#I am intrigued by the thought of a tiny town

[victorluvsalice]

Sims 4 Wednesday -- Potential Tiny Town Challenge

Hi all! As we're between Chill Valicer Save updates this week, I wanted to talk to you about something I discovered relatively recently and have been thinking about off and on -- The Tiny Town Challenge! I first learned about this challenge through seeing a thumbnail for James Turner's version on YouTube, and, curious, tracked down the original challenge and rules to see what it was all about. You can get the full rule set and take a look at the original lot and Sims Deligracy created at the link above, but the basic gist is that you spend the challenge setting up a tiny town on a large lot (preferably 64x64) for seven Sims. Each Sim has a specific money-making skill that they must use to earn the funds to build their house on their specific sub-lot, and a favorite decor style and color that must inform what their house looks like. Each Sim is moved in individually, once the previous Sim has finished their house, and the challenge ends when all seven houses and any communal area is fully built.

I took one look at that and I was like "yeah, I'm into it." XD Both because it sounds like a fun challenge, and because it's a challenge with minimal set-up (which is the problem with the challenges I personally have come up with previously -- I think they'd be fun, but they require a loooot of prep!). Having thought about it for a bit, I have some ideas about how I'd like to do the challenge myself -- and some problems that I'm going to have to figure out before I can set this up as a potential alternate save file to the Chill Valicer Save:

-->Location: I decided relatively quickly that I'd like to do the challenge in Windenburg, setting up a little community on The Crumbling Isle (something like how Plumbob Paragon set theirs up). I almost never play in Windenburg, so I figured that setting the challenge there would be a good way to encourage me to wander around that world and see the sights. And I already have some ideas about using the other lots to make a true town out of the island -- like turning one lot into a Community Space to get a community garden going, or another lot into a retail store that a couple of the citizens run. Might be fun!

-->Citizenry: Well, you guys know me -- of course the first three residents of the tiny town would be Victor, Alice, and Smiler. However, I'm having trouble deciding on who the other residents of the town could be. The way I see it, I have two options for the rest of the group:

Option One: Add Victoria Everglot and Emily Merrimack and do a "Four Victorians Riding A Roller Coaster" polycule thing on the tiny town lot! This would be fun as it would allow for amusing and adorable polycule shenanigans...but the problem here is the color schemes. Specifically, while Smiler is fine with their primary color being Yellow, Victor, Alice, and Emily ALL suit Blue being their primary color (Victor has his blue butterfly and blue tie -- plus I've always headcanoned it as his favorite color; Alice has her iconic blue dress; and Emily has her blue -- everything), and Alice and Victoria would both suit Red (Alice has that iconic red blood splatter on her apron; Victoria has her red dress). Now, I know how I could fix this for Alice -- make her primary color Green, to match her eyes -- but I'm not sure what to do about Victor and Emily. I mean, when it comes down to it, Emily would have to get Blue, look at her, but the only other alternate colors I can think of for Victor would be Black or Grey, and that would result in a depressing-looking house. :( So yeah, bit of an issue there!

Option Two: Add my young Emmett "Doc" Brown Sim (patterned off his appearance in BTTF: The Game), a fem!Malkavian Fledgling Sim I downloaded off the Gallery (which I'm already planning on calling Mal Kavian), a Preston Garvey Sim, and my take on a Wheatley Sim to the gang and just represent pretty much all my favorite fandoms and games in one go. The bonus here is that I've got the full roster of seven Sims; as stated, I'm representing a bunch of things I enjoy, not just the primary three; and I get a tiny bit of diversity by including a black character as a primary. However, there are also a couple of issues here:

I'm not entirely sure I want to do the challenge with the full compliment of seven Sims, as I have trouble wrangling a mere three sometimes in my Chill Valicer Save. And before you ask, no, I don't have For Rent, so I couldn't turn the lot into a Residental Rental and just play one family at a time. I'd have to really fight with my own micromanaging tendencies to get this to work!

We again have color overlap issues because Victor, Preston, and Wheatley ALSO all suit the color Blue (Victor for the reasons listed above; Preston because the Minutemen have blue as their primary color scheme; and Wheatley because his eye is blue in the game). Now, admittedly, this one is a bit easier to solve -- make Preston's color Light Brown to match his iconic duster (yes, Sims 4 actually distinguishes between Light Brown and Dark Brown -- the only color that gets that distinction in the sort!), and Wheatley's White to match his core's outer shell -- but still. I am apparently obsessed with Blue characters!

Now, I can think of an interesting way to solve this dilemma -- set up two tiny towns on the Crumbling Isle on the two biggest lots, and divide the Sims so there's like five or so on each lot. (Suppose it could be like Victor, Alice, Smiler, Doc, Mal Kavian on one, and Victoria, Emily, Preston, Wheatley on another?) That does mean having to do the challenge twice, and wrangling a lot more Sims, but... *shrug* We'll see how I feel!

-->Skills, Colors, and Decors: As previously stated, all Sims have to have a specific skill that they use to fund the creation of their home, and a favorite color and decor style that should inform the look of said home. Now, the decor thing is kind of a mystery to me (I mix-and-match styles all the time when building, and I don't have Dream Home Decorator to make Sims Like specific types -- though it does occur to me that I could just fudge it by having each house just reflect their canon in some way), but I do have skills and colors almost entirely locked down for almost all of my potential citizens --

Victor: His color would be Blue (probably darker shades of such), and his money-making skill would be either Painting or Piano (though I'm leaning toward Painting because I've always headcanoned him as being more private with his music)

Alice: Her color would be Green, and her money-making skill either Painting or Writing (leaning toward Writing because I like the idea of her writing her own books)

Victoria: Her color would be Red, and her money-making skill would be either Knitting or Cross-Stitch (since we know she likes to sew from seeing her working on her blanket in the movie when Victor climbs onto her balcony)

Emily: Her color would be Blue (brighter shades), and her money-making skill would be either Flower Arranging (for her bouquet) or Gemology (for the wedding ring that starts the whole Corpse Bride mess -- it just amuses me)

Doc: His color would be Orange (as part of the BTTF logo), and his money-making skill would probably be Robotics (since it's the most sciencey-one), though I wouldn't say no to Fabrication

Mal: Her color would be Red (because, you know, vampire), and her money-making skill would be Wellness (because it deeply amuses me to have a vampire from that clan doing yoga and spa stuff)

Preston: His color would be either Blue or Light Brown (as previously stated), and his money-making skill would be either Fabrication (because he's the settlement guy, and Fabrication is a lot like how the workshops work in Fallout 4), Woodworking (the more low-tech version of that), or Archaeology (because he clearly enjoys the past, given you find him hiding in a museum and his coat is apparently looted from another one -- probably have to use a mod to make it available outside Selvadorada, though!)

Wheatley: His color would either be Blue or White (again, as previously stated), and his money-making skill would be Programming (again, because of the hilarity factor -- I mean, Wheatley CAN hack in the game, but we all know just how "good" he is at it XD)

Smiler: Their color would be Yellow, and their money-making skill --

And this is where I run into a problem, because I'm not entirely sure what to do for Smiler. Because my version of Smiler's primary thing is chemistry (or alchemy, depending on the setting), and I'm not entirely sure how to best represent that with the skills on offer. Should I do Mixology, on the basis that I heacanon they are also awesome at mixing drinks? Herbalism because that's kind of close (I have a mod that puts Granite Falls bugs in other worlds, so that's not an issue)? Do I rely on Simsonian Library's Apothecary mod and related skill because that is arguably closer that Herbalism? Or do I just fudge things by choosing Mixology or something before turning them into a spellcaster and having them focus on the Alchemy section of the spellbook? Decisions, decisions...

But yeah -- that's what I currently have in mind for any future Tiny Town-related save files I may make! Not gonna guarantee that this is gonna happen, but it's a distinct possibility. :) And if you guys have any suggestions regarding how I should do the tiny town (and what the fuck Smiler's money-making skill should be), please let me know!

[obsessivevoidkitten]

Lox the Fox

Male Yandere Fox Hybrid x Gender Neutral Reader CW: Noncon, somnophilia, implied cum in food, magic, drugging, biting, claiming bites, knotting, manipulation, chasing, kidnapping, general yandere behavior, references to an incident with a sweet potato Word Count: 5.6k (I am so sorry that this comm took so long, though I was dealing with a number of different issues. Hope you all enjoy it!)

You were but a humble trader. Once somewhat prominent in the medium sized town of Ridgespire, humiliating rumors began circulating about being caught in a compromising position with a sweet potato. The totally baseless story spread throughout the entire town. You were a laughing stock. When you could no longer handle it you left for a fresh start and new opportunities.

You decided to set up shop in the town of Westwend. It was a small village now, but you saw some serious potential. It was situated in the center of many newer villages and small towns and would serve as a good hub for you. But the best part about your new home was that it was too far for any pernicious lies about you and a sweet potato to have followed.

The locals were very accepting of you as a new traveling trader, though you hadn't had a chance to get close to any of them. Once you had moved in you immediately began planning your trip through the forest to reach a tiny village on the other side. You'd stop there to rest and see if there were any trade opportunities then head north to a larger town.

You stuffed a huge pack full of food, currency, and trade goods before putting it on and setting off on your journey. The village you were heading for was through several miles of forest and the forest itself was a mile or so away itself. You could be there by evening.

You were warned about an infamous fox-man named Lox that lived in the woods. Supposedly he helped or hindered travelers depending on what mood struck him at the time. The local villagers were always wary about crossing through the forest. That is part of what made this trade route so potentially lucrative. Not many were willing to cut straight through the forest.

The weather was cooperating and making your trip quite pleasant. The morning air was fresh and brought with it the scent of honeysuckle, and other prairie flowers. You took the unused and overgrown path and managed to make it to the woods just before the heat of the day, the dense canopy of leaves providing ample protection from the sun.

Though you didn't know it, you had rapidly crossed into the territory of the fox-man, Lox. And with his magic he knew exactly when any human neared the proximity of what he considered to be his land. He had nothing better to do, and delighted in meddling with humans, so with great grace and dexterity he weaved through the tree tops and quickly came upon you. He used his magic to stay silent and invisible so that he could observe you a while before deciding what to do.

It did not take long for Lox’s careful observation of you to lead him to the conclusion that he was intrigued. He used his magic to peep into some of your thoughts and memories to get just a glimpse of the type of person you were. He saw bits of your travels, vague impressions of your views, and something about a sweet potato. He couldn’t quite make it out to be honest. But it didn’t matter. He could tell from your aura that you were a lonely person with few friends and no current ties to anyone.

He decided that instead of hindering you he was going to help you more than he had ever helped anyone else before you. Not just for your sake, but for his as well. He thought maybe he could be your mate. Though he still needed to get to know you a little better though before he was totally sure. He could only get to know someone so well through his magic, so he really needed a more direct method.

Rather than simply introduce himself, which he was sure would fail, he devised a cunning plan to get you to see him as your hero. First impressions were immensely important, so if your first time seeing him was when he was saving you then that would make it a lot more likely that you would fall for him.

You continued through the forest, laughing to yourself about how easy a trip this was. You couldn’t believe how the small village dwellers had cut themselves off from such an easy trading route just because of some stories about some magic fox guy. You could believe that beast men existed, you had never seen one yourself, but their existence was never refuted, but magic? That was just too much for you.

Belief in the supernatural and heading the warnings of the villagers would have served you well, but instead the trap was laid and you bumbled right into it.

As you continued on the forest path, nearly gone due to disuse, you came across a clearing with a small cabin. It looked wildly out of place in the wilderness. Perhaps this was the home of the fox man all of the villagers had been so wary of. After gawking for a moment you resumed your journey. You had been traveling for hours and were probably halfway through the woods by now.

As you neared an old but sturdy bridge that marked the final leg of your travels through the forest, you heard a bone chilling growl and your path was suddenly blocked by three snarling wolves. You knew you couldn’t fight them, but the cabin that you had passed wasn’t too far. Maybe, just maybe, you could outrun them and take shelter.

Thinking fast you through your pack towards them, hoping the food in it would distract them enough for you to flee to safety. But no such luck. They weren’t distracted by it at all. At least without it you weren’t so weighed down though. But you were tired from all the walking and the wolves were at your heels. You imagined that you could feel their hot sour breath at your back, but you didn’t look back to confirm it.

Just when you were sure that you were going to find your end in the jaws of the ravenous beasts an orange flash came out of the trees from the direction of the house and stood between you and the feral wolves. There was no mistaking it, it was the fox man of local legend.

The hybrid man stood before the wolves with his back towards you, you could see that he was of a lean build and average height with two triangular ears on his head that were the same color as his wavy red hair. And he had a fox-like tail to match the ears.

As confident as he seemed you seriously doubted that he could take on so many enemies at once. And then you saw why he was so confident. A red tinged gust of magic left his hands and blew the wolves several feet away, making them smack into the trees. With a frightened yelp they scattered. You were in awe, magic was real after all!

When Lox turned to face you he could tell right away by the admiration and gratitude in your eyes that he had made the right decision in conjuring the convincing wolf illusions to scare you back towards him.

Normally seeing your first hybrid man may have at least startled you, but when you met his orange eyes and sharp-toothed smile you could only feel relief. You almost wanted to hug the guy.

“Thank you so much! I really thought I was a goner. I have no idea what I would have done had you not shown up when you had…”

Your stomach turned just thinking about it.

“No problem friend, I just happened to be gathering fruit up in the trees when I saw your predicament.”

Now Lox just had to convince you to stay the night with him. Get to know him better. Once you saw how good of a provider he was and how kind he was you would surely fall for him. He just knew it.

“Well uh… I better go and get my things. I dropped them to flee. And then I gotta keep traveling. Thanks again!”

No no no, that wouldn’t do for Lox at all!

“Don’t be silly! Those wolves could be lurking anywhere, you should just stay at my home while I collect your things. You can always set off tomorrow, I will even escort you through the forest!”

Your heart was still beating at an intense pace with adrenaline leaving you shaky. You didn’t really want to just set off alone so soon after such a scare. But you really should set out again, and you had doubts that the wolves would try anything again so soon.

“I really don’t think that I should, if I keep going I can make up for lost time and make the village well before sundown.”

He couldn’t reveal his true intentions yet, but no matter what happened, now that he had taken such a liking to you, he was never going to be far from you.

“Well, those wolves can be pretty persistent, they aren’t really normal. And it would be really nice to have a bit of company. It doesn’t come very often out here. I don’t think that humans like me all that much to tell the truth...”

Lox put on his best pouting face to elicit your sympathy. To be honest he didn’t mind his loner lifestyle one bit. Though he did want just one person in his life. A good partner. And whether or not you wanted it, that partner was going to be you.

His deception worked wonders on you. Instantly you felt immense sympathy for him. He was helping you so much so you should be happy to offer him your company, if just for a day. It wasn’t like it was a great imposition on you. You wouldn’t even be alive right now if not for Lox and all he wanted was a bit of companionship in return. Besides, you really didn’t want to come across as some sort of bigot…

“Well… if you’re sure it won’t be burdensome, I guess I can stay the night. Thanks for the hospitality, but I think I should go with you to get my pack. It would be pretty rude to make you go and get it for me.”

This also wouldn’t do for Lox, he wanted to enchant your belongings to be able to keep tabs on you even if you left his immediate vicinity. He did not want to run the risk of you ever escaping him, he doubted he would be unable to track you, but it was good to be prepared. The spell was rather loud and involved flashes of magic, he couldn’t take the risk that you could wake up and catch him in the act so having you at his house while he went off to do the enchantment on your stuff was his best solution.

“Don’t be silly, I can zip along through the trees much faster than you can walk! It will be much faster if I go alone.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true… Okay, if you really don’t mind getting it for me.” You felt bad that he had done so much for you already and was now doing more, but his logic made sense.

On the way there you introduced yourself and the two of you chatted a bit about how you both got to where you were currently. He explained the tragic tale of how he had been orphaned as a young teen and had to raise himself in the harsh wilds. The two of you were already pretty close to his humble home so it didn’t take long at all for him to lead you there.

The inside was about what you would expect from the home of someone living the lifestyle of a secluded forest hermit. Not messy, but cluttered in a cozy sort of way. Not a lot of open space, every inch utilized in some way. There were some shelves filled with books and various ornaments and objects of unknown purpose, there was a desk in the corner littered with arcane looking scrolls, a small dining area with dried aromatic herbs hanging from the ceiling, and there was a doorless bedroom attached with an equally well stuffed bedroom, you could see a large bed with red covers and more shelves.

Before he went off to get your pack for you he offered you some miniature sandwiches and some tea and set them on a small table for you.

You thanked him as he left and nibbled on the food he had provided you. You were hungrier than you had realized though and before you knew it, there wasn’t a crumb or sip left.

Meanwhile Lox had already located your belongings and busily casting his little spell on your things. He was hoping he could convince you to stay with him, but realistically it could take a few encounters. This would help ensure that those encounters kept happening. He considered it the “dating” phase of your “relationship.”

He also hoped that you would eat as much of that sandwich as possible. He had sprinkled in just a little something to help you be a bit more compliant with the “romance” he had planned for later that night. He could have relied on it to keep you from being too alarmed at him casting a spell on your belongings, but he couldn’t be sure how much you would ingest. Lox didn’t want to be pushy about you consuming the food either, that would be suspicious.

No, it was better if he just enchanted your things now and then he wouldn’t have to worry about if you had eaten enough magic flake powder that he had given you. And if you did happen to consume enough of it then he could have plenty of fun with you.

The fox-man briefly considered whipping up a love potion, but they were often temporary, wearing off at inconvenient times and requiring reapplication. And he really wanted you to actually be in love with him, not just be under the influence of all consuming magic.

When Lox entered the home it had startled you right off the couch and you fell to the floor. Lox quickly helped you up, relishing the chance to make physical contact with you. He was beyond thrilled to see that the plate your food had been on was now empty.

“Thanks! Sorry, you coming in so suddenly just startled me. You weren’t wrong about how fast you were, I hadn’t expected you back so soon.”

“Told ya I was fast.” He beamed proudly as he handed you your belongings.

Over the course of the next couple of hours the two of you chatted while you taught him a card game with a deck that you always traveled with, but you became fatigued much sooner than you usually did. Surely that was just from all the travel followed by the excitement of earlier though.

Lox offered you use of his bed while you used his couch, but you wouldn’t hear of it. He had already shown you such kindness you weren’t going to just kick him out of his own bed. Finally he relented and just let you use the couch.

Sleep came to you with unusual ease, something that Lox was greatly anticipating. Now you’d be at his mercy and even if you woke up, the mind altering effects of what he had fed you would make sure that you didn’t remember it or if you did you'd think it was only a dream.

Lox lubed you up carefully and slid into your sleeping form which he had tenderly stripped bare. He bred you slowly and lovingly, deep strokes into you so that he could edge and enjoy every possible second of making love with his partner for the first time.

It was difficult, but he managed to restrain his instinct to bite your neck all over and make his claim on you visible to the world. He also held his cock at the base to prevent his knot from slipping in and swelling within you. Lox didn’t want to leave you with any suspicious soreness.

But the hardest thing for the fox man was pulling out and not filling you up full of his seed, especially when your eyes fluttered open and you moaned and babbled incoherently while drooling in pleasure even if your mind couldn’t make sense of anything that was happening.

After that, he came in you quickly and meticulously cleaned you up so that no evidence was left behind.

When you woke up your head was a bit fuzzy, light filtered in through a little circular window and by the angle of the sun it seemed that you had slept all morning. You thought you probably had overstayed your welcome.

You yawned and began to get off the couch when suddenly Lox appeared as if from nowhere with a hot plate of food. Had he been watching and waiting for you to wake up? You didn’t entertain the thought long, you were just being paranoid. He was a fox-man; he clearly had enhanced senses and was just keeping the meal warm for you when you finally got up.

"Quail egg omelet before you leave?"

Lox seemed refreshed and energized, and though you couldn't quite place why something about him gave you just the slight twinge of anxiety in the back of your mind. It was easy to push away though.

"Thanks, you didn't have to make me breakfast. I have rations in my pack"

"Nonsense, you're my guest. And I was making one for myself anyway."

It did smell rather enticing and he had gone through the trouble of cooking it so you relented and ate it happily. It was among the best dishes you had ever eaten. You wondered if he used his magic to enhance it. He had, actually, added his own "special ingredient" to the food he made for you, but it wasn't something magical and you really didn't want to know what it was.

After you finished the meal Lox, true to his word, happily joined you on your trip out of the forest. You tried to insist that you didn’t need him, that the wolves probably went off in search of easier prey, and that you were prepared now, but the fox wasn’t having it.

The trip out of the forest was largely uneventful, filled only with Lox’s chatter and questions focused on you. You supposed most people would have been annoyed by it all, but you knew he didn’t get much company and you were still so touched by the kindness that he had shown you.

Overall it was going well.

Until it wasn't. As you crossed the old, but up until this point, very sturdy bridge, it suddenly collapsed beneath you. With a scream you flailed desperately, luckily Lox was able to reach you, hold onto you, and jump back up the side that you had come from. After you caught your breath and let your nerves settle in silence you looked at the damage. The bridge was beyond repair. It would add a couple hours to your journey to go around to the shallow part of the river, but you certainly couldn't go across here anymore.

"God damn! That was... scary! Thanks for... saving me. Again..."

You were still shaking a bit.

"It's no problem! I thought the bridge was a bit sturdier than that. Good thing I caught you... I guess we'll just have to go back for now..."

"No it's fine, I saw an old map of the area, there's a place I can cross if I follow the river. Will just take a few extra hours."

You looked up at him.

"Don't worry, you don't need to escort me the extra distance."

That was, of course, the exact opposite of what Lox planned. He would be at your side for eternity. Whether you said you wanted him there or not.

"No, no! It's not a bother. Really. I'm usually so bored I just sleep most of the day!"

"Well if it isn't a bother, I'm glad to have a traveling buddy for a bit longer."

The two of you sat down for a couple minutes before resuming your newly extended route out of the forest. It went about as well as it had been going before the incident with the bridge, though Lox kept shooting you nervous looks, like he was holding back from saying something to you. Poor guy, he was probably just sad that the two of you would be parting ways soon. You made a mental note to reassure him when you got to the end of the forest.

This wasn't the end at all, you'd see him a couple times a month if this trading exchange worked out. Maybe even once a week if things got really busy.

The fox hybrid was a bit more distant in conversation, focused more on his thoughts. He had been sure that after he collapsed the bridge with his magic and then saved you from the disaster that you would be head over heels in love with him. Clearly he had shown you he can keep you safe from any peril... even if he had to make the danger himself. At the very least you should have agreed to stay at his home a bit longer so that he could get you to like him more.

Sadly, Lox could not glean any notions of love emanating from you using his magical abilities. But he absolutely couldn't accept that you weren't at least somewhat attracted to him by this point. He had, as far as you were concerned, saved your life twice. Then he had been very amicable and hospitable towards you. You must have been in such strong denial that your true feelings were unknown even to you. But he wasn't going to give up on his beloved, he just knew the two of you were meant to be together. No matter what.

His first priority had to be making sure you never made it out of the forest. If you left and he wasn't with you then you could get hurt. Or maybe someone else would take you! But he didn't want to scare you or tip you off.

As the two of you continued on your way the amorous man couldn't help but stare at you and think of all the things he wanted to do to you. Seeing a lack of claiming bites on you almost sent his instincts into overdrive, he had to actively stop himself from fucking you into the dirt, biting all over you, and having his knot tie the two of you together.

The two of you crossed the river and with each step Lox grew more fidgety as his desire to claim you grew, as did his worry that you may escape him if he didn't think up another plot soon. Then he had a great idea. Quicksand! He'd save you from it and you'd be so frustrated, messy, and grateful that at the very least you'd want to go back to his house for another night to rest and clean up!

Lox used his magic to create a patch of quicksand on the path ahead and used his power of illusion to make sure it looked just like the surrounding terrain until disturbed, just like natural quicksand.

And sure enough it fooled you. With a loud scream you suddenly plummeted through what you had assumed was perfectly solid ground. You fell forward and struggled to orient yourself in the thick muck. Lox grabbed your pack from behind and plucked you easily from the quicksand. You gasped for breath and wiped the mud from your face.

"Holy fuck, I would have drowned if not for you! You're a real lifesaver, Lox."

This time you didn't waste more than a few seconds trying to catch your breath before getting up.

"I guess we should head back to my place, we can get you all cleaned up and try again tomorrow."

"Oh don't worry! We only just passed the river, we can go back and I can rinse off there!"

You started to head towards the water with Lox at your side.

"Are you sure? You must be tired after all the excitement we just had..."

You stopped and looked at Lox. He seemed almost panicked. The gears in your head finally started turning. The dots were connecting.

"Every time something happens you are very quick to suggest we head back... and it's pretty convenient that you are always right there to save me from these sudden disasters..."

"What are you saying?" The fox asked with a surprising darkness.

The question hung unanswered, heavy in the air, as the two of you stared at one another. Then you bolted into the dense foliage. But this was Lox's forest, he had years of experience tracking and keeping eyes on any humans who wandered through it, and he had never been so motivated.

Every time you made a turn Lox would appear in a puff of smoke in front of you, using his magic to teleport short distances. He grabbed you, but you struggled out of his grip.

"I love you babe, but I am getting tired of this little game. Let's go home now okay?"

He used a wave of magic to animated the vines near you, they snared you easily. You wriggled and writhed like a maniac as he slowly approached you with a creepy smile on his face.

"You must be tired after that little chase. You need a nap."

Then he pulled out a pouch of shimmering blue powder from his pocket and blew it over you. You fell asleep instantly.

When you woke up from your fitful sleep full of nightmares and fear in Lox's bed. You had no pants on and a thick sticky fluid leaking from your entrance. You realized those nightmares may not have been dreams at all, and you felt instantly nauseous.

Luckily, he wasn't in the room with you. The sick freak seemed to be in the kitchen, you could hear him humming faintly as he went about cooking. He probably thought he'd bring you a meal in bed and you'd be grateful and everything would be just peachy between the two of you. But you had other plans.

The window was large enough to leave through, you hoped you could do so quietly. You wiped yourself clean as best you could and put the clothing that Lox has removed back on. You raised the window slowly and it didn't make any noise at first, but you came to a point where it was stuck and more force had to be used. It squeaked like it was shrieking out your desire to escape to the four corners of the world.

Since your cover was clearly blown you gave up being quiet and forced it open with all due expediency. You quickly scrambled out the window, falling forward into the dirt. You wasted no time at all in getting up and darting away as fast as you possibly could. But the eyes of the fox were on you from the window, watching you speed further away. He wasn't worried though.

Lox was delusional and arguably even completely insane over you at this point, but he was no idiot. He knew your denial about how you felt over him may still be too strong and you may try to run away. He had taken extra precautions. Precautions you learned of in a  very direct way when you slammed face first and at full force right into some sort of invisible barrier that Lox had erected a good distance around his dwelling.

You fell rather hard on your ass and cupped your face in pain. Then you heard a voice approach behind you.

"Are you okay darling? I didn't intend to hurt your pretty face." He waved a hand and green sparks from his fingertips healed up your injury.

"What the Hell, Lox!? You can't just keep me prisoner like this!"

"You're not a prisoner! You're my partner, and this is just to keep you close by. You're really fragile judging by how you handled all the dangers recently."

You stared at him for a moment, unable to think of a response to this complete lunatic, as he got closer and stared down at you with that freaky smile of his.

"I realize you are used to being really independent, but you really need to admit it already. I am the perfect mate for you. You have to know that deep down."

You started to object, but he sealed your words with a sudden rough kiss. He was deceptively strong, a fact you learned while trying unsuccessfully to push him off of you. He pinned you down on the ground with ease and smirked down at you.

"If showing off how good of a protector I am isn't enough to get rid of your denial, then I will just have to show you how good our union feels~"

Lox ignored your protests. His nails grew sharp and he sliced off your clothing as easily as if he was cutting through paper.

"I'm gonna make you feel soooo good."

He bit possessively at your neck. It hurt slightly but the unpleasantness was overridden by pleasure. For someone who was rarely around humans except to randomly help or hinder an occasional traveler he sure knew how to pleasure you. Then you remembered how he had violated you in your sleep. He had practiced. You redoubled your efforts to get free but the resistance only seemed to excite him more.

Lox's claws returned to being normal nails as he fingered your entrance, despite his increasingly feral state of mind he was still focused on making this as pleasurable as possible for his beloved little human. He used a small bit of magic to create an oil from his fingers to apply a generous amount of lubrication to you.

Shouts, screams, and the tears rolling down your face were all met with calming shushing noises and promises that you'd be moaning soon enough with fear replaced by delight.

His fingers wiggled within you, causing you to buck unwillingly in the throes of carnal stimulation. You gasped and whined at your body's betrayal. Lox pulled out his fingers and held your hips tight while aligning his cock with you and slamming into you with the perfect amount of force.

Your moan was captured by his lips as he kissed you again, biting your lower lip as he pulled away.

"I have wanted my knot in you for so long, you're gonna fit me like a glove~"

All you could manage was to grunt in defiance as you drooled dumbly. Lox began thrusting into you again and again. Each movement of his could only be described as perfection. He rolled his hips and plunged in deeply with slow strokes that steadily increased in pace.

It really didn't take long at all for Lox to feel your body throb around his large prick as you climaxed. If this had been a willing encounter, and if you also had not been fucked silly, you would have been embarrassed by how quickly Lox had made you orgasm.

The fox looked at you in awe, observing every detail of your face as you came. Your flushed face, the rise and fall of your chest as you panted, your eyes glazed and lost in sexual bliss.

"Wow, you finish even faster and more beautifully than you did while sleeping!"

Lox bit at your chest and up to your neck, delivering a harder bite there to mark you as his. You were so out of it that it didn't register in the way that it should have. What little pain there was Lox quickly dispersed with more magical healing and gentle kisses.

He continued pumping into you for well over an hour, eliciting enough moans, whimpers, shakes, and shudders from you until your voice was hoarse and your body limp.

And then, just when you thought you would die from all the overstimulation, Lox painted your walls white with a hot load of cum before his knot swelled and kept the two of you together.

"See? No one else can make you feel like this! And you take me just so well my beloved~"

When his knot finally went down he had to stop himself from diving back into you, the sight of you glistening with sweat and leaking his seed went straight to his cock. But he settled for just slipping it between your thighs and grinding into you while you sat on his lap in the bathtub.

Your comfort was the priority and you clearly needed special care after that mind shattering sex.

When you were all cleaned up, he carried you bridal style to his bed and bundled you up in soft blankets, he pressed a loving kiss to your cheek before going off to get you some food and water. Maybe something easy to get down. Perhaps some soup? Since you were still pretty dazed he wondered if you would let him feed you.

You were such a sweet fragile thing and would need to recover your energy for all the activities he had planned for the two of you.

[hadassah4ever]

lukas matsson x f!reader smut

warnings: decent age gap, reader has no survival instincts for plot convenience, no protection, and the fact that i haven’t written smut in such a long time, i feel like it’s not the best, but 👍👍

word count: 1,430

minors dni pls

The night was frankly, very boring.

Strolling around and seeing the art pieces that made you realize that you might’ve flushed $50,000 down the drain, but at least you got some good complimentary cocktails and horderves.

“You look bored out of your mind.” A man whispered in your ear from behind, almost making you look like a cat jumping away from a cucumber.

“I don’t like this bullshit… ‘cum on a canvas and call it a painting’ stuff either, it’s emotionle—“

“Technically it’s eliciting emotions from you by making you hate it. But maybe that’s just the art school in me.” You shrugged, turning to see a tall, blonde haired blue eyed man.

“Arts school? On daddy’s dime, huh?” He teased. “I wish.” You softly chuckled, shaking your head.

“Hm. Not a rich girl?” He asked. “I would’ve thought you were. Normally poor people don’t throw $50,000 into the trash like that.” He joked. “I have passion! I’m a starving artist!” You replied, softly chuckling and playfully rolled your eyes, not too offended at his teasing. “How’d you get in here? No offence, but I thought that looking at usele— very… meaningful, modern art was a rich person thing?” He asked, seeming genuinely more curious than insulting or gatekeepy, like most of the people here.

“They invited a student with a referral from their professor. And I was referred by my professor.” You answered. “What an insult.” He joked, you tried to shake your head and jokingly roll your eyes to dodge all of the tiny comments that made you slowly realize more and more you should’ve gone to business school, like your cousin.

“You just hate my future profession, don’t you?” You teased back. “Well, it’s the job that makes parents slowly nod and say ‘ahhh…’, so.” He shrugged, a smug smile on his face like he knew you were gonna laugh. “Ugh, I hate how true that is. I just wanna get out of here as soon as possible. It’s not boring, just terrifying.”

“You could get out of here with me.” He quickly replied, realizing he sounded way too eager. “I don’t even know your name.” You replied, coyly smiling. “Is that the only thing stopping you?” He asked. You shrugged. “I’m Lukas Matsson.” He spoke. “Now, do you wanna leave?” You couldn’t help but roll your eyes playfully and chuckle at that. He was cornier than he let on.

“You intrigue me. Sure.” You don’t think he’d have the gall to murder you or something after being so chatty in the decency crowded gallery, so what did you really have to lose?

You knew something was up when he rubbed your knee in the car. And the way he kept glancing at your tits. And giving you “fuck me” eyes.

“You’re alright with coming to my apartment right? No pressure.” He spoke, not seeming to just be covering his bases, but actually not putting too much pressure on you. “Sure, what else do I have to lose?” You joked, he softly smirked and told the driver his address.

You should’ve been aware about the fact that he could’ve been rich, but he dressed so casually, and not just the “hello fellow peasants, I am like you” kind of casual the way most rich people dress, but he was in a really nice part of town.

——

“Down for some random wine that people give me?” He asked, going into his wine cabinet, using his fingers to browse through several wines that would probably be a month's worth of rent for you, at the very least. “Gonna wine and dine me before taking me to pound town?” You joked, and as you silently cursed yourself for saying “pound town”, he chuckled.

“No, I’m just gonna wine you.” He answered, catching you off guard but still enjoying the banter. “So pound town is a non negotiable?” You joked. “Nah, we can negotiate that.” You didn’t know if he really cared this much about your consent or if he was just not trying to catch a case, maybe both, but you’d take it anyways. So far, he cared more about your consent than any person you’ve been with beforehand. Maybe you’d need to sign an NDA.

“I mean, if it’s a good journey to pound town, then I agree, but if I’m just gonna be a vessel, no thanks.” You teased, he softly laughed, picking out a bottle of wine and standing up. “I’ll make sure it’s enjoyable then.”

“Then I’m definitely aboard.” You softly chuckled, glancing at the ground and then glancing back up, Mattsson standing right in front of you, immediately leaning forward and kissing you, placing the bottle of wine on the marble counter with a soft clink.

His hands squeezed your ass, his semi-hard cock grazing against you, his hand found his way to your clit, rubbing it in somewhat rough circles, before stopping and his hand diving into your underwear, his slim fingers opening up your folds and feeling around for your slick, satisfied he grumbled a quiet, “So fuckin’ wet for me.”

“Could we move to the sofa?” You softly asked, snapping him out of his own head. “Huh? Oh yeah.” He answered, both of you scrambled to his couch, as you laid down, he placed his head between your thighs, his hands held your hips before his fingers dipped underneath the fabric of your panties, pulling them off your legs.

“You don’t seem like the guy who’s ready to eat a girl out at a moment's notice.” You flirtatiously teased, he paused for a second before breaking the brief silence with, “Not just any girl.” A similarly teasing smile but a slight, genuine look in his eyes.

That really shut you up, as you leaned back down, his mouth softly sucking your clit, his tongue and lips working together, his fingers moved around as he tried to find your entrance, quickly finding it, they dove in. You tried to resist the urge to clamp your thighs around his head, his beard softly scratching you as he ate you out, throwing your head back and moaning, you shut your eyes hard.

He was too damn good at this.

Within a few minutes he had you softly moaning about how you were about to cum, his mouth worked harder and his fingers thrusted in and out of you quicker, having you unravel faster than you ever have, he still worked his mouth and fingers even when your thighs squeezed the sides of his face, having you shaking.

He quickly pulled his head away from your core, the imprint of his cock ready to burst out from his boxer briefs. He slid them off quickly and you were a bit wary, his size was definitely gonna teeter on uncomfortable, and it was probably gonna stretch you a bit, little veins running up it, the pink tip leaking already. He opened your knees up once again and lined himself up with your entrance, “Tell me if it’s uncomfortable, ‘kay?” He spoke, after you nodded he slowly eased himself inside of you and to your surprise and delight, his size actually worked well fully inside of you.

“It’s good?” He asked, trying to suppress a groan. “Amazing.” You answered, he nodded and started to thrust inside of you, his cock curving upwards and hitting the deep, pleasurable bits inside you, he grunted and moved his fingers to your clit again, his hand resting on your pelvis as his thumb worked in circles, getting into the rhythm of it, he was eventually pounding into you, now using both of his hands to keep himself steady.

It was like a haze surrounded you, gripping onto his couch cushions and arching your back warned him of your impending orgasm, he noticed your inability to just sit still and take his cock, his hands pushed your hips down and continued to nail into you relentlessly, without any further notice, you constricted and finished around him, your breathing became shaky and every limb in your body felt like it was vibrating as he pulled out and came on your stomach, an impressive amount of warm cum hitting just underneath your belly button. His face looked like he just met god and his breathing became shaky as yours started to even out.

“Jesus.” He spoke under his breath. “Hardly anyone has been able to take me like that.” He muttered.

“Might have to pay for your tuition.” He added, in a tone you didn’t know whether or not it was a joke.

Maybe it wasn’t.

——

a/n: lukas definitely has feelings for the reader and i’d be willing to maybe add onto this if enough people want that.

[bevy-obeyme]

I know you're super busy but if you have the time, I wanted to request a Trans FtM MC with the brothers, mostly headcanons or cute shenanigans! Like asking the brothers helping MC recover from Top Surgery!!! Please it would make my year!! Thank you so much for reading!

Of course! It’s no problem and I’ll try to get all my asks done today!! :))

I really appreciate requests that give me different prompts because I myself as I have stated numerous times am a cis female and being introduced to other perspectives is really intriguing for me!!

Shenanigans with the brothers as a Temale to Male MC

Lucifer - Top Surgery.

- No doubt, going into surgery was a nerve wracking thing. He could only admire your bravery to do so.. and hold your hand in comfort as you walked in.

- You got registered in and sat in the doctor’s office, Lucifer was sat besides you rubbing your knuckles absentmindedly and pressing kisses against your cheek, reminding you that you’d do great.

- Post surgery - he could see your delight, your newfound comfort in being more masculine. He couldn’t help the tiny smile that dotted on his face at your happiness.

- He did notice the scars and was always careful when admiring you. In fact, he seemed to be even more enamoured. Those scars were a sign of strength. A sign of resilience.

‘’No matter what you look like, you’ll always remain mine. And that’s all that matters.’’

Mammon - A lower class demon misgendering you.

- You bet, he would be hella pissed.

- You both were walking through the town square, hand in hand when suddenly his demonic hearing picked up on snickering.

- Snickers about you and transphobic comments.

- How dare they make such comments about you? So he yelled out to them.

- If that didn’t work, he would literally square up on them. Give them an intimidating glare and go up to them with his hands on his hips, you behind him as he rambled off, insulting the inferior demon’s intelligence and what not.

- At one point, you had to literally hold him back as you could swear he was about to throw hands.

‘’Yea’, yea! Walk away, I dare ya! Stupid scum! Next time I see ya bastards hangin’ around, insulting MY ____, yer gonna regret it!’’

Leviathan - Cosplaying to combat body dysmorphia.

- Levi noticed just how sad you looked in the Ruri-chan cosplay.

- Sure, you agreed to cosplay with him but he still felt bad about taking up your time.. he should’ve known a stupid otaku like him would only take up your time.

- However, then the realisation dawned on him. Ruri-chan was a girl and you were trying to transition… oh. OH.

- To say he felt horrible was an understatement, and he immediately offered to switch cosplays. He reassured that you still looked masculine and that a gender-bend Ruri-chan wasn’t that bad of an idea.

‘’Y-You look so cool as Ruri-chan! Who cares if she’s a girl? C-Cosplaying is all about the fun of it!’’

Satan - Helping insecurity and deep rooted inferiority.

- Satan could see it. Even if you never stated it, that you held a lot of gender envy towards him and his brothers.

- He sympathised with you. Feeling like you were born in the wrong body was awful no doubt. And the fact that you would always feel inferior to ‘real’ men.

- But Satan always countered that - what defined a ‘real’ man? Sure, anatomy might be one answer, but the second was identity.

- Gender was nothing but a social custom. Dresses being feminine? An opinion. Suits being masculine? Also an opinion. Mindsets, emotions and thoughts didn’t have a set gender and Satan made sure to express that clearly, hell, you’ve seen his brothers haven’t you?

- His tone was logical and firm. Reassuring you that you were justified in being who you were and that labelling yourself as a man was okay.

‘’Don’t let other people drag you down to their levels of simplicity. I’ll love you no matter the form you take ____.’’

Asmodeus - Help diminish masculine stereotypes.

- He too noticed your gender envy. But the avatar of lust had a different way of dealing with it.

- Any time you two went out, he’d make sure to apply makeup, wear skirts, high heels - any ‘feminine’ thing you could think of just to show you there was no harm expressing yourself in a ‘girly’ manner even as a man.

- He also did it to place the attention on him. He didn’t care for the confused looks or admirers. He strutted like he owned the place and he wanted you to do the same.

‘’Confidence is a lifestyle darling. Once you begin living it, people will love you for the amazing man you are.’’

Beelzebub - To feel more masculine.

- Beel was a regular at the gym and his clubs, that was fact. And so, you could argue he was the most masculine with his chiseled form.

- When you came up to him and requested to attend the gym with him to build muscle, he was more than happy for you to accompany him. It did get a bit lonely going by himself at times.

- He helped you bulk on calories and encouraged what foods to eat and to avoid when building muscle.

- However, he also reassured you that you didn’t have to gain muscle to be a ‘man’ and that you were handsome enough as is.

‘’I know I don’t say it often but.. I love you how you are ____. Don’t feel the need to change for other people. But, I won’t stop you if you truly do it for yourself.’’

Belphegor - Comforting you after being deadnamed.

- Belphegor knew that you still had issues transitioning. It was normal - your whole life would change as people viewed you differently. But not him. In his heart, you were still the little human that got him to love the quirks of humanity again.

- However, after being woken up by your cries and hearing of what happened, he immediately came to reassure you that people like that were idiots and random nobodies. Why bother putting up with self-conscious fools who had nothing better to do than hate you for being happy?

- He pulled you close to his chest and snuggled into you, all the while asking about the low class demons that deadnamed you - you didn’t want to know what he would do to them.

‘’I’m telling you ____, don’t bother time with idiots.. they’re all mindless demons that somehow Lord Diavolo hasn’t eradicated yet.’’

[galvanizedfriend]

Klaroline WIP Wednesday

This is my humble contribution to this wip Weds! It's a tiny little snippert from the next chapter of Speed Dating, which has been sitting untouched for way too long. Genuinely hoping this might give me the will to keep going because I am this 🤏 close to the finish line (before editing starts and the finish line gets away from me again but shhhh, we're not going there yet).

--

She doesn't see Elijah again for the next two days. Whatever he's in town for, he either glides around the apartment like a ghost or their schedules are totally at odds. If not for the extravagantly fancy woolen overcoat by the door and what she has quickly learned is a very particular brand of moodiness for Klaus, she would've thought he'd already left.

It's probably for the best, considering the horror of that first meeting, but curiosity is an unscratchable itch. Elijah has intrigued her for years, more so than any of Klaus’ other siblings. Putting a face - well, a little more than a face, really - to the person is a given, but she can't help the desire to dig deeper. It’s in her nature to be nosy. About him, about Klaus, about the whole family. 

Despite the fact she's lived with one and been friends with another for years, the Mikaelsons remain a mystery to her. The more she knows, the more confusing it gets. Nothing about them seems to make much sense, and Caroline hasn't even decided if that's a super-rich, children of the 1% thing, or if the Mikaelsons are especially wacky even among their peers.

After two days, though, she's just about lost hope of bumping into Elijah again. She doubts he'll be staying for much longer, especially with Klaus' cordial show of hospitality. Not that Elijah seemed bothered - being rude to siblings for no apparent reason seems to be one of those things that are normal by Mikaelson standard. It's just how they operate.

She's just back from a shift at the hospital, idly scrolling through her Instagram while she waits for the microwave to deliver her sad leftover dinner. Bitterly, she realizes it has been months since she last updated her feed. Her last photo is with Tyler, for crying out loud. Should she even keep it there? What's the etiquette for when you break up with someone for no earth-shattering reasons, the relationship just fizzling out and running its course? Is it rude to delete all evidence of him from her social media records? Is it expected? Will he be upset? Has he deleted her from his social media? 

In fact, now that she thinks about it... Is Tyler even seeing anyone?

"Huh," she mumbles to herself, fully internalizing in that second how truly messy her life has become that she hasn't even cyber-stalked her ex to know what he's been up to since they broke up. That's a whole new level of rock bottom unlocked, right there.

"Miss Forbes?"

Caroline nearly drops her phone when she looks up to find Elijah standing by the kitchen door. She swears to God the man is unnaturally feline; she didn't even hear him approach.

Unlike in their first encounter, he's now fully clothed and, unsurprisingly, he looks just as good as he did without a stitch on. Maybe better. His suit looks as though it was sewn directly onto his body by an Italian master tailor. The range of that man.

"Hey!" She cringes at her high pitch, standing up straight. 

His smile is affable as he steps further into the kitchen. "Do I interrupt?"

"What? No. I was just scrolling."

Caroline feels suddenly very self-conscious of just how crazy frumpy she must look standing in front of Elijah. The man is a poster boy for wellness and prosperity, while she is... Well. Not.

Suffice to say she's wearing a Timberwolves t-shirt from her long-gone cheerleading days in high school with at least five visible holes on it.

"I've been meaning to apologize for that horrid incident the other day," he starts. Caroline wouldn’t have brought the incident up, assuming he would rather forget it ever happened, but if it causes him any measure of discomfort to have been butt naked in front of a complete stranger, he does not show, which - now that she thinks about, is something else that feels very Mikaelson-esque. They do all seem to be incredibly comfy in their own skins. "Niklaus warned me that you would be home soon, but my despair for a proper shower was stronger than caution. I should've been more careful."

"You don't have to apologize. It's fine. It was nothing." That would've been a good place to stop. A very mature and dignified let's leave it at that and never mention it again. But her stupid mouth just keeps going. "I see naked people all the time at the hospital. It's totally unremarkable." Elijah's eyebrows inch upwards into a mildly curious expression. "I don't mean that you are unremarkable!" she corrects, and then, getting immediately horrified at the implications, adds, "You're not - I mean, you're ok, you're - obviously. Not that I was looking, I wasn’t - I just mean - You know what? I'm just gonna shut up now." She snaps her lips sealed, half-wishing that a hole would open underneath her feet and suck her into the magma of the earth.

[teyvat-inks]

ocean in your soul

a/n: hi, it’s sia! the intervals of my writings are getting longer, i’m so sorry HAHAHAH i guess it’s really hard to get into the mood for writing.. i am currently on my summer break from uni and i originally planned to write a few ficlets before the semester starts but i ended up learning bass guitar instead :D i am not sure if i can write regularly but i’ll try heh anyway, this one’s inspired by impossible by nothing but thieves. see you next time!

content: nobleman!kamisato ayato x gn!reader. fluff. sinking and oceans but nothing extremely detailed. 1.5k wc.

kamisato ayato is an enigma despite being a man of prestige; he is known for his seldom public appearance, thus earning quite a reputation among the other nobles. he only attended events of utmost importance as he has been a constant subject of assassinations eversince and the few times he presented himself proved that he is capable of gathering crowds especially those who are intrigued by his persona. albeit his lack of presence, people sure love to bring up his name whenever and wherever they can. many speak of high praises and some whisper deceit, but the man himself could care any less about such trivial matters. regardless, those who worked with him already knew his diligence moreso his competence, and doing his job properly comes second to his priorities—the first one ensuring his family’s safety.

ayato can continue ignoring the speculations behind his back, or so he thinks.

many of his beliefs crumble down whenever he thinks of you. he wishes you would pay no mind to the rumors circulating around and would rather come directly to him for truth. he is a man of forthrightness except when you’re around. maybe, just maybe, he’s actually a lot more human than he thinks he is.

he used to believe that he would be devoting himself to his family and duties only, but you came to the scene unexpectedly. he thought that he could face anything that comes before him. he expected that he could easily swim out of the pool he was pushed into, instead, finding himself drowning in an ocean of you.

he loves the way your eyes glisten naturally like a pool of stars twinkling altogether. your smile makes his day a thousand times better. whenever he hears your laughter, he thinks that a year is added to his lifespan. he thinks that can spend a day on battle of wits and exchange ingenious banters with you. being the opposite and preferring to stay out of the public gaze—he is most fascinated by the way you uphold yourself everytime in public; being absent does not make him completely oblivious to you being the talk of the town. ayato is no match for the glory of your waves; crashing to the ship he hid himself away from the skies of observing eyes. and he thinks, how could a human be as deep and as dreamy as yourself?

he does not particularly enjoy small talks as he is often occupied with neverending duties as a public servant, but if it’s you, he can share a bit of a moment of the little time he has for himself. he also cherishes the tiny catch-ups when the two of you happen to bump into each other on a busy day.

ayato feels he can no longer handle the turbulence you caused in his life. he can no longer fight against the currents. he thinks that maybe he might just let the water enter his ship and let it sink. he does not mind anymore. not after hearing yet another marriage proposal turned down by you. ayato cannot allow any other noble to see how deep the ocean can be before he sees it for himself. he would rather keep you all to himself afterall. so he decides to get down on one knee before you and stop doubting himself.

he starts trembling the moment he arrives at your palace. he flashes a courteous smile to your servants and knights as if nothing, telling them not to announce his arrival. he continues to rehearse the lines he practiced last night as he take long strides toward your office. what is he going to do if you refuse? will his voice crack? unable to hide how scared he actually is? will he be unable to take a step to leave your office? will he get down on both knees and beg for your saccharine yes?

the thoughts immediately stop upon reaching the front of your office door. this is now or never. he takes a deep breath before knocking and exhales the moment he hears your voice.

“you may enter.”

ayato is welcomed by the most dazzling smile he’s ever seen in his life, he almost got blinded by how bright it was.

“oh. it’s you, lord kamisato.” you motion to him to take a seat as you finish signing one of the documents on your desk, “why must the great lord grace me with his presence in surprise? this ought to be something of utmost importance, am i right?”

“greetings, i apologize for coming unannounced. it is rather urgent, i believe that this is better discussed in person rather than in papers.” ayato chuckles. he carefully watches your every move—from putting the pen down to taking the seat in front of him.

“ah, pardon. let me call my butler first, my lord.” you are about to stand up but ayato’s hand grabs your arm hastily. you feel the warmth of his hand despite the gloves he is wearing. he is supposed to have his hands cold and sweaty but somehow it’s the opposite.

“no!” he mentally curses himself for being all over the place, “i meant, there is no need for tea. and for archon’s sake, drop the formalities.”

“is that so...”

“yes.” ayato is getting jittery as seconds pass.

he isn’t speaking, however his gaze is fixed on you. it’s making you nervous, as if he bears bad news. “ayato?” the way you speak his name is soft but enough to get him out of his trance.

“right. my apologies.” he chuckles dryly.

“are you alright? is this a heavy matter?” your brows furrow.

“yes. this is a heavy matter.” ayato breathes out. this is the first time you witness him this distressed. you do not make an effort to hide the worried expression creeping on your face upon hearing his words. your mind suddenly gets engulfed by questions you are unable to ask him.

“please proceed immediately ayato. i’m getting nervous.” you tell him impatiently.

ayato takes a deep breath to release some tension in his body. he cannot hide his pathetic side anymore but this must go on. he clears his throat and he feels the adrenaline rushing in his veins as he opens his mouth to speak.

“marry me.”

ayato jumps into the ocean.

no way he rehearsed over and over for him to completely go out of script. he flinches from the way his voice sounded, skin crawling from the tone he spoke. he watches your expression morphing into something he cannot decipher.

“i-” ayato is cut off by you.

you sigh in relief, “finally.”

“what?” he is caught completely off-guard. “did i hear that right?”

“i said, i am honored to have your offer, my lord,” you feign innocence, “despite making me all nervous as hell.”

“no, i think i heard you say something before that.”

“you definitely did not.” your eyes flash a hint of mischief, something ayato cannot ignore.

“were you truly waiting for my proposal? is that why you keep on refusing all this time?” ayato sounds genuinely curious it infuriates you.

“what makes you think that?” you utter with a firm voice.

he looks so dejected by your words, mouth agape. you cannot fathom how much power and effect you have on him right now. it is scary. ayato is not one to directly express displeasure through his face. he always keeps his composure and this situation makes you think that you are in a dream.

“forgive me for playing you like that, ayato. you’re never wrong anyway. truth is i was already preparing myself to grow stiff and stuttering alone, never thought this day will actually come.” ayato notices how your gaze softens, “i’m glad you asked.”

ayato feels the cold air slap his hands. he searches the carriage for his gloves to no avail. he realizes he must have forgotten it in your office. he sighs in disappointment. how can he forget his belongings just like that? he notices something glisten from his finger.

a piece of shiny metal sitting on his ring finger.

the rest of the talk is hazy, ayato is unable to recall how he wore the ring. his heightened emotions earlier caused him to lose focus on the situation, he knows one thing nevertheless.

you are now engaged. with him. that is all that matters. anything else can come after he gets home and rest for the day. he did not get a wink of sleep anyway.

ayato feels the water engulf him whole; he is slowly sinking to your ocean. he lets the water pull him down until he can no longer see the light from the midnight zone, sinking deeper and deeper down towards the abyss. and he does not mind any of it all.

ayato thinks he could drown himself in someone like you, he could dive so deep he can never come out.

he thought it was impossible, but you made it possible.

[notelcol]

Silver and Gold.

In which you find an equal in Loki🐍

Kind of AU + made up planet💚

Mildly edited, apologies for mistakes.🫣

I fell from the heavens and landed on Earth. They called me an angel but that was far from true. I would run through hoards of men with my sword and not think twice of the blood that stained my hands. Centuries on the tiny planet felt like days to me, but eventually the days caught up. I locked away my silver sword and let Earth fend for itself. I closed my eyes to the carnage of this wretched planet, and allowed it to devour itself.

I hid myself away in New York City, invisible amongst the swarms of humans. The solace of my bookshop, was medicine to my tired soul. I stayed there for years, watching as the world changed. I should have felt peace. Instead I was reminded of my loneliness. The silver archways and glittering skylines of my home a distant memory, only appearing to taunt me. Celestia was gone, only known in stories as the ‘fallen star’. Now I must endure my aeons of life surrounded by beings who will die before i gain so much as a wrinkle. Before I could think any deeper, the ringing of my shop bell freed me from my self pity.

A man in an immaculately tailored suit and a long black coat walked in. I immediately recognised him as the Asgardian prince who invaded some time ago. Admittedly, I was intrigued when he arrived. While it was clear he was a pawn in someone else’s game, his intentions were not all dissimilar to what mine once were. He wished to make the humans be better.

“Lord of the flies.” I whistled at his choice. “It’s a dark one, I’m you’ll appreciate that.” I joked a little, noticing his surprise at my talking to him.

“Thank you. You are actually the first store to serve me.” His statement did not surprise me.

“Well you did almost destroy the whole city.” I regretted my tone after seeing his face drop slightly. “But who hasn’t levelled a town for a higher purpose once or twice, right?” I smirked at his bewildered expression. I truly thought he would ask but when he continued to look confused, I decided to introduce myself.

“I am the Princess of Celestia, it is my pleasure to meet you Prince Loki.” He laughed in delight when I removed the charm that hid my glow.

“I always thought Celestia was a fairytale.” The reflection of my glow only made the wonder in his eyes shine brighter. The golden god was indeed a sight to behold.

“The fallen prince of the nine realms and the heir to the fallen star.” His voice trailed off, almost a whisper, as if he was lost in a faraway world. “We could be wondrous.” He held out his hand and asked me to take it. Could I really leave the solace I created, for a fantasy? All I had ever dreamed of was standing asking me to take it. Yet all I could do was look.

“We have both failed ourselves and our thrones one way or another.” His statement cut deep, but it was true. I did let my people down when I failed to save them. “We are both stuck here, but maybe can be a good thing.” He held up a finger when he realised he was loosing me. “Maybe together we can do better.” His eyes pleaded with my own as he finished his speech. He had me.

I couldn’t stop the grin from taking over when at last, I grabbed his hand. I summoned my sword and we ran. For the first time since I fell to Earth, I was running with someone who could keep up. Hand in hand, we would fight to make ourselves and this world better. We were two sides of the same coin. Silver and gold.

Thank you for reading this ✨

[thecloudstan]

Thoughts regarding the changes of certain elements of the OG in "Rebirth" (e.g. Cid's personality being changed or Dyne's death)?

This is such a great question!! I'll answer for both of these because I do have thoughts, and the game is so big that I'm already forgetting some things that you guys remind me about. I'll start with Cid.

I'm not entirely convinced that Cid's personality is changed, so much as the...timeframe of his life is being shifted? I'll try to explain.

In the original, you meet Cid and he's already this grizzled asshole who is doing THE MOST, and his hatred of Shinra is so acute that he eventually starts to rival Barret for who hates that company the most. I love Cid, but I guess if anyone from the playable party had the weakest motivation, it would be him. "They stole my dream" is motivation, don't get me wrong, but doesn't it sort of pale in comparison to "they murdered our parents and burned our village; they murdered me and brainwashed the love of my life; they did EXPERIMENTS ON ME." Sorry Cid, but your trauma is a bit...hmnnggh bebi by comparison...

In Rebirth, Shinra hasn't 100% fallen from his good graces yet, at least with regard to him being ambivalent about their misdeeds because he needs to turn a profit. I think the changes to when you meet Cid, how you meet Cid, and how he behaves about Shinra boil down to two things;

1.) Game functionality. It made the most sense to introduce him sooner to give access to the world in an exploratory sense, and the only way to do this in a remotely timely manner would be to introduce him sooner. But then you kinda fuck up the placement and point of Rocket Town, so he needs some other "hook."

2.) I believe they're saving his "fall" for the third part, much like Vincent's background will be saved for the third part. We still need some dramatic flair and some reminders why everyone should hate the fascist overlord, and by then we already know very well why Barret, Tifa, Cloud, Aerith, Red, Yuffie, and even Reeve harbor those feelings.

Long story short, I think he's been set up for his own character development. It was also kinda nice to have the Tiny Bronco around before Cid's wings are totally clipped, so to speak. It was interesting to see that spark of pre-FUCK THIS SHIT Cid. One thing I do find VERY intriguing is the connection to Ifalna!!!!!! I can't wait to see how that pans out...how well did he know her? Did he have FEELINGS for her?! Is he the reason she was able to escape, even though she didn't make it far? Is Aerith walking free because of Cid Highwind?! That would be kind of gaggy, to be quite honest.

So, sure, they did adjust his personality a bit. Like I doubt he's going to verbally abuse Shera and drop F-bombs, but that's fine. They changed a lot of things from the original that just would not play well to an audience nowadays, and I get it.

Dyne stuff under the cut!!!

My husband and I fully disagree on Dyne. I'm not too assed about him not leaping to his death (I mean, he already fell into a gorge which was probably kinda traumatic???? So having him NOT choose to off himself that way could make a bit of sense). What I am most intrigued about is how he goes full fucking Tetsuo from Akira half way through the fight??

In the original game, Dyne is just a man. He's strong, but he's just a broken man. He isn't experimented on by Shinra, we have no canon understanding of him being Mako poisoned or something, he should not be capable of what Rebirth Dyne was doing during that fight with Barret. My husband has chosen to write it off as the dev team just beefing up the battle to make it more modern/difficult/fun.

I don't share this thought process. Hojo is already understanding things (in my opinion) that go above and beyond the original plot. There are already mutations in Rebirth that didn't exist in the original, and I don't know if I'm reading too much into that, but it seems to me that it's kind of an emerging theme...

SOMETHING. Happened to Dyne. Whether he...fell into the gorge and then was Mako poisoned from being too close to the blown up reactor for years...or something else...I don't know for sure. But I wouldn't be surprised if Rebirth is NOT the last we hear about what happened to Dyne. They're REALLY going in on the human experimentation thing...it's going to get quite ugly with Cloud's background (and Aerith's, I'm assuming, if Cid ever spills those beans), and just Red XIII's Trial in the Temple of the Ancients ALONE was bone-chilling. I don't have precise answers or predictions or anything, but I do think it was changed with an intention deeper than "let's make this battle harder/more cinematic."

[askaniritual]

Sorry this is real delayed but I don't like Riverdale but once it's on Netflix it's something I definitely binge cause it's mega bonkers. So first thing you gotta know about Riverdale is that it's written by Roberto Aguirres sacasas who has written quite a few things for marvel comics. But also once created an unofficial play that received a cease and desist from Archie comics because Archie was gay and also dating a real life serial killer. So the man is a total freak, but is now the chief creative director of Archie comics. I'll say that the first 2 seasons play out much like a pretty little liars type show in which our teen gang tries to solve murders/serial killings. S3 amps it up by introducing a cult who's entire purpose is traffic the organs of the teenagers they lure (said leader of the cult will eventually launch himself out of a cannon to try escape authorities somewhere in S5) and really convoluted DND game sweeping the town which gets people to commit suicide and murder and stuff. S4 is kinda boring and revolves around more serial killers including Betty's long lost brother who is now dating a man that has pretended to be said brother a couple seasons prior and now they're both serial killers cause that runs in Betty's family apparently. I truly forget these middle seasons cause they're so whatever but later the gang all gets caught in a timeloop and manifest powers and I kid you not cheryl resident redhead gets the powers of the Phoenix and tries to break them out the timeloop only to send them to 1950's Riverdale which is where the final season takes place. There are a lot more insane individual plotlines but at this point I truly cannot get into them, but sorry to flood your inbox with this nonsense but the people deserve to know the insanity that goes on in this show.

now this is what im talking about

i thought the cheryl thing was more of a wandavision pastiche than a phoenix thing but its slay if theres a phoenix callout. lowkey cheryl blossom could play ultimate x-men jean grey. like she would slay that plotline where jean is haunted by the tiny goblin hallucinations that are a manifestation of the phoenix force. seems like something that would happen to her. who can get me on the phone w mr aguirres i have some ideas.

i am personally mostly intrigued by the many implications i have seen that archie is having a gay awakening with reggie and jughead cant be there because hes trapped in a timeloop. i assume. its hard to tell if hes actually having a gay awakening or this is just a different flavor of that text post about kj apa trying to remember to have an american accent and going "i wish i had a husband" or whatever. you know the one.

[platoapproved]

It's my own post so I'm allowed to bloviate about why all these moments intrigued me. Thought about doing it in the tags but I want to talk Way too much for all that :

How words came out like canaries, summer fruit in the dead of winter. → Little phrasings that remind me Armand lived most of his life in a time before modern technology (like that which allows some people to access all kinds of produce all year round). Also, I think the show version of Armand in particular struggles some with communicating verbally (haven't read enough of the books to be sure if I think the same is true there) so his awe at Lestat's words coming out like canaries makes sense. Also 'summer fruit in the dead of winter' is an objectively horny way to describe someone. You're starving and cold and want to eat him like a ripe plum we get it.

Cavalier, but I'm sure you're being careful. → Said in reference to the door to Louis and Claudia's apartment being a tiny bit ajar, during the middle of the day, while they (powerful dangerous monsters) were both awake and alert, talking in their own home. Armand sees this as dangerous enough to be worth commenting on. Also, CLASSIC passive-aggressive moment. He is not sure that Louis is being careful. He thinks Louis is not being careful but doesn't want to come out and just say that. It's so many years after Lestat broke up the CoD and he still sees living amongst humans as so perilous and heretical.

Why does that make you as evil as any vampire? Aren't there gradations to evil? → In hindsight I should've also included the later "only one sin is needed" section because that's the real kicker. Louis is toxic because he holds others and especially himself to an impossibly high moral standard and once you fall off that shelf, you're evil forever (I do think he struggles with this mindset and eventually starts to grow past it but this post isn't about Louis so that's the simplification for right now). Armand is toxic because he over-contextualizes the evil deeds of others, and himself, in order to justify them and render them Not Evil. He does this to paint over (ha 🙃) the abuses done to him, but also over his abuse of those under his power (Claudia and other coven members especially). Also this dialogue is straight out of the book and it slaps.

Do you keep this boy as a reminder? → First of all he sounds. So sad. It's important to remember how sad and weary he sounds here. Armand looks at Lestat and Nicki and sees Lestat as "keeping" Nicki - possessing him, even though we see no evidence their relationship is unequal at this point. We don't get lots of context for them in the show but in TVL they are childhood friends who had been a couple long before Lestat was turned. The phrasing, too - calling Nicki "this boy" even though Lestat is very newly a vampire and honestly not any older than him yet. The whole thing reads very 'projecting Marius-related feelings' to me.

Coven life requires a letting go of the self. → @atlasblue85 said it better than I ever could have in the tags tbh just gonna link that.

When you're the oldest suit in town, it is a comfort to be among your contemporaries. → Calling himself a 'suit' on the one hand is just slang, but it's an interesting choice. He's not a being, he's a suit. Even in this moment his identity is a thing to be put on, not something intrinsic and real. His demeanor here is so interesting he's so gleeful? I really do believe him that this is his favorite walk and that being among objects from his own era is a comfort to him. I don't think at this point he'd decided to show Louis the painting with him in it. Based on the change in his mood, safe to say that one DOES NOT bring him comfort. Probably on most of his walks he doesn't even go in that room.

The center isn't holding. → Love that the writers being nerds means that the characters are too. Go off with the Yeats, Armand. Am I going to make an Armand gifset with lines from 'The Second Coming' someday? Oh, inevitably. After all the ceremony of innocence is drowned and the best DO lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity! This stuff practically photoshops itself.

You'll be a monster. → At the end of the day, Armand really does believe he is a monster just as much as Louis does. It just manifests in extremely different ways for them. For Louis it's not wanting to eat humans, for Armand it is not wanting to doom any humans to the hell of being a vampire by turning them.

Life is cruel. Life is violent. → Louis dismisses the plays at the TdV as grimdark and edgy (fair) and Armand counters by inadvertently revealing that he sees experiencing 'cruel, barely motivated violence' as a fundamental part of being in the world. Which, considering Armand's entire life... also fair, but extremely fucking sad if you think about it for a second.

We do not need permission. We own dominion. → I think some people might read this one as Armand asserting vampire superiority over humans and I do see that but it's not really my main point of interest here. Vampire or human aside, it's obvious again how he sees the world as structured around power and ownership. Those who have power do not need permission to do whatever they want to those without power - that's just the way it is and always has been, no point fighting it. He's so casual about it here - maybe a little bit gloating but mostly just having the air of explaining something extremely simple that everyone knows.

armand + a few offhand lines that give some insight into how he thinks (imho)

[maerobotron]

Listen, this might be insecurity, or boredom, or people pleasing or whatever, or I'm just feeling a spiral of doom related to some life things, and I'm not at all good at keeping up on these kinds of things, except, oddly, xanga? which dates me?

I'm starting to get to the point where I don't give a damn, but I'm not there yet.

Anyway, there's some small town drama that I just have to speak about so I am reviving a dream of mine called Harriet the Suburban Spy.

The short introduction to this is that between COVID and a mental health crisis, I moved back to my small hometown from a big city and I hate it and spend a lot of time ignoring my grandma when she says that "Smallville is a great town to live in" and the local paper gives addresses about police calls and more than once I have seen people comment about how "Smallville's crime rate is horrifying, and I would never move to the big city!"

(DC is a possibility here. I'm not likely to stick to one topic regardless. My thoughts about Superman and Smallville are complicated though and my partner is required to listen to me on this, so I might just leave it in his capable hands)

SHORT INTRO???

More under the cut, I know I'm wordy, and this is probably not interesting.

I'm the worst. I was not a popular kid in high school, which I'm cool with, but I was on the periphery of a lot of things, and one of those things was the school's music program. And in my hometown, the music program is big. Probably not as big as sports, cause, this is the United States, but big.

And also toxic. Glee, toxic even.

Oh yes friends. We had 2 show choirs. My sister (twin, estranged, complicated) was part of the freshman one but then there was a weird religious thing where even dancing was iffy, so she quit, but still, I did get to see some shit.

In any case, late last year the beloved (BELOVED) show choir director was placed on suspension pending investigation. The kids are out of control, but what that means is anyone's guess, and frankly, to be incredibly millennial, the boomers in this town are wild and out of control has meant anything from wants to take on more leadership at church to terrorism. This guy has been with the district for 30 some years, and that's a long time, so the little town freaks out, and I have friends who have kids in these programs start defending the heck out of this guy, and I'm just thinking, not only have I been in the district's music program (band, orchestra, choir) but I've also attended more music functions in this town because of Smallville's biggest cheerleader, my grandmother, and I have never interacted with this guy, and normally I trust these friends, but for some reason I have a bad feeling about this guy. But whatever. I can't judge without any evidence, and I am unlikely to meet this guy in my everyday life, so I'll let my tiny sister (best friend, fellow gossip) know about this, and we reminisced about other sister's time in this and other music endeavors and we both largely forgot about this. The guy was reinstated a few weeks later and the investigation resolved, and I thought it was probably resolved more because of a booster threatening rather than an actual conclusion, but whatever.

Until this week, when "Local alum sues school district" and I'm like what... The alum in question: we overlapped a couple of years, but I don't know him, but I was intrigued by this whole thing. What is his part on this? Now, the local paper already has some issues, but I was especially intrigued by the fact that they didn't say anything substantial about who this is. The reason for the lawsuit is because the district has not provided information that he has requested regarding the investigation.

Here's the thing. I don't necessarily find it weird that a random guy with no apparent ties to the investigation is interested. If kids are being harmed, or lack proper adult supervision, this is a community issue. I am also concerned. But I'm still like, who is this guy and what is he doing? It is one thing to be concerned and another to file a lawsuit.

I will admit. I do not care about this town. It used to be a swamp, and in my opinion, it can go back. And part of my reasoning is because I have come across too many people in this town that are interested in protecting the powerful at the expense of those who are not. And of course this is every town, and the world, yeah, yeah, but this is my hometown and I can hate it without anyone's permission. It does not surprise me that the district is not handing over information. They are barely willing to hand out transcripts (ask me how I know). And maybe this is a lawsuit to help correct that. But I still don't know why he cares so much.

So like, if you're interested, stay tuned for more details. If you're not, I am sufficiently amused.

[mobydicks203-briancarew]

West Haven's New Hot Spot in Town

If you ever catch yourself in West Haven, Ct wanting to enjoy a nice meal and have a drink head down to Moby Dick’s. No, not the book, the oyster bar & grill over at 588 Campbell Ave. It is a newer bar on the Campbell Ave strip opening on August 18, 2022. Even in the short time been open, they have been successful enough to win the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “New Business of the Year” Award.

 Walking up to the entrance you will see the simple yet sharp black lettering spelling out Moby Dick’s and directly underneath in front of the two glass windows there are two tables for outside dining or just hanging out with the front door to the right. 

Once you enter the door you see their fun, artistic chalkboard menu listing all of their oysters including where they are from. Places range from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine,  and even Japan. They also have their draft beers along with any specials they may be serving at the time whether it be a cocktail or one of the chef's creations.  

By the time you sit down, either at a high chair at the copper bar with a thick wood lining that has been carved into by customers from times before and during Moby Dick’s, or a stool at one of the tables, you realize you are no longer on Campbell Ave but a ship. With portholes showing old paintings of massive ships sailing the seas, strong wooden beams going across the ceiling, and rustic rope trimming the walls you feel like you are in a bottom of a ship with your crewmates having a drink and a meal. 

Now the question is what do you have for that drink or meal, I am going to tell you all about Moby Dick’s menu starting with the iconic cast iron mac and cheese. With this dish, you can have three different ways to approach it. You can just get the mac and cheese or you can add bacon or lobster. I got the lobster and let me tell you I was not disappointed at all. They certainly do not skimp on the lobster. The mac and cheese was so creamy and crisp from the breadcrumbs.  

Although this meal is delicious it is very heavy and can be somewhat of a struggle to finish so keep that in mind if you are just there for some drinks with friends. I would say this dish is more of a dinner-time decision instead. 

Staying with lobster, the lobster sliders are to die for. You will be served a plate with three toasted brioche buns loaded with buttered up lobster pieces with a condiment cup filled with even more butter and oil for you to pour in at your discretion.

Not into lobster sliders? You have to try the fan-favorite meatball sliders. Still being served three brioche buns but instead of lobster, you have fat homemade meatballs with melted parmesan cheese on top of them. The sauce soaking into the bun is phenomenal and the meatball itself practically melts in your mouth. When I am on the clock working at Moby’s this is my go-to because it is quick and extremely tasteful. 

Moby Dick’s also has a variety of flatbreads you can choose from. Some are slab bacon, white clam, and shrimp scampi. Personally, I have never tried the slab bacon however I have heard many customers that they love it. The white clam flatbread was a special when I was home sometime during the school year so I was intrigued because I can get down with some white clam pizza. I thought it was great. The clams were browned but were still juicy and tasty when you bit into them. The bread caught my eye because of the crisped lines going across the pie. My favorite flatbread is the shrimp scampi flatbread. The shrimp is so flavorful in every bite and it is topped with tomato chunks and basil and fresh lemon. 

Now for the standpoint of Moby Dick’s. The raw bar. Getting daily deliveries of seafood you know it is fresh and you certainly can tell. They do shrimp cocktails with big and little neck shrimp. You’ll be given a nice display in a silver tray filled with tiny ice cubes, a cup of cocktail sauce with a dash of horse radish, and a piece of lemon with a cute tiny fork. And that is with all orders coming out of the raw bar. 

  I heard customers raving about all kinds of oysters. Blue Points, which they get from Connecticut, are the biggest oysters they carry and so they are super meaty. They have Wellfleets from Massachusetts and those are also on the bigger meatier side. One of the smallest oysters they offer is called the Kumamoto oyster and it is from Japan. I find that it is almost sweet to a point. If you want to get crazy you can do an oyster shot. It is in a Moby Dick’s shot glass with your choice of oyster and then Bloody Mary on top. 

This brings you to what a bar is truly all about, the alcohol. Of course, they have everyday items like Bud Lights, Budweiser, and simple mixed drinks like vodka sodas or rum and coke. The special drinks are what makes them stand apart. They have many drafts some being Whalers Rise APA, Sea Hag IPA, and the Baby Fuzzy Duck. I love the name of that last one and the others fit the theme perfectly. They also have Captain Campbell Collins as their John Collins which I thought was creative. 

One time I went there with my mom to get lunch and she ordered a peanut butter martini. When it came to the table I was in shock. It looked beautiful and like a dessert. It was peanut butter whiskey, Baileys, chocolate vodka, and creme, with crushed Reese's peanut butter cup rim. They used to have but I am not sure if they still do a pistachio martini. The drink was so bright green that it lit up the room. Not literally but you get the point. 

Around the holidays they put out specialty drinks for a limited time. For the wintertime, it was a winter bourbon punch that consisted of bourbon, fresh orange, cranberry, and simple. During February for Valentine's Day, you could have been drinking “Love Martinis” and for St. Patty’s Day it would have been the “Drunk Leprauchan.”

Overall Moby Dick’s is a great place to experience. It is a very unique small knit community bar and has very good vibes around it. The food is amazing, and the drinks are right along with the food. If you ever get the chance to go you shouldn't miss it.

[just-gonna-write]

this is a short story i wrote for class :) the assignment was to write a historical fiction piece, so this takes place in a fictional cult in the late 60’s :)

“Hello gorgeous, I am digging your outfit today! Come inside, I insist!” My smile is bright, dancing on my pink glossy lips as I practically shriek out my greeting.

“Hey! Thank you so much, I have been dying for that homemade lemonade you make.” Janice Hartt laughed, side-stepping me into my house. It’s warm and soft, with orange and rust colors everywhere you look. She beelines to my conversation pit, plopping on my pristine white couch.

“I’ll grab you something to drink then, could I interest you in any snacks too? I’ve got olives and cheese!” I giggled while fluffing my ginger hair. It was long and shiny, perfectly coiffed every day, and just the right amount of volume to frame my face. I knew I was just about the prettiest girl in town, and I knew everyone else did too.

“That would be fabulous. And after that, I have something I wanna talk to you about.” She said shyly. Her smile was bright, but the way she twirled her short, dark hair around her finger gave away nerves. Bingo.

“Ooh, I’m intrigued. I’ll be right back with those refreshments, you just hang out here until I’m back.” I told her playfully. I turned my back on her and let out the tiny, genuine smile that was making its way to my lips. I was surely in, I had the perfect opportunity to get in her mind. All I needed to do was have a little girl talk and I would be golden. Father Robert would be so pleased.

I rushed into the kitchen, heels clicking and clacking under me. The floors were hardwood, golden brown, the kind that accentuated any little sound that was made in the house. The rhythmic noise filled my ears, and for a moment I was more focused on that than the matter at hand. Get it together Virginia, focus is necessary in a game like this. Even Janice of all people could catch onto your scheme if you aren’t careful. I replayed the thought over and over as I arranged the cheese and olives onto little skewers, and poured the pungent lemonade that filled the room with the sour scent of freshly squeezed lemons.

When I lifted my head I caught my reflection in the mirror. Long ginger hair, big blue eyes, yellow eyeshadow underneath the black line on the lid, making my eyes look even bigger and more innocent. A perfectly practiced smile played on my lips, showing off my pearly white teeth. It was no wonder I was chosen by Father Robert to bring people into our organization, who wouldn’t listen to a face like this? All I had to do was twirl my hair around my finger, wink and smile and anyone who laid eyes on me would turn to mush. And nobody thought rationally when they were mush.

I shook my head and straightened up, grabbing my tray. Four skewers, two glasses of lemonade. Perfect. Hurriedly I grabbed my tray and used my back to open the kitchen door that led to the living room.

“Sorry I took so long, these things were a real pest to get on these sticks.” I giggled. I was always giggling.

“Don’t worry about it! First off, how are you? Met any boys yet?” Janice asked playfully, grabbing a skewer to grab off a piece of cheese and pop it in her mouth. Her lipstick was dark, a hair too dark for her skin tone. It didn’t suit her.

“Things are good, and no I haven’t met anyone. You know me, I just cannot stand the thought of settling down with some mediocre man. But anyway, there has to be a reason why you dropped by, tell me!”

“Oh it's nothing, I just have some things on my mind. It’s all good, I just needed a distraction before I did anything drastic.” She laughed.

Janice was older than I was, probably in her early thirties. Her hair was cropped short, not unlike Twiggy’s, though certainly a little longer than hers. She wore a white button up under a powder blue suit jacket and matching pencil skirt. It looked frumpy. Her makeup was light and simple, and it didn’t do much for her features. I got the feeling she would be pretty if she tried, if her clothes fit and her makeup was nice. But as she was, all I could describe her as was plain. She had a husband who was just as plain as she was (I never knew how a boring person like her managed to get married), and two little boys. As one might guess, they were just as interesting as their parents.

“What do you mean, drastic?” I asked lightly. I could tell this was my moment, my opening to convince her to abandon the life she knew and tell her the way life should really be.

“It’s just… Well Bobby’s been a little distant lately, and you know the kids are always stressing me out, things are just kinda crazy.” She said slowly, looking down at her hands. There was a light pink polish on her nails, the prettiest thing about her.

“I don’t think I understand.”

“I want to run away.” She blurted out. Her eyes widened and she slapped her hand over her mouth, her entire body jolting as she realized what she said. She glanced at me, then at the ground, then back at me. “I want to run away. I want to get out and leave everything and everyone behind. I wanna be free.” Tears welled up in her eyes, the red color from her tears accentuating her green eyes. I’d never noticed she had green eyes.

“Woah.” I said, matching her posture. Stiff, anxious, knee bouncing like a basketball. “As much of a shock this is, I don’t think I really blame you.”

Janice’s entire body went rigid. “Really?” She asked. She looked pitiful.

“Really. Honestly I think Bobby is holding you back. Think of the great life you could lead if you just left him! You could have more time with friends, some time to really explore yourself and who you want to be. You don’t need a bummer of a husband or two kids that hold you in place! You’re meant to soar, Janice, and yet your feet have never gotten to leave the ground.” I told her, grabbing her hands to get her attention. Her teary eyes looked into mine and after a moment she smiled.

“Thank you, Virginia, I’m so glad you don’t think I’m crazy.” A sigh of relief blew through her body like a gust of wind, and I let my smile shine through.

“I could never think you’re crazy. In fact, I think I have a way for you to get out.”

I described Father Robert and the work he does for people like her, who feel alone. She could have a community of amazing people who she lives with, allow her love to be free and unrestrained by the confines of marriage, and finally find peace.

Within moments, she was hooked. I got one.

“Good job with our newest member, Virginia Bonnie Jones.” Myself and Father Robert were in his office. It was warm, a little too warm, and decorated very cozily, with vinyls lined on the walls and pictures covering his desk. I didn’t know who most of those faces belonged to, they were foreign. Like a language you can’t speak, glimpses of the familiar amongst a sea of the intimidatingly unknown.

“You can just call me Virginia, Father.” I spoke smoothly. I knew my charms hardly worked on him, but I was always hoping I could get him to slip up. I could hear the sound of my teeth grinding against each other, a faint but ugly sound. I felt like every muscle in my body was frozen, every movement meticulously planned. Father shot me an icy look that sent shivers down my spine.

“As I was saying, Bonnie, congratulations on the new recruit. You have become our top recruiter, guiding people to the light, and for that I appreciate you. However,” I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes at the graying man’s grumbly criticism that was surely coming. “I see you are still not quite on the path to the Light yourself.”

“What do you mean by that? I’m only here because I believe in the cause, how am I not on the path to the Light?” I protested coolly. My hand twitched to mess with my long hair, but I thought better of it.

“The Light only accepts people who have let go of their mortal possession and pride, Bonnie. In order to be able to graduate to the Great Beyond with the rest of us, you must give up your vanity. Being a mirror warmer won’t get you far, Virginia. Stylish clothes and nice hair will only get you left behind. I’m saying this because I like you, and neither of us want the Light to reject you do we? Next time I see you I want it to be burning those silly clothes. You look like a crayon.” The man scolded. His deep, dark eyes, like a black hole, and entrancing abyss, pulled me in. I almost couldn’t hear a word he said. It felt like my mind was full of clouds and smoke, and no matter how much I wanted a breath of fresh air, all I got was the hot sting of smoke in my throat. I closed my eyes and shook my head, shook out the thin tendrils of smoky gray that threatened to pull me under.

“With all due respect, Father, the way I dress is important to my recruiting, and to me. How am I supposed to get people’s respect and earn their trust if I can’t even wear matching clothes? People trust who they find appealing, so me looking this way is spreading the message that we’re trying to spread. Isn’t our goal to get more people to follow the Light so they can be saved? Isn’t me dressing like this better for the greater good in the long run?” My voice remained strong and sturdy, not a single waver as I spoke. I knew I was right, I wholly believed I was right.

There was a long moment of silence. It was thick. Palpable.

“Bonnie, we’re friends. I’m saying this for your own good. Change how you dress. No more mini skirts, no more heels, no more bright colors or patterns, no more fashion. Do I make myself clear?”

“But why-”

“Do I make myself clear?”

“...Yes Father.”

Before I knew it I was outside the wooden door, my back to it, so close I was almost brushing against it. My mind reeled, my body felt heavy, my breathing was quick and heavy. Talking to Father always had that effect. I didn’t know what it was about him that was so unsettling. Was it those deep, dark eyes that were almost soulless? Was it the way he smelled heavily of tobacco and musk? Was it maybe the way his deep voice always made him seem so sure of himself, almost condescending? I couldn’t tell. Maybe it was the conversation of all three.

“Virginia? Hey, I haven’t seen you in ages! How are you sweetheart?” I looked up from the grayish-green colored carpet, a color that reminded me of nausea, only to see a sight for sore eyes, clad in a long gray coat that looked like a dress, with large tortoiseshell buttons and a faint houndstooth pattern. Gloria Meyers, my dearest friend since we were small. The most beautiful and put-together woman I knew, who happened to be Father’s right-hand-woman and a full-time member of the community. She lived here full time, unlike me.

“Hi Gloria, I’m great. Just got out of a meeting with the boss.” I told her breathlessly. She shot me a sympathetic smile. She knew I never got along with that man.

“You can tell me all about it at evening meal-time. I’m almost late for a meeting with him, and you know I’d probably die if I were late for anything.” She laughed humorlessly. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Of course Glores, I’ll see you. I’ll stick around for evening meal-time just for you.” I told her softly, side-stepping to give her room.

Father had probably heard the conversation, but I was too drained to care. I needed to sit down.

Seats and couches in every shade of brown and beige known to man lined the long hallway that isolated Father’s office from the rest of the facility. A huge, homey mansion. I never knew how a man so opposed to frivolity and money as a construct had acquired such a big house, but I didn’t ever bother to question it. Father Robert was the kind of man who just made things happen. This communal mansion, my “recruiter house” that I got to live in and bring new members to, (after all, how else would I earn their trust?) All of it was part of the package.

I was sprawled on a cozy, worn in beige couch that some of our members had found on the side of a road. It used to be infested with mites and torn all apart, but it had been fixed years ago. It still carried the scars and age, thin little seams like wrinkles decorating a wizened human face.

“What are you doing, Virginia?” A feminine voice asked me. When I glanced over I realized I knew her, I had recruited her about a year ago. Pretty, only 16 years old. It was a shame since a pretty young girl had wasted her beauty to dress in gray potato sacks and horrifically sensible shoes.

I hated sensible shoes.

“I’m just resting my mind until dinner, you?” I asked politely. My mind raced and fumbled to find a name that matched the face. Clara? Cassidy maybe? Or was it Cierra?

“I wanted to ask the boss a question. It’s about the Great Ascension, I had some minor questions.” She answered with a smile, a warm one. A little bit of anxiety danced in her twitchy fingers and tapping toes. I stopped scanning her when her words hit my mind, and I had to look back up at her face.

“The Great Ascension?”

“Oh, were you gone when Father Robert came up with it? I should’ve known you’d be confused. He’s planning for all of us who are worthy to ascend to the Light tomorrow! I’m so excited, I can’t wait for my salvation. Just being free from this mortal coil and finally getting to feel the Light’s love, it will be so wonderful.” Her grin was wide, showing off her slightly crooked pearly whites.

I felt like my lungs had collapsed in my ribcage, leaving an empty, gaping hole. A black hole, sucking all the blood from my veins. For a moment, a very long moment, my heart stopped. I almost thought this was what dying was like. Pain ached and buzzed and tingled in every inch of skin, like ugly little bugs crawling throughout my being.

“What? So soon? But we’re not done spreading the good word of the Light, we’re not ready yet.” I gasped. I sounded like a croaking little toad. The girl’s smile almost faltered, the left corner of her lips twitched down for a moment. I almost missed it.

“Don’t worry! Father Robert is planning to stay behind and move on to educate more people! He said he just knows that we are ready for salvation, he believes in us. We’re ready for this!” She tried to cheer me up, placing a hand on my shoulder. The gesture felt empty, almost unkind. I shoved her hand off of me, and forgetting the lead that weighed my bones down, I got up and marched to the heavy wooden door in front of me.

No knock, no waiting, I just grabbed the cold metal handle and yanked it open. Two pairs of eyes turned to me. One dark and cruel, one kind and inquisitive.

“Virginia, what are you doing in here?”

“Why did I just hear we’re going to the Light tomorrow and I didn’t know about it?!” I demanded, almost screaming.

“Well we were going to tell you, we-”

“You aren’t going.”

“WHAT?!”

“I said you aren’t going.”

“I heard you, Robert, I want to know why. Why am I not coming?” It felt like the building was crumbling, dust that once bound the walls clogging my lungs, making me cough and retch and scream.

“You aren’t worthy. Bonnie, face it. You aren’t like us, you don’t fit in. You’re too vain and materialistic. I warned you many, many times that this would happen. You played with fire and you got burned. Simple.” The way a smirk tugged his chapped, grayish lips was sickening. The silence that followed was long and tense, me just staring at him. Why me? I did everything for this man, I did everything I ever could to ensure he could spread his message. I was one of the first people to join his Organization, I did all his dirty work, I even allowed him to look at me like a wolf looking at a slab of meat for years.

He had adored me until a year ago, when my dresses and skirts were tighter and shorter than he’d ever seen someone wear. He looked at me like unconquered territory. My legs were uncharted waters, my chest was a bountiful land of prosperity for him to conquer. But I never let him touch me. Even when he begged and pleaded and said it was only right I refused. So he created a rule against vanity, saying the Light had come to him and told him of my sinning. He’d despised me ever since.

“Father Robert.” Gloria’s stern voice brought me out of my panicked haze, and I glanced at her. Her eyes were fixed on the old man in front of her, a fire I’d never seen before burning in her eyes. “She has done nothing wrong. She is not vain and you know that, she’s simply smart. She’s the top recruiter we have in this Organization, so many people’s souls have been saved because of her. You have to allow her to Ascend with the rest of us.”

A small smile tugged at my lips. Gloria had never been one to stand up for herself. When we were on the playground as kids, she would be teased and bullied and I would be the one to fend the bullies off. In return, she would give me the extra snacks her mom always packed in her lunch. It was a good deal for both of us, and how our lifelong friendship bloomed. I was proud of her for how she’d grown up so much.

I turned my attention to Father Robert, the man in front of us. His face was unreadable, looking between the two of us slowly. Finally, his eyes settled on me.

“Fine, But I expect you to wear something more professional tomorrow for the ceremony.”

The ceremony was less grand than I had expected. My imagination had conjured up grand decorations everywhere, a banquet room looking like the epitome of class. Gold, sparkles, maybe a little confetti for fun.

I should’ve known that was nothing like what would actually happen.

In reality there were no decorations, just a normal banquet room with an array of blades lining tables at the front. Some were normal kitchen knives, plain and sturdy, others were more interesting, like delicate hand-carved daggers and heavy looking swords. I examined each one carefully until my eyes landed on a gorgeous dagger, maybe 5 inches long, with a shiny gold handle that had been carved to resemble the head of a bird. Instead of a beak, the bird had its blade. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my life.

“Everyone.” Father Robert’s voice boomed through the room before his gaze settled on me. “I would like to welcome you all to the first ever Ascension. It is my honor to guide you all to the light, as it was my honor to lead you in life. I hope that the afterlife will bring you all great joy.” The crowd erupted in cheers. I glanced around. No one looked even vaguely hesitant, all of them had thrown themselves into their joy.

“In order to Ascend, there is one final task you all must complete.” That got peoples’ attention, enough for a hush to fall over the crowd. “There are blades lined up here, these are going to be tools for your Ascension. Please, everybody pick one.” I immediately rushed for the beautiful golden dagger, and luckily I got it. It seemed to shine in the ugly fluorescent lights, the gold twinkling in my hands. I felt like I was hypnotized, just staring at it.

My concentration was broken when Father Robert began to speak again.

“Now, this process will be painful, but nothing without pain will bring reward.” He spoke slowly, carefully, his deep voice rattling through my bones. “I want you all to point your blades toward yourselves, pray for one last time, and stab yourselves. As many times as you must in order to die. The more blood you shed, the more beautiful your afterlife will be.” I should’ve been shocked, I should've shook and quivered in fear, screamed and begged to stay. I didn’t. Instead I followed instructions. Slowly, I pointed the shining blade at myself.

Light, please take me into your arms, guide me on my Ascension to the ranks of the Enlightened Ones. Please bring me the honor of peace in the Afterlife. Thank you.

Then, without a second thought, I plunged the blade into my flesh.

Pain. Pain was all I felt. Red hot. Burning my stomach. Everything felt wet. I heard a scream, but my throat was raw. Maybe it was mine. Maybe it wasn’t. Up was down and left was right. I looked down at my hands. I was alive.

I drew my knife again. Plunged it in again. I wasn’t dead. I needed to be dead to end this. Again. Again. Again.

As clouds filled my brain like bubble wrap in a box, muffling all my thoughts, all I could think was how striking a color combination gold and red was.

And then it was quiet.

Too quiet.

Where was the singing? The hugs, the warmth, the feeling of love bursting through you, almost ripping you to shreds? Where were the loved ones waiting on you, where were the Enlightened Ones ready to give you their wisdom, like a gift wrapped up with a neat little bow? Where was the joy?

All I felt was emptiness. Cold. If I still had my body, it would’ve shivered. That body was gone. And so was I.

Where was I?

There was nothing but darkness for as far as the soul could see.

I knew why there was nothingness, but I didn’t want to admit it.

Had we been lied to? Had Father Robert just made up all this beauty and warmth? Had he led us to believe that there was some wonderful afterlife, to bring us peace with death.

Had I, by association, been a liar too? Brought innocent people to their deaths when they had full lives to live? It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t. I believed. I thought I was doing a good thing. I thought the methods were dodgy, sure, but the message was true.

It wasn’t.

I led hundreds of people to their deaths, like a shepherd herding his sheep to the slaughterhouse. This was all my fault. I did that to people, and it was my fault.

And now, that was all I had to think about for the rest of eternity.

[universitypenguin]

Oooh! A Jake centric chapter? I love it! 💕

He had already pried open several oysters to dig out the pearls that currently sat in his satchel, and he had even found a perfect conch that he was saving for a later time.

Aw… he’s so cute! 😍

But when he had handed them to Mandy, a proud smile on his face, she had laughed at him.

That bitch. Ick. Disgusting, horrible… Mandy is cancelled. 😡

Didn’t have a great first impression of her and now I’m done. President of the “We Hate Mandy Club” right here!🙅🏼‍♀️

What if you also thought the shells and pearls were stupid? What if you didn’t like them? What if you just threw them back into the sea?

What if you laughed at them?

This, this right here! This is why Mandy is cancelled. Jake deserves better 😠

He wasn’t sure how much his friend had meant those words.

TBH, neither am I. Also, what are “true mates?” I’m intrigued!

He could smell how your scent had changed since he placed it there. It was still sweet, a pleasant mix of sunshine and something floral, but now there was a hint of him added to it that gave it a certain spiceness. Jake practically purred at the thought of that change being permanent.

He does have extra powers! Called it! He’s also giving me vampire vibes right now with the whole ‘scent’ business. It’s serving Edward Cullen energy, which works for me because I loved those books. (The first three books, at least, just to be clear. Breaking Dawn was unnecessary. S.M. should’ve bitten the bullet and killed her darlings but instead we got baby Remdesivir… 🙄🥴)

God, he wanted to hold you.

*swoon* I want that for them, too.

Jake felt a tinge of annoyance when you called for another man to come see the gifts that he had brought for you, and it only deepened as he watched the other man crouch down beside you. You held the shells out to Bob, and Jake almost saw red, but stopped at your next words.

Ooohh…😏 monster!Jake is serving jealous mating heat energy and I am here for it.

“Aren’t these amazing?”

Pride swelled within him as he took in your excitement. It had been him. Him and no one else that had made you so happy. His cheeks started to ache from how hard he was smiling.

Good 😊 This is the reaction she’s supposed to have to your gifts if she’s really the one. Don’t tolerate anything less Jake.

Mandy is toxic.

No, he and the others would have to ease you into the idea of it all first, or risk scaring you off.

Uh… yeah, about that. They’re not doing a great job at that. In fact they’re almost doing the exact opposite. 😐

For the first time in a long time, Jake felt true happiness.

*Squeals* *kicks feet in the air* yes! 🙌🏻

I’m so happy that he’s happy! 😃 Let’s tell Mandy to go kick rocks and have these two ride off into the sunset.

Except for that tiny little issue of the dead body and the FBI being in town. You’ve done a great job at setting up the conflict and raising the stakes by making me care about Jake’s emotions. I definitely felt a sense of empathy with him, especially in regard to Mandy treating him like crap.

But even with all my excitement for Jake’s opening move being well-received, I’ve not forgotten about the dead body or the police drama playing out in town.

Meet Me at the Sea: Chapter Three and a Half

Meet Me at the Sea: Chapter Three and a Half

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Reader

Summary: Your best friend, Bob Floyd, had insisted you join him for the summer at his family's home along the Carolina coasts. You had been hesitant at first, but ultimately agreed to his request. Now, here you were in a new town with strange locals who spoke in hushed whispers and cryptic retellings about glistening scales, glowing eyes, and haunting songs that echoed from the sea. You didn't believe them at first, but when you wake up on the beach one morning after having fallen overboard the night before, you can't help but think that maybe you hadn't imagine the strong arms and deep, green eyes of the man that had saved you.

Trigger Warnings: Mermaids and fluff with a hint of angst.

Word Count: 1,509

A/N: I've decided to count this as it's own little mini-chapter because it's too long to be a blurb lol So we're going to call it Chapter Three and a Half! If you're feeling kind/generous, please consider buying me a ko-fi! Also, if you DO NOT fill out the form below (Tag List) then you will not be tagged! I will be referring to that Google form from now on! As always, reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated! Asks/requests are always open! 18+ ONLY!! You can find me on AO3 under sailor_aviator where I also post my updates!

Series Masterlist || Jake "Hangman" Seresin Tag List

The water was cool against Jake’s skin, the pleasant stillness of the ocean wrapping around him as he scoured the floor for the perfect items. A woven bag hung off his shoulder, floating up and away from his body as he moved through the water. The smaller fish darted away from him as he passed, the bigger ones eyeing him suspiciously. Jake paid them no mind, too focused on the task at hand.

He had already pried open several oysters to dig out the pearls that currently sat in his satchel, and he had even found a perfect conch that he was saving for a later time. He didn’t want to start off too showy in case you would find that distasteful. Besides, the thought of actually being able to hand you the conch shell put a smile on his face. No, for now he would settle for the pearls combined with the calico and whelk shells. He just hoped that he wasn’t veering too far in the opposite direction that he came off as not caring. Because he did. He cared a lot about what you thought.

Impressing and talking to girls had always come easy to Jake, but that was probably because he knew that he would more than likely end up with Mandy. Mandy wasn’t a horrible choice, quite the opposite in fact, but Jake always felt like there was something out there waiting for him. Now he knew why. Now he had another option. Now…now he felt the pressure most everyone else felt when it came to a significant other. He wanted things to be perfect for you, and now that he thought back to the shells in his satchel, he frowned.

He had gotten Mandy some shells once, back when they had first presented. He had wanted to make an effort for her, so sixteen year old Jake Seresin had spend hours at the bottom of the ocean floor picking out what he thought were the perfect gifts for his supposed betrothed.

But when he had handed them to Mandy, a proud smile on his face, she had laughed at him.

“Jake, be serious,” she had giggled, eyeing the shells in her hands. Jake’s smile had dropped, staring at her. “I’m not interested in stupid, old customs like this. If you’re going to get me something, get me something that matters.”

Jake had laughed it off at the time, but the sting of those words still hung over his head, and he paused on top of some coral as he thought about what it was he was doing.

What if you also thought the shells and pearls were stupid? What if you didn’t like them? What if you just threw them back into the sea?

What if you laughed at them?

Jake wasn’t sure he could take that kind of rejection from you. He was sure it would destroy him, in fact.

But then he thought back to how shyly you had looked at him when he had introduced himself to you, and he knew that you would never do that. Not to his face, anyway.

So he made his way towards the surface, looking for the shadow of the Floyd’s boat. He knew that’s where you’d be after the little confrontation with his friends earlier, and his temper flared at the thought of Bradley’s words.

“Figure your shit out with Mandy. If you don’t, then Skipper is fair game.”

He wasn’t sure how much his friend had meant those words. True mates were sacred, after all, but Bradley was as stubborn as they came. So Jake wasn’t too keen on taking any chances.

He spotted the silhouette of the boat rocking with the waves, and he quickly made his way towards it. He popped his head above the water, making sure to stay out of sight from the three people on board. Peering over the ledge at the back of the boat, he saw Walter and Bob engrossed in their fishing, and his eyes drifted down to where you lay on the wood of the deck, arms crossed beneath your head and one leg bent while the other stretched out. Jake stared at you, like he was under some kind of trance. You were beautiful, he knew that of course, but every time he saw you, it hit him just as hard as it did the first time. He hoped that a day never came where the breath wasn’t knocked out of him at the sight of you.

He took in the mark on your neck - his mark. It glimmered in the fading sunlight, a notice to all those that looked upon it that you were spoken for and that anyone who tried otherwise would have to deal with him. He could smell how your scent had changed since he placed it there. It was still sweet, a pleasant mix of sunshine and something floral, but now there was a hint of him added to it that gave it a certain spiceness. Jake practically purred at the thought of that change being permanent.

Your chest rose and fell softly as you basked in the summer sun, the beams beginning to lessen as it sank towards the horizon. You let out a contented hum in your sleep, mouth twitching up into a short-lived smile before evening out again. God, he wanted to hold you.

Jake smiled softly as you stirred from your nap, curling your other leg up as you stretched your arms out. He smiled softly at the way your own lips curled into a lazy smile, arching your back as you sat up. Ducking when you moved to stand, he could hear the sound of your conversations with Bob and Walter.

He knew he should be getting back to shore. He had made plans to meet with Mandy, to tell her that the future she had envisioned for the two of them would now only include her. He dreaded her reaction.

Jake heard footsteps approach the ledge, and he quickly moved around to the side of the boat, peeking around the corner as he saw you come into view. He watched as you stopped, spotting the gifts he had left for you, crouching down to get a better look. A smile twitched on his lips as he saw a spark of excitement alight in your eyes.

“Bob, come look at this!” You hollered over your shoulder, never taking your eyes off the shells you held in your hands. Jake felt a tinge of annoyance when you called for another man to come see the gifts that he had brought for you, and it only deepened as he watched the other man crouch down beside you. You held the shells out to Bob, and Jake almost saw red, but stopped at your next words.

“Aren’t these amazing?”

Pride swelled within him as he took in your excitement. It had been him. Him and no one else that had made you so happy. His cheeks started to ache from how hard he was smiling.

“These are some of the best specimens I’ve ever seen! And look at all of these pearls!”

Jake had taken a gamble at starting off with the less impressive finds, and his fingers itched at the prospect of seeing your reaction to the grander gifts he had already collected.

You stretched your hand out to show Bob the pearls you held in your hand, and the bespectacled man peered down at them with a frown.

“These are beautiful, aren’t they?” You all but whispered, staring at the orbs with a twinkle in your eye, a smile dancing on your lips.

Jake ducked under the surface, knowing that if he didn’t leave then, that he would risk exposing himself. He would when the time was right, but Jake knew that he was in a precarious situation.

You weren’t from North Island, and you had no idea that creatures like him even existed. The shock would be too much right now. No, he and the others would have to ease you into the idea of it all first, or risk scaring you off. He couldn’t bank on the bond keeping you there with him if he revealed the truth to you now, and the thought of you rejecting him? Seeing him as a monster? No, he couldn’t afford to think about that.

Instead, he thought about how you smiled at his gifts, cradling them so gently in your small hands. Yeah, his cheeks were definitely aching with how hard he was smiling. A song burst from his lips, echoing far and wide, one he was sure would be heard by almost everyone. He didn’t care, though. He didn’t care that he was about to go and endure Mandy’s wrath. He didn’t care that you hadn’t fully accepted him yet. He didn’t care about any of it. For the first time in a long time, Jake felt true happiness.

He wanted to hold onto the feeling for the rest of his life.

Tag List: @jakeseresinlover @haley-hotchner @queerqueenlynn @dempy @fanficfandomlove @aworldwideapart @stoptaking-the-good-names @maximus890 @sky2nd @devil-angel-winchester @hopip99 @hookslove1592 @lemmons1998 @yuckosworld @uniquedreamlandcheesecake @imamomof8 @pietrothemovie @kmc1989 @mayhemmanaged @imnotcreativeenoughforthisblog @deliriousfangirl61 @hangmandruigandmav @na-ta-sh-aa @witchybabel @keyrani @i-wanna-be-your-muse @buckysteveloki-me @clancycucumber230 @dreamlandcreations @emotionallysalty @fandom-life-12 @a-girl-who-loves-disney @nouis-bum @topherwrites @squeaky-bumblbee22 @crybaby-21 @goldenseresinretriever

[himbeaux-on-ice]

the insane thing(s) that happened to me yesterday

god uh where to begin uhhhh right. okay. so.

I have lived in Nova Scotia, within an hour of Halifax, my entire life. and of the four(?) Stanley Cup parades that have occurred in the city within that time, due to a variety of circumstances I've never gotten to attend a damn one. I've never so much as laid eyes on the damn thing in person. this has vexed me mildly for years

originally, I lamented that Nate had scheduled his parade on a deeply inconvenient day for me personally, but then schedules changed and it turns out there was actually a good chance I would, potentially, be free at the time of the parade, albeit stuck on the wrong side of the harbour. sure enough, my boss was an absolute g and let us all leave when we ran out of things to do in the morning, so I immediately beelined it across the harbour via transit (including a VERY crowded ferry) just in time to meet my roommate at the library and watch Nate’s parade go by from the air-conditioned third floor window, because my roommate is a genius.

there he is all tiny and holding the thing! wow! and also saw Cogs and Landy in their horse-drawn cart lol. alright well that took two seconds, bucket list item complete, time to go I guess!

I then split off from roommate, who wants to save money by making lunch at home, and head further downtown to get a burger and a vodka soda from Five Guys. then I wander over to Grand Parade to catch the end of Nate’s little speech, and yet another distant glimpse of the man and his Cup!

again, emphasis on distant.

alright well that’s done, now time to go find a spot to eat my burger and finish this drink. on impulse, I decide to wander slowly down to the waterfront to my favourite snack shack to get a slushie and try to find a seat by the water. it’s eight million degrees out so everyone on earth has the same idea and the line is super duper long and the area is incredibly crowded. but whatever, I have no place better to be today. I'll wait.

while I’m standing in line is when I start to notice the people moving through the crowd carrying columns of burgundy, blue and white balloons.

at first I think that they must have swiped them from the festivities on Grand Parade, which is an amusing thought. but then I realize they’re taking them into the staff entrance at the back of a large boardwalk patio restaurant, the Salt Box Beer Garden. watching them, I also start to notice that an entire half of the restaurant has been tarped off, is visibly empty of patrons (during a very busy boardwalk lunch hour on a beautiful Saturday afternoon), and has a small portable washroom trailer like the kind you can rent for nice weddings set up inside the cordon. as I watch, I can see employees moving the balloon towers around and hanging up some Avalanche jerseys around the patio, and doing wild things like polishing the handrails and going after cobwebs in corners nobody will ever look in with a broom. the kind of stuff you do when you have important guests coming over.

slushie in hand, I am now intrigued, and beginning to suspect what this is - the Beer Garden must be rented out for whatever post-parade party is gonna be held once Nate and the Cup are done touring the city later today. it's mid-afternoon, absolutely lovely down here by the water, and I have no obligations, so I set up at a picnic table with a decent view, pour the rest of the vodka soda into my slushie, dig into the burger, and amuse myself with observing the goings-on and relaying what I'm seeing to a few friends. this is an area of town that I often hang around in on warm days anyway, so even if I sit here all day and see nothing, that's by no means a waste of an afternoon. maybe if I stick around long enough, I can get a little closer glimpse of some of the NHLers over the tarp, or of the Cup! perhaps even the so-far-elusive Sid the Kid...

several very chill boardwalk hours later, it's a bit after five, the band has started up inside, and the security guys who showed up a while ago have begun letting people who show up and say the right things in through a gate to the left of those trash cans. I've gone through a second slushie, had my picnic table stolen by a family of tourists while I was sitting at it (leading me to move down onto the steps in front of it, which are closer to the gate and comfier anyway), and had a very relaxing afternoon. I'm clearly not the only person who has caught on and started hanging around, either, as by now there are a lot of other people standing about on the steps. my portable battery pack has finally died and I'm starting to do the math on how much longer I can stick around before I have to leave.

then, while fiddling with my phone, I hear a kid on the steps to my left shriek "OH MY GOD IT'S HIM!!" as the crowd breaks into excited murmurs.

I look up, then look down the boardwalk to my right.

reader, if I'd stood up and taken four steps forward, I could've touched the damn thing.

(and then presumably been tackled by that large bearded man, who seemed to be some kind of security)

Nate raised the Cup for the little gathered crowd as we whooped, and then took it into the already-started party to the sound of delighted welcoming cheers. those of us on the boardwalk mostly stood around murmuring to each other, like, "wow, did that really just happen?" and then we all sorta dispersed our separate ways. I went to buy a Beavertail pastry and find a power outlet, and then departed into the warm summer night.

and to think, a week ago, I hadn't even expected to make it to the damn parade!! I'll never resist the urge to go buy a slushie again

(the second insane thing that happened to me actually deserves its own post, but let's just say I also had a little cryptid sighting...)

[jmalchanceux]

Little Rose (Imagine) - Ashe

You have recently moved to a small town on Route 66 and work in a coffee shop, where you meet a mysterious and passionate woman without having any idea who she is.

You work at the only coffee shop in a tiny town on route 66 known to be a stopping point for travelers who risk passing through there, you don't know exactly what your job is since the owner tells you to do everything, whether it be replacing the cook, cleaning the two floors of the place by yourself, or waiting tables on busy days without being able to complain, Mr. Parker always throws in your face how much you need this job and how you won't get another one because opportunities are extremely rare and difficult.  Stardew Valley by far was not one of your options for living, but when money got tight and you had to drop out of college there were not many options but to go live with your aunt, going home was like signing the failure certificate for your parents so Eva, your maternal aunt, offered you a small room until you could settle down again. At first you thought it would be difficult to live in such a small place, but as the months went by you got used to it, there is something comforting about living with the same people and being oblivious to most things, without having anything to worry about, because not much happens in a smaller town than in a big city neighborhood.

Today the boss and his lackeys have gone out to get supplies in the neighboring town, meaning that you are having to take care of everything yourself again, in the place you occupy most of the time, behind the counter as an attendant. Since it is Tuesday, there is not much traffic, just the usual customers like the handyman Earl and the mayor's assistant, a petty and pretentious boy who thinks he knows a lot about life. Everything was fine, you were reading with your arms over the counter, waiting for the next customer to appear to break the monotony, but a small commotion outside caught your attention, the children playing in the park ran to their homes and some merchants dismissed their customers, it was something unusual to say the least, nothing like this has happened in the last two months, the time you have lived in the small town. A thin young man dressed in black enters the coffee shop, you were going to greet him, but behind him a tall and imposing woman enters. Her appearance is amazing and intriguing, you were immediately attracted by her shoulder length white hair, it couldn't be natural, right? But it did indeed suit her. The red lipstick highlights the marked lips and the hat covers the heavy makeup, only when she lifted her gaze did you notice the rare coloring, reds. A peculiar woman, you thought and gave the best smile before putting down the book to attend to them.

- Good afternoon! Welcome to Rufus's Coffee, I am (your name), how can I help you today? - you offered the standard service and your smile faltered as you noticed their confused faces, the boy looked at the woman as if he didn't know how to act.

- Good afternoon, girl! - she answered, still a little confused, sat down on one of the stools at the counter and dismissed the young man with a hand signal - Do you have whiskey?

- We don't sell alcohol in this establishment. - you moved closer to her face and whispered - But if you want I can put a shot in your coffee, just don't let my boss know about it.

- Okay... - she winked and gave you a complicit smile.

The other customers seemed to be anxious to leave, as soon as he took his eyes off the woman Earl shook his hand repeatedly to bring the bill, the mayor's assistant started loosening his tie, this day was really strange. The man left quickly as soon as he got the bill, he didn't even leave the casual tip on the table, the assistant seemed to try to keep calm, maybe he was having a bad time, you thought. His hands were shaking and he avoided raising his eyes as he threw a few bills at you before leaving as quickly as possible, just like the other man. Now it's just the two of you and peace still hung over the room, the peculiar woman is pleasant somehow, she exudes self confidence and power, something hard to see in Stardew Valley.

- Here's your coffee, Miss...

- Elizabeth. - she answers quickly and picks up the coffee cup placed on the counter - You're new here, aren't you?

- Oh, yes. I just started a few weeks ago. Have you been here before? - she nods positively before taking a small sip from the container.

- I make a sort of quarterly visit. - Elizabeth remarks and groans sipping more of her brewed coffee - Wow, your coffee is so much better than any I've ever tasted before.

- Must be because has whiskey in it, that's all.

- I don't think so, little rose.

Your face immediately flushed at the nickname, even more so being that someone you don't know is so beautiful. To like women in a small, quaint town is oppressive, I couldn't even flirt with someone without everyone knowing or judging, so new air is welcome, even if it's just a few compliments, no matter how unromantic. And she noticed your shyness and smiled pretentiously, curious at the same time, you just didn't recognize her and she realized it as soon as you offered to serve her, no one in this town would dare to talk to her so formally, they could easily be shot in the head at any hesitation and she thought about doing it thinking you were mocking them, but your smile immediately infected her. It was the sweetest, most sincere smile she had seen in years. You were like a rose blooming in the desert, unlike anyone else out there.

- Anyway, my friends and I are leaving, but I'll see you soon, (your name). - she didn't even ask the price of the coffee and left a hundred-dollar bill - The change is all yours, little rose. - and she left without letting you protest how that amount was far more than necessary.

You grinned from ear to ear for the rest of the day, you were so happy you didn't even realize how strange the town still was and how this was related to Elizabeth's visit. There weren't many customers after that, just a few men passing through town, and you were able to get some well-deserved time off before your boss came back to give you hell. Rufus Parker returns two hours after the last customers, a scowl on his tired old face, as if the day had been a bad one and he was annoyed to see how happy you were.

- (your last name), close the cash register and clear the tables. - he dictates orders and goes to his office together with one of his lackeys, his favorite employee.

The boy leaves a short time later with a wad of cash in hand, he seems nervous and uneasy. He goes to the door where the same boy who accompanied Elizabeth waits for him, they exchange a few words and the money is handed over, you are surprised but try not to jump to conclusions with their actions.

- Hey idiot, just do what Rufus said. - he shouts from the doorway when he sees you staring at him - Those stupid women.

You ignored the comment, already used to being insulted, and started counting the notes, leaving last the one Ashe left you, you were about to separate the note to keep the change when you noticed scribbles behind the paper, turning you noticed Ellizabeth's cursive and perfect handwriting.

"Hope to see you again, little rose.  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. Elizabeth C.A."

Over the next few weeks the two of you exchanged messages regularly, she proved to be an outgoing person and flirted regularly, mostly in the form of jokes, but also in care, she would always ask you about your day and if you had eaten right, if not she would spend the day berating you and making sure you were okay. However deep the conversations went, she never talked about her private life, or what she does for a living, and you just assumed she was very private in this respect. A mobile park set up in town a few days ago and ensured that the residents of Stardew Valley had fun, but you didn't get to visit yet and soon they would be leaving, your boss wouldn't let you go out either, you had to cover the schedule of several colleagues so they could have fun.

"My boss is an idiot, everyone else can go to that park, but not me, I think he hates me" - you vented via message and sighed dropping your cell phone on the counter, unlike the other times she didn't answer immediately, this worried you. Mr. Parker looked busy in the background, laughing with the lackeys while you kill yourself doing everyone's job, but their banter is interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing, minutes later he walks over to you.

- You're free today, brat. - he announces dryly and walks back into the room again, their mood not quite the same again, but you cheer up quickly.

"He released me, finally! Miracles happen LMAO"

"Sorry for the delay, I had to sort some things out. I'm glad he released you, because I'm in town, little rose."

"Really? Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise. How about we go to the park together?"

"Are you asking me on a date, Miss Elizabeth?"

"I thought that was obvious, baby."

"I'd love to go on a date with you."

"I'll pick you up on my way out of work, XOXO."

You laughed because Elizabeth was against using XOXO but once they started exchanging messages you managed to convince her to use it and now it has become a regular thing, she always ends conversations like this or uses it when she wants to show affection. As she would pick you up directly from the café there would be no time to stop by your aunt's house and change clothes, so you would have to go in uniform and this bothered you a little, you wanted to be more presentable for Elizabeth, especially since it was your first date. As soon as it was time to leave you grabbed a coat and fixed your hair in the hall mirror, rushing out of the establishment, excited to see her. And there she is, the girl who has been winning your heart little by little, leaning on a red motorcycle as brightly colored as his lips, wearing the same clothes as when you first met, and holding a bouquet of twelve red roses.

- Hello, little rose. - she says approaching, a mischievous smile on her lips.

- Hello, mystery girl. - Elizabeth hands him the roses and pulls his hand in a gentlemanly fashion, planting a tender kiss on it - These are my favorites.

- I know, it suits you. How about we go to that park and then go for a ride on a motorcycle?

- You didn't tell me you had one.

- There are many things I don't tell you, baby. But soon you will know.

- I hope so. - you whisper and hook your arms around her. I'd love to have fun with a beautiful woman and then take a ride with her. Around Elizabeth the hours pass as if they were minutes, you tested all the toys and passed all the stalls, but the looks you threw at the two of them bothered you, you expected this considering how facey they are, maybe her hair was also too flashy and you complimented her all night so she wouldn't feel insecure. The shooting booth was by far the most fun, Elizabeth hit all the shots and annoyed the man who ran the entertainment, he made a strange face as he handed you each stuffed animal she won. There were six in total, which you named together: a giraffe named Pearl, two white bears named Ivy and Izzy, a little frog named Stuart, a penguin named Bob, she said you would understand later, and a kitty named Rosie, which she insisted on reminding you of.

- How about one last toy? We haven't been on the Ferris wheel yet. - she murmured hopefully, with plans for the last moment before she left, Elizabeth wanted the evening to be perfect.

- Oh, let's hurry before they close. - you pulled her by the hand and they ran toward the line with only three other people, the boy who always accompanies the woman approached and held up the toys so they could enjoy - Who is he and why is he always around?

- One of my... Staff.

- Uh, okay.

You were the last ones to board the toy that slowly rose and stopped at the top, much longer than necessary, and as you looked down you understood why, that employee of Elizabeth's is talking to the operator.

- You planned this, didn't you? - a smile crept across his face and he leaned close to the woman's soft body, inches away.

- You caught me; I couldn't resist spending some time alone with you.

- Elizabeth...

- Um... - she murmured, leaning in as well, staring into his.

- I guess . - after weeks of flirting and building a friendly relationship, it was time to say what her heart cried out - I think I'm falling in love with you.

- What a coincidence, I'm falling in love with you too. - she smiled and closed the space between you.

Her lips are as soft as you imagined, soft and talented. The kiss that started sweet and slow in minutes turned into something rougher and more needy, her hands seemed to be all over your body, caressing your hips, groping the valley of your breasts, running her fingers through the strands of your hair, pulling you closer and closer to her. You separated only when air was needed, and even then you didn't let go, watching the beautiful view of the small town from above, enjoying the moment together that you had been waiting for so long.Minutes later the Ferris wheel started spinning again and you were on the ground, most of the people had already gone home, just a few revelers enjoying the last moments of fun.

- Boss, we have problems. - the boy came over and whispered to her, but you could hear.

- I'll be back in a few minutes, my little rose. - she took the stuffed kitten and handed it to you.

The plush already smelled of Elizabeth's perfume, and you brought it close to your face, inhaling the pleasant scent, sure to keep it in your bed for cuddling at bedtime. So inert in the beauty of the encounter you were in, you didn't even notice the mayor's assistant approaching behind you, with a bottle of beer in hand and a sneering face.

- No one would imagine that the lovely (your name) would be with a criminal.

- What are you talking about? - you were surprised by his presence and walked away quickly, the smell of his drink was unbearable - Fuck you, Douglas! You're drunk.

- All the more reason to believe me, that woman is Ashe, leader of the Deadlocks, who takes over part of the city's economy and... - he started laughing hysterically leaving you perplexed and angry - If we don't, she'll kill us. And you're dating the executioner of Stardew Valley.

Deep down what he was saying made sense, but you refused to accept it, in fact it wasn't common to act as they did around her, the money handed over by the merchants, probably in exchange for protection, all obeying her orders and her wishes. But him calling her an executioner erased any patience and tolerance you had for the boy, you have always been very calm with everyone and it's hard to take that away from you, so seeing him on the floor holding his bloody nose was a shock, especially since you left him in that situation, you didn't imagine he had that much strength or he was just too drunk to stand up.

- (your name), are you all right? What did that pig do to you? - Elizabeth runs up to you and hugs you before checking to make sure you're not hurt and that he hadn't touched you.

- Ellie, no! - you whisper and hold her hands as if begging her - He didn't do anything, I just got angry. Let him go. - she seemed reluctant but eventually gave in to your request, signaling you to let go.

- You called me Ellie. - she noticed and liked - I wouldn't know what to do if he touched you. Anyway, come on, I still owe you a bike ride.

The way to her motorcycle was silent but not strange, despite what was said you trust her, the person she is with you is totally different from an executioner, she is sweet, caring and protective. When you get there she prepares to get on the motorcycle without a helmet and puts one on your head, it was delicate and full of skulls drawn by the extension, you are her little rose and she would never forgive herself if she hurt you. The ride is fun, holding Elizabeth's waist is the best part, the feeling of comfort and intimacy while doing something fun is priceless, she was the perfect person to fall in love with and you have come to realize that it doesn't matter what she does or how she acts to achieve her goals, she could be Ashe, the leader of a dangerous gang, but to you she is Elizabeth, someone sensitive, fun and passionate that makes you feel special. After half an hour riding through the sandy paths she stopped the motorcycle next to a rock, then instructed you to climb on it, which you did with some difficulty, helping each other you soon reached the top together, you would never expect to find a camp cabin and a fireplace waiting for you, an omnic seemed to be trying to toast a marshmallow without success.

- That's all, Bob. - she says calmly and guides you to sit around the fire while the robot walks away and takes off his hat to say goodbye, you imitate the sign even though you're not wearing one - I told you you would understand the penguin.

- Is he your butler?

- Yes, ever since I was a child. - Elizabeth shrugs and smiles, turning back to you, a bottle of champagne in hand - I want to end this evening on the best night possible, I'm really falling in love with you and I don't want our relationship to start with a lie.

- I think I have an idea what this is about.

- You do? - you nod positively - Oh, that stupid guy who talked?

- Yes... And honestly... - she expects the worst, a drill or an out, at worst she thought you'd run away in fear of her - I don't care.

- What?

- You may be the leader of a gang, an executioner as they say, but to me you are and always will be Elizabeth, the woman who walked through those doors and ordered whiskey in a coffee shop, who uses XOXO in her messages and gets bears for a girl on a date. - the woman is shocked by your words and immediately smiles completely ecstatic, throwing herself against you and hugging you around the waist, her hat falling off in the process - Oh my God, your hair is natural...

- What?

- I can't believe your hair is natural and you never told me. I'll never forgive you for that. - she starts to laugh and deposits a lingering kiss on your lips.

- Silly girl. My silly little rose.

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