#Combined them so I can have more time for the last prompt :D

[dont-hug-me-its-yuri]

Day 29 and 30 for dhmis oddtober: Happy and Creativity!!

(@persy-r-bozo)

[d-z20]

Neighbourly Care part 3 (NSFW)

Pairing: Agatha Harkness x Rio Vidal x Reader

Summary: You go home for Thanksgiving and who else joins your family but none other than their wonderful neighbours Agatha and Rio

-OR-

You struggle to make it through the meal and so does Agatha, but she "accidentally" spills her drink which means you fuck in the bathroom :)

Warnings: 18+ MDNI, smut, top Agatha, top Rio, fingering, oral, mention of humiliation kink

Words: 3.5k

A/N: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE LOVE AND KUDOS!!! to celebrate here is a bonus seasonal chapter :D Happy Thanksgiving to those that celebrate, and to those who don't: enjoy the chapter anyway ;)

AO3 | Part 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Masterlist

A Thanksgiving To Remember

As the morning light filters through the blinds, the hotel room is dim and quiet. You wake up slowly, feeling warm and content, your body still tingling from last night. You shift slightly, realising that Rio is already awake. She’s sprawled comfortably on her side, her head resting on the pillow, her hand absently stroking your arm. Her eyes flicker open as she senses you waking, and she smiles at you lazily.

“Morning, sweetheart,” Rio hums, stretching and running a hand through her hair. “How are you feeling?”

“Good thanks, how about you?" You smile, feeling the pull of her easy, bright energy. Was she always so upbeat in the mornings?

“I’m great. But she,” Rio gestures toward Agatha with a playful smirk, “isn’t a morning person.”

Behind you, Agatha just grumbles in response, muffling her face into the pillow and pulling you closer into her. Rio leans over, a mischievous grin on her face as she brushes Agatha’s hair from her face. “C’mon, darling, I’ll make you coffee,” she offers sweetly, but you can hear the hint of a challenge in her tone. 

Agatha groans again but finally starts to sit up, stretching with an audible crack in her spine. “Fine, fine,” Agatha mutters. “But it better be good, or I’ll go back to sleep.” 

Rio laughs and gets up to make coffee, leaving Agatha to rub her eyes before looking at you. You share a quiet moment, the lingering energy from the night before making the air between you feel heavy with unspoken thoughts.

As Rio busies herself in the kitchenette in the corner of the room, Agatha grabs her phone and starts swiping through it. Not wanting to bother her, you reach for your phone too. You’re happily scrolling when a notification pops up

MILF 1 has added you to the group chat.

MILF 1 named the group chat Check-In Group

MILF 1: There. You can’t ignore us now, sweetheart.

You’re smiling at your phone when you feel Rio standing next to you, coffee in hand

“What are you smiling at? Not another potential date, I hope." She meant it as a tease, but you can hear the hint of jealousy in her voice.

“No,” you chuckle. “In fact, it’s just the opposite; Agatha is making sure that never happens again.” You tilt your phone to show Rio the notifications.

She looks down at your phone, her eyes narrowing slightly at the screen. “Why do you have Agatha saved as MILF 1?” she asks, raising her voice loud enough so Agatha hears.

You laugh nervously and quickly glance at Agatha, who’s sitting up now and lazily sipping her coffee, her attention on the two of you. She raises an eyebrow at you, her eyes glinting with something more than just curiosity.

“Well?” Rio prompts, clearly enjoying your discomfort.

You squirm under their combined gazes, feeling both flustered and slightly turned on. “It’s just the truth,” you admit sheepishly, your voice dropping as you fidget with the comforter. “She is a mom, and, well, I do want to f—” You stop yourself just in time, your cheeks heating as you look anywhere but at them.

Rio raises an eyebrow, a wicked grin curling on her lips. “Oh? And what am I saved as?” she teases, voice low and playful. “Please tell me it’s not just MILF 2.”

Your face goes hot, and you start fiddling with the comforter in your lap. “It might be.”

Rio bursts into laughter. “You really couldn’t think of something more creative?” she asks, shaking her head in mock disapproval.

Agatha’s smile never fades, but her eyes darken, and she stands up, stretching slowly. “Okay, on that note, I’m going to go shower,” she says, cutting through the playful moment. She gives Rio a brief kiss on the cheek before heading toward the bathroom. “You two behave while I’m gone.”

As Agatha disappears into the bathroom, Rio sets her coffee cup on the nightstand and leans closer to you, her expression shifting. There’s an undeniable heat in her eyes as her lips brush against yours in a kiss that’s possessive and urgent. “So you like to fuck us, hmm?” she whispers against your lips, her breath warm as it fans over your skin.

Your breath catches as her words sink in, and your body reacts almost instantly, a tingling warmth pooling low in your belly.

When the bathroom door clicks shut behind Agatha, Rio doesn’t waste a second. She pushes you back against the pillows, her touch both gentle and commanding. The electricity in the air is palpable as her lips find yours again, her kiss deepening with every passing second.

You moan softly when her hand trails down your side, grazing your hip before slipping under your waistband. She pauses just long enough to murmur against your lips, “You’re already so excited for me. Do you like it that much when I humiliate you?” Her tone is teasing, but there’s an edge to it that makes you shiver.

Before you can answer, Rio presses her lips to yours again, cutting off any reply as her hand moves with a confidence that leaves you breathless. Her touch is slow at first, teasing, as though she’s savouring every little sound you make in response. The tension between you builds rapidly, and the air is charged with unspoken need.

Somewhere in the background, you faintly register the sound of the shower running in the bathroom. Rio pulls back just enough to mutter against your lips, her voice low and dripping with desire. “I’ve got about ten minutes until she's done showering.”

Her words send a shiver down your spine, the hunger in her tone unmistakable. You swallow hard, your pulse racing as you meet her gaze. “I don’t think we’ll need that long anyway,” you admit softly, your voice trembling slightly under the weight of her intensity.

Rio smirks, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction at your answer. She wets her fingers with your arousal before burying two of them inside you, igniting a fire in your core that threatens to consume you completely. “So eager for me already,” she murmurs, her voice both teasing and utterly dominating. Her words make your breath hitch, the hint of humiliation in her tone only heightening your anticipation as she begins to fuck you.

There is no slow buildup, and Rio is mercilessly fucking you in seconds, pulling sounds out of you that you didn’t even know you could make; you’re pretty sure that the whole floor can hear you now.

She starts to pump her fingers faster, and you can hear how wet you are. She takes your bottom lip between her teeth and bites down before soothing it with a quick swipe of her tongue. "Shhhhh, baby, try and keep quiet for me; Aggie can’t know what I’m doing.”

The idea that this sex was potentially forbidden pushes you over the edge, and you grip on to her shoulders for dear life as your orgasm comes crashing over you. You pull Rio into a messy kiss to try and dampen your moans as you wind down. She pulls her fingers out, humming with pleasure as she sucks them clean.

“Fucking hell,” you pant.

Rio looks at you with a devilish grin. 

The sound of the bathroom door opening jolts you out of the haze. Agatha steps into the room, towel-wrapped and hair damp, her expression calm as she surveys the scene. Rio immediately freezes, her eyes widening slightly like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

But Agatha doesn’t say a word. She simply raises an eyebrow, a ghost of a smirk tugging at her lips, before turning back to the closet to finish getting ready. Her calm, collected demeanour somehow leaves you even more flustered than being caught outright.

The rest of the morning passes in a blur. After Agatha and Rio get you dressed, they drive you back to your college apartment; their voices light and playful. “Remember to actually text us this time,” Rio teases as she pulls up to the curb. “We’re not just for weekends, you know.”

“Yeah, text us, sweetheart,” Agatha adds with a soft smile. “We like hearing from you.”

“I will,” you promise, glancing at your phone, already thinking of what you were going to text them.

—

Later that evening, you’re mindlessly scrolling on your phone when you notice a new notification in your group chat with Agatha and Rio.

Check-In Group

MILF 2 changed the name to MILFs Anonymous

MILF 1: Rio!

MILF 2: Come on, just let me have this one thing :(

MILF 1: Fine, but Y/N, change our contact names now please

You roll your eyes at Rio’s antics but do as you’re told, not wanting to dissapoint Agatha; you still feel a bit guilty for having sex with Rio this morning.

—

Over the next few days, you find yourself texting with them more and more. The conversations flow easily—Agatha constantly checking in on you, always asking if you’ve eaten or if you’re doing alright. It’s sweet, in a way you didn’t expect, but it’s comforting. Rio, on the other hand, can’t resist sending her terrible dad jokes, which, despite your best efforts, always make you laugh.

MILFS Anonymous

~ 15:48

Rio: What do you call a group of crows that stick together?

You: Oh God, please stop

Agatha: Seriously. You’re not funny

Rio: VelCrows :)))

Agatha: Sometimes I wonder how I fell in love with you

Rio: It’s because I fuck you like there’s no tomorrow ;)

~ 21:17

Agatha: *click to open image*

Agatha: Huh, you don’t look like you’re doing much fucking to me

You drop your phone with a loud clatter. You were not expecting to see a picture of a Rio naked and tied to the bed with a vibrator pressed against her clit and by the looks of it, she had been like that for some time. You spend the rest of your evening fucking yourself to that image. Each time you think you’re done and can't cum any more, the image pops into your mind again, and you start to imagine all the things they would do if you were with them, and before you know it, your hand is back between your legs.

—

Thanksgiving break arrives faster than expected, and the familiar comfort of your parents' home feels like a welcome change from the chaos of college life. You arrive in the early afternoon, greeted by the warm aroma of roasted turkey and spiced pies wafting from the kitchen. It’s a little odd being home after everything that’s happened with Rio and Agatha, knowing they live just next door. You wonder if you’ll see them during your visit.

It turns out you don’t have to wonder for long.

A knock at the front door pulls you from your thoughts, and your dad answers with a cheerful, “Agatha! Rio! Happy Thanksgiving!”

Your stomach flips.

You appear in the hallway just in time to see them stepping inside, Agatha holding a neatly wrapped gift basket and Rio carrying what looks like a bottle of wine. They’re dressed casually but still look effortlessly gorgeous; Rio is dressed in a breezy striped blue shirt that’s half tucked into her jeans. The loose fit of the shirt somehow adds to her charm, her confident movements making it clear she’s completely at ease. Agatha, on the other hand, is the picture of sophistication, her fitted blazer in a warm mustard hue paired with a turtleneck and slacks giving her a commanding presence that turns heads—even in such a casual setting.

“We just wanted to drop this off,” Agatha says, her usual polished tone soft and warm. “A little something for the holiday.”

“Oh, nonsense, you’re not just dropping it off,” your mom insists, appearing behind your dad. “You’re staying for dinner. It’s the least we can do after everything you did for this one when they got locked out in the rain.”

Your heart nearly stops. You glance at Agatha, who meets your wide-eyed look with a calm, knowing smile.

“Really, it wasn’t any trouble,” Agatha says smoothly, a teasing lilt in her voice. “I mean, we could’ve just let them in with the spare key you gave us, but... well, we thought they might prefer a warm bed and some company at ours instead.”

Your cheeks burn as Rio chimes in, her grin bordering on wicked. “And they didn’t seem to mind one bit.”

Your parents laugh, completely oblivious to the deeper meaning behind the exchange, but you feel like you’re about to combust. Agatha and Rio both throw you brief, pointed glances before following your mom into the dining room, leaving you standing there trying to steady your racing heart.

—

Dinner starts off innocently enough, but the air feels charged in a way you can’t quite explain. You’re hyper-aware of Rio sitting across from you and Agatha beside you, their presence consuming all your focus.

Rio’s long fingers wrap elegantly around her wine glass as she listens to your dad talk, but her gaze keeps drifting to you, her lips curving into a faint smirk every time your eyes meet. Meanwhile, Agatha takes every opportunity to lean close, brushing her arm against yours under the guise of reaching for the breadbasket or whispering a sly comment in your ear that sends a jolt of heat straight to your core.

“You look a little flushed, sweetheart,” Agatha purrs at one point, her tone dripping with amusement. “You okay?”

You nod quickly, biting your lip to keep from saying something that would give you away. Rio catches the exchange and arches an eyebrow, her gaze flickering between the two of you knowingly.

It only gets worse as the meal progresses. Rio’s foot grazes yours under the table, lingering just long enough to send a thrill up your spine. 

When Agatha pours herself another glass of wine, she tilts the bottle toward you with a raised brow, silently asking if you’d like more. You nod, not trusting your voice. As she leans over to fill your glass, her lips brush your ear so faintly it feels like a whisper of air. “Behave, sweetheart,” she murmurs, her voice so low and intimate that a shiver runs down your spine.

You clench your thighs and glance up at her wide-eyed, but she only pulls back with that same subtle smile, her expression calm and unreadable.

You do your best to stay composed, but your mind is spinning. Every touch, every look, and every smirk makes it harder to focus on anything else.

Then, as if the universe wants to test your resolve further, Agatha “accidentally” spills a bit of wine on her sweater.

“Oh, shoot,” she says, dabbing at the stain with her napkin.

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” your mom says quickly. “Y/N, show Agatha where the bathroom is, and grab her a clean top from the laundry room, will you?”

You nod, your pulse quickening as you rise from the table. Agatha follows you down the hall, her calm exterior betraying nothing, but you can feel the tension radiating off her like heat. You scurry off to grab Agatha a clean top and quickly show her to the bathroom.

The moment you’re alone in the room, she closes the door behind you with a soft click and turns to face you, her expression shifting from composed to utterly predatory.

“Finally,” she murmurs, stepping closer, her voice low and thick with desire. “Do you have any idea how hard it’s been to keep my hands off you all evening?”

Your breath catches as she backs you against the counter, her hands finding your waist and pulling you flush against her. Her lips are on yours before you can respond, the kiss hungry and demanding, igniting a fire in your chest that spreads through your entire body.

“Agatha, we—” you start to protest, your voice a shaky whisper, but she silences you with another kiss, her hands sliding up your sides to cup your face.

“They’re none the wiser,” she murmurs against your lips, her voice sending shivers down your spine. “Now, let me have you for just a moment.”

Before you can respond, Agatha’s hands drift lower, deftly removing anything on your bottom half that will get in the way of her goal and letting the fabric fall to the tiled floor. Her gaze darkens as she sinks to her knees in front of you, her palms sliding down your thighs, leaving trails of heat in their wake.

Her eyes flick up to meet yours, full of lust and mischief, as she leans in closer. “Dripping everywhere,” she murmurs, her voice husky and teasing, her lips ghosting over the sensitive skin of your inner thigh. “Just like the first time we were in a bathroom together. Seems I have a knack for this, don’t I?”

Your heart pounds in your chest as her words hang in the air, her presence between your legs sending a surge of electricity through you.

It might be Thanksgiving, but your body feels like the Fourth of July when she drags her tongue from your entrance to your clit. She sucks it into her mouth and flicks lightly with the tip of her tongue before releasing it and going back to push her tongue inside you. The woman is on a mission and wastes no time in bringing you close to your climax in record time.

Her hand clamps over your mouth, not willing to risk you letting the whole street know that you’re going to cum, and then, with a final flick of her tongue, you’re glad she did because the orgasm hits you like a fucking 18-wheeler truck, your legs start to shake, and you have to grip on to the sink to stop yourself from collapsing. 

Your breathing comes in ragged gasps as the world tilts back into focus, your body still trembling from the intensity of what just happened. Agatha stands, her movements unhurried and precise as she grabs a tissue and delicately wipes the corner of her mouth, her expression one of calm satisfaction.

"Still as sweet as I remember," she murmurs, her voice low and teasing as she crumples the tissue and tosses it into the small trash can by the sink.

You blink at her, still clinging to the edge of the sink for balance, your legs shaky and your mind a hazy blur of aftershocks. Agatha’s hands are steady as she helps you straighten your clothes, her touch lingering just a moment too long, her fingers grazing the small of your back before she steps away.

She smooths the fresh top you fetched for her, giving herself a quick once-over in the mirror. Perfectly put together, not a single hair out of place. You can’t help but marvel at her composure, especially when you feel like you’ve just been turned inside out.

Agatha turns back to you, a soft, almost maternal smile on her lips as she gives your ass a light pat. “Go on, darling,” she says, her tone playful but firm. “Head back out there before they start to wonder. I’ll be right behind you.”

You swallow hard, willing your legs to cooperate, and make your way back to the dining room, still trying to regain your composure.

The two of you return to the dining room during dessert, the scent of sweet pies and coffee wafting in the air. Agatha looks completely composed now, her clean top fitting snugly as she takes her seat next to you. She even stops for a moment to dab a napkin at the corner of her mouth—the perfect picture of elegance considering she was wiping away the last remnants of your cum. You, however, can feel the heat rising to your cheeks as you settle down, trying not to meet anyone’s gaze too directly.

From the other side of the table, Rio watches the two of you with a smirk that’s far too knowing for comfort. She raises her glass in a small toast, the corner of her lips quirking in amusement before she takes a slow sip.

“So,” she says casually, her tone light but her eyes sparkling with mischief, “did the mess get sorted out?”

Agatha doesn’t miss a beat, shooting her a calm, collected smile. “All taken care of. They were very helpful.” She says, draping an arm around the back of your chair.

Your mother beams, none the wiser. “Well, that’s sweet. Always good to know you’ve got a helping hand.”

Rio stifles a laugh behind her hand, her eyes meeting yours briefly. The heat simmering beneath your skin refuses to let up, and you can only hope that dessert wraps up soon—before someone else catches on.

-----

"we could’ve just let them in with the spare key"

*humming* it was Agatha all along

⚠️Remember⚠️validation saves lives (this fic dies when I believe nobody likes it anymore because I have imposter syndrome)

READ PART 4

-----

taglist: @aceday @valarmorghuli @ctrlamira @lezbean-with-a-side-of-dilfs @noturlondonboy @darkangelchronicles @4theluvofsapphos

[trans-luis-serra-navarro]

Serennedy Pride Week 2025 Announcement!!

[ June 20th - 27th ]

Hello again!! Last year I [ @wisecrackingeric-2 ] hosted #serennedyprideweek in celebration of Pride Month, and since then I’ve had quite a lot of people asking me if I’d do it again this year, and well… here we are!! #SerennedyPrideWeek2025 goes from June 20th - 27th!!

| PROMPTS | RULES |

| AO3 |

—

#SerennedyPrideWeek sits right in the middle of @/chrisker-week [ June 1st - 7th ] and @/puppynivans ‘s Nivanfield Week [ June 29th - July 3rd ], so please be respectful of other shippers if you plan on joining!! Dates may also be subject to change if the events end up clashing. Any inappropriate behaviour towards other shippers will not be tolerated and you will be blocked from the event.

If you need to contact me about the event or have any questions / need accessibility options, please message me on my main @wisecrackingeric-2 as this side blog doesn’t allow messages!! :D I’m the only person running this event, so apologies if it takes me a while to get back to you!!

The FAQ is under the cut for any questions you may have, but I’m mainly setting up this event to uplift and celebrate Queer art & artists during Pride Month, so to anyone who plans on joining; Remember to take care of yourself, Good Luck and Have Fun!!! Happy Pride Month in advance!! :D

((Reblogs are really appreciated, Thank You!! ^^))

—

“How do I join the event?

It’s easy!! All you’ve gotta do is post your submission with the tag #serennedyprideweek2025 and I’ll reblog it!! Just PLEASE pretty please make sure to spell it correctly so I can find it!! :D

“Is it OK if I don’t do all the prompts / if I can only join for one or two days?”

That’s perfectly fine!!! You don’t have to commit to drawing something for every day of the week if you can’t!! This event just just for fun, so don’t feel pressured to make something for every prompt or feel discouraged from joining if you only have time to do one or two of the days!! :D

“Can I combine prompts? How strictly do I have to follow them?”

You can follow the prompts as closely or as little as you’d like!! You’re also more than welcome to merge them or move them to different dates if that suits you better!!

“Will this event be hosted on other sites?”

Nope!! Tumblr is really the only social media I use, but you’re MORE than welcome to post your art/writing etc on other websites!!!

“What mediums are allowed?”

Anything and everything!!!! Art, animation, collages, writing, song fics, edits, traditional art, photography, crafting etc etc etc- go wild!!!! The ONLY mediums I won’t allow are generative AI (this includes character ai conversations) of any kind or art that’s been traced from another artists work/art that’s been traced from a base with no link to the original source.

“Is there anything that ISN’T allowed in this event?”

The ‘Rules’ section linked at the top of the post goes into this a bit more!! I recommend giving it a read :D

[gremlin-girly]

Ionian Sun

Part 1 | Part 2 ->

Part of @steviebbboi 's 200 Follower writing challenge submissions 💥 and the first fic that inspired the Sun, Sea and Sirens Collection

Header by me in Canva, images sourced from Pinterest (credit to OG creators/posters) | Dividers by @/cafekitsune

Pairing: siren!Ari Levinson x f!reader

Prompt(s): "You're taking me so well, baby."

Tags/Warnings: SMUT, monster fucking (ig), dub con, petnames (sweetness, baby, guppy), skinny dipping, groping, light teasing, oral (f recieving), sex in the sea (salty), p in v (wrap it!), creampie, breath play (kinda? You're underwater for a minute maybe less), riding (cowgirl), marking (one measly love bite), no beta

My warnings are non-exhaustive and likely I've missed some, please read at your own risk. And Minors do not interact!!

Summary: After breaking up with your boyfriend whilst holidaying in Greece, you decide to still go on the expedition cruise you paid for. However, upon meeting the alluring boat owner Ari, your day (and night) becomes a lot more mystical than you ever expected.

Word count: 5.4k

A/N: Hello! Welcome to the first instalment of @steviebbboi's 200 follower writing challenge! This actually wasn't the first idea I had but when the idea popped into my head I just couldn't resist (I've been writing it since two Sundays ago). I honestly didn't expect to have multiple fics in the works for this challenge lmao (the prompts were just too good) so I hope you enjoy and stick around for the other instalments (if I can get round to them - maybe make them like... 2k? That would be nice 💀). - Love, Grem x

Main Masterlist

The heat of the bright Greek sun beat down on your exposed back as you stormed down to the pier at 10am. You had meant what you said when you told your boyfriend that you would go without him on the boat outing if he wasn't up in time, and even after pettily slamming every door in the B & B, he still refused to get up.

Fury boiled in your stomach and angry tears were hidden behind your sunglasses as you searched for the boat you were supposed to find; Circe's Blessing.

It had been the only thing you had planned for the holiday, the only thing you had been looking forward to doing since arriving on the island paradise of Ithaca and your boyfriend had almost ruined it for you. Again.

You'd wanted to visit some of the ancient ruins and the Odyssey Palace but your boyfriend had insisted on relaxing and enjoying the beaches. Enjoying them a little too much, in fact. He'd drank too much despite your warnings and combined with the heat, it had completely wiped him out.

What's worse was that this holiday was a last-ditch attempt to salvage an already-failed relationship, suggested and booked by your so-called boyfriend.

Ex-boyfriend.

You'd told him when you were leaving that if he didn't join you at the pier when you were supposed to set off, you were done. You already knew deep down that he probably would try to call your bluff and not show up but it still hurt.

But you had paid for this experience and currently you were too fuming to care that you'd paid for two people, not just yourself.

You reached a large catamaran that had Circe's Blessing in cursive on the back. The boat was sleek and white, with blue buoys hanging limply at the sides. You could just about see the quarters from where you stood, hidden beneath protective sails. There was a small kitchen and dining table surrounded by a very comfortable looking sofa, with two woolly throws and a multitude of pillows; but no captain.

You seethed for a moment, huffing and grumbling, believing the captain of your cruise had let you down as well.

"Hello?" You called, inching closer to the boat. You peered up to the top deck, but there was no one at the wheel. Stepping onto the boat alone was out of the question. You skim through the booking information on your phone and find the captain's name.

"Ari? Hello?"

A man suddenly emerged from the cabin door. He grinned over to you and you did a double take. He was shirtless, toned but not overly muscled, with coarse hair gathering from his pectorals to his sternum and a dark line trailing down in a thin line and disappearing below a pair of khaki shorts. Your eyes flick up to his face - grateful for your sunglasses hiding your shameless glance. Although, his face was just as spectacular to look at. A thick beard that hid a sharp jaw and equally thick, long, brown hair that Ari ran his hand through, showing off more of his strong arms. And those eyes... damn. If you didn't know any better, you'd think you were stood before a Greek God. Suddenly, your boyfriend not being around made this even better. You wouldn't have to tolerate the jealousy or insecurity of being around such a... well, such an attractive man.

"You must be Y/N," Ari comments, crossing the deck in two strides and offering you a hand over the boat railing. "I thought there was two of you?"

"Uh, yeah." You reach out and shake his hand, standing on tip toes to reach properly. "He um... is sick."

Ari is just as unconvinced as you are by your half-lie but he smiles nonetheless. "Oh, that's a shame. Just you and me today."

You hum and offer a wry smile and Ari's ocean eyes glimmer, his head jerking to the end of the boat. "Come on, let's not waste the sunshine. Hop on."

Ari gives you a brief rundown of the boat rules; where not to stand, what not to do and shows you where everything is situated so that you may help yourself to drinks and snacks if you so wished.

The room you originally thought was the main cabin was technically the lounge area. Off to the side and down a short, but narrow, flight of stairs was a large master bedroom, a tiny bathroom and another bedroom. You can feel his gaze follow you as you familiarise yourself with the boat you'll be on for the next few hours. You may have felt uncomfortable, if he wasn't so heart-stoppingly gorgeous. In fact, you could feel your heart racing at the thought of being around him all day. Ditching your ex at the hotel was a stellar choice after all.

Your eyes widen, and you hum with a nod, looking impressed. "It's quite the set up," You say, climbing back up the stairs.

Ari flashes you another grin, offering you a large hand as you clamber the final few steps. You take it and are tugged up quickly, almost making you yelp.

"Sorry, don't know my own strength," Ari chuckles, looking sheepish as he releases you. His chuckle rumbles in his throat and it makes you smile, easing the nerves that make your stomach flutter. Ari checks his watch quickly before continuing. "We'll set off in about five minutes, I've just got to get the anchor up. There's a few beaches and islands of interest on our journey - then I'll make us lunch."

You hum in acknowledgement, nodding along. "Sounds great."

You catch that same glimmer in Ari's eyes that you saw earlier but it's disappeared almost as soon as you've spotted it. He smiles once more and heads out to the deck.

Despite the sea looking calm before you set off it was anything but.

The choppy waves, despite being gentle as Ari insisted, still rocked the boat enough for your stomach to flip uncomfortably.

"Not a sea lover I take it?" Ari calls to you from the wheel. He'd hidden his blue eyes behind aviators (that made him no less handsome) but you could tell he his gaze was still fixed upon you in your bikini.

"It's not that," You explain, sitting up in your seat and taking a sip of water. "I love the sea. just not... bobbing on top of it."

"I can stop the boat here?" Ari suggests, looking out over the open sea. "It's not a bad place for a swim. It might help ease your stomach."

"Hrm. Maybe."

Sea spray flies over the sides of the boat and for a moment you think you see a sheen of something glittering on Ari's leg. You shake your head. It must be water reflecting in the sun or the champagne you're drinking combined with the rocking of the boat.

"You know what? Sure. What the hell." You balk as your stomach flips again and Ari chuckles, that beautiful rumbling sound seemingly echoing around your ears.

"Aye aye."

The swim spot was gorgeous. Turquoise waters glittered in the early afternoon sun and, unsurprisingly, being in the water helped ease your flipping stomach. You treaded water and watched the fish below go about their business like you weren't even there.

Ari watches you over the railing, arms folded and straining against his shirt. His aviators are pushed back like a make-shift headband. He watches you and chats to you as you swim, about your life back home and what brought you to Ithaca. You conviently leave out the part about your ex boyfriend - who you haven't heard from thanks to the lack of signal - but happily converse with him while you float atop the water.

"You ought to watch out," He calls playfully. "I heard there are merfolk in these waters."

You giggle and give him a faux-withering look, catching his playful grin. "I thought merfolk were all women? And only interested in men?"

"They're interested in whatever they can get their hands on." Ari smirks down at you and despite the warmth of the water you shiver.

"Does that mean I'll be eaten?" You ask, your body relaxing to the surface of the water and letting your eyelids flutter closed.

"Depends," Ari chuckles. "Do you taste as good as you look?"

Your hips falter, dipping back into the water to cool your reddening face. When you reappear, Ari is still smiling down at you and you huff playfully swimming towards the boat.

"How often does that line work for you?" You tease, climbing the ladder onto the back platform of the boat.

"Less than I'd care to admit." Ari greets you at the platform, wrapping you in a towel and handing you a bottle of water. You make a humph sound and bite back a smile; knowing damn well that line worked wonders on you.

"I'll head to the next stop and I'll make lunch?" Ari suggests, walking back to the wheel.

"Sounds like a plan, captain." You tease and Ari pulls a face, placing a hand over his heart.

"Never call me that again." He deadpans but still gives you a grin.

Hours melt together as you and Ari spend the day out at sea. His cooking was to die for and you got to pry into his mind a little too, although you couldn't convince him to jump into the water with you.

Ari showed you more than one beach and smaller islands that weren't on your scheduled tour, sharing titbits and tales from Greek mythology. You found yourself enraptured by his voice; hanging on to his every word. Slowly but surely, the sky fades into hues of pink and lilac as the sun sets on the horizon and you realise you've had the best day you've had in a long while. When you tell Ari as much he laughs.

"Me too. But why stop now?" His eyes have that strange glimmer to them again. "If you're not in any rush to get back - I have that spare room and... I think you should see the stars on the ocean."

You blink at him and your heart races. "I'd like that."

"Great," Ari grins broadly. "I know just the spot."

The stars had been beautiful and with ouzo poured and more stories shared you'd almost - almost - managed to get a kiss from Ari but the ocean decidedly had other plans and you would rather not puke your drinks back up into his lap. You bid him good night about an hour ago but the boat's rocking made it difficult to get a decent night's sleep. Your stomach churned each time the boat swayed over a wave, and the rich food from earlier plus the alcohol, hadn't helped either.

However, thoughts of Ari were interrupted when you heard a splash and your ouzo-filled brain thought Ari must have tumbled over board. throwing off the covers you rushed up onto the deck in the darkness, trying not to trip over any ropes or footholds.

"Ari?" You look around the boat curiously, wrapping your arms tighter around yourself. Though there wasn't much of a breeze, there was still a chill in the night air. "Ari, are you okay?"

You wandered around to the diving deck, where you found a pair of boxers and khaki's neatly folded on the side. Your heart lurched into your throat and you headed over to the railing. The sea was ink black in the night now, no stars to reflect on the surface, the light of the boat offering only mere inches of light. It was like staring into an endless void.

"Ari?!" Your voice took on a more panicked shrill this time, straining your eyes into the darkness. Then there was the sound of water breaking and a splash nearby, Ari's voice echoing from somewhere you couldn't see.

"You called, sweetness?"

You sigh loudly with relief. "Oh, thank god. I thought you may have taken a trip over board."

Ari chuckles, just coming into view of the boat. "Well, I did but I dived."

You roll your eyes and ignore him. "In the dark? Can't you see?"

"I have good eyesight." He says simply and you think he must be lying because you can barely see a damn thing. "Why don't you join me?"

You pause for a moment before eyeing his abandoned clothes, your eyes narrowing as you look for him. "You wouldn't come in with me earlier when it was warmer."

"You can't skinny dip at night." He counters, before teasing, "Come on, haven't you ever skinny dipped before?"

"It's not just that!" You counter defensively. "I can't see where I'm jumping. what if I knock my head or -"

"-get stolen away by a merperson?" You don't have to see him to know he's smirking. "I'll save you don't worry. I'll keep you close."

You sigh. This is another one of those what-the- hell moments you've been having all day. You strip away the shirt Ari let you borrow and your panties and throw them haphazardly on top of his neatly pile clothes. You walk a few paces back and steel yourself with a mighty puff of air.

"If you don't catch me Ari, I swear..."

The diving platform disappears into nothing and fear wracks you for a moment before you take that fear and run with it, literally. Your feet pound against the boat's plastic flooring and you leap from the platform and into the darkness.

The water is colder than expected. You're body shudders as it's enveloped by the sea's grasp. You don't know how deep you've gone - only that you have to swim up. You want to open your eyes on instinct but it's pointless; even above the surface of the water you can no longer see your own limbs.

But Ari can.

As soon as he heard you take a charge from the diving board he ducked under the water, swimming a few feet in seconds to watch your naked form break the water and almost hang angelically suspended for a few moments before attempting to swim to the surface.

Ari swims forward with ease before wrapping his arms around your soft waist and raising you to the surface in his arms. The moment you break free of the water, you suck in a huge gasp for air, making Ari smile.

"You okay there, guppy?" He murmurs into your ear, his arms constricting you slightly.

"Please tell me there are no sharks in these waters, Ari." You say meekly, only half-joking.

"Shouldn't you have asked before jumping in?"

"Probably." you puff. "But are there?"

"No. Just me." His chest rumbles with a half-chuckle again and your head falls against his shoulder, acting of it's own accord. You look up at him not even noticing that you're not treading water or the fact that you can't feel the gush of Ari's legs treading either.

Somehow, Ari looks even more mesmerising through the darkness, illuminated only by the tiny lights of the boat. His blue eyes look black, almost predatory like a shark's, and you find yourself smiling up at him.

"What's wrong, guppy?" Ari smiles back down at you, squeezing you again and running his nose along your cheek.

You swallow but your throat feels dry, your heart hammering as you look up at him, melting into his hold. "Nothing at all."

This doesn't feel like it did with your ex at all. You feel like you're floating and drowning all at once in Ari's presence; there's something about how comforting and downright gorgeous he is that's drawn you in, keeping you here in his orbit all day and all night. Not that there's anything wrong with that, being a newly single woman and all.

You can feel hardness of his length pressed against your ass and that only excites you further. You'd never taken yourself as someone who'd be skinny dipping at night with a man you'd just met but to hell with it - after the day, the week, the damn year you'd had - you were allowed to be a romantic for a day. But when something thick and scaly brushes past your leg, you squeal in terror and cling onto Ari.

"I think that was a fish!" You half whisper, looking into the depths. Darkness only looks back at you.

"Mm." Ari hums amusedly. "You tend to find them in the sea, guppy."

You frown over at him but smile. "Ha ha, don't be a smart ass."

Ari snorts, running his large hands over your waist. "Sorry, sweetheart. Force of habit."

You grumble but you turn to face him properly, wrapping your arms around his neck to anchor yourself.

"You are forgiven." You say softly, eyes flickering to his blue-black ones. "But only if we pick up where we left off earlier."

"I think I can manage that." Ari's beard is softer than you imagined against your skin and that salty sea-air scent that he wears so well seems to be accentuated now. Your hands glide through his wet hair, holding his head steady as your lips finally meet. The first kiss is tentative and sweet but the budding tension that has been building since the moment you laid eyes on one another soon takes hold and your lips collide with reckless abandon, exploring each other's mouths hungrily.

Your legs wrap around the soft skin of his hips. They feel strangely silky but when your leg moves upwards against his skin, it scratches. Pushing the thoughts away, eager to keep kissing and groping the delectable man before you, who'd given you the best day of your life this year. And now about to give you the best night.

One of Ari's calloused hands runs over your bare breasts, squeezing them lightly as you both kiss and he swallows your moans eagerly, half-growling back at you. It's dizzying being in his hold, having his body against yours, and you shift your hips impatiently, brushing your slit against his cock.

"Fuck," Ari curses breathlessly. "Are you-?"

"I'm sure." You say quickly with a curt nod, nipping against his bottom lip. Ari's chesire grin is visible through the darkness and he inches you both back towards the ladder and small platform.

"Slip your arms through the sides," Ari says in-between butterfly kisses over your chest, making you shiver and giggle with delight. "I really do want to see for myself if you taste as good as you look. I've thought about it all day."

Your heart thuds against your ribs and your arms feel as if they'll pop from their sockets with how hard your clinging to the ladder. The moon appears, illuminating the surface of the sea into liquid silver. You smile as you look out to the glimmering horizon, awestruck by the view as Ari kisses up your legs and thighs.

You giggle and squirm slightly. He'd been under an awfully long time. Maybe because he was a diver in his free time and an excellent swimmer; holding his breath for long periods may be a natural side effect.

Something moved under the calm surface - a powerful movement of muscle that disrupted the moon's image with ripples. Panic seizes you for a moment, thinking of sharks, but realised it may have been Ari kicking his legs instead. You can feel his warm palms pry your thighs open gently, slotting himself between them and placing your legs over his shoulders. You brace yourself against the ladder when you feel Ari nibble at the soft, sensitive flesh of your inner thigh. Your whole body twitches when you feel a kiss to your clit and you moan lowly. There's no need to worry about being too loud - you're out in the ocean, away from civilisation and in your own slice of paradise. The sense of freedom washes over you and when Ari licks a stripe of your cunt under the quiet rolls of the waves, you moan louder.

You can feel vibrations around your clit that make you shudder and note Ari must be humming in approval, before he attacks your cunt with his tongue again. Your eyes roll back and your thighs squeeze around Ari's soft hair but he's relentless, ensuring you're a moaning mess under his tongue. You feel Ari twist beneath you, changing position to lap at your cunt and anchor you onto his face with his strong arms. You pant and call out his name to the sea beyond as you cum ignoring the angry burning of your arms hooked around the ladder.

You hear a thrashing sound and assume it's Ari's legs again but when you raise your head, you're not looking at legs. You're looking at a tail.

It was only for a moment but you were enraptured by the sight; a long, thick, muscled tail whose scales twinkled like gemstones of the most cerulean of blues in the moonlight. At the tip of the tail fanned outwards like billowing silk, paler than the scales you'd seen but no less beautiful. But then it was gone and Ari was still beneath the surface, lavishing your cunt with adoration you hadn't experienced in a long while. You suck in a breath at the sensations; overwhelmed from cumming once already and you can feel your legs begin to shake as your second orgasm draws near.

After a few more moments of pleasure, long licks and more suckling from Ari's mouth, the water ripples again. This time it's more violent, whipping against the gentle current as Ari changes back to his original position, suckling erratically on your clit, soon joined by two of his fingers into your pussy that make you cry out his name in a choked sob.

Another swish of the tail just below the surface of the water breaks your spell. You let go of the ladder with one arm, finding Ari's soft hair and tugging it, urging him up. Ari's handsome face appears inches from yours, but his fingers are still exploring your throbbing pussy.

"What is it, guppy?" Ari murmurs softly, squeezing your waist, his fingers continuing to scissor you. He's not even breathless, you realise through your haze, as he presses sweet open kisses along your neck.

"I... I saw something."

Ari nuzzles your neck, pushing wet hair away from your skin with his nose. "Did you now?"

"There was a tail," You whisper, mewling when Ari's fingers trail from your hole up to your clit, rolling it gently. His teeth are sharp as they graze against your skin but he only hums in response.

You feel yourself start to relax into the vibrations from his throat. It felt like you were floating when you were kissing him again - kissing his face to make him smile and kissing his throat to feel the beautiful, melodic humming against your lips.

"Did it scare you?" He asks finally when you go limp in his arms.

"No," you admit immediately, looking at him. "It was beautiful."

He holds your gaze for a moment that stretches into an eternity. You feel the wracking of your heart slow but heat rushes to your cheeks and you don't dare break his gaze. There's that glimmer - the one you've been catching in his eyes every time he looks at you - and it sets your body alight.

And then he starts humming.

It's not a song you recognise but there's a clear, sweet melody that melts away the world around you. Leaving only you and Ari, afloat in the moonlight gazing at one another. Something stirs beneath the surface you pay it no heed; Ari is your focus. You're leaning closer into him, occasionally humming in symphony, once again drowning in his presence.

Ari slowly moves away from you, dipping beneath the surface and you follow without a second thought. Your eyes are squeezed tightly shut, swimming blindly into the depths when you hear Ari's voice call your name. It's almost crystal clear.

When you hear him call your name again, this time with a coax of opening your eyes, you squint in the direction of his voice. Salt burns the soft pulp of your eyes as the widen in awe. Two feet away from you, engulfed in silvery moonlight is the tail you'd seen, trailing all the way to human hips which you knew to be Ari's after ogling him all day long. Your mouth fell open on instinct and bubbles of precious air dissipate in seconds, when you feast your eyes on what was (would have been?) between his legs.

He swam towards you, his tail moving effortlessly under the water. His long hair wafted around him, weightless as he pecked your lips with a teasing smile.

"I told you," he spoke but the words sounded slightly garbled by the water but he's grinning at you r expression. "There are merfolk are in these waters."

The need for air burned at your lungs and Ari scooped you up, breaking the surface in seconds. You gasped and spluttered, torn between being terrified and enraptured. Ari seemed nonplussed, still peppering kisses over you.

"You -You-" you can't quite get the words out but Ari hums again, your brain shrouded with the delightful mesmerising numbness as before.

"Don't panic, guppy. I've got you."

You nod and hum in understanding, unable to help yourself from giving him a gooey-eyed look. Ari's eyes light up, pressing his cheek against your chest, smiling broadly.

"Again, guppy." He sighs wistfully. "Sing for me again."

"Hmm? Oh!"

Ari bites onto the flesh of your neck, sucking and kissing the forming bruise, making you gasp before it transforms into a long, low muffled moan as you fight to keep your mouth shut.

"Just like that," He praises, raising his head to kiss your lips again. "You've been doing it all day; teasing me. And for that I'm going to keep you singing until dawn. But I want you now."

Without much warning, Ari dips under the surface of the water and you manage to take a small gasp of air before a hand grasps your ankle and pulls you beneath the waves. You don't go deep and as soon as you're below surface level Ari has swam around you; kissing you all the way from ankle to neck before flipping you to "lie" flat in the water, pulling you up against his hips. His cock sits between your folds as Ari smiles down at you, your eyes squeezed shut and wishing you could witness what was about to happen.

Ari reaches between you, rubbing his length along your slit teasingly before pushing into your tight hole. You make a small sound and force yourself to hold your breath for longer, desperately wanting Ari to continue. Your pussy flutters around him as he slowly enters, allowing you time to adjust, and his hand goes back to grasp your hips; pulling you onto him rather than forcing into you. Your hips meet; his scales gently scratching at your inner thighs and make your head swim.

"That's it," Ari's voice is a gentle caress, easing you into being pleasantly suspended on his cock. You grasp helplessly at the water, searching blindly for Ari, for something to anchor your body too before he starts fucking you, but to no avail.

"You take me so well, baby." his voice swims around your ears, your pussy tightening at his praise. His hips buck up into you and you squeak in surprise, bubbles rolling up your face and dancing to the surface above. You can hear and feel the vibrations of his deep chuckle throughout your body and you have to set your jaw to stop yourself opening your mouth.

You know he's watching you. You can feel his eyes wandering over your body as he moves his hips languidly into you. Your hair wafts around you and you feel weightless, euphoric even. You want to gasp but can't risk losing too much air instead opting to make a strangled hum as you try and reach for Ari again.

He grins down at you victoriously when you peek at him again, eyes burning, but you catch a glimpse of his face surrounded by a halo of moonlight. He's a myth come true; a siren of the sea who has you bound to him with his voice and those damn glittering cerulean eyes. Anymore thoughts are quickly fucked out of you as Ari's hips slam suddenly move into yours at a new, feral pace.

Your back arches against nothing, fingers gripping at molecules as you try to fight screams of dizzying pleasure, your legs tightening at his waist, brushing against the scales of his tail. Another almost-pained growl rips from your throat instead.

"That's it, guppy," His voice echoes. "Sing for me."

Your lungs start to burn and you smack at Ari's arm weakly. Ari's thrusts stutter for a moment as he realises what you need, pausing briefly to return you to the surface.

You make an ungodly gasp for air as you break the surface, relief filling your lungs as they finally receive the oxygen they were craving. However, the relief is short-lived as Ari starts fucking up into you instead.

You fall forward, but find his hard chest just beneath the surface; a warped image of his face beneath it but you think you could spot that grin anywhere now. His tail thrashes as he moves again, his cock plunging further into you at this angle and you howl into the night sky, bracing against his shoulders under the water. Ari's cock knocks against your cervix, and your walls clamp down onto him; intending to milk him for everything he was going to give.

"Ari," You draw out his name, your body putty in his grasp. You can't of anything else but him, nor he you, as he hears your muted melody of his name under the water. Ari curses and although you can't quite hear him, you can feel his cock twitch and his hips stutter before he stills, filling you to the brim with cum.

You both panted and puffed, albeit in opposite sides of the water, savouring the moment (or rather, night) you had both had. Ari's tail swished gently in the current, keeping you both steady and once you had caught your breath, you dipped your head down beneath the waves and kissed his lips. Ari hummed happily, his arms wrapping around your torso and pulling you back under - his cock still buried inside you. You smile and giggle, letting the bubbles get caught in his hair.

"We can't stay out here guppy," he murmurs, nuzzling his beard against your neck. "You'll get ill. Let's get you back on the boat."

Ari keeps you close as he moves towards the boat, helping to hoist you up and out of the water - even if he is disappointed to have to remove himself from you first. He covers your back and legs in kisses as you climb up the ladder, making you giggle but a swift playful smack to your ass has you hissing his name.

"I couldn't help it." He shrugs innocently, hoisting himself onto the smaller platform his tail on full display and the tip floating lazily in the water. You head into the cabin and grab two towels, tossing one back to Ari.

Your eyes are transfixed on his tail. "So... your tail is the reason you didn't want to swim today." You comment trying to be nonchalant, wrapping yourself in the towel.

"Hey, eyes up here." Ari teases, toweling his hair. "And I can't exactly hide it in the beautiful, clear Greek sea."

You blush a little, feeling more questions bubble up but not knowing where to begin. Ari grins up at you, his tail slowly vanishing with a faint shimmer. You blink rapidly feeling a little bewildered, and a lot crazy.

Ari stands up, stretching with a groan, before padding over to you, not even bothering to wrap himself in the towel.

"You can ask all the questions you want later, guppy." He pecks your lips, taking your hand and leading you back into the main cabin and carefully down the stairs. "Let's get you back to bed first. I promised I'd keep you singing until sunrise."

A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

This took me SO LONG to finish I don't even wanna talk about it and it got posted before I finished writing it. (And it may or may not be a H20: Just Add Water thing going on lmao). But yeah... longest fic I've ever posted so far.

I have one or two more ideas based around merfolk but I can't really give ya a timeline (sorry) . But Thoughts? Thots? Do we really need more Merman Ari? Probably.

And yes the stupid amount of humming in this fic was siren song (bc vibrations and such) - I apologise for the copious amounts if humming.

Anyways, thanks for making it this far - and thanks for reading! <3

[nine-one-wanton]

Sal/Taylor 📸

Thanks for the prompt 💜 Not under a cut for spice (sorry!), just got to be about 3x longer than it was supposed to be (not sorry!)

The last time that Taylor had moved in with a boyfriend had been a disaster. She tried not to think about that as she moved her stuff into the apartment that her and her current boyfriend were moving into.

Sal was not Buck.

There were no secrets, no ulterior motives.

Sal inflicted his thoughts, actions, and motivations on everyone he encountered.

It was a breath of fresh air; sometimes she could go with a little less information and opinion. But it was definitely the side she’d found that she preferred to err on.

“Oh my god,” she snorted as she found the old Polaroid at the bottom of a box of books.

“What?” Sal asked, crossing the room to see what she’d found.

“Look at these losers.” She held up the photo of them that had been taken the night they’d met.

At the firefighter’s ball.

She could practically feel the cool air from that evening, years ago.

The versions of them in the photo looked a combination of surprised, mildly annoyed, and maybe juuuuust a tad guilty.

***

She had just been covering the event. Briefly interviewing some of the attendees; bringing attention to the charity that money was being raised for.

Consciously, she knew she would probably see Buck there. But she had told herself that they had parted on decent enough terms; wished each other the best and all that. It was fine.

She hadn’t been prepared for the reality of how it would feel seeing him; especially seeing him there with a date.

She thought she’d been professional throughout, until someone had called her out for her sulking.

She’d been sitting in her car in the parking lot after her crew had left, and a firefighter - dressed in his Class A’s as all firefighters at the event were - came knocking at her window.

She rolled it down. “Can I help you?”

“What are you doing here?” he asked bluntly.

“Uh, none of your business?”

“Sure. But you’re loitering here without your crew. Wasn’t sure if you were.. having car trouble, or what.”

“Just.. processing.”

“Ah. Well, fucking weird venue for that.”

She smiled. “My ex is here.”

The guy chuckled, and to her surprise said. “Join the club.”

“Really?”

“I have to watch him dancing in there with his new squeeze or whatever.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s a blast.”

Taylor couldn’t help wondering, “Who’s his new squeeze?”

“Buckley over at the 118.”

Small world. “So.. Tommy Kinard?”

“How do you know him?”

“I might have looked into him when I found out he was dating my ex.”

“Ahhh.. I’m putting things together now. Wanna step out of the car to continue this conversation?”

“What’s there to continue?” The guy was objectively handsome. And there was something relaxed, irreverent, and.. funny about the way that he spoke.

And this connection they had through their exes was.. interesting.

Interested.

Yeah, she was interested.

But she wasn’t sure she wasn’t barking up the wrong tree, if he’d dated Kinard. But then again, Buck had dated her.. and now he was with Kinard..

She stepped out of the car and followed the firefighter to a picnic table outside the venue.

They sat on the tabletop, resting their feet on the bench. Sitting close enough that their thighs pressed together.

“My name’s Taylor.”

“Sal. So, what does that make us? If our exes are together, it feels like we are in-laws of some kind?”

“Maybe more like outlaws?” she said with a playful smile.

“This thing’s only got about an hour left, but why don’t you come in with me. Have a drink. Dance a little?”

She laughed with disbelief. “What?”

“Even if you’re not interested in being my date for an hour-“

“Not sure how I feel about ‘dating-by-the-hour’..”

Sal barked out a laugh. “Maybe I just think it’d be funny as shit to see the looks on Tommy and Buck’s faces?”

“Ah, chaos?”

“Why not!”

“Compelling argument. Maybe I’m not motivated by revenge?”

“All right, Ms. High Road. My cards on the table, maybe I just wanna dance with you?”

Taylor hopped off the picnic table and held her hand out toward Sal. “I can hear the music just fine out here.”

Sal smirked as he took her hand, and she was struck again by how handsome he looked in his uniform.

He held her close as they moved to the music, audible but muffled through the door.

“We should grab a drink somewhere,” he said. “Doesn’t have to be here.”

“You’re persistent,” she observed.

“You tell me you’re not interested, I’ll back off.”

She looked up at him, “I’m interested. When were you thinking?”

“Now.”

“Decisive!”

His hand on the small of her back as they swayed to the music pulled her in closer. “I know what I want.”

“That’s.. really refreshing,” she admitted.

Suddenly the music became louder and more clear. They both turned to face the door of the building that had been opened, and were faced with the flash of a Polaroid.

“What the hell, Probie?” Sal asked.

“Sorry, Cap!” a very young looking firefighter quickly said. “Hey, are you Taylor Kelly?”

“Guilty,” she said.

“Gimme that,” Sal took the developing Polaroid from the guy and he went back inside. “How’s it feel to be on the other end of the paparazzi?” he asked her.

“I’m a journalist. Not a paparazzi photographer!”

“And you take yourself very seriously,” Sal teased.

“Why did he take our picture?” she asked with an intentionally un-serious laugh.

“He’s been doing that all night. Taking candids and leaving them on the tables for folks. I think you should hang onto this one, though. You’re gonna wanna show our grandkids and shit.”

“You’re absolutely ridiculous!”

“Then why are you smiling ear to ear?” His bright smile matched hers.

***

They had gone out for that drink.

And hadn’t stopped seeing each other since.

[haveihitanerve]

Genre: Break-Up In An ALDI!!! (I'm working on Jingle Boys guys I swear a lot has been going on though rn and my schedule is pretty busy so idk when I'll manage to get it out, but have this in the meantime :D hope it sates!)

What sort of rom-coms are you watching?????

Luke starting us off, just setting the scene- AJ and Sam sitting next to each other like fricking cuties, i did all of this just so that I can point out the way Tom does his little scurry to the back bc apparently their phones are off stage during shows lol cuties- anyway I’m not a total freak so idk but that may or may not be his phone… anywho moving on

Tom chuckling and amused for whatever reason- while AJ and Sam are staring at Luke with intense concentration as if he’s their last shred of sanity and honestly both are great :) 

“Oh just some pineapple. You seen one before?” Idk if he’s being a dick or if this is meant to add awkwardness but it gets us a brilliant little Luke laugh and thats all that matters

“I always wanted to know why you didn't call me back.” “oh we’re doing this! Ok…” AJ has zingers oh my gods that was a brilliant line- killed me- and it gets another LL:)

Luke freezing Sam right as he’s about to debate AJ and AJ’s chuckle because he sees it, Sam’s lil tilt of the head like ‘don't you test me’ they're too cute

Brilliant fight scene- Tom really wants to be in this lol(at the beginning he was eyeing sam and aj like ‘whos gonna do this?’ and neither returned his look lol poor bby)

“Not the frozen section!” “beep. Beep.” Ok so firstly- i honestly don't know what AJ was attempting to mime there, secondly, Tom being a background character is everything, thirdly Sam makes them all laugh and its cute

“You bastard!” “sp-spit on me.” AJ WHAT????!?!

Tom cackling omg!!!!! We got a genuine loud Tom laugh guys!!!

Luke's panic- “FREEZE???” as AJ immediately  apologizes lmaoo “i’m sorry.” 

Sam letting go of AJ(but still trusting him to hold him up while trying to also simultaneously step away lol), Aj not letting go of Sam, and Luke looking to the audience for help XD

Luke’s little *boink* to AJ’s head lol! And Aj again “so sorry.:(“

Aj slowly losing his mind about whether or not to maintain his “holding” of Sam now that he’s actually left his arms is my favorite thing

AJ: *attempts to speak, fails* Luke: *loses it* Sam: *attempts to continue the actual plot* Tom: *just wants to be included*

Also side note but I just love how every time they yell freeze, no matter what side of the audience they chose to grab a new prompt from- they always have to cross in front of the others just as like a lil check in or smth, idk, just a subtle lil “hey! Whats up! You good?” type of thing, ensuring they’re still there or smth, idk really how to describe it, but just the need to hover closer to them somehow between scenes or smth…🫠

“The only- way.. That we can settle- this. Is- with the- art of kung- fu.” Why did they change accents??? To be more american????

[bald guy has a MASSIVE dick- the Sequel :D] -aj regrets his previous choices, Luke is having wayyyy too much fun, Tom wants to be in a scene, and Sam is just concerned

Also Sam breaking the freeze to address Luke “maybe I dodged a bullet with this one!” and their combined chuckling

“Ask it.” Sam’s little head shake of ‘please don't make me do this’ XD

“This is really supernatural.” Sams break 💗

“Why did-” AJ starts worming his arm forward and Sam flinches away in shock and Fear XD 

“I don't think this microphone is on.” AJ still “mouthing” the words, also the way he immediately clocked that tom wanted to be Dick and just let him have it is too cute

Also their combined laughter and Aj’s glance off stage at Tom to grin (ahhhhhh)

“Anime!” I’m glad Aj just let Sam take that one because he seemed completely lost. Also sam ate 

Nevermind I take it back AJ knew exactly what was going on he just needed his moment to shine lmaooo

Aj feeling the need to apologize to the audience 😭

AND SCENE!!!!

Anyways that was a delight, sry have got a busy schedule rn so i don't think I’ll get many more out, but I figured a quick commentary couldn't hurt lol and I hope this gave you some enjoyment :) 

@dawn-speckled @bewilderednobody @scattered-stardust @snek-of-eden

[lovesick-x-prince]

Ello, with sending whumptober numbers for Scarian, 10 and 19 mayhaps >:)

Prompt: Blow to the Head - Slurred Words | Passing out From Pain | “I can’t think straight” Fandom: Third Life Pairing: Desert Duo/Scarian Notes: I went with number ten. <3 This is another prompt that ended up becoming aligned with Nobody Feels Like You. This time, if you haven't read NFLY, you may have a hard time understanding some parts of this. However, if you have read NFLY (and you're all caught up), you might spot some hints of upcoming chapters, since this is set in the 'future.'

“Lay down,” Scar urged, his hands gentle but firm on Grian’s shoulders as he pushed the avian into his nest. Grian stared at him, eyebrows furrowed and mouth tugged into a frown, the uneven size of his pupils made clear in the intent look.

“It’s not… night,” Grian decided after a moment, glancing over to the window. Even as he spoke, he squinted in pain, overwhelmed by the brightness of the day. Scar winced, hurrying to grab an extra blanket from the nest to cover the window. As soon as the room became awash with darkness, Grian seemed unnerved, wings shifting as he tried to sit up in the nest. “Is it night?” he demanded, alarmed at the swift change.

“No, no - Grian, lay down,” Scar insisted again, hurrying back to his partner's side. “Everything is fine, you just hit your head.”

Badly, he didn’t add. We used up all our healing supplies in the last battle, he tried his hardest not to think.

As he pushed Grian down again, he raised one hand to gently feel over Grian’s head, his heart dropping at how wet it was with the avian’s blood. “I need to get you food so you can start healing,” he decided, heart racing in his chest as he tried to leap to his feet again.

Before he could properly stand, Grian’s hands moved to grab his wrists, yanking Scar down into the nest with him. Scar exhaled roughly at the sudden rough treatment, instinctively trying to struggle away before he was able to remind himself it was just his partner touching him.

Appearing alarmed by Scar’s struggles, Grian rolled quickly to half-pin Scar below him, one heavy wing falling across his body to help pin him in place. “W - wait,” Grian stuttered, voice slurred.

“Grian!” At Scar’s shout, Grian winced again, his hand shooting up to grab at his head. Scar flinched, and lowered his voice. “You need to let me up! You’re hurt. I need to get you something to eat, you won’t be able to heal without it. I’m not leaving. I’ll be right back.”

Grian didn’t like it when Scar was far away. After being partners for over half a year, Scar understood this well. He could even relate to it. These days, when everyone was starting to fight, when Scar had witnessed explosions, battles, seeping wounds, and death with his own eyes, he couldn’t bear it when Grian was far away, either. He had no way of knowing whether or not Grian was safe if he couldn’t see him.

Grian was yellow. He’d already lost one life. Scar couldn’t stand it if he lost another.

So he understood Grian’s reluctance to let him go. Combined with his concussion, Grian likely felt even more clingy and paranoid than usual.

“I don’t…” Grian shuddered over him. He lowered his hand from his head, curling it into the fabric of Scar’s shirt instead. “I… I can’t think straight… Scar, don’t - I can explain,” he insisted, his voice suddenly urgent.

“There’s nothing you need to explain.” Scar wiggled enough to get one hand free, and brought it around Grian to gently brush over his feathers, hoping it would calm the avian. He would fight Grian if he had to, push the avian forcibly aside, but he’d really, really prefer to avoid that. “Sush… we’re both fine -”

“I’m not your enemy,” Grian continued, regardless. His words were a mess, slurring together at this point, and Scar had to work to untangle and understand them. “I’m not really the Regent.”

“I… don’t know what you’re talking about,” Scar said, sighing. It seemed like the concussion was worse than he thought.

“I’m not with Dogwarts, I’m not -”

“I know, hey, I know! You would never work with them,” Scar scoffed. The very idea was ridiculous. Grian had made it very clear what his stance was when it came to Dogwarts. An alliance wasn’t possible, not when it came to Ren and Martyn.

Grian fell quiet for a moment. Then, he continued. “... You’re okay, living with Scott and Timmy?”

“We don’t live with them,” Scar said, trying his best to be patient. “We live on Monopoly Mountain, remember?”

“... Monopoly Mountain,” Grian repeated, “yes. It’s… big.”

“... Not that big, no.”

“... Underground?”

“No, it’s not underground, either.” Scar’s gentle touches seemed to help, somewhat. Grian was slumping down against his chest. Scar could feel the dampness of blood on his chin, where Grian was curled up, head pressed up against Scar’s neck. “It’s a beautiful home in the Sand Lands, where we live together. Holding monopoly over all the sand, to the jealousy of the rest of the server.”

“... I killed you with the creeper?”

“No. I’m green, I’m okay. I’m safe. You’re safe, too.”

Grian nodded, weakly. “... You’re gonna win, Scar.”

“... Maybe.”

Scar waited for Grian to continue, but the avian was silent. After a moment, Scar gently nudged him, but even that didn’t cause him to stir. Alarmed now, Scar half-sat up, moving Grian around to lay him down against the mess of blankets once more. It seemed like Grian had passed out. From the blood loss, or the pain? What if there was some internal injury Scar didn’t know about?

Scar put all thoughts of Grian’s odd words out of his mind. He needed to get Grian food, now.

He got to his feet, and quickly rushed to the kitchen.

[koolades-world]

I’m so proud of you for getting 2K followers!

Can you please do Simeon x reader (the two are already dating) with Simeon saying both prompts 5. "I’m here. You're safe with me" and 9. “are you bleeding?”

Please and thank you! :D

thank you so much!! i gladly will :))

i don't think i've ever written a dedicated piece for simeon so i'll put my whole heart into this to make sure it does him justice!

enjoy <3

prompts 5 and 9 w/ Simeon

It was getting late. The songbirds were asleep, and fireflies could be seen out in the open field near Purgatory Hall. The stars lit up the sky and if you listened close enough, you could hear demons laughing with one another. On any other day, the sight might be enjoyable and would be a great opportunity to gather loved ones to savor the moment.

But, it was too late for Simeon's liking. He was expecting you home hours ago. You had even called him, letting him know you were on your way home, and that you were running one last errand, despite the fact that you were out with friends. He didn't want to rush or question you though. You were an adult and your own person. You didn't need him looking over your shoulder. How he wish he did though.

He didn't want to call the brothers, because they would tear apart the Devildom searching for you, nor did he want to wake up his housemates out of fear they'd view him as irresponsible. He checked his D.D.D. for what felt like the hundredth time that hour, and after looking at the time, he decided he was going out to find you himself. If you were still running your errand, he could just apologize. He just wanted to make sure you were ok.

Just as he had gathered all his things and was about to put his jacket on, he heard the keys being inserted into the lock of the front door, and he heard it crack open. With the biggest sigh of relief he'd ever let out, he hung the jacket back up and rushed to greet you. You looked tired, and had your jacket oddly draped around you. But, he didn't question that. Instead, he was more focused on the bouquet of flowers in your hand.

"Sorry I took a while to get home. These are for you, sweetie. They took a tumble, so I'm sorry they look a little rough. " You held them out to him, and he felt as if his heart was about to explode from joy. Nobody had ever given him flowers before. He took them from you, and spun them around in his hands. He studied them closely, and found a little note stuck on a picket in the center. You watched anxiously as he removed it and read it.

"Mc. You're too kind. I'll have to make it up to you in some way." The note read 'because you deserve it <3' and Simeon was over the moon at the sentiment. There was no occasion. Mc just wanted to do something nice for him in a way he hadn't expected.

"I thought you might like them. No need to make it up to me. You're my boyfriend. That in itself is more than enough for me. You're my gift, silly." At your words, he threw his arms around you, unable to contain his feelings. He was usually so composed, but he just couldn't hold it in. He found it kind of ironic he found true happiness in the Devildom, but he could live with that fact as long as it meant he got to remain by your side.

In this hug though, something felt off. You leant into him heavily, which he might normally put off as you being loving and happy to see him again, but that combined with everything he'd observed when you'd entered, he felt as if he should at least ask. "Are you alright, my love?" He stepped back a little to scan you for any signs of harm. The way you wrapped the jacket tighter around yourself told him everything he needed to know.

"I'm alright. Just tired from my night out is all." You tried to comfort him with a warm smile, but he was quick to shut that down.

"Be honest with me. This isn't me trying to be mean, and you know that." He glared at you in a way you'd never seen before. With a sigh, you realized the act was up. You shrugged the jacket off, and at first, Simeon saw nothing wrong. But, as he looked closer, the fabric of your shirt looked as if it was damp.

"Are you bleeding? Why didn't you tell me as soon as you got home?" The flowers were quickly set on a nearby table as he rushed to your side to inspect you closer. You lifted your shirt just enough to show off the three evenly spaced slashes on your abdomen.

"I didn't want you to feel bad about the gift." You confessed. He was quick to put two and two together.

"Did you get this while getting my flowers?" Your silence was telling.

"I know what you're going to say, so you don't need to," you sadly told him. He put his arm around your shoulders and led you to the living room. He sat you down on the sofa and told you to hold still while he healed you.

"You should see the other guys." You weakly smiled at him, in hopes of trying to lighten the situation.

"There was more than one? We'll be talking about who did this later since I want to focus on your right now, but you can't casually mention things like that." Simeon sighed. He went silent after that to focus on healing you, and like magic, all that was left of the wounds was scars. Now, the two of you were just staring at each other silently.

"Why didn't you call me?" He remained in front of you to look you in the eyes.

"I had it. I didn't need any help." At first, you planned to stop there, but you couldn't hide anything from him. "They told me they'd hurt you if I tried to ask you for help, and I panicked. I was really worried about you, and they told me no matter what I did, I wouldn't be able to escape." You leant into him again, tears welling up in your eyes.

"Sweetie, it's alright. You did great." He wiped the tears as they fell. Despite the sparse amount of tears, you looked upset and worn down. "I'm here. You're safe with me." His words seemed to resonate with you, and you tightly clutched him as if he might vanish.

"Thank you. I love you." You rested your head on his shoulder.

"I love you too. Remember, your safety always comes first. Any world where you are is a world I want to be in." He gave you a kiss on the top of your head. "By the way, thank you for the gift, I really appreciate it," he told you, gently smiling.

"I thought you'd like it. They made me think of you when I saw them." He couldn't deny the fact that you were always on his mind, and it warmed his heart to know that you felt the exact same.

"Now, let's get you to bed. You need rest. I'll watch over you." With that, the two of you headed off so you could get your well needed rest. Simeone was glad you were safe.

[smaragdine-snz]

Streamer AU D/ick Gr/ay/son Sickfic

I am not bothering to // the rest of the fic. If it escapes snzblr, fine. I am too lazy for this shit. Anyway, here is Dick with a cold + OC Amelia because for me mentally doing character design if fun and using an OC means I get to make my own canon for her. Woo!

Prompt based on a combination of a prompt from @ Lyritha and a snzario from @mew31

CW: Mess, Cold Sneezes, Sneezed On, Coughing

If you need something else tagged/listed, please let me know. I am new to this! Anyway, have fun.

For more of Richard or for more DCU characters, tags for future writing will be Sick Grayson or DCU Flu (even if not specifically illness, just for my own organizing purposes).

Everyone loved Dick Grayson. Almost.

He bore all the qualities of a natural leader with his charismatic and friendly nature, boundless optimism, and infuriatingly good looks. Those on his team would say he was the only valid choice for raid leader in the party. A skilled tank player, a respected member of the community, a successful streamer. Perfect. Popular. Beloved by all.

All except one. One teammate who met him with disdain and hostility at every turn. One teammate who disregarded every olive branch extended to her. Nothing he said, nothing he did, made a difference. It reached the point of tension where his viewers started to ship them with one another, to the infuriation of his teammate. Her viewers merely seemed to think of him as a pest.

A lesser man would have let it be. Maybe he should have let it be. But Dick Grayson was not a quitter. And something about today felt different. He had been on a roll since he woke up, the day as smooth as silk from the moment his eyes opened to see the morning sun shining through his window.

NIGHTWING: Hey. Wanna do dailies? Just us. You can keep the loot.

His eyes followed the letters as he typed, watching his screen with a small flutter of trepidation.

He had no reason to be nervous, none at all. No sensible explanation for being so invested in just getting a response, any response. Most days, his DMs were ignored.

SUNKILLER: Busy tonight. Tomorrow?

NIGHTWING: “I have a 24hr charity livestream tomorrow. Offering to join me?”

SUNKILLER: Fine. What time?

His jaw nearly dropped as the words appeared on his screen. She agreed, readily? No sarcasm, no snark? Was she sick? Did she need money? Was the end of the world approaching and he just missed all the warning signs?

NIGHTWING: Starts at 2pm. Try not to be late!

It seemed better not to question it. If he asked if she was certain, it gave her the opportunity to change her mind or quip back with something like ‘of course not, dumbass, did you really think I’d join you?’ or some other hope shattering statement. Excitement had his heart racing. Perhaps he could trust his gut feeling. Perhaps this meant progress. Could he finally be winning her over?

Luck abandoned him the next morning.

The alarm clock roused him from his sleep. Blinking away the haze as he sat up, Dick groaned. His body ached, muscles heavy and unresponsive. A dull ache throbbed in the back of his throat with every swallow and mumbled complaint as he pushed himself out of his bed. He could feel congestion in the back of his nose, faint but present.

He had no time to be sick, not today. The twenty-four-hour charity livestream happened to be a big deal. After promoting it as much as he had to try and get as much interest as possible, wanting to blow the set donation goal out of the water, the last thing he wanted to do was call it off. Not only would it let his audience down, it would let the charity down. Plus, he’d finally gotten his raid teammate to agree to join him one on one for some game time.

He just had to not be sick.

So, he stuck to the plan and figured he could just ignore it. Banners and graphics galore decorated his setup, the timer to start the twenty-four-hour countdown in the corner just beneath his camera feed. A meter to track donations decorated a separate monitor. Chat started buzzing with excitement before he turned the camera on, watching his “Starting Soon!” screen with anticipation.

His post last night before bed about getting Sunkiller to join him broke his chat. The messages flooding the screen seemed torn between optimism and teasing.

REDRIDINHOOD [MOD]: Dude, are you sure she’s not just screwing with you?

LIGHTSHOW: This is awesome, Sun’s finally giving you the time of day! Shoot your shot, man!

SHARKNADO72: Nightwing is a masochist, confirmed? 24 hour enemies to lovers speedrun.

CYPHERPYSCHO: Romantic relations with one bearing the word ‘Killer’ in her name is ill-advised, Richard.

IC33POP: She’s so pretty! Ship it!

He turned his camera feed on with an eye roll at the comments section, just in time for Amelia to join the call. Clearing his throat in an attempt to sound normal and not like he spent the morning intermittently sniffling; Dick plastered his signature grin on his face.

“Ready to get started, Sun?” his voice came through a bit raspier than he would have liked, but his smile did not waver. “I was going to do a bunch of solo story games but since you’re here, I changed the line-up to some co-op games. Starting with It Takes Two.”

He could see her on the camera, her eyes shifting to the side to look at his video for a moment before returning to look at her primary screen. He watched her lip curl, getting a flash of teeth and the subtle sound of her clicking her tongue. She knew the game in question. A pointed choice of co-op game considering how his audience felt about his involvement with her.

“Let’s get going then. Try not to slow me down,” a teasing tone crept into her voice as she spoke. “You know how I feel about losing.”

Despite the way his nose felt plugged, and his throat ached, his excitement reigned supreme. It overshadowed the feeling of illness creeping through him, at first. As hours ticked by, he could no longer manage to hide it when he cleared his sore throat to try ridding himself of the hoarse, congested tone from his voice. His sniffles, increasingly pronounced, started garnering attention from the chat as thin streams of mucus dripped from his pink nose and glistened in the light. His nostrils flared, breath hitching as he turned his attention back to Amelia.

“Cad you – snrff. I need you to go to the other side of the gap and stay on the pressure plate, I think. Please?” he flashes a charming smile toward the camera, hoping to distract from how awful that sniffle sounded.

“Sure. Are you feeling okay, Nightwing?”

“Huh? Yeah, of course. I’b fide…Hh-hH–! NGKssHHHhuhw!!”

He lost control of the sneeze he wanted so badly to contain, his head diving into his elbow as he covered it. The crook of his elbow, now covered in a wet spray, stayed well below the view of the camera as he repositioned himself, a faint flush to his cheeks as he looked at his screens to gauge the reaction of both Amelia and his chat.

REDRIDINHOOD [MOD]: Get a tissue, dickwad, gross!

BLUDPR1NC355: Aww, bby, are you getting sick??

Apart from his brother, kind comments were flooding in, thousands of viewers blessing him or expressing concern for his wellbeing. Pointing out how pale he looked, how red his nose had gotten, or the constant sniffling he thought he had been subtle about.

Sheepishly glancing at Amelia’s video, he silently pleaded she would not be disgusted by him. Her in-game character jumped the gap and stood on the pressure plate just as he requested, but he noticed that she kept glancing at him. The way she stared, eyes narrowing every time he sniffled or fought back a sneeze. Though she made no comment on his health, her responses to him seemed a little softer.

After a few more hours of her ignoring his suffering and his chat fussing over his health, Dick could no longer breathe through his nose. His sneezes had only worsened, becoming wetter and more frequent. His body lurched towards the camera as a pathetic attempt at rubbing his nose only served to make everything ten times worse, causing his sneezes to tear through him.

“Hh…Heh'KSHht! —kSHh! H-hihh! Hih'KTCHh! Ugh…hh! HT’TSCHh! t’CHSHh!-’itschh!–ihHK’TSCh’uh!”

He ignored the chat for a moment, trying to catch his breath. He covered most of them, but there were still droplets of spray on the camera lens. Wiping them off with the hem of his sleeve, he reached for the tissue box he grabbed during their last bathroom break, only for his fingers to touch the cardboard bottom. Empty.

Through the haze of congestion in his head, and as he sniffled in a futile attempt to contain the flood of mucus dripping from his nose, he heard a little ping! Someone sent him a DM. Pinching his nose while he read it, he couldn’t stop the look of surprise from flashing across his face.

SUNKILLER: DM me your address and I’ll order you some soup. You are not okay.

NIGHTWING: I’m fine, really! Don’t worry about it.

The congested laugh of shock turned into a wet cough, betraying the lie instantly.

SUNKILLER: Liar. Hurry up.

NIGHTWING: Fine, fine. Here you go.

He sent her his address, smiling as he watched her on the camera. With nine hours out of the twenty-four-hour stream already out of the way, and there had been no hostility. One on one, it felt like the person on the other end of the call was a completely different person. He had her perspective of the stream up on another monitor, his eyes scanning her chat.

SP00KYGALZ [MOD]: Mel, what are you writing? I can hear your pen.

K1LLERQUEEN: He’s so pathetic looking today, it’s hot.

GOTHIKAT [MOD]: You’re plotting something. It never ends well when you do that.

SUNNY2881: The NightSun shippers are having a field day in his chat, girl.

LUCIFURR: Lol why wouldn’t they? Queen Mel is hot, he’s hot.

MAGNIFIQUE: You’re being so nice to him today! What happened? Pity party or do we like him now?

He nearly laughed, but a choked cough came out instead, prompting a fit of them as he covered his mouth and nose with his shirt. Watery eyes squeezed shut, shoulders trembling, and throat on fire, he continued to be distracted by his coughing until he heard the familiar ping of his DMs again.

SUNKILLER: You should just cancel. You sound awful.

NIGHTWING: The donations are going to help a lot of people. I can last fifteen more hours!

SUNKILLER: Then change of plans. You have an extra controller at your place?

NIGHTWING: Yeah, why? Coming over?

SUNKILLER: Yes. You won’t cancel the stream? Fine. We can keep playing this game on your couch. Deal?

NIGHTWING: Sure. Come by whenever.

The words he typed came out so casually, but his heartbeat almost stalled. Her chat was right. She was being a lot nicer to him. He barely registered her voice on the stream again, Amelia announcing that the stream would be switching gears and that they were going to continue the game on his couch after she picked up some things for him. Both chats exploded into a frenzy of activity, but Dick was too busy trying to be discreet about wiping his nose on his sleeve to notice.

“Hh… h'ngtchh! Eberyode, I’b deed a few to mbove by setup,” he set his stream to the break screen as he glanced blearily back at Amelia’s stream on the monitor, standing up to start moving the lights and the cameras over to his couch and TV before prepping the game on the console.

The scenery around Amelia kept moving and the video quality changed, showing glimpses of her actions. Snippets of her apartment. A streak of black as she tugged on some shoes. The sound of an engine starting up. Her viewers must be looking through her helmet camera, for the motorcycle videos she sometimes made. The camera only showed her dashboard and a snippet of road as she drove. Luckily for him, she kept the commentary going on his behalf until she walked into… a grocery store?

“Abelia, whadt are you doing?” he unmuted the microphone, leaning in as his voice came out as little more than a congested croak.

“Picking you up some things, like I said. What do you need, Richard? More tissues, cough drops? Soup?”

“Uhhg, mbore tissues. Mbedicide. I’ll take adythihgg,” he must have missed it when she told the stream she was going to get things at the store for him, but at this point he certainly couldn’t say no. 

Picking up various products off the shelves, Amelia took the time to show Dick each item and let him choose what he wanted. As the number of things in her grocery basket grew, so did the number of comments on the stream about their situation. Things like ‘how domestic!’ or ‘I feel like I’m intruding lol’ peppered the chat. Not wanting her to get annoyed by how intent the viewers had become on trying to label their relationship, not after he only just got her to drop some of her walls around him, Dick hurried to finish moving his streaming setup.

It took her twenty minutes to get to his house. He knew they lived in the same city, but never expected anything would come of it. Until now, with Amelia standing in his living room as he hunkered down on the couch. Blowing his nose with a fresh tissue from the box she purchased, he could not tear his eyes away as she flitted around his apartment like some sort of fairy godmother. She put a thermos of soup on the coffee table for him along with a bottle of DayQuil and some tea, oranges for snacking on, several boxes of tissues, a bag of cough drops, and even some extra blankets.

“Alright. Let’s do this,” she picked up his spare controller, settling in on the couch right beside him.

Part of him expected her to sit further away. She needed to be close enough to stay within frame of the camera, but their shoulders were touching. Closer than necessary. The warmth of her arm against him, seeping through the fabric of his shirt, was tantalizing. He could only offer a nod, picking up his own controller and resuming the game.

The DayQuil helped… marginally. Not as much as Dick hoped it would.

“Ih'shiuhh! Ih’TSHh! ItcSHsSHew!” The sneezes filled his tissue, a grimace on his face as he threw it away only to realize it had leaked through onto his hand.

Groaning and wiping his hand clean with another tissue, he leaned further back against the couch. His body slumped to the side slightly, seeking the warm presence of the woman beside him. He felt her shift, inching closer to him as if understanding what he needed.

“Hey, Richard? Can I hijack your stream for a little while?” her tone lacked all of the sarcasm it usually held, with her carefully taking the controller out of his hands and setting it down on the coffee table. “Maybe we can do a Q&A.”

“Huh? Sure, I’bm dowd. Ng'TCHht!”

An attempt was made to stifle his sneeze against her shoulder without Dick realizing what he had done. More followed suit.

“Heh'ESHHuh! Heh'KSHihh! Ugh…”

Afterward, sniffling and blowing his nose into a tissue after he pulled away from her, he noticed the prominent smear of his mucus that remained wet against the fabric of her jacket.

“I'b sorry Abelia, I didd't mbead to. Hold od,” he mumbles, getting up without giving her any time to protest.

He disappeared down the hallway into his room, rummaging in his dresser. Harsh coughs left him breathless and unsteady as he made his way back toward the couch, holding one of his hoodies in his hand. Setting it down in Amelia’s lap, he offered what he hoped looked like a confident smile.

“You should borrow this, sidce I god yours dirty.”

“Thank you, Ri—Dick,” she corrected herself while taking off her soiled jacket, using his nickname for the first time since they met.

Tugging the hoodie over her head, she folded her jacket and set it down on the floor before shifting closer to him yet again. She invited the viewers to start submitting questions for the Q&A portion of the stream while tugging a blanket over the two of them, her arm wrapping around his waist underneath it. A startled look flashed across his face, but he felt too awful to question it. He pressed himself into her side, resting his head against her shoulder.

“Questiod twedty. Why were the two of you always arguigg?” Dick read aloud, after blowing his nose for the umpteenth time, only to stare at Amelia expectantly.

“Oh. That. That was my fault. He just seemed too enthusiastic all the time, I thought he was faking it. It made me feel guilty for not always being in a good mood. Wondering why I couldn’t just be more like him, why did I have to let things get to me? So, I got frustrated. But he really is just that kind of person, and it is hard to stay mad when he’s just trying to be friendly. Besides… now I know he isn’t flawless all the time. He really is human,” she laughed, but it sounded somewhat forced and her tone was… apologetic. “I’m sorry, Dick. For being difficult.”

“You dod't have to aAhh- hahh…Heh'ESHHuh! Apologize,” he buried his face against her side, a soft moan escaping him as his sniffling did nothing to staunch the flow of mucus. “I already forgave you.”

The viewer’s questions felt endless as he leaned firmly against Amelia, her arms wrapped around him almost protectively. The heat of her body against him felt warm and comforting, soothing the chill that plagued him. The stream would be over soon. He only needed to make it for a few more minutes. His body, however, had other plans.

“Hhht’khschh! Hh…Heh'KSHht! Ngh…” the sneezes refused to abate as Dick shuddered in Amelia’s arms, her hand coming to hold a tissue against his nose for him.

She held him a bit tighter, one hand firmly grasping the tissue and the other rubbing his back. His own hands gripped the blanket as if hanging on for dear life, his entire body shaking against hers with each wet sneeze. The chat, the cameras, the stream… it faded into the background, Amelia focused solely on him. When he caught his breath, she tilted his chin up to get a good look at him.

Dick gazed back at her through watery eyes, tears smeared across his cheeks. He felt her thumb brush over his skin, wiping away a few. Her palm cupped his face, and he leaned into the soft touch, bringing his own up to tuck a loose section of hair behind her ear.

“Are you alright?” came the hushed whisper as Amelia leaned in closer to him, resting her forehead against his and feeling the warmth radiating off of him.

“Doh, but it’s fide.”

She studied him, watching his chest rise and fall with each congested breath. His lips stayed parted; Dick unable to breathe through his nose at all. A smile still played upon them, but his eyes seemed unfocused, roaming around her face and yet always settling back on her mouth.

“Do you… want me to kiss you?” she murmured, letting a finger trace his lips.

“God, yes,” he breathed, eyes fluttering closed when she moved closer to him.

A quiet groan rumbled from his throat the moment he felt her soft lips press against his, leaning into it as one hand tangled in her hair. The world around him melted away, letting him forget for just a moment how awful he truly felt.

Until chat exploded.

Banners and sound effects created a cacophony in the room, snapping the two out of the moment they so nearly lost themselves in. Comments flooded in at breakneck speeds, the text moving up the screen too quickly for Dick to process a single word said. But Amelia just pulled him closer, kissing him again while her fingers pressed the power button on the camera.

Stream Disconnected. Twenty-four-hours complete. 

~ Bonus ~

The door opened near silently, Jason’s steps filled with the intent not to disturb. He missed the end of the stream due to work matters, leaving a different sibling to take over moderator duties (thanks, Tim). Now, he merely wanted to confirm his older brother didn’t collapse on the floor or miraculously die in the night. 

But he heard about what happened. Anyone who followed Dick or Amelia’s socials knew what happened. 

Unable to help the smirk stuck to his face, even with no one around to see it, Jason made his way to the living room. The cameras were off, but had not been put away. Blankets lay strewn over the back of the couch, and there was a small trash next to a tied off bag of used tissues. Someone had emptied it but not taken the bag down to the dumpsters yet. Nonetheless, the fact Dick was not passed out on the living room floor or asleep on the couch seemed to be a good sign. 

He made his way down the hall, the sounds of congested snoring growing louder as he approached Dick’s bedroom. The door, left open, did nothing to muffle the sound. Pressing onward out of a mixture of curiosity and the desire to be able to tease his brother, Jason peered into the bedroom. 

Out cold on his back with his limbs splayed like some undignified starfish, Dick’s head lolled sideways, his face partially buried in the curtain of Amelia’s dark hair. His mouth hung open, drooling in the depth of his sleep. His nose, redder than the night before, pressed against the top of Amelia’s head as it oozed, coating the strands of her hair. 

Gross. 

Her face stayed buried in the crook of his neck, her arm draped over chest. She wore the hoodie Dick let her borrow during the stream, along with… ah, yes – Dick’s boxers. 

It took a great deal of self-control for Jason not to laugh at the absurdity of it. Instead, he chose to preserve this moment… and give him something to harass Dick about when his brother woke up. Silently, he snapped a photo of the two of them together and left, texting the image to Dick without another word. 

[yuri-is-online]

Hi, there! :D 🌼 Congratulations on your new followers, you deserve them!

I hope to be on time for the event can I request :

"Someone" decides to ask you for your opinion about "their friend" and you decide to have a bit of fun and tease them.

With Silver , Deuce and Ace?

Take your time and no pressure, thank you very much 💗💐🌠

2. "Someone" decides to ask you for your opinion about "their friend" and you decide to have a bit of fun and tease them.

Hello treasured friend! I was hopeful you would send a request, you picked a nice combination of prompts and characters last time and your comments have been very helpful. You also really helped me out by picking Ace and Deuce, I had a second person who really wanted all of the first years with this prompt and between you both I have them all. I hope I can continue to please with these next two requests ♡ ～('▽^人)

notes: they/them used for Yuu, Yuu is kind of... mean to Ace (I love him I promise), Silver and Deuce should be besties with how much wii shop music is bouncing around in those skulls. The other event requests can be found on my masterlist here.

Silver

"You are in love. And don't act so ashamed of it, young love is a precious thing, you should treasure your time with it for as long as you can."

It's not advice Silver would characterize as bitter, nor is it a point he wishes to ignore; he trusts his father to know him more than anyone so if he says what he feels for the prefect is love, then it must be true. Not that he exactly needed Lilia to voice it, Silver would like to think that he would have realized it if he had been given just a bit more time in your presence alone. But that was hard to come by when you are prone to sleeping randomly, or when your beloved's dreams are so difficult to find.

"Thank you for helping me earlier." The mask Malleus gave him hides his face well enough for him to pass of his nodding off near the star railing as simply tripping on his cape. At least, that's what Silver tells himself as you give a generic you're welcome and turn back to the party. He would like to think if you knew it was him here you would stay, but he doesn't actually know that does he? "Say-"

You turn back to Silver confused. Doesn't he need to get back to Malleus? That's what you had expected, the entire reason you had gotten to hurrying yourself away because you thought you knew if you turned around he simply would not be there anymore. But he is, his hand is extended as if it was reaching for you before falling dejectedly back to his side like you were the one out of reach.

"Have you seen Silver anywhere? Lilia is looking for him." He says it so seriously, and even though he technically says everything like that it still sounds funny to you. Really, who put him up to this? Because you somehow doubt pretending to not be himself was not what he woke up expecting to do.

"I think I saw him earlier," your hand comes up to your mouth to remind you not to laugh, Silver's relaxing now he really must think he's doing a good job lying "these masks just make it so hard to tell who is who."

"They really do." Says the one who really does not. "Do you... often look for Silver at places like this?"

"Oh only sometimes." You walk just a bit closer, it's so hard to gauge Silver's reaction to anything, he is already such a stoic person, and his training encourages an even temperament. "Really, it feels like he's the one looking for me most of the time. Why I bet if I closed my eyes right now," you make sure to do just that as soon as you are stood in front of him once more "he would appear right in front of me, just like he does in my dreams as soon as I counted to ten." Silver's in take of breath is sharp, delighting the trickster within you as you count dutifully down preparing to tease him for his attempt at fooling the master.

But Silver is honest and blunt, your eyes fluttering open in surprise at the kiss placed quickly to your lips and the maskless face before you beaming in joy as if you really had summoned him forth and not been talking to him this whole time.

"May I have this dance, Yuu?" And something about the way he says your name makes you almost believe you were still at home dreaming, no matter how real the safety of his embrace makes you feel.

Deuce

Riddle had told you once, in confidence with a great deal of pride, that when Deuce had been placed in Heartslabyul he had announced his intentions to be as "diligent as the card soldiers." Something you both agreed he certainly lived up to, even if that diligence did not always produce the results he wanted. Take tonight for example, he had asked you to dance earlier in the night, clearly intending to mask his identity to try and follow along with what he perceived the rules of a Masquerade Ball to be.

As in he intends (you assume) to pretend to be a stranger to you until midnight when the masks get removed even as he brings you all your favorites from the buffet table and just generally is content to stay around you. Some might call it hovering, but Deuce has never really been uncomfortable with you; from the first moment you and Grim had asked for his help with Ace he has been a solid presence in your life. Which is why when he starts to get shifty and nervous you immediately notice.

"Something on your mind?" You try gently, knowing that he will only feel better once he's unburdened himself, frowning slightly when he startles further.

"Sorry, I was just thinking." He sounds almost sad, but not in a way that's causing him any pain. Nostalgic, longing, it's as if there is a picture in his head overlapping the actual scene in front of him. It worries you. "I have this... friend. And I was wondering if- well you seem really smart." Your smile returns, small and tentative, waiting for him to finish thinking before you commit to your happiness. Cute, so cute Deucey seems to be worried you don't know you're dancing with him. "Do you know Deuce Spade?"

"I think so." You hum and Deuce swallows, his hand holds yours just a bit more tightly than is necessary for a ballroom dance. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering I- he- has this other friend." If Ace could hear the way Deuce was stammering right now he would whine for you to end his suffering, but you want Deuce to have his moment. So you simply nod to encourage him to continue, watching in delight the shuddering breath he takes to steady his confidence. "Is he someone you would want to get to know better? He has this... friend he wants to ask out, but he's worried that he won't know how to treat them right."

"Are they good friends?" You say, really trying to play along. Deuce nods, his mask prevents you from really knowing but you think he is not looking you in the eyes. "Besties?"

"Uh the bestest besties." He nods, all too seriously.

"Bros even." You nod too and Deuce sputters, half tripping over your feet as you decide to heed Ace's phantom advice and put an end to the charade. "Oh come on Deucey, you said that's what we were before. So what's changed?" It comes out as a joke, but it's really not. You gave up on getting a confession from Deuce so long ago you can barely believe the sheepish smile on his face is real and not some fever dream.

"I got tired of lying to myself." He steps back away from you and steadies himself, taking a deep breath before bowing, the perfect picture of loyalty and diligence. "So Yuu, will you please take my hand? And never let go."

Ace

"Say have you seen Ace?" A "mysterious" figure leans against the door frame of the ballroom, the moon highlighting his red eyes that are centered purposefully on you. It's breathtaking, your heart is already halfway up your throat keeping you from speaking aloud. You shake your head quickly, intending to taunt him in to taking off his mask but startle as his grin only widens. "Guess that means I'll have to satisfy myself with you then." And just like that you remember yourself again, is he seriously pretending not to be himself? Does he think you do not know him well enough to spot him in this sea of literally faceless people?

"Well nice to see you too I guess." You cross your arms and he has the audacity to laugh at you like you're "pouting" or something. Like he thinks your cute. "I'm not here looking to satisfy anybody."

"Aw don't be like that." Ace moves, inviting himself into your personal space as you regrettably let him. "You know how Ace is," you do, it's almost like he is in the room with you as you speak "or maybe you don't and just didn't want to admit you can't remember what he looks like." This looser, well play stupid games win stupid prizes! Since you know him so well, you know Ace will understand.

"Oh please," you straighten up and give your best neutral face of disappointment "as if I could ever forget his ugly fucking face."

"Wait-" Ace clearly was not expecting this, his shock is delicious and you are exceptionally thirsty.

"Seriously who does he think he is? Walking around like he isn't annoying everyone with his stupid half smile smirk thing, smouldering went out of style years ago dude! It's creepy now." You mean none of these things- well most none of these things. It would be extremely helpful to your sanity if Ace could explain just who he thinks he is to you specifically, because you know what you want that answer to be. "And I mean have you seen how weird he is about that prefect? Who cares if they don't have magic, if anything that makes them more ann-" surprisingly, as if he wants to prove your hypothetical whining right Ace slaps a hand across your mouth with protests bubbling out of his mouth.

"Look look ok you got me I deserve that." He says with a nervous laugh. "Shit talk me as much as you like, but don't you ever talk about yourself like that. Not around me, not around anyone." He leans forward, some of his boyish confidence returning now that he really knows for sure that you knew it was him all along. Gently, he moves his body closer to yours as he removes his hand from your mouth, moving his fingers to support your chin, not taking any chances on your looking away. He opens his mouth as if he means to continue talking, but his eyes settle on your lips for just a moment too long and the thought leaves. You stand there in ambiguous silence, masks suddenly making their presence heavy against your skin. It's a visceral reminder of how artificial the barrier between you both is, how little effort it takes to break it as you reach for his and pull at the thread as Ace closes the gap to finally answer your stupid question from before.

Sure, there's a chance you will both deny this tomorrow, take those two steps back into the grey that infuriates you both, but so long as you're in this dance together, can you really complain? Not out loud at least, no not out loud.

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

So I listened to the Speak Now tour version of Dear John for the first time recently and HOLY SHIT. Girl may not have Bey or Adele's pipes but even back then she knew how to use hers like a weapon and she's only gotten better since.

It was actually a discussion about “vocalists” that prompted that initial thought awhile back!

Taylor doesn’t have the prowess that “big” vocalists like Beyoncé, Adele, Ariana, Mariah, Celine, etc. Have — and that’s OK! Having a big voice like that isn’t the only way to be a good singer. (Though, let me be clear, they are exceptional singers. I have even seen one of them in concert! lol.) And Taylor’s voice is lovely, and very uniquely hers too. She doesn’t have the like, huge belt/power/tone that someone like, say, Kelly Clarkson has, but she does have her own, and it is incredibly skilled too, it just sounds different. (And as I’ve said, Taylor maybe can’t hit the whisper notes or higher octaves those incredible ladies can in their songs, but by the same token, they can’t sing Taylor’s songs with the same kind of storytelling that she can, even if they can sing them technically correctly, because Taylor’s own unique tone and delivery are part of the storytelling for her own music. Room for everyone!)

Taylor had raw talent, and she just needed good vocal training to harness it — and you see the fruition of it on Eras tbh where she’s fully come into her own. (Which is not unusual, because women’s voices generally reach their full maturity in their 30s.) But I’m with you, I went down a Speak Now acoustic set rabbit hole the other day and her performances are so lovely.

Tbh after watching older videos over the last few years — like, even pre-Debut through Fearless-ish — I’ve kind of reached the conclusion that the “pitchiness” that used to sometimes mark her live performances was partially due to lack of a need for more training to control her instrument (e.g. to be able to control it even through nerves), but also partially due to how she used the twang. I’m not even talking about the affect vs. genuineness of it. But when she’d lay the twang on thicker when she was younger, she got more nasally, for lack of better word, and I think it was a lot harder to control that head voice as a result, whereas when she laid off it (and used her chest voice I guess more), her power really shone through. (Like, you can even see it in how she physically uses her mouth when she sings when she’s younger vs. by the time she gets to Speak Now)

So then by the time she got to Speak Now tour, the combination of vocal training that really developed her power and control and stamina (without damaging her vocal chords) and the softening of the twang in her music as she leaned into the more pop/rock sound that lent itself more into the ranges she was naturally more comfortable and powerful at really kind of helped her unleash her full musical arsenal.

(It’s kind of funny that one example I can think of is the demo/draft version of… I want to say That’s When, maybe? From I presume the Debut/Fearless era? Where you actually can hear this. She’s kind of sweet and twangy in the verses, but in the chorus she really belts and you get a glimpse of what future stadium-tour-selling Taylor could sound like.)

And I just want to say, when I talk about training, I don’t mean to belittle Taylor’s natural talent or sound — because I LOVE the way Taylor’s voice sounds, especially now, because it’s developed into this rich, husky, almost idk bluesy at times sound at times and it’s so unique in the pop landscape. But ALL singers benefit from training, both to control their sound AND to prevent vocal cord injuries or damage. And while Taylor really doubling down on it may have come from a place of doubt (e.g. the critique she got earlier in her career), ultimately it was probably one of the best things she could have done, because it unlocked powers she probably never expected. And that is why I am sooooooooooooo intrigued by Debut TV (or Debut: Anniversary Edition) because I’m so curious if she’s going to use her modern (but countrified) vocals which I think could enrich the songs so much.

[fancifulflora]

(SFW) been wanting to cry for some angsty stuff for ATOC, can I request a hc list of how would X, D, R and A react when the Crown is fatally injured, possibly shot by an arrow or stabbed?

Maybe an extra rrq that the Crown is a gentle, cinnamon roll type, that overly kind soul you'd want the least to get hurt but yeah now they're dying

The editor for this tumblr ask literally crashed when i was almost done with X's entry and I've never felt more devastated in my entire life ksahkj. There is also something very similar to this prompt though, it's more about the Crown sacrificing themselves for the ROs. If you're interested in that I'll link it here

I apologize if this isn't the best but I'll try to redo what I can

Azad/Ashti

You were absolutely foolish to get yourself hurt. No matter how kind-hearted you may have been, the Imperial Guard was made to lay down their lives for you. Any injuries you sustained was a stain upon their honor, their own failure to complete their duties.

The Royal Protector fights the icy cold waves of guilt washing over them. They save the lectures and punishments for another time because all that matters in that moment is you.

Their first priority is to get you to safety, the only sign you may see of their inner turmoil not found in their words, but their actions.

The protector's hands shake ever so slightly as they apply pressure to your wounds, hoping to staunch that they can before the healers arrive. A cold sweat chills them down to their very core as they listen for your pulse- only to find it fading away by the second.

They try to reassure you, but it doesn't work. In desperation, they find themselves practically ordering you to keep your eyes open, to not leave them while they're trying to save your life- tightening your bandages up. The unspoken words of concern and love dying in their throat when they look up to see just why you haven't responded.

By the time the healers do arrive, it takes their combined effort to finally pry the Royal Protector from your side.

Dara/Delal

Having served in the military for so long, the General was used to the bloodshed and horror of it all. Gore, suffering, and pain were things they could stomach. Or a least, the ability to do so was required of them.

It's when they see the arrow impaled in your skin, smell the metallic scent of red staining their cloak that the General realizes they may have been wrong. A complex bundle of emotions stirs under those layers of armor, but they have the strength to push through and remain vigilant.

If not for you, then for their own sanity.

Without a second thought, they tear their cloak, torn strips used to either secure the arrow in place and prevent it from moving. If not that, then to help stop the bleeding of any wounds.

They hold their Crown close, all propriety forgotten as the only thing on their mind is you. You need them in this moment and the last thing they'd ever do is fail you. Even if it's killing them on the inside.

What you need in these moments is strength, a shoulder or person to lean on. Which is why they allow you to squeeze the life from their hands. They listen to your weakened voice, giving you the same, almost practiced, words of reassurance they've given countless others.

Yet something about the words this time shakes the General to their core. This time, it feels entirely too raw, like a hundred old wounds made fresh again. The feeling paralyzes them, the unadulterated fear deep in their hardened expression.

As the situation worsens and all seems lost, the General straightens themselves, remaining by your side and keeping a steadfast vigil by your side. Never once do they stray from you. Even as crowds of healers all frantically apply aid to no avail. They remain by your side even as the anguished cries from loyal allies and friends alike sound throughout the halls at news of the inevitable.

And there they remain, even when the last wisps of golden sunlight in those eyes of yours wither away.

Rozerîn/Rêzan

To say that you were everything to the Sorcerer would be an understatement. They had found themselves and their entire life turned upside down by your very being, your warmth and kindness endearing you to the Sorcerer.

You were their purpose, and their friend.

So it's surprise that when they rush to your side, panic and fear overtakes them. The tension is almost palpable in the air as they order, practically beg for others to secure your safety- to fetch the healers- to do something.

It's also in this very moment that they curse their own abilities, or lack thereof. Healing magic simply wasn't a big priority, especially when there were so many others who could look after your health and safety.

If only they had studied more - practiced more- perhaps paid more attention to their surroundings or kept a better eye over the many enemies of Arsur.

A gentle hand, your hand, frees them from the mental prison they were trapped in, lifting the weight of guilt and shame enough for them to focus on pouring every once of themselves to saving you.

You had saved them, been there by their side from the very start.

They had to return the favor, to repay you for all your trust.

Those sentiments ring through their head, repeated over and over again like a mantra as they feel a sharp pain in their skull. Hands trembling from the sheer amount of magic they were using.

The darkness, a very similar one you once saved them from sets its familiar claws into them, the Sorcerer collapsing besides you- their fists bunching up the fabric of your clothing. With what little strength they can muster, the Sorcerer pulls you to their chest, cradling their dying star to their chest.

Xelara/Xelef

The mercenary was a mess. Clever words had long left them by the time they reached your side. Instead there were only frantic, broken phrases of concern and orders to remain still less your wounds worsen.

It almost feels out of character for them, at least, for those who only knew the mercenary by reputation. Having lived the life they did and taking on a profession that exposes them to danger so very often; the Pale Sword had a relationship with death that bordered on being blasé. Even when other Crescent Blades fell in battle, their leader could keep a rational mind about it. For many, this helped to cement the band of mercenaries as relentless, a force to be reckoned with.

If only the gossip mongers and general public could see them now, form hunched over your own. The corner of their vision blurred from the stinging of tears threatening to spill.

They had expected an end like this for them, perhaps even desiring it over the withering they'd have to endure from aging, but for you? Nothing like this was supposed to happen to you. You were the Crown of Arsur. The leader of millions that all relied on you being safe and well. And, perhaps more importantly to the mercenary, you were also the keeper of their heart.

Were? No, you are the Crown of Arsur. And you will live through this. You have to. Otherwise...

The Pale Sword ends the notion right then and there, focusing on the present and being by your side. By now, they've done what they can for you, whether through what general first aid they know or through the healing magics of one of their Blades.

Moving you was out of the question, the very attempt to do so drawing a loud cry of pain from your lips. A wince of guilt burns in the mercenary as they pull back, trying to keep your focus on them instead of the carnage of battle.

The feeling of helplessness isn't an unfamiliar one to the mercenary, however, it's one that the Pale Sword despises to their very core. But what could they do for you that hasn't already been done? What could they do to ease your undeserved suffering?

What they do best.

Lie.

It only takes a moment for mercenary to pull their act together, a practiced, albeit softer smile, gracing their features. What would have been smoothed, honeyed lies of your condition fall flatter than they'd like. Your weak smile tells them as such, a weakened, forced laugh humoring the mercenary and giving them one last act of kindness they know deep down they do not deserve. Nevertheless, they embrace the comfort wholeheartedly, bringing the back of your chilled hands to their lips, their touch- their kiss, returning your gift with one last hug of warmth before the light in you fades away.

[utilitycaster]

Stuck my I Voted sticker on my stress ball due to the joys of living in a swing state.

Valinari Ziegler (or Nari for short) was a character I played in an Exandria campaign that unfortunately died a few years ago due to scheduling issues. He was a half-elf Shadow Sorcerer who eventually multiclassed into Rogue (when the campaign died he was 6 Sorc/2 Rogue, I probably would have gone either Swashbuckler or Mastermind if I'd gotten to level him up).

When I created him, I had two thoughts in mind: I wanted to do something fun with the Shadow Sorcerer ability that allows them to possibly stabilize at 1 HP when they would otherwise drop to 0, and I wanted to create a character with a vested interest in being in an adventuring party (because I've noticed that a lot of the time people struggle to come up with a reason their characters all want to be in a group). I ended up landing on the idea that he was a former member of the Deastok Myriad who was betrayed and almost killed by another member on the orders of someone higher up (only surviving due to his sorcerous abilities kicking in), but he had no idea who or why. His goal, then, was to make powerful friends and come back to find out why he was killed and get revenge.

Once I started playing him, however, a few things I didn't anticipate happened. First, I made him in Heroforge and inadvertently made him look like the MCU version of Loki (I had already named him after the mythological Loki's children), which prompted a whole bunch of jokes from my group and ended up informing his character a good bit--I'd always planned him to be a smooth talker, but the Loki lean in characterization made me more inclined to embark on stupid plans that bit me in the ass as often as they worked out (this also meant I was the character that pushed the shiny red button more often than not, and it caused me to utter the line "Fuck it, I have poor impulse control and proficiency in CON saves", which is one of my favorite things I've ever said in D&D). Among other things, he managed to con a treasure map from a merchant by exchanging it for a piece of bent metal that he claimed to have come from the Whispered One's stronghold but actually was pilfered from a dead kobold, but he also almost got killed by a fiend that he had threatened thinking that she was imprisoned in a way that she couldn't harm him. The other thing that happened was the classic character development of him initially seeing the other party members as instruments of his revenge but coming to care about them (in particular our party's Druid was very nice to him and, in her player's words, immediately engaged Mom Friend mode upon hearing him refer to her, the person she'd traveled with for two weeks, as his oldest and dearest friend and our Monk was both interested in the way he operated and willing to call him out on his bullshit--they had a really fun dynamic).

Mechanically, Nari is one of the characters I've put the most thought into build-wise, and I had a lot of fun playing him in combat. His build was centered on the spell Shadow Blade combined with the Shadow Sorcerer ability to cast a version of the Darkness spell that only the caster can see through. Throw in sneak attack I was doing a lot of damage. The DM also gave me a magic item that allowed me to teleport in dim light and darkness 3 times a day--it was, however, identical in appearance to MCU Loki's stupid helmet.

Hey! I saw your other message, and no, i just got off Tumblr and went to bed last night for my own well-being before seeing this, no worries about word count.

I know it feels, well, kind of silly to finish up now, but I do want to thank you for voting. It's by no means the only tool we as people in the US have to express our opinion nor to enact change, but it's certainly one of the lowest effort for the highest impact and it has become bizarrely fraught on online spaces. And so silly ask memes are by far from the only thing I do around elections or in my advocacy; but they are one of them, and I hope to continue doing them for a long time.

Getting to the actual character, I think Nari sounds all around great. "Why is my character here" is perhaps the most important thing you can ask yourself in any story, whether it's D&D or original fiction, and a lot of people don't, so having a character with clear motivations available is not faint praise: it's a sign that you put care and thought in and I think the relationships your character was able to build with others in the party reflect that. I also think the Darkness + sneak attack combo is a really creative and fun multiclass - a lot of my frustration with rogues is that I love a cool assassin in fiction but D&D mechanics explicitly make being a rogue in that archetype almost impossible, and I think you reclaimed that. And I love a big red button pusher. There's hooks! Find them!

Anyway this game and Nari sounds great, and man, I kind of hope for your sake there's a way to revive it.

[tanktopdiaz]

so thinking about ur last S9 episode prompt. how do u feel about a musical episode. Like it could start of with Karen talking about her musical theatre family with hen while they’re at one of their shows. someone hits on karen in the bathroom and hen gets annoyed because karen didn’t like. IMMEDIATELY shut it down. We cut to an emergency at the theatre company the next day. Nothing major. Tree #2, took a nasty fall because her shrub head was WAY too big and messed with her centre of gravity during the big opening dance sequence. anyways it’s a jukebox musical so the 118 starts taking about their favourite music in the truck on the way back. apparently ravi is really into this girl group called katseye? hen comes home. hens still pissed. karens pissed that hens pissed. Take me or leave me starts playing but karen is singing MAUREENS part. B PLOT. Athena sees buck sleeping in his car as she pulls into the firehouse parking lot. she seldomly offers her couch. chris and eddie still don’t know why buck hasn’t invited them to his awesome new place (his words, not theirs). buck is stressed and Athena is grieving so it doesn’t make for the best combination. they sing girl so confusing as they argue about chore distribution and maybe buck also sings mr lonely because he would and he is. even though he isn’t and he’s not. and after he’s done athena just looks at him and goes. you know I’m the one with the dead husband right? BACK TO A PLOT. after reflecting, hen apologizes to karen via sweet thing chaka kan. captaincy has been a lot on her and she vows to be a more hands on wife :) karen did think the jealously thing was kinda hot though. C PLOT. chim and maddie do a crazy good rendition of shallow because they’re emo and reminiscing about boston on while looking lovingly at baby robertnashan. D PLOT. Eddie sings I’m on fire 100 times. And then finally. fade to black. we hear a familiar melodic sequence of hums and claps as we see a shot of one bobby nash rising from the grave. Episode ends

tracie as Karen singing MAUREENS PART this is so incredibly inspired. hen singing joannes part and oh she rips off her chunky bomber jacket and before she can get into the verse karen stomps away. sweet thing by chaka khan....you get it, I fear. you know I'm the one w rhe dead husband....scream scream scream. she would. honestly athena needs a ballad. I'm thinking. oh my god hear me out. Angela singing the first 2 verses and bridge of saving all my love for you to bobby/Peter and hes not there.....

madney being emo together looking at baby robby....omfg like the scene fades in from commercial and it's raining and dreary outside and the camera pans down to madney from a high angle and you get the single g chord. Stop I just looked up the song r u talking about the lady gaga song? wrong kinda emo soz hahaha but I looked up the lyrics. love. oh my gosh

see eddie doesnt even need 2 sing. him flouncing around the place doing his dance moves is enough for me. like in all the songs hes featured as part of the choreography but when it goes back to real life hes not there and it's not mentioned. but him singing Bruce Springsteen on a loop with his mustache. yeah. that's that shit.

I'm deep in six feet under right now, I think itd be so swell if the scene finding Bobby like follows a car on the road driving at night and they play the opening jingle maybe a decimal lower and more as background noise as the car passes a cemetary and on the final jingle before the sound of light expanding at the end it focuses on Bobby's grave and you see a shoe step on the earth. ohhhh we r cookin

I'll tell ya the truth I have no experience w modern girlgroups but this sounds like such a fun storyline. ravi running around doing the moonbeam ice cream shit and may reels him in with this group LOVE

[polizwrites]

PoliZ's WIP Update 18 Jun 2025

Another small burst of inspiration this week - thanks primarily to the Hot Bucky Summer event!    I touched 3 fics (3 new and 0 WIPs) for a total of 1849 words this week!  

On Ao3, I posted: 

 His Master’s Touch - WinterHawk Dom/sub petplay ficlet (Dom!Clint/sub!Bucky) 

Caught In the Act - Tony & Pepper IM1 extended scene double drabble

On Tumblr I posted: 

 Sleight of Hand (And Twist of Fate) - WinterIron identity porn ficlet with modern!Bucky 

I’m juggling 10-ish  active/semi-active WIPs with my current  deadline being  the July Break Bingo and Hot Bucky Summer  event

See  below cut for what I’m working on/planning to work on - arranged more or less by bingos/challenges/etc.  As always, feel free to send me   prompts or plot bunnies as well as asks regarding  any of these projects  or any other WIPs I’ve got out there.   Interaction really helps feed the Muse and keep me motivated!

July Break Bingo [JBB_25  (Ends 31 July 2025)

I may have bitten off more than I can chew, as I requested a 5x5 card from @july  - forgetting that this particular event only runs for the month of July.  Hopefully I can cross-fill with Flash Fiction Fridays and Hot Bucky Summer and at least get a bingo.   

Hot Bucky Summer [HBS_25] (Ends 30 Aug 2025) 

This steamy event - brought to you by the fine folks over at @buckybarnesevents  - is a go for this year!  Weekly themes and prompts (as well as the rules) have been posted here on Tumblr and  participants can create whatever their smutty (or not so smutty) hearts desire, as long as Bucky is in the mix!  I’ve picked out a few prompts and crossovers  to work with - my goal is to complete at least two fics/month, with a stretch goal of creating something for every week.   So far so good…

* Week 1: completed with    Typos and Innuendos. (WinterIron No Powers Workplace  AU ficlet) 

* Week 2:  Posted His Master’s Touch last Friday, using  the prompts  “Did I give you permission?” | Orgasm Delay/Denial | Master/Pet Roleplay] for an Explicit Winterhawk fic where Bucky plays the pet role.  It came in at 931 words.  

* Week 3:  Am using the prompts “Not now!” | Heat/Rut  and  Exhibitionism , combined with the YOTP June - Unconventional sex positions prompt, my FFB Apr  A1 - Public Sex and WIB  O2 - dom drop square for Showing Off Too Much, an omegaverse D/s WinterIron fic where their scene at a club starts going wrong for alpha Dom Bucky. It’s drafted at 741 words and will get posted to Ao3 on the 20th.  

* Week 4: Am using the optional prompts  Aftercare, Aphrodisiac, Anal Play, and  Ahegao, along with my FFB May C2 - Size kink  prompt  for a Stucky PWP where a spicy meal leads to some equally spicy bedroom fun, featuring bottom!Steve and multiple orgasms.  Spicing Things Up is  sitting at 1149 words with probably another 500-ish to go.  It will get posted to Ao3 on the 27th. 

* Week 5: I have an idea for these prompts:  “Play with it.” | [Cock Worship | Forced Masturbation | combined with my WIB O3 - Mirror sex square for a follow up to Showing Off Too Much, where Tony comes up with an idea to solve his exhibitionistic streak while still giving Bucky the privacy he craves.   

* Week 10: Got inspired by my Week 4 prompt to indulge in some pre-war Stucky - using the prompts  “I can’t.” | [Big Cock | Anal Training  for some light-hearted first time anal with Bottom!Steve and Big Dick Bucky.  Vitamins A and D is sitting at 316 words - I may or may not actually write the smut that the fic is leading up to. Either way,  this will post on 9 Aug. 

Fandom Free Bingo - FFB

The @fandom-free-bingo blog offers up themed cards on a monthly basis - either 3x3 or 5x5 - you have a year to create your fanworks if you want them reblogged. 

Gingerbread Edition (December) - Ends 30 Nov 2025 

Eight of nine fills completed - zero WIPs 

* A2 - "I can't believe you!"  Posted Caught In the Act  to Ao3 this morning. It’s crossing over  with the Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF299 Stranger Than Fiction] for a Tony & Pepper IM1 canon-compliant double drabble - expanding a bit on the scene where Pepper walks in on Tony being extricated from the armor after Gulmira.  

* Alt3 - "Work your magic" -  Combined this with the Flash Fiction Friday prompt  [#FFF305 Divine Questioning]   for  Even a God Has Limits - a double drabble where Tony discovers that Loki’s powers have their limits - and that they have a heartbreak in common.  

Half-Baked Edition (February) - Ends 31 Jan 2026

Six of nine fills completed with one bingo - no WIPs at the moment. 

* B2 - FREE - I combined this with a previous Flash Fiction Friday prompt   [FFF#294 - Cursed Trio] for Horning In - a SamBuckyJoaquin ficlet where Brock tries to hit on Sam’s two partners at the club.  It came in at 222 words and will get posted to Ao3 before this event ends. 

* Alt2 - Muscles - see HBS Week 2. 

Fool's Edition (April) - Ends 31 March 2026

Four  fills and 1 WIPs 

* A1 - Public Sex - see HBS  Week 3. 

* A2 - "I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve."  - Combined this with three Flash Fic Friday prompts:   prompts:  [#FFF300 Let Me Go] [#FFF300 Burn It Down] [#FFF300 Rise and Fall]  for  A Mysterious Musician - a No Powers College AU WinterIron fic where Tony falls at first sight for the singer of a local band, only to discover that he knows him from somewhere else.  It came in at 747 words and ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. I may expand it at some point before posting to Ao3. 

Madness May (Ends 30 Apr 2026]

I requested a May card - still trying to work out crossovers and have a couple of duplicates from previous cards.  

* A1 - Medicalized – may combine this with the HBS prompt for the final week:  (13 August 24th - August 30th) | FREE WEEK | [Optional Prompts: “M” - (Mutual) Masturbation, Masochism, Medical Play, Milking, Musk, Multiple Orgasms]

* C2 - Size kink - see HBS Week 4 

Year of the OTP [YOTP_25]   (Ends Dec 31 2025)

Making good progress on this challenge where you create (at least) twelve works for a specific pairing by using the monthly prompts provided. I’m a bit of an over-achiever with nine prompts filled so far, although May was a skin-of-the-teeth fill! 

* June -   see HBS  Week 3. 

WinterIron Bingo Round 3 [WIB_R3] (Ends 16 Jan 2026)

@winterironevents is bringing back their WinterIron Bingo for a third round! I help co-mod this event and we will have pre-made cards available probably starting next month. I've got three fills and one WIP so far -  need to look for more crossovers with my active cards! . 

* I1 - AU: FBI agent - combined this with the Flash Fic Friday prompt [#FFF309 Two Truths, One Lie] for Sleight of Hand (And Twist of Fate). James Buchanan Barnes is an FBI agent tasked with determining the identity of Iron Man, all the while nursing a  secret celebrity crush on Tony Stark.   It came in a 385 words with a bit of a cliffhanger - I do plan on continuing this before posting to Ao3 (or claiming this prompt) 

* O2 - dom drop - see  HBS  Week 3. 

Warm and Fluffy   Bingo  [WFB]   (no end date)

Nine fills on my card, courtesy of   @warmandfluffybingocards  - need to try for another crossover or two!

————

On  other creative fronts:  I’m working on a Bruce the Shark  figure for an upcoming con with a Loch Ness Monster and more  mini-dragons on the docket!  

If  you’re looking for one of a kind gifts for birthdays or other celebrations, check  out Stuffed With Character    over on Facebook for a full list of my designs (now over 150!).   These soft stuffed figures are  mostly Marvel and monsters, but I have some Star Wars, Star Trek, DC   and Disney figures as well. Plus I love to take custom design   requests  for any fandom!  I have  two commission slots open for July and August  - feel free to reach out via DM or to  StuffedWithCharacter@gmail.com!   

[datastate]

do you have any hcs about mishima and nao?

SOOO MANY! BUT for now, i'll stick with a small one on their beginning friendship :D

nao used to be very quiet in a lot of her classes; a nice person, certainly, and easy to talk to! but rather closed off unless you tried to pry, where even that would just be rude and she'd say as much.

but of course, there were small things here and there she'd share with her friends should you happen to overhear. usually, it'd be anime/manga that she'd recommend to others (usually horror with interesting concepts, though she wasn't immune to well-written 'slice of life's) - which resulted in hana (her best friend) actually buying her a keychain for her bag!! nao doesn't usually wear/buy merch, as she fears she'll lose/damage them, but... since her friend got it, she felt she'd be disappointed if she didn't show it off.

&...! this is the spark for professor mishima to actually prompt her on her interests; one of the few things she'd end up rambling on about... and he has enough context to keep her going!

it was nice getting to see her actually relax a bit, if a bit surprising to realize that she liked horror so much... and of course, it was when she inevitably brought it back to art (she was inspired to become an artist from such a silly thing, though mishima assures he understands) that she started getting nervous again; as much as she loves it, she can't draw it well. it doesn't feel like it could fit her style much at all - she intimidates herself out of drawing it.

however! mishima does not lose hope so easily. he encourages her to keep trying & experimenting with her art. after all, art is something she should have for herself if nothing else...

although mishima doesn't typically work with horror, he does have plenty of pointers on how to incorporate characters into a backdrop (it provides variation + reflects his current views too... people being a part of something larger, connected through means they don't quite realize); he had a similar start to nao in that he often relied heavily on portraits/character focus, but for that reason can help lead her along into slowly branching out.

a lot of what nao likes is the eerie - something that you have to really look at to realize how off it is. working on backgrounds such as these definitely helps with integrating characters in a more natural manner! and helps improve her work altogether, too...!! she's having more fun than she used to with her personal projects, where she previously felt stagnant but couldn't pinpoint why (and felt guilty to ask hana, as the response would always be a well-meaning "but i like your art! i don't think that at all" rather than critique she wished for), so it was...!! really nice for her to have <3

and... getting to show a trusted adult that, too, made her very happy. her parents didn't often see art as something that'd work out... but she finally felt pride in her work, and had something else to look forward to when it came to classes, rather than simply skirting by day-to-day. it took about a year and a half of school to get here, but... it makes it feel worth it.

it's also around this late time of the year, too, that mishima casually mentions he's trans.

one of the other students is complaining about the cold, and he agrees a bit too personally that skirts are awful in this weather before offering his usual advice... and it's this moment that stays in nao's mind. combined with previous comments here and there about the dysmorphia in horror...

despite this near-confirmation... nao waits until the very end of the year before she admits to the professor that she's trans. she hasn't really socially transitioned yet, only a few friends know, and she's still a bit afraid she might've misunderstood that he's trans... but it all turns out well by the end of it <3

however, since she's about to enter her last year with people who mostly knew her as a boy, it's only when she graduates that mishima offers to help put word in to adjust her uniform; which she greatly appreciates... also, throughout her last year, they get to actually discuss how it is to be mixed & that is when he offers to learn arabic with her. she was never taught it, and is too embarrassed to ask her parents, so he's taken it upon himself to help her with that too... here and there, still as her mentor and friend even after their time in school :'D