You say lightly with a kind smile as you scratch your dog’s belly not once taking your eyes off your boyfriend.

“You know me so well.” He laughs, touched that you know him so well to the point that you can tell just from his expression that he’s deep in thought.

“My friends from the Navy figured out I have a girlfriend and once I confirmed it, they told me that they wanted to meet you. I said that they could only if you were okay with it because I don’t want you to feel pressured or-”

“Bradley, you’re rambling sweetheart. I’d love to meet your friends. From what you’ve told me they sound like a great bunch.” You assure, grabbing Rooster’s hand and rubbing a thumb across his knuckles.

“You sure?” He asks quietly, the nerves still gnawing at him.

“Of course! They’re your friends and I want to get to know the people who are part of your team.” You reassure, your gentle smile easing those nerves and allowing Rooster to smile and lean in for a kiss. Just as your lips connect, Apollo decides he wanted to be part of the action and joined, giving you kisses of his own as you both laugh and move away to try and dodge him.

When the day came for you to meet Dagger Squad you were a little nervous. These were people who had known Bradley longer than you had. Hell, one of the men in the bar you were stood outside had known Bradley since the day he was born. You wanted to make a good impression and could only hope they’d like you.

“Nervous?” You hear Bradley ask as he wraps an arm around your shoulder and rubs his hand up and down your shoulder reassuringly.

“A little.” You confess, not removing your gaze from the doors of the Hard Deck.

“They will one hundred percent without a doubt love you. Not as much as I do but it’ll be close.” Bradley says calmly with a gentle smile. You couldn’t stop the smile from overtaking your lips, so you nod and allow Bradley to lead you into the bar. When you enter the Hard Deck, Bradley quickly locates his friends and leads you over to them.

“Guys, this is my girlfriend y/n. y/n, these are my friends.” Bradley introduces you to each other as he moves his arm from your shoulders to around your waist. One by one, all of Dagger Squad introduce themselves to you, giving you their name and their callsign, letting you know they didn’t care what they called you.

“It’s nice to meet you all.” You say with a grin, feeling more at ease now you knew their names and after being greeted with nothing but smiles.

“So, y/n, tell us about how you and Rooster met.” Phoenix asks, glancing between the two of you as you share a look and laugh to yourselves.

“My dog ran away from me because he thought Bradley was the most interesting thing on the beach.” You explain, glancing up at Bradley and leaning into his side slightly.

“A dog playing matchmaker, huh? You’ll have to introduce us, maybe he could get me a date.” Fanboy says, causing an eruption of laughs from everyone gathered.

Conversation started to flow naturally then, everyone getting to know you and you getting to know them. Rooster was shocked at how well-behaved his friends were being. Even Hangman was keeping his flirting to a minimum and even invited you to play a game of pool with him. While you were playing pool, Rooster chatted to Phoenix and Bob, curious to see how their training had been going and as they spoke, Maverick entered the bar and approached the trio.

“Hey, Mav.” Rooster greets happily when he notices his appearance.

“Hey Rooster. Good to see you. So, am I going to get to meet your girlfriend or are you going to keep hiding her from me?” Maverick teases, making Rooster scoff jokingly and laugh.

“She’s playing pool, come on I’ll introduce you.” Rooster replies, gesturing for Maverick to follow him as he crosses to the pool table.

“Hey baby, this is Mav.” Rooster says as you greet him when you notice him coming over to you. Upon noticing Maverick you stand up straighter, approaching Maverick nervously.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maverick. Bradley’s told me so much about you.” You say, glancing between the two men as Rooster takes your hand, the contact helping you calm down slightly as he runs his thumb along the back of your hand.

“Nothing bad I hope.” Maverick jokes, glancing at Rooster who simply shrugs with a grin. The three of you fall into easy conversation and you find yourself getting more comfortable around Maverick.

“y/n, could I talk to you alone for a minute?” Maverick asks, gesturing towards the stools at the bar, out of earshot of the other aviators.

“Yes, of course.” You say, the nerves resurfacing but Rooster was quick to lift your hand to his lips and press a bunch of kisses to the back of it while whispering reassurances that you’ll be fine. Once he stops, you thank him quietly and then turn and walk over to where Maverick was waiting. When you sit down, Rooster turns to Hangman and picks up the pool cue you had put down when he and Maverick came over.

“Ready for me to kick your ass, Hangman?”

You sit down at the bar on the stool next to Maverick and immediately start thinking through every possible thing he could be potentially about to say to you right now. Out of everyone, Maverick was who you wanted to impress the most, especially given that he was Bradley’s father figure.

“What I want to talk about isn’t bad, you don’t need to worry.” Maverick says, noticing how you fiddled with your fingers and how on edge you looked.

“I wanted to talk about how happy you’ve made Rooster. I don’t know how easy it would be to get him to admit that but I and everyone on this team noticed how much happier he was even before we met you. The way he looks at you, I’ve only seen it once before. It’s the exact same way his dad looked at his mum. He loves you so much.” Maverick explains, his eyes growing glossy as he reminisces about Goose and Carole.

“I love him too; way more than I could explain.” You reply honestly, glancing across the bar to where Rooster was playing pool against Hangman, celebrating as he pots another ball while Hangman rolls his eyes.

“I know you do. Anyone can see how much you love each other.” Maverick says with a smile, watching as you turn back to him and nod. When he silently dismisses you, you get up from the stool and cross to Rooster, wrapping your arms around his middle when you reach him, making him turn around with a large grin, pressing a kiss to your lips, abandoning his pool cue to place both hands on your waist and pull you closer. As Maverick watches, a proud smile shines on his face knowing his best friend’s son got the happiness he deserves.

Bradley Bradshaw was familiar with the feeling of loneliness. It used to eat at him at every given moment. But once he met you, the loneliness didn’t seem to be a problem anymore. He felt whole again, and it was because his house of cards was completed once the queen of his heart that he needed stepped in.

[shegeekery]

Splintered — Chapter 4

Chapters: 4/5 Fandom: Doctor Who, Loki TV series (crossover) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: N/A, but I plan to keep it as friendly to both Lokius and Sylkie as I can. Characters: The Doctor, Ruby Sunday, Mobius, Ouroboros, B-15, Casey, Sylvie, Natasha Romanov Summary: The Doctor and Ruby find themselves in a strange universe where the timelines are controlled by the God of Mischief. Is it any surprise that the TVA needs help from a Time Lord? Tagging: @teal-astronaut2846 (anyone else who would like to be tagged for future chapters, please let me know)

Chapter Index: Chapter 1: I Have a Bad Feeling About This — Length: 2906 words Chapter 2: Ghost Squirrel — Length: 2738 words Chapter 3: Splintered — Length: 2852 words Chapter 4: Getting the Band Back Together (this post) — Length: 2496 words Chapter 5: Intervention — Length: 2496 words

“So, how does this work?” Ruby asked.

She was outside the War Room with B-15 and Mobius while they discussed the best way to convince Sylvie to help them. The council had given its blessing to Mobius’s plan and assigned him and B-15 to recruit Sylvie. In the meantime, the Doctor would work with O.B. to modify the Tardis’s trans-dimensional capabilities to allow Sylvie access to Yggdrasil’s roots. 

B-15 was still determined to keep Ruby under her watchful eye, so she would be going with them on the mission.

“I have the coordinates here,” B-15 told her, holding up her TemPad. “This will create a time door. We just step through, into Sylvie’s timeline.”

“What’s she up to these days?” Mobius asked. He had changed into a standard TVA-issue business suit before meeting with the council.

B-15 smiled. “She’s on Earth-1321. Seems she gave up on the whole ‘quiet life’ thing and joined the Avengers there.”

“Maybe they don’t have McDonald’s,” Mobius joked.

“Every timeline has a McDonald’s at some point in its history. Can’t get away from it no matter where you go.”

“Well, that’s good to know. I could go for one of those apple pies. Maybe a shake…”

B-15 smiled and shook her head. “Sorry. We’re going straight to the Avengers Tower. Which, in her timeline, is the Space Needle in Seattle. Their billionaire-genius runs a big software company.”

“I do love retro futurism.”

“Sounds like you’re missing the TVA already?”

Mobius grimaced. “Maybe I am, a bit. Still, being able to get out on the waves whenever I want is a bonus.”

Ruby tentatively raised her hand. “Excuse me, but what are Avengers, exactly?”

Mobius answered. “Superhero team. A lot of timelines have them, but the membership varies.”

“Like, honest-to-goodness superheroes? Are they all gods, like Sylvie and Loki?”

“No, most of them are human, or sometimes mutants or aliens.”

“Like Superman?”

“Something like that.” B-15 tapped on her TemPad and a doorway appeared in front of them. “Alright, we should get going. The sooner we can get in contact with Loki, the fewer timelines we’ll lose.”

Mobius stepped through the doorway and vanished. B-15 gestured to Ruby to follow him. Ruby held her breath, closed her eyes, and walked through the door. Opening her eyes, she found herself on a raised platform. Below her and Mobius, two women sparred in what was clearly a training room, with weights, punching bags, mats, and a variety of weapons hanging from the walls. A curved floor-to-ceiling window on one side of the room looked out over an ordinary-looking city, with a body of water and mountains in the distance.

Behind Ruby, B-15 stepped through and tapped on her TemPad again. The door vanished.

One of the women on the floor below wore a black, tight-fitting outfit with a utility belt fastened around her waist. Her red hair flew out behind her as she spun and kicked at her opponent, who was dressed in a similar tight-fitting outfit with leather chest armor in black, gold and green. The second woman’s hair was very dark, almost black — except for the tips, which had been bleached. She flipped backward to avoid the redhead’s kick and then, moving so quickly that Ruby could barely follow it, she crouched low and swept her opponent’s leg. The redhead fell to the floor, laughing.

“Not bad,” the redhead said, then, looking up past her companion, noticed that they weren’t alone. “Hey, who let you in here?”

The dark-haired woman looked up to see who she was talking to and froze. She said nothing for a moment, then turned to her companion. “It’s alright, Nat. I know them. Catch you later?”

‘Nat’ continued to stare suspiciously at the three people on the platform. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stick around?”

The dark-haired woman, who Ruby decided must be Sylvie, shook her head. “No, I’m good. Same time tomorrow?”

The other woman smiled. “You know it.” She picked up a water-bottle and headed for a door opposite the window, casting another suspicious glance over her shoulder at the intruders.

Sylvie stayed where she was on the training floor. As soon as the door closed behind Nat, she said flatly, “The answer is ‘no’.”

“Oh, come on,” Mobius answered, grinning. “You haven’t even heard what it is yet. Love the hair, by the way. It suits you.”

The corners of Sylvie’s lips turned up slightly. “It’s good to see you too, Mobius. Now please leave.”

“I’m afraid we can’t. See, we have a big problem, and you may be the only one who can help us fix it.”

Sylvie heaved an exasperated sigh. “Fine, what’s going on? And who is she?” she asked, pointing at Ruby. “She doesn’t look much like a TVA agent.”

“This is Ruby,” B-15 answered. “She and a friend are helping us with the same problem.” Ruby smiled and gave Sylvie a small, shy wave.

“It might be better if we discuss this back at the TVA,” Mobius added. “It’s a bit complicated, but the short version is that we’re losing branches at the root and it’s likely to get worse if we don’t put a stop to it.”

Sylvie’s eyes widened. “Is Loki alright?”

“We’re…not sure. That’s why we need your help.”

Sylvie sighed and resignedly made her way up the stairs to the platform. B-15 reactivated the time door, and the four of them stepped through, back to the TVA.

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

“So you don’t think he’s actually aware of what’s happening?” Sylvie asked, prodding her fork at her untouched slice of key lime pie. Mobius had already finished his.

At the next table, B-15 and Ruby consumed their slices at a more dignified pace. Ruby watched Sylvie, surprised at how utterly human the goddess seemed. Maestro — and the other Pantheon gods the Doctor had told her about, like the Toymaker — were larger-than-life, in behavior and presence if not in size. Sylvie, in contrast, seemed small, almost fragile — and despite her no-nonsense attitude, there was a certain vulnerability about her.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Mobius answered. “But my guess is no.”

Sylvie nodded. “He may have slipped into a trance state. That’s something his mother probably taught him. It would make things easier for him out there, but it could also let his subconscious run wild.”

“I’d rather believe that than believe he’s doing it on purpose.”

Sylvie nodded. “Me too.” She shook her head and looked around the automat. “Last time I was in here, Loki told me that it was okay for us to play god because we are gods. Honestly, I didn’t really believe that. What kind of goddess spends her life running scared from a bureaucracy?”

“To be fair, you had us pretty scared for a while there,” Mobius answered wryly.

“But then, Loki went out there and…” She smiled ruefully. “I guess maybe he was right.”

“Yeah.”

“The thing is,” Sylvie continued. “We’re not just…abstract archetypes. We’re also people, and people are…messy, and full of contradictions, and we make mistakes. Some of us more than others.”

Mobius chuckled, and added, “And people need people”.

“Yeah. I’m just starting to understand that myself.”

“You have friends on your timeline?”

Sylvie’s expression softened. “Yeah. Good friends. People I would trust with my life, and vice-versa. That’s new for me.”

“Well, hopefully we can get this sorted out quickly and then you can go back to your timeline.” Mobius paused. “And me to mine.”

“Even if we can get through to him, get him to stop it, what’s to keep it from happening again?”

Mobius shrugged and shook his head, then gestured to her plate. “If you’re not gonna eat that, we should probably get down to O.B.’s workroom and see how they’re doing.” --------------------------------------------------

“O.B., hand me that spanner, will you?”

The Doctor and O.B. sat on the floor of the workroom, cobbling together a device that looked like a cross between a large toaster and a floor lamp. Tools and odd bits of hardware lay scattered on the floor around them.

O.B. reached across and handed over the tool in question. “So what’s that for?” he asked, gesturing to a separate component built into an old radio casing that the Doctor was attaching to the larger device. “Why do we need a wavelength analyzer?”

“Just something I think may come in handy.”

“Okay.” O.B. said cheerfully.

“Hey O.B., look who we found!” Mobius leaned over the counter. “How are things coming along here?”

Looking up, O.B. grinned. “Sylvie! Great to see you again! We’re really getting the band back together now.”

Sylvie, arms folded across her chest, smiled and nodded. “Hi, O.B.”

“We’re just about finished here. I wanted to put on at least one coat of paint, but the Doctor said it’s not necessary.”

“Correction,” the Doctor put in, as he tightened a zip-tie around the radio. “We’re done. Let’s get this into the Tardis.”

“The Tardis?” Sylvie asked.

“You’re gonna love this,” Mobius told her as the Doctor and O.B. hefted the device and the four of them joined B-15, Casey and Ruby in the hallway. The group made their way to the Tardis.

“Wait,” Sylvie complained, eyeing the police box warily. “We can’t all fit in there.”

The Doctor grinned and opened the door. Sylvie, frowning, stepped in — and stopped cold. B-15 and Casey edged in around her, the three of them looking around, dumbfounded.

“I stand corrected,” Sylvie said.

Mobius and Ruby joined them, followed by the Doctor and O.B. carrying the device, which they set down next to the door. The Doctor opened up a hidden cabinet in the interior wall, rummaged around, and pulled out a long cable. He handed one end to O.B., who plugged it into the device, while the Doctor took the other end and attached it to the Tardis console.

The Doctor remained at the console and rubbed his hands together. “Alright, I think we’re good to go, yeah?”

Mobius and O.B. nodded, and Ruby joined the Doctor at the console. The others just looked at each other, wondering what, exactly, was about to happen.

“Here we go,” the Doctor called, pulling a lever on the console. The Tardis groaned as it dematerialized.

“Yeah, it does that,” Mobius told the others.

A few moments later, the Tardis rematerialized, and the Doctor fiddled with some switches. “Ready, O.B.?”

“Ready!”

O.B. opened the door. They found themselves looking out at the roots of Yggdrasil.

“Is that safe?” B-15 asked.

“I’ve extended the Tardis shields out beyond the doorway. Air stays in, chronon radiation stays out,” the Doctor explained. “See that shimmery area there? Energy platform. We can walk out there a little ways. Once we get the dimensional equalizer working,” he indicated the device he and O.B. had built, “I’ll nudge us over a bit so Sylvie can reach the root. Mobius, any sign of Nidhogg?”

Mobius tentatively poked his head out the door, scanning the area for the serpent. “All clear.”

“Perfect.” The Doctor ran down the ramp to the doorway. He and O.B. carried the device outside and set it down near the far edge of the shimmering platform. The Doctor flipped switches on the top and on the radio-shaped gadget, then scanned the area with the sonic.

He smiled. “Yes! We’re standing outside of spacetime, in the same dimensional space as Yggdrasil and Loki. Ruby, twist that dial the way I showed you, one click at a time. I’ll tell you when to stop.”

At the console, Ruby did as instructed. The Tardis moved closer to the nearest root.

“A bit more…more…” he held up the sonic and pointed it toward the root as they moved. The sonic buzzed, and as they drew closer, the root pushed through the shield to hover over the platform. “There, stop!”

The Doctor looked back at Sylvie, who hovered uncertainly near the doorway. “Come on out. There’s room for everyone here.”

Sylvie and the others filed out through the door. Sylvie reached up, and seemed surprised when she was able to grasp the root.

“Okay,” Mobius said, encouragingly. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Sylvie closed her eyes. A trail of green energy traveled from her hand and into the root. Her brow furrowed. After what seemed like a minute, Mobius quietly asked, “Anything?”

“I’m still trying to find him,” Sylvie answered. “This thing is massive. But he has to be connected to it at some point.”

Another minute went by, then another. Finally, she spoke again. “Got him.”

The silence stretched out again. “He’s blocking me. I don’t think it’s intentional — his mind did the same thing when he was sleeping. In fact, it feels like he’s sleeping.”

Mobius looked like he wanted to ask about that, but he stayed quiet.

“Loki, it’s me,” Sylvie whispered. “Please let me in.”

“What’s that?” Casey asked in alarm. He was looking past Sylvie and the root, at a strand of green that seemed to be moving toward them.

“Nidhogg!” the Doctor yelled. “I need to reinforce the shield. Sylvie, keep doing what you’re doing. Mobius, stay with her. Everyone else, back in the Tardis!”

With that, he dashed inside, followed by Casey, Ruby, B-15, and O.B. The Doctor flew up the ramp, flipped some switches on the console, then ran back down and opened another hidden cabinet, pulling out a length of rope and some clamps. He tied one end of the rope to the railing nearest the door and ran out onto the platform. “Mobius, catch!” He tossed the length of rope to Mobius as he ran past, heading for the dimensional stabilizer. “Tie that around your waist — keep it taut — and hold onto Sylvie. This may get bumpy.”

While Mobius tied the rope around himself, the Doctor knelt by the device and attached the clamps to its base, then used the sonic to activate them. “That should hold it. I hope.”

He looked up. The serpent was almost upon them. The enormous head looked big enough to swallow the Tardis whole. The Doctor ran back inside.

“What kind of weaponry do you have?” B-15 asked as he flew by her.

“None,” the Doctor replied without slowing. “Ever.”

“Great.”

The Tardis gave a violent shudder, knocking everyone inside the Tardis to the floor, except the Doctor, who clung to the console.

“It just rammed us!” Mobius shouted from the platform. He held Sylvie by the waist while she held tightly to the root with both hands. She continued to channel her magic through the root.

“Hang on!” the Doctor shouted.

“Yeah, thanks for the tip!” came the reply from Mobius.

The Doctor frantically ran around the console, manipulating the controls.

“It’s coming around again…” Mobius yelled.

They all looked at the doorway to see the serpent flying toward them, mouth wide open.

“I think it’s going to do more than ram us this time.” Mobius said, staring up at the creature’s enormous maw.

Go to the next chapter

[lokiinmediasideblog]

Not to go there. But marvel can't shoe white ppl crunched in a cube but are able to show a black guy getting spaghettified and blood and guts going everywhere. (I know its jonathan majors and hes a dixk but still)

I definitely see your point, but I feel like the cube would be more messy and gorier than the spaghettification and time-slipping PG or PG-13 horror we've been shown. At least in my imagination... Take solace I imagine those white people going through worse. And well, I will go on tangents thanks to this ask.

NGL, I've been trying to not get attached to Jonathan Majors's characters because the recent news I've seen regarding the DV case, leads me to believe he's using Depp tactics (I keep seeing claims that the alleged victim accused him and pressed charges when in fact she wanted the charges dropped (from texts)). And most of the claims that clear him from wrong-doing were put out by HIS LAWYER and the claims have been contested, and there's allegedly other victims, and that video were he breaks up a fight seems like an obvious PR stunt. And I don't want to dedicate this blog to that case because I tired out following the 2022 Depp v. Heard case and lost what little faith I had in the judicial system.

S2 was filmed before the allegations. Despite the case, I still got sad Victor Timely got taken so soon, and I was like, they actually gave him and Ravonna nuance! Because the optics of a Black men ruining a white woman's life and the white woman having justification to kill him did rub me the wrong way in S1.

In S2, I was like, it seemed like it was fixing that by giving him nuance and making him endearing and showing that's he's different (another use of an allegory and how variants being seen as the same person can apply to a wide umbrella of marginalized communities and the worst being assumed of some variant archetypes). And the line from Miss Minutes when she "died" saying "You will never be him." Would have more impact. So HE BETTER COME BACK FOR PLOT REASONS. Then again they'll probably all come back somehow. Hopefully.

And while Ravonna is evil for cubing people lol (I just think she's neat), in the context of the show, she's not particularly or unusually evil, because we got Dox (Who puts Thanos to shame), FUCKING MISS MINUTES, Mobius (and the way he treated Loki in S1 and we can assume variants as well), Loki himself, and while Sylvie was justified, she did incinerate a bunch of TVA agents. I was worried they'd make two Black characters the most evil mustache-twirling villains with no depth, but Ravonna just reminds me a lot of Thor 1 Loki.

Anyway, there has lately been a weird trend of casting Black people as villains, usually of the authoritarian kind instead of the usual queer-coding. And I am wary of it.

My main complaint of S1 was Dox and the timeline pruners taking a stand against Ravonna. Like bitch, you're worse than fucking Thanos! I'd have liked it better if they'd all joined to show how corrupt the TVA is.

I feel like I went in a tangent. I just have a lot of critical thoughts about this show even if I like it.

[sahaias]

Soy Luna Season 2 Episodes 1-30 Thoughts

Okay, so I've been going through season 2 much slower than season 1 because my free time is limited and things move super fast on my days off from work.

But beginning with my thoughts on this season and its plot points so far:

It's so fucked up that Sharon is faking Ambar's past just to preserve a fortune that isn't rightfully hers. Lili and Bernie didn't die so they could leave everything to their sister/sister-in-law, it belongs to their daughter

It feels like Simon's really been on the backburner this season so far, and I miss seeing more of him.

This also applies to most of the side characters, but I don't care about them as much lol.

I noticed Luna has more one-on-one scenes with her mom than dad this season, and I feel like it's the writers trying to make up for her confiding in her dad rather than her mom like 4/5 times more in season 1.

Adrenaline is pretentious with their "we don't show up to competitions or put limits on our art like this", and I don't get why Ramiro likes Fernanda so much. I do find it funny that Ramiro starts shitting on Matteo once he joins though, it's cathartic

I know they want us to feel bad about Matteo's whole "I can't let Luna get close to me because I am leaving soon" shtick, but it's not romantic or cute. It is just stupid. Luna would be understanding if Matteo gave the whole truth. Plus, it would be much easier on her than all the lies that he creates.

Nina and Gaston are very cute, but I am worried for them with this Oxford storyline. I wish we got more scenes of them though. It feels like their only big moment was singing together.

Ambar has been clearly messed up by Sharon, because despite knowing her alleged past that fills in all of the gaps, she still feels the need to compete with Luna and make her miserable. I just feel bad for her and am dreading how she'll respond once the truth about Luna comes out.

This twins storyline is already a headache, and I am dreading seeing what it'll progress into.

Pedro looks younger with longer hair, but I think he looked better with the shorter hair in season 1

Juliana is so extra and the way she just insults people for not meeting her standards is annoying as fuck. She has very exaggerated physical gestures that make it very bothersome to look at the screen when she is on it.

I feel like this season has more drama and less excitement in it overall, which makes me less motivated to watch. I attribute this to less Simon tbh

I like the main plot/secrets of Soy Luna more than Violetta, and the show feels more grounded than Violetta. However, the side characters and romantic pairings in Violetta are way more captivating. I am hoping upcoming plotlines are more engaging tbh.

Sebastian is such a weird recurring character, and him being an actual youtuber makes him feel more weird to me for some reason

Ending this post with the fact that when I first saw Matteo in a wig imitating Luna, I was drinking water and ended up choking on it from laughing hysterically

[popcornforone]

The Interview

Part of the Attending Mr York Fan Fic Series

Master list

I just couldn’t put the Dave I created down. You got the last chapter in April of the original story but I actually finished writing it in March, & I missed him & the little world I created for them. So here I am back with my Stabby… ready for more fun.

Synopsis: You’ve applied for a housekeeper & Nanny job that you know you won’t get, but the perks & money were to tempting to not go for. So your shocked when your asked to come & be interviewed at the York residence, & meet the family who’s needs you will be attending.

Word count: 3200

Warnings: this is tame for me & Dave. Swearing & alcohol, pining, imagining what Dave might do to you, descriptions of oral sex are mentioned, along with blood, cuts, injuries & sick.This is the first time you come across Dave so it’s rather soft. However the rest of the series won’t be & as always DAVE YORK COMES WITH HIS OWN WARNING!

Thanks as always for the read people, all feedback is always welcome

Job interviews are never the easiest thing in the world, for a normal job. You never know if the vibe is going to click & if you will just get on, & be the person they are looking for. However this interview is one that you don’t think you will get, not in 100 years. You’re not really qualified for it but the perks that come with the job are most intriguing & you knew it was too good an opportunity to miss out on applying for. You were shocked when you got a phone call from them to say they wanted to speak to you. Obviously The Yorks have seen a quality in your cv that they think will suit this role.

Finding The York residency is easy. Considering what they want & how on the application they have described their lives, you thought they would have a much grander house in a much more affluent area. But here you are on a Wednesday afternoon, pulling up across their drive looking at this family home, which doesn’t look like it’s rather special but does seem homely from the outside. You make sure your hair is okay & that your outfit isn’t creased. You’ve worn a day dress but one that’s easy to move about in, if they tell you to go & interact with their kids. After all this is a job for a Nanny & House Keeper, surly whatever kids they have, must like you if your to get the job, not that you think you stand any chance of getting it at all.

You hear the doorbell echo across the house as you press it & wait patiently for someone to greet you, admiring the pot plants by the path. The front door opens & you are greeted by name “welcome, im Carol, we spoke on the phone last week, thank you for coming to listen to us” she says as she welcomes you in & you shake her hand. “My husband is just finishing a phone call but he will join us shortly, come with me to the kitchen, would you like water, tea or coffee?” Mrs York asks ushering you in & taking your coat. The house is homely but there’s no art on the wall, everything is very clean & white & in its right place. Clearly Mrs York likes this, it’s all very to the point & perfect. Until you get to the kitchen.

It’s a grand kitchen. A walk in pantry, an island counter with low lights hanging down, perfect for entertaining, a little kids play area a few steps down, a sofa & a round table which you can tell has been cleaned for this chat today. It’s too clean. This is clearly where their life happens & you suddenly feel very at home in this room. This is where memories are made for the Yorks. You watch as Carol makes you coffee & just have a nice chat about your drive & the weekend thats been & the next one to come.

“Sorry darling, you know how Daniels gets in the phone” a voice bellows from behind you which came from nowhere. It’s deep & sharp & you turn around to introduce yourself & shake his hand, but instead you almost drop your coffee cup. You’re frozen to the spot. You don’t believe in love at first sight, but you now think lust at first touch might be true. Large & broad, towering above you. His eyes dancing across you looking for any hit of weakness & vulnerability. His light blue shirt & dark pants are crisp, that belt buckle is polished & shoes so shiny you could see your face in them. Those eyes that are giving you the once over, are dark pools of delight. Rich caramels, taking in every inch of his prospective house keeper. Clean shaven as his large hand goes around his neck into this thick dark short hair. Those lips probably smile & seduce but the sternness in his face makes you think they haven’t smiled in a while. He has a mysterious aura around him, one of danger & to not get too close. But you can’t help it, the second his hand firmly shakes yours, you are his. It doesn’t matter his wife is standing next to you answering him back, you’re transfixed on her husband & you need to snap out of the trance quickly. “I’m Mr York… David York”

The next few minutes are a blur, watching this powerful man, who has somehow in all of 5 words, got all the power in the world over you. You’d do anything for this man, & you have only met him for a few minutes. The way he hold his mug, that chiseled jaw extending, the way he slurps his coffee. Seeing his lips kiss his wife’s cheek, you feel jealous. & that’s what makes you snap out of your trance, that & Carols voice asking you “come sit down deary, we can then go though your cv together.” You remember where you are & you join Mr & Mrs York at the circular table to discuss why you are even a candidates for this job. This does mean facing David & making eye contract as you answer his questions. Maybe you can just focus on Carol, not that you think you can actually concentrate on anything at all.

You take your seat ready for their questions. You look nervous but you can easily pass it on for interview nerves, not the fact that the man sitting opposite you is stunningly handsome & that you are wondering how good his plump lips would feel on your pussy, lapping away at your clit as you beg him for more. You need to remember why you are here, for an interview, not to gawp at your possible employer.

“So…” Carols starts with some pretty mundane questions about your back ground & education, all the old chestnuts from a classic interview. You answer them well & you see David roll his eyes a little at them. At question 5 he interjects.

“Why apply for this role?” He asks “clearly your into art, graphics & design, your cv screams it, why apply to be a house keeper?” He has a very good point & it throws you a little bit, but you have a prepared answer which probably isn’t one that they will appreciate but is honest.

“The job said beck & call but free time & support whenever it’s needed. Most normal jobs want a 8:30 to 6 that I apply for. Once you add a commute & eating in, that’s no home time. Here you have said weekends & yea there are early starts but you said support in whatever else I need. I’m sure that there will be days you just need me to pick your kids up & do dinner & some days when you need me to stay over, but I’m sure that when I’m not needed I would have the time to create some art, get my creative juices flowing again. I also think it would be good for your kids if you allowed them, to join me working on my art. A good creative outlet from them, let them find another type of inspiration.” David looks inquisitively at you looking you up & down “I know that wasn’t the answer you wanted, but I’m honest & im here to support you. I want to make sure that when I’m here, all you need to stress about is what’s going on in your own mind, not a grocery run or cooking pasta or running errands. I want you to stress about just your work & normal life like the rest of the world does” that’s when you see a small smirk across David’s face as you finish this statement with “I’m here for all your needs & to attend to you all”. His eyes dart across you not impressed just by your words but by your attitude & willingness.

“Art?” Carol chirps up before he can respond, he mouth & sentence hanging in mid air before he could even get the words out “that would be good for the kids for sure” she then talks about how she like minimal art but can’t find the right thing for the house to put up. A few more mundane questions happen before David then asks “Do you have first aid or life saving courses under your belt? Obviously with 2 small girls who you will meet another day, if we think you’re suitable, bumps & bruises happen all the time. You’re okay with looking after them if they cut themselves? you’re not going to freak out at a bit of sick or blood?” David is asking this because it’s part of the interview, but he knows it’s likely at some point you will find out what he does for a living. He’s an assassin, one of the best in the world, & he knows there maybe a day soon when he needs your help to stitch him up or take him to hospital.

“Yes I can do that, I have a friend who has fits, we as a group all make sure we stay up to date with as much as we can. I’m happy to take more courses if you need me too.” Is your reply. Firm & confident. You know it’s been a while since you’ve done a course in this but you still know what to do. Nothing your innocent king think, that an ice pack or a plaster can’t solve.

The interview starts to draw to a close & they start talking to you about your life in general. “Obviously there maybe a few days when we need you to stay over if you get this job to take the girls to nursery & school early if were not both back, or if you’ve stayed late” Carol implys “would that be okay? Are you comfortable with that? We have Cctv in every room so you will always be safe here without us”

“Yes Mrs York” your mind wonders why they have cctv but that’s a question for another day, not one when your trying to get a job “would my boyfriend be able to stay over, if I needed him too? It wouldn’t be something I would do until we were all completely comfortable with each other & you trust me & id let you meet him first” David raises an eyebrow when the word boyfriend is brought up “how serious is your boyfriend?” He asks “David!” Carol scoffs & playfully hits him “that’s none of your business” she say before he reply “if he’s a serious man in her life, I see there being no problem, stability means loyalty & trust, but if he’s just a fuck buddy then that raises more questions for me” you look a bit shocked. You’ve never been to an interview before where the interviewer has sworn let alone use the word fuck. He clearly is testing you to get a reaction from you. “I’ve been with him 18months” you reply calmly like you have done every question. “Harry & I have talked about moving in together soon, so that’s how loyal I am” David nods “well answered” he states writing the word not available on his own notes, which you don’t see.

The final question they ask you is if you have any questions for them at this stage. They have been clear throughout the interview that there would be a second interview with the girls on Sunday, if today went well to see how you get on with them & they have been very frank about what they expect from you. You sit there for a second & then ask something bold, which might mean you don’t get a call back for another day. “why interview me? You said yourself I’m not a house keeper or have nanny experience, why ask me?” Carol has a small chuckle & goes to answer but David buts in.

“We’ve interviewed 4 other people before you, all Nanny’s or house keeper, but none had any idea of what the real world is. We want our kids to have some of that in their lives & your CV was the next one on the pile. You have life experience & from what you’ve told us about you today, you have had some struggles in the past & you just bring across this soothing calm approach now we’ve met you, don’t you agree darling?” He asks his wife stroking her hand looking lovingly at her “yes dear” she says “we wanted to see what the rest of the world offered, not just those that fall into that bracket” you all just nod in agreement with each other. There is a very strong vibe & connection here & you think that maybe you do stand a chance, just as long as you connect with those girls. Or maybe you are just falling deeper for the talk dark & handsome man sitting opposite you. Each time those large rich brown eyes glance at you, you feel seen.

The Yorks then finish up & David looks at his phone. Carol shakes your hand & asks if you’re free at 3pm on Sunday to meet the girls & have early dinner with them, which you accept. You have a second interview in the bag. David nods. “I’ll walk her out honey, I need to make my way to the actual office” David says & you thank Carol, grab your coat & have David walk you out of the house. His hand pushes you forward touching the lower of your back. Not to low but enough to make you blush, but enough that to yourself it shows that this man has an effect on you. Thank god you are walking in front of him & he can’t see the true effect he has on you.

“I just want you to know…” David says as he locks the front door behind him & stands next to his car “that we’ve been looking for a house keeper for a while & a nanny more recently. Carol has hired some but most of them just aren’t what they say they are at the interview. You on the other hand, there’s something about you. Your normal & I think you will bring stability to our house & help influence our kids as they grow as well. I don’t tend to trust people, my line of work doesn’t allow me to, but there’s something I can see in you, that makes me know that I can trust you with my families & my own life.” He states.

“Wow Mr York” you’re a little stunned at that revelation “that means something that you’ve picked that up so quickly, thank you”

“Please it’s David, I actually prefer Dave but David or Mr York is fine” he says shuffling a bit. “I’m good at picking up on peoples strengths & weaknesses it’s part of the job I do, & from the last hour, the only weakness I see in you, is that you care too much & that’s what I need for my family” you blush as he says these words to you. No one’s ever said that a weakness of yours is what they need. This desirable man has a way of making you feel so much in so few words. He’s very to the point & direct. You can tell he’s a man who gets what he wants, no matter what.

A few awkward moments of silence happen between you before you both snap out of it. Daves been thinking about how well you’re going to look after his family. He finds you attractive & wonders how loyal & good your boyfriend really is to you & if he might, one day, be needed to pick up your emotional pieces should it all go wrong with him. “I should really get going now Mr York & you said you needed to get to your own office, so please don’t let me keep you” you offer you hand which he firmly shakes & through that connection of his large palm on your dainty hand, a small soft smile comes from his dark brown eyes. “Thank you for the opportunity” you say “ooh no the pleasure is all mine, sweetheart” he responds. That cute nickname makes you smile which he can see as bright as the sun. “I’m already looking forward to seeing you meet the girls on Sunday, im sure you will be the most attentive person we’ve had so far, I can just feel it in my bones.” He says, hands parting & you both sigh & get in your separate cars. You head home & Dave heads to the office.

1 week, later the phone rings while your out for lunch with friends. “Sorry guys, be back in 3minutes” you leave them & head to the bathroom of the cafe to take the call.

“Hello”

“Ahh it’s Mr York”

“Mr York… hi how are you?” Just his voice down the phone has you feeling flush & warm, how can he do that.

“I’m even better now, I’ve just hired a new house keeper”

Your face drops down the phone.

“It’s you”

“What!?” You let out an over the top excited screech

“All the girls have talked about since Sunday, has been making art & playing with you & your pasta was half decent on Sunday night, so what do you say… are you free tonight to come & see us to sign & be our house keeper & nanny & discus when you will start?” He asks, he himself is also excited to have you work for him. He’s not lying when he says how excited the girls have been, but he is drawn to you & he can’t explain why.

“Yes Mr York, what time?” You just about get the word out.

“7pm, don’t worry it’s Wednesday, I cook on Wednesdays, you’ll always have that night off from cooking” he laughs a little down the phone.

“Sounds perfect Mr York, I will see you tonight”

Once the call is over, you rush back to your friends & tell them you got the job. Suddenly the orange juices you were all having are now Buck’s Fizz as your friends celebrate your new job with you. “To attending the needs of the Yorks” you toast & your friends cheer. You have no idea exactly what needs you are about to attend, ignorance for now is completely bliss & will remain that way for a little while.

[andypantsx3]

This is going to sound weird, but do you have any tips on how to gain traction as a fanfic writer? I've been trying for years and I get next to no interaction on my writing. I know I shouldn't care because I should be writing for myself, but it's still frustrating to see other writers get thousands of notes, and reblogs and asks praising their fics and I get maybe 20 likes. I've been looking into discord fandom groups but a lot of them don't allow people over 30, and I don't do well with busy groups anyway. I try to be active on my blog, and interact with other people and make myself approachable, but I'm getting so incredibly tired of talking to an empty space. Sorry, I think I ended up venting instead >_<

WARNING: DISCOURSE AHEAD

Omg hello my love!! First of all, I'm so sorry you feel this way! I have so many conflicting thoughts on this, let me try to get them in order for you!!

I guess, let me first start with some tips that I think actually answer your question, and then I'll just monologue about the ways I've been thinking about fandom recently, and you can skip that part if you wanna!

Part 1: Actual Thoughts on Your Question (lol)

I am possibly not in the best position to ask about this because I mostly happened to be in the right place at the right time, publishing my fics in the early part of the pandemic when people were more actively engaging in the fandom. But in my experience, outside of discord groups, other good ways to meet people and get your work out there are joining zines & collabs.

I'm not completely up-to-date with what the accounts are now that track these things, but there are several tumblrs and twitter accounts like BNHA Zines that exist to retweet & publicize zine posts. Look for zines that are in the interest check & application stages!! You can apply during the application phase and the good thing is that most zines will ask for an application piece and will judge you on your work rather than your follower count!!

Collabs are usually even easier because many of them are just open to whoever wants to join! I've only participated in server collabs but I've seen several posts cross my dash that are open to anyone. I'd probably monitor the collaboration and x reader tags on tumblr and join in on anything that looks fun!!

Another thing that I've noticed people do a lot is self-reblog their fics a couple times just to maximize their circulation. I've seen a lot of moots trying to make sure they hit good hours for different time zones and different days of the week to ensure their followers are at least aware that they've posted something if they don't have notifs on (I don't have notifs on so I'm grateful for these because otherwise I miss a lot!!). Even I have srb'd a time or two if I'm particularly proud of something lol.

And I think, if I also wanted to be a shark about things, I would try to get in on the ground floor of a fandom in its early stages!! For example, the second season of JJK is coming out soon and it's sure to bring a wave of new readers to the JJK fandom, especially for the characters like Gojo and Getou who look like they're gonna be the main focus of the season.

I think if you wanted to be extra sharp about things, you might time a fic release with some of the first couple episodes of a new season where you can be sure more people than usual will be poking around in the tags!! And if your fic is published during the early stages of a fandom, it's going to have more eyes on it overall than a fic published towards the conclusion of the series.

Anyway this is what I could think of. I hope this advice is practical and useful!! Now onto me blathering.

Part 2: Resisting Influencer Culture in Fandom Spaces

This part might be kind of controversial. I want to first acknowledge how easy it is for me to think and say these sorts of things when I'm already more than pleased with the amount of engagement I get. And I want to recognize that it is so, so deeply human to want recognition, community, and support for the things that we write.

I think it is so completely natural that you want interaction on your writing. All of us totally do, otherwise we wouldn't be publishing it publicly. If our work was truly, singularly for us and us alone, we'd keep it in the drafts lol. We put it out there hoping for praise and appreciation and connection, and in my opinion there is no shame in that.

So, admission time: I also definitely compare myself to other writers, and I have several times thought about transitioning more towards the type of content that drives higher note counts on tumblr: smuttier one-shots usually under 10k! I can see a huge difference in terms of just my own work on how my one-shots typically do in comparison to chaptered fics. And I definitely see how fast smutty imagines shoot up there in terms of note count.

But I was listening to a podcast episode recently on trying to sort of transition away from a metrics-focused approach to fandom. In the podcast, they talk about how in trying to legitimize fanfic as a literary mechanism, we've also sort of accidentally subjected it to our capitalist-influencer-mindset, where we see fic as more legitimate the more kudos it gets or the more followers it nets you, because in traditional influencer spaces, those followers are potential capital.

I'm definitely not saying you or I see people as potential revenue streams, but I think probably neither of us are immune to the culture at large, and we both probably carry some of internalized sense of our own value based on metrics, reach, and influence. And that sucks!!!!

Fandom, of all things, is supposed to be a specifically anti-capitalist space. We can't make money off of fanfic or fanart (legally, anyway lol), and we're all not the owners of the franchises either so none of our takes are necessarily more "valid" or weightier than others!! We're all supposed to just be trading stories around a campfire with no thought to their literary merit or monetary value. We're just supposed to enjoy the stories.

So, I don't know what the right answer is about how to try to resist the influences of our capitalist culture at large; I'm hoping someone smarter than me will tell me. But I do know that in fanfic, the value of your story can absolutely never be determined by how much engagement you get. Because fandom is not about metrics, and there is no inherent value in metrics. There is only the fun you had creating the story, and the depth of the connection you made with someone over it--even if that's just one other person.

And so I personally am at least trying to resist the lure of transitioning to smutty one-shots even though I think a lot of people would like that. Because what I like doing is writing my little 30k multi-chaps; those are my fave kinds of stories to tell, I'm not letting my metrics tell me what I should be writing.

I hope, at the very least, you know that your worth and the value of your story is not defined by how many other people have read it. And if you ever wanna chat more about this let me know, I'm still figuring this all out myself and could use friends to explore it with!!

[vanes-lawlol]

oou glad to know that you're joining!! anyways time to use the ask inbox for what its actually made for lol

so we know what both of your MCs think of Tammy, but what does Tammy think of those two?

I wouldn't dare to assume how Tam would think of them two, but if I am allowed to...

(it's a long read, bear with me if you can)

I pretty much just follow the game story as much as possible though, and I'll try to imagine as far as I possibly can, haha.

I'd imagine Tamarack thought of Robyn as a random kid to target for her paper airplane shenanigans, and not much after, initially. But after she found out that he's the new kid moving in, she was excited to get to know him more - the development of him being a random kid to someone that's pretty similar to her was too interesting to miss, she thought. She took him as a friend that she would always go to through elementary school, or pretty much when she's still trying to get used to the Grove. Even though she did seem to get along with other kids, she still has Robyn in her mind. The similarities of being new and also forest lover was the base of the friendship, and she wanted to see if they both can be even closer by doing more things together. She would always be surprised on how easily Robyn would forgive her if there were some initiatives that went a bit far (she would be the first to apologise).

As they stay together, she eventually realised how kind and dependable Robyn always try to be for her. She saw him as a strong, independent boy, and even though getting rowdier as time goes, she knew he would always soften around her. At first she was confused as to why he acted like that way, but not rarely did she think of that as his way to treat her diffferently... as in, special? That thought always flustered her. At around step 2 (14 y.o), though, she noticed that Robyn has been so busy and focused on his endeavour in basketball that he would often ignore anything besides being the best he could - this includes her, herself. She knew why he did so, though: he wanted to prove that he's worth something. Often, this annoyed and saddened her, as he didn't seem to listen to her words that he didn't need to do so, as he already mean something to her, and even to the neighbour Qiu themself.

That pretty much will be brought up a lot for step 3 and up, with her feelings not changing a bit. She wants to make up for lost times with him, being someone that she considers special, and also in hopes to make him see how much he means to her (even if it's just as friends).

Whew, a long read eh? (I'm sorry)

As for Raisa (if I assume you mean her), I'd think Tamarack was interested to get to know her right away since Raisa is a girl like her! And she would be in awe after hearing her name, as it didn't sound like typical ones she's heard in her life. No matter what, she would always call her Raisa (unlike how people would call her Lisa/Risa because of the need to simplify) to appreciate her. She also thinks Raisa's eyes were something else. But being a girl, Tamarack felt some kind of competition towards her, wanting to show that's she's a fun buddy to be with. Though this only applies in school - outside, they're all friendly again. Tamarack felt more interested to bring her on various activities to see Raisa's reactions to it, in hopes she would also have fun like she did.

Tamarack had heard lots of complaints from Raisa about how she felt uncomfortable about herself when she tried to explain why she's hesitant to try something or wear something, and it always confused her. In her eyes, Raisa looked perfectly fine, and even cute, too (this is around 7th grade and she's shy to admit that last part). That drove her to try being a supportive friend or at least someone that will always appreciate her so-claimed imperfections. Tamarack's feelings will only grow and made known to Raisa in step 3.

----

Sorry for the long read lol I'm not good with elaborating stuff... But that's pretty much how I think Tam would feel about each of them. That is, until the game proves me other wise! Thanks for the opportunity to allow me to imagine!

[fumikomiyasaki]

🍎 🍏 :3c May Tuna have an apple? They'll probably snack on the candied apples at the stalls while on the lookout ^w^

Thank you for holding this raffle!!! This is such a fun idea w the apples and fortune!!! Also Carol, Andrew, and Meyra look stunning! & Remember to take stay hydrated! ^o^

Apple of Fortune event- Join the Raffle

With big eyes Tuna walked around the build up venue of this festival... Carol send them a message about this fest as invitation and seeing how much stuff was build up it was hard where to start... untill a green haired woman approached them.

"You just arrived here, right? The name is Meyra, I am one of the three handing out the fortune apples."

She pulled out a special coated candied apple from her basket and handed it to Tuna, who was about to quickly take a bite of it, as Meyra stopped them.

"Don't you wanna see your fortune first?"

"Fortune? So you don't just get snacks here?"

Meyra shook her head.

"We give out the fortunes as a motivation for the year but also to make these apple more special than the plain ones on the stands. we also made a tree to apply bad fortunes on."

Tuna nodded and opened the small envolpe... seeing a bad fortune...

"Unlucky it seems. "

"Its fine, I got something tasty to eat now, Thanks miss."

They went along and as stated before put the bad fortune on that tree as Carol finally seemed to appear, squeezing out of a big crowd behind her.

"You made it... guess you got an apple already... Somewhat all the people just approach me the most so I guess I didn't make it."

"Its fine... this one I got is really yummy though."

She inspected the apple and saw some weird powder on it.

"Did you put something on this?"

"Oh this one stand had like this row of spice dispensers, so I tried this..:"

"You do know this is heavily spicy powder..."

"..."

"Tuna... this is why I can't leave you alone for five seconds.."

"It be fine... I so far di- hnnnnn...."

Carol quickly lended them some milk and tried to get them to calm after what happened... guess she had to take care of the crowd waiting for her later.

[table-cat-games]

Fun with Marketing: How I'm Trying to Sell My Stuff

I'm not sure who might find this helpful, but I've had a strategy as I've developed my ttrpg setting to build up an independent group of fans and to hopefully steer them away from Drive Thru rpg.

I'm going to get a little detailed here, so warning. Also, a lot of this post is speculation on my part. If I'm completely wrong, please gently let me know.

Reasoning

Here's why I've focused all my efforts to build up an email list and avoid Drive Thru:

1. For building my own email list, I didn't want to be beholden to the whims of another party to communicate. Twitter being bought out and run by a lunatic proved that it was best to try to have my own way to reach people who like my stuff (a mail list that I own).

2. I don't like Drive Thru Rpg. It's archaic, hard to use, takes 35% percent of your profit if you're not exclusive with them. And also they have some really gross titles by terrible people on there if you start looking around.

3. Savage Worlds has great terms for its licensees, but they take 10% off the top on Drive Thru RPG (and Drive Thru only). I don't mind that, but it is a combined 45% of profit gone rather than just the 35%.

A point I have to make here is my estimation, Drive Thru sales are going to come anyway. I'm going to guess that no matter what I do, most titles sold will be on Drive Thru. This is based on downloads of the Street Wolves Jumpstart. The Jumpstart has been downloaded twice as many times on Drive Thru compared to the combined numbers of my store and Itch (Roughly 600 times versus 300+). And this is with me not pushing it on Drive Thru at all. It's almost all organic. So, if I focus on efforts elsewhere, potentially I'll still get sales on Drive Thru no matter what.

The Plan

Build up a mail list.

Offer an incentive to join the mail list.

Only apply the incentive to friendlier (to me) places to buy the setting

So for two years I begged people to join my mailing list. I'm now at 200+ sign ups, which is more than I ever thought I'd have for someone who has never made a game before.

The incentives I offered to join were two things: An exclusive character, and a discount when the game is released. A secret third thing is I rarely send emails out, so I'm not annoying people.

The third part of this plan is the part we'll have to dissect after the game is released. I'm issuing a discount that is only good for my store and for Itch, therefore incentivizing people to purchase there vs. Drive Thru.

If you don't want to use my store or Itch, that's fine. But I can't give a healthy discount (at least at this stage), because they're taking so much out of my pocket.

What is The Downside?

It looks like to me, the biggest downside is this:

If you got exclusive with Drive Thru, they take 5% less. They also will give you "enhanced title rotation" and "bonus on-site promotion". I'm going to go ahead and guess that those are pretty valuable things to have, and by not going exclusive with them I can be missing out on some potentially huge benefits. However, I don't know this for sure and would love to hear if they're actually that good or not.

Another factor is less sales on Drive Thru means less numbers towards their metal tiers. So it might not look like I'm as successful there as I might otherwise be, and people may not be as apt to buy a product that doesn't have a double platinum plus badge or whatever. Again, this is speculation though.

What is Success?

To measure success for this experiment will basically me analyzing how many people actually use the discount and get my game from non Drive Thru sources versus Drive Thru Sales. If it's only a tiny amount, then I likely wasted sales that could have been made on Drive Thru.

I'll have to share some findings after the setting is released. I'm not sure if this has been worth it rather than just taking the exclusive deal.

Why Am I so Concerned with Money?

I may sound like a penny pinching miser/corpo suit, but the fact is that Street Wolves took a lot of money to produce. I'm not even sure I'll make it back. That's scary to me as someone that is working part time right now.

I want to make as many sales possible, so I can not only not just write this off as a foolish waste of time and money, but to also continue making more games. I want to pay artists and writers a fair wage on products going forward.

If I lose a ton of money on this thing, then it's all over. I can't move forward with my dreams. I can't commission art, pay writers, or an editor, so that's why I'm trying to maximize the amount I get out of this project.