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clockwayswrites · 1 year ago

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Like Betta Fish Do - Part 29

WC 2500, Masterpost

A Press of the Button:

An Exclusive Interview with Jason Wayne and Danny Nightingale Following the Infamous New Years Eve Choice

By Clark Kent

“I’m going to throw up.”

I’m sure that I wasn’t supposed to overhear that; it’s not exactly an auspicious start to an interview. Here inside of Wayne Manor’s stately halls the noise of the crowd of press outside of the gate has fallen away and the words from the other side of the door are clear. The voice isn’t one that I recognize, so I place it as the young man at the center of the event: Daniel Nightingale.

“Danny, please, I’ve never liked Daniel,” he’ll introduce himself to me once I’m inside the sitting room. Jason Todd is at his boyfriend’s side, looming like an avenging angel. Or, since we’re in Gotham, a very large bat.

When I was assigned the interview, I hadn’t been sure where it would be held. As readers may know, Jason Todd hasn’t lived at the Manor since his miraculous return from the dead. There were, as he said, too many memories in the Manor for him to return. At the time he had still been struggling to overcome the unfortunate amnesia that he had suffered during his brutal abduction as a teenager.

Whatever trauma is still lingering, it’s clear that both young men are taking comfort being in the manor. The proverbial wagons have been circled inside of the family home. Even cleaned up the sitting room shows signs of a rotation cast of family keeping the pair company: a plethora of blankets, stacked board games, feel-good food, and, of all things, a plush trilobite.

As we take our seats, Danny leans unconsciously into Jason’s space like a flower to the sun. His nerves are clear in the way that his fingers fidget restlessly with the edge of his sleeves. The red sweater is far too large for him and hangs off of one thin shoulder. I have to guess that it’s Jason’s sweater and worn today for comfort. I doubt anyone could blame Danny seeking comfort wherever he can find it.

Less than a week ago Danny was abducted from the Wayne’s New Years Eve party by a Gotham villain known as Two Face. The villain came into being after Harvey Dent, a district attorney in Gotham, was traumatically exposed to a toxic chemical. (More about Two Face can be read in the article ‘A Flip of a Coin’.) Danny had been taken off site while a handful of party goers were strapped to an explosive device.

Presented with the horrifying choice between his boyfriend or his father and youngest brother, Jason had pressed the red button connected to Danny’s trap.

Danny Nightingale had been electrocuted to death.

And survived.

It’s the perfect sort of awful story to capture the attention of the public and press alike, and it’s the reason that I’m at Wayne Manor now.

Hoping to make Danny feel more settled, I start off with some pleasantries before going in with a soft question. How is he doing with all the attention that the event has been getting? It must be overwhelming.

Danny glances towards the front of the house where outside lies the front yard, the protective gate, and the press. “It is. I feel like I’m still getting used to living in a city as big as Gotham, so all of this suddenly… yeah, it’s a lot.”

Danny grew up in a much smaller city in central Illinois called Amity Park. He moved to Gotham in the late summer of last year to continue his education at Gotham University. It’s a change that he describes as good, even as overwhelming as it is.

“Gotham has been surprisingly easy to fall in love with. I can see why Gothamites are so protective of the city,” Danny explains with the first hint of a smile on his face that I’ve seen since I came through the doors.

When I ask him if he hopes to stay in Gotham long term, Danny glances at Jason and blushes faintly. “I’d like to, if I can find work. There’s a lot here worth staying for and the city is just part of that.”

The words cause the first blush I’ve seen on Jason’s cheeks since he was new to the Wayne family and a little overwhelmed himself. Clearly Jason is one of the things worth staying for.

We talk a little about how Danny likes the Wayne family. He admits that he’s still getting to know them. He’d only been introduced to most of the family at the end of last year, right before finals. Already, though, there are stories to be told about board games and good food. Beyond the Waynes, Danny has someone else very important in Gotham.

“Your sister is in town, isn’t she?” I ask. “I imagine having her here during this has been nice.”

“It is. I was actually supposed to go and see her after New Years, but obviously…” Danny clears his throat and Jason takes one of Danny’s hands in his. Danny instantly relaxes into Jason’s side. “But yeah, having her here is really nice.”

“I take it you two are close then?”

“She was my anchor growing up,” Danny says with a little smile that’s tinged with sadness. “I wish she hadn’t had to be. Now that I’m older I know how unfair that was to her, but I’m so lucky that she did. She could so easily resent me for it, but she doesn’t at all. It makes it really easy to love her.”

“Not that it’s hard,” Jason adds with a chuckle. “I think her and Dick have already made an oldest sibling club and Damian thinks both Nightingales hung the moon, I swear.”

“Speaking of Nightingale, that isn’t your original last name, is it?”

It’s been an item of note in the recent write ups on Danny that both of the siblings had changed their last name to Nightingale from their birth name of Fenton. Their parents, doctors both, still go by Fenton. In Gotham, at least, the Doctor Fentons would be described as mad scientists. The so-called ‘ectobiologists’ have made their life a study of ghosts. In Amity Park, ‘the most haunted town in America’, they’re just part of the atmosphere.

Danny sighs and glances away. “No. Jazz and I both changed our last names when we turned eighteen. Jazz had wanted me to change it and go with her when she turned eighteen, but she had this great scholarship for college and she’d taken care of me enough. I couldn’t put that on her too, so I refused to until I was eighteen.”

“So you didn’t actually emancipate yourself?”

“Nope. One day late for that. But I moved out the same day I changed my name.”

“How did your parents take that?”

A wry smile twists Danny’s lips. “They didn’t notice until months later when the lab had gotten too dirty.”

“The lab?”

“It was one of my chores to clean it; another thing that I get was messed up now that I’m older and away from there. We, um, think that it was my exposure to all those chemicals that made me a meta.”

By all accounts, Danny’s meta status is how he survived the electrocution. It’s a label that he looks slightly uncomfortable with.

“It’s not that I mind being a meta,” he’s quick to assure me. “It’s just that… what actually made me one was an accident in the lab. I was electrocuted.” He raises his left arm up. The overly large red sleeve pools down to reveal a branching network of faint silver scars tracing his skin. “It’s hard right now to think back to it, after what happened. I really didn’t know if I would survive… either time. I’m lucky that all I have are scars.”

“But you thought that you might survive.”

“I did,” Danny says with a little shrug. He seems almost at ease with that question, unlike Jason.

Jason has to take a moment to press a kiss to Danny’s temple.

“After the first time I was electrocuted,” Danny explains, “I became a little more resistant to electricity— little shocks and things. It’s not like I ever tested it out with anything big. I guess it was just a feeling I had.”

When I ask Danny if he’s alright to talk about the night of the party he looks stressed by the idea but still gives a little nod. As he points out, it is why I’m there.

“I was getting some fresh air,” Danny explains. He’s picking at the sweater again. “The night was really lovely, but it’s just not the sort of thing I’m used to, you know? So I just wanted a moment to gather myself. I guess… I guess they were already watching me, because they knocked me out before I even really knew they were there.

“I woke up strapped to a metal chair. They’d taken my shoes and socks off. I couldn't understand why, but then,” Danny has to pause here and take a moment. Jason pulls him closer. “Then I noticed that my feet were in water and there was a wire in the water too. The wire wasn’t live but it’s… I mean it wasn’t hard to put it all together.”

“That must have been terrifying.”

“Yeah.” Danny looks over at the windows and the gray winter day beyond them. “I didn’t know who had taken me or why. I could hear some people close, talking about waiting for a signal, but it wasn’t much. When my eyes adjusted I could see a camera on a tripod and a laptop. I didn’t know what was going on, not until it turned on.

“Two Face was on it. I guess you know I’m not a native Gothamite that it took me a moment to recognize him,” Danny said with a weak laugh. “He explained what he was doing.”

I ask Danny what his first thought was when hearing the plan.

“Worry for Jason. Which I know sounds insane, but I guess… I guess I had already accepted the circumstance I was in. I just didn’t want Jason to have to go through that choice.”

“And then Jason was on the screen.”

“Yeah.”

“Jason, what were you feeling at seeing Danny on the television?”

“What do you think?” Jason asks, frustration lacing through his voice. “I was pissed off. I was scared. I was… I hated myself.”

“Why?”

“Because Danny was only in that situation because he was dating a Wayne. Because he was dating me. And there he was, a few seconds from death, bleeding, and… and telling me that he loved me.”

While Danny sounds almost detached talking about it, possibly a coping mechanism, Jason sounds like every wound is still fresh. It paints a terrifying picture of what it’s like to be the one to die versus the one who presses the button.

I turn back to Danny. “You said something to Jason in the video after that. There's been a great deal of debate about your words. Do you feel alright discussing them.”

Danny nods. I read out the quote: You know what you have to do, don’t you?

“Danny, what did you mean?”

“That Jason had to press my button,” Danny says with surprising ease. It’s clear that the order was one that he still stands by.

I ask about that certainty.

Danny gives a little shrug. He tucks himself back further under Jason’s arm, but I'm certain that the move is more for Jason’s comfort. “It was me or a group of other people. That would have been enough. I would never put myself first like that, but then you add in Damian and Bruce being part of that group? I couldn’t ask Jason to choose me over his family and Jason knows I wouldn’t.”

What about the chance of survival?

“Jason and I had talked about my accident before. Death… it’s something we both get, you know? So we both knew that there could be a chance of me surviving, but there was never any guarantee.”

“Are you going on record that you told Jason to press the button, knowing it could kill you?”

“Absolutely.”

And how did that insistence make Jason feel? Right then it seems all Jason can do is curl up around Danny, as if he can shield him from the past.

“Fucking horrible. Danny just looked at the whole situation and made the choice for me. I don’t know, maybe I should think that was freeing, but I still had to press the button.”

I point out that he could have made the other choice and he just shakes his head. “And make Danny live with that? He had made his choice. He didn’t want to trade his life for theirs. I hated it, but what sort of person would I have been if I didn’t let Danny take control of his own life? I knew I wouldn’t be able to live with either choice, so at least… at least I could listen to Danny.”

So Jason had pressed the button, Danny had been electrocuted (he refused to speak on the experience), and Jason had attacked Two Face. The man had ended up with a broken jaw and fractures in the orbital rim. It was while Jason had been sobbing in his father’s arms that they had gotten the word from one of Gotham’s local heroes: Danny was still alive.

“What did I feel? Hope,” Jason said with an almost despairing laugh. “I don’t… hope and I don't do well these days, but I felt hope. I don’t know if I believed it until I was actually holding his hands.”

“I was a little out of it when they got there,” Danny admits, which seems more than fair considering everyone else would have been dead. “But I’m so grateful to Nightwing and the paramedics taking care of me and letting me see Jason before the hospital. I really… I really needed him right then.”

And now?

“I’d like to say that I’m alright, but,” Danny shrugs, “it’s a lot to go through. But I know I’ll be alright. Jason and his family are amazing and I have Jazz here. I’ll keep healing, physically and mentally, and so will Jason. I know the internet has a lot to say about it all, but I think they need to understand that this turned out the best way that it could have.”

Jason kisses Danny’s temple again with a slight smile. He seems to be in agreement with everything his boyfriend said.

“I suppose I have just one more question,” I say after a moment of looking over my notes. “Why do you call Danny ‘fish’?”

I don’t get an answer, but maybe hearing those two able to laugh so soon after such a traumatic event is better than a story.

---

AN: *flops dramatically* darlings, this chapter is finally done! Thank you to @chromatographic and @mokulule for cheer/beta reading for me. This one was really hard to write since it's out of the normal style wise for me, but it felt like the best way to tell the story right there.

I hope you enjoy it!

I no longer tag, you can subscribe at the masterpost!

#dp x dc #dead on main #like betta fish do

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semisgroupie · 5 months ago

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let the right one in

aizen sosuke x fem. reader

wc: 4.0k words

warnings: stalking, noncon filming (he breaks into reader’s apartment and sets up cameras everywhere), unprotected sex, biting, creampie, very delusional aizen, praise, possessiveness, brief mention of urahara x reader, panty stealing, marking, allusions to murder, alcohol mention

synopsis: always be aware of who you’re letting into your home

a/n: 2500 words of this fic was sponsored by amazing people! thank you for sponsoring this fic but most of all thank you for helping the people in Gaza. if you enjoyed this work there are more works of mine up for sponsorship linked here. also check out @/ficsforgaza to see the other talented artists/writers/etc or just to see how else you can help!

Sosuke was ashamed of himself for doing something like this. He never thought he could conjure these thoughts, let alone perform the actions he has been doing but here he is. He checks his watch and looks around at the train station entrance before adjusting the hood on his head and disguising himself in the shadows. You finally walk out and adjust your bag on your shoulder, by the expression on your face, Sosuke could tell that you’ve had a long day at work.

You start your walk to your apartment complex, it's in a decent neighborhood. Sosuke doesn’t like that there’s some sketchy areas and some weird characters on the route you take home but he can’t change your mind just yet. He would have to make himself known first — well he’d have to reintroduce himself to you.

You two had met during a speed dating event. You were dragged there by a friend of yours who didn’t want to go alone and being the good friend you are, you went. You didn’t care for most of the guys you met but there were two guys that piqued your interest. You believe their names were Kisuke and Sosuke, the short conversations you had with them were interesting but you weren’t able to get any contact information from them because your friend ended up dragging you out of the event. You thought about looking them up and trying to find them but things with work got busy and it just slipped your mind. The thing is, Sosuke was doing all the searching for you. It's surprising how much information you can get from just one internet search and spending 15 minutes on someone’s social media profiles. He basically found out everything about you, your interests, your hobbies, the cafe you liked to go to whenever you had enough time in the morning, the bars and clubs your friends frequented, and most importantly, where you worked. Once he found out where you worked he decided to see you a little more closely.

He ended up following you home the first night he went to your workplace. He only followed enough to see the building you lived in, he didn’t want to push it too far and risk getting caught. Each day he followed you, he got closer and closer to you. He found out what apartment you lived in, he also was able to make a copy of your keys when you misplaced them one day when you were on your route home. While you were out at work, he took it upon himself to let himself into your apartment and he rummaged around. He saw the snacks you liked to enjoy, he found some of the stuffed animals you kept, he also found your little stash of toys. Just your regular dildos and vibrators, nothing too crazy or fancy. He even pocketed some of your used panties to keep as a souvenir before he could get to the real thing and placed some cameras along your photo frames to keep a closer eye on you.

He started watching you like you were his favorite show, you basically did become his favorite show. Whenever you were home and pranced around, he watched every movement. He watched how you liked to pamper yourself with two glasses of wine every Friday night, he watched your very precise skincare routine, and he watched how you liked to touch yourself and make yourself cum. By watching you, he learned what you liked and that way, he could just win you over when he got his hands on you.

It didn’t take long for him to find your landlord to see if there was a vacancy. There were plenty and he wasn’t surprised, it was an old building and the rent was pretty high. He kept the apartment bare, only set up the Wi-Fi and had an air mattress in the middle of the living room area. The apartment was basically his surveillance room and he watched every move you made. He was itching to get his hands on you.

But there was one thing that really helped him make his decision on when he should make himself known to you. One night when he was watching you, he noticed that there was someone new added to the mix. His eyes widened when he saw the mess of blond hair follow behind you and pounce on you when you made it to the living room. How the fuck did you find Kisuke again? He saw how you were hitting it off with the blond during the speed dating event but he didn’t think that you would find him again and he definitely didn’t think that you would end up fucking him once you two reconnected. Sosuke was furious as he watched Kisuke defile you, he knew that Kisuke could never make you feel the same way he could make you feel. But why would you bother to reach out to Kisuke and not him? Did he not make a lasting impression on you? Was he not good enough for you? It was bullshit and he just felt his anger and jealousy bubble. But he just had to remind himself that you were probably just confused and he just needed to remind you that you needed him.

When you were at work the following day, Sosuke let himself into your apartment with his copy of your keys and went to your apartment. He looked around and saw the pile of mail that you had on your kitchen counter, he rummaged through the envelopes and set a couple aside so he could bring them back with him. Then he looked around and saw that your kitchen sink was leaking, it would be a shame if it continued or it would be worse if it turned into a full blown leak. But, if you had a leak and he reluctantly came by to drop off some mail that accidentally ended up in his mailbox, then he could just come in and save the day. He looked around your apartment and grabbed the toolbox you had tucked away in your closet that was stocked with cleaning supplies. He loosened the pipe enough so it could start dripping, by the time you would get home, it would turn into a full blown leak.

Now it all just led to where he is now, trailing behind you as you make your way home. He keeps a decent distance from you, nothing that would make you turn to try to see who was behind you. He continues to follow you while you scroll through some recent emails and social media notifications then he makes a separate turn from you. You make your way to the entrance of your apartment building then stop in front of the door as you dig through your bag to find your keys. “Fuck, I knew I should’ve taken them out on the train ride here.” You continue to rummage through your crowded bag until you hear some footsteps approaching, which make you step to the side before you lift your head to see who’s there. Your eyes instantly widen at the sight of the man in front of you, his shirt is wet from presumably sweat and his chest heaves with heavy breaths. If only you knew that this was all a ploy, If you only knew that Sosuke was following you and the only reason why he looked the way he did was because he splashed some water from a water bottle all over his face and chest. But you wouldn’t know that.

“Sorry to scare you, I just came back from a run.” He smiles at you and you have to break yourself from your trance so you can reply. “No it's okay, I just got so distracted by looking for my keys.” “Oh, I can help you get in,” he reached into his pocket to pull out his set of keys and opened the front door, holding it for you. You finally get your keys out and walk through the door with Sosuke trailing behind. “Did you just move in? I don’t think I’ve seen you here before. I’m Y/N.” You smile at him and let your eyes wander along his body, you can faintly see the outline of his muscles but you don’t see the look of slight frustration in his eyes. How the hell do you not recognize him? Did you two not hit it off the way he thought you two did? There’s no way it could be a figment of his imagination, he wasn’t that delusional. Still he offers a smile, “I’m Sosuke, I moved in probably about a month or two ago. It’s nice to meet you.”

You walk with him to the mailboxes and gather some of your mail while he does the same, “hm, that’s weird, I think this might belong to you.” You furrow your eyebrows as you take the envelope from him and your eyes widen a little when you see your name on the postage. “I knew the mailman was mixing up people’s mail, he’s too old to be doing this job. I don’t even think he can see properly even with his glasses. But thank you.” You smile and tuck the envelopes away in your bag, “actually, I think I might have some more of your mail back in my apartment. How about I bring it to you in like 10 minutes?” You nod along at his suggestion, you never know what mail might have been misplaced and if it's something important then you should have him bring it to you, plus you’ll be able to see your attractive new neighbor again. “Okay, that sounds perfect. Thank you so much.”

He smiles and walks with you to the elevator and enters the metal box with you. You look at the floor he pressed and see that he lives on the floor below you. Once he leaves the elevator and the elevator lands on your floor, you practically run to your apartment. But the surprise lies behind the door. As you push the door open you immediately hear running water and the sound makes your eyebrows furrow. “I could have sworn that I shut off all the faucets before I left.” You mumble to yourself as you make your way into the kitchen and your eyes widen at the sight. “Fuck!” You run over to your linen closet to grab some towels and run over to try to dry off what’s already leaked. You look over at the cabinet underneath the sink and you see the source of the leak, “fucking bullshit!” You groan out and to top off everything that’s going on, there’s a knock at your door.

You stand up and dust yourself off as you open the door to see Sosuke standing there with a handful of envelopes in his hand. “Hi, by any chance, do you know how to fix a leak? I have some tools but I don’t want to risk screwing things up even more, I don’t want this apartment to be a swimming pool.” You open the door more to let him inside then make your way over to the kitchen, wet towels are strewn all over the floor and you look over at him. “Grab the toolbox and I’ll fix this up for you.” You nod at his instructions and make your way over to your supply closet and grab the toolbox before handing it to him. You watch on the side as he goes under the cabinet and starts tinkering with the pipe. You listen to his little groans, grunts and muttered curses as he works on the problem. After about 10 minutes you watch him come up from the cabinet and his shirt is completely soaked, “problem is fixed but do you by any chance have a dryer? Or at least a dry shirt? I twisted the pipe the wrong way and got splashed in return.”

Your eyes widen as you look at his chest and muscles through his shirt, it leaves nothing to the imagination and the sight alone makes your mouth water. “Y/N?” You snap out of your trance as he calls your name and heat spreads along your cheeks. “Sorry, I can put your shirt in the dryer but I don't have a shirt that’ll fit you that you can use in the meantime. Can I have your shirt and I have a dry towel you can use to dry yourself off.” He nods and takes his shirt off, if the sight before he took his shirt off was making you drool then him without the shirt was enough to make your brain malfunction. He places the wet shirt in your hand and you make your way to where your washer and dryer are. The events that have taken place are akin to the start of a porno, you just need to whip out the overly horny and corny lines before the real action starts. You place the shirt in the dryer and put on the settings for it, “Sosuke, I have some wine and some leftover takeout if you’d like some. I can’t thank you enough for saving me like this.” You shout out to him and grab a dry towel before making your way over to him.

You hand him the towel and watch his muscles flex as he dries off his hair and chest. “I’ll take some wine if you don’t mind.” You nod and grab two glasses and pour the wine in both before handing one to him. “I’m sorry about this Sosuke, I didn’t think this was what you were planning on dealing with when we met earlier.” You smile nervously before taking a big swig of your wine, maybe the alcohol could calm your nerves or just dull you for a few moments. He chuckles and takes a sip of his wine, “well I think today is just full of surprises, actually, the past half hour has been full of surprises. I wouldn’t mind going through it again if that meant I could spend more time with my beautiful neighbor. A beautiful neighbor who is very obvious with her ogling.” You almost choke on your wine at his words and you set the glass down as you stumble over your words, “I-I’m sorry, y-you’re very attractive. I’m sorry.”

He laughs and shakes his head as he sets his glass down and takes a few steps closer to you, “don’t apologize, I have to admit that I was checking your ass out when you were leading me into the kitchen. That pencil skirt is just doing wonders for your body.” He sucks in a breath and meets your eyes. You don’t know what to say or do but stare into his eyes, your heart is pounding in your chest as he leans in closer and only stops when his lips are about to brush yours. “Do you want this? Should I continue?” You lick your dry lips and nod but all he does is click his tongue against his teeth, “words, dear. I need to hear you.” You take a deep breath and finally find the words, “yes, please continue.” With that he finally closes the distance and presses his lips against yours. He snakes one hand around your waist to pull you in and moves his free hand to your ass, gripping it tightly to make you moan against his lips. Your hands find themselves on his shoulders and he slips his tongue into your mouth, you can taste the wine on his tongue and he breaks the kiss.

Your lips are slightly parted as you pant and he lifts you onto your kitchen counter. “This outfit looks beautiful on you but I need it off now.” He moves his hands to your blouse and rips it open, “sorry, I hope this wasn’t expensive.” He mutters before he drops his head to your chest, licking and sucking along the skin of your breasts, pulling down your bra in the process so he can suck on your nipples. You arch your back and grip his shoulders tighter, your nails digging against his skin. “Sosuke!” He glances up at you, chocolate brown pools gaze back at you as his tongue swirls around your pert buds. He releases the nipple in his mouth with a wet pop and smiles at you. “You sound so beautiful when you cry my name like that. I wanna hear it again.”

He takes your nipple back in his mouth and lightly bites down, the action makes you gasp and you bring one hand to his hair, tugging on the soft locks. He releases your nipple once more then continues to kiss down your body. Lewd, wet sounds fill your ears as he kisses your tummy, his fingers move to undo the zipper of your skirt and with your help he tugs it off your body. The skirt falls to the floor and joins the scraps of your shirt that are there. He glances up at you as he kisses your pussy through your panties. With how wet you are already, he can taste you through the fabric. He keeps his eyes on you as he flattens his tongue along your covered core and licks up. You whimper and buck your hips, trying to get more from him. “Sosuke, please just do something already. I can’t take this teasing.” You whine out as he turns his head to kiss your inner thigh, he licks along the sensitive skin then bites down lightly.

“Oh come on, you can take a little more. Don’t be impatient, I had to wait and now so do you.” Your eyebrows furrow at his words and you open your mouth to question him but the words die down as he presses his thumb against your covered clit. Your breath hitches as he starts to move his thumb in circles. “Sosuke, I need you please.” You look down at him as you buck your hips again and as much as he wants to deny you and keep teasing you, the look in your eyes makes him crumble.

“Don’t worry darling, I’ll give it to you.” He stands up and nudges you to lay back against the counter, the cold surface contrasts greatly against your hot skin. He pulls down his sweatpants and boxers, making his cock spring out to full attention. Your eyes widen when you see it, it’s thicker than your biggest toy and long. You look at the tuft of neatly trimmed brown hair and your mind instantly wonders how good it’ll feel rubbing against your clit but your thoughts are quickly cut off as he pulls you closer to him by your legs. “Here you were begging for more and you’re just letting your mind wander. Maybe I shouldn’t fuck you, just let you watch as I give myself a pussy job. You’re wet enough, I’ll have more than enough lubrication to use you.” He pulls your panties to the side and presses his cock against your slick lips, moving up and down to emphasize his point.

You lift yourself on your elbows to watch him and buck your hips. “I’m sorry Sosuke, please just fuck me. I won’t get distracted again, fuck me.” He continues to grind against your pussy then pulls back. He wraps his hand around the base of his cock and slowly starts guiding it inside of you. He bites his bottom lip and moves his free hand to grip your waist as he continues to push into you, slowly at first and then he slams the rest of his cock inside of you. “Sosuke!” You cry out his name as an orgasm washes over you, your body trembles and your pussy clenches around him tightly. This has to be the fastest you’ve ever been able to cum.

Your chest rises and falls as you try to even yourself out after your orgasm but Sosuke doesn’t give you enough time to do so. He moves his other hand to your chest and toys with your nipples as he starts thrusting into you. “Oh? Not used to being fucked like this? Hm? I’ll make sure to get this through your head by the time I’m cumming inside of you. No one could ever make you feel like I can. Not any other guy you find on an app, not any of your exes and definitely not Kisuke. Kisuke didn’t make you cum this fast. Kisuke needed your help to guide him on how to make you cum. Can’t believe you let that pathetic man fuck you.” He mumbles as he continues to pound into you. The tip of his cock hits your g spot and his pubic hair brushes against your clit deliciously.

“Oh fuck Sosuke!” You bring your hands down to his wrists and grip them tightly as he fucks into you. “I’ve watched you for so long, I know everything you like. I even know it better than you do. You’ll never find anyone like me, that’s why you only need me. Only I can fuck you like this. Make you cum until your brain turns to mush. Only me.” He groans out more confessions as he drills into you, his hips slapping against yours harder and harder with each time he bottoms out. He looks at the expression on your face and he knows that whatever he says won’t penetrate deeper into your brain.

He could even confess to murder and all you’ll do is whimper and moan his name. Just the thought of it tempts him. “Do you know how badly I wanted to come in here and pull Kisuke off of you that night? I know you were just faking it to make him feel better about himself. And that fucking look on his face after he coated your soft skin in his filthy cum, I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. Makes me fucking sick to know he had you before I did. But don’t worry, he’ll never be a problem for us. I’ll get rid of him and we’ll never hear from him again. That sounds good, doesn’t it? I’ll build a world just for you and me in it. Anyone who tries to get in, I’ll just get rid of them.” He leans in and kisses your neck, biting the skin as he continues to pound into you. “I’m cumming again!” Your hands fly to his back as another orgasm washes over you. You drag your nails against his skin, leaving red marks in its wake that he’ll wear with pride.

He continues to pound into you and lifts his head so his mouth is by your ear. “Now you’re going to take my cum inside of you. I’ll be the only person you’ll fuck from now on, no one else. Got that?” He continues to pound into you as his cock twitches inside of you. “Yes cum inside of me please!” He slams his hips into yours once, twice more and he bottoms out. His balls flesh against your ass as he starts to fill you with sticky ropes of hot cum. He pants in your ear as you pant to catch your breath. He slowly pulls back and hooks his hands behind your back to pick you up. “Time for us to go lay down.” He mutters as he holds you close to him, his cock still lodged inside of you as he takes you to your bedroom.

He pulls the covers back and lays down, keeping you on top of him as he pulls the covers over you both. He caresses your head and back as he peppers kisses along the crown of your head. “Rest up, you’ve had a busy day today. Just get some rest, my love. Today is the start of our lives together, I can’t wait to watch this back later. Just relive this beautiful moment.” He smiles as he watches you fall asleep, peaceful like a little kitten. It’s cute really, it’s so surprising how you easily fell into the lion’s den.

Easy prey and now, he’ll never let you go.

taglist: @saexy @siderearum @cockaiine @entirelysein-e (link in pinned to join the taglist!)

#bleach smut #aizen smut #aizen sosuke smut #tw:noncon elements #tw:unprotected sex #tw:stalking #tw:alcohol

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sonkitty · 2 months ago

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The Food Curse

Here is my currently forming head canon based on little clues from the Good Omens story of seasons 1 and 2.

Crowley either does not eat food at all or Crowley is never allowed to be seen eating on camera.

There's more to it than that because he can eat indirectly, but that's the core thing I'm going to ramble on about in this post. It's going to sound like one of my theories, but that's force of habit from how I come up with questions and check my own theories.

I'll acknowledge that I've seen more than one Good Omens fan post about food being equal to sex in Good Omens and say that you're not going to find that kind of discussion here. It's my head canon, and I prefer my incoming approach to it.

I don't talk about my religious background much because it's personal, so you'll have to make do with me saying I have learned the following from reading Good Omens posts and not being well-versed in biblical references already. I don't remember if any sources I read this information from expressed a similar theory or head canon though you would think that's where I got the idea.

I'm under the impression the GO universe favors the New King James Version of the Bible, and according to a quick Google search, that one says of God addressing the serpent who tempted Eve:

Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.

...

An interpretation of this curse is that it means the Serpent of Eden cannot eat food, or, if he does, it will turn to dust.

Let's examine the clues provided by the story, for fun and/or curiosity.

In season 2, episode 1, during Before the Beginning, we see Crowley's wings are graying, indicating to us that his Fall was a process. It was not an instant thing. It started with this questioning and frustration at learning the fate of the universe ending in a mere 6,000 years.

In season 1, episode 5, Crowley is found getting drunk and talking about his Fall. One of his remarks is, "Oh, hey, the food hadn't been that good lately."

These described events would be from before the temptation that caused this curse, but I noticed them all the same because I'm looking for such things.

We catch glimpses of other supernatural beings describing events before the Fall, but I don't think any of them ever mention food for that time period.

From the scenes we have of Eden in the first two seasons, the story skips over God saying such a curse exists to the serpent. We see Crawley slithering on his belly and then able to rise, transforming into a man-shaped demon with black-feathered wings. He's not eating dust.

Well, even though we never see God curse the Serpent of Eden, the story leaves clues that something resembling this curse is active with Crowley. You know, in case you want to form a head canon about it.

In 2500 BC, Crowley successfully tempts Aziraphale into eating food, and he looks very pleased with himself at his success.

My head canon at this point goes that Crowley himself is feeding off the success of his temptation. Crowley feeds off Aziraphale when Aziraphale eats. This feeding does not last for only this one session. It can and does happen from that point onward. Crowley feeds off Aziraphale this way at least when the two are near each other by some unknown distance.

In Rome, 8 years after 33 AD, Crowley says he's never eaten an oyster. Aziraphale quickly goes into saying something about letting him tempt Crowley into...oh wait, that's Crowley's job. Crowley was successful at this job with Eve and later Aziraphale, for getting each of them to eat something while he himself did not visibly eat anything.

In 1601, Crowley shows up while Aziraphale is ordering food at the Globe Theater. The two have a conversation, and Crowley, as usual, expresses no interest in eating the food himself. He can still be feeding off Aziraphale eating.

On and on it goes. In season 1, episode 1, Crowley and Aziraphale reference Paris, 1793. Aziraphale says, "We had crepes." Well, if Aziraphale ate the crepes, and Crowley fed off Aziraphale eating the crepes, that's a way they had crepes. Aziraphale doesn't feel the need to rephrase it in that way. It's a thing they did together nonetheless.

Crowley plans a heist in 1967 at the Dirty Donkey. No one is having food at that meeting. The other three with him are all humans.

When Crowley meets up with Hastur and Ligur at the graveyard for the "11 years ago" of season 1, episode 1, Crowley departs, saying, "Ciao." Ligur asks what that means, and Hastur answers, "food." No one ate food of course, but since we're looking at Crowley with a possible food curse, it's a curious thing to be there, just like him mentioning "food" when drunkenly talking about his Fall.

When Crowley convinces Aziraphale to go with him to the Ritz for the "11 years ago" time period, Crowley does not have a plate of food. He has a cup with a spoon a saucer, presumably for a drink. He strokes his chin to show him enjoying himself, feeding off Aziraphale eating.

In season 1, episode 2, Crowley and Aziraphale go to a cafe. Crowley is not shown to be enjoying himself feeding off Aziraphale eating, but Crowley's side of the table definitely lacks a plate while having a cup. That indicates he's fine with drinking something, not bothering with eating something, just like when they went to the Ritz 11 years ago.

In season 1, episode 3, Crowley meets up with Shadwell at a diner. Crowley has no drink and no food while they meet. Neither does Shadwell.

In season 1, episode 4, Crowley is found mostly alone in a theater with a container of popcorn. We never see him eat the popcorn, but we at least know he was holding it, and Aziraphale is not around. That could be for show since he considers it part of the human experience being in a theater. I could just be wrong, it's just a head canon after all. He may have done it anyway and just eaten the dust that formed once it went into his mouth. Or, maybe he can eat, but the silly rules of the Good Omens story are that he's never allowed to be seen eating on camera due to his food curse.

In season 1, episode 6, Aziraphale, while pretending to be Crowley, orders them some ice cream and passes one to Crowley, while Crowley is pretending to be Aziraphale. We don't see what became of Crowley's ice cream, but it disappears from the framing very quickly once the camera moves away from him, then back to him. During the actual kidnapping, his mouth is even taped shut. Much like the popcorn in the theater, the ice cream could have been for show. He may have endured eating the dust. He may have devoured it very quickly when the camera wasn't looking.

Later in the same episode, at the Ritz, the table has plenty of food though actually both Crowley's and Aziraphale's main plates where you would expect food to be are empty.

Whatever happened to that plate of Eccles cakes in season 2, episode 1? I don't know. We may never know, but this head canon offers something.

Aziraphale is implied to have ordered those Eccles cakes for Crowley in the hope that they will calm Crowley down with the news about Gabriel being in the bookshop. We know that those Eccles cakes are shown untouched and uneaten before Crowley stormed out.

Crowley is shown to angrily walk away in the street after shooting out lightning that traps Maggie and Nina in the coffee shop. Then a scene in Heaven happens. By the time we get back to Earth, Crowley has calmed down. He's still upset, he's tired, but he's calmed down. So, maybe, very very big maybe, Aziraphale ate those Eccles cakes, Crowley fed off it or felt it, and calmed down. Even if that's true, that suggests some allowable distance with thresholds between them for this magic to work.

Obviously, things happen to get Crowley worked up again with being summoned to Hell, but he had calmed down. When Crowley returns to the bookshop, the plate of Eccles cakes is no longer there.

Over the course of season 2, we don't see Aziraphale eating as much as what we saw in season 1. To my recollection, he only visibly eats one time during the present day storyline, and it's a travel sweet while driving Crowley's car. We learn that Crowley can feel his car despite the distance between them. He can feel quite specifically that Aziraphale eats during that drive and even what Aziraphale is eating. My head canon figures that's part of Crowley's demonic power able to feed off Aziraphale when Aziraphale eats.

In season 2, episode 5, Aziraphale passes a platter to Crowley saying, "Have a vol-au-vent." Crowley is left speechless and eventually drops the platter in annoyance, never shown to have eaten any of the food on it.

Aziraphale sometimes seems aware of this curse and sometimes doesn't. That would be part of the curse's own magic. The more caught up Aziraphale is in what he is wanting or doing, the less aware he is of the curse itself being there.

Another thing about this curse is that if Crowley touches food or the container holding the food, it's usually a bad omen for him. When he has the popcorn in hand, Hastur shows up on the screen to threaten him. When he's holding the ice cream, he is kidnapped. With the plate of Eccles cakes, he is confronted with Gabriel being n the bookshop. For the vol-au-vent platter, that one's a little different since a threat is already known with him on alert, and it takes a longer amount of time for something as dramatic as the brick through the window.

So, with all these little clues that Crowley can feed off Aziraphale eating food, the next question for a silly fangirl like myself is, "What does that mean for all of humanity?"

Crowley tempted Eve into eating the apple. Did he feed off that? Does he feed off humans whenever they eat anything or just apples or just giving into temptation?

Well, the story doesn't say so much as it leaves room for something to be imagined. If Crowley is on screen, humans might be seen drinking and they might have food near them, but I am yet to find any scene of them putting actual food into their mouths to confirm that they can and will clearly eat when the camera is watching as Crowley is on screen with them.

So, what do I imagine?

Well, my instinct is that Crowley himself would flicker in visibility if the camera were watching since we're not allowed to ever see it.

That's just my instinct.

From there, I just go with what I like of fantasizing him as a powerful demon. He feels it. It affects him. And yes, he feeds off it. We're not allowed to see it happen, but he does. He is a very well fed demon.

...

Oh, and another little oddity with this idea is that during the big food fight for Warlock's birthday, party, the food definitely does not land on Crowley, even if it gets on the kids, on Aziraphale, and some of the other wait staff. That could be Crowley's own magic in guarding himself, just not wanting to get messy, as some other explanation, if I wanted to venture that way with this head canon. I'll stick to it being part of this food curse since it's part of the broader group of little clues.

...

I have a generally good memory of events in the show by now, but things still slip between trying to remember it all. So, if I remember something worth adding or noting or correcting, I will do whatever seems best for those options.

Edit: I now have a Food Curse Part 2.

#crowley #david tennant #good omens #good omens 2 #good omens s2 #good omens season 2 #good omens meta #good omens analysis #good omens crowley #good omens theories #good omens clues

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cambion-companion · 2 years ago

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With a Dagger to My Throat

Inspired by the post "we've heard about missionary position what about mercenary position."

word count: 2500

Yes, the last few lines are from the Labyrinth :3

Aemond x fem!reader | 18+| Against the wall smut| Enemies to...enemies with benefits ig

You knew that look.

It was the glint of a hungry predator eyeing its next meal.

The keen gaze of the raptor before it swoops upon the mouse.

You didn't like seeing it in Aemond's lilac gaze. Or perhaps you did. Your traitorous heart stuttered within your ribcage, your throat suddenly dry as the Targaryen prince took a singular slow step towards you.

"Say that again." His voice was soft velvet, belying the anger in his rigid stance.

Never one to back down from a fight, you raised your chin in defiance. "You go too far, prince Aemond." He took another step in your direction. You did not waver. "Taking the Riverlands in so forceful a manner is beneath your dignity."

"And what," Aemond was drawing very close now, you could see the moonlight glinting off his eyelashes, "would you know of dignity."

The black stone hall was empty save for the two of you, fiery sconces adorned the walls casting deep shadows to the many corners of the room. You tilted your head up as Aemond halted his steps right in front of you, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked down into your face awaiting your reply.

You licked your dry lips, his eye followed the movement. "A great deal more than you, kinslayer."

With a hiss Aemond snatched your chin roughly with a movement to quick for you to parry. Your eyes widened momentarily as he brought his face down, you though for a wild moment he would kiss you. "You know nothing of what you speak. Drinking readily from the poisonous words dripping through the halls of Dragonstone." His eye was alight with a wildness you'd not seen before in your many encounters with the prince, however fraught with tension they'd been. "Tell me, little sparrow, what will you tell your traitorous masters of what you learned of my movements this time? How I succeeded in bending the Baratheons and the lands extending beyond the Reach to my family's rightful claim to the Iron Throne?"

"I will tell them you are a liar and a coward!" You knocked his hand aside, stepping back into a defensive stance as you withdrew your blade at your hip. "Nothing surprising in that." You sneered as Aemond's hand went to grip the pommel of his own weapon. "Raining fire from above while innocents perish below."

Aemond's silver blade reflected the moonlight as he slowly withdrew it and held the tip almost touching yours. "Such is the nature of war. You should ask those you serve what innocence they themselves have snuffed out needlessly."

You pushed aside the doubt his words sowed, letting forth a snarl from your mouth as you lunged for him.

Aemond easily parried your blow, stepping to the side as you overbalanced, barely managing to right yourself before falling. The sound of metal on metal rang through the bleak hall as you and Aemond exchanged strikes and blocks, each almost managing to land a hit.

"You started this unending nightmare!" You shouted at him, fury flushing your face as he blocked yet another swinging attack from your blade. "The events of Storm's End will haunt the world for centuries to come!"

You could see Aemond's cool facade slipping, that predatory gaze intensifying as his lips thinned into a hard line.

Not the gaze of a woodland predator stalking its prey or that of an eagle eyeing a rabbit from above, no. It was the way a dragon looked upon the world far below just before it opened its maw to engulf it in flame.

You were too slow, and too weak to resist what was to come.

Aemond rushed you suddenly, his black coat billowing behind him. The breath left your lungs as he locked his blade against yours, pushing you until your back hit the smooth wall with a crack. Your head hit as well, stunning you momentarily. In that moment he could have finished you, slit your throat, and you expected him to. Thus, it was with surprise you looked into his pale face now inches from your own.

Your noses brushed.

His breath tickled your parted lips.

"I am not the monster everyone believes me to be." Aemond's voice was a tense whisper, he held your arms still as you struggled to break away.

"You are." Your wrists were pressed against your heaving chest, the metal of your sword-hilt cutting into your skin. "You murdered your nephew. Brought his eye back on a platter of seaweed as a trophy."

Aemond's own eye closed momentarily, his nostrils flaring as his lips turned downward. When he opened his eye again it was filled with an emotion you'd not expected.

Anguish.

"I did not." He seemed to fight with himself a long while, so long your hands had began to numb when he spoke again. "I lost control."

Genuinely confused you almost forgot he was an enemy you were trying to kill. "You...what do you mean?"

"I lost control of my dragon." Aemond peered into your eyes before shaking his head, frustration written on his angular face. "Why am I telling you this? I should kill you now and be done with it. Live up to the lies they spread about me."

"Aemond-"

"No." Aemond cut you off, pressing his sword closer to your face.

A new emotion mixed with the hatred searing your chest as you tried to push back, his sword now far too close to your face for your liking. You felt doubt and perhaps a measure of pity. He had no reason to lie to you, and the emotions you'd seen play on his features seemed genuine.

With a last great effort you twisted your locked blades suddenly to the side, breaking free of his grip and swinging your elbow against the pressure point in his arm. His sword clattered to the ground and before Aemond could react you kicked it aside, sending it skittering along the uneven stone ground out of reach.

You almost had him, but before you could place the point of your blade to his throat Aemond ducked, grabbing your wrist and bending it painfully. Your own sword hit the ground and you were once again pinned against the wall, Aemond's weight bearing down upon your wriggling form.

"I am almost impressed." Aemond's hair was mussed, silver strands tickled your cheek as he leaned closer. "Who taught you to move like that?"

You didn't answer.

He chuckled. "What a shame it has to end like this." Aemond withdrew a dagger from his belt, pressing the cold edge against the skin of your throat. "I admire your tenacity, as well as your loyalty. Blind as it may be."

"Aemond." You hated yourself for the way your voice sounded so pleading, your eyes widening in mortal fear as the dagger bit into your flesh. "Don't do this."

He caught your gaze, his body freezing, even his breath seemed to stop in his lungs as he looked into your frightened face.

"Please." You pressed your palm flat against where his heart beat. "We've known each other since childhood."

Aemond's eye flickered over your features before locking once more with your gaze. "I don't want to, but you are my enemy and the enemy to my family."

His name left your lips again, softer this time, drawing his attention once more to your mouth.

It was no secret the feelings that lay between you. Hatred and love shared in equal measure. Disdain and lust warring with each other each time your paths and blades crossed. You had been friends once, long ago, within the protective innocence of childhood. He had not forgotten your kindness in the face of the crushing loneliness he'd suffered before and after his eye had been taken.

This time it was your name that fell from Aemond's lips just before they met yours. A surprised squeak left your mouth as he moved against you, your hands tangling in his hair as his free fingers gripped the back of your neck, bending you into him with his blade still against your throat.

In between the heartbeats of bliss you realized you would be unable to harm him. In fact, you wanted to shield him from harm, impossible as that might be.

You murmured Aemond's name against his lips as they melted against yours, he gripped the nape of your neck tighter in response, his mouth trailing a wet path down the side of your face to your throat just above where his dagger lay. Unheeding of the sharp metal you arched against his soft mouth as it caressed your skin, intermingling with his teeth as he sucked bruises with which to claim you.

"You are the traitor." He said it like a reproach, not angry, but resigned. His fingers deftly began to undo the clasps of your blouse, skimming his long fingers along the newly exposed skin as your shirt fell open. "Faithless in the face of death, you instead beg for your life."

You did not resist, heat pooling in your core as Aemond kept your chin aloft by the edge of his dagger. You could easily disarm him distracted as he was with the ties of your undergarment, but instead your hands busied themselves with undoing the clasps of his own garments.

"It seems to be working for me so far." You murmured, drawing back in momentary fear as Aemond brought the tip of his dagger to rest against your sternum. He smirked at you knowingly before cutting through your remaining clothing with one fluid motion.

"Hey!" Your protestations were swallowed as Aemond's silenced you with another rough kiss his tongue invading your mouth and tangling with your own. You let out an undignified moan, palming his evident erection with the hand you'd snuck inside his pants.

Aemond grabbed your wrist, withdrawing you from him, before flipping you around so that your cheek pressed against cold stone.

"Perhaps." Aemond's breath was hot against your ear, the sound of cloth hitting the ground as he freed the rest of your body from your clothing. "Or perhaps I have vanquished a valuable spy who now awaits proper punishment."

"Am I being punished for being on the wrong side of the war at the peril of my very life?" You tried to sound indignant but it came out too breathless as you felt Aemond's large hand caress and grip at the flesh of your hips before moving lower to coax your legs apart.

"No." His voice alone sent shockwaves ripping through your core. "This is penance for all the years wasted when you could have been warming my bed as my wife."

"Aemond." You were surely dripping now, his fingers caressing your folds and dipping into you with ease as he spread your slick to your clit. "I would take it all back and make that a reality if I could."

You gasped loudly as the dagger he still held ready slid dangerously against your throat, Aemond's body bending against yours as he bowed you downwards. You had to shuffle your feet a little to accommodate the new position, feeling his aroused member brushing your inner thigh.

"Lies." Aemond bit the soft skin where your neck meets your shoulder. "Sweet and beautiful but only uttered to save yourself."

You began to protest but your words choked into a strangled cry as Aemond pushed himself into your weeping quim, hilting himself in one rough movement. His silken hair tangled in your fingers as you reached around to drag his mouth closer to your face, craning your head to see his expression.

His lips were parted, brow furrowed and eye hooded as he began rutting into you. Your own face mirrored his, a droplet of drool gathering at the corner of your mouth at the feeling of Aemond's generous manhood filling and stretching you.

"How long I've waited to take you." Aemond groaned, closing his eye and tilting his head back, his grip on the dagger at your throat loosening as ecstasy overtook him.

You tugged him back to look at you, smiling softly when he yielded and laid his forehead against yours, his rough strokes easing into something more akin to the languid movements of lovemaking.

Feeling his gentle ministrations sent molten heat through you, your cunt clenching down around him, drawing a gentle gasp from his panting mouth.

"I want you to spill your seed inside me." You urged him, feeling your own release chasing you to a brilliant height. "Claim me and I will be yours."

Aemond pulled his face back just enough to see you properly, his deep distrust having given way to something almost tender as the dagger at your throat fell away at last. Somewhere amidst the moans and lewd sound of Aemond fucking you against the wall you heard it clatter against the stone floor.

His hand now free grasped your neck lightly, not enough to cut off airflow, but enough to coax you closer to your climax as he dragged your lips to meet his. His pace became punishing, his cock filling you completely, hitting that special spot inside until you were seeing stars.

Aemond swallowed your shuddering gasp as you came undone around him in a flood of wet heat. You felt his hot release fill you as he pumped into you several more times before halting fully sheathed and holding you possessively against his body, a hand splayed on your abdomen as you straightened up together. His other hand remained resting at your throat as Aemond kissed a path along your shoulder blades.

When he did remove himself from you, you could feel his seed dripping hot down the inside of your leg. Your knees shook as you turned to face Aemond, pulling him down for another kiss, more lazy than the previous, and filled with words you'd never gotten the chance to say to him.

Aemond withdrew slowly, his hands the last to leave your skin as his purple eye roved your body. "You belong to me now." He smirked as you picked up your ruined undergarments off the floor. "Whether you run back to Dragonstone or flee North of the Wall."

You shuffled your clothing back on as best you could while Aemond gracefully donned his own much quicker than you. "I will not flee."

"Then come back with me." Aemond extended a now gloved hand. "Just fear me, love me, let me rule you and I will protect you and make you my wife."

You stood like that for several long moments; Aemond with his arm extended to where you stood swaying with indecision.

Indecision melted away as you finally allowed yourself to give into what you truly desired.

Aemond.

His hand wrapped warmly around yours as you slipped your fingers against his palm.

And he smiled with genuine warmth.

"Good girl."

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humbledragon669 · 3 days ago

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S2E2 - The Clue Write Up P5 -Land of Uz: from a little alone time in the cellar to the return to present day

I’m hoping to get to the end of this Land of Uz segment in this part so let’s get stuck straight in from the beginning of the scene after the kids have been transformed into lizards. There’s a bit of Aziracrow backstory confirmed here, which is that Crawley is already drinking alcohol at this point in the chronology. We don’t see Aziraphale drinking alcohol until 42AD, some 2500 years later. I’d love to know when and what changed his stance on this one, seeing as he’s very clearly anti-alcohol at this point in the history.

Crawley on the other hand is very comfortable not only with the consumption, but also with the possibility of the side effects of human wine. His ability to assess the quality of the wine on offer would also suggest that he’s been doing this for a while, and even though it would seem Aziraphale has never seen him do it before, the demon doesn’t think twice about pouring and offering a cup to him - there’s just an assumption that it’s a perfectly normal thing for them to do. I do wonder if Crawley’s decision to drink alcohol evolved from whatever fall-out there was following the flood, seeing as we don’t have any indication that this is behaviour he engaged in prior to that. Whatever his reasoning, he can clearly see he’s not going to win this battle, deciding to try his luck instead with getting the angel to eat.

Now, we all know that what follows in this scene is probably one of the fandom’s favourite scenes across both seasons, so true to fashion I am not going to delve deep into it. What I do want to make a little comment on is how Crawley manages to persuade Aziraphale to give the food a try, because it’s pretty clever. First off, he anticipates the protests and uses the angel’s own justification about alcohol by positing that food should be considered differently because it doesn’t cause drunkenness. After all, that was the only argument that Aziraphale really gave for not trying the wine just seconds before. Ergo, no drunken consequences theoretically means no argument for not imbibing. What really tips the scales is that he presents Aziraphale with the ability to partake of the food of his own free will. He literally presents the gift of “choice” to the angel on a silver platter. He even makes the situation explicitly clear to him as he does so:

CRAWLEY: You’re free to try the food.

Given we identified Aziraphale’s desire for the ability to exercise personal choice in the scene in the courtyard a short time ago, this is a really smart card for Crawley to play. So smart in fact that Aziraphale doesn’t really put up much of a fight about it, even if he tries to make a big song and dance about how repulsive the whole thing supposedly is.

And there really is no mistaking how pleased Crawley is with this turn of events, is there?

The only thing I wonder about here is whether the demon had any idea about what feelings he was about to set fire to in getting to see Aziraphale eat. He is a demon after all, so I have no doubt that there is a part of him that talked the angel into consuming human food because it would be a lovely little victory to add to his collection, at least in the lead up to the event. I don’t think that motivation is what keeps him staring whilst Aziraphale gorges himself though, most definitely not, despite the fact that this is some of the sloppiest eating I’ve ever seen somebody do (and I’ve watched every episode of Adam Richman’s Man vs. Food). When did he know that the enjoyment he got out of watching Aziraphale eat wasn’t actually driven by a desire to turn another being away from their standards? I’m pretty sure he knows by the time we see them at the Ritz after Adam was born, but there are 3000 years between these two events. He may know as early as Rome, given his not-so-subtle hints about never having eaten an oyster before paves the way for he and Aziraphale to go for dinner together. Whenever he comes to the realisation, I don’t think there’s a person on Earth that could argue that watching the angel eat in the cellar has Crawley thirsting for something other than wine.

Well despite Crawley’s assurances about not being able to get drunk on food, Aziraphale has more than a little hint of intoxication about him going on here. And where exactly is he putting all of that food?! There’s barely more than bones left. IT WAS AN ENTIRE OX. In fairness, he must have been at it a while, because even Crawley looks bored by the gluttonous display going on in front of him.

There’s something about this little exchange that really tugs at my heart strings, and I think it’s because Aziraphale’s words suggest that this is him making an effort to understand Crawley. Not just knowing him, or liking him, or whatever else, but actually understanding the demon. Not only that, it’s pretty clear that he feels that a lonely state of mind isn’t something he wants for this being, despite the fact that they’re supposed to be mortal enemies, and he doesn’t look particularly convinced at Crawley’s insistence that he’s misread the situation either.

I don’t think I’d be breaking any ground in saying Crawley’s challenge to Aziraphale’s oath of allegiance to God, and the response to it, remind us that the angel has been teetering on the edge of being able to rationalise said allegiance for quite some time. It’s an interesting thought process to witness though - the staunch assertion of loyalty so quickly cast into doubt with Crawley’s reminder of the cruelty in the side Aziraphale is aligned with. It’s no wonder he looks so devastated when he considers the reality that his side could in fact be responsible for an act that he has been so painfully trying to stop Crawley from doing because it’s so inherently awful.

I find it interesting at this point to see Aziraphale effectively admitting defeat by returning to the food. He has no response to Crawley’s gleeful acknowledgement of the doubt he’s planted. Nothing. Not even an “I forgive you”. It got me to thinking whether we see Aziraphale accepting that he’s lost an argument anywhere else. And I don’t mean acceptance that they’ve reached an impasse or losing control of his emotions and saying something he’ll regret later, but actually realising that his point of view has fatal flaws that cannot be reconciled in the face of reason. In previous discussions of this nature, he’s usually been successful in justifying the terrible acts done in Heaven’s name with some sort of meaningless reasoning (God is going to make a rainbow afterwards for example, or the ever-faithful “ineffable plan” motif), but here, challenged with the notion that his side has seen fit to endorse the killing of innocents for no other reason than to win a bet, he’s lost for words. Uncomfortable as he might have been with casting Adam and Eve out of the garden, or the Great Flood, this particular cruelty looks to be something causing something of a revelation for him.

Quick note on Crawley’s challenge to Aziraphale’s apparent blasphemy.

CRAWLEY: Blasphemy, angel? That’s not like you.

It wasn’t 24 hours prior that Crawley was making it very clear to Aziraphale that they didn’t know each other at all. Yet this line is delivered with such familiarity, it’s impossible to think that the relationship between the pair is anything other than convivial. Leading on from that, I do find myself wondering how the rest of that night in the cellar panned out. What did they talk about? Did Aziraphale eat the rest of the ox? Did he perhaps try some alcohol? The use of the banner declaring that we’re now looking at “the next day” just feels like there’s a real emphasis on the amount of time that’s passed between these two scenes; the possibilities feel quite vast.

There’s that line: the one that started this whole flashback process off in the first place. And as previously noted, as far as we can see the only beings present for it were God, Job, Crawley and Aziraphale. It’s possible Gabriel was with God in Heaven whilst she spoke to Job I suppose, but I like the possibilities that open up if we consider that the line Jim utters that turns his eyes briefly purple is a line that he shouldn’t have any knowledge of even if he had his Gabriel memories.

I love the return of the whale motif in Job’s recanting to Sitis, even though we don’t actually hear God saying anything about them in her speech. I did some light research about the reasoning for the whale appearances and couldn’t find anything concrete, but there’s a fair amount of speculation that it might be in homage to Douglas Adams, whales featuring heavily in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy books There is this though:

A quick note on pronouns here (something which I seem to finding more and more of note about as the show goes on). Sitis refers to God here using they/them pronouns. We heard Aziraphale using the she/her pronouns that we’ve become accustomed to hearing as recently as in the cellar, and the voice we hear in the previous scene remains feminine. I think the use of they/them might just be a scriptual loophole - I think both Job and Sitis would have been harbouring under the concept that God was a male figure, and that the knowledge that God is in fact feminine appears to be something that only agents of Heaven and Hell are privy to. Perhaps it’s just a quirk of the script - was it considered too confusing for Sitis to use he/him pronouns at this point? Settling instead for they/them as a compromise? That’s the only reason I can really come up with, because it feels slightly awkward to me.

There’s that devastated angel look again, and this time it comes with a little gulp as Aziraphale bears witness to the overwhelming grief that Heaven has inflicted so nonchalantly onto God’s most faithful servant. The juxtapositioning of his devastation against Gabriel’s cheery obliviousness, not to mention the music and the sounds of Job weeping in the background, makes it all the more painful for us to watch.

Whilst there’s no mistaking the relief on Aziraphale’s features (quickly followed by a look of guilt), I think it notable that none of the other angels from Heaven recognise Crawley, either as a demon or a former angel. Considering he has already been referred to (in the present day, which is in the future from where we are in this episode. Confusing much?) as part of a group of demons that were cast out, and that he is the one carrying out the orders from Satan that would see the bet with God settled, it seems likely that they might recognise him. I suspect this is simply one of those times when storyline convenience won out over the need to ensure that the script was plothole-free. I also think it worth noting that the moment Crawley enters the scene is the very moment he knows things are about to turn very ugly for Job and Sitis, choosing to step in and try to rescue to situation. He’s just a natural rescuer, isn’t he? Could this be the moment Aziraphale’s love of being rescued by him started to form? It certainly speaks to the demon’s true character if nothing else, which is that deep down, he really is quite a nice person…

Well, if we weren’t aware of Aziraphale’s frustrations with Heaven and its agents, he makes it painfully obvious when Michael decides to give an explanation of the origin of Crawley’s fake name. How he gets away with this eye roll in the presence of so many other beings, I have no idea: not even Crawley seems aware of it, concentrating on Michael’s irritatingly accurate debunking of his cover story as he is. There are two things about this scene at this point that I think are worth noting. For the first, let’s take a high-level overview of everything that’s going on here - a renegade demon and angel are trying to bluff their way out of trouble with some high-ranking angels having low-key thwarted the will of God. The soundtrack has some delicate pizzicato (that’s plucked, for those who aren’t musically minded) strings in the background, providing a comic feel to the scene, whilst in the background we can hear Job sobbing uncontrollably. The dialogue content feels perilous, but the delivery and subtext make it feel mischievous, seeing as Aziraphale is using his knowledge of the ignorance of the rest of the Heavenly host against them. All of those things brought together in one place makes the whole thing feel so… I think the word is uncomfortable. I think this is really clever - bringing tension into a scene using the juxtaposition of opposing elements means that we as an audience feel uncomfortable but can’t necessarily identify why.

The second of those two things I want to comment on here is that this scene is a good example of what happens when Aziraphale and Crawley have gotten their unspoken communication on point. They’re working together so effortlessly here - both taking cues from the other’s improvisations and instinctively knowing what the next play is supposed to be. They even manage to come up with some coded verbal communication for each other on the fly, and for it to be successful. If only they had been this switched on for the final 15, I suspect season two would have ended very differently.

See now, wouldya just look at that? Aziraphale knows exactly what to do with little more than a look and hand gesture from Crawley. Something else of note here is the appearance of the “trust me” theme we see running through season two, this time with the prompt coming from Crawley. Granted, Sitis does look rather perplexed about what exactly is going on, but didn’t she figure out the “Bildad the Shuhite” was the one responsible for all of Job’s misery earlier on the episode? I find it a bit of a stretch to think that she would just go along with the façade, rather than identifying Crawley as the troublemaker to the others in the room at the time. I do love that the demon sounds so earnest in his plea to be trusted - he would know very well that he’s not supposed to be trustworthy (he even tells Aziraphale that’s the case twice in this episode), so his desperation for Sitis to go along with him should tell us (not that we needed telling) that this is his true character.

The contact between Aziraphale and Job looks to be the first (chronologically speaking) sleight of hand trick that the angel has done, just a couple of millennia before he repeatedly demonstrates that he’s actually very bad at it. Except when it really counts, as this instance (and one later on in the season) shows. And those bones that appear from Job’s robes are the proof that Aziraphale has well and truly given in to gluttony - they are PICKED CLEAN:

Quick note on the noise used for Aziraphale’s miracle as he turns the lizards back into children - it’s very close to the ones we’ve heard in this season from his already, the ones which are driven by need rather than intent, so I’m still not ruling that possibility out.

Alright last note about this section of the minisode, and then I’m calling it for this part. There’s something that goes unspoken, but is definitely implied, in Aziraphale’s choice to lie to Gabriel about the children. He actually gives his word “as an angel” that he’s telling the truth. I mean, does that not speak volumes about his mindset here? He verbally surrenders the very nature of his being in order to save a couple of children and maintain Crawley’s cover, the former of which supposedly goes directly against God’s wishes, despite the fact that he is so adamantly on her side. He’s earned Crawley’s respect though, so maybe it was all worth it in the end.

Alright, that’s the lot for this part. I think I should be able to get this episode wrapped up in the next one, which puts me one episode closer to being able to finish my WIP fic! For now though, and as always, questions, comments, discussion, always welcome. See you for the next one!

#good omens #episode analysis #good omens season 2 #aziracrow #ineffable idiots #aziraphale #crowley #good omens soundtrack #aziraphale loves food #crowley loves watching aziraphale eat

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 8 months ago

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On the language debate, I personally headcanon that the main language spoken at NRC is a common one. (?) (Like how English is the business language, or like how generally Native Americans had a common language that they spoke when trading with other tribes.) And Crowley or the Mirror used magic so that You was temporary fluent in that language.

After the ceremony, Yuu has to learn the common language and picks it up really fast (as one would in such a situation). Therefore, Yuu can still speak it when away from NRC.

(I also headcanon English as an ancient language akin to Latin, because I heard that Arabic was canonically an ancient language.)

[Referencing this post!]

I’d buy that everyone at NRC speaks the common language to some level of proficiency; it’s like how international students typically need to speak the language of whichever country they hope to study in and need to prove their fluency in an exam beforehand. As I said in the original post, the light novel does mention a translation spell over the school, so maybe that’s part of the “magic” that helps Yuu to understand what the others are saying.

Now, it’s theoretically possible for Yuu to learn the common language of Twisted Wonderland in a year, but I don’t think immersion alone would cut it (especially since the main story is only up to like 2/4 to 3/4 of a year so far) . They’d probably have to put in significant effort outside of everyday conversations to pick up its rules (because remember that language isn’t just vocabulary but also grammar, syntax, and social conventions). Yuu would also need consistent feedback from people since that’s how one usually “fixes” their incorrect language use. It’s similar to how adults would correct a child learning their first language; ie a kid says “wadur” instead of “water”.)

One site I looked at suggested that, depending on the language categorization (I, II, III, of IV), it can take 24-92 weeks’ worth of time to become an “advanced” speaker. Realistically, just getting to the basic conversational level could be hundreds or thousands (700-2500+) of hours on its own—and Yuu has to do this on their own time between homework, going to classes, and managing all the issues that Crowley doesn’t 💀 To me, that doesn’t sound like a lot of free time. Counterpoint to my own point though, we also have to consider that Yuu is... well, technically Yuu can be any age you want, but most Yuus are implied or portrayed to be 16-18. The critical window for language acquisition is theorized to be anywhere from the first three years of life up to as late as 17-18 years. After this critical window, the ability for language development tapers off. So, thinking about that, Yuu's brain could still be very pliable and able to absorb new language (though they'd have to work quite intensely to pack in as much as they can before this ability starts to decline).

Something that I feel would be difficult for Yuu is that the characters often use slang (Cater, Floyd, Idia, etc.) and/or uncommon words (like Vil’s “pulchritude”). The former may not follow the standardized rules of a language or may be idioms (other non-literal meanings for common words), which could make it hard for a non-native speaker to understand. The latter would not be used that often, so Yuu would be forced to guesstimate what the word means. I’d imagine this would make fluency challenging, because as immersed as Yuu is in Twisted Wonderland, less frequently used words are harder to grasp.

Maybe Crowley cast a translation spell ON Yuu so that they can still converse with people in the common tongue whenever they leave NRC? Or, since the events basically occur in an AU, more than a year has passed so it has allowed Yuu more time to absorb the language. Language in TWST and how it works… It’s really interesting to think about!

#twisted wonderland #twst #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #Yuu #Dire Crowley #twst light novel #twisted wonderland light novel #notes from the writing raven #twst theory #twst theories #twisted wonderland theory #twisted wonderland theories

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brucesterling · 8 months ago

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The Sharing Association is pleased to announce the 16th edition of the Share Prize, the competition dedicated to contemporary art focusing on technology and science.

The artworks nominated for the prize must follow the theme:

'ALL-NATURAL'

curated by Share Festival artistic director Bruce Sterling and curator Jasmina Tešanović

The platform invites artists from all over the world to submit their works.

Call for entries open from 12 April 2024 to 9 June 2024

The six prize nominees will be announced in July 2024. The announcement will be published on our website: www.toshareproject.it

The winner will be announced during the Share Festival Opening,in Turin from 28 October to 3 November 2024 during the Turin Contemporary Art Week.

Link website:

Link Call:

Link form:

Prize Summary: Winner gets 2500 euro prize Event date: April 12, 2024 to June 9, 2024 Location: Torino Deadline: 09/June/2024

"ALL-NATURAL"

Per la XVIII edizione di Share Festival vogliamo avanzare una proposta che sappiamo essere impossibile.

Qui nell'elegante Torino - città famosa per il suo caloroso sostegno verso ogni forma d'arte - non riusciamo a fare un respiro che non sia contaminato. Non è solo l'intera atmosfera del nostro pianeta a essere inquinata dai gas serra: a causa della sua eredità industriale e della sua peculiare situazione geografica, Torino si trova in una situazione particolarmente preoccupante per via dell'onnipresente foschia dovuta alle polveri sottili che includono metalli, prodotti della combustione e persino polveri agricole. Mentre voi leggete, noi stiamo respirando tutto questo.

Eppure, allo stesso tempo, la provincia piemontese è rinomata nel mondo per la sua dedizione all'artigianalità dello Slow Food, il cibo che nasce grazie alle varietà uniche di piante e animali presenti sul fertile suolo italiano.

Nel prossimo Festival vogliamo prendere di petto questa contraddizione e affrontarla attraverso il nostro mezzo d'elezione, l'arte tecnologica. Possiamo farla diventare un momento dialettico, invece che farla restare una mera contraddizione? Riusciremo a vedere della net-art plasmata sugli uccelli, gli insetti, le api e il paesaggio naturale e locale? Potremo interagire con robot fatti di legno, sculture digitali ricavate dal marmo e opere interattive composte da corni, canne, conchiglie, bambù, paglia, ossa, fossili o - ancor meglio - materiali naturali che rischiano di scomparire e interamente appartenenti alla regione da cui proviene l'artista?

"Difendere l'ambiente" non è sufficiente: questi materiali naturali saranno in grado di infiltrarsi nella sostanza innaturale del domani e prendersi la loro infestante, tremenda vendetta?

Fate del vostro meglio, per favore. Abbiamo bisogno di una boccata d'aria fresca!

Bruce Sterling, Direttore Artistico di Share Festival Jasmina Tesanovic, Curatrice di Share Prize

For the XVIII edition of Share Festival, we make this demand because we know it's impossible.

Here in glamorous Torino -- a city known for its cordial support of "every form of art" -- we can't take one natural, untainted breath. Not only is the planet's whole atmosphere polluted with Greenhouse gases -- here in Torino, thanks to our industrial heritage and our specific geographic climate, we're particularly badly off from an all-pervasive haze of PM2.5 micrometer pollution particles, including metals, combustion products and even agricultural dust. As you read this, we breathe that.

And yet, at the very same time, our Italian province of Piedmont is world-famous for its devotion to hand-crafted, artisanal "Slow Foods" grown from the unique plant and animal varieties of the fruitful Italian soil.

In our forthcoming Festival, we plan to tackle this contradiction headlong -- through our favorite medium of technology art. Can this become a dialectic instead of a contradiction? Can we witness net.art that is all about birds, bugs, bees and natural local landscapes? Can we interact with robots made of natural woods, sculptures digitally carved from marble, and interactive artworks composed of horn, reeds, seashells, bamboo, straw, bones, fossils, or better yet, severely imperiled natural materials entirely unique to the artist's own region in the world?

It's not enough to "defend the environment" -- how can natural materials infiltrate tomorrow's unnatural substance and take some terrible, weedy revenge? Please do your best for us. We need a breath of fresh air!

Bruce Sterling, Direttore Artistico di Share Festival Jasmina Tesanovic, Curatrice di Share Prize

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clan-of-reaching-stars · 8 months ago

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I appreciate how open FR Staff is being about this mess but as a writer I have so many questions as to how it got to this point.

I understand not wanting to rapidly expand the team but when you hit an event like BotE and you don't have everything written at launch you gotta look around at some point and go "are we biting off more than we can chew"

The 3 to 5 page limit on stories I'm sorry what are we, in Intro to Creative Writing? I understand an upper limit so a whole novel isn't written but like, that's a limit of ~2500 words single spaced, or, since we're apparently turning in essays 1250 words double spaced (so says google and I'm just to flabbergasted to check).

The lore not being something we can engage with until Adventure Mode. I say this affectionately but this is beginning to look like that meme (staff: "Adventure mode. Save me Adventure Mode. Adventure Mode save me.")

They were all just... doing it? I understand it is a small team and the multiple hats but see point 1. Also like, hello?!? Writing is no less of an art than well, art and like... I own Undel's how to draw dragons books. I could follow them step by step and my dragons would not be identical to hers. Similar but not the same, why would writing be different what are youndoing no wonder there's little tonal consistency.

Really my conclusion is they should've hired a dedicated lore writer years ago. (Full disclosure, when I was in college I was desperately hoping they would open the position, I would've loved to have applied but they never did... see point 4 again.)

Like much much too late now but a dedicated lore writer could've done a lot and helped with the energy high following BotE because people liked the stories, and I think more lore consistently, even if it was just short stories once a month, might've been appreciated. Especially as Adventure Mode continues to not come out and Tidelord is still missing and we had such curiosity but nowhere to direct that energy.

Like, people who know nore than I have spoken about the issues with the Auraboa article. I'm just weighing in as a writer and player, that the way they go about releasing and writing the lore also leaves a lot to be desired

#flight rising

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ilyuu-archive · 1 year ago

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right where you left me.

synopsis : it takes years to build up feelings and memories that means the world to you and him, and it all takes one evening for it to break down and leave nothing but time standing still and a relationship that could've been. (or you recall the night you broke up with kazuha, thinking it all over again.)

tags : angst/no comfort, modern!au, childhood friends to lovers to strangers, mentions of getting high, light swearing, ambiguous ending.

wc : 2500+! (2635.)

a/n : and yes this is all based off of taylor swift’s right where you left me from perse!! along with that, please do excuse any grammar and formatting mistakes

for the saudade event by the all amazing and angsty creative @soleillunne! the first half is written by the wielder of cat pics, @https-furina, and the second half from yours truly. ready your tissues because in spite of the beautiful and vivid wording from verse, it hurts (in a good way, of course)! nonetheless, i hope you'd enjoy this as much as i did! <3

also, perse, thank you; i had so much fun writing this! the possibilities were endless for me, and reading your part when trying to get a feel for this story made me roll up in a corner and cry (not actually though, so don't worry about me, hehe),,

There's idle chatter and the faint clinking of cutlery and wine glasses, almost drowned out by the harsh winds and rain that batters the restaurant's dimmed windows.

The lights are soft and subdued yet hold a warmth that hugs every living being inside the building - some sheltering from the rainstorm, others rekindling with their lovers or families. That should be you, rekindling with a lover that was never yours in the first place.

To your left, you hear the gossip of two friends; a couple in their friend group recently broke up, "good riddance," one girl chirps, "she deserves better than him." The conversation promptly shifts to that of one regarding marriage and weddings. What would you have looked like on that fateful day with white veil and a glittering ring on your finger, the thought makes you grimace.

"What a sad sight," an elderly woman whispers to her husband from where they're settling at a table not too far away, she's gazing at you with a sorrowful look, "poor girl."

The words shift a small crack of a smile onto your face - is that truly how you looked to the unknowing bystanders around you? Did they think you'd been stood up on a first date?

If only.

The more you stare at the empty, red crushed velvet chair in front of you, the more the realisation starts to hit even harder than before that he isn't going to magically turn up, dressed ever so handsomely in smart casual attire with his silver hair in its usual messy ponytail.

You hadn't seen his face since that night, how pained he seemed as he watched you smash the empty wine glass adorning your table, his eyes trained on the way it shatters into a million pieces on the white cloth. It was almost a perfect metaphor for your heart at that exact moment.

"You know we're here because we need to talk, right?" His voice is familiar, nostalgic almost as he places his blazer over the back of his chair. He hasn't changed since you were children, sneaking after school to the nearest McDonalds until your curfew, "y/n.."

"Do we have to talk?" You respond quickly with a sharp tongue, your hands shaking as you find anything to do with them, this even includes unfolding and folding the napkin in front of you repeatedly. Conversations are whispered all around you, some followed by short laughter.

Kazuha almost winces at the tone of your voice but he knows it's deserved. You had been friends since you could remember, joined at the hip no matter what happened. Your mothers always commented that you were inseparable, never found without the other close behind - so how did it come to this?

It came to this because you had became attached, craving his presence at all times even as you went to university. You wanted him and nobody else could even remotely compete with the man that Kaedehara Kazuha had grown into somehow from that clumsy toddler you'd wrapped around your chubby fingers all those years ago.

For a while, the rebellious teen thought the exact same about you. He would ponder over the hours the two of you spent together in his dorm room, sharing a joint as you forget the stress of the exam season you'd just barely managed to survive.

He would reflect on the nights he'd carry you on his back, taking you back to your dorm after an exceptionally rough night clubbing with your friend group, who always roped you into unbelievable scenarios.

He had expressed his concerns over your friend group more than once but you had shrugged him off, flashing him that playful smile he couldn't get enough of. "It's fine, Kaz," you reassure him as you apply a layer of mascara to your eyelashes, "we only live once, right?" When you'd responded with that, Kazuha initially thought 'yeah, we do.'

Nights under star scattered skies sharing joints would only last so long, after all Kazuha was at university to study business management, the heir to his father's publishing company. With this future responsibility came the family reputation and the eventual arranged marriage to another rich family - that was a criteria that you had never fit in and pre-emptively, you never would.

"You know it's not my decision, y/n," His voice is almost breaking when he takes the seat in front of you, clammy hands clasped together in front of him on the clothed table. You scowl a little, it had never been his choice, had it? "we should seen this coming."

"We?" You repeat, narrowing your eyes at him, "you - you should have seen this coming."

Kazuha lets out an exasperated sigh, closing his eyes for a moment as he listens to the bustle of the restaurant around the pair of you. He starts to consider that a restaurant was not the best location to be having a lover's quarrel.

When he reopens his eyes, they fall to you across the table. Your eyes are glittering like the chandelier that hangs from the ceiling in the centre of the room and he can almost make out the tears starting to pool in the corners of your eyes.

"I never wanted to hurt you, you know that, right?" For some reason, those words hurt your heart more than he most likely intended.

They feel like knives, sharpened daggers that plunge deep into your most fatal organ and tear it apart in ways that Kazuha would never be able to grasp. In that moment, you nearly wish that you could inflict this kind of pain on him so he could feel how your heart ached at that exact time or how the tears stung at your eyes, blurring your vision to the point where you could barely make his figure out.

Even with a singular tear running its uneven path down your cheek, you find the chance to smile, turning your gaze away from him as you let out a soft, pained laugh.

"If that's true, you should have known it would have hurt less for you to have turned me down instead of giving me a chance like you did." Your words bite at Kazuha more than you would ever know.

He hides the way his nails press into his skin, digging into it so hard they leave red, crescent moon marks and almost draw blood. Kazuha chews down on his tongue, the metallic taste of his blood flooding his mouth when he conveniently suddenly finds it hard to swallow, leaving him to succumb to the consequences of his own actions.

His mouth is dry when he opens his mouth to speak but words don't come out, just a simple exhale as he processes the back and forth argument that will continue for the rest of the night, "I've met her already."

"And? Is she nice?" You reply shortly, holding your tongue. There are thoughts running through your mind, hundreds in tens of seconds that you can't even grasp yourself. His family was wasting no time in selling this marriage to the media, gaining that social coverage they crave as socialites.

Kazuha lets out a small hum as if the energy had suddenly shifted back to normal between you.

"She's alright," Kazuha starts and you part your lips to speak, quick witted and sharp but Kazuha holds a hand up, silencing you before he continues, "but she isn't you."

"No, you don't get to get to pull that shit now, Kazuha," you laugh, it's bittersweet and causes Kazuha to visibly wince, "you damn well don't get to say shit like that anymore."

Kazuha's ruby eyes fall to how you are gripping an empty wine glass on the table, one that was supposed to be filled with a dark red liquid by now, its fruity taste becoming bitter on your tongues.

You have every right to be angry with him and Kazuha is drowned in remorse when he catches your knuckles turning white before the stem of the wine glass cracks in your palm, dropping the bowl of the glass onto the white cloth decorating the table as it shatters into sharp, broken shards.

The visual of glass breaking causes you to blink quickly, suddenly back to reality as you realise you're gripping at your phone in your hand with almost the same strength you'd put into the wine glass that night. Your muscles relax, leaning forward on the table as you rest your head in your hands.

It’s time to go.

So? There’s nothing much you can do now, and as much as it leaves such a bittersweet taste on your tongue that you can’t bother to swallow at all, it’s as much as the truth. Not as if some miracle can fly across the sky and everything will end in a happily ever after like in a fairytale. To rely on that, really, is desperation (is it really?) as its finest. Or maybe that’s your feelings talking. Maybe that’s just the lifetime worth of memories you held with him, sweeter and lighter than this entire evening has been, that’s making you want to hold onto that thin, fragile string of hope that means nothing in the grand scheme of things.

You feel your chest ache, a familiar feeling lately that you’d rather disappear, fade, or just… vanish. Really. Just anything to make this go away; it’s more of a reminder than anything that makes it twinge whenever you run through that night in your head too many times to count, each small detail almost nothing, a blur, when all you see is the way Kazuha looked at you. Pained? Helpless? A combination of something you couldn’t pin on in the midst of your own heated thoughts?

You wipe the corner of your eyes with each hand, your warm palms something of a comfort. Not the time.

A moonless night bears witness to the two of you lying atop of the roof of your apartment complex, years felt like days, from your school days, with how clear the memory of Kazuha looking over to you with such adoration swirling in his eyes along with the faint stars.

Your shoulders start to tremble.

The embrace of a familiar warmth wrapping around your waist, the blanket slipping onto the floor from the edge of the couch nothing compared to the comfort seeping into your skin.

Muted colors play across the two of you from the movie - it’s nothing but a backdrop anymore as you find yourself a bit more focused on his hand, your fingers wrapped in his, the pad of your thumb lightly caressing the back of his. You feel his breath, a huff, waft over your neck from that.

You try to let go of a sigh. It only comes out as a broken whimper.

His lips shifting against yours, soft, so sweet, as quiet sounds are shared between two of you. His shallow sighs of your name dripping with every nights’ worth of what ifs, every waking days’ worth of thoughts that crossed and blurred a line between friends and something more.

A chance, a hope, a dream - all of it was woven into the few words Kazuha murmured against your lips, over and over, bounding it with you in his hope that it’d make it real.

You know it all meant something to Kazuha.

Every mote of sand of time that fell within the two of you meant something to him, cherished it close and closer to his heart than anything else. You know that much. It was obvious - so obvious, too obvious - in every word he said that carried gravity and care to you, in every act he’s ever done for you for the sake of making you smile. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.

He loved you. Kazuha loves you in every sense of the word. It was only that very love that led to this, as much as the two of you shared in it. This is the best for the two of you.

You know that, and he, of all people, especially knows that. It meant something to him, and so he just had to go ahead and say yes, let you into a world that was only for the two of you, and led you on until the edge of the world and into the reality you’re in now.

Do you blame him for that? For all of this? You’re not sure anymore.

Sure, of course, on that night, he knew where… this, the relationship, was going, how it was going to end. Kazuha could’ve prevented this if he hadn’t held your hand on that one day, stared into your eyes long enough for you to see that he felt the same - he instead gave you, this, a chance.

Things might’ve been better if he didn’t.

You click your tongue. Nope. Don’t think about him, or just don’t think in general - your thoughts are bound to come back to him regardless, no matter what you do. There’s no use thinking about this, no use in even giving it a second of your evening like this.

You stood up. The chatter stirs around you, aware or not, fades to the backdrop. It’s not exactly ideal to stay here, especially since you feel as though you’ll start crying at any given moment. You pick up your umbrella leaning against the leg of the chair, still dripping a bit.

In your thoughts, in your dreams, in your what ifs, yes, but this is neither of those things - this is the truth. This is your reality (how many times will you say that to yourself until you finally realize it?), and the reality is, amid soft, crackling candlelight, a gentle coat of companionship, cottony velvet rolling across the cushions, decor ivy slithering on the walls, just that - a rather pretty veil over your eyes to try and cloud the emptiness that sits with you across the table.

He’ll be alright. Of course he’ll be alright. He’s Kazuha.

You hadn’t realized you were already outside. The light jingle of the bell atop of you fades, leaving a lonely echo. The thrum of the rain felt underneath your feet, clearer than it had been inside.

There’s a heaviness in the air you can’t quite place either, or maybe that’s just all you and the feelings you can’t seem to leave behind (not that it’s easy to do so in the first place.)

For some reason, whenever it rains, you’d feel as though you can finally breathe (he’d know that). You try to smile. It’s weak, shy of breaking down, and to the point that even you don’t believe in it, but it’s a smile nonetheless; it makes you feel a bit better.

You bid goodbye to Kazuha, the thought of him.

You bid goodbye to the man you love.

You bid goodbye to the memories you know you’ll visit later whenever anything and everything reminds you of him.

Will he be happy? Will he be alright? You know you’ll find yourself thinking about this some time later, but you try to find comfort, even as thin as it is, in the idea that he’ll think of the same things you’ll be - that’ll he find that pseudo happiness in a past that’ll already be too far to reach into.

You open your umbrella, the panels springing open. The canopy you’re under trickles with rainfall, pelting said umbrella in an almost melodic symphony if you try hard enough to hear it. You take quiet pleasure in that as you walk out and into the tears.

You’ll be alright. He’ll be alright. You both will be alright.

(He doesn’t like the rain that much.)

The rain itself drowns that one out.

#saudade ; milestone #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin x reader #genshin x you #kaedehara kazuha x reader #kaedehara kazuha x you #kazuha x reader #kazuha x you #kazuha angst #genshin impact angst #genshin impact fanfic #genshin angst #genshin fanfic

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24hlevi · 7 months ago

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Can you do a fluff promt #24 on the second list with chishiya? I love that man sm so it would be nice!

thank you so much for requesting! 🫶

also it's literally 5 in the morning i just woke up im sorry if this is terrible

— SAFE WITH YOU

chishiya shuntaro (alice in borderland) x gn!reader

genre: fluff

summary: fluff prompt ("you're safe here with me. nobody's going to harm you ever again.") from my 2.5k event

warnings: language

after waiting for chishiya outside of the king of diamonds, he appeared to be different. you couldn't pinpoint how exactly, but you were sure that something happened in that game that resulted in him being different towards you, as if he out of nowhere started caring about your opinions and life. the two of you walked in silence as you held the umbrella above both of you due to the rain that was progressively getting worse as time went on.

until he finally spoke.

"what do you think about the value of a human life?"

"what?" you question, turning your head to look over at him.

"i didn't realize it before but, i think of it differently now," he says, looking forward at the buildings.

"what do you mean?" you said, a confused look on your face.

"i mean-"

he was interrupted by a gunshot echoing throughout the city, and when he turned to look at you, you were suddenly on the ground, grasping your side. chishiya's eyes widened ever so slightly as he quickly looked around to see who had fired that shot, and his gaze turned dark when he spotted niragi down the road.

"shit," he cursed under his breath, crouching down beside you. "y/n, y/n, can you hear me?"

"yeah," you nodded, wincing in pain as you held the wound, your eyes closed with your head on the cement.

"i'm going to get you out of here, okay?" he says, a bit of nervousness in his voice you'd never heard before. "c'mon, i'm going to pick you up and we're going to run, alright?"

"okay," you answer, nodding your head again.

chishiya carefully scooped you into his arms, carrying you bridal style and hearing another shot fire. he quickly started running in no particular direction, knowing niragi would follow him, occasionally glancing down at you to make sure you were still alive.

he turned and went into a building, shutting the door behind him and glancing around to see what was in there. an office building. he went down the hall and opened the door to one of the offices, going to the corner and laying you down on the ground.

you had passed out by now, and the blood was seeping through your clothes onto the floor beneath you, and he knew he had to do something fast or else you wouldn't make it. he went through the whole building grabbing items and first aid supplies that would help, and when he returned, he sat in front of you and stared for a moment.

"this is going to sting," he says, putting some rubbing alcohol on a paper towel he found and pressing it onto your wound.

you awoke with a sharp gasp, sitting up and letting out a yelp before chishiya pushed you back down onto your back.

"lay down," he tells you. "i'm trying to make sure you don't die on me."

you laid back down without a response, trying not to think about the words he said to you. this was definitely different. in the whole year you had known this man, he comes out different because of a damned killing game. you don't know what happened in that venue, but you don't really want to know either. you sat in silence as he carefully fixed you up with the limited materials he had gathered in the building, occasionally looking over at him to see how he looked. his eyebrows were furrowed together slightly in focus of stitching the wound closed, and his eyes had a new look in them, one you couldn't quite figure out.

"there, all done," he suddenly speaks, knocking you out of your thoughts.

"thank you," you mutter, slowly sitting up to lean against the wall.

"don't thank me," chishiya shook his head.

leaning your head against the wall, you let out a long sigh. "how much longer do we have to be here?"

"supposedly there's only two more games left," he answered, sitting down next to you. "one is the king of spades, which i've heard is simply a man running around killing all of us."

"great," you mumble. "let's hope he doesn't find us here, then. otherwise i'm done for," you speak quietly.

"don't worry," chishiya shakes his head. "you're safe here with me. nobody's going to harm you ever again."

you look over at him in subtle shock at his words, and judging by his expression, he was shocked by his own words. "thank you," you say quietly.

"don't thank me," he repeats what he said earlier. "i've just come to realize the value of a human life, and you're the most important person in my life."

you almost couldn't believe the words coming from his mouth. was this really happening? did he mean what he was saying, or was he just talking to make you feel better? surely, it couldn't be that. he wouldn't say anything like that in that kind of way. "what are you trying to say?" you ask.

"i love you," he answered.

there it was. the words you had been hoping to hear from him since the day you found yourself in love with him. part of you didn't believe it was possible, knowing the way he was. but, you finally got something good out of this world.

"i love you too."

#2500 follower event #alice in borderland x reader #aib x reader #alice in borderland scenarios #alice in borderland imagine #aib imagines #aib scenarios #alice in borderland #aib #chishiya shuntaro #chishiya shuntaro x reader #chishiya imagine #chishiya scenarios #request

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hanaleeappreciationweek · 8 months ago

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We begin our first day of Hana Lee Appreciation Week 3.0 TOMORROW!!

In our previous editions, we had kept Hana's AWs on days that celebrated her passion - music! This time, we decided to shake things up a little, and hold the event around the time of World Book Day! This time of the year is also fitting because it will be spring in many parts of the world, and there are very few things that remind us of Hana more than flowers do!!

Day 1 has two themes to choose from - Character Appreciation and Throwback.

We love having Character Appreciation as a theme because it encompasses everything!! Anything goes - as long as it includes whatever you love most about Hana.

Throwback is simple - any creative work on Hana that you've done before this edition of HLAW came out! Reblog any fic, art or meta that you've done before on her, and if you'd like to take us through the process of how you made the work - we'd love to read all about it!!

Any content is welcome!! Fanfic, fanart, edits, moodboards, interactive, media, headcanons, screenshots, playlists, meta...even screenshots of your favourite scenes would be great!! Our only requirement is that the content is centered on Hana, and that the depiction of her is positive. You can also send in WIPs in case you don't complete a work!

You can also send in a work on the days following a particular theme - this is no pressure for it to be put up exactly that day! We will also have an extra week for anyone who still needs time 💕 May 4th will be our final official date for entries (to incorporate into our video!) but HLAW will still be open for entries for the rest of the year until the next event!

You can find our full list of prompts here!

Be sure to do the following when making your posts:

1. Use the tags #hanaleeappreciationweek and #HLAW in the tags (along with the day you made the post for - #HLAW Day 1, #HLAW Day 2 etc)

2. Tag @hanaleeappreciationweek as well as hosts @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes, we don't miss out on your posts!

FAN CONTENT BLOGS are instrumental in keeping the fandom alive - with events and fun activities that encourage us all to contribute and create. They have also been amazing in their support towards our character events. Do check them out to see all the new incredible events and prompts coming up!

@choicesficwriterscreations - Primarily fanfic and fanart (no AI allowed). Check out their rules and roster of events!

@choicesmonthlychallenge & @choicesaprilchallenge24 - Any and all content welcome! They have a collection of prompts you can use for the month of April!

@choicespride - Any and all content is welcome, as long as it is centered around queer characters and/or themes.

@choicesflashfics - Primarily fanfic under a 2500 word count. Every week they use new dialogue prompts. The prompts for the coming week will be out soon!

@choicesholidays - Any and all content welcome, as long as it is centered around one of the holidays listed! Currently, they are hosting Spring Fling!

@choicesprompts - Any and all content welcome! You can check out their current Round Robin event here!

Hope to see more incredible works from you all for Hana this week!

Happy Hana Lee Appreciation Week, everyone!!

#hana lee #the royal romance #hanaleeappreciationweek #HLAW #HLAW 2024 #HLAW Day 1 #HLAW Day 1: Character Appreciation #HLAW Day 1: Throwback

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emo-eyemakeup-evildude · 23 days ago

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The end of Astorvember 2024!

We have officially made it to the last two days of Astorvember, or as they were called last year AU Days:

29. Defier of Prophecy (Alternate Universes) 30. The Future of Hyrule (Post-Calamity)

As always feel free to engage with the themes literally or figuratively; make a piece of art that depicts the prompt or make a post promoting your own AUs, however you want to engage with the prompts.

Sincere and heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated, whether you made posts, interacted, or lurked. I'm consistently amazed with the longevity, depth, and creativity of this fandom for a little cardboard ratman who was onscreen for five seconds and then died. I have so many plans for the next year, as well as ideas for next year's Astorvember.

Moving on to more zine things, I'm officially extending the submission deadline through February 1st. I want to give everyone plenty of time to complete their new submissions and collect older works to be submitted (I may or may not also be scheming, more info to come). Unfortunately for Astor, November is extremely busy for most folks. I want the zine to have a truly astronomical amount of submissions, so keep them coming!

FAQ under the cut, and thanks again to everyone for making the official second Astorvember so much fun.

Q: What is the maximum number of images per submission? A: No limits for now. The full, digital zine will have much looser limitations (I'm fully prepared to be proven wrong on this, but for now no limits) but for the curated, printed version I ask that you submit a shortened version in the same vein as NSFW works having a censored companion piece for the SFW editions (optional, you can also opt to have your piece removed from certain versions, but no piece will be removed from the full version). As always, no changes will be made without author/artist permission, but keep an eye out for follow up emails. Repetitive or superfluous images may be removed in the event that y'all actually find a number of images I'm unable to handle.

Q: Can I submit digital submissions such as videos and gifs? A: Yes, tentatively. The full, free version of the zine will be published as a PDF, and I may be able to embed gifs, videos, or hyperlinks. Digital extras outside of the main zine were always welcome as a category of submission, so go ahead and submit them. If you want these submissions to be included in the physical zine, please include a thumbnail and summary.

Q: Can I submit a craft to the zine? A: Yes, and there are two ways to do so. You can submit pictures of the craft, and feel free to include a short essay on why you made it, how, when, anything else you'd like to include (under 2500 words). Or you can submit a tutorial for how to make your craft.

Q: Is 2500 words a hard limit? A: No, if your work is a little over go ahead and submit it as is and I'll let you know if it needs to be shortened. The word limit was primarily intended to discourage submissions of full novel-length fics. If you want to submit a fic that's longer than 2500 words, choose your favorite chapter and include where readers can find the rest of it such as links to Tumblr, AO3, or other sites.

Q: I don't have anything serious to submit, can I submit memes/jokes? A: Absolutely! Memes and jokes are more than welcome. As a matter of fact, I would like to write an essay on the top Astor fandom shitpost extravaganzas of the past four years. If you have a favorite Astor meme such as the egg thing (2020) or the egg thing (2024) or Astor Thursday or the White Boy Bracket or any other absurdity, submit it. Include a summary of the event from your POV, where you were when it happened, screenshots, or just what event you would like me to write about.

Q: What can I submit? A: TL;DR writing under 2500 words (ficlets, fic excepts, essays, poems, etc), visual art roughly the size of a half a sheet of printer paper or smaller (drawings, photographs, etc), miscellaneous works such as sheet music, craft tutorials, physical merch, and others subject to approval. Full info above (or here). Submissions are now being accepted until 11:59 pm CDT on February 1st.

Q: How do I submit? A: Email [email protected] and include: -The work's title -The name you would like to be credited as (screen name, url, or nickname preferred over legal name) -Is the work potentially NSFW and if so what content warnings apply Again, more info above (or here).

Q: How many submissions are you looking for? A: As many as y'all got! No limit, go wild.

Q: Can I submit more than one piece? A: Submit as many pieces as you want. Seriously, no limit.

Q: Who can submit works? A: Anyone! Submissions are very specifically and intentionally open to anyone and everyone instead of taking applications and selecting artists to create a piece specifically for the zine.

Q: Can I submit works I've already posted? A: Yes, this zine is intended to be a collection and celebration of the last four years of the fandom. All works are welcome, no matter how old they are or how many people have seen them. This also very much includes pieces from this or last year's Astorvember.

Q: Can I post the piece I submitted? A: Yes, if you want. You can post it, say it was submitted to the zine, post it and don't say it was submitted, or keep the whole thing secret. You can change your mind and post it after submissions close, before the zine is released, whatever you want.

Q: Are original characters/self ships welcome? A: Yes, so many fan works about Astor are full of original characters and the zine would not be complete without them. All original characters are welcome, very specifically including self insert and self ship characters. They are so welcome that we're making a yearbook page dedicated to original characters.

Q: How do I submit an original character to the zine yearbook page? A: Submit a simple school picture style portrait (feel free to make it silly) of your oc with: -Their name -Their relation to Astor (mentor, family, friend, significant other, weird dogs, etc) -The name you would like to be credited as and/or what fic or au they're from if applicable -A senior quote/superlative (if you want) And again, just to be clear, self insert and self ship characters are very much included in this!

Q: Mr. President there's been a second yearbook page. A: So many people have joked about Astor being a mass original character due to his lack of background and character development that if enough people submit the above for their fanon version of Astor we'll do an Oops! All Astors version of the yearbook page.

Q: Will there be physical merch? A: Possibly, still working out logistics. Proposals for physical merch are one of the categories of submissions, email [email protected] with ideas for things like pins, stickers, keychains, etc. Handmade items are welcome and encouraged if you have the time!

Q: Is NSFW content allowed? A: Yes, both art and writing. All submissions that include violence, gore, nudity, sex, etc will be marked as such. In the event that a physical zine is made there will be curated versions including a safe for work version. When you submit your works please include any potential content warnings. We'll be in contact if any works might need additional warnings. That said, no works will be censored. As mentioned above they will be clearly marked in the full version and omitted from the safe for work version. If you would like to submit a censored version of your work for the safe for work version, you may.

Q: I still have a question. A: Send me an ask, a message, email the submissions email, send a flock of birds to follow me around, reach me in my dreams, whatever. If you need something clarified or reiterated, go ahead and ask. If you're unsure about your submission, go ahead and ask. If there's a secret third thing, go ahead and ask.

#astorvember #astor age of calamity #astor prophet of doom #astor aoc #hyrule warriors age of calamity #age of calamity #I feel hylia in this astorvember tonight

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yjzine2024 · 4 months ago

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Yellowjackets Zine - Applications Open!

You might have seen the poll going around for interest, and well, it convinced me enough to start this up. A zine for Yellowjackets! Yeah!

The plan is to make this a relatively small but hopefully exciting project to cross the current lack of things between seasons. Think you have a good idea? Submit it!

You can apply for the zine via this form

So far I'm thinking of keeping it at max 30 participants, but this mostly comes down to a first-come-first-serve basis. Fear not, I may include you if you have a really cool idea for a submission.

Guidelines for applying are copied below but will also be in the form.

Cheers!

What is a zine? "Zine" is short for magazine. What a Yellowjackets zine would entail is a small, digital booklet with artworks, writing, collages, lists, etc. related to the show that it's all connected to. There are zines that have a print run alongside digital versions, but to keep it all running smoothly, I'd like to keep this digital only. So I can't offer compensation in financial means. This is first and foremost a passion project, and also things would get tricky on a legal front if there were to be any money involved.

So if I want to contribute, it can be anything? Basicallly! But there are some hard rules I would like to be followed for it to stay coherent.

Canon Compliant. Writing or art, hard AUs aren't really something for this zine. It's a little celebration of the show that is there, and tonally there might be too much dissonance if AUs are included in this. Guesses at the yet to be seen months in the Wilderness, or in the present day are very much welcome!

Self-contained works. Putting chapter 1 of your fic in a zine isn't really ideal. For art this is easier to accomplish, but written submissions should be completed within the pages they are on.

Not just shipping. Yes, I know, shipping is big. But like I put in the first point, I would like to keep things more generally on events, plot, characters, and a neat discussion of it. There's of course degrees to how much you can ship within canon in a show like this. It's totally cool if you put something in that is (Basically) Canon (f.e. TaiVan but also JackieShauna) or Has Strong Potential (f.e. LottieLee, MistyNat). Don't come to me with something like Shauna/Walter. Explorations of characters and relationships are of course okay! But don't make it a smut fest.

Nothing too NSFW. This is Cannibalism Show (TM) we're talking about, so there is some leniency. But let's say if you would rate it as E on Ao3, then maybe try to get it a bit lower in rating or think of something different.

(Previously) Unpublished works. This may be a given, but a zine is the most fun when it's full of original content. You are of course free to publish what you made on your own accounts/profiles once the zine is online.

Other than that, it's pretty free to fill in for yourself! What can be published should be able to go in a hypothetically printed magazine, but if you would write fic, and essay, compile a mixtape list, make some meta newspaper article on the events, graphics, collages, a poster design, or banger fanart, it's all up to you as long as it gets you excited to work on it!

I'm splitting them up in written and graphic types of contributions, but there's room to give a pitch for your specific idea.

Practical stuff!

Max wordcount for written contributions should be about 2500 words. I'm not going to be too strict, but keep any overflow within reason.

Graphic works should be able to be displayed well on a 2100x3000px canvas on. This is the size of page I'm using at the moment.

How much time would there be to prep? For now I'm thinking of putting the final deadline on November 30 so hopefully everyone will have time to work on their submission (from scratch). I also gotta get the hang of a publishing design program lol.

#yellowjackets #yjzine2024

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niloycentral · 2 months ago

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Welcome to Niloy November 2024!

Starting November 1, use the above prompts for each day of November to create something new for Aloy x Nil. Tag #niloynovember, #niloynovember 24, or @ niloycentral for a reblog!

Special thank-you to @kittleskittle for the photomode background for this year's prompts!

What is it?

Above, you’ll find a table of one prompt per day of November, most of which contain special significance to the relationship between Aloy and Nil. For those participating, simply take the prompt and create something around it for that day.

As Niloy November starts the day after the Horizon Zero Dawn remaster release, this year's prompts lean heavily into themes between Aloy & Nil in this part of their lives - but that doesn't mean you're restricted to setting your art, fics, gifs, or photomodes during the Horizon Zero Dawn timeline! You're welcome to use them for Horizon Forbidden West and beyond as well!

What can I make?

Whatever you feel most comfortable creating!

If you’re a writer: a drabble, ficlet, even a poem! No word count minimum or maximum, but in the spirit of the event, I recommend no greater than 2500 words.

Artists can do sketches, doodles, fully rendered pieces, comic pages, whatever they are inspired (and have the time) to create.

Gif-makers, virtual photographers, and other types of visual media are also more than welcome to participate and we encourage it!

For prompts that limit gifs and virtual photography, alternates have been provided – though you are welcome to use the alternates for art and/or fic for the given dates, if they inspire you more.

In addition, you are not limited to one form of creation. If one prompt inspires art, another inspires writing, another has the perfect shot from in-game photography, feel free to mix it up!

The only ask is that whatever you create be new for the prompt. However the prompt inspires you, run with it! Some may feel “on the nose,” but those can be fun to explore metaphorically too!

What are the restrictions?

For fic submissions, please use the appropriate submission tags below the text box. All ratings are welcome provided they are properly labelled.

As per Tumblr guidelines, we cannot show any NSFW art or photomodes. If your submission contains NSFW material, please submit a suitable crop preview or censored version that can safely be displayed on Tumblr. The post will also, if possible, have a Mature community content label. This also applies for other types of Mature content.

Can I team up with someone for art or writing for a prompt?

Yes! Fics and art are welcome to inspire each other.

Where do I post?

Wherever you feel comfortable sharing. Fics should be posted on AO3 and you are welcome to share the link on your own social media or in a server. Mostly, I encourage you to submit it directly to the niloycentral tumblr.

If you have a Tumblr: You can submit it directly to niloycentral, or tag your post with either #niloynovember or #niloynovember24 – both will be tracked! You can also @niloycentral.

If you don’t have a Tumblr: You can submit the art or photomode itself directly, or link to your creation on other social media (Twitter, Instagram, AO3, wherever it is hosted) through our niloycentral submissions page using the following format:

Creator: your @(social media) or your alias

Prompt: what day/prompt you have submitted

Plus any applicable tags as per checkboxes below the submission area.

#niloynovember and #niloynovember24 will also be tracked on Twitter, but to make sure we see and catch everything, I encourage submissions to niloycentral Tumblr!

Do I have to do every prompt?

We don’t want anyone to get burnt out or frustrated. Some prompts will inspire more than others and we all have days where we just can’t. You definitely don’t have to do every prompt to be included! Your creation will be featured whether you do all 30, or 19, or 12, or if you even only do 1. You’re more than welcome to continue working on the prompts after November as well.

Do I have to do them in order?

No… but if you do submit to the blog for a prompt from later in the month, we will schedule your submission to post on the proper day (based on EST). Any submissions from previous-day prompts will be posted as usual.

Prompts are being released now, but we ask that you do not post until November 1.

Happy creating!

Prompt list below:

Pulse

Camp

Feather

Eclipse

Voice

Cover

AU - Modern (Alternate: Metal)

Call

Dark

Duel

Proposal

Match

Union

AU - Historical (Alternate: Grey)

Path

Free Space

Humour

Reason

Intimate

Dawn

Bright

Final

Comfort

Kindred

Tether

Dusk

AU - Genre (Alternate: Storm)

Warmth

Future

Meme

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neuroprincess · 2 years ago

Text

Perfect Family - Melissa Schemmenti/Female Reader

Melissa Schemmenti/Female Reader

Summary: It's Luca's first presentation and the moms are very excited for this event.

Classification: Domestic fluff

Warnings: None

Word count: +2500

Unrevised

"Now we spin and..." Melissa patiently instructs, spinning with Luca, following his childish rhythm, then puts her hand to lips, which him repeats and they throw a kiss in the air "Mwah!"

"Mwah!" the baby smiles clapping hands excitedly watching his mother smile as he imitates her " Lap, lap." he raises a little hand opening and closing it quickly, a sign he has learned to ask moms to take him on their laps.

The boy gets what he wants when the redhead crouches down and lifts him in arms, hugging his little body against hers, dropping several kisses to his chubby cheeks and little hands. LuLu giggles feeling tickled, which makes the teacher laugh, barely able to handle the cute thing in her lap. It's one of the beautiful moments in having an 18 month old baby at home, half the time they are interacting like this and it melts her heart, other half she and her wife are running after the little ball of energy, since learning to walk he simply became a danger away from adult eyes. After he learned that he can run he almost made them both faint with worry, in several situations. With each passing day he looks more and more like a Schemmenti, the coppery hair has darkened a bit approaching brown, the olive eyes are framed by large eyelashes, similar in shape to Melissa's, as well as the mouth and chin that clearly inherited from her. She rocks him on the lap admiring the little face and receives a look of admiration, priceless for that. When the son looks at her this way the world suddenly stops, heart races every time she sees the happy and innocent smile directed at her and there is nothing the mother lioness won't do for her son.

"Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!" he repeats the gesture of throwing kisses when the other mom enters the nursery "Mama!" and starts to rock happily.

"Calm down, big boy!" Melissa smiles and squeezes him tighter so he doesn't fall off lap "He's growing up too fast."

"I know, it seems like yesterday he was so small we were afraid to hold him in our laps and now he barely stays in our arms." Y/N approaches and is about to give the teacher a kiss when she is interrupted by Luca's little hand pushing her away, he stares at her in disapproval "And he wasn't that jealous."

"Mine Mel! No, no!"

"He always was, the only difference is that now he can express it."

"You're right. But it's so unfair. I carried him for months, breastfed, changed diapers, stayed up nights to make him sleep and you're the one he's jealous of. I can't even kiss you." the two laugh and the younger runs a hand through his coppery hair, stroking the soft strands, even at a young age he has a bit more hair than most babies and can even do a few hairstyles "I wonder how we should style his hair tomorrow?"

"Maybe to the side, nice and neat. We know it won't last long, but I think it will for the first hour at least. Enough." Melissa knows what she's talking about, every day his hair is perfectly styled to go to daycare and comes back an awkward little mess, like it's uncontrollable "I think we're more nervous than he is about the presentation."

"For LuLu it's fun, he probably doesn't even know it's a presentation." she shrugs, the three have been practicing for over a week for the big day which is the boy's first presentation at daycare "Plus he's loving having to wear the lion mane."

"Wasn't he going to be the rabbit?"

"Yes, but the child who was supposed to be the lion had an allergy to the fabric of the mane and they switched places."

"Then we don't need to style his hair, since he won't be wearing the rabbit ears." the redhead says hopefully.

"Mel, we're not letting our son go unkempt under the costume."

"No one will see."

"You have a point."

Melissa runs through the halls of the daycare trying to get to her son's classroom in time, the event started about forty minutes ago and as much as the couple had organized a plan so she could arrive on time after work neither of them counted on an accident on the main street where she got stuck, luckily Y/N had left early to get Luca ready and took him there. She feels relieved when sees the familiar colorfully decorated door with sun, rainbow and handprints forming a tree, taking a breath before trying to enter as quietly as possible. Lucky for her, the presentation hasn't started yet, parents are looking at the activities and cute pictures of their children, all exhibited on the walls and tables. Y/N is near the entrance, looking at pictures of the babies interacting, hunting for the ones where LuLu is.

"Hey, amore mio!" the redhead walks quickly over and kisses her quickly "I thought they would have started by now."

"Hey, honey! Lucky for us they were a little late, Luca looks so cute." their hands come together and they walk slowly across the room "But that you should know by now, he pulled his mom."

"I know I'm beautiful." they laugh, continuing to walk seeing other pictures hanging on a wall, their son appears in almost all of them and usually hugged with some classmate, no surprise considering his love language is physical touch "Look at these..." on the table there are some activities exhibited, with cotton, paint and confetti everywhere, many with Luca S. written on the edge "Hopefully we can keep this, otherwise I'll just sneak it home. Will you be my partner?"

"Always!"

Minutes later the children began to enter the classroom, organized by the teacher and helper so that they stand side by side, minimally lined up. The parents arranged themselves in the chairs in the center to watch them, the moms settled themselves in the front chairs, perhaps Melissa's gaze intimidated anyone who tried to approach the seats she chose. They wait anxiously for it, Luca is one of the last babies to enter, walking hurriedly on his short little legs to where the teacher points. He immediately notices his moms' presence and gets all giggly, rosy cheeks, small teeth showing and eyes not leaving them at any moment.

"Our boy is so well-behaved." Melissa says proudly as she notices how he does what had been ordered and barely gets out of his place "At least here, we know that at home he is more hard."

"Absolutely! Mel, he looks so cute, just like a teddy bear and I want nothing more than to shower him with kisses."

LuLu is wearing a yellow jumpsuit with a lighter circle in the middle that resembles a lion's belly, a cap with ears and a cute mane. The teacher already has her phone in hand taking some pictures, these will surely go into the photo album, maybe with a cute collage. And she puts the phone to record when notices that they are about to start performing, leaving it positioned on the lap so that they can watch the performance without the need to adjust the camera, not wanting to miss any moments of the dance.

The children's song starts playing, some babies are instantly agitated while others seem unsure, looking anxiously at their parents, Luca does this and is comforted by his moms, Melissa does the initial dance moves with hands and he repeats them excitedly. They don't stop looking at each other at any point, when the boy seems unsure about what to do next she helps him by doing the movement. It's a dance of less than two minutes, halfway through he is more relaxed, finally having fun just like he did at home practicing with them. The last few seconds are the most important, that part that Melissa loves so much and has practiced a lot, the move she calls "LuLu's spin". He smiles happily as he spins around and puts a little hand on the lips, throwing a kiss in the air toward his moms.

"Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!" he repeats excitedly as the song ends and ignores the teacher, running up to them, unlike expected Luca doesn't throw himself at the redhead but at Y/N "Lap, lap."

The younger is surprised, even though he is just one and a half years old he makes his preference for Melissa very clear. So seeing him run up to her was a total surprise for both of them, the teacher doesn't miss the chance to record this unique moment, Y/N quickly takes her son in lap and shower him with kisses, lovingly hugging the cute little thing. It's a cute family moment that both would remember fondly, for sure he won't remember this when he grows up and they will make sure to show the videos and photo albums. The cloud is one of the best tools ever invented.

"I'm glad I didn't have to steal the activities, she was nice giving us some pictures too." Melissa says excitedly as she leaves the bag with activities on the coffee table, her wife walks behind with their son on lap, since the presentation he doesn't want to leave her arms, instantly and suddenly attached "Is he sleepy?"

"Surprisingly no, even the car ride didn't tire him out." she sits down on the couch with the baby still on her lap "Luckily I brushed his hair, who knew he would get tired of wearing the costume and the teacher would take pictures."

"Is that your way of saying you are right?"

"Actually, yes."

"Okay, you are right, amore mio." the woman joins the two on the couch, sitting down next to her wife as she gets rid of the boots, soon thrown in the middle of the room, on another day they would care if they weren't so tired "Come with Mama Mel, bambino." she holds out her arms expecting Luca to do as usual, cuddle up without a second thought.

"No, no!" he whispers and cuddles tighter into Y/N, pouting.

"I thought I was your favorite, LuLu." Melissa smiles lovingly, stroking his hair "And you did great, big boy. We did all the moves, didn't we?! Luca Schemmenti, the best dancer of all."

"Dance! Yay!" the couple laughs as he happily agrees, convinced that it's true.

"Well, my little dancer, shall we take a nap?" Y/N asks rhetorically and receives a disapproving look from son.

"No, Mama!" Luca hugs her tighter and lays his head against the top of her belly.

"Okay, we can stay like this for a few more minutes." the younger laughs at her son's behavior and turns to the redhead "Let's test it, kiss me."

"You're the boss, principessa." she moves closer to kiss her wife, expecting Y/N to be pushed away as she always is, but this time it's Melissa who is pushed away "What..."

"Mine Mama!"

"Okay, this just gets weirder and weirder. And you know, young man, she is my wife."

"Mine Mama!" he just repeats grimacing, ready to fight, this is the first time this has happened, at least with the teacher.

Y/N just watches the scene amused to finally see her wife in her position, as she had become accustomed to being the favorite, even before the baby came into the world he was already showing preference. She smiles, delighted at how they have created an incredible little family, with an incredibly loving, kind-hearted and devoted wife. A mother completely in love with their son. And he, well, he is simply the love of their lives, a little human full of light and hope who has made their days brighter, the great joy of the house. When met Melissa she thought she would never love someone more than loves her, only to find out she was very wrong when discovering she was expecting Melissa's child. Luca is the fruit of their love, materialized and lived, with his own personality, tastes and lots of affection.

"Well, I read somewhere that some children feel and get attached when they sense that their mothers are... expecting another baby." she whispers slowly between the mom and child discussion, smiling as she realizes that the noise has ceased, Melissa staring at her with confusion in eyes as if she hadn't heard correctly.

"What... Do I understand... or not?" the redhead whispers back.

"I'm pregnant."

The woman's first reaction was to hug her wife, practically throwing herself on top wrapping her in arms, the boy didn't even mind this time, he just laughed between the hug. But he wanted to push his mom away when the couple shared a quick and passionate kiss. None of them can believe that this is happening, not even Y/N despite having taken the test the night before after spending the week filling out the symptom bingo. Melissa, on the other hand, is more surprised that the procedure worked on the first try considering their history with Luca's pregnancy, which they suffered the disappointment of two negatives before finally getting a positive one. It was a hard wait that was totally worth when they welcomed the little bundle of joy into their arms. So when he turned one year old, right after the party and a comment about having another child, they talked about giving LuLu a baby brother or sister. The exams came weeks later and the first try was less than a month ago. And now the baby is here. It's just unbelievable.

"Damn, we're having another baby!" she almost screams, very excited at the news "Did you hear that, LuLu? You're going to be a big brother."

"Big bwudda?" he asks confused, not knowing exactly what it means.

"Yes, bambino mio. Mommy has a baby in her belly." Melissa explains calmly, pointing to the spot and carefully places his small hand on the spot.

"Baby?"

"Yes, I have a baby right here. Let's add to the family." Y/N places her own hand on top of the boy's and they exchange a warm smile, shared by the other woman who places her hand next to them "Your little brother or sister."

"Sis, sissy..."

"Yeah, I think it's a girl too, LuLu." the redhead shrugs and turns to her wife, kissing her lips softly "And you know the Schemmenti have great intuition."

"Yes, I know. But Mama here may also be right, I feel we are having another boy."

"Y/N, are you wanting to bet?"

"Maybe."

"Be prepared to lose, the Schemmenti are also great at betting." Melissa blinks and wraps them in her arms again, she was ready to sleep before the news and now all she wants to do is spend the night with the little family she have, talk about the children, about how Y/N is and feels, the shared future that promises much to them "Thank you..."

"For what?"

"For giving me a beautiful and perfect family."

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