#I CANNOT BELIEVE IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO WATCH IT UGH

[foxstens]

been watching interview with the vampire

[lcriedlastnight]

coming home after a shitty day and napping with lando is all a girl needs. you both wake up at midnight rambling, barely even awake, then go straight back to sleep again cause god what i would DO to be wrapped up in his arms all cosy and warm mmfghds

ugh so true anon! i need me some of this pls. also i might've gotten carried away with this one teehee, she was only supposed to be a baby blurb!

tw: fem!reader, swears maybe, lmk if you want me to add anything.

w/c: 1.3k

this day was seriously one from hell, you were sure of it. throught no fault of his own, lando had made you late for work this morning. you were too busy admiring his sleeping face to realise that an hour had passed and you were not even out of bed yet. you had rushed around trying to get ready. your makeup was not sitting right on your face, so it took you twice as long to get ready because you had to take it off and start again.

then last night, when you had put your uniform into the dryer, you did not even notice that the machine was not even plugged in, so your clothes were still wet and you had no time to dry them. lando had told you not to go to work in wet clothes or you would end up with a cold but you had snapped at him, asking what he thought you should do seeing as you were already running late and had no other options.

lando knew about how stressed being late made you, he knew it made you freak out, even though you would be fine, so he offered to run your hairdryer over them to see if he could make it any better seeing as you told him you had no time to plug the actual dryer in. lando forced you to quickly eat some breakfast, so you do that then brush your teeth. by the time you pull your uniform on, it was still wet but it was a little bit better. you kiss lando goodbye and rush out the door.

you had called the cafe you worked in while you were driving there, explaining that you were on your way and how sorry you were for running late. you made up some bullshit excuse that your car would not start and they had believed it. the first good thing to happen today.

once you had actually gotten to work the place was swarming with people, you had never, ever seen it like this before. it was so difficult trying to force your way through the crowd to even get inside.

you saw your coworker and had asked what was going on and she just shrugged. the rush had lasted three hours. you and all the staff were rushed off your feet the whole time, and then for an hour afterwards because the place was a dump and it was a five man job to clean it up.

the one thing that you usually looked forward to on the days you were working and lando was with you was having lunch together, but of course today that hadn't gone to plan either. because of the rush you had completely missed your usual break time by hours and that had made you miss your usual meeting with your boyfriend. today was one of those days where you felt like you needed it the most too. you had taken a sneaky ten minutes to cry in the stockroom. whoever was watching the cameras then would have had a great laugh.

lando also usually brought your lunch to you so you never brought food with you to work when lando was at home so that caused you to have to go down the street and buy food, which you hated because it rubbed in the fact that you were not sitting with you boyfriend, laughing about something funny he had seen on instagram right now.

an hour before your shift had ended you had ended up with a hole in your trousers. you were so embarrassed because the sound of the fabric ripping apart was so loud you were sure they could hear it down the street. you had asked your manager if you could new ones but she had told you the new uniform shipment was not due for another three weeks, so you had to go the next three weeks with ripped trousers. 'this day cannot get any worse' you had thought to yourself. it did.

once your shift had finally ended, you jumped into your car and did not look back. turns out you had left your phone in your locker so you had to turn back.

walking through the doors of your shared flat with lando had felt like literal heaven. it was fleeting as seconds later, you heard laughs and shouts coming from lando's gaming room. he was busy. the only thing you wanted after your shift from hell was to come home in lay in lando's arms. you felt bad interrupting him and you did not even know if he was streaming or not so you left him to it. you peel your clothes off and jump in for the quickest shower you had probably ever been in.

you had no motivation to made dinner for yourself so you treat yourself to the leftovers from whatever lando had made himself and collapse onto the couch.

"hi honey! you're home?" lando asks. you did not know when he had came through but you mumble your reply into the couch pillow anyways. it does not take a genius to work out you were upset and lando being lando, well he did what he knew best. he saunters over and crawls up behind you, arms pulling you into his chest. it takes a little shuffling to make it work but once you were both comfortable and content wrapped in each others arms, you let out a content sigh.

"bad day, pretty?" lando mumbles into your neck, pressing light, innocent kisses in his wake. you groan as his words remind you about your nightmare of a day.

"just kept getting worse." you pout, reflecting on the worst parts of your day. lando coos against your skin, it tickles and brings a smile to your once moody face.

"my poor girl, you're so brave." lando jokes. "i think someone needs a little nap, hm?" lando suggests. usually you would protest, who goes for a nap at seven thirty at night but you knew that this time, there was not a bone in your body that was saying no. in lieu of answering you just move yourself so that lando's chin was resting on your head, and you were hiding in his chest. "just for a little bit." you mumble. lando hums then you are asleep minutes later.

when you come to it is dark in the living room. you had not slept for a little while, like what you had told lando. it seems that he had also fallen asleep. you barely feel like you have woken up, but you know you have because of the discomfort of the two of you falling asleep on the couch.

"lan, wake up." you grumble with a less than gentle tap to his cheek.

"lan, we need to go to bed." you try again.

"m'already in bed. go back to sleep." lando mutters as he tries to shush you by pulling your head back into his chest. your next words are muffled by lando's hoodie. you fight a little against the hand on the back of your head, keeping it where lando wants it, trying to get him to move to the bed.

lando groans, one hand moving to sling over the back of the couch to grab the throw cover you keep there. he then, in one quick move your half asleep brain cannot even begin to compute, he pulls you on top of him and wraps the fluffy cover over the top of you.

"there, y'comfy now so jus' go t'sleep please, baby." lando pleads, bringing a hand to move under your pyjama top to run across the plain of your back. you keen at his soft, warm touch.

"kay." lando grins and tangles his legs with yours, wanting to be as close to you as he possibly could be.

"don't bitch tomorrow when you have a sore back." you warn him, words slurred with the sleep that was seconds away.

lando huffs. "worth it."

[jayparked]

88 + jake 👀 ??

also luv ur writing sm!!

warnings: teasing, muncher jake, oral (f. rec.), switch!jake x bossy!reader, jake pretends to be bad at oral to piss you off, dirty talk, mentions of possible cuck!jake

wc: 791

"ugh, jake. what are you doing?" you groan annoyedly, pawing at your boyfriend's locks to try to push his lips back to your clit. he keeps wandering off to the side, kitten licking at your puffy lips instead of focusing where you really need him.

"hm? am i doing something wrong? tell me what to do, baby." normally, in any other situation, you'd feel a pang of guilt for making him doubt his abilities. but the smirk on his face while he slowly sticks out his tongue and continues to lap and suck in the wrong areas has you feeling more annoyed than ever.

"are you doing this on purpose?"

"doing what, sweetheart?"

"pretending like you don't know what you're doing."

nuzzling against your thigh, jake sighs, eyes fluttering shut as he caresses your skin. "maybe i just need you to guide me."

the frustration of not getting to your high mixed with intense impatience is making your brain dizzy in all the wrong ways. you sit up and grab jake's chin, forcing him to look you in the eyes.

"i know that you know how to eat pussy. especially my pussy. if you don't stop playing around i'll go and find someone else to do it. and you can watch and learn because i'm tired of having to explain this to you every single time you try to eat me out." your words are harsh and more so filled with empty frustrated promises. but the image of a whimpering jake while he watches someone else do what he can't is somewhat exhilarating.

pouting out a huff, jake's pleading eyes turn wicked, half lidding as he bites the corner of his bottom lip.

"why are you looking at me like that?"

"fuck, you're so hot when you're bossy. say more things." jake moves his head out of your grasp and is hovering over your heat again, the warmth of his breath fluttering around your ignored clit.

"go on," he encourages, holding your eye contact, "tell me what you want me to do. do you want me to do this?" his lips wrap around your clit, finally sucking and pulling against the flesh as his tongue swirls around it. you lean your head back and groan, feeling your body weep with how happy the contact feels. your hands are gripping his curly black hair again, desperate to keep him in place. but one taste is all he gets. jake pulls himself back, tapping at your thigh with a 'hmm?'

"you cannot be serious right now, jake," you groan, hands falling defeatedly at your sides.

"i told you to go on." there's a bite in his tone, one that sends chills down your spine. it's one that doesn't come out often and it finally clicks that you've fallen right into his trap.

eyes blinking slowly, you finally muster out, "you're playing with me," you state completely dumbfounded.

"no shit, sherlock," he huffs, brows furrowed, "now, please, humor me and take all your anger out on me while you tell me what a bad muncher i am. if you do it good enough i'll show you just how bad i can be."

your cheeks start to burn, your lips pulling inward as you rub your thighs against his shoulders. jake's nuzzling his cheek against your thigh again, eyes pleading at you once more while he waits oh so patiently.

sulking from your stalling, jake juts his bottom lip out, exhaling sharply so that his breath clings to your wetness. "can't believe my baby actually thinks i don't know her body like the back of my hand. took you too long to realize i'm doing this on purpose. have i fucked you dumb too much? do you need me to pound into you again to knock some sense back into that pretty brain of yours?"

finally finding your voice, and your courage, you take your hands and grab his face, shoving him completely down onto your aching cunt. "you fucking talk too much," you continue to guide his head across your slickness, sighing as you feel his tongue poke out to slurp at your arousal, "flick your tongue against my clit a few times before sucking on it- yes! just like that jake oh my god!"

jake is holding your hips down tightly as he deeps himself into your heat, full on making out with your clit in a rushed and hungry manner.

"fucking finally," he growls. "and, by the way, i am the only one who can eat you out like this and i'm not sharing what's mine." he pulls your clit between his teeth, only letting go once you're gasping in surprise. "hope you're comfortable, sweetheart, we're gonna be here for a while."

part of my 1k follower celebration send me a member and a number from this list and i'll write a short drabble about it ♡ masterlist

[deathofacupid]

helloo this is my first time in a while requesting so if this doesn't make much sense then that's whyy

could I please request peter parker with an s/o who does competitive cheer as a sport, and gets hurt a lot because they have a lot of main parts in routines (like tumbling nd holding girls up nd stuff), peter is always concerned for them cuz they r always hurting something but he also loves seeing them perform at comps and stuff

if you want a better understanding of the sport u could research! but thanks in advance <3

pom-poms and bruises | peter parker

a/n: your request was great, no worries! i did do my fair share of research, but lemme tell you, my knowledge on cheer (or, like, any sport) is mad limited. if i got some information incorrect, i apologize in advance! i took... creative liberties (?) and changed some minor details - instead of competitive cheer, it's high school cheer. enjoy the fic, and i hope i did this request it's justice. sorry this took so long!!

summary: peter can't help but worry seeing you all bruised up, but no matter what, he's your biggest fan.

warnings: the ouchies, innuendos to sex

pairing: fem!cheerleader!reader x peter parker

word count: 1.8k+ words

"oh jeez," peter sighs, rubbing his thumb over the bruise on your cheek. it was a blue-purple, indicating that it was fresh. "what happened?"

you wave him off, grinning, "you know how it goes, battle scars and all."

"scar?" he cocks a brow.

sighing, "battle bruise isn't half as badass."

"right, i forgot the most important thing is proclaiming our dominance in the social hiearchy of the big ol' globe. and obviously not our physical health."

"you wouldn't understand, baby. it's a full time job."

gently, peter pushes you up against your locker. leaning in to whisper, he says, "i wouldn't, angel? best believe i've got battle scars of my own."

"ugh. so not the same. not everyone has the luck of getting to be a human-spider."

"yeah, okay, luck."

"you seriously cannot complain," you deadpan. "that bite did you favors! like, down there, you grew at least- mmph-!"

peter covers your mouth with his hand, "we are not having this conversation."

"it was a compliment! i mean, it's not like you sucked before or anything. i'm just saying it... improved... you."

"somehow, this isn't going the direction you think it is."

"oops. i didn't mean to hurt your over-inflating ego."

"first off, if anyone has an ego that needs to be kept in check, it's you."

"don't blame me," you tell him, "blame the girls," you're referring to your cheer team, pinching his cheeks. "but... maybe i can compensate with a kiss?"

he feigns annoyance, "i suppose." in response, you lean in for a kiss, melting at his touch.

peter kisses your bruise as well, letting it linger for a moment longer. "does it hurt?" he asks.

"barely," you shrug, leaning in for more, but he isn't quite focused on that at the moment. giving you a look, he softly pokes your cheek, to which you wince.

"right. barely."

"don't be a worry-wart, worry-wart."

"i'm not! 'm just concerned!"

"puh-lease," you scoff. "you come back worse! remember that time you broke and entered into my bedroom, then proceed to bleed out onto that cute new rug?"

he looks down, epitome of cute puppy. "yes," peter says, guilty, "i do."

you pat his stomach, nuzzling your nose against his. "see? so you have nothing to worry about. me, on the other hand," you trail off.

"nah. you don't have anything to worry about either, angel."

"watch me worry anyways," you snort.

he pinches your cheeks, and you swat his hands away. "watch it!"

"you're my intellectual property."

"oh, so you're objectifying me now?"

"wait- no! no, of course not!"

"lemme me just say right now, may would not be happy."

peter groans, shoving you away.

"no!" you giggle, "i'm sorry! i won't snitch!"

he peeks an eye open, turning his head just barely to look at you. "fine, i guess," peter pulls you back.

"hey, petey?"

"hm?" he asks, nuzzled in your neck. there's just a few minutes before class starts, and he wants to make the most of it.

"are you coming to the game? it's my first year of being captain, and, well, it'd be cool if you came." suddenly you're more bashful than giggly, and he's quick to assure you.

"are you kidding me? of course i'm coming. i'm not missing the chance to see my girl shine.

"you sure? because i know you don't care for foot-"

"shhh," he presses his palm to your mouth. "yeah, i hate football, but i just to happen to love y- god!" he exclaims as you lick his hand, but in your defense, what did peter expect?"

"you put in on my mouth!"

peter narrows his eyes at you, "vermin."

"see you tonight?"

"see you tonight," peter replies as the bell rings. with one last kiss, you part ways.

your hair was done, two yellow and blue bows to tie the look together. midtown theme eyeshadow was painted on your eyelids, with stars dotted on your cheekbones. you have your cheer uniform on, and you're basically jumping with how giddy you are.

part of you is nervous, because you don't want to mess this up. every year, a senior is picked to be captain, with a junior as a mentee. not only do you have to set a good example for the junior this year, but you have to wow everyone.

checking your makeup one more time, you grab your purse, heading out to the car.

by the time you get there, your teammates are already stretching. on the other side of the field, football players are warming up. last year, liz was captain, well, before she moved. then she got replaced by gwen.

you knew liz and peter... okay, so you weren't completely sure, but they had something. some part of you wanted to be better than liz, entirely for peter. you know it was silly, but you felt like you had something to prove. some families are already in, which is funny, because there's an hour to the game.

it's normally parents and friends of the cheerleaders/players that get here before most people, but there are some occasions.

peter's here, you know that. you haven't looked for him yet, but as you get up, you scan the bleacher. finally, you spot a curly, brown-haired boy (it helps that he's waving like crazy) and his aunt. you blow a kiss to them, grin present of your face.

tasha, one your girls, taps your shoulder, "we're gonna run our routine a couple times, okay? just before the game starts." you pull your eyes away from may and peter, nodding at her.

the familiar music of your routine starts playing. the first part's easy, synchronized movements, shoulder-to-shoulder.

as the routine progresses, you feel the familiar rush of adrenaline. you spot the base of the pyramid, their arms outstretched, and with a deep breath, you allow yourself to be pulled upwards.

their grip is firm and reassuring as you climb, hand over hand, until you reach the apex. a split second later, you're soaring through the air, launching into a full backflip.

as you launch yourself into the backflip, you feel your body twist off-axis. the ground rushes up to meet you, and with a sickening thud, you land flat on your face. a gasp escapes your lips, the sting of impact radiating through your jaw.

the cheers falter for a moment, but your teammates are quick to react. they rush to your side, concern etched on their faces. you sit up, momentarily stunned, but the pain quickly makes itself known.

just as soon as it's there, it's gone, leaving you slightly sore. "i'm okay!" you call out, lopsided smile on your face. the first person you look for is peter, who's already heading towards you.

gently, he moves everyone away. "jesus, are you okay? what'd you fall onto? your head? wait, are you dizzy? lightheaded? nauseated?" peter grabs your by the chin, hurry to inspect everything on your face.

"baby, baby," you say, cradling his hand. "i'm okay, i swear. i might've bruised something... like my ego," you joke, smile on your face, but he is not amused.

"no? okay. well, honestly my jaw is too, or will be," you point to the left side. "'s red?"

"yeah," he winces, "it's gonna leave a nasty bruise." you're sure it's not as bad with makeup on, but you can't be sure.

"does anyone have concealer?" you call out.

jenny, a girl that's your shade nods, "yeah! i'll grab it!" she tosses it to you, and you catch it perfectly.

peter presses his lips together, "so no concussion?"

"because i caught it? to be fair, that was mostly luck."

his eyes widen. "but no! i don't have any concussions!"

peter tilts his head, "icepack?"

"nah. i'm good, really."

he hesitates, "okay. be careful though, seriously." you don't feel like hearing a lecture right now, so you nod quickly.

"i will, i will!"

"because i swear-"

"you won't have to! i'm all good. now leave," you joke, "you're embarrassing me. if i wanted to be smothered, i would've asked for my mom."

he blows a raspberry at you, and gives you a quick kiss. "be careful," he repeats, "and good luck!" he jogs back over to may, and you watch him leave.

jenny giggles as you brush yourself off, "you guys are so cute."

blushing, you murmur a thanks. quickly, you grab your phone to cover up the forming bruise. and there's not really time for another run-through.

all you can do is hope it won't happen again.

there's a small dance at the start of the game and some other here and there, but it's not anything crazy. what is crazy is halftime.

as you get into your position, you fidget. "you'll be great," one of the girls tell you.

"thank you," you smile.

"yeah, no, you will," says another.

you don't feel super ready, not after that fall, but there's not much you can do about it.

the song, louder than before, echoes through your eardrums, a roll of excitement passes through you. no matter how anxious you are, you'll always love cheer.

it's your safe place.

the music swells, and you launch into a series of cheers with your teammates, your voice ringing out in perfect unison. as the routine progresses, you feel the familiar rush of adrenaline. you spot the base of the pyramid, their arms outstretched, and with a deep breath, you allow yourself to be pulled upwards.

their grip is firm and reassuring as you climb, hand over hand, until you reach the apex. a split second later, you're soaring through the air, launching into a full backflip.

you twist perfectly, landing with a confident thud back in the waiting arms of your base. the crowd erupts in cheers, and you beam, the thrill of the successful stunt coursing through you.

you did it, and everyone's squealing. peter's not that far from where you are, and you can hear him shrieking; "that's my girlfriend!"

you grin at him, and he whoops again.

the rest of the game flies by, and you finish the last routine. midtown ends up winning 20-17.

peter scooping you up in his arms, spinning you around. "that was awesome! seriously, like, mind-blown! and you didn't fall this time!"

may comes up beside him, hugging you, "you did fantastic, sweetheart. freaked me out with that fall, though," she chuckles, and you kiss her cheek. "my bad," you tell her, rubbing the back of your neck.

"hey, pete, hun, i'm gonna head out, okay? hospital shift was crazy."

you frown, "was it late?"

may sighs, "two a.m. to five p.m."

"oh, may, you should've gone home to get rest!"

"and miss my lovely girl's big night? you're crazy."

"aww," you coo, hugging her again. "sleep well, okay?"

"oh, please, i'll be knocked out like a baby." you laugh as she leaves.

"we should totally get ice cream," peter says.

"ooh, yes!"

"wait, don't you have an after party?"

"i'd rather spend it with you," peter pecks your lips. "and, we can have extra dessert," he winks.

you frown in confusion, "like cupcakes too? can we get cho- oh. oh! i really, really like that idea."

"good. i'm gonna let you know how badass of a girlfriend you are."

"why don't we skip straight to the second dessert? switch things up?"

taglist: @whatsupstark @ell0ra-br3kk3r @idli-dosa @susvale @kdbsr-h @littlemsbumblebee @sflame15-blog @twinsunkithies @chocolateshepherddreamclod @one-piece-frvr7 @477strberry

[blackjackkent]

It takes a long time for them all to climb out of the water. Some of them can't swim, for one thing - certainly, Rakha barely can. But also they're all just... exhausted, in a way that feels as if they have been putting off their weariness for a later date for weeks upon weeks and now it has all come due at once.

All of Rakhas muscles are trembling with that exhaustion as she trudges down the pier where they have all converged, and then turns to look back out at the water. It is strangely placid, as if nothing at all had happened, as if a worldshattering near-apocalypse had not just shaken the foundations of the city.

"Ugh..." Shadowheart splutters, heaving herself up out of the river next to Rakha. "Should've learned to bloody swim. Can't believe I almost drowned at the last hurdle..."

She leans heavily on the pier next to Wyll, who is staring at his hands thoughtfully. "My powers," he murmurs. "They're draining... just like Mizora said they would."

Rakha watches him - and indeed she can see the way that the Weave has shifted around him. The connection that she has always perceived reaching out from the enchanted stone of his eye is fading, receding... vanishing. He, too, is finally free.

He looks up, meets her eyes with a rueful smile. "A small price to pay, in the grand scheme of things," he says softly, then looks around, his gaze drifting up towards the rubble and devastation behind them. "The city will cheer us - but it is the triumph itself, the very smiting of evil, that should lift our hearts."

"And we are cleansed," Minthara rasps sharply. There is a strange, harsh joy in her voice that Rakha has never heards before. "The tadpoles are still at last. They cannot control us, or turn us into abominations." She pauses, purses her lips thoughtfully and glances at Karlach. "Although in your case," she adds slowly, raising an eyebrow, "the transformation may be an improvement, iblith."

Karlach looks back at her placidly, then slowly shakes her head, the tentacles on her face twitching. "It is all right," she murmurs, that strange and alien resonance in her voice that was also present in the Emperor's. "I knew what I was doing."

The others have all gathered around, a tight circle as if reassuring each other of their presence with the bond of the tadpole suddenly gone from between them. But a voice speaks up now from beyond their group - Orpheus, who has climbed out of the water into the sundown light and has been studying Karlach pensively.

"I will ensure that all githyanki know your name," he says gravely. "And your sacrifice. What you have done today will start a fire that rages across the Astral Plane."

He lifts one hand to his chest in a salute, inclining his head at Karlach. "With their lost prince returned, my people will burn away Vlaakith's corruption. And it is all thanks to you - the illithid who defied a Netherbrain."

Rakha nods agreement, turning to look at the illithid that used to be her companion - her friend, despite all the times they have not quite seen eye to eye. Karlach taught her many things simply by being the openhearted, joyful, wild person that she always was, and taught an even greater lesson in the sacrifice she has now offered.

"Well done, Karlach,"(*) she murmurs.

The mind flayer looks at her, and Rakha can almost, almost, believe that she can see the old glimmer of Karlach's eyes in those black pits. "I did do good, didn't I?" she says, a little dry like she used to be, but so strange and placid, with none of Karlach's old heat. "I saved the fucking world. And I think I might live long enough to tell the tale too."

Orpheus turns to face Rakha now, and inclines his head respectfully. "I thank you - my liberator, my savior."

Rakha isn't really sure she deserves these sorts of monikers, and shifts uncomfortably. She's relieved that he does not press his thanks into her silence, but simply turns away and looks up.

Her gaze follows his, up towards the smoke-smeared sky above them.

(A/N: It took me half the scene to notice but Rakha's worm markings are gone and her eyes are back to normal! (Well, eye; the one Ethel tore out is still fucked up.) So are Minthara's. Oh, that's a lovely detail. I was wondering if she was gonna be stuck with those indefinitely. This, like everything else here, is making me emotional. Rakha is free.)

Above them, a sea of portals are ripping open in reality, setting the sky's Weave rippling and twisting. One by one, the horde of githyanki dragons begin to disappear, returning towards the Astral Sea.

"My people are leaving," Orpheus tells her. "And I must leave with them."

He glances past her shoulder, and Rakha knows, without having to look, who stands there.

"Come, Lae'zel," Orpheus says. "We will free the githyanki and dismantle the empire. Let them be imprisoned no longer."

(A/N: I find it interesting that the PC gets the opportunity to chime in here before Lae'zel does. Given how vociferous she is for the most part about her intention to join Orpheus and take down Vlaakith, the fact that she hesitates long enough for the PC to speak implies that she's either waiting for their opinion, wants their approval, or just generally doesn't want to go for one reason or another. Lots of potential interpretations here. I'm going to go with one that I kind of like for the themes of Rakha's playthrough particularly, and because it's different from the outcome that Hector got and I want to see what it looks like.)

Rakha says nothing for a long moment. She expects Lae'zel to leap at the invitation from her prince, to finally claim the destiny she has spent so long hungering for. But Lae'zel doesn't move, doesn't speak.

Rakha looks at her sidelong. Lae'zel is staring straight ahead with the air of someone making a desperate attempt to gather energy. And Rakha realizes something very abruptly - Lae'zel is tired too.

They have been fighting together for so long, beholden to the threats of the brain and everything else - including Vlaakith. Lae'zel has had to tread a hard road, one that has demanded she push through agony, disillusionment, heartbreak. Is it possible that she, like Rakha, craves an end to it all - a period of peace rather than a sudden return to war?

Not that Lae'zel would ever say that out loud, to the prince of the Githyanki. But Rakha knows her very well by now.

She hesitates, then turns slightly so she is facing Lae'zel directly.

[PERSUASION] "You don't have to go," she says in a low voice. "Not if you have found new purpose here. You can stay in Faerun. Craft a new fate."(**)

Lae'zel blinks and looks at her for a long time. But then something in her face seems to relax, and then she nods.

"Mother Gith battled for liberty," she says softly. "But it was only here, with you, that I learned what it meant to be free."

Rakha looks back at her, steady, unblinking. She will say no more than this; it is Lae'zel's choice to make in the end. And Lae'zel thinks for a while longer in silence, taking her time over the question.

Then she straightens, hooks her hands behind her back, and looks at Orpheus.

"Orpheus," she says crisply. Not Prince now, Rakha notes; just Orpheus, calm and clear and steady. Only the muscle jumping in her jaw and the tight muscles at the corners of her eyes betrays the momentous decision happening behind the words. "I'll remain here. My destiny is for neither you nor Vlaakith to set. It is mine alone."

"I will not say I'm pleased with your choice." Orpheus frowns, but then he nods slowly. "But I will wish you good fortunes. Whatever may come, you are still T'lak'ma Ghir. Sister in Freedom."

He does not wait for an answer, or belabor his departure, but spins at once and barks a cry upward. "Quulos!"

The dragon swoops down out of the grey-gold sky, coming to a light, delicate landing at Orpheus's side. Orpheus leaps lithely up onto its back, settling himself into a balanced position.

"Farewell, jhe'stil," he says gravely. "My liberator."

And he leaps upward before Rakha can respond, guiding the dragon out, up, into another of those waiting portals that swallows him up.

-----

Lae'zel lets out a long, shuddering breath as the portal closes, leaving her behind. Rakha looks at her sideways. "You remain on Toril," she says, matter-of-factly.

Lae'zel turns away, looks out at the water. "So it would seem. I trap myself among istik willingly. What have I become?" Her voice doesn't sound dismayed so much as simply... weary, and sad.

"As you said," Rakha says slowly. "You choose your own path now. As do I. We are alike in this now."

"Yes." Lae'zel snorts sharply. "It is not for you that I stayed, t'rac'shka," she adds dryly. "Do not flatter yourself. But... I am glad to know that in my new path I will have... a friend."

It has been a long road to get here, a long road through many hardships that puts a great deal of weight and pain behind the word. But that weight has, perhaps, made it worth the struggle.

Rakha smiles slightly. "Yes," she says.

-----

(*) In-game line is the not-very-Rakha-ish "You did good, Karlach," which I changed, necessitating also changing Karlach's reply, which in-game begins with "I did, didn't I?"

(**) The in-game PC line here is "You have found new purpose here, Lae'zel. Stay in Faerun, craft a new fate." Tweaked it a little to better match my interpretation of this moment for Rakha and Lae'zel specifically.

[countrymusiclover]

23 - The Legacy of Rhaegar

Part 24

The Lion Knight and Dragon Princess

Tags- just send an ask to be added @cdragons @kmc1989 @starkleila @noirrose21-blog @lover-of-books-and-tea

Slipping on a black cloak over my shoulders I stared at myself in the full length mirror. I was wearing a red tunic and trouser with brown muddy boots. My hair was tied up in a bun turning slightly to the doorway seeing my personal knight standing watch over me. “You should accompany us tonight on the streets of the city, Ser Jaime.”

“I’m not sure it is wise for me to go. I am needed here, princess.”

Crossing my arms over my chest I challenged him. “You were sworn to protect me were you not. You were sworn to protect my brother Rhaegar as well who is going out tonight.”

“Yes, princess.”

He hadn’t been a sworn knight for very long. So he was still very true to the vows that he had sworn before my father and his father. “Then it is your duty to come with me. Because I’m quite sure if we get ambushed Ser Barriston cannot possibly take on say ten men all by himself.”

“Then I shall uphold my vows, my princess.” He bowed his head and a few hours later when the sun had finally vanished the four of us snuck out of the castle and into the busy and somewhat dangerous streets of Kings Landing.

We had settled ourselves around a table and Rhaegar had paid for our rounds of drinks with the money he got from singing in the streets. Rhaegar chuckled, nearly dropping his cup after I told a horrible joke before an idea popped into his head. “You know what we should do, play truth or dare.” My brother took a sip from his wine cup.

“I am not sure that is wise, my Prince.” Ser Barriston responded by keeping a hand on his sword. “It's getting rather late.”

Blowing a raspberry at the knight I hit my hands on the table waving my index finger at my brother. “Pfft Ser Knight. We're not children anymore playing thumb wars, even though I win every time. Plus we can make this game more adult friendly.”

“I'll start.” My brother spoke yet got cut short by Jaime who hadn't really uttered a word for most of the evening.

“Actually I believe it's lady's first.” We turned our heads and I swore I saw all the color disappear from his face when he nervously cleared his throat. “Uh, forgive my prince.”

My brother glared at him before he chuckled before I slid the empty seat out for him to take. “Join us, Ser Jaime.”

“Oh I'm perfectly happy standing, princess.”

I challenge him with a deep stare. “Are you refusing an order from your princess?”

“Gods no.”

Patting the seat with my freehand I smiled. “Then sit down. So brother, I dare you to hop on one foot like a pegleg sailor.”

“Ugh fine.” He got up from his chair doing as I said where he almost crashed into the empty table next to us causing me, Jaime and even Barriston to chuckle.

Once he sat down Jaime glanced over to me after I had uttered the word dare. “I dare you to drink half that pitcher of wine.”

“Ser Jaime.” Ser Barriston warned him.

Picking up the pitcher I downed almost the whole thing licking my lips and grinning ear to ear noticing that Jaime’s mouth was hung open. “What, you didn't think a royal can drink?”

“Very impressive.” He sent me a small smile. “I'll keep in mind that we both never go back on a dare.”

Hearing those words slip from the golden knight's mouth my brother smirked, getting an interesting idea for a dare. “Ser Jaime, I dare you to kiss my sister and you better make it good for how much wine she just consumed.”

Ser Barriston raised a brow at the prince he served. “My prince, we swore vows.”

Rhaegar waved his hand in the air while taking a drink. “It’s just a kiss. He’s not breaking any vow.”

“Rhaegar, he’s not going to-“ Jaime sharply cut me off, pressing his lips upon mine, making me gasp in utter shock. I hadn’t known too long but Jaime from where I sat seemed very true in following his sworn vows. After all he was the son of Tywin Lannister but still took on the white cloak.

I’d never kissed anyone before until this exact moment. Jaime and I slowly kept kissing where he cupped my face in his hands, deepening it so far it took my breath away. “That was one hell of a kiss.” He finally broke the kiss sending me a genuine smile back only looking at me, unaware that Ser Barriston had seen what we wouldn’t for years. That a white knight would fall for the black princess.

The days following our trials Jaime and I had been making more of a plan to travel in the direction of the Summer Sea. Zipping up the side of my boots I brushed my hands down the red tunic I was wearing with a black cloak. “Lady Lannister, your children are eating breakfast in the great hall.” A guard responded, addressing me before I heard the door shut behind me.

Exiting the room I followed the guard until he stopped outside the great hall seeing my two children eating some bacon. “There’s my two little dragon-lions. I missed you while your father and I slept.” I smiled sitting across from them with Jaime seated beside me.

“They were seconds away from a pancake war.” He muttered with his mouth full.

Luciya stuck her tongue out. “We were not. I just wanted the bigger one since I was born two minutes earlier than him.”

“That’s not fair. Stop using it against me.” Rhaegar shoved her shoulders and she laughed back at her brother.

Picking up a piece of bacon letting my mind wander off into the secret plan we had in mind. Jaime and I had yet to tell the kids for fear that they might accidentally repeat something we tell them being that they were only the right age of four. “What’s on your mind, sweet boy?” Shifting my gaze over to my son.

“How did I get the name Rhaegar?”

I coughed nearly choking on my food where Jaime gently rubbed my back until I had spit the piece out onto the plate. “Wha-why are you asking that?”

“Sissy name sounds like a Lannister name. But people here whisper that my name was of a dragon prince. I wanna know why.” The four year old spoke with more words like he resembled his uncle Tyrion more so than his father.

A new voice entered the room causing us all to look in the direction of the doorway to see my sister Dany standing there. “Yes, I’d like to know how that came to be as well. I mean surely if you give your son our brother's name. It must have been for a good reason, was it not?”

“Lady Targaryen.” Jaime and I rose from our seats addressing the mother of dragons with a bow and a courtesy, our children following in toe as best they could not used to being around noble men and women.

She raised a hand and we all four sat down. “No need for that. But I do request for you to answer - uh my nephew’s question.”

“My little lion cub, you were named after my brother - forgive me our brother. He was a brave prince of the Seven kingdoms who died in battle fighting a man named Robert Baratheon. But the reason you were given his name wasn’t because he was a great fighter, no it was because he had a good heart and wished to bring joy to his people by singing and sharing the tales of our ancestors.”

Young Rhaegar held his mouth open in awe. “Wow.”

“Mommy, you and uncle Rhae were close weren’t you?” Luciya asked, laying her head down on her crossed arms on the table.

Hearing the nickname uncle Rhae brought tears to my eyes, knowing for certain that he would have been overjoyed to meet my two children. “Yes sweetheart. We were, we were as close as your father is with your uncle Tyrion.”

“It’s very special that you honored his memory in such a way.” My younger sister wiped away some tears that had slipped out. Nodding my head Jaime looped his hand through mine, giving me the strength to not start bawling before her. Comfortable and very emotional silence filled the group and we could hear the wind blow through the castle just thinking back on my late brother and the memories I’d shared.

“Lady Targaryen, if I may be so bold my wife and I had an idea that we wished to share with you.” Jaime leans his elbows on the table.

She sent him a curious look. “What do you wish to tell me?”

“We were hoping you'd allow us to take some of our soldiers and Amethyst on a trek to Sothoryos across the Summer Sea.” He explained to the dragon girl.

Intertwining my right hand with my husband’s left I did my best to not show how secretly scared I was for her response to this. “We don't know what Sothoryos is like or what type of people even live there. So I'm proposing this, you send me and my family to go investigate and if we're successful we can add onto your army and I don't just mean giving you the Lannister army.”

“That is a good idea. I'll allow you to go in my stead. You're dragon can go with you as well.” My sister thankfully couldn't tell that we were entirely bluffing.

Jaime and I rose to our feet again addressing her as she left the room. “Thank you, Lady Targaryen.”

“Oh thank the gods.” I flung my arms around his neck with Jaime burying his nose into my loose silver hair.

Nuzzling my nose against his chest he tightened his arms around my waist kissing my forehead gently relieved that our plan was working. “We're really gonna leave Westeros.”

[mybiasisexo]

Heey! For the drabble game: 7 & 32 with Lay 🥰

Fighter 🔪

Genre: angst | obsession!au | xexo!zyx Pairing: Lay x f.Reader Length: 2.2k Warnings: language | mentions of blood & death

a/n: im too burnt out for a sequel sorry! I cannot believe this is the FIRST x-exo au ive ever written!!!! xing fits this concept so well ugh we're always being robbed 😔 and its extra long because my man deserrrrrves it!!!!!!! as always thank you for requesting and youve been so so sos o patient. I made sure that this was the next thing i posted 🙏 hope it finds you quickly 🥰

DRABBLE GAME | MASTERLIST

You awoke with a loud gasp, lurching upright.

Working on pure instinct, you reached for the discarded knife beside you, holding it out as you sensed danger. You blinked the blurriness in your vision away as you tried to catch your bearings.

“That’s not a good idea,” a gentle caress of a voice warned.

“Yixing.” You relaxed once realizing who accompanied you. You wiped the liquid dripping into your eyes, pulling back to see dark blood staining your gloves.

Vision fully cleared, you saw the man sitting against a wall across from you. One of his legs was stretched out before him, the other bent at the knee for him to rest an arm on. He appeared rather comfortable for someone amidst a battle he despised.

He clicked his tongue. “Not quite, Darling.”

Dread filled you as the reality of his words dawned on you and you sprang to your feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness and the scattering of black dots across your vision from getting up too quickly. You held the knife you carried more firmly, prepared to fight.

“Hey now,” he started as he slowly raised to his feet. “Is that any way to treat the man that just healed you?”

You hesitated as the memory of getting stabbed came back to you. It was a fatal blow, right in the side of your stomach. You’d reassured your team you were fine and to continue without you. It took some coaxing, but after promising to send Yixing back to help, they retreated. Once they left, you crawled into this abandoned room, knowing that Yixing would be too late to save anyone once he arrived.

Yet, you were alive.

With your free hand, you checked your side, being met with smooth skin. The knife in your hand clattered to the ground. You couldn’t hold it after realizing it was used to kill you.

“You saved me.” It wasn’t a question. The man that wore Yixing’s face tilted his head curiously. The action left you uneasy, feeling like helpless prey in the presence of an apex predator. “Why would you do that?”

A cruel grin stretched his lips. “Consider it me returning the favor.”

“You’re Lay,” you questioned. You already knew the answer, but needed him to confirm it.

That wicked smile of his grew. “They also call me Subject Ten.”

'They' being those who worked for the Red Force. A large group of scientists who were working on Operation Blood Orange, the illegal experimentation on innocent people. Those people became your friends, when you helped them escape years ago. They weren’t too thrilled when they found out the red force somehow held on to their DNA, allowing the creation of cloning them. Being an unfamiliar face, you were able to infiltrate their ranks, disguising as a nurse. For eight months, you spied on their illegal practicing in an attempt to discover what they were planning to do.

The clones were uncanny to their donors. Their features, voices, and powers were exactly the same, but that was where the similarities ended. Unlike the originals, these men lacked empathy, and only expressed a sick joy when causing harm to others, even each other.

Subject Ten, or Lay as most of the doctors addressed him as, was the most compliant of them all. The others liked to taunt and terrify, putting up fights whenever you had to check their vitals. Never Lay. He’d just silently watch you. You found that far more sinister than the outward hostility the other’s met you with. When Lay first spoke to you, it was startling. He sounded so much like Yixing, it was easy to forget that wasn’t actually him. Yixing was a kind and compassionate soul who only saw the good in people, even one’s who barely had any left in them. He was far from a fighter, it made him sick to cause pain. Healing was in his nature. Life was what he cherished.

Lay favored death.

You’d seen him do it. You had no clue Yixing’s ability of healing could be reversed. But, on the day the clones escaped, you saw Lay twist that gift to take a life. It was only a matter of time, you supposed. The doctors had fallen for Lay’s calm demeanor, and had started letting their guard down around him. On that day, a doctor had gotten too close, and Lay used it to his advantage. You didn’t realize what was happening. One moment the doctor was fine, then Lay placed a palm over his chest and he fell to the floor in a lifeless heap.

Then Lay’s attention turned to you. His dark eyes were hard and spiteful, but there was a flicker of something in his expression that held him from attacking you. He gave you an out and you were fleeing the scene before he could change his mind. You knew you weren’t strong enough to defeat him on your own, that only the ones like him could. So, you went to them and revealed everything you knew.

That led to this mission. You’d spent a month tracking the duplicates to an abandoned hospital they’d taken shelter, and ambushed them. When your fellow soldiers saw their counterparts for the first time, they all froze in shock before determination settled in. The goal was to destroy them, but even with all your knowledge, they hadn’t anticipated how much stronger their clones were.

Lay’s sudden approach jerked you from your reverie, and you cursed yourself from growing distracted at a time like this. His hand wrapped easily around your neck, but he didn’t add any pressure. Still, you gasped and scratched at it, to no avail. He didn’t even flinch as you tore at his skin.

“Do you want me to take it back?”

Gritting your teeth, you stared into those dark voids he called eyes. They shined with mirth, as though he enjoyed toying with you.

“Save me just to kill me,” you spit. “How typical.”

He barked a surprised laugh. “I knew I saved you for a reason.”

He let you go and retreated a couple steps, allowing you space.

A swell of anger overwhelmed you. “You’re an abomination! A monster!”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” He waved off your insults, but there was a tightening around his eyes and a strain in his voice you failed to notice.

“You’re a sick bastard!” You continued, not even sure why you were antagonizing him when he could easily kill you. “A poor excuse of the original.”

“Is that how you really feel?” He asked with a chuckle. “I don’t believe you do.”

And that was the reason behind your tantrum.

Truth was, all the time you spent with Lay in that cold hostile hospital had made you grow attached. After the first conversation you held, it flowed effortlessly between you. He’d learned to banter and would watch you as though he were undressing you in his head. Yixing never looked at you like that, and you never wanted him to. You’d never grown romantic feelings for Yixing, but Lay? He was different. He was nothing like the man whose DNA he shared, and that drew you to him.

There was one day, when you were drawing his blood, he’d grabbed your arm when you pulled away. Your heart began racing with the fear he was finally going to murder you, but that fear turned into something different when the hand not restraining you started curiously venturing over your arm. His fingers searched across your collarbone, down the swell of your breasts, to the rim of your pants. You’d studied the way his eyebrows furrowed at his exploration, as he experienced new feelings and sensations he didn’t understand. When he met your gaze, he took notice to the pounding of your heart, the trepidation in your eyes, and the shallow intake of your breath. He hummed, ‘that’s not fear, is it?’

You contemplated lying, but relented under his naïve gaze. “No.’

He had nodded before finally letting you go, sinking back into the chair he laid upon. “Interesting.’

The effect he had on you did interest him, as did your effect on him. It was what made him spare you that day he escaped, but he had left you with a warning, a promise that he wasn’t done with you yet.

“Shut up!” You yelled at both him and your twisted thoughts. You pounded your fists against his chest in frustration.

“Touch me again,” he threatened calmly, not showing an ounce of pain under your violence. His lack of reaction only pissed you off further, and you lifted your fist, aiming at his nose this time. He snatched your wrist before you could touch him and yanked you forward so that he could crush his lips against yours. You fought him at first, disgusted by his touch. But that denial only lasted a few seconds before you were pulling him closer, fervently kissing him back.

He growled in approval, devouring you with surprisingly soft lips. Blindly, he walked you back until you hit a table. Unbreaking your connection, he helped you hop onto the surface, and you spread your legs for him to slot between. He pulled at your waist, enjoying the heat of your body against his, especially the haggard rise and fall of your chest.

“Still think I’m a sick bastard?” He cockily whispered against your swollen lips

“Shut up,” you groaned, smacking his shoulder harmlessly. He chuckled huskily and the sound made your thighs squeeze his narrow hips, drawing him impossibly closer.

“Who knew you had such a fighter’s spirit,” he purred. His nose rubbed against the side of your neck, his breath was warm as he whispered against your flesh. “I want to kill it.”

“Of course, you do.” You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, although half the reason came from the pleasure of his inquisitive tongue. “Kiss me again.”

He did as you commanded, and time fell away as you lost yourselves in each other. You were starting to undress the other when he said your name.

At least, you’d thought it was him, except for the fact his tongue was preoccupied exploring your mouth.

Realizing Lay wasn’t the one who spoke, your eyes sprang open and locked with Yixing’s, who stood in the doorway in utter shock.

“That’s not me,” he warned. He was visibly confused, and that you understood. In no world could Yixing picture the two of you like how you were. You’d never shown him any affection that wasn’t friendly. Guilt overcame you when realization widened his eyes. “But you know that, don’t you?”

Betrayal. A sick look of betrayal contorted his soft features and your stomach dropped.

Lay’s mocking laugh echoed throughout the empty room as he straightened, gaining your attention. He met your gaze with a lifted eyebrow, as if telling you to ‘watch this’ before turning to face his doppelganger.

“No, please.” You grabbed his arm, understanding how swiftly he could destroy Yixing, who lacked your shared fighting spirit.

Lay paused under your touch, calculating his next move. The two scrutinized the other, and for the first time, Yixing truly appeared identical to his clone. There was a hatred radiating off of him that you had no idea he was capable of emitting. He said your name again, and it sounded too much like a threat. The brewing anger in his tone had a chill run down your spine. “Let’s go.”

“I….” Your eyes bounced between the two men. They’re both so still and wound up, looking more like statues forever marbleized in a battle of wits.

“Lets. Go.” There’s no room for argument in Yixing’s repeated demand. He was testing you, testing your allegiance. It hurt that he doubted your loyalty, made worse from the fact you were questioning it yourself.

Lay finally moved, turning back to you. Wordlessly, he straightened the leather jacket you wore that dangled from your shoulders. He fixed your hair, making sure you were presentable. His hands had a calming effect that lead you to believe he was using his healing abilities to make sure any cuts or pain you felt vanished.

When you dared a look at him, his face was stoic except his eyes. What you once saw as voids were now filled with life, and within their depths you saw a secret message. A promise that he’d be back for you.

Self-hatred grew within you from the relief you felt seeing his promise.

“Okay, Yixing. I’m coming.” You gently shoved Lay back, pushing at his abdomen. He rested a palm over your hands as he retreated, giving you the room to slide off the table. You stumbled when your feet touched the floor, and he steadied you by the waist, holding you close. Yixing scoffed behind him, muttering something angry under his breath.

You really didn’t want to leave Lay, much to your disgust.

He sensed as much and gave you a reassuring nod that encouraged you enough to finally pull away from him, to head towards Yixing, your dear friend. He held his hand out for you, but you ignored it. You also ignored the hurt that caused him, exiting the room without looking back.

“Next time I see you,” you heard him threaten his evil twin. “You’re dead.”

You shivered again at his lethal calm. Yixing was unrecognizable at that moment.

You heard the smile in Lay’s voice as he said, “looking forward to it.”

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers CHAOS LINEAGE ー Violet Prologue

ー The scene starts inside the Church

Laito: Gotcha, Eve.

Yui: Kyah...!

( He’s embracing me...! )

Kou: Score! Way to go, Laito-kun!

Reiji: Kuh! So I was bested. I lost Eve to another House...

Ayato: You better not think it’ll be that easy!

*CLANG*

Kou: I won’t let you get in the way. We’ll be taking Eve after all!

*CLANG*

Ayato: Damnit!

Kou: Come on, Laito-kun! Now’s your chance!

Laito: No need to remind me. Well then, Eve. Allow me to show you the way to our manor.

ー Reiji draws his sword once more

Reiji: Not so fast?

Kou: Aah, geez! You guys don’t know when to give up!

Ayato: Of course! We’re not lettin’ you have her!

Yui: ( It turned into a stare-off...All of them are standing perfectly still, awaiting the others’ next move. )

( The atmosphere is tense. I’m afraid I might get cut to shreds the second they start moving... )

ー They hear approaching footsteps

???: What are you doing?

Yui: ...!

Ayato: Wha...!? Who showed up this time!?

Long-haired man: Laito, Kou, how long are you going to keep me waiting?

Laito: What’s this? You didn’t need to bother coming all the way here, Carla.

Yui: ( Carla...san...? This person’s incredibly intimidating... )

Carla: I came to check up on you since you were taking an awful long time to get back. 

Laito: Oh come on, don’t put it like that. We’re trying our very hardest, you see.

Kou: Ahーah. I thought the two of us would be able to pull it off by ourselves...However, it’s clear who has the most power on their side now.

Laito: Exactly. Even if Ayato and Reiji were to team up, they’d still have no chance at winning. 

Ayato: What did you just say!? I could take you bastards on by myseーー

Carla: Watch your words. 

Ayato: Guh...

Yui: ( Things are even more on edge than before.  If I were to go against these people... )

( He has such an intimidating aura...I can’t believe such a person exists... )

Reiji: Perhaps I underestimated the situation somewhat. I should have expected that you would show up sooner or later.

I have to agree that it does not seem very wise to fight right here, right now.

Carla: You are quick to understand.

ー Carla approaches Yui

Yui: ( He looked my way...My breath’s being taken away... )

Carla: Well then, come with me. 

Yui: T-That’s easy for you to say...Besides, who exactly are youーー

Carla: I never asked for your opinion. This is fate which nobody can go against. 

Yui: ( Powerful words and a piercing gaze... ) 

...O-Okay. I shall...come with you guys...

Carla: Hmph. You cannot even fight back. This proves that I am fit to become the Supreme Overlord.

It would be rather troublesome to have you trying anything funny on the way there. So I shall have you take a nap for a while. 

Yui: Eh...?

ー He knocks her unconscious

*Thud* 

Yui: Uu...!

( My consciousness is fading... ) 

*THUD*

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to the inside of the dungeon

Yui: Nn, nnh...

( Huh...? Where am I...? )

( These are iron bars...Am I inside a prison cell, perhaps!? )

( I was knocked out cold and locked up afterwards? )

What did I do to deserve this...?

( Oh no, I suddenly grew weak-hearted... Especially since I don’t seem to remember anything. )

( The only thing I’m certain about is that my name is ‘Eve’. I don’t know anything else. )

( Whenever I try to recall the past, my memory becomes foggy... )

( What should I do now? )

( No, I have to calm down. )

( Anyway, I’m positive it was those people who took me away. In which case, if I can talk to them at least... )

ー People approach her cell

Yui: ( ...Somebody’s coming? A group of people, it seems... )

ー The door opens

Carla: Seems like you have awoken. 

Yui: Ugh...

( T-This guy, he’s the one who knocked me unconscious... )

Kou: Aha! She’s terrified. 

Man with a scar on his face: Sorry...for locking you up in such a narrow space...But please don’t hold it against us...

You simply must keep anything precious...carefully locked away after all...

Laito: To be honest, I wouldn’t have minded tying you up with ropes or chains either? Nfu~ 

Yui: ( It’s not just the people I met at the Church. There are two more people. Who exactly are these guys....? )

Angry-looking man: So this is the Eve who was asleep at the Church? She’s completely different from what I imagined. 

Laito: What’s that, Subaru-kun~? I wonder what kind of fantasies have been running wild inside your mind?

Subaru: Aah? Leave me alone! Do you want me to fuckin’ destroy you? 

Yui: E-Excuse me...Who are you people...?

Carla: I am Carla. I am the oldest of this family, of the Violet House.

Yui: The eldest brother? Could it be that you’re all siblings?

Kou: Yupー Don’t worry, we’re well aware that we don’t look alike at all.

Yui: ( So they’re self-aware...It’s true that they look completely different... )

Uhm, why did you bring me here?

Carla: Because you are Eve, obviously. So we can abuse your power and I can rise as the Supreme Overlord of this World.

Yui: Supreme Overlord...? 

Man with a scar on his face: Eve...You don’t know what a Supreme Overlord is either...

I’m Azusa...The second oldest of this house...

I want Carla to become the Supreme Overlord...That’s why...I hope you will work with us...

Kou: Yup, exactly! Because Carla is the most fitting for the title.

Ah, I’m Kou! The third son, right in the middle!

I’m basically the ‘idol’ of the family. Nice to meet you~

Laito: Oh? Are we introducing ourselves now? I’m the fourth son, Laito.

I’d love to get to know you better. In various ways...Do you understand? 

Yui: N-Nice to meet you...

( They’re just casually talking to me. All while I’m still locked behind bars... )

Laito: That being said, I guess that leaves our baby brother’s self-introduction?

Subaru: Che. ...I’m Subaru.

Kou: Eh? That’s it?

Subaru: Shut up! I don’t have anything else to tell her.

Azusa: Subaru never changes, does he...?

Yui: ( I want to ask why they’ve locked me up, but I can’t find the right timing to do so. )

( Besides, this should be my first time meeting these people, so why does something feel off...? )

Monologue

The majestic Carla-san,

and his loyal follower Azusa-kun.

While Kou-san and Laito-san appear to be on good terms with each other,

the youngest son Subaru-kun,

seems to be keeping his distance from the others somewhat.

I got a pretty good feel of each of their personalities. 

...However, inside my heart, something seemed terribly off. 

There is something strange about this. 

Yes, it isn’t quite right. I mean, in realityーー

Yui: ...!

( It’s no use...My head starts to hurt if I try to put any more thought into it... )

Azusa: Eve, what’s wrong? Are you in pain...?

Yui: I-I’m fine...It’s just that I can’t seem to recover my memories...

I can’t remember anything except my name being Eve...

Carla: So you’ve forgotten about the Supreme Overlord as well...huh?

Yui: Eh...?

ー Carla approaches her

*Rustle* 

Yui: Kyah!?

( He’s gripping onto my arm so tightly...I-It hurts... )

Carla: You will not gain anything from keeping it a secret from us. Tell me everything you know about the Supreme Overlord.

If you obey me, I promise that I shall treat you with care, even if you are nothing but a pawn.

Yui: I’m sorry...I truly don’t know...!

Carla: ...So you still won’t fess up? Seems like you will not speak up unless you are taught a lesson. 

Yui: Eek...!? 

( He bit me!? Eh? But, hold up one second...! )

F-Fangs...!? 

Kou: Huh? You had no idea that we’re Vampires? 

Yui: Vampires!? You mean, those Demons who suck blood...?

Subaru: What else?

Yui: No way...Then, all of you...

Azusa: We’re all Vampires...It’s not just us either.

Ayato-san and Reiji-san too, the other people living at the other Houses, all of them as well...

Yui: W-What about the other humans? The ones besides me...!

Laito: The others, you ask? It’s just us thirteen Vampires and you living here, Eve-chan. You even forgot such a basic fact?

Yui: Eh? N-No way...

( We’re the only ones here? It feels like my head is splitting in two... )

( Aah...But now that he mentions it, it’s true. there’s nobody else but us. )

( It only makes sense. Perhaps I was just a little confused due to losing my memories. )

Carla: ...I see. 

*Rustle rustle*

Yui: ( Ah, he let go of my arm... )

Carla: It does not appear to me that you are lying. It would seem that you are truly suffering from amnesia.

Once Eve is within your grasp, the path to becoming the Supreme Overlord will open up...However, it seems like it will not be that easy. 

Yui: E-Excuse me...What exactly is this ‘Supreme Overlord’ you are speaking of? 

Carla: The Supreme Overlord is the one who reigns over everything and everyone. A unique individual who was chosen for said role.

And you are the key to becoming the Supreme Overlord.

Yui: Me...?

Subaru: It’s some bullshit legend. The story of Eve, which everyone knows.

It’s said that if you want to become the Supreme Overlord, you’ve gotta make Eve - who sleeps at the Church - yours. 

However, we were never able to set foot inside the Church ‘cause of some mysterious power. But the other day, this spell was suddenly broken. 

Laito: If the legend is true, the Sleeping Beauty Eve-chan should be at the Church~

Subaru: That’s why the others all crowded together there. ...Bullshit.

Yui: ( I am necessary for someone to become the Supreme Overlord...These people kidnapped me because they believe said legend to be true... )

Azusa: Listen, Eve...

Us thirteen Vampires are divided amongst three Houses each consisting of a different family.

This is one of those, the ‘Violet House’.

The other houses each have four Vampires each, but there’s five of us...We have one extra sibling...

Yui: I-I see.

Azusa: Yeah, so...It doesn’t matter that we have one more person living at this house now...Just make yourself at home, okay?

I’m sure the others will try to come and claim you as well...

Kou: As if we’d ever let them. I mean, it will be Carla-kun who becomes the Supreme Overlord after all.

Laito: But we can have a little sip of whatever’s left over as well, right? She seems scrumptious after all!

Yui: ...!

Carla: ...Laito.

Laito: Oh geez, don’t glare at me like that! I’m obviously just joking!

Subaru: So? What are we gonna do now? If this chick doesn’t know anythin’ either, we’ve hit a wall.

Carla: Even if we cannot gain any new information right now, we can simply take our time to look into it.

As long as Eve is within our possession, the other Houses should not be able to get a lead on us.

Kou: No need to worry as long as we keep her locked up in here!

Yui: Eh!? Y-You won’t let me out?

Kou: Why do you think we put you in here in the first place? So you can’t escape, and to ensure that the guys from the other houses can’t steal you away.

Yui: ( I-I wouldn’t run though... )

Subaru: Oi, who’s gonna look after her if we’re gonna leave her in here?

Laito: Aah, good question. She’d need to be supervised as well. Should we put someone in charge of that?

Yui: ( No way. They won’t just lock me up, but supervise me as well...? )

Azusa: ...Hey, in that case, let’s have Eve choose.

Yui: Eh?

Azusa: I believe it should be someone...she wouldn’t mind spending time with.

Yui: ( Someone I’d want to spend time with...As if I’d ever want a Vampire by my side. )

( ...Huh? No, but for some reason, this one guy has caught my attention this whole time... )

Carla: Very well. You can choose the person who shall be in charge of looking after and supervising you. 

I shall give you time until tomorrow. Make sure you have an answer ready by then.

Yui: W-wait, please! You’re kind of catching me off guard with this...

Carla: Do not disobey me. All you need to do is listen to me.

Yui ーー !

( My body’s frozen. I can’t seem to defy him no matter what... )

O-Okay...I understand...I shall choose someone to watch over me...

Kou: I guess that’s everything for today? Let’s go back upstairs, guys.

Subaru:  We’re finally done?

Laito: Hey, Subaru-kun. Want to play a game of chess? We can use the board in the living room.

Subaru: Not a chance. We don’t even have enough pieces to play the game...

Laito: Just kidding~ Let’s kill time some other way then.

Kou: See you~ I know your cell’s narrow and barren, but we’ll make sure to provide you with food at least.

Carla: Humans are so inconvenient with how you have to feed them.

Azusa: See you later...Eve...

ー All of them leave

Yui: ( What now? I can’t believe I’ve been kidnapped and imprisoned by Vampires... )

( Still, I wonder why it feels like this isn’t the first time that this has happened...? )

Anyway, I should call it a day...I have to get some rest...

*TIMESKIP*

Yui: Pwaah...I managed to get more sleep than I thought...

( I wonder what kind of person I am to be able to sleep soundly inside a prison cell...? I have no clue since I can’t remember. )

*Thud* 

Yui: ( Ah, the door opened... )

Kou: Good morning, Eve! Were you able to sleep well last night?

Laito: Of course not. This isn’t the sort of place where a girl would be able to sleep comfortably. 

Yui: ( Uu...I can’t say that I slept soundly. )

Azusa: Good morning, Eve...

Subaru: Hmph...

Carla: Well then, time has come. I want to hear from your mouth who you have chosen as your caretaker. 

Yui: ( The one person I will spend time with from here on out. I have already come up with my answer. )

Yes. Iーー

[LAITO] [SUBARU] [KOU] [AZUSA] [CARLA]

[sevi007]

Tales of the abyss part 22

Iiii... don't really understand what's going on? Did Asch take Luke's consciousness into his body and is now carrying it around next to his own? Is that it? Oh shoot we can control Asch now. And he seems strong!

While I agree that Luke probably would not have listened, this still reminds me that nobody ever tried to tell him stuff or what to look out for or to be wary off and is now blaming him from acting on what little he knew .

Which, based on the fact that he IS a replica and HAS only the memories and knowledge of seven years worth, seven years filled with Van's lies, is not a lot.

I was going to say I'm surprised how at EASE everyone is with the fact that Asch is now their ally and Luke is knocked out, but hey, at least Guy is a little suspicious.

Ugh, Asch is almost as impatient as Luke. I wanted to know what they are watching, too XD

So Van is not a "random destruction" kind of villain. not that I believed that - his actions took too long and were too carefully planned. Is he trying to send everything back down from the earth's crust down to the Qliphoth? But that seems pointless. And the replica don't really factor into that.

Alright, three things - first of, Guy is right. Asch states that this whole being pushed up safely by the sephiroth was but a theory, so Guy pointing out they might have died is not entirely unfounded. I cannot tell what tone he took because the skits are sadly not voice, but the facts are correct.

Second, Guy really is rather snappish with Asch, in a way he was not with Luke, which is interesting. He could just be distrustful, yes, but this coupled with the way Guy pointed out "I'm glad you're you" to Luke makes me think Guy and Asch do not exactly have a good history with each other.

And third, in stark contrast to two, Natalia is rather more lenient with Asch than she was with Luke. Maybe because Asch is more like the "Luke" she remembers from before the kidnapping? Which is a little sad to see because while Asch is more level-headed than Luke, he is also not the friendliest and issues order like the general he is - something which bothered Natalia before, and now does not.

(Agh can't move before the next skit comes in XD )

HECK YEAH Guy is getting it! That's exactly what I've been saying! In light of Luke being confirmedly a replica with no prior memories now, it just means that the past seven years this was the way he has been raised. Nobody ever put a stop to him, or bothered to teach him social niceties or the proper behavior for a duke's son or whatever else. I don't think they even much taught him to behave properly like a person at all. Now going "huh he was terrible" with no regards to how the party, the duke's household, or literally anyone else (Van for example) has been acting around Luke is just not fair to him at all. And yes - he WILL feel like he was abandoned, because he can literally see that everyone decided to follow Asch rather than stick around til he woke up. I have - besides Guy - not even seen someone asking after him since he fell unconscious.

And what an odd question of "who to support" - just support both. Do what you need to do, then double back and regroup with Luke, or at least check up on him from time to time if the world-saving trip is keeping you busy.

It's not like you have to REPLACE either Asch or Luke with the other, but I feel like that's what part of the group seems to think right now.

@magicmetslogic

@ahsokaisawesome

[writtingsomestuff]

something related to marriage with Leon Goretzka?

I hope you like it! &lt;3 (Not me watching his videos on YouTube to become familiar with his voice.) As always, any comment about my writing is welcome!

Please take into account that English is not my first language.

warnings: none, I think Leon Goretzka x fem!reader There's a small suprise at the end

Happy Birthday, Love!

You let out a relieved sigh once you walked into your new home. After a long day at work, where you were surprised by your co-workers and a celebration night planned by your husband, you felt like you could sleep in the middle of the hall.

You took off your heels and left your purse in the floor. Leon hated disorder, but taking into account how asleep you were, you couldn't care less. He came right behind you and took the purse to put it into the table.

You carried your dead legs to the sofa and planned on sleeping there. Your husband came from the kitchen with a big glass of water for you.

"It seems that you enjoyed the night" He gave you one of his beautiful smiles

"Dear, I enjoyed it but I'm dead" You let out a huff while he looked at you lovingly

"As long as you enjoyed, that's enough for me" He said "Now please, sit down so you can drink your water and we can go to bed" He helped you to sit down properly. You looked at him with an honest smile on your face as you loved how much he loved you and cared about you, sometimes it felt like you did not deserve him

"Now you tell me," you began to talk slowly "how could you plan all of this? I mean, how long did it take you and how hard it was. There was everyone, literally, from my close friends to my family from back home, some of my past university mates and even your football friends"

"Let's say that... when I love someone," He began to speak while gave you your glass "I try the impossible to make them as much happy as I can" You drank your glass slowly and nodded to his words. You really did not deserve him. "Did you like your gift?"

"Ugh, Leon!" You said annoyed of how much love he could show you "you know I do, everything you do for me is just - you're just perfect, the perfect husband, alright? And sometimes I hate you for that because I cannot be as good as you are" You put the glass on the table while you looked at his eyes.

"Listen," Leon began "you're incredibly amazing, and I need you to know that. You are there for me, you try your best to take care of me, especially when I'm ill and you laugh at my bad jokes. I love how sweet you are to everyone and funny, how you try to cheer for me while being a Dortmund fan, how you make me watch your series and how happy you sound when you read out loud some of your books before going to sleep. Hell! I even love your disorder sometimes" He was on his knees, before you, with his hands on yours, "I love every single little thing about you, do you understand me?" He kissed your knuckles "and you deserve the world for that" He hugged tight as you tried to contain your tears.

You hugged him as well, in silent, both of you in the middle of the dining room, alone, on the floor. There was too much feelings there, no need to be said - it was enough to feel it.

You separated for him as you kept your hands on his super-defined arms. You gave him a small, shy kiss on his cheek.

"Leon" you took a deep breath, as you ended up letting your tears fall "I have to tell you something" he nodded for you to continue as he wiped your tears with his thumbs "Today is not your birthday" you left a small giggle, "but I have a surprise for you"

"Oh really?" He asked laughing "I wonder what it is"

You leaned into his ear, and whispered "I'm pregnant"

He looked at you amazed, as if he was dreaming, as if his biggest dream just came true. "Really?" He exclaimed without believing yet, and you just let out a small yes. He took you in his arms and lift you up and you squealed. "Oh my God!" He let out the biggest and most sincere laugh ever.

"We're going to be parents" you told him once he finally put you down. You caressed his right cheek with your hand, which he quickly took and kissed.

"You need to rest more, and eat healthier, much healthier" He said now, more serious "actually, I thing you could ask for your maternity leave now and -"

"I'm literally on my third week" you smiled at how he was freaking out more than you when you found out at your work place's bathroom

"No, no, no I think you should I mean..., like - this baby is... and his health-" he was literally starting to talk nonsense as you laughed at him "you know what, I'm calling Toni, he's been a father" He started to look for his jacket to get his phone

"Now?" You asked incredulously, as the clock indicated 02:07 A.M.

"Why not?" He asked as he looked for Toni's phone number. You just stood there, imagining how long that night was going to be.

"Leon, love, we will talk about this tomorrow, alright?" You took the phone from his hands and left it on the table "Now let's go to sleep and rest, please. We will figure out everything and you can ask Toni at a more reasonable hour, yeah?" You couldn't believe that you were the one calming him down "Come on, let's go to sleep"

He took your hand and together went upstairs.

"Don't prepare anything for my birthday, you already gave me the best gift" He told you as he got into the bed, next to you.

"The best one from you is still when you asked me to marry you" You told him sincerely

"Good night, sweetheart" He said, "and goodnight to you too" he whispered to the baby , as he put his hand on your belly.

The End

I hope you like it, I don't know how I wrote this and ended up with a pregnancy but I really hope you enjoyed it!

Love you all!!! <3

(Small Toni Kroos appearance because my man is a king)

[leclerced]

Can I just say how much the latest episode confused me while simultaneously cleared my mind? Rhaenys my beloved…I was so impressed when she still went for the attack knowing that she had no chance. She was ready from the very beginning and it was fucking heartbreaking. Also can someone finally fuck Aemon over? Because that made me furious. What a little piece of shit. The black council will take that hit so hard omg I can feel it in my bones. Special effects in this one were top tier. I was kind of worried for the dragon fights. Cause like I thought how much I would think about how it was made and what I can see weird or sth. But it was so captivating. I dislike Alicent. Very. Very. Much. But! I think it was one of her best appearances tbh. I’m here for Jace being a teenager that rebels against his mother haha it was so funny to watch. So yeah I really liked this episode. What are your thoughts?

Ugh also hi 👋. (Im the problem it’s me) I’m back even if it wasn’t like a long time but it felt that way

hi!! i just took a shot here are my buzzed ramblings about hotd <3

oh my goddd it was so intense!!!! rhaenys was one of my favs im so so so sad about her ): literally crying over her and meleys. im so so so not ready for the fallout of her death like, corlys having to deal with losing his son, daughter, and now his WIFE?? the love of his LIFE!!!! i am Not Okay. NOT OKAY!!!! rhaenyra losing like… the one person she trusted ??? god. when she turned back to keep fighting i was pleading at my tv for her to run away.

AEMOND IS SOOOO CRAZYYYYYYY i love him. he rly appeals to me and i heavily relate to him as a middle child who believes they should be the eldest. like ok yea kill your brother!! nothing i love more than an insane man with mommy issues. saying that i am also praying on his downfall and cannot wait until he dies, assuming he does.

the dragon battle was sooo beautiful. they did it so well and i am so satisfied and cannot wait for more !!!!

jace <333 my baby !!!! i love him so much and i cannot wait to see what becomes of him i hope he is happy and safe (unlikely)

this episode was veryyy good. so much happened. so much to think about.

[igotanidea]

Pep talk : Aaron Hotchner x reader (platonic)

„Whoa! What’s with the long face, sunshine?”

“Go away, Morgan.”

“Well I can only go as far in this plane….”

“Just leave me be, all right?!”

“Hey, easy there. Someone’s in the mood today. We’ve just cracked a case that should make you feel good.”

“Just drop it, all right!?”

“All right, fine” Derek raised his hands in surrender and walked away from Y/N who was acting erratic. “Don’t bite. But you know…. if something’s bothering you……”

“Ah!” she groaned in frustration and threw her pillow at him. Grave mistake since he swiftly caught It and took it with him. On top of all her feelings and discomfort now she was also forced to lean on the cold window without it. “Freaking profilers!”

“Last time I checked you were one of us!”

The BAU team was flying back to Quantico. Another day, another mystery solved, another lives saved. Yay, hurray.

Yay hurray, right?

So how come Y/n was feeling so under the weather and was stuck inside her own head, consumed by all the bad thoughts? Her mind was going hazy and she was on the highway to a panic attack.

“Hey.” a deep calming voice reverberated from somewhere above her and she raised her head to properly asses who was bold enough to approach her in such mood “May I?” the person pointed towards the seat opposite of her.

“Sure, Hotch.” She muttered, turning her gaze away, watching the clouds outside the plane. If he was here to interrogate her, she was not going to make it easy on him. What she forgot about was that Hotch was far too experienced and patient to get intimidated by her poor technique. Instead of asking her any questions, he was just sitting beside her in complete silence, testing her temper and restraints. And damn it, he was good at pushing the limits.

“All right, fine! I surrender.”

“Really?” Hotch raised an eyebrow

“Who told you? I swear I’m gonna kill Morgan.”

“He did not tell me anything. In fact, he did not tell anyone anything. You seem to be the only person who can actually make him self-conscious.”

“Self-conscious? Morgan? And people say you have no sense of humor, Hotch.” She scoffed, looking anywhere but on his face.

“Y/N.”

“What?’

“Tell me what is going on?”

“Nothing.”

“You do realize you can’t fool me, right? So stop wasting time and just talk.”

“But…..”

“Talk to me.”

“What is wrong with me, Hotch? Why can’t I be like anyone else on the team?” her saddened eyes finally focused on his face. At first glance he showed no emotions, but if someone was looking close enough it was easy to notice so many of them reflecting in his orbs. “I’ve spent half of my life trying to prove that I’m good enough and qualified for the job. And yet, so many people still takes me for granted thinking I just got lucky. I worked my ass off during studying, finishing all those extracurricular, seminars, lectures and yet, I’m still being seen as a little girl who would not last long. Why? Why Hotch?”

“People talk.” He stated simply “And I don’t really know why you care about it so much.”

“You don’t understand it, do you?” she shook her head angrily “You are the Aaron Hotchner, FBI’s very best and on top of that, a lawyer.”

“And you are in my team. You are in my team, because I wanted you to be here. Because I chose you.”

“And I still feel like I’m not enough.  Look at all the girls in the department. Former and present. Elle, Emily, Jennifer. God! I wish had their power and energy. Real girbosses.”

“Now you’re giving away your comparison skills. So sad you’re using it in the wrong purpose.”

“What?”

“Ever since you joined us, you were a mystery. Still are. I cannot fully figure you out, you’re so full of contradictions and inconsistencies.  And believe me, it’s not easy for me to admit it.”

“Oh, I believe that.” She smirked

“Why do you focus on the gossip’s about you?”

“Ugh! Hotch, are we talking about feelings now?”

“Understanding your own emotions is a valid part of this job. You cannot do it well if you cannot contain what’s inside you. You need to be in control of your own mind to try getting into unsub head. So again, why do you care?”

“Cause it hurts.”

“And why is that?”

“Stop being my psychologist here!”

“We’re getting to the bottom of the problem, I’m not letting go. Why?”

“Cause I worry it’s true, all right!”

“Is it?” he eyed her carefully

“I don’t know. You’re the boss here, you assess me so why don’t give away your opinion?”

“Nice try. But you did this again, the same mistake over and over.”

“What mistake?”

“Searching for an external validation. Why?”

“Ok, I’ve had enough of this” she stood up from her seat ready to find more peaceful place, but he grabbed her arm and made her sit back down. “Please, don’t make me say it.”

“I’m not making you do anything, do I?” his calmness was infuriating.

“Not with words.” She squirmed, her seat getting more and more uncomfortable by the second.

“Just say it.”

“I worry that no one needs me here. That I’m no help. But an obstacle. I worry that I’m stupid and useless.”

“We do need you.”

“Right. As if. You know what Morgan told me earlier? He said that we cracked the case, you know. We. Then why the hell do I feel like I was of no help?”

“Are you even hearing yourself?”

“Pretty good.”

“Focus on facts, Y/n. What are the facts? Cause from my point of view, because of your fast thinking, ability to keep cold blood and insight we were able to save two woman from certain death.”

“No. No. No.” she shook her head “that was Reid.”

“Reid connected the dots, but you were the one to find them in the first place.”

“But…..” she tried to oppose

“Yes?” he leaned forward slightly. Damn he was good at what he was doing.

“I rest my case, your honor.” she sighed “I give up.”

“No. We’re not done until we get your self-confidence straight.”

“I’m tired Hotch.” she tried to plead with him but it was futile.  

“As you should be. Now, you claim to be weak, but when I look at you I see the person who’s capable of moving mountains when someone’s in danger.  You say you feel stupid, but from my point of view your knowledge is more than the one coming from a textbook. You believe people who say you will not last long, but I’ve seen young agents quit after two or three bloody cases they could not handle. You are nothing of it. And those are the facts.”

“Is it your official opinion as my supervisor?“ she mumbled

“This is my opinion as your mentor. As someone who cares about you and who can see all the potential you are holding back and need to learn how to unlock.”

“Really? You mean it?”

“Like you said, I’m not known for my sense of humor.”

“Maybe we can work on that?” she joked looking at him, but that stone cold expression made her back out immediately “No? all right, let’s leave it here just like that.”

“Get some rest” he stood up and handed her the pillow she lost to Morgan before.

“How did you….?”

“Artifice is something to learn as well. Sleep kid, you’ll have a day full of work tomorrow.”

“You’ll be tormenting me now, won’t you?”

“Obviously. ”

“Hey, Hotch?”

“Hm?”

“Thanks for the pep talk, boss.” she smiled and much to her surprise he reciprocared by lifting corners of his mouth in the slightest, almost invicible curve.

@somest1

[feiandart]

Posting 'em here again just to boost a bit my motivation today. I made 'em back in december, one of the first drawing I have ever made for myself only.

Will talk 'bout myself and my past from here, can skip it if you don't want my oversharing shit.

So. I used to work as a commission artist for years (5-6 if I'm not wrong), drew bit of anything you could think of and mainly sticked to NSFW art for most of my, uh, let me call that "carreer" even if it's probably the wrong term to use for it. Well, it paid my bills and rent for years, so we may stick to it anyway.

Thing is, I stopped drawing when I was eighteen. People, family first, always told me talent in art was all, practice would never have made it better and I should have kept it as a hobby rather than something to do as a job. Apart from my closest friends, no one encouraged me to practice and study and put real effort on it. I went to an art-based highschool (only because I couldn't focus on studying any subject, and art school is considered one in which you don't actually study at all here, so my parents thought it better to put me there as I wanted "so you can still graduate"), but I couldn't go ahead with art studies in professional comic schools, academies or any artistic department in university. No support on that front. Something like "be Caravaggio or be nobody" mindset was stuck into my head and I started actually believing that it was true. And since I was, and am not, Caravaggio, then what was the point? So I dropped the pencil and just forgot how to draw a fuckin' line for literal years.

Then I turned 22. I moved to another city for my studies. After completing 'em, my parents said me to come back home and I said no. They stopped paying anything for me since that moment, so I had to make things works on my own. Hopefully my rent was really low, so I could afford it with minimum effort, but had to buy groceries with coupons (not a common thing in Italy) and eat a lot less to make 'em last as much as possible. I found a job in a call-center, I cleaned houses and handed flyiers to people. And that's when I found out I cannot really be in social context for too long.

In the end I burned out, left all jobs and was stuck in bed for a month. I was barely 24, without a job, holding tight the little bit of freedom I ever got. I felt helpless and hopeless. I don't remember if my bestfriend or my housemate, but one of 'em said me to come back at drawing and givin' it a shot. What harm could that do afterall, could have been pocket money for a bit if it couldn't stick to something better.

I started from pencil. Then went to digital in a couple months. I practiced, started quite immediately taking commissions and honest to God I don't have the slightest clue of how someone whould spend money on some shit I drew without basic anathomy knowledge and after that much time without drawing. Still have no idea. So I drew. I made some quick animations, never did much there thought. Grew a little fanbase, went on with it for years. I even moved with my bestfriend, living with her alone for two years, got a cat I love that it's my actually support companion right now.

I felt happy for a bit, I believe. Imposter syndrome is always watching me afterall, that never stopped. It's just like there's another person in the room with me all day, whispering me I should do more 'cause I don't deserve any attention. Ugh.

However. I went on with that until 2023. I had to come back to my parent's house in 2022 and got stuck in here since then. Nightmare years. Still a nightmare period, but I'm managing. Thing is, past year I burned out so much I completed all my left commissions in a rush and actually dropped my tablet for months. I used it as a third screen, took away the pen and the glove and swore I would never ever be back at drawing again. Will not go into details of what triggered that burnout, but you got the point, I didn't want to draw again in my life at that time.

This is pretty much when Good Omens entered the room. It was late September, I saw a lot of videos on tiktok and since I watched S1 years ago, I decided to give it a shot to S2 too. It was an istant hyperfocus. Watched all over for weeks, both in italian, in english, in english with italian subs and english with english subs. Never done anything like that in my life before. By the end of October I came back at writing. So I started to arrange things for Up&Down, my first fic after uhm, like 15 years or so. And it felt so good! I went through 42 days of deep writing, posting a chapter a day just for myself. 'cause I wanted to write something I liked for the sole purpose of liking it. And it felt so liberating!

Then I thought: will this apply to drawing too, maybe?

Answer is YES. It did. I was inspired from the fandom, from MrGhostRat's art and Gleafer's, and started drawing again. I dug into english fanfictions, fandom artists I love, and the list just gets longer day by day. I started writing Sugar, and with it I started drawing illustrations for it.

I went from the image to the left to the one to the right in two months. Guys, I'll repeat it: TWO MONTHS. I never had such a quick improvement in years, practicing every fuckin' day, drawing my hands out of my bloody body. I drew for 5-6 years and never got to improve this much. I did now. And you know why?

'cause I started drawing for myself. I'm doing something I love. And I'm getting better at it.

And you know what? I'm quite angry now. 'cause if I didn't stop years ago, who knows where I could have been now. If I didn't listen to people saying me "be Caravaggio or be nobody", I could have done so much more by now. Maybe I could have been able to draw fuckin' furnitures by now. Maybe I would have started being able to draw the same face two times in a row years ago insted of now.

Maybe I could have been the comic artist I wanted to be. Maybe not the best in the world, but I don't fuckin' care of being the best one, I want to be one I'm proud of. I didn't get the chance 'cause out there is full of people without a dream who's only purpose in life is destroying other people hopes.

And you know what? I'm done with that. I'm done with people saying me I'm not a gifted child. I'm done with people coming at me saying I cannot do shit I love 'cause they have reason to make me do something different. People thinks to know what's good for me but I'm fuckin' 30 and I think I know it pretty well already, thank you very much.

I'm managing how to get hold of my choices and things I love now that I'm an adult, but dear Lord I keep on thinking of my young self and I want to hug that poor thing so much I can't explain. I'd love to say her everything's going to be hard, but good in some way. That things are difficult, but they will change. That people are shit, but she should be strong and fight back. 'cause I did it too late and I regret now, but she deserved better.

You deserves better. And I'm talking to anyone who's reading this. I don't know if you went all the way 'til here, but if you did: don't make my same mistakes. You know better than me. Don't let people spoil the things you love, don't give 'em power to destroy your will and put you in a closet for the time being. You don't deserve that.

Don't miss your chance 'cause people doesn't want to see you happy to be yourself. Don't do that. They don't deserve that power over you.

Love yourself more than I loved myself. I'm starting just now and it's hell. You can do better, I promise.

[cosmicjoke]

Ugh of course haters would say that, they are trying to make him responsible for every single thing that happened.

I find it interesting how well was he able to read Eren as a person (or any other person really) right from the start; even more so now when we know what the ending is.

In ep 19 when they’re fleeing from female titan and Eren wants to turn into his titan form; he, Levi, has this inner monologue (or was he saying it to his squad???)

“It’s clear to me. He’s a true monster. And not because of his titan abilities. No matter how you try to hold him down… No matter what cage you lock him up in… forcing his mind into submission is an impossible task”

while remembering Eren’s reaction when he asked him what his goal was / what he wants to do and Eren answered “I want to join the SC and kill some titans” with the most twisted expression on his face.

Same thing is mentioned in the visual novel, in that part where Levi shares a cup of tea with Petra; yes that part which some people love to use as a proof that he had a secret relationship with her, Others make it about Eren / Levi ship (because everything has to be about ships at least according to some people),

but in reality it’s neither of those. They talked about Eren. He asked her how’s he doing, how’s he adjusting to the squad, etc. Out of Levi’s squad she was the one who spent the most time with Eren, she was the closest to him (it’s mentioned in SnK guidebook if I remember correctly); of course it makes sense to ask her for her opinion. As we know Levi valued his squad’s opinions.

here is a quote from the visual novel: “…they cannot change Eren’s true nature. A perpetual monster. It’s not because of his titan powers but his soul itself is a monster. No matter what we do, we will not be able to subdue it”

He wasn’t asking about him because he’s in love with him, he asked about him because he was responsible for him. Levi volunteered to watch over him / keep an eye on him. He took the responsibility because he was the only one who could actually kill him if he got out of hand. Eren had no control over his titan powers back then.

Anyone who actually read the manga / watched the anime should be able to see why SC fought so hard to get Eren in their ranks. It was because they believed he can actually help them beat the titans. They believed he’s fighting for the salvation of the humanity as you have mentioned.

None of this this suggest that Levi actually knew Eren would do what he eventually did. Levi is many things but he isn’t psychic, lol, he’s just a good judge of character. His ability to read people so accurately is one of the reasons why Erwin trusted him and valued his opinion so much.

At least that’s how I see it… there’s more things I probably should have mentioned but this is already getting way too long 😅

Gotta love Levi seeing right through Jaeger brothers bullshit™️

Definitely, Levi's ability to peg Eren was pretty amazing. Nobody else seemed aware of just what Eren was (including the readers). This monster of will, this person who would struggle and strain against any sort of restraint or cage one tried to place him in. Of course, for the SC, that would be considered a huge boon to their cause, someone able to turn into a titan and who's personality was indomitable. I think Levi's great insight into people comes from his compassion. He's able to see things from other people's perspectives, to genuinely look at things from another's point of view. That's really a rare gift. So he knows when someone is good, and when someone is bad. He had Eren down cold. He could see he was a monster from the start, not because of his ability to turn into a titan, but because of his refusal to yield to anything, no matter what. Of course Levi couldn't have known what that would mean, or what Eren's ultimate goal would be. At the time, all he knew was that Eren was on their side and that his strength was needed to win the struggle against titans.

And absolutely, his ability to see through to who people really are is a big part of why Erwin trusted in him so explicitly. I think Erwin even mentions in one of those side stories that Levi understands people's true natures better than anyone else. It's also part of why I think Erwin trusted Levi with his own, secret motivation, in the end. Maybe he thought, if I tell this to Levi, and Levi still believes in me, maybe that means I'm not irredeemable. And of course, in the end, Levi did still believe in Erwin. I think Levi saw the goodness in Erwin even when Erwin could no longer see it in himself.

[tsuki-chibi]

Ladynoir July 2023 Day 18: Sunrise

Read all the entries on AO3

--

“Holy shit, I literally cannot remember the last time I was this tired,” Rena Rouge announced dramatically. “I think I could sleep for the next twenty-fours and still be tired.”

“You’re so dramatic,” Ladybug said, but honestly she kind of understood where Rena was coming from. She was pretty tired herself. She couldn’t help rubbing at her eyes, which felt dry and gritty. It didn’t help as much as she would have hoped.

“I know Hawkmoth is the bad guy and all, but we need to talk to him about scheduling akuma battles at a more convenient time. I mean, doesn’t the dude ever sleep?” Carapace said.

“Hawkmoth is just like my dad. Both of them are workaholics who never sleep,” Chat said from behind them, and Ladybug turned to see that Chat and Queen Bee were coming towards them. She looked them both up and down quickly, but – thanks to the miraculous cure – both of them were unharmed.

“Seriously. Do you see this?” Queen Bee said, pointing to her eyes. “I’m getting bags. Bags! When I meet Hawkmoth, I’m going to shove my stinger –”

“Your eyes look fine,” Ladybug said quickly, not wanting to hear the very inventive way that Queen Bee would finish that sentence. “Look, I know that it was a hard fight. It lasted way longer than any of us wanted to. But it’s over now. We all did a really great job. The city is safe. We can all go home and catch a few hours of sleep before we have to be up for school.”

She thought longingly of her bed as she spoke. She had literally just crawled under the blankets after a long day of school, then helping in the bakery, then doing homework. But her head hadn’t even touched the pillow before she’d gotten a text from Alya about an akuma. There hadn’t even been time to pull clothes on overtop her pajamas.

“Uh, Ladybug,” Rena said, and Ladybug realized they were all giving her a strange look.

“What?” she said self-consciously, wondering if there was something on her face.

Rena and Carapace looked at each other.

So did Queen Bee and Chat.

Finally, Carapace said, “It’s after 6am. The sun will be coming up in like half an hour. We don’t have time for sleep.”

“Wait… what?!” Ladybug’s head swung east, and she stared in dismay at the brightening horizon. She hadn’t even noticed that the dark night sky was gradually giving away to the pinks and oranges that heralded dawn. Carapace was right. They would be due at school in less than two hours.

“That fight took forever,” Queen Bee said, resting her hands on her hips. She looked grumpy.

“It lasted way longer than it needed to,” Chat agreed, sighing and rubbing the back of his neck. “Thank god I don’t have any photoshoots today. I’m not sure I have it in me to pose for hours on end. It’s going to be hard enough to stay awake in class.”

“But… noooooooo,” Ladybug whined. “I want to go home and sleep. I don’t want to go to school!” Her dreams of going home to bed were going up in smoke, and she didn’t like it.

“Maybe your parents will believe you’re sick,” Rena said.

Ladybug sighed. “Probably not. Ugh. Stupid Hawkmoth.” She folded her arms over her chest and pouted.

“How about this,” Chat said, putting an arm around Ladybug’s shoulders and planting a kiss on her temple. “We all go home and get changed. We’ll meet in the park in half an hour and watch the sunrise with coffee and breakfast. My treat.”

“Sure,” Ladybug said, softening a little. It still sucked, but Chat was trying hard to make it better and she appreciated that.

“Alright, let’s go. First one there decides where we get breakfast from!” Rena shouted, pumping her first in the air, and in a flash she, Carapace, and Queen Bee were gone.

Chat chuckled and nuzzled her cheek. “Not in a hurry to choose where we eat?” he asked.

“I don’t care as long as they serve extra-large containers of coffee,” Ladybug sighed, leaning into him. “You won’t get in trouble?”

“Nah. Sneaking out early once won’t kill me,” he replied. “See you there?”

“Yup.” Ladybug kissed him quickly and then left, heading for home. Her bed would be tempting, but breakfast with her teammates was the next best thing.

[pearblossommina]

ToG Read-A-Long, Kingdom of Ash, day 7

Ch 51 “because I’m trying to understand. How you could come to love a monster.”

ELIDE BABY DID YOU JUST PROFESS YOUR LOVE FOR HIM

YOU SWEET BABY BEAR CUB

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

lol I cannot COMPREHEND why they’re still fighting the reason feels so convoluted at this stage. If they could just make up I think I would be very happy.

Ch 52

“Do you think the Ironteeth are capable of change?”

I think everyone is capable of change. It doesn’t happen instantly and it doesn’t happen without effort. But yes. I do. I believe in change. ILU Manon.

Dorian bird ~ you got this baby ~ bird up

Ch 53

Ah Lysandra. At least you’re alive - all hope is not lost!

This breakup makes more sense to me. They’re both at fault for being cruel to each other. And it’s hard to see the loving, tender side of their relationship when they weren’t really given that much time to explore it before the shit hit the fan.

Aedion getting discharged as General, that’s rough buddy. And Aelin still isn’t recognized as Queen by Darrow. Probably it was a bad choice to do this whole Lysandra charade… lol… even if Aelin comes back, guns-a-blazing, ready to rule, he’s probably gonna hold this against her for this show of irresponsibility. It was partially her plan, so… he’s not wrong…. Darrow’s an asshole but he also kind of knows things and I respect him for some reason

Ch 54

I don’t think I know what’s going on with Father Westfall. Are we supposed to hate him, or is he on our side? He seemed to be getting along with Chaol at last, and now Aelin is like “please do rot in hell” lol

(I guess even if he’s on our side, he can still be a prick)

(Chaol one day you’ll be a father too)

(So be careful not to carry on the tradition of being terrible to your children)

(The generational trauma stops here)

Aelin is the true Queen of the faeries, maybe having this title will make her want to live. To see that peaceful future for all the faeries who want to come and join her kingdom on her continent.

Ch 55

Omg Dorian you’re literally the best 😂 please explore your gender, I love everything about this

“He'd thought he'd known everything about the female body. How to make a woman purr with pleasure. He was half-tempted to find a tent and learn firsthand what certain things felt like.”

OMG PLEASE GO FIND MANON AND HAVE LESBIAN SEX!!!! Do it!!!! Do it for meeeeeee!!!

“Manon had nearly passed his training area when she went rigid.

Slowly, she turned, nostrils flaring.”

If Manon and Dorian decide to have kinky shapeshifting lesbian sex I take it all back. I’m going to become the world’s biggest Manorian shipper

Lolllll I am living for this. Yummy, yummy feelings. FEEL FOR HIM MANON. You feel so many feelings right now you don’t know what to DO.

Aw. Here come the big bad Witch Matrons, here to spoil my fun

Ch 56

“Dorian did not look away this time at the head that tumbled to the ground. “

UGH YES Manon is so badass 😍

God I love her

“Manon watched as the wyvern rose higher and higher.

Her grandmother did not look back before she vanished into the skies.”

Manon - WHY

You had her! You could have ended her. What a disappointment.

Queen of all Witches - yaaaas queen!!!!

Ch 57

(This marks the place I took another extended three-day reading break)

(Which felt good but also ahh omg I’m far behind again)

(I love Warrior Aelin)

(She’s so badass)

(Go get ‘em girl)

(You got this)