#I am mostly joking when I say she saved us but

[idsb]

An increasingly republican society that’s infringing on the rights of gay people needs Lady Gaga dance pop music with creepy religion coded outfits like this. She saved us once can she please do it again

[crescenthistory]

hihi i love ur work sm <3 could you pls do a barty crouch jr sunshine x grump except the reader is the grump? ik barty isnt rlly sunshine like but he seems a lot more outgoing and energetic when compared to the reader. for the prompt could it be a.6 where the reader is just being her usual grumpy self and barty sort of mocks her? if the idea doesnt sound so appealing u dont have to do it i understand !! (also ignore the fact i submitted this earlier but forgot to put the prompt lmfao)

hi sweetheart! first of all, no i will not ignore your earlier ask because what you said about my writing was soso sweet and i think about it daily<33 i am a truther of barty being the sunshine in these dynamics because his chaotic energy needs a bit of a grumpy counterpart which is why i'm also a bartylus truther shhh so i'm in love with your idea, thanks darling xx this was so fun to write, why is he like this

Prompt: A.6 "Aren't you just a sweetheart?"

Words: 2.4k

Warnings: not proofread, fem!reader (she/her pronouns used), you are in gryffindor sorry and marauders!bestie, mostly barty pov so it's sassy and biased, banter/bickering, language, some innuendos/suggestive jokes, they do not kiss physically but are making out in barty's head tbh, jegulus appearance my loves, a little bit of bartylus snuck in there

Note: i love their dynamic here, might write some more blurbs with the same storyline/concept

continuation can be found here <3 and here

Barty could not believe Regulus had betrayed him on such a carnal level.

Becoming chummy with Gryffindors in general should be considered a cardinal sin, but shagging one on the regular? Insisting that shagging was a “crude term” for it and insisting Barty accept that his best friend, stupid wanker, is actually in love with and dating James Potter, the epitome of Gryffindor bravado?

Absolutely unacceptable. Arguably a hate crime, and he told Regulus as much, only to be met with an eye roll as the black haired boy continued to drag him along to where his new boyfriend was sitting in the Great Hall, surrounded by friends.

“Well, if it isn’t Baby Black?” A girl called as Regulus approached the group, hauling Barty along with him. Others around smiled and greeted Regulus – not Barty.

“Shut it, McKinnon,” Regulus grumbled, sheepishly taking the seat on James’s left that he had saved for him. Barty could spot a slight pinkish blush creeping up on Regulus’s cheeks when James murmured a hey love and kissed his cheek.

Barty could puke at the sight.

Nevertheless, he shoved some Gryffindors further down the table to take a seat beside Regulus. For whatever reason, he had believed it necessary to bring Barty with him every single time he meets James’s gnarly pack, so Barty assumed the role of protective friend while still making it exponentially clear that he disapproves.

“No acknowledgement for me then?” Barty looked around the table who were in one degree or another cooing at the fresh couple. All except Sirius, who, like Barty, was faux gagging at the sight.

It’s a new low for Sirius Black to be your one ally.

“Make yourself note-worthy, and we’ll say hello to you, Junior.” The gruff voice came from you, who conveniently was sitting opposite Barty this morning.

You were thus far the most tolerable of James’s friends, mostly because you had yet to be as loud and obnoxious as the rest, despite the red and gold around your neck. You had yet to say almost anything at all, but what you did say had a habit of drawing a snort from Barty. Mostly because it was never particularly kind.

Your eyes didn’t leave the crossword puzzle you were working on as you ate, shutting out the bickering around you, yet somehow picking up on Barty’s comment. 

Intriguing. 

“I take great personal offence to that, darling.” Barty's voice was incredulous but he sported a contradicting wicked grin, happy at the opportunity to wreak a bit of havoc if he must be seated here.

“Ew.” You looked up at that, eyes narrowing at the pet name he gave you. He decided then and there, that was the only way he would refer to you from now on. “And good. Maybe it can help you build some character.”

“Oh, come on,” James butted in, finally drawing his eyes from Regulus – who he had sneaked an arm around before the boy could protest at the public display of affection – and looking at his dear friend and his disgruntled friend-in-law. “Be nice to Junior, he slithered here all the way from the comforts of his dungeon.”

“So did your boytoy, Potter, so watch your mouth.” Sirius, James and Regulus all winced at the word boytoy, though for very different reasons.

“And so I am being nice to him,” James retorted, squeezing Regulus as he looked down at him. “Aren’t I, love?”

“Shut up,” Regulus whispered.

“You’ve already said that today, Reggie,” McKinnon replied with a sly grin. “Find another comeback, why don’t ya?”

Regulus just rolled his eyes at her while Sirius bumped his shoulder into hers in a sign of approval.

“Anyway.” Barty drew the attention back to him as he spoke up, but his eyes were trained on you. “Build some character you say? What character would you like me to be, baby?"

You sized him up, clearly debating whether to follow James's advice or take Barty's bait. The latter seemed to win.

"Someone less disruptive would be a great start."

"That would hold more bite if you didn't willingly surround yourself with this lot," Barty laughed, waving his arms a bit too theatrically towards your friends, some of which were scowling at him, others nodding in agreement. Barty swore he could hear James whisper fair under his breath.

"Willingly is a bit of a stretch." You side-eyed Sirius beside you with a sly grin, who took a few seconds to process your sentence. Once he realised, he gasped and swatted at your arm for the disrespect.

Barty was enjoying himself much more than he expected.

"Aren't you just a sweetheart?" His grin never faltered as he continued his one-sided staring contest with you. As if you were the only thing in the room of notice, as if your friends weren't right there and needed to be won over by him as well.

“I can be,” you drawled, fighting to keep your face neutral. “You just gotta earn it."

Barty tilted his head, eyes narrowing with interest as he studied you. There was something undeniably magnetic about your sharp tongue, the way you seemed to remain so unbothered by the chaos swirling around the table.

He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table, inching just a bit closer. “And how do I do that?”

Finally, you locked eyes with him properly, levelling him with your stare. Your expression remained impassive, but there was a flicker of something—curiosity, maybe?—beneath your cold exterior.

"That ship sailed so long ago, you can't even see it from harbour, Junior."

"Good thing I can swim." Barty winked at you, and part of him thought he caught you look flustered for half a moment as his comments grew flirtier by the minute.

“Fine by me, easier to drown you if you jump in the water willingly."

Barty barked a laugh, unphased by your words. "Don't threaten me with a good time." He could feel Regulus giving him a look from his right, but Barty ignored it. He was far too entertained by you now. “Tell me, do you give everyone such a warm welcome, or am I just special?”

Your lips twitched, but you held your ground, flicking your eyes back to the crossword in front of you. “You’re just annoying.”

Regulus groaned softly, clearly wishing he could disappear into the floor. He wasn’t exactly thrilled about having to subject himself—and by extension, Barty—to the whirlwind that was James Potter and his pack of friends, but he also wasn’t blind. He saw the way Barty’s attention had shifted, how your sharp, biting comments had hooked him in a way nothing else had managed to. He could practically feel the chaos brewing.

James, ever the peacemaker, clapped his hands together. “Right, well, now that we’ve all sufficiently insulted each other—again—how about we chat about something less murder-y?”

“No promises,” you murmured, flipping a page of the Daily Prophet as you continued working through the puzzle.

“Good efforts, Potter, but I fear she's just too intrigued by me” Barty sighed, leaning back in his seat as if exhausted by the mere prospect of attention. “I have that effect on people.”

“Oh, sure,” McKinnon chimed in, rolling her eyes. “We’re all positively obsessed with you.”

Sirius, looking entirely too pleased with himself, gave you an exaggerated wink. “I’d pay good money to see her put you in your place, Junior.”

“And I’d pay good money to see you mind your own business,” you retorted coolly, not even sparing Sirius a glance. Neither boy seemed sure if the comment was meant for Sirius or Barty, but didn't let that deter their entertainment.

Barty watched the exchange with open fascination. He couldn’t help but admire how easily you held your own amongst this overzealous group, considering their tendency to overwhelm people with their loud, boisterous energy. You were like a still, cold lake amidst a storm, unbothered by the wind and waves crashing around you.

He leaned closer to Regulus, his voice dropping slightly as he muttered, “I like her.”

Regulus, still recovering from the emotional whiplash of being dragged between Barty and James’s worlds, gave Barty a flat look. “Don’t.”

Barty’s grin only widened. “Too late.”

It became a strange, almost delirious routine for Barty to be swirled into the life of James Potter and Co. He minded it less and less, irritation soothed almost instantly once he saw you.

He sought you out every time Regulus brought him along, plopping down beside you on the common room couches, leaning on your chair at the library, catching your eye in the hallways. You presented begrudgingly, always rolling your eyes and scoffing, but your resolve crumbled slowly and the smile you were fighting became more insistent.

You and your dry retorts, you with your books or puzzles in hand, you and your knowing looks that grew more affectionate.

Barty was thoroughly fascinated.

"Don't screw this up for me please," Regulus would whine as the two of them walked back to the Slytherin dorms with just a few minutes left before curfew. They had dragged out their time sprawled across the couches by the fireplace at Gryffindor.

This time, as most times of late, Regulus hadn't asked Barty to come – he hadn't needed to. While the two usually spent most of their time together, Barty had practically been glued to his side as of late, ready to jump on the opportunity to see you.

"I won't," Barty dragged out the words with annoyance, as if he had said them a thousand times as of late. "Don't worry your pretty head so much Reggie, James won't care that I'm bantering with his bestie."

"It's not just the bantering I'm worried about," Regulus muttered, but Barty caught it clear as day. He gave his friend a look that demanded further explanation.

"You clearly fancy her, Barty!" He just blinked, as if to say and? Regulus groaned. "Just don't mess anything up with her to the point where she gets so angry she doesn't want to see you anymore. I don't want to have to deal with managing my time between you and James because she wants you dead."

Barty sighed dreamily at those last words, whispering wouldn't that be hot? Regulus gave him a corrective slap up the back of his head.

"I won't okay, I won't!" Barty was the one grumbling now, trying to deal with the infatuation in his stomach, just aching to go back and bicker some more with you, while also calming his best friend down. "I don't want to actually like hurt her or anything, I just like getting a little rise out of her."

Regulus paused before the entrance to the Slytherin common room, levelling Barty with a glare. He realised then that he seemed to have a type of person he prefers to associate with, because you had given him that same look earlier when you debated each other about who should get to sit in the comfy chair. He suggested you just sit in his lap in the chair – a great compromise, really – and a beautiful blush crept up on your face when you scoffed.

"If she will make you happy, please do go for it. But be careful, please." Regulus's tone of voice was intent, leaving little room for argument.

Barty still found some, of course, but he was soft for his friend and gave way.

"Fine, don't worry, I've got it under control," he all but whined. "It's not everyday stoic Regulus Black begs me for anything, so fine."

There was a smile on Regulus's face when he shoved him then, finally stepping into the Slytherin dorms to call it a night.

You were in the library the first time Barty got you all to himself.

It was a Saturday afternoon when Barty found himself wandering through the library, absentmindedly scanning the rows of books. He wasn’t really paying attention, more so killing time before his next Quidditch practice and possibly looking for some trouble, when he spotted you in a far corner. Much better.

For once you were free from your larger than life friends, nose peacefully buried in another one of your books as you twirled your quill before your fingers. Barty knew you were waiting to scribble something in the margin, and a surprisingly soft warmth sprouted in his chest when you did. A small smile tugged at his lips as he made his way over to you, leaning casually against the bookshelf beside you.

“Fancy seeing you here, sweetheart.”

You didn’t even bother looking up. “If you’re here to annoy me, I’ll hex you. Finally got some peace and quiet."

Barty laughed, taking the seat across from you without invitation. “You wound me. What makes you think I’m here to annoy you? Maybe I just wanted some quality company.”

“Quality company?” you echoed, raising an eyebrow as you finally looked up from your book. “And yet you chose to sit with me.”

“Exactly,” Barty replied smoothly, flashing you a grin. “You’re the most interesting person in this castle, and I’m bored. I’m sure you can entertain me.”

You gave him a long, appraising look, as if trying to figure out what his angle was. “You really don’t know when to quit, do you?”

“Nope.” His characteristic cheshire cat grin was playing across his features, and you ignored the stirring it caused inside you.

A pause stretched between you as your staring contest prolonged, and for a moment, Barty thought you were going to ignore him, go back to your book, and continue the delicate balance of biting banter and cold indifference that had marked all your previous interactions.

Then, much to his surprise, you closed your book with your fingers keeping your page. You leaned back in your chair as you regarded him with a calculating gaze. “Fine. Though if you’re so desperate for company, then you tell me something interesting. Junior.”

Barty blinked, not having expected you to actually engage. His grin grew and he felt pride bloom in your chest as you began to sport your own.

"Oh, I'll tell you anything you want, if it'll keep your attention on me, sweetheart."

[tragedy-of-commons]

fuck it we ball. hsr prom date hcs because i am on something different tonight. based on my very limited experience.

dan heng

he's painfully awkward. like you expected it when you asked him to be your date but it's even worse than you predicted...

he DID pick you up and he WAS almost an hour early, causing you to rush down the stairs and almost trip (not very magical-teen-coming-of-age-moment-like of you). that kind of lightened the mood though.

also painfully sweet! upon your arrival he gives you a boutonniere/corsage that matches your outfit which he had managed to keep hidden. his sweaty palms were not just because he was nervous, then...

march helped him pick it out, he admits with red-tipped ears. that makes sense, because she was suspiciously interested in what you were wearing to the function.

but he did also forget to pick out one for him. oops.

during the slow dance bit, his hands are sweaty. you don't care because your eyes lock and there's the fuzziness curling in your gut that plagues you whenever you're with dan heng.

overall, a good experience! polite and always willing to humor your whims, even if he's a little stiff.

and if you peck him on the cheek after he walks you back to your doorstep, well, that's alright with him. more than alright.

black swan

life of the party. not in a screaming-getting-way-too-into-the-music kinda way, but in the way that everyone wants a sliver of her attention. she's always relaxed, interesting to talk to, and dreamy to boot! it wouldn't be any different at prom.

but black swan, above all else, wants to just... spend time with you. anyone that wants to chat can wait until later, when she's not watching you stuff snacks into your pockets with a fond look in her faraway eyes.

to commemorate the occasion, you're cajoled into the photobooth where you both hold up props and make funny faces for the camera. you know black swan doesn't cherish much above memories, even if they're immortalized in a gag reel where you're clad in silly-straw glasses and her in a purple mustache.

but in the last photo, right before the camera flashes, she sneaks a kiss on your cheek. your eyes are blown wide in surprise in the picture and that's her favorite part!

surprisingly adept at dancing. depending on your taste, she will either dip you dramatically and take the lead, or fall into your steps and try to make you feel more comfortable if you're nervous.

cherishes any memento from the event. she does the teasing, though, so don't get any ideas about poking fun at her for being sappy.

a great date, i dare say.

aventurine

it's a given that both of you look the best. dressed to the nines.

the whole thing is a bit sensationalized, though. mostly because he's used to everything being treated like a spectacle, aventurine tries his best (while looking like he isn't trying at all) to give you a good time.

his saving grace is that... he's here with you. everything is more enjoyable this way, even the distastefully loud music matches the pulse in his ears when he looks at y💥💥

his favorite part of the event, surprisingly, is when you ask him to ditch with you early. makes a little joke like "wow, are you having that bad of a time with me?" but there's a bit of weight behind it that you can sense. anyway, you answer by rolling your eyes and pulling him outside.

away from the noise, pretenses drop and You Hold His Hand, telling him that any time with him is a good time. but this is infinitely better, even if you're both just stood in the parking lot.

you both decide to stay a little longer. at the end of the night, the principal gets into one of those dunking booths for the children to throw balls at to get them dunked in water. aventurine bets you a date that he'll hit the target.

you know he'll win (his luck kind of scares you), so of course you take him up on that wager, very excited to lose. it's very sweet.

lol he does hit the target

you both are prom celebrities for the rest of the night with another date set in stone a week from now!

kafka

imo she would make the best date out of everyone on this list.

mostly because any outing with kafka is almost cataclysmic in its impact... starting when she pops over at your place to help you get ready! surprise!

zips you up/adjusts your lapels/make sure your makeup looks good/whatever is part of this whole routine for you. she does so while humming a dulcet tune. she wants to be involved with every aspect of your pivotal prom experience tbh. keen on making memories like black swan is, but the effort is unconscious.

also. since blade has his driver's license, she basically bribed him into being your chauffeur for the night. i think that'd be a fun detail.

if you suck at dancing, never fear, because she also isn't very good (or so she says, but she's kafka, so of course she makes it work).

is not opposed to silly photobooth pics but she'd rather have someone take a candid of you both together by persuading them nicely - more her speed.

her eyes are ENCHANTING in that dim lighting... i just know... you get so distracted that you trip over her feet. silver wolf, the resident DJ that the school hired, sees and laughs.

has that tattered jacket thrown over whatever she decides to wear. she drapes it over you if you get cold due to the weather or temperature inside of the building.

[lostintransist]

Seamstress | Part 4

Part 1 here. AO3

John lets the men simmer for two days. Mostly he lets their trip to his seamstress ride to see if they brought it up to him. They didn’t. Guess he would be playing this the sly way.

“Found an old quilt from my grandmother when cleaning out my mum’s house last leave.”

Johnny’s brain sparked on the word association just as John hoped it would.

“Found out I can get my family kilts fixed up and preserved. Met a pretty lass who runs a shop that said it was a possibility.”

“Oh?” John folded his arms across his chest, encouraging Johnny to go on by tilting his head in interest.

“Yeah, pretty bird, kicked us out when we started asking about-”

He cut himself off pretty quick but John gave him a small scary smile.

“Asking about who, Johnny?”

Johnny started to back up, hands raised as he babbled his excuses.

“Finish your excuses and go get the guys.”

Johnny turned tail and fled from the room. His muppets filed in the room, Johnny getting forced by the neck by Simon who glared down at him. Must have wanted to keep this a secret. Should have known better than to tell Johnny. The man couldn’t keep a non-life-threatening secret to save anyone’s life. Kyle and Gary slid in after the duo.

“Muppets. You will leave my seamstress well enough alone or I will make it a problem for you.”

“So she is yours?” Gary piped up from the side.

Shooting him a glare John continued.

“I am grown enough to not explain myself to the lot of you, but if I get a call again about any of you bothering her I will make it everyone’s problem.”

Kyle smirked and spoke out one side of his mouth.

“Seems like Price can’t get a date.”

“Kyle I swear to my god and yours I will make you disappear if you keep it up. If your clothes go missing, just know they will be back. Now get out of here the lot of you.”

His men shared smiles and eye contact.

They hustled from the room when he picked up his blackened coffee mug to throw at one of them.

“Fucking muppets going to send me to an early grave. I don’t even have her phone number yet,” he mumbled to himself as the back of them disappeared.

🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡

You think about John far more often than you should. He is a customer. Yes, he sleeps in your chairs and smiles at you in a way that pulls his cheeks to the moon, and yes he makes your heart flutter the tiniest bit but, but he is a customer who has never shown interest and you refuse to make someone feel uncomfortable in your shop. Your shop was a safe space, for everyone. Your flags are on clear display, so many, many flags, made sure of it.

He stepped through your thoughts carelessly. When you were wandering a superstore you somehow ended up in the camping section. A clearance foldable cot caught your eye and left the store with you. You maneuvered it into your tiny car and into the shop without allowing yourself to question why you had bought it.

John appeared two mornings following your purchase. You smile, wider than you should, at him.

“Hi John, welcome back! Got anything new and interesting for me today?”

Did you sound too chipper?

“Nothing crazy, one of my men needs a mask fixed.”

“Do you always bring in their items? I hope they are paying you at least,” you joke as you take the offered mask.

Spreading it on the counter you look it over, a tear over one ear and one from the eye portion. Both are decently easy fixes but would require your ring light and some time with a hand needle.

Looking up you offer John another smile. Fuck, can you keep the smiles to a minimum? He is going to think you are weird and then stop coming by.

“This shouldn’t take terribly long, I would say maybe an hour?”

John knocked one knuckle against the counter as he nodded. With both hands on the armrests, you remembered the cot in the back.

“Oh, John!”

He paused, ass halfway lowered into the seat.

“I..uh..” you stammer to a stop, unsure of how your words might be received.

“Yes?” He lifts a single brow at you, body not shaking as he waits.

Tucking one arm to your chest and the other to your mouth you speak from behind it.

“I found a cot. I brought it to the shop for you to use if you wanted?”

The words rush out of you, mumbled by your hand, and the speed by which you hurl them.

John stands, moving to stand next to the counter where the floor changes, noting the difference in customer space vs working space.

“What was that dove?”

Tightening your lips before biting the inside of your cheek you force yourself to say your words again. Slower, clearer you speak.

“I have a cot for you. In the back, so that you can sleep.”

His face goes blank as he blinks at you.

He looked a bit like a 404 code in the flesh.

A small smile breaks across his face as color spreads up his cheeks.

“For me?”

“Well,” you tighten both arms around your middle as you reply. “No one else seems to pay me for the privilege of sleeping in my shop, so yes?”

John rubs the back of his neck with one hand.

You awkwardly stare at him. What do you even say now? Do you invite him to lie down? No that sounded weird.

“Do you-”

“Why don-”

You both started and stopped at hearing the other’s voice.

Spinning on your heel you turned towards the storage room, confident John would follow. Popping the door open you can do nothing more than point to the cot, still covered in tape from the store.

John slides by you, chest brushing your arm and shoulder as he does. If you have to fight back the urge to take a bite? Well, he would never need to know.

“I can set it up for you if you don’t mind?” John looks back over his shoulder at you.

Knowing you are beet red you can only nod.

“I bought it for you but didn’t get a chance to,” you gesture at it as if your vague motion will explain all your thoughts.

John’s smile, eyes crinkling and shoulders softening, melted your heart.

“I’ll take care of it and then take a good nap. My men have started to comment that I am nicer to them after I get a nap here.” He knelt, pulling out a pocket knife and slicing open the package.

“Your men?” You lean against the door frame, unabashedly watching. “What is it you do for work John?”

“Special forces, I’m a captain. I lead a group of myself and four other men.”

“Well, that would explain a lot of the smells.”

He looks up at you, brow cocked.

“Smells?”

“Like fire, gunpowder, sweat, sometimes fear.”

“You get a lot of smell knowledge here?”

“I get a lot of everything here,” you shrug, unable to articulate how no matter how clean a piece of cloth some lingering smells clung.

John turns back to his task. You spend far, far too long watching him. The way his shoulders dip and arms change shape as he uses them. When the cot is built and John stands he turns and catches sight of you, you give a panicked smile and flee for the counter where you had left the mask.

Slamming your body into your chair you turned on your ring light, pulled your black thread, and focused diligently on fixing the holes you had been asked to address. John did not reappear for nearly an hour. You had finished the mask sooner than that but had not yet found the fortitude to go and wake him.

The creases on his face matched the lines on the shoulder of his shirt, and the slight drool stain.

“Right on time?”

You smile and nod.

“Well let’s settle up and I will find a reason to be back in a few days.” John returns to the customer side of the counter, sure of himself and you.

“You don’t have to pay me to come nap if that is all you need,” you start.

He cuts you off with a wave of his hand.

“My men are hard on clothes. If I can get you some business I feel less bad about using you for some shut-eye.”

Supposing you had to accept that answer you unlock your tablet and complete the transaction.

Once his card clears you pass over the mask.

“You’re jewelry box should be done by Christmas.”

He drops the statement as if he forgot to bring it up until now.

“Christmas should be fine, I don’t have many plans though I will be out of town the week of Christmas proper. I will be visiting my grandmother.” Paternal grandmother since your mother was not allowed to visit, but no need to mention that.

“We will have to find some time to ensure I can get you the gift then,” he smiled as he said it.

“I told you I would pay for it John,” you chide.

With a shrug, he tucked the mask into his pocket and stepped back from the counter.

“Can’t pay me for a Christmas present dove.”

With that, he waved and pushed through the front door.

“The hell I can’t,” you spoke to the empty shop.

Part 3 | Part 5

Masterlist

[hard-core-super-star]

sudden desire [K.Bishop + Y.Belova]

pairing: dom!yelena belova x sub!reader x switch!kate bishop

summary: after yelena dissapears on an unknown mission for a month, kate decides to take things into her own hands and encourage her to come home. things don't go exactly as planned for her on the blonde's return.

warnings: SMUT, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT! -> dom/sub dynamics; implied pet play {collars, yelena using 'pet' and 'kotenok'}; orgasm denial; bondage; fingering; oral; sex toys; a dash of overstimulation; praise + degredation; kate's a brat and proud of it; yelena's mean but a secret softie; a SEVERE lack of proof-reading!

wordcount: 4.8k

a/n: SURPRISE! kinktober may be over but i got too attached to this idea and had to finish it. i have so many thoughts and feelings about this fic but i will save them and let you guys read it and form your own opinions about this dynamic. personally, i am OBSESSED with them and i would love to expand this little universe a little more. despite this being mostly shameless smut, there are quite a few feelings involved, especially regarding yelena and how being in this dynamic helps her unwind in a way without things being strictly sexual. so yeah, there's a lot but i really hope you enjoy <3

* * * * * * *

It doesn't take a genius to figure out Yelena has been acting off for the past few weeks.

It isn't unusual for her to be a little distant. Still a little rough around the edges, thanks to the unbelievable amounts of trauma she keeps hidden inside herself. Things are different this time, though.

It's been days since she's shown up at the apartment, even longer since she's returned one of your calls. She never goes more than a few days without letting you know where she is, that she's okay and simply busy on whatever mission has taken her attention this time.

Kate tells you not to worry, that the Russian is probably just caught up in whatever mess she's discovered. You know better than that.

Unfortunately for the archer, you learned what the constant furrowing of her eyebrows means a long time ago.

Unfortunately for you, she's far too good at distracting you, always knowing exactly what to do, exactly what to say to steal all your thoughts away.

She can't fully erase your worry, though. Not that she'd even try, considering she feels the same way. Underneath all her stupid jokes, there's an edge of uncertainty she can't quite hide. It weighs her down more than anything else.

You both know Yelena could disappear in an instant if she wanted to. She could throw it all to the wind and never be heard from again if she so pleased.

She'd promised she wouldn't do it, though. Reassured you and Kate that after spending so long without a stable place to call home, she wanted to stay with you two. She wanted to be with you two.

It had taken very little to convince Kate to agree. Despite their rocky beginning, the chemistry they shared was obvious to even the most oblivious. Instead of being jealous about it like you maybe should have, you were intrigued and maybe more than a little attracted to it.

To them and the borderline overwhelming confidence they seem to exude together.

You've never been one for liking simple things, though, and the challenge of keeping them from going at each other's throats acts like an aphrodisiac most nights.

For all their bickering, they're surprisingly easy to manage. Except when it comes to the intricate play sessions Yelena enjoys setting up.

The details of what your relationship had turned into were mostly lost on you. All you knew was that whatever the Russian says goes...and Kate was bound to get punished for not doing as she was told.

As much as Yelena loves to complain about it, you all know she secretly loves it. Loves the thrill that comes with being in charge. That safe rush that takes over her mind and allows her to act without thinking. To command respect in a way she'd never experienced before.

It was a change of pace from what you were used to with Kate, that was for sure. Despite the uncharted territory, you'd gotten used to it far faster than you would have ever imagined. They both made it easy and there was something about the submission Yelena expected from you that made your heart race.

You'd never experienced anything like it before, but you couldn't deny how much you liked it. How much you craved it when she was gone.

Kate does what she can to make the time without the blonde more bearable. You're thankful for her, for the way she knows what you need without even having to ask, but it's not the same. A part of you feels guilty about it. Like there's something wrong with you for wanting to have both of your girlfriends with you.

The archer doesn't seem to mind, though. You know she feels the exact same way you do. As incredible as being with each other is, Yelena brings something different to your relationship. Something extra that you both thrive off of.

Maybe that's what makes Kate employ such...interesting persuasion tactics.

Once the days turn into weeks which turn into a month, the archer's patience wears thin. Just because you both know Yelena's silence must be due to a dangerous mission doesn't mean you're okay with the lack of communication.

Your impatience starts blending with Kate's and before you know it, you're caught in the middle of one of her "incredible" plans.

"Come on, babe," she says, her lips pulling into that all-familiar smirk. "Maybe all Yelena needs is a good incentive. Don't you want her to see what a good girl you're being for me?"

Her words do a good job convincing you, but they're not enough. You know all too well how cruel the Russian can be when she feels she's been disrespected. And the archer playing with you without permission is definitely off-limits.

It's hard to deny Kate when she's looking at you like that, though. With those sparkling eyes and that suggestive smirk.

"I don't know, Katie, it feels like a bad idea," you reply, ignoring the way she keeps leaning closer and closer to you.

"Maybe but bad ideas are the most fun, aren't they?"

You can't exactly argue with that, considering the many stupid things you've done together that have led to incredible pleasure. Although, truth be told, the archer is usually the one who has to bear the burden of whatever punishment comes after. You wish you could say you feel bad about that but...she is the one who comes up with most ideas.

You're in the middle of trying to form a response when Kate leans in to capture your lips in a heated kiss. It's impossible to stop yourself from kissing her back, your hands moving up to tangle in her messy hair.

You pull her closer to you until she's straddling your lap, practically trapping you between her and the couch. You'd love to complain, but she feels far too good against you for you to even try.

Her kisses make your mind spin until nothing remains except her. She knows this, of course, because she knows you so damn well.

When she pulls away, she's breathless yet somehow still smiling like you put the stars in the sky. "I think you're coming around to my idea."

She's not wrong but the smugness in her tone pisses you off a little. "I still think it's stupid."

"I never said it wasn't." Kate rolls her hips, tantalizingly grinding down against you. "But I promise you'll have a good time."

You groan as your head leans back against the couch with a soft thump. "You're gonna get us in so much trouble."

"Yelena loves her little troublemakers, though."

"Oh my God, please stop talking."

"Not until you agree." Her lips find their way onto your jaw, pressing soft kisses and teasing bites to your skin. "...please."

It's a low blow and he knows it, but it's impossible to deny the archer when she asks for things so nicely. "Ugh, fine, just don't tie the ropes so tight this time."

Kate agrees and before you know it, you're naked and tied up with the purple rope the archer loves to use on you. To top everything off, she wrapped her collar around your neck, something that was bound to get a reaction out of the Russian.

You and Kate were her pets and while she allowed the archer to stake some claims of dominance over you, this one was off-limits. Not that Kate cared much. She was usually a lot better at doing things behind the blonde's back, though.

What Yelena didn't know didn't hurt her, but now, she was about to be dragged into something she wasn't going to be very happy to see.

Sending her pictures of the evidence is one thing, but Kate wants more. She always does.

So, she brings out more toys, stuffing your cunt with a thick dildo and pressing a relentless vibrator to your puffy clit. The pleasure is more than enough to drown out your thoughts and objections which means you barely flinch when Kate takes her phone out again. She records the way you squirm for her, the way you moan her name like a prayer, and then, to top it all off, she sends the videos to a very pissed off Russian.

It takes a while for the consequences of the archer's actions to catch up to you.

Since Yelena's obviously busy, it takes her a few days to come back. You're not home when she arrives, having gone out to run a quick errand, but Kate is. 

Which means you're met with quite the situation on your return.

The second you close the apartment door behind you, you're slammed against it, a gentle yet firm hand wrapping itself around your throat. You freak out for about a second until your senses catch up to reality and the smoky scent of Yelena's cologne hits your nose.

Almost instantly, you relax into her hold and meet her dark green eyes. There are so many words on the tip of your tongue, but you can tell she's not in the mood for it. Her mind is completely set on the scene she already started without you.

"Hi, detka. Did you miss me?"

You do your best to nod despite how difficult her grip on your throat makes it.

"Yes? Well, that is not what Kate Bishop told me a few days ago. She said you were being a naughty slut for her."

Her words make your heart drop into your stomach. You knew Kate's plan was stupid, but you didn't think she would throw you under the bus like that. What a cheeky little traitor.

"Do not worry, kotenok, Kate and I already worked things out. Would you like to see?"

Without waiting for a response, she moves her hand from your throat to your hand, gently tugging on it to lead you toward the living room. You go with her and your eyes are instantly drawn to Kate's figure on the couch, tied up in a pattern strikingly similar to the one she'd used on you mere days ago.

The biggest difference, though, is the large, purple dildo stuffed inside her cunt. Just from looking at her, you know exactly what her punishment is going to be for stepping out of line the way she did. You have to admit, though, she looks incredible like this. Gagged and wearing her purple collar with the leash attached.

"What do you think?" Yelena asks, her tone giving away how proud she is of herself.

"She looks good," you reply, earning yourself a smile from the Russian and a muffled whine from the archer.

As much as you sympathize with Kate, you can't say you didn't warn her.

A soft squeeze to your hand makes you turn to look at Yelena again. There's a familiar softness in her features as she looks at you, almost as if she's trying to read you, trying to figure out if you're on the same page as her. You know where that insecurity comes from and you're more than ready to wipe any and all doubts from her mind.

It's easier said than done, though, and the first step is always the hardest.

Thankfully, Yelena takes it for you.

"Kneel."

It's a single word, barely a command, but the storms hidden in her green eyes don't lie. She needs this just as much as you need her.

So, even though you crave comfort more than submission right now, you do exactly what she says. You drop down onto your knees in the middle of the living room, doing your best to ignore the way Kate squirms on the couch.

Yelena steps forward, her hand reaching out to caress your face. "You look so good like this, malishka. You understand pets should be seen and not heard, right? Or do I need to teach you a lesson too?"

You shake your head, not feeling particularly enthused about receiving a punishment already. Then again, you're sure if the blonde really wanted to, she'd do it anyway, regardless of your good behavior.

"Good."

It's not entirely praise, but her voice carries a twinge of affection that makes Kate whine. You don't know what happened between them, what exactly the archer did to piss off the blonde so much, but you know she's paying for it now. Which means, in some weird way, you're paying for it too.

Yelena admires you for a long moment, silently watching your reactions, watching the way you submit deeper and deeper with eveyr second that goes by. She loves Kate, she really does, but there's something about the ease with which she can control you that does things to her that she can't explain.

It's not about the pleasure. At least, not fully.

It's not even about the power she holds over you right now.

It's about the control. About being able to not worry and know you'll do exactly what she wants.

She doesn't have to guess or think too hard. 

You're both on opposite ends of the same spectrum. You both need each other to stop the fears and the worries. To quiet your thoughts until nothing remains but each other...and the whiny, puppy-like switch squirming on the couch.

It's strange, but it works. You all work. And it's absolutely terrifying because none of you have ever experienced anything like this before. You've never wanted anything the way you want each other.

"What do you want from me tonight, detka?" The blonde asks, her voice still soft despite the hardness on her face. "I will give you anything you desire."

Her words carry far more weight than you want to think about right now. You want to simply focus on the scene. On the role you have to play here.

It's hard, though, when Yelena's looking at you with an adoration that rivals Kate's. It's not like the Russian doesn't love you. You know she does. She just shows it in ways that aren't super compatible with you.

Right now, though...right now, it's working for you far more than it should be. All you can think about is how much you missed her, how badly you want to be under her control once more.

You're not sure how to articulate what you're looking for. All you can do is hope the blonde can make sense of the messy thoughts in your head.

"I just want you," you reply, your words a touch too vulnerable for your liking. "Want you to take control. To touch me until I can't take it anymore."

After spending the past few weeks taking orders from rich people who pay well but don't understand what it takes to kill a person, your request sounds like music to her ears. It's almost laughable how easy it'll be to fufill your desires, to give you exactly what you want until you can't think about anything else but her.

"I can work with that," she says, the corners of her mouth curling up into a wicked smirk. "As long as you are okay without Kate Bishop?"

The question catches you a little off-guard. Not because you're particuarly in need of the stubborn archer, but because she is. Yelena's a good domme, no one can deny that, and yet she hesitates to use you without Kate breathing down her neck.

She must be really pissed off if she wants to keep her off to the side and away from the action.

"Yeah, I'm okay with that." Your words are true, but you can't deny your curiosity so you push a little more. "Is she only allowed to watch?"

"Until I decide she has learned her lesson."

 Yelena's response makes Kate cry out again. All the blonde has to do is look up and glare to get her to quiet down. It's scary how angry she seems to be...and also really, really hot.

Especially when she looks back down at you and her eyes soften. "Present yourself for me, kotenok. Remind me what I have been missing."

You don't waste any time in scrambling into position. Kate's eyes seem to burn through you while you get onto your hands and knees in front of Yelena, pushing your ass back just a little. 

Despite the clothes you're still wearing, you feel incredibly exposed.

That feeling only intensifies as the blonde walks around you, circling you slowly and taking in every inch of your body. You're not sure where to look, stuck between wanting to duck your head in a show of submission and keeping your eyes on Kate, watching the frustration that blooms across her beautiful features.

Thankfully, Yelena doesn't like keeping you guessing. She enjoys clear commands, leaving none of you with doubts about what she's looking for. "Keep your eyes on her, datka. You too, Kate Bishop."

You let out a hum in response while the archer in front of you huffs and squirms around in her restraints. You have to admit...the sight is incredible.

The Russian settles behind you, a callused hand reaching out to caress down your spine. It takes you a second longer to realize you feel more than just her hand. However, as soon as the thought hits you, she steals them all away with a precise slice of her trusty combat knife.

It shouldn't be surprising, and yet you still gasp, your back arching while she cuts away your clothes. "Do not worry, detka, Kate Bishop will you buy a new outfit. Isn't that right, pet?"

Kate all but glares at you. You know it's not about you. Whatever issues they're having are unfortunatly being worked out through you, but you're not the problem. Hell, maybe there isn't even a problem. Maybe they're just having fun pushing back against each other because they can.

You honestly don't know. But the uncertainty makes everything all the more pleasurable. At least for you. You're not sure the archer can say the same thing.

Yelena makes quick work of your clothes, allowing them to drop to the ground and reveal your dripping cunt. You can't see her smirk, but you feel it in the way her fingers skim over your skin. Light enough to tease but hard enough to remind you not to move. To stay nice and still while she has her fun.

"Look at you. So desperate already. You truly amaze me, kotenok. Always so ready for me to use your pretty holes."

Your walls clench around pure air, making the smirk on the blonde's face grow wider. She can't stop herself from sinking onto her knees behind you and reaching out to touch you.

Two fingers tease and prod at your entrance while she watches you shake and shudder under her touch. She spreads your lips apart just to watch the way your cunt flutters around nothing. A part of her wants to draw this out, you're sure of it, but she's missed you just as much as you've missed her. (Maybe more, but she'd never admit that out loud. Especially not with Kate around)

"You are so good for me, so perfect. All for me to use."

You open your mouth to reply, more out of instinct than a need to say something, but all that comes out is borderline pathetic moan as the blonde works her fingers into your pussy. 

She sets a slow pace, almost as if she's taking her time exploring you. The slow speed does little to soothe the fire burning low in your belly but it does help ease your desperation. Not by much, of course, and you're sure the blonde knows that.

Almost as if on cue, Yelena's other hand joins the fun, thumb drawing circles on your sensitive clit. The action catches you off-guard and you barely manage to balance yourself instead of falling face-first onto the ground below you.

Your reaction makes her laugh, but what really entertains her is the struggle Kate is visibly going through. 

The archer has always thrived off your pleasure. Always gotten off on your desperate sounds, on the way you lose control over your body, on the palpable desperation that stretches itself over your features. Today is no different. Except for the fact she can't get off.

Sure, her cunt is stuffed full and the dildo keeps rubbing up against her in the best way whenever she squirms around too much, but it's not nearly enough. Her clit throbs painfully, swollen and in desperate need of attention. She won't be getting anything right now, though. Not until Yelena decides she's learned her lesson...or until Kate manages to make herself cum.

"Look at her, malyshka. And here I thought you were the needy one."

You do look at Kate, more out of habit than anything else. She's a vision. Flushed, desperate, and so squirmy it's a miracle she hasn't fallen off the couch.

The sight of her makes you clench around Yelena's fingers, greedily trying to pull them in deeeper. Neither of you are surprised, but it does make the blonde a little more competitive than usual.

She suddenly increases her speed, curling her fingers just enough to have you pushing back against her in search of more. "Such a greedy little pet. You are lucky I like seeing you like this. Although..."

Her words trail off and you instantly know she's coming up with something new. Some other way of making you submit to her, of playing with both of you until Kate stops trying to be a smartass. You doubt that'll happen, but you know Yelena will try anyway.

Whatever the Russian comes up with, she doesn't say anything more, instead going right back to fucking into your cunt. She works a third finger into your walls, stretching you on the digits while she mercilessly rubs your clit.

You can feel it building. The pleasure reaching and reaching toward a fever pitch that will leave you fuzzy-headed and thoughtless. It's so close. You open your mouth, obediently getting ready to ask for permission like a good pet, when suddenly...she removes her fingers from you.

You try your hardest to hold on to some semblance of composure, but you can't. Not when you were so close and full and feeling so good.

A whine makes its way out of your throat and you promptly earn yourself a hard smack to your ass.

"Do not be a brat. You do not want to join Kate Bishop, correct?"

Your response is instantaneous. "No. I'm sorry."

"I know you are, kotenok. But I still need you to behave, okay?"

You nod and Yelena smiles at your quick change of mood. She doesn't say anything else, merely motions for you to crawl forward, toward Kate and the mess between her legs.

Your body moves before you can even comprehend what you're doing. You crawl toward the archer, coming to a stop right between her spread legs, courtesy of Yelena shifting her around until she was sitting up. You tilt your head back to look up at the blonde, waiting slightly impatiently for her command.

You have a feeling you already know what it's going to be.

Yelena takes her time, though. Pretending to be busy adjusting Kate's posture and spreading her thighs for you to see the mess she's made of herself.

Once she's satisfied, and your nose is full of the scent of the archer's arousal, she finally tells you to move. "You know what to do, detka. Make the brat scream your name."

If Kate has any objections, they're swallowed up by her moans once your tongue finds its way onto her clit. It practically pulses beneath you and you waste no time wrapping your lips around the bud and sucking. Hard.

The archer tries to squirm away from you, caught somewhere between her sensitivity and her desperate need for an orgasm. Yelena holds her steady while she keeps her eyes on you. She doesn't really need to, she already knows you know what to do.

You technically don't have permission to touch so you put all your focus into making Kate fall apart with just your mouth. The frantic bucking of her hips tells you all you need to know about how she's feeling. You've never been so jealous of a dildo before, wishing it was your fingers she was clenching around instead.

The archer doesn't seem to mind, though, head thrown back against Yelena, muffled whines leaving her gagged mouth. Whatever the blonde is saying to her is a mere whisper, a secret between them, perfectly crafted to make her fall apart.

You double your efforts, sucking her clit and dragging your tongue along the surface. Your eyes are glued to her face, to the pleasure that spreads along every inch of it, to the rapid heaving of her chest as she tries to keep herself under control. It's useless, though. You all know she's on the edge of losing her composure. Of letting her usual brattiness fade away until all that remains is Yelena's power over her.

Kate's shaking increases in intensity, giving away just how close she is to falling apart. She can't exactly ask for permission due to being gagged but then again, she doesn't need to. Yelena already knows. She always knows.

"Come on, Kate Bishop. Do not tell me you forgot the rules already. I was hoping I would be able to reward you for doing such a good job."

The archer bucks into your mouth, making you moan against her. The vibrations do little to soothe the burning in her core and it takes all her willpower to not fall apart right then and there.

All she can do, though, is let out a string of incoherent mumbles, tinged with a whiny edge that makes Yelena smirk. Those sounds are nowhere near the words she's meant to be saying, the desperate begging the blonde loves hearing from her.

"It sounds like someone does not want the reward I'm offering. What a shame..." She trails off purposely, doing it just to mess with the archer's head.

Kate bites. Of course, she does. As much as she loves to pretend, and as stubborn as she can be most days, she loves this. Loves the rush that comes with the blonde's power over her. There's pleasure in the pushback, but it's when she lets go that she truly feels the weight of it.

You don't slow down for a second. You know it makes things much harder for your girlfriend, but you can't really help it. You're intoxicated by the smell of her, by the taste of her never-ending arousal.

She continues to let out strings of mumbles and whines, each sound growing more desperate than the last. Her thighs shake uncontrollably, giving away just how much she's struggling to hold her orgasm off.

As mean as Yelena can be sometimes, she's not cruel. She only drags the moment out for a few extra seconds before her hand curls into Kate's hair, dragging her head back to expose her delicate throat. "I know, I know. Go ahead, cum for me, darling. You did good."

It's unclear which part of the Russian's words gets to the archer, but it doesn't matter, the effect is the same.

Her whole body stills for a second, a strangled cry getting caught in her throat as she comes undone.

You moan with her which helps drag out the pleasure crashing into her like waves. You work overtime to lap up her release, drinking in her essence and soothing her overwhelming sensitivity as best as you can. It doesn't seem to work considering how violent her shaking becomes, but you don't have any complaints.

Yelena's hand somehow finds its way onto your hair next and she pulls you off the whining archer. "Such a good pet for me. Good girl, kotenok. Will you help me with Kate? She is...a little out of it."

You know what she means. Mainly because you can see it but also because of the way the blonde drops off Kate's last name. You're not fully sure why she has such a fascination with using your girlfriend's full name all the time. All you know is her habit instantly dissapears when the archer's submissive side comes out.

It's not too surprising, though, considering how badly Kate craves comfort and connection in those moments.

A part of you wants to complain since you still haven't gotten your orgasm, but you know better.

You stand up on shaky legs and help Yelena untie the brunette. Leaving the collar on is a no-brainer and even though her whines are pitiful, you slide the dildo out of her.

You pepper kisses across her skin the entire time, instantly recognizing how glossy her eyes are, how far away her mind seems to be. She's as beautiful as ever, in your opinion.

In no time, the three of you are snuggled up in bed. Kate's still really floaty, you're on the edge of going totally fuzzy, and Yelena is happier than she's been in weeks. 

Maybe it's weird but you really don't fucking care. Not when Kate's head is resting in your lap and you're completely relaxed lounging in between Yelena's legs.

[clockwards]

Have some Gempearl minific bits because I don't think I'll ever write a proper one (although I am writing a longer, weirder, Gem-centric fic)

Gem likes being a deer. She used to say it was because people underestimated her, but those days have long since passed. Her antlers hold her a little taller than Joel's curled horns, something she gleefully thinks about but does not say aloud when he forms hills to be higher - she'd rather blame his mountain goat instincts than listen to his blustering excuses.

They are out of their element with the current base of operations, anyway. Deer need trees to run between, goats need cliffs to scale, but this is a wide, open space. It screams danger on all sides, even with the little walls they'd constructed. None of which was helped by the swathes of people (friends, friends, something caustic and fearful) that gathered around her barn. A piece of her loves it: there is safety in numbers, safety in the herd when they hear the ticking clock. This time more than ever there is a tug of confusion on her heartstrings when they circle her, yellow and aching, mangy wolves around a faun.

The wolves kind of suck at killing her though, so she mostly ignores them.

And in her periphery, Pearl flits. It’s in her nature, as a moth. To circle around a light source and tempt fire, to see a beautiful spot of colour and want to suck it dry. She teases at the edge of her vision, goading death and friendship, pressing at the soft centre of Gem’s back and whispering.

“I want that life, doe. I bet it’d taste delicious.”

She rolls her eyes. “Come take it yourself, my dear.”

Privately, she thinks of the whole ordeal as a particularly bad Disney movie plot. Like Bambi, if his first interaction with the butterflies was to be mildly threatened. She’s generally easy to ward away, a soft shoo-ing off from herself or Scott. Out of earshot, she jokes about needing bug spray, and Joel cackles. Together they are a bright, glowing green and the whole world tastes like pepper and lemongrass under their tongues.

They’ve gotten rather collaborative in the past few hours, the flying trivia game causing people to run screeching for answers. She watches, a genial smile on her face, as Pearl’s alights in her yard.

“Who, oh, who opened the End portal in secret life?”

Gem blinks.

“I don’t know, I don’t know who put the last Eye in, I wasn’t-”

She stops listening. That secret had burnt the nerves from her hand to forehead, that secret made her who she was. It felt like water trickling the wrong way up her arm as she set it in the frame, cracking open a hole in the world and in turn, her body. She’d spent the rest of that life with a numb, twitching shield hand, the spots on her shoulder bright with some odd, false light. She hadn’t even won. She hadn’t won, because-

“I think it was me.”

Her head snaps back to the present. And truly, she could have corrected her. She could have shouted ‘me, me!’ the second the question was asked and saved them both a world of pain. Spite and hope hold her tongue like a hostage, and she finds spite has much better reason. Pearl is laughing nervously as the robot puts the microphone down, and Gem is reassuring her, Watcher knows why. She finds her vision is blurred a little, everything coming in and out of focus, until Joel laughs so hard and loud he bleats a little, calling,

“Gem! Gem, she sounds like a robot! Pearl, talk, say something, come on!”

She’s slapping her hand over her mouth repeatedly as if it will system reset her, words coming out as garbled beeps. She catches Gem’s gaze and speaks louder, as if she could solve this for her.

“You know.” She walks backwards and Pearl follows, beeping askance, gesturing wildly. She grins. “You know, I think we can finally have a conversation like this, Pearly.”

It’s a ridiculous punishment. She cannot help but feel it was hand-picked for her pleasure, though, watching those wings flare out in annoyance with every word.

“You’d do anything for me, I know.”

The frown on her face and bucket of lava in her hand say otherwise, but it’s just too easy to put words in her mouth this way. To hear what she wants to hear. It’s laughable, and pitiful, but her left shoulder aches with phantom pain and she remembered nothing of it.

“Oh, my…my poor red Pearl.” Schooling her expression, she turns to blink consideringly up at her. “When I’m red, and you’re still here…I’m sure we can have some fun. Again”

When she nods eagerly, glitching sounds of joy spilling from her, Gem smiles for real. It’s a promise. It is, maybe, a threat.

*

In the middle of the next (typically chaotic) day, Pearl drifts behind her calling plaintive compliments.

“You’re gorgeous, you’re amazing, Gem, come on,”

“Uh huh.”

“You- you’re like a flower!”

“And you’re a bug,” she snorts, grinding her heel over the freshly shoveled dirt. Pearl sputters, antennae flexing dramatically.

“That, that-” she mutters to herself, before jumping triumphantly, “that means, that we are meant to go together!”

Gem cocks her head to the side, smiling at the ground. From Pearl’s vantage, she's certain the moth cannot see it. It’s silly to be pleased at something like that, and anyway, she’s much too far into her game to give it up now.

“Uh huh, Pearl, if you say so,” she hums, tune ever sweeter with her companion competition’s indignation.

[aspenispoplar]

Ok so here's my thoughts on dungeon meshi as a D&D party finally.

Okay so Laios and Falin's players (P!Laios & P!Falin) are actually brother and sister in real life. P!Laios got his sister to join him in the D&D game he was in. She was pretty shy and so wanted to make a healer character.

So their party plays the campaign for a while. Maybe a couple years or so. Mostly it doesn't have all that intense of a plot, but everyone's enjoying it.

Then in the dragon fight, Falin's player asks the DM if she can save Laios from the dragon's critical hit bite. The DM says sure but she only rolls like a 13, so the DM lets her save him by sacrificing her character, and she agrees.

Everyone's quite shaken up about it all, and to up the stakes the DM has the couple DMPCs/hirelings they had leave the party.

And now we get to the main focus of this headcanon. After P!Falin died, she wanted to make a new character, with a really different vibe from her old one, especially since she had gotten a lot more comfortable playing D&D now. In real life, she and P!Laios enjoy cooking together a lot, so she talked to the DM and P!Laios about it, and out came Senshi- P!Falin's new character!

P!Laios decides to try to help support P!Senshi's desire to focus more on cooking by taking out a book on monster cooking which he put in his inventory as a bit during character creation.

Basically it went like this

DM, (thinking to DMself: they're pretty overleveled now for the earlier layers of the dungeon, I should try and make it harder on them): so, you're running low on money. Even without the hirelings to pay, you need to sacrifice some of your expenses or sell some of your equipment to afford everything you lost.

P!Laios: Hey DM, how much do our rations cost? Because remember that meme book that I gave myself during character creation on cooking monsters?

DM: *very large sigh*

P!Senshi: *barely-restrained giddiness*

That's the main headcanon, but I also have other minor little headcanons about the other two player's characters.

Chilchuck's player has had some antagonistic DMs who loved torturing their players with traps in the past, so when they were told by the DM that the campaign was going to be "a pretty realistic dungeon crawl", P!Chilchuck decided to make the most roguey rogue of all rogues to ever rogue. They maxed out the trap-finding score to the point where the DM had to actually start including more traps for Chilchuck to feel a bit more useful, since the DM never actually planned on using very many traps in the campaign.

Marcille's player is a huge anime fan, and has made on-and-off jokes this whole time about the dungeon being some sort of bad isekai plot.

DM: Marcille, you feel a wet splash on the top of your head, only seconds before a slime drops on top of you.

P!Marcille: Oh? It's on my head? Is it suffocating me? Choking me perhaps...? Restraining me?

DM: Fuck you. Also you take 2 acid damage.

*everyone laughs at the DM's pain*

DM: There is a large plant monster in front of all of you

P!Marcille: Oh? Does it have vines? Like, tentacle-ish vines?

DM: You know what? It does now. It's rolls a 17 on grappling you. Have a good time with that.

P!Marcille: *waggles eyebrows* okay then

DM: I am going to hit you with my car covered in hammers rigged to explode multiple times and hammers go flying everywhere

While all of this is going on the DM is actually secretly very pleased to make a bunch of worldbuilding around the dungeon ecosystem and monsters and everything.

[actual-changeling]

i love all the UST to RST arcadia fics but i look at them and see the most uncomfortable situation ever.

mulder is having fun playing house and it's kinda cute, but scully? if we go with this being their first case back on the x files (and i'll always go with that) they have solved exactly none of their issues.

the "you're making this personal" is a month old at MOST, and scully probably has to struggle with the thought that the only reason mulder is her 'full-time' partner again is because diana ditched him.

(which is funny in a dark and painful way)

after weeks upon weeks of mulder basically being a rude stranger that no longer trusts her—someone she can no longer rely on—he just, what, expects her to bounce back and pretend none of it ever happened? 'cause that's what they usually do?

but this was not usual. this was mulder taking his love confession and twisting it into a knife to repeatedly stab her with. "your science saved me and made me a whole person" yeah great! love that. would be a shame to use it against her a few weeks/months later.

"your science is wrong" after she more or less repeated his speech and the strong implication that he no longer abides by what he told her.

"you've given me no reason here [not to trust diana]" after she did what she always does—giving him the facts. if i start talking about the "you're making this personal" line we will be here for an hour so i won't. we all know it's there and what kinda damage it did.

all that and more. refusing to trust her. ditching her. walking away from her. and, knowing them, they did not come together and talk it out.

so we have scully stuck undercover as his wife in a freaky murderous suburban community and mulder is getting his ya yas out doing what he does.

he touches her and she immediately shrugs him off, steps away from him, and she looks at him with raised hands and a glare that says "back off". early season 5 scully would be having the time of her life but by now she very much hates it.

whenever mulder initiates something personal, she plays along just enough to keep them as a team going but is visibly uncomfortable. we know what it looks like when she's happy and relaxed in his presence and this ain't it.

and these are from the BEGINNING of the episode. it doesn't get any better. it's work and she is treating it as such, she won't risk a case because of her own emotional situation.

mulder is. trying to get them back on track. i can give him that much. but as we see in monday and agua mala, he is STILL keeping shit from her (not giving her an explanation in monday, for example) and comfortable ditching her.

personally, i don't think arcadia is the turning point in their relationship that a lot of fics write it as. doing so is perfectly fine, don't get me wrong, i love reading them.

i just don't see any major progress between one son and arcadia that indicates they actually talked about some shit. playing house with mulder is about the last thing scully wants to do at that point, and yet she does it without complaint.

arcadia, to me, is mostly about two things: mulder being forced to acknowledge that they can't just ignore it & he screwed up and scully (very very slowly) beginning to rediscover how to be comfortable around mulder again. i don't think his frequent jokes are particularly helpful, they don't lighten the mood, they make it worse, if anything.

somewhere between arcadia and alpha, and then alpha and trevor, they readjust, and while cc never showed us (bc he is a fucking coward) i am 100% certain they actually managed to talk.

in trevor, there is none of the tension we see in arcadia. they're comfortable joking and flirting as usual, he does his lovesick puppy impression when she talks about spontaneous human combustion. they're them again.

not perfectly so, that takes them longer with the whole biogenesis thing disrupting their balance again, but we have the baseball date and that episode in general (thank u david for ur service).

anyway this got away from me, but my point is that scully should be allowed to need longer to trust mulder again after how horribly he treated her. she's allowed to hold a grudge and be upset, angry, sad, whatever she wants.

let that woman scream a little, she desperately needs it.

[heartshapedbubble]

omg i was answering this req and when i saved it to my drafts I COULDN'T EDIT IT??? so i deleted it in hopes to remake it BUT THE ASK WAS GONE fuck you tumblr :(( im so sorry anon you know who you are

aesop carl, qi shiyi and frederick kreiburg w/ a singer s/o hcs⚰️🪈🎼

aesop carl⚰️

...you'd have to do most of the initiation with him. aesop carl is not impolite, not at all, but the crippling anxiety overcoming him makes it hard to go beyond a "hello" or any other introduction. he has a lot of nice things to say to you, romantic even, but during the first couple of months you'll have to basically yank them out of him

aesop is horrible with words, and would rather just hide away and hope you notice how he feels about you. in his eyes, the simple things he does with you - small talk, exchanges of handkerchiefs and drinks by the table, midnight walks when everyone's asleep - are acts of confessing his love. to him, trust equals love, and love equals assistance and communication.

something that he's even more afraid, though, is singing. talking can be quiet, unnoticeable, blending in with everyday noises, but singing is always noticeable. the change of pitch can be caught even by an untrained ear, and the ensuing confrontation, to him, is terrifying.

you fascinate him, a lot. unlike him, you're not afraid to set your voice free, letting it echo through the room and spin around you like a ribbon. kind of like an aura, it attracts passerbys and always leaves them standing in awe, even if it's just for a minute. that kind of confidence is impressive, and he himself finds it rather enchanting.

as you train your voice on the podium, enjoying yourself and twirling around in your flowy robes as if there's nobody around, the last thing that's on your mind right now is a potential secret admirer somewhere nearby. the secret admirer being aesop, of course. he's crouching in one of the loges, partly sick to the stomach because someone might walk in on - or even worse, you may notice - him, partly enjoying your outstanding performance.

qi shiyi🪈

she thinks you two make for a pretty nice duet ;)

you two clash at moments, as she enjoys and is used to the more "formal" arts such as opera and your field of interest is musicals, but overall she's enarmored by your talent and your charisma. jazz, rock, ballad or aria, a strong voice does not go unnoticed.

once she softens up to you, you'll notice just how much she enjoys your voice. as you comb her hair, she asks you to sing something for her. when you two are fast asleep, her head is on your chest, listening to your soft hums as she's lulled to sleep. calls you her songbird as she wraps her arm around your waist and spins you around in your brand new costume.

here and there she'll dust off her old flute and play a nostalgic melody or two. it's even better when enrichened with your singing, and it motivates her to jump back on her feet and do a little three-step as she plays

frederick kreiburg🎼

he's not a wunderkind, but being surrounded by music from a young age he has quite the trained ear. he can quickly differentiate between a powerful mezzosoprano and a rich, dark alto. a lot of insinuations and jokes have been made behind your back about how you two are perfect for each other, but he just rolls his eyes, not bothering with empty gossip.

thanks to the unisolated manor walls, at one point he'll hear some vocal exercises coming from your room

am i losing my mind again? he thinks to himself, looking around in wonder. he stays in the hallway for a little longer, trying to find the source of this haunting voice - and it will take time, oh, indeed, but eventually he'll knock on your door and unintentionally kick off your relationship

as expected, he enjoys playing alongside you. motivating him to crack his knuckles and sit in front of the piano again is hard, but the both of you know your irresistible smile will not leave him any other choice....

mostly picks out german lieder from his collection of sheet music, but of course, adapts to your wishes - something more energetic works great as a warm up

he's the happiest when he performs alongside you on the podium. nothing makes his face light up like when he watches you sing from behind the piano, gesturing towards the audience and slowly dancing to the composition unraveled by his fingers, basking under the golden spotlight.

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

First web radio of the duo Sebastian Michaelis/Ciel Phantomhive is out. Daisuke Ono and Maaya Sakamoto are the first personalities to hold it.

Am urging you to listen to it.

When Ono D began to talk with his cool Sebastian M voice, Maaya suddenly joked that she didn’t know which way to reply. Both admitted that talking nonstop for 30 minutes with their character voices was difficult. Prior to this web radio, OnoD used to have a show called the Phantom Midnight Radio. They talked about mostly the early days of Kuroshitsuji recording where Maaya felt nervous and shy bc she was the only female cast member at that time. She was young and didn’t know anything (though she’s been so long in the business). I guess that was the reason she wasn’t a guest to many of their festival presentations. So now, that the two of them got reunited it was good that they were bonding, they said. They also discussed the new cast members where many of them professed that they watched the show when they were teenagers. OnoD particularly mentioned McMillan’s VA, Haruka Shiraishi, who was starstruck upon learning she was able to work with Maaya and OnoD on the anime she used to watch beforehand.

Other things I’ve learned: OnoD loves to wear black influenced partly by his role as S. Maaya is not only a singer and an actor, she also writes and has a column at NewType.

Maaya Sakamoto and Daisuke Ono

Anyway, I saved the ending because it encapsulated that they are much closer than say, 10 years ago.

Daisuke Ono: We are creating works of quality that will definitely exceed expectations. If we are to live up to those expectations, we will definitely accomplish it and show it beyond expectations. What will we do if we can't do something like that? We are only one hell of butlers after all.

Maaya Sakamoto: Yo!

Daisuke: When Maaya-chan’s “Yo!” comes in things start to become a bit like traditional performing arts. So-so-so-so. (Tsk tsk tsk.. both are laughing) Anyway, I'm looking forward to the future. I'm looking forward to the anime, I’m looking forward to the radio show. The next program on this show will be Tachibana Tatsumaru, who plays the role of Gregory Violet, and Kikunosuke Toya, who plays Cheslock, as the next participants.

PS: If you are collecting points (so far I have earned 450 points!) then you need the code. This is where you can get it.

Also, Volume 1 of DVD/Blu-ray’s benefits will contain the anime soundtrack among others. Yay!

[cobaltperun]

I actually don’t really listen to taylor swift that much either but my little cousin kinda forced me to listen to her playlist and that song came up 😂

All the bells went off in my head when I heard the line “at every table I’ll save you a seat” cause in my head, since reader and Jenna had breakfast together while filming scream, whoever got there first would totally save the seat next to them for the other one

- 🤟

Okay, that's actually adorable 😁

That line definitely fits them the best, probably followed by 'have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years' or if I were to go down the jealous route 'and I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you' because look, we are all here because of Jenna, so, breaking the fourth wall with that one? 🤣🤣🤣

Okay, yeah, jokes aside, while I didn't write the scene, I reckon that would have happened, at least until the rest of the cast figured one of the seats next to either of them is reserved for the other.

Fuck it: Here's a deleted scene for you all:

Eternal Flame - deleted not at all added right now scene 1

Mason had gotten used to plenty of things on the set of Scream. From him and Jack being the ones responsible for the movie projector they borrowed from the hotel, not because no one else could do it, but because the hotel staff preferred to lend it to the same people. To you sometimes cooking better than the chefs in the hotel kitchen. To Jenna almost constantly wearing earbuds and sometimes sharing one with whoever was sitting next to her, so, mostly you or occasionally Melissa. To David giving art lessons.

He got used to it all.

He did not get used to Jenna looking grumpy at the breakfast table.

Melissa was sitting next to her, but there was an open seat to her right, and from the looks of it, nothing Melissa was saying worked to cheer her up. She just absent-mindedly messed with whatever was in front of her.

He would not let her start her morning like this! He would be a good co-star! A good friend! And cheer her up!

The gasps around him when he grabbed the chair next to Jenna meant nothing, he would not be deterred!

"Hey, Jenna, what's up?" he sat down next to her and Jenna immediately whipped around and stared at him, more specifically at the seat he had just taken. And even Melissa's jaw dropped.

"Hi," she greeted him slowly and Melissa just quickly mouthed your name and pointed at the chair he was currently occupying.

"Y/N?" he repeated your name, not yet understanding what the issue was, and then it hit him. This was your place, and you weren't there. "Right," he moved to the empty seat next to your own and then once again turned to Jenna. "What's up?"

Jenna smiled a bit. "Don't worry about it, I'm okay," she shrugged and then, before he could tell her he was there for her as her friend and assure her she could turn to him if needed, the doors opened and you walked in. Yawning and dressed in your usual post-work-out clothes.

"Morning," you raised your hand and greeted everyone, grabbed some toast and something to spread on it and dropped down on the chair next to Jenna's. "Hey, Jen, sorry I'm late," was it just him or did you greet Jenna in an entirely different way than the rest of them? And most importantly Jenna was no longer grumpy, so Mason kinda just got up to pour himself another cup of coffee because he must have been seeing things.

Jasmin, who was getting her own coffee, patted him on the back. "There, there, I'll explain later," she assured him, yet Mason still remained confused.

Well, at least Jenna was in a good mood once again.

Wait, did Jenna just lean closer to you so your arms were touching? "Am I missing something?" he whispered to Jasmin.

Jasmin just sighed. "Nothing at all," she paused, turned around to leave then whipped around and pointed at Jenna and you. "Just the birth of this generation's acting power couple!" she whisper shouted and Mason just looked at you and Jenna again and pointed subtly toward you.

"Jenna and Y/N?" he asked and Jasmin groaned. Right, that was a stupid question.

"As long as they get out of the will they won't they phase," Jasmin sighed.

[monsterswithimagines]

The Wolf

Bigby Wolf x Red Riding Hood OC

Summary: Red Riding Hood does not want to be afraid of The Big Bad Wolf anymore. A/N: Help. I don't know why I wrote this. This is pure smut. Good luck. Read on AO3

Masterlist

~

The silence between them was a living, writhing thing as they rode the elevator up to Red’s floor. She still wasn’t sure exactly how she had come to invite the Big Bad Wolf back to her place. It was something about almost dying–and him saving her life.

Her heart was pounding in her chest. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been alone with the Sheriff. Maybe she never had been. At least, not in Fabletown.

In the Homelands, though…

That memory was one of her most frequent nightmares.

Grandmother, what big eyes you have…

She’d been so stupid and naïve. But then, maybe she still was.

Why else would she be bringing the Big Bad Wolf to her apartment?

They reached her floor, and she fumbled with her keys as they walked to her door. He was smoking one of those disgusting Huff & Puffs, and she wanted to tell him to put it out before they went inside, but it seemed unfair, given he’d just saved her.

So she didn’t ask, but she didn’t have to. He dropped the cigarette to the floor and stomped it out before they went inside.

Her place was small and cosy. She had a combined living room and kitchen, a tiny bathroom and a bedroom. The bathroom door was closed, the bedroom door open.

Bigby looked around in interest, and Red tried not to blush as she cleared her throat.

“I’ll just… get my first aid kit.”

“Don’t bother. It was just a scratch. I’m already healing.”

Red ignored this and went into her bathroom. She dug through the cabinet underneath her sink, then came out, finding Bigby sitting on the very edge of her couch.

His torn white shirt stuck to his chest in places, with blood seeping through. Red stood in front of him, swallowed thickly, and then said: “you should probably take that off.”

He stared up at her, his expression a little helpless.

“Here…” She sat down on the coffee table across from him, setting the first aid kit to the side. Her hands trembled as she reached for the first button of his shirt, and she began to undo those buttons clumsily.

He just kept looking at her.

When his shirt fell open, her eyes met his, and the intensity in them surprised her. She gasped without knowing exactly why.

“Are you alright?” Bigby asked.

“I’m… I’m fine, Sheriff.”

He huffed, as if he didn’t believe her.

“I… I am,” she insisted, and forced her eyes to trail to his chest.

The large gash that had been there had turned into a slight scratch, like a cat’s. Red sighed, leaning back a little. He’d been right. There was no use trying to treat a wound that was already mostly gone.

Why had he agreed to come with her, then? Back to her apartment?

She looked back up at him.

There was so much concern there, on his face, and it occurred to her suddenly that maybe Bigby had just wanted to be sure she’d get home safe.

The Big Bad Wolf, making sure Red Riding Hood gets home safe… It’s like the start of a poor joke.

“You’re afraid of me,” Bigby observed, his voice tense.

Of course she was. Of course she was. He’d killed her grandmother, eaten her. And then he’d tried to do the same to her.

Grandmother, what big teeth you have…

She’d trusted him. For months, she’d trusted him, and then…

His strong voice, saying "Red," broke through her thoughts. He’d spoken that way to her daily, once upon a time. It had always calmed the worst of her anxieties. “Don’t be afraid.”

“I can’t help it.”

He frowned, or at least looked even more broody than he usually did. Slowly, as if giving her a chance to object, he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I won’t hurt you.”

She did believe him. He had been the Sheriff of Fabletown for two hundred years and had proven time and again that he cared about the job, especially lately.

But still. Those had been the eyes she’d looked into while waiting to die.

“I never should have,” he went on. “I was stupid.”

It didn’t exactly make her feel better.

Bigby sighed. “I should go.” He stood, and before she knew what was happening, he’d walked past her to the front door.

“Wait.”

Her heart was beating even harder than before. She was sure he could hear it. But she stood, faced him, walked to where he was hesitating near the door.

“Thank you,” she said. “For saving my life tonight.”

“Just doing my job.”

She kissed him.

It was their first kiss in over three hundred years–since before everything had gone down between them. Last time, they had been in the woods, and it had been a sunny day, like every day had seemed to be back then.

His return kiss matched hers in intensity, a practiced response. Then he placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her gently away.

“You don’t have to do that,” he mumbled.

“I know. I don’t have to do anything,” Red said.

“You’re confused.”

She shook her head.

“You hate me.”

She shook her head again. There was not a bone in her body that could have ever hated him. Even when he’d killed her grandmother, when he’d tried to kill her… Not a bone in her body.

She feared him. But before that, she had loved him.

Shapeshifter. Monster.

Lover.

She kissed him again.

Something between them snapped.

He gripped her hips, pressing her back against the door as he kissed her back, nipping at her lower lip and pushing his tongue into her mouth.

She moaned into the kiss. Her hands roamed his shoulders, drifted down his arms, went to his hips, then pushed underneath his still open shirt to trail across his stomach. Her touch made him shiver.

She kissed him fervently, their tongues brushing and teeth clacking together. She wanted to shed her fear, to lose herself in him the way she once had. He pressed against her, trapping her between him and the door, and his mouth pulled away from hers, trailing instead along her cheek, down to her neck.

“Wolf…” she whispered. “Oh…”

It was his old name, his real name.

His mouth stayed on her neck, his hands gripping her hips again as he nipped and sucked at her skin. Then his teeth grazed over her ear.

“I want you,” he growled.

That noise went straight to her core. Her knees threatened to buckle.

With a graze of her nail against his nipple, she withdrew her hands, pushing his shirt from his shoulders.

He growled again, nipping at her pulse-point. She moaned, her hands on his arms as they moved against each other–grinding like a couple of helpless teenagers.Then, letting out a shuddering gasp, she took his face in her hands, pulling at him until he looked at her.

His eyes were yellow.

That should have petrified her. But instead of fear, she felt a burning arousal.

She drew his mouth to hers again, briefly, her hands exploring his skin. The scars there. Most of them were new, at least since last she’d been with him, though they looked old.

“Jesus… Red,” he said when they drew apart for air.

“We’re wearing far too many clothes,” she complained, ignoring how helpless his tone had become.

He let out a low hum as he pressed his lips to her earlobe, his teeth nipping at it again as he murmured against her ear.

“Patience…”

"Never been my strong suit."

He pressed her harder against the door, teeth clamping down on her neck. His hands went to her hips, holding her still as he moved against her.

She raked her nails down his chest and stomach.

The sound that came from his throat surprised her, and the way his grinding sped up did so even more.

“Yeah, just like that,” she told him.

Her skin was on fire, her lower stomach had become one giant ball of nerves. Every time he bit the place where her neck met her shoulder–never quite drawing blood–a shock went through her system.

She moaned and tilted her head back, exposing more of her neck to him.

His teeth, now sharp, raked against the skin there, and she trembled.

His tongue slid along the trail of blood he’d just left, soothing the burn of the scratch.

Suddenly, her loose V-neck sweater and jeans felt far too constricting. They were in the way.

She held on to Bigby’s shoulders desperately.

“C’mon… C’mon...”

“Hold on to me,” he told her, his voice rough.

She yelped as he picked her up, her legs wrapping around him of their own accord as he carried her to the couch. When they reached it, he gently laid her down, his body trapping hers against the cushions as his lips went back to her neck.

"Fuck..." she had always loved when The Wolf had manhandled her like that, throwing her around like a doll. Like she weighed nothing. Maybe she’d brought what had happened on herself. "Wolf… Bigby…”

He continued to trail a path of kisses and nips down her neck. His hands roamed her sides, then went to her jeans, unbuttoning them.

"Please..." she took a deep breath. "Fuck... I want you so badly..."

His hands had pulled down her tight jeans until they were around her ankles. She kicked them off, then wrapped her legs around his waist.

“Please what?” he asked, his teeth teasing the skin of her collarbone.

"Please take off your pants and fuck me."

Bigby pushed himself up, looking down at her. There was something helpless in his gaze, and Red found herself wondering if he’d spent all these centuries thinking about what had happened between them, too.

He took a deep breath, pulling his belt off and tossing it to the side.

“You’re not gonna back out of this now, are you?”

She laughed. Then she just stared at him, letting him see everything she felt.

She knew her cheeks were flushed, her hair a mess. The places where he’d bit and nipped at her bruised. But it was her eyes she wanted him to notice. The feelings within them.

“Fuck… You’re stubborn, you know that?” His hands went to his pants, and he unbuttoned them.

“How’s that?”

“I’ve done everything in my power to make you stop caring.”

She jolted.

He pushed his pants off, the article of clothing joining his shirt and belt on the floor. Then, he knelt down between her legs, his hands going to grab her hips.

"Here, let me..." She sat up, pulling off her sweater and throwing it randomly away. With it off, she was left only in her bra and panties, with him only in his boxers. At some point, though, she couldn’t remember when, they had both managed to kick off their shoes.

He looked at her with hunger in his eyes.

He laid her down again, his body trapping her between his arms and the couch, then slid down her body. He brought his head down, his mouth attaching to the skin by her navel, to which she moaned and arched into his touch.

"God... damnit, Bigby. Fuck..."

“I don’t remember you swearing this much.” He brought his mouth lower, to the edge of her panties, tongue teasing the sensitive skin just above the lacy material.

She moaned, her hands threading into his hair.

He chuckled darkly.

He brought his lips down, mouthing at her through the material of her underwear, still just teasing her. She gasped at the feeling, rolling her hips against his mouth. She wanted him, wanted him so badly, but he only continued his slow and deliberate movements, the material of her panties getting wet from his tongue.

"Bigby... if you keep that up... I'm gonna..."

“That’s the whole point, Red,” he murmured.

He worked his tongue slowly against her, and her moans became higher in pitch. With how thin the material of her panties was, he might as well have been mouthing at her bare pussy–and it felt like it.

Already, she was so close.

“You’re so goddamn perfect,” he murmured against her.

He brought his hands to her hips again, gripping them tightly, holding them in place so she could no longer move.

"Bigby.... Bigby!" Her hands gripped his hair tightly.

“Not yet, not yet…” he said, then pressed a kiss to her thigh before going back to work on her.

She panted hard, trying desperately not to tumble over the edge… But it was a losing game.

He continued his slow, deliberate movements, his tongue swirling against the material of her panties.

"Bigby, please, please, I'm gonna... I'm gonna-!"

He hummed and licked the material right over her clit. It was all the permission she needed.

She shuddered, gasped, and came entirely undone.

He let her come down from the high as gently as he could, mouthing her through it, then pulling back to simply stare up at her. He rubbed her thighs softly with his hands, and she looked down at him, wondering what he would do next.

“We can stop,” he told her.

“Don’t you dare.”

He pulled her panties off slowly, and she moaned as the cold air hit her sensitive pussy. Then, she watched him through lidded eyes as he pulled his own boxers off his hips, kicking them off the rest of the way.

Her nails dug into his shoulders as he slid into her.

He buried his face against her neck, his arms wrapping around her waist to keep her close to him, his mouth moving against her skin as his cock found home. He stilled, only briefly, then began to slowly thrust.

“Goddamit, Red…”

Every movement of his hips made her see stars. She could hear herself moaning, from very far away, and wasn’t sure if she was saying his name or just making noise.

She wrapped her legs around his waist again. The new angle brought him even deeper.

Neither of them was going to last very long like this, she was sure of it.

"Bigby, please... Harder,” she begged.

His movements became faster. She could tell he was losing himself in her completely, the way she was losing herself in him. Every move of his hips built the pleasure higher, made her moans louder.

Bigby snarled.

They came together, their ragged breaths and moans filling the air, her body trembling with the force of it.

He pressed his mouth to hers, not kissing her, just breathing her air as he rode them through it.

Everything went white.

She eventually came back to herself. His body had collapsed on top of hers, boneless. He nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck again, and her heart was still racing and her breathing was still ragged and she was sure he could feel it.

She laughed breathlessly, stroking her hands lightly over where her nails had at some point drawn blood from his shoulders.

“You… good?” he asked, drawing back to look down at her.

She nodded.

“I was too rough,” he insisted.

She was sure she looked like it, covered in marks and bruises and a little blood from when he’d used his teeth. But she didn’t care. She hadn’t felt this good in over three hundred years.

“I’ll just buy a turtleneck.”

“That’s not-”

“Bigby,” she told him, pushing herself up on her elbows so their faces were closer together. “Stop it.”

He looked down at her, then dropped his head.

She wouldn't make him say what she was sure he felt–wouldn't scare him by voicing it herself. Instead, she ran her fingers through his hair, letting him rest against her as she leaned back against the couch cushions.

They slept there, curled up on the couch, pressed together. Their legs tangled, his arm draped across her and his lips pressed to her pulse.

For the first time in a long time, Little Red Riding Hood did not have nightmares about the Big Bad Wolf.

[kalinara]

So I was reading some posts talking about superhero comics and status quos, and the static element of characterization that results.

And I've realized that I don't entirely agree with that idea. I don't entirely disagree with it either, but I think a lot of times it depends on the character and the execution.

Unsurprisingly, I'm going to bring up my favorite character. Scott Summers/Cyclops has been a mainstay in X-Men (or satellite) comics for sixty years. (Even when he's dead, some version of him tends to be pretty prominent.)

He's got some very recognizable traits, and in my experience, even writers who I'm not really a fan of, or who aren't really a fan of him, seem to be able to give us a version of the character that's mostly recognizable.

Let's take Chuck Austen for example. His run on the series is generally pretty maligned for a lot of reasons. A LOT.

But when I think of Cyclops during this time, I think of this bit from Uncanny X-Men #412:

Scott looks at this woman who is awkwardly asking after his brother, and clearly clocks the reason why. And then, with all the bluntness of a sledgehammer tells her: Alex is already in a relationship.

It's hilariously awkward and a bit harsh. But it's also a bit like ripping the band-aid off. By bluntly telling her, before she says anything too overt or embarrassing, he's saving her dignity. If only the storyline ended here.

(And we can relate it back to early X-Factor and his own difficulty with telling Jean about Madelyne. Is he doing for Alex, what he'd really hoped someone would have done for him?)

I think about this scene a lot when I think about Austen's run. I also think about Scott hiring a shapeshifting stripper for Alex's bachelor party and having her take Annie's form...you know, rather than point out to his brother that Alex probably should figure his shit out before breaking Lorna's heart and leaving her at the altar.

That honestly also feels in character. Fuckhead.

But anyway, I am not a fan of Chuck Austen's run for a whole lot of reasons. But I do think he wrote a good Cyclops. And I feel like a lot of other writers, whose take I don't particular care for, also tend to write a fairly decent Cyclops.

I remember being a little anxious about Raid on Graymalkin because Gail Simone rather infamously jokes about her dislike of Scott. But honestly, I thought her Scott was fine. And during the points of conflict, I thought he remained generally very reasonable and recognizable.

There's just something about the concept of the character that I think most writers seem to get intrinsically. At worst, he might be a bit bland or wooden, or there might be a scene or two that I don't like, but the general take is usually pretty decent.

That said, I don't think Scott's a static character at all. I actually think that he's one of the most dynamic and reactive characters in the franchise.

If we look at Scott in the sixties vs. the Scott of early Claremont, the Scott of X-Factor vs. the Scott of late Claremont/Lee era, the Scott that we had after Apocalypse, to the Scott of Utopia, the Scott after AvX to the Scott after his resurrection. Krakoa Scott and the guy we have now...

They're all very distinct takes on the character with a very clear progression. You can eyeball a distinct arc, like Whedon's Astonishing and realize pretty quickly that we're dealing with the post Morrison/pre-Utopia era version of the character.

All of the versions are consistent and recognizable, but they're all distinctly rooted in the events of their particular era. It's really fun and fascinating to me.

To be fair, though, I don't think every character is as lucky.

Poor Kitty/Kate Pryde, for example, ends up having god knows how many coming of age type stories, because they keep retconning her age back and forth. (I keep joking that writers need to remember the lesson of Pete Wisdom: be careful hooking your self-insert up with Kitty Pryde, because he may end up accidently retconned into an ephebophile.) I credit Jubilee and Shogo for why they finally stopped doing that. As long as Jubilee has a baby, she can't be reverted TOO young, and Kitty's always supposed to be older than Jubilee. But it was touch and go for a long time.

And then there's Logan. He's tricky. I think there IS some clear progression: the guy we saw in early Claremont who was incredibly stab-happy is not exactly the errant knight we see in the more modern takes. But he does tend to a lot of inconsistency.

I blame the sheer amount of content for him. Don't get me wrong, as a fan of a character who isn't Logan, I do envy Logan fans all that content. But I think it does impact the general cohesion of the character.

Does Logan approve of kids in battle or not? It generally depends on whether or not the story involves kids in battle. Is Logan someone who at least tries to be an attentive parent and atone for his failures? Sure, when the writers want to go that way. Until another writer introduces yet another long lost biological or adoptive child Logan lost track of. Is he a team player or a loner? Who's the love of his life?

Hell, does he love or hate Krakoa? You can find panels for both positions.

Now of course, you can make this work. But it's harder sometimes, and pretty much requires a Watsonian "sometimes Logan's a fucking hypocrite" interpretation to make it all function. I think it might be his most consistent trait, actually, besides liking to stab.

And it does mean that Logan, I think, doesn't get to be as dynamic as others. He's got to be recognizable across so many comics, and not every comic is going to want to reference the same events. Some writers get really attached to certain versions of the character, so we end up with lone wolf cowboy Logan during a time when all of his known kids are alive, well, on the side of good, and perfect for bonding! There's a lot of regression and it can be frustrating to read.

(Disclaimer: while I like Logan, I wouldn't consider myself a big fan and a true fan of the character may have a very different take on him.)

So yeah, I think the idea of superhero comics having static characters is an oversimplification that really depends on who exactly we're talking about.

[nelyoslegalteam]

I don't think you realize how invested I am in your campaigns. Plz tell me things about the gondolin crew

HIHIHIHI THANK YOU.

oh man HAVE i introduced tumblr, formally, to the gondolin campaign crew? ANYWAY. we have:

my problem of an oathsworn would-be-a-paladin-if-aime-would-let-me, Antar, a fanatically loyal member of turgon's royal guard, who has been serving as idril's personal bodyguard since saving her life in the battle of the lammoth. everyone sure did see them on the ice that day!! pay no mind to why they're having weird tension with maedhros that suggests that they might have been around when he was captured!!! they were definitely on the ice and not in beleriand at the time for sure!!! has been lying through their teeth while also genuinely meaning every word they have said this entire time. this does not negate them lying through their absolute teeth. has a rivalry with a literal teenager (the teenager deserves it (the teenager is mëohen (you understand))). MAY have been overheard shittalking said teenager to maedhros BY said teenager,

@thymo-leonta's terrible spoiled boyprince, Mëohen, ie. the teenager in question, whose stated description and character desire on his official sheet are simply - and i quote - "smug brat" and "get turnt", respectively. technically a lord, but like, a minor unimportant one. mostly can be counted on to cause massive problems for everyone but mostly himself. The Entire Noldorin Royal Family is now aware of the time when he, in order, agreed to a 6am cross country race without stopping to ask what he was even getting himself into out of spite, went to a giant rager the night before and showed up hung over, failed all of his constitution rolls and did really badly, got stranded in the woods outside of barad eithel for most of the day, and then rolled up to court in front of Actual High King Fingolfin still hungover and covered in mud from said woods. (antar might be actively helping this become a topic of gossip for the entire noldorin royal family). there is an ongoing joke about his presence in this campaign rendering maeglin as a character entirely obsolete,

@potatoobsessed999's hypocrite of a kinslayer, APPARENTLY, NOT THAT ANY OF OUR CHARACTERS ACTUALLY KNOW THIS, Niquessë, who very loudly disowned her parents, disowned the entirety of fingon's host, kidnapped her baby sister, ran away to vinyamar, and got hired by mëohen, not necessarily in that order. tried to hide from said parents in a thornbush. failed at hiding anyway. (mëohen didn't help). agreed to take damage if she could look dignified while getting out of the thornbush. failed at looking dignified anyway. clearly has the most wet cat energy of the group. is maybe responsible, just a little bit, for stranding mëohen in the woods. developing a very catlike friendship with antar, who she will definitely absolutely not have any reason to have conflict with in the near future not at all (incorrect (this is going to go so bad for them)),

and @shadowkat2000's Anoraen, ie. THE BABY SISTER IN QUESTION WHO NIQUESSE KIDNAPPED. is baby. is adorable. definitely ALSO has Secrets, which if history is anything to go by WILL be kept from the party for MUCH longer than antar's!! possibly has weird elf magic shit going on?? talked Actual High King Fingolfin into officially, in court, declaring that niquessë kidnapping her was chill actually. did so successfully enough that even mëohen couldn't ruin it, which IS saying SOMETHING!!

because we are all noldor, our beloved gm @jaz-the-bard can make us fail doing anything at any time!!! everything is fine and is going to go great!! if we just gondolin enough the doom of the noldor surely won't get us!! :D

[hexxbug]

ACT 3!!

I can't believe it's over :((

This is probably more analysis than the other ones I've done lol, spoilers below :o

─ ─ ──┉─ ¡! • !¡ ─┉── ─ ─

AHHHHH so sad, I loved it sm

WE GOT MORE EKKO!!! FINALLY!!!!

THE RECORD BEING JINX AND EKKO INSTEAD OF VI!!

I was joking throughout ep7 and saying oh this is the closest we'll ever get to timebomb when she hugged him, then when they were working on the hextech AND THEN WE ACTUALLY GOT TIMEBOMB???!!!!!!!!

At first I wasn't a massive timebomb shipper, I preferred them platonically icl but it was SOOO FUCKING CUTE and I've been converted! (mostly, I still think they're sweet as a platonic pairing too but either is good) (the au has definitely won me over lol but I personally still think in the main timeline they'd have a different relationship anyway, maybe Ekko has/had a crush on her and in the finale maybe it was mutual but it needed more time to be fleshed out for me to properly ship it, I generally see Jinx as not really in a place to be interested in romance)(grey romantic/demi maybe???)

MA MEILLEURE ENNEMIE?????? THAT SONG HAS BEEN LIVING RENT FREE IN MY HEAD SINCE THEN AND I AM NOT OKAY. ABSOLUTELY FUCKING SPECTACULAR SONG

I think they should've given us a couple extra episodes because him and Heimerdinger, Mel and the whole Jayce Viktor story did not get enough screen time imo, could've done with a bit more interaction idk

Claggor glancing at Mylo being bros!!

HEIMERDINGER STAYED BEHIND!! NOOOOOO. he was such a silly guy I was very sad

ik yordles basically respawn or whatever but still :((((

Cait being like "who decides who gets a second chance" like it wasn't her busting Vi out of jail like 6 months prior

JINX SHE WAS SO BROKEN😭😭😭😭MY POOR LASS

lowkey wish we'd got to see her go absolutely batshit over Isha's death but I get the direction they went in (or just been able to see more of their reaction and recovery from her death in general)(because that shit was glossed over)

Vi being so upset and destroyed about Jinx, saying she shouldn't have done this and then Cait going mf I practically engineered this whole encounter😭😭😭

CAITVI IS A GO!!! I REPEAT CAITVI IS A GO!!!! HHHHHHGHHHHHGGG THEY'RE SO FUCKING CUTE!! I really love how the scene played out

VI'S "Cait I don't FUCKING CARE" just marry her already (ngl not the way I thought that confession would go but I'm glad it was pretty happy)

MEL!!!! I love her character design smmmm it keeps getting better and better🤩🤩🤩she needed more time and practice with her powers though, I think they rushed that a bit.

EKKO MY MAN!!!! HE REALLY WAS THE BOY SAVIOUR!!!!! COMING IN CLUTCH THERE AT THE END

JAYCE. VIKTOR. YOU GAY MFSS LMAO (platonic or romantic they are so in love) I also think they rushed their whole story because both of them were suddenly like "oh yeah besties again✨✨" and I wanted a bit more story there but THEY STARTED IT TOGETHER AND THEY ENDED IT TOGETHER🥲🥲(they basically saved Piltover with the power of friendship lmfaoooo)(jayce's whole monologue to Viktor was absolutely adorable though)

JINX NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I'm not okay💔 I know it's what she wanted, really, but it felt so flat idk I wish she'd lived and come to terms with every (also I love her and she needs to come back so that's probably why I didn't like it too lmaoo)(ik she fell like a hundred stories or whatever and canon divergence is a thing but my girl is a big part in LoL so maybeeeeee????)(I'm once again in denial....)(COPIUMMM)

ALSOOO CAIT WAS LOOKING AT THE BLUEPRINTS FOR THE HEXGATE AND HAD JINX'S BOMB SO I WILL STAY UNDER MY LITTLE DENIAL ROCK THANKYOU VERY MUCH

Honourable mentions:

Heimerdinger being like "you sure it's 4 seconds???" and Ekko just like •_• "mmmhm yep definitely" poor guy was TRAUMATISED😭😭😭it was so funny to me

Also Heimer's bard moment, him just being able to chill for once hahah<3

All the outfits in ep 7, I loved them! ALSO THE DANCE SCENE!! SO SWEET

LEST!! I wanted to see more of her she was so cool!

The blue haired woman who died:(( rip to a queen

And the guy who took over manning the hex gun🫡

Maddie, ngl I wasn't expecting her to betray Cait but it was unsurprising really, I would've loved to see what she'd make of the aftermath and better terms the city's are on but it was also a very dramatic moment for Mel and I liked the twist lol.

FIRELIGHTS(EKKO) FIGHTING TOGETHER WITH JINX!!!! AYYY

Just the whole union of Piltover and Zuan in the fight against Ambessa and the Herald(I wanted more build up for that too tbh but anyway)

VIKTOR GOING THROUGH ALL THE TIMELINES TO FIX IT AND IT BEING JAYCE!!!

The sweet little Cait and Vi scene at the end🥹

My mum who's been subjected to all of S2 and her main comment at the end was "I'm still a bit confused" 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[thearoaceshark]

ARCANE ACT 3 SPOILERS‼️

So the AU where everything turns out well, how do we feel about that?

The truth is that it hurts that they show us how it could have been better than the disaster that we have seen, but at the same time it answers many questions. The truth is that I enjoyed knowing about the existence of that alternate universe.

With that said, this universe also confirms (once again) what Jinx said, right? It was Vi who created Jinx. Truth be told, yes, Silco did a lot of damage and was one of the reasons they got to that situation, but it was also Vi's actions that dragged her there, and years later she continues to make mistake after mistake. Many bad things happened to Vi, some of which she had no control over, but in the end many of the things she experienced were a result of her actions or how she reacted to certain situations. I'm not saying to blame her for all the shit that happened in her life, just that she could have made better decisions.

On the other hand Jayce, who I assume either also died in the explosion, or was imprisoned, or had his job taken away, in that universe.

I don't hate Jayce for his actions in the last few chapters at all, I knew that killing Viktor was something that SHOULD be done. On the contrary, I was angry since before because he saved Viktor's life instead of destroying the Hexcore as he had promised him, and his actions and bad decisions throughout the first season and at the beginning of the second made me so angry. From the beginning they had me shouting that they should listen to Heimerdinger and not mess with magic, and I didn't like him for not listening to him and on top of that they expelled him from the council, of which Mel is also guilty (with they I mean Jayce, Viktor, and Mel, but it's mostly Jayce the one that should have listen).

And I just find this very curious. There is already the joke that both characters (Vi and Jayce) are intelligent on their own, but a disaster when they are together, but even apart they make bad decisions. It's not that they aren't intelligent, they are, but they make VERY bad decisions.

And I know that Ambessa and others are the main culprits of the misfortune that occurs, but I am fascinated by how the plot is formed from the mistakes that other characters make, and they give the tools to Ambessa (and others) to then manipulate them and use them at their favor. Vi and Jayce being the ones who make the most essential mistakes.

And the alternate universe, where they apparently have no role, is where the story is going best.

I don't know if that makes sense but it's the conclusion I've come to. I could be wrong because the emotions of the moment have me overwhelmed and do not allow me to concentrate on giving a deep reading, but I still wanted to share it. Again Vi and Jayce are not to blame for everything that happened, but they made the wrong desicions that infuenced the most on the plot.