#GIRL YOU ARE A HALF HEALER FUCKING HEAL!!!

[whorediaries-09]

SO SORRY TO ADD ANOTHER A OTHER REQUEST :( BUT CAN WE MAYBE HAVE LIKE A SOFT NICE DATE THAT SLOWLY TURNS INTO SMUT WITH RON? PLEASEE? Also hui :3

hi lovey, thank you for sending in the request, hope you like it!

i think he knows; pairing- ronald weasley x reader warning(s)- mentions of war, 18+ content, fluff. a/n- contrary to popular belief, i am in fact quite alive and breathing.

little train.

' he got that boyish look that i like in man, i'm an architect i'm drawing up the plans. '

going on a date after the war was...intimidating, to put it in within a play of a single word. and surely ron wasn't expecting himself to be in a sticky situation with the pretty healer who had tended to his wounds after the traumatizing events. he ran his thumb over the now healed scar.

it'd tell a tale.

he remembered you. he could recall the dullness of worry in your eyes. the shine of hope in your eyes. even if your hair was matted with blood and rubble, you were the diesel to the fire that so timidly burned. the bruise under your eye was fresh, deep blue blackening, a shard of glass hanging from your chin.

he wish he could paint the blue golden.

with the last tug at the leather strap of the watch around his wrist, he decided he'd get the flowers. it would add a nice touch, a 'gentlemanly effect', he liked to think. even if it did seem to be a bit cliche. perhaps he thought of the smile on your face when you got the flowers (he was hopeful that you liked flowers). or perhaps he was just afraid of the aspect of a hormone rushing pregnant ginny hitting him on the head because of his 'less gentlemanly thoughts'

he remembered harry patting his shoulders, throwing out advices. ron rolled his eyes. he recalled when harry was swooning over cho chang, describing his very 'wet' kiss. he kicked harry in the shin, pulling a laugh out of his friend, grumbling harry wasn't much of a 'playboy' either.

so, he found himself standing in the flower shop, having absolutely no ideas about flowers. he watched the half a dozen barely bloomed pink roses being tied together. god forbid you weren't allergic to them. or didn't laugh at him for being too cliched.

he wished hermione had actually written that book about girls.

*-

it was fruitful, his attempt to choose the flowers. he'd recognized it from the shine in your eyes and the beautiful curve adorned on your lips. he'd found you beautiful when you were on the brink of death, disguised as a savior, so heaven sent. but now, when you held his hand, touching the scar you'd mended, talking away about stuff he couldn't really catch up on, your hair smelling like something so desirable, he found you breathtaking. he was mesmerized by you.

you felt like a forbidden treasure, the diesel to the fire in his heart that raged it's flames ever so timidly.

you'd liked the flowers. ron silently thanked the gods that you weren't allergic. you liked a lot of things, he learnt. cats, photography, literature, music, and a good fuck... was amongst the few things you liked. he was sure you'd said that intentionally just to pull out a reaction. the evil trick was recognized by the pretense innocent mischievousness in your eyes.

he was glad he coughed the drink in his mouth instead of spitting it right onto your face. you'd smiled, throwing him a dirty wink, twirling the straw of lemonade with your tongue. the dim carnival light angled your features, bringing out the best of your bone structure.

'well, to put it correctly, i enjoy a good fuck...' you said, after ron had recovered from his coughing haze. he wiped the edge of his lips, a nd putting on his best front, he responded,

'well then i can promise you an enjoyable time with me sweetheart,'

it was said with an awkward stance, a constant shift of octaves. but it still made you flush as the flame of the fire of his burning heart tickled your skin. you'd be his fuel, his diesel. you'd be his muse, the tale he recite.

*-

by the time it was time to leave you by the doorstep, the sky dizzied itself across the luminated street scattered with gravel. his fingers were melted within the crevices of yours, fit snug like a puzzle. he liked the way you laughed, the way your voice did throbbed so serenely against his eardrums while narrating tales, the way your eyes lit up against the dim lighting. 'liked' would be an understatement.

for the first time in his life, he was thankful for his freckles. he hoped they hid the flush of his pale skin.

'you're...kind,' you stated, shimmying on your tiptoes.

'hmm... why do you say so, sweetheart?' he asked.

'i know you live on the other side of town, and you came by to drop me...' a stupid line pops up in his head, but he doesn't say anything. he almost bites his lip to not let his boyish thought control his action. so, he smiles.

and lingers. holding your hand. the distance between him and you isn't much, the little roof over the entrance of your house providing him the needed protection from rain.

he can feel your breathe upon his already warm skin. it excruciates his patience. it plays with his senses, the sweet fragrance of petrichor infused with a scent, that reeks of you. it's blissful.

still, like the boyish man he is, he does nothing. he lingers, letting a silence wrap the little bubble of tranquility. it's comforting, in a strange way. he can't figure out what to do, when the sound of the rain, the running vehicles and the croaking frogs blur, when he feels your fingers tighten around his.

your lips lingers a little too close to his, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. or rather the side of his mouth. his mind reels when you place forward your request, your thought.

'the rain won't stop. not now anyways.' you whisper, lips brushing his earlobe. he doesn't recognize what takes over him within the click of your doorknob and the placement of your hand on his waist, as you pull him towards you.

but he enjoys it, the sudden rush of hormones. it's quick, it's something he's not felt for a long time. so long, it almost feels foreign. perhaps, it is. it's a warmth he's never felt, no never in his teenage years has he ever felt the need of touch. he's never realized the need, he thinks.

it's maddening, your touch all over his body when he finally crashes his mouth with yours, pushing you against the unlocked door of your house. he stumbles as you grab your neck, breathlessly cradling your cheek within the crevice of his palm. the scar you'd fixed touches the one on your chin.

it's a tale to be kept silent, to be a concealed message. like a string of fate, perhaps.

his teeth nips softly at the bare skin of your neck, your back pressed against the cold wall of your house. he feels the heat radiate off your body, moans leaving your mouth. your name rolls of his tongue as your fingers pull his hair, pulling his face away from your neck.

'is this okay?' he asks, concerned. he thinks he's fucked it up, by jumping on your bones. to his relief, you smile,

'it's...more than okay. can we go to the bedroom please?'

'sure, sweetheart. whatever makes you comfortable.'

*-

you've got your hair tangled up in his ginger locks. the moans spilling from your throat echoes through against the walls of your bedroom. his lips aren't on yours, as much as he'd love to taste your moans and sounds, your noise is honey-dripping gold in his eardrums.

his cock plunges deep within you, till your room loses the smell of your sandalwood candles. it reeks of sex and skin, the physical intimate bond of unheard individuals. it reeks of something magical, a golden desire painting over deep blue bruises.

it's fueling, to feel his touch on your skin. it diesels the fire that ignites within you when he snaps his hips against yours. the sound of his gasps, your moans, and skin slapping fills the room. you roll your eyes, as he thrusts himself angled perfectly so as to hit your sweet spot. you see white, moaning his name,

'fuck please, ron right there,'

his silver chain dangles over your lips. you wrap your lips around it, bringing his face closer. he gasps, his finger slipping between your connected bodies. his calloused thumb rubs over your stimulated clit, making you arch your hips, searching for more friction.

'you're making me feel so good, sweetheart,' he moans as you clench your walls around his girth. the coil building in your stomach drives your to the edge of your sanity.

'yeah?' you whisper back, half heaving, half controlling your urge to scream. it's heavenly, the combination of his perfect thrusts, the rubbing of his finger against your clit. you wrap your legs around his body, pulling him closer, to feel him, to touch him.

his girth plunges in you, and you feel your coil unraveling through you, your thighs shaking as the orgasm bubbles over the brink. it's pure heavenly insanity, a break through from the scorching insatiable desire for him.

you feel him release within you, wrecking your guts. your orgasm paints his abs, as his lump body falls over yours, his weight dead. he hides his face into your neck, smiling. the tranquil silence settles, carving a little bubble of comfort. neither of you hear the rain pattering against the gravel.

perhaps, truly it was just an excuse. excuse for a fate, for a destiny. to rebound broken strings of souls.

'you don't break promises do you?' you ask, laughing.

****************************************************

taglist - @reggieisfit @siriuslycaptainofthedawntreader @jamespottergf @eternallybipanicking @fictional-magic @iamgayforyourmom1510

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[frenchy-and-the-sea]

OC match! Giving you Eulalia, my child pc in my vampire: the masquerade game. (Playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RUWkeAxpthLUD0y0mNkE3?si=pA-Sk0hCQr6ADsTv7em98g) She's thirteen and living in ancient Greece, and she spent the first few decades of unlife looking for her Sire, since he was. Uh. Kind Of Kidnapped. He was only Mostly dead when she found him, but he's ok now. Her blood can heal both mortals and other vampires, but watch out! Other vampires think her blood smells delicious. She likes fiberarts! And flowers! Her ghoul is her pet stoat! If anyone tells her she's a sweet girl she gets so so mad and immediately has to hit someone with a stick. She has a reputation to uphold. One of her friends just died so now she's joining her Sire to hunt demon cultists to see if that makes her feel better. I'm sure this will end Fine.

(From my match their freak ask game!)

HAUNTED KID!! She sounds delightful tbh, I LOOOVE when a narrative plays with the monstrousness of childhood! 

And despite the fact that that playlist (which is WONDERFUL BTW) is soooo spooky-coded and haunted — and would thus be a perfect match the vibe of my sad grave cleric lady — I weirdly think the OC of mine that Eulalia would get on best with would be actually be my gnomish trickery cleric Fizz??? She is also Small and Easily Mistaken For Being Childish simply because she likes wearing bright colors and isn't particularly interested in being cagey and dour. I think she would sympathize with the need to hit someone for the insult of being handled with kid gloves. But also, I feel like Eulalia has probably had it pretty rough since she was turned! It can’t be easy, roaming around as a perpetual 13 year old and seeking out one of the few people who might be able to sympathize with what you are, only to find them NEARLY HALF DEAD and having to revive them! That’s fucking rough, buddy!

So I think Fizz would get along with her in large part because her sympathy for that kind of thing is outweighed only by her absolutely titanic need to bring levity and warmth into the world. She’s a devoted acolyte of the prankster party god, after all! She believes indulging in the joys and pleasures of life is not just necessary, but divine! And she would look upon someone who has seen as much shit as Eulalia with the intense need to show her a good time. Plus, they’re both healers in a way! They both like crafting! (Although admittedly, Fizz is terrible at crafts. This does not stop her enthusiasm for them, however.) And being small means that you can more easily sneak into places to steal all of the left shoes of all of the assholes who wrong you, which is an important skill to impart on people of their stature. 

TL;DR, I JUST THINK THEY COULD HAVE FUN TOGETHER. WHICH SEEMS LIKE YOUR BABY GIRL COULD USE.

[greyias]

Still poking my way very slowly through Act 1 of BG3 with my half-elf pally girl, Aravyn, and just had the best series of quests/encounters that hit me a little in the feels.

So, long long ago, when WotC was starting to play test 5e, I started to attend some D&D Encounter sessions at a local comic/game shop, where we'd use some random pre-rolled character sheets to play. And I got handed the following:

This randomized Paladin who, for some reason, was also a wandering minstrel. I got to play her for all of one session, and unfortunately never was able to attend any more sessions (for reasons). Yet this yodeling Paladin has lived rent-free in my head for years, but had never found a group to play with in the years following.

So when I realized that I might be able to bring a version of her to life in BG3, I leapt on the chance and gave her the Entertainer background, and despaired a little that I couldn't multiclass her into Bard in Explorer Mode (although there is a mod for that).

I found a lute on the beach, played it very badly in camp and got yelled at by Lae'zel for it. And then, I wandered a little bit outside of the Druid's camp, to find a Tiefling bard singing so badly a bunch of squirrels were wailing with despair.

Having failed so spectacularly in serenading the camp, it would have been smart for poor Aravyn to just talk her way through this encounter. But here she was, being offered a lute and a chance to inspire someone with music.

And she knocked it out of the park -- being gifted the lute of the bard's deceased lover mentor as thanks for helping her break out of writer's block. (I mean, I get it. I feel that pain Alfira)

Mood™

Right afterwards, because I refuse to take a long rest while still full up on spell slots, I kept the party exploring, and encountered the harpy ambush at the beach. And we died. A lot. Especially in a frontal assault. So finally as a last ditch effort before having to put off saving the tiny child being lured in as a harpy snack for a better leveled party, I just had Aravyn sneak up behind and yeet herself from the harpy nest straight at the beasty ladies on the rock where they were hiding.

As you do.

Anyway, Shadowheart joined her, because what else should a healer do but leap into the fray and harm's way? (there was no way this was going to work, so what did I have to lose but my pride, I told myself) And as both holy ladies started swinging away wildly while the warlock and wizard looked on from above, I found myself wishing I really had some levels in bard in order to use countersong* to nullify the crooning harpy below slowly luring a little tiefling child to his doom.

After exhausting all actions and bonus actions, and since I had Lihala's lute already equipped with nothing else to do in between rounds I was like "...fuck it, we rock", and started blasting a song.

My Paladin, apparently, while fighting a bunch of harpies.

And I don't know if it was just a quirk of the dice rolls, but it worked. On his next round, the tiefling child immediately was able to break free of the song, which was the first time that had happened in all five tries and started running the fuck away. And I was like "...wait what?" and so after kicking ass on the next round, played again. And he was able to resist again and kept running further away while the harpies were distracted tearing the party to pieces.

No one in the party got charmed while Aravyn was playing her heart out, and by guzzling a lot of healing potions, they were able to just manage to squeak out a win. Bloodied and burning through all of their spell slots, they were victorious.

Uh, so yeah. Apparently I unintentionally recreated the end of season 4 of Stranger Things (with less tragedy!), and saved a little kid with the power of rock and roll while using the lute of slain bard. And damn, if that's not a true D&D experience I don't know what is. So I think it's safe to say that Larian has been able to somewhat recapture some of that lightning in a bottle feeling of playing a tabletop RPG in this game.

(even if that was all luck of dice rolls and playing the lute did nothing, I'm headcanoning Ari was channeling Lihala's spirit, because that's a far better story)

[miekasa]

earth bender todo is a no brainer he’s built like a rock lol. curious about your views on the other elements for the rest of the cast?

Airbenders: Satoru, Yuuta

Gojo is everybody’s problem. Just hovers (literally) around people’s conversations, makes wind to mess up your hair, “Why would I walk over there when I could float over there?,” already tall enough to hold something over someone else’s head and the added advantage of air bending would not help. Absolutely the fucking worst. Besides, can’t you see him having an Appa… pray for the greater good of the world.

Poor, poor Yuuta quite literally only has Satoru as his mentor because where are the other airbenders? Who knows, but not here. He’s a little clumsy for an airbender at first, but eventually finds his footing. He’s also too timid at first, not wanting to use bending to attack because what if he accidentally takes the air out or someone’s lungs? What if he uses air bending and pushes someone too far and they get seriously hurt? What if he makes someone choke or suffocate? He would hate himself :(

It takes sometime, but he gets comfortable. Definitely no wise air nomad, but pretty strong with Satoru’s help. He still trips and falls, but at least now he knows how to make one of those little air balls to cushion his fall. Never learns to use a glider for everyone’s safety.

Waterbenders: Inumaki, Megumi, Nanami?

Toge just makes sense here. Give him a backstory similar to Amon in tlok, minus the whole villain arc; his family basically forced him to train and use his water bending/blood bending to their advantage. Makes him hesitant to use to later to seriously harm someone, even if it would save him. He’s not above using his bending for pranks like splashing Maki’s tea in her face, tho.

Don’t know if Megumi ever quite gets the bloodbending thing down, but he does learn to heal pretty proficiently. Still holds a grudge against Satoru for sending him half way across the world to hone his healing abilities, but he admits it made him better in the end. Despite the fact that waterbenders hail from the polar ends of the Earth, Megumi does not like the cold and he will let it be known.

Nanami is a toss up bc I feel like he fits both the water bending and fire bending roles :// he’s just that good :// the waterbender version of him is definitely a healer like Megumi, but the firebending version of him 100% has Azula’s blue flames. Doesn’t consider himself a true “master” regardless, even though anyone who has ever met him would beg to differ.

Earthbenders: Todo, Yuuji?

Todo is a no brainer. Doesn’t have the refined taste for metal bending, but lavabending? Yeah. Complains about getting called to do all the manual labor, but loves knowing that he’s literally strong enough to move the Earth underneath him and that even a volcano doesn’t stand a chance against him. Fantastic, 10/10

The Bolin to Yuuji pipeline is real and it will be studied. Yuuji would accidentally discover he can metalbend and then can never bring himself to do it when he needs to 😭😭 he’s trying his best. Nobara frequently says he’s dumb as a rock and laughs because she thinks it’s clever.

Firebenders: Nobara, Nanami?, Shoko, hear me out when I say Yuuji too but at this point I think avatar Yuuji is the supreme concept

Only other path for Nobara is an earth bender akin to Toph, but something about her being Azula’s less evil reincarnate sits so right with me, but also with Ty Lee’s… whatever that acrobatic shit she had going on was. She’s just that good, she’s just that girl. Refuses to make Yuuji’s drink hot again just because he forgot about it and it got cold—unless he promises to make her a bracelet out of a good gemstone she finds.

Once again, torn for Nanami. You already know the Iroh comparison is there, too. He’s not as flashy of a bender as someone like Nobara, but that doesn’t mean he’s not talented. He knows that he has to be precise in his firebending lest he destroy something or burn someone he cares about. Uses other bending forms to enhance his use and understanding of firebending.

It seems easy to make Shoko a waterbender and healer, but something about her smoking leads me down the firebender with combustion path. Maybe not… from her forehead like the ones we’ve seen in atla and tlok, but somehow it’s still there. Plus this way she doesn’t need to rely on anyone to light her cigarette to begin with, winwin, girlboss on the move.

Back again with Yuuji, but like I said, I think we just need to accept that avatar Yuuji is the only route that will truly suffice. Maybe we just start by saying he was born a firebender, and Nanami starts out at his first and primary tutor. He’s the one who introduces Yuuji to Satoru—and even though Kento threatens Satoru when he finds out he’s had Yuuji working on an air ball instead of any technical air bending for the past month—it all works out in the end. Yuuji’s a playful airbender, but hones in on the spiritual importance in the end, too. Megumi protests for months against being his waterbending master, until he finally breaks down. Todo through a rock at Yuuji the first time they were introduced, but Yuuji managed to throw it back without any knowledge of earthbending at that point and it was smooth sailing from there.

Non-benders: Maki, Mai

If Nobara is our un-evil Azula, then Maki and Mai are her Mai and Ty Lee, respectively. Maki never misses her targets and Mai has too much fun reducing benders to non-bending puddles with just a few punches.

[princescar]

TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE GENSHIN CROSSOVER.

...with the understanding that I'm still in the first area and have no idea what half of this means which is an excuse to go into as much excessive detail as you want. 😉

Everyone is still talented but also now has a Vision (except Hajime, fucking dweeb). I can't really talk about all characters bc this will be WAY too long, so here's your girls.

Kyoko

Background; Kyoko is a native Fontainian, and continues her work in her home nation. She is one of the best detectives and is heavily sought after in a nation where you are often put on trial. Even though she is NOT a lawyer and has stated so to nearly every individual in Fontaine, she always ends up as a prosecutor or defense attorney. She is not pleased (the pay is good though).

She had gained her Electro vision shortly after the death of her partner, one day appearing in her scarred hands.

Meta; 5* Electro Sub-Dps. Bow user, normal attacks and charge attacks are bow defaults. Skill allows her to switch her bow for a rifle, preforming 4 rounds of Electro charged bullets through snipes. Burst allows for her to release an Electro AOE that confuse and stuns enemies, a Smoke Screen. Ousia Alignment. Extra Talents allows for an increase in sped during nighttime.

Mikan

Background; Mikan was born and raised in Fontaine, but is often traveling around Teyvat and is rarely in one place for a long time. She heavily dislikes her family and tries to stay out of Fontaine for as long as she can. She is primarily hired by high profile officials if they are injured or sick, but she will help the less fortunate for no charge. She both likes not staying in one place because she doesn't have to stay around cruel people for long and she gets to see all the beautiful places in Teyvat but she also dislikes it due to not being able to form relationships. She is often used as a mailman for Mahiru and Hyoko. Her favorite nation to visit is Snezhnaya.

She gained her Hydro vision after she first patched someone up, she cried for 3 straight days afterwards.

Meta; 5* Hydro Healer. Claymore user, normal attacks and charged attacks are default, however her animations are her nearly tripping over it or almost falling. Skill allows her to revive one fallen character every 3 minutes. Burst will provide a massive amount of healing to the entire team including herself. Pneuma Alignment. Extra Talent gives food 15% more healing effects.

Monaca

Background; Monaca is Fontainian, born from a very poor mother who lived in the sewers of Fontaine and later lived with her father, one of the leading manufacturers for Mechas. She has always been fascinated by the tech in Fontaine, desperate to get ahold of anything she can. She loves to take things apart and put them back together again.

She found her Dendro vision inside of the first robot she ever built, pissed it wasn't Pyro like her Big Sis Junko's.

Meta; still under work, definitely will mirror Junko's though.

[nicollekidman]

what's up abbey babey!! tell me everything about lyra!! <3

ahhhhhhHHHHHHH okay so there's a lot i love you

BUT... original lyra before she got deleted was a half-noble elf who grew up as a weird little silent girl... she killed her parents when she was young (she doesn't remember why and i haven't decided exactly what happened, it doesn't matter except she did it with her hands and got scarred) and set off on her own just kind of drifting from place to place using her charisma to find places to stay for a while but generally was detached from everyone and everything.... smashcut to bg3 and she's generally Good mostly because she doesn't care either way and helping people is easier, but she becomes worryingly attached to astarion after he drinks her blood the first time... kind of a "i've never felt anything and now i feel it all and it's going to be directed entirely at you" thing so they make the rest of camp EXCEEDINGLY nauseated by their general situation.

like think twin rogues who have a very high kill count from the shadows where the rest of the party can't even see them and they have a silent language they use in battle that starts spilling over into real life and astarion is like absentmindedly feeding on her for comfort purposes during like group night hangouts and she calls him baby and everyone is like stop being GROSS and OFFPUTTING. lyra thinks she's like a worldly wise enlightened figure who can help astarion (and the party) to Be Their Best Selves but really she's just giving advice without being vulnerable in return... but she DOES do a lot of complex things wrt astarion and his Healing and i love her for that. that's private for them <3 lazael and shadowheart are her besties and she basically tells them to get over themselves and just fuck already (they do). wyll can't stand her because she is down with mizora and karlach is like PLEASE PLEASE have some FUN with me and lyra is like. eh. im glad you're having fun but it's too much effort.

so basically she's not fully In The World until she meets the party and then she's in it but in an unhealthy way that is almost singularly focused on astarion, but luckily she does like. in her heart. want good things to happen to them and is a Healer so she stops the ascension etc. having her deleted in the middle of act three is so poetic because she nearly got him his happy ending and was maybe ready to open up and give him parts of her in return but now we'll never know!!!! she's always be the silent woman!!!!!!!

[stormlit]

couple of lil bg3 aus that have been rattling round my brain:

ylfa. human werewolf, wildheart barbarian. you know what every party of assholes (affectionate) needs? a 12 year old werewolf barbarian who is just a little girl who has gone through the most Fucked Up Horrors - and she wasn't even infected with a parasite. she's learning to cope with the monster inside her, she's insisting that she should be fighting with the party (and the worst part isn't that she is a great fighter and built to soak up all the damage, it's that no adult in her life has ever stopped to say "hey maybe this is a step too far for this literal child"). is pretty sure she's slowly becoming the figure of death as well as a more corrupted wolf. she can be a travelling companion but can also just be found at camp, training with whoever else is there and hanging onto gale's stories. she's obsessed with withers. you lose her approval fast if you're shitty to kids or animals.

georgie. human, paladin, oath of the ancients. a soldier (from wherever in faerun has the mancunian accents lmao) who has spent her career healing, doing whatever she can to help innocent people around her, definitely the folk hero background. being kidnapped by the mindflayers was NOT her first kidnap and torture rodeo, and she's already dealing with that by the time the plot starts, so she seems extremely calm under pressure (but you might catch her fully losing it in camp once they're safe). she's a reckless, compassionate, extremely good aligned character who is ignoring all her own shit for the sake of the mission. also think her shitty ex will reappear at some point for her personal quest if she's in a companion role, but idk for sure how it goes yet and by default i'll probably have her be the tav, that fits her a lot and she's an excellent leader. she's not a fan of the illithid powers and fully does not want them.

nynaeve. healer-focused druid, probably a half-elf? she has a tadpole in her brain, she has a block when it comes to using any associated powers, and she is NOT happy about it. she also has a block when it comes to using high-level spells that she has to work through. once the chief healer and sort of leader of a village outside baldur's gate that got overrun by orcs and other monsters, she barely escaped with her life when one dragged her out as a spoil of battle and was spending her time in search of four of her friends who also got led out by a mysterious magic user right as the battle hit its peak when she got yoinked by mindflayers - finding her friends in the city is her personal quest. she's extremely magically powerful but it's almost always tied to strong emotion and she's yet to control it, though there's a group in the city who want to help (and use that power for themselves, in her view). blunt, fierce, extremely driven by her morals and doing the right thing.

[oc-cafe]

Stories, skelons and tits

Vea tires easily, they are after all, still recovering. They ask me for water and give me no answers. 

I lead them to the kitchen, which is now mostly deserted, the servants having long disappeared into their beds. Some of the messengers mill about outside, just having returned from their various tasks. I wonder what it must be like for them, refugees who made their home in serving a kingdom that they don’t consider as their own, never in the same spot, swift as Dhoruba’s wings and  ever changing like the waves of Baharini’s waters . 

I do not wish to become them. 

“How do you know where everything in your castle is?” Vea shakes their silently and I notice the silver glinting through their hair. 

“Zuri, my sister, and I used to play here with the other children.I suppose we learnt all the hiding spots and the rooms along the way...” I trail off, voices of the past now deafening.  

There I had bandaged Eren’s cuts when they’d fallen into some bush while we had been playing, there Zuri had burnt her dress, there were the places my father had taught me how to clean the stems of flowers, there I had prepared soup with him, there I had found Gabriel and Zuri kissing for the first time, there was the grate I had cut open my hand on, there was the place my father had gently taught me the healing salves, there was that, there was this, memories washed over me, drowning me.  

“What was it like?” I barely hear Vea but some distant part of my brain computes their question. 

“It was fun, loud and absolutely lovely.” I smile a little as I think of the girls I used to know. So many of us drifted away as the war waged on, I wonder what they’re doing now. 

“It seems so.” One of them was called Vriti,  she used  to be popular, her parents had been immigrants from Alinthi, her father a merchant and her mother the head healer, they’d left five and a half years into the war. She’d been barely thirteen. She had a sister, older than her by three years, I think her name had been Reet or something of that sort. 

“Do you miss those days?” Vea asks, leading me out of memory lane. Thousands of names cross my mind, Adunbi, Aziza, Badru,  Chioke, people I used to know, with faces that sacrificed themselves to time. 

“Desperately.” I don’t know why I don’t lie but something about them compels me to tell them the truth. They sigh softly, fixing their glasses, they stretch their legs out in front of them, letting their cane lie at their side as they sit down on the kitchen stool. 

I pour them a glass of water, allowing silence to fill the room. Neither of us say a word, simply enjoying the feel of the cool night air. The utter silence leaves me with a heavy heart but a clear head. 

And a clear head is what I need right now. 

It matters not that my heart still weighs me down, that the grief seems to smother me until I can scarcely breathe, it matters only that the answers I need are within my reach. 

Speaking of which, 

“Vea. You promised me a story.” 

“Impatient, are we?” They sigh again, and I bristle. They sigh quite a bit.  

“Yes, well. I wasn’t allowed to be at the forefront of the war.”

“Be greatful for that.” They sit up sharply, eyes flashing with an emotion I cannot name. 

“Yes, whatever. Now, story.” 

“Fine. There’s people under the sea and they were allies until they weren’t.” 

“Oh okay… then- wait..What.” People under the sea? Did they hit their head on their way here? 

Do I need to hit them on their head?   “Yes Princess, there’s people under the sea. They’re called Skelons, they’ve got blue hair, and they can breathe underwater, they’re Baharini’s bitches.” 

I burst into laughter, they really had me going for a moment there. I really thought they had something important to say.

“Yeah, of course, and the next thing you’re gonna tell me is that fucking Baharini’s real.” I really did inherit my father’s sailor mouth. 

They gave me a sheepish look. 

Abeba’s tits. 

They have got to be kidding. 

“And do you have any evidence to back up this outrageous claim?”  

“Am I not proof enough?” I give them a quick once over, a broken nose, a few scrapes and bruises and broken glasses.

“Right, your….state is supposed to prove to me that there are people living under the sea?” “Not people princess!” They stand up, eyes wild. 

“They’re  monsters. We would be fools to believe otherwise!” All this excitement seems to be getting to them. 

“Look! Look at this and tell me that a man could do this-” 

“Kiongozi Amaris! Please! Get a hold of yourself!” I attempt to still their wild hands as they work furiously to rip off their tunic but ultimately, I fail. 

They shrug off my hand and continue  frantically unbuttoning their tunic. 

Well. This is not how I anticipated this evening to go. 

Maybe I could still make a run for it. 

I take a step back. 

And Vea steps forward. 

Or I could just punch them in the face and run. 

That’s probably not gonna work. 

I’m not very strong. Or good at running. Or… punchy. Is that a word? 

Fuck it. 

I’ll just drown them in the sea. 

Let ‘em be with their sea monsters. 

“Princess I know what this seems like and I’m sorry- I promise  I’m not trying to impose myself on you or somethin-” 

“Then could you kindly put your clothes back on?”

“I will… just- this is something you have to see to believe.” They finally shrug their clothes off and I scramble to cover my eyes. 

Wait. 

This is literally my castle. 

I can look wherever I please. 

I peel my fingers off my face and finally look at Vea. 

Bandages cover most of their body, except a few portions. 

The wrappings around those areas seem to have rotten and fallen away,I reach forward, my hand just barely brushing the edge of the gaping hole in their abdomen. 

It's hypnotising, it's almost as if their blood poisons the wound. I let my fingers brush the edge, and travel further up, tracking the path of scars, exploring the openings between bandages, and letting them tell me a story no words could ever describe.

Because no mortal weapon could ever have inflicted this kind of trauma, because swords and arrows can only cut so deep.

But these?

These are claw marks.

Claw marks that grow grey and luminescent blue under the gaze of the gentle summer moon.

Claw marks that shift and sway like the waves of the ocean that crash against our shore.

Claw marks that resemble the ones embedded into my city's walls from where Baharini once severed her village away.

A/N: Once again, not beta read, but then again when is it?

Mod Tag: @tiredguyswag@ne0npurplefantasies

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[iatrophilosophos]

Homeopathy is such an interesting strawman. So many people have Big opinions about it, to the point I've met people who 1) hate homeopathy 2) didn't know herbalism and homeopathy are not one in the same.

And like....yah homeopathic products exist but they're not particularly unique within the canon of predatory health-related-products (a category which, mind, contains just as many claims made by western medical doctors as it does crystals) and. Uh. Y'know. Being pretty steeped in the milieu of crunchy alt health, I don't know anyone who uses homeopathy. I know a small handful of people who use spiritual healing practices that are like, idk fairly similar? But this is a like, going to do ritual with plants and be healed by spirits kind of deal, not a buying products kind of deal (& I think maybe one person I know maybe like, does some sort of education or writing about this practice but is also like. 1) not selling anything 2) not in the business of telling anyone what they should do and definitely not about to recommend someone forego more practical options or higher care). This is not something I do personally and also I do not give half a shit if other ppl do it bc I'm not a paternalist asshole.

People absolutely buy homeopathic products and shit, but I mostly see this as indistinct from buying crystals or nootropics or VitalMale Vitamin Blend or coquette girl wine replacer mushroom powder whatever. Like there are people who get really into all of these but they're just products--just another brand of "fill the hole in your soul caused by civilization and/or make us rich off your desperation and anxiety caused by the dogshit state-sanctioned medical apparatus"

Idk I think probably people rail on homeopathy bc it's the most ~obviously bullshit~ but this doesn't really. Help anyone, bc homeopathy is spiritual/energetic medicine which means ur scientific critiques are gonna be irrelevant to anyone who's interested in it bc it's just not about science,* and painting homeopathy as The Big Bad kind of sets up this expectation that the problem with predatory health-related-products is a lack of science, which like....homie u can pull a study for literally anything and science is fucking whack and corrupt as shit sometimes.

...the point remains, as always, that hierarchical healing and medical authority/subservience Are Bad And Get People Hurt, switching around who should be in a position of authority (ur local gp, the CDC, fucking Alex Jones, some lady on tiktok etc) does nothing to reduce the vulnerability and harm baked into the frameworks of western medicine**, and, as always, the way to resist medical coercion and predation is to foster autonomy, critical thinking, and education in that order.

*if anyone's curious, I would say the correct argument here is "do you seriously fucking trust a for-profit company to sell a spiritual product and be remotely honest about any part of its production".

**which are culturally present in the healer-patient relationships of predatory alternative health, regardless of if the content of that exchange is based in western medicine

[unbound-lust]

twinkubi

Dungeon boss: Fucks the tank stupid, Healers cast 'healing spells' which are actually just to stop impregnation, and DPS have to defeat the boss before the Tank gets KO'd and gets to them next Raid boss: That but also silly mechanics, like the slapping of his balls gets the girls wet so they want to submit, or brainwashing the tank so they put agro on the DPS or Healer so the boss hits them with a tankbuster for an instant impregnation

xenophiliarp

Nah you all half to do at LEAST another 200 damage before he’d consider your party a threat and pull out of that tight elf pusspuss

See, waking up to notes like this, this is why I’m glad I’m friends with y’all

[bijesperfahey]

Trying not to dwell on it but I'm still so fucking (petty) upset

Played DND with some coworkers last night and one of the girls not only showed up half an hour late but didn't actually prep her character like we were all told to

So her bard didn't have spells

And then when. 2 hours in she was like 'wait i should have spells' after I'd gone down THREE TIME she still didn't pick a fucking healing spell despite me saying 'oh yeah if you take that you could bring me or 'other coworker' back up'

My DM ended up ruling (since I was apparently the only healer) that if you rolled 3 successes you could come back up to 1 hp

I ended up going down 5 times during the fucking session and ended the session unconscious and am honestly probably not going back if next month goes the same way

[isca-rambles]

4x03 Oh god I cannot do this for every episode. But good god the work flirting is just instantaneous. Grey just shaking his head wondering when he's going to get the pair of them in his office explaining they're in a relationship. He's probably so bewildered it took them this long by the time they actually do tell him (or Tim tells him, anyway), that he'd half given up hope. The little look he gives Lucy as she leaves after the latest Chenford work flirt. That man knows and is already tired of them not knowing what feelings they have for each other.

Lucy cannot help herself. She has to help everyone. Even while she's in the background of the scene she instantly notices Aaron and Nyla and instantly knows she's going to help him out, especially since he's on his own as a rookie. You can tell she says something to the officer she's talking to because they both turn to look. My girl is a healer, guardian, and a fighter. She's a bloody paladin.

Poor Wesley having to hide from his wife's dad. God I love Grey.

Work flirting again. Lucy's so mad her husband kept his safe house stories from her. Also, Nolan, you have 3 literal seasons worth of stories to beat Bailey's with. You were greenlit by a far right white supremacy group. You were a serial killer's new obsession. Hell, just mention literally any story that happened to one of your co-workers/friends. Russian safehouse is not the highest ranking story.

Wesley please talk to your wife. Pleeeaaase. Also, you're rich. Just buy a fridge for her.

Tim and Lucy really don't know who the fuck personal space is when it comes to each other, do they? Lucy Chen, queen of sass, you tell that CIA guy. Oh Aaron. Jackson mention, my heart. Oh Lucy. She is literally made of sunshine. Seeing how much she's been worn down by S6, especially the latter half, just breaks my heart. We need more sunshine Lucy in S7 or I riot. But can we just focus on Lucy here. She's so happy that she could help Aaron, even if it resulted in her having those complicated feelings when Jackson was brought up. Sad that he's gone, guilty that she was maybe not thinking about him that very second until she was. Grief is so complicated and so enduring, and I know they can't focus on that alone when there's so much else happening and it's an ensemble cast but I really wish they'd explored her grief more. They could've tied it in with Angela, Grey, and Nolan storylines. But yes, Lucy. She derives so much of her sunshine from helping others. I just can't with her. She's too good for this world. Also I just saw a tweet about Lucy losing her three best friends in three seasons, what the actual hell that's rude stop it. But also she hasn't lost Tim and Tamara for good. Her and Tim will heal back together, stronger and better, and Tamara is just around the corner. I mean in TV land that means we might never see her again but we can pretend she's still there. But also also yes Lucy needs a better support network I will say this to my dying breath. Oh okay, Wesley did buy a fridge. Good man. Still, talk to your wife, sir!

[witches-and-weirdos]

@cosmosoracle | cont

Poor girl, the pressure crushing her was more tasteable than the soup, Zinnya didn't know what she needed to heal, besides a fucking break, but she couldn't just not try... Sigh. She only nodded to acknowledge the chef's compliment.

"Lia-" but her thoughts were unusually messy. How do you talk-help someone when logic isn't the way, and neither is just listening? She wanted to say so many different things, where to even start? "You're a mortal. I... know you're constantly being pressured, sometimes even to a breaking point, but we mortals need time to fix things, and it's inevitable that we'll make mistakes, even the gods do. We can try to be faster, and we can try to make less mistakes, and we can succeed at those, but it's not in our nature to do things perfectly, and it's cruel to expect otherwise." That last part was a slip, she frowned a little as she said it, thinking of her gods, but her gaze quickly softened as she realized she just called Lia cruel to herself too. Maaaaybe best to not point that out, at least not directly. "I... I guess where I'm going with this is patience, which I know sucks to hear, but you can only push yourself beyond your limits for so long before you fully consume yourself. My dad used to say 'I'm only human' for these things, which we joked about sometimes cause then I could say 'I'm only half a human!'" she smiled a little, if the main topic wasn't so sad, she would even have chuckled "he needed mom's age old advice to slow down with working so much, else his fingers would have been so bad so quickly our village healer couldn't have treated them, and then he'd have had to stop working forever." Thank gods this landed somewhere! She was afraid it was becoming a pointless tangent. She looked her friend. "Please don't work your metaphorical fingers to the bone. I do believe you can fix all this, with time, but beyond a certain point, the harder you try the harder it will become, and beyond that, it starts breaking you." and with a bit of emotional undertone "I don't want you to break..."

[erigold13261]

Some thoughts on the Family Tree Saga (I adore these):

To Celine, Joey and Gigi's Parent 1: What. The. Fuck./lh (Seriously, what was the inspo to make these three half siblings?/genq)

I wonder how Nova feels about their older sibling. Did they ever ask Nuru and Sarabi?

Uhh what happened to Tila's family tree? Where are her grandparents? Ancles?

Holy shit Noa are you okay????/lh

Hmm... if Miles has baby sister Billie, would he want to go to a college/uni in Vinyl City?

I like the idea that Maize (Ham's aunt) goes by Corn or Cereal in day to day life (That is why Ham calls herself Ham, food connections)

Have a feeling that that tree is Satoru's "official" family tree, bc I imagine the AMAB folk of blues family having non official concubines to have more children (so Satoru may have a bunch of half siblings or relatives who are not included in this tree)

Not to be nitpicky but I think the comics say that Shoko's powers are rare, and (I think) only Shoko can perform healing on other people as of now (Though I do like that its parents kept on trying for girls until they had a healer that can heal others too, only for that one to go rogue)

-Celin/Joey/Gigi: It's either a poly relationship with their mom being the center, or a singular parent was just a whore/jiggalo lol

The inspo actually comes from my own family. My nana had 4 kids, only 2 are full siblings, then my mom had 3 kids and only me and my brother are full siblings. That's probably the main reason I love the relationship of half siblings so much lol

-Nova: He most likely knows by now. Honestly he probably knew as a kid because his parents spoiled him rotten because they were just so happy to still have a child.

-Tila: Okay, my bad, I forgot about the grandparents in Tila's family tree lol. But both her parents were only kids, so no auncles. Grandparents aren't really in the picture so that's the main reason I forgot them (might change her tree honestly. I kinda blanked out when making hers tbh).

-Noa: No. No he's not. He got an extreme version of parentification and that was the major driving force for him to join Ex-Jay as a way to gain any sort of freedom (though his upbringing did kinda make him the mom friend of the group)

-Miles: Possibly not, but I think by the time he gets to college his sister will be about 3 years old (maybe 2) if he doesn't take a break from school to do so. I think at that point he'd be a bit more okay leaving to be with Gwen at school since Billie could go to daycare and stuff at that point (he'd be hesitant to, but his mom would want him to get the best education and music/art degree he can if that is truly what he wants to do with his life)

-Ham: Hey you saw my food joke/pun thing! Benny is also one! (Eggs Benny is another way to say Eggs Benedict lol). Love the idea that they will tell Maize to stop being corny or for Ham to stop hamming it up, just food puns like that as a cute close family!

-Satoru: Oh yeah, I can see that. Though if I thought of that I would have made it look like they had concubines/side pieces because I didn't even think of what an "official" family tree would look like. Like an official one from Neon J or Tatiana would probably look different from what I gave as the REAL one, but we can totally have this version of Satoru's as the "official" one the fam shows off.

-Shoko: See, I didn't know that! That is good information to know. But that also goes into the idea of "rare" as in the world, or "rare" as in anyone? Because in the world, possibly ONLY Shoko's family has that specific kind of healing power, which means it is still a rare power. But if you mean rare as in for anyone to have, then most likely Shoko is the only (or one of the only) people with that specific healing power (while other users are not related to it at all).

So personally I like the idea of a family power (similar to Eve and Pav), but we can always have it so that Shoko's family can only heal plant elementals or something like that. Perhaps only people connected by blood (so only family members) and Shoko is the only one to be able to heal outside of the family.

Definitely want to keep the idea that afab people in this family have more power than amab people, because I just like that idea for this family for some reason. Whatever the reasoning is (whether it's powers or something else), I think I'm keeping the family tree as is.

OH! Maybe it's like a power that skips generations! Shoko's parents knew their kids were most likely supposed to have this amazing and absolutely OP healing power. But each new kid just failed to produce it (even though they were girls which this power is more likely to show up in) so they kept trying (making SURE they were giving birth to a girl) until they got Shoko (and then, like you said, it defected from the family and "ruined" everything)

I actually like that version quite a bit! Gives a reason as to why the Auncle with no kid and no marriage was disowned since they weren't "participating" in keeping that generations healer alive.

[percontaion-points]

Lifeblood chapters 14 & 15, bonus chapter 7

Today's review might be difficult for some; reader discretion is advised

Click to see the rest of the snark & image descriptions

Chapter 14

The Secondking’s grip keeps me upright. He squeezes my hands. “She loved you, and my hope is that you will heed her desire to live well, Ten. Live well.”

Chapter 14 summary: Back in Troika, Ten is barely able to keep it together. Not because of her abrupt separation from Killian, but because the memory that Meredith was killed in battle has resurfaced. Ten wants to go mope around her home in solitude, but Victor says that it’s mandatory to go to what’s basically a hospital. 

So they go. But Ten refuses to allow the healer to clean her of Meredith’s blood. After this is over, Ten goes home, where she does that aforementioned moping. And I get it, but holy shit, this doesn’t make for a good story. 

Levi shows up and is basically like “You fought well today”, blah-blah-blah. It doesn’t fucking matter what he says to comfort her; they’re empty and meaningless, since every single person is refusing to stop fighting. Meredith is going to be nothing more than a statistic in a few hours. He also says that she’s to resume her training in the morning. And that he also now knows that the entire thing was a trap to get to Ten, since there is no third infected person. 

He then takes her to the river, where they meet up with Secondking, Eron. Eron shows Ten Meredeth’s last few minutes. Before they part, Eron repeats Meredith’s last thought: Live well, Ten. 

Chapter 15

“The price is paid,” Deacon rasps. “Even though it was paid in vain.”

Chapter 15 summary: Later, everybody attends Meredith’s funeral. I don’t fucking care. Some time after that, Ten continues her training. Levi tells her to run, and after she collapses, he comes to her with the sword-staff she took from Archer’s apartment. He explains that one sword heals, while the other condemns. What he refuses to answer is which one is which. He then has Ten start training with the staff, which is the actual weapon. 

As she’s finishing up her training for the day, Deacon shows up. He says that the situation with Javier Diez (Dior’s boyfriend) is getting dire. It’s getting difficult for Troikians to be near him, because of his darkness, and he made them lose a battle recently. Ten thinks that “Diez” is Spanish for “Ten”, and thinks that it’s obvious Javier is a Myriad general. She thinks that the world needs him more than they need her (not going to touch that), and that it would be better to simply let him succumb to the darkness. 

Deacon goes on and says that Myriad has stopped giving a shit about Dior, so now a court date has been set. After a shower and change of clothes, Ten goes with him to this courthouse, which is outside of any of the other realms. Inside are people from both sides, but the only ones of value in this scene are: the half-human Judge, the Troika Barrister, and the Myriad Barrister. The ones from either side are basically lawyers, who will argue as to why their side wants this human girl. 

This girl has led a miserable life: she stole cancer treatment money from her sick mom so that she could buy street drugs. She’s slept around. Backstabbed her friends. However, in the face of all of this evidence, despite the fact that she’s the one who wanted to defect, she ends up being pressured by all of this, and agrees to stay with Myriad. Deacon explains that it’s how 90% of the cases turn out: there’s so much pressure from both sides, so people usually end up sticking with their original contract. 

But, there’s one more thing. Since the contract needs to be fulfilled, despite the fact that Myriad is getting what the original plan was with this human, the Troikan guy stands up and allows the Myriad guy to kill him. The entire thing is so unbelievably stupid. 

Bonus chapter 7

Details attached. 

Might Equals Right! 

Sir Zhi Chen

Bonus chapter 7 summary: Killian emails Sloan and invites him to his house… after hours. Wink wink. Why do I get the feeling that he’s planning something other than a romantic weekend with her? After Sloan agrees, Killian emails Zhi to tell him “I’m disconnecting from the grid to spend time with Sloan. WINK WINK.” Zhi is like “Get it, tiger. You both deserve some good times!” But he also reminds Killian that Ten is in a bad place now, and that she could use some of that “comfort”. WINK WINK. 

[leviathanspain]

Hey, so I'm a Anthony I won't fall in love Bridgerton girl so there will be a lot of Anthony request. So I came up the idea of Anthony s1 where he is in a secret relationship with a maid and like Violet walks in Anthony's office to talk about the duke and R is massaging Anthony's shoulder idk

burning desire

anthony bridgerton x reader

synopsis: your inappropriate relationship with the viscount is finally discovered

the viscount loved having you on your knees.

he loved watching your back arch as you struggled to clean the deepest shelf in the bookshelf, your fingers wrapping around the pathetic rag as you dragged it across the mahogany wood.

“all done?” anthony had pretended to be busy with viscount duties, random papers remained sprawled on his desk. you both knew he wasn’t working at all.

you pulled back slowly, leaning back on your heels. you looked at anthony, bowing your head, “yes, my lord.” you waited for his approval, and remained kneeling.

you could hear the rustling of papers, and the feet of his chair dragging across the wood floor just as his feet stalked over to you. you breathed in nervously as he checked your work. those dark eyes dragged across the entire bookshelf, inspecting every inch.

you flinched slightly as he walked past you to the other shelves. “hmm,” he rounded back to the desk, sitting in it delicately before you looked up.

your eyes met and anthony held a small smile, “looks acceptable.” he confirmed, and you smiled, standing up. you walked over to his side and he reached out for your hand. you let him grab your hand, he kissed it once before he put it on his shoulder, “please.”

this is how it had all began.

anthony didn’t have the best joints, and your mother was a healer who had an affinity to heal the human body with just her hands. she had taught you before she had passed, and you had hoped you’d be able to build it into a career, but these things change.

one day, late in his study, you had seen him cracking his neck trying to find relief. your eyes always wandered from your work but anthony made your eyes wander farther than they should. whenever he was present, the urge to clean faster and neater was overwhelming.

“i can help..” you realized your words had come out louder than they should have. but you were alone with him, his eyes glued to the business papers before him. he looked up, raising his eyebrows and you laughed nervously, “with your neck. i can help with your neck.” you pointed, and anthony unconsciously brought his hand up to his shoulder, looking at you curiously.

and that’s how it had began. anthony would call you away to clean his study late at night, and you’d proceed to spend more time with the viscount than anyone of your status ever should.

“i saw you roll your shoulders a few times, is it bothering you?” your fingers squeezed around the hard muscle of his shoulder and anthony hissed, “fuck, yes.” he put a hand over yours, stopping you from squeezing again. you pulled your hand away, and anthony unbuttoned the first couple buttons of his shirt, freeing just his shoulder. “give it a try.” he murmured, and let your hand go, preparing himself.

you squeezed hard onto his shoulder and anthony groaned, his elbows digging into the wooden desk as his head bowed. you worked at the muscle, his skin warm underneath your palm, when you heard the door heave open.

you pulled back immediately, but realized that there would be no excuse for what this was. the viscount was half naked, and you were standing over him, making him moan and groan.

you cursed, and anthony tried to fix his shirt just as his mother stepped into the study. she had a pleasant smile on her face, almost like a fresh daisy. but it fell upon seeing you. her smile turned into a pained expression, “anthony, what is this?” she looked between the two of you and you didn’t say anything, petrified to even move.

anthony sighed, fixing his shirt, “it’s an exchange of services.” he looked at you, and signaled for you to leave, “she was just leaving. don’t worry about it.” he beckoned his mother forward, but violets eyes stayed glued to you as you hurriedly collected your cleaning supplies, and left without another word.

an exchange of services?

had the viscount just lied to his mother saying that you were a whore?

you were fuming. absolutely fuming.

you had scurried back to the servant quarters, swallowing every sob that threatened to escape with every step. what if violet fired you? what if she decided that having a whore for a maid was something she didn’t want in her household? you’d suffer without a job, your life would be ruined!

you paused.

anthony would never let any of that happen to you!

or would he?

anthony knew you were avoiding him. every note he had given to the head maid about getting you to clean his study, had magically disappeared or gotten lost throughout the day. it had been a week and as much dust as his office collected, he didn’t care about anything other than you.

and he hated it.

there was an internal fight between what he felt and what he wanted. what he wanted was to remain a bachelor for life, sleep with whomever he wanted and not have to be tied down by this idyllic idea of a marriage. except what he felt for you was too strong, and he couldn’t deny himself of what he wanted.

you still had a job. it had been a week and there had been no secret meetings or anything of that sort. you had just worked, kept your head down and hoped that the viscount and the viscount’s mother would ever forget you existed. that they both remembered just a simple maid.

you were cleaning in the drawing room. the entire family had gone out to promenade, and you had been assigned to dust and disinfect that room. you had only been in the drawing room a few times to clean it. it was always rotating as one of the rooms in use and any of maids hardly ever cleaned it.

you had just finished dusting when you heard footsteps. you looked up, wondering if it was a fellow maid, but instead you struck the piercing gaze of the viscount.

“my lord!” you sounded breathless, but you were surprised to see him after a long avoidance.

“y/n…” he hardly ever spoke your name. there was a lot of welcomed silence between you two that having to address the other wasn’t important. but he sounded almost relieved to see you.

“i-“ he looked down at the floor and tried to shake off this strange feeling that made his palms sweaty and his speech stutter. “i apologize.” puzzled, you waited for him to finish, “i realize how what i said could’ve implied other things. but i promise that i’ve explained it all to my mother. that-“ he swallowed thickly, “that you help me.” he nodded, and you blinked.

shock washed over you, and you looked at the viscount. looking at him, the brilliance of his mind shone whenever he graced a room. he was strong, an ideal husband for any woman worthy. but everytime you looked at him, the love for him grew, and it was getting to a dangerous level.

you shook your head, “i don’t know what to say, my lord.” you scoffed, and turned to gather your cleaning supplies, brushing past him as you exited.

anthony grabbed your arm and you slammed the bucket down, water sloshing just slightly over the edge as you stared wildly at anthony.

his dark eyes bore into yours, and you felt a rush to your head, and the uncontrollable urge to kiss him flooded your mind. anthony’s finger dragged just over the outline of your jaw, he huffed, “i need you.” he leaned down, “i need you now, more than ever.” his lips brushed over yours, “i want you.” they locked on yours, and for the first time ever, you could finally taste anthony bridgerton on your lips.

you could feel his warm hands around you, sprawling to touch you as if he couldn’t get enough. you moaned slightly, just as he picked you up onto his hips, his back leaning against the wall.

you kissed him hard, passionately enough that even you were surprised. “fuck,” he cursed, biting down on your lip gently, he pulled away, hearing the rustle and laughter of his family just outside the drawing room.

you panicked, yelping just as you pulled away, stumbling back to a corner.

anthony pushed the supplies next to you and positioned himself at the farthest seat from you, grabbing a random book and pretending to be reading it.

“anthony!” violet bridgerton strutted into the room, her children like baby ducks just trailing behind her. her surprise to see her eldest son was evident, even more so when she turned, her eyes flickering over to you.

you and anthony had been alone prior to her entrance. and you both looked disheveled, anthony’s lips and face were all different shades of red.

benedict and colin walked in just after their mother and headed straight towards anthony. their smiles as they noticed his face were wide. benedict patted anthony’s shoulder but anthony brushed him off, ignoring their snickers.

the three fell into a private talk, and you realized just how awkward this was. the rest of the bridgerton children didn’t even glance at you, as if you were invisible to their eye.

you could hear one of the girls yell at anthony for grabbing her book, saying he didn’t even know what he had grabbed. you exited, only the viscount catching the sight of your back as you did.